peruerse liuing that is it that bringeth all thinges out of good order Hitherto all that I have said I haue taken and gathered out of the foresaide Sermon of this holy Doctour Saint Iohn Chrysostome Nowe if I should in like maner bring forth what the self same doctour speaketh in other places and what other doctours and writers say concerning the same purpose I might seeme to you to write another Bible rather then to make a Preface to the Bible Wherefore in fewe wordes to comprehende the largenesse and vtility of the Scriptures howe it conteineth fruitfull instruction and erudition for euery man if any thing be necessary to be learned of the holy Scripture we may well learn it If falshood shall be reprooued thereof we may gather wherewithall If any thing be to be corrected and amended if there need any exhortation or consolation of the Scripture we may well learn. In the Scriptures be the fatte pastures of the soul therein is no venomous meate no vnwholesome thing they be the very daintie and pure feeding Hee that is ignorant shall finde there what he shoulde learne He that is a peruerse sinner shall there finde his damnation to make him to tremble for fear He that laboureth to serue God shall finde there his glory and the promissions of eternal life exhorting him more diligently to labour Herein may Princes learne howe to gouerne their Subiects Subiects obedience loue and dread to their Princes husbands howe they shoulde behaue themselues vnto their wiues how to educate their children and seruants And contrary the wiues children and seruants may knowe their dutie to their husbands parents and masters Here all maner of persons men women young olde learned vnlearned rich poor priests laymen lords ladies officers tenants and meane men virgins wiues widowes lawyers marchants artificers husbandmen and all maner of persons of what estate or condition soeuer they be may in this booke learne all thinges what they ought to beleeue what they ought to do and what they should not do as well concerning Almightie God as also concerning themselus and all other Briefly to the reading of the Scripture none can be enemie but that either be so sicke that they loue not to heare of any medicine or else that be so ignorant that they knowe not Scripture to be the most healthfull medicine Therefore as touching this former parte I will here conclude and take it for a conclusion sufficiently determined and appointed that it is conuenient and good the Scriptures to bee read of all sortes and kindes of people and in the vulgare tongue without further allegations or probations for the same which shall not need since that this one place of Iohn Chrysostome is ynough and sufficient to perswade all them that be not frowardly and peruersly set in their owne wilfull opinion specially now that the Kings highnesse being Supreme head next vnder Christ of this church of England hath approued with his royall assent the setting foorth hereof which onley to all true and obedient Subiects ought to be a sufficient reason for the allowance of the same without further delay reclamation or resistance although there were no Preface or other reason herein expressed Therefore now to come to the second or latter part of my purpose here is nothing so good in this worlde but it may be abused and turned from vnhurtfull and wholsome to hurtfull and noysome What is there aboue better then the Sunne the Moone and the Starres Yet was there that tooke occasion by the great beautie and vertue of them to dishonour God and to defile themselues with idolatrie giuing the honour of the liuing God and Creatour of all things to such thinges as he had created What is there here beneathe better then fire water meates drinkes mettals of golde siluer yron and steele Yet we see dayly great harme and much mischiefe done by euery one of these aswell for lacke of wisdome and prouidence of them that suffer euill as by the malice of them that worke the euill Thus to them that be euill of themselues euery thing setteth forwarde and encreaseth their euill be it of his owne nature a thing neuer so good like as contrarily to them that studie and endeuour themselues to goodnesse euery thing preuaileth them and profiteth vnto good be it of his owne nature a thing neuer so bad as Saint Paul saith His qui diligunt Deum omnia cooperantur in bonum All thinges do bring good successe to such as do loue God euen as out of most venemous wormes is made triacle the most soueraigne medicine for the preferuation of mans health in time of danger Wherefore I woulde aduise you all that come to the reading or hearing of this Booke which is the Word of God the most precious iewell and most holy relique that remaineth vpon earth that ye bring with you the feare of God and that ye do it with all due reuerence and vse your knowledge thereof not to vaineglory of friuolous disputation but to the honour of God encrease of vertue and edification both of your selues and others And to the intent that my words may be the more regarded I will vse in this part the authoritie of S. Gregory Nazianzene like as in the other I did of S. Iohn Chrysostome It appeareth that in his time there were some as I feare me there be also now at these dayes a great nomber which were idle brablers and talkers of the Scripture out of season and all good order and without any encrease of vertue or example of good living to them he writeth all his first Booke de Theologia Wherefore I shall briefly gather the whole effect and recite it here vnto you There be some saith he whose not only eares and tongues but also their fistes be whetted and readie bent all to contention and vnprofitable disputation whome I would wish as they be vehement and earnest to reason the matter with tongue so they were all readie and practiue to doe good deedes But for as much as they subuerting the order of all godlinesse have respect only to this thing how they may binde and loose subtill questions so that nowe euery marketplace euery alehouse and tauerne euery feasthouse briefly euery company of men euery assemblie of women is filled with such talke Since the matter is so saith he and that our faith and holy Religion of Christ beginneth to waxe nothing else but as it were a sophistrie or a talking craft I can no lesse doe but say something thereunto It is not fit saith he for euery man to dispute the high questions of Divinitie neither is it to be done at all times neither in euery audience must we discusse euery doubt but we must knowe when to whome and howe farre we ought to enter into such matters First it is not for every man but it is for such as be of exact and exquisite iudgments and such as haue spent their time before in studie and
which heretofore have misused it For truely some there are that be too slowe and neede the Spurre some other seeme too quicke and neede more of the bridle some loose their game by short shooting some by ouer shooting some walke too much on the left hand some too much on the right In the former sort be all they that refuse to reade or to heare read the Scripture in the vulgare tongue much worse they that let also or discourage the other from the reading or hearing thereof In the latter sort be they which by their inordinate reading undiscrete speaking contentious disputing or otherwise by their licentious liuing slander and hinder the Worde of God most of all other whereof they woulde seeme to be greatest furtherers These two sortes albeit they be most farre vnlike the one to the other yet they both deserue in effect like reproche neither can I well tell whether of them I may iudge the more offender him that doeth obstinately refuse so godly and goodly knowledge or him that so vngodly and so vngoodly doeth abuse the same And as touching the former I would marueile much that any man shoulde be so madde as to refuse in darkenesse light in hunger foode in colde fire for the Worde of God is light Lucerna pedibus meis verbum tuum Thy worde is a lanterne unto my feet It is foode Non in solo pane vinit homo sed in omni verbo Dei. Man shall not live by bread onely but by euery worde of God. It is fire Ignem veni mittere in terram quid volo nisi ut ardeat I am come to sende fire on the earth and what is my desire but that it be kindled I would marueile I say at this saue that I consider how much custome and vsage may do So that if there were a people as some write de Cymeriis which neuer sawe the Sunne by reason that they be situated farre towarde the North pole and be inclosed or ouershadowed with high mountaines it is credible and like ynough that if by the power and will of God the mountaines should sinke downe and give place that the light of the Sunne might haue entrance to them at the first some of them would be offended therewith And the olde prouerbe affirmeth that after tillage of corne was first found many delighted more to feede of maste and acornes where with they had bene accustomed then to eat bread made of good corne Such is the nature of custome that is causeth vs to beare all things well and easily wherewith we haue bene accustomed and to bee offended with all thinges thereunto contrary And therefore I can well thinke them worthy pardon which at the comming abroad of Scripture doubted and drewe backe But such as will persist still in their wilfulness I must needs iudge not onely foolish frowarde and obstinate but also peevish peruerse and indurate And yet if the matter shoulde be tried by custome wee might also alledge custome for the reading of the Scripture in the vulgare tongue and prescribe the more ancient custome For it is not much aboue one hundreth yeere agoe since Scripture hath not bene accustomed to be read in the vulgare tongue within this Realm many hundreth yeers before that it was translated read in the Saxons tongue which at that time was our mother tongue whereof there remain yet diuers copies founde lately in olde Abbeys of such antique manner of writing speaking that fewe men now be able to read and vnderstande them And when this language waxed old and out of common vsage because folke shoulde not lacke the fruite of reading it was againe translated into the newer language whereof yet also many copies remaine and be daily founde But now to let passe custome and to wey as wise men euer should the thing in his owne nature let vs here discusse what it auaileth Scripture to be had and read of the lay and vulgare people And to this question I intend here to say nothing but that was spoken and written by the noble doctour and most morall diuine Saint Iohn Chrysostome in his thirde Sermon de Lazaro albeit I will be something shorter and gather the matter into fewer wordes and lesse roome then he doeth there because I would not be tedious He exhorteth there his audience that euery man should reade by himself at home in the meane dayes and time betweene Sermon and Sermon to the intent they might both more profoundly fixe in their mindes and memories that he had saide before vpon such textes whereupon hee had alreadie preached and also that they might haue their mindes the more readie and better prepared to receiue and perceiue that which hee should say from thencefoorth in his Sermons upon such textes as hee had not yet declared and preached vpon therefore saith hee there My common vsage is to giue you warning before what matter I intend after to intreate vpon that you yourselves in the meane days may take the Booke in hand reade wey and perceiue the summe and effect of the matter and marke what hath bene declared and what remaineth yet to be declared so that thereby your minde may be the more furnished to heare the rest that shall be saide And that I exhort you saith he and euer haue and will exhort you that you not only here in the Church giue eare to that that is saide by the Preacher but that also when you bee at home in your houses ye applye your selues from time to time to the reading of holy Scriptures which thing also I neuer linne to beate into the eares of them that be my familiars and with whom I haue priuate acquaintance and conuersation Let no man make excuse and say saith hee I am busied about matters of the Common-wealth I beare this office or that I am a craftes man I must applie mine occupation I haue a wife my children must be fedde my housholde must I provide for briefly I am a man of the worlde it is not for me to reade the Scriptures that belongeth to them that haue bidden the world farewell which liue in solitarinesse and contemplation and haue bene brought vp and continually nouselled in learning and Religion To this answering What sayest thou man saith hee Is it not for thee to studie and to reade the Scripture because thou art encumbred and distract with cares and businesse So much the more it is behovefull for thee to haue defence of Scriptures howe much thou art the more distressed in worldly dangers They that be free and farre from trouble and intermedling of worldly thinges liue in safeguard and tranquillitie and in the calme or within a sure hauen Thou art in the middest of the sea of worldly wickednesse and therefore thou needest the more of ghostly succour and comfort They sit farre from the strokes of battell and farre out of gunne shotte and therefore they be but seldome wounded Thou that standest in the forefront
contemplation and such as before haue clensed themselues aswell in soule as bodie or at the least endeuored themselues to be made cleane For it is dangerous saith he for the vncleane to touch that thing which is most clean like as the sore eye taketh harme by looking vpon the Sunne Secondarily not at all times but when we be reposed and at rest from all outward dregs and trouble and when that our heades be not encombred with other worldly and wandring imaginations as if a man should mingle balme and dirt together For he that shall iudge and determine such matters and doubtes of Scriptures must take his time when he may applie his wittes therunto that he may thereby the better see and discerne what is trueth Thirdly where and in what audience There and among those that haue bene studious to learne and not among such as haue pleasure to trifle with such matters as with other thinges of pastime which repute for their chiefe delicates the disputation of high questions to shewe their wittes learning and eloquence in reasoning of high matters Fourthly it is to be considered how farre to wade in such matters of difficulty No further saith he but as euery mans owne capacity will serve him and againe no further then the weaknesse or intelligence of the other audience may beare For like as too great noyse hurteth the eare too much meate hurteth the mans body heauie burdens hurt the bearers of them too much raine doeth more hurt then good to the ground briefly in all things too much is noyous euen so weake wittes and weake consciences may soone be oppressed with ouer hard questions I say not this to disswade men from the knowledge of God and reading or studying of the Scripture for I say that it is as necessary for the life of mans soule as for the body to breathe And if it were possible so to liue I would thinke it good for a man to spend all his life in that and to doe none other thing I commend the Lawe which biddeth to meditate and studie the Scriptures alwayes both night and day and Sermons and preachings to be made both morning noone and euentide and God to be lauded and blessed in all times to bedward from bed in our iourneyes and in all other workes I forbid not to reade but I forbid to reason Neither forbid I to reason so farre as is good and godly but I allow not that is done out of season and out of measure and good order A man may eate too much honie be it neuer so sweete and there is time for euery thing and that thing that is good is not good if it be vngodly done Euen as a flower in winter is out of season and as a womans apparell becometh not a man neither contrarily the mans the woman neither is weeping conuenient at a bride ale neither laughing at a buriall Now if we can obserue and keepe that is comely timely in all other things shall not we then the rather do the same in the holy Scriptures Let vs not runne foorth as it were wilde horses that can suffer neither bridle in their mouthes nor sitter on their backes Let vs keepe vs in our bounds and neither let vs go too farre on the one side least we returne into Egypt neither too farre ouer the other least we be carried away to Babylon Let vs not sing the song of our Lord in a strange land that is to say let vs not dispute the word of God at all aduentures aswell where it is not to be reasoned as where it is and aswell in the eares of them that be not fit therefore as of them that be If we can in no wise forbeare but that we must needs dispute let vs forbeare thus much at the least to do it out of time and place convenient and let vs entreate of those things which be holy holily and vpon those things that be mystical mystically and not to vtter the Diuine mysteries in the eares vnworthie to hear them but let vs knowe what is comely aswell in our silence and talking as in our garments wearing in our feeding in our gesture in our goings in all our other behauing This contention and debates about Scriptures and doubtes thereof specially when such as do pretende to be the fauourers and students thereof cannot agree within themselues doth most hurt to ourselues and to the furthering of the cause and quarels that we should haue furthered aboue all other things And we in this saith he be not vnlike to them that being madde set their owne houses on fire and that slay their owne children or beate their own parents I marueile much saith he to recount whereof commeth all this desire of vainglorie whereof commeth all this tongue itche that we haue so much delight to talke and clatter And wherein is our communication Not in the commendation of vertuous and good deedes of hospitalitie of loue betweene Christian brother and brother of loue betweene man and wife of virginitie and chastitie and of almes towarde the poore not in Psalmes and godly songs not in lamenting for our sinnes not in repressing the affections of the body not in prayers to God. We talke of Scripture but in the meane time we subdue not our flesh by fasting watching and weeping we make not this life a meditation of death we do not striue to be lords over our appetites and affections wee goe not about to pull downe our proude and high mindes to abate our fumish and rancorous stomackes to restraine our lust and bodily delectations our vndiscrete sorowes out lasciuious mirth our inordinate looking our insatiable hearing of vanities our speaking without measure our inconuenient thoughts and briefly to reforme our life and maners but all our holinesse consisteth in talking And we pardon eche other from all good liuing so that we may sticke fast together in argumentation as though there were no mo wayes to heauen but this alone the way of speculation and knowledge as they take it but in very deede it is rather the way of superfluous contention and sophistication Hitherto haue I recited the minde of Gregorie Nazianzene in that Book which I spake of before The same Author saith also in another place that the learning of a Christian man ought to beginne of the feare of God to ende in matters of high speculation and not contrarily to beginne with speculation and to ende in feare For speculation saith hee either high cunning or knowledge if it be not stayed with the bridle of feare to offende God is dangerous and ynough to tumble a man headlong downe the hill Therefore saith he the feare of God must be the first beginning and as it were an A. B. C. or an introduction to all them that shall enter into the very true and most fruitefull knowledge of holy Scriptures Whereas is the feare of God there is saith he the keeping of the commaundements and where as is the keeping of the commaundements there is the cleansing of the flesh which flesh is a cloude before the soules eye and suffereth it not purely to see the beame of the heauenly light Where as is the cleansing of the flesh there is the illumination of the holy Ghost the ende of all our desires and the very light whereby the veritie of Scripture is seene and perceiued This is the minde and almost the wordes of Gregorie Nazianzene doctour of the Greeke Church of whome Saint Ierome saith that unto his time the Latine Church had no writer able to be compared and to make an euen match with him Therefore to conclude this latter part euery man that commeth to the reading of this holy Booke ought to bring with him first and formost this feare of Almightie God and then next a firme and stable purpose to reforme his owne selfe according thereunto and so to continue proceede and prosper from time to time shewing himselfe to be a sober and fruitefull hearer and learner which if he doe he shall proue at length well able to teach though not with his mouth yet with his liuing and good example which is sure the most liuely and effectuous forme and maner of teaching He that otherwise intermedleth withh this Booke let him be assured that once hee shall make account therefore when he shall haue said to him as it is written in the Prophet Davuid Peccatori dicit Deus c. Vnto the vngodly saide God Why doest thou preach my Lawes and takest my testament in thy mouth Whereas thou hatest to be reformed and hast bene partaker with adulterers Thou hast let thy mouth speake wickednesse and with thy tongue thou hast set forth deceit Thou satest and spakest against thy brother and hast slaundered thin owne mothers sonne These thinges hast thou done and I helde my tongue and thou thoughtest wickedly that I am euen such a one as thy selfe But I will reprooue thee and set before thee the things that thou hast done O consider this ye that forget God lest I plucke you away and there be none to deliuer you Who so offereth me thankes and praise he honoureth me and to him that ordereth his conuersation right will I shew the saluation of God. God be praised FINIS Psa. 119. 105. Matth. 4. 4. Luke 12.49 The Couclusion The Kings highnesse hath allowed the Scripture as necessarie for vs. There is nothing but may be abused Rom. 8.