Christian Instruction and Sum of Doctrine Part 1, Preface

Christian Instruction and Sum of Doctrine Part 1 · Preface

❧ John Shute, to the faithfull reader, Grace mercy, and peace from God the father, thorowe our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.

COnſiderynge that God requireth no more of man, for his innumerable benefites (which he hath & doth from time to tyme beſtow vponupon him) but onelyonly frāck obedience, the whiche he can no wiſe yelde duely vntounto him, except he knowe him, and he can not know him but by his word, and for that ther be many aduerſaries at this day, who will not hauehave men to deale with the word of God, nor to receiue any Religion, but ſuch as ſhall be giuen vntounto them by generall Councels: I hauehave thoght good to turn into y^• Engliſh toūg this litle worke, framed by the right famous, worthy & godly learned man, M. Peter Viret: wherin you may ſee what cōmoditie the Church of God, hath reapt from time to time, of the Decrees and determinations of generall Councels, & of the ordinaunces & decretalles of Popes. And bycauſe that a number of theſe whiche ſo greatly reuerence Councels are Atheiſtes and Epicuriens, ſaying in their hartes there is no God, and do ſcoffe and fleere at the word of God, being ouer well ſene in the principles of the Popes diuinitie, which ſay that there is no God, and that all that euer is ſpoken of Ieſus Chriſt is but fables, and the whole Scriptures lyes, as by their lyues right well they do declare. And leaſt that any ſhould thincke that I ſpeake this of malice and without prouing any thing, I thincke it not amiſſe ſomwhat to ſay of the vertuous actes of theſe worthy fathers, who hauehave bene the heades of a nomber of general Councels, & hauehave there ruled the roſte, by their holy Ghoſt, whom they hauehave there had at theyr owne will and pleaſure. The Pope Alexander the vi. deuiſing on a tyme with the Frēch kings Ambaſſadour ſayd Note the good actes of Popes, Reade the life of this Alexander in Io. ba, act Romanorū ▪ Pontificum▪vntounto him theſe wordes: That fable of Ieſus Chryſte hath brought to vsus great riches. Beſides this H…eronimus Marius, in hys worcke intituled Euſebius Captiuus, ſpeakynge of this Pope Alexander the vi. ſayth of him among other thynges: what nedeth it to recite the abominable and deteſtable actes of Alexāder the vi. This Alexāder when he had made an aliaunce with deuils, he gaue him ſelfe wholly vntounto them and became their ſubiect, to the end that by their meane he might attaine to the Papall dignitie, whiche thyng they promiſed & did fulfill: after that he gouerned him ſelfe in ſo holy a ſorte that afterwarde durynge his lyfe he neuer entrepriſed any thynge, without their counſell. There are manye thinges in writyng, whiche are very notable, and worthy of a Pope of Rome and ſucceſſor of S. Peter: for there are in the Latin certaine excellent verſes and very worthy to be noted, which ſet forth very well the prayſes of this moſt holy father, the ſence wherof doth folow here. Alexander ſelleth Croſſes, altares yea & Ieſus Chriſt him ſelf: firſt he bought thē, wherfore, he may well ſell them. Rome paſſeth on from one vice to an other, and from the flame to the fire vnderunder the gouernement of this Spaniarde, Tarquinius, was the vi. kyng of the Romanes, Nero the vi. Emperour. And this the ſixte of his name. Rome hath euer ben plagued vnderunder thoſe ſixtes: this Alexander cauſed Gemma (who was fled to Rome for ſuccor, beyng brother to Baiazet Emperor of Turckie) to be poiſoned for the ſom of CC. M. Ducates, whiche he receiued of the ſayd Baiazet. This Alexander to maintayne his tyranny, called to his ayde Baiazet Emperour of the Turckes agaynſt the French kyng Charles the viii & enforced hym ſelf by al meanes poſſible to make the realm of Naples, yea and the very Citie of Rome it ſelf, the frontieres of y^e Turckyſh Empire: he cauſed the toong… and hands of Antonie Manciuell, a man meruelouſly well learned to be cut of, bycauſe he had writen an Oration, very elegantly agaynſt the wicked maners & moſt abhominable and villanous lyfe of the ſayde Pope. On a time this pope made a very ſumptuous bāquet, in the whiche he had commaunded to gyue to drinke, to certaine riche Senators and Cardinals, whom he had conuited thyther, of a flagon tempered with poyſon, & his taſter miſtakyng the flagon: gane hym to drincke of the ſame flagon, whereof he dyed with thoſe Senators and Cardinals, thys Alexander, as ſoone as he was Cardinal, became a Negromancer, coūſelled with deuils whom he had familiar, if they wold be ſo gratious vntounto him (who was their obediēt vaſſal & humble diſciple) as to help hym in his practiſe & ſute which he made for the Papal dignitie: wherunto they frāckly graū ted, conditionally that he ſhould make ſolēne othe in the preſeuce of y^e prince of darcknes, y^• he ſhould ſhew hym ſelfe an aſſured protectour of Satan, & hys infernall cōmon wealth: whereunto the Cardinall aſſented. OnelyOnly requiryng that whē this homage and othe ſhould be gyuen: it would pleaſe the deuill not to appeare vntounto hym in his hydeous and feare full forme, but rather in mans ſhape in the likenes of a Prothonotarie, whiche thyng beyng graunted, at a day appointed: in the ſommer tyme, the Cardinall conueyed him ſelfe ſecretly alon… into a chamber in a certayne place called mount Cauallus, and there came vntounto him my Lord the Prothonotarie, beyng a man of a meane age very honorably apparelled, who after certayne deuiſe and diſcourſe hadde, aſſured him, that he ſhould be Pope, who beyng then full of ioy enquired of the tyme, and how long he ſhould raygne. This reuerend prothonotarie made hym a deceptiue aūſwere, full of doubtfulnes, to wit that he ſhould raigne xi. and viii. the Cardinal fooliſhly perſuaded him ſelf that he ſhould raygne in the Papall dignitie. 19. yeares, albeit that the promes was but for xi. yeares and. 8. monethes when Innocent the. 8. was dead Rodericke Borgia was created and eſtabliſhed Pope, who forthwith named hym ſelfe Alexander the vi. now he did for the ſpace of. 11. yeares and 8. monethes meruelouſly trouble and oppreſſe Italie, he beyng old began to be diſeaſed & ſicke wherupon he kept his bed, and commaunded one of his ſeruauntes named Modena (who was moſt priuy and familiar with hym of al thoſe of hys Court) to go into his garde robe and to bryng hym a litle booke richly ſet, with gold and precious ſtones: which was in a certaine boxe or drawer, which he appointed hym vntounto. This litle booke contayned all the ſortes and kyndes of illuſions and enchauntements of Negromancie, where at, this old man determined to enquire & to aſſertaine him ſelfe, of the ende and cloſyng vp of his lyfe: this ſeruaunt accordyng to the commaundement of his maiſter, went to the place, and as he was entryng in at the dore of the chamber, he ſaw one fit in the Popes chaire, who was very lyke vntounto hys maiſter, which when he ſaw (beyng horribly affrayd) returned and ran to his maiſter, without bringyng the boke with hym, to whom he declared what he had ſene: which thyng when the Pope vnderſtood fully, and ſaw his ſeruaunt ſo affrayed: he let hym alone for a tyme, afterwarde he ſo wrought with hym, that he cauſed hym to go agayne to hys garde robe, to ſee if he could eſpie the aforeſayd Pope: & whether he would ſay any thyng to hym or no. The ſeruaunt beyng entred into the chamber agayne, found there hym whom he had ſene there before but he was far greater: he that ſat aſked hym, why he came thyther, and what he had to do there: who beynge excedyngly affrayde & in maner out of breath, aunſwered, that he came for a certayne garment for the Pope, Then the deuill caſt forth an horrible grone, & ſayd to hym, what Pope? I am Pepe my ſelf. when Alexāder vnderſtood this, hys maladie encreaſed, & his death approched. Shortly after one appareled lyke a courtier, came to the chā ber where the Pope laye, and knocked very lowdly, ſaying that he muſt nedes ſpeake with hym. The doore beyng opened vntounto hym, he came and ſpake with the Pope, all others wer retired from them. The Pope and he talked very ſecretly, but mē might ſe be their coūtenances, that they wer very earneſt and in great contention betwene them ſelues, & that the Pope was not well cōtent, for he ſayd to hym: how may this be? my tyme is not yet expired, thou knowſt that I had 19. yeares, wherof I hauehave paſſed but. 11. & 8. monethes. wher upon they heard the courtier aunſwere hym boldly, you dyd miſtake that worde, for I ſayd not. 19. yeares, but I ment. 11. yeares and 8. monethes, ſhould be the raigns of thy Papacy, and therfore thou muſt needes dye. Now albeit the Pope requeſted inſtantly, that he would hauehave conſideration of hys lyfe, and terme of yeares concernyng hys Papacy: it was as if he had ſpokē to a deafe man, for al hys exceptiōs, requeſtes and allegations could ſtand hym in no ſtede: for al that were in the chamber might well ſee, that the deuill was more perfect in Arithmetique, then was the Pope, and in the ende it was eaſyly cōcluded that Alexander had erred in hys accōptes. Finally to cōclude the matter, when Satan departed frō thēce, forthwith the ſoule of the Pope: moſt miſerably departed frō hys body, with horrible cryes and feareful gronyngs and bewaylyngs. And in this ſort moſt miſerably, wretchedly and wickedly, dyed the Pope Alexander, ſurnamed the 6. leauyng to hys ſonne his patrimonie, greatly engayged and encombred, & the Italians theyr Romane common wealth, wholly confuſed diſordered and ſpoyled, to the end he might be an example, to all ages to declare how that thynges euyll goten are conſumed & ſpent miſerably & wickedly, …ontanus writeth that thy… Pope, had a daughter whō hys ſonne dyd vſe and ſo dyd the Pope hym ſelfe, her name was Lucreſſe, Sanazarius, the Italian Poete, in hys Epigrames and 2. boke ſpeakyng of this Pope Alexander & notyng hys inceſt, ſayth thus. O Lucreſſe, will Alexander yet ſtill couet thee? O horrible caſe, he is thy father. In the worcke intituled l'Eſtat do l'Egliſe, it is writen of this Pope Alexander, that not only he dyd vſe hys daughter Lucreſſe, but hys ſonne dyd the lyke, wherupon ſhe is called his wife, his daughter, and daughter in law. &c. Vrſpergenſis noteth of Bregory the. 7. otherwiſe named Hildebrand, that the common wealth of Rome, and the Churche was in great daunger vnderunder him, by meanes of errors and new Sciſmes, whiche were neuer heard of before, & that he dyd vſurpe the Papall ſeat by tyranny, & not be lawfull election. The Councell holden at wormes, in the yeare. 1080. ſayth of Gregory the. 7. that it is certayne that he was not choſen of God, but that he dyd ſhamefully thruſt him ſelf in by diſceate and money, and did turne vp ſyde downe the order of the Churche, and troubled the ſtate of the Chriſtian Empire, and framed the deſtruction of both the body & ſoule of the Catholicke kyng, and dyd defend the periured kyng, & dyd ſow diſcord among ſuch as did accord, and ſtrife among the quiet, offences among the brethren, diuorce among the maried, and ſturred vp and chaunged all thinges that might tend to quietnes among ſuch as were of honeſt lyfe. we therfore beyng gathered together by God agaynſt the ſayd Hildebrand, who preached nothyng but ſacrileges & fires, main tayned the periured and murderers, and brought the vniuer fall and Apoſtolicke fayth of the body and bloud of the Lord into doubt, being an obſeruer of diuinations and dreames, & an open Nigromancer, hauing a familiar ſpirit, and leauing in this ſorte the true fayth, we iudge that he ought by lawful auctoritie to be depoſed, driuen frō his ſeat, and perpetually condēpned, if he leaue not hys ſeat when he ſhal vnderſtand theſe thyngs. I refer ſuch as wil vnderſtād more of the ſaid Gregory to the readyng of the Cardinal Benno, hys worcke, wherin the lyfe of the ſayd Gregory is ſet forth. Moreouer I wiſh them in Platina. to conſider the lyues of Iohn the. 8. Silueſter, Bennet the. 8. with many others. Alſo in Sabellicus, in hys. 9. Eneide and firſt and 2. booke, where they ſhall ſee of the Popes afore writē. Alſo in the Cōmentaries of that worthy mā Iohn Sleydan in hys. 21. boke, where he mencioneth of an Italian, whiche wrote a booke very ſharpely agaynſte Paul the. 3. namyng hym therin Antechriſt, declaring that in the tyme of Innocent the Pope he was committed to priſon beyng a wicked prelat for if murders, and for the poyſoning of his mother, & his nephew, wherby the inheritaunce might come to hym further, after that he was deliuered out of priſō he made great fute for a Hatte of a Cardinall, and was three tymes refuſed by the Cardinals: in the end his ſiſter Iulia Ferneſe, obtayned it. For ſhe threatned the Pope Alexāder the. 6. that frō that time forth, ſhe would neuer be at his cōmaundment, the Pope fearing her diſpleaſure accepted him into the troupe of Cardinals: further, that he poyſoned an other ſiſter of hys, and vſed an other of them, and alſo his nee…e and hys own daughter, and for that that he would the more liberally enioye her, he found the meane to poyſon her huſband Boſe Sforce: he was alſo a great Nigromācer, as witneſſeth Sleidan in his Cōmentaries and. 19. booke, & Iohn Bale, in the lyfe of the ſaid Paul the 3. in his act. Roma Pontificum, wher he fully declareth the vertues of him. Let vsus ſee one mo among a great nōber of theſe reuerend fathers, Clemēt the. 8. of that name borne in Florence, baſtarde to Leo the. 10. (his nephew I ſhould ſay) named before Iulius, Cardinal Prieſt of the title of S. Laurēce in Damaſe. &c. It is writen of him in certaine Cōmētaries vponupon the articles of the Doctors of Paris, that this Clemēt was a baſtard, empoyſoner, homicide, bawd, ſimoniaque, Sodomit, periured, whoremaſter, negromancer. Church robber, and a worker of all wickednes. &c. Such as wil vnderſtād more of the goodnes & of the lyues of ſuch holy fathers, I referre thē to the readyng of the Florentine hyſtory of Machiauell, let them read Volateran. Sabellicus, Platina Iohn Bale act. Rom. pont. Iohn le Maire in hys woorke of Sciſmes, the ſea of hiſtories. Faſcicul. tēp. Naucle. ſupplimēt. chro. with a nomber of others, whō for briefty I do omitte. Truly theſe fathers ar iolly folowers of Chriſt, who ought chiefly to be folowed, he ſent his Apoſtles abrode into the world commaundyng thē to preache the Goſpell to all men, and to A compariſō betvvene Chriſt & the Popebaptize in the name of the father, the ſonne & the holy ghoſt, &c. the Pope commaūdeth hys to hallow Churches, water, bread, oyle, belles, chalices, grene bowghes, candles with ſuch lyke traiſhe, & to ſing Maſſes for the liuyng, and for the dead, and to apply them to ſondry vſes, but the pulpit is not greatly encumbred with them, and whē they do preach, they preach nothyng els but lyes, as their owne dreames, phautaſies, Legenda aurea, a Scripture of their owne inſpiration, & theyr owne traditions, decrees, and ordinaunces. Chriſt ordeined onelyonly two Sacramētes, which two they hauehave corrupted and added to thē fiue, bycauſe that Chriſt did not ſo well know what is meete for his Church as they do, O horrible Gene, 2preſumption. God him ſelfe when he had created man in Paradiſe, ſayd: It is not good that man be alone, we will make i, Cor, 7hym a helper. The Apoſtle ſ. Paul ſaith: It is good for a mā not to touche a woman, yet to auoyde fornication, let eueryevery man hauehave his owne wife, & eueryevery woman her own huſband. Heb, 13, …The Apoſtle ſaith, mariage is honorable among al mē & the bed vndefiled: but God will iudge the whore maſters and adulterers, theſe wordes are generall and hauehave regarde to all men and to all eſtates. Ieſus Chriſt did not onelyonly alow mariage: but did alſo honor it with his preſence In Cana of Galilee. S. Auguſtine in hys treatiſe of the goodnes of mariage ſayth, in his. 21. Chap. that he dare not preferre the virginity of S. Iohn, before the mariage of Abraham. S. Ambroſe in hys firſt booke ſayth. Touching virgins S. Paule ſayth. I hauehave no cōmaundmēt of the Lord, but I do coūſel or aduiſe, if the doctor of the Gentils had no commaundemēt, who is he that might hauehave any? And truly he had no cōmaundment, but he did counſell therunto, for virginitie can not be cōmaū ded, it may wel be deſired, for that which is not in our power is not to be cōmaūded, but it is to be wiſhed for. Origens vpō S. Mathew in his. 24. Homelie ſayth. That they which do forbid men to marry, do enforce thē to a licentious villeni forbiddyng that which is expediēt. The like he ſayth of thoſe that cōmaund abſtinence from meates, and ſuch lyke, where vntounto the faithfull may in no wiſe be cōſtrained, he ſayth that they lay he any burdens, on the ſhoulders of men cōtrary to the wil of Chriſt: who ſayth, My yoke is pleaſant & my burthen light & eaſy. &c. Euſebius in hys Eccleſiaſticall hiſtorie. 3. boke. 30. cha. reciteth, that S. Clement writyng againſt ſuch as did condempne mariage, among other thynges ſayth, wil they reproue the Apoſtles: S. Peter had a wife. So had Philippe, Paul alſo had a wife, as appeareth by one of hys Epiſtles, in the whiche he is not aſhamed, to ſend ſalutations to her: whom he ſayth he would not carry about the countrey with him, bycauſe he would be the more ready to preach the Goſpell. Many of the auncient fathers were maried as Patriarkes, Prophetes, and Biſhops of the primitiue Church. Yet is not the Pope affrayde to ſay (and ſtand agaynſt God and Chriſt) that mariage is vnclennes, pollution and carnal filthynes, as it is ſaid in the. 4. of the ſentēces. Diſt c. 17. chap. 4. and his decret. 27. Queſt. 2. chap. whiche begynneth. Cum ſocietas Tertulian in his preſcriptions agaynſt the heretikes, ſayth. It is not in our power or choiſe lawful▪ to bring in, to chuſe or alledge for authoritie, that whiche any other hath brought in, or alledged for hys own pleaſure: for we hauehave the Apoſtles of the Lord for our authors, who hauehave brought in nothing for theyr own pleaſure▪ nor any new thing, but hauehave faithfully preached and taught to the nations, that diſcipline which they receyued of Chriſt S. Auguſtine vponupon S. Iohn in the. 46. treatiſe and. 10. chap. ſayth, if they whiche ſit in the chaire of Moſes do teache the lawe of God, it doth then folowe that God teacheth by them: but if they will teache any thyng of theyr owne, heare them not, nor yet do it. &c. And in the. 6. againſt Fauſtus. chap. 16. & in the. 18. booke. chap. 12. doth cal by the wordes of Chriſt (not onelyonly falſe Prophetes but alſo theeues and murderers) all ſuch as dare preach any other thing to the people of God, thē the Canonical Scriptures: & againſt ſuch he alledgeth the ſaying of Chriſt, al thoſe y^• came before me, are theeues & murderers, S. Paul in his. 1. Epiſtle to the Galathiās doth accurſ…e him, that bringeth any other doctrine thē that which he hath taught, yea if it wer an Aū gell of heauen. Further in hys Epiſtle he ſayth, that whiche I receyued of the Lord, the ſame alſo deliuer I vntounto you. &c. It is not ſo with theſe men, of whom we hauehave alreadie ſpoken, they deliuer vntounto vsus their own traditions, inuentions and dreames in the ſtead of the worde of God. And I doubt not (although theſe men hauehave nothing in their mouthes but the fathers, the fathers which muſt authoriſe the ſcriptures vntounto thē) if the fathers liued in theſe daies, but they wold be as readye to perſecute them as they are to perſecute thoſe which in theſe dayes do profeſſe Chriſt. Let it be ſeene, how many of them were which ſuffered in the late tyme of theyr late perſecution that did denie any one article of the Chriſtian fayth, but they did by Gods grace moſt coſtantly affirme them, euen ſealing them vp with their bloud: examine Theodoret, Epiphanius and Auguſtine, Fathers of great holynes and doctrine, who hauehave largely written of hereſyes, and let it be ſeene whether they maintained any one of thoſe which they cite, no not one: let vsus ſee how many Arrians, Anabaptiſtes Pelagians, Marcioniſtes, Neſtorians, Ebioniſtes, or any other kind of heretikes they did then execute. I ſuppoſe the number wil appeare very ſmal, for they are al in leage with Sathan. I doubt, not but (if the Goſpell had as fatte a ſmoking kitchin tyed vntounto it, as hauehave the Romyſhe rytes) we ſhould hauehave a great number of Goſpellers: for this kitchin Seducers of the peopleis of great effecte among the Romaniſtes. S. Chriſoſtome vponupon S. Mathew in his. 48. Homelie. chap. 24. ſayth thus: There are ſome which do greatly ſeduce through lyes & vntrouthes, they preach Chriſt, they teach the fayth, they hauehave alſo churches, orders and elders as the faythfull hauehave. They do alſo read the Scriptures of God, it ſemeth that they geue the ſame baptiſme and the ſacrament of the bodye and bloud of Ieſus Chriſt, likewiſe they honour the Apoſtles & Martyrs, and by theſe meanes they do greatly abuſe the vnderſtanding, not only of the ſimple, but alſo of ſuch as are wiſe. who ſhall he be that Antichriſt ſhall not be able to ſhake or moue? partlye doing the workes of Chriſt, and the antichriſtians, fulfilling in a ſorte the dueties of chriſtians, vnleſſe it be peraduenture ſuch an one as doth conſider that which the Apoſtle ſayth: if Sathan can tranſforme himſelf into an Angell of lyght, is it then a greate matter for hys miniſters to be tranſformed lyke to the miniſter of iuſtice? whoſe end ſhal be according to their workes and not according to their fayned ſhow of Chriſtianitie. S. Hierom vponupon the. 9 cha. of the Prophet Oſee fayth: I do no… fynde by the aūcient hyſtories that any other hauehave deuided the Church, and ſeduced the people of the houſhould of God, but onelyonly the Prieſtes and Prelates, whom God hath appoynted to be the ſpialles & watch mē for the Chriſtiās againſt y^• enemies of the church S. Bernard in hys Appologie, to williā the Abbot ſayth. The wals of the Church do ſhyne, but the pore are in diſtreſſe, the ſtone Wherof the church conſ…ſteth.workes of her, are clothed with gold, but ſhe leaueth her children naked. Iſichius vponupon Leuiticus. boke. 4. chap. the. 14. ſayth They may well bee called the deckyng of the houſe that doo maintaine it: to witte thoſe orders of men, whiche teach godlynes or godly thynges, for of ſuche is the Churche made in dede, and not (as many do thinck…) of wood and ſtones. And therfore when in the olde tyme it was commaunded to aſſemble the church, Moyſes did not bring together tymber, ſtones and ſuch like, but the people, the elders & the Leuits. Saint Chryſoſtome of his reſignatiō or baniſhment, Hom. 20 ſayth. The church conſiſteth not of walles, but of the multitude of good people. S. Bernard vponupon the Cantique… in his 33. ſermon ſayth: Now, from whom ſhal the church hyde her The cōplaīt of Bernard.ſelf, all are frendes and all are enemyes, all are allies and all are aduerſaries, al are of the houſhold, and none is at quiet, al are neighbours, and eueryevery mā ſeketh his own profit, they are the miniſters of Chriſt & ſerue Antichriſt, they walke in honour with the goods of the Lorde, & yet they honour not the Lord, frō thence cōmeth that beautie of the whore which thou dayly doeſt ſee, clothed as players of ſtaige playes, apparelled as a king: of this thou ſeeſt the golde vponupon their brydles, fadles and ſpurres, of this are the tables furnyſhed with meates and veſſells, of this are the dronkenneſies and gluttonies, of this proceedeth the harpe & viall, from thence are the flowing wine preſſes, & the ful ſellers: the one equall with the other, of this are the litle boxes and pottes full of ſwete oyntmentes and ſauours, of this are their purſſes filled, for this cauſe wil they be, & ar the princes of the Church, the Prouoſtes, the Deanes, the Archdeacons, the Byſhops and the Archbiſhops, and ſuch things come not lawfully to paſſe, but becauſe they walke in the affaires of darknes, heretofore it hath bene ſpoken of and nowe is the time come and fulfilled. Beholde in peace my bitternes is very bitter. It Eſay, 38. dhath beene heretofore bitter in the death of the Martyrs, after that more bitter in the controuerſies of the heretiques, & now it is moſt bitter in the maners of the ſeruauntes of the houſholde: they can neyther be driuen awaye nor auoyded, they are ſo ſtrong and ſo infinitely encreaſed. The wound of the Church is in her entrayles and bowells, and it is incurable, and therfore is her bitternes very bitter, &c. S. Hillarie writing againſt Aurentius ſayth theſe wordes: I warne Admonitiō of Hillary,you to beware of Antichriſt, you doe to much eſteeme the walles, ſeeking the Church of God in the gorgiouſnes of buildinges, thinking that the vnitie of the faythfull is there conteyned, doe we doubt whether Antichriſt hauehave hys ſeate there or no. The mountaines, the woodes, the lakes, priſons and wilderneſſes are more aſſured vntounto …e and more ſafe, for the Prophets being in them hidden did prophecie. Saint Bernard vponupon the. 90. Pſalme, and verſe 6. ſayeth, in maner al the Chriſtians ſeke their own gayn, & not the gaine of Ieſus Chriſt. And they hauehave turned ouer the very offices of the eccleſiaſticall dignitie, into ſhamefull and diſhoneſt gayne, and into affaires of darknes, and do not in theſe things ſeke the ſaluation of ſoules but the pleaſures of riches. For thys cauſe are they roūded, for this cauſe do they haunt the churches, ſay Maſſes an… ſing Pſalmes. At this daye they ſtriue by proces & go to lawe for Biſhoprikes & Archbiſhoprikes, in ſuch ſorte y^• the reuenues of y^• Church are veſtowed in ſuperfluities and vaine vſages: there reſteth no more but that the man of ſinne the ſonne of perdition be reueled, &c. Saint Bernard in his ſermon of the conuerſion of S. Paul ſayth, O Lord God, thoſe whom we ſee to couet the chiefe places in thy church and poſſeſſe the principalitie: they are euen the firſt that perſecute thee. They hauehave taken the Arke of Sion, and they hauehave poſſeſſed the caſtle, and afterward hauehave frely through the power therof ſet the whole ci…ie on fyre: their cō uerſation is miſerable, the ſubuerſiō of thy people is lamentable. S. Bernard in his boke de conſid…r ad Eugeniū, toward the ende of his. 4. booke ſpeaketh to the Pope in this ſorte: what is it that thy flatterers ſaye vntounto thee, goe to hardely The deſcription of the Romiſh Court.thou byeſt them with the ſpoyle of the churches: The lyfe of the poore is ſowen in the gates of the riche. The ſiluer ſhyneth in the dirte, mē runne thither out of al par…es, the pooreſt caryeth it not awaye, but he that is ſtrongeſt, or ells hee that runneth moſte ſpedelye: this cuſtome, or rather deadlye corruption, began not in thy time, God would it might end in the ſame. In the meane time thou art adourned & decked preciouſly, if I durſt ſay it, thy ſeate is rather a cloſe of deuils then of ſhepe. Dyd S. Peter ſo: Did S. Paul ſo mocke? Thy court doth vſe rather to receaue the good, then to make any good, for ſuch as are euill do not amend in thy court, but the good do there waxe worſe. Bernard alſo ſayth: Beholde the Ad E…gen. l…b. …e…tio.common murmure and complaint of all the Churches, they crye out that they are wounded and corne in peeces. There are very fewe or none ar all, who feare not that woūd: doeſt thou aſke what wound it is? The Abbotes are robbed and ſpoyled by their biſhops, the Biſhops by their Archbiſhops. It is a maruell if any man be able to excuſe it. In ſo doing, you do very wel declare that you hauehave plentie of power, but not of iuſtice, you do it becauſe you are able to doe it: but the queſtion is, if you ought to doe it. You are ordayned to conſerue to eueryevery man his honour, and degree; & not to be enuious toward him. &c. S. Paule doth rightwell ſetforth in his colours this Romiſhe prelate (whiche will be called Sanctiſſimus, or moſt holy) in his ſecond Epiſtle to the Theſſalonians and. 2. chap. naming him the ſonne of perdition, the man of ſinne. &c. S. Peter alſo in his. 2. Epiſtle and. 2. chap. doth moſt liuely paynt out the maners and life of this Romyſhe rabble of Prelacy. Furthermore in the diſtinctiōs. diſtinct, 34 cap, Lector, gloſe & diſtinct, 82, chap, priſbit. and in the Canon of the Apoſtles. 17. queſt, 4, chap, Si quis, diſtinct, 40, chap, Si papa, diſtinct, 96 chap, Satis, chap, Simplici, & Incipitis. It is written in theſe canons, that the power and authority of the Popes is ſuch, that they are able to diſpenſe againſt the doctrine of the Apoſtles, agaynſt the right of nature, & conſequently againſt the Goſpell and woorde of God. &c. O horrible blaſphemy. Chriſt cōmaunded that none ſhould adde, or diminiſh from his word, his word muſt be our guide or Scholemaſter and inſtructor, and yet in theſe dayes the number will ſaye, it is not for vsus to read the Scriptures, it appertayneth onelyonly to prieſts, Fryers and Monkes to read & vnderſtand the ſcriptures, as though the kingdome of heauen belonged only to ſuch: truly if y^• thei which liue as it were in ſolitary life hauehave nede to be armed with the vnderſtāding of the Scriptures, to heale their wounds which thei daily receiue in the battail of this mortall lyfe, being …iſburdened of a great number of cares, which he is charged with that is burdened with office of Magiſtrate or of rule in the cōmon welth, and alſo that he is charged with, that is burdened wyth wyfe, childrē & familye: he that is in thys ſorte burdened ſhall hauehave more oftē occaſiō to offend the maieſty of God, then he that is not ſo burdened, wherefore it is the more nedefull that he hauehave his medicine prepared wherewith to heale his deadelye woundes which he dayly receaueth by meane of ſundry occaſions geuē vntounto him: which medicine is y^• vnderſtādyng of gods word, wherewith he mai aſſuredly furniſh himſelf againſt al temptatiōs, as witneſſeth the Pſalmiſt ſaying: The words of the Lord are pure, euen as the ſiluer which frō the earth is ſeuē times tryed & purified. Euſebius in his eccleſiaſticall hiſtorye Pſal. 12Ps 126. boke. 15. chap. alledgeth the Epiſtle of Alexander biſhop of Ieruſalē, againſt Demetrius, & doth reproue him ſaying: That which thou ſayeſt in thy letters, affyrmyng that it was neuer ſene, nor knowē, that ſecular & lay men ſhould diſpute of the The ſcripture ought to be had in the vulgarae tounge.fayth in the preſēce of Byſhops: I know not what hath moued thee to affyrme ſo manifeſt a lye, for ſo much as when ſo euer any is found ſufficient & meete to inſtruct and teach the people, the biſhops hauehave accuſtomed to deſyre thē to take the matter in hand, So dyd our brother Neon Byſhop, to Euelp…' in the citye Larande, & the Byſhoppe Celſus to Paulin in the citye Iconie, & the Byſhop Atticus to Theodore in y^e city Synnade: and there is no doubt but other byſhops do the lyke in their dioces: when they fynde any man mete to profyt the people. Iohn Gerſon, a greate pyller of the papacie, in the fyrſt parte of hys examination of doctrynes ſayth, that the fyrſt veritye is ſo ſure, that any ſymple man not beyng authoriſed may be ſo excellently ſene & inſtructed in the holy Scriptures, that mē ought to geue more credyte to hys affyrmation in matter of teaching, thē to the doctryne of the Pope: for it is playn that we ought to geue greater credyte to the Goſpell, then to the Pope: & within fewe wordes after he ſayth, that if a generall Councell ſhould be holden, & that ſuch a wel inſtructed man were preſent there, if that the greateſt nūber ſhould through malice or ignoraunce declyne and decree anye thyng agaynſt the Goſpel, ſuch a lay man myght lawfully ſtand agaynſt the whole generall Councell. Panormitan, albeit he were a greate Idolater of papacie, in the chap. ſignificaſti, extra, de electronibꝰ ſayth theſe woordes: In matters concernyng the fayth, the ſaying of a laye man oughte to hauehave place, before the ſaying of the Pope, if hys ſaying bee more probable, and better authoryſed by the olde and newe Teſtament. Sainte Hierome in hys fyrſte tome writyng to Marcelle, encouragyng her to goe to Bethleem ſayeth: In the vyllage of Ieſus Chriſt there are none but ruſticall men, there is nothynge heard on anye ſyde, but Pſalmes: The plowe man holdynge the plow by the tayle, doth ſinge Alleluya: the harueſt mā beyng at his labour ſweating, doth paſſe the time in ſingyng of Pſalmes: and the laborer in the vineyard with hys hooke cutting the vynes, doth ſyng ſome thynge of Dauid: ſuch are the ſonges of that countrey, ſuch are (as men cōmonly ſay) theyr ſonges of louelove. S. Hierome in the proem of his 1. booke of his expoſition vponupon the Epiſtle to the Epheſiās in the. 9. Tome ſayth: All words and al ſentences are conteyned in the boke of God, by the which alſo we know God, & are not ignorant of the cauſe of our creation. I do not a litle maruell that ſome hauehave ben ſo gyuē to folly and ſluggiſhnes that they would not learne thoſe things which are excellent, but hauehave thought, & do thinck worthy of blame, al thoſe that are gyuē to ſuch ſtudies: to whom albeit I could make more ſtricte aunſwer, & ſoone leaue them offended or pleaſed, I ſay that it is much better to read the Scriptures, then to be gredy and to fiſh for riches, and to gather & heay them together. S. Hierome vponupon the. 6. chap. to the Epheſians ſayth if he cō maund the lay men of the Epheſians, & ſuch as be occupyed in the affayres and buſines of this life (as men ſee amōg the commō people) to inſtruct and bryng vp theyr children in all godly diſcipline and learnyng, what may men then thincke of Miniſters and elders? of whoſe order and maner of lyfe he wrote to his diſciple Timothe ſaying, hauyng theyr children ſubiect in all reuerence. &c. Primaſe Byſhop of Vtica, in the countrey of Affricke, & diſciple to S. Auguſtin, writing vpō the. 3. chap. of the Epiſtle to the Colloſiās ſayth: let the word of God dwel plētuouſly in you. &c. Hereit it is playnly declared, that the lay people ought alſo to hauehave the word of God, not onelyonly ſlenderly, but alſo aboundantly, and alſo that they ought to admoniſh & teach one an other. Theophilacte vponupon the Epiſtle to the Epheſians the. 6. chap. ſhewyng fathers & mothers, by what meanes they ſhal make their childrē obedient and ready to do theyr cōmaundement, declareth the cauſe of theyr obedience, to the cōmaūdemēt of theyr father ſaying: fathers prouoke not your childrē. &c. If thou wilt hauehave thy children obedient, bryng them vp and exerciſe them in Gods worde, accuſtome them to ſermons, and ſay not that it belongeth to Monckes onelyonly to read the holy Scriptures: for truly it is rather the office of eueryevery Chriſtian man, & namely of hym that is occupyed in the affayres and buſines of thys world. And y^• more y^• he nedeth help, ſo much y^• more nedeth he to vnderſtand, for he is the more toſſed with the ſourges and aſſaultes of this worlde. It ſhall be much for thy profite, that thy children do heare and read the holy Scriptures: for out of them they ſhall learne, honor thy father & thy mother, but thou doeſt the contrary. Thou bringeſt thē vp in the ſtudy of the writynges of the heathens and Gentils, out of the whiche they learne very noughty thyngs: which happen not vntounto thē, if they be inſtructed in the holy Scriptures. &c. S. Chriſoſtome vponupon Geneſis, in his. 5. Homelie. 6. chap. and. 1. Tome ſayth: I beſech you that we be not negligēt as concerning our health, but rather y^• our talke be of ſpiritual thigs, and that ſome one take in his hand the boke of God, and callyng hys neighbours to hym, he do water his owne ſoule, & theyrs with godly ſentēces, to the end that we may chaſe frō vsus the treaſons, and awaytes of the deuil. S. Chriſoſtome in his. 3. ſermō of Lazar ſaith: I do alwais exhort you, & wil not ceaſe but ſtil exhorte you to gyue heede, not onelyonly to what is ſaid here, but alſo when you come home into your houſes, that you be cōtinually occupyed in the readyng of the Scriptures: whiche I hauehave not left to vrge thē with in particular, that hauehave ben conuerſaunt with me, and let no mā ſay vntounto me (theſe wordes are cold and of ſmal effect) I am an aduocate or lawyer, I am occupyed in the affayres of the commonwealth: I am a man of occupation. I hauehave a wife, I hauehave a charge of children. I am burdened with houſe kepyng, I am a man of the world, it is not for me to read the Scriptures, but it is for thoſe that hauehave forſaken the worlde, which dwel in mountaines, & lead a cōtinent & ſolitarie life. Man, what ſayſt thou? haſt not thou to do with the readyng of the Scriptures, bycauſe thou art occupyed with many cares and buſineſſes? But thou haſt greater neede of it then they hauehave. For they hauehave not ſo great neede of the helpe of y^e Scriptures, as you hauehave, whiche are toſſed & turmoyled among the ſourges and wanes of wordly buſines: for truly, the Monckes and ſo litarie men, which dwell in the deſertes, are without proces and wordly cares, & hauehave none acquaintaunce with any, but do Philoſophe & ſtudy for knowledge in peaceable quietnes and ſucetie: and as they were in a ſure hauē, hauehave fruition of things permanent & certaine: and cōtrarily we (beyng toſſed with infinite wordly cares and buſines, as it wer in the middeſt of the ſea) hauehave alwayes nede of continual ſolace and cō forte of the Scriptures. They are farre of frō the cōbatte, but thou art dayly in the battayle, bycauſe thou receyueſt many woundes: therfore haſt thou greater nede of remedy. S. Hierome writyng to a Lady named Gaudence, of the bringyng Education of youthvp of her daughter …acatulla ſayth: when the litle & yong mayden ſhall come to the. 7. yeare of her age, and that ſhe begynneth to hauehave ſhame, and to know wherof ſhe ought to be ſilent, & to doubt of that which ſhe ſhould ſpeak, let her then learne the Pſalter, by hart, vntyll ſhe come to the. 12. yeare of her age, that ſhe lay vp a treaſure in her harte of the bookes of Salomon, of the writinges of the Apoſtles & Prophetes, writing alſo to an other good Ladye named Leta, exhorting her to inſtruct her daughter in the holy Scripture, euen frō the cradle, ſaying thus: let her embrace the booke of God, in the ſtede of precious ſtones & ſylke, in the which bookes let her delight, not in their goodly couerings of ſōdry colours, but in the diſtinct erudicion, being corrected according to the fayth: let her firſt learne the Pſalter, & by ſuch ſonges let her withdraw her ſelfe from the world. Let her learn out of the Prouerbes of Salomō to liue vertuouſly, let her learne out of Eccleſiaſtes to tread worldly things vnderunder fee…e, & out of Iob example of vertue and pacience: let the Goſpel be continually in her handes, let her thorowlye learne the actes and Epiſtles of the Apoſtles. And when ſhee hathe in thys ſorte enriched the Cabinet of her harte with ſuch treaſures, let her learne by harte the Prophetes, the bookes of Moſes, of the kings, the Paralipomenon, Eſoras, and alſo Heſter, & laſt of al the ſong of ſonges, called in latin Canticū Canticorū; for if ſhe ſhuld read it firſt ſhe might be hurt by it, not vnderſtāding the holy ſōges of ſpirituall mariages, by thoſe carnal phraſes: let her auoyd al the Apocripho bokes, let her hauehave alſo continuall excerciſe in the workes of Cipriā, Athanaſe & Hillary. S. Chriſoſtom in his. 31. Homeli vpō ſ. Iohn the. 4. chap. ſayth: who is he of vsus I pray you, who when he is returned home to his houſe doth any thing belōging to a Chriſtian? who is he that ſearcheth & ſoundeth the meanyng of the Scriptures: Truly not one, but we finde oftentymes tables and dice, but very ſeldome bokes, & if any hauehave bokes, they kepe them ſhutte vp, as thoughe they had none, or els they employ theyr time in beholdyng theyr braue painted coueringes or fayre figures & letters. &c. S. Chriſoſtome vponupon S. Iohn in hys. 10. Homely. 5. Tome and. 1. chap. ſayth: And Gōmoditie of the ſcripture.you ſhall be much more ſharpe & ſubtil, not onelyonly to heare & vnderſtand, but alſo to teache others. &c. And within fewe lines after in the ſame Homelie he ſayth, they which ar negligēt hauehave yet an other excuſe verye vn apt, to wit that they hauehave no bookes. This were a very vayne aunſwere for the riche to make, but for ſo much as many poore men do often tymes make this excuſe, I will ſome thyng ſay to them: and Careleſſe neſſe of the Chriſtianswill aſke thē, if they hauehave not al theyr tooles & inſtrumētes, which do belong to theyr occupatiōs & craftes not withſtandyng theyr pouertie. Is not this then a great foly to excuſe thē by theyr pouertie, & yet they ſo prouide that they wāt nothing belōgyng to theyr occupatiōs, & yet they excuſe thē ſelues vpō theyr pouertie & occupatiōs, in a matter which is ſo cōmodious vntounto thē. S. Chriſoſto. in his. 3. ſermon of Lazar ſayth: Seeſt thou not the workers of metals, gold ſmythes, ſiluer ſmithes, & ſuch like mē of occupatiōs, that they hauehave al theyr tooles redy which belōg to their occupations? & albeit that hūger pinch them, & pouertie afflict thē, yet had they rather endure any kynde of theſe miſeries, thē to ſel any inſtrument that belongeth to their occupation, by the whiche they liue. &c. S. Chriſoſtome in the ſame ſermon ſayth, that a man may get great holynes and perfection by reading of the holy Scriptures, and the holy Ghoſt hath ſo tempered them, that he would hauehave ſinners and Publicans ſaued: yea & to the end that the Idiots and vnlerned ſhould be without excuſe touchyng the hardnes of the vnderſtandyng therof, he hath willed that the thynges therin ſpoken, ſhould be ſo eaſy euen at the firſt ſight, that men of occupation & laborers, ſeruaunts, women, widowes, and ſuch like that are moſt ignoraunt of all others, might by the readyng therof obtayne vnderſtanding. &c. The Scripture is the power of God to ſaluatiō, by it we knowe God and Chriſt, by it we knowe our ſelues, by it we are taught our duety toward our neyghbour, by it we learn to obei our prince, by it we know the true Prophet frō the falſe: the Scriptures ar to be preferred before al the writings of men, it is the touche ſtone wherby we ought to examine Ad Regina… derecta fidethe doctrines of men. Cyril ſayth, it is neceſſary for vsus that we folow the holy Scriptures, & not to ſwarue in anye thyng that is commaunded in them. S. Ambroſe vponupon the. 1. Epiſtle to the Corinthes &. 4. chap. ſaith: what ſoeuer is not receiued frō the handes of the Apoſtles is full of wickednes. Cyprian in Sermon … de lapſis: And how dare they ordeyne and decree any thing without Chriſt, whoſe hope and fayth, vertue and glorye is whollye in hym? Origine vponupon Ezechiell Homili. 7. lette vsus folowe no man, and if wee will folowe any, wee hauehave Chriſte ſet foorth to vsus to followe. The actes of the Apoſtles are ſet forth vntounto vsus, & we know the doings of the Prophetes by the holy volumes, that is a ſounde exā ple to folow: & Theophilactus vpō the Epiſtle to the Romains the laſt chap. ſayth: They whiche bryng any thyng beſide the determinations and doctrine of the Apoſtles, they bryng in offences, hereſies and diſſenſions, Ireneus aduerſus Valentini & ſimiliū ſcripta lib. 2. cap. 56▪ Leane to the holy Scriptures, which is the ſure and vndoubted truth: it is a ſure ſtone wherwith to build: when ye leaue this & cleaue to any other doctrines. &c. S. Auguſtine in his prologue of his. 3. boke of the trinitie ſayth: Obey not my writinges as thou wilte the Canonicall ſcriptures, for what ſo euer thou ſhalt finde in thē, that thou beleueſt not, the ſame beleue without douting: but in myne if Authority of the wryting… of the fathers.thou finde any thing wherin thou art not perſuaded thorowly, beleue it not aſſuredly. Againe in his. 112. Epiſtle which he writeth to Paulm, he ſpeaketh to the like end. Itē in his. 2. boke of Baptiſme againſt the Donatiſts. 3. chap. he ſaith: you alwayes alledge to vsus the letters of Cypriā, the ſayinges of Cypriā, why take you authoritie of Cypriā for your Sciſme, & refuſe his exāple, to trouble the church? who is he that doth not well know that the Canonicall ſcriptures, as wel of the olde as of the new Teſtament, are conteined within limites which ar certain, & that the ſame is to be preferred to the writings of al the Biſhops, y^• hauehave ben hereto fore? ſo y^t we may not in any thing doute or diſpute of it, to wit whether y^• all y^• therin is be true or no, but it is lawfull to reprehēd the writings of y^e Biſhops, which were writen before, or which wer writen after the cōfirmation of the Canonical ſcriptures, either by word. &c. Moreouer Origene vpō the Prophet Ieremie in his. 1. Howelie ſayth: we muſt needes call to witneſſe the holy Scriptures, for without thē no mā ought to credite our ſayings or writings. S. Hierom vponupon ſ. Mathew fayth: That which is ſpokē without the authoritie of y^e ſcriptures, euen as it is ſpoken, ſo may it be reiected & contēned: & vponupon Ieremie. 9. chap. ſayth: The error of fathers & mothers & of aūceſters ought not to be folowed, but the authoritie of the ſcriptures, & the cōmaūdemēt of God, whiche he teacheth vsus &c. And within fewe lynes after he ſayth: Aſſuredly thorowe ignoraūce of the law, men ſhall receiue Antichriſt for Chriſt. &c. S. Cypriā to Cecil in his. 3. boke of his Epiſtles &. 3. Epiſtle ſaith: yf you do that which I cōmaūde you. I will not cal you my ſeruaūtes, but my frends. And alſo that Chriſt ought onelyonly to be herd, the father hath borne witnes from heauen, ſaying: This is my welbeloued ſonne, in whom I am well pleaſed, heare him: wherfore, if it be ſo y^e Chriſt onelyonly ought to be herd, then ought we not to looke what any man before vsus hath thought good to be done: but y^t which Chriſt, who is Chriſt and not cuſtom is to be followedbefore all hath done: for we are not boūd to folow y^e cuſtome of mē, but the truth of God, for ſo much as God ſayth by his Prophet Eſay, in y^e. 29. chap: They honor me in vain, teaching the cōmaūdemēts & doctrines of mē. And again in y^e Goſpel, Mathew. 15. you reiect y^e cōmaūdemēt of God to eſtabliſhe your own traditions. And therfore deare brother, if anye of our predeceſſors, eyther through ignoraunce or ſimplicitye, hauehave not obſerued that which the Lord hath taught vsus to do by his example or doctrine, that ſame may be refuſed, for the ſymplenes therof, & may through the mercies of the Lord be pardoned him. &c. And ſhortly after he ſayth, if we be the elders & miniſters of God & Chriſt, I fynd not that we ought to follow any but God & Chriſt, for ſomuch as he ſaith in the Goſpel of Iohn chap. 8. I am the light of the world, he that followeth me ſhal not walke in darcknes, but ſhal hauehave the Diui…um inſtitut. lib. 6. cap. 8light of life. Lactāti' Firmian' in his. 6. boke of his godly inſtitutiōs. 8. chap. ſayth: we ought not to follow mē but god. The canons & decrees of the Popes in the. 9. diſtinct. ca. Noli. & cap. Ego, & cap. Negare. & diſt. 24 &. 1. queſt. ca. Non affermam' ſay thus: Men muſt dwell vponupon the holy Scriptures, & not vponupon the ſayings of men, how holy ſoeuer they be. &c. S. Chriſoſtome vpō S. Iohn, ſayth in the end of the. 16. homelie: That mē of occupatiō do ſeeke & ſtriue to be excellent in their occupacions, Gredi deſire of corporall things, and careleſneſſe of ſpirituall things.but the chriſtiā can not render reaſō of his religion: & if theſe handy occupations were not knowen, it were but loſſe of money, but the cōtempt of the chriſtiā religiō carieth with it deſtruction of the ſoule, & yet we tranayle in ſo great miſerye & madnes that we beſtow in thē all our ſtudie & care, but the things which are moſt neceſſary for vsus, and are moſt ſure fortes of our ſaluation, we eſteme not at all. It is it that letteth the heathens frō acknowledging their errour, and cauſeth thē to ſcoffe at vsus: for albeit they are groūded onelyonly vpō lyes, to do al that which they do, & to defend the ignominie of their doctrine, we which ſerue y^e truth, dare not once opē our mouthes to defend that which is ours: why ſhould they not condemne our great imbecillitie, & hauehave vsus in ſupicion to be crafty & diſceitful? why ſhould they not ſpeake euil of Chriſt as of a lyar, who by his fraud ſhould hauehave abuſed the ſimplicitie of the multitude? we are cauſe of this blaſphemie: for S. Peter in his. i. epiſtle. 3. chap. cōmaundeth vsus to be alwayes readye to render reaſon to all that ſhall demaund vsus of the fayth & hope that we hauehave. And again S. Paul Colo. 3. chap. Pro…. 10. blet the word of God dwell plenteouſly in you, but what anſwere make they to that which are more foliſh then the very fooles in dede. Bleſſed is eueryevery ſymple one & he that walketh ſurely. But that is the cauſe of all euills, for that: that many know not how to alledge aptly the teſtimonies of the ſcriptures: for in this place we may not vnderſtād the ſymple for the foolyſhe and for him that vnderſtandeth nothing, but for him that is not craftye and melicious. For if it ſhoulde be ſo vnderſtode, it ſhould be ſuperfluous to ſay, be ye wyſe therefore Math. 10. bMatt 10as ſerpentes and ſymple as doues. S. Ambroſe vpō the 2. epiſtle to Tymothe. 3. chap. ſayeth: All ſcripture geuen by inſpiration from God, &c. It is manifeſt that all Scripture wherof God hath declared himſelfe to be author, is profitable, For it is geuē to that end that it ſhoulde profite the ignoraūt, reforme the deformed, drawing the wicked into al good workes: for, by profiting a litle and litle in newneſſe of lyfe, it maketh the mā of God, &c. The law of the Lord is perfect, reſtoring or conuerting ſoules, the teſtimonye of the Lord is Collo. 3. b Pſal. 19 Pſal. 119Ps 19Ps 119faythful and ſure, it geueth wiſedome to the ignoraunt. The ſtatutes of the eternall are righteous, reioyſing the hart, the cōmaundement of y^e Lord is pure and doth lighten the eyes. And againe: Thy word is alampe or lanterne to my fete & a light to my ſteppes. The Prophet Eſay in his. 8. chap. ſayth, is there any where a people that aſketh not councell of hys God? Should men turne frō the liuing to the dead? If any man want light let him loke vponupon the law & the teſtimonie, whether they ſpeake after this meaning. The lyght of the Ezech, 20. cmorning ſhall not be geuen vntounto them. Moreouer the Prophet ſayth. Say to the childrē in the deſert, walke not in the ordinaunces of your fathers, & obſerue not al their ſtatutes, & be not defyled with their idoles. I am the Lord your God walke in my ordinaunces and kepe my ſtatutes and do thē. Eccle. 1, aEccl 1Itē the fountayne of wiſedome is the word of the ſoueraign Lord God, & the entre into the ſame are his eternal cōmaū dements. And agayn: Search the ſcriptures, for in them you thinke you hauehave eternall life, and they bee they which beare Iohn 5 Iohn, 20 gJohn 5witnes of me. And Ieſus did many other thinges that are not written in this boke, in the preſence of his diſciples, but theſe things ar writtē to the end that you ſhould beleue that Ieſus is the annoynted ſonne of God, & that in ſo beleuing you may hauehave life thorow his name. The holy ſcriptures are In what recommendacion God hath his Word,full of the lyke ſayings. The auncient fathers are full of the worthines of the ſcriptures. S. Auguſtine in his. 56. ſermon made to the brethren that were in ſolitude ſayth: he that maketh none accompt of the reading of the holy ſcriptures ſent from heauen, ought not onelyonly to feare that peraduenture he ſhall not receaue euerlaſting rewards: but alſo that he ſhall not eſcape the euerlaſting punyſhmentes, for it is ſo daūgerous vntounto vsus, not to read the deuine precepts, that the Prophets with great ſorrowe exclame & cry out: for y^t cauſe hauehave Eſay. 5. c Oſe, 4. b 1, Cor, 14Isa 5my people bene brought into captiuitie, becauſe they had no knowledge: for he that is ignorant, ſhall be ignorant: out of all doubt he that in this world maketh none accompt to ſeke to know God by the holy Scriptures, God wil not vouchſafe to know him in the ioyes euerlaſting, we ought to be a feard to heare (after that the gates ſhall be ſhut) with the folyſhe virgins, I know you not, I hauehave none acquaintaunce Math, 25, …with you: you that worke iniquitie, depart you frō me: what meaneth this? I knowe you not; I am not acquainted with you, how knoweth he not thoſe that he ſendeth to the fyre? There is neyther of thē ſpoken without cauſe, for as it hath bene already ſayd, ſuche as woulde not in thys world ſeeke to knowe hym by reading the Scriptures, GOD will not acknowledge them at the day of iudgement. We ought alſo not to heare negligently (but with attentiue eare & fear) that which is written in Salomō, he y^t turneth (ſayth he) his eare Prou, 18, …frō the hearing of the lawe, his prayer ſhal be abhominable: wherefore he that will be heard at Gods hand, muſte fyrſte heare God. For how woulde he that God ſhoulde heare him when he doth ſo dyſpyſe hym, that he maketh none accompte of the readyng of hys commaundementes? Saint Hierome in the proeme of his Commentaries vponupon Eſaye, to Euſtochius, ſayth: therfore I yelde vntounto thee, and to hym by thee, that whiche I do owe, obeyng the commaundement of Iohn 5. f Math. 7 …John 5Matt 7Chriſt, who fayth, ſearche diligently the Scriptures, Seeke and you ſhall finde: to the end that it be not ſayd to me, as it was to the Iewes: ye erre, not knowyng the Scriptures, & the power of God & the wiſedom of God: and truly after S. Paul, if Chriſt be the power and wiſedom of God, & he that knoweth not the ſcriptures, the ſame knoweth not y^• power of God nor his wiſedō. To be ignoraūt of the Scriptures, is not to know Chriſt. &c. S. Chriſoſtome in the Homelie. 29. vponupon Benefis, ſayeth: There is neyther griefe of body no… mynde in the nature of man, but it may hauehave medicine of the Scriptures. &c. Theſe are ſayinges of great importance, and are true. They are no Legend lyes. They are confirmed by the word of God, whiche is the infallible truth, Then if man know not God, as he ought to do, but by the Scriptures, & that none can be ſaued, but by the knowledge of God, and Chriſt: Thē muſt it nedes folow, that ignoraūce of y^e Scriptures bryugeth with it damnation. I hauehave alledged here mo ſayinges of the fathers, then I would hauehave done (& nothyng ſo many in number as I could hauehave done) but bycauſe the great ſwarme of aduerſaries ſay, that it is not lawfull or expedient, that eueryevery man ſhould read the Scriptures, but rather that the people ſhould be ignoraunt, affirmyng ignoraunce to be the mother of deuotion: I could hauehave aūſwered it to the full by the woorde of God alone, whiche woorde I thincke to be moſt ſufficient: but bycauſe theſe kynde of men before named, wil not accept Chriſt, to be a true man of hys word, except he hauehave ſome of the doctors & fathers for witneſſes: Seyng nowe that it hath pleaſed our good God, in mercy ſo to deale with vsus, as he hath in theſe our dayes, gyuyng vsus ſuch meanes & introductions to the true vnderſtā dyng of his moſt ſacred worde, as he hath not of many ages done to any nation, let vsus now therfore call vponupon the name of our mercifull and mighty God, deſiring him to ſtrengthē vsus, to ſearche out this truth, and then in dede to practiſe the ſame in our lyues: leaſt that he ſhould in his iuſtice take that excellent Iewell of his worde from vsus, and gyue it to a nation that ſhall bryng forth the fruites therof. I hūbly beſeche that good God, in y^e bowelles of his mercy, for hys Chriſtes ſake: that he will ſo direct our lyues, that by our good example, ſuch as he hath not as yet called to the true knowledge of his woorde, may embrace and receyue the ſame, and ſo profite therin, that in the ende we may be all of one ſheepe folde, vnderunder the charge of our great ſhephearde Ieſus Chriſte. So be it.