Christian Questions and Answers Part 2, Title page – Dedication
¶ The other parte of Chriſtian Queſtions and Anſweares, which is concerning the Sacraments, writtē by Theodore Beza Vezelian: to which is added a large Table of the ſame Queſtions. Tranſlated out of Latine into Engliſhe by Iohn Field.
Imprinted at London, by Thomas Woodcocke. 1580.
¶ To the Chriſtian Reader.
Leaſt any man ſhoulde be offended with the reading of theſe thinges which are here written, Beza teſtifieth that he will be readie to conferre Chriſtianly with any concerning the ſame, & geue place too thoſe who ſhall teache more certayne thinges out of the worde of God.
¶ To the Vertuous and Godly Ladie, whom the Lorde by his grace hath made gratious, & a Partaker of his gratious gifts, in a farre better hope both of life, & calling, then this, the Ladie Katherine Ducheſſe of Suffolke: Iohn Field wiſheth encreaſe of grace, conſtancy, and perſeuerance in his bleſſed trueth, to the ende, Amen.
I Cannot conceale (Vertuous & Gratious Ladie) the manifolde benefits, that not onelyonly I, but many others of the faithful ſeruants of God hauehave receiued at your graces hand. And foraſmuch as I am perſwaded, that the only glory of God & deſire of aduancing his trueth, hath beene the chiefe Prouokers of this your goodneſſe: I ſeeno cauſe but that I, both for me ſelfe, and for them, (ſome of them being now a ſleepe in the Lord, & reſting from their laboures) ſhoulde hauehave care to ſhew that thankfulnes, & good duetifull encouragement towardes your Grace, that therein your goodneſſe hath iuſtly deſerued. And this is the cauſe why at this time, I am bolde too dedicate theſe poore labours of mine vntounto your Grace, as a poore pledge of my humble duety, and a teſtimony too the poſterity of your hearty good will, and vnfained louelove, to the glorious trueth of God. And albeit in reſpect of me and my labor, it be moſt vnworthy your gratious protection, yet in reſpect of that excellent inſtrument of GOD who wrote it, the matter conteined in it, and the neceſſary vſe of it, for this time, it is not onelyonly worthy your defence, but deſerueth great thankes of the whole Churche of GOD: as geuing light too many harde and doubtfull poyntes, concerning the Sacramentes, and cleerely ſatiſfying the intricate Queſtions of curious demaunders, beſides that it ſtoppeth the mouthes of many carping aduerſaries both papiſts, and Vbiquitiſtes, who maintayne, I wotte not, what ſtraunge and monſtruous opinions.
And ſurely the knowledge of theſe thinges, how needefull they are too all Chriſtians, may heereby plainely appeare, for that Sathan the father of Lies, and aduerſary of Gods euerlaſting trueth, beſtirred himſelfe neuer more buſily, for the ouerthrow and corrupting of it, then in this laſt age of the worlde, that partly by the bitter inuaſion of craftie and peſtilent Heretikes, & partly by the malice of ignoraunce in many that profeſſe themſelues Chriſtians, hee might euen ſwallow vp (if it were poſſible) the moſte beautifull ſpouſe of the Sonne of God. But this is our comforte, that hee hath her in keeping who wil preſerue her, who hath taken accompte of her members, and will not looſe one, who will lead her into all trueth, and ſo mightily defende her, that Hell gates ſhall not preuaile againſt her. And too her vnderunder your name (good Madam) doe I conſecrate & auow this poore myte for the cauſes aforeſaid, moſt humbly beſeeching you too accept of it, with the ſame affection that I offer it. I doe it not after the manner of the worlde, to get or craue any thing: I do it not to puffe you vp to pride and vainglory: but to prouok you to good things, that you may goe cheerefully on, in that happy courſe of the Goſpel, wher into by his boūtiful goodnes you are entred. Your Grace now waxeth old, the dayes of your weariſome pilgrimage paſſe on apace, your continuall ſickeneſſe, paynes, and infirmities are meſſengers of preparation too an other and better place. You hauehave therefore to looke about you, and to ſet all thinges in order towardes that heauenly iourney: Not onelyonly to giuegive order for thoſe things that concerne the Chriſtian duety of yours, towards that great God, that you may leaue an holy poſterity after you, or at leaſt depart with a cleare conſcience, for hauing perfourmed that duety: but alſo may your ſelfe bee furniſhed of that prouiſion, that may make you ſtande with peace in his ſight. For the Lord knoweth vsus. He ſeeth vsus & proueth our hearts: The wicked hee will gather as a flocke together too the ſlaughter, and will conſecrate them to death. There is no eſcape too bee made from him: for if they flie from his terrour, they ſhall fall into the pit, and if they eſcape the pit, yet they ſhall fall into the ſnare. They that are farre of, ſhalbe ſmittē with the plague and they that are at home, with the ſworde: yea, they that remayne, the famine ſhall conſume them. Where ſhall the wicked ſtand? if they ſcape, the Lyon, a Beare ſhal fal vponupon them: and if both Lion and Beare touche them not, yet leaning in theyr owne home vponupon the wall, (as the Prophet ſayeth) An adder ſhall ſting them. O that the wicked of the worlde, that hauehave no feare of God, who ſo delight in iniquitie, that they neuer ſatiſfie thēſelues in ſinne, nor make no ende in their wrethed pleaſures, would but conſider Gods iudgements: for then vndoubtedly the terror of his name, woulde be as a bridle to holde them backe, from thoſe monſtruous transgreſſions, that now adayes they commit with all greedineſſe, without all ſhame & modeſty. If couetouſneſſe be in the head of all, (as the Prophet ſaith) Is ther any one that ſhal not periſhe with the ſword? there ſhalbe no way to flie: yes they ſhall flie, but not one ſhal thereby be ſaued. If they goe downe to hell, his hand ſhall fetch thē out: & if they aſcend euē to heauē, he ſhal throw them downe. Admit they eat & drink, yet ſhal they not be ſatisfied. Their deuiſes & counſailes ſhalbe ſcattered. becauſe GOD is with his choſen. If the Lord hauehave determined, who can defeate his purpoſe? if his hand be ſtretch…d out, who cā turn it away? Feare ye wicked. What though your concorde bee ſtrong, and your purpoſe is too perke and peere into heauen? ſhal not the Lord ſcatter you,Iob. 6. 17. or euer you bee warme in your place? Thanks be to God, who hath ſeparated vsus from the wicked, that we ſhold bee free from their deſtruction. And let vsus keepe our ſelues from them, that they make vsus not ſinne agaynſt our God. If the Lord deliuer them intoEnod. 23. 33. our handes, let not our eyes ſpare them to the death, let vsus not pittie them, nor make any league with thē.Pſal. 26. 4. I hauehave not ſit (ſaith good Dauid) with the Counſell of vanitie, and I will not enter with thoſe that deale in wicked things. They that helpe them are lyke vntounto them, & they ſhall drinke of the wine of his wrath, they ſhal drinke of that which is mingled in the cupp of his wrath, and they ſhalbe tormented with fire and brimſtone in the ſight of his holy Angels, & in the ſight of the Lambe. But the godly that heare this word & tremble at it, that beleeue in him, & obay his voyce, that louelove him beſt and expreſſe their louelove alſo to other, theſe ſhall lacke no good thing, they ſhall flouriſhe as the Palme tree, and as the Ceders of Libanus ſhall they be multiplied. Their inheritance is with the moſt higheſt, and their righteouſnes is before him. Hee will giuegive them an euerlaſting glory, and fill their ſoules with brightneſſe, their bones will he deliuer, and they ſhall bee as a fruitefull Gardeine, and as a fountaine of waters that ſhal neuer be dry. They ſhall prayſe him, becauſe they ſhall reioyce in him, & their ſeed ſhalbe the ſeede of peace. If they fall, it ſhalbe to their good: For the Lorde vpholdeth them, and they ſhal not be confounded for euer. Oh that we had faithfull heartes, that we might truely reioyce in his promiſes, then ſhould we not feare. But if our ſinnes might make vsus ſadde, that of taſte and feeling of hearte we might truely be caſt downe in his ſight, then ſhould we returne to him, that hath ſmitten vsus, & call vponupon him that he might heale vsus. If we beleeued in him, we ſhoulde feare him, and our ſinnes ſhoulde bee deteſtable vntounto vsus. To this ende (my gracious Ladye) hath God called vsus nowe a long tyme by his worde, by ſignes from heauen, by monſtruous and vnnaturall byrthes, by terrible and fearefull Earthquakes, that wee might leaue of this double dealyng in his ſight, that we might ſerue him vnfaignedly, not in a ceremony, as the maner of the world is, that we might acknowledge his power, gouernmēt and Scepter, to be ruled by him, and to couche downe vnderunder his hande. We hauehave had wonderful fiery impreſſions, vnnaturall ſwelling and fading of waters, ſtraunge and vnknowen Starres, Comets and bloody cloudes, with a late terrible Earthquake: ſuch a one and ſo general, as neither in the remembraunce of our ſelues, nor of our forefathers, the lyke hath beene reade of: but alacke what warning hauehave we taken by theſe thinges? Eyther we attribute them to meere nature, and ſo leſſen the warninges of God, or els wee quickly forget them, as though they concerned not vsus. By the fine deuiſes of deteſtable Epicures, and Godleſſe perſons, we make them fal vponupon other lands, as though the ſinnes of our lande were exempt from his iudgementes. As if nature were not made by God, or as though theſe ſtraunge thinges were not vndoubted tokens of Gods anger, already kindled againſt vsus: nay, though our owne heartes beare vsus witneſſe, that there neuer liued more vnthankfull wretches in the worlde then wee, more irreligious, that for the moſte parte, hauehave turned religion into wantonnes, and denyed the power thereof, and theſe many gratious yeares of peace, which ſhould hauehave drawen vsus forward & aduanced vsus in the ſchole of God, we are farre worſe then wee were in the beginning, and at our firſt entraunce: duller, farther of from knowledge, and more ignorant, then little children. And if there bee any thing in vsus, it is onelyonly in wordes. The murthers that are committed in the lād daily, are monſtruous, the whordomes, inceſt, and Sodomitry moſt beaſtly and outragious, the pryde ſo Luciferlike, the couetouſnes ſo exceſſiue, the idleneſſe ſo common, the enuy ſo deadly, that eueryevery mā can beare witneſſe againſt his neighbor, and againſt him ſelf in his own conſcience, which is more then a thouſande witneſſes, that God in his iuſtice muſt needs plague vsus.
The godly grone in this great ouerflowing of ſinne, and the whole earth tottereth with the waight therof, and yet where are the true fruites of our repentaunce? O wee faſt and pray: I am very glad of that good forwardneſſe and readineſſe in our Chriſtian Magiſtrates, but I woulde to GOD that wee knewe the true faſte, that wee came not before GOD lyke hypocrites, but as inſtructed and true humbled Chriſtians, that theſe ſtrange things might indeede feare vsus from our ſinnes, and make vsus refourmed from the hearte: then ſhoulde the Calues of our lyppes bee Sacrifices of a ſweete ſauour before our GOD, flowing from a true and liuely Fayth which ſhoulde holde vsus vp in a better hope, and ſhoulde worke in vsus, both to witnes to others, & to ſeale to our ſelues, that we were no counterfaites, but true Chriſtians. And vnleſſe this effect bee truely wrought in vsus, let vsus neuer flatter our ſelues, though in ſome colde ſort we vſe theſe outward exerciſes, and bow downe our heads lyke bull ruſhes. No no, God muſt hauehave a thorowe chaunge wrought in vsus, or els he will chaunge our places: we muſt ſauour more of mortificatiō, and holines muſt ſhine in ſome meaſure in vsus. Let the worlde therfore, in that ſame godles contēpt of God & his diuine iudgement, ſee what fel vppon their predeceſſours the wicked, that liued in Sodom and Gomorrhe, and would not heare the Preacher of righteouſnes. If they hauehave the lyke pride, hard heartednes, riot, idlenes, and filthines not to be named, where will they ſtande when the earth ſhall ſinke at Gods iudgements? Was God iuſt in puniſhing the Sichemittes, in hanging vp thoſe twelue Princes, in ſlaying 24000. in the wilderneſſe, in rooting out the Tribe of Beniamin, in deſtroying the ſonnes of Hely, in baniſhing of Dauid, &c? and will he not puniſh vsus, which are ſunke deeper in ſuch tranſgreſſions? But as it is a moſt certaine ſigne of ſpeedy and vnrecouerable deſtruction, whē men beſides their ſinnes lyue in all impuritie and contempt of repentaunce: ſo it muſt needes confirme Gods great iudgement to be at hande, that the worlde is ſo ſecure eueryevery where, and forgetful of thoſe wonderful examples, that hauehave bene in tyme tofore. Before Babylon becked to deſtruction, GOD ſhooke it with a fearefull Earthquake vnderunder Sparett, the 17. Kyng of the Aſſyrians. Before that great fire kindled in Grecia vnderunder Phaeton the Kyng, and after a great Earthquake in Theſſalia, in the tyme of Deucalion, as the hyſtoryes report, God deſtroyed all the inhabitauntes thereof. Before thoſe great iudgements were perfourmed towardes Iſraell, that Amos the Prophet threatened, GodAmos. 1. ſent them a fearefull Earthquake in the dayes of Vziah. Oroſius in his ſeconde Booke and thirteene Chapter, maketh mention of an Earthquake at Rome, when Proculus Geganus Macerinus & L. Menenius Lanatus were Conſulles, after which followed ſuch a terrible famine, that many, deſperat through hūger, caſt themſelues hedlong into the Riuer of Tyber. There folowed alſo an outragious peſtilēce after an Earthquake, when Marcus Cornelius Magn. & Lucius Papirius Craſſus were Conſulls. Before that ſame famous Peloponeſiacke warre, that fell out to the deſtruction of the Athenians, there was a terrible Earthquake with a continuall fyre ſeene in the ayre for the ſpace of threeſcore & fifteene dayes, at laſt a great ſtone being tumbled out of the ayre vponupon the Citie. What ſhal I ſpeak of that which ſwallowed vp Helice and Bura, twoo notable Cities, as Euſebius, Eutropius & diuers other Authors witneſſe? Ioſephus in his Booke de Iudaico Bello, maketh mention of an Earthquake in Iudea, wherin there periſhed thirtie thouſand people. And Cornelius Tacitus in his ſecond booke ſaith, that twelue of the moſt notable Citties in all Aſia were ſwallowed vpp in one night. In the 21. yeare after Chriſt Euſebius affyrmeth that theſe thirteene Cities fell with an Earthquake, Epheſus, Magneſia, Sardis, Moſthene, Mechiero, Caeſarea, Philodelphia, Himulus, Tenus, Cumae, Mirthina, Apollonia, and Diahircania. What ſhould I recken all: before that warre of the Parthians, when Carbulus was Proconſul of Syria: before the deſtruction of cruell Nero, at the death of Titus H. Veſpaſians ſonne, there were terrible Earthquakes, and three famous Cities of Cyprus were ſwallowed vpp: foure of Aſia alſo in the tyme of Traian: further two of Grecia, and three of Galatia. Oroſ. lib. 7. Cap. 12. Eutrop. Antiochia was ſo ſhaken, that ſcarſely Traian the Emperour eſcaped, read Dion. Nicomedian, and a great peece of the Citie of Nice in the time of Adrian, fell by an earthquake: ſo did Nicopôlis and Caeſarea two famous Cities, after which followed wonderful calamities in the time of Gordian. Tyre & Sydon was by the ſame meanes ouerthrowen, & ſo was many Cities of the Eaſt before the hereſies of the Arrians tooke footing in the worlde, when good Athanaſius and other faithful Biſhops and Paſtours were ſo cruelly perſecuted. I wil ſay nothing of Antiochia, of Neocaeſarea, of Dyrachiū, of Rome, and Ieruſalem it ſelfe: Neither will I ſpeak of nearer tymes. For it were impoſſible to recken all, I referre al godly men to the latter wryters alreadie publiſhed, cōcerning our late Earthquake. This is moſt certaine that it is an vndoubted token of gods diſpleaſure towarde vsus, to draw vsus to ſpeedy repentaunce. It ſetteth foorth vntounto vsus the groning of all creatures & of the earth it ſelfe for that reſtauration, which the Sonne of God, Ieſus Chriſt our Sauiour ſhall perfourme at his comming. And I beſeeche God that our heartes may bee ſo ſhaken from the higheſt to the loweſt, that we may call our ſelues to a reckoning of our dayes paſte, to ſhake of our former ſinnes, that wee may mourne before he ſtrike, that he may hauehave pitie vponupon vsus, that hee may molifie our ſtony affections, to make vsus tremble at his preſence: to louelove his Goſpell with a more feruēt louelove, and to couch down with al obediēce. This (good Lady) is the deſire of my heart, both towards your grace, and towards all the Iſraell of God. In which ſtate I aſſure my ſelf, if we be foūd, though the foundation of the earth bee ſhaken, and the ſea make a noyſe, yet God will keepe Syon, and the Apple of his eye ſhall not be touched. The Lorde Ieſus keepe vsus in this protection, that wee and ours may liue and dye in the hope & comfort hereof: to which I moſt humbly commende your Grace,
this firſt of May. 1580. Your Graces moſt humble in the Lord, Ioh. Field.