(95) fight of them, brought that meeting at laff tothat good and peaceable End, which elfe it was never like to have attained. It never came intoConfantine's mind tocall this Coun- cil as an Univerfal Reprefentative of the whole Chriflian World, or as theGovernours of the Crutches that were . out of his Dominions ; but as a fit expedient to end the ftrife that was raifed in thofe Parts : For as few of the Weft were there, fo none of all other Kingdoms were once called. For who thould call them g confiantine thatcalled the Council neitherdid it,nor ever pretended to a power to do it. The Pope called not the Council, much lets did he call the reff of the Chriflian World : Socrates tells us, 1. r, c. I S. that St. Thom.aa had Preach- ed to the Parthians, . and Bartholomew to the Indians, andMatthew to the Ethiopians, though the middle India was not Converted till Conflantine's days, by Frunaentius, and Ede/leas, and Iberia by a Maid : ] And fo Eufeb. 1. 3, c. 3. who faith, that St. Andrew Preached to the Scythi -- ans ; and in vit. Confiant. 1.4. c. 8. that there were manyChurches in Perfia : And no doubt there Apoffles Preached not in vain : Scotlandand other Countries that were out of the Roman Empire had Churches. Yet any Neighbour Bithop that defired it, might voluntarily be prefent. When Theodoret (in his Life) tells us that [names BithopofNi /7h (in theborders of Perfia) was at the Council of Nice : For Nifibis was then under the Government of the Roman Empire,] he plainly intima- teth that none but the Subjetsof the Empire were cal- led : And the names yet vifible, of the Subfcribers prove it. Notwithífanding this Councils decifions, the Con- tendons continue, and -t4í6 or part of the Bifhops wept
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