no lesse which the Lords Inquisitors know well enough and yet notwithstanding all this they permit vnto all and except none the reading of such bookes but to reade the word of God in secular men they repute it for a crime worthy of death and as an offence of that nature they punish it This very Author sayes further That in those bookes there are not onely found many violent instigations to vice but also masters and skilfull pedagogues who teach and instruct how to attempt and prosecute them yea which is more they make a bed for heresies But this last though it be infallibly true he confirmes with a very grosse and explodible lie speaking thus When impious Luther saith hee began to disperse his poyson in Germanie Sathan being desirous to bring into France likewise this heresie when he found so maine a resistance in that most Christian kingdome he laboured with subtill policie to haue the Fables of Amadis of Gaule translated into French that they might infect and taint the minds of Noble people they being best read and most curious in reading and to prepare them for the embracing of heresies and so by the tickling delight of lasciuious loues of fabulous feats of Armes and magicall Incantations the mindes of men in a small time were so poisoned and defiled that no discourse passed among ingenious and curious people but of matters ridiculous and fabulous And that when the deuils ministers perceiued how this Translation was so well receiued and entertained they returne againe to sow abroad other dreames and Fables translating daily more immodest and fabulous bookes which did so obfuscate and darken young wits and so notably polluted and stained their willes that men retir'd themselues from the reading of good books and diuine Histories and euen the Name of Christ came to be lesse called vpon Thus farre extend the words of that Author wherein first matter is ministred to vs of no slender laughter in his imputing to the Protestants of France whom hee calls heretickes that which iustly at this day may be rather imposed on the Papists and those practises currant and in vse amongst them as the same Author himselfe complaines together with many others and dayly proofes and trials would informe vs though they had beene silent For who is ignorant that in the Papacie diuine Histories are exil'd and banisht and prophane and fabulous Romances brought in in their stead No man there mentions the calling on the Name of Christ but vpon some image of stone or wood of his Mother or some other Saint And who knowes not that throughout all the reformed Churches they are conuersant generally in reading freely the holy Scriptures and that onely the sacred Name of Christ is in euery place and of all men called vpon and therefore in this respect the Pope and the Inquisitors prosecute them with fire and sword endeauouring that those Saints by them canoniz'd should bee prayed vnto and Christs holy Name quite and cleane forgotten But leauing this for another place let it be lawfull for vs once more to demand of the Papists What is the reason that they vnderstanding how these fantasticall and idle bookes brought so much detriment and hurt to the faithfull in France that as wise men whose propertie it is as wee say in our Spanish tongue Escarmentar en cabeca agena To bee afraid by other mens harmes they doe not banish out of the Papacie the originall and cause of so many euils yet this they not onely not doe but euery day they bring in and multiply these brutish and sordide bookes For labouring so industriously and studiously to remooue out of Spaine the holy Scriptures in the vulgar tongue the same being reuealed by God neither conteining so much as one letter that iustly demerits either blame or reprehension but being written onely and wholly for our instruction and benefite wherefore I say vsing such rigor and seueritie to this diuine Booke doe they indifferently and generally permit all men to reade an infinite number of base and pernicious bookes replenisht and stufft with blaspheraies and implying many Heresies whereunto they attract and drawe the most godly and zealous as our Aduersaries themselues frankly confesse and acknowledge Till our Aduersaries giue a full answere to this demand it will not bee altogether vnfit here to set downe what learned Doctor Leon saith after hee hath complained that one of the greatest calamities of our times was that men are growen to such an inclination and disposition hee speakes of the Papists and more particularly of the Spaniards that the holy Scriptures which at other times were wont to be a cure and remedy Leon en el prologo de lot nombres de Christo are become an infectious poyson for this preiudice he sayes they haue wrought that by the presumption and pride of the vulgar they haue made the reading of the Scriptures vnprofitable for them and so another discommoditie ensues I cannot tell whether I may iustly say a worser for they betake themselues without any bridle or restraint to the reading of many bookes not onely vaine and friuoulous but importantly obnoxious and hurtfull the which as by the Art of the deuill haue in number encreast more in our age then any other for want of such as were good and vertuous and the same hath happened to vs as many times it doth with the earth which when it cannot bring forth corne it produceth thornes and I affirme that this second dammage doth in some sort surmount the other because in the sacred Scriptures men onely lose a great Instrument and meanes to be good but in these profane Authors they finde the occasions to be euill and wicked for in the first onely the Rudder and Sterne of good gouernment is taken away and in the other fomentation and nourishment is exhibited to vices For as S. Paul alleadgeth euill wordes corrupt good manners and an obscene and vnpure booke which is dayly before the eyes of him that reades it what will it not effect or how is it possible hee should bee cleare from grosse and vnwholsoâ—e blood that is maintained with nothing but corruption and poyson And in trueth if wee doe but intentiuely obserue it and bee iust and vpright iudges wee cannot but giue sentence that the greatest part of our deprau'd and debausht customes which wee dayly see and meete withall proceedes from the continuall reading of these profane and scurrillous bookes with a relish of Gentilisme and Insidelitie which those that are Zealous of Gods seruice finde in them and I knowe not whether in any age amongst Christian people a greater plague hath been prooued In my iudgement the beginning the roote and the absolute originall of these euils consists in these bookes This and much more the same famous Doctor writ vpon this particular and questionlesse would haue spoken much more and farre more significantly had it not been for that same cruell barbarous and inhumane Inquisition of Spaine in which
Father Gusman recordeth that he wrote to a Father and in another place to a mother Guzman en su libro de los bienes del Innesto trabajo fol 24 that they should enure their daughters to reade and vnderstand the holy Scripture Gregorie Nazianzene saith Father Reynosa aduised out of his great experience Ad laetan de institutione filiae that the Bible should neuer part out of the heart nor out of the mouth Reynosa fol. 87. del maestro Christiano nor out of the vnderstanding nor out of the tongue by reason of the admirable benefits which redounded from the assiduous vse of it S. Chrysostome amongst all the rest of the Fathers is very admirable in this point and particularly in his third Sermon that hee made of Lazarus where he answereth to all the obiections that the Papists at this day make against the free and vulgar vse of the Bible The Reader may please to peruse the Exhortation which most learned and godly Cypriano de Valera made to perswade men to reade continually the holy Scriptures where hee shall find the maine and principall summe collected of whatsoeuer S. Chrysostome deliuers in that place Besides that formerly deliuered we doe prooue the precise necessitie and obligation wherein all the faithfull stand bound to reade the holy Scriptures because in the Primitiue Church and many ages after all sorts of people did so and it was counted a great offence not to reade them and that this reading was very behoouefull and profitable for them the most learned Doctor Leon affirmes most clearely saying Leon en el Prologo de los nombres de Christo In the first ages of the Primitiue Church and many yeeres after it was esteemed a great fault in the faithfull not to be often conuersant in the perusing and reading of the Diuine Bookes and Ecclesiasticall men and those whom we call Secular both learned and vnlearned for this reason treated so much of this exercise and study that the carefulnesse herein of the vulgar sort stirred vp in Bishops and Prelates a greater study and practise in the same who ordinarily in their Churches in a manner euery day expounded the sacred Scriptures to the people because the particular reading of them by euery one in their houses by the light of that publike doctrine being illuminated and gouerned as it were by their Masters and Teachers voice might be free from errour and be a cause of the greater and more important benefit which in very deed was so great as that order and gouernment was religious and zealous and the fruit was answerable to their sowing of the seede And Master Prades confesseth as much in this point as Leon in these words In ancient times the holy Scriptures were propounded to the people in the vulgar tongue that so all sorts of people might reade them the which was very profitable and as such approoued of many holy and very learned men That the said Reading of the holy Scriptures prooued very profitable Prades en el Prologo de la adoracion de las imagines many Spanish writers affirme and confesse but amongst all therest Father Torres auerres the same admirably with wonderfull examples of many who were cur'd and reform'd by the same The which I will heere expresse and set downe with all possible breuitie Torres lib. 25. de la Philosophia de Principes Cap. 2. that the propounded veritie may more euidently appeare The first example produced by Torres is of the Eunuch seruant to Candaces Queene of Ethiopia who by the meanes of reading the Prophet Esaias attain'd to the knowledge of Christian veritie The second is of S. Eugenia who desiring to be assur'd of the infallible knowledge of her saluation the Epistles of S. Paul came to her hands this would not haue happened to her if shee had beene in Spaine vpon the doctrine whereof she considering and meditating she in such sort grew to discouer the falsities and deceits of the Gentiles and the veritie of Christian wisedome that she was not onely conuerted to the faith and beliefe of our Lord but further shee was martyred in defence and for the confession of the same The third example that he propoundeth is of that illustrious Domina who was a Martyr of Iesus Christ who being a Gentile no lesse prudent then honourable and being brought vp in the Palace of the Emperour Maximian by chance she met with a booke of the same Epistles and with the History written by S. Luke of the Acts of the Apostles in whose doctrine she discouered the errors of Infidelitie and so becomming a Christian shee embraced a cruell death to keepe possession of that shee had vndertaken To the former examples he addes this other of that most illuminated S. Augustine who being plunged in a thousand doubts and ambiguities it was said vnto him Tolle lege Take and reade and hee obeying this voice not knowing from whom or whence it came hee tooke the Epistles of the Apostle and opening them the first which presented themselues to him were those wordes written to the Romanes Chap. 13. Not in eating and drunkennesse but put yee on our Lord Iesus Christ c. And these reasons so farre preuailed with him that presently abjuring his heresie hee was conuerted to the Lord. The last example propounded by this Author is incomparably beyond all the rest and sufficient to mooue vs neuer to be without the holy Scriptures in our hands which is the same of the most holy Virgine the Mother of him that is Lord of heauen and earth who at the same time when she felt in her sacred entrailes the most diuine mysterie of the Incarnation by the comming of the Angel S. Ambrose sayes that shee was reading and meditating on the Prophesie of Esaias Chap. 7. Ambros lib. 2. in Luc. cap. 1. Ecce Virgo concipiet pariet filium c. whereunto Torres addes That wee may conceiue how the reading of the holy Scriptures was a singular preparation for the receiuing of such a fauour and grace the which he confirmes and this renowmed S. Augustine obserues in the blessed Virgine amongst whose many excellencies hee specifies one namely that she was very well read and conuersant in the Prophets Many other examples the same Father Torres mentions which heere I omit to auoid prolixitie and because these aboue declared euidently demonstrate that the vse and reading of the holy Scriptures hath euer beene common and commendable in all the faithfull and that the perusing of them hath brought foorth wonderfull effects which is the same we aimed at in the beginning and which for more efficacie we now briefly confirme by the example of S. Gertrudis with whom if wee may beleeue the Papists blasphemous fiction our Lord did marrie and moreouer that our Sauiour Christ sayd Masse on the day of his nuptials that they might be the more solemne and authenticall For this blessed Nunne is wonderfully exalted by Master Granada
most stinking and obscure prison hee remained seuen yeeres in the Towne of Valladolid where as all the world knowes hee vnderwent great troubles afflictions and torments because hee vttered in a Sermon a Proposition that was not pleasing to the Pope of Rome though it was but Christian and true whereof peraduenture wee will intreate more at large in another booke Now it remaines we only obserue how the sacred Scriptures are not prohibited the faithfull to containe them within a certaine moderation and gouernement because this impertinent and seuere prohibition as the Papists themselues well knowe is a cause of greater and more pernicious Inconueniences And who can bee so credulous as to beleeue that to make bad men good they must needes depriue them of the holy Bible which is the onely Instrument to make them good when they freely permit dishonest and immodest bookes which are the proper Instruments of sinne and impietie Surely hee cannot but bee a foole that beleeues this But let vs grant that they who tooke from the vulgar the vse and reading of the Scriptures pretended herein to remooue occasion and meanes of breeding errours yet when long experience had taught them that Inci erunt in scillam cupientes vitare Caribdim which is that studying to preuent one preiudice they brought in a thousand seeing through default of the holy Scriptures profane bookes crept in why I say Dato vno absurdo miltae sequuntur did they not labour to suppresse so pernicious a pâ—ague by restoring them and excluding the other seeing naturall reason informes vs that of two necessary euils we should euer imbrace the least how much more in that the holy Scriptures are good of themselues and remote from all euill There is no doubt but if that prohibition simply aymed at the good and benefit of the faithful they would haue beene so but there 's all the matter in that they do not so much seeke the profit and benefit of the faithfull but rather their owne particular ends and interests the which consists mainely inconcealing from the people the knowledge of trueth which they might attayne vnto by meanes of the holy Scriptures and that they should not seeke and affect to vnderstand it they haue alwayes entertained them with the scumme and dregges of idle and profane bookes the reading whereof is not onely frankely permitted them but further it is a cause that opposite to the willes and desires of good men they are perused and read ouer by all of which amongst others the former mentioned Father Ioseph complaines in these wordes Fr. Ioseph ibid. fol. 796. The abusiue and poysonable practise of euill bookes allowed of in Spaine from whence the greatest part of corrupt customes proceedes comes not from the allowance and toleration of the Lawes nor from the King because they haue ordained sufficient remedies against this dammage and preiudice but rather from the negligence and carelesnesse of Iudges both Secular and Ecclesiasticall in executing such iust and good Lawes and they whom this most of all did concerne were the Bishops and Prelats of the Church who being to giue daily notice hereof to Kings and temporal Lords that they might helpe and ioyne together for the banishing out of the Commonwealth these fountains of pollution and vncleannesse they did not only not do it but Kings Princes exhorting them to purge and cleanse the Kingdome of this letiferous poyson they yet liue and perseuere in the same with most pernicious carelesnesse and forgetfulnesse not with out speciall and singular danger to their owne consciences and the soules of their poore subiects A little after the same Authour sayes it is a lamentable pitie that so many sage and wise considerations hauing bene entred into to establish these iust Lawes which was to remooue out of their Studies and Libraries these hurtfull bookes so many Petitions preferred by the Sollicitors of the Kingdome so many meetings and consultations with the Lords of the Counsell with such a number of manifestations written and published touching the Kinggs pleasure in this behalfe it could neuer bee once put in execution the vrgent necessitie of this execution being so materiall and important what shall wee say to this but onely that the Pope Bishops and Fathers of the Faith conniue at this perdition seeing neither the King nor the whole Kingdome can so far preuaile with them as to execute such iust behoofefull and beneficiall Lawes in all other respects they being so sedulous industrious and circumspect in purging as they say the bookes and writings of the holy Doctors of the Church not exempting herein the Scriptures diuine as appeares in a publisht booke called Index expurgatorius All this wee haue produced by reason of that which Father Granada sayes he heard from an Inquisitor and hee himselfe alleadgeth it to shew the great dammage that proceedes from bookes of corrupt doctrine and instruction and the inexplicable emolument profit deriuing from bookes of good and vertuous Argument it now remaines that we should conclude and shut vp this discourse with the very words which the same Granada vseth in the finishing of his discourse Lawes and iust Tribunalls looke not so much vpon particulars as to generalls that is to say not what may happen to particular persons but what generally concerneth the good of all who in no reason ought to perish through the abuse and disorder of some neither in like manner doe they aime at the particular preiudice which things procure if the generall benefits bee greater then the preiudices as we may perceiue in Nauigation at Sea for if the dammages of shipwracke be great and important yet the benefits of Nauigation are farre greater These are the principall reasons which our Aduersaries produce against the publicke vse and reading of the holy Scriptures the rest are so weake and friuolous as they deserue not to haue any more time spent in propounding them for that would bee as much as to refute them and so the time wee should spend in them will be better gain'd in setting downe two reasons which besides the other before alleadged shew plainely to our view and as it were with the pointing of a finger that the Pope depriues not the vulgar of the Bible to doe them good but rather to auoyd and shunne his owne precipice with which wee will close and shut vp this Treatise The first reason is because as Father Luys de Granada sayes all the studie and care of our capitall enemie is Granada en el preambulo de la 2. parte de la introduceion del Symbole to bereaue vs of this light of the word of God and hee confirmes it thus The first thing the Philistines performed when they had Sampson in their power was to plucke out his eyes and when they had done this they found no difficultie in doing whatsoeuer else they meant to lay vpon him euen to the making of him grinde in a Mill. And this Authour addes of the same