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But it is to wytte, that holy scripture hath. iiii. vnder∣stōdyngis. Literal, Moral Aligorike, & Anagogike. The Literal vnderstōdyng teachith the thynge done in dede. And litteral vnderstandynge is ground and foū∣dement of. iii. gostli vnderstondingis In so mych as Austē in hys Epistle to Uincent & other doctours seyne. Only by the lytteral vnderstondyng a mā maie argu ayens an aduersari.
Aligorike is a gostli vndirstōding that teachyth what thyng men owē to beleue of Chryste eyther of holye Churche. Morall, is a gostly vnder∣standyng that teachyth menne what vertues they owen to sue, and what vyces they owne to flee. Anagogik, is a gostly vnderstandynge that tea∣cheth men what blisse they shullenne haue in heauen. And thes. iiii. vnder∣stondingys moune be taken in thys worde Ierusalē. For why, to y• lite∣rall vnderstondynge it sygnifieth an earthly cytie, as London or such an other. To Alygorye it syngnyfyeth holy churche in earth y• fytyth ayens sennis and Fendis. To morall vn∣derstonding, it singnifyeth a Christē sowlle. To anagogike it sygnifyeth holy church reynyng in blysse, eyther in heauen, and tho that benne therin.
And these three Gostlye vnder∣stondyngis ben not autentike, either of beleue: no but tho ben growndyd
openly in the text of holy Scripture in oo place ether in other, either in o∣pen reason that may not be distryid▪
Either whan the Gospelars either other Apostles: take Allegorie of the olde Testamēt and confirmen it. As Poul in ye Epistil to Galathies the. iiii. chapiter, preuyth, that Sa∣rai the fre wyfe and principall of A∣braham, wyth Isaac hyr sonne: sig∣nifieth by Alegorie, the newe Testa∣ment, and the sonnis of byhest. And Agar the handmayde with hyr sonne Ismael: signifieth by Alegory the olde Testament, and fleshly men that shulen not be receyuyd into the heritage of God, wyth the sonnis of byheste, that holden the trewth and fredome of Christis Gospeil wyth endelesse Charitie.
Also holy Scripture hath manye figuratife speachis.
And as Austin seyeth in the thryd boke of christen teachyng: that Au∣tours
of holy Scriture vsen moe fi∣guris, that is moe figuratyfe spea∣chis, than gramariens moune gesse that readen not tho figurys in holye Scripture.
It is to be ware in the begynyng: that we take not to the Letter a fi∣guratyfe speach.
For than (as Poule seythe) the Letter sleayth: but the Spirite, that is Gostly vnderstondyng, quycken∣nythe.
For whanne a thynge whyche is seyed figuratyfely, is taken so as if it be seyed propirly: me vnderston∣dyth fleshly.
And none is clepyd more couena∣ble the Death of Soull: than whan vnderstonding that passith Beastis, is made sogette to the fleshe in suyng the Letter.
Whateuer thyng in Gods worde may not be referrid propirli to hone∣stie and vertuis, neither to the truth
of feyth: it is figuratife speach. Honesti of vertuis perteinith to the loue of God and our neyghbours. Truth of feyth perteynith to knowe God and thy neighboure. Holy scri∣pture cōmaūdith nothyng but cha∣ritie: it blamith nothyng no but co∣uetise. And in that maner it enfor∣mith the good vertus either ye good conditiōs of men. Holy scripture af∣firmith nothing: no but christē feith, by thyngis passid, present, and to cō∣myng. All these thyngis perteinen to nourish charitie and make it strong, and to ouircome & quench couetise. Also it is figuratife speache: where the wordis maken Allegorie, either a dearke lykenes either a Parable. And it is figuratife speach in ye first chapter of Ieremie. To daie I haue ordeinid the on folckis and rewmis: that thou drawe vp by the rote and dystry and bylde and plante. That is, that thou drawe out olde synnis,
and dystry circomstaūcis either cau∣sis of tho: and bylde vertuis & plant good werckis and customis.
Al thyngis in holy scripture that se∣mē to vnwise mē to be ful of wykid∣nes ayens a mā himsilfe ether ayens his neyghboure: ben figuratife spe∣chis, and the priuities eyther gostly vnderstondyngis shulden be sought oute of vs, to the fedyng eyther ke∣pyng of Charitie.
Such a rule shal he kepte in figura∣tife spechis, that so loug it be turnid •…•…n mynde by diligent consyderation: tyl the expownyng either the vnder∣stondyng be brought to the rewme of Charitie.
And if any speach of scriptur sowne propitly Charitie: it o with not to be gessid a figuratife spech. And if it for byd wickidnes either cōmaūde pro∣fite either good doyng: it is no figu∣ratife speach. If it seme to cōmaūde crueltie either wyckidnes, eyther to
for byd profyte eyther good doinge: it is a fyguratife spech. Christe seith If ye eatten not the fleshe of manis sonne, & drynken not hys bloud: you shoullen not haue lyfe in you. Thys speache semyth to cōmaūde wyckid∣nes eyther crueltye: therfore it is a fyguratyfe speache, and cōmaundith men to cōmune wyth Christis passi on, and to kepe in mynde swetly and profinablie, that Christis flech was woundid and crucifiede for vs. Also whan holy scryptur seyth. If thyne enimie hunger, fede thou hym, if he thryste: geue thou drynke to hym: it cōmaundyth benefyte eyther good doynge. Whan it seyth, thou shalte gather togyther coles on his heade: it semith that wickednes of euyl wil is cōmaundyd. Thys is seyd by fy∣guratyfe speach: yt thou vnderstoud that the coolis of fyre, ben brenyng weilyngis either mourningis of pē∣naunce: by whych the pryde of hym
is made whole, whyche soroweith that he was enimie of that man, that helpith and releuith his wrechednes
Also the same worde, either the same thynge in Scripture: is taken some tyme in good and some tyme in Euyll. As a Lion signifiyth some tyme Christe: and in an other place it signifith ye deuil. Also sowr dough is set some time in euil: wher Christ seith, beware of the sowre dough of the Phariseis, which is Hypocrisie.
Sowre dough is set also in good: whan Christe seyth, the rewme of heauens is lyke sowre dough &c.
And whan not oo thyng alone but tweyne eyther moe ben felyd eyther vnderstōden by the same wordis of scripture, though it be hyd y• he vn∣derstode that wrote: it is no peryle if it maye be preuid by other placis of holy scripture, that ech of tho things accordith wyth truth, and in hap the autour of scripture seith the ilke sen∣tence
in the same wordis, which we wolen vnderstonde. And certis the Spirite of God that wrought these thyngis by the Autour of scripture: byfore seeth wythouten doubt that the ilke sentence shulde come to the readar either to the hearar.
Yea the Holygoste purueied that that ilke sentēce (for it is groūdid on truth) shuld come to the redadar, ei∣ther hearar. For what myghte be purueyed of God largelyer and plē∣tuouselyer in Gods spechis: thā that the same wordis be vnderstōden in many maners: which maners other wordis of God that ben not of lesse autoritie, make to be preuid?
Austine in the. iii. boke of christen teachyng, seyth all thys and myche more in the bygynyng therof.
Also he, whose herte is full of chari∣tie: comprehendith wythouten any erroure, the manifold aboundaūce, & largist teching of Gods scripture.
For why, Paul seith. The fulnes of law is chariti. And in an other place The ende of law (that is perfection eyther, fyllynge of the lawe) is cha∣ritie of clene herte and of good cōsci∣ence and of feyth not feynyde. And Iesu Chryst seyth. Thou shalte loue thy lorde God of al thyne herte, and of al thy soule and of al thy mynde: and thy neighbour as thy selfe. For in thes two cōmaūdemētis, hangith all the lawe and the prophetis. And as the rote of all euillis is couetyse: so the rote of al goodnes is charitie.
Charitie by which we louen God and the neghbour: holdyth sykerlye al the greatnes & largenes of Gods speachis. Therfore, if it is not leisure to seke al holi scripturs, to expowne al the wlappings of words, to perse all the priuities of scrypturis: holde thou charite wher al thyngis hang, so thou shalte holde that, that thou lernidest there. Also thou shalt holde
that, that thou lernydiste not. For if thou knowe charitie: thou knoweste somthynge wheron also that hang∣yth, that in hap thou knowiste not.
And in that that thou vnderstōdist in scriptur: charitie is open, and in that that thou vnderstondysie not, chari∣tie is hyd. Therfor, he yt holdith cha∣ritie in vertuys either in good con∣dicions: holdyth boeth that, that is open and that, that is hid in Goddis wordis. Austyne seyth al thys and mich more in a sermō of the preising of charitie. Also. vii. rue•…•…is of Tyco, nie and of Austine: declar•…•…n manye thyngis of holie scripturis.
The firstrule is of Iesu Christe and of his holi spirite. Do persone of the head & of the bodie, that is of Christ and of holy chyrche: is shewid to vs in this rule. For it is not seid in vain to feythful men, ye bene the seede of Abraham: whan there is •…•…o seede of Abraham, whych seede is Chryste.
Dout we not, whē scriptur goth fro the hed to ye bodi, ether fro ye bodi to the hed, & netheles it goth not awey fro one & the same persōe. For w•…•…ye oo persōe spekith in Esai. He settid a mi•…•…er to me as to a spouse: & he hono rid me as a spouses, wt an ornamēt. And nethles it is to vnderstōd, what of these. ii. accordith to the hed, yt is Christ: & what accordith to the bodi, yt is holi chirch. For wh•…•…a myter ac∣cordith to Christ which is ye spouse: & an ornamēt acordith to holi chirch, which is the spouses of Chryst.
The. ii, rule, as Ticonie seith, is of the bodi of Christ: which bodi is de∣partyd into tweyne.
But certis th•…•…s bodie of Christe ought not to be clepid so. For trulye it is not the bo•…•…i of Christe: wh•…•…che shal not be wt him wtoutē end. But it shal be seid of the veri body & of the medlid bodi of Christ, ether of ye ve∣ri bodi & of the feinid bodi of Christ.
For why, hypocritis shoullen be seid to be not wyth Chryste, not onelye withoutē end: but also now, though they semen to bee in the Churche of Chryst. Wherefore, this rule might be clepyd thus: that it were seyde of the medlid chyrch that is that cōpre∣hendyth chosen mē to blisse, and also Hipocritis that shoulen be damnid. And this rule axeth a waking ether dylygente reader. Whan it speakyth of other men, it semith to speak nowe as to the same men whych it speake before. Either it semyth to speake of the same men: whane it speakyth of other men, as if oo body be of euer∣either, for temporall medlynge, and communynge of Sacramentys.
To thys rule it perteyneth that the chirch seyth in songis of Songys: I am blacke and fayre, as the taber∣nacles of Cedar, as the skynnys of Solomon. The Churche seyde that she is euereither for temporal vnitie
wythin oo nette of good fyshys, and of euyll fyshes. For whye, the taber∣nacles of Cedar, perteinē to Isma∣ell, that shall not be Heyre wyth the sonne of the free wyfe, The thyrde rule is of byheestis and lawe.
Thys rule maye be sayd also of the spirite and letter: and maye be sayde also of grace, and of commaunde∣mente. And Ticonie errid in seying, that wercks ben yeuen to vs of God for merite of feyth: but feyth it selfe is so of vs, that it is not of God to vs. The fourth ruele is of all and of partye. Whan some of a thing is set for all, eyther ayenwarde, all is sette for a partie. The. v. rule is of tymes. And thys is by a fygure clepyd Si∣nodoches, whan the parte is set for all, eyther al is set for a parte. One Euangelyste seyth that it was done after. viii. dayes: whannethe face of Christe shynyde as the sunne. And an other gospeller seith, that it was
done aftir. vi. dais. Euerether might not be forth y• is seyde of ye numbre of dai•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 but n•…•… y• seid aftir. viii. dais, be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…en to haue set for the whole daie, the last parte of the daye syth Christ biforesei•…•… it to come, and to haue set for ye whole daye the first part of the daie, in ye which he shew∣ith that the apearing of Christs face was fully done. And yt he that seyde, aftir vi. dais, reckenyd all the whole daies & the midle days & none other, By thys kynde of spech by whyche kynd al is singnified bi a part: the ilk question of Christis rysynge ayene is assoyled. The last parte of the day wyth ye nyght passed before, and the fyrste parte of the sundaye in whose morowe tyde he rose ayene: is taken for al sundaye and the nyght before goynge. And the Sabot wyth the whole nyght byfore goynge is al an whole daie and night. If these daies and nyghtys were not taken thus:
there moute not be. iii. dayes and thre nyghtis, in which he byforseyde that he shoulde be in the herte of the earth. Also this rule of tymes is ta∣ken for lawful numbres as ben. vii. x. xii. and such mo.
For ofte suche noumbris ben set for all tyme, as thys that Dauid seyth. Seuensytis in the daye, I seyd prei∣synge eyther he riyng to the, is none other thyng than thus Hys heriyng be euer in my mouth. Also by an. C. &. xliii. in Apocal: is signified the vni∣uersitie ether al the multitud of sein∣tis. The vi. rule is of recapitulatiō, either rehersing a thing done bifore: not in order as it is set, for whi some things bē seid so, as if tho •…•…uen in the order of time, ether bē teld bi cōtinu∣ing things, that bē ioynid next togi∣dir, whan the teling is clepid priuily to the former things that werē lefte oute. And if men vnderstonden not such seiyng is by this rule: thei erren.
As in genesis, it is seyde. God plan∣tid paradise in Eden at the east, and settyd there the man that he formyd. And Godde brought forth yet of the earth ech fayre tree &c. This is seyd by recapitulation. In lyke manner, ther the londe was of oo lyppe, that is speache: it is seid •…•…i recapitulacion
The vii, rule is of the deuyle and of hys bodye. For he is head of al wic∣kyde men, that •…•…ene hys boddye in a maner, and shulen go wyth him into torment & euerlasting fire: as Christ is the heade of holy chyrche which is hys bodie, and shall be wyth hym in rewme and glorie euerlastinge. Also they that han lykynge to studie in holye wrytte: shulen be chargyde that they kunne the kyndys and ma∣ners of speakyngs in holy scripturis and that they perceyuen dylygentlye and holdenne well in mynde, howe a thyng is wont to be seid in holi scrip ture. Also, that is souerayne helpe
and moste nedefull: preye theye that God yeue to hem the verye vnder∣stondynge of holye Scrypture
For they readen in tho scripturis, about which they bē studiouse: that God yeuith wisedome and cunning & vnderstōding of his face, that is yift and grace. Also if here study be done wyth mekenes & loue of christē lore, it is of God.
Austine wrytith al thys in. iii. boke of christen teachyng aboute the mid∣dle and in the ende.
I sidre in the fyrste boke of soue∣rayne good: teach these rules short∣lyer, but I haue hym not nowe.
And Lire in the bygynynge of the Bible: touchyth more openly these rulis, but I haue him not nowe. And Armacā in the beginyng of his boke Dequestionibus Armenotū. yeuith many good growndis to vnderstōd holy scripture to the letter and gost∣ly vnderstondynge also: but I haue
him not now. Also nothing maiseme to be wyser, nothynge of more Elo∣quēce: thā is holy scripture, & the au∣tors therof yt werē enspirid of God. And they oughtē not to speake in o∣ther maner thā thei dydē. And y• Pro phetis (& most Amos) werē full elo∣quēt. And Paul was full eloquēt in his Epistlis. Also the authours of holy Scripture spaken full dearkly, that the preuities therof ben hyd to vnfeythfull men, and good men ben exercisid either occupied, and that in expownynge holy Scripture, they haue a nwe grace diuers fro the first autours, Austine in the beginning of the. iiii. boke of christen teachynge. Also as the little rychesse of Iewis whiche they baren awey fro Egypt weren in comparisō of richesse which they hadden afterwarde in Ierusa∣lem in ye tyme of Solomon, so great is the profytable kunnynge of phy∣losophers bokis, if it be compariso∣ned
to the kynnynge of holye scrip∣turis. For why, what thynge euer a man •…•…earneth withouten holy wryt, if the thing be veyne, it is damnyd in holi writ, if it be profitavle, it is foū did ther. And whā a mā findith ther al things which he lernid profitably in or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 place, he shal find mich more plēt•…•…ly tho thingis in holy scrip∣ture, which he lernyd neuer in other place, but be lerned onli in ye wōder∣ful highnes & in ye wōderful meknes of holy scriptur. Austine seith this in ye end of ye. ii. boke of christē teching. Also holy scripture cōteinith al profy table trueth & al other sciēcis preuily in ye vertue of wyttis either vndur∣stādingis, as wynes ben conteyned in grapis, as ripe corne is conteined in the seede, as bowis ben conteyned in the rotis, & as trees bene contey∣ned in ye kiruels. Grosted in a sermō. Premouitus a venerabili patre. Also ho ly scriptur wlatith sophimis & seith.
He that speakyth sophistically ey∣ther by Sophisinis: shal be hatfull, & he shal be defraudid in eche thyng, as the wise man seyth in the. xxxvii. Chapiter of Ecclesiasticus.
If Philosophers, and moste the distiples of Plato, seydē any truth is and profitable to our feyth: not on∣ly tho truthis owen not to be drede: but also tho shulen be calengyd into oure vse either profyte fro hem, as fro vniuste possessouris.
And as Iewis token by autoritie of God, the golde and clothis of E∣gyptians: so Christiās owē to take the trwe seyingis of Hhilosophers, for to worship oo God, and of tech∣yng of vertuis. Whych truth is the Philosophers foundē not, but dyg∣giden oute of the metalis of Gods purueyaunce, whych is shed euerie where. So dyd Ciprian the swetest Doctoure and most blessed martyr. So did Lactātius, Uictorinus, and,
Illarie, and Grekis wythoutē noū∣ber. Austyne in the. ii. boke of chri∣sten teachyng.
By these rulis of Anstine & by. iiii. vnder stōdyng is of holy scripture, & by wise knowyng of figuratife spea∣chis, wyth good lyuyng and meke∣nes and studiyng of the Bible: sim∣ple men moune somedeal vnderstōd the text of holy write, & edifie myche hemsylfe and other men.
But for gods loue ye simple men beth ware of pryde, and veyne iang∣lynge and chydyng in wordis ayens proude clerkis of scholis and veyne religiouse, & answere ye mekely and prudently, to enimies of Gods lawe and prey ye hertli for hem, that God for hys great mercie yeue to hem ve∣rie knowing of scripturis and meke∣nes and charitie. And euer be ye re∣dy what man teachith any trueth of God: to take that mekely, and wyth greate thākis to God. And if any mā
in earth either angel of heauē techith you ye cōtrarie of holy write, either a ny thyng ayens reasō & charitye, fle fro him in yt, as fro ye foule fēd of hel & hold ye stedfastly to life & death, ye trueth & fredō of ye holy gospel of Ie su Christ▪ and take ye mekely menis seyingis & lawis, only in as miche as they accorden wt holy wryte & good cōsciences, & no ferther, for lyfe ney∣ther for death.