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 the maruelous counsel of God vvhich was declared in the fal of the angels, which are fallen from their first estate: and in the preseruation of those which did continue firme and stedfast, and how he hath de∣clared the iustice of his iudgement towards the one sort, & the riches of his grace towards the others.

T.

IF the men which ar so troubled with the doctrine of Predestination, did well consider that which thou sayst, they should not haue, in my opinion, occasion so to trouble themselues▪ for these things wherof thou speakest, did not come to passe withoute the knowledge, counsell, foresyghte, and ordinaunce of GOD. What wil mans reason say then therof, wil it say, that God hath done wrong to those that are falne, bicause that he did not sustain & confirm thē as he did the others? but if that had bin done, this wherof thou

speakest, had not ben so manifestly decla∣red, nor yet the nature and the maiestie and the excellencie that he hath ouer all creatures, yea the most noble and moste excellent that are, shoulde not haue ben so well set foorth.

D.

It is very true: On the other syde, if they had all fallen in∣differently, the excellencie of the nature wherin god had created them, nor yet the power wherby god did make them, shold not haue ben so well knowne, nor yet his grace toward them, as it is knowne. For in considering the difference that is be∣twéen the diuels & the Angels of heauen, we sée how excellent the nature of An∣gels is, & also that which they haue recei∣ued of God in his creation: we see on the other side in the deuils what it is that the creature can do of himself, how excellent soeuer it be, except it be preserued by god, who hath created it: on the contrary, wée sée in the other angels, the double grace that God hath bestowed vpon them. The first in their creation which they had cō∣mon with the rest that are fallen, before they did fal. The second is, in the conser∣uation of the nature whiche was first gi∣uen

vnto them, & in the confirmation in the same through his grace, which the o∣thers wanted: which is the very cause of the diuersitie that now is betwéen them: which diuersitie doth not let notwithstā∣ding but that the diuels do continue still angels in the same substaunce that they were created in: but the difference is great in the qualitie, that is to say, in that that the one sort are not only angels, but are good angels, perseuering in the firste goodnesse that they receiued of God in the beginning, in their creatiō: frō which not∣withstanding, they mought as well haue fallen as y^e others, if y^t God by his special grace had not sustained them, & had not o∣therwise disposed & ordeined: Wherfore it is not writtē without cause,* 1.1 y^t all is re∣stored by Iesus Chryste, aswel in heauē as in earth, & that all consist by him & in him. The other on y^e other side are called not only angels, but wicked angels & de∣uils, bicause that they did not perseuere in y^e first goodnes, wherin they were cre∣ated, but turning from him frō whence y^e same proceeded, they were put frō it: & in the stead of the same, malice & wickednes

is come in place, whiche is nothing else but lack & priuation of goodnes, which is changed into an euil qualitie, which doth corrupt the creature y^t was created good, & maketh the natures contrary, which wer before like.* 1.2 For y^e same cause Iesus christ hath sayd, that the diuel is a lier from the beginning: that is to say, euē frō the time that he was first a diuel, and not fom the time y^t he was first made an angel, & that when he doth speak lies, he speaketh that which is his own. And therfore he addeth vnto it, that he did not abyde still in the truth: for he hath nothing of God which is truth, but that whiche he now hath of euill, is of himselfe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ephe. 3. Colloss. 1.
• * 1.2

  Iohn. 8.