Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 1 · Book 1 · Part 7
Hesk.The seuenth Chapter declaring the same by examples of the Fathers and authorities of the Doctours of the Church.
The title of this Chapter pretendeth to declare, howe the people shall come to the vnderstanding of the scriptures,Fulk. but the examples are most of the preachers and teachers, how they shall atteine to knowledge sufficient to discharge their office. But the first argument whervpō almost all the rest of the Chapter doth runne, is a maruellous conclusion God commaundeth the children of Israell, 32. Aske thy father and he will shewe thee, thy Elders and they will tell thee. Ergo God did not sende all the people, only to the fiue books of Moses to learne, but willed them to learne of their Elders: So now, all men may not be sent to the scriptures to learne, but they must learne of their Fathers, what be the goodly workes of God conteined in the Scriptures. Why M. Heskins, you forget not only lodgike, but common reason? We would not hauehave men to learne, onelyonly by reading the scriptures, but muche more by hearing their teachers, first their Pastors, and then all other, whom God hath indued with any gift of knowledge. And wil you conclude wt shame, that because men were not sent, only to the fiue Bookes of Moses, men may not now be sent at all to the scriptures? And are you so blinde that you cannot see, this text to ouerthrowe the purpose of both your sixth and seuenth Chapters after this manner, by necessary conclusion? Men must learne of their fathers, therefore not only of the Priestes. The rest that followeth for certeine pages, is so tedious a proofe of that which is not at all in controuersie, that it yrketh me to abridge it, but for orders sake. The Apostles learned of Christ in three yeares study, prayer is required to the vnderstanding of the scripture by Origens iudgement. The Fathers of the Church learned of their Elders, as Clemens, Marke, Linus, Cletus, of Peter: Titus, Timotheus, Luke, & Dionise, of Paule: and so one of an other. Basil and Gregorie Nazianzen studied thirteene yeres in a monasterie. Hieronyme learned of ye Hebrues, & trusted not his own iudgement, wherefore all rashe readers and arrogant teachers may be abashed, which take vponupon them, to teach before they be learned, whereas no man, may be his owne teacher in the scriptures. All this, and much more shall be graunted to M. Heskins without any strife at all. But yt which he also granteth, (though it be not very liberally) yet, it must not be refused. That in S. Hieronymies time many did study the scriptures, which if the people coulde nowe reuerently and meekely vse might be tollerated. Well then, the allowance of antiquitie is of our side, and the conditional tolleration of M. Heskins: for I may not say of the Popish Church, knowing what horrible persecution they practise against thē, which hauehave but a book of the scriptures in their mother tonge, found in their hand or house, although it cannot be proued, that they read it. Wherefore, it is most absurd, that hee chargeth the proclamer, with slaundering their Churche, to bring hir in hatred with the lay people, as though she had nowe forbidden them to read the Scriptures, in their owne tongue: whereas he knoweth no suche prohibition, giuen to the lay people vniuersally. But the reason is most monsterous. For if there had bene any such prohibition, there should not hauehave bene so many lay men, which hauehave both read and written of the scriptures in their natiue tongues, &c. As thoughe learned lay men, coulde not hauehave readd the scriptures but in their mother tongue. But the church fearing the abuses of the scriptures by the vnlearned lay men, forbad them. But such lay men as vnderstād the scriptures in Hebrue & Greeke, the Church wil allow them to read thē in English. O wise & prouident Church! Nay meruell not at this. For the learned if they be rashe fall into heresies: much more the vnlearned. And the learned also, yea and phisitians themselues sometimes take surfeites, therefore it were a sure way for the people neuer to eate meate. Noble men and wisemen somtime hauehave their houses burned, therefore it is much more dangerous for poore and simple men to hauehave fire in their houses.
The knowledge of Mysteries muste not bee made common to all men for the Iewes would not suffer Genesis, and Cantica to be redde of young men before 30. yeares of age. The heathen men also, as the Romanes & Philosophers, kept close their secrets: the one Sibyllaes bookes the other Morall philosophie, & especially Metaphysike. If I had time I might make sporte with this Metaphysical argument,In Matth. H. 44. that Christian men must folow the practise of Infidels. But I must passe ouer to the rest. Chrysostom in the Greeke Church, as wel as Hieronyme in the Latine, wold hauehave the people to learne by hearing their teachers, and not onelyonly by reading them selues, because the scriptures are darke, and are a storehouse not common for all men, but out of which the stewardes must deliuer to euerie man his portion. Remember all this notwithstanding, that M. Heskins confessed before, that Chrysostome doth often earnestly exhort the lay and vnlearned people to the diligent reading of the scriptures.
Then followe similitudes of young children and vnthriftes, the one if they feede thēselues, the meate runneth about their mouth, bosome, and clothes, the other spende their fathers goods in suites, and quarels, and contention with their brethren: So men without witte & grace abuse the scriptures to the hurt of others, & no profite of themselues. Except all laye men want witt and grace, these similitudes proue nothing. For many priestes also want wit & grace, whō you admit to read the scriptures. After similitudes come examples. Valdo an vnlearned man caused Bookes of scripture to be translated, and so beganne the sect of Valdenses, or Pauperes de Lugduno. Out of the same founteine of ignorance sprang the heretikes, called Begradi Turrelupini. Valdo was a godly man, & seeing the ignorance and vngodlines of the Priests, did very wel to procure the translatiō of the scripture, and vppon good groundes departed from the Church of Rome vntounto the Church of Christ, what the other were as stories are vncertein, so I leaue them in doubt.
But Luther and Zwinglius are charged to affirme The scriptures to be easie, and make it free for all men to read and expound them, and teach that not onelyonly men, but also women may openly preache the worde of God, and that as well a childe and a woman absolueth, as a Bishop. If these were not meere slaunders, he would hauehave set downe their owne wordes, the circumstance of which no doubt, would discharge them of such absurdities as he collecteth. For they would neuer affirme eueryevery place of the scripture to be easie, nor women, but in case where al men, (or the most) faile of knowledge to teach, as the prophetesses of the olde lawe did, nor women and children to absolue as well as a godly bishop by the doctrine of the Gospell, but perhaps better then an ignorant Popish Prelate.
Likewise where he chargeth Luther To boast that he was ignorant in no part of the scripture, and yet bringeth in his owne wordes: wherein he confesseth that he knew not whether he had the right vnderstanding of the Psalmes, and saith also, that it was most impudent rashnesse for any man to professe that he vnderstoode any one booke of scripture in all partes: I say the conference of these places doeth declare, that no man except he were blinde, madde, or dronke with malice, would beleeue the slaunder of boasting to be true in manner and forme as Maister Heskins setteth it downe.
Hauing vomited his malice against Luther & Zwinglius, he inueyeth with mayn sayle of open rayling against the people of our time, for the rashnesse and disorder of some. As though there were no talke, but rash babbling of predestination, free wil, iustification, yea God to be the author of sinne, of the number of ye sacraments, & especially the sacrament of the altar, and no where, but in Tauernes, Innes, Alehouses, and Barbarshops, in streetes, highwayes, and fieldes, and in the mouthes of women, boyes, and girles. God be thanked, this slaunder is false. Although there be great rashnesse in some, and vnreligiousnesse in more: yet the true members of Christ, profite much by reading of his word. We confesse with Gregorie Nazianzene, that it is not for eueryevery man rashly to dispute of God, nor yet of diuine matters, but with humilitie and sobrietie, which they shal learne no where so well, as in the holy scriptures of God. The other cauil that followeth, of lay men artificers, preaching in open places, & ministring the sacramentes deserueth no answere, for if they be admitted to the office, beeing worthy thereof, there is no doubt, but they may as well now, as in all ages of the Church they hauehave done, neither are they to be takē for laymen, though they hauehave beene artificers. Yet if they presume without calling and admission of the Church, they are no more borne withall among vsus, then suche as counterfet themselues to be Priestes among the Papistes. As Englishe Ioan did to clyme to the Papacie, & as of late a lewd fellow in Italie feigned himselfe to be a Cardinall, as Stephanus in his defence of Herodotus doth witnesse. We condemne according to the scriptures, not only all intrusion of men without calling, but all ambitious and symoniacall practises, to procure the outward calling. So farre off is it, that we allowe euerie man of his owne fantasie, to intrude himselfe, as this man doth most vainely slaunder vsus.