And although this be verie grosse, yet in the. 163. page, where he goeth about to shewe the pro∣fite of reading the Scriptures in the Church, he 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉s yet more absurde. For there he sayeth that it may be, that some men be more 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉difyed by the simple reading of the Scriptures, than by Ser∣mons. In deede if a man sleepe the Sermon time, and wake the reading time, or be otherwise deafe at the one, and attentiue and heed〈1 line〉〈1 line〉e at the other. I will not denie but he may be more edisy∣ed at the simple reading, than at the Sermon, vnlesse it be in this and such like case, I knowe not howe it may be true that M. Doctor sayth. And indeede it is as much to say that it may be, that the meanes that God hath ordeyned to be the fittest and meetest, to call men to saluation, is not the fittest and meetest meanes, which a man shoulde not once so much as thinke of, without trembling and shaking euery ioynt of him.
As absurde as it is, Musculus doth affirme it in his common places. titu. de Lectio. sacrae script. And as his saying, I report it in mine answere: beléeuing it to be moste true. And therefore (if your malice had not béene wholy bent agaynst me) you should haue ascribed this absurditie to him, or at least haue deuided it betwixt vs, and so my backe should haue béene somwhat eased of the burden of absurdityas, wherewith you would so gladly ouercharge me.
God worketh by reading the Scriptures as well as he doth by preaching, and* 1.1 vseth that also as a meanes to call men to saluation. Read Augustine. lib. con. 8. cap. 12. and you shall sée that God vsed reading as a meanes to conuert him. And surely I maruell that you professing the Gospell, can without trembling and shaking speake so basely of reading the worde of God, being a thing so precious, and so singular a meanes of our saluation: but for the thing it selfe, I referre it to the iudge∣ment* 1.2 of those, that haue not drunke so déepely of the cuppe of contention as you haue, whither it may not sometymes so happen. Or whither they whiche are quietly affected may not receyue more edifying by the simple reading of the Scip∣tures which they vnderstande, than by the Sermons of diuerse contentious prea∣chers, whose hote and bitter inuectiues, (which sauour more of malice, than of loue: of contention, than of peace the frute of the Gospell) may bréede in the heartes of those that are studious of peace, and quietly minded, some suspition of the truth of their doctrine. Or lastly, whither some misdoubting the truth of the doctrine of the preachers of the Gospell, and conceyuing a preindicate opinion agaynst them (as diuerse Papistes doe) may not be more edifyed, by diligent reading of the Scrip∣tures, of whose authoritie they doe not doubt, than by hearing of the Preacher, whose wordes they doe eyther mistrust, or not regarde, by reason of theyr preiudicate opi∣nion agaynst all Preachers: and in the ende perceyuing by reading of the Scrip∣tures the truth of their doctrine, may bée thereby established, which were not by the Sermons once mooued. And for this cause Christ sayde. Iohn. 5. Searche the* 1.3 Scriptures. &c.