CHip. I�.] mrALL?mL?T?. 141 taips stoudy that his holiness cannot err, and comes very near placing hi? opponents in the list of heretics. The following are these sys- tents: "Quest. In whom, then, does the infallibility/n'o?erly reside ? An?. In the body of the pastors, joined with their head. Q. How so ?. A. In either of these two ways: (1.) When the pastors of the church are called together by the chief pastor, in a general council, to decide any thing about religion, whether regarding faith or manners, they are then infallible in their decisions, sad their decrees are considered ss dictated .by the Holy Ghost. (2.) When the head of the church, without call- Ing together the other pastors, publishes any decree concerning faith or morals, and this decree is accepted and received by the body of the pastors, either expressly or tacitly, it then becomes a decree of. the w.lmle church, and of the same infallible authority as if it had been made in a general council."* Here are two systems of infallibihty, as it is claimed by the pope and th? body of pastors. Then the other two sysmms follow, respecting the personal infallibility of the pope :-- "Quest. When the head of the church publishes any decree concern- ing faith or moral?, to which he requires submission from all the faith- ful., is he himself infallible in what he teaches ? A?. This is not proposed as an article of divin? faith, nor has the church ever made any decision concerning it. Great numbers of the most learned divines are of the opinion that in such a case the head of the church is infal- lible in what he teaches. Q. On what grounds do thee divines form their opinion who believe that the pope himself, when he speaks to all the faithful, as head of the church, is infallible in what he teaches ? A. On several very strong reasons, both from Scripture, tradition, and reason. Q. What proofs do they bring from Scripture ? A. These following." After adducing several inappropriate texts, the bishop ssys: "Whence it follows that St. Peter, as head of the church, and consequently his successors in office, shall never fail in faith nor teach f?dse doctrine." He adduces proofs from tradition, or the ancieni t?lthers, and then gives several reasons for the pope's infallibility, after which he concludes with the following assertion, which, in our opinion, contradicts what he had said just before :--" .? this is a question in which faith is not concerned, because the church has never given any decision about it, one may believe it or not in his private opinion."We will have occasion again to consider the reasons for the pope's infaili. bility, and probably to quote them. Many Roman Catholics, especially the French, place infallibility in a general council lawfully assembled; and affirm that the pope, as dis- iinct from the council, is liable to error. The following is a declara- tion of the faculty of divinity of Paris, made to the king, May 8, 1631, which expresses the true opinion of the then French church on this point :--" That it is not the doctrine of the faculty that the pope is above a general council."t "That it is not the doctrine or opinion of the faculty that the pope is infallible when he has not the concurring consent of the church."? In 1663, in consequence of the doc?rine of'
- 'Sincere Christian, vol. i, p. 184.
f "Doc*rinam fscultatis non esau, qued summus poutilex sit supr? conci?urn mcu. $ - Non ease doctrinum vol dogurn facullat? qued summus pon?ifex, nulls actedcute eccleoit? consthan, sit in?aHibilis." 1-
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