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

The Answere.

SAint Hierome, Ciprian* 1.1 and Gelasius shall vnto this place aunswere for vs: that this secōd boke of Machabées is read in the Church, but hath not like authority with other canonical scriptures of the Bible, to take authori∣tie thence as frō other scriptures in the controuersies of religion. Therfore by∣cause in al the bookes of the olde & new testament there is not one word spokē of the sacrifices for the dead, we leaue this place as we found it, as not béeing able to proue any thing. Agayne all the actes of holy mē are not to be folowed, neither are they acceptable to god. Ge∣••eon for a good intēt made an Ephod in ••phra, which yet had bin better if it had not bin done. In the. 14. Chapter of the historie of y^e Machabées Raazias is prai∣sed for killing himself, that he might not al into the hands of his enimies, & yet his act, as the whole scripture techeth, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the best of the fathers do iudge, deser∣ueth neither prayse, nor is thought wel

of: for euery man touching death, ought to abide till God doo call. And as tou∣ching this Booke I could say more, but this is sufficient.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of the seconde booke of the Machebes.