or can be called together by themselves or their Proxies. These which are commonly so called, as those of Nice, Constantinople, Ephesus, Chalcedon, were only of the Prelates of the Roman Empire. Christian Churches existing at that time in Ethiopia and the Kingdom of Persia (which made up no small part of the Church of Christ) were nei∣ther present at them, nor invited to them. And yet not all the Prelates neither of the Roman Empire, nor some from every Province of it did attend that service: those Councils only being the Assemblies of some Eastern Bishops, such as could most conve∣niently be drawn together; few of the Western Churches (none at all in some) having or list or leisure for so long a journey: For in the so much celebrated Council of Nice, there were but nine Bishops sent from France, but two from Africk, one alone from Spain, none from the Diocess of Britain; and out of Italy, which lay nearest to it, none but two Priests appeared at all, and those as Legats from the Pope, not Authorised to represent the Italian Churches; so that of 318. Bishops which were there Assem∣bled, there were but twelve in all, (besides the Legats of the Pope) for the Western Churches; too great a disproportion to entitle it to the name of General. And yet this was more General than the rest that followed; there being no Bishops of the West at all in the second and third, but the Popes themselves; and in the fourth none but the Legats of the Pope to supply his place. So that these Councils were called General, not that they were so in themselves, but that there was a greater concourse to them from the neighbouring Provinces, than was or had been to some others on the like occa∣sions. Which if it be enough to constitute a General Council, I see no reason but the Council of Antioch might be called so too, summoned in the case of Paulus Samosetanus, the Patriarch at that time of that famous City. For the condemning of whose Heresie there convened not the Bishops of that Province only, but the Patriarch of Hierusalem, the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, Bozra in Arabia, Tarsus in Cilicia, Caesarea in Cappa∣docia, of Iconium in Lycaonia, of Neo-Caesarea in Pontus, besides many others from all places, of the same rank and quality, but of lesser same: Not to say any thing of Dionysius, Patriarch of Alexandria, invited but not present in regard of sickness, which defect he recompenced by his Letters of advice and intercourse; or of Dionysius Pope of Rome, so hampered by the Puritan or Novatian faction, that he could not come. So that if the present of two of the four Patriarchs, and the inviting of the others, with the Bishops of so many distant Nations as were there assembled, suffice to make a Ge∣neral Council; the Council of Antioch might as well have the name of General, as al∣most any of the rest which are so entituled.
But laying by these thoughts as too strong of the Paradox, and looking on a Gene∣ral Council in the common notion, for an Assembly of the Prelates of the East and West, to which the four Patriarchs are invited, and from which no Bishop is excluded that comes commissionated and instructed to attend the service: I cannot think them of such consequence to the Church of God, but that it may proceed without them to a Reformation. For certainly that saying of S. Augustine in his 4th. Book against the two Epistles of the Pelagians, cap. 12. is exceeding true. Paucas fuisse haereses ad quas superandas necessarium fuerit Concilium plenarium occidentis & orientis, that very few He∣resies have been crushed in such General Councils. And so far we may say with the Learned Cardinal, that for seven Heresies suppressed in seven General Councils (though by his leave the seventh did not so much suppress as advance an Heresie) an hundred have been quashed in National and Provincial Synods; whether confirmed or not con∣firmed by the Popes Authority, we regard not here. Some instances hereof in the Synods of Aquileia, Carthage, Gaugra, Milevis, we have seen before, and might add ma∣ny others now, did we think it necessary. The Church had been in ill condition, if it had been otherwise, especially under the power of Heathen Emperors, when such a confluence of the Prelates from all parts of the world would have been construed a Con∣spiracy against the State, and drawn destruction on the Church and the Persons both. Or granting that they might assemble without any such danger, yet being great bodies, moving slowly, and not without long time, and many difficulties and disputes, to be rightly constituted: The Church would suffer more under such delay by the spreading of Heresie, than receive benefit by their care to suppress the same. Had the same course been taken at Alexandria for suppressing Arius, as was before at Antioch for condemning Paulus, we never had heard news of the Council of Nice; the calling and assembling whereof took up so long time, that Arianism was diffused over all the world before the Fathers met together; and could not be suppressed (though it were condemned) in many Ages following after. The plague of Heresie, and leprosie of