A DISCOVERIE OF THE MANIFOLD CORRVPTIONS OF THE HOLY SCRIPTVRES BY THE Heretikes of our daies specially the English Sectaries and of their foule dealing herein by partial false translations to the aduantage of their heâ—â—sies in their English Bibles vsed and authorised since the time of Schisme By GREGORY MARTIN one of the readers of Diuinitie in the ENGLISH COLLEGE OF RHEMES 2 Cor. 2. Non sumus sicut plurimi adulterantes verbum Dei sed ex sinceritate sed sicut ex Deo coram Deo in Christo loquimur That is VVe are not as very many adulterating the word of God but of sinceritie as of God before God in Christ vve speake Printed at RHEMES By Iohn Fogny 1582. THE PREFACE CONTEINING FIVE SVNDRIE ABVSES OR CORRVPTIONS OF HOLY Scriptures common to al Heretikes agreing specially to these of our time vvith many other necessarie aduertisements to the reader Heretikes fiue vvaies specially abuse the Scriptures AS it hath been alvvaies the fashioÌ„ of Heretikes to preteÌ„d Scriptures for shevv of their cause so hath it been also their custom and propertie to abuse the said Scriptures many vvaies in fauour of their errours 1 Denying certaine bookes or partes of bookes 1 One vvay is to deny vvhole bookes thereof or partes of bookes vvhen they are euidently against them So did for example Ebion al S. Paules epistles Manicheus the Actes of the Apostles Alogiani S. Iohns Gospel Marcion many peeces of S. Lukes Gospel and so did both these and other heretikes in other bookes denying and allovving vvhat they list as is euident by S. Ireneus S. Epiphanius S. Augustine and al antiquitie 2 Doubting of their authoritie and calling them into questioÌ„ 2 An other vvay is to call into question at the least and make some doubt of the authoritie of certaine bookes of holy Scriptures thereby to diminish their credite so did Manicheus affirme of the vvhole nevv Testament that it vvas not vvritten by the Apostles peculiarly of S. Matthevves Gospel that it was some other maÌ„s vnder his name and therfore not of such credite but that it might in some part be refused so did MarcioÌ„ the AriaÌ„s deny the epistle to the Hebrues to be S. Paules Epiphan li. 2. haer 69 Euseb li. 4. hist c. 27. Alogiani the Apocalypse to be S. Iohns the EuaÌ„gelist Epiph. August in haer Alogianorum 3 Voluntarie expositions according to euery ones fansie or heresie 3 An other way is to expound the Scriptures after their ovvne priuate conceite and phantasie not according to the approued sense of the holy auncient fathers and Catholike Church so did Theodorus Mopsuestites Act. Synod 5. affirme of al the bookes of the Prophets and of the Psalmes that they spake not euidently of Christ but that the auncient fathers did voluntarily dravv those sayings vnto Christ vvhich vvere spoken of other matters so did al heretikes that vvould seeme to grouÌ„d their heresies vpon Scriptures to auouch them by Scriptures expounded according to their ovvne sense and imagination 4 Changing some vvordes or senteÌ„ces of the very original text Tertul. cont Marcio li. 1. in princ 4 An other vvay is to alter the very original text of the holy Scripture by adding taking away or changing it here and there for their purpose so did the Arians in sundrie places and the NestoriaÌ„s in the first epistle of S. Iohn and especially Marcion vvho was therfore called Mus Ponticus the mouse of Pontus because he had gnavven as it vvere certaine places vvith his corruptions whereof some are said to remaine in the Greeke text vntil this day Tertull. li. 5. 5 False and heretical translation 5 An other way is to make false translations of the Scriptures for the maintenance of errour and heresie so did the Arians as S. Hierom noteth in 26. Esa read and translate Prouerb 8. Dominus creauit me in initio viarum suarum that is The Lord created me in the beginning of his vvaies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possedit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to make Christ the vvisedom of God a more creature S. Augustin also li. 5. Cont. Iulian. c. 2. noteth it as the interpretation of some Pelagian Gen. 3. Fecerunt sibi vesti menta for perizómata or campestria that is They made them selues garments whereas the vvord of the Scripture is breeches or aprons proper peculiar to couer the secrete partes Againe the self same Heretikes did reade falsely Ro. 5. Aug. ep 89. lib. 1. de pec mer. ca 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Regnauit mors ab Adam vsque ad Moysen etiaÌ„ in eos qui peccaueruÌ„t in similitudineÌ„ praeuaricationis Adae that is Death reigned from Adam to Moyses euen on them that sinned after the similitude of the preuarication of Adam to maintaine their heresie against original sinne that none vvere infected therewith or subiect to death damnatioÌ„ but by sinning actually as Adam did Thus did the old Heretikes 6 what these of our daies is it credible that being so vvel vvarned by the condemnation and detestation of them they also vvould be as mad and as impious as those Heretikes gentle Reader be alvvaies like Heretikes and hovvsoeuer they differ in opinions or names yet in this point they agree to abuse the Scriptures for their purpose by al meanes possibly I vvil but touche foure points of the fiue before mentioned because my purpose is to stay vpon the last only and to discipher their corrupt translations That the Protestants and Caluinistes vse the foresaid fiue meanes of defacing the Scriptures But if I vvould stand vpon the other also vvere it not easy to shevv the maner of their proceding against the Scriptures to haue been thus to deny some vvhole bookes and parts of bookes to call other some into question to expound the rest at their pleasure to picke quarels to the very original and Canonical text to fester and infect the vvhole body of the Bible vvith cankred translations 7 Did not Luther deny S. Iames epistle and so contemne it that he called it an epistle of stravv not vvorthie of an Apostolical spirit must I proue this to M. Vvhitakers vvho vvould neuer haue * Cont. rat Edm. Camp pag. 11. denied it so vehemently in the superlatiue degree for shame if he had not thought it more shame to graunt it I neede not goe far for the matter Aske M. Fulke Retent pag. 32. dist of the Rocke p. 307. Luther in nouo Test Germa in Pref. Iacob and he vvil flatly confesse it vvas so Aske Caluin in arg ep Iacobi aske Flaccus Illyricus in argum ep Iacobi and you shal perceiue it is very true I vvil not send you to the Catholike Germans and others both of his ovvne time and after that vvrote against him in the question of iustification among vvhom not one omitteth this being a thing so famous and infamous to the confusion of
is fulfilled Vvhat meane Graecian vvould not say as S. Chrysostom here expoūdeth this vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsing it passiuely 8 Yet saith Beza this is a forced interpretation because Xenophon forsooth Plato once perhaps in al their vvhole vvorkes vse it othervvise O heretical blindnes or rather stubburnenes that calleth that forced vvhich is most common and vsual and seeth not that his ovvne translatiō is forced because it is against the common vse of the vvord but no maruel For he that in other places thinketh it no forced interpretation Recipere to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be conteined Vvhich neither Xenophon nor Plato nor any Greeke author vvill allovv him to doe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carcas and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Animam Prescientiā Poenitentiā pouidence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them that amend their liues may much more in this place dissemble his forced interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But vvhy he should call S. Chrysostoms interpretation forced vvhich is the common vsual interpretation that hath no more reason then if a very theefe should say to an honest man Thou art a theefe and not I. 9 Is it forced Beza that Christ is filled al in al by the Church doth not S. Paul in the very next vvordes before call the Church the fulnes of Christ saying Eph. 1. Vvhich is the fulnes of him that is filled al in al If the Church be the fulnes of him then is he filled or hath his fulnes of the Church so that he is not a maimed head vvithout a body This would S. Paul say if you vvould giue him leaue and this he doth say vvhether you vvill or no. But vvhat is the cause that they vvil not suffer the Apostle to say so because saith Beza Christ needeth no such complement And if he neede it not then may he be vvithout a Church and consequently it is no absurditie if the Church hath been for many yeres not only inuisible but also not at all Vvould a man easily at the first imagine or conceiue that there vvere such secrete poison in their translation 10 Againe it commeth from the same puddle of Geneua Bib. 1579. that in their bibles so called the English Bezites translate against the vnitie of the Catholike Church For vvhereas them selues are ful of sectes and dissensions and the true Church is knovven by vnitie and hath this marke giuen her by Christ him self Cant. 6. v. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vvhose person Salomon speaking saith Vnaest columba mea that is One is my doue or My doue is one therfore in steede hereof the foresaid bible saith My doue is alone Neither Hebrue not Greeke vvord hauing that signification but being as proper to signifie one as Vnus in latin 11 But vve beseeche euery indifferent Reader euen for his soules health to consider that one point specially before mentioned of their abandoning the name of Church for so many yeres out of their English Bibles thereby to defeate the strongest argument that might and may possibly be brought against them and all other Heretikes to vvit the authoritie of the Church vvhich is so many vvaies and so greatly recommended vnto all Christians in holy Scriptures consider I pray you vvhat a malitious intētion they had herein First that the name Church should neuer found in the common peoples eares out of the Scriptures secondly that as in other things so in this also it might seeme to the ignorant a good argument against the authoritie of the Church to say Vve sinde not this vvord Church in al the holy Scriptures For as in other articles they say so because they finde not the expresse word in the holy scripture so did they vvell prouide that the vvord Church in the holy Scriptures should not stay or hinder their schismaticall and hereticall procedings as long as that vvas the onely English translation that vvas read and liked among the people that is so long till they had by preaching taken avvay the Catholike Churches credite and authoritie altogether among the ignorant by opposing the Scriptures therevnto vvhich them selues had thus falsely translated CHAP. VI. Heretical translation against PRIEST and PRIESTHOD 1 BVT because it may be they vvill stand here vpon their later translations vvhich haue the name Church because by that time they savv the absurditie of changing the name now their number vvas increased thēselues began to chalēge to be the true Church though not the Catholike and for former times vvhen they vvere not they deuised an inuisible Church If then they vvill stand vpon their later trāslations and refuse to iustifie the former let vs demaund of them concerning al their English translations vvhy and to vvhat end they suppresse the name Priest translating it Elder in al places vvhere the holy Scripture vvould signifie by Presbyter and Presbyterium the Priests and Priesthod of the nevv Testament 2 Vnderstand gentle Reader their vvylie pollicie therein is this To take avvay the holy sacrifice of the Masse they take avvay both altar and Priest because they knovv right vvell that these three Priest sacrifice and altar are dependents and consequents one of an other so that they can not be separated If there be an external sacrifice there must be an external Priesthod to offer it an altar to offer the same vpon so had the Gentiles their sacrifices Priests and altars so had the Ievves so Christ him self being a Priest according to the order of Melchisedec had a sacrifice his body and an altar his Crosse vpon the vvhich he offered it And because he instituted this sacrifice to continue in his Church for euer in commemoration and representation of his death therfore did he vvithal ordaine his Apostles Priests at his last supper there then instituted the holy order of Priesthod and Priests saying hocfacite Doe this Luc. c. 22. v. 19. to offer the self same sacrifice in a mystical and vnblouddy maner vntil the vvorldes end 3 To defeate al this and to take avvay all external Priesthod and sacrifice they by corrupt translation of the holy Scriptures make them cleane dumme as though they had not a word of any such Priests or Priesthod as vve speake of Their Bibles vve graunt haue the name of Priests very often but that is vvhen mention is made either of the Priests of the Ievves or of the Priests of the Gentiles specially vvhen they are reprehended and blamed in the holy Scriptures and in such places our Aduersaries haue the name Priests in there translations to make the very name of Priest odious amonge the common ignorant people Againe they haue also the name Priests vvhen they are taken for all maner of men vvomen or children that offer internal and spiritual sacrifices vvhereby our Aduersaries vvould falsely signifie that there are no other Priests Vvhitakers p. 199. as one of them of late freshly auoucheth directly against S.
leade a man euen contrarie to his ovvne knovvledge to falsifie Gods holy vvord 42 Yea Beza saith further to this purpose much more against his skill in the Greeke tonge if he had any at all that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the preposition cannot beare this sense For vvhich or in respect vvhereof and therfore he trāslateth the Greeke into Latin thus Exauditus est ex metu he vvas heard from feare not for feare or for his reuerence and because from feare is a hard speache and darke that seemeth to be the cause vvhy our English trāslators say In that vvhich he feared far from Beza in vvord but aggreably in sense Flac. Illyric 43 But for this matter vve send them to Flaccus Illyricus a captaine Lutherane vvho disputeth this very point against the Caluinistes and teacheth them that nothing is more common then that signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For profe vvhereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vve also referre thē to these places of the holy Scripture Mat. 13. Luc. 22. and 24. Act. 12. Psal 87. And Machab. 5 21. vvhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvith a genitiue and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvith an accusatiue signifie al one vvhich Beza denyeth Gentle Reader beare vvith these tedious grammatications fitter to be handled in Latin but necessarie in this case also good for them that vnderstand for the rest an occasion to aske of thē that haue skill in the Greeke tonge vvhether vve accuse our aduersaries iustly or no of false translating the holy Scriptures 44 And vve beseeche them to giue vs a good reason why they professing to folow precisely the Greeke do not obserue trevvly the Greeke points in such place as concerneth this present controuersie for the place in the Apocalypse which they alleage of our Sauiour Christs suffering frō the beginning thereby to inferre that the iust men of the old Testament might enter heauen then c. 13 8. as vvel as after his real and actual death according to the Greeke points saith thus Al that dvvel vpon the earth shal vvorship him the beast vvhose names haue not been vvritten in the booke of life of the Lambe slame from the beginning of the vvorld Vvhere it is euident that the Greeke text saith not the lambe slaine from the beginning but that the names of those Antichristian Idolaters vvere not vvritten in Gods eternal booke of predestination from the beginning as it is also most plaine vvithout al ambiguitie in the 17 Chapter v. 8. If in a place of no controuersie they had not been curious in points of the Greeke they might haue great reason sometime to alter the same 45 But if in points of controuersie betvvene vs they vvil say diuers pointing is of no importance they knovv the contrarie by the example of auncient heretikes vvhich vsed this meane also to serue their false heretical purpose If they say our vulgar latine text pointeth it so let them professe before God and their conscience that they do it of reuerence to the said auncient latin text or because it is indifferent not for any other cause for this one place vve vvill admit their ansvver CHAP. VIII Heretical translation concerning IVSTIFICATION ABOVT the article of iustification as it hath many branches their etrours therein be manifold so are their English translations accordingly many vvaies false and heretical First against iustification by good vvorkes and by keeping the commaundements they suppresse the very name of iustification in al such places vvhere the vvord signifieth the commaundements or the Lavv of God vvhich is both in the old and nevv Testament most common and vsual namely in the bookes of Moyses in the Psalme 118. that beginneth thus Beati immaculati in the Psalme 147. v. 19. 1 Mac. 1. v. 51. and c. 2. v. 21. Luc. 1. v. 6. Ro. 2. v. 26. In al vvhich places and the like vvhere the Greeke signifieth iustices iustifications most exactly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according as our vulgar Latin translateth iustitias and iustificationes there the English translations say ioyntly and vvith one consent ordināces or statutes For example Ro. 2. If the vncircumcision keepe the ORDINANCES of the Lavv 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shal it not be counted for circumcision And Luc. 1 6. They vvere both righteous before God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvalking in al the commaundements and ORDINANCES of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blamelesse Vvhy translate you it ordināces and auoid the terme iustifications is it because you vvould folovv the Greeke I beseeche you is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be iustified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iustifications or iustices In the old Testament you might perhaps pretend that you folovv the Hebrue vvvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therfore there you translate statutes or ordinances But euen there also are not the Seuentie Greeke interpreters sufficient to teach you the signification of the Hebrue vvord vvho alvvaies interprete it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in English iustifications 2 But be it that you may cōtroule them in the Hebrue vvhich none but fooles vvil graunt vnto you in the nevv Testament vvhat pretense haue you do you there also translate the Hebrue vvord or rather the Greeke the Greeke vndoubtedly you should translate what reason then can you haue vvhy you doe not none other surely then that vvhich Beza giueth for him self saying that he reiected the vvord iustificatiōs notvvithstanding it expressed the Greeke vvord for vvord notvvithstanding the Seuentie Greeke interpreters vsed it to signifie the vvhole Lavv and in Latin it be commonly translated iustificationes notvvithstanding al this Annot. in 1 Luc. for this only cause saith he did I reiecte it to auoid the cauillatiōs that might be made by this vvord against iustification by faith As if he should say This vvord truely translated according to the Greeke might minister great occasion to proue by so many places of Scripture that mans iustification is not by faith only but also by keeping the lavv and obseruing the commaundements vvhich therfore are called according to the Greeke and Latin iustifications because they concurre to iustification and make a man iust as by S. Lukes vvordes also is vvel signified vvhich haue this allusion that they vvere both iust because they walked in al the iustifications of our Lord. Vvhich they of purpose suppresse by other vvordes 3 And hereof also it riseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that vvhen he cānot possibly auoid the vvord in his trāslation as Apoc. 19 8. Bissinum enim iustificationes sunt sanctorum The silke is the iustifications of Sainctes there he helpeth the matter with this commentarie That iustifications Beza Annot. in Apoc. 19. are those good vvorkes vvhich be the testimonies of a liuely faith But our English translatours haue an other vvay to auoid the vvord euen in their trāslatiō For they say here the righteousnes of Saincts because