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.

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 bet¦ter and more certainely iudge of that whiche we shall reade, by the which meane we may the more easily know our good God his be∣nefites vnspekeable presented to

vs in his deare Christe, and what we are by our Lord Iesus Christ, & what we are of our selues, with∣out which knowledge none can be a true Christian. For if we knowe not that our only saluatiō is foun∣ded by God in Iesus Christ, & that oure eternall life proceedeth onely from the free mercies of god with∣oute 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 obedi∣ent 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 cha∣ritie towardes oure neighboure, whiche charitie is a frute of oure

liuely faith, whiche worketh tho∣rough charity, as S. Paule saith: but if we will be acceptable vnto God, we must vtterly cast downe our selues before him, acknowled∣ging 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 a∣way with him captiues in vnspe∣keable 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 cōtinu∣ally. 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 ex∣cellently

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 be∣seeche God that they whiche shall reade it, may so profite there∣by, that God may in them be glorified, and their soules edified.