Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	believe_v	church_n	err_v	1,967	5	9.6697	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B22558	The Popish labyrinth wherein is made manifest, that the Papists are entangled in the fundamental article of their faith, that the church cannot erre / written in Dutch by ... Dr. Simon Episcopius, unto which is added, The life and death of the author ; as also, The life and death of James Arminius, both of them famous defenders of God	Episcopius, Simon, 1583-1643.; Bertius, Petrus, 1565-1629. Oratio in obitum reverendi & clarissimi viri D. Jacobi Arminii. English.; Chardon de Courcelles, Etienne, 1705-1775? Short and compendious history of Simon Episcopius.	1673 (1673)	Wing E3163	56,195	122

will not recede so much as a fingers breadth from the Opinion they have undertaken to maintain is all one as by Arguments to perswade him the Sun shines who shuts his eyes against the Light thereof and refuseth to see its Light Indeed for their sakes who continually fasten on such kind of Questions as when they be fully discust do yet nevertheless not convince Consciences of the principal Truth to spend much pains and to weary ones self with continual disputing is nothing else but to draw water with a sieve which if one take up out of the water immediately it appeareth empty and void of that Humour or Moysture which it abundantly drew CHAP. II. Of that kind of Papists who will not be taught better Amongst the most of Christians especially the Papists or by which title they love to be called the Catholicks when any Dispute is had with them we ordinarily meet with these two sorts of Men. The first Sort is twofold Some fear not roundly and with full mouth to affirme that they will not be taught better but that they will tooth and nayl and obstinately stick to their own Opinion Insomuch that though they should see with their eyes that the Wall is white yet nevertheless they would believe their Church so believing and judging that it is black because being forced by necessity they find that they must so speak Whereupon although they find by all their Senses that is see smell taste feel hear that the bread in the Eucharist is nothing but bread yet notwithstanding they ought to be willing to believe that it is not bread but only the accident of Bread which cannot be tasted touch'd or smelt Not considering that themselves do by this means give very many cause to doubt of every thing and so to call in question the chief Foundation of the whole Christian Religion that is the Truth of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead which is built on this Foundation that the Apostles and Disciples of Jesus Christ and amongst these Thomas otherwise not over-credulous perceived Jesus Christ with all their senses saw handled heard and veiwed him near to them judging that that very thing ought to be an irrefragable Argument to themselves and to the whole world for to believe that Christ rose from the dead not in shew and appearance but really in his proper body And they indeed call this very thing mens believing those things which they do not see who yet do quite contrary here whilest they do not believe that very thing which they see touch smell hear and taste He that seeth not that this is a great Efficacy of errour he seeth nothing at all and if Thomas had followed this Rule he might by the same Parity of Right have believed that it was not Christ himself whom he beheld before him into whose side he thrust his Hand and his Finger into the Prints of the Nails CHAP. III Of some Papists that cleave so stifly to their own Opinion that they will not give place to any Reason THere are others who seem not on set purpose to be willing or to dare roundly and openly to profess that they will not be taught better yea who protest to the contrary deeming that too gross and rustick a Saying and yet nevertheless they do not obscurely declare when they see their Forces reduced to Straits that they neither can nor ought to yield to a better Opinion much less receive any Information from those whom their Church counts Hereticks and although they perceive themselves in such sort wrapped in that they can give no reason of their Belief or Opinion neither from the Sacred Scriptures nor Councils nor Fathers and that their own Reasons are so solidly and strongly refuted that they may as it were feel with their hands that their Exceptions to the contrary are of no Weight or Force at all yet they defend or maintain their own so obstinately that they will rather perswade themselves that those Arguments though they seem solid and altogether Achillean are more brittle than Glass and do onely deceive under a shew of Reason which others more skilful than themselves would easily and with no trouble solve or answer and so being blinded with a prejudicate Opinion and also led with a Love and Reverence of their Mother the Church they count them meer Sophisms by this means indeed confessing on the one hand their own weakness and on the other hand shewing their singular Constancy or Obstinacy in the Faith of their Church contrary Arguments notwithstanding which press their minds and force them to doubt of their fore-going Belief yea to believe to the contrary We may easily observe that these two Sorts of Men do not seek the Truth with a pious and honest Mind but that they onely hunt after vain Glory and the Praise of Victory gotten by any means whatsoever deeming they have alwayes sufficient Causes of glorying whilest they dare affirm they are not satisfied That the case so stands daily Experience sheweth Nor is it to be wondred at The first and chiefest Article of the Papists is this That their Church cannot err consequently that of all other Churches that differ from their Church we are to conclude that they err and that as long as they persist in their Errour are liable to eternal destruction damnation With whom this foundation doth not remain wholly fixt and unshaken he cannot be a true Papist but if any hold it tooth and nail he openly professeth that he is not willing to be taught better although he shall be convinced of his Errour or if he make shew of some desire to learn yet doth he with his whole Strength and Might maintain his Opinion although the Truth be proposed to him as clearly and resplendently as the Sun-beams are wont to be when the weather is fair and clear This Foundation being laid it necessarily follows that to dispute with a true Papist is fruitless and endless and that it cannot be hoped that such an one should be taken off from his resolution or by Arguments be reduced into the right Way Furthermore a true Papist as he renders himself unmeet to embrace the Truth and to acknowledge his own Errour so doth he unadvisedly cast himself into a Labyrinth or Maze of inextricable absurdities out of which he is utterly unable to extricate or free himself as it frequently useth to befal them who receive not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved as Paul shews 2 Thes 2.10 And this appears more clear than the Noon-dayes Light when any Dispute is undertaken with them even concerning any Point whatsoever of the Christian Religion nor is it necessary in many words to prove it CHAP. IIII. That the Papists cannot show which is that true Church which cannot err THis chief and fundamental Point which they have alwayes in their mouth and on which they chiefly build That the Church of Rome cannot err is a Labyrinth out

that he was never after to be so much as counted for a Pope as appears by the 11. and 12. Session CHAP. V. That none can lawfully decide this Question LO in what an intricate and inextricable Labyrinth the Papist sticks as to the first and chief Foundation of his Religion to wit that even to this day he cannot tell what that Church is that cannot err or which is that Head of the Church that is not subject to errour but he must contradict many and divers Catholick Churches and Doctors Nor can the Mind of Man devise any means whereby to bring Him out of this Maze of Errors into the way For who shall determine and decide this without Errour For either the Pope or a Council shall determine this Question disjunctly or conjunctly that is apart or together Disjunctly it is impossible because neither of them can remove the Controversie For as long as it doth not appear or it is not agreed whether is the true Church which cannot err neither can decide this Question by a Peremptory and infallible Judgment And if either should assume this right to himself it would justly be suspected by the other Party And he would in very deed make himself a Judge in his own Cause For if either deliver his Right unto other he will not only commit an unworthy Deed For to deliver the Right of supream Authority in the Church is a wicked and unlawful Act To whom that Right appertaineth he must of necessity maintain the same but he will also thwart or go against all the Decrees of other Councils wherein either a Council is defined to be above the Pope or the Pope above a Council And supposing this were done yet will it follow from thence that the Church of Rome hath for so great a space of Time either erred in so fundamental a Point or stuck in Uncertainty and Doubt not knowing what to determine concerning this Question It is a Deep without Bottom into which hitherto the Church of Rome hath been plung'd together with all those who think her the only Church wherein alone Salvation may and ought to be had Let any one shew himself that can free himself from thence with shew of Truth and solid Reasons CHAP. VI. That a Papist cannot demonstrate from the Sacred Scripture that the Head of his Church cannot err BUt suppose we indeed that a Papist could tell the Head of his Church which yet as hath been prov'd already he cannot by what Argument I pray will he assure both himself and others that this Head cannot err What way soever he takes to demonstrate this he will see that he falls into another far more intricate Labyrinth For that he may be certain That this Head cannot err it is necessary that either he will believe it simply and without Reason or that he labour to prove it from the Sacred Scripture or from the Fathers or by Reasons If he will believe and perswade himself thereof simply and have others believe the same all Dispute will be forthwith superfluous and void and if another on the contrary will not believe the same they will then be both alike and both continue to stick in the Labyrinth of their own carnal Will However it be his Faith is not a Faith that cannot err and consequently he cannot with Certainty rely thereon If he endeavour to prove it from Scripture he entangles himself much more For first it cannot be known according to his Opinion that the Scripture is the Word of God except the true Church first certifie us thereof If this be true as he believeth it is and according to the Rules of his Church he is bound to believe he cannot take Arguments from the Scripture whereby to maintain that the true Church cannot err Or whereby to prove that his Church is the true Church that knows not how to err Secondly suppose that it be even granted to him to fetch his Reasons from the Scripture he will then find himself much more entangled For presently the Question will be concerning the true meaning of the Scripture And the Question that is raised to wit whether it be contained in the Scripture that the Church cannot err who shall by an infallible Judgement decide it Shall his Church This is no wayes possible because the Question is concerning the meaning of the Scripture to wit whether the Scripture gives to the Church this right or Priviledge of judging authoritatively and infallibly But Thirdly granting also that the Scripture doth give this Power to the true Church which it doth not yet the Question will remain which is that Church which is the true Church and to whom this Priviledge in Scripture is given And in the Power of what Church shall the Power of deciding infallibly this Question be In the Power of the Roman But the Question is moved no less concerning it then others besides it cannot pass Judgment in its own concern more than another Church concerning its If he go about to prove it by Reasons he will rove without the bounds because those Reasons are not Scriptural and we here treat or plead about the Scripture But supposing that Reasons be opposed against Reaons There will now straightway result from thence a new Question Which Reasons are strongest and infallible whereby we may be certain That the Reason taken from Succession doth not belong to this Place we shall demonstrate hereafter That a Papist should emerge from hence is impossible CHAP. VII That He cannot demonstrate this very thing from the Fathers IF he will prove this from the Fathers their Writings he falls into the same and indeed into a more intricate Labyrinth Into the same I say For immediately the Question will be whence doth it appear certainly that this Right or Power doth belong to the Writings of the Fathers that the decision of this and other Controversies in the business of Religion ought to be fetcht from them I say also into a more intricate For first it will be demanded what Fathers and what Writings do they mean If they say these or those it will secondly be asked Why those rather than other and why not all For whoso puts this Difference between the Writings of the Fathers he does by that very Deed of his make the decision And to whom shall it belong to make this Decision Furthermore suppose that there be no Controversie raised concerning some yet thirdly the Question will remain still Whether those writings which be attributed to the Fathers be their Writings whose Names they bear or whether they might not in Tract of Time through negligence through Deceit and Fraud be corrupted and depraved or whether they might not be patcht up with the supposititious Changling or forged Books of other Writers as we see indeed done at this Day by the Writings of Tertullian Justin Hierome Augustine Chrysostome c Who shall judge between the genuine or true and the supposititious or adulterate and false For that

foolishly to believe by a Proctour to whom they perswade themselves the Matter is best known although he sometimes be void of all knowledge of matters or else foolishly and without Judgment to catch at all words and syllables which they deem do any way serve their Purpose and Design How tedious a thing it is to enter upon the Stage of Disputation with such every one easily perceives For who seeth not how hard and great a Labour it is to dispatch or put an End to those Questions which are to be demonstrated from the Memory of Ages and so great variety of Books and Histories and being demonstrated so that all way to any further Exception be shut up do produce no Fruit in the Minds of the contrary Party Wherefore those who trouble the People with suc● Things what do they else but involve them in an inextricable Labyrinth whereby the unskilful Multitude either despaireth of an happy Event or End or if they have any Hope they nevertheless cease not to stick fast in the same Mire of uncertainty to wit being dull'd and stupified with the overmuch labour of search This indeed is the readiest Way whereby any one may lord it over the Consciences of simple Men and having entangled them in a Gordian Knot perswade them any Thing But let us propose both these a little more clearly The first I prove thus None will be able to deny that for the asserting the Antiquity not only of the Church but also of a continued and uninterrupted Succession of Bishops in the Church there is necessarily required first a certain undoubted and accurate Knowledge of Authors both Greek and Latin and of all Histories that have been written of this thing And Secondly that to this knowledge there ought to be added a good and quick-sighted Judgment whereby exactly to discern their true and genuine Books from those that are supposititious and adulterate true Histories from those that are foisted in and interlaced those that were composed with Partiality out of Affection and fore-stall'd Opinion from those they composed void of Partiality and Prejudice to reconcile Repugnancies and faithfully to supply Defects How much Pains Trouble and Time it requires every one sees even amongst the most learned for the whole Space of a thousand and six hundred Years there hath been none hitherto who hath been able to perform it The first of them cannot indeed be so much as sought for much less found Shall then the unlearned and unskilful common People who are counted unable to turn over one Book of the Scripture be sufficient to undergo so great a Work as accurately to enquire into all Histories wherewith even whole Barns may be filled and Ships laden The Laicks or lay-People in the the Papacie who laying aside the holy Scripture alwayes talk of Antiquity and Succession bewray a mind stupid and foolish enough because they know nothing more yea happily much less of true Antiquity and Succession than they do of the Scripture indeed being alike ignorant of both It is true indeed that there may easily be drawn up a Catalogue and Index of Bishops where in their Course and Order wherein they succeeded each other they may be set down But that is nothing to the Purpose For the same do the Grecian the Ethiopick Churches and others The Constantinopolitan doth it sayes Bellarmine from the Times of Constantine Caesar in an uninterrupted Series as also Nicephorus who continues the Names of the Bishops even from the very Times of Andrew the Apostle And yet Bellarmine denies and all the Papists with him that the Grecians can of Right claim to themselves a Succession The Succession therefore of Persons is not enough but it is required withal that it be lawful and such as that among the Bishops who have succeeded one another there have been no Heretick Atheist or Apostate among them First it is requisite that it be lawful for as the Papal Decree hath it Dist 79. If any by Money or mens Favour or Popular or Military Tumult without the unaminous and Canonical Election both of the Cardinals and of the following Clergie shall be inthron'd in the Apostolick Seat let him not be accounted Apostolical but Apostatical Secondly it is required that among the Bishops that succeed each other there have been no Heretick among them For for this cause as Cardinal Bellarmine and other Pontificial Doctors affirm the Succession of the Constantinopolitan Bishops is not to be counted lawful because there have been Hereticks amongst them Lib. 4. of the Marks of the Church Cap. 8. He therefore that will judge aright of the Succession of the Bishops of Rome he must of Necessity be most certainly assured of both these even according to the Canons of the Papists themselves But how is this possible Who can undoubtedly know whether all their Bishops have obtained the Episcopacy lawfully Whether some have not obtained the Dignity of Succession by Simony that is by Mony and Gifts as Simon Magus desired to do or by Force Arts and Wiles by Factions and unlawful Suits and Bribings for the same Again if any desirous to read their Histories do find of a certain that even those Writers themselves who have been most devoted to the Pontificians do openly and roundly confess that not only one or two but that many and diverse Bishops of Rome have climbed to the Pontifical Dignity who having been condemned of manifest Heresie have been counted impious Villains Atheists Schismaticks Ruffians and Bands who by Gifts and Bribes by Force and Factions without any precedent Choice or consequent Approbation of the Clergie by dishonest and foul Devices and Guil●●●ve intruded themselves or by Harlots and their Whores have come to the Succession Who I pray can extricate himself out of this Maze of Doubts If you say the best and faithfullest Historians are to be credited in this Case you fall into a new Labyrinth For I demand who are they and by what are they to be distinguished Why shall he derogate from the Credit of the Pontifician Writers For they cannot be termed Hereticks or mortal Enemies to the Church of Rome because themselves were sworn Vassals thereunto and some of them the greatest Flatterers and fawners upon the Popes and the pontificial Dignity He is therefore forc'd to believe that these Writers were impell'd and constrained by the Truth of the thing it self to write these things And suppose that they were not Pontifician Writers What Reason shall perswade that Credit is to be denyed to them as not faithful Writers rather then unto others who were Favourers of the Pope and his Dignity Friendship is no less able to with-hold a Writer from writing the Truth than Enmity or Hatred is He that will deliver Truth to Posterity must write without all Affectation And by what solid Reason and which will convince the Judgment shall we perswade our selves that there hath been any such Writer especially if we live not in the same age and at the

there is required a skill in Tongues continual or diligent reading an acute Judgment and an accurate Examination of the Words and Phrasiologie or manner of expression of the Fathers But supposing also that there is no Controversie touching these Things Then Fourthly the Question will be whether all those Things which the Father 's believed and wrote are to be believed and received as true If you deny it I will query in the Fifth Place why one more than another If you say because they are all agreed in that or the one then these Questions will forthwith arise First wherefore should all those Things wherein they are agreed amongst themselves be accounted or held by the Church of Rome for undoubted and certain The Second is what are those things concerning which they are agreed and which are to be embraced To know this you must attentively turn over the Writings of all the Fathers Greek and Latine from Head to Foot for the which some Years space is requisite And Thirdly if any Doubt happen either touching the Sense of their Writings as there is doubt made of the Scripture or of their Phrases and forms of Expression which they at that Time used and now are both used and understood far otherwise what end will there be But passing this seeing the Fathers agree among themselves in this that they would have neither their own nor any Writings of Men except the Books that are Canonical to be lookt upon as free from Error yea seeing they roundly confess that they may err and by Consequence would not that their Writings should be believed not to be lyable to Error but do expresly will that they be tryed by the Word of God desiring that they should be rejected if they agree not therewith What shall be done then What Certainty can there be had from their Writings against Errors Certainly none at all Yea rather if we make Use of them for this end that we may from thence be assured in our belief we use them contrary to the Intention of the Fathers and so against their plain and express Protestation and Prohibition wherein the Fathers are all agreed CHAP. VIII That the same cannot be proved by Reasons IF he at length have a mind to confirm his Thesis by Reasons he falls out of one Labyrinth into another For first what Reasons will sway with him whereon to rely when as in the main Article of his Belief he doth not only not heed Rea●ons but doth not believe so much as his outward Senses Can there be given any more solid Argument for the convincing of any one than that which is drawn from that which we see with our own Eyes which we perceive with our Senses being sound and lastly which we feel and taste These things notwithstanding the true Papist makes small Account of Seeing that neither by Reasons nor by his own Senses he suffers himself to be induced to believe that the Eucharistical Bread in the Lord's Supper is essentially and substantially Bread Yea when he will undoubtedly believe that one and the same Body is in many places together and they far distant each from other remaining individed notwithstanding that it be distant and separate from it self one hundred yea a thousand and if it were possible a thousand thousand Miles that one and the same Body at the same Time should be able to move in this Place and elsewhere not to move That one and the same Body should meet it self and move with contrary Motions at the same moment of Time that is together at once from East to West and from West to East Upward and Downward Foreward and Backward That one and the same Body here should be as hot as Fire and at Rome as cold as Ice That it should be alive here and dead at Venice He that will believe these Things which are diametrically contrary to the Nature of Man and right Reason by what Reason shall he either dare or be able to perswade himself or others of any thing Those who shame not to question so clear a Truth and obstinately to believe the cont●●ry and as I may so say wilfully to draw a Film over their Eyes that they may not see with such I say Reasons are like Counters which stand for so much as they desire they should stand for that use them in Accounts But be it that they make Use of Reasons What Reasons I pray you will they here produce Will they take them from the Scripture But then the same Difficulties will remain as we have already recounted Or shall their Reasons not be taken from Scripture But those by other Reasons may most easily and not without just cause be called into Doubt For if the Church cannot err this must necessarily proceed from the Divine Will and Decree For if God will not have the Church to be beyond or out of all Danger of Errour what Reason will there be given undenyably proving that the Church cannot err Now the will and Decree of God cannot be understood without the Scripture much less can it be drawn from mens Wit and Reasoning From whence it followeth that it is altogether most absurd by Reasons which may be doubted of to prove any thing which ought now long before without all Doubt and Controversie to be believed to depend upon the meer free Will and Decree of God By these Things it is manifest in how intricate and inexplicable a Circle the Papists wander in ●espect of the fundamental Article of their Faith when they will believe nothing but what their Church believeth yet cannot certainly shew what their Church properly is or who is the Head of their Church and although they could shew that as they cannot yet were it impossible for them to prove that the Church much less that their Church cannot err And thus far of the first sort of Papists with whom we have said that Dispute is alwayes held in vain CHAP. IX That the Controversie of Succession is useless and endless THe second sort of them is those who greatly desire always to dispute of those Questions which though they be weighed by the exact ballance of Truth yet do they not assure the Consciences of Men nor convince them of the Truth that is chiefly necessary to be believed These are they who have the Antiquity and Succession both of their Doctrine and Church always in their Mouth concluding for certain that they have born away the Palm and gotten the Victory if they may glory thereof This they sound forth as the Burden of the Catholicks Song And which is worthy of the Highest Admiration the chief Cryers and Boasters hereof are even those who haply not so much as ever throughly viewed the Books and Histories of those Men from whence this Antiquity and continued Succession is to be drawn and maintained or if they have viewed them thorow are yet nevertheless no wayes fit to turn them over without Affection and Prejudice to wit being wont either

same time with him He that considers these Things without Prejudice ought to be induced to believe that those who endeavour to defend or shelter themselves under Antiquity and Succession do involve themselves in a Labyrinth in which one may easily be intangled but hardly nay nor indeed hardly be disintangled or loosed CHAP. X. That Truth is to be preferred before all Antiquity and Succession whatsoever BUt granting that any one could prove this Antiquity and Succession What will be evinced from thence as to the chief Point of the Matter Nothing at all For Antiquity and Succession of Persons being proved yet the Question concerning Truth will still remain If Antiquity and Succession be not joyned with Truth what I pray do they make for the proving of this Business Antiquity is not the Cause of Truth much less Succession And if Antiquity and Succession ought necessarily to be joyned with Truth then the Truth is first and chiefly to be known which whilest it is unknown so long a man hangs in Suspence Even as if a man should find Money which he certainly knows was coined many Ages before yet remains in doubt whether that Money be made of good Metal or no. Antiquity doth wholly differ from Goodness Nor doth a naughty Person cease to be naught because he is old Not every ancient Custom is good And this is the Cause Why the Fathers discoursing of true Antiquity and Succession would have us chiefly to Mind that Succession which is in Conjuction with the genuine Doctrine and Truth Especially when we have to do with those that reject the Scripture either in Part or in whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Gregory Nazianzen i. e. For the one is a being of the same Mind or Judgment and to sit on the same Throne The other is to be of a contrary Opinion or Judgment and to sit on a contrary Throne The one hath the Name the other the Truth of Succession And Ambrose saith Qui Petri Fidem-non habet is nihil à Petro haereditario Jure obtinet ac frustra gloriatur de Petri Successione That is He that hath not Peter's Faith he inheriteth nothing from Peter and boasteth in vain of his Succeeding of Peter This thing is so clear that even the most learned Jesuit Cardinal Bellarmine proveth the same acknowledging both these 1. That the Argument concerning Succession is not brought by his Party to prove that that Church wherein is the right of Succession is therefore to be accounted the true Church but onely to prove that that is not the Church where there is not Succession And 2. That Antiquity and continued Succession doth nothing at all avail the Grecian or at least the Constantinopolitan nay nor all your Patriarchal Churches to prove that they are a true Church because there have been sometimes amongst them Bishops that have been heretical whose Thread therefore of Succession hath been broken and cut off From hence it most clearly follows that though Succession be already proved yet the main Question concerning Truth doth remain still For if when Succession is proved it cannot infallibly be gathered and concluded that that Church is the true Church in whose Hands the Succession is And if farther it ought to appear for certain that no Heresies or heretical Bishops have broken off the Succession Reason it self dictates that Succession is proved in vain or at least to no great Profit unless we be thorowly informed concerning the Truth For whilest the Truth is unknown it is impossible to know whether any thing favour of Heresie or no. But who shall shew us the Truth Or who shall most fully assure us thereof Shall the true Church But where and which is it It cannot be For when Succession of Persons is proved it is not yet certain and undoubted that that Church wherein is Succession hath Truth on its side or hath been alwayes free from Heresie and by Consequence hath belonging to it the Right and Power to point out the true Church What Church therefore shall it be that shall infallibly shew us and say that this is true that that on the contrary is Heretical For the Church that wants Succession according to the Jesuits cannot do it nor the Church in which is Succession as is manifest from the precedent Grounds What then What End is there It is impossible for a Papist to untye this Knot To which I add this over and above Suppose that no heretical Bishops have interven'd or stept in among those that have succeeded but such who as we have said have by Force Faction and popular Tumult by Gifts and Bribes thrust themselves into the Apostolical Seat where I pray will be the Succession Must we indeed believe that holy and saving Truth may better consist with these nefarious Wickednesses than with Heresie and Errour Nay rather if farther it be found in Histories that at one Time and that indeed for fifty or eighty Years together there have been two or three Popes the one of which expunged the other out of the Catalogue of Christians call'd him in Reproach Heretick and Antichrist pronounced him an unlawful Pope cut off two of his Predecessors fingers drew up out of the Earth Bodies already buried and having shamefully abused their Ashes cast them into the Tyber all which three Popes sometimes together have been condemned and degraded and taken out of the Number of Christians by an universal Council as false and unlawful Popes as Hereticks and ungodly Villains by whom notwithstanding there were many Bishops and Clergie men ordained what End or Bounds of Succession will the Thread of Connection find For if it be said for Examples sake That that Pope which in the Times of the Council of Constance was by common Votes substituted in the room of those three Popes which were deposed by the said Council is to be accounted for the true Pope who succeeded in the Room of the last that deceased lawfull Pope the Apostolical Sea being in the Interim vacant and usurped by Force he will fall into a new Labyrinth for that many of the Popish Doctors and Bellarmine by Name and all the Jesuits do determine and urge that this Council is so far to be judged for not lawful in that it decreed that the Council was above the Pope because it was not approved of either by the Pope that is that most impious Knave and Villain John the twentie fourth or twentie third who had called that Council and was by the Sentence of the same degraded or by the Pope whom this Council constituted in his stead For if this Council in that Respect be not to be counted for lawful how then shall a lawful Succession be proved Had then this Council been in this Respect lawful if that Knave and Varlot had approved of the same This is shameful to be spoken and more shameful to affirm that therefore this Council was not lawful because it was nor approved of by him Or had it then been