faith duetie to her spouse Where also it is to be noted that as th' authoritie of Gods worde is in no account with them So neither the Councill of Trent otherwhere matched with th' authoritie Vpon Act 15. of th' evangelistes nor the supreame authoritie of the Pope is so sacred amongst them but that for lucre they are boulde with both of them For in steed that they praeciselie command that none maye reade any translation whatsoeuer without the Curates testimonie of his abilitie thereunto they haue without repeale of Councill or Popes decree put their translation in mens hands with no note of discretion which we vnderstand but who will giue most You may not thinke much therefore if wee for Truths sake make light of your Trent councill when you for gaine infringe it To the three next sections pag. 3. and 4. If as hath bene shewed all ought to reade the Scriptures then all ages all sexes al degrees and callings all high and lowe rich poore wise and foolishe haue a necessarie duetie heerein of which particularities neither doe the Scriptures nor auncient writers keep silence For the Scripture declareth that wemen and children that from their infancie that Iosua â— 2. Tim. â— Psal 49 Prov. noble and ignoble riche and poore wise and foolish exercised themselues in the holy Scriptures And Theodoret Theodoret. de corrig Grae. affect lib. 5 lyketh well that the points of religion which the Church taught were not onelie knowne of Doctors and maisters but of Taylers Smythes Weauers and other artificers not of men onelie but of wemen and the same not onely learned but labouring wemen sewsters seruants and handmaides not of Citizens alone but of Countrie-folke Ditchers deluers neat-heards and gardiners disputing euen of the holie Trinitie c. And being commanded to be talked of both within the house without Deut. 6 both lying sitting and walking a man woulde thinke that therein is commanded th' exercise of it in al places both table and bench both boate barge And it is too great ignorance to make that difference of place in this matter which was not made vnder the Lawe when in all manner of places it is not onelie lawfull but commanded to talke of the Law And seing to the cleane al things are cleane the boat and boat-man the rudder Titâ—â— 1 and the rower it is too palpable a darknesse to thinke that the Worde 1. Tim. â— should bee profaned by those things which by faith prayer it sanctifieth Wherefore it is most false that the Bibles were then onelie in Monasteries Colledges Churches Bishops Priests and some deuout principal lay-mens hands For Chrysostome exhorteth al the people Epist ad Coloss hom 9 Hieron in Psal 133 In Matth. homil â— concione 3 dâ— Lâ—zarâ— secular men to get them Bibles at the least the new Testament Ierom also saieth 〈◊〉 married men Monkes sillie wemen were wont to conteÌ„d who should learn moe scriptures without booke But Chrysostome is bold and affirmeth it more fit and profitable for the lay people to read Gods worde then for Monkes Priests or any other And if priuate reading of the Bible were vrged so sore when through the trauaile of wryting it must needes cost much how much more then is it now to be pressed when through the benefite of printing it is so easilie and lightlie obtained It is false also that either they sung in an vnknowne language or without knowledge of the sense in some profitable measure which had bene liker vnto the prating pratling and parating of birdes tickling th' eares of fond men then to any Christian melodie pleasant in the eares of the wise God After like men fighting in the dark they stryke themselues instead of the enemie For they are forced to bring forth Ierome exhorting men and wemen to the reading and meditation of the Scripture tâ—â—reby to walke comelie in their seuerall callings Themselues therefore which dryue men from reading of the Scriptures are causes why neither â—irgines can meditate of chastitie nor wyues of faithfulnesse Prince how to rule nor subiect how to obey seeing these dueties are euidentlie to th' vnderstanding of the simplest laide forth in holy Scripture And if then th' inferiors taught not their superiors it was because that as they excelled their vnderlings in age dignitie so they went before them in knowledge and vnderstanding of the word But because Poperie is such a time wherein as Salomon saith the Eccl. 10. 4. seruants ryde and the maisters goe on foot that is to say wherein commonlie the Bishop can byte but not bark the Pastor can milke but not feede the Priest can mum but cannot speak it is needfull that in such a case the waters should go against the streame the scholler should teache his maister the sheepe controule his Pastor c. Yea in the learnedst and lightsomest times that euer were and in personages of notable marke it hath sometymes come to passe that not onelie wemen Luke 2. 38 Luk. 24. 10 act 18. 26. 2. Reg 5 13 Chrysost in Coloss hom 9 August dâ— tempor serm 56. haue instructed men but euen the sheepe the shepheards the schollers their maister the seruant their Lord. And Chrysostome and Augustine will haue euery one to learne as they may teach one another Against which as also against the peoples reading of Scriptures neither Ierome nor August haue a word For Ierome in the same epistle exhorteth to the reading of the scripture onelie he reproueth them which trusting vnto the strength of their wits and to their owne studie seeke not the necessarie helpe of a teacher the principall meanes which God hath ordained to bring men to sound knowledg of the trueth And how far Ierome was from the Iesuites iudgement it appeareth otherwhere when he saith that the Scripture is tearmed the Scripture of the people because it is red vnto Hieron in psal 86 all people that all may vnderstand Lykewise he sharply reproueth such as coÌ„temned those that red the Scripture and mused of them day and night as chatters vnprofitable which is the very popishe spirit that reigneth in these daies The same answere serueth for Augustine who reprooueth not men for reading of the Scripture but onelie for that in reading them and finding difficulties which they cannot auoide they forthwith condemne the worde in steade that they should repaire to such as are able to vndoe their knots Which thing is not onelie cleare vppon the place but confirmed by other sayings Where declaring it not to be enough to heare the word in the Church only he exhorteth al in their priuate houses either August de tempor serm 55 to read or to get some to reade for them And againe that nothing abideth but that which a man hath lay de vp in the treasure of his conscience for health of his soule by reading praying or doing good workes and that we must alwayes pray and
haue left the ferular in the olde translators hand As for the Church seruice it was so in the primitiue Church in the Latin tongue as the people by reason of the Romaine Empire vnderstood it As touching your Popish service full of Idolatrye and superstition as we care not what translation it followeth so we iudge moste corrupt the most commodious To the fift reason It might aswell haue commanded to eate accornes after corne was found out And as for this Trent conuenticle being assembled by the Pope th' arch-enemy vnto our Sauiour Christ and holden of a sorte of blinde Bishops sworne to speak no truth but that he th' enemy of truth should allowe of we esteeme it no more then the godly fathers did the councill of Ariminum Ephesinum the second especially seing that many councils before it better wiser learneder and more troubled with hereticks difficulties of traÌ„slations neuer so concluded Secondly being here ashamed of the Trent conclusion they mollify it as though they In Martins praeface before his discouery nomber 35. held it for a good translation where both the councill concludeth and the Iesuites holde it for th'authenticall Scripture which they doe neither of the Greek nor of the Hebrew Thirdly let them tell vs how they will reconcile the Trent coÌ„clusion with Pope Leo the 10. his authoritye Who approued Apolog. Erasmi aduersus Stunicam Platina in Damasâ— Erasmus translation as Damasus had Ieroms Last of al admitting it were the best translation yet that is no cause why th' originall should not be rather translated To the sixt reason Further then it hath bene corrupt by popishe Monkes which were for some yeares th' ordinary Iaylers to keepe it within the prison of their cloisters we accuse it not of partiality to popery wherevnto it could hardly be partiall when popery was not But sure we are that the Greek is lesse partiall Secondly they might translate with purpose not to hurt the truth and yet fail of the purpose as appeareth manifestly in th' example of promeriting of God not only barbarously but falsly translated As touching the sinceritie grauitie and maiestie of it compared with other translations of later yeares the matter is before the Iudg where our no is as good as your yea but if it were as you say yet your traÌ„slating it in passing by th' originall of the Greek can by no meanes bee excused but only by this that not able to clime vp into the Scriptures in the Greeke and Hebrevv tongues you vvere compelled to seaze vppon the Latine vvhich is the honestest excuse that you can make To the seuenth reason page 12. Praecisenes in translation is vvorthy to be commended but superstition is vvorthy no praise And if the Latine phrase serue the Greeke ansvvere vnto it better sometime then th' English doth that argueth no more the goodnes of the translation then it proueth th' English to be better then the Latine translation because the English phrase frameth often better vvith the Greeke then doth the Latine Of this praecisenes they bring two examples vvherein commending the old translation they condemne ours The first is for that vve translate Tit. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 14. to maintaine to good workes Your Greek stomackes be very quasie that cannot brook this translation Tell vs I pray you how vvill you translate that Demosthenes contra Timoc Buâ—â—us in commenta in Demosthenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to maintain your right Housoeuer you translate it vve care not seing Budaeus a man of singular skill in rijs tueri defensitare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that tongue doth so translate it as we haue done In th' other places Heb. 10. 20. we are charged for turning he prepared Wherein whether th' old translator haue svvarued further from the Greek it vvill not be so easie to discern For the Greek vvord doth properly signifie to make newe vvhich the Latine vvorde that th' olde translator vseth doeth not expresse for initio doth not signify to make new for that doth innouo but to enter into And this defect of th' olde translator in this vvorde the Iesuites them selues do bevvraye vvhich forsaking a proper English vvord more expressing the old translators initiabit haue followed M. Bezas translation who translateth dedicabit which they turne dedicated without acknowledgment of him by vvhome they haue in that place bettered their translator The other cauill of Traditions Iustifications Idoll is plentifully ansvvered and further shal be as they fall out in the discourse of this booke But from this praecise and exact following of the Greeke how far th' olde translator is by differing from it by being contrary to it by putting to that which is not in the Greek and taking avvay that which is in it shall soone after appeare Although if it vvere so precise yet that is nothing to yours which goeth so far from it both in vvordes and sense To the eight reason If Maister Beza commend it who knew so many faultes by it hee hath thereby testifyed the softnesse and mildnes of his spirite and his louing and charitable affection couering so far as th'edifiing of the Church might beare th' olde translators vvants and defects and thereby laieth naked the proud disdainfull and quareling spirit of the trifling and caueling Iesuites childishly snatching carping where there is no cause discouering their owne shame in steade of disgracing others Howbeit it is vntrue vvhich they here alledge out of M. Beza For he doth not prefer th' olde translator vnto Erasmus but defendeth him in certain places where Erasmus without cause doth challenge him And in th' other place vpon Saint Luke his praise of him is not so full as they pretend For he sayeth that although he may seeme very religiously to haue turned these holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bookes yet it appeareth that he knew not the signification of these wordes much lesse the force and power of them But if Master Bezas iudgement be one of the pillers that must vpholde this olde translator this it is in plaine wordes It goeth â—ften from the Greeke oft it is absurde oft Beza in Epist ad noui Testam annot quae inscribitur Serenissimae Dominae Elizabethae Reginae â—tdoth add the learned it neuer satisfied the â—gnorant is brought into many errours Which notwithstanding he speaketh not altogether in respect of th' olde translator as in regarde of either the negligence rashnes or malice of those whose handes it hath passed through But if it were the best translation by M. Bezas iudgment yet it followeth not thereof that it hath no fault or ought to be translated before the Greek It would vndoutedly be more credit for your cause to giue better weight of reason although the number were lesse To the ninth reason It were to be laboured for that there were in euerie seuerall country for th' use of the Church in it one Bible translated into the language
same bookes which we doe argueth a giltie conscience constreyned to confesse the truth which they condemn A strange impudencie therfore vvhich neither Salomon prafat in Iarem praefat in Dan. ad Domni Rogat in Esram Nehemiam ad Laetam Epiphan lib. dâ—mens ponder Concil Laodic can 59. able to answere our manifest reasons nor to bring any of theirs nor yet to match in any sort our authorities not withstanding blare out their tongues crying and barking still that we disauthorize the Canonicall Scripture Their quarrell againste Master Beza is answered in the proper place That against the tenth article of the Creede in meeter is vtterly vnworthy of any answer for the meeter alwayes requiring a paraphrasis or som compas of words the poet could not more fitly haue expounded the forgiuenes of sinnes then by noting our saluation by faith alone according as th' Apostle of the remission of sinnes out of the Psalme concludeth the iustification by faith without workes Th' other corruption of Christs soule descending into hell after his death argueth no contradiction amongest our selues but a smal remnant of th' infection of Poperie in that author which is so malitious and stubborne a leprosie as for the approued tryall of their clensing froÌ„ it they haue commonly neede to be shut vp from pulpit and pen some resonable time and as they say in the French prouerb The monks Cowle is not easely put of in many yeares what consent of iudgment there is amongst vs in that behalf the later editions which haue left that Creede cleane out may somwhat declare To the foure next sections pag. 9. 10. 11. What compassion haue you had of your country men which haue kept back the wheat of Gods word from them so many yeares and ages vvherevvith they should haue bene fed to aeternall life And your compassions novv vvhat are they but as Salomon saieth of the Prov. 12. 10. compassions of the wicked moste cruell Wherefore it is certaine that as the curses of Gods people haue hitherto pearsed your soules and runne them thorovv for engrossing into your hands the graine of life so novv they vvill be as sore and sharp against you for selling them such mustie mildred blasted and by all meanes corrupted graine Neither is your impietie lesse now in poysoning them then it was before in staruing them Wherefore you partly perswade vs that you haue done this worke in feare and trembling seeing in so open corruptions and so manifolde and manifest wrestings it was harde for you not to see eft-sones hell opened before your eyes As for your childish translation of numbering word for word and as it were syllable for syllable rather then to giue sense for sense and to translate rather by weight of sense then by tale of words although also it shal appeare that you haue kept your selfe to neither yet haue you no defence in Ierome for it For although by the wordes you alleadge maye well be gathered out of him a straighter Iawe in turning the Scriptures then in turning other writters yet hauing shewed in the same Epistle that his vse in translating Hieron ad Pammach de optima gener inter prâ—tâ—ndi was not to nuÌ„ber but to weigh wordes that he followed the wordes so farre as they were not strange from the custome of speach that he translated not wordes but sentences he addeth that it is no maruell if this were done in translating prophane and ecclesiasticall writers seing that the seuenty interpreters th'Euangelistes and Apostles had done the same not yeelding worde for worde And after in the same Epistle he saith that the care of th'Evangelists was not to hunt after wordes and syllables but to set downe the minde or sense of the doctrines And therefore sheweth by diuers examples where they in wordes neither aggree with the 70. interpreters nor yet with the Hebrew Amongst other th' example that he citeth out of Saint Marke is notable where our Sauiour Christs words being onely Tabitha Cumi i. Rise mayde th'Euangeliste translating it to make the sense more full interlaceth I say to thee And if the Iesuites tarie to heare where Ierome himself vseth this libertie in translating the Scriptures we send Ad Pammach Marcellinum them to another Epistle of his where they shall find him defeÌ„ding himselfe in his liberty of traÌ„slating Naschqu Bar which being worde for worde kisse the sonne he translated adore the sonne least Nolens traÌ„sferre putidè sensum magis sequutus suÌ„ as hee saith if hee had turned otherwise he should haue turned it euill fauoredlie Which we write rather to shew how farre Ieromes iudgement in translating differed from these apish Iesuites then that wee esteeme that th' other translation which hee shunned was so hard orrough as hee iudged it And therefore it was elegantly saide of the Emperour I hate alike as departing aequally from the meane both Antiquitaries Suetonius in Octauio Augusto and affectors of nouelties The firste place recited out of Augustine maketh nothing to the purpose For as the stile of the Scripture as it were the garments and habite thereof is neither new fangled nor exquisitly laboured by perswasible wordes of mans wisedome so is it not foule sluttish but it is arrayed from top to toe as an honest and chaste matrone avoyding aswell barbarousnes and rusticalnes of th' one side as curiositie and affectation of th' other In th' other place there is no such thing founde as they talke of albeit that also should make as little to the purpose as th' other And if the olde writters speaking and writing vnto their people did speake and write barbarouslie that they might bee the better vnderstoode of them what is that to make it a rule in translating If Ierome in correcting th' olde translation so tempered his penne that amending it where it changed the sense of the text he left the rest to remaine as they were It followeth not because hee suffered them to stand that therefore he alowed of them throughout considering that a man vvill not vse that boldnesse in correcting another mans vvorke vvhich he vvould doe in his ovvn nor put out euery phrase and euery maner of speach vvhich he himself could better Besides that it is a harder matter then you ar euer able to performe to shevve that this olde translation vvherein these venerable barbarismes solecismes are found is the same that Ierome corrected In none of th' other places alleadged out of Augustine is there any thing to maintaine this babishnes of translation but rather contrariwise when he affirmeth that some bind themselues too much vnto the wordes vvhich translations hee holdeth for insufficient Also that vvhen the phrases are not translated according to the custome of the auncient Latinists although nothing be taken away from the vnderstanding yet they offend those which are delighted with the things when a certaine purenes is kept in the signes of the thinges