remedie hereof appointed by our prouident Sauiour founded in the merits of his sacred Passion called Secunda tabula post nausragium by holy Fathers that is the second table or planke whereon wee may lay hands and escape drowning after the shipwracke of our pardon grace and justification receiued in our Baptisme which was the first table by which second table of Penance all sorts may rise againe how often soeuer they fall which Sacrament consisteth of three parts sorrow for our sinnes and confessing the same for the remission of the guilt and some kinde of satisfaction on our behalfe for remouing the temporall punishment remaining the true vse whereof bringeth such exceeding helpe and comfort to a Christian soule as it is vnspeakable For that by the first two parts a man is oft brought sweetly to sorrow for his sins to thinke vpon them to detest them aske pardon of God for them to make new purposes of better life for the time to come to examine his conscience more particularly and other such heauenly effects as no man can tell the comfort thereof but he that receiueth them By the third part also which is Satisfaction though a man performe neuer so little thereof in this life yet doth it greatly auaile him not onely in respect of the grateful acceptation thereof at Gods hands for that it commeth freely of his owne good will but also for that it humbleth euen the proudest minde in the sight of almightie God it restraineth also greatly our wicked appetites from sin for the time to come when we know wee must giue a particular account and satisfie also for our sensualities somewhat euen in this world And finally it is the very chiefe sinew of Christian conuersation and behauiour one towards another for when the rich man knoweth for example sake that he must satisfie one way or another and be bound by his ghostly father to make restitution so farre as hee is able of whatsoeuer hee hath wrongfully taken from the poor when the poore also are taught that they must doe the like towards the rich the sonne towards his father the seruant towards his master if hee haue deceiued him when the murmurer in like manner knoweth that he must make actuall restitution of fame if he haue defamed any this Catholike doctrine I say and practise must needs be a strong hedge to all vertuous and pious conuersation among men that beleeue and follow the same And finally not to passe to more particularities whereas Catholike doctrine teacheth vs that all or most disorders of this life in a sensuall man to omit the infirmities of our higher powers in like manner doe proceede originally from the fountaine of Concupiscence and law of the flesh remaining in vs after our baptisme and ad certamen as holy Fathers do tearme it that is to say for our conflict and combate to the end our life may be a true warfare as the holy Scripture calleth it This Concupiscence I say or sensuall motion being the ground of our temptations though it be not sinne of it selfe except we consent vnto it yet is shee busie in stirring vs daily to wickednesse as a Christian mans principall exercise and diligence ought to be in resisting her which he may doe by the helpe and assistance of Christs grace merited by his sacred Passion wherein he extinguished the guilt of this originall corruption though hee left still the sting and prouocation for our greater merit and continuall victory by his holy grace in them that will striue and fight as they may and ought to doe But yet for that this fight is combersome and fastidious in it selfe and deadly also to many that suffer themselues to be ouercome the Catholike Religion doth teach a man how he shal fight in this conflict what armes and defence he may vse in particular to defend himselfe and to gaine victorie And to this head or branch are redâ—ced all our spirituall bookes and volumes about mortification as well of our wil judgement and affections of minde as all other parts also of our inferiour sensualitie to wit how you may resist this and that temptation what preuention you may make what bulwarke you may raise what defence you may rest vpoÌ„ wherin do enter all particular directioÌ„s of fasting prayer watching haire-cloath lying on the ground and other bodily afflictions so much vsed by olde Saints and may bee vsed also now by all if they will for gaining of this important victorie there entreth also among other defences that great and soueraigne remedie of flying the world wholly and retyring to the port of a religious life for such as otherwise see themselues either weake or in danger to bee wholly ouercome by this venimous beast of Concupiscence or else doe desire to merit more aboundantly at Gods hands by offering themselues wholly and entirely to his seruice and to the more neere imitation of their Lord and Sauiour By all which helpes assistances and directions deliuered in this behalfe by Catholike doctrine to euery mans state and degree of life a Catholike Christian passeth on more securely during his life and at his last going out of this world receiueth finally the grace and comfort of the last Sacrament of Extreame vnction instituted by Christ and recommended vnto vs by Saint Iames his Apostle and from thence passeth to receiue that eternall joy and kingdome at his Sauiours hands which hee hath prepared for them that beleeue in him and striue and fight for him in this life against sinne and iniquitie And thus haue we described briefly but seriously and truely the state and condition of a Roman Catholike man to oppose the same against a ridiculous vaine definition or rather fiction of IOHN FOX But now if wee would paragon the same with the Protestants Doctrine and practise in all these points before mentioned we shal quickly see the difference And as for the first point of all concerning Faith and beleefe in generall the difference is so palpably set downe in that which hath bin alreadie said as it is needlefse to say any more In the second point concerning the inward principles of our outward actions truth it is that they agree with vs in somewhat to wit that all good commeth originally from Gods holy grace and motion but presently they disagree againe for that they hold our grace of Iustification to be no inherent qualitie but onely an externall imputation and that Gods motion to our minde is such as it excludeth wholly all concourse and cooperation of our Free-will whereby they cut off at one blow all endeauours of our part to do any goodnesse at all and leaue vs as a stone or blocke to be moued by God onely whereof also ensueth that hee must needs be author of our sins and other blasphemies and infinite inconueniences not only in matter of Faith but in life and actions also for that this principle being once receiued that our
A LITTLE TREATISE CONCERNING TRIAL OF SPIRITS TAKEN FOR THE MOST part out of the Works of the R. F. ROBERT PARSONS of the Societie of IESVS WHEREVNTO IS ADDED a Comparison of a true Roman Catholike with a Protestant wherby may bee discouered the difference of their Spirits With an Appendix taken out of a later Writer My dearest beleeue not euery Spirit but prooue the Spirits if they be of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1. Ioh. 4. 1. ✚ IHS Permissa Superiorum 1620. A COMPARISON OF A TRVE ROMAN CATHOLIKE WITH A PROTESTANT whereby may be discouered the difference of their Spirits not only in things belonging to faith and beleefe but also concerning their liues conuersations and manners taken out of a more ample discourse of this subiect made by that worthy and reuerend Father F. Parsons is the 20. Chapter of his Examen of Fox his Calendar the last six Moneths FIRST the Roman Catholike whom Fox calleth Papist touching matters of Faith and beleefe composeth himselfe to that humilitie as whether he bee learned or vnlearned or what arguments soeuer hee hath on the one or other side yet presumeth hee to determine nothing of himselfe but remitteth that determination if any thing be doubtfull or vndetermined vnto the judgement and decree of the vniuersall Church and Gouernours thereof And hence proceedeth the agreements and vnitie of Faith which they haue held and conserued in so large a body for so many ages as haue passed since Christ and his Apostles Whereas Protestants in this behalfe following another Spirit of selfe-will and selfe judgement and loosing the raynes of libertie to the pregnancie of each mans wit doe hold and determine what their owne judgements for the time doe thinke to bee true or most probable and are subject to no authoritie in this behalfe but to their owne Spirit which is variable according to the varietie of arguments and probabilities that doe occurre And hereof doe ensue the great varietie of sects and opinions among them euen in this one age since they began as you may see by that which is set downe in the third and seuenteenth Chapters of the fourth part of the three Conuersions of England Next to this for so much as appertaineth to life and actions the Catholike man holdeth that wee can doe nothing at all of our selues no not so much as to thinke a good thought but we must be preuented and assisted by Gods holy grace as may bee shewed out of the Councell of Trent which teacheth with Saint Paul that our sufficiencie is of Christ yet is the force of this grace so tempered notwithstanding as it vseth no violence nor excludeth the free concurrance of mans wil preuented and stirred vp by the foresaid grace of our Sauiour and motion of the holy Ghost So as freely by this helpe we yeeld to the said good motions and doe beleeue in God and his promises and this act of Faith as you may learne out of the said Councel is the first foundation and root of all our justification but yet not sufficient of it selfe except Charitie and Hope two other Theologicall vertues doe accompany the same so as we doe both loue and hope in him in whom we beleeue And out of these and by direction of these doe flow againe other Christian vertues called morall for that they appertaine to the direction of life and manners which vertues doe consist principally in the inward habits and actes of the mind and from thence doe proceede to the externall actions and operations whereby wee exercise our selues in keeping Gods Commandements and exercising workes of pietie toward our neighbour as cloathing the naked feeding the hungry visiting the sicke and the like In workes of deuotion in like maner as singing and praying to God kneeling knocking our breasts mortifying our bodies by fasting watching and other such like All which exteriour actions are so farre forth commendable and meritorious as they proceed from the inward vertues and motions of Gods Spirit And albeit as Saint Thomas saith these exteriour actes doe adde nothing in substantiall goodnesse to the inward acts but haue their merit from thence yet for that man consisteth both of spirit and flesh it was reason that hee should bee bound to honor God with both that is to say both with inward acts of vertue proceeding from Gods grace and motion and with outward vertuous actes testifying the inward whereby wee see what an excellent Christian Common-wealth the Catholike Religion doth appoint if it were executed according to her doctrine to wit that all mens minds should be replenished with all sort of vertues towards both God our neighbor and that their actions should be full of all righteousnesse pietie and charitie in exteriour behauiour so as neither in thought word nor deede they should offend either of them both And thus much for the Catholike man concerning his actions life and manners But this Catholike Religion doth not stay heere nor teach onely in generall what actions a Christian man should haue and from what internall principles of grace and vertue they should flow but doth offer vs diuers particular means also how to procure and conserue and increase this grace which is the fountaine of al goodnesse for first it exhibiteth vnto vs besides all other meanes of prayer and particular indeauours of our part seuen generall meanes and instruments left vs to that purpose by the institution of Christ himselfe which are seuen Sacraments that being receiued with due disposition of the receiuer doe alwaies bring grace by the vertue and force of Christs merit and institution without dependance of the merit or demerit of the Minister that administreth them By vse of which Sacraments infinite grace is deriued daily by Christ our Sauiour vnto his Church and particular members thereof in euery state and degree of men Moreouer Catholike Religion not contented with these generalities doth come yet more in particular to frame direct and helpe a Christian man in the way of his saluation euen from the first houre of his birth in Christ vntill his soule departing from this world be rendered vp againe into his Creators hands For first he hauing all his sins forgiuen clearely and freely by the grace of Christ receiued in Baptisme hee is strengthened to the fight and course of a true Christian life by the Sacrament of Confirmation and imposition of hands his soule also is fed and nourished spiritually by the sacred food of our Sauiours bodie in the Eucharist two seuerall states of Christian life are peculiarly assisted with grace of two particular Sacraments Priests and Clergie-men by the Sacrament of Holy Orders and maried people by the Sacrament of Matrimony And for that in this large race and course of life as Saint Paul calleth it we often fall and offend God by reason of our infirmitie there is a most soueraigne Sacrament of Penance for
Free-will though it be preuented mooued and strengthened by Gods grace can doe nothing at all nor cooperate to any good worke or resist any euill who will haue care afterward to endeauour labour striue or wearie himselfe about any thing that is difficult or displeasant vnto him Next to this concerning the vertues Theologicall of Faith Hope and Charity Protestants are content with Faith only to our justification as you see by Iohn Fox who saith that the Scriptures doe expresly exclude both Hope and Charitie And albeit some others of his sect will seeme to couer the matter by saying that Hope and Charitie do follow Faith as fruits thereof if it be true Faith yet in practise is there no man of thē indeed that will permit his faith to this triall but whether he haue these fruits or noe he will defend his faith to be good and that himselfe is justified thereby So as from hence you see another gappe opened to all presumption and liberty of life for howsoeuer a Protestant liueth yet will he not yeeld thereby that his faith is nought and indeed the argument inforceth it not and then followeth it that his faith being good hee is justified and consequently howsoeuer he liue yet is hee a just man and who will trouble himselfe with the labour of a good life if beleeuing onely be sufficient And this for internall vertues But as for externall actions euen those of the Law and ten Commandements commanded by Christ himselfe Fox derideth them in our people as may be seene in his Definition and requireth onely two exteriour actions in his people to wit Baptizing and supping or celebrating the Lords Supper for all other matters hee saith no one thing is necessary for the exercise of his new Gospell or to make a perfect Christian after his definition So as if you lay before you two sorts of people the one labouring and wholly occupying themselues in all godly life fructificantes in omni bono opere fructifying in all good workes as the Apostles words are who also in the same place calleth this worke The true wisdome and right vnderstanding of Gods heauenly will and worthie walking before him you may behold I say the one sort of these people which Fox calleth Papists not onely endued with inward good desires but externally also busied altogether in good deeds shewing the same by the fruits of their inward vertues to wit in building of Churches Hospitals Monasteries Colledges giuing almes maintaining Orphanes Widdowes and Pupills receiuing Pilgrimes and other such Christian exercises as also meeting at Churches praying on their knees sighing and sobbing for their sinnes and confessing the same to Gods substitute to wit their ghostly father asking pardon also of their neighbours and making restitution if any thing with euill conscience they haue taken or withholden c. Whiles in the meane space the other sort accounted Saints of the new making by Fox doe walke vp and downe talking of their beleefe but lay their hands vpon no good external worke at all by obligation if wee beleeue Fox except onely the Lords Supper nor is it incident to their vocation And hereby also may we consider how great a difference there is betweene these two sorts of people in a Common-wealth where they liue together and what an infinite gate is laid open by this loosse new doctrine to idlenes and lasie behauiour in Christian conuersation quite opposite not onely to the doctrine and practise of ancient Fathers and the Primitiue Church but to the whole course of Scriptures in like manner which euery where doe inculcate with all sollicitude the continual performance of externall good works and that thereby indeed true Christians are knowne in exercising themselues in Christs Cōmandements And as for Sacraments which according to our doctrine are heauenly conduites and most excellent instruments appointed by God for deriuing of grace vnto vs in euery state and condition of Christian men these fellowes doe first cut off fiue of the seuen and the other two they doe so weaken and debase as they are scarce worthy the receiuing for they doe not hold that either their Baptisme or the Lords Supper doth giue any grace at all to him that receiueth them though hee prepare himselfe neuer so well thereunto but onely that they are certaine signes of their election justification which signes notwithstanding hauing no more certaintie in them then themselues list to apprehend by their special faith concerning their owne justification and the matter standing in their owne hands to shew themselues justified when they will by these signes it seemeth indeed to be a very jest or comedie but yet breaketh down a maine bank of Christiā discipline care sollicitude that is to be seene in our men when they receiue any Sacrament for that beleeuing as Catholique Faith teacheth them that all Sacraments bring grace to them that receiue them with due preparation and of their own part put no let by their indisposition they doe labour and endeauour to prepare themselues worthily to the said receiuing therof by Penance Fasting Prayer Almes-deeds and other like holy endeauours assuring themselues also on the contrary side that negligent receiuing of Sacraments doth not onely not bring grace but encreaseth rather their owne offence So as this preparation of Catholike people to the receiuing of Sacraments is a continuall kinde of spurre to good purposes vertue and renouation of life whereas this other sort of good fellowes perswading themselues that their Sacraments are onely bare signes of things already past and as it were a continuall representation of justification alreadie receiued there needeth not any such laborsome indeauour for due preparation nor yet care or sollicitude of life or manners for that alreadie they haue the thing which they desire and that those are but signes tokens and testimonies that they haue receiued it indeed which yet as I said hath no more assurance then euery mans owne perswasion and apprehension will afford Lastly concerning the foresaid fountaine of temptation in our flesh and sensualitie called Concupiscence they differ from vs in two essentiall points first that they hold this concupiscence not for a tempter onely but rather for a conqueror for so much as they teach that euery motion of her to sensualitie in vs is a finne whether it bee yeelded vnto by our will or noe The second point following necessarily of this first is that all resistance of our part to the motions of this concupiscence is either needlesse or bootlesse for that the motion it selfe being sinne without our consent it followeth consequently that the matter is not remediable by our endeauours and heere now breaketh in a whole sea of disorders to Christian life for that supposing first that which is most true that euery Christian man hath this assault of concupiscence within him and secondly by this new doctrine that no man can auoid to sinne thereby vpon euery motion that is
Catholike Church In proofe hereof he saith further Who professe IESVS CHRIST to bee the Sauiour of the world c. although they doe indirectly by wickednesse of life or heresie in doctrine deny their owne profession yet are they to be accounted Christians and true members of the Church by whose account you see all Heretikes whatsoeuer are to be accounted for true members of the Church seeing all doe confesse Iesus Christ to bee the Sauiour of the world and therefore hee holdeth the Arrians who deny the God-head of Christ to bee also of the Church of God The like doth Doctor Field concerning the Greeke Churches though they erre against the holy Ghost saying in his Treatise of the Church Wee cannot condemne the Grecians as Heretikes And againe before that pag. 70. It no way appeareth that the Churches of Greece are hereticall or in damnable Schisme Which opinion and judgement of these principall new Ministers in our Protestant Kingdome of Israel if it were sound and good and proceeded from the true Spirit wee might easily grant and beleeue that all sort of Heretikes whatsoeuer are or euer haue been may be saued notwithstanding their abominable and blasphemous heresies which they haue taught and beleeued concerning God the blessed Trinitie the Incarnation of our Sauiour or in a word against any or almost all the Articles of our Creede which strange paradox how contrary it is vnto the whole current of holy Scripture which saith expressely That an hereticall man is damned let any indifferent man consider and judge surely the whole streame of all Antiquitie the graue holy and wise judgement of holy men that haue liued in Gods Church throughout all ages were of another beleefe and opinion and of a quite contrary spirit to this of Protestant Doctors you shall heare one or two speake for the rest Saint Cyprian saith Whosoeuer is seperated from the Church and ioyneth himselfe to an adulteresse conuenticle which euery Heretike doth is seperated also from the promises of the Church nor euer shall hee come to enioy the rewards thereof if hee leaue her he is an alien a prophane person an enemie he cannot haue God for his Father that hath not the Church for his Mother yea though hee should bee slaine for the confessing of Christs name yet can he not be saued Macula ista nec sanguinae abluitur this crime of seperating himselfe from the Church cannot bee washed away with bloud Inexpiabilis culpa nec passione purgatur It is a fault vnexpiable supposing one continue in it nor can it be purged by death it selfe Saint Augustine also Neither is Baptisme saith he profitable to an Heretike being out of the Church nor yet if for the confession of Christ he should be put to death for that hee is conuinced to want charitie where of the Apostle saith Though I should deliuer my body so that I burn and haue not charity it aoth profit me nothing The same hath S. Austen in many places of his Workes and the same is the constant and common opinion of all holy Fathers and therefore whether these holy ancient Fathers or our late moderne Protestant Doctors are most likely to be guided by the true spirit of God as well in this as in many most important points of our Christian beleefe wherein they differ as much as light from darknesse truth from falsehood I leaue vnto euery Christian man who hath a true and earnest care of his eternall saluation seriously and diligently to weigh and consider ANOTHER DIFFERENCE worthy of obseruation betweene the Catholike and Protestant spirit consisting in the willingnes of the one and vnwillingnesse of the other to admit publike and indifferent triall of their Doctrine WHEREAS one principal mark by which a good Spirit may be discerned from a bad is that the good Spirit loueth light and willingly commeth to the light admitting any reasonable and indifferent meanes of triall But the bad Spirit hateth light and commeth not to the light but flyeth all publike and indifferent meanes by which it may be examined I wish the gentle Reader duely to consider how this propertie of the good spirit agreeth to the Catholike Church and the propertie of the bad spirit agreeth to the Protestants Congregation On the one side it may easily bee seene how much the Catholike Church loueth light in that the Doctors thereof in théir publike writings ordinarily vse to explicate and set downe clearely and sincerely the state of the question in controuersie Secondly They truly set downe the opinions and arguments of their Aduersaries and this sometimes more fully then is done by their Aduersaries themselues Thirdly They explicate the Catholike doctrine confirming it with cleare testimonies of holy Scriptures Councels Fathers and Reasons and answering fully all or the strongest Obiections Fourthly They are ready both in their publike Schools and in their Prouinciall and Generall Councels to admit yea inuite their greatest Aduersaries to speake freely whatsoeuer they thinke good for triall of the truth in all matters of Controuersie This to be true appeareth partly by the learned and methodicall books of our Catholike Authors namely Bellarmine Stapleton Valentia and others partly by the practise of our publike Schooles where any may freely make whatsoeuer arguments they will for disputation sake partly by some especiall examples of free disputation permitted to be made in Catholike Countries euen by knowne Heretikes as for ancient times wee reade how the Councell of Carthage inuited the Donatists to a publike and free Conference or disputation saying Eligatis exvobis ipsis c. Choose some among your selues who may vndergoe this businesse to proue your cause that we also may do the like and that some from among this Councell may be appointed who may at the same time and place agree vpon examine or trie together with those which shal be chosen among you whatsoeuer controuersie it is which hindereth vs from communicating with you c. For if you doe brotherly admit thereof to wit of this conference the truth will easily appeare But if you refuse to accept of this your infidelitie or false faith will presently be made knowne Thus this ancient Councell did inuite Heretikes to a triall also in latter times in our owne Countrey to wit in the raigne of Queene Mary there were permitted seuerall open disputations once in Pauls Church in London for sixe daies and after at Oxford and again secondly at Oxford with liberty to make election of Notaries vpon their part and with offer of books and libertie of further time to amend their answeres all which is affirmed and granted by Fox in his booke of Actes and Monuments and clearely conuinceth the Catholike Spirit to bee a good Spirit which admitteth so willingly and offereth so freely such publike triall of the truth But chiefely this which I said appeareth to be true by the most ample free offer and Inuitement and safe conduct made and granted by the holy generall