were no more fuch Affemblies then there were Bifhops. In the 3 8. Canon of the fame Council we find this written [ Cives qui fuperiorum f lennitatum,id cf}, Pafche & Natalis Domini vel Pentecoftes fef ivatibus cure Epifèopis intereffe.neg- lexerint,quum in Civitatibus commniònis vel benedit1ionisaccipi- enle cau/a pofitos fe ncfre debeant, triennio communions priveo tur Ecclef e.i So that it feems there were no more Church-members ina City thencould congregateon the feflival dales for Coin- munion and the Bithops Blefitng : therefore there were not ma- ny fuch Congregations : when every onewas to be three years excommunicate that did not Affemble where the Bifhop was. Moreover all thofe Canons of feveral Councils that forbid the Presbyters to confirm by Chryfm,andmake it theBifhols work, do thew that theDiocefs were but (mall when the Bifhop=himfeff could do that betides all his other work. In the Canons called the Apoflles , cap. 5. it is ordained thus [ Omnium alirum primitie _Epifcopo & Presbyterù 4omum mittnntnr, non toper Altare.Manifeftum eft autem good Epifcopsas & Presbyteri inter Diacono; & reliquos clericos- eas dividnnt. ] By which it appearezh that there was but one Altar in a Church towhich belonged the Bifhop, Ptesbyterie, andDeacons, who lived all as it were on that Altar. And Can. 3 a. runs thus [Si quisPresbyter contemnens Epifco- pum fnum,feorfim,collegerit,&Altare aliuderexerit,nitvil habens quo rebrehendat Epifcopum incanfa pietatis & yuftiti,e,deponatur quaff principates'amator exiftens --- Raeantem poft imam& re. cnndam& tertiamEpifcopi-obfecrationem fteri conveniat. ] Which that there was thenbut one Convention and one Altar to which one Bifhop and Presbyters didbelong So that noOther A flemblyor Altar was to be fet upapart from theBifhopby any Presbyter that hadnothing againft the Bifhop inpoint ofGodli- lefs or Juflice. And' believe ifBithops had a whole Dioceffeof two hundred or three hundred or a thoufand Presbyters to maintain, they would be loth toRand to the fifty eighth Canon which makes them Murderers if they fupply not their Clergieswants :But let that Canon pats as fpurious. And long after when Conciliam Valenti doth grant leave to the Presbyters topreach,and Deacons to read Homilies in Country 0 2 Parithes
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