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
the prophet I recited the text euin now that the people must requyre the law and the meaning therof at the mouth of the prist Mala. ii but then is it not for euery one to take it himselfe to controlle descaunt at his own pleasure The .xvii probation Can the vnlearned only with the english bible and with reading only the english translatiō discerne or know how Christes wordes be trewe that he came to fulfylle the lawe Math. v. and not to breake it and how many maner of wayes that is trewe and yet how he is the ende of the lawe Agayn can he perceyue therby how the old testament and the new are both one in substaunce Vetus lex occultatio nouae nona reuelatio veteris Aug. and yet diuerse in perfectiō and in imperfection what nedeth the olde styll to remayne yea or what neded the newe to be geuen seyng Christe answered to the lawyer askinge howe to come to heauen Luc. ◠In the lawe what readest thou Loue thy lord God c. Moreouer can he see in his english booke how the gospel is easy and lyght for so Christ calleth it and that thold was ouer hard and importable as it is in thactes the .xv. seyng that in thold only manslaughter was forbyd here to be angry is is condemned there loue thy frende here loue thyne enemy there eye for eye here yf thou hast a boffet on th one side turne thother there commytte no adultery here yt thou beholdest a woman vnchastly thou art an adulterer there thou shalt not be forsworne here thou shalte not sweare at al there for stealyng other mens goodes thou must restore fourefold here for not geuyng thyne owne thou mayst be dampned Can ye with thenglish bible tell these and many moo as hard thynges as these be I am sure ye can not And therfore if ye might be suffered whiche God forbyde styll to wade in thenglish translation ye muste nedes styl walke from blindnes to blindnes The .xviii. probation In the Law and the Prophetes o how many hard thynges be cōteined yea what part of scripture is so lyghte that a godly learned man dare take in hand fully to discusse expound and declare by his owne witte yf he doe not see nor neuer haue sene anye doctor or expositoure theron And yet shall scripture be suffered to continew in thenglish tongue for all men to expounde at theyr pleasure The .xix. probation What thinges haue we gotten by the scriptures beyng in englysh these yeares past seruauntes stubbourne frowarde and disobediēt to theyr masters and mastres fleshly liberty contempt of all godly order losse of deuotion and godlynes prayer and fastyng set at nought and vnbrydled boldnesse to all mischefe See then whether it be high tyme to take it awaye agayne Suffer the sword of the spirit to continew no longer in the mad mans hande Hebre. iiii The .xx. probation Who is hable to tell at the fyrst sight how many hūdreth fautes be euyn in they re best transiation yf there were any good and yet shall they be suffered styll to continewe shall they styll poyson moo lyke as doo a thousande damnable englysh bokes sette furth within these .xxij. yeares Lord delyuer vs from theim al and that with all spede I take God to record yf I may speake only of one faute in the translation and touche no moo my herte dyd euer abhorre to here this word dominus whiche most comonly doth include noster to be translated the Lorde where as it ought to be trāslated our Lord the very latyn phrase so declaryng as appeareth sufficiently by that one exāple of the comike where one sayth to Pamphilus Pater est what man that hath a iudgement in the latyn tonge can denie this word Pater here in this place to include tuus so to be translated in to Englyshe thy father is not the same iudgement to be geuen of S. Iohans sayeng to Peter Iohan the .xxj. Dominus est It is oure Lorde our Maister where as they haue falsely translated it as in many other places calling him the Lord And lykewise in the salutatiō of our Lady Haile Mary full of grace dominus tecum doth not here this worde dominus include noster wouldest thou make tharchaungell lyke a deuyll to calle hym the lorde he is the lord to the deuyl but to vs he is our most mercifull Lorde and so to be called Our father which art in heauē halowed be thy name c. And S. Thomas cryed my Lorde my God Agayn seing God is Lorde of Abraham Lorde of Isaac and Lorde of Iacob would then Abraham Isaac or Iacob call hym the Lord no trulye but my Lorde or oure Lord. This I speake not now so much for the translatiō seing it swarmeth as full of faultes as leaues I wil not say lines as I doe for that I would wish that the comen speache amonge people sprōg of custom through the fond translation I thanke the Lord the Lorde be praysed the Lorde knoweth with all suche phrases might be left and that the people might be taughte to call hym our Lord I thanke our Lord our Lord be praysed our Lorde knoweth c. The xxi probation The holy martyr and chiefe byshoppe S. Clement writynge to S. Iames Thapostle wylleth the worde of God not to be read after euerye mans toye in his brayne seinge manye places of scripture sayeth he without the leadinge of the holye ghost maye be wrasted and taken after euerye mans leude mynde and fonde iudgement whiche thinge hath been put in practise of late and not as the spirite of God dyd meane Oportet ab eo intelligētiā discere scripturarū qui eā á maioribus secūdū veritatem sibi traditā seruat Haec diuus Clemens lib. x. recog Idem quoque docēt Iren. Tertull Athan. et Epiphan But sayeth he we must euer learne the true meaninge of scripture of hym whiche doeth obserue it as he hath accordinge to trueth receyued it of the elders Hereby we maye perceyue that we muste euer take the meanynge of scripture at his hande that went before in the trueth of Christes vniuersal church But how can it then be in the Englysh tonge for al mē to read take as they haue done at their pleasure thei haue made scripture no scripture by false recitynge by false wrastyng and tournyng For as Martiall◠sayeth Quem recitas meus est o Philentine libellus At male cum recitas incipit esse tuus O my frende the boke that thou recitest is myne but when thou makest false recitall then thou makest it thine owne booke and none of myne O lorde in howe many places maye scriptuce by the wicked be tourned into sundrie facions as God knoweth it hath been euen after the oracle of Apollo Aio te aeacida Romanos vincere posse Is it thē to be continued in thenglish tonge The xxij probation If scripture in the vulgar tongue had been
A discourse wherin is debated whether it be expedient that the scripture should be in English for al men to reade that wyll ¶ Fyrst reade this booke with an indifferent eye and then approue or condempne as God shall moue your heart Non quis dicat sed quid dicat animaduertas velim ¶ EXCVSVM LONDINI IN aedibus Roberti Caly Typographi Mense Decembris Anno. 1554. Cum priuilegio ¶ A question to be moued to the highe courte of Parliament WHether it be necessary that the scripture shoulde be in the vulgare tonge for al men to reade at their pleasure withoute restraynt Yea or whether it may wel be permitted so to be Considerynge on the one parte the manifold inconueniences which haue sprong therby these yeres paste as obstinacie disobedience fleshely libertie losse of deuotion swarmes of errours and heresies with damnation of thousande soules and on the other parte weyenge discretlye not onelye the great difficultie that is in scripture with the causes thereof but also diuerse and sundrie most manifest probations whiche fully persuade that the scripture by no meanes ought to be suffred to be in euerye mans hande in the vulgare tonge for all men to descant vp on to wraste after their fleshlye appetites which all appeare euidentlye to be moste true by that whiche is here set furth in this processe That is to saye in these sixe chapters folowing The fyrst The scripture is very harde to be vnderstande The seconde God woulde the scripture to be obscure harde the mysteries not to be playne to al men The thyrde Sundrie causes wherof the hardnes in scripture doth come The fourth Howe many wayes the letter doeth kyll The fifth The best meanes to vnderstande scripture by The sixte Fiftie probations that scripture ought not to be in english Neuerthelesse to the entent none shoulde haue occasion to misconstrue the trew meanyng herof it is to be thought that if all men were good and catholike then were it lawfull yea and verye profitable also that the scripture shoulde be in Englishe so that the translation were trewe and faythfull But neyther all the people be good and catholike nor the translations trewe and faythfull As for the common translations whiche haue been vsed in moste mennes handes are so full of faultes that to correcte and amend them wer euen as a man woulde goe aboute to sowe vp euery hole in a nette to make it a whole clothe Yea and yet beside this yf your enemye should geue you bread which ye knew well he hadde poysoned before would ye not be afrayd though it be after scraped neuer so cleane to eate of it At al times heretikes haue laboured to corrupte the scriptures that they might serue for their noughtye purposes to confirme theyr errours therwith as Dionyse bishoppe of Corinth testifieth but speciallye nowe in our tyme O good Lorde howe haue the translatours of the Bible into Englishe purposelye corrupted the textes oft maliciously puttinge in suche wordes as might in the readers eares serue to the profe of suche heresies as they went aboute to sow Whiche be not onely set furth in the translations but also in certain Prologues and gloses added therevnto And these thynges thei haue so handled as in dede it is no greate maistrie to doe with probable reasons verye apparent to the simple and vnlearned that an infinite numbre of innocentes they haue spirituallye poysoned and corrupted within this realme caused them to perishe obstinatlye Nowe for the other parte all the people namelye the feruent readers of scripture in English be not onely not good but the moste parte of them be starke noughte so frowarde so peruerse so leude and so wicked that they be euer readye to peruert that whiche is good and to take a selfe wyllye opinion contrarye to the true sense of scripture and meaninge of tholye ghost as God knoweth experience hath shewed euer since the Bibles were set vp in churches common for all men that woulde to reade But yf all men I saye were good and catholike and the translations trewe and faythfull the Bible in English though it be nowe muche hurtfull then might be muche profitable And that is the cause that the Clergie did agree as it is in a cōstitution prouincial that the Bibles which were translated into Englishe before Wycliffes dayes might be suffred so that only such had them in handling as were allowed by the ordinarie and approued mete readers thereof that their readynge shoulde be onely to the settinge furthe of Goddes glorie For thoughe scripture to good people be a norisher of vertue and to them that bee noughte the meane of amendment and for him that is whole liuely foode and for him that is sicke euen as a medicine yet often tymes we see that one stomacke taketh harme of that meat wherof another taketh profit and that whiche helpeth one sicke man hurteth another Some men mighte be admitted to the readynge of S. Mathewes ghospell whiche yet be not hable well to wey the ghospell of S. Iohn Manye hable to peruse the actes of the Apostles whiche be farre vnmete to medle with Thapocalyps Many might be allowed to handle the Epistle to the Colossians whiche be to weake for the Epistle to the Romaines The father ofte permitteth to one of his childrē a knife to cut his meate withal wheras he taketh from another of hys children foreseyng his wantonnes the knife for feare of cutting his fingers Manye in these our miserable dayes nowe past haue so miserablie abused the scriptures agaynst the meaninge of tholye ghost that vnder the colour of great zeale and good affection they haue peruerted and wrasted all amisse Yea and scantly two of them haue in all poyntes wel agreed together neuerthelesse in this one poynt they all euer agreed That is to say to destroye vtterlye all vnitie and comely order all holye sacramentes all holye prayers and fastinges with all godlye deuotion And yet beside this nothing should sooner cause vs to iudge that scripture ought not to be in English for euery one to read and descant vpō that wyll then to see that the busie readers be euer for the moste parte of the wycked sorte suche be euer busie bodies to dispute and reason but al wtout reason of thinges farre passing their capacities where as S. Gregory Nazianzen rebuketh all those saying that onely Moyses ascended vp into the hyll spake with God Exod. but the people taryed beneth receiued the lawes preceptes that they should kepe and the pointes that thei shuld beleue at him saiyng vnto him as would god our leude gospellers would nowe say to the true preachers heare you God and let vs heare you Saint Hierome also in his tyme greatly complayneth that the comen ignorant people did presume to medle with the misteries of scripture ▪ seing that saint Paule sheweth that tholy ghost so ordeyned his churche that he wold haue some reders and some hearers some
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