“Moses and Aaron among his priests… Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.”
Ps. 99:6-8
“Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him… But He turned, and said unto Peter, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto Me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.'”
Mt. 16:22-23
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Order of Contents
Articles 16+
Books 7+
Quotes 3
Historical 5+
Greek Orthodoxy 1
Latin 1
Biblio 1
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Articles
1500’s
Musculus, Wolfgang – ‘Whether the Church may err’ in Common Places of the Christian Religion (1560; London, 1563), ‘Church’, folio 266.a-269.b
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1600’s
Bucanus, William – ‘Can the Church err from the truth, or fall away therefrom?’ in 41. ‘Of the Church’ in Institutions of Christian Religion... (London: Snowdon, 1606), pp. 519-21
Anon. – ‘An Invincible Argument to Prove the Church of Rome to Err’ in Six Demands (from an Unlearned Protestant to a Learned Papist) so Forcible Against all Obstinate Papists that not any of Them are able to Reply without Absurd Equivocation… (London, 1609)
“Whosoever mistakes holy Scripture, does err. But the Church of Rome mistakes holy Scripture: Therefore the Church of Rome does err.
Whosoever understands more or less in Scripture than the text does express, mistakes the Scripture. But the Church of Rome understands more in Scripture than the text does express:”
Heidegger, Johann H. – ‘Foundational Principle of the Papist Religion: the Infallible Vicariate of the Roman Pontiff, is Demonstrated to be Irrational’ (1660) in Various Disputations tr. by AI by Onku (d. 1698), pp. 136-49 Latin
Poole, Matthew
The Nullity of the Romish Faith… an Examination of that Fundamental Doctrine of the Church of Rome concerning the Church’s Infallibility… (Oxford, 1666)
1. ‘Of the Pope’s Authority & Infallibility’
2. ‘Of the Authority of Scripture according to Romish Principles’
3. ‘Of the Authority & Infallibility of the Fathers’
4. ‘Of the Authority & Infallibility of the Church & Councils’
5. ‘Of Oral Tradition & the Testimony of the present Church’
‘Pope & Counciles Not Infallible’ in The Morning Exercise against Popery… (London: Maxwell, 1675), pp. 1-24
Le Blanc de Beaulieu, Louis – Theological Theses Published at Various Times in the Academy of Sedan 3rd ed. tr. by AI by Colloquia Scholastica (1675; London, 1683), Posthumous works Latin
3. Controversies on Church’s Governance and Roman Pontiff
4. Pope’s infallibility in judging controversies of faith and morals 1000
5. Certainty of Papal judgment or the Pope’s infallibility 1001
6. Infallibility of the particular Roman Church 1004
5. Controversies on the Church Militant 1045
4. Can the Church err, or on the Church’s constancy in retaining the Faith 1071-76
Le Blanc (1614-1675) was a French reformed professor of theology at Sedan.
Des Ecotais, Louis – pt. 2, ‘The Church of Rome is not the true Church, its Authority is not infallible, & that it is full of Corruptions & Errours’ in Memoirs of Mr. Des-Ecotais: formerly styled in the Church of Rome the most venerable Father Cassianus of Paris, priest… Or, The motives of his Conversion… that the authority thereof is not infallible, and that it is full of errors and corruptions (London, 1677), pp. 1-105
Des Ecotais was a French convert from Romanism to the reformed Church; he gives his reasons for this change in this book.
Burnet, Gilbert – The Infallibility of the Church of Rome Examined & Confuted in a Letter to a Roman Priest (London: Clark, 1680) 35 pp.
Burnet (1643–1715) was a Scottish philosopher and historian, and Bishop of Salisbury.
vol. 1, 2nd Topic, q. 20, ‘Whether the Scriptures (or God Speaking in Them) are the Supreme & Infallible Judge of Controversies & the Interpreter of the Scriptures. Or Whether the Church or the Roman Pontiff is. We Affirm the Former & Deny the Latter Against the Papists. 154-162
vol. 3, 18th Topic
11. ‘Is the church infallible or can it err about faith? The former we deny; the latter we affirm against the Romanists.’ 69
33. ‘Does it belong to the Roman pontiff to proclaim and gather councils, to preside over them and to confer upon them infallible authority in doctrines of faith and religion? And is the Council of Trent to be accepted? We deny against the Romanists.’ 306
Corbet, John – The Remains... (London: Parkhurst, 1684)
ch. 11, ‘The Infallibility of the Catholic Church Examined‘ in Of the Church, pp. 60-61
Corbet was a congregationalist puritan who followed in the strain of Baxter. He also has a book on the subject below.
Of Certainty & Infallibility, pp. 77-100 ToC
Maurice, Henry – Doubts concerning the Roman Infallibility… (London: Adamson, 1688) 39 pp.
Maurice (1648–1691) was an Anglican clergyman.
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1700’s
Turretin, Jean-Alphonse – points 1-2 of ch. 8 in Discourse concerning Fundamental Articles (London: Darby, 1720)
Smyth, George – The Church of Rome’s Claim of Authority & Infallibility Examined, in a Sermon… 3rd ed. (London: Hett, 1735) 72 pp. on 2 Cor. 1:24
Anon. – The Certainty of Protestants: a Safer Foundation than the Pretended Infallibility of Papists (Dublin: Reilly, 1738) 44 pp.
Philalethes – The Romish Infallibility Infallibly Overthrown, with some others of the Grossest Errors of that Church, in a New Method (London: Russell, 1748) 33 pp.
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1800’s
eds. Gibson, Edmund & John Cumming – A Preservative Against Popery, in Several Select Discourses upon the Principal Heads of Controversy Between Protestants & Papists, being written & Published by the Most Eminent Divines of the Church of England, Chiefly in the Reign of King James II [1685-88] (London, 1848)
vol. 4 Notes of the Church, Salvation, Infallibility
vol. 5 Infallibility, General Councils, Tradition, Rule of Faith, Private Judgment, Authority of Scripture
Moore, William – A Lecture delivered in the Bank Street Presbyterian Church… Is the Church of Rome Infallible? (Ottawa: Taylor, 1871) 15 pp.
Thornwell, James H. – Pt. 2, ‘The Papal Controversy’ in The Collected Writings of James Henley Thornwell... ed. Adger & Girardeau (Richmond, VA: Presbyterian Committee of Publication), vol. 3 (Theological & Controversial)
III. Argument for an Infallible Body 439
IV. Historical Argument 460
V. Infallibility— Historical Difficulties 475
VI. Infallibility & Skepticism 493
VII. Infallibility & Superstition 516
VIII. Infallibility & Civil Government 540-58
Thornwell was a major Southern presbyterian figure.
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Books
1600’s
Baxter, Richard – Roman Tradition Examined, as it is urged as Infallible against All Men’s Senses, Reason, the Holy Scripture, the Tradition & Present Judgment of the far greatst part of the Universal Church, in the point of Transubstantiation… (1676) 73 pp. ToC
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1700’s
Whitfield, Peter – An Essay upon the Supremacy & Infallibility Pretended to by the Church of Rome; showing that neither that, nor any other Church, made any such pretence for more than four hundred years after Christ, and that, therefore, the claim is without foundation… (Liverpool, 1749) 200 pp. no ToC
Whitfield appears to have been an English dissenter. Here are the rest of his works.
Scottish Presbyter – A Treatise of Infallibility: showing that the Church of Rome’s Claim to that High Privilege is without Foundation in Scripture, Antiquity, or Reason (Edinburgh: Gordon, 1752) 310 pp. ToC
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1800’s
Garbett, John – The Nullity of the Roman Faith, being a Practical Refutation of the Doctrine of Infallibility… (London: Murray, 1827) 381 pp. ToC in Dialogues
Garbett was an Anglican writer.
Mathias, B.W. – Popery Not Catholicism. Six Lectures on Infallibility… (London: Simpkin, 1851), pt. 1, pp. 7-75 ToC
Roman Catholic Layman – Papal Infallibility. Reasons why a Roman Catholic cannot Accept the Doctrine of Papal Infallibility as Defined by the Vatican Council (London: Rivingtons, 1876) 95 pp. no ToC
Schulte, John – Roman Catholicism: Old & New: from the Standpoint of the Infallibility Doctrine (NY: Worthington, 1877) 350 pp. ToC
Schulte was an Anglican minister in Canada and a convert from Romanism. These are polemical lectures against Roman infallibility.
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1900’s
Salmon, George – The Infallibility of the Church: Lectures delivered in the Divinity School of the University of Dublin (d. 1904; London: Murray, 1923) 525 pp. ToC
Salmon (1819–1904) was a distinguished and influential Irish mathematician and Anglican theologian, known for his Historical Introduction to the Study of the Books of the New Testament.
These are polemical lectures against Roman infallibility.
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2000’s
Powell, Mark E. – Papal Infallibility: A Protestant Evaluation of an Ecumenical Issue Pre (Eerdmans, 2009) 220 pp. ToC
Preface: “I do find Papal infallibility untenable for the epistemological reasons laid out in this work, as well as biblical and historical reasons.”
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Quotes
Order of
London Presbyterians
Baxter
Puritans
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1600’s
London Provincial Assembly
A Vindication of the Presbyterial-Government & the Ministry… (London, 1650), pp. 18-26
“That the apostles in that meeting [in Acts 15] did not act as apostles with infallible authority, but as elders, in such a way as makes that meeting a pattern for ordinary synods. For the proof of this we offer these reasons:
1. Because Paul and Barnabas did willingly submit to be sent from Antioch to Jerusalem, which they needed not have done (one of them at least being an apostle), nor could have done, had they acted as apostles and not as members for that time of the presbytery of Antioch, Acts 15:2.
2. Because Paul and Barnabas were sent not only to the apostles at Jerusalem, but to the apostles and elders, which at that time were not a few (the believers in Jerusalem being many thousands) which proves that they sent not unto the apostles as extraordinary and infallible (for then what need the advice of the elders?) but as wise and holy guides of the Church who might not only relieve them by some wise counsel, but also set a precedent unto succeeding ages how errors and dissentions in the Church might be removed and healed, as Mr. [John] Cotton observes in his book Of the Keys, etc., p. 23.
3. Because in the synod the apostles did not determine the thing in question by apostolical authority from immediate revelation, but assembled together with the elders to consider of the matter, Acts 15:6 and a multitude of the brethren together with them, Acts 15:12, 22-23. And there the question was stated and debated from Scripture in an ordinary way. Peter proves it by the witness of the Spirit to his ministry in Cornelius his family, [and] Paul and Barnabas by the like effect of their ministry amongst the gentiles. James confirmed the same by the testimony of the prophets; with which, the whole synod being satisfied, they determine of a judicial sentence and of a way to publish it by letters and messages.
4. Because the decrees of the synod are put forth in the name, not only of the apostles, but of the apostles and elders, Acts 15:22-23; 16:4; 21:25.”
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Richard Baxter
The Protestant Religion Truly Stated & Justified… (London: Salusbury, 1692) p. 2
“The Reformed Catholics hold that there is in the Church one, and that an infallible rule for understanding the holy Scripture and conserving of unity in matters of Faith. And that rule is: ‘The evidence of its own meaning as inherent in itself, discernible or intelligible by men prepared and instructed, by competent teaching and study, and the necessary help of God’s grace and Spirit.’ This is that rule.”
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The Safe Religion, or Three Disputations for the Reformed catholic religion against Popery proving that Popery is against the Holy Scriptures, the unity of the catholic Church, the consent of the ancient doctors, the plainest reason and common judgment of sense itself (London: Miller, 1657)
Query: ‘Whether the Reformed Catholic Christian religion, commonly called Protestant, be a safe way to salvation?’, pp. 43-44
“Objection 6. That is not the true religion nor a safe way to Heaven, which men can have no infallible certainty of. But the Protestant religion is such: For they all profess their Church to be fallible.
Answer: [1.] We must distinguish between a man that may be deceived, and a man that is deceived: and between infallibility in the object, and in the subject or intellect. And between infallibility in the absolutely necessary points, and in some inferior smaller matters.”
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“Argument 2: If the common senses of sound men (or their sensible apprehensions) be infallible, then the Pope with his pretended General Council is fallible: But the common senses of sound men are infallible: Therefore, etc.
I know not how we should come nearer hand with a Papist, nor to plainer dealing than to argue from common sense. And as to the antecedent, either sense is infallible, or it is not: If it be, I have that I seek. If not, then mark what follows:
1. Then no man can be sure that the Christian religion is true: For the proofs of it all vanish, if sense be not infallible.”
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Manton, Bates, Case, Baxter, Fairclough, etc.
The Judgment of Non-Conformists of the Interest of Reason in Matters of Religion in which it is Proved against Make-Baits that both Conformists & Non-Conformists, & All Parties of true Protestants are herein really agreed, though unskilful speakers differ in words (London: 1676), p. 3 This was signed by 15 non-conformist English puritans.
“3. We deny not but Protestants differ from the great fanaticism of Popery; which both builds Faith and exercises religion upon the most stupendious fiction of miracles, against reason and common sense, that ever (to our knowledge) was entertained by any sect or heresy in the world, viz.:
1. In their holding that a Pope, and his council (called ‘general’) are the infallible judges of the Church’s Faith, from whose authority it must be received, though the Pope should be himself an ignorant lad or a heretic, and most of the bishops in council should not before understand the matter which they vote for: As if God by miracles taught the ignorant and erroneous to vote contrary to their former opinions or above their understanding; and their miraculous enthusiasm and infallibility were the foundation of the common Faith. As if God would enable a Pope and council that understood not Greek or Hebrew, infallibly to translate the Bible out of Greek and Hebrew into their native tongues.”
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Historical
Whole of Church History
Simpson, W.J. Sparrow – Roman Catholic Opposition to Papal Infallibility (London: Murray, 1909) 385 pp. ToC
Coulton, G.G. – Papal Infallibility (London: The Faith Press, 1932) 325 pp. ToC
Coulton (1858–1947) was a British historian (known for numerous works on medieval history), a lecturer at Cambridge University and a keen controversialist.
He writes here against Romanism and has chapters on “Critics from Within” and “The Strange Silence of the Popes”.
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On the Middle Ages
Books
Tierney, Brian
Origins of Papal Infallibility, 1150-1350: a Study on the Concepts of Infallibility, Sovereignty & Tradition in the Middle Ages (Leiden: Brill, 1972) 310 pp. ToC
Rights, Laws & Infallibility in Medieval Thought (Variorum, 1997) 345 pp. ToC
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Quote
John T. McNeill, ch. 1. “The Ecumenical Idea & Efforts to Realize it, 1517-1618” in eds. Ruth Rouse & Stephen C. Neill, A History of the Ecumenical Movement: 1517-1948 (Philadelphia, 1967), p. 33
“The Conciliarists, with few exceptions, while affirming the authority of councils, recognized their fallibility. They provided for the correction ofthe decisions of councils by the action of later ones. They also regarded the council as asserting rather than supplanting the authority of Scripture.
Luther was in agreement with these positions; his insistence upon the authority of the Word, and his denial of the infallibility of councils, in no sense constituted departures from essential Conciliarism, though he affirmed these positions with new emphasis.”
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On the Anglican Church
Article
Forbes, A.P. – The Church of England & the Doctrine of Papal Infallibility (Oxford: Parker, 1871) 32 pp.
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On the 1600’s
Book
Harley, Thomas – Matthew Poole: His Life, His Times, His Contributions Along with His Argument Against The Infallibility of the Roman Catholic Church Buy (2009)
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On Vatican I
Books
Hasler, August B. – How the Pope became Infallible: Pius IX & the Politics of Persuasion (Doubleday, 1981) 400 pp. ToC Intro by Hans Kung
Hasler (1937-1980) was a Swiss Romanist theologian and historian, who rejected Papal infallibility. This is the more concise, popular version of Hasler’s two volume dissertation on the topic in German.
“Until very recently there had been no historical study of the way the solemn definition of papal infallibility came about and why this happened precisely in 1870.” – Hasler, p. 27
“Hasler’s book tells the story of how the definition of infallibility came about… Hasler, to be sure, recounts the history of infallibility in a more systematic, detailed, graphic, and unsparing fashion than do either Aubert or Butler and Lang. This is not due to the historian who does the telling; it is the story he has to tell, one that is by and large simply a chronique scandaleuse. Hasler unfolds it before us without glossing over or hushing anything up, describing the manipulation of the debate over infallibility–how the definition was prepared for, promoted, and pushed through–and returning again and again to Pius IX. Finally we have a Catholic historian who gives truly serious attention to the losing side at the Council and to their arguments (which have been proved right many times over since then); who has exhaustively perused the diaries and notes–those still available, at any rate–of the anti-Infallibilist bishops and evern of the most hard-line spokesmen for infallibility (often just as awkward as the first group for writers who stress the Council’s harmoniousness)…” Intro, Hans Kung, p. 10
“The contemporary Catholic consensus: There is fundamental agreement on three important points:
A. The errors of the magisterium are a fact. Nowadays Catholic theologians concede with heretofore unwonted frankness that even the organs responsible for ‘infallible’ doctrinal decisions can err, at least in principle (though perhaps not in sepcific situations), and often have erred…
B. Skepticism has been eating away at the concept and practice of infallibility: Even some conservative theologians consider the notion misleading, in fact, largely incomprehensible in today’s world. One cannot help noticing that since the recent debate on the issue began, the word ‘infallible’ has largely disappeared from theological and even official ecclesiastical terminology…
C. Despite all its errors, the Church will remain preserved in the truth: Even for conservatives who defend infallible pronouncements, the Church’s indestructible link with the truth (indefectibility) is more basic than the infallibility of particular statements….
III. The decisive question: Beyond this fundamental indefectibility, aren’t there perhaps judgments, statements, definitions, and credal propositions which are not only de fact true (which no one denies) but infallibly true? That is, are there not certain officials or authoritative institutions which, owing to the special assistance of the Holy Spirit, in a certain specified situation find themselves a priori incapable of making a mistake?” Intro, Hans Kung, pp. 5-6
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O’Gara, Margaret – Triumph in Defeat: Infallibility, Vatican I & the French Minority Bishops (Catholic Univ. of America Press, 1988) 320 pp. ToC
The French minority bishops were against Papal infallibility as defined at Vatican I, and preferred a kind of infallibility for the Church with less emphasis on the Popes.
Costigan, Richard F. – The Consensus of the Church & Papal Infallibility: A Study in the Background of Vatican I Pre (Catholic University of America Press, 2005) 215 pp. ToC
This is a Romanist publication.
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After Vatican I
Keating, Kevin T. – Papal Teaching in the Age of Infallibility, 1870 to the Present: A Critical Evaluation with Historical Illustrations Pre (Pickwick, 2018) ToC
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In Greek Orthodoxy
Book
2000’s
Harkianakis, Stylianos – The Infallibility of the Church in Orthodox Theology tr. Philip Kariatlis Pre (Sydney: St. Andrew’s Orthodox Press, 2008) 250 pp. ToC
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Latin Article
1600’s
Amyraut, Moses – 36. ‘Theological Theses on the Infallibility of the Church’ in An Arrangement of the Theological Theses Disputed at various times in the Academy of Salmur (Saumur, 1664-1665), vol. 2, pt. 3, pp. 490-505
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Bibliography
Article
Malcom, Howard – ‘Infallibility of the Pope’ in Theological Index (Boston, 1868), p. 236
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Related Pages