A14461:48
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.
They do willingly suffer that such men do mock God openly, that they do blaspheme him without any shame: That they do turn upside down 1all Religion & the truth of Jesus Christ: That they make frustrate and of none effect the virtue and efficacy of his death and passion: That they do eat up and devour his poor sheep before their eyes: That they do lead the poor souls unto perdition & eternal damnation, & do hold all the world in error & Idolatry for to destroy them altogether: And cannot we suffer that unto such mockers & blasphemers of God and of men, one should only give a little holy water of the court, and that one should sprinkle them with the least thing of y• world, only with some little word or saying, or with some pleasant word, the which can hurt no man, and which is no dishonour unto God, but serveth to discover the abuses, and to bring the mouths of y• faithful out of fast, with the idolatry and superstition: and to manifest unto them the seducers, for the health of their souls. I do greatly marvel of those great lovers of the honour of Hypocrites, Seducers, false Prophets, ravishers, & devourers of the poor widows, and fatherless, mockers, contemners, & blasphemers of the word of God, & have so little 2regard or care of the honour of God, & of Jesus Christ our Lord, whom they see daily to be crucified before their eyes, and to be spurned and trodden underfoot the blood of his testament, and covenant, and yet dare not speak a word: ⟨p. 13⟩But which is worse, they will not yet suffer that others, unto whom God hath given the means, and boldness, should speak, and rebuke such abuses and sacrileges importable to all good Christian hearts. Me thinks that such people have no just occasion to condemn us in that behalf. For if they are too wise, and do think that such things 3agree not with the gravity of their persons, then let them leave them to be spoken of the fools, sith that as men do 4say they have the privilege to speak all things. For as for my part, I would be very well contented, that God would give me the grace, that I might say unto them, as the Apostles said unto the Corinthians: Ye are wise and