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A73451 Bels trial examined that is a refutation of his late treatise, intituled. The triall of the nevve religion By B.C. student in diuinitie. VVherein his many & grosse vntruthes, with diuers contradictions are discouered: together with an examination of the principal partes of that vaine pamphlet: and the antiquitie & veritie of sundry Catholike articles, which he calleth rotten ragges of the newe religion, are defended against the newe ragmaster of rascal. In the preface likewise, a short viewe of one Thomas Rogers vntruthes is sett downe, taken out of his booke called. The faith doctrine and religion, professed and protected in the realme of England, &c. with a short memorandum for T.V. otherwise called Th. Vdal. Woodward, Philip, ca. 1557-1610. 1608 (1608) STC 25972.2; ESTC S125583 118,782 210

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the decree were otherwise where I wish the reader to obserue with me these two points seriously Frist that the Pope coulde not and therefore did not alleadge any better reason sor his vsurped and falsely pretended supremacy then the authority and decree of that famous Councell of Nice Secondly that the Pope Celestine falsified the canon and decree of the Councell so to gayne credit and authority to himselfe if it might be THE ANSWERE TO the first of these two points I answere that there was no question betwixt them whether the Popes iurisdiction did extende into Afsrike or no or whether appeals in rigor might not be made to Rome but whether it were a thinge cōuenient for on the one side not to allowe appeales seemeth to giue occasion to Metropolitanes and Bishops to oppresse their subiects and on to the cōtrary to allowe appeales seemeth the next way to make endlesse quarells often to vexe Bishoppes without all cause of which inconuenience and great trouble of the church holy men haue complained This doubtfull pointe then was defined by the Councell of Nice or Sardica which declared that it was expedient for Priestes to appeale from their Bishoppes vnto a prouinciall Councell and for Bishoppes to appeale vnto Rome For that it was lawfull and vsuall before the tyme of this Councel to appeale vnto Rome is euident out of S. Cyprian who reporteth how Fortunatus and Felix deposed by himselfe appealed vnto Cornelius Bishope of Rome Lib. 1. ep 3. And one Basilides deposed in Spaine appealed to Pope Stephen as the same S. Ciprian recounteth Not to speake of Marcion that auncient heretike Lib. 1. ep 4. who excōmunicated of his Bishope in Pontus came to Rome for absolution as Epiphanius relateth and Heres 42. therefore Pope Leo calleth it an auncient custome to appeale vnto Rome This was the cause why Epist. 89. the Bishoppe of Rome vrged especially the decree of the Nicene councell to shewe that it was not only lawfull but also very expediēt sor albeit the Affricane Bishoppes desired that Appeales might not easily be admitted for the great iniury to iustice vaine protraction of sutes which they dayly perceiued to followe thereof yet knowing full well that they coulde not forbid such appeales of them selues they humbly made petition to the Pope for more moderation therein In their epistle which they wrote to Pope Celestinus these be their wordes The office of dutifull salutation premised wee earnestly beseech you that hereafter you woulde not easily giue audience to such as come from hence Had they bene of Bels minde they woulde neuer haue vsed any deprecatory petition but haue roundly and readily told him that he had no authority to admit any appeales neither was his iurisdiction ouer them and therefore that they did owe him no obedience or subiection But farre were they from any such conceipt as being not ignorant of his iurisdiction ouer them according to which beliefe they proceeded in like manner For which cause the same verie Bishops of Affrica when this matter of Appeales and the Nicene councell was one foote and Pope Sozimus had sent vnto their councell three legates wrote vnto Bope Bonifacius the Successour of Sozimus in this maner Because it hath pleased our Lord concerning such thinges as our holy hrethren haue handled with vs Faustinus our fellow Bishop and Philippe and Asellus our fellowe Priests that our humilitye can not write vnto Sozimus a Bishop of blessed memory from whom they brought both precepts and letters but to your veneration who by Gods ordinance are succeded in his place we ought briesely to insinuate those thinges which by the agreement of both parts were determined in which we stayed indeede without breach of charity but not without great altercation in which wordes making relation of their Acts to Pope Bonifacius and testifinge that they had receiued precepts or commandements from his predecessor Pope Sozimus what do they els but acknowledge their obedience and subiection to the Apostolicke sea Beside not longe after this Councell ●pist 87. Pope Leo writinge to the Bishops of Mauritania in Affrike saith that he restored the communion to Bishop Lupicinus because he appealed to him out of Affrike and likewise that he sent vnto them for his legate Bishop Potentius who shoulde in his steade haue care of the affaires of Affrike All which abundantly testify both the authority of the Bishop of Rome in Affrica and that appeales were made to him and also that the Affricane fathers denied not this though for the reason before alleadged they desired more moderation therein to be vsed And albeit S. Augustine was one of these Bishops and so his voyce passed in the common letters with others yet because Bell doth here so magnify him as though he had bene a mighty enemy to the Popes supremacy I will in particular shewe out of that venerable and learned father what reuerence subiection and dutifull respect he carried to the Pope contenting my selfe only with that which hee writeth of this very pointe or of the three Popes in whose tymes this matter of appeales was handled and some of which the minister very bodly yf not some-what saucily but out of all question most falsly pronounceth to haue corrupted the Nicene canons This holy father writinge most plainly how him selfe and other Bishops came to Cesarea by the commaundement of Sozimus what doth he but clerely proclaime his primacy ouer Affrica The same Augustine was most Epist 157. subiect and deare to Pope Bonifacius as we learne out of the beginninge of his first booke against the two epistles of the Pelagians directed to the same Bonifacius The same Augustine writing to Pope Celestinus referreth the cause of a certayne Africane Epist 221. Bishop to him after this manner O holy Pope most blessed Lorde venerable for piety and with dutifull charity to be receiued labour together with vs and commaunde all thinges which are sent to be recited vnto thee and on the contrary Pope Celestinus doth highly commende S. Augustine Epist. ad Gallos as one that had alwayes remayned in the communion of the Romaine church and had bene reputed alwayes of him selfe his predecessours for a great Doctor Out of that which hath bene saide the ministers first doubt is solued why the Pope rather alleadged the decrees of the Nicene Councel then any other prooffe out of the Gospell because as I said the question was not about his supremacy in generall as Bell cuningly or malitiously maketh it but of Appeales which though it be a thinge consectary to his supreame iurisdiction yet for the reasons before mentioned som doubt might be made about the exercise thereof for the satisfying of which no better resolution coulde be deuised then of a generall Councell The good reader also can not but sufficiently gather out of the premises an answere to the second question to witt that neither Celestinus the Pope nor any of his predecessors
still keepe his former custome of celebrating Easter and also performe due obedience to Anicetus was because Anicetus would not for so smal a controuersi● or variety breake peace but was content to tolerate the same and therfore false it is that Bell sayth to witt that Polycarpus would and must haue yelded to Anicetus if he had acknowledged him for his superiour seing no such thinge was commaunded him but the matter left to his owne election Bels II. obiection SEcondly Ireneus and other holy and learned Bishopps of Fraunce ioyning with him reproued Victor then Bishoppe of Rome very sharply and roundly as one that had not due respect to the peace and vnity of the church which doubtelesse those holy and learned Bishops would not haue done if the Bishoppe of Rome had had in those dayes the supreame soueraignty ouer them THE ANSWERE HAd Bell recounted the cause why those Bishopps reprehended so roundly as he speaketh Pope Victor with other necessary circumstances he had marred all his market and proued the Popes superiority by that argument by which as he perfidiously handleth the matter he would ouerthrowe it The blessed martyr Ireneus with other reprehended Victor not for any wrong opinion about the keeping of Easter him selfe they being of the Popes minde as also the Prorestantes now be but for that he excommunicated the Bishops of Asia refusing to conforme them selues to the Church of Rome neyther did S. Ireneus this vppon conceipt that the Pope exceeded the limits of his power for no such thing appeareth in Eusebius from whom this story is fetched but for that he did vse it out of due season to the great trouble of the Church and for a small matter as he and they thought which sheweth playnely that they made no doubt of his authority otherwise many misliking his fact would easyly haue contemned his censure and iustly haue obiected presumption in vsurping that authoritye which belonged not to him where of no mention is made Superiours yea and the Pope him selfe may with due respect be admonished and reprehended especially by Bishoppes yf any great scandall or trouble of the Church be feared S. Paul resisted S. Peter in face because he was reprehensible Galat. 2. v. 11. wherof our Protestants absurdly gather that S. Peter had no sup riority ouer the Apostles a collection not known to an iquitye when as the matter was then so famous and certaine that wicked Porphiry that Paganicall philosopher reproueth S. Paul of sawcines for that he presumed Proaem com in Galatas epis 11. ad Aug. inter epistolas Augustini to reprehend Peter the Prince of the Apostles as S. Hierom reporteth S. Cyprian highly commendeth the humil●ty of S. Peter that tooke so quietly the reprehension of S. Paul being his inferiour For neyther Peter sayth S. Cyprian whom our Lord chose the first and vppon whom he built the church when Paul disputed with him about circumcision arrogantly tooke any thinge to him self saying that he had the primacy and therfore Epist 71. ad Quin. the latter disciples ought rather to obey him S. Augustin sheweth excellently by this example that S. Cyprian erring about rebaptization could not nor would not haue bene offended to haue bene admonished by others his followers or inferiours much lesse by Lib. 2. de Baptis cap. 1. a Councell VVe haue learned sayth he that Peter the Apostle in whom the Primacy of the Apostles by excellent grace is so praeeminent when he did otherwise concerning circumcision then the truth required was corrected of Paule the later Apostle I thincke without any reproach vnto him Cyprian the Bishoppe may be compared to Peter the Apostle howbeit I ought rather to seare least I be iniurious to Peter sor who knoweth not that the principalitye of Apostleshipp is to be perferred before any dignity of Bishoppe whatsoeuer but yf the grace of the chaires differ yet the glory of the martyrs is one These authorities shew two things the first is that S. Peter was reputed with the auncient fathers head and prince of the Apostles and also that the very Pagans were not ignorant of that thinge which I suppose will not greatly content Bell for certayne deductions that may be drawne from thence The second which is the cause why I haue alledged this of S. Peter and S. Paul is that dislike or reprehension of an other mans action doth not argue the man reproued not to be the others superior how soeuer Bell would inferr that when as hath bene sayd S. Paul inferiour to S. Peter reprehended him And therefor the most that can deduced out of the ministers idle discourse is that if him selfe wer a Bishoppe he would looke as the deuill God blesse vs is sayd to haue looked ouer Lincolne and none might without incurring of is mortall indignation admonish him of any fault or scandalous demeanure Great pitty surely it is that one qualified as he is and endowed with such an humble spirite should not be preferred to an Episcopale or to vse his owne phrase some ouerseing dignitye Thus by dismol destiny Bels argument hath rather hurt him then giuen him any help at all But one necessary adiunct belonged to this controuersie which he thought good not to touch for scalding of his fingers to witt that S. Victor excommunicated the Bishopps of Asia as I noted before for seing Bell confesseth that the old In his F●neral lib. 2. cap. 2. Bishopps of Rome were very godly men and taught the same doctrine which S. Peter had done afore them and most certayne that S. Victor was one of those holy Martyrs it followeth that he vsurped no authority but exercised that which lawfully he might neyther that he taught any doctrine but that which S. Peter had done before him Out of which and the precedent discourse three or foure memorable notes may be inferred against Bell. The first and principall is that the Primacye of the Bishoppe of Rome began not six hundred yeares after Christ as befor he mayntayned hauing bene practised four hundred yeares before by S. Victor and descended to him from S. Peter The second is that Bels argumēt against the supreame authority of the Bishoppe of Rome being duly and truly examined proueth the cleane contrary The third is that the minister cunningly cōcealed the cause why S. Ireneus reproued S. Victor as nothing fitting his purpose The fourth may be that most perfidiously he inferreth out of the reprehension of S. Ireneus that he contemned the Bishoppe of Rome his decrees and supposed supremacy as before hath bene noted I add lastly that whatsoeuer S. Ireneus and others thought yet blessed Pope Victor proceded most prudently for as much as he perceiued how that obseruation which in the time of Anicetus was only variety of rite without preiudice of religion began now to corrupt the soundnes of the Catholike fayth one Blastus who liued in Victors time as Lib. 5. hist cap. 15. De proscript in
denance with as many challenges as will stand between Charing Crosse and Chester and as many dares as will reache from Darby to Darington These these dolefull newes haue cast him into such dumps that he hath small list to heare either of disputation or any indifferent Conference and therefore though he writeth still and vseth that as a poore proppe to vphould his fallinge reputation least the infamy of cowardize and dast●rdly feare with no small desgrace to theire cause should suddainly seaze vpon him yet the tickling stringe and mountinge Minekin of brauinge and challenging is not once touched that kinde of desc●nie is now out of date He is no true friend of his that will so much as mention any such matter If this be not the cause what is the reason that he which was so furious before like a little lion is now become so gentle like a tame cosset Be it that his haughty and insolent maner of crakinge vpon better adi●ise of friends disliked him yet should he in temperat and modest sort still haue prosecuted his former quarrell for the creditt of their gospell and reputation of his learninge which in the opinion of his dependants is very great and in his owne incomparable and accepted of the offer of S. R. and vtterly confounded him in disputation for he nothing doubteth or at least in former tymes hath not yf his wordes did truly deliuer his meaning but that such an act would tend to the glory of God to the seruice of his Soueraigne the honour of his countrey the edification of his auditors and the comfort of his owne soule as in his Motiues he speaketh or if disputation Pag. 36. liketh him not why hath he not procured a Safeconduct for such an indifferent Conference for the due triall and examination of the authorities alleadged in his bookes as passed in Fraunce betwixt the reuerend Bishoppe of Eureux and now Cardinall and the Lord of Plessi Marlie for if that sincerity be vsed which he often protesteth what readyer way could he haue wished either for the procuringe to himself eternal renowme and vnspeakable creditt to his cause or euerlasting shame to me and thereby some disgrace to Catholike religion Seing then he is now so mute that before was so tonguy now so dead that before was so liuely can any other true cause thereof be assigned then that his owne conscience not ignorant of his bad quarrell and priuy to so many corrupt citations as be founde in his bookes maketh him willing after so great expectation moued in mens mindes to shift his hāds from any such busines slily to steale away as though Englāds Ioye were againe in actinge Or yf the humour of self love doth so dazele his eies that he can not yet see into what dangerous straigtes by his many manifest vntruthes he hath brought the reputation of the congregation and so would for his owne part still venture forward VVhat can be thought otherwise of any that penetrate into the matter as they ought but that superior authority hath commaunded the clapper to silence for his foolishe and dāgerous iangling But he that hath hetherto behaued himself in such insolent and dominiringe manner odious to God and the world must not thus passe away wherefore I giue him once again to vnderstand that we expect the Safeconduct which he hath so often spoken of this we require vrge and exact at his hands wherein if he fayle well may his followers saye Farewell fidelity the glory of the Gospell is ecclipsed shame hath shaken handes with the congregation and no remedy but it must be proclaimed by vs in towne and country that Bell euen the Minister Bell that daringe Doctor that craking challenger that couragious champion that Larum ringer is desperately fled the field not daringe to indure the encounter of his auersaries and hath left all the fraternity egregiously cousined abused and gulled or els which turneth as much to his perpetuall infamy and disgrace that his mouth is musseled by authority for hauing spoken more then be can with his owne honesty or reputation to the common cause defend and maintayne VVherefore what remayneth but that hauing runge his Dolefull knell and left him speacheles and ready to giue vp his last gaspe and hauing also prouided here a winding sheet for the shrow dinge of his carcasse but that I should with what conuenient speed I can make reddy his Blacke Buriall that he may according to his deserts be interred to the perpetuall ignominy of his name and euerlasting confusion of the congregation Before I ende I can not gentle Reader but say somthinge concerning a booke that came lately to my handes of one Thomas Rogers which as it is a commentary vpon nine and thirtie articles contayning the faith and religion professed in England and concordably agreed vpon as he saith by the reuerend Bishoppes and cleargy at two seuerall Conuocations so is it graced with this Embleme Perused and by the lawfull authority of the Church of England allowed to be publique In this booke proceeding from so graue a man as he insinuateth himself to be from the chaplin to the principall of their cleargy intreating of so waighty and important a subiect as the Synodicall decrees of their church and commended to the world in such singular and speciall manner what can of reason be expected but that the truth should sincerely be sett forth without all suspition of cunninge conueyance all feare of sinister relation or any scruple or doubt of hatefull corruption seing the stayne of such crymes should not only touch Mr. Rogers but redound also as it were to the infamy of the whole body of their cleargy and religion For any yea of meane insight may soone make this discourse that if the religion of England were sounde and ours false and abominable no indirect proceding needed or woulde be practised either to the aduancinge of their owne or depressing of ours and contrarywise if corrupt courses be made the buckler to defend themselues and the weapon to offend vs what can be thought but that there is a flawe in that faith which is by that meanes maintayned and impregnable veritie in our religion which is by such godles shiftes assaulted now whether this be so or no and in that grosse manner as not only those which be of capacity and learninge but euen of the meanest and ignorant sort shall especially in som of them thinke vs to be notoriously abused iniuried remayneth to be hadled VVherefore to runne ouer briefly some fewe vntruths and a little to touch the corrupt dealing of Mr. Rogers as my short tyme shal giue leaue the straight cōfines of a Preface will permitte Pag. 14. He setteth vpon vs in the manner One Mother A. short list of Mr. Rogers vntruthes Iane quoth he is the Sauiour of women a most execrable assertion of Postellus the Iesuit Nay rather it is a most execrable vntruth of Mr. Rogers the Preacher Can