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.

SECT. VII.

The words of Irenaeus, Origen, Lactantius, Cyril of Hierusalem, Augustin are not for the universality of H. T. which he asserts the Catholicism of the Ro∣man church, but against it.

AS for the words of the Fathers, which H. T. allegeth on this Article, they are not for H. T. his purpose to prove, that that is the only true church which is subject to the Bishop of Rome, or that the Roman church is the Catholick church, but they prove the contrary. For the words of Irenaem l. 4. adv. haereses c. 43. are these. Wherefore we ought to obey those Presby∣ters which are in the church, those which have succession from the Apostles as we have shewed, who with the succession of Bishoprick have received the certain gift of truth according to the pleasure of the Father: but to have the rest suspect∣ed either as hereticks and of evil opinion, or as renters and lifted up and pleasing themselves, or again as hypocrites working for gain and vain glories sake, who depart from the original succession and are gathered in every place. For all these fall from the truth. By which it may be perceived. 1. That H. T. omitted sundry words which would have shewed that Presbyters and Bishops were all one. 2. That Irenaeus requires that those to whom he would have obedience given, be such as have not only succession of place, but also the certain gift of truth. Whence it follows. 1. That this speech doth not prove that we are to obey only the Bishop of Rome, or the Roman Church, but any Presbyters. 2. That the succession required is not confined to Rome, but extended to any place. 3. That succession to any of the Apostles as well as Peter is termed original succession. 4. That Presbyters who in any place depart not from the truth are in the church. And therefore this place is so far from proving the ne∣cessity of unity with the Roman church, or that it is the Catholick church, that it proves the contrary.

The words of Origen are not for H. T. which require no other doctrine to be kept, but that which is by order of succession from the Apostles, and remains in the church to his time. For neither do they say, the church is only the Roman church, nor that doctrine to be kept which remains in it, or that which is de∣livered from Peter only, or by order of succession from his chair, or is delivered by unwritten tradition: but that which is delivered any way from the Apo∣stles by succession in any place.

The words of Lactantius are lesse for H. T. which do not at all call the Ro∣man the Catholick church, nor say in it only is Gods true worship and service and hope of life, but in the Catholick church, that is the Church of true believers all over the world, as the words of Cyril of Hierusalem next alleged do shew, in which is nothing for H. T. or against us.

And for the words of Augustin in his Book de vera religione, cap. 7. We must hold the communion of that church which is called catholick both by her own and strangers, they are maimedly recited, Augustin saying, that we are to hold the Christian Religion and communion of that church, not onely which is named catholick, but which is catholick, and is named catholick; and cap. 6. he ex∣plains what is meant by Catholick church, per totum orbem validè latéque diffu∣sa, spread over the whole World firmly and largely, and of the Religion which he terms the History and Prophecy of the temporal dispensation of the divine Providence for the salvation of mankinde to be reformed and repaired unto eternal life. Whereby it may be perceived, that he neither accounted that Christian Religion, which is about the Bishop of Rome's power, or any of the Popish Tenets which Protestants deny, but the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ, nor the catholick church the Roman onely, but the Christian church throughout the World, which consists of them, who are named Christians, Catholicks, or Orthodox, that is, Keepers of integrity, and followers of the things which are right, as he speaks cap. 5. And for the words of Augustine, Epist. 152. that whosoever is divided from the catholick church, how laudable so∣ever he seems to himself to live, &c. he shall be excluded from life, they are impudently appropriated to the Roman church. For a few lines before Augustine declares whom he calls the catholick church, that which is spread over the earth, which is designed by the divine testimonies of holy Scriptures, which beginning from Hierusalem increased in places in which the Apostles preached, and have written the names of the same places in their Epistles and Acts, and was spread over the other Nations. So that clearly Augustine tells us it was not the Ro∣man Church onely which he meant by the Catholick, but also the Corinthian, Ephesian, Thessalonian, and all the rest in the world. And therefore it is appa∣rent that neither this not any other Father understood by the Catholick Church, the Roman onely, and those who acknowledged the Bishop of Rome's Supremacy, nor did they hold a necessity of union with it.