The History of the Holy War, Book 4 · Chapter 5
Chap. 5. Wherein the Greeks dissent from the Latines; What must charitably be conceived of them.
BEsides their rejecting of the Popes both Ecclesiasticall and Temporall tyranny, the Greeks differ from the Latines in other matters of moment: For they maintain the procession of the holy Spirit from the Father alone. As for their other tenents, they stand in some middle terms of opinion betwixt Papists and Protestants; yet so, that they approch nearer the Papists in more, to us in more weighty and dominative points. With Rome they concurre in Transubstantiation,Sr Edw. Sand. Relig. of the West, pag. 233, & 234. in the whole sacrifice of the Masse, in praying to Saints and for the dead, in Auricular Confession, in worshipping of Pictures (onelyonly of Christ and our Lady) but all Images they detest; a kind of Purgatory they hold, but not in hell or the skirts thereof, nor by any outward torment. With us they consent in the Sufficiency of the Scriptures to salvation, in denying the Infallibility of the Church (much more of the Pope) the overplus of Merits, Service ununderstood, Indulgences, Liberaties out of Purgatorie, and the like.
Hereupon the Romanists condemn them all for hereticks and castawayes, killing more then a third of all Christians (as Cain did a quarter of mankind with a blow) with this their uncharitable censure. But heaven-gate was not so easily shut against multitudes when S. Peter himself wore the keyes at his girdle. And let us not with rash judging thrust all into the pit of hell whom we see walking neare the brink thereof. We shall think better of them if we consider, That
First, their tenets wherein they dissent from the Romanists are sound enough, save that of the holy Ghost. Concerning which it is an usefull quaere, Whether, granting the first authours and ringleaders of that errour in a bad condition, there be not some favour to be allowed to those who in simplicity succeed to hereditary errours received from their ancestours, if they do not wilfully barre nor bolt their eyes against the beams of the truth, but be willing (as we charitably conceive of the Greeks) to receive and embrace better instruction.
Secondly, the Master of the Sentences (waited on herein with other *B…navent. 1. Sent. dist. 11. art. 1. quaest. 1. Scotus, 1. Sent dist. 1. quaest. 1. Th. Aquin. part. 1. quaest. 36. art. 2.learned men) is of opinion, That in the sense of the Greek Church, A Filio and Per Filium is no reall difference, but a question in modo loquendi. Sure it would have grated the foundation, if they had so denied the procession of the holy Ghost from the Sonne as thereby to make an inequality betwixt the two Persons: But since their form of speech is, That the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father by the Sonne, and is the Spirit of the Sonne, without making any difference in the consubstantiality of the Persons, their doctrine may passe with a favourable interpretation.
Thirdly, our quickest sight in the matters of the Trinity is but one degree above blindnesse. Wherefore, as concerning it, let our piety lodge there where in other disputes the deceit of sophisters used to nestle it self, namely, in universalibus, in large and generall expressions, and not descend to curious particulars. To search into the manner of the Spirits procession, is neither manners nor religion, and rather falleth under an awfull adoration and belief then an exact and curious enquirie.
Lastly, this their tenet doth not infect any other point in Divinity with its poysonous inferences. Some errours are worse in their train then in themselves, which (as the Dragon in the Revelation drew down a third part of the starres with his tail) by their bad consequences pervert other points of religion: But this Grecian opinion (as learned men propound it) concerning the holy Ghost, hath this happinesse, that it is barren, and begetteth no other bad tenets from it, being entire in it self.
More may be alledged for the lessening of this errour: But grant it in its full extent, yet surely the moderate judgement of that learned *In his third book Of the Church, chap. 5.Divine whose memory smelleth like a Field the Lord hath blessed, will abide triall; who in effect thus concludeth, Their schismes are sinfull, wicked, and inexcusable; their doctrine dangerous, but not so damnable as excluding from all possibilitie of salvation.
As for the observation of a *Estiu…, dist. 11. §. 2.Schoolman, That afterwards the Turks wonne Constantinople on Whitsunday, the day dedicated to the memoriall of the holy Spirit, as if God herein pointed at the sinne of the Grecians in dishonouring the holy Ghost; we leave it to the readers discretion, desiring rather to be scepticall then definitive in the causes of Gods judgements.