of changes which have no other motive, as the Fathers of Sardis say, but covetousness, ambition, and a desire to domineer. Nevertheless all these Prohibitions has not hindered but several Bishops have been transferred from one Church to another.
Socrates in his Ecclesiastical History recites a great many Examples of these Tran∣slations made before and after the Council of Nice. Pope Boniface at the beginning of the Fifth Century established Perigenes Bishop of Corinth,
whereas before he was of Patras, as appears by the Letter writ by this Pope to Rufus Bishop of Thessalonica. Socrates also cites this Example.
But that it may not be imagin'd that all these Tran∣slations were nothing but the ill effects of the relaxation of the Discipline
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of the ancient Christians, and that they were not countenanc'd by the Authority of some Canon, it is to be observ'd there were some occasions wherein these changes were allowed; as for example, for the greater edifying of the Church, in such a case it was permitted to translate a Pastor from one Church to ano∣ther, provided it was done by consent of the Synod, as our
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Discipline doth prescribe: The 14th. of the Canons attributed to the Apostles, explains it self after this man∣ner: It is not permitt•••• for a Bishop to leave his Church to go to another, altho he should be desired and invited thither by a great many, unless there be some great reason that obliges him to it, as that his Preaching might there tend to greater Edification, and there cause a greater growth of Piety, nei∣ther yet ought he to do it of his own accord, but by the Ex∣hortation and Judgment of several Bishops.
The fourth Council of Carthage assembled in the year 398, made a like Ordinance to that in the 27 Can. for having prohibited to go by ambition from one Church