The Lives of the Saints Volume 1 - St. Patrick's Basilica

published by him, with the mature advice of his council, or of the
clergy or divines of his church, yet that this is denied by others; and
that the learned Bossuet, and many others, especially of the school of
Sorbon, have written warmly {019} against that opinion; and that no
Catholic looks upon it as an article or term of communion. It is the
infallibility of the whole church, whether assembled in a general
council, or dispersed over the world, of which they speak in their
controversial disputations. Yet this writer, at every turn, confounds
these two things together only to calumniate and impose on the public.
If he had proved that some popes had erred in faith, he would have no
more defeated the article of supremacy, than he would disinherit a king
by arraigning him of bad policy. The Catholic faith teaches the pope to
be the supreme pastor of the church established by Christ, and that this
church, founded by Christ on a rock, shall never be overcome by hell, or
cease to be his true spouse. For he has promised that his true Spirit
shall direct it in all truth to the end of the world. But Mr. Bower
never found the infallibility of the pope in our creed; and knows very
well that no such article is proposed by the church, or required of any
one. Therefore the whole chain of his boastings which is conducted
through the work falls to the ground.
"What he writes against the deposing power in popes, certainly cannot be
made a reproach against the Catholics of England, France, Spain, &c. It
is a doctrine neither taught nor tolerated in any Catholic kingdom that
I know of, and which many Catholics write as warmly against as Mr. Bower
could wish."
IV.
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While our author continued at the college of Douay, his first
publication made its appearance: this was his _Letters on the History of
the Popes, published by Mr. Archibald Bower_. That gentleman had entered
into the society of Jesus, and acquired a reputation for learning and
talents. He came into England, embraced the religion of the established
church, and endeavored to recommend himself to the favor of his new
friends by his History of the Lives of the Popes. He also published an
account of his escape from Italy, and of his motives for quitting it.
The truth of the account became a subject of controversy. It was
disbelieved, not only by Catholics but by Protestants. Dr. Douglas, the
present bishop of Salisbury, wrote an excellent pamphlet to expose its
falsehood and absurdity. It carried great improbability on the face of
it. Mr. Bower was a lively writer, and defended himself with adroitness;
but he was not equal to the composition of the history which he
undertook to write. He was of the numerous list of authors who, when
they sit down to write, have to learn what they shall write, rather than
to write what they have already learned. The errors which our author