Wesley Corpus

Form. Jur.) Pope Innocent III, thus decreed: “As God is called universal Lord, because all things are under his dominion; so the Church of Rome is called Catholic, or universal, because all Churches are subject unto her.” (Apud Baron. Annal. 1199.) REPLY. As it was foretold, so it was fulfilled: “Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah ii. 3.) There the Church began; and therefore, in the Synodical Epistle of the Second General Council of Constantinople, Jerusalem is called “the mother of all Churches.” (Baron. A. D. 382, p. 461.) If she is the mistress because she is the mother, (as Pope Innocent I. would have it, Epist. 1, Concil., tom. 4, p. 5) then Jerusalem was the mistress. If the mistress because she was once the imperial city, then Constantinople was so likewise; and accordingly it was decreed in the Fourth General Council, that of Chalcedon, can. 28, “That the Church of Constantinople should have equal privileges with that of Rome, because she is the imperial seat.” And if she claims this sovereign authority upon any other reason, she never had, nor can ever prove, a right to it. This is confirmed by Pope Pius II., (when a Cardinal) who saith, that “before the time of the Nicene Council, little regard was had to the Church of Rome.” (Epist. 288.) Q. 4. What use doth she make of this authority? A. She requires all persons, upon her sole authority, to receive and believe the doctrines she proposes to be received and believed,” and without the belief of which she declares there is no salvation.f REPLY. “The gospel which was preached of me, is not after man; for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Gal. i. 11, 12.) “Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached, let him be accursed.” (Verses 8, 9.) The Church of Rome cannot avoid St. Paul’s anathema, * Sacrosancta synodus omnibus Christi fidelibus interdicit, ne posthac de sanc tissimá Eucharistiá aliter credere, docere, aut praedicare audeant, quam ut est hoc praesenti decreto explicatum, atque definitum.-Concil. Trid. Sess. 13, Decret. de Euchar. So again, Sess. 25, Decret. de Purgatorio.