Of the rule whereby all controversies are to be ended That the elect never fall totally from grace once received What manner of faith is found in infants that are baptized Of the saying of Augustine that he would not believe the Gospel if the authority of the Church did not move him 444 Of the merit of works and justification Of the things required for the attaining of the right under- That we have not departed from the Church wherein our BOOK V. CHAPTER XLVIII. OF GENERAL COUNCILS, AND OF THE END, USE, AND NECESSITY OF THEM. HAV AVING examined what may be said for proof of the universality of the bishop of Rome's power and jurisdiction, first we find that the Son of God gave him no power in the commonwealth, but a fatherhood only in the Church. Secondly, that in the Church he neither gave him an illimited power of commanding, nor infallible judgment in discerning, but that the greatest thing that either he can challenge or we yield unto him, is to be the prime bishop in order and honour; the first and not of himself alone, or out of the fulness of his own power, but with the joint concurrence of others equal in commission with him, to manage the great affairs of Almighty God, and to govern the Christian Church so that the fulness of ecclesiastical power and jurisdiction is in the companies, assemblies, and synods of bishops and pastors, and not in any one man alone. I shewed1 before, that in the churches founded and established by the apostles, containing whole cities and places adjoining, though there were many ministers of the word and sacraments, yet one was so the pastor of each of these churches, that the rest were but his assistants, and might do nothing without him; and that therefore there was an inequality established even from the beginning, not of order only, but of degree also, between such as are pastors of churches, and are named bishops, and such as are but their assistants, named by the common name of presbyters; yet is the power of him that excelleth the rest in degree in each church fatherly, 1 Chap. xxvII. [Vol. m. p. 209.] 2 See D. Bilson, Of the perpetual government of the Church. Cap. 14. p. 307. [FIELD, IV.] 1 not princely. For things were so ordered in the beginning, that as the presbyters could do nothing without the bishop, so the bishop in matters of moment might do nothing without his presbyters: and thereupon the council of Carthage decreeth', that the bishop shall not presume to hear and sententiate any man's cause without the presence of his clergy. And though it be said that the bishop alone may hear and determine the causes of such clergymen as are below the degree of presbyters and deacons; yet that alone excludeth not his clergy, but the concurrence of other bishops, which in the causes of presbyters and deacons is necessarily required. For without the presence and concurrence of his clergy the bishop may proceed to no sentence at all. If any difference grew between the bishop and his clergy, or if [consenting] any one found himself grieved with their proceedings, there was a provincial synod holden twice every year, in which the acts of episcopal synods might be re-examined. These provincial synods were subordinate to national and patriarchical synods, wherein the primate of a nation or kingdom, or one of the patriarchs, sat as president. And in these national or patriarchical synods the acts of provincial synods might be re-examined and reversed. Of all which I have spoken before, in due place and upon fit occasion, and have shewed at large of whom these synods do consist. So that it is evident that the power of ecclesiastical jurisdiction resteth not in bishops alone, but in presbyters also, being admitted to provincial and national synods, and having decisive voices in them, as well as bishops; nor in any one metropolitan, primate or patriarch, within their several precincts and divisions, but in these and their fellow-bishops jointly; and that much less there is any one in whom the fulness of all ecclesiastical power, and the right to command the whole Church, doth rest. So that this fulness of power is found only in the general assembly of pastors called a general council. Wherefore now it remaineth that we speak of general councils. Wherein first we are to consider the 1 "Episcopus nullius causam audiat absque præsentia clericorum suorum; alioquin irrita erit sententia episcopi, nisi clericorum præsentia confirmetur."-Concil. Carthag. IV. Can. 23. [Labbe, Tom. II. col. 1439.] 2 Chap. xxx. [Vol. I. p. 243.] utility and necessity of such synodal assemblies and meetings. Secondly, of whom they must consist. Thirdly, what assurance they have of divine assistance and direction: and, Fourthly, who must call them. Touching the first, the causes why general councils are called are three. The first is, the suppressing of new heresies, formerly not condemned. The second, a general and uniform reformation of abuses crept into the Church. The third, the taking away of schisms grown into patriarchical churches, about the election of their pastors, and the rejecting of intruders, violently and disorderly possessing themselves of those patriarchical thrones. And so we find that the Council of Nice was called by Constantine, for the suppressing of the damnable heresy of the Arians: the eighth general council by Basilius, for the ending of the difference that was grown into the Church of Constantinople about Ignatius and Photius contending for the episcopal chair: and that all general councils intended and sought the reformation of abuses, there being scarce any one wherein canons were not made for the reformation of disorders; insomuch that the fathers of the sixth general council, having only condemned the heresy of the Monothelites, and made no canons, met afterwards again many of them, and made those canons that are now extant, and are the chief direction of the Greek Church unto this day. These being the causes for which councils are called, it is evident that the holding of them is not absolutely and simply necessary, but in a sort only. For heresies may be suppressed by the concurrence of provincial synods, holden in the several parts of the world; as they were in the first three hundred years, when there were no general councils: but one part of the Christian Church seeking the help of another in common dangers, and one part readily concurring with another (as for the extinguishing of a dangerous fire threatening all, or the repressing and repelling of a common enemy), by mutual intelligence passing from one to another, they abandoned heresies newly springing up, and preserved the unity of the common faith. Neither was this course holden only in the time of persecution during the first three hundred years, but afterwards also, in the time of the Church's peace, we find the same course to have been followed, in the suppressing of the |