A Christian Instruction Containing the Law and the Gospel, Title page – To the reader
¶ 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 hauehave accuſtomed to dedicate their trauayles vntounto ſuch vertuous perſonages as they hauehave honored. And I examining my ſelfe, vntounto vvhome I moughte addreſſe this little labour of mine, thought good to preſume vppon your goodneſſe, and to addreſſe the ſame vntounto 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 vntounto you great encreaſe of ſpirituall bleſsings, and that after this momentayne life, you may be one of thoſe vvhichwhich shall euer vvayte on the Lambe in the heauenly Ieruſalem, vvhichwhich vvas ſlayne for the ſinnes of man before the foundation of the world was layde, to the end he mought make vsus acceptable vntounto God, by vvhome vve hauehave 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 giuegive 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 vsus 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 onelyonly 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 vntounto 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 hauehave in vsus 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 vntounto 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 vsus, fulfilled the lawe, paid our debte, caried away with him captiues in vnſpekeable triumph, Sathan, ſinne, deathe, and Hell, and hath taken poſſeſſion for vsus of the heauenly inheritaunce, and there ſitteth at the right hand of God the father, making interceſſion for vsus cōtinually. And to the end we may wel knowe howe we do obtayne theſe ineſtimable benefites by Ieſus Chriſte, I hauehave tourned into oure naturall language this worke, in the which are ſufficiently and excellently handled all the principall pointes of our Chriſtian religion. I hauehave added to the ende of thys worke, the expoſition of Maſter Viret vponupon the preface of the law, which conteyneth ſundry excellent doctrines: I hauehave 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,Rom. 3. d. Rom. 10. b. Ephe. 2. b 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 eueryevery 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 eueryevery man to knowe for his ſaluation. Wherefore they which know not, nor do vnderſtand at all that whiche they ſay they do beléeue, hauehave no faith at al, but by imagination and fantaſie, whatſoeuer they doe perſuade themſelues to hauehave.