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scripture_n authority_n believe_v infallible_a 5,104 5 10.1902 5 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A40800 Of the infallibilitie of the Chvrch of Rome a discourse written by the Lord Viscount Falkland ... Falkland, Lucius Cary, Viscount, 1610?-1643. 1645 (1645) Wing F322; ESTC R40575 14,027 22

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OF THE INFALLIBILITIE OF THE CHVRCH OF ROME A Discourse written by the Lord Viscount FALKLAND Now first published from a Copy of his owne hand OXFORD Printed by H Hall Printer to the UNIVERSITY M.DC.XLV OF THE INFALLIBILItie of the Church of ROME TO him that doubts whether the Church of Rome have any errours they answer § 1. that She hath none for She never can have any This being so much harder to beleive then the first had need be proved by some certaine arguments if they expect that the beleife of this one should draw on whatsoever else they please to propose Yet this is offered to be proved by no better wayes then those by which we offer to prove she hath erred Which are arguments from Scripture Reason and Ancient Writers all which they say themselves are fallible for nothing is not so but the Church which if it be the onely infallible determination and that can never be beleived upon it's owne authority we can never infallibly know that the Church is infallible for these other wayes of proofe they say may deceive both them and us and so neither side is bound to beleive them If they say § 2. that an argument out of Scripture is sufficient ground of Divine faith why are they so offended with the Protestants for beleiving every part of their Religion upon that ground upon which they build all theirs at once and if following the same Rule with equall desire of finding the truth by it having neither of those qualities which Isidorus Pelusiota sayes are the causes of all Heresies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pride and Prejudication why should God be more offended with the one then the other though they chance to erre They say § 3. the Church is therefore made infallible by God that all men may have some certaine Guide yet though it be infallible unlesse it both plainly appeare to be so for it is not certaine to whom it doth not appeare certaine and unlesse it be manifest which is the Church God hath not attained his end and it were to set a Ladder to Heaven and seeme to have a great care of my going up whereas unlesse there be care taken that I may know this Ladder is here to that purpose it were as good for me it had never beene set If they say we may know it § 4. for that Generall and constant Tradition instructs us in it I answer that ignorant people cannot know this and so it can be no Rule for them and if learned people mistake in this there can be no condemnation for them For suppose to know whether the Church of Rome may erre as a way which will conclude against her but not for her for if She hath erred certainly She may but though she hath not erred hitherto it followes not that She cannot erre I seeke whether She have erred and conceiving She hath contradicted her self conclude necessarily She hath erred I suppose it not damnable though I erre in my judgement because I try the Church by one of those touch-stones her self appoints me which is Conformity with the Ancient For to say I am to beleive the present Church that it differs not from the former though it seeme to me to doe so is to send me to a witnesse and bid me not beleive it Now to say the Church is provided for a Guide of faith § 5. but must be knowne by such markes as the ignorant cannot seeke it by and the learned may chance not to find it by though seeking it with all diligence and without all prejudice can no way satisfy me If they say § 6. God will reveale the truth to whosoever seekes it these wayes sincerely this saying both sides will without meanes of being confuted make use of therefore it would be as good that neither did When they have proved the Church to be infallible § 7. yet to my understanding they have proceeded nothing farther unlesse we can be sure which is it for it signifies onely that God will allwaies have a Church which shall not erre but not that such or such a Successiion shall be all waies in the right not that the Bishop of such a place and the Clergy that adheres to him shall all waies continue in the true faith So that if they say the Greeke Church is not the Church because by it's owne confession it is not infallible I answer that it may be now the Church and may hereafter erre and so not be now infallible and yet the Church never erre because before their fall from truth others may arise to maintaine it who then will be the Church and so the Church may still be infallible though not in respect of any set persons whom we may know at all times for our Guide Then if they prove the Church of Rome to be the true Church § 8. and not the Greeke because their opinions are consonant either to Scripture or Antiquity they runne into a circle proving their tenets to be true first because the Church holds them then theirs to be the true Church because it holds the truth which last though it appeare to me the onely way yet it takes away it's being a Guide which we may follow without examination without which all they say besides is nothing § 9. Nay suppose they had evinced that some Succession were infallible and so had proved to a Learned man that the Roman Church must be this because none else pretends to it yet this can be no sufficient ground to the ignorant who cannot have any infallible foundation for their beleife that the Church of Greece pretends not to the same and even to the Learned it is but an accidentall argument because if any other company had likewise claimed to be infallible it had overthrowne all so proved Nay it is but an arbitrary argument § 10. and depends upon the pleasure of the adversary for if any society of Christians would pretend to it the Church of Rome could make use of it no longer The cheifest reason why they disallow of the Scripture for Judge is because when differences arise about the interpretation there is no way to end them § 11. and that it will not stand with the goodnesse of God to damne men for not following his will if he had assigned no infallible way how to finde it I confesse this to be wonderfull true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and let them excuse themselves that thinke otherwise Yet this will be no argument against him who beleives that to all who follow their reason in the interpretation of the Scriptures and search for Tradition God will either give his grace for assistance to finde the truth or his pardon if they misse it and then this supposed necessity of an infallible Guide with this supposed damnation for want of it fall together to the ground If they command us to beleive infallibly the contrary to this § 12.