Roman empire in

tles.

the days of the apos- or places of convention set apart for Christian worship, I come now to consider them in another notion, as they are put to signify any number of Christian people within a certain district, as in a parish, diocese, province, patriarchate; which are names that we frequently meet with in ancient writers, though they are not all equally of the same antiquity: and therefore I shall here inquire both into the nature and original of them. Something has already been said upon this head, in speaking of the several officers of the church that were placed in those districts, as patriarchs, metropolitans, bishops, and presbyters, so far as was necessary to explain the powers and duties of those ministers in the church: yet there are many things to be noted further, which could not then come under consideration; for which reason I now make them the subject of a peculiar inquiry. And here, to understand the state and division of the church aright, it will be proper to take a short view of the state and division of the Roman empire for it is generally thought by learned men, that the church held some conformity to that in her external policy and government, both at her first settlement, and in the changes and variations that were made in after ages. In the time of the apostles, every city among the Greeks and Romans was under the immediate government of certain magistrates within its own body, commonly known by the name of Bovλn or senatus, its common council or senate, otherwise called ordo and curia, the states and court of the city: among which there was usually one chief or principal above the rest, whom some call the dictator, and others, the defensor civitatis; whose power extended not only over the city, but all the adjacent territory, commonly called

the poάs, the suburbs, or lesser towns, belonging to its jurisdiction. This was a city in the civil account, a place where the civil magistrate and a sort of lesser senate was fixed, to order the affairs of that community, and govern within such a precinct.

Sect. 2. The state of the church conformable to it.

Now, much after the same manner, the apostles in first planting and establishing the church, wherever they found a civil magistracy settled in any place, there they endeavoured to settle an ecclesiastical one, consisting of a senate or presbytery, a common council of presbyters, and one chief president above the rest, commonly called the pроes, or the apostle, or bishop, or angel of the church; whose jurisdiction was not confined to a single congregation, but extended to the whole region or district belonging to the city, which was the προάτεια, οι παροικία, or, as we now call it, the diocese of the church. According to this model, most probably, St. Paul directed Titus to ordain elders in Crete, karà πóλi, in every city, that is, to settle an ecclesiastical senate and government in every place where there was before a civil one which, from the subsequent history of the church, we learn, was a bishop and his presbytery, who were conjunctly called the elders and senate of the church. The cities of the empire had also their magistrates in the territory or country round them; but these were subordinate to the magistrates of the city, and generally chosen by them, as learned men' have observed out of Frontinus de Limitibus Agrariis, and other Roman antiquaries. In like manner, every city church had spiritual officers in all towns and villages belonging to the city region; and these depending on the mother church both for the exercise of their power and their institution; they being both subordinate and accountable to the city church,

See Dr. Maurice, Dioces. Episc. p. 390.

as the subordinate magistrates were in the civil disposition.

Sect. 3.

Roman empire into

ceses.

Another division of the Roman emThe division of the pire was into provinces and dioceses. provinces and dio- A province was the cities of a whole region subjected to the authority of one chief magistrate, who resided in the metropolis, or chief city of the province. This was commonly a prætor, or a proconsul, or some magistrate of the like eminence and dignity. A diocese was still a larger district, containing several provinces within the compass of it: in the capital city of which district a more general magistrate had his residence, whose power extended over the whole diocese, to receive appeals, and determine all causes that were referred to him for a new hearing from any city within the district. And this magistrate was sometimes called an eparchus, or vicarius of the Roman empire, and particularly a præfectus Augustalis at Alexandria. When first this division was made, it is not so certainly agreed among learned men; but it is generally owned, that the division of provinces is more ancient than that of dioceses. For the division into dioceses began only about the time of Constantine. But the cantonizing of the empire into provinces was long before; by some referred to Vespasian, by others reckoned still more ancient, and coeval to the first establishment of the Christian church.

setting up metropolitical and patriarchal power, from this plan of the state. For as

hundred and twenty provinces contained in them, in the manner and form following.

The præfectus-prætorio Orientis, and under him five dioceses, viz. The Oriental, Egyptian, Asiatic, Pontic, and Thracian dioceses.

I. In the Oriental diocese are contained fifteen provinces. 1. Palæstina, 2. Phoenice. 3. Syria. 4. Cilicia. 5. Cyprus. 6. Arabia. 7. Isauria. 8. Palæstina Salutaris. 9. Palæstina Secunda. 10. Phoenice Libani. 11. Euphratensis. 12. Syria Salutaris. 13. Osrhoena. 14. Mesopotamia. 15. Cilicia Secunda.

II. In the diocese of Egypt six provinces. 1. Libya Superior. 2. Libya Inferior. 3. Thebais. 4. Ægyptus. 5. Arcadia. 6. Augustanica. III. In the Asiatic diocese ten provinces. 1. Pamphylia. 2. Hellespontus. 3. Lydia. 4. Pisidia. 5. Lycaonia. 6. Phrygia Pacatiana. 7. Phrygia Salutaris. 8. Lycia. 9. Caria. 10. Insula Cyclades.

IV. In the Pontic diocese eleven provinces. 1. Galatia. 2. Bithynia. 3. Honorias. 4. Cappadocia Prima. 5. Paphlagonia. 6. Pontus Polemoniacus. 7. Hellenopontus. 8. Armenia Prima. 9. Armenia Secunda. 10. Galatia Salutaris. 11. Cappadocia Secunda.

V. In the diocese of Thrace six provinces. 1. Europa. 2. Thracia. 3. Hæmimontis. 4. Rhodope. 5. Mæsia Secunda. 6. Scythia.

there was a superior magistrate above the magistrates of every single city; so likewise in the same metropolis there was a bishop, whose power extended over the whole province, whence he was called the metropolitan, or primate, as being the principal bishop of the province. And in all places therefore the see of the bishop was fixed to the civil metropolis, except in Africa, where the primate was commonly the senior bishop of the province, as has been showed in another place. In like manner as the state had a vicarius in every capital city of each civil diocese; so the church in process of time came to have her exarchs, or patriarchs, in many, if not in all the capital cities of the empire.

two dioceses, Macedonia and Dacia.

VI. In the diocese of Macedonia six provinces. 1. Achaia. 2. Macedonia. 3. Creta. 4. Thessalia. 5. Epirus Vetus. 6. Epirus Nova, and pars Macedoniæ Salutaris.

VII. In the diocese of Dacia five provinces. 1. Dacia Mediterranea. 2. Dacia Ripensis. 3. Mæsia Prima. 4. Dardania. 5. Pars Macedoniæ Salutaris, and Prævalitana.

The præfectus-prætorio of Italy, and under him three dioceses, viz. Italy or the Italic diocese, Illyricum, and Africa.

VIII. In the Italic diocese are contained seventeen provinces. 1. Venetiæ. 2. Emylia. 3. Liguria. 4. Flaminia and Picenum Annonarium. 5. Tuscia and Umbria. 6. Picenum Suburbicarium. 7. Campania. 8. Sicilia. 9. Apulia and Calabria. 10. Lucania and Brutii. 11. Alpes Cottiæ. 12. Rhætia Prima. 13. Rhætia Secunda. 14. Samnium. 15. Valeria. 16. Sardinia. 17. Corsica.

IX. In the diocese of Illyricum six provinces. 1. Pannonia Secunda. 2. Savia. 3. Dalmatia. 4. Pannonia Prima. 5. Noricum Mediterraneum. 6. Noricum Ripense.

X. In the diocese of Africa six provinces. 1. Byzacium. 2. Numidia. 3. Mauritania Sitifensis. 4. Mauritania Cæsariensis. 5. Tripolis. 6. Africa Proconsularis.

The præfectus-prætorio Galliarum, and under him three dioceses, viz. Hispania, Gallia, Britannia. XI. In the Spanish diocese seven provinces. 1. Bætica. 2. Lusitania. 3. Gallæcia. 4. Tarraconensis. 4. Carthaginensis. 6. Tingitania. 7. Baleares.

XII. In the Gallican diocese seventeen provinces. 1. Viennensis. 2. Lugdunensis Prima. 3. Germania Prima. 4. Germania Secunda. 5. Belgica Prima. 6. Belgica Secunda. 7. Alpes Maritimæ. 8. Alpes Penninæ et Graiæ. 9. Maxima Sequanorum. 10. Aquitania Prima. 11. Aquitania Secunda. 12. Novem Populi. 13. Narbonensis Prima. 14. Narbonensis Secunda. 15 Lugdunensis Secunda. 16. Lugdunensis Tertia. 17. Lugdunensis Senonia.

XIII. In the Britannic diocese five provinces. 1. Maxima Cæsariensis. 2. Valentia. 3. Britannia Prima. 4. Britannia Secunda. 5. Flavia Cæsariensis. Thus far the notitia of the empire.

most ancient ac

sion of provinces in

counts of the divi- that of Leo Sapiens, which is exhibitthe church. ed hereafter, is of later date ;) yet by comparing the broken fragments that remain in the acts and subscriptions of the ancient councils, with this notitia of the empire, and conferring both with the later notitias of the church, it plainly appears that the church was divided into dioceses and provinces much after the same manner as the empire; having an exarch, or patriarch, in almost every diocese, and a metropolitan, or primate, in every province. The most probable account of which, conformed to the foresaid civil notitia, is presented in the following Table, according as the division of the church seems to have stood in the latter end of the fourth century.

10. Insulæ Cyclades. 11. Asia Proconsularis.

IV. Diocese of Pontus.

PROVINCES.

1. Galatia.

2. Bithynia.

Exarch of Cæsarea.

METROPOLES.

1. Ancyra.

2. Nicomedia.

3. Cæsarea.

3. Cappadocia Prima. 4. Cappadocia Secunda. 4. Tyana. 5. Honorias.

5. Claudiopolis.

6. Gangra.

7. Neocæsarea.

8. Amasea.

9. Sebastia,

10. Melitine.

11. Pessinus al. Justinian

opolis.

V. Diocese of Thrace. Exarch of Heraclea first, af

terward Constantinople.

3. Syria.

4. Cilicia Prima.

5. Cyprus.

6. Arabia.

3. Britannia Prima, all on 3. London.

the south of Thames.

4. Britannia Secunda, or 4. Caerleon. all beyond Severn.

5. Valentia, beyond the 5. York. Picts' wall.

This, in the main, was the state and division of the church into provinces, and exarchates, or metropolitical and patriarchal dioceses, in the latter end of the fourth century; from which it appears, that a very near correspondence was observed between the church and state in this matter both in the Western and Eastern empire.

Sect. 7. ther from the rules

And this may be evidenced further

This evidenced for both from the rules and canons, and

church.

and canons of the the known practice of the church in this case. For when any provinces were divided in the state, there commonly followed a division in the church also: and when any city was advanced to a greater dignity in the civil account, it usually obtained a like promotion in the ecclesiastical: so when controversies arose about

:

primacy between two churches in the same province or district, the way to end the dispute was to inquire, which of them was the metropolis in the state, and order the same to be the metropolis in the church. Of all which there are manifest proofs in ancient history. It was by this rule that the bishop of Constantinople was advanced to patriarchal power in the church, who before was not so much as a metropolitan, but subject to the primate of Heraclea in Thrace. And this very reason is given by two general councils, which confirmed him in the possession of this new-acquired power. The first of Constantinople decreed, That he should have the next place of honour after the bishop of Rome, because Constantinople was New Rome. Which was thus again confirmed and ratified in the council of Chalcedon, which says, Forasmuch as we think it proper to follow the decrees of the holy fathers, and allow the canon made by those hundred and fifty bishops assembled under the emperor Theodosius in the royal city Constantinople, we ourselves order and decree the same concerning the privileges of the most holy church of the said city, which is New Rome. For our forefathers gave Old Rome her privileges in regard that she was the royal city and those hundred and fifty bishops were moved with the same consideration to grant equal privileges to the episcopal throne of New Rome; judging it but reasonable, that the city which was honoured with the royal seat of the empire and senate, and enjoyed the same privileges with Old Rome in all matters of a civil nature, should also be advanced to the same dignity in ecclesiastical affairs, and be accounted the second in order after her. Accordingly they determined now, that the three whole dioceses of Asia, Pontus, and Thrace, should be settled under the jurisdiction of this new patriarch of Constantinople. Which plainly shows, they had a particular regard to the model of the state in settling the bounds and limits of jurisdiction in the church. The council of Antioch assigns this for the reason of paying deference to metropolitan bishops in general, because they were placed in the metropolis of the province, whither all men that had business or controversies had recourse. And therefore if any dispute happened, as sometimes there did, between two bishops in the same province about metropolitical power, each laying a claim to it; the way to end this controversy was to inquire, which of their sees was the true metropolis in the state? and adjudge the same to have the true legal right and privilege in the church. By this rule the council of Turin' deter

Arelatensis et Viennensis, qui de primatus apud nos honore certabant, a sancta synodo definitum est, ut qui ex eis comprobaverit suam civitatem esse metropolim, is totius provinciæ honorem primatus obtineat, et ipse juxta præceptum canonum, ordinationum habeat potestatem.