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. VIII.

The objections against the proof of the verity of the Roman Church from the po∣wer of miracles are not solved by H. T.

But H. T. takes on him to answer objections thus. Ob. Miracles have ceased ever since Christ and his Apostles. Answ. You contradict the plain promises of Christ made to his Church without limitation, as also the histories and re∣cords of all Christendom.

I Reply, 1. The objection is not as H. T. frameth it, but that so frequent and manifest working of miracles as was in the days of Christ and his A∣postles, and which may be a note of the true Church or doctrine without con∣sonancy to the Scripture hath ceased, and therefore by this mark of it self the Roman Church is not proved to be the true Church. 2. The contradictory to

this is not proved by Christs promises or the Churches records For, 1. The Promises, John 14. 10. Mark. 16. 17. are indefinite in respect of persons and time, and an indefinite proposition is true in a contingent matter, if verified but of some at some times, and therefore these promises may be true of some be∣lievers onely, and of the time wherein the Apostles lived, and consequently by the promises it cannot be proved that there must be a power of working mira∣cles in the Church in every age. 2. That they cannot be understood of any age after the Apostles unto this day is manifest, because they are not true of any age after that. For however some miracles have been done, yet not greater then Christ did, which is promised, John 14. 10. nor was the speaking with new tongues which is promised Mark. 16. 17. in any age, but that in which the Apostles lived. 3. These promises are as much made to believers in other Churches as the Roman, but now they grant there's no power of Miracles in any other Church, and therefore they must yield to understand the words with such a limitation as may make the Proposition true, though there be no power of Miracles in the Roman Church. 4. There's no promise of the power of Miracles to confirm the truth of the Roman Church, nor of any other point but the Christian faith, and therefore none of the Miracles done by virtue of those promises prove the truth of the now Roman Church or Doctrine, but onely the true faith, which is believed by Protestants, who believe the Creed as well as Papists. As for the Records, there are very few of them of any certainty after the Apostles days, and Popish Writers themselves do confess, that not onely in their Legends, but also in their Liturgies, fabulous things have crept; so that by saying Miracles are altogether now ceased, or else are very rare, and are unfit to demonstrate the verity of any present Church, is no contradicting Christ's promises, or any good Records of Christen∣dom.

H. T. adds. Object. Signs and Miracles were given to Unbelievers not to Believers, therefore they are now unnecessary. Answ. No, they are not, for they very much confirm the immediate care and providence of God over his Church, they excellently demonstrate his omnipotence, and there be many disbelievers still, the more is the pity.

I reply, that Tongues are for a sign to them that believe not, is the Apostles saying, 1 Cor. 14. 22. not for them that believe; and there is the same reason of other Miracles; and therefore is this justly urged by Protestants, that to believers to prove the truth of Christian Doctrine or of the Christian Church Miracles are unnecessary. Now the Answer of H. T. is quite from the point, when he tells us that they are necessary for other ends. And yet it is not true, that Signs and Miracles are necessary to confirm the immediate care and provi∣dence of God over his Church, sith God doth by his ordinary provision either of Teachers, or Christian Princes shew his immediate care and providence over his Church, and by his daily works of the motion of the Sun, and other acts of governing the World demonstrates his omnipotence: nor by his Miracles and Signs hath he shewed so much his immediate care and providence over his Church for the guiding and protecting of them, as his care of unbelievers by bringing them into his Church. And it is true, that there are many dis-be∣lievers still, the more's the pity, and if God did see it good it would be a blessed hing if he did vouchsafe the gift of doing Miracles to convert the Indians

Moors, Tartars, to the faith of Christ, and we wish it were true which the Je∣suits boast of Francis Xavier his Miracles in the East Indies, though Fran∣ciscus a victoria relect. 5. Sect. 2. and Josephus Acosta lib. 4. de Indorum salute cap. 4. 12, Blab out that which gives us cause to think that the Relations are but feigned things tending to magnifie the Pope and the Jesuits, there being no such evidence of those things from any persons of credit, who have traded or travelled into those parts. But be they what they will, it is certain God never intended Miracles to prove the Popes Supremacy or the verity of the Roman Church, but the Christian faith, and therefore till both or either of them be proved from Scripture, if we be disbelievers we must be disbelievers still, knowing this, that if there should be never so great Miracles in shew done by Popes or Friers, yet we are bound not to believe them without proof of their Doctrine from Scripture, and that if any though an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel than that which is written, he is to be held accursed, Gal. 1. 8, 9. And that Miracles are not necessary for proving our calling while we preach the Scripture-doctrine, as Bellarmine scribles lib. 4. de not is Eccles. cap. 14. But on the other side, if Papists do not stick onely to Scripture, nor will be tri∣ed by it, it is necessary they should produce Miracles of their Popes and Pre∣lates to verifie their claim or new Gospel, of which they are altogether desti••••te, and have nothing to allege but a company of Fables concerning some foolish Friers, such as Francis, Dominick, &c. upon the report of silly superstitious Women and doting companions of them, or some jugling tricks in corners done by cheating Priests and Jesuits, which serve for no other purpose but to prove the Priests to be Knaves, and their Popish Proselytes that believe them to be fools. And we have cause to press them as in the next Objection, Why do not then your Priests do Miracles? we would be glad to see some of their doing. To which H. T. saith, Answ. Because of your incredulity as our Saviour told she Jews, St. Matth. 17. 19 Yet they do many in Gods appointed time and place (as the Records of the Church will testifie) though not to satisfie your sinfull curiosity. See Francis a Sancta Clara in his Paralipomena, who recounts many great and evident Miracles. I reply, if our incredulity be the onely rea∣son of their not doing them among us, yet me thinks they should do them in Italy and Spain where men have ••aith in them: But except of a few tales of Philip Nerius, Ignatius Loyala, Francisca Teresa, Isidore of Madrid an Hus∣bandman, and some other late canonized Saints long after their death sworn by some admirers of them, or credulous receivers of reports concerning things of them not openly done and commonly known as the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles were, I hear of none. The Paralipomena of Franciscus a Sancta Clara or Davenport, who endeavoured to reconcile the nine and thirty Articles of the Church of England with the Doctrine of the Church of Rome, that is, Light with Darkness, a little afore these Wars, I never saw, nor do I expect to finde any thing from such a man but fraud and falshood, who had the face to endeavour to draw the Articles purposely framed against the Popish Doctrine to a sense consistent with it. What Justus Lipsius writ of the Miracles done by the Idol at Halles, and Zichem, Turselin of the Chapel at Lauretto, and such like Relations, there is no man that heeds the Scripture will give any credit to them, but take them either as fictions or illusions of Satan to confirm men in the idolatrous Worship of the Virgin Mary, and to promote the Priests gain,

which is a great part of the Roman Religion. But the frequent Impostures of Papists in this kinde, as of the Blood of Christ at the Abby of Hales, that of Boxley Abby, and the holy Maid of Kent, related by Speed in his Chronicle of Henry the eighth, at Orleans by Gray Friers related by Sleidan, Com. lib. 9. at Bruxels related by Meteran, lib. 10. hist. Belg. that of the Boy of Bilson near Wolverhampton in Stafford-shire which is related in a Book of that thing and persons yet alive can testifie of the Priests deceit in it, with many more, give just cause to discredit all such Narrations as meer jugling tricks. Nor have the Legends of Saints, which this man calls the Records of the Church any better credit with the more ingenuous of their own Church, of whom though some mince the matter, calling them Pious Frauds, as if Piety might be upheld by Lyes, yet Ludovicus Vives freely censured those that made them to have had a Brasen forehead, and those that believed them a Leaden heart. And therefore it is the more necessary for their Priests to let us see their Miracles, not to satisfie our curiosity, but our consciences, if they will have us con∣verted from disbelief in their Lord God the Pope, (as in the Canon Law be is termed) there being nothing in the Scripture to prove the Roman Churches verity or infallibility, or the Popes Supremacy, as will appear by examining the seventh Article, to which I now hasten, which is intituled, The Popes Su∣premacy asserted.