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. III.

The Sayings of Fathers prove not Protestants Hereticks or Schismaticks.

BUt H. T. saith, Fathers for this Point, though there is not one of the Fa∣thers Sayings which he brings that speaks at all to that point of the Pro∣testants being guilty of Schism or Heresie, or that the Church of Rome is the Catholick Church, or that her Doctrine and Government have been the same in all Ages, or that in no case there may be dividing from it, or teaching con∣trary to it without Heresie or Schism, yea, it is certain, that Irenaeus, Cyprian, and Austin, thought the clean contrary, Irenaeus opposing Pope Victor his Ex∣communication of the Eastern Bishops for not holding Easter with him, Cy∣prian opposing Pope Stephanus about Rebaptization, Augustine opposing Popes Boniface, Zozimus, and Celestine, about the Appeal of Apiarius. But let's view their Sayings.

The first is thus cited by H. T. In the second Age Irenaeus; God will judge those who make the Schisms in the Church, ambitious men, who have not the honour of God before their eys, but rather embracing their own interests than the unity of the Church, for small and light causes divide the great and glorious body of Christ, &c. for in the end they cannot make any Reformation so im∣portant as the evil of Schism is prejudicious, lib. 4. cap. 62. It is likely H. T. ignorantly put [prejudicious] for [pernicious] or his Authour whence he had it, for it is in Irenaeus, Quanta est Schismatis pernicies. But it appears, 1. That he hath either not read the place, or not considered it, because he puts in [God will judge] whereas it is manifest out of the words following [But he will judge also all those who are out of the truth, that is, without the Church, but he himself is judged of no man] and from chap. 53. and following to be meant of every spiritual Disciple of Christ that had received the Spirit of God, and the Apostolical Doctrine, chap. 52. alluding to Paul's words, 1 Cor. 2. 15. and he alters [the love of God] into [the honour of God before their eys.] 2. That the place makes nothing against Protestants; for it condemns onely them that make Schisms for small and light causes, which was most true of Vi∣ctor then Bishop of Rome, in excommunicating the Asian Bishops for not keeping Easter as he did, reprehended by Irenaeus in his Epistle recited by Eu∣sebius, hist. 1. lib. 5. cap. 24. but is nothing against Protestants, who neither

make nor continue Schisms, and that Separation which they make, they do it for very great causes. And he saith, No Reformation can be made so important by them who divide upon light causes, as is the mischief of the Schism they make, but this hinders not but that the Protestants Reformation, or correption (which is Irenaeus his word) is so necessary, that it countervails the evil of the Schism consequent. I add, the words of Irenaeus [the spiritual man who is a Disciple of Christ will judge all them who are out of the truth] do justifie the Protestants in judging the Popes and Popish Doctors, and Churches as Schisma∣ticks and Hereticks, who by their Doctrine of Popes Supremacy, Invocation of Saints, humane Satisfactions, inherent Justice justifying, Merit of Condignity, have departed from the Apostolical Faith, and by their cruel tyranny and ha∣tred of Reformation have the most horrible and pernicious Schism that ever was in the Church of God, and the Protestants are warranted thus to judge by the holy Scripture.

The words of Cyprian de unit. Eccles. in the third Age against the Nova∣tians of the inexpiableness of their crime of Schism, that it could not be pur∣ged by suffering for Christ, nor they be Martyrs, though they died for the Con∣fession of his Name, is too heavy a censure, yet if it were true is nothing against Protestants, who are not guilty of that Schism.

The words of Chrysostom hom. 11. in Ephes. shew how grievous an evil Schism is, but prove not, that they are all Schismaticks, that separate from the Roman Bishop and Church, nor that the Protestants are guilty thereof, or the Romanists free.

The words of Optatus lib. 2. are not to any of the points now in contro∣versie except he mean by the unity of the Episcopal Chair holding communion with the Bishop of Rome, and assert that to be the one Episcopal Chair to which all other are to be subject: which if so meant, the words are not true; if meant as Cyprian meant, that there is one Bishoprick of which each Bishop holds a part intirely, in respect of unity of Doctrine, the speech is good, but not against Protestants, who hold the unity of that Episcopal Chair.

The words of Augustine lib. 4. de Symb. fidei ad Catech. cap. 10. if they were true, yet are they nothing to the purpose, unless it were said, that by the holy Church he meant the Church of Rome, or that he who is found out of the Church of Rome is a stranger from the number of sons, that he hath not God for his Father, nor will have the Church for his Mother, none of which are said by him. It is true, there are these words in Austin's second Exposition on Psalm 21. with us 22. ver. 18. He who hath charity is secure or safe. No man moveth it out of the Catholick Church. But these words are not against Pro∣testants, but against Papists, who move it out of the Catholick Church, and confine it to the Roman, and most uncharitably damn them, who are not of their party, therein following the Donatists, whom Austin there condemns, who confined the Church to the part of Donatus in Africa. And there is an∣other passage in the same Exposition which doth justifie the Protestants and condemn the Papists in the main point of controversie between us, what shall determine controversies between us, they say the Church, when the great con∣trovesie is which is the Church, we say the Scripture, and so doth Augustine in these words. The Testament of our Father (that is, the Scriptures, as the words a little before shew) is come out of any hole, I know not what Thieves would

take it away, I know not what Persecutours would burn it. Whencesoever it is brought let it be read. Why strivest thou? We are brethren, why do we strive? The Father died not without a Will, he made his Will and so died, he is dead and risen again. So long there is contention about the Inheritance of the Dead untill the Will be publickly produced, and when the Will is brought into the publick all are silent, that the Tables may be opened and recited. The Judge hears within, the Advocates are silent, the Criers make silence, all the People is suspended, that the words of the Dead not perceiving it in the Tomb may be read. He lies without sense in the Monument, and his words are in force, Christ sits in Hea∣ven, and is his Testament contradicted? Open, let us read, we are Brethren, why do we contend? Let our minde be pacified, our Father hath not left us with∣out a Will. He that made the Will lives for ever, hears our voices, acknow∣ledgeth his own. Let us read, why do we contend? Where the Inheritance it self is found, let us hold it. These words were spoken by Austin against Do∣natists, and may rightly be applied to Papists, who are the true canse of all the horrible Schisms and bloodsheds among Christians, because they will not try who hath the Inheritance of the Church by the Scriptures, which are God's Will, but usurp the name of the Catholick Church, as the Donatists did, and under that pretence trample under foot all their Christian Brethren in the World, who have as great and better Portion in the Inheritance of God their Father and of the Church than themselves.

The words of Augustine in his Sermon super gestis Emeriti, are not, that out of the Church an Heretick may have all things but Salvation. For he saith, He may have the Faith, which he would not say of the Heretick, but he speaks it of the Donatists, which whether it be true or no is nothing to Protestants, who are and may be in the true Church of Christ, and have salvation, though they be not in the Roman Church.

The words of Augustine Epist. 48. concerning the Donatists, that they were with other Christians in Baptism, in the Creed, and in the other Sacraments of the Lord, but in the spirit of unity, in the bond of peace, and finally in the Ca∣tholick Church you are not with us; do not at all touch Protestants, who are in the Catholick Church with other Christians, though not with the Roman par∣ty, who are most like the Donatists; and the Protestants hold with Augustine in the same Epistle, that that kinde of Letters (to wit, of Bishops, such as Hi∣lary, Cyprian, &c.) is to be distinguished from the authority of the Canon of the Scripture. For they are not so read as if testimony were brought out of them, that it may not be lawfull to think to the contrary, if perhaps they thought other∣wise than the truth requires.