A14461:771
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.
Theophilus. I cannot perceive that they have any other cause, but the same which hath engendered all the other Gods among the Paynims, which have 1deified and called Gods, all the creatures of whom men do feel, aid and help. Seeing then the great purity which is in the fire, and the great utility that men did receive thereby, and how necessary it was 2unto mans life, and how it represented the fires and celestial lights, of the sun and of other planets and stars (whom mey have also •olden for Gods, because of their great beauty and utility) they did in ⟨image 162⟩like manner think that they had just occasion to hold and take the fire for a God, which they did see to be of one self nature with the celestial fire, which always moveth and giveth life unto all things as the soul of them. They had yet certain other occasions, in that that the holy Scripture oftentimes compareth God to the fire, and calleth him, a consuming fire: and that God appeareth sometime: in the likeness 3of fire, and that the fire came down from heaven oftentimes, for to consume the sacrifices of the holy Patriarchs and Prophets. They had more just occasion to confirm themselves in that opinion, and more goodlier appearance for to allow their religion, then the Papists have for their Images and Idols. For we cannot deny, but that the fire is a lively Image of God, which showeth forth and representeth unto us it self more lively, then all the Idols which ever were in the world. And therefore God would appear in the 4likeness of fire, and represent his gifts and graces, his virtue and power by the same: the which he would never do by Idols and Images, and would never appear in them, nor speak, nor do any virtue or miracles by them, but hath left the same for the Devil, 5who is served with such instruments, the which God hath altogether rejected and cursed, and hath defamed them by defamed titles, calling them filthiness, vanity,