Defense of the Translations of the Scriptures into the English Tongue, Response to preface · Martins comments 8
MART. 8. To let this passe: Tobie, Ecclesiasticus, and the Machabees are they not most certainly reiected? And yetConc. Cart. 3. can. 47. they were allowed and receiued for Canonicall, by the same authoritie that S. Iames Epistle was. This Epistle the Caluinists are content to admit, because so it pleased Caluine: those*Argu. in epist. Iacob. bookes they reiect, because so also it pleased him. And why did it so please Caluine? VnderUnder pretence forsooth, that they were once doubted of, and not taken for Canonicall. But is that the true cause in deede? Howe doe they then receiue S. Iames*Whitak. p. 10. Epistle as Canonicall, hauing before doubted of also, yea (as they say) reiected?*Ibid.
FVLK. 8. You may well let it passe, for it is not worth the time you spend in writing of it, and if you had bene wise, you would vtterly hauehave omitted it. But what say you of Tobie, Ecclesiasticus, and the Machabees most certainly by vsus reiected? They were allowed (you say) for Canonicall by the same authoritie that S. Iames Epistle was. And thinke you that S. Iames Epistle was neuer allowed for Canonicall before the third Councell of Carthage? For, of the other it is certaine they were neuer receiued by the Church of the Israelits before Christ his cōming, nor of the Apostolike and primitiue Church for more than 300. yeres after, as both Eusebius out of Origines, and the Councell of Laodicea Can. …9. confirmed afterwarde by the sixt generall Councell of Constantinople sheweth for the Greeke Church, and S. Ierome in prologo Lib. 6. cap. 18.Galeato for the Latine Church. As for the prouinciall Councell of Carthage holden by 44. Bishops of Africa, if we were bound to receiue it for these bookes, we must also acknowledge fiue bookes of Salomon, which in the same Councell are authorised, whereas the Church neuer knew but of three. And although the booke of wisedom should be ascribed to Salomō, there could be but foure. Againe, how they vnderstand the word Canonical, it may be gathered both out of the wordes of the same Canon, where they giuegive none other reason of the approbatiō of all those books of Scripture, but that they hauehave receiued them of their fathers to be read in the Church: and also out of S. Augustine, who was one present at the sameDe doct. Christ. lib. 2. cap. 8. Coūcell: which after he hath declared how a man should discerne the Canonicall Scriptures from other writings, by following the authoritie of the Catholike Churches, especially those that hauehave deserued to hauehave Apostolike sees, and to receiue their Epistles, he addeth further. Tenebit igitur hunc modum in scripturis canonicis, vt eas quae ab omnibus accipiuntur Ecclesijs Catholicis, praeponat eis quas quaedā non accipiunt. In eis vero quae non accipiuntur ab omnibus, praeponat eas, quas plures grauiorès que accipiunt eis quas pauciores minoris que authoritatis Ecclesiae tenent. Si autem alias inuenerit à pluribus, alias à grauioribus haberi, quanquam hoc inuenire non possit, aequalis tamē auctoritatis eas habēdas puto. Totus autem canon scripturarum in quo istam considerationem versandam dicimus, his libris continetur. He shall hold therfore this meane in the canonical Scriptures, that he preferre those which are receiued of all catholike churches, before those Scriptures which some Churches do not receiue. But in those which are not receiued of all, let him preferre those Scriptures which the greater number and grauer churches do receiue, before those which churches fewer in number & of lesse authority do hold. But if he shal find some Scriptures to be had of fewer churches & other some of grauer churches, althogh you can not find this thing, yet I thinke they are to be accōpted of equall authority. Now the whole canō of scriptures in which we say this consideration must be occupied is contained in these books. Fiue books of Moises, that is Genesis, Exodus, &c. By this saying of Augustine, it is manifest, that he calleth canonicall Scriptures, not only those bookes that ought of necessity to be receiued of al churches: but also such as were receiued of some, & of some were not, in which nūber were these bookes of Tobie, Ecclesiasticus, & the Machabees, which by his owne rule, were not to be receiued as of absolut & soueraigne authority, because the Apostolike churches of Asia & Europa, & those of grauest authoritie, among which was the church of Rome in that time, did not receiue thē, as witnesseth not only S. Hierome a Priest of Rome, but also Ruffinus of Aquileia, in symbolo, who both declare what bookes were receiued in their churches as canonical, & of irrefragable authority to build principles of faith vponupon them, & what books were admitted only to be read for instruction of maners. And therfore according to the rule of Augustin & testimony of the anciēt fathers, & because it cōsenteth with the rest of the scriptures, & not for Caluins pleasure we receiue the Epistle of S. Iames, though it hath not bene alwaies, and of all Churches receiued. Concerning the name of Caluinists, as of all other nicke names, that it pleaseth you of your charity to bestow vponupon vsus, it shall suffice to protest once for all, that we acknowledge none other name of our profession, but Christians, & Catholikes: and that we hauehave neither receiued that Epistle, nor reiected the other, bicause it pleased Caluin so. This may serue for a cleare demonstration, that in the first English Bibles that were printed vnderunder the name of ThomasAnno. 1532. Anno. 1537. Mathew, before Caluine wrote any word of the reiectiō of those bookes, or of receiuing of the other, they are called Apocrypha, & printed with other of that marke, by thēselues, & the Epistle of S. Iames without any question acknowledged to be one of the canonical Epistles, wheras Caluines Institution was first printed An. 1536. & his argument vponupon S. Iames Epistle 1551. You may see what honest dealing the Papistes vse, to bring the truth into discredit, & the professors thereof into hatred with the simple & vnlearned people, bearing thē in hand, that we hauehave no cause to receiue or refuse bookes of Scripture, but Caluines pleasure. But the God of truth wil one day reward these impudēt liars & shameles slaunderers.
Well let vsus now see vnderunder what pretēce, it pleased Caluine to reiect these bookes. VnderUnder pretence forsooth (sayth Martin) that they were once doubted of, and not taken for Canonical. I pray you sir, where doth Caluine pretend that only cause? In his Instit. li. 3. c. 5 sect. 8. He alleageth diuerse other causes touching the bookes of Machabees, as eueryevery mā that wil may read. Shame you nothing to forge such manifest vntruths, & that in such matters as you may be conuinced in them by ten thousand witnesses? What credit shal be giuen to you in matters that cōsist vponupon your owne bare testimonie when you force not to faine of other men, that wherin eueryevery man may reproue you? And as for the only pretence you speake of, Caluine doth so litle esteeme it, that notwithstanding the same, he doubteth not to receiue the Epistle of S. Iames because it is agreable to the whole body of the canonical Scripture as if you had read his argumēt vponupon that Epistle you might easily hauehave perceiued.