The fore-runner of Bels dovvnefall wherin, is breifely answered his braggnig [sic] offer of disputation, and insolent late challenge: the particularties [sic] of the confutation of his bookes, shortly by goddes grace to be published, are mentioned: with à breife answere, to his crakinge and calumnious confutinge of papistes by papistes them selues: and lastly à taste. Giuen of his rare pretended sinceritye, with som few examples.

V.

PAg. 130. Many Papistes (quoth he) are so blinded and besotted with vnsauorie traditions, and superstitious illusions, that they deeme it a greater sinne to eate fleash in Lent, then to commit adulterie, murder, or periurie. Seinge moste certaine it is that these fowle sinnes of adulterie, murder, and periurie, be forbidden by the law of god, no necessitie occurringe or cir∣cumstance what soeuer, giueinge any leaue to commit any one of these sinnes: and that the fast of Lent ordained only by a positiue law of the Apostles, from which many for age, sicknes, and other causes, may be iustly excused; and this so well knowen, that no dout can be made thereof, what a creature is Bell, that vttereth so notable an vntruth, bringinge not so much as any colourable ground to support it, but his bare word, and the emptie blast of his owne mouth. Should I tell him that certaine re∣formed Protestants, otherwise called

willet) vnder the letters of E. O. gaue him but a litle item by the way, notinge a certaine palpable contradiction in his Surueye: to wit that he saith in one place, that the bishops of Rome, vntil the * 1.1 dayes of S. Austen, and long after, were very godlie men, and taught the same doctrine that S. Peter had done before them, and yet in an other place mainteineth, that Pope Siricius * 1.2 was seduced by Sathan, published wicked doctrine, and taught the flat doctrine of the diuells: and Pope Sozimus falsified the decrees of the Nicen councel: so to mainteine the vsurped primacie of the church of Rome. seing both these Popes liued in S. Augustins time. To deliuer him selfe from this dis∣gracious shakell which much hindereth his goinge, he fetcheth many crosse capers, tumbleth like a pig in a poke, but he is so hampered, that the more he strugleth the more fast is he caught, the holes are so straight and him selfe so big that there is is no creepinge out, well may he thruste his head forth, as his brother Eaton the minister by Ho∣unslowe, did vpon the pillerie in London, for teachinge his daughter a wrong lesson, but no possibility of escapinge appeereth. Many soueraigne

solucions forsooth, and diuers plaisters of I-sayes, are applied to cure the wounde, but all in vaine, for it festereth more and more, without all hope of amendment. Bad tinkers stop one heale, ad make an other. Bell is so cuninge a worke man, that he hath both left the olde leakinge stil, and made diuers new. I touch this point now breiflie, better oportunitie hereafter will be offered further to examin this matter, when god willinge all his bucklers of defence, shall be beaten vpon his owne face. At this present I will giue the reader a short viewe, of the great dexteritie he hath in answeringe; and the wonderfull facilitie in lyinge and the great pleasure he seemeth to take in that occupation, insistinge so much vpon that, and ampli∣fienge it at lardg, as if he had either conscience in his soule or blood in his cheekes, he would neuer for shame once haue mentioned. I will cite all his wordes at full, that no iust cause of complaint be giuen: In his third chapter the title wherof is. Of the notorious lies of E. O. thus he declaimeth. Pope Siricius (as Thomas Bell affirmeth) was seduced by Sathan, published wicked doctrine, and

Precisians, came daylie to a winter morning lecture, where after other pre∣paratiue discourses, when the mot was giuen by the preacher, and the text of Multiplicamini proclaimed, candles were put out, and that they frequented this exercise, fare more dilligently then they obserued the Lenten fast: and brought nothinge to iustifie my relation, how would he take me vp for halting. Yea I am verily perswaded, that albeit, I should say that such a thinge hapned in a principall towne in Barkshire, addinge also that the minister vpon the breakinge forth of the matter fearinge persecution for the testimonie of a good conscience, fled a way towardes Oxford, and ven∣turinge with his horse to take the water, because he had haste in his way, and could not expect a boate, was there drowned, that he would not make any great scruple notwithstandinge these particularities to giue me the lie. Let him then with far more reason quietly disgest it him selfe. His odious tearmes of blinded, and besotted, vnsauorie traditions, and superstitious illusions, must be pardoned: Some haue such a defect of nature, that they can not speake vnles thy stammer:

and Sir Thomas such an imperfection of grace, that except he rayle and lie he can write nothinge. S. Hierom calleth the Lenton fast a tradition of the Apostles. * 1.3 though it pleaseth him to call it an vnsauorie tradition so litle doth it like him, and to say truth, the old tradition commandinge so longe abstinence from fleashe, can not but be to the ministers mouth sower and vnsauorie: and the new Geneua fashion that geueth leaue by the libertie of the gospell to eate fleash at all times, is far more sauorie, tothsome, and pleasant.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Suruey pag. 193.
• * 1.2

  Suruey pag. 228. & 230. Suruey pag. 488.
• * 1.3

  Epist. ad Marcel∣lum ad∣versus Mont••∣num.