XVI.The Law of the Standard of Ecclesiastical Judgments |
161–182 |
Pope and cardinals as judges—Jerome on the Roman see—Christ falsely condemned by statute law—Popes to be disobeyed if their judgments are contrary to the truth—Christ did not pronounce civil judgments—Nor put to death—Old Testament examples not to be followed—The sanguinary corollary—The abomination of desolation—Cases of strife over th papacy—Wicked popes—The Avignon schism—Constantine's donation announced by an angel, bad or good.
XVII.Huss's Resistance to Papal Authority |
183–194 |
Religious superiors not always to be obeyed—Christ's obedience to a superior—To an inferior—Obedience of the greater to the less—Of an equal to an equal—Of the less to the greater—Obedience only virtuous as it is of God—Commands and counsels—Ecclesiastical laws not comanded in Scripture.
XVIII.The Apostolic See, or Cathedra Petri |
195–216 |
The true priest does good works—Preaching—Pope is apostolic when he follows the apostles—Moses' seat was Moses' authority—Augustine on the apostolic see—Papal commands to be tested—Huss's appeal to Christ—Pope may err—Solemn responsibility of priests who kill the sheep—Augustine on cathedras—Marcellus made mistakes—The primacy of Antioch and Rome.
XIX.When Ecclesiastical Superiors Are to Be Obeyed |
217–228 |
The absolutely good always to be obeyed—Commands that are intermediate—Neutrality impossible where moral action is concerned—Superiors to be obeyed always when they teach Christ's commandments—St. Paul's example—Bernard on the duty of obedience—Clerics and laics to scrutinize the commands of superiors—No blind obedience.
XX.Obedience Not Always to Be Rendered to the Church or Its Prelates |
229–240 |
"Prelates to be obeyed in all things"—Ecxommunication only for mortal sin—In matters intermediate the church sometimes to be disobeyed—Commands to be weighed by the reason—Ecclesiastical burdens hard to be borne—Christ's yoke easy—The Christian to follow Christ's commands—Capable priests ought to preach as much as the rich to give alms.
XXI.Circumstances under Which Obedience Is to Be Rendered to Prelates |
241–262 |
Popes and prelates compared to the scribes and Pharisees—Divine councels—Circumstances modifying commands—Huss's reasons for not going to Rome—Commands repugnant to reason—Christ the first exemplar to be followed—Deaths of John, Martin, and Stafcon—An inferior may rebuke a superior—Objections from the canon law against rebuking a pope—Inferiors should examine commands before they obey them.
