Romanism discussed, or, An answer to the nine first articles of H.T. his Manual of controversies. Whereby is manifested, that H.T. hath not (as he pretends) clearly demonstrated the truth of the Roman religion by him falsly called Catholick, by texts of holy scripture, councils of all ages, Fathers of the first five hundred years, common sense, and experience, nor fully answered the principal objections of protestants, whom he unjustly terms sectaries. By John Tombes, B.D. And commended to the world by Mr. Richard Baxter.

TO THE English Romanists, Who term themselves CATHOLICKS, Specially to those of the Counties of Hereford and Worcester.

ALthough the prejudice wherewith you are prepossessed against the Truth avouched by me, the Ingagements whereby you are linked to the Roman See, the Hopes that it's not unlikely you feed you selves with, of seeing your Native Countrey reduced under the obedience of the Roman Papacy, besides the long experience, which hath been had, of the fruitlesness of Attempts to alter your Opinion in Religion, how gross soever they have been proved to be, might have deterred me from this Writing: yet sith I have been instantly urged to it, and am loath to imagine all of you tobe of so deplorable a

wilfulness of spirit, as that you will obstinately persist in your manifest Errours, and thereby cast away your S••uls. I have adventured to publish this ensuing Treatise, that I might not be guilty of betraying the Truth and your Souls by my silence. I have been many years a Preacher in England, chiefly in the Counties of Hereford and Worcester, and though I have not had much acquain∣tance with any of you, yet some Conferences have left me not without hope that you might see your Errour about the Supremacy, and Infallibility of the Pope and Church of Rome, which is the chief Point on which your Religion rests, as it is opposite to Protestantism, al∣though formerly and of late the French and some other Churches have strongly opposed the Popes or Roman Churches Superiority above a General Council, and their Infallibility in their Determinations. Certainly, these two Points which are the Pillars of the Religion of the Roman party are so far from being Catholick, that to him that shall impartially examine the Proofs, it will appear, that they have been late Innovations, and are yet con∣tradicted by a great part of those Churches which hold communion with the Roman See. And for many other Points of your Religion, if you would either use your Senses or your understanding in judging by the Scri∣pture, translated by your own party, what is true or false, you could not be so besotted as to believe Transub∣stantiation, Invocation of deceased Saints, Justification by your own Works, and their Meritoriousness of eternal Life, Purgatory••fire, Prayer for the Dead, another Propitiatory Sacrifice for Quick and Dead besides Christ's, Communion under one kinde onely, Worshipping of Images and Reliques, with some other of your Tenets. For freeing you from which Errours, which are pernicious to your Souls,

if I could contribute any thing, I should count it a part of my happiness, of which I should have some hopes were it that I perceived you free from the Imposition of your Leaders on you, not to reade such Writings as are against them; which must of necessity enslave you to their Opinions, and hinder you from an impartial Search after Truth: wherein what deceit is used by your ima∣gined Pastour the Pope, may appear, as by many other things, so especially by the late carriage of Pope Inno∣cent the tenth in the Controversies between the Janse∣nists and Molinists in France, who being importuned to give Sentence concerning the five Propositions of Jansenius (if we may believe Thomas White one of your chief Disputants, and one whose approbation is to this Manual of Controversies of H. T.) did in shew condemn Jansenius his words, but did allow his mean∣ing. And that I may not be thought to misreport him, I will set down his words in his Appendicula to his Sonus Buccinae, about the Censure of the five Propositions of Jansenius, Sect. 9. where after he had shewed that the Propositions of Jansenius might be true in their sense, though the words were liable to Exceptions, he adds, But whereto are all these things said? Is it that I might enervate or reprehend the Popes Decree? Nothing less: I profess, that was published by the best Counsel and special guidance of the Holy Spirit which governs the Church. The Church was afflicted with Dissentions: one part stood propped by the Truth and Authority of holy Scripture; the other being guarded with the multitude of Princes, and of the common People circumvented with the sound of words flattering humane weakness, took great courage. What should the Father of the Church do? He allayed the more unquiet part by granting them their words: the more obe∣dient

part he flatteringly comforted, by commending to them their Senses. The former part of the Saying was confirmed by a publick Instrument. The later (if there be any credit to be given to men of tender conscience) was done before the Oratour of the most Christian King. It is manifest by what hath been said, with what rectitude of Faith and Divinity this part shines; that that exhibites prudence worthy the Pope, thus take it. Wherein it may be perceived, that however White speak favourably of the Pope, yet he sets out his dealing in that business as unworthy an in∣fallible Judge of Controversies, which should have de∣cided openly for Jansenius, whose Propositions stood prop∣ped by the Truth and Authority of holy Scripture according to their meaning, which Innocentius the tenth commended to them, that they might hold them still in that meaning in a Conference; and yet he condemned their Proposi∣tions in their words by his Bull published to quiet the wrangling and potent party of Jesuits that had drawn the Princes and common People to their side by words that flattered humane weakness in stead of Truth glo∣rifying God, than which in so weighty a matter what could be done more like a Juggler or man-pleaser than a Servant of God constant in asserting Truth? Which shews, that the Popes resolve not by the Spirit of God, or the holy Scripture, but by humane policy, as it may be for their advantage, to keep their party in obedience to them. And that it is not indeed any sincerity in seeking Truth, or serious intention to feed the Souls of People with true Doctrine, but to accommodate all their Determinations and Negotiations, as to uphold their credit & authority, might be made abundantly appear by the History of the Council of Trent, and many other ways, which I shall not mention, being shewed by many, and particularly by

Mr. Richard Baxter in his Key for Catholicks; onely this one instance out of Thomas White I minde you of, be∣cause I think Thomas White is yet alive, and in England among you, as I conceive by the Edition of the Di∣spute about Schism between him and Gunning. And I beseech you give me leave to tell you, that I do much pity your Souls, which you do enslave to the most de∣ceitfull of men the Roman Popes, and adhere to your Priests, which either teach you not at all, but feed you with meer shews, in your Masses and other Rites, or if they preach, either preach not the Gospel of Jesus Christ at all, or corrupt it with mixture of humane Tra∣ditions, but keep you from hearing those who teach in your own Language the Doctrine of the holy Scripture without guile, the refusing whereof under pretence of your fore-father's example, or the Pope's, and your Priests restraint, or our imagined Heresie or Schism, and in stead of it pleasing your selves with Masses in Latin, Auricular Confession, and Priests Absolution, and such like Chaff, will never be justified before Christ at his Appearing, whose Precept is that you search the Scri∣pture, and Promise of Blessing to them that hear the Word of God and keep it, the neglect of which is the ne∣glect of that great Salvation which is brought to us by Jesus Christ. Unto which, if you would attend, you would quickly finde the Deceits of your Popes and Priests, and deliver your Souls from the Snares of Ignorance of the Gospel and Popish Errours, which now de∣stroy your Souls. If you yet shut your eys against the Light of the Gospel tender'd to you by Protestant Preachers, and persist in your Errour and Superstition you Destruction will be of your selves, though there∣by there is cause given of mourning for you to all that

love the Salvation of your Souls, among whom I know my self to be one, and desire to be accounted as

Your unfeignedly desirous and studious
Servant in Christ for your Souls
good.
JOHN TOMBES.