The new politick lights of modern Romes church-government: or The new Gospel according to Cardinal Palavicini revealed by him in his history of the Council of Trent. Englished out of French.

ARTICLE IV. The Measures and Rules of the Churches Government, according to the Wis∣dom of God, ought to be taken from the Publick Good; that is the End that Jesus Christ had in view.

'TIs certain, that the Common Good, being the End and Object of Policy, is the Measure of all the Judgments, of all the Laws, and of all the Actions of that Policy; for example, to judge wherein consists true Honour, even temporal; and according to the times, we must fall to exa∣mine what is profitable for the Publick Good; for there is no other true Honour: So that the Common Good is the measure of all Politick Judgment,* 1.1 Il vero onore di cui è misura il ben publica: And the Policy that is guided by this End, is that of the truly Learned and Knowing men,* 1.2 Politica vera intesa da scienziati.

On the contrary, 'tis Popular Judgment that is not guided by the Common Good, but forms its Conclusions upon another Principle. The good which popular judgment proposes to it self either for Principle or End, is not a true Good, but an Idol,* 1.3 that witless and unruly Heads forge and work up according to their Fan∣cy:

Onore popolare ch' è un Idolo fabricato da ingegni stolidamente feroci.* 1.4

Now for to discern well what is the true common Good of the Church, there needs no more, but to mark what is the common Good that Jesus Christ had in view when he instituted the Government of his Church; for the end is the measure whereby we judge what is good and fit to be done in all actions,* 1.5 fine ch' è la misura dell'opportuno in tutte le azioni; through knowledge of the true common Good, a man ought to judge of true or false policy.

The true is founded upon Virtue, and upon Zeal, the false, upon Fraud and pri∣vate Interest,* 1.6 i fondamenti nella virtù e nel zelo, ò nella fraude e nell'interesse; By means of these politick Virtues, a man arrives to the politick Felicity of this Life, which is the recompence of them, and which consist in Riches, Honours and Pleasures.

Notes

• * 1.1

  l. 1. c. 26.
• * 1.2

  l. 5. c. 16.
• * 1.3

  l. 1. c. 16.
• * 1.4

  l. 1. c. 26.
• * 1.5

  l. 2. c. 2.
• * 1.6

  Ibid.