Convocations (from Lat. convocare, 'to call together') were originally provincial synods of the clergy or the ancient ecclesiastical councils of the archbishop, but became incorporated into the English constitution of church and state, and ended with certain parliamentary privileges. Some writers distinguish between councils and convocations—the former as being for spiritual purposes, and summoned without authority from the crown; the latter as being for civil purposes, and by command of the crown. This distinction, however, has no foundation in fact, the truth being that the same assemblies discharged ecclesiastical functions, such as the enactment of canons, and civil functions, as the voting of subsidies to the crown, since the clergy were not subject to taxation save that levied by themselves in their provincial synods. The circumstances attending the famous assembly at Northampton in 1282, in the reign of Edward I., helped to settle the form which convocations have since assumed. In England the provinces of Canterbury and York have each their convocation. Previous to the Reformation these were sometimes convened into a National Synod; but since then, matters have usually been concluded in the convocation of Canterbury, and transmitted to York for concurrence.
A convocation consists of three elements—(1) the archbishop; (2) the suffragan bishops of the province; (3) the clergy of the second order. They originally met in one assembly, but since the beginning of the 14th century the clergy in the province of Canterbury have retired into a distinct chamber, presided over by a prolocutor, with officers and journals of their own. These two bodies are called the Upper and Lower Houses. In the Convocation of York the same distinction exists, but on the occasions of their meeting, the business has been generally conducted in one assembly. The archbishop has the sole power of summoning, presiding, and proroguing; he has also a veto upon all measures. He cannot, however, summon without authority from the crown. The Upper House is the proper locus synodi, where the bishops have a right to sit and vote, and before the Reformation the mitred abbots had place there also. The Lower House consists of the lesser dignitaries, as deans and archdeacons, and the proctors sent by capicular bodies and by the parochial clergy. In Canterbury the beneficed clergy only elect, and they send one proctor for each diocese; in York all the clergy elect, and send one proctor for each archdeaconry. The Lower House deliberates on matters proposed by the archbishop; it may present petitions to the Upper House and state grievances, be with it in judication on persons convened, and dissent from and so hinder the passing of any synodical act. Till 1534 the provincial synods or convocations could enact canons at pleasure, but in that year was enacted the statute 25 Henry VIII., chap. 19, making a license from the crown necessary before any new canons could be framed or published.
The passing of subsidies in convocation ceased in 1665, and the records were destroyed in the fire of London in the following year. Meetings of convo- cation fell into abeyance in 1717, being indefinitely prolonged as a punishment for the synodical condemnation of a book by Bishop Hoadly, who was high in favour with the government. They have been revived (in 1852 for the province of Canterbury, in 1856 for York) with considerable advantage to the church, but their action has been and is greatly restricted. In Ireland the convocations of the four provinces assembled at Dublin, all together, and were on the model of those in England. From the Union downwards, the Irish convocations never assembled. Since the disestablishment the legislative assembly of the Protestant Episcopal Church is called the General Synod. An act of parliament was passed in 1663 for regulating the meetings of convocation in Scotland; but shortly after the Revolution of 1688, the Episcopal Church ceased to be the national establishment; and ever since the meetings of the Presbyterian Church, embracing clergy and laity, have been called General Assemblies. See ASSEMBLY, SYNOD.
The position of the Church of England as respects its convocations is exceedingly anomalous, but is incidental to certain circumstances in the constitution and polity of the country. As practically interwoven with the state, the church possesses little independent action; its articles, liturgy, organisation as to benefices, &c., are all affected by civil statutes; while its discipline falls within the scope of the ecclesiastical courts, a class of tribunals apart from the ministering clergy. The church, therefore, in its capacity as an institution to teach certain doctrines of religion, is left little to do in the way of jurisdiction. It is further urged, as a reason for restricting the power of convocation, that being purely sacerdotal, it might be apt to run into excesses, and put forth claims adverse to the prevailing tone of sentiment on religious matters; that, in short, as things stand, it is safer for the public to be under the authority of parliament than to be subject to the ordinances of a body of ecclesiastics. At the same time it is generally allowed that some kind of reform is desirable, though how this should be effected in a manner satisfactory to all parties it would be difficult to say. The convocations of Canterbury and York assemble annually at the opening of parliament, each keeping up its own distinctive customs. See Trevor's Convocations of the Two Provinces; Cardwell's Synodalia, and Documentary Annals; Lathbury's History of the Convocation of the Church of England.