THE PREFACE
learning to holy Scriptures, & able to tickle the eares of the multitude with a smooth tale, thinke al they speake to be the Law of God. This he wrote then, when this maladie of arrogancie and presumption in divine matters, was nothing so outragious as now it is.
S. Gregorie Nazianzen made an oration of the moderation that was to be vsed in these matters: where he saith, that some in his time thought themselues to have al the wisdom in the world, when they could once repeat two or three words, and them il couched together, out of Scriptures. But he there divinely discourseth of the orders and differences of degrees: how in Christes mystical body, some are ordeined to learne, some to teach: al are not Apostles, al Doctors, al Interpreters, al of tongues and knowledge, not al learned in Scriptures & divinitie: that the people went not up to talke with God in the mountaine but Moyses, Aaron, & Eleazar: nor they neither but by the difference of their callings: that they that rebel against this ordinance, are guilty of the conspiracie of Core & his Complices: that in Scripture there is both milke for babes, and meat for men, to be dispensed, not according to every one's greediness of appetit, or wilfulness, but as is most meet for each one's necessitie and capacitie: that as it is a shame for a Bishop or Priest to be unlearned in God's mysteries, so for the common people it is oftentimes profitable to salvation, not to be curious, but to follow their Pastours in sinceritie and simplicitie: whereof excellently saith S. Augustin, Fidei simplicitate & sinceritate lactasi, nutriamur in Christo; & cum parui sumus, maiorum cibos non appetamus, that is, Being fed with the Simplicity and Sincerity of faith, as it were with milke, so let us be nourished in Christ: and when we are litle ones, let us not covet the meates of the elder sort. Who in another place testifieth, that the word of God cannot be preached nor certaine mysteries uttered to all men alike, but are to be delivered according to the capacitie of the hearers, as he proveth both by S. Paules example, who gave not to every sort strong meate, but milke to many, as being not spiritual, but carnal and not capable: and by our Lord's also, who spake to some plainely, & to others in parables, and affirmed that he had many things to utter which the hearers were not able to beare.
How much more may we gather, that al things that be written, are not for the capacitie and diet of every of the simple Readers, but that very many mysteries of holy Writ, be very farre above their reach, & may and ought to be (by as great reason) delivered them in measure and meane most meet for them? Which indeed can hardly be done, when the whole book of the Bible lieth before every man in his mother tongue, to make choice of what he list. For which cause the said Gregorie Nazianzen wisheth the Christians had as good a law as the Hebrewes of old had: who (as S. Hierom also witnesseth) tooke order among themselves, that none should read the Cantica Canticorum nor certain other peeces of hardest Scriptures, til they were thirtie years of age.
And truely there is no cause why men should be more loth to be ordered and moderated in this point by God's Church and their Pastours, then they are in the use of holy Sacraments: for which as Christ hath appointed Priests and Ministers, at whose hands we must receive them, and not be our owne carvers: so hath he given us Doctours, Prophets, Expounders, Interpreters, Teachers and Preachers, to take the law and our faith at their mouthes: because our faith and religion commeth not to us properly or principally by reading of Scriptures, but (as the Apostle saith) by hearing of the Preachers lawfully sent: though reading in order and humilitie, much confirmeth and advanceth the same. Therfore this holy book of the Scriptures, is called of S. Ambrose, Liber Sacerdotalis, the booke of Priestes, at whose hands and disposition we must take and use it. Li.2.ad.Grat.
4. The wise will not regard what some wilful people do mutter, that the Scriptures are made for all men, and that it is of envie that the Priests doe keep the holy Booke from them. Which suggestion cometh of the same serpent that seduced our first parents, who persuaded them, that God had forbidden them that tree of knowledge, lest they should be as cunning as himself, and like unto the Highest. No, no, the Church doth it to keep them from blind ignorant presumption, and from that which the Apostle calleth falsi meminis scientiam, knowledge falsely so called: and not to embarre them from the true knowledge of Christ. She would have al wise, but usque ad sobrietatum, unto sobrietie, as the Apostle speaketh: she knoweth the Scriptures be ordained for every state, as meates, elements, fire, water, candle, knives, sword, and the like; which are as needful (most of them) for children as old folkes, for the simple as the wise: but yet
would
