Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	church_n	infallibility_n	infallible_a	2,837	5	9.9103	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61893	A reply unto the letter written to Mr. Henry Stubbe in defense of The history of the Royal Society whereunto is added a Preface against Ecebolius Glanville, and an answer to the letter of Dr. Henry More, containing a reply to the untruthes he hath publish'd, and a censure of the cabbalo-pythagorical philosophy, by him promoted.	Stubbe, Henry, 1632-1676.; Sprat, Thomas, 1635-1713. History of the Royal Society of London.	1671 (1671)	Wing S6063A; ESTC R31961	66,995	80

yet is as truly a humane body as it is a diseased one And if it may be termed a Church it is without doubt very antient and famous too for what it hath been of old as to the piety and learning of many Inhabitants of that City and still is Famous for that precedency which any Herauld would assign to it in a free Assembly of Western Bishops So that from what hath been discoursed in this matter may be inferred that though the Authour meant not that we must communicate with them in the distinguisting Offices of adoration yet for any thing I perceive he needs not to account them of that Church to be unto us as Heathens or of such a Number of Men with whom we may not so much as eat but that we may maintain a Communion of friendship with the professed of that Religion whose morals may afford an example or whose learning might advance our knowledge And the reformed must still keep the hearty Charity for the Romanist that after succe§le§ debates though managed with reason and temper he should still indeavour to improve him in all the uncontroverted instances of goodne§ and vertue such an exercise of Friendship and Charity as this is a Noble and Religious Communion it is an exhorting one another in our most Holy Faith it is an exact obedience to ihat command That as far as we have already attained we should walk by the same rule As to the next exception which you have against the same passage viz. His mistake in making the Papal Infallibility to be the grand occasion of the differences betwixt the reformed Religion and Papist I must tell you that he may well enough defend himself though indeed you pre§ closer in this then in the former objection against all Communion with Rome You say that only Parasitical Canonists did ascribe to the Pope such a Sovereign Dominion over our Faith I suppose you mean at the reformation though you cite many Authours much later and if so I shall only referr you to the report which Cassander gives of those days in his Judgement which he passes on the controversies viz. That then they made the Pope but little le§ then God that they set his Authority not only above the Church but above the Scriptures to and made his sentences equal to divine Oracles and to be an infallible rule of Faith and as he further proceeds though there was another sort of people in the Church yet they were such as were obscure and concealed Again though it were granted that infallibility lay in a Councel yet the Pope had the executive power of those decrees and Canons which passed by so high an Authority and hereupon might be troublesome with an Infallibility derived from others and impose little things as absolutely necessary in their own nature and this practice of the Bishops of Rome amongst others caused those of Germany to stand off from the Roman Church But for a fuller proof against the Authour of the History you alledge that erronious Doctrine about indulgences was the primary occasion of introducing Protestancy What you say is so far true the first occasion of Luthers publick invectives against the Court of Rome but for a good while after he maintained Communion as a member of that Church This is manifest to any one that is but in a small measure acquainted with the Histories of those times but at last when he saw there was no hopes of Reformation in this and other instances of gross abuse he utterly leaves them as past all likelyhood of recovery So that I have now prepared the cause depending betwixt you and him and made it ready for a Tryal and it may be determined by finding out the true account of the Grand hinderance of a Reformation at Rome Your adversary might give a very fair proof that it was mainly a reputed infallibility This is evident in the impartial History of the Councel of Trent where we read of a consultation held by Pope Advian VI. with some Cardinals for an amendment of what was amiss more particularly about the matter of Indulgences after that much had been said by himself and another against the mistakes and ill practices in that affair and after that he had declared his Resolution for the regulating thereof he was soon turned from his Former purpose by Cardinal Soderinus an old Politician and one who well understood the Frame of that Church This Man informs the Pope that any Reformation was dangerous for Rome because that this would implicitely yeild that somewhat was amiss and that possibly they might erre in more whereas the successes of Rome against such opposers were obtained by vouching for what ever was blamed and by proceeding against them as Hereticks This made Adrian to bewail the unhappy condition of Popes who might not reform at home if they would And now at last you seem to make infallibility so small a thing even in their own esteem that as you cite the words of a late writer amongst them their Infallibility is limited to Tradition and is spiritually assisted in the Faithful reporting of what hath been delivered It is easie to see thorough this harmless pretence of your judicious Authour For to be the sole and undoubted witness in their own cause on which sentence must follow in course is equally advantagious as if they were taken for infallible judges Thus the Jews who did so highly advance the credit of their Rabbinical traditions as thereby to make void the Law of God doe not as we see in Abravanel own any more then only that they expound and stew the Articles of Faith yet that Jew who shall despise or jeer at the Teachers of those traditions shall not according to their Fundamentalls have a part in the life to come And at the same rate may the Former sort of men denounce Anathema's if you believe not their report though in matters which are not only not certain but withall are unreasonable ridiculous and impossible Another passage in the History is brought in by you and deaply charg'd to be contrary to the Analogy of Faith and Scripture to wit He the Natural and Experimental Philosopher will be led to admire the wonderful contrivance of the creation and so to apply and direct his praises aright which no doubt when they are offer'd up to Heaven from the mouth of one that hath well studied what he commends will be more suitable to the Divine nature than the blind applauses of the ignorant This you say makes the acceptableness of all mens Prayers to depend more or less on the study of natural Phylosophy But the Authors words may by asserted by the whole contexture of that Section that he therein answers an objection and clearly shews that the study of experimental Phylosophy is not injurious to the worship of God he supposeth the person already a Christian and then he praises God more beartily for some examples of power and wisdom which he by inquiry

it self For while the Bishops of Rome did assume an Infallibility and a Soveraign dominion over our Faith the Reformed Churches did not only justly refuse to grant them that but some of them thought themselves obliged to forbear all friendly and charitable acts towards them and would not give them that respect which possibly might belong to so ancient and so famous a Church and which might still have been allowed it without any danger of Superstition I demand now of my Adversaries which of the Reformed Churches ever did think themselves obliged to forbear all friendly and charitable actions towards the Papists I have not read to my knowledge any such thing in the Harmony of Confessions and 't is but just to expect the judgement of Churches should be demonstrated out of Church-Acts I profess it is news to me and so it is to hear that one sense wherein the word Communion may be understood throughout the whole Scripture is a friendly and charitable action I desire him to try only these Texts 1 Cor. 10. 16 18 20.2 Cor. 6.14 he will abate of the generality of his assertion which indeed is such that I never heard of it before though I have had some acquaintance with the Scripture and Ecclesiastical History but if the word might bear any such Analogical sense as it does not I think yet to see the mischief of our old Logick I did suppose that Analogum per se positum stat pro famosiore Analogato When our Virtuosi henceforward talk of Cocks and Bulls we know by this how to understand them I shall not enlarge much upon the rest of this Discourse but refer my self to the judgement of my Reader Repet tions are tedious and here needless if he have perused the Censure it self He saith that the Historian in calling the Church of Rome a true Church said no more then what the most Learned amongst the German Divines though warm with Disputes did readily acknowledge I would he had instanced in the Authors that I might have taken their Words and Learning into consideration But Reader take notice that I enquire not whether the established Religion of Germany but that of England be here overthrown I enquire whether the Author of the History or any else in Holy Orders can avow such words without violating their subscription to our Articles and Homilies 'T is true I was told by that he was not well versed in the Homilies How did he subscribe them then or How can he press others to subscribe to he knows not what I will not expatiate beyond the Question in debate Hic Rhodus hîc Saltus In the next Paragraph where he should have proved against me That the Infallibility assumed by the Bishops of Rome and their Soveraignty over our Faith was the cause of the Reformed Churches separating from the Papists I find not one word of such proof offered and indeed it is notorious to any Man that hath but a little insight into the History of those times and the grounds of the Romish Religion All he alledgeth is a saying of Cassander not citing the Place and Words and so I cannot well judge of them to this effect That then they made the Pope but little less then God that they set his Authority not onely above the Church but above the Scripture too and made his Sentences equal to Divine Oracles and an infallible rule of Faith and as he further proceeds though there were another sort of People in the Church yet they were such as were obscure and concealed I answer that this proves not That the Bishops of Rome assumed an Infallibility and Soveraign Dominion over our Faith which is the Point in question but that some ascribed it unto him Cassander must be understood in relation to the Canonists which agrees with my Assertion yet were not all the Canonists of that minde for in the Council of Pisa which began at Millaine there Philippus Decius and others did defend the Superiority of a Council above the Pope or else what Cassander says is evidently false for the Superiority of the Council above the Pope and the limited power of the Papacy were the general Tenets and universally taught at the time when the Reformation began and before it immediately as any Man that traceth the History of the Councils of Constance Basil and Pisa may inform himself Cajetan himself who was a Cardinal and Legate against Luther though he prefer the Pope to a Council yet teacheth this Resistendum est ergò in faciem Papae publicè Ecclesiam dilaniantis c. Nor do I find any such Tenet avowed by Franciscus Victoria Professor at Salamanca at the first beginning of the Reformation In France you will never read that such a Power was ascribed to the Pope there as Cassander speaks of nor in Venice no nor so much as in Swizzerland as Hottinger avows It can onely be thus far true what Cassander says that the Canonists who at Rome sway in the execution of the Papal Jurisdiction might teach so but not that it was any way the Tenet of the Divines and there was then an opposition betwixt those two sorts of Men as now with us betwixt the Courts Spiritual and Temporal And the Theologicians did not hold themselves concluded by the Sentiments of the Canonists nor the People neither further then was requisite to peace and order of Government This being thus false and the relation of Pope Adrian impertinent for the Papacy is thereby confess'd fallible though for prudential Reasons not to be amended as Affairs then stood I have nothing to adde further then to desire my Adversaries whensoever they write to think of the point in Question It is an useful way w ch is practised in the Schools of Oxford for the Respondent to repeat a second time the Syllogism of the Opponent and so to frame his Answer when he is certain he comprehends the Argument I could wish my Adversaries had been used a little to that custom in their Youth their being habituated to such a method would have qualified them better then their beloved Curiosities in Opticks and Magnetismes for the managing of Controversies If it be too tedious to them to resume any Academick studies I must recommend unto the imitation of the R. S. what I have read of as to the Exchequer There is an Officer in the Exchequer who though sitting with the Barons on the Bench hath no power to vote with them nor interposeth his judgement as decisive in any cause but observing silence in pleading speaketh sometimes as to the regulation of the time how it passeth away What he should have said concerning the Religion of Adam in Paradise and his mustering of all creatures together I understand well but what he doth say it is not so easie to comprehend how it is much to the purpose The Question is Whether the acceptableness of our praises to God I added prayers also but took

Deity acting by the power of his will or a Spirit of Nature must bear a part in the Deductions But where is my unskilfulness in bringing you in as opposite to the R. S. you tell me what you conceive and what you believe they do but since you do not make the last evident against my presumptions and the Letter of the History 't is unskilfulness in you to conclude so peremptorily and not to reminde that Caution I gave to such Virtuosi as you to forbear all Conjunctions causal or illative I now haste to that Remark with which you conclude this Passage viz. That neither any sound Philosophy nor true Religion can allow of that Hypothesis which though it allow the Creation solves all the Phaenomena of Nature Mechanically They are redevable to you for this Letter and your vindication of them signifies as much as when you talk of the Learning and Eloquence of Dr. Sprat or the Parts Judgement and Vertue of Mr. Glanvill Your last Exception against me is That I should say You did not approve of those Deductions of Dr. Sprat as necessary but ridiculous I shall recite your Words because as serious as the Case is I can approve of them as ridiculous Which Deductions says your Antagonist I would not approve of as Necessary but ridiculous Truely if I had said so I should have made my self ridiculous for how could I approve of Deductions especially in so serious a Point as or Quatenùs RIDICULOUS for there is no man let him be never so Pious unless he be a Fool that can approve of Deductions for their being ridiculous in so serious a Cause But it seems he having a mind to monopolize all the Wit in the World to himself is content to repute me for Pious so he may remonstrate me to all the World to be a Fool and such as he may play the Fool withal as he has done in all this Page you have pointed unto me I might here excuse the Wording of that Passage by my own haste and the disorders which happened in the Printing the sense intended by me being that you did not approve those Deductions to be necessary but esteemed them as ridiculous and that this was my purpose is so manifest that all that you say is but the Cavil of an angry Hypocondriack and who is also so ignorant as not to know there is a sort of ZEUGMA wherein the latter part of the Sentence is not construed nor related with the preceding Verb but depends upon another which is to be understood according as the sense requires This and much more you will learn in Greek and Latine when you and some others of the R. S. are provided of an able School-master I meet with very evil Retributions for all my kindness to some of your Friends that motion for to supply you with an able Antiquary and Grammarian might have become the best of your Adherents had it been mentioned sooner and the Proposal took effect H. O. and Mr. Glanvill Dr Sprat Dr Merret had YOU and not committed such childish errours as you runne now into But you grant you might approve of those Deductions as smooth plausible though not as necessary but something of a lubricous and doubtfull aspect but you know very well you could not approve of them as ridiculous Here then most argute Hypochondriack lyes the Question Whether it be possible for a man to approve of any passage as ridiculous where the subject is serious And for the proofe hereof I do referre my selfe to all that have read Hudybras whither serious subjects are not there debated by such deductions as any man will approve of as ridiculous but not as serious I have in the Cabbala which you so admire read a thousand deductions which I could approve of as ridiculous Such is the Gematria of Shilo expounded to be the Messiah because the letters of both words make up the same numbers 358. such is that Jewish argument of the worlds being created in September related in Schickard That every mans soule must animate three bodyes is prettily proved in that Adam's name consists of three letters in the Hebrew viz. A. D. M. from those three Letters t is likewise demonstrated that the soul of Adam must animate David and the Messiah because that after A follows D. and then M. And S. Cyprian's reason is no lesse pleasant when he proves that Adam was made up out of the four quarters of the earth because the initial Letters of the foure quarters of the world in Greek doe make up his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In your works Dr. More especially your Cabbala I can finde an infinity of passages which upon no other account gain my approbation They are pleasant instances of folly disporting in paralogismes You collect out of Des Cartes and other Philosophers what your phansy approves this you represent for a Mosaical Cabbala and prove it thus In the Expounding of Moses I think I may lay this down for a safe principle that there is no considerable truth in Nature or divinity that Moses was ignorant of and so if it be found agreeable to this Text by any distortion I may very well attribute it to him At least the Divine wisdome wherewith Moses was inspir'd prevents all the inventions of Men. Having laid down this principle whatever chimaeras the imagination of Des cartes furnished you with or the mysterious non-sense of the Platonists and Pythagoreans you presently impose upon the Sacred Text and demonstrate them thus Hee that is but a little acquainted with French Philosophy understands the business plainly As in case of the Celestial matter for the celestial matter doth consist of two plainly distinguishable parts to wit the first Element and the second or the Matcria subtilissima the round Particles as I have already ready intimated out of Des Cartes Thus for the waters above which are mentioned in Genesis these are the seminal formes the Pythagoreans called them Naides or water-nymphs Where for the watery powers as Porphyrius also calls these Nymphs it is not at all harsh to conceive that they may be here indigitated by the name of Vpper-waters See Porphyrius de antro Nympharum Are not these goodly deducations All you say there almost from mee gaines no more then the approbation of Ridiculous But I thinke it highly concernes the Church and Magistrate to put a stoppe to the further publication of such extravagancies whereby the authority of the Scripture is disparaged and only a Truth of appearance allowed to the Scripture whilest the Platonicks and Pythagoreans are avowed to retaine the true sense and Hypothesis of the Creation Thus you remove at once the credit of the Scripture and whole Church and by giving so great advantages to the Pythagoreans and Platonists endanger the rejection of the whole Bible in comparison of that Philosophy which is the most ridiculous of all and the most opposite to Christianity