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truth_n	church_n	true_a	unity_n	1,613	5	9.0929	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07625	The testament of William Bel. Gentleman Left written in his owne hand. Sett out above 33. yeares after his death. With annotations at the end, and sentences, out of the H. Scripture, fathers, &c. By his sonne Francis Bel, of the Order of Freers Minors, definitor of the province of England: guardian of S. Bonaventures colledge in Dovvay: and professor of the sacred Hebrevv tongue, in the same. Electo meo fœdus excidi	Bell, William, d. 1598.; Bell, James, d. 1643.	1632 (1632)	STC 1802; ESTC S113723	71,054	197

liue sufficiently To liue long wee haue need of fate to liue sufficiently a minde Life is long if it be full and it is full when the mind hath gotten the maisterie o● good and into its owne hands power over it selfe What availe a man 80. yeares passed in sluggishnesse Such a man hath not lived but made a stay in life nor is he late dead but long He hath lived 80. yeares all the matter i● from what day you count his death He hath lived 80. yeares rather he hath beene 80. yeares vnlesse you meane he hath lived so as trees are said to liue Let vs not measure our life by time but facts As in little stature a perfect man may be so in a little terme of time a perfect life may be Age is an externall thi●g how long I am is anothers but how long I am good is mine To liue vnto wisedome is the space of mos● ample life Idem lib. 1. de tranquilitate vita● cap. 10. There is no viler thing then an aged ould man that hath no other argument bu● yeares to proue that he hath lived long Lin. 21. IT SHALL PLEASE GOD TO APPOINT Man purposeth and God disposeth Therfore saith S. Iames the Apostle Epist cap. 4. Say if our Lord will or if we liue we will doe this or that because we know not what shall be to morrow So the soule bee safe it is no great matter where the bodie lye many a holy bodie lyeth in the sea many burned to askes many devoured by wild beasts c. Yet every man ought so much to esteeme of Christian buriall as he ought to seeke for it by all lawfull meanes and is bound to ordaine as providently as he can and a good reason why is giuen in the leafe here before out of S. Maximus Pag. 17. § 2. RVFVLL DECAY OF THE CATHOLIKE RELIGION Begunne in England by Henrie 8. breaking obedience with the sea of Rome by act of Parlament 1533. and made more full by Q. Elizabeth AS A TRVE FATHER A true father is he that according to the law of nature provideth for those whom he hath gotten into the world not only bodily but spiritually which law is so firmely engraffed in nature as it needs no expresse law writtē to command it as the children haue to honours their parents the care of providing corporally for childrē is in some parēts over much and the provision for their soules the chief part too little These are not true fathers that care not to leaue to their children a true inheritance but false fathers leaving inheritāce of false riches such as vvhen they haue slept their sleepe they shall find nothing in their hands The true father hath his principall care to instruct his children in the law of God that as not only the earthly goods but celestiall doctrines vvere by his forefathers delivered to him so he keeping them in the customes and maners of his life deliver the same to his posteritie at his death The sonnes most commonly follow the steps of their fathers and thinke all lawful to doe that they see them vse Great is the obligation of parents in the education of their children Ioan. 5.19 The sonne can doe nothing of himselfe but vvhat he seeth his father doe for vvhatsoever he doth the sonne likevvise doth Isaias 38. Mat. 10.32 Marck 8.38 Luc. 9.26 12 8. Pag. 18. § 3. BE IT KNOWNE TO THEM AND TO ALL THE WORLD The father to his children shall notifie thy truth Every one tha● shall confesse me before men I vvil● also confesse him before my Father vvhich is in heaven And he that shal● denie me before men I vvill also denie him before my Father vvhich is in heaven S. Aug. serm 181. de tempore Vide supra §. ● by faith confessing Tom. 10. Heb. 11. Sine fide Without faith it is impossible to please God this faith he acknowledgeth in our hearts that searcheth reines and hearts but for conserving of the Churches vnitie for the dispensation of this time with faith of heart is also necessarie confession of mouth because vvith the heart vve beleeue to iustice and vvith mouth vve make confession to salvation not only of preachers but also of those that are instructed Otherwise one brother of another could not have notice nor the Churches peace be conserved nor one teach another nor learne of another necessarie things to salvation vnlesse vvhat he hath in his heart with signes of voice as it were with certaine chariots he sent to the hearts of others Faith is therfore both to be kept in the heart and brought forth with the mouth for faith is the foundation of all good things and beginning of humane salvation without this no man can come to the number of the sonnes of God and without it neither doth he obtaine the grace of iustification in this world nor shall he possesse life everlasting in the world to come And if one walke not by faith he shall not come to vision The holy Apostles having regard to this delivered a certaine rule of faith which according to the Apostolicall number comprehended in 12. sentences they called the symbole by which the beleevers might hould the Catholike vnitie and by which they might convince hereticall pravi●ie c. A MEMBER OF CHRISTS TRVE CATHOLIKE AND APOSTOLIKE CHVRCH Signes of the true Church are that it is one holy Catholike and Apostolike therfore he adioyneth OVT OF THE VNITIE AND FELLOWSHIP WHEROF THERE NEVER WAS NOR IS NOR CAN BE SALVATION No more then was for those that were without the arke of Noe. The true Church can be but one in as much as truth is one and can be but one errour manifold and in a manner infinite A man that going a iourney bent to one place if he leaue the right way which can be but one it is no more matter which way he take of so many wayes as lie round about him for in all he erreth and shall not come to the place intended because he hath left the way that only leades therunto Aug. serm 181. de tēpore prope finem Tom. 10 Symbol Apost The holy Catholike Church It is to be knowne that we must beleeue the Church and not beleeue in the Church because the Church is not God but the house of God Catholike he saith diffused over all the whole world because the Churches of diverse Heretiks are therfore not called Catholike because they be contained in places every one in their owne Provinces but this even frō the Sun rising to the setting of the same is diffused with the splendour of one faith There are no greater riches no treasures no honours no greater substance of this world then is the Catholike faith which saveth men sinners illuminateth the blind cureth the infirme baptizeth Cathecumēs iustifieth the faithfull repayreth penitents augmenteth the iust crowneth martyrs ordeyneth clerks consecrateth Priests prepareth for the kingdome of heaven and in the everlasting

Sathan and 〈◊〉 ministers are taken in hand wherby our li● is continually endangered and sodeinly t●ken away wherof there be infinite natura● some ruefull tragicall examples A● having respect and regard of my fraile su●stance of my short pilgrimage in th● worlde and long account I haue to ma●● to my Maker in the worlde to come A●● desirous to make knowne to my posteri● the state of my soule and bodie I doe no● declare ordaine and publish my will a●● testament as a farewell to the vaine and disembling world and doe therby giue a●● bequeath deuise and declare in manner 〈◊〉 forme following §. 1. IN PRIMIS I giue and as a true Christian Catholike man bequeathe my ●oule into the hands and mercie of Almigh●ie God by faith confessing and in hope re●osing my salvation to bee in the only me●ites death and Passion of CHRIST IESVS ●rusting to raigne with him in glorie that ●or the redemption of mee and all man●inde raigned and triumphed over sinne ●eath and hell it selfe in the Altar of the Crosse Wherunto I implore and beseech ●he assistance by prayer of the blessed and ●mmaculate Virgin MARIE and of all the ●oly companie of heaven who being now ●n glorie members of the triumphant Church haue in Christ compassion of the members of the militant Church And I will that my bodie when it shall bee dis●olued into his first substance bee decently ●uried in the parish Church of Handburie ●r wheresoever else it sh●ll please God to ●ppoint §. 2. And for as much as in this ruefull decay ●f the Catholike religion and in this most ●iurious and troublesome time I as a true ●hristian and carefull father haue a zealouse care to leaue to all the world and especially to my Children for their imitation a Confession of my faith §. 3. Bee it knowne to them and to all the world that I professe and from my heart protest to liue and die a member of Christs true Catholike and Apostolike Church out of the vnitie and fellowship wherof there never was nor is nor can bee salvation what plausible perswasions or pleasing pretences soever now bee or by the divels drift may hereafter bee devised to the contrarie In which faith and vnitie of which Church I acknowledge God the Father my Maker God the Son my Redeemer and God the holy Ghost my Sanctifier three persons and one very and eternal God §. 4. I beleeue and hold the twelue Articles o● the Christian faith as the Catholik● Church teacheth them The Nicen● Creed and Athanasius Creed I hold an● acknowledge the ten commandements a God declared them to Moyses to be th● substance of the Law I beleeue there be in Christs Church seaven Sacraments or fountaines of grace wherby the holy Ghost doth by our receiving and vse of the same worke in our soules grace that is to say Baptisme Confirmation Matrimonie Confession Orders Supper of our Lord ●nd Extreame Vnction and that to be deprived of the vse of these is an impediment ●nd stopping of Gods grace in vs wherof many a Christian soule doth in this time of ●inne feele a ruefull losse §. 5. I beleeue that in the Sacrament of the ●ords Supper otherwise called the Sacrament of the Altar after the words of Conse●ration in the sacrifice of the Masse done ●y the Priest duely ordained there remai●eth the very Real presēce of Christs Bodie ●nd Bloud without any other substance of ●reatures and that all figurative speeches all ●pirituall meanings all glosses of words all ●●rmises of false spirits that suppose or teach ●he contrarie are derogatorie to the power ●f God and injuriouse to the salvation of ●hristian soules the words of the Gospell ●ying Take eate this is my Bodie and ●ke and drinke this is my Bloud §. 6. I beleeue that the examination of conscience and Confessiō of sinnes to a ghostly father is a worke necessarie to salvation as the Church of God doth require it and that it is the most comfortable meane to stirre vp the soule sunke into sinne vnto repentance and amendment that can bee and that by the often vse therof Gods grace doth wonderfully worke in our mindes and that by the neglecting of the same Satan worketh his will §. 7. I beleeue that the doctrine of the Catholike Church concerning invocation of saints prayer for the dead and holding of the place for purgation of soules dying in the state of grace and of christian workes to be effect of christian faith is a most sound and wholsome doctrine and that the new found Doctrine of sole faith is the fine force of Satan to deceiue the world §. 8. I beleeue and firmely avow that the holy Ghost since Christs ascension hath bin and continued with this Catholike and Apostolike Church teaching her all truth and so shall continue to the end of the world and that the gates of Hell shall never prevaile against her according to Christs promise And that the pretended reformers of Religion are Divels transformed into the shape of Angels of light fallne into the delicacie of wordly mens delights in this latter age of the world And that this is true may be proued by a sensible consequent First of the new pretēded reformed Religion there was never publike profession in the Christian world before these fortie or fiftie yeares last past or thereabouts then it being fifteene hūdred yeares since Christ established his Church either it is to be confessed that the Church and Religion that had beginning and continuance from Christs time vntill these pretended reformed dayes is the true Church and true Religion and that the contrarie is f●lse or else ●hat Christ hath not kept promise when he ascended saying that he would send to his d●sciples the comforter which should teach them all truth and cōtinue with them to the end of the world but to say so were blasphemie as I trust every Christian heart will affirme And Christs Church is no hidden thing for in the scriptures shee is cōpared to a Citie set vpon an hill that every one may see to a Candle set vpon a cādlesticke to lighten al that come into the house And a most ruefull and lamentable thing my deare infants it is that we should now condemne that Religion which we received first into this Realme aboue thirteene hundred yeares past and continued in vntill about fiftie yeares past and then altered into such a libertie of life a discharging of the conscience a carnalitie of pleasures a securitie of salvation a rash beleeving of spirits a condemning of the Fathers a pride af opinions a setting vp of sects a pretending of pietie a performing of impietie a dissolving of obedience and generally into such a pleasant safetie of sinning as I can not but in the charitie towards all Christians and especially of you my deare children that may haply liue to see and feele the truth of these things with an inward sorrow of heart remember §. 9. For conclusion I holde and

1.10 Apoc. 22.11 Which places mak● also against sole faith 1. Cor. 15.58 Pag. 21. § 8. lin 4 TEACHING HE● ALL TRVTH Ioannes 14.16 16.13 Lin. 6. GATES OF HELL Mat. 16.18 Lin. 10. ANGELS OF LIGHT A● Gal. 1.8 But although we or an Angel from heaven evangelize to you another thing besides that we haue evangelized to you● Anathema Idem 2. Cor. 11.13 Lin. 11 DELICACIE OF WORLDL● MENS DELIGHTS Contrarie to th● delights of good men who renouncing th● world haue fixed their delight in God O● such the Apostle warned his Disciple 2. Tim. 3. Know that in the last dayes ther● sh●ll be dangerous times and there shall b● men loving themselves covetous loftie proude blasphemous disobeying Parents vngratefull wicked without affection without peace laying crimes vpon others incontinent rude without benignitie traitours sawcie puffed vp and lovers of pleasures more then of God having the appearance of pietie but denying the vertue therof Avoide these Lin. 17. FORTIE OR FIFTIE YEARES Luther fell from the Catholike Church anno 1517. Yet there was no publike profession of Lutheranisme or libertie so soone Pag. 22. lin 5. A CITIE SET VPON AN HILL Mat. 5.14.15 Where also of the light of it and Marc. 4.21 Luc. 11.33 Pag. 22. lin 12. THIRTEENE HVNDRED YEARES England first received the Christian religion from Ioseph ●b Arimathia that buried Christ and came after into England preached there the Gospell and baptized them that beleeued as Gildas Sapiens wrighteth Venerable Bede Polydore Vergill and others And Baronius at the yeare of our Lord 35. num 3. But more fully it was converted 180. yeares after Christ in the reigne of King Lucius by S. Fugatius and S. Damian sent thither from Rome by Eleutherius Pope And also 400. yeares after that by S. Augustine and his fellowes sent thither by S. Gregorie the great about the yeare 600. Pag. 22. § 9. I HOLD AND BELEEVE ALL THAT THE CATHOLIKE AND APOSTOLIKE CHVRCH If any one come to you and bring not this doctrine receiue him not into the house nor say to him God saue you 2. Ioan. 1. Ambrose He denyeth Chr●st that confesseth not all things that are Christs Hilarius It becommeth the ministers of truth to professe true things Aug. lib. de fide ad Petrum cap. 39. Most firmely hold and no way doubt that every Heretike or Schismatike baptized in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost if he be not aggregated to the Catholike Church how many almesdeeds soever he doe although he shed his bloud for the name of Christ can by no meanes be saved For to every man that holdeth not the vnitie of the Catholike Church neither Baptisme nor Almes how copious soever it be nor death for the name of Christ vndergone can be of any value to salvation as long as he persevereth in that hereticall or schismaticall pravitie which leadeth vnto death Cap. 40. Most firmely hold and no way doubt that not all which are baptized within the Catholike Church shall receiu● life everlasting but they which having received baptisme do liue a right that is wh● haue abstained them from the vices an● concupiscences of the flesh For the kingdome of Heaven as Infidels Heretikes and Schismatikes shall not haue it 〈◊〉 wicked Catholikes can never possesse it Vincentius Lyrenensis He is a true and naturall Catholike that loveth the truth o● God the Church the bodie of Christ who before the divine religion before the Catholike faith preferreth nothing not the authoritie of any man not loue nor wit nor eloquence nor Philosophie but despising all these and there remaining fixed and steedfast whatsoever vniversally from all antiquitie he knoweth the Catholike Church to haue holden that only he decreeth with himselfe to hold and beleeue and whatsoever afterward he perceiveth new and vnheard of to haue beene introduced by any one otherwise then all or contrarie to all the Saints that he vnderstandeth to appertaine not to Religion but rather to temptation Lin. 4. GODLY CEREMONIALL RIGHTS He that will condemne the ceremonies of Gods Church let him first trie if he can himselfe leade a humane life amongst civill men ●ithout all ceremonie let him separate all substance from his accidents and see whether it be worth the looking vpon As in accidents there is difference and some make the substance to be better accepted then others for examples sake in colour in savour c. So ceremonies doe according as they are better or worse set out the substance of the thing wherabout they be vsed What is any artificers worke although according to the substantiall part it be wholly finished vnlesse i● be also polite As God gaue to his people i● the old law precepts Morall Iudiciall and Ceremoniall so in the new testament there are Doctrine Sacraments with their ceremonies and Discipline Deut. 6. Keepe the precepts of thy Lord God the testimonies and ceremonies which he hath commanded thee Lin. 13. CONTINVALL PRAYER Luc. 18. Wee must alwaies pray and never faile Psalm 118. Psal 5. Vtinā dirigantur viae meae ad custodiendas iustificationes tuas Dirige Domine Deus meus in cōspectu tuo viam meam Be instant in prayer watching therin with thanks-giving Coloss 4.2 Pray without intermissiō 1. Thess 5.17 Psalm 24. Dirige me in veritate tua doce me ...... dirige me in semitam rectam 89. Opus manuum nostrarum dirige Pag. 23. § 10. FROM A RESOLVTE HEART No temptation doth so soone seaze or overthrow him that is well resolved and constantly settled in his minde as it doth him that is doubtfull and wavering 2. Cor. 8.12 If the will be prompt according to what it hath it is accepted The works of our will that spring immediately from it cannot suffer violence from any power but in those workes or acts that are of other powers commanded by the will shee may suffer violence S. Thomas 1. 2. Q. 6. A. 4. Violence Feare Concupiscence Ignorance c. May assaile the will but cannot overcome it to cause it doe a thing for that no agent in his action can be compelled Violence and feare may diminish and make an act lesse voluntarie Concupiscence ofter encreasseth and maketh it more voluntarie Ignorance maketh it not to be voluntarie but not involuntarie or against ones will He that doth but foresee the dangers is lesse strooken by the dint of them Heb. 13 9. The best thing saith the Apostle is to establish the heart with grace And Ecclesiastic 2.1 Comming to the service of God stand in iustice and feare and prepare thy soule for temptation Our wavering mind addeth forces to the temptation Prosper 3. de vita contemplativa Every man vntill by certaine definition he confirme himselfe in that he hath chosen being as it were in a forked way of vncertaine deliberation is torne in peeces by the very diversitie of wills Vertue exhorteth and provoketh a man that all ambiguitie of definition deposed he vndertake