and psalmes either in knowen or vnknowen languages, as they heard them in the holy Church, though they could neither reade nor know the sense, meaning, and mysteries of the same.How the laietie of those daies did read them, with what humilitie and religion, and enformation of life and maners. Such holy persons of both sexes, to whom S. Hierom in diuers Epistles to them, commendeth the reading and meditation of holy Scriptures, were diligent to searche all the godly histories & imitable examples of chastitie, humilitie, obedience, clemencie, pouertie, penance, renoūcing the world : they noted specially the places that did breede the hatred of sinne, feare of Gods iudgement, delight in spiritual cogitations: they referred them selues in all hard places, to the iudgement of the auncient fathers and their maisters in religion, neuer presuming to contend, controule, teach or talke of their owne sense and phantasie, in deepe questions of diuinitie. Then the Virgins, did meditate vpon the places and examples of chastitie, modestie and demurenesse: the maried, on coniugal faith and continencie: the parents, how to bring vp their children in faith and feare of God: the Prince, how to rule: the subiect, how to obey: the Priest, how to teach: the people, how to learne.
The fathers sharply reprehend as an abuse, that al indifferently should reade, expound, and talke of the Scriptures.Then the scholer taught not his maister, the sheepe controuled not the Pastor, the yong student set not the Doctor to schoole, not reproued their fathers of error & ignorance. Or if any were in those better daies (as in al times of heresie such must needes be) that had itching eares, tikling tonges and wittes, curious and contentious disputers, hearers, and talkers rather then doers of Gods word: such the Fathers did euer sharply reprehend, counting them vnworthy and vnprofitable readers of the holy Scriptures. S. Hierom in his Epistle to Paulinus, after declaration that no handy craft is so base, nor liberall science so easy, that can be had without a maister (which S. Augustine also affirmeth, De vtilitate cred. cap. 7.) nor that men presume in any occupation to teach that they neuer learned, Only (saith he) the art of Scripture is that which euery man chalengeth: this the chatting old wife, this the doting old man, this the brabling sophister, this on euery hand, men presume to teach before they learne it.Hiero. ep. 103 c. 6. Againe, Some with poise of lofty wordes deuise of scripture matters among women: othersome (phy vpon it) learne of women, what to teach men, and lest that be not ynough, by facilitie of tong, or rather audacitie, teach that to others, which they vnderstand neuer a whit them selues. to say nothing of such as be of my facultie: who stepping from secular learning to holy scriptures, and able to tickle the eares of the multitude with a smothe tale, thinke all they speake, to be the Law of God. This he wrote then, when this maladie of arrogancie and presumption in diuine matters, was nothing so outragious as now it is.
S. Gregorie Nazianzene made an oration of the moderation that was to be vsed in these matters: where he saith, that some in his time thought them selues to haue all the wisedom in the world, when they could once repeat two or three wordes, and them ill couched together, out of Scriptures.In orat. de moderatio. in disputa. seruanda. but he there diuinely discourseth of the orders and differences of degrees: how in Christes mysticall body, some are ordeined to learne, some to teach: that all are not Apostles, all Doctors, all interpreters, all of tonges and knowledge, not all learned in Scriptures & diuinitie: that the people went not vp to talke with God in the mountaine, but Moyses, Aaron, & Eleazar: nor they neither, but by the difference of their callings: that they that rebell against this ordinance, are guilty of the conspiracie of Corè & his cōplices: that in Scripture there is both milke for babes, and meate for men, to be dispensed, not according to euery ones
