In your following discourse you make a flourish with what your church hath in gospels, epistles, good books, anniversary observations, and I know not what besides. But, sir, we discourse not about what you have, but what you have not, nor will have, though God com- mand you to have it, and threaten you for not having it. You have not the Scripture ordinarily in a language that they can understand who, if they are the disciples of Christ, are bound to read, study, and meditate in it continually; which are therefore hindered by you in the discharge of their duty, whilst you " neither enter into the king-
THE LATIN SERVICE. 461
dora of heaven yourselves, nor suffer them that would." Nay, you have burned men and their Bibles together for attempting to dis- charge that duty which God requireth of them, and wherein so much of their spiritual advantage is inwrapped. Neither have you the entire worship of God in a tongue known to the people, whereby they might join in it, and pray with understanding, and be edified by what they hear (which the apostle makes the end of all things done or to be done in public assemblies) ; but are left to have their brutish affections led up and down by dumb shows, postures, and gestures, Avhereunto the Scripture and antiquity are utter strangers. These things you have not ; and, which renders your condition so much the worse, you refuse to have them, though you may, though you are entreated by God and man to make use of them ; yea, where great and populous nations under your power have humbly petitioned you that by your leave and permission they might enjoy the Bible, and that service of God which they could understand, you have chosen rather to run all things into confusion, and to fall upon them with fire and sword, than to grant them their request.
" 0 curvse in terras animffi, et coelestium inanes ! "
But you add, " Besides what you mention, what can promote your salvation?" for say you, " What farther good may it do to read the letter of St Paul's Epistles, to the Romans, for example, or Corin- thians, wherein questions and cases and theological discourses are treated, that vulgar people can neither understand nor are at all con- cerned to know? And, I pray you, tell me ingenuously and without heat, what more of good could accrue to any by the translated letter of a book, whereof I will be bold to say that nine parts in ten con- cern not my particular either to know or practise, than by the con- ceived substance of God's Avill unto me, and my own duty towards him?" Sir, I shall deal with you without any blamable heat, yet so as he deserves to be dealt withal who will not cease to " pervert the right ways of the Lord." And, — 1. Who taught you to make your apj)rehensions the measure of other men's faith and practice ? If you know not of any thing needful to promote salvation but what you reckon up in the usage of your church, hinder not them that do. It is not so much your own practice as your imposition of it on others that we are in the consideration of Would it worth suffice you to reject, as to your own interest, the means ajipointed of God for the furtherance of our salvation, and that you would not compel others to join with you in the refusal of them ! Is it possible that a man professing himself a divine and a priest of the Catholic church, an instructor of the ignorant, an undertaker to persuade whole nations to relinquish the way of religion wherein they are en-
462 A VINDICATION OF THE ANIMADVERSIONS ON FIAT LUX,
gaged, to follow him in liis ways tliat they have not known, should profess that he " knows not of what use, unto the promotion of the salvation of the souls of men, the use of the whole Scripture given by inspiration of God is?" Be advised not to impose these conceptions of your fancy and mind, as it seems unexercised in that heavenly treasury, on those who have aJad/irripia ysyv/j^mG/jAm, " senses exer- cised" therein, so as to be able to discern between good and evil. If no other reason can prevail with you, I hope experience may give you such a despair of success as to cause you to surcease. 2. This vulgar- people that you talk of (as the Pharisees did of them that were willing to attend unto the preaching of Christ, 'O &%>t05 o5ro$ 6 ^?5 ytvui((x.uv Tov v6/j.ov, John vii. 49 ; — " This vulgar rout that know not the law"), if they are Christians, they are such as to whom the epis- tles were originally written, and for whose sakes they are preserved; such as Christ hath redeemed and sanctified in his own blood, and given the anointing unto, whereby they may know all things ; and are partakers of the promise that they " shall be taught of God." The gospel takes not away the outward differences and distinctions that are, on other accounts, amongst the children of men ; but in the things of the gospel itself there are none vulgar or common, nor as such to be despised, but believers are " all one in Christ Jesus," Col. iii. 11; James ii. 1—6. How it is now I know not, but I am sure that at the beginning of the preaching of the gospel, the poor principally received it; and the greatest number of them that were effectually called was of those whom you speak so contemptuously of, as the apostle testifies, 1 Cor. i. 26. And the same is made good in all ancient story. Neither are these vulgar people such ignoramuses as you imagine, unless it be where you make and keep them such, by detaining from them the means of knowledge, and who perish for the want of it, as the prophet complained of old. I speak not of them who continue willingly ignorant under the most effectual means of light ; but of such as, being really " born of God," and becoming thereby " a holy nation, a royal priesthood," as they are called, yea, " kings and priests unto God," do conscientiously attend unto his teachings. Of these there are thousands, yea, ten thousands in Eng- land, who are among the vulgar sort as to their outward and civil condition, that, if occasion were administered, would farther try your divinity than you are aware, and give you another manner of account of Paul 's epistles than I perceive you suppose they would. You are mis- taken if you imagine that either greatness, or learning, or secular wis- dom will give a man understanding in the mysteries of the gospel, or make him wise therein. This wisdom is from above, — is wrought by the Spirit of God, in the use of spiritual means by himself appointed for that purpose; and we know not that men of any condition are ex-