An Inquiry into the History and Theology of the Ancient Vallenses and Albigenses

I. Now, with these promises before us, it seems only reasonable to inquire: How far the Roman Church—the term being used to denote collectively...

Now, where does any such canon of an Ecumenical Council An Ecumenical Council is a general council of the entire Christian Church. exist?

In the eleventh century, during which no Ecumenical Council was sitting, the famous Hildebrand—who played the part of Pope under the style and title of Gregory VII—decided, indeed, that the Roman Church has never erred and never will err. But this can only serve the turn of those who hold the individual Infallibility of the Pope; nor will it serve even their purpose, unless they can produce the infallible decision which infallibly assigns to the Pope the privilege of individual Infallibility.

Nothing can be more distinct and precise than the dictate of Pope Gregory himself:

The Roman Church has never erred; nor will it ever err to all eternity, as Scripture testifies. original: "Romana Ecclesia nunquam erravit : nec in perpetuum, testante Scriptura, errabit." Dictat. Pap. Gregor. VII. in Epist. lib. ii. epist. 55. Labb. Concil. vol. x. p. 110, 111.

But, still, does the constant Roman claim of Infallibility rest solely upon the individual dictate of Gregory? Or does it claim to rest upon some other authoritative document?

Romanists often object to members of the Reformed Churches that: The faith of those who reject the authority of the Latin Communion rests only upon moral evidence, while their own better faith rests upon the sure foundation of absolute Infallibility.

Where does there exist the canon of an Ecumenical Council in which the possession of Infallibility is decreed to the Church of Rome?