THIRD PAPAL ASSUMPTIONLEGISLATIVE POWER. 259 It is not reasonable that any person should have such a preroga- tive, which would be an engine of mischief: for thereby, bearing sway in general assemblies of bishops, he would be enabled and irresistibly tempted to domineer over the world, to abuse princes and disturb states, to oppress and enslave the church, to obstruct all reformation, to enact laws to promote and establish errors ser- viceable to his interests;1 the which effects of such power, exercised by him in the synod of Trent, and in divers otherof the latergeneral synods, experience has declared. III. If the pope were sovereign of the church, the legislative power, wholly or in part, would belong to him, so far, at least, that no synod or ecclesiastical consistory could without his consent deter- mine or prescribe any thing. Hisapprobation would be required to give life and validity to their decrees. He should, at least, have a ne- gative, so that nothing might pass against his will. This is a most essential ingredient of sovereignty, and is therefore claimed by the pope, who long has pretended that no decrees of synods are valid without his consent and confirmation. [Thus speaks Pope Nicholas I.] : " The decrees made by the holy popes of the chief see of the Roman church, by whose authority and sanction all synods and holy councils are strengthened and established, how can you say that you do not receive and observe them?"' " You know very well," [says the same pope,] " that nothing is ac- counted valid, or to be received in universal councils, but what the see of St Peter has approved; so, on the other hand, whatever she alone has rejected, that is for this sole reason to be rejected."' " We never read of any synod that was valid," [says Pope Pela- gius II.,] " unless it were confirmed by the apostolic authority."' " We trust no true Christian is now ignorant," [says Pope Gela- sius I.,] " that no see is above all the rest more obliged to observe the constitution of each council, which the consent oftheuniversal church has approved, than the prune see, which by its authority confirms every synod, and by a continued moderatingpreserves them, accord- ing to its own principality, ' &c. Nic. II. Lugd. Lat. IV. V. Decretalia autem gum a sanctis pontificibus prima sedis Romanceecclesia stint institute, cujus auctoritate atque sanctione omnes synodi, et sancta concilia roborantur, et stabilitatem sumunt, cur vos non habere, vel observare dicitis ? P. Nic. I., Ep. vi. ad Photiumn.. Denique ut in universalibus conciliis, quid ratum vel quid prorsus acceptum, nisi quod sedes B. Petri probavit (ut ipsi scitis) habetur; sicut e contrario quad ipsa sola reprobavit, hoc solummodo consistat hactenus reprobatum. P. Nic. I., Ep. vii. 4 - nulla unquam synodus rata legatur, qua apostolica auctoritate non fuerit fulta. P. Pelag. II, Ep. viii. Dist. 17. Coofidimus quad nullus jam veraciter Christianus ignoret uniuscujusque synedi constitutum, quod universalis ecclesia probavit assensus, non aliquam magis exequi sedem pm ceteris oportere, quam priman qua et unamquamque synodum sua auc-
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