TheCatholic

Church in

funda

mentals.

LAUD.

the Church." Which he speaks not in regard of Tradition, but in relation to such proof as is to be made by necessary consequence out of Scripture over and above Tradition. As for Tradition, I have said enough for that, and as much as A. C. where 'tis truly apostolical. And yet if any thing will please him, I will add this concerning this particular, the baptizing of infants-that the Church received this by Tradition from the Apostles. By Tradition, and what then? May it not directly be concluded out of Scripture, because it was delivered to the Church by way of tradition? I hope A. C. will never say so. For certainly in doctrinal things, nothing so likely to be a tradition apostolical as that which hath a root and a foundation in Scripture. For Apostles cannot write or deliver contrary, but subordinate and subservient things.-Conference with Fisher, pp. 52-59.

That the whole Church cannot universally err in the fallible in doctrine of faith is most true, and 'tis granted by divers Protestants, so you will but understand it's not erring in absolute fundamental doctrines . . . . . . And that the whole Church cannot err in doctrines absolutely fundamental and necessary to all men's salvation (besides the authority of these Protestants, most of them being of prime rank) seems to me to be clear by the promise of CHRIST: (St. Matt. xvi. 18,) that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Whereas most certain it is, that the "gates of hell" prevail very far against it if the whole militant Church, universally taken, can err from or in the foundation. But then this power of not erring, is not to be conceived as if it were in the Church primo et per se, originally, or by any power it hath of itself: for the Church is constituted of men, and "humanum est errare," all men can err. But this power is in it, partly by the virtue of this promise of CHRIST, and partly by the matter which it teacheth, which is the unerring Word of GOD, so plainly and manifestly delivered to her as that it is not possible she should universally fall from it, or teach against it, in things absolutely necessary to salvation. Besides, it would be well weighed, whether to believe or teach otherwise,

will not impeach the article of the Creed concerning the holy Catholic Church, which we profess we believe. For the holy Catholic Church there spoken of, contains not only the whole militant Church on earth, but the whole triumphant also in heaven. For so St. Augustine (Enchir. c. lvi.), hath long since taught me. Now if the whole Catholic Church, in this large extent, be holy, then certainly the whole militant Church is holy as well as the triumphant, though in a far lower degree, inasmuch as all sanctification ("Nemo ex toto sanctus," Optat. lib. vii. contra Parmen.) all holiness is imperfect in this life, as well in Churches as in men. Holy then the whole militant Church is, for that which the Apostle speaks of Abraham, is true of the Church, which is a body collective, made up of the spiritual seed of Abraham. (Rom. ii. 16.) "If the root be holy, so are the branches." Well then, the whole militant Church is holy, and so we believe. Why, but I will it not follow then that the whole militant Church cannot possibly err in the foundations of the faith? That she may err in superstructures and deductions, and other by and unnecessary truths if her curiosity or other weakness carry her beyond or cause her to fall short of her rule, no doubt need be made. But if she can err either from the foundation or in it, she can be no longer holy, and that article of the Creed is gone. For if she can err quite from the foundation, then is she not holy nor Church, but becomes infidel. Now this cannot be, for all divines, ancient and modern, Romanists and Reformers, agree in this, that the whole militant Church of CHRIST cannot fall away into general apostasy. And if she err in the foundation, that is, in some one or more fundamental points of faith, then she may be a Church of CHRIST still, but not holy, because heretical, and most certain it is, that no assembly, (be it never so general,) of such heretics, is, or can be, holy. (St. Hierom. in Jerom. 10.) Other errors that are of a meaner allay take not holiness from the Church, but these that are dyed in grain cannot consist with holiness, of which faith in CHRIST is the very foundation: and therefore, if we will keep up our Creed, the whole militant

TheCatholic Church infallible in

fundamentals.

Scripture and Tradi

to go toge

ther.

Church must be still holy. For if it be not so still, then
there may be a time that "falsum" may "subesse Fidei
Catholicæ," that falsehood, and that in a high degree in
the very article, may be the subject of the Catholic faith,
which were no less than blasphemy to affirm. For we
must still believe the "Holy Catholic Church." And if she
be not still holy, then at that time when she is not so, we
believe a falsehood under the article of the Catholic faith.
Therefore a very dangerous thing it is to cry out in general
terms, that the whole Catholic militant Church can err,
and not limit nor distinguish in time; that it can err
indeed, for ignorance it hath, and ignorance can err.
err it cannot, either by falling totally from the foundation,
or by heretical error in it. For the holiness of the Church
consists as much, if not more, in the verity of the faith, as
in the integrity of manners taught and commanded in the
doctrine of faith.-Conference with Fisher, pp. 139–142.

But

And

In this troublesome and quarrelling age, I am most unwilling to meddle with the erring of the Church in general. The Church of England is content to pass that over. though she tells us (Art. 19,) that "the Church of Rome hath erred even in matters of faith," yet of the erring of the Church in general she is modestly silent. But since A. C. will needs have it, that the whole Church did never generally err in any one point of faith, he should do well to distinguish, before he be so peremptory. For if he mean no more than that the whole universal Church of CHRIST cannot universally err in any one point of faith, simply necessary to all men's salvation, he fights with no adversary that I know, but his own fiction, for the most learned Protestants grant it.-Ibid. pp. 160, 161.

When the Fathers say we are to rely upon Scripture tion ought only, they are never to be understood with exclusion of tradition in what causes soever it may be had. Not but that the Scripture is abundantly sufficient in, and to itself, for all things, but because it is deep and may be drawn into different senses, and so mistaken, if any man will presume

upon his own strength and go single without the Church.Ibid. p. 104.

Councils.

A Council hath power to order, settle, and define differ- of General ences arisen concerning faith. This power the Council hath not by any immediate institution from CHRIST, but it was prudently taken up in the Church from the Apostles' example (Acts xv.), so that to hold Councils to this end, is apparent apostolical tradition written. But the power which Councils so held have, is from the whole Catholic Church, whose members they are, and the Church's power from God. And this power the Church cannot farther give away to a General Council, than that the decrees of it shall bind all particulars and itself, but not bind the whole Church from calling again, and in the after calls, upon just cause, to order, yea, and if need be, to abrogate former acts. I say upon just cause. For if the Council be lawfully called and proceed orderly, and conclude according to the rule-the Scripture, the whole Church cannot but approve the Council, and then the definitions of it are binding. And the power of the Church hath no wrong in this, so long as no power but her own may meddle or offer to infringe any definition of her's made in her representative body, a lawful General Council. And certain it is, no power but her own may do it. Nor doth this open any gap to private spirits: for all decisions in such a Council, are binding: and because the whole Church can meet no other way, the Council shall remain the supreme, external, living, temporary ecclesiastical judge of all controversies. Only the whole Church, and she alone hath power when Scripture or demonstration is found and peaceably tendered to her, to represent herself again in a new Council, and in it, to order what was amiss. -Ibid. pp. 261, 262.

We believe all the articles of the Christian faith. because they are revealed from and by GOD, and sufficiently applied in His word, and by His Church's ministration. . . . Nor do we believe any one article of faith by our own fancy, or by fallible authority of human deduc

Ibid.

General

Councils when infallible.

Tradition.

tions, but next to the infallible authority of God's Word
we are guided by His Church. But then A. C. (p. 71,)
steps into a conclusion whither we cannot follow him.
For he says
"that the articles to be believed must be
sufficiently made known to us by the infallible authority of
the Church of GOD, that is, of men infallibly assisted by
the SPIRIT of GOD, as all lawfully called, continued and
confirmed General Councils are assisted." That the whole
Church of God is infallibly assisted by the SPIRIT of
GOD, so that it cannot by any error fall away totally from
CHRIST the foundation, I make no doubt. For if it could,
[then] the gates of hell had prevailed against it, which our
SAVIOUR assures me, (St. Matt. xvii. 18,) they shall never
be able to do. But that all General Councils, be they never
so lawfully called, continued, and confirmed, have infallible
assistance, I utterly deny. 'Tis true that a General Council
de post facto, after 'tis ended and admitted by the whole
Church, is THEN infallible, for it cannot err in that which
it hath already clearly and truly determined without error.
But that a General Council à parte ante, when it first sits
down and continues to deliberate, may truly be said to be in-
fallible in all its after deliberations whatsoever they shall be,
I utterly deny.-Conference with Fisher, pp. 344, 345, 346.

If any General Council do now err, either it errs in things absolutely necessary to salvation, or in things not necessary. If it err in things necessary, we can be infallibly assured by the Scriptures, the Creeds, the four first General Councils, and the whole Church, where it errs in one and not in another. If it be "in non-necessariis," in things not necessary, 'tis not requisite that we should have for them an infallible assurance.-Ibid. p. 358.

PRIDEAUX, BISHOP.

B. 1578. D. 1650.

Tradition may be taken either 1. Actively, or 2. Passively. Actively to signify delivery or transmission — thus, Books come to our hands by tradition, or delivery from the ancients. Passively it applies to Doctrine,