The nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of their judgment in certain things…

We are not ignorant what tumults popular Elections of Bishops have oft caused: But two things all acquainted with antiquity know which much serve to counterbalance this objection: 1. That where Emperors and Synods of Bishops have made themselves the Electors, the tumults or confusions, or at least the consequent evils were not less but greater: 2. And when they did thus assume the Election (which was for the most part but in a few great seats and not of ordinary Bishops) still they suppose a necessity of the peoples consent. When the Emperor chose the Patriarchs, what one Emperor did another undid: And the peoples dissent undid it sooner: and the Ruling Bishops so oft disagreed, that their synods and Churches were lamentably militant. By the favour of the Emperor, Dioscorus was the strongest at Ephesus having the Soldiers and Rulers on his side, and by them the Major Vote of the Bishops: But it was more Theodosius and his Officers that carried it than equity; even to the condemning of Eusebius and such others, and the beating of Fl•vianus the Patriarch of Const. unto death: And when by the Emperor and prevailing Bishops will, new Bishops were placed (Anat•l•us at Const. Maximus at Antioch, Nonus at Edessa, Athanasius for Savinian &c,) saith Liberatus in ⟨p. 63⟩Breviaro cap. 12 schisma factum est inter eos quale antea nunquam contigerat. Aegypti, Thraces & Palestini Episcopi Dioscorum sequebantur, Orientals, Ponticis & Asiani Sanctae Memoriae Flavianum: Quod Schisma Permansit usque ad obitum Theodosii Principis. But when Martian was made Emperor, all was undone again: that went for Heresy, which before went for the right belief, Dioscorus was banished, Proterius was chosen; and how chosen: saith Liberatus c. 14. ut cum omnium civium volunt ate eligerint ordinandum Episcopum, sacris ob hoc literis praecedentibus, ad Theodorum tun• Augustalem collecti sunt ergo Nobiles Civitatis, ut eum qui esset vita & sermone Pontificatu dignus, eligerint: Hoc enim & Imperialibus sanctionibus jubebatur, N. B. Yet all this quieted not the people because Diosc• rus was still by the most taken for their true Bishop; so that Proterius was fain to live under the guard of Soldiers among them: Timothy Aelurus, and Peter Moggus keeping separate Congregations, would not communicate with Proterius;