Exhortation to the Ministers of Gods Word, Title page 1 – Dedication 1
¶ An exhortation to the Ministers of Gods woord in the Church of Christ, that they set aside all mutuall discord, and in these latter dayes and dangerous times / purely and with one concent preache vntounto the world the onelyonly true faith in Christe and amendement of life. Compiled by D. Henry Bulliger of Zurick. Translated into English by Iohn Cox. 1575.
Thou hast heer in this little book good christian Reader moste plain, sure and substantiall reasons to establish mutuall consent and christian concord,
GALL. 5.
VVould to God they were euen cut of which doo disquiet you.
Imprinted at London at the long shop in the Pultrie by Iohn Allde.
TO THE RIGHT …euerend Father in God, and …is singuler good Lord, VVilliam by Gods prouidence Bishop of Excester. Iohn Cox wissheth long life, happy health, & the continuall assistance of Gods moste holy spirit.
OF two things whether of thē I may do (right reuerend Father) I stand greatly in doubt, whether I maye prosecute my purpose whicb I hauehave taken in hand: or els ceasse with silence and leue it in obliuion. For such is the curiousnes of this captius age, that the things which are doon and setforth to the vew of men, must either with eloquence surpasse the common stile of writing, or els bee some new thing which hath not been heard of before.
But I which of knowledge am thin, of learning base, of eloquence rude, and neuer traueled further for the increase of good letters then the shadow of my deer brother Francis Cox (whome I heer name, partely for the dutyes sake I owe vntounto him, and partely because I am assured of the fatherly affection which your Lordship doth beare vntounto him) might seem to begin preposterously if I shuld take vponupon me to satisfie the curious appetite of the contētlesse tīe. But yet hauīg read & read ouer again this litle book of D. Henry Bullinger whiche hee compiled and published in his owne naturall tung, for the quieting of those stormes that blustred in Heluetia, and beholding the discorde and variance now present in the Churche of Englād, stirred vp by the restlesse heds of such as neuer could be quiet, & cōsidering with my self the effects therof and finall wrapping vp if in time they be not looked vntounto: I hauehave chosen rather with my plain speech & simple skil to english this book so eloquently turned into latin by that excellent learnedman, Iosias Simlerus, and so to profit my contrie, then for want of sufficient furniture to let this worthy woork lye hidden from my contrie, buried as it were in the bosōe of an vnknowē speche to the multitude.
I thinck it the duty of all good christians & faithful Subiects (my singuler good Lord) to do what lyeth in thē to the increace and confirming of concord the true nurse of all florishing common weales. For what hart so hard bledeth not? what eie so dry weepeth not: what man so void of sence trembleth not to consider the calamities and miseries of contention? For what slaughter of infants, what murder of aged, what spoile of people, what hauock of nations, what ruin of Countries, what rauin of kingdōes, what vtter deuastation of gouernment and Empires commeth by dissention & discord, the contries adioyning vntounto vsus are an example, their Princely Lords a Spectacle, their goods and possessions a caueat vntounto vsus.
This book therfore compiled by the author for the looue duplicate page duplicate page sake he had to the quieting of his Contrey and preseruation of the Church of Christe, whiche is that ship where against Sathan bloweth out so many blasts in these our dayes: I hauehave as I said before translated the same hauīg the like zeale to my contrey that the author had to his, who as hee wrot it in his owne natural language: so hauehave I made this excellēt and graue father to speake in our tung those things, which of vsus if they shalbe wel & diligently obserued and folowed, I dout not but the controuersies which are heer amongst vsus wil quite be dissolued & ended. But yet knowing that those whelps of Cerberus that hellish Dog wil euer more snatch something wherat they may braule, and Momus wil be fault finding, yea euen in Apelles woork, I thought it conuenient to chuse out some patron to whome I might commit the defence bothe of this Book and my self. And amongst diuers godly learned bishops (to whome of right the protectiō heerof appertaineth) I, specially choose your Lordship and that for two causes.
First for that you are no lesse worthy to hauehave the defence heer of then the Author him sel… bothe for the graue learning and singuler vertues which you… Lordship is indewed with all, wherof I will say nothing because I knowe that whē I hau… said al that I can, yet can I no… say that your vertues require… For who so seeth the fatherl… louelove you bear to the mīisters & preachers of your diocesse, you… vigilant care to remooue, euil… disposed persons if you find… them incorrigible, your ernes… desire to plant about you such… as in due time may breke th… Lords bread to his household… as he shall thīk you worthy of al… praise: so shall he finde him self whatsoeuer he be, vnable as he ought & as your godly doīgs deserue sufficiētly to doo it. Oh that al were such as you are, thē should there not suche occasion be ministred to the enemyes of the Gospell to blaspheme the same. I speak not this to the dispraise of any, and yet I knowe that all mē answere not in their dealings according to their names, neither doo their names agree with their titles. I knowe that Abshalon was author of horrible discention, and yet hee had to name the father of peace. So Iudas hauing his name of duplicate page duplicate page thanks giuing was moste vnthankful as appeered in betraying his maister our Christe.
God graunt therfore we all may consider our callinges an… lead our liues according to th… same, that it be not veryfied o… vsus which is pleasantly and truely spoken of the Popes who ha… their names giuen per antiphrasim as hee was called Innocentiu… that was moste noysome, he Pius that was moste wicked, an… he Clemens that was moste cruel: yee are called watchmen, God graunt you may all watc… dutifully, to defend, feed an… keep, not yours but the Lord… flock.
The second cause that mooueth mee to dedicate this vntounto your fatherhood, is for that not onelyonly I take your Lordship for my singuler patron & Mecoenas, but also that I might giuegive a testimony vntounto the world how muche I reuerence your honour and that according to duetye. Wherfore I moste humbly beeseech you to accept and take in good parte this my lahoure and to continue as you are, my good Lord, and I shall not ceasse continually to pray vntounto almightie God to graunt you along and moste happy life that with duplicate page duplicate page many yeeres you may rule in the Churche of Christe to the glory of his holy name and comfort of his flock, and in the end receiue the crown of eternall glory which is laid vp by the mercy of God in Christe Iesus for euer. Amen.
From Chichester this 22 of Ianuary. 1575. Your Lordships moste humble to commaund. Iohn Cox.