le to an unestablished church, accepts the three creeds, the
Thirty-Nine Articles, the Book of Common Prayer, the decisions of the
undisputed general councils, the Authorized English Version of the
Scriptures, disclaims the right of altering any of these standards of
faith and doctrine, except in agreement with such alterations as may be
adopted by a general synod of the Anglican Communion. But in
interpreting these standards of faith and doctrine, the Church of the
Province of South Africa is not bound by decisions other than those of
its own Church courts, or such court as the Provincial Synod may
recognize as a tribunal of appeal. The Provincial Synod is the
legislative authority subject to a general synod of the Anglican
Communion, provided such latter synod include representatives from the
Church of South Africa. The Provincial Synod consists of (1) the House
of Bishops, (2) the House of the Clergy, (3) the House of the Laity. No
resolution can be passed which is not accepted by all three orders.
Bishops are elected by the clergy with the assent of lay
representatives, subject to the confirmation of the metropolitan and
comprovincial bishops. The metropolitan is to be consecrated in England
by the archbishop of Canterbury. He now bears the title of archbishop.
All bishops are to enter into a contract to obey and maintain the
constitution and canons of the province. Canon 18 of the Code of 1870
recognizes the offices of catechist, reader and sub-deacon (Wirgman,
_The English Church and People in South Africa_, p. 223 et seq.).

In the West Indies, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, provincial and
diocesan synods or conventions have been formed on one or other of the
types above mentioned and have enacted canons. (W. G. F. P.)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The councils which we are about to mention, up to the 9th
century, have been published several times, notably in the great
collections of Hardouin, Mansi, &c.; they will be found brought
together in one small volume in Bruns, _Canones apostolorum et
conciliorum_ (Berlin, 1839).

[2] The date of this council was formerly unknown; it is ascribed to
343 by the Syriac Nestorian collection recently published by M.
Chabot, _Synodicon Orientale_, p. 278, note 4.

[3] See Boudinhon, "Note sur le concile de Laodicee," in the _Compte
rendu du premier congres des savants catholiques a Paris_, 1888
(Paris, 1889), vol. ii. p. 420.

[4] Fo