ill beseeminge the scripture and word of the holy Ghost howsoeuer wrested and abused by wicked men Likewise Beza himselfe saith i Beza praeface to his booke intituled ad octi colioquâ—j moÌ„tis vel gaâ—biâ—esis respons pâ—rt 1. pag 2. Let all those thinges be submitted to the IudgmeÌ„t of all learned and orthodoxall deuines especially of a free holy and lawfull Synod yf God shall at any tyme graunt any M Hocker saith againe k Hooker vbi supra pag. 26. what successe God may giue to any such kinde of conference or disputation wee caÌ„not tell but wee are right sure of this that Nature scripture and experieÌ„ce haue all taught the world to seeke for the endinge of coÌ„tentions by submitting it selfe to some iudiciall and definitiue senteÌ„ce where vnto neither parte that contendeth may vnder any pretence refuse to stand And a little further l pag. 28. see also the title in M D. Concil exameÌ„ c. pag. 2. 3 4. 5 the also M. B. loâ— in his perpetuall gouerâ—ment c pag. 370. 372. 374. The will of God is to haue theÌ„ doe whatsoeuer the sentence of a iudiciall and finall decision shall determin yea though it seeme in theire priuate opinion to swarue vtterly from that which is right c and that without this it is impossible wee should auoide confusion or euer hope to attaine peace And certainly our aduersaries hearein doe but accordinge to the wholsome admonition of S. Austine sayinge The veritie of scripture is holden of vs when we doe that which pleaseth the vniuersall Church which the authoritie of the same scripture coÌ„mendeth and a little after he saieth m Austine tom 7. lib. 1. cap 33. whosoeuer feareth to be deceaued in the obscuritie of this question lett him aske councell concerninge it of the Church which the holy scripture pointeth vnto whout any ambiguitie M. Whitaker acknowledgeth that the question concerning canonicall scripture is to vs determined n Adu stap l. 2. c. 6 p. 270. 57. lib 2. c. 4. pag 300. 298 14. 15 against M. VVilliâ— Reignolds pag 44 See the same in M. Hooker ca. 3. â— 8. pag. 247. not by testimony of the spirit which saith he being priuate secret is vnsit to teach resell others But as he confesseth by ecclesiasticall tradition An argument saieth he whereby may be argued and coÌ„uinced what bookes are canonicall and what are not The ProtestaÌ„t author of the treatise of the authoritie of the scripture and the Church whome Bullinger in his preface before the same booke so highly coÌ„mendeth doubteth not to saie with S. Austine and Tertullian we o the protestant c. c. 15. pag 74 75. could not beleeue the Gospel were it not that the Church taught vs and witnessed that this doctrine was deliuered by â—he Apostles This treatise was translated out of latine into English by Iohn Tomkins and printed 1â—79 M Hooker saieth p In his first booke of Eccles polic c 5. 14 pag. 86. Ib d l 2. 5 4 pag. 102. of thinges necessarie the verie châ—â—fest is to know what bookâ—s we are bounde to esteeme holie which point saieth he is confessed impossibâ—e for the scripture it selfe to teach Againe it is not the word of God saieth he which doth or possible can assâ—re vs that we doe well to thinke it is h s word for if any one booke of the scripture dâ—d giue testimony of all yet still that scripture which giueth credit to the rest would requier an other scripture to giue credit vnto it neither could wee come vnto any pause where on to rest vnles besides scripture there were some thinge that might assure vs c. lib. 3. S. 8. pag. 146. lib 2 li 7. pag 1â—6 which also he acknowledgeth to be the authoritie of Gods Church THE 11. ARTICLE Protestantes disagreeing translations M. Bruges saith a Apologie sect 6 That the approued Protestant traÌ„slation hath many omissions many additions which some tyme obscure some tyme peruert the sense M. Carleâ—â— in his booke that Christ went not downe to hell hauing discouered many faultes in the English Bibles inferreth b pag 116. 241. That the English Protestantes in many places detorte the Scriptures froÌ„ their right sense and shew themselues to loue darknes more them light falshood more then truth they haue corrupted and depraued the sense obscured the trueth deceaued the ignorant and supplanted the simple M. Broughten also one of the chiefest linguistes in England in his epistle to the Lordes of the priuie Councell desireth them to procure speedily a new translation o because that saith he which is now in England is full of errours And in his Aduertisement of corruptions to the Protestant Bishops he saith That theire Publike translation of Scriptures into English is such as it peruerteth the text of the old testament in fouer hundred and forty eight places and that it causeth Millions of Millions to reiect the new testament and to runne to eternall flames c in his translation of the new testament parte 11. folio 110. Charles Molineus saith That Caluin in his harmonie maketh the text of the ghospell to leape vp and donne as the truth it selfe declareth he vseth violence to the letter of the ghospell in many places clean traÌ„sposeth it and besides this he addeth to the text These hee d tom 2. ad Luther lib. de Sacramento fol. 412. l. 413. Zuinglius after detection of many corruptions in Luther concludeth thus See how thy case standeth Luther that in the eies of all men thou arte seenne to be a manifest and common corrupter of holy Scripture which thing thou canst neuer deny before any creature how much are wee ashamed of thee who hitherto haue esteemed thee beyond all measure and now trie thee to be such a false fellow these hee Castalio saith That to note all the errours of Beza in traÌ„slating the new testament the worke would require to great a volume e In the fume of the confereÌ„ce before his maiestie pag. 46. The king thinketh the Geneua translation to be the worst of all other M. Parkes in his Apologie of three testimonies of Scripture coÌ„cerning Christes desceÌ„ding into hell in his defence of the first testamonie saith to M. D. Wâ—llet As for the Geneua Bibles it is to be wished that either they may be purged from those manifold errours which are both in the text and in the margent or else vtterly prâ—hibited In A Treatise intituled A petition Directed to her most excellent maiestie c the Puritans say Pag. 76. Our translation of the psalmes comprysed in our booke of common prayer doth in Addition Subtraction and Alteration differre from the truth of the Hebrew in Twoe hundred places Pag. 75. In so much as they doe therfore profess the rest to be doubtfull whether a man with a safe coÌ„science may subscribe therto The Ministers of Lincolne Diocesse tearme the
sentence Deut. 12.31 for my case being like to that of Moyses I dare say with Moyses and our very enemies are iudges It is agreed vpon betwixt vs both how necessarie a poynt our saluation is being for all eternity and therefore I will saue labour to cite scripture in proofe of that which is by neither part denied but in vaine is the scope and end of a thing granted if wee differre in the meanes to attayne it the meanes I assure my selfe you will say is the word of God which I deny not but let vs not thinke the Ghospell to be in the wordes of the scripture but in the sense not in the out side but in the inside or marrow not in the leaues of the wordes but in the sapp pith or root of reason other wyse euen the Deuill himselfe speaketh Scripture cap 1â— 1â— and all heresies according to that of Ezechiel make vnto them selues pillowes which they may lae vnder the elbow of euerie age and to guâ—y you a tast hereof for this matter concerning my soule nerely I haue bestowed some diligent search herein consider with me I pray you how of auncient tyme the old hereticke Marcion found meanes to reiect both Moyses and all the Prophets and what did he pretend cap. 10.7 Surelie Scripture to witt that of Sainct Iohn hovv many soeuer haue come before me are theeues and robbers the Armenians also taught that the whole femal sex of women should be wholy extinct and that vvee should all ryse in the last iudgment in the state of man and what vvas their ground cap. â— 13 Scripture also to witt that to the Ephesians vntill vvee all meet in the vnitie of faith and knovvledge of the sonn of God into a perfect man The Mainchers also proued our Sauiour to be this materiall sunne vvhich vvee dayly see with our eyes and what colour had they scripture also Iohn 8.12 to vvitt where our Sauiour saith I am the light of the vvorld how did the Waldenses proue that euen a lavvfull iudge or Magistrate could not put to death the greatest Malefactour that vvas Exod. 20.13 by scripture Thou shalt not Kill by Scripture also the Circumcellians held that euery Christian might not only murther his fellovv but lay violent hands vpon himselfe for say they it is vvritten Iohn 12.25 he that hateth his life in this vvorld doth keepe it to lyfe euer lasting Thus out of these few to omitt many moe wee see how all heretiques like serpentes in imitation of that old serpent the Deuill who came with scripture euen to our Sauiour himselfe do lurks vnder the tree of knowledge I mean the scripture that so they may more cunningly conueigh their deadly poyson and surely though these examples of auncient tymes were sufficient to teach euery man humility seeing as a prudent man doth well obserue he that will need be his ovvne Scholler hath commonly a fooll to his master yet wantes there not neither sufficient occasion euen in our tymes to be carefull in this so waighty a businesse for how shall I thinke the protestantes in these dayes to agree vpon the true sense of scripture when they cannot a gree about the translation it selfe which must be the grownd where vpon they worke by which dissention also they shew themselues to haue descended in doctrine from these old heretiques in the primitiue church For doth the protestant beleeue the scriptures not to be receaued so fully and wholy as the Catholicke or as it pleaseth him papist doth but rather certayne chapters and bookes which seeme to him or rather indeed to this braine sicke phansie not so a greable to the purity of the ghospell to be cutt of and excluded the number of holy writt the same did the Carpocratians Seuerians and Manichees who condemned all the old testament as a thing fayned from an euill beginning aâ—d yet certainlie not without scripture as you may set in the example of Marcion first produced In lyke manner Cerdon denyed all the Euangelistes except S. Luke Cerinthus all except S. Mathevv the Seuerians also tooke away the Actes of the Apostles and with the Ebionites all the epistles of S. Paul the Alogians likewise esteemed the Apocalypse of S. Iohn for an inuention of Cerinthas Now that you are one with these at least in this point of mayming scripture is manifest for do not the most excellent of your whole clergy and first publishers of your ghospell Zuinglius Oecolampadius Illiricus and the Magdeburgenses exclude many of the Apostles epistles from all communione of holy scripture vnder pretence of examining it by the rule of the deuyne worde Certainly they can by no meanes dissemble it in the epistles of S. Iohn Iude Iames and S. Paul to the Hebrevves which in this my compendium were to longe to proue at large but to come yet more nere you Do not also your later Doctoures in this especially imitate these their predecessours yes most exactly as heere is sufficiently confirmed In the fourth disputation had with F. Campian the Iesuit in the tower of London your Doctoures did expresly censure these bookes by the authority only of fower or siue to be Apocriphall to witt the booke of vvisdome Syrach Iudith Toby the 4. bookes of Esdras Baruch Ecclesiasticus Hester and the Machabees in the new testament the ghospell of S. Luke S. Paul to the Hebrevves the second epistle of S. Peter the tvvoe last epistles of S. Iohn S. Iames and the Apocalypse Luther also calls the epistle of S. Iames a strawen epistle and of no truth and not worthy the spirit of an Apostle All which compared together your Doctours in this opinion of paring scripture cannot but drinke of the same cuppe with those old condemned heretiques But after seeing their folly and that they could by no means defend what thus rashly they had enterprized by often mutation and change they came to that text which you now haue but yet euen to this day with what dubitation this is done and correction or rather to speake truth corruption their often impressions doe manifestly testifie and I thinke you are not ignorant how many seuerall translations there haue beene within these few yeeres I can remember thee since my first acquaintance with London which mutabilitie plainly argueth they are those fond builders of whome our Sauiour maketh mention are shaken with euery blast because they build not vpon the rocke which is the church The piller and firmament of truth 1. Tim. 3.15 But vpon the shallow sandes of their owne vnsetled braines and this I speake not of my selfe but by the testimony of themselues which you may see more conuenient and at large hereafter yet it shall not be discomodious if in the meane tyme wee examine one of their chiefest linguists in England M. Broughton therfore in his epistle to the Lordes of the councell desireth them to procure speedily a new translation because that saith he vvhich is
novv in England is full of errours And in his aduertisment of corruptions to the protestante Bishops saith That there publicke translatioÌ„ of scriptures into English is such as it peruerteth the text of the old testament in eight hundred forty eight places and that it causeth millions of millions to reiect the new testament and to runne to eternall flames will not then euery man that hath but any feeling of his soule looke about him seeing as I said before Euen our enemyes are iudges on my side neither can it be excused by saying they are but smale differences seeing M. Broughton heere saith that it Causeth Millions of Millions to runne to eternall flames Wherefore good Bro as you loue your owne souls healthe and would avoyde these eternall flames passe not ouer these slightly or with me as I once did reiect the farther search this because it doth so manifestly detect your horrible abuses which may seeme incredible but if you will examine any one of them you shall find it as euident much more at large this concerns eternity this concerns your soule yea this doth admonish you of the eternall glory or perpetuall misery both of body and soule in hell flames without redemption wherfor once more I beseech you as you tender your eternall weale or woe and haue some feeling of Gods fearfull iudgments Matth. 25.41 as this dreadfull sentence from our Sauiour get you avvay from me you cursed into fier euerlasting which was prepared for the Deuill and his Angels Neyther may you thinke as some in England I speake what I haue knowne that a man may be saued by any religion for to such our Sauiour will say Matth. 7.11 not euery one that saith to me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Deere Bro if this be true as it cannot be false proceeding from truth it self then I pray with all attention and diligent study seriously examine this laboure for S. Paul doth likewyse tell you that there is one Lord one faith one Baptisme one God and father of all Ephes 4.5 wherfore vpon due examination being conuinced in conscience let not a sâ—â—wne of this world or any momentary affliction yea though an other Nero DomitiaÌ„ or Dioclesian should tyrannice in this your persecution cause you to smother your pretious soule in hells blacke flames from whence no ransome may euer free you or penance ease your torment by denying his faith and church who hath layd his life and most pretious blood for your redemption from this eternall woe und misery no I say in despite of all such cruelty be resolued and with a resolute currage say with S. Paul None of all these do I feare Act. 20 2â— neither do I make my life more pretious then my selfe so that I may finish the course ministerie which I haue receaued of our Lord Iesus to testifie the ghospell of the grace of God yea especially I say Matth. 12.10 take courage when as our Sauiour saith he which is not with me is against me and he which gathereth not with me scattereth And in an other place he bides vs enter by the streight porte because the broad gate Matth. 7.13.14 spatious way leadeth to perditioÌ„ many there are which enter through it how narrow is this Porte and vvay streight vvhich leadeth to life and fevv there are that finde it 2. Tim. 4. Wherefore do but inuocate S. Paul with a sincere hart that he would obtayne for you grace to confesse and dy in this one faith and you shal be heyre to the king of heauen and haue a crowne of glorie with the same S Paul which I hope you will and with euery magnanimous ChristiaÌ„ avert that dismall sentence of our Sauiour where â—e saith Matth. 10. â—2 Euery one therfore that shall confesse me before men I also vvill confesse him before my father vvhich is in heaueâ— but he that shall deny me before men I also vvill deny him before my father vvhich is in heauen And what other thing is it I pray you thus to be denied then vndoubtedly adiudged to hell there to remaine with weeping and gnashing of teeth for all eternity But to our purpose thus longe interrupted leauing these rather to your pious consideration to enlarge at your pleasure then other vvyse longer to insist vpon them If therfore you aske me what translation then is best I answere the old commonly called S. Hieromes if you say he was a papist listen I pray not vvithstanding what Beza your chiefe translatour of scripture See Beza vpoÌ„ the first of S. Luke and first verse de â—at interpretat lib. 1. pag. 74. saith of him the old interpreter saith he seemeth to haue interpreted the holy bookes vvith maruelous sincerity and religion And Doctor Humfrey our countrey man speaketh thus of him the old interpreter seemeth sufficientlie bent to follovv the proprietie of vvordes he doth it indeed to carefully vvhich notvvithstaÌ„ding I suppose him to haue done not out of ignorance but of religion and conscience So that you see if there were any fault in our old interpreter it was because he was to scrupulous ond carefull to full of conscience and religion in following the exact signification of the greeke which is a verie good fault if it must needes be called a fault and also coÌ„mended and iustified els where by Doctor Humfrey himselfe in these wordes Ibid. pag. 179 In prophane vvritinges a man may rainge more freely and depart from the vvordes in Canonicall scripture no such liceÌ„ce is tollerable for it is not lavvfull for man to alter the tongue of God and by way of exposition to make this more perspicuous I oppose Caluin to our old interpreter and obserue I pray what censure a protestant also giueth of Caluin Caluin in his harmonie saith Charles Moliuers in his translation of the new testament parte 11. fol. 110. Maketh the text of the ghospell to leap vp and dovvne as the truth it selfe declareth He vseth violence to the letter of the ghospell and in many places clean transposeth it and besides this he addeth to the text The lyke censure I find giuen of Luther not by a Papist but a Protestant tom 2. â—d Luther lib. de Sacram. fol. 412. 413. and one of the chiefest in his tyme to witt Zuinglius who after detection of many corruptions Thus concludeth See hovv thy case standeth Luther that in the eyes of all men thou art seene to be a manifest and common corruptour of scripture vvhich thing thou canst neuer deny before any creature hovv much are vvee a shamed of thee vvho hither to haue esteemed thee beyond all measure and novv trie thee to be such a false fellovv To conclude therfore this point of translation attend what Beza saith in praeface new test anno 1556. hovv vnvvorthily saith he and vvith out cause doth