Life of Father Ignatius of St. Paul, Passionist (The Hon. & Rev. George Spencer).Pius a Sp. Sancto (Pius a Spiritu Sancto)
Religion
Life of Father Ignatius of St. Paul, Passionist (The Hon. & Rev. George Spencer).
Pius a Sp. Sancto (Pius a Spiritu Sancto)
Passionists; Spencer, George, 1799-1864
himself, and his relation to you, make this a double duty; and, by
acting so, you will not be hurt, for though you may be perplexed for
awhile, God will not suffer you to lose one point of what is really
good, but will finally establish you the more firmly for acting in
this humble spirit.
"Believe me, dear Sir,
"Yours most sincerely,
"George Spencer."
He relates, in the _Account of his Conversion_, the effects of this
visit:--
"On Sunday, 24th January, 1830, I preached in my church, and in the
evening took leave of my family for the {193} week, intending to
return on the Saturday following to my ordinary duties at home. But
our Lord ordered better for me. During the week I spent on this
visit I passed many hours daily in conversation with Phillipps, and
was satisfied beyond all my expectations with the answers he gave to
the different questions I proposed, about the principal tenets and
practices of Catholics. During the week we were in company with
several other Protestants, and among them some distinguished
clergymen of the Church of England, who occasionally joined in our
discussions. I was struck with observing how the advantage always
appeared on his side in the arguments which took place between them,
notwithstanding their superior age and experience;[Footnote 8] and I
saw how weak was the cause in behalf of which I had hitherto been
engaged; I felt ashamed of arguing any longer against what I began
to see clearly could not be fairly disproved. I now openly declared
myself completely shaken, and, though I determined to take no
decided step until I was entirely convinced, I determined to give
myself no rest till I was satisfied, and had little doubt now of
what the result would be. But yet I thought not how soon God would
make the truth clear to me. I was to return home, as I have said, on
Saturday. Phillipps agreed to accompany me on the day previous to
Leicester, where we might have further conversation with Father
Caestryck, the Catholic missionary established in that place. I
imagined that I might take some weeks longer for consideration, but
Mr. Caestryck's conversation that afternoon overcame all my
opposition. He explained to me, and made me see, that the way to
come at the knowledge of the true religion is not to contend, as men
are disposed to do, about each individual point, but to submit
implicitly to the authority of Christ, and of those to whom He has
committed the charge of His flock. He set before me the undeniable
but wonderful fact of the agreement of the Catholic Church all over
the world, in one faith, under one head; he showed me the assertions
of Protestants, that the Catholic Church had altered her doctrines,
were {194} not supported by evidence; he pointed out the wonderful,
unbroken chain of the Roman Pontiffs; he observed to me how in all
ages the Church, under their guidance, had exercised an authority,
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