Rhemes against Rome: or, The remoouing of the gagg of the new Gospell, and rightly placing it in the mouthes of the Romists, by the Rhemists in their English translation of the Scriptures. Which counter-gagg is heere fitted by the industrious hand of Richard Bernard ...

Obiected Scriptures answered.

Deut. 10. 5. The two Tables were written by God, and put by Moses into the Arke.

Answ. What then? Therefore the Scriptures are not to bee common and freely read of all? If the putting of the Tables in∣to the Arke might force such a conclusion, the Scriptures might not onely bee kept from the people, but from the Clergie too: for those put into the Arke, were neither for Priest nor people to reade. But I answere more particularly:

1. That these were not all the Scriptures of God, although all that God himself did immediately write with his owne fin∣ger.

2. These commandements in the Tables were also written out by Moses in Exod. 20. and in Deut. 5. which Bookes after were also copied out, and so were in the hands of the Priests, Princes and people.

3. The putting them into the Arke, was not that thence man should learne not to meddle with holy Scriptures, which none euer dreamed of, but these Romists. For God commanded to teach them to his people, Deut. 6. 1. and they were to instruct their children therein, Deut. 6. 7. but they were put into the Arke for other ends:

1. To keepe them safe there, as a testimony against Israel.

2. To learne to keepe them in their heart, as they were kept in the Arke.

3 Because the Arke was a type of Christ, in whom this Law of commandements was written, and in whom the Lords peo∣ple should be accounted obseruers of the same.

Deut. 31. 9, 26. There was but one copie of the Law, and it was committed to the Priests of the Leuites to keepe, and was hid for a long time, till it was found in Iosias dayes, 2. King. 22. 8.

Therefore the Scriptures were not common to all.

Answ. Its true, that there was but one originall that was kept: but other copies were commanded to bee written out, Deut. 17. 18. and the same to be read diligently, vers. 19. Ioshua

had a copie of it, Iosh. 8. 34. Esdras had so, Neh. 8. 2. In Iehosa∣phats* 1.1 time a copie was carried vp and downe, 2. Chron. 17. 9. Daniel had bookes, Dan. 9. 2. Christ telleth vs in the Parable, Luk. 15. 29. that they had Moses and the Prophets. The Law and Prophets were read in their Synagogues from old time, Act. 13. 15. and 15. 21. How also could the Bereans search the Scriptures, if they had not had them? Act. 17. 11. And S. Paul saith, that to the Iewes were committed the Oracles of God, Rom. 3. 2. The booke of the Law was written, to be read and heard of the people, Deut. 31. 11, 12. So were also the Prophets writings, Ier. 36. 6, 10, 14, 15. and free for any to reade them, that could get copies of them, as wee may see in the Eunuch, Act. 8. 28. By all which it is cleare, that the Scriptures were common for all.

Nehem. 8. Here they would gather, that the Scriptures were read in Hebrew, and yet the people vnderstood not the lan∣guage: so by certaine words in the Euangelists, not Hebrew, which were then spoken of the people, as Golgotha, Mat. 27. 33. Talitha cumi, Mark 5. 41. Acheldama, in Act. 1. 19.

Answ. That the Scriptures of the old Testament were in the Hebrew tongue, is true: but that the people vnderstood not that tongue, is as false as the other true: for its said, as their own Bible hath it, Neh. 8. 3. that Esdras read plainely in the presence of the men and women, and of those that vnderstood, and the eares of all the people were attent to the Booke, vers. 8. and they vnderstood when it was read. And though they were 70. yeeres in Captiuitie, yet had they not lost the knowledge of the He∣brew tongue: for many thousands, and not a few, of note and place, which went into captiuitie, liued to returne againe, Esdras 2. 1, 2, 3, 42, 65. and 3. 12. And shall we thinke, that these had lost their natiue tongue? After their returne, they had some strange words mixed with the Hebrew; but yet they generally spake the Iewes language, Neh. 13. 24. and the Prophets Hag∣gai, Zacharie, and Malachi, wrote in the Hebrew: and the people hundreds of yeres after vnderstood the Hebrew tongue when it was spoken, Act. 21. 40. and 22. 2. and could reade it written, Ioh. 19. 20. yea, it was so common, that Christ spake He∣brew,

and in no other Language to Paul from Heauen, Act. 26. 14. And as for the words of Christ on the Crosse, Matth. 27. 46. which some hearing, said, He calleth for Eliah: if they were spo∣ken of the Iewes, they did it in mockage. If of the Romane souldiers, they being strangers, and not vnderstanding him, it maketh nothing to the purpose, or point in question.

Ioh. 7. 49. The people which knoweth not the Law, are cursed. Hence they would gather, that the Iewes vnderstood not the Hebrew language, in which the Law was written.

Answ. 1. The Pharises arrogated knowledge to them∣selues, and contemned the people for want of knowledge, to wit, of the sense and meaning of the Law, but not of the letters, words and language, wherein it was written.

2. Neither is it true, that the people knew not the Law, be∣cause these enemies of Christ said so; no more then that they were cursed, because they so said of them, in hatred against them for following Christ.

Notes

• * 1.1

  See the Do∣waies on Neh. 8. 2. for Copies.