Answer to a Popish Pamphlet Called the Touchstone of the Reformed Gospel, Part 2 · Subpart 3
3 THat the Scriptures ar eaſie to be understood, and therefore, none ought to be reſtrained from reading them.
VVHichWhich ſayeth hee is contrary to the expreſſe words of 2. Pet. 3. 16. Where Peter ſpeaking of Pauls Epiſtles, ſayeth In which are ſome thinges hard to bee underſtood. To which I anſwere. 1. That by ſaying ſome thinges ar hard to bee underſtood, it followeth, that the reſt (which is the greater part) are not hard but eaſie to bee underſtood, For the exception of ſome onlie, cleareth the reſt from obſcuritie, therfore from the greater part of the Scripture eaſie to be underſtood which concerne faith & manners neceſſary to ſalvation, wee rather conclude the plainneſſe of Scripture… & that people ſhould reade the ſame, then becauſe ſome thinges are hard to be underſtood, to put obſcuritie upon the whole Scripture, and therefore to debarre people frō reading thereof. Cheiflie ſeing not onelyonly Auguſtin lib. 2. de doctr. Chriſt. cap. 9. But Bellarmin alſo conſenting to Auguſtins words, lib. 4. de verbo cap. 11. §. ultimo teſtifieth, That all doctrines which are ſimplie neceſſary for all men to ſalvation are plainlie ſet downe in ſcripture, wher upon (ſpeaking to the people in his 55. ſermon. de tempore, hee ſayeth, Neither let it ſuffice you that yee heare the holie Scriptures read in the Church, but alſo in your own houſes either reade thē your ſelves, or deſire others to reade them. And ſo likewiſe ſayth Chriſostome con. 32. de Lazaro & hom. 2. in Math.
The next place which he bringes is Act. 8. 30. where Philip ſayeth to the Eunuch. Ʋnderſtandeth thou what thou readeth? who ſaid how can I without a guide? Whereunto I anſwere, 1. This place was a prophecie, and ſuch are hard to be underſtood, till they be fulfilled, and the Eunuch was a Proſelyte and a Novice onelie in religion, therefore from one place which was propheticall and dark to a Novice in religion, to conclude that the Scriptures in whole are dark & obſcure, and therefore not to bee read by people, is an abſurd conſequence. Yea this place rather maketh againſt papiſts, ſeing the Eunuchs practiſe heere was reading of the Scripture, which Philip did not reprehend in him (as popiſh Prieſts would hauehave done) but only explaineth unto him the Propheſie, of whom it was meaned, and that it was▪ fulfilled by Chriſts ſuffering, and ſo maketh him thereby to bee a Chriſtian convert, the occaſion of which benefit, the reading of the Scripture did afford unto him. Wherupon ſayeth their owne Carthuſian, Great was the care of that Heathen man (ſayeth hee) and his diligence condemneth our negligence in learning holie Scriptures. Therefore alſo Chriſoſtome giveth this directiō to people in reading holy ſcriptures, ſaying, (in his 10. homilie on Iohn.) That which is eaſie to be underſtood get by heart, and theſe things that are obſcure, reade thē over often, and if by doing ſo, you cannot findout the meaning, go to thy teacher.
The third place which he brings is, Luke, 24. 25. where Chriſt expoundeth to his Diſciples al things concerning himſelfe. To which I anſwere, that this maketh nothing againſt peoples reading of ſcripture, commanded by Chriſt himſelſe, Iohn 5. 39. injoyned by the Apoſtle, Eph. 6. 17. Coloſſ. 3. 16. and for which Timothy was commended, 2. Tim. 3 15. That from a childe he had knowne the ſcriptures, but only ſhoweth that hard places ſpecially, ſuch as prophecies, are to be expouned to people, as Chriſt did heere to his diſciples, & as the former place Act. 8. 30. and that ſpeach of Chriſoſtome ſhoweth.
The fourth place which he adduceth is, Revel. 5. 1. concerning the ſealed booke which none was able to open, and which this pamphleter would have to be the booke of ſcripture. whereunto I will onelyonly anſwere in the Ieſuit Ribera's words on that place, ſaying, The prophecie of theſe things which ſhall fall out in the laſt times is here only meaned, as Andrew Archbiſhope of Caeſarea expoundeth it (ſayeth hee) & proveth that hereby the book of the ſcripture cannot be meaned, becauſe evē then Iohn ſaw this book ſealed whē this revelation was made unto him, before which time moſt of the Apoſtles were dead, So that if by this ſealed booke the ſcripture were underſtood. then it would follow (ſayeth he) that the rery Apoſtles upon whom the holie ghoſt deſcended, in their time underſtood not the ſcripture, but it was ſealed even to Peter and Paull, and to the reſt who died before this revelation was made unto Iohn. which were abſurd to ſay.
But I cannot but marvell that he ſhould bring ſo manyplaces of ſcripture to prove that people ſhould not be permitted to reade the ſcripture becauſe of the obſcurity thereof, ſeing that their late and famous Biſhope Eſpenſeus, on Titus, 2. teſtifieth, that the with-holding of the ſcripture from the people was neither in the Apoſtles times, or agreable to their doctrine, nor yet was it in the tyme of the primitive Church. his words are theſe.
It is manifeſt (ſayeth he) by the doctrine of the Apoſtle, Col. 3. 16. and by the practiſe of the primitive church that of old, the reading of the ſcripture was permitted to people.
As for the teſtimonies of fathers which he bringeth, none of them doeth prove his point, for 1. in Irenus there is no ſpeach at all to his point or purpoſe, nor tels he in what booke of Origen. any ſuch thing is to be found, and as to Ambroſe teſtimony which calleth the ſcripture a ſea, and depth of propheticall ridles, I anſwer, that no man denyeth but that (as Gregorie, alſo ſpeaketh in his epiſtle to Leander) it is as a ſea, and deepe wherein an Elephant may ſwime, as alſo ſo ſhallow wherein a Lamb (ſayeth he) may wade. containing both high myſteries, for exerciſing the moſt learned, as alſo moſt eaſie inſtructions, (as David ſpeaketh pſal. 119. 130) To give underſtanding to the ſimple. Next, to Auguſtins teſtimony, where he ſayeth, that the things in ſcripture which he knew not, were much more then theſe which he knew, I anſwer, that this ſhoweth onelyonly his humility, as the Apoſtle alſo profeſſeth, that in this life he knew but in part, but this neither maketh for proving the obſcurity of ſcripture, the contrary whereof he affirmeth in the place forecited, de doct. Chriſt, lib. 2. cap. 9. not yet maketh it againſt the peoples reading of ſcripture, whereunto ſo earneſtly he exhorts them, Serm. 55. de tempore, and as for Gregorie we differ no wayes from him in the place forecited.
As for S. Dennis teſtimony (as he calleth him) where he ſayeth, that the matter of the ſcriptures was farre more profound, then his wit could reach unto, I anſwere, that by nature it is true of all, except (as David prayes pſal. 119. 18.) The Lord open mens eies that they may underſtand the wonders of his Law, But this proveth not that therefore the ſcriptures are not to be read. or are every where obſcure.