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 former part of this Article which regards the Confession of Faith, which those are to sign which are established in the Ministry of the Church, relates in the first place to what was practised in the Primitive Church, where when one received the Office of Bishop or Mini∣ster, one was absolutely obliged to subscribe to the Con∣fession of Faith of the Council of Nice, and by conse∣quence to what was determin'd in the three following Oecumenical Councils, touching the Divinity of the Holy Ghost, and touching the Person and two Natures of Jesus Christ. Secondly, It refers also to the mutual Letters which the New Bishops wrote to the others, to assure them they were of the same Communion, and that they had one and the same belief. See here a fa∣mous instance, and of the first▪ Antiquity, that is, of the 3d Century, whereof Eusebius has preserved us the me∣mory in his Ecclesiastical History, * 1.1 in his preserving the Letter which the Fathers of the Council of Antioch (where Paul of Samosatia was condemned) wrote to all the Churches. In this Letter, amongst other things, they give advice of the Ordination of Domnus into the Church of Antioch, instead of a Heretick which they had deposed; and they give this intimation, That one may write to Domnus which was the lawful Bishop, and that Communicatory Letters might be receiv'd from him. St. Cyprian, at the end of his 67th Letter to Pope Stephen, Let us know, saith he, who has been setled at Arles instead of Marcion, to the end we may know to whom to recommend our Brethren, and to whom to write. Theophilus, Bishop of Alex∣andria, advertises at the end of his 1st and 3d Paschal Letters, all the Bishops of Egypt, of the setling of new

Bishops instead of those which were dead, * 1.2 and says to them, Write to these, and receive from them, according to the custom of Pacisick and Ecclesiastical Letters.

As for Ecclesiastical Discipline, there are a great many Rules which oblige those of the Clergy to observe the Canons, whereof the Discipline of the Ancient Chri∣stians was made; so that neither Bishop, nor Priest, nor Deacon, was admitted, who had not first submitted to these Laws, and who did not acknowledg in submitting to them, that 'twas by them he was to conduct the Souls which were committed to his care. I should be too prolix to mention all the passages of Antiquity where Ecclesiasticks are enjoyn'd to the practise of the Disci∣pline, and observing of the Canons; it shall suffice to mention some, to justfy a Truth acknowledged by all those which have applied themselves to the Reading the Works of Ancient Doctors, and especially of the Coun∣cils; * 1.3 That of Carthage, An. Dom. 419. Appoints those who are to impose hands on a Bishop, or to any other Clergy Man, to let them know first of all the Decrees of the Synods, that so they might have no cause to repent of having done any thing contrary to the Statutes of the Council. Pope Celestin, about the same time, thus begins his Letter to the Bishops of Poulia, and Calabria, which is the third in Course; * 1.4 That if it be not permitted to any Priest nor Prelate to be ignorant of the Canons, nor to do any thing contrary to the Constitutions of the Fathers; for what is it may be worthy of our care, if giving too great a latitude to the People, at the desire of some persons, the Rule of the Ca∣nons is infring'd.

The first Canon of the Council of Calcedon, requires that one observe all the Canons had been made till then in the Synods; * 1.5 the 33d of the 3d Council of Orleans, in the year 538, and the 6th of the 4th, of the year

541. with several others which I pass over in silence, do enjoyn the same thing. The Fathers stop not there; for not content to have recommended to the Clergy the observation of the Canons, which also they have formally requir'd of them at the very moment of their Consecration, it is in this manner the Fathers of the 4th Council of Toledo have explain'd themselves in Canon 27. Anno Dom. 633. for they oblige the Priests and Deacons established in Parishes, * 1.6 to promise the Bishop to live Chast, and Holily, and Religiously to observe the Laws and Discipline of the Church; the 10th Canon of the 11th Council of the same place, assembled in the year of Christ, obliges all those which take on them. Holy Orders, to keep the Catholick Faith, and wholy to be subject to Canonical Rules; and that it should not be thought 'twas only Priests and Deacons which were obliged to the strict observing the Canons and Ecclesi∣astical Laws; the Council of Merida in Portugal, * 1.7 ex∣tended this obligation to Bishops also, and to Metropo∣litans in the 4th Canon, Anno Dom. 666.

Notes

• * 1.1

  L. 7. c. 30. p. 282.
• * 1.2

  Tom. 3. Bibl. Pat. p. 94, & 112.
• * 1.3

  Cod. A∣fric. Ju∣stell. Ca∣non 18.
• * 1.4

  Tom. 1. Concil. pag. 902.
• * 1.5

  Tom. 1. Concil. Gall.
• * 1.6

  Tom. 4. Concil. pa. 589. Ibid. p. 824.
• * 1.7

  Ibid. p. 802.