were then writen in the hertes of the faythfull but sone after when through synne it begāne to wax colde then was writing for the simples sake to preserue theyr faith and yet that not withstanding the authorite of the church the fundacion of all treuth of as greate strenght as it was before the new testament was all writen For were there not heretikes I pray you which denyed diuerse bokes of scripture as Martion and other wherewith were they subdued euyn with verities not written Marke wel that Moyses saith Origene greatly passed not for the letter writen when he dyd breake the tables nor Christe when he sayd to the Iewes the scripture shal be takē from you spake of the letter whiche they kepe styl but of the sense Wherfore awaye with the englishe damnable translation and lette them lerne the mysteries of god reuerently by hert and lerne to geue as muche credit to that whiche is not expressed as to that which is expressed in scripture Knowing that in .iij. pointes thautoritie of the churche is aboue the aucthoritie of scripture One is in fortifieng verities not writen to be necessary to saluation as plainly appeareth by manye verities in this probation another is for that the church receyued the gospels of Luke and Marke whiche Marke neuer saw Christ and did reiecte the Gospels made by his high Apostels Thomas and Bartilmew as for the gospell of Nicodeme which yet was familiar with Christe I speake not of The thyrde is bycause the church in all doubtfull causes and matters of controuersie must euer be iudge of the trew sense of scripture For she alone hath euer the true sēse of scripture So that by her authoritie onely Ireneus did conuince Valētin Tertulian Mertion Origen Celsum Ciprian Nouatum Nicen councell the Arians Hierom Iouinian and Augustine the Donatistes with many other And no meruell for so muche Christ him selfe made his Churche the Iudge ouer scripture when he sent the Apostels disciples to preache sayeng He that heareth you heareth me And also when he sayd Who so would not heare the Churche should be reputed and taken as an Ethnycke or Publican Seyng then that God thus appointed who wyll refuse to seke the trew vnderstandynge of scripture at that iudge whome Christ appointed hymselfe Surely none but selfe willie heretykes And here nowe to speake a worde or two of the Saboth and of mixtinge water wyth wine in the chalice whereof I should haue spoken before when I recited manye verities not written and firste concernynge the Saboth Albeit the matter of the precept be morall and the daye legal so that it myght be chaunged yet the church would neuer haue done that without speciall ordinaunce of God beinge made iudge in the cause And likewise it is to be sayde of mixtinge water wyth wyne in the chalice The Ghospel speaketh of wine onely tourned into Christes precious bloude who durste then mixte water therewith But the church is so assured of Goddes pleasure therein without any scripture that they dare not only put in water but also dare not leaue it oute And wherby knewe the church these thinges but by Christe and hys holy Apostles whiche taught in their time And so in these thinges and manye other moe went it furth from age to age continuinge in the churche tyll thys daye begonne by Christ in the beginninge withoute mention made in scripture written The .iiij. probation Some desire to haue it in the englyshe tongue only for knowledge and this is but curiositie some only for vain praise this is but vain glory to be sene learned Some only to taunt poore priestes and other therewith and this is but deuelishnes so that for none of these it ought to be in english Nowe where some would desyre it in english only to be edified thereby for this desyre only is to be embrased treuth is they may be sufficiently edified by sermons and holsom doctrine of the scriptures expounded vnto theym by such as haue the key of knoweledge as ofte as they shall well requyre and herewith a godly minde wyl be content knowing that the contrary is against the catholyke church So that euin the good and catholyke people which would doe good and noo hurt with the Bible in english yet may not be permitted to kepe it in the english tōge partly lest the infirme and weake thereby should be offended eyther in misiudging or in taking example yf occasion serue to get the same libertie to theyr destruction and partly that no occasion be geuen therby to obstinate heretikes to murmur that they haue it not in english them selues as wel as thother And this answer I geue vnto theym which seme of a godlye zeale to say scripture ought to be in english for the vse and commoditie of such people as with an earnest zeale and deuoute study doo hunger and thurste the simple and plaine knowlege of Gods worde not for contentious bablyng but for innocent lyuyng not to be curious searchers of the high mysteries but to be faithfull doers of Gods byddyngs not to be troublous talkers of the Bible but sincere folowers of Gods preceptes therin conteyned not to be vnreuerent reasoners in holy scripture for vain settīg out of their painted sheathe but to be hūble and louly workers of Gods glory not to be curious disputers in the Gospell for the mayntenaūce of theyr inordinate lustes and carnall libertye but to be vpryghte walkers in holye conuersation of lyfe in the rule of the gospell prescribed The fyfte probation Hauyng the scripture in englysh they presume to know all the scriptures perfitly and that to theyr condemnation contrary to s Hieroms rule which is this Si non succedat idoneus interpres potius nescire oportet quam cum periculo discere c. Yf there be not one present that is mete to expounde the scriptures it is better not to know the mysteries then with ieoperdie and peryll to searche theim c. The syxte probacion The most parte of the people be euyll but Christe wolde none such should haue the handlyng of his secrettes as appereth by that he willeth precious stones not to be caste amongest swine nor holye breade to dogges Therfore scripture ought not so to be lefte that all without anye discretion or difference may hādle it at their pleasures whiche muste nedes be if it be sette at libertie in the vulgar tongue in euerye churche The seuenth probation The moste part of the people be ignoraunt not hable to discerne betwene the letter and the mystery but none suche be mete iudges in suche high matters yet none wylbe more bolde then blynde bayarde therefore the scripture must be kepte furth of the handling of all suche which cānot be if it cōtinue in English as it doth for all men to dispute of it that wyll The eight probation Is not the scripture ful of figures and tropes Shal it then be so lefte that euery one shal be iudge therof The
inestimable treasur foūd and hid in the fylde that was bought Math. vii and of the precious stones not to be cast before swyne nor the holy vnto dogges c. What doeth all thys but plainelye forbydeth thee Byble in Englishe or the mysteries therof to be set abrode The xxx probation Lyke as GOD appointed tholde lawe to bee written in stone tables or boke so did he appoint as Hieremie witnesseth the new to be writen only in the heart of man Hier. xxxi Why should the writing in bookes then be so highlye regardyd But this carnall this fleshly regardyng by no meanes can be so well extenuate or rather quyte taken awaye as by taking the scripture fourth of the vulgar tonge and fourth of thandling of the lewde ignoraunt The xxxi probation God appointed the Gospell onelye to be writen in the hert of man And therfore the Apostels did fulfyll theyr office concerning this matter in that thei only wrote theyr epistles to the people being absent but euer taught by mouthe theym that were present as appeareth to the Corinthians where Paule saith othere thinges i. Cor. xi when I come and am present I wyl order And S. Iohn sayde Epistle .ii. I had mani thiges to write which I wil not write but tel you and teache you mouth to mouth The same teachinges then and many other haue bene receiued in the Church euin as it were by hande and so continued styll and shall doo tholye ghost teaching frome tyme to tyme as Christe promised if the Bible were ones taken forthe of the ignorauntes iudgementes The xxxij probation i. Timoth. i. Paule writeth to Timothe rebukynge many whiche then woulde presume to be doctours and teachers not mete for that office but how many thousādes be in Englād English teachers now yea rather seducers and only sowers of heresies through the englysh translacion muche worse and more ignoraunt then they of whō Paule then spake The xxxiij probacion Yf it be laufull for all to haue the handeling of scripture then made not tholy ghost a iuste diuision of giftes appointing but som doctours and teachers and thother to be taught Yea and Christ cald in vain the Apostles and theyr successours the salt of th earth the light of the world if euery one that wyll shal haue that office as no doubte they haue had this longe tyme and wyll haue styl if it shoulde continue in English which GOD forbyde The .xxxiiij probacion Gregorius Nazianzen saieth Oportet paulatim infirmis fidelibus ea que perfectiora sunt aperire c. Greg. Nazian concione de spiritu sancto We must by lytle and litle open the secretes of scripture to the infirme christians How can it be suffred thenne to be in englysh for euery one too open it to him selfe The xxxv probation Paule would all to be taught the scripture and therfore he wrote his epistles to al but not all to descant vpon them For then he would not haue saide i. cor xiiii if any be thought to be a prophet let him know what I write vnto you c. The .xxxvii. probacion Moises did committe the boke only to the pristes not to the people Deut. xxxi And the priest was euer made iudge in hard causes of the scripture Deut. xvii But our men wil be iudges them selues where lerned they that euen of the deuil the autour of arrogancy God said in Deut. he that will not obey in this to the preiste Deut. xvii shall suffer death But what obedyence woulde the englishe readers geue to the preist yea to the highest Priest of all in earth vnder Christ The xxxvij probation S. Basil biddeth be circumspect that ye blabbe not out the holy mysteries nor suffer them to be defiled with prophane eyes but ye shall rather bee afrayed to handle them yea ye shall reuerence the hydde mysteries of God with spirituall and not corporall beholdynges and kepe them not touched nor to be handled of the rude ignoraunt and common people What can be more playne then this againste the Byble in the vulgar tongue The xxxviij probation O howe manye scrupules and doubtes haue spronge in manye mens heades whiche neither they nor their fathers euer imagined before through the scripture in Englishe How many alterations scismes and deuisions amonge the simple haue rysen yea betwene man and wyfe maister and seruant How manye women heretikes haue taken vpon them thoffice of teachinge hereby in these yeres paste Women heretikes and all contrarye to Paules doctrine The xxxix probation Amonge other one of the greatest inconueniences that hath these wretched yeres sprōg by hauing the Byble in english is this that many yea very manye God best knoweth haue presumptuouslye taken vpon them beinge yet moste vnmete thervnto thoffice of doctours and teachers in corners and conuenticles beinge not sent but arrogantly and presumptuouslye saying God did send them and they woulde seke for none other sending howe be it they did not marke the plague of Osias kyng of Iuda for vsurping thoffice of the priest whervnto he was not called They did not marke howe Christ being very man did chose the xij Math. x Luc. x. Apostles and lxxij disciples and sent thē furth where ye see bothe the outwarde chosynge and outwarde sendyng Actes i. Mathias was outwardlye by men chosen to succede Iudas and so were the seuen deacons outwardlye called Actes vi and thactes the xv it hathe pleased tholye ghost and vs c. Beholde here bothe the inward and outward sending And the holye ghost sayde Actes xiii seperate me Paule and Barnabas they put theyr handes on them and sente them furthe Here ye see outwarde sendynge Yea and Paule sayeth Rom x. howe shall they preache except they be sent Nowe yf we shoulde take onely inwarde sendinge without the outwarde then the Churche coulde neuer bee certayne who were sent and who were not Agayne Christ appoynted certayne Apostles doctours and teachers c. Whiche order saith Paule Ephes iiii shall continue in the church for euer But thē it must nedes be that the churche shal stil appoynt them as they did then c. Moreouer he that shall be called to the office of a priest or byshop must haue a good report of them whiche are without i. Timo. iii. Marke here the outwarde sending And S. Augustine sayth ▪ if because Thappostles were taught of god Aug. in prolo li. de doct Chri. none own ought to bee outwardelye called or taughte then sayeth he lette none reade the gospel nor none heare sermons Paule had tholye ghost and yet he went not to preache tyl Ananias had layde his handes vpon him Actes ix ▪ He was sent sayth he to man to receiue the sacramentes and to be ioyned to the church Neuertheles all might be done and wrought onely inwardlye by thangell or spirite of God but then shoulde neuer be any certayntie
techers and some learners But these quite turne vp side doune the right ordre of Christes churche the one part medling with the others office the more blinde the more bolde the more ignoraunte the more busie the lesse witte the more inquisitiue the more leude the more bablynge of great doubtes and high questions of Christes Sacramentes and of his priuye and vnsearcheable mysteries and that oft most presumptuously with out al reuerence or godly feare bothe at drinkinge and eating as though it were but a Canterburye tale and that when the ale is in the witte is oute Then flowe furthe manye errours and heresies Then are the simple catched in the snare of the Deuyll without hope of recouerie And all this alas and woe is me haue we ful experince of in these yeares paste But nowe thankes bee to Iesus Christe that by his onelye might and power when it was paste all mans helpe hath deliuered vs from the Deuill and the bondage of Pharao and brought vs furthe of darknes of scismes and heresies into the cleare light of the trueth againe by sendynge vs oure blessed queene Mary euen another Helena to bringe againe the holye crosse whiche euen from her infancie hath sticked faste and cleued surelye vnto the sounde piller of trueth the catholyke churche whiche wyll neuer faile she hathe euer defended it to the vttermost of her power Lorde graunt her longe life to continue the same and graunte her ioyfull deliueraunce of her moste comfortable burden When God of his great mercye sente her to be our liege ladye our quene and gouernesse then we receyued of him as great a benefit as euer did the Israelites of Hester or Iudith O lord before her comminge the churche was troden downe and pitifully spitfully I might saye spoyled by might by tiranny heresy the great Deuyl was let lose al was quite plucked vp by the rotes vnder the colour and false name of vice superstition and ydolatrie they vtterlye destroyed all deuotion all vertue and godlye religion The feareful Serpent Python that greuous dragon with manye heades mencioned of in the Apocalips did still persecute the woman in the sun That is to say our mother the church deuourynge her children here in this realme incessauntly tyll Gods merciful pitie gods pitiful mercy did electe send this blessed woman Mary our Queene in stede of Michael tharchāgel to ouerthrow him to restore his temple and furnishe agayne his house which now of late within these .xxii. yeares was here in Englande worse spoiled and defaced then euer was his temple at Hierusalem eyther by the Chaldies or by Antiochus Marye therefore oure noble queene God him selfe dyd appointe euen as he did Iosue Esdras or Iudas Machabeus to bringe vs into the ryghte waye agayne towarde the land of promise for we were farre strayed amisse throughe synne auarice ▪ and lecherye and to reedifie his temple through her wisedome she beynge the perfit mirrour and pearle of all christian queenes and princes Yea and if the olde prouerbe be true as it is most true in dede whiche sayeth euery prince is to his realme subiectes ether a very precious Iuell or els a deadlye poyson because suche as the prince is suche will the people laboure to be whether it be in vertue or vice What a precious Iewell then haue we receyued of God in receyuynge her noble estate to be our ladye queene an example of all vertue deuotion and prayer a spectacle to al realmes And suerly the common voice is that her grace is not onelye moste noble moste vertuous moste wittie and moste studious but also moste excellent in learning farre passinge eyther the noble Romaines Cornelia Hortensia or the godly learned womē of whom S. Hierome writeth Eustochium Paula and Blesilla Therefore if queene Saba iustlye sayde it was a signe that God loued his people ◠Barall 9. for sendynge them Salomon to raygne ouer thē maye not we as iustly now say the same to Englande And yf the wisdome pietie and vertue of Onias was sayde to be the cause of the prosperous estate of their citie 2. Mach. 2. shall not we likewise saye to this our realme Besides this Roma 12. if gouernours be highlye praysed in scripture whiche rule with great solicitude and carefulnesse what shal we then saye to her whiche for all our wealthes bothe bodilye and ghostly is styll moste vigilant and carefull And finallye nowe to conclude if amonge the heathen the noble Princes haue euer highlye been extolled for sundrie vertues howe highly is she worthie thē to be extolled for so plentifull and so manifolde kindes of vertue Whiche doeth not onely excell in godlynesse in deuotion in prayer in fastyng in abstinence in humilitie in charitie in mercie pitie and compassion in discretion in knowledge in wisedom in excellencie of witte beinge of no small studie in godly literature but beinge of exquisite learnynge of profounde knowledge of exacte iudgement beside notable diligence and great painfulnesse euen frō her childhode as for her pollicie and affayres of the realme in settinge furthe the wealthe and commoditie thereof and in defendinge vs from outwarde and inwarde enemies I speake not of but also whiche doeth farre passe all other as it is euidently seen in her most godly innated zeale that she beareth styll moste earnest towarde the vnitie and faythe of Christes trew religion and towarde the cheife head therof vnder Christ whiche by the space of these xx yeres euen tyll she came was banished this realme throughe scisme and heresie through couetousnes and letcherye Lorde be mercifull vnto vs. Wherfore if in the Gospel of S Luke many holy womē for godlines deuotiō and zeale toward Christes church be highly praysed by name likewise in thactes of the Apostles and in the laste Chapter to the Romans yea and if S. Hierom wrote a whole booke of suche holye and vertuous women what lesse prayse is her highnes worthye now to haue being inferiour to none of the all being euin now amonge al princeli womē in the worlde a verye Phenix But I wyll let this passe I wyl say no more but only this that the doughter maye welbe knowen by the Mother and that as we fell from all goodnes at the moste vniust fall of her Mother that most noble Lady Queene Catheryn So doe we nowe rise agayne at the moste iuste risinge agayne of her noble estate to the Crowne of Englande So that in her moste godlye person is shut vp all our worldly ioye comfort and hope whom with her most noble vertuous husbande Philip our Lord King not much inferiour to her highnes in grace vertue and godlynes as credible menne reporte Iesu longe prosper in honoure grace and vertue daylye increasinge But nowe to the processe intendid The fyrst Chaptre Scripture is very harde to be vnderstande IF nothing els shuld moue the Scripture to be takē furthe of the irreuerente and lewde handling of the multitude
bee knowen beinge translated into another tongue A thirde cause is iii. lacke of knowledge of the antiquitie which ofte causeth great hardnes seing it is not for euery maÌ„ to knowe the antiquitie but only for them which be of great studie wisedome and learning in sundrie authours iiii A fourth cause that ofte one name is coÌ„mon to diuerse yea oft one hath diuerse names A fifth cause that one word oft doeth signifie diuerse thinges v. or that one worde is ofte diuersllye taken as this worde lex the lawe is taken in one place for the figures and ceremonies Math. xi in another for the threateninge of the lawe in another for the wholle Byble Rom. iiii Hec Orig. lib iii. in Ro. iii. in medio et in eccl Eras lib. iiii in another for thold testament in another for the lawe of nature before the fal in another after the fall in another for the lawe wrytten and in another for the lawe of the ghospel A sixt cause that repugnance ofte apperith in scripture vj. as I and my father bee one my father is gretter then I Iohn .x. and .xiiii. Rom. iii. Iames .ii. Ephes iiii Psalm iiii Math. v. we iudge man to be iustified by faith with out the workes of the law man is iustified by the workes of the law and not by fayth only be angry and offend not euery one that is angry is worthy Iudgement be angry and offend not let all indignation and anger be taken froÌ„ you Iohn .xiiii. mathew .x. mat xxviii I leaue my peace with you I came not to brynge peace but the sworde goe not to the heathen goe in to all places of the worlde with suche lyke many hundreth places A seueÌ„th cause vij that one thing in scripture is oft diuersly told as Stephans rehersal Actes the vii is not recited streight as it is in the Genesis And saint Luke Actes the ix speakyng of Paules coÌ„uersion telleth it not as Paule doth him selfe Actes the xxii and xxvi viij The eight cause that textes in the newe testament are recited furth of the olde and not worde by worde Math. ii as that of Matthew quoniam Nazereus vocabitur He shall be called a Nazarite Yea somtymes fourth of the new and yet not so to be founde as that of the Actes Christ sayde beatius est dare quam accipere Actes xx It is more blessed to geue than to receyue ix The .ix. cause that ofte appereth variaunce in the yeares and tymes yea and that the diuersytie of the tymes oft to them that be well lerned causeth great confusion The .x. cause that textes many tymes which ought spiritually to be vnderstand x. they take carnally and lyke wyse take the contrarie The .xj. xj cause that somtymes it appereth to the sensuall man not to be possible as Oportet vos nasci denuo Iohn .iii. Ye muste bee borne agayne Nisi efficiamini sicut paruuli c. mat xxviii â–ª Excepte ye be made lyke chylderne c. The .xij. cause that ofte it semeth blynd and no profyt in it as that of the Iudges xij the trees went fourth to anoynt theym a kynge yea and that of Deut. Yf. S. Paule had not expounded it thou shalte not mussell the Oxe that treadyh fourth the corne xiij The .xiij. cause that oftetimes the persoÌ„ that speketh is not euer well marked As †Paul loquu tus est in persona imperfecti hoiÌ„s non quod volo bonum hoc ago c The good that I woulde doe I not but the euyll whiche I would not that doe I. †Christus Ioquitur in Matheo sub persona vulgaris Iudaei Non est bonum sumere panem filiorum et mittere canibus It is not mete to take the chylderns bread and to cast it to dogges †Et in psa loquitur sub persona corporis sui mystici Roma vii Math. xv Psal xx Psal lxviii Longe a salute mea verba delictorum meoruÌ„ The wordes of myne offenses are farre from myne healthe Delicta mea a te non sunt abscondita Myne offenses are not hyd from the. c. Yea besyde this ofte in the Psalmes in the Prophetes in the gospels other places moo also very harde to the knowledge wherof the vnlerned by theym selfes can neuer attayne the wordes be somtyme spoken as in person of the Prophet hym selfe somtyme in person of God somtyme of the aungell somtyme of the Deuyl somtyme of man sometyme of Christe as God sometyme of Christe as man sometyme as head of the church militant somtyme as head of the church triumphant somtime as in the person of his sensual parties of his owne body and somtyme in the person of some particular parte of his body misticall c. The .xiiii. cause that scripture ofte vseth this terme all where as some or parte be but ment Cum exaltatus fuero a terra omnia traham c. Iohn xii â–ª When I am lyfte vp from the earth I wyll drawe all men vnto me Omnes loue c. besyde that which lyeth hydde within xix The .xix. cause that they marke not and in dede it is not for euery man to marke what thinges were geuen but for a tyme to continew and what for euer As the workynge of myracles was gyuen but for a tyme mar xvi as S. Augu. in his dayes dyd witnesse sayeng he that then wold loke for a myracle was a miracle to the worlde hym selfe And that of the actes Actes xv to absteyne from that was offred to Idols to absteyn from blood and from straungled xx The .xx. cause that scripture is full of diuerse and soundry senses It is the boke wrytten as it is in the Apocalyps both within and without in the spirit and in the lettre within by the spiritual meanyng without by the sense of the letter within bycause it promiseth inuisible thynges without for that it disposeth the visible thinges within bycause it moueth to desire heuenly thynges without for that it teacheth worldly thynges to be contemned The .iiii Chapter The letter doeth kyll and that sondry wayes SEing the letter doth kyl as S. Paule saith and that diuerse wayes the ignoraunt people ought to be sore aferde to couet after that whiche causeth present death How be it maÌ„s nature is such euer to desyre that which is forbyd Nitimur in vetituÌ„ seÌ„per cupimusqueâ—egata Neuertheles for as muche as the letter doth kyll and that soÌ„dry waies and that the rude simple and vnlerned yea oftymes the proude arrogant and captious be euer redy to take rather that whiche shall hurte then that which shall helpe shal the scripture then be so lefte that the leuyng of it may be occasion of spirituall death to the multitude God forbyde It ought in no wyse to be suffered j. The letter euer doth kylle when a mystery is
expositions together Hereby plainly appereth that with the Englishe Bible alone though it were trewly translated man coulde not be brought fully into the trew meaninge of Gods word But we se and wel perceyue that thousandes haue ben brought from the trew meaning of goddes worde throughe the Englishe Byble therefore awaye with it It hathe kilde to many soules alredy GOD best knoweth whom I beseche sende a spedy redresse The .vi. Chapitre Scripture ought not to be in the vulgare tonge that al men without restraynt may rede it Fyfty probations of this assertion The first Probation I Neuer heard nor red that GOD would hys people to haue the booke amonge themselues to towse or type at their pleasure God gaue the booke to Hieremye and bad him rede to the people that whyche he had written Hier. xxxvi Esay viii GOD bad Esai take the Booke to him for the same purpose Yea and it was not without great mysterie that God bad Ezechiell fyrst eate the Booke Ezech. iii. and then rede it in thaudience of all the people Dan. xiii Agayne Moyses gaue the booke to the Leuites to kepe and rede to the people iiii Re. xvii and in kinge Iosaphattes time the Priestes and Leuites did read the booke and teche the people like as did also afterwarde Elchias the Priest Sapha the Scribe Esdras did sundry times take the booke read it to the people iiii Re. xxii ii pa. xxxliii ii Esd viii and .xiii. iii. Esd ix Bar. i. Hier. xxxvi they diligentlye hearinge him And Baruch the Prophet redde the booke to the kinge and to the people they geuing eare vnto him Luc. iiii Yea Christ our maister toke the booke of the Prophet for this cause and red and expounded to the people his doing herein was for our example Wherby we may easely lerne that all people should not haue the Scryptures in their owne handlinges at their pleasure as they haue had these dosen yeres past to their vtter spirituall destruction The seconde Probation God sente Ionas to preache to Niniue Ion. i. iii. he sente not a booke writtē to euery one of the Niniuites to reade them selues God sayde by Hieremy speakynge of the time of the Gospell that the time should come he wold write his law in thartes of his people Hier. xxxi So that the writtinge of tholde law in tables of stone signifieng the stony hartes of the Iewes is not to be reioysed at but rather to be lamēted to be ashamed of knowinge that Scrypture was only wryttē for sinne els neuer had ben written but only in the heart of mā It was three thousande yeres after the creation of the world before the olde lawe was written and yet then only writtē for wickednes and synne It was also a longe space after the ascension before the new Testament was written some parte at one tyme and some at an other and yet euery parte only writen for synne and scisme so that the simple ignoraunt people this wel considered ought not to be so desyrous of the scripture written as they ought to be desyrous to heare the trew meanyng of scripture for that onlye is the scripture and the gospell of Christe For sayth S. Hierom. Euangelium non est in scriptura sed in sensu non in superficie sed in medulla non in sermonum folijs sed in radice rationis The gospell is not in the wryting but in the sense it is not in the outwarde apperaunce but in the inward meanyng it is not in the leaues of the bokes but in the ghostly vnderstandynge Christ neuer bad goe write his gospell or holye worde but badde preache it Then yf thou hast an humble heart and canst but reade the englysh Bible thinke thou must haue it taught thee and not to take it thy selfe Saye as the Eunuche dyd to Philip Actes viii howe can I vnderstand it except I be taught Christe did preache ofte to the people Math. iiii v but he wrote not to them at all and he sent his disciples and bad them preache to the people his ghospel Mark .i. Luc. viii Math. x. and .xxviii. Mar. vi iii.xvi Luc. ix xxiiii Luc. xii and then they went and preached but he bad them not write at all That whiche ye haue hearde sayeth he in secrete places shal be preached on the toppes of the houses he said not it shal be written in youre churches as it hathe been Iewishly vsed on late here in Englande nor written in Bybles to be read of euerye one in hys mother tongue and set vp for that purpose in euerye churche Peter sayeth the holye fathers did speake Gods worde by the holye ghost ii Pet. i. he telleth nothinge of writyng it Math. xxvi Christe where he spake of the memorial of Mary Magdalene saide whersoeuer this ghospell shal be preached c. He sayde not whersoeuer this Ghospell shal be written Mark .i. Luc. iii. Iohn Baptist preached muche but where did he either write or commaund to be written Mat. xxiiii Christe ofte promised that hys Ghospell shoulde bee preached in all the worlde Mar. vi Luc. x. And therfore sent fourth bothe the apostles and the lxxij disciples and all godly preachers euer since so that none canne preache except he be sent Rom. x. But in no place we rede that he bad go write his ghospel I can not then but meruayl that men to their owne confusion are so desierous to haue the scripture in their mother tongue O howe oft speaketh Paule and S. Peter also of preachinge the ghospell Rom. x.xv. In the Epistle to the Romaynes in either Epistle to the Corinthians i. cor ix xv ii Cor. i. xi Gal. i. iiii.v Ephes ii Phillip i. Col. i. i. Thes ii i. Tim. ii iii ii Tim. iiii Act. ix xv.xx i. Pet. iii iiii Act. vix xv Luc. x. Math. vii Luc. xi Actes x. Actes xix to the Galathians to the Ephesians to the Philippians to the Colossiās to the Thessalonians to Tymothe and in Thartes And S. Peter also bothe in his first Epistle also thrise in thactes Besides this Martha is praysed in the Ghospell for hearyng Christes worde taughte and Christ in his sermō in the moūt saieth he that heareth my word and doeth it not he that readeth it or writeth it shal be like ned to the wise man buildynge vpon the rocke c. And agayne blessed be they that heare gods worde and kepe it and as it is in the Actes when Peter preached the holy ghost fell vpon al that heard him yea and they of Asia were praised for hearynge Gods word But wher I pray you haue you of writynge it for all men to read Howe be it the onelye drifte as I thynke of all suche as obstinatly sticke to haue the scripture in writing in the vulgar tongue is therby to be Iudges of the sense of scripture them selues contrarye to
nedefull God woulde haue sent it to the Eunuche to Saule and to Cornelius in the viij ix and x. of thactes but there ye reade that god sent them teachers Philip Anany and Peter and not the scripture whiche hadde been but in vayne as appeareth by the Eunuches sayinge howe shall I vnderstaÌ„de scripture by reading except I be taught Whervpon S. Hierom sayth Ego vt de me loquar nec saÌ„ctior suÌ„ hoc eunucho nec studiosior quâ—cuÌ„ librum teneret c. ignorabat tamen eum queÌ„ in libro nesciens venerabatur O howe manye this daye muche more ignoraÌ„t then Theunuche will take in hande onelye with their English boke to open mysteries bothe to theyr owne destruction and others The xxiij probation Our men wyll nothinge but theyr english booke but the holy man Ireneus which dyd see S Iohans disciple or as some affirme whiche was scholer to S. Iohans disciple named Policarpus doeth testifie that we must folowe the order of the traditions whiche the forefathers dyd leaue vnto them vnto whoÌ„ they committed the cure of Christes people vnto whiche ordinaunces the very heathens sayth he comming to Christes stocke did obey hauing their belefe written by the sprit of God in theyr hartes and not writen with ynke in velom or perchement What shal we say then to theym whiche yet bewaile their Iewish scriptures plucked besyde the postes and walles onlye desyre theyr scripture with inke and paper in the booke As for saluation only wryten in the hart by the holy spirit it should seme they passe not of The .xxiiij. probation The heathen Philosopher would not youth to be the medlers with moral philosophy bycause they were vnapte therunto eyther to be Iudges therof or to take any profyt thereby and he ment not only youthe in yeares but also in maners a childe saieth Esaie of an hundâ—eth yeares old shal dye Esay lxv What then shal we saie shal we admit vnto the haÌ„dling of our heaueÌ„ly philosophy whome the heathen thought vnmete vnworthy to handle theyr lerning whiche was but prophane woulde not the Iewes permitte all ages to the reading of all the bokes in the olde testament and shall we christen men doe it wyll we be worse then the Iewes Yea worse theÌ„ the prophane ethnickes and more out of order O Lord be mercifull vnto vs. The .xxv. probation It was neuer admitted though somtymes permitted in any place of christenedome scripture to continew in the vulgar tongue but only in tyme of scisme or heresy shall it nowe then be suffred to continew any longer in this realme so many mischefes yssewyng therout as haue done daily increasing these many yeares and would do styl more and more The .xxvi. probation When it is in the vulgar tonge the comen sorte play with Gods worde as the deuyll did disputing with Christ brought Gods worde but to a wronge purpose Christ said man lyueth not only by breade but by euery worde that procedeth fourth of Gods mouth The deuill spake Gods worde but it was not fourth of Gods mouth so did the olde Prophete of Bethell speake Gods word iii. Reg. xiii but not out of Gods mouthe Likewise did the CCCC iii. Re. xxii Prophetes whiche deceyued Achab. All sorcerers witches and coÌ„iurers vse gods worde but not oute of Gods mouthe so haue all heretikes in tymes past and doe at this day But when is it Gods worde furthe of Gods mouthe Howe shall we know or proue that Euer when it is spoken according to the consent faythe of the catholike churche For very scripture doeth shewe that the trew vnderstandynge of Goddes worde and that is furth of gods mouth spoken is euer to be soughte in the catholike churche for the catholike church alone hath euer the true sense of scripture whiche is for that cause called of S. Paule the pyller and foundation of all trueth i. Timo. iii. wherein also for this cause God ordeyned some apostles some Euangelistes Ephes iiii some Prophetes and teachers styl to coÌ„tinue lest we shoulde be ouerthroweÌ„ with blastes of errour And therfore Ireneus wttnesseth Iren. li. 3. cap. 3. and longe after him S. Augustine that the trewe meaning of scripture is to be hadde by the triall of the succession of the holye bishoppes and fathers since Peters time in the see of Rome which thinge caused S. Augustine to say I would not beleue the ghospell if thautoritie of the churche caused me not so to doe Aug. in epist fund So that we must beleue that hath been receyued of all men at all times and in all places of christendome and we muste leane to thantiquitie to the generalitie and consent of the fathers and the true sense and meanyng of scripture must euer be proued and tried oute herby How be it to none of this our new men wil agre because it whollye maketh agaynst theÌ„ but thei euer do studie to bring al into question to deny al general councels all ordinaunces decrees canons and expositours vpoÌ„ scripture And much of this disorder thenglish Bible doeth cause wherfore me thinke it maye not well be permitted to continue The xxvij probation Can it be chosen but so long as all people haue the Byble in English at their pleasure there shal euer be some amonge them readie ministers of the deuyl to dispute reason and teache the residue to the vtter destruction of all deuotion and good order And yet amonge them selues they shall saye the cause is they can not be taught truelye of the preachers abrode And hereby heresye shal be sowed plentifullye and Gods worde pitifullye abused vnder a colourable defense therof Thei shal say o the Ghospell ought not to be kept from christen men and that is verye trueth it oughte to bee taught them and preached vnto them but not to teache them selues for wrastynge it amisse The xxviij probation It is the occasion of manye heresies to haue the scripture in the vulgar tongue Howe be it heresie dyd neuer spring furth of scripture but only of the peruerse vnderstandynge of scripture sayeth Hilarius Hilar. lib. ij de triuitate And yet then seing the rude ignoraÌ„t sort be euer prone peruersly to wrast the scriptures we muste thinke that to haue scripture in english is to minister occasioÌ„ to the coÌ„mon sorte to fall into errours· that it so shall doe appeareth by that they be not hable to weye nor beare the mysteries nor to vnderstand the tropes and allegories whiche the greate learned men ofte are scant hable well to digeste howe much lesse the cobler carter or coryer The xxix probation Hilarius vpon In corde meo abscondi eloquia tua Sheweth that the high mysteries oughte not to be publyshed abrode amonge all people It is good saieth he to hyde the kynges priuetie and secret And s Paul saith he was aferd to fede the people with any other but with mylke Math. xiii Christ in the gospell telleth of
Luc. xix bringyng for him the testimony of Esaie and seing also we haue in scripture so manye notable examples concernynge the same purpose Luc. ii Anna the prophetisse coÌ„tinued day and night in the temple in fastynge and prayer Luc. xxiiii the Apostles after Christes ascension remayned styll in the temple in laudyng and blessyng God Peter and Iohn went vp in to the temple at the ninth houre of prayer Actes iii. Salomon besought GOD to graunt the petition of all that prayed in the temple iii. Re. viii and Daniel beinge a prisoner in Babilon Dan. vi euer loked toward the temple when he prayed vppon his knees thryse in the daye This suerly doth proue that the chief intent of coÌ„ming to the churche ought to be to praye But all this tyme which now thankes be to God is past hauynge the diuine seruice in Englishe was an extreme enemie to all godly prayer and deuotion For then men phansied so to heare what was redde striuing ofte thervppon in simple iudgemente that feruente prayer whiche ought to be was smally regarded And here now for this time I make an end besechig al godlye people as for Momus his iudgement I passe not of well to accepte this my labour seing that herein is nothinge spoken but that whiche hath bene taught for treuthe and beleued of al men in all places and at al times since the primatiue church seing also that herein we leane onely to the generalytie of all christendome to the antiquitie of the elders whiche haue receiued it as it were by hande euyn tyll this day and to the consent and agrement of all the holy fathers Whose wittes were as muche as our new mens theyr diligeÌ„ce as great theyr lerning greater theyr studye more feruent they re deuotion hotter theyr nombre more theyr continuaunce longer they alway taken for catholikes but thother euer for heretikes alwaye laboring and studiyng that might be whollye to the profyt of the churche of Iesus Christe To whome with the father and the holye ghost be all honoure and glorye for euer and euer AMEN Memorâ—â—e nouissima Eccl. vii in aeternum non peccabis I. S. A PRAYER IESV God and man we beseche thy Maiestie Of mesureles mercie tender our miserie Hast to helpe that helpe hast in thy hande Ne cesse with thy 〈…〉 repaire this Ilande Suffer not Satan and his cursed progenie To bewitche thy people with scisme and heresie And strengtheÌ„ vs O God of power puisaunce Neuer to quaile throughe thy gracious gouernauÌ„ce Dede and worde in vs so proportion Infinitly that we acknowledge thy heaueÌ„ly wisdoÌ„ Snared we were and nigh snatched to confusion Scisme and heresie preuailing in this region Haue thankes and praise for our restitution As we may and can we must and wyll willingly Vvaking and sleping exalte thy Maiestie Thy mercie for our selues as we aske and haue Haue like mercie we humblie crie and craue On Philip and Mary graunt theÌ„ of thy mercie Reigne peace and power in longe life felicitie Autoris nomen libri noÌ„ scribitur huius Vt placido vultu quisque probaret opus Plus circa nomeÌ„quam veruÌ„ plebs stomochatur I is adhibens solum qui placuere fidem ¶ Fautes escaped the printer in many of the bokes Leafe Syde Lyne A.v. ij .iiii. reade ofte hurteth C.viii. i. in the margeÌ„t math .ix D.v. i. xvii rede Actes E. iii i. xv put oute E. iiii ii in the margeÌ„t Iac. iiii H. vii i. in the margent writte Iren. lib. tertio capit iiii I.i. i. i. rede and it is I.i. ii v. rede that which hath I. ii ii xviii reade doe apereth I. vi i. xx rede Altercations I. vi ii xxii rede sending Howe I. vii ii xxii rede none now
the vniuersall churche of Christ But therfore it may not be suffered The thirde probation THrough the damnable libertie of hauinge it in the vulgar tongue haue not all holye mysteries been despised Haue they not therby vtterly condemned all that hathe not been expressed in the letter of their Englishe Byble Haue they not made vs worse hereby then the Iewes To take all mysteries from vs excepte they be expressed in their Englishe â–ª The Iewes durst not expresse the highe name of God Iehoua But what mysterie durste not our men medle withal Yea reason turne tosse at their pleasure The Iewes had Cabala their tradition left among them by Moyses without writynge receyued as it were by hande from generation to generation concernynge the mysticall sense included in the wordes of scripture But through this damnable heresye our men haue whollye condemned all that is not expressed in the letter of theyr Englishe And yet S. Iohn sayde I had manye thinges to write vnto you neuerthelesse I woulde not write with paper and ynke but I truste to come and speake with you mouthe to mouth Aug. ad Ianu. yea and S. Augustine sayeth quae non sunt scripta sed tradita custodimus quae toto terrarum orbe obseruantur we kepe and obserue not only such thinges as be written but also traditions not written whiche be obserued in all places of christendome Agayne yf ye wil nothinge to be Gods word but that whiche is expressed in the letter written what say ye then to Moyses Were not the wordes of God spoken to him gods worde tyll they were written Wer not the wordes of God spoken to the Apostles gods word tyl they were written Christ in sayinge to Peter blessed arte thou c Mat. xvi declareth that that high mystery came into S. Peters heart as to the prince of Chap postles onelye by secret inspiration and not by the worde written And so doeth lykewise this that neyther Euangelist nor Apostle did euer by writing sende the faith to anye nation but where they were firste informed by preaching For faith commeth by hearynge sayeth Paule and not by writynge Rom. x. Furthermore Paule bad the Thessalonians as I sayde kepe the traditions whiche he had geuen them by mouth ii Thes ii because the wordes that he spake to the people by mouth our lord and vsed aboute the sacrament of the Altar or about the sacrament of baptisme who can shew the reason fully of all the wordes gestures orders questions and aunsweres there vsed And yet all these wee haue receiued of Christ and his Apostles Thus muche sayth Origene And here marke I beseche you of Origenes woordes whiche was liuiÌ„g wtin lxxxx yeres after saint Iohn the Euangelist that many suche traditions were left by Christ his Apostles which bee not in the Byble expressed and yet to be obserued of all faythful Catholike people Beside this what they wyl saye to manye thinges moe not expressed in Scripture and yet vnder the payne of damnation to be beleued I cannot tel as to the Baptim of infantes the .iii. persons in Trinitie to be of equall power and of one essence that God the Father is ingenitê° not begot the procedinge of the holye gost from the father the Sonne the deity equalitye of the Holy Goste with the father and the Sonne the obseruynge of the Sonday the order of our Crede the continuance of the virginite of our Lady that she is Theorocos mater dei the mother of God the receyuinge the Sacrament of thalter fasting the mixtinge water with wyne in the Chalice the Sonne to be consubstantial with the father that Christes soule descended in to hel the making of the signe of the Crosse the numbre of the Sacramentes that there be .ii. natures in Christe knit together in vnitate diuine supposite that Soules departinge hens streyght wayes haue the fruitioÌ„ of the deitye And that men and women haue power to ministre the Sacrament of Baptym It is not expressed in scripture neyther by commaundement couÌ„sell licence or example what they will say to this gere I wot not but this one thynge I am wel assured of that hauiÌ„g the Scripture in Englishe hath brought tholy mysteries of God into contempte and hatred Where as the wisedome of God as S. Basil despiritu sâ—Ì„cto cap. xxvij Basill testifieth neuer wolde all the misteries of our faith to be put in writing thereby to be a laughinge stocke both to the Iewes and Gentils For if Christe himselfe were counted a sclaunder to the Iewes and folishnes to the Heathens how muche rather shal the high mysteries of our fayth so be counted being most harde to be perceyued †Mysterium noÌ„ est quod ad populares aures effertur patrâ—s ergo in occuâ—to ac silentio misterijs suam seruauere dignitateÌ„ Basi xxvii de spuÌ„ sancto Agayne it is not a mystery sayeth he that is open to euery man or that is blowen in to euery mans eare Tholy Fathers euer kept tholy misteryes in most secrecy reuerencyng the dignitie therof S. Dionise Dioni cap. i. in celes hierarch Iren. lib. 3. ca 4 Epiphan coÌ„tra AeriuÌ„ Tertul de cor mili Orig homil v in num Cypri de Lot peduÌ„ Hila in psal ij Ireneus Epiphanius TertuliaÌ„ Origen Ciprian and Hylari with one consent do firmelye establisshe this agaynste the approuers of thenglisshe translacions Yea and S. Basill dothe affirme that there be so manye mysteries without Scripture whiche must be credited that he can in no small time recite them al Deficier me dies inquit si ecclesiae mystria citra scriptuÌ„ tradita pergam recensere Howe can it then be that the Englisshe Bible can continue many such meÌ„ taking occasion thereby to condemne al holy mysteries receiued by the Catholyke Churche euen from the begynninge S. Iohn testienge that so many moe thinges wer done that the whole world were not hable to conteme all if they were wrytteÌ„ And s Paule bidding the Thessalonians as ye haue hearde obserue all his tradicions receyued by mouthe not by writyng sayeth Theophilact and yet aswel to be beleued as thother Yea and in the time of s Peter Linus Cletus Anacletus Clement Euaristus c. S. Iohns Gospell was not written but these men wyll nothing to be beleued but onlye that whiche is in their Englishe Byble so that all that time the Christians by this their iudgement should not haue ben bouÌ„d to beleue that whiche is now in S. Iohns Gospel bycause then it was not written Howe be it al faythfull people beleue that the Churche of Christe taught aboue .lx. yeres after Christes ascension all that is now in S. Iohns Gospell beinge yet not then written In the time our mother the Churche was a virgin I meane not corrupt nor adulterate with sundry heresies there were almost no scriptures of the new Testament in Paper and Inke All the monitions wordes and workes of Christe