Defense of the Translations of the Scriptures into the English Tongue, Treatise · Chapter 1 · Martins comments 41 – Martins comments 48
MART. 41. If in ambiguous Hebrue woords of doubtfull signification, where the Greeke giueth one certaine sense, you refuse the Greeke, and take your aduantage of the other sense: what is this but wilfull partialitie? so you doe in, Redime eleemosynisPs. 118. Octo…. Nun. Ps. 138. peccata tua. Dan. 4. and Inclinaui cor meum ad faciendas iustificationes tuas propter retributionem. and, Nimis honorati sunt amici tui Deus &c. and yet at an other time you folow the determination of the Greeke for an other aduantage: as Psal. 98. Adore his footestoole, because he is holy. Whereas in the Hebrue it may be as in our Latin, because foreignit is holy. See chapt. 13. num. 18. chapt. 9. num. 23 24. chapt. 18. num. 1. 2. So you flee from the Hebrue to the Gre…ke, and from this to that againe, from both to the vulgar Latine, as is shewed in other places▪ and as S. Augustine…i. 11. con…. Faust. cap. 20 saith to Faustus the Manichee, You are the r…le of truth: whatsoeuer is for you, is true: whatsoeuer is against you, is not true.
FVLK. 41. If Hebrue wordes be ambiguous, wee take that sense whiche agreeth with other places that are playne, and with out all ambiguitie, and this is no partialitie, but wisedome and louelove of the truthe: not to grounde any newe doctrine vppon suche places onelyonly, where the Hebrue worde is ambiguous, and may hauehave diuerse significations. As you do the redemption of sinnes by almesse, vponupon that place of Daniel. 4. Where you confesse that the Hebrue worde is ambiguous, & are not able to bring any one plain text for it, where the wordes are not ambiguous. But wee ground our refusal vponupon a hundred plaine textes, that acribe the whole glorie of our raunsome & redemption frō sinnes, to the onelyonly mercy of God. But as well this text, as the other two, that you cite in the chapters by you quoted, shall be throughly diseussed, to see if you can hauehave any aduaūtage at our translators of the same. But on the cō trarie side (you say) that at an other time we follow the determination of the Greeke for an other aduantage, as in that texte, Psalm. 89. Adore his foote stoole. because he is holy, whereas in the Hebrue it may be as in your Latine, because it is holy I answer, that we follow not the determination of the Greeke, as moued by the onelyonly authoritie thereof, for any aduantage, but because wee learne our interpretation out of the verie Psalme it selfe. For whereas the Prophet in the 5. verse hath sayed. Exalt …e the Lorde our God, and worshippe at the foote stoole of his feete, for he is holy: in the laste verse of the same, he repeateth againe the like exhortation. Exalt ye the Lorde our God, and worshippe him in his holy hill, for the Lorde our God is holy. In this verse for his foote stoole he placeth the holy hill, which expresseth where his foote stoole was, namelyforeign the holy A…ke, and for Cadhosh hu, holy is he, now he sayeth Cadosh I…houa, holy is the Lorde our God, which putteth the other verse out of ambiguitie. Wherefore if wee take testimonie of the Greeke, we flie not to the Greeke from the Hebrue, but shewe that the Hebrue may so bee vnderstoode, hauing other more certaine arguments, than the testimonie of the Greeke. Againe it is vtterly false that you saie, we flie from both Hebrue and Greeke to the Latine, for wee neuer flie from the Hebrue, but acknowledge it as the fountaine and spring, from whence wee must receyue, the infallible truth of Gods worde, of the olde Testament, following the Latine or Greeke so farre, as they followe the truth of the Hebrue texte, and no farther. As for the saying of S. Augustine to Faust…s the Manichee. (You are the rule of truth,) doth moste aptly agree to you Papistes and to your Pope: for you will not aforde vntounto the Scriptures them selues, any authoritie or certaintie of truth, but vponupon your approbation and interpretation. Wherefore not only that which he sayth to Faustus the Manichee, agreeth aptly to you: what so euer is for you is true, what so euer is agaynst you, is not true: but that also whiche he reporteth, Tyconius the Donatist sayde of his secte (Quod volumus sanctum est, what so euer we will is holy) you your selues take vppon you. For no doctrine is good nor holy, though it be proued neuer so plainely out of the holy Scripture, except it be allowed by you for catholike and holy.
MART. 42. What shall I speake of the Hebrue particle vau? whiche (Gen. 14. vers. 18.) muste in no case beforeign translated, because, least it shoulde proue that Melchisedec offered sacrifice of bread and wine, as all the …athers, expounde i…: but (Luc. 1. verse. 42.) where they translate the equiualent Greeke particle foreign, there Beza proueth the said particle to signifie, because, and translateth accordingly,Quia benedictus, for, & benedictus fructus ven…ris tui. and the English Bezites likewise. I will not vrge thē why, we like the sense well, and Theophylacte so expoundeth it. But if the Greeke copulatiue may be so translated, why not the Hebrue copulatiue much more, which often in the Scripture is vsed in that sense? See chap. 17. nu. 13. 14.
FVLK. 42. That the Hebrue particle Vau, is sometimes to be taken for a casual coniunction, & signifieth, because: no man denieth: but that it must be taken so. Gen. 14. because foreign is taken so. Luc. 1. 42. what reason is this? But all the fathers (say you) expound Melchisedechs bringing foorth of bread and wine, to be a sacrifice. I graunt that many do, but not al: yet do not they ground vponupon the coniunction causal, for Cyprian Lib. 2. Epist. 3. ad Caecilium readeth thus, Fuit autem sacerdos, and hee was a Priest. So dothe Hierom Epist. ad Euagrium, expounding the very Hebrue texte, saye, Et Melchisedech rex Salem protulit panem & vinum, erat autem sacerdos dei excelsi. The worde protulit also hath Ambrose, de mysterijs initiand. Augustine vponupon the title of the 33. Psalme. Cyprian in the epistle before named, and the vulgar Latine hath proferens. Hierome Ep. ad Euagrium, sheweth that the beste learned of the Hebrues iudgement was, that Melchisedech Victori Abraham …buiam processerit, & in refectionem, tam ipsius, quam pugnatorum ipsius, panes vinumque protulerit. Melchisedech came foorth to meete Abraham the conquerour, and for refection, as well of him, as of his warriours, brought foorth bread and wine. And after many interpretations of the Greeke writers whiche he rehearseth, in the ende he will determine nothing of his owne iudgement. The author of Scholastica historia, Cap. 64. agreeth with the interpretation of the Hebrues. At vero Melchisedech rex Salem obtulit ei panem & vinum: quod (quasi exponens) Iosephus ait: ministrauit exercitui xenia, & multam abundantiam rerum opportunarum simul exhibuit, & super epulas benedixit Deum, qui Abrahae subdiderat inimicos. Erat enim sacerdos Dei altissimi. But Melchisedech king of Salem, offered vntounto him bread and wine, which Iosephus (as it were expounding of it) sayth: he ministred to his armie the duties of hospitalitie, and gaue him great plentie of things necessarie, and beside the feast, or at the feast, he blessed God, which had subdued vntounto Abraham his enemies: for he was a Priest of the highest God. Therefore not all the fathers so iudged of Melchisedeches breade and wine. But against all them that referred the same to his Priesthoode, we oppose the Apostle to the Hebrues ca. 7. who searching of purpose whatsoeuer was in Melchisedech, wherein hee resembled Christ, so that he omitteth not the interpretation of his name, nor of his citie, maketh no mention of his sacrifice of breade and wine, whereas nothing seemeth to hauehave greater resemblance, than that, which deceiued many of the auncient fathers, but yet was not obserued of the holy Ghost.
MART. 43. But I woulde aske rather▪ why foreign Luc. 1. v. 28.may not in any case be translated, full of grace: whereas foreign is translated, full of sores. Both wordes being of likeLuc. 16. v. 20▪ forme and force. See chap. 18. numb. 4. 5.
FVLK. 43. The former worde being a participle, is best translated by a participle freely beloued: for the other, if wee had a participle in Englishe to say, sored or botched, we woulde vse it, but for lacke of a participle, we are constrained to vse the noune, full of sores. I may likewise aske you, whether you would translate foreign full of gold, or gilded? And so of all other verbes of that forme, where there is in Englishe a participle: why ought not likewise foreign bee translated by the participle?
MART. 44. Againe, why say they (Hebr. 13.) Let yourforeign. conuersation be without couetousnes, & say not, Let mariage be honourable in all, and the bed vndefiled. Bothforeign. being expressed a like by the Apostle, and by way of exhortation, as the reste that goeth before and followeth? See chap. 15. numbr. 15.
FVLK. 44. Although the sense were not greatlye different, yet the participle foreign following in the later parte of the verse, foreign, &c. but fornicators and adulterers God will iudge, sheweth that the former parte of the verse, is an affirmation, rather than an exhortation. Againe the purpose of the Apostle is playne, to disswade them from whoredom and adulterie, & not only to exhort maried men to vse mariage temperately, but for auoiding of whoredome and adulterie, which God will punish, to shewe the remedie that God hath prouided for mans infirmitie, to be honourable and voyde of filthinesse.
MART. 45. Are we too suspicicious thinke you? howeHebr. 5. v. 7. can feare, be translated, that which he feared: *Beza. Act. 26. v. 20. …. Thess. 2. & ….repentance, them that repent or amende their life: tradition, the doctrine deliuered: temples, shrines: idols, deuotions: euerie humane creature, all ordinances of man: foreknowledge, prouidence: soule, carcas: hell, graue: altar, temple: table, altar: and such like?
FVLK. 45. We thinke you not more suspitious, than malicious. From his feare, may well (for explications sake) be translated, from that which he feared, Heb. 5. v. 7. euen as hope is somtime taken, for that which we hope for, as Col. 1. v. 5. Tit. 2. v. 13. So may repentance in Beza Act. 26. v. 20. signifie them that repent, as circumcision often signifieth them that are circumcised, neither is there any chaunge of the sense, to say the fruites worthie of repentance, or the fruits worthie of them that repent, or amend their life. And I pray you what doth tradition, 2. Thess. 2. & 3. signifie, but the doctrine deliuered? Doth not the Apostle declare, what his tradition was, when he deliuereth this doctrine, that if any man will not worke, let him not eate. 2. Thess. 3. v. 10. The word foreign as it is vsed, Act. 19. v. 24. signifieth neither temples nor shrines, but certaine idolatrous coynes, on which was stamped the figure of Dianaes temple, more like to your Popish shrines, than to the temple of God. Where idols are translated deuotions, I knowe not, except you meane, Act. 17. v. 23. where the worde is foreign, which your vulgar Latine translatour, 2. Thess. 2. calleth quod colitur, that which is deuoutly worshipped, & so the worde signifieth whatsoeuer is religiously worshipped or adored, and not idols as you say, nor simulachra, images, as your translatour calleth them, Act. 17. For it is deriued of foreign, or foreign, which signifieth to adore, to worship, to honour deuoutly, or religiously. Euerie humane creature, signifieth in that place, 1. Pet. 2. euerie magistrate, of what creation or ordination soeuer he bee, and so is meant by that translation (all ordinaunces of men) not all lawes of men, which yet were not impious, if you adde the restraint, for the Lorde, for whome nothing can be, that is against his lawe. The rest of your quarrels bee all aunswered before.
MART. 46. What caused these straunge speeches inPsalm. 86. …3. Bib. 1579. their Englishe Bibles. Thou shalt not leaue my soule 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 dore, and thou shalt rule ouer HIM. Breake of thy sinnes with righteousnesse, for Redeeme with almes. Ielousie is cruell as the graue, for as hell. Cant. Cant. 8. Bib. an. 1579. The griefes of the graue caught me. Psalm. 116. And, God will redeeme my soule from the power of the graue. O graue I will be thy destruction. Psalm. 4….Os. 13. and such like? what made Caluine so translate into Latine, that if you turne it into English, the sense is, that God powred water vponupon vsus aboundantly, meaning the holyTit. 3. Ghost: what else but because he would take away the necessitie of materiall water in Baptisme, as in his commentarie and Bezaes, it is euident?
FVLK. 46. These speaches are not straunge in Gods Church, howe soeuer they sound in your eares. So many of them as translate for Sheol, the graue, hauehave their answeres sect. 32. and chap. 7. which is appointed for that question. The couetous man a worshipper of images sect. 5. of this chapter, and chap. 3. numb. 12. The laying … of hands of the Eldership, is warranted by the signification of the Greeke worde foreign, which signifieth a companie of Elders, as it is translated by your owne vulgar Latine interpreter. Luk 22. vers. 66. Seniore… plebis. The Elders of the people, and Act. 22. v. 5. he calleth foreign. Omnes maiores natu. And for a consistorie of Elders, is the worde Presbyterium vsed in Latine by Cyprian lib. 3. epist. 11. and lib. 2. epist. 8. 10. Of haile freely beloued we spake lately, sect. 43. Of the text Gen. 4. v. 7. sinne lieth at the dore, &c. sect. 28. and chap. 10. sect. 9. of Dan. 4. breake, for redeeme thy sinnes. sect. 41.
If Caluine Tit. 3. did wrongly interprete, that which is spoken of water, to be ment of the holie Ghost, what is that to our translation? But certaine it is, that Caluine neuer meant to take away, the necessitie of materiall water from the sacrament of baptisme, although he taught that the want of the externall sacrament, where it cannot be had, doth not depriue gods electe from eternal saluation: neither hath Beza anye other meaning in his annotation.
MART. 47. I hadde meant to hauehave but briefly skimmed ouer these things, but multitude of matter maketh me too long, as it chaunceth to a manne that wadeth thoroughe myrie and foule places, and yet the greatest demonstration that they are wilfull corrupters, is behinde, whiche onelye I will adde, and for the reste, referre the reader to the whole booke.
FVLK. 47. It is a smal signe, that multitude of matter is cause of your length, when you repeate one matter in so manye sections, your similitude of a manne wading in foule and myrie places, doth well agree vntounto you, for you hauehave beene all this while wading in the puddle of youre slaunders, misprisions, and false and false accusations, in which you hauehave so berayed your selfe, as you shall not easily purge your selfe from the myre of them. But because you say the greatest demonstration, that we are wilfull corrupters, is behind, though it be tedious for vsus to rake in such a gogmyre of your forgeries, and false accusations, yet we will take courage, and consider what mayne demonstration you can make, to proue vsus in our English translations to be wilful corrupters.
MART. 48. Doubt you whether they translate of purpose and partialitie, in fauour of their opinions? you shall heare them selues say so, and protest it. If I dealt with Lutherans, thisTom. 2. fol. 405. edit. Witteb. anno 1551. one testimonie of Luther were sufficient, who being asked why he added onelyonly, into the text, Rom. 3. answered that he did it to explicate the Apostles sense more plainly, that is, to make the Apostle say more plainly, that faith onelyonly iustified. And his Disciple Illyricus disputeth the matter, that the Apostle saying▪ byThe expresse testimonies of Beza, (vvhom the English Hereticall translations follovv herein) that he doth vvilfully and of purpose translate against such and such catholike assertions. faith without workes, saith in deede, onelyonly faith. But because I deale rather with our English Caluinists, and Beza is their chiefe translator, and a Captaine among them, whome they professe to follow in the title of the new Testament, anno 1580. and by the very name of their Geneua Bibles, let vsus see what he sayth.
FVLKE. 48. I thinke there is no man doubteth, but they translated the Scripture, with purpose to maintaine their opinions, but whether they hauehave wittingly, and wilfully translated falsely, to maintaine any errours, or hereticall opinions, that is the matter in question, and which hath neede of your greatest demonstration, to make it apparant. That Luther might rightly interprete the place Rom. 3. of onelyonly faith iustifying, by the excluding of works, I hauehave before acknowledged, & Illyricus doth rightly defend it. But that he did put in the worde (only) in his translation, which is not in the originall, I will not take vponupon me to excuse, seeing the truth of that doctrine is manifest, without that addition: and Luther him selfe in his later editions, hath reformed it. Againe, what fault soeuer other men hauehave committed in their translation, we are vniustly charged therewith, except we follow the same in ours. That we professe to follow Beza by the very name of our Geneua Bibles, it is a very ridiculous argument. For our Bibles are so commonly called, because they were translated, and first printed at Geneua, not by Beza, who at that time, had scarse finished his translation of the newe Testament, and neuer dealt with translating of the olde, so farre as we knowe, but by certaine godlye, and learned Englishe men, which liued there in Queene Maries time, to enioy the libertie of a good conscience, which they could not hauehave in their owne Country.