The Answer to the Preface of the Rhemish Testament, Part 1
foreign THE ANSVVERE TO THE PREFACE OF THE RHEMISH Testament.
By T. Cartwright.
AT EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY RObert Walde-graue, printer to the Kings Maiestie. 1602.
Cum priuilegio Regio.
foreign Th'anſwere to the preface of &c.
To the ſix firſt ſections page 1. 2. & 3.
THE true religion being like the heauenlie bodies which neuer change: the Popiſh religion reſembleth the earth, which as the potters claye is readie to receaue any forme, according as the wind and weather, times and ſeaſons of the …eare, winter or ſommer, ſpring or fall wil ſet vponupon it. Hereof it is that they which ſometyme did ſo deadly hate the inſtruction of the youth, in the groundes & principles of religion; that they coulde not heare the worde of Catechiſme with patient eares: nowe in feare of a generall falling from them through opinion either of their blockiſh ignoraunce or ſluggiſhe negligence; are conſtrayned both to write and teach their Catechiſmes. Out of the ſame feare it riſeth, that they which hitherto coulde not indure the holie ſcriptures to be red of the people, in their mother tongue: nowe leaſte they ſhoulde vtterlie fall from the hope of their gaine, throgh a vehement ſuſpition of jugling and playing vnderunder the boarde with the people: and conſtrayned to profeſſe a printe of that, which they ſometimes burned, and praetend allowance of that, which in times paſt they condemned. Howbeit th'euidence of the trueth hauing theſe Church robbers vponupon the rack: ſee notwith-ſtanding how hardlie they are gotten to confeſſe the trueth, & how they lyſp it, rather then ſpeake it out. For heere they confeſſe that th' Armenians, Gotthes, Italians, French and Engliſh men, had either ſome part or the whole of the ſcriptures trāſlated into their own tongues. But they will not grant it of the Slauoies; which notwithſtanding is moſt euident, not onelyonly by the words of Ierome, who affirmeth that he gaue to his own nation a tranſlation moſt diligently amēded: but by certaine of their own Doctors, from whom th'euidence of Ieromes wordesHoſius d… Saecro verbo Vernac, legendo. Alfonſus d… Haereſ. lib. 1. c. 13 doth wring foorth the confeſsion of the trueth in this behalfe. But what needeth all this niceneſſe; when it is euident that in the elder and purer times, the ſcriptures were tranſlated into innumerable, yea to all tongues vſual amongſt men. In the latter times of poperie,Chryſoſt. in Ioh. homil. 1 Theodoret. de corrig. Graecorum affect. lib. 5. it is not ſhewed, that there were ſuch tranſlations eſpecially in England: where the Ieſuites doe fooliſhly cōclude, that there was a tranſlation in our tongue alowed, becauſe the counſell prouideth that none ſhould be permitted, but that which was allowed by the Dioceſane. And if ther were any; yet it being kept cloſe priſoner, that it coulde neither come to the people, nor the people to it: it is all one in this queſtion, whether there were none, or no vſe of them. And if they both were, and were vſed: yet for ſo much as, by their owne confeſsion, they were permitted to wring out of the peoples handes the tranſlation whereby the Popiſh Church was beſieged: it is euident, that you permit it not either in reuerence to the holy ſcriptures, or louelove to the people; but rather as deſperat enemies, which had rather kill with it, then that the head of your gainefull errors ſhould bee ſtriken of by it. And it fareth altogether with you in this poynt, as with men which hauing a naturall hatred of cheeſe, or ſome ſuch foode, in ſuch ſorte as the verie ſight or touch of it doth offend them: yet being effamiſhed, are content for the ſafetie of their liues euen to eate it. For abhorring from the ſcriptures in time of your peace: when it commeth that you and your ſtate is plunged by ſuch as you call baeretickes; you are glade to bite or nibble vponupon the ſcriptures, if happelie you can get any thing to ſerue the praeſent neede. But tell vsus (go…d ſirs) is the reading of the ſcriptures by the people, like vntounto Strawberies, that ar good onelye in ſome ſeaſon of the yeare? is it phyſick whē men are ſick and not meate when they be whole? is it triacle to driue out poyſon, and not praeſeruatiue to keepe from it? hath it ſtrength to put the enemie to flight, and hath it none to hinder his approch? finally is it good to weede, & not to plant? The contrary whereof is rather true. For if it be able to heale a ſicke man, it is much more able to keepe him whole which is alreadie in health: & if it be meete to giuegive light to the ſimple, when the heauens are ouercaſt with the miſt and cloud of haereſie; it is much more forcible to ſhew the way, when they are not ſo clouded. It is therefore a ſottiſh diſtinction which the Ieſuites vſe, in making the peoples reading of the Scripture dangerous in tyme of peace, and profitable when th'enemie (by haereſie) hath made a broyle. How beit admitting that the peoples harueſt of reading the Scripture, is onelyonly in foule weather: how cōmeth it to paſſe, that you hauehave not welnigh fortie yeares long, wherein the goſpell after a dead winter hath beene greene and floriſhed againe in our country, and wherein the Haereticall tranſlations (as you call them) hauehave filled the land: procured that this ſickle of your tranſlation, might be in the hands of the people; therby to get them ſo much grain, as might hauehave fed them in this dearth of Maſſes, and other ſuch ſwill and ſwaddes as you were wont to fill them with? Wherefore the people maye well ſeeTranquillus. that as vntounto Vitellius, the dead citiſen was alwayes of good ſauour; ſo vntounto you, the dead & carcaſed ſoules are of pleaſant ſmell. But let vsus come vntounto the groundes of this difference of the peoples reading of ſcriptures, which they hauehave ſet in the forefront of the praeface. The firſt is, that it is not abſolutely neceſſary for al maner of men to read them. It is abſolutely neceſſary that all men ſhoulde vſe all good meanes and helpes, whereby to know Chriſt more perfectly: but reading of the ſcripturs (which al do teſtifie of him) is a good meane and help therevnto: wherefore it is abſolutely neceſſary. And to this ſtayre of clyming vp to the knowledge of Chriſt by reading, doth our S. Chriſt lift vp his hearers; when hee willeth them to ſearch the ſcriptures. For heIoh. 5. 39. doeth not will them onelyonly to heare the worde preached, but to vſe all maner of inſtruments, whereby they might digge out the hid treaſure of the knowledge of himſelfe. And the circumſtance of that place, doth argue, that hee had in that particular exhortation, a more ſpeciall regarde to the reading of them, then to th'other more excellēt exerciſe of hauing them preached. For when of th'one ſide, they beleeued not the Sermons of our Sauiour Chriſt, and of th'other ſide, it was dangerous to refer them ouer to the Sermons of the Scribes and Phariſes malitiouſlye blinde in that myſterie: there remained onelyonly that with inuocation of the name of God, they ſhould read the ſcripturs; to th'end that by conference of them with the Sermons of our Sauiour Chriſt, they might finde and feele the trueth of them. And as this place proueth that the peoples reading of the ſcripture, is a good help to thoſe that beleeue not after they hauehave hard the preaching: ſo th'example of theAct. 17. 11. men of Baerea, declareth that it is alſo neceſſary for thoſe that beleeue; that they ſhoulde be able by conference of the ſcripture, to confirme themſelues in the faith whereinto they are entered: whereof let the reader further looke, what is both objected & anſwered in that place. And if it were a ſafe and a ſure thing for the Iewes, not yet beleeuing in our Sauiour Chriſt, to ſearch and reade the ſcriptures: how can it bee dangerous for Chriſtians, that hauehave already beleeued him to read the ſcriptures, which beare teſtimonie of him? And if it be commendable, that thoſe that were novices in Chriſtianitie & plantes of a day olde, ſhould ſearch & read the ſcripture: how much more ought the reading of the ſcriptures be committed vntounto their truſt, which (through the covenant of grace) were frō their mothers wombe borne Chriſtians.Gal. 2. 15
Secondly it is abſolutely neceſſary for all men, to vſe all thoſe aides whereby they ſhoulde the more perfectly know what is the will of God;Deut. 6. thereby to frame themſelues to th'obedience of the ſame. Heereof the law commandeth, that eueryevery one ſhould not onelyonly hauehave the law ſounding like a trumpet in his eares: but alſo that it ſhoulde be as a ring vponupon his finger, as a bracelet vppon his hande, as a frontlet before his eies: that is to ſay, alwayes in ſight. For which cauſe he commanded further,Deut. 6. 7. 8. 9▪ that the law ſhould be written vponupon the frontiers of the land, vponupon the gates of the Citie and Towne, and vponupon the poſtes of eueryevery mans priuate houſe. Nowe if it were then thought good to the wiſdome of God, that the people ſhould in paſſing by, reade the lawe grauen, or painted vponupon pillers, gates & dores, wher they could not conſider of it ſo grauely & ſtayedly: how much more was it his good pleaſure, they ſhould read the ſame ſitting in their houſes: where hauing the book before them they might more ripelie and deliberatelie conceaue the ſenſe, and receaue the fruit thereof. Further th' ApoſtleColoſſ. 3. 16. commanding that the worde of Chriſt, ſhould dwell plentifullie or richly amongſt thoſe that are of the Church; doth thereby giuegive commandement, that they ſhoulde vſe all lawfull meanes of familiar acquaintance with it. Vnleſſe therefore it be denyed (which cannot bee of them that grant it ſometymes expedient) that the reading of the Scriptures, is a lawful exerciſe in the word of god, for the obtayning of greater wealth in the ſame: it is manifeſt, that it is commanded of th' Apoſtle. If commanded, then alſo abſolutely neceſſary. Moreouer it is commanded to trye1. Ioh. 4. …. the Spirits, whether they be of God or no: But that can not bee without ſome further knowledge of the word then we receaue of the ſpirites them ſelues, that is to ſaye, the miniſters ſpeaking either in the ſpirite of error or trueth: wherefore it followeth, that the whole knowledge that a faithfull man ought to hauehave, hangeth not of the mouth of the miniſter, but ought to hauehave a ſupplie of priuate reading, and meditation of the law at home. Againe the King, who of all other for the multitudeDeut 17. 19. Ioſu. 1. and weight of his buſines, in the affayres of the common wealth, might ſeeme to be freed from this exerciſe of priuate reading, and to content himſelfe with the ſermons in the temple: is commanded to reade the booke of the lawe diligently: where other men that are neither ſo full of buſineſſe, nor hauehave ſo many whoſe welfare dependeth of them, can not bee exempted from this exerciſe of pietie. And if it be neceſſary for the King to reade in the worde, that hee may rule well; it is neceſſary that the ſubjects ſhould doe the ſame, that they may obey well. And if it bee needfull for him to read, that hee command not through the pride of his harte thinges that are vnlawfull: there is the ſame neceſsity for them, leaſt in too greate baſenes of minde, they ſhall obeye man rather then God. Laſt of all, reading of the ſcripturesIoſu. 8. 34 Nehe. 8. 2. Reg. 23 2. Act. 13. 15 & 15. 21. Col. 4. 16 publikely in the Church, being not onelyonly a laudable and approued cuſtome of the Church vnderunder the lawe, but commanded alſo in the goſpell: doth declare that that which was continually profitable vntounto the whole Church together, can not but aedifie eueryevery one a part in his houſe. As for their reaſon to proue it not neceſſarie, for that through mans malice or infirmitie, the ſcriptures are pernitious & much hurtful to many: It is very childiſh. For by the ſame boult they may ſhut out preaching as well as reading conſidering that through eyther infirmitie or malice, many & the moſt part oftentimes of thoſe that heare, get a greater condemnation vntounto themſelues. So alſo the Sacraments ſhall be baniſhed, which by many are receiued to iudgement. Finally, ſo it1. Cor. 11 ſhould be dangerous for the people to meddle with Chriſt himſelfe: asLuke. 1. one that is ſet for the ryſing and fall of manie.
And to this manifeſt & ſounding voice in the Scriptures, doth th' echo of th' elder Churches anſwere: which teache that the people ſhould learne Orig in Levit. hom. 4. Chryſoſt i… Gen. homil. 29.the Scriptures without booke: that they ſhould not onelie hearken vntounto the reading of the Scriptures at the Church, but alſo take the Bible when they come home, and that reading of the Scriptures performeth that to the ſoule, that meate doth to the ſtrength of the bodie: that all men ought, by daylie reading the Scripture Hieron i… c…p 10. Eccleſiaſt. Auguſt. in Pſal. 33. c…n…. 2.get wiſdome: that they ſhould read the Scriptures, for that they were written to th' end we ſhould be comforted. Wherefore it is not the Churches diuine wiſdome, but the Popiſhe Synagogues deuiliſhe craft, to forbidde that at any time, which both the Scriptures, and purer Churches hauehave not onelyonly permitted th' vſe of to the people, but ſtreightly charged them therewith. And it is not vnlike the ſubtile practiſe of the Philiſtimes, the moſt deadly enemies vntounto the Lords people: who to keepe them alwayes in ſlauerie, permitted no vſe of weapon vntounto them, a fewe excepted, whome they (forſooth) would ſhew grace vntounto. So1. Sam. 13 the diuine wiſdome of your Church, is to hinder the ſeruantes, that they ſhould not know their maiſters will: to holde from the betrothed maide, that ſhe ſhould not know her faith & duetie to her ſpouſe. Where alſo it is to be noted, that as th' authoritie of Gods worde is in no account with them: So neither the Councill of Trent (otherwhere matched with th' authoritieVponUpon Act 15. of th' evangeliſtes) nor the ſupreame authoritie of the Pope is ſo ſacred amongſt them, but that for lucre they are boulde with both of them. For in ſteed that they praeciſelie command, that none maye reade any tranſlation whatſoeuer, without the Curates teſtimonie of his abilitie thereunto: they hauehave without repeale of Councill, or Popes decree, put their tranſlation in mens hands with no note of diſcretion which we vnderſtand; but who will giuegive moſt. You may not thinke much therefore if wee for Truths ſake make light of your Trent councill, when you for gaine infringe it.