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. Thou hast said very well, constrained. For that Romish tyrant never ceaseth until he hath seduced and brought subject unto him all other ⟨image 197⟩Churches, either through craft and subtlety, or else by force & violence. Yet nevertheless, before that the Greeks consented unto him, how long time have they resisted? And afterwards, what are those that have consented and after what sort? whether that the Purgatory such as they have preached unto us until this present time, was founded and binlved upon the holy scriptures, and worthy to be holden and taken for an article of the faith, as they have constrained us, it followeth that all the Greeks and all their Churches should have been heretics until the year of our Lord a thousand four hundred thirty and nine, that the Council was holden. But how and by whom was it celebrated? were there not then Schisms & Antipopes in the Church? For some of them did draw & gather ¹themselves towards Almaigne and assembled themselves at Basel at the Council begun by Pope Martin, the predecessor to Eugenius, at which was the Emperor Sigismond with the Princes of Spain, Almaigne, Pannonia and France. Others assembled and gathered themselves together and went to the Council of Ferrara, which afterwards was transported to Florence, because of the plague ²which was so cruel and terrible at Ferrara, that all were very much afraid, chiefly the Greeks, which trembled with fear. Wherefore Pope Engenius, who ruled at that Council was constrained to transport and remove it to an other place, and to end it at Florence. Yet nevertheless, forasmuch as the Greeks were so long time holden and kept in the doctrine of the ancient Church, they should not have lost much, to have persevered and continued still in it. And if they had well marked their case, God gave them warning enough and advertisements that he took no great pleasure in that that they did take in hand, sith that he assailed them with that great horrible plague. On the other side, they might well judge how well they could agree with the komish Church, the which was divided within it self, and at discord in the house. For Pope Eugenius held his Council at Ferrara & at Florence, ⟨p. 191⟩and would not be assistant to that at Basel, in which the Emperor was present.