Councils and that proved from Holy Writ the Writings of the Ancient Fathers for several hundred Years and the Confession of the most Lerned Papists themselves 40. The Pillar and Ground of Truth A Treatise shewing that the Roman Church falsly claims to be That Church and the Pillar of That Truth mentioned by S. Paul in his first Epistle to Timothy Chap. 3. Vers 15. 40. The Peoples Right to read the Holy Scripture Asserted 40. A Short Summary of the principal Controversies between the Church of England and the Church of Rome being a Vindication of several Protestant Doctrines in Answer to a late Pamphlet intituled Protestancy destitute of Scripture Proofs 40. An Answer to a late Pamphlet intituled The Judgment and Doctrine of the Clergy of the Church of England concerning one Special Branch of the King's Prerogative viz. In dispensing with the Penal Laws 40. A Discourse of the Holy Eucharist in the two great Points of the Real Presence and the Adoration of the Host in answer to the Two Discourses lately Printed at Oxford on this Subject To which is perfixed a Large Historical Preface relating to the same Argument Two Discourses Of Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead The Fifteen Notes of the Church as laid down by Cardinal Bellarmin examined and confuted 40. With a Table of the Contents Preparation for Death Being a Letter sent to a young Gentlewoman in France in a dangerous Distemper of which she died By W. W. 120. The Difference between the Church of England and the Church of Rome in opposition to a late Book intituled An Agreement between the Church of England and Church of Rome A PRIVATE PRAYER to be used in Difficult Times A true account of a Conference held about Religion at London Sept. 29. 1687 between A. Pulton Jesuit and Tho. Tenison D. D. as also of that which led to it and followed after it 40. The Vindication of A. Cressener Schoolmaster in Long-Acre from the Aspersions of A. Pulton Jesuit Schoolmaster in the Savoy together with some Account of his Discourse with Mr. Meredith A Discourse shewing that Protestants are on the safer side notwithstanding the uncharitable Judgment of their Adversaries and that Their Religion is the surest Way to Heaven 40. Six Conferences concerning the Eucharist wherein is shewed That the Doctrine of Transubstantiation overthrows the Proofs of Christian Religion A Discourse concerning the pretended Sacrament of Extreme Vnction with an account of the occasions and beginnings of it in the Western Church In Three Parts With a Letter to the Vindicator of the Bishop of Condom The Pamphlet entituled Speculum Ecclesiasticum or an Ecclesiastical Prospective-Glass considered in its False Reasonings and Quotations There are added by way of Preface two further Answers the First to the Defender of the Speculum the Second to the Half-sheet against the Six Conferences A Second Defence of the Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England against the new Exposition of Mons de Meaux late Bishop of Conâom and his Vindicator The FIRST PART In which the Account that has been given of the Bishop of Meaux's Exposition is fully vindicated the distinction of Old and New Popery Historically asserted and the Doctrine of the Church of Rome in Point of Image-worship more particularly considered 40. The Incurable Scepticism of the Church of Rome By the Author of the Six Conferences concerning the Eucharist 40. Mr. Pulton Considered in his Sincerity Reasonings Authorities Or a Just Answer to what he hath hitherto Published in his True Account his True and full Account of a Conference c. His Remarks and in them his pretended Confutation of what he calls Dr. T 's Rule of Faith. By Tho. Tenison D. D. A Full View of the Doctrines and Practices of the Ancient Church relating to the Eucharist wholly different from those of the Present Roman Church and inconsistent with the belief of Transubstantiation Being a sufficient Confutation of CONSENSVS VETERVM NVBES TESTIVM and other Late Collections of the Fathers pretending to the contrary 40.
corda eorum per fidem charitatem gratiam mihi inseparabiliter connectendo ita ut omnes sint unum corpus mysticum unaque domus Carth. in Matth. XVI art 26. brings in Christ thus speaking I will build and confirm my Church that is the Congregation of the Faithful by inseparably uniting their hearts to me by Faith Charity and Grace so as all may be one mystical Body and one House J. Fr. Picus Mirandula 15 A propriâ vocabuli significatione recedendum ipse non putarem ut primò propriè principalissimeque Sancta Catholica Ecclesia diceretur quae omnes rectae Apostolicae fidei non fictae charitatis homines complecteretur Pic. Theor. 13. saith That we ought not to recede from the proper signification of the Word that so that might be called primarily properly and most principally the Holy Catholick Church which comprehendeth all men of a right and Apostolick Faith and unfeigned Charity Ferus upon those words Matth. XV. The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it saith 16 Sed loquitur de Ecclesiâ Secundùm spiritum quae solos electos complectitur Fer. in Matth. Christ speaks not here of the Church as it is commonly understood of the Collection of all Christians whether good or bad but of the Church according to the Spirit which comprehends only the Elect. Lastly Chr. Lupus 17 Ecclesia quae claves accepit non est universa fidelium in legitimis Sacramentis communio sed sola congregatio justorum seu Sanctorum communio Lup. in Concil tom 4. p. 818. affirms That the Church which received the Keys is not the universal Communion of the Faithful in the Lawful Sacraments but the sole Congregation of the just or the Communion of Saints Which he pursueth at large and proveth by many Testimonies of St. Augustine to which we might add many others no less cogent of other Fathers as St. Hierom Agobardus Bernard c. if our Argument consisted in the truth of this Opinion It sufficeth to shew it was received by many and consequently that our Adversaries do not agree in forming the Idea of a Church Now this Dissension is of great moment For if the second or especially the third Opinion be true the Doctrine of our Adversaries will be wholly overthrown For not to say that if Sinners be excluded out of the Church the Pope and whole Councils may perhaps not belong to it and so want that Infallibility which is appropriated to the true Church To omit this since we treat not now of active but passive Infallibilty I say That according to this Hypothesis the Faith of our Adversaries cannot rely upon the belief of the Universal Church For to conform themselves to this Rule of Faith they must first perfectly know it which cannot be if they know not what is that Church whose Faith they ought to follow But how shall they know the Church if that consist only of Pious Men whom none will deny to be known to God alone Canus was not ignorant of this who rejecteth this Opinion because saith he 18 Incerta erunt omnia si apud solos pios Ecclesia est Can. loc Theol. lib. 4. cap. 3. all things will be uncertain if the Church be limited to pious Men. Will our Adversaries therefore say that the first of these Opinions is certain the other undoubtedly false That is easter affirmed than proved Besides of what degree of certainty would they have their assertions to be Not certainly of Divine Faith unlessHeresie be imputed to all those Learned Men who maintained the second and third Opinions But no other degree of certainty can be obtained in these things nor will any other suffice CHAP. XXV That our Adversaries have no way of knowing the true Church IT doth not appear therefore who they are that truly belong to the Church Yet suppose it is and that all Baptized Persons outwardly professing the true Faith are Members of it which Opinion most pleaseth our Adversaries and is most advantageous for them It is still to be enquired which out of so many Societies that challenge to themselves the name of the Church justly and truly claims it For not any one that first occurrs is to be admitted and preferred before the rest But here if any where a diligent and accurate Examination is to be used lest instead of the Church of Christ we follow the Synagogue of Satan and for Divine Revelations receive execrable Errors This especially becomes them who when they have found the Church give over any further enquiry and receive without Examination all the dictates of it They ought to be very vigilant and curious in the choice of their Guide lest if they haply mistake they incurr that Sentence of Christ If the blind lead the blind both will fall into the ditch Let us see therefore whether our Adversaries can boast they have made a just and accurate enquiry herein and most certainly found out the true Church There are chiefly three Methods of making this Enquiry 1. From the truth of the Doctrine professed by any Church and Conformity of that to the Word of God. 2. By Notes known only by the light of right Reason and independently from the Word of God. 3. By Notes which are marked out and taught in the Scripture Arriaga preferreth the first Method before all others I answer saith he 1 Respondeo veritatem doctrinae probari etiam posse non recurrendo ad Ecclesiam imò ante primam probationem verae Ecclesiae debere probari veritatem doctrinae Etenim cum Ecclesia ut Ecclesia definiatur per hoc quòd sit coetus profitentium veram doctrinam fidei repugnat in terminis me supponere aliquam congregationem esse veram Ecclesiam nisi dicam eo ipso ibi esse veram doctrinam Ergo non possum primò probare veram doctrinam ex verâ Ecclesiâ Arr. de fide disp 7. Sect. 5. that the truth of the Doctrine may be proved without recurring to the Church yea and that before the first Proof of the true Church the truth of the Doctrine ought to be proved He proveth both parts of his Assertion largely and in the second part of it maketh use of this Argument For since the Church as a Church is defined the Congregation of men professing the true Doctrine of Faith it is a contradiction in the very terms to suppose any Congregation to be the true Church unless I do for that very reason suppose there is the true Doctrine I cannot therefore first prove the Doctrine is true from the truth of the Church To this we willingly subscribe and approve this Method of Arriaga's only Not so the rest of our Adversaries who detest it and labour to render it both infamous and impossible pretending it to be full of inextricable difficulties and not to be surmounted by the most learned much less by illiterate persons Wherefore I need not endeavour to prove that the true
other is assigned in Scripture This the Cardinal himself admonisheth It is to be observed saith he 16 Method liv 1. chap. that although it doth not follow that Society which hath one of the Notes of the true Church is the true Church yet it follows that Society which wanteth one of these Notes is not the true Church Valentia had gone before him These are the Notes saith he 17 Non sunt notae Ecclesiae sigillatim sed conjunctim quia fieri possit ut una harum altera aliis conveniat Val. Anal. fid lib. 6. cap. 7. which we urge One Holy Catholick Apostolick These are not the Notes of the Church singly but conjunctly because it may be that one or two of them may agree to others And indeed it cannot be denied that the Greek Church hath many of these Notes If therefore from one or more of them we might argue affirmatively the Greek must be granted to be a true Church To conclude therefore that the Roman or any other is the true Church it is necessary that no note of the true Church be wanting to it and that it be evident no other note is assigned in Scripture besides those wherein she already glorieth While this is uncertain nothing can be securely concluded from any Notes whatever That an Infidel therefore be rightly instructed it is required that he read over the whole Scripture from one end to the other accurately weigh and examine all places that he may be ascertained none of those Notes have escaped his diligence But this besides that it is long and tedious and apt rather to discourage and deterr than allure an Infidel to the Christian Religion is impossible if our Adversaries Doctrine of the obscurity of Scripture be admitted For who can promise himself that nothing hath escaped his most sagacious enquiry amidst so much darkness and intricacy as our Adversaries pretend to be in Scripture Much less can an Infidel be assured of this whose Understanding is yet clouded with Errors and his Eyes with Blindness Yet if he be not certain that no one Note of the Church is unknown to him how many soever he hath by his search observed in vain doth he sweat since even according to our Adversaries many Notes contribute nothing to that Society to which any one is wanting And this is so much the more difficult because our Adversaries are not agreed about the number of the Notes Valentia and many others assign four Driedo six Medina ten Sanders and Pistorius twelve Bellarmin fifteen Bosius an hundred In so great variety of opinions what certainty can be expected But what if in this diligent reading of Scripture many things shall occurr whereby the Catechumen will be induced to believe there are many other Notes beside those which our Adversaries point out and those such as will divert him from embracing the Communion of the Church of Rome He will in the first place observe those words of Christ 18 John VIII 31 47. X. 27. If ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed He that is of God heareth God's words My Sheep hear my voice Hence he will conclude that the truth of Doctrine and its conformity to God's word is the most certain Note of the true Church But our Adversaries will never permit that he should make use of this Note to find out the Church For that would introduce the first method so much hated by them and it were to be feared that the Catechumen comparing the Doctrine of the Church of Rome with the Scripture would find a manifest repugnance in many things Another Note of the Church he would find to be the observation of the Divine Precepts from the same places For he cannot be said to hear the voice of Christ that obeys it not And in other places Christ saith 19 John VIII 10 14. If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my Love. Ye are my friends if ye do what soever I command you God also foretold by his Prophets that under the new Covenant he would write his Laws in the hearts of Men and make them to walk in his statutes But can the Catechumen find this observation of the Divine precepts in the Church of Rome where the Cup is taken from the Laity Prayers performed in an Unknown Tongue and many other things used expresly contrary to the Divine Commands The Scripture oft-times calls the Church the most chast Spouse of Christ Now this Chastity consists in keeping her Faith to God and transferring no part of the Divine Worship due to him upon any other objects Otherwise God will implead her of adultery and give her a bill of divorcement Will the Catechumen then from this Note conclude the Church of Rome to be the Spouse of Christ by whom he perceiveth so many Creatures Saints deceased their Reliques the Cross Images and the Host to be worshipped and adored Meekness and Gentleness is also a note of the Church when her Children are frequently in the Scriptures called Sheep Lambs Doves Turtles Isaiah foretold all cruelty should be far from the Church of Christ 20 Isai XI 9. LXIII 25. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my Holy Mountain Christ left his Peace to his Disciples and said to them 21 Matth. XI 29. Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your Souls Who can then imagine the Church of Christ to be that Society which persecutes all dissenting from her with fire and sword and scarce useth any other arguments than Racks and Gibbets Of the same nature with this Note is another laid down by David He calls 22 Ps CX 3. the Church a willing People who are not retained in the Communion of their Saviour by force and fear but by a most free and that most fervent Love. Hence her most excellent Pastor is said 23 Zach. XI 7. to govern her with two staves one called Beauty and the other Bands but that you may not mistake those bands are 1 Hos XI 4. the cords of a Man and the bands of Love. Is Rome therefore this Church of Christ which wheresoever she commands hath no stronger bands to retain her People than the detestable Tribunal of the Holy Inquisition To these two last Notes is conjoined a sixth That she be free and not a Servant of Men especially of Pastors This the Scripture teacheth in many places particularly Gal. IV. 25 26. John VIII 32.36 2 Cor. I. 24. III. 17. IV. 5. 1 Pet. V. 3. Ja. I. 25. That therefore is not the Church of Christ which serveth the Pope whose Slave Cajetan expresly calls her Is that Church free upon which the Pope imposeth arbitrary Laws which none must call in question Can he be denied to be Lord of the Church who as the Canon Law 2 Decret part 1. dist 40. can Si Papa tells us although he should carry innumerable People by
their Decrees have approved To which Theodosius rejoyned So it is as you affirm for the truth of their Doctrines makes Synods valid So they and with them Launoy above cited Which if it be admitted the Controversie is at an end None of us will deny those Councils are to be assented to which have decreed rightly But how shall we know whether they have decreed rightly Here lyeth the difficulty our Adversaries especially being Judges who are averse to all discussion and affirm it to be above the capacity of the people Which way soever therefore they turn themselves they cannot deny it to be very difficultly known which are lawful Councils and consequently which although confirmed by the Pope can afford certainty and firmness to our Faith. CHAP. XV. That tt is uncertain whether any Councils have been Free. FReedom is so necessary to the being of an infallible Council that all assign it as a condition none omit it and herein those two great Antagonists Edmund Richerius and Andrew Duval agree of which the first makes this his XXII axiom a Libertatem ferendi suffragii esse conditionem essentialem ad celebrationem Synodorum penitus necessariam c. That the Liberty of Voting is an essential condition wholly necessary to the Celebration of Synods and so necessary that without it the H. Ghost presides not over Ecclesiasticks met in Council For the Apostle b 2 Cor. iii. 17. saith Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty and an Anonymous Author c Numerosissima Concilia qualia fuêre c. propter hanc libertatis carentiam illegitima sunt pronunciata of a Tract offered to the Assembly of the French Clergy saith That most numerous Councils such as those of Ariminum and the II. of Ephesus for want of this liberty have been pronounced unlawful On the other side Duval d Caruit libertate Conciliis necessarià Duvall de potest Pont. part 4. quaest 6. speaking of the Council of Ariminum saith It wanted the Liberty necessary to Councils and afterwards of the II. Ephesine Council that although lawfully called yet it proceeded unlawfully being over-awed by violence of Dioscorus in like manner as the Council of Ariminum had been by Constantius The same saith Melchior Canus e Can. Loc. Theol. lib. 5. cap. ult The Antients consent hereto St. Hilary f Incipio definitio Catholica habita ab omnibus Catholicis Episcopis priusquà m per terrenam potestatem territi haereticorum consortio sociarentur Hil. in fragm giveth this Inscription to the first Decree of Ariminum This is the Catholick definition composed by all the Catholick Bishops before that terrified with the Secular Power they were joyned to the Society of Hereticks And St. Athanasius having rejected g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athan. Epist ad Episc Afric the Decrees of this Council of Ariminum because extorted by contention and force and desiring a lawful Council Let an Ecclesiastical Synod saith he h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. Epist ad Solit. be held far from the Palace where neither the Emperour is at hand nor his Commissioner intrudes himself nor any Judge threatens but where the sole fear of God and institution of the Apostles sufficeth St. Basil i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil Epist 52. ad Athan. thought the meer relation of the violence used in the Council of Ariminum enough to invalidute all the acts of it Lastly Facundus k Nusquam coactum concilium nisi falfitati subscripsit sicut in Arimino c. Fac. lib. 12. cap. 3. saith Never did any forced Council subscribe to any thing but Errour as happened in those of Ariminum and Ephesus That a lawful Synod therefore ought to be free is on all sides confessed But we are not to imagin that this freedom is taken away only by Stripes Imprisonment and the like There are other more secret and no less efficacious means to obtain the same end Among these Canus and Richerius reckon threats St. Ambrose the favour of Princes when he saith l Dum Imperatoris gratiam sequuntur Dei gratiam perdiderunt qui cum placere potentibus aucupantur maledicto se perpetuo subdidere Ambr. in Luc. 6. of the Fathers of Ariminum That seeking the favour of the Emperour they lost the favour of God and desiring to please great Men subjected themselves to a perpetual curse Richerius m Vi aut minis vel aliis studiis aut fabricis prensationibus immoderatis vel gratiâ pecuniâ aut pretio vel rebus pecuniâ aestimabilibus Rich. Apol. axiom 22. asserts this liberty is hindred by force threats or other Factions and Plots by immoderate making of Parties favours giving of Money or any other Gifts Card. Perron n Du Perron Repliq. liv 1. chap. 28. saith the desire of pleasing hath often crept in among Princes and spoiled and corrupted the judgment of Synods Holden o Absque suffragiorum ambitu aut sollicitâ prensatione Hold. Anal. fid lib. 2. cap. 3. requireth that all things be maturely discussed in the Synod without any begging of Votes or sollicitous making of Parties Lastly Estrix p Haec illi inquies vi terrore compulsi Fateor sed qui terrore compelli potuerunt ad approbandam haeresin quidui potuissent delabi eodem aliis rationibus aut â—â—piditate pravâ impellente Estr Diat assert 43. having said that the Bishops of the II. Ephesine Council were forced by the violence of Dioscorus to subscribe to Heresie hath these words But you will say this they did compelled by Force and Terrour True but those who can be compelled by Terrour to approve Heresie why may they not be induced to the same by other Reasons or any inordinate Desire From what hath been said I gather four things I. That liberty in voting is a condition absolutely necessary to a lawful and Infallible Council II. That this liberty is infringed not only by open force but also by threats promises gifts solliciting of Votes or any other secret Arts. III. That this may not only be but hath actually been done and that more than once IV. That these things are so certain that they are acknowledged by our Adversaries both Sorbonists and Monarchists But if these be true as most certainly they are we can never safely assent to the Decrees of a Council till we be assured that no methods of Violence or Corruption either manifest or secret were used to infringe its liberty But since none can know this but God alone it is thence most evident that we are not only not obliged to a blind assent to the Definitions of any Council but that it would be a most gross folly and manifest danger of Errour to do it because none but free Councils are Infallible and no man can possibly know which are free Melchior Canus q Ita â—re◠〈◊〉 nullius Synedi explorata authoritas habeatur Can. loc -Theol l. 5. c. saw this
Condemnation of his admired Origen projected the design of the V. Council and thereby extorted from the whole World the Condemnation of the Tria Capitula Duval That the Council of Basil was blinded with hatred against Pope Eugenius What happened to these might as well to other Councils and who can assure us it did not But no Liberty seemeth more requisite to the establishment of Truth than that which purgeth the Mind from preconceived Opinions and addicts it wholly to Truth For it cannot be hoped that they who are infected with Errour should define rightly and immediately upon their entring the Council from Patrons of Heresie become Champions of Faith. This Experience hath often taught For why did the Councils of Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon desine rightly but because they consisted of Orthodox Bishops Why the African under Cyprian and all the Arrian Councils erroneously but because they were made up of Bishops favouring those Errours Why the Council of Sardica both rightly and erroneously well at Sardica ill at Philippopolis but because the Orthodox Bishops stay'd at Sardica the Heretical went to Philippopolis How comes it to pass therefore that in assigning so many conditions of an Infallible Council this one should be forgotten the most necessary of all that it consist only of Orthodox Bishops Wisely then did the Popes Leo and Vigilius who laboured hard that only an equal number of Greeks and Latins might be admitted into the IV. and V. Councils the one fearing the Eutychians the other the Enemies of the Tria Capitula However it be if Threats and Promises if Fear and Desire can hinder Orthodox Bishops from defining truly much more will preconceived Opinions hinder Heretical ones from decreeing rightly Since the first are drawn to favour Errour unwillingly and act in it coldly the latter promote it with their utmost Zeal and greatest Vigour Lastly I do not see how if a Council be placed beyond all danger of erring by the assistance of the Holy Ghost Fear or any other Passions can so far prevail in it as to divert the Fathers of it from the right way This might indeed be if Councils were infallible in their Nature but in their Hypothesis who ascribe their Infallibility only to the external direction of the Holy Spirit it is highly absurd and irrational For cannot the Holy Ghost invincibly arm the minds of those in whom he dwells against the terrors of Threats or Temptations of desire Why then is the Hymn Veni Creator Spiritus sung before every Session of Councils Why is it expresly said Accende lumen sensibus Infunde amorem cordibus Infirma nostri corporis virtute firmans perpeti Why is he called the Living Fountain Fire Charity and Spiritual Unction Why the finger of Gods Right Hand but to design his powerful Assistance against all the defects of Nature and infirmities of Mind This assistance therefore is desired If it be obtained in vain are Threats Bribes Promises and other Frauds they can never corrupt the Council If it be not who can assure us the other part of the Petition is granted viz. Illumination of Mind to discern and dispel the Sophistry of Hereticks But why do I insist on this If we consider those Holy Men in whom the Holy Ghost is thought to have dwelt and armed with his Graces for the defence of Truth as Athanasius Basil Chrysostom Hilary Ambrose Augustin and the rest we shall find that they were impenetrable to fear or flattery and constantly despised both the threats and promises of Arian Princes If the Holy Ghost therefore presides over Councils neither the force nor fraud of Enemies can obstruct the Infallibility of it and we may much more justly and truly than Richerius did before apply those words of St. Paul to them Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty For he alledged them to prove that Liberty is a Condition pre-required to the presence of the Holy Ghost in a Council whereas the construction of them manifests it to be rather an effect of this presence according to that of our Saviour 2 John. VIII 36. If the Son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed and 3 Ibid. v. 32. the Truth shall make you free For the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Christ so that what is done by the one may be well attributed to the other But to make an end Our Adversaries found the Infallibility of Councils upon the promises of the assistance of the Holy Ghost made to the Apostles by our Saviour in those words The Spirit of Truth shall guide you into all truth I will send another Comforter c. which they maintain to have been spoken not only to the Apostles but to their Successors also to the Worlds end If so then must necessarily be conferred on both an Infallibility of the same kind and quality But were the Apostles preserved by the assistance of the Holy Ghost from involuntary Errors and left unarmed to the assaults of Threats and Promises Certainly no. Christ both promised and gave to them his assistance against all kind of Temptations and Corruptions whereby they might be drawn to betray the Truth Either Councils therefore have the same assistance or can pretend no share in these Promises Two several ways therefore is the Authority of Councils overthrown by the Doctrine and Concessions of our Adversaries about the necessity of their Liberty both in that it is certain they may be drawn from Truth by any other means as well as defect of Liberty and uncertain whether there was ever any free Councils The Sorbonists can oppose nothing to this but the Monarchists think they can They pretend that when a Council is thus corrupted yet the Rock of the Church the Pope remains unshaken whom no force can move as for whom Christ prayed that his Faith should never fail For first the Sorbonists deny this which sufficeth for me as proving that pretended Privilege of the Pope not to be of Faith and so not able to give certainty to the Decrees of a Council whose Liberty is suspected But then this invincible Constancy of the Pope is demonstrated to be false by the Examples of Marcellinus Liberius Paschal II. and Eugenius IV. to which we may add a fifth that of Pope Vigilius from whom the Emperour Justinian after he had extorted by force and threats the Condemnation of the Tria Capitula from the fifth Council extorted an Approbation of the Council's Decree by the same Method as he did afterwards in like manner from his Successor Pelagius Lupus 4 Vigilius aerumnis lassus libertatis ac sedis recuperandae amore victus tandem consensit in Synodum Pelagius Romani Episcopatûs amore ad recipiendam Synodum est inflexus Lup. in Concil Tom. 1. p. 737. acknowledgeth both saying that Vigilius overcome with hardships and the desire of recovering his Liberty and See and Pelagius corrupted with desire of the Papal Chair both consented and approved the
troups as Slaves to Hell to be with himself for ever tormented yet no mortal must presume to reprehend his faults because he is to judge all to be judged of none Who not to mention obsolete Stories but lately commanded all to believe there is five heretical propositions in Jansenius and yet although humbly intreated by many Doctors would not declare in what part of Jansenius his Book they might be found What is this but to account Christians as most vile Slaves The seventh Note of the Church consists in this 3 John IV. 23. That she worship God in Spirit and in Truth The ancient Church of the Jews indeed used a gross and sensible kind of Worship and was employed about the mean and beggerly Elements of the World but it is the peculiar glory of the Christian Church to worship God in a way most consentaneous to the simplicity of his being and the holiness of his nature Not so the Church of Rome which observeth so many diverse and difficult ceremonies that in comparison of them the Mosaick Rites are both few and easy This you will soon acknowledge if you compare the fourth or at most the third part of the Pentateuch for no more is taken up with ritual matters with so many vast volumes the Ceremonial Pontifical Ritual Missal Gradual and others which prescribe the external part of the Roman Service Lastly the true Church is that which neither usurpeth nor disturbeth the civil Government Therein imitating Christ her Master who offered heavenly things to all earthly to none professed his Kingdom was not of this World withdrew himself unto the Mountains when sought for by the multitude to be made a King and refused to be a Judge in a matter of inheritance The true Church observeth the Apostles precept 4 Rom. XIII 1. of being subject to the higher Powers And that other 5 Ibid. v. 7. of rendering to all their due tribute to whom tribute custom to whom custom fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Not so the Church of Rome whose Head the Pope deposeth Kings at his pleasure absolveth their Subjects from their Oath of Allegiance and pretends to a Sovereign Dominion over the whole World. I might produce many other like Notes of the Church out of Scripture but these suffice to shew how great danger they expose the Church of Rome to who out of those Holy Writings permit a judgment to be formed of her Truth and Purity I will now proceed briefly to demonstrate that not even from those Notes which the Church of Rome assigns can it be known that she is the true Church Card. Richlieu assigns four Antiquity Amplitude Perpetuity and Succession Amplitude shall be considered afterwards the other three I will now briefly touch Antiquity consists solely or chiefly in this that the Church which is called Ancient have preserved the same Faith Worship and Religion from the beginning While the Church of Rome therefore glorieth in Antiquity she meaneth that she now professeth the same Faith which Christ formerly instituted and his Apostles taught But to know this there is no other way than to compare the present Doctrine of the Church of Rome with the Ancient Monuments of Christian Religion of which Scripture is the Chief Now this in nothing differeth from the first method which we only approve and our Adversaries reject If then the Church cannot be known by that method neither can it by that which our Adversaries propose The discussion of perpetuity is yet more difficult For therein is to be proved not only that the present is the same with the first and original Doctrine but also that it was so in every Age and that this profession of the old Religion was never once interrupted Now how vast and unexhausted a knowledge of antiquity doth this require No ancient monument must be neglected infinite Volumes both Printed and Manuscript must be read through This few Men can attend to or if they could one Age would not suffice Yet this accordding to Richlieu's method must be done by any Infidel who is a Candidate of Christianity The same may be said of Succession That is twofold of Doctrine and of Persons The first is coincident with antiquity and perpetuity the second in Gretser's judgment is of little moment Without Truth of Doctrine saith he 6 Sine veritate doctrinae successio Pastorum est exigui ponderis De verb. Dei lib. 4. cap. 9. Succession of Pastors is of small weight But suppose it of the greatest moment What is more laborious and difficult to say no more than to prove that in a long series of Succession continued through XVI Ages there never happened the least interruption Thus much of the Notes singly As for all taken together it is manifest that even in our Adversaries opinion they cannot be certain since they are found in the Greek Church The Cardinal denies that of Antiquity because the Church of Constantinople cannot demonstrate her claim of being founded by St. Andrew Let it be Certainly the Churches of Hierusalem Antioch Ephesus Corinth and Athens which are parts of the Greek Church were founded by Apostles and the first even by Christ himself Again the Cardinal denieth the Succession of the Greek Bishops because their Patriarchs were heretical But first it matters not what the Patriarchs are if the other Bishops be Orthodox Secondly this very thing may be brought against the Succession of Popes for some of them have been condemned by General Councils Lastly if heresie interrupts succession it will be no more certain that the Succession of Popes was never interrupted than that no Pope was ever an Heretick But how shall this be ascertained especially to an Infidel of whom we now treat who may consider that many in the Church of Rome openly teach the contrary To this may be added That it is absurd in this case to pretend Heresy against the Succession of any Church For that is the very thing now inquired by this Infidel which Society of Christians is the true Church and consequently which of them are Hereticks or Schismaticks This method therefore can never certainly teach us That the Church of Rome is the true Church CHAP. XXVI That it is uncertain what the Vniversal Church believeth IF after all this we should grant That our Adversaries may certainly know which is the true Church it were yet to be inquired what this Church believeth But how shall this be known For first it doth not suffice to know what the greater or lesser part of the Universal Church believeth unless we know what is the Faith of the whole For our Adversaries confess That the greater part of it may erre So Tostatus answering to those who from the Universal corruption of the translations of the Bible before S. Hierom's time argued That the whole Church then erred replyed That all the Copies indeed of the Latin Church were corrupted but in the Greek Church were preserved entire Now saith he
a right to sit in Councils This is indeed a great Question upon which depends the validity of all Councils There were some as those of Basil Constance Pisa and the Lateran by the testimony of Alemannus an Eye-witness in which Presbyters had a decisive Vote but far more even all the rest from which they were excluded If they have a right all these last Councils are unlawful if not all the first Concerning Abbots there arises another doubt They have sat in Councils now for many Ages by Priviledge The first who obtained it as Lupus n Lup. Tom. 1. p. 865. observeth was that most wicked Barsumas who made no small bawling in the Ephesine Latrocinium But it is inquired who had Power to give them such a Priviledge Certainly that Spirit which revealeth Truth and as our Saviour tells us bloweth where it listeth cannot be obliged by any humane Grant to confer Infallibility on those to whom he never promised it The Monarchists themselves acknowledge the Pope cannot confer on his Legates the priviledge of not erring How then shall either Pope or Council give it to Abbots But if they cannot then are unlawful all those Councils wherein Abbots sat those especially wherein they exceeded the Bishops in number as the Council of Lateran under Innocent III. in which by Bellarmin's o Bell. de Con cil lib. 1. cap. 5. 7. computation were present 1283 Prelates of which only 473 Bishops and that of Constance which among a 1000 Fathers had no more than 300 Bishops The same Question is moved concerning Procurators of Bishops For 't is justly doubted whether Bishops can delegate that Power of defining matters of Faith without danger of Errour and transfer it upon others that are no Bishops For if not all those Councils will be invalid wherein these Procurators were admitted Now that they cannot seemeth probable For to omit that the Monarchists affirm the Pope cannot communicate his Infallibility and that Bishops should be able to do more than the Pope seems incredible I urge that this Procuration is not allowed even in temporal Causes Judges are not permitted to substitute others who may give Judgment and pronounce Sentence in their stead And if this be thought inconvenient in judging the frail and momentany things of life how much more will it be in defining matters that relate to eternal Salvation Lastly delegated Judges can never subdelegate another unless the Delegant shall expresly grant Power of doing it Let our Adversaries therefore either shew where God hath given Bishops power to constitute Procurators to sit in Councils in their Name or confess it to be uncertain whether those Councils are lawful in which these Procurators sit They will plead Prescription perhaps for this and urge that it is not probable a Custom received and approved by so many Ages should not be lawful But they have no Right to make use of this Argument For Widdrington p Aliud est facere de facto aliud determinare quòd ita possit fieri de jure Widd. contra Schulck pag. 241. in replying to that Objection of the Assertors of the deposing Power That Kings and Emperours have been deposed by the Church and therefore may be so answers out of Sylvester That it doth no way follow it being one thing to do withing another to determine that it may be done lawfully And Richerius q Apol. ax 38. freely reprehends many things observed in the Councils Lastly Holden r Theologi passim affirmant posse quodammodo errare Synodes omnes etiam Oecumenicas in legibus ad Eccles disciplinae regimen spectantibus Hold. Anal. fid l. 2. c. 3. tells us That all Synods even Oecumenical may in some measure err in matters of Ecclesiastical Discipline as most Divines hold If in those then surely in things which they neither command nor define but only tolerate The Presidents of the Council of Trent were very much perplexed with this Question and knew not well what to do in it Cardinal Palavicini Å¿ Hist Concil Trid. lib. 21. cap. 1. relates how they consulted the Court of Rome and the ablest Canonists and employed Learned men Scipio Lancelottus and Michael Thomasius to write concerning it The Question proposed was Whether to Procurators were of Right due a decisive Suffrage in the Synod This they determined in the Negative as well because it was not a matter of contract or private business 〈◊〉 which these Procurators were employed but the common concern of the whole Church as because they bore not that Office in the Church to which God had promised the assistance of the H. Ghost in Oecumenical Synods But because the custom of the Church was contrary and some shew of Arguments appeared on the other side the Legates thought not sit to determine this Question themselves but expected to know the pleasure of the Court of Rome Thus much for the third condition Gelasius t Secundùm Scripturas sec traditionem Patrum sec Ecclesiasticas regulas pro side Catholicâ communione 〈◊〉 ad Episc Dard. epist 13. assigns many together while treating of the difference of lawful and unlawful Synods he defineth a lawful Synod to be that which acteth aocording to the Scriptures Tradition of the Fathers Eccâ—â—â—astical Rules and in defence of Catholick Faith and Communion that to be unlawful which acteth contrary I inquire not now whether all these conditions be necessary I only say that it will be very difficult this way to distinguish lawful from unlawful Synods For how few can compare the Decrees of them with Scripture Fathers and Ecclesiastical Rules Maximus requireth much fewer things For he would have nothing else inquired but only whether the Council decreed rightly For to Theodosius Bishop of Caesarea objecting That the Lateran Synod held at Rome under Pope Martin was not received because not held by the Emperour's Command he thus replieth u Si Synodos quae sactae sunt jussiones Imperatorum firmant non sua fides recipe Synodos quae contra homoousion factae sunt c. Omnes enim has Imperatorum jussio aggregavit Attamen omnes damnatae sunt propter impietatem infidelium dogmatum ab eis confirmatorum illas novit sanctas probabiles Synodos pius Ecclesiae Canon quas rectitudo dogmatum approbavit Et dixit Theodosius It a est ut asseris dogmatum quippe rectitudo Synodos roborat Disp Maximi cum Theod. inter Anastasii Collectanea à Sirmondo edita Paris 1620. p. 161 162. If the Commands of the Emperour and not their holy Faith makes Synods valid then must you receive the Synods held by the Command of Princes against the Doctrine of Consubstantiality as those of Tyre Antioch Seleucra c. For all they were called by the Emperours but all condemned by reason of the impiety of the heretical Doctrines confirmed in them For the pious Rule of the Church acknowledgeth only those for holy and lawful Synods which the truth of