hebrue nor yet the hebrue bible true by which she might once againe mende and correct the latin And here let the reader waigh whether we thinking of the Church as we doe thinking of Christes promise and the assistance of the holy Ghost as christian faith teacheth vs whereby we are most assuredly perswaded that she neuer erreth nor euer can erre damnably whether we I say haue not great reason to support our opinion which here we defend Caluin in his Institutions recounting certaine causes why the auncient writers speake so reuerently and yeld so much to the Romane church amongst other putteth this for one That vvhereas the churches of the East part and of Greece as also of Africa vvereful of tumultes and dissensions amonge them selues the Romane church vvas more quits then other and lesse troublesome For as the vvesterne people are lesse sharp quick of vvit then they of Asia and Africa so much lesse desyrous are they of nouelties This therefore added very much authoritie to the Romane church that in those doubtful times she vvas not so vnquiet as vvere the other and the doctrine once deliuered to her she held and retayned more fast then did all the rest This grace of constancy in the faith and truth once receaued when as the aduersaries yeld to the Romane church and reproue the Oriental and greeke church for lightnes inconstancie mutabilitie in the same kind we who beleeue the same grace of god to haue stil remained haue iust occasion to thinke that she was as tenax as constant in preseruing the truth of the bibles as of other parts of religiō wherein by Caluines verdite she excelled al churches vnder the sunne And if the greeke churches then in that prime flower were so mutable and incōstant and so far inferior to the latin in this respect especiallie of holding fast matters of religion once deliuered vnto them with what iudgement or conscience can we magnifie the later ages of those Greekes who much more haue deflected from the Catholike Apostolike faith haue more decayed in learning vertue and al good qualities haue degenerated almost in to a barbarisme and are now fallen in to such miserie ignorance and slauery as euerie man seeth much lesse can we mention in this comparison the Iewes Synagog who hauing the maledictiō of god vpō them as many times our Sauiour foretold in the gospel are not only quite destitute of the graces of god but also for the most part seeme altogether void of the giftes of nature of vvit iudgement policie and ordinarie humane discourse But al this vvil M.W. say is but coniecture and as probablie he disputeth against it for the contrarie part that in the hebrue and greeke there is no corruption For if it be so that the Ievves and heretikes haue laboured so much herein vvho can doubt but they haue attempted this especially in these places and sentences of scriptures vvhich the Church of Christ most vsed for confirmation of her faith and religion There are most euident testimonies of scriptures by vvhich the Ievves and all heretikes are refuted tel vs vvhat in them haue those men peruerted but that they remaine vnto vs safe and sound Neuer vvould other Ievv or heretike corrupt the scriptures except he thought that might be to him some vvaie commodious for the mainteining of his monstruous opinions VVherefore seing those places are safe by vvhich the Ievves are refelled and the heretikes of al times are killed this must needes seeme a fained tale vncredible and false vvhich you bring that the fountaines are corrupted To satisfie M.W. longing who would so faine know wherein the Iewes or heretikes haue falsified the bibles I wil seuerally geue him examples some sithence S. Hieroms tyme and some before and acknovvledged by S. Hierom him self from whom M. W. taketh most in commendation of the hebrue fountaines And that those fountaines are somewhat infected and degenerated from that puritie which they had in S. Hieroms time and before I proue by euident reason manifest experimentes plaine confessions of our more learned aduersaries First touching the hebrue S. Hierom read and translated according to the ordinarie reading and pointing of his time Esaie 9. Puer datus est nobis et filius natus est nobis et vocabitur nomen eius admirabilis consiliarius Deus fortis pater futuri saeculi princeps pacis A child is geuen to vs and a Sonne is borne to vs and he shalbe called Admirable a Counseller God Strong Father of the vvorld to come Prince of peace And in his commentarie expressing euerie word he maketh no doubt of any other reading Forsake the latin and go to your Iewes and their hebrue fountaines now and what find you pro thesaur◠carbones Thus. Puer datus est nobis et filius natus est nobis et vocabit nomen eius qui est admirabilis consiliarius deus fortis et pater aeternitatis vel futuri seculi principem pacis VVhereby is taken from Christ as principal a testimonie of his diuinitie as any we find in the old testament And whence cōmeth this alteratiō but from the iniquitie of the Iewes who haue altered the passiue vocabitur into the actiue vocabit geuē other pointes then were vsed or read in S. Hieromes time And this Luther confesseth manifestly Totus hic textus miserè sceleratè saith he a Iudaeis est crucifixus c. This vvhole text is miserably and vilanouslly crucified depraued and corrupted by the Ievves For as the child him self vvas crucified of them so by the same men both this place and his scripture or scripture appertayning to him is daily crucified The prophete attributeth six names to the child and sonne the Ievves reade the first fiue in the nominatiue case the sixt in the accusatiue and they al expound it of Ezechias vnder whom God gaue that great victorie against Sēnacherib And in the same place The text seemeth to haue bene corrupted by those that put to the points The letters vvhether ye reade them vvith pointes or vvithout pointes are alone and the grammer doth beare it vvel but the Ievves most pestilent men oft tymes corrupte sentences of the prophetes by their pointes distinctions But let it suffice vs that the Chaldee interpreter and the 70. thinke as vve do Thus Luther condemning of vile corruption on your pure originals geuing withal this general rule that the Iewes most pestilent men haue no conscience in that foule abusing and altering and crucifying the scriptures no more then they had in crucifying Christ and that therefore he preferreth the Septuaginta and Chaldee interpreter before al the hebrew copies VVhich reason touching Luther and the Protestantes is nothing at al. For the Chaldee interpreter is no more the hebrevv original then is Luthers translation And the translatiō of the 70. which is now extant besides that it is ful of diuersitie
these two translations howsoeuer it seeme to thee Christian reader the difference is as great as is betwene our doctrine theirs And first they make a wilful fault and corrupt the text by making a fuller pointe then ether the greeke or latin beareth And Beza doth somewhat more desperately who maketh a downe ful point thereby more diuiding and distracting the later parcel from the former as though it contained not a reason of that which went before as it doth but were some new matter wherein he is controled of fowle dealing by his owne translation set out the yere 1556 and by the very greeke prints of Geneua Zurick Basile other Germane cities who point it as doth our latin and english But the reason of his and their turning Quoniā in to Nam Because in to For descrieth yet more their obdurate harts against Christ and his worde For where as Christ by S. Lukes reporte saith in effect thus because she loued much therefore manie sinnes are forgeuē her they by this peruersion and mispointing make a cleane different and almost contrarie sense thus because she had many sinnes forgeuen her therefore she loueth much this loue folowing was a token of the remission which she by only faith had obtained before so turning the cause in to the effect the antecedent into the consequent and hereby vtterly spilling the doctrine which Christ by his words and reason geueth and the Church of his words reason gathereth That this is the true groūd reasō why they so Luciferlike alter the speech of Christ Beza plainly cōfesseth Thus he writeth Nam dilexit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For she loued The vulgar translation and Erasmus turne it Because she loued but I had rather interprete it as I do that men may best vnderstand in these vvords to be shevved not the cause of remission of sinnes but rather that vvhich ensued after such remission that by the consequent is gathered the antecedent And therefore they vvhich abuse this place to ouerthrovv free Iustification by only fayth are very impudent and childish wherein he speaketh very truly the words and sense being so as he hath framed them But if he had not plaid the part rather of a diuel then of an heretike to alter in pointing worde and sense the speach of our Sauiour and so taught him his lesson what he should say it had not bene impudencie for vs thus to argue but it had bene more then brutish ignorance in him to haue denied that charitie is required as wel for obtaining remission of sinnes as is faith which both in this place our Sauiour most diuinely conioyneth saying of charitie Many sinnes are forgeuen her because she hath loued much and adding straight way Thy faith hath made thee safe goe in peace And so of this text gathered al the auncient fathers who were for al that nether impudent nor childish So S. Chrysostom As first by vvater and the spirit so aftervvard by teares and confession vve are made cleane And he proueth it by this place So S. Gregorie expounding the same place Many sinnes are forgeuen her because she loued much as if it had bene said expresly He burneth out perfectly the rust of sinne vvhosoeuer burneth vehemently vvith the fier of loue For so much more is the rust of sinne scoured avvay by how much more the harte of a sinner is inflammed vvith the great fier of charitie And S. Ambrose vpon the same words Good are teares vvhich are able to vvash avvay our sinnes Good are teares In quibus nō solū redemptio peccatorum sed etiam refectio est iustorum vvherein is not only the redemption of sinners but also the refreshing of iust men And S. Austin debating this storie in a longe homelie saith This sinful vvoman the more she ovved the more she loued the forgeuer of her debtes our lord him selfe affirming so Many sinnes are forgeuen her because she loued much And vvhy loued she much but because she ovved much Quare fecit illa omnia nisi vt dimitterentur sibi peccata VVhy did she al those offices of vveping vvashing c. but to obtaine remission of her sinnes I omitte other fathers al agreing in the selfe same veritie al making her loue to be a cause going before nor only an effect or sequele comming after the remission of sinnes And this was the gathering of the auncient fathers S. Chrysostom S. Gregorie S. Ambrose S. Austin c. who were euer reuerenced for holy and learned fathers by the children of Christs Catholike Church vntil this Chams broode and prophane generation inuaded their roomes who now condemne them for impudent and childish But let me with thy leaue and patience Christian reader prosecute in one worde more their wonderful tossing and turning and inuerting this shorte sentence of our Sauiour And in this one allegation which I wil now produce thou shalt see the very image of Atheisme of contempt of God and man of impossibilitie to do any good by scriptures so longe as this licence of framing new translations is allowed Thou seest what sturre Beza hath kept and to serue his turne what fowle and detestable corruption he hath vsed But to make vp the matter and reconcile Christs words a litle better to this new solifidian gospel commeth in Wolfgangus Musculus with a deeper fetch after this maner First because S. Lukes words be very plaine and he can not so probably wrangle vpon thē in greeke he in his owne fansie imagineth what Christ ether did or should haue spoken in hebrew Next that fansie he putteth to be true and forthwith according to the same he correcteth S. Luke and so concludeth that al matcheth right with their Lucianical only faith For nowe by this time with his good helpe not one worde in effect stādeth as Christ spake it at least by S. Lukes reporte Thus he discourseth Ecce inquiunt manifestò datur dilectioni remissio peccatorum Ergo non sola fides iustificat c. Behold say the Papists remission of sinnes is attributed to loue ergo faith alone iustifieth not but vve ansvvere that loue in this vvoman vvas not the cause of remission of sinnes but a token declaration thereof Remissiō of her sinnes she obtained by faith in Christ Therefore vvhereas Christ saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The vvorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as vvitnesseth Suidas is a Dorical vvorde signifieth not in the imperatiue Remittantur Remitted be they but in the preterperfect tense Remissa sūt Haue bene remitted Next the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth here not the cause but the probatiō of that vvhich is put before Thirdly the vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath loued is an hebrew phrase by vvhich the preterperfecttense is put for the present For the hebrevves speake thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is because she hath loued much in
holy Ghost to craue the praiers of sinful flesh which implieth sume feare of falling humane imbecillâ—â—ie then to excuse the maner of the stiâ—e and writing and in that respect Craue pardon of sinful flesh which is a thing of farre lesse preiudice And yet this doth the Spirite of God almost in euery epistle of S. Paule to the Romanes to the Corinthians to the Ephesians to the Colossians to the Thessalonians c. Thus standeth the note Hereby vve see that though the Holy Ghost ruled the penne of holy vvriters that they might not erre yet did they vse humane meanes to search out and find the truth of the things they vvrote of Euen so doe Councels and the President of them Gods vicar discusse and examine al causes by humane meanes the assistance of the Holy Ghost concurring and directing them into al truth according to Christes promise 10.16.13 as in the very first Councel of the Apostles them selues at HierusaleÌ„ is manifest Act. 15 7. and 28. Againe here vve haue a familiar preface of the Author as to his frende or to euery godly Reader signified by Theophilus concerning the cause and purpose and maner of his vvriting and yet the very same is confessed scripture vvith the vvhole booke folovving Maruel not then if the author of the second booke of the Machabees vse the like humane speaches both at the beginning and in the later end nether do thou therefore reiect the booke for no Scripture as our heretikes doe or not thinke him a sacred vvriter The Angel vvissheth wel to meÌ„ of good vvil that is those vvhom God embraceth vvith his grace and mercy ergo men haue free vvill By this example a man may see what difference is betwene the old Gospel and the new If the wordes were â—easte as in the old time they were read and vnderstoode the consequent of this reason would haue held and so S. Augustine gathered whom we alleage But taking the word and sense as M. W. deliuereth it nether S. Augustine nor any other sober man did or would euer haue inferred such a consequent Our words are The birth of Christ geueth not peace of minde or saluation but to such as be of good vvill because he vvorketh not our good against our vvilles but our vvilles concurring August quaest ad Simplic li. 1. q. 2. tom 4. Christ vvent into Peters shippe ergo the vvhole church is Peters shippe This is of like qualitie with the second before noted It is only an allegory aptly and truly declared the substance whereof is vsual among the auncient fathers who cal many times the Catholike church by the name of Peters shipp And touching this special place S. Gregorie maketh no question but Christ so signified by this fact when he made choyse to enter into that shippe Thus he writeth Iesus a scended into Peters ship c. sitting there he preached to the multitudes Per nauem Petri quid aliud quam commissa Petro ecclesia designatur By Peters shippe vvhat els is signified but the church vvhich vvas commited to Peter To like purpose vpoÌ„ the same place writeth S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Bede The wordes of our annotation are these It is purposely expressed that there vvere tvvo shippes that one of them vvas Peters and that Christ vvent into that one and sate downe in it and that sitting he taught out of that shippe no doubt to signifie the church resembled by Peters ship and that in it is the chayre of Christ and only true preaching Barnabas laid dovvne the price of his land at the Apostles feete ergo vve must kisse the Popes feete If the Apostle S. Peter had not before told vs that heretiks in the later daies especially should be Illusores mockers and the Prophete Dauid named their general profession a Chayre or schoole of scorners CathedraÌ„ irrisorum we might by our owne experience haue learned thus much of the Protestant writers of our time who by this feate among the popular haue brought into contempt the grauest partes of Christian religion and haue much shaken the obedience due both to spiritual and ciuil magistrates By this chiefely the Lutherans refel the article of Christes Ascension and being in heauen as we see in BreÌ„tius By this the Zuinglians refute Christs desceÌ„ding into hel as we see in maister Carlile and disproue the real presence whereof their common preachings and writings are witnes By this as a very plausible meane the Germane ministers stirred the people against their Emperour Charles the fift as vve reade in Sleidan And hovv like M. W. is vnto them for his smale talent by most of these his merie conclusions it appeareth In this present hovv far his vnreasonable collection differeth from our reasonable admonition the discrete reader may easely iudge Our vvordes are Barnabas as the reâ— did not only giue his goods as in vulgar almes but in al humble and reuerent maner as things dedicated to God he layed theÌ„ dovvne at the Apostles holy seete as S. Luke alvvaies expresseth and gaue them not into their hands The Sunamite sel dovvne and embraced Elisaeus feete Many that asked benefites of Christ as the vvoman sick of the bloudy fluxe fel dovvne at his feete and Marie kissed his feete Such are signes of due reuerence done both to Christ and to other sacred persons ether Prophetes Apostles Popes or other representing his person in earth See in S. Hierom of Epipanius Bishop in Cypres hovv the people of Hierusalem of al sortes flocked together vnto him offering their children to take his blessing kissing his feete plucking the hemmâ—s of his garment so that he could not moue for the throng Ep 61 cap. 4. cont error Io. Hierosol The Eunuch of the Quene of AEthiopia came to Hierusalem to vvorship ergo pilgrimages to holy places are acceptable to God why this reason should not be allowable I can not gesse The Eunuch came a long iourney froÌ„ Aethiopia to Hierusalem there to worshippe God and is commended for so doing therefore if we goe in like maner to Rome or HierusaleÌ„ for like cause we are not to be blamed where is the dissâ—militude whence riseth the inequalitie what part is there not answerable that man to vs his fact to ours his intention to ours the beginning continuance and ende proportionable to ours euery part and parcel of his doing fully reseÌ„bled in ours If M.W. haue any hid imagination which we can not reach vnto let him imparte it we wil frame him a reasonable answere The marginal note vpon the wordes of S. Luke is this Note that this Aethiopian came to Hierusalem to adore that is on pilgrimage VVhereby vve may learne that it is an acceptable act of religion to go from home to places of greater deuotion and sanctification To Christ is geuen a name aboue al names that in the name of Iesus al knees should bovv
and anguish vpon euerie soule of man that vvorketh euill of the Ievv first and of the Gentil but glory honour and peace to euery one that vvorketh good to the Ievv first to the Gentil for there is no acceptiō of persons vvith God by which wordes also he clearlie refuteth that distinctiō of media and causes efficient wherein M. whit seemeth well to please him selfe and twiteth M. Martine with ignorance thereof for when he layeth in indifferente balance good workes and euill and so maketh one the cause of heauen as the other is the cause of hell to which effect the place is flat and euident M. W. must be content to geue ouer that inuention how dearely soeuer he esteeme it except he wil say that sinnes are the meanes but not the cause efficient of damnation That heauen cometh of mercy S. Paule sheweth at large in the first and second chapter to the Ephesians that it cometh of iustice the same S. Paule sheweth when he saith There is laid vp for me a crovvne of iustice vvhich our lord vvill render to me in that day a iust iudge and not only to me but to them also that loue his comming when he saith in iust iudgement God vvil render to euery man according to his vvorkes and iustice requireth that as God should punishe the vvicked so he should revvard the good it were iniustice to do otherwise as he sayth to the Hebrues That heauen commeth by adoption and of inheritance M.W. sayth it and though he proue it not we beleeue it because it is true but that it is not gotten by vvorkes and trauayls this we deny because it is false and S. Paule refuteth when he compareth the crowne of heauen to a pryce or garland which is proposed to wrestlers runners or such like thereby declaring thus much that as the first is gotten by running and labouring so is the second by payne and wel working and the same our Sauiour signified when he sayd The kingdome of God suffereth violence and the violent beare it avvay The same is proued by that ordinarie phrase wherein heauen is called merces operum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hyre paiment vvages stipend or pryce of vvorks The same is proued by S. Paule whereas though the worde properly sound in the better part yet for truth of doctrine he vseth it indifferently as well for the payment of eternall damnation which sinners receaue for their iniquities in hell as the contrary payment of eternall saluation which good men receaue for their holines in heauen So he saith in the epistle to the Hebrues that all preuarication and disobedience hath receaued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iuste retribution and payment as afterward in the same epistle that Abrahā Isaac Iacob and Moyses for Christs loue susteyned all affliction hoping for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iust retribution or paiment and in the same chapter he putteth the beleefe of this pointe as a first principle in Christian religion for so he speaketh He that commeth to God must beleeue that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that vvill repay men for their good vvorkes which point sith you haue not yet learned it foloweth that you are very greene and a mere nouice in Christian religion And S. Austin whose iudgement agreeing with S. Paule I trust you will esteeme as wel as before you did Luthers in sundrie places expounding these wordes of S. Paule 2. Timoth. 4. My resolution is at hand I haue fought a good fight I haue consummate my course I haue kepte the fayth concerning the rest there is layd vp for me a crovvne of iustice vvhich our lorde vvill render vnto me in that day a iust iudge neuer maketh doubte of this veritie He vvill render sayth S. Austin being a iust iudge for he can not deny the revvarde vvhen he seeth the vvorke I haue fought a good fight that is a vvorke I haue consummate my course that is a vvorke I haue kepte the fayth that is a vvorke there remayneth to me a crovvne of iustice this is the revvard but in the revvard thou doest nothinge in the vvorke thou art a doer but not alone the crovvne commeth to thee from him the vvorke from thy selfe but not vvithout his helpe And agayne VVhy vvill God render to me a crovvne of iustice because he is a iust iudge VVhy a iust iudge because I haue fought a good fight I haue consummate my course I haue kepte the fayth therefore being iust he can not but crovvne these thinges By these vertues sayth the same doctor imparted to vs from God a good lyfe is ledde in this vvorlde and lyfe eternall the revvarde thereof is repayed in the next for here these vertues are in acte there in effecte here in vvorke there in revvarde here in office there in ende And he doubteth not to call them the very pryce whereby as I may say we buy heauen with which worde you are so much offended And that this iustice nothing diminisheth gods mercy or this purchase our adoption as you very simply imagine the same doctor in very many places teacheth To note one for all explicating the place of Timothee before touched God vvill render to me sayth he a crovvne at that day a iust iudge He said not he vvill geue but he vvill render vvhen he gaue he vvas merciful vvhen he shal render he vvil be a iudge because mercy and iudgement shall I singe to thee ô Lorde but forgeuing our offences he made him selfe a debtour of a crovvne there I obteyned mercy our lord therefore is mercifull first but aftervvardes he vvill render a crovvne of iustice Is not a crovvne sayth he els-where disputinge this matter more at large rendered as due to good vvorks yet because God vvorketh those good vvorkes in vs therefore he crovvneth vs in mercy c. This may serue to informe you a litle in the state of this question and for your further satisfaction I referre you to the Catholike new Testament in English especially those places whence you commonly fetch your arguments agaynst this necessary parte of Christian lyfe and fayth Finallie I say you vnderstand not your self and your owne doctrine when you write that such vvorkes though they be not causes efficient of saluation yet are they necessarily to be done except vve vvil be excluded from grace and glorie For how stādeth this with your doctrine of only fayth how wil that alone serue the turne if now of necessitie good workes must come to helpe forth the matter Thinke you that impertinent distinction of causa efficiens medium can serue you the whole course of your doctrine whole bookes and cōmentaries of your maisters brethren being against you some there are sayth Flacius Illyricus vvho drousely vvayghing the matter thinke this to be the cōtrouersie properlie betvvene vs the papistes vvhether good vvorks
by good vvork you may make sure your vocation and electi◠But this is more easily auoyded the any of the rest For first it standet◠vpō courtesie vvhether this epistle sha◠be autorized or no. for being doubted of in the primitiue Church by some vve may doubt of it novv This is a case ruled in the Towre disputatiōs Againe admitting the epistle for canonical the place auaileth nothing For notvvithstandinge it be in al latin copies that euer vvere manie greeke and therefore put in the first translation of the Protestants as namely that vvhich vvas appointed to be read in the english church the yere 1561 and Luther otherwise an immortal enemie to good vvorkes in his commentarie saith expressely Petrus hortatur vt vocationem et electionem nostram bonis operibus certam et stabilem reddamus Peter exhorteth that vve make our vocation and election stable firme and assured by good vvorks yet because those vvords vvant in the later greeke prints and therefore are not put in Beza his translation and therefore are left out in the later english versions this text is not scripture and so the argument taken thence is nothing vvorth This ansvvere geueth Vergerius in his dialoges against that great learned man Cardinal Hosius Hosius obiecteth vnto me that Peter saith c. Possum respondere illa tria verba nempe per bona opera non reperiri in fonte graeco I may ansvvere him that those three vvords by good vvorks are not found in the greeke foūtaine Therefore leauing this search vvee farther And to this purpose very pregnant is the place in the first epistle of the same Apostle S. Peter vvhere he exhorteth Christians to liue as be commeth men of so excellent a vocation Castificantes animas suas in obedientia charitatis Purifying their soules by obedience of charitie remembring alvvaies that God vvithout acception of persons iudgeth euery man according to his vvorkes And this place at lest conuinceth the aduersarie first that vve haue free vvil vvorking vvith the grace of God then that we purifie cleanse our selues frō sinne thirdly that good vvorkes are necessarily required of Christian men For by many diuine arguments S. Peter vrgeth this cōclusion Vt animas nostras castificemus That vve purifie our ovvne soules And against this epistle there is no exception as being neuer doubted of and therefore by the Protestants is not refused And al greeke copies haue this text most clearely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so translateth that man of god Luther Castificantes animas vestras per obedientiam charitatis Illyricus Qui animas vestras purificastis and the Tigurine translator hath the same vvords and according to this vvas translated the testament in King Edvvard his time For as much as you haue purified your soules and the first of the Quenes raigne That ye might haue faith and hope tovvards God euē ye vvhich haue purified your soules So as this place standeth strong for proofe of our faith and those seueral points which now I noted But saith my Protestant howsoeuer Luther or the Diuines in king Edwardes time or in other times and places read it should appeare that ether some greeke copies haue otherwise or at least our maisters deliuer otherwise vnto vs. For Theodorus Beza translateth it in this maner Animabusvestris purificatis obediendo veritati per spiritum which the later bible printed by C. Barker printer to the Q. maiestie and translated according to the hebrevv greeke rēdereth in these words Seing your soules are purified in obeying the truth thorough the spirit and so translateth the english bible printed at Geneua and so doth the Scottish printed at Edēborough so that these words make nothing at al ether for free wil or cooperation or value of good works Nay rather they make much for the contrary side against free wil and our working with Gods grace and proue that in our iustification we worke not but actiue are wrought we cleanse not our selues but are cleansed we are not actiue and doers but passiue and sufferers which is the very opinion of Luther and the Protestants and for such condemned in the Tridentine Coūcel Wherefore leauing this and wishing the reader to remember by this example amongst many how madly and furiously our aduersaries are bent to coyne vs a new testament of their owne who trāslate thus hauing no greeke or latin copie in the world fauouring them but euen in the very same place when they geue vs this latin yet there leaue they the greeke as they finde it agreable to our latin therefore controling them of desperate falsificatiō proceede wee to some other text cōcerning the same veritie that shal be out of S. Paule who handling the fame argument and making the like exhortation willeth the Christians not to be afraid of the aduersaries of Christ though they persecute neuer so terribly VVhich to them is cause of perdition but to you of saluatiō where he maketh good workes necessary and so the causes of saluation as sinnes are the cause of damnation But Beza replieth that the old interpreter was ouerseene translating so Quū nusquam fideliū afflictio dicatur salutis eorum causa sed testimonium Because the afflictiō of the faithful is neuer called the cause of their saluatiō but the testimonie and therefore he translateth it Inditium and the english translators his scholers a token although the first testament before noted translate it as we do a cause so doth Erasmus so doth the Tigurine trāslator And the Apostle matching sinnes with good workes these leading to heauen as the other do to hel conuinceth the sense to be so Theodoretus a greeke father gathereth so much of that word Id enim illis exitium vob is autem salutem conciliat saith he That procureth to thē destructiō but to you saluation And to passe ouer S. Primasius S. Hier. S. Aust the other latin fathers how false the reason of Beza is which moued him to alter the text hath bene shewed els where sufficiently And our Sauiour sheweth best of al other when he thus speaketh of Marie Magdalen Remittuntur ei peccata multa quoniam dilexit multum Many sinnes are forgeuen her because she hathe loued much Against which no man liuing can cauil by greeke hebrew or latin but that workes of charitie are a cause why sinnes are forgeuen and so a cause of our iustification and saluation for so saith and meaneth our Sauiour most euidently the latin and greeke word for word agreeth with this english and in hebrew the Euangelist neuer wrote But Beza hath a shift for this also thus he translateth Remissa sunt peccata eius multa Nam dilexit multum That is according to our english translation Many sinnes are forgeuen her for she loued much And what difference is there betwene