Inttoduai The Churches power to expound Scripture. Chap, i 3, 55 2. Becaufewe attribute notthe Interpretationof the true fenfe of everyplace to each one of there, but toall together, he therefore conclitdeth that they werenot fuf- ficient at all. Nowbefides there means, and thole of Prayer and diligent Rudy wherein they a- gree with us, they propound there Your following (as is before faid) and hold them infallible. I. The Interpretation of Scriptures by theFathers; 2. TheExpofitioo of them by Councils. 3. The prattife of the Church. 4. The definitive Sentenceof thePope. Concerning the fiat and fecond of there in general we fay,, that as there may arife fame doubt or fcruple in foine places of Scripture, fo may therealfo in their Expofiti= ons. And for the two laft a Qeftionmay be ìmZde, whether the Church they mean be a true Church ; and whether thePopemay not err in his Sentence. Again, As we unfeignedly hold and acknowledge, that fouie of their means are commendable, yet we fay that they are not allowable, where theyare evidentlycon- trary to our Rules or without them. And if ever they tookthe right courfe,it wasby tilingour means; and if they erred, it was by relying wholly ontheirs, and excluding ours. But take their means without err againft ours, and theymay err. Ai theWord of God is the rule and ground of Faith, fo it cannot be denied but that Addition :.of the expounding and applying hereof, is in ordinary courfe left by Chrifi to the Church, People016: to whom he bath committed the feeding and Government of his Flock, for Chriftcom- milting to the wands all tohear the Church ; and the Prophet tells us, ThePriefts lips are to preferve the Lhurcóf knowledge, and they (hall leek the Law at his mouth, Madge. a. And if the duty of the Church be to teachand infdra5l' her Children, no queflion, but it is theirduty tsDeuat7. learn of her, and to fubmit their judgments to bets ; yet this makes her not infallible mat.1$.17. in ber determination , but gives her thispriviledge, that fhe ought to beheard, and be- unlefs it appear evidently, that for fame corrupt and fitiner end fhe prevari- Hth. 3.17. cates from the truth. It isnot poffibility of erring , bat aflaalerring which snakes our faith uncertain, forotherwife one that beholds the Suncould not be certain that hefees it 1; for there is aFallibility of error in the fenfe in judging an objet. It is fufficient -therefore to make oar Faith certain, if the Rule be infallible, and that it be applied with moral evidence, fo that the Propounderdo not then aflually err,thougb hebe fubjefl to a poffibility of error, and that aft er the ufe of moraldildgence fit in fo great a mat- ter, theme appears no probable caufe why we fhoald not affone, nor any reafon why in prudence we fhould doubt ; So Suarez himfelt, Difput. de fide 5. Sett. t. num. 5. non regeiritur infallibilitas permanens in proponente,fcd fufficit quad attu non erret li- err errare poteft. Obedience to the Churches Decrees cloth not neceffarily infer bee infal- libility, for then the Civil Magifirate, natural Parents, and all Superiours mafi be in- fallible, becaufe obedienceis due to them by Divine Law, andyet we know theyought to be obeyed, unlefs the thing commanded be evidently unlawful. And therefore none ought up. on probable reafon to rejefl the determination of the Church, or ofa lawful Council;for be- fit( es that the Command fromGod of hearing the Church is clear and evident, and there- fp -e weought not upon re:fns thataredoubtful or not evident to rejell her Doctrine; but follow that Rule, tenere cerium, dimittcre incertum t beides this, I fay, the Church and her Governors have more, and morecertain Means of finding out the truth than a- ny private perform s have, as the Prayers of the Paflors, their fallings, Dillutations, their skill in Divine things, wherein their fettles are exercifed, and (which follows there. upon) agreater affifianceof the Spirit, and the be; means ( no where many Learned and pious men meet from divers parts of theworld) to knowwhat the lad:ment ofall the Church es is in thematter in ,Queftion, andwhat bath been the receivedfenfe which from time to time bath beendelivered to the Churches ; now it is a received rule among. theCa[Stiffs, that in things doubtful, after diligence ufed, one may rarely, and ought to acquiefce in the yudgment of the Majorpart of pious and Learned men. Reginald. prax. lib. u. num. yo, or. & lib. i T. num. z;, ah. Befides this, the Church is in poffefon of her Authori- ty, and therefore aught in things doubtful to beheard, for in dubits melior eft conditio potiìdentis ; but if he contrary be evident, then the cafe is not doubtful. So Thom. & Ca jet,za,ase.q.7o4, tog. and after himAitheCafaills. 7h fe that would befutis Cddnthefe Points, may read them learnedly and acutely handled by Baron, late Prole or at
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