Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
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A16976
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An epistle to the learned nobilitie of England Touching translating the Bible from the original, with ancient warrant for euerie worde, vnto the full satisfaction of any that be of hart. By Hugh Broughton.
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Broughton, Hugh, 1549-1612.
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1597
(1597)
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STC 3862; ESTC S121964
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44,282
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62
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to speake So for bookes written after the captiuitie past times of bondage where the Samaritanes speach against the Temple-builders is as they spoke it doubtfull Ebrew as We doe not sacrifice or Sacrifice we not there in Loa and Lo the word of the text and margent expound one the oher And againe in Zacharie speaking of Ierusalems destruction womens vsage by souldiers grosse to speake the text telleth the terme to be seene the margent what the holy Spirit would haue read Thus for ciuilitie or facilitie in sense the margent reading is giuen with equall authoritie as the other Moreouer wheras the Prophetes deepe skill that omits the particle Vau that is And in a speach of two members or hath a worde too sharpe for the common sorte in orthography straunge differs in a letter from the vsuall manner the margent hauinge the vsuall sheweth what care the holy Synagogue had that no one syllable should amaze the simple but were all taught from God to couple diligence with easie sense These poinctes some touche euery tounge some onlie Ebrewe grammer where a learned professour would as soone looke to swallowe a camel as to escape blame in vnheedines herein And further off would he be from thinking that Babel caused one letter amisse when Ieremie liued til Ezra was of vnderstaÌ„ding Ezechiel prophecieth vnto thirtie fiue yeares of the captiuitie the exact halfe and Daniel was there all the while the marrowe of Godlines learning witte and wisedome and the wealthiest subiect in the worlde that hee could want no will skill nor abilitie to keepe all scripture which the holy wisdome of God sawe needefull to make vp the body of Ebrewe holy storie Mardochai was next him in time of captiuitie and godlines and an holy Writer as he of equall authoritie in Daniels end of life or aged about 110. yeares he as well with Aggei Zachary Ezra such would haue an eye to the text his soundnesse Wherefore translatours herein fall fouly when they say that Michal is put for Merob or vpon Iude complaine of bookes lost for Enochs speach or Michaels That is a principall poinct to be looked vnto the obseruations wherevpon will lighten eyes to much further sight into Gods worde In this matter the Massorites care should be opened Grammarians of Ebrew sprong from Ezra and long continued who reckoned euerie letter howe often in the holy Ebrewe it came howe ofte wordes of short or full writings were diuersly written where and what strange texts would seeme corruptions to the vnstayed and for Eth and Vau little particles howe often they come together in sort easie to deceyue a copyer without a table of direction such poinctes are a brasen wall to saue froÌ„ doubt of scriptures certeintie and froÌ„ extreeme rashnes that condemne as faultie things of heauenlie synceritie So when we come to translate Achaz king of Israel or Iosaphat king of Israel we should with the Massorites note the strauÌ„genes that Israel is put for Iuda and checke the Rhemist that marking that title in Achaz but not in Iosaphat rageth against the text as though it had bene corrupt and would therevpon drawe vs from Gods worde vnto a Church and to Rome by whose policie Christ was crucified while they runne from mischief to mischief The like care must bee vsed for the newe Testament and more iudgement be cause Christians tooke not the like heede as not being in equall daunger Here we haue committed grosse faultes blaming most learned speaches For example some shalbe brought The holy Ghost in Greeke speaketh thus Iocob dyed in Egypt and the Patriarches they were caried to Sychem And they were put in graue That which Abraham bought for price of mony That from the sonnes of Emor of Sychem Here the Pronowne They the close repetition of the Pronowne That omission of the copulatiue vsuall in Prophetes rare in common speach caused vs to amende the holy text to leaue Iacobs buriall vntold who yet was principal in the narration to say that Abraham was put for Iacob and to falsifie the buying For price of money as though Iacob had bought his plot for money and not for Lambes as the Greeke translation expoundeth Iacobs price Keshita is translated Lambes in the Seuentie whose translation for common wordes the newe Testament checketh not but followeth most exactly infinitely So that we may wel know that Saint Luke writing in Greeke meant the graue that Abraham bought for price of money and that wherein Iacob was buried not that wherein the Patriarkes were buried Whereby there can be no colour that Abraham in the text was put for Iacob but in the whole sentence the Translatours dealing weakened our strength disgraced the grace of holy synceritie That the simple may better vnderstande what I blame you shall haue the translation vsed of vs which marreth the Greeke and the annotations vpon it which condemneth that which God coÌ„mendeth vnto vs. And I hope no man of grace wilbe angrie to haue Scripture cleared nor vexe me any more with graue Fathers If they that blame haue anie grauitie or drop of grace they will wishe all men disgraced rather then one syllable of Gods worde And they who must coÌ„fesse vnskilfulnes shall not doe wel vnlesse they willinglie doe yeeld vnto the trueth and loue the honor of God more then their own and make it plaine vnto the people that the booke which we call the Bible is the Hebrewe for the olde the Greeke for the newe and translations are but so farre as they are true and exact from the originall and without hinderance may and must bee examined by the other yea where they are blamelesse and syncere by the originall their clearenes authoritie must aye be strengthened by the Ebrew Thus the text standeth And Iacob dyed both he and our Fathers and were caried ouer into Sychem layde in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for money of the sonnes of Emor the sonne of Syâ—hem Here appeareth an errour for Abraham seemeth to â—e put in the text in the steede of Iacob for Iacob bought â—he sepulchre of Emor and not Abraham who bought before a fielde of Ephron You see the text and the note which if we all would graunt curraunt then would the papistes earnestlie triumph that we Protestantes confesse the text to be corrupted That will I neuer doe while breadth standeth in my brest I beleeue that I shall soone finde some hundreth thousandes in Englande that wiâ—l no more turne the sword with Stephanas against their owne hart after sight how their case is well if they knew their own good things Saint Stephen speaketh in his most heauenlie oration other wisdome of exact skill yet blamed of great men Vr by him is in Mesopotamia and his deadliest enemie Barbinel doth therein defende him full learnedly but we coÌ„monly seeke qualifications vnartificial whereby a Turke or Iewe would say that we made him but a
AN EPISTLE TO THE LEARNED NOBILITIE OF ENGLAND Touching translating the BIBLE from the original with ancient warrant for euerie worde vnto the full satisfaction of any that be of hart By HVGH BROVGHTON IOHN I. The light shineth in darknes though darknes doeth not comprehend it MIDDELBVRGH By Richard Schilders Printer to the States of Zealande 1597. To all the learned Nobilitie of England HVGH BROVGHTON wisheth all increase of knowledge that they may esteeme the vnderstanding of Gods worde and care for synceritie in it to be the head of wisedome and true Religion in CHRIST WHEREAS many right Honorable from the high to the low of all sortes haue bene desirous greatly and a long time to haue the holy booke of God which for the old Testament is in Ebrew for the new all originally in Greeke to be translated and beautified with all furniture for playnes and ornaments that such as studie it should in no place be snared by the translater but rather in all poinctes might haue at the first layd cleare before them all that studie can affoord It may be thought a good help to the bringing of their desire to passe by ioyning of al effectuallie in executioÌ„ of the worke to shewe what in this paynes may be better done then yet we haue in Englande And as bare shortnes is soonest viewed so matter of large longe high deepe quantitie shalbe brought into speach of no greatnes but narrow short lowe shallowe that the meanest may in good part iudge what ought to be censured The holy text must be honored as sound holy pure hede must be taken that the translater neither flow with lyes nor haue one at all prophecies spoken in doubtfull termes for sad present occasiones must be cleared by sad study and stayd safty of ancient warrant termes of equivocation witty in the speaker for familiar and easy matters must be looked vnto that a translater drawe them not vnto foolish ridiculous senses Constant memorye to translate the same often repeated in the same sort is most nedefull Facility of phrase defended by the new Testament the Septuagint and writers old indifferent for all nations must be had And herein the stately words of the new Testament in Greeke taken froÌ„ the Septuagint may stand profitable in the margent through the old Also where the later repeat the former holy writers therein as it were commenting vpon them that should in all clearnes be expressed and noted These be poinctes of necessitie Some others of ornament in the end of our speach may be consydered Thus all are briefly told once which by enlargement will appeare more pleasant And speach of all shalbe vsed by your honorable pacience First a Translater of the Bible should beware least of his owne head in translation or notes he disanull the text and blame the watchfull eye of Gods providence for not preseruing the writt aright That fault is exceeding great for a man to take vpon him to bee wiser then God and to take his kingly care tardy in trueth of wordes All men will graunt that there is not an idle plant fishe worme foule or beast in nature nor yet starre in the skye but all knowen and looked vnto by Gods care Now wheras all that would be happy are commaunded to thinke day and night on Gods Lawe by the spirit of endles wisedome as learning the Eternall better thence then from the creatioÌ„ we might haue bin sure that the father of light would neuer require that but would also for his part affoorde a lawe voyde of trappe and snare to delight the soules that followe him That matter of necessitie may better bee conceaued by thinges of ornament into which God for vs hath condescended A man would little haue thought that the most High should make Alphabets for vs in his booke But wee nowe may see it done The Psal 25. hath an Alphabet saving for two letters and the Psalme is a generall forme of prayer There the wisest may try whither any wisedome could supply the argument by Ebrewe wordes of sage force The Psal 145. is alike one letter omitted The Psal 34. hath an Alphabet perfect one verse for a glad saying vpon all fit always The Psal 37. hath an Alphabet most exact though many verses seeme to hide it The Psalme 111. conteyneth Gods laude The 112. the Godly mans in most curious sorte for euery member of speach The 119. goeth vppon commendation of the Lawe of life with an eightfold Alphabet and mentioning the worde in sundry names in euery verse what vertues it hath Which sayings coÌ„ming from him that carieth about all things by his mightie worde should assure vs that it was safely kept Salomon in like battell-ray hath commended good Matrones that they teachinge their children from the breastes should giue them the milke of Gods worde And Ieremy at the kingdomes ruine penneth his LameÌ„tations with a watchfull eye very much for phrase vsing froÌ„ Moses Dauid Salomon Esay and all former termes vttered of the destruction which he sawe and felt But his Alphabet is more wonderfull to shewe in mans confusion Gods distinction So the first Cha. hath 22. verses in the 22. letters order The Ch. 2. to stirre our care hath the like with changing place of Pe and Ain two going togither but the later going afore so the fourth Chap. is most exact in the same sorte for Pe and Ain and all the other in due order that by this doubled matter studie should be stirred vp The Chap. 3. hath thrise euery letter in ordâ—â— that by three witnesses Gods looking too his letters might be seene These being matters of ElegaÌ„cy more then bare necessitie shew that no lesse watchfulnes was ouer the wordes of sentences Which thing should moue vs to holde the text vncorrupt Besides a matter of singular great importance commeth hither to be considered the margent readinges of the old testament They are eight hundred fourtie and eight in number And the word in the text was not read but the worde in the margent These greatlie touch all to knowe why so it falleth out that Christians no longer followe Kimchi and Ephody the Iewes whom Barbinel Elias Leuita damne of great iniurie done to Gods holy Maiestie for sayinge that the text was corrupted in Babylon Any may see that no Scribe would twentie two times of negligence write Naar a Gyrle for Naarah the margent terme read for Naar which signified a Boye or Gyrle and for weightie cause was read Naara a Gyrle The filthy towne Zebyim burnt froÌ„ heauen named of the pleasaunt situatioÌ„ the Roes a name of Christ in Salomons songe was read Zeboyim all the foure times that scripture hath it Errour could not fall into such wisedome Likewise when Rabsakes filthy termes are in the text to be seene but clearer in the margent to be read they who say that corruption bred this vrbanity weigh not but cast lottes what