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

Theophilus. There is nothing truer. Wherefore they cannot allege Saint James for their defence, nor also the ancient doctors whom they would take for bucklers for all their matters. They make a great account of Denis, who hath written the celestial ¹and ecclesiastical Hierarchies, saying that that is Saint Denis of Athens, who was converted by the preaching of Saint Paul, which is not like to be true. For the stile of those books, smelleth not like unto that of the Apostles, nor of their time. Furthermore Eusebius in his ecclesiastical history maketh mention so diligently of the books of Denis Bishop of Corinth, and never maketh any mention of those of Denis Areopagite. Wherefore it is most likest to be true, that he hath written nothing: or else Eusebius would not have held his peace more then of the others. But although he should have written those books, yet he did sufficiently declare by them that at the time as those were written, there was not such extreme unction as there is at this present. ⟨p. 127⟩He maketh mention that the Christians used of custom to anoint the faithful in the baptism, in witness that they did arm themselves for to fight, and the dead in like manner, when one burieth them, in sign and taken, that they have valiantly fought, and that they have gotten and obtained the victory, and are gone to rest. But he speaketh not a word of the anointing of the sick and diseased, the which with much ado he would have omitted, without touching and expressing it, aswell as he hath done the cream of the baptism. And although it should be so, that that which the Priests do, should have some certain foundation in the doctrine of Saint James, yet they cannot deny, but that that place bath great colour, for to condemn that which they do about the dead. For they have not much read in all the holy Scripture, which hath more appearance at the first sight, for to colour their ceremonies, & new sacraments, which they have invented without the ordinance of Jesus Christ, then that place bath, for to give light unto their extreme unction, and those muttering and mumbling of the Psalter which they do make about the sick persons, And yet nevertheless there is not one only syllable upon which they can stay or take hold for to ground and allow the least of the ceremonies and superstitions which they commit about the dead.