into his heart, and so far enlighten his understanding, even against his will, that he cannot possibly commit an error? Shall he alone be the fountain of all Justice; and shall all the treasures of wisdom and understanding repose in his breast, as in a Treasury? Or, if he has not possession of these gifts, can he decide properly on matters of such vast importance? And if he has not the abilities of a Judge, can he desire all matters to be referred to his decision?.

What if the Pope's Advocates, the Abbots and Bishops, do not disguise their views, but openly profess themselves Enemies of the Gospel; and will not see what they do see, but wrest the meaning of the Holy Scriptures, and corrupt and deprave the Word of God; and impiously and wickedly attribute to the person of the Pope, that which clearly and evidently applies to Christ alone; and indeed could be spoken of no other person? What if they say that the Pope is all, and above all; or that he possesses the same divine attributes as Christ himself; or that the

*Hostiensis, cap. Quanto. Abbas Panormitan. de elect. cap. Venerabilis.

Tribunal and Consistory of the Pope is of equal authority with Christ's? Or that *he is that Light which should come into the world, (which Christ spake of himself only) and that he that doeth evil hateth that light and fleeth from it? Or that all other Bishops have received of his Fulness? Lastly, what if they do not hesitate boldly and openly without the least subterfuge to decide against the express Word of God? Shall whatever they affirm immediately rival the authority of the Gospel? Shall these men constitute the army of God? Shall our Saviour Jesus countenance their proceedings? Will the Spirit of God move upon their tongues? Or can they

* John viii. 12. xii. 46.

+ Quis erit tam injustus rerum æstimator, qui non dicat. Papa Lux venit in Mundum : sed dilexerunt homines Tenebras magis quam lucem, omnis qui male agit, odit Lucem ; et non venit ad Lucem; ut non arguantur opera ejus, quia mala sunt? Can any one come to so unjust a decision as to deny, that the Pope is the light which is come unto the world? But men have loved darkness rather than light; Whosoever doeth Evil, hateth the Light, and cometh not unto it lest his works should be discovered that they are evil.

Concil. Tridentin. sub Paulo iii. Oratio Cornelii Episcopi. Bitontini.

+ Cornelius Episcopus in Concilio. Tridentino. Durandus.

P

truly say; It seems good to the Holy Ghost, and to Us?*

†Peter à Soto indeed, and his advocate Hosius, do not scruple to affirm, that even that Council which condemned Christ to death possessed the Spirit of Prophecy and Truth, and that the Holy Ghost presided at it; and that what the Chief

Priests then declared,

was no false or idle asser

* Acts xv. 28.

+ Both Peter à Soto and Hosius affirm, that whatsoever is decreed in Council must be considered as the undoubted Word and Judgment of God. To whom the learned Johannes Brentius replied, Councils sometimes have committed errors, and been utterly destitute of the Spirit of God; which evidently appears from that Council which condemned the Son of God to die the Death. * Hosius answers, When Annas and Caiaphas sat as Presidents in the Council, and condemned the Son of God to death, still they had the Assistance of the Holy Ghost and the undoubted Spirit of Truth. He then proceeds to declare that from the moment our first Father tasted of the Forbidden Fruit, Christ the Son of God became guilty of Death, and the Popish Commentator on this Passage pronounces that "the Jews would have been guilty of mortal sin had they not nailed our Saviour to the Cross."

The Defence of the Apologie, p. 621.

* Hosius Contra Brentium, p. 62. b. 63. a Dist. 13. Item in Margine. See also bis Confessio. Petricovien. cap. xxix.

Hosius contra Brentium, lib. ii.

tion; *We have a Law, and by that Law he ought to die: and according to Hosius, the Jews decided with great propriety, and acted agreeably to the dictates of strict Justice, when they condemned our Saviour to the Cross. It excites our no small astonishment to find that these men cannot defend themselves, and advocate their own cause without at the same time patronising Annas and Caiaphas. For how can we expect that those persons who pronounce the very

Council which condemned our Saviour to an ignominious Death legitimate and just; how, I repeat it, can we expect that they will ever discover any errors or vices in their own Decrees? Still however considering the nature of almost all their Councils, it was impossible for them to pronounce any other decision upon Annas and Caiaphas. But can we believe that those men who are at once both Judges and Criminals will effect any Reformation in the Church? Will they put any restraint upon their Pride and Ambition? Will they abandon their own cause, and pass sentence upon themselves; decreeing that their Bishops should not be ignorant, uneducated, or

* John xix. 7.

Gluttons; that Pluralities shall not be allowed; that they shall not assume the State of Monarchs, nor engage in Military Affairs? Will the Abbots, those beloved Children of Popery, pronounce that *Monk a thief who does not labour truly to get his own living? and that it is unlawful for such a person to reside either in the City or even in the Society of Men at the expense of

* It would be well for the Monks and Friars of the present day to attend to the description given of their predecessors by St. Jerome, Nihil arrogant sibi de continentia supercilii. Humilitatis inter omnes contentio est; Quicunque novissimus fuerit hic primus putatur: In veste nulla discretio: nulla admiratio, ut cunque placuerit incedere, nec detractionis, nec laudis. Jejunia neminem sublevant; nec defertur inediæ; nec moderata saturitas condemnatur. Suo Domino stat unus quisque, aut cadit, nemo judicat alterum, ne a Domino judicetur. They boast not of their single state and continency; all their contention is who shall be most humble; whosoever may be last is accounted first: there is no distinction, no splendour in their apparel in whatsoever manner a person choosed to walk, he is neither extolled nor slandered for it; no man is promoted for fasting; neither is abstinence praised, or moderate refreshment condemned; each man stands or falls by his Lord; no man judges another, lest he himself should be judged of the Lord. Hieron. ad Marcell. ut commigret Bethlehem. subject consult the Defence of Sulpitius Severus in Chronico.

For farther remarks on this the Apologie, p. p. 620. 25.

Hieron. ad Eustochium de Virginitate servanda. Irenæus lib. i. cap. 1. and St. Augustin. De moribus Manichæorum, lib. ii. cap. 19, 20.