Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A29039
|
A brief enquiry into the grounds and reasons, whereupon the infallibility of the Pope and the Church of Rome is said to be founded by Edward Bagshawe ...
|
Bagshaw, Edward, 1629-1671.
|
1662
(1662)
|
Wing B404; ESTC R9275
|
31,865
|
56
|
minu◠probi Bell. Prafat cannot but force them to acknowledge that he is liable to Errour but in his Politicall or which is all one his Ecclesiasticall capacity as he is the pretended Head of the Church and vested with all those Immunities and Priviledges which his Favourers suppose to be due unto the Universall Bishop 2. By the Church of Rome I mean not the diffused and scattered Body of the Papists but according to their own Sense how Absurd and Insignificant soever the Bishops and Doctours of their Church assembled together in a Councell where they may be supposed to meet with the greatest Advantage and Opportunity for the Disquisition and Search of Truth 3. By Infallible I mean to have a certain fixed and unerring Judgement in Religious matters which things alone do properly belong to the determination and cognizance of a Church as it is a Church And in this sense of the Question thus explained in as great a Latitude as any Papist can possibly understand it in I deny the Pope whether considered as apart from or conjoyned with as a part of a Councell to be Infallible For the proof of which Assertion though I might find out great variety of Arguments from the express and direct contradictions which have been among the Popes themselves some reversing that which others have ratified and others establishing that which their Predecessors under the severest Penalties have forbid Yet since the proper and direct way of Arguing lyes in shewing the weakness and insufficiency of those Arguments which are brought in defence of the Popes Infallibility that is the Method which I purpose altogether to insist on For since this great and so much admired Diana of the Papists is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a thing to be discerned by its own Light and to be credited meerly for it self as the testimony of the Spirit is when it bears witness unto the truth of Scripture and besides it being generally denied by all the Protestants who make the Errours of the Church of Rome the ground of their separation from them hence it cannot be expected that we should tamely give up out Assent to believe this Infallibility unless there be some evident and concluding Reasons to enforce it from us If therefore it shall appear that whatever Bellarmine and when I mention him I mean the strength of the whole Popish Party hath said is altogether impertinent and unconcluding indeed nothing else but a plain begging the thing in Question my Deduction from thence will be Infallible viz. that we have as yet no Reason to believe the Popes Infallibility To clear up this the best way will be to take a short view of those Arguments which Bellarmine alleadgeth in his Books De Pontifice Romano and they are briefly these three 1. Some Texts of Scripture in the New Testament 2. Some Analogicall Inferences out of the Old 3. Some Absurdities and Inconveniences which would follow in the Church of God should we not allow the Pope and Church of Rome to be Infallible 1. The Texts of Scripture which Bellarmine and all Writers since him do urge to prove the Popes Infallibility by are these three Mat. 16.18 19. Luk. 22.31 32. Job 21.15 17. From which they draw these three Conclusions 1. That in those fore-mentioned places our Saviour did confer upon Peter some speciall Priviledges above and beyond the rest of the Apostles and they were 1. Supremacy in Matthew 2. Infallibility in Luke 3. Universall Episcopacy in John 2. They Assume that whatever was bestowed upon Peter was not confined unto his Person but was promised likewise unto his Successours since what was granted unto Peter was given for the good of the Church and therefore ought not to die with him 3. They take for granted that the Pope was Peter's Successour both in the Bishoprick of Rome and also in all his other Priviledges and for the last they alleadge nothing but the credit of that which they call Apostolicall Tradition Whether or no these Deductions are cleare in the Texts or violently haled and wrested from them with so much impudent and shamelesse Sophistry as a wise and disinteressed Person would blush to be guilty of will best appeare by examining the places themselves and if when they are put upon the Racke they can be forced to confesse so much as Bellarmine and the Popes Parasites conclude from them I shall then consent to dethrone Scripture from its plainnesse and Perspicuity but till then I must take leave to thinke that that Church doth very wisely which makes Ignorance and Implicite Faith the Mother of Devotion for nothing lesse then an over-awed and Religious stupidity would make any man submit unto such Impossible and farre fetched interpretations 1. The place in Mat. 16.18 19. runs thus And Jesus answered and said unto him i. e. to Peter Blessed art thou Simon Barjona for flesh and bloud hath not revealed this to thee but my Father which is in Heaven And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it And I will give unto thee the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven Which place they thus interpret 1. By the Rock upon which Christ saith he will build his Church is meant the Person of Peter and the Churche's being built upon him signifies say they that the care and government of it was committed to him and thus they understand likewise his Having of the Keyes 2. By the power of Binding and Loosing they understand the power of commanding and punishing of making and repealing Laws with all such things as belong to a Soveraign and Legislative Power 3. They tell us that whatever Peter had here was likewise granted to the Pope who is his Successour and therefore he being the Rock and the Foundation of the Church cannot be tossed about with every wind of Doctrine and therefore is Infallible But I answer 1. Upon supposition that Peter here was constituted as they call him Head and Prince of the Apostles yet how would this Personall Priviledge any more belong to the Bishop of Rome if he were Peter's Successour than what our Saviour elsewhere saith to Peter Why didst thou doubt O thou of little faith doth note the Pope's uncertainty and instability in Believing Or Mat. 14.31 what our Saviour presently after speaks Get thee behind me Satan doth signifie that every Pope is an Incarnate Devil or to take the mildest Interpretation an Adversary to Christ and to the good of mankind For what Reason can be assigned why the Pope may not as well succeed in Peter's Personall Defects as into his Priviledges since the Scripture is utterly silent either that he had or that he was to have a Successour in either But 2. I deny the Supposition upon
A Brief ENQUIRY INTO THE Grounds and Reasons Whereupon the INFALLIBILITY OF THE POPE and CHVRCH OF ROME Is said to be Founded By Edward Bagshawe St. of Ch. Church Luk. 19. Why do you not of your selves judge 〈◊〉 is right Eph. 5. Let no Man deceive you with 〈◊〉 words LONDON Printed by A.M. and are to be sold by the Book 〈…〉 To the Right Honourable the Earl of ANGLESEY one of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Councell Right Honourable I Believe your Lordship in your Search and Survey of the Mysteries of Providence with which you entertain your Privacy have often with great amazement considered how many strange and admirable Effects do daily proceed from small and ignoble Causes for not only Thunder Rain Lightning and other common Phaenomena which do astonish the World have their whole Make and Composition from a seemingly casuall and undesigned Concourse of Light and Fleeting Clouds but likewise largest Rivers are fed by secret and concealed Springs and the World it self if traced and resolved into its most visible Originall is framed of Atomes and the Earth which is vulgarly conceived to be the Basis and Center of the Universe is as God himself is pleased to express it hung upon Nothing and yet by that Almighty Hand which fixed it it is made stable and firm enough to endure unmoved all that Hurry and Variety of Mutation wherewith the rolling Motion of the Heavens do daily threaten it What wonder your Lordships Contemplation hath begot in viewing the Works of Nature I doubt not but hath been continued when you descended from them to behold the Works of Art especially the Civil Policies of States and Kingdomes in which as your Lordship hath been alwayes most knowingly conversant so you can from the deepest and best grounded Experience evince that though Earthly Empires I mean such as are not guided by Christian and truly-Religious Principles have an Outward Semblance of a Substantiall and Lasting Greatness yet the Basis which doth support the whole Politicall Frame is but some State-trick or other some little Expedients found out to amuse the Vulgar whose Folly must be pleased or else they will never be governed But how far the Wit of man can advance it self to imitate the Works of God even those of a Creative Power the making Something out of Nothing is in no Policy more discernible than in that deep and wise contrivance of subtle men the Papacy the Body of which hath a pleasing Aspect and is set out with a very specious Gloss all the Parts do seem extreamly well-proportioned there is a strange Linking and Confederacy of all its Principles and to the Eye of a Superficiall Beholder it presents nothing but a beautifull and comely Outside But if any be so curious as to look beyond its Varnish and first Appearance should we pry into the Foundation of this Goodly Structure we shall find it like the Island of Delos alwayes Floating or rather like the Earth to hang upon nothing For the Pope's Infallibility or the Churches Authority or some such fond Chimera is all the Basis which doth under-prop this Building Things that are so confidently asserted and yet upon triall so shamefully begged that were not the world in Gods just Judgement given over to a vicious and Lazy Credulity all that is built upon such thin and empty Fallacies would not subsist one moment but for the present the Arts of planting a devout Ignorance have so farre prevailed that the world doth hugge its Bondage and men finding a great deal of ease in being quietly deceived they are content to worship the Beast and are angry that any should fright them from embracing a Religion which hath made the way to Heaven so very plaine and easie that whatsoever becomes of the Seeing they that are Blind enough shall be sure never to misse of it It is now My Lord some scores of Yeares since we of this Nation have by Scripture-Light discovered all the Frauds and Cheats of this Mistery of Iniquity and yet it seems all mens eyes are not opened for some of late have pleaded for Popery and for that which is the chief Bulwark of it the Popes Authority with as good a grace if Railing and needlesse Rhetorick may deserve that name as if they had never been answered Rushworth Dial 1. One in his great heat of zeal or something worth doth tell us That Questions about the Popes Authority over Bishops of Bishops over Priests and of Priests over the Laity are of no small moment But he that goes about to destroy this Hierarchy aimeth at nothing lesse then an Utter overthrow of Religion Which are but Bellarmines words in English Bellar. Praef. and if in stead of the word Religion they had said Popery they had spoke nothing but the Truth since that is bottomed onely in the Popes Authority Fiat Lux dedicated to the Countess of Arundell and twice Printed Which a late namelesse Author so farre cryes up that he ventures to speake words which no sober man would owne In my Judgement saith he Christ our Lord hath no lesse showne his Divinity and Power in the Pope than in himself And again All things considered I may truly say that Christ in the Pope and Church Pag. 376 377 c. is more miraculous than in his own Person And yet farther as if those expressions were too modest Blasphemy and not barefaced enough he goes on The first great Fundamentall of Christian Religion which is the Truth and Divinity of Christ had it not been for the Pope had failed long agoe in the world Whereupon enlarging himselfe he addes whence I may truly say that Christ is the Popes God for if the Pope had not been and proved so resolute an Assertour Christ had not been taken for any such person as he is believed this day And so in a boaste concludes This I will boldly say and am assured of that if the Pope be not an Unerring Guide in affaires of Religion all is lost For a man once rid of the Controll of his Authority may as easily deride and as solidly confute the Incarnation as the sprinkling of Holy-water nor could the reason of the world confute them While I relate such kind of Passages as these which I tremble to mention I hope your Lordship will pardon my zeal if I complaine a little that Treatises of a farre more innocent Nature are sharply censured while these open Impieties doe scape unpunished as if our Lawes were keen onely against the Asserters of Christian Liberty but had no edge at all against the Broachers of Antichristian Blasphemy Since then the Pope's Infallibility is that Name of Blasphemy which makes all its Patrons so bold and Irreligious since that is the Bottomlesse Pit out of which all this Deadly smoke doth issue I have here according to your Lordships commands endeavoured to show the Vanity and Ridiculousnesse as well as Impiety of that opinion In which if I have