their Councils abricged.,- 277 "whereas er as it is reported that not only the heretical and ufurpers , but fume 1a "Orthodox Patriarchs alfo for their own fecurity, have made men fubfcribe " (to be true to them) the Synod jeedgeth that it f etll befo na more , five '," only that men when they are made Bithops be required as ufual to de- clare the foundnefi oftheir faith: He that violateth this Sanction let him " be deprived of his honour. "The lothCan. Condemneth them that hold, That Man hath two "Souls (which they fay Photius favoured) and curled them fromChrift. The nth. Can. Tells us what men there Bifhops were, and what they fought. It is [" That all that are made Bifhops bearing on earth 'lthe perfon and form of the Celeflial Hierarchy, fhall with all veneration " be worfhiped by all Princes and Subjebts: and we will not have them togo "far from the Church tomeet any commanders ofthe Army or any Nobles, "nor to light from their horfes like fupplicants or abjeîtr that feared them, '`nor to fall dotan or petition them; If any Bifhophereafterfhallneglehi his "due honour,or break, this Cianon,orpermit it to be done,he fhall hefeperat- "ed for a year from the Sacrament; and that Prince,. Duke_, or Captain "two.years. "The t2.Can.Princes as prophane men be not fpettators of that which ho- e, ly perfons do, and therefore Councils be held without them. Either I underftand them not, or it is in defpite of truth that they fay ["On- to "de nec alias reperimus Oecumenicis Conciliis unquam interfuiffe: Neque "enim fas eft ut praphani Principes, rerum qua facris hominibusgerunda 1e funt,gerunturve, fpetlatoresfiant.] Binnius noteth [ex prafcripto nempe Canonum] turning an affertion defátto into one de jare, and an univer- fal into a particular, by which licence of expounding what dye or War, phemy may not be juftified! And why- then have fo many thoufànd been curfed fromChrift by Councils forunskilfulnefs in words ? § 59.. The rgth. Can. fecureth the Bifltopsadmirably in defpite of the old reforming honeft Canons decreeing that [" ALay-man (not ex= "cepting Kings. or Parliaments)(hall have no power to difpute by any rea, "fan of Ecclefiaftieal Sanctions, or to oppefe;the univerfal Church or anygc- 1eneral Synod; for thedifficulty ofthefe thing's,- andagitating them on both "fides, irthe office of Patriarchs, Priefis and Dattars; to wham only God "hath givenpower of binding and loafing. For though a Lay-man excel in "thepraife ofpiety andwifdom, yet he, is a Lay-man anda Sheep andnot a "Pu ior, . But a BISHOP though it be manifeft that he is deftitute of "ALL VIRTUE of Religion, yet he is a Paftor as long as he exercifeth "the office of Bifhop, and the Peep muff not refft the Shepherd,]. O brave doEtrine for the Rqman Kingdom ! A Heathen, or Infidel; or Mahometan , or Arrian Bifhop mutt not be oppofed : He that is no Chriftian maybe a Bifhop. How much to be blamed were the Gene- ral Councils that depofed Popes for Infidelity, Diabolifin, Herefie, Simony , Perjury , Blafphemy, Sodomie, Fornication, Murders, &c: when a Pope that hath all there, and no virtue ofReligion, is_not. to he, judged by Láy-men,or oppofed> Q ,re
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=