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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	old_a	receive_v	2,582	5	5.9562	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33462	Capel's remains being an useful appendix to his excellent Treatise of tentations, concerning the translations of the Holy Scriptures : left written with his own hand / by that incomparably learned and jucicious divine, Mr. Richard Capel, sometimes fellow of Magdalen-Colledge in Oxford ; with a preface prefixed, wherein is contained an abridgement of the authors life, by his friend Valentine Marshall.	Capel, Richard, 1586-1656.; Marshall, Valentine.; Capel, Richard, 1586-1656. Tentations.	1658 (1658)	Wing C471; ESTC R5922	60,793	168

need or use they have of the Scriptures in the Originals or translation Before we come unto the maine of the businesse we cannot skip over a businesse of Mr. Wotton his words are these No man ever dreamed that we commonly build our faith upon our English translation What he would have by the word commonly I know not except his heart did faile his penne when he wrote this and by this word commonly he had a conceit that he might finde by it some shift and starting hole A strange speech it is to me that English men of such he speaks who can understand no language but English should be said not to build their faith on the English translation On what then The Original they know not other translations they understand not And if they must not build their faith on the English translation they are left nothing to build their faith on And what is this but to leave all unlearned in the Originals without a rule And if this be not to steale Atheisme into the hearts of the common people I know not what is sith Atheisme is such a welcome guest to the corrupt heart as it is Which makes me call to mind an Observation of Villeroy a late wise Secretary of France That the maine different Sects of Religion in the East and the fierce opposition they made each against each made the people weary of the Christian Religion and so Mahomet crept in with his religion and was too welcome to almost all who were almost weary of the sundry Heresies and Schisms which were so brief and rife amongst Christians of the East And this saith he overthrew the Christian Church first and the Christian Empires and states next over the East and let in Mahomets Alchoran and Mahomets Sword I doubt there is scarce any strange opinion pressing hither but would be welcome to us The Christian Religion was never in such danger since my time as it is now sith men runne so many and so contrary wayes that few can now tell which is true And since so great a Clerk and so great a Reformer as Wotton hath left the poore English man no rule to prove his own or to disprove the contrary For if the English translation be not to an English man let Elias come and tell us what and which is the rule and on what an English man may build his faith on being that there is nothing left him but his English translation So the old Church after Malachi what was left to the most but the Greek Translation and after the Apostles were dead and gone the Christian Churches were tied to the Greek translation of the Old Testament or else the Old Testament was no rule to them except to a few who understood the Hebrew That which all men say saith Aristotle is not to be doubted but al the learned I think agree that the Church used no translation but the Greek for a matter of six hundred yeares after the birth of Christ for two hundred yeares before So that for my part I look upon it as a position full of danger for men to affirme That translations are not a rule to ground our faith on when we understand no other That say I or none not none therefore that And now at last after the clearing of what is past we come to the maine point to find out what it is that a poore soule who understands not the Originals must rest upon First I say that the Lord is not nor will not be wanting to his Church in things necessary to salvation And to have a rule to build our faith on is absolutely necessary to salvation And that rule for common people must be the Scripture translated or nothing And therefore I take it to be a special Ordinance that the Scriptures should be translated for the use of the Church in several languages For the Original Copies I must subscribe to that of Ganus a Papist who tells us That we are not to receive into the holy Canon both for the Old and New Testament but such books as the Apostles did allow and deliver over to the Church of Christ And as the Church of the Jewes did preserve the Hebrew Original of the Old Testament safe and sure so I doubt not but the same hand of the providence of God hath and doth preserve the Greek Original of the New Testament And for that it is not possible that the Originals should serve the turne of all or immediately of any but of such as have the knowledge of those tongues who are but a poor few in respect of all the world over wherefore I take it for granted that the line of Gods providence hath and doth and will carry the matter in having translations of several languages so inti●e as to be a sufficient rule to ground their faith else God in his providence must needs be wanting in providing necessaries for his Church Nor do I think that there was or ever shall be a Church of Christ or a Church of Christians in the belly of Antichrist but have had translations sufficient to rest their souls on I doubt not but the vulgar for all its faults hath sufficient for the saving of some soules Besides among the Papists they have Pagnine allowed by two Popes which runs as pure as any Translation in the world and Arias Montanus a translation without exception Senensis much commends Jacobus de Voragine a Papist Arch-Bishop of Genua his translation into the Italian and Senensis could well tell having great skill in the Originals To me it is much that Senensis so sharp a Papist as he is should in print and that since the Councel of Trent so highly commend a translation of the Bible into the Italian tongue And Leo the tenth Bishop of Rome did just before Luthers dayes print a recommendation of Erasinus translation of the New Testament into Latine So that I look on it as a special providence of God that there were translations and those exact too in the heart of Popery And if so then he will not suffer the visible Church to be without a sufficient translation as a sufficient rule Smith himself the great backbiter of translations saith That if the Translation agree with the Original it may well be said to be the Word of God and if it do not agree with the Original it is not the translation of the Original And now we will draw towards the main conclusion How a simple Countrey-man is to believe our Bible to be the Word Doctor Jackson and Master John Goodwin have set downe many and many excellent things but they flie so high that they are for Eagles One may say of their books as Aristotle said of his books of Philosophy That they were published yet not published seeing not to be understood without his help Now all the considerations these great Sophies have and let there be as much more added to them yet they will not

Christ is the Scriptures which being the first is to prove not to be proved but in an higher School the Schoole of heaven by evidences unprovable and unreprovable evidences taken from the Prover and Spirit of God Of which hereafter N 2 Of translations How Anabaptists overthrow all Translations I No way like that of Cajetan That to understand the Latine Translation was not to understand the infallible Word of God but the word of the Translatours subject to errour Though he took it from Hierome that to write holy Books proceeded from the Holy Ghost but to translate them into another Tongue was a work of humane skill For if an Ambassadour deliver his minde by an Interpreter are not the words of the Interpreter the words of the Ambassadour Right say you if the Interpreter do it truely So say I a Translation is a translation no further then he doth translate and interpret truely for a false translation as farre as it is false is no translation I have read in a great Papist That it is a great error for a man to think that he can understand or interpret the holy Scriptures without some peculiar guift of the Holy Ghost And sith the Lord hath commanded his people to heare and read the word and the cōmon people cannot read the word but in some translation of other that therefore translations are in special a special Ordinance of God and that therefore God being in his providence very careful that his Church shall not want sufficient provision for their soules hath ever doth and will ever so assist Translatours that for the main they shall not erre I am of minde that there was never any Christian Church but the Lord did so hold the hands and direct the pens of the translators so that the translations might well be called the Word of God The vulgar Latine which the Papists out of a veine of opposition do advance too much is faulty enough yet it is so sound that I think many have beene led by it to their conversion Why may I not think that those many who have been converted from Popery in the Church of Rome and joyned themselves to our Church have beene beholding for the most of them next to God to their vulgar translation as Martyr Zanchius Luther Oecolampadius and a many others The Ephesians were builded in their faith on the Prophets and Apostles the Apostles were living but the Prophets were dead and gone long since they could no way build their faith on the Prophets but on their writings Now the writings of the Prophets in the Original were in Hebrew and I take it for granted that the Ephesians being bred and borne Grecians did not understand the Hebrew tongue and that therefore there were translations of the Prophets which translations were made by such men as were ordinary as ours are subject I confesse to some errour but not such errour but that it did serve to help the Church to faith for the salvation of their souls In the Apostles time I know that they that did know the Apostles to be Apostles and that they did preach they did preach as Apostles they were to take them at their words But when they did heare them preach as the Bereans did not so I think a many else did not look on them as Apostles and infallible speakers And no question there were many Pastours and Teachers then who though many had more then a common gift of prophecying yet had not the infallible spirit of the Apostles Those Prophets had not the same supreame spirit which the Apostles had as saith to me the most Learned amongst the Learned but yet saith he they had a more extraordinary spirit not to write nor to translate but to interpret Scripture then the ordinary Pastors and Teachers had but I think that gift of interpreting died with them Now what the Bereans did to Paul so all stood bound to do to the ordinary Pastors and Teachers even to examine by the Scriptures whither those things they taught were right or not And those who were thus to examine the Sermons of the ordinary Pastors and Teachers were to do it by the Greek Translation sith many did not understand the Hebrew and they that did understand the Hebrew yet were to do it no question by Transcripts made by ordinary men after the Prophets ended with Malachi which Transcripts of the Hebrew text some quarrel at as done by ordinary gifted men which were they say subject to mistake in transcribing as well as translatours might mistake in translating In which neither of them must be looked as free from all mistake Wotton saith saith truly that many thousands were converted and many Churches settled by the preaching of the several Apostles sent abroad to convert the world amongst the Jewes and Gentiles without the knowledge and before the penning of the Books of the New Testament but that they did it without the use and authority of the Old Testament and the Word of God written there there is no proof nor I think can there be any Besides the Apostles carried the Word of God in their bosoms having that holy Library in their Heads by immediate and infalible inspiration I doubt not but the Ephesians were converted by Paul but yet Paul when he did convert them did it by the truth of doctrine left behinde them by the Prophets which is cleare in that the Apostle makes the Prophets the Foundation as well as the Apostles By Prophets I take it for granted he meanes the writing Prophets of the Old Testament not the preaching Prophets of the New And I take it also to be clear of it selfe that the Ephesians living so long after all those Prophets were dead and gone had their writings only so then the Ephesians were converted by the truth of doctrine left for them by the Prophets and preached to them by the Apostles I will also take it for granted till I heare or reade any deny it that the Ephesians understood not the Hebrew In which tongue the Prophets left their doctrine as the Canon of the Church And hence it cannot but follow that saving what help the Ephesians had from Paul they were to have recourse to the doctrine of the Prophets not in Hebrew which they understood not but in some Translation of others which without dispute must be the Greek translation of the Seventy there then being no other translations The Ephesians being also not Jewes but Grecians The resolution 1. As touching the Originals 2. As touching the Translations 1. I cannot but confesse that it sometimes makes my heart ake when I seriously consider what is said That we cannot assure our selves that the Hebrew in the Old Testament and the Greek in the New are the right Hebrew and Greek any further then our Masters and Tutors and the General consent of all the Learned in the world do so say not one dissenting But yet say these

Hebrew the New Testament being not written not any of it till after Pentecost not all of it nntill John a matter of sixty years after Christs death This to the Colossians could not be meant of the New Testament but of the Old So againe the Thessalonians being Grecians did not understand the Hebrew yet they were commanded to prove all things By what why by the Scriptures and this was the Old Testament which they understanding not the Hebrew then it cannot but be meant of the translation This Conclusion I think is clear sith the Churches of the Gentiles were commanded to read Moses and the Prophets and read them they could not but in a translation therefore translations are commanded by God as an Ordinance and constitution of Heaven it felf The same Smith in the same book falls foule on the Greek translation of the seventy as that it was a grievous sin to translate the Old Testament into Greek or any language else His reason is for that this ought not to have bin done til the fulnes of time of the calling of the * Gentiles other reasons he hath not worth a fig nor is this reason much better It 's known that * Ptolomy King of Egypt had together certaine Learned Jewes skilful in the Greek Language in number seventy two and by them he caused the Old Testament to be done into Greek about two hundred and ninety years before the Birth of Christ And this is observed to be a fit time to have it done for if it had not been done till after the coming of Christ either the Jewes out of envy would have kept and hid the Hebrew Copies or corrupted them or else cast some suspition and evil report of evil doings on the translators All which it being done at this time was prevented Now though this were done before the coming of Christ and so of the time of the full calling of the Gentiles yet it was not so long before but that it was a fit preparative against the calling of the Gentiles whose language since Alexanders conquest generally was Greek and sith there then was no printing no Copies could be scattered abroad but by manuscripts and writing which is great labour and cost and this being such a slow work there needed that this translation should be done some good space before the calling of the Gentiles that so a sufficient number of Manuscript-written Copies might be had and scattered abroad among the Gentiles they all understanding the Greek and but few or none the Hebrew that the books being the foundation of the Prophets might be ready done against the time of the calling of the Gentiles for their need and use * The time of this translation being after the Jewes had been amongst the Gentiles in captivity we finde that the Gentiles being to creep into the Church and now and then some to turn Proselytes and was it not fit that there should be a translation ready to bid them welcome into the Church And what if it were a sinne to attempt the full calling of the Gentiles before the full time yet who can say with any reason that it was a sin to provide a translation which they understood against their calling Nor could this translation be sufficiently provided for number in written Copies and sufficiently scattered till the time of their calling So that this was not to go about to call them before the time was they were to be called but rather an excellent Providence to have Copies ready in a language they understood against the full time of their full calling And whereas it is objected that these Jewes who did put it out of the Hebrew into the Greek were profane men is more then I knowe or then they can prove Againe to make it good that the act of translating the Scriptures into Greek was no unlawful thing I need go no further then to the Apostles who becoming all things to all men to save some were careful in citing places out of the Old Testament to tie themselves much to this Greek translation Insomuch that though they did never vary from the Hebrew in sense yet they did chose rather to follow the phrase and words of the Greek then the Hebrew to condescend as far as might be to the Gentiles who were acquainted with the Greek translation but not with the Hebrew original Wherefore it must needs be the froth of a giddy head in this man to call this act of translation into Greek a grievous sin sith the Apostles did so much use and reverence it and chiefly Paul who chiefly the Apostle of the Gentiles We all do or should know that the Gospel began at Hierusalem from * Hierusalem it went to Judea and Samariah thence to Syria and Cilicia from thence to Ciprus Asia Greece Italy and from these parts to the utmost coasts of the earth according to the commission of Christ Now in all * those parts the Greek was most in use in most onely in use in some and of necessity they had recourse to the Greek translation Smith speaks fowle of it as a false and forged translation I dispute not what it is now but what it was then If it had been such a piece the Apostle Paul would not have looked after it so much as he did nor the church have used it so long as it did is well known to those who know the state of the Church that the church did generally use this Greek translation a Latine one framed out of this scarce any other if any other at all for six hundred yeares after Christ I know Sixtus Senensis and Bellarmine men of great reading do write that the seventy Interpreters though they were not Prophets who wrote Scripture yet that they had a line and light of the spirit which did direct them so that in translating they did not er●e at all which perhaps is too much on the other hand however it held very pure I am perswaded along time till the greek tongue began to grow out of use and then came in a world of translations in Latine and popular languages I am cleare of opinion that those Anabaptists who are against all learning are against all translations whatsoever For without the knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek tongues it is not possible to turne the Old and New Testament into any language whatsoever Nor without the understanding of those two languages can any understand the Bible in the Originals neither And on this ground God may be said to binde us to what is impossible I meane to build on the Scripture when we can neither have it by their principles in any Translation nor understand it in the Originals Mr. Wotton saith that the Anabaptists do every one claim a priviledge of not erring for himself yet not for others which opinion he calls a false and lewd opinion And on the matter if that they do so hold I know no great

So I dare lay it on the same God that he in his providence is so with the Church of the Gentiles that they have and do preserve the Greek Text uncorrupt and clear As for some scapes by Transcribers that comes to no more then to censure a book to be corrupt because of some scapes in the printing and 't is certaine that what mistake is in one print is correctin another A second Proposition is That God never did suffer his Church to be without a sufficient Rule and there can be no rule but translations to the Vulgar Therefore I make no question but the sweet providence of God hath held the hearts and hands and pens of translators so in all true Churches in all times that the virnacular and popular translation into mother tongues have beene made pure without any considerable tincture of errour to endanger the soules of his Church For what if Interpreters and Translators were not Prophets yet God hath and doth use so to guide them that they have been are and shall be preserved from so erring in translating the Scriptures that the souls of his people may have that which will feed them to eternal life that they shall have sufficient for their instruction and consolation here and salvation hereafter This is the opinion of Bellarmine himselfe albeit he appropriates it to their vulgar Translation yet I think the eye of providence provides for all vulgar and vernacular translations in their mother tongue for all true Churches in the world Translations are sufficient with all their mistakes to save the Church I will deliver this in the words of Master Baine Faith cometh by hearing of the word from a particular Minister who by confession of all is subject to errour As God hath not immediately and infallibly assisted Ministers that they cannot erre at all so we know that he is in some measure with them that they cannot altogether erre A Translation that erreth cannot beget faith so farre forth as it erreth The word Translated though subject to errour is Gods Word and begetteth and increaseth faith not so farre forth as man through frailty erreth but as he is assisted through speaking and translating to write the truth So he This gives full satisfaction to me and I hope it will to others The maine Conclusion for a ground of all is the evidence and seale of the Spirit of God which perswadeth us of the saving truth in the Translation and by way of Ministry to come to saving faith by the preaching of the Word by our several Ministers Papists cry up the inerrable and infallible authority of the Church and yet they themselves deny not but their particular preachers whom they heare are as subject to erre as any of ours are I know no authority the Church hath whatever the Church doth is but Ministerial The Papists and we agree in this That Translations Originals Reading Preaching is of no saving effect without the Revelation and Testimony of the Spirit Canus I rather choose to mention him the oftener because Dr. John Rainolds saith that he was of better minde and sounder judgement then Popish Doctors are the most of them It is a great errour saith he in them who think they can either understand or interpret the Scripture without the peculiar gift of the holy Ghost And againe The last resolution of our faith must be in the inner efficiency of God moving to beleeve We believe not for that John or any man else saith it but because God hath revealed it Now that God hath revealed his minde we do immediately believe it by special instinct And again The formal reason of our assent is the light of God which God doth infuse into us and for this he cites Aquinas Lect. 2. ad Rom. 10. And as the understanding in us discernes of natural things and the taste in matters of sense so when the minde of a man is inlightened by the Spirit we are inabled to discerne doctrines necessary to salvation from errours which are not of God This his resolution is often up and down in his book Bellarmine is for the same conclusion A man cannot saith he without the special illustration of God believe the mysteries of faith And again Faith cannot arise in the heart but by divine revelation which is either immediately from God alone or by the instrument of the Word reade or preached I think it hath truth in it which Canus observes That Peter had heard the Testimony of John Baptist when with open voice he proclaimed Christ to be the Son of God John 1. 84. and had moreover with his own eyes seene many miracles of Christ yet after all these Christ doth ascribe Peters confession of his saith to none of of these but onely to divine revelation So then Protestants and Papists we and they concurre in this That at last we must sit down by the evidence and sealing testimony of the Spirit but with this difference They say The Spirit gives light and evidence to the authority of the Church we say To the Sovereignty of the Scriptures Nothing can be seene without some light or other Things of Reason cannot be conceived without the light of reason nor things of the Spirit without the light of Faith and of the Spirit Though Wotton hath cast an unhappy stone or two at translations yet when he comes to answer Fisher who said That the Spirit of God teacheth and perswadeth men to believe the Church Are you saith Wotton they who mock at private spirits and yet are glad to flie that help Is it not as likely the Spirit should teach men which is the Scripture as which is the Church and assure them of a translation as of this or that mans Ordination and Priesthood So he thus at last he is for the divine authority of translations But is not this to fall upon private revelations No such matter for we call not in for the Testimony of revealing of the Spirit to teach us any thing but what is revealed in the word that wer to bring in privat revelations But because none doth or can know the secrets of God but the Spirit of God therefore we say that we are made to see the evidence of truth first revealed in the Word and then by that light which the Spirit kindleth in our hearts both the Scripture to be the Word of God and the minde of the Sripture is not onely revealed but confirmed to us by the Testimony of the Spirit in us and to us So here is no use of the Spirit to reveal new lights but to shew us the evidence of these truthes which are in the Word A private spirit is to lead us from this is to lead us to the Word And all this is done by illightning our understandings and sanctifying our wills to discern and to approve the evidence of truth which is in the Scripture and no other They