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

And therefore God would vanquish the malice and perversity of mans heart, and condemn it by the works that are manifest, for to declare unto him, and to make him confess by the fruit, that he is the root a•d the tree, to the end that he may not glorify himself to be the Fig & the O life ¹tree, when one doth evidently show unto him the thorns & thistles that it hath born. And even so every creature is constrained to acknowledge and conf•sse, that the judgement of God is just, and that it consisteth in all truth and equity. Now the works y• men do for us, after that we ²be dead, are not ours. Wherefore we cannot say, that they follow us. For it is another matter to be in the way and journey, and to have already ended his journey and to be arrived at the port, whilst that we are in the course of this present life, he taketh us as a sree which yet groweth, the which one may dress and prune, for to ³make him bear fruit. But when he is once cut down, there is no more hope, he lieth where lie falleth, he must travail ⟨p. 86⟩no more afterwards. In like manner may we judge of man. Whilst y• he is in the way, & that he is in his course & ⁴sight, one may aide him by admonitions, entreatings & other morkes of charity, which we owe y• one to y• other, whilst y• we are herein the work of god, for us to help the one the other to obtain & win the victory. But after that he hath called us from the work in the which he hath set us, we must attend and look no more but for the reward and Crown of righteousness, the which the righteous Judge shall give unto us, as Saint Paul hoped for himself, as