opinion that it is not expedient that all reade the Scriptures Innocentius 3. did forbid the reading of the Scriptures vnto Lay or Secular men saying g Extra de Haereticis cap. Cum ex coniuncto ex Antonij Contij restitutione Rectè fuit in lege diuina statutum vt bestia quae montem tetigerit lapidetur vt videlicet simplex aliquis indoctus praesumat ad subtilitatem sacrae Scripturae pertingere It hath been well enacted and decreed in the Diuine Law that the beast which touched the Mount Sinai should be stoned to death to the ende the simple and vnlearned presume not to attaine vnto the subtiltie of the holy Scripture So hee compares ignorant Christians to beasts and although hee was not ignorant h Thomas in Beet de Trinit that arguments may not bee drawne from allegories hee transformes beasts into men and the i Exod. 19.24 mountaine of Sinai into the holy Scriptures which were not then and considers not that there the Priests also were forbidden to approch or touch the mount which were notwithstanding the guarders and keepers of the Scriptures and that Ioshua himself durst not approach the mount l Joshua 1.8 vnto whom notwithstanding the reading and meditation of the holy Scriptures was expressely commanded But why is it not expedient to reade the Scriptures III. m Bellar. de verbo dei lib. 2. cap. 15. §. 5. They were neuer read say they indifferently of all persons but we find faithful witnes euidence yea of as qualified and great men who conformably to the holy Scriptures say the contrarie and do shew euidently that the Iewes did apply put their children n Claud. Espensaeus in 2. ad Tim. cap. 3. in illa verba quia ab infantia sacras literas nosti to the Bible at the age of fiue yeeres and in the teaching of their children they gaue the first place to the sacred letters beginning with that the which the Iewes did obserue ex prisca consuetudine according to their ancient custom saith Eusebius vntil his time If we do reade the history of the Iewes we shall find there that God commanding them to write his Law commanded thē also to reade the same vnto all without exception of sexe of age of condition saying by Moses to the Priests o Deut. 31.11.12.13 Thou shalt reade this Law before all Israel in their hearing gather the people together men women and children and thy stranger that is within thy gates that they may heare that they may learne and feare the Lord your God and obserue to doe all the words of this Law and that their children which haue not knowne any thing may heare and learne to feare the Lord your God And lest they should reply that this commandement is giuen to the Priests and Leuits to reade and to the people to heare onely and to learne it we finde there ouer and besides that the same commandement is giuen to all for thus saith the Lord by his seruant Moses p Deut. 6.6.7.8.9 These words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt teach them diligently vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou fittest in thine house and when thou walkest abroad by the way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp and thou shalt bind them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shall be as frontlets betweene thine eyes and thou shalt write them vpon the posts of thy house and on thy gates q Deut. 4.6 Keepe therefore and doe them for this is your wisedome and vnderstanding in the sight of the nations which shall heare all these Statutes The like may wee see in Deut. 15.18.19.20 He that said r Numb 11.29 Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit vpon them did not enuie nor grudge at the peoples reading and vnderstanding of the Scripture which is the rule of prophesie and the powerfull instrument by the which God giues his Spirit to his people In Christs time they read the Scriptures indifferently for Christ saith to them ſ Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures In Saint Pauls time they read the Scriptures for the Iewes of Berea t Act. 17.11 searched the Scriptures daily and are commended for that they did examine the Apostles doctrine by the Scriptures And Timothie euen from u 2. Tim. 3.15 a childe knew the holy Scriptures Aquila and his wife Priscilla though by their occupation poore tent-makers were so skilfull in the Scriptures that x Act. 18.24.26 Apollos an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures did not disdaine to goe to their schoole and to learne of them who expounded vnto him the way of God more perfectly What is the condition of Christians impared and made worse by Christ that hee hath forbidden that which was not onely permitted but also commanded to the Iewes God forbid for the promises of the new Couenant appertaines to vs y Jer. 31.34 They shal all know me from the least of them vnto the greatest of them saith the Lord. All of vs then must reade the Scriptures without which Scripture were cannot attaine vnto any knowledge of God neither can we beleeue in Christ z Iohn 20.31 For these things are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God nor resist the diuell for to resist him we must take a Ephes 6.17 the sword of the Spirit which is the word God neither can wee bee comforted in our afflictions b Rom. 15.4 for whatsoeuer things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope nor saued c Iohn 5.39 for in them and by them we haue eternall life In asmuch as the ende of the Scriptures is to bring and leade vs to faith in Christ that d Iohn 20.31 by beleeuing we may haue life through his name for this cause Saint Paul directs and sends his Epistles to the Churches composed of persons of all sexes ages and conditions that they might bee read of all of them euen as all reade those letters that are directed and addressed vnto them as hauing interest to know the cōtents of thē This is that that Saint Gregory did aduise the Phisitian Theoderus who did neglect contemn the daily reading of the words of his Redeemer e Greg. 1. Theodorice medico indict 13. lib. 4. cap. 84. Quid est autem scriptura sacra nisi quadam 〈◊〉 omnipotentis Dei ad creaturam suam c. What is the holy Scripture but a certaine letter and epistle of the Almight is God to his creature surely saith he if you were any where and receiued the writings of an earthly Prince you would not cease you would not rest you would not steepe before that you knew what this earthly Emperour writes vnto you
ser 50. Nec latuit praeceptorem praecepti pondus hominum excedere vires sed iudicauit vtile ex hoc ipso suo illes insufficieâ—tiae admoneri vt scirent sanè ad quem iustitiae finem niti pro viribus oporteret Ergo mandando impossibilia non praeuaricatores homines fecit sed humiles c. The Master was not ignorant saith Saint Bernard that the burden of the Commandement did surpasse the strength of man but hee thought it good and necessarie that by the very same they should be warned of their insufficiencie that they might know to what ende and marke of righteousnesse they ought to make towards with all their strength and power commanding therefore things impossible he hath not made men preuaricators but humble that euery mouth may be stopped and all the world may become subiect to the iudgement of God because that by the workes of the Law there shall be no flesh iustified in his sight for receiuing the CoÌ„mandements and feeling our defect and want wee will crie vp to heauen and God will haue mercy vpon vs and wee shall know in that day that hee hath saued vs not by the workes of righteousnesse that wee haue done but according to his mercie Secondly because he vnderstands not the language of the Scripture hee restraines the choice to voluntarie and free things to the obseruation of the which man is not bound and compelled by any Law Hee might haue read the words of the Prophet Moses saying to the people of Israel touching the Law x Deut. 30.19 I call heauen and earth to record this day against you that I haue set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore chuse life that both then and thy seede may liue As also Ioshuahs words to the same people y Ioshua 24.15 If it seeme euill vnto you to serue the Lord chuse you this day whom ye will serue Conformably to this Dauid saith z Psal 119.30 I haue chosen the way of truth thy iudgements haue I laid before me And Saint Cyrill expounds the Prophets words of them which chuse and retaine Christs Testament as Lyrinensis of those that liue righteously and vprightly with their neighbour VII He expounds as falsely these words I will giue vnto them a name better then of sons and of daughters a Bellar. de monach c. 9. parag 3. 9. maintaining that by sons and daughters God meanes those good and godly persons that are married which are Gods sons and daughters and that God promiseth to those which are virgins a greater good and a greater glory then to these What could he say more impertinently then this For to be a sonne and a daughter of God is the common name of all the faithfull and their highest and most excellent title and degree of honour from whence depends all their prerogatiue glory ioy and consolation both in life and death and it is not a name of an inferiour qualitie appertaining onely to some lesse priuiledge Witnesse our Sauiour Christ when he saith To as many as receiued him to them b Iohn 1.12 gaue he power to become the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name Witnesse God himselfe saying by his Prophets and by his Apostle c Isa 52.11 Ierem. 31.1.9 2. Cor. 6.17.18 Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the vncleane thing and I will receiue you and will be a Father vnto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almightie d Rom. 8.17 And if children then heires heires of God and ioynt-heires with Christ saith the Apostle What may we What can we hope desire wish more It is that which is giuen to honest and good men married persons by Bellarmines confession what remaines then to the Monkes what haue the Friers else a name saith he more excellent then of sonnes of God why then they are not sonnes of God And to maiden Virgins a name better then of daughters of God why then they are not Gods daughters what other name shall we giue them for he which is not the childe and sonne of God is the sonne of rebellion the childe of wrath whose father is the Deuill a name saith he better then of sonnes What greater or better name I pray you can wee haue on earth then to bee sonnes and heires of a King except we were Kings And what better or greater name in heauen then to bee Gods sonne and heire without being God The Angels are called e Iob 1.6 2.1 the sonnes of God The Saints are called the sonnes of God he which is the Sonne of God by nature was manifest in the flesh that we might be made the sonnes of God by grace The holy Ghost is sent into our hearts to assure vs that wee are the sonnes of God f Rom. 8.15.16 Ye haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father The Spirit it selfe bearâ—th witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God And there is no name in the Scripture so expresse so significatiue and of so large extent for it comprehends in it all the good that God bestowes on his elect and chosen people vnto whom he giues all his blessings in the name title and state of children and out of this state and condition he giue them no spirituall wholesome and sauing blessing VIII Now we shall finde the true sense and meaning of this place if wee adde thereunto that which goes before and that which followes after which hath been industriously and wittingly omitted by Bellarmine lest it should haue hindred hiâ— bad cause The words going before are Let not the sonne of the stranger that hath ioyned himselfe to the Lord speake saying The Lord hath vtterly separated me from his people neither let the Eunuch say Behold I am a drie tree Here then the stranger and the Eunuch fearing God are ioyned together both of them bewailing their miserie The one because he was separated from Gods people The other because he was a drie tree The Eunuch is first comforted by the wordes of this place whereupon Bellarmine grounds his Counsels The stranger is comforted in the verses following in these words Also the sonnes of the stranger that ioyne themselues to the Lord to serue him and to loue the name of the Lord c. euen them will I bring to my holy mountaine and make them ioyfull in my house of prayer c. The Gentils called by the Prophet the sonnes of the stranger g Ephes 2.12 were at that time without Christ being aliens from the Common-weale of Israel and strangers from the couenants of promise hauing no hope and without God in the world As for the Iewes God made a promise to Abraham their father saying h Gens 22.17 In blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seede as the starres of the heauen and as the sand
being a Pharisee touching the righteousnesse which is in the Law blamelesse which things he esteemed gaine as then to him iudging that he was well prouided of all the righteousnesse of the Law necessarie to saluation Euen so the Pharisee p Luk. 18.11.12 God I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extortioners vniust adulterers or euen as this Publican I fast twice in the weeke I giue tithes of all that I possesse It might be that he spake truly but he deceiued himselfe in that he thought that God was as man to content himselfe with an outward righteousnesse whereas if he had come to the Schoole of Christ q Mat. 5.21 or else had well considered and pondered the summe of the Law he had learned that God who is a Spirit and that aboue all asketh the heart as he saith r Prou. 23.26 My Sonne giue me thine heart hath giuen a spirituall Law to the spirit of man that he may be serued Å¿ John 4.23 in spirit and in truth Thus Saint Paul learnt it after his conuersion and instructed that the last Commandement t Rom. 7.7 Thou shalt not couet did condemne the first bad motions of the heart did acknowledge and confesse himselfe a sinner and declared that then he began to count all his pretended righteousnesse and all his other prerogatiues u Phil. 3.8.9 but losse and dung that hee might winne Christ and be found in him not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ namely the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Ferus giues this reason saying x Ferus in Mat. 19. Adolescens Iudaeorum more praecepta tantum externè aspiciebat ideò in hanc praesumptionem inciderat The young man according to the custome and manner of the Iewes did onely consider the Commandements outwardly therefore he fell into this presumption c. VIII Lastly he asked What lacke I yet y Ibidem looking saith Ferus that Christ would haue told him that he lacked nothing They stumble at this stone which doe referre and restraine the Commandement to outward things only For these doe easily rush headlong into presumption and that is fulfilled in them which is written in the Reuelation z Reuel 3.17 Thou saiest I am rich and increased with goods and haue neede of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked Finally these are more dangerously sicke and more difficultly healed then if they were openly wicked To these therefore this sentence appertaineth a Reuel 3.15 I would thou wert cold or hot What can wee say more smoothly and conformably to the words of Christ vnto the Priests and Elders of the Church as righteous as this young Ruler b Mat. 21.31 Verily I say vnto you that the Publicans and the Harlots goe into the Kingdome of God before you IX But this seemes to disagree with that which we reade in Saint Marke namely that the rich man hauing said that he had kept all the Commandements from his youth c Mark 10.21 Iesus beholding him loued him Now the Lord loueth no liars and therefore it is credible that he said the truth saith d Bellar. de mon. c. 9. §. 24. Bellarmine but truely it is in no wise credible that he was neuer angry with his brother without a cause that he neuer coueted in his heart any thing appertaining vnto his neighbour To be short that he loued his neighbor his enemie yea the stranger an vnknowne man yea his very friend as himselfe that is to say with such an affection sinceritie feruencie earnestnesse readinesse of courage and with such loyaltie as himselfe If he had loued only the poore of his Countrie of his towne of his neighbourhood as himselfe hee had not reserued to himselfe so much wealth Wherefore it is certaine that he lied in respect of the true vnderstanding of the Law but he lied not in regard of the interpretation and meaning that the Pharises gaue leading a blamelesse life from his youth vp among men for the which cause our Lord loued him that is to say according to Lyras exposiposition he shewed him an amiable countenance e Lyra in Marc. c. 10. Ostendit sibâ— vultum amâ—cabilem For the Greeke word f Eustath in Odyss Origen in hunc locum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is heere turned to loue among other things signifies to receiue one courteously and friendly Saint Markes words doe beare plainely this sense for he saith not simply that Iesus loued him but that he beheld him and loued him that is to say did behold him with a meeke and louely looke testifying to him that hee did make much esteeme and account of this affection wherewith he was carried to the outward obseruation of the Law For it was prophesied of Christ that g Isai 42.3 Mat. 12.20 a bruised reede shall be not breake and smoking flaxe shall he not quench that is to say he would approue the least appearance of good that he should finde in men intertaining it and not quenching it as it is also written in Zacharie h Zach. 4.10 who hath despised the day of small things And truly it was a good beginning and worthy of praise and commendation to see a young man shunning from his tender yeeres the desires of youth and following after all honest and laudable things among men O that our Christians young and old could represent euery where in their liues the innocent life of this young Ruler that they did not vse their tongues to deceit that they had not their feete so swift to doe euill that their handes were not so full of bloud the widdow should not be so trodden vnder foote the weake should not bee so harried and opprest the simple circumuented the poore despised and Achab should not take away quo iure quâ iniuriâ poore Naboths vineyard Were they but good onely in equall comparison with certaine Heathens that would be profitable to them for they should thereby haue more glory among men and lesse torment in hell But alasse our life iustifieth and excuseth the liues of the Pharisees and Heathen men which haue not sinned halfe so much as we haue done If God blesse some with prosperitie and how many doe we see i Psal 113.7.8 whom he raiseth out of the dust and lifteth out of the dunghill making them to sit with Princes yea with the Princes of his people as Dauid saith Suddenly k Psal 73.6.7.8.9 pride compasseth them about as a chaine violence couereth them as a garment Their eyes stand out with fatnesse they haue more then heart could wish they are corrupt and speake wickedly concerning oppression they speake loftily they set their mouth against the heauens and their tongue walketh through the earth l Genes 6.11 which is now as much nay more corrupt before God
long as life doth last and doe contract a couenant betweene them called in the Scripture p Prou. 2.17 The Couenant of God which they cannot violate without disloialtie and periurie against God and against men With what conscience then hath Saint Ambrose desired that he could haue perswaded the maried folkes to forsake their nuptiall vaile was he more then a man and he saith vnto man q Mat. 19.6 What God hath ioyned together let no man put asunder And notwithstanding this his sentence whereby he complaines that none did dissuade nor diuert the Vestall virgines from their prophane ceremonies and that some vndertooke to banish virginitie out of the Church though this sentence could wel conclude yet it concludes nothing to the purpose and intention of the Author of the Pastorall Letter The question was not if a father might compell his daughters virgines to marry but if he may oppose himselfe for good considerations that they leaue him not nor affect and giue their persons their goods and their seruice to the Colledge of the Vrselines Now seeing that they haue alleaged the Vestall virgines with a sentence of Saint Ambrose I will also set downe in counterchange the commendation which Saint Ambrose giues them that the Monkes and Friers may view themselues in their single life V. r Ambros de virgin lib. 1. Itaque nec casta est quae metu cogitur nec honesta quae mercede conducitur c. Conferuntur immunitates offeruntur pretia quasi non hoc maximum petulantiae sit indicium castitatem vendere quod precio promittitur precio soluitur precio addicitur precio adnumeratur nescit castitatem redimere quae vendere solet Pag. 35. She is not chaste who is compelled by feare nor honest which doth it for reward c. freedome and priuiledges are giuen to them some offer them wages as if it were not a very great signe of impudencie and vncleannesse to sell chastitie That which is promised for a price is paide with a price is sold with a price is reckoned by a price She that is wont to sell her chastitie cannot redeeme it If this accusation be true as it is to whom belongs it better then to the Popes Cardinals Bishops Priests Abbots Priours Commaunders Munkes Nunnes c. whereof some are compelled by a fatherly feare others are allured by faire promises and rich rewards to abstaine from mariage that liue not in the state of single life but for to liue idely richly luxuriously and in honour for otherwise they would not abstaine from honourable mariage seeing they abstaine not from fornication filthy and preiudiciall VI. The second example is that of Iesus Christ that was a virgin and the sonne of a virgin Therefore Saint Ierome against â—ouâ—an saith that though he had not giuen vs any Counsell of virginitie his birth his life his affections during the time he liued and conuersed in this world teacheth vs it enough For this cause Saint Cyprian calles virginitie the image and resemblance of Iesus Christ These are the words of the Author of the Pastorall Letter VII Deriued originally from hereticks more ancient then Saint Cyprian Basil or Ierome Å¿ Clemens Alexand strom lib. 3. Dicunt autem gloriosi isti iactatores se imitari dominum qui neque vxorem duxit neque in mundo aliquid possedit There are that say openly saith Clemens Alexandrinus that marriage is fornication and maintaine that it hath been instituted by the diuell Now these glorious boasters say that they imitate our Lord who neuer was married nor possessed any thing in this world boasting that they vnderstand a great deale better the Gospell then others doe This is the language euen of our Monkes sauing that they dare not openly condemne marriage although they are compelled to condemne it in effect if they thinke that Christ hath taught vs single life by his example For Christ is to be imitated of vs all in all that wherein he hath proposed himselfe for an example If then he hath giuen an example of single life in his person all ought to abstaine from marriage For the life of Christ is the rule of ours But saith Clement t Jbid. Deinde causam nesciunt cur dominus vxorem non duxerit primum quidem propriam sponsam habuit ecclesiam Deinde verâ— nec home erat communis vt opus haberet etiam adiutâ—re aliquo secundum carnem Neque erat ei necesse procreare filios qui manet in aeternum natus est solus Dei filius these fellowes know not the cause why our Sauiour Christ did not marry for first hee had the Church for his Spouse Secondly hee was not a common man as hauing neede of a helpe according to the flesh neither was it necessarie that he should beget children who dureth for euer and is borne the onely Sonne of God He will say in substance that the Sonne of God became man by a speciall dispensation of God and came into the world by a particular calling to make children not by ingendring after the flesh those that were not but by renewing after the Spirit those that were The generation is of the first Adam the regeneration is of the second Adam They that are borne of the first are borne of flesh and and bloud and are called the sonnes of men They that are renewed by this second are borne againe of his Spirit and of his word u 1. Pet. 1.23 Being borne againe not of corruptible seede but of incorruptible namely by the word of God which liueth and abideth for euer and are called the Sonnes of God The first begat in his life and being dead ceased to beget The second begat in his death and since his death ceaseth not to ingender as Isaiah prophesied saying x Isai 53.10 When thou shalt make his soule an offering for sinne hee shall see his seede Therefore carnall marriage was not so consonant to his calling If he had begot children after the flesh like the first Adam he could not haue beene our second Adam ingendring children to God after the Spirit As he was not borne of carnall mariage so hath he not willed that any should be borne of him by carnall marriage It is Adams right to be the Father of the naturall man it is his right to bee the Father of the spirituall man and notwithstanding to shew that he gaue no example to any to abstaine from marriage he chose married men for his Apostles he honored y Iohn 2.2 the marriage feast with his presence and by his first miracle hee declared that marriage is an institution z Mat. 19.4 of God and that the bond thereof is indissoluble and inseparable VIII The ancient Father haue exceeded and haue spoken be it spoken by their leaue and with their fauour against all truth for as marriage makes not the faithfull which vseth it holily vnlike to God so doth not virginitie make a Basil