Questions of religion cast abroad in Helvetia by the aduersaries of the same: and aunswered by M. H. Bullinger of Zurick: reduced into .17. common places. Translated into Englishe by Iohn Coxe. 1572

To the right Reuerend father in God, and my ve∣ry good Lorde, William by Gods proui∣dēce Bishop of Excester, Iohn Cox Wisheth all grace, and peace of conscience from God our heauenly father, through Chryste Iesus our Lord, nowe and for euer.

WHEN I HAD finished the transla∣tion of thys Booke, (right Reuerende fa∣ther) and being per∣svvaded by some of my godly freends, to publishe the same in Printe, for that it vvas a Booke not onely conteyning the vvhole summe of our Christian Religi∣on, but also ansvveres to all the obiecti∣ons vvhich our aduersaries the Papistes may or can obiecte agaynst vs, bearing any similitude or likelyhode of truthe: and agayne also considering vvith my

selfe, that in these our dayes, beeing the laste, and therefore the moste perillous and daungerous dayes, for so our sauiour Christ him selfe teacheth vs, vvherin vve haue great neede to be furnished against the assaultes of the enimies of true Re∣ligion: and vvaying vvith my selfe the godly minde of the author, D. Henry Bullinger, vvho vvrote the same in hys ovvne naturall tongue, for the profite of his Countreymen, as more largely ap∣peareth in his ovvne preface, vvhere he declareth vvhy he tooke this matter in hande, a man of moste singular learning and vertuous liuing, for vvhom all chri∣stendome is bound to magnifie the ma∣iestie of god, declaring his loue tovvards vs, in sending such an excellent member to his Church, vvho paynfully traueled, not only in Lectures and Sermons, euen in his olde and feble age, but also vvrote many Bookes, so that it can not vvell be discerned, in vvhich of these tvvo exerci∣ses he did most excede in labor: thought I could do God no better seruice, and no greater pleasure to my Countreymen, than to make them partakers of suche a

precious perle as this. For that it is a sure shield and strong furnished fortresse a∣gaynst the carping tongs and clapping clacks of Mo•••••• his race. For such is the gret frovvardnesse & obstinacie of some men, that althoughe God of his mercy and clemencie hath repressed and beatē dovvne the frosen, frostie, and darke mountayns of Popish Cimmeria, vvher∣by the clearenesse of his Gospell vvas kepte from vs, and hath caused the most comfortable bright beames of his Gos∣pell to shyne foorthe ouer vs, yet they most vvickedly blyndfield them selues vvyth the thicke and foggie mystes of mans imaginations, and so rebelling a∣gaynst God their Creator, chose rather stubbornely to abyde in their olde hor∣rible darkenesse, than vvillingly to em∣brace the comfortable lyghte of so mercyfull a God. VVherefore I mu∣sed vvith my selfe, to vvhome cheefly I might dedicate this treatise: & amongst many graue and vvise personages, I foūd none so meete as your fatherhoode, and that for tvvo causes: The one for that it hath pleased god of his mercy to take

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avvay hence vnto him selfe, that moste precious levvel and excellent ornament of his Church, D. Jewell late Byshop of Sarisburie: for vvhose death vvhat sighes and teares are amongest the godly I ceasse to declare, partly for that I vvyll not augmente and renue your Father∣hoods conceiued sorrovves, vvhich you haue planted vvithin your breste, (such vvas the great amitie, loue, and faythfull frendship betvveene you,) and for that partly the aboundaunce of mine ovvne teares forceth the same, (such are the ve∣hement affections of mans nature:) to vvhome this Booke vvas dedicated by one Iosias Simlerus, one of the chefe Mi∣nisters in the Church of Zuricke, vvho turned the same out of Dutche into La∣tin, vvherin the author vvrote it, as I sayd before: that as the Booke vvas a defence and fortresse to many, so he lykevvyse mighte be a sheelde and defence vnto the same, agaynst the brauling tongues of the barking enimyes the Papistes, vvho are euer ready to spit foorthe the pestiferous humors of their malitious and vngodly stomacks, as their tyran∣nous

practises from tyme to tyme, haue and doo moste manyfestly declare. VVherfore righte reuerende father, and my singular good Lorde, sithe it hathe pleased God (as I sayde before) to take avvay from vs such an ornament and Ie∣vvel, for some good cause vnto him kno∣vven, I offer this his defence into your hands, beeing no lesse vvorthy to take so good a matter in hande. The other is your good Lordshyps accustomable fauour and good vvill, continually be∣stovved on the cheefe of my freends, vvhich forceth me to dedicate this vnto you: therby to signifie, that althoughe there vvanteth povver and habilitie, bothe in them and me to requite any parte thereof, yet suche is our bounden dueties tovvards your Lordshippe, that neither blinde obliuion, nor tyme vvith his crooked sithe, shall be able to cut that reuerende affection and loue, from our brestes vvhich vvee haue duetifully conceiued tovvards you. VVherefore I moste humbly beseeche you, to accepte this my trauell in good parte, and as the onely token of him, vvho prayeth dayly

vnto the almightie God, that he may encrese you vvith honor, and so gouerne you vvith his holy spirite, that as you haue begun, so you may continue a most vigilant and paynfull pastor in Chrystes Churche, to the comforte and encrease thereof, the quiet and discharge of your ovvn conscience, the defacing and ouer∣throvving of the aduersaries of the same, and the incoraging and prouoking of your godly Ministers and Preachers to folovv your steppes, in paynfulnesse, di∣ligence, loue, humilitie, and other moste excellēt vertues, for the vvhich, amongst all the godly you are moste vvorthely commended, and that so finishing your lyfe, vvith a long and an honorable age, you may vvith Chryst Iesus our head and onely cheefe pastor, possesse the crovvne of eternall glo∣ry, for euer and euer.

Amen.

Your Lorpships moste hum∣ble at commaundement, IOHN COXE.