The By-Way, Treatise · Section 14
SECT. XIIII. Councells which are ſo highly extold and oppoſed against vsus, were neither called by lawfull authoritie, or to the right ends, as is confeſſed by ingenious Romanists.
ECckius the Romaniſt tells vsus, the authoritie of Councells is of that conſequence,Tollatur Cōciliorum authoritas, et omnia in Eccleſia erunt ambigua, dubia, pendentia, incert…, nā omnes mox redibūt haereſes. Ecck. Ench. Art. de Concil. that if they ſhould be taken away, All things would become ambiguous, doubtfull, wauering, vncertaine, and all hereſies would reuiue againe. And that the Romiſh proſelyts might knowe, what obedience ought to be giuen to Councels, Gregory de Valentia giues them this caueat:Si Synodus Epiſcopalis aut cōmunis cōſenſus plurium Theologorū ſtatueret aliquam propoſitionem eſſe propoſitā ab Eccleſia vt de fide — tunc talis teneretur, &c. Valent. in Tom. 3. diſp. 1. q. 2. punct. 5. If you finde but an Epiſcopall Synod, or conſent of diuers Diuines onelyonly, affirming ſuch a doctrine to bee the ſentence of the Church, you are bound to beleeue it, though it be a lie. Pardon me if I beleeue them not: for our aduerſaries giuegive iuſt cauſe of ſuſpition, when their chiefeſt reſpect tends to the honour of Traditions, of Fathers, of Councels, and the ſacred Word is made a by-word of Obſcuritie and Inſufficiencie.
I ſpeake not this, as if our Church did decline the authoritie of Councells; for wee profeſſe that Generall Councels, are the repreſentatiue Body, and as it were a little Modell of the whole Church. We approoue the firſt foure Generall Councells, confirmed by our Church,Eliz. 1. Whitak. Rat. 4. verſ. Camp. and Acts of Parliament: wee acknowledge with reuerend Whitakers, The name of Councels is honorable, their credit ſingular, and their authority of great eſteeme: nay more, wee teſtifie with learned Bellarmine, Bell de Eccleſ. & Cō cil. li. 1. c. 10 in Initio.that Generall Councells are very profitable, and in ſome ſort neceſſary (for the ſuppreſſing of hereſies) yet (ſaith hee) they are not abſolutely and ſimply neceſſary, and of this I am eaſily perſwaded for this reaſon. Firſt, becauſe the Primitiue Church for the firſt three hundred yeres had no Generall Councells, and yet periſhed not: Againe, as the Church during thoſe three hundred yeeres continued ſafe without generall Councells, ſo without doubt it might hauehave continued three hundred yeres more, and againe ſix hundred yeeres after that, and ſo likewiſe a thouſand yeeres more: for in thoſe (firſt) times, there were many hereſies, many ſchiſmes, many vices & abuſes, all which, notwithstanding they wanted the aſsiſtance of generall Councells, could not indanger the Catholike Church.
But admit that Councels were ſimply neceſſarie, (which Bellarmine denies) yet their calling muſt be anſwerable to their beginning, and therefore let vsus firſt inquire by what authoritie they were firſt called, and obſerue how the Commiſſion hath beene executed from time to time, by warrantie of the firſt Author.
We reade in the booke of Numbers, Num. 10.1, 2.that the Lord commanded Moſes to make two Trumpets of ſiluer, that hee might vſe them for calling of the Aſſembly. Moſes according to Gods Law, did aſſemble the people; and, ſaith the Text,Deut. 33.5. Moſes was king in Ieſurum, when the heads of the people, and the tribes of Iſrael gathered together. Moſes then had Ius Regale, a Regall power, (although in proprietie of ſpeech hee were no King) and by this Regall power hee aſſembled the people, and this authoritie was executed by him as by a King. This right was aſſumed after him by King Dauid, by king Solomon, by king Ioſiah, by king Iehoſhaphat, and ſo from Moſes to the Maccabees they all practiſed the ſame power of calling aſſemblies, as Kings & Princes, and there was none of Gods Prophets, I ſay not any one that either oppoſed, or prohibited theſe aſſemblies. At the comming of Chriſt this commiſſion was renewed, but not altered, there was no new order for calling them, other then had bin taken in the old Law, & aſſoon as kings receiued the Chriſtian faith, they executed the ſame power of the Trumpets, which was firſt granted to Moſes.
The firſt Councel of Nice it was the firſt and beſt Generall Aſſembly that was ſummoned in the Chriſtian world, after the Apoſtles time; and this was called by the Emperor Constantine the Great.
The 2d. generall Councell at Conſtantinople, was called by the Emperor Theodoſius the elder.
The third at Epheſus, by the Emperor Theodoſius the younger.
The fourth at Chalcedon, by the Emperor Valentinian and Martian. Theſe foure generall Councels, are likened by Gregorie to the foure Euangeliſts, and theſe had their right calling by Kings and Emperours, and not by the Biſhop of Rome.
If wee looke vponupon particular Councels, it will appeare, they were likewiſe called by Kings and Princes in their ſeuerall dominions, for many ages. The firſt Councell of Arles was called by Constantine the Great. The Councell of Aquileia, was called by the Emperors Valentinian and Theodoſius: The firſt of Orleance, by king Clodoueus: the ſecond of Orleance, by Chidelbert the French King; and this maner of calling aſſemblies by Kings and Emperors continued from Moſes to Conſtantine, and from Conſtantine to Arnulphus, aboue 2400. yeeres: for otherwiſe if this new aſſertion muſt take place: The Pope must call Councels: the firſt foure Generall Councells, which all Chriſtians had in ſuch reuerence, not one of them is a lawfull Councell, nay, ſaith our Reuerend and learned B. Andrewes, D. Andrews in his Sermon of calling Aſſemblies.The Church of Chriſt hath to this day neuer a General Councell, Vnâ liturâ, with one wipe wee daſh them out all, wee hauehave neuer a one, no not one. And that you may know it is not the teſtimonie of the Proteſtants alone, Cardinall Cuſanus doth witneſſe with vsus,Cuſan. Cō cord. Cath. lib. 3. ca. 13. & 16. that all the Generall Councels to the eight, incluſiuely, were all called by the Emperours: and that wee may iuſtly charge the Pope of Vſurpation, both in calling, and aſſuming a preheminence of place and dignitie in Councels,Semper inuenio Imperatores et Iudices ſuos cum Senatu Primatum habuiſſe & officiū Praeſidentia per interloquutiones, et ex conſēnſu Synod… ſine mandato concluſiones et iudicia feciſſe. Cuſan de Con. lib. 3. c. 16. the Cardinall makes this confeſſion: I euermore finde, that the Emperors and their Iudges with the Senate, had the gouernement, and Office of Preſidence, by hearing and conferring of matters, and that they made Concluſions, and Iudgements with the conſent of the Councel, and without any further Commiſsion.
Thoſe men therefore that are ſo earneſt in calling vponupon vsus for Councells, ſhould firſt ſhew vsus the lawfull calling of their aſſemblies. If Demetrius and his fellowe craftſmen will aſſemble together of their owne heads, and keepe a ſhouting and crying for the great Diana of their Religion, this rowt will prooue a ryot, and is puniſhable by the Lawes of God and man: away therefore with this confuſion, away with Demetrius aſſemblies. If Pope Innocent the Third will aſſemble in his owne name, contrary to the Commiſſion granted to Kings and Princes, by expreſſe warrant from Gods owne mouth; if, I ſay, contrary to Gods command, after a continued ſucceſſion in the right of Kings and Princes for 2400 yeeres, he will vſurpe the right of calling Councells, the Pope will not bee found Innocent, nor his aſſemblies lawfull: for the Towne-clerke of Epheſus could tell Dometrius and his fellowes; If they enquire any thing, Acts 19.39.concerning matters, it (muſt) bee determined in a lawfull Aſſembly.
The promiſes of Chriſt, no doubt, are many and gracious to his Church, but they are annexed to a condition, (if they come together in his Name) the condition then being once broken, the Obligation to the Church and Councell, becommeth voyde, of none effect. It will not be amiſſe therefore to vnderſtand what it is to aſſemble in Chriſts Name, and then ſee whether the Church of Rome hath performed that ſecond dutie in her aſſemblies.
It cannot be denied, that they are ſaid to aſſemble in Chriſts Name, whom neither reſpect of priuate gaine induceth, nor the ambitious deſire of honour inuiteth, nor the prick of hatred and enuie incite and driue forward, but whom the inflamed louelove of peace, and the feruent affections of Chriſtianitie impell, and not the ſpirit of contention. Surely theſe conditions are requiſite to their right calling; and theſe were anciently performed in the firſt foure Generall Councells, (to which our Church ſubſcribeth:) but as their owne Cardinal Cuſanus proteſted, that the authority of Councels doth not depend vponupon the Pope; ſo likewiſe their owne learned Ferus profeſſeth, that In matters of Faith, and things which concerne the conſcience, it is not ſufficient for them to ſay, Wee will and command, but you must conſider in what manner the Apoſtles dealt in their Aſſemblies: they came together in ſimplicitie of heart, ſeeking onelyonly Gods glory, and the ſaluation of others, Nos aliter conuenimus nempe cum magnâ pō pâ, noſ que ipſosquaerimꝰ, at que n…bis …ollic…ur, nihil nobis non licere de plenitu dine poteſtatis, & quomodò ſpiritꝰ ſanctꝰ eiuſmodi conuentus probare poſſit. Ferus ſuper Acts 15.no maruell therefore if the Spirit of God was in that Councell: but (ſaith hee) Nos aliter conuenimus: Our meeting is in another manner; namely with great pompe, and ſeeking our ſelues, and promiſing to our ſelues licence vponupon fulneſſe of power to doe any thing; and this being ſo, how is it poſsible for the Spirit of God to approue ſuch aſſemblies. Heere then wee hauehave our learned Aduerſaries confeſſions, that two principall conditions anciently in vſe, are both abrogated by the latter Councels; the one is, The Pope calls Councells, that hath no right to call them: the other is, That they aſſemble in their owne name, and for their owne end, not for the Catholique peace, and Chriſtian Charitie. And thus much briefely concerning the authoritie of Calling Councells.
Let vsus take a ſhort view of Councels in all ages, and withall let vsus adde to the Popes vnlawfull Calling, the errors of Councels, the vncertaintie of their Canons, the manifeſt forgeries of ancient Decrees, the palpable and groſſe ſuggeſtions of new deuiſed Acts, with their ſenſeleſſe condemnation of true Decrees and Canons, that make againſt their Romiſh Faith, and Trent Doctrine, and tell mee if theſe men hauehave any cauſe or reaſon to equall Councells with the Scriptures, or to build vponupon them in matters of Faith, or to claime them all for theirs, when by their owne enſuing teſtimonies, they are doubtfull which are right, which are falſe, which are lawfull, which are counterfet. And laſtly, when they are not agreed amongſt themſelues, whether Councels rightly called, are infallible, or ſtand ſubiect vntounto errour.