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
for Lazarus was there comforted Thirdly there is a great Chaos whiche signifieth an infinite distance betwene Abraham and the riche glutton which vtterly ouerthroweth that dreame of Limbus which signifying a border or edge supposeth that place to be harde adioyning to the place of torments Last of all if the Article of our fayth had bene of Limbus Patrum or of Abrahams bosome we shoulde haue bene taught to saye he descended into Limbo patrum or he descended into Abrahams bosome which all Christian eares abhorre to heare The worde Sheol vsed in the olde Testament for a common receptacle of all the dead signifieth properly a place to receiue their bodies and not their soules and therefore most commonly in our translations is called the graue MART. 7. As when Iacob sayth Descendam ad filium meum lugens in infernum I will goe downe to my sonne into Hell mourning they translate I wil go downe into the graue vnto my sonne mourning as though Iacob thought that his sonne Ioseph had bene buried in a graue whereas Iacob thought and sayd immediatly before as appeareth in the holy Scripture that a wild beast had deucured him and so could not be presumed to be in any graue or as though if Ioseph had bene in a graue Iacob would haue gone downe to him into the same graue For so the wordes must needes import if they take graue properly but if they take graue unproperly for the state of deade men after this life why doe they call it graue and not Hell as the word is in Hebrew Greeke and Latine No doubt they doe it to make the ignorant Reader beleeue that the Patriarch Iacob spake of his bodie onely to descend into the graue to Iosephes bodye for as concerning Iacobs soule that was by their opinion to ascend immediatly after his death to heauen and not to descend into the graue But if Iacob were to ascend forthwith in soule how could he say as they translate I will goe downe into the graue vnto my sonne As if according to their opinion he should say My sonnes bodie is deuoured of a beast and his soule is gone vp into heauen well I will goe downe to him into the graue FVLK 7. A proper quidditie you haue found out of Iacob supposing his sonne to be deuoured of wilde beastes yet sayth I wil goe downe vnto him mourning which you thinke can not be into the graue because he did not thinke he was buried But you must remember it is the common manner of speech when men saye in mourning they will goe to their friendes departed they meane they will dye although their friendes perhaps were drowned in the sea or their bodies burned or perhaps lye in desolate places vnburied So Iacobs descending to the graue signifieth no more but death by which he knewe he shoulde be ioyned to his sonne in soule though he were not in bodie The name of graue is vsed because it is vsuall that dead men are buried though it be not vniuersall And that the graue is taken commonly for death it appeareth by that phrase so often vsed in the Scriptures He slept with his fathers and was buried which being spoken indifferently of good men and euill can not be vnderstood of one place of their soules but of death which is common to all and is proper to the bodie not vnto the soule for the soules of the departed sleepe not The like is to be sayde of the phrase vsed in Gen. of Ismael as well as of the godly Patriarkes he was laid vp to his people And lest you should please your selfe too much in your childish conceit of Iosephes being deuoured whereof yet his father was not certaine You shall heare howe Isydorus Clarius translateth the same place in his Bible censured by the Deputies of Trent Councell Descendam ad filium meum lugens in sepulchrum I will goe downe to my sonne mourning into the graue This is one of the places which he thought meere to be corrected according to the Hebrew and in other places where he is content to vse the old word Infernus he signifieth in his notes that he meaneth thereby Sepulchrum the graue And in deede this word Infernus signifieth generally any place beneath as the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Greeke translators vsed for Sheol the Hebrue worde signifieth a place that is darke and obscure where nothing can be seene such as the graue or pitte is in which the dead are layde which therefore of Iob is called the land of darkenesse and the shadow of death MART. 8. Gentle Reader that thou mayst the better conceiue these absurdities and the more detest their guilefull corruptions vnderstand as we began to tell thee before that in the old Testament because there was yet no ascending into heauen the way of the holies as the Apostle in his epistle to the Hebrues speaketh being not yet made open because our sauiour Christ was to dedicate and begin the enteraunce in his owne person and by his passiō to open heauen therfore we say in the old Testament the common phrase of the holy Scripture is euen of the best men as well as of others that dying they went downe ad inferos or ad infernū to signifie that such was the state of the old Testament before our sauiour Christs Resurrection and Ascension that euery man went downe and not vp descended and not ascended by descending I meane not to the graue which receiued their bodies only but ad inferos that is to hel a common receptacle or place for their soules also departed as wel of those soules that were to be in reste as those that were to be in paines and torments All the soules both good and bad that then died went downeward and therefore the place of both sortes was called in all the tongues by a worde answereable to this worde hel to signifie a lower place beneath not onely of torments but also of rest FVLK 8. Where you reason that there was no ascēding into heauen because the way of the holies was not yet made open when the firste tabernacle was standing you abuse the Reader and the Scripture For the Apostles meaning is in that verse to shewe that to the great benefite of Christians that firste tabernacle is fallen because that nowe we haue more familiar accesse vnto God by Iesus Christ. For whereas the High Priest onely but once in the yeare and then not without bloud entred into the second moste holye Tabernacle because the way of the Holyes that is vnto the Holyest or sancta sanctorum was not then opened nowe our Sauiour Christ hauing once entred into the holiest place by his owne bloud and founde eternall redemption we haue by him without any ceremonies sacrifices or mediation of any mortall Priest free accesse vnto the throne of grace euen into the holye place by the newe and liuing waye which he hath
a distinction of iust and righteous MART. 5 And certaine it is if there were no sinister meaning they would in no place auoide to say iust iustice iustification where both the Greeke and Latine are so woorde for word as for example 2. Tim. 48. In all their Bibles Henceforth there is laid vp for me a crowne of RIGHTEOVSNES which the Lorde the RIGHTEOVS iudge shall GIVE mee at that day And againe 2. Thess. 1. Reioyce in tribulation which is a token of the RIGHTEOVS IVDGEMENT of God that you may be counted worthie of the kingdome of God for which yee suffer For it is a RIGHTEOVS THING with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with vs in the reuelation of our Lorde IESVS from heauen And againe Heb 6. 10. God is not VNRIGHTEOVS to forget your good woorke and labour c. These are very pregnant places to discouer their false purpose in concealing the worde iustice in all their Bibles For if they will say that iustice is not an vsuall English word in this sense and therefore they say righteousnesse yes I trow iust and vniust are vsuall and well knowen Why theÌ„ would they not say at the least in the places alleadged God the IVST iudge A token of the IVST IVDGEMENT of God It is a IVST thing with God God is not VNIVST to forget c Why is it not at the least in one of their English Bibles â—eeing so both in Greeke and Latine FVLK 5. Certaine it is that no Englishman knoweth the difference betweene iust and righteous vniust vnrighteous sauing that righteousnesse righteous are the more familiar English wordes And that we meane no fraude betweene iustice and righteousnesse to apply the one to faith the other to workes reade Rom. 10. v. 34. 5. and 6. of the Geneua translation where you shall see the righteousnesse of the law the righteousnesse of faith Reade also against this impudent lie in the same translatioÌ„ Luc. 1. Zacharie and Elizabeth were both iust Cap. 2. Simeon was iust Mathew the firste Ioseph a iust man and else where often times and without any difference in the worlde from the worde righteous Who euer heard a difference made betweene a iuste iudge and a righteous iudge this trifling is too too shameful abusing of mens patience that shall vouchsafe to reade these blotted papers MART. 6. Vnderstand gentle Reader and marke well that if S. Paules wordes were truely translated thus A crowne of IVSTICE is laid vp for me which our Lord the IVST iudge will RENDER vnto me at that day and so in the other places it would inferre that men are iustly crowned in heauen for their good workes vpon earth and that iâ— is Gods iustice so to do and that he wil do so because he is a iust iudge and because he wil shew his IVST IVDGEMENT and he wil not forget so to do because he is not vniust as the auncient fathers namely the Greeke doctors S. Chrysostom Theodorete and Oecumenius vpon these places do interprete and expound In so much that Oecumenius saith thus vpon the foresaid place to the Thessalonians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. See here that to suffer for Christ procureth the kingdome of heaueÌ„ according to IVST IVDGEMENT and not according to grace Which least the Aduersarie might take in the worse parte as though it were onely Gods iustice or iuste iudgement and not his fauour or grace also S. Augustine excellently declareth how it is both the one and the other to witte his grace and fauour and mercie in waking vs by his grace to liue and beleeue well and so to be worthy of heauen his iustice and iust iudgement to render and repaye for those workes whiche him selfe wrought in vs life euerlasting Which he expresseth thus How should he render or repay as a iust iudge vnlesse he had giuen it as a merciful father Where S. Augustine vrgeth the wordes of repaying as due and of being A IVST IVDGE therefore Both which the said translatours corrupt not onely saying righteous iudge for iust iudge but that he will giue a crowne whiche is of a thing not due for that which is in the Greeke He will render or repay whiche is of a thing due and deserued and hath relation to workes going before for the which the crowne is repaied He saide not saith Theophylacte vpon this place hee will giue but hee will render or repay as a certaine deâ—te For he being iust will define and limite the reward according to the labours The crowne therefore is due debte because of the iudges iustice So saith he FVLK 6. What so euer you may cauill vpon the wordes iuste and iustice you may doe the same with as great aduauntage vppon the wordes righteous and righteousnesse That God as a iust iudge rewardeâ—â— good workes of them that are iustified freely by his grace by fayth without workes with a crowne of iustice it proueth not eyther iustification by workes or the merite or worthinesse of mennes workes but all dependeth vppon the grace of God who promiseth this rewarde of his meere mercie and of the worthinesse and merites of Christe whiche is our iustice whereby wee beyng iustified before God our workes also whiche hee hath giuen vs are rewarded of his iustice yet in respecte of Christes merites and not in respecte of the worthinesse of the workes Againe God is not vnmindefull of his promise to rewarde our workes for then he should be vniuste he is iuste therefore to performe what so euer he hath promised though wee nothing deserue it Neyther hath Chrysostome or Theodorete any other meaning That you cite out of Oecumenius a late writer in comparison is blasphemous against the grace of God neyther is S. Augustine that liued 500. yeares before him a sufficient interpreter of his saying to excuse him With Augustine we say God crowneth his giftes not our merites And as he acknowledgeth Gods mercie and also his iustice in rewarding our workes so do we Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated he wil giue I confesse it had bene more proper and agreeable to the Greeke to haue saide hee will render or repaie which yet is wholy of mercie in respecte of vs or our deseruing but of iustice in respecte of his promises and of Christes merites vnto which is rendred and repayed that whiche hee deserued for vs. The crowne therefore is due debte because it is promised to vs for Christes sake not because any workes of ours are able to purchase it MART. 7. Whiche speaches beyng moste true as beyng the expresse wordes of holy Scripture yet wee know howe odiously the Aduersaries may and doe misconster them to the ignoraunt as though wee chalenged heauen by our owne workes and as though wee made God bounde to vs. Whiche wee doe not God forbidde But because he hath prepared good workes for vs as the Apostle
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
are not so in the Greeke but which you haue heard which hath bene preached Which is as much to say as that they should continue constant in the faith and Gospell which them selues had receiued and which was then preached and receiued in the whole word So say we to our deere countriemen Stande fast in the faith and be vnmoueable from the hope of the Gospell which you heard of your first Apostles which was and is preached in all the world If the Protestants like not this exhortation they do◠according to their translation FVLK 9. The Lorde is witnesse there is nothing liketh the Protestants better than that all nations should continue grounded and stable in that faith and Gospell which they had heard receaued of their first Apostles but in this place our translators vnderstande not onely that continuance in the Gospell but also they comprehend the mysterie of the preaching of the Gospell to the Gentiles whereof the Apostle in this text beginneth to speake that the Collossians might know that they haue bene enstructed in that Gospel which at such time as the Apostle did write vnto them had bene spread by preaching according to our Sauiour Christes commaundement ouer all the world As for your brutish collection as though he spake not of the Gospell preached to them but of a Gospel which they had onely heard of that was preached in the world What ground can it haue of our translation according to the sense I shewe that the translators followed Is it possible they should continue in a Gospel that was not preached vnto them but whereof they had heard onely a fame that it was preached to others The whole context before inforceth as much as you say is the sense of the place And the vulgar translator seemeth to fauour this sense that our translators follow rather than that bare translation of yours because he sayth not à spe Euangelij quod audistis praedicati in vniuersa creatura c. but à spe Euangelij quod audistis quod praedicatum est in vniuersa creatura The words of the exhortation you make to your countrymen are wel to be liked if your meaning were as good But when by the Gospell you meane popish traditions by your first Apostles not the Apostles of Christ but of the Bishop of Rome by which was preached in all the worlde the doctrine of Antichristian apostasie we are so to consider that vnder so good and holy wordes so diuilish and detestable a meaning is craftily couered and cloked with hypocrisie CHAP. XXI Certaine other hereticall TREACHERIES and CORRVPTIONS worthy of obseruation Martin THey holde this position that the Scriptures are not hard to be vnderstood that so euery one of them may presume to interprete and expound them And because S. Peter sayth plainly that S. Paules Epistles are harde and other Scriptures also which the vnlearned sayth he peruert to their owne destruction therefore they labour tooth and naile to make this subtill difference that S. Peter sayth not Paules Epistles are hard but some things in S. Paules epistles are hard as though that were not all one therefore they translate so that it must needes be vnderstoode of the things not of the Epistles pretending the Greeke which yet they knowe in some copies can not be referred to the thinges but must needes be vnderstood of the Epistles Wherefore the Greeke copies being indifferent to both the thing also in very deede being all one whether the hardnes be in the Epistles or in the matter for when we say the Scripture is harde we meane specially the matter it is not onely an hereticall but a foolish and peeuish spirite that maketh them so curious and precise in their translations as here to limite and abridge the sense to the things onely Beza translating inter quae sunt multa difficilia and not in quibus as it is in the olde vulgar translation most sincere and indifferent both to Epistles and things Fulke WE holde of the Scriptures as S. Augustine teacheth de doct chr lib. 2. cap. 6. that the holy Ghost hath so magnifically and wholsomly attempered the holy Scriptures that with open and cleare places he hath prouided against famine and in darke and hard places he hath wiped away lothsomnes And that nothing almost is gathered out of those darke places which is not found els where to be vttered most plainly specially if it conteine matter necessarye vnto saluation But that euery one may presume to interprete and expound the Scriptures it is one lye of an hundred that Martine hath made in this booke and hath fayned of vs neuer held or maintained by vs. But S. Peter you say plainly sayth that Saint Paules epistles are hard and other Scriptures also Howbeit Saint Peter sayth neither the one nor the other especially not the latter For albeit in the most approued Greeke copies the relatiue be of the neuter gender limiting that which S. Peter speaketh not to any matter at large in S. Paules Epistles but to those things which S. Paule hath written concerning the second comming of Christ yet of the other Scriptures he saith not that they are harde although he might say there is harde thinges in thē but that the vnstable vnlearned peruert thē to their owne destruction which they do oftentimes when they be most plaine and easie and not only where they be difficult and harde That you can vnderstand no difference betweene the sense which is made of the neuter gender and that which the faeminine gender doth yeelde I know not whether it be to be imputed to the dulnesse of your wit but rather I thinke it proceedeth of the craftie malice of your minde As also that you charge vs with an hereticall foolish and peeuish spirite when we translate according to the most vsuall Greeke copies and according to that which is most agreeable to the place For to accuse all S. Paules epistles of difficultie and hardnesse had not bene agreeable to that excellent commendation which S. Peter before did giue him For euery man that desireth to teach as S. Paule did by his Epistles ought to frame his speach to be as plaine and easie to be vnderstood as the matter whereof he speaketh will admitte But that some thinges about that high mysterie of the second comming of Christ are harde to be vnderstood dischargeth Paule of affectation of difficultie or not regarde of perspicuitie shewing the cause of the hardnesse to be in the height of the matter not in the handling of the writer And that some did misunderstand the Apostle S. Paule writing of that matter it is apparant by the second epistle to the Thessalonians Chap. 2. MART. 2. An other fashion they haue whiche can not proceede of good meaning that is when the Greeke texte is indifferent to twoo senses and one is receiued read and expounded of the greater parte of the auncient fathers and of all the
shame if he had not thought it more shame to graunt it I neede not goe farre for the matter Aske M. Fulke and he will flatly confesse it was so Aske Caluin in arg ep Iacobi Aske Flaccus Illyricus in argum ep Iacobi and you shall perceiue it is very true I will not send you to the Catholike Germans and others both of his owne time and after that wrote against him in the question of iustification among whome not one omitteth this being a thing so famous and infamous to the confusion of that Arch heretike FVLK 7. I know not whether euer Luther denied S. Iames epistle as vnworthy of an Apostolical spirit but I beleue you may take a twelue monethes daye more to proue it as also that he did so contemne it that he called it an epistle of straw But M. Whitaker which denied it so vehemently must aske of me who moste slatly confesse sayth M. Martin that it was so I pray you sir vrge me not to confesse more than I know or euer knew But you haue confessed it already in two printed bookes Retent pag. 32. Disc of the Rock pag 307. In the place first cited ther are these words But to proceed LVTHER DENIETH THE EPISTLE OF S. IAMES BECAVSE IT IS AGAINST HIS HERESIE OF IVSTIFICATION BY FAITH ONELY We allow not Luther neither did he allow him selfe therein for he retracteth it afterward First those wordes of Luthers denyall being printed in a diuerse letter may testifie sufficiently to euery reasonable man that they are the obiection of Bristow and not the confession of Fulke who not simplye admitteth them as true but by concession proueth that if they were true yet Luthers opinion against which he him selfe hath written ought not to preiudice him and much lesse all other men that neuer held that opinion In the later cited place are these wordes And as touching the epistle of S. Iames it is a shamelesse slaunder of him to say that the Protestants reiect it but we must heare his reason First Luther calleth it a strawen epistle So Luther called the Pope supreame head of the Church and the masse a sacrifice propitiatorie If Protestants be charged to holde whatsoeuer Luther sometime helde and after repented c. Who seeth not in these words that I rehearse the obiection of Saunder which is common to him with many other Papistes which not discussing whether it be true or no but supposing it were as Saunder and the rest of the Papistes doe affirme I shewe that it is no good consequence to charge all Protestants with Luthers priuate opinion which perhaps he helde sometime and after retracted more than to charge vs with all opinions of Papistrie which de did hold before God opened his eyes to see the absurditie of them And yet if he had helde that opinion and neuer retracted the same he were not in worse case than Eusebius who in playne wordes affirmeth that the same epistle is a counterfet or bastard epistle lib. 2. cap. 23. Doe you not see nowe how flatly Maister Fulke confesseth that it was so Such confessions as these are nowe than extorted out of the auncient fathers writings which are not liuing to expounde their meanings But I had thought Maister Martin could haue discerned betwene a suppose or concession and an absolute assertion or a flat confession especially of one whose writing is plaine enough and beside is aliue to interprete himselfe if any ambiguitie were therein But be it that Maister Martin either would not or could not see in my writing any thing else but a flat confession of Luthers denying of S. Iames epistle and calling it an epistle of strawe of what forehead proceedeth it that he willeth Maister Whitaker to aske Caluin in argum Epist. Iacobi whether Luther so speake of that epistle in which argument Luther is not once named by Caluin so farre is it that he doth testifie any such thing against Luther Onely he sayth that some there are in these dayes which thinke that epistle not worthy of authoritie which could not be vnderstood of Luther who long before Caluin wrote that argument had forsaken that opinion if euer he helde any such as all those Dutche Bibles and Testaments of Luthers translation in which those wordes so muche bayted at and so much sought for are omitted doe giue sufficient testimonie What Flaccus Illyricus reporteth who perhaps helde that opinion him selfe and woulde father it vppon Luther I haue neither opportunitie to seeke nor care to knowe But howe great a matter it is that all the Popish Germans and other who haue written against Luther doe so spitefully gnawe vpon I haue learned at length by relation of Maister Whitaker whome you send to aske of me who after long search and many editions turned ouer at the length lighted vpon a Dutch Testament by likehood one of the first that Luther did sette forth in the German tongue in which he findeth neither deniall of S. Iames epistle to be Canonicall nor affirmation that it is vnworthy of an Apostolicall spirit no nor that whereof there hath bene so much babling of all the Papistes that he calleth it an epistle of strawe simply and in contempt but onely in comparison of the epistles of Paule and Peter and other bookes of the newe Testament the excellencie of which one aboue an other after he hath shewed in sundry degrees at last he sayth the epistle of Iames in comparison of these is strawye or like straw Which he sayth not in respect of the credit or authority thereof but in regarde of the argument or matter handled therein which all wise and godly men will confesse to bee not so excellent and necessary as the matter of the holye Gospels and Epistles of some other of the Apostles namely of Paule Peter and Iohn Our Sauiour Christ himself Ioh. 3. 12 calleth the doctrine of regeneration in such plaine maner as he vttered it to Nicodemus earthly things in comparison of other greater mysteries which he coulde haue expressed in more heauenly spirituall sort If I haue spoken to you sayth he of earthly things and you haue not beleued how if I shoulde speake to you of heauenly things will you beleue Were not he an honest and a wise man that vpon these words of Christ spoken in comparison would conclude by his authoritie that regeneration were a contemptible matter a thing not spirituall not heauenly but simply and altogither earthly And yet with as good reason for ought I see or can learne of Luthers wordes concerning this matter he might so inferre as the Papists doe inforce the like against Luther Wherefore it is nothing else but a famous and infamous cauillation to the confusion of all the Papistes which write against Luther that no one of them omitteth vpon so false and friuolous a ground to sclaunder him so haynously and to charge all Protestantes with his assertion so enuiously which if it were his should not be so euill as
saye it is examined and tryed by the Scriptures And the Scriptures them selues where they are so obscure that neither by cōmon sense knowledge of the original tongue Grammer Rhetorike Logike storye nor any other humane knowledge nor iudgement of any writers olde or new the certaine vnderstanding can be found out they are either expounded by conference of other plainer textes of Scripture according to the analogie of faith or els they remaine stil in obscuritie vntill it shall please God to reueile a more cleere knowledge of thē But none so like the familie of loue as you Papists are which reiect councels fathers interpretation of the most auncient Catholike Church yea manifest Scripture it self except it be agreable to the iudgement of your P. M. Pontifex Max. the Pope as those familiar diuels submit all things to the sentence authoritie of their H. N. Shame you nothing therefore to quote Whitaker pag. 17. 120. as though he affirmed that we our selues will be iudges both of Councels Fathers whether they expound the Scriptures well or no because he writeth percase that we ought to examine al mens writings by the word of god Doth the Apostle make euery man iudge of all thinges when he willeth euery man to examine all things and to hold that which is good If any youth vpon confidence of his wit or knowledge presume too much in diuine matters we count it rashnesse But that any youth among vs vpon confidence of his spirit will saucily controwle all the fathers cōsenting togither against his fantasie except it be some Schismatike or Heretike that is cast out from amongest vs I doe vtterly denye neither are you able to proue it of any that is allowed among vs. MART. 15. Wherevpon it riseth that one of them defendeth this as very wel said of Luther That he esteemed not the worth of a rushe a thousande Augustines Cyprians Churches against him selfe And an other very finely figuratiuely as he thought against the holy Doctor Martyr S. Cyprian affirming that the Church of Rome can not erre in faith saith thus Pardon me Cyprian I woulde gladly beleue thee but that beleeuing thee I should not beleeue the Gospell This is that which S. Augustine saith of the like men dulcissimè vanos esse non peritos sed perituros nec tam disertos in errore quà m desertos à veritate And I thinke verily that not onely we but the wiser men among them selues smile at such eloquence or pitie it saying this or the like most truly Prodierunt oratores noui stulti adolescentuli FVLK 15. Why shoulde you not at your pleasure vpon your false assumption generall inferre one or two slaunders particular M. Whitaker defendeth that it was well said of Luther That he esteemed not the worth of a rush a thousand Augustines Cyprians Churches against himselfe Woulde God that euery Papist would reade his owne words in the place by you quoted that he might see your impudent forgerie For I hope there is no Christian that will imagine that either Luther would so speake or any man of honestie defend him so speaking For Luther was not so senselesse to oppose his owne person but the truth of his cause grounded vpon the holy Scriptures not only against one thousand of men holding the contrary but euen against tenne thousand of Angels if they should oppose them selues against the truth of God But I am too blame to deale so much in M. Whitakers cause who ere it be long will displaye the falshoode of Gregorie Martin in a Latine writing to his great ignominie The next cauil is vpon M. Rainoldes words in his preface to his sixe positions disputed vpon at Oxford where against Cyprian affirming that the Church of Rome can not erre in faith he sayth Pardon me Cyprian I would gladly beleeue thee but that in beleeuing thee I shoulde not beleeue the Gospel These wordes you confesse that he spake figuratiuely and finely as he thought but that he vsed the figures of Ironve and concession you will not acknowledge but all other men may easily see For first he no where graunteth that S. Cyprian affirmeth that the Churche of Rome can not erie in fayth But immediatly before the wordes by you translated after he had proued out of the eleuēth to the Romans that the particular Church of Rome may be cut of as well as the Church of the Israelites which were the naturall braunches he asketh the question Quid Cypriano secus est visum What And did it seeme otherwise to Cyprian Pardon me Cyprian c. His meaning is plaine that Cyprian thought not otherwise than S. Paule hath written or if he did it was lawfull to dissent from Cyprian As a litle after he sayth Quare si Romanam Ecclesiam errare non posse c. Wherefore if Cyprian thought that the Church of Rome could not erre in that point by the sentence of the Papistes he him selfe is to be condemned of errour for diuerse Papistes whome he nameth confesse that euery particular Church may erre and Verratus one of them affirmeth that the Church of Rome is a particular Church which the rest can not deny And in deede that which Cyprian writeth is about certaine runneagate Heretikes that flying out of the Church of Carthage sought to be receiued of the particular Church of Rome All this while here is no graunt that Cyprian affirmeth that the Church of Rome cannot erre in faith And if Cyprian had so affirmed contrary to the scripture it might haue bene iustly replied vnto him which S. Augustine saith when he was pressed with his authoritie Contra Crescon lib. 2. cap. 31. Nos nullam Cypriano facimus iniuriam We do Cyprian no wrong when we distinguish any writings of his from the Canonical authoritie of the diuine Scriptures And in truth the wordes which M. Rainolds before cited out of S. Cyprian lib. 1. ep 3. ad Cornel. are spoken of no matter of faith but in a matter of discipline Neither doth Cyprian say that the Church of Rome can not erre in faith but that those Heretikes which brought letters from schismatikes profane persons did not consider that they are Romans whose faith is praised by the cōmendation or preaching of the Apostle to whom perfidia falshood or false dealing can haue none accesse Meaning that the Romans so long as they cōtinue in that faith which was praised by the Apostle cā not ioyne with Heretikes and Schismatikes that are cast out of other Catholike Churches For that he could not meane that the Pope or Church of Rome cannot erre in faith as the Papistes affirme it is manifest for that in a question of religion he dissented both from the Bishop and Church of Rome as all learned men knowe he did which he would neuer haue done if he had beleeued they could not erre And that his meaning was not that the Bishop of Rome could not erre in matters of
discipline it is manifest in the next epistle where he complaineth that Basilides a wicked man after his crimes were detected and his cōscience made bare by his owne confession went to Rome and deceyued our fellow Bishop Stephanus dwelling farre of and being ignorant of the case so that he sought ambitiously to be vniustly restored into the Bishoprike from whence he was iustly deposed These things proue that S. Cyprian thought it no impossible thing for the Bishops and Church of Rome to erre in faith or gouernment Wherefore that you cite out of Augustine agreeth best vnto your selfe and such as you are who imploy al your eloquence and vtterance to set foorth lies and slaunders Laste of all when you haue nothing else to disgrace those graue and learned writers you woulde make them by abusing a peece of Tullie cōtemptible for their youth among such as know them not who if they wanted half a score yeares a peece of that ripe and well seasoned age they haue yet with those giftes of godlinesse and learning which God hath in great measure bestowed vpon them they were worthie to be reuerenced So that Venemous traytor which writeth of the persecution of the Papistes maketh me a very yong man and therefore contemned of the auncient Fathers at Wisbiche and yet I can easily proue that I was of lawfull age if more than twise one and twentie yeares will serue before euer I sawe Wisbiche castle MART. 16. The 4. point is of picking quarels to the very originall text for alter and change it I hope they shall not be able in this watchfull world of most vigilant Catholikes But what they would do if all Bibles were only in their handes and at their commaundement ghesse by this that Beza against the euidence of all copies both Greeke and Latine In his Annot. vpon the newe Testam set forth in the yeare 1556. thinketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is more than should be in the text Mat. 10 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luc. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 7 the first against Peters supremacie the seconde against the real presence of Christs bloud in the B. Sacrament the third against the making of what soeuer images whether they be adored or no. Thus you see how the mouse of Geneua as I told you before of Marcion the mouse of Pontus knibbleth and gnaweth about it though he can not bite it of altogither FVLK 16. In this point you do nothing but picke quarrels seeing you confesse that neither they haue nor can alter or chaunge any thing of the originall text If Beza expresse his coniecture vpon some grounde or similitude of reason that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Mathew 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luc. 22. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act 7. might perhaps be added to the texte out of the margent or otherwise and yet dothe not precisely affirme it but leaue it to iudgement and triall of auncient copies if any shall be found to fauour his coniecture what hath he like to the mouse of Pōtus Marcion which altered corrupted the text you say he knibbleth gnaweth about it though he can not bite it of altogither And for what aduātage forsooth because the first worde maketh for Peters supremacie a poore supremacie that Peter can gaine in that he is named the first in the Cataloge of the Apostles which is but a primacie of order not of honour or as Ambrose saith a primacie of confession not of honour of faith not of degree The secōd word you say is against the real presence of Christes bloud in the B. Sacrament You are a perilous catte that can spie a mouse gnawing at the real presence which none of the auncient Fathers or late writers before these dayes could finde in those wordes And as for making of Images who doth forbidde except it be in any vse of religion whiche God doth forbidde in the second commaundement of the first table And where you will haue men to ghesse what we would do if all Bibles were only in our hands by this example of Bezaes coniectures I wishe men rather to consider what the Romish rattes were like to do in that case which in their translation of the ten commaundementes for the peoples instruction haue cleane gnawen out the second commaundement and because they cannot bite it cleane out of the Bible they seeke all shiftes to hide it vnder the first commaundement Finally whether Lindanus and you do picke quarrels against all the euidence of all Greeke copies I referre me to your 4. section where out of Lindanus you falsely affirme that certaine of Marcions corruptions remayne in the Greke text vntill this day MART. 17. He doth the like in sundrie places which you may see in his Annotat. Act. 7. v. 16. Where he is saucie against al copies Greeke and Latin to pronounce corruption corruption auouching endeuouring to proue that it must be so and that with these words To what purpose should the holy Ghost or Luke adde this Act. 8. v. 26. But because those places cōcerne no cōtrouersie I say no more but that he biteth at the text and would change it according to his imagination if he might which is too proud an enterprise for Beza small reuerence of the holy scriptures so to call the very text into controuersie that whatsoeuer pleaseth not him crepte out of the margent into the text which is his common and almost his only coniecture FVLK 17. Where Beza noteth corruption in places that concerne no controuersie it appeareth that without parcialitie he desireth to restore the texte to sinceritie And yet he is charged of you with pride and saucinesse Why more I pray you than Lindanus of whom you learned to pratle so much of the mouse of Pontus Which lib. 2 de optim gen interpret scripturas hath diuerse chapters of the defect of the Greeke text of the redundance and of the corruption thereof If Lindanus might doe this with modestie and desire to finde out the truth as I thinke he did why may not an indifferent reader iudge the like of Beza in his doings As for creeping out of the margent into the texte which you say is his common and almost onely coniecture why may it not come to passe in writing out of the bookes of the Scripture as it hath in other writings of other auctors And that eyther by that meanes or by some other meanes corruption hath hapned to al copies that at this day are extant both Greeke Latine in naming Hieremie for Zacharie Math. 27 Who is so blinde that he wil not see yet the ordinarie Glose cōfesseth that there were diuerse copies in times past in which the name of Hieremie was not but the worde Prophete generally Likewise in the vulgar Latine texte in the beginning of S. Markes Gospell Esay is cited for that which is written in Malachie and some Greeke copies haue the same frō whence it is like the Latine
an hare beefore the houndes suche mightie hunters you are and wee suche fearefull hares before you I am not skilful in the termes of hunting but in plaine Englishe I wil speake it that if al the traiterous wolues and foxes that bee in the kennell at Rhemes woulde doe their beste to saue your credit in this section nay in this whole preface they shall neuer be able to maintaine their owne with anye indifferent reader MART. 47. Wel then doth it like you to reade thus according to Bezaes translation Thou shalt not leaue my carcasse in the graue No we are content to alter the word carcas which is not a seemely word for our sauiors bodie and yet wee are loath to say soule but if we might we would say rather life person as appeareth in the margent of our Bibles but as for the Hebrue word that signifieth Hel though the Greke Latin Bible throughout the Greke and Latin fathers in al theyr writings as occasion serueth doe so reade it and vnderstande it yet wil we neuer so translate it but for Hel we wil say graue in al such places of scripture as might infer Limbus patrum if we shoulde translate Hel. These are their shifies and turnings and windings in the olde Testament FVLK 47. I haue shewed you before that in the newe Testament we like better to translate according to the proper and vsual signification of the Greke word But the Hebrewe worde in the olde Testament may bee translated according to the circumstaunce of the place life person selfe yea or dead bodie and in some place perhaps carcase You folow vs very neare to seeke aduantage of the English worde carcase which commonly is taken in contempt therfore we would not vse it speaking of the bodie of our Sauiour Christe when it was dead But you hunt your selfe out of breath when you woulde bring the same contempt to the Latine worde Cadauer which Beza vsed For Cadauer signifieth generally a dead bodie of man or beast and by your vulgar Latine translator is vsed for the dead bodies of sacrifices of Saincts and holy men as indifferently as for carion of beastes or carcases of euill men Namely in Iob. 39. v 33. wheresoeuer the dead body is thether will the Eagle resort which similitude our Sauiour Christe applieth to him selfe Math. 24. v. 28. wheresoeuer the dead bodie is thether wil the Eagles be gathered where he compareth him selfe to the dead body and the faithfull to the Egles Now concerning the other Hebrue worde which you say signifieth hell because the Greeke and vulgar Latine interpretor do so translate it When iust occasion shal be giuen afterwarde Cap. 7. I will shew that it properly signifieth a graue pit or place for dead bodies and that in this place of the 16. Psalme it muste needes so signifie not onely the later part of the verse expressing in other wordes that which was saide in the former but also the Apostles prouing out of it the resurrection of Christe doe sufficiently declare If you haue no place therefore in the Scriptures to proue your Limbus patrum but where the holy Ghost speaketh of the death and buriall of the fathers no maruaile though you must straine the Hebrue worde which properly signifieth graue and the Greeke worde which properly signifieth a darke place and especially the Latine whiche signifieth generally a lowe place none of all the three wordes signifying hel as wee commonly vnderstande the worde hell properly and onely but by a figure where mention is made of the death of the vngodly whose rewarde is in hell These be the poore shiftes turninges and windings that you haue to wreath in those fables of Limbus patrum Purgatorie which the Church of God from the beginning of the worlde vnto the comming of Christ neuer heard of nor many hundreth yeares after Christe vntill the MoÌ„tanists or such like hethenish heretikes brought in those fantasies MART. 48. In the newe Testament wee aske them will you be tried by the auncient Latine translation which is the texte of the fathers and the whole Churche No but wee appeale to the Greeke What Greeke say wee for there bee sundrie copies and the beste of them as Beza confesseth agree with the saide auncient Latine For example in Saint Peters wordes Labour that by good workes you may make sure your vocation and election Duth this Greeke copie please you No say they wee appeale to thaâ— Greeke copie which hath not those wordes by good workes for otherwise wee shoulde graunt the merite and efficacie of good workes towarde saluation And generally to tell you at once by what Greeke we will be â—ried we like best the vulgar Greeke texte of the new Testament which is most common and in euery mans handes FVLK 48. Wee neede not appeale to the Greeke for any thing you bring out of the vulgar Latine against vs. As for that text 2. Pet. 1. Labour that by good works c. I haue answeared before in the 36. Section Wee like well the Latine or that Greeke copie which hath those wordes by good workes for we must needes vnderstand them where they are not expressed and therefore you do impudeÌ„tly beelie vs to say they do not please vs. Caluin vpon that text saith Nonnulli codices habent bonis operibus sed hoc de sensu nihil mutat quia subaudiendum est etiaÌ„ si non exprimatur Some bookes haue By good works but this chaungeth nothing of the sense for that must be vnderstoode although it be not expressed The same thing in effect saith Beza that our election and vocation must be confirmed by the effects of faith that is by the fruites of iustice c. therefore in some copies wee finde it added by good workes So farre of is it that Beza misliketh those wordes that hee citeth them to proue the perpetuall connection of Election Vocation Iustification and Sanctification This is therefore as wicked a slaunder of vs as it is an vntrue affirmation of the vulgar Latine that it is the texte of the fathers and the whole Churche whereby you shewe your selfe to be a Donatiste to acknowledge no Churche but where the Latine texte is occupied So that in Greece Syria Armenia Aethiopia and other partes of the worlde where the Latine texte is not knowen or vnderstood there Christ hath no Churche by your vnaduised assertion That we like best the most common Greeke text I am sure that we doe it by as good reason if not by better than you in so great diuersities of the Latine texte who like best of that which is most common and in euery mans handes MART. 49. Well say we if you will needes haue it so take your pleasure in choosing your text And if you will stande to it graunt vs that Peter was chiefe among the Apostles because your owne Greeke text saith The first Peter No saith Beza we will graunt you no such thing for these wordes were added
say we you can not so answer the matter for in other places you translate it duely and truely tradition and why more in one place than in another They are ashamed to tell why but they must tell and shame both thom selues and the deuill if euer they thinke it good to answer this treatise as also why they changed congregation which was alwaies in their first translation into Church in their later translations and did not change likewise ordinances into traditions Elder◠into Priestes FVLK 51. That the Thessalonians had some parte of Christian doctrine deliuered by word of mouth that is by the Apostles preaching at such time as he did write vnto them and some part by his Epistles the text enforceth vs to graunt and we neuer purposed to denye But that the Church at this daye or euer since the newe Testament was written had any tradition by worde of mouth of any matter necessary to saluation which was not contayned in the olde or newe Testament we will neuer graunt neither shall you euer be able out of this text or any text in the Bible to proue Make your Syllogismes when you dare and you shall be aunswered But we knowe you saye that the Greeke word signifieth tradition as plaine as possibly but here and in like places we rather translate it ordinances instructions and what else soeuer We knowe that it signifieth tradition constitution instruction precept also mancipation treatise treason For al these the Greeke Dictionaries do teach that it signifieth Therefore if in any place we haue translated it ordinaunces or instructions or institutions we haue not gone from the true signification of the worde neither can you euer proue that the worde signifieth such a doctrine onely as is taught by worde of mouth and is not or may not be put in writing But in other places you can tell vs that we translate it duely and truly tradition and you will know why more in one place than in another affirming that we are shamed to tell why For my part I was neuer of counsaile with any that translated the Scriptures into English and therefore it is possible I can not sufficiently expresse what reason moued the translators so to varie in the exposition of one and the same worde Yet can I yeelde sufficient reason that might leade them so to doe which I thinke they followed The Papistes doe commonly so abuse the name of tradition which signifieth properly a deliuerie or a thinge deliuered for such a matter as is deliuered onely by worde of mouth and so receaued from hande to hande that it is neuer put in writing but hath his credite without the holye Scriptures of God as the Iewe had their Cabala and the Scribes Pharisees had their traditions beside the lawe of God and the Valentinian Heretikes accused the Scriptures as insufficient of authoritie and ambiguously written and that the truth could not be found in them by those that knewe not the tradition which was not deliuered by writing but by worde of mouth iumpe as the Papists doe This abusing of the word tradition might be a sufficient cause for the translators to render the Greeke worde where it is taken for such doctrine as is beside the commaundement of God by the name of tradition as the worde is commonly taken But where the Greeke worde is taken in the good parte for that doctrine which is agreeable with the holy Scriptures they might with good reason auoide it as you your selfe doe not alwayes translate tradere to betray but sometimes to deliuer So did the translators giue these words ordinances instructions institutions or doctrine deliuered which doe generally signifie the same that tradition but haue not the preiudice of that partiall signification in which the Papistes vse it who wheresoeuer they find tradition straight way imagine they haue found a sufficient argument against the perfection and sufficiencie of the holy Scripture and to bring in all riffe raffe and trishe trashe of mans doctrine not onely beside but also contrarye to the manifest worde of God conteined in his most holy and perfect Scriptures To the shame of the deuill therefore and of all popish maintainers of traditions vncommaunded by God this reason may be yelded Nowe to aunswer you why Ecclesia was first translated congregation and afterward Church the reason that moued the firste translators I thinke was this the worde Churche of the common people at that tyme was vsed ambiguously both for the assemblie of the faythfull and for the place in which they assembled for auoyding of which ambiguitie they translated Ecclesia the congregation and yet in their Creede and in the notes of their Bibles in preaching writing they vsed the word Church for the same the later translators seing the people better instructed able to discerne when they read in the Scriptures the people from the place of their meeting vsed the worde Church in their translations as they did in their preaching These are weightie matters that wee muste giue accompt of them Why we chaunge not ordinances into traditions and Elders into Priests wee will answere when we come to the proper places of them In the meane season wee thinke there is as good cause for vs in translating sometime to auoide the termes of traditions and prieste as for you to auoid the names of Elders calling them auncients and the wise men sages as though you had rather speake French than English as we do Like as you translate Conside haue a good hart after the french phrase rather than you would say as we do be of good comforte MART. 52. The cause is that the name of Church was at the first odious vnto thē because of the Catholike Church which stoode against them but afterward this name grewe into more favour with them because of their English Church so at length called and termed But their hatred of Priests and traditions continueth still as it first began and therefore their translation also remaineth as before suppressing the names both of the one and of the other But of all these their dealings they shal be told in their seuerall chapiters and places FVLK 52. I pray you who translated first the creed into the English tongue and taught it to the people for that cause were accounted heretikes of the Antichristian Romish rable If the name of Churche were odious vnto them why didde they not suppresse that name in the creede whyche they taught to yong and olde and in steede of Catholike Church call it the vniuersal congregation or assembly Wel Dauus these things be not aptely diuided according to their times The firste translation of the Bible that was printed in the english tong in very many places of the notes vseth the name Church most notoriously in the song of Salomon where before euery other verse almost it telleth which is the voice of the Church to Christ her spous◠which no reasonable man would thinke the translators would
to deny that which is affirmed without certaine proofe MART. 20. If the English Geneua Bibles them selues dare not follow their Maister Beza whom they professe to translate because in their opinion he goeth wide and that in places of controuersie how wilfull was he in so translating See chap. 12. num 6. 8. chap. 13. num 1. FVLK 20. It is a very impudent slaunder The Geneua Bibles doe not professe to translate out of Bezaes Latine translation but out of the Hebrew Greeke if they agree not alwaies with Beza what is that to the purpose if they agree with the truth of the originall text Beza often times followeth the purer phrase of the Latine tongue which they neither woulde nor might follow in the English If in dissenting from Beza or Beza from them they or he dissent from the truth it is of humane frailtie not of hereticall wilfulnes The places being examined shall discouer your vanitie MART. 21. If for the most part they reprehend the olde vulgar translation and appeale to the Greeke and yet in places of controuersie sometime for their more aduantage as they thinke they leaue the Greeke and followe our Latine translation what is it else but voluntarie and partiall translation See chap. 2. num 8. chap. 6. nu 10. 21. chap. 7. nu 39. chap. 10. nu 6. FVLK 21. We neuer leaue the Greeke to followe your vulgar translation as in the places by you quoted I will proue manifestly but I haue already proued that you leaue the Latine and appeale to the Greeke in translating Simulachra Idols both Col. 3. 1. Iohn 5. MART. 22. If otherwise they auoid this world iustifications altogither yet translate it when they can not choose but with a coÌ„meÌ„tarie that it signifieth good works that are testimonies of a liuely faith doth not this hereticall commentarie shew their heretical meaning when they auoide the worde aliogither See Chap. 3. Nu. 1. 2. 3. FVLK 22. To auoyde the worde altogither and yet sometime to translate it I see not how they can stand togither for he that doth sometimes translate it doth not altogither auoyde it But you will say they do altogither auoyde it in all such places where they doe not translate it That is altogither false for the Geneua translation Luc. 1. telleth you that the Greeke worde signifieth iustifications and yeeldeth a reason why it doth in that place otherwise translate it and if to translate the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 otherwise than iustificatioÌ„ must needes shew an hereticall meaning then must you needs say that your vulgar Latine translater had an hereticall meaning for in the second place by you quoted namely Rom. 2. v. 26. he tranâ—lateth it Iustitias likewise Ro. 1. v. 32. Iustitiam so likewise Rom. 5. v. 18. And if it be an hereticall commentarie to say that good workes are a testimonie of a liuely faith you will also condemne the Apostles of heresie which teach it to be impossible to please God without faith Heb. 11. and that what soeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14. If there be any good workes that are not testimonies of a liuely faith But it is sufficient for you to call what you wil heresie and hereticall falsification and corruption for your disciples are bounde to beleeue you though you say the Gospell be heresie and the Apostles themselues heretikes Gregorie Martine calleth this an heretical commentarie what neede you seeke other proofe MART. 23. When by adding to the text at their pleasure they make the Apostle say that by Adams offence â—inne came on all men but that by Christs iustice the benefite only abounded toward all men not that iustice came on all whereas the Apostle maketh the case a like without any such diuers additions to wit that we are truely made iuste by Christ as by Adam we are made sinners is not this most wilfull corruption for their heresie of imputatiue and phantasticall iustice See Chap 11. Nu. 1. FVLK 23. The Verse by you quoted Rom. 5. v. 18. is a manifest eclipsis or defectiue speach to make any sense wherof there must needes be added a Nominatiue case and a Verbe Now by what other Nominatiue case and Verbe may the sense be supplied but by that which the Apostle him selfe giueth before Verse 15. Vnto which all that followeth must be referred for explication Where he saieth as you your selues traÌ„slate it If by the offeÌ„ce of one many died much more the grace of God the gift in the grace of one man Iesus Christ hath abounded vpoÌ„ many Seing therfore that defectiue speach must be supplied for vnderstanding in this probation what is so apt as that which the Apostle him self hath expressed before in the proposition Although you in your translatioÌ„ are not disposed to supplie it bicause you had rather the text should be obscure woÌ„dred at than that it should be plaine easie or able to be vnderstood albeit in other places you sticke not to adde such wordes as be necessarie for explication of the texte as euery translater must do if he will haue any sense to be vnderstood in his traÌ„slation For that defectiue speach which in some tongue is well vnderstood in some other is altogither voide of sense and must be explicated by addition of that which is necessarily or probably to be vnderstoode So you translate Math. 8. Quid nobis What is betweene vs Mark 2. Post dies after some daies Accumberet he satte at meate and many such like But where you charge our translation to say the benefite only abouÌ„ded toward all men not that iustice came on all you do shamefully adde to our translation for the worde onely is of your owne slaunderous addition and the rest is your malitious colection For we meane not to extenuate the benefite of Christes redemption but by all meanes to set it forth to the vttermost as the worde abounded doth shew if you do not blemish the light of it by your blockish addition of this worde only And that we are truely made iust by Christ and yet by imputation as wee are truly made sinners by Adam and yet partly by imputation as we are actually by corruptioÌ„ we do at all times and in al places most willingly confesse for the iustice of Christ which is imputed vnto vs by faith is no false or phantasticall iustice as you do no lesse blasphemously than phantastically affirme but a true and effectuall iustice by which we are so truly made iust that we shall receiue for it the crowne of iustice which is eternall life as the Apostle proueth at large Rom. 4. and 5. whom none but an hellhound will barke against that he defendeth imputatiue and phantasticall iustice MART. 24. But if in this case of iustification when the question is whether onely faith iustifie and wee say no hauing the expresse wordes of S. Iames they say yea hauing ne expresse scripture for
it if in this case they will adde only to the very text is it not most horrible and diuelish corruption So did Luther whom our English ProtestaÌ„ts honor as their father in this heresie of only faith are his owne childreÌ„ See ch 12. FVLK 24. In the question of iustification by faith only where S. Iames saieth no we say no also neyther can it be proued that we adde this word only to the text in any translation of oures If Luther did in his translation adde the worde only to the texte it can not be excused of wrong translation in worde although the sense might well beare it But seing Luther doth him selfe confesse it he may be excused of frawde though not of lacke of iudgement But why should our translation be charged with Luthers corruption Because our English Protestants honour him as their father A very lewde slaunder for we call no man father vpon earth though you do call the Pope your father albeit in another sense Luther was a reuerende father of the Churche for his time But as touching the doctrine of only faith iustifying it hath more patrones of the fathers of the auncient primitiue Church than Martine can beare their bookes though he would breake his backe who in the same plaine wordes do affirme it as Luther doth that only faith doth iustifie And the Apostle which saieth that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law speaketh more plainely for iustification by faith only as we do teach it than if he had sayed a man is iustified by faith only Which text of Rom. 3. and many other are as expresse scripture to proue that we teach and beleeue as that S. Iames sayeth against iustification by faith only where he speaketh of an other faith and of an other iustification than S. Paule speaketh of and we vnderstand when we holde that a man is iustified by faith only or without workes of the law which is all one MART. 25. If these that account themselues the great Grecians and Hebricians of the world will so translate for the aduauntage of their cause as though they had no skill in the world and as though they knew neither the significatioÌ„ of words nor proprietie of phrases in the saide languages is it not to be esteemed shamelesse corruption FVLK 25. Yes but if it can not be proued that so they translate then is this an impudent slaunder as al the rest are and so it will proue when it coÌ„meth to be tried MART. 26. I will not speake of the German Heretikes who to mainteine this heresie that all our workes be they neuer so good are sinne translated for Tibi soli peccaui to thee only haue I sinned thus Tibi solùm peccaui that is I haue nothing else but sinned whatsoeuer I do I sinne whereas neither the Greeke nor the Hebrewe will possibly admit that sense Let these passe as Lutherans yet wilfull corrupters and acknowledged of our English Protestants for their good brethren But if Beza translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when we were yet of no strength as the Geneua English Bible also doth interprete it whereas euery young Grecian knoweth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is weake feeble infirme and not altogither without strength is not this of purpose to take away mans free will altogither See chap. 10. nu 13. FVLK 26. I knowe not what German heretikes those be which maintaine that heresie that al our works be they neuer so good are sinne except they be the Libertines with whom we haue nothing to do For we neuer say that good workes are sinne for that were al one to say that good were euill But that al our good workes are short of that perfection which the law of God requireth we do humbly confesse against our selues Or else what soeuer seemeth to be a good worke and is done of meÌ„ voyde of true faith is sinne For these assertions we haue the scripture to warraÌ„t vs. And if to proue the later any man hath translated those words of Dauid in the 51. Psalme Lecha Lebadecha Tibi solum or tantuÌ„modo tibi peccaui c. To the only or altogither to thee I haue sinned in respect of his naturall corruption which he doth expresse in the next verse he hath not departed one whitte from the Hebrewe wordes nor from the sense which the wordes may very wel beare which he that denieth rather sheweth him selfe ignorant in the Hebrew tongue than he that so translateth For what doth Lebad signifie but Solum or Tantum and therefore it may as well be translated Solum tibi as Soli â—ibi And the Apostle Rom. 3. prouing by the later end of that verse all men to be vniust that God only may be true and euery man a lier as it is written that thou mayest be iustified in thy wordes c. fauoreth that interpretation of Bucer or who soeuer it is beside But if Beza translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when wee were yet of no strength as the Geneua Englishe Bible doth also interprete it whereas euerye young Grecian knoweth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is weake feeble infirme and not altogither withoute strengthe is not this of purpose to take awaye mannes free wyll altogither Chapter tenth Number 13. Naye it is to shewe as the Apostles purpose is that wee haue no strength to fulfill the lawe of God without the grace of Christ euen as Christ him selfe sayth without me you can do nothing Ioan. 15. v. 5. But euery young Grecian saye you knoweth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is weake feeble infirme and not altogither with out strength And is there then any old Grecian that will proue that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alway signifieth him that is weake but not voide of strength Doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwayes signifie him that hath some streÌ„gth Certaine it is that the Apostle speaketh here of those that were voide of strength for the same he calleth in the same verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vngodly or voide of religion for whom Christ died Howe say you then had vngodly persons any strength to be saued except Christ had died for them Therefore he that in this place translateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weake feeble infirme must needes vnderstand men so weake feeble and infirme as they haue no strength For how might it else be truely sayed what hast thou which thou hast not receiued 1. Cor. 4. v. 7. Yes say you we haue some peece of freewil at least some strength to clime to heauen euen without the grace of God without the death redemption of Christ. If you say no why cauill you at Bezaes translation and ours The Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as great a Grecian as you would make your selfe signifieth weake or infirme sometime that which yet hath some strength sometime that which hath no strength at all as I will giue you a plaine example out of S.
Caluine against it but that it doth not vsually and certainly signifie so Their iudgement vpon the place remaineth still grounded vpon other argumentes although that reason of the acception of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be not so strong as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had neuer bene so taken But as for the blasphemie you say they conclude vpon that place will redound vpon your owne necke for their exposition is honourable and glorious to God the father and Christ his sonne and to the Holy Ghost by whom that Epistle was indited to the confusion of your Popishe blasphemies of the sacrifice propitiatorie offred in the Masse MART. 30. If Beza in the selfe same place contende that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie reuerence or pietie but suche a feare as hath horrour astonishment of mind in an other place sayth of the selfe same worde cleane contrarie what is it but of purpose to vpholde the said blasphemie See chap. 7. nu 39. 40. FVLK 30. Beza in the same place doth bring many examples to proue that the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie a great feare and so is to be taken Heb. 5. But it is an impudent lye to say he doth contend that it neuer signifieth reuerence or piety and therfore that he saith it signifieth piety in an other place is nothing contrarie to that he spake in this place for the word signifieth both as no man that will professe any knowledge in the Greeke tongue can deny MART. 31. If he translate for Gods foreknowledge Gods prouidence for soule carcas for hell graue to what end is this but for certaine hereticall conclusions And if vpon admonition he alter his translation for shame and yet protesteth that he vnderstandeth it as he did before did he not translate before wilfully according to his obstinate opinion See chap. 7. FVLK 31. Beza doth in deede translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prouidentia but he expouÌ„deth himselfe in his annotation id est aeterna cognitione for what hereticall conclusion he should so do you do not expresse neither can I imagine To your other quarrels of soule and carcasse hell and graue I haue sayd enough in aunswer to your preface Sect. 46. 47. MART. 32. If to this purpose he auouch that Sheol signifieth nothing else in Hebrue but a graue whereas all Hebricians know that it is the most proper and vsuall word in the Scripture for Hell as the other word Keber is for a graue who would thinke he would so endaunger his estimation in the Hebrue tongue but that an hereticall purpose against Christs descending into hell blinded him See chap. 7. FVLK 32. Nay rather all learned HebriciaÌ„s know that Sheol is more proper for the graue than for hell and that the Hebrewes haue no worde proper for hell as we take hell for the place of punishment of the vngodly but either they vse figuratiuely Sheol or more certainly Topheth or Gehinnom For Sheol is in no place so necessarily to be taken for hell but that it may also be taken for the graue That Keber signifieth the graue it is no proofe that Sheol doth not signifie the same therefore you shew your selfe to be too young an Hebrician to carpe at Bezaes estimation in the knowledge of the tongue MART. 33. And if all the English Bibles translate accordingly to wit for Hell Graue wheresoeuer the Scripture may meane any lower place that is not the Hell of the damned and where it must needes signifie that Hell there they neuer auoide so to translate it is it not an euident argument that they know very well the proper signification but of purpose they will neuer vse it to their disaduantage in the questions of Limbus Purgatorie Christs descending into Hell chap. 7. FVLKE 33. I haue sayd before there is no place in the old Testament where Sheol must nedes signifie that hell in which are the damned but the place may be reasonably and truly translated the graue although as in diuerse places by death is meant eternall death so by graue is meant hell or damnation Concerning the questions of Limbus Purgatorie and the descending of Christ into hell they are nothing like for the last is an article of our faith which we doe constantly beleue in the true vnderstanding thereof but the other are fables and inuentions of men whiche haue no grounde in the Scripture but onely a vayne surmise builded vpon a wrong interpretation of the wordes of the Scripture as in the peculiar places shall bee plainely declared MART. 34. If further yet in this kinde of controuersie Beza would be bold to affirme for so he saith if the Grammarians would giue him leaue that Chebel with â—iue points signifieth funem no lesse than Chebel with sixe pointes is he not wonderfully set to maintaine his opinion that will chaunge the nature of wordes if he might for his purpose FVLK 34. Wonderfullye I promise you for he translateth the worde for all this doloribus and sayeth Nihil tamen ausus sum mutare ex coniectura Yet I durst change nothing vpon coniecture Annotat. in Act. 2. v. 24. You say he woulde chaunge the natures of wordes Nothing so but if the word might beare that signification he thinketh it more agreeable to the Hebrue phrase which the Euangelist doth often followe Is not this a great matter to make an euident marke of corruption MART. 35. If passiues must bee turned into actiues and actiues into passiues participles disagree in case from their substantiues or rather be plucked separated from their true substantiues soloecismes imagined where the construction is most agreeable errours deuised to creepe out of the margent such like who would so presume in the text of holy Scriptures to haue all Grammar and words and phrases and constructions at his commaundement but Beza and his like for the aduantage of their cause See chap. 5. numb 6. and the numbers next following in this chapter FVLK 35. But if all these bee proued to be vaine cauils and friuolous quarrells as in the chap. 5. numb 6. and in the numbers following in this chapter it shall bee playnelye declared then I hope all men of meane capacitie and indifferent iudgement will confesse that ignoraunce hath deceiued you malice hath blinded you hatred of the truth hath ouerthrowen you the father of lies and sclaunders hath possessed you MART. 36. For example S Peter saith Heauen must receiue Christ. He translateth Christ must be contained in heauen which Caluine him selfe misliketh the Geneua English Bible is afrayed to follow Illyricus the Lutheran reprehendeth yet M. Whitakers taketh the aduantage of this translation to proue that Christes naturall bodie is so contâ—â—ned in heauen that it can not be vpon the altâ—r For he knew that this was his maisters purpose and intent in so translating This it is when the blinde followe the blinde yea rather
coynes on which was stamped the figure of Dianaes temple more like to your Popish shrines than to the temple of God Where idols are translated deuotions I knowe not except you meane Act. 17. v. 23. where the worde is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which your vulgar Latine translatour 2. Thess. 2. calleth quod colitur that which is deuoutly worshipped so the worde signifieth whatsoeuer is religiously worshipped or adored and not idols as you say nor simulachra images as your translatour calleth them Act. 17. For it is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to adore to worship to honour deuoutly or religiously Euerie humane creature signifieth in that place 1. Pet. 2. euerie magistrate of what creation or ordination soeuer he bee and so is meant by that translation all ordinaunces of men not all lawes of men which yet were not impious if you adde the restraint for the Lorde for whome nothing can be that is against his lawe The rest of your quarrels bee all aunswered before MART. 46. What caused these straunge speeches in their Englishe Bibles Thou shalt not leaue my soule in the graue Thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest graue A couetous maÌ„ is a worshipper of images By laying on of the hands of the Eldership Haile freely beloued SINNE lieth at the dore and thou shalt rule ouer HIM Breake of thy sinnes with righteousnesse for Redeeme with almes Ielousie is cruell as the graue for as hell Cant. Cant. 8. Bib. an 1579. The griefes of the graue caught me Psalm 116. And God will redeeme my soule from the power of the graue O graue I will be thy destruction Os. 13. and such like what made Caluine so translate into Latine that if you turne it into English the sense is that God powred water vpon vs aboundantly meaning the holy Ghost what else but because he would take away the necessitie of materiall water in Baptisme as in his commentarie and Bezaes it is euident FVLK 46. These speaches are not straunge in Gods Church howe soeuer they sound in your eares So many of them as translate for Sheol the graue haue their answeres sect 32. and chap. 7. which is appointed for that question The couetous man a worshipper of images sect 5. of this chapter and chap. 3. numb 12. The laying â—â— of hands of the Eldership is warranted by the signification of the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a companie of Elders as it is translated by your owne vulgar Latine interpreter Luk 22. vers 66. Senioreâ— plebis The Elders of the people and Act. 22. v. 5. he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omnes maiores natu And for a consistorie of Elders is the worde Presbyterium vsed in Latine by Cyprian lib. 3. epist. 11. and lib. 2. epist. 8. 10. Of haile freely beloued we spake lately sect 43. Of the text Gen. 4. v. 7. sinne lieth at the dore c. sect 28. and chap. 10. sect 9. of Dan. 4. breake for redeeme thy sinnes sect 41. If Caluine Tit. 3. did wrongly interprete that which is spoken of water to be ment of the holie Ghost what is that to our translation But certaine it is that Caluine neuer meant to take away the necessitie of materiall water from the sacrament of baptisme although he taught that the want of the externall sacrament where it cannot be had doth not depriue gods electe from eternal saluation neither hath Beza anye other meaning in his annotation MART. 47. I hadde meant to haue but briefly skimmed ouer these things but multitude of matter maketh me too long as it chaunceth to a manne that wadeth thoroughe myrie and foule places and yet the greatest demonstration that they are wilfull corrupters is behinde whiche onelye I will adde and for the reste referre the reader to the whole booke FVLK 47. It is a smal signe that multitude of matter is cause of your length when you repeate one matter in so manye sections your similitude of a manne wading in foule and myrie places doth well agree vnto you for you haue beene all this while wading in the puddle of youre slaunders misprisions and false and false accusations in which you haue so berayed your selfe as you shall not easily purge your selfe from the myre of them But because you say the greatest demonstration that we are wilfull corrupters is behind though it be tedious for vs to rake in such a gogmyre of your forgeries and false accusations yet we will take courage and consider what mayne demonstration you can make to proue vs in our English translations to be wilful corrupters MART. 48. Doubt you whether they translate of purpose and partialitie in fauour of their opinions you shall heare them selues say so and protest it If I dealt with Lutherans this one testimonie of Luther were sufficient who being asked why he added onely into the text Rom. 3. answered that he did it to explicate the Apostles sense more plainly that is to make the Apostle say more plainly that faith onely iustified And his Disciple Illyricus disputeth the matter that the Apostle saying by faith without workes saith in deede onely faith But because I deale rather with our English Caluinists and Beza is their chiefe translator and a Captaine among them whome they professe to follow in the title of the new Testament anno 1580. and by the very name of their Geneua Bibles let vs see what he sayth FVLKE 48. I thinke there is no man doubteth but they translated the Scripture with purpose to maintaine their opinions but whether they haue wittingly and wilfully translated falsely to maintaine any errours or hereticall opinions that is the matter in question and which hath neede of your greatest demonstration to make it apparant That Luther might rightly interprete the place Rom. 3. of onely faith iustifying by the excluding of works I haue before acknowledged Illyricus doth rightly defend it But that he did put in the worde only in his translation which is not in the originall I will not take vpon me to excuse seeing the truth of that doctrine is manifest without that addition and Luther him selfe in his later editions hath reformed it Againe what fault soeuer other men haue committed in their translation we are vniustly charged therewith except we follow the same in ours That we professe to follow Beza by the very name of our Geneua Bibles it is a very ridiculous argument For our Bibles are so commonly called because they were translated and first printed at Geneua not by Beza who at that time had scarse finished his translation of the newe Testament and neuer dealt with translating of the olde so farre as we knowe but by certaine godlye and learned Englishe men which liued there in Queene Maries time to enioy the libertie of a good conscience which they could not haue in their owne Country MART. 49. First concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 which the vulgar Latine and Erasmus translate Agite poenitentiam Repent or Doe penance This interpretation sayth he I refuse for many causes but for this especially that many ignorant persons haue taken hereby an occasion of the false opinions of SATISFACTION wherewith the Church is troubled at this day Loe of purpose against satisfaction he will not translate the Greeke worde as it ought to be and as it is proued to signifie both in this booke and in the annotations vpon the newe Testament A litle after speaking of the same worde he sayth why I haue changed the name poenitentia I haue tolde a litle before protesting that he will neuer vse those wordes but resipiscere and resipiscentia that is amendment of life because of their heresie that repentance is nothing else but a meere amendment of former life without recompense or satisfaction or penance for the sinnes before committed See chap. 13. FVLK 49. Of purpose against the heresie of satisfaction Beza will not translate the Greeke worde as the vulgar Latine translator dothe but yet as the Greeke worde ought to be translated Erasmus finding the vulgar Latine vnsufficient hath added Vitae prioris that is repent yee of your former life Neither dothe Beza finde faulte with the English worde repent but with the Latine Agite paenitentiam when you translate it do penaunce meaning thereby paine or satisfaction for sinnes passed to be a necessarie parte of true repentance which is not conteyned in the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth changing of the mind that is not onely a sorrow for the sinne past but also a purpose of amendment which is beste expressed by the Latine worde Resipiscere which is alwaies taken in the good parte as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the Scripture where as the Latine wordes paenitere and Paenitentia are vsed in Latine of sorrowe or repentance that is too late As paenitere and paenitentia may be saide of Iudas grief of minde which caused him to hang him selfe but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or resipiscere and resipisscentia and therefore the Holye Ghoste speakinge of his sorrowe vseth an other worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is the cause why Beza refused the worde Paenitentia hauing a Latine worde that more properlye doeth expresse the Greeke worde as wee might lawefullye doe in Englishe if wee had an other Englishe worde proper to that repentaunce whiche is alwayes ioyned with faith and purpose of amendmente for wante whereof wee are constrayned to vse the wordes repente and repentaunce whiche maye bee taken in good parte or in euill For wee saye repentaunce too late and Iudas repented too late but there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that can bee called too late But where you saye that resipiscere and resipiscentia is nothing but amendement of life and that repentaunce in our heresie is nothing else but a meere amendment of former life you speake vntruly for those words do signifie not only amendment of life but also sorrow for the sinnes past although without recompēce or satisfactiō which you call penance for the sinnes before cōmitted for we know no recompence or satisfactiō made to God for our sinnes but the death of Christ who is the propitiation for our sinnes 1. Iohn 1. Neither hath your blasphemous satisfaction any grounde in the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but onely a foolish colour by the Latine translation Agite poenitentiam which it is like your Latine interpreter did neuer dreame of and therefore he vseth the worde Resipiscere 2. Tim. 2. Of them to whom God should giue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentaunce to the acknowledging of the truth Et resipiscant and so they may repent or as you translate it recouer themselues from the snare of the Diuell Seyng therefore repentance is the gifte of God it is no recompence or satisfaction made by vs to God to answere his iustice but an earnest and true griefe of minde for our transgression of Gods lawe and offending against his maiestie with a certaine purpose and determination of amendment so neere as God shall giue vs grace Hetherto therefore we haue no demonstration of any wilfull corruption but a declaration of the cause that moued Beza to vse a more exact translation and such as commeth nearer to the originall worde than that which the vulgar translation hath vsed vpon which occasion of a great blasphemie hath bene taken and is yet mainteyned MART. 50. Againe concerning the worde Iustifications which in the Scripture very often signifie the commaundements he saith thus The Greeke interpreters of the Bible meaning the Septuaginta applieth this worde to signifie the whole Lawe of God and therefore commonly it is wont to be translated worde for worde Iustificationes which interpretation therefore only I reiected that I might take away this occasion also of cauilling against iustification by faith and so for iustificationes he putteth constituta Tullies worde forsooth as he saith Can you haue a more playne tèstimonie of his heretic all purpose FVLK 50. Concerning the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Beza translateth Constitutionibus constitutions and you confesse that in Scripture it doth very often signifie the commaundements He sayth first that as the whole Lawe of God is diuided into three partes Morall Ceremoniall and Iudiciall so the Hebrewes haue three seuerall words to expresse the seueral precepts of those lawes For the Hebrew word which signifieth the Ceremoniall precepts the Greekes vse to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the sense is that Zacharie and Elisabeth were iust walking in all the Morall commaundements and obseruing the holy rites and ceremonies as much as concerned them but the thirde worde which signifieth Iudgements S. Luke doth not adde because the exercise of Iudiciall cases did not belong vnto them being priuate persons After this he saith that the Greeke Interpreters of the Bible transferred this worde vnto the whole lawe of God and especially to the holy ceremonies so verily exceedingly commending the law that it is a certaine rule of all iustice And therefore men are wont commonly in respect of the worde to turne it Iustifications And this worde in this place Beza in deede confesseth that he refused to vse for auoyding of cauillations against iustification by fayth seeing he hath none other worde neither woulde he for offence seeke any newe worde to expresse iustification by faith whereas the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this text Luc. 1. verse 6. signifieth not that by which they were made iust but the commaundements or precepts of God by walking in which they were declared to be iust For by the workes of the lawe such as Saint Luke here speaketh of no fleshe shall be iustified before God Therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place must haue an other sense than iustifications namely commaundements as you saye it
vs through faith Rom. 4. The Papistes say it is a qualitie inherent within vs for which wordes and matter they haue no warrant in the holy Scripture MART. 54. These few examples proue vnto vs that the Scriptures translated verbatim exactly and according to the proper vse and signification of the wordes do by the Heretikes confession make for the Catholikes and therefore Beza saith he altereth the wordes into other and I thinke it may suffice any indifferent reader to iudge of his purpose and meaning in other places of his translation and consequently of theirs that either allow him or follow him which are our English Caluinists and Bezites Many other waies there are to make mosta certaine proofe of their Wilfulnesse as when the translation is framed according to their false and hereticall commentarie and When they will auouch their translations out of prophane writers Homer Plutarch Plinie Tullie Virgil and Terence and reiect the Ecclesiastical vse of wordes in the Scriptures and Fathers which Beza doth for the most part alwaies But it were infinite to note all the markes and by these the wise reader may conceiue the rest FVLK 54 These examples proue nothing lesse For to runne ouer them all briefly the first two we translate verbatim A man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law and repent and repētance we say for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What make these for Poperie If Luc 1. v. 6. we should call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iustifications what should Poperie gaine but a vaine cauill when you your selues cōfesse that those iustifications are often vsed for commandements Act. 2. v. 27. all our English translations are as you would haue them Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell nor suffer thy holy one to see corruption by which verse no descent into Limbus but the resurrection from death can be proued If wee translate as you do Act. 3. v. 21. whome heauen must receaue wee will easily conuince that Christe muste be receaued of heauen In the laste example the question is not howe the worde is to be translated but by what worde the want of the texte is to be supplied whiche wee supplie not with wordes of our owne but with the Apostles owne wordes Haue you not gayned greatly by translating verbatim exactly and according to the proper vse and signification of the wordes I lyke well that euery indifferent Reader may iudge by these examples of Bezaes purpose in other places of his translation But you haue two other wayes to make certaine proofe of their wilfulnesse The firste is when the translation is framed according to their hereticall commentarie A reasonable man would thinke rather that the commentarie were framed according to the texte than the texte to the commentarie But to iustifie the truth of those translations for the firste texte you quote it is handled sect 26. of this chapter and so consequently Cap. 7. The seconde is answered sect 46. the other two concerning tradition sect 23. of the preface and in the chapiter following The second waye of proofe is when they will auouch their translations out of prophane writers I thinke there is no better waye to know the proper or diuerse signification of wordes than out of auncient writers though they be neuer so prophane who vsed the wordes most indifferently in respect of our controuersies of which they were altogither ignorant As for the ecclesiasticall vse of wordes in the Scripture and the Fathers which Beza you say doth for the most part reiect it is vntrue except there be good and sufficient cause why he should so do warranted by the Scripture it selfe or necessarie circumstances of the places which he doth translate For if the Scripture haue vsed a worde in one signification sometimes it is not necessarie that it should alwaies vse it in the same signification when it is proued by auncient writers that the worde hath other significations more proper to the place and agreeable to the rule of fayth which perhaps the vsuall signification is not As for example the Scripture vseth very often this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a boy or seruaunt but when the same worde is applied to our Sauiour Christ in the prayer of the Apostles Act. 4. 27. Who woulde not rather translate it childe or sonne as the worde doth sometime but more seldome signifie Howe the Fathers of the Churche haue vsed wordes it is no rule for translators of the Scripture to followe who oftentimes vsed wordes as the people did then take them and not as they signified in the Apostles tyme. As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a publicke testification of repentaunce which wee call penaunce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for imposition of handes and suche like in whiche sense these wordes were neuer vsed before the Apostles times and therefore it is not lyke that they woulde beginne a newe vse of them without some manifest explication of their meaning without the whiche no man could haue vnderstoode them as they haue done in the vse of these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and such like It is not a faulte therefore prudently to seeke euen out of prophane writers what is the proper signification of wordes and howe many significations a woorde may haue and reuerently to iudge which is moste apte for the place to be translated and moste agreeable with the holy ghostes meaning in that texte and not alwaies to bee tyed to the vsuall signification of wordes as they are sometimes taken in Scripture and much lesse as they are vsed of the auncient Fathers MART. 55. But would you thinke that these men could notwithstanding speake very grauely and honestly against voluntarie and wilfull translations of Scripture that so notoriously offend therein them selues Harken what Beza saith against Castaleo and the like The matter saith he is now come to this point that the translatours of Scripture out of the Greeke into Latin or into any other tōgue think that they may lawfully doe any thing in translating Whom if a man reprehend he shall be answered by and by that they do the office of a translatour not that translateth worde for worde but that expresseth the sense So it commeth to passe that whiles euery man will rather freely folow his own iudgement than be a religious interpreter of the Holy Ghost he doth rather peruert many things than translate them Is not this well said if he had done accordingly but doing the cleane contrarie as hath ben◠proued he is a dissembling hypocrite in so saying and a wilfull Heretike in so doing and condemned by his owne iudgement FVLK 55. No wise man doubteth but they could both speake very grauely and auoyde most religiously al voluntarie wilful translations of scripture that might tende to maintaine any errour And the rather they will be perswaded that Beza hath auoyded that lewde kinde of translatiō for which he reproueth Castaleo when they shall see that
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
and it is very well and honesty translated for so the Greeke worde doth properly signifie But nowe on the other side concerning good traditions let vs see their dealing The Apostle by the selfe same worde both in Greeke and Latine sayth thus Therefore brethren stand and hold fast the TRADITIONS which you haue learned either by worde or by our Epistle And againe Withdraw your selues from euerie brother walking inordinately and not according to the TRADITION which they haue receiued of vs. And againe according to the Greeke which they professe to folow I praise you brethren that in all things you are mindefull of me and as I haue deliuered vnto you you keepe my TRADITIONS FVLK 2. No maruell though you can not abide the bels sounding against mans traditions which sound must nedes pearce your coÌ„science more than it offendeth your eares seeing you know that many of those things which you defend vnder the name of traditions against the holy scriptures haue not God for their auctor which forbiddeth to be worshipped in such sorte but man or rather Sathan which hath inspired such things vnto meÌ„ thereby to dishonor God and to discredite his holy and most certaine written worde Yet you say it is well and honestly translated God knoweth how faine you would there were no such text extaÌ„t in the Gospel against your superstition and will worshipping But now let vs see our craftie dealing as you compte it against good traditions In the first text 2. Thessal 2. v. 15. You may see your vnderstanding of traditions quite ouerthrowen For the Apostle speaketh of such traditions as were deliuered to them partly by preaching partly by his Epistle Therfore tradition doth not signifie a doctrine deliuered by worde of mouth onely But yet you will say it signifieth here a doctrine deliuered by word of mouth also which is not written How proue you that because all that the Apostle preached was not conteyned in his Epistles to the Thessalonians therefore was it no where written in the Scriptures what the tradition was in the second text 2. Thess. 3. v. 6. is expressed by and by after that he which will not labour must not eate Was this doctrine neuer written before when God commaundeth euery man to labour in his vocation As for the third place 1. Cor. 11. 2. your owne vulgar Latine translater both teacheth vs how to translate it and also dischargeth our translation of heresie and corruption for he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place praecepta precepts or instructions or commauÌ„dements or ordinances I see no great difference in these wordes By which his translation he sheweth that in the other places 2. Thes. 2. 3. He meaneth the same thing by traditiones traditions that we doe by ordinances or instructions and might as well haue vsed the word praecepta in those two places as he did in this one if it had pleased him MART. 3. Here we see plaine mention of S. Paules traditions and consequently of Apostolicall traditions yea and traditions by worde of mouth deliuered to the saide Churches without writing or Scripture In all whiche places looke gentle reader and seeke all their English translations and thou shalt not once finde the worde tradition but in steede thereof ordinances instructions preachings institutions and any worde else rather than tradition In so much that Beza their maister translateth it traditam doctrinam the doctrine deliuered putting the singular number for the plural adding doctrine of his owne So framing the text of holy Scripture according to his false commentarie or rather putting his commentarie in the text making it the text of Scripture Who would thinke their malice and partialitie against traditions were so great that they should all agree with one consent so duely and exactly in these and these places to conceale the worde which in other places do so gladly vse it the Greeke worde being all one in all the saide places FVLK 3. There is no question but the Apostles by word of mouth that is by preaching teaching deliuered the doctrine of the Gospel to the Churches but that they preached taught or deliuered any doctrine as necesarie to saluation which they proued not out of the holy Scriptures and which is not contained in the new TestameÌ„t or the old this is not yet proued neither euer can it be proued Such matters of ceremonies order discipline which are mutable no man denies but they might did deliuer but yet in them nothing but agreeable to the generall rules set downe in the Scripture But in all these places the word tradition can not once be founde Yet M. Fulke saith it is fouÌ„d Yea doth where saith he so You answere pag. 153 against D. Saunders Rocke Therfore if he giue not an instaunce let him giue him selfe the lie But he that chargeth Fulke to say it is found lieth the more For so he saith not read the place who wil. He speaketh against Saunder who affirmed that the very name of tradition vsed in the better part can not be suffered to be in the Englishe Bible as though there were some decree of the Synode or Act of Parliament against it and sayth it may be and is suffered in that sense which the holy Ghost vseth it but not to bring prayer for the deade or any thing contrarie to the Scripture vnder the name of traditions Apostolike By which wordes I meane that there is no prohibition or edict to the contrarie but if any man will vse the worde tradition in translation of the Bible he is permitted so to doe I doe not affirme it is so founde But as if I shoulde say The Papistes in Englande are suffered to liue as becommeth good subiectes I affirme not that they are or shall be founde so to liue But to omit this foolishe quarrell Beza our Maister is sayed to haue translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the doctrine deliuered putting the singular number for the plurall and adding doctrine of his owne What an hainous matter here is the word doctrine is a collectiue comprehending many precepts or traditions and in the next chapiter the Apostle vseth the same word in the singular number Againe the 1. Thes. 4. v. 2. he calleth the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precepts or documents which worde signifieth the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 witnes your vulgar latin traÌ„slator which giues one word for both praecepta 1. Cor. 11. 1. Thes. 4. And that the word doctrine is added to the text it is a fonde cauil for the word doctrine is coÌ„tained in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a deliuerie but whereof â—f not of doctrine Our Sauiour Christ also Math. 15. v. 9. by the testimony of Esay reproueth the traditioÌ„ of the Pharisees teaching the doctrines precepts of meÌ„ which testimonye of Esay could take no hold of theÌ„ if traditioÌ„s were not doctrines precepts So that in this traÌ„slatioÌ„ of
Epistle of Iames of Peter c. As if a man shoulde say in his Creede I beleeue the general Churche because hee would not say the Catholike Churche as the Lutheran Catechismes say for that purpose I beleeue the Christian Church So that by this rule when S. Augustine telleth that the maner was in cities where there was libertie of religion to aske Qua itur ad Catholicam Wee muste translate it Which is the way to the General And when Sainct Hierome sayth If we agree in faith with the B. of Rome ergo Catholici sumus we must translate it Then we are Generals Is not this good stuffe Are they not ashamed thus to inuert and peruert all wordes against common sense and vse and reason Catholike and Generall or vniuersall we knowe is by the originall propertie of the word all one but according to the vse of both as it is ridiculous to say A Catholike Councell for a Generall Councell so is it ridiculous and impious to say Generall for Catholike inderogation thereof and for to hide it vnder a bushell FVLK 4. I doe not knowe where the name of Catholike is once expressed in the text of the Bible that it might be suppressed by vs which are not like to beare malice to the Catholike Church or religion seeing we teache euen our young children to beleue the holy Catholike Church But not finding the word Catholike in the text you runne to the title of the seuen Epistles called as commonly Canonicall as Catholike or Generall But Eusebius belike testifieth that they haue bene so called euer since the Apostles time lib. 2. cap. 22. I maruell you are not ashamed to auouch suche an vntruth Eusebius speaking of his owne time saith they are so called but that they haue bene so called euer since the Apostles time he sayth not And so farre off he is from saying so that he pronounceth the Epistle of S. Iames in the same place to be a bastarde and speaketh doubtfully of the Epistle of S. Iude. But whereas in one translation we vse the worde Generall for Catholike you make a greate may game of it shewing your witte and your honestie both at once For these 5. of Iames 2. of Peter one of Iude and the first of Iohn which are properly rightly so intituled haue that title because they are not sent to any particular Church or persons but to all in general as the Greeke scholiast truly noteth And OEcumenius before the Epistle of S. Iames sayth expressely Catholicae id est vniuersales dicuntur hae c. These Epistles are called Catholike that is to say Vniuersall or General because not distinctly to one nation or citie as S. Paule to the Romanes or Corinthians this companie of our Lords disciples doth dedicate these Epistles but generally to the faithfull or to the Iewes that were dispersed as also Peter or else to all Christians liuing vnder the same faith For otherwise if they should be called Catholike in respect of the souÌ„dnes of the doctrine coÌ„tained in theÌ„ what reason were there more to call them so than to call all the Epistles of S. Paule Wherefore in this title which yet is no part of the holy Scripture it is rightly traÌ„slated general The other translatours seeing seuen to be called general where only fiue are so in deede and seeing them also called canonicall which should seeme to be a controulling of S. Paules Epistles left out that title altogither as being no part of the text and word of God but an addition of the stationers or writers MART. 5. Is it because they would followe the Greeke that they turne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 generall euen as iust as when they turne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 image 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dissension 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secrete and such like where they goe as farre from the Greeke as they can and will be glad to pretende for aunswere of their worde sect that they followe our Latine translation Alas poore shift for them that otherwise pretende nothing but the Greeke to be tried by that Latine which them selues condemne But we honour the sayd text and translate it Sects also as we there find it and as we doe in other places followe the Latine text and take not our aduantage of the Greeke text because we knowe the Latine translation is good also and sincere and approued in the Church by long antiquitie it is in sense all one to vs with the Greke but not so to them who in these daies of controuersie about the Greeke and Latine text by not following the Greeke which they professe sincerely to follow bewray them selues that they doe it for a malitious purpose FVLK 5. It is because we woulde haue the Greeke vnderstood as it is taken in those places when we turne Catholike generall Idolum image 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinaunce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dissention 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secret and such like And where you say we woulde be glad for our word sect to pretend to follow your Latine translation it is a fable For in translating sect we follow the Greeke as truely as your Latine translation doeth which if it be true and sincere as you confesse what deuilish madnesse possesseth your malicious mind to burthen vs with such purposes as no reasonable man would once imagine or thinke of that we should vse that terme in fauour of heresie and heretikes whome we thinke worthie to suffer death if they will not repent and cease to blaspheme or seduce the simple CHAP. V. Hereticall translation against the CHVRCH Martin AS they suppresse the name Catholike euen so did they in their first English Bible the name of Church it selfe because at their first reuolt and apostasie from that that was vniuersally knowen to be the only true Catholike Church it was a great obiectioÌ„ against their schismaticall proceedings and it stucke much in the peoples consciences that they forsooke the Church and that the Church condemned them WherupoÌ„ very wiâ—ily they suppressed the name Church in their English translation so that in all that Bible so long red in their congregations we can not once finde the name thereof Iudge by these places which seeme of most importaunce for the dignitie preheminence and authoritie of the Church Fulke HOwe can wee suppresse the name Catholike which the holy Scripture neuer vseth as for the name of Church I haue alreadie shewed diuerse times that for to auoyd the ambiguous taking of that terme it was at the first lesse vsed but neuer refused for doubt of any obiection of the Catholike Church against vs the profession of which being contained in our Englishe creede howe could we relinquish or not acknowledge to be contained in the Scripture in which we taught that all articles
Episcopus Presbyter which came in afterward you your selfe confessed as we heard of late that it is not obserued in the Scriptures but the same men are called Episcopi which before were called Presbyteri And according to that distinctioÌ„ you can allow but one Bishop of one citie at once yet the Scripture in diuerse places speaketh of many Bishops of one citie as Act. 20. the Bishops of Ephesus called before Presbyteri Elders also he saluteth the Bishops and Deacons of Philippi Phil. 1. where your note saith that In the Apostles time there were not obserued alwaies distinct names of either function of B. Priest Would you haue vs to translate the Scripture with distinction of names which the holy ghost maketh not nor your vulgar Latin obserueth nor you your selfe for shame can obserue And if we should haue translated for Elders Priests that distinction taken vp after the Apostles times or the writing of the Scripture had bene neuer the more confirmed MART. 20. But of al other places we would desire these gay translatours to translate this one place of S. Augustine speaking of him self a Bishop and S. Hierom a Priest Quanquam enim secunduÌ„ honoruÌ„ vocabula quae iam Ecclesiae vsus obtinuit Episcopatus Presbyterio maior fit tamen in multis rebus Augustinus Hieronymo minor est Is not this the English therof For although according to the titles or names of honour which now by vse of the church haue preuailed the degree of Bishoppe be greater than Priesthood yet in many things Augustine is lesse than Hierom. Or doth it like them to translate it thus The degree of Bishop is greater than Eldership c Againe against Iulian the heretike when he hath brought many testimonies of the holy doctors that were all Bishops as of S. Cyprian Ambrose Basil Nazianzene Chrysostome at length he commeth to S. Hierom who was no Bishop and sayth Nec sanctum Hieronymum quia Presbyter fuit contemnendum arbitreris that is Neither must thou thinke that S. Hierom because he was but a priest therfore is to be contemned whose diuine eloqueÌ„ce hath shined to vs from the East euen to the West like a lampe and so forth to his great commendation Here is a plaine distinction of an inferiour degree to a Bishop for the which the Heretike Iulian did easily contemne him Is â—ot S. Cyprian full of the like places is not all antiquitie so full that whiles I proue this me thinketh I proue nothing els but that snow is white FVLK 20. Of all other importune and vnreasonable iudges you are one of the worst that would enforce vs to translate the Scriptures which you confesse obserueth not the distinction of Bishops and Priestes according to the fathers which doe almost alwayes obserue it If we should translate those sentences of S. Augustine we might vse the word Priest for Presbyter and priesthood for presbyterium and if we vse the words Elder and Eldership what offence I pray you were it when by these names we vnderstand nothing but the same function minister which Augustine doth That Episcopus a Bishop was of very olde time vsed to signifie a degree Ecclesiasticall higher than Presbyter an Elder or Priest we did neuer deny we knowe it right well We knowe what S. Hierom writeth vpon the epistle to Titus cap. 1. idem est â—rgo Presbyter qui Episcopus The same man is Presbyter or an Elder or Priest which is Episcopus a Bishop And before that by the instinct of the deuill factions were made in religion and it was sayd among the people I am of Paule I of Apollo and I of Cephas the Churches were gouerned by common councell Presbyterorum of the Elders But afterwarde when euery one thought those whome he had baptised to be his owne and not Christes it was decreed in the whole worlde that one de Presbyteris of the Elders being elected should be set ouer the reste to whome all the care of the Churche should pertaine and the seedes of schismes shoulde be taken away This and much more to this effect writeth Saint Hieronyme of this distinction in that place and in diuerse other places which nothing proueth that we are bounde to translate Presbyter in the Scripture a Priest and least of all that we are bound in termes to keepe that distinction which the Scripture maketh not and the Papistes them selues can not obserue in their most partiall translation MART. 21. In all which places if they will translate Elder and yet make the same a common name to all Ecclesiastical degrees as Beza defineth it let the indifferent Reader consider the absurd confusion or rather the impossibilitie thereof if not but they will graunt in all these places it signifieth Priest and so is meant then we must beate them with Bezaes rodde of reprehension against Castaleon that we can not dissemble the boldnesse of these men which woulde God it rested within the custome of words onely and were not important matter concerning their heresie These men therefore touching the word Priest though vsed of sacred writers in the mysterie of the newe Testament and for so many yeares after by the secret consent of all Churches consecrated to this one Sacrament so that it is now growen to be the proper vulgar speeche almoste of all nations yet they dare presume rashly to change it and in place thereof to vse the word Elder delicate men forsooth yea worse a great deale because these do it for heresie not for delicacy which neither are moued with the perpetuall authoritie of so many ages nor by the daily custome of the vulgar speech can be brought to thinke that lawful for diuines which all men graunt to other maisters professors of artes that is to reteyne hold that as their owne which by long vse in good faith they haue truely possessed Neither may they pretend the authoritie of any auncient writer as that the old Latine translator sayth Senior Seniores for that which was to them as it were newe to vs is olde euen then that the selfe same wordes which we now vse were more familiar to the Church it is euident because it is very seldom that they speake otherwise FVLK 21. I see no impossibilitie but that in all places where we reade Presbyter we may lawfully translate Elder as well as Priest and make it stil in Scripture a common name to all Ecclesiasticall degrees at least to as many as the Scripture maketh it common without any absurditie or confusion And albeit in the fathers we should translate it Priest because they vnderstood by the name Presbyter a distinct degree from Episcopus yet the saying of Beza against Castaleo could not by any wise man be applyed to vs. For Castaleo changed the name of the Sacrament Baptismus by which both the Scriptures and the fathers vniformely did vse to signifie one and the same Sacrament whereas the name of
ouer hell or ouer the graue that is ouer death and so the Prophet should say death twise and Hell not at all FVLK 16. S. Hierom whom you quote in the margent to proue that all the Catholike Doctors vnderstoode this text of Osee of Christes descending into hell and thereby reproue our translation which for hell sayeth graue after he hath repeated the wordes of the Apostle 1. Cor. 15. vpon this text thus he concludeth Itaque quod ille in resurrectionem interpretatus est Domini noâ— aliter interpretari nec possumus nec audemus Therefore that which the Apostle hath interpreted of our Lordes resurrection we neither can nor dare interprete otherwise You see therefore by Hieromes iudgement that in this text which is proper of Christes resurrection it is more proper to vse the word of graue than of hell How vainly the same Hierome interpreteth the last wordes of this chapter of spoiling the treasure of euerie vessell that is desireable of Christs deliuering out of hel the most precious vessells of the Saincts c. I am not ignoraunt but we speake of translation of the 14. verse which being vnderstoode of Christes resurrection it argueth that the graue is spoken of rather than hell As for the repetition of one thing twise for vehemencie and certainties sake is no inconuenient thing but commonly vsed in the Scriptures MART. 17. Why my Maisters you that are so wonderful precise translatoures admit that our sauiour Christ descended not into Hel beneath as you say yet I thinke you will grant that he triumphed ouer Hell and was conquerer of the same Why then did it not please you to suffer the Prophet to say so at the least rather than that he had conquest only of death and the graue You abuse your ignorant reader very impudently your owne selues verie damnably not onely in this but in that you make graue and death all one and so where the holy Scripture often ioyneth togither death and Hell as things different and distinct you make them speake but one thing twise idly and superfluously FVLK 17. For our faith of Christs triumphing ouer hell I haue spoken alreadie sufficiently but of the Prophetes meaning beside the wordes them selues the Apostle is best expounder who referreth it to the resurrection and his victorie ouer death which he hath gayned not for him selfe alone but for all his elect Where you say we make graue and death all one it is false We knowe they differ but that one may â—e signified by the other without any idle or superfluous repetition in one verse I referre me to a whole hundred of examples that may be brought out of the Psalmes the Prophetes and the Prouerbes where wordes of the same like or neere significatioÌ„ are twise togither repeated to note the same matter which none but a blasphemous dogge will say to be done idly or superfluously MART. 18. But will you know that you should not confound them but that Mors Infernus which are the wordes of the holy Scripture in all tongues are distinct heare what S. Hierome sayth or if you will not heare because you are of them which haue stopped their eares let the indifferent Christian Reader harken to this holy Doctor and great interpreter of the holy Scriptures according to his singular knowledge in all the learned tongues Vpon the foresaid place of the Prophet after he had spoken of our Sauiour Christes descending into hell and ouercomming of death he addeth Betwene death and hell this is the difference that death is that whereby the soule is separated from the body Hell is the place where soules are included either in rest or else in paines according to the qualitie of their deserts And that death is one thing and Hell is another the Psalmist also declareth saying THERE IS not in death that is mindfull of thee but in Hell who shall confesse to thee And in another place Let death come vpon them and let them goe downe into Hell aliue Thus farre S. Hierom. FVLK 18. He that by the graue vnderstandeth a place to receiue the bodies of the dead and figuratiuely death doth no more confound the wordes of death and the graue then he that by a cup vnderstandeth a vessell to receiue drinke properly and figuratiuely that drinke which is contayned in such a vessell Therefore that you cite out of Hierome maketh nothing against vs for hee him selfe although deceyued by the Septuagintes or rather by the ambiguitie of the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they vse in the signification of the Hebrue worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet by Infernus vnderstandeth them that be In inferno and the dead as wee doe by the worde graue oftentimes As for his opinion of the godly soules in happie hell before Christes death or his interpretation of any other parte of Scripture wee professe not to followe in our translations but as neere as wee can the true significatioÌ„ of the words of holy Scripture with such sence if any thing be doubtfull as the proper circumstances of euery place will lead vs vnto that wee may attayne to the meaning of the holy Ghost MART. 19. By which differences of death and Hell whereof wee must often aduertise the Reader are meant two things death and the going downe of the soule into some receptacle of Hell in that state of the olde Testament at what time the holy Scriptures vsed this phrase so often Now these impudent translators in all these places translate it graue of purpose to confound it and death togither and to make it but one thing which S. Hierom sheweth to be different in the very same sense that we haue declared FVLK 19. The difference of Mors Infernus which Hierome maketh can not alwaies stand as I haue shewed of the hoare heades of Iacob Ioab and Shemei which none but madde men will say to haue descended into a receptacle of soules beside other places of Scripture where Sheol must of necessity signifie a place for the bodie And euen those places of the Psalmes that S. Hierom calleth to witnesse do make against his error For where Dauid sayth Psal. 6. In hell who shall confesse vnto thee How can it be true of the soules of the faithfull being in that holy hell Abrahams bosome Did not Abraham confesse vnto God acknowledge his mercie Did not Lazarus the same did not all the holy soules departed confesse God in Abrahams bosome Were all those blessed soules so vnthankefull that being carried into that place of rest and comfort none of them would coÌ„fesse Gods benefits It is plaine therefore to the confusion of your error that Sheol in that place of Dauid must nedes signifie the graue in which no man doth confesse praise or giue thanks vnto God of whom in death there is no remembraunce Therefore he desireth life and restoring of health that he may praise God in his Church or congregation Likewise in the Psal. 54.
as the cause shall require More examples might I bring but for tediousnesse to conuince the bolde rashnesse of this quarreller but these may suffice all indifferent Readers and aunswere sufficiently for vs within the newe Testament we translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinaunces or statuts seeing it is proued both by the Septuaginta which calleth the same Hebrewe worde not onely iustifications but often commaundements statuts precepts iudgements by the vulgar Latine Interpretor which commonly calleth it ceremonies or precepts MART. 2. But be it that you may controll them in the Hebrew which none but fooles will graunt vnto you in the newe Testament what pretense haue you doe you there also translate the Hebrew worde or rather the Greeke the Greeke vndoubtedly you should translate What reason then can you haue why you doe not none other surely than that which Beza giueth for him selfe saying that he reiected the word iustifications notwithstanding it expressed the Greeke worde for worde notwithstanding the seuentie Greeke Interpreters vsed it to signifie the whole lawe and in Latine it be commonly translated iustificationes notwithstanding all this for this onely cause sayth he did I reiect it to auoide the cauillations that might be made by this word against iustification by faith As if he should say This word truly translated according to the Greeke might minister great occasion to proue by so many places of scripture that mans iustification is not by faith only but also by keeping the law and obseruing the commaundements which therefore are called according to the Greeke and Latine iustifications because they concurre to iustification and make a man iust as by S. Lukes wordes also is well signified which haue this allusion that they were both iuste because they walked in all the iustifications of our Lord. Which they of purpose suppresse by other wordes FVLK 2. None but fooles considering what I haue brought of the vsage of that worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wil iudge that it signifieth onely iustifications and all wise men may see that we haue good warrant to translate it otherwise in the Greeke Testament where it must needes haue an other signification The concurrence of workes with faith to iustificatioÌ„ before God which the Apostle doth exclude Rom. 3. we may not admit But iustification by workes as Saint Iames teacheth we doe acknoweledge I hope you will not saye that your Latine translator against iustification by workes translated the worde so often ceremonies or that ceremonies of the lawe doe concurre to iustification by faith The commaundements in deede are called iustifications because the workes of the lawe if a man keepe it wholy are able to iustifie Not that euery ceremonie or obseruation of any peece of the law is a iustification â—or maketh a man iust which you may better say vpon the etymologie of the worde than that euery particular obseruation of the lawe or good worke doth concurre with faith vnto iustification MART. 3. And hereof also it riseth that when he can not possibly auoyd the word in his translation as Apoc. 19. 8. Bissinum enim iustificationes sunt sanctorum The silke is the iustifications of Sainctes there he helpeth the matter with this coÌ„mentarie That iustifications are those good workes which be the testimonies of a liuely faith But our English translatours haue an other way to auoyd the worde euen in their translation For they say here the righteöusnes of Sainctes because they coulde not saye ordinances of Saincts and they would not say iustifications of Saincts knowing very well by Bezaes owne commentarie that this word includeth the good workes of saincts which workes if they should in translating call their iustifications it would goe sore against iustification by onely faith Therefore doe they translate in steede thereof ordinances and statutes where they can which are termes furthest of from iustification and where they can not there they say righteousnesse making it also the plurall number whereas the more proper Greeke worde for rightuousnesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 6 22. which there some of them translate vngiltinesse because they wil not translate exactly if you would hire them FVLK 3. When 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apoc. 19. are translated iustificationes they signifie iuste works as I haue already proued the significatioÌ„ of the word to beare beside that it is so vsed by Aristotle in his Ethicks who of iustificatioÌ„ before God whereof wee speake vnderstoode neuer a whit Therefore if in steede of rightuousnesse which is the singular number it were translated rightuous or iust workes it were not amisse in mine opinion Although by rightuousnesse in that place is nothing meant but good or rightuous workes as Bezaes note doth tel you MART. 4. And therefore as for iustice and iustifications they say righteousnesse so for iuste they translate righteous and by this meanes Ioseph was a righteous maÌ„ rather than a iust man and Zacharie and Elisabeth were both righteous before God rather than iust because when a man is called iust it soundeth that he is so in deede and not by imputation onely as a wise man is vnderstoode to be wise in deede and not only so imputed Therefore doe they more gladly and more often say righteous men rather than iust men when they doe say iust men as sometime they doe least they might sâ—eme wilfull inexcusably there they vnderstande iust by imputation not in deede as is to be seene in Bezaes Annotations vpon the Epistle to the Romanes Note also that they put the word iust when faith is ioyned withall as Rom. 1. The iust shal liue by faith to signifie that iustification is by faith But if workes be ioyned withall and keeping the commaundementes as in the place alleaged Luc. 1. there they say righteous to suppresse iustification by workes FVLK 4. This is a maruelous difference neuer heard of I thinke in the English toÌ„gue before betwene iust righteous iustice righteousnes I am sure there is none of our translatours no nor any professer of iustification by faith onely that esteemeth it the worth of one haire whether you say in any place of Scripture iust or righteous iustice or righteousnesse and therefore freely they haue vsed sometimes the one worde sometimes the other Therefore it is a monstrous falshoode that you fain them to obserue this distinction that they ioyne iust with faith and righteous with workes Doe they not translate Rom. 2. ver 13. the hearers of the lawe are not righteous before God but the doers of the lawe shall bee iustified Haue you not again the righteousnesse of God is made manifest without the law c. by the faith of Iesus Christ. And where you reade the iust shall liue by faith haue you not immediatly the righteousnesse of God is reuealed from faith to faith as it is written the iust shall liue by faith Who then but the Diuell which hath his name of sclaundering woulde here inuent
speache proceeding of the sayed Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omnis ponderatio non est digna continentis animae Which the Englishe Bibles thus There is no weight to be compared vnto a minde that can rule it selfe or with a continent minde FVLK 4. You can not vse the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it will include a comparison whether it be with a Genitiue case as in the examples you bring or with an Accusatiue as in this text of S. Paule And euen so the Englishe word worthie doth comprehende an equalitie in good or euill Wherefore the sense is all one whether you say in this text equall or worthie but that the vsuall signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is worthie as no man will deny that is not past all shame MART. 5. And if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a genitiue case signifie a comparison and them selues so translate it in all their Bibles should not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Apostles phrase much more be so translated I appeale to their owne consciences Againe if here in Ecclesiasticus they say not according to the Greeke wordes There is no weight worthie of a continent mind because they would by an Englishe phrase expresse the comparison is it not more than euident that when they translate the Apostle by the very same wordes Worthie of the glorie c. they know it can not and they meane it should not signifie a comparison I can not sufficiently expresse but only to the learned skilful reader their partiall and hereticall dealing Briefly I say they translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not to be compared with a continent mind being in Greeke word for word Not worthie of a continent minde and contrariwise they translate in S. Paule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not worthie of the glorie to come being in the Greeke Not to be compared to the glorie to come according to the verie like Latine phrase by dignus Eccl. 6. Amico fideli nulla est comparatio non est DIGNA ponderatio auri argenti CONTRA BONITATEM FIDEI that is according to their owne translation A faithfull friende hath no peere weight of golde and siluer is not to be compared to the goodnesse of his faith FVLK 5. If the Englishe word worthy did not signifie a cōparison as wel as the Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it were somwhat that you say but seeing one signifieth as much as the other there is no more sauour in your disputatiō than in an egge without salt When we say there is no weight of gold to be cōpared to a continent minde it is all one as if we said worthy of a continent minde for we meant to be compared in goodnes price excellency c. And therefore you speake out of measure falsely impudentlye when you say we meane not that the worde worthie in this text of S. Paule should signifie a comparison for it is not possible that it shoulde signifie otherwise Doth not the Geneua note in the margent say or of like valure If you be so blinde that you can not see a comparison in the worde worthie at the least shore vp your eyes and beholde it in those wordes of like or equall value For all comparison is either in quantitie or qualitie And where you say that you can not expresse your conceite but onely to the learned there is none so meanely learned but they may well laugh at your foolish and vnlearned trifling MART. 6. Nowe if they will say though their translation of Sainct Paules words be not so exact and commodious yet the sense and meaning is all one for if these present afflictions be not equall or comparable to the glorie to come then neither are they worthie of it nor can deserue or merite it let the Christian Reader marke the difference First their Beza and Caluine telleth them that the Apostle speaketh of the one and not of the other Secondly the passions and afflictions that Christ our Sauiour suffered all his life were not comparable to the eternall glorie which he obtained thereby yet did he thereby deserue and merite eternall glorie not only for him selfe but for all the worlde yea by the least affliction he suffered did he deserue all this Vnlesse you will deny also that he merited and deserued his glorie which your opinion a man might verie well gather by some of your false translations but that you would thinke vs too suspicious which perhappes we wil examine hereafter Thirdly the present pleasure of aduoutrie during a mans life is not comparable to the eternall tormentes of hell fire and yet it doth merite and deserue the same Fourthly the Apostle by making an incomparable difference of the glorie to come with the afflictions of this time doth as Sainct Chrysostom sayth exhort them the more vehemently and moue them to sustaine all things the more willingly but if he sayd as they trāslate The afflictions are not worthie of heauen you are neuer the nearer heauen for them onely beleeue this had not bene to exhorte them but to discourage them Fiftly the Apostle when he will else where encourage them to suffer sayeth plainely Our tribulation which presently is for a moment and light WORKETH aboue measure exceedingly an eternall weight of glorie in vs. FVLK 6. We say our translation both in word and sense is the same in Englishe that S. Paule did write in Greeke As for the argument against merite or desert which doeth followe thereof we affirme that it is as necessarily gathered of the wordes equall or comparable or correspondent as of the word worthie But to ouerthrow this argument you haue fiue reasons The first is of the authoritie of Beza and Caluine which you say telleth vs that the Apostle speaketh of the one and not of the other To this I aunswere that they both affirme the consequence against merits out of this text although it be not the Apostles direct purpose to abase the merite of workes by comparison of the excellencie of the glorie To your seconde argument I aunswere that though the afflictions that Christ our Sauiour suffered were not comparable in respect of the length of time with the eternall glorie that he obtayned thereby yet in respecte of the excellencie of his person and the perfection of his obedience they were comparable and of equall value tó deserue eternall glorie according to the iustice of God by which one mans disobedience was sufficient to eternall condemnation Rom. 5. What the least of his afflictions separated from all the rest was in valure I haue not learned out of the Scripture onely I thinke he suffered nothing superfluously nor lesse than was needefull to aunswer the iustice of God Your other fonde surmises I omitte vntill you expresse them To your third argument I saye that one acte of adulterie is worthy of damnation and deserueth eternall torment not by comparison of the short pleasure
with infinite paine but because it is a sinne committed against the maiestie of the eternall God and therefore is worthy of eternall punishment For the sinne is to be measured after the excellencie of the person against whome it is committed Therefore that word which being spoken against a poore man is a light fault as to say he is a knaue the same being spoken against a Lorde is an hainous offence and deserueth the pillorie hut being spoken against a King is high treason and is worthy of death Seeing therefore the eternall maiestie of God is contemned in euery sinne that sinne doth iustly deserue eternall torments Fourthly it is true that the Apostle doth exhort vs cheerefully to abide the small and momentarie afflictions of this life in respect that they shall be rewarded with incomparable glorie But hereof it followeth not that the glorie is deserued by short and small sufferings but is giuen of the bountifull liberalitie of God to them that for his sake patiently suffer such small afflictions Therefore if it be an incouragement for a man to labour to heare that he shall be payd his hyre as much as his worke deserueth it is a much greater incouragement for him to heare that he shal receiue a thousand times more than his labour deserueth The words you adde you are neuer the nearer heauen onely beleeue are yours and none of ours for we say with the Apostle we must suffer with Christ if we will reigne with him and the patient suffering of the faithful is nothing repugnant to the iustification before God by faith onely To the last argument of the Apostles authoritie I aunswer our patient suffering worketh infinite weight of glorie not by the worthinesse merite or desert of our suffering but by the bountifull liberalitie of God who hath promised so incomparable rewarde to small tribulation suffered for his sake Wherefore all your fiue reasons notwithstanding our translation is sounde and true MART. 7. See you not a comparison betwene short and eternall light tribulation and exceding weightie glorie and yet that one also worketh the other that is causeth purchaseth and deserueth the other For like as the litle seede being not comparable to the great tree yet causeth it and bringeth it forth so our tribulations and good workes otherwise incomparable to eternall glorie by the vertue of Gods grace working in vs worketh purchaseth and causeth the sayd glorie For so they knowe verie well the Greeke worde importeth though here also they translate it most falsely prepareth Bib. an 1577. FVLK 7. We see the comparison well but we see not that worketh or causeth is all one with purchaseth and deserueth Your comparison of seede and tribulation is not like For in the seede is the formall cause of the greate tree so is not the formall cause of eternall glorie in our tribulation But as if an Emperour for one dayes valiant seruice in warre doe giue vnto his sonne one of his kingdomes we may truly say that dayes seruice wrought him this great rewarde or caused him to be aduaunced to this kingdome but we can not say truely it purchased or deserued a kingdome for then euery one that serued as well as he deserued the like rewarde so is the rewarde of eternall life whiche is the gift of God incomparably greater than our tribulatiō not by the desert of the sufferer but by liberalitie of the giuer That translation that vseth the worde of preparing is not so proper according to the worde but it differeth not muche in sense shewing howe those afflictions do worke or cause namely by preparing making vs conformable to the sufferings of Christ. MART. 8. Lastly for moste manifest euidence that these present tribulations and other good workes are meritorious and worthie of the ioyes to come though not comparable to the same you shal heare the holy Doctors say both in one passage or sentence S. Cyprian thus O what maner of day shal come my brethren when our Lord shal recoūt the MERITES of euery one and paie vs the rewarde or stipend of faith and deuotion Ep. 56. here are merites and the rewarde for the same It foloweth in the saide Doctor What glorie shall it be and how great ioie to be admitted to see God so to be honoured that thou receiue the ioy of eternall life with Christe thy Lorde God to receiue there that which neither eie hath seen nor eare hath heard nor hath ascended into the hart of man for that we shall receiue greater things than here eyther wee doe or suffer the Apostle pronounceth saying The passions of this time are not condigne or comparable to the glorie to come Here we see that the stipend or reward of the merits aforesayd are incomparably greater than the sayd merits FVLK 8. For lacke of Scriptures you flye to the Doctors to finde merits in whome neuerthelesse being Catholike and sound Doctors you shall sooner find the word Meritum than your meaning of it The place of Cyprian I maruell why you geld except it be to ioyne the reward that he speaketh of with the worde merites which he vseth either generally for workes as it is often vsed in the auncient writers or if he meane thereby deserts he speaketh but of examination onely of all mens deserts that he may giue to the wicked that they haue deserued and to the godly that which he hath promised therefore he calleth it the rewarde of their faith and deuotion His wordes are these O diesille qualis quantus aduenies fratres dilectissimi cum caeperit populum suum dominus recensere diuinae cognitionis examine singulorum meritum recognoscere mittere in gehennam nocentés persecutores nostros flammae paenalis perpetuo ardore damnare nobis verò mercedem fidei deuotionis exoluere O that day what manner a one and how great shall it come my deerest beloued brethren when the Lorde shall beginne to recount his people and by examination of his diuine knowledge consider the merites of euery one to sende into hell fire the guiltie and to condemne our persecutors with perpetuall burning of penall flame but vnto vs to pay the reward of faith and deuotion The rewarde of faith is not that which beliefe deserueth but which it looketh for according to Gods promise wherevnto it leaneth For in respect of deserte of Gods fauour he saith and bringeth diuerse textes for proofe Fidem tantum prodesse tantum nos posse quantum credimus That faith only doth profite and that so much wee can doe how much we beleeue Wherfore we see not in Cyprian the incomparable glory to be a reward of desertes MART. 9. Likewise S. Augustine The exceeding goodnesse of God hath prouided this that the labours should soone be ended but the rewardes of the MERITES should endure without ende the Apostle testi fying THE PASSIONS OF THIS TIME ARE NOT COMPARABLE c. For wee shal receiue greater blisse
meane not falsely counted worthye but worthye in deede as when it is sayde that Abraham was reputed iust we acknowledge that he was truely so reputed and that he was iuste in deede But where you appeale to our consciences whether to be counted worthy and to be worthy and to deserue and to merite be not all one I answer you plainly and according to my conscience they be not But euen as Abraham was reputed iuste and was iuste in deede not by deserte but by faith so in those three texts the faithful are coūted worthy and are worthy in deede not by their merit and desert but for Iesus Christes sake For herein your heresie is greatly deceaued to imagine that he which is iust by Christ by faith or by imputation is not truely iust or not iust in deed For Christ faith and imputation are not contrary or opposed to truth but to merit or desert of the party that is iust by Christ by faith or by imputation and so we say of them that are accounted worthy for Christes sake and not for their owne merits MART. 15. They whome God doth make worthy they are truely and in deede worthy are they not but by your owne translation of the same word in the actiue voice God doth make them worthy Therefore in the passiue voice it must also signifie to be made or to be in deede worthy For example 2. Thess. 1 11. You translate thus we also praye for you THAT OVR GOD MAY MAKE YOV VVORTHY of this calling According to which translation why did you not also in the selfe same chapter a litle before translate thus That you MAY BE MADE VVORTHY and so be worthy of the kingdome of God for which also you suffer You knowe the case is like in both places and in the Greeke Doctors you specially should knowe by your ostentation of reading them in Greeke that they according to this vse of holy Scripture very often vse also this word both actiuely and passiuely to make worthy and to be made or to be worthy See the Greeke Liturgies FVLK 15. They must needes be worthye whome God maketh worthy but then are they not worthye by their merits or deserts but by his grace in Iesus Christ so our translators meane when they say 2. Thess. 1. 11. that our God may make you worthy of this calling although the clearer translation had bene that God may account you worthy as the vulgar Latine hath vt dignetur For dignor is not to make worthy but to vouchsafe or to account worthy Wherefore you doe vainely here snatch at a word contrary to the meaning both of the translator and of the text For those whom God maketh worthie are not worthie by their desert but by his grace accepting them How the Greeke Doctors vse the word it is not now the question but how it signifieth in the Scripture although I see not how you proue that the doctors vse it to make worthye or to be made worthie by desert MART. 16. Which Sainct Chrysostome to put all out of doubt explicateth thus in other wordes That he make vs worthie of the kingdome of heauen Ser. 1. de orando Deo And vpon the Epistle to Titus cap. 3. in the same sense passiuely God graunt we may all BE MADE VVORTHY or be worthie of the good things promised to thē that loue him And in an other place of the sayed Doctor it must needes signifie to be worthie as when he sayeth In Colos 1. No man liueth such a trade of life that he is worthie of the kingdome but all is his gift For to say thus No man so liueth that he can be counted worthie of the kingdom of heauen is false is against the Protestants owne opinion which say they are coūted worthy that are not Againe to say No man so liueth that he can be made worthie is false because God can make the worst man worthy It remaineth then to say No man so liueth that he is worthie Which a litle before he declareth thus No man by his owne proper merites obtaineth the kingdom of heauen that is as his owne and of him selfe without the grace of God And yet we must shewe further out of the Scriptures that God maketh vs worthie and so we are in deede worthie and here also we must conuince you of false and partiall interpretation FVLK 16. Sainct Chrysostome putteth not the matter any whit out of doubt for your side For he doth not expound this text of 2. Thess. 1. But only in the later end of his Sermon prayeth that God hauing mercie vpon vs all will make vs worthie of his kingdome Where you might haue seene if you had not bene blind with frowardnesse that God maketh vs worthie by his mercie not by our merites That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his prayer vpon the 3. to Titus is taken to be made worthie rather than to be accounted worthie you haue no proofe but your owne authoritie although for God to make worthy by his mercy to account worthie is all one in effect The third place in Epist. ad Col. cap. 1. is altogither against you Where he sayth no man liueth such a trade of life that he may be iudged or accounted worthie of that kingdome but all is the gift of God Is not his meaning plaine that no man can be accounted worthie by workes or merites but altogither by the grace and gift of God With this distinction therefore which is plaine euen by those wordes which you cite that Chrysostome maketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any inconuenience may signifie in this place to be accounted worthie No man by his owne proper merites obtaineth the kingdom of heauen saith he but euen as a lot is rather by happe chaunce so it is here meaning that God giueth his kingdome no more according to mans desertes than lottes doe fall to men by chaunce which yet God disposeth as it pleaseth him Finally the whole discourse of the Doctor being against mans merites vsing the worde in the same place so often of Gods dignation vouchsafing or accounting worthie you had great scarsitie of examples out of the Doctors that bring this place to proue that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to be made worthie by merit and not by meere mercie MART. 17. The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I pray you what doth it signifie ◠you must aunswere that it signifieth not onely meete but also worthie For so Beza reacheth you and so you translate Mat. 3. 11. cap. 8. 1. Cor. 15. 9. I am not worthie in all three places And why I pray you did you not likewise followe the olde Latine interpreter one steppe further saying Giuing thankes to God the father THAT HATH MADE VS VVORTHIE but translating rather thus Which hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saincts in light Here was the place where you should haue
Publican iustified onely by remission of his sinnes and of the harlot saued by faith which he vseth doth plainely declare And yet sanctification and the fruites of good life are not excluded from the persons iustified and saued but onely merite or desert of workes according to which as the same Chrysostome sayth in ep Col. 1. we must saye we are vnprofitable seruaunts when we haue done all that is commaunded vs. But this is no place to handle controuersies of religion but translations of the Scripture The worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except you bring vs better euidence than yet we see any in all places where we reade it we may translate it dignari which is to vouchsafe or account worthy MART. 19. Thus we see howe the holye Scripture vseth equiualent wordes to signifie merite which you suppresse as much as you can So likewise we might tell you of other words and phrases that do plainely import and signifie merite As when it is saide Ecclesiastici 16. Euery man shall finde according to his workes Budee both your Maister and ours in the Greeke tongue telleth vs that the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to finde is proprely to receyue for that which a man hath giuen or laboured And to require you with some profane authoritie because you delight much in that kinde the whole oration of Demosthenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will tell you the same Now to receyue for that which a man hath laboured or wrought what doth it else presuppose but merite and desert It is a common phrase of the Scripture that God will iudge and reward or repay according to euery mans workes Doth not this include merite and demerite of workes but I wote not howe nor wherefore in this case you translate sometime deedes for workes saying Who will rewarde euery man according to his deedes And againe You see then howe that of deedes a man is iustified and not of faith onely FVLK 19. We doe not yet see that the holy Scriptures vsed any worde aequiualent to merite whereby it might be gathered that wee are iustified or saued by merite of good workes But you haue other wordes and phrases that doe plainely importe and signifie merite as in Ecclesiasticus 16. euery man shall finde according to his workes Where you put vs in minde what our Maister Budee writeth of the proper signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to deserue bringing example therefore out of Demosthenes oration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I pray you doeth our saide Maister affirme this to be the onely signification of that verbe Where he bringeth you the example out of Gregorie of Saule whiche seeking his fathers Asses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 founde a kingdome doeth he meane that by seeking his fathers Asses he deserued a kingdome Againe the example he bringeth out of Sainct Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast founde fauour or grace with God doeth he vnderstande that the virgine Marie deserued the grace of God But you obiect that it is a common phrase of the Scripture that God will iudge or rewarde or repay to euerie man according to his workes It is true but not to euerie one according to his merites for then all shoulde bee damned for all haue deserued death and no man shoulde bee saued for no man meriteth saluation But God rendereth to the faithfull according to their workes when he freely giueth for Christes sake eternall life to them that by perseueraunce of good workes as the Apostle sayeth seeke glorie honour and incorruptioÌ„ Their workes therfore are the fruites of his grace not the merites or desertes of his grace by which wee are saued Eph. 2. But here againe you quarrell that for works we saie sometimes deedes as though they were not all one Or if they be not why doe you 1. Cor. 5. translate Qui hoc opus fecit that hath done this deede MART. 20. I know you will tell vs that you vse to say deedes or workes indifferently as also you may say that you put no difference betweene iust and righteous meete and worthie but vse both indifferently To the ignorant this is a faire answere and shall soone persuade them but they that see further must needes suspect you till you giue a good reason of your doing For the controuersie being of faith and workes of iustice and iustification by workes of the worthinesse or valure of workes why do you not precisely keepe these termes pertaining to the controuersie the Greeke wordes beeing alwayes pregnant in that signification Why shoulde you once translate the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deedes rather than workes You know it is properly workes as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deedes It were very good in matters of controuersie to be precise Beza maketh it a greate faulte in the olde vulgare Latine translatour that he expresseth one Greeke worde in Latine diuers waies You choppe chaunge significations here and there as you liste and you thinke you satisfie the reader maruellous wel if sometime you say idol not alwayes images sometime iust and not alwayes righteous and if in other places you say workes or if one Bible hathe workes where an other hath deedes you thinke this is very wel and wil answere all the matter sufficiently God and your conscience be iudge herein and let the wise reader consider it depely The least thing that we demaunde the reason of rather than charge you with al is why your Church Bible saith in the places before alleaged The righteous iudgement of God which wil reward euerie man according to his deedes and man is iustified by deedes and not by faith only Whereas you know the Greeke is more pregnant for vs than so the matter of controuersie woulde better appeare on our side if you saide thus The IVST iudgement of God which will rewarde euerie man according to his WORKES and Man is iustified by workes and not by faith only FVLK 20. If you could tell vs what aduauntage our doctrine might haue by translating deedes rather than workes it might bee suspected why some translations vse the one rather than the other but seeing you can not imagine nor any man else what it shoulde aâ—â—ile vs to vse the one rather than the other it may be reasonably thought that the translators meante no subtiltie especially when in places of like apparaÌ„ce for our assertion they vse the worde deedes also As Gal. 2. v. 16. A man is not iustified by the deedes of the lawe but by faith of Iesus Christ where the Greeke worde is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as in S. Iames. But where you say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is proper for deedes you were beste call the seconde booke of S. Luke The deedes of the Apostles The faulte that Beza findeth with the vulgar Latine translation is that in diuerse places hee translateth one worde diuerse wayes and them differing For otherwise to translate for 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
Thus hauing taken away free will to doe good and possibilitie to keepe the commaundementes and all merite or valure and efficacie of good workes their nexte conclusion is that we haue no true iustice or righteousnesse in vs but an imputatiue iustice that is Christes iustice imputed to vs be wee neuer so foule and filthie in our soules so that wee beleeue onely and by faith apprehend Christes iustice For this purpose they corrupt the Scriptures in their English Bibles thus FVLK 15. The iustice whereby wee are accompted iuste in the sight of God is not inherent in vs but in Christe which is the Lord our righteousnesse Ierem. 23. Not withstanding it is the onely true iustice and we are truely iuste by it And yet wee are not voyde of the spirite of sanctification whiche is a fruite and consequent of iustification by which we haue grace to withstand sinne and to worke righteousnesse not whereby we should be made righteous before God but whereby wee are declared to be righteous in parte vntill the body of sinne being abolished wee shall be wholy renewed according to the image of God CHAP. XI Hereticall translation for IMPVTATIVE IVSTICE against true inherent iustice Martin ONE place might suffise in steede of many where Beza doth protest that his adding or alteration of the texte is specially against the execrable errour of inherent iustice which he saith is to be auoided as nothing more His false translation thuâ— our English Bezites and Caluinists folowe in their Bibles Likewise then as by the offense of one the faulte came on all men to condemnation so by the iustifying of one the benefite abounded towarde all men to the iustification of life Where there are added to the text of the Apostle sixe wordes and the same so wilfully and voluntarily that by the three first they make the Apostle say sinne came on all men by Adam and they were made sinners in deede by the three later they make him say not that iustice or righteousnesse came likewise on all men by Christe to make them iust in deede but that the benefite of Christes iustice abounded towards them as being imputed forsooth vnto them Whereas if they woulde needes adde to the texte whiche yet is intollerable so muche and in so doubtfull a case they shoulde at the least haue made the case equall as the Apostle him selfe teacheth them to doe in the very nexte sentence saying thus For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous So they translate rather than be made iust For they are the lothest men in the world to say that we are made iust for feare of iustice inherent in vs though the Scripture be neuer so plaine As here wee see the Apostle maketh the case like that we are made iust by Christ as wee were made sinners by Adam Fulke THis one place is deliuered from your vaine cauillation Cap. 1. Sect. 23. when the sentence is ecclipticall or defectiue they that will translate to haue it vnderstoode muste needes supply the woordes that are wanting And where shall they finde what wordes are lacking but in the same place and in the treatie of the same matter It appeareth you had rather the texte had no sense than that it mighte seeme to make against your blasphemie of iustice inherent As for that fonde quarrell of yours that they be not iust in deede to whom the iustice of Christe whiche you like an helhound doe scorne at is imputed deserueth no answere For who is such a blocke to say or thinke that those whom God doth iustifie are not made iuste in deede Was not Abraham iust in deede when God imputed his faith vnto iustice Is not he made riche in deede which is made rich by an other mans gifte Christe is giuen vnto vs of God to be iustice wisedome sanctification in him we are iust wise and holie not in our owne righteousnesse wisedome or holinesse As for adding to the text God knoweth how we abhorre it but adding of words which do explicate the sense of the holyghost is no additioÌ„ forbiddeÌ„ for then all preaching were accursed which is or ought to be nothing els but an explaining settiÌ„g forth of the worde of God in more words the matter wherof though in fewerwords is coÌ„teined in the scripture And if we speake of adding of wordes in translation haue I not shewed before that you haue added many some in deede vpon necessarie cause some without necessitie What needed you to say for Poeniterent they had done penance Luc. 10. for In omnibus bonis in all his goodes Gen. 6. for separamini separate your selues 2 Cor. 6. c. To say wee are iustified and to say we are made iuste is all one and therefore I meruayle why you thinke vs loth to say the one rather than the other Is any man so senselesse to thinke wee can say a man is made righteous and dare not say he is made iuste I tell you plainely we defie the heresie of righteousnesse inherent as much as of iustice inherent We are iuste we are righteous in the sight of God not by the iustice or righteousnesse of our workes but by the iustice or righteousnesse of Christe imputed to vs through faith And we are made iuste by Christe as wee were made sinners by Adam in some respect but not in euery respect for the Apostle maketh a broade difference betweene the transgression and the benefite Rom. 5. v. 15. and other differences there be which none but a Pelagian will denie Nay Pelagius will not say that we are iust by Christ according to propagation but according to faith MART. 2. And it is a worlde to see how Beza shifteth from one signification of the word iustified or made iust to an other Sometime to be iustified is to be pronounced quiâ—â—e from all sinne or declared iust before Gods indgement seate and so â—e â—raÌ„slateth it in the text Act. 13. v. 39. and as though his guilty conscience were afraide of a blowe he saith he fleeth not the terme of iustifying or iustification because he vseth it in other places He doth so in deede but theÌ„ his coÌ„mentarie supplieth the â—urne as Ro. 2. v 13. Not y t hearers of y e law are RIGHTEOVS before God so they delight to translate rather than IVST before God but the doers of the Lawe shall be IVSTIFIED that is saith Beza shal be pronouÌ„ced iust The Apostle must needes say by the coherence and consequence of his words noâ— the hearers are iust but the doâ—rs shall be iuste or iustified Beza wil in no case haue it so but either in text or coÌ„meÌ„tarie make the Apostle say as him self imagineth Yet in an other place he protesteth very solemnely that to be iustified is not to be pronounced or accounted iuste but rather to be iuste in deede and that he prooueth out of S.
it but the verbe substantiue And the meaning is plaine It shal be sinne in thee for sinne is indeede inherent as perfecte iustice also shoulde bee if wee coulde obserue all the commaundements of God as Moses sayeth Deut. 6. and we shoulde be iustified thereby But by one iuste acte whereof Moses speaketh Deut. 24. thoughe it proceede of iustice that is in vs the scripture neuer saith that wee shall be iustified To conclude wee confesse that bothe sinne and iustice are in the children of God but not that iustice whereby they are reputed iuste or iustified or made iuste beefore God but an effecte or fruite thereof MART. 4. Againe the Greeke fathers make it plaine that to be reputed vnto iustice is to be true iustice in deede interpreating S. Paules worde in Greeke thus Abraham obtained iustice Abraham was iustified For that is say they It was reputed him to iustice Doth not S. Iames say the like cap. 2. verse 23. testifying that in that Abraham was iustified by faith and workes the Scripture was fulfilled that saith it was reputed him to iustice Gen. Cap. 15. verse 6. In whiche wordes of Genesis where these wordes were firste written by Moyses in the Hebrewe there is not for iustice or in steede of iustice whiche Beza pleadeth vppon by the Hebrewe phrase but thus He God reputed it vnto him iustice though heere also the Englishe Bibles adde for Whiche precisely translating the Hebrewe they shoulde not do specially when they meane it was so counted or reputed for iustice that it was not iustice indeede FVLK 4. I knowe not against whome you fight but against your owne shadow For we say that to be iustified and be reputed iust and to obtaine iustice is all one in this case But where S. Iames sayth that Abraham was iustified by workes he meaneth that he was declared iust before men euen as he sayth shewe me thy faith by thy workes for Abraham was not iustified by a dead faith but by a working faith and yet he was not iustified before God by workes but the Scripture was fulfilled which sayd Abraham beleued God and it was reputed to him for iustice which is as S. Paule expoundeth it Abraham was iustified before God by faith and not by workes But in Gen. 15. v. 6. there is not the preposition for or in steede but simply iustice therefore it should be translated he reputed it to him iustice And will you then controule both the Apostles Paule and Iames for adding the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth vnto or for Or will not common sense inforce the same vnderstanding that both the Apostles doe giue it He reputed it to him as iustice or for iustice Must not such particles in translation be alwayes expressed to make the sense plaine which in English without the particle hath no sense or vnderstanding To translate precisely out of the Hebrew is not to obserue the number of wordes but the perfect sense and meaning of them in fewer or more wordes as the phrase of our tongue will serue to be vnderstood or else 2. Cor. 8. qui multum why do you translate he that had much and qui modicum non minorauit he that had litle wanted not you should haue said which much which little not lessed if you would haue giuen word for word and not added any word for explication Againe 2. Cor. 1. Supra virtutem aboue our power why adde you our which is not in the text and in deede not necessarie to be added in the translation Againe 1. Cor. 13. Euacuaui quae erant paruuli I did away the things that belonged to a litle one Here for foure Latine wordes you haue giuen tenne or eleuen English wordes which no reasonable man can greatly mislike if you were not such a quarreller at other mens doing without all cause or wise colour but onely to bleare the eyes of the ignorant MART. 5. But as for either the Hebrew or Greeke word that is here vsed to repute or account they are then vsed wheÌ„ it must needes signifie that the thing is so in deed and not onely so reputed as Psal. 118. octonario SAMEC I haue reputed or accounted all the sinners of the earth preuaricators or transgressors praeuaricantes reputaui So did the Septuaginta take the Hebrew word and read it And S. Paule So let a man repute or account vs as the Ministers of Christ. Let them goe now and say that neyther they were sinnâ—rs in deede nor these Christes ministers in deede because they were reputed for such let them saye the children of the promise were not the seede of Abraham because the Apostle sayth Rom. 9. v. 8. they are reputed for the seede But howsoeuer it be the Protestants will haue it so to be taken at the least in the matter of iustification FVLK 5. Silence were the beste aunswer to these tedious repetitions It were sufficient once to saye among reasonable men When faith is reputed by God or accounted for iustice faith is truely and in deede the instrumentall cause of iustification or apprehending the iustice of Christ by which we are accounted and made iust in the sight of God It is therefore a most ridiculous cauill of the difference betwene reputing iust and being iust in deede For God when he iustifieth the vngodly doth both repute him and make him iust in deede by the iustice of Christ of his owne meere mercye and not of the mans merits or by iustice inherent For what iustice can be in an vâ—godly man and such is euery one of vs whome God doth iustifie and then giue vs his holy spirit to sanctifie vs in newnesse of life to set forth his glorie in our holye and blamelesse conuersation MART. 6. Againe where Saint Paule sayth 2. Cor. 5. That wee mighte bee made the iustice of God in him they in their firste translations intolerably corrupte iâ— thus That wee by his meanes should bee that righteousnesse which BEFORE GOD IS ALLOWED Who â—aught them to translate so dissolutely Iustitia Dei the righteousnesse which before God is allowed did not their errour and heresie which is that God reputeth and accounteth vs for iuste though wee bee in deede moste foule sinners and that our iustice beyng none at all in vs yet is allowed and accepted before him for iustice and righteousnesse FVLK 6. There is no texte in all the Bible more cleare against iustification by iustice inhaeâ—ent than this 2. Corinth 5. wherein not altogither causelesse you reproue our firste interpreters to translate dissolutely There it is certaine they had no suche purpose as you ascribe vnto them For their translation dothe rather obscure than sette out our iustification by the iustice which is not in vs but in Christ. The texte is therefore playne him that knewe no sinne he made sinne for vs that wee might become the iustice of God in him that is in Christ and not in our selâ—es For though
it should be Iustice is found in me For Greeke and Latine we will not contende because we translate not Daniel out of Greeke and Latine but out of the Chaldee But in good sadnes are you so deepely seene in Chaldee that you will auouch the proper signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be in me A huÌ„dreth boyes in Cambridge knowe that it signifieth as well in Chaldee as in Hebrew to me rather than in me But moste properly haue our translators expressed the phrase in English saying my iustice or vnguiltines was found out for of a vertue inherent Daniel speaketh otherwise Dan. 2. v. 30. to the king 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not by wisedome which is in mee So that heere your quarrell bewrayeth more spite than wit more malice than learning MART. 10. Againe it must needes be a spot of the same infection that they translate thus As Dauid DESCRIBETH the blessednes of the man vnto whome God imputeth righteousnes Rom. 4. 6. as though imputed righteousnes were the description of blessednes They knowe the Greeke doth not signifie to describe I woulde once see them precise in following the Greeke and the Hebrew if not we must looke to their fingers FVLK 10. It must needes come of an high wit to haue such deepe insight into other mens intents purposes But why I praye you is not righteousnes imputed by God c. and so forth as Paule sayth a description of mans blessednes If they had sayd defineth where they saye describeth you would haue made much a doe But can you not allowe this that the Prophet sayth to be a description of mans blessednesse howsoeuer it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not to describe but to speake to saye to pronounce and in effect there is nothing els meant by the worde describeth here vsed but that Dauid pronounceth or setteth forth the blessednesse of man in such wordes You in your translation saye termeth as Dauid termeth which if you meane it not scornefully commeth as neare a definition as describeth the worde which we vse and our describeth is as neare the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as your termeth is to the Latine dicit But looke to our fingers and spare not to tell vs where you see vs goe wide from the Greeke or Hebrew but if you doe nothing but trifle and quarrell as you haue done hetherto be sure we will be bold to beshrew your fingers and hit you on the thumbes now and then also to your discredite CHAP. XII Hereticall translation for SPECIAL FAITH vaine securitie and ONELY FAITH MARTIN AL other meanes of saluation being thus taken away their onely and extreme refuge is Only faith the same not the Christian faith of the articles of the creede such like but a speciall faith confidence wherby euery man must assuredly beleeue that himselfe is the Sonne of God and one of the elect and praedestinate to saluation If he bee not by fayth as sure of this as of Christes incarnation he shall neuer be saued FVLK AL other meanes of saluation being taken away and only faith apprehending the mercie of God in the redeÌ„ption of Iesus Christ being left we haue great sufficient cause to account our selues happy and assured of eternall life because he that hath promised is faithfull also to performe But where you saye that our only faith is not the Christian faith of the articles of the creede you lye without measure impudently for that faith and none other doe we beleue teach and professe And that faith is a speciall faith and confidence in the mercie of God whereof euery man that beleueth doth make a singular confession for himselfe saying I beleeue in God c. And of all thinges contained in that profession of faith that is of forgiuenesse of sinnes resurrection of our bodies and life euerlasting by beliefe and trust in God the Father Almightie maker of heauen and earth and in Iesus Christ his only Sonne our Lorde conceiued borne suffered crucified deade buried descended into hell risen againe and ascended into heauen and in God the holy Ghost by whose gracious and mightie working we are incorporate into the bodie of Christ and made members of his holy Catholike Church which is the communion of Saincts euery Christian man ought to be as certainely persuaded as the things are most true being inwardly taught by the spirite of truth that he is the childe of God and consequently elect predestinate vnto eternall saluation But that a man sâ—â—â—l neuer be saued except he haue such certentie of this faith as the truth of Gods promises doth deserue none of vs doth teach none of vs doth thinke For we know our owne infirmitie we knowe the temptation of Satan neuerthelesse wee acknowledge in our selues and so seeke to persuade all men that these things standing vpon the immoueable pillers of Gods promises who can neyther deceiue nor be deceyued ought to be most certaine vnto vs and for dayly confirmation and increase of this faith all those meanes are of vs diligently to be vsed that God for this purpose in his holy Scripture hath appointed MART. 2. For this heresie they force the Greeke to expresse the very word of assurance and certaintie thus Let vs drawe nighe with a true hart IN ASSVRANCE OF FAITH Heb. 10. v. 22. and Beza Certa persuasione fidei that is with a certaine assured persuasion of faith interpreting him selfe more at large in another place that he meaneth thereby such a persuasion and so effectuall as by which we know assuredly without all doubt that nothing can separate vs from God Which their hereticall meaning maketh their traÌ„slation the lesse tolerable because they neither expresse the Greeke precisely nor intend the true sense of the Apostle they expresse not the Greeke which signifieth properly the fulness and coÌ„plement of any thing and therfore the Apostle ioyneth it sometime with faith els where Hebr. 6. v. 11. with hope with knowledge or Col. 2. v. 2. vnderstaÌ„ding to signifie the fulnes of all three as the vulgar Latin interpreter most sincerely Ro. 4. v. 21. alwaies translateth it to Timothee 2. Tim. 4. he vseth it to signifie the full accomplishment executioÌ„ of his ministerie in euery point Where a man may woÌ„der that Beza to maintaine his conceiued signification of this word translateth here also accordingly thus Ministerij tui plenaÌ„ fidem facito but their more currant Church English Bibles are coÌ„tent to say with the vulgar Latine interpreter fulfil thy ministerie or fulfil thine office to the vtmost And the Greeke fathers do finde no other interpretation Thus when the Greeke signifieth fulnesse of faith rather than assurance or certaine persuasion they translate not the Greeke precisely Againe in the sense they erre much more applying the foresaid wordes to the certaine assured faith that euery man ought to haue as they say of his
owne saluation Whereas the Greeke fathers expound it of the full and assured faith that euery faithfull man must haue of al such things in heauen as he seeth not namely that Christ is ascended thither c. adding further and prouing out of the Apostles wordes next folowing that the Protestants* only faith is not sufficient be it neuer so speciall or assured FVLK 2. Hauing nothing to impugne this cleare interpretatioÌ„ of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the vnperfect translatioÌ„ of your vulgar Latine interpreter who was both an vnperfect grecian a very barbarous Latinist you are not ashamed to say we force the Greeke to make it signifie assurance whiche all men that are but meanly learned in the Greeke tongue may know that it signifieth assuraÌ„ce or ful certaine persuasioÌ„ Although for the question in controuersie the fulnesse of faith wil proue the certeintie as much in a maÌ„ner as the assuraÌ„ce But that the Greeke signifieth a full and certaine persuasion I report me not only to the best Greeke Dictionaries of this time but also to Budeus who citeth Isocrates out of Trapezuntius for proofe that it is so vsed also interpreteth that of S. Paule Rom. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let euery man be certaine of his owne minde But you haue a doughty argument that it is not onely ioyned with faith but also with hope knowledge and vnderstanding as though there could not be a certaine persuasion and assurance of hope knowledge and vnderstanding yea the assurance of hope dependeth vpon the assuraunce of faith and the assuraunce of faith vpon the certaine persuasion of knowledge and vnderstanding Yea your vulgar interpretor translating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4. v. 21. Plenissimè sciens knowing most fully may teach you that it signifieth more than fulnesse for else he should haue saide being fulfilled And better doth Beza expresse the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 4. than some of our English interpreters whiche say fulfil thy ministry wheras the Apostles meaning is that he should approue the credite and dignitie of his ministerie vnto other men But the Greeke fathers you say find none other interpretation of it and for proofe you cite Ignatius ep ad Smyr which although it be not authenticall yet I see no cause why we may not interprete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being certainly persuaded in faith loue and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the assurance of faith And so is it translated in Bibliotheca sacra Margarini de la Bigne Plenè instructae in fide charitate cognoui vos absolutè perfectos in fule stabili fully instructed in faith and charitie and I haue knowen you absolutely perfect in a stedfaste faith Chrysostome and Theodoret because you vouch at large I know not what you would shew out of them In Theophylact I finde that he speaketh against all hesitation doubtfulnesse of faith but against the certaine persuasion thereof neuer a worde Ne aliquam inducas in animum tuum haesitationem neque pendeas animi dubij quiddam cogitans Bring not into thy minde any staggering neither be incertaine of thy mind thinking any doubtfull thing But for the signification of the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Basil may bee a sufficient witnesse who commonly vseth it for assured and certaine persuasion â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 26. Euery worde and deede must be proued byâ—â—â— testimonie of the holy Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the full and certaine persuasion of the goâ—â—â— to the shame of the wicked Againe desin 80. what is the propertie of a faithfull man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. By such assured persuasioÌ„ to be disposed c. EueÌ„ so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the certaine persuasioÌ„ of godlinesse c. and so in other places And you your selfe confesse as much where you say the Greeke fathers expound it of the full assured faith c. which is enough to iustifie our traÌ„slation Now if the fathers vnderstood this full assured faith only of an historicall faith as you say not of trust and confidence in God it is an other controuersie Our translation is not false although we had a false meaning if it be answereable to the words Neither doth Chrysostome speake of an historicall faith only by certaintie whereof we haue accesse vnto God but also of coÌ„fidence which remissioÌ„ of our sinnes doth cause and that we are made coheires with Christ that we enioy so great loue neither doth he proue that the ProtestaÌ„ts only faith is not sufficient to iustisie But the Apostle sheweth saith he that not faith alone but also a vertuous life is required that a man be not guiltie to him self of malitiousnes For these holy places doe not receiue those men with certaine assuraÌ„ce which are not made such This iudgmeÌ„t of Chrysostome the Protestants do allow of better thaÌ„ the Papists for we know that a godly life is necessarie in them that beleeue to iustification without which they can haue no assurance of faith no nor faith in deede but that which is by aequiuocation called faith such saith as the Deuil and the reprobate may haue MART. 3. Yet do these termes please them exceedingly in so much that for the chosen gift of faith Sap. 3. 14. they translate THE SPECIAL gift of faith and Rom. 8. 38. â—â—ni sure that nothing can separate vs from the loue of God 〈◊〉 though the Apostle were certaine and assured not onely of h 〈…〉 wne saluation but of other mens For to this sense they doe 〈◊〉 translate here whereas in other places out of controuersie they translate the same worde as they should doe I am persuaded they are persuaded c. For who knoweth not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth onely a probable persuasion They will say that I am sure and I am perswaded is al one Beeing well meant they may indeede signifie alike as the vulgare Latine interpreter doth commonly translate it but in this place of controuersie whether the Apostle were sure of his saluation or no whiche you saye he was yea without reuelation we say he was not here why woulde you translate I am sure and not as in other places I am perswaded but in fauour of your errour by insinuating the termes of sure and assurance and such like as elsewhere you neglect the termes of iuste and iustification In which your secrete things of dishonesties craftinesse as the Apostle calleth it we caÌ„not alwaies vse demonstratioÌ„s to conuince you but yet euen in these things we talke with your coÌ„science and leaue the consideration thereof to the wise reader FVLK 3. Seeing they accompt the booke of Wisdome to be of no authoritie to establish the certaintie of doctrine it is not like they coulde haue any such respecte as you malitiously surmise And yet the translation good and true For what is the choice gifte of faith but a speciall
gift Or dare you say that faith is not a speciall gift of God They say not a special faith but a speciall gift of faith The other quarrel of the translation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am sure is so brutish that when you confesse the vulgare Latine interpreater commonly to translate it Certus sum and that in the end you can vse no demonstration to conuince vs yet stil neuerthelesse you charge our conscience with the secreate thinges of dishonestie That the Apostle was sure of his owne saluation by the testimonie of Gods spirite which is giuen to al his children wee doubt not and that he was sure of the saluation of all Gods elect of whiche it is vnpossible that any should perish And seing the same spirit of adoptiō is giuē to al the children of God which is the earnest of the heauēly inheritance we cā not affirme without blasphemie against Gods truth that any mā ought to discredite the promises of God or the testimonie of his spirite MART. 4. You holde also in this kinde of contronersie that a man must assure himself that his sinnes be forgiuen but in the booke of Eccle. c. 5. v. 5. We reade thus Of thy sin forgiuē be not without feare or as it is in the Greke Of forgiuenes propitiation bee not without feare to heape sin vpon sins Which you translate falsly thus Because thy sin is forgiuen thee be not therfore without feare Is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because thy sin is forgiuen thee You knowe it is not but that wee shoulde bee afraid of the very forgiuenes thereof whether our sin be forgiuen or no or rather whether our sinne shall be forgiuen or no if we heape one sinne vppon an other Whiche seemeth to bee the truest sense of the place by the wordes following as though he should say Be not bold vpon forgiuenes to heap sin vpō sin as thogh God wil easly forgiue c. FVLK 4. We hold that a man when he is truly penitent ought to assure himself that his sins bee forgiuen him because God hath so promised in an hūdred places without iniurie of whose credit we cannot doubt of the performance of his promise But that which the sonne of Syrach speaketh of propitiatiō is meant of the shadowie propitiation by the sacrifices of the lawe which can not assure anie man of the forgiuenesse of his sins by themselues much lesse them that heape sin vpon sin which are neuer truely repentant For vnto true repentaunce is required an hatred of sin a desire purpose of amendment Our translation is as your vulgar Latine not precise to the words of the Greeke but iuste vnto the meaning for the words are concerning propitiation be not without feare and your Latin is De propitiato peccato of sin forgiuen And if you wil reprooue your Latin aswel as our English and say we must be afraid of the very forgiuenes I haue told you that the forgiuenes of God testified by the sacrifices pertained vnto them that be truly penitent and not to hypocrites And where you make it a doubt whether sin shall bee forgiuen or no in them that heape one sin vpon an other we are out of doubte that sin shall neuer bee forgiuen to suche as so continue without true conuersion vnto God MART. 5. I touched before vpon another occasion how you adde to the text making the Apostle say thus Ephes. 3. By whom we haue boldnes and entrance with THE CONFIDEHCE WHICHE Is by the faith of him or as in an other Bible which is al one in the confidence by faith of him The learned and skilful among you in the Greke tong know that this translation is false for twoo causes the one is because the Greeke in that case shoulde be thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an other cause is the point after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that the very simple sincere translation is this wee haue affiaunce and accesse with confidence by the faith of him euen as elsewhere it is said wee haue confidence if our hart reprehend vs not we haue confidence by keping the commaundements by tribulations and afflictions and al good workes hope also giueth vs great confidence Against all which your translation is preiudiciall limiting and defining our confidence toward God to be faith as though wee had no confidence by workes or otherwise FVLK 5. For vnderstanding of the article I haue answered alreadie meane not here to repeate it The point you misse in the Bible 1577. is obserued in that boke which I haue of Richard lugs printing By whom we haue boldenesse and entrance in the confidence by faith of him But it cannot be the confidēce you think but confidence because the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not put before the worde that signifieth confidence But al Englishemen know that our English the may be put and sometime must be put before nounes without any article either in Greeke or Latine And in this place I would not giue a rush to choose whether it be in or out for anye sense that it chaungeth What confidence we haue by a good conscience by suffring tribulation and by al good workes it skilleth not for this question so it be determined that we haue no confidence in the merites of a good conscience of suffering of al good works that we can do to haue boldenesse and entrance vnto God But of merites we haue spoken before in their proper place MART. 6. For this confidēce by faith only Beza translateth so wilfully peruersly that either you were ashamed to folow him or you lacked a cōmodious English word correspondēt to his Latine If I haue all faith saith the Apostle and haue not charitie I am nothing totam fidem saith Beza I had rather translate than omnem fidem because the Apostle meaneth not al kind of faith to witte the faith that iustifieth but he meaneth that if a man haue the faith of Christs omnipotencie or of any other article of the Creede or of al wholy entirely perfectly that is nothing without charitie This is Bezaes tota fides whole faith thinking by this translation to exempt frō the Apostles words their special iustifying faith and wrastling to that purpose in his annotatiōs against Pighius and other Catholike Doctours Whereas euery man of smal skil may see that the Apostle nameth al faith as he doth al knowlege and al mysteries comprehending al sortes of the one and of the other al kinde of knowledge al kind of mysteries al faith whatsoeuer Christian Catholike historical or special which two later are Heretical termes newely deuised FVLK 6. When your spightfull and dogged malice cannot reprooue our English translation then wee muste aunsweare for Bezaes Latine who hath sufficiently aunswered for himselfe to them that vnderstande and liste to reade him In the place mentioned by you hee chooseth to say totam fidem rather than omnem
because it apeareth by the effects that he speaketh of faith as it was a speciall gift of working of myracles of which effectes he nameth one remouing of mountaines And that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is so taken namely for the perfection of one kynde not the vniuersall comprehension of al kindes he bringeth you example Ro. 7. v. 8. and elsewhere oftentimes But if it shoulde be taken as you say all knowledge all mysteries is generally to be taken yet he telleth you this separation is but vppon an impossible supposition for iustifying faith can neuer bee separated from charitie but if it might be separated it shoulde not profite to iustifie The Angels of heauen can not preach an other gospel but if they did preach an other gospel they should be accursed A great argument I promise you against iustification by faith onely that a solitarie dead or barraine faith doth not iustifie MART. 7. And I woulde haue anye of the Bezites giue me a sufficient reason why hee translated totam fidem and not also totam scientiam vndoubtedly there is no cause but the heresie of speciall and onely faith And againe why he translateth Iaco. 2. 22. Thou seest that faith was administra a helper of his workes and expoundeth it thus Faith was an efficient cause and fruitful of good workes Wheras the Apostles wordes be plaine that faith wrought togither with his workes yea and that his fayth was by workes made perfecte This is impudent handling of Scripture to make workes the fruite onely and effecte of fayth which is your heresie FVLK 7. If you dare draw foorth your pen against Beza and demande an answere of himselfe although he hath already giuen you a sufficiēt reason to induce that the Apostle speaketh not of faith as generally as of knowledge because by an example of remouing mountaines he restraineth it to one kinde of faith As for the other question why he translateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iam. 2. v. 22. was an helper me thinke you should make best answere your selfe who not long since by force of that word woulde needes prooue that men were helpers of God chap. 10. sect 6. Haue you so soone forgotten your own voice and is this impudent handling of the scripture to translate as you your selfe in an other case thoughe impertinently did contend the word to signifie But works you wil not haue to be the fruit only and effect of faith because the Apostle saieth that faith wrought togither with his workes and by workes his faith was made perfite as thoughe apples are not the fruite of the tree because the tree doth beare them and by them if they be good the tree is made a good tree MART. 8. Which heresie also must needes be the cause that to suppresse the excellencie of charitie which the Apostle giueth it aboue faith or any other gift whatsoeuer in these wordes And yet I shew you a more excellent way 1. Cor. 12. v. 31. he in one edition of the new Testament in the yeare 1556. translateth thus Behold moreouer also I shew you a way most diligently What cold stuffe is this howe impertinent In an other edition an 1565. he mended it thus And besides I shew you a way to excellencie In neither of both expressing the comparison of preeminence excellencie that charitie hath in the Apostles words and in all the chapter following Wherein you did well for your credite not to followe him no not your Bezites them selues but to translate after our vulgar Latine interpreter as it hath alwayes bene read vnderstoode in the Church FVLK 8. The rarenesse of the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as al indifferēt men wil iudge rather than any mind to suppresse the excellencie of charitie caused Beza to giue dyuerse interpretations of that place of whiche yet the latter more commendeth the excellencie of charitie than the vulgar Latin or our Eaglishe translation whiche expoundeth it as the Latine doth for if charitie be the way to excellencie it is a greater commendation thereof than to saye it is a more excellent waye than other giftes whereof he spake last as of healing of tongues of interpretations c. MART. 9. Luther was so impudent in this case that because the Apostle spake not plà inely ynough for onely faith he thrust only into the text of his translation as himself witnesseth you durst not hitherto presume so farre in this question of onely faith though in other controuersies you haue done the like as is shewed in their places But I wil aske you a smaller matter which in words shew you may perhaps easily answer but in your conscience there wil remaine a gnawing worme In so many places of the Gospell where our Sauiour requireth the peoples faith when he healed them of corporall diseases only why do you so gladly translate thus Thy faith hath saued thee rather than thus thy faith hath healed thee or made thee whole is it not by ioyning these wordes togither to make it sound in English eares that faith saueth or iustifieth a man in so much that Beza noteth in the margent thus fides saluat that is faith saueth your Geneua Bibles in that place where it can not be taken for faith that iustifieth because it is not the parties faith but her fathers that Christ required there also trāslate thus Beleeue only she shall be saued Which translation though very false and impertinent for iustifying faith as you seeme to acknowledge by translating it otherwise in your other Bibles yet in deede you must needes mainteine and hold it for good whiles you alleage this place for onely faith as is euident in your writings FVLK 9. That which Luther might wel do as an interpretor or expounder it was much boldnesse for him to doe as a translator but seeing he him selfe hath redressed his owne offence wee haue lesse to say for him and you against him For our additions except suche as the necessitie of our English phrase dothe require for vnderstanding you slaunder vs to say that wee haue in any controuersies done the like The question you aske is not worthy any answere why wee translate thy faith hath saued thee c. seing wee vse all these wordes indifferently healing making safe and making whole as in S. Iames we say Can faith saue him And it is al one to say thy faith hath saued thee and thy fayth hath made thee whole But you say wee alledge this place for onely faith iustifying citing the answeres of Maister Gough M. Tomson against Feckenham I thinke you lie as in other places very commonly And yet an argument though not a plaine testimonie may be taken out of these places for only faith iustifying Seing Christ was not a phisition for the body but to teach mē that he was a Physition for the soule and as he healed the diseased in bodie onely by faith so hee cureth the sickuesse of
of Christe But where you tell vs of S. Hieromes translation it were somewhat worth if you could shewe it The vulgare Latine text wee may not graunte you to bee S. Hieromes as for his commentarie teacheth not the worde of redeeming which is the principall worde in controuersie And indeede it is a very absurde kinde of speach to say redeeme thy sinnes or deliuer thy sinnes for pherak signifieth none otherwise to redeme than to deliuer whereas if he had meant as you think hee shoulde haue saide rather redeeme thy soule from sinnes Christ himselfe the author of our redemption is not saide to haue redeemed our sinnes with his bloud but to haue redeemed vs from oure synnes by hys bloude MART. 19. And what a miserable humour is it in these cases to slie as far as they can from the auntient receiued speach of holie Scripture that hath so many yeres sounded in all faithful eares and to inuent newe termes and phrases when the original text both Greke and Hebrue fauoreth the one as much or more than the other as that they choose to say in the Epistle to Titus where the Apostle excedingly exhorteth to good works maintaine good workes and shewe foorth good works rather than according to the auncient Latine translation bonis operibus praeesse to be chiefe and principall in doing good workes which is the very true and vsual signification of the greeke worde and implieth a vertuous emulation among good men who shal doe moste good workes or excel in that kinde But they that looke to be saued by faith onely no maruell if neither their doings nor trāslatiōs tēd to any such excellēcie FVLK 19. What a miserable humour is it when the truth is plainly reuealed by knowledge of the tongs which was hidden from many of the auntient fathers to delight rather in error which is old than in truth which is newly discouered The worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the epistle to Titus we translate also to excell and it may signifie either to shew forth to maintaine or to excell And therfore your wrangling is vaine and without reason For that Christian men ought with all diligent labour to excell in good workes it is alwaies acknowledged of vs although they muste not looke to bee saued by their workes no nor by their faith onely if their faith be not fruitefull of good workes Such collections as these and much better it were no hard matter to make a great number against you to proue that you are enimies to faith to repentance to good workes to God him self CHAP. XIIII Hereticall translation against the holy SACRAMENTS namely BAPTISME and CONFESSION Martin AN other sequele of their onely faith is that the Sacraments also helpe nothing towarde our saluation and therefore they partely take them cleane away partly depriue them of all grace vertue and efficacie making thē poore and beggarly elements either worse or no better than those of the old law Fulke THat the Sacraments helpe nothing toward our saluation is an other of Martins slaunders no assertion of ours For seeing wee holde that the Sacramentes are seales of Gods promises to confirme our faith by which we are iustified before him how can we affirme that they help nothing to saluation But this is the propertie of hers and slaunderers when they haue nothing of truth to charge their aduersaries then they eyther inuent that which was neuer saide or done by them or else they violently drawe out of their sayings or doings by deprauing them some colour of matter to serue for a shewe of their slaunders So dothe our wrangler in this place after a flatte lie solemnely aduouched against vs of that wee say the Sacramentes giue no grace Ex opere operato of the worke wrought he frameth his spiders webbe first that wee depriue them of all grace vertue and efficacie Because wee doe not include grace vertue and efficacie within the externall Elementes or the ministerie of man aboute them but ascribe the same to the mighty working of Gods spirite in his chosen children which worketh all his giftes in all men according to the good pleasure of his owne will Secondly that we make the Sacraments poore and beggerly Elements And thirdly eyther worse or no better than those of the olde lawe The spirituall matter in deede of the Sacramentes of both the Testaments wee confesse to bee Iesus Christe of equall power vnto saluation of his people liuing vnder both the states but the more abundant grace and truth according to the reuelation of Christ in the flesh we acknowledge to be testified and exhibited in our Sacraments than was in theirs that liued vnder the law MART. 2. For this purpose Beza is not content to speake as the Apostle doth Ro. 4. v. 11. that circumcision was a seale of the iustice of faith but because he thinketh that to small a terme for the dignitie of circumcision as him self confesseth he gladly auoideth it I vse his owne wordes and for the Nowne putteth the Verbe so dissolutely presumptuously that the English Bezites themselues here also dare not folow him in translation though in opinion they agree The cause of his wilful translation he declareth in his Annotations vpon the same place to wit the dignitie of circumcision equall with any Sacrament of the new Testament His wordes be these What saith he could be spoken more magnifical of any Sacrament therfore they that put a real difference betweene the Sacraments of the old Testament and ours neuer seeme to haue knowen how far Christs office extendeth Which he saith not to magnifie the old but to disgrace the newe FVLK 2. There was neuer man that had suche an artificiall coniecture of mens purposes as you pretende your selfe to haue which not only where there is likelihood to fasten a coniecture vpon but also when all likelyhoods are against you yet can so confidently pronounce of euery mans purpose Well let the purpose goe whiche is knowen best to God and nexte to them that will iudge of the man according to charitie and good reason You say Beza is not content to speake as the Apostle doth that circumcision was a seale of the iustice of faith Yes verily his desire is to expresse that which the Apostle saith to the full The name of seale therefore he auoydeth not as you falsely slaunder him but for want of a conuenient Latine worde to expresse the Apostles Greeke worde hee is content to vse circumloquution by the verbe and sayth Abraham receyued the signe of circumcision whiche should seale vp or by seale confirme the iustice of faith c. yet are not you ashamed moste impudently to say hee refused the terme of Seale sigillum and for sigillum hath vsed quod obsignaret Whereas the worde that he saith hee refused is Signaculum Signaculi nomen quod vetus interpres Erasmus vsurpauit libens refugi partim quod non sit admodum vsitatum partim quod
chast which haue made them selues chast for the kingdome of heauens sake for a man might saye all doe so that liue chastly in matrimonie but our Sauiour speaketh of them that are impotent and vnable to generation called* Eunuches or gelded men and that in three diuers kindes some that haue that infirmitie or maime from their birth othersome that are gelded afterward by men and other that geld themselues for the kingdom of heauen not by cutting of those partes which were an horrible mortall sinne but hauing those partes as other men haue yet geld themselues for so is the Greeke and make them selues vnable to generation Which how it can be but by voluntarie profession promise and vâ—w of perpetuall continencie which they may neuer breake let the Protestants tell vs. Christ then as it is most euident speaketh of gelded men either câ—rporally or spiritually which are al such as professe perpetuall continencie and they tell vs of some that were borne chast and some that were made chast by men and some that make them selues chast â— most foolish and false translation of the Greeke wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FVLK 16. Concerning the former part of this matter Math. 19. v. 11. we haue aunswered sufficiently in the chapter of free will but here is a new cauill Because chastitie is also in mariage as in single life our translators doe not well to expresse the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by chast and haue made chaste I confesse they should more properly haue sayd gelded men or gelded them selues or els continent and made continent Although they meane none other by the worde chaste which they vse And touching your question howe men may lawfully geld them selues but by voluntary purpose of continencie which they may not breake I aunswer that we deny not but that such as be assured they haue the gift of continencie may professe to keepe it and after such profession or promise made to God they sinne if they breake it But if any haue rashly vowed that which they are not able to keepe they haue sinned in vowing and can not keepe their vowe by abstinence from mariage except they abstaine also from all filthines out of mariage for such we holde with Epiphanius and Saint Hierome that immoderate aduauncer of virginitie that it is better to marye than out of mariage to liue incontinently MART. 17. The Bezites here are blamelesse who translate it word for word Eunuches but they are more to blame in an other place where in derogation of the priuiledge and dignitie of Priestes they translate thus The Priestes lippes should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the Law at his mouth where in the Hebrew and Greeke it is as plaine as possibly can be spoken The Priestes lippes shall keepe knowledge and they shall seeke the Lawe at his mouth Which is a maruelous priuiledge giuen to the Priestes of the olde Law for true determination of matters in controuersie right expounding of the Law as we reade more fully Deutero 17. Where they are commaunded vnder paine of death to stand to the Priestes iudgement which in this place God by the Prophet Malachie calleth his couenant with Leui and that he will haue it to stand to wit in the newe Testament where Peter hath such priuiledge for him and his successors that his faith shall not faile where the holy Ghost is President in the Church of Bishops and Priestes All which these Heretikes would deface and defeate by translating the wordes otherwise than the holye Ghost hath spoken them FVLK 17. The verbe in deede which the Prophet Malachie vseth is of the future temps But who knoweth not that the Hebrewes lacke the potentiall mode and therefore they doe very often expresse it by the future temps of the indicatiue mode Which if you shoulde alwaies traÌ„slate by the future indicatiue you should make many faire promises to them that are sharpely rebuked But the circuÌ„stance of the place doth plainly declare that the Priestes of that time had broken the couenant made with Leui concerning keeping of the lawe Yea the very wordes following expresse the same But you haue departed out of the way and haue caused many to fall against the lawe You haue made voyde the couenant of Leui sayth the Lord of Hostes. By which words it is manifest that the Prophet before spake of that knowledge of the law which the Priest ought to haue not which the Priestes alwaies had for certaine it is that many of them were ignorant yea sometimes all the high Priest was ofteÌ„ an Idolater And who condemned Christ his Gospell but the high Priestes The authoritie that was giuen to the Priestes in case of controuersie was limited within the bounds of Gods law from which if they declined no man was bound to obey them For who was bound to obey Vrias the high Priest preferring the idolatrous altar of Damasco before the true altar of the Lorde or those deuilish tyrants Menclaus Alcimus and such other as occupied the Priests roomes in the time of the Maccabees or Annas and Caiphas in the â—yme of Christ. Peter then hauing none other priuiledge for him and his successors than Aaron had he and his successors might fall and be deceiued although Christ praied that his faith should not faile as he prayed for all the Apostles and for all their successors yea for all beleuers that they might be sanctified in the truth yet it were madnes to say that none of them could erre But whensoeuer you wil go about to proue this priuiledge out of those wordes of our Sauiour Christ make your Syllogisme and let vs haue no more brabling Our translation in that place of Malachie is more true than you are able to impugne for those wordes are rather a commaundement what the Priestes lippes should doe not a promise or assurance that they alway did so MART. 18. And when the Prophet addeth immediatly the cause of this singular prerogatiue of the Priest quia angelus Domini exercituum est because he is the Angell of the Lord of hostes which is also a wonderfull dignitie so to be called they after their cold maner of profane translation say because he is the messenger of the Lord of hostes So doe they in the next chapter call S. Iohn the Baptist messenger where the Scripture no doubt speaketh more honourably of him as being Christes precursor than of a messenger which is a terme for postes also and lackies The Scripture I saye speaketh thus of S. Iohn Behold I send mine Angel before thee and our Sauiour in the Gospell Mat. 11. Luc. 7. telling the people the wonderful dignisies of S. Iohn that he was more than a Prophet citeth this place giueth this reason For this is he of whom it is written Behold I send mine Angel before thee Which Saint Hierom
that if he pretended to interprete any thing out of Saint Basil it was altogither by artificiall coniecture either of the place which he knewe and had read in Latine or else by surmising of some one common worde hee gathered what the sense of the whole shoulde bee Indeede if hee hadde neuer knowne a word of Greeke althoughe hee had bene no meete man to chalenge a whole realme to disputation yet hee might haue beene an honest man and otherwise meanly learned so hee had not pretended knowledge when he was in a maner altogither ignorant For mine owne parte thoughe it please you to name mee with Maister Humfrey Maister Whitakers and others I neuer tooke vpon mee but a meane knowledge in the tongues neither desire I in comparison to be preferred before any learned manne whose trauailes haue bin profitable to the Churche althoughe he were ignorant in the tongues Yet this I muste freely say that he which shall professe to bee an absolute learned diuine without the knowledge of three tongues at the leaste may thinke wel of himselfe but hardely hee shall gette and retaine the credite hee seeketh amoung learned menne in this learned age And therefore Campion if disputation hadde beene meante rather than sedition for al his arrogance and impudence was an vnmeete Apostle to bee sente from Gregorie of Rome to chalenge all the wise and learned in England Neither do I say this as thoughe I measured all learning by knowledge of the tongues but wherein soeuer any Papist in the worlde shall bee bolde to chalenge the name of learning in anie knowledge that euer was or is accounted good learning God bee praysed there are many of Gods true Catholike Churche whereof we are members able to match them therein That I saye not to excell them And whereas you woulde make vs beholding to Papistes for suche knowledge as any of vs hathe in the Greeke Hebrewe Syriacke Chaldee Arabicke tongues c. It is well knowne the Papistes are more beholding to vs. And although I confesse that some Papistes of late dayes haue bestowed fruitefull paines in setting foorth some of the orientall tongues yet are they not the firste nor all that haue traueiled profitably that waiâ— But manye haue attained to competent skill in those languages many yeares beefore anye Papistes had written anye thing that mighte further them therein You were wont to beare ignoraunt menne in hande that we were a sight of English Doctors vnderstanding no languages but our mother tongue which hath enforced diuerse men to shewe their skill in the tongues which otherwise they would neuer haue openly professed But now that the worlde seeth to your shame how richly God hath blessed vs with the knowledge and interpretation of diuerse tongues you exprobrate to vs our knowledge in the tongues and traduce vs among the ignorant as though we esteemed all learning by knowledge of tongues and that we were but meare Grammarians often tell vs of that stale iest that the kingdome of Grammarians is paste as though it were but a little Grammar whereof we make a shew But for that generall muster which you threaten to driue vs vnto ere it be long if you come as learned men should do armed with bookes penne inke and paper I doubt not by the grace of God but you shall finde them that dare confront you and chase you out of the field also But if you come vnder the Popes banner with such blessing as he sente lately into Ireland I hope you shall be mette with all as those his champions were and finde that promotion for your good seruice whiche you haue long agoe deserued by your trauailes for vpholding of his kingdome MART. 9. But to returne to you M. Whitakers greater is your fault in diuinitie than in the tonges when you make your argument against the real presence out of this place as out of the Scripture and S. Peter whereas they are Bezaes wordes and not S. Peters Againe whether you take Bezaes wordes or S. Peters your argument faileth very much when you conclude that Christs natural body is not in the Sacrament because it is placed and conteined in heauen For S. Chrysostome telleth you that Christe ascending into heauen both lefte vs his flesh and yet ascending hath the same And againe O miracle saith he He that sitteth aboue with the Father in the same moment of time is handled with the handes of al. This is the faith of the auncient fathers M. Whitakers and this is the Catholike faith and this is I trow an other maner of faith and farre greater thus to beleeue the presence of Christ in both places at once because he is omnipotent and hath saidâ— the worde than your faith whereof you boaste so much which beleeueth no further than that he is ascended and that therefore he cannot be present vpon the altar nor dispose of his body as he list FVLK 9. Maister Whitaker is not so young a diuine but he knoweth that Chrysostome speaketh of the ineffable manner of Christs presence spiritually though he be absent corporally As in the place by you cited Desacerdoâ—io it is most manifest where he saith that wee may see the people dyed and made redde with the pretious bloud of Christe which as it is not with the eye of the bodie but with the eye of faith so is Christe that is corporally present in heauen spiritually present vnto the faith of the worthie receyuer MART. 10. Againe it is a very famous place for the real presence of the bloud which wee haue handled at large else where but here also must be briefly touched when our Sauiour saith Luc. 22. This is the Chalice the new Testament in my bloud which Chalice is shedde for you For so which must needes be referred according to the Greeke In which speach Chalice must needes be taken for that in the chalice and that in the chalice must needes be the bloud of Christ and not wine because his bloud only was shed for vâ— And so â—e do plainâ—ly proue the real presence according aâ— S. Chrysostome also said Hoc quod est in calice illud est quod â—â—â—xit delatere That which is in the Chalice is the same that gushed out of his side All which moste necessarie deduction Beza would defeate by saying the Greeke is corrupted in all the copies that are extant in the world and by translating thus cleane otherwise than the Greeke will beare This â—â—ppe is the newe Testament in my bloud which bloud is shedde for you FVLK 10. It is a famous place in deede that neuer a one of the auncient writers could coÌ„â—â—der for any reall presence to be drawne out of it How Beza hath traÌ„slated it I haue at large declared before Cap. 1. Sect. 37. 38. 39. That which Chrysostome saieth wee confesse to be most true after a spiritual heauenly manner and so he doth expound him selfe in the same place where he saith
faith imputed to hir for righteousnes without workes or iustice as you wil haue it called we doubt no more of hir than of Abraham But that shee was also sanctified with moste excellent graces and indued in hir soule with al christian vertues Beza and all that esteeme Beza in the word wil confesse as muche as is conuenient for hir honour so nothing bee derogated from the honour of God That which Athanasius saith we do likewise admit and that which Hierome writeth also But this is all the controuersie whether the Virgine Marie were freely accepted and beloued of God so by his spirite indued with gratious vertues or whether for her vertues which she had of her selfe she were worthie to be beloued of God and deserued that honour whereof she was vouchsafed to become the mother of God Athanasius saith expresly that all those graces and giftes were freely giuen her by the obumbration or ouershadowing of the holy Ghost which the Angel promised should come vpon her MART. 7. Now let the English Bezites come with their new terme freely beloued and controll these and all other auncient fathers both Greeke and Latine and teach them a new signification of the Greeke worde which the◠knew not before Let Iohn Keltridge one of their great Preachers in London come and tell vs that the Septuaginta and the beste trāslatiōs in Greeke haue no such words as we vse in the Aue Marie but that the word which the Septuaginta vse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Who euer heard such a iest that the preacher of the worde of God in London so he is called in the title of his booke and preacher before the Iesuites and Seminaries in the tower which is next degree to the disputers there whose sermons be solemnely printed dedicated to one of the Queenes Councell who seemeth to be such a Grecian that he confuteth the vulgar Latin translation by the significatiō of the Greeke word and in other places of his booke alleageth the Greeke texte that this man for all this referreth vs to the Septuaginta either as authors of S. Lukes Gospel which is too ridiculous or as trāslators thereof as though S. Luke had written in Hebrue yea as though the whole newe Testament had bene written in Hebrue for so no doubt he presupposed and that the Septuaginta had translated it into Greeke as they did the old who were dead three hundred yeares before S. Lukes Gospell and the new Testament was written FVLK 7. Concerning Iohn Keltridge agaynst whose ignorance and arrogancie you insult I can say nothing because I haue not seene his booke But knowing how impudently you slaunder me M. Whitaker Beza and euery man almost wyth whome you haue any dealing I maye wel suspecte your fidelitie in this case and thinke the matter is not so hard against Iohn Keltridge as you make it seeme to be If he haue ouershot himself as you say he is the more vnwise if you slaunder him as you do others you are moste of al too blame MART. 8. Al this is such a pitiful iest as were incredible if his printed booke didde not giue testimonie Pitiful I say because the simple people count such their preachers iolly fellows and great Clearks because they can talke of the Greeke and of the Hebrewe texte as this man doth also concerning the Hebrue letter Tau whether it had in olde time the forme of a Crosse or no euen as wisely and as skilfully as he did of the Septuaginta and the Greeke worde in S Lukes Gospel Whose incredible follie and ignorance in the tongues perhaps I would neuer haue mentioned because I thinke the reste are sorie and ashamed of him but that he boasteth of that whereof he hath no skill and that the people may take him for a very paterne and example of many other like boasters and braggers among them and that when they heare one talke lustily of the Hebrewe and Greeke and cite the text in the said tongues they may alwaies remember Iohn Keltridge their Preacher and say to themselues what if this fellow also be like Iohn Keltridge FVLK 8. Reseruing Iohn Keltridge to the trial defence of himselfe I say you haue shewed your selfe as ridiculous in this booke diuerse times and so haue many that beare a greater countenance among you tentimes than Iohn Keltridge doth among vs how so euer it pleaseth you to make him the next degree to the disputers But if Iohn Keltridge haue shewed him selfe to be a vaine boaster of that knowledge whereof perhaps he is ignorant what reason is it that other learned men which know the tongues in deede should be drawne into suspition of ignorance for his follie But that you delight by al meanes to discredite their learning and good giftes of God in them to whom if you were comparable your selfe yet it were not tollerable that you should seeke their reproche before their vnskilfulnesse may plainely be reproued MART. 9. But to proceede these great Grecians and Hebricians that controll all antiquitie and the approued auncient Latine translation by scanning the Greeke and Hebrue wordes that thinke it a great corruption Gen. 3. to reade Ipsa conteret caput tuum she shall bruise thy head because it pertaineth to our Ladies honour calling it a corruption of the Popish Church whereas S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Gregorie S. Bernard and the rest reade so as being the common receiued texte in their time though there hath bene also alwaies the other reading euen in the vulgar Latine translation and therefore it is not any late reformation of these new correctors as though the Hebrue and Greeke texte before had bene vnknowen these controllers I say of the Latine texte by the Hebrue against our Ladies honour are in an other place content to dissemble the Hebrue worde and that also for small deuotion to the B. Virgin namely Hierom 7. and 44. Where the Prophet inueigheth against them that offer sacrifice to the Queene of heauen this they thinke is very well because it may sounde in the peoples eares against the vse of the Catholike Churche which calleth our Lady Queene of heauen But they know very well that the Hebrue worde doth not signifie Queene in any other place of the Scripture and that the Rabbines and later Hebricians whom they gladly folow deduce it otherwise to signifie rather the whole corps and frame of heauen consisting of all the beautiful starres and planets and the Septuaginta call it not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Queene but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the host of heauen c. 7. Hierem and S. Hierom not onely reginā but rather militiam coeli and when he nameth it reginam Queene he saith we must vnderstand it of the moone to which and to the other starres they did sacrifice commit idolatrie But the Protestants against their custome of scanning the Hebrue and the Greeke translate here Queene of heauen for
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
Latine Churche there to follow the other sense not so generally receiued and approoued as in Saint Iames epistle where the common reading is Deus intentator malorum est God is no tempter to euil they translate Gad cannot be tempted with euil which is so impertinent to the Apostles speach there as nothing more But why wil they not say God is no tempter to euill as wel as the other is it because of the Greeke word which is a passiue Let them see their Lexicon and it will tell them that it is both an actiue and passiue so say other learned Grecians Interpreters of this place so sayth the very circumstance of the words next going before Let no man say that he is tempted of God Why so Because God is not tempted with euill say they is this a good reason nothing lesse howe then Because God is no tempter to euill therefore let no man say that he is tempted of God FVLK 2. You haue a fashion common to you with many of your fellowes to snatch all occasions that you can get to make a shew for your hainous slauÌ„ders wherwith you seeke to ouerwhelme the Saincts of God and especially those whose labors haue bene most fruitful to his Church Whereof you giue vs an euident example in this translation which you follow with such egernes in three large sections that the ignorant Reader which can not examine the matter might thinke you had great and vrgent cause so to doe The Greeke of S. Iames 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we translated passiuely as the word signifieth as words of that forme doe signifie God is not or can not be tempted with euill But against this translation you oppose the Lexicon which following the iudgement of the vulgar Interpretor that hath translated it actiuely doth in deede make it indifferent to both significatioÌ„s but exaÌ„ple giueth none thereof but this now in controuersie You alleage further learned Grecians interpretors of this place namely Gagneius a late writer to whom I may oppose Hentenius who translating Oecumenius vpoÌ„ S. Iames turneth this place of Scripture thus Deus enim malis tentari nequit And Oecumenius in his coÌ„mentarie is plaine of the same iudgement for repeting the text as before he saith Iuxta eum qui dixit quanquaÌ„ externus sit à nobis à fide aliemis diuina beataque natura neque molestias sustinet neque alijs praebet God cannot be tempted with euil according to him which said although he be a foriner from vs a straunger from the faith the diuine and blessed nature neither suffereth griefes nor offereth to other And this iudgement of Oecumenius is collected out of a great nuÌ„ber of Greeke doctors But the very circuÌ„stance of the wordes next before say you doth require it should be taken actiuely A good interpretor will consider the circuÌ„stances of the words following as wel as of the wordes going before For the wordes following declare that it must be taken passiuely or els the Apostle speaketh one thing twise togither without any cause why Wheras the passiue taking of that word agreeth to the circuÌ„stance as well going before as following after The whole context is this Let no man say wheÌ„ he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot bee tempted of euilles neither doth he tempt any man The meaning is plain god is so far froÌ„ tempting vnto euil as his diuine nature is vncapable of any temptation of euil For teÌ„ptation to euil could not come froÌ„ God except it were first in God but seing it caÌ„not be in God it cannot procede froÌ„ him so doth Oecum interprete the place MART. 3. This reason is so coherent and so necessary in this place that if the greke word were only a passiue as it is not yet it might beseme Beza to translate it actiuely who hath turned the actiue into a passiue without scrupulositie as him selfe confesseth and is before noted against the real presence Much more in this place might he bee bolde to translate that actiuely whych is both an actiue and a passiue specially hauing such an exaÌ„ple and so great authoritie as is al the ancient Latin church til this day But why would he not surely because he would fauor his and their heresie which saith clean contrarie to these wordes of the Apostle to wit that God is a tempter to euil Is that possible to be proued yea it is possible and plain Bezaes words be these Inducit Dominus in tentationeÌ„ eos quos Satanae arbitrio permittit aut in quos potius Satanam ipsum indueit vt cor eorum impleat vt loquitur Petrus Act. 5. v. 3. that is The Lorde leadeth into tentation those whome hee permitteth to Satans arbitrement or into whom rather he leadeth or bringeth in Satan himself to fil their heart as Peter speaketh Marke that he saith God bringeth Satan into a man to fill his heart as Peter said to Ananias Why hath satan filled thy heart to lie vnto the holie Ghost So then by this mans opinion God brought Sathan into that mans heart to make him lie vnto the holy Ghost and so led him into tentation being authour and causer of that hainous sinne FVLK 3. How necessarie the coherens is with the former wordes that it maketh an absurde repetition in the wordes following I haue noted beefore And therefore there is no cause that shoulde driue Beza to translate a worde of passiue signification actiuely as you slaunder him to haue translated an actiue passiuely against the reall presence for that you meane of Act. 3. he translateth not passiuely so as the passiue is opposite to the actiue but as the one may be resolued into the other the same sense remaining which euery childe in the Grammar schoole knoweth Ego amo â—e â—â— amaris à me I loue thee thou art loued of me and not as they may disagree I loue thee but I am not loued of thee But Beza you say would not followe the vulgar Interpretor whose antiquitie I haue shewed for vniuersall receauing not to haue bene aboue fiue hundreth yeares seeing Bernard which liued a thousand and one hundred yeares after Christ vseth it not alwayes And why did Beza leaue the vulgar translation in this place surely in fauour of our heresie that God is a tempter to euill The Lord him selfe be iudge whether we abhorre not that heresie Yet you say it is both possible and plaine to be proued by Bezaes owne wordes In his later edition an 1565. his wordes are these vpon that petition of the Lordes prayer Leade vs not into temptation Iâ—ducit autem Dominus in tentationem eos quos Satanae arbitrio permistit vt cor eorum impleat sicut loquitur Petrus Act. 5. The Lord leadeth into temptation them whom he permitteth to the will of Satan that he may fill their hart as Peter speaketh These wordes declare that God leadeth some men into temptation and howe he leadeth them
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
translate another thing without any necessary pretence of Hebrewe or Greeke and here you would haue it of the necessitie of the Hebrew that we should translate a teacher yet Pagnine in the roote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherevnto you referre vs saith that Esay the 30. verse 20. this word is taken either for raine or for a teacher Ioel the 2. hee maketh no question but it signifieth raine sauing that some thinke it to be the name of a place In the thirde place Psalme 84. after he hath tolde you how Hierome translateth it hee telleth you how R. Dauid and other doe translate it for raine as wee doe and in al these places the sense is more proper for raine than for a teacher sauing that in Esay perhappes it may signifie more aptly a teacher and so the Geneua translation noteth it In Ioel where the Prophet before hadde threatened famine through drought nothing is so conuenient to bee vnderstoode as seasonable raine In the Psalm 84. where the Prophet commendeth the courage of the people that trauailed to Ierusalem through the drie desarts and places that wanted water it is moste apte to vnderstand that God filleth their pits with raine for their comfort This how cold soeuer it is counted of you that care not whereon faith shoulde be grounded yet is it an hundred times more comfortable to a godly conscience that desireth to bee established in trueth than anye violent wresting of the Scripture from the true and naturall sense to anye other interpretation how good in shew soeuer it be MART. 6. And againe where S. Hierom translateth and the Church readeth and all the fatheâ—s interprete and expound accordingly There shal be faith in thy times to expresse the maruelous faith that shall be then in the first Christians specially euen vnto death and in all the rest concerning the hidden mysteries of the newe Testament there you translate There shal be stabilitie of thy times The Prophete ioyneth togither there iudgement iustice faith wisedome knowledge the feare of our Lord you for a litle ambiguitie of the Hebrue worde turne faith into stabilitie FVLK 6. The word stabilitie Esai 33. v. 6. excludeth not faith but sheweth wherein faith is grounded And therefore this is as all the reste a fonde quarrel without any good grounde at all Seing our translation may stande with the truth of the wordes and of the matter and comprehendeth as much as you would haue and more also Yea it sheweth that faith is setled vpon stabilitie and stedfastnesse of truth which shall flourish in the time of Christ. MART. 7. If I should burden you with translating thus also concerning Christ Cease from the man whose breath in his nostrels for wherein is he to be esteemed You would say I did you wrong because it is so pointed now in the Hebrue Wheras you know very wel by S. Hieroms commentarie vpon that place that this is the Iewes pointing or reading of the worde against the honour of Christe the true reading and translation being as he interpreteth it for he is reputed high and therefore beware of him Otherwise as S. Hierom saith what a consequence were this or who would commend any man thus Take heede ye offende not him who is nothing esteemed yet that is your translation Neyther doth the Greeke helpe you which if the accent be truely put iâ— thus because he is reputed for some body or some thing as S. Paule speaketh of the chiefe Apostles and it is our phrase in the commendation of a man FVLK 7. So long as you acknowledge wee haue translated truely according to the Hebrue texte that we reade there is no reason that you should burden vs with false interpretation The Septuaginta as Hierome confesseth did reade as we doe and plaine it is not oneliâ— by the vowels but also by the contexte that so it muste be read For the Prophet disswadeth the people from putting affiance in any mortall man for God wil bring downe the pride of all suche as they truste moste in as it followeth in the next chapiter whereof this verse should be the beginning The dismembring whereof by the ill diuision of the Chapiter deceiued Hierome to think the Prophet spake of Christe when he spake of a prowd man whose breath was in his nostrels and therefore he was of no strength euen as Dauid vseth the same argument Psalme 146. for the purpose The Chaldee Paraphrase also did reade euen as the Septuaginta MART. 8. The like excuse you woulde haue by alleadging the Hebrue vowels if you were told that you much obsâ—ure a notable saying of the prophet concerning Christ or rather the speach of Christe himselfe by his prophete saying I haue spoken by the Prophets and I haue multiplied vision and in the hand of the Prophets that is by the Prophets haue I beene resembled Which later words do exceedingly expresse that al the Prophets spake of Christ as oâ—r Sauiour himself declareth beginning from Moyses and al the Prophetes to interprete vnto the two disciples the things that concerned him as S. Petâ—r saith in these words Al the prophets from Samuel and that spake after him didde tell of these daies This prophecie then being so consonant to these speaches of the â—ewe Testament the Greeke also being word for word so the Hebrewe by changing one little pricke whyche the latter Iewes haue added at their owne pleasure being fully so as wee â—eade with the Catholike Church why pretend you the Iewes authoritie to maintaine an other lesse Christian translation whiche is thus I vse similitudes by the ministerie of the Prophetes as though there were nothing there concerning Christ or the second person peculiarly FVLK 8. Seeing our Sauiour Christ hath promised that neuer a pricke of the lawe shall perishe wee may vnderstande the same also of the Prophets who haue not receiued the vowels of the latter Iewes but euen of the Prophets themselues howsoeuer that heathenish opinion pleaseth you and other Papistes MART. 9. You wil also perhaps alleadge not onelye the later Iewes but also some later Catholike men that so translate the Hebrewe But the difference betweene them and you is that they with reuerence and preâ—erment alwaies of S. Hiâ—roms and the Churches aâ—â—â—ient translation tel vs how it is nowe in the Hebrewe you with derogation and disanulling the same altogâ—ther set downe your owne as the onlie true interpretation according to the Hebrewe aâ—ouching the Hebrewe that nowe iâ— and as now it is printed to be the only authenti cal truth of the olde Testament Where you can neuer answere vs howe that in the Ps. 22. As a lion my hand and my feete as now it is in the Hebrewe can be the true and old authentical Hebrewe whiche none of the fathers knewe the auncient Rabbines condemne as a corruption your selues translate it not but after the olde accustomed reading They haue pierced my handes my feete
denie but the equitie of the same lawes doth still remaine although not euery one that erreth obstinately ought to bee delt with so extremely Also pag. 82. of that booke I say that all protestantes are one in God and Christ their redeemer from which vnitie dissention about ceremonies cannot separate them and yet I except such schismatikes as delight in contention The controuersie betweene Luther and vs doth not hinder vs from this vnitie although Luther and other of preposterous zeale of godlinesse do otherwise account of vs which errour is of infirmitie and not of malice The pag. 23. of the same aunswere there is another charge where I say that text Vow ye and render your vowes to the Lorde is a text that pertaineth to the old Testament meaning that it must haue the exposition according to the lawe of such thinges as God did allowe and were in mens power to perfourme For what if a man vowed to sacrifice a dogge What say wee to Iepthes rash vowe To the vowe of them that vowed to kill Paul Our censurer reporteth my wordes that this text belongeth onely to the olde Testament as though I sayde there was no vse of it in the newe Testament There is one lie by addition In the same place to the text If thou wilt bee perfect goe and sâ—ll what thou hast c. I say it is a singular triall to that one person Fâ—â— euery man is not bounde so to doe yet our censurâ—â— cauileth that so all the other wordes spoken to that young man may be restrained and made singular as whatsoeuer else was spoken to any singular person As though my reason were that therefore it was singular because it was spoken to one man As if wee had not generall lawes and rules to knowe what is enioyned to all men what to some men and what to a singular person In the next pag. 24. hee quarelleth at my exposition of the saying of S. Iames cap. 2. that a man is iustified of workes and not of faith onely Where I say workes are not denyed to iustifie before men and onely faith without workes is thought to iustifie before God Rom. 3. This he calleth a poore deuise because Saint Iames talking of faith without workes sayth it cannot saue a man Nay rather this is a poore cauill For S. Iames talketh of another kinde of faith as well as of an other kind of iustification when his saying seemeth to be contradictory to Saint Paule And that in the place in question hee meaneth iustification before men as in the other place a fayth voyde of good works it is manifest both by his owne wordes Shewe me thy faith by thy workes and also by the example of Abrahams tryall which was not to enforme God of his iustification but to giue testimony before men Pag. 25. to shewe how protestants deny all fathers he bringeth me for an example in many places First he sayth the consent of ancient fathers is alleaged attributing superioritie to Peter vpon that text Math. 16. Thou art Peter c. This he sayth I auoyde very lightly saying that diuerse of the auncient fathers were deceiued in opinion of Peters prerogatiue As for the consent of all which he would seeme to make for it is false but this is not all mine answere but that this prerogatiue appeareth not in the scriptures which was heuier than the answerers penne could beare or if he thinke it doeth let him prooue by syllogisme out of the scriptures if he can But vntill he can I will say this is a lie by detraction Secondly where I say those ancient fathers that expounde the text Iohn 5. I came in my fathers name c. of antichrist haue no grounde of their exposition I proue it by example of Theudas the Aegyptian Cocabus and other that deceiued the Iewes in their owne name yet none of them was antichrist Thirdly where he sayth Ierome with all the ecclesiasticall writers are alleaged for the interpretation of the wordes of Daniel cap. 7. which interpretation I do not admit because it hath no direction out of the scriptures hee maketh a lie by multiplication for onely Ierome with such ecclesiasticall writers out of whom he gathered his interpretation is alleaged Fourthly he slandereth me when he chargeth mee to say Austine doth wrongfully interprete the place for I allowe of Augustines sayinges to be true but I say hee speaketh it vppon a text wrongly interpreted that is falsly translated He hath placed his Tabernacle in the sunne whereas the truth is He hath made in the heauens a Tabernacle for the sunne and so doth Hierome interprete it â—oâ—i posuit tabernaculum in eis Fifthly where he sayeth that S. Ambrose Ephrem and Bede are alleaged for interpretation of certaine scriptures he sayth he noteth not what for they are alleaged for memories of the dead which I say I will not deny but they were vsed before their times and prayer for the dead also but without warrant of Gods worde or autoritie of scriptures but such as is so pitifully wrested and drawen vnto them as euery man may see the holy ghost neuer meant any such thing as they gather of them This I speake not of these three but of such as would goe about to proue prayer for the deade out of the scripture as Chrysostome who followeth in the sixt place who in deede I say alleadgeth scripture for it but hee applieth it madly and yet hee often applyeth it to the same purpose belike it was the best he had for that purpose God sayth vnto Ezechias I will defende this citie for mine owne cause and for Dauid my seruantes sake Alas good man what maner of reason is this Be it as he sayth that the memorie of Dauid being a righteous man and not rather the truth of Gods promise made to Dauid moued him to defend the citie from the enemies doth it therefore followe that prayer and almes are auayleable for the dead c. If M. Censurer thinke Chrysostome haue applyed the scripture rightly let him gather his argument into a syllogisme and we will shape him another aunswere Seuenthly I will not denie but I sayde that those fathers whom Martiall coted did rather dally in trifling allegories than soundly prooue that the crosse was prefigured in such places of scripture as they alleadge As Augustine maketh the two stickes that the widowe of Sarepta gathered a figure of the crosse Augustine and Tertullian the lifting vp of Moses handes c. in which places yet they ment the vertue of Christs death rather than the holinesse of the signe Moreouer page 33. Master Fulk is charged to abuse the simple people in saying often times prayer for the dead is an heresie because the Montanistes which were heretikes helde it Nay sir because the Montanistes are the first that inuented prayer for the dead Purgatorie seeing neither in scripture nor doctor is any mention of either of both before Montanus therefore he
childbed wee beleeue not because wee haue not read it That you say Lo M. Chark S. Augustine maketh it both a matter of faith and the doubting thereof to be blasphemie how will you auoid this It is easily auoyded for it is false in many respects first S. Augustine fayeth it not but some obscure man of much latter time lesse learning and authoritie as the barbarous stile in many places declareth secondly hee fayth not that it is a matter of faith to beleeue the perpetuall virginitie of Marie but that shee conceiued brought foorth and remained a virgine after her child-birth Thirdly he maketh not the doubting thereof to be blasphemie but the obstinate denying of Heluidius which saide shee was no virgine after her childbirth But how will you auoide that which S. Ierome writeth We refuse those things that are not written we beleeue not because wee haue not read in y e scripture anything hereof as necessarie to saluation Pag. 158. you do not see why you should beleeue a Charke or a Fulke comming but yester day from the grammar schole before a Cyprian a Tertullian a Basil a Ierom an Ambrose or an Augustine especially in a matter of fact as your case is seeing they liued more than twelue or thirteene hundred yeares nearer to the deede dooing than these ministers do Why sir I pray you who requireth you to beleeue any minister of these dayes before any of those auncient fathers in respect of the credite of the persons and not of the truth which they bring You knowe that Panormitane thinketh more credite is to be giuen to one lay man speaking the trueth according to scripture than to all men of all ages speaking contrarie to the trueth or beside the truth of the scriptures But it is a matter of fact you say whether such and such traditions came from Christ his Apostles or no and therefore they that liued neerer the time of the deede dooing by twelue or thirteene hundreth yeares are more like to knowe the trueth than wee I answere that all things that you pretende for traditions are not of one sort some are contrary to the word of God and are reproued by euidence of the holy scriptures other are beside the worde of God and therefore not necessarie to bee receiued because they are not found in the holie scriptures As for the prerogatiue of antiquitie cannot argue a certaine knowledge of the fact in these ancient fathers seeing in two or three hundreth yeares that was before their time and the time of the deede supposed to be done any fable might be obtruded vnder pretence of such tradition as we prooue that many were Yea when they that were neerest of all to the Apostles time as Polycarpus and Anicetus do not agree what was the Apostles traditioÌ„ which was not expressed in their writing it is manifest that they of much latter time coulde haue no certeintie thereof And that whatsoeuer ceremonie or practise the Apostles deliuered which was not expressed in the scripture was but temporall or arbitrarie in the power of the Church to vse or not vse as it might best serue for edifying Finally where you affirme that Fulk came but yesterday from the Grammar schole to make it seeme that he is but a yong grammatian either your dayes be neere as long as thirtie yeres or else your pen runneth beyond your knowledge of him or at leastwise your malice ouer reacheth your knowledge But yet to this extremitie of crediting one Charke or Fulke before so many auncient fathers you say you are driuen and bid men hearken a little howe D. Fulke handleth these men about traditions And first S. Cyprian alledging the tradition of Christ himselfe concerning the mingling of wine and water in the chalice but if Cyprian had beene well vrged faith Fulke he would haue better considered of the matter Thus you woulde make men beleeue that I oppose nothing but mine owne authoritie or credit against S. Cyprian But then you shamefully beelie me for this is the matter and these are my wordes which you haue gelded at your pleasure Whereas Cyprian ad Pompeiâ—â— calleth all traditions to the writinges and commandements of the Apostles Martiall cryeth out that Cyprian is slandered because he himselfe alleageth the tradition of Christ for mingling of water with wine If Cyprian breake his owne rule who can excuse him But if he had beene vrged as much for the necessitie of water as he was for the necessitie of wine in the sacrament he would haue better considered of the matter Who seeth not I suppose no lesse authoritie against Cyprian than of Cyprian himselfe and therefore I boast not of mine owne credite aboue his To proceede Tertullian is alleaged saying that the blessing with the signe of the crosse is an apostolike tradition Fulke Tertullians iudgement of tradition without scripture in that place is corrupt If I should search no further heere is a reason of Fulkes mislike of Tertullians iudgement added because he affirmeth tradition of the Apostles without the writing of the Apostles But in deede there is in the place by you noted other argumentes in these wordes Tertullians iudgement of tradition without scripture in that place is corrupt for Martiall himselfe confesseth that a tradition vnwritten should be reasonable and agreeable to the scriptures and so he sayth the tradition of blessing with the crosse is because the Apostles by the holy ghost deliuered it But who shall assure vs thereof Tertullian and Basill are not sufficient warrant for so worthy a matter seeing S. Paule leaueth it out of the vniuersall armour of God This last and inuincible argument in rehearsing my wordes you leaue out which because perhaps you could not see in sewe wordes I will set it more abroade The vniuersall spirituall armour of God is deliuered by S. Paule Eph. 6. blessing with the signe of the crosse is not there deliuered by S. Paul therefore blessing with the signe of the crosse is no part of the spirituall armour of God Nowe let vs see whether you will beleeue a Paule before a Tertullian or a Basill or a Fulke with S. Paule before a Basil with Tertullian without S Paule or against S. Paule But you goe forwarde S. Ierome is alleaged saying that lent fast is the tradition of the Apostles Fulke Ierome vntruely ascribeth that tradition to the Apostles My wordes are against Bristowes Mot. pag. 35. these Againe S. Ierome fayth it was a tradition of the Apostles to fast 40. dayes in the yeare If this be true then is the popish storie false that maketh Telesphorus bishoppe of Rome author of that lenten fast Eusebius sheweth y e great diuersitie of fasting before Easter li. 5. cap. 26. saying that some fasted but one day some two dayes some more some 40. houres of day and night This diuersitie prooueth that Ierome vntruely ascribeth that tradition to the Apostles which should haue beene kept vniformely if it had any institution
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