Christian Instruction and Sum of Doctrine Part 1, Dialogue 1 · Dialogue · Part 25 – Part 28
¶ Hovv much neceſſary the ſtudy of the vvord of God is, for all men during this life, hovve apte and hovv vvyſe ſo euer they be.
D. FOr this cauſe it is more then neceſſary, that we ſtudie continuallye in the ſcole of the Lorde. Fyrſt there to learne how to iudge betwene the good and the euill, & that which pleaſeth or diſpleaſeth God, & that which is for our ſaluation & dampnation, which we can not do vnleſſe that we hauehave our mindes lightened by the worde and ſpirite of God, for ſo much as there is in vsus, whiles that we dwell in our owne naturall lyfe, nothing ells but ignorance & darknes. And when we are once thus taught, it is then nedefull that we geue our whole deſire vntounto it, which can not be, for 1. Cor, 12.ſo much as it is wholye peruerted and corrupted, hating that which is good, and louing that which is euill, if it bee not alſo reformed, forced, & vrged continuallye to the ſame by that very meane. Wherefore to conclude, for ſo much as we hauehave alwaies ignorance within vsus, and that moſt commonly we doe not that good which we knowe, we hauehave alwayes neede of this teacher, to inſtruce vsus in that wherof we are yet ignoraunt, and put vsus in minde of that which we forget, after that we hauehave learned it, and to cauſe vsus to practiſe that which we doe alreadye knowe. T. And in thys ſort thou doeſt conclude for a full reſolution, ye al men, how wiſe ſo euer they be, hauehave alwayes neede to learne in thys ſcoole, euen to the death, and that both the learned and ignorant, ſhal alwayes fynde inough ther to learne. D. It is ſo. For there are formes ſo highe in that ſchoole, that no lyuing man ſhal euer be able to attayne vntounto them. Wherefore when we may be in that ſchoole, yea although it be in the moſt low formes, we ought not a litle to eſteme it, but to thinke it a great grace of God, whoſe good wil and pleaſure it is to accept vsus into the number of hys ſchollers.
¶ Of the deſired ignorance, and of ſuch as are vvillinglye ignorant.
T. FOr ſo much as thou haſt ſpoken of formes and orders of ſcholers, I woulde fayne know in what place thou wouldeſt place this kinde of mē, of whom we hauehave not yet ſpoken: among whom, when they hauehave bene required to go to heare the word of God, I hauehave ſeene ſome of them refuſe it, ſaying that they wil not heare it, fearing leaſt that after they hauehave heard it, & knowē the will of God by ye ſame: they ſhould be more faultie, in as much as they did not obey the ſame. D. It is not poſſible to finde ſuch men that bare ſo ſhameleſlye once to open their mouthes in ſuch ſort. T. I ſpeake that which I hauehave heard with mine own eares. But how manye thinckeſt thou that there are, who when they hauehave knowen that the word of God is wholye contrarye to their affections, and that it teacheth nothing but yt which is good and holy, they will for that cauſe in no wyſe heare it? for ſo much as they feare to heare that which ſhall not like them, and y• they deſire not at al to know thoſe good things that they may learne of ye ſame, and laſte of all to do them, when they hauehave vnderſtoode & knowen them. D. The ignorance of ſuch is an affected & voluntarie ignorance, much leſſe worthye of pardon, then is that of thoſe of whom we ſpake before. For theſe men where they ſhould ſtudye to auoyde ignorance, and to become wiſe in the knowledge of God, ſeeke meanes as much as in them is to be ſtill ignoraunt, and to flie the knowledge of God, without the which they are not onelyonly vnworthy, to be accompted Chriſtians, but vnworthye to be accompted men. Theſe mē put them ſelues in great peryl, they are of the number of thoſe yt the Pſalmiſte ſpeaketh of, which ſtoppe their eares, as doe the Pſal. 57.Aſpes and Serpentes againſt the voyce of the inchaunter, fearing yt being inchaunted by ye word of God, they ſhould loſe their poyſon, and their ſerpentiue and deueliſh nature, the which they would ſtill poſſeſſe. T. It is very true.
¶ How that the publicatiō that God hath made of his vvord, and the declaration that he hath geuē of himſelf and of hys vvill euen from the beginning, maketh the ignoraunce of men to be vvithout excuſe.
D. IF that the ſubiect of any prince be taken, and hauehave offended the prince his lawes, after that they hauehave beene publiſhed lawfullye by ſounde of trompet through out the whole countrye: ſhall he then ſay that he was ignoraunt of them, and ſo be excuſed▪ T. I thinke not ſo, for that ſhoulde make men careleſſe for the ſearche of the vnderſtanding of the princes lawes; and then would eueryevery man alledge ſuch excuſes: and by theſe meanes ye lawes ſhould hauehave no place, and the maieſtie of the prince be had in contempt, & all hys lawes and ordinaunces ſhould be but a mockerye, and the publication of them ſhoulde be no more auaylable, then if they were not publiſhed at all: for the publicatiō is for none other purpoſe, but to take away all occaſions by the which men may pretend ignoraunce. D. But if yt the prince were aduertiſed that ſuch a man had bene admoniſhed to hearkē to the publication of his lawes and ordinaunces, and that he woulde nothing vnderſtande thereof, but did all that he coulde poſſible becauſe that he would heare nothing of thē, to the entent that he might be the more voide of conſtrainte to obſerue them: ſhoulde that be an excuſe for him towards his prince? T. No, but ſhould make him more inexcuſable & more worthy of blame, for ye contempt in ye behalfe ſhoulde be very great & not ſufferable. D. Then if it be ſo yt a prince can not endure to hauehave his maieſtie ſo contempned & diſpiſed: May God which is ye Soueraigne prince of all princes, endure it toward his maieſty, after ſo great a proclamatiō of his wil, as he hath cōtinually made vntounto men, euen frō ye beginning of ye world, & doth daily by maruellous meanes.
¶ Of the meanes by the vvhichwhich God hath, and doth declare himſelf dayly to men.
T. I Pray thee declare vntounto me ſomwhat particularlye, by what meanes he doth this wherof yu ſpeakeſt. D. Firſt he doth it by the firmament, and by the earth, and by al his creatures: which as continuall preachers, neuer ceaſe day, nor night, to preache vntounto vsus the knowledge & maruelous workes of that ſame great God and prince their creator, euen as Dauid and S. Paule do witneſſe. After yt the great Pſal. 1…. Rom. 1. Act. 14. 17.endeuour of ſo many Patriarches, Prophets, Apoſtles and auncient Doctors, with a marueilous nūber of other good ſeruauntes of God, who by their pure and holy doctrine, good lyfe and conuerſation, hauehave filled yt whole earth with the knowledge of God, and alſo do teach vsus at this preſent day by their holy writinges. But what ſhall we ſaye of the very ſonne of God, who came into the world in proper perſon, to make this publication in the moſte ſolemne maner that euer was made in the world? And euen at this preſent day, how many and ſundrye meanes hath God geuen vsus to be inſtructed by, eyther by the mouth of diuerſe which he ſendeth vntounto vsus dayly, or els by bookes written in all languages, ſent forth into the worlde, to all nations and regions of the ſame, by his moſt marueilous prouidence, which thing ſhall make vsus all to be vtterly without excuſe. Wherfore we may well ſay with the Prophet: The people which Oſe. 4.are ignoraunt ſhall be beaten, and becauſe that thou haſte contempned and refuſed knowledge, I wil contempne thée and caſt thee from me alſo.