The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. 13. Whether the Church can Err?
THe Roman Church boaſteth that ſhe cannot err. And in the queſtion, whether the Church can err, ſhe bears her ſelf as an infallible Judge. So that ſhe is Judge in her own cauſe, and an infallible Judge of her infallibility.
By the Roman Church, which they will have to be an infallible judge, the people is not underſtood, but the Prelates that govern the people. This is arrogant language: For ſo the will of man, which ought to be ruled by the Word of God, is become the Rule it ſelf; and Scripture is become of little neceſſity, if it be ſo, that the Paſtors our leaders cannot ſwerve out of the way; and no other duty will lie upon us but to follow them, and ſtand to their verdict.
The Apoſtles had the gift of not erring; yet none of them durſt ever ſay, I cannot err: That was the language of the Jews, when they conſpired againſt the Prophets ſent by God: And under that falſe confidence, hardening themſelves in evil, they would ſay, The Law ſhall not periſh from the Prieſt, nor the Word from the Prophet: Jer. 18.18.But God giveth them the lie upon that, and telleth them, Ezek. 7.26. The Law ſhall periſh from the Prieſt, and the counſel from the Prophet, or the Antient.
Againſt that Doctrine of pride, Scripture doth furniſh us with many examples. The Church of the Old Teſtament was idolatrous in Egypt, as may be ſeen, Ezek. 20.7, 8. Aaron the High Prieſt ſet up an Altar to the Golden Calf, and dedicated an holy day to it, Exod. 32. Whereupon Moſes chides him, and ſaith, What did this people unto thee, that thou haſt brought ſo great a ſin upon them? *Auguſtin. lib. queſtionum in Exodum quaeſ. 46. Notandum eſt quemadmodum illud totum malum quod populus fecit ipſi Aaroni tribuatur.Auſtin ſaith that Aaron was the cauſe of all the evil. Ʋriah another High Prieſt ſet up a Pagan Altar within the Temple of God, 2 Kings 16.10, 11. Under King Ahaz the Temple of God was ſhut up, and the ſacred ſervice ceaſed for a time, 2 Chron. 29.7. King Manaſſeh built Altars to Baalim in the Houſe of God, the only Temple in the world dedicated to Gods ſervice, and made Sacrifices unto falſe Gods in the two Courts of the Temple, 2 Chron. 33.4, 5. In which Temple how many abominations and idolatries were committed, is to ſeen, Ezek. 8.
2 Chron. 15.3. It is ſaid, Now for a long ſeaſon Iſrael hath been without the true God, and without a teaching Prieſt, and without law. Which cannot be underſtood of the ten Tribes, as we have proved; for thoſe ten Tribes never had a lawful Prieſt.
Did not the Church err in the time of Iſaiah, who upbraideth the people of the Jews, that his watchmen were blind, and were all ignorant? Iſai. 50.10. Or in the time of Jeremiah, who thus rebuketh the Church of his time, The Prophets propheſie falſly, and the Prieſts bear rule by their means, Jer. 5.31. And Ch. 2. verſ. 8. The Prieſts ſaid not, Where is the Lord? And they that handle the Law knew me not. And v. 26. Their Prieſts and their Prophets ſay to a ſtock, Thou art my Father, which is the language of Idolaters. The ſame Prophet upbraideth Judah, then the only people of God, that they had as many Gods as Towns, Jer. 11.13.
Did not the Church err in Malachi's time, who ſpeaks thus to the Prieſts that taught the people, Ye are departed out of the way, you have cauſe many to ſtumble at the Law, and have corrupted the Covenant of Levi? Mal. 2.8.
The Prieſts and Scribes that held the ordinary Chairs in the Church,Chap. 9. were enemies of Jeſus Chriſt, and decreed that whoſoever ſhould confeſs him to be the Chriſt, ſhould be excommunicated, Joh. 9.12. And Caiaphas the High Prieſt pronounced that Jeſus Chriſt was a blaſphemer, Mat. 26.
If then that Church, which was the only Church in the world where God was ſerved, is fallen into error; is it credible, that when there are many contrary Churches, any of thoſe Churches ought to preſume that ſhe can never err?
Yet our Adverſaries defend that arrogant Doctrine with ſome Texts of Scripture, which they oppoſe unto experience, and to the examples atteſted by Scripture, to make the Word of God to fight againſt it ſelf.
They alledge in the firſt place the Prophet, Mal. 2.7. The Prieſts lips *The Engliſh verſion ſaith not ſhall, but ſhould, to ſhew that it is a Commandment, not a Promiſe.ſhall keep knowledge, and they ſhall keep the Law at his mouth, for he is the meſſenger of the Lord of Hoſts. They ſhould have added the followings words, where God accuſeth the Prieſts to have erred and ſeduced the people; But you are departed out of the way, and you have cauſed many to ſtumble at the Law: The abuſe lyeth in this, that of a Commandment they have made a Promiſe. As if I took the words of the Law, Thou ſhalt not kill, for a Propheſie that there ſhall be no murther in the world. God ſaith, The Prieſts lips ſhall keep knowledge, to command them to keep knowledge; not to promiſe them that they ſhall alwayes keep it.
They fence themſelves with Chriſts words, Matth. 23.2. The Scribes and Phariſees ſit in Moſes ſeat; All therefore whatſoever they bid you obſerve, that obſerve and do, &c. To which they add, that Caiaphas the High Prieſt for that year propheſied, that Jeſus Chriſt ſhould die for the Nation, Joh. 11. as if Propheſie had been inſeparably annexed unto the Prieſthood; or as if Caiaphas could not teach falſe Doctrine.
All that is ſtudying to deceive ones ſelf: For Jeſus Chriſt Matth. 15. accuſeth the Scribes and Phariſees of tranſgreſſing the Commandment of God by their Traditions. And Matth. 16. he warneth his Diſciples to beware of the leaven of the Phariſees, that is, (as himſelf expounds it) of their Doctrine. And Matth. 5. he repurgeth the Law of the falſe conſtructions and rules which the Doctors of that time had pinned upon it. And Caiaphas is he that pronounced in judgement, bearing the authority of High Prieſt aſſiſted by the Prieſts and Scribes, that Jeſus Chriſt was a blaſphemer.
Wherefore when Jeſus Chriſt commanded that all ſhould be done that the Scribes and Phariſees ſhould teach, he meant all that they ſhould teach conformably to the Law and the Word of God, as it is ſpecified, Deut. 17.11. where the verſion of the Roman Church is expreſs to this purpoſe; thus rendering that Text, Thou ſhalt do all they ſhall teach thee according to the Law. Chryſoſtom Hom. 72. upon Matthew underſtands it ſo. And Hilary 24. Canon of the Comment upon Matthew.
As for Caiaphas, he propheſied by the will of God; not becauſe he could not err, but that the quality of the perſon might give more weight to that Propheſie whereby Jeſus Chriſt is juſtified by his enemies, and the fruit of his death is expounded.
It is to no purpoſe, to ſay, that God promiſeth his Apoſtles, Joh. 14.26. to ſend them the Comforter that would teach them *The Engliſh verſion hath all things.all truth. For all that is promiſed to the Apoſtles, doth not belong to the Roman Church: Yet it may be ſaid, that God teacheth ſtill the Roman Church, and all the Heretical Churches in all truth: For God ſpeaks to them in his Word, but they reſiſt his teaching, and chooſe rather to adhere unto falſhood.
It is no more to the purpoſe to alleadge theſe words, Tell the Church, Matth. 18.17. For there it is not ſpoken of the Univerſal Church, but of the Paſtors of a particular Church; nor of the judgement of the Doctrine, but of the reparation of wrongs done to a particular perſon. Note alſo that St. Peter is one of thoſe to whom Jeſus Chriſt ſaid, Tell it unto the Church. By theſe words then St. Peter is ſubjected unto the judgement of the Church. Above all, the preſuppoſition of our Adverſaries in this place is intolerable, pronouncing that by the Church, the Roman only be underſtood. Why the Roman rather then the Greek or the African?
M. du Perron heaps up many texts of Scripture, to prove that the Church is exempted from a poſſibility of erring; but they are of no uſe to this purpoſe: For ſome of them ſpeak of the Church of the Elect, as that Text, Cant. 4.7. Thou art all fair my Love, there is no ſpot in thee. Did that Prelate believe that the Roman Church hath no ſpot in her manners? Such is alſo the text of Iſaiah 52.1. Henceforth there ſhall no more come into thee the uncircumciſed and the unclean. And this Matth. 16.18. The gates of Hell ſhall not prevail againſt the Church.
Pope Gregory the 1. expounding the 7. Penitential Pſalm, expounds this text of the Church of the Elect, not of the Church of Rome. Theſe are his words,*Sanctam Eccleſiam de ſanctis in aeternum permanſuris conſtructam, nullis hujus vitae perſecutionibus ſuperandam, ipſe ſuper quem aedificata eſt, evidenter oſtendit, cum ait, Portae inferorum non praevalebunt adverſus eam. He upon whom the Church is built, evidently ſhewed, that the holy Church which is compoſed of Saints that ſhall abide for ever, ſhall never be overcome by any perſecutions, when he ſaid that the gates Hell of ſhall not prevail againſt her.
Some other texts which the Cardinal brings, ſpeak of the duty of the Church, not of her infallible purity; as when ſhe is called the Pillar and ſtay of Truth, 1 Tim. 3. becauſe ſhe is appointed for the defence of the Truth. In the ſame ſenſe heretical Churches are pillars and ſtayes of untruth; but thence it follows not, that they can never be converted unto the true Faith.
Or they are texts that ſpeak of every faithful man, not of the Univerſall Church, as this, 2 Cor. 6.14, 15. What communion hath light with darkneſs? and what concord hath Chriſt with Belial? Hereby the Apoſtle exhorteth every faithful man to ſeparate himſelf from the world, and from the uncleanneſs and allurements of Satan. Or if this belongs alſo to the Univerſal Church, it is an Exhortation, not a Declaration, or a Promiſe of an infallible purity. Of the like nature is the text of 2 Joh. 10. If any bring not this Doctrine,—do not bid him God ſpeed.
Or they are texts that ſpeak eſpecially of the Town of Jeruſalem, not of the Chriſtian Church; as that which is ſaid, Iſai. 1.26. Thou ſhalt be called the City of Righteouſneſs, the faithful City.
Or they are texts alleadged without any colour of reaſon, as this, Hoſ. 2.20. I will betroth thee unto me in faithfulneſs. Ergo, the Church cannot err: And that Church is the Roman. Such proofs have neither ſtrength, nor the ſhew of it.
The texts of the Fathers, which the Cardinal brings to the ſame end, ſerve only to raiſe the bulk of his Book. They ſay only that the Catholick Church, by which they mean the Orthodox, is ſeparate from that of the Hereticks: a thing that no man denyeth. But the queſtion is, Whether to the Church, which at this preſent is pure, it may not happen hereafter to fall into ſome errour?
The fore-warnings which the Word of God gives us of the corruptions that will creep into the Chriſtian Church, are ſtronger then any reaſon for the infallibility of the ſame; and experience hath confirmed them. Our Saviour Jeſus, Luke 18.8. ſaith to us, When the Son of man cometh, ſhall he find faith on the earth? The Apoſtle Paul, 2 Tim. 4.3, 4. foretels that a time ſhall come, when men will not endure ſound doctrine; — And ſhall turn away their ears from the truth, and ſhall be turned unto fables. And 1 Tim. 4.1. That in the latter times ſome ſhall depart from the faith, giving heed to ſeducing ſpirits, and to doctrines of Devils. Of which doctrines he doth ſpecifie two; the prohibition of marriage, and the abſtinence of meats, which God hath made for mans uſe. The ſame Apoſtle 2 Theſ. 2. foretels that the Son of perdition, who is the Antichriſt, and cals himſelf God, and boaſteth of miracles, ſhall place his ſeat and his domination in the Temple of God. We read Rev. 13.3. that all the world wondered after the beaſt: & v. 7. that the Beaſt makes war with the Saints, and overcometh them. And power was given her over all people, and tongue, and Nation: So that all that dwell on the earth ſhall worſhip her. Where ſhall at that time be that viſible Church which cannot err? Do not our Adverſaries ſay, that the Antichriſt ſhall aboliſh all outward ſervice, and all publike exerciſe of Chriſtianity? And that one may not think that this ſo horrible corruption ſhall not come to paſs but towards the end of the world; The Apoſtle in the fore-alledged place, 2 Theſ. 2. declareth, that even in his time the myſterie of iniquity did already work, and that Satan was laying the plot of that work; for already they began to ſpeak of preheminences, and the Church had many Diotrephes. Already they ſaid, I am of Cephas, and I am of Paul: Already they were diſputing of the ſervice of Angels and abſtinence of meats, out of humility, and for exerciſe, Col. 2. And the Apoſtles were put to fight againſt Juſtification by Works. Hierom upon Habak. 1. ſpeaks thus of the Antichriſt; He ſhall gather all Nations, and draw all peoples to his error; yet the ſame, when afterwards they ſhall ſee him killed by the Spirit of the mouth of Chriſt, ſhall comprehend that all that was foretold of him was true. After the Council of Rimini under the Empire of Conſtantius, Arianiſm was preached over all the Churches: Inſomuch that Hierom in his Dialogue againſt the Luciferians, ſaith, that the whole world did groan, and wondered to ſee it ſelf turned Arian. Liberius Biſhop of Rome, with three or four more with him, held for the true faith; but ſoon after he was overcome, and ſubſcribed to Arianiſm.
It is moſt conſiderable, that the Jeſuits Ribera and Viegas, who have written upon the Revelation, and Bellarmin himſelf in the third Book de Pontifice, and many others, by the great harlot called Babylon, clad with ſcarlet, ſitting upon ſeven hils, that ruleth over the Nations, that ſhall ſeduce Kings and people, which is mentioned in the 13, 17, & 18. chapters of the Revelation, underſtand the City of Rome. It is alſo to be noted, how in chap. 17. it is ſaid, that the ſame great harlot ſhall ſeduce Kings, and make Nations drunk: And that in chap. 18. the laſt ruin of that Babylon is deſcribed, after which ruin, ſhe ſhall be built no more again: Things which cannot be attributed to the Pagan Rome, which ſeduced not Kings but extermined them. Neither was Rome ever razed under the Paganiſm, nor ruined with a final ruin.
What? may one ſay, Dare you affirm, that the univerſal Councils repreſenting the Church of the whole world, can err in the faith?
I anſwer, that there hath been no univerſal Council ſince the Apoſtles time, in the ſenſe that the word univerſal is taken, namely, for a Council convocated out of the Church of all the world. The Councils which are called Ʋniverſal, are ſo called, becauſe they were convocated out of the univerſal Roman Empire by the authority of the Emperors: Out of which Empire there hath been always a a great number of Chriſtian Churches. Not that I would ſay that the Councils of Nicea, of Conſtantinople, the firſt of Epheſus, and that of Chalcedon have errred: But it is one thing to ſay that they have not erred, and another thing to ſay that they could not err. The univerſal Councils which the Pope aſſembleth in theſe laſt ages, are Councils of the univerſal Papal Monarchy. The other Churches have no part in it, but to be condemned, unheard.
The Doctors of the Roman Church believe not that the univerſal Councils cannot err, ſince they oppoſe with ſo much violence the firſt Council of Conſtantinople, and that of Chalcedon, for riſing (as they ſpeak) againſt the Biſhop of Rome, and deſpiſing his authority. We ſhall ſee hereafter the invectives of Cardinal du Perron againſt that ſo famous and authentical Council of Chalcedon, where there were ſix hundred and thirty Biſhops. Bellarmin in his Preface upon his Books de Pontifice, ſaith that(a)Primi qui ſeriò primatum Romani Pontificis oppugnarunt, videntur fuiſſe Graeci, anno, 39. &c. thoſe two Councils have earneſtly aſſaulted the Primacy of the Pope of Rome. The Jeſuite Cotton makes the ſame complaint againſt theſe two Councils in the Preface of his Inſtitution.
The Pope Paſchal in the Decretal Significaſti de Electione, Tit. 6.(b)Quaſi Romanae Eccleſiae Concilia ulla Legem praefixerint, &c. declares that the Roman Church is not ſubject to the Councils, and maintains that Councils depend upon the authority of the Roman Church. And Pope Gelaſius in the Tome of the bond of Anathema, quarreling with the Council of Carthage, ſaith,(c)Sedes Apoſtolica ſola reſcindit quod praeter ordinem congregatio Synodica putaverit uſurpandum. The Apoſtolical See alone makes void that which a Synodal Aſſembly would uſurp againſt the order. Finally, Doctor Andradius, who was preſent at the Council of Trent, declareth that(d)Andrad. lib. 2. Defenſ. fidei Tridentinae. Liquet minimè eos erraſſe, qui dicunt Romanos Pontifices poſſe nonnúnquam in Legibus dispenſare à Paulo & primis quatuor Conciliis. Thoſe err not, that ſay that the Popes can ſometimes diſpence frem the Laws of Saint Paul, and from the four firſt Councils, which are the Councils of greateſt authority.