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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61213	The unreasonableness of the Romanists, requiring our communion with present Romish church, or, A discourse drawn from the perplexity and uncertainty of the principles, and from the contradictions betwixt the prayers and doctrine of the present Romish church to prove that 'tis unreasonable to require us to joyn in commmunion with it.	Squire, William, d. 1677.	1670 (1670)	Wing S5102; ESTC R15456	70,903	210

consent of the King the Lords Spiritual and Temporal the Approbation of the Universities the determination of the Convocation Thus it was carried on in the reign of his successor Edward 6 th When it was re-established under Queen Elizabeth it was in a regular way by a legal abrogation of those Statutes made in Queen Maryes time and the Revival of the Lawes made by King Edward with Synodical consent All which things are fully and Satisfactorily handled by Sir Roger Twisden and Dr. Heylin after the Re. establishment of the Reformation by Queen Elizabeth there were few or no Recusants known in England for many years as is constantly avouched by our Writers who lived near those times few of the Romish perswasion if at any time they went to Mass refused to be present at our service * Lord Cokes ●barge as Norwich 1606. and when afterwards Pius Quintus by his Bull had forbid those whom he called Catholicks to resort to our Prayers there appeared only few who adhered to the Romish Religion the Popes laboured hard to keep up their party here by founding Seminaries for the instructing of the English youth abroad and by frequent Missions of Priests hither to propagate and Defend the Romish Doctrine yet during the reign of Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charles the first Popery decayed till the troubles of our late warrs gave the Romish emissaries opportunity to pervert many unstable persons who either discontented with their sufferings at home or pinched with necessity or offended with the many Sects which the licentiousnesse of Warr had begot or couzened with pretenses of the Antiquity unity glory and splendor of the Romish Church or perhaps allured with the pleasing Doctrine and Opinions whereby many Romish Casuists gratifie Sinners revolted from us and whether the restauration of Peace and Order may reclaim those whose Sufferings and troubles alienated from us God only knowes There is great talk still of the increase of Popery the Papists striving to credit their cause by these reports of numerous Proselites though I hope it is not so as I see no reasonable ground that it should be so yet the reports of Enemies should at least alarum us to be as Active in maintaining our ground as they are in striving to gain it and unless we are weary of our Religion to shew as much zeal in defending as they do earnestness in assaulting This hath Occasioned the ensuing Discourse in which my des●gn is from the doubtfulness and perp'exity of the Romish Doctrine the Superstitious vanity of many allowed prastises in their Church the absurdities in their publique Offices and the contradictions betwixt their Prayers and Doctrins to disswade the fond Admirers of the Romish Religion and to endeavour to reclaim them who are ready to embrace their Errors for Catholick truth ●●SSIVS MOLNA S. IGNATIVS LOYOLA SOCIETATIS IESV FVNDATOR VASQUEZ ESCOBAR Optabilir est Fur qua'm Mendax assiduus vtrique veró Perditionis hareditatem consequentur Eccles. 20 vers 25. Pa●● CHAP. I. The first Consideration I propose shall be from the doubtfulnesse and Vncertainty of many Doctrines in the Church of Rome IT is not Reasonable to Adhere to that Church which Commands us to believe under pain of damnation Doctrines which are uncertiane and dubious But the Church of Rome doth Require such things pro. In the Creed of Pius 4th * Bulla Pij 4th Super form Juram Profess fid There are several things Required as Conditions of Communion with that Church and which their Clergy are bound to swear that they truly Believe and will constantly defend and that they will take Care that they be taught to and Believed by those who are under their Charge and this also they Acknowledge to be the Catholick faith without which there is no Salvation But now many of these things which they are bound to hold according to the Letter of the Decree are Uncertain and Doubtfull and from their own Principles and Confessions will apear so 1. I instance in the Artic●e that they acknowledge the holy Catholick Apostolick Roman Church to be the Mother and Mistrisse of all Churches But there is no Certainty of the truth of this Article for it is either meant of the Churches united under the Obedience of the Roman Bishop or else of the Particular Diocess of Rome It cannot be meant of the Universal Church which obeyes the Universal Vicar of Christ as Suarez phraseth it for all Churches are supposed by them members of that Universal Church and the Universal Church to be the Collection of all Churches Now it is improper to call the Universal Church A Mother of all Churches for all Churches are the same with the Vniversal Church and nothing can be called a Mother to it selfe Again it cannot be a Mistrisse of all Churches for it is only a Society of all Churches United together and Suppose all those Churches throughout the world of which this Universal Church is made I aske what is the Mistrisse to all these Churches either t is the Roman particular Church which I shall shew to be otherwise or else they must say that all these Churches United are a Mistrisse to all Churches when yet they suppose no other can be a Church but what is United with these which is absurd If they mean the particular Roman Church then first that cannot be a Mother of all Churches which in order of time was founded after some Churches unlesse wee could say the Mother might be born after the Daughter but the Roman Church was founded after the Church of Jerusalem and therefore St. Hierome * Com. in Iss 2. sayes the Church founded in Jerusalem begat the Churches of the whole world Ecclesia in Hierusalem fundata totius orbis Ecclesias seminavit and the Synodical Letter * Theodoret Eccl Hist. l. 5. 6. 9. from the Council of Constantinople to Damasus and the Western Bishops calls Cyril the Bishop of Jerusalem the Mother of all Churches Again the Roman Church was founded after the Church of Antioch where the Disciples were first called Christians Acts II. 26. Quae prima omnium ausa est proferre Christianum nomen atque Nascentis Evangelij gloriam praedicare saith Polidor Virgil * De Invent rerum l. 4. c. 2. I may ad after the Church of Britaine for Suarez * Defens Fidei Cathol l. 1. c. 1. confesseth it was from the first Rising of the Gospel and Baronius from some manuscripts in the Vatican affixeth it to the 35th year of our Lord which was near nine years before the founding of the Roman Church If then the Roman Church was founded after some other Churches it is then uncertain and doubtful how we can acknowledg it to be the Mother of all Churches and prosesse this as an Article of Faith without which there is no Salvation Secondly If it be not de fide that the Roman particular Church shall never err in matters of Faith then it

Imprimatur Tho. Tomkyns RR mo in Christo Patri ac Domino Domino Gilbert divina providentia Archiepiscopo Cantuariensi á sacris domesticis Ex Aed Lambethanis Oct. 31. THE UNREASONABLENESS OF THE ROMANISTS Requiring our COMMUNION With the present Romish Church Or a DISCOURSE Drawn from the perplexity and uncertainty of the Principles and from the Contradictions betwixt the Prayers and Doctrine of the present Romish church to prove that 't is unreasonable to require us to joyn in Communion with it LONDON Printed by T. R. for Richard Royston Bookseller to his most Excellent Majesty 1670. THE PREFACE AFter the Ascention of our Saviour the Apostles separated themselves for the Publishing of the Gospel through all the World and where they saw any likelyhood of a plentifull Harvest they bestowed there the greatest Paines in the Planting of the Christian Religion Their first care was for the converting of the Cities for the greater would draw after it the lesser and Religion settled in the Cities would sooner diffuse it self through the adjacent Villages By the same reason their Care was the Conversion of the Metropolis of the Roman World that from that head Religion might more opportunely be conveyed into all the members of that vast Empire And by its Authority and Example other Countries subject to that City might be moved to embrace the Faith Et cito pervios haberet populos praedicatio generalis quos unius teneret Regimen civitatis * Leo Serm. de Nat. Petri ● Pauli In the Conversion of this place both the Doctor of the Gentiles and the Apostle of the Circumcision and Tertullian de praescriptionibus mentions also S. John bestowed their time and Labour Here they Preached here they Suffered quibus Romanis Evangelium Petrus Paulus sanguine quoque suo signatum reliquerunt and both founded this Church a gloriosissimis duobus Apostolis Petro Paulo Romae fundatur constituitur Ecclesia * Tert. adv Marco● li. 4. Both exercised here their Apostolical authority and by Epiphanius Heres 27. are both called Bishops of Rome † Irenae lib. 3. cap. 3. Both of them appointed Linus to that Bishoprick Fundantes instruentes Ecclesiam Lino Episcopatum tradiderunt * Irenae ibi The Faith of this Roman Church was famous throughout the World their Sufferings were great for they usually endured the first heat of the Roman fury Their Bishops for the first 300 years were most of them Crowned with Martyrdom Polydor Virgil * De invent rerum Li. 9. cap. 1. saith that seven only of 32 escaped the Church thus founded in the Imperial City was most observed and Eyed both by the Heathen and by the Christian By the Heathen it was so eyed that usually it became the mark of their fury and their Edicts of Persecutions were first executed in the City before they were transmitted into the remoter Provinces The Martyrs here were so numerous that it became the businesse of 7 Notaries to record their sufferings as Platina reports This Church was much eyed by the Christians being placed in the chief City The Faith of this Church like a Candle on a Hill was more conspicuous and its suffering was more observed than in Remoter places The Bishops of Rome were commonly the most Eminent like the choicest Soldiers placed in the Front of the Battle The Clergy here were very numerous according to the largenesse of the City for in Pontians time which was about the year 231. there were 236 Cardinal Priests as Polydor Virgil * D Invent rerum ● 4. cap. 9. reports from Guido Archidiaconus and Franciscus Zabarella and these he explaines to be such who had chiefly cure of Soules This Church being thus advanced by the dignity of the City the eminency of its founders and the worth of its members was accounted the chief Church the Chair of Peter the Apostolick See and Valentinian in an Epistle to Theodosius saith Antiquity hath given the Bishop of the Roman City a Principality of Priest-hood above all After that the World came into the Church and the Ensign of Christianity became the Banner of the Empire the Roman Church encreased in Dignity Revenue and Credit for the Christian Emperours out of their respect to Religion honouring the Bishops enlarging their Revenue and increasing their Dignity did shew more particular kindnesse to the Church of Rome where was the Seat of their Empire and which had gained such esteem for the merit of its Founders In short time the Riches of the Roman Bishoprick or'e-topp'd the neighbouring places the Pomp of their Bishops was suitable to the magnificence of the City Now Communion with the Roman Bishop was made the Test and Mark of Orthodoxnesse in Religion Now it was decreed by the Emperours that it should not be Lawful for the Bishops of Gallia or other Provinces to attempt any thing without the Authority of the venerable Pope of the Eternal City * Apud Baron an 445. n. 9. and in all things they hast'ned to increase the Authority and Honour of that See per omnia properamus honorem Authoritatem vestrae Sedis crescere saith Justinian * L. Seder C. de Sum. trin But now the Roman Church which by the favour of Emperours and affection of Prelates in reverence of S. Peter and respect to the Imperial Seat had gained this dignity and honour began to swell with higher aimes and to Aspire to greater Priviledges If the Councel of Calcedon would advance Constantinople to the second Patriarchship upon the same reason as the Fathers bad dignified Rome Propter imperium civitatis illius and would now give equal Priviledges to new Rome judging it reasonable that the City adorned with the Empire and Senate should enjoy equal Priviledges with the elder Rome * Conc. Calced Act. 16. then Leo epist 58. to the Empresse Pulcheria durst pronounce Consensiones Episcoporum sanctorum Canonum apud Nicaeam Conditorum Regulis repugnantes in irritum mittimus per authoritatem Beati Petri Apostoli generali prorsus definitione cassamus we do make the agreement of the Bishops repugnant to the Canons of the Council of Nice for so he conceived the advancement of Constantinople to be null and by the authority of the blessed Apostle Peter do make them void If the Councel of Sardis * Conc. Sardic Can. 3. n. 8. to honour the memory of S. Peter appoints in the case of a Bishop or Priest that if he think he hath good reason why the cause should be examined over again those who heard the cause should write to Julius the Roman Bishop and if he think fit it should be re-examined that it may be so and he may appoint Judges and if he does not think it fit to be re-examined then what he doth determine shall be confirmed Or in case of a Bishop deposed if he appeal to the Roman Bishop that Bishop if he thinks fit may write to the Neighbouring Bishops

benefit by the Indulgence but then what certainty whether any benefit come from the Indulgence or rather that it comes from the Contrition of the Penitent which also would availe without the Indulgence others ꝑo go further and tell us they are never so much worth as is promised sed aliquid valent modicum secundum quod mereter fides devotio so Bonaventure saies * In 4. Dist. 21. some held Thus it is no way certain according to themselves what the real advantage is whether they bring any and if it be no way certain then we cannot be bound to profess this as an Article of our Faith that Indulgences are wholesome and profitable Indeed I will allow them to be profitable but 't is to the Popes purse not to the Penitents Soul you may read the advantage which Pope Vrban the 6. made by the Indulgence publisht in England 1382. Henry Spenser Bishop of Norwich gathered saies Henry Knighton † Chron. Heary Knighton pag. 2671. an incredible sum of Gold and Silver and Jewels and Rings and Dishes and Spoons and other Ornaments specially from Ladies and other women and that both men and women gave not according but even beyond their abilities that their dead friends as well as themselves might receive the benefit of absolution from their sins which none could obtain unless they contributed according to their Estates Secondly The matter of them i. e. the Superfluous satisfactions of Christ and the Saints which are reserved in the Treasure of the Church for say they there can be no remission of punishments injoyned for sins unless there be some recompense made by some who have performed more then was due from them but if it be uncertain whether there be any such Treasure then the Doctrine of Indulgences is uncertain First 'T is not certain that there is any such Treasure of the Saints satisfactions reserved in the Church First Because 't is not certain that they have suffered more then they have deserved Secondly Though they should suffer more then they have deserved yet 't is is not certain that they do or can suffer more then they are bound in obedience to God Thirdly 'T is not certain that if they do or suffer only what they are bound in obedience to God that they can satisfie by that obedience for another for where they only pay that which is required of them there is nothing superfluous and ꝑo nothing to be put into the Treasure Fourthly 'T is not certain but their sufferings are as much or more rewarded then is due or can be due to them and if they are fully rewarded then they cannot discharge another mans debt and upon this ground Franc. Mayronis and Angel de Clavasio deny the satisfactions of the Saints can be put into the Treasure † * Sum. Angelica P. Indulgentia N. 9 Secondly 'T is not certain that there is any treasure made up of the superfluous satisfactions of Christ and his Church For First If the Treasure of Christs satisfactions be infinite then it is not certain that any thing can be added to it for an infinite cannot be increased otherwise there should be an infinite greater than an infinite Secondly It is not certain that there is any advantage by those satisfactions of the Saints for if Christs merit be of an infinite value then there is nothing that can be procured by the satisfactions of Saints which hath not been allready procured by Christs merit nor is there any thing we can gaine by the satisfactions of Saints but we may much more receive it from the infinite merit of Christ If then we have no certainty that there is any use of this Treasure we can then have no certainty that there is any such Treasure Thirdly It is no way certain that there is any such Treasure of the superfluous satisfactions of Christ because first It is not certain that any thing Christ did or suffer'd could be more than he was bound to undergo as he became our Surety and in obedience to the command of his Father was bound to do or suffer what ever his Father required for the full satisfaction of his Justice and if his satisfactions were in this respect necessary then they cannot be call'd superfluous Secondly Though his satisfaction was infinite yet it is not certain that any thing was superfluous because all that a finite person can do or suffer can never satisfie infinite Justice And it is not certain when the offender deserves the utmost puishment both here and hereafter which he is capable of undergoing that every work or suffering though of an infinite person can be sufficiently satisfactory to expiate that debt Thirdly Though his satisfaction was sufficient for more then it was actually extended to yet 't is no more certain ꝑo some satisfactions are superfluous than that the light of the Sun which would enlighten thousands more than actually receive benefit by it is so or that Gods Omnipotency is superfluous because it may create more worlds than already are Lastly This Doctrine contains many perplexities and insoluble scruples as which are necessary and which satisfactions are superfluous what part of Christs satisfactions are rewarded and what not for those which are allready rewarded cannot be put into the common stock whether the same merit which merited Glory for himself or that which merited the pardon of Eternal punishment or that there is some other merit which only merits the remission of Temporal punishment and how this merit distinguish't from the rest is put into the Treasure these and many other perplexities are so intervowen in this Doctrine that their wisest Doctors have not yet found out a way to extricate themselves Thirdly The authority dispensing these Indulgences i. e. The Council suppose this for granted that there was a power left to the Church of bestowing these Indulgences and the Church hath from all Antiquity used it but if these things be uncertain then we have no reason to own this Doctrine First I say there is no Certainty that Christ left this power to the Church they tell us that the Pope onely hath power of bestowing those Indulgences Jure Divino Bishops and other Prelates Jure humano that the Pope may grant plenary Indulgences * Sum. Angel c. 1. 10● n. 5. and over all the world that his power is founded in these words what ever thou loosest on earth shall be loosed in Heaven and on that text feed my Sheep in which is included all acts of Jurisdiction which any way conduce to shut or open the Kingdome of Heaven and of this sort is remission of punishment by these Indulgences † Filliu● Ca● 〈◊〉 ●●ct 8. 〈◊〉 3. n. 62 but this is wholy uncertain and founded rather on meere guesses than on a rational ground For First It is not certain that he who can remit the Eternal punishment as they tell us the Priest doth in the Sacrament of Penance cannot also remit the Temporal