the holy scripture, wherein thou mayest find thy saluation: Let not the
volume of this booke (by Gods owne warrant) depart from thee but occupie
thy selfe therein in the whole journey of this [Sidenote: Psal. i.] thy
wordly pilgrimage, to vnderstand thy way howe to walke ryghtly before hym
all the dayes of thy lyfe. Remember that the prophete David pronounceth
hym the blessed man whiche wyll muse in the lawe of God [Sidenote: Psal.
cxix.] both day and night, remember that he calleth him blessed whiche
walketh in the way of the Lorde, which wyll searche diligently his
testimonies, and wyll in their whole heart seeke the same. Let not the
couert suspicious insinuations of the adversaries driue thee from the
searche of the holy scripture, either for the obscuritie whiche they say
is in them, or for the inscrutable hidden misteries they talke to be
comprised in them, or for the straungnes and homlynes of the phrases they
would charge Gods booke with. Christe exhorteth thee therefore the rather
for the difficultie of the same, to searche them diligently. [Sidenote:
Hebr. v. 1 Cor. xiiii.] Saint Paul wylleth thee to haue thy senses
exercised in them, and not to be a chylde in thy senses, but in malice.
Though many thinges may be difficulte to thee to vnderstand, impute it
rather to thy dull hearing and reading, then to thinke that the scriptures
be insuperable, to them whiche with diligent searching labour to discern
the evil from the good. [Sidenote: Math. vii.] Only searche with an humble
spirite, aske in continuall prayer, seek with puritie of life, knocke with
perpetuall perseueraunce, and crye to that good spirite of Christe the
Comforter: and surely to euery suche asker it wyll be geuen, such
searchers must nedes finde, to them it wylbe opened. Christ hym selfe wyll
open the sense of the scriptures, [Sidenote: Math. xi. Esai. lxi.] not to
the proude, or to the wyse of the worlde, but to the lowly and contrite in
heart; [Sidenote: 1 Cor. xii.] for he hath the kay of Dauid, who openeth
and no man shutteth, who shutteth and no man openeth. [Sidenote: Apoc.
iii.] For as this spirite is a bening and liberall spirite, and wyll be
easyly founde of them which wyll early in carefulnesse ryse to seeke hym,
[Sidenote: Sapi i.] and as he promiseth he will be the comforter from
aboue to teache vs, and to leade vs into all the wayes of truth,
[Sidenote: Iob xiiii.] if that in humilitie we bowe vnto hym, deniyng our
owne naturall senses, our carnall wittes and reasons: [Sidenote: Sapi i.]
so is he the spirite of puritie and cleannes, and will receede from him,
whose conscience is subiect to filthynesse of lyfe. Into suche a soule
this heavenly wysdome wyll not enter, for all peruerse cogitations wyll
separate vs from God: [Sidenote: Psal. lxviii.] and then howe busyly
soeuer we searche this holy table of the scripture, yet will it then be a
table to suche to their owne snare, a trap, a stumbling stocke, and a
recompense to them selfe. We ought therefore to searche to finde out the
trueth, not to oppresse it, we ought to seeke Christe, not as Herode did
vnder the pretence of worshipping hym to destroy hym, or as the Pharisees
searched the scriptures to disproue Christe, and to discredite him, and
not to folowe him; but to embrace the saluation whiche we may learne by
them. Nor yet is it inough so to acknowledge the scriptures as some of the
Iewes dyd, of the holyest of them, who vsed such diligence, that they
could number precisely, not only euery verse, but euery word and sillable,
how oft euery letter of the alphabete was repeated in the whole
scriptures: They had some of them suche reuerence to that booke, that they
woulde not suffer in a greate heape of bookes, any other to lay over them,
they woulde not suffer that booke to fall to the grounde as nye as they
coulde, they woulde costly bynde the bookes of holy scriptures, and cause
them to be exquisitely and ornately written. Whiche deuotion yet though it
was not to be discommended, yet was it not for that intent, why Christe
commended the scriptures, nor they therof alowed before God: For they did
not call vpon God in a true fayth. they were not charitable to their
neighbours, but in the middes of all this deuotion, they did steale, they
were adulterers, they were slaunderers and backbiters, euen muche like
many of our Christian men and women nowe a dayes, who glory muche that
they reade the scriptures, that they searche them and loue them, that
they frequente the publique sermons in an outwarde shewe of all honestie
and perfection, yea they can pike out of the scriptures vertuous sentenses
and godly preceptes to lay before other men. And though these maner of men
do not muche erre for suche searching and studying, yet they see not the
scope and the principall state of the scriptures, which is as Christe
declareth it, to finde Christe as their Sauiour, to cleaue to his
saluation and merites, and to be brought to the lowe repentaunce of their
liues, and to amend them selfe, to rayse vp their fayth to our Sauiour
Christe, so to thinke of him as the scriptures do testifie of hym. These
be the principall causes why Christe did sende the Iewes to searche the
scriptures: for to this ende were they wrytten, saith Saint Iohn, Hae
scripta sunt ut credatis, et vt credentes vitam habeatis eternam. These
were written to this intent, that ye shoulde beleue, [Sidenote: Iohn xx.]
and that through your beliefe ye shoulde haue euerlasting life.
And here good reader, great cause we have to extoll the wonderous wisdome
of God, and with great thankes to prayse his prouidence, considering howe
he hath preserued and renued from age to age by speciall [Sidenote: Hebr.
v.] miracle, the incomparable treasure of his Churche. For first he did
inspire Moyses, as Iohn Chrisostome doth testifie, to wryte the stonie
tables, and kept him in the mountayne fourtie dayes to giue him his lawe:
after him he sent the prophetes, but they suffred many thousande
aduersities, for battayles did folowe, all were slayne, all were
destroyed, bookes were brent vp. He then inspired agayne another man to
repayre these miraculous scriptures, Esdras I meane, who of their leauings
set them agayne together: after that he provided that the seuentie
interpreters should take them in hande: at the laste came Christe him
selfe, the Apostles did receaue them, and spread them throughout all
nations, Christe wrought his miracles and wonders: and what followed?
after these great volumes the Apostles also did wryte as Saint Paul doth
say, [Sidenote: 1 Cor. x.] These be wrytten to the instruction of vs that
be come into the ende of the worlde: [Sidenote: Math. xxii.] and Christe
doth say, Ye therefore erre, because ye knowe not the scriptures nor the
power of God: and Paul dyd say, [Sidenote: Colo. iii.] Let the worde of
Christe be plentifull among you: and agayne saith Dauid, [Sidenote: Psal.
cxix.] Oh howe sweete be thy wordes to my throte: he saide not to my
hearing, but to my throte, aboue the hony or the hony combe to my mouth.
Yea, Moyses saith, [Sidenote: Deut. xvi.] Thou shalt meditate in them
evermore when thou risest, when thou sittest downe, when thou goest to
sleepe, continue in them he saith: and a thousand places more. And yet
after so many testimonies thus spoken, there be some persons that do not
yet so much as knowe what the scriptures be: Wherevpon nothing is in good
state amongst vs, nothing worthyly is done amongest vs: In this whiche
pertayne to this lyfe, we make very great haste, but of spirituall goodes
we have no regarde. Thus farre Iohn Chrisost. It must nedes signifie some
great thing to our vnderstanding, that almightie God hath had such care to
prescribe these bookes thus vnto vs: I say not prescribe them only, but to
maintaine them and defende them against the malignitie of the deuill and
his ministers, who alway went about to destroy them: and yet could these
never be so destroyed, but that he woulde have them continue whole and
perfect to this day, to our singular comfort and instruction, where other
bookes of mortall wise men haue perished in great numbers. It is recorded
that Ptolomeus Philadelphus kyng of Egypt, had gathered together in one
librarie at Alexandria by his great coste and diligence, seuen hundred
thousand bookes, wherof the principall were the bookes of Moyses, which
reserued not much more, then by the space of two hundred yeres, were all
brent and consumed, in that battayle when Cæsar restored Cleopatra agayne
after her expulsion. At Constantinople perished under Zenon by one common
fire, a hundred and twentie thousande bookes. [Sidenote: _Iohannes
Sarisberi. In Policratico, lib. 8, cap. 19. W. de regibus._] At Rome when
Lucius Aurel Antonius dyd raigne, his notable librarie by a lightning from
heauen was quite consumed: Yea it is recorded that Gregorie the first, dyd
cause a librarie at Rome contayning only certaine Paynim’s workes to be
burned, to thintent the scriptures of God should be more read and studied.
What other great libraries haue there ben cōsumed but of late daies? And
what libraries haue of olde throughout this realme almost in euery abbey
of the same, ben destroyed at sundry ages, besides the losse of other
men’s private studies, it were to long to rehearse. Wherevpon seyng
almightie God by his diuine prouidence, hath preserued these bookes of the
scriptures safe and sounde, and that in their natiue languages they were
first written, in the great ignoraunce that raigned in these tongues, and
contrary to all other casualties, chaunced vpon all other bookes in mauger
of all worldly wittes, who would so fayne haue had them destroyed, and yet
he by his mightie hande, would haue them extant as witnesses and
interpreters of his will toward mankind: we may soone see cause most
reuerently to embrace these deuine testimonies of his will, to studie
them, and to searche them, to instruct our blinde nature so sore corrupted
and fallen from the knowledge in whiche first we were created. Yet hauing
occasion geuen somewhat to recover our fall and to returne againe to that
deuine nature wherein we were once made, and at the last to be inheritours
in the celestiall habitation with God almightie, after the ende of our
mortalitie here brought to his dust agayne: These bookes I say beyng of
such estimation and aucthoritie, so much reuerenced of them who had any
meane taste of them, coulde neuer be put out of the way, neither by the
spyte of any tiraunt, as that [Sidenote: _Galfride mon_] tiraunt Maximian
destroyed all the holy scriptures wheresoeuer they coulde be founde, and
burnt them in the middes of the market, neither the hatred either of any
Porphiran philosopher or Rhetoritian, neither by the enuie of the
romanystes, and of such hypocrites who from tyme to time did euer barke
against them, some of them not in open sort of condempnation: but more
cunningly vnder suttle pretences, for that as they say, they were so harde
to vnderstande, and specially for that they affirm it to be a perilous
matter to translate the text of the holy scripture, and therefore it
cannot be well translated. And here we may beholde the endeuour of some
men’s cauillation, who labour all they can to slaunder the translatours,
to finde faulte in some wordes of the translation: but them selfe will
neuer set pen to the booke, to set out any translation at al. They can in
their constitutions prouinciall, [Sidenote: _Tho Arūdel in concilio apud
Oxon. An 1407 articlo 7._] vnder payne of excommunication, inhibite al
other men to translate them without the ordinaries or the prouinciall
counsayle agree therevnto. But they wyll be well ware neuer to agree or
geue counsayle to set them out. Whiche their suttle compasse in effect,
tendeth but to bewray what inwardly they meane, if they could bring it
about, that is, vtterly to suppresse them: being in this their iudgement,
farre vnlike the olde fathers in the primitiue church, who hath exhorted
indifferently all persons, aswell men as women, to exercise them selues in
the scriptures, which by Saint Hieroms aucthoritie be the scriptures of
the people. Yea they be farre vnlike their olde forefathers that have
ruled in this realme, who in their times, and in diuers ages did their
diligence to translate the whole bookes of the scriptures to the erudition
of the laytie, as yet at this day be to be seene diuers bookes translated
into the vulgar tongue, some by kynges of the realme, some by bishoppes,
some by abbotts, some by other deuout godly fathers: so desirous they were
of olde tyme to have the lay sort edified in godlynes by reading in their
vulgar tongue, that very many bookes be yet extant, though for the age of
the speache and straungenesse of the charect of many of them almost worne
out of knowledge. In whiche bookes may be seene euidently howe it was vsed
among the Saxons, to haue in their churches read the foure gospels, so
distributed and piked out in the body of the euangelistes bookes, that to
euery Sunday and festiuall day in the yere, they were sorted out to the
common ministers of the church in their common prayers to be read to their
people. [Sidenote: 1 Pet. i.] Now as of the most auncient fathers the
prophets, Saint Peter testifieth that these holy men of God had the
impulsion of the holy Ghost, to speak out these deuine testimonies: so it
is not to be doubted but that these latter holy fathers of the Englishe
Church, had the impulsion of the holy Ghost to set out these sacred bookes
in their vulgar language, to the edification of the people, [Sidenote:
Acts xvii.] by the helpe whereof they might the better folowe the example
of the godly Christians, in the beginning of the Churche, who not only
receaued the worde withall readinesse of heart, but also did searche
diligently in the scriptures, whether the doctrine of the Apostles were
agreable to the same scripture. And these were not of the rascall sort
(saith the deuine storie) but they were of the best and of most noble
byrth among the Thessalonians, Birrhenses by name. [Sidenote: 1 Pet. i.]
Yea the prophetes them selues in their dayes, writeth S. Peter, were
diligent searchers to inquire out this saluation by Christe, searching
when and at what article of time this grace of Christes dispensation
shoulde appeare to the world. What ment the fathers of the Church in their
writinges, but the advauncing of these holy bookes, where some do
attribute no certaintie of vndoubted veritie, but to the canonicall
scriptures: [Sidenote: _Aug. contra epistolam permemini Hieronimus
Tertullian de doctrina Christiana Chrisost in Matt._ Ho. 47. _Basilius
Hieronim._] Some do affirm it to be a foolishe rashe boldnesse to beleue
hym, who proueth not by the scriptures that whiche he affirmeth in his
worde. Some do accurse all that is deliuered by tradition, not found in
the legall and evangelicall scriptures. Some say that our fayth must
needes stagger, if it be not grounded vpon the aucthoritie of the
scripture. Some testifieth that Christe and his Churche ought to be
aduouched out of the scriptures, and do contende in disputation, that the
true Church can not be knowen, but only by the holy scriptures: For all
other thinges (saith the same aucthor) may be found among the heretikes.
Some affirme it to be a sinfull tradition that is obtruded without the
scripture. [Sidenote: 1 Pet. i.] Some playnely pronounce, that not to
knowe the scriptures is not to know Christe. Wherefore let men extoll out
the Churche practises as hyghly as they can, and let them set out their
traditions and customes, their decisions in synodes and counsayles, with
vaunting the presence of the holy Ghost among them really, as some doth
affirme it in their writing, let their groundes and their demonstrations,
their foundations be as stable and as strong as they blase them out:
[Sidenote: 1 Pet. i.] Yet wyll we be bolde to say with Saint Peter,
Habemus nos firmiorem sermonem propheticum. We have for our part a more
stable grounde, the propheticall wordes (of the scriptures) and doubt not
to be commended therefore of the same Saint Peter with these wordes: Cui
dum attenditis ceu lucerne apparenti in obscuro loco, recte facitis donec
dies illucescat &c. Wherevnto saith he, whyle ye do attende as to alight
shining in a darke place, ye do well vntill the day light appeare, and
till the bright starre do arise vnto our heartes, For this we know, that
al the propheticall scripture standeth not in any priuate interpretation
of vayne names, of severall Churches, of catholique vniuersall seas, of
singuler and wylfull heades, whiche wyll chalenge custome all decision to
pertayne to them only, who be working so muche for their vayne
superioritie, that they be not ashamed now to be of that number,
[Sidenote: Psal. xi.] Qui dixerunt linguam nostram magnificabimus, labia
nostra a nobis sunt, quis noster dominus est: Which haue sayd with our
tongue wyll we preuayle, we are they that ought to speake, who is Lord
ouer vs. And whyle they shall contende for their straunge claymed
aucthoritie, we will proceede in the reformation begun, and doubt no more
by the helpe of Christe his grace, of the true vnity to Christes
catholique Churche, [Sidenote: _Concilium braccar secundum._] and of the
vprightnesse of our fayth in this prouince, then the Spanishe cleargie
once gathered together in counsaile (only by the commaundement of their
king, before whiche tyme the Pope was not so acknowledged in his
aucthoritie which he now claymeth) I say as surely dare we trust, as they
dyd trust of their faith and veritie. Yea no lesse confidence haue we to
professe that, whiche the fathers of the vniuersall counsaile at Carthage
in Affrike as they wryte them selfe did professe in their epistle written
to Pope Celestine, laying before his face the foule corruption of him
selfe (as two other of his predecessors did the like errour) in
falsifiying the canons of Nicen counsayle, for his wrong chalenge of his
newe claymed aucthoritie: Thus wrytyng. Prudentissime enim iustissimeque
prouiderunt (Nicena et Affricana dicreta) quecunque negotia in suis locis
(vbi orta sunt) finienda, nec vnicuiqui prouinciæ gratiam sancti spiritus
defuturam qua equitas a Christi sacerdotibus et prudenter videatur, et
constantissime teneatur, maxime quia vnicuique concessum est, si iuditio
offensus fuerit cognitorum, ad concilia suae prouinciæ vel etiam
vniuersale prouocare. That (the Nicen and Affrican decrees) haue most
prudently and iustly prouided for all maner of matters to be ended in
their teritories where they had their beginning, and they trusted that not
to any one prouince shoulde want the grace of the holy Ghost, whereby both
the truth or equitie might prudently be seene of the Christian prelates of
Christe, and might be also by them most constantly defended, specially for
that it is graunted to euery man (if he be greeued) by the iudgement of
the cause once knowen to appeale to the counsayles of his owne prouince or
els to the vniuersall. Except there be any man, whiche may beleue that our
Lorde God woulde inspire the righteousnesse of examination, to any one
singular person, and to denie the same to priestes gathered together into
counsaile without number, &c. And there they do require the bishop of Rome
to send none of his clarkes to execute such prouinciall causes, lest els
say they, mought be brought in the vayne pride of the world into the
Churche of Christe. In this antiquitie may we in this christian catholique
Churche of Englande repose our selfe, knowyng by our owne annales of
auncient recorde that Kyng Lucius whose conscience was much touched with
the miracles whiche the seruauntes of Christe wrought in diuers nations,
thervpon beyng in great loue with the true fayth, sent vnto Eleutherius
then byshop of Rome requiring of hym the christian religion. [Sidenote:
_Inter legis Edwardi._] But Eleutherius did redyly geue ouer that care to
King Lucius in his epistle, for that the King as he wryteth, the vicar of
God in his owne kingdome, and for that he had receiued the faith of
Christe: And for that he had also both testamentes in his realme, he
wylled hym to drawe out of them by the grace of God, and by the counsaile
of his wisemen, his lawes, and by that lawe of God to gouerne his realme
of Britanie, and not so much to desire the Romane and Emperour’s lawes, in
the whiche some defaulte might be founde saith he, but in the lawes of God
nothing at all. [Sidenote: _Ex archiuis de statio landauensis ecclie in
vita archiepiscopi dubritii, et in I. capgraue._] With which aunswere the
Kinges legates, Eluanus and Medwinus sent as messengers by the King to the
Pope, returned to Britanie agayne, Eluanus beyng made a byshop, and
Medwine alowed a publique teacher: who for the eloquence and knowledge
they had in the holy Scriptures, they repayred home agayne to Kyng Lucius,
and by their holy preachings, Lucius and the noble men of the whole
Britanie receiued their baptisme, &c. Thus farre in the storie. Nowe
therefore knowing and beleuing with Saint Paul, Quod quecumque prescripta
sunt, ad nostram doctrinam prescripta sunt vt per pacientiam et
consolationem scripturarum spem habeamus: [Sidenote: Rom. xv.] Whatsoeuer
is afore written, is written before for our instruction, [Sidenote: =And
yet may it be true that W., of Malsberie, writeth that Phaganus and
Dernuianus were sent after (as Coadiutours) with these learned men to the
preaching of the Gospell, whiche was neuer extinguished in Britaine frō
Joseph of Aramathia his time as to S. Austen, the first byshop of Canter,
they do openly abouche.=] that we through the patience and comfort of
scriptures might haue hope, the only suretie to our fayth and conscience,
is to sticke to the scriptures. Wherevpon whyle this eternall worde of God
be our rocke and anker to sticke vnto, we will haue pacience with all the
vayne inuentions of men, who labour so highly to magnifie their tongues,
to exalt them selues aboue al that is God. We wil take comfort by the holy
scriptures against the maledictions of the aduersaries, and doubt not to
nourishe our hope continually therewith so to liue and dye in this
comfortable hope, and doubt not to pertayne to the elect number of
Christes Churche, howe farre soeuer we be excommunicated out of the
sinagogue of suche who suppose themselues to be the vniuersall lordes of
all the world, Lordes of our fayth and consciences, at pleasure.