being more soueraine against the same (if it be vsed in order, discretion, and humilitie) then the true, faithful, and sincere interpretation opposed therevnto.
The Churches order & determinatiō concerning the reading of Catholike translatiōs of the Bible in vulgar tōgues.Which causeth the holy Church not to forbid vtterly any Catholike translation, though she allow not the publishing or reading of any absolutely and without exception, or limitation: knowing by her diuine and most sincere wisedom, how, where, when, and to whom these her Maisters and Spouses giftes are to be bestowed to the most good of the faithful: and therfore neither generally permitteth that which must needs doe hurt to the vnworthy, nor absolutely condemneth that which may doe much good to the worthie. Wherevpon, the order which many a wise man wished for before, was taken by the Deputies of the late famous Councel of Trent in this behalfe, and confirmed by supreme authoritie, that the holy Scriptures, though truely and Catholikely translated into vulgar tonges, yet may not be indifferetly readde of all men, nor of any other then such as haue expresse licence therevnto of their lawful Ordinaries, with good testimonie from their Curates or Confessors, that they be humble, discrete and deuout persons, and like to take much good, and no harme thereby.Ind. lib. prohibit. regula 4. Which prescript, though in these daies of ours it can not be so precisely obserued, as in other times & places, where there is more due respecte of the Churches authoritie, rule, and discipline: yet, we trust all wise and godly persons will vse the matter in the meane while, with such moderation, meekenes, and subiection of hart, as the handling of so sacred a booke, the sincere senses of Gods truth therein, & the holy Canons, Councels, reason, and religion do require.
Wherein, though for due preseruation of this diuine worke from abuse and prophanation, and for the better bridling of the intolerable insolencie of proude, curious, & contentious wittes, the gouernours of the Church guided by Gods Spirit, as euer before, so also vpon more experience of the maladie of this time then before, haue taken more exacte order both for the readers and translatours in these later ages, then of old: yet we must not imagin that in the primitiue Church, either cuery one that vnderstoode the learned tonges wherein the Scriptures were written, or other languages into which they were translated, might without reprehension, reade, reason, dispute, turne and tosse the Scriptures: or that our forefathers suffered euery schole-maister, scholer, or Grammarian that had a litle Greeke or Latin, straight to take in hand the holy Testament: or that the translated Bibles into the vulgar tonges, were in the handes of euery husbandman, artificer, prentice, boies, girles, mistresse, maide, man: that they were sung, plaied, alleaged, of euery tinker, tauerner, rimer, minstrel: that they were for table talke, for alebenches, for boates and barges, and for euery prophane person and companie.The holy Scriptures neuer read of al persons indifferently, at their pleasure. No, in those better times men were neither so ill, nor so curious of them selues, so to abuse the blessed booke of Christ : neither was there any such easy meanes before printing was inuented, to disperse the copies into the handes of euery man, as now there is.
Where and in whose handes the Scriptures were in the primitiue Church.They were then in Libraries, Monasteries, Colleges, Churches, in Bishops, Priests, and some other deuout principal Lay mens houses and handes: who vsed them with seare and reuerence, and specially such partes as perteined to good life and maners, not medling, but in pulpit and schooles (and that moderately to) with the hard and high mysteries and places of greater difficultie. The poore ploughman, could then in labouring the ground, sing the hymnes
