is the word which is preached among you as the Geneua Bibles translate or more significātly which is Euangelized amōg you as we translate for though there be greater significancie in the Greeke worde than is expressed by bare preaching or telling a thing as hauing a goodly relation allusion to the word Euangeliū Gospel yet neither do they in any other place neither can they translate it to preach by the gospel but simply to preach to tel to shewe as preaching peace by Iesus Christe Act. 10. vers 39. so themselues translate it Psalm 95 or 96. v. 2. Be telling of his saluation from daye to daye Whiche in other places is spoken by other Greeke wordes that haue no signification at all of Gospell as immediately in the said Psalme 95 or 96. v. 3 and Psalme 104. or 105. v. 1. and Act. 13. v. 5. and c. 17. v. 23. and Io. 1. v. 3. FVLK 3. The other before is not a more lewde slaunder than this is a foolishe cauill The Greeke word signifieth not simply to preach the gospel or good tydings whych both may and ought to bee expressed where the phrase of our tongue wyll abide it And therfore the Geneua translation is imperfect in this place rather than the other When you say Euangelized you do not translate but faine a newe worde which is not vnderstoode of meere Englishe eares as you do in an hundreth places beside to make the scripture darke and vnprofitable to the ignorant readers And if the word signifieth no more but to preach to tell to shewe as you would seeme to proue by a nūber of quotations why do you vse that newe word Euangelize which if it were vnderstoode and in vse is more than simply to preache to tell to shewe But of all other your madde surmises this is the most monstrous that this is added to make the reader thinke that there is no other worde of God but the written worde Doth Gospel I praye you signifie the written worde The common hearer you saye hearing this worde Gospell conceiueth nothing else I am persuaded there is no such reader in England except it bee some of your viperous broode that thinketh the Gospell to bee nothing but the storie written by the foure Euangelistes whereas all true Christians knowe the Gospel to be contained not onely in those stories but also in other writings of the Apostles and that the Gospel is preached whensoeuer a good sermon teaching the way vnto saluation is preached Howsoeuer the Septuaginta vsed the worde Euangelizo in the olde Testament we are not to learne the signification thereof out of their translation but out of the Scribes of the holie ghost in the newe Testament MART. 4. All which wordes signifie only to tell to shew to declare and are vsed indifferently for and with the other worde which they here only translate to preach by the Gospel Whereas in all others places when they will translate it most significantly they expresse it by bringing glad tidings and in some places where it should be expressed most significantly in respect of euangelizing or preaching the Gospel there they translate it barely preachers and preaching Only S. Peters place aforesaid must be stretched to signifie The word preached by the Gospel to insinuate and vphold their heresie of the written Gospel only or only written worde against Apostolicall traditions not written If this be not their meaning let them giue vs a good reason why they translate it so in this one place only FVLK 4. When we varie about the signification of the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in deede when we varie not in substāce though you must brabble about it for a countenance what meane you to teach vs the significatiō of other words except you would make folke beleeue that we know nothing but what we learn of you I say again if in the new Testament we haue not fully expressed the significatiō of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either it is because our English phrase could not expresse it or else it is a fault of negligēce But in the old Testamēt where we haue not that worde because we translate out of Hebrue what reason is there that you should exact the significancie of that word when we do not translate it The insenslesse insinuation that you dreame of I am sure was farre from the translators mindes seeing we haue manifest and ineuitable Scriptures to confound your hereticall blasphemie of the imperfection and insufficiencie of the word Gospel of God written vnto eternall saluation And if the worde Gospell when it is added to the text out of the verbe of Euangelizing do insinuate the heresie of the written Gospell only why do you Math. 11. v. 5. translate Pauperes Euangelizantur to the poore the Gospell is preached Would you thinke it were an honest surmise of me to say you auoyde the name of the Gospell so often as you expresse it not in translating that worde for hatred you beare the Gospell And yet it hath more likelihood than many that you haue inuented and prosecuted against vs. MART. 5. It is written of Luther that he for the selfe same heresie in his first translation into the Germane tongue left out these wordes of S. Peter altogither This is the worde which is euangelized or preached to you Why so because S. Peter doth here define what is the word of God saying that which is preached to you and not that only which is written which false dealing of Luther is no small presumptiō against the like hereticall meaning of our English Protestants who I am sure in this point of controuersie of the worde written and vnwritten will not denie that they agree with the Lutherans FVLK 5. That any such sentence was vpō any purpose leste out by Luther in his translation for my part I beleeue it not neither vpon your report nor vpon your author Lindanus credite If the Printer did omit a line yet what reason were it to thinke that Luther did it vpon such a cause which were to no purpose for him except he should haue left out all those textes of Scripture where preaching of the Gospel or word of God is mentioned What you haue left out I haue noted before and yet I haue not pronounced the cause why so confidently as you do of that omission which you know not whether it be so or no. MART. 6. Againe in the epistle of S. Iames they adde the word Scripture into the text saying But the Scripture offereth more grace Where the Apostle may say as wel and indifferently The Spirit or holy Ghost giueth more grace and it is much more probable and is so expounded of many Let the good reader see the circumstance of the place and abhorre their saucinesse in the text of holy Scripture FVL. 6. The nominatiue case in the Greeke is wanting which is expressed in the verse before and in this
you so malitious an enimie vnto him hauing spent all your inuention to seeke holes in his translation can finde nothing but such childish cauils as when they be discouered men will maruaile that you were not ashamed to moue them MART. 56. But after this generall vewe of their wilfull purpose and heretical intention let vs examine their false translations more particularly and argue the case with them more at large and presse them to answere whether in their conscience it be so or no as hitherto is saide and that by seuerall chapters of such CONTROVERSIES as their corruptions concerne and first of all without further curiositie whence to begin in cases so indifferent of TRADITIONS FVLK 56. The more particularly you examine our translations the freer I hope they shall be found from falsehoode wilfull corruption And the more at large you argue the case and presse vs to answere the more you shall make the case to appeare worse on your side and the truth clearer on our parte And as God is witnesse of our conscience and sinceritie in setting forth his word without adulteration or corruptiō so I appeale to the consciences of al indifferent readers whether hitherto you haue gotten any aduantage against vs in this whole chapter which yet you professe to be the abridgement and summe of your whole treatise CHAP. II. Hereticall translation of holy Scripture against Apostolicall TRADITIONS Martin THis is a matter of such importance that if they shoulde graunt any traditions of the Apostles and not pretende the written worde onely they know that by such traditions mentioned in all antiquitie their religion were wholy defaced and ouerthrowen For remedie whereof and for the defacing of all such traditions they bend their translations against them in this wonderfull maner Wheresoeuer the holy Scripture speaketh against certaine traditions of the Iewes partly friuolous partly repugnant to the law of God there all the English translations follow the Greeke exactly neuer omitting this word tradition Contrariwise wheresoeuer the holy Scripture speaketh in the commendation of Traditions to wit such traditions a◠the Apostles deliuered to the Church there all their sayd translations agree not to followe the Greeke which is still the selfe same word but for traditions they translate ordinaunces or instructions Why so and to what purpose we appeale to the worme of their conscience which continually accuseth them of an hereticall meaning whether by vrging the word traditions wheresoeuer they are discommended and by suppressing the word wheresoeuer they are commended their purpose and intent be not to signifie to the Reader that all traditions are naught and none good all reproueable none allowable Fulke TRaditions in deede is a matter of such importance as if you may be allowed whatsoeuer you will thrust vpon vs vnder the name of vnwritten traditions the written worde of God shall serue to no purpose at all For first as you plainly professe the holy Scripture shall not be accounted sufficient to teach all truth necessary to saluation that the man of God may be perfect prepared to all good works Secondly with the Valentinian heretikes you accuse the Scriptures of vncertaine vnderstāding without your traditions vnder pretense of which you wil bring in what you list though it be neuer so contrary to the holy Scriptures plaine wordes by colour of interpretatiō as you do the worshipping of images many other like heresies As for the mention that is made of Apostolicall traditions in diuerse of the auncient fathers some of thē are such as you your selues obserue not not for the tenth part of those that you obserue can you bring any testimony out of the ancient fathers as is proued sufficiently by so many propositiōs as were set downe by the Bishoppe of Sarisburie M. Iewel whereof you can bring no proofe for any one to haue bene taught within 600. yeres after Christ. Now concerning the traditions of the Apostles what they were who can be a better witnesse vnto vs than Ignatius the disciple of the Apostles of whom Eusebius writeth that when he was led towardes Rome where he suffred martyrdom he earnestly exhorted the Churches by which he passed to continue in the faith and against all heresies which euen then began to bud vp he charged thē to retaine fast the traditiō of the Apostles which by that time he protested to be committed to writing for by that time were al the books of the new Testament written The words of Eusebius concerning this matter are li. 3. c. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he exhorted thē straitly to kepe the tradition of the Apostles which testifying that it was now for assurance cōmitted to writing he thought necessary to be plainly taught Against this tradition of the Apostles which for certaintie assurance is contained in their holy vndoubted writings we say nothing but striue altogither for it But because the word traditions is by you Papistes taken to signifie a doctrine secretely deliuered by worde of mouth without authority of the holy Scriptures we do willingly auoide the word in our translations where the simple might be deceiued to think that the holy ghost did euer cōmēd any such to the church which he would not haue to be committed to writing in the holy Scriptures in steede of that word so commōly taken although it doth not necessarily signifie any such matters we doe vse such wordes as do truly expresse the Apostles meaning the Greke word doth also signifie Therfore we vse the words of ordināces or instructiōs or institutiōs or the doctrine deliuered all which being of one sense the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doeth signifie and the same doth tradition signifie if it be rightly vnderstoode but seing it hath bene commonly taken and is vrged of the Papistes to signifie only a doctrine deliuered beside the word of God written in such places where the holy Ghost vseth the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that sense we translate by that worde tradition where he vseth it for such doctrine as is groūded vpon the holy Scriptures our translatours haue auoyded it not of any hereticall meaning that all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 traditions are naught but that all such as haue not the holy Scripture to testifie of them and to warrant them are euill and to be auoyded of all true Christians which can not without blasphemie acknowledge any imperfection in the holy Scriptures of God which are able to make a man wise vnto saluation if they shoulde thinke any doctrine necessarie to saluation not to be cōtained therein MART. 2. For example Matt. 15. Thus they translate Why do thy disciples transgresse the TRADITION of the Elders And againe Why do you also transgresse the commaundement of God by your TRADITION And againe Thus haue you made the commaundement of God of no effect by your TRADITION Here I warrant you all the bels sound tradition and the word is neuer omitted
of faith necessarie to saluation are comprehended But we are content to be iudged by those places which seeme of most importance for the dignity preheminence authoritye of the Church MART. 2. Our Sauiour saith Vpon this Rocke I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it They make him to say Vpō this rocke I wil build my congregation Againe If he heare not them tell the Church if he heare not the Church let him be to thee as an Heathen and as a publicane they say Congregation Againe who woulde thinke they woulde haue altered the worde Church in the Epistle to the Ephesians their English translation for many yeares red thus Ye husbands loue your wiues as Christ loued the congregation and clensed it to make it vnto him selfe a glorious congregation without spot or wrinkle And This is a great secrete but I speake of Christ of the cōgregation And to Timothee The house of God which is the cōgregation of the liuing God the pillar and grounde of truth Here is no worde of Churche which in Latine Greeke is Ecclesia Dei viui columna firmamētum veritatis Likewise to the Ephesians againe He hath made him heade of the congregation which is his bodie And to the Hebrues they are all bolde to translate The congregation of the first borne where the Apostle nameth heauenly Hierusalem the citie of the liuing God c. FVLK 2. In the first English Bible printed where it was thus translated Math. 16. vppon this rocke I will build my congregation the note in the margent is thus vpon this rock that is as saith S. Augustin vpon the confession which thou hast made knowledging me to be Christ the sonne of the liuing God I will build my congregation or Church Was not this translator thinke you sore afraid of the name of the Church What other thing should he vnderstand by the word congregation in al places by you noted or in any like but the church as he doth here expound him selfe And this translation almost worde for worde doth the Bible you call 1562. follow MART. 3. So that by this translation there is no more Church militant and triumphant but congregation and he is not head of the Church but of the congregation and this congregation at the time of the making of this translation was in a few new brethren of England for whose sake the name Church was left out of the English Bible to commend the name of congregation aboue the name of Church Whereas S. Augustine telleth them that the Iewes Synagogue was a congregation the Church a conuocation and that a congregation is of beasts also a conuocation of reasonable creatures onely and that the Iewes congregation is sometime called the Church but the Apostles neuer called the Church Congregation Doe you see then what a goodly chaunge they haue made for Church to say congregation so making themselues a very Synagogue that by the property of the Greeke word which yet as S. Augustine telleth them most truely signifieth rather a conuocation FVLK 3. A strange matter that the Church militant and triumphant should be excluded by vsing the word congregation when by it nothing is signified but the congregation or Church militant and triumphant and that Christ should no more be head of the Churche when he is head of the congregation where the differēce is only in sound of words not in sense or meaning Your vaine and ridiculous surmise why the name of Church shuld be left out of the Bible I haue before cōfuted shewing that in euery Bible it is either in the text or in the notes But S. Augustin telleth vs say you that the Iewes synagoge was a congregation the church a cōuocation that a congregation is of beasts also a conuocation of reasonable creatures only But S. Luke in the person of S. Stephen telleth vs and Augustine telleth vs as much that the synagoge of the Iewes is called also Ecclesia which signifieth the church and congregation That Congregatio the Latin word may be of beasts also it skilleth not for the church of Christ is called also a flocke and sheepe of his pasture But he that should say in English a cōgregation of beastes might be taken for as wise a man as he that said an audiēce of sheepe And wheras S. Augustine telleth you that the Iewes congregation is somtime called the church what is the cause that you doe translate it the assembly Act. 7. euen as you do the congregation of the Idolatrous Ephesians Act. 19 But further you say Augustine telleth vs that the Apostles neuer called the church congregation It is a worlde to see what foolishe fetches you haue to deceiue the ignoraunt Augustine sayeth the Apostles neuer called our assembly Synagoga but alwaies Ecclesia and yet he is a litle deceiued for S. Paul calleth our gathering togither vnto Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Congregatio a cōgregation he saith not And although he make a nice distinction betwene the wordes Congregation Conuocation yet all men which know the vse of these words will confesse no necessitie of a Iewish synagoge to be implied in the word cōgregation more than in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which of the holy Ghost is vsed for an assembly or gathering togither either of Iewes Christiās or Gentils And therfore it seemeth the translatour vsed the word congregation which is indifferent for all euen as the worde Ecclesia is vsed both in the Greeke and vulgar Latine MART. 4. If they appeale here to their later translatiōs we must obtaine of them to condemne the former and to confesse this was a grosse fault cōmitted therein And that the Catholike Church of our coūtrie did not il to forbid burne such bookes which were so translated by Tyndal and the like as being not in deede Gods booke worde or Scripture but the Diuels worde Yea they must confesse that the leauing out of this worde Church altogither was of an hereticall spirite against the Catholike Romane Church because then they had no Caluinisticall Church in any like forme of religion gouernement to theirs now Neither will it serue them to say after their maner And if a man should translate Ecclesiam congregation this is no more absurdity than in steede of a Greeke word to vse a Latin of the same signification This we trow will not suffise them in the iudgement of the simplest indifferent Reader FVLK 4. Wee neede not to appeale to the later translations for any corruption or falsification of the former no nor for any mistranslation For seing the spirite of God as I haue said before vseth the word Ecclesia generally for a companie of Christians Iewes and Gentils the translator hath not gone from the truth and vse of the Scriptures to vse the word cōgregation which signifieth indifferently all three Wherefore there needeth no condemnation nor
heauen c. IstuÌ„ locuÌ„ episcopi presbyteri noÌ„intelligentes c. This place Bishops Priests not vnderstanding take vpon them somewhat of the pride of the Pharizees so that they thinke they may eyther condemne the innocentes or lose the guiltie persons whereas with God not the sentence of the Priests but the life of the persons accused is inquired of Wee read in Leuiticus of the Lepers where they are coÌ„maunded to shewe them selues to the Priestes and if they haue the Leprosie then by the Priest they are made vncleane Not that Priestes make Lepers and vncleane persons but that they may haue knowledge of him that is a Leper and him that is no Leper and may discerne who is cleane or who is vncleane Therefore euen as the Prieste doth there make the Leper cleane or vncleane So here also the Bishop and Prieste doth binde or lose not them that be innocent or guiltie but according to his office when he shall heare the varietie of sinners he knoweth who is to be bound and who is to be loosed But where you saye the people went to diuerse ghostly fathers as before when that extraordinarie penitentiarie Priest was taken away for the adulterie of a Deacoâ— at ConstaÌ„tinople you speake beside the booke to make the ignorant beleeue that the people went to auricular shrift For in Constantinople where this priuie confession was taken away the people were left to their owne consciences At Rome the same time great offenders did open penance neither were there any such diuerse ghostly fathers as you speake of That Chrysostom sayth lib. 3. de sacerdotio we receiue it being so vnderstood as iâ— be not contrary to that I cited euen nowe our of Hie 〈…〉 But what maketh all this against translating Presbyter an Elder MART. 27 Nowe then to conclude this point seeing we haue such a cloud of witnesses as the Apostle speaketh euen from Christes time that testifie not onely for the name but for the very principall functions of externall Priesthood in offering the sucrifice of Christs bodie bloud in remitting sinnes and so forth what a peâ—â—ish malicious and impudent corruption is this for the defacing of the testimonies of the holy scriptures tending therevnto to seeke to scratch aduantage of the â—ord Presbyter and to make it signifie an Elder not a Priest Presbytenum Eldership rather than Priesthoode as if other new fangled companions that would forge an Heresie that there were no Apostles shoulde for that purpose translate it alwaies legates or that there were no Angels should translate it alwaies Messengers that Baptisme were but a Iudaical ceremony should translate it washing which Castalio did much more tolerably in his traÌ„siatioÌ„ than any of these should if he did it only of curiosity folly And if to take away al distinction of clergie laiâ—y the Protestantes should alwayes translate clerum lotte or lotterie as they do translate is for the same purpose parish and heritage might not Beza him selfe controule them saying that the auncient fathers transferred the name clerus to the Colledge of Ecclesiastical Ministers FVLK 27. A cloude of testimonies in deede you haue heaped togither not as the Apostle did to vpholde the certainty of faith but to obscure the light of truth For our traÌ„slation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Elder is true cleare plaine without ambiguity Insomuch as the vulgar Latin interpreter who as it semeth was a GreciaÌ„ therfore vseth gladly many Greeke termes doeth yet translate this woâ—d almost twise as ofteÌ„ senior or maior natu as he doth Presbyter wheÌ„ he speaketh of the ministers of the gospel How the ancieÌ„t writers applied vnto theÌ„ improperly the name of sacrificer as vnto the sacrameÌ„t the name of oblation or sacrifice I haue spoken already sufficiently Our translation therefore is nothing lyke your vai 〈…〉 supposall of of new fangled companions which to 〈…〉 Apostles Angels and Baptisme would turne the wordes into Legates Messengers washing Whereas we haue no purpose to denie any office or function of the Churche appointed by Christ but to distinguish in name as his spirite in the Scriptures doth alwaies the sacrificers of the old Testament from the Ministers of the new TestameÌ„t The worde Clerus 1. Pet. 5 which we translate parishe or heritage your selues in your notes of that place confesse to comprehende in signification all Christians whiche you are not able to proue that in S Peters time it was transferred vnto the college of ecclesiasticall ministers as Beza saith it was afterwarde wherefore it is one of your accustomed slauÌ„ders to say we traÌ„slate it so of purpose to take away all distinction of Cleargie and Laitie when al men know that wheresoeuer our Churches are established we retaine the distinction and so thinke it necessarie alwayes MART. 28. But alâ—s the effect of this corruption and heresie concerning Priestes hathe it not wrought within these fewe yeares such contempt of al Priestes that nothing is more odious in our countrey than that name which before was so honourable venerable now is among all men If ministery or Eldership were growen to estimation in steede thereof somwhat they had to say but that is yet more contemptible and especially Elders and Eldership for the Queenes Maiestie and her Counsailours wil permit none in gouernement of anie Churche in Englande and so they haue brought all to nothing else but profane laiâ—ie And no maruel of these horrible inconueniences for as the Sacrifice and Priesthoode goe togither and therfore were both honourable togither so when they had according to Daniels prophecie abolished the daily sacrifice out of the churche what remained but the contempt of Priestes and Cleargie and their offices so farre foorth that for the holy Sacrifice sake Priestes are called in great despite Massing Priestes of them that litle consider or lesse care what notable holy learned fathers of all ages since Christes time this their reproch toucheth and concerneth as by the testimonies before alleaged is manifest and whereof the Reader may see a peculiar Chapter in the late Apologie of the English Seminaries FVLK 28. A meruaylous corruption for vs to cal them Elders whom you in your translation call Auncients and the vulgar Latine before vs both called Seniores But what is come to passe I pray you by this wonderfull corruption The name of Popish Priestes is so contemptible that nothing is more odious in England And good cause why both for their blasphemie against God and traiterous practises against the honourable state of the realme and our most gratious Queene But Elders and Eldership you weene is more contemptible because the Queenes Maiestie her Counsailors will permit none in gouernment of any Churches in England and so they haue brought all to nothing else but prophane Laitie This trayterous slaunder of yours is as true as all the rest For although the Queenes Maiestie and the Counsaile do not
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes Gladius sometimes Enâ—iâ— it were no faulte no more than it is in vs to vse the wordes iustice and righteousnesse workes and deedes fayth and beliefe truste and confidence c. And you your selues in suche wordes doe often vse the same libertie MART. 21. But will you not yet see merite and meritorious workes in the Scripture I maruell your skill in the Greeke teacheth you nothing in this point S. Iohn saith Looke to your selues that you lose not the things which you haue wrought but that you may receiue a full reward Me thinketh in these wordes the equiualent of merite is easily seene of any man that is not wilfully blinde But you should see further thaÌ„ the coÌ„mon sorte For you know that the Greeke here signifieth not only that which we worke but that which we worke for At in the Greeke phrase of working for a mans liuing and as you translats Io. 6. v. 27. LABOVR NOT FOR THE MEATE that perisheth but for that meate which endureth vnto life euerlasting Such labourers God hired to worke in his vineyard the workeman is worthie of his hire So that the Apostle in the former wordes exhorteth to perseuerance that we lose not the reward or pay for which we worke and which by working we merite and deserue FVLK 21. You fare with vs as a mery fellow did with his friendes of whom Erasmus telleth who affirming that he sawe in the skie a fiery dragon with often asking them if they did not see it he induced them at length euery one to coÌ„fesse they saw it least they should haue bene thought to be purblind But in good earnest in my conscience I see no more merite in the Scriptures than I did before Yea I haue this argument more to persuade mee that it is not founde in the Scriptures because the chiefest patrones thereof hauing taken such paynes to finde it are nowe as farre from it as euer they were But to the matter I say there is no merite included in the saying of S. Iohn although you rehearse it in the seconde person after the vulgar Latine translation and not after the Greeke whiche is in the firste person and may be referred to the rewarde of the Apostles which shall be full if they whom they haue conuerted to the faith doe perseuere vnto the ende But make it as strong for your parte as you can the full rewarde is giuen according to the moste bountifull promise of God to our good workes of his meere mercie and grace and not by deserte of our workes And the parable of the labourers whom God hired into his vineyarde declareth moste euidently that the rewarde is of grace not of merite For if it were of merite they that came first earely in the morning should haue receyued more as their labour was greater than they whiche came at the laste houre Where our Sauiour Christe sayeth the workeman is worthie of his hire hee teacheth his Disciples that they maye lawfully take meate and drinke of them to whome they preach according to that common saying or Prouerbe But thereof it followeth not that euery one which worketh in Gods vineyarde is worthie for his workes sake and by deserte of his labour of eternall glorie for he promiseth greater rewarde to his workemen a thousande folde and more than their labour doth deserue So that yet wee see not that wee merite and deserue by working although we receyue rewarde for our work or according to our workes Vnde mihi tantum meriti saith a godly father cui indulgentia est pro coronâ— whence should I haue so greate merite when pardon or mercie is my crowne MART. 22. Againe Beza telleth vs that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth mercedem quae meritis respondet that is a rewarde answereable to the merites And wee finde many wordes in the Scripture like vnto this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which are on Gods parte who is the rewarder and recompenser And on our parte wee haue as the Apostle saith Hebr. 10. and 4. greate confidence confidence saith Photius a notable Greeke father of our works confidence of our faith of our tentations of our patience c. Yea wee haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture whiche muste needes signifie as much as Bezaes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the one is said In keeping thy commaundementes is greate rewarde Againe You shall receyue THE RETRIBVTION of inherimunce Col. 3. v. 24. And 2. Thessal 1. v. 6. Gods repaying iust and reiribution of Hell or Heauen for good and euill deserâ—es is expressed by the same worde And by the other is said I haue inclined my hart to keepe thy iustifications or commaundements alwaies FOR REWARD FVLK 22. If you can finde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture you conuince vs of merite by Bezaes iudgement Therefore tell vs I pray you in what booke and chapter wee shall finde it First you tell vs that you finde many wordes like vnto it Yea but neyther the same nor any that is aequiualent For rendring of rewarde which all your wordes doe signifie may be according to promise by grace and not by desert The confidence of our workes that Photius speaketh of muste be vnderstood as they are testimonies of Gods sanctifying spirit or else it is contrary to the Scripture The parable tolde against them that trusted in themselues that they are righteous whereas we must confesse that we are vnprofitable seruants in all our obedience and beste workes that we doe Yea but you haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture which must needes signifie as much as Bezaes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who will yeelde to this necessitie If a man promise a laborer 20. shillings for euery dayes worke the rendring of this wages may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet no man will say that a daies labour deserueth twentie shillings That there is great rewarde promised for them that keepe Gods coÌ„maundements wee confesse but this rewarde is eyther of merite if they perfectly keepe all Gods commaundements which no man doth or of mercie if being iustified by faith through remission of their sinnes they endeuour according to the measure of Gods grace giuen vnto them to keepe Gods commaundements in some parte as God giueth strength In the testimonie of S. Paule the worde of inheritaunce following immediatly after the worde of rewarde or retribution excludeth merites for the inheritaunce dependeth of Gods free adoption by which he maketh vs his sonnes that he may giue vs that inheritaÌ„ce which we can neuer deserue In the other place the Apostle promiseth reward of glory to them that suffer for Christes name which God hauing promised of his meere mercie to giue vs and the same being purchased for
vnderstanding of the Scriptures But let vs see what be the absurdities that you gather of our defending the originall texts of both the tongues First we must needes reiect the Greeke of the olde Testament called septuaginta as false because it differeth frō the Hebrew Where it is not onely different in wordes but also contrary in sense Why should we not but if it reteine the sense and substance although it expresse not the same wordes we neede not reiect it S. Hierom who was required by Paula and Eustochium to expounde the Prophetes not onely according to the truth of the Hebrew but also after the translation of the Septuaginta whereof he diuerse tymes complayneth vppon the first of Nahum sayth expresly that it was against his conscience alwaies to follow the same Ignoscite prolixitati c. Pardon me that I am so long For I can not following both the storie and the tropologie or doctrine of maners comprehend both briefly most of all seeing that I am so greatlye tormented or troubled with the varietie of the translation and against my conscience sometimes I am compelled to frame a consequence of the vulgar edition which was the Septuaginta This was Sainct Hieroms opinion of the Septuagintaes translation But vpon reiection of that translation say you it followeth that wheresoeuer those places so disagreeing from the Hebrue are cited by Christ or the Euangelistes and Apostles there also they must be reiected because they disagree from the Hebrue and so the Greeke text of the newe Testament is not true and consequentlye the wordes of our Sauiour and writinges of his Apostles speaking according to the Septuaginta must at leaste bee reformed It is an olde saying and a true that one inconuenience being graunted manye doe followe and so you may heape vp an hundred after this manner But for aunswere I say that neyther our Sauiour nor his Apostles citing any place out of the olde Testament doe bring any thing disagreeing in sense and substance of matter the purpose for which they alleage it considered from the truth of the Hebrue text Therefore there is no neede that the 70. in those places should be reiected Althogh our Sauiour Christ speaking in the Syrian tōgue is not to be thoght euer to haue cited the text of the 70. which is in Greeke And his Apostles and Euangelists vsing that text regard the substance of the sentence not the forme of words For many times they cite not the very wordes of the Greeke 70. neither S. Hierom in Catalogo script Eccles. which is set as a Preface to S. Mathewes Gospell telleth you expresly that in the Hebrew example of S. Mathew which he had wheresoeuer the Euangelist S. Mathew either in his owne person or in the person of our Lorde and Sauiour vseth the testimonies of the olde Testament he followeth not the authoritie of the 70. translators but the Hebrew of which these are two places Out of Egypt haue I called my sonne And he shall be called a Nazarite See you not what a perilous perplexitie we are are in by defending both the Hebrue text of the olde Testament and the Geeke of the Newe when neither are contrarie to the other MART. 21. All which must needes followe if this be a good cōsequence I find it not in Moises nor in the Hebrue therefore I strooke it out as Beza doth and saith concerning the foresaid words Qui fuit Cainan This consequence therefore let vs see how they will iustifie and withall let them tell vs whether they will discredit the newe Testament because of the Septuaginta or credit the Septuaginta because of the new Testament or how they can credit one and discredit the other where both agree and consent togither or whether they will discredit both for credit of the Hebrue or rather whether there be not some other way to reconcile both Hebrue Greeke better than Bezaes impudent presumption Which if they will not maintaine let them flatly cōfesse that he did wickedly not as they doe defend euery word and deede of their maisters be it neuer so hainous or salue it at the least FVLK 21. No whit of that doth followe by striking out qui fuit Cainan Because it is not foūd in Moises therfore we haue nothing to do to iustifie your vaine consequence grounded vpon an absurdity of your owne deuising But we must tell you whether we will discredite the new Testament because of the Septuaginta no not for a thousand millions of Septuagintaes nor for all the worlde will we credite the Septuaginta against the truth of the old Testament But what soeuer is cited out of the 70. in the new is not contrarie to the Hebrew in the old and therefore the way of reconciliation is easily found without discrediting both or either of both in those places And in this place which is a meere corruption borrowed out of the corruption of the Septuagintaes or a Iudaical additiō Gen. 11. I think there is no better way of reconciling than to strike it cleane out as Beza hath done whiche generation neither is in the Hebrew veritie nor in your owne vulgar Latin translation either Gen. 11. or 1. Par. 1. Beside that it maketh a foule errour in the computation of time adding no lesse than 230. yeares betweene Arphaxad and Sala more than the Hebrew veritie or the vulgar Latin agreeing therewith doth number And therefore he was more presumptuous that out of the corrupt and false text of the Septuaginta added the same vnto the Genealogie in S. Luke than Beza which by the authoritie of Moses remoued the same If you will still persist to defende the authoritie of the Septuaginta against the Hebrew veritie which like an Atheist you deride at leastwise defende your owne vulgar Latine translation of the old Testament and deliuer your selfe out of that perplexitie in which you would place vs betweene the Hebrew of the old and the Greeke of the new Testament Seing no lesse doubts intangleth you betweene the Latine of the new and the Latine of the olde differing altogither a like as the Greeke and the Hebrew do MART. 22. Alas how farre are these men from the modestie of the auncient fathers and from the humble spirite of obedient Catholikes who seeke all other meanes to resolue difficulties rather than to do violence to the sacred Scripture and when they finde no way they leaue it to God S. Augustine concerning the difference of the Hebrue the Greeke saith often to this effect that it pleased the holy Ghost to vtter by the one that which he would not vtter by the other And S. Ambrose thus Wee haue founde many thinges not idly added of the 70. Greeke interpreters S. Hierom though an earnest patrone of the Hebrue not without cause beyng at that time perhaps the Hebrue veritie in deede yet giueth many reasons for the differences of the Septuaginta and concerning the foresaide places of S.
corruption But if it shall be euidently proued that they shrinke from the same also and translate an other thing and that wilfully and of full intention to countenaunce their false religion and wicked opinions making the Scriptures to speake as they list then we trust the indifferent reader for his owne soules sake will easily see and conclude that they haue no feare of God no reuerence of the Scriptures no conscience to deceiue their readers he will perceiue that the Scriptures make against them which they so peruert and corrupt for their purpose that neither the Hebrue nor Greeke text is for them which they dare not translate truly and sincerely that their cause is naught which needeth suche fâ—ule shiftes that they must needes knowe all this and therefore doe wilfully against their conscience and consequently are obstinate heretikes FVLK 39. We craue no pardon if it can be proued that wee haue wilfully translated an other thing than is contained in the Hebrue and Greeke to maintaine any false religion or wicked opinion Prouided alwayes that if any translatour or all the translatours haue ignorantly erred in misunderstanding any worde or phrase of the Hebrue or Greeke text that if it may be plainly shewed vnto them they acknowledging the fault they may not be charged with hereticall corruption from which it is certaine their intention was most free MART. 40. And the more to vnderstand their miserie and wretchednesse before we enter to examine their translations marke and gather of all that which I haue sayed in this Preface their manifolde flightes and iumpes from one shift to an other and howe Catholike writers haue pursued and chased them and followed them driuen them euen to this extreame refuge seely couert of false translation where also they must of necessitie yeeld or deuise some new euasion which we can not yet imagine FVLK 40. Hitherto I hope the indifferent reader will confesse that you haue driuen vs to no iumpes nor shiftes but onely vttered your owne malicious and vnlearned quarrels And howe Popishe writers haue pursued and chased vs to extreame refuge and seely couert of false translation let it appeare by the learned answeres of M. Iewell M. Horne M. Nowell M. Bridges M. Calfhill and others that I speake nothing of mine owne simple labours who being one of the meanest hauing confuted tenne or twelue of your Popishe treatises can receiue no replye of any man but onely of poore Bristowe to whome in this respecte I confesse my selfe more beholding than to all the Papistes beside sauing that I haue reioyned to him almost two yeares agoe and yet I heare not of his answere MART. 41. First we are wont to make this offer as we thinke most reasonable and indifferent that forasmuch as the Scriptures are diuersely expounded of vs of them they neither be tied to our interpretation nor we to theirs but to put it to the arbitrement iudgement of the auncient fathers of generall Councels of vniuersall custome of times and places in the Catholike Church No say they we will be our owne iudges and interpreters or follow Luther if we be Lutherans Caluin if we be Caluinists and so forth FVLK 41. For expounding of the Scriptures we will not refuse the arbitrement and iudgement of the auncient fathers of generall Councels of vniuersall custome of times and places in the Catholike church for this you say is your offer which was neuer refused of vs though you most falsely affirme that we say we will be our owne iudges and interpretours or followe Luther if we be Lutherans Caluine if we be Caluinistes c. Who euer sayed so you shamelesse sclauâ—derer What haue you differing from vs Wherein you haue the iudgement of the auncient fathers of generall Councels of vniuersall custome of times and places in the Catholike church Vnlesse perhappes you meane some wretched sophistrie by disioyning these that you here seeme to ioyne togither And if you so doe we must first aske you whether you your selues in all expositions of the Scriptures will stand to the arbitrement of euerie auncient father or of euerie generall Councell or of any custome in any time or place I knowe and you can not deny it that you will stande to nothing that is not allowed by your Pope though fathers councels custome time or place or all the world be against it yea the manifest Scripture which is so plaine that it needeth no exposition as the commaundement against images in religion Theodoret Gelasius Vigilius Chrysostome against transubstantiation Epiphanius against images the sixt councell of Constantinople for condemning the Pope of heresie the councels of Constance and Basil for deposing the Popes and decreeing that the councell is aboue the Pope many other like matters beside in which you goe clearely from the consent of all antiquitie for 600. yeares as the Bishoppe of Sarum hath made plaine demonstration and you are not able to replie MART. 42. This being of it selfe a shamelesse shift vnlesse it be better coloured the next is to say that the Scriptures are easie and plaine and sufficient of them selues to determine euerie matter and therefore they will be tried by the Scriptures onely We are content because they will needes haue it so and we alleage vnto them the bookes of Tobie Ecclesiasticus Machabees No say they we admit none of these for Scripture Why so are they not approued Canonicall by the same authoritie of the Church of auncient Councels and fathers that the other bookes are No matter say they Luther admitteth them not Caluine doth not allow them FVLK 42. That the Scriptures are plaine and easie to be vnderstoode of them that vse the ordinary meanes to come to it for all doctrine necessarie to be knowen and sufficient to determine euerie matter the holie Ghost him selfe doth testifie 2. Tim. 3. and some of the auncient fathers also doe beare witnesse as Augustine de doct Christ. lib. 2. Chrysost. in Gen. hom 13. de verb. Esai Vidi dâ—minum c. hom 2. If therefore you had the spirite of the auncient fathers you would be content to be tryed by the Scriptures for reuerence you ought to Gods most holye and perfect writings and not because we will haue it so who are content in many controuersies to be tryed by the iudgement of the auncient fathers or general Councels or vniuersall custom of times and places and in all controuersies wherein all the auncient fathers all Councels and vniuersall custom of all times and places doe consent if any think such things can be brought against vs as it is falsly and sophistically bragged But whereas we refuse the bokes of Tobie Ecclesiasticus Machabees for Canonicall Scripture it is not as you say ridiculously because Luther and Caluine admitteth them not but because they are contrary to the Canonicall Scriptures and were neâ—er receiued of the Church of Israel for Canonicall nor of the Catholike Church of Christ for more than 400. yeares after
and that the woman sayd I see Gods ascending out of the earth and An olde man is ascended or come vp and that Samuel sayd Why hast thou disquieted me that I should be raysed vp and To morow thou and thy sonnes shall be with me And the booke of Ecclesiasticus sayth that Samuel died and afterward lifted vp his voice out of the earth c. All which the holy Scripture would neuer haue thus expressed whether it were Samuel in deede oâ— not if Saul and the Iewes then had beleeued that their Prophets and Patriarches had bene in heauen about And as for the Hebrew worde they make it as euery boye among the Iewes doth well know as proper a word for Hell as panis is for bread and as vnproper for a graue though so it may be vsed by a figure of speech as Cymba Charontis is Latine for death FVLK 26. If we followed the Iewes in exposition of the Scriptures against Christ we were not so much to be pitied as to be abhorred but if we be content to learne the proprietie of Hebrew wordes of the learned Rabbinsi as Hierom was glad to doe of his Rabbin who as it appeareth by his scholler in some places was not excellently learned there is no cause why any man should pitie vs but them rather that to cloke their ignorance in the Hebrewe tongue pretende as if it were more vnlawfull to learne Hebrew of the Hebrew Rabbins than Latine of Quintilian or Priscian and Greeke of Gaza Suidas and such like That you tell vâ— of the Romishe Rabbins conuerted from Iudaiâ—me to Papistrie is not worth a straw For their argument of Saules and a witches opinion that the deade might be raysed proueth nothing in the worlde that they were in Hell And the sonne of Syrach sheweth him selfe not to be directed by the spirite of God which affirmeth Samuel did lift vp his voice after his death out of the earth contrarye to the iudgement of Catholike Doctors of the Church For that the Scripture speaketh of Samuel raysed by the witche is meant of a wicked spirite counterfetting the shape and similitude of Samuel For the soules of the faithfull and holy Prophets be not at the commaundements of witches but at rest with God where they can not be disquieted As for the authoritie of those vnknowen authors that teach boyes to say Sheol is as proper for hell as panis for bread we may esteeme it to be of as good credit as Charons boate Plutoes pallace and Cerberus three heads c. MART. 27. But what speake I of these doe no the greatest and most auncient Rabbines so to call them the Septuaginta alwayes translate the Hebrew word by the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is properly hell doe not the Talmudistes and Chaldee paraphrases and Rabbi Salomon Iarhi handling these places of the Psalmes He will deliuer my soule from the hande of Sheol interprete it by Gehinum that is Gehenna hell and yet the Caluinists bring this place for an example that it signifieth graue Likewise vpon this place Let all sinners be turned into SHEOL the foresayde Rabbines interprete it by Gehinum Hell Insomuch that in the Prouerbs and in Iob it is ioyned with Abaddon Where Rabbi Leui according to the opinion of the Hebrewes expoundeth Sheol to be the lowest region of the world a deepe place opposite to heauen whereof it is written If I descended into Hell thou art present and so doth Rabbi Abraham expounde the same worde in chap. 2. Ionâ— FVLK 27. Although the Septuaginta doe alwayes translate Sheol by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet doe they not thereby alwayes vnderstand hel as it is manifest in all those places where the Scripture speaketh of a receptacle of dead bodies But now you will beare vs downe with Rabbins Talmudists and Chaldee paraphrases And firste you saye that all these handling that verse of the 49. Psalme He will deliuer my soule from the hand of Sheol interprete it by Gehinnom that is hell I graunt that Rabbi Ioseph vsing the libertie of a Paraphrast rather than a translator interpreteth the worde by Gehinnom that signifieth hell fire and so the sense is true For God deliuered Dauid from eternall damnation But Rabbi Dauid Chimchi expounding the same place according to the proper signification of Sheol sayeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Prophet sayde when he sawe the destruction of the soules of the wicked in their death In the day in which my bodie shall goe downe to Sheol the graue God shall deliuer my soule from the hande of Sheol the graue that my soule shall not perishe with my bodie You see therefore that all the Rabbines be not of your side no nor Rabbi Salomon Iarchi whom you cite For vpon 37. of Genesis verse 35. where Iacob sayth he will goe downe to the graue mourning thus he writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mourning to Sheol according to the plaine and literall sense the interpretation thereof is the grane in my mourning I will be buried and I will not be comforted all my dayes but after the Midrash or exposition not according to the letter it is hell This signe was deliuered by handes or by tradition from the mouth of his power that is from a diuine oracle if not one of my sonnes shall dye in my life time I had confidence that I should not see hell By this saying it is manifest that this Rabbine acknowledged the true and proper translation of this worde Sheol was to the graue although after figuratiue and sometimes fond expositions it was interpreted for hell Likewise you say but vntruly of this verse Psal. 9. v. 18. Let all sinners be turned to Sheol for there the Chaldee Paraphrast retaineth the worde Sheol and doth not giue any other word for it Dauid Chimchi interpreteth it according to the literall sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the wicked be turned into the graue which is so straung with you to be aunswerable to Sheol although as R. Salomon he sayth it may be vnderstoode of their buriall in hell That Sheol in the Prouerbs Iob is ioyned with abaddoÌ„ it hindreth it not to signify the graue where is the destru ction and consumption of the body And Prou. 15. v. 11. the Chaldee Paraphrast retaineth Sheol which Kabuenaki expoundeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is sayd of Sheol and Abaddon that Sheol is the graue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Abaddon is hell which is deeper than the graue c. And although in Iob Rabbi Leui and others expound Sheol for a secret place about the center of the earth which should seeme to be hell yet they say not that this is the proper signification of the word Sheol For in the 21. of Iob. v. 13. the Chaldee Paraphrast for Sheol interpreteth Kebureta the graue and in the 14. verse 13. beith kebureta the house of the graue and 17. v. 12. and
than are the afflictions of all passions what soeuer Thus wee see plainely that short tribulations are true merites of endlesse glorie though not comparable to the same which truth you impugne by your false and hereticall translation But let vs see further your dealing in the selfe same controuersie to make it plainer that you bende your translations against it more than the text of the Scripture doth permit you FVLK 9. A man may see you are driuē to extreme shiftes when you will seeke Praemia meritorum in S. Augustine can finde it no where but among the Sermones de sanctis which beare no credite of Augustines workes but of some later gatherer The true Augustine in Ps. 70. Con. 1. thus writeth Nihil es per te deum inuoca tua peccaia sunt merita dei sunt supplicium tibi debetur cum praemium venerit sua dona coronabit non merita tua Thou art nothing by thy selfe call vpon God thine are the sinnes the merites are Gods to thee punishment is due and when the rewarde shal come he will crowne his giftes not thy merites Finally Augustine in nothing is more earnest than in denying the reward which is of grace to be due in respect of merite or worthinesse of workes MART. 10. In the booke of wisedome where there is honorable mention of the merites of Saincts and their rewardes in heauen you translate the holy Scripture thus God hath proued them and findeth them MEETE FOR HIM SELFE To omitte here that you vse the present tense whereas in the Greeke they are preter tenses God knoweth why only this wee knowe that it is no true nor sincere translation but to wincke at smaller faultes why say you here in all your Bibles that God findeth his Saincts and holy seruants meete for him selfe and not worthie of him selfe See your partialitie and be ashamed FVLK 10. The booke of wisedome writtē by Philo the Iewe as S. Hierome thinketh is no holy Canonical Scripture to cōfirme the credite of any article of beliefe Therefore whether he thought that mens merites were worthy of the fauour and grace of God the reward of eternall life or no it is not materiall But somewhat it is that you say that our translators for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue not translated worthie but meete For my parte I wishe they had reteyned the vsuall signification of that worde and said worthie of him selfe onely to take away your cauill For otherwise in the sense there is no difference if that he saith be true none is meete for God but they that are worthie of him which are not meete or worthie of thē selues but made such by grace not for merite of their workes but by the righteousnesse of Christe imputed to them by faith This if the wiseman meaneth not but that their vertues were such as deserued Gods fauour and eternall life we may boldely reiect him as going against the wisedome of God reuealed in the Canonicall Scriptures MART. 11. In the Apostles places before examined you saide negatiuely that the afflictions of this time were NOT WORTHIS OF the glorie to come the Greeke not bearing that translation but here when you should say affirmatiuely and that word for word after the Greeke that God found them WORTHIE OF HIM SELFE there you say MEETE FOR HIM SELFE auoiding the terme worthie because merite is included therein So that when you will in your translatiō denie merites then condignae ad signifieth worthie of when you should in your translation affirme merites then Dignus with an ablatiue case doth not signifie worthie of No maruell if such wilfulnesse wilnot see the worde merite or that whiche is equiualent thereto in all the Scripture For when you do see it should trāslate it you suppresse it by another word But this is a case worthie of examination whether the Scripture haue the worde merite or the equiualent thereof For we will force them euen by their owne translations to confesse that it is founde there and that they should translate it accordingly often when they doe not yea that if wee did not see it in the vulgar Latine translation yet they must needes see it and finde it in the Greeke FVLK 11. In the Canonicall Scripture it seemeth the translators had a religious care to keepe bothe the propertie of the wordes and the true meaning of the holy Ghost In the Apocryphall bookes they had a wise consideration to translate them according to the beste meaning that their wordes would beare Now whether you say worthie of God or meete for God you must vnderstand this meetenesse or worthinesse to be of grace and not of merite or else the saying is blasphemous against the grace of God For merite is not necessarily included in worthinesse The Kings sonne is worthie to succeede his father by right of inheritance not by merite of vertue alwayes A straunger may bee worthie of the kinges seruice which neuer deserued the kings entertainement but for such good qualities as are in him But after this tedious trifling it would somwhat awake our spirites if you could as you threaten in the margent proue the merite of good workes plainely by the Scriptures eyther by the worde merite which you can neuer doe or by any thing that is equiualent vnto it and to force vs by our owne translations to cōfesse that it is founde there if not in the vulgar Latine yet in the Greeke MART. 12. First when they translate the foresaid place thus The afflictions of this time are not worthie of the glorie to come they meane this deserue not the glorie to come for to that purpose they do so translate it as hath bene declared Againe when it is said The workemā is worthy of his hire or wages What is meant but that he deserueth his wages And more plainely Tob. 9. they translate thus Brother Azarias if I should giue my self to be thy seruaunt I shal not DESERVE thy prouidence And such like If then in these places both the Greeke and the Latine signifie to be worthie of or not to be worthie of to deserue or not to deserue then they must allow vs the same signification and vertue of the same wordes in other like places Namely Apoc. 5. of our Sauiours merites thus The lambe that was killed IS WORTHY to receyue power and riches c. What is that to say but DESERVETH to receiue For so I trust they will allowe vs to say of our Sauiour that he in deede deserued Againe of the damned thus Thou hast giuen them bloud to drinke for they ARE WORTHY or THEY HAVE DESERVED is it not all one lastly of the elect thus They shall walke with me in white because they are worthie Apocal. 3. that is because they deserue it And so in the place before by them corrupted God founde them worthie of him that is such as deserued to bee with him in eternall
al one But if Beza that hath discouered the truthe in so many places did not see it in this one texte as neyther you nor any of the fathers whiche haue written vppon it who are not many hee is rather to bee pardoned of all reasonable men than to be rayled vpon by such one who in learning is no more like him than a Goose to a Swanne in singing MART. 5. But no maruell if they disgrace the baptisme of Christe when they are bolde also to take it awaye altogither interpreating this Scripture Vnlesse a man be borne again of water and the Spirite he can not enter into the kingdome of God which a man would thinke were plaine ynough to prooue that water in baptisme is necessarie interpreating I say this Scripture Of water and the spirite thus of water that is the Spirite making water to be nothing else in this place but the Spirite allegorically and not materiall water As though our sauiour had saide to Nicodemus Vnlesse a man be borne of water I meane of the spirite he can not enter c. According to this moste impudent exposition of plaine Scriptures Caluin translateth also as impudently for the same purpose in the epistle to Titus making the Apostle to say that God powred the water of regeneration vpon vs abundantly that is the holie Ghost And leaste wee shoulde not vnderstande his meaning herein hee telleth vt in his commentarie vppon this place that whē the apostle saith water poured out abundātly he speaketh not of material water but of the holy ghost Now indede the apostle saith not that water was poured vpon vs but the holy ghost neither doth the Apostle make water and the holy ghost al one but most plainely distinguisheth them saying that God of hys mercie hath saued vs by the lauer of regeneration and renouation of the holy Ghost whom he hath powred vppon vs abundantly See how plainely the Apostle speaketh both of the materiall water or washing of Baptisme of the effect thereof which is the holy Ghost powred vpon vs. Caluin taketh away water cleane and will haue him speake only of the holy Ghost which Flaccus Illyricus the Lutheran him selfe wondreth at that any man should be so bold and calleth it plaine sacriledge against the efficacie of the Sacraments FVLK 5. The Sacrament of Baptisme howe farre we are from disgracing or taking it away altogither when we affirme that the grace of Gods spirite is not so tied vnto it but he may worke regeneration without it in them that by necessitie are depriued of it let all men of reason and indifferencie iudge Our translation of Iohn 3. v. 5. being such as he can find nothing to quarrell against it hee beginneth a newe controuersie of our interpretation by which he might bring in fiue hundred places of scripture in which wee differ from them in exposition And a great absurditie hee thinketh hee hathe founde out in that we expound the water and spirite to signifie one thing as though in Math. 3. v. 11. the holie ghoste and fire are not put both for one thing and hee may as well in the one place vrge the element of fire in the baptisme of Christe as by this place prooue the necessitie of baptisme in water And yet we take not awaye the sacrament of baptisme or the water the externall matter thereof whiche in other places is expresly commaunded when we say it is not spoken of in this texte which is of the thing signified in baptisme rather than of baptisme as in Iohn 6. our sauiour Christ speaketh in like termes of the thing represented in the sacrament of his supper not of the sacrament it selfe The errour of Caluines translation and exposition of Titus 3 v. 5. wee haue before confessed neyther doth any of our translations followe him and yet his error is no heresie while he ascribeth wholy to the holie ghoste that whiche properly is his but yet of the apostle is figuratiuely ascribed vnto the outward element by which he worketh MART. 6. And if we shoulde heere accuse the Englishe translatours also that translate it thus by the fountaine of the regeneration of the holy Ghost WHICH he shed on vs c. making it indifferent eyther which foūtaine or which holy Ghost he shedde c. they would answere by and by that the Greeke also is indifferent but if a man should aske the further whether the holy Ghost may be said to be shedde or rather a fountaine of water they muste needes confesse not the holy Ghost but water and consequently that they translating which he shedde would haue it meante of the fountaine of water and so they agree iust with Caluins translation and leaue Beza who in his translation referreth it only to the holy Ghost as wee doe but in his commentarie playeth the Heretike as Caluin doth FVLK 6. When Aristides could be accused of no crime he was by his enuious enimies accused of iustice Euen so this man who is wonte to prescribe vs a rule to leaue that in ambiguitie whiche in the Greeke is ambiguous nowe blameth vs for translating so as eyther Caluines or Bezaes sense may stande with it And al be it in all other places hee is content to make vs Bezaes schollers yet here because Caluine hath the worse parte hee will enforce vs to leaue Beza and sticke to Caluine Suche a force hath malice when it is settled in mans harte that it carrieth him oftentimes headlong against him selfe But seeing the holy Ghost as the neerest antecedent is placed nexte before the relatiue why muste wee needes confesse not the holy Ghost but water to be shedde vpon vs Is any man so brutish to beleeue the bolde surmises what saide I surmises nay impudent and contentious affirmations of this blind Bayard MART. 7. Of the Sacrament of penance I haue spoken before concerning that part specially which is satisfaction here I will onely adde of Confession that to auoide this terme namely in such a place where the reader might easily gather Sacramentall confession they translate thus Acknowledge your faultes one to an other Iac. 5. It is said a litle before if any be diseased let him bring in Priests c. And then it foloweth Confesse your faults c. But they to make al sure for Confesse say Acknowledge and for Priestes Elders What meane they by this If this acknowledging of faultes one to another before death be indifferently to be made to all men why do they appoint in their Cōmunion-booke as it seemeth out of this place that the sicke person shall make a special confession to the Minister and he shal absolue him in the very same forme of absolution that Catholike Priests vse in the Sacramēt of Confession Againe if this acknowledging of faults be specially to be made to the Minister or Priest why translate they it not by the worde Confessing and confession as well as by Acknowledging and
verse is supplied by the translators yet printing it so in another letter that the reader may know it is not in the Greeke as they do in 500. places beside where a verbe or a nowne or a pronowne or any other worde must of necessity be vnderstood to fil vp the sense which you in your precise trāslatiō obserue not whē you adde any such thing beside many imperfect sentēces that you make because you will not seeme to adde that which in translation is no addition but a true trāslation But here you say the Apostle may as well vnderstande the holy Ghost as the Scripture When there is a nominatiue case before that agreeth with the verbe the sense it is farre fetcht to vnderstād a nominatiue case of him that is not spoken of I will set downe the whole text that the reader may iudge what perilous addition is here cōmitted by our translators Doe you thinke that the Scripture saith in vaine the spirite that dwelleth in vs lusteth after enuie But the Scripture or it giueth more grace and therefore saith God resisteth the prowde and giueth grace to the humble In Grāmar schooles they vse to examine it thus who or what giueth who or what saith doth not the Scripture mētioned immediatly before answere to these questiōs most aptly yet mē must abhorre our saucinesse or rather your spitefull malitiousnesse MART. 7. One addition of theirs I would not speake of but onely to knowe the reason why they doe it because it is very strange and I know not what they should meane by it This I am sure if they doe it for no purpose they doe it very folishly and forgetfully contrarie to themselues In the Gospell of S. Marke in the reckening of the Apostles they adde these wordes And the first was Simon more than is in their Greeke text Which addition they learned of Beza whose contradictions in this point are worthie nothing In S. Matthew where these wordes are he suspecteth that first was added by some Papist for Peters primacie here where the word is not he auoucheth it to be the true text of the Gospell and that because Matthew readeth so There he alleaged this reason why it could not be said the first Simon because there is no consequence nor coherence of second third fourth c. here he saith that is no impediment because there be many examples of such speach and namely in the said place of S. Matthew There he saith it is not so though al Greeke copies haue it so here it must needes be so though it be only found in certaine odde Greeke copies of Erasmus which Erasmus him selfe as Beza confesseth allowed not but thought that these wordes were added in them out of S. Matthew What these contradictions meane I know not and I would learne the reason thereof of his scholers our English trāslators who by their Maisters authoritie haue made the selfe same addition in their English translation also FVLK 7. It seemeth you like the addition well enough because it importeth a shadow of Peters primacie but yet your malice is so great against Beza whose sinceritie in this case you shoulde rather commende if there were any sparke of honest equitie in you that you cannot passe it ouer without quarrelling and cauilling But your pretense is to know the reason why they do it I haue some maruaile that you should be ignorant of such things as are compted so materiall for the maintenance of the Popes primacie Especially sith Beza telleth you so plainly the reason of it True it is that the cōmon printed bookes haue not that addition But Beza taketh Erasmus to witnesse that in diuerse Greeke copies these words are expressed because they agree best with the context Beza translateth them out of those copies For except you so read saith Beza the next verse beginning of the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall haue no worde at all with which it may be knit But in S. Mathew you say he suspecteth that the worde first was added by some Papist for Peters primacie He onely obiecteth what if it were so answereth the obiection him self out of S. Marke as vpon S. Marke for the coherence with that which followeth wherfore it is not without great and malicious impudēce that you charge him with cōtradiction where there is none and where he saith more towarde your cause than any of you could say for your selues MART. 8. There is also an other addition of theirs either proceeding of ignorance or of the accustomed humor whē they translate thus If ye continue stablished in the faith and be not moued away from the hope of the Gospel which ye haue heard how it was preached to euery creature or whereof ye haue heard how that it is preached or whereof ye haue heard and which hath bene preached to euery creature c. For all these varieties they haue and none according to the Greeke text which is word for word as the vulgar Latine Interpretor hath most sincerely translated it Vnmoueable from the hope of the Gospell which you haue heard which is or hath bene preached among all creatures c. So that the Apostles exhortation is vnto the Colossians that they continue grounded and stable in the faith and Gospell which they had heard and receyued of their first Apostles as in the epistle to the Romanes and to the Galatians and to the Thessalonians and to the Hebrewes and to Timothee and S. Iohn in his first Epistle c. 2. v. 24. and S. Iude v. 3. 20. all vse the like exhortations FVLK 8. Here is no addition of any worde that may not be comprehended in the Greeke For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the genitiue case signifieth not onely which but also whereof or of which and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hath bene or which hath bene preached Here is onely the poore word how which is a superfluous word euen in our English for the sense is all one if you leaue it out Vnmoueable from the hope of the Gospell of which you haue heard that it hath bene preached among or to all creatures Here is therefore no addition to the text but a sense differing from that which pleaseth you best and yet your vulgar Latine may well beare that sense which our translators doe follow MART. 9. But this doth not so well like the Protestants which* with Hymenaeus and Alexander and other olde Heretike◠haue fallen from their first faith and therefore they alter the Apostles plaine speech with certaine wordes of their owne and they will not haue him say Be vnmoueable in the faith and Gospell which you haue heard and receiued but whereof you haue heard howe that it is preached as though he spake not of the Gospell preached to them but of a Gospell which they had onely heard of that was preached in the world Certaine it is these wordes whereof you haue heard how it was preached
auncient and graue personage in respecte of ciuilitie and not of superstition may be well vsed without transgression of our Sauiour Christs commaundement Math. 23. MART. 11. Contrarywise as they are diligent to put some wordes odiously where they shoulde not so they are as circumspect not to put other wordes and termes where they should In their first Bible printed againe An. 1562. not once the name of Church in the same for charitie loue for altar temple for heretike an author of sectes for heresie sectâ—â— because in those beginnings al these words sounded exceâ—dingly against them The Church they had then forsaken Christian charitie they had broken by schisine altars they digged downe here sie and heretike they knewe in their conscience more like in the peoples eares to agree vnto them rather than to the olde Catholike faith and professors of the same Againe in all their Bibles indifferently both former and later they had rather say righteous than iust righteousnesse than iustice gift than grace specially in the sacrament of holy orders secrete rather than mysterie specially in matrimonie dissension than schisme and these wordes not at all Priest to wit of the new Testament Sacrament Catholike hymnes coÌ„fessioÌ„ penance iustifications traditions in the good part but in steede therof Elders secrete general praiseâ— acknowledging amendment of life ordinaÌ„ces instructions And which is somewhat worse carcas for soule and graue for hel We may say vnto you as Demosthenes said to Aeschines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—hat are these wordes or wonders certainly they are wonders and very wonderfull in Catholike mens eares and whether it be sincere and not hereticall dealing I appeale to the wise and indifferent reader of any sorte FVLK II. For all the termes quarrelled at in this Section wee haue answered before except perhaps for the terme of loue which is vsed in steede of charitie expressing what charitie is in deede and not as it is commonly taken of the common people for an effect of charitie when they call almesse charitie No man that patiently could abide the people to be instructed would cauill at the explication of the worde charitie by loue when in the English tongue the worde charitie of the common people is eyther not vnderstood or taken for an other thing than the Latine worde Charitas do the signifie As for the wonders of wordes that Demosthenes spake of I knowe not where more properly they shal be found than in your affected nouelties of termes such as neither English nor Christian eares euer heard in the English tongue Scandall prepuce neophyte â—â—â—osium gratis parasceue paraclete exinanite repropitiate and a hundred such like inkehorne termes Yea I woulde gladly know why among so many Greckish and Latine-like terms Gazophylacâ—â— is not a Gazophilace but a treasurie enâ—aenia the dedication and not the encaenes as wel as pasce Pentecost azymes parasceue belike the Church must haue treasure and the feast of dedication must not â—e hidde in a new found terme Why shoulde Aduentus be sometime the comming and sometime the aduent except it were for the sounde of the time of aduent beefore the feast of the natiuitie of Christ Why should Latine words be translated in Greekish termes as scissuras into selismes aemulatores zelators and such like These and suche other be wonders of wordes that wise menne can giue no good reason why they should be vsed CHAP. XXII Other faults Iudaeical prophane meere vanities follies and nouelties Martin NOW leauing matters of controuersie lette vs talke a little with you familiarly and learne of you the reason of other pointes in your translation which to vs seeme faults and sauour not of that spirite whyche shoulde bee in Christian Catholike translatours Fulke OVR translations as neare as the translators could see the truth are euen and iuste with the originall texte the sense whereof if it doe not alwaies containe suche excellent matter as the Septuaginta or vulgar Latin translation haue supposed there is no cause why our translators shoulde be blamed whose office is to regarde what the originall truth is and not to drawe it for any respecte to an other meaning thaÌ„ the spirit of god expresseth in those words MART. 2. First you are so profane that you say The ballet of ballets of Salomon so terming that diuine booke Canticum canticoruÌ„ contayning the high mysterie of Christ and his Church as if it were a ballet of leue betweene Salomon and his concubine as Castaleo wantonly translateth it But you say more profanely thus we haue conceiued we haue born in paine as thoughe wee shoulde haue brought â—ooâ—â—â—â— wind I am ashamed to tel the literall commentarie of this your translation why might you not haue said we haue conceiued and as it were traueled to bring forth and haue brought forth the spirite is there any thing in the Hebrewe to hinder you thus far Why woulde you say winde rather than spirite knowing that the Septuagintain Greeke and the auncient fathers and S. Hierome himselfe who translateth according to the Hebrew yet for sense of the place al expound it both according to Hebrew and Greeke of the spirite of God which is first conceiued in vs beginneth by feare which the scripture calleth the beginning of wisdome in so muche that in the Greeke there are these goodly words famous in al antiquitie Through the feare of thee ô lord we conceiued and haue trauailed with paine and haue brought forth the spirite of thy saluation which thou hast made vpon the earth Which doth excellently set before our cies the degrees of a faithful mans increase and proceeding in the spirite of God which beginneth by the feare of his iudgements and is a good feare though seruile and not sufficient and it may be that you condemning wyth Luther this seruile feare as euil and hurtfull meane also some such thing by your traÌ„slatioÌ„ But indede the place may be vnder stode of the other fear also which hath his degrees more or lesse FVLK 2. I meruaile why this word ballet should seme to you to be profane more than this word song or canticle songs and caÌ„ticles be many as il as any ballets But the other matter is of greate waight Esay 26. where for the spirite we translate winde whych is suche an absurditie that you are ashamed to tel the literall coÌ„mentarie of this our translation Belike you are afraide of suche a faulte as S. Lambert in your legend is reported to haue committed But excepte you hadde a prophane minde you would neuer haue imagined any such matter thereof which you are ashamed to vtter The circumstaÌ„ce of the place requireth that we should translate the word in this place for wind and not the spirit for the pro phets pur pose was to shew that people wer in desperat case without hope of help til God did raise them eueÌ„ as it were froÌ„ death The similitude is taken of a trauailing woman
whose womb if it be ful of wind she is in great tormentes But you aske vs whether there be anie thing in the Hebrue that hindreth vs to say we haue coÌ„ceiued and as it were traueled and haue brought forth the spirit Yea verily the coÌ„text of the Hebrue words wil not beare that translation for the worde chemo quasi as it were is placed before the word ialadhenu which signifieth bringing foorth and not before chalnu which signifieth trauailing in paine Therfore the text is worde for word as wee haue translated it And the word following wee coulde make no helpe to the lande or there was no help in the earth declareth a continuance of their miserie and cannot agree with that sense whiche you woulde haue because they which haue receiued the holy Ghost haue founde helpe and are able to helpe Beside that it is a monstrous phrase that the godly shoulde saye they haue conceiued trauailed and brought foorthe the holie Ghost by which they are borne againe to bee the children of God rather than that they haue conceiued or brought forth Gods spirite And therfore howsoeuer Hierom like your interpretation it agreeth neither with the words of the Hebrue nor with the circuÌ„stance of the place it is scarce tollerable to make such a conceptioÌ„ and generation of Gods spirite in men That seruile feare is to be reprooued in the children of God whych shoulde feare him as sonnes and not as slaues wee are content to acknowledge with Luther But what place is this for vs to meane any thing against seruile feare whâ— there is no mention of feare in the Hebrewe texte and the Greeke hathe suche licentious additions that Hierome is faine to strike them through with a spitte and note them to be wiped out MART. 3. But to saye wee haue broughte foorthe winde can admit no suche interpretation but euen as if a meere Iew should translate or vnderstand it who hath no sense of Gods spirite so haue you excluded the true sense which concerneth the holie Ghost and not the colde terme of winde and whatsoeuer naked interpretation thereof And it is your fashion in al such cases where the richer sense is of Gods holie spirite there to translate winde as Psal. 147. v. 1â— as you number the psalmes FVLK 3. We must say in english as the prophet hath said before vs in Hebrue and so truly translate the scripture that neuer a Iewe in the world may haue iust cause to accuse our falshode or partialitie And how cold soeuer the terme of winde seeme to your crooked minde and how naked soeuer the interpretation be thought of your cloaked hypocrisie it is the worde of the euerliuing God and the true sense thereof as it is expressed by the Prophet Likewise Psalme 147. the Prophet sheweth who doth execute the commandement of God in thawing dissoluing the frost namely the wind which being southerly wee see the effect of it what neede wee here to cause the holie ghost to be sent to melt the ice MART. 4. And it is not vnlike to this that you wil not translate for the Aungels honor that carried Abacuâ— He sette him into Babilon ouer the lake by the force of his spirite but thus through a mightie winde so attributing it to the winde not to the Aungels power and omitting cleane the Greeke pronoune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his which sheweth euidently that it was the Angels spirite force and power FVLK 4 That we haue translated in the storie of Abacuks taking vp that it was through a mighty winde it hath good probabilitie by the circumstance of the place and the signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a force with with a noise is more apt to the winde than to the spirite And in other writers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken for the vehement noise of windes but the pronoune I confesse should not haue bene omitted and then it may be referred either to the winde or spirite of God whose Angell this is sayd to be rather than to the Angel For the Angell being nothing but a spirite it is not so conuenient to saye by his spirite as by his owne force againe the pronoune is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof you made great difference as in deede there is difference in another case MART. 5. Againe where the Prophets speake most manifestly of Christ there you translate cleane an other thing as Esa. 30. v. 20. When S. Hierom translateth thus the church hath alwayes redde accordingly Non faciet auolare à te vltra Doctorem tuum erunt oculi tui videntes praeceptorem tuum that is And our Lord shall not cause thy Doctors to flie from thee any more and thine eyes shall see thy Maister Which is all one in effect with that which Christ sayth I will be with you vnto the eâ—de of the word there you translate thus Thy raine shall be no more kept back but thine eyes shall see thy raine So likewise Ioel 2. v. 23. where the holy Church readeth Reioyce you children of Sion in the Lord your God because he hath giuen you the Doctor of iustice there you translate the raine of righteousnesse Doth the Hebrue word force you to this you Iewes theÌ„selues partly vnderstaÌ„d it of Esdras partly of Christs Diuinitie Why are you more profane I will not say more Iudaicalâ— than the Iewes themselues why might not S. Hierom a Christian Doctor and lacking no skill in the Hebrue as you well know satisfie you who maketh no doubt but the Hebrue in these places is Doctor Maister Teacher Who also in Psal. 84. 7. translateth thus With blessings shall the Doctor be araied meaning Christ. Where you with the later Rabbines the enemies of Christ translate The raine coâ—ereth the pooles What cold stuffe is this in respect of that other translation so clearly pointing to Christ out Maister doctor FVLK 5. I haue told you in the beginning of this chapter we must not neither is it safe for the strengthening of our faith to drawe places of Scripture vnto Christ which by the holy Ghost had an other meaning so shall the Iewes laugh vs to scorne and the faith of the ignorant which is grounded vpon such translation if it shall be opened vnto them that it is vntrue shall be mightily shaken and brought in doubt of all other places of Scripture applyed to the like ende God be thanked there be plaine and euident testimonies of Christ in the Scripture which no malice of Iewish or Heathenish enemies can wrest out of our handes which are sufficient for instruction and confirmation of our faith Now concerning those places where you would haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie a Doctour Teacher or Maister first it seemeth you haue your Hebrew but from hande to mouth for chapter 3. sect 25. whereas we translate moreh shaker a teacher of lyes Abacuc 2. you saye wee
prooue it to be good and lawfull I will reuoke my termes Page 142. where he sayeth that bread and wine of the sacrament haue no promise I tell him he lyeth like an arrogant hypocrite for bread and wine haue as good promise in the one sacrament as water in the other Pag. 178. where M. Calfebill had distinguished traditions into some necessarie some contrary to the worde some indifferent I say Martiall like an impudent asse calleth on him to shewe in what scripture doctor or councell he findeth this distinction of traditions As though a man might not make a true distinction in disputation but the same must bee founde in so many wordes in scripture doctor or councell when he himselfe cannot denie but the distinction is true and euery part to be founde in the scriptures doctors and councelles Pag. 133. I call Martiall blockeheade and shamelesse asse because he would proue that the spirite of God is not iudge of the interpretation of the scriptures because Paule and Barnabas in the controuersie of circumcision went not to the worde and spirit but to the Apostles and elders at Ierusalem Also pag. 213. I call him asseheade because he sayth that M. Calfehill condemneth his doctrine of only faith iustifying when he affirmeth that outwarde profession is necessarie for euery Christian man Likewise pag. 215. where Martiall would learne whether M. Calfehill kneeling downe before his father to aske him blessing did not commit Idolatrie I say hee is an asse that can not make a difference betweene ciuill honour and religious worship Pag. 202. I call not onely Martiall but all Papistes shamelesse dogges and blasphemous Idolaters which mainetaine and make vowes to Images which trauell to them and offer vp both prayers and sacrifices of candels money Iewels and other thinges vnto Images Whose Idolles haue giuen answeres haue wagged their heades and lippes Pag. 198. I say he rayleth vpon Caluine like a ruffion and slandereth him like a deuill because hee sayeth a shippe would not carrie the peeces of the crosse that are shewed in so many places which yet is confirmed by testimonie of Erasmus Pag. 170. where Martiall goeth about to proove that the sacramentes are no helpes of our fayth I said Did you euer heare such a filthy hogge grunt so beastly of the holie sacramentes that they should be no helpes of our faith These are as many of the speeches noted by the censurer as I can finde wherein I trust the indifferent reader weighing vpon what cause they were vttered will not so lightly condemne me for a rayler seeing to rayle is of priuate malice to reuile them that deserue no reproch and not of zeale in defence of truth to vse vehement and sharpe speeches as all the prophets and the mildest spirited men that euer were haue vsed against the aduersaries thereof But the most heynous accusation is behinde that I call Staphylus a counsellor to an Emperour rascall I might answere as S. Paul did when hee was reprooued for calling the high priest painted wall Brethren I knewe not y t he was an Emperors counsellor or in very deede I know nothing in him worthy to be an honest mans counsellour But seeing it pleased an Emperour to accept him it is as great a fault as if an enemie of meane condition should call an English counsellour rascall So sayth our sharpe censurer But if he meane those that be of the Queenes maiesties priuie counsell I will not say he playeth the rascall but either the ignorant foole or the malicious vile person to coÌ„pare y â— Apostata Staphylus euen in his counsellership with the meanest of their honors For they that knowe the maner of the princes of Germanie and of other foreine princes can testifie that personages of meane estate only being learned in y e lawes are accepted of the Emperour and other states as their counsellours whose counsell perhapes they neuer vse but may if it please them as of counsellors at lawe So that one man is counseller to the Emperour and to many other princes As for example Lutolphus Schraderus doctor of both lawes was ordinary professor in the Vniuersitie of Frankeforde and counsellour of the Emperor of the Elector Marquis of Brandeburge of the dukes of Brunswich Luneburge Megelburge and of many other princes of Germanie This was a very great and wise man but Cassanaeus in Cat. glor â—â—â—di part 10. Consid. 41. sayth that euery simple aduocate did vse to call him selfe the kinges counseller of Fraunce before order was taken that none should vsurpe that title except he were called vnto some office in the courtes And speaking of such as were counsellers in office in his time of whose dignity hee writeth much he complayneth that they were promoted vnto that dignitie in parliamentes by meanes of money or some other vnknowen meanes part 7. Conf. 13. Such a noble counseller was Staphylus hauing some knowledge in the lawes being preferred to that title by the Papists of fauour more than of worthinesse to giue him some shadowe of countenaunce when hee became an Apostata from true religion and from those Christian princes and noble men by whom he was before vpholden And yet in trueth if the printer had not mistaken my writing I called him Renegate and not rascall as before I called him beastly Apostata Perhaps the censurer will say I mende the matter well to call an Emperors counseller a beastly Apostata But so might I haue done though he had beene an Emperour himselfe for what else was Iulian the Emperor but a beastly Apostata or Renegate from Christian religion which once he professed Yea such an Apostata is worse than a beast for he declareth himselfe thereby to bee a reprobate Therefore the Christians in his time whereas the church had alwayes vsed to pray for heathen tyrantes that helde the empyre and made hauocke of the church by persecution contrariwise prayed against this Apostata that God would confound him and shorten his time Yea the godly constant Bishops did openly inueigh against him as Mares Bishop of Chalcedon which openly called him impious Atheist Apostata And when Iulian counterfaiting mildenes did nothing but reuile him by his blindenesse saying the Galilean thy God cannot cure thee he answered I thanke my God Christ that I am blinde that I might not see one so voyde of godlinesse as thou art Therefore Staphylus being but an Emperours counseller as he was â—â—y endure to heare worse for his Apostasie than I haue spoken against him The quarell of wordes being ended it is time to goe to the matter First pag. 14. of his aunswer to Maister Charkes preface he noteth that D. Fulke against Bristowes Mot. pa. 98. findeth that it is euident by scripture that heretikes may bee burned against Luther That blasphemous heretikes are to be put to death I finde in scripture by the lawe of blasphemers Leu. 24. and by the lawe of false prophetes Deut. 13. neither doth Luther I thinke
to maintaine any cause of ours by plaine syllogismes onely In the meane time to finde you occupieâ— â—here hath beene a booke called syllogisticon set fooâ—th by maister Foxe more than twentie yeares agoe let vs see in a sheete of printed paper what ye haue to answere those syllogismes whether you will finde them defectiue in forme or matter or else there is no reason but you should graunt their conclusion Pag. 146. to prooue that protestantes are lordes of the scripture to make them say what they list D. Fulkes wordes to maister Bristowe are cited For the diuision of parishes excommunication suspension publike solemnizing of mariages with the lawes thereof and punishing of heretikes by death they are all manifestly prooued out of the scripture This I say alleaging no one place of scripture to prooue it sayth our censurer I say as much of holding of councels which Bristowe with the rest wil haue vs as apes to haue borrowed of the popish church Whereas I affirme they are proued out of the scriptures if Bristow wil reply denie y t such things may be proued out of the scriptures it shall be no harde matter to do it Yet in the meane time if you thinke I haue sayde more than I can shewe I will giue you this tast For diuision of Churches or parishes Act. 14. v. 23. Elders in euerie church and Tit. 1. v. 5. elders in euerie citie or towne Holding of councelles Act. 15. excommunication where the partie cast out is to be taken for an heathen or publicane Math. 18. v. 17. separation or suspension where the partie separated is to be taken as a brother 2. Thess. 3. publike solemnizing of mariage Mat. 1. v. 18. where betrothing and publike comming together are expressed Example Ioan. 2. for punishment of heretikes I haue cited before What the Puritans will grant I care not although I thinke there are none of them that are so called will denie any of these except he be some madde schismatike and for the last which you say was for a long time denied by our selues till nowe we haue burned some for religion in Englande you should haue tolde howe long For we haue not now first of all consented to the burning of heretikes The Arrians and Anabaptistes burned in king Edwardes dayes for thirtie yeares agoe can beare witnesse But you may say your pleasure I knowe few in other countries but heretikes themselues that denie it to be lawful to punish blasphemous obstinate heretikes by death If any haue any priuate opinion what haue we to doe wich it or to bee charged by it If I shoulde note your phrase when you say that protestantes doe now reigne in Englande as though there were more kinges than one you would say perhaps I were ouer captious Well let it passe But such thinges sayde I as are not euidently conteined in the worde a Christian is not absolutely bounde to beleeue them In plaine dealing you should haue bestowed a note in your margent where I haue so sayde as well as placed there hereticall audacitie of your papisticall charitie The saying I confesse or the like yet the circumstances of the place where it was vttered would perhaps haue bewrayed some part of your vsuall and honest dealing But what cause haue you to criâ—â—ut so loude Behoulde the last refuge of a proude hereticall spirite in breaking where he cannot otherwise get out Call you it proude heresie to holde that nothing is to be credited vpon necessitie of saluation which hath not authoritie of the holy scripture which are able to make a man wise to saluation which are written that beleeuing we might be saued which are able to make the man of God perfect prepared to euerie good worke And why doe yee dare M. Charke to aâ—ouch that which I haue affirmed I knowe he dare affirme and is able to defend this truth but there is no reason that he should be dared with my assertioÌ„s I dare affirm to your face if you dare shewe it that a christian man is not bounde to beleeue that the common creede was made by the Apostles after that fabulous maner that you papistes doe teach Namely that Peter made one peece Andrewe another and so of the rest yet I doubt not but it is gathered out of the doctrine and writinges of the Apostles But you haue ancient doctors which affirme that it was made by the Apostles Origen Terâ—llian Ierome Ruffinus Ambrose Austen and all the primitiue church doe so constantly affirme to be their doingâ—s Let vs consider then in order First Origen in proâ—â— lib. de princip testifieth that the Apostles by their preaching did most plainely deliuer y e summe of faith according to the capacitie of the most simple whereof hee maketh a rehearsall contayning in deede some articles of the creed but neither al nor any one in such forme of words as our creede doth expresse them And before he beginneth the rehearsall of them thus he sayeth Species verò eoruÌ„ quae per praedicationem ApostolicaÌ„ manifesté traduntur istae sunt These are the particulars of those thinges which by the preaching of the Apostles are manifestly deliuered Which wordes doe shewe that the Apostles in deede taught the doctrine yet prooue not that they made this creede rather than the Nicen creede or Athanasius Creede Tertullian against Praxeas much after the same maner yet more neere the wordes of the creede rehearseth the articles pertaining to the three persons of the deitie and then he addeth Hâ—â—c regulam ab initio euangelii de cucurrisse etiam ante priores quosque haereticâ—s nedum ante Praxeam hesternum probabis â—â—â— ipsa posteritaâ— omnium hâ—â—â—â—icorum quà m ipsa nouellitas Praxeae hesterni That this rule hath runne downe from the beginning of the gospell euen before all former heretikes not onely before Praxeas a yesterdayes birde as wel the later spring of all heretikes shall prooue as the verie noueltie of Praxeas one that came but yesterday That the rule of faith contained in the Creede is as auncient as the preaching of the Gospel I alwayes agreed with Tertullian but that the Apostles made the Creede I heare him yet say neuer a worde Ierom ad Pammachium against the errours of Iohn of Ierusalem sayth In symbolo fidei spei nostrae quod ab Apostolis traditum non scribitur in charta atramento sed in tabulis cordis carnalibus post confessioneÌ„ trinitatiâ— vnitatem ecclesiae omne Christiani dogmatis sacramentâ—m carnis resurrectione includitur In the symbole of our faith and hope which being deliuered from the Apostles is not written in paper and ynke but in the fleshie tables of our hearts after the confession of the Trinitie and the vnitie of the Church all the mysterie of Christian doctrine is inclosed in the resurrection of the flesh Although it be graunted that Saint Ierome here speaketh of our common Creede yet it followeth not that hee affirmeth it to bee made by the
of the Apostles Among so many argumentes and authorities cited for proofe you can finde nothing but Fulke faith bluntly Ierome vntruely ascribeth that tradition to the Apostles Sed perge mentiri S. Chrysostome is alleâ—ged saying that the Apostles decreed that in the sacrifice of the â—â—â—tar there should be made prayer for the departed Fulke where he sayth it was decreed by the Apostles c. he must pardon vs for crediting him because he cannot shewe it out of the actes and writinges of the Apostles If I had added none other argument this had beene sufficient for vs to for beare crediting any thing of the Apostles whereof we haue not the holy ghost in their writinges to be witnesse But you shall heare what I oppose against Chrysostome beside this Against pag. 303. it followeth immediatlie vpon these wordes noted by M. Censurer And wee will be bolde to charge him with his owne saying Hom. de Adam Heus Sâ—â—is sufficere c. Wee thinke it suffiseth ynough what soeuer the writinges of the Apostles haue taught vs according to the foresay de rules insomuch that we count it not at all catholike whatsoeuer shall appeare contrarie to the rules appointed And againe in Gen. H. 58. Vides in quantam c. Thou seest into howe great absurditie they fall which will not followe the canon of holy scripture but permitte all thinges to their owne cogitations But if we be further vrged we will alleadge that which hee sayeth in Euang. Ioan. H. 58. Quisacra c. he that vseth not the holy scripture but clymeth another way that is by a way not allowed is a theefe We may be as bolde with Chrysostome as hee sayd he would be with Paule himselfe in 2. ad Tim. Hom. 2. Plus aliquid dicam c. I will say somewhat more we must not be ruled by Paule himselfe if he speake anie thing that is his owne and any thing that is humane but we must obey the Apostle when he carrieth Christ speaking in him Wherefore seeing it is certaine that by testimonie of Iustinus Martyr that there was no mention of the dead in the celebration of the Lordes supper for more than an hundred yeares after Christ we must not beleeue Chrysostome without scripture affirming that it was ordeyned so by the Apostles As though this place had not beene sufficient to conuince your impudent lying you goe forwarde and say that page 362. and 363. of the same booke I aunswere to diwerse fathers alleaged together beside Chrysostome for the same purpose Who is witnesse that this is the tradition of the Apostles you will say Tertullian Cyprian Austen Ierome and a great many more But I would learne why the Lorde would not haue this set forth by Matthew Marke Luke and Paule Why they were not chosen scribes hereof rather then Tertullian Cyprian Ierome Austen and other such as you nâ—me But this is a counterfaite institution and fained tradition Heere you note in the margent a proude question which is not so right as if I should note against it a proude censure For it is a question that may be demaunded in humilitie why the Lord if it were his pleasure that the dead should be prayed for at the communion as a thing necessarie for them and dutifull for vs would not reueale so much by those witnesses that are aboue all exception rather than by such as are all manifestly conuicted of errors as you Papistes cannot denie But because neuera Papist of you all is able to answere this question to the satisfaction of any mans doubtfull conscience you thinke best to reiect it and say it is a proude question As though it were pride for any man to seeke confirmation of his faith against so iust a cause of doubt But in truth my wordes are more full than you alleage them against the pretended institution If it be lawfull for me once to pose the Papists as you doe often the protestantes I woulde learne why the Lorde would not haue this doubtlesse institution and as you take it the most necessarie vse of the sacrament plainely or at the leastwise obscurely set foorth by Matthewe Marke Luke or Paule which all haue set foorth the storie of the action of Christ the institution of the sacrament and the ende or vse of the same If it were not meete at all to be put in writing why was it disclosed by Tertullian Cyprian Augustine c If it were meete to be put in writing why were not those chosen scribes Matthew Marke Luke and Paul worthy of all credite rather appointed for it than Tertullian Cyprian Augustine and such as you name But against this counter faite institution and fayned tradition S. Paule cryeth with open mouth vnto the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11. That which I deliuered to you I receiued of the Lorde c. which wrote to that effect Last of all you say that being vrged by the like I discredite all antiquitie saying It is a common thing with the ancient writers to defende euerie ceremonie which was vsed in their time by tradition of the Apostles In deede the wordes are mine the occasion as of all â—he rest frandulently and falsely omitted For vpon occasion of Chrysostome alleaged to proue that mention of the dead was made at the coÌ„munion by tradition of the Apostles for which I remit him to mine answere of Allen lib. 2. ca. 5. I ad moreouer these wordes If we should admit all thinges to be ordeyned of the Apostles which some of the olde writers doe ascribe to their traditions we should receiue many thinges which euen the Papistes themselues do not obserue As that it is a wicked thing to fast on sunday or to pray kneeling that oblations are to be made for mens birth dayes c. Which with diuerse other superstitions Tertullian fathereth vppon the tradition of the Apostles as well as oblations for the dead De cor Mil. Hearing therefore such manifest vnthruthes are fathered vpon the Apostles tradition by most ancient writers what certainety can we haue of their tradition without their writing By this the reader may see howe honestly and truely you say there are set before you a payre of balances with Charke and Fulke in one ende and Cyprian Origen Tertullian Basill c. in an other ende And Fulke opposeth himselfe against them all Wheâ—â—as in euerie place by you noted hee opposeth either the holy scriptures or other auncient writers or the same writers themselues or euident and manifest reason to proue that such thinges are vntruly fathered vpon the Apostles tradition Last of all for your farewell you charge D. Fulke to affirme that the booke of the Maccabees was written with a prophane and Ambitious spirite Against purg pag. 209. In deede in that place among many other reasons which I bring to prooue that storie not to bee the Canon of the scriptures I say that hee maketh a verie prophane preface ambitiously commending his trauels and shewing