The B. of Sarisburie.
Here M. Hardinge alloweth the people, to reade the Scriptures: how be it, not what they list, but with restrainte, and at deliuerie: that is to saye, not cases of question, or perteining to Knowledge, but onely maters belonginge to manners, and order of life. And so he reserueth Knowledge to him selfe, and his Brethren: and leaueth Good Life vnto the People. Touching the Bookes of S. Augustine, S. Basile, and S. Cyprian, it is vntrue, that they were written namely, and pur∣posely for the Unlearned: Or if they were, why are they not Translated? Why are they not deliuered vnto the people, for whose sakes they were written?
Moreouer, it is vntrue, that in these Bookes is conteined onely mater of life, & manners, and nothing perteining to Religion. For the first woordes in this booke of S. Augustine called, Speculum, are these: Non facies tibi Sculptile. Thou shalt make to thee selfe no grauen Image: whiche is now a Special case of Religion. And the greatest parte of S. Cyprians Booke, Ad Quirinum, conteineth a ful disputation of Christes Incarnation, Natiuitie, and Passion, and other like cases of Religion against the Iewes. Touching S. Basile, as he wrote this Booke of Moralles con∣cerning Manners: so he had written an other Booke before, concerning Faith: and bothe these Bookes for ye people. He maketh his entrie into his Moralles with these woordes, Cùm de Sana Fide in Praecedērib{us} sufficienter ad praesens dictū esse putem{us}, &c: For as much as I thinke, I haue intreated sufficiently in my former bookes cōcerning Faith &c. Therefore this Assertion was vntrue, and so no firme grounde, for M. Harding to stande vpon. Neither did any of the Olde Fathers euer withdraw ye people from the Uniuersal, and free reading of Gods Woorde, and restraine them onely to such shorte Collections. S. Basile saithe, The Scriptures are like vnto a Shoppe ful of Medicines for the Soule,* 1.1 where as euery man may freely take, not onely one kinde of salue, but also a special, and a peculiar remedie for euery soare. And Irenaeus saith, De omni ligno Paradisi manducate, id est, ab omni Scriptura Diuina manducate: Eate yee of al the fruite of Paradise: that is to say, Eate ye (not onely of maters concerning māners, but also) of euery parte of the holy Scriptures. How be it, by M. Hardings iudgement, ye peo∣ple may learne the .x. Commaundementes, but may not meddle with their Crede.