[38]The Case between the Churches, p. 40.

[39]p. 133.

[40]Still. p. 70.

CONFERENCE III.

His Plea, for his not holding any thing contrary to the Definitions of lawful General Councils, the just conditions thereof observed.

That he conceives he ows no obedience to the Council of Nice.

  1. Because this cannot be proved to have been a lawful General Council with so much certainty, as is necessary for the ground of his Faith, as appears by those many questions mentioned by Mr. Chillingworth, Stillingfleet, and other Protestants, wherein he must first be satisfied, concerning it.
  2. Because, though it were a General Council, yet it might err even in necessaries, if it were not universally accepted; as he can shew it was not.
  3. That, though yielded to be generally accepted, it might err still in non-necessaries; and that Protestants cannot prove this point to be otherwise.
  4. That the Leaders of this Council were plainly a party contesting this, for many years before, with the other side condemned by them; and were Judges in their own cause.
  5. All these exceptions cancelled, and Obedience granted due to this Council; yet, that so, there is due to it not that of assent, but only of silence. §. [19].
  6. But yet not that of silence neither from him; considering his present perswasion, that indeed the affirmative in this point is an error manifest and intolerable: concerning which matter his party having long complained to their Superiors, and produced sufficient evidence; yet these have proceeded to no redress of it. §. [20].
  7. But yet that he will submit to the Judgment of a future Council, if it, rightly considering the reasons of his tenent, decree that which is according to God's Word, and he be convinced thereof. §. [22].

§. 18.

PRot. But do you not consider by what persons this Article was long ago inserted into the Creed: Namely, by the first General, and the most venerable Assembly of the Fathers of the Church that hath been convened since the Apostles times; celebrated under the first Christian Emperor by a perfect Representative of the Catholick Church; and by such persons, as came very much purified out of the newly-quenched fire of the greatest persecution that the Church hath suffered, that under Dioclesian; will not you then at least submit your judgment to the Decree of this great and Holy Council; one and the first of those four which St. Gregory said he received with the same reverence, as the four Gospels?