The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 6 · Chapter 13
CHAP. 13. That none but the Emperor could or ought to convocate an Univerſal Council; and that the Biſhop of Rome did not meddle with that.
BEſides ſo many teſtimonies out of Antiquity, that the Emperors alone with their ſingle and abſolute authority convocated the Univerſal Councils, reaſon it ſelf ſheweth it, and permitteth not that the convocating of a Council ſhould belong to any other.
For ſince the Univerſal Councils were compoſed of Biſhops of the Roman Empire only, it appears that a Council limited with the ſame limits as the Empire, was convocated by the Emperour. For if the Roman Pope in quality of head of the Church of the whole world had convocated the Univerſal Councils, he would have called to them, as well the Biſhops without, as within the Roman Empire. This ſheweth evidently that the cauſe why the Biſhops of Perſia, Aſſyria, Aethiopia, &c. were not preſent in thoſe Councils, was, becauſe the Emperour had no right to command them. It was therefore at the Emperours, not the Biſhop of Romes coſt, that the Biſhops came. The Emperours furniſhed them with Horſes, Coaches, and all that was called parangarias praeſtationes, and defrayed them during their ſitting: He had his Comites and Officers that preſided in the Aſſembly, repreſenting the Emperours perſon. Which is ſeen by the Acts of this Council of Epheſus, in which the Comes or Count Candidianus did preſide: And by the Council of Seleucia, as Socrates relateth in the ſecond book, chap. 39. And it will appear yet more evidently by the Council of Chalcedon when we come to it. Hence it is that the Univerſal Councils have been greater or ſmaller, according to the largneſs or diminution of the Empire. I meaſure the greatneſs of a Council, not by the multitude of Biſhops, but by the greatneſs, and number of the Provinces, that ſend Deputies to it. But nothing gives more light to this queſtion then the commands which the Emperours made to the Biſhops of Rome to go or to ſend Deputies to the Council. Before the VI. Univerſal Council, the letters patent of the Emperour to Donus Biſhop of Rome are prefixed, which ſpeak thus to him,(a)Per omnia jubemus paternam veſtram beatitudinem minime eſſe impedimentum voluntati Dei, ſed eos dirigere. We make an abſolute command to your fatherly beatitude, to be no hinderance, but to ſend Legats. And before the ſecond Council of Nice, which is put among the Univerſal Councils, there is an Epiſtle of Tharaſius Patriarch of Conſtantinople, who ſaith expreſly that(b)In quam Synodum & nos & ſacerdotes, veri Vicarii ſcilicet Papae Romae, ſecundum mandatum piorum Imperatorum convenerunt. the Vicars of the Roman Pope came to that Council, by the eommand of the religious Emperours.
The ſame appears by the humble requeſts of the Biſhops of Rome to the Emperour for the calling of a Council, which ſupplications very often were rejected. For either it pleaſed not the Emperours to aſſemble a Council, or they aſſembled it not at the time and place which they deſired. Thus in the ſecond book of Theodoret ch. 16. Liberius Biſhop of Rome beſeecheth the Emperour Conſtantius to aſſemble a Council: but the Emperour did not ſo much as give him an anſwer. Innocent Biſhop of Rome, as we ſaw before,(c)See Nicephorus. book 3. ch. 31. & 35. ſent to the Emperour Arcadius five Biſhops and two Prieſts to beſeech him that a Council might be called to examine the cauſe of John Chryſoſtom; but his Legats were ſent back with diſgrace and ill words, as diſturbers of the publick peace. Leo the firſt beſeecheth Theodoſius to aſſemble a Council in Italy, ſaying(d)Leo Ep. 23. & 31. Omnes manſuetudinem veſtram cum gemitibus & lachrymis ſupplicant ſacerdotes generalem Synodum intra Italiam jubeatis celebrari. All the Biſhops beſeech your meekneſs with ſighs and tears, that you command that a general Council be celebrated in Italy. But Theodoſius would have the Council to be kept at Epheſus. And the ſame(e)Epiſt. 19. ad Theodoſ. Si pietas veſtra ſuggeſtioni ac ſupplicationi noſtrae dignetur annuere ut intra Italiam haberi jubeatis Epiſcopale Concilium. Leo makes the like requeſt to Marcianus ſucceſſor of Theodoſius, ſupplicating that at leaſt it might pleaſe him to put off the Council: but he could obtain nothing of that he deſired.
Of all theſe things the Cardinal ſaith nothing in chap. 41. of book 1. where he ſpeaks of the convocation of Councils, and ſmothereth all that with ſilence. It is not to be ſaid how negligently he handleth a thing ſo important to the Papal Monarchy. He is too wiſe to alledge Hierom ſpeaking thus to Ruffinus in his ſecond Apology;(f)Doce qui eo anno Conſules fuerint, quis Imperator h…nc Synodum juſſerit congregari. Tell me who were the Conſuls that year? What Emperour commandeth that ſuch a Council ſhould be aſſembled? or Socrates in the Preface of book 5. Since the Emperours began to be Chriſtians, the buſineſſes of the Church have depended from their will. And the great Councils were convocated, and are convocated ſtill by their command.