Reims Against Rome, Propositions · Proposition 14
XIV. Propoſition. That the Biſhop of Rome cannot erre:
Confuted by their owne Bible.
IT giueth vsus to know, that Peter (whom forſooth they doe make the firſt Pope of Rome) did erre; firſt, in miſtaking Chriſts Kingdome, as terrene and earthly, Act. 1. 6. Secondly, concerning the perſon of Eliah, that he ſhould come before the Meſſiah, miſ-vnderſtanding Malachi. Mat. 17. 10. Thirdly, touching the reſurrection of Chriſt, Luke 18. 34. Iohn 20. 9. Fourthly, in hauing conſcience of the difference of meates, after Chriſts Aſcenſion, Acts 10. 14. Fifthly, in not vnderſtanding his full Commiſſion to goe to the Gentiles, Act. 10. 20. Sixthly, in not walking rightly to the veritie of the Goſpell, Gal. 2. 14. If then this firſt Pope (as they make him) did ſo erre, then the after-Popes may, except they can ſhew ſome priuiledge before him.
Contraried by Antiquitie.
For it is manifeſt by Hiſtory, that the Popes iudgement was not held to be infallible but that he might erre.
1. For we may find ſuch to hauehave been made Popes, as may eaſily perſwade any wiſe man that they might erre. Some hauehaveAlphonſus de Caſtro, haereſ. li. 4. ca. 4. Platina in Iul. 1. * See Maſter Alex. Cooke his booke of this, which no Papiſt hath vndertaken to anſwere. See ſuch Authors as hauehave ſet out the Popes liues. Platina and other. bin vnlettered Idiots, no Grammarians, that could hardly write their names in Latine; ſome, Lay-men, as Conſtantius the ſecond, and Bennet the eighth; and once a woman, Pope * Ioane: and very boyes for age; Bennet the ninth, a child of ten yeeres old; Iohn the twelfth, a baſtard, a mad Lad, about eighteene yeeres old. Could not theſe yonkerrene, thinke you?
2. Some hauehave been moſt abominable perſons, Atheiſts, blaſphemers, poyſoners, ſorcerers, and ſuch like. Is it like that Gods holy Spirit would reſide in ſuch filthy monſters to keepe them, forſooth, from erring?
3. Some of them fell fearefully. Marcellinus worſhipped Heathen Idols: Zepherinus was a Montaniſt: Liberius and Felix, Arians; Anaſtaſius the ſecond, an Acatian; Ʋigilius, an Eutychian; and Honorius, a Monothelite. And cannot yet Popes erre?
4. Some Popes hauehave abrogated the Decrees one of another:Benno. Platina. Supplementum Chronic. Gregorie the firſt aboliſhed the Decrees of Pelagius: ſo Sabinian and Innocent thoſe of Gregorie: Steuen aboliſhed thoſe of Formoſus: ſo Romanus thoſe of Steuen, and ſo forth. And cannot yet Popes erre?
5. Some hauehave decreed flat againſt Scripture. Celeſtine ordainedAlphonſ. li. 1. ca. 4. de haereſ. Trent. Conc. ſect. 8. can. 3. ſub Pio 4. Marriage to be void, when either party fell into hereſie. Pius Quartus decreed, that it ſhould be lawfull for him to allow degrees of Marriage forbidden in Leuiticus, and to forbid what God allowed. And cannot Popes erre?
6. Eaſterne Biſhops and ancient Fathers hauehave very ſharpelyEuſeb. li. 5. c. 26. reproued the Biſhop of Rome; as namely, Polycrates the Biſhop of Epheſus; and as Ireneus the Biſh. of Lions did Victor, for his raſh proceeding againſt the Eaſterne Church. And yet doe not Popes erre?
7. Ancient Councels hauehave withſtood him; as that of Chalcedon,Acts 16. wherein were 630. Biſhops, withſtanding Leo in the queſtion of ſupremacy. The ſixth Councell of Carthage, of 217.Can. 105. Biſhops, reſiſted three Popes one after another, in that they would do contrary to the Councell of Nice. Theſe iudged that Popes might erre, elſe would they hauehave yeelded to the Popes.
Gaineſaid by Papiſts themſelues.
1. Pope Andrian the ſixth, de ſacr. confir. ar. 3. ad. 2. pag. 55. ſaith, It is certaine that the Pope may erre. So iudged Innocentius Arbor. Theoſoph. li. 4. ca. 32. De poteſtat. Eccleſiae conſid. 10. 11. De ſignis Eccleſiae li. 18. ca. 6.the fourth. So alſo hauehave learned men formerly held; as Gerſon (of which opinion are the Sorboniſts,) who hold, that the Pope might erre.
Boſius dares to write, that the Pope may be an heretike, writing, teaching, and preaching hereſies.
Stapleton confeſſeth it to be no matter of Faith, but of opinionControuerſ. 3. qu. 4. onelyonly, becauſe ſo many famous and renowned Diuines hauehave euer held the contrary; as Gerſon, Almaine, Occam, almoſt all the Pariſians, Durandus; whereto may bee added Waldenſis, Turrecremata, and Eraſmus; yea, Alphonſus de Caſtro holdethDe haereſ. li. 1. cap. 4. De certitud. Grae. aſſert. 13. them impudent flatterers, which ſay otherwiſe. And Catharinus giueth this reaſon, becauſe the holy Ghoſt doth not alway, and in eueryevery worke aſſiſt him.
They which flatter the Pope, hold, that he may erre; Firſt, as a man. Secondly, as a priuate Doctor; ſo Gregory de Ʋalentia; Analyſ. li. 8. on Gal. 2. ca. 7. diuiſ. 5. pa. 355.and this, ſaith Salmeron, is a common opinion. Thirdly, as a Biſhop; ſo Hart yeelds it in his conference with Doctor Raynolds. Fourthly, as Pope in a matter of fact, ſo acknowledgeth Bellarmine. Li. 4. de P. Rom. cap. 12.Fifthly, as Pope, in diſcourſing about matters of Faith, his reaſons may not bee apt nor neceſſary, and it is not worth the labour to rippe them vp to the quicke, or to reſt in them. Thus writes Canus and Stapleton, In arguing he may bee deceiuedLoc. Theol. l. 6. cap. 8. princ. doct. l. 8. ca. 14. & 15. and erre. OnelyOnly they hold, that hee cannot erre in the concluſion. How likely is this? What wiſe man will beleeue it?
2. Martin the fifth conſented with the Councell of Baſil and Conſtance, that the Pope might erre. But Eugenius the fourth, with the Councell of Ferrara and Florence, held the contrary. The one ſide muſt needes erre.
3. The Papiſts doe not reſt, in ſhewing full obedience to the Popes decrees, which argueth, that they beleeue not all things to be infallible truths which they decree. As for example.
The Pope, in the Councell of Trent, decreed the Apocrypha bookes to be canonicall: and yet ſince then, Driedo, Sigonius De Script. & Dogm. Eccle. li. 1 …. lt Comment in Seu… Bibl… 4. 44. De a … li. …. ca. 7. Loc li. 11. ca. 5. pag. 3…1. Digreſ 26. ſect. 7. pa. 169.and Sixtus Senenſis hauehave queſtioned and re…ected them. He alſo there decreed, that the Latin vulgar tranſlation ſhould bee authenticall, and in all publike readings, diſputations, preachings and expoſitions ſo vſed, and none vnderunder what pretence ſoeuer, to reiect it. Yet Galatinus and Canus are bold to taxe it of corruption.
If any deſire more particulars of the Popes decrees in Councels, and yet how Papiſts doe vary from the ſame, reade Doctor Whites Way.
By this their dealing, it is very cleare, that they hold no ſuch infallibility in Popes, no, not decreeing things in general Councels.
4. Councels of the Popiſh Church, hauehave condemned and depoſed ſome: As Ioh. 22. who made a mocke at the Goſpell, and at the immortalitie of the ſoule, and was condemned by the Councell of Conſtance, which calleth him an incarnate diuell.
So Eugenius the fourth, condemned by the Councell of Baſil, as an heretike, an infidell, a limbe of the diuell, and as a capitall enemie to the truth.
The Councell of Piſa, conſiſting of 1000. Diuines and Lawyers, depoſed two Popes, Gregorie the twelfth, and Bennet theTheod. Niem. de ſchiſ. li. 3. ca. 44. pa. 91. thirteenth, for ſchiſmatickes and heretikes.
Laſtly, the complaints vttered by Papiſts, doe ſhew how Popes may erre.
Franciſ. Victoria ſpeaking of immoderate diſpenſations, ſaith,De poteſtat. pap. & Concil. that a Councell ſhould doe well to bridle him.
Saint Briget ſpeakes thus of the Popes, They are tormentorsIn her Reuel. of ſoules, and doe teare in pieces the flocke of Chriſt, &c.
The Councell at Rhemes, vnderunder Hugh Capet, hauing complained of the times and Popes differing from their predeceſſors, ſaith thus, And muſt ſo many ſeruants of God throughout the World be ſubiect vntounto him? So wicked they were, as Platina, after a long deploring of the Tyranny, impietie and hypocriſie, which then reigned in Popes, brake out into theſe ſpeeches, There can hardly be mercy enough in God for the Popes. and Petrach durſt to ſay, that the greateſt harme that one can wiſh to a man, is, to be Pope. All theſe things conſidered, we may beleeue without doubting, that the Pope may erre.
So then, the Papiſts virtuall Church may erre.
The Scriptures obiected anſwered.
Ioh. 11. 49, 51. Caiphas ſpake this not of himſelfe, but being high Prieſt that yeere, he propheſied, that Ieſus ſhould die for the Nation.
Anſw. Caiaphas was a wicked man many wayes, and in part an vſurper, as the Rhemiſts confeſſe: a very fit patterne & Patron for the Pope. But to anſwer to the place obiected, for the Popes not erring: Firſt, this was but once by ſpeciall direction, and therefore cannot hence be concluded any perpetuall aſſurance of direction. Its cleare by that which followed: for this man in another Councell, Mat. 26. 57, 59. heard and accepted of falſe witneſſes, condemned Chriſt for a blaſphemer, verſ. 60. 62, 65. and in another Aſſembly tooke counſell to put him to death, Mat. 27. 1. Secondly, this ſpeaketh of propheſie, an extraordinarie gift to this man then. Thirdly, though the man here was a lewd wicked vſurper; yet was his office of Gods own appointment. What is this to the Popes Antichriſtian ſupremacie, an office of the diuell, and not of Gods ordinance? Fourthly, If this place afford aſſurance of an vnerring ſpirit to the Pope, it muſt be either in reſpect of the mans perſon, or office, or chaire he ſate in. But none of theſe. Firſt, not of his perſon, who was a wicked vſurper, and Chriſts enemie. And will the Pope plead his perſon? Secondly, not of his office, for that is changed, as the Apoſtle in Hebrewes doth witneſſe. Thirdly, not of the chaire; for the ſeate had no ſuch vertue in it to keepe him ſafe from error, as before is noted in Mat 26. 57, 59, 61, 62, 65. and 27. 1. for the chaire either had then loſt his vertue, and then can it not keepe from error: or it was not the chaires vertue which made Caiaphas to propheſie; and then is it idle to boaſt of the chaire: or elſe paraduenture the vertue was in it, but not alwayes operatiue; and then is it vncertaine, when it will worke, to keepe the man from error which ſits therein, ſo as he may ſome time or other erre, or be left in doubt whether he doth erre or no. This being the ſtate of that chaire, how can the Pope clayme an vnerring ſpirit from this? Fourthly, though the Euangeliſt Iohn, guided by Gods Spirit, did expound the meaning of the words otherwiſe then Caiphas euer meant them; yet thoſe in Councell with him, vnderſtood them not ſpiritually, but tooke them as vttred in State policie, for outward peace and ſafetie of the Nation; as is cleare in Ioh. 11. 48, 53. So as he erred in his owne ſcope, and they in apprehending the words in another drift and ſenſe, then God did intend by them. Therfore as Caiphas and his companie herein erred, ſo may the Pope and conclaue of Cardinals, for any helpe to the contrary that they can get from this place.
Luk. 22. 31. I hauehave prayed that thy faith faile not.
Anſw. 1. This is ſpoken of Peter, and not of the Pope. 2. This was in reſpect of a future lapſe in Peter, which Chriſt foreſaw, more then in any of the Apoſtles, as the euent declared. 3. This is meant of Peters owne particular inward grace of faith, which was terribly ſhaken, when he denied and forſwore his Maſter, and not of his teaching in the execution of his miniſterie. For why ſhould Chriſt pray more for Peters teaching, then for the reſt, whom Chriſt ſent out as well as him, to teach all Nations?
Mat. 16. 18. This text is ſpoken vntounto Peter, of the Churches preſeruation againſt the gates of hell: but ſpeaketh nothing of Peters not erring, much leſſe of the Popes; of whom Chriſt in this place neuer dreamed. And its cleare by Scripture, that the gates of hell preuailed againſt Peter, after Chriſt had vttered theſe words vntounto him, though not totally and finally to deſtruction, yet in a great meaſure to tranſgreſſion, and fearefull falling.
Mat. 23. 2. This is very largely anſwered before; and there is it fully proued, that theſe Scribes and Phariſes erred groſly in many things.
Ioh. 21. 15, 16, 17. This text ſpeakes of Peters dutie, that as he loued Chriſt, he ſhould feed his lambes; but ſpeakes not a word of his not erring, who after this was found ignorant in ſome things of the nature of Chriſts Kingdome, Act. 1. 6. of going to the Gentiles, and eating things forbidden by the Law, abrogated by Chriſt, Act. 10. 12, 14. and he alſo erred at Antioch, Gal. 2. But if this did cleare Peter, what maketh it for the Pope, who ſhewes no louelove to Chriſt in feeding his lambes? If he neuer teach, then he may be ſure neuer to erre in that kind.
Exod. 28. 30. Firſt, what this Vrim and Thummim was, can no man tell. Secondly, though Aaron had it, yet he foully erred in the golden Calfe, in making it, in building an Altar before it, and proclaiming a feaſt thereupon to the Lord, Exod. 32. 4, 5 And did not Vrijah erre in the dayes of wicked Ahaz, 2. King. 16. 11, 16? So the high Prieſt in Chriſts time? Therefore this place alledged to proue that the high Prieſt could not erre, is much abuſed. Thirdly, what is this to the Pope, who is neither Gods high Prieſt (for ſuch is there now none, but Ieſus Chriſt onelyonly;) neither hath this Vrim & Thummim, which Aaron had?