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.

VVhat good or hurte the vvorke doth that is outvvardly done, & not vvith a good hart, & vvhat it may bring to the vvorker of the same, & also to others, and vvhether it be better that it be done or vndone.

T.

IF the matter be such that the worke it selfe which God commaundeth cā∣not please him, if it do not procéede from such a harte as he requireth, but doth ra∣ther displease him, it followeth then, that if a man haue not such an harte, he dothe not onely léese his time in doing of suche a worke, but he doth also purchace to

himselfe a more greater iudgemente.

D.

There are also two pointes to be conside∣red in this matter: if that the man that doth this worke, doth it thoroughly of a very malice and to suche ende as the De∣uil doth his, to witte, to dishonor God, and to deceiue mē, and to hurte his neyghbor, it were much better that he did nothing at all, for his worke can do but hurte, and more to himselfe than to any other: if hée do it not in déede for so euil a purpose, but onely to haue some worldlye honoure or profite, the worke is then yet somewhat more profitable in sundry sortes, as well to himselfe as to others, according to the circumstaunces of the same, than if it had not bin done at all, or else if he had done those works whiche God hath forbidden. For first of al, those that sée such a worke, are edified, in somuch as they sée it to bée good of his owne nature, and doe thinke, that it procéedeth from such an harte as it sheweth for outwardly: on the other side, if it be a worke whereby thy neyghboure receyueth any comforte or helpe in hys person, it is then so muche the more pro∣fitable.

Wherefore, albeit that the worke be not such as God requireth: yet forso∣much as it serueth somewhat to the glory of God, and to the edification of our ney∣boure, God is so good that he will not suf∣fer it to be vnrecompenced.

T.

What re∣compence will he then giue him?

D.

That whiche the worker requireth: he desireth glory among men, and his particular cō∣moditie, which things he doth often times receiue for his hire, which extend no fur∣ther than his life: for he hathe no further regard at all.* 1.1

T.

By this accoumpte then thou wouldest conclude that it were bet∣ter yet that a man should assist the worde of god and his Church, and also the poore, and that he should do such like works, al∣though that his harte were not through∣ly such as it ought to be, rather thā to do nothing at all, or to the contrary, so that he do it not in any wise to the intente to dishonor God, and of a determinate pur∣pose, or else rather to hurte his neyghbor, than to profite him.

D.

It is true, for we haue in the holy Scriptures many exam∣ples, whiche declare that God hath often

times in this worlde done greate good to many that haue not had suche hartes as they ought to haue had, bycause that their workes did serue somewhat to his glory, and to the reléefe of his people.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Matth. 6.