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.

There are in this Establishment several things to be consider'd, in the first place, the deputing of our Elders with the Pastors to Synods, which is very agreeable to the practice of the Antient Church, which admitted the Layity into their Synods after the Example of the Apo∣stles, who in the Synod of Jerusalem make mention of the Church, in distinguishing it not only from them∣selves, but also from ordinary Persons, which they de∣sign by the term of Elders, Acts 15.22. to shew, that by the Church they meant the faithful People which assisted at that Holy Assembly, according to which, the Fathers in the Council of Antioch, distinguishes also the Churches of God, * 1.1 from Bishops, Priests and Deacons, in the Letter wrote to Dennis Bishop of Rome, to Maxi∣mus

Bishop of Alexandria, and to all the Churches to in∣form them of the deposing of this Arch Heretick; not that 'tis necessary to think that the intire Churches as∣sisted at this Council which was assembled from sundry Provinces, but they assisted by some of their Body which represented them, that is, by some of the Body of the People. But to say something more to the pur∣pose, I have shewn on the First Article of the Third chap. by Authority of Fermillian, and of the African Code, that the Elders, such as ours, were deputed to Synods with the Pastors, against whom they some∣times pleaded the right of the People which deputed them.

The Second thing I observe on this Article is, that the Deputies to Synods are obliged to be present there, or to excuse themselves by Letter; And if their Excuse be not sufficient, they are sensur'd as shall be thought fit in the Colloques, and in the Provincial Synods, which have power to judge definitively of their Excuses, and to dispose of their Persons, which also is according to the practice of the Primitive Christians, the Fortieth Cannon of the Council of Laodicea is conceiv'd in these terms, The Bishops which are called to a Synod must not neglect to go thither, and if any one does neglect, he will condemn himself, unless some Sickness doth hinder him: The 19th of Calcedon requires that one should reprove in a brotherly way those which fail of coming, although they are in good health, and that they are hindred by any extraordinary business which might not be deferr'd. In France no other Excuse will be admitted, but that of Sickness, as appears by a great many Cannons, and amongst others by that of the First of Epaume, by the 1 of the 2 of Orleans, by the 80 Letter of Auitus Bishop of Vienna, and by several other Decrees which I forbear

to cite. The Council of Agde in the 35 Cannon joyns to Sickness, some command of the King, next to which, it deprives from the Communion of the Church till the next Synod, those which have failed to be present at the former, and as it deprives them for that time from the Communion of the Church, it also deprives them from the Charity of their Brethren, that is, from the other Bishops, to which the Council of Tarragona in the year 517, reduces in the VI. Cannon all the punishment of those Bishops which neglect to be present at the Synods where they have been called by the Metropolitans, and excuses none but them which are hindred by Sickness. The 15 of the 11 of Toledo assembled Anno 575, Ex∣communicates them for one year, if they are not hin∣der'd by some Sickness, or by some inevitable necessity, the 76 of the African Code wills, That they should be content with the Communion of their Church, the V. Cannon of the Council of Merrida, of which I will speak on the 10 Article of the IX. chap. excuses those who are hindred by Sickness, or by Order of the Prince.

As to what our Discipline saith, That if the Pastor comes alone, no heed shall be taken of the Memorials he shall bring, nor of those the Elder brings if he comes without the Minister, it agrees not ill with what we read in the 100 Cannon of the African Code, where a Bishop complains of his Church, but because the El∣ders the Church had deputed, to defend its cause against the Bishop, did not appear, the Council referr'd the Judgment of this Affair to a certain Number of Bi∣shops, whereof some were nominated by the Bishop which was dissatisfied with his Flock, and the rest were left to be named by the Elders, although absent. As for the Memorials whereof mention is made in this Article, more may be seen of it in what I shall say on the Third Article of the Ninth Chapter.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A••d. Euseb. l. ••. c. 30.