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. 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 ²as men say, one shall see the estate of all the dead: the torments of the damned which are in bell, and of the souls detained and kept in Purgatory and in the Limb, and in like manner the joys of Paradise. ⟨image 215⟩Therefore I do trust and hope, that I may be there informed in the truth of all those things, and that after I have seen them I shall be out of all doubt. For I know no more to seek any other remedies. Yet nevertheless, sithence that I have beard these matters debated more amply and clearly and better declared, then ever I did before, I have very much lost my fantasy. You do well remember, that I said, that after that I had spoken to the holy father, who hath so well deciphered that matter, that peradventure I should have gained my voyage, without going unto him, I fear very much that before that I depart from you, you will cut off all the way, and make it shorter.