The Christian disputations, by Master Peter Viret. Divided into three parts, dialogue wiseThe Christian disputations, by Master Peter Viret. Deuided into three partes, dialogue wise

Thomas. Sith y• thou urgest me so much, thou shalt have it: But if thou doest mock me, be assured, that I shall have as good matter against thee, for to render unto thee the like. For thou thinkest to hear some ⟨p. 212⟩great secrete, and thou shalt find thy self deceived: doest thou not know me yet, Hillarius? First of all, thou art not ignorant, how that I was never very wise. Thou mayst then presume, what merchandise I can bring forth of my shop, and what Doctor contemplative I may be. Thou knowest very well that I am called

Thomas. Sith y• thou vrgest mée so much, thou shalt haue it: But if thou doest mocke mée, bée assured, that I shall haue as good matter agaynst thee, for to render vnto thée the lyke. For thou thinckest to heare some ⟨p. 212⟩greate secrete, and thou shalt finde thy selfe deceiued: doest thou not know mée yet, Hillarius? First of all, thou art not ignoraunt, how that I was neuer verye wise. Thou mayst then presume, what merchaundise I can bring foorthe of my shoppe, and what Doctor contemplatiue I may bée. Thou knowest verye well that I am called

Thomas. Now if I be Thomas of name, yet I approach nearer of the nature of my godfather, of whom I do bear the name then of his name. If he hath ben incredule ¹and unbelieving, insomuch that he would not believe the resurrection of Jesus Christ, except he did see him, himself, with his own eyes, and touch him with his hand, and except he did put his fingers in his wounds. So for my part, I do doubt, and know not well whom I may believe. But I have greater occasion to doubt, then Saint Thomas had. For he heard the promise which Jesus Christ made of his resurrection, of which he had not so•iust an occasion to doubt, sith that he had already so many times found by experience Jesus Christ true in all his words, and that he had all his fellows and companions, who with one accord did tell him, how he appeared unto them after his resurrection, and that they had seen him and touched him. But I, which am but a poor idiot and very ignorant, what ought I to think, and whereto ought I to stay my self, when I consider the diversity of opinions which is among men, touching the religion, and namely touching the estate of the dead, and of the infernal and celestial regions and habitations, yea, amongest the most sage and wisest? As I have proved in these days among your selves, who are of as contrary a sentence the one from the other, as the fire and the water. Therefore have I taken in hand the voyage of Saint Patrick, in which