Truth and Falsehood, Book · Chapter 4
The Scriptures eaſie. CHAP: 4
THE PROTESTANTS
Scripturs eaſie.WE alſo teach the ſcripturs to be eaſie, not bicauſe we thinke nothing to be hard in them, or that they are eaſy to eueryevery one, but we affirme with Chryſoſtome, 2. Theſſ. 2 hom. 3.All that is neceſſary is eaſy in them. So that with a mind humbled, and crauing of God to be inſtructed, men ſtudy them. The ſimple may learn by them their duety towardes God and man, and how to behaue them ſelues in their particular dueties. And whereas by the Papiſtes own confeſsiō the x commandements are very eaſie,Bellarm. de verbo Dei lib. 3. cap. 2. no man can deny but that Gods threatnings againſt ſin, & the promiſes of mercy, and many other things in this writtē word are as eaſie. Yea why were the prophets ſent vntounto all ſorts of men, why do the apoſtles write vntounto all, but becauſe much, if not all that they do write or ſay, might be vnderſtoode euen of the ſimple?
THE PAPISTS
ANd on the contrary, the church of Rome fearing leaſt the light of the worde ſhould diſcouer the darkenes of their blind deuotions, doe what they can to diſcourage the people from being exerciſed in the Scriptures, leſt knowing the truth, they ſhuld deteſt their ſuperſtitions and idolatries, and for this cauſe they cry out with opē mouth, that the ſcripture is too hard to bee vnderſtoode, and too darke for ignorant men to meddle with the ſame. Wherby they hauehave brought many ignorant and lay men into that fooliſh and vnchriſtian conceit, that they thinke it a great deale more dangerous for them, euen for their ſoules health, to be occupied in reading or hearing ſome peece of holie Scripture, than the wanton and vnchaſte Bookes of prophane men, which corrupt good manners, and breede noyſome luſtes that fight againſt the ſoule.
But becauſe this is a great ſtumbling blocke in the way of the ignorant, it ſhall not be amiſſe ſomewhat particularly to examine the Arguments that are vſed to prooue the hardneſſe of the ſcriptures. Argument The firſt argument of Bellarmines is this. Dauid prayeth thus, GiueGive me vnderſtanding, and I wil ſearch thy law. Open mine eies, Lib. 3. cap. 1. de verbi Dei interpr.and I will conſider the woonderous things of thy lawe, ſhew the light of thy countenance vponupon thy ſeruant, & teach me thy ſtatutes: therefore the Scriptures are hard.
Anſwere. It is certaine that Dauids prayers were not to hauehave his naturall or outward man only inſtructed (for who can imagine that the prophet Dauid, being ſo well acquainted in Gods booke, could not vnderſtand Gods lawe) but to hauehave his mind and inward man lightned and directed: and therefore this proueth not the ſenſe of ſcripture to be hard: for the like prayers are to be vſed of them that thinke it to be moſt eaſie. Secondly, euen the lawe, which they confeſſe to be eaſie, hath not only the literall ſenſe, but ſhould alſo be a bridle vntounto the affections and thoughts of men,Matth. 5 as moſt plainly appeareth in thoſe Commentaries which our Sauiour Chriſt maketh vppon the ſixt, ſeuenth, and fourth commandements.Rom. 7.14 In which reſpect alſo S. Paul doth call it Spirituall, although Bellarmine ſeeme to account the commandements to be but Natural. The Precepts (ſaith he) of the x. Commandements, ſeeing they are natural, may eaſily be vnderſtood. Dauid therfore may there pray (as all chriſtians ought to doe) that he may know by Gods word, not only how to rule his actiōs, but alſo his words & affections. This thē doth not proue the ſcripturs to be hard concerning ſuch good leſſons as out of the literal ſenſe may be learned, but he proueth that vnleſſe God lighten vsus, we cannot ſee the ſpirituall meaning,Pſa. 119.27. which he calleth, the maruellous things of the law. Arg. 2 His ſecond argument proueth ſome parts of Scripture to be hard, which we denie not, and therefore deſerueth no anſwere.
Arg. 3 Lib. 2. ca 47 Contra Celſum lib. 7 In Exod. hom. 12His third argument is taken from the Fathers. Irene ſaith, in the ſcriptures I commit many things to God. Orig. ſaith, the ſcripture is darke in many places. And in another place, that we muſt pray night and day, that the lamb of the Tribe of Iuda will come, and that hee will vouchſafe to open the booke that is ſealed. Anſwere That many things in the ſcripture are hard we neuer denied, as before I ſaid, and that with Reading wee ſhould ioyne Prayer, therefore Bellarmine when he took theſe weapons in hand, did but feare his owne ſhadow. That Baſil and Gregory Nazianzene did ſeeke, not by their owne preſumption, but by other mens writings that were before them, to attaine to the vnderſtanding of this written word, Ruffinus doth well to commend them. But I am ſure that Bellarmine himſelfe will not thereof conclude, that they vnderſtoode nothing of themſelues or without teachers, or that all the ſcriptures are hard. He bringeth in Chryſoſtome ſaying, that the deepe things therein cannot be attained vntounto without great labour, and that Chriſt would hauehave the Iewes not to reade onelyonly, but to ſearch them alſo. If of this hee conclude therfore, al the ſcriptures are hard, his argument is to be denied, for that it hath no trueth in it: if hee ſay therefore, many things are hard, we ſay ſo with him. Argument Hee alleageth ſaint Ambroſe alſo, who ſaith, The holy ſcripture is a ſea. Anſwere Saint Ambroſe doth not in that place call it a Sea, becauſe it is ſo deepe that the bottome can not be found, but becauſe it is ſo plentifull that it yeeldeth abundance to all, as appeareth, not only by the ſentence next after that alleadged by Bellarmine, but alſo by that concluſion that he gathereth a litle after, ſaying: Therefore the holy Scripture hath diuers riuers, Thou haſt to drinke the firſt time, the ſecond time, and the laſt time. Therfore, although ſaint Ambroſe ſay, that the ſcripture hath in it depths, yet doth he not ſay it is all darke. Argument But (ſaith he) Hierome in his epiſtle to Paulinus writeth, that without a teacher the ſcriptures can not be learned, and briefly going through eueryevery booke by name, hee ſheweth, that in them are many and great difficulties, or rather myſteries, for he findeth in them ſundry allegories. Anſwere Yet all is not hard, as before hath often bin anſwered. And S. Ierome in that place as ſoone as hee hath made an end of reckoning vp of thoſe books, and ſhewing the myſteries that are therein, he ſheweth the cauſe why he did ſo: I would not (ſaith he) hauehave thee to be offended with the ſimplicitie and baſenes of wordes in the Scriptures. Argument As for the other obiection out of Hierome, is, that Hierome was ſtudious in the ſcriptures from his youth, and alſo went to Alexandria to conferre with Dydimus of all that he did doubt of in the ſcriptures. The ſimple may ſee, this maketh not againſt vsus: Hierome ſtudied them hard, therefore all the ſcriptures are hard: Or, he conferred with Dydimus of that he doubted, therefore all are hard. Obiection The laſt obiection out of Hierome is, That the whole Epiſtle to the Romanes is wrapped into great obſcurities. Anſwere, This toucheth but onelyonly that epiſtle, and therefore is no argument againſt all the ſcripture. And in that, ſeeing there be many things both concerning faith and manners very plaine, ſaint Hierome either ſpeaketh hyperbolically as many times the fathers do, or elſe by theſe obſcurities he meaneth ſuch myſteries as may be gathered out of the ſcriptures, but not ſuch doctrines as we muſt learne out of the ſame. And who knoweth not that the fathers do many times ſo are higher, and find out greater myſteries, than the text will well affoord. Obiection Out of Auguſtine he hath foure teſtimonies. The firſt ſaith, that ſuch as raſhly reade, are many times troubled, becauſe that ſome things that are obſcurely ſpoken do greatly blinde them. Anſwere. Which maketh not againſt vsus, that neither like of raſh reading, neither ſay that all is eaſie. His ſecond teſtimony is that exclamation that ſaint Auguſtine maketh,Confeſſ. lib. 12. cap. 14 hauing entred into a deepe meditation what may be ſignified by theſe words heauen and earth in the beginning of Geneſis, as appeereth by the chapter going before, and alſo by ſundry of the chapters following, & therefore this his admiration, O the wonderfull depth of thy words! &c. doth not proue all the ſcripture to be hard. Nay ſeeing that the ſtory of the creation may there bee plainely vnderſtood, it muſt needes follow, that his meaning was not to ſay that Gods word is hard, but rather, that men may in the ſame conſider of deepe matters, as I anſwered to the laſt place out of S. Hierome. Obiection The third and fourth places out of ſaint Auguſtine are theſe:There is ſo great depth of chriſtian learning, that I might therein profit daily, if from my childhoode vntounto my olde age, with much time, earneſt indeuour, and a ſharper wit, I could ſtudy it only. And laſtly, In the holy Scriptures I know (ſaith Auguſtine) not ſo much by farre as I am ignorant of. Anſwere Both which places do prooue nothing elſe than, as I ſaid before of Ambroſe, that the ſcriptures are plentifull. So that he ſaith heere nothing elſe than in another place of that third epiſtle, out of the which the former of theſe two places is taken, The maner (ſaith he) of ſpeaking vſed in the Scriptures al may come to, but very few can paſſe through, and ſo afterwardes ſheweth howe ſundry good things all may receiue by them. Laſtly, the two teſtimonies, out of the Author of the vnperfect worke vponupon Mathew, Hom. 44and that out of Gregory vppon Ezech. Hom. 6. which giuegive two reaſons why the ſcriptures are obſcure, a… alſo like the reſt, nothing againſt vsus. For the author of that worke vponupon Mathew doth plainly ſhew in the ſame homily, that he meaneth, the ſcripturs to be obſcure to them that will not reade them, theſe are the words: Therefore the trueth is not hid in the Scriptures, but it is darke, not ſo that they who ſeek it may not find it, but ſo as they can not find it that wil not ſeek it. And the ſame alſo appeares by the words of the place alleaged out of Gregory by Belarmine. For one reaſon of the obſcuritie is, ſaith he, that he may get that by labour, which by idlenes he can not. And then alſo becauſe the knowledge of the ſcriptures is not gotten but by labour and paines taking, they are not ſo lightly eſteemed.
Arg. 4 The laſt generall argument is, by reaſon, to prooue the ſcriptures to be hard, both in regard of the matter deliuered, and the maner of deliuering it. And here for the matter he reckneth ſome of the principal points of diuinitie, wheras we may find in the ſcriptures milke for children, that is, eaſie leſſons for the ignorant, and meate for the elder ſort. Yea, as Auguſtine ſaith, He giueth milk to yong ones, De verbis dom. ſer. 38 fulgent. ſer. de confeſſor.that when they are elder hee may giuegive them ſtronger meate. And as the matters contained in the ſcriptures are heauenly and ſpirituall, ſo the heauenly minded man, and he that is ſpiritually minded ſhal iudge of al things. 1. Cor. 2.15And it ſhall not be vnperformed that God hath promiſed, The ſecret of the Lorde is reuealed to them that feare him, Pſal. 25.14.and his couenant, to giuegive them vnderſtanding.
Anſwere Now, for the maner of ſpeaking, although it is true that there are in the ſcriptures ſpeeches hard, by ſhew of contrariety, by doubtfull and vnperfect ſpeeches, becauſe one thing is ſet before another, becauſe of the proprietie of the Hebrew phraſe, and of the figures (for theſe ſixe he ſetteth downe the things whereby hardneſſe may be in the ſcriptures by the manner of deliuering them) yet neither are theſe things ſo common or ſo ſtrange, but that the godly may of the ſcriptures gather much fruit, if they will diligently, and with calling vponupon God for help reade the ſame. So that in briefe this is all that theſe fathers hauehave ſaid, either that many things are hard, which no body denieth, or elſe, that none can ſo ſound the depth of them, but that ſomething may alwayes be added thereto: and therefore that with diligence the ſcriptures muſt be ſearched, and without loathſomnes, yea with reuerence receiued. But that wee may, the more eaſily and euidently ſee how little theſe fathers do make for them: it is neceſſary to ſee with what purpoſe, and to what end theſe ſay, that they do write of the hardneſſe of the ſcriptures. Namely, not to diſcourage men from reading of them, but to ſtirre them vp to more diligence and carefulneſſe in reading them. As may appeare by the earneſt and vehement exhortations, which the ancient fathers doe make, not onelyonly to all men generally,Hom. 9. in epiſt. ad Coloſſ. but euen to lay men in particular and eſpecially. Heare (ſaith Chryſoſtome) all yee lay men that are preſent, and that hauehave wiues and children, howe the Apoſtle commandeth euen (you eſpecially) to reade the Scriptures, and not to reade them only as it were by chance, but with great diligence: with many other ſuch like exhortations in that place, as alſo in many other of his writings. Saint Hierome in ſundry of his epiſtles vntounto godly women exhorteth them to diligent reading of the ſame, he alſo, to intice them to be conuerſant therein, dedicateth vntounto ſome women ſom of his treatiſes vponupon the ſcriptures. Yea, and in his preface vntounto Paula and Euſtochium two women, before his firſt booke vponupon the epiſtle to the Epheſians (which is the place out of which Bellarmines ſecond argument out of Hierome was fetched) doth highly commend the ſtudy and knowlege of the ſcriptures. And in his preface vntounto his ſecond booke, doth extoll Marcella, for her diligent ſtudy therein,Hom. 20 in Ioſ. preferring her before himſelfe, Thou wilt ſay (ſaith Origen) the ſcriptures are hard, yet it is good to reade them. And wiſheth that we all would doe as it is written (namely) Search the Scripture… . …nelius Agryppa reporteth,… S… . that in the firſt Nicene councell it was decreed, that no chriſtian man ſhould be without a bible in his houſe. And Chryſoſtome exhorteth euen lay men, and that very earneſtly, to get them Bibles,Hom. 9 in Coloſſ. or at the leaſt the new Teſtament. So then wee ſee to what intent the Fathers tell vsus, that the Scriptures are hard, namely, becauſe they would not hauehave vsus to be careles in the ſtudy of them, and negligent, or to imagine when wee knowe ſomewhat, that we neede knowe no more, but as Hierome would hauehave vsus to doe,Epiſtol. ad P… li… um. We muſt cracke the nut, if wee will eate the kernell. We muſt take paines to get knowledge, aſſuring our ſelues that wee can neuer learne too much, becauſe wee can neuer knowe enough. And ſaint Auguſtine in his Confeſſions ſaith,Li… 6. cap. … . they ought to b… read of all. But the Papiſts, in complaining of the hardnes of the ſcriptures, ſhoot at an other marke, that is, to make the ſimple people afraide, that they meddle not with it, that they reade it not, neither yet heare it read vntounto them. So that beſides the other ſlaunders wherewith they ſeeke to ſtaine Gods word, proclaiming it not to be ſufficient, but that it wanteth many things, and may be wreſted to any fence, they adde this alſo, that it is hard, and therefore dangerous for them that are not learned to reade it. And this is the very cauſe why they ſpeake ſo much of the hardneſſe of the ſcriptures, as not onelyonly their writings and words proclaime in all places, but alſo their cruell executions againſt ſuch as hauehave had in their mother tongue,For libr. … . … is and Momun. in the beginning. I ſay not the bible or the New Teſtament, but euen the Lordes prayer, or the tenne commaundements, which they would ſeeme to allow vntounto the people.
Gregory Nazianzene doth write,In Apolog… . that ſome ancient men amongſt the Hebrewes report of a cuſtome which the Iewes had, which he alſo commendeth, which was, that ſome places of the ſcriptures were not permitted … body to reade before they were fiue and twentie yeeres old, but the reſt of the ſcripture they ſhould learne, euen from their childehoode. Where note that they make no difference of any ſtate, calling, or ſexe, but of age onelyonly, and that when they were fiue and twentie yeares olde, they might reade any parcell of Scripture. But the Papiſts permit not any parcell of the ſcriptures to the lay people, nay hardly to their prieſts, but onelyonly as they will followe ſuch ſence thereof as they appoint. Yea, I hauehave knowen bachellors of diuinity admitted to reade ſome booke of the maſter of ſentences, as the vſe then was when they proceeded, ſo that this was their concluſion: They are hard, therefore you ſhall not reade them. That the ſcriptures are ſo hard as they are,Papiſts to be blamed for hardneſſe of the Scripture, by their and to ſo many, none are to bee blamed but the church of Rome, that ſo much complaineth of their hardneſſe, but in trueth are ſory they are ſo eaſie: as is moſt plaine to ſee, firſt, in that they would not hauehave them in the mother tongues, but when they ſee there is no remedy, but that the ſcripture will be publiſhed whether they will or not, they ſend vsus a Teſtament from Rhennes,Tranſlations, ſo full of Hebrew, Latine, and Greeke wordes, turned into Engliſh letters, that all the world may ſee that they meane nothing leſſe, than that they that reade it ſhould vnderſtand it. And yet they cry, The ſcripture is hard. Secondly, they are the cauſe of the hardneſſe of the ſcriptures, when in the moſt plaine places that are, they will not ſuffer men to follow that ſence, which the words themſelues, and the circumſtances both before and after doe affoord,Interpretations. but they muſt hauehave their interpretation from the church of Rome, without whoſe approbations they muſt neither truſt their own eies for ſeeing, nor their eares for hearing, neither yet their wit for vnderſtanding of any thing. When they change the very ſence and wordes, and where they finde Lord, they put Lady, as in that blaſphemous booke called the pſalter of the Virgine Marie they doe through the whole pſalmes, and ſome other places.
When the firſt promiſe that was made of that bleſſed ſeede that ſhould breake the head of the ſerpent, they apply as much as they dare vntounto the Virgine Marie, when theſe wordes ſhall be currant ſtuffe, to proue worſhipping of the Saints departed (In as much as yee hauehave doone it to the leaſt of theſe my brethren, Math. 25.40yee hauehave doone it vntounto mee, which are ſpoken of our goodneſſe to Gods needy creatures aliue) as Eckius imagineth in his common places:De vener. ſanct. when (I ſay) the people are taught thus to vnderſtand the ſcriptures, muſt they not needes bee hard? Laſtly, the greateſt cauſe of this hardneſſe, is, that the people are not acquainted with them, for they are forbidden to reade them: nay,Forbidding to reade ſcripture. it hath beene death to hauehave them found with the lay people. And ſtill there are, that in corners ſeeke to perſwade ignorant men and women, that there can be almoſt no greater daunger vntounto their ſoules, than to reade the ſcriptures. Wherein they ſhew themſelues to be nothing of the minde of Phillip, Acts 8.31, 35who forbade not the Eunuch to reade the ſcripture, but taught him: neither like to the fathers of the church ſome hundreds of yeares after Chriſt, whoſe care was to exhort and drawe the people to the diligent reading of the ſame. And whoſoeuer they are, that with diligence, humilitie, and prayer, doe continue in the reading of the ſcriptures, (as wee ſee in ſundry by experience) ſhall be able in reaſonable manner to auoyde and paſſe through thoſe ſixe impediments that I before alleaged out of Bellarmine, and ſhall hauehave mindes exerciſed, as the Apoſtle to the Hebrewes ſpeaketh,Cap. 5.14 and that not without great fruit, to diſcerne good and euill.
And thus wee may ſee how litle the fathers make for that which the church of Rome teacheth in this point. For the fathers ſay thus: The ſcriptures are hard, therefore you muſt reade them diligently. The church of Rome cleane contrary: The ſcriptures are hard, therefore you muſt not reade them. Therefore let vsus deteſt as a moſt peſtilent poſition that daungerous doctrine of the church of Rome, knowing that whoſoeuer (be hee neuer ſo ignorant) with reuerent reading ſeeketh to finde, and with deuout prayer aſketh knowledge of God, ſhall finde much knowledge and comfort in his godly and chriſtian exerciſe. For,Hieron. pſ. 147. The word of God is moſt fat and fertile, It hath in it all delicates. And thus to conclude: ſeeing the ſcriptures onelyonly are Gods word, and they are ſo ſufficient and plentifull, that in them the hungry may hauehave foode, the poore, treaſure, the rich, direction, the ſicke, phyſicke, the whole, diet, the ſorrowfull, comfort, the ignorant, knowledge, and the fooliſh, true wiſedome: to be ſhort, ſeeing there for all wants we finde a remedy, and ſeeing that rule is ſo true that it cannot deceiue, ſo ſtraight that it can not be crooked, ſo conſtant to it ſelfe that it changeth not: laſtly, ſeeing it is ſo eaſie, that by diligence and prayer, the godly may not learne onelyonly, but grow and increaſe daily from knowledge to knowledge, let vsus account them as deadly enemies to our ſoules, who ſeeke to drawe vsus from this ſufficient and certaine written word of God, to the doctrines or traditions of men, what glorious names ſoeuer they giuegive them. What ſhall wee then account of the popiſh crew that are not aſhamed to teach the Scriptures to be daungerous, becauſe euill men abuſe them, ſo doth the drunkard, drinke, the glutton, meate, the prowd, apparell, the couetous, riches, and the euill men, all Gods graces: yet all theſe thinges are good, and ſo is Gods word holy and vndefiled. But nowe to the ſecond point.