The By-Way, Treatise · Section 2
SECT. II. Our aduerſaries pretences from the obſcuritie of Scriptures, and inconueniences of the Lay peoples reading them, anſwered.
I Speake not this, as if the Romaniſts of theſe times did wholly waue the Scriptures: for if wee may credit Doctor Sanders; There are most plaine Scriptures in all poynts for the Catholique Faith, Rocke of the Church cap 8. p. 193and none at all against the ſame. And their owne Bristow would make the world beleeue,Briſt. Mot. 48. from the beginning of Geneſis, to the end of the Apocalyps, there is no text that makes for vsus againſt them, but all for them. If theſe men hauehave ſpoken the trueth, let them beare witneſſe of the truth, onelyonly let me tell you, the Rhemiſts in their Annotations vponupon the Goſpel, profeſſe in the name of their Church, that, if wee ſhould, Rhem. Annot. in 1. Cor. 1.5.when wee came to yeeres of diſcretion, be ſet to picke our Faith out of the Scriptures, there would bee a mad worke, and many Faiths among vsus. And their fellow Ecchius proclaimes to all the world,Ecch. Euchirid c. 4. that the Lutherans are dolts, which will hauehave nothing beleeued, but that which is expreſſe Scripture: for all things are not deliuered manifestly in the Scriptures, but very many are left to the determination of the Church. Haereſin eſſe ſi quis dicit neceſſarium eſſe vt Scripturae in vulgares linguas cōuertantur. Sand. viſib. Monar. haereſ. 191.And their Proſelyte Sanders, who pretends ſuch euident teſtimonies of the Scriptures in behalfe of his Church, accounts it no better then hereſie to tranſlate them. And Pereſius his fellow Ieſuite, complaines; It is the Deuils inuention to permit the people to reade them. Diaboli inuentum eſſe vt populus Biblia legere permitteretur. Pereſ. de Tra. part. 1. aſſert 3.And it is the generall vote of the beſt learned Romaniſts, The reading of the Bible makes more hereticall Lutherans, then Roman Catholiques. If therefore the Scriptures are ſuch pregnant & plaine teſtimonies in behalfe of the Romane Faith (as ſome Romaniſts pretend) why do they condemne the tranſlating of them? why do they not permit the people to reade them? and if all places of Scripture make for them, and none for vsus, how comes it to paſſe, that by reading them, many Papiſts by their own confeſſion become Proteſtants?
It is the blaſphemous aſſertion of Albertus Pigghius; Nō vt ſcriptu illa praeeſſent fidei et Religioni noſtrae, ſed potiùs vt ſubeſſent. Pig Hierar. lib. 1. c. 2.that the Apoſtles hauehave written certaine things, but not to that end their writings ſhould rule our faith, but rather that they ſhould be vnderunder, and ruled by our faith and Religion. And heereupon hee quarrels with all thoſe that ſubmit their knowledge to the authoritie of the Goſpell:Si dixeris haec referri oportere ad iudicium Scripturarum cōmunis te ſenſus ignarū eſſe comprobat, ſunt enim ſcriptura muti Iudices. Pigh. cont. 3. de Eccleſ. If thou ſhalt teach (ſaith hee) that thoſe things muſt be put to the Iudgement of the Scriptures, thou ſheweſt thy ſelfe to bee voyd of common reaſon: for the Scriptures are dumbe Iudges, & cannot ſpeake. Neither is this the opinion of ſome priuate ſpirits, which of late hauehave declined the authority of the Scriptures: but if wee looke beyond Luther, wee ſhall finde that almoſt 300 yeares before his dayes, the Romaniſts did endeauor by all meanes to extinguiſh the light of the Goſpell.
About the yeare 1255, there was a great contention betwixt the Vniuerſitie of Paris, and the Order of Franciſcan Fryers, in which diſſention the Fryer Mendicants publiſhed a book called Euangelium aeternum, Mat. Pariſ. in Hiſt. An. 1256.the eternall Goſpell: in this Booke it was declared, that the Goſpell of Christ was not the euerlasting Goſpell; that it was to ceaſe and determine as the olde Law did at the comming of Chriſt, that the Goſpell of Christ ſhould from that time continue but 50 yeares, and that their new Goſpell did containe as much or more, then the whole Bible, that theirs was the Goſpell of Chriſt, and the eternall Goſpell. Neither was this wicked blaſphemy publiſhed by one man, but by a whole Order of Monkes and Fryars. Neither were they vpſtart opinions (like muſhromes growne vp in a night) but they were ſet afoot fifty fiue yeares before that time. This and much more of the like doctrine is to bee read in Mathew Paris, B. Vſher de Eccleſ. ſucceſſ & ſtatu cap 9. p. 278and more particularly in that excellent Treatiſe of the Succeſsion and ſtate of Chriſtian Churches.
Thus the Romiſh Prieſts of the former and latter ages, agree like Pilate and Herod, both to the condemnation of Chriſt & his Word; and as Herod (ſaith Ambroſe) burnt the Scriptures, Ambr. in Luc. lib 3.leſt by meanes of ſuch ancient Records, ſome doubt might afterwards be made of his poſterity; In like manner our late Romaniſtes hauehave ſilenced the Scriptures, leſt by ſuch ancient Euidences their new Articles of Faith ſhould be diſcouered; and had it not beene for feare or ſhame, I am verily perſwaded, they had fulfilled in a ſenſe to litterall the words of the Apoſtle: The fire ſhall trie eueryevery mans worke, of what ſort it is. Now can any man imagine why theſe men ſhould bee ſo angry with Chriſt and his Apoſtles? Can they ſay the Scriptures are ſubiect to errours, and neede an Index Expurgatorius? No, they dare not, they will not ſay ſo; but they ſay,Lind. lib. 2. Strom. c. 2. &c. they are dead characters, a killing letter without life, a matter of contention, a wood of theeues, a ſhop of heretiques, imperfect, doubtfull, fall of perplexities, not to be permitted to the common people:Laicis lectionē ſcripturarum permittere eſset ſanctū dare canibus & Margaritas antè porcos proiicere. Hoſ. de expreſſ verbo Dei. for this were all one (ſaith Hoſius) as to giuegive that which is holy vntounto dogges, and cast duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page pearles before ſwine. Nay more, Cardinall Bellarmine aſſures vsus, that the people will not onelyonly reape no benefit, but detriment, by reading them: for they would eaſily take occaſion to erre both in manners and doctrine. Populus non ſolum non caperet fructum ex Scripturis, ſed etiā caperet detrimentum. Bell. de verbo Dei lib. 2 cap. 15. Bell. ibid.And for confirmation of his aſſertion among other proofes he giues this inſtance: If an ignorant layman ſhould reade of the adultery of Dauid, of the incest of Thamar, of the lyes of Iudith, and many ſuch like things conteined in the Scriptures, either it would cauſe him to imitate their examples, or hee would thinke them to bee lying inuentions, or being not able to reſolue them, would be in danger to beleeue nothing at all. Theſe & the like examples (which in trueth concerne the liues and manners of men, not the doctrine,) are regiſtred by the will and merciemercy of that good God, to preuent deſpaire in others, who may vnhappily fall into the like ſinnes; and yet that no man might preſume to commit the like ſinnes, by their examples; hee who reades of the adultery of Dauid, ſhall read likewiſe of the puniſhment allotted to his ſinnes: and hee that reads the particular examples of Thamar and Iudith, ſhall finde ſuch ſeuere and fearefull iudgements in generall denounced againſt thoſe ſins, that he ſhal hauehave little cauſe or comfort to follow their examples in ſuch particulars; but from hence rather we may obſerue the ſinceritie of the Pen-men of the holy Ghoſt, who impartially ſet downe the vices of the beſt men, and greateſt Patriarkes, as well as their vertues: and by this declaration of the ſinnes of the regenerate, and beſt ſeruants of Chriſt, wee are taught to humble our ſelues, and to flie to our Sauiour for merciemercy and grace, that eueryevery tongue may confeſſe to thee, O God, Thou onelyonly art holy: And certainely from hence (I meane from theſe & the like examples,) Saint Auſten, Saint Hierom, and the ancient Fathers, confuted the Pelagian Heretikes, who with Bellarmine and his aſſociates maintained the perfection of righteouſneſſe in this life. But admit theſe and many ſuch like places were hard to be vnderſtood in Scriptures,Eſt fluuius planꝰ et altus, in quo agnus ambulet, et elephas natet. Greg. ad Leand. praef. Ioh. cap. 4. yet there is milke for babes, as well as ſtronger meate for ſtronger men there is depth (ſaith Gregorie) for the Elephant to ſwimme, and ſhallow fords for the lambe to wade in. Hee that gaue a heart and wiſedome to the Apoſtles to preach that heauenly word, opened the heart of Lydia, (a poore ignorant woman) to vnderſtand it: and for that purpoſe (ſaith Chryſoſtome) the Spirit of God hath ſo ordered and diſpoſed the Scriptures, Chryſ. in Conc. 3. de Lazaro.that Publicanes, and Fiſhers, and Tent-makers, and Shepheards, Apoſtles and vnlearned men, ſhould be ſaued by thoſe bookes: and to that ende no ignorant man ſhould pretend obſcuritie for his excuſe, it is ordained that the labourer and ſeruant, the widow woman, and the moſt vnlearned man, by hearing them, ſhould reape ſome benefit. Nay more (ſaith he) to whom are the Scriptures obſcure, who is there that heareth the words, Bleſſed are the meek, Bleſſed are the merciful, Bleſſed are the pure in heart, and the like, that ſhall need an Expoſitor? Beſides the words, the Miracles, the Hiſtories, they are knowne and euident to all: and laſtly he concludes, that the difficultie and obſcuritie of the Scriptures, (which the Romaniſts pretend at this day) Is but a vaile and pretext to cloake idleneſſe. Praetextꝰ eſt et cauſatio pigritiaeque velamentū. Chryſoſt. Nos libē …èr f…emur tūc tēporis Laicos in Scripturarum lectione fuiſſe verſatos. Azor. Tom. 1. Moral. li. 8 cap 26 Ita prouidit dulcis paterneminē eſſe tam rudē et imperitum, quin ſi humilitèr legat multa illie vtilia vera que intelligat, neminem tam doctū quin illic multo plura ignoret quā ſciat. A… of l. 2 de Chriſto Reuel. c. ….This doctrine was ſo frequent & generall among the Ancients in the Primitiue church, that Azorius the Ieſuite is inforced to confeſſe, We willingly grant, that in thoſe dayes the lay people were conuerſant in the reading of the Scriptures. And if we looke vponupon the lay perſons of their times, Acosta his fellow Ieſuite ingenuouſly profeſſeth, that Our gracious God hath ſo prouided in holy Writ, that there is none ſo rude and ignorant, but by reading the Scriptures in humility, may vnderſtand many things both profitable and true, as likewiſe there is none ſo learned, but hee may ſtill bee ignorant of more then he knowes: nay more (ſaith hee) I hauehave ſeene ſome men vtterly vnlearned, Vidi viros prorſus illiteratos, &c. Idem. cap. 5.and ſcarce knowing Latin, hauehave gathered out of the Scriptures ſuch profound knowledge, that I hauehave wondred at them. But the ſpirituall man iudgeth all things. Heere is a free confeſſion, and a faire euidence from two learned Ieſuites: the one teſtifieth that the ſcriptures were vſually read by the Lay people in the Primitiue Church; the other witneſſeth of his owne knowledge, that an ignorant man hath receiued great benefit, and likewiſe that great profite may redound to the people by reading them in theſe daies.
But put the caſe a Lay man ſhould not vnderſtand thoſe things which are contained in the Scriptures: notwithſtanding (ex ipſà Lectione) out of the very reading of them, there will ariſe great holineſſe and ſanctitie of life. Admit many things are hard to bee vnderſtood in the Scriptures, (which neuer any Proteſtant denyed) yet ſaith Hierome, Hiero. in Epiſt. ad Paulinum.there is the Booke of Geneſis, moſt plaine for eueryevery mans vnderſtanding; therein you may ſee the creation of the World, the beginning of Mankind, the confuſion of Languages plainely deſcribed: and as touching the booke of Iob, there you may learne a patterne for Patience, and there you may ſee the Reſurrection plainly deciphered:Magna vtilitatis eſt ipſa obſcuritas eloquiorū Dei quia exereet ſenſum vt fatigatione ditatetur, &c. Greg. lib. 1. Hom. 6. in Ezek. nay more, The obſcuritie of the Scripture is very profitable (ſaith Gregory) for it doth exerciſe the ſenſes, whereby one may vnderſtand that which otherwiſe hee would be ignorant of: for if the ſacred Scriptures were eaſie and familiar in all places, they would be neglected: which obſcure places, by ſtudy and induſtry being knowne, and vnderſtood, do comfort and reuiue the Reader, by how much the more they are with induſtry and difficultie ſought and vnderſtood.
But that which is obſeruable, theſe men, who ſo much complaine of the obſcuritie of the Scriptures, doe both wittingly and willingly indeauour in their Tranſlations, to make them abſtruſe, and hard to be vnderſtood, by their ſtrange & vncouth phraſes: looke vponupon their old Teſtament in their Doway Tranſlation, inſtead of Foreſkin, Gene. 17. Exod 12. 2. King. 15. 1 Chron. 6.they hauehave put Praepuce; for Paſſeouer, Phaſe; for vnleauened bread, Azyms; for high places, excelces; for the Holy of Holiest, Sancta Sanctorum. Againe, looke vponupon their Rhemist Teſtament, and there you ſhal obſerue theſe ſtrange wordes, Depoſitum, Rhem. Teſt. in M. Fulks Preface to the Reader.Exinanited, Paraſceue, Didragmes, Neophyte, and the like, which ſhewes, that albeit the Scripture of it ſelfe were neuer ſo plaine and perſpicuous to eueryevery mans vnderſtanding, yet there need an expoſitor: for theſe inkehorne termes, whereas in trueth, although thoſe words were moſt agreeable to the Hebrew, Greeke, or Latine, yet ought they rather to giuegive the moſt ſignificant and plaine termes (the true ſenſe of Scripture alwayes premiſed) that ſtands beſt for the capacitie and vnderſtanding of the Reader.
It is not then the pretended obſcurity of the Scriptures, which giues a iuſt cauſe of reſtraint to the lay people, for not reading of them: (for this is but a colour and a vaine pretext of them, ſaith Chryſostome) the trueth is, they feare, leſt by reading of them, their Trent doctrine, and new Articles of Faith ſhould be diſcouered: for it would trouble the beſt learned Prieſt, to ſhew his diſciples, in what place of Scripture they are commanded to worſhip Images, to call vponupon dead Saints, to pray in an vnknowne tongue, to forbid the Scriptures to the Laity, to deny Mariage to Prieſts, to adore the reliques of Saints; by what Scriptute his Holineſſe hath power to depoſe Kings, to free ſoules out of Purgatory, to gather into the Treaſurie of the Church, the ſuperabundant ſatisfaction of Saints? It is a crime worthy of the Inquiſition with them to hauehave a Bible; but for the ignorant lay man to make ſuch enquirie after Scriptures, for that doctrine which was not conceiued in the Scripture, is a ſinne worthy of death.
Looke vponupon the Tenets of their owne Church, and take but their owne confeſſions. The Church of Rome doth repreſent God the Father, by the image of an olde man: yet Vaſques the Ieſuit confeſſeth:Vaſq. lib. 2. de Adorat. c. 3. diſp. 4. n. 74. The Scripture ſaith plainely, God did forbid the Iewes to repreſent Him by an Image. The Church of Rome doth ordinarily make vowes to Saints:Cum ſcriberentur Scripturae ſanctae nondū caeperat vſus vouēdi ſanctis. Bell. lib. de cultu Sanct. cap. 5. yet Cardinall Bellarmine profeſſeth: When the Scriptures were written, it was not the vſe to vow to Saints. The Church of Rome hath defined, and declared Indulgences for an article of faith; yet their Syluester Prierias, tells vsus:Indulgentiae authoritate Scripturae non innotuêre nobis, ſed &c. Prier. cont. Luther. pro Indulg. They are not made knowne to vsus by the authoritie of Scriptures: The Church of Rome teacheth, that the wordes of Chriſt, This is my body, doe effect Tranſubſtantiation, yet Cardinal Caietan confeſſeth;In 3 part. Tho. ſuper quae 75. art. 1. vt Ioſeph Ang. Flores Theol. quae. in 4. ſent q. 4. Non apparet ex Evangelio: It doth not appeare that thoſe words are properly to bee vnderstood by force of Scriptures: but which is more to bee lamented, theſe men are ſo farre from building their Church vponupon the Scriptures, that, as it were in deſpight of Chriſts precept, they decree their halfe Communion for an article of Faith, with a Non obſtante. Notwithstanding, Christ did institute in both kinds: Conc. Cōſt Seſſ. 13.And their Councell of Trent acknowledgeth that the Apostle called concupiſcence ſinne: Hanc concupiſcētiam quam aliquando Apoſtolus peccatū appellat, ſancta Synodus acclarat, &c. Conc. Trid. Seſſ. 5.but withall commands the contrary beliefe, with a curſe to them that teach the Apoſtles doctrine; in ſo much as their owne Poſſeuinus confeſſeth in ſober ſadneſſe:Apoſtolus concupiſ…ē tiam peccatum vocat, at non licet nolis ita loqui. P…ſt. Appar. Sac. Ver Patr. antiqui. The Apoſtle calls concupiſcence ſinne, but (ſaith he) it is not lawfull for vsus ſo to doe. This is ſo truly knowne and vnderſtood of thoſe who hauehave a diſpenſation to read the Scriptures, that Petrus Sutor, a Carthuſian Monke, amongſt other inconueniences for which hee would hauehave the people debarred from reading of them, alleadgeth this,Cum multa palam tradantur obſeruāda quae ſacris in literis expreſſe non habē tur, nonnè Idiotae haec animaduertentes faci…è murmurabunt?—Nóne et facilè retrahentur ab obſeruatione Inſtitutionū Eccleſiaſticarū quandò eas in lege Chriſti animaduerterint non continers? Sutor de Tranſlat. Bib. cap. 22. in ſpeciall for one; Whereas many things are openly taught to bee obſerued, which are not to bee expreſſely had in the whole Scriptures, the ſimple people obſeruing theſe things, will quickly murmure and complaine, that ſo great burdens ſhould be impoſed vponupon them, whereby the libertie of the Goſpell is ſo greatly impaired, and they alſo will bee eaſily drawen away from the obſeruation of the ordinance of the Church, when they ſhall obſerue that they are not conteined in the Law of Chriſt. It is not then the obſcuritie of the Scriptures; but a feare by their owne confeſſions of ſome ſtrange diſcouery that would be made by reading of them, and in that feare they rather intimate a plainneſſe and eaſineſſe in the vnderſtanding them: for otherwiſe what need they feare the peoples reading them, if they were ſo full of obſcuritie (as they pretend) that they could not vnderſtand them.
As therefore wee denie not that there is difficultie and obſcuritie in the Scriptures,In iis quae aperiè in ſcripturis poſita ſunt, inueniuntur illa omnia quae cō tinent fidē moreſ que viuendi. Aug. de doctr. Chriſt. lib. 2. cap. 9. ſo wee profeſſe likewiſe, that there are plaine and euident teſtimonies, which illuſtrate thoſe difficult and obſcure places, and that in thoſe plain and euident places al things cocerning faith and good manners are contained: This was Saint Auſtens doctrine, this is ours; let vsus therefore follow that ſweet counſell, which that holy and ancient Father, by way of preuention, gaue the Chriſtians of his time. We are brethren, why doe we ſtriue? Aug in Pſa. 21. expoſ. 2.Our Father dyed not vnteſtate, hee made a Testament and ſo dyed. Men doe ſtriue about the goods of the dead, till the Teſtament bee brought foorth, then that is brought, they yeeld to hauehave it opened and read: the Iudge doth hearken, the Counſellers bee ſilent, the cryer biddeth peace, all the people are attentiue, that the words of the dead may bee read and heard. He lyeth voyd of life, and feeling in his graue, and his words preuaile, Christ doth ſit in heauen, and is his Testament gainſaid? Open it, let vsus reade, we are brethren, why doe we ſtriue? Let our mindes be pacified, our Father hath not left vsus without a Testament, he that made the Testament, is liuing for euer. Hee doeth heare our words, he doth know his owne words, let vsus reade why doe we ſtriue?