Against the Revolt to a Foreign Jurisdiction, Part 2 · Chapter 11
Chap. XI. A Breviate of the Papists Faith and Church Doctrine, both the Monarchical and Aristocratical sort.
§ 1. WE must believe that Christ hath a Church before we believe that he is Christ, the Redeemer.
§ 2. VVe must believe that this Church is Infallible or our Governour before we can believe that Jesus is Christ, and our Governour.
§ 3. We must believe that Christ Promised Infallibility or Governing Authority to this Church before we can believe that he is Christ.
§ 4. We must believe that this Promise is true and shall be fulfilled, before we believe the Gospel Promise of Pardon and Salvation, that is, before we are Christians, or believe the Scripture.
§ 5. We must believe that the Pope is Christ's Vicegerent or Vicar General, (or General Councils at least) before we can believe that Christ is Christ.
§ 6. We must believe that the Words of the Apostles were Intelligible (else why did they speak) but their Writings are not, till a General Council make them so by an Exposition.
§ 7. We must believe that it is intelligible which be true Bishops and Councils, and what is the meaning of their Voluminous Decrees; but it is not intelligible what is the sense of the Scripture till Councils tell us.
§ 8. We must believe that God is the great Deceiver of the World, by sense and things sensible: e. g. by sense, which takes Bread to be Bread, and Wine to be Wine.
§ 9. We must believe that all men are Hereticks who deny not their senses; and all that believe sense (even of all the sound men in the World) shall be Damned. That is, All that believe God speaking by things sensible.
§ 10. We must believe that God who is the great Deceiver of the World, even to and by the senses, yet hath given a Spirit of Infallibility to those Popes and Prelates (in Council) who live in worldliness and wickedness.
§ 11. We must believe that an unlearned Pope and Prelates, who never understood the Original Tongue, but are ignorant men, are by Miracle in Council inspired with the gift of right expounding the Scriptures which they never studied or understood before.
§ 12. We must believe that every Priest how ignorant or wicked soever, doth by pronouncing the bare words of Consecration, work many Miracles, turning Bread into no Bread, Wine into no Wine, making quantity and other Accidents to exist without Substance, &c. And that he can work such Miracles every hour of the day; and if he can but get into a Bakers Shop or Vintners Celler to say Mass, may in malice undo the poor men when he will, by turning all their Bread and Wine into none.
§ 13. We must believe that the Roman Empire was all the Christian VVorld, or that a Council General as to that Empire, was General as to all the VVorld. And that the Roman Emperor or the Pope called the Bishops of all the VVorld together: And that the humane Primate of one Empire, was Governour of all the VVorld.
§ 14. VVe must believe that now that Empire is dissolved, the Laws then made bind all the Princes and Churches on Earth, viz. that a defunct power still ruleth even those that never owed them obedience.
§ 15. VVe must believe that we in England are rightfully under a Foreign Church Jurisdiction, contrary to the Oath of Supremacy.
§. 16. VVe must believe that all Temporal Lords must be sworn to extirpate all Protestants, and to perform it if able, on pain of Excommunication, Deposition and Damnation; And that if they do not the Pope may execute this penalty of Excommunicating and Deposing them, and giving their Dominion to others, and may Absolve their Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance. Concil. Later. sub. Innoc. 3. Can. 1, 2, 3.
§ 17. VVe must Swear never to expound the Scripture but according to the Concordant sense of the Ancient Fathers, who never expounded much at all; much less ever agreed in any Exposition of them all.
§ 18. VVe must believe that God hath given the Church, (that is, the Pope and Councils) a Power to Expound hard Scriptures, and to end Controversies, and that this is a great Blessing to us; VVhen yet neither Pope nor Councils will give us a Commentary on the Bible, or exposition of hard Texts; nor will determine most of the Controversies that now trouble us.
§ 19. VVe must believe that the Governing part of the Church is to be obeyed, and Gods VVord received but by their Proposal, when yet it is not known who is the Governing part, Pope or Council, nor which Councils be true and which but false Conventions; nor can they assure us how we may ever come to know it.
§ 20. VVe must believe those Councils to be true and credible, which contradict and condemn each other: and that both are in the right.
§ 21. VVe must believe both that all Gods VVord in the Sacred Scripture is true, and that Councils and Popes say Truth when they contradict it.
§ 22. VVe must believe that those Popes were true Popes and continued the valid succession, and were Governours of all Christian Souls, whom General and Provincial Councils condemned as Simonists, Hereticks, Infidels, Atheists, or Devils Incarnate: and yet that Councils are to be believed as the Proposers of our Faith.
§ 23. VVe must believe that General Councils have Universal Jurisdiction, when there are none such, nor ever can be, nor ever were.
§ 24. VVe must stay for the ending of our controversies, till we know that which cannot be known, viz. what the Major Vote of all the Bishops on Earth Judge of them: or till such Councils end them as caused them & their continuance.
§ 25. When we have such Infallible Proof of the Scripture History as we have of the former Kings and Laws of the Land, by evidence of Natural certainty, we must exchange it for the uncertain determination of Popes and Councils, depending on their Authority, Knowledge and Honesty; And the Infallibility of these who in all their lives else do shew much fallibility: And were either Pope or Council Infallible no man that is not Infallible himself in judging of their Infallibility, and also in knowing what it is that they propose as de fide, is ever the nearer an Infallible Faith.
§ 26. They must make it necessary to us to know that the Greeks, the Armenians, and all o…her Christians who are twice as many as the Papists, have some way forfeited their Authority and Credit: or else how shall we know that they being the Majority, are not to be believed before the Pope and his VVestern Councils.
§ 27. They make more Cosmography and History necessary to Salvation than God made, or Vulgar Heads are capable of. The name of Rome is not in the Creed: It is not necessary to Salvation to know that there is such a place as Rome in the World: Much less to know all Countreys on Earth where Christians dwell, and which of them are of this Opinion or that; and which part hath the major Vote of Bishops, and is to be believed. If you say, They are Nestorians, Jacobites, Greeks, &c. the People be not bound to know what any of these names signifie.