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

For those ye will approach as enemies, for to assault them, shall find those floods altogether •ull of sulfur ⟨p. 92⟩& fire, & more hotter & burning then the internal flood Phlegethon. Those which do pass over them, for to yield themselves unto them, shall find themselves more miserable & unhappy. For first of all they must pass the flood Lethe, which signifieth ¹oblivion: because that it is necessary, that those which give themselves unto them for to drink of the stinking water of their doctrine & traditions, forget God & his word, & ²serve him in vain. Wherefore from thence they must come unto Acheron, which causeth all those that pass over it to lose all their joy and mirth. For sith that the kingdom of God is ³righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Ghost, what peace ⁴& joy can those have who have forgotten and forsaken God, the fountain of the water of life, & the sea of all goodness, for to come & drink of those muddy and stinking ⁵wells that will hold no water? Sith that then in that Acheron, one shall lose all joy & mirth, they must of necessity come unto the other floods, to wit, Styx, which signifieth ⁶sorrowfulness, & to Cocytus which signifieth mourning: and unto Phlegethon which signifieth heat and burning. For sith that the holy Ghost is called the comforter: joy nor consolation cannot be but there where he is, and where he hath shed abroad the waters and drops of his grace. And therefore who can have his conscience which is deprived from that comforter. but sorrowful & full of perpetual mourning? What greater heat & burning can there be in hell, then is in the consciences of those which have abā donned Christ, for to serve Antichrist, & for to follow his doctrine & traditions? For that is a very hell unto the conscience: and it is not possible that those which are addicted and given unto his service, can ever be refreshed & filled. For that Egypt is not watered nor sprinkled with the dues & floods of heaven, no more then the other Egypt with the water from heaven in summer: & hath nothing in it but these filthiness & puddles, the which it doth esteem more then the goodly fair & clear water: it preferreth it self unto the land of Canaan, the which yet nevertheless Moses esteemed more then that of Egypt: saying unto the Israelites: