most stinking and obscure prison hee remained seuen yeeres in the Towne of Valladolid where as all the world knowes hee vnderwent great troubles afflictions and torments because hee vttered in a Sermon a Proposition that was not pleasing to the Pope of Rome though it was but Christian and true whereof peraduenture wee will intreate more at large in another booke Now it remaines we only obserue how the sacred Scriptures are not prohibited the faithfull to containe them within a certaine moderation and gouernement because this impertinent and seuere prohibition as the Papists themselues well knowe is a cause of greater and more pernicious Inconueniences And who can bee so credulous as to beleeue that to make bad men good they must needes depriue them of the holy Bible which is the onely Instrument to make them good when they freely permit dishonest and immodest bookes which are the proper Instruments of sinne and impietie Surely hee cannot but bee a foole that beleeues this But let vs grant that they who tooke from the vulgar the vse and reading of the Scriptures pretended herein to remooue occasion and meanes of breeding errours yet when long experience had taught them that Inci erunt in scillam cupientes vitare Caribdim which is that studying to preuent one preiudice they brought in a thousand seeing through default of the holy Scriptures profane bookes crept in why I say Dato vno absurdo miltae sequuntur did they not labour to suppresse so pernicious a pâ—ague by restoring them and excluding the other seeing naturall reason informes vs that of two necessary euils we should euer imbrace the least how much more in that the holy Scriptures are good of themselues and remote from all euill There is no doubt but if that prohibition simply aymed at the good and benefit of the faithful they would haue beene so but there 's all the matter in that they do not so much seeke the profit and benefit of the faithfull but rather their owne particular ends and interests the which consists mainely inconcealing from the people the knowledge of trueth which they might attayne vnto by meanes of the holy Scriptures and that they should not seeke and affect to vnderstand it they haue alwayes entertained them with the scumme and dregges of idle and profane bookes the reading whereof is not onely frankely permitted them but further it is a cause that opposite to the willes and desires of good men they are perused and read ouer by all of which amongst others the former mentioned Father Ioseph complaines in these wordes Fr. Ioseph ibid. fol. 796. The abusiue and poysonable practise of euill bookes allowed of in Spaine from whence the greatest part of corrupt customes proceedes comes not from the allowance and toleration of the Lawes nor from the King because they haue ordained sufficient remedies against this dammage and preiudice but rather from the negligence and carelesnesse of Iudges both Secular and Ecclesiasticall in executing such iust and good Lawes and they whom this most of all did concerne were the Bishops and Prelats of the Church who being to giue daily notice hereof to Kings and temporal Lords that they might helpe and ioyne together for the banishing out of the Commonwealth these fountains of pollution and vncleannesse they did not only not do it but Kings Princes exhorting them to purge and cleanse the Kingdome of this letiferous poyson they yet liue and perseuere in the same with most pernicious carelesnesse and forgetfulnesse not with out speciall and singular danger to their owne consciences and the soules of their poore subiects A little after the same Authour sayes it is a lamentable pitie that so many sage and wise considerations hauing bene entred into to establish these iust Lawes which was to remooue out of their Studies and Libraries these hurtfull bookes so many Petitions preferred by the Sollicitors of the Kingdome so many meetings and consultations with the Lords of the Counsell with such a number of manifestations written and published touching the Kinggs pleasure in this behalfe it could neuer bee once put in execution the vrgent necessitie of this execution being so materiall and important what shall wee say to this but onely that the Pope Bishops and Fathers of the Faith conniue at this perdition seeing neither the King nor the whole Kingdome can so far preuaile with them as to execute such iust behoofefull and beneficiall Lawes in all other respects they being so sedulous industrious and circumspect in purging as they say the bookes and writings of the holy Doctors of the Church not exempting herein the Scriptures diuine as appeares in a publisht booke called Index expurgatorius All this wee haue produced by reason of that which Father Granada sayes he heard from an Inquisitor and hee himselfe alleadgeth it to shew the great dammage that proceedes from bookes of corrupt doctrine and instruction and the inexplicable emolument profit deriuing from bookes of good and vertuous Argument it now remaines that we should conclude and shut vp this discourse with the very words which the same Granada vseth in the finishing of his discourse Lawes and iust Tribunalls looke not so much vpon particulars as to generalls that is to say not what may happen to particular persons but what generally concerneth the good of all who in no reason ought to perish through the abuse and disorder of some neither in like manner doe they aime at the particular preiudice which things procure if the generall benefits bee greater then the preiudices as we may perceiue in Nauigation at Sea for if the dammages of shipwracke be great and important yet the benefits of Nauigation are farre greater These are the principall reasons which our Aduersaries produce against the publicke vse and reading of the holy Scriptures the rest are so weake and friuolous as they deserue not to haue any more time spent in propounding them for that would bee as much as to refute them and so the time wee should spend in them will be better gain'd in setting downe two reasons which besides the other before alleadged shew plainely to our view and as it were with the pointing of a finger that the Pope depriues not the vulgar of the Bible to doe them good but rather to auoyd and shunne his owne precipice with which wee will close and shut vp this Treatise The first reason is because as Father Luys de Granada sayes all the studie and care of our capitall enemie is Granada en el preambulo de la 2. parte de la introduceion del Symbole to bereaue vs of this light of the word of God and hee confirmes it thus The first thing the Philistines performed when they had Sampson in their power was to plucke out his eyes and when they had done this they found no difficultie in doing whatsoeuer else they meant to lay vpon him euen to the making of him grinde in a Mill. And this Authour addes of the same
Father Gusman recordeth that he wrote to a Father and in another place to a mother Guzman en su libro de los bienes del Innesto trabajo fol 24 that they should enure their daughters to reade and vnderstand the holy Scripture Gregorie Nazianzene saith Father Reynosa aduised out of his great experience Ad laetan de institutione filiae that the Bible should neuer part out of the heart nor out of the mouth Reynosa fol. 87. del maestro Christiano nor out of the vnderstanding nor out of the tongue by reason of the admirable benefits which redounded from the assiduous vse of it S. Chrysostome amongst all the rest of the Fathers is very admirable in this point and particularly in his third Sermon that hee made of Lazarus where he answereth to all the obiections that the Papists at this day make against the free and vulgar vse of the Bible The Reader may please to peruse the Exhortation which most learned and godly Cypriano de Valera made to perswade men to reade continually the holy Scriptures where hee shall find the maine and principall summe collected of whatsoeuer S. Chrysostome deliuers in that place Besides that formerly deliuered we doe prooue the precise necessitie and obligation wherein all the faithfull stand bound to reade the holy Scriptures because in the Primitiue Church and many ages after all sorts of people did so and it was counted a great offence not to reade them and that this reading was very behoouefull and profitable for them the most learned Doctor Leon affirmes most clearely saying Leon en el Prologo de los nombres de Christo In the first ages of the Primitiue Church and many yeeres after it was esteemed a great fault in the faithfull not to be often conuersant in the perusing and reading of the Diuine Bookes and Ecclesiasticall men and those whom we call Secular both learned and vnlearned for this reason treated so much of this exercise and study that the carefulnesse herein of the vulgar sort stirred vp in Bishops and Prelates a greater study and practise in the same who ordinarily in their Churches in a manner euery day expounded the sacred Scriptures to the people because the particular reading of them by euery one in their houses by the light of that publike doctrine being illuminated and gouerned as it were by their Masters and Teachers voice might be free from errour and be a cause of the greater and more important benefit which in very deed was so great as that order and gouernment was religious and zealous and the fruit was answerable to their sowing of the seede And Master Prades confesseth as much in this point as Leon in these words In ancient times the holy Scriptures were propounded to the people in the vulgar tongue that so all sorts of people might reade them the which was very profitable and as such approoued of many holy and very learned men That the said Reading of the holy Scriptures prooued very profitable Prades en el Prologo de la adoracion de las imagines many Spanish writers affirme and confesse but amongst all therest Father Torres auerres the same admirably with wonderfull examples of many who were cur'd and reform'd by the same The which I will heere expresse and set downe with all possible breuitie Torres lib. 25. de la Philosophia de Principes Cap. 2. that the propounded veritie may more euidently appeare The first example produced by Torres is of the Eunuch seruant to Candaces Queene of Ethiopia who by the meanes of reading the Prophet Esaias attain'd to the knowledge of Christian veritie The second is of S. Eugenia who desiring to be assur'd of the infallible knowledge of her saluation the Epistles of S. Paul came to her hands this would not haue happened to her if shee had beene in Spaine vpon the doctrine whereof she considering and meditating she in such sort grew to discouer the falsities and deceits of the Gentiles and the veritie of Christian wisedome that she was not onely conuerted to the faith and beliefe of our Lord but further shee was martyred in defence and for the confession of the same The third example that he propoundeth is of that illustrious Domina who was a Martyr of Iesus Christ who being a Gentile no lesse prudent then honourable and being brought vp in the Palace of the Emperour Maximian by chance she met with a booke of the same Epistles and with the History written by S. Luke of the Acts of the Apostles in whose doctrine she discouered the errors of Infidelitie and so becomming a Christian shee embraced a cruell death to keepe possession of that shee had vndertaken To the former examples he addes this other of that most illuminated S. Augustine who being plunged in a thousand doubts and ambiguities it was said vnto him Tolle lege Take and reade and hee obeying this voice not knowing from whom or whence it came hee tooke the Epistles of the Apostle and opening them the first which presented themselues to him were those wordes written to the Romanes Chap. 13. Not in eating and drunkennesse but put yee on our Lord Iesus Christ c. And these reasons so farre preuailed with him that presently abjuring his heresie hee was conuerted to the Lord. The last example propounded by this Author is incomparably beyond all the rest and sufficient to mooue vs neuer to be without the holy Scriptures in our hands which is the same of the most holy Virgine the Mother of him that is Lord of heauen and earth who at the same time when she felt in her sacred entrailes the most diuine mysterie of the Incarnation by the comming of the Angel S. Ambrose sayes that shee was reading and meditating on the Prophesie of Esaias Chap. 7. Ambros lib. 2. in Luc. cap. 1. Ecce Virgo concipiet pariet filium c. whereunto Torres addes That wee may conceiue how the reading of the holy Scriptures was a singular preparation for the receiuing of such a fauour and grace the which he confirmes and this renowmed S. Augustine obserues in the blessed Virgine amongst whose many excellencies hee specifies one namely that she was very well read and conuersant in the Prophets Many other examples the same Father Torres mentions which heere I omit to auoid prolixitie and because these aboue declared euidently demonstrate that the vse and reading of the holy Scriptures hath euer beene common and commendable in all the faithfull and that the perusing of them hath brought foorth wonderfull effects which is the same we aimed at in the beginning and which for more efficacie we now briefly confirme by the example of S. Gertrudis with whom if wee may beleeue the Papists blasphemous fiction our Lord did marrie and moreouer that our Sauiour Christ sayd Masse on the day of his nuptials that they might be the more solemne and authenticall For this blessed Nunne is wonderfully exalted by Master Granada
benefit that may accrew to many by auoiding the desparate malice of some that put themselues to death with their owne hands and blind themselues because they would not behold the Sunne for this were a denying of that which is good to the good man to whom properly it belongeth to preuent an euill man of that ill himselfe seekes Thus farre the same Author proceedes whereupon he concludes that though many abuse the booke of the Reuelations of S. Gertrudis and other such like yet should they not for all this bee prohibited in the vulgar tongue Now if this reason bee of force in such bookes which are replenished with palpable lies and most impudent blasphemies as that is which we formerly mentioned of the espousal of Gertrudis with Christ and that which ensues of her that is to say when Gertrudis was drawing neer to the hour of her death Christ appeared to her clothed inglorious garments the ornaments of an heauenly spouse accompanied with his blessed Mother and S. Iohn Euangelist and an innumerable multitude both of men and women Saints of Celestial Courtiers and inhabitants and in particular the resplendant Armie of virgines all clothed in white who for all the day long continued in the Monastery and that in the same Monastery the Saints men and women conuersed with the Monkes and Nunnes of the Monastery and that the Lord comming to the bed of his spouse and beloued Idem câ—p vltimo del libro 4. de la insinuacion de la diuina piedad hee beheld her with an amorous countenance and shewed to her many fauours and kinde entertainements and she bent her head to Christ who leaning and resting himselfe vpon the bed of the sicke partie with both his hands hee opened his breast The Reader must obserue as hee may perceiue in the Chap. 36. of the same Author that the same was written by the instinct of the holy Ghost which promiseth to them that shal reade it admirable benefits and manifested it to her and sayd I will now free thee from the bandes of the flesh and present thee to my selfe as the treasure and ioy of my heart to enioy thy sweete and pleasing companie c. Wherefore as I said if this reason bee of force in such like bookes who can bee so shamelesse as to denie but that it must needes bee much more preualent in the bookes of the holy Scripture which the holy Ghost himselfe inspired into his seruants the Prophets and Apostles who writte them to open our vnderstandings and make them sacred and holy And now it is time that we come to the other Granada who as it seemes hath conuerted his sweet and pleasant graines into fearefull and thundring bullets not so piercing and mortall to vs as to the Romane Church it selfe For he applies himselfe purposely to refute the vanity of that propounded calumnie with as much vehemency and splene as if his owne life therein concurr'd Granada en el preambulo de la segurda parte de la Introduccion del Symbolo This Author sayes how others obiect that by good reading many take an occasion to runne into many errors To this I make answere That there is nothing so good 〈◊〉 perfect which humane malice may not depraue and abuse What doctrine can be more exact and infallible then that of the Gospels and of S. Pauls Epistles and yet notwithstanding all the heretiques that euer haue beene both moderne and of ancient times haue pretended to ground their heresies vpon this so perfect doctrine whereupon the Apostle S. Peter making mention of S. Pauls Epistles he sayth that there are in them many very difficult things to be vnderstood so that many wicked men tooke occasion out of this to plant their errors And further hee addes that heretiques labour to maintaine themselues out of all the bookes of the holy Scriptures wreathing and wresting them to colour and cloake their errors And besides this what is there in humane life so necessary and profitable but if wee forecast some inconueniences that may ensue wee may thinke it fit to be reiected Thus fathers should neuer marrie their daughters because many wiues die in childbed and other some are cut off by the crueltie of their husbands let there be no Physicke nor Physicians because many times both they and their medicines kill there must be no swords nor armes seeing men euery day kill one another men must not crosse the Seas in that there happen euery day so many shipwrackes both of men and goods all study in Theologie must be laid apart because all heretiques abusing and adulterating of the same take occasion to ground their heresies and errors thereupon But what do I speake of earthly things seeing euen those heauenly are not exempted from their inconueniences What can be more expedient and requisite for the vse and gouernment of this world then the Sunne and yet how many men haue dyed growen sicke through the immoderate heate thereof But why doe I insist in these things when euen from the goodnesse mercy and passion of Iesues Christ our Sauiour which are the fundamentall causes of all our happinesse euill men presume to perseuere and continue in their sins Vnto all that formerly deliuered I will annexe this one thing of great consideration and therefore I demand What more efficacious and piercing motiue can there be to conuince all vnderstanding and reduce them to true faith then the resurrection of Lazarus who had lien buried foure dayes and stunke whom the Lord raised vp againe with these words Lazarus come foorth And this was sufficient that neither the gates of death nor the ligatures bands wherewith he was bound could keepe him in his graue What heart can there be so hard and obdurate that will not be mollified and yeeld to the faith and beliefe of that Lord by meanes of this so inexplicable a miracle But O the incredible malice of humane hearts this so wonderfull a miracle is not onely not preualent to subdue the hearts of the high Priests and Pharises but further here-from they were excited to condemne to death the worker of so renowmed a miracle wherewith not being content they sought to kill Lazarus because many by his meanes came to beleeue in the Sauiour Wherefore if humane malice be so implacable as that it here-from assum'd a motiue and stimulation to so great a wickednesse who can produce any argument from that abuse wherewith wicked men alienate and adulterate good things wringing and wresting them to their corrupt and prophane willes that hereby a good should be preuented and cut off To this demaund made by so famous an Author whose reasons all these I haue deliuered were I would faine haue the Romane Antichrist make answere who prohibites the reading of the sacred Scriptures to an innumerable sort of the vulgar depriuing them hereby of infinite many benefits which from the reading of the same doe accrew in that some abuse and alienate them
and it is not likely that all this businesse should be made for benefit to no body and if to any body either to the people or himselfe not to the people as hath beene shewed ergo to himselfe and what that is appeares clearely though he endeauour to keepe it in the darke which may best be effected in a tongue not vnderstood but such is the Popes subtiltie herein that the poore seduced people cannot suspect him all this while nor consequently complaine or seeke for remedy because the Pope still beares them in hand with faire pretensions that he still keepes the ancient custome of the Church on foot though indeed hee doeth nothing lesse for the ancient Church euer propounded the Scriptures to the common people in a tongue knowen and vnderstood of all as is euidently prooued by these ensuing wordes of Sandouall Iustinus Martyr sayth hee relates of the Christians of the Primitiue Church Idem pag. 20. that on the Lords day they assembled together and Lectures were read vnto them out of the Prophets and Apostles and when the Lection was ended the Pastor admonished them to performe in life and practise what they had heard read whereupon it is more then probable that the said Lecture and Reading was in the vulgar tongue well vnderstood of all the Auditorie for otherwise the Pastor should haue beene but a foole in vrging them to performe what they neither conceiued nor vnderstood because according to that Philosophicall Axiome Nihil volutum quin praecognitum Father Francisco Antonio also confesseth as much El Pa. Francisco Antonio fol. 91. de sus consideraciones sobre los mysterios de la missa and that in plainer termes and words as in these following The Epistles of the Apostles were read in the presence and hearing of all the faithfull so as they might be heard not only by the learned but also by the vulgar not onely by olde men but also by young Then which what could be spoken more plainly and indeed it doth so farre conuince the consciences of the Romanists that as you see they cannot choose but confesse it and therefore accordingly the Papists at this day that they might seeme to continue the ancient custome not being altogether so impudent as altogether to abrogate it they make pretenses but all are but deceitfull shadowes and teach that in the Lectures and Readings of the holy Scriptures in the Church of Rome at this day all the people should vnderstand euen as Father Marquez clearly confesseth Marquez en el resoro de ignorantes f. l. 219. in these wordes One of the principallest reasons why wee are commanded to heare Masse on Festiuall dayes is because in the Epistles Gospels prayers and other things vttered in the Masse mention is made of all the chiefest my steries of our Redemption because faithfull men hearing them they might be committed to their memories and they not grow forgetfull of such benefits This is taken out of Father Marquez Now if it be true as is confest and pretended that the people should commit to memory and not forget the things they heare how comes it to passe that they doe not so Is it not because they vnderstand not and is not the cause hereof their hearing it in an vnknown tongue and doth not this cut off all the benefits pretended and leaue the people in the same case as if they had no Scriptures at all For as reason informes vs and that great learned Doctor Ledesma teacheth vs Fr. Pedro de Ledesma enel tratado 1. de lase christiana eap 2. He that can vtter a thing in Latine if he vnderstand not the Latine it is the same as if he knew it not at all Wherefore in the Readings of the Romane Church it is onely pretended and no more that the people vnderstand but if you aske them what or how they vnderstand their last refuge and all the answere that is left is That they vnderstand what the Church doth and that implicitly Moreouer for the better preuailing of this delusion and the entertainment of this pretense the Papists themselues beleeue that in the Masse Christ preacheth vnto them his Gospel Aluarado en su arte de oien viuir lib. 40.3 by the mouth of the Priest as Aluarado notes and also by the mouth of the Deacon in the same which they call the high Masse as the Glosse speakes super caput perlectis 25. de in sanctam 29. Rodriguez tom 2. pag. 101. desus obras morales which Master Rodriguez alledgeth who teacheth the same The Papists doe likewise teach that the Epistle deliuered in the Masse is like vnto a letter which God sends vnto men to reueale vnto them his will and what hee requires at their hands and that the Deacon when he reads the Letter or the Priest when hee reads it in the Masse finds the whole will of God therein implyed and intimated Puente 4. tom fol. 234. as Father Puente speakes And moreouer Puente annexeth that this is after the same maner 2. Esdr 8. as in the booke of Esdras is expressed that the Leuites Legerunt in libro Legis Dei distinctè apertè ad intelligendum intellexerunt cum legeretur If this be granted I would faine haue the Papists themselues answere me To what end should Christ preach his Gospel vnto men but to the end they might vnderstand for there is no reason to speake when that which is deliuered and spoken is not apprehended nor vnderstood As S. Augustine speakes Tena in Isagog in totam sacr Serip fol. 318. and conformable to him the Bishop of Tortosa The reason hereof themselues doe yeeld quia non prodest locutionis integritas quam non sequitur intellectus audientis And Christ our Lord speaking of a prophesie in these words qui legit intelligat for if he couet not to vnderstand it his reading will be to small purpose as Father Puente notes Puente ibid. fol. 578. and obserues And how is it probable that Christ should intimate and declare vnto them his will by meanes of the Epistle when they vnderstand not what is therein comprehended This as S. Paul sayth is rather a breathing into the aire then an instructing of the people It is as we vsually say in our Spanish tongue predicar en desierto to preach in the desert For as the precedent Bishop alleadged sayes this comes to passe when either that which is deliuered is not vnderstood or that doctrine which is preached is not obeyed This is not a manifesting of Gods will vnto men Tena in geg in tota Scrip. sacr fol. 320. by the mouth of the Priest but a speaking of the Priest onely to God alone if so be the Priest vnderstand what himselfe reades otherwise no because as the Apostle teacheth qui loquitur lingua ignota non hominibus sed Deo loquitur Deo quia intelligit eum non hominibus qui non percipiunt eum as the said Bishop