more at large which the Prophets to a sufficiency of that they wrote theÌ„ for touched shortly or els they are conteyned in the bookes of the kings which are manifestly proued to haue bene written by diuers Prophets in their seuerall ages wherein they prophecied In the former kind whereof if we reape not that fruite which they did which liued in the dayes wherein the reader was set ouer vnto them yet we reape a more excellent fruit which is a certain knowledg of a more special prouidence care of the Lord for the preseruing of the Scriptures appering euidently in that all those falling away the books of the canonical Scripture doe stil remaine Hereof we haue a notable example in the books of Solomon whereof those falling away that he wrote of naturall philosophie and other by knowledge the profitablest bookes that euer were the Canon only excepted those alone which perteined to godlynes haue bene safely kept for the posteritie Which is so much more to be obserued as there being infinitely moe in the world that effect the knowledg of naturall thinges then doe godlynes haue not yet with all the care of keeping them bene able to deliuer them from this whole and perpetuall forgetfulnes wherevnto they are fallen as if they had neuer bene written Where of th' other side his holy writtings hated of the most parte carelesly regarded of a number haue notwithstanding as whole and full a remeÌ„brance as they had the first day the Lord gaue them vnto the church And seing there are now more then 1500. yeares wherein there is not onely no booke but no sentence of any booke of Canonicall Scripture fallen away what cause is there why wee should think that in the tyme which was vnder the law whole bookes fell away so thick and threefolde For as for bookes of the nevv Testament imagined of some to haue ben lost their reasons wherevpon their imagination leaneth are so faint that they are not worthie the naming Of all which matter it is euident that not onely the matter of the Scripture but also the wordes not onely the sense and meaning of them but the manner and frame of speach in them doe remaine 2. Tim. 3 For seing the Scripture remayneth vvhich wholy both for matter and words is inspired of god it must follow that the same words wherein th' old new testament were vvritten and indited by the hand of God do remaine For how great difference there is betvveen the thinges both vvordes and matter that haue passed through the Act. 9 Act. 17 1. Cor. 15 Tit. 1. 12 mouth or pen of God and those vvhich come from a mortal man may appeare by the sayings of the Poets taken vp of the holye Ghost For not vvithstanding the Poets vse the same vvordes and sense vvhich the Scripture vseth yet vvere they neither the vvordes nor the sense of God but of the Poets vntill they had passed by the golden pype of the Lords mouth Whereby it came to passe that those sayings which were before prophane are now most holy euen as the stones and timber which in the quarrey and forrest were common were after holy when they were laide in the building of the Temple If therefore words the same in letters sillables with those the holy Ghost vseth are not wordes inspired of God because they were neither written nor spoken of him his Embassadors and publike notaries how much lesse are the wordes of the olde translator diuers from them of the holy Ghost inspired of him seing they neuer passed either by pen or mouth of his And albeit th' olde translator which he is far from should alwayes giue sense for sense waight for waight yet shuld not his translation which so should be yâ— truth of god be therfore the worde of God considering that the title aggreeth only to that truth of God which hath also the frame of his words And therefore the Apostle maketh a manifest difference betweene the wholsome wordes of our Sauiour 1. Tim. 6. 3 Christ and the doctrine that is according to godlines And our Sauiour Christ in saying that thy worde is the trueth Ioh. 17. 17 doth manifestly establish a difference betweene gods worde and his trueth otherwise he should say thy trueth is the trueth or thy word is the word which were no declaratioÌ„ of his meaning but onely an vnnecessarie repetition Wherefore it is truly verefied of these men which the Prophet saieth that they haue forsaken the fountains Ierem. 2. and digged cisterns But let vs examine the pith of their reasones which haue moued them rather to draw from the riuen and leaking cask of th' old translator by the which manye thinges haue entred to th' emparing the sweet wine of the Scripture then from the staunch whole vessels of the Greek copies which preserue it from all corruption To the first reason These men are worthie to goe alwayes in their olde cloathes that make th' age of the traÌ„slation the first and principall commendation therof Wherby it shuld appear if they could haue come by the translation that Ierom amended they would haue tunned their drink out of that rather theÌ„ out of this as that whose head was hoarer And if this be a good reason why should not the translation of Symmachus Aquila and Theodotion bee preferred which are auncienter then he Yea why should not the 70. before them all be much more preferred as those that were vsed oftentymes of th' Apostles and commended highly of th' auncient fathers But as gray heares are then onely honorable when they are founde in the waye of righteousnesse so th' age of th' old translator is there only to be respected and reuerenced where both for propernesse of wordes and truth of sense he hath wisely and faithfully translated And so far we holde him worthie to be preferred before other interpreters But if antiquitie commended th' olde translation vnto you for that it was aboue 1300. yeares olde the Greek coppies being more ancient then it hauing bene vsed aboue 1500 yeares should ye wisse haue had the right hand of th' olde translator To the second reason It is false For it is not the receiued opinion Looke Ierome vpon these places and compare them with th' old translator Genes 1. 2 Esai 1 12 30. 5. 2 Gal. 1. 16 2. 5. 5 8. Eph. 1 14 4. 19. c neither is there any probabilitie of it considering that Ierome in the old and nevv Testament both translateth otherwise then th' olde interpreter and often controwleth him Hereof the testimony of Erasmus a man that had as quick a nose in Ieromes doings as whosoeuer is notable who flatly affirmeth that this translation is neither Cyprians nor Hilaries nor Ambrose nor Augustins nor Ieromes seing his reading is diuers from it and that it is Looke also afterward for other examples Eras epist N. amico ex aniâ—o dilecto Erasmâ—iâ— Scholijs â—â— epist Hieron
the Hebrevv and Syriack vvords vsed the vvord that vvas proper vnto the tongue he vvrote in And therefore you impudently face dovvne the trueth vvhen you say that Parasceue is as solemne a word for the sabaoth euen as Sabaoth is for the Iewes seuenth day Neither is there more cause to leaue it vn-translated when we are not able vvith like shortnes of our speach to attaine the full signification then to leaue it vnturned when the shortnes of our speach affordeth a sentence in a smaller compasse of wordes then doth th' originall And if this be a sufficient reason to hold the translators hand because there are three wordes in Mat. 1. 19. the translation of Parasceue aboue that which is in the Greeke why haue you translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put to open shame Naye howe commeth it to passe that without all warrant of the Greeke or circumstance of the place beyond the mark of the vulgar translation which you propounde vnto your selues and that in text Act. 8. letters you translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they took order for buriall We knowe therefore that your Dirigie groates and Trentall money will make you lauish and rauill in your translation as much as your seruile minde maketh you dumb mute in other places where you might better speake In the rest also your comparisons are foolish For if we haue retained certē words in their originall because our speach fitteth them not so well it followeth not therefore that you might doe that where it is at hand and readie to serue the Greeke or Hebrew word Or if we haue sometimes not vsed the benefite and wealth of our tongue doth it follow therefore that you may so doe And if we seeking to translate all the Greek wordes haue left some vntranslated because the English phrase either did not afford it vnto vs or els stood at that time far from vs doth it followe that you should retain those words in a strange tongue which our tongue doth afford you the translation of which we haue found out vnto your hand and which hath confirmation by the common vse and practise of our nation for manie yeares together Breifly whereas our people by the grace of God in knowledge of the worde through the meanes of a lightsome plaine translation haue bene deliuered out of Egypt in steed that you should haue added light where it is wanting and plained that which is rough you haue endeuoured by your clouddy and hacked speaches to bring in againe all confusion and ignorance of God and of his trueth And if your daintie stomack could not brooke the feast of the sweete bread yet was there no cause for you to accuse it of falshood seing sweete bread vnleauened bread with vs are all one The translation also printed at Geneua hath vnleauened bread But nothing tasteth you but Azymes and that because the people cannot chaw these crusts of yours or bones rather which of purpose you set before them that they may departe hungrie from your table Your interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is false without all manner of proofes framed out of your cruell and vnmercifull iudgement of throwing all into hell which die without baptisme as if they were not planted in the house of God before they be baptized where the true vse of baptisme is towards those which we vnderstand either by their own confession or by the couenant to be already planted in the house of God As for the meaning of th' Apostle it is euident that he would haue none drawne to the ministery of the worde which is lately come to the profession of the Gospell therefore your fantasie of a neophyte that hath bene an olde scholler in the schoole of Christ for so you must meane implieth a manifest contradiction and is all one as if you should say he is a new olde plant or a new olde scholler For in those that were not gathered from heathenish religion to the fellowship of the Gospell before the yeares of discretion the same daie that they became true schollers they became true plants and contrariwise Wherefore to be a young scholler is the same thing in effect as to be a yong plant where Neophyte to a bare Englishman is nothing at all no more then depositum exinanited exhaust the foolerie and beastlines whereof is euident to all men seing our speach is able to yeeld the iust valuation of them And if our shewing the glad tidings be not significatiue to our nation much lesse is your Euangelizing which scarce one amongst a hundreth doth vnderstand And if you had learned that the doctrine of Christ vnder the Gospell is not set forth sufficientlye by the Greeke word without a Trope of synecdoche or as they call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you might easilie haue knowen that the same Trope being vnderstood in our glade tidings would haue reached the Greek word and whatsoeuer is signified by it sufficientlye For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a Greeke worde before the Gospell came into the world and is vsed of Greek authors to signifie all manner of good newes and nothing els And therefore the word can properly signify no more now then it did then But th' Euangelist chose that word especially to note that where men are desirous to knowe good tidings they should bestowe both their eares to vnderstand this doctrine which is only worthie of that name And if our translation liked you not as you haue translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gospell so you might haue translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Gospell and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gospelling with more vnderstanding of our people and with as full attainment of the signification of the words vnlesse you will confesse that you haue fayled in turning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gospell Lastly if so much of the signification is lost vnlesse it be turned Euangelize how commeth it that you Math. 11. 5. haue translated it the Gospell is preached Heere therefore your drudgerie to th' old interpreter is againe manifest for notwithstanding you hold it ill turned vnlesse the Greek word be retayned yet because th' old translator turneth it otherwise you stick not contrarie to your iudgment to turn it as he doth so haue you no iudgement of your own and th' old translators iudgement who by turning it nowe one way and nowe another signifieth an indifferency of translation you vtterly ouerthrowe But that vvhich follovveth is more absurde that the people must be depriued of the naturall translation of the vvords through your sottish desire of keeping of Latin vvords which the vulgar vsed vvhich these lying spirits calling first the Latine text of the Scripture after by and by call it the verie words of the Scripture as if the Scripture translated into the English tongue vvere not as much the Scripture as that vvhich is translated into the Latine For your poenance you must do poenance
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
hidden to any it is hiddeÌ„ to those whose vnderstandings the God of this worlde hath blinded that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should not shine vnto them This iudgement of th'easines and facilitie of the Scripture haue the auncient fathers Origen saith that they In Exoâ—uÌ„ hom 9 are shut against the negligent and open to those which knock seeke Another that Chrysost in 2. Thessal 2 hom 5 all is cleare and plaine in holie Scriptures whatsoeuer is necessary for vs is manifest Another that the Lord hath spoken by his Hieron in Psal 86 Gospell not that a few but that all shoulde vnderstand it that Plato wrote his wrytings but not to the people but to a fewe scarce three vnderstanding him Last of al Cyrill saith that the Scriptures are profitably Contra Iulian lib. 7 medium circiter lib recommended vnto vs in an easie speach that they should not goe beyond the capacity of anie Wherefore it is no Catholick but the Pelagian iudgement that the August coÌ„tra Iul. lib. 5. cap. 1 Scripture is hard and fit for a fewe learned men Your owne Pope saith that they are lyke a flood wherin the lame may wade Grâ—gor mag Epist ad Leand. in expositione Iobi and th'elephant may swimme And if all the Scripture carrie this light with it it is cleare that euerie booke doth the same Wherefore also the book of the Canticles of Salomon intreating of our spirituall coniunction with our Sauiour Christ and that in most chast and yet familiar speeches it is meete for all ages We aggree that there may be a profitable discretion of reading one book before another and of reading one twise before another once But forsomuch as the whole scripture is a letter sent froÌ„ the almightie to his creature there is no iust cause why the Greg. epist 84 booke of the Canticles c. should be plastered vp that young men children should not read that part of the letter as well as the rest And howsoeuer Ierom in that place seem to allow the Iewes deuise which they saw what time the vaile was before their eyes yet the same Ierome in another place where he speaketh of th'education of a young maide of seauen yeares olde sayeth let her learne without booke the Epist ad Gaudent Psalter and vntill she come to be mariageable let her make the treasure of her heart the bookes of Salomon the Gospels Apostles and Prophetes Vnlesse therefore you will denie that the Cantîcles are amongst the bookes of Salomon you shall be constrained to confesse that Ierome would not haue the teÌ„der ages shut out from the reading of them Ioseph 2. lib. contra Apion Heere the testimonie of Iosephus is notable who affirmeth that if any asked any of the Iewes concerning the law they were aswell able to tell him as their own names And as for your argument that the people should be no more loath to be ordered by their Pastors in the reading of the Scriptures then in th' vse of the holy SacrameÌ„ts it is absurd For the Lorde commanded the father of the householde to teach his children at Deut. 6 home and by some opening to sharpen and set an edge of the doctrine of the lawe that it might cut the deeper into their hearts yet did not he suffer that the householder shoulde minister the Sacrament in his house And your selues which graunt vnto certaine laye persons leaue to haue th' vse of the Bible doe you thinke it lawfull also that you may credite theÌ„ with the administration of the Sacrament Howbeit indeede you deale with the people much a-like both in holding them from the reading of the Scriptures and in excluding them from the Sacrament of the Supper not onelie in that they receiue but once a yeare but that euen then they receiue no Sacrament of Christ but an Idole of your owne braine When therefore you haue answered the trust you professe in the Sacraments men may commit somewhat the more vnto you in the stewardship dealing out of the scriptures There is no such place of Ambrose in that booke If there were yet th' answere is easie that the Bible is called the Priests book as they are called the pillers of the 1. Tim. 3 trueth for that they were more continuallie to occupie themselues in the reading of them But that he meant not therby to shut out the people froÌ„ reading thereof it appeareth in that he saieth That he careth not much for his Ambrose serm 35 Look Ambrose vpon the psal 118. serm 7. in vers â— bellie which is earnest in the food of reading That that is the refection that maketh a fat soule Also that the reading of the Scripture is lyfe We doe not think that you doe so much enuie the people the reading of the Scriptures as that thereby you seeke your vantage that your vile filthie marchandise of Masses and Diriges Pardons and Indulgences hauing no light to shew them by might be vented abroad which would lye rotting at home vpoÌ„ your hand if men might be suffred to bring any light with theÌ„ into your pack-houses But seing you obiect enuie against your selues let vs heare how you answere it You compare your accusers heerein to the Diuell surmysing an euill and an enuious eie in God that forbad our parents the fruit of one tree You do wel if you be able to shew that God hath forbidden the people to reade the Scriptures Which because you cannot th' accusation returneth vppon your selues it being as Satanicall to forbid that which God hath bidden as to bid that which he hath forbiddeÌ„ And because it pleaseth you to compare the restraint of the Scriptures with th' inhibition of eating of the forbidden tree hearken of how contrarie a iudgement Irenaeus is vnto you in this point who alluding to this place of Genesis exhorteth all men to eate of euerie diuine Scripture You take a sure Irenaeus lib 5. ad medium circiter libriâ— way to keep the Church froÌ„ knowledge falsly so named whilest you wil let them know neither good nor bad not vnlike to those parents which to be sure that their children shall not surfet keepe them altogether from meate You woulde haue them wise to sobrietie Therefore belike you bannish them from th' acquaintance of the scripture the mistresse of all wisedome and sobrietie Where reade you that the Scriptures are compared to knyues in the hands of little children They are indeede compared with a sworde in the Ephes 6 hand of a souldier whereby it is easie for them to knowe that your meaning is to betray them into their spirituall enemies hands which haue taken their weapons from them And if some mad men or quarrellers in the campe abuse them to their owne and others destruction yet the law of not bearing sword in fielde will neuer be iust In stead therefore that you shuld haue generallie commanded that all souldiers should
ad Pâ—mmach libro 1. aduersus louinian much lesse that which he corrected seing there be found in this which he condemneth not onlye as touching the wordes but also as touching the meaning And in another place he saith that Ierome manifestly condemneth the former translation vvhich wee yet for the most part doe vse Ierome although without cause scurgeth the old interpreter for translating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sobrietie which sayth he should haue bene translated chastitie And this hee doeth in tvvo or three places Now a man would not think that Ierome was so vn-aduised as to haue giuen his aduersarie this aduaÌ„tage that he might reply against him that it was his own translation or that which he corrected and therfore that he was driuen to a hard shift which could not defend his cause but by denyal of him self But that this translation is not Ieromes Prâ—fat ad coâ—â—er â—â—ter â—estaâ—eÌ„â— let the reader looke the discourse that Munster hath made hereof Howbeit if this were granted them which they were neuer able to proue what haue they gained thereby for it followeth not that if either it were truly translated or faithfully corrected by Ierome that therefore it is now true and voyd of corruption The fountaine of the Scriptures is so walled by the prouidence of God so close sealed and couered that by no either negligence or malice of men there can any such thing fall into it to troble the cleare sweete water thereof but as for the writinges of men they haue no such priuiledge neither are they laid vp in any arke of the durable wood of Cittim but that they may be and are corrupted as the daily experience doth declare Whereof it is good to heare Ieromes own testimony I doe not think that the Lordes wordes are to be corrected but I goe about Hieron ad MarcellaÌ„ tom 2. epist vlt. to correct the falsenes of the Latin bookes which is plainly proued by the diuersitie of them and to bring them to th' originall of the Greek from the which they do not denye but that they were translated who if they mislike the water of the most pure fountaine they may drink of the myrie puddles And in the same place where they haue alledged if we must beleeue the Latin copies let them Hieron ad Damasum in â—raf in quatuor Evangel tom 3 tell vs which For there be in a manner as many diuers coppies as bookes But if they think that the truth is to be sought out of the greater parte why doe we not returne to the originall in Greek and correct those thinges which either haue bene vnskilfully translated or of ignorant presumptuous persons foolishly amended or of negligeÌ„t wryters added or changed Now if the Latin translations before Ieromes time were in 300. yeares so manifoldly corrupted how much more may we think that Ieromes translation hath in 1300. yeares bene impared and imbased especially wheÌ„ as in diuers of these hundreth yeares there hath raigned such blindnes and barbarousnes as neuer the like and when as it was coppied out for the Monachâ— indoctiâ—r more vnlearned theÌ„ a Monke Hieron in prafat in 4. Euang. Ludouicus Viues lib. â— de caus corrupt â—rtiuÌ„ moste parte by vnclarkly Monkes whose vnlearnednes is come into prouerb Of this corruption of books the reader may further see both in Ierom others of later times Wherefore it is euideÌ„t that either this traÌ„slation is not Ieromes or els it is corrupted and changed and that more materially then themselues are able to alledg of the Greek coppies Wherfore if you flie from the Greeke for that there is some alteratioÌ„ from th' original there is no cause why you should runne to this translation so diuers and repugnant to Ieromes vnles it be for that which Ierome sayeth that you had rather drink of the myrie puddels of the Latine translations then of the pure fountaine of the Greeke coppies To the thirde reason Th' antecedent being vn-true the consequence of Augustines commendation of it can haue no truth And if it were the same translation that Augustine commendeth yet Augustines praise is such of it as doeth not free it from faults nor lifteth it vp as you doe into the place of Canonicall Scripture For speaking of his translation of the Gospels only he affirmeth that it was August epist 10 August Epist 8. 10 almost faultles And in another place speaking of Ieromes translation of the olde Testament he sayth that if there were any dark places Ierome was like to be deceyued in them as other before him Beside that it is knowne that Augustine doth not alwayes follow this translation yea that hauing sene Ieromes he August lib 18. cap. 43 de ciuitaete Dei still preferred th' elder translation to Ieromes that was newer and affirmeth that the same was not his alone but the Churches iudgement of those tymes wherein Ieromes translation came abroade To the fourth reason Although your speach being vsed of the most part being faint and short to proue that it alone should now be vsed yet euen this is verie false first you are constrayned to confesse that the Greeke fathers vsed it not which argueth plainly that they had it not in that estimatioÌ„ which you haue it For then they would haue caused it to be traÌ„slated for th' use of their own churches if they had esteemed it trewer then the Greeke coppies Secondly the most ancient Latin fathers do not follow it as Tertullian Cyprian Hilary who haue scarce a footstep of it albeit it was likely in the church in their times before Ierome corrected certain places in it Ierom often dissenteth froÌ„ it often also confuteth it There remaine Ambrose Augustine who although they vse it more then the rest yet doe they often forsake it and vsed it not as you doe seruily This is yet Hierome Ambrose Augustine Looke the places before noted Gregor magn epist ad leandruÌ„ in exposit Iob cap. 5 Exposit Iobi 20. c. 24 more euident in that th' ancient fathers and euen those that vsed them most send men when there is controversie of Latine bookes to th' originals of Hebrew Greeke Yea in the very diocese of Rome long after the time of these fathers the Pope himself doth witnes that not only he but the Apostolike seat vsed both the new and olde translation in Latin Now if th' Apostolicke seate in Gregories time who made too great account of this translation vsed both and in the booke of the Psal refusing Ierome followed the old translation there is no liklihood that th' authority which this had before his tyme buried th' authority of th' other translation And as the elder expositors haue not vsed nor expounded it without controulment So the later writers wherof some haue ben pillers in your sinagogue haue bene bould manifoldly to crosse this traÌ„slation of yours For besides Bede Burgensis and Armacan of late dayes Lyra Iansenius and others
you allow of but a note of exception And therefore wee haue bettered your translator herein They say that in Iames 5. 12. we haue left the Greek and followed the Latine which is most false For there is shewed forth for warrant of that reading a most excellent Greek copie beside the Syrian paraphrast translating the Greek before the Latine did Hereby the reader may easily vnderstand that where our translations aggreed with th' olde translator it is â—ot in following him but through warrant of the Greek copies which are extant at this day And that the Thrasonicall Iesuites of th' infinite examples wherein they would make the world beleeue that we â—aue forsaken the Greeke to followe the vulgar are not able to shew so much as one poore example To the next section page 13. Least there should want anie thing wherein these enemies of God and of his word should not play their parts against th' originall Greek they haue thought good to set vpon it with a new accusation of superfluitie whereof notwithstanding they cannot bring a worde of reason beside the bare authoritie of Erasmus whose naked testimonie without proofe against the Greeke they are content to admitt which notwithstanding they vtterlye reiect when with good and substantiall reason it commeth against th' old traÌ„slator But let vs see into th' authoritie First it is confessed of the Iesuites that the Greeke copies read the supposed superfluities with full consent And doe they thinke that such a consent of Greek copies shall not be able to weigh downe th' authoritie of the vulgar translation and â—rasmus allowance of it in this place where neither vntruth of doctrine nor anie vnsutablenes to that which either goeth before or commeth after is able to bee shewed If you your selues should lay in ballance together Erasmus which here maketh for your vulgare and Valla that maketh against him we suppose that vnlesse your extreame pouertie in this case drawe you to doe otherwise you would giue the better weight to that skale wherein you lay Valla as one that dealt not so roughly with Monckery and other your pedlary as did Erasmus And as for the preheminence and authoritie that all the Greek copies haue before th' old translator those Papists excepted only which haue made themselues driuels drudges vnto him we refuse no mans weights nor no mans iudgment Beside that to disburden the Greeke of this false surmise of superfluitie we haue the Syrian paraphrast which in this poynt is not superfluous in that being long before the vulgar he beareth witnes in all these pretended superfluities vnto our Greeke copies as vnto those that are most auncient Now as for the place Math. 6. for thine is the kingdome c. If Erasmus had vnderstood that it is taken out of the booke of Chronicles written by the pen of the holy Ghost he would no doubt haue taken heed howe he had called this conclusion of the Lords praier trisles For it appeareth manifestly that this sentence was borrowed from the Prophete Dauid â— Chro. 29 11. with some abridgement of the Prophetes words which being then fit to set forth the zeale and present touche of the loue wherewith hee loued the Lorde was not so fit without an abstract for that prayer wherein our sauiour sought all shortnesse possible Secondlie that cannot be superfluous without the which we shuld not haue had a perfect form of Praier For wheÌ„ prayer standeth as well in praising of God and thanksgiuing as in petitions and requests to be made vnto him it is euident that if this conclusion had bene wanting there had wanted a forme of that prayer which standeth in praise and thanksgiuing Last of all if to giue a reason of that which goeth before be superfluous then this conclusion may be so But we suppose that it wil be a strange voice in th' eares of all the learned to affirme that a substantiall reason giuen of any thing should be iudged reasonlesse and the coupling vp of the cause with the effect in their surmised superfluitie of this place Rom. 11. 6. is charged likewise Where it is no maruel although they iudge the latter proposition superfluous seeing they are not able to beare th'enimity of the former as that which hangeth their blasphemous opinion of merit so that it can draw no breth vvhen it appeareth Which because the Apost would be sure to hang thorowlie he doubled his coard by a manifest opposition frequented oftentimes of the holy scriptures And therfore vvith the same knife they cut off this branche that they may lop as superfluous boughs a nomber of sentences in the Scriptur especially in S. Iohn And these men that account Logicall reasoning superfluous in th'Apostle how wil they bear the holy ghosts rhethorick in repeating one thing in one place by variety of words alone without any variety of sentence which is so custome-able a thing in the Proph. as the Rabbins for auoyding of tediousnes note the whole rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therof in fiue letters And if they wil not giue th'Apost leaue to vse his Logicke vvithout reproach of superfluity they may vvith better reason denie the Prophets that figure of Rethorick vvhich of all other they most delighted in Last of al Erasmus testimonie heere vpon vvhome they only leane is not so full For he doth not condemne the place of superfluity but suspecteth it There follovveth Mar. 10. 29. where with other things wiues being spoken of in one verse is not vvith them repeated in the next Whereupon is concluded that in the former verse it is a superfluitie And if it vvere not for reuerence of Erasmus learning vve might vvell say it vvere a fond conclusion For vvhy may ther not be asvvell a defect in the latter verse as a superfluitie in the former and rather a defect heere then superfluitie there considering that in Luke Luk. 18. 29 there is a full agreement of all Greek copies reading as Saint Mark doth in the former verse But that this reason is neither proofe of superfluitie nor defect it is manifestly shevved by a like place For th'Apostle hauing nombred and marked out diuerse giftes offices in the Church in the two next 1. Cor. 12. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verses making rehearsall of them againe leaueth out two of which notwithstanding he might as trulie affirm that which he ascribeth to th' other as of anie of them whatsoeuer If therefore in a rehearsall the leauing out of some thinges sent before be an argument of superfluitie let them thrust out these two ordinarie offices out of the Church and together with the whole honourable traine of the greeke copies which they will be easilie intreated vnto let them also condemn their vulgare translation Nay more then that let them condemne with the greeke their owne vulgar in this verie place of Saint Marke vvhich hauing made mention of fathers in the former verse maketh no more mention of them in the verse