Conformity of the ecclesiastical discipline of the Reformed churches of France with that of the primitive Christians written by M. La Rocque ... ; render'd into English by Jos. Walker.

CONFORMITY.

The Council of Calcedon made a considerable Decree on this Subject, which is to be seen in the 6th of its Ca∣nons, where the Synod forbids to receive Priest nor

Deacon, nor any Ecclesiastical Person whatever, with∣out assigning them a Flock; that is to say, without a Ti∣tle, to speak after the manner of the Writers of these times; it makes void all Ordinations which is not made in the manner it prescribes, and suspends the Ministry of those which have been establish'd in any other manner; by this means to correct the boldness of the Ordainers. But rightly to understand the sense of the Canon, it must be observ'd that the Council calls absolute Ordination, an Ordination which obliges not to any certain place; it is what the Greek terms import, used by him, which amounts just to what we say, to Elect without assigning a certain Flock. See here the terms of the Canon; You must not lay hands on any body, neither Priest nor Deacon, nor on any in Ecclesiastical Orders, unless him that is to receive Ordina∣tion has been before published and named in some Church in the City or Country, or in some Martyrs Chappel, or in some Mo∣nastry; and as for those who are absolutely establish'd, the Sy∣nod appoints, that the imposition of hands be null, and that those which received it, cannot serve in the Church; which shall reflect on those which had done it.

France caused the Execution of this Decree to be de∣manded of the Council of Trent, * 1.1 as we find by the Me∣moirs of Mr. Du Puy; and we have seen in the 4th Ar∣ticle, what the Emperor Alexander Severus said of this practice of Christians, which he mightily approved.

The Council of Valentia in Spain, prescribes almost the same thing with that of Calcedon, in the Year 524. in the 4th Canon. * 1.2 That none of the holy Bishops do ordain any body, until he first promises to six in one place, to the end, that by this means men should not have liberty to shun the Rules of Ecclesiastical Discipline. Pope John the VIII. in a Synod of 130 Bishops, made this Decree; Him that thinks fit to establish a Priest, let him assign him a Church,

where he may still reside, serving the Lord. Atto, Bishop of Verceill, who lived in the Xth Century, cites the Canon of the Council of Calcedon in his Capitulary, chap. 30. and in his 31st he saith, * 1.3 Churches ought to be built in Con∣venient places, consecrate them by Prayers, and settle Pastors in each of them.

However, These Decrees hinder'd not, but there were some Persons Ordain'd and Establish'd in the Ministry of the Church, without being ingag'd to any particular Flock; as Paulinus, who afterwards was Bishop of Nole in Italy; St. Jerom, and the Frier Macedonius, they were made Priests without assigning them Flocks; but this doth not prejudice what hath been said; for the two for∣mer accepted only the Employ, wherein 'twas desir'd to ingage them, only on this Condition, as appears by the 6th Epist of Paulinus to Severus, by the 45th to Alipius, and by the 61st of St. Jerom, chap. 10. As for Macedo∣nius, something of constraint was us'd in regard of him, if we credit Theodoret in the 13th Chapter of his Religi∣ous History. To these Examples may be added that of the Friers Barses and Eulogius, who by report of Zozomen, were made Bishops for Honour sake only, without assign∣ing them any Church; however, Barses in time was made Bishop of Edessa, and Enlogius succeeded him.

Notes

• * 1.1

  P. 639. c. 3. Paris. 1654.
• * 1.2

  Tom. 3. Concil. p. 820. Collect. Rom. part 2. c. 14. p. 162.
• * 1.3

  Tom. 8. Spirit. Dach. p. 13. Paris. 1668.