Circular reasoning when Scripture's authority hangs on Pope, Church, traditions, and councils
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2.From inconvenience or absurdity.Refuse our principle and you either circle or beg the question — the papal party's habit.They hang Scripture's authority on Pontiff, Church, traditions, and councils as far as our knowing goes, and then prove those very authorities from the Scriptures.That is nothing but driving their own proofs around a circle.
They hold Scripture true because Church or Pontiff delivers it; then hold Church or Pontiff true because Scripture says so.Call it what you will: it is not a regress.It is a circle.On that circle's nature see Jacopo Zabarella, book 1, preface to the Analytics, controversy 23.
Latin
2. Ab incommodo seu absurdo. Qui enim in nostro principio non sistit, is in circulum commeat, aut principium petit; more Pontificiorum, qui scripturae authoritatem ab authoritate Pontificis, Ecclesiae, traditionum & conciliorum suspendunt in ordine ad nostram cognitionem, & tamen haec ipsa ex scripturis demonstrant. Quid vero hoc aliud est, quam probationibus suis in circulum circumagi? Credunt verum esse, quod scriptura docet, quia id tradit Ecclesia sive Pontifex: & rursus, credunt, verum esse, quod Ecclesia sive Pontifex tradit, quia ita docet scriptura. Qui non regressus, sed circulus est, de cujus natura vide Jac. Zabarellam L.1.pr.Analyt.cont.23.