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. He hath learned by those things, even as we do see daily the lilt practise in our Popes & prelates of the Church, who have always added ceremonies upon ceremonies: superstition upon superstition, & Idolatry upon Idolatry, & have daily augmented them, sith that they are once begun, insomuch that it is not possible that they can proceed any further. For we do surmount & exceed already long since, all the ancient Idolaters in Idolatry. Wherefore we have better occasion to complain, then S. Augustine had in his time, which differed much from ours: And ¹yet nevertheless he did greatly complain of the multitude of ceremonies and superstitions with which already the Church was then overcharged & corrupted. Therefore said he, our Lord Jesus Christ willing to give unto his church a great liberty: would not make it to be, subject unto many ceremonies, but only unto a little certain number of sacraments: And yet nevertheless it is now so much charged, ²that the condition of the Jews who were under the shadows and figures, and the servitude and bondage of the law, is more tolerable then ours, and chiefly in that that the ceremonies which they had, were given unto them of God, but those which have ben brought into the Christian Church, are nothing else but mans presumptions & inventions of presumptuous and overbold men.

Theophilus. He hath learned by those things, euen as we do sée dayly the lilte practise in our Popes & prelates of the Church, who haue alwayes added ceremonies vpon ceremonies: superstition vpon superstition, & Idolatry vpon Idolatry, & haue dayly augmented them, sith that they are once begun, insomuch that it is not possible that they can procéede any further. For we do surmount & excéed already long since, all the auncient Idolaters in Idolatry. Wherfore we haue better occasion to complaine, then S. Augustine had in his time, which differed much from ours: And ¹yet neuerthelesse he did greatly complaine of the multitude of ceremonies and superstitions with which alreadye the Church was then ouercharged & corrupted. Therefore said he, our Lord Iesus Christ willing to giue vnto his church a great liberty: would not make it to be, subiect vnto many ceremonies, but onely vnto a little certeine number of sacraments: And yet neuerthelesse it is nowe so much charged,