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
offered what neeneth or what auaileth any resistance of ours or any conflict to the contrary sinne it is though we resist neuer so much and but sinne it is if we yeelde And seeing that by another principle of this new doctrine all sinnes are equally mortall what is gained by striuing or what is lost by yeelding And to what end are all those large Treatises of ancient Fathers about fighting against this concupiscence and mortification of her appetites and motions What doe auaile all their exhortations to this purpose as also those of the Scriptures to continencie chastitie virginitie abstinence sobrietie and other like vertues for so much as euery first motion of our concupiscence to the contrary which first motion wee cannot auoid is sin in it selfe to what purpose I say are wo perswaded and animated to fight and striue against this enemie seeing there is no hope of victorie but that at euery blow shee conquereth and ouerthroweth vs as the Protestants teach Wherefore to proceed no further in this comparison you may easily by this that is said consider the differences betweene these two people and in particular you may with griefe and teares contemplate among other points fiue generall inundations of loosenesse and wicked liberty brought into Christian conuersation by the foresaid fiue principles of these mens doctrine to wit First in taking away wholly all concurrance and good endeauors of mans will to any vertuous action whatsoeuer though neuer so much preuented or assisted by the helpe of Gods grace Secondly in ascribing all justificatiō to onely Faith and thereby moouing the concurrance of Hope Charitie Piety Deuotion and other vertues Thirdly in disgracing and denying the necessity of the exercise of externall good workes proceeding from those internall vertues and commended vnto vs to walke therein Fourthly in debasing the force dignity and number of Sacraments appointed for instruments and conduites of Gods holy grace vnto all sorts of men And lastly in attributing a kingdome of sinne irresistable to our concupiscence in fauour of temptations and sensuall motions and discomforting thereby all people from fighting against the same Which fiue principles being well weighed considered together with the practise and successe that haue ensued vpon them throughout Christendome where this new doctrine hath preuailed no indifferent man can bee so simple but that he will easily discouer the true difference betweene these two people and their Religions as also betweene Fox his lying fond Definition of a Catholike and this our Description of Catholikes Protestants containing the most substantiall points of Faith and life both of the one and the other AN ADDITION MADE by the Collecter NOW because I haue mentioned IOHN FOX I would desire thee good Reader to reade that learned Treatise of Three Conuersions especially the third part wherein IOHN FOX his booke of Martyrs so called is particularly examined and confuted where thou mayest clearely descrie the erroneous and false spirit of the Protestants for so much as they make choice of any sort of people whatsoeuer bearing the name of Christians to be of their Church and fraternitie notwithstanding that they held and beleeued many most damnable errors and herefies but howsoeuer if they spake freely against the Pope or floutly denied but one article of the Catholike Faith for which they haue been condemned for Heretikes by our Church they were presently accounted for right good Protestants and fit for IOHN FOX to Canonize and make Martyrs Of this that worthy Author in the foresaid Treatise sheweth briefely in a Consideration which hee maketh what sort of people be put by IOHN FOX into his Kalendar It is then to be noted saith hee that in the Kalendar and story thereof to wit FOX his Actes and Monuments are comprised all the heads of Factions and Sects that haue been different from the knowne Catholike Religion and among themselues for these three or foure last hundred yeares as Waldo of Lyons and his Waldensians the Earle of Tholosa and his Albigensians Iohn Wickliffe of England and his Wickliffians Iohn Husse of Bemeland and his Hussites Iohn Zisca of the same Nation and his Thaborites Walter Lollard in Germanie and his Lolardians and in our daies Martin Luther and his Lutherans both sects Molles and Rigidi Vldericus Zuinglius and his Zuinglians Iohn Caluin and his Caluinists both mingled and Puritans and other the like All which are allowed and commended by Fox eyther in his Kalendar or Historie thongh they did not a little disagree as well among themselues as with the Catholike Church both in words and actions manner of life preachings and writings as before hath been shewed And whereas we that follow Catholike doctrine are so exact for holding vnitie therein as we reiect and hold for wicked according to the Creed of Saint Athanasius and first Councell of Nice whosoeuer doth not beleeue inuiolably the said Catholike Faith and intirely in euery point and doe sometimes condeme euen to death and burne some for dissenting in one only point of Faith as Iohn Fox himselfe hath diuers times complained how can it be that he and his Church can gather vp and tye together in one vnion of Faith and communion of Saints all these different and opposite heads together with their members and followers Truely no other way but onely as Samson tyed his Foxes together by the tayles though their heads and faces were opposite and contrarie one to another which serued him not to plow nor sow plant nor tyll but only to set a fire waste and destroy the corne which others haue sowed before which is the only office and peculiar worke that these wrangling opposit hereticall heads do bring forth in the Church of God to wit pull downe digge vp destroy discredit and disgrace that which was sowen planted and established before them and thereby to bring all to misdoubt vnbeleefe and atheisme So F. PARSONS And because peraduenture euery one desirous to know more of this matter cannot so easily procure to see or reade that discussion or examination of Iohn Fox his Saints and of their different spirits from the Catholike I will let you see the summe of both Kalendars as it is set downe by the forenamed Author in the end of the Kalendar both in the first and last sixe Moneths of that his Examen The summe of all Saints named in both Kalendars In the Catholike Kalendar The number of all mentioned 1704. whereof are Popes Martyrs 27. Popes Confessors 8. Bishops Martyrs 37. Bishops Confessors 63. Virgins Martyrs 76. besides the 11000. slaine with Saint Vrsula Virgins Confessors 11. Kings and Queenes Martyrs 3. Kings and Queenes Confessors 8. other holy men and women 3429. other men and women Confessors 42. All these were of one Faith and Religion agreeable to the Roman at this day In the Foxian Kalendar The number of all mentioned 456. Bishops Pseudomartyrs 5. Bishops Confessors 1. Virgin Martyrs 000. May d Martyrs 2. Kings Queenes Martyrs
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