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.

THE XL. VNTRVTH.

TRue it is fiftly (quoth Bell) that the late Popishe Councell of Trent hath accursed all such as deny, or not beleue the condigne meritte of mans workes, & con∣fequently it hath made that an article of Popishe fayth,

(O wonderment of the world) which was no point of fayth, for the space of a thousand fiue hundred and fourty yeares, viz: the condigne merit of mans workes, a monster lately borne at Rome. The minister mistaketh the matter: the monster he speaketh of, was borne at Trent in Germany and not at Rome in Italy, as the beginninge of his words do testify: beside it was not in the yeare one thousand fiue hundred and fourty, but one thousand fiue hundred fourty and seauen, as appeareth out of the sixt session of that Councell.

But more thoughly to examine, whether this by any such monstrous doctrine as he speaketh of, or whether it was neuer heard of before, or rather whether he be not a monster for malice and lyinge, I would knowe what he meaneth when he saith: the late Popishe Councell of Trent, hath accursed all such as deny or not beleeue the condigne merit of wans workes: and a little after. The condi∣gne merit of mans workes a monster lately borne at Rome: for if he vnderstandeth suche workes as proceede from man only, by the force of his owne free will, and nature, without the help of Gods grace (for some cause haue I to suspect that he may meane so, both because barely he termeth them mans workes, and am not ignorant, how they com∣monly infame vs with that doctrine) if (I say) that be his meaning, then doth he most shamefully bely the Councell of Trent, as I reporte me to the very first canon of the sixt Session, which is this. Yf any shall say, that a man can be iustifyed before God, by his workes which are done by the force of humane nature, or by the doctrine of the lawe without diuine grace by Iesus Christ, be he accursed.

Mary if as he ought, he speaketh of mans wo•• kes proceedinge from Gods grace, as I rather su••∣pose he doth, then moste false it is, that it is a•• newe doctrine, or monster, as the newe monst•• of the ministry would make it, as I could abu•• dantly shewe, both out of scriptures and father•• and something hath been touched before: heere •• conuince him of a grosse vntruth. I will haue n•• other witnes against him then himselfe: for •• the precedent paragraffe, he hath these forma•• words: True it is fourthly that the Iesuit S. R. Ro∣bert Parsons, indeede I challenge the man, in his suppose and pretended answere to the Downefall of Popery, hat•• sett downe these conclusions against both the Pope, an•• himselfe. The first conclusion. There is merit of eter•• nall life, and our supernaturall workes done by Gods grace•• are meritorious of eternal life and glory. The secon•• conclusion. Good workes done in Gods grace, are con∣dignely meritorious of eternall life. The third conclusion, This condigne meritt is not absolute, but supposeth the condition of Gods promise, made to rewarde it. These are the Iesuits conclusions, sette downe by the best aduise of his best learned friends, among whom the Iesuiticall Cardinall Bellarmin must needes be one, which con∣clusions for all that do euidently proue as much as I desire.

But these words of his, doe manifestly proue, that either he little knoweth or careth what he desireth: before he came vpon the Councell of Trent, for accursing all such, as did deny or not beleeue the condigne merits of mans works, and inuaighed against that doctrine, as a monster lately borne at Rome: and yet now the same

doctrine is against the Pope, and the Iesuit S. R. and it doth euidently proue as much as he desireth: and so that doctrine which before was false and mon∣struous, is now becom sound and heauenly: was there euer such an other changeable Cameleon, that as it were with one breath, denyeth and af∣firmeth one and the self same thing? Certainly the poore man hath more neede of a cunning Surgeon, to putt his braines in ioint, then of inke and paper to write such lunaticall pam∣phlets.

Of his false coniecture, proceeding from lofty vanity, in making F. Parsons the author of the an∣swear to his Downefall, what shall I say, but that it is a ministeriall pangue coming from the rare conceipt of his monuments, which must be also bumbasted by addinge, that he was assisted by the best aduise of his best learned friends, among whom the Iesuiticall Cardinal Bellarmine must needes be one: thus patching onely vpon an other, for his owne credit and reputation, as though forsoth one lear∣ned man were not any matche for him, except he had the help of Christendom, Cardinall Bel∣larmine himself. A certaine fond fellowe of meane fortune, had a conceipt, that all the ship∣pes that came into the hauen of Athens were his owne: and Bell hath such a spice of foolery fallen vpon him, that he thinketh all the learned Iesuites of Christendom to be mightily troubled, about the answearing of his bookes, when he hath been so contemned, that none for many yeares euer stirred penue against him: and hath lately

bene so banged and canuased, that I do thinke h•• hath often wished, that he had been a sleepe, or el••playing at the boules, when he published those ri•• diculous and phantasticall challenges.

Notes

• Sess. 6. can. 1.