gent that way of ai1y asfthc Enperóurs went: And fo in the Reign of Conflanti : , nd.Yalms, theymolt turn- ed to the Jirrians, at leaft in words : And many General Councils ( fo called, of the Empire ) the Arrians had,in which they prevailed, and made Creeds for their turn as they at Nice hdóne agáinft them, andbrought Per- fecutionon the ..O,rthodox, filencing, and ejeLing them, and Centering their Meetings as prohibitedConventicles, the Emperour himfelf .fometimc executing their difperfi ons and reftraint : And among other L.beritp theBithop .of Rome, againiF his Confcience:Subfcribed;tu them. The Fathers at the Council of ,1Vice did determine of the bounds of the Patriarchs of the Empire, whichbe- ing at firft but three, ( Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch)) eruíalern was after added, and after that Conf`antinople : For confläntine having now ftrengthned himfelfby the Chriftian Intereft, and being further out of the danger of mutableSouldiers, thanhis l'redeceflours, did that which none of them was ever able todo, by removing the Im- perial Seat from Rome to Conflantinople, and fo leaving that Famous City as naked and almoft negle&ed: Whereby two great changes befell the Clergie, r. The Bithop of Rome was left more abfolute and uncontrouled in the Weft ; 2. And the Bifhopof conflantinople fet up againft him_for, the Primacy in the Empire : At firft he claimedbut an Equalitb, but afterward a Priority ,14 Vni- ver(al ¡vifhop, becaufe his Seat was the Imperial Seat. The Patriarch ofYertifaieMwas fo far from the Court; and of fo finall power, that he made the leaft ftir of any of the five, though he had the faireft pretenfe incompa- rably for a claimof Supremacy on Religious reafons, if a Supreme there muít. have been .,(Chrifl himfelf having been therea Minifler to. tthe Circimcion, and Shepherd of
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