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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14461	The 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; Disputations chrestiennes. English	Viret, Pierre, 1511-1571.; Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Brooke, John, d. 1582.	1579 (1579)	STC 24776; ESTC S119193	490,810	627

colde coniectures Nowe Iesus Christ who is the infallible veritie woulde not that we should builde the articles of our fayth vppon coniectures but vpon the expresse veritie For sith that he and his Apostles doe witnesse that they haue man●fested all that which was necessary to our saluation hath commended to vs so much the loue towards our bretheren it is not lyke to be true but is repugnant to the witnesse of Iesus Christ that they haue spoken vnto vs so obscurely haue giuen vnto vs onely some coniectures of this matter and of the loue that we owe vnto the dead the which the Priestes doe wrest it more then that which is due vnto those that be liuing Hillarius Bicause that Iesus Christ hath spoken so obscurely therefore they would make commentaries gloses for to declare it bicause that it bringeth vnto them more profit Thomas Thou hast opened a place Theophilus of which I would gladly be resolued that is to say of the preaching to the dead For to tell the truth I haue oftentimes dreamed mused after it bicause that I considered y according to the witnesse of the Scripture n●ne can haue saluation but thorowe the faith in Iesus Christ Now if we do compare those which haue knowne Iesus Christ and haue beleeued in him with those which haue not beleeued and which haue neuer hard him speake the number of those here shal be very little in respect of others Wherefore it followeth that there should be a merua●lous number of the damned that the mercy of God shall not be so great as his rigor iudgement Now it is straunge to mans reason to iudge that God will dampne so many chie●●y sith y he hath had as many which haue not known Iesus Christ for want that one hath not shewed him vnto them Wherefore me thinketh that the opinion of those héere is not much out of reason And I would gladly know what places they can haue of the holy Scripture for to proue it for I will accord and agrée almost sooner to that then to the opinion of Purgatory Theophilus Thou hast moued a question the whiche cannot be expressed and absolued in few wordes For we must first declare what knowledge of Iesus Christ is necessary vnto saluation and how it hath bene alwayes preached from the beginning of the world among all people nations And how it hath ben sufficiently manifested vnto the elect for their saluation to the reprobate for their condempnation Insomuch that they are all inexcusable they cannot alledge ignorance sufficient for to excuse them And it is not néedfull that they haue any more preaching after this lyfe But I had rather that we would omit and leaue off that matter vntill an other time that we maye speake more amply of it and better to satisfie the question which is made dayly touching the saluation or dampnation of our predecessors which haue liued in errour and ignoraunce Yet neuerthelesse bicause that the places which we haue accustomed to alledge for y preaching to the dead may also serue to the matter at this present time I am contented y we do entreat of them for to declare that they are not firme inough for to proue the same nor the Limbe nor Purgatory in like manner to which the others would make thē serue But for that that it may be that Eusebus doth put them foorth amongst his defenses it were better that we do delay that matter vntil such time as he bringeth it in by course in following his matter by order or if be do it not thou maist put me in remembrance Thomas Yet neuerthelesse before that Eusebius pursueth the other places that he hath determined to put foorth or open I wil propound vnto him an argument concerning the point of which we haue entreated off that is to say of the remission forgiuenes of sinnes in the other world Whervpon I demaund of thée Eusebius when Iesus Christ did giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen vnto his Church as wel in y person of S. Peter as vnto al y church generally that he declare the power of them of the ecclesiastical ministry hath he not sayd namely That which thou shalt binde in earth shall be bound in heauen that which thou shalt loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen He sayth not That which thou shalt binde or vnbinde in heauen or in Purgatory or in hell or in the other world or in the other life and in an other earth but speaketh of this héere in the which the keys haue ben giuen in the which the Euangelical ministry hath his vigor and strength I wil not reiterate that that you said of the forgiuenes of fault paine For al that is against you But me thinketh that the Pope and those that haue receiued the power of him doe verye euill vnderstand their office willing to extend and stretch the power of their keyes pardons and indulgences vnto the other world and vnto the dead which haue their estate a part and seperated from ours and are no more vnder the iudgement of the church which is in earth which hath not to regard but on the liuing Eusebius Alexander of Ales Gabriel Biel haue very wel satisfied y obiectiō For they do answere y the dead ought to be accōpted to be yet vpō the earth as touching y absolutiō or ligatiō binding or vnbinding vntil y they are passed entred into the kingdome of heauen For whilest y the soules are in purgatory they are vpon the earth sith that they are not yet in heauē that they are yet of the Church militant not of y triumphāt Furthermore euen as those which are in the earth are yet in the way and not at the end full marke so are those which are deteined in Purgatory They are in passing for to goe to the countrey as touching the purgation by the which they are purged passe to the country as by y way Although y they are at the ende marke as touching the confirmation For they can no more sinne nor merit Furthermore all the while that they are ayded receiue comfort of the temporall earthly goods by prayers one may well holde accompt them for to be yet of this world sith that they doe communicate with vs of the goods which are there Hillarius He will accompt then of the dead as of the Monkes which are dead to the world in some pointes but not in other some They are dead to the world as to that that they doe serue and profit no person no more then the dead But they are not dead as to eating and drinking and to other carnall workes For in y there is not a people which doe better liue in the world nor which are more of the world Euen so shall it be of the dead They shal be dead to vs for to giue vs

them for suche as they are and they must not any more spare them sith that they woulde waxe worse and empaire if one shoulde kéepe them and the more that one doth thincke to make them méeke and gentle in flattering them they become the more sauage wilde and madde And therefore I thincke that those that are of a good iudgement and which doe consider the thinges according to the truth shall bée constrained to confesse that I flatter to much Although that I doubt not but that one shal finde some which may say of me that which is sayd commonly of the Asse which woulde play wyth his master as hée did sée the dogge doe strikinge him and leaping vpon hym with his féete I am very sure that such playes and games doe not please the king of Babilon and his court and that they will not haue suche Apes excepte they bée otherwise apparelled then that poore Asse was For they haue not accustomed that those little Ladyes dogges which make them sporte and wagge the tayle and which are learned and taught to runne and leape on the Ladyes and Gentlewomen and those pleasaunt Apes and Marmesettes for to make them pastime But the LORD wyll haue none other Apes in his Church then such dullardes as the world iudgeth them which doe playe and iest earnestly and doe goe as they doe intende in all simplicitie without dissemblinge that which ought not to bée dissembled Hée will not haue such lyttle pleasaunt dogges for to bée a delite and pleasure vnto Ladyes but woulde haue good Mastyes and great greyhoundes which are not to be carryed in the sléeue but for to barke and driue awaye the Wolfe from the folde Wherefore if there bee men whiche in laughinge doe bite they doe giue vs to vnderstande that they take no great pleasure by such playes and pastimes but that they woulde haue other pastime and occasion to speake of better matters Yet neuerthelesse they doe shew vnto those which doe loue the pastyme and which take pleasure in them as Democritus hath laughed and scoffed at the follies and dreames of men that it is not nowe néede that they doe séeke any other matter The courte of Antechrist gyueth them ynough and most worthyest to laugh at and in the which one maye better iest wythout offending GOD if one doe it wyth such affection and such modestie as is in these Dialogues Those also which shall bée totter and seuere and which as Heraclitus doe iudge the follies and miseries of men more worthy of wéepinges and lamentations then of laughings and iestinges they shall haue héere matter ynoughe to wéepe séeing the iudgement of GOD which hath bene and is yet vpon the Christian people bicause of our sinnes and despisinge of his woorde Insomuch that me thinckes that I haue not written any thing which may bring hurt vnto the Christian religion And though I doe not profite very much yet neuerthelesse there wanted in mée no wyll Wherefore I doe trust that the good men will take all in the beste parte whome onely I feare to offende If the wycked are angrye wythout a cause I will leaue them for such as they are yet I speake neuerthelesse the veritie although they will not take it If the wise and learned cannot much profit it is sufficient for me that the poore ignoraunt people should receiue some fruite Although that such a one doe thincke himselfe very wise and learned that he may yet finde some thing for to learne It is very true that that matter requireth better to be intreated off in Latine then in french For it conteineth things which would haue ben plainer which would haue bene entreated off more briefly the which peraduenture I may be rebuked for ouermuch prolixitie tediousnes But there are many reasons which are the cause The first is for that I am one of those Oratours which know not to enter in talke or begin any matter nor which know not howe to leaue off The second bicause that I doe write most of all for the ignorant and rude people for whom we had néed to chew their meates a little and to declare the matters more grosly y which they cannot vnderstand in one word as those that are wise learned which wil comprehend it very easily as those which haue read the Authours out of whome I haue taken the matter Therefore there is yet an other reason that is that I must vse great circumlocutions and narrations for to expresse and declare that which in Latine or in Greeke myght bee spoken in one woorde For the things are more harde vnto those which haue not read the Greeke and Latine authours But I haue tolde alreadye the causes which haue moued mée to write rather in this language then in an other And if the matter bee worthy to bée put in the Latine tongue if it please the Lorde it may bée done at leasure or it maye moue the heart of some which will do it better Be it as it is it is to mée sufficient so that I doe serue a little the good If I doe offende the Hipocrites I would be contented that they bée offended with mée so that they doe finde better tast in all the other which haue spoken and written of the relygion a great deale better then I and so that they haue them in such honour and reuerence as they ought to haue Also I thinke that none shall finde vnfitte for the matter many of the histories of our time the which I haue set in and mingled among these matters For if it be lawfull to alleage the auncient historyes written by others wherefore should we not speake of that which is done in our time when occasion serueth Sith that so many things do come dailye more worthy of remembraunce then many of those which the auncients haue written Wherefore I haue not estéemed and thoughte that to bée a thinge inconuenient nor vnworthy of remembraunce which we our selues and our fathers are witnesses Also I haue put the quotations of the authours in the margents out of whome I haue taken that which I haue alleaged to the ende it should not appeare that I haue inuented them of mine owne head aswell of the Philosophers Poets Historiographers as Doctors Questionaries Sophisters as of the auncient Doctors of the Church and holy Scriptures FINIS ¶ THE ARGVMENT AND SVMME of the first Dialogue IN this first part and first Dialogue I doe amply entreat of the matters which concerne those that be deceased declaring the errours abuses superstitions which are committed about them and the false and diuerse opinions which haue bene and yet are among men aswel touching the estate of the bodies as of the soules And of hell Limbus patrum and of Purgatorie And how that which the supersticious Christians do about the dead is nothing at all lyke vnto the woord of God but is altogether taken of the Infidells Panims And for to

youngmen were cleane and kept themselues from woemen And Dauid answered the Priest and saide vnto him of a trueth woemen hath bene locked vp from vs about a thrée dayes Furthermore when the Prophet Ioel exhorted the people vnto penaunce fastings and prayers wherfore saide hée amonge other thinges let the bridegroume goe foorth of his chamber and the bride out of hir closet Doth not the holy Scripture declare sufficiently vnto vs how we ought to dispose and giue our selues vnto penaunce fastings and prayers chiefely when the solemne feastes doe approche and that when wee must goe vnto the Lords table for to receiue his precious body and bloud is it not then requisite that we shoulde abstayne both from woemen and from all other carnall pleasures Theophilus I deny not but that God requireth of vs a great honesty movesty and helmes and that we sheult abstaine not only from things which of themselues are euill and wicked and by he● forbidden at all times but it is also requisite some time to abstaine from things which are lawfull permitted when there is a question of some thing of great unportance if such things might anything at all be a let vnto vs And when the auncient Doctors haue spoken of such things they haue so vnderstanded it But although that God desireth that euery one shoulde know how to kéepe his vessell in holines and honour that none do defile his owne body nor his wiues nor of any other whosoeuer it bée thorow to great concupiscence of the flesh and that he also requireth in the holy mariage a Christian continency chastity and sobriety as from wine and other creatures Must he therefore forbid mariage vnto some for euer and vnto other some a great parte of the time without excepting any person whatsoeuer hée or shée bée of what estate condition or infirmity that may bee in them Hillarius You doe wronge Theophilus For they are not so rigorus as you make them to bée and haue not such strayte and rigorus lawes but that for money they will release and dispense with it But whiche is more I beléeue that who soeuer will bring money vnto that Pope and agrée with him that he will dispense with the childe to mary with his mether the father with his daughter the brother with his sister without hauing regarde vnto consanguinitie diuine lawes nor humaine Theophilus I doubt it not except the shame and feare of men do let and hinoer it sooner then the feare of God. Hillarius By what right shal he refuse vnto others that which sometime some amongst them are permitted For which I wil haue none other witnes at this time but the Cpitath of Lucretia that daughter of Pepe Alexander the whiche was made in Latine after this manner and to this effect Within this tōbe here now doth sleep who had to name Lucrece In all things shee cōpard was to I hass whore of Grece Whom Alexander Pope of Rome when she remaind in life Esteemed as his daughter in law and vsed as his wife Theophilus I demaunde of thée friende Eusebius if God hath forbiden mariage vnto euery person estates and conditions or in any times and seasons wherefore doth that Pope dispense for money For that which God hath forbidden and prohibited cannot be lawefull for any money that one can disburse If God hath not forbidden it wherfore doth he forbyd that which God hath permitted you cannot deny but that he is a Tyrant theese and a piller of the poore people Hillarius I will resolue thy doubte and will vanquish thée by a plaine and cléere induction wilt thou not graunt vnto mée that God is aboue the law and that he is subiect vnto none Theophilus I do not gaine say it Hillarius Afterwards do you not cōfesse that God which made that law can dispense with it at his pleasure and that where there is dispensation of God there is no more lawe Theophilus I also agrée vnto thée in that Hillarius For where there is no law as Sainct Paul witnesseth there is no transgression nor sinne Theophilus I do nowe perceiue where vnto thou wilt come I well perceiue that you minde to conclude that sith that the Pope is God in y earth he may wel dispense with those lawes that he giueth here in earth that after his dispensation there remaineth no more sinne vnto them which offēde against his lawes when those lawes are taken frō thē by him that gaue it thē But of this thy conclusion I wil bring foorth yet another consequence by the which I will proue that he which doth against the lawes of that Pope which haue no foundation by the worde of God doth not sinne but against y Pope not against God for there is no trāsgression against God but in that wheroff there is a law of god Now there is in none of all those things wheroff wee haue spoken any law giuen of God. Wherfore who so that maryeth in those times prohibited he sinneth not against God but against that Pope only not that I wil deme but that we must obey that higher powers rulers not only bicause of feare the we should haue of thē of the power that they haue ouer vs but also for cōscience sake as the holy Apostle teacheth vs giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that we ought to obey our Princes Lords with a good conscience although that we feare not they punishment and bengeaunce bicause we must serue them as those which serue God and not men whiche is but his instrument and seruaunt But the same ought to be vnder standed in that wherein the power is lawfull and that one may obey it without hurting the soule perill of conscience notwithstanding that one shoulde receiue damage either in bodie or goods For in another case condition the aunswer of the Apostle abydeth alwayes firme It is better to obey God then men Hillarius I well agrée vnto that thou sayest But thou hast not yet hit the white For I am a more subtill Logyeioner then thou thinkest that I am nor I stay not only vpon common arguments And therfore let vs retourne againe vnto nune induction the which I haue not yet ended I am very wel contented to confesse vnto thée that the Pope is a God in the earth but in that sence as the diuell is called in the holy Scripture the prince of this worlde the God of this worlde the ruler of darkenes or in that sence as wee do gods the Idols straunge Gods. But there is yet a greater God and more puissant then he vnto whom he and all other such Gods like vnto him are subiect and obedient Now I demaunde of thée where to ought we to referre the ende of mans life Theophilus Unto him from whom it tooke his béeginning Hillarias It is then of God who is the beginning and ende of all thinge who

god But bicause that that holy asshes was done in the daye of the feast of the Goddesse Pales and that I haue yet to speake of otter Goddesses here before mencioned let vs returne vnto the feast of Candlemas and afterwardes let vs fall againe to the asshes after that I shal haue a little followed certeine other conformities the whiche I haue alreadye some thinge beganne I haue alreadye touched howe you doe attrybute the same tytles vnto the Uirgyn Mary whiche the Idolaters haue giuen vnto Iuno Diana Ceres and Proserpina whom they haue called some of them Quéenes of Heauen the others Ladies without a tayle Shee called hir selfe the handemayde and seruaunt of the Lorde and you doe call hir our Lady as though there were in Heauen Lordes and Ladyes as there is in the Earth and a King and a Quéene as there is a Sunne and a Moone Theophilus The Scripture admitteth but one king of the worlde immortal and inuisible and onely wise vnto whome onelye belongeth all honour and glorye and in whose thigh is written King of Kings and Lorde of Lordes Uppon whiche also wée haue the witnesse of the Apostle saying Although that there bée many Gods manye Lordes in the worlde to witte after the reputation of the Idolaters yet neuertheles vnto vs there is but one God and one Lord. Hillarius Afterwards you doe make the same honour vnto the Uirgyn Mary which the Romaines dyd vnto the Harlot Flora whome they haue made a Goddesse and canonised hir bicause that shée made them heyres of hir goodes whiche shée hadde gayned by whoredome And afterwardes for to couer and hyde their honoure haue called hir Chloris and haue giuen vnto hir power to make the Earth to fructifie and increase Doe yée not greate honoure vnto that holye Uirgyn to giue vnto hir Flora that abhominable bawde and harlot for a compaignion or to put hir in hir place And the tyme agréeth well to the feaste For the Florales and the feaste of Candlemas of Flora were dedycated vnto all lycenciousenesse shamelesse playes vpllaynies and dissolutions the whiche the false Christians doe practise all that time whiche is betweene the Kinges and Shroftyde afterwardes they beginne agayne at Caster and doe contynue vntyll the moneth of Maye and almoste all the yeare But chiefely at the feasts of Caster in May after their lamentations of Lent. Furthermore the Panims do hold Proserpina Hecate for the Goddesse and Quéene of hell and do light vnto hir Torches and candels and doe beséech hir for the dead to the ende shée be fauourable as well for hir owne parte as towardes hir husband Pluto And you do ye muche lesse of the Uirgin Mary you doe call hir Quéene of heauen And you do make hir Quéene of hell and of the dead as the Poets doe of Hecate whom they do also take for Proserpina and Diana vnto whom they do attribute great power in heauen and in hell as it appeareth by that that Virgill saith To cast in sacred fire redemption chiefe of deedes amisse And on Diana cals in heauen and hell that mightie is Also in like manner you would make of Iesus Christ a Pluto or at the least the difference is not great And if you wil deny it I wil haue no more to proue it but your prose sequence of the dead which is in good tyme but yet neuerthelesse without reason beginning in Latin Lugentibus in Purgatorio The which for to make it the better to soūd in thine eares friend Eusebius the better to follow the stile of the Fatists which haue made it I wil revearse it vnto thée in verse word for worde the best I can and if thou doe not finde the ryme so good as it is in Latine be assured that there is more ryme and better then there is of reason For I do not thinke that one can finde greater blasphemy against God and the Uirgyn Mary If I do not translate it word for worde I will yet at the least rehearse the sentence faithfully Giue eare then and I will poure it forth 1 To all them that doe dwel in Purgatory paine Where firy furies fel and sorrowes they sustaine And torments doe endure voide of solation Come shew them some ●ecure by thy compassion O Mary 2 Thou art the well alone which washest sinnes away Thou hydest euery one and none thou doest denay Extend thy hand toward these soules and succorr shew Which thus without regard lye languishing in woe O Mary 3 The dampned spirites to thee so pitious do asplie Desiring for to bee deliuered foom the fire That by thee they may bee erepted for their paine And may in ioyes with thee for euermore remaine O Mary 4 Of Dauid only kay which heauen openest wyde These wretches helpe streight way which dolors do abide Let them deliuered be from dongeon and durance Where they do linked lye in sorrow and greuance O Mary 5 A rule art thou full right to them that thee assye A liuely lampe of light to them that trust in thee Incontinent go pray for these soules in distresse Thy sonne that he streight way their dolour will relesse O Mary 6 O Virgin thus we do vpon thee cry and call These soules so tangled to deliuer out of thrall And pardoning their misdeed also wee thee request That thou wilt be their guyde to euerlasting rest O Mary Do ye not behold a goodly Letanie may not Iesus Christ now rest For the Scripture attributeth vnto him nothing which is not here altogether attributed vnto the creature Wherefore I will haue none other proposition for to proue that that profe contayneth the greatest blasphemye which may be vppon the earth but only that eyther the same that I do say is true or els that the holy Scripture is false and Iesus Christe is no more Iesus Christe the dore the key and he which holdeth it which openeth and sutteth the way the trueth and the life by whom onely wée haue accesse vnto the father or onely hope the resurrection and remission of sinnes or only aduocate patron and mediator the which titles and many other like the Scripture attributeth vnto him onelye and not vnto the creature whatsoeuer it bée eyther in heauen or in the earth Wilt thou now deny but you doe make of the Uirgin Mary a Proserping and of the other side a Ceres whom in like manner you doe honor by putting on of white apparel and with fastings superstitious abstinences euen as Ouid hath written of Ceres saying The Goddesse Ceres best doth like the garment made of white And for hir vse in garment blacke shee no thing doth delite Behold as touching the apparell Giue eare also to that which he speaketh of the superstitious fastings Their feasting lasted all the day till time of night drew neare And then they streight to supper went when starres in skye appeare

faire and a goodly péece of worke But wée must bring it to the touchstone the which shall not be after our owne iudgement but according to the same of GOD who is the iudge of vs and of our workes Therefore saith he that the day shall declare it and that the fire shall trye what euerye mannes worke shall bée He calleth the day of the Lord all tymes in which hée manifes●eth his presence vnto men by any manner of wayes the which he doth chiefely by the manifestation of his truth and reuelation of his Gospell By the fire although that in the Scripture it be many times taken for the temptacions and tribulations yet neuertheles it agréeth best héere to the sence meaning of the Apostle to take the fire for the towchstone which procéedeth of the holy Ghost which is the true fire which consumeth all doctrine inuented by men the which cannot abyde the spirituall towchstone but vanisheth away assoone as one proueth the spirites whether they be of God or not Asmuch happeneth of all the workes procéeding of such doctrine the which cannot beare the iudgement of god But to the contrary it happeneth to the truth as to the faith the which euen as the golde becommeth more fairer and sheweth it selfe more pure when it is tryed and examined in that furnayce and approcheth néerer of that spirituall iudgement And therefore when the word of the Lorde is manifest by the vertue of the holy Ghost then all things are reuealed We shall know what worke we haue made whether it hath any ●ault in it or not and whether we haue lost our time or whether we be worthy of a reward If we haue not buylded a matter agréeing to the foundation when the truth the iudgement of the spirit of god presseth our conscience or that the temptations also and the afflictions doe compasse vs rounde about wée are compelled to condempne our worke and we shall proue that that which we estéeme to be of some waight and importaunce is nothing at all and that in which we put our hope and trust cannot serue vs neither confirme nor assure our consciences Eusebius But how are we saued by the fire if our workes are lost and by the same consumed Theophilus The Apostle declareth it sufficiently himself if we do marke of what people he speaketh He speaketh not of Hereticks Apostates seducers and false Prophets which teach false doctrine contrary to the faith and which are seperated from Iesus Christ and from his body which is the Church by their infidelytie and peruersitie But he speaketh of the Masons and buylders of the Churche that is to say of Euangelycall Pastors and Ministers which haue not forsaken the foundation nor y head which is Iesus Christ that is to say which haue not tourned themselues from the principall poynts and articles of the Christian religion and from the saith in Iesus Christ and from things necessary to saluation But haue mingled some of their inuentions and traditions amongst the doctrine of the Gospell and haue fayled in some lyttle and small things which are not very daungerous Those then to whom such things shall happen shall receyue domage and losse For their wor●e and that which they haue added to it of theirs shall perish and shall haue no more profite then if they were altogether dispossessed of them But they shal haue rather shame and confusion for them Yet neuerthelesse they shall be saued but as by the fire not their fault their errors and ignoraunce and their buildings buylded without the word of God may be agréea●le to God But bicause of the foundation which they haue holden and kept and of the head of which they remayne members and of the faith which abideth in them shall be purged and delyuered from error and ignoraunce by that fire of the holy Ghost with which they shall bée illuminated But yet neuerthelesse héerein men will liken him vnto a foolish buylder which shall buyld vpon a good and sure foundation of stone and a rocke a house or buylding of wood ●●ye chasse and stubble which thinke to haue made a goodly péece of worke and knowes not his fault vntill that he séeth that the fire bath taken and consumed it altogether Then he knoweth by experience that be hath lost his time and the cost and expences that he hath bestowed about it and that be is forced to beginne his buylding a new ●● though he had neuer put his hand vnto it sauing that th● shame and the losse abideth with him We call our selues all Christians and doe confesse that there is but one foundation and one head Iesus Christ But although that in that behalfe we doe all agrée yet neuertheles when they come to buylde vpon that foundation all shall not be found good Masons For many will be Masters before they haue bene good schollers and apprentices and will not follow the rule and the instruction of the master Masons well expert and cunning in their mistery and occupation but thincking to make some fairer thing doe buylde after their owne fantasie They doe preach or heare the Gospell and will serue god after their affection and as they thinke good And thincking to make some faire péece of worke they marre it altogether But they doe not know it by and by vntill such time as the fire of the Gospell and of the spirite of God which is the true Iudge and the truth reuealed vnto men destroyeth all the goodly outwarde appearaunce and maketh it to be séene such as it is and not such as it appeareth outwarde As wée sée by experience in the Moonkish sectes and in many other ceremonyes superstitions Idolatryes and workes inuented of menne in which wee doe glorye and boaste our selues and thinke that we haue done mough for to merite foure Paradises and for to make God to be in our debte But when the Gospell is purely preached which beateth down all error all vayne supersticion and mans trust then we shall know our fault and be ashamed of that of which we thinke to be much estéemed Or when God sendeth vnto vs some great affliction temptation and aduersitie that his iudgement presseth vs that he examineth and prourth our woorkes as the fire proueth and tryeth the golde in the furnayce Then we shall know our hypocrisie folly vanitie and false religion the which wée doe not thinke but to be pure godlynesse and righteousnesse And as the holy Apostle esteeming as dongue all that which before wée estéemed as golde But forasmuch as wée haue not renounced and forsaken Iesus Christ nor the fayth which wée haue in him wee are not altogether lost thorow the fault that we haue committed but it happened vnto vs euen so as vnto him which hath escaped the fire But he hath yet neuertholesse lost his house and all that which was in it bicause that it was not buylded with good stuffe and could saue but his body all naked