It was established by the great synods of Constance and Basle, and by the parliament of France assembled at Bourges in 1438 d.

Such were the authorities on which the opinion of the supreme authority and infallibility of popes and general synods respectively rested: and hence it is not to be wondered at that in the sixteenth century the whole Roman obedience embraced either one or the other of these opinions.

The opinion that a general council confirmed by a pope was not infallible, but needed the subsequent confirmation of the universal church, had been held by Ockham in the fourteenth century, and apparently by Waldensis and Picus Mirandula in the fifteenth; but in the sixteenth, it was only avowed on one occasion by the parliament of Paris", and by the Lutherans and others who were esteemed heretics by those of the Roman obedience.

Under these circumstances, I deny positively, that the decrees of the synod of Trent can be regarded as judgments of the churches of the Roman obedience. They are at the utmost nothing but the decrees of the pope and 196 bishops assembled at Trent, not those of the majority of the Roman bishops and churches. The majority of those bishops and churches cannot justly be accused of heresy in ac

b Concil. Constant. Sess. iv. © Sessio ii.

Fleury, Hist. Eccl. lib. cvii. s. 104. Bossuet, Def. decl. cler. Gall.

Ex his, aliisque pluribus colligitur quia Concilium generale Papa confirmat, et ei auctoritatem præstat. Papa autem potest errare contra fidem: igitur

etiam concilium generale potest errare contra fidem."-Ockham Dialogi, lib. iii. i. tract. iii. partis,

c. 5.

f Thomas Waldensis, Doctrinale Fidei, lib. ii. c. 27.

Picus Mirandula, Theor. iv. Paolo Sarpi, Concile de Trente par Courayer, t. i. p. 518.

cepting the decrees of the synod. The opinions universally prevalent, prevented them absolutely from exercising that right, or rather that solemn duty of judgment and examination, which would alone have made them fully responsible for the errors which they received. What the amount of those errors may be I do not here decide. Many things which appear to us to be unwisely expressed, and to convey heterodox meanings, have been explained by eminent Roman theologians in a tolerable sense. Nor do I here determine whether any thing contrary to the faith be found in the decrees of that synod: but at all events, we may believe, that the churches of the Roman obedience did not obstinately and heretically receive the errors of Trent; but were compelled to do so by opinions, which though unfounded, were not in themselves contrary to faith; that they submitted to what they conscientiously and not absurdly believed an infallible authority; that they were only restrained by a reverential though mistaken principle, from investigating the truth and while we do justice to their general intention, we may wish that with the spread of more enlightened and discriminative views of the authority of the catholic church, they may be enabled to separate their own genuine and catholic faith, from the opinions which the synod of Trent unwisely intermingled with it.

The bishop of Mans informs us that "some" of the Roman theologians "are of opinion that the approbation of the church confers its whole authority on a general synod:" were this opinion generally maintained

1

"Quidam tamen theologi opinantur hanc ecclesiæ (dispersæ) approbationem, omnem

auctoritatem concilio generali tribuere."-Tractatus de vera Ecclesia, p. 234. Cenomani, 1826.

by Roman theologians, and were the "approbation” understood in the sense of a real approbation, a real judgment with that authority which Jesus Christ has conferred on the successors of the apostles and the whole church and were this principle applied by our estranged brethren to the synod of Trent and its reception among themselves; the happiest results to religion and to the church could not fail to ensue. Catholic truth could never be impaired by such an investigation, because even if the synod of Trent were not regarded as infallible, the great fabric of the faith would always rest securely on the basis of scripture, of catholic tradition, of the genuine oecumenical synods and universal judgments of the church.

Such results however must be rather the object of wishes and prayers, than of hopes. The creed of pope Pius IV. which every Roman bishop and priest is obliged to profess on his appointment to any benefice, and which comprises an acknowledgment of the synod of Trent as œcumenical, and a profession of obedience to its decrees, forms an obstacle to the progress of more enlightened opinions, so great, that it appears almost insurmountable. It is this formulary which really binds on the Roman churches those opinions of which so many among them would gladly free themselves.

CHAPTER XIII.

ON THE AUTHORITY OF PARTICULAR SYNODS, AND

OF THE ROMAN PONTIFFS IN CONTROVERSIES.

I HAVE already shown from scripture, that the successors of the apostles in the ministry of the holy church, are peculiarly authorized to judge in controversies of religion. This power, which belongs equally to all bishops, is to be exercised not merely in œcumenical synods, but in provincial and national synods, and even by particular bishops.

SECTION I.

OF PARTICULAR SYNODS.

I shall first consider the authority of provincial and national synods. No one supposes that such synods are, by virtue of our Lord's promises, exempt from the possibility of error, even in faith: but it cannot be doubted that they have a considerable authority, when they decide questions regularly, and in the mode which ought always to be observed in Christian synods; that is, with invocation of the Holy Ghost, prayer for divine

a See above, p. 98. 103, &c.

assistance, diligent examination of the question proposed, and perfect freedom of suffrage. There is a great probability that such synods, consisting of bishops of the catholic church, will be guided into truth; for the Lord declared to his disciples, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them;" and since "the Holy Ghost hath made them overseers to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood," it ought to be piously held that the same Spirit will assist them to maintain the truth.

Such ought to be the persuasion of christians generally but on those who are more immediately related to the bishops of a synod, as sheep to their shepherds, as children to their spiritual parents, a special obligation devolves. For they are not merely bound to view such a synod with respect, and to extend the best and most charitable construction to all its proceedings, but they are obliged to hear and obey its instructions; for it is written, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account" and, as the martyr Cyprian observes: "Christ saith unto his apostles, and through them to all ministers who succeed them by vicarious ordinations, 'he that heareth you heareth me, and he that despiseth you despiseth me.' The faithful are therefore bound to hear and believe their spiritual pastors assembled in a synod; and though it be true, that this does not prevent them from comparing the decrees of that synod with scripture and tradition, and in case of its being in error, from respectfully remonstrating; and in case of obstinate error