Gods Effectual Calling, Treatise · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Of the Greeke edition of the New Teſtament.
WHereas there bee many editions of the new Teſtament, wee ſay the Greeke only is the authenticall: which firſt I demonſtrate on this manner. Firſt in Chriſts time and the Apoſtles, the Greeke tongue among the Gentiles was of greateſt excellency. Secondly, and as it was accounted of beſt note; ſo was it moſt famous and moſt common in the world: For albeit as then the Romane Empire was moſt large & great; yet the Latine tongue was not ſo common, as is teſtified by a good *Cicero in oratione pro Archiae poëta.writer of that age. Thirdly, the Idolatrie and ſuperſtition of the Gentiles, and all the Philoſophy of the Greeks was written in the Greek tongue. The Lord hauing theſe and ſuch like reſpects, no doubt, at what time it pleaſed him to carry his Goſpell from the narrow bounds of Iewrie into the great and ſpacious field of all the world: It was the Lords will and pleaſure, I ſay, at that time that the Goſpel ſhould be written principally in the Greeke tongue.
The writers they were, ſome of them, Apoſtles; ſome Euangeliſts; al which firſt wrote in Greek, except Mathew and the author to the Hebrues. For firſt concerning Mathew, aIn Synopſi.Athanaſius ſaith, he wrote firſt in Hebrue; the ſame ſaith bLib. 3.Irenaeus, & cIncarmine.Naztanzen and Ierom, dIn Praefat. in 4. Euang. ad Damaſ. et in Catalog. in Math.who ſaith that Mathew firſt in Hebrue.in his time Mathews Hebrue copie was reſerued in the library of Ceſaria which Pamphilus the Martyr built. Athanaſius ſaith, that Saint Mathews Hebrue edition was tranſlated into Greeke by Iames the Apoſtle: others ſay, by Saint Iohn the Apoſtle: others by Mathew himſelfe. Thus write the Fathers, but their aſſertion hath no ſtrong grounds. For when Chriſt liued with his Apoſtles, all the Iewes ſpake Syriack, that is, a language mixt of Hebrue & Chaldaiack: Therefore if Mathew had purpoſed to write in any other language but the Greek, he would no doubt hauehave written ſpecially in the Syriack tongue, and ſome Papiſts of this age are of the very ſame iudgment. Wherefore it is vncertaine whether Mathew firſt wrote in Hebrew, Syriack, or Greeke: yet is it more probable that he did firſt write in Greeke, both for that this tongue was not vnknowne to the Iewes; and other Apoſtles firſt wrote in it, not onelyonly to Iewes and Gentiles indifferently, but alſo particularly to the very Iewes *As Saint Iames and Saint Peter 1. Epiſt. Mathew in Hebrue. In Catolog. in Paul.. Well, howſoeuer it is, the Greeke edition which we hauehave in the Church at this day, is authenticall; for that it was both written and approoued, while the Apoſtles were yet liuing: For as touching the Hebrue edition (if there were any) I doubt now, it can no where be found. And as for this Hebrue copie which is in many hands, it is not the true copy.
As concerning the Epiſtle to the Hebrues, Ierom ſayth, that firſt it was written in Hebrue: next, turned into Greek either by Barnabas, or Luke, or Clement: but it is vncertaine, and it is more like to be true that this Epiſtle alſo was firſt written in Greeke. Howſoeuer it be, this Greeke edition of this Epiſtle which we hauehave at this day, is authenticall.
Now the New Teſtament written in Greek by the Apoſtles and Euangeliſts, hath beene ſo preſerued by the admirable prouidence of God, euen in the middeſt of perſecutions and hereſies, vntounto this age, and in all former ages ſo freed and kept by godly and Orthodoxall writers from the corruption of Heretiques: the Lord God, I ſay, hath ſo prouided that it is come into our hands moſt pure and perfect. Thus then I reaſon. That edition of the New Teſtament which was written in the beſt language and firſt, and originally written in it, to wit, the Greeke, I ſay the ſame muſt be accepted, as authenticall of all men: But ſuch is the Greeke edition of the New Teſtament, Ergo.
The aduerſaries except onelyonly againſt the purity of this edition. For albeit ſome of them, the latter, and the better learned, as Bellarmine, doe not ſay that the Greeke edition of the New Teſtament is altogether corrupt, as ſome of them hauehave blaſphemed; yet they ſay it is not ſo pure, that they can graunt it to be authenticall, becauſe in ſome places it is corrupt. Bellarmine brings forth ſeuen places, whereby he indeuours to prooue this aſſertion, that the Greek edition is corupt; and therefore cannot be authenticall.
The firſt place is 1. Cor. 15. 47. The firſt man is of the earth earthly; the ſecond man is the Lord from heauē. But in the vulgar foreign.Latine edition, it is, the ſecond is from heauen heauenly; & this reading is approued: therfore the Greek edition is corrupt and not authenticall. I anſwer, firſt, albeit we read as the Greeke is; yet the ſenſe is good and orthodoxall, and the ſame with that which is of the vulgar reading, differing in word only, and not in matter. Secondly, the Arabick and Syriack tranſlation ſo read the place. Thirdly, the Fathers, Chryſoſtome and Theophylact ſo reade. Fourthly, Epiphanius citing *Haereſeon. 22. 2all the places which Marcion corrupted, yet remembers not this place. But (ſaith he) Tertullian ſaith, that Marcion *Tert. lib. 5. contra Mar.hath corrupted this place. I anſwer, that Tertullian in that booke and place, reads theſe words in the very ſame manner, as we do: The Lord from heauen.
The ſecond place is 1. Cor. 7. 33. He that is maried careth for the things of the world, how he may pleaſe his wife. The foreign, &c.wife and the Virgin are diſtinctly ſet downe. So reads the Greek. But the Vulgar thus: He that is ioined to a wife careth for the things of the world, how he may pleaſe his wife, and he is diuided: but the woman that is vnmaried, and the Virgin bethinketh of the things which pleaſe the Lord both in body and ſpirit: Wherefore the Greek edition is here corrupted, and ſo can not be authenticall. I anſwere. Firſt, that the ſenſe which is by the Greek, is not only ſound, but alſo more fitting in this place, then that which is by the Vulgar tranſlation. Secondly, the Syriack tranſlation ſo reads theſe words. Thirdly, Theophylact, the Greek Scholies, and Baſil ſo read the words. But he ſayth that Ierom *Lib. 1. contra Iouinan.auoucheth it, that this Greek reading is not Apoſtolicall: I anſwer, the ſame Ierom in another place *Contra Heluidium & Euſtochium.reads theſe words as we doe: wherefore ſeeing he changeth his mind, he is not fit to iudge for this ſcripture.
The third place is Ro. 12. 11. ſeruing the time: But the old Latin is, ſeruing the Lord: Ergo. I anſwer. Firſt, albeit foreign.ye read ſo the place, yet the ſenſe is good and ſounde. Secondly, the reading varies in manie Greeke copies, as witneſſeth Origens Interpreter, who reads the Lord, foreign and hee noteth it, that in many bookes he founde, foreign the time: the ſame ſaith Ambroſe, who reades foreign, ſeruing the time, yet ſaith he in ſome bookes wee find, foreign, the Lord. Thirdly, the Syriack, Chryſoſtome, Theophylact and Baſil read foreign, the Lord: which reading wee beſt like: For which cauſe our Beza tranſlates the word, Domino, the Lord.
The fourth place is Ioh. 8. where in the beginning of that Chap. many Greek copies want the ſtorie of the adulterous woman, which the cōmon tranſlation in Latin hath, & the Church approues it as canonicall. I anſwere: Firſt, that our Greeke books which we hauehave and hold for authenticall, hauehave this hiſtorie alſo, and our Church receiues it. Secondly, yet we denie not, that this hath beene gainſaid by ſome, and the Syriacke tranſlation hath it not.
The fift place is Mark. 16. where, in many Greeke copies, that whole chapter is wanting, which notwithſtanding the Latine edition retaineth. Ergo. I anſwer, firſt, that all our Greeke bookes, which we account authenticall, hauehave alſo this chapter, and our churches receiue the ſame as canonicall. Secondly, Ierome ſome-where moues ſome doubttouching it, but to no purpoſe.
The ſixt place is 1. Ioh. 5. 7. where the ſeuenth verſe (which containes a worthie teſtimonie of the Trinitie) in manie Greeke copies is miſſing, but in the vulgar it is retained: Ergo. I anſwer, firſt, our Greeke bookes, which we hold for authenticall, hauehave this verſe, and our Church receiues it. Secondly, we denie not but ſome hauehave gaineſaid it.
The ſeuenth place is, Matth. 13. For thine is the kingdome, foreign, &c.power and glorie, Amen. But this place is not in the vulgar tranſlation: Ergo. L. Valla anſwereth, this place is not added to the Greeke, but detracted from the Latine: and I pray you, what hereticall or vnſound matter hath this place?
Thus we ſee then the▪ aduerſaries cannot proue by theſe places, that the Greeke edition of the new Teſtament is corrupted, and ſo not authenticall. Wherefore it reſteth, that the Hebrue edition of the old Teſtament, and the Greek of the new Teſtament, is only authentical.