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.

Those who please to read the Second Cannon of the First Universal Council of Constantinople, and the Eighth of that of Ephesus, will easily perceive our Disci∣pline agrees exactly with the practice of the Primitive Christians. And as for the dividing one Church into two, or joyning several into one, when necessity re∣quires, there is Examples to be seen in Antient Records; As for joyning several into one, * 1.1 the Eighth Letter of the Second Book of Gregory the Great, gives us an Example, and the Fathers of the Sixteenth Council of Toledo, An. 693, in the V. Cannon, Authorises the joyning, and dividing, and declares also in what manner it must be done. The Emperour Charles the Bald in his Capi∣tularies, Anno 844, gives power to the Bishops to di∣vide a Church into two, when the Necessity and Edifi∣cation of the People require it, and if it gives them po∣wer to divide Churches, * 1.2 there's no question to be made but it gives them power also to join several in one, for good and lawful causes. In process of time the Popes have assumed to themselves this power of Joyning and Dividing Churches, although in France they are not per∣mitted to exercise it without the consent of our Kings, as the late Mr. de Marca has well observed in the Thir∣teenth chap. of the Fourth Book of the Liberties of the Gallcian Church, where he treats of these matters.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tom. 5. Conc. p. 430.
• * 1.2

  Tom. 2. capit c. 7. p. 23. Edit. Ba∣lux. 1677