Wesley Corpus

I would not put it in their power (and I do not wish that others should) to cut the throats of their quiet neighbours. “But they will give security for their peaceable behaviour.” They cannot while they continue Roman Catholics; they cannot while they are members of that Church which receives the decrees of the Council of Con stance, which maintains the spiritual power of the Bishop of Rome, or the doctrine of priestly absolution. 3. This I observed in my late Letter. Whoever, therefore, would remark upon it to any purpose, must prove these three things: (1.) That the decree of the Council of Constance publicly made, has been publicly disclaimed. (2.) That the Pope has not power to pardon sins, or to dispense with oaths, vows, and promises. And, (3.) That no Priest has power to pardon sins. But has Mr. O’Leary proved these three points? Has he proved any one of them? He has, indeed, said something upon the first : He denies such a decree was ever made. 4. I am persuaded Mr. O’Leary is the first man that ever made the important discovery. But, before he is quite sure, let him look again into Father L’Abbe’s “Concilia Maxima,” printed at Paris in the year 1672. The last volume contains a particular account of the Council of Constance; one of whose decrees (page 169) is, “That heretics ought to be put to death, non obstantibus salvis conductibus Imperatoris, Regum, &c., notwithstanding the public faith engaged to them in the most solemn manner.” Who then can affirm that no such doctrine or violation of faith with heretics is authorized by this Council ? Without putting on spectacles, which, blessed be God, I do not wear, I can read a little Latin still. And, while I can, I must fix this horrid doctrine on the Council of Constance. 5. But, supposing the Council of Constance had never advanced this doctrine, or the Church of Rome had publicly disclaimed it, my conclusion stands good till it is proved, (1.) That no Priest has a power of pardoning sins; and, (2.) That the Pope has neither a power of pardoning sins, nor of dispensing with oaths, vows, promises, &c. Mr. O’Leary has proved neither of these: And what has he proved? It is hard to say. But if he proves nothing, he either directly or indirectly asserts many things.