anging political
boundaries. Thus Hincmar, archbishop of Reims, complains that not only
his metropolitanate (_dioecesis_) but his bishopric (_parochia_) is
divided between two realms under two kings; and this inconvenient
overlapping of jurisdictions remained, in fact, very common in Europe
until the readjustments of national boundaries by the territorial
settlements of the 19th century. In principle, however, the subdivision
of a diocese, in the event of the work becoming too heavy for one
bishop, was very early admitted, e.g. by the first council at Lugo in
Spain (569), which erected Lugo into a metropolitanate, the consequent
division of diocese being confirmed by the king of the second council,
held in 572. Another reason for dividing a diocese, and establishing a
new see, has been recognized by the church as duly existing "if the
sovereign should think fit to endow some principal village or town with
the rank and privileges of a city" (Bingham, lib. xvii. c. 5). But there
are canons for the punishment of such as might induce the sovereign so
to erect any town into a city, solely with the view of becoming bishop
thereof. Nor could any diocese be divided without the consent of the
primate.

In England an act of parliament is necessary for the creation of new
dioceses. In the reign of Henry VIII. six new dioceses were thus created
(under an act of 1539); but from that time onward until the 19th century
they remained practically unchanged. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners
Act 1836, which created two new dioceses (Ripon and Manchester),
remodelled the state of the old dioceses by an entirely new adjustment
of the revenues and patronage of each see, and also extended or
curtailed the parishes and counties in the various jurisdictions.

By the ancient custom of the church the bishop takes his title, not from
his diocese, but from his see, i.e. the place where his cathedral is
established. Thus the old episcopal titles are all derived from cities.
This tradition has been broken, however, by the modern practice of
bishops in the United States and the British colonies, e.g. archbishop
of the West Indies, bishop of Pennsylvania, Wyoming, &c. (see BISHOP).

See Hinschius, _Kirchenrecht_, ii. 38, &c.; Joseph Bingham, _Origines
ecclesiasticae_, 9 vols. (1840); Du Cange, _Glossarium_, s.
"Dioecesis"; _New English Dictionary_ (Oxford, 1897), s. "Diocese."

FOOTNOTE:

[1] For exceptions see Hinschius ii. p. 39, note