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. Jesus Christ hath not fore spoken without ¹cause, that if it were possible, the very elect should boo seduced and deceived by the false Prophets & false Christs. Wherefore we ought not to marvel although Saint August•n, and such as he was, have sometime been overcome. ⟨image 204⟩But for us we ought rather to be more confirmed in the doctrine of the Gospel, seeing it fulfilled before ou• eyes, & we ought well to learn by the example of others, to walk in the fear of God, without straying or wandering any thing after our opinions and fantasies. For if already from the time of the Apostles, Antichrist did begin his reign and work his secret of iniquity, we must […] doubt, but that he was much advanced in the time of Saint Augustin. And the Apostle calleth not without cause, his work and business the mystery of iniquity. For ²he hath proceeded and gone forward so secretly, craftily and subtly, that the most holyest and best learned, have been overcome. use hath of a long time hatched his Cockatrice, and Basilisk's eggs, before he could be perceived, and hath practised his matters so subtly under the earth, that scant one could know, to what end he tendeth, until such time as he hath ended and finished his work, and that Jesus Christ, by his Gospel, hath opened and revealed it to his elect: as we do see by experience, at this ³present time: And as I trust, shall do yet more hereafter. Wherefore we knowing into what inconveniences our fathers are fallen into, yea the wisest and most perfect in attributing to much to the authority of men and to their opinions and traditions. Let us take heed, to affirm and ⁴propound unto the christians, as an article of faith, and doctrine necessary to salvation, any thing, of which we have no certain witness by the holy scripture, & of which by them we are not clearly resolved. For that cometh through to great temerity and presumption, the which God will not leave unpunished. But which is more, although the thing should be very true, and so as it hath been preached unto us, yet nevertheless, sith that the word of God doth not make any express mention of it nor doth clearly show forth, of which we can draw any certain consequence, and of which we have no commandment of GOD, we may safely be ignorant of it, without danger of our salvation.