(31) Laity beingprefent, either the crimes of the bad may be detected, or the me- " rits ofthe good predicated, andthat Ordination be juJi and Iegitimate, which " was examined by the fuffrage and judgment of all. TheCafe is foplain inCyprian that Pamelius himfelf is forced thus toconfefs [Non negamusveterem Elellionis Epifioporumritum, quo plebe prefente, immo â fuffragiir plebi: eligi folent. Nam in Africa ilium obfervatum conftat ex eleílione. Eradii fucceforis D. Augtfdni de quo extat Epiftola ejus 12o. In Græcia estate Chryfoftomi ex lib. 3. de Sacerdot. In Hifpaniis ex hoc Cypriani loco, â Ili- dor. lib. de Ofticiis. In Galliis ex Ep . Celeftini, p. z. Romæ, ex ii: quaA- pra diximus Epift. ad Antoniam. Vbique etiamalibi ex Epift. Leonis 87. Et perduraffe eam confuetudineu ad Gregor.r.ufqueexejusEptolis;Immoadtempora ufque Carolieq. Ludovici Imperat. ex I. lib. Capitulorum eorundemfatiscenftat; Ve -9 rum Plebi fola fuffragia conceffa, noneleIlia qua per fubfcriptionemfierifolet...- Hoc enimpotigimam tune agebatur, ut invito plebi non daretur Epifcopus. - Fromhence now the quantity of their Churches may eafily be gathered. z. The people muff be prefent. 2. And this muff be All the people, the whole Laity of the Church. 3. They give their teffimonyof the lifeof theordained. 4. They are fuppofed all to know his converfation. 5. This is the common cuftom of the Churches, in Africa and all other Countries. Now I leave it to the confideration of fober minds howmany Churches, or Congregations could do all this ? Whether it was many hundred Churches that never law the perfon, nor one another, that were to meet in one Church or place, to do all this ? Or rather the Inhabitants of a Vicinity, ufing to af- femble for Communion, when even our Greater Parifhes now are more than can thus meet and do all this ? 2. Note alfo that when Cyprian impofeth it on the fame people that chufe their Bithop, alto tofeparate from one that is wicked, and not communicatewith him in the Sacrament, it is molt evident to him that is willing to underhand, that this Bithof, was to be the Teacher of all the people of that Church, and was to adminifter the Sacrament to them in the Congregation, and they had ordinary communion with him : For how elfe should they be called on tofe- parate from him, in the Sacrifice (as it's called.) Doth he command a thou- fand or a hundred diftant Churches to feparate from the Sacrifices of that Bi- Chop, who never had local Communion with him (unlefs perhaps once irs their lives as with a ftranger.) The Impartial can hardly read thefe words, and not underhand them. TwoObjeéfions are here made. a. Obj. All the People it put for all prefent, which it a part. tnfw. By fuch.interpretationslet God or Man fay what they will, it will fignifie but what the Reader pleafe. The Context and many concurrent ex- prefftonsthewthat(thoughbufinefs or ficknefs might hinder Tome Individuals) it was the main bodyof the Congregation which is called Plebe Vniverfa, or elfe it will be nonfenfe. 2. Object. But if the fame were the cuftom till the days ofCharles and Lodo- vick, then it could not be all the people, for then it's known that the Diocefes were larger : Therefore it muff be but all that belonged to the Cathedral. Anftm.
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