The church history clear'd from the Roman forgeries and corruptions found in the councils and Baronius in four parts : from the beginning of Christianity, to the end of the fifth general council, 553 / by Thomas Comber ...

THE Introduction.

WHen Campian long ago undertook to defend the Roman Cause, he boasted, that He was strengthned with the firm and powerful Guard of all the Councils, and that all the General Councils were on his side a 1.1. Which vain Brag the Writers from the Roman Church do frequently repeat to this very day. But he that with Judgment and Diligence shall peruse their own allowed Editions of the Councils, will easily discover the falshood of this Assertion: For there is such adding and expunging, such altering and disguising things in the Body of the Councils, and such excusing, falsifying, and shuffling in the Notes, that a Judicious Reader will soon perceive these Venerable Records, truly set down and explained, do not favour them. But these Corruptions are carried on with such Confidence and Cunning, that an unexepe∣rienced and unwary Student, may be imposed on by this specious shew of Venerable Antiquity: For their sakes therefore, it's necessary to take a short view of that Fraud and Policy, which is so commonly made use of in those Editions of the Councils which pass through the Roman Mint, especially in those which are in most use among us, viz. The Edition of Severinus Binius b 1.2, and that of

Labbé and Cossartius c 1.3, wherein Binius his Notes are printed verbatim. Which useful design was begun by a Learned and Ingenious Gentleman, in a Tract entituled Roman Forgeries, printed at London, An. 1673: But that Author doth not follow the exact order of Time, nor doth he go much beyond the Nicene Council, and even in that Period he left out many plain Instances; And whereas he died, before he had proceeded any further; I resolved to begin where he left off: But for Methods sake, and to make thid Discourse more entire, I have begun with the first Century, and so proceeded accord∣ing to the order of the several Councils (only writing more briefly upon the Three first Centuries, which were largely treated of in that Author before) deducing the account of these Impostures down to the end of the Fourth Century, and shewing (as I go along) what Ar∣tifices have been used by the Editors and Annotator to dress up these Ancient Evidences, so as to make them look favourably upon their great Diana, the Supremacy and other Corruptions of the Roman Church. To this end they have published many spurious Councils, many counterfeit Canons and forged Decretals; and for such as are genuine, they have frequently altered the Text, both by Additions and Diminutions, and have so dis∣guised the Sense by partial and fallacious Notes, that it will be evident (by the Remarks here made upon them) their business in the publishing these Volumes, was not to promote the Truth, but to serve a Party. Nor can any thing else be expected from Binius his Notes, which (as he owns in his Preface) He took out of Baronius, Bellarmin and Possevin: The design of which three Men (saith Richerius an ingenuous Sor∣bon Doctor) is evident to all Men to have been no other, but to prove the Pope was appointed by

Christ to be the absolute Monarch, and Infallible Judge of his Church d 1.4. And since the Notes chiefly follow Baronius, we have, as we go along, in every Period noted several of the designed Falshoods, and of the Contradictions, Errors and Mistakes in his Annals. Which History is so full of Forgeries, false Quotations, and feigned Tales to set up the Credit of the Roman Church, and its corrupt Opi∣nions and Practices, that to discover them all would require almost as many Volumes as his Annals make: So that we must content our selves with some of the plainest Instances which fall into this Matter of the Councils, and will set them in a clear Light, and shew they are as contrary to Reason, as they are to true History. Which Ʋndertaking we hope will be many ways useful: First, It will tend to the ease of those who intend to read over the Tomes of the Councils, or the Annals of Baronius, and save them much time and pains by presenting the prin∣cipal Errors of those great Volumes at one View, which they would spend a long time in searching after, if they were to gather them up as they lye dispersed. Secondly, It may be very useful to those who desire to be rightly informed in the Contro∣versies between us and the Roman Church, because it will give them a clear prospect of what Councils and other Antiquities are Authentic, and may be allowed for Evidence in this Dispute; wherein our Adversaries have so little regard to their own Honour, that generally one half of their Evidence is such as they have either forged or corrupted. Thirdly, It will be necessary (by way of Antidote) to prepare those, who by reading Books so full of Infection, may by these plausible Falsifications be in

danger to be seduced into a great esteem of the Opinions and Practices of the Roman Church; when they find so many seemingly ancient Tracts and Councils brought in to justifie her in all things, and see (by this false Light) all Ecclesiastical History and Records so modelled, as to perswade their Read∣ers, That in the purest Christian Times, all things were believed and done in the Catholic Church just as they are now at Rome. But when it shall appear, that all this is a continued Series and train of Im∣postures, it will render their Notions and Practices, not only suspected, but odious, as needing such vile and base Artifices, to make them seem agreeable to true Antiquity.

To this it may be Objected, That divers of the Modern Writers of this Church, and especially the most Learned, do now own divers of these Forge∣ries which we here detect to have been spurious, and therefore it seems needless to prove that which they have already granted us. I reply, That none of them own all these Corruptions, and divers of their Authors cite them very confidently to this very day, and still the things themselves stand in their most approved Editions of Councils, and the Remarks are only in Marginal Notes. But since they were believed in those Ages, while their Supremacy and other Novel Doctrins were setting up, and were urged for good Proofs, till these Opinions had taken root; it is not satisfaction enough to renounce that Evidence, of which they now have no more need, unless they disclaim the Doctrins also to which they first gave Credit: And till they do this, it is fit the World should know by what False Evidence they first gained these Points. For, if a Man should get an

Estate by Bribing his Iury and his Witnesses, it is not enough for him to confess these Persons were Suborned, unless he restore the Ill gotten Lands; and till he restore them, he ought to be upbraided with his Bribery, even after he hath acknowledged it. Secondly, It may be alledged, That Junius, River and Daillé abroad; Perkins, Cook and James at home; have taken great pains on this Subject, and that the Learned Author of the Historieal Exami∣nation of the Authority of General Councils, printed at London, 1688. hath already handled this Argument. I Answer, That the Six former are chiefly concerned in the Tracts of particular Fa∣thers, and make few Remarks on the Councils: The last indeed keeps close to the Great Councils, but passes over the Small ones; and any who compares this Discourse with that, will find the Design, the Method and Instances so different, that this Dis∣course will still be useful in its kind, as that will be also: For here, in an acurate Order, all the Frauds of that Church are put together throughout every Century, not only what have been observed by others, but many now first taken notice of, and not observed before. And indeed, the Instances of these Frauds are so many, that we have been forced to give but brief Touches upon divers of the Particulars, and could neither enlarge upon single Instances, nor adorn the Style; our business being chiefly to direct the younger Students in Ecclesiastical Antiquity; and if our Remakrs be but so clear as to be understood by, and useful to them, we have our Aim. And it is hoped this may suffice to prove, That the genuine Records of Councils do condemn the Modern Do∣ctrin, Worship and Discipline of the Roman Church,

and that whatever in these Editions of them seems to countenance those things, are Forgeries and Cor∣ruptions devised on purpose to set a false gloss upon their Modern Inventions. The Methodical Discovery whereof may convince any unprejudiced Man, That Ours is the truly Ancient and Catholic Religion, and Theirs a Device of later times, which cannot be rendred any way agreeable to the Primitive Writings, without innumerable Impostures and Falsifications.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Campian. decem rat. pag. 24, & 30.
• b 1.2

  Edit. Binii Concil. omn. Colon. 1618.
• c 1.3

  Edit. Lab. & Cossart. Paris, An. 1671.
• d 1.4

  Richer. Praef. ad hist. Concil. pag. 4.