of divine service and especially all the townes and Burroughes wherein there are no strangers That if in one great Towne as in Paris they would gratifie strangers there should be assigned for the Italians one Church wherein service should bee said in Italian and so of other nations by this meanes every nation should have at Paris the service in their owne tongue III. They further add that to have every where the same tongue is a signe of union and of concord in the Catholike Church In thus speaking they declare that it would bee expedient that the service should neither bee said in Greeke nor in Hebrew tongues neverthelesse which they say were authorised by the inscription of the Crosse But the vnion which God approveth and applaudeth in his Word is not the vnion of one and the same tongue but of faith and charitie Which vnion may bee amongst those of divers tongues as on the contrarie men of the same tongue doe often dissent in faith Which is more God is glorified when in divers tongues hee is purely and unanimously served called upon as God himselfe witnesseth saying As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow before me and every tongue shall give glory unto God Rom. 14. verse 11. Esay 45.23 For this it was that God gave to his Apostles the gift of divers tongues to the end that in all tongues God might bee served and called upon Du Perron the same IIII. Also presupposing that divine service bee not done for the instruction of the people but onely to glorifie God by prayers and thanksgiving and by their assistance to bring their consent unto that which is done in the Church and to be partakers of the fruits which the Church obtaines of God by the Liturgie they say that the people which understand not loose not these fruits nor the ends for the which divine service is instituted because that the Churches authoritie is a sufficient caution and securitie for the people And that it is enough that the Pastors understand for them But by the same ends for the which they say that divine service is instituted it is easie to convince them For persons assembled and met together to glorifie God by prayers and giving of thankes ought to know that which they aske and what they give thankes for Now these Rabbines will have the people aske they wot not what and give thankes for they know not why And seeing that they will have the people assemble to yeeld their consent to what is done and said in the Church how will they have them approve and assent unto things they understand not But if the people assist to participate in the good things which the Church receiveth by the publike service they assist then to bee instructed and comforted for that is one of the fruits for which divine service is instituted And seeing that in the Masse the Priest speaketh to the people in vaine speakes he to a people that understands him not And seeing that in the Masse are read Chapters of the Scriptures wherein God speakes unto men they ought not to hinder that God bee not understood by men The Apostle to the Romanes Chapter 10. tells us that faith comes by hearing of the Word of God not then by an assistance without understanding that which God propoundeth unto us in his Word And the same Apostle speaking to the people of Corinth 1. Cor. 11. ver 26. will that in eating the bread of the Lords Supper and in drinking of the Cup they shew forth the Lords death which cannot be done by persons that assist without understanding the same Of all these fruits are they deprived that assist and are present at a service where they understand not V. As for that that Du Perron saith that the Church stands for the peoples caution and securitie as if it could answer for the people at Gods judgement Seat I say that for this Church that boasts it selfe to bee a caution it shall stand in need of another caution to give us assurance that it erres not and that God receives her for caution Surely at the day of judgement Priests shall not answer for the people Hee shall finde himselfe deceived and fowly mistaken who then would give his Curate for his caution Above all those Pastors shall not bee currant who to enhaunse their authoritie and to leade the people on in ignorance at their pleasure have estranged them from all understanding But why may not the Greeke Church as well be caution as the Romane Seeing the Greeke Church is more ancient then the Romane and the Church of Rome is but her daughter and received from her the Christian religion and boasts her selfe as well to bee Catholicke and to have the chaires of Saint Peter and of many Apostles Du Perron pag. 1079. VI. But saith this Cardinall if to profit at a Masse it were necessarie to understand it the deafe and the persons that stand a farre off from him that saith service should receive no benefit by it if this reason were of any weight Then might we as well say that we must preach in a tongue not understood for though it were necessarie to preach in a tongue understood yet the deafe and such as were at too farre a distance from the Preacher would receive no profit by him I say then that where the defects of nature hinder from understanding what is said we are not for that accountable before God for God imputes not that for a crime which hee himselfe hath done But we stand accountable unto him for the impeachments and hindrances which we our selves lay in the way to hinder the understanding of his Word God supplies the defects of nature by meanes which are knowne to himselfe but man after hee hath done evills cannot remedie them If the light of the Sunne bee unprofitable to the blinde it thence followeth not that the eyes of them that see must bee put out even so if any be deafe yet ought we not for that to deprive the rest of the people of vnderstanding and he that stands farre of from him saith service speaking in a tongue understood had profited more if he had beene neare and another time hee may come nearer VII Hee obiects also that strangers are present in England at the English service without understanding the same whereunto I say that such are strangers present at it it may bee once or twise out of curiositie and not for devotion and that if they understood the English they would profit more by it and that the French have at London and other townes the service in French VIII Hee saith moreover that in the time of Christ Iesus and of the Apostles the Iewes assisted and were present at the ordinarie service of the Synagogues without understanding any thing thereof Which wee have already shewed to be false For then the Hebrew tongue was understood generally by the people of Iudea It fared not so with
their nation a Christian and vertuous man In the yeare 446. according to Westmonasteriensis calculation The Pelagian heresie reinforcing it selfe in the Island of Brittaine the Bishops of the Countrey assembled in a Synod writ into France to Germanicus Bishop of Auxerre and to Lewis Bishop of Troyes in Champagne men renowned for their learning and piety and prayed them to come to them to assist them with their aide and counsell which they did and with successe God blessing their travell This Historian saith not that the Pope sent them as some doe fable but that they came at the request of the Islanders In the yeare of our Lord 449. three ships of the Anglosaxons came from the East Frises landed in the Isle of Brittaine and tooke the same beaten way of those others which some foure yeares before arived there in great multitude This nation was high-Dutch and Paganish serving Saturne Iupiter and Mercurie who having set foot in the Isle could not be driven out a gaine and at length made it selfe mistresse of the East and South-part of the Isle and there establisht Paganisme dividing the Countrey into many pettie kingdomes and called the Countrey England But besides the Christians living under the Dominion of the Pagan Saxons all the Occidentall part to wit Cornwall and the Countrey in times past called Cambria and now Wales was Christian The Scotch had already receaved Christianitie in such sort that the Isle was halfe Christian In the yeare 596. Pope Gregorie judged the time fit to improve the authoritie of his Sea for the Christians of England not being fit to give instruction to the pettie Pagan kings by reason of their continuall warrs and those pettie kings being savage and easie to bee perswaded and the Christians of that Island living under other lawes and other ceremonies then those of the Church of Rome he sent Augustine Monke of Saint Bennet for as then in the West there was but that sole order of Monkes into England a man fit and industrious to travell and to take paines for two things The one to reduce the Christians of the Isle unto the forme and to the service of the Church of Rome and to induce them to acknowledge his Sea The other to endevour to draw some of those pettie Pagan kings to the Christian Religion This Austin came to England with a traine of fortie persons and presented himselfe to one of the pettie kings named Ethelbert King of Kent who re-received him with honour A while after insinuating into the Queenes fauour and good liking he perswaded her to embrase the Christian faith The Queene a while after drew in her husband who was followed by a multitude of Pagans Of this King the above named Augustine obtained permission to communicate with the Christians of the North-part of England whom he exhorted to ioyne themselves with him because as faith Westmonasteriensis Sanctum Pascha alia perplura vnitati Ecclesiae concontraria faciebant They did keepe the holy Easter and many other things in a contrarie manner to the vnitie of the Church These Christians before they would communicate with him consulted a certaine person of the Isle who lived a solitarie life esteemed a prudent man and of holy life and they asked him whether at Augustines perswasion they should part with their ancient customes To whom this good man answered if he bee a man of God follow him but said they how shall we discerne whether hee bee a a man of God or no he answered them You shall know him by his humilitie and if he induce you by his example to beare the Crosse of Christ So they made their appearance in the Synod assigned where Augustine received them with contempt and vouchsafed not so much as to rise up from of his seat when they entred This was the cause that they likewise contemned him and contradicted whatsoever be propounded accusing him of pride and although Gregorie had sent him the Pallium The robe and had stiled him Arch-bishop neverthelesse they declared unto him that they acknowledged not his authoritie nor would obey him in any thing Wherewith Augustine being netled threatned them that the Anglo-Saxons should revenge it upon them and hee lyed not So Aethelfrid King of Northumberland although hee were a Pagan favouring this Augustine in hatred of these Christians his enemies fell upon them and made a great slaughter of them They had in a Towne called Bangor a great Monastery wherein there were some twelve hundred Monkes who were all poore artisans getting their living by their trade of whom this Pagan King made a massacre and a sacrifice unto Augustine but as for the Saxon Christians converted by Augustine from Paganisme they received the Romane service such as Augustine pleased to give them and subjected themselves to Augustine sent by the Bishop of Rome about the yeare 600. of our Lord. Which is the time which Harding pointeth out unto us saying that at the least nine hundred or a thousand yeares since service was done in England in a tongue not understood acknowledging that it was this Augustine who together with the Romane service thither brought in the romane language which ever after that time forward continued in England in their publike service unto the time of the reformation every age from that time on-ward patched on some peece in religion In such sort that had Augustine lived againe seven or eight hundred yeares after his death he should have found in England and at Rome too quite another religion then that which he preached This that we have recited concerning this Augustine and of his entrie and of his carriage and behaviour in England is extant in Bede in his second chap. of the second booke of the Historie of the Anglosaxons In Geffrey of Monmouth in his 4. chap. of his eight booke of the Historie of the two Brittaines and in the flower of the Histories of Matthew of Westminster Bede in the 4. book of his Historie saith that in the yeare of our Lord 668. one surnamed Stephen taught the people of Northumberland to follow the Romish singing in publike service As then the Romish service was not yet received in France nor in Spaine This selfe-same Augustine passing thorow France and there observing the service different from the Romish Liturgie asked advice of Gregorie his Master how he should carry himselfe in that diversitie Gregorie answered him that he should follow that which he found good and should accommodate himselfe unto and comply with the Churches wherein hee was This is extant in the Interrogatories of the said Augustine added to the end of the workes of Gregorie the first As for Germany Christianitie came in thither very late Radbod King of the Frisons in the yeare 700. of our Lord was a Pagan and Franconia began to receive the Gospell And the Saxons against whom Charlemagne made so great warres in the yeare 775. and following were Pagans and were ranged to Christianitie by the sword as
amongst them bore the sway untill the time of Charlemaigne who brought in the Romish service The Franks being entred France and having made themselves masters unto the river of Loire for the rest unto the Pirene was held by the Visigots unto the time of Clovis who left not the Visigots that raigned also in Spaine any more but Languedoc which the Romanes called Septimania Fauchet in the life of Cloves chap. 15. and a small part of Guien the Latine or Romane tongue was corrupted and fell from her puritie yet for all that not in such sort that divine service which was done in Latine was not still understood Wee have formerly heard the witnesse of Sulpitius Severus in the life of Saint Martin reciting that one of the people taking up the Psalter in the place of the absent Deacon or Reader began to reade the 8. Psalme wherein there is ut destruas inimicum defensorem which raised such a shout of the people against one called Defensor who opposed himselfe against the election of Martin unto the Bishopricke Prosper of Aquitan writ about the yeare of our Lord 450. He in 1. booke of the contemplative life Chap. 23 will have the preachers language to bee simple and plaine sit simplex apertus etiamsi minus Latinus disciplinatus tamen gravis let it be simple and open although it be not so good latine yet let it be regular and grave that it may not hinder any though he be ignorant to understand it Now he speakes of the people of Guien Much about the same time lived Sidonius Apolinaris Bishop of Clermunt in Auvernie who maried the daughter of the Emperour Avitus by whom hee had children This Bishop Vt nisi vel paucissimi quique meram Latiaris linguae pro prietatem de trivialium barbarismorum rubigine vindicav eris eam brevi abolitam defleamus who writ all his letters in Latine preacht also in Latine In the tenth Epistle of the second booke hee complaines that in his time amongst the common people the puritie and proprietie of the Latine tongue fell away and degenerated into Barbarisme and in his Epistle to Perpetuus Pope for so then were stiled all the Bishops a little more respected then the common sort of Bishops which is the ninth of the seaventh booke there is a Latine Sermon made by the said Sidonius to the people of Bourges an undoubted proofe that the people of Bourges understood the Latine Now albeit that the medley of the Visigots and of the Franks among the Gaules had altered the latine tongue yet so it was that the Latine could not thereby be utterly rooted out but rather the Kings of the Franks whose language was that of Guelders to accommodate themselves unto and to comply with their people learned the Latine tongue as witnesseth Fortunatus speaking of King Aribert Cum sis progenitus clara de gente Sicamber Floret in eloquio lingua Latina tuo But thorow laps of time the Latine being abastardised amongst the Gauls and the Thioise abolisht the Romane was corrupted in such sort that it became another tongue from the Latine And alreadie in the time of the second race of our Kings the tongue of the Countrey was no more Latine and neverthelesse thorow the negligence of Bishops and by the ignorance of people there was no care taken to put the divine service into the vulgar tongue One might see that then the studdie of the Bishops was to adorne their Churches and to heape together reliques and to finde out men that had a faire Organe to diversifie and descant on a Church song and make their voices sound out the loudest Images were not as yet received into them nor the single life of the Clergie nor the power of the Popes nor Purgatorie nor Romish indulgences But the Warres of the French in Italie against the Lumbards in the time of Pepin and of his Sonne Charlemagne brought a strait communion betweene our Kings and the Bishop of Rome who in that warre used all his power and was a mortall enemy of the Lumbards Whence it fell out that Pepin and after him Charles his Sonne and Lewis le Debonnaire Charles his Sonne bestowed on the Bishops of Rome great presents and gave them all the lands and possessions which the Pope holdeth at this day in Italie reserving neverthelesse the Royaltie Vnto these benefits Charlemaigne added this That at the request of Pope Adrian I. See Durand in the 5. book of his Ratioonal chap. 2. and Fauchet in 7. booke of his french Antiquities in the yeare 796. hee abolished out of the Kingdome of France the Ambrosian Service and established therein by force and Maugre the Clergie of France the Romish or Gregorian service By this change the Latine tongue in the publike service was fully established for that which was but done formerly thorow the negligence of the Bishops of France from thenceforth was done by law according as the servitude increased from age to age It would be now a crime of Heresie and a manifest rebellion against the papall Sea to goe about to have divine service in any other tongue then in the Latine or Romane At this day one of the most essentiall Marks of the Romish Hierarchie is the Romish language And I wot not whether it was by chance or by conjecture or by inspiration that Ireneus above fourteene hundred yeares agoe in this word Latine found out the name of Antichrist and the number of six hundred sixtie six The like matters happened in Spaine where the Latine tongue became so frequent and so familiar that in the times of the Emperours Domitian and Trajan and a long time after them the Latine tongue was there as familiar as at Rome except in Arragon and in the Cantabrick Mountaines which is the countrey of Biscay and in Galicia Seneca and Quintilian and Martiall excellent Authors of the Laine tongue were Spaniards The Father and the Mother of Martial were called Fronto and Flacilla which are Romane names as also the names of Martial and of Quintilian an evident signe that the language was there Romane Whereupon we need not wonder if when the Christian religion thither entred the ordinarie service was done in Latine not for all that after the forme nor by the ordinance of the Bishop of Rome who indeed there was respected by reason of the dignitie of the Cittie but had not there any power nor jurisdiction In the yeare of our Lord ' 408. Genseric King of the Vādals Conquered Spaine upon the Romane Empire which a while after he left to passe over into Africa and left the place to the Visigots who raigning formerly in Aquitane made themselves masters of Spaine in the yeare of our Lord 417. The lawes of the Visigots were Latine and although their tongue was Gotick yet did they accommodate themselves to the Latine Whence likewise their Councills and generall Assemblies were made in Latine The office or ordinarie service of the
THE ANTIBARBARIAN OR A Treatise concerning an unknowne tongue As well in the prayers of particulars in private as in the publique Liturgie Wherein also are exhibited the principall clauses of the Masse which would offend the people if they understood them By PETER DV MOVLIN Minister of the Word of GOD in the Church of Sedan and Professor of Divinitie LONDON Printed by George Miller for George Edwaâ—dâ— and are to be sold in the Old Baily in Greene Arbour at the signe of the Angell 1630 TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull Right Reverend and VVorthy Father of the Law Sir GEORGE CROOKE Knight one of his Majesties Iudges of the Kings Bench. SIR THIS learned and Orthodox divine hath both at home and abroad both in himselfe and in his profitable and usefull workes given such Heroick proofes of his owne worth and exquisite learning that here to goe about to use any encomium in his praise and worth would be but to light a candle at the noone day which this Sunne shining in his owne strength would utterly obscure Hee hath done and said so much to vindicate himselfe from out of the jawes of obscuritie or oblivion that no addition in that kinde is needfull and were he herein wanting to himselfe I would add no other testimonie of him in his behalfe then his who well may be instar omnium namely that of our late revereÌ„d learned Bishop in his opuscula posthuma where any that would nodum in hoc scirto quaerere may finde ample satisfaction so that indeed for my owne part I will onely with the Orator say quid opus est verbis ubi rerum testimonia adsunt In that I have presumed to dedicate this booke thus translated and what herein I may call mine confined indeed within the narrow verge of my weake performance to your judicious peruse all grave patronage and protection it is out of that assurance you have given all good men of your unfained love of the truth and true religion that the same may remaine upon record for some though but a weake testimonie of that my ever vowed observance and due respect wherein for your many worthy favours I stand so mainely obliged wherein also being confident of your wonted favour and good acceptance wherevnto I humbly commend the same and my farther service I will ever rest At your Worships service and command RICHARD BAYLIE TO MY NEPHEW Mounsieur Bochart Pastor of the Church of Caen. DEARE Nephew if the Church of GOD receive any benefit by this my labour her obligation will bee acknowledged unto you for the same For in the answer which I made unto the Cardinall Du Perron when it happened I had improvidently omitted the Chapter which treateth of an unknowne tongue You advertised me of that defect and moved me to supply the same I have condescended to your motion and have composed this Treatise which I heere tender unto you You shall receive it if you please for a testimony of my hearty affection and of that joy which I receive by seeing you serve in the worke of the Lord with so great applause It is a comfort to me amidst so many desolations to see that God causeth to spring up lights to shine in the darknesse which grow thicker from day to day For seeing God raiseth up good work-men and labourers it is a signe that he will yet leave us some harvest Hee who from your infancie hath indued his feare and hath set you apart for his service will cloath you with strength and with courage not to faint under the burthen For you are entred upon your charge in a time wherein you shall have need of double zeale and of an holy magnanimitie It shall be a great honour for you to stand in the breach and in the shock of the maine battle and amidst the darknesse of the time to be the bearer of so faire a light There shall you have experience of those succours which God promiseth to those which love him and who esteeme it a great honour and gaine to loose their lives or goods for his service He who hath given unto trees which grow on the tops of the rocks stronger roots because they are more exposed to the boisterousnesse of the winds will give unto you also strength according to the measure of the combats whereunto he will expose you The match indeed seemeth very unequall and the enterprise no lesse difficult even as if with pinnes we should take in hand to supplant a rocke But we must remember that we defend Gods cause who is wont to use the weakest tooles or instruments for the effecting of his workes of wonder that the glory of the successe might not be attributed to our strength And that the heavenly truth were it plunged downe unto bottome of the bottomelesse deeps might at last regaine the upper hand And as the Church is more firme then the world seeing the world was made for it VVhereunto may be applied what is written of the cittie of Iericho to wit that he that built it laid her foundation upon his first borne The same God who at the sound of Iosua's truÌ„pets made his enemies walls to fall flat to the ground will one day make to fall downe the walls of Babylon at the blast of the trumpet of the Gospell But if by reasoÌ„ of the ingratitude of this stiffe-neckt age God putteth off unto another time so excellent a worke we which have sowed on earth with small successe shall not faile to reape abundantly in heaven We beare like Gedeons souldiers this light in earthen vessels namely in weake bodies the breaking whereof will be happie and honourable if it may but serve to set forth in sight the light of the Gospell For wee which preach the Crosse of Christ should we be exempted from it VVe that beare this arke should not we passe first thorow this Iordan being patternes not onely in doctrine but also in zeale and in all vertue as for me having presently finished my course heartily breathing after that rest which God hath promised to them that feare him I reioyce to leave behinde mee men endued vvith his graces in greater measure and particularly a Nephew vvhom I have loved with a fatherly affection vvho treading in the steps of a vertuous father and vvhose memorie is as a blessing to the Church of God shall surpasse and much outstrip his predecessors and shall be an example unto posteritie But vvhilst I am in this temporall abode you owe mee the releefe of your prayers as I also on my part doe beseech Almighty God to giue you grace to bee unto him a faithfull servant and to fight the good fight and to bring forth fruit unto his glorie From Sedan this 6. of August 1629. Your deare Vncle and humble brother and servant P. DV MOVLIN A Table of the Chapters CHAP. I. THat false religions love obscuritie but true religion setteth forth to view her doctrine and holdeth nothing secret page 1. CHAP.
II. Two dfferences betweene us and the Church of Rome touching an unknowne tongue page 22. CHAP. III. Of prayers of particular persons in a tongue not understood by themselves that pray p. 25. CHAP. IIII. That in the Primitive Church every one prayed in his owne tongue pag 41. CHAP. V. That the Liturgie or publique service in a tongue not understood is contrary to the Word of God and unto reason pag. 49. CHAP. VI. This assertion prooved by the Church of the old Testament pag. 81. CHAP. VII That the Primitive Christian Church thorow out the whole world used a tongue understood in their publique service pag. 90. CHAP. VIII Two causes that move the Pope and his Clergie to will that the Masse and the whole ordinarie service be said in the Latine tongue p. 120. CHAP. IX The third cause for the which they are not willing to have the Masse understood by the people the clauses of the Masse which would scandalise the people if they vnderstood them p. 124. CHAP. X. An examination of the Adversaries reasons especially of them of Mounsieur the Cardinall du Perron p. 180. CHAP. XI An examination of the proofes which Mounsieur the Cardinall du Perron draweth from antiquitie for service in a tongue not understood p. 129. CHAP. XII By what meanes the Latine tongue was brought into divine service in France and in Spaine p. 232. CHAP. XIII Concerning England and Germany and how the Romane service and the Latine tongue was brought in thither p. 252. CHAP. XIIII Concerning Africa how the service in the Latine tongue thither entred p. 273. A TREATISE Concerning a strange language in prayers and in the service of GOD. CHAP. I. That false religions love obscuritie But the true Religion setteth forth to the view her doctrine holdeth nothing hidden IT is an opinion commonly received that ignorance is the mother of devotion In the matter of Gods service men admire most what they understand least and obscuritie augments reverence and herewith fareth it as with beauties the which when men doe nothing but stand at enterview and at gaze they kindle and inflame the more concupiscence Negligence and prophanesse contribute to this evill For men having no naturall inclination to bee instructed in the knowledge of God they uoluntarily disburden themselves of that care upon them that make profession to instruct them rather then they will take the paines to learne they had rather beleeve without knowing and follow others without any further inquisition to informe themselves and this affected ignorance cloketh it selfe with the specious title of respect towards the Church and of quicknesse of apprehension if there be question of putting forth a mans money there men will be sure to enquire out the best securities and men are in this point full of diffidence and distrust but when the point of salvatition falleth into debate they referre themselves to rely on the faith of another and blindfold their owne eyes with a uoluntarie ignorance Satan that seaseth on men by naturall handels snares and nooses useth this inclination to seduce them it being easie for him to make them goe astray out of their way that shunne the light He it is that hath taught Magicians and coniurers to insert and blend in their coniurations barbarous and sustian termes not to be understood He it is that instructed the Pagan Priests to cover and keepe close their misteries under a religious silence and to keepe aloofe off at a distance the prophane who now a daies are termed the lay-people or the laiques Thus * Hetrusca disciplina the Toscane discipline wherein was contained the old religion of the Romanes a Quintilianus lib. 1. Carmina Saliorum vix sacerdotibus suis satis intellecta sed quae mutari vetat religio and the verses of the Salique Priests sung by those Priests of Mars were coucht in rude and barbarous termes and such as were not understood of the people Epiphanius in the heresie of the Ossenians b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith that the hereticks taught to pray with obscure words forbidding to enquire after the interpretation of them Saint Augustine in his 16. Chapter Quod vult Deus affirmes the same of the Heracleonites And Clemens Alexandrinus in his first booke of Tapisseries saith that c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men hold that prayers pronounced in a barbarous tongue have more efficacie Hierome in his Epitaphe d Barbaro simplices quosque terrent sono ut quod non intelligunt plus mirentur of Lucinius Andalusien they affright the simple with a barbarous sound so that they admire most what they understand least The Mahumetans Turks and Persians have their service in the Arabick tongue which the people understand not And the Iewes whom God hath given up to reprobate sense do read in their Synagogues the Law and the Prophets in the Hebrew tonge whereas the most part of their people have but little or no understanding thereof They that have the charge to guide and instruct the people have beene carefull to foment and increase this evill for they endevour to keepe the people in ignorance with-holding from them the key of knowledge as our Saviour Iesus Christ saith Luk. 11.52 and hindering others from entering in By this meanes they make themselves respectable and of account as such that are onely capable of understanding divine matters the things that belong to God and having onely and alone a familiar communication with God And by the selfe same meanes they themselves take sanctuary and hinder that there can no cleare inspection be made into their affaires and gaine the liberty to accommodate religion to their owne profit and to carve and shred it at their pleasure Dealing as theeves do that blowe out the candells for feare of being discride for they are afraid least the things which men admire a farre off being knowne and better taken notice of at a nearer distance should become contemptible and vtterly out of request Like unto painted women who would not willingly bee uiewed neere at hand having learned by experience that there is trouble to lead the ignorant and that it is easiest diving into a blinde mans purse and that every man that would be informed in the reason and originall of things is not easily perswaded Hence commeth it that they withdraw the people from reading of the Scriptures and that they hinder the translating of them into the vulgar tongue Hence commeth it that they labour so much to cast an aspersion upon the Scriptures and to make them to be suspected by the people as a dangerous booke and that the reading thereof is the cause of heresies Hence came in Images which serve to amaze and to holde at gaze the eyes whilst they blinde their understandings and to afford them recreation whilst they withdraw and bereave the of instruction Hence came that heape of Ceremonies which are shaddowes which growe apace and stretch out themselves in