Provincial  Councils. — Towards  the  end  of
the  second  century  the  Church  in  each
province  was  organised  under  the  primacy  of
a  metropolitan,  who  summoned  the  bishops
of  the  province  to  its  synod,  in  which  he
presided.  His  presence  was  soon  considered
essential  to  its  complete  validity.  The
bishops  brought  certain  presbyters  with  them,
and  deacons  and  lay  people  were  also  present.
(151)


Councils]


Dictionary  of  English  Church  History


[Councils


The  functions  of  a  provincial  council  were  to
receive  and  publish  the  decrees  of  General
Councils,  and  also  to  enact  canons  to  meet
local  needs  not  covered  by  the  general  law  of
the  Church,  which  it  could  supplement  but
not  contravene.  Within  these  limitations  its
decrees  were  binding  in  the  province,  and
sometimes  won  acceptance  beyond  its  borders
and  passed  into  the  general  church  law.
Provincial  synods  exercised  judicial  functions
in  early  times.  They  heard  appeals  from  the
diocesan  courts,  and  acted  as  courts  of
first  instance  in  cases  which  were  beyond  the
competence  of  an  inferior  body,  such  as  the
trial  of  a  bishop,  or  the  settling  of  disputes
between  dioceses.  Provincial  synods  formed
on  the  primitive  model  and  wielding  authority
in  spiritual  matters  existed  in  the  English
Church  from  the  time  of  Theodore  (q.v.).
At  times  their  importance  was  overshadowed
by  National  Councils.  But  they  rose  into
prominence  again  in  the  thirteenth  century.
[Convocation.]

Diocesan  Synods  are  probably  as  old  as  the
organisation  of  the  Church  in  dioceses,  though
they  are  not  mentioned  until  the  third
century.  They  apparently  existed  in  Eng-
land shortly  after  the  Conversion,  and  re-
mained a  normal  part  of  the  Church's
constitution  throughout  the  Middle  Ages.
