The Nevv Testament of Iesus Christ, translated faithfully into English, out of the authentical Latin, according to the best corrected copies of the same, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages; vvith arguments of bookes and chapters, annotations, and other necessarie helpes, for the better vnderstanding of the text, and specially for the discouerie of the corruptions of diuers late translations, and for cleering the controversies in religion, of these daies: in the English College of Rhemes

ANNOTATIONS CHAP. III.

16. Certaine things hard.]* 1.1 This is a plaine text to conuince the Protestants, vvho (as al heretikes lightly doe and did from the beginning) say the Scriptures be easie to vnder∣stand, and therfore may be not onely read safely, but also expounded boldly of al the people, as vvel vnlearned as learned: and consequently euery one by him self and his pri∣uate spirit, vvithout respect of the expositions of the learned fathers, or expectation of the Churches, their Pastors and Prelates iudgment, may determine and make choise of such sense as him self liketh or thinketh agreable. For this is partly their saying, partly the necessarie sequele of their folish opinion, vvhich admitteth nothing but the bare Scriptures. And Luther said that the Scriptures vvere more plaine then al the fathers commentaries: and so al to be superfluous but the Bible. Pra••fat. assert. art. damnat.

Against al vvhich Diuelish & seditious arrogācie, tending to make the people esteeme them selues learned or sufficient vvithout their Pastors and spiritual rulers helpe, to guide them selues in al matters of doctrine & doubtes in religion:* 1.2 the holy Apostle here telleth and forevvarneth the faithful, that the Scriptures be ful of difficultie, & specially S. Paules epistles of al other partes of holy vvrite, and that ignorant men ••ad vnstable or phātastical fellovves puffed to & fro vvith euery blast of doctrine and haeresie, abuse, peruert, and misconster them to their ovvne damnation. And* 1.3 S. Augustine saith, that the special difficulty in S. Paules epistles, vvhich ignorant, and euil men do so peruert and vvhich S. Peter meaneth, is his hard speache and much commendation of that faith vvhich he saith doth iustifie. vvhich the ignorant euen from the Apostles time, and much more novv, haue and do so misconster, as though he had meant that onely faith vvithout good vvorkes could iustifie or saue a man. Against vvhich vvicked collection and abuse of S. Paules vvordes, the said father faith, al these Canonical or Catholike epistles vvere vvritten.

But the Haeretikes here to shift of the matter, and to creepe out after their fashion, ansvver,* 1.4 that S. Peter saith not, S. Paules epistles be hard, but that many things in them are hard. Vvhich may be to the Catholikes an example of their sophistical euasions from the euidence of Gods vvord. As though it vvere not al one to say, Such an author or vvriter is hard: and, There be many things in that vvriter hard to be vnderstood. For, vvhether it be that the argument and matter be high and past vulgar capacitie, as that of praedestination, reproba∣tion, vocation of the Gentiles, and iustifying faith: or vvhether his manner of stile and vvriting be obscure: al proue that his epistles be hard, and other Scriptures also: because

S. Peter here affirmeth that by reason of the difficulties in them,* 1.5 vvhether in the style, or in the depth of the matter, the ignorant and vnstable (such as Heretikes be) do peruert his vvritings, as also other Scriptures, to their ovvne damnation. Vvhereby it is plaine that it is a very dangerous thing for such as be ignorant, or for vvilde vvitted fellovves, to reade the Scriptures. For such con∣ditioned men be they that become Heretikes, and through ignorance, pride, and priuate phan∣tasie, meeting vvith hard places of S. Paules epistles or other Scriptures, breede Haeresies.

And that not onely the things treated of in the holy Scriptures, but also that the very man∣ner of vvriting and enditing thereof, is high and hard, and purposely by Gods prouidence ap∣pointed to be vvritten in such sort, see S. Augustine li. 2 de doct. Christ. c. 6. and ep. 119. S. Ambrose ep. 44 in principio. S. Hierom to Paulinus ep. 103 c. 5. 6. 7. vvho also (ep. 65. c. 1.) saith,* 1.6 that in his old age vvhen he should rather haue taught then be taught, he vvent as far as Alexandria, onely to heare Didymus, and to haue his helpe for the vnderstanding of the Scriptures, and con∣fesseth vvith great thankes to the said Didymus, that he learned of him that vvhich before he knevve not.* 1.7 Dauid saith, Giue me vnderstanding, and I vvil searche thy lavv. The Eunuch in the Actes said,* 1.8 Hovv can I vnderstand vvith out an interpreter? The Apostles, til Christ opened their sense to vnderstand the scriptures,* 1.9 could not vnderstand them. The holy Doctors by continual studie, vvatching, fasting, and praying, had much a doe to vnderstand them: that great clerke S. Au∣gustine cōfessing in the foresaid epistle 119. c. 21. that there vvere many moe things that he vnder∣stood not, then that he vnderstood. The Heretikes say the fathers did commonly erre▪ and hovv could such great vvise learned men be deceiued in reading and expounding the Scriptures, if they vvere not hard? and if they vvere hard to them, hovv are they easie to these nevv maisters the Haeretikes? finally, vvhy do they vvrite so many nevv glosses, schol••es, commentaries, as a cart cannot carrie? Vvhy do Luther, Zuinglius, Caluin, and their Companions agree no better vpon the interpretation of the Scriptures, if they be not hard? vvhereat stumbled al the old heretikes & the nevv, Arîus, Macedonius, Vigilantius, Nestorius, Eutyches, Berengarius, Vvicleffe, Protestants, Puritanes, Anabaptists, and the rest, but at the hardnes of the Scriptures? They be hard then to vnderstand▪ and Heretikes peruert them to their ovvne damnation.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The heretical proud spirit of priuate inter∣pretation of Scriptures.
• * 1.2

  The Scriptu∣res be hard, namely S. Pau∣les epistles, specially vvhe∣re he speaketh of iustificatiō by faith.
• * 1.3

  De fid. & op. c. 14
• * 1.4

  The Protestāts idle distinctiō betvvene dif∣ficultie in the Epistles and difficultie in the things.
• * 1.5

  The Greeke co∣pies, haue both, some 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in vvhich things: some 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in vvhich epistles.
• * 1.6

  Not only the matter, but the style of the Scriptures is hard.
• * 1.7

  Ps. 118.
• * 1.8

  Act. 8.
• * 1.9

  Luc. 24. v. 45.