The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

254 INFALLIBILITY.into existence.Infallibility was never heard of in the worldtill a full thousand years after Christ and his apostles. Itwas first devised by the pontiffs, for the purpose of supportingtheir universal supremacy and enormous usurpations.For about three hundred years after it was first claimed, itwas tacitly acknowledged by all. But the unbounded ambition,the profligate lives, and the scandalous schisms anddivisions of the pontiffs, came at last to shake the faith ofthe adherents of the Papacy in the pretensions of its head,and gave occasion to some councils,—as those of Basleand Constance,—to strip the popes of their infallibility,and claim it in their own behalf. Hence the origin of thewar waged between councils and pontiffs on the subject ofthe infallibility, in which, as we have said, the Jesuits andthe bishops south of the Alps take part with thesuccessorof Peter. The Gallican Church generally has taken theside of councils in this controversy.Three or four councilshave ascribed infallibility to the Pope, especially the lastLateran and Trent. At the last of these, the legates werecharged not to allow the council to come to any decision onthe point of infallibility, the Pope declaring that he wouldrather shed his blood than part with his rights, which hadbeen established on the doctrines of the Church and the bloodof martyrs. Now, in the Pope the infallibility is less diffused,and therefore, one should think, more accessible, thanwhen lodged in councils ; and yet Papists are as far as everfrom being able to avail themselves practically of this infallibilityfor the settlement of their doubts and controversies.Before we can make use of the Pope''s infallibility, there is apreliminary point. Is he truly the successor of Peter andBishop of Home l for it is only in so far as he is so that heis infallible. This, again, depends upon his being truly inorders, truly a bishop, truly a priest, truly baptized.Andthe validity of his orders depends, again, upon the intentionof the person who administered the sacraments to him, andmade him a priest or a bishop. For, according to the councilsof Florence and Trent, the right intention of the admi-