pain of sin, to obey his judgments and doctrines, is laid down with a perfect unconsciousness that any Catholic could dispute the Divine certainty of his guidance. The Vatican definition has defined the reason of this implicit faith, by declaring that in the primacy there is a charisma which preserves the supreme doctrinal authority of the Pontiff from error in faith or morals.
But I leave to others to complete this part of the subject. I will go on to the period of the Reformation.
The controversy against the authority of Rome drew out more explicit statements from Sir Thomas More and Cardinal Fisher.
More, writing against Luther, says, 'Judge, I pray thee, reader, with what sincerity Father Tippler treats this place of Jerome, when he (Jerome) says it is enough for him if the Pope of Rome approve his faith; that is, openly declaring that it cannot be doubted that he is sound in faith who agrees with that See; than which what could he more splendidly say? Yet Father Tippler Luther and others so dissemble about this as to try to cloud the reader also with darkness, and to lead away the minds of men elsewhere, that they may not remember anything.'[1]
- ↑ 'Quæso lector judica quam sincere pater Potator hunc locum Hieronymi tractet: cum ille dicat, satis esse sibi si suam fidem comprobaret papa Romanus: nimirum aperte significans, non dubitandum esse illum recte sentire de fide, qui cum illa sede consen tiat: quo quid potuisset dicere magnificentius? istud adeo dissimulat pater Potator Lutherus ut etiam tenebras lectori conetur offundere et animos hominum verbis alio, ne quid recordentur, abducere.'—Morus, In Lutherum, lib. ii. cap. iv. p. 87. Louvain, 1566.
