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A12919 A discourse wherin is debated whether it be expedient that the scripture should be in English for al men to reade that wyll Fyrst reade this booke with an indifferent eye, and then approue or condempne, as God shall moue your heart. Standish, John, 1507?-1570. 1554 (1554) STC 23207; ESTC S117827 41,170 164

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the vniuersall churche of Christ But therfore it may not be suffered The thirde probation THrough the damnable libertie of hauinge it in the vulgar tongue haue not all holye mysteries been despised Haue they not therby vtterly condemned all that hathe not been expressed in the letter of their Englishe Byble Haue they not made vs worse hereby then the Iewes To take all mysteries from vs excepte they be expressed in their Englishe ▪ The Iewes durst not expresse the highe name of God Iehoua But what mysterie durste not our men medle withal Yea reason turne tosse at their pleasure The Iewes had Cabala their tradition left among them by Moyses without writynge receyued as it were by hande from generation to generation concernynge the mysticall sense included in the wordes of scripture But through this damnable heresye our men haue whollye condemned all that is not expressed in the letter of theyr Englishe And yet S. Iohn sayde I had manye thinges to write vnto you neuerthelesse I woulde not write with paper and ynke but I truste to come and speake with you mouthe to mouth Aug. ad Ianu. yea and S. Augustine sayeth quae non sunt scripta sed tradita custodimus quae toto terrarum orbe obseruantur we kepe and obserue not only such thinges as be written but also traditions not written whiche be obserued in all places of christendome Agayne yf ye wil nothinge to be Gods word but that whiche is expressed in the letter written what say ye then to Moyses Were not the wordes of God spoken to him gods worde tyll they were written Wer not the wordes of God spoken to the Apostles gods word tyl they were written Christ in sayinge to Peter blessed arte thou c Mat. xvi declareth that that high mystery came into S. Peters heart as to the prince of Chap postles onelye by secret inspiration and not by the worde written And so doeth lykewise this that neyther Euangelist nor Apostle did euer by writing sende the faith to anye nation but where they were firste informed by preaching For faith commeth by hearynge sayeth Paule and not by writynge Rom. x. Furthermore Paule bad the Thessalonians as I sayde kepe the traditions whiche he had geuen them by mouth ii Thes ii because the wordes that he spake to the people by mouth our lord and vsed aboute the sacrament of the Altar or about the sacrament of baptisme who can shew the reason fully of all the wordes gestures orders questions and aunsweres there vsed And yet all these wee haue receiued of Christ and his Apostles Thus muche sayth Origene And here marke I beseche you of Origenes woordes whiche was liuīg wtin lxxxx yeres after saint Iohn the Euangelist that many suche traditions were left by Christ his Apostles which bee not in the Byble expressed and yet to be obserued of all faythful Catholike people Beside this what they wyl saye to manye thinges moe not expressed in Scripture and yet vnder the payne of damnation to be beleued I cannot tel as to the Baptim of infantes the .iii. persons in Trinitie to be of equall power and of one essence that God the Father is ingenitꝰ not begot the procedinge of the holye gost from the father the Sonne the deity equalitye of the Holy Goste with the father and the Sonne the obseruynge of the Sonday the order of our Crede the continuance of the virginite of our Lady that she is Theorocos mater dei the mother of God the receyuinge the Sacrament of thalter fasting the mixtinge water with wyne in the Chalice the Sonne to be consubstantial with the father that Christes soule descended in to hel the making of the signe of the Crosse the numbre of the Sacramentes that there be .ii. natures in Christe knit together in vnitate diuine supposite that Soules departinge hens streyght wayes haue the fruitiō of the deitye And that men and women haue power to ministre the Sacrament of Baptym It is not expressed in scripture neyther by commaundement coūsell licence or example what they will say to this gere I wot not but this one thynge I am wel assured of that hauīg the Scripture in Englishe hath brought tholy mysteries of God into contempte and hatred Where as the wisedome of God as S. Basil despiritu s●̄cto cap. xxvij Basill testifieth neuer wolde all the misteries of our faith to be put in writing thereby to be a laughinge stocke both to the Iewes and Gentils For if Christe himselfe were counted a sclaunder to the Iewes and folishnes to the Heathens how muche rather shal the high mysteries of our fayth so be counted being most harde to be perceyued † Mysterium nō est quod ad populares aures effertur patr●s ergo in occu●to ac silentio misterijs suam seruauere dignitatē Basi xxvii de spū sancto Agayne it is not a mystery sayeth he that is open to euery man or that is blowen in to euery mans eare Tholy Fathers euer kept tholy misteryes in most secrecy reuerencyng the dignitie therof S. Dionise Dioni cap. i. in celes hierarch Iren. lib. 3. ca 4 Epiphan cōtra Aeriū Tertul de cor mili Orig homil v in num Cypri de Lot pedū Hila in psal ij Ireneus Epiphanius Tertuliā Origen Ciprian and Hylari with one consent do firmelye establisshe this agaynste the approuers of thenglisshe translacions Yea and S. Basill dothe affirme that there be so manye mysteries without Scripture whiche must be credited that he can in no small time recite them al Deficier me dies inquit si ecclesiae mystria citra scriptū tradita pergam recensere Howe can it then be that the Englisshe Bible can continue many such mē taking occasion thereby to condemne al holy mysteries receiued by the Catholyke Churche euen from the begynninge S. Iohn testienge that so many moe thinges wer done that the whole world were not hable to conteme all if they were wryttē And s Paule bidding the Thessalonians as ye haue hearde obserue all his tradicions receyued by mouthe not by writyng sayeth Theophilact and yet aswel to be beleued as thother Yea and in the time of s Peter Linus Cletus Anacletus Clement Euaristus c. S. Iohns Gospell was not written but these men wyll nothing to be beleued but onlye that whiche is in their Englishe Byble so that all that time the Christians by this their iudgement should not haue ben boūd to beleue that whiche is now in S. Iohns Gospel bycause then it was not written Howe be it al faythfull people beleue that the Churche of Christe taught aboue .lx. yeres after Christes ascension all that is now in S. Iohns Gospell beinge yet not then written In the time our mother the Churche was a virgin I meane not corrupt nor adulterate with sundry heresies there were almost no scriptures of the new Testament in Paper and Inke All the monitions wordes and workes of Christe
If Spiridion iustlye reprehended Triphillius but onelye for chaunginge of one worde in scripture cubile for lectū what reprofe are our men worthye Lib. i. Tripere capit x. whiche chaunge many hundred wordes yea sentences and all If holy Basilius wold not suffer one syllable of scripture to be corrupted or altered lib. vii tripert cap. xxxvi but rather would haue suffered many deathes what shall we then say to the great and damnable corruption and alteration that hath been among our men If holy Basilius bad the Emperors coke medle with his cokerye let scripture alone tuū est inquit de pulmētarijs cogitare nō dog mata diuina de coquere lib. vij ●rip ca. xxxvi what woulde he haue sayde to oure men these yeres past The .l. probation Hauinge the scripture in Englishe causeth manye braynles bodies to dispute and reason they know not whervpon and euer to lay scripture for the wickedlye as al heretikes euer did where as in dede in reasoninge with suche scripture wyll not serue Tertull. de praescrip haerettcorū et lib. iiij cōtra M●rtionem For as Tertullian saieth in disputing with an heretike we muste not flee to scriptures nor pitche our battel there for ther eyther neuer or els very hardly the victory shal be gotten Heretikes wylbe ouercome sayeth Sisinius vnto Nectarius in the storie of Socrates li. 9. trip ca. 19 neither with scriptures nor with disputations † Approbata ab ●cclesia nō oportet rursus rationibus fulcire etc. Nam quēadmodū par est spiritui fācto et Cbristo diuinitas ita in suis institutis est aequa authoritas potestas Nec minus ratū est quod eeclesia dictāte spiritu sancto tradidit quā quod ipse tradidit Haec Cypri de Lot ped but only by the authoritie of the churche and by the traditions of the fathers elders So that beside the scripture written we muste receyue manye traditions not written many generall councels in whō the holye ghost did speake and sundrie interpretations vpon scriptures made by the holy fathers beinge replenished wyth Gods spirite ¶ The conclusion of this simple discourse SEing now these probations which be euident against the scripture in Englishe seing also the great hardnes that is in scripture with the causes therof and how many waies the letter doth kyl And seing againe that the vniuersall churche of Christ hath vtterly forbid the scripture to be in the vulgare tongue consideryng the manyfolde inconueniences that ryse therof as great numbres of heresies disobedience and contempt of powers with fleshely libertie c. And finally seing that by no meanes so soone as by the scripture in english heresies do both spryng daily and be also mainteined wherin should good men be more diligent than in thexter patiō hereof wherfore it shal be euery faithful christians duetie being in authoritie to lay to his healping hande to the taking away quite that with al spede the Englishe translations with all hereticall Englishe bookes whiche no doubt haue been the greatest occasion of all the mischeifes we haue hadde in this realme of late dayes Through these our newe founde religion hath euer strongly been mainteined and vpholden Our new found religion I say which ye must nedes confesse to haue ben starke nought and damnable because the beginnyng was aduoutry the continuaunce extortion the ende plaine treason Yea euen from the beginning their procedinges for so they termed them beyng rather worthy the name of retrocedinges were styll from synne to synne Fyrst Peccatū quod per paenitētiā nō deletur suo pondere ad aliud peccatū grauius trabit Et hoc suppliciū domini longe omniū est grauissimū quād● vnū peccatū per aliud p●nitur quod peccatur quum in profundu ●enerit contēnit forsaking the head of the churche falling from the vnitie therof then despising all generall counselles all ordinaunces frō the beginning kept through out christendome After this spoyling pollyng pylling robbing and stealing all landes ornamentes goodes of the churche being more fearse then euer was Iulian thappostata without mercy or pitie And finally spytefully contemninge all the holy sacramentes with all censures and iudgementes of the churche and fathers vpon scripture only sticking to their own what pleased them to phansie O lorde was not this a tyme most miserable Iesu be mercyfull vnto vs and graunt vs neuer to fall againe into the lyke palpable darkenes ¶ Of Masse all other diuine seruice in the churche to be in Latine and not in the vulgare tongue ANd here note further I beseche you that like as it is nowe spoken of scripture not to be in English euen so is it ment that as vnlawful it is yea and more too if more may be that the high mysteries in the sacrifice of Masse or other diuine seruice should be in English where as the preist is a comon person and offereth vp for al the people beyng the meane betwene God and them so that his communication is to God and not to the people What cause is there then why diuine seruice should be in Englishe except ye thynke that God vnderstandeth no Latine Neither the Italians nor Greciās haue diuine seruice in their vulgare tongue Moreouer at that tyme of diuine seruice all the comen people then present shuld onely put their whole affiaūce in fide ma●ris ecclesiae in the fayth of oure mother the catholyke churche like as our beleif is in the baptisme of infantes Yea note further that it was not without great mystery the writyng of Christes tytle at his passion in Hebrewe Greke and Latine Also it was not without great mysterye that many wordes were neuer translated as Alleluya Osanna Amen Sabaoth Kirieleison c. And that Christ praied in secret silence alone the head for the whole bodie to signifie vnto vs thereby that the priestes office is likewise to doe the same the cōmon minister for al the people being meane betwene God them As for that of Paule to the Corinthians i. Cor. xiiii which might appeare to the simple to make for theyr purpose to haue all in the vulgar tonge yf ye marke it well it is onely spoken for them whiche doe preache expounde or interprete scriptures in the church that is to saye that their sermons their expoūdinges or interpretatiōs of scriptures they beinge authorised therevnto must euer be made in that tōge whiche the hearers doe vnderstande and perceyue And this ye know well bothe is and euer hath ben vsed And therfore here now further A man might demaunde a questiō wherfore ye com to the Churche I suppose ye wyll saye as ye muste no doubte yf ye tell the treuthe that the chiefe intente of your comming is or ought to be to pray though sermōs and diuine seruice and the ministration of the holy sacramentes be causes also seing that Christe called the Church the house of prayer
attribute to God doe boldelye saye that the Godhead is corporall Readynge also that he sayde Gene. v. Paenitet me fecisse hominem It repenteth me that I made man ascribed to hym mans affections and readyng that he sayde Descendam et videbo Gene. viii c. I wyll go downe and see c. Did impute ignoraunce vnto him Likewise it kylleth the secte of Euchitas which continuallye vse to praye wyth mouthe i. Thei v. Luke xiiii because Christe and Paule bad praye styll And it killeth thus another sorte that cutte and mangle them selues readinge in the ghospell Mat. xviii Coll. iii. Math. xix plucke out thine eye cut of thine hand mortifie your membres vpon the earth c. Blessed is he that geldeth him selfe c. Luc. xiiii Rom. xii Math. iii. And another sort the letter here doeth kyl he that hateth not father mother c. Caste hote coles on your enemies head c. He shall baptise you with the holy ghost and fyre Yea and thus it kylleth the Pharisees which supersticiously doe wryte the commaundementes in the hēmes of their garmentes Deut. vi in scrolles on postes c. bycause God bad kepe them in theyr heartes and talke of theym euenynge and mornyng c they dyd not marke that God ment nothyng els by that phrase of speaking but only a vehement studie and desire to obserue the law Haue not our Englyshe men namely in the citie of London had now of late lyke Iewish affection in settynge vp wrytynges on the Churche walles and pyllers euer falsely wrasting thē awrie and applyeng theym to an euyll purpose And thus they painted vp the textes of the new testament vpon theyr walles which onely doo serue agaynste the Iewyshe fastes to blynde and deceiue the symple sorte therewith as though they had ben spoken against our holy Vigils and fastinges These textes I meane such like Mat. xv That which entreth in to the mouthe doeth not defile c Bie al that cōmeth i. Corin. x. into the shābles c. Tit. i. All thinges be cleane vnto theym that be cleane c. Ye that doe not eate misiudge not them which eate Rom. xiiii with many moe And likewise they sette vp theyr textes wickedlie applied both against the blessed Sacramēt of the Altar and other holye sacramentes and also against oure holy father the Pope Of suche damnable applications of scriptures many churches were full But I would haue wished that in stede of these they wold haue set vp that of s Peter my derely beloued brother Paul ii Pet. iii. wrote many thinges heard which c. The letter doeth kyll beyng red and not trewly vnderstand xj or trewelye vnderstande and not obserued The letter is counted to kyl for that it forbyddeth synne xij and by occasion therof augmenteth the desyre or els for that it is a witnes against vs. The letter doeth kylle xiii for that it discloseth oure synne Concupiscentiam nescirem esse peccatum c Rom. vii I had not knowē that concupiscence or lust had ben synne if the lawe had not saide thou shalt not couet or luste c. xiiii The letter doeth kyll as ofte as ye take or applie any texte contrary to the trew meaning of the holy ghost xv Finally the letter doth kyll all theym that searche aboue theyr reache in Gods mysteries as I feare many haue done in these yeares past Luc. ix one desyred to folowe Christe and was not permitted Math. viii Another commaunded to folowe and yet not desyryng Actes ix Yea and Paule greatlye resisting was drawen in maner by compulsion Consilia dei occulta gods counsels are vnsearchable But in these miserable yeares now past what mystery is so harde that the ignoraunte with the Bible in englysh durst not set vppon yea and say they vnderstod it all was but lyght They desyred no declaratiō but theyr owne euyn in the hyghest mysteries wher as the prophet teacheth that the declaryng or expoundynge of Gods worde doeth gyue lyghte and vnderstanding to the yonglynges and ignoraunt Declaratio sermonū tuorum illuminat et intellectū dat paruulis And God thretneth that P●ou xxv Scrutator maiesta tis opprimetur a gloria these archer to hyghe in his mysteries shal be thrust frome his glorie whiche thinge causeth the Prophet to say Psal cxxx Neque ambulaui in magnis neque in mirabilibus super me I haue not walked to hygh in great mysteries nor wōders aboue my reache But alas experience doeth showe that oure men through hauyng the Bible in englisshe haue walked farre aboue theyr reache beyng sondry wayes kyld vtterly poisoned with the letter of thenglysh Bible Therfor for Iesus sake away with it let it kyll no moo The. v ▪ Chaptre The best meanes to vnderstand the Scriptures by BYcause there is such great difficulty and hardnes in Scripture and bycause the letter doeth kill many wayes I thinke nothing can be told more nedefull then to shewe playnlye howe we maye best come to the trew knowledge of the Scripture And therfore here note wel that sundry and diuerse thinges be required to obteyne the trew vnderstanding and meaninge of Scripture by One is by discrete and godly conferrynge place to place j. and Scripture to Scripture And this affirmeth S. Aug. sayinge Aug. lib. iii. de doct cap. xxvi the beste interpretation is to expounde one place of Scripture by an other more manifest An other is by consideringe the time the men ij with other circumstances as how where and when they were written An other is by searchinge diligently the processe both before and after iij. iiij An other is by dayly exercise searching and askinge the counsell and iudgement of other learned men v. An other is by feruent prayour and pure deuotion with an humble heart and simple spirite knowinge that GOD withstādeth the proude Iohn iiii and also that conninge makethe to swell in arrogancy i. Cor. viii yf grace be wanting Wherefore Origen sayeth that bothe great studye and feruente Praiour be requyred to obteyne the trew intellection of Scripture by Homil. xii in xxxiiii Exod. Qu. lxxxxv ●oui et Vet. ●esta And S. Aug. witnesseth that the holy spyrite openeth the meaninge of Scripture onlye to the studious diligent deuoute prius amemus sacras literas quādiscamus Iaque certo per su●sum habeamus in illis nil esse neque falsum n●que leue aut humana mente scriptum sed omnia plena caelestis Philosophiae dignaque sancto spirituquacūque specie sese offerant si vt oportet tutelligantur haec Aug. de vtili cred capi vi deuoute and to suche as haue a firme belefe in the articles of the Catholike faythe receyued vj. And an other is by ouerseing the olde and aunciente wryters Iudgementes vpon Scripture and by conferring theyr
expositions together Hereby plainly appereth that with the Englishe Bible alone though it were trewly translated man coulde not be brought fully into the trew meaninge of Gods word But we se and wel perceyue that thousandes haue ben brought from the trew meaning of goddes worde throughe the Englishe Byble therefore awaye with it It hathe kilde to many soules alredy GOD best knoweth whom I beseche sende a spedy redresse The .vi. Chapitre Scripture ought not to be in the vulgare tonge that al men without restraynt may rede it Fyfty probations of this assertion The first Probation I Neuer heard nor red that GOD would hys people to haue the booke amonge themselues to towse or type at their pleasure God gaue the booke to Hieremye and bad him rede to the people that whyche he had written Hier. xxxvi Esay viii GOD bad Esai take the Booke to him for the same purpose Yea and it was not without great mysterie that God bad Ezechiell fyrst eate the Booke Ezech. iii. and then rede it in thaudience of all the people Dan. xiii Agayne Moyses gaue the booke to the Leuites to kepe and rede to the people iiii Re. xvii and in kinge Iosaphattes time the Priestes and Leuites did read the booke and teche the people like as did also afterwarde Elchias the Priest Sapha the Scribe Esdras did sundry times take the booke read it to the people iiii Re. xxii ii pa. xxxliii ii Esd viii and .xiii. iii. Esd ix Bar. i. Hier. xxxvi they diligentlye hearinge him And Baruch the Prophet redde the booke to the kinge and to the people they geuing eare vnto him Luc. iiii Yea Christ our maister toke the booke of the Prophet for this cause and red and expounded to the people his doing herein was for our example Wherby we may easely lerne that all people should not haue the Scryptures in their owne handlinges at their pleasure as they haue had these dosen yeres past to their vtter spirituall destruction The seconde Probation God sente Ionas to preache to Niniue Ion. i. iii. he sente not a booke writtē to euery one of the Niniuites to reade them selues God sayde by Hieremy speakynge of the time of the Gospell that the time should come he wold write his law in thartes of his people Hier. xxxi So that the writtinge of tholde law in tables of stone signifieng the stony hartes of the Iewes is not to be reioysed at but rather to be lamēted to be ashamed of knowinge that Scrypture was only wryttē for sinne els neuer had ben written but only in the heart of mā It was three thousande yeres after the creation of the world before the olde lawe was written and yet then only writtē for wickednes and synne It was also a longe space after the ascension before the new Testament was written some parte at one tyme and some at an other and yet euery parte only writen for synne and scisme so that the simple ignoraunt people this wel considered ought not to be so desyrous of the scripture written as they ought to be desyrous to heare the trew meanyng of scripture for that onlye is the scripture and the gospell of Christe For sayth S. Hierom. Euangelium non est in scriptura sed in sensu non in superficie sed in medulla non in sermonum folijs sed in radice rationis The gospell is not in the wryting but in the sense it is not in the outwarde apperaunce but in the inward meanyng it is not in the leaues of the bokes but in the ghostly vnderstandynge Christ neuer bad goe write his gospell or holye worde but badde preache it Then yf thou hast an humble heart and canst but reade the englysh Bible thinke thou must haue it taught thee and not to take it thy selfe Saye as the Eunuche dyd to Philip Actes viii howe can I vnderstand it except I be taught Christe did preache ofte to the people Math. iiii v but he wrote not to them at all and he sent his disciples and bad them preache to the people his ghospel Mark .i. Luc. viii Math. x. and .xxviii. Mar. vi iii.xvi Luc. ix xxiiii Luc. xii and then they went and preached but he bad them not write at all That whiche ye haue hearde sayeth he in secrete places shal be preached on the toppes of the houses he said not it shal be written in youre churches as it hathe been Iewishly vsed on late here in Englande nor written in Bybles to be read of euerye one in hys mother tongue and set vp for that purpose in euerye churche Peter sayeth the holye fathers did speake Gods worde by the holye ghost ii Pet. i. he telleth nothinge of writyng it Math. xxvi Christe where he spake of the memorial of Mary Magdalene saide whersoeuer this ghospell shal be preached c. He sayde not whersoeuer this Ghospell shal be written Mark .i. Luc. iii. Iohn Baptist preached muche but where did he either write or commaund to be written Mat. xxiiii Christe ofte promised that hys Ghospell shoulde bee preached in all the worlde Mar. vi Luc. x. And therfore sent fourth bothe the apostles and the lxxij disciples and all godly preachers euer since so that none canne preache except he be sent Rom. x. But in no place we rede that he bad go write his ghospel I can not then but meruayl that men to their owne confusion are so desierous to haue the scripture in their mother tongue O howe oft speaketh Paule and S. Peter also of preachinge the ghospell Rom. x.xv. In the Epistle to the Romaynes in either Epistle to the Corinthians i. cor ix xv ii Cor. i. xi Gal. i. iiii.v Ephes ii Phillip i. Col. i. i. Thes ii i. Tim. ii iii ii Tim. iiii Act. ix xv.xx i. Pet. iii iiii Act. vix xv Luc. x. Math. vii Luc. xi Actes x. Actes xix to the Galathians to the Ephesians to the Philippians to the Colossiās to the Thessalonians to Tymothe and in Thartes And S. Peter also bothe in his first Epistle also thrise in thactes Besides this Martha is praysed in the Ghospell for hearyng Christes worde taughte and Christ in his sermō in the moūt saieth he that heareth my word and doeth it not he that readeth it or writeth it shal be like ned to the wise man buildynge vpon the rocke c. And agayne blessed be they that heare gods worde and kepe it and as it is in the Actes when Peter preached the holy ghost fell vpon al that heard him yea and they of Asia were praised for hearynge Gods word But wher I pray you haue you of writynge it for all men to read Howe be it the onelye drifte as I thynke of all suche as obstinatly sticke to haue the scripture in writing in the vulgar tongue is therby to be Iudges of the sense of scripture them selues contrarye to
nedefull God woulde haue sent it to the Eunuche to Saule and to Cornelius in the viij ix and x. of thactes but there ye reade that god sent them teachers Philip Anany and Peter and not the scripture whiche hadde been but in vayne as appeareth by the Eunuches sayinge howe shall I vnderstāde scripture by reading except I be taught Whervpon S. Hierom sayth Ego vt de me loquar nec sāctior sū hoc eunucho nec studiosior qu●cū librum teneret c. ignorabat tamen eum quē in libro nesciens venerabatur O howe manye this daye muche more ignorāt then Theunuche will take in hande onelye with their English boke to open mysteries bothe to theyr owne destruction and others The xxiij probation Our men wyll nothinge but theyr english booke but the holy man Ireneus which dyd see S Iohans disciple or as some affirme whiche was scholer to S. Iohans disciple named Policarpus doeth testifie that we must folowe the order of the traditions whiche the forefathers dyd leaue vnto them vnto whō they committed the cure of Christes people vnto whiche ordinaunces the very heathens sayth he comming to Christes stocke did obey hauing their belefe written by the sprit of God in theyr hartes and not writen with ynke in velom or perchement What shal we say then to theym whiche yet bewaile their Iewish scriptures plucked besyde the postes and walles onlye desyre theyr scripture with inke and paper in the booke As for saluation only wryten in the hart by the holy spirit it should seme they passe not of The .xxiiij. probation The heathen Philosopher would not youth to be the medlers with moral philosophy bycause they were vnapte therunto eyther to be Iudges therof or to take any profyt thereby and he ment not only youthe in yeares but also in maners a childe saieth Esaie of an hund●eth yeares old shal dye Esay lxv What then shal we saie shal we admit vnto the hādling of our heauēly philosophy whome the heathen thought vnmete vnworthy to handle theyr lerning whiche was but prophane woulde not the Iewes permitte all ages to the reading of all the bokes in the olde testament and shall we christen men doe it wyll we be worse then the Iewes Yea worse thē the prophane ethnickes and more out of order O Lord be mercifull vnto vs. The .xxv. probation It was neuer admitted though somtymes permitted in any place of christenedome scripture to continew in the vulgar tongue but only in tyme of scisme or heresy shall it nowe then be suffred to continew any longer in this realme so many mischefes yssewyng therout as haue done daily increasing these many yeares and would do styl more and more The .xxvi. probation When it is in the vulgar tonge the comen sorte play with Gods worde as the deuyll did disputing with Christ brought Gods worde but to a wronge purpose Christ said man lyueth not only by breade but by euery worde that procedeth fourth of Gods mouth The deuill spake Gods worde but it was not fourth of Gods mouth so did the olde Prophete of Bethell speake Gods word iii. Reg. xiii but not out of Gods mouthe Likewise did the CCCC iii. Re. xxii Prophetes whiche deceyued Achab. All sorcerers witches and cōiurers vse gods worde but not oute of Gods mouthe so haue all heretikes in tymes past and doe at this day But when is it Gods worde furthe of Gods mouthe Howe shall we know or proue that Euer when it is spoken according to the consent faythe of the catholike churche For very scripture doeth shewe that the trew vnderstandynge of Goddes worde and that is furth of gods mouth spoken is euer to be soughte in the catholike churche for the catholike church alone hath euer the true sense of scripture whiche is for that cause called of S. Paule the pyller and foundation of all trueth i. Timo. iii. wherein also for this cause God ordeyned some apostles some Euangelistes Ephes iiii some Prophetes and teachers styl to cōtinue lest we shoulde be ouerthrowē with blastes of errour And therfore Ireneus wttnesseth Iren. li. 3. cap. 3. and longe after him S. Augustine that the trewe meaning of scripture is to be hadde by the triall of the succession of the holye bishoppes and fathers since Peters time in the see of Rome which thinge caused S. Augustine to say I would not beleue the ghospell if thautoritie of the churche caused me not so to doe Aug. in epist fund So that we must beleue that hath been receyued of all men at all times and in all places of christendome and we muste leane to thantiquitie to the generalitie and consent of the fathers and the true sense and meanyng of scripture must euer be proued and tried oute herby How be it to none of this our new men wil agre because it whollye maketh agaynst thē but thei euer do studie to bring al into question to deny al general councels all ordinaunces decrees canons and expositours vpō scripture And much of this disorder thenglish Bible doeth cause wherfore me thinke it maye not well be permitted to continue The xxvij probation Can it be chosen but so long as all people haue the Byble in English at their pleasure there shal euer be some amonge them readie ministers of the deuyl to dispute reason and teache the residue to the vtter destruction of all deuotion and good order And yet amonge them selues they shall saye the cause is they can not be taught truelye of the preachers abrode And hereby heresye shal be sowed plentifullye and Gods worde pitifullye abused vnder a colourable defense therof Thei shal say o the Ghospell ought not to be kept from christen men and that is verye trueth it oughte to bee taught them and preached vnto them but not to teache them selues for wrastynge it amisse The xxviij probation It is the occasion of manye heresies to haue the scripture in the vulgar tongue Howe be it heresie dyd neuer spring furth of scripture but only of the peruerse vnderstandynge of scripture sayeth Hilarius Hilar. lib. ij de triuitate And yet then seing the rude ignorāt sort be euer prone peruersly to wrast the scriptures we muste thinke that to haue scripture in english is to minister occasiō to the cōmon sorte to fall into errours· that it so shall doe appeareth by that they be not hable to weye nor beare the mysteries nor to vnderstand the tropes and allegories whiche the greate learned men ofte are scant hable well to digeste howe much lesse the cobler carter or coryer The xxix probation Hilarius vpon In corde meo abscondi eloquia tua Sheweth that the high mysteries oughte not to be publyshed abrode amonge all people It is good saieth he to hyde the kynges priuetie and secret And s Paul saith he was aferd to fede the people with any other but with mylke Math. xiii Christ in the gospell telleth of
Luc. xix bringyng for him the testimony of Esaie and seing also we haue in scripture so manye notable examples concernynge the same purpose Luc. ii Anna the prophetisse cōtinued day and night in the temple in fastynge and prayer Luc. xxiiii the Apostles after Christes ascension remayned styll in the temple in laudyng and blessyng God Peter and Iohn went vp in to the temple at the ninth houre of prayer Actes iii. Salomon besought GOD to graunt the petition of all that prayed in the temple iii. Re. viii and Daniel beinge a prisoner in Babilon Dan. vi euer loked toward the temple when he prayed vppon his knees thryse in the daye This suerly doth proue that the chief intent of cōming to the churche ought to be to praye But all this tyme which now thankes be to God is past hauynge the diuine seruice in Englishe was an extreme enemie to all godly prayer and deuotion For then men phansied so to heare what was redde striuing ofte thervppon in simple iudgemente that feruente prayer whiche ought to be was smally regarded And here now for this time I make an end besechig al godlye people as for Momus his iudgement I passe not of well to accepte this my labour seing that herein is nothinge spoken but that whiche hath bene taught for treuthe and beleued of al men in all places and at al times since the primatiue church seing also that herein we leane onely to the generalytie of all christendome to the antiquitie of the elders whiche haue receiued it as it were by hande euyn tyll this day and to the consent and agrement of all the holy fathers Whose wittes were as muche as our new mens theyr diligēce as great theyr lerning greater theyr studye more feruent they re deuotion hotter theyr nombre more theyr continuaunce longer they alway taken for catholikes but thother euer for heretikes alwaye laboring and studiyng that might be whollye to the profyt of the churche of Iesus Christe To whome with the father and the holye ghost be all honoure and glorye for euer and euer AMEN Memor●●e nouissima Eccl. vii in aeternum non peccabis I. S. A PRAYER IESV God and man we beseche thy Maiestie Of mesureles mercie tender our miserie Hast to helpe that helpe hast in thy hande Ne cesse with thy 〈…〉 repaire this Ilande Suffer not Satan and his cursed progenie To bewitche thy people with scisme and heresie And strengthē vs O God of power puisaunce Neuer to quaile throughe thy gracious gouernaūce Dede and worde in vs so proportion Infinitly that we acknowledge thy heauēly wisdō Snared we were and nigh snatched to confusion Scisme and heresie preuailing in this region Haue thankes and praise for our restitution As we may and can we must and wyll willingly Vvaking and sleping exalte thy Maiestie Thy mercie for our selues as we aske and haue Haue like mercie we humblie crie and craue On Philip and Mary graunt thē of thy mercie Reigne peace and power in longe life felicitie Autoris nomen libri nō scribitur huius Vt placido vultu quisque probaret opus Plus circa nomēquam verū plebs stomochatur I is adhibens solum qui placuere fidem ¶ Fautes escaped the printer in many of the bokes Leafe Syde Lyne A.v. ij .iiii. reade ofte hurteth C.viii. i. in the margēt math .ix D.v. i. xvii rede Actes E. iii i. xv put oute E. iiii ii in the margēt Iac. iiii H. vii i. in the margent writte Iren. lib. tertio capit iiii I.i. i. i. rede and it is I.i. ii v. rede that which hath I. ii ii xviii reade doe apereth I. vi i. xx rede Altercations I. vi ii xxii rede sending Howe I. vii ii xxii rede none now