Quotations and feigned Tales to set up the Credit of the Roman Church and its corrupt Opinions and Practices that to discover them all would require almost as many Volumes as his Annals make So that we must content our selves with some of the plainest Instances which fall into this Matter of the Councils and will set them in a clear Light and shew they are as contrary to Reason as they are to true History Which Vndertaking we hope will be many ways useful First It will tend to the ease of those who intend to read over the Tomes of the Councils or the Annals of Baronius and save them much time and pains by presenting the principal Errors of those great Volumes at one View which they would spend a long time in searching after if they were to gather them up as they lye dispersed Secondly It may be very useful to those who desire to be rightly informed in the Controversies between us and the Roman Church because it will give them a clear prospect of what Councils and other Antiquities are Authentic and may be allowed for Evidence in this Dispute wherein our Adversaries have so little regard to their own Honour that generally one half of their Evidence is such as they have either forged or corrupted Thirdly It will be necessary by way of Antidote to prepare those who by reading Books so full of Infection may by these plausible Falsifications be in danger to be seduced into a great esteem of the Opinions and Practices of the Roman Church when they find so many seemingly ancient Tracts and Councils brought in to justifie her in all things and see by this false Light all Ecclesiastical History and Records so modelled as to perswade their Readers That in the purest Christian Times all things were believed and done in the Catholic Church just as they are now at Rome But when it shall appear that all this is a continued Series and train of Impostures it will render their Notions and Practices not only suspected but odious as needing such vile and base Artifices to make them seem agreeable to true Antiquity To this it may be Objected That divers of the Modern Writers of this Church and especially the most Learned do now own divers of these Forgeries which we here detect to have been spurious and therefore it seems needless to prove that which they have already granted us I reply That none of them own all these Corruptions and divers of their Authors cite them very confidently to this very day and still the things themselves stand in their most approved Editions of Councils and the Remarks are only in Marginal Notes But since they were believed in those Ages while their Supremacy and other Novel Doctrins were setting up and were urged for good Proofs till these Opinions had taken root it is not satisfaction enough to renounce that Evidence of which they now have no more need unless they disclaim the Doctrins also to which they first gave Credit And till they do this it is fit the World should know by what False-Evidence they first gained these Points For if a Man should get an Estate by Bribing his Jury and his Witnesses it is not enough for him to confess these Persons were Suborned unless he restore the Ill-gotten Lands and till he restore them he ought to be upbraided with his Bribery even after he hath acknowledged it Secondly It may be alledged That Junius River and Daillé abroad Perkins Cook and James at home have taken great pains on this Subject and that the Learned Author of the Historical Examination of the Authority of General Councils printed at London 1688. hath already handled this Argument I Answer That the Six former are chiefly concerned in the Tracts of particular Fathers and make few Remarks on the Councils The last indeed keeps close to the Great Councils but passes over the Small ones and any who compares this Discourse with that will find the Design the Method and Instances so different that this Discourse will still be useful in its kind as that will be also For here in an acurate Order all the Frauds of that Church are put together throughout every Century not only what have been observed by others but many now first taken notice of and not observed before And indeed the Instances of these Frauds are so many that we have been forced to give but brief Touches upon divers of the Particulars and could neither enlarge upon single Instances nor adorn the Style our business being chiefly to direct the younger Students in Ecclesiastical Antiquity and if our Remarks be but so clear as to be understood by and useful to them we have our Aim And it is hoped this may suffice to prove That the genuine Records of Councils do condemn the Modern Doctrin Worship and Discipline of the Roman Church and that whatever in these Editions of them seems to countenance those things are Forgeries and Corruptions devised on purpose to set a false gloss upon their Modern Inventions The Methodical Discovery whereof may convince any unprejudiced Man That Ours is the truly Ancient and Catholic Religion and Theirs a Device of later times which cannot be rendred any way agreeable to the Primitive Writings without innumerable Impostures and Falsifications A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE Roman Forgeries IN THE VOLUMES OF THE COUNCILS For the First Three Centuries PART I. CHAPTER I. Of the Forgeries in the First Century § 1. THE Volumes of the COUNCILS in the Edition of Labbe and Cossartius begin with divers Tracts and in Binius's Edition with several Epistles designed to prepossess the Reader with false Notions of the Popes supreme Power over Councils and his Parties high Reverence for them as also of the Protestants having corrupted or else rejected the greatest part of them But this whole Discourse will sufficiently shew the notorious untruth both of their boasting concerning Their own side and of their Censures concerning Ours In the Account of Scripture Councils where they pretend to recite the words of Scripture they add for to give colour to their new Supremacy That Peter stood up as the Principal and Head (a) Lab. Tom. III. pag. 18. Bin. Tom. I. par 1. pag. 1. And again as the Supreme and Head (b) Ibid. pag. 20. Bin. pag. 2. S. Luke in the Acts Chap. VI. 2. saith The Twelve Apostles gave the multitude leave to elect Seven Deacons Binius's Notes say They had this leave by the favour and grant of Peter (c) Bin. pag. 1. col 2. F. S. Luke Chap. XV. declares That the Question about Circumcision was finally determined by S. James who also cited Scripture for his determination ver 16 17. But Binius's Notes say This matter was determined not by Scripture but by the Suffrage of the Apostles and by the Judgment of Peter (d) Lab. pag. 20. Bin. pag 2. col 1. The same Notes a little after tell us That this Council committed the care of the
Roman Forgeries IN THE COUNCILS During the First Four CENTURIES Together with An APPENDIX Concerning the FORGERIES and ERRORS IN THE ANNALS OF BARONIUS By THOMAS COMBER D. D. Prebend of YORK LONDON Printed by Samuel Roycroft for Robert Clavell at the Peacock at the West-End of S. Pauls 1689. many of that Order have not the Advantage or the Opportunity to acquire this Knowledge from the Original Authors and therefore are forced to seek it in the Roman Editions of the Councils and the Modern Historians of that Church Where every thing is misrepresented and placed in so False a Light that its hard to find out what is Truth Some of the genuine Remains of Antiquity they have concealed but they have falsified and altered more and added so much to the Primitive Records especially in the first Four Centuries that near Three Parts of Four both in Baronius and the Councils are modern Forgeries manifest Legends and impertinent Excursions into Sophistical Vindications of the later Doctrins and Practices of Rome It would therefore be a Work worthy of this excellent Church in so Learned an Age to make an acurate Collection of that and only that which is true and certain in the Primitive History and Councils 'T is true divers Eminent Men have made some steps toward it but it is too great an Vndertaking for any One Man to accomplish as appears by that generous Project of Dr. Thomas James Proposed to the Most Learned Primate of Ireland to employ a Select Company of both Universities with due Assistances and Encouragement for the perfecting this Design Wherefore in the mean time it may be serviceable to gather together some Materials for so Noble a purpose and that first encouraged me to make these Observations as I was Reading the Annals of Baronius with the Councils Which I have by the Advice of some of my Friends Methodically digested in this little Tract and I hope it may be useful not only to direct such as apply themselves to this kind of Study but also to confirm others of Our own Communion in their firm Adherence to their Excellent Religion when they see so many plain Evidences That all the Roman Churches Pretences to Antiquity both in Doctrin and Worship are founded on and maintained by little else but those Forgeries and Corruptions by which they Imposed upon the Ignorant and Easie World for Six or Seven Centuries together These Pious Frauds as They counted them did indeed then advance their Interest and establish their Errors but now when they are detected by this Discerning Generation they prove their utter Shame and did not Secular Advantages and Implicit Faith or Fear and Inquisitions hinder those under their Yoke from being acquainted or however from owning these unfaithful Actings of their Spiritual Guides These Discoveries would not only secure Our People but make many Converts from Them. But My Lord whatever the Work or the Success be I am obliged to lay it at Your Graces Feet as the first thing I have made Public since Your Graces happy Advancement to the Government of this Church whereof I am a Member and wherein by Your Graces Influence I shall study to serve the Primitive-Protestant-Church of England Which I beseech Almighty GOD to defend from all its Enemies and long to preserve Your Grace to be a Support and an Honour to it So Prays MY LORD York Aug. 20. 1689. Your Graces most Dutiful Son and Servant THO COMBER THE Introduction WHen Campian long ago undertook to defend the Roman Cause he boasted that He was strengthned with the firm and powerful Guard of all the Councils and that all the General Councils were on his side (a) Campian decem rat pag. 24 30. Which vain Brag the Writers from the Roman Church do frequently repeat to this very day But he that with Judgment and Diligence shall peruse their own allowed Editions of the Councils will easily discover the falshood of this Assertion For there is such â—dding and expunging such altering and disguising things in the Body of the Councils and such excusing falsifying and shuffling in the Notes that a Judicious Reader will soon perceive these Venerable Records truly set down and explained do not favour them But these Corruptions are carried on with such Confidence and Cunning that an unexeperienced and unwary Student may be imposed on by this specious shew of Venerable Antiquity For their sakes therefore it 's necessary to take a short view of that Fraud and Policy which is so commonly made use of in those Editions of the Councils which pass through the Roman Mint especially in those which are in most use among us viz. The Edition of Severinus Binius (b) Edit Binii Concil omn. Colon. 1618 and that of Labbé and Cossartius (c) Edit Lab. Cossart Paris An. 1671. wherein Binius his Notes are printed verbatim Which useful design was begun by a Learned and Ingenious Gentleman in a Tract entituled Roman Forgeries printed at London An. 1673 But that Author doth not follow the exact order of Time nor doth he go much beyond the Nicene Council and even in that Period he left out many plain Instances And whereas he died before he had proceeded any further I resolved to begin where he left off But for Methods sake and to make this Discourse more entire I have begun with the first Century and so proceeded according to the order of the several Councils only writing more briefly upon the Three first Centuries which were largely treated of in that Author before deducing the account of these Impostures down to the end of the Fourth Century and shewing as I go along what Artifices have been used by the Editors and Annotator to dress up these Ancient Evidences so as to make them look favourably upon their great Diana the Supremacy and other Corruptions of the Roman Church To this end they have published many spurious Councils many counterfeit Canons and forged Decretals and for such as are genuine they have frequently altered the Text both by Additions and Diminutions and have so disguised the Sense by partial and fallacious Notes that it will be evident by the Remarks here made upon them their business in the publishing these Volumes was not to promote the Truth but to serve a Party Nor can any thing else be expected from Binius his Notes which as he owns in his Preface He took out of Baronius Bellarmin and Possevin The design of which three Men saith Richerius an ingenuous Sorbon Doctor is evident to all Men to have been no other but to prove the Pope was appointed by Christ to be the absolute Monarch and Infallible Judge of his Church (d) Richer Praef. ad hist Concil pag. 4. And since the Notes chiefly follow Baronius we have as we go along in every Period noted several of the designed Falshoods and of the Contradictions Errors and Mistakes in his Annals Which History is so full of Forgeries false
Bishop of Chester proves these were only two names of the same Person (e) Cestriens diss 2. cap. 1. But the Notes attempt to justifie the forged Pontifical by impudently affirming (f) Lab. pag. 74. Bin. pag. 25. col 1. that Ignatius Anacletus contemporary Irenaeus Eusebius St. Augustine and Optatus were all mistaken or all wronged by their Transcribers who leave out Cletus But every Candid Reader will rather believe the Mistake to be in the Pontifical which is a meer heap of Errors and in the Roman Martyrology and Missal which blindly follow it rather than in those Eminent and Ancient Fathers And every one may see the Folly of the Romish Church which Venerates two several Saints on two several Days one of which never had a real Being for Cletus is but the abbreviation of Anacletus his Name § 8. After this we have the Life of Clement wherein the Pontifical makes him succeed Cletus under those Consuls which were in Office the next year after S. Peter's Martyrdom though he had assigned 23 years to Linus and Cletus his pretended Predecessors (g) Lab. pag. 75. Bin. pag. 25. col 1. which years must all be expired in one years compass if this Account be true and one would admire the stupidity of this Author who though he had placed S. Peters Death so many years before Clement's Entrance as to leave room for two intermediate Popes yet here again repeats his old Fable of S. Peters delivering the Bishopric of Rome to Clement a sufficient proof there is neither Truth nor Certainty in the pretended Personal Succession of the first Popes § 9. From this Pope Clement down to the time of Syricius who lived 300 years after him there are printed in these Editors after every Popes Life divers Decretal Epistles pretended to be writ by the several Popes and Vindicated by Binius's Notes annexed to them Which were received in the Western Church for many Hundred years together as the genuine Decrees of these ancient and pious Popes transcribed into the Canon Law and cited for many Ages to justifie the Usurpations and defend the Corruptions of the Roman Church to determine Causes and decide Controversies in Religion And yet they are all notorious Forgeries so that since Learning was revived divers of the most Eminent Roman Writers have rejected them Card. Cusanus affirms That being compared with the times in which they are pretended to have been Writ they betray themselves (h) Cusan de Concord Cath. l. 3. Baronius calls them Late invented Evidences of no Credit and Apocryphal (i) Baron An. 865. §. 7. An. 102. § 6 7 yea Labbé and Cossartius have in their Edition a Learned Preface to them proving them to be forged (k) Labbé pag. 78. And in their Margin write almost against every Epistle This is suspected This is Isidores Wares c. and also note the very places of Authors who lived long after these Times out of which large Passages in them are stollen Verbatim Which clear Confession of our Adversaries may make some think it needless to confute them and unnecessary to charge this Forgery upon the Roman Church But I cannot think it fit wholly to pass them by because Turrian the Jesuit had the Confidence to defend them all as genuine and Binius in his Edition not only Vindicates them by a general Preface (l) Bin. pag. 26. col 1. but by particular Notes labours to prove most of them Authentic and Labbé himself prints those Notes at large in his Edition so that such as do not look into his Margen may be deceived Besides this Confession of some Romanists comes too late to compensate for the injury done to the Truth by their Churches approving them so long And they still keep up the Supremacy and all their corrupt Practices and Opinions which were set up and cherished by these Forgeries they now take away the Scaffolds when the Building can stand alone they execute the Traytor but enjoy freely the benefit of his Treason Moreover while some Romanists condemn them others go on to cite them for good Authority Harding brags he had proved many Points of Faith by the Epistles of Clement Damasus Julius Melchiades Pontianus Sixtus Soter and Symmachus (m) Hard. against Jewel pag. 22. Dr. Tho. James shews the particular corrupt Doctrines and Practices which the late Roman Writers defend by the spurious Epistles of Clement Marcellus Marcus and Hormisda (n) Dr. James Cor. of Fath. Part l. pag. 4 20 69. And the Learned Cook with infinite diligence hath cited the very Places of the Modern Champions for the Roman Opinions and shewed what Doctrines and Practices they do maintain by these Forged Epistles (o) Rob. Coci Censura Patr. per totum It is also well known that the Late Scriblers for that Religion do follow Bellarmin and Others in citing these Decretals for good Authority and that the Canon Law is in a great measure composed out of these Epistles by which Causes are determined at this day in all Popish Countries Therefore till the Romanists raze them and the Notes in their defence out of the Volumes of the Councils and expunge all the false Notions taken hence out of their Canon Law yea and leave citing them in their Disputes with us we cannot think it needless to shew the apparent Forgery of them but we will not enlarge so as to disprove the Particulars but put together here our Evidence against them all § 10. These Epistles though pretended to be writ in the first four Centuries were never heard of in the World till near 800 years after Christ About which time came out a Collection of Councils under the name of Isidore Hispalensis but whereas he died An. 636 and this Collector mentions the XIth Council of Toledo and the Sixth General Council which were held near Fifty years after this appears not to be the Work of that Isidore but of one Isidore Mercator and it was first brought into France by Riculphus B. of Mentz in which Collection these Decretal Epistles first appeared but the Learned Hincmarus of Rheims immediately discerned them to be an imposture and Writ against them as Baronius confesseth (p) Baron Annal An. 865. §. 4 5 6 7 8. But though he own the Cheat he is not willing to grant the Roman Church had any hand in it yet that is as clear as the Forgery because Hincmarus was hated and prosecuted by the Pope and forced at last to Recant his Censure of these Epistles and not long after Benedictus Levitae having Transcrib'd divers Passages out of them into his Capitulars got them confirmed at Rome which could not but cherish so advantagious a Fiction that supported the Supremacy which they then did so hotly stickle for and therefore though they came first to the Birth in Spain some conjecture they were all Hatched at Rome whose evil Designs and Interest they are contrived to serve
Pontifical tells us did Sacrifice to Idols (a) Lab. p. 930. Bin. pag. 174. col 2. and S. Augustine in the Notes plainly supposes it to be true Yet the Annotator who dares not deny it labours to Amuse the Reader by saying this Story may be plainly refuted and proved false by divers probable Reasons out of Baronius but because their Missals and Martyrology do own the thing he will not go that way to Work What then Doth he clearly charge the Infallible Judge with Apostacy No he saith He seemed to deny the Faith by External acts that is Sacrificing to Idols Yet by his Internal acts it seems Binius knew his thoughts he did not believe any thing contrary to the Faith And truly this is an early Instance of Jesuitical Equivocation But we may make the same Excuse for all the Apostates in the World and it is plain the Notes care not what they say to protect their dear Infallibility against the most convincing Truths About the very time of this Pope 's Apostacy was held a Council at Cirta in Africk and though S. Augustine the Author from whom they have all they know about it say not one Word of Marcellinus Yet the Editors and Annotator both put in these Words that it was under Marcellinus (b) Lab. p. 936. Bin. pag. 177. col 1 2. Where I cannot but wonder that since they have invented a Council in the same year to set poor Marcellinus Right again after his Apostacy they did not place that Council first and then their reconciled Penitent might with a better Grace have sat at Cirta and Condemned such as fell in the Persecution But the most Infamous Forgery is the Ridiculous Council of Sinuessa (c) Lab. p. 938. Bin. pag. 178. devised by some dull Monk who could write neither good Sense nor true Latin inspired only by a blind Zeal for the Roman Church whose Infallible Head must be cleared from Apostacy though it be by the absurdest Fictions imaginable For he feigns this Apostate Pope met Three-hundred Bishops near Sinuessa in Dioclesian's time in a Cave which would hold but Fifty of them at once and their business was only to hear Marcellinus condemn himself and to tell him he could be Judged by none The two first Copies of this Council were so stuffed with Barbarisms false Latin and Nonsense and so contrary to each other that some Body took Pains out of both to devise a third Copy and by changing and adding at pleasure brought it at last to some tolerable Sense Surius and Binius print all three Copies but Labbè and the Collectio regia leave out the two Originals and only publish the Third drest up by a late Hand which in time may pass for the true account of this Council But the two first Copies in Binius yet extant will give the Reader a good proof into what depths of Ignorance the Monks were fallen when such Unintelligible and Incoherent stuff as this and the Letters Forged between the Council of Nice and Pope Sylvester which are in the same Style were designed to support the Roman Supremacy and Infallibility I shall not reflect upon the Absurdity of making the Pope his own Judge when he denies the Fact nor the Contradiction of the Councils saying often They must not judge him and yet declaring soon after That they have Condemned him (d) Bin. p. 179. 180 183. Whoever will but read this Council over shall find diversion enough if Blunders and Dulness be diverting to them I shall therefore principally note the gross Partiality and Fallacies of the Notes in colouring over this bare-faced Forgery First the Annotator accuses the Century Writers and English Innovators for rejecting this Rare Council as a Forgery of the Donatists he should have said of the Romish Monks yet he makes more Objections against it than he himself can answer Protestants wonder that Three-hundred Bishops should dare to meet in times of Persecution He replies a far less number did meet on a slighter occasion Fifty years before which is but a very indifferent Proof Well but to magnify the occasion he saith By this Pope's fall not only the Roman Church but the whole Christian Religion was in extreme danger and in the President of the Catholic Faith the very Foundation of the Church was shaken and almost ruined Yet a little before he had told us out of S. Augustine that Marcellinus's fall did no prejudice to the Church and had affirmed that the ill Deeds of Bishops may hurt themselves but cannot prejudice the Churches Orthodox Doctrine (e) Bin. p. 175. col 1. 2. Again he proves it could not be an Invention of the Donatists because they never knew of it yet presently he owns they objected it to the Catholics and therefore must know of it all that S. Augustine saith being only that they could not prove it After this Baronius and he say that no Writer doth mention this City of Sinuessa nor is there any Memory of such a place or Cave Which is a great mistake in them both For Livy Cicero Ovid Martial and Pliny do all speak of Sinuessa (f) Ferarij Lexic Geograph p. 199. and Alexander ab Alexandro mentions a famous High-way leading from Rome to this City (g) Al. ab Alexand gen dier lib. 3. cap. 13. And if an Earthquake have since Overthrown it that will not prove there was no such City then all the Wonder is that these Gentlemen should defend a Council for genuine which they thought had been held in Utopia The Notes proceed to tell us that Very many most Learned Men not Hereticks I suppose by very strong Arguments have laboured to prove these Acts spurious But he who values no Arguments against the Supremacy not only thinks them not to be false but judges them worthy of great Esteem for their Venerable Antiquity and for their Majesty which extorts Reverence even from the unwilling Now their Antiquity cannot be proved by one Old Author and their Majesty is so little that they extort Laughter and Contempt from the gravest Reader Let us therefore hear his Reason for this Approbation it is because they are believed by general consent of all He forgets that he said but now very many and very Learned Men did not believe them And because they are received and retained without any Controversy to this Day in the Martyrologies and Breviaries of the Roman and other Churches (h) Brev. Roman April 26. So that at last all the Authority for this Council is the Roman Martyrology and Breviary which are Modern Collections out of the Fabulous Pontifical and other Forged Acts of Martyrs And though their own Learned Men by good Arguments prove the things to be false yet if they be Read in a Breviary c. these Falshoods become true and Catholics receive them without Controversy Yea they cite the Transcript of a Forgery to prove the Original to be a Truth Again the Notes say it
44. So he tells us The Body of S. John Baptist was burnt to Ashes except some Bones which were carried into Egypt to Athanasius And yet a little after S. Hierom affirms his Bones remained at Sebaste and wrought Miracles there Baron An. 362. pag. 56. As little Truth is there in his accusing Maximus the Emperour for presuming to judge of Bishops Causes Baron An. 385. pag. 441. whereas Maximus his Letter to Siricius which Baronius records Id. An. 387. pag. 474. declares He would call the Bishops to a Council in what City they pleased and refer it to them who were best skilled to determine these matters Again in order to justifie those feigned Relicks of Protasius and Gervasius shewed now at Rome he affirms That S. Ambrose gave part of them to several Bishops and some of them were brought to Rome Whereas S. Ambrose himself who knew best what was done assures us He buried the Bodies whole putting every Joynt in his own order Baron An. 387. pag. 468. Collat. cum Ambrose Ep. 85. And to name no more He brags that Idols were pulled down no where with more zeal than at Rome Baron An. 389 390. pag. 526. Yet in the same Page he tells us There was then newly dedicated an Altar there for sacrificing to the Heathen Gods So that we see designed Falshoods are not scrupled by him in things which seem to make for the honour of Rome or her Opinions § 6. We may also observe that for the same ends He makes innumerable false Inferences on purpose to pervert the Truth thus from S. Augustine's calling Melchiades A Father of Christian People as every Bishop is Baronius concludes that S. Augustine was for the Popes Supremacy Baron An. 313. §. 29. So from Bishops judging in Causes where the People referred their Differences to them he frequently infers A right in Bishops to judge in Temporal Matters Baron An. 319. §. 30. item An. 326. §. 100 c. item An. 398. pag. 61. 62. In like manner from Theodoret's mentioning a Canon of the Church in general and as his discourse shews referring to the Canon which forbids any Bishop to judge a Cause till both parties were present Baronius gathers that the Pope was supreme over the Bishop of Alexandria and that by the Canons of Nice Baron An. 325. §. 128. Again That the Pope was not beholding to the Council of Nice for his Supremacy which he had from Christ he proves by Pope Nicholas his Testimony who had the impudence in his own Cause and for his own Ends to tell this Story Five hundred years after Id. ib. §. 130. So he condemns the Arians for ejecting Bishops without staying for the Bishop of Rome's Sentence which he proves was unjust by an Epistle of Pope Julius which says The Arians should first have writ to all Bishops that so what was right might be determined by all Baron An. 336. §. 34. where Julius arrogates nothing to himself alone as Baronius falsly pretends And to make this single Priviledge of Rome the more credible he doth frequently apply what the Ancients say of all the Bishops of the West to the Pope Thus what S. Basil saith of all the Western Churches he applies only to Rome Baron An. 371. pag. 239. And when he recites two Epistles of S. Basil whose Title is to the Western Bishops and the whole discourse in it directed to many Bishops he feigns the Name of the Pope is left out or lost and concludes these Letters were peculiarly directed to him and this only to support the Roman Supremacy Baron An. 371. pag. 238 An. 372. pag. 269 270 271 c. and therefore he repeats over and over this matter and affirms it was an Embassy sent to the Pope Ibid. 273 274. Thus also when S. Ambrose saith The Western Bishops by their Judgment approved of his Ordination He infers that S. Ambrose implies It was confirmed by a public Decree of the Apostolical See Baron An. 375. pag. 320. And whereas Basil speaking of those Western Bishops in his time who he saith kept the Faith entirely Baronius infers from hence That their Successors and especially the Bishops of Rome have never erred since Baron An. 372. pag. 276. An. 373. pag. 310. Like to which is his inferring the usage of Praying to Saints from a pure Rhetorical flourish of Nazianzen's in one of his Orations Baron An. 372. pag. 285. And thus when S. Hierom uses all his Oratory to set off Virginity because that seems to make for the Roman Celibacy he takes him to be in good earnest and will have all his Reflexions upon Marriage to be solid Arguments Baron An. 382. pag. 402. though S. Hierom himself calls them Trifles Baron An. 350. pag. 540. But when he tells a sober Truth about the Ignorance of the Roman Clergy then the Cardinal tells us He speaks by way of Hyperbole Idem An. 385. pag 435. From which Instances it doth appear that our Annalist did not like an Historian endeavour to declare Truth but only to serve an Interest and a Party § 7. Lastly His Partiality notoriously appears where-ever the Church of Rome is any way concerned for when any thing of this kind comes in his way he puts off the Character of an Historian and turns Disputant labouring to confute the most ancient and authentic Authors if they seem to say any thing against that Church Thus we may observe what tedious digressions he makes about the Primacy of Rome in his discourse on the Nicene Council for which he twice makes Apologies Baron An. 325. §. 136 140. Again he runs out into a long and very impertinent dispute about the Worship of Images in an Age when no good Author mentions them as used in the Church Baron An. 362. pag. 18. In like manner He makes a long excursion to disprove an Authentic Story of Epiphanius tearing a Veil with a Picture wrought in it because such things were not fit to be in Churches Baron An. 392. p. 568. and he scarce ever meets with any of the Roman Corruptions mentioned in the most fabulous Authors but he leaves the History and enlarges into Remarks upon those Passages But if the Writer be never so eminent that touches any of these Sores his business always is to baffle the Evidence of which there is scarce one year in his Annals wherein there are not some Examples On the other side He takes every slight occasion to make the most spiteful Reflexions on all that he counts Enemies to the Roman Church Thus he applies the Bishop of Alexandria's description of the Arians to the Reformed Churches though it agree much better with these of his own Religion Baron An. 318. §. 30. Again He reviles us because we do not honour the Modern idle lewd Monks of their Communion as much as the Ancients did those holy and devout Monks which were in the Primitive Times though it be plain to all