against it with one voyce yea euen thei whiche neyther lacked good iudgement nor connynge in the tongues Finally all thauncient holye writers affirme that nothynge is nowe commaunded in the newe testament but the same was commaunded in tholde Nec quicquam esse gestum quod non sit vel a Prophetis praedictum vel typis adumbratum And that there is nothing done now in the newe but the same was eyther spoken before by the prophetes or els darkelye shadowed in figures Oh is there not then greate hardenesse in scripture More ouer the auncient writers doe affirme that neuer man was able to discusse fullye al the mysteries of scripture and that tholy ghost would them not fully to be perceyued as the times the consuÌ„mation of the worlde c. And the middest of the seconde chapter of the .ij. Epistle of Paule to the ThessaloniaÌ„s TantuÌ„ quitenet teneat c. donec de medio fiat Whiche place S. Augustine plainly confesseth that he doeth not vnderstande The beginninge of S. Iohns Ghospell Thappocalyps the beginning of Ezechiell about the wheles and from the xl chapter the discriptions dimensions of the temple c. Yea and beside this howe manye places be in scripture not easie to be perceiued of the vnlearned As that of Paule Phillip i. I do fulfil that which lacked in Christes passioÌ„ c. Worke your saluation c. Phillip ii Doe not these to the simple seeme very blasphemie With many hundred textes as harde as these All this nowe well considered concerninge the contentes of this first chapter and with indifferent eares hearde and euery thing that is here spoken weyed to the bottom hauynge a godly zeale to Christes flock doe you thinke it expedient yea or tollerable for all leude and wicked without restraynte to be iudges and arbitrers vpon scripture as they wyll nedes be if it be in the vulgare tongue The seconde Chapter God woulde the Scripture to be obscure and the mysteries not to be playne to al men CHrist ofte so mingled hys communication sayeth Erasmus in the preface of Matthew that I think his wil and pleasure was to bee harde and not to be vnderstande Yea there be certayne places sayeth he almost not possible to be expounded and yet God woulde his secretes to be so hidde from the wicked and ignoraunte by tropes figures and other obscurities lest lyke swyne thei shoulde treade downe pearles that yet sufficient light myght be opened shewed to the studious learned godly Againe God would for our exercise for our labour for our studie and diligence August lib. de doctrina christ cap. the mysteries to bee sought furth not without great difficultie that they might appeare moore precious beynge deare bought Moreouer God ordeyned suche obscuritie and hardenesse to be hidde in tropes and allegories that the high mysteries might more clearly shyne furth of cloudes and darkenesse Beside this as the son beame geueth more heate agaiÌ„st glasse or plate so doe ofte the mysteries of scripture moore delite and geue more spirituall heate beynge searched tryed furth of darcke cloudes and thycke shadowes Finallye God this ordeyned for that he would not man to be to busy in triyng aboue hys capacitie as the two penye doctours haue euer been Beatus homo qui semper est pauidus Blessed is he that euer kepeth a godly feare Nolite altuÌ„ sapere nec sapere plusquam oportet Be not to wise in your owne eyes The wise man saide not without cause altiâ—ra te ne quaesieris Seke not aboue thy reach For thinke surely that they whiche goe aboute to apprehende the high mysteries do folowe as it wer to ouertake their own shadowes the faster they folowe the faster it slippeth awaye Marke also that it was not without highe mysterie that God reproued Esdras for searchinge to highe in his secretes iiii Esd iiii iiii Esd xii and in another place bad him open his mysteries only to the wise And againe it was not without highe mysterye that God woulde not suffer the people to ascende into the mounte Exod. nor the wicked to builde vp the tower of Babilon so highe as they woulde Genes Thinke that herby the ignoraunt multitude are taught not to climbe to hyghe into Gods secretes and priuie mysteries Remembre I beseche you howe Thisraelites coulde not behold Moyses face for brightnesse ii Cor. iii. And consider likewyse howe Dionyse sainct Paules disciple sayeth yf thou canst not well loke vp to the shinyng of the sunne with open eyes but they wyll dasell and thou must hold vp thine hande betwene thine eye and the son how many handes then haddest thou nede to holde vp yf thou shouldest behold the vnsearcheable mysteries of the sunne of righteousnesse God hym selfe The shinyng beames of the heauenlye influence thou canst not beholde but as it were vnder a cloude Luke viii Math. xi and xiii Iohn xv Rom. xi and xvi Ephes i. and .vi. Col. i. .ii. Phil. iiii Marke well it was not without greate cause that bothe Christ and Paule oft do speake of mysteries As in Luke Mathewe Iohn And in the Epistles to the Romaines to the Ephesians to the Colossians and Philippians Consider also with howe great feare and reuerence the mysteries ought to be touched Phil. iiii yea and that onely of the learned men And ponder earnestlye with youre selfe howe Christ woulde his mysteries to be opened but to fewe mystesterium est archanum vel secretum dei consilium paucis cognitum seu occultum dei iudicium atque sacrameÌ„tum neyther to the wicked nor yet to the infirme that be not able to weye them Yea and that manye mysteries be receyued in the churche of Christ whiche neuer were written as S. Basil witnesseth Beside this S. Dionyse sayeth Dion in cael hier cap. iii. Decentissimum est mysticis scripturarum eloquijs sacram et obstrusam caelestiuÌ„ spirituum veritatâ—m archanis velamentis et sacratissimis signis occultare It is most decent to hide the holye vnsearcheable veritie of the heaueÌ„ly sprites in the mystical speakinges of scripture with secret coueringes most holy signes And S. Augustine affirmeth that sacrae scripturae obscuritas cuÌ„ diuersas pariat sententias vtilis est the darkenesse of holy scripture when it bringeth furth diuerse senses then is it profitable This gere our newe fangled readers doe smally passe vpon Therfore it can not be chosen but the Englishe translations whiche haue been the occasion of most mischiefe must nedes be taken awaye The thirde Chapter Sundrie causes wherof oftymes difficultie and great hardnes in scripture doeth arise THe causes whereof oftymes the great difficultie in scripture doeth arise j. are very many one is for that there be so manye tropes figures and darke sayinges in scripture Another is ij hardnes in scripture ofte doeth arise of the proprietie of the tongue that euerye tongue hath his owne proper phrase not perfitlye to
ninth probation The vniuersal church of Chrst did neuer allowe nor approue Scripture to bee in the vulgare tongue weying the manifolde inconueniences that haue issued thereof but euer from tyme to tyme amonge other errours did tread that doune suppresse it If we therfore according to the article of oure Crede beleue the vniuersal Churche we must not admit the scripture to be in our Englishe tongue knowing that as S. Ciprian sayeth that whiche hathe been done and ordeyned by the church the holye ghost being the guyde is of as great weyght as that whiche was done by Christ him selfe The tenth probation Scripture is couÌ„ted to be somtimes meate somtimes drinke Greg. lib. i. moral drinke in light places meate in obscure places which in expouÌ„dinge is as it were eaten being broken It was not therefore withoute great mysterie that Christ caused the Apostles to breake the breade to the multitude of the people whom he fed with v. loaues signifiynge the spirituall breakynge of the bread of the soule amonge the people euer to bee done by the ministers diligentlye and that it should not be complayned vpon by the Prophet Hierem. Thren iiii sayinge my children haue desired bread and there was none to breake it to them and likewise by Amos there is a great hunger sayeth he not of lacke of bodily foode but of hearinge the worde of God And also by Esay the nobles did perish for lacke of mete and the multitude for lacke of drinke Esay v. By these it maye well appeare that the common people shoulde not presume to expounde the scriptures theÌ„ selues nor to be iudges therof whiche yet they wyll doe as experience sheweth yf they haue it in the vulgar tongue Therfore away with it The eleuenth probation There be diuers and sundrie senses in the scripture as bothe Origen and Augustine doe declare whiche be not for euerye simple brayne to finde out Orig. homil 2. â— 11. in Ge. Aug. de vtilitate cre ad honor cap. 3. The mysterie oft is hidde the well of scripture is depe puteus altus est euery ones strength is not hable to drawe vp the water of lyfe furth of the botome of it Therfore the welle muste be couered lest the yonglinges fall into it and so be drowned The xii probation Paule thought not the Corinthians hable to haue the mysteries opened vnto them i. Cor. iii. saying I feede you with milke yet our most ignorant people wyll murmur if they may not fede theÌ„ selues with the highest mysteries of all euen in theyr owne natiue language Paule sâ—â—th he fedde the Corinthians as younge children whiche yf they fede theÌ„ selues wyl defile slober their clothes And do not these nowe in oure dayes defile theyr weddinge garmente with presuming to feede them selues with spiritual fode of the soule And marke here I prai you that it was not without cause that Paul vsed here this similitude seinge children not suffered to fede them selues ofte strike the meate throughe frowardnes furth of the nources hande ofte forsake it and tourne awaye euen as doe styl the wicked whiche woulde feede them selues spirituallye with the englishe translation of scripture to theyr vtter poysoning after the maner of children which being permitted to fede them selues may gather vp poyson or venâ—m and fede thereon not that I meane that in scripture shoulde be any poyson but that a medicine ministred by the Phisitian oft healeth which takeÌ„ by your selfe not knowinge how where nor when to take it poysoneth and kylleth The Bee and the Spider gather on one floure the one honye the other poyson the floure ministring no occasion thervnto but onely their owne natures Where vpon S. Augustine sayeth Aug. in psal xlviij omnia diuina eloquia salubria suÌ„t bene intelligentibus periculosa ijs qui eam voluÌ„t ad sui cordis peruersitatem detorquere all holye scriptures be holsome and moste profitable to them that vnderstande them aright but they be perilous to al suche whiche wyll wrast them after the frowardnesse of theyr owne heartes O lorde howe manye haue wrasted the scripture amisse throughe the wicked libertie of hauinge it in Englishe these many yeares The xiii probation Christ sayd to the Saduces ye do erre not vnderstaÌ„ding the scriptures Math. xxii Ioseph lib. 2. de bel Iud. et li. 18. de antiquit the cause was that thei receyued no interpreters vppon scripture not muche vnlike vnto our men which only with the Englishe translation though it be neuer so false so corrupt and dampnable woulde take vpon them the full vnderstandynge of scriptures The .xiiii. probation Saincte Peter testified as it is in my fyrste chapter that many thynges in S. ii Pet. iii. Paules epistles were hard to be vnderstand which the vnlearned did then peruert to theyr destruction as they dyd other places of scriptures And yet for all this dare our vnlearned men be styll desyrous to haue the same scriptures in theyr owne speache to peruerte to they re owne condemnation The xv probation Dyd Christ ofte testifie that it was not for euery one too knowe the high mysteries and yet dare the blynde so presume styll onely with theyr English translation It was not wtout great cause that Christ woulde not his mysteries to be published to al people For the comen sort neuer vsed them well And therfore many hyghe mysteries there be sayth S. Basyl which neuer were wrtten but in the heart of the elect And. S. Hierom vpon Labia sacerdotis custodiunt scientiam Malach. ii sayeth that the ministers of Christes Churche whose duty is to teach the scripture must not styll vtter but kepe Tertull. in lib. de praescript haeret in medio libri tribuit omnibus apostolis arcana cognoscere quae ignobili vulgo noÌ„ licuit â–ª that in tyme and place it may be published Theyr office is this to do not for euery maÌ„ to searche the secretes Christe wold not euery one to be a medler when he sayde to his disciples it shall be youre office to know the mysteries and to Nicodeme Art thou a Master in Israell and knowest not this gere as who should saye it belongeth to teachers to be rype in scriptures and for other to be hearers iiii Esd xii God said to Esdras speakyng and declaring hygh misteries put these secretes surely vp and teache theym to the wise meÌ„ that be hable to vnderstande theym iiii Esd iiii as for the lewde he rebuketh theym as vnmete to knowe suche highe secretes and mysteries Euery Idiote can beare stones to the building of a house and lay a hepe together but none can couche theym as they ought to be in theyr places but the mason euery foole can reade and bable of the scripture but only the godly learned teachers can play the spirituall masons parte in couchyng the lyuely stones in the spirituall buylding of Christes house The .xvi. probation God sayth by Malache
If Spiridion iustlye reprehended Triphillius but onelye for chaunginge of one worde in scripture cubile for lectuÌ„ what reprofe are our men worthye Lib. i. Tripere capit x. whiche chaunge many hundred wordes yea sentences and all If holy Basilius wold not suffer one syllable of scripture to be corrupted or altered lib. vii tripert cap. xxxvi but rather would haue suffered many deathes what shall we then say to the great and damnable corruption and alteration that hath been among our men If holy Basilius bad the Emperors coke medle with his cokerye let scripture alone tuuÌ„ est inquit de pulmeÌ„tarijs cogitare noÌ„ dog mata diuina de coquere lib. vij â—rip ca. xxxvi what woulde he haue sayde to oure men these yeres past The .l. probation Hauinge the scripture in Englishe causeth manye braynles bodies to dispute and reason they know not whervpon and euer to lay scripture for the wickedlye as al heretikes euer did where as in dede in reasoninge with suche scripture wyll not serue Tertull. de praescrip haerettcoruÌ„ et lib. iiij coÌ„tra Mâ—rtionem For as Tertullian saieth in disputing with an heretike we muste not flee to scriptures nor pitche our battel there for ther eyther neuer or els very hardly the victory shal be gotten Heretikes wylbe ouercome sayeth Sisinius vnto Nectarius in the storie of Socrates li. 9. trip ca. 19 neither with scriptures nor with disputations †Approbata ab â—cclesia noÌ„ oportet rursus rationibus fulcire etc. Nam queÌ„admoduÌ„ par est spiritui faÌ„cto et Cbristo diuinitas ita in suis institutis est aequa authoritas potestas Nec minus ratuÌ„ est quod eeclesia dictaÌ„te spiritu sancto tradidit quaÌ„ quod ipse tradidit Haec Cypri de Lot ped but only by the authoritie of the churche and by the traditions of the fathers elders So that beside the scripture written we muste receyue manye traditions not written many generall councels in whoÌ„ the holye ghost did speake and sundrie interpretations vpon scriptures made by the holy fathers beinge replenished wyth Gods spirite ¶ The conclusion of this simple discourse SEing now these probations which be euident against the scripture in Englishe seing also the great hardnes that is in scripture with the causes therof and how many waies the letter doth kyl And seing againe that the vniuersall churche of Christ hath vtterly forbid the scripture to be in the vulgare tongue consideryng the manyfolde inconueniences that ryse therof as great numbres of heresies disobedience and contempt of powers with fleshely libertie c. And finally seing that by no meanes so soone as by the scripture in english heresies do both spryng daily and be also mainteined wherin should good men be more diligent than in thexter patioÌ„ hereof wherfore it shal be euery faithful christians duetie being in authoritie to lay to his healping hande to the taking away quite that with al spede the Englishe translations with all hereticall Englishe bookes whiche no doubt haue been the greatest occasion of all the mischeifes we haue hadde in this realme of late dayes Through these our newe founde religion hath euer strongly been mainteined and vpholden Our new found religion I say which ye must nedes confesse to haue ben starke nought and damnable because the beginnyng was aduoutry the continuaunce extortion the ende plaine treason Yea euen from the beginning their procedinges for so they termed them beyng rather worthy the name of retrocedinges were styll from synne to synne Fyrst PeccatuÌ„ quod per paeniteÌ„tiaÌ„ noÌ„ deletur suo pondere ad aliud peccatuÌ„ grauius trabit Et hoc suppliciuÌ„ domini longe omniuÌ„ est grauissimuÌ„ quaÌ„dâ— vnuÌ„ peccatuÌ„ per aliud pâ—nitur quod peccatur quum in profundu â—enerit conteÌ„nit forsaking the head of the churche falling from the vnitie therof then despising all generall counselles all ordinaunces froÌ„ the beginning kept through out christendome After this spoyling pollyng pylling robbing and stealing all landes ornamentes goodes of the churche being more fearse then euer was Iulian thappostata without mercy or pitie And finally spytefully contemninge all the holy sacramentes with all censures and iudgementes of the churche and fathers vpon scripture only sticking to their own what pleased them to phansie O lorde was not this a tyme most miserable Iesu be mercyfull vnto vs and graunt vs neuer to fall againe into the lyke palpable darkenes ¶ Of Masse all other diuine seruice in the churche to be in Latine and not in the vulgare tongue ANd here note further I beseche you that like as it is nowe spoken of scripture not to be in English euen so is it ment that as vnlawful it is yea and more too if more may be that the high mysteries in the sacrifice of Masse or other diuine seruice should be in English where as the preist is a comon person and offereth vp for al the people beyng the meane betwene God and them so that his communication is to God and not to the people What cause is there then why diuine seruice should be in Englishe except ye thynke that God vnderstandeth no Latine Neither the Italians nor GreciaÌ„s haue diuine seruice in their vulgare tongue Moreouer at that tyme of diuine seruice all the comen people then present shuld onely put their whole affiauÌ„ce in fide maâ—ris ecclesiae in the fayth of oure mother the catholyke churche like as our beleif is in the baptisme of infantes Yea note further that it was not without great mystery the writyng of Christes tytle at his passion in Hebrewe Greke and Latine Also it was not without great mysterye that many wordes were neuer translated as Alleluya Osanna Amen Sabaoth Kirieleison c. And that Christ praied in secret silence alone the head for the whole bodie to signifie vnto vs thereby that the priestes office is likewise to doe the same the coÌ„mon minister for al the people being meane betwene God them As for that of Paule to the Corinthians i. Cor. xiiii which might appeare to the simple to make for theyr purpose to haue all in the vulgar tonge yf ye marke it well it is onely spoken for them whiche doe preache expounde or interprete scriptures in the church that is to saye that their sermons their expouÌ„dinges or interpretatioÌ„s of scriptures they beinge authorised therevnto must euer be made in that toÌ„ge whiche the hearers doe vnderstande and perceyue And this ye know well bothe is and euer hath ben vsed And therfore here now further A man might demaunde a questioÌ„ wherfore ye com to the Churche I suppose ye wyll saye as ye muste no doubte yf ye tell the treuthe that the chiefe intente of your comming is or ought to be to pray though sermoÌ„s and diuine seruice and the ministration of the holy sacramentes be causes also seing that Christe called the Church the house of prayer
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
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