Defense of the Translations of the Scriptures into the English Tongue, Treatise · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
Hereticall translation againste the distinction of LATRIA and DVLIA.
Martin.
IN this restraining of the Scripture to the1. sense of some one Doctour, there is a famous example in the epistle to the Hebrnes,Hebr. 11 v. 21. where the Apostle saith, eyther Iacob adored the top of Iosephs scepter, as many reade and expound: or else, that he adored toward the toppe of his scepter, as other reade and interpreate: and beside these, there is no other interpretation ofQuest. in Gen. Bib. 1579. this place in al antiquitie, but in S. Augustine onelyonly, as Beza confesseth: yet are they so bolde to make his exposition onelye, and his commentarie peculiar to him alone, the texte of the scripture in their translation, saying: Iacob leaning on the ende of his staffe, worshipped God, and so excluding all other senses, and expositions of al the other Fathers, excluding, and condemning their owne former translations, adding twooBib. 1562. 1577. wordes more, than are in the Greeke texte, leaning, God: forcing foreign to signifie foreign, whiche may be, but is as rare, as virgae eius, for virgae suae: turning the other wordes cleaneGen 47. v. 31. out of their order and place, and forme of construction, whychforeign they muste needes hauehave correspondent, and aunswereable to the Hebrewe texte, from whence they were translated: whyche Hebrewe wordes themselues translate in this order, He worshipped toward the beds head. If he worshipped toward the beds head, according to the Hebrewe: then did hee worship toward the top of his scepter, according to the Greeke: theforeign. difference of bothe being only in these words, scepter, and bed, (because the Hebrue is ambiguous to bothe) and not in the order or construction of the sentence.
Fulke.
THe restraining of simple men from1. errour, is counted of you the restraining of the Scripture, as though the Scripture were a nose of waxe, as some of you hauehave called it, which might be writhed eueryevery waye, and especially it pleaseth you, when it may be wrested to some colour of your errour. So hauehave you not one place of Scripture cleare on your side, for any of your heresies, but you are glad to vphold ambiguities, and diuersities of senses, wheras, if you had the truth, you might hauehave texts of infallible certaintie, whereof there could not be diuers interpretations, without manifest violence offered vntounto the wordes and true signification of them. But concerning the place now in question, your vulgar text, omitting the preposition, which is both in the Greeke, and in the Hebrew, hath committed a manifest errour, in saying, that Iacob worshipped the toppe of his rodde or staffe, where S. Augustine hath rightly obserued the true sense of the place, and sayth, that Iacob (as a weake olde man) worshipped vponupon the toppe of his staffe, that is, leanīg on his staffe. The Hebrew is, towards the beds head. Although it is not vnlike, that either the Apostle did reade the worde Mattah, which we reade Mittah, or els that Mittah signifieth a staffe, as well as Mattah. For it is not like as Beza sayth, that Iacob kept his bed, when Ioseph came first to him, for after it was told Ioseph that his father was sicke. That other translators obserued not this matter, whereto shall it be imputed, but to humane imperfection? That we adde to the text, it is false, the wordes, leaning, and God, are printed in the small letter, to signifie that they are not of the originall text, but added for plainnesse. And yet the sense may stand without them: and he worshipped vponupon the ende or toppe of his staffe. That foreign is forced to signifie foreign, it is a forgerie of you, and no enforcement by vsus: for it is in a manner as commonly taken so, as otherwise, except there be an other antecedent, to whome it may be referred, then to auoyde ambiguitie, it is foreign. rather than foreign As Math. 4. his pathes, his meate, his hande, Math. 5. his Disciples, and else where in eueryevery place.
MART. 2. To make it more plaine, when the Prophet Dauid sayth, Adorabo ad templum sanctum tuum, Psal.foreign. 5. & 137. is not the true translation, and grammaticall sequele of the wordes, thus: I will adore toward thy holy temple? Is it not a common phrase in the Scripture, that the people of God adored toward Hierusalem, toward his holy mount, beforeforeign. Dan. 6. 3. Reg. 8. Psal. 98. Ios. 7. foreign. Psal. 1…1. the Arke, toward the place where his feete stoode? May any man be so bolde, by adding and transposing to alter and obscure all such places of holye Scripture, that there may appeare no maner of adoration toward or before a creature? and for worshipping or adoring toward the thinges aforesayd, and the like, may we say, leaning vponupon those thinges to worshippe, or adore God? Were they afrayde, lest th…se speeches of holye Scripture might warrant and confirme the Catholike and Christian maner of adoring our Sauiour Christ, toward the holye Roode, at, or before his image and the crucifixe before the altar, and so forth? For had they not feared this, why shoulde they translate foreign, leaning vponupon, rather than, towardes, yea, why in Genesis, towardes his beds head, and here not, towards?
FVLK. 2. You abound in leysure, thus to trifle about nothing, we allowe worshipping toward the temple, the holye hill, the footestoole, the Arke of God, and such like: yea if you will hauehave it toward the beddes heade, or the toppp of his staffe, what gayne you for the worshipping of images, forbidden by the seconde commaundemēt, or before images? for so you would creepe vponupon poore mens consciences, first, to worshippe before images, then to worshippe images, thirdly, to worship, them with Dulia, and not with Latria, at last to worship the image of God, of Christ, of the Trinitie, with Latria, euen the same worshippe that is due to God him selfe.
MART. 3. And (which is more) when the auncient Greeke fathers, Chrys. Oecum. in Collectan. Damase. lib. 1. pro imaginibus, Leont. apud Damasc. put so litle forceforeign. either in this preposition foreign, (or the other alledged) that they expound all those speeches, as if the prepositions were of phrase onelyonly, and not of signification, saying: Iacob adored Iosephsforeign. scepter, the people of Israel adored the temple, the Arke, the holy mount, the place where his feete stoode, and theforeign. like, whereby S. Damascene proueth the adoration of creatures, named Dulia, namely, of the crosse, and of sacred images: if I say they make so litle force of the prepositions, that they inferre not onelyonly adoration towards the thing, but adoration of the thing: howe doe these goodly translators, of all other wordes, so straine and racke the litle particle foreign, to signifie, leaning vponupon, that it shall in no wise signifie any thing, tending towards adoration?
FVLK. 3. The worship that Chrysostom, and Oecumenius speake of, is a ciuill reuerence done to Ioseph, or to his scepter, in respect of the kingdom of Ephraim, that should be set vp in his posteritie. What Damascene gathereth hereof, to maintaine idolatrie, we regard not, certaine it is, that Iacob worshipped none but God, and bowed him self, either toward the beds head, or leaning vponupon his staffe, as S. Augustin sayth That they which follow constrained expositions, are inforced to neglect the prepositions, it is no warrant for vsus, when we see how the sense may best stand without making the prepositions, which the holy Ghost vseth, idle or vnprofitable, both in the Hebrew, and in the Greeke. And if foreign should signifie toward, as it doth not properly, but vponupon, your counterfet distinction of Dulia, and Latria, should neuer the sooner be receiued.
MART. 4. And if the Greeke Doctors suffise not to satisfie these great Grecians herein, tell me, you that hauehave skill in the Hebrew, whether in the foresayd speeches cited out of the Psalmes, there be any force in the Hebrew prepositions? surelyforeign no more than if we should say in English, without prepositions,Psal. 98. 13…. Adore ye his holye hill: we will adore the placeforeign where his feete stoode: Adore ye his footestoole: For you knowe that there is the same preposition also, when it is sayd, Adore ye our Lord: or, as your selues translate, worshipPsal. 95. or 96. the Lorde: where there can be no force nor significationforeign of the preposition. And therefore in these places also, your translation is corrupt, and wilfull, when you say thus: We will fall downe before his footestoole. fall ye downe before his footestoole, before his holy mount, or worshippe him vponupon his holy hill: Where you shunne and auoyde, first the terme of adoration, which the Hebrewe and Greeke, duelyforeign expresse by termes correspondent in both languages, throughoutforeign the Bible and are applied for the moste parte, to signifie adoring of creatures. Secondly, you auoyde the Greeke phrase, which is at the least, to adore towards these holye thinges, and places: and much more the Hebrew phrase, which is, to adore the very thinges rehearsed: to adore Gods footestoole (is the Psalme sayth) because it is holye, or,Psal. 98. because he is holye, whose footestoole it is, as the Greeke readeth.
FVLK. 4. If the Apostle had meant nothing by the preposition, he might, and would, (as it is most like) hauehave left it cleane out, yea, if he had meant no more, but the adoration of Iosephs scepter, what needed he to hauehave added the toppe, or the extremitie? or why was the top of his scepter more to be adored, than all the other length of it? But certayne it is, the Apostle would expresse the Hebrewe preposition, which muste needes hauehave some signification. And where you aske them that hauehave skill in the Hebrewe, whether there be any force in the preposition, in those sayings out of the Psalme, that speake of worshipping, or falling downe before his footestoole, his holye hill, &c. I aunswere, yea, there is great force, for the hill was not to be worshipped, but he whose tabernacle or temple was on it. But you obiect, that we our selues neglect the preposition, Psal. 96. and say, worship the Lord. The fault is the lesse, because the worship is referred to none but the Lorde: yet the precise translation in that place, should be, bowe downe, or fall ye downe before the Lorde, in the glorious sanctuarie. And where you say, we shunne the worde of adoration, which the Hebrew, and Greeke, duely doe expresse, by termes applyed, for the most part signifie adoring of creatures. You hauehave packed vp a great number of vntruthes, togither, as it were in a bundell. First, that we shunne the terme of adoring, for doubt of your Dulia, which is vtterly vntrue, for it is auoyded partly, because it is more Latine, than English, partly because it doth not expresse either the Greeke, or the Latine termes, which the Scripture vseth. Secondly, you auouch, that both the Hebrew, lishtachauoth, and the Greeke foreign,foreign whereas all that be learned in both the tongues, doe know, that the Hebrew worde doth signifie properly, to bowe downe, and therefore is vsed of such bowing downe, as is not to the ende of adoration, as Psalme 42. v. 5. 6. Why art thou cast downe O my soule, and in diuers other places. The Greeke word also signifieth, to vse some gesture of bodie in worshipping, & sometimes, to fall downe as Herodotus, foreign, they must worship the King falling downe before him. Finally, where you say, they are applied to the adoring of creatures, if you cal it adoration which is vsed in ciuil manner to Princes, and other persons of authoritie, I graunt it is often so applyed, but if you meane of religious adoration, it is expresly forbidden to any creature or Image of creature, by the second commaundemēt in the Hebrue terme, and by the wordes of our Sauiour Christ to the Deuill, Math. 4. In the Greeke worde, Thou shalt worship the Lorde thy God, and him onelyonly shalt thou serue. Where Sathan desired not to bee worshipped as God with diuine honour, but that our Sauiour Christe would fal downe before him and worship him, as an excellēt minister of God, to whom the dispositiō of all the kingdomes of the world, as he falsly said, were by God committed, Luk. 4. v. 6. which vtterly ouerthroweth your bold distinction of Dulia and Latria, seeing it was that which you call Dulia, that the Deuill required, but our Sauiour Christe telleth him, that all religious worship and seruice pertaineth onelyonly to God. Touching the adoration of Gods footestoole, I hauehave spoken sufficiently before, Cap. 1. Sect. 41.
MART. 5. This being most manifest to all that hauehave skill in these tongues, it is euident that you regard neither Hebrue nor Greeke, but only your heresie: and that in S. Paules place aforesaid of adoring Iosephs scepter, you alter it by your owne fansie, and not by S. Augustines authoritie, whom I am sure you will not admit reading in the Psalme, Adore yee his footestoole: and so precisely and religiously reading thus, that he examineth the case, and findeth thereby that the B. Sacrament must be adored, and that no good Christian doth take it, before he adore it. Neither will you admitte him when he readeth thus of Dauid, He was caried in his owne handes, andPraef. in Ps. 33. interpreteth it mystically of Christ, that he was caried in his owne handes, when he gaue his body and bloud to his Disciples. Yet are S. Augustines interpretations (how so euer you like or mislike thē) very good, as also that aboue named of Iacobs leaning vpō his staffe, & adoring, may be one good sense or cōmētarie of that place, but yet a cōmentarie, & one Doctors opiniō, not the sacre text of Scripture, as you wold make it by so trāslating.
FVLK. 5. Let Pagnine for the Hebrew word, the Greeke Lexicons for the other, be iudge betwene vsus. For you are the most impudent aduoucher I thinke, that euer became a writer. That we leane to Augustines iudgement, in this case, it is not because we make him an author of truth, but a witnesse of the same, against such venemous tongues and pennes, as yours is, that call eueryevery thing hereticall, that sauoureth not of your owne drowsie dreames, of antichristian heresie. Neither is it reason that by vsing the testimonie of Augustine, where he beareth witnesse to the truth, we should be bound to eueryevery interpretation of his▪ when he declineth therefro. Where you say, that by adoring the footestoole of God, he findeth that the blessed Sacrament must be adored, you say vntruly, he gathereth that Christes humanitie or body, must be adored, but not the blessed Sacrament thereof. Likewise when he sayth, vponupon a feeble ground, of a false interpretation, that Christ was carried in his owne hands in the Sacrament, he affirmeth it not so absolutely, as you alledge it, but quodam modo, after a certaine maner, he bare himselfe in his handes, when he saide, this is my bodie. Yea, in that place Augustine, as in many other, declareth his iudgement, that he acknowledged not the corporall maner of presence, and eating of Christes bodie, in the sacrament, for whych, you Papistes so greatly contend, that you ate content to make so many senses of the scripture, it declareth, that you acknowlege none certaine, and so derogate al credite and authoritie from the word of God, which may hauehave so many meanings, as there be diuers doctors that hauehave commented vppon it. Whereas diuers interpretations may hauehave al a true sense, but it is impossible, that they should al be senses of the same Scripture.
MART. 6. And if S. Hierome like not the Greke doctors interpretation, in this place of adoring Ioseph and his scepter, yet he also saith, that Iacob adored toward Iosephs rodde, or toward the beddes heade, and not, leaning vponupon his staffe hee adored, which you make the texte of Scripture. And thoughe he thinke, that in this place is not meant any adoration of Ioseph, yet, I am sure, for adoration of holie things, namely, Reliques, the holie lande, and al the holie places and monuments of Christs being and doing vponupon the earth, you wil not bee tryed by S. Hierome. And againe, why S. Paule should say, that by faith he adored, & in respect of things to come, it is not otherwise easie to vnderstād, but that he partly for saw the kingdō of Ephraim, the posteritie of Ioseph: partly the kingdome of Christ prefigured in Ioseph then Prince of Aegypt, and so by faith adored his scepter or toward his scepier (which is all one) as the Greeke fathers for the most part expound it. But let vsus hasten towàrd an end.
FVLK. 6. S. Hierom in deede denieth that Iacob did worship his staffe or his scepter, or toward the toppe of his Sonnes scepter, but onelyonly towardes the beds head as the Hebrue text is. For reuerent estimation of reliques, the Holy land, and the monuments of Christs doing and being, as he sometime vponupon contention perhaps was immoderate, so for adoration of such things, after such Idolatrous manner as is vsed in the popish Church, he was farre off: yea, he saith expresly, that hee dothe not allowe the adoration of any creature, and that, to adore any creatures, is plaine idolatrie. Has autem non dico martyrum reliquias, &c. But we doe worshippe and adore, I saye, not the reliques of martyres, but neither the sunne truly, nor the moone, &c. not Aungelles not Archaungels, not Cherubin, not Seraphin, or any name that is named in this worlde, or in the worlde to come, least we should serue the creature rather than the creator whiche is blessed for euer. But we honour the reliques of martyres, that wee might adore him, whose martyres they are.
Doe you not heare how Hierome alloweth the adoring of creatures? I see no cause therefore why wee may not be tryed by his iudgement, for adoration of holie things, and namely, reliques, and whatsoeuer you will name beside, seeing he maketh adoration proper onelie to God.
Finally, the Apostle saith, not that Iacob adored, in respecte of things to come, but, that by faith, he blessed his sonne, concerning things to come, and worshipped God, whome no man can worshippe truely, but by faith. And Iacobs faith, was the more commendable, that being neere his ende, and in that infirmitie of bodie, he both beleeued the promises of God made to him concerning his sonnes, and also gaue thankes vntounto God, for those benefites whyche hee shoulde neuer taste of in the flesh, but was assured by them, as tokens of Gods fauour towards him, to the attainement of the lande of eternall life, whereof the lande of Canaan was but a holie figure and sacrament.