Defense of the Translations of the Scriptures into the English Tongue, Treatise · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Heretical translation against PENANCE and SATISFACTION.
Martin.
VPonUpon the heresie of onelyonly faith iustifying,1. and sauing a man, followeth the deniall of all penance and satisfaction for sinnes. Which Beza so abhorreth, (Annot. in Mat. 3. v. 2) that he maketh protestation, that he auoydeth these termes, Poenitentia, foreign.and, Poenitentiam agere, of purpose: and that he will alwayes vse for them in translating the Greeke wordes, resipiscentia, and, resipiscere. Which he doth obserue perhaps, but that sometimes he is worse than his promise, translating most falsely and heretically, for resipiscentia,Act. 26. 20. in No. Test. an. 1556. and in his later translation, 1565 Mat. 3. v. 8. Luc. 3. v. 8. resipiscentes: so that your English Bezites them selues are ashamed to translate after him. Who otherwise followe his rule for the most part, translating resipiscentia, amendement of life: and, resipiscite, amende your liues. and the other English Bibles when they translate best, say, repentance, and, repent: but none of them all once hauehave the wordes, penance, and, doe penance. Which in most places is the very true translation, according to the verye circumstance of the text, and vse of the Greeke word, in the Greeke Church, andforeign, Agere poenitentiam. the auncient Latine translation thereof, and all the fathers reading thereof, and their expositions of the same. Which foure pointes I thinke not amisse, briefly to proue, that the Reader may see the vse and signification of these wordes, which they of purpose will not expresse, to auoyd the termes of penance, and, doing penance.
Fulke.
IF by penance you meane satisfaction1. for sinnes, by any suffering of ours, we abhorre your penance, as an horrible blasphemy against the bloud of Christ. And for that cause, Beza, as hath bene shewed before, vseth the worde resipiscentia, rather than poenitentia: because the Greeke word signifieth, not onelyonly a sorow for sinne, but also a purpose of amendment of life. We in English vse the worde repentance, or amendment of life, which worde of repentance, you vse also sometimes, when it pleaseth you, or when you can not for shame vse your popish terme of doing penance,
The cause why we neuer vse that word penance, is, for that you meane not thereby that which the Scripture calleth foreign, but a certaine punishment taken vponupon men, for satisfaction of their sinnes vntounto God, which is abhominable for all Christian eares to heare, which acknowledge that the bloud of Christ onelyonly purgeth vsus from all sinne. But in foure pointes you will proue, (if you can) that we should translate foreign, to do penance.
MART. 2. First, that the circumstance of the text dothThat foreign. is to doe penance. foreign, poenitentiam egissent. giuegive it so to signifie, we reade in S. Mathew, cap. 11. v. 21. If in Tyre and Sidon had bene wrought the miracles that hauehave bene wrought in you, they had done penance in hairecloth, or sackecloth and ashes long agoe. And in S. Luke, cap. 10. v. 13. they had done penance, fitting in sackcloth and ashes. I beseech you, these circumstances of sackecloth and ashes adioyned, doe they signifie penance and affliction of the bodye, or onelyonly amendement of life, as you would hauehave the word to signifie? S. Basil sayth, in Psal. 29. Sackcloth makethforeign. for penance. For the fathers in olde time sitting in sackcloth and ashes, did penance. Vnlesse you will translate S. Basil also after your fashion, whome you can not any way translate, but the sense must needes be, penance, and, doing2. Cor. 7. 9. penance. Againe S. Paule sayth, You were made sorie to penance, or, to repentance, say which you will: and, The sorowe which is according to God, worketh penance, or, repentance vntounto saluation. Is not sorow, and bitter mourning, and affliction, partes of penance? Did the incestuous man1. Cor. 5. whome Saint Paule excommunicated, and afterward absolued him▪ because of his exceeding sorow and teares, for feare lest he2. Cor. 2. might be ouerwhelmed with sorow, did he, I say, change his mind onelyonly, or amend his life, as you translate the Greeke worde, and interprete repentance? did he not penance also for his fault, enioyned of the Apostle? when Saint Iohn the Baptist sayth, andMat. 3. Luc. 3. Act. 26. Saint Paule exhorteth the like, Doe fruites worthy of penance, or as you translate, meete for repentance: Doe they not plainly signifie penitentiall workes, or the workes of penance? which is the very cause why Beza rather translated in thoseFructus dignos iis qui resipuerint. foreign places, Doe the fruites meete for them that amend their liues. or, giuegive vsus some other good cause Oye Bezites, why your maister doth so fo…ly falsifie his translation.
FVLK. 2. Such is your malicious frowardnes, that you will not vnderstande resipiscentia, repentance, or amendement of life, a sorow or griefe of mind for the life past: which is testified sometimes by outward signes of sackcloth and ashes, fasting and humbling of mens bodies, as in the texts of Math. 11. and Luc. 10. and diuerse other, is expressed. But shew vsus that the wearing of sackcloth and ashes, is a satisfaction for the life past, or any part of amends to Gods iustice, or else you do but trifle, and waste the time. But S. Basil sayth, that sackcloth maketh for penance, &c. I maruell whether you redde that saying in Basil, and durst for sinne & shame alledge it for your popist… penance: where he plainly sheweth the vse & ende of sack cloth. foreign, Sackecloth is an helper vntounto repentance, being a signe of humiliation, for of olde tyme, the Fathers repented sitting in sackeclothe & ashes. This signe of humbling, or of submission, you hauehave cleane omitted. Thus you vse to gelde the Doctors sayings, when you rehearse them. Sackecloth therefore serueth to repentance, as a testimonie of sorrow, and humbling of our selues before God, not as any satisfaction or amendes for our sinnes. The rest of the places that you cite, to proue, that sorrowe is a part of repentance, are altogither needelesse, for we also doe acknowledge the same. Our question is not of sorrow, but of satisfaction, to be a part of repentance. Likewise the workes worthy, or meete for repentance, doe argue the repentance to be vnfained, and vndissembled, but they proue not that by them a satisfaction is made for the sinnes committed before repentance. For a newe life, newe maners, newe fruites, must follow a mind, that is truely turned vntounto God; and chaunged from delight in sinne, to hate and abhorre sinne, and to studye vntounto amendment of life.
MART. 3. Secondly, for the signification of this Greeke word, in all the Greeke Church, and Greeke fathers, euen from S. Denys the Areopagite S. Paules scholler, who must needes deduce it from the Scriptures, and learne it of the Apostles: it is most euident, that they vse this word for that penance which was done in the Primitiue Church, according to the penitentiall Canons, whereof all antiquitie of Councels and Fathers, isEc Hier. c. 3. in principio. Poenitentes. foreign. full: in so much that S. Denys reckoning vp the three sortes of persons that were excluded from seeing and participating of the diuine mysteries of Christes bodie and bloud, to wit, Catechumens, Poenitents, and the possessed of ill spirits: for, Poenitents, he sayth in the Greeke, foreign. that is, such as were in their course of penance, or had not yet done their full penance. Which penance S. Augustine declareth thus: (Ho. 27. inter. 50. ho. and ep. 108.) Est poenitentia grauior, &c. There is a more grieuous & more mournefull penance, whereby properly they are called in the Church, that are Poenitentes: remoued also from partaking the sacramēt of the altar. And the Greeke Ecclesiastical history thus: In the Church of Rome there is a manifest & known place forSozom. lib. 7. c. 16 foreign. See S. Hierome in epitap. Fabiola. the POENITENTS, & in it they stand sorowfull, & as it were mourning, & when the sacrifice is ended, being not made partakers thereof, with weeping and lamentation they cast them selues flat on the grounde: then the Byshop weeping also with compassion lifteth them vp, and after a certain time enioined, absolueth them from their penaunce. This, the Priests, or Bishops of Rome kepe frō the verie beginning euen vntil our time.
FVLK. 3. Although Denis, whose bokes are now extant, were no more S. Paules disciple, than hee was S. Paule himselfe: yet I will grant, that the publique testification of repentance, in suche as hadde openly fallen, was in the primitiue church, not onelyonly called, foreign, by a metonymie, but also, that the worde of satisfaction was vsed, not that they had anye meaning to satisfie the iustice of God by suche externall works, but that by those outwarde trials of their repentaunce, the Churche was satisfied, which by their fal was offended, and the gouernours of the Church by suche signes of true sorrow, and amendment, were persuaded to receiue them againe into the congregation, from whence, vntill sufficient trial had of their repentance, they were separated and excluded. But this prooueth not, that the inward repentaunce which God giueth, when he turneth vsus vntounto him, hath in it any satisfaction for our sinnes, which no sacrifice was able to make, but onelyonly the lambe of God, whiche taketh away the sinnes of the worlde. The places you cite, as well out of Denis, as of S. Augustine, and Sozomene, do prooue this that I say, to be vnderstoode of publique signes of repentaunce, without that any satisfaction vntounto Gods iustice, in those times by such penaunce, was intended.
MART. 4. In these wordes and other in the sameLi. 5. c. 10. Chapter, and in Socrates Greeke historie likewise when they speake of Poenitents, that confessed and lamented theyr sinnes, that were enioyned penaunce for the same, and did it: I woulde demaunde of oure Englishe Grecians, in what Greeke wordes they expresse al this. Doe they it not in the wordes whiche wee nowe speake of, and whyche therefore are prooued moste euidently to signifie penaunce, and dooing penaunce? Againe, when the moste auncient Councell of Laodicea. can. 2. saith, That the time of penance shouldforeign. bee giuen to offenders according to the proportion of the fault: And againe, can. 9. That such shal not cōmunicate till a certaine time, but after they hauehave doone penaunce, and confessed their faulte, then to bee receyued: And againe, can. 19. After the Catechumens are gone out, that praier bee made of the Poenitentes, or them that are in dooing penaunce. And when the firste Councel of Nice saith, can. 12. about shortening or prolonging the dayes of penaunce, that they muste well examine their purpose and manner of dooing penaunce. that is, wyth what alacritie of minde, teares, patience, humilitie, good workes, they accomplished the same, and accordingly to deale more mercifully with them, as is there expressed in the Councel: when Saint Basil, Can. 1. ad Amphiloch. speaketh after the same sorte: when Saint Chrysostome calleth the sackecloth, and fasting of the Niniuites for certaine dayes, tot dierum poenitentiam, so many dayes penaunce: in all these places, I woulde gladly knowe of our Englishe Grecians, whether these speaches of penaunce, and dooing penaun…ce, are not expressed by the saide greeke wordes, which they wil in no case so to signifie.
FVLK. 4. A matter of great waight I promise you, to enquire of our Englishe Grecians, in what Greeke wordes they expresse all this. Verily, in the same Greke wordes which signifie repentaunce, or repenting, and so may be expressed in Englishe: neyther is there anie thing in any of the Councels or Doctors, by you cited or quoted, that hathe anie other intention, than I hauehave before expressed. The words of penaunce, and doing penaunce, if you meant the same by them, that we and you do by repenting and repentaunce, wee would not striue with you for termes: but that you hauehave an other meaning in them appeareth by this that you translate the same word poenitentia, commonly penance, as when it is agere poenitentiam, but when it is saide that God doth, dare poenitentiam, then you translate it repentance. Whereby it appeareth, you meane the penaunce whiche you woulde hauehave men to doe, is not that repentance whiche is the gift of God. Else why saye you not, Acts. 5. that God hath exalted Christ to be Prince and Sauiour, to giuegive penaunce to Israel, and remission of sinnes, if penaunce and repentance were al one? But you saye repentance. Also, Act. 11. God then to the Gentiles hath giuen repentance to life, where the word is poenitentia in both places. As also, 2. Tim. 2. where you say: least sometyme God giuegive them repentance to knowe the truth. Of thys repentance which God giueth vntounto life, and remission of sinnes withal, satisfaction is no parte: of publike repentance so called, when indeede it was a publike testification, that God had giuen inward repentance, we acknowledge satisfaction to the Church, and to the iudgement of the gouernoures thereof to bee a parte.
MART. 5. Or, I would also aske them, whether in these places they will translate, repentaunce, and amendement of life, where there is mentioned a prescript time of satisfaction for their fault by suche and suche penal meanes: whether there be any prescript times of repentaunce or amendment of life, to continue so long, and no longer: if not, then muste it needes bee translated, penaunce, and dooing penaunce, which is longer or shorter according to the faulte, and the maner of dooing the same▪ I maye repent in a moment, and amende my life at one instant, and this repentaunce and amendement oughte to continue for euer. but the holie Councels and Fathers speake of a thing to be done for certaine yeares or dayes, and to be released at the Bishoppes discreation: this therefore is penaunce, and not repentance only or amendment of life, and is expressed by the foresaid Greeke wordes, as also by * an other equiualent there vntounto.foreign
FVLK. 5. I hauehave aunswered before, we may in all these places vse the worde of repentaunce, as well as this worde repent, the noune as well as the verbe. And if we woulde vse the same figure, whych they doe, that cal suche externall testimonies of repentaunce, foreign, wee might vse the worde of amendment of life also. The prescripte time of satisfaction, I hauehave said was to the church, which was offended and slaundered by their open offences, and to the iudgement of the Byshoppe and Elders whyche hadde the appointing or releasing of suche time of repentance. The other Greeke word which you say is aequiualent to foreign, namely, foreign, signifieth to fal downe vnderunder, or knele before one, as Tertullian expresseth the phrase, praesbyteris aduolui, aris dei adgeniculari, De poenitentia.for one to be caste downe in humble manner before theConcil. Ancyr. can. s. &c. Elders, to kneele before the altars of God. Herof foreign is vsed, for that submission whiche publique penitents did shewe to testifie their inward humilitie, and by a metonymie of the signe, is taken for that which it doth signifie, namely, humble and hartie repentaunce, whiche is approued before men, by such outward gestures, and tokens of inwarde griefe and humilitie of minde. So is publique fasting in token of repentaunce, by Tertullian called foreign, because it is a signe & token of humiliationDe ieiunio. and submission of minde, whiche must of necessitie accompany true repentance. Wherefore it is vntruly said, that foreign is equiualent with foreign, which signifieth to change the minde frrm euil to good, wheras the other expresseth but an outwarde gesture, to signifie inward repentaunce, and that in open repentaunce onelyonly.
MART. 6. I omit that this very phrase, to do penance, is word for word expressed thus in Greeke, foreign. And…itur. Chry. in rubricis, pa. 69. 104 Metanoea. Annot. in 3. Mat. v. 2. Ausonius the christian Poet (whom I may as wel alleadge once, & vse it not, as they do Virgil, Terence, & the like very often) vseth this Greeke worde so euidently in this sense, that Beza saith, he did it for his verse sake, because another worde would not stande so well in the verse. But the reader (I trust) seeth the vse and signification of these Greeke wordes, by the testimonie of the Greeke fathers them selues, moste auncient and approued.
FVLK. 6. You may well omit that which beareth no credite of antiquitie. The Liturgie is not so auncient, as he whose name it beareth, the Rubrike muche lesse. That Beza saith of Ausonius, vsing foreign in the sense you meane, it seemeth you doe not vnderstande him. For he saith, that foreign is neuer vsed but in good parte. So that in my iudgement, Ausonius would hauehave said rather foreign than foreign in that his knowen Epigram, if the measure of his Pentametre verse would hauehave borne it.
MART. 7. Thirdly, that the auncient Latine Interpreter doth commonly so translate these wordes through out the newe Testament, that needeth no proofe, neyther will I standeforeign Poenitentiam agere. vponupon it (though it be greater authoritie than they hauehave any to the contrary) because the Aduersaries know it and mislike it, and for that and other like pointes it is belike, that one of them saith it is the worst translation of all, whereas Beza his MaisterDiscou. of Sand. Rock. pag. 147. Praefat. in No. Test. an. 1557. saith it is the best of all. So well they agree in iudgement, the Maister and the man.
FVLK. 7. The Latine interpretor as it appeareth in many places, had no perfect vnderstanding of the Greeke tongue: but in the Latine it is manifest, that hee was very rude, in so much that Lindanus thinketh, hee was a Grecian, rather than a Latinist. Yea hee hath a whole chapter thus intituled: That the Autors of theDe opt. Gen. in scr. lib. 3. cap. 6. vulgar translation of the Psalter, and the newe Testament, were Grecians, Nec latine satis eruditos, and not sufficiently learned in the Latine tongue. By whiche testimonie it may bee gathered, what credite is to bee giuen to the Latine termes that he vseth, differing from the Latine phrase, vsed by them that are learned in that tongue. I could bring example of many termes and phrases, that you your self are ashamed to follow, which pretende so precise a translation out of the vulgar Latine. What my mislike is of that translation, and howe contrarie to that which Beza saith thereof, I hauehave opened else where to your shame. OnelyOnly here I muste tell you, that albeit in respect of learning, I disdaine not to acknowledge my selfe Bezaes scholler (of whom neuerthelesse I hauehave learned very litle) yet I would you should know, I am no strangers man, though you, and such traitors as you are, had rather be the Popes men, than true seruants to the Queene of England.
MART. 8. I come to the fourth proofe, which is, that all the Latine Churche and the glorious Doctors thereof hauehave alwaies reade as the vulgar Latine interpreter translateth these wordes, and expound the same of penance, and doing penance. To name one or twoo for an example, S. Augustines place is veryEp. 108. notable, which therefore I set downe, and may be translated thus: Men doe penance before Baptisme, of their formerAgunt homi…es poenitentiam. Act. 2. sinnes, yet so that they be also baptized, Peter saying thus, DOE YE PENANCE, AND LET EVERY ONE BE BAPTISED. 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 which bee called, POENITENTES. For ofSicut agunt qui Poenitentes appellantur. such penance spake S Paule. 2. Cor. 12. 21. saying, THAT I LAMENT NOT MANY OF THEM WHICH BEFORE HAVE SINNED, AND HAVE NOT DONE PENANCE FOR THEIR VNCLEANNESSE. We hauehave also in the Actes, that Simon MagusAct. 8. 18. being baptized, was admonished by Peter TO DO PENANCEVt ageret poenitentiam. for his grieuous sinne. There is also in maner a dayly Penance of the good and humble beleeuers, in which wee knocke our breasts, saying, FORGIVE VSUS OVR DETTES. For these (veniall and dayly offences) fastes and almes and praiers are watchfully vsed, and humbling our soules we cease not after a sort to doQuotidianam agere poenitentiam. dayly penance.
FVLK. 8. That all the Latine Church and the glorious doctors thereof hauehave alwaies redde as the vulgar Latin interpretor translateth: you proue by an example of S. Augustine. In which also it is manifest, that S. Augustine vnderstādeth the phrase, not only for the exercise of publike poenitentes, but also for the inwarde repentance of the hart. But because you challenge all the doctors of the Latin Church, for the vse of this word poenitentia, I pray you cōsider what Tertullian writeth against Marcion, who cauilled about the repenting ascribed in Scripture to God. In Graeco sono, &c. In the Greeke sounde the name of repentance, is made not of confession of an offence, but of changing of the mind. And in his booke De Poenitentia, where hee treateth euen of publike repentance, citing the testimonie of Iohn Baptiste, hee saith, Non tacet Iohannes, poenitentiam initote In Ps. 118. pbe.dicens. Iohn holdeth not his peace, saying beginne repentaunce. Hilarius also sheweth what Poenitentiae dothe signifie, when hee saith, Peccati poenitentia est ab eo quod poenitendum intellexeris destitisse. Repentance of sinne is to hauehave ceased from that, whiche you hauehave vnderstoode that it muste bee repented of. Likewise agaynste the Nouatians that denie repentance, In Psal. 137.Cum ad Poenitentiam per quam à peccatis desistitur, when vntounto repentance by whiche menne cease from sinnes, the doctrine of the Lawe, Prophetes, Gospels, Apostles, exhorteth them that hauehave sinned. And euen your vulgar interpreter in Sainct Marke sayth Poenitemini, for that hee saith in Mathew, Agite poenitentiam, by whiche it is certaine, that hee meaneth one thing in bothe, namely repentance of harte, and no satisfaction of worke.
MART. 9. In these wordes of S. Augustine it is plaine that hee speaketh of painefull or penitentiall workes 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 offences, greater and longer: the other dayly for common and litle veniall saultes which the best men also commit in this fraile nature. Againe that the two former are signified and spoken of in the three places of Scripture by him alleaged. Where we see, that he readeth altogither as the vulgar interpreter translateth, and expoundeth all three places of penance for sinne, and so approueth that signification of the Greeke worde. Yea in saying that for veniall sinnes we knocke our breast, fast, giuegive almes, and pray, and so cease not Quotidianam agere poenitentiam: what doth he meane but daily penance and satisfaction? Reade also S. Cyprian (beside other places) epist. 52. num. 6. Where his citatiōs of Scripture are according to the old Latin interpreter, and his exposition according, of doing penāce, and making satisfaction for sinnes committed. But I neede not proceede further in alleaging either S. Cyprian or other auncient fathers for this purpose, because the Aduersaries graunt it. Howbeit in what termes they graunt it, and how malapertly they accuse all the auncient fathers at once for the same, it shall not be amisse here to put downe their wordes.
FVLK. 9. S. Augustine speaketh nothing of satisfaction for sinnes, but as I hauehave said, of such exercises as were appointed by the Church, to testifie their repētāce. The occasion of all these wordes, was of one that was a Nouatian, who said that Peter was not baptized, whē he was receyued into repentance after his deniall. And where he vsed this worde Egisse poenitentiam, S. Augustine denieth, that he did open penance, as they that we properly called poenitentes: Quod autem dicitur Petrum egisse poenitentiam. But where it is saide that Peter did penance, wee muste beware that hee bee not thought so to hauehave done it, as they do it in the Church, which are properly called Poenitentes. And who can abide this, that wee shoulde thinke, that the chiefe of the Apostles is to be numbred among such poenitents? For it repēted him that he denied Christ, which thing his tears doe shewe. These words declare, that Agere poenitentiam with Augustine, signifieth to be inwardly repentant, as well as to doe those externall workes, which are tokens of repentance. Also that teares, fastings, and such like, are arguments, and signes of repentance before God, and not any parte of that repentance in deede and much lesse any satisfaction for sinnes. Of this penance or repentance of S. Peter, S. Ambrose saith, Lachrymas eius lego, satisfactionem non lego, I reade of his teares, I reade not ofIn Luc. lib. 10. cap. 22. his satisfaction. In that Augustine vseth the wordes of the olde interpretor, it is no matter, for he vseth also his meaning. But this vsage of his, proueth not the antiquitie of the vulgar Latine translation, but contrari wise, it is certaine that S. Augustine followed an other translation, for in the text, 2. Cor. 12. where your vulgar Latine hath, Super immunditia & fornicatione & impudicitia quam gesserunt. S. Augustine readeth, Super immunditia & luxuria & fornicatione quam egerunt. That S. Cyprian vseth the terme Agere poenitentiam, and satisfaction also, speaking of publike repentance, it shall be easily graunted, but in none other sense, than I hauehave often declared. But where you say, that his citations are according to the Latine interpretor, it is false. For Apoc. 2. your vulgar text is, Memor esto itaque vnde excideris, & age poenitentiam & prima opera fac. But Cyprians citation is, Memento vnde cecideris, & age poenitentiam, & fac priora opera. Likewise Psalm. 88. you reade in your vulgar Latine, Visitabo in virga iniquitates eorum, & in verberibus peccata eorum. But Cyprian citeth thus. Visitabo in virga facinora eorum, & in flagellis delicta eorum. But that his exposition is of any other penance, than of open penance, or of any other satisfaction, than of satisfaction to the Church, your aduersaries will not graunt you, although they may graunt you, that he ascribed too much vntounto such externall tokens of repentance.
MART. 10. Whereas 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 aunswereth for both Vniuersities, sayth thusWhitak. pag. 97. cont. ration. Ed…. Camp. to that point: But whereas Magdeburgenses (Lutheran writers of that citie) complaine that he depraued the doctrine of repentance, they doe not feine or forge thisDoctrinam poenitentiae. crime against him, but vtter or disclose it. For all men vnderstand that it was too true. Neither was this Cyprians fault alone, that he wrote of repentance many thing… De poenitenti…. Imprudenter.incommodiously, and vnwisely, but all the most holy fathers almost at that time, were in the same errour. For whiles they desired to restraine mens maners by seuere lawes, they made the greatest part of repentance to consistPoenitentiae. in certaine externall discipline of life, which them selues prescribed. In that they punished vice seuerely, they were to be borne withall: but that by this meanes they thought to paye 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 Christes death, attributed too much to their owne inuentions and finally depraued repentance. Thus farre the Answerer.
FVLK. 10. If Campion was such a reuerend, godly, and learned father among you, whose leuitie, treason, and ignorance in diuinitie, hath bene so lately tried among vsus, we knowe how to esteeme of the whole packe of you. Whose learning if it had bene neuer so great, as by the time of his studie in diuinitie, & the trade of his trauailing life, since he gaue him selfe thereto, no wise man can esteeme that it was great: yet being so lately attaynted of high treason against the Prince, and the state, none that is honest, and dutifull, would hauehave bestowed vponupon him the commendation of godlinesse. As for that which M. Whitaker hath answered against him although not in the name of both the Vniuersities, by whom hee was neuer authorised to be their aduocate, yet so, as neither of both the Vniuersities neede be ashamed of his doing: for as much as I know he hath cōfuted your quarrels already, I will leaue you in this matter, wholy to cō tend against him. Assuring you of my credite, (which I know is but small with you) that he shall be found sufficient to match with as strong and aduersarie as the Seminary of Rhemes can make out against him.
MART. 11. Marke how he accuseth the fathers in generall of no lesse crime, than taking away from Christ the merits of his Passion, attributing it to their owne penance and discipline. Which if they did, I maruell he should call them in this very place where he beginneth to charge thē with such a crime, sanctissimos patres, most holy fathers. The truth is, he might as well charge S. Paule with the same, when he saith, wee shallRom. 1. Be the heires of God, and coheires with Christ, yet so, if we suffer with him, that wee may also be glorified with him. S. Paul saith, our suffering also with Christ, is necessarie to saluation: Maister Whitakers saith, it is a derogation to Christs suffering. Christ fasted for vsus, therfore our fasting maketh nothing to saluation. He prayed for vsus, was scourged, and dyed for vsus: therefore our prayer, scourging, and emprisonment, yea and death it selfe for his sake, make nothing to life euerlasting, and if we should thinke it doth, we derogate from Christes passion. Alas, is this the diuinitie of Englande now a dayes? to make the simple beleeue that the auncient fathers and holie men of the primitiue Church by their seuere life and voluntarie penaunce for their sinnes, and for the louelove of Christe, didd… therein derogate from Christes merites and passions?
FVLK. 11. If the fathers at some time, by attributing too much to externall discipline, were carried somwhat too farre, whereby not a little was derogated from the merits of Christs death▪ yet they are not charged directly to hauehave impugned the dignitie thereof, whyche, when theyr eyes were attentiuely bent vponupon it, they did worthily magnifie and extoll. That we must be conformable to the suffering of Christe, if we wil bee made partakers of his glorie, it is the diuinitie that is now taught in England: but that any sufferings, or any good works of ours whatsoeuer, do merite any part of eternall glorie, the diuinitie preached in England doth most iustly abhorre. But that the holie men of the Primitiue Churche, by theyr seuere lyfe, and heartie repentaunce for theyr synnes, testified by teares, fasting, and other chastising of their flesh, for the louelove of Christ, did derogate from Christes merits and passion, it is a lewde slaunder out of Fraunce, from the trayterous seminarie at Rhemes, but no part of the diuinitie of England, allowed by the Vniuersities of Cambridge, and Oxford, as you would make simple men beleeue that it is.
MART. 12. I may not stand vponupon this point; neither neede I. the principall matter is proued by the aduersaries confession, that the holy Doctors spake, wrote, and thought of penance, and doing penance as we doe, in the same termes both Greeke, and Latine: and with Catholikes it is alwayes a good argument, and we desire no better proofe, than this. The Protestants graunt, all the auncient fathers were of our opinion, and they say it was their errour. For, the first parte being true, it is madnesse to dispute, whether al the auntient fathers erred, or rather the newe Protestants, as it is more than madnesse to thinke that Luther alone might see the truth more than a thousande Augustines, a thousand Cypriās, a thousand Churches. Which, notwithstanding the palpable absurditie therof, yet M. WhitakersPag. 101. auoucheth it very solemnly.
FVLK. 12. The confession you charge the aduersaries to make, is of your own forgerie, not of their concession. But for want of other proofe, it was the beste you could do, to faine our graunt, but you are not able to shew our deedes thereof in writing. As neither of the rest that the antient fathers were all of our opinion, by the Protestants graunt, that Luther might see more of himselfe alone, than, &c. but whatsoeuer M. Whitaker hath aduouched, I leaue to himselfe to answere.
MART. 13. And yet againe (that the reader maye see howe they play faste and loose at their pleasure) this is the man, that when he hath giuen vsus al the fathers on our side, not onelyonly in the matter of penaunce, but also in inuocation of Saincts,*Pag. 109. Pag. 101. and in diuers other errours, as he calleth them: the very same man (I say) in the very next leaues almoste, renueth MaisterPag. 114. 117. Iewels olde bragge, that we hauehave not one cleare sentence for vsus of any one father within sixe hundred yeares after Christe, and againe, that the same faith reigneth nowe in England, which these fathers professed. What fayth, M. Whitakers? not their faith concerning penance, or inuocation of Saincts (as your self confesse) or other such like errours of theirs, as you terme them. Why are you so forgetfull, or rather so impudent, to speake contraries in so litle a roome? Such simple aunswering will not serue your aduersaries learned booke, which you in vaine goe about by foolish Rhetorike to disgrace, when the world seeth you are driuen to the wall, and either can say nothing, or doe say that, which confuteth is selfe with the euident absurditie thereof.
FVLK. 13. Maister Whitaker is not so inconsiderate, to play fast and loose, as you are intemperate and vntrue, in accusing him. Howbeit, there is no doubt, but he will meete you, and handle you, according to your vertues. But seeing you giuegive such high commendation to Campions pamphlet, as that you call it a learned booke, (wherein beside a litle ranke Rhetorike, more meete for a boye, that learneth to practise his figures, than for a graue Diuine, to vse in so serious a cause, there is nothing that any learned man may thinke worthy of any aunswere). we may well perceiue what you count learning, & what be the pillers of your popish religion. The bookes are both in print, let the worlde iudge of both indifferently.
MART. 14 But to leaue M. Whitakers (who is a simple companion, to sit in iudgement vponupon all the auncient Doctors, and to condemne them of hainous errour in the matter of penance). I trust the Reader seeth by the former discourse, the vsuall Ecclesiasticall signification, and consequently both the true and false translation of the foresayd Greeke wordes. Not thatforeign they must or may alwayes be translated, penance, or doing penance. For in the scriptures God is sayd Poenitentiam agere, who can not be sayd to doe penance, no more than he can be said to amend his life, as the Protestants commonly translate this word. Therefore I conclude, that this word being spoken of God, in the Scriptures, is no more preiudice against our translation of doing penance, than it is against theirs, of amendment of life. Likewise when it is spoken of the reprobate and damned in hell: who as they can not doe penance properly, so much lesse amendeforeign. Sap. 5. Poenitentiam a… gentes. their liues.
FVLK. 14. Maister Whitaker taketh not vponupon him to sit in iudgement of all the Doctors, although he may note some errour or other, in eueryevery one of them, whose writings of any substance, doe remaine with vsus. But after all this brabling about poenitentiā agere, you come home, and confesse, that it must not alwayes be translated, doing of penance: because God him selfe after your vulgar translation, is sayd, agere poenitentiam, which with the Septuaginta, is foreign. No man could better hauehave confuted your vaine quarreling▪ than you hauehave done your selfe: for by this it is manifest, that the vulgar Interpreter, did not meane by agere poenitentiam, any more, than we doe by repentance. And therefore the best, and the most simple translation is, to vse the wordes repent, and repentance. And the Greeke word, as Tertullian telleth you, signifieth changing of mind, which may be without acknowledging of errour. Although it can not vet be properly said of God, that he changeth his mind, when he is sayd to repent. As likewise it is not necessary, that they which be in hel, should amend their liues, when it is said they repent. Neither doe we translate the worde simply, amendment of life, but shewe that amendement of life must necessarily follow in them that truely repent, as the Scripture teacheth vsus.
MART. 15. Moreouer, it is purposely against penance, that they translate amisse, both in Daniel, and Esdras, whose voluntary…. e…p. 59. Dan. 10. mourning, fasting, afflicting of them selues for their owne sinnes, and the peoples, is notoriously set forth in their bookes. There they make the Angell say thus to Daniel. Fromv. 12. Bib. 1579. the first day that thou didst set thyne hart TO HVMBLE thy selfe. What is this humbling him selfe? can we gather any penance thereby? none at all. but if they had sayd according to the Hebrew, Greeke, and Latine, from the first day that thouforeign, didst set thine hart TO AFFLICT thy selfe, we shouldevt te affligeres. foreign easily conceiue workes of penance, and it would include Daniels mourning, fasting from flesh, wine, and other meates, abstaining from ointments, the space of the dayes, mentioned in the beginning of the same chapter.
FVLK. 15. The word humbling, doth as wel comprehende all those exercises of fasting, and mourning, which the holy men did vse, to testifie their repentance, & to prouoke them selues to hartie repentance for their sinnes, & the sinnes of the people, as the word afflicting. Another translation calleth it chastening, the Hebrewe word signifieth to bring lowe, or cast downe, therefore it is spoken of women, that are carnally knowne, which is without affliction. But when it is vsed of such godly exercises, it declareth for what ende they serue, namely to humble and bring low our proude rebellious nature, and to be signes of humiliation, as S. Basil sayth of sackcloth and ashes, not to be by punishment, satisfaction for our sinnes. Your owne vulgar Latine interpretor trā slateth the same word, Gen. 16 v. 19. humiliare▪ humble thy selfe, or submit thy selfe vnderunder thy mistres hand, and often times in that sense. And euen in this sense of humbling▪ by signes of repentance, he vseth the word humilia…us, speaking of Achab, 2. Reg. 21. v. 29. where the Hebrew word is otherwise. And Psalme 35. v. 13. the same worde …innethi he translateth, humiliaham, And in theirforeign sickenes. I put on sackcloth▪ and humbled my soule with fasting So doth he often times, when such bodily chastisement is signified thereby. Wherefore this, as all the rest is a false and vnreasonable quarrell▪ against our translation, as though by it we meant to denye the vse of afflicting, or chastening the body, with fasting, mourning, and other like exercises of repentance.
MART. 16. Againe, in all their Bibles of the yeares 1562. 1577. 1579. they make Esdras, c. 9. 5. after his exceedingforeign. great penance, say onelyonly this, About the euening sacrifice I arose vp from my HEAVINESSE. neither translating the Hebrew, which is the same word that in Daniel, nor the Greeke,foreign which signifieth affliction, and humiliation.
FVLK. 16. First your Greeke text of Esdras, confirmeth our translation of Daniel. Secondly, I say, that by this heauines, they meane, all that humiliation and affliction, whereof he spake before, which is easie for eueryevery man to vnderstand, that is not blinded with malice, and what other thing is affliction, but heauines, griefe, and sorow, whereof the holy man spake twice before, I thinke no wise man can tell.
MART. 17. Againe, in the Prophet Malachie, (c. 3. 14.) they translate thus: Ye hauehave sayde, It is but vaine to serue God, and what profit is it that we hauehave kept his commaundements, and walked HVMBLY before his face? What is this same, humbly? when we say in English, he goeth humbly: we imagine or conceiue no more but this, that he is an humble man, and behaueth him selfe humbly▪ but they know very well, the Prophet speaketh of an other thing: and ifforeign it had pleased them to hauehave translated the Hebrew word fully, and significantly, in the sense of the holy Ghost, they might hauehave learned by conference of other places, where the same Hebrewe word is vsed, that it signifieth such heauines, sadnes, sorowfulnes, and affliction, as men expresse by blacke mourning garmēts, the nature of the word importing blacknesse, darknesse, lowring, and the like. Which is farre more than walking humbly, and which is wholy suppressed by so translating. See the Psalme 34. v. 14. Ps. 37. v. 7. Ps. 41. v. 10. Where the Prophetforeign vseth many wordes and speeches, to expresse sorowfull penance: and for that which in Latine is alwayes, contristatus, in Greeke a word more significant, in Hebrew it is the same kind of worde that they translate, humbly. Whereas in deede this word hath no signification of humilitie properly, no not of that humilitie I meane, which is rather to be called humiliation, or affliction, as the Greeke wordes implye. But it signifieth properly the veryforeign maner, countenance, gesture, habite of a pensiue or sorlorne man: & if they will say, that they so translate it in other places, the more is their fault, that knowing the nature of the worde, they wil notwithstanding suppresse the force and signification thereof in any one place, and so translate it, that the reader must needes take it in an other sense, and can not possibly conceiue that which the worde importeth. for, to walke humbly, soundeth in all English eares, the vertue of humilitie, whyche thys worde doth neuer signifie, and not humilitie or humiliation by affliction, which it may signifie, though secondarily, and by deduction onelyonly.
FVLK. 17. What a many of vaine words are here spent, to make a vaine cauil seeme to be of some value? what the etymologie of the Hebrewe word is, the translatours knewe beefore you were borne. But what the worde signifieth heere, Pagnine is sufficient to teache bothe you, and them, who thus interpreateth it in obscuro, id est, obscurè, id est, humiliter. In the darke, that is darkly, that is humbly. Your vulgare Latine translatour calleth it, tristes, whiche is as farre from your pretended penaunce, as humilitie. The Septuaginta translate the word foreign, whyche signifieth seruile or seruauntes. Benedict Arias expoundeth it, supplices, humble. And to put al out of quarrelling, the Antithesis or opposition of the proud and arrogant, in the next verse following, proueth, that in this verse, they speake of humilitie, whych is contrarie to pride, and not of the tokens of repentaunce, which are mourning apparell, and such like.
MART. 18. Againe, what is it else but against penance and satisfaction, that they deface these vsual and known wordsDan. 4. 24. of Daniel to the king, Redime eleemosynis peccata tua, Redeeme thy sinnes with almes: altering and translatingforeign. it thus, Breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse. Firste, the Greeke is against them, whiche is worde for worde according to the vulgare and common reading: Secondly, the Chaldee worde whiche they translate, Breake off, by Munsters owne iudgementforeign in lexico Chald. signifieth rather, and more principally, to redeeme. Thirdely, the other worde whiche they translate, righteousnesse, in the Scriptures signifieth also, eleemosynam, as the Greke interpreaters, translate it, Dent. 6. & 24 & it is most plaine in S. Mathew, where our Sauiour saith (Mat. 6.foreign. In Ps. 49. v. 5. v. 1.) Beware you do not your iustice before men▪ Which is in other Greke copies, your almes. And S. Augustine prooueth it by the very text. For (saith he) as though a mā might aske, what iustice? he addeth. WHEN THOVDOST AN ALMES DEEDS. He signified therefore, that almes are the works of iustice. And in the Psalme they are made one,Psalm 111. He distributed he gaue to the poore, his iustice remayneth for euer and euer▪ Which Beza translateth, his beneficence or liberalitie remaineth, &c. Againe, S. Hierome, a sufficient Doctour to tel the signification of the Hebrue or Chaldee words, both translateth i…so, and expoundeth it so in his cō mentarie. Moreouer, the wordes that immediatly folow in Daniel, interprete it so vntounto vsus, And thy iniquities with merciesAnnot. in Mat. 6. v. 1. to the pore. Lastly, Beza himself saith, that by the name of iustice with the Hebrues, is also signified beneficence or beneficialnes to the pore yea, and that in this place of2. Cor. 9. Daniel it is specially taken for almes. So that wee see there is no impediment, neither in the Chaldee, nor Greeke, why they might not hauehave saide, as the Church of God alwayes hath saide, Redeeme thy sinnes with almes, and thy iniquities with mercies to the poore▪ but their heresie wil not suffer them to speake after the Catholike maner, that almes & mercifull deeds are a redemption, ransome, and satisfaction for sinnes.
FVLK. 18. Againste popishe penaunce and satisfaction, there is no doubte, but the translatours were vehemently affected, yet in this translation they hauehave vsed no preiudice againste repentaunce, and the true fruites thereof, but rather more straightly hauehave vrged the same. For firste, whereas in the vulgare Latine texte there is no worde of repenting from sinnes, or forsaking of sinnes, our translatour vsing the terme of breaking off his sinnes, signifieth that all almes, and other apparant good deedes without repentaunce and breaking off the cause of the former sinfull lyfe, are in vaine and vnprofitable. Secondly, where the vulgare translatour vseth the worde of redeeming, or buying out, whiche mighte bring the King into vaine securitie, to thinke he might satisfie for his sinnes, without repentance, by giuing of almes, whiche is a small penaunce for a King: our translatours tell him, that, he must break off his sinnes, before any thing that he doth be acceptable to God. Thirdly, whereas the vulgare interpretour requireth of him nothing but almes, and merciemercy to the poore, whiche was a verie easie thing for him to performe: our translators enioine him righteousnesse, which comprehendeth all vertues, and is a thousande folde harder penaunce for suche a mightie monarch, than giuing of almes, and that to poore folks which he shoulde neuer feele. Fourthly, the wordes are plaine for our translation: for pherak the Chaldeeforeign verb signifieth as properly and as principally to dissolue or breake off, as, to deliuer or redeeme. Neither is Munsters iudgement otherwise, although hee giuegive the other signification firste, whyche is a miserable argument, to proue, that it signifieth rather, and more principallye to redeme. But if any signification were more principall than other, it were more reason to saye, that pherak signifiethforeign rather & more principally to breake or dissolue, because the word signifieth so in the Hebrewe tongue, from whence the Chaldee is deriued. And indeede delyuering, is a kinde of dissoluing or breaking from him, to whome hee was beefore addicte or bounde. So that the verbe helpeth you nothing, but rather maketh more against you. The other worde, although verye seldome by synecdoche, it be taken for almes, yet euerie boy almoste in Cambridge knoweth, that it signifieth properly and principally, vniuersall iustice, or all righteousnesse: therefore the Chaldee texte is plaine for our translation, and enforced for yours of almes. Being agaynste all reason, that the Prophete shoulde exhorte the Kyng to gyuing almes, before hee hadde exhorted hym to repentaunce, and forsakyng of hys sinnes. Beside that, it is contrarie to the whole scope of the scriptures, to teache any other satisfaction or redemption from sinne, than the death and passion of Christe. But where you tell vsus of S. Hieromes translation, it were somewhat worth, if you could shewe it. The vulgare Latine text wee may not graunte you to bee S. Hieromes, as for his commentarie, teacheth not the worde of redeeming, which is the principall worde in controuersie. And indeede it is a very absurde kinde of speach, to say, redeeme thy sinnes, or deliuer thy sinnes, for pherak signifieth none otherwise to redeme,foreign than to deliuer, whereas, if he had meant, as you think, hee shoulde hauehave saide rather, redeeme thy soule from sinnes. Christ himselfe the author of our redemption, is not saide to hauehave redeemed our sinnes with his bloud, but to hauehave redeemed vsus from oure synnes by hys bloude.
MART. 19. And what a miserable humour is it in these cases, to slie as far as they can from the auntient receiued speach of holie Scripture, that hath so many yeres sounded in all faithful eares, and to inuent newe termes and phrases, when the original text both Greke and Hebrue fauoreth the one as much or more, than the other▪ as, that they choose to say in the Epistle to Titus (where the Apostle excedingly exhorteth to good works) maintaine good workes, and shewe foorth good works, rather than according to the auncient Latine translation, bonisforeign. operibus praeesse, to be chiefe and principall in doing good workes, which is the very true and vsual signification of the greeke worde, and implieth a vertuous emulation among good men, who shal doe moste good workes, or excel in that kinde. But they that looke to be saued by faith onelyonly, no maruell if neither their doings, nor trāslatiōs tēd to any such excellēcie.
FVLK. 19. What a miserable humour is it, when the truth is plainly reuealed, by knowledge of the tongs, which was hidden from many of the auntient fathers, to delight rather in error which is old, than in truth which is newly discouered? The worde foreign in the epistle to Titus we translate also to excell, and it may signifie, either to shew forth, to maintaine, or to excell. And therfore your wrangling is vaine and without reason. For that Christian men ought with all diligent labour to excell in good workes, it is alwaies acknowledged of vsus, although they muste not looke to bee saued by their workes no nor by their faith onelyonly, if their faith be not fruitefull of good workes. Such collections as these, and much better, it were no hard matter to make a great number against you, to proue that you are enimies to faith, to repentance, to good workes, & to God him self.