of the fathers present us with a chaotic confusion, which renders all the efforts of the controversialist, who is so ignorant or so papistical as to appeal to them in support of his doctrines, perfectly nugatory. We may refer to them as witnesses of facts, such as the existence of the Scriptures at a given time, and so forth, but we must cautiously abstain from bringing them into court as authoritative interpreters of the sense of Holy Writ. The third part of this work is composed of extracts from the Decretals of the Popes, from the Breviary, from the Missal, from the Council of Trent, Bellarmine, &c. Having the advantage of possessing an extensive library, I have in almost every instance extracted the contents of this volume from the originals; and whenever I have been constrained to borrow a quotation, I have recorded the name of the author to whom I am indebted for it. G. FINCH. INDEX TO PART I. 1. Tumults at Rome in opposition to Papal Elections, Liberius John 22, the Conclave set on Fire 2. Schism in the time of Vigilius of Pelagius Eugenius 4th and Council of Basil 3. Heretical Popes. Moral Reformation of the Church of Rome. Baronius describes Gregory 7th as entering upon the Reformation of the Church, Council of Trent Gerson's Speech at the Council of Pisa Ægidius of Viterbo's Speech at the Fifth Lateran Council Speech of Christopher Marcellus, ibid Phocas confers the title of Universal Bishop upon Pope Boniface 3, an. Dom 606 Benedict 12 opposes John 22 on the Subject of the Beatific Vision 74 |