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.

Howe the Lorde taketh the ministers of his Churche of his verie people, and not of a strange people.

M.

WHen thou diddest alledge the promise which god hath made to his Church of the perpetuall gift of prea∣ching, and of the ordinarie mynisterie whiche it pleased him to appointe in the same, it séemeth to me that thou saydst that he hathe promised to put his worde into the mouthe of the very séede of the Churche:* 1.1 by the which séed, I vnderstand the children & the membres of the same, and of the people of God.

P.

Thou takest it verie well, and therfore the Lord hath playnely sayde by Moyses,* 1.2 that he will rayse vp out of the middest of his people,

those Prophets the whiche he will gyue vnto hir, to teach hir, to the ende that they shall not go foorthe of his Churche to séeke them. Howe agréeth this then with that which thou hast heretofore sayde, that the gifte of prophecie and suche like, were as well communicate to infidells and repro∣bates, as thou hast very well proued by testimonies and examples of the holy Scriptures?

P.

That maketh not at all a∣gainst that whiche I haue now sayd. For albeit that God at times doth bestowe of his gifts vppon the vnfaithfull, the which in deede he doth not bestow vppon euery faithfull man, yet for all that it followeth not but that he doth cōtinually chose some in his Churche, to whome he giueth thys gift & this office, albeit he doth it not euer after one sorte. For he sendeth either moe or fewe, according as it is néedefull, and according to the fauoure that he wil shew vnto it, be it secretly or publiquely accor∣dingly as he will make himselfe knowen to his.

M.

But can it not well come to passe also that very those whiche are cho∣sen in his Church, may be Hypocrites and rather woolues and hierlings thā good pa∣stors?

P.

That commeth often times to passe, and the example whiche thou hast in Iudas, doth confirme sufficiently vnto vs that which thou sayest, if in déede wée had none other. But when the Churche knoweth them to be such, she should pro∣uide for: it by the meanes that God hathe giuen hir in that behalfe.

M.

And if they be only mercenaries, and not apperante wolues, may she endure them?

P.

If they be wolues, she cānot endure them, for so∣much as they be of false doctrine. If they be onely mercenaries, and if she cannot easily knowe them, or that she haue not the meanes to ridde hir from them and to haue better, she may beare with thē, pro∣uided that y^e doctrine which they set forth be not false, albeit that in the rest they do not discharge the office of a pastor as they ought to do.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esay. 59. d
• * 1.2

  Deut. 18. d