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.

Of that vvhich is generall and common to all Sacraments.

M.

SHew me thē which be those diuers benefits and the sacraments which represent them.

P.

For more plaine vn∣derstanding of that whiche thou demaun∣dest, we haue first to consider that whiche is commō and generall to all the Sacra∣ments: and then we will come to that whiche is proper and speciall to euery of them.

M.

What is that then which they haue common to them both?

P.

There be chiefly three points.

M.

Which is y^e first?

P.

It is that God on his part doth declare and testifie the good will which he hathe toward his faithfull, & the fauoure which he wil shew thē in his sōne Iesus Christ.

M.

Which is the second?

P.

It is the con∣fession

of faith and the homage whiche he also requireth of the faithful, by the which they confesse and acknowledge him to be theyr God, and Iesus Christ to be theyr true sauioure & redéemer, by this meane declaring the faith that they haue in hys promises, as though they made a solemne oth to Iesus Christe, as to their king and true Lord and sauioure.

M.

Which is the thirde?

P.

It is an aduertisement whiche we haue in all the sacraments of the du∣tie of Christians, and of the life that they should lead, folowing the professiō which they make when they do receiue thē.

M.

Declare vnto me nowe by examples all these points, and thē shew me foorthwith what it is of euery sacramēte in his par∣ticuler, and what euery one of them hath proper and speciall.

P.

For the firste, sée∣ing that all the Sacraments do send vs to Iesus Christe and to his deathe, they are witnesses and seales of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes & of the agremēt & cōmuniō which we haue with god by Iesus Christ.

M.

They serue vs then as an acquittance of that wherevnto we are bounde at the iudgemente of God, and as a letter of

fauoure authorised, and well signed and sealed with y^e seale of y^e soueraine prince.

P.

It is euen so. And as God on his parte dothe assure vs of his pardon and of oure saluation, we also on our parte doe owe vnto him that honour, that we hold him true in his promisses, and that wée ac∣knowledge him for oure onely God, and Iesus Chryst his sonne for our only sa∣uiour: and that wée renounce all other gods and idoles, and all false religions, and that we will followe none other but his only, suche as he hath set foorth vnto vs in his worde.