and Confessors 1. other men women Martyrs 393. other men and women Confessors 53. These were of diuers sects and opinions and contrary in many points the one to the other as for example Waldensians and Albegensians 13. Lollards and Wickliffians 36. Hussites and Lutherans 78. Zuinglians and Caluinifts 268. Anabaptists Puritans and doubtfull of what sect 59. Againe of those were Husbandmen Weauers Sawyers Shoo-makers Curriers Smithes and other such like occupations 282. Poore women and Spinsters 64. Apostata Monks and Friers 25. Apostata Priests 38. Ministers 10. Publike Malefactors and condemned by the Lawes for such 19. The greatest Disputers of this ranke against the Catholike Bishops and learned men were George Tankerfield a Cooke August 13. Iohn Mandrell a Cowheard March 27. Richard Chrashfield a yong Artificer March 28. Raph Allerton a Tayler September 19. Iohn Fortunea Black-smith September 30. Richard Woodman an Iron maker Iune 23. Ellen Erwing a Millers wife August 23. loane Lashford a maried maide Ianuary 18. Isabell Foster a Cutlers wife Ianuary 17. Anne Alebright a poore woman of Canterbury Ianuary 19. Alice Potkins Spinster Nouember 15. Alice driuer a famous Doctrice Nouember 22. And to giue you some particular taste of this roauing spirit which raigned in some of Master Fox his principall Protestant Martyrs Master Iohn Bradford whom Fox most highly extolleth in many leaues and stileth him Preacher-Martyr was accustomed much to bragge of his singuler assurance that he had of the right course hee was in which he said was so cleare and euident to him that there could be no more doubt thereof then whether the Sunne did shine vpon a faire day and when the Bishops asked him How he came to so great a certainty he answered I am certaine of my saluation and religion by the Scriptures but when they posed him further how hee could bee sure of Scriptures themselues and of their true meaning without the testimony of the Church hee had no other shift but to runne to the assurance of his owne spirit telling them that albeit he receiued the knowledge of the Scriptures by the testimonie of the Church as those of the Citie of Sychar did the notice of Christ by the woman from the Well yet that when he once had them then could he vse them well enough for vnderstanding them and for shew hereof when a little after hee had occasion to interpret some peeces of Scriptures he did it so absurdly as a man might well see how much might be builded vpon the assurance of that his particular and priuate spirit as for example among other places hee tooke vpon him to proue by Scripture that the Pope was Antichrist and cited for it onely those words of the Apostle to the Thessalonians That Antichrist shall sit in the Temple of God c. which though it proue nothing as you see for that wee deny not but that Antichrist when hee commeth shall sit in the Temple of God yea and pretend to be God himselfe which no Popes euer did or shal doe yet to Bradford the allegation of this place seemed much to the purpose and to Iohn Fox that admireth all which the other vttered it appeareth so full a proofe as he maketh this note in the margent The Pope proued to bee Antichrist by Scriptures But this proofe as you see standeth only vpon Bradfords interpretation which interpretation is not onely not conforme to any ancient Fathers exposition whatsoeuer but is manifestly also contrary to the text it selfe where immediatly before the words alledged That he shall sit in the Temple of God are these words Extolletur supra omne quod dicitur Deus aut qued colitur That Antichrist when he commeth shall bee extolled aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped for God so as he shall not call him Gods seruant as the Pope doth nor the seruant of his seruants but chiefe God himselfe which no Pope as is said euer did or will and consequently these words cannot possibly agree to the Pope and yet forsooth the spirit of Bradford that cannot erre or be deceiued doth expound it so and thereby you see the certaintie of his spirit After this againe he went about to perswade the two Bishops who examined him that he agreed with them and with their Church in substance of Faith and beleefe and consequently might bee saued with them notwithstanding this deniall of two articles for which only he said he was condemned to wit Transubstantiation and that the euill men doe not receiue the body of Christ when they communicate which two articles Bradford affirmed not to appertaine to the substance of faith or foundation of Christ and consequently that he was vnjustly cast our of the Church for them for so much as hee firmely beleeued all the articles of the Creede with them whereunto when the Bishops smiling replied saying Yen Is this your Diuinitie BRADFORD answered Noe it is PAVLS which saith That if men hold the foundation Christ though they build vpon him straw and stubble yet they shall be saued So he whereby you see that this great learned Cleake would proue by Saint Paul that both Protestants and all other Sectaries that in words doe professe to beleeue all the Articles of the Creede though each one in seuerall sense to himselfe shall be saued together with Catholikes and that all these our contentions with them and other Sectaries are but straw and stubble and touch not the foundation of Christ at all This was his spirit and doe you thinke that this spirit could be deceiued or will our English Protestants at this day allow this spirit or joyne with Bradford in this paradox I know they will not and would bee ashamed to interpret the place of Saint Paul in that sense for so much as it is euident that he meaneth of the straw and stubble of workes and not doctrine or at least such principall points of doctrine as those are which Bradford did professe contrary to the Catholique truth Notwithstanding there bee some principall Protestant Doctors who howsoeuer they interpret the foresaid place of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 3. and vpon what other place soeuer of Scripture they pretend to builde yet doe they holde and maintaine the same Paradox in Christian Religion as I may call it and the same exorbitant grosse errour which the phanaticall spirit of Iohn Bradford suggested vnto him for an assured truth to wit that all euen Heretikes as well as Catholikes may bee saued so long as they hold the foundation Christ. For so Master Doctor Morton now called a Bishop saith Wheresoeuer a company of men doe ioyntly and publikely by worshipping the true God in Christ professe the substance of Christian Religion which is Faith in lesus Christ the Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world that there is a true Church notwithstanding any corruption whatsoeuer And giuing this title to one section in his booke That Heretikes are members of the
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
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