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Besides the words, the Miracles, the Histories, they are knowne and evident to all and lastly he concludes, that the difficultie and obscuritie of the Scriptures, (which the Romanists pretend at this day,) Is but a vaile and pretext to cloake idlenesse *. This doctrine was so frequent and generall among the Ancients in the Primitive Church, that Azorius the Jesuite is inforced to confesse, We willingly grant, that in those dayes the lay people were conversant in the reading of the Scripturest. And if we looke upon the lay-persons of their times, Acosta his fellow Jesuite ingenuously professeth, that Our gracious God hath so provided in holy Writ, that there is none so rude and ignorant, but by reading the Scriptures in humility, may understand many things both profitable and true; as likewise there is none so learned, but hee may still bee ignorant of more then he knowes ‡: nay more (saith he) I have seene some men utterly unlearned, und scarce knowing Latin, have gathered out of the Scriptures such profound knowledge, that I have wondered at them. But the spirituall man judgeth all things§. Here is a free confession,

* Prætextus est et causatio pigritiæque velamentum. Chrysos. + Nos libenter fatemur tunc temporis Laicos in Scripturarum lectione fuisse versatos. Azor. tom. 1. Moral. l. 8. c. 26.

Ita providit dulcis pater neminem esse tam rudem et imperitum, quin si humilitèr legat multa illic utilia veraque intelligat, neminem tam doctum quin illic multo plura ignoret quam sciat. Acos. 1. 2. de Christo Revel. c. 2.

§ Vidi viros prorsus illiteratos, &c. Idem, cap. 5.

and

and a faire evidence from two learned Jesuites: the one testifieth that the scriptures were usually read by the lay-people in the Primitive Church; the other witnesseth of his owne knowledge, that an ignorant man hath received great benefit, and likewise that great profite may redound to the people by reading them in these daies.

But put the case a layman should not understand those things which are contained in the Scriptures notwithstanding (er ipsa Lectione) out of the very reading of them, there will arise great holinesse and sanctitie of life. Admit many things are hard to bee understood in the Scriptures, (which never any Protestant denyed) yet saith Hierome, there is the Booke of Genesis, most plaine for every iman's understanding *; therein you may see the creation of the World, the beginning of Mankind, the confusion of Languages plainely described: and as touching the Booke of Job, there you may learne a patterne for Patience, and there you may see the Resurrection plainly deciphered: nay more, "The obscuritie of the Scripture is very profitable (saith Gregory) for it doth exercise the senses, whereby one may understand that which otherwise hee would be ignorant of: for if the sacred Scriptures were easie and familiar in all places, they would be neglected: which obscure places, by study and industry being knowne, and understood, do comfortand revive the Reader, by how much

*Hiero. in Epist. ad Paulinum.

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the more they are with industry and difficultie sought and understood*."

But that which is observable, these men, who so much complaine of the obscuritie of the Scriptures, doe both wittingly and willingly indeavour in their Translations, to make them abstruse, and hard to be understood, by their strange and uncouth phrases: looke upon their old Testament in their Doway Translation, instead of Foreskin, they have put Præpuce; for Passeover, Phase; for unleavened bread, Azyms; for high places, excelces; for the Holy of Holiest, Sancta Sactorumt. Again, look upon their Remish Testament, and there you shall observe these strange wordes, Depositum, Exininated, Parasceve, Didragmes, Neophyte‡, and the like; which shewes, that albeit the Scripture of itselfe were never so plaine and perspicuous to every man's understanding, yet there need an expositor for these inkehorne terms whereas in trueth, although those words were most agreeable to the Hebrew, Greeke, or Latine, yet ought they rather to give the most significant and plaine termes (the true sense of Scripture alwayes premised) that stands best for the capacitie and understanding of the Reader,

It is not then the pretended obscurity of the Scriptures, which gives a just cause of restraint to

*

Magnæ utilitatis est ipsa obscuritas eloquiorum Dei quia exercet sensum ut fatigatione dilatetur, &c. Greg. lib. 1. Hom. 6. in Ezek.

+ Gene. xvii. Exod. xii. 2 Kings xv. 1 Chron. vi,

Rhem. Test, in M. Fulks Preface to the Reader,

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the lay-people, for not reading of them: (for this is but a colour and a vain pretext of them, saith Chrysostom) the trueth is, they feare, lest by reading of them, their Trent doctrine, and new Articles of Faith should be discovered: for it would trouble the best learned Priest, to shew his disciples, in what place of Scripture they are commanded to worship Images, to call upon dead Saints, to pray in an unknowne tongue, to forbid the Scriptures to the Laity, to deny Marriage to Priests, to adore the Reliques of Saints; by what Scripture his Holinesse hath power to depose Kings, to free soules out of Purgatory, to gather into the Treasuste of the Church, the superabundant satisfaction. of Saints? It is a crime worthy of the Inquisition with them to have a Bible; but for the ignorant lay-man to make such enquirie after Scriptures, for that doctrine which was not conceived in the Scripture, is a sinne worthy of death.

Looke upon the Tenets of their owne Church, and take but their owne confessions: The Church of Rome doth represent God the Father, by the image of an olde man: yet Vasques the Jesuit confesseth: The Scripture saith pldinely God did forbid the Jewes to represent Him by an Image*. The Church of Rome doth ordinarily make vowes to Saints yet Cardinall Bellarmine professeth: When the Scriptures were written, it was not the use to vow to Saints. The Church of Rome hath defined,

* Vasq. lib. 2. de Adorat. c. 8. disp. 4. ñ. 74.

+ Cum scriberentur Scripturæ sanctæ nondum cæperat usus vovendi sanctis. Bell. lib. de cultu Sanct. cap. 5.

and declared Indulgences for an article of faith; yet their Sylvester Prierias tells us, They are not made known to us by the authoritie of Scriptures. The Church of Rome teacheth, that the wordes of Christ, This is my body, doe effect Transubstantiation; yet Cardinal Cajetan confesseth; Non apparet ex Evangelio: "It doth not appeare that those words are properly to be understood by force of Scripturest." But which is more to bee lamented, these men are so farre from building their Church upon the Scriptures, that, as it were in despight of Christ's precept, they decree their halfe Communion for an article of Faith, with a Non obstante. "Notwithstanding, Christ did institute in both kinds‡." And their Councell of Trent acknowledgeth that the Apostle called concupiscence sinne§: but withall commands the contrary beliefe, with a curse to them that teach the Apostles' doctrine; in so much as their owne Possevinus confesseth in sober sadness: The Apostle calls concupiscence sinne, but (saith he) it is not lawfull for us so to doel. This is so truly knowne and understood of those who have

* Indulgentiæ authoritate Scripturæ non innotuêre nobis, sed, &c. Prier. cont. Luther. pro Indulg.

+ In 3 part. Tho. super quæ. 75. art. 1. ut Joseph Ang. Flores Theol. quæ in 4 sent. q. 4.

Conc. Const. Sess. 13.

Hanc concupiscentiam quam aliquando Apostolus peccatum appellat, sancta Synodus declarat, &c. Conc. Trid. Sess. 5. || Apostolus concupiscentiam peccatum vocat, at non licet nobis ita loqui. Poss. Appar. Sac. Ver. Patr. antiqui,

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