Vnles a man be borne againe of vvater and the Spirit he can not enter into the kingdom of God vvhich a man vvould thinke vvere plaine ynough to proue that Baptisme in vvater is necessarie interpreting I say this Scripture Of vvater and the Spirit thus of vvater Beza in 4.10 v. 10. in Tit. 3. v. 5. that is the Spirit making vvater to be nothing els in this place but the Spirit allegorically and not material vvater As though our Sauiour had said to Nicodemus Vnles a man be borne of vvater I meane of the spirit he can not enter c. According to this most impudent exposition of plaine Scriptures Caluin translateth also as impudently for the same purpose in the epistle to Titus c. 3. v. 5. Per lauacrū regenerationis Sp. sancti QVOD offudit in nos abunde making the Apostle to say that God povvred the vvater of regeneration vpon vs aboundantly that is the holy Ghost And lest vve should not vnderstand his meaning herein he telleth vs in his commentarie vpon this place that vvhen the Apostle saith Vvater povvred out aboundantly he speaketh not of material vvater but of the holy Ghost Novv in deede the Apostle saith not that vvater vvas povvred vpon vs but the holy Ghost neither doth the Apostle make vvater and the holy Ghost al one but most plainely distinguisheth them saying that God of his mercie hath saued vs by the lauer of regeneration and renouation of the Holy Ghost Quem effudit as Beza him self translateth vvhom he hath povvred vpon vs aboundantly See hovv plainely the Apostle speaketh both of the material vvater or vvashing of Baptisme and of the effect thereof vvhich is the holy Ghost povvred vpon vs. Caluin taketh avvay vvater cleane and vvil haue him speake only of the holy Ghost Comment in hunc locum vvhich Flaccus Illyricus the Lutheran him self vvondereth at that any man should be so bold and calleth it plaine sacrilege against the efficacie of the Sacraments 6 And if vve should here accuse the English translatours also that translate it thus by the fountaine of the regeneration of the holy Ghost VVHICH he shedde on vs c. making it indifferent either vvhich fountaine or vvhich holy Ghost he shedde c they vvould ansvver by by that the Greeke also is indifferent but if a man should aske them further vvhether the holy Ghost may be said to be shedde or rather a fountaine of vvater they must needes confesse not the holy Ghost but vvater and consequently that they translating vvhich he shedde vvould haue it meant of the fountaine of vvater so they agree iust vvith Caluins translation and leaue Beza Sp. sancti que effudit vvho in his translation referreth it only to the holy Ghost as vve doe but in his commentarie plaieth the Heretike as Caluin doth 7 Of the Sacrament of penance I haue spoken before concerning that part specially vvhich is satisfaction here I vvill only adde of Confession that to auoid this terme namely in such a place vvhere the reader might easily gather Sacramental cōfession they translate thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whereof Confession is called in S. Cyprian and other fathers Exemologêsis Acknovvledge your faultes one to an other Iac. 5. It is said a litle before If any be diseased let him bring in Priests c. And then it folovveth Confesse your faultes c. But they to make al sure for Confesse say Acknovvledge for Priests Elders Vvhat meane they by this If this acknovvledging of faultes one to an other before death be indifferently to be made to al men vvhy do they appoint in their Communion-booke as it seemeth out of this place that the sicke person shal make a special confession to the Minister In the order of visitation of the sicke and he shal absolue him in the very same forme of absolution that Catholike Priests vse in the Sacrament of Cōfession againe if this acknovvledging of faultes be specially to be made to the Minister or Priest vvhy translate they it not by the vvord Confessing and confession as vvel as by Acknovvledging vvhy is not this confession a Sacrament vvhere them selues acknovvledge forgiuenes of sinnes by the Minister These contradictions and repugnance of their practise and translation if they can vvittely and vvisely reconcile they may perhaps in this point satisfie the reader But vvhether the Apostle speake here of Sacramental confession or no sincere translators should not haue fled from the proper and most vsual vvord of confession or confessing consonant bothe to the Greeke and Latin and indifferent to vvhatsoeuer the holy Ghost might meane as this vvord acknovvledge is not CHAP. XV. Heretical translation against the Sacrament of HOLY ORDERS and for the MARIAGE OF PRIESTS and VOTARIES 1 AGAINST the Sacramēt of Orders what can they doe more in trāslation then in al their Bibles to take avvay the name of Priest and Priesthod of the Nevv Testament altogether and for it to say Elder and Eldership Whereof I treated more at large * Chap. 6. in an other place of this booke Here I adde these fevv obseruations that both for Priests and Deacons vvhich are tvvo holy orders in the Catholike Church they translate Ministers to commend that nevv degree deuised by them selues Ecclici c. 7. v. 31. As when they say in al their bibles Feare the Lord vvith al thy soule and honour his ministers in the Greeke it is plaine thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honour his Priests as the vvord alvvaies signifieth and in the very next sentence them selues so translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Feare the Lord and honour the Priests but they vvould needes borovv one of these places for the honour of Ministers As also in the epistle to Timothee 1. Tim. 3. vvhere S. Paul talketh of Deacons and nameth them tvvise they in the first place translate thus Bib. 1562. and 1577. Likevvise must the Ministers be honest c. And a litle after Let the Deacons be the husbads of one vvife Loe the Greeke word being one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Apostle speaking of one Ecclesiastical order of Deacons and Beza so interpreting it in both places yet our English translatours haue allovved the first place to their Ministers and the second to Deacōs and so because Bishops also vvent before they haue found vs out their three orders Bishops Ministers Deacons Alas poore soules that can haue no place in Scripture for their Ministers but by making the Apostle speake thrée things for tvvo 2 There are in the Scripture that are called ministers in infinite places and that by three Greeke vvordes commonly but that is a large signification of minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attributed to al that minister vvaite serue or attend to doe any seruice Ecclesiastical or tēporal sacred or prophane If the vvord be restrained to any one peculiar seruice or function as one of
A DISCOVERIE OF THE MANIFOLD CORRVPTIONS OF THE HOLY SCRIPTVRES BY THE Heretikes of our daies specially the English Sectaries and of their foule dealing herein by partial false translations to the aduantage of their heâ—â—sies in their English Bibles vsed and authorised since the time of Schisme By GREGORY MARTIN one of the readers of Diuinitie in the ENGLISH COLLEGE OF RHEMES 2 Cor. 2. Non sumus sicut plurimi adulterantes verbum Dei sed ex sinceritate sed sicut ex Deo coram Deo in Christo loquimur That is VVe are not as very many adulterating the word of God but of sinceritie as of God before God in Christ vve speake Printed at RHEMES By Iohn Fogny 1582. THE PREFACE CONTEINING FIVE SVNDRIE ABVSES OR CORRVPTIONS OF HOLY Scriptures common to al Heretikes agreing specially to these of our time vvith many other necessarie aduertisements to the reader Heretikes fiue vvaies specially abuse the Scriptures AS it hath been alvvaies the fashioÌ„ of Heretikes to preteÌ„d Scriptures for shevv of their cause so hath it been also their custom and propertie to abuse the said Scriptures many vvaies in fauour of their errours 1 Denying certaine bookes or partes of bookes 1 One vvay is to deny vvhole bookes thereof or partes of bookes vvhen they are euidently against them So did for example Ebion al S. Paules epistles Manicheus the Actes of the Apostles Alogiani S. Iohns Gospel Marcion many peeces of S. Lukes Gospel and so did both these and other heretikes in other bookes denying and allovving vvhat they list as is euident by S. Ireneus S. Epiphanius S. Augustine and al antiquitie 2 Doubting of their authoritie and calling them into questioÌ„ 2 An other vvay is to call into question at the least and make some doubt of the authoritie of certaine bookes of holy Scriptures thereby to diminish their credite so did Manicheus affirme of the vvhole nevv Testament that it vvas not vvritten by the Apostles peculiarly of S. Matthevves Gospel that it was some other maÌ„s vnder his name and therfore not of such credite but that it might in some part be refused so did MarcioÌ„ the AriaÌ„s deny the epistle to the Hebrues to be S. Paules Epiphan li. 2. haer 69 Euseb li. 4. hist c. 27. Alogiani the Apocalypse to be S. Iohns the EuaÌ„gelist Epiph. August in haer Alogianorum 3 Voluntarie expositions according to euery ones fansie or heresie 3 An other way is to expound the Scriptures after their ovvne priuate conceite and phantasie not according to the approued sense of the holy auncient fathers and Catholike Church so did Theodorus Mopsuestites Act. Synod 5. affirme of al the bookes of the Prophets and of the Psalmes that they spake not euidently of Christ but that the auncient fathers did voluntarily dravv those sayings vnto Christ vvhich vvere spoken of other matters so did al heretikes that vvould seeme to grouÌ„d their heresies vpon Scriptures to auouch them by Scriptures expounded according to their ovvne sense and imagination 4 Changing some vvordes or senteÌ„ces of the very original text Tertul. cont Marcio li. 1. in princ 4 An other vvay is to alter the very original text of the holy Scripture by adding taking away or changing it here and there for their purpose so did the Arians in sundrie places and the NestoriaÌ„s in the first epistle of S. Iohn and especially Marcion vvho was therfore called Mus Ponticus the mouse of Pontus because he had gnavven as it vvere certaine places vvith his corruptions whereof some are said to remaine in the Greeke text vntil this day Tertull. li. 5. 5 False and heretical translation 5 An other way is to make false translations of the Scriptures for the maintenance of errour and heresie so did the Arians as S. Hierom noteth in 26. Esa read and translate Prouerb 8. Dominus creauit me in initio viarum suarum that is The Lord created me in the beginning of his vvaies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possedit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to make Christ the vvisedom of God a more creature S. Augustin also li. 5. Cont. Iulian. c. 2. noteth it as the interpretation of some Pelagian Gen. 3. Fecerunt sibi vesti menta for perizómata or campestria that is They made them selues garments whereas the vvord of the Scripture is breeches or aprons proper peculiar to couer the secrete partes Againe the self same Heretikes did reade falsely Ro. 5. Aug. ep 89. lib. 1. de pec mer. ca 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Regnauit mors ab Adam vsque ad Moysen etiaÌ„ in eos qui peccaueruÌ„t in similitudineÌ„ praeuaricationis Adae that is Death reigned from Adam to Moyses euen on them that sinned after the similitude of the preuarication of Adam to maintaine their heresie against original sinne that none vvere infected therewith or subiect to death damnatioÌ„ but by sinning actually as Adam did Thus did the old Heretikes 6 what these of our daies is it credible that being so vvel vvarned by the condemnation and detestation of them they also vvould be as mad and as impious as those Heretikes gentle Reader be alvvaies like Heretikes and hovvsoeuer they differ in opinions or names yet in this point they agree to abuse the Scriptures for their purpose by al meanes possibly I vvil but touche foure points of the fiue before mentioned because my purpose is to stay vpon the last only and to discipher their corrupt translations That the Protestants and Caluinistes vse the foresaid fiue meanes of defacing the Scriptures But if I vvould stand vpon the other also vvere it not easy to shevv the maner of their proceding against the Scriptures to haue been thus to deny some vvhole bookes and parts of bookes to call other some into question to expound the rest at their pleasure to picke quarels to the very original and Canonical text to fester and infect the vvhole body of the Bible vvith cankred translations 7 Did not Luther deny S. Iames epistle and so contemne it that he called it an epistle of stravv not vvorthie of an Apostolical spirit must I proue this to M. Vvhitakers vvho vvould neuer haue * Cont. rat Edm. Camp pag. 11. denied it so vehemently in the superlatiue degree for shame if he had not thought it more shame to graunt it I neede not goe far for the matter Aske M. Fulke Retent pag. 32. dist of the Rocke p. 307. Luther in nouo Test Germa in Pref. Iacob and he vvil flatly confesse it vvas so Aske Caluin in arg ep Iacobi aske Flaccus Illyricus in argum ep Iacobi and you shal perceiue it is very true I vvil not send you to the Catholike Germans and others both of his ovvne time and after that vvrote against him in the question of iustification among vvhom not one omitteth this being a thing so famous and infamous to the confusion of
vvhereof you take occasion of manifold corruptions vve vvil speake more anon if first vve touche some other your falsifications against holy images as vvhere you affectate to thrust the vvord image into the text vvhen there is no such thing in the Hebrue or Greeke as in that notorious example 2. Par. 36. Bib. 1562. Carued images that vvere laid to his charge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subaud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Num. c. 22. Againe Ro. 11. To the image of Baal and Act. 19. The image that came dovvne from Iupiter Vvhere you are not content to vnderstand image rather then idol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also to thrust it into the text being not in the Greeke as you knovv very vvel 20 Of this kinde of falsification is that vvhich is crept as a leprosie through out al your bibles translating Sculptile and conflatile grauen image molten image namely in the first commaundement vvhere you knovv in the Greeke it is idol in the Hebrue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a vvord as signifieth onely a grauen thing not including this vvord image and you know that God commaunded to make the images of Cherubins and of oxen in the Temple and of the brasen serpēt in the desert and therfore your vvisedomes might haue cōsidered that he forbadde not al grauen images The meaning of the 1. Commaūdement concerning false gods and grauen idols but such as the Gentiles made and vvorshipped as goddes and therfore Non facies tibi sculptile concurreth vvith those vvordes that goe before Thou shalt haue none other gods but me For so to haue an image as to make it a god is to make it more then an image and therfore vvhen it is an Idol as vvere the Idols of the Gentiles then it is forbid by this commaundement Othervvise vvhen the Crosse stood many yeres vpon the Table in the Queenes Chappel The Crosse in the Q. Chappel vvas it against this cōmaundement or vvas it idolatrie in the Quenes Maiestie her Counsellers that appointed it there being the supreme head of your churche Or do the Lutherans your puefellowes at this day commit idolatrie against this commaundement that haue in their churches the crucifixe and the holy Images of the mother of God Images in the Lutheran Churches and of S. Iohn the Euangelist Or if the vvhole storie of the Gospel cōcerning our sauiour Christ vvere dravven in pictures and Images in your churches as it is in many of ours vvere it trovv you against this commaundement fye for shame that you should thus vvith intolerable impudencie and deceite abuse and bevvitch the ignorāt people against your ovvne knowledge and conscience For vvot you not that God many times expresly forbade the Ievves both mariages and other conuersation vvith the Gentiles lest they might fall to vvorship their idols as Salomon did 3 Reg. 11. Ps 105. v. 35. as the Psalme reporteth of them This then is the meaning of the commaundement neither to make the idols of the Gentiles nor any other like vnto them and to that end as did Ieroboam in Dan and Bethel Hebr. Teraphim Marsebah Temunah Maschith Pesel Tselamim Tabaith Hamanim Saemel Massecah Nesachim Gillulim Miphletseth Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al image and images in their translations 21 This being a thing so plaine as nothing more in all the holy Scriptures yet your itching humour of deceite and falsehod for the most part doth translate still images images vvhen the Latin and Greeke and Hebrue haue diuers other vvordes and very seldom that vvhich ansvvereth to image for when it is image in the Latin or Greeke or Hebrue textes your translation is not reprehended for vve also translate sometimes images vvhen the text of the holy scripture requiteth it and we are not ignorant that there vvere images vvhich the Pagans adored for their gods vve knovv that some idols are images but not al images idols but vvhen the holy Scriptures call them by so many names rather then images because they vvere not onely images but made idols vvhy do your translations like cuckoes birdes sound continually images images more then idols or other vvordes equiualent to idols vvhich are there meant 22 Tvvo places onely vve vvill at this time aske you the reason of first vvhy you translate the Hebrue and Greeke that ansvvereth to statua image so often as you do Vvhereas this vvord in the said tonges is taken also in the better part as vvhen lacob set vp a stone and erected it for a * Matsebah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 title povvring oile vpon it and the prophet saith our Lordes altar shal be in Argypt and his * Gen. 28. v. 22 title beside it Esa 19. v. 19. So that the vvord doth signifie generally a signe erected of good or euil and therfore might very well if it pleased you haue some other English then image Vnles you will say that Iacob also set vp an image Our Lordes image shal be in Aegypt which you will not say though you might vvith more reason then in other places Of the yere 1579. 23 Secondly vve demaund vvhy your very last English Bible hath Esa 30 22 For tvvo Hebrue vvordes Pesilim Massechoth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhich are in Latin Sculptilia and conflatilia tvvise images images neither vvord being Hebrue for an image no more then if a man vvould aske vvhat is Latin for an image you vvould tell him sculptile Vvherevpon he seeing a faire painted image in a table might happily say Ecce egregium sculptile Vvhich euery boy in the Grammar schoole vvould laugh at Vvhich therfore vve tel you because vve perceiue your translations en deuour and as it vvere affectat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the yere 1579. to make Sculptile and image al one Vvhich is most euidently false and to your great confusiō appeareth Abac. 2. v. 13. Vvhere for these vvordes Quid prodest sculptile quia sculpsit illud fictor suus conflatile imaginē falsam Vvhich is according to the Hebrue and Greeke your later English trāslation hath Vvhat profiteth the image for the maker thereof hath made it an image and a teacher of lies 24 I vvould euery common Reader vvere able to discerne your falshod in this place First you make sculpere sculptile no more then to make an image Vvhich being absurd you knovv because the painter or embroderer making an image can not be said sculpere sculptile might teach you that the Hebrue hath in it no significatiō of image no more then sculpere can signifie to make an image and therfore the Greeke and the Latin precisely for the most part expresse neither more nor lesse then a thing grauē Sculptile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but yet meane alvvaies by these vvordes a grauen idol to vvhich signification they are appropriated by vse of holy Scripture as Simulacrum idolum conflatile and sometime imago In vvhich sense of
flockes cure of soules as follovveth in the same place They make S. Paul speake thus to Timothee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neglect not the gift so they had rather say then grace Bib. 1579.1577 lest holy orders should be a Sacrament giuen thee vvith the laying on of the hands of the Eldership or by the authoritie of the Eldership 1 Tim. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presbyterij Vvhat is this companie of Eldership Somevvhat they vvould say like to the Apostles word but they vvil not speake plainely lest the vvorld might heare out of the Scriptures that Timothee vvas made Priest or Bishop euen as the vse is in the Catholike Church at this day ca. 3 in the yere 436. Vvhere S. Augustine vvas present and subscribed let the 4 Councel of Carthage speake for both partes indifferently and tell vs the Apostles meaning A Priest vvhen he taketh his orders the Bishop blessing him and holding his hand vpon his head let all the Priests also that are present hold their hands by the Bishops hand vpon his head So doe our Priests at this day vvhen a bishop maketh priests this is the laying on of the hands of the companie of Priests vvhich S. Paul speaketh of and vvhich they translate the companie of the Eldership Onely their former translation of 1562 in this place by vvhat chance or consideration vve knovve not let fall out of the penne by the authoritie of Priesthod 9 Othervvise in all their English Bibles all the belles ring one note as The Elders that rule vvell are vvorthie of double honour And Against an Elder receiue no accusation but vnder tvvo or three vvitnesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 3. de Sacerdotio 1 Tim. 5. And If any be diseased among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray ouer him and anoynt him vvith oile c. Iacob 5. Vvhereas S. Chrisostom out of this place proueth the high dignitie of Priests in remitting sinnes in his booke entitled Of Priesthod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnles they vvill translate that title also Of Eldership Againe they make S. Peter say thus The Elders vvhich are among you I exhort vvhich am also an Elder feede ye Christes flocke as much as lyeth in you c. 1 Pet. 5. S. Hierom readeth Presbyteros ego compresbyter Ep. 85. ad Euagr. in 1 ad Gal prouing the dignitie of Priests and yet in 4 Gal. he readeth according to the vulgar Latin text Seniores in vobis rogo consenior ipse Vvhereby it is euidēt that Senior here in the Actes is a Priest not cōtrarie Presbyter an elder 10 Vvhere if they vvill tell vs as also in certaine other places that our Latin translation hath Seniores and maiores natu vve tel them as heretofore vve haue told them that this is nothing to them vvho professe to translate the Greeke Againe vve say that if they meant no vvorse then the old Latin translatour did they vvould be as indifferēt as he to haue said sometime Priests and Priesthod vvhen he hath the vvordes Presbyteros and Presbyterium as vve are indifferent in our translation saying Seniors and Auncients vvhen vve finde it so in our Latin being vvell assured that by sundrie vvordes he meant but one thing as in Greeke it is but one and as both Erasmus and also Beza him self alvvaies translate it keeping the name Presbyter and Presbyteri of vvhō by reason they should haue learned rather then of our Latin trāslatour vvhom othervvise they cōdemne And if they say they do folovv them and not him because they trāslate not Senior and maior natu but the vvord Presbyter or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Elder in al places vve tell them and herein vve conuent their cōscience that they do it to take avvay the external Priesthod of the nevv Testament to suppresse the name Priest against the Ecclesiastical and as novv since Christ very proper and vsual signification thereof in the nevv Testament councels fathers in al common vvriting and speaking specially the Latin Presbyter vvhich grevve to this signification out of the Greeke in the foresaid places of holy Scripture 11 In so much that immediatly in the first Canons and Councels of the Apostles and their successors nothing is more common then this distinction of Ecclesiastical degrees and names Si Episcopus vel Presbyter See can Apost Conc. 1 Nic. Epistol Ignat. Conc. Carth. 4. vel Diaconus c. If any Bishop or Priest or Deacon do this or that Vvhich if the Protestants or Caluinists vvil translate after their maner thus If a Bishop or Elder or Deacon c Beza in 1 Pet. 5. they do against them selues vvhich make Presbyter or Elder a common name to all Ecclesiastical persons not a peculiar degree next vnto a Bishop So that either they must condemne al antiquitie for placing Presbyter in the second degree after a Bishop or they must translate it Priest as vve doe or they must make Elder to be their second degree and so put Minister out of place 12 And here vve must aske them hovv this name Minister came to be a degree distinct from Deacon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diaconus vvhereas by their ovvne rule of trāslation Deacon is nothing els but a minister and vvhy keepe they the old vsual Ecclesiastical name of Deacon in translating Diaconus 1 Tim. 3. Bib. 1577.1579 and not the name of Priest in translating Presbyter doth not Priest come of Presbyter as certainely and as agreably as Deacon of Diaconus Prebstre Prete doth not also the french and Italian vvord for Priest come directly from the same vvill you alvvaies folovv fansie and not reason do vvhat you list translate as you list and not as the truth is and that in the holy Scriptures vvhich you boast and vaunt so much of Because your selues haue them vvhom you call Bishops the name Bishop is in your English Bibles vvhich othervvise by your ovvne rule of trāslation should be called an Ouerseer or Superintendent likevvise Deacon you are content to vse as an Ecclesiastical vvord so vsed in antiquitie because you also haue those vvhom you call Deacons Onely Priests must be turned contemptuously out of the text of the holy Scriptures and Elders put in their place because you haue no Priests not vvil none of them and because that is in cōtrouersie betvvene vs. as for Elders you haue none permitted in England for feare of ouerthrovving your Bishops office the Queenes supreme gouernemēt in all spiritual things causes Is not this to folovv the humour of your heresie by Machiauels politike rules vvithout any feare of God 13 Apostles you say for the most part in your translations not alvvaies as vve do and Prophetes and Euangelistes Angels and such like and vvheresoeuer there is no matter of controuersie betvvene you and vs there you can pleade
though if Ioseph had been in a graue Iacob vvould haue gone dovvne to him into the same graue For so the vvordes must needes import if they take graue properly but if they take graue vnproperly for the state of dead men after this life vvhy doe they call it graue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Infernus and not Hel as the vvord is in Hebrue Greeke and Latin No doubt they doe it to make the ignorāt Reader beleeue that the Patriarch Iacob spake of his body only to descend into the graue to Iosephs body for as concerning Iacobs soule that vvas by their opinion to ascēd immediatly after his death to heauen and not to descēd into the graue But if Iacob vvere to ascend forthvvith in soule hovv could he say as they translate I vvill goe dovvne into the graue vnto my sonne As if according to their opinion he should say My sonnes body is deuoured of a beast and his soule is gone vp into heauen vvell I vvil go dovvne to him into the graue 8 Gentile Reader that thou maist the better conceiue these absurdities and the more detest their guilefull corruptions vnderstand as vve began to tell thee before that in the old Testament because there vvas 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 vvas to * Hebr. 9. v. 8. dedicate and beginne the enterāce in his ovvne person and by his passion to open heauen Hebr. 10. v. 20. therfore vve say in the old Testamēt the common phrase of the holy Scripture is euen of the best men as vvel as of others that dying they vvent dovvne ad inferos or ad infernum to signifie that such vvas the state of the old Testament before our sauiour Christs Resurrection and Ascension that euery man vvent dovvne and not vp descended and not ascended by descending I meane not to the graue vvhich receiued their bodies only but ad inferos that is to bel a common receptacle or place for their soules also departed as wel of those soules that vvere to be in rest as those that vvere to be in paines torments All the soules both good bad that then died vvent dovvnevvard therfore the place of both sortes vvas called in all the tonges by a vvord ansvverable to this vvord hel to signifie a lovver place beneath not only of tormēts but also of rest 9 So vve say in our Creede that our sauiour Christ him self descended into hel according to his soule Epitaph Nepot c. 3. So S. Hierom speaking of the state of the old Testamēt saith Si Abraham Isaac Iacob in inferno quis in calorum regno that is If Abraham Isaac and Iacob vvere in hel vvho vvas in the kingdom of heauen And againe Ante Christum Abraham apud inferos post Christum latro in Paradiso that is before the comming of Christ Abraham vvas in hel after his comming the theefe vvas in Paradise And lest a man might obiect Luc. 16. that Lazarus being in Abrahams bosome savv the rich glotton a far of in hel and therfore both Abraham and Lazarus seeme to haue been in heauen See S. Aug. in Psal 85. v. 13. the said holy doctor resolueth it that Abraham and Lazarus also vvere in hel but ī a place of great rest refreshing and therfore very far of from the miserable vvretched glotton that lay in torments 10 His vvordes be these in effect If a man vvil say vnto me that Lazarus vvas seene in Abrahams bosome and a place of refreshing euen before Christs comming true it is but vvhat is that in comparison Quid simile infernus regna calorum Vvhat hath hel and heauen like As if he should say Abraham in deede and Lazarus and consequently many other vvere in place of rest but yet in hel til Christ came in such rest as hath no comparison vvith the ioyes of heauen And S. Augustine disputing this matter sometime Epist 99. ad Euod de Gen. ad lit li. 12. c. 33. doubting whether Abrahams bosom be called hel in the scripture and vvhether the name of hel be taken at any time in the good part for of Christes descending into hel of a third place where the Patriarches remained vntil Christs cōming not heauen but called Abrahams bosom he doubted not but was most assured the same holy doctor in an other place as being better resolued doubteth not vpon these vvordes of the Psalme In Psal 85. v. 13. Thou hast deliuered my soule from the lovver hel to make this one good sense of this place that the lovver hel is it vvherein the damned are tormented the higher hel is that vvherein the soules of the iust rested calling both places by the name of hel 11 And surely of his maruelous humilitie and vvisedom he vvould haue been much more resolute herein if he had hard the opinion of S. Hierom vvhom he often consulted in such questions and of other fathers who in this point speake most plainely that Abrahams bosom or the place vvhere the Patriarkes rested vvas some part of hel Ioco citato Tertullian Li. 4. aduers Marcion Saith I knovv that the bosome of Abraham vvas no heauenly place but only the higher hel or the higher part of hel Of which speache of the fathers rose aftervvard that other name limbus patrum that is the very brimme or vppermost outmost part of hel vvhere the fathers of the old Testament rested Thus vve see that the Patriarches them selues vvere as then in hel though they vvere there in a place of rest in so much that S. Hierom saith againe Ante Resurrectionem Christi not us in Iudaea Deus ipsi qui nouerant eum tamen ad inferos trahebantur that is Before the Resurrection of Christ God vvas knovvne in Iurie and they them selues that knevv him yet vvere dravven vnto hel Hom. quod Christus sit Deus to 5. S. Chrysostom vpon that place of Esay I vvil breake the brasen gates and bruse the yron barres in peeces and vvill open the treasures darkened c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Infernus So he calleth hel saith he for although it vvere hel yet it held the holy soules and pretious vessels Abraham Isaac and Iacob Marke that he saith though it vvere hel yet there vvere the iust men at that time til our sauiour Christ came to deliuer them from thence 12 Therfore did Iacob say I vvill go dovvne to my sonne vnto Hel. And againe he saith Gen. 42. If any misfortune happen to Beniamin by the vvay you shal bring my gray head vvith sorovv vnto Hel vvhich is repeated againe tvvise in the Chapter 44. by vvhich phrase the holy Scripture vvil signifie not onely death but also the descending at that time of al sorts of soules into Hel both good and bad And therfore it is spoken of al
sortes in the holy Scripture 3 Reg. 2. both of good and of bad for al vvent then into Hel but some into a place there of rest others into other places there of torments And therfore S. Hierom saith speaking of Hel according to the old Testament Hel is a place vvherein soules are included In c. 13 Osee Aug. in Psal 85. v. 13. either in rest or in paines according to the qualitie of their deserts 13 And in this sense it is also often said in the holy Scriptures that such such vvere gathered or laid to their fathers The Scriptures speake of an other Hel besides that of the damned though they vvere buried in diuers places and died not in the same state of saluation or damnation In that sense Samuel being raised vp to speake vvith Saul said To morovv thou and thy sonnes shal be vvith me that is dead and in Hel though not in the same place or state there in this sense al such places of the holy Scripture as haue the vvord Inferi or Infernus correspondent both to the Greeke and Hebrue ought to be and may be most cōueniently translated by the vvord Hel. as whē it is said ab inferno inferiori Thou hast deliuered my soul from the lovver hel Ps 85. v. 13. that is as S. Augustine expoūdeth it Thou hast preserued me from mortal sinnes that vvould haue brought me into the lovver Hel which is for the damned vvhich place of holy Scripture and the like vvhen they translate graue see hovv miserably it soūdeth Bib. 1579. Thou hast deliuered my soul from the lovvest graue vvhich they vvould neuer say for very shame but that they are afraid to say in any place be the holy Scriptures neuer so plaine that any soule vvas deliuered or returned from hel lest thereof it might folovv by and by that the Patriarches and our sauiour Christ vvere in such a Hel. 14 And that this is their feare it is euident because in al other places vvhere it is plaine that the holy Scriptures speake of the Hel of the damned from vvhēce is no returne there they translate the very same vvord Hel and not graue As for example The vvay of life is on high to the prudent Prouerb 15.24 to auoid from Hel beneath loe here that is trāslated Hel beneath vvhich before was translated the lovvest graue And againe Hel and destruction are before the Lord hovv much more the hartes of the sonnes of men But vvhen in the holy Scriptures there is mention of deliuerie of a soul from Hel then thus they translate Bib. 1579. De manu inferi God shal deliuer my soul from the povver of the graue for he vvill receiue me Can you tell vvhat they vvould say doth God deliuer them from the graue or from temporal death vvhom he receiueth to his mercie or hath the graue any povver ouer the soul Againe vvhen they say Ps 89 48. Vvhat man liueth and shal not see death shal he deliuer his soul from the hand of the graue 15 If they take graue properly vvhere mans body is buried it is not true either that euery soul yea or euery body is buried in a graue But if in al such places they vvill say they meane nothing els but to signifie death that to go dovvne into the graue and to die is al one vve aske them vvhy they folovv not the vvordes of the holy Scripture to signifie the same thing vvhich call it going dovvne to Hel not going dovvne to the graue Here they must needes open the mysterie of Antichrist vvorking in their translations and say that so they should make Hel a common place to all that departed in the old Testament vvhich they vvill not no not in the most important places of our beleefe cōcerning our sauiour Christs descending into Hel triumphing ouer the same Yea therfore of purpose they vvill not onely for to defeate that part of our Christian Creede 16 As vvhen the Prophet first Osee 13. aftervvard the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. in the Greeke say thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ero mors tua ô mors morsus tuus ero inferne Vbiest mors stimulus tuus Vbiest inferre victoria tua O death I vvill be thy death I vvill be thy sting ô Hel. Vvhere is ô death thy sting Vvhere is ô hel thy victorie They translate in both places Bibl. 1579. O graue in stede of ô Hel. What els can be their meaning hereby but to dravv the Reader from the common sense of our sauiour Christes descending into Hel and conquering the same and bringing out the fathers and iust men triumphantly from thence into heauen Vvhich sense hath all vvaies been the common sense of the Catholike Church holy Doctors See S. Hier. Comment in 13. Osee specially vpon this place of the Prophet And vvhat a kind of speache is this and out of all tune to make our sauiour Christ say O graue I vvill be thy destruction as though he had triumphed ouer the graue and not ouer Hel or ouer the graue that is ouer death and so the Prophet should say death tvvise and Hel not at all 17 Vvhy my Maisters you that are so vvonderful precise translatours admit that our sauiour Christ descended not into Hel beneath as you say yet I thinke you vvill graunt that he triumphed ouer Hel vvas conquerer of the same Vvhy then did it not please you to suffer the Prophet to say so at the least rather then that he had conquest onely of death and the graue You abuse your ignorāt reader very impudently and your ovvne selues very damnably not onely in this but in that you make graue and death al one and so vvhere the holy Scripture often ioyneth together death Hel as things different and distinct you make them speake but one thing tvvise idely and superfluously 18 But vvill you knovv that you should not confound them but that Mors Infernus vvhich are the vvordes of the holy Scripture in al tonges are distinct heare vvhat S. Hierom saith or if you vvil not heare because you are of them vvhich haue stopped their eares let the indifferēt Christian Reader harken to this holy Doctor and great interpreter of the holy Scriptures according to his singular knovvledge in al the learned tonges Vpon the foresaid place of the Prophet after he had spoken of our sauiour Christs descēding into Hel and ouercomming of death he addeth Hierom. in Osee ca. 13. Betvvene death and Hel this is the difference that death is that vvhereby the soul is separated from the body Hel is the place vvhere soules are included either in rest or els in paines according to the qualitie of their deserts And that death is one thing and Hel is another the Psalmist also declareth saying THERE IS not in death that is mindeful of thee Psal 6. but in Hel vvho shal confesse to thee And in an other
they could not say ordinances of Saincts and they vvould not say iustificatiōs of saincts knovving very vvel by Bezaes ovvne cōmentarie that this vvord includeth the good vvorkes of saincts vvhich vvorkes if they should in translating call their iustifications it vvould goe sore against iustification by only faith Therfore doe they trāslate in steede thereof ordinances statutes vvhere they can vvhich are termes furthest of from iustification and vvhere they can not there they say righteousnes making it also the plural number vvhereas the more proper Greeke vvord for righteousnes is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 6 22. vvhich there some of thē translate vngiltinesse because they vvil not translate exactly if you vvould hire them 4 And therfore as for iustice and iustifications they say righteousnes Bib. of the yere 1577. most approued Mat. 1 19. Luc. 1 6. so for iust they translate righteous and by this meanes Ioseph vvas a righteous man rather then a iust man and Zacharie Elisabeth vvere both righteous before God rather then iust because vvhen a man is called iust it soundeth that he is so in deede and not by imputation only as a vvise man is vnderstood to be vvise in deede and not only so imputed Therfore do they more gladly and more often say righteous men rather then iust men and vvhen they do say iust men as sometime they doe lest they might seeme vvilful inexcusably there they vnderstand iust by imputation and not in deede as is to be seen in Bezaes Annotatiōs vpon the Epistle to the Romanes Note also that they put the vvord iust vvhen faith is ioyned vvithal as Ro. 1. The iust shal liue by faith to signifie that iustification is by faith But if vvorkes be ioyned vvithal and keeping the commaundemēts as in the place alleaged Luc. 1. ther they say righteous to suppresse iustification by vvorkes 5 And certaine it is if there vvere no sinister meaning they vvould in no place auoid to say iust iustice iustification where both the Greeke and Latin are so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvord for vvord as for example 2 Tim. 4 8. In al their bibles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Henceforth there is laid vp for me a crovvne of RIGHTEOVSNES vvhich the Lord the RIGHTEOVS iudge shal GIVE me at that day And againe 2 Thess 1. Reioyce in tribulations vvhich is a token of the RIGHTEOVS IVDGEMENT of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that you may be counted vvorthie of the kingdom of God for vvhich ye saffer For it is a RIGHTEOVS THING vvith God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iustum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest vvith vs in the reuelation of the Lord IESVS from heauen And againe Hebr. 6 10. God is not VNRIGHTEOVS to forget your good vvorke and labour c. non enim iniustus est Deus These are very pregnant places to discouer their false purpose in concealing the vvord iustice in al their bibles For if they vvil say that iustice is not an vsual English vvord in this sense and therfore they say righteousnes yet I trovv iust and vniust are vsual and vvel knovven Vvhy then vvould they not say at the least in the places alleaged God the IVST iudge A token of the IVST IVDGEMENT of God It is a IVST thing vvith God God is not VNIVST to forget c Vvhy is it not at the least in one of their English Bibles being so both in Greeke and Latin 6 Vnderstand gentle Reader and marke vvel The scriptures most euident for iustification by vvorkes against only faith that if S. Paules vvordes vvere truely translated thus A crovvne of IVSTICE is laid vp for me vvhich our Lord the IVST iudge vvil RENDER vnto me at that day and so in the other places it vvould inferre that men are iustly crowned in heauen for their good workes vpon earth and that it is Gods iustice so to doe that he vvil do so because he is a iustiudge because he vvil shevv his IVST IVDGEMENT and he vvil not forget so to doe because he is not vniust as the auncient fathers namely the Greeke doctors S. Chrysostom Psal 57. Si vtique est fructus iusto vtique est Deus iudicans eos in terra Theodorete Oecumenius vpon these places do interpret 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 kingdom of heauen according to IVST IVDGEMENT 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not according to grace Vvhich lest the Aduersarie might take in the vvorse part as though it vvere only Gods iustice or iust iudgement and not his fauour or grace also S. Augustine excellently declareth hovvv it is both the one and the other to vvit his grace and fauour and mercie in making vs by his grace to liue and beleeue vvel and so to be vvorthy of heauen his iustice and iust iudgement to render and repay for those vvorkes vvhich him self vvrought in vs life euerlasting Vvhich he expresseth thus Aug. de gra lib. arb ca. 6. Hovv should he render or repay as a iust iudge vnles he had giuen it as a merciful father Vvhere S. Augustine vrgeth the vvordes of repaying as due and of being A IVST IVDGE therfore both vvhich the said translatours corrupt not only saying righteous iudge for iust iudge but that he vvil giue a crovvne vvhich is of a thing not due for that vvhich is in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He vvil render or repay vvhich is of a thing due and deserued hath relation to vvorkes going before for the vvhich the crovvne is repaied He said not saith Theophylacte vpon this place he vvil giue but he vvil render or repay as a certaine dette for he being iust vvil define limite the revvard according to the labours the crovvne therfore is due dette because of the iudges iustice So saith he 7 Vvhich speaches being most true as being the expresse vvordes of holy Scripture yet vve knovv hovv odiously the Aduersaries may doe misconster them to the ignorant as though vve chalenged heauen by our ovvne vvorkes and as though vve made God bound to vs. Vvhich vve do not God forbid but because he hath prepared good vvorkes for vs as the Apostle saith to vvalke in them Eph. 2 v. 10. and doth by his grace cause vs to doe them and hath promised life euerlasting for them and telleth vs in al his holy Scriptures that to doe them is the vvay to heauen therfore not presuming vpon our ovvne vvorkes as our ovvne or as of our selues but vpon the good vvorkes vvrought through Gods grace by vs his seely instruments vve haue great confidence as the Apostle speaketh and are assured that these vvorkes proceding of his grace Hebr. 10. be so
Sacrament they are excused because they translate not the Latin but translating the Greeke vvhy faid they not Mysterie vvhich is the Greeke vvord here in the Apostle I meane vvhy said they not of Matrimonie This is a great Mysterie No doubt there can be no other cause but to auoid both those vvordes vvhich are vsed in the Latin and Greeke Church to signifie the Sacraments For in the Greeke Church the Sacrament of the body and bloud it self is called but a mysterie or mysteries vvhich yet the Protestants them selues call a true Sacrament Therfore if they should haue called Matrimonie also by that name it might easily haue sounded to be a Sacrament also Vvere it honest or lavvfull to translate Baptis◠I vvash or Baptismus vvashing or Euāgeliū good nevves yet the vvords prophanely taken signifie no more But in saying it is a great secrete they put it out of doubt that it shal not be so taken 4 They vvil say vnto me Is not euery sacrament and mysterie in english a secrete yes as Angel is a messenger and Apostle one that is sent but vvhen the holy Scripture vseth these vvordes to signifie more excellent and diuine thinges then those of the common sort doth it become translators to vse baser termes in steede therof and so to disgrace the vvriting meaning of the holy Ghost I appeale to them selues when they translate this vvord in other places vvhether they say not thus And vvithout doubt great was that MYSTERIE of godlines 1 Tim. ◠God was shewed manifestly in the flesh c. againe The MYSTERIE vvhich hath beene hid since the vvorld began Col. 1. v. 26. Eph. 3. v. 9. 1 Cor. 15. v. 51. but novv is opened to his sainctes againe I shevv you a MYSTERIE vve shal not al sleepe but vve shal al be changed and the like Vvhere if they should trāslate secrete in steede of mysterie as the Bezites doe in one of these places saying I vvil shevv you a secrete thing vvhat a disgracing and debasing vvere it to those high mysteries there signified And if it vvere so in these is it not so in Matrimonie vvhich the Apostle maketh such a mysterie that it representeth no lesse matter then Christ and his Church and vvhatsoeuer is most excellent in that coniunction Novv then if in al other places of high mysterie they translate it also mysterie as it is in the Greeke and only in Matrimonie do not so but say rather This is a great secrete vsing so base a terme in so high excellent a mysterie must vve not needes thinke as no doubt it is that they doe it because of their Heretical opinion against the Sacrament of Matrimonie and for their base estimation thereof 5 But they vvil yet replie againe aske vs vvhat vve gaine by translating it either Sacrament or mysterie Doth that make it one of the Sacraments properly so called to vvit such a Sacrament as Baptisme is no surely but hovvsoeuer vve gaine othervvise at least vve gaine the commendation of trew translators vvhether it make vvith vs or against vs. for othervvise it is not the name that maketh it such a peculiar Sacrament for as is said before Sacrament is a general name in Scripture to other things neither do vve therfore so translate it as though it vvere forthvvith one of the 7 Sacraments because of the name but as in other places vvheresoeuer vve finde this vvord in the Latin vve translate it Sacrament as in the Apocalypse Apoc. 17. the Sacrament of the vvoman so finding it here vve do here also so translate it and as for the diuers taking of it here and els vvhere that vve examine other vvise by circumstance of the text and by the Churches and Doctors interpretation and vve finde that here it is taken for a Sacrament in that sense as vve say seuen Sacraments not so in the other places 6 As vvhen vve read this name Iesus in Scripture common to our Sauiour and to other men vve transtate it alvvaies alike Iesus but vvhen it is b Iude. v. 5. IESVS Christ and vvhen some other Iesus c Act. 7. v. 45. Colos 4. v. 11. vve knovv by other circumstances likevvise presuppose Baptisme in the Scripture vvere called a sacrament yet the Protestants them selues would not nor could thereby conclude that it vvere one of their tvvo Sacraments yet I trovv they vvould not auoid to translate it by the vvord sacrament if they foud it so called euen so vve finding Matrimonie so called do so translate it neither concluding thereby that it is one of the Seuen nor yet suppressing the name vvhich no doubt gaue some occasion to the Church and the holy doctors to esteeme it as one of the Seuen They cōtrarievvise as though it vvere neuer so called suppresse the name altogether calling it a secrete to put it out of al question that it is no Sacrament vvhich they vvould not haue done if the Scripture had said of Baptisme or the Eucharist This is a great Sacrament So partial they are to their ovvne opinions CHAP. XVII Heretical translation against the B. S ACRAMENT and SACRIFICE and ALTARS 1 NOvv let vs see concerning the Eucharist vvhich they allovv for a Sacrament hovv they handle the matter to the disgracing and defacing of the same also They take avvay the operation and efficacie of Christes blessing pronounced vpon the bread vvine making it only a thankes-giuing to God and to this purpose they translate more gladly thankes-giuing then blessing as Matth. 26. the Greeke vvordes being tvvo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bib. 1562. 1577. the one signifying properly to blesse the other to giue thankes they translate both thus vvhen he had giuen thankes likevvise Marc. 14. in the Bible printed 1562. And vvhen they translate it blessing they meane nothing els but giuing thankes Great difference in the scriptures betvvene blessing and geuing of thankes as Beza telleth vs in his Annotations Mat. 26. v. 26. We reply and by most manifest Scripture proue vnto them that the former Greeke vvord doth not signifie thankes-giuing properly but blessing and a blessing of creatures to the operation of some great effect in them as vvhē Christ tooke the fiue loaues tvvo fishes to multiplie them Benedixit cis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anno. in 9. Luc. v. 16. he blessed them Luc. 9. Vvhat say they to this thinke you Doth not the Greeke vvord here plainely signifie blessing of creatures No saith Beza no doubt but here also it signifieth giuing thankes Hovv Beza he addeth Not as though Christ had giuen thankes to the bread for that vvere to absurd but vve must mollifie this interpretation thus that he gaue thankes to God the father for the loaues and the fishes Is not this a notable exposition of these vvordes benedixit cis 2 Vve aske him in the like cases vvhen God blessed Adam and Eue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 106. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
and monuments of Christs being doing vpon the earth you vvil not be tried by S. Hierom. And againe why S. Paul should say that by faith he adored in respect of things to come it is not othervvise easie to vnderstand but that he partly foresaw the kingdom of Ephraim in the posteritie of Ioseph partly the kingdom of Christ prefigured in Ioseph then Prince of Aegypt so by faith adored his scepter or tovvard his scepter vvhich is al one as the Greeke fathers for the most part expoūd it But let vs hasten tovvard an end CHAP. XX. Heretical translation by ADDING TO THE TEXT 1 BECAVSE in the last corruption I spake of adding to the text though it be their common and vniuersal fault in euery controuersie as is to be seen in euery chapter of this booke yet here I vvil adde certaine places not yet mentioned As 2 Paral. 36. v. 8. in Bib. 1562. The rest of the actes of Iehoakim and his abominations vvhich he did and CARVED IMAGES THAT VVERE LAID TO HIS CHARGE BEHOLD THEY ARE WRITTEN c. these vvordes Against images carued images laid to his charge are more then is either in the Greeke or the Hebrue 2 Againe Act. 9. v. 22. Bib. 1577. Saul confounded the Ievves prouing by conferring one Scripture vvith an other that this is very Christ These vvordes For Conference of Scriptures against fathers Councels c. by conferring one scripture vvith another are added more then is in the Greeke text in fauour of their presumptuous opinion that conference of Scriptures is ynough for any man to vnderstand them and so to reiect both the commentaries of the Doctors exposition of holy Councels and Catholike Church it is so much more I say then is in the Greeke text and a notorious corruption in their Bible read daily in their churches as most authentical See the rest of their Bibles and thou shalt finde no more for al those vvordes but affirming or confirming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 2. v. 16. and the self same Bible in the first epistle to the Corinthians translateth the same Greeke vvord thus Vvho shal instruct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in deede that is the true and vsual signification of the vvord both in the old Testament and in the nevv as Deut. 4. Thou shalt teach them thy children And Esa 40. Vvho shal instruct our Lord the Hebrue vvord also in both places signifying no more but instructing and teaching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so doth the Apostle cite it to the Corinthians out of Esay he vseth it to the Colos c. 2. v. 2 in the same signification as the Church readeth and expoundeth it and so consequently S. Luke in the place vvhereof vve novv treate saith nothing els but that S. Paul earnestly taught or instructed them that Iesus is Christ And yet our nevv Translators vvithout respect of Hebrue or Greeke haue coined a nevv signification of conferring one Scripture vvith an other So ignorant they are in the signification of Greeke vvordes or rather so vvilfully malitious 3 Againe 1 Pet. 1. v. 25. Bib. 1562. 1577. Against traditions in the first epistle of S. Peter they translate thus The vvord of the Lord endureth euer and this is the vvord vvhich by the Gospel vvas preached vnto you vvhere these vvordes by the Gospel are added deceitfully and of il intent to make the reader thinke that there is no other vvord of God but the vvritten vvord for the common reader hearing this vvord Gospel conceiueth nothing els But in deede al is the Gospel vvhatsoeuer the Apostles taught either by vvriting or by tradition and vvord of mouth as S. Paul speaketh 2. Thess 2. and S. Peter saith nothing els in the place alleaged but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the vvord vvhich is preached among you as the Geneua bibles translate or more significantly vvhich is euangelized among you as vve translate for though there be greater significancie in the Greeke vvord then is expressed by bare preaching or telling a thing as hauing a goodly relation and allusion to the vvord Euangelium Gospel Euangelizo yet neither do they in any other place neither can they translate it to preach by the Gospel but simply to preache to tel to shevv as preaching peace by Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 10. v. 36. so them selues translate it and Ps 95 or 96. v. 2 Be telling of his saluation from day to day Vvhich in other places is spoken by other Greeke vvordes that haue no signification at al of Gospel as immediatly in the said Ps 95 or 96. v. 3 Ps 104. or 105. v. 1. Act. 13. v. 5. and c. 17. v. 23. and Io. 1. vers 3. 4 Al vvhich vvordes signifie only to tel to shevv to declare and are vsed indifferently for with the other word vvhich they here only translate to preache by the Gospel Vvhereas in al others places vvhen they vvil translate it most significantly Luc. 2. v. 10. Act. 13. v. 32. Gal. 3 8. they expresse it by bringing glad tidings and in some places vvhere it should be expressed most significantly in respect of euangelizing or preaching the Gospel Dominus dabit verbū euangelizantibus Qui Euangelizas Hierusalem Ps 67. Isa 40. there they trāslate it barely preachers preaching Only S. Peters place aforesaid must be stretched to signifie The word preached by the Gospel to insinuate vphold their heresie of the vvritten Gospel only or only vvritten vvord against Apostolical traditions not vvritten If this be not their meaning let them giue vs a good reason vvhy they translate it so in this one place only 5 It is vvritten of Luther that he for the self same heresie Lind. Dubit pag. 88. in his first translation into the Germane tonge left out these vvordes of S. Peter altogether This is the vvord vvhich is euangelized or preached to you Vvhy so because S. Peter doth here define vvhat is the vvord of God saying that vvhich is preached to you not that only vvhich is vvritten Vvhich false dealing of Luther is no smal presumption against the like heretical meaning of our English Protestants vvho I am sure in this point of controuersie of the vvord vvritten vnvvritten vvil not deny that they agree vvith the Lutherans 6 Againe in the epistle of S. Iames Ia. 4. v. 6. they adde the vvord Scripture into the text saying But the Scripture offereth more grace Vvhere the Apostle may say as vvel 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 circūstance of the place and abhorre their saucines in the text of holy scripture 7 One addition of theirs I vvould not speake of but only to knovv the reason vvhy they doe it because it is very strange and I knovv not vvhat
that Arch heretike 8 To let this passe Tobie Ecclesiasticus the Machabees are they not most certainely reiected and yet they vvere allovved and receiued for Canonical by the same authoritie that S. Iames epistle vvas This epistle the Caluinists are content to admit because * CoÌ„c Carth. 3 can 47. so it pleased Caluin those bookes they reiect because so also it pleased him And vvhy did it so please Caluin vnder pretence forsooth that they vvereonce doubted of and not taken for Canonical but is that the true cause in deede Hovv do they then * Argum. in ep Iac. receiue S. Iames epistle as Canonical hauing been before doubted of also yea as * Vvhitak p. 10. ibid. they say reiected 9 Marke gentle Reader for thy soules sake and thou shalt finde that heresie and only heresie is the cause of their denying these bookes so far that against the orders and Hierarchies and particular patronages of Angels one of them vvriteth thus in the name of the rest ibid. p. 17. M Whitak by these vvordes coÌ„demneth their ovvne Seruice booke which appointeâ—h these bookes of Tobie Ecclesiasticus to be readde for holy Scripture as the other Do they readde in their Churches Apocryphal and superstitious bookes for holy Scripture or is he a Puritane that thus disgraceth their order of daily Seruice Vve passe not for that Raphael of Tobie neither do vve acknovvledge those seuen Angels vvhich he speaketh of al this is far from Canonical Scriptures that the same Raphael recordeth and sauoureth I vvot not vvhat superstition Against free vvil thus I litle care for the place of Ecclesiasticus neither vvil I beleeue free vvil though he affirme an hundred times That before men is life and death And against praier for the dead and intercession of Saincts thus As for the booke of the Machabees I do care lesse for it then for the other Iudas dreame coÌ„cerning Onias I let passe as a dreame This is their reuerence of the Scriptures vvhich haue vniuersally been reuerenced for Canonical in the Church of God aboue 1100 yeres Conc. Carth. 3. and particularly of many fathers long before August de doct Christ lib. 2 ca. 8. 10 As for partes of bookes do they not reiect certaine peeces of Daniel and of Hester because they are not in the Hebrue vvhich reason S. Augustine reiecteth or because they vvere once doubted of by certaine of the fathers by vvhich reason some part of S. Marke and S. Lukes Gospel might novv also be called in controuersie specially if it be true vvhich M. Vvhitakers by a figuratiue speache more then insinuateth That he can not see by vvhat right that vvhich once vvas not in credite pag. 10. should by time vvinne authoritie Forgetting him self by by and in the very next lines admitting S. Iames epistle though before doubted of for Canonical Scriptures M. Vvhitak booke vnles they receiue it but of their courtesie and so may refuse it vvhen it shal please them vvhich must needes be gathered of his vvordes as also many other notorious absurdities contradictions and dumme blaÌ„ckes Vvhich only to note were to confute M. whitakers by him self being the Ansvverer for both Vniuersities 11 For the second point vvhich is not the grosse denial of bookes but yet calling of them in question mouing scruples about them diminishing their authoritie and credite I vvil goe no further then to S. Paules epistle to the Hebrues In the argument Bib. an 1579. vvhich I vvil not aske vvhy they doubt of or rather thinke it not to be S. Paules for they vvil tel me because it vvas once in doubt not considering that it vvas in like maner doubted vvhether it vvere Canonical yet they vvil not novv deny but it is Canonical but I must aske them and request them to make a reasonable ansvver vvhy in their English Bible of the yere 1579 and 1580 they presume to leaue out S. Paules name out of the very title of the said epistle vvhich name is * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greeke and in Bezas Latin translation both vvhich they professe to folovv See the title of the new Test an 1580. Doth not the title tel them that it is S. Paules vvhy seeke they further or vvhy do they change the title striking out S. Paules name if they meant to deale simply and sincerely and vvhat an heretical peeuishnes is this because Beza telleth them of one obscure Greeke copie that hath not Paules name and onely one that they vvil rather folovv it then al other copies both Greeke and Latin I report me to al indifferent men of common sense vvhether they do it not to diminish the credite of the epistle 12 I knovv very vvel that the authoritie of Canonical Scripture standeth not vpon the certaintie of the author but yet to be Paules or not Paules Apostolical or not Apostolical maketh great difference of credite and estimation For vvhat made S. Iames epistle doubted of sometime or the secoÌ„d of S. Peter and the rest but that they vvere not thought to be the epistles of those Apostles This Luther savv very vvel vvhen he denied S. Iames epistle to be same 's the Apostles vvriting If titles of bookes be of no importaÌ„ce then leaue out Matthevv Marke Luke and Iohn leaue out Paul in his other epistles also and you shal much pleasure the Manichees and other old Heretikes and if the titles make no difference vrge no more the title of the Apocalypse S. Iohn the Diuines as though it vvere not S. Iohns the Euangelistes and you shal much displeasure some Heretikes novv a daies breefely most certaine it is and they knovv it best by their ovvne vsual doings that it is a principal vvay to the discredite of any booke to deny it to be that authors vnder vvhose name it hath been receiued 13 But I come to the third point of voluÌ„tarie expositions of the Scripture that is vvhen euery man expouÌ„deth according to his errour Heresie This needeth no proofe for vve see it vvith our eies Looke vpon the Caluinists and Puritanes at home the Lutherans Zuinglians and Caluinists abrode read their bookes vvritten vehemently one sect against an other are not their expositions of one and the same Scripture as diuerse and contrarie as their opinions differ one from an other Let the example at home be their controuersie about the distinction of Ecclesiastical degrees Arch-bishop Bishop and minister the example abrode their diuers imaginations phantasies vpon these most sacred vvordes Hoc est corpus meum 14 And if you vvil yet haue a further demonstration this one may suffice for al. They reiect Councels and Fathers and the Catholike Churches interpretation vnles it be agreable to Gods vvord and vvhether it be agreable or no that Luther shal iudge for the Lutherans Caluin for the Caluinists Cartvvright for the Puritanes and an other for the Brethren of loue breefely * Vvhitak pa. 17. 120.
vvho in a sermon openly protested that he had found in the nevv Testament only no lesse then two thousand If vve knovv it not or vvil not beleeue it * Lind. dub pag. 98. strangers in their Latin vvritings testifie it to the vvorld The authors inteÌ„t in this booke 26 But I omit these as vnknovven to our countrie or to this age and vvil deale principally vvith the English translations of our time vvhich are in euery mans handes vvithin our countrie the corruptions vvhereof as they are partly touched here and there in the Annotations vpon the late nevv English Testament Catholikely translated printed at Rhemes so by occasion thereof I vvil by Gods help to the better coÌ„moditie of the reader and euidence of the thing lay them closer together and more largely display them not counting the number because it vvere hard but esteeming the vveight importance of so many as I thought good to note specially in the nevv Testament Vvhere I haue to aduertise the Reader of certaine special things vvhich he must obserue Certaine aduertisemeÌ„ts to the Reader 27 First that in this booke he may not looke for the proofe or explication deciding of controuersies Vvhich is done in the Annotations vpon the new Testament but only the refuting or controuling of their false translations concerning the said controuersies vvhich is the peculiar argumeâ—â— of this treatise 28 Secondly that vve refute sometime one of their translations sometime an other and euery one as their falshod giueth occasion Neither is it a good defense for the falshod of one that it is truely translated in an other the reader being deceiued by any one because commonly he readeth but one Yea one of them is a coÌ„demnation of the other 29 Thirdly that we speake indifferently against Protestants Caluinistes Bezites and Puritans vvithout any curious distinction of them being al among them selues brethren and pew fellowes and sometime the one sort of them sometime the other more or lesse corrupting the holy Scriptures 30 Fourthly that we giue but a tast of their corruptions not seing so far nor marking also narrowly and skilfully as them selues knovv their ovvne subtelties and meanings vvho vvil smile at the places vvhich we haue not espied 31 Fifthly that the very vse and affectation of certaine termes and auoiding other some though it be no demonstration against them but that they may seeme to defend it for true traÌ„slation yet was it necessarie to be noted because it is hath been alvvaies a token of heretical meaning 32 Sixtly that in explicating these things vve haue endeuoured to auoid as much as vvas possible the tediousnes of Greeke Hebrue vvordes vvhich are only for the learned in these tongues and vvhich made some litle doubt vvhether this matter vvhich of necessitie must be examined by them vvere to be vvritten in English or no. but being persuaded by those vvho them selues haue no skill in the said toÌ„gues that euery reader might reape commoditie thereby to the vnderstanding detesting of such false and Heretical translations it vvas thought good to make it vulgar and common to al our decre countrie men as the nevv Testament it self is coÌ„mon vvhereof this Discouerie is as it vvere an handmaid attending therevpon for the larger explication and proofe of corruptions there breefely touched and for supplie of other some not there mentioned 33 Seuenthly that al the English corruptions here noted and refuted are either in al or some of their English bibles printed in these yeres 1562. 1577.1579 And if the corruption be in one Bible not in an other commonly the said Bible or bibles are noted in the margent if not yet sure it is that it is in one of them and so the reader shal finde it if he finde it not alvvaies in his ovvne Bible And in this case the reader must be very vvise and circuÌ„spect that he thinke not by and by vve charge them falsly because they can shevv him some later edition that hath it not so as vve say for it is their common and knovven fashion not onely in their translations of the Bible but in their other bookes and vvritinges to alter and change adde and put out in their later editioÌ„s according as either them selues are ashamed of the former or their scholers that print them againe dissent and disagree from their Maisters So hath Luthers Caluins and Bezas vvritinges and translations been changed both by them selues and their scholers in many places so that Catholike men when they coÌ„fute that which they finde euident faultes in this or that edition feare nothing more then that the reader hath some other edition where they are corrected for very shame and so may conceiue that there is no such thing but that they are accused vvrongfully for example Call to minde the late pretended conference in the tower Touching S. Iames epistle where that matter vvas denied and faced out for Luthers credite by some one booke or edition of his vvhich them selues and al the vvorld knoweth was most truely laid to his charge 34 Eightly in citing Beza I meane alvvaies vnles I note othervvise his Latin translation of the nevv Testament vvith his annotations adioyned therevnto printed in the yere 1556. Vve charge them not with forsaking the old approued Latin text though it be an il signe to their euident confusion 35 Lastly and principally is to be noted that we wil not charge them vvith falsifying that vvhich in deede is the true and authentical Scripture I meane the vulgar Latin Bible vvhich so many yeres hath been of so great authoritie in the Church of God and with al the auncient fathers of the Latin Church as is declared in the preface of the Nevv Testament though it is much to be noted that as Luther only in fauour of his heresies did vvilfully forsake it so the rest folowed and do folovv him at this day for no other cause in the vvorld but that it is against them therfore they inueigh against it Kemnitius Caluin and against the holy Councel of Trent for confirming the authoritie thereof both in their special treatises thereof and in al their vvritinges vvhere they can take any occasion 36 And concerning their vvilful and heretical auoiding thereof in their nevv translations vvhat greater argumeÌ„t can there be then this that Luther vvho before alvvaies had readde vvith the Gath. Church and vvith al antiquitie these vvordes of S. Paul 1 Cor. 9. Mulicrem sororem 2 Pet. 1. Haue not vve povver to leade about A WOMAN A SISTER as also the rest of the Apostles and in S. Peter these vvordes Labour that BY GOOD WORKES you may make sure your vocation and election sodenly after he had coÌ„trarie to his profession taken a vvife as he called her and preached that al other votaries might do the same and that faith only iustified good vvorkes vvere not necessarie to saluation sodenly I say after he fell to these heresies
he began to reade and translate the former Scriptures accordingly thus Haue not vve povver to leade about a SISTER A WIFE as the rest of the Apostles and Labour that you may make sure your vocation and election leauing out the other vvordes by good vvorkes And so doe both the Caluinists abrode and our English Protestants at home reade and translate at this day because they hold the self same heresies 37 So doe they in infinite places alter the old text vvhich pleased them vvell before they vvere Heretickes and they doe it vvith brasen faces and plaine protestation hauing no shame nor remorse at al in fleeing from that which all antiquitie with one consent allovved and embraced vntil their vnhappie daies Vvhich though it be an euident cōdemnation of their nouelties in the sight of any reasonable man that hath any grace yet as I began to admonish thee gentle Reader vve vvil not charge them for altering the auncient approued Latin translation because they pretend to folovv the Hebrue and Greeke and our purpose is not here to proue that they should not folovv the Hebrue and Greeke that now is before the auncient approued Latin text which is done breifely already in the preface to the nevv Testament Vve charge them not vvith forsaking the Greeke copies that agree vvith the aunciēt approued Latin text though this be a signe of their incredible partialitie 38 Neither vvil vve burden them for not folovving the vulgar Latin text vvhen the same agreeth with most auncient Greeke copies vvhich notvvithstāding is great partialitie in them must needes be of an heretical vvilful humor that amōg the Greeke copies them selues they reiect that vvhich most agreeth vvith the vulgar Latin text in places of controuersies Yet vvil vve not I say neither in this case lay falshod and corruption to their charge because they pretend to translate the common Greeke text of the nevv Testament that is one certaine copie but here at the least let them shevv their fidelitie that they be true and exacte translatours for here onely shal they be examined and called to account Vve charge them for forsaking false translating their ovvne Hebrue and Greeke text 39 And if they folovv sincerely their Greeke and Hebrue text vvhich they professe to folovv and which they esteeme the only authentical text so far vve accuse them not of heretical corruption but if it shal be euidētly proued that they shrinke from the same also and translate an other thing and that vvilfully and of ful intention to countenance their false religion and wicked opinions making the Scriptures to speake as they list then vve trust the indifferēt reader for his ovvne soules sake vvil easily see and conclude that they haue no feare of God no reuerence of the Scriptures no conscience to deceiue their readers He vvil perceiue that the Scriptures make against them vvhich they so peruert and corrupt for their purpose that neither the Hebrue nor Greeke text is for them vvhich they dare not translate truely and sincerely that their cause is naught which needeth such foul shiftes that they must needes knovv al this and therfore doe vvilfully against their conscience consequently are obstinate Heretikes 40 And the more to vnderstand their miserie vvretchednes before vve enter to examine their trāslations marke gather of al that vvhich I haue said in this preface their manifold flightes iumpes from one shift to an other hovv Catholike writers haue pursued and chased them folovved them and driuen them euen to this extreme refuge and seely couert of false translation vvhere also they must of necessitie yeld or deuise some nevv euasion which vve can not yet imagin The diuers shiftes and flightes that the Protestants are driuen vnto by the Catholikes as it vvere the iumpes and turnings of an hare before the boundes 41 First we are vvont to make this offer as we thinke most reasonable and indifferent that forasmuch as the Scriptures are diuersely expounded of vs and of them they neither be tied to our interpretation nor vve to theirs but to put it to the arbitrement and iudgement of the auncient fathers of general Councels of vniuersal custom of times and places in the Catholike Church No say they vve wil be our ovvne iudges and interpreters or folow Luther if we be Lutherans Caluin if we be Caluinistes and so forth 42 This being of it self a shameles shift vnles it be better coloured the next is to say that the Scriptures are easie and plaine sufficient of them selues to determine euery matter and therfore they wil be tried by the Scriptures only we are cōtent because they wil needes haue it so and vve alleage vnto them the bookes of Toble Ecclesiasticus Machabees No say they we admit none of these for Scripture Vvhy so are they not approued Canonical by the same authoritie of the Church of auncient Councels and fathers that the other bookes are No matter say they Luther admitteth them not Caluin doth not allovv them 43 Vvel let vs goe forvvard in their ovvne daunce You allow at the least the Ievves Canonical bookes of the old Testament that is al that are extant in the Hebrue Bible and al of the new Testament vvithout exception Yea that we doe In these bookes then wil you be tried by the vulgar auncient Latin Bible only vsed in al the vvest Church aboue a thousand yeres No. Vvil you be tried by the Greeke Bible of the Septuaginta interpreters so renovvmed and authorised in our Sauiours ovvne speaches in the Euangelistes and Apostles writings in the whole Greeke Church euermore No. How then wil you be tried They ansvver Only by the Hebrue Bible that now is and as novv it is pointed with vovvels Vvil you so and do you thinke that only the true authentical Hebrue which the holy Ghost did first put into the pennes of those sacred writers Vve do thinke it say they and esteeme it the only authentical and true Scripture of the old Testament 44 Vve aske them againe what say you then to that place of the psalme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where in the Hebrue it is thus As a lion my handes and my feete for that which in truth should be thus They digged or pearced my handes and my feete being an euident prophecie of Christs nailing to the Crosse There in deede say they we folow not the Hebrue but the Greeke text Sometime then you folow the Greeke and not the Hebrue only And what if the same Greeke text make for the Catholikes as in these places for example I haue inclined my hart to keepe thy iustifications for revvard and Redeeme thy sinnes vvith almes might we not obtaine here the like fauour at your hands for the Greeke text specially when the Hebrue doth not disagree No say they nor in no other place vvhere the Greeke is neuer so plaine if the Hebrue word at the least may be any otherwise
interpreted and draw on to an other signification 45 Vve replie againe and say vnto them vvhy Is not the credite of those Septuaginta interpreters vvho them selues vvere Ievves and best learned in their owne tongue and as S. Augustine often and other auncient fathers say vvere inspired vvith the holy Ghost in translating the Hebrue bible into Greeke Is not their credite I say in determining and defining the signification of the Hebrue vvord far greater then yours No. Is not the authoritie of al the auncient fathers both Greeke and Latin that folovved them equiualent in this case to your iudgement No say they but because vve finde some ambiguitie in the Hebrue we wil take the aduantage and we wil determine and limite it to our purpose 46 A gaine vve condescend to their vvilfulnes and say vvhat if the Hebrue be not ambiguous but so plaine certaine to signifie onething Psal 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it can not be plainer As Thou shalt not leaue my soule in Hel vvhich proueth for vs that Christ in soule descended into Hel. Is not the one Hebrue vvord as proper for soule as anima in Latin the other as proper and vsual for Hel as Infeunus in Latin Here then at the least vvil you yeld No say they not here neither for Beza telleth vs that the Hebrue vvord vvhich commonly and vsually signifieth soule yet for a purpose of a man vvil straine it may signifie not only body but also carcas and so he translate that But Beza say vve being admonished by his frendes corrected it in his later edition Yea say they he was content to change his translation but not his opinion concerning the Hebrue word as himself protesteth 47 Vvel then doth it like you to reade thus according to Bezas translation Thou shalt not leaue my carcas in the graue No we are content to alter the word carcas which is not a seemely word for our Sauiours body and yet we are loth to say soule but if we might we vvould say rather life person as appeareth in the margent of our Bibles but as for the Hebrue word that signifieth Hel though the Greeke and Latin Bible through out the Greeke and Latin fathers in al their writinges as occasion serueth do so reade it and vnderstand it yet wil we neuer so translate it but for Hel we vvil say graue in al such places of Scripture as might inferre Limbus patrum if we should translate Hel. These are their shiftes and turninges and windinges in the old Testament 48 In the new Testament we aske them wil you be tried by the auncient Latin translation which is the text of the fathers and the whole Church No but we appeale to the Greeke Vvhat Greeke say we for there be sundrie copies and the best of them as Beza confesseth agree with the said auncient Latin for example in S. Peters wordes 2 Pet. ca. 1. Labour that by good vvorkes you may make sure your vocation and election doth this Greeke copie please you No say they we appeale to that Greeke copie which hath not those wordes by good workes for othervvise we should graunt the merite and efficacie of good workes tovvard saluation and generally to tel you at once by what Greeke we wil be tried we like best the vulgar Greeke text of the new Testament which is most common and in euery mans handes 49 Vvel say we if you wil needes haue it so take your pleasure in choosing your text and if you wil stand to it graunt vs that Peter was cheefe among the Apostles because your ovvne Greeke text saith The first Peter No saith Beza Mat. 10. we vvil graunt you no such thing for these wordes were added to the Greeke text by one that fauoured Peters primacie Is it so then you wil not stand to this Greeke text neither Not in this place saith Beza 50 Let vs see an other place You must graunt vs say we by this Greeke text that Christs very bloud which was shed for vs is really in the chalice because S. Luke saith so in the Greeke text No saith Beza those Greeke wordes came out of the margent into the text therfore I trāslate not according to them but according to that which I thinke the truer Greeke text although I finde it in no copies in the world and this his doing * See chap. 1. nu 37. chap. 17. nu 11. is mainteined iustified by our English Protestants in their writinges of late 51 Vvel yet say we there are places in the same Greeke text as plaine for vs as these novv cited where you can not say it came out of the margent or 2 Thess 2. it was added falsely to the text As Stand and hold fast the traditions c. by this text we require that you graunt vs traditions deliuered by word of mouth as wel as the vvritten word that is the Scriptures No say they we knovv the Greeke word signifieth tradition as plaine as possibly but here and in the like places we rather translate it ordinances instructions and what els soeuer Nay Sirs say vve you can not so ansvver the matter for in other places you translate it duely and truely tradition and vvhy more in one place then in an other They are ashamed to tel vvhy but they must tel and shame both them selues and the Diuel if euer they thinke it good to ansvver this treatise as also why they changed congregation which vvas alvvaies in their first translation into Church in their later translations did not change likevvise ordinances into traditions Elders into Priests 52 The cause is that the name of Church was at the first odious vnto them because of the Catholike Church which stoode against them but afterward this name grevve into more fauour vvith 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 therfore their translation also remaineth as before suppressing the names both of the one and of the other But of al these their dealings they shal be told in their seueral chapters and places 53 To conclude as I began concerning their shiftes and iumpes and vvindinges and turninges euery way from one thing to an other til they are driuen to the extreme refuge of palpable corruptions and false translations consider vvith me in this one case only of traditions as may be likevvise considered in al other controuersies that the auncient fathers councels antiquitie vniuersalitie custom of the vvhole Church allovv traditions the canonical Scriptures haue them the Latin text hath them the Greeke text hath them only their translations haue them not Likevvise in the old Testament the approued latin text hath such and such speaches that make for vs the renovvmed Greeke text hath it the Hebrue text hath it only their translations haue it not These are the translations vvhich vve cal heretical and vvilful and vvhich
shal be examined discussed in this booke THE ARGVMENTS OF EVERY CHAPTER VVITH THE PAGE VVHEReuery Chapter beginneth CHAP. 1. THAT the Protestants translate the holy Scripture falselâ— of purpose in fauour of their heresies through out 〈◊〉 controuersies pag. 2. CHAP. 2 Against Apostolical Traditions pag. 25. CHAP. 3 Against sacred Images pag. 32. CHAP. 4 The Ecclesiastical vse of vvordes turned into their original anâ— profane significations pag. 58. CHAP. 5 Against the CHVRCH pag. 63. CHAP. 6 Against Priest and Priesthod Vvhere much also is said of theiâ— profaning of Ecclesiastical vvordes pag. 72. CHAP. 7 Against Purgatorie Limbus patrum and Christs descending inâ—â— Hel. pag. 98. CHAP. 8 Concerning Iustification and Gods iustice in revvarding gooâ— vvorkes pag. 133. CHAP. 9 Against Merites meritorious vvorkes and the revvard for thâ— same pag. 140. CHAP. 10 Against Free vvil pag. 163. CHAP. 11 For Imputatius iustice against true inherent iustice pag. 180. CHAP. 12 For Special faith vaine securitie and only faith pag. 187. CHAP. 13 Against Penance and Satisfaction pag. 196. CHAP. 14 Against the holy Sacraments namely Baptisme and Confession pag. 213. CHAP. 15 Against the Sacrament of Holy Orders and for the Mariage oâ— Priests and Votaries pag. 220. CHAP. 16 Against the Sacrament of Matrimonie pag. 244. CHAP. 17 Against the B. Sacrament and Sacrifice and alians pag. 249. CHAP. 18 Against the honour of Saincts namely of our B. LADIEâ— pag. 273. CHAP. 19 Against the distinction of Dulia and Latria pag. 285. CHAP. 20 Adding to the text pag. 290. CHAP. 21 Other heretical treacheries and corruptions vvorthie of obseruâ—tion pag. 298. CHAP. 22 Other faultes Iudaical profane more vanities follies and nouelties pag. 306. A DISCOVERIE OF THE MANIFOLD CORRVPTIONS OF THE HOLY SCRIPTVRES by the Heretikes of our daies specially the English Sectaries of their foule dealing herein by partial and false translations to the aduantage of their heresies in their English Bibles vsed and authorised since the time of Schisme CHAP. I. That the Protestants translate the holy Scriptures falsely of purpose in fauour of their heresies 1 THOVGH this shal euidently appeare through out this vvhole booke in euery place that shal be obiected vnto them yet because it is an obseruation of greatest importance in this case and vvhich stingeth them sore toucheth their credite excedingly in so much that one of them setting a good face vpon the matter * Confutation of Io. Hovvlet fol. 35. pag. 2. saith confidently that al the Papists in the vvorld are not able to shevv one place of Scripture mistraÌ„slated wilfully and of purpose therfore I vvil giue the reader certaine breife obseruations and euident markes to knovv vvilful corruptions as it vvere an abridgement and summe of this treatise 2 The first marke and most general is If they translate els vvhere not amisse EuideÌ„t markes or signes to knovv vvilful corruptions in translating and in places of controuersie betvvene them and vs most falsely it is an euident argument that they doe it not of negligence or ignorance but of partialitie to the matter in coÌ„trouersie This is to be seen through the vvhole Bible vvhere the faultes of their translations are altogether or specially in those Scriptures that concerne the causes in question betvvene vs. For other smal faultes or rather ouersightes vve vvil no further note vnto them then to the end that they may the more easily pardon vs the like if they finde them 3. If as in their opinions heresies they forsake the auncient fathers so also in their translations they goe from that text auncient reading of holy Scriptures vvhich al the fathers vsed and expounded is it not plaine that their translation folovveth the veine and humor of their heresie And againe if they that so abhorre from the auncient expositions of the fathers yet if it seeme to serue for them sticke not to make the exposition of any one Doctor the very text of holy Scripture vvhat is this but heretical wilfulnes See this 1. chap. nu 43. ch 10. nu 1.2 cha 18. numb 10.11 and chap. 19. nu 1. 4 Againe if they that professe to translate the Hebrue and Greeke and that because it maketh more for them as they say and therfore in al coÌ„ferences and disputations appeale vnto it as to the fouÌ„taine touchstone if they I say in translating places of controuersie flee from the Hebrue and the Greeke it is a most certaine argumeÌ„t of vvilful corruption This is done many vvaies and is to be obserued also through out the vvhole Bible and in al this booke 5 If the Greeke be Idololatria and idololátra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 5. Col. 3 Bib. an 1577. and they translate not Idolatrie and idolater but vvorshipping of images vvorshipper of images and that so absurdly that they make the Apostle say Couetousnes is vvorshipping of images this none vvould doe but fooles or mad men vnles it vvere of purpose against sacred images See chap. 3. numb 1.2 6 If the Apostle say A pagan idolater 1 Cor. 5. and a Christian idolater by one and the same Greeke vvord in one and the same meaning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they translate A pagan idolater Bib. an 1562 a Christian vvorshipper of images by tvvo distinct vvordes and diuerse meanings it must needes be done vvilfully to the foresaid purpose See chap. 3. nu 8.9 7 If they traÌ„slate one the same Greeke vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tradition vvhensoeuer the Scripture speaketh of euil traditions and neuer translate it so vvhensoeuer it speaketh of good and Apostolical traditions their intention is euident against the authoritie of Traditions See chap. 2. numb 1.2.3 Yea if they translate Tradition takeÌ„ in il part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhere it is not in the Greeke traÌ„slate it not so where it is in the Greeke takeÌ„ in good part Col. 2. v. 20. it is more euidence of the foresaid wicked intention See chap. 2. nu 5.6 9 If they make this a good rule to translate according to the vsual signification and not the original deriuation of wordes as Beza and * Pag. 209. M. Vvhitakers doe and if they translate contrarie to this rule vvhat is it but vvilful corruption So they doe in translating idolum an image Presbyter an elder and the like See chap. 4. chap. 6. nu 6.7.8 c. nu 13. c. 10 If Presbyter by Ecclesiastical vse be appropriated to signifie a Priest no lesse then Episcopus to signifie a Bishop or Diaconus a Deacon and if they translate these tvvo â—ater accordingly and the first neuer in al the nevv Testament vvhat can it be but vvilful corruption in fauour of this heresie 〈◊〉 That there are no Priests of the nevv Testament Vvhitak p. 199. See chap. 6. numb 12. 11 If for Gods altar they translate Temple for Bels idololatrical table they translate altar iudge vvhether it be not
German Heretikes Brētius Melancth See Linda Dubi Dial. 1. c. 12 Psal 51. vvho to mainteine this heresie that al our vvorkes be they neuer so good are sinne translated for Tibi soli peccaui to the only haue I sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whitak pag. 198. thus Tibi solum peccaui that is I haue nothing els but sinned vvhatsoeuer I doe I sinne vvhereas neither the Greeke nor the Hebrue vvil possibly admit that sense Let these passe as Lutherans yet vvilful corrupters * Ro. 5 v. 6. and acknovvledged of our English Protestants for their good brethren But if Beza trāslate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhen vve vvere yet of no strength as the Geneua English Bible also doth interprete it vvhereas euery yong Grecian knovveth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is vveake feeble infirme and not altogether without strength is not this of purpose to take avvay mans free vvil altogether See chap. 10. nu 13. 27 If Caluin translate 1 Cor. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non ego sed gratia Dei quae mihi aderat may not meane Grecians controule him that he also translateth falsely against free vvil because the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth require some other participle to be vnderstood that should signifie a cooperation vvith free vvil to vvit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhich laboured vvith me See chap. 10. nu 2. 28 If vvhen the Hebrue beareth in differētly to say Sinne lieth at the doore and vnto thee the desire thereof shal be subiect Gen. 4. v. 7. thou I halt rule ouer it an 1579. the Geneua English Bible translate the first vvithout scruple the later not because of the Hebrue grammar is not this also most vvilful against free vvil See chap. 10. nu 9. 29 If Caluin affirme that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot signifie propter reuerentiam Calu. in 5. Hebr. because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not so vsed and Beza auoucheth the same more earnestly Bib. an 1579 and the English Bible translateth accordingly vvhich may be confuted by infinite examples in the Scripture it self and is confuted by Illyricus the Lutheran is it not a signe either of passing ignorance or of most wilful corruption to mainteine the blasphemie that herevpon they conclude See chap. 7. nu 42.43 30 If Beza in the self same place contend that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie reuerence or pietie but such a feare as hath horrour and astonishmēt of minde in an other place saith of this self same vvord cleane contrarie vvhat is it but of purpose to vphold the said blasphemie See cha 7. nu 39.40 31 If he translate for Gods foreknovvledge Gods prouidence for soule carcas for hel graue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 2. v. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. v. 27. to vvhat end is this but for certaine heretical conclusions And if vpon admonitiō he alter his translation for shame and yet * Annota in no. Test post edit protesteth that he vnderstandeth it as he did before did he not translate before vvilfully according to his obstinate opinion See chap. 7. 32 If to this purpose he auouch that Annot. in Act. 2. v. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sheol signifieth nothing els in Hebrue but a graue vvhereas al Hebricians knovv that it is the most proper and vsual vvord in the Scripture for Hel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the other vvord Keber is for a graue vvho vvould thinke he vvould so endanger his estimation in the Hebrue tongue but that an heretical purpose against Christs descending into hel blinded him See chap. 7. 33 And if al the English Bibles trāslate accordingly to vvit for Hel graue vvheresoeuer the Scripture may meane any lower place that is not the Hel of the damned and vvhere it must needes signifie that Hel there they neuer auoid so to translate it is it not an euident argument that they know very vvel the proper signification but of purpose they wil neuer vse it to their disaduantage in the questions of Limbus Purgatorie Christs descending into Hel cha 7. 34 If further yet in this kinde of controuersie Beza vvould be bold to affirme for so he saith if the Grammarians would giue him leaue that * Annot. in Act. 2. v. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chebel vvith fiue points signifieth funem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is he vvould trāslate Solutis funibus mortis not Solutis doloribus inferni no lesse then Chebel vvith sixe points is he not vvonderfully set to mainteine his opiniō that wil change the nature of vvordes if he might for his purpose 35 If passiues must be turned into actiues and actiues into passiues participles disagree in case from their substantiues or rather be plucked and separated from their true substantiues soloecismes imagined vvhere the construction is most agreable errours diuised to creepe out of the margēt and such like vvho vvould so presume in the text of holy Scripture to haue al Grammar and vvordes and phrases and constructions at his commaundement but Beza his like for the aduantage of their cause See chap. 5. nu 6. and the numbers next folovving in this chapter 36 For example S. Peter saith Act. 3 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heauen must receiue Christ He translateth Christ must be conteined in heauen vvhich Caluin him self misliketh the Geneua English Bible is afraid to folovv Illyricus the Lutheran reprehendeth and yet M. Vvhitakers taketh the aduantage of this trāslation Pag. 43. to proue that Christs natural body is so conteined in heauen that it can not be vpon the altar For he knevv that this vvas his marsters purpose and intent in so translating This it is vvhen the blinde folovv the blinde yea rather vvhen they see and vvil be blinde for certaine it is I appeale to their greatest Graeciās that howsoeuer it be taken for good in their diuinitie it wil be esteemed most false in their Greeke scholes both of Oxford and Cābridge howsoeuer they may presume to translate the holy Scriptures after this sort surely no man no not them selues would so translate Demosthenes for sauing their credite and estimation in the Greeke tongue See chap. 17. nu 7.8.9 37 But there is yet vvorse stuffe behind to vvit the famous place Luc. 22. vvhere Beza translateth thus Hoc poculum nouum testamentū per meū sanguinē qui pro vobis funditur whereas in the Greeke in al copies vvithout exception he confesseth that in true Grammatical construction it must needes be said quod pro vobis funditur and therfore he saith it is either a plaine soloecophanes and according to that presumption he boldly translateth or a corruption crept out of the margent into the text And as for the vvord soloecophanes vve vnderstand him that he meaneth a plaine soloecisme and fault in grammar so doth M. Vvhitakers Pag. 34.35 but M. Fulke saith
conuersation be vvithout couetousnes and say not Let mariage be honorable in al and the bed vndefiled both being expressed a like by the Apostle and by vvay of exhortation as the rest that goeth before and folovveth See chap. 15. nu 15. 45 Are vve to suspicious thinke you Hebr. 5. v. 7. hovv can feare be trāslated that vvhich he feared * Beza Act. 26. v. 20. 2 Thes 2 3. repentance them that repent or amend their life tradition the doctrine deliuered temples shrines idols deuotions euery humane creature al ordinances of man foreknovvledge prouidence soul carcas hel graue altar temple table altar and such like 46 Vvhat caused these strange speaches in their English Bibles Psal 86 13. Bib. 1579. Thou shalt not leaue my soul in the graue Thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest graue A couetous mā is a worshipper of images By laying on of the hands of the Eldership Haile freely beloued SINNE lieth at the doore and thou shalt rule ouer HIM Breake of thy sinnes vvith righteousnes for Redeeme vvith almes Ielousie is cruel as the graue for as hel Cant. Cant. 8. Bib. an 1579. The greifes of the graue caught me Psal 116. And God vvil redeeme my soule from the povver of the graue Psal 48. O graue I vvil be thy destruction Os 13. and such like vvhat made Caluin so translate into Latin that if you turne it into English the sense is that God povvred vvater vpon vs aboundantly Tit. 3. meaning the holy Ghost vvhat els but because he vvould take avvay the necessitie of material vvater in Baptisme as in his commentarie and Bezas it is euident 47 I had meant to haue but breifely skimmed ouer these things but multitude of matter maketh me to long as it chaunceth to a man that vvadeth through myrie and foule places and yet the greatest demonstration that they are vvilful corrupters is behind vvhich only I vvil adde and for the rest referre the reader to the vvhole booke 48 Doubt you vvhether they translate of purpose and partialitie infauour of their opinions you shal heare them selues say so and protest it If I dealt vvith Lutherans this one testimonie of Luther vvere sufficient vvho being asked vvhy he added Tom. 2. fol. 405. edit Vvitteb an 1551. only into the text Ro. 3 ansvvered that he did it to explicate the Apostles sense more plainely that is to make the Apostle say more plainely that faith only iustified and his disciple Illyricus disputeth the matter that the Apostle saying by faith vvithout vvorkes The expresse testimonies of Beza vvhom the English Heretical translatiōs folow herein that he doth Wilfully and of purpose trāslate against such such Catholike assertions saith in deede only faith but because I deale rather vvith our English Caluinistes and Beza is their cheefe trāslatour a captaine amōg them whom they professe to folovv in the title of the new Test an 1580 and by the very name of their Geneua Bibles let vs see vvhat he saith 49 First concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhich the vulgar Latin and Erasmus translate Agite poenitentiam Repent or Doe penance This interpretation saith he I refuse for many causes but for this especially that many ignorat persons haue taken hereby an occasion of the false opinions of SATISFACTION vvherevvith the Church is troubled at this day Loe of purpose against satisfaction he vvil not translate the Greeke vvord as it ought to be and as it is proued to signifie both in this booke and in the Annotations vpon the nevv Testament Mat. 3. v. 8. A litle after speaking of the same vvord he saith vvhy I haue changed the name poenitentia I haue told a litle before * Loco supra citato protesting that he vvil neuer vse those vvordes but resipiscere and resipiscentia that is amendment of life because of their heresie that repentance is nothing els but a mere amendment of former life without recompense or satisfaction or penance for the sinnes before committed See chap. 13. 50 Againe concerning the vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iustifications vvhich in the Scripture very often signifie the commaundements he saith thus The Greeke interpreters of the Bible meaning the Septuaginta applied this vvord to signifie the vvhole Lavv of God Luc. 1. v. 6. and therfore commonly it is vvont to be translated vvord for vvord Iustificationes vvhich interpretation therfore only I reiected that I might take avvay this occasion also of cauilling against iustification by faith and so for iustificationes he putteth constituta Tullies word forsooth as he saith Can you haue a more plaine testimonie of his heretical purpose 51 Againe vvhen he had reiected this translation Act. 2. v. 27 Non derelinques animan meam in inferno Thou shalt not leaue my soule in Hel because as he saith herevpon grevve the errours of Christs descending into Hel of Limbus and of Purgatorie at length he concludeth thus Vvhereas the doubtful iuterpretation of one or tvvo vvordes hath brought forth so many monsters I chose rather * Loe hovv simply Anima carcas Infernus graue simply for foule to say carcas for hel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 3. v. 21. graue then to foster these foule errors 52 Againe vvhen he had translated for Vvhom heauen mustreceiue thus vvho must be conteined in heauen he saith vvhereas vve haue vsed the passiue kinde of speache rather then the actiue vvhich is in the Greeke vve did it to auoid al ambiguitie for it is very expedient that there should be in the Church of God this perspicuous testimonie against them that for ascending by faith into heauen so to be ioyned to our head obstinatly mainteine that Christ must be called againe out of heauen vnto vs. Meaning his presence in the B. Sacrament inueighing no lesse against the Lutherans then the Catholikes as the * Flac. Illyr Lutherās do here against him for this vvilful interpretatiō that by Caluins ovvne iudgement vvho thinketh it a forced translation 53 But Beza goeth forvvard stil in this kinde Ro. 5. v. 18. whereas Erasmus had put propagatum est indifferently both of Adams sinne vvhich made vs truely sinners and of Christs iustice vvhich maketh vs truely iust he reiecting it among other causes vvhy it displeased him saith That old errour of the Sophists meaning Catholikes vvhich for imputatiue iustice put an inherent qualitie in the place is so great and so execrable to al good men that I thinke nothing is so much to be auoided as it 54 These fevv examples proue vnto vs that the Scriptures translated verbatim exactly according to the proper vse and signification of the vvordes do by the Heretikes confession make for the Catholikes and therfore Beza saith he altereth the vvordes into other 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 allovv
him or folovv him vvhich are our English Caluinists and Bezites Many other vvaies there are to make most certaine proofe of their Wilfulnes as vvhen * Calu. Heb. 5 7 Tit. 3 6. Beza 2 Thessal 2 15. 1 6. the traÌ„slation is framed according to their false and heretical commentarie and When they vvil auouch their translations out of profane vvriters Homer Plutarch Plinie Tullie Virgil and Terence and reiect the Ecclesiastical vse of vvordes in the Scriptures and fathers vvhich Beza doth for the most part alvvaies but it vvere infinite to note al the markes and by these the vvise reader may conceiue the rest 55 But vvould you thinke that these men could notvvithstanding speake very grauely and honestly against voluntarie and vvilful translations of Scripture that so notoriously offend therein them selues Harken vvhat Beza saith against Castaleo and the like Annot. act 10. v. 46. The matter saith he is novv come to this point that the traslatours of Scripture out of the Greeke into Latin or into any other tongue thinke that they may lavvfully doe any thing in translating Vvhom if a man reprehend he shal be ansvvered by and by that they doe the office of a manslatour not that translateth vvord for vvord but that expresseth the sense So it commeth to passe that vvhiles euery man vvil rather freely folovv his ovvne iudgement then be a religious interpreter of the Holy Ghost he doth rather peruert many things then â—ranslate them Is not this vvel-said if he had done accordingly but doing the cleane contrarie as hath been proued he is a dissembling hypocrite in so saying a vvilful Heretike in so doing and condemned by his ovvne iudgement 56 But after this general vewe of their wilful purpose and heretical intention let vs examine their false translations more particularly and argue the case vvith them more at large presse them to ansvver vvhether in their coÌ„science it be so or no as hitherto is said and that by seueral chapters of such CONTROVERSIES as their corruptions concerne and first of al vvithout further curiositie vvhence to begin in cases so indifferent of TRADITIONS CHAP. II. Heretical translation of holy Scripture against Apostolical TRADITIONS 1 THIS is a matter of such importance that if they should graunt any traditions of the Apostles and not pretend the vvritten vvord only they knovv that by c See the annotations of the nevv Testament 2 Thess 2 15. such traditions mentioned in al antiquitie their religion vvere vvholy defaced and ouerthrovven for remedie vvhereof and for the defacing of al such traditions they bend their translations against them in this wonderful maner Vvheresoeuer the Holy Scripture speaketh against certaine traditions of the Ievves partly friuolous partly repugnant to the Lavv of God there al the English translations folovv the Greeke exactly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neuer omitting this vvord tradition Contrarievvise vvheresoeuer the holy Scripture speaketh in the commendation of Traditions to vvit such traditions as the Apostles deliuered to the Churche there al their said traÌ„slations agree not to folovv the Greeke vvhich is still the self same vvord but for traditions they translate ordinances or instructions Vvhy so and to vvhat purpose vve appeale to the vvorme of their conscience vvhich continually accuseth them of an heretical meaning vvhether by vrging the vvord traditions vvheresoeuer they are discommended and by suppressing the vvord vvheresoeuer they are commended their purpose and intent be not to signifie to the Reader that al traditions are naught none good al reprouable none allovvable 2 For example Mat. 15. Thus they translate Vvhy do thy disciples transgresse the TRADITION of the Elders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And againe Vvhy 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 vvarant you al the belles sound tradition and the vvord is neuer omitted and it is very vvel and honestly translated for so the Greeke vvord doth proprely signifie But novv on the other side concerning good traditions let vs see their dealing The Apostle by the self same vvord both in Greeke and Latin saith thus 2 Thes 2. v. 15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 traditiones 2 Thess 3 6. Therfore brethren stand hold fast the TRADITIONS vvhich you haue learned either by vvord or by our epistle And againe Vvithdraw your selues from euery brother walking inordinatly not according to the TRADITION vvhich they haue receiued of vs. 1 Cor. 11 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And againe according to the Greeke vvhich they professe to folovv I praise you brethren that in al things you are mindeful of me and as I haue deliuered vnto you you keepe my TRADITIONS 3 Here vve see plaine mention of S. Paules traditions and coÌ„sequently of Apostolical traditions yea and traditions by vvord of mouth deliuered to the said Churches vvithout vvriting or Scripture In al vvhich places looke gentle reader seeke al their English translations thou shalt * Yet M. Fulke saith it is found there pag. 153 against D. Sand. Rocke If he giue not vs an instance let him giue him self the lie not once finde the vvord tradition but in steede thereof ordinances instructions preachings institutions and any vvord els rather then tradition in so much that Beza their maister traÌ„slateth it traditam doctrinaÌ„ the doctrine deliuered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 putting the singular number for the plural adding doctrine of his ovvne so framing the text of holy Scripture according to his false coÌ„meÌ„tarie or rather putting his coÌ„meÌ„tarie in the text making it the text of Scripture Vvho would thinke their malice and partialitie against traditions vvere so great that they should al agree vvith one consent so duely and exactly in these and these places to coÌ„ceale the word vvhich in other places do so gladly vse it the Greeke vvord being al one in al the said places 4 Yea they doe els vvhere so gladly vse this vvord tradition vvhen it may tend to the discredite thereof that they put the said vvord in al their English Bibles vvith the like ful consent as before vvhen it is not in the Greeke at al. As vvhen they translate thus Col. 2.20 If ye be dead vvith Christ from the rudiments of the vvorld 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhy as though liuing in the vvorld ARE YE LEDDE VVITH TRADITIONS as an other * of the yere 1579. English translation of theirs readeth more heretically Vvhy are ye burdened vvith traditions Tel vs sincerely you that professe to haue skill in the Greeke to translate according to the Greeke tell vs vve beseche you vvhether this Greeke vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do signifie tradition and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be ledde or burdened vvith traditions You can not be ignorant that it doth not so signifie Col. 2 14. Ephes 2 15. 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but as a litle before in the same chapter in other places your selues translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinances decrees so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be as in the vulgar Latin it is Quid decernitis Vvhy do you ordaine or decree or vvhy are you ledde vvith decrees 5 Iustifie your translation if you can either out of Scriptures fathers or Lexicon and make vs a good reason vvhy you put the vvord traditions here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they translate ordinance and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tradition cleane contrarie vvhere it is not in the Greeke and vvould not put it in the places before vvhere you knovv it is most euidently in the Greeke Yea you must tel vs vvhy you translate for tradition ordinance and contrarie for ordinance tradition so turning catte in panne as they say at your pleasure and wresting both the one and the other to one end that you may make the very name of traditions odious among the people be they neuer so authentical euen from the Apostles vvhich your conscience knovveth and you shal ansvver for it at the dreadful day 6 Somevvhat more excusable it is but yet proceding of the same heretical humor and on your part that should exactly folovv the Greeke falsely translated vvhen you translate in S. Peters Epistle thus 1 Pet. 1 18. You vvere not redeemed vvith corruptible things from your vaine conuersation receiued by the tradition of the fathers Vvhere the Greeke is thus rather to be translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from your vaine conuersation deliuered by the fathers but your fingers itched to foist in the vvord tradition and for deliuered to say receiued because it is the phrase of the Catholike church that it hath receiued many things by tradition vvhich you vvould here controule by likenes of vvordes in this false translation 7 But concerning the vvord tradition you vvil say perhaps the sense thereof is included in the Greeke vvord deliuered Vve graunt but vvould you be content if vve should alvvaies expresly adde tradition vvhere it is so included then should vve say 1 Cor. 11 2. Tradidi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I praise you that as I haue deliuered you by tradition you keepe my precepts or traditions And againe v. 23. For I receiued of our Lord vvhich also I deliuered vnto you by tradition c. And Luc. 1. v. 2. As they by tradition deliuered vnto vs vvhich from the beginning savv c. and such like by your example vve should translate in this sort but vve vse not this licentious maner in trāslating holy Scriptures neither is it a translators part but an interpreters and his that maketh a commentarie neither doth a good cause neede other translation then the expresse text of the Scripture giueth 8 And if you vvil yet say that our vulgar Latin translation hath here the vvord tradition vve graunt it hath so and therfore vve also translate accordingly but you professe to translate the Greeke and not the vulgar Latin vvhich you in England condemne as Papistical and * Discouer of the Rocke pag. 147. say it is the vvorst of al though * Prefat in no. Test 1556. Beza your maister pronoūce it to be the very best and vvil you notvvithstanding folovv the said vulgar Latin rather then the Greeke to make traditions odious Yea such is your partialitie one vvay and inconstancie an other vvay that for your heretical purpose you are content to folovv the old Latin translation though it differ from the Greeke againe an other time you vvil not folovv it though it be al one vvith the Greeke most exactly as in the place before alleaged where the vulgar Latin trāslation hath nothing of traditions but Quid decernitis as it is in the Greeke you translate Vvhy are ye burdened vvith traditions Col. 2 20. 9 So that a blinde man may see you frame your translations to bolster your errours heresies without al respect of folovving sincerely either the Greeke or the Latin But for the Latin no maruel the Greeke at the least vvhy doe you not folovv 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is it the Greeke that induceth you to say ordināces for traditions traditions for decrees ordinances for iustifications Elder for Priest graue for hel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 image for idol tel vs before God and in your conscience vvhether it be because you wil exactly folow the Greeke nay tel vs truely and shame the Diuel vvhether the Greeke wordes do not sound and signifie most properly that vvhich you of purpose vvil not translate for disaduantaging your heresies And first let vs see concerning the question of Images CHAP. III. Heretical translation against sacred IMAGES 1 I BESECHE you vvhat is the next and readiest and most proper English of Idolum idololatra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idoloratria is it not Idol idolater idolatrie are not these plaine English vvordes and vvel knovven in our language Vvhy sought you further for other termes and vvordes if you had meant faithfully Vvhat needed that circumstance of three wordes for one vvorshipper of images Bib. 1577. Eph. 5. Col. 3. and vvorshipping of images vvhether I pray you is the more natural conuenient speache either in our English tōgue or for the truth of the thing to say as the holy Scripture doth Couetousnes is idolatrie and consequently The couetous man is an idolater or as you translate Couetousnes is vvorshipping of images and The couetous man is a vvorshipper of images The absurditie of this translation A couetous man is a Worshipper of images 2 Vve say commonly in English Such a riche man maketh his money his God and the Apostle saith in like maner of some Vvhose belly is their God Phil. 3. generally euery creature is our idol vvhen vve esteeme it so excedingly that vve make it our God but vvho euer heard in English that our money or bellie vvere our images and that by esteeming of them to much vve become vvorshippers of imāges Among your selues are there not some euen of your Superintendents of vvhom the Apostle speaketh that make an idol of their money and belly by couetousnes belly cheere Yet can vve not call you therfore in any true sense vvorshippers of images neither would you abide it You see then that there is a great difference betvvixt idol and image idolatrie and vvorshipping of images and euen so great difference is there betvvixt S. Paules vvordes and your translation 3. Vvil you see more yet to this purpose In the English Bible printed the yere 1562 you reade thus 2 Cor. 6. Hovv agreeth the Temple of God vvith images Can vve be ignorant of Satans cogitations herein that it vvas translated of purpose to delude the simple people and to make them beleeue that the Apostle speaketh against sacred images in the churches vvhich were then in plucking dovvne in England vvhen this your translation vvas first published
be translated an image as Tyrannus a king vvhich is very true both being absurd here he citeth many authors and dictionaries idly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to prooue that idolum may signifie the same that Image 15 But I beseeche you Sir if the dictionaries tel you that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may by the original propertie of the vvord signifie an image vvhich no man denieth do they tel you also that you may commonly and ordinarily translate it so as the common vsual signification thereof or do they tel you that image and idol are so al one that vvheresoeuer you finde this vvord image you may truely call it idol for these are the points that you should defend in your ansvver for an example do they teach you to translate in these places thus Rom. 8. imagini 1 Cor. 15. imaginem God hath predestinated vs to be made conformable to the idol of his sonne And againe As we haue borne the idol of the earthly Adam so let vs beare the idol of the heauenly CHRIST And againe Vve are transformed into the same idol euen as of our Lordes spirit 2 Cor. 3. Hebr. 10. And againe The Lavv hauing a shadovv of the good things to come not the very idol of the things And againe Christ vvho is the idol of the inuisible God Col. 1. 2 Cor. 4. Is this I pray you a true translation yea say you according to the propertie of the vvord but because the name of idols in the English tonge for the great dishonour done to God in vvorshipping of images is become odious no Christian man vvould say so 16 First note hovv folishly and vnaduisedly he speaketh here because he vvould confound images and idols make them falsely to signifie one thing vvhen he saith the name of idol is become odious in the English tongue because of vvorshipping of Images He should haue said The dishonour done to God in vvorshipping Idols made the name of Idols odious As in his ovvne exāple of Tyrant and king he meant to tel vs that Tyrant sometime vvas an vsual name for euery king and because certaine such Tyrants abused their povver therfore the name of Tyrant became odious for he vvil not say I trovv that for the fault of kings the name of Tyrant became odious Likevvise the Romanes tooke avvay the name of Manlius for the crime of one Mālius not for the crime of Iohn at Nokes or of any other name The name of Iudas is so odious that men novv commonly are not so called Vvhy so because he that betraied Christ vvas called Iudas not because he vvas also Iscariote The very name of Ministers is odious and contemptible vvhy because Ministers are so levvd vvicked vnlearned not because some Priests be naught Euen so the name of idol grevve to be odious because of the idols of the Gentiles not because of holy images For if the reuerence done by Christians to holy images vvere euill as it is not it should in this case haue made the name of images odious not the name of Idols But God be thanked the name of Images is no odious name among Catholike Christians but onely among heretikes Imagebreakers such as the second general Councel of Nice hath condemned therfore vvith the sentence of Anáthema No more then the Crosse is odious vvhich to al good Christians is honorable because our Sauiour Christ died on a Crosse 17 But to omit this mans extraordinarie and vnaduised speaches vvhich be to many and to tedious as when he saith in the same sentence Hovvsoeuer the name idol is grovven odious in the English tongue as though it vvere not also odious in the Latin Greeke tonges but that in Latin and Greeke a man might say according to his fond opinion Fecit honem ad idolum suum and so in the other places vvhere is imago to omit these rashe assertions I say and to returne to his other vvordes vvhere he saith that though the original propertie of the vvordes hath that signification yet no Christian man vvould say that God made man according to his idol no more then a good subiect vvould call his lavvful Prince a tyrant doth he not here tell vs that vvhich vve vvould haue to vvit that vve may not speake or trāslate according to the original propertie of the vvord but according to the cōmon vsual and accustomed signification thereof As vve may not translate Phalaris tyrannus Phalaris the king as sometime tyrannus did signifie and in auncient authors doth signifie but Phalaris the tyrant as novv this vvord tyrannus is commonly taken vnderstood Euen so vve may not novv translate My children keepe your selues from images as the vvord may and doth sometime signifie according to the original propertie thereof ab idolis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Io. 5. but vve must trāslate keepe yourselues from idols according to the common vse and signification of the vvord in vulgar speache and in the holy Scriptures Vvhere the Greeke vvord is so notoriously vsually peculiar to idols and not vnto images that the holy fathers of the second Nicene Councel vvhich knevv right vvel the signification of the Greeke vvord them selues being Graecians do pronounce Anáthema to al such as interpret those places of the holy Scripture that concerne idols of images or against sacred images as novv these Caluinists do not onely in their Commentaries vpon the holy Scriptures but euen in their translations of the text 18 This then being so that vvordes must be translated as their common vse and signification requireth Loco citato fo 35. if you aske your old question vvhat great crime of corruption is committed in translating keepe your selues from images the Greeke being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you haue ansvvered your self that in so translating idol image are made to signifie one thing vvhich may not be done no more then Tyrant and king can be made to signifie al one And hovv can you say then that this is no more absurditie then in steede of a Greeke vvord to vse a latin of the same signification Are you not here contrarie to your self Are idol and image tyrant and king of one significatiō said you not that in the English tonge idol is grovven to an other signification then image as tyrant is grovven to an other signification then king Your false translatiōs therfore that in so many places make idols and images al one not onely forcing the word in the holy Scriptures but disgracing the sentence thereby as Ephes 5. Col. 3 are they not in your owne iudgement very corrupt Eph. 5. A couetous mā is a vvorshipper of images and Col. 3. Couetousnes is Worshipping of images as your ovvne consciences must confesse of a malitious intent corrupted to disgrace thereby the Churches holy images by pretense of the holy Scriptures that speake onely of the Pagans idols 19 But of the vsual and original signification of vvordes
London according to the original propertie of it likevvise Episcopus a Greeke vvord in the original sense is euery ouerseer as Tullie vseth it and other profane vvriters but among Christians in Ecclesiastical speache it is a Bishop and no man vvil say My Lord ouerseer of London for my L. Bishop Likevvise vve say Seuen Deacons S. Steuen a Deacon no man vvill say Seuen Ministers S. Steuen a Minister although that be the original signification of the vvord Deacon but by Ecclesiastical vse appropriation being taken for a certaine degree of the Clergie so it soundeth in euery mans eare and so it must be translated As vve say Nero made many Martyrs not Nero made many vvitnesses and yet Martyr by the first originall propertie of the vvord is nothing els but a vvitnes Vve say Baptisme is a Sacrament not Vvashing is a Sacrament Yet Baptisme and vvashing by the first originall propertie of the vvord is all one 2 Novv then to come to our purpose such are the absurde translations of the English Bibles and altogether like vnto these Namely vvhen they translate congregation for Church Elder for Priest image for idol dissension for schisme General for Catholike secrete for Sacrament ouer-seer for Bishop c See chap. 15. nu 18. 3.4 chap. 21. nu messenger for Angel embassadour for Apostle minister for Deacon and such like to vvhat other end be these deceitfull translations but to conceale obscure the name of the Church and dignities thereof mentioned in the holy Scriptures to dissemble the vvord schisme as they do also * Gal. 5. Tit. 3. 1 Cor. 11. Bib. 1562. Heresie and Heretike for feare of disgracing their schismes and Heresies to say of Matrimonie neither Sacrament vvhich is the Latin nor mysterie which is the Greeke but to goe as far as they can possibly from the common vsual and Ecclesiastical vvordes Eph. 5. v. 32. saying This is a great secrete in fauour of their heresie that Matrimonie is no Sacrament 3 S. Paul saith as plaine as he can speake 1 Cor. 1. v. 10 I beseeche you brethren that you all say one thing and that there be no schismes among you They translate for schismes dissentions vvhich may be in profane and vvorldly things as vvell as in matters of religion but schismes are those that diuide the vnitie of the Church vvherof they knovv them selues guilty S. Paul saith as plainely as is possible Tit. 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 5. A man that is an Heretike auoid after the first and second admonition they translated in their Bible of the yere 1562 A man that is an authour of Sectes and vvhere the Greeke is Heresie reckened among damnable sinnes they say Sectes fauouring that name for their owne sakes and dissembling it as though the holy Scriptures spake not against Heresie or Heretikes Schisme or Schismatikes 4 As also they suppresse the very name Catholike vvhen it is expresly in the Greeke for malice tovvard Catholikes and Catholike religion because they knovv them selues neuer shal be called or knowē by that name An. 1562. 1577. And therfore theire tvvo English Bibles accustomed to be reade in theire church therfore by like most authenticall leaue it cleane out in the title of al those Epistles Euseb li. 2. Ec. hist c. 22 in fine 1579. which haue been knovven by the name of Catholicae Epistolae euer since the Apostles time and their later English Bible dealing somevvhat more honestly hath turned the word Catholike into General saying The General Epistle of Iames of Peter c. As if a man should say in his Creede I beleeue the general Church because he vvould not say the Catholike Church as the Lutheran Catechismes say for that purpose I beleeue the Christian Church Lind. in Dubitautio So that by this rule vvhen S. Augustine telleth that the maner vvas in cities vvhere there vvas libertie of religion to aske Qua itur ad Catholicam Vve must translate it Vvhich is the vvay to the General And vvhen S. Hierom saith If vve agree in faith vvith the B. of Rome ergo Catholicisumus vve must traslate it Then vve are Generals Is not this good stuff Are they not ashamed thus to inuert and peruert al vvordes against common sense and vse and reason Catholike and General or Vniuersal vve knovv is by the original propertie of the vvord al one but according to the vse of both as it is ridiculous to say A Catholike Councel for a general Councel so is it ridiculous and impious to say General for Catholike in derogation thereof and for to hide it vnder a bushel 5 Is it because they vvould folovv the Greeke Catholica that they turne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 general euen as iust as vvhen they turne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 image 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dissension 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secrete and such like vvhere they goe as far from the Greeke as they can vvill be glad to pretend for ansvver of their vvord secte that they folovv our Latin translation Alas poore shift for them that othervvise pretend nothing but the Greeke to be tried by that Latin vvhich them selues cōdemne But vve honour the said text and translate it sectes also as vve there finde it and as vve do in other places folovv the Latin text and take not our aduantage of the Greeke text because vve knovv the Latin translation is good also and sincere and approued in the Church by long antiquitie and it is in sense al one to vs vvith the Greeke but not so to them vvho in these daies of controuersie about the Greeke and Latin text by not folovving the Greeke vvhich they professe sincerely to follovv bevvray them selues that they do it for a malitious purpose CHAP. V. Heretical translation against the CHVRCH 1 AS they suppresse the name Catholike euen so did they in their first English bible the name of Church it self because at their first reuolt apostasie from that that vvas vniuersally knovven to be the onely true Catholike Church it vvas a great obiection against their schismatical procedings and it stucke much in the peoples consciences that they forsooke the Church and that the Church cōdemned them Vvherevpon very vvilely they suppressed the name Church in their English translation so Bib. 1562. that in al that Bible so lōg read in their cōgregatiōs we can not once finde the name thereof Ludge by these places vvhich seeme of most importance for the dignitie preeminence authoritie of the Church 2 Our Sauiour saith Mat. 16. Vpon this Rocke I vvil build my Church and the gates of Hel shal not preuaile against it They make him to say Vpon this rocke I wil build my cōgregation Againe Mat. 18. If he heare not them tel the Church and if he heare not the Church let him be to
is fulfilled Vvhat meane Graecian vvould not say as S. Chrysostom here expoūdeth this vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsing it passiuely 8 Yet saith Beza this is a forced interpretation because Xenophon forsooth Plato once perhaps in al their vvhole vvorkes vse it othervvise O heretical blindnes or rather stubburnenes that calleth that forced vvhich is most common and vsual and seeth not that his ovvne translatiō is forced because it is against the common vse of the vvord but no maruel For he that in other places thinketh it no forced interpretation Recipere to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be conteined Vvhich neither Xenophon nor Plato nor any Greeke author vvill allovv him to doe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carcas and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Animam Prescientiā Poenitentiā pouidence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them that amend their liues may much more in this place dissemble his forced interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But vvhy he should call S. Chrysostoms interpretation forced vvhich is the common vsual interpretation that hath no more reason then if a very theefe should say to an honest man Thou art a theefe and not I. 9 Is it forced Beza that Christ is filled al in al by the Church doth not S. Paul in the very next vvordes before call the Church the fulnes of Christ saying Eph. 1. Vvhich is the fulnes of him that is filled al in al If the Church be the fulnes of him then is he filled or hath his fulnes of the Church so that he is not a maimed head vvithout a body This would S. Paul say if you vvould giue him leaue and this he doth say vvhether you vvill or no. But vvhat is the cause that they vvil not suffer the Apostle to say so because saith Beza Christ needeth no such complement And if he neede it not then may he be vvithout a Church and consequently it is no absurditie if the Church hath been for many yeres not only inuisible but also not at all Vvould a man easily at the first imagine or conceiue that there vvere such secrete poison in their translation 10 Againe it commeth from the same puddle of Geneua Bib. 1579. that in their bibles so called the English Bezites translate against the vnitie of the Catholike Church For vvhereas them selues are ful of sectes and dissensions and the true Church is knovven by vnitie and hath this marke giuen her by Christ him self Cant. 6. v. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vvhose person Salomon speaking saith Vnaest columba mea that is One is my doue or My doue is one therfore in steede hereof the foresaid bible saith My doue is alone Neither Hebrue not Greeke vvord hauing that signification but being as proper to signifie one as Vnus in latin 11 But vve beseeche euery indifferent Reader euen for his soules health to consider that one point specially before mentioned of their abandoning the name of Church for so many yeres out of their English Bibles thereby to defeate the strongest argument that might and may possibly be brought against them and all other Heretikes to vvit the authoritie of the Church vvhich is so many vvaies and so greatly recommended vnto all Christians in holy Scriptures consider I pray you vvhat a malitious intētion they had herein First that the name Church should neuer found in the common peoples eares out of the Scriptures secondly that as in other things so in this also it might seeme to the ignorant a good argument against the authoritie of the Church to say Vve sinde not this vvord Church in al the holy Scriptures For as in other articles they say so because they finde not the expresse word in the holy scripture so did they vvell prouide that the vvord Church in the holy Scriptures should not stay or hinder their schismaticall and hereticall procedings as long as that vvas the onely English translation that vvas read and liked among the people that is so long till they had by preaching taken avvay the Catholike Churches credite and authoritie altogether among the ignorant by opposing the Scriptures therevnto vvhich them selues had thus falsely translated CHAP. VI. Heretical translation against PRIEST and PRIESTHOD 1 BVT because it may be they vvill stand here vpon their later translations vvhich haue the name Church because by that time they savv the absurditie of changing the name now their number vvas increased thēselues began to chalēge to be the true Church though not the Catholike and for former times vvhen they vvere not they deuised an inuisible Church If then they vvill stand vpon their later trāslations and refuse to iustifie the former let vs demaund of them concerning al their English translations vvhy and to vvhat end they suppresse the name Priest translating it Elder in al places vvhere the holy Scripture vvould signifie by Presbyter and Presbyterium the Priests and Priesthod of the nevv Testament 2 Vnderstand gentle Reader their vvylie pollicie therein is this To take avvay the holy sacrifice of the Masse they take avvay both altar and Priest because they knovv right vvell that these three Priest sacrifice and altar are dependents and consequents one of an other so that they can not be separated If there be an external sacrifice there must be an external Priesthod to offer it an altar to offer the same vpon so had the Gentiles their sacrifices Priests and altars so had the Ievves so Christ him self being a Priest according to the order of Melchisedec had a sacrifice his body and an altar his Crosse vpon the vvhich he offered it And because he instituted this sacrifice to continue in his Church for euer in commemoration and representation of his death therfore did he vvithal ordaine his Apostles Priests at his last supper there then instituted the holy order of Priesthod and Priests saying hocfacite Doe this Luc. c. 22. v. 19. to offer the self same sacrifice in a mystical and vnblouddy maner vntil the vvorldes end 3 To defeate al this and to take avvay all external Priesthod and sacrifice they by corrupt translation of the holy Scriptures make them cleane dumme as though they had not a word of any such Priests or Priesthod as vve speake of Their Bibles vve graunt haue the name of Priests very often but that is vvhen mention is made either of the Priests of the Ievves or of the Priests of the Gentiles specially vvhen they are reprehended and blamed in the holy Scriptures and in such places our Aduersaries haue the name Priests in there translations to make the very name of Priest odious amonge the common ignorant people Againe they haue also the name Priests vvhen they are taken for all maner of men vvomen or children that offer internal and spiritual sacrifices vvhereby our Aduersaries vvould falsely signifie that there are no other Priests Vvhitakers p. 199. as one of them of late freshly auoucheth directly against S.
Augustine vvho in one breife sentence distinguisheth Priests proprely so called in the Church and Priests as it is a common name to al Christians Lib. 20 de Ciuit. Dei cap. 10. This name then of Priest Priesthod proprely so called as S. Augustine faith which is an order distinct from the laitie vulgar people ordained to offer Christ in an vnbloudy maner in sacrifice to his heauenly father for vs to preach and minister the Sacraments to be the Pastors of the people they vvholy suppresse in their translations and in al places vvhere the holy Scripture calleth them Presbyteros there they neuer translate Priests but Elders and that they do obserue so duely and so vvarily and vvith so full and generall consent in al their English Bibles as the Puritans do plainely cōfesse See the puritans replie pag. 159. and vvhitgifts defence against the Puritans pag. 722. M. vvhitgift denieth it not that a man vvould vvonder to see hovv carefull they are that the people may not once heare the name of any such Priest in all the holy Scriptures 4 As for example in theire translations vvhen there fel a questiō about circūcision They determined that Paul and Barnabas should goe vp to Hierusalem vnto the Apostles and ELDERS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presbyteros about this question Act. 15. And againe They vvere receiued of the * The later Bibles read Church congregation and of the Apostles and ELDERS Againe The Apostles Elders came together to reason of this matter Againe Then pleased it the Apostles and Elders vvith the vvhole cōgregation to send c. Againe The Apostles and Elders and brethren send greating c. Againe They deliuered them the decrees for to keepe that vvere ordained of the Apostles and ELDERS Act. 16. If in al these places they had translated Priests as in deede they should haue done according to the Greeke vvord it had then disaduantaged them this much that men vvould haue thought both the dignitie of Priests to be great also their authoritie in Councels as being here ioyned vvith the Apostles to be greatly reuerenced obeied To keepe the people from all such holy and reuerent cogitatiōs of Priests they put Elders a name vvherevvith our holy Christian forefathers eares vvere neuer acquainted in that sense 5 But let vs goe forvvard Vve haue heard often of old time of making of Priests and of late yeres also of making Ministers but did ye euer heare in al England of making Elders Yet by these mens translations it hath been in England a phrase of Scripture this thirtie yere but it must needes be very strāge that this making of elders hath not al this vvhile been practised knovvē no not among them selues in any of their churches vvithin the realme of England To Titus they make the Apostle say thus Tit. 1. For this cause left I thee in Creta that thou shouldest ordaine ELDERS in euery citie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presbyteros c. Againe of Paul and Barnabas Vvhen they had ordained Elders by election in euery * Bib. an 1562. congregation Act. 14. If they had said plainely as it is in the Greeke as our forefathers vvere vvont to speake and the truth is Titus vvas leaft in Creta to ordaine Priests in euery citie and Paul and Barnabas made Priests in euery Church then the people vvould haue vnderstood them they know such speaches of old and it had been their ioy and comfort to heare it specified in holy Scriptures Novv they are told another thing in such nevvnesse of speaches and vvordes of Elders to be made in euery citie congregation and yet not one citie nor cōgregation to haue any Elders in all England that vve knovv not vvhat is prophane noueltie of vvordes 1 Tim. 6. vvhich the Apostle vvilleth to be auoided if this be not an exceding profane noueltie 6 That it is noueltie to all English Christian eares it is euident And it is also profane because they do so English the Greeke vvord of ordaining for of the vvord Presbyter vve vvill speake more anone as if they should trāslate Demosthenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 14. or the lawes of Athens concerning their choosing of Magistrates vvhich vvas by giuing voices vvith liftīg vp their hands so do they force this vvord here to induce the peoples election yet in their churches in Englād the people elect not ministers but their bishop vvhereas the holy Scripture saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they ordained to the people and vvhatsoeuer force the vvord hath it is here spoken of the Apostles and pertaineth not to the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 1. and therfore in the place to Titus it is another vvord vvhich cannot be forced further then to ordaine appoint And they might knovv if malice and Heresie vvould suffer them to see and confesse it that the holy Scriptures and fathers and Ecclesiastical custome hath dravven this the like wordes from their profane common signification to a more peculiar and Ecclesiastical speache as Episcopus an ouerseer in Tullie is a Bishop in the nevv Testament 7 And concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhich vve novv speake of S. Hierom telleth them in c. 58. Esai that it signifieth Clericorum ordinationem that is geuing of holy orders vvhich is done not onely by praier of the voice Greg. Naziā in titul Ser. 1.4.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. ep 10. saith of Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by imposition of the hand according to S. Paul vnto Timothee Manus citò nemini imposueris Impose or put hands quickly on no man that is be not hastie or easie to giue holy orders Where these great etymologistes that so straine the original nature of this vvord to profane stretching forth the hand in elections may learne an other Ecclesiastical etymologie thereof as proper and as vvel deduced of the vvord as the other to vvit putting forth the hand to giue orders so they shal finde it is al one with that vvhich the Apostle calleth imposition of hands 1 Tim. 4. 2 Tim. 1 and consequently for ordaining Elders by election they should haue said ordaining or making Priests by imposition of hands as els vvhere S. Paul 1 Tim. 5. and the Actes of the Apostles Act. 6. and 13. do speake in the ordaining of the seuen Deacons and of SS Paul and Barnabas 8 But they are so profane and secular that they translate the Greeke vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in al the nevv Testament as if it had the old profane signification still vvere indifferent to signifie the auncients of the Ievves the Senatours of Rome the elders of Lacedemonia and the Christian Clergie in so much that they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church Act. 20 and yet they vvere such as had their
vvould ful gladly auoid hereby namely the Catholike true doctrine of limbus patrum and Purgatorie Vvhat neede vve say more he translateth animam a Carcasse so calling our sauiour Christs body irreuerently vvickedly he translateth infernum graue 3 Neede vve take any great labour to proue this to be a foule corruption or that it is done purposely vvhen he confesseth that he thus trāslateth because els it vvould serue the Papists Vvhich is as much to say as the vvord of God if it be truly and sincerely trāslated maketh in deede for them For the first part vve vvill not stand vpon it partly because it is of it self most absurd and they are ashamed of it partly because it shall suffise to confute Beza that tvvo other as famous heretikes as he Castalio Flaccus Illyricus vvrite against him in this point and cōfute him partly also because vve speake not here vniuersally of al heretical trāslations but of the English corruptions specially therefore vve may only note here hovv gladly they also vvould say somevvhat els for soule euen in the text if they durst for shame for in the margent of that English translation Bib. an 1579 they say or life or person there by aduertising the Reader that he may reade thus if it please him Thou shalt not leaue my life in the graue or Thou shalt not leaue my person As though either mans soule or life vvere in the graue or anima might be translated person vvhich the self same English Bible doth not Act. 7. v. 14. no not in those places vvhere it is euident that it signifieth the vvhole person For though this vvord soule by a figure is sometime taken for the whole man yet euen there they doe not nor must not trāslate it otherwise then soule because our tonge beareth that figure as vvell as Latine Greeke or Hebrue but here vvhere it can not signifie the vvhole person it is vvicked to translate it so 4 But as for the vvord graue that they put boldly in the text to signifie that hovvsoeuer you interprete soule or vvhatsoeuer you put for it it is not meāt according to S. August the faith of the whole Catholike Church that his soule descended into Hel vvhiles his body vvas in the graue but that his soule also was in the graue hovvsoeuer that is to be vnderstood So making it a certaine and resolute conclusion that the holy Scripture in this place speaketh not of Christs being in Hel but in the graue and that according to his soule or life or person or as Beza vvill haue it His Carcasse or body and so his soule in Hel as the holy Scripture speaketh shal be his body in the graue as Beza plainely speaketh See Vigors sermōs pag. 110. 115. deinceps and the Bezites couertly insinuate and vvhite shal be blacke and chaulke shal be cheese and euery thing shal be any thing that they wil haue it And al this their euident false translation must be to our miserable deceiued poore soules the holy Scripture and Gods vvord 5 Vvhere vve can not but maruel vvhy they are afraid to translate the vvordes plainely in this place of his soule being in Hel Vvvhereas in the Creede they admit the vvords and interprete them that by suffering Hel paines vpon the Crosse so he descended into Hel and no othervvise Vvhy did they not here also keepe the vvordes for the credit of their translation and aftervvard if they would needes giue them that glose for maintenance of their heresie This mysterie vve knovv not and vve vvould gladly learne it of the Puritan Caluinists vvhose English translation perhaps this is for the grosser Caluinists being not so pure and precise in folovving Caluine as the Puritans be that haue vvel deserued that name aboue their fellovves they in their other English Bibles haue in this place discharged thē selues of false translatiō Bib. an 1562. and 1577. saying plainely Thou shalt not leaue my soule in Hel. But * See lind dubit pa. 19. in vvhat sense they say so it is very hard to gesse perhaps them selues can not tell yet vvhat to make of it as appeareth by M. Vvhitakers ansvver to F. Campion Vvhitak pag. 165. M. Hues B. of S. Asaph in Vvalles And he is novv called a Bishop among them and proceeded Doctor in Oxford that could not obtaine his grace to proceede Doctor in Cambridge because he preached Christes descending into Hel and the Puritans in their second admonition to the Parliament pag. 43. crie out against the politike Caluinists for that in the Creede of the Apostles made in English meeter song openly in their Churches in these vvordes His spirit did after this descend into the lovver partes to them that long in darkenes vvere the true light of their hartes they fauour his descending into Hel very much and so consequently may thereby build Limbus Patrum and Purgatorie And the Puritans in their second replie against M. Whitegifts defense pag. 7. reprehend one of their chefest Caluimstical martyrs for affirming as they tearme it a grosse descēding of our Sauiour Christ into Hel. Thus the Puritanes cōfesse plainely their heretical doctrine against Christs descending into Hel. 6 The truth is hovvsoeuer the politike Caluinists speake or write in this point more plausibly and couertly to the people and more agreably to the Article of our faith then either Caluine or their earnest brethren the Puritans doe vvhich vvrite and speake as phantastically and madly as they thinke yet neither doe they beleeue this Article of the Apostles Creede or interpret it as the Catholike Church and auncient holy fathers alvvaies haue done neither can it stand vvith their nevv profession so to doe or vvith their English translations in other places It can not stand vvith their profession for then it vvould folovv that the Patriarches and other iust men of the old Testament vvere in some third place of rest called Abrahams bosome or Limbus Patrum til our Sauiour Christ descended thither deliuered them from thence vvhich they deny in their doctrine though they sing it in their meeters Neither can it stand vvith their English translations because in other places vvhere the holy Scriptures euidently speake of such a place calling it Hel because that vvas a common name for euery place and state of soules departed in the old Testamēt til our Sauiour Christ by his Resurrection and Ascension had opened heauē there for Hel they translate Graue 7 As vvhen Iacob saith Gen. 37. Descendam ad filium meum lugens in infernum I vvil goe dovvne to my sonne into Hel mourning they translate I vvil goe dovvne into the graue vnto my sonne mourning as though Iacob thought that his sonne Ioseph had been buried in a graue vvhereas Iacob thought and said immediatly before as appeareth in the holy Scripture that a vvilde beast had deuoured him and so could not be presumed to be in any graue or as
place Let death come vpon them and let them go dovvne into Hel aliue Thus far S. Hierom. 19 By vvhich differences of death and Hel vvhereof vve must often aduertise the Reader are meant tvvo things death and the going dovvne of the soule into some receptacle of Hel in that state of the old Testament at vvhat time the holy Scriptures vsed this phrase so often Novv these impudent trāslators in al these places translate it graue Bib. 1579. of purpose to confound it and death together to make it but one thing vvhich S. Hierom shevveth to be different in the very same sense that vve haue declared 20 But alas is it the very nature of the Hebrue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Infernus Greeke or Latin that forceth them so much to English it graue rather then Hell vve appeale to all Hebricians Grecians and Latinists in the vvorld first if a man would aske vvhat is Hebrue or Greeke or Latin for Hel vvhether they vvould not ansvver these three vvordes as the very proper wordes to signifie it euen as Panis signifieth bread secondly if a man vvould aske vvhat is Hebrue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sepulchrum or Greeke or Latin for a graue vvhether they vvould ansvver these vvordes and not three other vvhich they knovv are as proper vvordes for graue as lac is for milke 21 Yea note consider diligently vvhat vve vvill say let them shevv me out of al the Bible one place vvhere it is certaine agreed among all that it must needes signifie graue let them shevv me in any one such place that the holy Scripture vseth any of those former three vvordes for graue As vvhen Abraham bought a place of burial vvhether he bought Infernum Gen. c. 49. or vvhen it is said the kings of Israel vvere buried in the monuments or sepulchres of their fathers vvhether it say in infernit patrum suorum So that not onely Diuines by this obseruation but Grammatians also and children may easily see that the proper and children may easily see that the proper and natural signification of the said vvordes is in English Hel and not graue Annot. in Act. 2 25.27 in 1 Cor. 15 55. 22 And therfore Beza doth strangely abvse his Reader more then in one place saying that the Hebrue word doth properly signifie graue being deduced of a verbe that signifieth to craue or aske because it craueth alvvaies nevv coarses as though the graue craued moe then Hel doth Bib. 1579. Prouer. 1 12.3 15.16 or vvallovved moe or vvere more hardly satisfied and filled then Hel for in al such places they translate graue And in one such place they say Prou. 27 30. The graue and destruction can neuer be full Vvhereas them selues a litle before translate the very same vvordes cap. 15 11. Hel and destruction and therfore it might haue pleased them to haue said also Hel and destruction can neuer be full Bib. 1562. 1577. Prouerb 1. 1 Pet. 5. as their pevv-follovves doe in their translation againe Vve shal svvalovv them vp like Hel. The Diuel vve reade goeth about continually like a roaring lion seeking vvhom he may deuoure Vvho is called in the Apocalypse Abaddon Apoc. 9 11. that is destruction and so very aptly Hel and destruction are ioyned together and are truely said neuer to be filled Vvhat madnesse and impudencie is it then for Beza to vvrite thus Beza before alleaged Vvho is ignorant that by the Hebrue word rather is signified agraue for that it seemeth after a sort to craue alvvaies nevv carcasses 23 And againe concerning our Sauiour Christes descending into Hel and deliuering the fathers from thence it is maruel saith Beza Annot. in 2 Act. v. 24. that the most part of the auncient fathers vvere in this errour vvhereas vvith the Hebrues the vvord SHEOL signifieth nothing els but GRAVS Before he pleaded vpon the etymologie or nature of the vvord novv also he pleadeth vpon the authoritie of the Hebrues them selues If he vvere not knovven to be very impudent and obstinate vve vvould easily mistrust his skil in the Hebrue saying that among the Hebrues the vvord signifieth nothing els but graue nihil aliud 24 I vvould gladly knovv vvhat are those Hebrues doth not the Hebrue text of the holy Scripture best tell vs the vse of this vvord Do not them selues translate it Hel very often do not the Septuaginta alvvaies If any Hebrue in the vvorld vvere asked hovv he vvould turne these vvordes into Hebrue Similes estis sepulchris de albatis you are like to vvhited graues And Sepulchrum eius apud vos est His graue is among you vvould any Hebrue I say translate it by this Hebrue vvord vvhich Beza saith among the Hebrues signifieth nothing els but graue Sheolim Sheol Aske your Hebrue Readers in this case and see vvhat they vvill ansvver 25 Vvhat are those Hebrues then The Protestants in interpretation of Scriptures folovv the late Ievves rather then the aūciēt fathers Apostolical church that Beza speaketh of forsooth certaine Ievves or later Rabbines vvhich as they do falsely interprete al the holy Scriptures against our Sauiour Christ in other pointes of our beleefe as against his Incarnatiō Death Resurrection so do they also falsely interprete the holy Scriptures against his descending into Hel vvhich those Ievvish Rabbines deny because they looke for an other Messias that shal not die at all and consequently shal not after his death go dovvne into Hel and deliuer the fathers expecting his cōming as our Sauiour Christ did and therfore those Ievvish Rabbines hold as the Heretikes doe that the fathers of the old Testament vvere in heauen before our Sauiour Christs Incarnatiō these Rabbines are they vvhich also peruert the Hebrue vvord to the signification of graue in such places of the holy Scriptures as speake either of our Sauiour Christes descending into Hel or of the fathers going dovvne into Hel euen in like maner as they peruert other Hebrue vvordes of the holy Scripture as namely alma to signifie a yong vvoman Esa 7. not a virgin against our Sauiours birth of the B. Virgin Marie 26 And if these later Rabbines be the Hebrues that Beza meaneth and vvhich these gay English trāslatours folow vve lament that they ioyne them selues vvith such cōpanions being the svvorne enemies of our Sauiour Christ Surely the Christian Hebrues in Rome and els vvhere vvhich of great Rabbines are become zealous doctors of Christianitie and therfore honour euery mysterie and article of our Christian faith concerning our Sauiour Christ they dispute as vehemently against those other Rabbines as we doe against the Heretikes and among other things they tell them that Soul said 1 Reg. 28. Raise me vp Samuël and that the vvoman said I see gods ascending out of the earth An old man is ascended or come vp and that Samuël said Vvhy hast thou disquieted me that I should
be raised vp and To morovv thou and thy sonnes shal be vvith me And the booke of Ecclesiasticus saith Eccl. 46.23 that Samuël died and aftervvard lifted vp his voice out of the earth c. Al vvhich the holy Scripture would neuer haue thus expressed vvhether it vvere Samuël in deede or not if Saul and the Ievves then had beleeued that their Prophets and Patriarches had been in heauen aboue And as for the Hebrue vvord they make it as euery boy among the Ievves doth vvell knovv as proper a vvord for Hel as panis is for bread and as vnproper for a graue though so it may be vsed by a figure of speache as Cymba Charontis is Latin for death 27 But vvhat speake I of these do not the greatest and most auncient Rabbines so to cal them the Septuaginta alvvaies translate the Hebrue vvord by the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Geneb li. 3. de Trin. vvhich is proprely hel do not the Talmudistes and Chaldee paraphrases and Rabbi Salomon Iarhi handling these places of the Psalmes He vvil deliuer my soule from the hand of Sheol interpret it by Gehinum that is Gehenna hel and yet the Caluinistes bring this place for an example that it signifieth graue likevvise vpon this place Let al sinners be turned into SHEOL the foresaid Rabbines interpret it by Gehinum hel In so much that in the Prouerbes and in Iob it is ioyned vvith Abaddō Prouerb 15. Iob. 26. Vvhere Rabbi Leui according to the opinion of the Hebrues expoundeth Sheol to be the lovvest region of the vvorld a deepe place opposite to heauen vvhereof it is vvritten If I descended into Hel thou art present so doth Rabbi Abraham expound the same vvord in chap. 2. Ionae 28 This being the opinion and interpretation of the Hebrues See the skil or the honestie of Beza saying that Sheol vvith the Hebrues signifieth nothing but graue Wheras in deede to speake skilfully vprightly and not contentiously it may signifie graue sometime secondarily but Hel principally and proprely as is manifest for that there is no other vvord so often vsed and so familiar in the Scriptures to signifie Hel as this and for that the Septuaginta doe alvvaies interprete it by the Greeke vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 29 The vvhich Greeke vvord is so notorious and peculiar for Hel that the Pagans vse it also for Pluto vvhom they feined to be god of hel and not god of graues and if they vvould stand vvith vs in this point vve might beate them with their ovvne kinde of reasoning out of Poëres profane vvriters and out of all lexicons Vnles they vvill tel vs contrarie to their custom that vve Christians must attend the Ecclesiastical vse of this vvord in the Bible and in Christian vvriters Annot. in Act. 2 27. and that in them it signifieth graue For so Beza seemeth to say that the Greeke Interpreters of the Bible translated the Hebrue vvord aforesaid by this Greeke vvord as signifying a darke place vvhereas the Greeke Poëtes vsed it for that vvhich the Latines called Inferos that is Hel. Vvhich ambiguitie saith he of the vvord made many erre affirming Christes descending into Hel. So vvas LIMBVS builded vvherevnto aftervvard Purgatorie vvas laid 30 I see Beza his vvylines very vvell in this point for here the man hath vttered al his hart and the vvhole mysterie of his craftie meaning of this corrupt translation that to auoide these three things Christs descending into Hel Limbus patrum and Purgatorie he and his companions vvrest the foresaid vvordes of the holy Scriptures to the signification of graue But let the indifferēt christian reader onely consider Beza his ovvne vvordes in this place point by point 31 First he saith that the Greeke Poëtes vvere vvont to vse the Greeke vvord for Hel secondly that they vvhich interpreted the Bible out of Hebrue into Greeke vsed the very same vvord for that Hebrue vvord vvhereof vve haue novv disputed thirdly that the aūcient fathers for of them he speaketh ibid. v. 24. as a litle before he expresseth vnderstood the said Greeke vvord for Hel and thereby grevve to those errours as he impudently affirmeth of Christes descending into Hel of the place in Hel vvhere the father 's rested expecting the comming of our Sauiour c. Vvhereby the Reader doth easily see that both the profane and also the Ecclesiastical vse of the vvord is for Hel and not for graue Infernus inferi 32 And for the Latin vvord it is the like case for al the vvorld if a man vvill aske but his childe that cōmeth from the Grammar vvhat is Infernus he vvil say Hel and not graue vvhat is Latin for graue He vvil ansvver Sepulchrum or monumentum but neuer Infernus vnles one of these Caluinisticall Translatours taught him so to deceiue his father 33 Novv then to dravv to a conclusion of this their corruption also in their English translation vvhereas the Hebrue and Greeke and Latin vvordes do most properly and vsually signifie Hel and both Greeke and Latin interpreters precisely in euery place vse for the Hebrue vvord that one Greeke vvord and that one Latin vvord vvhich by al custom of speaking vvriting signifie Hel c If they obiect vnto vs some Catholikes that translate it Sepulchrum as they doe it is a fault in them also but so far lesse then in the Protestāts as chaūce medley is in respect of vvilful mur it had been the part of sincere and true meaning translatours to 07 haue translated it also in English alvvaies by the vvord Hel and aftervvard to haue disputed of the meaning thereof vvhether and vvhen it is to be taken for Hel or graue or lake or death or any such thing as in one place they haue done it very exactly and indifferently namely vvhen Ionas saith c. 2. v. 2. out of the vvhales belly Out of the belly of Hel cried I and thou beardest my voice so al translate it and vvell vvhatsoeuer it signifie in this place They thinke that Hel here signifieth nothing els but the vvhales belly and the affliction of Ionas and so the vvord may signifie by a Metaphorical speach as vvhen vve say in English It is a Hel to liue thus and * See their marginal annot Ionae 2 2. Bib. 1577. therfore no doubt they did here translate it so to insinuate that in other places it might as vvel signifie graue as here the vvhales belly 34 But then they should haue translated it also Hel in other places as they did in this and aftervvard haue interpreted it graue in their commentaries and not presumptuously to straiten and limite the vvord of the holy Ghost to their priuate sense and interpretation to preiudice the auncient and learned holy fathers vvhich looke far more deepely and spiritually into this prophecie then to Ionas or the vvhale * Mat. 12. our Sauiour him self also applying it to his ovvne person
and to his being in the hart of the earth three daies and three nightes And therfore S. Hierom saith Comment in 2. Ionae This belly of Hel according to the storie is the vvhales belly but it may much better be referred to the person of Christ vvhich vnder the name of Dauid Psal 15. In inferno Psal 87. singeth in the Psalme Thou shalt not leaue my soul in Hel Vvho vvas in Hel aliue and free among the dead And that vvhich our Sauiour saith The Sonne of man shal be in the hart of the earth he doth interprete of his soule in Hel. for as the hart is in the middes of the body so is Hel said to be in the middes of the earth 35 Thus then presupposing as vve must that Ionas speaketh in the person of our Sauiour Christ the principal sense is not of the vvhales belly but of that hel vvhither our Sauiour Christ descended and from vvhēce he deliuered the fathers of the old Testament him self ascending into heauen as their kinge and general capitaine before them and opening the vvay of heauen vnto them Mich. 2.13 as is signified in an other prophet and vvas the first that entred heauen 36 Against al vvhich truthes and euery point thereof these translatours are so vvatcheful and vvarie Heb. 10 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 initianit that vvhere the Apostle saith Christ began and dedicated vnto vs the vvay into heauen they say in their English translations vvith full consent nothing els but He prepared Vvhy are they falser here then their Maisters Caluin Beza Illyricus vvho reade Dedicauit Is there nothing in the Greeke vvord but bare preparation where be these etymologistes now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that can straine and vvring other vvordes to the vttermost aduantage of their heresie and here are content for the like aduantage to dissemble the force of this vvord vvhich by all vse and propretie signifieth to make nevv to begin a thing to be the first author to dedicate Aug. tract 48. in Ioan. as S. Augustine might haue taught them and their lexicōs and the Scriptures in many places This translatiō no doubt is not done sincerely and indifferently of them but for their ovvne deceitfull purpose as is al the rest Vvhen S. Paul speaketh of preparation only they knovv right vvel that he vseth the vsual vvord to prepare as Heb. 11 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath prepared them a citie and vvheresoeuer is signified preparation only let them bring vs one example vvhere it is expressed by the other Greeke vvord vvhich novv vve speake of 37 But it is of more importance vvhich folovveth and apparteining altogether to this controuersie Hebr. Of the yere 1577. 5. v. 7. your translation is thus in the very English bible that novv is reade in your Churches Against Christes descending into Hel. Vvhich in daies of his flesh offered vp praiers vvith strong crying vnto him that vvas able to saue him from death vvas heard in that vvhich he feared Is the Greeke here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In that vvhich he feared You knovv that no grammar nor lexicon doth allovv you this trāslation but either thus for reuerence or as one of your ovvne English Bibles hath it because of his reuerence 38 Hovv is it then that in your later English bibles you chāged your former translatiō from better to worse Exmetn or vvho taught you so to trāslate it forsooth the Heretike Beza vvhose translation you folow for the most part in your later bibles though here in sense rather then in vvord And vvho taught Beza he saith Caluin vvas the first that euer found out this interpretatiō And vvhy surely for defense of no lesse blasphemie then this that our Sauiour IESVS Christ vpon the Crosse was horribly afraid of damnation Calu. Catech. Institut Fi. 2. c. 16. that he vvas in the very sorovves and torments of the damned and that this vvas his descending into Hel and that othervvise he descended not let the Reader note these nevv teachers vpon this place and iudge to vvhat vvicked end this translation tendeth 39 A vvonderful thing vvhen all antiquitie vvith a general full cōsent hath in that place of the holy Scripture read thus that Christ vvas heard of his father for his reuerence accordīg as our Sauiour him self also saith in the raising of Lazarus Io. 11 42. and signifieth in his long praier Io. 17 hovv a blasphemous and presumptuous Heretike should be so malapert thus to alter it that he vvas heard in that vvhich he feared that is that he vvas deliuered from damnation and the eternall paines of Hel vvhich he vvas sore afraid of To the maintenance of which blasphemie Beza vvill seeme to force the Greeke thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not here signifie reuerence or pietie but feare and such a feare vvhich he calleth pauorem consternationem animi that is dreadfulnes and astonishment of minde and other like vvordes to insinuate an exceding horrour and feare in our Sauiour Christ for confutation vvherof vve might easily bring the common vse of this Greeke word in the holy Scriptures to signifie not euery feare but that religious feare vvhich is in the best men ioyned vvith godlines holines and deuotion as vvhen in the Actes they that buried S. Steuen Act 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are called Viri timorati deuout men such as feared God 40 But vve neede not go far for Beza vvill helpe vs him self vvho telleth vs in an other place the very same his vvordes be these Annot. in Luc. 2. v. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat non quemuis timorem sed cum reuerentia potius quà m cum animi trepidatione coniunctum latini religionem vocant that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie euery feare but that vvhich is ioyned vvith reuerence rather then vvith astonishment of minde the Latines do call it religion or religious feare If this be the true signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Beza him self confesseth vvhy doth he not so translate it in the foresaid place to the Hebrues Vvhy forsaketh he the old approued Latin translation and general consent of al auncient interpreters and translateth it that feare or astonishement of minde vvhich he saith the vvord doth not signifie 41 And marke that in his foresaid annotation vpon S. Luke he telleth not a peculiar signification of the Greeke vvord in that place as though in some other places it might haue an other signification but he telleth generally vvhat the very nature of the Greeke word is that is that it signifieth not euery feare but a feare ioyned vvith reuerence and he said truely and they shal hardly giue an instance vvhere it signifieth that feare of astonishment vvhich both he and they translate in the foresaid place of S. Paul Such a force hath heresie to
leade a man euen contrarie to his ovvne knovvledge to falsifie Gods holy vvord 42 Yea Beza saith further to this purpose much more against his skill in the Greeke tonge if he had any at all that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the preposition cannot beare this sense For vvhich or in respect vvhereof and therfore he trāslateth the Greeke into Latin thus Exauditus est ex metu he vvas heard from feare not for feare or for his reuerence and because from feare is a hard speache and darke that seemeth to be the cause vvhy our English trāslators say In that vvhich he feared far from Beza in vvord but aggreably in sense Flac. Illyric 43 But for this matter vve send them to Flaccus Illyricus a captaine Lutherane vvho disputeth this very point against the Caluinistes and teacheth them that nothing is more common then that signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For profe vvhereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vve also referre thē to these places of the holy Scripture Mat. 13. Luc. 22. and 24. Act. 12. Psal 87. And Machab. 5 21. vvhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvith a genitiue and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvith an accusatiue signifie al one vvhich Beza denyeth Gentle Reader beare vvith these tedious grammatications fitter to be handled in Latin but necessarie in this case also good for them that vnderstand for the rest an occasion to aske of thē that haue skill in the Greeke tonge vvhether vve accuse our aduersaries iustly or no of false translating the holy Scriptures 44 And vve beseeche them to giue vs a good reason why they professing to folow precisely the Greeke do not obserue trevvly the Greeke points in such place as concerneth this present controuersie for the place in the Apocalypse which they alleage of our Sauiour Christs suffering frō the beginning thereby to inferre that the iust men of the old Testament might enter heauen then c. 13 8. as vvel as after his real and actual death according to the Greeke points saith thus Al that dvvel vpon the earth shal vvorship him the beast vvhose names haue not been vvritten in the booke of life of the Lambe slame from the beginning of the vvorld Vvhere it is euident that the Greeke text saith not the lambe slaine from the beginning but that the names of those Antichristian Idolaters vvere not vvritten in Gods eternal booke of predestination from the beginning as it is also most plaine vvithout al ambiguitie in the 17 Chapter v. 8. If in a place of no controuersie they had not been curious in points of the Greeke they might haue great reason sometime to alter the same 45 But if in points of controuersie betvvene vs they vvil say diuers pointing is of no importance they knovv the contrarie by the example of auncient heretikes vvhich vsed this meane also to serue their false heretical purpose If they say our vulgar latine text pointeth it so let them professe before God and their conscience that they do it of reuerence to the said auncient latin text or because it is indifferent not for any other cause for this one place vve vvill admit their ansvver CHAP. VIII Heretical translation concerning IVSTIFICATION ABOVT the article of iustification as it hath many branches their etrours therein be manifold so are their English translations accordingly many vvaies false and heretical First against iustification by good vvorkes and by keeping the commaundements they suppresse the very name of iustification in al such places vvhere the vvord signifieth the commaundements or the Lavv of God vvhich is both in the old and nevv Testament most common and vsual namely in the bookes of Moyses in the Psalme 118. that beginneth thus Beati immaculati in the Psalme 147. v. 19. 1 Mac. 1. v. 51. and c. 2. v. 21. Luc. 1. v. 6. Ro. 2. v. 26. In al vvhich places and the like vvhere the Greeke signifieth iustices iustifications most exactly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according as our vulgar Latin translateth iustitias and iustificationes there the English translations say ioyntly and vvith one consent ordināces or statutes For example Ro. 2. If the vncircumcision keepe the ORDINANCES of the Lavv 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shal it not be counted for circumcision And Luc. 1 6. They vvere both righteous before God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvalking in al the commaundements and ORDINANCES of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blamelesse Vvhy translate you it ordināces and auoid the terme iustifications is it because you vvould folovv the Greeke I beseeche you is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be iustified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iustifications or iustices In the old Testament you might perhaps pretend that you folovv the Hebrue vvvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therfore there you translate statutes or ordinances But euen there also are not the Seuentie Greeke interpreters sufficient to teach you the signification of the Hebrue vvord vvho alvvaies interprete it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in English iustifications 2 But be it that you may cōtroule them in the Hebrue vvhich none but fooles vvil graunt vnto you in the nevv Testament vvhat pretense haue you do you there also translate the Hebrue vvord or rather the Greeke the Greeke vndoubtedly you should translate what reason then can you haue vvhy you doe not none other surely then that vvhich Beza giueth for him self saying that he reiected the vvord iustificatiōs notvvithstanding it expressed the Greeke vvord for vvord notvvithstanding the Seuentie Greeke interpreters vsed it to signifie the vvhole Lavv and in Latin it be commonly translated iustificationes notvvithstanding al this Annot. in 1 Luc. for this only cause saith he did I reiecte it to auoid the cauillatiōs that might be made by this vvord against iustification by faith As if he should say This vvord truely translated according to the Greeke might minister great occasion to proue by so many places of Scripture that mans iustification is not by faith only but also by keeping the lavv and obseruing the commaundements vvhich therfore are called according to the Greeke and Latin iustifications because they concurre to iustification and make a man iust as by S. Lukes vvordes also is vvel signified vvhich haue this allusion that they vvere both iust because they walked in al the iustifications of our Lord. Vvhich they of purpose suppresse by other vvordes 3 And hereof also it riseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that vvhen he cānot possibly auoid the vvord in his trāslation as Apoc. 19 8. Bissinum enim iustificationes sunt sanctorum The silke is the iustifications of Sainctes there he helpeth the matter with this commentarie That iustifications Beza Annot. in Apoc. 19. are those good vvorkes vvhich be the testimonies of a liuely faith But our English translatours haue an other vvay to auoid the vvord euen in their trāslatiō For they say here the righteousnes of Saincts because
commaundements To this purpose they translate Io. 5 3 thus Mā dara eius grauia non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His commaundements are not heauie for in saying they are not heauie it would folovv they might be kept obserued but in saying they are not greuous that may be true were they neuer so heauie or impossible through patience As vvhen a man can not doe as he vvould yet it greeueth him not being patient and vvise because he is content to doe as he can and is able Therfore doe they choose to translate that the commaundements are not greuous vvhere the Apostle saith rather they are not heauie much more agreably to our Sauiours vvordes My burden is light and to the wordes of God by Moyses Deu. 30. This commaundement vvhich I commaund thee this day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not aboue thee that is beyond thy reache but the vvord is very neere thee in thy mouth and in thy hart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thou maiest doe it and to the cōmon signification of the Greeke vvord vvhich is heauie Beza vvould say somevvhat in his commentarie hovv the commaundements are heauie or light but his conclusion is against free vvill and that there can be no perfection in this life inueighing against them that would proue it out of this place vvhich is as much to say but he is ashamed to speake plainely that vve can not keepe the cōmaundements vvhich the holy Doctors haue long since condemned abhorred as most absurd that God should commaūd that vnder paine of dānation which is impossible to be done 15 Thus hauing taken avvay free vvil to doe good and possibilitie to keepe the cōmaundements and al merite or valure and efficacie of good vvorkes their next conclusion is that vve haue no true iustice or righteousnes in vs but an imputatiue iustice that is Christs iustice imputed to vs be vve neuer so foule and filthie in our soules so that vve beleeue only and by faith apprehend Christs iustice For this purpose they corrupt the Scriptures in their English bibles thus CHAP XI Heretical translation for IMPVTATIVE IVSTICE against true inherent iustice 1 ONE place might suffise in steede of many vvhere Beza doth protest that his adding or alteration of the text is specially against the execrable errour of inherent iustice Annot. in Rom. 5 18. vvhich he saith is to be auoided as nothing more His false translation thus our English Bezites and Caluinists folovv in their Bibles Likevvise then as by the offense of one Rom. 5. the fault came on al men to condemnation so by the iustifying of one the benefite abounded tovvard al men to the iustification of life Vvhere there are added to the text of the Apostle sixe vvordes and the same so vvilfully and voluntarily that by the three first they make the Apostle say sinne came on al men by Adam and they vvere made sinners in deede by the three later they make him say not that iustice or righteousnes came likevvise on al men by Christ to make them iust in deede but that the benefite of Christs iustice abounded tovvards them as being imputed forsooth vnto them Vvhereas if they Would needes adde to the text vvhich yet is intolerable so much and in so doubtful a case they should at the least haue made the case equal as the Apostle him self teacheth them to doe in the very next sentence saying thus For as by one mans disobedience many vvere made sinners so by the obedience of one shal many also be made righteous so they translate rather then be made iust For they are the lothest men in the vvorld to say that vve are made iust for feare of iustice inherent in vs though the Scripture be neuer so plaine as here vve see the Apostle maketh the case like that vve are made iust by Christ as vve vvere made sinners by Adam 2 And it is a vvorld to see hovv Beza shifteth from one significatiō of the vvord iustified or made iust to an other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 absolui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 absoluitur Sometime to be iustified is to be pronoūced quitte from al sinne or declared iust before Gods iudgement seate so he trāslateth it in the text Act. 13. v. 39. and as though his guilty conscience vvere afraid of a blovv he saith he fleeth not the terme of iustifying or iustification because he vseth it in other places He doth so in deede but then his commentarie supplieth the turne as Ro. 2. v. 13. Not the hearers of the Lavv are RIGHTEOVS before God so they delight to trāslate rather then IVST before God but the doers of the Lavv shal be IVS TIFIED Iusti pronūctabuntur that is saith Beza shal be pronounced iust The Apostle must needes say by the coherence and consequence of his vvordes not the hearers are iust but the doers shal be iust or iustified Beza vvil in no case haue it so but either in text or commentarie make the Apostle say as him self imagineth Annot. Ro. 3. v. 20. Yet in an other place he protesteth very solemnely that to be iustified is not to be pronounced or accounted iust but rather to be iust in deede and that he proueth out of S. Paul Ro. 5. v. 19. vvho maketh it al one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be iustified to be made iust and againe by this reason that it should be manifestly repugnant to Gods iustice to account him for iust that is not iust and therfore that mā in deede is made iust Thus Beza Vvould you not thinke he vvere come to be of our opinion but he reuolteth againe interpreteth al these goodly vvordes in his old sense non quasi nobis indatur qualitas saying Not that any qualitie is invvardly giuen vnto vs of vvhich vve are named iust but because the iustice of Christ is imputed to vs by faith freely By faith then at the least vve are truely iustified Annot. in Ro. 4. v. 2. Not so neither but faith saith he is an instrument vvherevvith vve apprehēd Christ our iustice So that vve haue no more iustice in vs then vve haue glorie for glorie also vve apprehend by faith 3 For this purpose both he and the English Bibles translate thus Pro iustitia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abraham beleeued God and it vvas reputed to him FOR IVSTICE Ro. 4. v. 3. 9. Vvhere he interpreteth for iustice to be nothing els but Vice loco in the steede place of iustice so also taking avvay true inherent iustice euen from Abraham him self But to admit their translation vvhich notvvithstanding in their sense is most false must it needes signifie not true inherent iustice because the Scripture saith it vvas reputed for iustice Doe such speaches import that it is not so in deede but is onely reputed so Then if vve say This shal be reputed to thee for sinne for a great benefite
that if a man haue the faith of Christs omniporencie or of any other article of the Creede or of al vvholy and entierly and perfectly that is nothing vvithout charitie This is Bezas tota fides vvhole faith thinking by this translation to exempt from the Apostles vvordes their special iustifying faith vvrestling to that purpose in his annotations against Pighius other Catholike Doctors Whereas euery man of smal skill may see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Apostle nameth al faith as he doth al knowledge al mysteries comprehēding al sortes of the one of the other al kind of knovvledge al kinde of mysteries al faith vvhatsoeuer Christian Catholike historical or special vvhich tvvo later are Heretical termes nevvly deuised 7 And I vvould haue any of the Bezites giue me a sufficient reason vvhy he translated totam fidem and not also totam scientiam vndoubtedly there is no cause but the heresie of special and onely faith And againe vvhy he translateth Iaco. 2 22. Thou seest that faith vvas administra a helper of his vvorkes and expoundeth it thus faith vvas an efficient cause and fruiteful of good vvorkes Whereas the Apostles vvordes be plaine that faith vvrought together vvith his vvorkes yea and that his faith vvas by vvorkes made perfecte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is impudent handling of Scripture to make vvorkes the fruite only and effect of faith vvhich is your heresie 8 Vvhich 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 vvhatsoeuer in these vvordes And yet I shevv you a more excellent vvay 1 Cor. 12. v. 31. he in one edition of the nevv Testament in the yere 1556. translateth thus Behold moreouer also I shevv you a vvay most diligently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vvhat cold stuffe is this and hovv impertinent In an other edition an 1565. he mended it thus And besides I shevv you a vvay to excellencie In neither of both expressing the comparison of preeminence excellencie that charitie hath in the Apostles vvordes and in al the chapter folovving Vvherein you did wel for your credite not to folow him no not your Bezites them selues but to translate after our vulgar Latin interpreter as it hath alvvaies been read and vnderstood in the Church 9 Luther vvas so impudent in this case that because the Apostle spake not plainely ynough for only faith he thrust only into the text of his translation * Luther to 2 fol. 405. edi wittēb an 1551. as him self vvitnesseth You durst not hitherto presume so far in this question of only faith though * Act. 9 22. Bib. 1577. 1 Pet. 1 25. 2 Par. 36 8. 2 Cor. 5 21. 1 Pet 2 13 in the Bib. 1562. in other controuersies you haue done the like as is shevved in their places But I vvil aske you a smaller matter which in vvordes and shevv you may perhaps easily ansvver but in your conscience there vvil remaine a gnavving vvorme In so many places of the Gospel vvhere our Sauiour requireth the peoples faith vvhen he healed them of corporal diseases only why do you so gladly translate thus Mar. 10 52. Luc. 18 42. c. 8. v. 48. Thy faith hath saued thee rather then thus thy faith hath healed thee or made the vvhole is it not by ioyning these vvordes together 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 vvhere it can not be taken for faith that iustifieth because it is not the parties faith but her fathers that Christ required there also translate thus Beleeue only and she shal be saued Luc. 8 50. Vvhich translation though very false and impertinēt for iustifying faith as you seeme to acknovvledge by translating it othervvise in your other Bibles See Goughs sermon and Tom sons answer to the L. Abbot of vvestmester yet in deede you must needes mainteine hold it for good whiles you alleage this place for only faith as is euident in your vvritings 10 This then you see is a fallacie vvhen faith only is required to the health of the body as in many such places though not in al there by translation to make it sound a iustifying faith as though faith only were required to the health of the soule Whereas that faith vvas of Christs omnipotēcie only povver Annot. in 1 Cor. 13 2. vvhich Beza confesseth may be in the diuels them selues and is far from the faith that iustifieth If you say the Greeke signifieth as you translate it doth so in deede but it signifieth also very commonly to be healed corporally as by your ovvne translation in these places Bib. 1577. Marc. 5. v. 28. Marc. 6. v. 36. Luc. 8. v. 36. v. 51. Where you translate I shal be vvhole They vvere healed He vvas healed She shal be made vvhole And vvhy do you here trāslate so because you knovv to be saued importeth rather an other thing to vvit saluation of the soule and therfore vvhen faith is ioyned withal you translate rather saued then healed though the place be meant of bodily health only to insinuate by al meanes your iustification by only faith CHAP. XIII Heretical translation against PENANCE and SATISFACTION VPON the heresie of onely faith iustifying and sauing a man folovveth the denial of al penāce satisfaction for sinnes Vvhich Beza so abhorreth Annot in Mat. 3. v. 2. that he maketh protestation that he auoideth these termes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Poenitentia and Poenitentiam agere of purpose and that he vvill alvvaies vse for them in translating the Greeke vvordes resipiscentia and resipiscere Vvhich he doth obserue perhaps but that sometimes he is vvorse then his promis Act. 26.20 in No. Testan 1556. and in his later translation 1565. Mat 3. v. 8. Luc. 3. v. 8. translating most falsely and heretically for resipiscentia resipiscentes so that your English Bezites them selues are ashamed to translate after him Vvho othervvise folovv his rule for the most part translating resipiscentia amendement of life resipiscite amend your liues the other English bibles vvhen they translat best say repentance repent but none of them all once haue the vvordes penance and doe penance Vvhich in most places is the very true translation according to the very circūstance of the text and vse of the Greeke vvord in the Greeke Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agere poenitentiam and the auncient Latin translation thereof and al the fathers reading thereof and their expositions of the same Vvhich foure pointes I thinke not amis briefely to proue that the reader may see the vse and signification of these vvordes vvhich they of purpose vvill not expresse to auoid the termes of penance and doing penance That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Greeke vvord so euidētly in this sense Annot. in 3 Mat. v. 2. that Beza saith he did it for his verse sake because an other vvord vvould not stand so vvel in the verse But the reader I trust seeth the vse and signification of these Greeke vvordes by the testimonie of the Greeke fathers them selues most auncient and approued 7 Thirdly that the auncient Latin Interpreter doth commonly so translate these vvordes through out the nevv Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Poenitētiam agere that needeth no proofe neither vvil I stand vpon it though it be greater authoritie then they haue any to the cōtrarie because the Aduersaries knovv it and mislike it and for that and other like pointes it is belike that one of them saith it is the vvorst translation of al Discou of Sand. Rocke pag. 147. Prae fat in No. Test an 1556. vvhereas Beza his Maister saith it is the best of al. so vvel they agree in iudgement the Maister and the man 8 I come to the fourth proofe vvhich is that al the Latin Church and the glorious Doctors thereof haue alvvaies read as the vulgar Latin interpreter translateth these vvordes and expound the same of penance and doing penance To name one or tvvo for an example Ep. 108. S. Augustines place is very notable vvhich therfore I set dovvne and may be translated thus Agunt homines poenitentiam Act. 2. Men doe penance before Baptisme of their former sinnes yet so that they be also baptized Peter saying thus DOE YE PENANCE AND LET EVERY ONE BE BAPTIZED Men also doe penance if after Baptisme they do so sinne that they deserue to be excommunicated and reconciled againe as in al Churches they doe vvhich be called Sicut agunt qui Poenitētes appellantur POENITENTES For of such penance spakes S Paul 2 Cor. 12 21. saying THAT I LAMENT NOT MANY OF THEM WHICH BEFORE HAVE SINNED AND HAVE NOT DONE PENANCE FOR THEIR VNCLEANNESSE Vve haue also in the Actes Act. 8 18. that Simon Magus being baptized vvas admonished by Peter TO DOE PENANCE for his greuous sinne Vt agerat poenitentiā There is also in maner a daily Penance of the good and humble beleeuers in vvhich vve knocke our breastes saying FORGIVE VS OVR DETTES For these venial and daily offenses fastes and almes and praiers are vvatchfully vsed Quotidianā agere poenitontiam and humbling our soules vve cease not after asort to doe daily penance 9 In these vvordes of S. Augustine it is plaine that he speaketh of painful or penitential vvorkes for satisfaction of sinnes that is penance againe that there are three kindes of the same one before Baptisme an other after Baptisme for great offenses greater and longer the other daily for common and litle venial faultes vvhich the best men also cōmit in this fraile nature againe that the tvvo former are signified spoken of in the three places of Scripture by him alleaged Where vve see that he readeth altogether as the vulgar interpreter translateth and expoundeth al three places of penance for sinne so approueth that signification of the Greeke vvord Yea in saying that for venial sinnes vve knocke our breast fast giue almes and pray and so cease not Quotidianam agere poenitentiam vvhat doth he meane but daily penance and satisfaction Reade also S. Cyprian beside other places epist 52. num 6. Vvhere his citatiōs of Scripture are according to the old Latin interpreter and his exposition according of doing penance and making satisfaction for sinnes committed But I neede not procede further in alleaging either S. Cyprian or other auncient fathers for this purpose because the Aduersaries graūt it Hovvbeit in vvhat termes they graunt it and hovv malapertly they accuse al the auncient fathers at once for the same it shal not be amis here to put dovvne their vvordes 10 Vvhereas the reuerend godly and learned Father Edmund Campion had obiected in his booke the Protestants accusation of S. Cyprian for the matter of penance the good man that ansvvereth for both vniuersities saith thus to that point Vvhitak pa. 97. cont ration Edm. Camp But vvhereas Magdeburgenses Lutheran vvriters of that citie complaine that he depraued the doctrine of repentance they do not feine or forge this crime against him but vtter or disclose it Doctrinam poenitentiae For al men vnderstand that it vvas to true Neither vvas this Cyprians fault alone De poenitentia Imprudēter that he vvrote of repentance many things incommodiously and vnvvisely but al the most holy fathers almost at that time vvere in the same errour For vvhiles thy desired to restraine mens manners by seuere lavves Poenitentiae they made the greatest part of repentance to consist in certaine external discipline of life vvhich them selues prescribed In that they punished vice seuerely they were to be borne withal but that by this meanes they thought to pay the paines due for sinnes and to satisfie Gods iustice and to procure to them selues assured impunitie remission and iustice therin they derogated not a litle from Christs death attributed to much to their ovvne inuentions finally depraued repentance Thus far the Ansvverer 11 Marke hovv he accuseth the fathers in general of no lesse crime then taking avvay from Christ the merites of his Passion attributing it to their ovvne penance and discipline Vvhich if they did I maruel he should call them in this very place vvhere he beginneth to charge them vvith such a crime sanctissimos patres most holy fathers The truth is he might as vvel charge S. Paul vvith the same vvhen he saith Rom. 2. vve shal Be the heires of God and coheires vvith Christ yet so if vve suffer vvith him that vve may also be glorified vvith him S. Paul saith our suffering also vvith Christ is necessarie to saluation Maister vvhitakers saith it is a derogatiō to Christs suffering Christ fasted for vs therfore our fasting maketh nothing to saluation He praied for vs vvas scourged and died for vs therfore our praier scourging and emprisonment yea death it self for his sake make nothing to life euerlasting and if vve should thinke it doth vve derogate from Christs Passion Alas is this the diuinitie of England novv a daies to make the simple beleeue that the auncient fathers and holy men of the primitiue Church by their seuere life and voluntarie penance for their sinnes and for the loue of Christ did therin derogate from Christes merites and Passions 12 I may not stand vpon this point neither neede I. the principal matter is proued by the Aduersaries cōfession that the holy Doctors spake vvrote and thought of penance and doing penance as vve doe in the same termes both Greeke and Latin and vvith Catholikes it is alvvaies a good argument and vve desire no better proofe then this The Protestants graunt al the aūcient fathers vvere of our opinion and they say it vvas their errour For the first
are extant in the vvorld and by trāslating thus cleane othervvise then the Greeke vvil beare This cuppe is the nevv Testamēt in my bloud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhich bloud is shed for you 11 But what pertaineth this to the English Heretikes Who translate Vvhich is shed so indifferētly that it may signifie Vvhich cuppe or vvhich bloud is shed Thus far it pertaineth Ad rat Cāp pag. 34. because they do not only defend this translatiō by al meanes but they tel vs plainely namely Fulke that they referre vvhich to the vvord bloud and not to the vvord cuppe Against D. Sand. Rocke pag. 309. euen as Beza doth asking vs vvhat Grammarian vvould referre it othervvise in vvhich questiō he sheweth him self a very simple Grāmariā in the Greeke or a madde heretike that either knovveth not or vvil not knovv that in the Greeke it can not be so referred and consequently neither in latin nor English vvhich in true translation must folovv the Greeke but of these and other their foule and manifold shiftes to auoid this place * Chap. 1. nu 37.38 c. I haue spokē in an other place of this booke 12 Only M. Whitakers to say truely hath brought somevvhat to the purpose Pag. 35. to vvit that S. Basil readeth the Greeke as they translate But he doth vvel to make light of it because it is euident that S. Basil cited not the text of the Euangelist but the sense vvhich Beza noteth to be the custom of the auncient fathers Praef. in no. Test an 1556. telling vs vvithal that therfore the reading of the fathers is no certaine rule to reforme or alter the wordes of Scripture according to the same and it is very like that if Beza or Fulke his aduocate had thought S. Basils reading of any importance they vvould haue vsed it long since rather then so many other shiftes and so absurd as they doe vnles vve may thinke they knevv it not and therfore could not vse it But for S Basil according to the sense he citeth it very truely for vvhether vve say the Cuppe that is shed or the bloud that is shed both signifieth the bloud of Christ shed for vs as S. Basil citeth it the differēce is that referring it to the cuppe as S. Luke hath it it signifieth the bloud both present in the cuppe and also then shed in a Sacrament at the last supper but referring it to the vvord bloud as S. Basil doth as they translate it may signifie the bloud shed on the crosse also yea as these translatours meane and vvould haue it only that on the Crosse not considering that the Greeke vvord is the present tense and therfore rather signifieth the present sheding of his bloud then in mystical sacrifice then the other visible sheding thereof vvhich vvas to come in the future tense Lastly they translate S. Lukes Gospel and not S. Basil and therfore not folovving S. Luke they are false translators hovvsoeuer S. Basil readeth 13 As this falshod is both against Sacrament and Sacrifice so against the Sacrifice also of the altar it is that they controule S. Hieroms translation in the old Testament concerning the sacrifice of Melchisedec The sacrifice of Melchisedec Vvho brought forth bread and vvine Gen. 14. v. 18. that is offered or sacrificed bread vvine vvhich vve proue to be the true sense and interpretation that this bringing forth of bread vvine vvas sacrificing thereof not only by al the fathers expositions that vvrite of Melchisedeks priesthod Cypr. epist 63. Epiph. har 55. 79. Hiero. in Mat. 26. in epist ad Euagrium by the Hebrue vvord vvhich is a vvord of sacrifice Iud. 6. v. 18 and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Pet. Galat li. 10 c. 4. et 5. et Chro. Genebrardi pag. 13. by the greatest Rabbines and Hebricians that vvrite thereof but vve proue it also by these vvordes of the very text it self He brought forth bread and vvine for he vvas the Priest of God most high Vvhich reason immediatly folovving Because he vvas Gods Priest proueth euidētly that he brought it not forth in cōmon maner as any other man might haue done but as Gods Priest vvhose office is to offer sacrifice This cōsequence is so plaine that for auoiding thereof the Aduersaries vvil not haue it translated in any vvise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he vvas the Priest as though the Scripture gaue a reason vvhy he brought forth bread and vvine but and he vvas a Priest c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vvrangling about the signification of the Hebrue coniunction 14 Vvherein the reader may see their exceding partiality wilfulnes For besides infinite like places of Scripture whereby vve do easily shevv that this Hebrue particle is vsed to giue a reason or cause of a thing them selues also in an other place proue it for vs Beza annot in 1 Luc. v. 42. and that by the authoritie of Theophylacte allegation of examples out of the Scripture no. Test an 1580. and translate accordingly thus Blessed art thou among vvomen because the fruite of thy vvombe is blessed Benedicta tu c. benedictus c. Let them giue vs a reason vvhy the said Coniunction is here by their translation quia or enim vvhere it vvas neuer so translated before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it must not be in any case in the other place of Genesis vvhere it hath been so translated and generally receiued euē in the primitiue Church In other places of Scripture also vvhich Theophylacte alleageth and many moe may be alleaged they cōfesse and like very vvell it should so signifie only in the place of Genesis Gen. 14. v. 18. they can not abide any such sense or translation thereof but He brought forth bread and vvine and he vvas the Priest c. not because he vvas the Priest Vvhat is the cause of this their dealing None other vndoubtedly and in al these cases I knocke at their consciences but that here they vvould auoid the necessarie sequele of Melchisedecks sacrifice vpon such translation vvhich typical sacrifice of bread and vvine if it should be graūted then vvould folow also a sacrifice of the nevv Testamēt made of bread and vvine ansvvering to the same and so vve should haue the sacrifice of the altar and their bare communion should be excluded 15 For vvhich purpose also their partial translation about altar and table is notorious For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of altar as they knovv very vvel both in the Hebrue and Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the custome of al peoples both Ievves and Pagans implying and importing sacrifice therfore vve in respect of the sacrifice of Christs body bloud say altar rather then table as al the auncient fathers Chrys ho. 53 ad po Antioch and ho. 20 in 2 Cor. and in Demōst que Christus sit Deus to
adored tovvard the toppe of his scepter as other read and interpret and beside these there is no other interpretation of this place in al antiquitie but in S. Augustine only as Beza coÌ„fesseth Quaest in Gen. Bib. 1579. yet are they so bold to make his exposition only and his commentarie peculiar to him alone the text of the Scripture in their traÌ„slation saying Iacob leaning on the end of his staffe vvorshipped God and so excluding al other senses expositions of al the other fathers excluding and condemning their ovvne former translations Bib. 1562. 1577. adding tvvo vvordes more then are in the Greeke text leaning God forcing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhich may be but is as rare as virgae eius for virgae suae turning the other vvordes cleane out of their order and place and forme of construction vvhich they must needes haue correspondent and ansvverable to the Hebrue text from vvhence they vvere translated Gen. 47. v. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhich Hebrue vvordes them selues translate in this order He vvorshipped tovvard the beddes head If he vvorshipped tovvard the beddes head according to the Hebrue then did he vvorship tovvard the toppe of his scepter according to the Greeke the difference of both being only in these vvordes scepter and bedde because the Hebrue is ambiguous to both and not in the order or construction of the sentence 2 To make it more plaine vvhen the Prophet Dauid saith Adorabo ad templum sanctum tuum Psal 5. 137. is not the true translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and graÌ„matical sequele of the vvordes thus I vvil adore tovvard thy holy temple Is it not a common phrase in the Scripture that the people of God adored tovvard Hierusalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 6. 3 Reg. 8. Psal 98. Ios 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ps 131. tovvard his holy mount before the arke tovvard the place vvhere his feete stood May any man be so bold by adding and transposing to alter and obscure al such places of holy Scripture that there may appeare no maner of adoration tovvard or before a creature and for vvorshipping or adoring tovvard the things aforesaid and the like may vve say leaning vpon those things to vvorship or adore God Vvere they afraid lest those speaches of holy Scripture might vvarrant and confirme the Catholike Christian maner of adoring our Sauiour Christ toward the holy Roode at or before his image and the Crucifixe before the altar and so forth For had they not feated this vvhy should they translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 caning vpon rather then tovvards yea vvhy in Genesis tovvards his beddes head here not tovvards 3 And vvhich is more vvhen the auncient Greeke faâ—hers Chrys Oecum in Collectan Damesc li. 1. pro imaginibus Leont apud Damasc put so litle force either in this preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the other alleaged that they expound al those speaches as if the prepositions vvere of phrase only and not of signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saying Iacob adored Iosephs scepter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the people of Israel adored the temple the Arke the holy mount the place vvhere his feete stoode and the like vvhereby S. Damascene proueth the adoration of creatures named Dulia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely of the crosse and of sacred images if I say they make so litle force of the prepositions that they inferre not only adoration towards the thing but adoratioÌ„ of the thing hovv do these goodly translatours of al other vvordes so straine and racke the litle particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie leaning vpon that it shal in no vvise signifie any thing tending tovvards adoration 4 And if the Greeke Doctors suffise not to satisfie these great Grecians herein telme you that haue skil in the Hebrue vvhether in the foresaid speaches cited out of the Psalmes there be any force in the Hebrue prepositions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 98.131 surely no more then if vve should say in English vvithout prepositions Adore ye his holy hil vve vvil adore the place vvhere his feete stoode 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 95. or 96. Adore ye his footestoole For you knovv that there is the same preposition also vvhen it is said Adore ye our Lord or as your selues translate vvorship the Lord vvhere there can be no force nor signification of the prepositioÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therfore in these places also your translation is corrupt and vvilful vvhen you say thus Vve vvil fall dovvne before his footestoole fall ye dovvne before his footestoole before his holy mount or vvouship him vpon his holy hil Vvhere you shunne and auoid first the terme of adoration vvhich the Hebrue and Greeke duely expresse by termes correspondent in both languages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through out the Bible and are applied for the most part to signifie adoring of creatures Secondly you auoid the Greeke phrase vvhich is at the least to adore tovvards these holy things and places much more the Hebrue phrase vvhich is to adore the very things rehearsed to adore Gods footestoole as the Psalme saith because it is holy Psal 98. or because he is holy vvhose footestoole it is as the Greeke readeth 5 This being most manifest to al that haue skil in these tongues it is euident that you regard neither Hebrue nor Greeke but only your heresie that in S. Paules place aforesaid of adoring Iosephs scepter you alter it by your ovvne fansie and not by S. Augustines authoritie vvhom I am sure you vvil not admit reading in the Psalme Adore ye his footestoole and so precisely and religiously reading thus that he examineth the case and findeth thereby that the B. Sacrament must be adored and that no good Christian doth take it before he adore it Neither vvil you admit him vvhen he readeth thus of Dauid Praef. in Ps 33. He vvas caried iÌ„ his ovvne handes interpreteth it mystically of Christ that he vvas caried in his ovvne handes vvhen he gaue his body and bloud to his disciples Yet are S. Augustines interpretations hovvsoeuer you like or mislike them very good as also that aboue named of Iacobs leaning vpon his staffe and adoring may be one good sense or commentarie of that place but yet a commentarie and one Doctors opinion not the sacred text of Scripture as you would make it by so translating 6 And if S. Hierom like not the Greeke Doctors interpretation in this place of adoring Ioseph and his scepter yet he also saith that Iacob adored tovvard Iosephs rodde or tovvard the beds head and not leaning vpon his staffe he adored vvhich you make the text of Scripture And though he thinke that in this place is not meant any adoratioÌ„ of Ioseph yet I am sure for adoration of holy things namely Relikes the holy land and al the holy places
they should meane by it this I am sure if they do it for no purpose they doe it very folishly and forgetfully and contrarie to them selues In the Gospel of S. Marke Marc 3. v 16 in the reckening of the Apostles they adde these vvordes And the first vvas Simon Bibl. 1579. more then is in their Greeke text Vvhich addition they learned of Beza vvhose contradictions in this point are worthie noting Mat. 10. v. 2. In S. Matthew where these vvordes are he suspecteth that first vvas added by some Papist for Peters primacie here vvhere the vvord is not he auoucheth it to be the true text of the Gospel that because Matthevv readeth so there he alleaged this reason vvhy it could not be said the first Simon because there is no consequēce nor coherence of second third fourth c here he saith that is no impediment because there be many exāples of such speach namely in the said place of S. Matthevv 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 vvhich Erasmus him self as Beza confesseth allovved not but thought that these vvordes vvere added in them out of S. Matthevv Vvhat these contradictions meane I knovv not and I vvould learne the reason thereof of his scholers our English translators vvho ' by their Maisters authoritie haue made the self same addition in their English translation also 8 There is also an other addition of theirs either proceding of ignorance or of the accustomed humor vvhen they translate thus Col. 1. v. 23. if ye continue stablished in the faith and be not moued avvay from the hope of the Gospel vvhich ye haue heard hovv it vvas preached to euery creature or vvhereof ye haue heard hovv that it is preached or vvhereof ye haue heard and vvhich hath been preached to euery creature c. For al these varieties they haue and none according to the Greeke text vvhich is vvord for vvord as the vulgar Latin interpreter hath most sincerely translated it Vnmoueable from the hope of the Gospel vvhich you haue heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhich is or hath been preached among al creatures c. So that the Apostles exhortation is vnto the Colossians that they continue grounded and stable in the faith and Gospel vvhich they had heard and receiued of their first Apostles Ro. 16. Ga. c. 1. 2. 2 Thess 2. Heb. 13. 1 Tim. 6. 2 Tim. 1. 2. as in the epistle to the Romanes and to the Galatians and to the Thessalonians and to the Hebrues and to Timothee and S. Iohn in his first epistle c. 2. v. 24 and S. Iude v. 3. 20 al vse the like exhortations 9 But this doth not so vvel like the Protestants vvhich * 1 Tim. 1. 6. vvith Hymenaeus Alexander and other o Heretikes haue fallen from their first faith and therfore they alter the Apostles plaine speache vvith certaine vvordes of their ovvne and they vvil not haue him say Be vnmoueable in the faith and Gospel vvhich you haue heard and receiued but vvhereof you haue heard hovv that it is preached as though he spake not of the Gospel preached to them but of a Gospel vvhich they had only heard of that vvas preached in the vvorld Certaine it is these vvordes vvhereof you haue heard hovv it vvas preached are not so in the Greeke but vvhich you haue heard vvhich hath been preached Vvhich is as much to say as that they should continue constant in the faith and Gospel vvhich them selues had receiued and vvhich vvas then preached and receiued in the vvhole vvorld So say vve to our deere countriemen Stād fast in the faith be vnmoueable from the hope of the Gospel vvhich you heard of your first Apostles CHAP. 21. vvhich vvas is preached in al the vvorld If the Protestants like not this exhortation they do according to their translation CHAP. XXI Certaine other heretical TREACHERIES and CORRVPTIONS vvorthie of obseruation 1 THEY hold 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 saith plainely 2 Pet. 3. Corruption concerning the easines of the scriptures that S. Paules Epistles are hard and other Scriptures also vvhich the vnlearned saith he peruert to their ovvne destruction therfore they labour tooth and naile to make this subtil difference Beza in Annot that S. Peter saith not Paules epistles are hard but some thinges in S. Paules epist are hard as though that vvere not al one and therfore they translate so that it must needes be vnderstood of the things and not of the Epistles pretending the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhich yet they knovv in some copies can not be referred to the things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Test Gr. Crisp but must needes be vnderstood of the Epistles Vvherfore the Greeke copies being indifferent to both and the thing also in very deede being al one vvhether the hardnes be in the Epistles or in the matter for vvhen vve say the Scripture is hard vve meane specially the matter it is not only an Heretical but a foolish peeuish spirit that maketh them so curious and precise in their translations as here to limite and abridge the sense to the things only Beza translating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inter quae sunt multa difficilia and not in quibus as it is in the old vulgar translation most sincere and indifferent both to epistles and things Corruption to make God the author of sinne An other fashion they haue vvhich can not procede of good meaning that is when the Greeke text is indifferent to tvvo senses and one is receiued read and expounded of the greater part of the auncient fathers and of al the Latin Church there to folovv the other sense not so generally receiued approued as in S. Iames epistle vvhere the common reading is Deus intentator malorum est God is no tempter to euil they translate God can not be tempted vvith euil vvhich is so impertinent to the Apostles speache there as nothing more But vvhy vvil they not say God is no tempter to euil as vvel as the other is it because of the Greeke vvord vvhich is a passiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let them see their Lexicon and it vvil tel them that it is both an actiue and passiue so say other learned Grecians Gagneius interpreters of this place so saith the very circumstance of the vvordes next going before Let no man say that he is tempted of God Vvhy so Because God is not tempted vvith euil say they is this a good reasō nothing lesse how then Because God is no tempter to euil therfore let no man say that he is tempted of God 3 This reason is so coherent and so necessarie in
expound accordingly Es 33. There shal be faith in thy times to expresse the maruelous faith that shal be then in the first Christians specially euen vnto death and in al the rest concerning the hidden mysteries of the nevv Testament there you translate There shal be stabilitie of thy times The Prophet ioyneth together there iudgemēt iustice faith vvisedom knovvledge the feare of our Lord you for a litle ambiguitie of the Hebrue vvord turne faith into stabilitie 7 If I should burden you vvith translating thus also concerning Christ Esa 2. Cease from the man vvhose breath in his nostrels for vvherein is he to be esteemed You vvould say I did you wrong because it is so pointed novv in the Hebrue Vvhereas you knovv very vvell by S. Hieroms commentarie vpon that place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that this is the Iewes pointing or reading of the vvord against the honour of Christ the true reading and translation being as he interpreteth it for he is reputed high and therfore bevvare of him Othervvise as S. Hierom saith vvhat a consequence vvere this or vvho vvould commend any man thus Take heede ye offend not him vvho is nothing esteemed yet that is your translation Neither doth the Greeke helpe you vvhich if the accent be truely put is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 2. v. 6. because he is reputed for some body or some thing as S. Paul speaketh of the cheefe Apostles and it is our phrase in the commendation of a man 8 The like excuse you vvould haue by alleaging the Hebrue vovvels if you vvere told that you much obscure a notable saying of the prophet concerning Christ or rather the speache of Christ him self by his prophet saying I haue spoken by the Prophets Osee 12 10. and I haue multiplied vision in the hand of the Prophets that is by the Prophets haue I been resembled Vvhich later vvordes doe excedingly expresse that al the Prophets spake of Christ as our Sauiour him self declareth Luc. 24. v. 27. Act. 3. beginning from Moyses and al the Prophets to interpret vnto the tvvo disciples the things that concerned him and as S. Peter saith in these vvordes Al the Prophets from Samuel and that spake after him did tel of these daies This prophecie then being so consonant to these speaches of the nevv Testament the Greeke also being vvord for vvord so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hebrue by chāging one litle pricke vvhich the later Ievves haue added at their ovvne pleasure being fully so as vve read vvith the Catholike Church vvhy pretend you the Ievves authoritie to mainteine an other lesse Christian translation vvhich is thus I vse similitudes by the ministerie of the Prophets as though there vvere nothing there concerning Christ or the second person peculiarly 9 You vvil also perhaps alleage not only the later levves but also some later Catholike men that so translate the Hebrue The Hebrue text is no certaine rule to interprete by But the difference betvvene them and you is that they vvith reuerence and preferment alvvaies of S. Hieroms and the Churches auncient translation tel vs hovv it is novv in the Hebrue you vvith derogation and disanulling the same altogether set dovvne your ovvne as the only true interpretation according to the Hebrue auouching the Hebrue that novv is and as novv it is printed to be the only authentical truth of the old Testament Vvhere you can neuer ansvver vs hovv that in the Psalme 22 As a lion my hand and my feete as novv it is in the Hebrue can be the true and old authentical Hebrue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhich none of the fathers knevv the auncient Rabbines condemne as a corruption your selues translate it not but after the old accustomed reading They haue pearced my handes and my feete Vvhich is a notable prophecie of our Sauiours kinde and maner of Passion being crucified on the Crosse Only the later Ievves and such Heretikes as thinke he died vpon a gallous or gibbet and not vpon the Crosse they like this Hebrue text vvel and stand vpon it as you do vpon al vvithout exception yet vvhen it commeth to certaine particulars you are cōpelled to forsake it as in certaine other places for example Faultes in the Hebrue text 10 Vvhere the Hebrue saith Achaz king of Israel 2 Paralip 28. v. 19. which is not true you are compelled to translate Achaz king of Iuda as the truth is and as it is in the Greeke and the vulgar Latin yet * Bib. 1579. some of your Bibles folovv the fals hod of the Hebrue 11 Likevvise vvhere the Hebrue saith Zedecias his brother meaning the brother of Ioachin you trāslate Zedecias his fathers brother Bib. 1579. as in deede the truth is according to the Greeke and to the Scripture 4 Reg. 24. v. 19. and therfore your Bible vvhich folovveth the Hebrue here also translating his brother yet in the margent putteth dovvne as more true vncle 12 Likevvise in an other place the Hebrue is so out of frame that some of your Bibles say he begat Azuba of his vvife Azuba and othersome translate he begat Ierioth of his vvife Azuba the Hebrue being thus he begat Azuba his vvife and Ierioth vvhich neither you nor any man els can easily tel vvhat to make of Thus you see hovv easie it vvere if a man vvould multiplie such examples to shevv by your ovvne testimonies the corruption of the Hebrue In the preface of the nevv Test and that your selues do not nor dare not exactly folovv it as of the Greeke text of the nevv Testament also is declared els vvhere 13 But it is greater maruel vvhy you folovv not the Hebrue in other places also vvhere is no corruption You protest to translate it according to the pointes or vovvels that novv it hath and that you call the Hebrue veritie Tel me then I beseeche you vvhy do you in al your Bibles translate thus O Virgin daughter of Sion he hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorne Esa 37. v. 22 ô daughter of Hierusalem he hath shaken his head at thee In the Hebrue Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Hieroms translation and commentarie it is cleane contrarie The Virgin daughter of Sion hath despised thee ô Assur the daughter of Hierusalem hath shaken her head at thee Al are the foeminine gender and spoken of Sion literally and of the Church spiritually triumphing ouer Assur and al her enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you trāslate al as of the masculine gēder apply it to Assur insulting against Hierusalem c. I can not conceiue vvhat this translation meaneth I vvould gladly know the reason I vvould haue thought it some grosse ouersight but that I finde it so in al your English Bibles not only in this place of Esay but also in the bookes of the kinges 4 Reg. 19. where the same wordes are repeated And it is no lesse