A discourse wherin is debated whether it be expedient that the scripture should be in English for al men to reade that wyll. Fyrst reade this booke with an indifferent eye, and then approue or condempne, as God shall moue your heart.

Herken now the testimonies of of auncient writers concer∣ninge this matter.

GReg. Nazian. sayeth: Non cuiusuis christiani est de dei mysterijs disserere,* 1.1 non adeo res hec est vilis, &c. It is not for e∣rye Christian to dispute of the misteries of god, the matter is not so vile. &c. Agayne he sayth:* 1.2 Non oim librorum sacrae scripturae tractatio omnibus aetatibus per∣mittitur apud hebraeos, the Iewes did not admitte all men to the readinge of Scripture cōside∣ringe the great difficultye and highe mysteryes therin.

The testimony of S. Ambrose.

Scriptura diuina magnum mare est habens in se abissū sensuū pro∣fundorum. &c,* 1.3 The holi Scrip∣ture (sayeth he) is a great Sea hauing depnes without botom

of many profound senses.

Two testimonies of Chrisost.

Nihil est in scriptura quod non multas sensuū habet diuitias:* 1.4 ne{que} enim vel syllaba vel apiculus est in sacris litteris in cuius profūdo non sit nobis quispiam magnus thesau¦rus. There is nothing in Scrip∣ture (sayeth he) but it cōteyneth great spirituall tresure through the manifolde senses: there is neither syllable nor letter wher¦in some great riches is not hid. O what difficultie is then in it? Can it then be turmoyled of al, as it must nedes be, being stil in thenglishe translation?

More ouer he sayth. In Sacris literis nihil est quod non ingentē thesaurum contineat modo scruta∣torem habeat.* 1.5 At nō cuiuis contin∣git

adire Corynthum. There is nothinge in scripture, but it cō∣teineth greate treasure, so that there be a diligēt searcher. How¦beit, it is not for euery one to searche furthe the secretes or difficulties.

Diuers testimonies of S. Hiero.

Scriptura tātis obscuritatib{us} et fu¦turorū typis obuolutaē,* 1.6 vt ols in∣terpretatione egeat. Est porta oriē∣talis de qua verum lumē exoritur, quae clausa est communi populo et soli illi patet, qui habet clauem Da∣uid. et ce. Scripture is wrap∣ped (saieth he) in so great dark∣nes, and figures of thinges to come, that it hath all nede of in∣terpretation. It is the east gate (that Ezechiell speaketh of) whereout the true light dothe spring, which is euer shut to the

comen people, and is onely open to him that hathe the keye of Dauid. &c.

An other testimonie of S. Hiero.

* 1.7Iacobus, Ioannes, Petrus, & Iudas. vii. Epistolas scripserunt succinctas & breues in uerbis, sed longas in sē¦tentijs, ut rarus sit qui in earum lec∣tione non caecutiat, Apoca. Ioannis tot habet sacramenta quot uerba▪ Iames, Iohan, Peter, & Iude (saieth he) wrote .vii. Epistels, quicke & breffe in wordes, but long in sense, that fewe there be whiche doe not erre in readinge of them Thapocalyps of saint Iohn, is as full of mysteries as of wordes.

An other testimonie of S. Hiero.

Fateor me nun{que} in diuinis uo∣luminibus proprijs uiribus credi∣disse et ce.* 1.8 I confesse (saieth he) that I durst neuer credit myne owne wytte, in triyng the sense of scripture, but euer searched of other &c. But what place of scripture durst not our men in these daies take in hande? And all throughe thenglishe transla∣tions, awaye with thē therfore.

Yet an other testimonie of S. Hierom.

Totum quod legimus in scrip∣tura ••••et quidem & fulget in cor¦rice, sed dulcius in medulla est:* 1.9 qui edere vu••t nucleum frangat nucē. Reuela (inquit Dauid) oculos me∣os, et considerabo mirabilia de lege tua. Al that we rede in scripture (saieth he) dothe florish & shine

in the letter: but it is much swe∣ter in the spirituall sense. He thē that will eate the curnel let him breake the shelle. And Dauid saied. Open thou mine eyes (O lorde) geue thou me knowledge & I shall vnderstande the won∣derfull mysteries of thy lawe. Marke then hereby the hard∣nes of it.

The testimonie of Cyrill.

* 1.10Ex hostiis quae offeruntur et con∣ceduntur sacerdotibus, pars igni traditur et sic deo offertur, vt scia∣mus {quod} nobis aliqua ex scriptura apprehendere et cognoscere con∣ceditur: aliqua tamē sūt quae deo re¦seruantur. & ce. Of the sacrifices of tholde lawe (sayeth he) parte was geuen to the priestes, but

part was committed to the fire and so reserued to God. Wher∣by we maye vnderstande, that parte of scripture is geuen to vs to apprehende and vnder∣stande, & part is reserued onely to the knowledge of God, as appeareth more playnlye in the laste sentence, but one, of this chapter.

The testimonie of Damascene.

Quaedam in sacris literis quae de deo traduntur sunt effabilia,* 1.11 quae∣dam ineffabilia: quaedam cognosci∣bilia et quaedam incognoscibilia. Some thinges in scripture (sai∣eth he) concernynge God maye be spoken as that God did cre∣ate the worlde: some maye not be spoken, as thunitie of sub∣staunce with trinitie of per∣sons,

and the eternall genera∣tion of the sonne, whiche none can expresse sayeth Esay: some maye be knowen as that God is eternall, God is incorporeal, but some can not be knowen, as of the iudgementes of God. O what great depenesse with∣out botome?

The testimonie of Erasmus.

* 1.12Sunt 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 y^e vnlearned? As that of Paule:* 1.13 I do fulfil that which lacked in Christes passiō. &c. Worke your saluation &c.* 1.14 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?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Greg. Naz. li. primo theol. suae.
• * 1.2

  Greg. Naz. in appollogia et Hier. in proaemio in Ezech.
• * 1.3

  Ambr. lib. vii Epist. xliiii.
• * 1.4

  Chrisost. hom xxi. in Gen.
• * 1.5

  Hom xxi. et xxiiii. in Gen.
• * 1.6

  Hier. ad Al∣gas. tom. iii.
• * 1.7

  Hie. de cano∣nicis episto∣lis.
• * 1.8

  Hie. in prolo∣go in Parali.
• * 1.9

  Hier. ad pau¦linum.
• * 1.10

  Cyrill lib. v. in leuit.
• * 1.11

  Damas. lib. i. Capi. ii.
• * 1.12

  Eras. in eccle¦siast. lib. iii.
• * 1.13

  Phillip. i.
• * 1.14

  Phillip. ii.