540	TAB.
was another held at Oxford, wherein Archbishop Langton was president, who divided the Bible into chapters; and in this synod many constitutions were made for the better government of the Church. Another at Clarendon, under Archbishop Becket, in the reign of Henry II. in which some decrees were made concerning the prerogatives of the crown, and the privileges of the clergy. Two in the reign of Edward VI. And here we may notice that provincial synods were to be held twice in every year; this appears by the apostolical canons, and likewise by those made in the council of Nice. But this being found too hard a task for Bishops, who were usually men in years, especially where the provinces were large, it was disused about the middle of the fifth century; so that some canons were made for synods to be held once in a year; but not abrogating the ancient custom to hold them oftener, and this continued for many ages, but at last this came in like manner to be neglected, and thereupon, about the middle of the fourteenth century, another canon was made in the council of Basil, for a triennial synod of all the Bishops of every province; and in the same council there was another canon for every Bishop to hold a diocesan synod once in a year. And even here in Britain, by the ancient constitution of this Church, a synod was to be held once a year, which is now discontinued, and thus the authority of examining things through the province devolved on the Archbishop. In a diocesan synod the Bishop always presided, and he usually summoned septem a plebe in every parish in his diocese, to whom he administered an oath to inquire into the state and condition of each parish relating to ecclesiastical affairs, which were called testes synodales, and these men made their presentments in writing, or viva voce in the synod.—See Councils.
tabernacle. Among the Hebrews, a kind of building, in the form of a tent, set up by the express command of god for the performance of religious worship, sacrifices, &c. Exod. xxvi. xxvii.
feast of tabernacles. A Solemn festival of the Hebrews, observed after harvest, on the fifteenth day of the month Tisri, instituted to commemorate the goodness of god, who protected the Israelites in the wilderness,