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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

cause of this blasphemie for S. Peter in his i. epistle 3. chap. cōmaundeth vs to be alwayes readye to render reason to all that shall demaund vs of the fayth hope that we haue And again S. Paul Colo. 3. chap. Pro● 10. b let the word of God dwell plenteously in you but what answere make they to that which are more folish then the very fooles in dede Blessed is euery symple one he that walketh surely But that is the cause of all euills for that that many know not how to alledge aptly the testimonies of the scriptures for in this place we may not vnderstād the symple for the foolyshe and for him that vnderstandeth nothing but for him that is not craftye and melicious For if it shoulde be so vnderstode it should be superfluous to say be ye wyse therefore Math. 10. b as serpentes and symple as doues S. Ambrose vpō the 2. epistle to Tymothe 3. chap. sayeth All scripture geuen by inspiration from God c. It is manifest that all Scripture wherof God hath declared himselfe to be author is profitable For it is geuē to that end that it shoulde profite the ignoraūt reforme the deformed drawing the wicked into al good workes for by profiting a litle and litle in newnesse of lyfe it maketh the mā of God c. The law of the Lord is perfect restoring or conuerting soules the testimonye of the Lord is Collo 3. b Psal 19 Psal 119 faythful and sure it geueth wisedome to the ignoraunt The statutes of the eternall are righteous reioysing the hart the cōmaundement of the Lord is pure and doth lighten the eyes And againe Thy word is alampe or lanterne to my fete a light to my steppes The Prophet Esay in his 8. chap. sayth is there any where a people that asketh not councell of hys God Should men turne frō the liuing to the dead If any man want light let him loke vpon the law the testimonie whether they speake after this meaning The lyght of the Ezech 20. c morning shall not be geuen vnto them Moreouer the Prophet sayth Say to the childrē in the desert walke not in the ordinaunces of your fathers obserue not al their statutes be not defyled with their idoles I am the Lord your God walke in my ordinaunces and kepe my statutes and do thē Eccle. 1 a Itē the fountayne of wisedome is the word of the soueraign Lord God the entre into the same are his eternal cōmaūdements And agayn Search the scriptures for in them you thinke you haue eternall life and they bee they which beare Iohn 5 Iohn 20 g witnes of me And Iesus did many other thinges that are not written in this boke in the presence of his disciples but these things ar writtē to the end that you should beleue that Iesus is the annoynted sonne of God that in so beleuing you may haue life thorow his name The holy scriptures are In what recommendacion God hath his Word full of the lyke sayings The auncient fathers are full of the worthines of the scriptures S. Augustine in his 56. sermon made to the brethren that were in solitude sayth he that maketh none accompt of the reading of the holy scriptures sent from heauen ought not onely to feare that peraduenture he shall not receaue euerlasting rewards but also that he shall not escape the euerlasting punyshmentes for it is so daūgerous vnto vs not to read the deuine precepts that the Prophets with great sorrowe exclame cry out for that cause haue Esay 5. c Ose 4. b 1 Cor 14 my people bene brought into captiuitie because they had no knowledge for he that is ignorant shall be ignorant out of all doubt he that in this world maketh none accompt to seke to know God by the holy Scriptures God wil not vouchsafe to know him in the ioyes euerlasting we ought to be a feard to heare after that the gates shall be shut with the folyshe virgins I know you not I haue none acquaintaunce Math 25 ● with you you that worke iniquitie depart you frō me what meaneth this I knowe you not I am not acquainted with you how knoweth he not those that he sendeth to the fyre There is neyther of thē spoken without cause for as it hath bene already sayd suche as woulde not in thys world seeke to knowe hym by reading the Scriptures GOD will not acknowledge them at the day of iudgement We ought also not to heare negligently but with attentiue eare fear that which is written in Salomō he that turneth sayth he his eare Prou 18 ● frō the hearing of the lawe his prayer shal be abhominable wherefore he that will be heard at Gods hand muste fyrste heare God For how woulde he that God shoulde heare him when he doth so dyspyse hym that he maketh none accompte of the readyng of hys commaundementes Saint Hierome in the proeme of his Commentaries vpon Esaye to Eustochius sayth therfore I yelde vnto thee and to hym by thee that whiche I do owe obeyng the commaundement of Iohn 5. f Math. 7 ● Christ who fayth searche diligently the Scriptures Seeke and you shall finde to the end that it be not sayd to me as it was to the Iewes ye erre not knowyng the Scriptures the power of God the wisedom of God and truly after S. Paul if Christ be the power and wisedom of God he that knoweth not the scriptures the same knoweth not y● power of God nor his wisedō To be ignoraūt of the Scriptures is not to know Christ c. S. Chrisostome in the Homelie 29. vpon Benefis sayeth There is neyther griefe of body no● mynde in the nature of man but it may haue medicine of the Scriptures c. These are sayinges of great importance and are true They are no Legend lyes They are confirmed by the word of God whiche is the infallible truth Then if man know not God as he ought to do but by the Scriptures that none can be saued but by the knowledge of God and Christ Thē must it nedes folow that ignoraūce of the Scriptures bryugeth with it damnation I haue alledged here mo sayinges of the fathers then I would haue done nothyng so many in number as I could haue done but bycause the great swarme of aduersaries say that it is not lawfull or expedient that euery man should read the Scriptures but rather that the people should be ignoraunt affirmyng ignoraunce to be the mother of deuotion I could haue aūswered it to the full by the woorde of God alone whiche woorde I thincke to be most sufficient but bycause these kynde of men before named wil not accept Christ to be a true man of hys word except he haue some of the doctors fathers for witnesses Seyng nowe that it hath pleased our good God in mercy so to deale with vs as he hath in these our

the same but onely in y● that Rome shall haue receaued it frō thence for it is the rule by that which the church of Rome the doctrine of the same must be ruled and not it by the church or doctrine of Rome That same then which was done in Ierusalem on the day of Pentecost Actes ii in the company of the Apostles Disciples of Iesus Christ was done to the ende that the Apostles and Disciples of Iesus Christ being armed with y● power of the spirite of God frō on high and with that goodly gift of tonges should as Acte 1. lawfull and authorised Ambassadours Heraldes of thys great King and sonne of the eternall God shewe and proclayme through out the vniuersall worlde the determination of this deuine and heauenly Councell fyrst publyshed declared by their Lord and Maister Iesus Christ with the blessings and curses prepared for those which shall receaue or refuse it It is the laste determination vnto the which we must cleaue and sticke which hath againe sithe that tyme ben cōfirmed by the miracles and death of so many Apostles and Martyrs that the number is in maner infinite It is a determination of such importance of such authoritie that the Apostles thē selues yea the very Angels of heauen must be subiecte vnto it in such sort that it is by no meanes lawfull for them to set forth or declare any other doctrine then that Gal. 1. 2. of the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ vpon payne of eternall cursing and not without cause For seing that the sonne of God hath spoken is there anye creature in heauen or in Heb. i Gal. i ii earth that may correcte it If then according to the witnes of Saint Paule the curse and maledictiō of this great Councell be suche let vs then see in what sorte we ought to esteeme those which dare to take in hande that which neyther Apostle nor Aungell what so euer he be eyther dare or will and in what daunger they put them selues that will followe and harken vnto such men ¶ Of the vengeaunce of God agaynste those that despyse the Gospell T. MEn ought to consider and thinke wel on that which thou sayest and truely God hath geuen vs a greate gifte and hath shewed vnto vs a great token of loue when that after thys greate and worthye personage Moyses and so manye other excellent Patriarches and Prophetes he woulde also sende hys owne Sonne and woulde himselfe speake vnto vs by hym and teache vs the true and ryghte waye of sauation and woulde leade and bryng vs thither Esay ii Mich. iiii by hym as a good father leadeth hys little chylde by the hande Therefore we shoulde be verye vnhappye if we would not followe such a guide for if we will not heare the voyce of the very Sonne of God and truste in him whom shall we heare and whom shall we beleue We may well saye with S. Peter Lorde to whom shall we goe For thou haste the woorde of eternall life D. The testimonie that Iohn vi hath beene recited oute of the Epistle to the Hebrewes doth shewe vs playnelye into what daunger we put our selues if wee dyspyse the doctrine whiche the Sonne of GOD hath broughte vnto vs from heauen which ringeth in hys Church thorowe the mouth of his Ministers and is daylye set before vs in the holy Scriptures T. It is greatlye to be feared that if they which dispised the doctrine whiche was brought vnto them by the seruaunt were so grieuously punished Heb x they which shall contemne the Lord and Master deserue to be double punished D. For y● very cause our Lorde Iesus Christ sayd that the iudgement shall bee more easye Math. x Marck vi Luk. ix x againste those of Sodome and of Gomorre then agaynste them that would not receaue his Gospell and the bringers of the same ¶ Of the difference that men do commonly put betvvene the lavve of rigor and the lavve of grace and of the abuse that therein is T. HOw doe these thinges agree then with the difference that we sée men put commonly betwene the olde and the new Testament and betwene the law of Moyses which was geuen to the Iewes and the lawe of Iesus Christ geuen to the Christians For men do commonly cal y● of Moyses and the olde Testament the lawe of rigour and that of Iesus Christ and the newe Testament the lawe of grace D. Do these men which make that distinction thinke that God is chaunged since the time that he gaue his lawe by Moyses that he doth not as much hate iniquitie now as he did then Do they thinke that he can better endure the outrage that is done to his own Sonne then he could do that which was done to his seruaunt Doe they thinke that Iesus Christ came into the world to encrease allowe sinne and not rather to make it more more hatefull and to put it away T. It is like so for if a man do alledge that adulterie must be punyshed and will shewe howe much it displeaseth God for so Leuit. x Deut. 22 much as he cōmaunded in the law of Moyses that adulteries should be punished by death they haue forthwith their recourse to this distinction of the law of rigour of grace saying that we are vnder the lawe of grace and not vnder the law of rigor And although they do the like in diuers other such crymes yet is there none to whom they woulde make this law of grace more beneficiall then to whores whoremaisters D. Wherfore do they not then cause that law of grace to be as fauourable to theues whom they condemne to death which the lawe of Moyses doth not as it doth the adulterers But what is the cause that murtherers theues Exod. 22 Prou. ● and all other euill doers are punished why haue they no part of this lawe of grace T. They thinke that they haue greater reason concerning the punishment of adulteryes because that Iesus Christ would not condemne the womā Iohn viii which was taken in adulterie and brought vnto him by the Iewes D. Will they by that meane conclude that Iesus Christ did more fauour adulteries thē he did other offences and crimes They are therin greatly deceaued For Iesus Christ did not that which he did in that matter to geue men to vnderstand that whores and whoremaisters shoulde remayne vnpunished but for y● that his office tended not therunto and that he woulde confound the hypocrisie of those which had brought her vnto him and therefore he woulde haue done no lesse touching any other offence Therfore we may not in this sort abuse the grace which is brought vnto vs by Iesus Christ T. Yet notwithstanding y● matter passeth so at this daye ¶ Of the difference and diuersitie of the lavves of Moyses and of their nature D. IT is very true as it hath beene alreadie declared els

the Canon of the Apostles 17. quest 4 chap Si quis distinct 40 chap Si papa distinct 96 chap Satis chap Simplici Incipitis It is written in these canons that the power and authority of the Popes is such that they are able to dispense against the doctrine of the Apostles agaynst the right of nature consequently against the Gospell and woorde of God c. O horrible blasphemy Christ cōmaunded that none should adde or diminish from his word his word must be our guide or Scholemaster and instructor and yet in these dayes the number will saye it is not for vs to read the Scriptures it appertayneth onely to priests Fryers and Monkes to read vnderstand the scriptures as though the kingdome of heauen belonged only to such truly if y● thei which liue as it were in solitary life haue nede to be armed with the vnderstāding of the Scriptures to heale their wounds which thei daily receiue in the battail of this mortall lyfe being ●isburdened of a great number of cares which he is charged with that is burdened with office of Magistrate or of rule in the cōmon welth and also that he is charged with that is burdened wyth wyfe childrē familye he that is in thys sorte burdened shall haue more oftē occasiō to offend the maiesty of God then he that is not so burdened wherefore it is the more nedefull that he haue his medicine prepared wherewith to heale his deadelye woundes which he dayly receaueth by meane of sundry occasions geuē vnto him which medicine is y● vnderstādyng of gods word wherewith he mai assuredly furnish himself against al temptatiōs as witnesseth the Psalmist saying The words of the Lord are pure euen as the siluer which frō the earth is seuē times tryed purified Eusebius in his ecclesiasticall historye Psal 12 6. boke 15. chap. alledgeth the Epistle of Alexander bishop of Ierusalē against Demetrius doth reproue him saying That which thou sayest in thy letters affyrmyng that it was neuer sene nor knowē that secular lay men should dispute of the The scripture ought to be had in the vulgarae tounge fayth in the presēce of Byshops I know not what hath moued thee to affyrme so manifest a lye for so much as when so euer any is found sufficient meete to instruct and teach the people the bishops haue accustomed to desyre thē to take the matter in hand So dyd our brother Neon Byshop to Euelp● ' in the citye Larande the Byshoppe Celsus to Paulin in the citye Iconie the Byshop Atticus to Theodore in the city Synnade and there is no doubt but other byshops do the lyke in their dioces when they fynde any man mete to profyt the people Iohn Gerson a greate pyller of the papacie in the fyrst parte of hys examination of doctrynes sayth that the fyrst veritye is so sure that any symple man not beyng authorised may be so excellently sene instructed in the holy Scriptures that mē ought to geue more credyte to hys affyrmation in matter of teaching thē to the doctryne of the Pope for it is playn that we ought to geue greater credyte to the Gospell then to the Pope within fewe wordes after he sayth that if a generall Councell should be holden that such a wel instructed man were present there if that the greatest nūber should through malice or ignoraunce declyne and decree anye thyng agaynst the Gospel such a lay man myght lawfully stand agaynst the whole generall Councell Panormitan albeit he were a greate Idolater of papacie in the chap. significasti extra de electronibꝰ sayth these woordes In matters concernyng the fayth the saying of a laye man oughte to haue place before the saying of the Pope if hys saying bee more probable and better authorysed by the olde and newe Testament Sainte Hierome in hys fyrste tome writyng to Marcelle encouragyng her to goe to Bethleem sayeth In the vyllage of Iesus Christ there are none but rusticall men there is nothynge heard on anye syde but Psalmes The plowe man holdynge the plow by the tayle doth singe Alleluya the haruest mā beyng at his labour sweating doth passe the time in singyng of Psalmes and the laborer in the vineyard with hys hooke cutting the vynes doth syng some thynge of Dauid such are the songes of that countrey such are as men cōmonly say theyr songes of loue S. Hierome in the proem of his 1. booke of his exposition vpon the Epistle to the Ephesiās in the. 9. Tome sayth All words and al sentences are conteyned in the boke of God by the which also we know God are not ignorant of the cause of our creation I do not a litle maruell that some haue ben so gyuē to folly and sluggishnes that they would not learne those things which are excellent but haue thought do thinck worthy of blame al those that are gyuē to such studies to whom albeit I could make more stricte aunswer soone leaue them offended or pleased I say that it is much better to read the Scriptures then to be gredy and to fish for riches and to gather heay them together S. Hierome vpon the. 6. chap. to the Ephesians sayth if he cōmaund the lay men of the Ephesians such as be occupyed in the affayres and busines of this life as men see amōg the commō people to instruct and bryng vp theyr children in all godly discipline and learnyng what may men then thincke of Ministers and elders of whose order and maner of lyfe he wrote to his disciple Timothe saying hauyng theyr children subiect in all reuerence c. Primase Byshop of Vtica in the countrey of Affricke disciple to S. Augustin writing vpō the. 3. chap. of the Epistle to the Collosiās sayth let the word of God dwel plētuously in you c. Hereit it is playnly declared that the lay people ought also to haue the word of God not onely slenderly but also aboundantly and also that they ought to admonish teach one an other Theophilacte vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians the. 6. chap. shewyng fathers mothers by what meanes they shal make their childrē obedient and ready to do theyr cōmaundement declareth the cause of theyr obedience to the cōmaūdemēt of theyr father saying fathers prouoke not your childrē c. If thou wilt haue thy children obedient bryng them vp and exercise them in Gods worde accustome them to sermons and say not that it belongeth to Monckes onely to read the holy Scriptures for truly it is rather the office of euery Christian man namely of hym that is occupyed in the affayres and busines of thys world And y● more y● he nedeth help so much y● more nedeth he to vnderstand for he is the more tossed with the sourges and assaultes of this worlde It shall be much for thy profite that thy children do heare and read the holy Scriptures for out of them they shall

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