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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14463	A Christian instruction, conteyning the law and the Gospell Also a summarie of the principall poyntes of the Christian fayth and religion, and of the abuses and errors contrary to the same. Done in certayne dialogues in french, by M. Peter Viret, sometime minister of the Word of God at Nymes in Prouince. Translated by I.S. Seene and allowed according to the Queenes Maiesties iniunctions.; Instruction chrestienne en la doctrine de la loy et de l'Evangile. English. Selections	Viret, Pierre, 1511-1571.; Viret, Pierre, 1511-1571. Instruction chrestienne et somme generale de la doctrine comprinse ès sainctes Escritures. aut; Shute, John, fl. 1562-1573.	1573 (1573)	STC 24778; ESTC S119199	214,871	552

Eternal thy God is God only Thou shalt loue the eternall thy God with al thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy vnderstanding This is the first the great comaundement And the secōd which is like to the same is Thou shalt loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe On these two commaundementes depend the whole lawe and the Prophetes Al suche things then as you would that men shuld doe to you do you euen the lyke to them For it is the lawe and the Prophetes Of the corruption of man and howe harde it is for him to do well D. Is man able by his owne vertue and power to fulfill this lawe An. He is so farre from it that there is nothing so contrarie as is his will to the will of God whilest he dwelleth in his nature corrupted with sin De. What is the cause hereof An. Sinne to whome hée is become subiect thorough his owne faulte and the natural corruption that he hath gotten by meane of the same D. What may he then deserue towards God by all that euer he may think say or do of himself A. Death and the eternall curse of God. Of the redemption of man. De And is there no meane to deliuer him An. There is none other but that same whiche is declared by the doctrine of the Gospel of the which we haue euen now spoken to the which the law doth send vs. De. And what meane doth the Gospel sette foorth to vs whereby to obtayne so great a benefite An. It is Iesus Christe the very sonne of God. D. How is he deliuered by Iesus Christ A. By the satisfaction that he hathe made for man in the sacrifice of his deathe and passion and by the perfecte Iustice that he hathe wonne to him Of the communication or partaking of the benefite of Christ D. But is that sufficiēt that Iesus Christ dyed for the sinne of man A. Forsomuch as he hath satisfied the iudgement of God for them it is requisite that the same satisfaction bée applyed and communicated to all those that would obteyne saluation by the same D. By what meane maye this same be applyed and communicated vnto them A. By the only faith in Iesus Christe whiche onely may make a christian man. Of the Faith. De. What vnderstandest thou by that faith An. A true and certayne trust in the mercie of god by Iesus Christ D. Which be the principall pointes that it doth conteyne An. They are bréefely comprehended in this little summarie called the Simbole or gathering of the Apostles by the which the faithfull do dayly make confession of their faith in the Churche De. Which is this summarie The Simbole of the Apostles An. I beleue in God the father almightie maker of Heauen and Earth and in Iesus Christ his only Sonne our Lorde which was conceiued by the holy Ghost borne of the virgin Marie hath suffered vnder Ponce Pylate was crucified dead buried he descended into Hel the third day he arose from the dead he is gone vp into the heauens he fitteth at the righte hand of God the father almightie from thence shall he come to iudge the liuing the dead I beleue in the holy Ghost I beleue the holy vniuersal Church the communiō of Saincts the forgiuenesse of sins the rising againe of the flesh and the eternall life Diuision of the matters conteyned in the Simbole of the Apostles De. What doth it comprehende in substance An. We may bring the whole into two principall points De. What doth the first conteyne An. That whiche we beleue of God. De. And the seconde An. That which we beleue of his Churche Of the fayth towards God. De What must we beleue of God An. There are two thinges to consider De. Which is the first An. The deuine nature of him De. And the second An The works whereby he hath declared himselfe to men Of the vnitie and Trinitie in the diuine essence De. What haue we to consider of the firste pointe touching the deuine nature A. There are againe two pointes to note De. Whiche is the firste An. The vnitie whiche is in the being of God. D. Whiche is the second A. The Trinitie of persons which is in the same D. What doest thou vnderstande by that vnitie and Trinitie in the diuine essence A. I vnderstande that there is but one only God in the vnitie of the which I acknowledge the father the sonne and the holy Ghost as he hath declared himselfe in hys holie woorde Of the principall workes of God by the whiche he hath declared himselfe to men D. And as touchyng the workes by the whiche he hathe declared him selfe what canst thou say A. There are thrée principall vnto whiche wée maye reduce all the rest D. Whiche is the first A. The worke of the creation D. Whiche is the seconde A. The worke of the redemption D. Whiche is the thirde A. The worke of viuification and sanctification Of the creation of the worlde and of the Prouidence of God. D. What doest thou vnderstande by the worke of creation A. I do not vnderstād only that same worde by the which he hath made and created all things but also his eternall prouidence by the which he doth direct and gouerne them as wel in generall as in particular D. Doe you meane by this that he whiche is the Creator is also the directer A. It can not otherwise bée but that the worlde must incontinent perish if he had left it forsakē one minute of tyme without dealing with it Of Predestination D. Doest thou comprehende vnder thys name of Prouidēce none other thing but that which thou hast already declared A. I do comprehend also vnder the same the eternall predestination of God. D. What dost thou vnderstande by that predestination A. The eternall ordinance of God by the whiche according to his good will and pleasure he hath ordeyned before the creation of the world al that which it hath pleased him to doe with mankynde to be glorified in them D. What dothe thys ordinance comprehende A. The election of the chosen and the refusall of the reprobate D. What dost thou vnderstād by the election of the chosen A. The ordinance by the whiche God hath chosen those in whome it hath pleased him to be glorified through his mercie in his Sonne Iesus Christ D. What vnderstandest thou by the reprobation A. The ordinance by the which he hath ordeyned to leaue in theyr iust condemnation those same in whome it hath pleased him to be glorified through his iust iudgement Of the incarnation of Iesus Christ and of the redemption had by hym D. What comprehendeth the works of redemption A The Incarnation of the sonne of God and all that whiche he hath done for the saluation of man in his humaine nature D. What vnderstandest thou by the Incarnation of the Sonne of God A. That Iesus Christe being very God eternall was also made man and hath

M. Is that the cause why Saint Paule did write to the Ephesians that the Pagans wer without God P. Ther is no doubte thereof For albeit they had many by name and by fantasie yet notwithstanding they had none in déede seeing they were ignorant of the true God. Of the summarie of the christian faith and for what cause it is called the Symbole of the Apostles M. SEing it is so as thou saist it séemeth to me then to be wel doone very néedfull to consider yet some thing more néere the principall poyntes that thys christian fayth doth comprehende whiche is of so great vertue as thou haste sayde P. They are conteyned in the fourme of the ordinarie confession whiche the christians make dayly the which is cōmonly called The Symbole of the Apostles M. What signifieth this word symbole P. It is taken of the Gréekes of whome the Latines haue borrowed it to signifie an enseigne of acknowledging and the part that is gathered of euery mā in any thing as whē euery man giueth his shot M. Why is this confession of faythe called by that name P. Chéefly for two causes M. Whiche is the first P. It is bycause that it conteyneth as chosen and gathered togither into a summe the chief pointes of the doctrine sette foorth by the Apostles whome Iesus Chryst hath giuen and sent as vniuersall doctours of all the worlde M. Which is the seconde P. It is for that this doctrin is the true mark whereby euery man that voucheth the same yeldeth certain testimonie that he is a membre of the Christian Churche as the men of warre declare by the enseigne whiche they beare what prince they belong vnto and serue The Symbole of the Apostles M. WHich is the summe of thys faith the whiche thou callest Symbole P. I beléeue in God the Father almightie maker of heauen and of earthe And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lorde whiche was conceyued by the holie Ghost borne of the virgin Mary suffered vnder Ponce Pylate was crucified deade and buryed he went downe into hell the third day he arose from the deade ascended into heauen he sitteth at the right hande of God the Father almightie and from thence shall he come to iudge the liuing and the deade I beléeue in the holie Ghoste I beléeue the holie vniuersall Churche the communion of Sainctes the forgiuenesse of sinnes the resurrection of the bodie and the eternall lyfe Of the generall diuision of the principall pointes conteined in the Symbole of the Apostles M. HOw many articles and principall pointes bée there in this summe P. Men do commonly distinguish them in twelue but me thinketh we may reduce them all into two generally out of the whiche men may drawe the others afterwarde M. Whiche be these two pointes P. The first is touching our faith towards God the seconde concerneth his Churche which is builded vppon the same faith Of the faith that a Christian man oughte to haue in God. M. WHat ought we to beleue of god P. There are first two principal thinges to be considered in this matter M. Which is the first P. That whiche he hath declared vnto vs of his diuine nature by his worde M. Whiche is then the second P. That whiche we oughte to beleeue of his works by the whiche he hath declared vnto man what was his power his wisedome and goodnesse and the other vertues proprieties whiche are in him of the whiche we can haue no knowledge but by his works Of the vnitie and trinitie that is in the essence of God. M. WHat thinges ought we to consider concerning his diuine nature according as he hath declared vnto vs in his worde P. There be two principall M. Which is the firste P. It is the vnitie whiche is in his diuine essence whereby we are taughte that there is but one God in whome we beléeue M. Whiche is the seconde P. It is the trinitie of persons that is in that vnitie of the diuine essence the whiche we do confesse when we saye that we beléeue in the Father in the Sonne and in the holy Ghost Of the difficultie that is in this matter M. IT séemeth to me that there is great contrarietie in this matter Peter Wherein M. In that that it séemeth that it is as muche as if one should saye that there is but one only God and that there be three P. We ought not so to take thē séeing that we confesse but one only diuine essence albeit that we acknowledge in the same the father the sonne and the holy Ghost in such sorte distincte in proprieties of persons that yet for all that these thrée persons are but one only and very God. M. Canst thou expounde the same vnto me something more plainely by some similitude P. As there is but one Sunne in the world no more is there but one only God and as the Sunne sheweth himselfe by his beames euen so God as father doth shewe himselfe by his sonne Iesus Christ which is his worde and Eternall wisedome and as the Sunne by his heate doth make vs féele his force euen so God maketh vs to féele his vertue by his holy spirite whiche is his infinite power Of the principall vvorks of God vvhereof mention is made in the Simbole of the Apostles M. SEing that we haue spoken of the things that we ought to consider in the essence of God and in his diuine nature declare vnto me nowe that which thou hast to say concerning his workes by the whiche he hath declared himselfe to man suche as it hathe pleased him to be knowen of him Peter The Simbole of the Apostles doth comprehende chiefly thrée out of the which a man may drawe all the rest M. Which be they P. The first is the works of the creation of al things M. And the second P. The works of the redemption of man. M. And the thirde P. The worke of vinification the which we may also cal the works of sanctification M What dost thou vnderstand by that worke of viuification and sanctification P. I vnderstande the vertue that the holy Ghost hath to make vs wholly partakers of Iesus Christ and of all hys benefites Of the vnion that is betvvene the father the sonne and the holy Ghost in their vvorks M. ACcording to this purpose the father the sonne and the holy Ghost haue they any thing particuler concerning their works or else haue they them all common togither and chiefly those whereof thou hast now spoken P. Seing they are but one only God it is certaine that they can do no worke wherein they may be separated the one from the other M. It séemeth to me notwithstanding that in this summe of the faith men doe attribute as proper to the Father the worke of the creation and to the sonne that of the redemption and to the holy Ghost that which thou callest viuification and sanctification P. That must not be vnderstande as though

Almightie maker of heauen and earth And in Iesus Christe hys onely Sonne oure Lorde Whiche was conceyued by the holie Ghoste borne of the virgin Marie suffered vnder Ponce Pylate was crucified dead and buried he descended into hell The third day he rose from the dead he is gone vp into heauen and sitteth on the ryght hande of God the Father almyghtie From thence shall hée come to iudge bothe the lyuyng and the dead I beléeue in the holy Ghoste The holy vniuersall Church The communion of Saintes The forgiuenesse of sinnes The resurrection of the bodie The lyfe eternall Sobeit Of the vnderstanding of the matters conteyned in these Summaries and howe necessarie it is Chap. 3. NOwe forsomuche as it is a hard matter to be briefe and playne bothe at once it is certain that the matters conteined in these Summaries are so briefly comprehended in them that euery man can not easily vnderstand and comprehēd what they doo import sauing only such as are wel exercised in the holy Scriptures And beside that that ther are few among the common people that knowe the sayde Symboles vnlesse it be this which is the shortest of the thrée whiche the Christian Church doth hold There is yet this euil that many haue not learned it but in an vnknowne toung wherefore it profiteth them euen as much as if they had not lerned it at al séeing they do no more vnderstand it than if they had neuer heard speking of it And as touching these that haue learned it in their vulgar toung there are also many of them that haue onely learned to pronounce it by mouthe withoute any vnderstanding of it as do little children or birdes that are taught to speake not vnderstanding what they say Therefore it is more than necessarie that that whiche the principall pointes conteyned in the same do import in substance be expounded somewhat more familiarly and playnly to the ende that men may the better know how euery one doth vnderstād them and whether the faith of the heart do agrée with the confession of the mouth For manye whiche make that confession by mouth do oftentymes folow doctrines and religions clean contrarie to that whiche they confesse Wherein they do belye themselues denying by their works that whiche they confesse by worde Of the principall pointes wherevppon the true Christian faythe is buylded and first of the vnitie of god Chap. 4. NOwe the first grounde worke and the first article of the faith of a Christian man is that he beléeue that there is one only true God whiche is a spirite inuisible and eternall without beginning and withoute ende almyghtie all wyse all good all luste all mercyfull and all perfect maker of all creatures Of the Trinitie of persons in the vnitie of the diuine essence and of their proprieties and of the creation of the worlde Chap. 5. FVrther albeit that there is but one only God in one only diuine essence this notwithstanding the Christian faith doth acknowledge in that diuine essence the Father the Son and the holy Ghoste accordingly as God hath declared himselfe in his worde the whiche albeit he be distinguished in thrée persons yet notwithstāding those thrée diuine persons are but one only God in one selfe same essence in the which the faith doth cōsider the father as the fountayn of all diuinitie and the Creator of all things visible and inuisible and the Son as the eternal word and wisedom of him by the whiche all things ar made ordeined and placed as they are and the holy Ghost as his infinite power by the which he doth susteyn and gouerne them accordyng to hys eternall prouidence Of the prouidence of god Chap. 6. NOwe this prouidence of GOD is so conioyned wyth the creation of the worlde that it can not be separated For he may not be Creator but he muste also be the guyder and the directer For euen as none other was able to make suche a woorke but onely hée Euen so none other is able to guyde and gouerne the same but onely hée whiche is the woorker and maker Then this Prouidence importeth that nothing is done at aduenture To wit without the most iust ordinance of god For his prouidence extendeth both in generall and particular to all things that are as well in Heauen as in earthe in suche sorte that he hath a care for man whome hée hathe in speciall recommendation amongest all his creatures euen vntoo one verye haire of his heade euen as Iesus Chryste doth witnesse Of the eternall Predestination of God and of the manifesting of the same and where wee ought to seeke it Chapter 7. THerfore euen as he hath created all to serue to his glorie euen so hath he ordeyned of all men in his eternal counsel that whiche hath bene his pleasure to doo and forthwith the meanes by the whiche he woulde be glorified in them as wel in his mercie as in his iust iudgemente the whiche iudgement can neuer be but iust although it be incomprehensible to man and howe he doth manifest this eternall counsell to his chosen in Iesus Christ his sonne by the preaching of his Gospell which he setteth forth vnto vs as the true booke and register of the eternall election of god Also he giueth them the grace by the very same meanes to vnderstande the same and to receiue it thorowe true and liuely faith Of the author of sinne and of the incomprehensible wisedome of God which is in his eternal ordinance Chap. 8. ANd albéeit that nothing may be done neyther in heauen nor in the earthe without the most iust ordinance and the holie will of God or otherwyse he should not be God almightie yet notwithstanding this ordinance and will carieth with it no constraint to the will of man in sort that they neuer offend but willingly thorough their own malice Wherfore what soeuer maye happen in the worlde God may not be holden for author of sin nor of any euill what so euer but the diuell only and the naughtie wil of man which is alyed with the diuel Then it followeth that whosoeuer maketh God authour of synne and wickednesse in so muche as it is sinne and wickednesse dothe attribute to God that which is propre to the diuell and dothe blaspheme God horriblye not putting any difference betwéene his workes and those of the diuell For God hath so well prouided for the order of the causes ordeined by him the which he would should serue to his glorie that he can not ordeyne nor do but iustly whatsoeuer he ordeyneth or doth howe wickedly or vniustely soeuer the diuell or man doe For he is so excellente a worker that he can very well drawe good out of the euill that the diuell and man doe and that by hys incomprehensible wisedome and by his infinite power and goodnesse to be glorified in the same and in the iuste condemnation of those that shall do the euill whiche he hath forbidden and doe not liue

the glory of God to be preferred to all creatures And if that al the creatures should perish wherefore should we thinke it straunge if god were glorified in their perdition and that it did so please him T. No man ought to finde that straunge excepte he do more estéeme the creature than the Creator D. Therefore it is playne that this offence whiche many giue vnto themselues in the matter of reprobation of the reprobates procedeth not but from a maruellous greate pride and arrogancie of the flesh whiche estemeth itselfe more than it ought to do for if it had so small an estimation of it selfe as the worthynesse therof requireth and did estéeme God his glory so muche as it ought to do he should not onely not finde it straunge to knowe that god hath ordeyned to be glorified in the damnation of some no although it should be done with his owne person he shoulde glorifie God in his iust iudgement he would not murmure against him to wage the lawe with him and to play the lawyer and to pleade againste him to mainteyne the cause of the reprobates accusing hym as though he should do them wrong but rather he would desire himselfe to be damned as Saincte Paule desired for his bretherne the Israelites if it were possible that it moughte be done and that God mought be the more magnified and glorified therein From whēce then come these cōtrary thoughts but only of the horrible pride that is in our corrupted nature for what are we from whence came we what wrong may God do vnto vs wherin are we able to accuse him or attribute vnto him the faulte of our offences and of oure damnation and to set him in the place of the Deuill author of sinne considering that what determination so euer he haue made of vs we cānot complaine that we haue any other force violence constrainte to do euill but onely of oure owne wicked concupiscence vnlesse that happily we would complayne in that that he hath not made vs suche as coulde not sinne or else hauing sinned that he dothe not bestow vppon all like grace and that he dothe not saue all forsomuche as he moughte if that he woulde otherwise he shoulde not be God nor almightie but it hath pleased him that not without good and iust cause the whiche is continually such albeit that we cannot vnderstand it Therefore we must continually say with the Prophete that oure damnation is of our selues and our saluation of God only and say with S. Paule But o thou mā what arte thou that pleadest against god shall the thing that is fashioned say vnto him that fashioned it why hast thou shaped and made me thus The potter hathe he not power of the clay to make of one very lumpe one vessel to honoure and an other to dishonor And what if God wold to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with great pacience the vessells of wrath prepared to perdition and to shewe the riches of his glory vppon the vessells of his mercie which he hath prepared to glorye and agayne O the déepenesse of the riches of the wisedome and knowledge of God his iudgementes are not to be searched out and his wayes are impossible to be found For who is he that hath knowne the Lordes intente or who hath bin his counsellor or who is he that gaue to him firste and he shal be recompenced Hovve that the vvill of man cannot by any meanes be constrayned no not by the deuill himselfe but only of his ovvne vvickednes T. FOr my parte I graunte to all that which thou hast sayde but yet canst thou not denye but that mā is yet oftentimes constrained to sinne by meane of the temptacion and soliciting of the deuill D. This constraint wherof thou speakest is cōstraint without cōstraint for it is not in the power of al the deuils nor of al the creatures that are to constraine the will of one mā Wherfore what temptatiō or solicitatiō so euer happē vnto him if he did not willingly consent therevnto he could not be induced to do any kinde of thyng against his will. But it fareth with hym as it doth with a harlot for if she be solicited by bawdes and whoremasters she will giue ouer hir selfe vnto them which thing an honest woman will not do but will resist all suche temptations and procurements wil ouercome them Therfore albeit that the harlot may impute some parte of the cause of the offēce that she hath committed to those that did entise hir and procure hir therevnto yet notwithstanding she may not say that she hath bin constrayned so to do nor may by that meane excuse hir selfe for if she had not agréed therevnto of hir owne will she had not at all playde the harlot but bycause that she was already naturally thervnto enclyned these procuremēts did serue hir as it were matches oyle wood throwne into the fire which would kindle nor slame neuer the sooner nor the more if it were not naturally enclyned and prompte therevnto In like sorte is man broughte to euill thorough his owne concupiscence the which being wakened and sturred vp by the diuell dothe the more declare it selfe and sheweth more plainely what his nature is wherfore thou séest here howe that man dothe continually sinne of his owne will and if he will saye that he hath bin constrayned to do any kind of worke the which he knoweth manifestly to be against the will of God it must be considered wherein he hath bin enforced and cōstrayned if he haue in any wise bin enforced by the force of others so that he could not be in any wise master of his members although he did resist it by all the meanes that he coulde and dyd declare by his wordes and actes that hys harte and will did in no wise consente thervnto he may be excused as an honest womā may that hath bin takē of force the which notwithstanding hath cried and resisted by all meanes possible against the whoremaster and hath bin as willing to lose hir life as hir chastitie but if thou doest an euill worke either to please men or else for feare that thou shouldest fall into their displeasure or indignation and receyue any dishonor or wordly hindrance thou maist in suche a case alledge none other constrainte but only that of thy wicked wil no more than Pilate might whē he condemned Iesus Christe enforced by the constrainte of the Iewes For if thou didst loue God with al thy harte and better than thy selfe and didst more estéeme his glory than thine owne and thy soule than thy body and the heauen more than thou doest the earth thou moughtest be frée from losing that whiche thou fearest to lose and shouldest not lose it at all but shouldest gaine it double For as Iesus Christ saith he that shall loose his life for my sake the same shall finde it and he that feareth

¶ A Christian Instruction conteyning the law and the Gospell Also a Summarie of the Principall poyntes of the Christian fayth and Religion and of the abuses and errors contrary to the same Done in certayne dialogues in french by M. Peter Viret somtime minister of the word of God at Nymes in Prouince Translated by I. S. Seene and allowed according to the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions Imprinted at London by Abraham Veale dwelling in Paules churchyard at the signe of the Lambe ANNO. 1573. To the honorable and vertuous Lady Elizabeth Countesse of Lincolne Iohn Shoute vvisheth encrease of all godly honoure and knowledge WHEN I HAD TVRNED into English this vvorke I cōsidered in my selfe that in aunciente time and also in this our age men haue accustomed to dedicate their trauayles vnto such vertuous personages as they haue honored And I examining my selfe vnto vvhome I moughte addresse this little labour of mine thought good to presume vppon your goodnesse and to addresse the same vnto your honorable Ladyship knovving this vvorke to be a meet subiect for the exercise of noble spirits in the which they may see the great mercies of God tovvards mankinde and learne hovv to be thankfull for the same tovvards his diuine maiestie It may please you therefore good Madame to accepte this present at the hand of him vvho vvisheth vnto you great encrease of spirituall blessings and that after this momentayne life you may be one of those vvhich shall euer vvayte on the Lambe in the heauenly Ierusalem vvhich vvas slayne for the sinnes of man before the foundation of the world was layde to the end he mought make vs acceptable vnto God by vvhome vve haue redemption thorough his bloud euen the forgiuenesse of our sinnes according to the riches of his grace From London the 4. of Ianuary To the Christian Reader SEeing that the chiefe cause for the whyche God created mā is to be serued and honored by him our duty is thē to seke to vnderstand how to honor and serue him and we cānot know howe to serue honoure nor obey him but by his worde and albeit his worde be suche as it is able to giue instruction both to learned and vnlearned hauing in it milke for children and strong meate for men yet is it necessarie to vse for our better instruction the helpe of the worthy fathers in the study of the same wherby we may the better and more certainely iudge of that whiche we shall reade by the which meane we may the more easily know our good God his benefites vnspekeable presented to vs in his deare Christe and what we are by our Lord Iesus Christ what we are of our selues without which knowledge none can be a true Christian For if we knowe not that our only saluatiō is founded by God in Iesus Christ that oure eternall life proceedeth onely from the free mercies of god withoute any iote of oure deseruings surely we cannot be saued For if we will be accepted at the handes of God for his faithfull and obedient children we may not presente vnto him any workes of ours for satisfaction for our sins either in parte or in al albeit we ought and are bound to do good works For if we haue in vs a liuely faith we cannot but do good works For as faith is a frute of oure election so are good works a frute of our charitie towardes oure neighboure whiche charitie is a frute of oure liuely faith whiche worketh thorough charity as S. Paule saith but if we will be acceptable vnto God we must vtterly cast downe our selues before him acknowledging our selues worthy of eternall damnation a thousand times and embrace Iesus christ wholly with all his merites who hath satisfied the iustice of God for vs fulfilled the lawe paid our debte caried away with him captiues in vnspekeable triumph Sathan sinne deathe and Hell and hath taken possession for vs of the heauenly inheritaunce and there sitteth at the right hand of God the father making intercession for vs cōtinually And to the end we may wel knowe howe we do obtayne these inestimable benefites by Iesus Christe I haue tourned into oure naturall language this worke in the which are sufficiently and excellently handled all the principall pointes of our Christian religion I haue added to the ende of thys worke the exposition of Master Viret vpon the preface of the law which conteyneth sundry excellent doctrines I haue done it to helpe to aduaunce in the way of their saluation al such as are ignoraunt of the tongues wherefore I beseeche God that they whiche shall reade it may so profite thereby that God may in them be glorified and their soules edified THE SVMME OF the principall pointes of the Christian faith and Religion and of the abuses and errors contrary to the same Hovve nedefull it is that all Christians doe vvell knovv vvhat faith is vvherby they are made Christians vvhat things she doth comprehend Chap. 1. WHOSOEVER dothe beléeue the testimonie whiche God in his word doth yelde of his will holdeth alreadie for certaine that the saluation of men by the which God will be glorified in them resteth in the only faith in Iesus Christe and that from the heart men beleue to iustification with the mouthe men make confession wherby they are saued Wherfore séeing it is so it is néedfull not only that euery true Christian do well vnderstand what is the nature of the true faith and which are the principall pointes that she conteineth without the which she cannot be a true and perfecte faithe but also that he be wel resolued in them For faith can not be a true faithe without the true knowledge of the things that she beléeueth so farre as God hath reuealed by his worde and is requisite for euery man to knowe for his saluation Wherefore they which know not nor do vnderstand at all that whiche they say they do beléeue haue no faith at al but by imagination and fantasie whatsoeuer they doe persuade themselues to haue Of the summaries of the faith of the christian Churche named Symboles Chap 2. FOr that cause the ancient Church hath comprehended all the poyntes of the Christian faith in certaine Summaries whiche are called commonly the Nicene Créede the Créede of Athanase and that of the Apostles This name of Symbole was giuen vnto them as well for that they did conteyne in summe the principal pointes and foundations of the Christian doctrine whyche are more at large expounded in the holye Scriptures as also for that they are the true markes and tokens of a Christian man in euery one that beléeueth and confesseth the doctrine conteyned in them Wherefore it is requisite that euery one knowe at the least that same whiche is commonly called the Créede of the Apostles which is the most cōmon and most short of them all according to the which the Church doth daily make publique confession of hir fayth as followeth I beleeue in GOD the Father