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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14462	The firste parte of the Christian instruction, and generall so[m]me of the doctrine, conteyned in the holy Scriptures wherein the principall pointes of the religion are familiarly handled by dialogues, very necessary to be read of all Christians. Translated into Englishe, by Iohn Shute, accordyng to the late copy set forth, by th'author Maister Peter Viret. 1565. Ouersene and perused, accordyng to the order appointed, by the Queenes maiesties iniunctions.; Instruction chrestienne et somme generale de la doctrine comprinse ès sainctes Escritures. Part 1. English	Viret, Pierre, 1511-1571.; Shute, John, fl. 1562-1573.	1565 (1565)	STC 24777; ESTC S119198	167,989	225

the whiche Pilate dyd very well knowe And therefore he woulde not condemne Iesus Christe vpon the onely reporte of the Iewes when they had brought hym vnto hym all ready condemned in theyr Counsell nor was forthwith preste to commaunde hym to be executed as an euill doer accordynge to their desire but did diligently enquire of the causes for the which they would haue hym to be condemned gyuing them playnely to vnderstande that he woulde not be their hangemen but woulde do the office of a Iudge whiche is duely to examine the cause And if he see the sentence of hys assistauntes to be vniuste he oughte not to folowe it but to reiecte it accordyng to the authoritie that God hath gyuen hym and he ought to put in vse that whiche is written in the lawe to Exod 10 that same purpose Thou shalte not folowe the multitude to do euill for if he gyue sentence contrary to ryght and equitie he shall make aunswere for the same before God For if he know it be vniuste and do consent and agree to it or els do dissemble the matter or els thorowe negligence he hath not sought to vnderstand the truth of it he can not excuse hymselfe but that he is greatly culpable before God T. That is very true ¶ Hovve men ought to haue greater care for those matters that appertayne to Religion then for any others and the reasons vvhy D. MOreouer the case in matters of Religion is not lyke to that of other matters or of other artes sciences occupations and estates For whē there is question in matters of Religion we haue not a matter in hand of a péece of money or of a péece of lande or for an other man whiche toucheth not vs at all But a matter of the greatest importance that may be and toucheth all men in generall and in particular so neare as nothynge in the worlde doth so nearely touch them Yf there were question of a péece of an earthly inheritaunce or els of our honor fame we would not so greatly put others in trust but that we wold put to our own hād would know in what sort the matter should passe And further if it wer a matter that touched our life we would not slepe the matter but would be so much that more carefull we would leaue no meane vnsought for that myght stand vs in stede T. Experiēce teacheth it plainly D. Nowe in this matter wherof we speake the question is of the greatest honor or dishonor that euer may happē vnto vs here is the questiō of a maruelous great honor glory or els of an extreme shame confusion whiche we shall once receaue before the face of God before al mē which euer haue ben are or shal be this questiō is of an eternall inheritaūce to wit of Paradise or els of hell here is the questiō of our death or of our life not onely tēporal but eternal Wherfore I do gretly maruel of those that haue so great trust in the sond fayth of their Curates Priestes Monckes Byshops and Prelates whiche cōmitte thē wholly into their handes both body and soule T. There are no small nomber of those that do so ¶ Of those men that make greater accoumpt of their purses then of their consciences and of the daūger into the which they cast thēselues that cōmit such charge to false teachers and they them selues to haue no great regard to the same D. I Would gladly vnderstād of those mē if they would in the like sorte trust thē with their purses neuer aske thē any accōpt nor neuer haue regard to their gouernmēt T. I do not beleue it For there is no prince nor other that committeth the charge of his affaires to others but that somtime he will know in what sort they are passed done D. Thē their purse is dearer vnto thē thē is their cōsciēce or their soule or els that inheritaūce of the kingdom of heauē for they put their trust in such cōmit the whole charge of their cōsciences soules to those that they would hardly trust for a couple of crownes they esteme very slēderly that price which our Lord Iesus Christ hath payed for thē whiche is much more precious i. Pet. ● thē all the gold all the siluer that euer was in the world T. They do trust as I haue already said that these men shal aunwere for thē D. It is very true that they shal aūswere but so much the worse for those for whō they shall aunswere for so much as they shall not by meanes therof be acquited of the det for if it must needes be shall that they aunswere for default of that debt whiche they owe to our greate Lorde whiche shall not be payd vnto him according as their office doth require it shal be thē for that the same is lost The Lord speaking of this matter saith by his Prophet Ezechiel that he Ezech. 3. 33 wil require at that hāds of the shepherd the bloud of the shepe which shal perish through his default it foloweth thē that the shepe shal be lost whose blud the lord wil require Whē a murderer hath slayne a man is taken vpon the same he must Exampl● satisfie the iustice with hys own lyfe yet notwithstandyng the payne whiche he shall endure shal be small recompense to hym that is slayne Wherfore I do not thinke that those men whiche make so small accoumpte of the lyfe of theyr soules woulde lose their bodely lyfe for such a price T. I am of your oppinion D. If a man do vs wrong either in spoylynge vs of our worldlye goods or els in vsinge any violence agaynste our personnes and we endure the same patiently for the honoure of God this same shal be no losse vnto vs before God but a great profite for God hath promised great rewarde to those that shall suffer wrongfully In this behalfe none shal sustayn the losse but he onely that Mar. v hathe done the wronge for he hathe hurte hys soule and there is no hurte that can so hurte a man as can that hurte But in thys matter whereof we doo nowe speake the soule is not onely hurte but slayne wherefore the losse can neuer be recouered And therefore I would wishe that such as are of that opinion should well consider that whiche Iesus Christ sayd let them alone for they are blynd and leaders of the blinde If the blynde leade the blynde both shall fall into the dyke He doth not saye that the blynde guyde Mathe. 15. shall alone fall into the dyke but he also that shal be led by hym wherefore that councell is best to be folowed whiche Iesus Christe hym selfe doth gyue in that behalfe in the same passage or texte he doth not say Folow such leaders and if they lead you wronge they shall endure the punishement for you ●nd you shall go free but he gyueth expressed commaundement to flee

compare it with the age of that lyfe whiche lasteth for euer D. Yet doo we learne Artes and Sciences and occupatiōs in nomber in maner infinite whiche can stand vs in no stede but onely in this miserable and wretched life And on the contrarie we haue but one to learne whiche is able to leade vs out of all the miseries and wretchednes wherin we are here wrapt and to make vs happy for euer and yet we make none accoumpte therof but fiee from it reiect it and persecute it Howe shall we nowe be able to excuse our selues We will ryse three or foure houres before daye yea at mydnight We will ryde runne day and night both by sea and lād with great paine and trauayle and oftentimes in great daunger of lyfe and Heb. 1. Act. x. all this wil we do to gayne a little péece of money But although that God doth send vs his Prophetes his Apostles yea hys owne sonne and that hee doth teache vs by the mouth of hys seruaunts which is hys own mouth through the which he speaketh to vs dayly in hys Church and doth present vnto vs hys giftes and graces in our own houses yea euen in our beddes and tables Yet notwithstandinge we wyl not vouchsafe once to receaue hym we will vnderstand nothing of him nor yet learn any thing of him Shal we then alledge our ignorance and excuse our selues by it Our Lord Iesus Christ did very well vnderstande of thys sycknes and of the daunger thereof wherefore he sayde to those people that did follow him more for their bellye then for any spiritual doctrine Employ your selues and traueil not for that meate that perisheth but for that which endureth Iohn 6. into eternal lyfe the which the sonne of man shal giue vnto you When he nameth by the name of meate hys doctrine which is the doctrine of saluation and the saluation which he bringeth vnto vs by meanes of the same the which we can finde in none but in him onely He therefore geueth vs plainly to vnderstand how much this doctrine and this health are necessary for vs and how earnestly and diligent lye we shoulde labour for them for so muche as they are thinges that are much more necessary to eternall lyfe then is the bodely meate for the corporal lyfe and it is so muche more precious as is the soule more precious then the body ¶ Of the diligence that is in men to do euyl and of their negligence to doo vvell T. THou sayest nothng at all of such as employe theyr whole study and trauayle to do euyl If euery one of vs would take so great trauayle in the searche of this holy worke wherof thou speakest as doth the theefe to rob or the whore in the vse of her whoredome we should accomplishe a goodly woorke The theues rise vp in the night put them selues in great daunger and take very great paynes to cut mens throtes and we wyll not once lift vp our heade from our pillow to waken vs and to open our eyes to beholde and consider those thinges that appertayne to our saluation Satan our mortal enemy is so dillgent and continually lyeth in wayte to find meanes howe to ruinate and destroy 1. Peter ● vs and we of our part are vtterly slothful and negligent in arming our selues againste his ambusshes and assaultes wherby we might auoyde hys snares Wherefore all thinges wel considered I see verye small reason wherewith to excuse men For there is no man but maye fynde meanes sufficient to attayne to this knowledge of God If that we were so careful of the eternal life as we are of this present lyfe and would as wyllinglye seeke for the one as for the other for ther is nothing that might ayde vs in that behalfe but God hath geuen it vnto vs. ¶ Of the vices that make men ignoraunt of God and of hys truth and hovv the seruauntes of God continually bring accusation agaynst them D. SAynt Paule was not ignorant of thys and therefore although he saye that he hath obtayned mercy for hys 1. Tun. 1. persecuting the Churche of God throughe ignoraunce yet doth he not excuse hymselfe by the same nor letteth to shew the greuousnes of hys synne calling hymselfe the greatest of synners a blasphemer a persecutor a man full of violence and oppression and acknowledgeth hym selfe woorthye of deathe and eternall damnacion If God of hys great mercye and grace had not succoured hym whereof he shoulde not haue needed if that he had not synned or if that hys ignoraunce mought haue excused hym For howe good so euer hys meanyng was or howe greate so euer hys zeale was towarde the lawe of God yet notwithstandyng his ignoraunce was not wythoute a great portion of that negligence and carelesnesse whyche is naturallye in men as touching the knowledge of God and godlye thynges nor wythoute some portion of the pride rashnes wylfulnesse presumption and arrogancie of the Phariseis and of the leauen of hipocrisye and superstition which are verye great vices from the whych euen those that are most perfect and holy cannot well shyft them although they doo not appeare vnto men T. If then thys doth happen to such as are of the most perfect sorte as to Saynt Paule what shall become then of a sort of glorious and arrogant hipocrites which are much more full of hypocrisy then of good conscience and haue a greater care for their owne glory and profyt then for the glory of God and the edification of hys church and haue such an opinion of their owne knowledge iustice and perfection that they thinke that no man may amende or correct any iot thereof For there be very few such ignorant ones amongst the persecutors of the church as was saint Paule before his cōuersion D. Ther is no doubt of that Saint Peter doth also impute vnto ignorance in the sermon that he made in Hierusalem Act. 2. vpon the day of Pentecost that which the Iewes cōmitted against our Lord Iesus Christ in the deliuering of Math. 17. Iohn 18. him to death preferring of Barrabas before him yet not withstanding doth not he let to lay it greatly to their charges as very murtherers of the true autor of life and verye sonne of God T. I perceiue by that thou sayest that God requireth of vs very great diligence and a great humility abiection and despising of our selues and that our negligence slothe presumption and arrogancye and our vayne glory and opinion that we haue of our selues are most commonly the cause of our damnable ignorāce D. It is euē so ¶ Of such as doo contemne the knovvledge of God euen as though they dyd knovv all thinges that appertaine to true Christianitie and also of the knovvledge that men maye attaine vnto in this life and hovv to encrease it T. I May well vnderstande by these what excuses those men may alledge that saye when they are wylled to enquire of the wyll of

principall matters that therin are handled or entreated of ❧ The second Dialogue intituled the waiting for the Councell or the Newtralles Of the reasōs vvhich cause many to desire vvait for a Councel and of the trouble that the difference vvhich is in Christendome in matters of Religion doth bryng to simple and ignoraunt consciences Daniel Timothe D. THou doost well remēber where we left as touchyng those that wayt for a Councell T. Yea in dede D. Will these men tary to beleue in God to serue him and to enquire of his will vntill the tyme that the Councell hath ben holden and that it hath determined what order of lyfe we should folowe T. It semeth that these mē take their foundation of that which thou hast said that if they should serue God truly it were first requisite to be well instructed and assured of his will D. Wherfore do they not then forthwith and withall diligence enquire therof why do they then tary for a Councell T. Bycause they say that in so great diuersitie of opinions as at this present day is in Christendome in matters of Religion they know not whiche to folow in surety For they see that some teache after one sort the others after an other that ther is often tymes as great contrarietie of opinions as betwene white and blacke and betwene fire and water That whiche one aloweth an other disaloweth that whiche one holdeth for Christiā doctrine and for true seruice of God an other condempneth it as heresie or els as superstition hypocrisie Idolatrie and Apostasie And besides this ther are of both sides personnages of great apparance great vnderstanding and great authoritie accordyng to the iudgement of the worlde notwithstandyng the multitude is farre greater of the one side then of the other men heare their discourses men read their writtinges bookes there are goodly reasons of both partes which euery of them endeuoureth to proue and confirme by the holy Scriptures and by all meanes possible In this cause what shal a poore man do whiche feareth to offend God and hath a good desire to serue him accordyng to his wil but he may not wel attain to the knowlege therof bicause that which the one saieth is the wil of God the other sayth it is not the will of God ¶ Hovve that the difference that is in Christendome in matters of Religion should not stay men from the diligent enquirie of the vvyl of GOD but shoulde rather prouoke them thereunto T. I Confesse that these differences which are in Christendome engender great trouble in the poore consciences of many but that ought not at all to let them to enquire by all meanes possible of the will of God and to employe thē selues with al spede possible to serue him but they should the more earnestly be moued and prouoked to do it to ridde them selues with as much speede as they myght out of suche troubles For why least they tary in it if they haue any feare of God in what trouble shall they lyue and what quyetnes maye they euer haue in theyr consciences I for my parte shoulde thincke that I were in hell if I shoulde longe lyue in suche estate without hauynge some thynge certayne and resolued in my mynde whereunto I myght assuredlye staye T. For thys they require a Councell for they thincke there wil bee there men of greater iudgement then they are by whose meanes the matter shall be so debated and examined that there shall bee a generall and a sure determination throughe the which euery man may be out of scrupule and doubte and may know wherunto to trust D. It semeth vnto me that their hope is very slender if they haue no better hope then this I maye not deny but their desire is good we all ought to desire the same if there were any hope to se it come to passe that with spede for the soner it were that better bycause it is much more daūgerous to delay or defer the medicyning of the soule thē of the body for if the medicine of the body come not in tyme to hym that is sicke that sicke person is not in daūger but onely of his bodely life but if the medicine of y● soule be to long deferred ther is daūger of eternall death wherfore I do greatly feare that manye doo perish in tarying for those medicines T. There is much to be feared and also to be doubted in this matter ¶ VVhat profite the Churche of God may receaue of Councelles and of theyr issue D. THe Sinodes lawfull Coūcels is one of the best remedies that mē may haue to take away cōtrouersies in religiō it is the remedi wherunto in like cases that Apostles their true successors al that aūciēt church haue oftētimes had their recourse for albeit that the Coūcels haue no authority nor power to giue vnto the churche any newe doctrine nor yet to forge ani new articles of faith but only to hold maintain y● doctrine which is reueled by the holy Scriptures yet notwithstāding they serue to great purpose in so much that they be as publike witnesses vnto it to succor the infirmitie of the simple weake also such as shall come after vs by the confessiō which is made of the same by thē by the publike testificatiō y● there is declared by the perpetual cōsent of the Church of the doctrine of the Prophetes Apostles But although the Councels be ordeyned to this end that the aūciēts haue had more rule of thē selues better meanes much more meete for such a purpose then we haue at this presēt yet notwithstāding they could neuer obtaine that in their Coūcels which they desired And such vntowardnes was there that they did alway not onely not apease the differences abolish scismes heresies which troubled the Church but oftētimes euē there right many new did spring haue ben afterward frō tyme to tyme encreased if it were nedefull to proue it by exāples it were easy to do but we will not now enter into such matter I will cōtent me for this time to alledge onely touching this matter that testimonie the Gregory Nazianzen which was Master to S. Hierom did giue writting to Procopius of the Coūcels of his tyme whiche were nothyng so corrupted as ar those of our time if I must nedes sayth he write the truth I haue determined to refuse al the Coūcels of Bishops For I haue foūd the issue of no one Synode good or rather that they haue more encreased the euil then quenched it Here is the iudgemēt of Nazianzene touching this matter Which semeth to me somethynge harde for it can not bee denyed that some of the auncient Councels haue greatly profited vnto Christianitie notwithstandynge that the peruersitie of the wicked hath alwaye hindered that the frute and issue hath not ben such as was to be desired yet notwithstandyng Nazianzene hath not gyuen iudgement of the Councels

sort are very neare approchyng to the nature of the first bycause that those that do abuse the knowledge of God do cōmonly fall from this degree of euil into that other extreme degree of wickednes whereof we euen now spake I do place in this rācke those that do wittingly resiste the truth do make warres against the people of God as did Balaā not for that they haue so great a hatered agaynst the truth as haue these others of whome we haue already spoken but they do it to mayntayne theyr Num. 24. ●● Peter ii worldlye pompe and for their particular commoditie or els that they are corrupted by suche as do resiste the veritie as is aforesayd T. The number of such is greate For the chief thing that maketh men to resiste the worde of God is for that it is contrarie to their ambition glorye and couetousnes and to all theyr pleasures and corrupte affections But among all there are none more worthy to be accompted suche Balamites then the learned men that are at this daye in Christendome whose nomber is greate whiche set out for hyer to Antechrist and his adherentes both theyr pennes and tongues to cursse or speake euill of those that they knowe ryght well that God doth blesse and to hinder the course of the worde of God and the reformation of hys Churche Wherefore I do not greatly maruell if that God oftentymes doth throw suche men into a reprobate sence whiche do so wickedly turne the truth of God vnto a lye and his iustice into iniustice and in this sorte oftentymes Roma i. they become in the ende the greatest aduersaries of God his worde that the earth doth beare to the ende that they may fill full the measure of their iniquities For such a wickednes and frowardnes doth well deserue suche a punishement and vengeaunce at the handes of God whiche is the most horrible that may light vpon men ¶ Of such as do resist the truth persecute the same through ignoraunce and zeale vvithout vnderstandyng and of the excuse of the ignoraunt D. THese people are farre woorse then are these of whom we nowe meane to speake whiche do not offende but Roma 10 through ignoraunce and of a zeale that they haue towarde God which is voyde of knowledge as many haue done before our tyme and namely Saint Paule in the tyme that he was a persecuto●● of the Christians for he him selfe confesseth that he did it of ignoraunce wherefore there is more i. Timo. i hope in these kynde of men then in either of the others T. But I would gladly know whether these men shal be excused by their ignoraunce or no. D. Our Lorde Iesus Christ sayth that the seruaūt that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not shal be more greuously beaten then he that is ignoraunte Luke xii thereof and doth it not yet for all that both shal be punished He sayth also that those whiche haue throwen the Gospel from them shall receaue greater punishements in the daye of iudgement then those of Sodome and Gomorha Math x Luke x vnto whom God hath not offered so great grace yet for al that he sayth not that those of Sodome and Gomorha shall escape the iudgemente T. This is a maruelous and a horrible threatnyng ¶ Hovv that the vvāt of the knovvledge of God his truth raigneth not in man vvithout his great faulte T. THen if those that are ignoraunt in the doctrine of the Lord and by meanes of their ignoraunce do not fo● low it at all shall not be excused by their ignoraunce howe much lesse shall they that are not onely content to be ignoraunt of it but do openly persecute the same For there is no ignoraunce in that behalfe but that a great péece of the fault is in our selues For in how many sondry sortes doth God dayly declare him selfe to vs By howe many meanes doth he call and as it were drawe vs vnto hym We do all knowe that there is one God whiche is the Lorde of all T. That is verye true D. If he bee the Lorde of all then all men are bounde to obey his lawes and ordinaunces T. That is but reason D. We can not obserue and kepe them but firste we muste knowe them and vnderstande them Wherefore before all other thynges we must seke for thys knowledge and vnderstandyng For there is nothing more honest more profitable nor more necessarie for vs and contrarywise there is no thynge more vnhonest more worthy of blame nor more hurtefull then is the ignoraunce of the lawe and of the will of God For if the ignoraunce of any thynge that is worthie to be knowen men hauynge meanes to attayne to the knowledge thereof be to be condempned and that so muche the sooner in so muche as the knowledge of the thynge is more commendable and more necessarie how much should we esteme vnhonest and intollerable the ignoraūce of the law and of the wil of God Of the whiche the knowledge is more necessarie for vs then is the lyght of the sunne and the vsage of the fire and water without the whiche this humane lyfe can not continue T. I confesse no lesse For in as muche as the soule of man is more excellent then is the body euen so are the thynges more excellent more necessarie that do concerne the soule or at the least both soule and body together then are those which appertayn onely to the body For if the soule be well and in good case the body can not be but well but if the body be well entreated and delicately vsed and the soule euill entreated and negligently looked vnto the euill entreatie of the soule shall in the ende make the bodye partaker of the same ¶ Of the greate care and diligence that is in men to get those thynges that do appertaine to this present life and of their negligence and carelesnesse that they doo vse as touchyng those thinges that appartayne to the life eternall D. THerfore I do not a litle maruel to se the great paines and trauayles that men take to maintayne this casuall and miserable lyfe whiche is as it were of the continuaunce of one day in comparyson yea in dede very short and full of sorow and miserie whiche life also many do not passe thorowe euen to the end and yet do they learne many Artes Sciences and occupations through great diligence labour and trauaile to the end to be by them sustained and maintayned in this present life that there are so few that haue any care to learne that Art and Science by the which we may attayne to that eternal and most blessed lyfe which shall cōtinue with vs for euer For what is the whole age of a man euen frō the day of his byrth to the day of his death T. It is as it were the tyme of one day and is more shorte to some then to others If we shal