know is the wisdome and goodnesse of God, that hee hath oftentimes hidde these things from the wise and learned, which he hath revealed unto babes and sucklings; and, as for those things which it hideth in miseries (saith Austen) it lifteth them up, not with stately speech, whereby an unlearned minde should not presume to approach as a poore man to a rich, but with a lowly speech inviteth all men, that it might not only feed them with manifest, but also exercise with obscure trueth, having that in manifest, that it hath in obscure places*: and as concerning obscure places, the same holy Father tells us, that if they cannot see the things which are obscure and dark in the Scriptures; the fault is in themselves, not in the precepts, as if I should poynt with my finger at a starre, which they would gladly see, and their eye-sight were so weake, that although they did see my finger, yet they could not see the starre, at which I poynt: let them cease to blame me, and let them pray to God, that he will give them eye-sight. And in his foure Books of Christian * Ea verò quæ in mysteriis occultat, nec ipsa eloquio superbo erigit quo non audeat accedere mens tardiuscula et in erudita, quasi pauper ad divitem, sed invitat omnes humili sermone, quos non solum manifestâ pascat sed etiam secretâ exerceat veritate hoc in promptis quod in reconditis habens. Aug. Ep. 3. + Ille verò qui ea quæ in divinis libris obsura sunt intueri nequiverint, arbitrentur se digitum quidem meum intueri posse sydera verò quibus demonstrandis intenditur videre non posse et illi ergo et iste me reprehendere desinant et lumen oculorum divinitus sibi præferi depreceantur. Aug. de doct. Chris. 1. 1. Prolog. Doctrine, Doctrine, where he purposely treateth of expounding the Scriptures, he plainely proveth, that the meaning of the Word, is learned out of the Word, and the obscure places are expounded by the manifest and heerein hee toucheth the freehold of the Romane Church: for (saith hee) In this great plentie of Scriptures, wee are fed with plaine things, and exercised with obscure, those drive away hunger, these contempt, the Holy Ghost having tempered them so of purpose: and then he concludeth with the Tenet of our church, There is scarce any thing drawn out of these obscure places, which hath not been spoken (quod non planissimè) most plainely some other where*. Neither was this the opinion of this learned Father only, but it was the confession of St. Ambrose, There is much obscurity in the Scriptures,› but withall if thou knocke at the door with the hand of thy understanding, thou shalt gather by little and little the reason of that which is there spoken, and the doore shall bee opened unto thee, (non ab alio, sed à verbo Dei) and that by no other but by the Word of God itselfet. And with these Doctors of the Latin Church, * Magnificè et salubritèr spiritus sanctus ita Scripturas sanctas modificavit ut locis apertioribus fami occurreret, obscurioribus autem fastidia detergeret, Nihil enim fere de illis obscuritatibus eruitur, quod non planissimè dictum alibi reperitur, Aug. de doct. Chris. lib. 2. c. 6. + Multa obscuritas in Scripturis propheticis, sed si manu quadam mentis tuæ scripturarum januam pulses et ea quæ sunt occulta diligentèr examines, paulatim incipies rationem colligere dictorum et operietur tibi, non ab alio, sed à verbo Dei, Amb. in Psal. 118. Serm. 8. agreeth agreeth the Greeke Fathers. Behold (saith Basil) and heare the Scripture expounding itselfe. Yea (saith he) what things bee or seeme to bee covertly spoken in some places of holy Scripture, the same are expounded by other plaine places elsewhere †. And (saith Chrysostome) Let us follow the scope of the holy Scripture in interpreting of itselfe: when it teacheth some hard thing, it expoundeth itselfe, and suffereth not the hearer to erre, Let us not feare therefore (saith he) to put ourselves with full saile into the sea of Scripures, because we shall be sure to finde the Word of God for our Pilot. And lastly, as it were forestalling that Popish opinion, (that the Scriptures are obscure, and therefore not to be read by the vulgar people) hee elegantly incites a Gentile to the reading of the Scripture, by a familiar and common reason: When thou buyest a garment, though thou have no skill in weaving, yet thou sayest not, I cannot buy it, they will deceive mee: but thou dost use all meanes to learne how to know it: doe therefore those things which are to bee done, seeke all those things of God, and hee altogether will reveale it unto thee§. So that if any doubt *Basil. Hexam. Hom. 4. + Quæ ambigua sunt et tectè dicta esse in quibusdam divinæ scripturæ locis, videntur, ab aliis locis manifestis declarantur. Idem. quæst. comp, Expl. quæst. 267, Ad ipsum divinæ Script. scopum incedamus quæ seipsam interpretatur, quamvis sacra Scriptura cum nos tale quiddam docere vult, seipsam exponit et auditorem errare non siuit. Chrys. Hom. 13. in Gen. Chrys. in 1. Thes. Hom. 7. § Siquidem empturus vestem, quamvis artis textoriæ impe doubt or difference happened in the primitive church amongst the true beleeving Christians, they referred the determination of it to the Inquest of Christ and his 12 Apostles, and they onely were made the sole Judges of the question. And that wee might know this Protestant doctrine continued for many ages in the Church, Pope Clement the First, almost sixe hundred yeeres since, professed it for the Catholike doctrine of his time, that a man must take the sense of truth from the Scripture itselfe, seeing that erery man may have the full and firme rule of faith and truth in the Scriptures*. If we descend from the Pope to the great Councell of Basil, it was the general vote of many Bishops and Cardinalls, and confirmed likewise by the Pope himselfe. The Divine Law (or holy Scripture) the practise of Christ, of his Apostles, and the Primitive Church, together with Councells and Doctors, grounding themselves truly upon the Scriptures, shall bee admitted, for the most true and indifferent Judge in the Councell of Basilt. The resolution of the ancient Father Optatus, in the question ritus sis, hæc verba non dicis, Nescio emere illudunt mihi, sed facis omnia ut discas-fac illa quæ facienda ex rectâ ratione quære à Deo et ille tibi omnino revelabit, Idem. Homil. 33. in Act. * Integra et firma regula veritatis ex Scripturis. Dist. 37. cap. 14. + Lex divina, praxis Christi, Apostolica, et Ecclesia primitivæ unâ cum Conciliis Doctoribusque fundantibus se veracitèr in eadem, pro verissimo et indifferente Judice in hoc Basiliensi Consilia admittatur. Conc. Basil. Sess. 4. betwixt betwixt the Catholiques and the heretiques, whether one should bee twise baptized, may serve for a proofe, and a full conclusion of the premisses; You say it is lawfull, we say it is not lawfull, (betweene yours it is lawfull, and ours it is not lawfull) the peoples soules doe doubt and waver, let none beleeve you nor us, wee are all contending parties, Judges must be sought for: if Christians, they cannot be given on both sides, (for truth is hindred by affections.) A Judge without must be sought for; if a Paynim, he cannot know the Christian mysteries; if a Jew, hee is an enemie to Christian Baptisme; no judgement therefore of this matter can bee found on earth; a Judge in heaven must bee sought for. But why knocke we at heaven, when wee have the Testament of Christ in the Gospell*? And thus I have briefly shewed you the deputed Judges, and Interpreters of the Scripture in the Primitive Church: now let us observe by what Rule the Scriptures are expounded into the Romane Church. * De cœlo quærendus est Judex, sed ut quid pulsamus ad cœlum, cum habemus in Evangelio Testamentum. Opt. lib. 5. contr. Parmen, Donat, SECT. |
