The Answer to the Preface of the Rhemish Testament, Part 4
To the three next ſections, pag. 6. and 7.
Marke (good reader) the blaſphemie of theſe wretched caitiues, that eſteeme ſo vilelie of the holy Scriptures, as if there were no better nor more honorable vſe of them amongſt the people, then to make choiſe of the reading of them, rather then to be much occupyed about ſtage-playes, cardes, and dice. Theſe men (no doubt) could be wel content, that the people ſhoulde rather ſit downe and pill ſtrawes, then they ſhould take anie booke of holy Scripture into their hand. Pharaos prophaneſſe from hence forth ſhall not be ſpoken of, in reſpect of th' vncircūciſed lips of theſe beaſtly Ieſuites. For he which held the people from exerciſes of godlineſſe, in reſpect of doing ſome profitable work, tending to the fortificatiō of the land: but theſe are content, that ſports and plaies, and that of the baſeſt ſort, and of worſt reporte, as cardes, dice, & ſtageplayes, ſhall keep the people from reading of the Scriptures; ſo that they be not much giuen vntounto them. And yet notwithſtanding if (as you praetend) they engender hereſies, amongſt the people: it ſhould appeare that they ſhuld be aſwel occupied in th'one as in th'other: both of them being readie and beaten wayes to euerlaſting damnation. But a lyar (they ſay) hath need of memory. For, if (as you hauehave alledged) Chryſoſtome cals carnal men dogs and hogs: theſe delicate ones, giuen ſo much t… cardes, dice, and ſtage-playes beeing carnall: it followeth by your diſcourſe, that Chryſoſtome was of this iudgement, that the moſt ſeaſonable tyme for the people to reade the Scriptures in, was when they were dogs & hogs: then which what can be more vnworthelie ſpoken of the good Biſhop. But marke alſo (good reader) the braſen impudencie of the Ieſuites, whereby it will not be hard for thee to ſee, how all conſcience in them is euen ſeared away, as it were with a hot-iron. For Chryſoſtome diſputeth of a neceſſary & continuall vſe of reading the Scripture, by the people: & therefore doth not ſo much ſpeak againſt the lets of certaine times, as when they were giuen to ſtage-playes, &c. but meeteth with the ordinarie and continual impediment, as the care for houſe, wife, and children. For which purpoſe he alledgeth th'Apoſtle, that the Scripture was written for our correction. Which if the Ieſuites will reſtraine to the correctiō of exceſſe in dicing and carding, &c. their cogging and iugling cannot bee hid from anie. In the third homilie of Lazarus, he doth not obiect th'excuſe of paſtime: but declareth that for to deliuer themſelues from the duetie of reading the Scripture, one woulde ſay, that he hath matters to plead, another that he hath publike affaires, a third that he hath his handie-craft to awaite vponupon, another that he hath his wife, his children and familie to maintaine and take care for, and generallie euerie one could ſay, I am a man of the worlde, it belongeth not to me to reade the Scripture, but to thoſe which hauing taken their farewell of the worlde, dwell in the mountaines and liue a continent life. To whome when he had anſwered, that they had therefore more neede to reade the Scriptures: he concludeth, that both they and he that liued amongſt men, as it were in the midſt of the ſeas, hauehave alwaies need of the perpetuall and continuall ſolace of the Scriptures. And yet reckoning vp the manifolde vſes of reading of the ſcriptures by the people, hee concludeth thus. Wherefore it is neceſſary, that wee ſhoulde inceſſantly, fetche our armour at the Scripture. Againe, he compareth in the ſame places which are heere quoted, the books of Scriptures, to th'artificers inſtrument, wherewith he getteth his liuing, which he wil not gage: and as he maketh his works with his tooles, ſo we by the Scriptures muſt correct our depraued minds. And a little after, The reading of the Scripture is a great munition againſt ſinne, but th'ignorance thereof is a downe-fall, & a deepe hell: this begetteth hereſies. Againe, It cannot now be (I ſay) it cannot be, that any can obtain ſaluation, vnleſſe he be continually occupyed in reading of the Scripture. There would be no end of wryting, if wee ſhoulde laye open all that Chryſoſtome hath in this behalfe, to proue that he herein praeſcribed phyſicke for the generall diſeaſe of all Chriſtian people, and not for a ſpecial maladie (as it might be the ſweating ſickneſſe) that haunted that people, whereof he had the gouernment. Alſo for all times both in proſperitie and aduerſitie, euen vnceſſantlie; And notHomil. 3 de Laz. onelie in thoſe wherein (through abundance) they waxing wanton, gaue themſelues to dicing and carding, &c Wherfore your diſtinction of a teacher in the Schoole, and Pulpit-man, hath no place heere: as indeede it is fooliſhe, and hath no place otherwhere. For the doctrine in ſchoole, is and ought to be the ſame, that is in pulpite, and that in pulpite as exact, abſolute, and neceſſarie, as that in the ſchoole. The difference is, that in the ſchoole hath not annexed the goade and prick of exhortation, as th'other hath. For you may not imagine Chryſoſtomes pulpet, ſo looſe and ſo prophane as yours is, to ſpeake at all randome, without any girdle of truth about your loines. Our wemen (God be praiſed) although they are wel able, to ſet ſuch Doctors as you are to ſchoole: know their places, and keepe ſilence, content to teach their children at home: which if you cannot brooke in them: or euer it can light of them, your condemnation muſt firſt paſſe vppon the head of S. Paule, who commandeth to be teachersTitus. …. 3. of good things vntounto their daughters, and of Bathſheba who taughtProv. 31 the wiſeſt child that euer was among the ſonnes of Adam, Chriſt excepted. The example alſo of Eunice who taught Timothe from his verie infancie2. Tim. 1. 5 & 3. 15 in the Scriptures, is notable to teach that neither wemen muſte forbeare teaching, nor verye babes to learne. And if alwayes learning, they are alwayes ignorant: in what degree of ignorance, ſhall yours be found, that neuer learne any thing at all. They reade the whole Bible, ſeeing all is inſpired of God, and all profitable, and2. Tim. 3 therefore the morall partes. But yet praefer thoſe that be doctrinall, or as you ſpeake dogmaticall; as both the foundation of all good manners, and the rule whereby they maye iudge of the example of life, whether it bee good or bad, worthie of praiſe or diſpraiſe. And it pittieth them, to ſee the blindneſſe that is yet in your eye: which deemeth that to be ſo crooked, which to all ſounde iudgement is ſtraight: that is to ſay, that the cauſes ſhoulde goe before th' effects, and the rule before that which is ruled by it. And as Saint Paull in the duetie of teaching,Act. 26▪ coulde not acquite the faith and truſt put in him, but by teaching the people the whole counſell of God: ſo they thinke not themſelues diſcharged in the duetie of learning, vnleſſe to the vttermoſt of that they maye, they endeuoure to learne what is the good pleaſure and perfite will of God towards them. Neither doubt they, butRom. 12▪ that they vſe more reuerence & true humilitie in comming to the high myſteries you ſpeake of, then you doe in turning your backes vntounto them. And they are well aſſured, that they are fitter to wonder at, and to advaunce th' incomprehenſible breadth, length, height, and depth of them, which hauehave waded ſo farre in them as the Bowies and markes of holye Scriptures doe teach them: then you, which neuer wet your neb in them. And if they read the harder bookes of Scripture, oftner & more diligently, then they doe th' eaſier: a wiſe Schoolemaiſter which taketh pleaſure in his Scholer, would commend them. Neither hath it bene heard of, that the Scholer was euer reproched, for his greater diligence in his harder leſſon, but of ſuch three halfpennie vſhers, as you bee: which are loath your ſcholers ſhoulde learne too faſt; but heere one word, and there another: heere a line, and there a line; leaſt in their dexteritie & forwardneſſe of learning, your inabilitie and vntowardneſſe of teaching ſhould appeare. The claſped and ſealed booke, to vsus which come not in the ſtrength of our owne wits or merites,Apoc. 5 but in the victory of our Sauiour chriſt, who hath vnſealed them for vsus, lye ſo far forth open, as therein we are well aſſured to read ſo much, as will ſerue for our certaine direction vntounto the kingdome of heauen. But in you, which bring of your naturall powers, and vaunt your ſelues of your merites; It is true that the Prophet ſaith,Eſai. … that neither can your learned reade, becauſe all is vntounto thē as a ſealed letter; & your vnlearned being offered the reading, they refuſe to read it, & think themſelues diſcharged becauſe they hauehave no learning. And wherfore (I pray you) ſhould th' Epiſtle to the Romanes not be reade of artificers & wemen: to both which ſorts (amongſt others) it was firſt written, and why ſhould that be baulked more, then others, by the ſimpler ſort: which hath a ſpeciall teſtimonie, that both it, and all other the preachings and writings of th' Apoſtle, are tempered aſwell toRom. 1. 14 the capacitie of the fooliſh & vnlearned, as of the wiſe and vnderſtanding men. If there be nothing in that Epiſtle, for th' ign oranter ſort to learne: then hath Saint Paule made a deſperate debt, which now being dead, he is neuer able to pay. As for Saint Peters wordes, they make no more againſt the peoples reading of his Epiſtles, then againſt any other part of the Scripture: the whole whereof, he affirmeth to be peruerted of vnlearned and vnſtable men. In which kind if you iudge all th' vnlearneder ſort of your people to be: you fome out your owne ſhame, and manifeſtlie verefie the prouerbe, ſuch Doctor, ſuch Scholer. For our people we cannot hold them for vnlearned, which hauehave learned Chriſt; nor vnſtable which by faith are founded and rooted ſo ſtedfaſtlie, that al the winde and weather, waues and floods that can beat againſt thē, are not able to remoue them from the trueth, which they hauehave learned in the Scripture. We acknowledge with Auguſtine, their wonderfull depth: which would afray no man from reading of them, if you had faithfullie reported Auguſtines wordes. Who affirmethConfeſſ. li. 12. c. 14. that the ouermoſt of them, ſmyleth vponupon the little ones, and a little after addeth, let vsus come therefore together, to the words of thy booke, meaning Gods. In th' other place quoted by you, hee ſheweth that if a man of the ſharpeſt wit and greateſt diligence, from his childehood ſhould giuegive himſelf to the ſtudy of them, continuing in them vntill crooked age, as if he ſhould liue the yeares of Methuſalah: yet he might alwayes profite further in them. Which is manifeſtlie againſt you, for being bottomleſſe, he ſhewethAuguſt. epiſt. 3. that notwithſtanding no man can ſound them, yet that his endeuour to ſearch, is not in vaine, but is ioyned with dailie profite, eſpeciallie in things neceſſary to ſaluation: which he affirmeth not to be ſo hardlie come vntounto. Yea himſelf confeſſeth, that euen in his verie firſt entrance to the chriſtian faith, heredAuguſt. Confeſſ. lib. 8. cap. 12. et 7. cap. 9. Chryſoſt. in proaem. in epiſt. ad Rom. th' Epiſtle to the Romanes (which you woulde wreſt out of the peoples hands) with great frute. And Chryſoſtome vponupon this Epiſtle, teacheth that the people did not vnderſtand Saint Paules wrytings, not becauſe they wer vnlearned, but becauſe they woulde not hauehave his writings continually. Ierom Epiſt. 13. 4. ſpeaketh of the hard ſhell of the Scripture, as Auguſtine did of the depth: to whet the diligence and induſtrie of men, to greater and more continuall trauell to be taken in the ſtudie of them: euen alſo as doeth the Scripture it ſelfe, which doth not willMatth. 24. 15. the diſciples vppon the hardneſſe of a place to giuegive ouer the reading thereof, but to ad further diligence & care to vnderſtand it. Where the Ieſuites do it cleane contrarily, to terrifie men from them. And therefore Ierome ſaith they ſhine and are verie bright euen in the Ibid.very ſhell of them, although the marrowe be ſweeter. Likewiſe he exhorteth all to crack the ſhell, to th' end to eate the kernell. And in the very next Epiſtle wryting to a Matrone, he ſaith, Therefore let the diuine Scriptures be alwayes in Hieron. ad Celantiamthy hands, and let them vnceſſantly be turned or rowled in thy mynde. Beſide that if al the Scripture were ſo ſhelly as you (out of Ierome) praetend: where is the milke and honie for children, that areHeb. 5. Pſal. 19 called (as hath bene ſhevved) to the reading of them. They hauehave no teeth to crack the ſhell, yet they depart not emptie, nor returne not hungry from them. Wherefore Auguſtine ſaith, that God hath ſo tempered the Scriptures, that by Auguſt. d… doct…ri. Chriſt. lib. 2. cap. 6.manifeſt places he might prouyde againſt famine, and by thoſe which are obſcurer, he might cleanſe the loathſomnes of our ſtomak in exerciſing our ſelues about them: noting thereby, that men would grow to diſdainfulneſſe of the Scripture, if with th' eaſier Scriptures, they ſhould not ioyne the ſtudie of the harder. Finallie, if before the lawfull expoſition of the Scriptures, whole thirteene yeares are required, onlie to runne the courſe of reading the Scripture: we ſuppoſe verelie, that ſuch an expoſitor will neuer be found in Poperie; although he bee ſought with a candle: where the chief garland and crowne of diuinity, is not giuen to him that hath beene moſt conuerſant in th' olde and newe Teſtament, but to him, that can quite himſelf beſt in Duns and Dorbel, in Lombard and Gratian, and ſuch other vnwholſome Nourſes as theſe be, at whoſe breaſts, the popiſh diuines doe ſucke their firſt milke in Theologie. And to what end ſhould they beſtow thirteene yeares, before their entrance to the Miniſtrie, and the moſt of their time after they are entred in the ſtudy of the Scripture: if they may bring no other interpretation of any place, then that which they hauehave receiued of their fore-fathers. As for th' interpretation of eueryevery part of the Scripture, by th' Apoſtolicke tradition; further then by tradition (as appeareth afterwarde) is vnderſtood the written worde of th' Apoſtles: there is no manner of mention in any writing, that carrieth credite with it. But of interpretation, the diſcourſe will followe after more at large.