TO THE READER.
greedines of appetit or wilfulnes, but as is most meere for eche ones necessitie and capacitie: that as it is a shame for a Bishop or Priest to be vnlearned in Gods mysteries, so for the common people it is often times profitable to saluation, not to be curious, but to folow their Pastors in sinceritie & simplicitie: whereof excellently saith S. Augustine, Fidei simplicitate & sinceritate lactati, nutriamur in Christo: & cum parui sumus, maiorum cibos non appetamus.De agone Christ. c. 33. that is, Being fed with the simplicitie and sinceritie of faith, as it were with milke, so let vs be nourished in Christ: and when we are litle ones, let vs not couet the meates of the elder sort.The Scriptures must be deliuered in measure and discretion, according to eche mans neede and capacitie. WhoDe bono perseuer. c. 16. in an other place testifieth, that the word of God can not be preached nor certaine mysteries vttered to all men alike, but are to be deliuered according to the capacitie of the hearers: as he proueth both1 Cor. 3. by S. Paules example, who gaue not to euery sort strong meate, but milke to many, as being not spiritual, but carnal and not capable: andIo. 16. by our lordes also, who spake to some plainely, and to others in parables, & affirmed that he had many things to vtter which the hearers were not able to beare.
How much more may we gather, that all thinges that be written, are not for the capacitie and diet of euery of the simple readers, but that very many mysteries of holy writte, be very far aboue their reach, & may and ought to be (by as great reason) deliuered them in measure & meane most meete for them? which in deede can hardly be done, when the whole booke of the Bible lieth before euery man in his mother tonge, to make choise of what he list.In orat. de modera. in disp. serua. in fine. Hiero. in prooem. cō mentar. in Ezechi.The Iewes law for not reading certaine bookes of holy Scripture vntil a time. For which cause the said Gregorie Nazianzen wisheth the Christians had as good a law as the Hebrues of old had: who (as S. Hierom also witnesseth) tooke order among them selues that none should read the Cantica Canticorum nor certaine other pieces of hardest Scriptures, till they were thirtie yeres of age.
And truely there is no cause why men should be more loth to be ordered and moderated in this point by Gods Church and their Pastors, then they are in the vse of holy Sacraments: for which as Christ hath appointed Priestes and ministers, at whose handes we must receiue them, and not be our owne caruers: so hath he giuenEph. 4. vs doctors, prophetes, expoūders, interpreters, teachers and preachers, to take the law and our faith at their mouthes: because our faith and religion commeth not to vs 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 aduanceth the same.Ro. 10, 17. Therfore this holy booke of the Scriptures, is called of S. Ambrose, Liber sacerdotalis, the booke of priestes, at whose handes and disposition we must take and vse it. Li. 2. ad Grat.
The popular obiections of withholding the Scriptures from the people, answered.The wise wil not here regard what some wilful people do mutter, that the Scriptures are made for all men, and that it is of enuie that the Priestes do keepe the holy booke from them. Which suggestion commeth of the same serpentGen. 3. that seduced our first parents, who persuaded them, that God had forbidden them that tree of knowledge, lest they should be as cunning as him self, and like vnto the Highest.Why the Church permitteth not euery one at their pleasure to reade the Scripture. No, no, the church doth it to keepe them from blind ignorant presumption, and from that which the Apostle calleth falsi nominis scientiam knowledge falsely so called:1 Tim. 6, 10. and not to embarre them from the true knowledge, of Christ. She would haue all wise, but vsque ad sobrietatem, vnto sobrietie,Ro. 12, 3. as the Apostle speaketh: she knoweth the Scriptures be ordained for euery state, as meates, elements, fire, water, candle, kniues, sword, & the like:which
