Defense of the Translations of the Scriptures into the English Tongue, Response to preface · Martins comments 36 – Martins comments 43
MART. 36. And concerning their wilfull and hereticall auoyding thereof in their newe translations, what greater argument can there be than this, that Luther, who before alwaies had reade with the Cath. Church and with all antiquitie, these wordes of S. Paul, HaueHave not we power to leade about A1. Cor. 9. Mulierem sororem. 2. Pet. 1. WOMAN A SISTER, as also the rest of the Apostles? and in S. Peter, these wordes, Labour that BY GOOD WORKES you may make sure your vocation and election: sodenly, after he had contrarie to his profession taken a wife (as he called her) and preached that all other votaries might do the same, and that faith only iustified, good workes were not necessarie to saluation: sodenly (I say) after he fell to these heresies, he began to reade and translate the former Scriptures accordingly, thus: HaueHave not we power to lead 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 wordes, by good workes. And so do both the Caluinists abroade, and our English Protestants at home reade and translate at this day, because they holde the selfe same heresies.
FVLK. 36. If their be no greater argument, as you confesse there can be none, that their auoyding of this vulgar Latine is wilfull and hereticall, than this, that Luther defended his mariage beyng a votarie, by that texte of 1. Corinth. 9. wherein the Apostle challengeth power to leade aboute with him a sister to wife, whiche your texte hath Mulierem sororem a woman a sister. And that to proue that faith only iustifieth and good workes are not necessarie to saluation, he lefte out of the text of S. Peter good workes, by which the Apostle exhorteth vsus to make sure vntounto our selues our vocatiō, & election: there is none argument at all of wilful, needlesse, or hereticall a…oyding. For although the mariage of ecclesiasticall ministers generally is proued by that Scripture: yet the mariage of votaries specially, is nothing confirmed. And for the mariage of Bishops, Priestes and Deacons, your owne translation of 1. Tim. 3. and Tit. 1. both Latine and English will warrant them to be the husbandes of one wife, so that eueryevery childe may see, that he needed not for that purpose, to corrupt the texte, 1. Cor. 9. And as for the other texts, 2. Pet. 1. although this worde, (by good workes,) is not expressed in the moste Greeke copies, yet the whole circumstance of the place giueth it necessarily to be vnderstoode, and yet it maketh nothing agaynst iustification by fayth only. For our election which is most certaine & immutable in Gods determinatiō, is made certainly knowen vntounto vsus by good workes, the fruites of iustifying faith, euen as the effectes doe necessarily proue the cause gone before. And so dothe Thomas Mathewes Bible note: likewise the Bishops Bible, and the Geneua Bible, for so I had rather call them, than by the yeares in whiche they were once printed, whiche hauehave bene often printed, and perhaps all in some one yeare. Couerdales Bible also addeth these wordes by good workes, whiche is redde in some Greeke copies. So true it is that you say, wee leaue it out, because wee holde the selfe same heresie: As likewise that you slaunder vsus to hold, that good workes are not necessarie to saluation, whereas we beleeue that good workes are as necessarie to saluation, as fayth, in all them that are iustified by faith onelyonly. But because you are not able to withstand the truth which we beleeue, you faine odious Monsters, as Dragons, Centaures, Hydraes to fight withall before the people, that you might gette the prayse of glorious conquerours: like S. George on horsebacke, that in a pageant vanquisheth an hideous dragon made of paper or painted clothes.
MART. 37. So do they in infinite places alter the olde text, which pleased them well before they were Heretikes, and they do it with brasen faces, and playne protestation, hauing no shame nor remorse at all, in fleeing from that which all antiquitie with one consent allowed and embraced vntill their vnhappie daies. Which though it be an euident condemnation of their nouelties in the sight of any reasonable man that hath any grace: yet as I began to admonish thee (gentle Reader) we will not charge them for altering the auncient approued Latin translation, because they pretend to folowe the Hebrue and Greeke, and our purpose is not here, to proue that they should not folowe the Hebrue and Greeke that now is, before the auncient approued Latine text, which is done briefly already in the preface to the new Testament.
FVLK. 37. You were afrayde belike to be ouermatched in rayling, and therefore you thought to beare vsus downe at once, with a whole floud of reprochfull slaunders, and that you vtter euen with the same face, with which you affirme, that al antiquitie with one consente allowed and embraced your vulgar Latine texte: for what else you shoulde meane I cannot coniecture, seing you say afterwarde you will not charge vsus for altering the auncient approued Latine translation. What say you Martin? doth all antiquitie with one consent allowe and imbrace your vulgar Latine translation? What is the cause then that the most of all antiquitie of the Latine Church vsed not your vulgar Latine text? or dare you ioyne issue with me, that all the Latine doctors for 400 yeares after Christe, vsed none other Latine translation but that? or that they all knewe your vulgar Latine translation: you are neuer able to proue it. The 70. translation in deede was greatly esteemed, and almost generally receyued in the Greeke and Latine Churches, and out of it were innumerable Latine versions, as S. Augustine affirmeth. But your vulgar Latine followeth it not in many places, as it were easie to shewe, if time and occasion serued, and I suppose you will not denie. As for the reasons you bring in the Preface to the newe Testament, to proue that we should not followe the Hebrue and Greeke that now is, before that auncient approued text, when they come to be considered it shall appeare how vayne and friuolous they are. But as for the Hebrue and Greeke that now is, may easilie be proued to be the same that alwaies hath bene, neither is their any diuersitie in sentence, how soeuer some copies eyther through negligence of the writer, or by any other occasion do varie from that which is commonly and most generally receyued in some letters, syllables, or wordes.
MART. 38. Neither will we burden them, for not folowingVVe charge them not vvith forsaking the Greeke copies that agree vvith the auncient approued Latine text, though this be a signe of their incredible partialitie. the vulgar Latine texte, when the same agreeth with most auncient Greeke copies: which notwithstanding is great partialitie in them, & must needes be of an heretical wilful humor, that among the Greeke copies themselues, they reiect that which moste agreeth with the vulgar Latine text, in places of controuersies: Yet will wee not I say, neither in this case, lay falsehood and corruption to their charge, because they pretend to translate the common Greeke text of the newe Testament, that is, one certaine copie. But here at the least lette them shewe their fidelitie, and that they be true and exact translatours. For here onelyonly shall they be examined and called to account.
FVLK. 38. In translation we follow the common vsuall and printed coppies, as you doe in your translation, and yet you know there be as many, yea ten times as many diuerse readings in the Latine, as are in the Greeke: witnesse hereof the Bible printed at Antwerpe, by Christopher Plantine 1567. of Hentenius castigation: where the margents almost of euerie leafe be full of diuerse readings obeliskes, asterisks, stigmates, signifying the variety that is in many copies, by adding, detracting, chaunging.
The same is confessed by Arias Montanus.In apparat. Bibl. De opt. Gen. interpret. sc. lib. 3.
Lindanus likewise acknowledgeth as much.
Of that which you say we reiect that which best agreeth with the vulgar Latine in places of controuersie, you bring none example. But that among your diuerse readings, you reiect that which agreeth best with the Hebrue and with the Greeke in places of controuersie. I will giuegive you an example. Gen. 3 v. …5. where the Hebrue truth teacheth, that the seede of the woman shall breake the serpentes heade, and the Greeke translateth the pronoune in the masculine gender (he) meaning Christ: and some auncient copies of your vulgar Latine hauehave (ipse) you neuerthelesse followe that blasphemous corruption, that in these later times hath bene receiued in your vulgar Latine Bibles, and reade still in your texte ipsa, she, which though you would wrest blasphemously to the virgin Marie, which is proper to Christ, can not by the circumstance of the place be aptly referred to any but to Eue.
MART. 39. And if they followe sincerely their GreekeVVe charge thē for forsaking & false translating their ovvne Hebrue & Greeke text. and Hebrue text, which they professe to followe, and which they esteeme the onelyonly authenticall texte, so farre we accuse them not of hereticall corruption. But if it shall be euidently proued, that they shrinke from the same also, and translate an other thing, and that wilfully, and of full intention to countenaunce their false religion and wicked opinions, making the Scriptures to speake as they list: then we trust, the indifferent reader for his owne soules sake, will easily see and conclude, that they hauehave no feare of God, no reuerence of the Scriptures, no conscience to deceiue their readers: he will perceiue that the Scriptures make against them, which they so peruert and corrupt for their purpose: that neither the Hebrue nor Greeke text is for them, which they dare not translate truly and sincerely: that their cause is naught, which needeth suche f…ule shiftes: that they must needes knowe all this, and therefore doe wilfully against their conscience, and consequently are obstinate heretikes.
FVLK. 39. We craue no pardon, if it can be proued that wee hauehave wilfully translated an other thing than is contained in the Hebrue and Greeke, to maintaine any false religion or wicked opinion. Prouided alwayes, that if any translatour, or all the translatours, hauehave ignorantly erred in misunderstanding any worde or phrase of the Hebrue or Greeke text, that if it may be plainly shewed vntounto them, they acknowledging the fault, they may not be charged with hereticall corruption, from which it is certaine, their intention was most free.
MART. 40. And the more to vnderstand their miserie and wretchednesse, before we enter to examine their translations, marke and gather of all that which I hauehave sayed in this Preface, their manifolde flightes and iumpes, from one shift to an other, and howe Catholike writers hauehave pursued and chased them, and followed them, & driuen them euen to this extreame refuge & seely couert of false translation, where also they must of necessitie yeeld, or deuise some new euasion, which we can not yet imagine.
FVLK. 40. Hitherto I hope the indifferent reader will confesse, that you hauehave driuen vsus to no iumpes, nor shiftes, but onelyonly vttered your owne malicious and vnlearned quarrels. And howe Popishe writers hauehave pursued and chased vsus to extreame refuge, and seely couert of false translation, let it appeare by the learned answeres of M. Iewell, M. Horne, M. Nowell, M. Bridges, M. Calfhill, and others, that I speake nothing of mine owne simple labours, who being one of the meanest, hauing confuted tenne or twelue of your Popishe treatises, can receiue no replye of any man, but onelyonly of poore Bristowe: to whome in this respecte, I confesse my selfe more beholding, than to all the Papistes beside, sauing that I hauehave reioyned to him almost two yeares agoe, and yet I heare not of his answere.
MART. 41. First we are wont to make this offer (as weThe diuerse shifts and flights that the Protestants are driuen vntounto by the Catholikes, as it vvere the iumps and turnings of an hare before the hounds. thinke) most reasonable and indifferent: that forasmuch as the Scriptures are diuersely expounded of vsus & of them, they neither be tied to our interpretation, nor we to theirs, but to put it to the arbitrement & iudgement of the auncient fathers, of generall Councels, of vniuersall custome of times and places in the Catholike Church, No, say they, we will be our owne iudges and interpreters, or follow Luther, if we be Lutherans: Caluin, if we be Caluinists: and so forth.
FVLK. 41. For expounding of the Scriptures, we will not refuse the arbitrement and iudgement of the auncient fathers, of generall Councels, of vniuersall custome of times, and places in the Catholike church, for this you say is your offer, which was neuer refused of vsus, though you most falsely affirme, that we say we will be our owne iudges, and interpretours, or followe Luther, if we be Lutherans: Caluine, if we be Caluinistes, &c. Who euer sayed so, you shamelesse sclau…derer? What hauehave you differing from vsus? Wherein you hauehave the iudgement of the auncient fathers, of generall Councels, of vniuersall custome, of times and places in the Catholike church? Vnlesse perhappes you meane some wretched sophistrie, by disioyning these that you here seeme to ioyne togither. And if you so doe, we must first aske you, whether you your selues in all expositions of the Scriptures, will stand to the arbitrement of euerie auncient father, or of euerie generall Councell, or of any custome in any time or place. I knowe and you can not deny it, that you will stande to nothing, that is not allowed by your Pope, though fathers, councels, custome, time or place, or all the world be against it, yea the manifest Scripture, which is so plaine that it needeth no exposition: as the commaundement against images in religion. Theodoret, Gelasius, Vigilius, Chrysostome, against transubstantiation, Epiphanius against images, the sixt councell of Constantinople for condemning the Pope of heresie, the councels of Constance and Basil for deposing the Popes, and decreeing, that the councell is aboue the Pope & many other like matters beside, in which you goe clearely from the consent of all antiquitie for 600. yeares, as the Bishoppe of Sarum hath made plaine demonstration, and you are not able to replie.
MART. 42. This being of it selfe a shamelesse shift, vnlesse it be better coloured, the next is to say, that the Scriptures are easie and plaine and sufficient of them selues to determine euerie matter, and therefore they will be tried by the Scriptures onelyonly. We are content, because they will needes hauehave it so, and we alleage vntounto them the bookes of Tobie, Ecclesiasticus, Machabees. No, say they: we admit none of these for Scripture. Why so? are they not approued Canonicall by the same authoritie of the Church, of auncient Councels and fathers, that the other bookes are? No matter, say they, Luther admitteth them not, Caluine doth not allow them.
FVLK. 42. That the Scriptures are plaine and easie to be vnderstoode of them that vse the ordinary meanes to come to it, for all doctrine necessarie to be knowen, and sufficient to determine euerie matter, the holie Ghost him selfe doth testifie, 2. Tim. 3. and some of the auncient fathers also doe beare witnesse, as Augustine de doct. Christ. lib. 2. Chrysost. in Gen. hom. 13. de verb. Esai. Vidi d…minum, &c. hom. 2.
If therefore you had the spirite of the auncient fathers, you would be content to be tryed by the Scriptures, for reuerence you ought to Gods most holye and perfect writings, and not because we will hauehave it so, who are content in many controuersies to be tryed by the iudgement of the auncient fathers, or general Councels, or vniuersall custom of times and places: and in all controuersies, wherein all the auncient fathers, all Councels, and vniuersall custom of all times and places doe consent▪ if any think such things can be brought against vsus, as it is falsly and sophistically bragged. But whereas we refuse the bokes of Tobie, Ecclesiasticus, Machabees, for Canonicall Scripture, it is not (as you say ridiculously) because Luther and Caluine admitteth them not, but because they are contrary to the Canonicall Scriptures, and were ne…er receiued of the Church of Israel for Canonicall, nor of the Catholike Church of Christ, for more than 400. yeares after Christ, as I hauehave shewed before.
MART. 43. Well, let vsus goe forwarde in their owne daunce. You allowe at the least the Iewes Canonicall bookes of the olde Testament, that is, all that are extant in the Hebrewe Bible: and all of the newe Testament without exception. Yea, that we doe. In these bookes then, will you be tried by the vulgar auncient Latine Bible, onelyonly vsed in all the West Church aboue a thousandyeares? No. Will you be tried by the Greeke Bible of the Septuaginta interpreters, so renowmed and authorised, in our Sauiours owne speaches, in the Euangelistes and Apostles writings, in the whole Greeke Church euermore? No, How then will you be tried? They answere, Only by the Hebrue Bible that now is, and as now it is pointed with vowels. Will you so? and do you thinke that only, the true authenticall Hebrue which the holy Ghost did first put into the pennes of those sacred writers? We do thinke it (say they) and esteeme it the only authenticall and true Scripture of the old Testament.
FVLK. 43. Where so many of your owne Popish writers do accuse your vulgar Latine text of innumerable corruptions, what reason is there, that we should follow that translation onelyonly, especially seeing God hath giuen vsus knowledge of the tongues, that we may resort to the fountaines them selues, as S. Augustine exhorteth. As for the Greeke translation of the Septuaginta, from which your owne vulgar Latine varieth, (although we reuerence it for the antiquitie, and vse it for interpretation of some obscure places in the Hebrew) why should you require vsus to be tried thereby, which will not be tried by it your selues? If I were as captious as you are with Iohn Keltrige, about the Greeke Bible of the Septuaginta Interpreters, I might make sporte with you, as you doe with him: but I acknowledge your Syn…cdoche, that you meane the olde Testament onelyonly, whereas the word Bible, is commonly taken for both. But to the purpose, we acknowledge the text of the olde Testament, …n Hebrew and Chaldee, for in the Chaldee tongue were some partes of it written, as it is now printed with vowels, to be the onelyonly fountaine, out of which we muste draw the pure truth of the Scriptures for the olde Testament, adioyning herewith, the testimonie of the Mazzoreth, where any diuersitie of pointes, letters, or wordes, is noted to hauehave bene in sundry auncient copies, to discerne that which is proper to the whole context, from that which by errour of the writers, or printers, hath bene brought into any copie, olde or newe.