the Sermons of the Scribes and Pharises malitiouslye blinde in that mysterie there remained onely that with inuocation of the name of God they should read the scripturs to th' end that by conference of them with the Sermons of our Sauiour Christ they might finde and feele the trueth of them And as this place proueth that the peoples reading of the scripture is a good help to those that beleeue not after they haue hard the preaching so th' example of the Act. 17. 11. men of Baerea declareth that it is also necessary for those that beleeue that they shoulde be able by conference of the scripture to confirme themselues in the faith whereinto they are entered whereof let the reader further looke what is both objected answered in that place And if it were a safe and a sure thing for the Iewes not yet beleeuing in our Sauiour Christ to search and reade the scriptures how can it bee dangerous for Christians that haue already beleeued him to read the scriptures which beare testimonie of him And if it be commendable that those that were novices in Christianitie plantes of a day olde should search read the scripture how much more ought the reading of the scriptures be committed vnto their trust which through the covenant of grace were froÌ„ their mothers wombe borne Christians Gal. 2. 15 Secondly it is absolutely necessary for all men to vse all those aides whereby they shoulde the more perfectly know what is the will of God Deut. 6. thereby to frame themselues to th' obedience of the same Heereof the law commandeth that euery one should not onely haue the law sounding like a trumpet in his eares but also that it shoulde be as a ring vpon his finger as a bracelet vppon his hande as a frontlet before his eies that is to say alwayes in sight For which cause he commanded further Deut. 6. 7. 8. 9 that the law should be written vpon the frontiers of the land vpon the gates of the Citie and Towne and vpon the postes of euery mans priuate house Nowe if it were then thought good to the wisdome of God that the people should in passing by reade the lawe grauen or painted vpon pillers gates dores wher they could not consider of it so grauely stayedly how much more was it his good pleasure they should read the same sitting in their houses where hauing the book before them they might more ripelie and deliberatelie conceaue the sense and receaue the fruit thereof Further th' Apostle Coloss 3. 16. commanding that the worde of Christ should dwell plentifullie or richly amongst those that are of the Church doth thereby giue commandement that they shoulde vse all lawfull meanes of familiar acquaintance with it Vnlesse therefore it be denyed which cannot bee of them that grant it sometymes expedient that the reading of the Scriptures is a lawful exercise in the word of god for the obtayning of greater wealth in the same it is manifest that it is commanded of th' Apostle If commanded then also absolutely necessary Moreouer it is commanded to trye 1. Ioh. 4. â— the Spirits whether they be of God or no But that can not bee without some further knowledge of the word then we receaue of the spirites them selues that is to saye the ministers speaking either in the spirite of error or trueth wherefore it followeth that the whole knowledge that a faithfull man ought to haue hangeth not of the mouth of the minister but ought to haue a supplie of priuate reading and meditation of the law at home Againe the King who of all other for the multitude Deut 17. 19. Iosu 1. and weight of his busines in the affayres of the common wealth might seeme to be freed from this exercise of priuate reading and to content himselfe with the sermons in the temple is commanded to reade the booke of the lawe diligently where other men that are neither so full of businesse nor haue so many whose welfare dependeth of them can not bee exempted from this exercise of pietie And if it be necessary for the King to reade in the worde that hee may rule well it is necessary that the subjects should doe the same that they may obey well And if it bee needfull for him to read that hee command not through the pride of his harte thinges that are vnlawfull there is the same necessity for them least in too greate basenes of minde they shall obeye man rather then God Last of all reading of the scriptures Iosu 8. 34 Nehe. 8. 2. Reg. 23 2. Act. 13. 15 15. 21. Col. 4. 16 publikely in the Church being not onely a laudable and approued custome of the Church vnder the lawe but commanded also in the gospell doth declare that that which was continually profitable vnto the whole Church together can not but aedifie euery one a part in his house As for their reason to proue it not necessarie for that through mans malice or infirmitie the scriptures are pernitious much hurtful to many It is very childish For by the same boult they may shut out preaching as well as reading considering that through eyther infirmitie or malice many the most part oftentimes of those that heare get a greater condemnation vnto themselues So also the Sacraments shall be banished which by many are receiued to iudgement Finally so it 1. Cor. 11 should be dangerous for the people to meddle with Christ himselfe as Luke 1. one that is set for the rysing and fall of manie And to this manifest sounding voice in the Scriptures doth th' echo of th' elder Churches answere which teache that the people should learne Orig in Levit hom 4. Chrysost iâ— Gen. homil 29. the Scriptures without booke that they should not onelie hearken vnto the reading of the Scriptures at the Church but also take the Bible when they come home and that reading of the Scriptures performeth that to the soule that meate doth to the strength of the bodie that all men ought by daylie reading the Scripture Hieron iâ— câ—p 10. Ecclesiast August in Psal 33. câ—nâ— 2. get wisdome that they should read the Scriptures for that they were written to th' end we should be comforted Wherefore it is not the Churches diuine wisdome but the Popishe Synagogues deuilishe craft to forbidde that at any time which both the Scriptures and purer Churches haue not onely permitted th' vse of to the people but streightly charged them therewith And it is not vnlike the subtile practise of the Philistimes the most deadly enemies vnto the Lords people who to keepe them alwayes in slauerie permitted no vse of weapon vnto them a fewe excepted whome they forsooth would shew grace vnto So 1. Sam. 13 the diuine wisdome of your Church is to hinder the seruantes that they should not know their maisters will to holde from the betrothed maide that she should not know her
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE ANSVVERE TO THE PREFACE OF THE RHEMISH Testament By T. Cartwright AT EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY RObert Walde-graue printer to the Kings Maiestie 1602. Cum priuilegio Regio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Th'answere to the preface of c. To the six first sections page 1. 2. 3. THE true religion being like the heauenlie bodies which neuer change the Popish religion resembleth the earth which as the potters claye is readie to receaue any forme according as the wind and weather times and seasons of the â—eare winter or sommer spring or fall wil set vpon it Hereof it is that they which sometyme did so deadly hate the instruction of the youth in the groundes principles of religion that they coulde not heare the worde of Catechisme with patient eares nowe in feare of a generall falling from them through opinion either of their blockish ignoraunce or sluggishe negligence are constrayned both to write and teach their Catechismes Out of the same feare it riseth that they which hitherto coulde not indure the holie scriptures to be red of the people in their mother tongue nowe leaste they shoulde vtterlie fall from the hope of their gaine throgh a vehement suspition of jugling and playing vnder the boarde with the people and constrayned to professe a printe of that which they sometimes burned and praetend allowance of that which in times past they condemned Howbeit th'euidence of the trueth hauing these Church robbers vpon the rack see notwith-standing how hardlie they are gotten to confesse the trueth how they lysp it rather then speake it out For heere they confesse that th' Armenians Gotthes Italians French and English men had either some part or the whole of the scriptures traÌ„slated into their own tongues But they will not grant it of the Slauoies which notwithstanding is most euident not onely by the words of Ierome who affirmeth that he gaue to his own nation a translation most diligently ameÌ„ded but by certaine of their own Doctors from whom th'euidence of Ieromes wordes Hosius dâ— Saecro verbo Vernac legendo Alfonsus dâ— Haeres lib. 1. c. 13 doth wring foorth the confession of the trueth in this behalfe But what needeth all this nicenesse when it is euident that in the elder and purer times the scriptures were translated into innumerable yea to all tongues vsual amongst men In the latter times of poperie Chrysost in Ioh. homil 1 Theodoret. de corrig Graecorum affect lib. 5. it is not shewed that there were such translations especially in England where the Iesuites doe foolishly coÌ„clude that there was a translation in our tongue alowed because the counsell prouideth that none should be permitted but that which was allowed by the Diocesane And if ther were any yet it being kept close prisoner that it coulde neither come to the people nor the people to it it is all one in this question whether there were none or no vse of them And if they both were and were vsed yet for so much as by their owne confession they were permitted to wring out of the peoples handes the translation whereby the Popish Church was besieged it is euident that you permit it not either in reuerence to the holy scriptures or loue to the people but rather as desperat enemies which had rather kill with it then that the head of your gainefull errors should bee striken of by it And it fareth altogether with you in this poynt as with men which hauing a naturall hatred of cheese or some such foode in such sorte as the verie sight or touch of it doth offend them yet being effamished are content for the safetie of their liues euen to eate it For abhorring from the scriptures in time of your peace when it commeth that you and your state is plunged by such as you call baeretickes you are glade to bite or nibble vpon the scriptures if happelie you can get any thing to serue the praesent neede But tell vs goâ—d sirs is the reading of the scriptures by the people like vnto Strawberies that ar good onelye in some season of the yeare is it physick wheÌ„ men are sick and not meate when they be whole is it triacle to driue out poyson and not praeseruatiue to keepe from it hath it strength to put the enemie to flight and hath it none to hinder his approch finally is it good to weede not to plant The contrary whereof is rather true For if it be able to heale a sicke man it is much more able to keepe him whole which is alreadie in health if it be meete to giue light to the simple when the heauens are ouercast with the mist and cloud of haeresie it is much more forcible to shew the way when they are not so clouded It is therefore a sottish distinction which the Iesuites vse in making the peoples reading of the Scripture dangerous in tyme of peace and profitable when th' enemie by haeresie hath made a broyle How beit admitting that the peoples haruest of reading the Scripture is onely in foule weather how coÌ„meth it to passe that you haue not welnigh fortie yeares long wherein the gospell after a dead winter hath beene greene and florished againe in our country and wherein the Haereticall translations as you call them haue filled the land procured that this sickle of your translation might be in the hands of the people therby to get them so much grain as might haue fed them in this dearth of Masses and other such swill and swaddes as you were wont to fill them with Wherefore the people maye well see Tranquillus that as vnto Vitellius the dead citisen was alwayes of good sauour so vnto you the dead carcased soules are of pleasant smell But let vs come vnto the groundes of this difference of the peoples reading of scriptures which they haue set in the forefront of the praeface The first is that it is not absolutely necessary for al maner of men to read them It is absolutely necessary that all men shoulde vse all good meanes and helpes whereby to know Christ more perfectly but reading of the scripturs which al do testifie of him is a good meane and help therevnto wherefore it is absolutely necessary And to this stayre of clyming vp to the knowledge of Christ by reading doth our S. Christ lift vp his hearers when hee willeth them to search the scriptures For he Ioh. 5. 39. doeth not will them onely to heare the worde preached but to vse all maner of instruments whereby they might digge out the hid treasure of the knowledge of himselfe And the circumstance of that place doth argue that hee had in that particular exhortation a more speciall regarde to the reading of them then to th' other more excelleÌ„t exercise of hauing them preached For when of th' one side they beleeued not the Sermons of our Sauiour Christ and of th' other side it was dangerous to refer them ouer to
further in them Which is manifestlie against you for being bottomlesse he sheweth August epist 3. that notwithstanding no man can sound them yet that his endeuour to search is not in vaine but is ioyned with dailie profite especiallie in things necessary to saluation which he affirmeth not to be so hardlie come vnto Yea himself confesseth that euen in his verie first entrance to the christian faith hered August Confess lib. 8. cap. 12. et 7. cap. 9. Chrysost in proaem in epist ad Rom. th' Epistle to the Romanes which you woulde wrest out of the peoples hands with great frute And Chrysostome vpon this Epistle teacheth that the people did not vnderstand Saint Paules wrytings not because they wer vnlearned but because they woulde not haue his writings continually Ierom Epist 13. 4. speaketh of the hard shell of the Scripture as Augustine did of the depth to whet the diligence and industrie of men to greater and more continuall trauell to be taken in the studie of them euen also as doeth the Scripture it selfe which doth not will Matth. 24. 15. the disciples vppon the hardnesse of a place to giue ouer the reading thereof but to ad further diligence care to vnderstand it Where the Iesuites do it cleane contrarily to terrifie men from them And therefore Ierome saith they shine and are verie bright euen in the Ibid. very shell of them although the marrowe be sweeter Likewise he exhorteth all to crack the shell to th' end to eate the kernell And in the very next Epistle wryting to a Matrone he saith Therefore let the diuine Scriptures be alwayes in Hieron ad Celantiam thy hands and let them vncessantly be turned or rowled in thy mynde Beside that if al the Scripture were so shelly as you out of Ierome praetend where is the milke and honie for children that are Heb. 5. Psal 19 called as hath bene shevved to the reading of them They haue no teeth to crack the shell yet they depart not emptie nor returne not hungry from them Wherefore Augustine saith that God hath so tempered the Scriptures that by August dâ— doctâ—ri Christ lib. 2. cap. 6. manifest places he might prouyde against famine and by those which are obscurer he might cleanse the loathsomnes of our stomak in exercising our selues about them noting thereby that men would grow to disdainfulnesse of the Scripture if with th' easier Scriptures they should not ioyne the studie of the harder Finallie if before the lawfull exposition of the Scriptures whole thirteene yeares are required onlie to runne the course of reading the Scripture we suppose verelie that such an expositor will neuer be found in Poperie although he bee sought with a candle where the chief garland and crowne of diuinity is not giuen to him that hath beene most conuersant in th' olde and newe Testament but to him that can quite himself best in Duns and Dorbel in Lombard and Gratian and such other vnwholsome Nourses as these be at whose breasts the popish diuines doe sucke their first milke in Theologie And to what end should they bestow thirteene yeares before their entrance to the Ministrie and the most of their time after they are entred in the study of the Scripture if they may bring no other interpretation of any place then that which they haue receiued of their fore-fathers As for th' interpretation of euery part of the Scripture by th' Apostolicke tradition further then by tradition as appeareth afterwarde is vnderstood the written worde of th' Apostles there is no manner of mention in any writing that carrieth credite with it But of interpretation the discourse will followe after more at large To the three next sections pag. 7. and 8. We are well content that our Religion should be condemned of them that condemne the reading of the Scriptures and as if they had to doe with a hand or foot ball delyte in the taunting tearmes of tossing and tumbling of them And we waite patientlie Iudas epist vntill the Lorde come to giue iudgement of all these blasphemous speeches which wicked sinners speake against him in his worde The triall of the cause by th' outward fruites receiueth manie exceptions First of foure sorts of grounds sowne by the seed of the Gospell there is but one fruitfull the reste beeing not bettered by the preaching therof are worse then wheÌ„ they remained in their Popish ignorance or other fallings from the truth Wherfore to praeiudice the fruit that the good ground yeldeth by the barrennesse vnprofitablenesse of th' other three sortes which haue receiued the seede aswel as it is not aequal nor vpright iudgement Secondly this offensiue and apparant wickednesse euen in the hypocriticall profession of the Gospell proceedeth of the negligence of the gouernors of the Church and common-wealth which loosing the coarde of both Church and common-wealth discipline suffer wicked men to spit out the poison of their hearts which the wholesome seuerity of commanded correction woulde keepe sealed vp in them And therefore our Sauiour Christ is not afraied Matth. 24. 12. to confesse franckly that for th' abundance of iniquitie appearing in them that made profession of the Gospell the loue or zeall of manie euen of those which sometimes were forward in the same should waxe cold Nowe to lay that faulte vpon the Religion which cleaueth vnto the gouernours is likewise an vn-aequall and vn-euen iudgement When in the common-wealth and Church of Israel euerie man did what he lusted who knoweth Iudg. 17. â— not that there were heathen common-wealths wherein many vnlawfull things by law and lawfull punishments were restrained Yet we suppose the Iesuites are not so forsaken that they will thereof conclude that the heathnishe people were better then the people of Israel and that the religion of those Gentiles was better then the religion amongst the Iewes Thirdlie it ought to be remembred that although sinne reigned in Poperie yet it appeared not there beeing no light of the law of God to shewe it by for that the candle-light of knowledge was cleane put out Where in the preaching of the Gospell by the beames of trueth shyning so bright that which in Poperie was holden for no sinne is now knowne to be sinne and that which seemed vnder it a little sinne the Gospell sheweth it to be very great To iudge therefore our mote and gnat which the light of our doctrine sheweth bigger then their beame and Camell which the night of their ignorance woulde not suffer to bee seene is not to holde an euen hand and to goe with a streight foote to the iudgement which is required Further it hath bene an olde practise of the Diuell against the professors of the Gospell to charge them with disordered manners and therefore it ought to offend no man if it be now renewed by th' aduersaries of yâ— truth And although our witnes in heauen and witnes in heart might well content vs whilest by your slanderous
meaning the words And vvhat his iudgement is in August lib de vera relig cap. 5◠this cause he doth other where plainly and clearely set dovvne vvhen hee saith that the Scripture is to be declared according to the proprietie of euery tongue Indeede he saith that sometime the vulgar speach is more profitable but his reason is farre different from yours For it appeareth vvhen hee praeferreth August de doctr Chr. lib. 2. c. 11. those Barbarismes it is for the better cōmodity capacity of the people to whome he spake or wrote praferring rudenes of speach onely to that purenes which either bringeth new words to offend th' eares of the reader or else maketh the sense doubtfull or obscure In vvhich respect he affirmeth that to August in Psal 138. let his speach fall th' easilyer to th' vnderstanding of his people hee had rather say ossum which is no true speach then os which is the proper and true lāguage Beside that it is more euidēt by their barbarismes in other speaches then in the texts of Scripture that they so speak sometime because they met with no better nor more choise wordes Seing therefore a good pure Latine speach is now better vnderstood then th' ould rotten and rustie wordes there is no cause why they should not now be abolished if euer they had any vse heretofore And if it please the Iesuites to confer the stile of these dayes sithence the Gospell after a long winter of ignorance began to flowre againe with the stile of those which wrote 200. yeares hence we suppose that they will accord vs that there is as greate difference as was sometime betweene the Dorickes and th' Attickes in Greece or is now betweene the courte and countrey with vs yet we think that the Iesuites will not therefore rather chuse to stamber stut with their fore-goers then to speake clearly purely with the present age sure we are that they haue done their best to the contrary Wherefore it is euident that you can bring nothing to defend your sottish speach of hell of fire for hell fire for against the spirituals of wickednes in the celestials for docible of God c. nor yet for your doubtful and dangerous speach of the sinne of the spirit for the sinne against the spirit with a number moe of the same late And yet haue you not kept the law your selues haue made for you haue translated eighteene years Luke 13. 4 where both the Greeke and olde Interpreter which you propound to follow so superstitiously haue ten and eight years If here seing your folly you amended it why haue you not corrected it in places of greater importance and hauing corrected th' olde traslatour in another place of some moment Rom. 13. 9. where for restored you haue turned comprised why haue you not performed the same in other of greater weight Not to speake of Lindanus your brother in this impietie who speaking of the truth of the matter retained by th' ould interpreter more then the truth yet notwithstanding confesseth the often slips of improprietie in speache and other babishnes of him in translating Now as by your vnlearned translation you haue greatly embased the pure mettle of the holy word so by your corrupt annotations wresting and writhing haling pulling the translation either to a diuers or contrarie sense of that which the wordes giue you haue made it no better then filthie drosse So that it may be verified of your work which Ierom sayth you make of the Gospell of Christ the gospell of Hieron in Epist ad Gal. cap. 1. man or that which is worse the gospel of the Diuell If you had giuen your people your translation alone we dout not but they should notwithstanding all your declinings frō the natiue purenes of the word haue found releefe in it against extream famine which your vnfaithfulnesse hath thrust them into Which thing you wel perceiuing durst not vpon the peril of quenching your kitchin-fire put forth your single few of translatiō without y◠Cooloquintida of your annotatiōs therby to bring certain death to all those that shoulde taste of them Wherein let th' indifferent reader compare our confidence we haue in the goodnes of our cause in either nakedly deliuering the Scripturs without any annotations at al or els with few short directiōs Rather to open the file and course of the Scriptures then to praeiudice the reader either with recommending ours or condemning th' aduersaries iudgment Let him I say compare it with the fearfull dout that the Iesuits haue of theirs which durst not commend their single translation vnto the conscience of the reader vnlesse beside the load and charge of their margent notes they had added almoste at the end of euery chapter a iag of annotations wherein they recommend their owne and condemne our doctrine therby at vnawares testifiing against themselues that the wordes of the holy Ghost speak nothing for them vnles they be twitched aside with the wrinch wrest of their annotatiōs We hauing found Christ in the Scripturs cannot be to seek in the true Church you that hold not the head it is no maruel if you haue not layd hold of a filthy deade caryon in steade of the liuely body of Christ which is his Church We which follow the light of the scripture in all questions that can be moued of religion and not in those onely which you idely rouingly alledge out of August haue promise of resolution 2. Tim. 3 ◠Petr. 1 in all our doubts But you which blasphemously make the Scripturs to giue no more light to the decision of diuers poyntes in religion thē a hair-cloth do miserably run your selues others to the condemnation wherevnto you are ordained In which way although you vvould drag Augustine vvith all your might and maine yet vvill not he keepe you company not onely for that he hath nothing for you in the place vvhich you alledge but that he hath the cleane contrary vnto you vvho affirmeth that in the Scriptures we are to seeke the Church by them to August d◠vnit eccles cap. 3. discusse our controuersies after he saith that all should be remoued whatsoeuer is alledged of either side against other sauing that which commeth out of the canonicall Ibi. cap. 16. Scriptures And againe we desire not to be beleeued because wee are in the Church of Christ or that Optatus or Ambrose or innumerable Bishops of our profession haue cōmended it vnto vs. Howbeit as through the vvhole booke it shall appeare hovv small consent of the auncient Church you haue in the principal demandes hanging betvveene you and vs so it shal appeare a little after that there is a more certaine rule of th' understanding of the Scriptures then you assigne and that although the former iudgement of the Church of Christ sithence th' Apostles time is able to keepe vs from falling dangerouslie in the principal and
fundamentall poyntes of our religion yet that they cannot free vs from error in every question that may bee mooued of it not to speake of the faint proofes that sometime they vsed euen in great mysteries of our religion vvherein notvvithstanding touching the matter it selfe their iudgement is sounde and Catholicke To the next section page 11. After that by hiding burning the Scriptures by threatning and murdering of men for reading of them they cannot attaine to the causing of such a night of ignorance wherin they might doe all thinges without controulment there remayned one onely engine which Satan with all his Angels hauing framed and hammered vpon his lying forge hath furnished them of This engine is the defacing dis-authorizing of the Scriptures as it were the taking from them their girdle or garter of honour by a false surmise of corruption of them in the languages wherein they were firste written Which abominable practise being attempted in th' old testament by Lindanus whom some term Blindasinus is nowe assayed in the new by the Iesuites who of others for their deadly hatred of the trueth are not called vnfitly Iebusites First therfore or euer we come to their particular arguments whereby they would as it were couer the head and maiestie of th'authentical copies in the Greek to bring them to subiection vnto th' olde translation we think it not amisse to set downe the generall doctrine that no one oracle or sentence of God can fall away Whereby it will be euident that the holy Scriptures both in the old new testament written in their original tongues cannot either by additioÌ„ detraction or exchange be corrupted Wherevnto the coÌ„sideration of th'autor of them ministreth a substantiall proofe For seing they are of Psal 111. â— God all whose workes remaine for euer it followeth that al the holy scriptures being not only his handiework but as it were the chiefe and master worke of all other must haue a continuall endurance And if there be not the least and vilest creature in the world which eyther hath not heretofore or shall not hereafter by the mightie hand of God vpholding all thinges be continued how much lesse is it to be estemed that any sentence of God wherin a greater glory commeth to him and greater fruite to his people then of many of those creaturs which for these two ends he doth so carefully continue should perish and fall away Secondly they all are written generally for our instruction more particularlie for admonition and warning for comfort and consolation c vnles we will say that God may be deceiued in his purpose and end wherefore he ordeyned them it must needes be that it must continue whatsoeuer hath bene written in that respect For if it or any part thereof fal awaye the same cannot according to th'ordinance of god either informe vs against ignorance or warne vs against danger or comfort vs against afflictions or finallye doe any other dutie vnto vs which we haue need of they were prepared for Thirdly if th' authority of th'autheÌ„tical copies in Hebrew Chalde Greek fal there is no high court of appeale where coÌ„trouersie rising vpon the diuersitie of translations or otherwise may be ended so that the exhortation of hauing re course vnto the law to the prophets Esai â— and of our Sauiour Christ asking Luke 10 Hieron epist ad Maâ—cel epist ad Suniam Fretel ad Damasum praefâ—in 4. Euang praef in paenitent Ambros de Spirit sanct lib. â— cap. 6 August de doctr christiana 2. lib. cap 11 lib. 11. contra Faust Manich. opist 59 how it is written and how readest thou are now either of none effect or not sufficient whilest these disgracers and disgraders of the Scripture haue taught men to say that the coppies are corrupted and the sense changed Nay not onely our estate is worse then theirs vnder the law and in our sauiour Christs time but worse theÌ„ theirs which liued some hundred yeres after Christ when th' ancient fathers exhorted in such cases that men should make sute vnto th' originall Scriptures to haue an end of their controuersies Yea their owne Gratian out of Augustine falsly alledged for Ierome sendeth vs in deciding of differences not to th' olde translator but to th'originals of the Hebrew in th' olde and of the Greek in the new testament They vse quarrelously to surmise against vs that we abbridge the priuiledges of the Churches of our dayes because vve accord them not to be so ample in euery point as they vvere vvhen the Apostles liued But vvo vnto the Churches of our dayes if the Scriptures be as the Papistes would beare vs in hand corrupted if the Charters and recordes whereby we hold the inheritance of the kingdom of heauen are rased or otherwise falsifyed if we haue not wherewith to conuey our selues to be children vnto the heauenly father and Priests vnto God in Iesus Christ further then from the hand of such a Scribe and Notarie as both might erre and hath erred diuersly Hieron in 6. c. Es August de ciuit dei lib. 15. c. 13 These euidences were safely surely kept when one onely nation of the Iewes and the same sometymes a few excepted vnfaithfull bare the keyes of the Lords librarie now when there be many nations that haue keyes vnto th'ark or counter wherein they are kept it is altogether vncredible that there should be such packing or such defect as th' aduersarie doth wickedly suppose Againe if the Lord haue kept vnto vs the booke of Leuiticus in it the ceremonies which ar abolished wherof there is now no practise for that they haue a necessary and profitable vse in the Church of God how much more is it to be esteemed that his prouideÌ„ce hath watched ouer other bookes of the Scripture which more properly belong vnto our times Laste of all passing by other reasons which might further be alledged let vs heare the Scripture it selfe witnessing of it own authority durablenes to al ages Thus therfore Moses writeth of it the secret hidden things remaine Deu. 29. 29 to the Lord our God but the things that are reueiled are to vs and our children for euer Psa 119. 152 Dauid also professeth that he knew long before that the Lord had founded his testimonies for euermore But our Sauiour Mat 24. 35 Mar. 13. 32 Math. 5. 18 Christs testimony is of all other most euident that heauen and earth shall passe but that his word can not passe and yet more vehemently that not one iote or small letter prick or stop of his law can passe vntill all be fulfilled Now as for the common obiection of diuerse bookes meÌ„tioned in th' old Testament where of we find none so intituled in the canon thereof it is easily answered That either they were ciuill and commonwelth stories whether the reader is referred if it like him to read the stories
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