The Antibarbarian, Treatise · Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
CHAP. I. That falſe religions love obſcuritie: But the true Religion ſetteth forth to the view her doctrine, & holdeth nothing hidden.
IT is an opinion commonly received, that ignorance is the mother of devotion. In the matter of Gods ſervice, men admire moſt, what they underſtand leaſt; and obſcuritie augments reverence, and herewith fareth it as with beauties; the which when men doe nothing but ſtand at enterview and at gaze, they kindle and inflame the more concupiſcence.
Negligence and prophaneſſe contribute to this evill; For men having no naturall inclination to bee inſtructed in the knowledge of God, they uoluntarily disburden themſelves of that care upon them that make profeſſion to inſtruct them; rather then they will take the paines to learne, they had rather beleeve without knowing, and follow others without any further inquiſition to informe themſelves; and this affected ignorance cloketh it ſelfe with the ſpecious title of reſpect towards the Church, and of quickneſſe of apprehenſion; if there be queſtion of putting forth a mans money, there men will be ſure to enquire out the beſt ſecurities, and men are in this point full of diffidence and diſtruſt: but when the point of ſalvatition falleth into debate, they referre themſelves to rely on the faith of another, and blindfold their owne eyes with a uoluntarie ignorance.
Satan that ſeaſeth on men by naturall handels, ſnares and nooſes, uſeth this inclination to ſeduce them, it being eaſie for him to make them goe aſtray out of their way that ſhunne the light. He it is, that hath taught Magicians and coniurers to inſert and blend in their coniurations, barbarous and ſuſtian termes not to be underſtood. He it is, that inſtructed the Pagan Prieſts to cover and keepe cloſe their miſteries under a religious ſilence: and to keepe aloofe off at a diſtance the prophane, who now a daies are termed the lay-people or the laiques. Thus*Hetruſca diſciplina. the Toſcane diſcipline, wherein was contained the old religion of the Romanes,aQuintilianus lib. 1. Carmina Saliorum vix ſacerdotibus ſuis ſatis intellecta ſed quae mutari vetat religio. and the verſes of the Salique Prieſts ſung by thoſe Prieſts of Mars, were coucht in rude and barbarous termes, and ſuch as were not underſtood of the people. Epiphanius in the hereſie of the Oſſenians, bforeignſaith that the hereticks taught to pray with obſcure words, forbidding to enquire after the interpretation of them. Saint Augustine in his 16. Chapter, Quod vult Deus, affirmes the ſame of the Heracleonites. And Clemens Alexandrinus in his firſt booke of Tapiſſeries, ſaith thatcforeign. men hold that prayers pronounced in a barbarous tongue have more efficacie. Hierome in his EpitaphedBarbaro ſimplices quoſque terrent ſono, ut quod non intelligunt plus mirentur. of Lucinius Andaluſien: they affright the ſimple with a barbarous ſound, ſo that they admire moſt what they underſtand least. The Mahumetans, Turks, and Perſians have their ſervice in the Arabick tongue, which the people underſtand not. And the Iewes, whom God hath given up to reprobate ſenſe, do read in their Synagogues the Law and the Prophets in the Hebrew tonge, whereas the moſt part of their people have but little or no underſtanding thereof.
They that have the charge to guide and inſtruct the people, have beene carefull to foment and increaſe this evill; for they endevour to keepe the people in ignorance, with-holding from them the key of knowledge, as our Saviour Ieſus Christ ſaith,Luk. 11.52. and hindering others from entering in. By this meanes they make themſelves reſpectable and of account, as ſuch that are onelyonly capable of underſtanding divine matters the things that belong to God, and having onelyonly and alone a familiar communication with God. And by the ſelfe ſame meanes, they themſelves take ſanctuary, and hinder, that there can no cleare inſpection be made into their affaires; and gaine the liberty to accommodate religion to their owne profit, and to carve and ſhred it at their pleaſure. Dealing as theeves do, that blowe out the candells for feare of being diſcride; for they are afraid, leaſt the things which men admire a farre off, being knowne and better taken notice of at a nearer diſtance, ſhould become contemptible and vtterly out of requeſt: Like unto painted women, who would not willingly bee uiewed neere at hand; having learned by experience, that there is trouble to lead the ignorant; and that it is eaſieſt diving into a blinde mans purſe, and that every man that would be informed in the reaſon and originall of things is not eaſily perſwaded.
Hence commeth it that they withdraw the people from reading of the Scriptures, and that they hinder the tranſlating of them into the vulgar tongue. Hence commeth it, that they labour ſo much to caſt an aſperſion upon the Scriptures, and to make them to be ſuſpected by the people, as a dangerous booke; and that the reading thereof is the cauſe of hereſies. Hence came in Images, which ſerve to amaze, and to holde at gaze the eyes whilſt they blinde their underſtandings; and to afford them recreation, whilſt they withdraw and bereave the of inſtruction Hence came that heape of Ceremonies, which are ſhaddowes, which growe apace, and ſtretch out themſelves in length, when the night of ignorance is neere at hand. Hence came that implicit faith, which relyeth on the faith of another, and which beleeveth that which the Church of his countrey beleeveth, without ever knowing that which the Church ought to beleeve: and which ſerveth God by cuſtome, following the thronge, and involveing themſelves in the multitude. Hence came in the Liturgie in a ſtrange tongue, and not underſtood; as if the engliſh tongue were too baſe and triviall for divine ſervice. Hence came in the cuſtome of praying to God without knowing what they asked of him; as if they were affraid to underſtand themſelves. Hence came it to paſſe, that as in the publique reading of the Scriptures; God is a barbarian unto men, ſo alſo in publique prayers the Prieſt is a barbarian to the Aſſembly, and in the prayers of particulars, every one is a barbarian to himſelfe.
The occaſions and the change of affaires, have herevnto often contributed: For the vulgar tongue of a countrey comming to be abbaſterdiſed by laps of time, or being ſuddenly changed by the confus'd medley, the blending, and invndation and uiolent breaking in of ſtrange people, the Paſtors and leaders of the people have not beene carefull to accommodate the publique ſervice unto the underſtanding of the new inhabitants, and to the tongue in vſe: So that the Liturgie became in leſſe then fiftie yeares, not to be underſtood by the people And this came to paſſe in Italie, where the Latine was the vulgar in the time of the Apoſtles, and many ages after: But the Latine being corrupted by the inundation of the Goths, Lumbards and French, and by the extinguiſhing & aboliſhing of good letters and learning; the Biſhops ſtill retained the ſervice in the ancient tongue, and ſuffered the people to looſe the underſtanding of it: The like happened in France and in Spaine, as we ſhall ſee hereafter.
True religion taketh a quite contrary way. It reſiſts this naturall inclination of men, by which they flie inſtruction, fearing to learne the will of God, leaſt thereby they ſhould oblige themſelves to follow it: thorow the brightneſſe of the Goſpell it diſſipates the kingdome of the Prince of darkneſſe: For the people ought to bee clearely inſtructed in the doctrine of ſaluation; ſeeing they have as great a ſhare in ſalvation as the Paſtors. Who ſhall not anſwer for the people, at the day of iudgement: if the blinde leade the blinde, Matth. 25.24.they will both fall into the ditch. The Prophet Habacuk tells us,Habac. 2.4. that The iuſt ſhall live by his faith, and not by the faith of another. He which beleeves in God by proxie, or attornie, deſerves that another ſhould bee ſaved for him betweene the falſe and the true religion; there is as much difference, as betweene two Temples; the one whereof hath his windowes and lights ſhut and ſtopt up, the other receiveth in lights on all ſides; in the one, the people make profeſſion of a blinde obedience; in the other, the people demand inſtruction. The one ſetteth forth to the view the Lampe of Gods Word; the other ſuppreſſing this ſpirituall light, lighteth up candells at high noone: And like as the light which ſtruck Saint Peter on the ſide when hee ſlept in priſon,Acts 12. made the irons to fall off from his hands, and opened him the priſon: even ſo the light of the true doctrine breakes aſunder the bands of ſuperſtition, & ſets a man at libertie; according to that which our Saviour Ieſus Chriſt teacheth in the 8. of S. Iohn. You ſhall know the truth, and the truth ſhall make you free. Wherevpon alſo God ſaid in the 5. Chapter of Eſay. My people are led captive, becauſe there is no knowledge; and Ieſus Chriſt in the 22. of S. Matthew ſaid to the Sadduces, You erre, not knowing the Scriptures: Wherevpon he alſo ſaid to the Iewes:Iohn 3.39. Search the Scriptures; which is a commandement, which is not made to the people by the Church of Rome. And God himſelfe by his Prophet Ieremie, in his Chapter 31. promiſeth a happie time, wherein every one ſhall not teach his brother, ſaying, Know yee the Lord, for, ſaith the Lord, they ſhall know me from the least to the greatest. God reiecteth a Zeale without knowledge, Rom. 10.2. and the Apoſtle deſireth that the charitie of the Philippians might be with knowledge and all underſtanding. Philip. 1.9.This is the condemnation of the world (SAITH THE LORD) that light is come into the world, Iohn 3.19.but men love darkneſſe better then the light. Matth. 10.16.God indeed would have us to be ſimple and innocent, but withall, he will have us to be prudent and wiſe, he forbids curioſitie in things hee hath concealed from us; but it followeth not thence, that wee muſt bee ignorant of things neceſſarie, and which he hath manifeſted to us in his Word.
For theſe cauſes have wee taken away images out of our Churches, which ſpeake not, and have ſet in their places the holy Scriptures, wherin God ſpeaketh unto us, theſe images are fallen downe to the ground before the doctrine of the Goſpell, as Dagon before the Arke of the Covenant,1. Sam. 5.3. and wee have brought in the Scripture in the vulgar tongue; and have eſtabliſhed againe the ſervice of God in words underſtood: for teaching no other doctrine, then that which is contained in the holy Scriptures; we are not aſhamed of our religion; and we do deſire that our doctrine might bee knowne of every one, and examined by the Scriptures,Iohn 10.38. Iohn 17.8. Rom. 10.17. having learned by the holy Scriptures, that faith conſiſteth in knowledge; and that Ieſus Chriſt will, that men know before they beleeve; and that faith is by hearing of the Word of God: whence it followeth, that we muſt heare the Word of God, and be therein inſtructed, before we can have faith: we reiect the counſell of our adverſaries, who would have men beleeve before they chooſe the way of ſalvation, in ſtead of that, they muſt know to the end to chooſe aright: Can there a greater abuſe then to make the faith of Chriſtians to conſiſt in ignorance,Bellar. lib. 2. de iuſtificatione cap. 7. § Iudicium. Fides diſtinguitur contra ſcientiam, & melius per ignorantiam quàm per notitiam definitur. Du Perron in his booke againſt the King of great Britaine. lib. 6. ch. 1. pag. 1080. as Cardinall Bellarmine doth, who ſaith, that faith is diſtinguiſhed againſt knowledge, and is better defined by ignorance then by knowledge. Wherevpon likewiſe the Cardinall du Perron thinks, that the greater ignorance is, the greater is the merit of faith; ſaying, that when as any one underſtands not the publique ſervice, for that the Prieſt ſpeaketh in an unknowne tongue, and not underſtood, that defect is recompenſed by the merit of the endevour and greater excerciſe of faith. Which is a new kinde of merit, to endevour to know nothing, and an endevour of faith which conſiſts in negligence; and a faith which conſiſts in having none at all, ſeeing that faith commeth by hearing of the Word of God; for it is not to heare the Word of God, to heare a ſound without underſtanding; the Apoſtle then by this reckoning, was deſtitute of reaſon, when he gave thanks to God, for that, that the Corinthians were rich in all knowledge. 1. Cor. 1.5.And that wiſh he made, that the Philippians might abound in knowledge and underſtanding, was very inofficious and unkinde; ſeeing that by that knowledge the endevour of their faith ſlackned and enfeebled,Coloſſ. 3.16. and their merit diminiſhed. Hereon we have an excellent paſſage of Saint Chryſoſtome in his Homilie, 61. upon Saint Iohn, wherein after he had in many words reprooved the people, and reproched them too for their ignorance, and for their incapacity and diſabilitie to defend the cauſe of God, and to render a reaſon of their faith, and had layd before them the Apoſtles commandement, that willeth that the Word of God ſhould dwell plentifully in every one of us in all wiſdome;Col. 3.16. he askes*foreign. What anſwer herevnto make thoſe perſons more unprofitable then drones? They ſay that the ſoule is bleſſed which is ſimple, and that hee which walkes in ſimplicitie, walkes with affiance: That this is that which is the ſource and fountaine of all this evill, to wit, that amongst the people, there are but very few of them, that could in time of need alleadge any teſtimonies of Scriptures. This complaint of this good Doctor, was at this day ridiculous: for the people would anſwer him, how ſhould wee be able to alleadg the Scriptures, whereof you have forbidden us the reading? And indeed there is not extant any approved and allowed tranſlation in the vulgar tongue. It is now adaies a badg of an hereſie to reade carefully the Scriptures and to alleadg them.
CHAP. II. Two differences betweene us and the Church of Rome, touching an unknowne tongue.
COncerning an unknowne tongue; when we ſpeake unto God, or when God ſpeaketh unto us; wee have two ſorts of differences with the Church of Rome, the one concerning the prayers of particular perſons, the other touching the publique ſervice: For in the Church of Rome the people uſe to pray without underſtanding themſelves, and to ſpeake unto God and unto the Saints in a tongue, which he that prayeth underſtandeth not, as if it were ſuſpected to themſelves, or they were afraid to underſtand their own prayer: thinking that the Latine hath ſomething in it that's more holy, and that barbarous termes have more efficacie, and that prayer in*Or in any other tongue then Latine. Engliſh is leſſe acceptable to God.
The very ſame abuſe hath intruded it ſelfe into the publique ſervice, which is performed in Latine, where the people of France, Germany and Spaine, underſtand nothing. Wherevpon alſo the people vſe to ſay, let's goe heare a Maſſe; but not, let us goe obſerve the words, or underſtand the Maſſe, they might ſay farre better if they ſaid, let us goe ſee the Maſſe; for they goe to it, as unto a ſhew, and not as unto an inſtruction; and as if it were not enough that the Maſſe is ſaid in Latine; a great part of the Maſſe is pronounced exceeding lowe, and with a deepe ſilence: the reſt is ſaid in confuſed termes, and with quivering of an inarticulate voice: whereof their Doctors render us the reaſon, namely, for that Shepheards in hearing of the Maſſe having learned the words of conſecration,Durand. Rat. lib. 4. c. 35. Cum quidam paſtores Canonem in agro canta…ent, & panem ſuper lapidem poſuiſſent, ad verborū ipſorum ptolationem panis in carnem conuer ſus eſt, ipſi tamen divino iudicio igne coelitùs miſſo percuſſi ſunt. Propter quodſancti Patres ſtatuerūt verba iſta ſub ſilentio dici. pronounced them over the bread of their meale, which was incontinently tranſubſtantiated into fleſh: wherevpon withall they were ſtrucke with thunder from heaven. This Hiſtorie is recited by Durand in his 4. booke of his Rational chap. 35. and by Pope Innocent the III. in his third booke of the miſteries of the Maſſe, chap. 1.