The Answer to the Preface of the Rhemish Testament, Part 2
To the three next ſections, pag. 3. and 4.
If (as hath bene ſhewed) all ought to reade the Scriptures, then all ages, all ſexes, al degrees and callings, all high and lowe, rich & poore, wiſe and fooliſhe hauehave a neceſſarie duetie heerein: of which particularities, neither doe the Scriptures nor auncient writers keep ſilence. For the Scripture declareth that wemen and children, & that from their infancie, thatIoſua … 2. Tim. …. Pſal. 49 Prov. noble and ignoble, riche and poore, wiſe and fooliſh exerciſed themſelues in the holy Scriptures. And Theodoret Theodoret. de corrig. Grae. affect lib. 5lyketh well that the points of religion which the Church taught▪ were not onelie knowne of Doctors and maiſters, but of Taylers, Smythes, Weauers and other artificers: not of men onelie but of wemen, and the ſame not onelyonly learned, but labouring wemen, ſewſters, ſeruants and handmaides; not of Citizens alone, but of Countrie-folke, Ditchers, deluers, neatheards and gardiners, diſputing euen of the holie Trinitie, &c.
And being commanded to be talked of both within the houſe & without,Deut. 6 both lying ſitting and walking: a man woulde thinke that therein is commanded th' exerciſe of it in al places, both table and bench, both boate & barge. And it is too great ignorance to make that difference of place in this matter, which was not made vnderunder the Lawe: when in all manner of places it is not onelie lawfull, but commanded to talke of the Law. And ſeing to the cleane, al things are cleane, the boat and boat-man, the rudderTit… 1 and the rower: it is too palpable a darkneſſe, to thinke that the Worde1. Tim. … ſhould bee profaned by thoſe things, which by faith & prayer it ſanctifieth. Wherefore it is moſt falſe, that the Bibles were then onelie in Monaſteries, Colledges, Churches, Biſhops, Prieſts, and ſome deuout principal lay-mens hands. For Chryſoſtome exhorteth al the people & Epiſt. ad Coloſſ. hom 9 Hieron. in Pſal. 133 In Matth. homil. …. & concione 3 d… L… zar…ſecular men to get them Bibles, at the leaſt▪ the new Teſtament. Ierom alſo ſaieth … married men, Monkes, ſillie wemen were wont to contēd, who ſhould learn moe ſcriptures without booke. But Chryſoſtome is bold, and affirmeth it more fit and profitable for the lay people to read Gods worde, then for Monkes, Prieſts, or any other. And if priuate reading of the Bible were vrged ſo ſore, when (through the trauaile of wryting,) it muſt needes coſt much: how much more then is it now to be preſſed, when (through the benefite of printing) it is ſo eaſilie and lightlie obtained. It is falſe alſo, that either they ſung in an vnknowne language, or without knowledge of the ſenſe in ſome profitable meaſure: which had bene liker vntounto the prating, pratling and parating of birdes tickling th' eares of fond men; then to any Chriſtian melodie, pleaſant in the eares of the wiſe God.
After, like men fighting in the dark, they ſtryke themſelues inſtead of the enemie. For they are forced to bring forth Ierome, exhorting men and wemen to the reading and meditation of the Scripture, t…reby to walke comelie in their ſeuerall callings. Themſelues therefore which dryue men from reading of the Scriptures, are cauſes why neither …irgines can meditate of chaſtitie, nor wyues of faithfulneſſe, Prince how to rule, nor ſubiect how to obey: ſeeing theſe dueties are euidentlie to th' vnderſtanding of the ſimpleſt, laide forth in holy Scripture: And if then th' inferiors taught not their ſuperiors: it was becauſe that as they excelled their vnderlings in age & dignitie; ſo they went before them in knowledge and vnderſtanding of the word. But becauſe Poperie is ſuch a time, wherein (as Salomon ſaith) theEccl. 10. 4. ſeruants ryde and the maiſters goe on foot: that is to ſay, wherein commonlie the Biſhop can byte, but not bark: the Paſtor can milke but not feede: the Prieſt can mum, but cannot ſpeak it is needfull that in ſuch a caſe, the waters ſhould go againſt the ſtreame & the ſcholler ſhould teache his maiſter, the ſheepe controule his Paſtor, &c. Yea in the learnedſt and lightſomeſt times that euer were, and in perſonages of notable marke, it hath ſometymes come to paſſe, that not onelie wemenLuke 2. 38 Luk. 24. 10 act. 18. 26. 2. Reg 5 13 Chryſoſt. in Coloſſ. hom. 9 Auguſt. d… tempor. ſerm. 56. hauehave inſtructed men: but euen the ſheepe the ſhepheards, the ſchollers their maiſter, the ſeruant their Lord. And Chryſoſtome and Auguſtine will hauehave eueryevery one to learne, as they may teach one another. Againſt which as alſo againſt the peoples reading of Scriptures, neither Ierome nor Auguſt. hauehave a word. For Ierome in the ſame epiſtle exhorteth to the reading of the ſcripture, onelie he reproueth them which truſting vntounto the ſtrength of their wits, and to their owne ſtudie, ſeeke not the neceſſarie helpe of a teacher, the principall meanes which God hath ordained to bring men to ſound knowledg of the trueth. And how far Ierome was from the Ieſuites iudgement, it appeareth otherwhere: when he ſaith, that the Scripture is tearmed the Scripture of the people, becauſe it is red vntounto Hieron. in pſal. 86all people that all may vnderſtand. Lykewiſe he ſharply reproueth ſuch as cō temned thoſe that red the Scripture and muſed of them day and night, as chatters & vnprofitable: which is the very popiſhe ſpirit that reigneth in theſe daies. The ſame anſwere ſerueth for Auguſtine, who reprooueth not men for reading of the Scripture, but onelie for that in reading them, and finding difficulties which they cannot auoide: they forthwith condemne the worde, in ſteade that they ſhould repaire to ſuch as are able to vndoe their knots. Which thing is not onelie cleare vppon the place, but confirmed by other ſayings Where declaring it not to be enough to heare the word in the Church only, he exhorteth al in their priuate houſes either Auguſt. de tempor. ſerm. 55to read, or to get ſome to reade for them. And againe, that nothing abideth, but that which a man hath lay de vp in the treaſure of his conſcience, for health of his ſoule by reading, praying or doing good workes, and that we muſt alwayes pray and read. And if they wrote this, when the malady of arrogancie in diuine matters was not ſo great as now it is: howe much more would2. Reg. 22. 11. 18. 19 Rom. 7. 7 9. 10 they hauehave wrote it in theſe dayes; cō ſidering that the vſe of the Scripture, is to beat downe the pride and arrogancie of the minde: whereas the Ieſuites conclude cleane contrarie, that becauſe men are more proud nowe then heretofore, the Scriptures ſhuld be withdrawne more now then then; eſteeming that pride gayneth by reading of the Scripture: therein like to thoſe whome Auguſtine ſharply reproueth,August. in Pſal. 130 which hearing that they muſt be hū ble, will learne nothing: thinking that if they learne any thing, they ſhalbe proud.