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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	authority_n	church_n	person_n	1,479	5	5.0691	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65706	The fallibility of the Roman Church demonstrated from the manifest error of the 2d Nicene & Trent Councils, which assert that the veneration and honorary worship of images is a tradition primitive and apostolical.	Whitby, Daniel, 1638-1726.	1687 (1687)	Wing W1728; ESTC R8848	85,812	92

all Persons who do not profess that our Lord was circumscribed as to his Humanity and therefore they pronounced this Anathema on all who held That his Humanity was present in the Sacrament by way of Transubstantiation since 't is agreed on all hands that his Body is not there circumscribed or present after the manner of a Body And so much for the Observations which concern the things delivered in the second Nicene Council What follows from the Doctrine here established against the Tenets of the Romish Church and the Assertions of the Guide of Controversies is as followeth 1. Hence it is evident That in Judges subordinate dissenting R. H. Disc 2. c. 3. §. 23. p. 100. there is no Universal Practice obliging us to adhere to the Superior or in those of the same order and dignity to the Major part For neither could Christians be obliged to adhere to this false decision of the Pope and second Nicene Council nor did the Councils of Frankford Paris or the German French or British Churches think themselves obliged so to do 2. Here also it is evident in the judgment of these Councils and Churches R. H. Disc 1. c. 3. That the subordinate Clergy may be a Guide to Christians when opposing the Superior for so these Councils and Churches thought themselves when they opposed the Pope of Rome and the Decrees of the second Nicene Council and so undoubtedly they were provided the Decisions of that Council approved by the the Pope be false 3. Here also is demonstrated the fulness of that Assertion of R. H. That Christians ought to submit to the Decisions of such Church Guides declaring the Sense of the Fathers Disc 2. c. 2. §. 19. the sense which was imposed on them by the Nicene Synod being notoriously false and by the forementioned Councils and Churches declared so to be 4. R. H. Disc 3. c. 2. §. 13. Hence it follows That if acceptance of a considerable part of Church-Governors absent from any Council is that and only that which renders it equivalent to a General Council The second Nicene Council for 500 Years after their sitting could not be General seeing the greatest part of the Western Church-Governors were absent from it and for 500 Years did not accept of its Decrees but reject condemn and abhor them and how it should become after so long a Period what for so many Years it was not I am yet to learn. 5. Disc 3. c. 3. §. 16. Hence it must follow That if according to R. H. all Persons dissenting from and opposing a known definition of the Church in Matters of-Faith be Hereticks Then must that of the second Nicene Council be no Definition of the Church in Matters of Faith or all the forementioned Councils and Churches that so long dissented from and opposed it must have been Hereticks during that whole time and consequently the Pope himself and all that Communicated with them for five Centuries must be unchurched also 6. Hence we Demonstratively learn That Councils by the Church of Rome reputed general may confidently pronounce Anathema's put their Decrees into their Creeds and call Men Hereticks who disown them as did the second Nicene Council when yet it is extreamly evident that their Decrees are false their Anathema's wicked and unjust and they whom they stile Hereticks may be Good and Orthodox professors of Christianity 7. Disc 3. c. 10. p. 314. Hence it appears how absurdly R. H. and other Romanists assert That none can be sufficient Judges of the Misarguings of Councils unless it be some following Councils of the same Authority and that private Men can by no better way learn what is Tradition but from the Church speaking by her Councils and that Apostolical Tradition cannot be known but by the Judgment of the present Church for sure our Reason was given us for little purpose if it cannot serve us to discover that this Nicene Council hath argued amiss and delivered that as Apostolical Tradition which was far from being truly such 8. Hence also we may learn the vanity of the Objections framed against the use of Reason in judging of the Truth or Falshood of Things defined by such Councils viz. That it is great pride for private Persons to oppose their Judgments to the Definition of a General Council to think they can see clearly what so many Persons could not see With many other things of a like Nature urged with much Rhetorick but with more weakness by the Roman Catholicks for in such Cases as these are the private Person doth not rely upon his private Judgment but on his Judgment concurring with the Judgment of all Learned Protestants in this and former Ages and of the whole Church of Christ for Six Centuries and with the major part of the Western Church for so many more and with the Confessions of many learned Persons of the Church of Rome And what absurdity it is to prefer the Judgment of so many joyn'd with the clearest evidence of Scripture what pride to follow the Evidence produced here let any reasonable Person judge Lastly Because some Persons take the liberty to say The Church of Rome and her Councils do not require Men to venerate to worship or bow down to Images let them know that their Trent Council hath decreed Sess 5. eis debitum honorem venerationem impartiendam esse that due honour and veneration is to be imparted to them according to the Definition of the second Nicene Council And that the Fathers of that Council generally say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (p) Act. 2. p. 130 132 133 135. Act. 3. p. 183 189 192. I worship and adore the Sacred Images and anathematize those who do not so confess or practise In the 7th Session they declare We should (q) P. 555. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 salute and give them honorary Worship In the same Session they declare That it is without doubt acceptable and well-pleasing to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to worship and salute the Images of Christ the Blessed Virgin of Angels and all Saints Adding That if any one doubt or be wavering touching the Worship of Holy Images (r) Act. 7. P. 584. vid. Act. 4. p. 248. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Holy Synod assisted by the Holy Ghost doth Anathematize him The (s) Part. 3. Ch. 2. §. 24. Roman Catechism enjoins the Parish Priest to declare That Images of Saints are placed in the Church ut colantur that they may be worshipped and they have forced those who held the contrary to renounce it as Heresy When therefore any English or French Papists tell us That they do not venerate or bow down to Images or that the Church of Rome doth not enjoin them so to do they either know not what their Church doth teach or wilfully prevaricate all Roman Catholicks being obliged by these Councils and taught by this Catechism to pay this Veneration and Worship to them Mendae sic

instruct the People to teach them diligently That the Images of Christ the Mother of God and other Saints are especially to be had and retained in Temples and that due Honour and Veneration is to be given to them because the Honour tendred to them is referr'd to the Prototype so that by the Images which they kiss before which they uncover their Heads and prostrate themselves they worship Christ and venerate the Saints whose Similitudes they are And this say they is done (p) J●xta Catholicae Apostolicae Ecclesiae usum à primaevis Christianae Religionis temporibus receptum Sanctorumque Patrum consensionem Sess 25. according to the custom of the Catholick and Apostolick Church received from the first Age of the Christian Faith and the consent of the Holy Fathers § 2. On the other hand the Council of Constantinople consisting of 338 Bishops assembled in the Year 754 declares That (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Nic. 2. p. 452. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 508. this evil invention of Images neither hath its being from the Tradition of Christ or his Apostles nor of the Holy Fathers And having forbidden all Christians to worship any or to place an Image in the Church or in their private Houses they conclude unanimously thus (r) Ibid. p. 532. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is the Faith of the Apostles this is the Faith of the Fathers this is the Faith of the Orthodox The Council of Frankford consisting of 300 Bishops assembled by Charles the Great out of Italy Germany and France A. D. 794. declares That the (s) Quia ut hoc facerent ab Apostolis sibi traditum mentiebantur Lib. Carol. l. 2. c. 25 27. second Nicene Council had offended in two things 1. in decreeing that Images should be worshipped And 2. in saying falsly that this was delivered to them from the Apostles They add That (t) Relictis priscorum patrum traditionibus qui imagines non colere sanxerunt novas conari insolitas Ecclesiae consuetudines inferre Praesat in lib. 1. leaving the Traditions of the Ancient Fathers who decreed That Images should not be worshipped they endeavoured to bring into the Church new and unusual Customs That they endeavoured to bring into Christian Religion the new Adoration of Images (u) Absque Sanctorum Patrum doctrina consacerdotum per diversas mundi partes consensu L. 4. c. 21. without the Doctrine of the Holy Fathers and the consent of their fellow Priests throughout the World. That this of Image-Worship was (w) Praefat. p. 10. impudentissima traditio a most impudent Tradition And that this pretended Tradition was (x) Neque in Evangeliorum tonitruis neque in Apostolorum dogmatibus vel quorumlibet Orthodoxorum Patrum doctrinis uspiam reperimus insertam L. 4. c. 13. neither to be found in the Oracles of the Prophets nor in the Writings of the Gospels nor in the Doctrines of the Apostles nor in the Relations of the former Holy Synods nor in the Doctrines of the Orthodox Fathers That it was instituted by them nullo Antiquitatis documento vel exemplo without all Instruction or Example from Antiquity A Synod held at Paris under Ludovicus Pius and Lotharius Anno Dom. 824 saith That the (y) Contra Authoritatem divinam sanctorum Patrum dicta P. 23. second Nicene Council declared for Image-worship against the Divine Authority and the Sayings of the Holy Fathers And that (z) Ed. Pith. p. 25 26. they determined against the Worship of them according to Divine Authority and juxta sententias sanctorum Patrum according to the Judgments of the Holy Fathers Agobardus Bishop of Lions having declared against all Image-worship saith (a) L. de Imag. §. 30. p. 263. This is sincere Religion is Mos Catholicus haec Antiqua Patrum Traditio this is the Catholick Custom this is the Ancient Tradition of the Fathers as is easily proved even out of the Book of Sacraments which the Roman Church useth And again (b) Nullus Antiquorum Catholicorum unquam eas colendas vel adorandas fore existimavit P. 265. None of the Ancient Catholicks did ever think that Images were to be worshipped or adored Hincmarus Arch bishop of Rhemes informs us That (c) Secundum Scripturarum tramitem traditionémque Majorum Opusc 55. cap. 20. this Nicene Synod was condemned and evacuated by a General Synod call'd by the Emperor Charles the Great according to the way of the Scripture and the Tradition of the Ancients (d) De Gestis Franc. Lib. 5. cap. 28. Aimoinus also complains of them That they had decreed touching the Adoration of Images alitèr quàm Orthodoxi Patres antea definierunt otherwise than the Orthodox Fathers had before defined In that Synod saith (e) In èa Synodo confirmatum st Imagines adorari debere quod omnino Ecclesia Dei execratur Annal. Part. 1. ad An. 791. Roger Hoveden it was confirmed that Images should be adored which the Church of God doth wholly execrate Now in this Matter let the Truth lie where you please 't is sure no little Prejudice against receiving any thing as a Tradition upon the evidence of a few single Fathers in Matters of meer Speculation as some Traditionary Doctrines of the Church of Rome most surely are that in a thing of this Nature which must be either daily practised or omitted by the Church whole Councils of 300 Bishops at the least in the same Age maintain such contradictory Assertions one saying frequently and expresly That this was the Doctrine of the Apostles and all the Ancient Fathers the others as expresly That it never was the Doctrine of either of them One That this was the practice of all faithful Christians the other That they never found it practised by any of the Orthodox Professors But though such contradictory Assertions in another Case might cause a wary Person to suspend his assent to either of them yet I am confident that whosoever is unprejudiced must in this case give in his Verdict against the Doctrine and Assertions of the Trent and of the second Nicene Council § 3. For notwithstanding all the confident Assertions of these Councils the Testimonies of the Ancient Fathers are so full and clear against that Honour and Veneration of Images which by these Councils is imposed upon all Christians with an Anathema to them who do assert or even think the contrary that he who doth impartially read them and doth not conclude that the whole Church of Christ did for 500 Years and more condemn this practice and in plain terms or by just consequence assert they had no such Tradition cannot sustain much loss if he quite want the use of Reason For 1. the Fathers do expresly say The Church of Christ hath no such Custom or Tradition (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apud 2 Nic. Concil Act. 6. p. 492. We Christians saith Theodotus have no Tradition to form the Images of Saints