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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

believe they were I must affirme that this Doctrine is so farre from being owned by any of them for many Centuries that we have upon Record many pregnant Instances which doe evince that they did not so much as Dreame of it To draw up which I shall select onely two or three famous Cases which Bellarmine is pleased to take no Notice of 1. Euseb l b. 5. c. 23 24 25. The first Instance shall be from that doughty dispute which was raised about the yeare 160. concerning the day when Easter was to be kept the Churches of Asia kept Easter-day precisely upon the 14th of March at which time the Jewes did solemnize their Passeover but the Westerne Churches after many meetings to settle this weighty Controversie did agree that the day of our Saviours Resurrection should be celebrated onely upon the Lords Day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Asian Bishops notwithstanding this Decree did persist in their former custome in which they were defended by Polycrates who alleaged that Philip the Evangelist John the Apostle and many others did transmit that Traditionall Observance to them Upon this Victor the Bishop of Rome in great heat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrat lib. 6. saith my Author did take upon him to excommunicate all the Churches of Asia but being sharply writ against for it and st●ffely opposed in it he was forced to revoke his sentence Which story might afford us very many Observations as 1. That Superstition and Needlesse Observation of Dayes 2. That Imposition and Abridging of Christian Liberty in things Indifferent 3. That the Bishop of Rome's Usurpation and exceeding the Bounds of his proper Jurisdiction did begin to worke very early But I wave these and onely note that had the Churches of Afia then thought the Bishop of Rome to be Infallible they would not so peremptorily in so small a thing as the Retaining of an Old Custome have refused to submit unto his Judgment 2. My second Instance shall be from that Controversie which for many yeares was very eagerly managed viz. Whether such as had received Baptisme from Heretickes upon their Returne to the Church Cyprian Epis 92. Edit Fam. should be Baptized again or not Cyprian and all the African Bishops maintained the Necessiry of Re-baptizing and in their Letter to Stephen the Bishop of Rome after they had at large given the Reasons of their Opinion they conclude So much Dearest Brother have we enformed you of not doubting because of the Truth of your Religion but such things will please you which are both Religious and True But yet we know that some are very unwilling to lay down any Opinion which they have once tooke up but preserving that mutuall agreement which ought to be amongst Brethren they retain the Customes which they have once been used to In which matter we neither Force nor give a Law to any since in the ordering of the Church Prapositus every Governour hath absolute power of his own will as being to give unto God alone a Reason of his Actings From which passage written by Cyprian and all the Bishops of Africh who mer together in a Councell for that purpose it sufficiently appeares 1. That they did not understand any thing of the Bishop of Rome's Infallibility since they profess to retain their own Judgement without subscribing to his 2. That in the outward Regimen and Government of the Church every Bishop hath equall Power and ought not Authoritatively to prescribe and impose Laws upon another Ibid. Ep. 73. As the same Cyprian in another Letter These things saith he according to my weak Ability have I writ not Imposing upon or Pre-judging any as if it was not lawfull for every Bishop to do as he thinks fit since he hath free Power of his own Will And afterwards when Stephen had declared his Judgement that he would have none baptized again whatever Herefie they came from but that the ancient Custome should be preserved whereby such Converts were admitted into Church Communion meerly by laying on of Hands Ibid. Ep. 74. Inter catera vel superba vel ad rem non pertinentia vel sibi ipsi contraria quae improvidè atque imperitè scripsit Cyprian in stead of yeelding to his Determination doth taxe his Letter of Pride Folly and Impertinence and in Answer to those words of his wherein Stephen commanded that nothing should be varied from the accustomed Tradition Whence saith he was that Tradition Did it descend from the Authority of our Lord and his Gospel Did it come from the Commands and Epistles of the Apostles For God testifies in his Commands both to Joshua and others that those things only should be done which were written And our Lord Christ when he sent his Apostles into the World commands them to Baptize and to Teach all Nations that they might observe and do all things which he had Commanded If therefore any such Custome meaning that of Stephen's be contained either in the Gospels or in the Epistles and Acts of the Apostles then let sach an Holy and Divine Tradition be observed But what Obstinacy what Presumption is it to prefer Humane Tradition before a Divine Appointment What Folly is it not to consider that God is angry as often as Humane Tradition doth lessen and discountenance Divine Precepts as he testifies by the Prophet Isay And our Saviour likewise in his Gospel rebuking and chiding the Pharisees Ye reject the Commands of God that ye may keep your own Tradition Of which words the Apostle Paul being mindfull he likewise adviseth and instructeth us saying If any man teach otherwise and reste not in the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and in his Doctrine he is puffed up knowing nothing from such turn aside Neither ought Custome which hath privily crept in amongst some to hinder Truth from prevailing For Custome without Truth Consuetudo sine veritate vetustas Erroris est is nothing else but the Antiquity of Errour And it ariseth only from Pride and Presumption that one is apt to defend his own Practices how False and erroneous soever rather than consent to that which is True and Right in another For which reason the Apostle Paul writing to Timothy Docibilem Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adviseth a Bishop not to be Contentious but Meek and Apt to Teach But he is Apt to Teach who is Gentle and endued with Patience to Learn for a Bishop ought not only to Teach but to Learn since he Teacheth best who continually grows and profits by Learning Which the Apostle Paul likewise declares when he admonisheth That if any thing be revealed to another which sits by the First should hold his Peace Religious and sincere Minds are alwayes prepared to lay aside Errour and to search for Truth for if we return unto the Head and Originall of Divine Tradition Hamane Errour ceaseth and when the Reason of the Heavenly Appointments is once throughly discerned whatever

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