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

There was yet an other reason, which •ight have given […] unto saint Augustine to speak so. He did see and perceive that many […] infected with the here••e of the Pelagians ¹which did not attribute much unto the grace of God, and did […] at all original […], but did greatly magnify the virtues and strengths of men. •or which caus• they had not the baptism in grea•e estimation. And therefore would •aint Augustine declare the nature of original sin, and induce men to give and ²bear more greater honour unto the sacraments. Then the better for to manifest the same, he declareth how the young infants which have not yet committed any actual sin, are not yet nevertheless without sin worthy of death and eternal damnation, because of their corrupt nature which they have drawn, as from a right inheritance and proper heritage, of their fathers and mothers in their conception and nativity. For they have been conceived and borne in sin and in•quitie: and ³can be none others, then such as the sinful beginning, from which they are come. For that which is borne of the ••esh, is flesh: And a wolf cannot engender but ⁴a young Woolf: a Serpent a young Serpent. And even as we do not leave off or cease to hate a young Woolf, although that he hath not yet eaten any sheep, or a Serpent, notwithstanding that he hath not yet cast forth his venom, but do judge him worthy of death, because of the perverse nature that is in them: so ought we to esteem, and think that God hath no less occasion to hate and condemn us, even from our mothers belly, because of our perversity and natural malice engendered with us. And though he should damn us eternally, he should do us no wrong, but only that which our nature meriteth and deserveth. For although that the young infant hath not yet done any work, which