The Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome, Part 17
XVII. Of Infallibility in the Church.
1. HE doth not pretend this belongs to the Pastors and P. 36.Prelates of his Church, who may fall, he saith, into Heresie and Schism; but that the whole Church is secured by Divine Promises from all Error and Danger of Prevarication; which he proves from the Promises of the New Testament, Mat. 16. 18—28. 20. John 14. 16, 26. But however the former seems to take away Infallibility from the Guides of the Church, yet that this is to be understood of them separately, appears by what follows.
2. The like Assistance of the Holy Ghost he believes P. 38.to be in all General Councils, which is the Church Representative; by which they are specially protected from all error in all definitions and declarations in matters of Faith.
Now here are two sorts of Infallibility tacked to one another by vertue of these general Promises, which ought more distinctly to be considered.
1. To preserve Christs Church so as it shall never cease to be a Church, is one thing; to preserve it from all Error is another: The former answers the End of Christs Promises as to the Duration of the Church; and the latter is not implied in them.
2. The promise of teaching them all Truth, Joh. 16. 13. is not made to the whole Church, but to the Apostles: And their case was so peculiar and extraordinary, that there can be no just inference from the assistance promised to them, of what the Church should enjoy in all Ages.
3. If the diffusive Church have no infallible Assistance promised, then no infallible Assistance can from thence be proved for the Church Representative; so that some particular Promises to the Guides of the Church as assembled together, are necessary to prove the Infallibility of Councils.
4. It by no means proves following Councils to be Infallible, because the Apostles said, Acts 15. 28. It seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us. Our Author doth not P. 38.doubt, but the same may be prefixed to all determinations in point of Faith, resolved on by any General Council lawfully assembled since that time, or to be held to the Worlds end. But what Reason he had for not doubting in this matter, I cannot see; the Assistance, he saith, being to extend as far as the Promise: But shall Assistance imply Infallibility? Then there must be good store, as long as the Promises of Divine Grace hold good: But this Assistance of Councils is very different from the Assistance of Grace; for the Church may subsist without Councils, but cannot without Grace: What General Council was there from the meeting, Acts 15. to the Council of Nice? Were not Christs Promises fulfilled to his Church all that time, when it encreased in all parts against the most violent Opposition?
5. No Parity of Reason from the Jewish Church can be sufficient Proof for Infallibility in the Christian. But our Author argues thus, If Gods special Assistance was never wanting to the Church of the Jews so as to let it fail in the Truth of its Doctrine, or its Authority; Why should not he believe the same of the Church of Christ, which is built on better Promises? What special Assistance was it P. 39.which Israel had, when it is said, that for a long time Israel had been without the true God, and without a teaching Priest, and without Law? And as to Judah, was there no failing in point of Doctrine in our Saviours time? It 2 Chron. 15. 3.is true they had the Law intire, and that was all that was good among them; for their Teachers had corrupted themselves and the People, and made the Law of no effect among them: If there were Infallibility any where, it must be in the High Priest and Sanhedrim; but is it possible for any Christian to think them infallible, when they were so grosly mistaken about the main Article of their Faith as to the Messias, and pronounced him worthy of death? Is not this a fine Argument for the Infallibility of the Guides of the Christian Church? But the Church of Christ hath better Promises: No doubt of it, greater Promises of Grace and Mercy in this World, and in that to come: but what is all this to Infallibility in Councils?
6. Christ's Command of Obedience to those who sat in Moses Chair, (Matt. 23. 2.) doth not prove the Infallibility of those who sat there. Yet this is alledged to that purpose; and that men ought not to doubt of the Reasonableness of the Commands of their Superiors. P. 39.But St. Chrysostom saith, our Saviour speaks of the things Chrysost. in Matt. Hom. 72.commanded by the Law of Moses. Per Cathedram Doctrinam Legis ostendit, saith S. Jerom; Not their own Doctrine, Hieron. in loc. Caten. Gr. in loc. Hilaer. Canon. 24. Theophilact. in loc.but that of Moses, saith Isidore; and so Hilary and Theophylact. Maldonate confesseth, our Saviours Words are to be understood, not of their own Doctrine, but of that of the Law; and therefore he yields the Obedience here required is to be restrained to that; All things, saith Cajetan, which they teach out of Moses's Chair: Not all their Doctrines, but as far as they were conformable to the Law, saith Ferus. Now, can any one hence infer, that no men ought to dispute any Commands of Superiors, when it is supposed, that there is a Rule and Standard for them to speak according to; and our Saviour elsewhere doth suppose these very Men to teach things contrary to the Matt. 15.Law; as in the Case of Corban. Would our Saviour contradict himself? or require a blind Obedience in things repugnant to the Law? We do not deny a due submission to our Superiours in the Church; yea, we allow them a Power to determine things not forbidden; and think obedience due in such things by vertue of their Authority; but yet this is far enough from Infallibility, or an unlimited implict Obedience, which would overthrow the force of all our Saviours Reasonings against the Scribes and Pharisees, as to their misinterpreting the Law, and the Superstitious Practises they imposed upon the People.