The Bee Hive of the Romish Church, Part 2 · Preface · Chapter 1
The first Chapter. That the holy Church of Rome onelyonly hath power to expound and set forth the Scripture after her will, and as shee doth vnderstand it. And of the keyes and keybands which shee hath receiued to that end: and that euerie man ought to be content with her exposition.
NOwe, as concerning the first part, our famous Doctours and Licentiates of Louen & Paris, do ioyntly teach,This did the Catholike doctours set forth openly at VVorms, anno 1557. That the holy scripture is a dūmbe teacher, a boke of dissentiō, a dark, vncertein, doutful, & dead letter, a nose of wax, & a leaden rule. Which is as much to say,The holy scripture a booke of brabling, and a nose of waxe. that a man may pull it, bow it, winde it, and turne it which way it shall please him. And therefore they conclude thus, Ergo, the ground and letter of the Scripture is no direction or guide, but that office belongeth only to the right vnderstāding & meaning therof. Now, the interpretations of them appertein to our deare mother the holy church of Rome onelyonly: And because she hath it in deede, eueryevery man shall be contented with her interpretation, wi…hout anie further canu…sing, …i…ting, or examining of that which is written: yea, shee doeth plainly fo…bid the common sorte and Laie people, to reade the scriptures in their mother tongue. For consider this, they hauehave found in effect, and by experience, that the Heretikes and Huguenotes hauehave alwayes the Scripture in their mouth, and take vppon them to defende and iustifie by plaine and euident textes, all that they say or beleeue. And they passe not a pinne for all the hidde and profound interpretations, which the holy Church of Rome hath finely founde out, and profoundly set downe, concerning the same.
Nowe, that spites them out of measure: and to saye trueth, howe can they tolerate or suffer such a thing? yea, when al is said, what mischiefe do these Heretikes meane, that they thinke them selues wiser than all the holy Fathers, the Popes of Rome? with so manie Cardinals of excellent renowme, and honourable Bishops, with such innumerable bandes of learned men of Louen and Paris? Or if so be likewise, that they doe not passe for all their Myters, Staues, Hattes, Crownes, Cowles Capes, and Liripippes: yet must they needes remember them selues, that holie Pope Pius the fourth, nowe lately dead, did in the confession of the faith, which he with the consent of the whole Councell of Trent published and set foorth, euen as a watche woorde or speciall marke, whereby men might discerne true Catholikes from false Heretikes: as in plaine and expresse wordes is written. And first: I acknowledge the holie Catholicall, Apostolicall Church of Rome, to bee the true mother of all Churches and Congregations. And after that:The Diuines of Trent. I beleeue the holie Scripture, according to such vnderstanding, interpretation, meaning & signification, as our mother the holie Church hath alway allowed for good, & at this present doth allow: to whom only of right doth apperteine to giuegive vntounto the Scripture, a right vnderstanding, sense, & interpretation. And herevpon I do promise, that I wil neuer vnderstand, nor interprete the same otherwise, than according to the interpretatiō of the Fathers. This same hauehave the holie fathers at Trent irreuocably concluded: cōmanding, That no man shall otherwise vnderstande, nor interpret the Scriptures, than our mother the holy church hath in times past, and doth at this present vnderstand them. Now here you hauehave a full decision, a setled determination, & an irreuocable sentence, vppon our question: by vertue whereof, neither delay nor appeale can follow. For you doe heare, to beginne withal, that the worde of God is not of such value or dignitie, that it is of it self worthie to be beleeued: vnlesse it be deckte and set forth with the glosses and interpretation of the holie Fathers of Rome: So that hereof is to be gathered, as all Catholike Doctours also hauehave written: That the Scripture and word of God is obscure, darke, variable, vncertein, vneeuen, rawe, vnfurnished, and vnhandsome: but the glosses and interpretations of the holy father of Rome, and of the great Clerkes of Louen are cleare, lightsome, stedfast, sure, true, euen, plain, fullie furnished, and in all pointes verie handsome and sufficient. It is true, that the pretence of Christ & of his Disciples, was to vtter & declare to euerie man, their doctrine (or at least so much of it, as doeth apperteine to the saluation of man) in all plainesse, simplicitie, & trueth, without any dissimulation or darknesse. For to that end & purpose did Christ chuse simple fishers, and other plaine dealing laie people for Apostles and Euangelistes: and did therfore thanke his heauenly father, that he had reuealed his heauenly wisdome & knowledge to simple & plain mening men,Mat. 11.25. & not to the sharpwitted & deeply learned philosophers of this world.2. Cor. 4.2.8. 1. Cor. 1.17. and .2.1.2.3.4. Chrysostomus in the▪ 4. homilie of Lasarus. In the preface of the Gospell of Matthew. and Augustine in his 2. and .3. Episto Volusian. In like maner also did Paule set forth his doctrine before the simple people, in al simplicitie & plainesse: yea, he gloried of his simplenesse. Wherevpon the chiefe of the old Fathers, were prouoked diligently to put the laie people in mind, that they should be diligent & readie to pervse & search the holy scriptures, & not to thinke that they did perteine onelyonly to the learned.
And yet notwithstanding, we must now either say, that their intent and meaning was not well grounded: or else, that the chaunce is now changed. For we see, that nowe in these dayes the Scripture is hid frō the Laie people, as a thing dark, doutfull, & of no sufficient foundation: in place wherof is intruded, & thrust in the peoples hands, glosses, & interpretations, decisions, and determinations of the holie Church: so that thereby it is good to consider, that the scripture is not only darke, but also rough, vneeuen, hard, & stonie: in so much that the Catholike children of the church of Rome might lightly stumble vponupon it, and breake their shinnes: or else perhaps be seduced & drawne awry from their right Catholike beleefe. But the foresaid decisions, & glosses are as eeuen,Gloses as plain as rockes. smooth & plaine, as the rockes of S. Goddardes mountaine: yea, they are the very Planers, wherwith the roughnes of the Bible scriptures is shauen off, in such sorte, that they may serue for all purposes of work, to the building vp & pulling downe of the Catholike faith. Therefore, aboue all things, we must sticke fast to their glosings, & cleaue close to their interpretations, & hauehave litle regard what the plaine & cleare textes of the scripture bring with them. Now this is the first point that you hauehave to consider, out of the rule before specified. The second you may likewise gather out of this: That no man in the world hath power to interprete the Scripture anie otherwise than as hitherto it hath bene interpreted, by the holie Popes and Bishops, and by the Theologians & Bachelers of Louen: for else to what purpose were it, that men should bestow such cost on those same Magistri nostri, in making them pleasant bankets, to proceed Bachelers or Licentiats, if it were not that thereby they had free graunt and licence,T…ssing and turning of holy Scripture. to winde and writh the textes of the Scripture with so phisticall arguments, euen as they themselues thinke good? Then we may thereby well perceiue, that suche as are neither Bacchelers, Licentiates, nor Doctours, presuming of their owne wit and will to set out the Scripture, according to the letter, that is to say, after the single and profound ground of the plaine text, & so applie them to the detrimēt of the holy Romish church, are all ranke Heretikes: seeing they goe about to rob the holie Church of Rome, of her power & authoritie: which is a thing in no wise tollerable. For it is most true, and without doubt: yea, as true as the holie Gospell of the Distaffe: as is plainely to be proued out of the bookes of all Catholike writers, That when our Lorde Iesus Christ did deliuer into the handes of the holie Church of Rome,The keyes of the kingdome of heauen. the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen, he did yet giuegive her beside those an other string of sixe keyes, wherewith shee might open and shutte all the Cupbordes of the Scripture, euen as it pleased her, and as shee thought good for her owne aduauntage. And when as one key will not serue, she may proue another: In summe, and for a finall conclusion, so trauell in that behalfe, that she get the locke open. Foure of these keyes, most chiefe and principall are called Imperatrices, because they will open all the lockes in the house.
The first is called Expositio literalis, that is,Expositio literalis. An interpretation according to the letter: which key our mother the holie Church hath least of all occupied: but rather had left it lying a long time behinde the Chest: insomuch that it was all rustie in a maner, and cleane marred. At last the Lutherans gat it into their handes,The Lutherans hauehave found one key. and setting it before them as a paterne, made other like it: insomuch that they hauehave opened all the lockes, and by that meanes hauehave brought all the secretes of the holy Church to light, and so hauehave of their owne priuate motion and accorde taken vponupon them, to alledge the scripture to their furtherance, and to the holy church of Rome her hinderance: so that she hath now quite lost that key.
The other key is called Expositio moralis, That is,Expositio moralis. A legall or morall interpretation: or, An interpretation according to the Law: with which key they hauehave locked vp fast all the Chestes and treasures of mercifull iustification through beliefe in Iesus Christ: and in place thereof, hauehave vnlocked & set open the maledictions, cursses, and threatnings of the law of Moses.
The thirde is called Expositio Tropologica, or Allegorica, that is to say,Expositio allegorica. An hidde and allegoricall vnderstanding or interpretation, with which key, they lightly wreste all the Scriptures, that the Heretikes can bring in against them: for that therewith they finde out straight way, some figure or allegorie, wherewith they deck & set out the matter finely, & so couer it with a course carpet. And further likewise wt this key she hath brought abrode the most part of the Scripture, wherewith she hath fortified and made strong all her Catholike ceremonies, beautifull prunkings, & pleasant ordinaunces, as by proceeding from piece to piece we will declare.
The fourth key is verie like vntounto this, but it is of more strength, and is called Expositio Anagogica, Expositio, Anagogica.that is to say, An interpretation which drawes the Scripture by the necke, euen whither a man will: and it is the best and most beneficiall key, that the Church doth occupie for her aduantage: for with this key she makes of the Scripture a Weathercocke,The scripture made a weathercocke, and a nose of waxe. which turnes about with euerie winde: and a nose of waxe, which shee can bow euerie way: as by the examples hereafter set forth you shal plainly perceiue.
Now hath she besides these, two other keyes, which are not right Imperatrices, but do serue particularly, either of them to his owne seuerall locke: whereof the one is called Typica, and the other Physica, that is to say,Typica. Physica. figuratiue and naturall. For these two keyes shee doth vse most in the Scholes and Cloysters: and therewith she fetcheth (out of a corner) wonderfull sharpe witted Ppilosophies, & deepe speculations wherewith she mountes aloft so hie into the aire, that shee neither toucheth h…auen nor earth. And with these, she hath (for the most part) opened all the Almeries of the Caballa, & Thalmood of the Iewes, and out of them fetched all sorts of delicate meates and daintie iunckets, as (without doubt) there were wonderfull iestes and straunge mysteries shut vp in them.
All these same keyes (except the first,The fiue keyes are … with sophistrie. which lay behinde the Chest, being now in the handes of Heretikes, and in their custodie) she hath tied fast together with a paire of Keybands, which she calles Sophistica, that is to say, Sophistrie or babling, wheron they are so fast bound, that without that Keyband it were vnpossible to make them tarie together, nor to do the church of Rome any seruice: but would by and by fall a sunder, and so bee vtterly lost: for this Keybande is verie cunningly wrought, and of strong Buffe leather knotted together with manie subtile snarles and buttons, so that it is not possible to be vndone: which snarles and buttons the chiefe workemen of that art call Syllogismes, and Quotlibets, and they stand so thicke and so strongly fastened together, that manie cunning masters in braiding of snarles and buttons, as well of Louen as of Paris, hauehave gone about, with all the wit they had, to vndo them, to the ende they might vse the keyes as they would: but they could neuer bring it to passe. For the holie Church of Rome, doubting least the Heretikes might yet catche from her anie more keyes, as they did once, causeth more newe knottes and buttons daily to bee made to them: yea, and giueth the maisters of that science great wages. For he that can best braide and make them vp, hee gettes for his rewarde a Doctours hood, or a fat Prebend: and sometimes a Bishops miter, or a Cardinals hatte: so that it is a great ouersight of these Huguenotes, and Lutherans, that they thinke to make all thinges cleare, with their one key, and will with that onelie expounde the Scripture, all care and regarde of the other keyes put by and neglected. Yea, they make no accounte at all of this Keybande: but will vnderstande euerie thing as they are learned by the letter, none otherwise than they are sette foorth in the Scripture: rightly and agreeably to the sinceritie of the faith:1. Cor. 3.6. and according to the iudgement of Paule. Where yet notwithstanding is plainly written by the said Paule, That the letter doeth kill, but the spirite quickeneth. Neuerthelesse it is true, that they bring in this testimonie of Paule against vsus, saying, That Paule did there, by the letter, vnderstande nothing else but the Lawe, and the curssings of the Lawe: and by the Spirite, nothing else, but that by the merciemercy of God, we are quickened and made aliue through faith in Iesus Christ, which is in the Gospel by Paul and by all other faithfull ministers of the worde (plainely and without anie obscure and darke meaning, or hidde allegorie) set forth, and preached openly before all men, as Paule him selfe doeth giuegive plainely to vnderstande, saying,2. Cor. 3.6. That hee was made able to bee a Minister of the new Testament, not of the Letter, but of the Spirite: and that the ministration of Moses was a ministration, of death and of the Letter: but his ministration was a speciall ministration of life and of the Spirite. But wee care not for all this. For the holie Churche will hauehave it to bee vnderstoode otherwise: as to say, That by the Letter is to bee vnderstoode, the speciall, bare, and plaine text of the Scripture, euen as it doeth sounde in the naturall ground and setting forth literally vnderstoode, according to the sinceritie of our beliefe: and as by the Lutherans and Huguenotes it is alledged against vsus. For this letter doeth kill, as you may well see,The letter … the …. that those which will so vnderstand and sette forth the Scripture, are killed. But The spirit, that is to say, The ghostly, hid, and sharp witted interpretation, which our louing mother the holy Church hath made vponupon it, (let it bee allegoricall, or anagogicall, or what it will,) this is onelie that which makes mightie and liuing: because this alone both agree with the iudgement of the holy Church of Rome. And all they which doe truely follow her, those are permitted to liue in all libertie and wealth: yea, although they do not beleue that there is a God. Therefore, whosoeuer will not accept this interpretation of the holie church, and vnderstand the scripture ghostly or spiritually as the Catholikes doe vnderstande and interprete the same, he is a damned Heretike, and his processe is at an ende, although he had all the textes of the scripture verie plaine, & the whole volume of the Bible on his side: for the textes can not helpe him without the glasses, hee is but a dead man: yea, though he had an hundred liues lying in a Chest: especially, if he come once in the handes of the holie Inquisition, hee must abie for it: it is but lost labour to talke further thereof.
And for this cause I doe maruell, that our good master Gentian, will breake his head about this matter: namely to proue, That the Scripture alone is not sufficient for our mother the holie Church, as though that matter were not plaine and euident inough, sithence we may daily both see and feele it. And yet notwithstanding commes he out here with his profounde speculation, in such sort as he hath almost therein forgotten himselfe. I cannot iudge otherwise, but that the vnmeasurable zeale which hee beares to the welfare of his deare mother the holy Church, must hauehave perforce tumbled him topsie …uruie ouerthwart the field, that he did not well see what he said: he is like to kine, which are st…ung and chaced with a waspe or horseflie, they runne on following their noses like mad beasts, & shun neither stock nor stone. For here it seemes that his wittes be rauished. For where hee doth say, That the doctrine of the holy Trinitie,Gentian doth blaspheme the Trinitie. cannot be proued by the Scripture: that is farre too grosse. Otherwise, wee must condemne the foure first Councels of falshoode, who did by approbation conclude vponupon the same out of the holie Scriptures, verie strongly, and with vndoubted testimonies of truth: yea, and if we could as well defend the Masse with plaine textes of the Scripture, as the blessed Trinitie may thereby be confirme…: a great manie priests (no doubt) shoulde not eate so leane brewes as now they do. It is true, that this worde Trinitie, neither this worde Consubstantiall, The holy Trinitie approued by the scripture.that is to say, Euangelicall, in being & substance, is not so printed in the scripture. But the Huguenots say plainly, that they will not make anie brabbling about these wordes, but will simply followe the true ground, meaning, & substance of the Scripture. Now it is plainly wri…ten, That there are three in heauen which giuegive witnes, 1. Iohn. 5.7. Mat. 28.19. Ephe. 4.5.to wit, the father, the worde, and the holie ghost: & that these three are al one. There is likewise written, That there is but one Baptisme, and one God: and yet notwithstanding, we are cōmanded that we shall be baptised, In the name of the father, & of the sonne, and of the holie ghost. So that it is apparant, that the doctrine or approbation of the Trinitie, was not sowed out of the Popes thumbe, as purgatorie & the holie Masse were, but are plainly alledged in the scripture after the letter. The like is to be said touching the two sacramēts of Baptisme, & of the Supper of the Lord. For although this worde Sacrament is not found in the scripture: yet the substance, the being, and the ground of the doctrine is (without exception) cōcluded out of the scripture, according to the letter & plaine wordes of the text.Gen. 17.10.11.13. Exo. 12 13.27. Rom. 4.11. Col. 2.11.12. For the Circumcision and the Pascall lambe, are openly called, The promises of God, and doe signifie the promises of God left in liuely remembrance of his merciemercy, & to the cōfirming of our iustificatiō by faith. And now doth Paul teach,1. Cor. 21.25.26. that Circumcision is signified in Baptisme: and that the sacrament of the Lords supper is likewise appointed by Christ, in remembrance of his death & passion. Whervpon it is called The new promise in the bloud of Christ, 1. Cor. 7.5.and ministred in place of the Pascall lamb. Insomuch that heretikes (out of that) do teach, That baptisme, & the supper of our Lord, are onelyonly sacraments, that is, holy tokens of Gods promises, made in the bloud and passion of Iesus Christ.Confirming of more value than baptisme. Which we cannot say of that holy oyle, nor of their holy confirmation, and other Sacraments which our deare mother the holie Church hath instituted of great deuotion, and ioyned them to the two first for an help or assistance: yea, and the same likewise established and defended, That Confirmation by her instituted, Cap. nouissimo de consecrat. dist. ca. de his vero de consecrati. dist. 5 in the fourth booke of sentences, in the .7. dist in the 1. & …. chap.is much more worthie than baptisme, which Christ himselfe cōmanded: And why? Forsooth because it cannot be ministred or executed by any simple or common Priest, as baptisme may: but only by a Suffragane or Bishop, and that it makes one ful christned, and doth giuegive the holy ghost more plentifully & effectually, than baptism doth, which was instituted by Christ. As in her decrees and booke of Sentences is in plaine wordes written.
Now, besides all this, the heretikes doe also say, That wee are not able to alledge or bring out of the holie Scripture, so much as one worde, which speakes of the Masse, nor of annoynting of priests, nor of their sinne offrings, of their priests office, of their pardons, & Popes bulles, no nor of the Pope himselfe, nor of the praying to Saints, & images of our Ladie, nor al those saints, which do so many goodly miracles, nor of their purgatorie, nor of their auricular confession, nor of their whorish chastitie of Priests, Monks, & Nonnes. In summe, they will say, it is nothing else, but mens inuentions, and deuises of diuels, which the priests hauehave called to remēbrance, to bring in monie by heapes, and to pamper their panches with daintie dishes: but is not this a spiteful matter? And yet our master Gentian letteth that slippe vntouched, where he should hauehave proued, That all these pointes, are aswell concluded out of the scripture, as the twelue articles of the faith. He saith in deed, that Ieremie had said before,Ierem. 31.33. That the new lawe of the Gospell should bee written in mens hearts: whereby we will conclude, that men ought not to seeke them in the scripture, but in the head and heart of the Pope of Rome, & of his holy Prelates: for that the Pope hath all lawes, both of God & man, shut vp in his bosome & breast, as hereafter shalbe declared more at large. But this serues to no purpose against the Heretikes: for they are so lustie, that they would make M. Gentian ashamed hereof, if he had anie shame in his bodie. Which I do not iudge of anie such great doctor, who hath long ago put off his shamefast shooes, and laid them aside: nay …ast them cleane away. But yet in verie deed, they will proue out of Paule,Iere. 31.33. Heb. 10.17. 2. Cor. 3.3.8.9 11. Act. 20.26.27. Ephe. 3.… 4.8.9.10. Col. 1.2…. G…l. 1.9.10.11 12. 2. Tit. 2.2. & 3.14.15.16.17. that this new law of the Gospell, whereof Ieremie doth speake, is nothing else but the ministration of the Gospell, which Paul did minister in his preaching, and set forth aboundantly in his writing, which remaines & continues for euer. And that did Paul openly witnes, That he had neither forgotten nor kept secret anie thing, of that, which might serue to saluation: but that he hath vttered & truly set forth all the same before the Congregations ioyntly together. Insomuch that he, before the holy Pope, which came afterwards, should not hauehave left one iot behinde. Wherevpon should follow, that the law of the Gospel, which the Pope doth carie in his bosome, is altogether of an other Gospell, much differing frō the law of that Gospel which Paul did preach, or whereof Ieremie did speake: & then should the Pope be accurssed, by the saying of Paule to the Galathians:Gal. 1.8.9. Whosoeuer doth preach any other Gospell than that which I hauehave preached vntounto you▪ let him be accurssed: yea, although hee were an Angel out of heauen. But yet the Pope of Rome doeth not thinke, that this doth touch him: for that he is something greater than an Angel of heauen, as we shall giuegive you to vnderstand in due time & fit place. Now, that which he brings forth out of Iohn, to wit, that Christ said▪ That the Apostles could not yet vnderstand all, Iohn. 16.12.13 I…hn. 14.16.17.26.& that the holy ghost should descend and instruct them further: is somewhat more apparant. But yet for all this, he is neuer the neare. For he cannot with this stop the mouthes of Heretikes, by reason that they wil stil obiect & say, that this was spoken before the Apostles had receiued the holy ghost: but after they had receiued him, then did they put al the instructions which they had learned of the holie ghost, in writing, to the end that through that which is written, all men might bee saued, by faith in Iesus Christ (as by the said Iohn is precisely written) wtout this addition,Iohn. 20.31. that they shoulde hauehave neede to watch anie longer after the Popes Buls, or Masses of Requiem. But it is euen as I hauehave told you, our master Gentian hath bene so wildely prickt forwarde with that zealous spirite, that hee did not see well what he said. For he is a man that hath whole drifattes full of wit: marie the bottoms are out. And therfore will we helpe him againe out of his dreame, omitting all such vnprofitable tittle tattle, and purposing for the second part of this matter which we hauehave in hand to teach, That whatsoeuer our mother the holy Church hath brought to light, studied, inuented, or found out, since the Apostles time, is altogether so surely & substantially grounded, timbred, bricked & walled vponupon the plaine text of the holy scripture, (so farre as they be spiritually vnderstood, according to the interpretation of our mother the holy Church) that it were not possible to erect any castle or tower more surely vponupon the highest sandhill in all Hollande. And this (I assure you) will bee a goodly peece of woorke, whereby I shall deserue muche, and bee partaker of a great manie goodly pardons and indulgencies: and shal besides that become verie necessarie and seruiceable to the comforting of our sorrowfull mother the holie Church, and to the extirpation and rooting out of all erronious opinions of newely vpstart Sectaries and Heretikes, whiche doe yet thinke, that they hauehave the Scripture on their side. But they will hauehave but foolishe countenances, when they shall see, that the whole Scripture, with the interpretations of the holie Fathers, doeth at the least close vp as well with our doctrine, as a ring in a Swines snowt.