2. Human Testimony. A. Father. Tertull. de Præscript. Hæret. cc. xxi. xxxvii. B. Confessions. 1 Helvetic, Art. ii. Wirtemburg, Art. xxxii. 6. PROP. VI. The Church may not decree anything against Holy Writ, so besides the same ought it not to enforce anything to be believed for necessity of Salvation. 1. Divine Testimony. New Testament. Gal. i. 8, 9, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."-See also Acts iv. 18-20; v. 29. Gal. iii. 15. 2 Tim. iii. 15. 2. Human Testimony. "There A. Fathers. Chrysost. in Matt. c. xxiv., Hom. XLIX., B. Confessions. Basil, Art. x. xxxii. Sueveland, Arts. xiii. xv. Wirtemburg, Arts. xxx. ARTICLE XXI. ARTICULUS XXI. De Auctoritate Conciliorum Generalium. GENERALIA Concilia, sine jussu et voluntate principum congregari non possunt, et ubi convenerint, quia ex hominibus constant qui non omnes Spiritu et verbo DEI reguntur, et errare possunt, et interdum errarunt, etiam in his quæ ad DEUM pertinent: ideoque quæ ab illis constituuntur, ut ad salutem necessaria, neque robur habent, neque auctoritatem nisi. ostendi possint e sacris litteris esse desumpta. ARTICLE XXI. Of the Authority of General GENERAL Councils' may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of Princes. And when they be gathered together, (forasmuch as they be an assembly of men, whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and Word of GOD,) they may err, and sometimes have erred, even in things pertaining unto God. Wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation have neither strength nor authority, unless it may be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scripture. 1 Councils, oúvodou and concilia, are of two kinds, œcumenical (oikoúμɛvat, general or universal) and provincial. Their decrees are called canons, κavóves, rules. The number of oecumenical councils according to the Greeks is 7, according to the Romanists, 18. The first four are reckoned in the English Church as standards of Orthodoxy. The first six are enumerated under Prop. I. The remaining twelve are, (7). 2 Council of Nice (A.D. 787), which sanctioned the worship of images. (8). 4 Council of Constantinople (A.D. 869), which sanctioned images and condemned Photius. The Phraseology of this Article. 1. As compared with Article XXII. of those of 1552. A. In the Latin. 2. When the Latin and English are compared with each other. congregari ubi convenerint be gathered together. when they be gathered together. (9). 1 Lateran Council (A.D. 1123), convened by Pope Calixtus II., which asserted the papal right of investiture and decreed the celibacy of the clergy. (10). 2 Lateran Council (A.D. 1139), convened by Pope Innocent II., which decreed against heretics and for a reformation of the Church. (11). 3 Lateran Council (A.D. 1179), convened by Pope Alexander III., which condemned the Albigenses and Waldenses, and settled the mode of electing the popes. (12). 4 Lateran Council (A.D. 1215), convened by Pope Innocent III., which condemned the Waldenses and Albigenses, and determined the doctrine of transubstantiation. (13). 1 Council of Lyons (A.D. 1245), convened by Pope Innocent IV., for promoting the Crusades, restoring Church discipline, and dethroning the Emperor, Frederick II. (14). 2 Council of Lyons (A.D. 1274), convened by Pope Gregory X., for the re-union of the Greek and Latin Churches. (15). Council of Vienne (A.D. 1311), convened by Pope Clement V., to suppress the Templars, condemn heretics, and assist the Christians in Palestine. Council of Constance (A.D. 1414-1418), convened by the Emperor Sigismund, with the consent of the Pope to settle the Papal Schism. This Council finally sanctioned the denial of the cup to the laity, condemned the doctrines of Wiclif, decreed the death by burning of John Huss and Jerome of Prague. This council is allowed to have the authority of a general council with respect to its last Sessions. Council of Basil (A.D. 1431-1448), the authority of this council is a disputed point with Romanists. (16). The Council of Florence (A.D. 1439), which decreed the doctrine of Purgatory and Papal Supremacy. (17). 5 Lateran Council (A.D. 1512), convened by Pope Julius II., which annulled the decrees of the Council of Pisa (A.D. 1511). (18). Council of Trent (A.D. 1545-1563), convened by Pope Pius III. to declare the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, and to crush the Reformation. I. General Councils may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of Princes. II. General Councils be an assembly of men, whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and Word of GOD. III. General Councils may err, even in things pertaining to GOD. IV. General Councils sometimes have erred, even in things pertaining to GOD. V. Things ordained by General Councils as necessary to salvation, have neither strength nor authority, unless it may be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scripture. PROP. I. General Councils may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of Princes. 1. Divine Testimony. A. Old Testament. Numbers xi. 16, "And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee."-See also 1 Kings viii. 1. 2 Kings xxiii. 1. 1 Chron. xiii. 1, 2. 2 Chron. xxix. 4. B. New Testament. Rom. xiii. 1, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers."-See also Matt. xxii. 21. Rom. xiii. 7. 2. Human Testimony. (1). General Council at Nice, convened by Constantine, A.D. 325, to assert the consubstantiality of the SON with the FATHER; to settle the time of keeping Easter; and the Meletian schism, relating probably to ordination. It condemned Arius. (2). General Council at Constantinople, convened by Theodosius the Great, A.D. 381, to assert the proper divinity of the HOLY GHOST. It added to the Nicene creed the words which relate to the HOLY GHOST. It condemned (3). General Council at Ephesus, convened by Theodosius the (6). General Council at Constantinople, A.D. 681, under Con- PROP. II. General Councils are an assembly of men, whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and Word of GOD. Human Testimony. A. Witnesses. Baron. Annal. Eccles. An. 325, “And as formerly, when the sons of GOD came to present themselves before the LORD, Satan was present among them; so verily the devil was present in his members at this holy assembly of fathers, viz. the Council of Nice, A. D. 325."-See also Hilar. lib. VIII. de Trinit. Opp. 947. B. Confession. Wirtemburg, c. xxxiv. PROP. III. General Councils may err, even in things pertaining to GOD. The proofs of this Proposition are given under Prop. IV. PROP. IV. General Councils sometimes have erred even in things pertaining to GOD.' Human Testimony. A. Indirect. Paphnutius saved the orthodoxy of the Council of Nice-Sozom. 1. xxxiii. Jerome saved the orthodoxy of the Council of Chalcedon-Jewel's Apol., fol. p. 58. 2 "Ecumenical councils, even such as have been lawfully gathered together, as they may conclude things well, so may they likewise judge and determine things rashly, unjustly, and impiously."-Albertus Pighius, a learned Roman Catholic writer. See Pigh. Hierarch. Eccles. Assert. col. 1538, lib. vI. c. XIII. fol. 247, 2. |