the latin theologians for the purpose of demonstrating the infallibility of their Church, are the following.

(1.) I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter: and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it 1.

(2.) Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them'.

(3.) Jesus came, and spake unto them, saying: All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world3.

(4.) He, that heareth you, heareth me: and he, that despiseth you, despiseth me: and he, that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me *.

(5.) I will pray the Father: and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth.

(6.) Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come; he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but, whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come 6.

1 Matt. xvi. 18.

3 Matt. xxviii. 18-20. John xiv. 16, 17.

Matt. xviii. 20.
Luke x. 16.

John xvi. 13.

(7.) For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things'.

(8.) These things write I unto thee, that thou mayest know, how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth2.

2. If, from such scriptural passages agreeably to their well understood aboriginal interpretation, the early ecclesiastics deduced the infallibility of the Roman Church: we may obviously expect to find them perpetually recognizing and defending it. Accordingly, the following passages are adduced, as containing their distinct testimony in its favour.

(1.) The first set of passages occurs in the writings of Ignatius, who flourished early in the second century, and who had been a hearer of the Apostle John.

While yet among you, I cried with a loud voice: Attend to the Bishop and the Presbytery and the Deacons 3.

Farewell in Jesus Christ; being obedient to the Bishop as to the commandment, and in like manner to the Presbytery*.

Acts xv. 28.

21 Tim. iii. 15.

3 Εκραύγασα μεταξὺ ὤν, ἐλάλουν μεγάλῃ φωνῇ· Τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ προσέχετε, καὶ τῷ πρεσβυτερίῳ, καὶ διακόνοις. Ignat. Epist. ad Philadelph. § vii. Cotel. Patr. Apost. vol. ii. p. 32.

4 Εῤῥωσθε ἐν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ, ὑποτασσόμενοι τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ ὡς τῇ

I exhort, that you diligently do all things in the unanimity of God, the Bishop in the place of God presiding over you1.

(2.) The next set of passages will be found in the Treatise of Ireneus, who wrote in the latter half of the second century.

Wherefore, Christians ought to obey the Presbyters in the Church, those who have their succession from the Apostles, as we have shewn; who, with the succession of the episcopate, have received, according to the good pleasure of the Father, the sure grace of truth 2.

Where the free gifts of the Lord are placed, there we ought to learn the truth from those, with whom is the succession of the Church from the Apostles, and among whom prevails soundness and irreprehensibleness of discourse. For these, both guard our faith in the true God the maker of all things, and increase our love toward the Son of God who made such dispositions on our account, and explain to us the Scriptures without danger 3.

ἐντολῇ, ὁμοίως καὶ τῷ πρεσβυτερίῳ. Ignat. Epist. ad Trall. § xiii. p. 25.

· Παραινῶ ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ Θεοῦ, σπουδάζετε πάντα πράσσειν, προς καθημένου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου εἰς τόπον Θεοῦ. Ignat. Epist. ad Mage nes. § vi. p. 18, 19.

2

Quapropter eis qui in Ecclesia sunt presbyteris obaudire oportet, his qui successionem habent ab Apostolis, sicut ostendimus; qui cum episcopatus successione charisma veritatis certum, secundum placitum Patris, acceperunt. Iren. adv. hær. lib. iv. c. 43. P.

277..

* Ubi igitur charismata Domini posita sunt, ibi discere opor

(3.) Another set of passages is taken from Tertullian, who flourished at the end of the second century.

It is unlawful for us to indulge in any thing according to our own humour: nor may we choose what, from his own mere whim, any person may have introduced. We have for our authors the Apostles of the Lord, who not even themselves selected what they might introduce according to their own humour, but faithfully delivered to the nations the discipline which they had received from Christ'.

Let us grant that all the Churches have erred— Shall we say, then, that the Holy Spirit has looked upon no one of them to lead it into truth, though sent for this very purpose from Christ, though be

tet veritatem, apud quos est ea quæ est ab Apostolis Ecclesiæ successio, et id quod est sanum et irreprobabile sermonis constat. Hi enim et eam, quæ est in unum Deum qui omnia fecit, fidem nostram custodiunt; et eam, quæ est in Filium Dei, dilectionem adaugent, qui tantas dispositiones propter nos fecit; et Scripturas sine periculo nobis exponunt. Iren. adv. hær. lib. iv. c. 45. p. 279.

The Bishop of Strasbourg, by way, I suppose, of making Ireneus bear a somewhat more precise testimony in favour of infallibility, has thought it expedient to render the latin sine periculo by the french sans danger D'ERREURS. Discuss. Amic. vol. i. p. 127. Where did Dr. Trevern find his d'erreurs?

1 Nobis vero nihil ex nostro arbitrio indulgere licet, sed nec eligere quod aliquis de arbitrio suo induxerit. Apostolos Domini habemus autores, qui nec ipsi quicquam ex suo arbitrio, quod inducerent, elegerunt: sed acceptam a Christo disciplinam fideliter nationibus adsignaverunt. Tertull. de præscript. adv. hær. § 2. Oper. p. 97.

sought for this very purpose of the Father, that he might be the teacher of truth? Shall we say, that the agent of God, the vicar of Christ, has neglected his office, suffering the Churches to understand and believe differently, than he himself preached through the Apostles'?

(4.) Clement of Alexandria, who also flourished about the end of the second century, is considered likewise as bearing testimony to the same effect.

Those, who will, may discover the truth-For they may learn demonstratively through the Scriptures themselves, how heresies have fallen away, and how in truth alone and in the primeval Church there is the most accurate knowledge and the truly best selection 2.

(5.) There is yet another set of passages adduced from Cyprian, who lived toward the middle of the third century.

We ought firmly to hold and vindicate unity, more especially we Bishops who preside in the Church,

1 Age nunc omnes erraverint-Nullam respexerit Spiritus Sanctus uti eam in veritatem deduceret, ad hoc missus a Christo, ad hoc postulatus a Patre, ut esset doctor veritatis? Neglexerit officium Dei villicus, Christi vicarius, sinens ecclesias aliter interim intelligere, aliter credere, quam ipse per Apostolos prædicabat. Tertull. de præscript. adv. hær. § 9. Oper. p. 105.

· Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ βουλομένοις ἔξεσται καὶ τὸ εὑρεῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν —καὶ δι' αὐτῶν τῶν γραφῶν ἐκμανθάνειν ἀποδεικτικῶς, ὅπως μὲν απεσφάλησαν αἱ αἱρέσεις, ὅπως δὲ ἐν μόνῃ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ καὶ τῇ ἀρχαίᾳ Ἐκκλησίᾳ ἥτε ακριβεστάτη γνῶσις καὶ ἡ τῷ ὄντι ἀρίστη αἵρεσις. Clem. Alex. Strom. lib. vii. Oper. p. 755. Colon.

1688.