A14461:1127
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
The Christian disputations, by Master Peter Viret. Divided into three parts, dialogue wise: set out with such grace, that it cannot be, but that a man shall take great pleasure in the reading thereof. Translated out of French into English, by John Brooke of AsheThe Christian disputations, by Master Peter Viret. Deuided into three partes, dialogue wise: set out with such grace, that it cannot be, but that a man shall take greate pleasure in the reading thereoff. Translated out of French into English, by Iohn Brooke of Ashe
London: printed by Thomas East, 1579
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Theophilus. The law yet nevertheless saith, every soul, every person. Wherefore if we must take the words by rigour, without a fit interpretation, we must comprehend the females, if there had been none other places, which do give unto us the intelligence & understanding of the law: besides that the institution of the same doth sufficiently declare, that it extendeth not unto the women. Then if the women be exempt, because that the law bindeth them not, so are the Infants which dye before the eight day. For they are not bound by the law before the term: or otherwise, God would not have held his peace, sooner then of there things which were not of so great importance. But when the eight day was come, I doubt not, that if through contemning, negligence and despising, the circumcision had been omitted, but y• the Lord 1would have been greatly offended: not by reason of the sign, but through the rebellion and despising of his word, the which he taketh in great displeasure: ⟨image 235⟩as he hath showed the example of him that gathered sticks on the sabbath day. It seemed that y• fault was not great, 2nor such as though he had committed a murder. And yet nevertheless god punished him with a cruel death, as though he had committed the greatest crime in the world. It is then an other thing to have omitted any ceremony commanded of God, through negligence, despising & rebellion, or to have left it undone, through necessity, or because that it was not possible. For when there is let, such that man cannot avoid 3it, and that this mind and will was good, and hath travailed as much as he can for to execute it. I do not believe that god imputeth the fault unto him unto whom he was not bound. For the salvation of men consisteth in the alliance which the Lord hath made with us, by the which doth the small and great are received and joined together in the company and fellowship of the people of God. We do not deny, but that that alliance is signed and sealed by the sacraments, and that the baptism is but the sign and seals among the Christians, as the circumcision was among the Jews. But it followeth not therefore that it is firm and certain enough without that sign and seal.