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

Hillarius. Here needeth no slander. We must follow but the simple verity. If thou do think that it agreeth not to thy fantasy, because of the distance that it hath from the month of November unto February, at the leastwise thou canst not deny, but that it agreeth with the time, between yours, and that which the Romans celebrated for the Gaulois and Greeks that were buried in the Bullock market. There is no difference as concerning the time, but only in this, that yours is at the ¹beginning of the month, and theirs in the end. Furthermore thou canst not deny, but that there is conformity between the Pantheon of the Paynims, and your feast of all Saints: And even as they had the feast of all the celestial Gods, and that of the infernal Gods, and for the souls of the dead, have not you also the like, celebrating after the feast of all the Saints which are in heaven, that of the dead which are yet detained and kept in Purgatory. They do call Pantheon an ancient Temple which was dedicated unto Cybele the great Goddess, ²mother of the Gods, and consequently unto all the other Gods, of whom he beareth the name. For Pantheon signifieth as much, as if we should say, all ³Gods, even as we say, all Saints. For they had those Gods in such reputation, as you have the Saints, in the honour of whom they have celebrated the feast, and made sacrifices in that Temple, which is at this day at Rome, and is called Saint Mary La Rotonde, because that it was made round like unto a Bowl, for to represent the form and fashion of the world. But in stead that it was dedicated unto Cybele, and to all the other Gods, it is now dedicated unto Saint Mary, and to all the Saints, to the end that all your papistical Gods should have such honour, as those of the Idolaters, and their feasts to he registered as well as theirs. And so by that means Satan is always honoured in ⟨p. 138⟩stead of God, as he was before under the name and title ⁴of Cybele and of other Gods and Goddesses, saving that he hath changed those old names into other all new and pleasant and favourable among the Christians, for to disguise himself, to the end he should not be known, and that under a goodly colour he may the easelyer blaspheme God, and dishonour the Virgin Mary and all the Saints and Saints under the colour of honouring them.