The Demands of Holy Scripture, Title page – Preface
¶ The Demaundes of holy Scripture, with answeres to the same, wherein are defined, and declared the cheefe, and principall poyntes of Christian doctrine: very profitable for the right vnderstanding of holy Scriptures: made by T. Becon, and dravven out of his great vvorkes.
Matth. 7.
Aske, and it shall be geuen you. Seeke, and ye shall finde. Knocke, and it shall be opened vntounto you.
Iames. 1.
If any of you lacke vvysdome, let him aske of hym that geueth it: euen God, vvhichwhich geueth to al men indifferently, and casteth no man in the teeth, and it shall be geuen him. But let him aske in faith, and vvauer not: for he that doubteth, is like a vvaue of the Sea, vvhichwhich is tost of the vvindes, and caryed vvith violence. Neither let that man thinke, that he shall receiue any thing of the Lorde. A vvauering minded man, is vnstable in all his vvayes.
AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Day. 1577. Cum Priuilegio.
1. Peter. 3.
Be ready alvvayes to geue ansvvere to eueryevery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, and that vvith meckenesse and feare, hauing a good conscience, that vvhere as they backbite you as euyll dooers, they may be ashamed, that falsely accuse your good conuersation in Christe.
Apocalips. 3.
Thou sayest, I am riche and encreased vvith goods, and hauehave neede of nothing, & knovvest not hovve thou art vvretched and miserable, and poore, and blind, & naked. I counsell thee to bye of me, gold tryed in thesyre, that thou mayest be riche: and vvhite rayment, that thou mayest be clothed, that thy filthy nakednesse do not appeare: and annoint thyne eyes vvith eye salue that thou mayst see.
¶ To the godly, and right woorshipfull Senate, the Mayre and his brethren of Sandwich in Kent, Thomas Becon vvysheth long life, continuall health, and prosperous felicitie.
SO oft as I consider the blessed state of your tovvne, vvhereof God by his deuine prouidence and vnsearcheable counsell, hath made you rulers vnderunder the Queenes Maiestie, our Soueraigne liege Lady: I am entirely prouoked and stirred vp to geue most entire thankes, to the Prince of Princesses, and Lorde of Lordes, that mighty GOD of Hostes, for his so great and singuler benifites, so bounteously and largely poured vponupon you, and other the inhabitauntes of your tovvne. For I doo not vvell knovve, yf any thing may any vvhere be found, meete to beautifie a common vveale, that iustly may be counted to lacke in you, so plentifully hath GOD poured his blessinges vponupon you. VVho is able to expresse, vvhat a goodly ornamente, precious ievvell, and noble ouche, Christian doctrine is, to a Christian common vveale? The sage and prudent Philosophers, and other vvyse and expert men of this vvorlde, iudged these common vveales most blessed, happy, and fortunate, most noble, beautifull, and florishing, vvhere the Princes and Rulers thereof, vvere eyther Philosophers, or studious of Philosophie. But hovv much is that common vveale to be counted happy and blessed, vvhere not humaine Philosophie, vvhether vve respect naturall, or morall, but diuine Philosophie, brought from the hie Heauens, by him vvhichwhich is the vvysdome of the father, prospereth, florisheth, triumpheth: vvhere also not vaine and curious Philosophers, but true, faithfull, and godly Philosophers raigne, and beare rule? VVhatsoeuer the Philosophers taught, although neuer so much enforced vvith sugred eloquence, probable reasons, and apparent argumentes, it vvas the fruite of the earth, and of mans braine: but that vvhiche Christe deliuered vntounto vsus, came out of the bosome of his Father, so that looke hovve much the noble Heauens surmount & passe the vile & base Earth in higth, & indignitie: so much, and incomparable vvyse more, doth the heauenly Philosophie, vvhereof the holy Ghost alone is the aucthour, exceedeth the earthy Philosophie, vvhereof man is the deuiser. He that cometh from an high, sayth that blessed Iohn Baptist, is aboue all.Iohn. 3. He that is of the earth, is earthy, & speaketh of the earth. He that commeth from Heauen, is aboue all, and vvhat he hath seene and heard, that he testifieth: and no man receiueth his testimonie. He that hath receiued his testimonie, hath set to his seale, that GOD is true. For he vvhom GOD hath sent, speaketh the vvoordes of God. VVhat other thing is this diuine Philosophie, vvherof vve novve speake, then the holy vvoord of God? And vvhat other are these faithfull and godly Philosophers, then the true preachers and professours of the sacred Scriptures? All these are to be founde among you plentifully. The Christian Philosophie, I meane the vvoord of GOD, raigneth, ruleth, and triumpheth among you, so that according vntounto to it, all things are ordered among you in that your Tovvne. In other places, this diuine and Christian Philosophie, is counted heresie, nevve learnyng, straunge doctrine, the mother of errours, the cause of rebellion, sedition, insurrection, &c. and the plaine subuertion of common vveales: but vvith you, & that most iustly it is reperted & taken for the alone trueth, for the ancient doctrine of the Patriarches, Prophets, and Apostles, for the mother of all godlynes and vertue, for the onelyonly & alone cause of vnitie, concord, quietnesse, amitie, obedience, and for the alone stay, vpholding, and maintenance of all Christean, and vvell ordred common vveales, so that vvhere this is not, there is a Chaos, and plaine confusion of thinges. This holy vvoord of GOD among you, svvimmeth not in your lippes only, but it also shineth in your lyfe and conuersation, vntounto the good example of all them that are conuersant vvith you. By this vvoord, according to the commaundement of GOD geuen to Iosua, ye do not only frame your ovvne life, but ye also gouerne your Tovvne, and iudge al causes that come before you, as a rule, from the vvhichwhich it is not lavvfull for you by any meanes to depart. Of this vvoord ye reuerently talke, commune, conferre, sing, and hauehave continuall meditation, as your chiefe ioy and comfort.Matth. 13. This vvoord is vntounto you, that noble treasure hydde in the Feelde, the vvhiche a man found and hydde, and for ioy thereof, goeth and selleth al that he hath, and byeth the Feelde. This vvoord is to you more svveete, then the Hony, or the Hony Combe, and more precious then Gold, or Precious stone. And as this most blessed and holy vvoorde dooth occupie the principall and highest place among you: so hauehave you both godly professors, and faithfull preachers of the same, vntounto the great ioy aud singular comfort of all the inhabitauntes of your Tovvne. For as there can not be a greater ievvell in a Christian common vveale, then an earuest faythfull, and constant preacher of the Lordes vvorde: so can there not be a greater plague among any people, then vvhen they hauehave raigning ouer them blind guides, dumme dogges, vvicked vvolues hypocriticall hyrelinges, popishe Prophetes, vvhichwhich feede them not vvith the pure VVheate of Gods vvoord, but vvith the VVoormevvod of mens tryfling traditions, and vvith the sovvre leauen of the Papisticall Pharisees, as Salomon sayth: VVhen the preaching of Gods vvoord fayleth, the people perishe, and come to nought. Veryly as there is not a greater blessing geuen of GOD to any nacion, then the gift of his vvoord: so I knovve, not yf a greater cursse from GOD can be cast vppon any people, then vvhen the vvoord of GOD, and the true preaching thereof is taken avvay from them, as these vvoordes of GOD spoken by the prophete,Amos. 8. doo manifestly declare. Beholde, the tyme commeth (sayth the Lorde GOD) that I shall send an hunger into the earth, not the hunger of bread, nor the thyrst of vvater, but an hunger to heare the vvoord of the LORD: so that they shal goe from the one sea to the other, yea from the North, to the East, runnyng about to seeke the vvoord of the Lorde, and shall not finde it. In this behalfe therfore, are ye the inhabitauntes of Sandvviche greatly blessed of the Lord our God, vvhichwhich hath not onelyonly very richelv geuen you his vvoorde to be preached, taught, and read among you, but also hartes to receaue and beleeue the same, as yf vve reade of Lydia,Actes. 16. vvhose hart (sayth blessed Luke, the Lorde opened, that shee attended to the thinges vvhichwhich Paul spake. Out of this your feruent zeale and burnyng louelove tovvard this diuine and heauenly Philosophie, many godly and Christen fruites of Gods spirite, hauehave issued and plentifully come foorth, as brotherly concord, and vnfained amitie among your selues, not your selues onelyonly, but also among all the inhabitauntes of your Tovvne, so that all contention, strife, debate, discord, emnitie, variaunce, tumultes, quarelles, lavvynges. &c. banished, and auoyded: beneuolence, louelove, concord, agreement, vnitie, amitie, freendship, gentlenesse, humanitie, and vvhatsoeuer maketh vntounto the bond of peace, ruleth and raigneth among you, vvhichwhich godly vnitie and concord dooth so euidently declare you to be of God,Iohn. 13. as nothing more. In this shall all men knovve, that ye are my Disciples (sayth Christe) yf one of you louelove an other. As discord bringeth al thinges to hauocke: so dooth concord conserue, keepe in good order, and make to increase vvhat so euer is good and profitable to a common vveale, or to any part thereof. As Salustius sayth: By concord, small thinges encrease and grovve: but by discorde, mighty and great thinges decay, and come to nought. It vvas very vvittely and learnedly ansvyeared of Terence, vvhen the noble Senate of the most noble Romanes demaunded of him after the destruction of Carthage, vvhat he thought to be the cause of the subuertion if so ample, populus, and florishing citie, vvhether the puissaunce of the Romans, vvhose force seemed to be incomparable, or the feeblenesse of the Carthaginenses not being able to resist, No, sayth he, neyther your valiance, nor our vvant of puissance, vvas the subuersion of our citie, but the discorde of the Citizens. The mightiest fortresse, and strongest Bulvvarcke, that eyther Citie or Tovvne can hauehave, is the concord of Citizens, vvithout the vvhichwhich, all puissaunce, all force, all vvytte, al pollicie, all castels, all martiall armonies are vayne, and vnprofitable, verely in this behalfe, are ye also greatly blessed of God, vvhichwhich both in godly & vvorldly affaires, are of one mind, & of one meaning, vvithout al diffencion among you. O blessed fruite of Gods spirite. Moreouer, hovve idlenesse that chiefe maistres of vices all, vtterly exiled, and banished out of your Tovvne? No man liueth there idlely. All degrees of persons are godly, vertuously, and profitably occupied, eueryevery man according to his vocacion and calling. All studye to be quiet,Luke. .3. and to meddle vvith theyr ovvne businesse, and to vvorke vvith theyr ovvne hands, that they may not only eate theyr ovvne breade according to the commanndement of God, but also through those their laboures hauehave vvhereof they may geue vntounto such as hauehave neede, as Saint John saith, he that hath tvvo coates, let him geue one to him that hath none. And he that hath meate, let him doo likevvise. Certes diligent, and vertuous trauaile, vpholdeth the Citie: but idle and sluggysh hands, roote vp the foundacions thereof.
Furthermore, vvho can yenough prayse and sufficiently commende your studious, carefulnesse, and painefull trauaile, in making prouision for the poore members of Christe, vvhichwhich hauehave not of them selues, vvhereof to liue? Verely yee hauehave a fatherly care for your poore', that none of them should vvant. Ye count their lacke, your ovvne lack: neyther are ye lesse moued vvith theyr miseries,1. Ioan. 3. then yf ye your selfs vvere touched vvith the same, according to this saying of Saint Iohn. He that hath the substance of this vvoorld, and seeth his brother hauehave neede, anb shutteth vp his compassion from him, hovv dvvelleth the louelove of God in him? Vnmercifulnesse tovvard the poore, vvas one of the chiefe causes, vvhy that florishing and to much vvealthy Citie Sodome (as the Prophet teacheth) vvas destroyed vvith fire, an brimstone from heauen.Ezech. 16. Verely euen so contraryvvise, vvhere the vvorkes of merciemercy are diligently practised vponupon the poore, there is the blessing of God, conseruation of the Tovvne, or Citie, encrease of goodes, and fortunate successe in all honest and godly trauayles, as Salomon sayth: He that geueth to the poore, shall not vvant. He that lendeth to the Lorde, that shevveth merciemercy to the poore, and it be recompenced him to the vttermost, as our Sauiour Christe sayth: Geue, and it shalbe geuen vntounto you: good measure, and pressed dovvne, and shaken togeather, and runnyng ouer, shall men geue into your bosomes: For he that geueth but a cuppe of cold vvater for Christes sake,Luke. .6. shall not loose his revvard. Yf thou vvylt breake thy bread to the hungry, sayth GOD by the Prophete,Esay. 58. and leade the needy vvayfaring man into thy house, & couer the naked man, and not turne avvay thy face from the poore: thy lyght shall breake foorth as the mornyng, and thy health florishe right shortly: yea, thy righteousnesse shal goe before thee, and the glory of the Lord shal embrace thee. Then yf thou callest, the Lord shall aunsvvere thee: yf thon cryest, he shall say: Here I am. O blessed is the man, sayth the Psalmographe, that considereth the poore and needy: the Lorde shall deliuer him in the time of trouble. The Lorde shall preserue him and keepe him aliue, that he may be blessed vponupon earth, and not be deliuered into the vvyll of his enimies. The Lorde shall comfort him, vvhen he lyeth sicke vponupon his bedde, yea and make his bedde in his sieknesse.
Agayne, vvhat shall I speake of your gentle and louyng enterteynement of strangers and forreners, vvhichwhich for the testemony of Christes most glorious Gospell, and for the quietnesse of theyr conscience, that they may the more freely serue GOD vvith a pure mind, are not only content to suffer vnvvorthy banishment vvith the losse of their goodes, but also day and nyght to labour vvith their ovvne handes for their liuing, that they may be no burden to any man. These most vvyllyngly and gladly ye admit, receaue, and embrace, cherishe, entertayne, and comfort. These ye lodge & place among you, not as strangers, but as Citizens, not as forreners, but as your dearely beloued Christian brothers: for vvhom also ye are no lesse carefull then for your selues, that nothing be lacking vntounto them, but that they may hauehave sufficiently of all good and necessarie thinges. This is the true hospitalitie, I meane, the gentle enterteynement of godly straungers, vviche are afflicted for the vvordes sake. Of these speaketh GOD on this manner:Exod. 22. Leuit. 19. Yf a straunger soiourne vvith thee in your land, ye shall not vexe him. But the stranger that dvvelleth vvith you, shalbe as one of your selues, and thou shalt louelove him as thy selfe. Of these speaketh Christ on this vvyse:Matth. 25. Romans. 12. I vvas harbourlesse, and ye tooke me in. Of these speaketh Saint Paul thus: Distribute to the necessitie of the Saintes.Hebru. 13. Gene. 19. 1. Peter. 4. Be redy to harbour. Agayne, Be not forgetfull to lodge straungers: for there by hauehave diuers men lodged. Angels vnvvares Of these speaketh S. Peter on this sort: Be ye harberors one to another vvithout grudging.Leuit. 19. and. 23. Deut. 24. 1. Tim. 4. Titus. 1. Of these speaketh Saint Iohn on this manner. Thou dooest faythfully, vvhatsoeuer thou dooest to the brethren, and to the straungers. Of these, GOD in his lavves geueth a speciall charge both to the riche men, and also to the Byshoppes and spirituall Pastors of his congregation, that they should see to them, and make prouision for them, that they lacke nothing. Highly in Gods fauour must the godly straungers be, seeing GOD geueth to his people so great charge ouer them. VVho therefore can othervvyse, then highly commend the louing gentlenesse, and gentle louelove, the bounteous liberalitie, and liberall bountie, vvhichwhich ye shevve to the poore scattered members of Christe? These be vvoorthy fruites of the Gospell. These vvoorkes shevve, that ye hauehave not receiued the grace of God in vayne: and that ye be not of the company of those Gospellers, vvhiche vvith their mouth professe GOD, but vvith their deedes deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and vnapt vntounto eueryevery good vvoorke. Such professours or rather peruersers of the Gospell, are like to that Sonne, vvhichwhich promised his father to vvork in his Vineyard, and vvrought nothing at all. Yea they are,Iude. Epist. as Saint Iude termeth them in his Epistle, cloudes vvithout vvater, trees vvithout fruite, raging vvaues of the sea, foming out their ovvne shame, vvandring starres, to vvhome is reserued the mist of darknesse for euer, fleshely, hauing no spirit. &c. and in deede like to those fiue foolish Virgins, vvhichwhich had Lampes,Matth. 25. but in theyr Lampes no Oyle, and not vnlike to the Figge tree vvithout fruite, vvhichwhich Christ cursed for her barrennesse.
But God (right vvorshipful and dearely beloued) hath geuen you an other minde, and grafted in you a better spirite, that yee do not only knovve God, but also earnestly labour to do his holy and blessed vvill, that by this meanes, yee may be founde not only fauorers, but also follovvers, not only talkers, but also vvalkers, not only louers, but also liuers, not only professoures, but also practisers, not only vvorders, but also vvorkers of the holy scripture, and so become blessed, as our Sauiour Christ saith. If yee knovve these thinges, and doo them, blessed are yee. For not eueryevery one that saith vntounto me Lord, Lorde, shall enter into the kingdome of heauen, but he that doth the vvill of the father, vvhichwhich is in heauen, he shal enter into the kingdome of heauen. Yee are my freendes, yf you doo those thinges that I commaunde you. He that hath my commaundements, and keepeth them, he it is that loueth me.Romans. .2. For in the sight of god, as The apostle saith they are not righteous, vvhichwhich heare the lavve, but the doers of the lavve shall be iustified. If any man be in Christ,Galat. 5. Ephe. 2. he is a nevve creature. They truly that are Christes, hauehave crucified the flesh, vvith the affections and lustes. VVe are the vvorkmanship of God, created in Christ Iesu vntounto good vvorkes, vvhichwhich God hath ordayned, that vve should vvalke in them.Tit. .3. Let our eares learne saith Saint Paul, to excell in good vvorkes, as farre foorth as neede requireth, that they be not vnfruitefull.Ioan. .15. Herein is my father glorified (saieth our Sauiour Christ) that ye beare much fruite, and become my Disciples. Ye hauehave not chosen me, but I hauehave chosen you, and ordayned you to goe and bring foorth fruite, and that your fruite should remaine.
Goe therefore foorth (right vvorshipfull and dearely beloued) as ye hauehave begun, in the vvay of righteousnesse. Receaue the Gospell of Christe, vvhichwhich is the vvorde of your saluacion, and bread of life, vvith greedy, and desirous mindes. Call on God dayly (as ye doo) vvith feruent prayer, and cease not to be thankfull vntounto him, for his benefits. Be an example in life and conuersacion, to them that are vnderunder you. Seke the quietness, and commodity of your Tovvne, and of the inhabitauntes of the same, rather then your ovvne gaine, and profite: study rather to be loued, then feared. To the vvicked and sinfull, be seuere and sharpe: but to the good and godly, be gentle and louing. Continue your goodnesses and liberalitie to the poore strangers vvhichwhich are exiled for the testimony of the Lorde Iesus, and tender them, as your selues. Suffer not idlenesse to creepe vvithin the bounds of your tovvne, but rather prouide that al be vvell & vertuously occupied. Of the poore, hauehave diligent consideratiō, but as for the sturdy & lasie lubbers, vvhichwhich gladly lyue of the labour of other mens handes, and hate to be vvell occupied them selues: eyther compell to vvoorke, or els banishe them your tovvne. Looke diligently to the bringing vp of your youth, eyther in good letters, or els in some vertuous exercices, that in time to come, they be not vnprofitable members of the common vveale. But aboue all thinges, see that they be brought vp in the nurture and feare of the Lorde, and in the knovvledge of his holy vvoord, that they may learne euen from their Cradles to serue their Lorde GOD in holynesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of the Lorde. And that this thing may the more conueniently be brought to passe, as ye hauehave earnestly entended, and to that end hauehave prouided large summes of money among your selues: so vvith al expedition prouide, that your Schoole may be erected and set vp, for the godly and vertuous education of your youth. So shall you both doo a noble sacrifyce vntounto God, deserue vvell of many, and also leaue to your posteritie a vvoorthy monument of a most vvoorthy enterprise. And to helpe forvvarde some poynt of godly doctrine to be taught in your nevve erected Schoole. After I had finished this little treatise, entituled, The Demaundes of holy Scripture, I thought it not vnsitting, nor vnvvorthy our frēdship, to dedicate the same to your vvoorships, and so by you, to commend it to the Christian youth of your Schoole. In it they shall learne to knovve and vnderstand, the principall and cheefe poyntes of Gods doctrine: so that by this meanes they shal be able to render a reason both of theyr fayth, and doctrine, vvhichwhich they professe, and not be like Horses & Mules that hauehave no vnderstanding. The book is little, yf the number of the leaues be considered: but yf the matter therof be diligently pondered, it shalbe found both great, & profitable. Thus for this present, taking my leaue of you, I vvysh to you, and to the vvhole Tovvne, all good and prosperous things, both for your bodyes & soules, most humbly beseeching God, to finishe that good vvoorke, vvhichwhich he hath begun in you, vntounto the glory of his name, & vntounto the profite of his holy congregation. Amen.
From my house at Caunterbury, the fyrst of September. 1563.