Certain Sermons or Homilies (First Book of Homilies)

AND if you will not know the truth of God, (a thing most necessary for you) least you fall into error: by the same reason you may then lye still, and never go, least (if you goo) you fall in the mire, nor eat any good meat, least you take a surfeit, nor sow your Corn, nor labour in your occupation, nor use your merchandise, for fear you lose your seed, your labour, your stock, and so by that reason, it should be best for you to live idly, and never to take in hand, to do any manner of good thing, least peradventure some evil thing may chance thereof. And if you be afraid to fall into error, by reading of holy scripture:¹ I shall show you, how you may read it, without danger of error. Read it humbly, with a meek and a lowly heart, to the intent, you may glorify God, and not your self, with the knowledge of it: and read it not without daily praying to God, that he would direct your reading to good effect, and take upon you, to expound it no further, then you can plainly understand it. For (as saint Augustine sayeth) the knowledge of holy scripture is a great, large, and a high palace, but the door is very ⟨image 7⟩low: so that the high and arrogant man, cannot run in, but he must stoop low, and humble him self, that shall enter into it. Presumption and arrogance, is the mother of all error, and humility, needeth to fear no error. For humility will only search, to know the truth, it will search, and will confer one place with another: and where it cannot find the sense, it will pray, it will inquire of other that know, and will not presumptuously and rashly define any thing, which it knoweth not. Therefore, the humble man may search any truth boldly in the scripture, without any danger of error. And if he be ignorant, he ought the more to read and to search holy scripture, to bring him out of ignorance. I say not nay, but a man may prosper, with only hearing, but he may much more prosper, with both hearing and reading. This have I said, as touching the fear to read, through ignorance of the person.² And concerning the difficulty of scripture, he that is so weak, that he is not able to brook strong meat: yet he may suck the sweet and tender milk, and differ the rest, until he wax stronger, and come to more knowledge.

AND if you will not knowe the truthe of God, (a thyng moste necessary for you) least you fall into error: by thesame reason you maie then lye still, and neuer go, leaste (if you goo) you fall in the mire, nor eate any good meate, least you take a surfet, nor sow your Corne, nor labour in your occupacion, nor vse your marchaūdise, for feare you lose your sede, your labor, your stocke, and so by that reason, it should be beste for you to liue idlely, and neuer to take in hande, to do any maner of good thyng, least peraduenture some euill thyng maie chaunce therof. And if you be afraied to fal into error, by readyng of holy scripture: