The Protestant Religion Truly State and Justified, Part 1
The Third accuſed Point.
That the Scriptures are eaſy to be underſtood, and therefore none are to be reſtrained from Reading them.
Anſ. Meer Cheat to the Ignorant, by confuſion and falſhood.
1. We and all Papiſts with us agree, (the more is the Guilt of the Deceivers Fraud,) that ſome of the Scripture is eaſy to be underſtood, and is actually underſtood by all true Chriſtians, even all that is eſſentsal to Chriſtianity, and neceſſary to Salvation. Bellarmine, Caſtrus, and many others, tell us, that for all that, the Scripture is plain and ſufficient: Yea, ſo it is, in many Thouſand particular Texts: If this be not ſo, let this Man tell us if he can, how it cometh to paſs, that Papiſts, Greeks, and Proteſtant Commentators agree of the meaning of moſt of the Scripture, (perhaps of Nineteen Texts in Twenty,) if it be not plain.
But do Proteſtants ſay, that there is nothing in the Scripture hard to be underſtood? the Father of Lyes will ſcarce affirm this of them, leſt their Commentaries and Controverſies ſhame him.
2. But what? Muſt the people be forbidden to Read Gods Word, becauſe ſome paſſages are dark? Why not alſo forbidden to Read Statutes, Canons, Fathers, Jeſuits, Fryars, and the Loads of Papiſts Controverſies? Is there nothing hard in all theſe Volumes? what not in all the Canons? In all Chryſoſtom, Auſtin, Cyril, &c? In all Lombard, Aquinas, Bonaventure, Scotus, Ockam, Cajetane, and all the Tribe? In all Suarez, Vaſquez, Huctado, Albictine, &c? In all Cajacius, and his Tribe? Why are not theſe forbidden? Do but rub your Foreheads, and tell me,
1. Whether the Law was not darker than the Goſpel? and yet God charged them, Deut. 6. and 11. To teach the words to their Children, and that lying down, and riſing up, at home and abroad; and to write them on▪ the poſts of their Houſes, and their Gates: And every bleſſed Man, (Pſal. 1.) was to delight in the Law of the Lord, and meditate in it Day and Night? Read Pſal. 119.
2. Whether Christ did not Preach the words Recorded in the Goſpel to the unlearned common people; and Peter and Paul, and all the Apoſtles, to all the vulgar Jews and Gentiles?
3. Whether they writ not their Recorded Epiſtles to the Vulgar, even to all the Churches?
4. Whether it is not Gods Word that we muſt all be Ruled and Judged by, and is the Charter of our right to Heaven? and ſhould we be forbid to read it?
5. Whether Hierom, Chryſoſtom, Auſtin, and all the Fathers, do not preſs Men and Women of all Ranks, to read or learn, and ſtudy the Scriptures?
6. Whether he be not like Antichriſt, that will forbid Men to read that, which God ſent his Son from Heaven to Preach, and Chriſt appointed Apoſtles, Paſtors, and Teachers, to communicate to all the World?
7. Whether the Prince of Darkneſs and Pride himſelf, would not be aſhamed openly to ſay, I have ſo much skill to ſpeak Intelligibly, and God ſo little, that you muſt read my Books, and not read his? And whether Popes and Prieſts Volumes are not as unskilfully written, as Gods, and as like to draw Men to Hereſie and Sin?
8. Whether he that thus Condemneth God and his Law, and extolleth Man's, be like to make good his accuſation at God's Barr? Alas! muſt ſuch things as theſe be diſputed by Men that would be our Infallible Rule?
9. Either the knowledge of God's Word is needful, or not. If not, why did God write part of it himſelf? And ſend his Son to Preach it? And his Spirit in his Prophets and Apoſtles to write and Record it? Are blind Worms fit to accuſe God of Folly, and needleſs Work? Can Men obey God's Law that know it not? But if the knowledge of it be needful to our Obedience and Salvation, ask common Reaſon, whether the Difficulties ſhould not rather oblige us to read and ſtudy it ſo much the more, …till we underſtand it, rather than not to read it at all? Do their ductile Followers that read it not, underſtand it better than thoſe that ſtudy it Day and Night? The leſs we know of needleſs things, the better and quieter we are: If God's Law and Goſpel be ſuch, what a God and Governour have we! Can Heathens and Turks Blaſpheme him more, than to take him for ſo fooliſh a Governour of the World, as to make a ſtir by his Son from Heaven, and by Angels and Prophets, to give them ſo needleſs, yea, pernicious a Law and Goſpel, as that Men muſt be kept from reading it, leſt it Poyſon them with Hereſie?
10. Is it not eſſential to him that relatively we take for our God, to be the Governour of the World, and to be our Saviour, and the Holy Ghoſt to deliver and Seal the Goſpel as glad Tidings to all Nations? And is it not by his Law that God Governeth, and by his Goſpel that Chriſt Saveth, and the Holy Ghoſt doth illuminate and Sanctifie? And doth not that Man or Clergy then put down God the Father, Son and Holy Ghoſt, and ſet up themſelves in the ſtead, who forbid the reading of God's Law and Goſpel, and Command the knowledge and obſervance of their own, Canons and Dictates inſtead of them, as more Intelligible and ſafe? And is not this (as Robert Groſthead told Innocent 4.) next the Sin of Lucifer and Antichriſt, or rather plain Antichriſtianiſm it ſelf?
11. Is the Stage manner of Maſſing liker to make the people underſtand God's Law and Goſpel, (by multitudes of Geſtures, Motions, Croſſings, Ceremonies, that need long Expoſitions, that overwhelm the ſtrongeſt Memories,) than the reading and ſtudy of the plain and full words of God in Scripture?
12. Did this Deceiver ever hear Proteſtants ſay, that the Apocalypſe, and Daniel, and Ezekiel, and the Canticles, and the Chronologies of Scripture, are all eaſy to be underſtood? For if he have heard ſuch a Fool, did he ever read this in the Confeſſions of any Church? Do not their Commentaries tell the difficulty? And ask this Man or his fellow Creature, whether the Infallible Pope, or Councils, have overcome all theſe difficulties to the Papiſts, and made all this eaſy to them? Or do not their Valuminous diſagreeing Commentaries, and Controverſies, ſhew that they are ſtill as hard to them as to us.
13. And ask them whether Pope, or Council, have ever yet written an Infallible Commentary on the Bible, or all ſuch difficult Texts? If not, is it becauſe they cannot, or becauſe they will not? And what the better then is their Church for their feigned skill and power, infallibly to decide difficult Scripture Controverſies? What can be more ſhameleſs than this pretence, in Men that will not do it, nor ever did?
14. And if ſtill they tell you; that the people were always bound to believe and obey the Churches Rites, without diſpute or Contradiction; ask them whether it was not the Church Rulers that killed Chriſt, and called him a Blaſphemer and Deceiver, and that Perſecuted and accuſed the Apoſtles? And whether the People were bound to believe them, (as Jewiſh Papiſts,) and whether all the Apoſtles and Chriſtians were Rebels and Hereticks, for not believing them? And whether it was not for the Sins of Prieſts and Princes, and the peoples complying with them, that God by his Prophets reproved the Iſraelites, and at laſt forſook them to Captivity, 2 Chron. laſt. Jer. 5 laſt.
15. And if they tell you of the Peoples need of Teachers, tell them that that is none of the Controverſie. But whether their Teachers muſt teach them to underſtand God's Book, or to throw it away? May not the Teacher and the Book, conſiſt together? Muſt School-Boys be forbid to Learn their Grammar, becauſe they muſt have a Teacher? Muſt he teach them the Book, or teach them without Book? But all the Craft is, to get all the World to take only ſuch Cheaters as this for their Maſters, and then Bible or no Bible may ſerve turn.
16. Is it not the Office of Teachers to Tranſlate God's Word into known Tongues, that the People may underſtand it? This is the firſt part of Preaching it: If not, why do they uſe Tranſlations in the Church of Rome, the Septuagint▪ and the Vulgar Latin? And why did Sixtus 5th. and Clem. 8. make ſuch a ſtir to Correct the Latin? And why do ſo many Comment on them? And the Rhemiſts turn it into Engliſh? But what is all this for, but to help Men to underſtand the Book?
17. Doth not all the Word of God cry down Ignorance, and cry up Knowledge, from End to End? And what Knowledge is it, but Divine, of the Word and Law of God? What elſe is the ſcope of all the firſt Nine Chapters of Solomons Proverbs, and of Pſal. 1. 19. and 119, &c. God ſaith, Hoſ. 4. 6. My People periſh for lack of knowledge: And Iſa. 27. 11. It is a people of no underſtanding, therefore he that made them will not ſave them. Ignorance and Blindneſs are made the common cauſe of Errour, Sin and Miſery.
But we are ſo far from taking all parts of Scripture to be equally neceſſary to be underſtood, that we are more than the Papiſts for firſt and moſt diligently teaching them the Eſſentials, the Creed, Lord's Prayer, and Commandments, and Baptiſm, and Church Communion, and the Lord's Supper, and leſſer parts as they grow up; what they muſt learn firſt their Teachers muſt inſtruct them.
18. If he ſay, as they ſtill do, that the Ignorant will miſunderſtand the Scripture, and every one turn it to his own Fancy, and Hereſie: I anſwer, The way to prevent this, is to teach it them diligently, (what elſe is the Miniſtry for?) and not to forbid it them. Every Knave may pervert the Law of the Land to maintain his own ill Cauſe; and muſt the Law therefore be forbidden them? Reaſon is far more commonly abuſed than Scripture: There is no Hereſie, or Error, no Villany, Perjury, Cruelty, Perſecution, Oppreſſion, or Injuſtice, but Reaſon is pleaded for it: Muſt Reaſon therefore be renounced? Hereſies are for want of underſtanding God's word; and muſt be cured by underſtanding it.
19. And if all the World muſt take the Popes or Prieſts words, inſtead of Gods, or for their Rule, how ſhall thoſe in Aethiopia, Syria, America, or here, know what the Popes Word is? That never ſee him, or any that hath ſeen him? And how ſhall we know, when above twenty times there have been two Popes at once, which of them is the Right? And when they contradict and Damn each other, which of them muſt we believe? And when General Councils accuſe them of Errour, and Condemn them, which is to be truſted with our Souls? Or if it be Councils that muſt be to us inſtead of Scripture, when they Damn each other, which muſt we believe? (And ſo abundance of them have done.) When the Pope and they agreed to depoſe Chriſtian Princes, and give away their Dominions, and diſoblige their Subjects from all their Oaths of Allegiance, is it as true as the word of God, that all Subjects muſt believe and obey them?
But how ſhall all the poor People know what the Pope and Councils ſay and hold? They can neither read their Volumes, nor underſtand them, nor know which are authentick and true? Muſt they all believe their Pariſh Prieſt? What if he be as very a Deceiver as the writer of this Touchſtone, that doth but Cheat from the beginning to the end? Yet muſt we take his word inſtead of Gods? Or when other Prieſts, or Fryars contradict him, which of them muſt we believe? What if his Pariſhoners know him to be ignorant, or a common Lyar? Yet muſt our Salvation reſt on his word▪ and God's word be forbidden us. What if we obey him in Error, and Sin, will he undertake to be Damned for us? Or will his undertaking or Damnation ſave thoſe whom he miſlead, &c.?
As to his Citation of Scripture againſt Scripture, it is ſo palpable a perverſion, that I will leave any Man that will but Read the Text, to his own ability, to anſwer him: Rev. 5.1. No Man in Heaven or Earth, was worthy to open the Sealed Books that John ſaw in his Viſion: What then, muſt no Man therefore open the Bible? Or becauſe the Revelation is hard, muſt therefore the People be forbidden to Read it, and the reſt of God's word, which was written for them, as ſufficient to make them wiſe to Salvation, yea, to make the ſimple wiſe, Pſal. 19.
And with as ſhameleſs a Face doth he cite the Fathers, againſt the drift of all their writings and Labours, and the Judgment of all the Churches of Chriſt, for many hundred years, of its pureſt foundeſt Primitive times.