Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Chap. 3. Nothing then is more certain, than that, when Queft14 Juftinian faid, that (79) Constantinople was the Head of all other Churches, his Meaning was only this, that all the chief Churches of the Oriental Empire were Subject to Conftantinople, in the Opinion of this Emperor. For, tho' the Pope did not consent to this Change of the ancient Difcipline in Favour of Conftantinople; yet the Bishops of Alexandria, of Antioch, and all the Oriental Prelates did. And as these were the only Perfons concern'd; the Greeks imagin'd, that the Pope's Confent was not neceffary.

Fourteenth QUESTION.

Are the modern Greeks the Catholick Church?

ANSWER, HEY are not. My Reafon is,

T because they are not in Com

munion with the Bishop of Rome, S. Peter's Succeffor, whom the Catholick Church has always own'd to be her Head by divine Institution. Be pleas'd to read the Treatife of Supremacy, in the fecond Tome of the true Church of Chrift, against Mr. Lefley, an 1715.

II. Chrift faid to St. Peter without Exception, S. Jo. xxi. v. 15, 16, 17, Feed my Lambs, Feed my Sheep. Either then the other Apotles were not any Part of Chrift's Flock, or they were here committed to S. Peter's Charge. Again,

(79) Conftantinopolitana Ecclefia omnium aliarum eş Caput. in Co. L. 1. Tit. 2, §. 24. P. 15.

Again, if Chrift had faid to his Apostles, Up- Chap. 3. on you I will build my Church, and the Gates Queit 14 of Hell fhall not prevail against it, we might have rightly concluded from thence, that the Apostles were the Vicars of Christ, and had a Superior Jurifdiction to all Chriftian Paftors.

But Christ faid to St. Peter, Thou art Cephas that is a Stone, a Rock, S. Jo. I. v. 42] or, Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church, and the Gates of Hell fhall not prevail against it, S. Mat. xvi. v. 18. For it is the fame, as if he had faid, Thou art a Rock, and upon this Rock I will build my Church, &c. Which evidently denotes S. Peter's Perfon, as Dr. Hammond, a Divine of the Church of England, rightly obferves.

;

His Paraphrafe on the Text is [1] The Name by which thou art Styl'd, and known by me, is that, which fignifies a Stone or Rock: and fuch fhalt thou be in the Building of the Church which accordingly fhall be fo built on thee, founded in thee, that the Power of Death, of the Grave, Jhall not get Victory over it: the Christian Church now to be planted, shall never be deftroy'd.

And in his Note [2] on the fame Text 3 the Name, fays he, of mrs Signifying a Stone bere, fuch an one, as for the Firmness and Validity is fit to bear the greater Stress and Weight in the Building, is applicable to the Perfon of S. Peter, in refpect of the Church.

In the fame manner Bishop Pearfon, When Peter, fays [3] he, had converted three thousand Souls, Acts ii. v. 41, which were added to the hundred

R 3

(1) Paraph. on the N. T. p. 89. an. 1653. (2) pag. 91.col. 1. (3) Expofition of the Creed. p. 336. Edit. 4. an. 1676.

Chap. 3. Nothing then is more certain, than that, when Queft14 Juftinian faid, that (79) Constantinople was the Head of all other Churches, his Meaning was only this, that all the chief Churches of the Oriental Empire were Subject to Conftantinople, in the Opinion of this Emperor. For, tho' the Pope did not confent to this Change of the ancient Difcipline in Favour of Conftantinople; yet the Bishops of Alexandria, of Antioch, and all the Oriental Prelates did. And as these were the only Perfons concern'd; the Greeks imagin'd, that the Pope's Confent was not neceffary.

Fourteenth QUESTION.

Are the modern Greeks the Catholick Church?

T

ANSWER, HEY are not. My Reason is, because they are not in Communion with the Bishop of Rome, S. Peter's Succeffor, whom the Catholick Church has always own'd to be her Head by divine Institution. Be pleas'd to read the Treatife of Supremacy, in the fecond Tome of the true Church of Chrift, against Mr. Lefley, an 1715.

II. Chrift faid to St. Peter without Exception, S. Jo. xxi. v. 15, 16, 17, Feed my Lambs, Feed my Sheep. Either then the other Apotles were not any Part of Chrift's Flock, or they were here committed to S. Peter's Charge, Again,

(79) Conftantinopolitana Ecclefia omnium aliarum eş Caput. in Co. L. 1. Tit. 2. §. 24. P. 15.

Again, if Chrift had faid to his Apostles, Up- Chap. 3. on you I will build my Church, and the Gates Queit 14 of Hell fhall not prevail against it, we might have rightly concluded from thence, that the Apostles were the Vicars of Christ, and had a Superior Jurifdiction to all Christian Pastors.

But Christ faid to St. Peter, Thou art Cephas that is a Stone, a Rock, S. Jo. 1. v. 42] or, Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church, and the Gates of Hell fhall not prevail against it, S. Mat. xvi. v. 18.

For it is the fame, as if he had faid, Thou art a Rock, and upon this Rock I will build my Church, &c. Which evidently denotes S. Peter's Perfon, as Dr. Hammond, a Divine of the Church of England, rightly obferves.

His Paraphrafe on the Text is [1] The Name by which thou art Styl'd, and known by me, is that, which fignifies a Stone or Rock: and fuch fhalt thou be in the Building of the Church; which accordingly fhall be fo built on thee, founded in thee, that the Power of Death, of the Grave, fhall not get Victory over it: the Chriftian Church now to be planted, shall never be deftroy'd.

And in his Note [2] on the fame Text 3 the Name, fays he, of mire Signifying a Stone here, fuch an one, as for the Firmness and Validity is fit to bear the greater Stress and Weight in the Building, is applicable to the Perfon of S. Peter, in refpect of the Church.

In the fame manner Bishop Pearfon, When Peter, fays [3] he, had converted three thoufand Souls, Acts ii. v. 41, which were added to the hundred

R 3

(1) Paraph. on the N. T. p. 89. an, 1653. (2) pag. 91. col. 1. (3) Expofition of the Creed. p. 336. Edit. 4. an. 1676.

Chap. 3. firmation of it. (35) I reflect, fays he, that I Queft 13 was bred up in Rome. And how should I prefume to oppofe that most holy See, which prescribes Laws TO THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH.

II. It may be objected, that when the Bifhops of Conftantinople, John the younger firnam'd the Fafter, and his Succeffor Cyriacus, affum'd the Title of Oecumenical Patriarch, which S. Gregory calls Univerfal Bishop; he inveigh'd against it, as a most (36) wicked Title.

ANSWER. This is very true: but not at all to the Purpose. Oecumenical Patriarch, which S. Gregory calls univerfal Patriarch and univerfal Bishop, is (as he understood the Word) the fame,as the only Patriarch, the only Bishop: or the Bishop to whom all other Bishops are fubjet as his Deputies, and Vicars only. In which Senfe it agrees to Chrift alone, and cannot without Blafphemy be apply'd to any other, much less to the Bishops of Conftantinople,who never claim'd any Jurifdiction over the Roman See.

That S. Gregory understood the Title of Oecumenical Patriarch in the Senfe now mention'd, is plain from his own Words. (37) If

one,

(35) Recolo me in finu atq; in gremio facrofanita Ecclefiæ veftre Romane enutritum.Et quibus aufibus ego fantiffima illi Sedi, que univerfali Ecclefiæ jura fua tranfmittit, prafumpferim obviare? Joannes Ravenas Epifc. inter Epift. S. Greg. L. 2. Epift. 55. pag. 1129. DE. (36) L. 4. Ep. 32. 34. 36. 38. 39. L. 6. Ep. 4. 24. 28. 30. 31. Lib. 7. Part. 1. Ep. 30. Part. 2. Ep. 70. L. xi. Ep. 47. Vet. Edit. T. 5. Conc. p. 1181, &c. (37) Si unus Patriarcha univerfalis dicitur, Patriarcharum nomen cæteris derogatur. L. 4... Ep. 36. p. 1187. DE.

« AnteriorContinuar »