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A26061 A defence of The plain-man's reply to the Catholick missionaries being a further examination of the pretended infallibility of the Church of Rome / by the author of The plain-man's reply to the Catholick missionaries. Assheton, William, 1641-1711. 1688 (1688) Wing A4029; ESTC R9811 15,098 50

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Acts of Worship as Prayers Sacraments Hearing the word c. are performed by us as Members of the Catholic Church And therefore we are obliged to Communicate in these Duties not only with our own National Church but also if our occasions do call us abroad with any other Church in the world Provided that we may do it upon Catholic Terms and Conditions These things premised we are now prepared to Determine How far the Catholic Church spread over the face of the whole world is in Communion with the Bishop of Rome Which will easily be decided by observing That there is a Twofold Communion 1. Of Co-ordination or Friendship 2. Subordination or Subjection As to the former we may safely affirm All the Churches in the world are thus far in Communion with the Bishop of Rome That they may own him for a Christian Bishop as acknowledging the Church of Rome to be a true Church though indeed a very corrupt Church And if they do not Communicate further with him it is his own fault But this it it seems will not satisfie this Missioner Who most vainly fancy 's that there is no Communion without Subjection And that no Church can be in Communion with the Church of Rome without submitting to her Authority When therefore it is affirmed That the Catholic Church is thus Subject to the Bishop of Rome If this Missioner pleads That de facto all other Churches are actually thus Subject we then deny it for the greater part of Christendom doth protest against the Errors and oppose the Usurpations of the Bishop of Rome But if he contends that de jure they ought so to be and that this Subjection is their Duty then let him prove it What I have now said is sufficient to convince this Missioner of his mistaken Notion of the Church of Rome Which if he thinks fit to Defend he must then prove 1. That the Church of Rome is the Catholic Church i.e. He must convince us Either 1. That she is the whole Church and that there is no other Church besides her or else 2. That she is the only true and Orthodox Church 2. That the Bishop of Rome is the Supream Pastor of the Church of Christ Which when he hath proved I shall then grant him 3. That the Catholic Church spread over the face of the whole world is in Communion with i. e. is Subject to the Bishop of Rome And here should I now hold my Pen and proceed no further in my Reflections I have given this Missioner work enough But if he will be so modest as to confess his mistake I 'le help him to a better Definition of the Church of Rome and less liable to exception By the Roman Church we do not understand the particular Diocess of Rome but we understand that vastly extended Community of Christians which hold Communion with the Church of Rome submitting themselves to the Bishop of Rome as to their Head so that whatsoever he Decrees with a General Council they embrace as the Definition of the true Church which they hold Infallible Question of Questions Sect. 17. p. 373. Had this Missioner been so prudent as to have consulted this Author whom he was pleased to recommend for the Plain-mans Satisfaction we might then make short work on 't and without further diversion might have proceeded to the Second Inquiry viz. 2. What is meant by Infallible Which he thus explains By the word Infallibility we do not mean only Indefectibility and Duration but an unerring Direction in necessary points of Faith. So that when we say the Church of Rome is infallible we mean that Almighty God hath given an Authoritative Power to the Church of Rome to declare in case of Differences which is the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. So that in case of Differences about the sense of Scripture or any divinely revealed Truths the Church of Rome is to decide the Difference and end the Controversie And to perform this we say she is assisted by the Spirit of Almighty God who as he hath ordained her for our Direction so he secures her from erring whilst she Directs Which assistance we call Infallibility Missioners Answer p. 10. This he endeavours to confirm by inquiring Thirdly 3. From whence had she the Church of Rome this Authority of unerring Guidance p. 11. To which he gives us this Answer You must not think that the Church of Rome has this power from her self for we know that all men may fail All Communities and Assemblies are subject to error and mistakes where then is the Infallibility of Oral Tradition But she has it from God himself who is faitful and true to his Promises Ibid. But 4. How doth it appear that the Church of Rome is thus Infallible and that God hath made her these Promises of unerring Guidance Ibid. This he tells us is evident from the plain Testimonies of Holy Scripture both Old and New Testament Ibid. Thus far I do readily Subscribe That if the Church of Rome is Infallible She must have this Priviledg from God himself And if there is such a Promise of unerring Guidance it must be found in the Holy Scriptures Let it therefore appear from those Sacred Writings that God hath promised such an unerring Guidance to the Church of Rome and I shall then Dispute no further but submit to her Direction Now to prove this Infallibility this Missioner hath cited Twenty Places of Scripture which the Question of Questions tells him are in the Bible But how little they are to his purpose I do thus endeavour to convince him by examining them in their order His First Text is that noted Place Deut. 17. 8. c. From whence the Argument is this The Jewish Church was Infallible Therefore The Church of Rome is Infallible To which I thus Answer Both Propositions Antecedent and Consequent are false And First it doth not appear from this Place of Scripture nor indeed from any other That the Jewish Church was Infallible From what Circumstance in this Text will the Missioner infer such a Conclusion Was it 1. Because in that Church there was a Supream Court of Judicature from whence there was no Appeal Or 2. Because the Priests the Levites and the Judg were to give Sentence Or 3. Was it because the contemner of this Sentence was to be put to Death Now if these Passages do prove Infallibility there was 〈◊〉 Infallibility in the State as well as in the Church in the Judg the Civil Magistrate no less then the Priest and ●n every Inferior Priest as well as the High Priest But I need not insist on these Suggestions since there is no arguing against matter of Fact. If therefore it doth appear in any instance That the Jewish Church or the Roman hath actually erred 't is too late to pretend that she is Infallible To convince him that she hath erred I Demand of this Missioner The Sentence of the Sanhedrim whereby
her General Councils in which she is secured from Error p. 19. And now why was not this acknowledgment made at the first When the Plain-man desired you to tell him distinctly who is this Infallible Guide why did you not then roundly and boldly Answer I tell you distinctly A General Council is my Infallible Guide Why such shuffling and shifting in so plain a matter Doth not this evidently confirm the Plain-mans suspicion That since your Discourses about this Infallibility are so various and uncertain expressed with such diffidence and caution he can scarce think you believe it your selves Plain-mans Reply p. 8. However at last you have taken the courage to Declare That a General Council is this Living Infallible Judg this unerring Guide The truth of which pretence I do thus briefly examine In St. Mathew's Gospel the Plain-man finds these words And he took the Cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye ALL of it Math. 26 27. This Text he observes is controverted betwixt the two Churches and the sense of it Disputed The Church of England in obedience to that last precept of her Lord Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Math. 28. 20. hath thus Determined The Cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the Lay-people For both the parts of the Lords Sacrament by Christs ordinance and commandment ought to be ministred to all Christian men alike ART 30. But the Church of Rome in direct opposition to our Lords Command hath thus Decreed in her Councils of Constance and Trent Although our Redeemer hath instituted the Sacrament in his last Supper and hath delivered unto the Apostles in both kinds Yet The Synod hath decreed That it should be received for a Law that the Sacrament be adminstred in one kind And whosoever shall say That by the command of God all the Faithful ought to receive in both kinds Let him be accursed Concil Const Sess 13. Concil Trident. Sess 21. Cap. 2. 3. Can. 1. Now my Plain-man desires to be instructed whether Church is in the right The Church of England which gives the Cup to Lay-people or the Church of Rome which denies it If his Reason might be Judge he is then convinced that the Church of England is Orthodox and holds the truth in this matter For he thinks it very reasonable in the Administration of a Sacrament to observe the Institution of our Blessed Saviour But you Missioners do tell him he must not judg by Reason but must submit to the Authority of an infallible Judge Well! 't is now hoped at last we shall bring the matter to a short issue You have declared That whether the Controversie be about the sense of Scripture or about the Canon of a Council there must be a living Judg to determine it and this you say is a General Council Missioners Answer p. 19. I demand therefore and answer me distinctly Is there any General Council actually now sitting which by its infallible Authority may explain this Text and determine these Controverted Canons of the Councils of Constance and Trent If there is such a Council pray where is it to be found in what part of the world are the Fathers assembled But if there is no such Council Then there is no Living infallible Judg to Determine this Controversie about Half-Communion I am not able to conjecture what you can possibly say to this unless you will be so dull as to repeat your own words viz. That as there is not any General Council actually now sitting to end our Controversies so neither needs there any the Church having so fully expressed her self in the Canons and Definitions of her preceeding Councils and in particular in that of Trent p. 19. I say to urge this would be dull and impertinent For you your self have confessed That these Canons of preceeding Councils are but mere Writings and a mere Writing can be no Judg though indeed it may be a Rule So that these Decrees of former Councils being mere Writings they cannot in case of a Controversie arising about their sense determine themselves and explain their own meaning So that in such a case as this Where there is a Controversie about the Canon of a Council there must be a Living Judg which you say is a General Council Now Sir to make Application Here is a Canon of the Council of Trent Sess 21. Can. 1. That is controverted and the sense of it Disputed I do again beg of you to resolve me Where is this Living Judg this General Council to determine this Canon If there is none Then the evidence of Truth doth constrain me to pronounce That there is no Living Infallible Judg in the present Church of Rome These Things are plain and convincing and admit of no Reply But some men I observe are not to be silenced These Missioners are so trained up even from their Childhood in the habit of wrangling which they call Disputing that they will hold the Conclusion in spight of all Premisses And you Sir for your part will be still saying something though nothing to the purpose For thus you go on You have granted That when there is a Controversie about the Canon of a Council there must then be a living Judg to determine it another Council must be called But say you pray take notice that we have no such Controversie at present All persons are agreed as to what this Church hath defined and the sense of her Canons is not Controverted We see it in her Practice we read it in her Catechisms we hear it from her Pastors c. p. 20 Hold Sir What a hurry of words is here to no purpose How The sense of her Canons not co●●roverted Were I not come to the very end of my Paper I would refresh your 〈◊〉 on both sides I could convince you of your mistake from the great Lateran Council Can. 3. de Hareticis Which hath been the subject of infinite Debate and Controversie I forbear to repeat it at large for a Reason that you know and shall only demand Whether the Deposing Power is the establish'd Doctrine of the Church of Rome or no The Papist Represented P. 1. pag. 47 shall resolve you in these words For the few Authors that are Abettors of this Doctrine there are of his Communion three times the number that publickly disown all such Authority I am not at present concerned to examine How many these few Authors may be Bellarm. adv Barcl de Potest Pap. produceth the Testimony of neer Fourscore for the Popes Temporal Power and almost all of them do plainly own his Power of Deposing Kings But be they more or less 't is sufficient for my purpose That some do affirm what others deny and consequently That this 3d Canon of the Council of Lateran is controverted and the sense of it Disputed I could descend to the Council of Trent And there remind you of Soto Vega and Catharinus Who had large Disputes about the sense of that Council From whence the Historian makes this remark This seemed to put all men out of hope to understand the meaning of the 〈…〉 the principal men that were 〈…〉 in it did not agree pag. 230. 〈◊〉 I must confine my self to this in●●●●●… now before us Where indeed the Question is not de facto whether you deny the Cup to Lay-people For we see it in your Practice we read it in your Catechisms we hear it from your Pastors But the Question is de jure Whether the Church of Rome hath Authority to null and contradict the Institution of our Blessed Saviour And whether in so doing the Church of Rome is not mistaken hath not actually erred and so lost her Infallibility For if in this or any other instance we can prove that she hath actually erred 't is too late to pretend that she is Infallible This is the point wherein my Plain-man desires to be resolved And now where is this living Judg this General Council actually now sitting to determine this Controversie I say actually now sitting for when the Council is dissolved and the Prelates and Fathers are in another world it doth then cease to be a Living Judge To conclude If as you say a General Council is this Infallible Judg this unerring Guide Then since there is no General Council actually now sitting it undeniably follows That there is no living Infallible Judg in the present Church of Rome The Plain-man to the Missioner Sir This Discourse of our Parson against the Infallibility of the Church of Rome seems to me very convincing and therefore I desire your Answer to it FINIS Country Parsons Admonition pag. 15.