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Sunt qui fortiter negant in cano∣nicis libris vllam inesse obscurita∣tē, modo assit peritia sermonis, et sanū iudiciū. Quorū opinioni ha∣ctenus certe fauco, vt optarim esse verissimam: sed vna voce recla∣mant omnes ecclesiae doctores: et in his ij quo{que} qui nec linguarum peritia, nec sano iudicio caruerūt. There be whiche denye anye
hardnesse to be in scripture, so that right iudgement and lear∣ninge in the tongues be not lac∣kinge. And surelye hitherto I haue so euer fauoured this opi∣nion, that I haue wished it to be moste true, but all the doc∣tours of the church crie against it with one voyce: yea euen thei whiche neyther lacked good iudgement, nor connynge in the tongues.
Finally all thauncient holye writers affirme that nothynge is nowe commaunded in the newe testament, but the same was commaunded in tholde. Nec quicquam esse gestum quod non sit vel a Prophetis praedi∣ctum, vel typis adumbratum. And that there is nothing done now in the newe, but the same was
eyther spoken before by the prophetes, or els darkelye sha∣dowed in figures. Oh is there not then greate hardenesse in scripture? More ouer, the auncient writers doe affirme that neuer man was able to di∣scusse fullye al the mysteries of scripture, and that tholy ghost would them not fully to be per∣ceyued, as the times, the consū∣mation of the worlde &c. And the middest of the seconde chap∣ter of the .ij. Epistle of Paule to the Thessaloniās. (Tantū quite∣net teneat &c. donec de medio fi∣at. Whiche place S. Augustine plainly confesseth that he doeth not vnderstande). The begin∣ninge of S. Iohns Ghospell, Thappocalyps, the beginning of Ezechiell about the wheles,
and from the xl. chapter the di∣scriptions & dimensions of the temple. &c. Yea and beside this howe manye places be in scrip∣ture not easie to be perceiued of ye vnlearned? As that of Paule: I do fulfil that which lacked in Christes passiō. &c. Worke your saluation &c. Doe not these to the simple seeme very blasphe∣mie? With many hundred tex∣tes as harde as these.
All this nowe well conside∣red (concerninge the contentes of this first chapter) and with indifferent eares hearde, and euery thing that is here spoken weyed to the bottom, hauynge a godly zeale to Christes flock, doe you thinke it expedient, yea or tollerable for all leude and wicked without restraynte to
be iudges and arbitrers vpon scripture, as they wyll nedes be if it be in the vulgare tongue?
Eras. in eccle¦siast. lib. iii.
Phillip. i.
Phillip. ii.