A Key for Catholics, Treatise 1 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Detect. 2. WHEN you have brought the matter thus far, and ſee that if they have one errour in faith, their whole cauſe is loſt, then conſider, Whether it be Poſſible for that Doctrine which is ſo contrary to Scripture, and to it ſelf, to be free from all Error. 1. How contrary it is to Scripture, 1. To forbid the reading of Scripture in a known tongue: 2. And their Publick Praying in an unknown language: 3. And their adminiſtring the Lords Supper to the People by the halves, denying them the Wine, and giving them the bread only: 4 And their affirming men to be perfect without ſin in this life: 5. And their calling ſome ſins venial which deſerve a pardon, and yet are truly no ſins: 6. And their abſolute forbidding their Prieſts to marry, 7. And ſaying that there is no Bread and Wine left after the Conſecration, with abundance the like: the very reading of the texts may ſatisfie you. As for the firſt, ſee Deut. 6. 7, 8, 9. Deut. 11. 18, 19, 20. Iſa. 34. 16. Pſal. 1. 2. Neh. 8. Joſ. 8. 34, 35. Mat. 12. 3, 5. & 19. 4. & 21. 16. & 22. 31. Mark 12. 10, 26. Acts 8. 28. & 13. 27. & 15. 21. 1 Theſ. 5. 27. Col. 4. 16. Deut 31. 11. Eph. 3. 4. Mat. 24. 15. Rev. 1. 3. 2 Tim. 3. 16. John 5 39. Act. 17. 2, 11. & 18 28. Rom. 15. 4. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Iſa. 8. 16, 20. & 42. 4. Rom. 7. 1. James 1. 25. Hoſ. 8. 12.
For the ſecond, read 1 Cor. 14. For the third, ſee Mat. 26, 27, 28. 1 Cor. 11. 25, 26, 27, 28. 1 Cor. 10. 16. For the fourth, ſee Eccleſ. 7. 20. James 3. 2. 1 John 1. 8. Phil. 3. 12. Luke 11. 4. For the fifth, ſee Deut. 12, 32. Gal. 3. 10. 1 John 3. 4. For the ſixth, ſee 1 Tim. 3. 2, 4, 5, 11, 12. Tit. 1. 6. 1 Tim. 43. 1 Cor. 9. 5. For the ſeventh, ſee 1 Cor. 10. 16. 1 Cor. 11. 23, 26, 27, 28. Act. 2. 42. Act. 20. 7. 11.
2. And that they are contrary to themſelves, appeareth: 1. In that (as I ſaid before) not only ſeveral perſons, but ſeveral Countries go ſeveral wayes; the French are of one way, and the Italians of another, even in the Fundamentals of their Faith, which all the reſt is reſolved into. 2. Their Popes have ordinarily been contrary to one another in their Decrees; which made Platina ſay [Following Popes do ſtill either infringe or wholly abrogate the Decrees of the former Popes] And Eraſmns ſaith that [Pope John 22. and Pope Nicolas are contrary one to another in their whole Decrees, and that in things that ſeem to belong to matter of faith] Had we no inſtances but of Sergius and Formoſus and their following partakers, it were enough. And Celeſtines caſe puts Bellarmine to ſilly ſhifts. 3. That their Councils contradict each other, I have formerly manifeſted. They confeſs that the Arrians have had many Councils as General as moſt ever the Orthodox had: and if it be only the want of the Popes approbation that nullifieth their authority, then let them tell us no more of Councils and of [all the Church] but ſay plainly that is but one man that they mean.
But even their approved Councils have been contrary; As the ſixth Council at Conſtantinople approved by Pope Adrian, is now confeſſed to have many errors. The Council of Neocaſarea confirmed by Pope Leo 4. and by the Nicen Council (as ſaith the Council of Florence Seſ. 7.) condemned ſecond marriages, contrary to Scripture and the preſent Church. The Council at the Laterane under Leo the tenth determines that the Pope is above a General Council; and the Councils of Conſtance and Baſil determine that the General Council is above the Pope, and that this is de fide, and its hereſie to deny it.