to the xi day before Easter lette the fiue bookes of Moses be read From the fifteenth day before Easter to the Supper of the Lord the Prophet Ieremy From the Octaues of Easter to the Octaues of Pentecoste the Apocalyps the Actes of the Apostles the Canonicall Epistles From the eyght daye beefore Pentecost to the Calendes of August the bookes entituled of the Kings and Paralipomenon From the firste Sonday of August to the Calendes of September the Bookes attributed to Salomon namely the Prouerbs and Ecclesiastes the Booke of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus From the firste Sondaye of September to the Calendes of October Iob Tobias Esther Ezras of some is added also Iudith From the first Sonday of Nouember to the Calendes of December Ezechiel Daniel and the twelue small prophets From the firste Sondaye of December to the natiuitie of the Lorde Esay From the firste Sonday following the natiuitie of the Lorde to Septuagesima the Epistles of S. Paule the Apostle These Bookes therfore among whiche notwithstanding we sée some â—o be placed of the Bishops which the olde purer Church acknowledged not for Canonicall and againe some whiche are reckned in the Canon to be pretermitted were vsually read and expounded of readers whâ—n and at suche time as the faithfull come togither in the morning and oft times before dailight We gather hereby a most certaine argument as touching the prayers which they call morning prayers and are yet still in vse in many Churches and in whiche certaine parcels oute of the Bookes of the olde Testament are vsually read Againe the Bookes of the Euangelistes concerning the doctrine and doyngs of Christe they did in like maner and peraduenture in the time of Euening praier reade ouer and expounde But now in these daies this practise is vtterly worne out of Churches only the beginnings or parcels of certaine Bookes are slightly tasted of a nuÌ„ber of newe-founde and vnnecessary songs being brought in cleane contrarye to the decrées of the auntient fathers as in déede many other things moe in time paste holesomly ordeined we sée now either vtterly to be decaied or wonderfully to be peruerted and corrupted And ther is now no place left so muche as to the bookes of the Euangelists that they might be red ouer once in a yere but on the sondayes onlye certaine Histories out of theÌ„ are by piecemeale picked out whereas of our auncestours the Euangelicall bookes especially were wonte to be expounded wholye without interruption to the people I graunt indéede that in some places in the holy feastes chiefely of Easter and Whitsontide and likewise at the Natiuitie of the Lord for as much as then commonly those that had profited sufficiently in the doctrine of the Cathechisme or in the principles of Christian religion were with great preparation and to the incredible reioycement of all the godly baptized the interpretation of the holy booke begun and not ended was a little intermitted and left off and the mysteries of the natiuitie and resurrection of CHRIST of the sending of the holye GHOST also the doctrine as touching the vse of Baptisme diligeÌ„tly declared But assoone as those holy dayes were past it was prouided that the same bookes should agayne be taken in hande and continued whych thyng Sainct Augustine doth not obscurely signifye in the beginning of his exposition of the Epistle of Saint Iohn But to what purpose is it to stande longer in these things When as ofte therefore as I beholde consider the diligeÌ„ce example of the fathers me thinketh verylye that it were no harde matter to finde a meane whereby eueÌ„ nowe also anye manne maye once or oftner in a yeares space reade ouer the whole Bible or certaine bookes of it according as he himselfe shal thinke good For there is no lette to the contrary but that a man may appoint this lawe vnto himselfe namelye to pervse ouer the holy bookes in the selfesame order and time that as we declared euen now they are reckened and distinguished in by Gâ—eâ—iâ—n Euery man may easily obserue that forme and order that is of him prescribed But for so much peraduenture as that order and disposition wil not be liked of all men wherein be recounted some bookes whiche are not in the Canon and againe othersome that being Canonicall and right worthy to be read are omitted I meane the volumnes of the foure Euangelistes and the Psalmes of Dauid wée as by the pointing of a finger will shewe another way and that truely more easie and more certaine as comprehending all the Canonicall bookes and likewise least any man should complayne the residue also called Apocrypha Go too therefore first of all lette vs place by themselues the Canonicall bookes according as they are of the auntient Hebrues and also of the Gréekes and Latines but especially of OrigeÌ„ Epiphanius Hilarius Hierome Augustine and the counsel of Loadicea digested and sette downe and withall let vs mark into how many Chapters euery booke is diuided These bookes following belong to the olde Testament Genesis hath Chapters 50 Exodus hath Chapters 40 Leuiticus hath Chapters 27 Numeri hath Chapters 36 Deutronomy hath Chapters 34 Iosua hath Chapters 24 Chronicles 1. hath Chapters 29 Chronicles 2. hath Chapters 36 Ezra 1. hath Chapters 10 Ezra 2. hath Chapters 13 Esther hath Chapters 9 Esay hath Chapters 66 Iudges hath Chapters 21 Ruth hath Chapters 4 Samuel 1. hath Chapters 3â— Samuel 2. hath Chapters 24 Kings 1. hath Chapters 22 Kings 2. hath Chapters 25 Ieremy hath Chapters 52 Lamentations hath Chapters 4 Ezechil hath Chapters 48 Daniel hath Chapters 12 Hosea hath Chapters 14 Ioel hath Chapters 3 Amos hath Chapters 9 Abdias Conteyneth Chapters 1 Ionas Conteyneth Chapters 4 Micheas Conteyneth Chapters 8 Nahum Conteyneth Chapters 3 Habacuc Conteyneth Chapters 3 Sophony Conteyneth Chapters 3 Haggeus Conteyneth Chapters 2 Zacharie Conteyneth Chapters 14 Malachie Conteyneth Chapters 4 Psalt hath psal Chap. 150 Iob hath psal Chap. 42 Prouerbs hath psal Chap. 31 Ecclesiastes hath psal Chap. 12 Song of SalomoÌ„ hath psal Chap. 8 Out of all these bookes a man maye lawfullye fetche proofes and allegations to fortify and confyrme the doctrine of religion and they are in authoritie before the other bookes and fragments which are called Apocrypha and be in lesse price wherefore we shall not without good cause bestowe our greatest care and diligence in reading and learning of the same Therefore in this wise and order I iudge they maye once or oftner in a yeares space readilye and without trouble be red Now I holde best that we take our beginning at the Psalter and that it be reade apart yea sometimes read againe by reason of the manifolde profite and vtilitie thereof For it is manifest that in it is contained as yée woulde saye an Epitome or abridgement of the whole Scripture Therefore there is offred alwayes in it that which maye profitablye be learned there commeth alwayes next to hande something whereby the minde in
so great plentye and varietie of things maye be refreshed and therefore is the one only booke of the Psalmes before al other thought worthy to bée learned yea and to be kaÌ„ned by hart of all men This booke moreouer consisteth of prayers prepared for euerye euent and purpose of thankesgiuing it minstreth doctrine of greate importaunce and excelleÌ„cie there be in it exhortations sharpe and seuere it aboundeth with most swéete consolations yea al things are so handled and deliuered in it that in euerye parte thereof both the glorie of GOD is celebrated and set forth and the minde of man informed to godlynesse of life and conuersation Wherefore euen they also are wonte that absteyne froÌ„ other books of holy scripture not vnwillingly to exercise themselues in reading reciting dayly both morning and euening certaine of the Psalmes Which things séeing they are thus we do not without good cause and consideratioÌ„ set down our aduertisement apart by it selfe as touching the reading and substanciall learning of the Psalmes Now the Psalmes doe amount in number to a hundred and fifty and the whole yeare consisteth of two fiftie wéekes one day If therfore thou be disposed to reade ouer the booke of Psalmes once in a yeares space thou shalt read euery wéeke thrée Psalmes so shal there remayn two wéeks to spare or if thou wilt thou maist pervse only two Psalmes in euery of the last 6. wéekes But if thou be determined to read ouer the Psalmes twice in one yeare then shalt thou reade euery wéeke sixe Psalmes which will most conueniently be done if thou repeate euery day after the Lords day one Psalme Howbeit so againe will be left two wéekes voyde vnlesse peraduenture it liketh thée in euerye of the foure laste wéekes to reade only thrée Psalmes Where if incase now by obseruing the selfsame order thou wilt recite euerye wéeke nine Psalmes then shalte thou reade ouer the whole Psalter thrice in one yeare vsing a Prouiso in the meane time that in some of the latter wéekes thou distribute the number of the Psalmes according to the proportion specified in the premisses Albeit thou mayst also in suche wise diuide and participate this labour as namely in one wéeke thou mayst recytâ— eight Psalmes and in an other nine and so goe on with like proportion to the reste and at the length thou shalt perceyue fiftéene Psalmes to be kept in store to the last wéeke Last of all when thou shalt be minded to reade ouer the booke of Psalmes foure times in a yeare it is requisite that thou reade euerye wéeke eleuen Psalmes and in euery of the foure last wéekes fiftéene Psalmes and so there will remayne one only daye frée from reading Thou séest therefore an easye and open waye whereby thou mayste in twelue monthes space reade ouer the whole booke of the Psalmes once or twice or thrice or fouretimes euen as thou lyst thy selfe And is this so greate and troublesome a labour wherein thou accustomest to saye thrée Psalmes in a wéeke or euery daye one or two Psalmes and the one perhaps in steade of a prayer in the morning when thou risest and the other at nighte when thou goest to bed Let vs procéed now in like maner to the other bookes called Canonicall There are founde in these seauen hundred thréescore and seaâ—entéene Chapters Wherfore if a man wil reade euery wéeke fiftéene Chapters he shal dispatch al bookes which a litle before we numbred once in a yeares space and there shall remayne two dayes onlye to spare And it will be a very easye matter to dispatch the reading of fiftéene Chapters if in some one day of the seauen thou repeate thrée Chapters and in euery of the rest twayne Who is hée therefore that can iustly complayne that hée hath euen by this meanes an ouer heauye and importable burthen layde vpon him Nowe then as it shall please thée to multiply the number of the Chapter so will it be easye for thée to accompte how and in what order thou maist in a yeares spaces pervse ouer either twice or thrice all the bookes of the old Testament But in what estimation sayeth some man shall the bookes called Apocrypha be had Shall it be good to spende any time in reading of them also Why shoulde wée not say I whensoeuer oportunitie serueth euen extraordinarily reade them Or if it please thée to applye the reading of them to certaine peculiar tymes appointed there is no let but thou mayst do it Let vs therfore rehearse as well the names as Chapters of the sayde bookes and fragments Tobias hath Chapters 14 Iudith hath Chapters 16 Susanna hath Chapters 1 Bell dragon hath Chapters 1 Song of the threée children hath Chapters 1 Fragmentes of Esther hath Chapters 8 Ezra 3. hath Chapters 9 Ezra 4. hath Chapters 16 Machabees 1. hath Chapters 16 Machabees 2. hath Chapters 15 Baruch hath Chapters 6 Wisedome hath Chapters 19 Ecclesiasticus hath Chapters 51 The summe of the Chapters amounteth to a hundered thréescorne and thirtéene Reade therefore euerye wéeke thrée Chapters but the laste wéeke of the yeare saue one tenne Chapters and the laste of all thirtéene and thou shalt verye well dispatche all the whole matter But there is no cause as I haue also admonished before why thou shouldest bestow so much study in these as in those which the church hath long agone auouched to bée Canonicall Nowe it is requisite that we speake of the Bookes of the newe Testament And they are in this order by a receyued custome which no man wil lightly finde fault with placed and disposed Mathew Contayning Chapters 28 Marke Contayning Chapters 16 Luke Contayning Chapters 24 Iohn Contayning Chapters 21 Actes of the Apostles Contayning Chapters 28 Epistle of S. Paul to the Romaines Contayning Chapters 16 To the Corinthians the first Contayning Chapters 16 To the Corinthians the seconde Contayning Chapters 13 To the Galathians Contayning Chapters 6 To the Ephesians Contayning Chapters 6 To the Philippians Contayning Chapters 4 To the Colossians Contayning Chapters 4 To the Thessalonians the first Contayning Chapters 5 To the Thessalonians the secoÌ„d Contayning Chapters 3 To Timothy the first Contayning Chapters 6 To Timothy the second Contayning Chapters 4 To Titus Contayning Chapters 3 To Philemon Contayning Chapters 1 To the Hebrues Contayning Chapters 13 The Epistle of Iames Contayning Chapters 5 Of Peter the first Contayning Chapters 5 Of Peter the second Contayning Chapters 3 Of Iohn the first Contayning Chapters 5 Of Iohn the second Contayning Chapters 1 Of Iohn the third Contayning Chapters 1 Of Iude Contayning Chapters 1 Apocalyps Contayning Chapters 22 The Chapters in all are two hundred thrée score For in what place the Epistles of Peter the seconde of Iohn the seconde and thirde and one of Iude deserue to be put I do not nowe dispute who professe my selfe to followe the common opinion or rather custome Now if thou readest euery wéeke in the Newe Testament fiue Chapters thou shalt go
thorough with it once in a tweluemonths space If thou pervse ouer ten Chapters thou shalt go thorough with it twice and one only day shal be left to spare If fiftéene Chapters thou shalt accomplishe it thrice If twentie thou shalte accomplish it foure times These things being thus declared it remayneth that euery godly man do repute with himselfe howe oft hée will reade ouer the holy Psalmes howe ofte the bookes of the olde Testament howe oft the newe Testamente in a yeares space Of whiche pointe when he hath once determined then shall it be néedefull for him to limit out the Chapters of the bookes according to the wéekes and dayes of the yeare after that forme and order whiche wée haue shewed in the premisses Howbeit partly to the intent the godlie disposed may the more willingly and easilye imbrace our counsayle and aduice partly leaste those that haue alreadye attempted to reade dayly the holye Byble at houres appointed should alleage for excuse that they do sooner than a man would thinke fayle and misse in the order or number of the Chapters I haue prouided a Calendar wherein for euery daye in euery moneth are noted and set downe certaine Chapters as wel of the worke of the Psalmes as of the other bookes of the old and new Testament and the same truely so digested and distincted in number that thou mayste verye well reade and pervse ouer once or oftner in a yeare as thou thinkest good al the said bookes of the holy Bible or at leastwise so many of them as thou hast most fancie to and canst best like of And in this order is this Calendar made First and foremost we haue giuen to euerye moneth two litle pages or sides of a leafe the one answering to the other and either of them with lines from aboue drawn directly downewarde disseuered and diuided into Columnes or pillers In the former page of the left side are drawen two suche lines betwéen which for as muche as they represent and make a very small and slender piller there is no greater space or distaunce than that by descending from the heade to the foote the letters A. b.c.d e. f g. A b.c. c whereby are wont to be noted in common Calendars the spaces of the wéekes and number of the dayes maye be writen But before this same piller towarde the left side there are set down certaine notes of numbers which whilest they aunswere to the sayde letters doe at the firste sighte declare what day of the moneth euerye daye in the wéeke is From the seconde line to the vttermost parte of the same side towarde the right hande is a great deale of space left wherein whosoeuer list maye at his owne choyce and libertie note the publike feasts and holydayes hapning throughout the whole yeare Though I who am fully resolued to consecrate this labour whatsoeuer it bée to the reading of the Scriptures and for this cause haue willinglye called it a Calendar of the holy Scripture do set downe the things memorable whiche the holy bookes reporte to be done on certaine dayes adding also some things in some places whiche the opinion onely of the learned warranteth to be done on the same dayes of which sort are the natiuitie and death of CHRIST the murther of Stephen the calling of Paule c. as touching whych things verile the holy Scripture expresseth no certain dayes and yet by the common consentes of all menne there are some certaine dayees appointed Thus much of the former â—age On the other side or page which stretchesh towarde the right hande there follow foure other distaunces or pillers marked out with fiue lines let downe to rights in manner of a plum line And of all of them well néere the bredth is alike sauing that the first is discerned to be somwhat narrower Whiche first is appointed only to the worke of the Psalmes and it conteyneth in suche wise the number and order of Psalmes affixed on certaine dayes as all men may pervse them ouer once euerye yeare But if a man be disposed to reade them twice or thrice or fouretymes in a yere there is no cause to the contrary but that he by his own choyce and industry multiplying the numbers of the Psalmes according to the rate and proportion of euery wéeke may frame to himselfe papers with columnes or pillers correspondent and fixe them in a table to his own vse concerning which thing we haue touched somewhat also aboue Next foloweth the seconde Columne wherein are placed the bookes of the olde Testament whiche our auncesters the most holy gouernours of Churches haue acknowledged to be Canonicall The names therefore of these bookes we haue sette downe in a decent order and likewise what and howe manye Chapters of them maye conuently be reade euerye daye The third Columne we haue giuen to the bookes of the Olde Testamente no numbred in the Canon wherof the titles and Chapters are in a number certaine distributed throughout the wéekes of euerye moneth And we haue purposelye sundered these bookes from the former neyther woulde wée mingle them togither in one and the selfesame distance For it came to my remembraunce to feare that that woulde not onely haue bin vnséemely but also to some very gréeuous For what if some mans stomacke could not well brooke the Bookes of the latter kinds or at least not thinke them worthy the reading euery yere Truely I for my parte will interprete my successe to be happy and my labour and diligence not to be vtterly loste if so be I shall obtaine but thus muche of good folkes namely that they will euen once in a yere reade ouer all the Canonicall Bookes Furthermore the fourth columne is dedicated to all the Bookes whyche are nowe euery where by a custome receiued ascribed to the new Testament the Chapters whereof we haue in such wise digested and disposed as that they may once in a yeares space be read ouer without any paines But if any mans minde shall be inflamed with so seruent a desire of reading the holy mysteries that he wyll assay to attempt greater matters and like as the Psalmes so peraduenture also couet to go through a twice or thrice wyth the Canonical Bookes of the olde and newe Testament it shall be an easie matter for him by doubling the numbers whiche we haue put or by conueying them somewhat otherwise to deuise an other way fit and profitable for hys purpose and to make another Calendar Moreouer aboue these Columnes in the pages of euery moneth there are fixed of vs in steade of pillar coronets certaine titles The firste and highest line extended throughout both the pages containeth the name of euery moneth in Latine and English then next how the Hebrues do call the same how many it is with theÌ„ in number finaly howe it is termed in the Atticke tongue of the Gréeks The line that is vnderneath this I meane in the former page ouer and aboue the firste
¶ THE COVRSE of Christianitie or As touching the dayly Reading and Meditation of the holy Scriptures very requisite and necessary for all Christians of what estate or condition soeuer TVVO BOOKES Translated out of Latine into English by Iohn Ludham Vicar of Wethersfeld 1579. The commaundement of God in the olde Testament Deut. 6. 11. These wordes whyche I commaunde thee this daye shall be in thine heart and thou shalte rehearse thē continually vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou tariest in thine house and when thou walkest by the waye when thou lyest down and when thou risest vp c. The commaundement of God in the nevve Testament Ioan. 5.39 Searche the Scriptures for they they be that testifye of mee Printed at London by Henry Bynneman 1579. TO THE RIGHT VVorshipful Vertuous and my very good Lady the Lady Mary Wroth late vvife to the right vvorshipful Sir THOMAS WROTH Knight of godly memorie deceassed Iohn Ludham wisheth continuaunce of health and al things prosperous in Christe Iesus WHat greate cause there is right worshipfull and my very good L. why all men of all sortes should be exhorted and earnestly excited to the daily readyng and meditation of the holy Scriptures the infinite perilles and calamities wherevnto we are al of vs continually subiect do moste plainely and plentifully declare For why who seeth not howe combersome and perillous a state they enter into that take vpon thē to trauaile in the Wildernes in the night season without the helpe either of Moone or Starres or any other light to direct them by Goe they not oftentimes out of the way Doe they not manye tymes stumble and stagger like men berefte of their senses Are they not euer and anone caughte in the Bryars and there pitiously tattred and torne Be they not like from time to time to run themselues either againste some Rocke Blocke or Tree standing before them wherby they get one while perhaps a shrewde rushe on the sides an otherwhile a curst thwacke ouerthwarte the shinnes now and then a sore bounse on the breaste by and by a dreadefull duste on the necke and shoulders straightwayes and odde blowe crosse the face and euen immediately an auke rap vpon the nose or some one dash or other in the eies eares or teeth But what are these in comparison of the rest very fleabitings For if they escape either with some or with all these hurts and annoyances which we haue now mētioned they may say and that truly they haue played the tall fellowes But ouer and besides these they light many tymes vppon some daungerous quagmire foregrowne Lake or Pitte wherein they sticke faste and are not able to winde themselues out againe no not to the death What shall I say of the huge multitude of Beastes so fierce and terrible in their kindes Are they not like euery moment to be deuoured of them Howe is it possible they should escape so many roaring Lions so many rauening Wolues so many bloudy Beares boy sterous Bulles cruell Tygres Panters Pardals Leopardes Serpentes Dragons and suche like and not become a pray vnto them I say nothing all this while of a daunger as greate as any other namely of the theeues and robbers cormorants and caytifes that lurke in obscure places gaping for the spoile of wayfaring men of whom notwithstanding they are cruelly rifled and haue oftetimes their throates miserably cut But who is able to expresse all the harde happes and hazardes whyche they throw themselues into that iourny by night in the Desart as is aforesaide Verily I suppose not Syluanus hymselfe Nowe then if incace the state of these menne be so difficulte and daungerous that are in hazarde onely of a bodily death howe muche more perillous and pernitious is the case of all those that remaine in suche continuall ieopardy bothe of bodye and soule Suche doubtelesse is the plighte of all Adams children euen from the tyme of their byrth to the daye of their death Such is the case and conditiō both of high and low rich and poore noble and base bonde and free Iewe and Gentile al and some one and other For why so soone as wee are borne we enter into thys worlde as into a huge Wildernesse where we are eftesoones environed with innumerable straites of the body with innumerable perplexities of the soule As touching the bodye we come naked into the worlde without either mantell to couer vs or strength to defende vs or discretion to guide vs or prouision to succour vs in whiche behalfe the very brute beastes do far-away surmount vs And wee be no sooner crawled foorth of our mothers womb but wee sette oute oure throates and crye euen thereby bewraying bothe oure present misery and oure wretchednesse to come As we growe vppe in yeares so increase oure troubles Troubles within vs troubles withoute vs troubles aboue vs troubles beneath vs troubles behinde vs troubles before vs troubles on the righte hande troubles on the lefte and euerye where troubles Within vs all manner of maladies and disseases proceedyng of inwarde causes whyche in verye deede are so manye in number as the verye Phisitions themselues coulde neuer as yet find oute propre names ynoughe for them much lesse prescribe any sitte remedies to heale them Without vs all kinde of outwarde crosses and distresses as hunger thirst colde nakednes woundes soares botches blaynes blindenesse lamenesse deafnesse dumbnesse perills of sworde perilles of fyre perilles of water c. Aboue vs are the Heauens as yee woulde saye armed againste vs the Firmament frownyng vppon vs the Ayre distempered the Windes wrastling the Thunders roaring the Lightnings flashing the Comettes and blazing Starres lowting the Sunne eclipsed the Moone depriued of hir light and all tokens of calamities vnto vs. Beneath vs is the earth oftetimes trembling and quaking many times sindged and scorched diuers times ouerflowen surrounded sometimes opening and swallowing vp all that euer is not seldome times breathing out pestilent vapours and exhalations to the destruction of whole Cities and Townes Behinde vs are al troubles vnlooked for Before vs all troubles foreseene On the right hande our friendes On the lefte hande oure foes Yea and which way soeuer we turne vs troubles vppon troubles trials vpon trials one vexation vppon an other and euen death it selfe cōtinually pursuing vs And thus fareth it with vs as touchyng our bodies But as concerning our soules the case is so muche the more dangerous as the enimies are pernitious and calamities grieuous whervnto they are subiect Subiect I say not by creatiō but by deprauatiō or rather by originall corruption For in deede if they be considered accordyng to that excellent nature wherein they were first created before the fall of Adam it will appeare that as in substance spirituall and in qualitie immortall so were they indued also with singular ornaments and heauēly vertues as whereby they resembled the image euen of God himselfe But alas euer since that fatall ruine and dismall
thriftinesse then he that vnderstandeth no suche matter but hangeth onely vppon the bare name of religion and cleaueth therevnto as to a holy ancker and supposeth the knowledge of GOD to consist only in the bare name of the sect Thys lawe the Emperour commaunded to be openly proclaymed by Ariobindus his Liuetenaunte and other officers and so many as woulde not obey it to forfayte all their goods and to goe into exile But if thys moste holy Emperour was carefull to determyne in what tong the Iewes who at that time as touching that matter contended very odiously among themselues should read the holye Scripture why shoulde not our kings Princes prouide by Lawes firste that all Christians vnder theyr Dominions maye reade then nexte in what tongue they maye reade the sacred Byble not so muche publikely in Churches as priuatelye in their houses And what shall we say of the Emperour Theodosius the seconde who as the reporte goeth and no doubte moued by the commaundement of GOD whyche is extante as touching Kinges Deutronomie 17. wrote out with hys owne hande the Bookes of the Newe Testamente reade euerye mornyng in hys house some parte of them and recyted customarily certaine Psalmes and prayers togither wyth hys wife shée was Eudocia the daughter of Leontius a Philosopher of Athens of whome they say were written right learned Poems and with his sisters But if I shoulde go aboute to produce moe proues tending to thys ende I feare leaste I shoulde incurre offence who especiallye haue excéeded alreadye the compasse of an Epistle Therefore that my speache maye drawe to an ende I am perswaded verylye that it wyll then goe well wyth the Church and with the whole common wealth when as the Kings Princes and all other Magistrates of these our times seriously turning their minds to the Statutes of the Almighty and euerliuing GOD whiche were rehearsed euen nowe out of Deuteronomie and to the examples of the most noble Emperoures of whome wee haue spoken shall beginne to putte forthe and with all godly diligence to commend vnto the people committed to their charge lawes as touching the dayly and domesticall and that perdie in their owne Countrey language reading hearing and meditating of the holye Bible And as for the reasons wherewith men may bée moued to obey their most holesome lawes and decrées I haue in this volume partly out of the most sacred Sermons of the Prophets and Apostles partly out of the Commentaries of the most excellent Doctors packed togither as ye would say in one bundle very many and the same not to be misliked so that this onely remayneth namely that with what willingnesse and desire they are of me offered with the selfe same all menne whensoeuer they shall reade them woulde vouchsafe to receyue them My purpose and scope to dispatche it in a worde is to profite at leastwise somewhat by my labour all sortes of men that are carefull for a better life and for the euerlasting saluation of their soules But vnto your highnesse most noble Prince I haue thought good to consecrate this worke as well for sundry causes and considerations as also especially for twayne which haue in them more force than the rest The one is when I behold and consider the iustice clemencie gentlenesse and other vertues naturally ingenerate in you togither with the notable education and instruction worthy a most famous Prince doubtlesse I am perswaded that your Highnesse may easilie be broughte to this poynte namely that you will not onely exercise your selfe dayly in the reading of the holye Byble according to GODS commaundemente Deuteronomie 17. but also prouoke and stirre vp one whyle by gentle exhortations another while by sharpe and seuere preceptes all the people and inhabitantes of youre Dominion as GOD also hath willed Deuteronomie 6. and. 11. to the doing and practising of the like For what shoulde not I looke for at his hands whose father Friderike Prince Elector Palatine and those twayne of the same house neuer sufficiently praysed supplying before hym the selfesame honoures to theyr innestimable commendation I meane Fridericke and Otho Henry haue accomplished many difficulte attempts for the amplifying of GODS glory and encrease of sincere Religion Neyther haue I anye doubte but that youre Highnesse most noble Father caused therefore of late the Bookes of the Diuine Oracles most cléerely and at his greate charge to bée Printed in the vulgar tong to the intente that both innumerable Copies myght be conueyed and spredde ouer all youre Dominions and other places and also be deuoutely redde of euery man for conscience sake in theyr priuate houses The other cause is so soone as other Potentates shall perceyue you whose glory standeth aloft on a high and stately place to gyue some onset to the trayning of Christian people to the reading and exercising of the holy Scriptures it is very lykely that immediatelye therevppon many of them that are in authoritie wyll stoutely followe in the selfesame rare of godlynesse It happeneth I wote not how that the vertue whiche procéedeth from Princes and greate men casteth forthe farre and néere an incredible brightenesse and as yée would say beames whereby it both rouzeth vp a great number and also allureth them to mutation And euen as wittie Paynters doe choose out all the welfauouredst bodyes they can come by and do lay to gette Tables that haue bin aforehande curiously wroughte by the cunningest Artificers of their occupation to the intente they may drawe forthe and expresse them wyth theyr pencill and couloures so likewise suche men as are of a noble courage and especially of an honourable stocke and Parentage do much more willingly and desirously learne vertue of their equals than of anye other sortes of men besydes whatsoeuer Wherefore I most humbly pray and beséech youre Highnesse to take well in worth my good wyll and meaning héerein The King euerlasting immortall inuisible and GOD onely wise vnto whome alone all honour and glory is due vouchsafe through IESVS CHRIST his sonne to informe your mind with his holy Spirite to good gouernement and to guide and defende you to the ende Farewell moste noble Prince The Ides of march M.D.LXI Of the reading and dayly meditation of the holy Scriptures very requisite and necessarie for all Christians of what estate or condition soeuer The first Booke ALl doe agree in this that Man differeth from other Creatures in vnderstanding and reason But if we shall procéede further and enquire wherein a Christian Godly man may be discerned from an vnchristian and vngodly man verily I do not see what fitter aunswere may be made than in the knowledge if GOD and in the studie of accomplishing his will. For as touching the wicked and vngodly man eyther hee is altogither ignorante of GOD his maker and Creator and vtterly voyde of the knowledge of his wil for else if he can giue any iudgement thereof at all yet is he moued in the meane time with no desire of
behoofe of many ages and to be short turne thē into diuers and sundry languages and finally transport them ouer withoute any businesse into Countreys and Prouinces both farre and néere This most holesome purpose and aduise therefore accomplished by the wonderfull prouidence of God and taken in hand for our incomparable benefite that man vndoubtedly séemeth ouermalapartly to despise that maketh not accompte of the Bookes of holy Scripture as he ought to doe and so refuseth eyther to reade them or heare them But as oft as I call to remembrance the diligence of the auntiente Fathers whiche liued long before the Bookes were published by GODS commandement and againe consider the great sloth and sluggishnesse of the people of our time verily I am vehementlye moued in mind and do in a maner whollie quake for feare Neyther doe I sée by what force of spéeche or with what thundering words so great dulnesse may I say of ours or malice or rather both ioyned togither can sufficientlie bée dashed and ouerthrowen The very first maysters and teachers of our Religion whiche were Adam and suche as liued in his time conceyued the diuine misteries alonely by the instiction of the holy GHOSTE and of them were other immediately taught by a liuely expressed voyce who agayne by a long continuance of time as it were from hand to hand louingly imparted the same vnto others and so whereas they had all of them but memorie onely in stead of Bookes they neuerthelesse for the space of many hundred yeares kept and reteyned in their families doctrine polluted with no maner of blemishes or defilements at all So feruente a care was in them of Religion so greate constancie faithfulnesse consent and diligence both in learning and teaching But as for vs we haue Bookes wherein wée may reade the selfesame doctrine both cléerely and purely expressed We haue Bookes Printed and put forth in the very same tong that those auntiente Fathers spake in we haue Bookes most faithfully translated into sundry languages we haue the Bookes not only of Moses and the other Prophets but also of the Apostles and Euangelistes wherof the one sort were vtterly vnknowen to all that went before Moses the other sort altogyther vnheard of as many as were before CHRISTES incarnation we haue Bookes that doe most plenteously and wyth incredible perspicuitie declare whatsoeuer is necessarie to our saluation we haue Bookes in all places and at all times most easie with little cost in such readinesse and yet notwithstanding this most excellente and soueraigne benefite of Bookes wherewith GOD hath enriched and after a sort blessed vs before an innumerable multitude of our holy auncesters we do in no wise worthelie weigh and cōsider yea verily as though we neyther euer heard of them at any time nor yet saw them we doe wyth deafe eares and blinde eyes passe ouer many great commodities we lette slippe from vs manyfolde occasion of profiting we suffer sincere doctrine to shrinke and fall downe to the grounde And finally which the very vnworthinesse of the thing compelleth me to adde a number but suche as are Christians onely in name doe vtterly contemne all Religion scoffe at it speake againste it and euen by all possible meanes trample it vnder their féete O strange ingratitude oh monstrous malice oh wickednesse worthy of GODS hastned vengeance But what shall we thinke a great number of vs would do if so be we had no Bookes of holy Scripture at all verily I beléeue we would not so muche as thinke of GOD or of any thing belonging vnto GOD all our life long neyther should we liue in any better estate than that wretched Nabuchadnezar who as we may reade in Daniel 4. kepte companye for certayne yeares with brute Beastes was depriued of reason and vnderstanding wente groueling vppon the ground and susteyned himselfe with fodder and grasse But why doe we not at the length rouze vp our selues lay to oure eares open our eyes by the example of the said Nabuchadnezar and lift them vp to heauen that being restored to our right mind we may more attentiuelie behold the greatnesse of the benefite whereby GOD hathe enriched vs with the Bookes of holy Scripture and being stirred vp and enlightened with the reading of them may prayse him giue him thanks glorifye him to be short may religiously vse and enioy the same holye Bookes to all those endes and purposes where vnto it is euident GOD so ordeyning they are written and putte 〈◊〉 Now it may be that some subtill trifeler séeking the defence as well of his owne as of others slouthfulnesse and coueting to vndermine the felicitie of the faithfull will make exceptions and say that the commandement of God whiche a little before was recited out of Deuteronomie perteyned only to the Iewes and dothe in no case bind the Christiās to the obseruation of it but such are in no wise to be heard or hearkned vnto for why no man is ignorant that of the precepts of the law whereof some are Morall some Ceremoniall and other some Iudiciall the two later kindes onely are abrogate for the one kind conteyned nothing else than types and shadows of things afterward to be accōplished by CHRIST Heb. 10. the other was giuen peculiarly to the nation for the framing and well ordering of their common weale Wherfore seing all things lōg agone shadowed in rites and Ceremonies are now throughly perfited finished by CHRIST and séeyng againe that their whole common wealth is vtterlie subuerted and ouerthrowen it followeth that those two kindes of lawes likewise are vtterly repealed and taken away It remayneth then that the preceptes of the firste sort or kinde I meane as touching maners are yet still in force and common to all as well Christians as Iewes But that in these or within the compasse of these commandements ought to be placed that which we alleadged before out of Deuteronomie who can denye yea and whatsoeuer is auaileable to the declaration of oure Faith in GOD and the loue toward our neyghbour and briefely to the framing of a godly and vnblamable life that whether it be found discussed in the Bookes eyther of the old or newe Testament let euery Christian man knowe assuredly to belong also to himselfe to the intente he shoulde whollie kéepe and obserue the same But nowe dothe our Sauiour CHRIST himselfe repeate the selfesame commaundemente and will haue it for euer ratifyed and established whilest in the fifth of Iohn he commandeth vs to Search the Scriptures which do paynte him forth in their couloures and declare hym to be the Sauiour and protector of mankinde Whyche words if a man would contend that they were vttered onely to the Iewes and therefore alleadge that they agrée not vnto Christians that man as Saincte Augustine doth learnedly gather entreating De verbis Domini sermone 45. might as wel saye that he woulde neyther knowe Christe nor be acknowledged of CHRISTE Wherefore Saint Peter dealing as an interpreter
of that commaundemente speaketh thus vnto all Christians We haue sayeth he a most sure worde of the Prophets to the which ye do well that ye take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place vntil the day dawne and the day Starre arise in your hearts And the holye Apostle Paule commaundeth exhorteth and leaueth nothing vnattempted whereby he might allure all men to loue and frequent the wrytings of the Prophetes and Apostles Colossi 3. Let the worde of Christe sayeth he dwel in you plentifully with all wisdome and teach and admonishe one another Last of all what things soeuer do offer themselues in the New Testament to the commendation of the holy Scripture or worde of GOD the same oughte to be taken of vs as preceptes and exhortations inuiting vs to the readyng of the sacred bookes Therefore it behoueth vs patientlye to heare GOD the Father speakyng in the olde Testamente CHRIST hys sonne Peter Paule and so manye as followe theyr steppes speakyng in the Newe and as for all false deceyuers and Sophysters perswading the contrarye lette them departe farre off and for euer from the fellowshippe and societye of the Godlye To followe the aduice of wyse and honeste councellours and according to theyr councels to searche and examyne the lawe of the Lorde that is to saye the holye Scriptures with suche diligence and deuotion as is requisite is a point of very great wisdome Prouerbs 2.4 Ieremie 9. But wyth what alacritie and chearefulnesse of minde all true Christians haue euen from the begynnyng obeyed the Apostles so greatelye vrgyng the studye of the holye Scriptures and wyth what great feruencie all haue endeauoured to reade the Diuine mysteries the Historye of the Apostles Actes doâ—th sufficientlye declare The noble menne of Berea among those that were it Thessalonica when they had receyued the word with all readinesse of minde searched the scriptures dayly coueting to trie whether the things whyche they heard of the Apostles were so or no. Act. 17.11 The example of the men of Berea admonisheth vs that it is not ynough for vs to heare Sermons coÌ„tinually in publike assemblies but also verye necessarye duely to discusse examine priuately with our selues all the things whiche we haue hearde to the intente we may become the more sure and certaine of our religion This tryal and examination of doctrine is accomplished by comparing togither of diuerse places out of the holy Scriptures in which it behoueth vs so long time to be occupyed vntill we may plainely perceyue whether the things that are spoken of the teacher or of any other doe agrée with the places of Scripture or no. The Doctrine that men vse to put forth deserueth not to be accounted for sounde and Catholike excepte it be aunswearable to the rule and squire of the Prophetical and Apostolike writings And this manner of discerning in times paste was common to all hearers and besides there was receyued in euerye Churche well neare a certaine publike forme and patterne thereof For proofe whereof make the words of the Apostle 1 Corin. 14. where he saith As oft as yee come togither euery one of you hath a song hath a doctrine hath a tongue hath a reuelation hath an interpretation let all things be done to edifying And a little after Let two or three of the Prophetes speake and let the residewe determyne Further if anye thing be reuealed to another that sitteth by let the firste holde hys peace For ye maye all seuerally prophecie that all may learne and all receyue comforte and the spirites of the Prophetes are subiect to the Prophetes And againe 1. Thessa. 4. he sayeth Quench not the Spirite despise not prophesiying Trye all things holde that which is good Some therefore doe priuately to theyr owne comforte and instruction determine of prophesies and discerne the true and natiue sense from the false and counterfayte othersome whiche especiallye doe excell others in iudgement and giftes of the spirite are required euen in publike meetings that they woulde louinglye declare theyr minde as touching the doctine put forth And vndoubtedly those only can readily and fruitefullye wyth commendation do any thing in this behalfe the haue exercised theÌ„selues at home with coÌ„tinual reading of the scriptures The Apostle moreouer in the same place to the Corin. addeth another coÌ„maundement as concerning the duety of husbands But if the women will learne any thing Let theÌ„ aske sayth he their husbandes at home To the wife therfore demanding a question it behoueth the husbande to make answere render a reason out of the Scriptures euen in like case as euery Prophet or preacher doth wheÌ„ he is questioned with of manye in open publike place Neyther did the goodmaÌ„ of the house in those days performe this duetie alonlye to his wife but also to all his householde of what age or condition soeuer they were especially when there was good hope the so many as should bée instructed in the word of GOD might be made modest sober vigilant much more faithful diligent in doing of their businesse afterward than they were before It is euident also that parentes did then nouzel and instructe euen their tender little ones in the principles of godlynesse Christian religion Continue thou saith the Apostle in the 3. Chap. of his 2. epist. to Timothy in the things which thou hast learned which are committed vnto thee knowing of whoÌ„ thou hast learned theÌ„ that thou hast known the holy scriptures of a child And in the 1. Chap. of his 1. Epi. he putteth Timothy in remeÌ„braunce that he had receiued examples of Faith and godlynesse of life of his mother Eunica and of his grandmother Lois Neither ought any man to maruayle when we saye that all the beléeuers in that age did bothe often and exactlye reade the holye Scriptures and also greatly profitte by readyng of them For as Peter in hys Sermon Actes 2. truelye interpreteth that whyche was long before spoken of the Prophete Ioel it behoued that the same Prophesie shoulde then be fulfilled and that the holy Ghoste being powred into the heartes of a greate number should by and by so instruct them as that they might loue and imbrace the holye Scriptures try and examine them and finally with wonderfull dexteritie expounde and declare the meaning of them whiche benefite was afterwarde made common to all the Godlye but chiefely to those that feruentlye faithfullye and wythout staggering craued true and perfitte Wisdome of GOD the father of lightes as the Apostle saint Iames saith For it behoueth the promise of of GOD to be firme immutable which is extant in the Prophetes and wonderfully commended of CHRIST They shall all sayth he be taught of GOD. And The godlye are annointed of the holy Ghost Esay 54 Iere. 31. Iohn 6.1 Ioan. 2. Hebr. 8. Wherefore Chrisostome vpon Genesis homelie 35 is bold to say That it cannot bee that he which with greate care and feruent desire
For in very déede euerye mannes owne proper cause is here handled And it behoueth vs all oftetimes to consider that the Churche is a publike and common Schoole instituted of GOD oure heauenly father wherein the moste excellent teacher of trueth the holye Ghoste teacheth and professeth of frée cost and louingly allureth vs all vnto him The Scholers admitted into this Schoole are euen so many as are baptized into the name of CHRISTE There is but one booke and that is gyuen indifferently to all containing the writings of the Prophets and Apostles in whiche Booke is nothing else declared in effecte than howe by IESVS CHRISTE righteousnesse and eternall saluation commeth to the beléeuers and againe howe all the Goldye oughte to indeuoure that their Faith Loue and Hope may become manifest and apparante vnto all men It standeth euerye one of vs in hande wisely to weigh and consider howe he behaueth hymselfe in this Schoole and what profite hée reapeth from tyme to tyme in the holye Booke For he that doeth daylye in expounding reading hearing and repeating of it diligently exercise hymselfe and be a meane to prouoke others to doe the lyke hée declareth hymselfe indéede to be the Scholler of GOD and to be well worthye of prayse and commendation But on the other side who soeuer he be that refuseth to reade heare and learne the sayde Booke also causeth others to abstaine from the same he doeth not obscurely signifye that hée is of hys father the Diuell For so leaste any man shoulde be offended wyth me as hauing spoken more boldelye than becommeth mée Christe hymselfe determineth Iohn 8. Hee that is of GOD sayeth he heareth Gods wordes you therefore heare them not bycause yee are not of God whome also a little before he had said flatly to be borne of their father the Diuell And this sentence béeyng of more force than all the definitiue sentences of the Iudges of the whole world as that whiche is pronounced not of any mortall manne but of the immortall GOD himselfe muste of necessitie abide firme and vnchaungeable Let euerye manne therefore diligently repute wyth himselfe what maner of iudgement maye be giuen of hym that is to saye whither he be addicted vnto GOD to euerlasting life or giuen ouer to the Diuell to eternall confusion ¶ OF THE READING and dayly meditation of the holy Scriptures very requisite and necessary for al Christians of what estate or condition soeuer The seconde Booke HE that will take vppon hym to persuade with a sicke man must not onelye tell him what medicine is of force against his sickenesse but also howe and in what order the same is to be vsed For it skilleth verye muche whether a thing be taken within the bodye or withoute of an olde manne or of a yong of a strong bodye or of a weake of a man or of a woman also at what tyme of the yeare and to be shorte in what order or manner tempered and made Saint Augustine reporteth in his fifte Epistle to Marcellinus that there was a man on a tyme throughe a certaine medicine ministred by the excellent Phisition Vindicianus restored to health after a fewe yeares when the verye same sickenesse came againe the sicke partie withoute asking any counsell of the Phisition vsed the selfe same medicine as before but it did him no good Anone there was running to Vindicianus of whome they demaunded what the cause should be why the medicine nowe lastelye taken did not auaile hée answered that it was therfore vnauaileable bicause he himselfe had not willed it to be taken but least they should suspecte any harme by his so saying he added that the manner of the vsing of a thing is greately to bée taken héde of and that all things are not méete for all ages In like manner therefore for so muche as we haue hytherto with sundrye and playne argumentes declared that it is the office of euery Christian dayly and continuallye to reade heare and learne something out of the holye Bible it remayneth nowe that we specifye and demonstrate howe and by what meanes a man maye readily and without any trouble or thinking of the time long so take in hande and poynte out thys office of reading euerie daye of the wéeke as that in a yeares space he maye well reade and pervse ouer all the holy Bookes especially so many as the olde and purer Churche hathe auouched to be Canonicall Wée haue indéede tarried longer in the former Booke than we were aware of inasmuch as no man is ignorante that there is a more laboure and diligence required of vs when mens minds are first of all to be prepared and inflamed vnto any thing séeming strange in the opinion of the vnlearned multitude and hard to outwarde appearance neyther truly shall it repente vs eyther of oure trauell or long standing if we maye by some meanes bring that to passe whyche we couet and desire but in the matters following we wyll bée more briefe as also the thing it selfe of whiche wée haue determined to speake maye well be dispatched in fewer wordes Whosoeuer hée be therefore that is truely and indéede so carefull of hys owne soules health as he would bée counted and knoweth assuredly that the knowledge of Gods wyll out of the holy Scriptures is very requisite and necessarie to saluation that manne maye easilie if he list finde oportunitie to reade and ensearch the same The thyng that a man hathe once earnestly sette hys minde vpon vnto that by striuing may he at length atteyne It is no hard matter wyth vs to deuise a way whereby at one time or other wée maye enioy that whiche we gréedily gape for The couetous sorte séeke narrowly and will be sure to gette both tyme and all manner of helpes that serue to the increase of their gayne and some can fynde the meanes to serue their turnes in gadding vppe and downe in riding too and fro othersome in quaffing and drincking in telling of fond Fables in playing at Dice c. in whyche besides the losse of their money are manye thyngs also hurtfull and noysome why mayst not thou therefore if thou wilte bestowe some parcell of time in the searching and pervsing of Gods holy mysteries Truely it is agaynste all reason that anye manne shoulde complayne that he wanteth time to reade the holy Bookes sith wée maye beholde the same dayly to loose manye good houres in things not necessarie and peraduenture vnséemely or at least wise vnprofitable And a very preposterous care it is springing of a peruerse iudgement to searche néerely and nimbly to prouide all manner of things that tend to the satisfying of the paunch the lust ambition pride and other suche lyke desires of a corrupted mind and when vertue commeth in question so to doubte so to wauer in minde so to weaue delayes so to pretēd lettes and impediments and I wote not what as though all wayes and entries vnto it were on euery side forestalled and shutte vppe
piller hath nothing at all written on it but ouer the second and maine piller we haue noted in these words THINGS DONE and in the latter page the first piller sheweth this title PSALMES the seconde third OLDE TESTAMENT the fourth NEVVE In thys wise therefore whilest passage is made throughe the twelue moneths there is layd open a certaine and vndoubted waye whereby in a yeares space the whole booke of the Psalmes againe all the other Canonicall bookes of the olde Testamente further the bookes not Canonicall lastly al the bookes numbred in the newe Testament may once very wel be read ouer And least any man shold want any thing herein I haue thought good to inserte into this booke the whole Calender of the holy Scripture drawen forth in that forme and order which we haue spoken of and with al the pages pillers incident therevnto so farforth as might bée truelye decked and distinguished ¶ Here foloweth the Calendar of the holy Scripture Ianuarius Ianuarie Thebet in Hebrue x. Moneth THINGS DONE Psalmes Olde Testament Newe 1 A CircuÌ„cision of CHRIST Luke 2. There appeared to Noe 1 Genes 1.2.3  Math 1. 2 b the tops of the mountaines Genes 8. The diuorcemente 2 45  2 3 c straunge wiues Ezra 10. 3 6.7  3 4 d   8 9  4 5 e The destructioÌ„ of Ierusalem is shewed to Ezechi Chap 33.  10.11 â—obia 1. 5 6 f Epipha of Curist He is worshipped of the wise meÌ„ Ma. 2.  12.13 2  7 g He is baptised Math. 3. He worketh his first miracle at  14.15 3  8 A a mariage Iohn 2. 4 16.17.18  6 9 b  5 19.20  7 10 c Nabuchadnezar besiegeth Ierusalem 2. King. 25. Ierem. 25. 6 21.22  8 11 d Ezechiels parable Chap. 24.  23.24  9 12 e Ezechiel prophesieth against Aegipt Chap 29.  25 26 4 10 13 f   27.28 5  14 g   29.30 6  15 A  7 31.32.33  11 16 b  8 34.35  12 17 c  9 36.37  13 18 d   38.39  14 19 e   40.41 7 15 20 f   42.43 8  21 g   44.45 9  22 A  10 46.47.48  16 23 b  11 49 50.  17 24 c  12 Exod 1.2  18 25 d The calling of Paul yere 〈◊〉 after the death of Christ Act 9.  3.4 10 19 26 e   5.6 11 20 27 f   78 12  28 g   9.10   29 A  13 11 12.13  21 30 b  14 14 15  22 31 c  15 16.17  23 Februarius Februarie Sebas in Hebrue XI Moneth THINGS DONE Helapheboliωn in Greeke Psalmes Olde Testament Newe 1 d Moyses expoundeth the lawe Deut. 1.  18.19  24 2 e CHRIST is offered to the Lord. Luke 2.  20.21 13 25 3 f   22.23 14  4 g   24.25 Iudeth 1  5 A  16 26.27.28  26 6 b  17 29.30  27 7 c  18 31.32  28 8 d   33.34  Marke 1 9 e   35.36 2 2 10 f   37.38 3  11 g Noe sent forth the Doue which returned again Gene. 8.  39.40 4  12 A  19 Leuitic 1.2.3  3 13 b  20 4.5  4 14 c  21 6.7  5 15 d   8.9  6 16 e   10.11 5 7 17 f   12.13 6  18 g Noe set forth the Doue which broght an Oliue braÌ„ch Ge. 8.  14.15 7  19 A  22 16.17.18  8 20 b  23 19.20  9 21 c  24 21.22  10 22 d   23.24  11 23 e   25.26 8 12 24 f Zacha. prophesieth Zach. 1. The electioÌ„ of Mathias Act. 1.  27. Nume 1 9  25 g Noe sent forth the Doue which returned no more Ge. 8.  2.3 10  26 A  25 4.5.6  13 27 b  26 7.8  14 28 c  27 9.10  15 Martius Marche Ader in Hebrue XII Moneth THINGS DONE Munychiωn in Greeke Psalmes Olde Testament Newe 1 d   11.12  16 2 e   13.14 11 Luke 1 3 f The temple finished yeare 6. of Darius Ezra 6.  15.16 12  4 g   17.18 13  5 A  28 19.20.21  2 6 b  29 22.23  3 7 c  30 24.25  4 8 d   26.27  5 9 e   28.29 14 6 10 f CHRIST heareth Lazarus to be sicke Iohn 10.  30.31 15  11 g The tast of Esther 3.8.9  32.33 16  12 A The question of diuorce Children are brought Math 19. 31 34.35.36  7 13 b CHRIST commeth to Ierico Luke 18.19 32 Deut. 1.2  8 14 c He healeth the sicke Math. 20. The dayes called Purim 33 3.4  9 15 d 1. Esther 9.2 Mach. the last The Purim dayes 2. Esth 9.  5.6  10 16 e He rayseth vp Lazarus Iohn 11.  7.8 Susan 1 11 17 f He goeth to Ephraim Iohn 11.  9.10 Bel Dragon 1  18 g He returneth to Bethany Iohn 12.  11.12 Song of the 3 chil 1  19 A His séeth are annointed Iohn 12 34 13.14.15  12 20 b He commeth to Ierusalem Luke 19. 35 16.17  13 21 c The Actes are done which are reade of Math. 21.22.23.24 36 18.19  14 22 d 25.26 Marke 14.  20.21  15 23 e Iudas goeth to the Bishops Math 26.  22.23 FragmeÌ„t of Esth 1 16 24 f CHRIST kéepeth the passeouer Math. 26. Iohn 13.  24.25 2  25 g He is crucified Gabriel is sent to Mary Luke 1.  26.27 3  26 A The Sepulchre is kept 37 28.29.30  17 27 b CHRIST riseth froÌ„ death Sheafes are offred Leuit. 23. 38 31.32  18 28 c Iehoiachim broughte forthe of prison Ierem. the laste 2. 39 33.34  9 29 d King. 25.  Iosua 1.2  20 30 e   3.4 4 21 31 f   5.6 5  Aprilu April Nisan in Hebrue I Moneth THINGS DONE Thargenωn in Greeke Psalmes Olde Testament Newe 1 g Noe séeth the land Genes 8. The tabernacle is reared vp  7.8 6 22 2 A Exod. the last chapter The teÌ„ple is purged 2. Chr. 24. 29 40 9.10.11  23 3 b CHRISâ— appeared to Thomas Iohn 20. 41 12.13  24 4 c  42 14.15  Iohn 1 5 f   16.17  2 6 e Iosua leadeth the people out of Setâ—â— Iosu 3  18.19 7  7 f Ezechiel prophesieth against Egipt chap. 30  20.21 8  8 g   22.23 Ezra III. â— 3 9 A The passeouer is instituted Exod. 12. 43 24. Iudg. 1.2  4 10 b The people passeth ouer Ior. Iosu 3.4 The pascal lambe 44 3.4  5 11 c Exod. 12. The people are circumcised Iosu 5. 45 5.6  6 12 d The vessels of the Lord are restored to the Iewes Ezr. 8.  7.8  7 13 e Edictes against the Iewes Esther 3.  9 10 2  14 f The Lords passeouer Exod. 12. Leuitic 23. Iosu 5.  11 12 3  15 g The
thrusteth forthe one while verily suche as are approued in opinion for their notable wisedome another while swinishe haters and contemners of all holy things an other while Hypocrites puffed vp with a vaine shew of holynesse and therefore maruellous fit instrumentes to beguile the simple by whose painted and smooth persuasions and by other crafty conueyances the vnwarie sort maye be broughte to the neglecting and open hatred of the Scriptures but it is your partes with these reasoÌ„s and instructions whereof you haue hitherto heard many and sundry as well out of the sacred Scriptures theÌ„selues as also out of the moste godly and learned fathers to shoare vp and fortify your minds and euen in spight of all the rablement of the wicked whome Sathan subborneth and armeth dayly against vs to stirre them vp to the loue and study of Gods word Let vs coÌ„sider that CHRIST doth euen now also without ceasing preache vnto vs which in very déede he doth not after one waye or manner and that there is no precepte of him oftner vrged and repeated than this wherein he sayeth to all Christians Searche the Scriptures for they are they that testifye of me This voyce of CHRIST for so much as his heauenly father hath so coÌ„maunded let vs heare with patient and stayed mindes and with al reuerence and submission obey it finally in comparison of that let vs refuse and abandon all mens pesuasions preceptes counsels flatteries threatnings curses and tormentes whatsoeuer For he that maketh none accompt of thys voyce of CHRIST there is no doubt but that his name shall oneday be vtterly scraped and raced out of the register of Christians that is to saye out of the booke of life whiche GOD himselfe hath written and that at the laste iudgement of the great day he shal heare froÌ„ the mouth of the same CHRIST a far other manner of voyce namely a heauye and a horrible voyce as touching the suffering and enduring of euerlasting fire THE ENDE Ps. 14.2.3.4 Psâ—l 53.4 Ps. 5.10 and 140.2 and 10.7 Prou. 1.16 Iam. 4.8 1. Cor. 1.20 2.14 Iere. 9.26 Deut. 10.16 Eccles 11.33 Genes 6.5.11.12 and 8.21 Psal. 36.1 Esa. 59.3.7 Rom. 3.10.11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18 Psalm 51.5 Eph. 2.1.3.5 Rom. 3.9 Galath 3 22 Rom. 2.22 Psalm 116.11 Rom. 3.4 Esa. 59.5 Deut. 27 Galath 3.10 Coloss 2.13 Ephes 2.12 Rom. 6.23 1 Pet. 5.8 Ephes 6.12 Ephes 2.2 Genes 3.1 1. Pet. 5.8 Apocal. 12 3 Ioan. 3.3 Ephes 4.23 1. Pet. 2.2 Hebr. 13.14 â— Corinth 1.10 11. Time. 3.16 Rom. 15.4 Man is created to the knowledge of GOD and of his will. Ouid. Metamorph Lib. 1. Of the former booke which is the whole world Of the later booke to wit the holy Scripture VVe must giue more attendaunce to the latter booke of the holy Scripture than to the former and that for three causes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 III. It behoueth all men to reade the word of GOD in that it is graunted to them only to speake and vnderstand They must especiallye read the holye Scriptures which professe themselues to be Christians It is a shame for a Christian to be ignorant of the things that Christe commaundeth The Iewes reade the Scriptures painefully God commandeth in the Lawe the bookes of holy Scripture to be read and perused of all people For what cause and coÌ„sideratioÌ„ God woulde haue his doyngs and sayings committed to writing The Fathers albeit they were without Bookes yet taught they most diligently the doctrine of religion then what ought not wee to do that haue Bookes graunted vnto vs. The commandement of God as touching the reading of the Scriptures belongeth not only to Iewes Christ also commaundeth vs to reade the Scriptures In the Apostles time all the Godly read the Scriptures most diligently The holy Ghost is giueÌ„ to the beleuers to the intent they may learne and vnderstande the Scriptures â–ª Euen the Gentiles also in these dayes vsed to reade the Scriptures albeit they were extance onely in the Greeke tong In these dayes wee haue the holy Scripturs extant in all tongues And after the Apostles time all the godly serched continualy the Scriptures Exhortations of the holy Fathers as touching the reading of the holy Scriptures priuatly in houses Origen Eusebius â—â—misenus Iohn Chrisostome Augustine Ambrose Now a dayes some Bishops there be that forbid the holy Scriptures to be read The neglecting of the Scriptures of this time if it be compared with the diligence of the auntient people is verie shamefull and ignominious The Lâ—â—ie is profited 〈◊〉 dâ—â—g of the Scriptures that they were able also to teache others Laie men skilful of the holy Scriptures in times paste taughte in Churches and were chosen to thâ— goueâ—â—emet of the same The barbarus enimies of Christian religion oughte sooner by orderly teching of sounde doctrine than by force of armes be won and vnited vnto vs. The very consideration of the times present doth require that all should applye themselues to the studie of the holye Scriptures The answere It behoueth the Ministers of the Church to bee exercised in the holy Scriptures aboue all other The Ecclesiasticall Ministery consisteth not in songs or colde ceremonies The Minister ignorant of the holye Scriptures can not conuince false opinions The Minister that is without the knowledge of the Scriptures can not wisely reproue sinne The Minister that is ignorant of the Scriptures can not confer with others of godlynesse and pietie The Minister can giue no counsell to carefull consciences that is not conuersant in the Scriptures The Minister that he may be able to coÌ„fort the afflicted must of necessitie haue experience in the Scriptures To haue the name of the Ministerie without the substance of it is an absurde thing They that can not perfourme the office of the Ministerie must not reape the fruites of it The Ministers that are vnskilfull of the Scriptures oughte to bee remoued from their places They do moste grieuoâ—sly offende whiche beeing placed in the Ecclesiasticall Ministery doe still neglect the holy Scripture Albeit the studye of the holy Scripeurs doe especiallye become the Ministers of the worde yet maye not the Laitie therefore reiect it There is no degree of men among Christians to whome it perteyneth not exactly to learne the holy Scriptures Kings and Princes must reade also the holy Scriptures All Câ—urtiers and noble men must diligently reade the holy Scriptures Iudges Consuls Pretors must exercise themselues in reading the holy Bible Neither must souldiors neglecte to reade the holy Scriptures Lâ—wiâ—rs ougâ—â— to be familiarly acquainted with the holi Scripturs Phisitions also muste deuoutly trauâ—ile in the Scriptures It is expedient that Merchant men also and Artificers should profit in the Scriptures To husbandmen also is commended the reading and hearing of the Scriptures It is expedient that Boyes and Mothers also be instructed in the holy Scriptures There be certayne duties common to all Christians whiche it is needefull for theÌ„ to learne out of the holy Scriptures All Christians muste endeuor to shewe themselues to be true members of the Churche Euerye Christian ought to bee readye to render a reason of hys Fayth to euerye one that asketh it Euery Christian ought to foresee prouide that hee erre not or be not deceiued in the doctrine of Religion There is no ChristiaÌ„ that standeth not in neede to be reproued for his sinnes and oft times to be admonished No Christian caÌ„ be without comfortes The Conclusion The willing mind easilie findeth oportunitie to do well It is false to saye that in reading there is labour and griefe How we maye get leysure oportunitie to read the holie Scriptures That a time certain ought to be giuen to the reading of the Scriptures VVhat time most apt to the reading of the Scriptures How much euery day to be read The Canonical bookes of the olde Testament Let a man read dayly certaine chapters but vvithout superstition The depth and maiestie of the holy Scriptures ought not to fray vs froÌ„ the reading of theÌ„ No maÌ„ ought to complayne that he cannot vnderstaÌ„d the Scripturs howe we maye attayne to the vnderstaÌ„ding of them Some thinges we are ignoraÌ„t of to cure benefite Howe thou mayste gather spirituall profite by the thyngs that thou readest The power of the spirite worketh priuiely through the worde is the heartes of the readers and hearers Certain Chapters or fountains to which all things in the holy Scriptures ought to be referred Teaching Reprouing Instructing Correcting Comforting Conclusion Jmprinted at London by Henry Bynneman 1579.
the sonnes of men reioyceth to be named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye the Word and the same preaching without intermission or ceasing hath declared the wil of his heaueÌ„ly father Prouerb 8. Ioan. 1. Heb. 1. And moreouer amongst the things that are exercised in the Church the Word holdeth the chiefe place yea and euen the very force and dignitie of the mysticall actions or Sacramentes dependeth vppon the worde of god Wherevppon it pleased some of the learned fathers and especiallye Augustine vppon Iohn in his Sermon 80. and against Faustus booke 19. Cap. 16. to tearme the same very Sacramentes visible wordes What néede anye long circumstaunce GOD by his worde openeth bothe himselfe and all his benefites and graces vnto man and by faith in the worde man is ioyned vnto GOD and made partaker of eternall blessednesse Wherefore we maye moste truely auouch that to reade the holy Scripture with a godly affection is euen all one to talke and conferre with GOD and to heare God talking and conferring with vs Certes as often as thou readest of precepts exhortations promises threatnings iudgements rewardes punishmentes and other things of like sorte so ofte doest thou heare God himselfe of a truth speaking vnto thée Againe as ofte as thou readest of any confession of sinnes crauing of pardon prayer giuing of thanks or anye suche like so ofte dost thou thy selfe speake vnto god For in these pointes chiefly do consist the naturall commonings betwixte God and men and in these things resteth the substaunce of all sacred sayings and sentences Wherefore then to goe aboute to forbidde or withholde anye man from the reading hearing and vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures is euen as much in effecte as to commande him to dissemble or deny himselfe to be a man that so he mighte be depriued of the power of speaking and of the fruite and benefite of reason Hierome maruelleth and stomacketh the matter and counteth it intollerable if anye man shoulde so presume Forsomuch saith he in the proheme of his exposition of the Epistle of Saint Paule to the Ephesians as we differ from all other creatures in this point chieflg that we are endued with reason and haue the vse of speaking and al reason and holy speach is contayned in the bookes of God by which we both learne to know God and also to what ende wee be created I maruaile greatly at some who either giuing themselues to slouthfulnesse and slepe wil not learne the things that are excellent or else seeke to reproue others that bend themselues that waye Which men whereas I might more straightly stop their mouths shortly send theÌ„ packing either eased or pleased in vouching that it is much better to reade the Scriptures than to gape so greedily after the encreasing and hourding vp of riches I will content my selfe onelye in saying this whiche I maye obtaine euen before a moste incompetent Iudge namely that my vocation from labor and quiet solitarinesse of mind is more pleasant vnto me than al other solemnities whatsoeuer Hitherto Hierome Where if so be nowe it belongeth to mans duetie to loue and learne the words of God declared at large in the holy Scriptures forasmuche as we haue giuen vnto vs of God the power and vse of speaking howe muche more ought we wholly to be addicted vnto them which professe our selues to be ChristiaÌ„s For truly how honorable the name of Christian is and what thinges it putteth vs in minde of it shoulde be good for vs oftentimes and déepely in minde to consider He that nameth a Christian comprehendeth in one worde whatsoeuer maye be added to the dignity of a man He that nameth a Christian vnderstandeth a man to be of the number of those whome God himselfe hath pronounced to be a chosen generation a kingly Priesthoode a holy Nation a people freely purchased Exod 19.1 Pet. 2. He that nameth a Christian signifieth a man to be choseÌ„ of God the father before the foundations of the worlde were layed to bée deliuered by the son of God Iesus Christ out of most miserable captiuitie and out of the bondage of most cruell Tirants the Diuel Sinne and Death to be regenerate by the holy Ghost into the Churche of CHRISTE to bée adorned wyth newe Righteousnesse wyth Fayth Loue and other vertues and spirituall graces vnto whome lastely is appointetd prayse and immortall glorie and also eternall felicitie bothe of bodye and soule bringing with it more bountifull and large benefites than the eie of anye man can sée the eare heare or the hart be able to conceiue Ephes 1. Rom. 8. Esay 64.1 Corinth 2. Suche and so greate is the excellencie of a Christian man But whence I praye you taketh a Christian this name Thou wilt say I am sure of CHRIST Act. 11. But howe then commeth a Christian man by those incomparable benefites and by euerlasting blessednesse Forsooth euen by the knowlege of GOD the father and of his sonne oure sauiour IESVS CHRIST This is eternall life saith our sauiour Christe Ioan. 17. To knowe thee the onely true GOD and Iesus Christe whome thou haste sente And Peter Act. 4. saith There is no other name giuen vnto men vnder Heauen wherein wee can bee saued but onely the name of Iesus Christe Paule in like maner 1. Corinth 1. saith CHRIST became vnto vs the wisedome of GOD and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption But there is no maÌ„ that can distinctly and without ambiguitie know GOD the father or his sonne Iesus Christe the authour and beginner of Christianitie oute of that former booke Concerning the nature of things or out of anye inuentions of mans wisedome whatsoeuer but onely and alone by the reading of the holy Scripture reuealed from aboue Whiche thing to be true oure Sauioure Christe himselfe testifyeth Ioan. 5 saying Search the Scriptures for they are they that testifye of mee And to the intents the sonne oure Sauioure might be the better knowen of his Disciples he interpreteth many places of the Scriptures as touching his owne person The like did the Apostles also and Euangelistes with greate diligence Therefore whosoeuer he be that desireth to be saluted by the name of a Christian and to be accounted among those that knowe Christe and that looke for saluation promised in Christe him truely it standeth vppon to acquainte himselfe with the holy Scriptures and to make them as familiar vnto him as is possible As no manne can make the Iewes beléeue that he is of the Iewish secte which holdeth none of the traditions of their Thalmud and as the Turkes will receiue none for a worshipper of Mahomet that cannot alleage at the leaste some of his decrées oute of their Alcoran â—o is it not likely that he in good earnest and from his hearte shoulde be a Christian that cannot in some measure oute of the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles declare who Christe is and what inestimable benefites he hathe purchased to mankinde For in verie
déede to goe aboute to procure the knowledge of GOD the father and of his sonne IESVS CHRIST otherwise than by reading and hearing of the holy Scriptures is no lesse fonde and absurde than if a man shoulde vndertake in the darke nighte to hale a shippe tossed in the middest of a greate and tempestuous Sea altogither withoute sterne withoute sayles and oares without consideration of Starres or Windes withoute direction of Néedle or anye suche helpe safe and sounde to a certaine and sure Hauen lying aloofe and a greate waye off from him But vndoubtedly very straunge and wonderfull are the peruerse and preposterous iudgementes of a greate number of Christians in this behalfe In euerie profession we sée it carefully looked vnto euerye man maye bée skilfull and that also to some purpose in the things that are agréeable to his profession The Lawiers forsooth they muste haue good sight in the ciuil lawes in the ordinaunces of their elders in customes in constitutions and in the whole practise of Courtlike matters The Phisition that will practise Phisicke in anye place muste of necessitie be skilfull in the rules of hys Science that is to saye of suche as haue written and giuen forthe precepts in that arte Among those that boaste themselues to bée Philosophers whether they be of the secte of the Stoicks or of the Peripatetickes or of the Academickes looke what maister euerie one hathe sworne and addicted himselfe vnto his decrées and assertions he can declare verye wel and wil defend to the vttermost of his power As touching the artes aswel Liberal as Mechanical otherwise called handy craftes no man is permitted to vaunt himselfe in the name and title either of the one or of the other vnlesse he hathe firste giuen forth some triall of his cunning and that before suche as can iudge of the same What corruption then and preposterousnesse of iudgementes is this that is amongest vs detestable before God and man when we suppose him to be a trim Christian that neuer knew what Christianitie meant nor euer learned oute of the holy Bible anye one iote of those thinges that CHRISTE taughte and commanded to be obserued of his Disciples Phormio was in his time a notable Philosopher who in reading diuers and sundry bookes had noted no doubt manye things as touching the feates of warre and martiall discipline yet in the meane while as concerning the office of a good Capitaine he coulde saye little or nothing to anye purpose insomuche that when on a time he assayed to saye somewhat that waye he was checked of Annibal a famous and experte Capitaine and so shaken off as a fonde and doting olde man If the case stoode thus with Phormio who hadde read manye things then I praye you howe shal we beléeue that anye man can either truely iudge or fitly speake of Christian religion that hathe neuer so muche as looked vpon the outwarde couers of those bookes in whiche the foundations of that doctrine are layed Howe muche more wise and vprighte in this behalfe than a number of Chrstians are the wicked and vngodly Iewes whom we so greately detest and abhorre as those that are excluded from the felowshippe of Gods children They will not suffer any house amongest them to be withoute the bookes of holy Scripture especially of Moses lawe to the intent that at certaine times appointed their families maye reade and peruse priuately some things in them that maye serue to their edifying and instruction Neyther will they haue suche as are men growen onely but their children also to be diligentlye occupyed in learning the Lawe supposing as who shoulde saye that it maketh greatelye for their behoofe that so manye as haue receiued the marke of Circumcision should euen foorthwith bée nouzeled in the principles of theyr Iewishe religion But I praye you what doe wée in the meane time forsooth euen sléepe vntill wée snorte agayne and casting from vs all shame commende those for wonderfull good Christians that neyther in their yong yeares neither in their olde age haue euer vouchsafed to taste oute of the holy Scriptures any smacke at all of those things whiche it behoued euerie good Christian to knowe as perfectly as hys fingers endes Neither is there cause why anye shoulde suspecte that the Iewes were by error curiositie or superstition accustomed thus to doe as in déede it is well knowen that they do manye things very disorderedly and wythout any consideration For there is extante in Deuteronomie Cap. 6. as touching this point a most graue and waightie commaundement giuen by God hymselfe where he speaketh in this wise And these words which I commaund thee this day shal be in thine hearte and thou shalte rehearse them continually vnto thy children shalt talke of thē when thou tarriest in thine house as thou walkest by the way whē thou liest down whē thou risest vp And thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shal be as frontlets betweene thine eies And thou shalte write them vppon the postes of thine house ▪ and vppon thy gates In like number of wordes is the selfe same precept repeated afresh Deut. 11. Now for this cause did GOD giue a law as touching the bookes of his holy Oracles to be had in euery house to the intent that all fathers of families might daily out of them propound somewhat to their wiues children seruaunts and handmaides and that by this meanes the heauenly doctrine might bothe be preserued throughout all ages withoute corruption and also moste commodiously spread abroad by perpetuall succession from time to time Long agone verily before Moses time the Churche was prouided for by the labour and industrie of the holy fathers who dwelling here and there scattered among the Infidels neuer ceassed with all faithfull diligence by a liuely sounding voice and by repetitions of one and the selfe same forme to inculke and beate into the heades of housholdes families sounde holsome doctrine But when GOD oute of a huge and numberlesse people had once fully purposed in his mind by the ministery of Moses to erect and establishe a noble and renowmed Church and common weale he foresawe that it mighte easilye come to passe partly by reason of long iourneys partely by reason of continuall warres desolations banishements and other grieuous misfortunes and cōmon calamities that not onely true doctrine might be corrupted but also the vsuall repetitions thereof faile and decaye and so in processe of time the auntient and pure religion be vtterly abolished out of the memories of men Nowe God intending to turne awaye and in time to preuent so greate a mischiefe ordeined that the whole vniuersall doctrine of the Churche shoulde be committed to written bookes whiche mighte faithfully conserue all his sayings and doings which euery man so long as hée would might kéepe at home in hys house safe and sound from all iniurie and oftentimes write them out to the vse and
knowlege of Christe Let vs sée now what was done in certaine ages folowing It is the fashion of some of the common sorte wheÌ„ there is anye newe doctrine or maner of teaching especially in Philosophie firste sette abroache to flocke by by togither by heapes to be sodainely inflamed with a feruent desire of learning But as soone as they haue receiued any smacke or tast fo suffer their heate by little little to waxe colde in continuance of time to be quyte extinct aswel their doctrine as their whole secte if anye were risen to vanish away Much like as if a greate fire being kindled after it hathe for a certaine space shewen forth a huge light bin séene a great waye off by little little ceasseth to caste foorth any sparke or flame and last of all hath nothing lefte but smoake ashes whereof yet the one goeth into the ayre and the other are scattered with the winde But so muste we not iudge of the holy Scriptures For albeit the Apostles died were buried yet was by no means the studie Diuinitie buried with them The Iewes had an antient custome among them namely throughout euerie Citie when they come togither in their Sinagogues on the Sabaoth dayes to recite publikely certaine Chapters oute of the Lawe the Prophets which forthwith some one or other expounded in a familiar kinde of order to the capacitie and instruction of the hearers The selfe same forme of reading and interpreting was by the Apostles brought into the congregations or assemblies whiche in respecte of that time the faithfull were suffered to haue as maye appeare Luc. 4. Act. 13 15. 1. Corinth 14. That which the Apostles obserued in their time their successours the Pastors of Churches neuer suffered to be intermitted or broken off no not so muche as turn then when the affaires of the Christians were broughte into greate extremities and Tyrantes soughte by all meanes to worke their decaye For they neuer ceassed to haue their méetings and assemblies as appeareth euen by the testimonie of Plinie in his Epistle to Traiane the Emperoure They vse sayth he before day light to come ordinarily togither What was accustomed to be done in these assemblies manye credible writer doe reporte Iustine who liued in the yeare of Christes incarnation 1â—0 in his seconde Apologie which he wrote for the Christians hath these words On the day whiche is called Sunday all that remaine in the townes or fieldes doe come togither into one place where the bookes of the Prophets or Apostles are read so long as an houres space will suffer Then when hee which readeth leaueth off hee that is chiefe among vs admonisheth and exhorteth that wee shoulde diligently follow and embrace those good lessons that are read theÌ„ rise we all and praye togither Clemens Alexandrinus who florished Anno. 200 lib. 7. Stromatum sayeth that the sacrifices whiche they vsed in those dayes were prayers and thanksgiuings and lessons of the Scriptures which they read before meate From these Disagréeth not Tertullian who liued Anno. 230. Apologetici Cap. 39. Wee come togither sayth he to the reading of the holy Scriptures if the qualitie of the times present enforceth vs to forewarne or reknowlege any thing Forsooth with holy words we feed our faith we erect our hope we establish our trust and neuerthelesse with often repetitions and suggestions we confirme the discipline of preceptes Dionisius also the author of the Ecclesiastical hierarchie about the. 300. yere of our Lord entreating of the mysterie of the Lords supper saith very plainly By the office of the Ministers is orderly recited the lesson of the holy Scriptures And a little after The most sacred songs and readings of the Scriptures do minister vnto them directions as touching the gouernement of life and whiche in order goeth before teacheth the amendment of their corrupte affections and most pernicious nature Who wold require no witnesses to be produced And séeing Iustine liued in Asia as borne in Nicopolis a town of Palestine as Ierom reporteth was conuersant at Rome and else where in Europe Tertullian in Affrica Clemens at Alexandrîa in Egipt for as touching Dyonisius wée haue as yet no certaintie It is euident hereby that there was euery where in those daies so far forth as concerned the reading of the holy Bible a greate wonderfull consent But when as after the stormes and tempestes of persecutions were once by the singular prouidence of God appeased assuaged the godly had a time of respite graÌ„ted vnto them the Churches beganne nowe to be increased which came to passe if not in the time of Philip the Emprour Anno. 250. whom Eusebius lib. 6. cap. 25. Orosius lib. 7. cap. 20. doe reporte to haue bin the firste Christian Prince of any power that euer was after Christe yet certes vnder Constantine aboute the yere of Grace 320 thou shouldest haue séene if a man may credite Eusebius high and stately temples builded vp to the Lord wherein were practised the selfe same things that late before wer vsed in priuate houses And leaste that anye thing in this behalfe shoulde at any time be confusedly or negligently done there were appointed in all Churches readers vnto whom was enioined by the Bishop the office of Reading who deliuered vnto them in the presence of all the people the holy and sacred Bible As touching whiche matter thou mayste reade in the 8. canon of the fourthe councell of Carthage and in Gratian distinct 23. Moreover leaste any other Bookes than those that are accompted to be Canonicall shoulde be read it was prouided by the councell of Laodicea whiche was helde anno 370. canon 59. and by the third councel of Carthage canon 47. And that Iohn Chrisostome and many others who were afterwarde of great authoritie in the Churche first supplied the office of Readers before they aspired to anye higher promotions maye be auouched verye clearely by Histories Nowe the Homilies that is to saye the Sermons diuised and made by the holy fathers whyche are extante euen from the time of Origen to the Empires of Charles the greate during whose raigne Alcuinus and Beda two of the laste Authors in a maner of these Sermons flourished do proue euidentlye that the same custome whiche wée spake of euen now was obserued in all Churches Reade I pray you but the beginnings only of the homilies of Origen vpoÌ„ the bookes of Moses certain others reade likewise the beginnings of Chrisostome prefixed before his expositions vpon a good part of the bookes of holy Scripture made vnto the people reade the dyuers sundrie entries of Sermons of Saint Augustine especially where he entreateth De verbis Domini Serm. 15.33 De verbis Apostoli Serm. 1. Again very many of Maximus the Bishop Bede and other moâ— and euen forthwith in the very shorte exordiums or beginnings of their Sermons ye shall perceiue howe by them though they were Doctours of diuers times and
places it is not obscurely signified firste that the Bookes of holy Scripture were in times paste by Readers from an hyghe Pulpit with a cleare voice whyche all myghte heare and in the common tongue whyche all might vnderstande accustomed to be recited Secondlye that by name were rehearsed Moses the residue of the Prophets the Psalmes the Gospels the Actes of the Apostles the Apostolicall Epistles and that for the moste parte these bookes were read through from the beginning to the ende Lastly that this order was obserued that the reading wente alwaies before and then followed a more large declaration of the thinges that were read by some one that was excellent in the gifte of Prophecie In the meane time the godly Doctors and Teachers neuer ceassed to exhorte their godlye hearers that they woulde daylye also reade ouer the holy Scriptures at home at their owne houses that they woulde priuatelye call to minde the things that they hadde publikely heard and that by the example of those of Berea they would duly weigh and examine them by the ballaunce and touchstone of the Scriptures And of the peoples diligence profiting at that time in reading the holy Scriptures this is no doubtfull argument for that it was not néedfull for the Doctours themselues thoughe some men in these oure dayes doe very weywardly and importunately vrge it to expresse at all times the names of the Authours and Chapters of the holy bookes In as much as the people themselues so soone as they hadde hearde any place alleaged and broughte forth by and by vnderstood in what Author in what booke and in what parte of the booke the same was to be founde as they that were verye well exercised by reason of their daylye and domesticall reading Therefore the thinges that in so many ages and in euerie place were with singular care great commendation and with no lesse fruite accustomed to be done in sacred assemblies or méetings wherevnto all Christians of all estates and degrées whatsoeuer vsually came togither We may iudge also to be verye séeming and sitting for all the professours of Christianitie in these oure dayes neither can we suppose them to bée within the compasse of Christes flocke or folde that shall contemptuouslie refuse eyther to heare the holy Scriptures in the Churche or to reade them oftentymes at home by themselues Wherefore if thou dwellest in suche a place where as the Propheticall and Apostolique writings are not accustomed to bée recited in holy publike assemblies then forsooth is it most requisite and necessarie that thou shouldest prescribe vnto thy selfe a perpetuall and vnchangeable Lawe as touching the dayly reading of them at home at thy house But if thou dwellest where they are publikelie recited in a tong knowen vnto thée it is well and thou hast good cause to reioyce wyth thy selfe as one in farre more happie estate than infinite thousands of men whome a man may finde euery where in Cities Townes Villages and stréetes vtterly voyde and destitute of the knowledge of Heauenly and Spirituall thyngs but thou must prouide neuerthelesse with all possible diligence that thou mayest profite and goe forwarde in the wholesome doctrine of GODS worde not onely in the Lordes house or Temple but also in thine owne priuate house by all occasions and to the vttermost of thy power according to the holye admonitions of godly and learned Pastors For true Christianitie consisteth not in thys that a man doth oftentimes conueygh hymselfe bodilie from hys House to the Churche but in that a man both at home and in the Churche shoulde bende hys whole heart and mynde to the true vnderstanding of the mysteries of GODS holye worde But why doe we not alleadge some of the exhortations that the holy Fathers vsed to make to their hearers when they coueted to stirre them vp to the priuate reading of the sacred Scriptures forsooth I trust they wyll no lesse profite now a great number than it is certayn they profited in times past For they prouided their painefull workes both for vs and our whole posteritie And certes for mâ—ne owne part I confesse I coulde not deuâ—se either more pithy or profitable exhortations than thâ—irs are OrigeÌ„ therfore about the yeare of our Lord 230. being a Doctor of the famous schole and Church of Alexandria from when his voyce sounded into the whole world namely whilest out of his Auditory there came on euerye side innumerable wise gouernours of Churches whom also Mammea mother of AlexaÌ„der Seuerus the Emperor called vnto hir for a time to Antioch whilest hir desire was to be instructed of hym the same OrigeÌ„ I say expounding the booke of Leuiticus in his homilie 9. hath these words For those only doeth the high Priest aduocate propitiator Christ pray that are the Lords inheritaunce that wayte for him before the gates that depart not froÌ„ the teÌ„ple but giue theÌ„selues to fasting and prayer Dost thou thinke that scarcely coÌ„mest to the Church on holy and festiual dayes neyther giuest thy selfe to heare the word of God nor applyest thy diligeÌ„ce to keepe his coÌ„maundements that the Lords inheritance can light vpon thee Neuerthelesse we wish that by the hearing of these things you would bend your selues not only in the Church to hearken to the worde of God but also in your own houses to be exercised and to meditate in the law of the Lord day night for Christ is eueÌ„ there also and euery where present to all those that seeke after him For therfore is it commaunded in the law that wee should thinke vpon it when we go by the way when we sit in the house and when we ly in our bed and when we rise vp and this is in very deed truely to waite before the dores for the high Priest tarying within in the holye place and to become the Lords inheritaunce Againe in the self same homilie not much after he inueigheth sharply against those the when they heare the Scriptures red do not as they ought to do giue diligent héed vnto theÌ„ And at length hauing exhorted theÌ„ to bridle the flesh to stir vp the spirite he addeth immediatelye these wordes as touching the hearing reading of the word of GOD If thou coÌ„mest often to the Church loke thou giue eare to the hearing of the holy scriptures see thou takest hold of the meaning of the heauenly coÌ„maundements For as the flesh is nourished with meat drinke eueÌ„ so is the spirite strengthned with the liuely sense and working of the word of God which being made more stroÌ„g wil enforce the flesh to stoop vnto him to be obedieÌ„t to his laws The nourishments therfore of the spirite are the reading of the Scriptures coÌ„tinual prayers teaching coÌ„ference of the word With these meats it is norished with these it is streÌ„gthned with these it getteth the vpper haÌ„d Which things bycause ye do not loke ye coÌ„plaine not of the infirmitie of your flesh The same
that time counted for moste precious householde stuffe and euery house was after a sorte I say not only a schole but euen a Churche also adorned and beautifyed with the dayly exercises of reading the Scriptures interpretations and prayers Of whyche houses it is certaine that the Apostlement whē to the Romaynes the sixtéenth he saluted the Churche which was in the house of Prisca and Aquila and when as writing to Philemon he wisheth well to the whole Churche that remayned in his house But what thinkest thou woulde those holye fathers saye if it were so that they might now liue again They gently friendly admonishe they seuerely cōmaunded one while publikely to all another while priuately to euery one that they shoulde themselues with all care and enforcemente fashion and conforme their mindes by the reading of the holy Scriptures and this did they at that time wherin the Common weales were on euery side afflicted with warres and tumultes wherein the Churches were with the stormes of Heresies and Schismes vtterly in a manner ouerwhelmed and torne in sunder wherin was a horrible and lamentable confusion almoste of all humaine affaires wherein men were constrained to paye verye deare for their bookes written in parchments and yet notwithstanding they had innumerable hearers of euery sort age and sexe which gently toke in good parte their godly admonitions and most willingly obeyed the same But now when as al things are indifferently quiet both at home and abroade and we inioye if no continuall rest yet at the least a releasement of many troubles when the copies of the holy Bookes by reason of the newe art of Printing found out by the prouidence of GOD are in all partes of the worlde solde for little eyther howe many prouinces may we see in which neyther Byshop nor doctour nor Pastor nor elder nor yet any other maketh any mention at all of buylding pervsing at home of the bookes of the holy Byble Nay rather whyche is farre more bitter and shamefull to be spoken as that whyche tendeth to the vnspeakeable reproche of Gods glorie and of the true and Catholike Churche there are founde in some places Prelates of Churches whiche with grieuous threatnings and penalties doe vtterly forbidde the people to reade them or once to meddle with them Yea and we haue tryed by experience that some good men haue bene sore punished of suche for that they had begunne to reade how little soeuer it were at home in their houses And whych thou mayste more maruell at when the wicked rage of some cursed persons coulde not with thys crueltie be satisfied they tooke delighte moreouer to bring to passe that the like outrage shoulde be shewed euen to the harmlesse bookes themselues For euen in our time the holy Bibles haue in some places openly and by publike officers bene cursed to the fire and consumed to ashes As who shoulde say there were come vnto vs againe from Hell Iehioachim and his rablement of flatterers presuming to burn the Sermons whiche Baruch receyued from the mouth of Ieremye Ieremie 36. As thoughe there were come againe the tyraunt Antiochus whose men of war tare the volumes of the lawe in péeres and set them on fire intendyng by that meanes to gratifye their maister whome they knewe to be fullye minded vtterly to roote out all the Iewish religion 1. Machab. 1. And as though there were come againe Dioclesian who for the hatred he bare vnto Christ and to the Christians as witnesseth Eusebius in his booke 8. Chap. 2. of the Ecclesiasticall Historie deliuered al the bookes of the Prophetes and Apostles not sparing so much as one of them to the fire to be burned How long O Lord shal these abuse thy patience Seest thou so many and so greate iniuries to be done vnto thy name and yet deferreft thou to take vengeaunce To thée oh GOD to thee that art Lord of al reuengements we leaue vengeaunce thou when thou séest thy time wilt repaie But how am I fallen into this sincke whiche the more it is stirred the more foule and pestilent sauours it breatheth forth Truely this dolefull mention as touching the burning of Bibles is slipped from mée against my will but yet it is very true and the vnworthynesse of the thing enforced me vnto it But where there be none as I began to say to stir vp the people to the reading of the scriptures there must all of necessitie sticke in darkenesse and that more grosse and palpable than was the darkenesse of Egipt and as those that are attached with the disease called the Lethargie alwayes sléepe till they snort againe in the selfe same mischife and finally without all hope of recouerie die and be buried in a miserable ignoraunce of all heauenly and spiritual things Verily whilest I behold more néerely the great slouthfulnesse negligence of our Countrymen in this behalf I féele my selfe forth with to be so disquieted that I had much liuer to wéepe than to saye any thing at al. Let the men of our time yea let a number of proude ouer masterly Prelates as they cal them the fatte engrossers of Churches be ashamed be ashamed I saye to sée that in reading of the scriptures in debating of Christiā religiō poore séely maydens women of the auntient age wherein the famous doctors a little before named liued should far away surmount excell them without al cōparision Of these maydens and matrones some led their liues in the furthest partes of all Europe toward the North and yet with no smal charge and peril they sent messengers ouer Sea and lande some to Ierome into Asia othersome to saint Augustine into Africa others to be short into other places and all to this ende and purpose that they mighte haue certaine darke and obscure places of the Scriptures more clearely opened and expounded vnto them Who I beséech you would not willinglye imbrace these godly heartes so greately inflamed with desire of perceyuing the truth And yet in these our dayes there is founde euerye where and in all sortes of men so great slouthfulnesse dulnesse ignorance barbarousnesse I knowe not well what tearme apte ynough I shoulde vse that no man will eyther come or sende to the schole open in the nexte towne by no man will repayre to the Churche standing harde before his doores and alwayes open for all men to come vnto no man wil resort to his neyghbours house thoughe neuer so neare vnto hym of purpose to require anye thing to be declared vnto hym out of the scriptures yea they oftentimes come togither vnder one and the selfesame roofe they eate dayly at one common table and yet are they so estraunged as it were with a certaine lothsomnesse and fulnesse of stomacke that one is ashamed to aske and learne any thing of another Verily I can scarcely beléeue that our auncestoures in whome there was so feruente a desire of vnderstanding the holy scriptures if they should but sée
the maners that nowe are vsed ioyned with so great contempâ—e of GODS worde I can hardlye I saye beléeue that they would account vs for their posteritie or take vs in anye wise for Christians So farre forth are wée all for the most part degenerated and gone out of kinde from that godly sinceritie of our elders Neither truely had Lay men and women onelye a colde and slender taste of Gods holy mysteries but a number of them went forwarde with so greate zeale and enforcement of minde in searching the holy Scriptures that by little and little they attayned to suche ripenesse that they became not onely excellently well learned themselues but also were able to teach and instructe others By profiting in the holy Scriptures by prophecie that is to saye by a learned and reuerende interpretation God will haue his Churche as by a certaine marke and peculiar token to be disseuered and discerned from the assemblies of the wicked wherfore to this marke did all the godly bothe in times past ayme and nowe oughte all to leuell to the intente they may not onely become wise prouident for themselues but also for others by admonishing I say by teaching and by what meanes soeuer they can besides Moses when it was tolde him Num. 11. that Heldad and Medad did prophecie or preache the worde of God in their tentes and some looked that he woulde haue forbidden them hée was so farre off from forbidding them that excellent office that hée rather wyth feruent desires sayde Woulde God that all the Lordes people were Prophets and that the Lorde woulde gyue hys Spirite vnto them Paule the Apostle 1. Corinth 14. in saying That all maye prophecie one by one gyueth to vnderstande that there were in olde time a greate number and that at all tymes there should be some in the Churche whiche by the benefite of the holye Ghoste shoulde be adorned with gret grace and dexteritie in teaching and for that their giftes shoulde not vanish away without fruite but rather be encreased thoroughe exercise that there should a place to teache not vnwillingly bée graunted vnto them so that nothing were done confusedly or vnaduisedly but all directed to the edifying of the Church Whosoeuer therfore were from that time forwarde but namelye enlightned with the giftes of the holye Ghoste leaste they shoulde alwayes like children craule vppon the grounde and neuer declare themselues to haue consideration of Gods benefites chéerefully and couragiouslye applyed their wittes to teache and enstructe others For therevnto it is that Saint Chrisostome laboureth to moue his hearers in his seauenth Homilie vppon Genesis whilest hée willeth them al to be of good courage and to prepare themselues to the painefull trauailes of teaching I woulde haue you sayth he yea and I beseeche you all to be in the nuÌ„ber of teachers and not only to be hearers of our sayinges but also to minister our doctrine vnto others and to seke after those that stray that they may returne into the waye of truth and as Paule saith 1. thess. 5. Exhorte yee one an other and edifye one an other and with feare and trembling worke oute youre owne saluation So it will come to passe that GOD shal encrease our number and your shall more plenteouslye bee enriched with his grace hauing greate care and consideration of youre members For in deede GOD woulde not haue a Christian man to be conteÌ„ted only with himself but that hee shoulde also edify others and that as well by doctrine as also by his life and conuersation So saith hée It is euident therefore that whilest the hearers were oftentimes pricked forward after this manner some of the Laitie what by hearing reading and friendelye conferring one with an other aspired to that degrée of Learning and Erudition that they were able as well publikely as priuately wisely to entreate as touchyng the affayres of Religion For verily to some of them it was permitted in Councelles lawfully called and before the whole assemblye of Byshoppes to dispute with the aduersaries othersome were not onely admitted to teache the people in the Churche but also verye gently inuited by the Byshoppes themselues And a greate sorte of them no doubte spedde very well and deserued no small commendation for their godlye diligenâ—e And as touching Disputations that this was founde true in the Nicene Synode Nicephorus Callistus declareth very plainelye in the eighte Booke and fourtéenth Chapiter of hys Ecclesiasticall Historie There are besides two notable examples sette forth in the Tripartite Historie the seconde Booke and thirde Chapiter the one oute of Socrates Constantinopolitanus of a certaine young manne the other oute of Sozomenus of an olde man oute of them bothe it is declared that by means of the Laitie studious of the holye Scriptures and modestly propounding certaine things the pride subtiltie of the Logitians Philosophers was wonderfully detected and beaten downe Albeit we cannot dissemble that they broughte more to passe by the excellencie of their faith and prayers than by the helpe and furtheraunce of Learning in so muche that all theyr dooyngs may séeme rather to be after a sorte miraculous than to procéede of any knowlege Furthermore as touching Laie men that haue taughte publikly in the Church there are extant in Eusebius book 6. Chap. 15. the words of Alexander Bishop of Ierusalem out of a certaine Epistle written to Demetrius Bishop of Alexandrîa I maruell saith he that in your letters you wil seme to affirme that it was neuer heard or done that Laie man shoulde dispute and expound the Scripures in the Churche when the Byshops were present when as this custome was commonly receiued that if there were found any in any place that could instruct the brethren in the Church coÌ„fort the people thei wer alwaies entreated of holy Bishops to haÌ„dle the Scriptures So was Euelpius inuited of oure brother Neon among them of Larandra and so was Paulisius of Celsus at IconiuÌ„ and Theodorus of Atticus at Synada And there is no doubte but that many other also in other places if any there were that coulde conueniently fulfill the worke of God in word and doctrine were to the selfe same end inuited of holy Byshoppes Hitherto Alexander of Ierusalem And that the same thing was euerye where drawen into a custome the councell holden in the time of S. Augustine at Carthage doeth not obscurely proue For thus we reade it enacted in the saide Councell A Laie man in the presence of Clearkes excepte they require him therevnto shall not presume to teache And this they did not for that they accompted it vnlawfull for Laie men to teache but forsomuch as a number of them were learned and alwaies fit and ready to teach they meant to prouide Firste that no manne shoulde vnaduisedly when and where he lifted and wythoute hauing regard of dutie to the Bishops or Clarks yea and peraduenture contrary to their mindes inuegled by Heretikes take vpon him to teach or preache Secondly
that the Clarks should vnderstand themselues to be twitched as it were by the eare couertly admonished of their dueties to the intent they mighte labour afterward better to execute the which became them to doe I mean the office of preaching and not willingly post it ouer vnto others Lastely there was good hope that by suche and occasion the learned of the Laitie mighte bée moued to addicte themselues sooner than otherwise they woulde haue done wholly to the ministery of the Churche And therefore also after that decrée the godly Byshoppes wente forwarde as béefore to exhorte the Laitie to a perpetuall studye of the holye Scriptures and as ofte as the case so requyred called them foorthe publikely to teache And that they did so muche the more iustely and willingly by howe muche the more they considered it was necessary that there shoulde be chosen from among the learned Laitie like as Tertullian sheweth in his Booke Of exhortation to Chastitie suche as mighte be substituted in the place of the ministers of the Church deceassed Certes if it had not bin lawful to choose some out of the Laitie to the Ecclesiasticall gouernemente the Churche shoulde neuer haue séene the moste excellent Byshoppes Nectarius at Constantinople nor Ambrose at Millayne of whome the one supplied the Pretorship of the Citie if we may credite Rufinus in his Ecclesiasticall Historie Booke 11. Chap. 21 the other was President of Millayne and of all the Countrey adioining as Theodoritus reporteth in his fourth Booke and sixte Chapter and which is not a little to be maruailed at the one baptized but a fewe dayes before thys other still conuersaunte among the Catechistes that is such as were newly instructed in the principles of religion For soothly so long were the Churches euery where verye well prouided for as menne of all sortes and degrées gaue themselues diligently to the reading and vnderstanding of the worde of god Whosoeuer hadde nowe openly exhibited any notable specialtie as wel of their godlinesse of life as also of their doctrine and learning those by the voyces nad frée consents of the godlye were aduaunced as yée woulde saye by degrées to the dignitie of a Deacon of a Prieste of a Pastor or finally of a Byshoppe Neyther was it any strange matter at that time that Churches shoulde be administred of those that soughte by some honest arte or trade to gette wherewith to sustaine their familie if at the leaste they were any thing well exercised in the knowledge of holy Scripture For why the Diuine Scripture teacheth yea and the Ecclesiasticall Histories and Canons doe proue that euen he also whyche is alreadye placed in the gouernement of the Churche maye withoute reproche exercise some crafte whereby hée maye nourish both himselfe and so manye as appertaine vnto him The Apostle Paule reporteth of himselfe that since the time he beganne to preache the Gospell oftentimes laboured with his own hands to gette thynges necessary for his liuing 2. Corinth 11 1. thess. 2.2 thess. 3. Actes 20. And there is mention made Actes eightéene of Aquila a man excellentlye well séene in the holye Scriptures and by whose direction the greate learned man Apollo was muche furthered in the waye of saluation the same Aquila in the meane time vsing the crafte of Tente making to gette his liuing by There is commended Coloss 4. the minister of the Gospell and Phisition Luke like as also by the same arte of Phisicke no fewe Bishoppes are read to haue prouided for themselues as Basyll Byshoppe of Aucyra Eusebius of Alexandrîa Boazanes of Persia Theodotus of Laodicea Cyrus of AlexandrÃa Basill the Greate As for Spiridion Byshoppe of Trimmythus in Cyprus the Author of the Tripartite Historie firste Booke and tenth Chapiter auoucheth that hée was giuen to the tillage of Lande and kéepyng of Cattell And we reade Distinct 91. in the Canons of Pelagius and of the Councelles of Carthage and Constance that vnto ministers of Churches taking ouer small stipendes or wages Hushandrye is commended as moste fruitefull and conueniente for liberall natures And looke howe necessarye and expediente it was for the Laitie to apply diligently the reading of the Scriptures to the intente that Churches as is saide before might by their aide be preserued and increased euen so requisite also was is and euermore shall bée the selfe same study to the adorning of Common weales to the enlarging of Empires and Dominions or certainelye to the winning and adioyning of those peoples to the Christian Worlde that do nowe for the hatred they beare to Religion neuer ceasse to afflicte oure brethren with warres murthers inuasions and other infinite calamities Some manne peraduenture wyll maruaile and smyle to hymselfe to heare thys But to bee certaine and true that I saye it shall by and by verye playnelye appeare Hearken howe and by what meanes it came oftener than once to passe in times paste and thereby learne that the same maye nowe also in like maner come in vre Whereas Byshops and Preachers coulde neuer at anye time safely trauaile to barbarous Nations and Countries a farre off there fréely to preache the Gospell of Iesus Christ some one notwithstanding of the common sorte getting his liuing by his handy labour or some Souldior or Phisition or Merchaunt or Chapman béeyng ledde away captiue or happily by chaunce or some other occasion hathe bin conueyed and carryed thither Some suche man therefore is this forsomuche as be hadde before at home perfectly larned the holy Scriptures and there withall coulde very readily speake to the rude and ignorant attempted to open the principles of Christian Religion firste to a fewe afterwarde to moe according as occasion serued and at the length with a wonderfull spirite grace and vehemencie procéeded so far forthe in dooyng the same that in the ende he moued a number of his hearers with folden armes as they saye to embrace oure Religion And thus commeth it to passe sometimes that whome neyther the care and vigilancie of Byshoppes nor the power of Kings and Princes nor anye force puissaunce or subtilty whatsoeuer coulde possiblye winne or reclayme to oure parties a little knowledge of the worde of GOD appearing euidentlye in some one séely soule of the Laitie hathe drawen to oure sides and ioyned vnto vs wyth and indissoluble hande of friendeshippe and amitie As touching whiche pointe I haue thoughte good to adde famous example oute of Ruffinus written in the tenth Booke and ninth Chapter of hys Ecclesiasticall Historie and likewise oute of Theodoretus hys firste Booke and twoo and twentith Chapiter Frumentius a childe beeng trayned vppe in the knowlege of good letters and also in the doctrine of godlinesse accompanied Meropius a Tyrian Philosopher into India where hee beeyng taken was dryuen into a miserable state and condition But afterwarde by some meanes winnyng fauoure and credite hee was broughte vnto the Courte and there beeyng verye well liked for the doyng of manye thinges hee had a principall charge of gouernmeÌ„t committed vnto
them arighte do excell and surmount others in the knowledge of the holy Scriptures Further there maye at all times fall oute verye manye affayres that doe require no small reading and experience of the holye Scriptures How wouldest thou behaue thy selfe I pray thée if there shoulde at anye tyme anye false opinions eyther by Philosophers or by wise men of the worlde or by Heretikes beginne to bée scattered among the people Shall it not bée thy parte and duetie stoutely euen out of the Pulpet to confute them Thou hopest perhappes that all things are safe ynough where thou liuest and that thou néedest not greatelye to feare anye suche daunger But take héede thou bée not deceyued It is a wyse mannes parte euen in the tyme of peace to bée thynking of Warre But what if anye doubtes of Doctrine shoulde rise in a priuate man whome shoulde hée rather goe vnto than vnto thée hys Shephearde and teacher And howe wouldest thou asswage the tempestes lurking in hys mynde and cause hym to be caulme and quiet if thou couldest not mitigate all thinges with the prosperous winds and euen with the pleasant gales of the Scriptures Agayne what if the Magistrate himselfe should at any time reguire or command thée that thou wouldest in his presence and haply before an honourable assembly of Counsellers as it commeth to passe nowe and then louingly conferre or dispute wih some man fallen into a pernitious erroure Doubtlesse if in this case thou canst not shew thy selfe to be Didacticon that is to say apt to teache and be able to stoppe the mouthes of the gaynespeakers thou shalt by and by be confounded to thy greate shame and all will estéeme thée as a foole and ydeote To let passe in the meane time that thou by thy wante of knowledge priuily giuest occasion of thinking that he which was supposed to erre inasmuch as thou arte not able to confute him auoucheth nothing but the truth Whiche thing if it come to passe not onely he alone will perseuer in his opinion but the reste also will beginne to ioyne with him to subscribe and maynteyne the same Moreouer oft times the state of Churches dothe require that thou shouldest openly inueigh againste the sinnes that the people for the time are falne into And héere hast thou néede of héedefull rebukements of cunning amplifications of crimes of graue threatnings of punishmentes of sharpe exhortations to repentance and other furniture of like sort For it is to be feared if thou pourest forth nothing else but thine owne words and manassing spéeches that thou shalte not onely not bring them to amendment of life but also hardlye perswade them to accompt those things for vices whych are committed by wicked men Therefore to restreyne and reduce men to a better trade of life and conuersation it shall be requisite for thée to vse the fires hammers swordes of the Prophetes and Apostles as fitte and peculiar instrumentes for the same purpose The word of the Lord is sa a fire sayth God himself in Ieremie Chap 23. and like vnto a hammer that breaketh the hard rocke It is a Sworde Ephes 6. Yea it is of greater force to enter than any two edged Sword as witnesseth the authour of the Epistle to the Hebrues He therfore that hath no skill aptly to leue◠shake and throw these weapons of the worde of GOD from the Pulpet into mens hearts and minds in vayne shall he take vppon him to subdue and cut off the sinnes of the people Furthermore sometimes he that hath the ouersight of the Churche is inuited of learned men dwelling néere vnto him to talke and conferre sometymes also it falleth out that strangers comming farre off or Embassadours or other do visite him and craue some question to be declared of him or require his counsell and help in some matter perchance also they call him for honoures sake to dinner or supper to be short now and then learned men come togither for other causes mingling theyr communication with sober and holy talke as touching matters of Diuinitie whiche partly is applyed to the vnderstanding of the holye Scriptures partly to the stablishing of the wauering conscience Nowe if in these and such like méetings the Pastor of the Church shall carrie only the visor of a dumb personage or if he doe any thing shall only puffe for payne sweate waxe pale and be ashamed shall he not I praye thée discredite the whole order Ecclesiasticall And trulye looke howe commendable a thing it is for laie men handsomely and comely to reason of diuine matters so shamefull a thing is it for him that should be a teacher of the Church not to be able aptely to common of anye thing out of the Scriptures What shall we say to this moreouer that in many Churches the order is derided from the auntient institution as well of the Romayne as Constantinopolitan Church as witnesseth Cassiodorus in the 9. Booke and 35. Chap. of his Tripartite Historie although in verye déede more necessarie for those times than for oures in these dayes that so many as come to the holy Table of the Lord doe confesse and bewayle their sinnes to the Ministers of the Church and require comfort and absolution by the worde of god They that can not sufficiently trie and examine themselues according to the precept of the Apostle had néede to poure forth their secretes into the bosome of their Pastor to disclose theyr ignorance and so long to be instructed and taught till all doubtfulnesse and perturbation be rooted out of their conscience But what should the good Pastor do in this behalfe when of the good questions and demaunds propounded he can auouch nothing more certaynely than if they had neuer bin hearde of before Neyther doubtlesse are we in hande héere with flimflammes as they saye and matters of no value but euen with such as vppon whiche dependeth the eternall saluation or destruction of soules So far forthe for the most parte as pertayning to thys poynte lyeth it in thée that many eyther obteyne saluation or else vtterly perish whereof the one verily commeth to passe when thou arte able by the helpe of GODS worde to fortifye mens myndes the other when thou arte not able so to doe But go too to whome I pray you doth it more apperteyne to lift vp weake and féeble consciences to susteyne the sicke and oppressed for any manner of cause with holy comfortes and consolations than to the Minister of the Church who is counted as a common parent of mens mindes and as Sainct Iames séemeth to signifie a Phisition also whiche labouring to GOD in Prayer will indeuour to help in the time of néede And that consolations are proper and peculiar to the holye Scriptures it is sufficiently playne and euident by the testimonie of S. Paule to the Romaines 15. Commōly also for the most parte the whole multitude standeth in néede of comfortable Sermons to the intent it may persist
Churches if so be they suffer theÌ„selues to be ouercome in the exercise of reading of Lawyers Phisitions Orators Oh howe truly and grauely is it sayde of Byshoppe Leo the firste in hys Epistle 22. to the Cleargie and people of Constantinople If Ignoraunce seeme intollerable in the Laitie then howe muche more is it vnworthye eyther of excuse or pardon in those that haue the ouersighte of Churches But it is not néedefull that wée shoulde stande longer in handling of thys cause woulde GOD the things that wée haue presentlye touched myghte bée well layde vppe and faste fixed in memorye and then at least-wise some Ministers of Churches woulde wyth these reasons whyche wée haue alleadged bée rouzed vppe and indeuoure to become not onelye readers of the holye Scriptures themselues but also Readers and Expounders of the same vnto others But wée muste not thinke that hereby it is proued that those whyche they call Laie menne are by the like reason discharged and maye passe theyr tyme wythout the pervsing and vnderstandyng of the holye Scriptures For wiselye didde Byshoppe Leo of whome wée hearde euen nowe ioyning the cause of the Laitie wyth the cause of the Ministers of the Churche determine that ignorance of the Scriptures is intollerable euen in Layemenne also Truelye they are verye fonde that doe thus reason The Pastors of Churches oughte continuallye to bée occupyed in reading the word of GOD therefore the Laitie néede not so to doe These men shoulde haue remembred that some dueties are for iuste and wayghtye causes so inioyned to a certaine kynde of menne as thoughe they agréed peculiarlye vnto them alone when as in the meane tyme by reason they are directed vnto Vertue that is to Faith Hope and Charitie they are common to moe yea to all menne vniuersallye wythoute exception and agayne they shoulde haue considered that for iuste causes and considerations certayne vices are in such wise forbidden as thoughe a peculiar sorte of menne onelye oughte to beware of them and yet in verye déede they are forbidden indifferentlye to all But by examples produced wée shall bring to passe that euerye manne maye perceiue it to be true that wée saye The fifte commaundement in the Decalogue séemeth to prescribe onely vnto them of Obedience whose naturall parentes of whome they are begotten bée aliue Honour sayth it thy Faaher and thy Mother But yet no man can deny that in the self same precept it is commaunded that all inferiour persons generallye shoulde yéelde honour and obedience to their superiors For why al muste obey the Magistrates and the Prelates of Churches againe Wardes must obey theyr Gardians Disciples their Tutors Souldiours theyr Capitaine Craftsmen theyr Craftsmayster Marriners theyr Pylot Seruantes and Handmaydens their Maisters and Maistresses and so forth of other degrées But namely and especiallye the example is set downe as touchyng chyldren forasmuche as in them it is conuenient that a greater obedience doe shine forth than in any others In the seauenth commaundement GOD forbiddeth that anye man shoulde breake Wedlocke or commit Adultry Some man perhaps therefore would thinke that it is meante onelye of them that are maried and that Adultry and not Fornication whyche is properly of them that are single and vnmaryed is condemned But we learne partly out of Histories partly oute of the holy sayings of the Scriptures that al carnall company of man and woman out of lawful Wedlocke that is to saye not marryed togyther according to GODS ordinaunce is forbidden and as well Fornication as Adultry howsoeuer they be extinguished are punished of GOD alike 1. Corinth 6 Hebr. 13. But it pleased the holy Ghoste to giue forth this commaunment in suche a forme of wordes for that whereas all men and women oughte to be embracers of Cleanesse and Chastitie yet oughte marryed folkes inespecially to be giuen therevnto Hebr. 13. In like maner Exod. â—8 23 Leuit. 19. It is commaunded that suche Iudges shoulde be ordeyned as feare GOD as are louers of the truth and as are frée from couetousnesse Nowe these things are not so required of Iudges as though it were lawfull for other men to doe the contrarie without controlement but for so muche as when GOD requireth those vertues of all yet he woulde haue them to be séene especially in Iudges Of the same sorte it is that the Apostle 1. Timoth. 3. willeth suche a one to bee chosen Bishop as is vnreproueable the husbande of one wife sober not giuen to ouermuch Wine no fighter Nowe shall a man leaning vpon these wordes cauill and saye that it is lawfull for other whiche are no Bishops to defile themselues with the dregges of all manner of vncleanesse to be caried away wyth wandring lustes to be desguised with drinke and surcharged with Wine not to bridle their furie to flye vppon others with their fistes féete staues kniues and with whatsoeuer else commeth next to hande No but wée must vnderstande that there are required in all men maners vnreproueable chast sober discrete peaceable and that Bishops ought for these vertues to be commended and well spoken of before others After the same manner therefore must we interprete that the Ministers of Churches ought in déede of all other most diligently to searche and ransacke the Bookes of holye Scripture as to whose dutie it belongeth to teache the whole multitude but not so that the Laitie therefore are to be restreyned from the felowship thereof nay rather that the precepte as touching the reading of the Scriptures doe apperteyne to them also and that they ought to labour so far forth in accomplishâ—ng of it 〈◊〉 they may both more easilie vnderstand the publike teachers and also be able after a sort to instruct and 〈◊〉 at the least those of their owne householdes 〈…〉 â—es Wherefore the Apostle whiche willed Tiâ—â—â—â—â— and with him all the Ministers of Churches 1. Tim 4. to applye himselfe busilie to the reading of the Scriptures the same also commaundeth Coloss 3. men of all states and conditions to teach and admonish one another through the word of CHRIST dwelling in them And in the old Testament the only Tribe of Leuie had power and authoritie to deale with the Priesthode with the Sacrifices with the holy rites and to interprete the Lawe of GOD but yet to reade the holye Scriptures and likewise publikely to teach them when oportunitie serued it was left frée to euery mans choice and vnto all the Tribes indifferently to do it For why that there haue come forthe no small number of Prophets euen out of other Tribes also Epiphanius declareth in his Booke De vitis Prophetarum and Christ being descended of the Tribe of Iuda taughte openly in the Temple and in the Sinagogs no man forbidding him Paule in like sorte of the tribe of Beniamin was required oft times very curteously of the chiefe of the Iewes to speake vnto the people So then albeit it be verye requisite and necessarie that in euery felowship societie of men there
saith he more fonde than children that saye Blessed is euerye soule that is simple and hee that walketh in Simplicitie walketh in Faith. This truelye is the cause of all calamities that a great number can no skill to alleadge fitte testimonyes of Scripture for matters in question For the simple in that place is not to be taken for the Foole and for hym that knoweth nothing at all but for hym that is not euill for hym that is not craftye For if it shoulde so bee vnderstoode it hadde beene superfluous to saye Be yee wise as Serpentes and simple as Doues But nowe oughte euerye man very carefully to beware and take héede leaste he erre in anye wise in the Doctrine of Faith or be deceyued and beguiled of others The Angell of darkenesse oft times changeth himselfe into the likenesse of an Angell of lighte In these dayes are to be séene euery where greate swarmes of Hipocrites false teachers and enuious mē whiche doe breake into the Lords field by night and there sow darnell Againe there is no man priuie in his owne conscience that he is on euery side so confirmed in sound doctrine but that he may both be deceyued of others and also deceyue others yea and euen himselfe to Our firste Parentes Adam and Eue whome God had adorned as well with perfite righteousnesse as also with a most plentifull knowledge of all goodnesse and many other spirituall graces were notwithstanding beguiled of the subtil serpent and euen forthwith withoute any great striuing gaue consent to hys treacheries and illusions How and by what meanes therefore may we warrant our selues that we shall in no case be insnared or intangled when as we are both farre more weake than they and the old serpente dothe nowe no lesse craftily than in times past endeuoure by Heretikes and false teachers to intrap and circumuent vs He then may séeme rightly to be out of his wittes and euen to striue with reason it selfe whosoeuer feareth not ne standeth in doubte of suche a daunger And soothly that thou mayest arme thy selfe substancially against all pestilent opinions that thou mayst be able to auoyde to preuente and beate backe the strokes of the aduersaries who séeke on euery side with the enuenomed dartes of wicked arguments to assayle and set vpon thée and mayst stande so fast and perseuer so vnvanquishable in sound doctrine as is most méete and requisite thou hast néede to put on spirituall weapons the shield of faith the helmet of saluation but especially the sword of the spirit which is the word of God as the Apostle teacheth and commaundeth in the sixte of the Ephe. But thus doth he arme and defend himselfe that dayly and duly heareth readeth meditateth learneth the worde of GOD set forth in the bookes of holy Scripture For the Apostle Paul in the second Epistle to Timothy and third Chapter sayth very well that the Scripture is profitable to reproue and confute those that casting abrode the nettes of false opinions goe about to beguyle to maske and destroy the vnwary and weake What doctrine soeuer is first brought in it is necessarye that the same be tried by the touchstone of the holy Scripture as by a most absolute rule And there are to be found euery where in the sacred bookes as wel exhortations which do plainely shewe with what great héedfulnesse the authours of sects are to be auoyded as also counsels and certaine reasons whyche doe no lesse euidently declare how wisely and circumspectlye the same ought to be resisted Whych things do verye plainely proue that it is a most vaine toy that a number to beguile simple people withall do oft times iangle off and haue continually in their mouthes reading of the Scriptures doe by by become Heretickes But this speach is more worthy to be abhorred and abandoned than to be answered For what other thing else is this than to saye that the Phisicke wisely giuen and ministred of GOD himselfe is poyson and that sicknesse death is procured by that thing which is prouided to the furtherance of health and preseruation of life Shall we thinke him that we haue oftentimes spoken off Iohn Chrisostome to haue bene beside himselfe and voyde of reason who following the iudgement of the Apostle by howe muche more he sawe many Heresies to growe vppe in his time and in manner of the disease called the canker to créepe further and further by so muche more thought it necessarie to haue his hearers admonished that they shoulde diligently apply themselues to the reading of the holye Scriptures There were in déede at that time no small number of Heretikes as namely the Manichees the Anomaeans the Arians Aetians Eunomians Valentinians and Marcionites the Marcellians and Sabellians the Acoluthiās there were to be short Gentiles and such as following the Emperoure Iulianus had reuolted from the Tentes of the Christians for with all these it is euident that hée encountred by sharpning his penne againste them and so much the rather for that they vnmeasurably vexed the Churches of Constantinople and else where ouer all Greece and verye manye menne being otherwise not euill were seduced by them This necessitie therefore draue the most vigilant Bishoppe to stirre vp all mens mindes as well by bookes notoriously written as also by publike preachings and Sermons to the continuall reading of the propheticall and Apostolicke wrytings as wée haue more than once or twice here alreadye And in one place hée pronounceth that is we intende to resiste Heresies and to descerne the true Churche from the conuenticles of Heretikes we haue néede especially to the doing of it of the ayde and furtheraunce of the Scriptures Hys words in the exposition of the foure and twentie Cha. of Math. Homilie 49. are these In these dayes since Heresie inuaded the Churches there can no triall bee hadde of true Christianitie neyther is there any other refuge for Christians desirous to knowe the variety of Fayth than the holy Scripture of god Before indeed it was shewed many wayes whych was the Churche of CHRIST and whiche was Gentilitie but nowe it can no waye bee knowen of anye whyche is the true Churche of CHRIST but onely by the Scriptures And why Bycause that all these thyngs whyche are properlye Christes in trueth those Heresies haue also in Schisme they haue Churches alike and the holy Scriptures themselues they haue Bishops alike and other orders of Clearkes they haue Baptisme alike they haue the Eucharist alike and al other things and finally euen Christ himselfe A man therefore desirous to know which is the true Chuche of Christ howe shall he knowe in so great a confusion of likenesse but only and alone by the Scriptures Againe before tyme the Churche of Christ was knowen by hir very maners and conditions when the conuersation of Christians either of al or of the most was holy and blamelesse which was not so among the vngodly But nowe Christians are become as euill or worse than are
It may very truely bée sayde that it lyeth for the most parte in vs that a thing be made to be eyther easie or hard The gate vnto well doing is alwayes open so that we our selues do not shutte it vp or of our owne accord turne aside from it But I heare incontinently one that sayth vnto mée the reading whiche you so greately vrge hathe no little laboure and painefulnesse in it further it requyreth good leysure and oportunitie Verily to the intent I maye cutte off whatsoeuer appertayneth to thys excuse I will indeuoure in fewe wordes to shewe howe a man maye prouide that in reading hée shall féele neither laboure nor yrkesomnesse then next that it is not so harde a matter to finde both leysure and oportunity I will in one worde declare that whiche maye séeme sufficient Bring with thée to the reading of holy thyngs a godlye and willing minde and thou haste in effecte vtterly remoued all manner of incombraunces There are some diseases if we maye beléeue Galen writing De locis adfectis lib. 3. Cap. 6. in whyche the powers of the senses are so damnified and hurte that the patientes for so muche as they are continuallye attached wyth a kynde of heauinesse and feare doe imagine whatsoeuer they sée to be sharpe bitter and altogyther agaynste them wherefore they haue in suspition and ielousy all thynges that are done or sayde and doe eschue and abhorre the presence and company of men but yet after a while they are healed and deliuered froÌ„ thys maladie Euen in like case saye I the reading of the Scriptures séemeth harde and painefull vnto thée bycause forsooth thou doest so imagine it to be some euill spirite peraduenture beguiling and bewitching thy senses but the same no doubte will become swéete easie yea and pleasaunte also vnto thée when by the helpe of the holye Ghoste thou hast cast from thy mind that imagination And to what ende I beséeche you shoulde anye man thus colourably pretende these thinges sith wée maye sée daylye a greate number that thinke not the time long a whit when they reade the long and tedious tales stuffed wyth lies of certayne old Gréekes and the fantasticall Asse of Apuleius and the fonde dotages of Lucian I saye nothing al this whyle of the most vaine figmentes of Florandus Syr Lancelot Syr Tristram king Arthur the foure sonnes of Aymon of Magelona Melucina the rounde table I speak nothing of Amorous or rather venemous books ouerflowing in lasciuiousnesse and vncleanesse of the hundred Nouels of vnsauerie and ribaldly â—estes and of other dregges of like stampe whiche it were far better to be abolished with fire the so ofte times to be putte forth in print And in these toyes whylest Courtiers whylest noble men noble women yong men maydes whilest the worshipfull whilest the common sorte of men do spend certaine houres in the fore noone certaine in the afternoone again some after supper and oftimes a greate parte of the night there is not so much as one word whispered as touching any labour or pain in reading but as well the eyes as the eares yea and mindes both of the reader and also of the whole company sitting about him do abide intentiuely fixed vpon these trifles and neyther the noyse of the houshold nor the comming in of others can possibly breake off the base and loude-sounding voyce of the speaker And moreouer the labour of reading if at leastwise it deserueth to be called labour thou mayst now then diuide with the residue of thy familie so that thou that art gouernour of the house mayst read one while another while some one of thy company another while thy sonne or thy daughter another while thy wife another whyle some other in the house that can skill of reading As in other actions so in this also may one not without a cause succéede another resembling as a man wold say Hercules who as the Poets imagine rescued wearye Atlas by bearing vp heauen with hys shoulders Neyther truely oughte it to séeme a thing straunge or remoued from the vsage of the godly to commitet the office of reading and recyting holy bookes vnto wiues children seruaunts and other in the house Again if the reading of the scriptures be fitly pointed out and distinguished into certaine peculiar houres as it is expedient it should be then maist thou haue sufficient space both to breath in and also to recouer the powers of thyne eyes the sight whereof peraduenture is dazeled or of thy voyce if it be thy hap to read in the presence of other and this mayst thou doe albeit thou hast determyned to pervse ouer dayly many Chapters Moreouer there is no let to the contrarie but that thou mayst now and then to auoyde yrkesomnesse chaunge places For thou mayst very wel reade in thy chamber when as eyther thou risest in the morning or goest to bed at night in the Churche when there is eyther nothing or very little out of the Scriptures as it oftimes commeth to passe red or expounded to the people in thy parlour so long as thy dinner or supper is in makyng readie vntill thou be about to take thy meate whilest the dishes are brought too or carried from the table in thy Studie in thy garden to be short wheresoeuer thou wilt and art disposed Saint Augustine euen before the time of hys Baptisme reade with great feruencie and at all times and in euery place the holy bookes hée disputed as touching the sayings of the Prophetes and Apostles He reporteth in the 8. booke and 6. Chapter of his Confessions that he read Paules Epistles at the table Chap. 22. that he tooke in hand oft times the new Testamente in his Ortchard where he hearde once a voyce froÌ„ heauen saying vnto him Take read Wherby hée was vehemently moued prouoked to imbrace Christian religion as he recordeth also in other places moe Again being awaked in the night in the morning after dinner after supper and one while alone another while with his most swéete companions Licentius Trigetius Nauigius Alipius Nebridius and others he vsually and often and with an incredible desire of learning conferred as teaching the word of god By these meanes therefore the difficultly and tediousnesse if any be thought to spring out of reading is easilye eyther diminished or vtterly takeÌ„ away For as the mouth that is out of taste can not away with anye meate thoughe neuer so deintie and holesome but when it is recouered is refreshed there with and can scarcely be satisfied so when a man beginneth first to read the holy scriptures he quickly loatheth them but when he hath once tasted the swéetenesse of the spirituall doctrine then he féeleth dayly more and more all things to become more pleasant acceptable vnto him and then singeth he with the Psalmist How sweete are thy testimonies to my throate yea they are sweeter than hony to my mouth But it remayneth nowe that we shewe howe and
minde vnto GOD and behold wonder at anwadore his goodnesse power Wisdome righteousnesse c. And truely howe it commeth to passe I knowe not the verye sighte of the holye Bookes themselues doeth sodainelye strike as it were priuilye a Whiche thing Chrisostome also in his thirde homilie of Lazarus testifieth Let vs not hoorde vp golde saith he but let vs lay vp for our selues the treasure of the spiritual Bookes As for gold verily when it encreaseth most thē doth it moste of al endanger the possessors of it But the Bokes beyng well laide vp do bring muche profite to the owners of them For euen as when the warlike weapons of a King are bestowed although there be none to possesse thē yet do thei minister great safetie preseruation to those that dwell in the house where they are laid vp whiles neither theeues nor breakers down of walles nor any other malefactor dare once venture vpon that house so wheresoeuer the spirituall Bookes are founde from thence is expelled all the power of the Diuell and greate consolation offred to the inhabitants Inasmuche as euen the verye beholding also of the Bookes maketh vs to be more slowe to sinne For whither we haue committed any thing that is forbiddē and defiled ourselues yet being returned home and hauing looked vpon the Bookes oure conscience doeth more fiercely condemne vs and we are made afraide to committe the like againe whither we haue continued in godlinesse of life by the Bookes wee become more strong and stedfast For so soone as a man hathe touched the Gospell by and by he hathe disposed his owne mind and withdrawen it from worldly affayres and that onely by the sighte thereof But if he shall adde diligent reading then as the soule that is occupyed in the holye mysteries and matters of GOD so is he purged and made better GOD talking wyth hym throughe those Scriptures So sayth Chrisostome whose wordes it is méete we shoulde reade wyth suche an affection as he himselfe vttered them in that is to saye a godly and religious and voyd of all superstition Now albeit the dignitie of the holy Books be greater far-awaye than wee are able to expresse in wordes yet there is no cause why anye man shoulde mistruste but that the vnderstāding of them may be opened vnto him God indéede speaketh himselfe in them but the same God doeth wonderfullye apply hymselfe vnto vs and euen willinglye abateth hys talke to our capacitie As mothers knowe howe to stutte and stammer with their stutting and stammering infants euen so doeth God vouchsafe to debate manye thynges wyth vs after the manner of menne whilest namely of the things that are common amongst vs he borroweth examples similitudes sentences and many other things moe profitable to an easie and plaine methode of teaching Yea and moreouer the writers that firste of all compiled the sacred Bookes whome hée woulde haue to bée as hys Vshers and substitutes to teach vs in the Schoole of his Churche he hathe chosen to be suche as were not famous wyth anye notable learning but of vile and base condition and vtterly voyde in a maner of al knowledge and erudition Moses whom a number do suppose to be the Author not onely of the fiue Bookes commonlye ascribed vnto him but aso of the Booke of Iob likewise Dauid and Amos were renowmed thoroughe feeding of cattell Peter the Apostle and Iohn the Gospel writer lyued by the trade of Fishing Paule exercised Tent-makyng Luke publikely dealte with Phisicke albeit there be some not wanting whyche contende that he was also a Paynter Matthewe played the Publican or Tolgatherer Loo◠what crue and fraternitie the moste excellent writers were Nowe then they vsed a kinde of speache that was agréeable to themselues and to their likes that is to saye familiar plaine and sauoring euerye where of suche a certaine ordinarye simplicitie as wée reade that S. Augustine and certaine other fauourers of eloquence durst for a tyme contemne the holy Scriptures by reason of their beggerly phrase créeping vppon the grounde and destitute of all Rhetoricall beauty All men and women therefore oughte assuredlye to truste yea euen the homely husbandmen shéepe-beardes Fishermen Bakers Bruers Paynters Carpenters Fullers Corriers Tanners and all inferiour craftsmen whatsoeuer also Wyues Widows Virgins that they and euerye of them so they haue heartes desirous to learne maye quickely profite in reading of the Scriptures And ofte tymes whereas somthings escape vs not GOD but we our selues are in the faulte For why it is not wythout a cause that he complayneth or the vngodly who sayeth that they would not vnderstande to doe good but hardened theyr heartes bycause they regarded not the voyce of the Lorde Psalme 36.95 Moreouer there are preceptes extante whereby wée are commaunded to craue GODS ayde in thys behalfe there are promises also whyche doe put vs in sure and certaine hope that nothyng shall bée denyed vnto vs Aske sayth CHRIST and it shall bee giuen you Knocke and it shall bee opened vnto you Matth. 7. Luke 11. And Iames Chap. 1. If anye of you lacke Wisedome let hym aske of him that giueth it namely GOD who gyueth to all menne indifferently and casteth no manne in the teeth Who then woulde bée grieued when he commeth to reade the holye mysteries to vse firste some shorte fourme of Prayer And manye formes of praying may be gathered out of the hundred and ninetéene Psalme alone to the intent I maye speake nothyng of other places No man I trowe will thinke muche to saye Blessed art thou O Lorde teach me thy statutes or Open thou mine eyes O Lorde that I maye see the wonderfull things of thy lawe or O Lorde make me to vnderstande the waye of thy commaundements or Teache me O Lorde the waye of thy statutes and I will keepe thy lawe yea I wil keepe it with my whole heart Cause me to walke in the path of thy commaundements for I am well pleased in it or The earth O Lord is filled wyth thy goodnesse O Lorde teach me thy statutes or Thy handes O Lorde haue made me and fashioned me giue me vnderstanding that I may learne thy commaundementes or Deale wyth thy seruaunte according to thy goodnesse and teache me thy statutes I am thy seruaunte giue mee vnderstanding that I maye knowe thy testimonies or The righteousnesse of thy iudgementes O Lorde abideth for euer giue mee vnderstanding and I shal liue c. Also out of the Ps. 25. Shew thy wayes vnto me O Lorde and teache me thy pathes Leade me in thy truth and teache mee for thou arte the God of my saluation Againe in the same Psalme The Lord is good and gratious and therefore will hee teache sinners in the waye He will direct the meeke in iudgement and teache his way vnto the lowly All the wayes of the Lorde are Mercy and Truth to them that keepe his couenaunte and his testimonies Thus whosoeuer shall praye with an assured confidence God will open