Questions of religion cast abroad in Helvetia by the aduersaries of the same: and aunswered by M. H. Bullinger of Zurick: reduced into .17. common places. Translated into Englishe by Iohn Coxe. 1572

The xij. Question.

Whether those generall Coun∣celles, whiche are lawefully kepte, oughte to bee beleeued and obeyed: and whether they may bee called into question as though they had erred, and so be disputed vpon?

The Answere.

THis Question contey∣neth* 1.1 thrée others: First whether those generall Councelles whiche are lawfully made, ought to be obeyed and beléeued? To this we answere, that all councels both vniuersall and prouincial, as they terme them, oughte to take their au∣thoritie from the worde of god. Wher∣fore if the lawes & decrées of Councels be deriued from the worde of God, and confirmed by the same, then ought they no lesse to be beléeued, than the worde of God it selfe. But if it be otherwyse, then is there no aucthoritie of any

Councell to bée accepted agaynst the truthe of the holy Scriptures. Con∣stantinus* 1.2 the Emperoure in the firste generall Counsell holden at N••c••, of∣fered vnto the fathers there béeing law∣fully assembled, the Bookes of the olde and newe Testamente, commaunding them thereby so iudge and determyne all controuersies.

The seconde Question is, VVhe∣ther* 1.3 that Counsels haue erred? But their Question is so demaunded, as thoughe they mighte neuer erre. But bycause all the Councelles that haue béene héeretofore, as also those whiche are now, were gathered from men, and and that men doo and may erre, like as in times past they haue often erred: for Dauid sayth: God is true, but euery* 1.4 man is a lyar: and saint James sayth: In many things we sinne all. It foloweth therfore that coūcels may erre. On the other side, if they folow god & his word, they cā not erre, as we before haue suf∣ficiently declared. That councels haue erred, and therby often haue bene quite cōtrary one to an other, cōdemning one

an other, dothe manyfestly appeare by Hystories. For it is not néedefull at large héere to discourse them all, sithe I haue onely determined to aunswere the Questions aforesayde briefly.

The thirde Question is, VVhether* 1.5 those thinges whiche are well and suf∣ficiently decreed vppon, once in some generall Councell, oughte to bee called into question, and to bee disputed on agayne. To this question I aunswere thus: Those thinges whereon the Counselles haue rightely and truely decréed by the woorde of GOD, to those muste wée submitte our selues, neyther are they to be called into que∣stion. As the firste generall Counsels holden at Nice, Constantinople, and Ephesus, dyd well and rightely decrée touching the holy Trinitie, the De∣uine and Humane nature of Chryste, the holy Ghoste, and of suche thinges whiche dydde héerevnto appertayne. They nowe therefore offende not a∣gaynst GOD, whiche dispute and set them selues agaynst those that call these thinges agayne into question,

and make doubte of them: but they whych are the causers and authors of these Disputations offende, as namely Seruetus the Spaniarde in our age, and diuerse others, whiche haue done the lyke by their open workes and wry∣tings. We also confesse, that the lawes of the godly Emperours and Kinges, were and are ryghte profitable and ne∣cessarie, wherein blasphemouse and wycked disputations are forbydden. But the Popishe Prelates can not by* 1.6 this tytle defende or shielde them sel∣ues, as that nothing ought to bée writ∣ten or disputed agaynst their late newe holden Counselles, whiche thyng in déede they greately desire, bycause they knowe them selues giltie of infideli∣tie. For it is tootoo manyfeste, and can by no manner of meanes bée denyed, that in their Counsels they haue ordei∣ned and decréed many thinges contra∣ry to the custome of the Primatiue Churche, and the manyfeste testimo∣nies of the holy Scriptures, which by their leaue wée may not leaue vntou∣ched. Wherevppon within these fewe

hundred yeares, many holy, learned, faythfull, valyaunte and sincere Mi∣nisters of GOD, haue cried out, say∣ing, that the church of Rome is fraught and full stuffed with all abuses, er∣rors, sinnes, wicked and horrible factes and offences, and therefore hathe néede of greate and earneste reformation. But these men woulde that all these thinges shoulde bee couered and sme∣red ouer, and therefore they say, It is not lawefull agayne to speake of or di∣spute agaynst those things which were once decreed and establyshed by gene∣rall Councels. But whether this bée righte and iuste before God and men, the wyse may easily perceiue. Tou∣ching* 1.7 this matter Saincte Augustine dothe very well instruct vs, for he com∣maundeth vs without all doubt to be∣léeue the Scriptures of the holy Bible, and to beléeue the writinges of the fa∣thers, so farrefoorthe as they bee con∣firmed and proued by the witnesse of the holy Scripture, Epistle. 19. 111. 48. agaynst Cresconius. Lib. 2. Capitu. 32. ni his Booke De peccatorum meritis, &

remis. cont. Pelag. Li. 3. Ca. 7. De vera re∣gione. Cap. 10. Contra Epist. Pelag. ad Bonifac. Lib. 4. Cap. 8. And in his third Booke agaynst Maximinus he saythe: But nowe neyther oughte I to bryng the Councell of Nice, nor thou the councell of Arimineus, as to be preiu∣diciall one to an other: but let vs dis∣pute by the authoritie of the Scriptures. And in his seconde Booke agaynst the Donatistes and thirde Chapter, he sub∣mitteth Councelles to the authoritie of the Scriptures, and saythe, that it often commeth to passe, that the for∣mer Councelles may bée amended by those whiche are holden after. Agayne De V••itate Ecclesiae in hys sixetéenthe Chapter he sayth, That the Scripture is the foundation and Pyller of the Churche, and of all that is therein.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In what sorte general coun∣cels are to be beleued.
• * 1.2

  Constantin••
• * 1.3

  Whether Counsels haue erred.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 1••. Rom. 3. ••acob. ••.
• * 1.5

  Whether the articles vvhiche are decided & cōfirmed may be disputed on agayne.
• * 1.6

  Whether it be lavvfull to di∣spute againste popish doctrin
• * 1.7

  Augustines iudgement touching the counsels and the fathers.