Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A30455
|
Six papers by Gilbert Burnet.
|
Burnet, Gilbert, 1643-1715.
|
1687
(1687)
|
Wing B5912; ESTC R26572
|
63,527
|
69
|
the judgments of God but that which is more sensible the loss of their Dominions and it sâ—ems they intend to make us know that part of their Doctrine even before we come to feel it since tho some of that Communion would take away the Horror which the Fourth Council of the Lateran gives us in which these things were decreed by denying it to be a General Council and rejecting the Authority of those Canons yet the most learned of all the Apostates that has fallen to them from our Church has so lately given up this Plea and has so fâ—rmally aâ—knowledged the Authority of that Council and of its Canons that it seems they think they are bound to this piece of fair dealing of wâ—rning us before hand of our Danger It is true Bellarmin says The Church does not always execute her Power of deposing Heretical Princes tho she always retains it one reason that he assigns is Because she is not at all times able to put it in execution so the same reason may perhaps make it appear unadviseable to Extirpate Hereticks because that at present it cannot be done but the Right remains intiâ—e and is put in execution in such an unrelenting manner in all places where that Religion prevails that it has a very ill Grace to see any Member of that Church speak in this strain and when neither the Policy of France nor the Greatness of their Monarch nor yet the Interests of the Emperoâ—r joyned to the Gentleness of his own temper could withstand these Bloody Councils that are indeed parts of that Religion we can see no reason to induce us to believe that a Toleration of Religion is proposed with any other design but either to divide us or to lay us asleep till it is time to give the Alarm for destroying us IV. If all the Endeavonrs that have been used in the last four Reigâ—s for bringing the Subjects of this Kingdom to a Unity in Religion have been ineffectual as His Majesty says we know to whom we owe both the first beginnings and the progress of the Divisions among our selves the gentleness of Q. Elizabeth's Government and the numbers of those that adhered to the Church of Rome made it scarce possible to put an end to that Party during her Reign which has been ever since restless and has had Credit enough at Court during the three last Reigns not only to suâ—pâ—rt it self but to distract us and to divert us from apprehending the danger of being swallowed up by them by fomenting our own Diffâ—rences and by setting on either a Toleration or a Pâ—rsecuâ—iâ—n as it has happened to serve their Interests It is not so very long since that nothing was to be heard at Coâ—rt but the supporting the Church of England and the Extirpating all the Nonconformists and it were easie to name the persons if it were decent that had this in their Mouths but now all is turned round again the Church of England is in Disgrace and now the Encouragement of Trade the Quiet of the Nation and the Freedom of Conscience are again in Vogue that were such odious things but a few Years ago that the very mentioning them was enough to load any man with Suspicious as backward in the King's Service while such Methods are used and the Government is as in an Ague divided between hot and cold fits no wonder if Laws so unsteadily executed have faâ—led of their effect V. There is a good reserve here left for Severity when the proper Opportunity to set it on presents it self for his Majesty declares himself only against the forcing of men in matters of meet Religion so that whensoever Religion and Pâ—licy come to be so interwoven that meer Religion is not the Case and that publick Safety may be preteâ—ded then thiâ— Declaration is to bâ— no moâ—e claimed so that the fastning any thing upon the Protestant Religion that is inconsistent with the publick Peace will be pretended to shew that they are no persecuted for meer Religion In France when it was resolved to extirpate the Protestants all the Discourses that were written on that Subject were full of the Wars occasiâ—ned by those of the Religion in the last Age tho as these was the happy Occaâ—â—ons of bringing the House of Bâ—uâ—bon to the Crown they had been ended above 80 Years ago and there had not been so much as the least Tumulâ— raised by them these 50 Years past so that the French who have smarted under this Severity could not be charged with the least Infraction of the Law yet Stories of a huddred years old were raised up to inspire into the King those Apprehensions of them which â—ave produced the terrible effects that are visible to all the World There is another Expression in this Declaration which lets us likewise see with what Caution the Offers of Favour are now worded that so there may be an Occasion given when the Time and Conjuncture shall be favourable to break through them all it is in these words So that they take especial Care that nothing be preached or taught amongst them which may any ways tend to alienate the Hearts of our people from us or our Goverment This in it self is very reasonable and could admit of no Exception if we had not to do with a set of men who to our great Misfortune have so much Credit with His Majesty and who will be no sooner lodged in the Power to which they pretend then they will make every thing that is preached against Popery pass for that which may in some manner alienate the Sabjects from the King VI. His Majesty makes no doubt of tthe Concurrence of his Two Houses of Parliament when he shall think it convenient for them to meet The Hearts of King are unsearchable so that it is a little too presumptuous to look into His hajesties secret Thoughts but according to the Judgments that we would make of other mens Thoughts by their Actions one would betâ—mpted to think that his Majesty made some doubt of it since his Affairs both at home and abroad could not go the worse if it appeared that there were a perfect understanding between Him and his Parliament and that his people were supporting him with fresh Supplies and this House of Commons is so much at his Devotion that all the World saw how ready they were to rant every thing that he could desire of them till he began to lay off the Mask with relation to the Test and since that time the frequent Prorogations the Closetting and the pains that has been taken to gain Members by Promises made to some and the Disgraces of others would make one a little Inclined to think that some doubt was made of their Concurrence But we must confess that the depth of His Majesties Judgment is such that we cannot fathom it and therefore we cannot guess what his Doubts or his Assurances are It is true the words that come after unriddle the
it is a Body united together and by consequence brought under some Regulation and as in all States there are subalterne Judges in whose decisions all must at least acquiesce tho they are not infallible there being still a sort of an apperl to be made to the Sovereign or the supream legislative Body so the Church has a subalterne Jurisdiction but as the authority of inferiour Judges is still regulated and none but the Legislators themselves have an Authority equal to the Law so it is not necessary for the preservation of Peace and Order that the Decisions of the Church should be infallible or of equal Authority with the Scriptures If Judges do so manifestly abuse their Authority that they fall into Rebellon and Treason the Subjects are no more bound to consider them but are obliged to resist them and to maintain their obedience to their Soveraign tho in other matters their Judgment must take place till they are reversed by the Sovereign The case of Religion being then this That Iesus Christ is the Sovereign of the Church the Assembly of the Pastors is only a subalterne Judge if they manifestly oppose themselves to the Screptures which is the Law of Christians particular persons may be supposed as competent Iudges of that as in civil Matters they may be of the Rebellion of the Judges and in that case they are bound still to maintain their Obedience to Jesus Christ. In matters indifferent Christians are bound for the preservation of Peace Unity to acquiesce in the Decisions of the Church and in Matters justly doubtful or of small Consequence tho they are convinced that the Pastors have erred yet they are obliged to be silent and to bear tolerable things rather than make a Breach but if it is visible that the Pastors do Rebel against the Sovereign of the Church I mean Christ the people may put in their Appeal to that great Judge and there it must lie If the Church did use this Authority with due Discretion and the people followed the rules that I have named with humility and modesty there would be no great danger of many Divisions but this is the great Secret of the providence of God that men are still men and both Pastors and People mix their Passions and Interests so with matters of Religion that as there is a great deal of sin and vice still in the World so that appears in the Matters of Religion as well as in other things but the ill Consequences of this tho they are bad enough yet are not equal Effects that ignorant Superstition and obedient Zeal have produced in the World Witness the Rebellions and Wars lot establishing the Worship of Images the Croissades against the Saracens in which many millions were lost those against Hereticks and Princes deposed by Popes which lasted for some Ages and the Massacre of Paris with the Butcheries of the Duke of Alvâ—in the last Age and that of Ireland in this which are I suppose far greater Mischâ—â—â—s that any can be Imagined to 〈◊〉 out of a small Diversâ—â— of Opinions and the present 〈◊〉 of this Church notwithstanding all those unhappy Rents that are in it is a much more desirable thing than the gross Ignorance and blind Superstition that reigns in Italy and Spain at this day IX All these reasonings concerning the Infallibility of the Church signify nothing unless we can certainly know whither we must go for this Decision for while one Party shewes us that it must be in the Pope or is no where and another Party sayes it Cannot be in the Pope because as many Popes have erred so this is a Doctrine that was not known in the Church for a thousand Years and that has been disputed ever since it was first asserted we are in the right to believe both sides first that if it is not in the Pope it is no where and than that certainly it is not in the Pope and it is very Incongruous to say that there is an Insallible Authority in the Church and that yet it is not certain where one must seek for it for the one ought to be as clear as the other and it is also plain that what Primacy so ever St. Peter may be supposed to have had the Scripture sayes not one word of his Successors at Rome so at lâ—st this is not so clear as a matter of this Consequence must have been if Christ had intended to have lodged such an Authority in that See X. It is no less Incongruous to say that this Infallibility is in a General Council for it must be somewhere else otherwise it will return only to the Church by some Starts and after long intervals and as it was not in the Church for the first 320 years so it has not been in the Church these last 120 years It is plain also that there is no Regulation given in the Scriptures concerning this great Assembly who have a right to come and Vote and what forfeit this right and what number must concur in 〈…〉 Infalliâ—â—lity of the Judgment It is certain there was never a General Council of all the Pastors of the Church for those of which we have the Acts were only the Councils of the Roman Empire but for those Churches that were in the South of Africk or the Eastern Parts of Asia beyond the bounds of the Roman Empire as they could not be summoned by the Emperours Authority so it is certain none of them were present unless one or two of Persia at Nice which perhaps was a Corner of Persia belonging to the Empire and unless it can be proved that the Pope has an Absolute Authority to cut off whole Churches from their right of coming to Councils there has been no General Council these last 700 years in the World ever since the Bishops of Rome have excommunicated all the Greek Churches upon such trifling reasons that their own Writers are nâ—w ashmed of them and I will ask no more of a Man of a Competent understanding to satisfy him that the Council of Trent was no General Council acting in that Freedom that became Bishops than that he will be at the pains to read Card. Pallavicins History of that Council XI If it is said that this Infallibility is to be sought for in the Tradition of the Doctrine in all Ages and that every particular Person must examine this here is a Sea before him and instead of examining the small Book of the N. Testament he is involved in a study that must cost a Man an Age to go thro it and many of the Ages thro which he carries this Enquiry are so dark and have produced so few Writers at least so few are preserved to our dayes that it is not possible to find out their belief We find also Traditions have varied so much that it is hard to say that there is much weight to be laid on this way of Conveyance A Tradition concerning Matters of Fact that aâ—l People see