To the Learned Nobility of England Touching Bible Translation, Letter 1

To the Learned Nobility of England Touching Bible Translation · Letter 1

AN EPISTLE TO THE LEARNED NOBILITIE OF ENGLAND.

Touching tranſlating the BIBLE from the original, with ancient warrant for euerie worde, vntounto the full ſatisfaction of any that be of hart.

By HVGH BROVGHTON.

IOHN I.

The light ſhineth in darknes, though darknes doeth not comprehend it.

MIDDELBVRGH, By Richard Schilders, Printer to the States of Zealande, 1597.

To all the learned Nobilitie of England, HVGH BROVGHTON wiſheth all increaſe of knowledge, that they may eſteeme the vnderſtanding of Gods worde, and care for ſynceritie in it, to be the head of wiſedome and true Religion in CHRIST.

WHEREAS many (right Honorable) from the high to the low, of all ſortes hauehave bene deſirous greatly and a long time, to hauehave the holy booke of God, which for the old Teſtament is in Ebrew, for the new all originally in Greeke, to be tranſlated and beautified with all furniture for playnes and ornaments: that ſuch as ſtudie it, ſhould in no place be ſnared by the tranſlater: but rather in all poinctes might hauehave at the firſt layd cleare before them all that ſtudie can affoord: It may be thought a good help to the bringing of their deſire to paſſe, by ioyning of al effectuallie in executiō of the worke: to ſhewe what in this paynes may be better done then yet we hauehave in Englande. And as bare ſhortnes is ſooneſt viewed: ſo matter of large, longe, high & deepe quantitie, ſhalbe brought into ſpeach of no greatnes, but narrow, ſhort, lowe & ſhallowe, that the meaneſt may in good part iudge, what ought to be cenſured.What poinctes a ſyncere tranſlation ought to hauehave, mo thē yet oure hauehave. The holy text muſt be honored, as ſound, holy, pure: hede muſt be taken that the tranſlater neither flow with lyes nor hauehave one at all: prophecies ſpoken in doubtfull termes, for ſad preſent occaſiones, muſt be cleared by ſad ſtudy and ſtayd ſafty of ancient warrant: termes of equivocation witty in the ſpeaker for familiar and eaſy matters, muſt be looked vntounto, that a tranſlater drawe them not vntounto fooliſh & ridiculous ſenſes: Conſtant memorye to tranſlate the ſame often repeated in the ſame p. 4ſort is moſt nedefull. Facility of phraſe, defended by the new Teſtament, the Septuagint, and writers old indifferent for all nations, muſt be had. And herein, the ſtately words of the new Teſtament, in Greeke, taken frō the Septuagint may ſtand profitable in the margent through the old. Alſo where the later repeat the former holy writers, therein as it were commenting vponupon them, that ſhould in all clearnes be expreſſed, and noted. Theſe be poinctes of neceſſitie. Some others of ornament in the end of our ſpeach may be conſydered. Thus all are briefly told once: which by enlargement will appeare more pleaſant. And ſpeach of all ſhalbe vſed, by your honorable pacience. Firſt a Tranſlater of the Bible ſhould beware leaſt of his owne head in tranſlation or notes,1. care that the holy Ebrew or holie Greeke text bee not diſannulled he diſanull the text: and blame the watchfull eye of Gods providence, for not preſeruing the writt aright. That fault is exceeding great, for a man to take vponupon him to bee wiſer then God: and to take his kingly care tardy, in trueth of wordes. All men will graunt that there is not an idle plant, fiſhe, worme, foule, or beaſt in nature, nor yet ſtarre in the ſkye: but all knowen and looked vntounto by Gods care. Now wheras all that would be happy are commaunded to thinke day and night on Gods Lawe by the ſpirit of endles wiſedome: as learning the Eternall better thence then from the creatiō: we might hauehave bin ſure that the father of light,An holy 21. fold Alphabet, a matter of brauerie, telleth babes that God would neuer faile in a …od or prick of neceſsitie. Pſal 25. omits Vau & ….Ps 25 would neuer require that: but would alſo for his part affoorde a lawe, voyde of trappe and ſnare: to delight the ſoules that followe him. That matter of neceſſitie may better bee conceaued by thinges of ornament, into which God for vsus hath condeſcended. A man would little hauehave thought that the moſt High ſhould make Alphabets for vsus in his booke. But wee nowe may ſee it done. The Pſal. 25. hath an Alphabet, ſaving for two letters: and the Pſalme is a generall forme of prayer. There the wiſeſt may try, whither any wiſedome could ſupply the argument, p. 5by Ebrewe wordes of ſage force. The Pſal. 145. is alike,Pſalm. 145. Nun onelie is omitted. Pſa▪ 34. hath an ouerplus Pſa. 37. hath an Alphabet with much enterlacing. Pſal. 211. & 12. in …che member. Pſal. 119. eightfold.Ps 145Ps 34Ps 37Ps 119 one letter omitted. The Pſal. 34. hath an Alphabet perfect & one verſe for a glad ſaying, vponupon all, fit always. The Pſal. 37. hath an Alphabet moſt exact, though many verſes ſeeme to hide it. The Pſalme 111. conteyneth Gods laude. The 112. the Godly mans: in moſt curious ſorte, for eueryevery member of ſpeach. The 119. goeth vppon commendation of the Lawe of life: with an eightfold Alphabet, and mentioning the worde in ſundry names in eueryevery verſe: what vertues it hath. Which ſayings cōming from him that carieth about all things by his mightie worde, ſhould aſſure vsus, that it was ſafely kept.Matrones vertues in Alphabet. Pro. 31.Prov 31 Salomon in like battell-ray hath commended good Matrones: that they teachinge their children from the breaſtes, ſhould giuegive them the milke of Gods worde. And Ieremy at the kingdomes ruine penneth his Lamētations with a watchfull eye, very much for phraſe: vſing frō Moſes, Dauid, Salomon, Eſay, and all former,Ieremies diſtinct art, of a confuſed ſtate, in a ſixfold Alphabet. termes vttered of the deſtruction which he ſawe, and felt. But his Alphabet is more wonderfull, to ſhewe in mans confuſion, Gods diſtinction. So the firſt Cha. hath 22. verſes in the 22. letters order. The Ch. 2. to ſtirre our care hath the like with changing place of Pe, and Ain, two going togither, but the later going afore: ſo the fourth Chap. is moſt exact in the ſame ſorte, for Pe and Ain: and all the other in due order: that by this doubled matter, ſtudie ſhould be ſtirred vp. The Chap. 3. hath thriſe eueryevery letter in ord…: that by three witneſſes Gods looking too his letters might be ſeene. Theſe being matters of Elegācy more then bare neceſſitie,Matters curious in elegancie. ſhew that no leſſe watchfulnes was ouer the wordes of ſentences. Which thing ſhould moue vsus to holde the text vncorrupt.The 148. margent readings. Beſides a matter of ſingular great importance commeth hither to be conſidered: the margent readinges of the old teſtament. They are eight hundred fourtie and eight in number. And the word in the text was not read, but the p. 6worde in the margent. Theſe greatlie touch all to knowe why ſo it falleth out:Chriſtians be lothſome that ſlander the holy prouidence, as not prouiding wel for them: where vnſpeakeable care is ſhewed, for their tendering. 22. times Naar in the Ebrew text is read Naarah. that Chriſtians no longer followe Kimchi and Ephody the Iewes, whom Barbinel & Elias Leuita damne of great iniurie done to Gods holy Maieſtie, for ſayinge that the text was corrupted in Babylon. Any may ſee that no Scribe would twentie two times of negligence write Naar, a Gyrle, for Naarah: the margent terme read for Naar: which ſignified a Boye or Gyrle: and for weightie cauſe was read Naara a Gyrle. The filthy towne Zebyim, burnt frō heauen, named of the pleaſaunt ſituatiō, the Roes, a name of Chriſt in Salomons ſonge, was read Zeboyim, all the foure times that ſcripture hath it. Errour could not fall into ſuch wiſedome. Likewiſe when Rabſakes filthy termes are in the text to be ſeene, but clearer in the margent to be read, they who ſay, that corruption bred this vrbanity, weigh not but caſt lottes what to ſpeake. So for bookes written after the captiuitie, paſt times of bondage: where the Samaritanes ſpeach againſt the Temple-builders, is as they ſpoke it, doubtfull Ebrew:Margēt readinges in bookes ſet forth after the captiuitie, ſince when Iewes had no hinderance to ſaue the dayly read text, argue the ſlaunderers of dulnes vponupon groſſe impiety. as, We doe not ſacrifice: or, Sacrifice we not? there in Loa, and Lo, the word of the text and margent expound one the oher. And againe in Zacharie ſpeaking of Ieruſalems deſtruction & womens vſage by ſouldiers groſſe to ſpeake: the text telleth the terme to be ſeene: the margent, what the holy Spirit would hauehave read. Thus for ciuilitie or facilitie in ſenſe: the margent reading is giuen with equall authoritie as the other. Moreouer, wheras the Prophetes deepe ſkill, that omits the particle Vau, that is And, in a ſpeach of two members, or hath a worde too ſharpe for the common ſorte, in orthography ſtraunge, & differs in a letter from the vſuall manner: the margent hauinge the vſuall ſheweth what care the holy Synagogue had, that no one ſyllable ſhould amaze the ſimple, but were all taught from God to couple diligence with eaſie ſenſe. Theſe poinctes, ſome touche eueryevery tounge, ſome onlie Ebrewe grammer: p. 7where a learned profeſſour would as ſoone looke to ſwallowe a camel, as to eſcape blame, in vnheedines herein.Succeſſion of rare godlie men, all Babels raign prooue all babes who thinke that all copies in ſo ſhort time could be corrupted or anie one loſt. Mardochai was captiued, whiche they that denie may ſee here what thanks Chriſtians and Iewes wold kenne them 2 Sam. 20.8 Enochs ſpeach and Michaels wer framed Rhetorically of Ebrew DD. from Moſes ſhort ſpeaches: the like wherof is yet in their cōmentaries Talmud rabbi Nathan, & Midras Debarim.2 Sam 20:8 And further off would he be from thinking that Babel cauſed one letter amiſſe, when Ieremie liued til Ezra was of vnderſtāding, Ezechiel prophecieth vntounto thirtie fiue yeares of the captiuitie: the exact halfe: and Daniel was there all the while, the marrowe of Godlines, learning, witte, and wiſedome: and the wealthieſt ſubiect in the worlde: that hee could want no will, ſkill, nor abilitie to keepe all ſcripture which the holy wiſdome of God ſawe needefull to make vp the body of Ebrewe holy ſtorie. Mardochai was next him in time of captiuitie, and godlines: and an holy Writer, as he: of equall authoritie in Daniels end of life, or aged about 110. yeares: he as well with Aggei, Zachary, Ezra, & ſuch would hauehave an eye to the text his ſoundneſſe. Wherefore tranſlatours herein fall fouly, when they ſay that Michal is put for Merob: or vponupon Iude complaine of bookes loſt, for Enochs ſpeach: or Michaels. That is a principall poinct to be looked vntounto: the obſeruations wherevpon will lighten eyes to much further ſight into Gods worde. In this matter the Maſsorites care ſhould be opened: Grammarians of Ebrew ſprong from Ezra and long continued: who reckoned euerie letter howe often in the holy Ebrewe it came: howe ofte wordes of ſhort or full writings were diuerſly written & where: and what ſtrange texts would ſeeme corruptions to the vnſtayed: and for Eth and Vau, little particles howe often they come together in ſort eaſie to deceyue a copyer, without a table of direction: ſuch poinctes are a braſen wall to ſaue frō doubt of ſcriptures certeintie: and frō extreeme raſhnes: that condemne as faultie, things of heauenlie ſynceritie. So when we come to tranſlate Achaz king of Iſrael:2 Chro. 28.19. 2 Chr. 21.22 Chr 28:192 Chr 21:2 or Ioſaphat king of Iſrael: we ſhould with the Maſsorites note the ſtraūgenes, that Iſrael is put for Iuda: and checke the Rhemiſt, that marking that title in Achaz but not in Ioſaphat, rageth p. 8againſt the text as though it had bene corrupt and would therevpon drawe vsus from Gods worde vntounto a Church, and to Rome: Strange ſayings vppon rare occaſiō make Rhomiſtes and Rhemiſtes blaſpheme, whereby all their skill in ſcripture is ſoone ſeene, Ebrew elegācy ſtrange in other nations, but ful of effect, by the Prophetes very Pithy ſhortnes made vsus blame ſpeaches moſte witty & far from corruption.by whoſe policie Chriſt was crucified: while they runne from miſchief to miſchief. The like care muſt bee vſed for the newe Teſtament: and more iudgement: be cauſe Chriſtians tooke not the like heede: as not being in equall daunger. Here we hauehave committed groſſe faultes, blaming moſt learned ſpeaches. For example ſome ſhalbe brought: The holy Ghoſt in Greeke ſpeaketh thus: Iocob dyed in Egypt, and the Patriarches, & they were caried to Sychem: And they were put in graue: That which Abraham bought for price of mony, That from the ſonnes of Emor of Sychem. Here the Pronowne They, the cloſe repetition of the Pronowne, That, & omiſſion of the copulatiue, vſuall in Prophetes, rare in common ſpeach, cauſed vsus to amende the holy text: to leaue Iacobs buriall vntold, who yet was principal in the narration: to ſay that Abraham was put for Iacob: and to falſifie the buying For price of money: as though Iacob had bought his plot for money and not for Lambes, as the Greeke tranſlation expoundeth Iacobs price.Gen. 33.19. Ioſ. 24.32. Iob. 42.12. and is no more vſed in Ebrewe, and the 70. were borne in the end of the Ebrew …on̄g, the eldeſt & beſt warrāt for tranſlating.Gen 33:19Josh 24:32Job 42:12 Keſhita is tranſlated Lambes in the Seuentie: whoſe tranſlation for common wordes, the newe Teſtament checketh not, but followeth moſt exactly, & infinitely: So that we may wel know, that Saint Luke writing in Greeke, meant the graue that Abraham bought for price of money: and that wherein Iacob was buried: & not that wherein the Patriarkes were buried. Whereby there can be no colour, that Abraham in the text was put for Iacob: but in the whole ſentence the Tranſlatours dealing weakened our ſtrength, & diſgraced the grace of holy ſynceritie. That the ſimple may better vnderſtande what I blame, you ſhall hauehave the tranſlation vſed of vsus, which marreth the Greeke: and the annotations vponupon it, which condemneth that which God cōmendeth vntounto vsus. And I hope no man of grace wilbe angrie to hauehave Scripture cleared, p. 9nor vexe me any more with graue Fathers. If they that blame hauehave anie grauitie or drop of grace, they will wiſhe all men diſgraced, rather then one ſyllable of Gods worde. And they who muſt cōfeſſe vnſkilfulnes, ſhall not doe wel, vnleſſe they willinglie doe yeeld vntounto the trueth, and louelove the honor of God more then their own: and make it plaine vntounto the people: that the booke which we call the Bible is the Hebrewe for the olde, the Greeke for the newe: and tranſlations are but ſo farre as they are true and exact from the originall: and without hinderance may and muſt bee examined by the other: yea where they are blameleſſe and ſyncere, by the originall their clearenes & authoritie muſt aye be ſtrengthened by the Ebrew. Thus the text ſtandeth:The text all tranſlated. And Iacob dyed both he and our Fathers, and were caried ouer into Sychem, & layde in the ſepulchre that Abraham bought for money of the ſonnes of Emor the ſonne of Sy…hem. Here appeareth an errour: for Abraham ſeemeth to …e put in the text in the ſteede of Iacob,The note, vntollerable. for Iacob bought …he ſepulchre of Emor, and not Abraham, who bought before a fielde of Ephron. You ſee the text, and the note: which if we all would graunt curraunt, then would the papiſtes earneſtlie triumph, that we Proteſtantes confeſſe the text to be corrupted: That will I neuer doe, while breadth ſtandeth in my breſt. I beleeue that I ſhall ſoone finde ſome hundreth thouſandes in Englande, that wi…l no more turne the ſword with Stephanas againſt their owne hart, after ſight how their caſe is well if they knew their own good things. Saint Stephen ſpeaketh in his moſt heauenlie oration other wiſdome of exact ſkill, yet blamed of great men. Vr by him is in Meſopotamia: and his deadlieſt enemie Barbinel, doth therein defende him full learnedly: but we cōmonly ſeeke qualifications vnartificial, whereby a Turke or Iewe would ſay that we made him but a lier. Saint Stephen ſayth, that Abraham was brought by God from Charan after his fathers p. 10death: but we make the ſpeach vttered Gen. 12.1. to be ſpoken in V R, a calling as wel of Therah, as of Abraham, yet Moſes order of ſpeach defendeth: who ſheweth that Terah died in Charan, vpō whoſe death he endeth his The Peraſhah in the Law is a full ſeparatiō of matter, whiche may not be confounded.ſection, to make a ſeparation full and abſolute, from the matter following of Abrahams calling. Philo the Greeke Iewe (vnlike the late malicious) is fully of Stephens minde, and ſheweth that opinion, to hauehave bene then generall But Iewes malice being increaſed, ſhuffled the promiſe made to Abraham, into three ſcore yeares of Terahs life: ſo to obſcure all the matter: as not being Abrahams peculiar, in Terahs life time. Saint Stephen his Angelique tongue might hauehave holpen here, but that we pervert his words. Yet I am not to ſpeake much here of this matter, becauſe this poinct toucheth not corruption of text: vnleſſe we vrge that our ſhufflinge of Abrahams promiſe into Terahs life, and tranſlatinge thus: Gen. 12.1. The Lord had ſayde vntounto Abraham, get thee, &c. being referred vntounto his calling from Vr, prooues the Peraſha or Ebrew ſection very vnfit, in the middle of a matter: as doubtles it ſhould be moſt vnfit. So, this ſpeach may properlie belonge to the writt and letter. But this matter doeth moſt touche the ſecond poinct, of making ſcripture falſe by ill trāſlating, rather then blameth the text. One place more hath the holy martyr, as Saint Luke did penne it, where ſome blame the writt,How 70. in Gen. 46. & 75. Act. 7. be reconciled without blame of copy.Gen 46Acts 7 and moe can not tell what they may ſay of it. Saint Luke Act. 7. maketh Iacobs familie to be of ſeauentie fiue ſoules, whereas Moſes in Ebrew hath but ſeauentie. And an Arabique tranſlation, written (as none are yet printed I trowe) brought vntounto me from the Indianes, hath but ſeauentie ſoules. Here is matter for a ſkilfull tranſlatour to worke vponupon:By my learned friende M. Phil. Nicols, beeing at Carthaginaes ſurpriſing. to defende and cleare Saint Luke, and I deeme it will not be hard to doe. For thus the caſe ſtandeth: The Septuagint adde vntounto Moſes Perſones, fiue to Ioſeph (vnborne when Manaſſes and Ephraim were but p. 11ſeauen or eight yeares old, at Iacobs comming to Egypt) a ſonne and a grandechilde to Manaſſes, Machir and Gilead: to Ephraim two ſonnes, Sutelah and Tahan: with Sutelahs ſonne Eden: all theſe, fiue: & accordingly doe they ſumme all, to be ſeauentie fiue ſoules. Great reaſons moued them: which fewe wordes can not make plaine. Saint Luke writing in Greeke was to followe the Greeke: though Saint Stephen ſpake as the Ebrew ſtood. And the Arabique tranſlatour, that folowed the Ebrew in a neare language, which ſhould be conferd with the Ebrew, not with the Greeke in Gen. 46. ſhewed a profound iudgement:A phraſe Act. 13. true in 450. whiche properly is but 339 and lappeth al one book and 19. places in one ſumme.Acts 13 regarding as S^t Luke did, nations weakenes, whereof vntounto this day fewe knowe Saint Lukes minde, though it be not darke, if wee had looked vntounto the Septuaginta. Like vntounto Saint Stephens abridgement of old large ſtories commeth Paules oration Act. 13. where he reckoneth the nineteene Iudges, thirtene defendours, ſix offenders, all their times, as they in troubles ruled and dated two at once, yeeres after a ſorte foure hundreth and fiftie. So it is moſt exactlie after Saint Paules ſort of reckoning: and ſo Ioſephus reckoneth the Iudges yeares: when for the 480. 1. King. 6.1. he maketh 592. yeares. Here the Rhemiſtes marre the text: and the whole narration: neither bewe faultles, who for yeres but 339. propre, ſay about 450. the hundreth and eleuen of the oppreſſours nothinge …ugmented the worldes age: therfore in proprietie 450. can not be ſayde: about 450. and in a kinde of ſpeach it was exactlie ſo, and not about 450. And theſe examples may bee ſufficient to ſhew a Tranſlators care for defence of the text. Many are ready frō both Teſtaments. One kinde I cannot paſſe ouer, which Daniel hath in two examples:The Maſſorites onelye kept Daniels copy pure: twiſe in Dan. 7. and 8.Dan 7 where but for the Maſſorites Bible, the common copies would cōtinue errour. Daniel turneth the notation of a Chaldean kinges name and his owne Chaldean name, into cleane contrarie ſignifications, by tranſpoſing one vnſounded letter: Bel is p. 12the authour of wealth: and Bel is a fyre of ſorrowe theſe are cleane contrarie, as darknes and light: ſinne & iuſtice: idols and the throne of God. The like is in Daniels Chaldean name: which breaketh out a fyer of ſorrowe, from Gods fierie throne againſt ſuch as held Bel a protectour of ſtore & treaſure: Vnleſſe we ioyne both the Great Venetians Bibles, none printed will here giuegive a Tranſlator that which he muſt performe, right writing for notation: in the former name. But in Daniels Chaldy name the text in Plantines Bible is ſyncere: marking the difference of it Cha. 1. and Chap. 10. And this poinct onelyonly being ſo full of wiſedome in Daniel, ſhould mooue anie wiſe nation to peruſe their tranſlation, though it had no other imperfectiō. Thē matter is a pearle, and an holy thing: where hogges and dogges ſhall ſee no peace of the heauenly Ieruſalem: and ſuch as cōtemne this matter wilbe no better in Daniels eyes: whoſe rare commendation from men, and Gabriel is for vsus, not for him ſelfe.

2. Care: that the Tranſlatour brede not a lye.The next labour to this, no better obſerued of vsus, ſhould beware making vntruethes in turning the Bible into our tongue. The like harme cometh by notes that would make the world falſe. I would that examples of leſſe plentie were in this kinde: though their ſtore may ſtirre to cure the ſoare. And firſt for no leſſe then the third part of the worlde,Sem falſelie tranſlated the Elder brother to Iapheth. touching Iapheth our Father, we ſtayne his birth-right: when our tranſlatiō maketh him yonger thē Sem, Gē. 10.21. where Sem ſhould be brother to Iapheth the eldeſt. The record of yeares, the ſituation of the wordes, the Greekes vniuerſall conſent vnaltered in any of their tranſlations knowen, the preualent conſent of Ebrewes, for the moſt that way, & noted in Chimehi the king of Grammarians in Gadal, the cuſtome that God preferreth not the Eldeſt to be Chriſt his father: theſe and ſuch things ſhould hauehave cauſed to lothe not to folowe the vulgar Latin. For as a dead flye putrifieth p. 13a boxe of precious oinctment, ſo one ſuch overſighte doth vntounto an whole booke, and is a thorne to the ſide and eyen. An other thorne pricking the hart of good Ioſephs fame, is in Gen. 44.5. by not marking the plaine & exact proprietie of the Ebrew, touching Ioſephs ſiluer cup. Is not that it, Sēſible wiſe ſpeaches turned to witchcraft or extreme folly.in which my Lord drinketh: and for which he would ſearch throughlie. So the wordes in their firſt ſignification meane: ſo olde Onkelos tooke them: ſo the ſence is ſenſible. And again in Ioſephs ſpeach the ſame is alike: Know you not that a man as I, can ſearch throughly? But we hauehave in our beſt: Is not that the cup in which my Lord drinketh, and for which he conſulteth with prophecies: or, in which he prophecieth. And what man would euer ſpeake ſo ſenſeleſſe. There the note goeth thus: He went not to the coniurers for any matter: but this is ſayde by diſſimulation, to increaſe the crime. So verſ. 15. Wote ye not that ſuch a man as I, doe conſult with propheci…s. This ſpeach had no witt, leſſe religion: howe ſhould …hey think it: and why ſhould he boord with edged tooles, …o fauour witchcrafte? There our note hath theſe wordes: …hough hee did not the thing: he ſhould not hauehave nouriſhed the opi…ion that he did ſo. Thus we ſlaunder the holy Ioſeph,Ioſeph ſlandred, badly. and …exe our ſoules about coniuringe and ſorcery, where the …each is plaine. For Nichaſh, the terme that cauſed doubt, …gnifieth firſt, to try out, or finde out: and in that ſenſe Laban …ſed it to Iacob. And in a ſecond ſenſe: to ſearch too farre, as …y curious artes. Nowe they that would looth blottes in a fayre picture, ſhould much more loth blottes and wrinkles which our drowſines bringeth vponupon the ſtorie, whiche the ſpirit of Grace hath penned in moſt heauenly beautie and facilitie, as of purpoſe alluring all to looke on, and to ſtudie it: and to enter into the open porch of the Bibles temple. But we make an hedge of thornes to ſhut men out: whence we can not gather figges and reaſins: but many doe gather prickes to anoyance of ſuch as tender the ioyance of Religion. p. 14Such thorny dealings muſt looke for that euent that Dauid in his laſt ſpeach tolde, That they may not bee touched, without iron or ſhafte of ſpeare: but beeinge as thornes muſt bee burnt in their place. The honny in the honny-combe, or the hidde Manna, will not ſoone bee founde in the Prophets languages, where the ſpeache is worſe then any Heathen would ſpeake. And theſe ſtaynes Geneſis had by vsus: being whiter then anie ſnow in the originall, and a goodlier body of ſtory, then any Apelles pencill could painct for a fayre Lady. In Exodus one poinct hath longe troubled many: and at the laſt deceyued our Biſhoppes, to ſett in the argument a flatt vntrueth, whiche ſhould cut, as it were, all Moſes in pieces. And hardlie can a man finde anie parte of the Lawe, where an hiſtorique errour would more diſturbe. The place lyeth in Exod. 12.40 Theſe wordes we make to be the text: The dwellinge of the children of Iſrael, which they dwelt in Egypt, was foure hundred and thirtie yeares. The fault was not ours, but the Papiſtes, that brought it into honour: and ſome Greekes, at whom I marveyle: ſeeing the Septuaginta cleared the ſenſe by a large paraphraſe, and the moſt of their owne had gone aright. And yet the fault was ours, that in a matter of ſuch infinite helpes as be for the trueth herein of Ebrewes, Greekes, Latines, wee would daſh all Moſes authority: and that ſo manifeſtly, as to ſaye in the argument thus: They dwelt in Egypt foure hundred and thirty yeeres. Moſes knewe that his Ebrewes would thus vnderſtande him: The peregrination of the children of Iſrael, whiche ſoiourned in Egypt, was foure hundred and thirtie yeeres. The Lawe beinge ſpirituall, regarded Chriſt promiſed to Abraham, who therevppon left his countrey: which peregrination alwayes concerned Iſrael, and therefore is called The peregrination of the Children of Iſrael. Moſes teacheth in Cohath, who was with Iacob p. 15and liued 133. yeeres, and his ſonne Amram, who liued 137. & his own 80. all 350. that Iſrael could not be 430. yeeres in Egypt.Genebrarde pieuiſhnes: who yet profeſſeth great Ebrew ſkil. Here Genebrard willing to defende the Latin rude tranſlation, ſayeth that Moſes might omitte ſome of his Anceſtours. He that ſpeaketh ſo, hath his conſcience burnt with an whot yron. What Ebrewe, Greeke or Latin, thought Moſes any further then the ſeauenth from Abraham, and to what end and purpoſe ſhould hee caſt all his Aunceſtours yeares vp to Adam, if hee omitted anie? Or howe could Iocebed his mother be Levies immediate daughter by our foure hundred and thirtie yeares? And ſo in our Lordes houſe: where Ezron came with Iacob: howe could Ezrom, Aram, Aminadab, and Naaſſon freſh at the comming from Egypt, drawe in ſucceſſion foure hundred and thirtie yeares? Thus, Saint Matthewe and Saint Luke for our Lords Fathers, with Ruth and firſt Chron. and Moſes in families infinite, ſhould be diſgraced. Againe, Saint Paul the Apoſtle of IESVS Chriſt, ſhould loſe his authoritie, who from Abrahams promeſſe of Chriſt elder then Circumciſion vntounto the Law, maketh it but foure hundred and thirtie yeares. And that our owne Bibles note obſerueth vppon Geneſ. Chap. 15. very well. So it muſt needes be a great fault, to croſſe our ſelfes and all holy authoritie, and all the beſt of all ſortes, in ſo large a ſtorie, drawing infinite abſurdities vponupon a ground of one.

The Septuaginta expreſly telleth what peregrination of Iſrael was meant: euen theirs and their Fathers, repeating it,The 70. paraphraſinge for plaineſſe Theirs and their Fathers in the lande of Chanaan and in Egypt. And this their doeing is euident in the Greeke tongue vntounto this daye. Moreouer, both the Talmuds in Megilah recorde this their paraphraſe. Wherefore a tranſlation diſturbinge all, muſt not bee defended: howe ſo euer Genebrard and Adricomius bringe in theyr Chronicle all the p. 16worldes age to this errour. Iewes would ſkoph ſuch Ebrewe profeſſours: that marke not howe fables are made of purpoſe vponupon Moſes phraſes: that childrē ſhould better marke them. Thus a Rabbin is feined in the Talmud to reaſon afore great Alexander, againſt Egyptians complayninge that Iſrael robbed them & requiring reſtitution. The Rabbin obiecteth the text as an vnſkilful man would take it: the dwellinge of the children of Iſrael in Egypt ſervantes there was 430. yeares: and all their ſpoyles were little enough for ſo long ſeruice. This fable made for ſkil of phraſe wil make vsus ſimple, if we be in deede babes. Now ſeeing Iſrael multiplying like fiſhe, had of 70. but about ſixe hundred thouſand ſtrong men, how could that be a miracle in 430. yeres ſpace. Abraham fought with many kings, about 430.…. after three Sem, Cham, and Iapheth, lefte the Arke: and thoſe kings had many: infinite moe were on the earth, of great troupes: So that by our verſion ſixe hundred thouſand abſurdities would folowe. And furthermore this one thinge ſhould be ſufficient to vrge amendement, that none of our nation reade that, but are deceyued or grieued: and weakened in zeale to religiō. Wherfore they muſt lay their hande vponupon their mouth, that ſay, The Queene will not hauehave the tranſlation bettered. Her Maieſties footemen knowe that ſhee ſent an othergates worde to Sir Frauncis Walſingham, euen to conſyder of furthering the matter: and Biſhop Elmer the beſt Ebrician of all the Biſhops, was very earneſt with my ſelfe to take the matter in hande: and deſerueth this mētion for honoring Gods word. Now that the good, of Bibles (which truly deſerue great cōmendation, though not of abſolute perfection) bee not in any parte hindered, which lightlie are not faultie but where Papiſtes erred before,Notes bely… the text. I will rather touche obſeruations which falſifie the text, and make men to holde it corrupt. And firſt this taken from papiſtes: In the yeare 1572. Adam liued two hundred p. 17and thirtie yeares, and begate Seth. Moſes made a groſſelye… by blaſphemous notes.wherein Moſes had omitted one hundred yeares. Doeth not this make Moſes a lier? Can one vndertake to tell a mans age, and put 130. yeares for 230. and not lye? And if Moſes omitted it, who knewe it? The teacher of Moſes was none other but hee which meaſureth the waters in his fiſt: peiſeth the heauens in his ſpāne, holdeth all the duſt of the earth in an half-pint: weigheth the moūtaines in a balance: and who could teach him, howe to hauehave inſtructed Moſes better in the waye of knowledge? When ſuch perverſe & crooked notes, diſannulling that which Gods letters ſpeaketh, come before our Bibles as a furtherance of the ſimple, what marveile is it, if blinde guides leade the blinde into the ditch? Infinite ſtore of ſuch hath the ſame introduction to the Bible, enough to entangle all that beleeue them, & to make the Bible ſeeme vnexplicable. One gentleman of the North complained to …e, how that paynes entāgled him. Such erroneous paynes …hould be openly cōdemned, and not ſolde but to the learned, that can iudge of vntruethes. Touching the 230. yeres …n what daliance with prophane Heathen the 70. feigned not one hundred onelyonly to Adam, but 1250. more vntounto o…hers many vntounto Nachor, I hauehave ſhewed at large in a treatiſe of Sem or Melchiſedek, and in my little booke of long paynes, …hewing ſcripture concent. And I iudge this a Tranſlatours …uetie, to ſhewe the right meaning of old hid doeings, whiche by miſtaking blame the holy letters.A wicked table ſold in the harte of our Bibles, diſturbinge all the Bible moſt ſhamefully. An other Table of no leſſe poiſon pretending to reconcile Saint Matthew and Saint Luke, is prefixed to the newe Teſtament in our great Bibles: which I blamed in print ſharpely, and ſince it hath not bin printed: but thouſands enough to poiſon an whole nation, were ſolde afore. That table firſte denieth in effect ſix places where Achaziah is father properlie to Ioas: while it endeth Salomons houſe in Ioas: caſting downe ſix teſtimonies of him whoſe worde made all the frame of nature too p. 18ſtande. That table would flee in a ſtorie that needes muſt ſpeake properly vntounto a ſtraunge vſe of wordes: but comon reaſon ſhould hauehave taught, that a ſtrange kinde of ſpeach is not often vſed in one and the ſame matter: neither may it be vſed, but where the narration was cleared afore. Ezra, when he penned the Chronicles from the plain ſtory of the Kinges, vſeth termes in rare elegancie, and hard: but for the matters familiaritie; when he nameth the ſix & thirtie yeres Malcuth Aſa: when Aſa had not paſſed ſeauentene in reigne. Nowe Malcuth being kingdome or reigne, and the time agreeing with ſix and thirtie yeares from Iudahs kingdome, parted away from Ieroboams: the matter telleth what Ezra meaned: and his round ſumme from many particulars, in a narratiō knowne, had great clearenes. Whereas the kings ſtorie might not hauehave bene penned at the firſte ſo. Nowe, where in a carefull narration of longe diſcourſe, Ioas commeth ſonne to Achaziah, ſaued by Achaziahs ſiſter at an yere olde: and after a tyranny of ſixe yeares, at ſeauen, is made king: the denying of ſonages proprietie here is nothinge leſſe then to make a flat lye: and for ſix places of one tenour a ſixfold ſtumbling againſt the holy Ghoſt, who hath planted in mā a ſpirit that ſhould teach him knowledge: againſt which they that ſtriue, ſhalbe condemned of their owne harte.Ben vſed elegantly in a borrowed ſpech: Whiche the… that ſaw not, diſturbe by one errour all the holy ſtorie. In an other place Ezra vſeth Ben very elegantly. For it ſignifieth Sonne, or Belonging too: and that in great varietie. So Achaziah is Ben, a ſonne of twentie two yeares, when his father died at fourty. Nowe when Ezra, ſhewing how he came of Athaliah the daughter of Omry, properly daughter to Achab (but he nameth Omry, to call the reader to conſider his purpoſe for Omries kingdome: whoſe kingdome at Iorams death, ſtood fourtie two yeares, layd downe by manie parcels in the kings, & often Synarchies) when Ezra the learned ſhewing the troubles of all this kingdome, ſayth: He was Ben of fourty two yeares: the terme left his firſt ſignificatiō, p. 19for his vſuall in a trope: Affected vntounto: or Belonging vntounto the famous two and forty yeares. This dealing in Ezra declared not onelyonly his owne readineſſe in the ſtory, but alſo his nationes common readineſſe. They knewe well that Ezra could not hauehave from God any authoritie to check Gods former authoritie: nor yet to ſpeake any thing but that they might iudge off. And doubtles he would ſpeake as they at the firſt might allowe: and the blinde acquainted with the Scripture would not ſtumble. And ſo the ordinarie Commenter in Ebrew Ralbag playnneth all vponupon this: Two and twentie yeares old was Achaziahu when he reigned: and one yeare raigned he in Ieruſalem: and his mothers name was Athaliahu the daughter of Amri king of Iſrael. Ben is ſonne or belōging vntounto, or affected vntounto, in ſundrie ſortes.Therevpon Ralbag writeth letters that ſpeake thus: 2. King. 8.16. Marke that 2. Chr. 22. it is ſaide: Ben of two and fourtie yeres. And marke that his count in the Chronicles was not of the birth of Achaziahu, but from the time of the ariſing of the kingdome of **Amri and Omri I doe vſe for the ſame: as he is tranſlated by A. & O▪Omri. And becauſe he was of …is ſeede, it befell him that he was killed with the king of Iſrael. And thus goeth the ſumme: After thirtie and one yeare of Aſa, Omri raigned ouer all Iſraell: and raigned after that, ſixe yeres: and Achab his ſonne twentie two and Achaizahu two yeares: and Ioram …ame to the twelueth. Beholde then the two and fourtie yeares of the kingdome of Achab. And for: His mothers name was Athaliahu the daughter of Amri: that ſheweth the reaſon of his phraſe. For ſhe …as properlie the daughter of Achab. Thus the Rabbine ſheweth, howe Ezra expoundeth the Kinges ſtorie for Amries daughter, being properlie Achabs: leauing the propre time as vnmoveable as anie rocke: and for memory bringing many parcells to one ſumme. And therein muſt a Tranſlatour be ſo fullie ſettled where propertie can not be altered: as carefull, to allowe and followe the trueth of the Ebrewe copy. **Pretēce of reconciling, breding endles variance, is moſt daū gerous, againſt truth of holy ſtorie.And if the Lord tell ſix times, that Ioas the King was ſonne to Achaziah, tables pretēding to reconcile Saint Matthew & Saint Luke, breaking of Salomons houſe in Achaziahu: p. 20and bringing Ioas to Nathan, though Europe embraced them, and our Bibles bare them in their harte afore the holy Goſpell, yet a ſounde Tranſlatour muſt loth them as a leproſie. How circumſpectlie we hauehave done herein, wee ſhould conſyder, to aboliſhe with publique authoritie, our ouerſightes and vnſkilfulnes, mother of lothing all religion. Many that finde vsus rawe in matters of plaine ſtorie, the grounde of all, and ſett before our eyes, will leſſe thinke that, in matters of collection and plyable affection of argumentes, and things of the worlde to come, we ſhould be of any ſound iudgement. And Chriſtians ſhould not be as the Athenians, whom Demosthenes taunteth for being like doggs that bite the ſtone flong at them, and not the flinger: blaming not the authours of the fault, but the tellers what is committed.Dan. 12.Dan 12 The wiſe will alwayes louelove vnderſtanding: as the wicked can not abide it. This table poyſoning all ſimple that vſe it, maketh the fathers of our Lorde all theſe, Symeon, Leui, Luke 3.30.Luke 3:30Matthat, Iorim, Eliezer, Ioſe, Er, Elmodam, Coſan, Addi, Melchi, Neri, who was Salathiels father, the table maketh all theſe to be the Kinges from Ioas to Iechonias. A greater matter of ſtorie could not be, then our Lordes right line: neyther did Iulian with Porphyri take Chriſtians euer ſo tardy in any their imperfections, as that they confounded the Goſpell by ignorance therein. And **Mine anſwere to thē will come anone.Iewes obiected vntounto my ſelfe, for this forged table, our badnes, their gladnes, (for they knowe it full wel) that by our Euangeliſts none could proue that Chriſt came of Dauid. And they ſeeke no more to diſturbe all Chriſtianitie, then to hauehave Salathiel naturally Iechoniahs ſonne. For, then Chriſt muſt come of Salomon: and all Saint Lukes Goſpell, and, with all, Chriſtianitie fayled. And Chriſt ſhould come of the worſt that euer could bee: who commeth of none vnfaithfull. He ſhould come of Iehoiakim that burnt Gods worde, and killed a Prophete: of Manaſſes the ſawer of Eſai, of Achaz that fyered to Deuils p. 21his owne children: of Amatziah, in religion an Edomite: and of Ioas, that killed Zachari, as Cain did Abel: of ſuch, the ſhame of the worlde, the King of glorie ſhould become king of the Iewes, the prayſe of GOD among men. Though we ſee howe careful God was to commend Rahab in the olde and newe:The ſuſpected in dignity hauehave glory from God: that Chriſts liue ſhould bee holden to hauehave none baſe. leaſt her yong lyfe ſhould ſtayne the …ine: to commend Ruth, equall to Abraham for leauinge, Countrey, kinsfolke, and fathers houſe: to commend Bathſhebah, Pro. 31. leaſt ſome inferioritie of faultes ſhould not …uffer her to match the beſt. Such cōmēdatiō was needfull.

Moreouer, the counſell of God was to leaue Salomons Kinges to their owne race, that Dauids Throne might bee holden a Celeſtiall and not like the foole Roboams: and the Kinges pronoūced to eternall life, Dan. 7.Kinges named Kinges of eternity Da. 7. afore they were borne: as they were in Math: the ten to Ioſeph, ſhould not ſoone …e brought from this rowe. Dauids laſt ſpeach gaue an othergates warning: that his houſe would not be right with God: & that God had otherwiſe made ſure the couenant. But we lookee not to the rocke of trueth, the ſtraite proprietie of Gods worde, both for continuing Salomos houſe, while the holy Ghoſt did in narration of ordinary playnes, that might admitt no trope continue it: and again to finiſhe … when God ſweareth and cryeth thriſe to write the ende of it, Ierem. 22.30. A confident learned Tranſlatour, would …ot beleeue all the worlde, that Iechonias had naturall chil…en after Gods oath and three-folde charge to the contrari… ▪ So this table daſhinge all authoritie, trueth, ſtory, olde and newe: breaking off againſt a ſix-fold teſtimonie, tranſ…bſtantiating eleuen or twelue Kings into an other Line, …eeding aboue a thouſand groſſe lyes, by ſhufling two & …ftie with 18. perſonages: and 18. into them: continuing ſtocke againſt an othe and threefold charge to end it: and …hat for a kingdome, whoſe ruine al the earth was to marke, …or a better kingdome, this table by ignorance of Scripture grounde hath hardened Turkes: whoſe ſworde the worde p. 22would hauehave turned to our good: hath hardened Iewes, to deſpiſe the ioyance of the Goſpel: hath weakoned Papiſtes to thinke the Goſpell and Scripture vnexplicable: hath weakened euen our ſelues to burſt out into haynous notes, and barbarous rage againſt the openers of the trueth.Some of Poules and S. Paules Cretes knowe. For thus goeth our Genevas note vponupon Iere. 22.30. Not as though he had no children, for afterwardes hee begate Salathiel, Mat. 1. If we know not when a writer muſt ſpeak pro pre, or be counted a lier: and when wordes may bee taken in freer vſe, to great grace, we hauehave not ſettled our groundes of ſtudie, for tranſlating. The firſt penner of the matter and all writers of it muſt vſe all certen and ſure plainnes, vntill all doubtes be remoued. And ſo the Kings ſtorie is moſt exact: The abridgers grace ſtandeth in ſhort ſpeache: with cloſe helpes to call vntounto the larger declaration. When Aggei and Zacharie had cleared Ieremies prophecie, that Zorobabel, who fanned Babels golden head was not of Iechoniah, but of Nathan Dauids ſonne, then Ezra more freely bringeth in ſpeach of the kingdomes right, Zorobabel to be Iechoniahs ſonne: but with two cloſe warninges: for firſt he maketh the Vncle Zedekias, ſonne: as folowing in the kingdome: at Iechoniahs removing: next, he ſheweth howe Iechoniah was ſtrait-priſoner, aſſyr: when he made Salathiel his ſonne. And ſo the Thalmud taketh aſſyr, in Sanedrin, for an adiectiue, bound, kept vp, and harde kept. And Seder Olam Zuta telleth in Catalogue of Iechoniah for ſonage and fatherwood: Dibberu Abothenu: A ſingular graunt of Iewes for S. Math. cha 1our Fathers did ſpeake ſo. And here the force of trueth is mighty. The Rabbines knowe, that if their people knewe Solomons houſe to be ended, their hope of a Pompous kingdome were gone. Therfore they make this one of the articles of their faith: To deny that Meſſias cometh of Salomon: is euen to denye God and ſo all his holy prophetes. And to Ieremy they ſay: That Iechoniahs repētance altered Gods oath. But they hauehave a ſure true rule, that Moſes p. 23owne repentance could not alter Gods ſentence pronounced for an outward puniſhment. Moreouer, his thirty …nd ſeauen yeares impriſonment cutteth of all opinion of …epentance altering Gods dealings. Then the Talmud and Rambam ſay from their fathers: that captiuitie reconcileth. Their owne millions in 1500. yeares experience, daſheth all …hat opinion. Touching Saint Matthew, he knewe as well as Saint Luke, that Salathiel was of Neri, and the nation all generally knewe that: and then none of his nation would miſtake him: and hauing in hande to ſhewe howe Chriſt was king of the land promiſed to Abraham, reigned of Dauid, at the which fame of king, Herode feared: hee was to follow the phraſe of his natiō, which termed the heyre, ſonne, … vnwilling to let heathen know the line to be broken off: …nowing why Ezra did ſo before. And all nations would …mmende that ſhortnes. Thus the Table that ſtayned our …ble, our religion, our nation, convicted, I trowe ſufficientlie ſhould ſtirre better looking to our taklinges, vnleſſe … meane to make a ſhipwrack of all fayth. I hope I hauehave …niſhed it, from beeing anie more printed: though I can …t call it in. But nowe I muſt returne to handle more at …ge the place of Ezra 2. Chro. 22. And I muſt craue leaue …re for a long ſpech: as Homers warriers, Diomedes & Gla… make afore they fight, for the matter here is rare,eight termes of golde in holy Ebrew: Wherof Cethem & Paz ſeme termes of Ophir & Vpaz: and if we knewe where golde is ſo called, there wee might deeme old Ophir an… Vpaz to … precio…, golden (in golde of all Ebrewe termes Cethem, Paz & other terms ful goody of gold) which knitteth all nerues of …auids houſe in due vſe of motion: and all from Moſes to …r Lorde. I muſt ſhewe howe to hinder all this treaſure & …re of good, vnhedines marred that rare wit of Ezraes pu…nes: labouring of purpoſe to make famous the foure and …wentie yeres of Omries houſe: Full of calamities ſix ſeauens …f yeares: and drawing Iudah vntounto ruine: that Ioram kild his …rethren, Achaziah was killed in his firſt yeare, the Kinges …ine in Salomons houſe, but Ioas, was rooted out: and hee p. 24ſtrangely kept, and Athalia reigned: that after ſix ſeauens of Calamities in Omri, & that kingdome ended: Iudah ſhould begin their ſtirres in the ſeauenth ſeauē, & hold it throughlie: when ſuch a wicked broode of Iezabel reigned in Iuda, that God killed three: Leproſed the next: plagued the people & Kinges ſtocke: left the good K. Ezekias longe ſonneleſſe, ſhewing how vnwilling he was to continue the kingdome: left Manaſſe to ſhed blood, calling (as Abels) for Babylon-puniſhment, and for ſome taſt, carieth the King thither: killeth Amon, & telleth Ioſias plainly of captiuitie: and by Sophonie of paying his ſonnes: priſoneth Ioachaz, giueth Ioakim the burial of an aſſe: captiueth and blindeth Sedekias, killeth his children: ſweareth that Iechonias ſhall dye childleſſe: biddeth all the earth, the earth, the earth to marke it: that none ſhould think Chriſt the king of glorie, to deſcend after the fleſh of Iezabel. Al theſe miſchiefes the Iewes knew and conſydered full well: that the two and fourtie yeares was moſt famous among them: that to be called a Babe of that two and fourtie yeares was to be noted as moſt openly curſed from (as we ſaye) his mothers belly: and if that had bene cōſydered, Ezra had bene cleared: and the curſe vponupon the later Kings weighed: neither would men euer hauehave bin ſo ſenſeleſſe, as to hauehave brought in Nathans houſe, the holy ſeede at the firſt to be plagued, in the firſt yeare of coming to the kingdome, yea and the firſt yeare of comminge into the world. For they that make Ioas to bee of Nathan, muſt graunt that abſurditie alſo. If the ſwift Scribes readines had bred in vsus heedineſſe, al theſe calamities had not made Iews triumph in diſputation (where myne eyes and eares were ten witneſſes) that by our Euangeliſtes we could not proue that Chriſt came of Dauid: If Ezra had bene marked Ieremie for Chonias had bene marked: Troia que nunc ſtares Priami que arx alta maneres:

The Church had increaſed and not loſt: and the pen had p. 25kild more Turkes then our ſworde: and made Iewes to hauehave made vsus better Iewes, the Rom. 1.29.Rom 1:29true praiſe of God. For when the ſtorie is cleared, faith is wonderfull much holpen. And the Perſones bee much to the ſtory. But our ſtrangenes in Scripture exceedeth: neither to vnderſtand by our ſelues, nor to learne by others diſcourſing: nor yet to accompt of weightieſt matters.Weighty matters among vsus are blaſphemed And in trueth this is a paradoxe double. As Ioſaphat little thought that Iezabels daughter, at the leaſt Achabs, would, in Achaziah, ruinate his houſe, that one ſuch matter ſhould ouerthrow the kingdome: ſo ſcholers litle though that one ſyllable, Ben: being vnpropre in the two and fourtie yeres, but ſuppoſed pro…re: and contrary-wiſe propre in Ioas but ſuppoſed in our curſed table vnpropre, ſhould diſturbe all the Bible. …et, as the little ſparke of the tongue enflameth the whole whele of the creatiō: ſo one ſyllable beeing miſtaken,This was a pardoxe & ſtrange. hath …indled a flame through all our Bible that muſt bee quen…hed: or the careleſſe Vc-alegon, that hindereth ſhal finde a …reater fyer from the white iudge in Daniel: before whom …ookes are opened, which will note all errours. But now, ſeeing I hauehave, as my entrance of ſpeache ſhewed, many …inctes to handle beſides clearing of the original writ, or …tter: and the bewaring leaſt in our tranſlation or notes, …e make lies: I may not purſue our overſightes for theſe …inctes with any further diſcourſe.A digreſsion to a tranſlation in latin vſed much in our ſoyle, and worthilie for much good, yet herein in ferior to ours: and vſed to my check. Here I will ſhewe a litle of a ſtranger: in a man very wel learned, and accepted in our ſoyle: to whom I offred conference, and ſent vntounto …im noted, what I blamed; and anſwere was made, that …he Church ſhould iudge. And in milde quietnes I referr …t to the Churches iudgement. My blame is, that this La…in tranſlation, for to much curioſitie, ſhrinketh from the plaine vſe of termes which eueryevery harte will tell ought to hauehave bene reſerued. I reuerence the learned worke, but p. 26mine owne nation more: and thinke my time ſpent this way not the leſſer: to weigh Ebrewes with the Greeks, vntill both agreed vponupon a trueth ſenſible to eueryevery harte. For the ſtory of Kinges, all their chayne of ſtorie, I muſt differ. Firſt for the chayne of Iudahs kingdome: in Ezechiels thrie hundreth ninty years: therevpon for twentie two years of Anarchy in Iſrael: which are ſwallowed vp: and thervpon foure & twentie in the time of Azariahs reigne: and therevpon for Amatziahs reigne: whereof he would hauehave full eleuen years ſpent in baniſhment: and therevpon the ſwalowing vp of eleuen yeres Anarchy which in trueth ſhould be betwixt Amaziahs death and Azariahs reigne: and thervpon: ſeeing he maketh Azariah eight and twentie yeere a lepre: & Iotham raigneth after his fathers death in the ſeconde of Pekach: being but fiue and twentie yeares old, & rayneth but ſixteene yeres: he twiſe wreſteth the text further then natiue light wil ſuffer. In the ſame tenour we, & the French folowing him, muſt wreſtle: whether we ſaye better for Oſee that he preached ſeauentie yeares, or they, for fiftie yeares. The ſimple muſt be taught whether is deceyued, otherwiſe they wil caſt off both. So for the ſinne of Iſrael: in Ezechi. 4. whether Ieroboams calues, or ſomewhat in Salomons 27. be meant. And herevpon all the autoritie of the ſecond of the Chronicles: howe natiue iudgement can defende it in his ſenſe: and likewiſe whether he ouerthrowe not Ezra, Nehemiah, Eſter, Aggei, Zachari, and puts Daniels ſeauens to a plunge, and Mat. 1. and this propoſition: God hath recorded the worlds age frō the creation to the redemption. Hitherto the Chayne of Iubilees will belonge: and ſuch other matters as will folloe in their ſequel. Theſe poinctes muſt needes be named: leaſt fame of ſtraungers drawe vsus hereafter to denie our owne good, as it hath done heretofore: into all the former errours: p. 27that hereafter we may looke to trueth and auncient warrāt, ſtronger then any late profeſſours, & examē it before our people be troubled with any new editiō: in which eueryevery one, who wil, ſhould hauehave ful ſpeach: for all poincts of doubt. Thus I blame this worke, for novationes not his owne.The harme of theſe errours. For bad Iewes invented all this diſturbance of very malice: to breake of the fiue chaines whiche drawe from Adams fal vntounto our Lords reſurrectiō: which where they are knowē of Chriſt alſo confeſſed. Which though I hauehave made famous already, yet I think it not tedious, to handle them often. For they are a greater ornament to the necke, then anie chayne of Cethem, Paz, or any other the fineſt golde. The firſt reacheth all cleare, as the ſunne,Fiue chaines drawe from Adams fal to our Lordes reſurrectiō: For which a digreſsion here may do good: that none bee ſo hardy as to deſpiſe one worde, as it were a link, touchinge them, leaſt he be found guilty of diſgracing all. from the beginning of time to the death of Abrahams Father: the authour of idolatrie, in Chriſt his Line, and cauſe of ceaſſing the accompt for particular mens age in that tenour. The next beginneth vpō his death: with a new promiſe of Chriſt making Abraham heyre of the worlde. From that to the Lawe, Temple, and Salomons death, an other vndowſable is continued. His idolatry was worthy to hauehave that ended: for which his kingdome was parted, and Ieroboam did ſet vp calues for Gods: whiche doeing is commonlie called, The ſinne of Iſrael. Thē Iuda onelyonly is Gods kingdome: and it for honour of Aſa is called the kingdome of Aſa. That is reckoned by compariſon of Iuda with Iſrael, in the kings booke: by Iuda onelyonly in the Chronicles. And by one ſumme in the fourth of Ezechiel: from the ſinne of Iſrael vntounto an end,The ſinne of Iſraell, Ezek. 4.Ezek 4 where fourtie yeares alſo for an other matter famous, then in action, is full concluded. The preaching of Ieremie in playnnes, dignitie and fame, doeth make fourtie yeares from his beginning in the thirteeth yere of Ioſias vntounto the end of the kingdome, & ruine of Citie, and Flames of Temple, & the Arkes deſtruction. The golden Candleſticke with his ſeauen ſtalkes, twoo & p. 28twētie bowles, eleven Knoppes, nine Flowres, that goodlie worke of Bezeleel: that reaſted in the ſhadowe of God, then it was burſt:Chyram the Father of Salomon, was not the braſ worker, but Chyram the king, whoſe daughter Salomō had amōg his 700 as their familiaritie argueth, and Greekes in Euſeb▪ note. then all Moſes Curtines, and all that Chyram the kinges of Tyre, the Father of Salomon, & Chyram the Tyrian artificer, made to Salomon: the one by procuration, the other by trade, all theſe goodlie thinges left the Temple: & ſhewed Chriſt his wrath. Then Sedekias loſt his eyes, that neuer would ſee: Thē Saraias, father to Ezra, was killed for badnes in high ſacrificehood: the death of whom being in recorde, killeth all comon receyued greke accomptes, thence to great Alexander, by Ezra one man liuing thither: then Sedekias children were killed, the only hope of Salomons ſtocke. And this was a famous marke to ende the third chayne vponupon ſuch a famous puniſhment of idolatrie, and end of Moſes ceremonies, poore elementes in deed, that Chriſt from Ezekiels viſion full of eyes, might appeare in the ambre light and purenes. This marke was a goodlie piller, at which the thirde chayn might be faſtened:Four helpes are for the Kings times as the kingdome of Aſa beginning was a piller for the other ende. Such famous markes the holy ſtyle ſhoteth at: hauing a fourefold ſtring to the bowe: Iuda, Iſrael, both in parcells, Iuda ſole, and one totall ſumme. Which chaine if a Tranſlatour breake, as Ralbag, Iarchi, Seder Olam, and others malicious doe: ſtealing linkes nowe from the one, nowe from the other,The 390. Eze. 4. muſt be loked vntounto in all particulars.Ezek 4 he will foure times diſturbe all the kinge ſtorie and Ezekiel: and ſhall roove at ſuch dimme markes, for beginning, and ending Ezekiels three hundred and nientie yeares: as neuer can argue any golden chaine to drawe the world vntounto Chriſt: but be worſe then a cankred wier one, of linkes all broken aſunder. And as a good harte would bleede to ſee the Four partes are of the Ebrew: the …: the Pro…tes, hiſtorique: Prophetes Oratorie: & Preceptory with them, diſputationes and meditationsSecond parte of the Prophetes, that of the holy ſtory moſt fayre printed (with the goodly hedge of the Maſſorites, directing the copyers that they neuer miſſe) to be cut in pieces, and all authoritie of p. 29them for euer aboliſhed: So a good heart would grone & cloſely weepe, to hauehave the ſenſe of the holy ſtory all chopped as hearbes to the pot. And who ſo euer hath a cleare taſt in Scripture, will thinke that neuer any wormewood made waters bitterer, then ſuch ſenſes would be to the taſt of an Eliu and a Iob: which would iudge by eares as the palate by taſte. And nowe by three Chaynes,Yet we alſo hauehave miſſed as Maiſter Caluin marked, no moderate men can miſſe for the time, from ſince Satans fierie tongue did ſett the wheele of the whole creature on flame, vntill the Chaldean Serpent-race burned the Temple, the allurement of nationes vntounto the worſhip of him that made the Temples of the heauens.Wee commonly miſſe in the fourth chaine. A fourth chaine cometh for Gods enimies: ſhort, as ſhewing Gods lothing to bring them in this draught & cariage, of ſeauentie yeres. And commonly we adde ſome ſeauen linkes of yeares, that ſo Iuda ſhould bee ſeauentie ſeauen yeares in Babel: & diſturbe prophecies infinitely.Where Iewes agree for our good we miſſe. Goodly ſkill? Though …n this place the Iewes vniuerſally agree with that which Ieremy ſhould force vsus vntounto. The fifte chayne reacheth from Babels fall to our Lordes death. This was knowen in the Apoſtles time to all Iewes: and commeth infinitely to …he regarded in the newe Teſtament. And this one poinct …s enough to ſtoppe all Antichriſtian mouthes: that the ſonnes labours hauehave a better ſtory then that of Bitias Atlas …oller in Didoes court:Vergil. Aeneid. 1. euen his labours through all ages …ll Chriſt ſhewed a newe worlde: where all that marke it, ſhalbe as the ſunne in the kingdome of the Father. And this one worke, trayleth infinite heathen almoſt theyr eue…y booke, to be weighed, and founde full of chaffe,He that breaketh any link, in the Chain drawing to the redemption doth marre all the re… ▪ voyde of golde, & light as vanitie: being tryed by the holy Bible.

Nowe, they that graunt a fiue-parted chayne thus to …each, muſt needes graunt that they who breake it in anie one place, make all the reſt to be vaine and voyd of counſell: and they that thruſt idle linkes of their owne copper, p. 30be as counterfaiters, and forgers of metalles: and if they drawe the time farre longer then the particulars will beare it out,And herin are we faulty ſpeciallie vpō Daniel. they drawe into pieces all the body of ſtory: as Nabycadnezar gaue in ſentence ouer his Chaldeans. This ſtanding thus, I truſt eueryevery man of harte will require in a tranſlatour much care and ſkil for eueryevery one of thoſe linkes; no leſſe then faith and ſkill in a goldſmith: yea and ſo much more as the matter is more precious: though not a ſmall number ſhewe, that they would rather hauehave the trueth of God to periſh, then former ignorance detected. But ſuch muſt be vtterly cōtemned with as good ſtomaches as they bring. The Iudge that ſitteth vponupon the fierie throne can, as all men knowe,Al truly lerned ioy to hauehave theyr paynes amended. and wil, as Moſes telleth, pay them home, when their foote ſhall fall. And I hope all learned will ioy to hauehave their good & learned paynes bettered: and ſcoured from that ruſt, whiche otherwiſe would cankre the whole. Now I wil returne to touche the worke I ſpeake of, as I ſhewd what Rabbines deceyued it: who to a bad ende of purpoſe, in their owne counſell, this did ſpeake againſt their cōſcience. The obſeruing of theſe matters will breede plentie of dexteritie in the ſtory of the Kings: which, ſome Ebrews thinke that Ierem. penned: as Ezra the Chr. In ſumme, this much I thinke of that learned Latin work and of the late French edition which foloweth it: that in the obſeruationes much iniurie is done to the trueth of ſtory. Examples may theſe be taken. Amazias raigned at Ieruſalem nine and twentie yeares, ſayeth the text. The notes checke it, that he raigned but ſeauenteene yeres, and liued at Lachis, banniſhed all the reſt. Amazias was killed, and when his ſonne was ſixteene yeares old, the people of the lande made him king. The notes make him reigne all the time of his fathers baniſhment. The text telleth, that he began to reigne in the ſeauen & twentieth of Ieroboam: p. 31that he was then ſixteene yeares olde: and ſo he ſhould be about foure at his fathers death: & a regentſhip of eleauen yeares ſhould goe betwixt. The notes make him raigne foure & twentie yeares afore that time: that is eight yeres afore he was borne. The text maketh him reigne two and fiftie frō Ieroboams ſeauen & twentie. The notes make him then ſtroken with a leproſy & to continue eight & twentie yeares. The text teacheth that Iotham, at his fathers death, was but fiue & twentie yeares old. So, by the former note, he ſhould iudge the people afore he was born, three yeres. The notes, to auoyd that, expounde the text thus: Hee was fiue and twentie yeares olde when he reigned, that is, when he ruled the kingdome in his fathers leproſie: and he raigned ſixteene yeres: that is, after his fathers death. If this had bene done in myne owne nation, I would hauehave blamed it more largely: But I loth to diſgrace a learned paynes, but for infinite neceſſity. And our trauels might hauehave more cleared the regentſhip of Azarias and the two and twentie yeares of Anarchy: that earthquake of the ſtate, and the ſtyrres called Iezreel: and likewiſe for Ezekiels 390. yeares, where the French notes returne to the right trueth: againſt their owne particulars in all theſe errours, wee in a fewe wordes might hauehave kept our nation from liking ſtrange opinions. Other matters of this Latin worke for the laſt Prophetes times & Zorobabels houſe, I hauehave written, againſt his learned defendor therin: though not here. D.R. whom I name for honors ſake. He deſerued great cōmendation for hazarding his fame: whether 2000. yeares errours holden almoſt generally ouer all Greekes and Latines Libraries, could be ſet on flame with a fire of iudgement taken from the holy authour. And, I trow, all of hart and our language, will confeſſe that parte cleared, by my paynes: how ſo euer ſome feared to ſtande to an arbitrement: reported that they had paſſed, as learning p. 32would require them and all to determine. Yet hearing what infinite millions were againſt me: they thought it the ſafeſt way to hauehave all in ſuſpenſe. But I thought it a duetie vntounto God and my countrey, to cleare not only the cauſe, but all the Bible, by Gods helpe, in our tongue: and to ſeeke for the next kingdomes helpe, if that labour at home ſhould be blaſphemed. Experiēce in Daniel the hardeſt booke, cleared (I hope) in the very dedication, may ſhewe how ſoone and eaſilie, much holden paſt hope of achieving, may be accompliſhed. And now to leaue ſtrangers, I will returne to our owne vponupon Daniel: where I blame our paynes, that while we make two Nebuchadnezars: and miſſe of the Images time, and fourth Monarchy, and ill tranſlate Gabriels oration for redemption: and in our argument, Cha. 12. taxe Daniel for obſcuritie: who hath the greatſt plaines that euer the matter could ſuffer: While this runneth currant, all the Bible wil cōplaine that we doe exceedingly darken it.It his better antiquiry were diſgraced for miſsing thē the trueth of Daniel ſhould bee hid. Neither doe I thinke it better to hauehave the trueth of Daniel hid, then antiquity diſgraced for miſſing. But nowe I hauehave diſcourſed more largely of my two firſt poinctes: then I well may vppon all the ſixe following: howe heede muſt be taken, leaſt the Ebrewe writt or Greeke of the newe Teſtament bee blamed: and leaſt in tranſlation or expoſition the holy booke be peſtered thorough vsus, with vntruethes: or hauehave anie one at all. One errour more I would hauehave ſpoken off, for a place of Daniel ill tranſlated: but it is to great to bee opened vntounto the people: leaſt they want ſtay in moderation. I did obiect it with ſharpnes not the leaſt vntounto a ſcholer of high place, and great recompence for his ſtudie: who tooke it in good part, and ſage moderation. And ſo I truſt hee will take all the reſt. Such affection will cauſe him ſelfe and others, ſome great reaſt, which little medling bredeth.

p. 33The third care in a Tranſlatour, which ought to bee,The thirde care: for prophecies ſpoken in doubtfull termes, in ſad occaſiones. as that perſon which Nebuchadnezar ſawe by night, watchful and holy, is, that, in ſpeaches of the Prophetes, where the holy ſervauntes of God ſpeake of purpoſe termes doubtfull; where the prophane would otherwiſe ſkoph or perſecute: there the true cleare light with full warrant be kindled in the tongue vſed of him. If he write for a natiō that profeſſeth the trueth, and not for prophane Lagidae, as the …eptuagint: who liuing in thoſe ſtyrres of the iron & clay …egges of Daniels image, not cleauing togither, and of the warres of Seleucidôn and Lagidôn, which the Angel vttered vntounto Daniel of purpoſe in harde phraſes, for the Iewes ſafetie: they, liuing in theſe very times, had croſſed all the Angels wiſedome: if they had opened vntounto their prophane …art that which Gabriel hid for their good. But our caſe …owe is nothing like theirs: in chriſtiā kingdomes. Wherfore a Tranſlatour ſhould aboue all thinges be ready in all …riptures where ſuch hidinge of the minde is vſed.

… ready Ebrician, that ſeeth one of vnperfect ſtudie labouringe to tranſlate, will tell almoſt for eueryevery place where a Tranſlatour would miſſe. And touchinge …ch as in Daniel hauehave deceyued tranſlatours, them I hauehave …ted in my commentationes vponupon him:Recompēce demaunded was promiſed. D. C. was appointed Requeſter: M. L. G hinderath. dedicated vntounto …me of you Nobles, and others of honorable Gentrie, to … regarded according to the ſage honor of her Maieſties …uuernement. By Daniel moſt of anie, becauſe hee liued …der the prophane, theſe tenours of ſpeach and wonder…ll witty hiding of the minde, may be conſydered ſound…e, to be had in heart readilie. In ſuch places,Dani 7.17. in one verſion otherwiſe far the better. a man wor…hie the name of an Ebrewe profeſſour, wilbe moſt ready: …s in matters moſt weighed, ſearched, tryed and peyſed by him in the golde balance of Ebrewe diligence: where ordinarie plaine ſpeaches require not to be ſo much thought p. 34vponupon who would not looke better about him: that ſhould finde this going currant for Gods word. The foure beaſtes are foure Kinges: who ſhal take the kingdom of the Saints, of the moſt high: and holde the kingdome for euer: euen for euer and euer. This can not ſtande with religion, anie more, then Tartarus can be Paradiſe: & eternall woe, bleſſednes. Here an Ebrician would longe before he came to the place, thinke vponupon the rocke, where others made ſhipwracke: and marke how the Particle Vau, one letter, was a key to open or ſhut the ſenſe. So in Daniel againe, Ch. 7. ver.In our cō mon Bible. 12. As cōcerning the other beaſtes, they had their dominion taken away, but their liues were prolonged for a certen time and ſeaſon. This ſpeach vnſpeaketh it ſelf. For the beaſt is the Empire: and when the Empire is gone, the beaſt is no more a beaſt, but ſtādeth on his feete, as a man: when a priuate mans heart is giuen him: as in ver. 4. of ch. 7. Agamemnons man in Euripides beholding the Emperour writing for Iphigenia his daughter, to come to bee ſacrificed, and by fatherly affection blotting: & againe writing: and againe razing: marveyleth at his croſſe dealing. This dealing i… more marveylous: no naturall affection here caried, but vnacquaintance with Daniel and with the Ebrew tongue. And reaſon might tell that the ſpeach croſſeth it ſelfe. And herein I muſt commende my L. of Canterburies grace: who though he thought it not an officers parte, to admitte ſoone a new tranſlation: and when I had preſented vntounto him ſelfe and his patronage the ſeauen firſt chapters, all the Chaldy part, and the firſt chapter with ſomewhat more about it: he wrote in deed to ſtay the worke: yet whē I debated what his place required him to doe, he wrote againe to licence the worke: his grace ſaying, that he would not defend it: I ſhould ſtand to the defence of it. And full readie am I to doe that. And I dare defend his p. 35grace for that tranſlation: that it is bettea then the vſuall in the Church. And whereas a certen Printer feared, leaſt in time it would come into the Bibles, he needes no more to feare, then leaſt in time our nation will cōmonly learne Daniel in one houre: which without an heyfer, that manie pricke, will not ſo ſoone be cleare: and was long ſealed vp in our nation. Full is the Prophet of examples, biddinge heedines, but finding headdines. And Moſes had the like occaſion, as he liued, when ſkant any in the world belee…ed that the world was created, or ruled by God, or that any God was. Leſſe did they thinke of the ſtate and condition, in which the wicked Spirites and ſoules are in eternall chaynes, and darknes with paynes: which ſtate as they …hought not off, they had no propre tearme for it in their …peach. And likewiſe for the ſtate of ioye, the portion of …he faithfull in the ſight of Gods glorie: the wicked world …newe it not: and therfore had no terme for it. In this caſe Moſes hydeth his mynde from the wicked: as touchinge …ny one propre terme for either Eternall death, or Eternall …fe. But he by matter and argument doth ſpread it abroad …nto ſuch as louelove the appearing of the iuſt iudge. By the …rme DEATH, he meaneth Eternall death, when leaues … the ſore be not fetched from the tree of life: and ſo by …fe in promiſes faſtened vponupon Chriſt, he meaneth Eternal …fe: Euen as Adam cloſelie meant by the name of EVE: …hich the Septuagint tranſlate LIFE. So by the curſe v…on the Earth, he meaneth an Eternall curſe with it, for all …he Serpents broode. And for this the Iewes generally,VponUpon Leu. 26. many of them.Lev 26 ſa…ing the Sadducees, vnderſtood him: and handle the mat…er moſt learnedlie. O that they had gone further to the tree of life: then their readineſſe in the text would hauehave multiplied knowledge, euen for both Teſtamentes. One worde in him of this kinde, hath bred much ſtirre amongſt p. 36vsus Sheol, that is, The verbe, the root of it is Shaal. to require and Scheol is the ſtate which eueryevery life with ſenſe payeth, as a debt: when it is ſpoken of a body, whether of man or beaſt, as in the companie of Coreh, Dathan, Abyram, the deſtruction from this life is meant. If ſequell of matter bring more, by the matter, not by the word, it muſt be admitted. In mens caſe we terme it commonly the graue: though fiſhe in Sea, or fier in earth, or Hyrcanyan dogges panches, or Egyptian Glaſſes, were their tombe: or they were, as Iakym, that with his penknife did cut Ieremies lamentations, caſt away as the buriall of aſhe: fit for ſuch as hate ſuch diligēce about Gods worde, as by Ieremies example wee may ſee, that the Eternall doeth require. That ſtate to the body is Scheol: to the ſoule, the loſſe of this worlde in ſuch as knew not the ſoules immortalitie is Sheol: to mē of further reach: the world of the Soules: the worlde vnſeene of vsus that be here: without diſtinction of lotts there. For fewe knewe that: the hidden of God called in Ebrewe, pſal. Cxi, Sod, the myſterie of righteouſnes. And they the Lillies among thornes ſpake as the common worlde: and commonlie of the ſoule by termes fit for the body, for ſuch as graunted no further continuance, & for ſuch as graunted that there was an other world. And as dying is holden a degree lower then life: and daily ſpeach ought to be ſuch, as the greater part be not troubled with it, to deſcende to Scheol is to leaue this world. So Iacob would deſcende to Scheol vntounto Ioſeph: ſo Iudah feared to bring his fathers graynes to Schecol with ſorrowe: ſo Gods anger in Deut. 32. and in the ſame ſyllables in Ieremie, ſpeaking of Ieruſalems fall, is a fyer that burneth vntounto the low Scheol. Not determininge of their ſoules: though their caſe were daungerous in warres brought for idolatrie: men dying in contempt of the couenant. The argument might determine: the terme did p. 37not determine. Haides in the Greeke is the very ſame: and neither of them is euer in Scripture, directlie the ſtate of Eternall torment: but as king Ezechias deſcribeth it: The …utting-off from this life: the not ſeing of Iah, in the lande …f the liuing: the remouing of their dwelling hence as a …ente: the ſhearing of life, as the weauer doeth his webbe …ckes from the Thrummes. And in Iob, Aethan, pſal. 89. …lomon Eccleſ. all men doe deſcende to Sheol, as Ioſeph, Iacob, …echias. And in a ſpeach of death, when life is ſoone reco…red, deſcending to Scheol, ſignifieth that the ſoule fully …ent from the body, euen to the worlde of the dead: and … diuinitie meaning to appeare before God. In that ſenſe …ery mans ſoule, by Salomon aſcendeth, & the beaſtes deſ…ndeth. So that the worldes common language: To deſ…nde into Scheol, and the Prophetes: aſcend vntounto Gods …one or to returne vntounto God, leauing the body to the …: theſe differ not in ſubſtance one hayre breadth. Eu…s Act. 20. fell from the third height, dead. But his ſoule … yet within him: and then had not deſcended into …. The ſouldiour buried by Elyſeus was dead: but whe…r his ſoule had fully leaft the body, that may be further …ired. Our Lord being dead, had not his ſoule reſting …e dead body, but voyde of all controverſie, it went to … worlde of the ſoules, through the tabernacle of his …e, and to paradiſe: the ioye of happy ſoules. Which …g to teſtifie, ſome of them returned to this world. The …ell and his Angels might well perceyue it: But the …ch or article, Deſcended into Haides, meddleth not … one or other, but maketh ſure a full and abſolute de…ure vntounto the worlde of the ſoules. His ſufferings were …peakeable, and the agonie of his ſoule: as hee tolde at …r beginning to his Diſciples: and when ſkopers were …ut him, and dogges, he declareth by turning his ſpeach p. 38vntounto God, how to vnſpeakeable extremitie his tormentes went on: Why O my God doeſt thou forſake me! The phraſes of both, the firſt from Pſal. 42. the verſe repeated Pſa. 43. (for the Greeke of it is the Greeke of the newe Teſtament) the next from Pſal. 22. theſe two be the ſaddeſt phraſes of the language. And we muſt thinke, that as much is vnderunder them as can be conteyned: for the ſuffringes of our Lorde, and that he ſpake of his owne perſon. But I am not nowe to runne into a common place: if any ſtirre be of late riſen, that way, men of preferrment for their paynes, muſt looke to the defence of the trueth. And it is iniurious to require anie to warre on their owne charges: as ſome hauehave requeſted me to deale herein. But for a Tranſlatour, he muſt be careful in ſuch poinctes: where for the maner of the world the Scripture hath termes generall, that the vnlearned in tongue, and the vnſtayed in the groundes, wil turne often times into a wrong ſenſe. In this ſorte the terme, Hell, thorough the olde Teſtament, ſhould be well looked. He that thinketh it euer vſed for Tartaro or Gehenna, otherwiſe thē the tearme Death may by Synecdoche importe ſo: hath not ſkill in Ebrewe or that Greeke, which breathing and liue Graecia ſpake: if God hath lent me any iudgement that way. And who ſo euer can not cleare the Apoſtles words by men indifferent: as Old Greeks, Rabbines, & ſuch like is vnſetled in his ſtudy. Saint Peters place in his firſt Epiſtle and thirde Chapter affoordeth a good example for heede in places harde.My 3. place of 8. is of ſpeaches harde of them ſelues: not of made ſo by vsus, as 1. Pet. 3.1 Pet 3 Though it belong not properlie to this parte which I handle. For he ſpake ſo plaine, that anie Iewe then, or yet aliue, would vnderſtand him. And thus he ſhould be trāſlated: Chriſt ſuffred, &c. being made dead in the fleaſh, made aliue by the Spirite, in which ſpirit he had gone & preached p. 39to them that now are ſpirites in priſon: becauſe they diſobeyed when the time was: when the pacience of God once wayted in the dayes of Noe. I aſſure my ſelfe that there is not anie learned Iewe in the world, nor was, ſince Saint Peters time, but would thus vnderſtād him. For all theſe poinctes are plain with them: the Spirit of God, Gen. 1.2. Ze Ruho Shel Melech Ha Maſhiah· This is the Spirit of Maſsiah the King. So, the ſpirit of God that preached to Noe, ſhould be that ſpirit of Chriſt, whō Saint Peter in expoūding his minde, calleth God, whoſe patience wayted. Alſo they hauehave this moſt famous, howe God long ſhewed his pacience, while …he Fathers were aliue: howe the holy Ghoſt preached by Noe. and firſt by Noe ſince the day of Adams fall, & day …f pronouncing the curſe vponupon the earth: telling Noe the …me of Execution: and that that generation ſtroue againſt …he ſpirit of God: & that God brought vponupon them double …aues: of water and of Gehennah fier. And in the text of …oth Talmuds this matter is layde as a common article Dor …-mabbul ein lahem chelek le Olam ha-ba. The generation …at died in the deluge, they hauehave no hope of bleſſed por…on in the world to come. Nowe, ſeeing all theſe poſiti…s be true, that by the Eternal ſpirit of Chriſt, his humane …ule came to the body and ſo it was made aliue: and that …he Eternall ſpirit is about ten times noted in the Lawe to …ue gone done: (whence Saint Peter diuinely taketh the …each of Chriſte his going in the diuine nature, vntounto o…her as famous matters) & ſhewed pacience: and brought … Deluge vponupon the worlde, voyde of Religion, and prea…hed not in any man with expreſſe calling afore Noe, and …herefore his ſtory was the fitteſt for an example: and damneth p. 40for euer all that be out from the couenant: ſeeing all this matter is true, & the proprietie of Saint Peters wordes in their moſt exacteneſſe, will abide this: and the Iewes, to whoſe natiō he wrote, admitted all this: and neuer would admit anie other meaning of theſe his wordes: which for matters in viſible, muſt be plaine and in graunted ſenſes: A learned Tranſlatour, who from childhoode ſhould be acquainted with the holy Ebrewe & Greeke: and for it with all writers for both tongues, ſuch a Tranſlatour would be better then many cōmenters. Saint Peter would acquaint his nation, that the Spirit of Chriſt was in the Prophetes, whom they called Iehovah. And in a matter of ſo great weight, to tranſlate ſo that the humane ſoule of Chriſte ſhould nowe be meant ſpirit: and that to bee made aliue, which dye can not, and to take a iourney vnrecorded in the penners of the Goſpell: and to preach among ſoules, gon hence & to Noes age peculiar: as hauing diſobeyed once: but after as better aduiſed: If Saint Peter had anie ſuch meaning in glaunſes vndiſputed out: the ſcattered Iewes, who admit no doctrine but taught in Moſes & the Prophetes; they would hauehave reiected all the Apoſtles autoritie. But in this place we make cloudes: he bred none. And in our cloudes we might ſooner enable Iob to bring about all propounded by God, as aboue his reach: as defende Saint Peter againſt anie Iewe: which thing he that can not doe, is but a raw Doctor of the newe Teſtament. A man might as ſoone tell vponupon what foūdation the earth was layde: what meaſure it hath: how the Sea was ſhutt with dores: howe it is ſwadeled with the darke: howe to giuegive the morning his charge, and to ſhewe the day ſpring his place: yea and may as ſoone open the gates of death and ſee the dores of the ſhadowe of death: as tell howe Chriſtes humane ſoule could dye, and be made aliue: and p. 41what ſermon he ſhould make enioyned from Moſes & Elias doctrine: or why peculiarlie to men of the fludds age: or defende cōſtantlie any ſuch thing, at all, done by Chriſtes humane ſoule: of any conference or ſpeach among the dead. And Saint Peter knewe that Moſes commaunded to leaue the hid things to Iehovah our God: and knew that our Lorde him ſelfe neuer taught his Diſciples to breake that: and might not breede leappers ouer the threſhell. And for this very poinct of our affirming that Chriſt went to Gehennah, the Iewe Iſaak Ben Arama, who writeth ful excellent things for Chriſtianitie in Shaar 52. vponupon Exod. and ſheweth that all his nation ſince Ieruſalem fel, hauehave miſtaken all the Prophetes: and is cited for our ſide by Munſter and Nebienſis vponupon Pſa. 110. he diſputing vponupon Leuit. 26. for the end of the Lawe, and howe all thoſe curſes might …e avoyded; ſawe no comfort in Iudaiſme: and then hee …urneth toward Chriſtianitie: but complayneth that wee make Chriſt deſcend to Gehenna: and to bring out the Fa…hers thence: whereas if we had expounded the ſuffringes of Meſſiah (which all Rabbines confeſſe that the Pſalmes make them infintie great) as the Euangeliſtes penne them, …olde by our Lordes owne tongue, and much perceyued …y the Diſciples: ſuch a Rabbine would hauehave turned ma…e, and by ſuch meanes we Chriſtians ſhould hauehave coue…ed infinite many of our ſinnes: where God would miti…te many his puniſhmentes ouer vsus for turninge ſinners …nto the right way. I wiſhe all that louelove the trueth, to trye …his propoſition; None that knowe abſolutely, as a profeſ…our of Ebrewe and Greeke ſhould, the holy phraſes of …cripture: Sheol and Haides, Gehennah and Tartarus, and whence Paradiſe for Heauen, and when it began: as, THE WORLD to come, no Linguiſt, a true Linguiſt, meting with his match to be tried by authours indifferent (as the Diſciples p. 42ſpake and wrote) will defende, that any one ſyllable in ſcripture doth ſo much as euer glaunſe, that Chriſt deſcended to Gehenna. Here, & in ſuch poinctes a tranſlation bearing on the ſame page the original, Ebrew for the Olde,A tranſlatiō for trial propoūded vntounto all to ſpeak againſt wher they could: ſhould hauehave the original wich it: and ſuch would alwayes be good for libraries and the learned. with all Maſſorites clearing of the text: & the Greeke for the Newe, with declaration from what kinde of writers eueryevery member of ſentence is fetched, and made according to them by one that hath his eyes in his head, and the ſpirit of Elihu in Iob, ſuch a tranſlation in one word would calme all waues. The Aethyopian tranſlation may be an example vppon Saint Peters place, whiche hath for Spirit, Manphes Kades: the Spirit Holy. The plaine Aethyopians, among whom manie Iewes dwelt, ſhewe that they neuer ſtaggered there. By ſuch two wordes in a margent note, all ſtrife would ceaſe. So in the Pſalme 110. The Greekes tranſlated diuinely: From the wombe before the morning ſtarre hauehave I begotten thee. The Ebrewe was hard of purpoſe: and the Greeke Tranſlatours doe ſhewe their great diuinitie. I would herein follow them: either in the text, or lay them downe as paraphraſtes in the margent. For their authoritie for diuinitie is next the vndoubted Prophetes and Apoſtles. Though for their difference from the Ebrew, accented, vowelled, & ſounde in euerie piece of letter (ſo neare it muſt bee examined) millions of poinctes, which entangled vsus, muſt bee conſydered. And now I hauehave handled largely three poinctes of eight: wherin we muſt confeſſe overſightes: whiche for a dry cauſie bring vsus to quabbemyres: and we may not refuſe amendment: for feare, (as ſome hauehave ſpoken in effect) leaſt men will ſay: we had no way at all heretofore. This obiection was made. Men will ſay that we had no Bible heretofore: if we nowe amende. It may be learnedly diſputed, whether p. 43they be men that ſo ſpeake. For they that reade the Bibles tranſlation of ours, beſt knowe by their owne experience, where they ſticke faſte: and theſe gainſayers ſhewe that they neuer read the Bible: and men of ſuch humours are not to be counted men of worth in tongue: and they that plaſpheme the certeintie of Gods worde ſo pure, ſo wiſe, ſo watchfully kept, little knowe what they doe in ſo weighty a cauſe: & they iniurie autoritie, whē they hinder …he publike good. But this labor ſhould hauehave a milde ſtyle, …o winne all to a good worke. Yet thus much I dare ſaye: that, right, not might: ſkill, not will: paynes, not gaynes, ſhould beare ſway for that booke which the Greke terme …alleth Booke (Bible in Greeke is booke) as being the only …ooke of all bookes: as all being bables in reſpect of it: that …nlearned babling may not be thruſt vntounto it: but ſuch as hath crept in, muſt be taken out.The fourth poinct, for termes of Equivocation. Nowe for the fourth …inct, Termes of Equivocation witty in the ſpeaker for …miliar and eaſie matters, howe they muſt be looked vn…, that a Tranſlatour drawe them not to fooliſhe and ridi…ulous ſenſes. In this ſenſe Moſes ſayde, Seth named his …ine Sorrowfull (Enoſh). Then ſprang prophaneſſe: Concerninge …lling vponupon the name of the Eternall. Thus he proceedeth to …we howe mans wickednes haſtened the curſe, which …od pronounced vponupon the earth. And wheras he taught …e Goſpell and prayer to God cloſely: becauſe the wic…d would neuer vnderſtande but ſkoph, if it had bene at …ge tolde: he teacheth the fall away as cloſelie. Ebrewes …ry many, rightly vnderſtood Moſes: and Kimch… the …mmon recorder equall vntounto a thouſande: and Latines …anie: But dog Iewes, who would not hauehave Chriſt Re…eemer, and eſpye our ſtrength, they rebell againſt the …ght: As Aben ezra with others, of like rancour. Herein … marueill, why Tremelius hauing done well, was altered & p. 44marred after his death. As likewiſe in Daniel 9.24. & 23. I could wiſhe him reſtored to his former goodnes. Nowe we vponupon Gen. 4.26. ſay, Then men began to make invocation in the name of the Lorde. But Moſes expoundeth him ſelfe Ch. 6.1. (the Cha. 5. is but a parentheſis in the narration) and ſheweth when men began to bee multiplied, God ſawe that their malice was great. And that is the reaſon why our father Seth termed his ſonne Enoſh: Sorowfull. It had bene ſenſeleſſe to call him ſorrowfull: vponupon calling on Gods name. Nowe the Prophetes call Man Enoſh: ſtill expounding the text. So that a corruption of it, greeueth all the reſt. An other example of this kinde I will bring from the newe Teſtament. Mary Magdalene had that affection towardes Chriſt, which eueryevery full faithfull ſoule hath in the Canticles. When ſhe was a litle paſt the watchmen: ſhe founde him whom her ſoule loued: ſhee layde holde vponupon him: as not willing to let him goe. Our Lord ſayeth, cleaue not to me: or faſten not ſo on me. I doe not yet preſently aſcend. The holy and wiſe Euangeliſt left out her action, to bee gathered by our Lorde his ſpeach. So Daniel omitted his hinderāce of The Chaldean Kinge is written ſeauen ſeuerall wayes in the Prophets, wherwith to acquaint our nation to knowe the Ebrew diligence variety is, not amiſſe.Nebycadiozor to worſhip him: for modeſtie, and by the ſequele doeth teach it. Any wiſe may ſee, that Iohn did the like: in omiſſion of the womans hartie geſture. And our Biſhops notes learnedlie ſhewe that.A commendatiō of the Biſhoppes notes. For thus they ſpeake, vponupon Ioh. 20.17. Hereby Chriſt correcteth her carnal affection, looking too much to his bodily preſence, and therefore he pulled her from outward & externe offices, towardes his bodily preſence, and willed her to bee mindfull of his aſcention. The tranſlation of the text is ſenſeleſſe:A moſt ſenſleſſe ſpeach; …earing the … Chriſt … …rdes. Touche me not, for I am not yet aſcended vntounto my Father. EueryEvery linguiſt will cōfeſſe, that two groſſe faultes are here committed. For the Greeke Verbe of touching is ſuch, as timber workes faſtened touche: and is, To faſten vntounto: to p. 45be ioyned vntounto. And ſo Saint Paul doeth vſe it, ſayinge: It is good for a man not to touche a woman: that is, not to bee faſtened by mariage as one. And ſo, Haphe, a ſubſtantiue of this verbe, is trāſlated, a ioint. Ephe. 4.16. This was a groſſe ouerſight: not to cleare the equiuocation. And ſome who hauehave a minde to Deſcend to Gehennah, and can not abide that Chriſtes ſoule ſhould goe to Paradiſe, as the theefe beleeued it ſhould: and as all Iewes would ſweare, his wordes ought to meane, hauehave cited this text againſt that: …s though Chriſt ſpake of his ſoules aſcention, denying it aſcention: where all ſoules that euer were, aſcend to Gods iudgement. The ſpeach folowing ſheweth, that our Lord …ake of his bodyes aſcention. Nowe for the terme in the Greeke, ill tranſlated, I am not aſcended: all of Ebrew ſtudie knowe, that the tenſe Abar is vſed infinitelie for a time not paſt, but quickly to come. And the Greekes, Euſebius, …ocopius, and ſuch, note that: but the Doctours of Ebrew …kill, euen to their Babes, ſo plaine it is. Nowe our Lorde …ake all in Syriaque Ebrew, ſauing the reuelation. And his phraſe vttered after the reſurrection, ſheweth that: …hich thing Iohn would expreſſe in Greeke: but for vsus it …ould be, I doe not yet preſently aſcende. … ſtande the more vponupon this matter, for that a ſcholler of …aſonable good accounpt in ſpeach for one of you No…es, Pſa. 16. wher you meant Scheol the world of the dead: …ere he ſayd he would burne in this opinion, that Chriſt …ſcended to Hell, meaning Gehenna hell. I would not …iſh him to ſtand to his wordes. One is ready to bring …gainſt him: Millia, quot magnis nunquam ven…re Mycaenis.

I will defende Bucers bones of Doctrine, that they are …urified with the fyer of iudgement, againſt any that will p. 46diſturbe them, in our nation, for Pſal. 16. and Act. 2. But I muſt returne to tranſlating: where two groſſe faults in one ſhort ſpeach ſtayne much the glory of Gods worde. Becauſe it was an Herculean labour at Augaeas ſtable to toyle in this part: I noted about three ſcore chapters of Eſay, Eccleſiaſtes, and others with lines what I blamed in this kinde: and ſent them to an whole nation to be looked vntounto: and will here lay down an Epiſtle written afore vntounto me from them by the conſent of their moſt Noble King, for that kinde of ſtudie which I felt paynefull & coſtly now thirtie yeares: though ſome of ours deſpiſe it: and for their reſolutiō to hauehave this worke to goe forward. Thus it ſpeaketh: written by one ſpeciall learned Scholer:Theyr words muſt he recorded, not as others doe like, but as the Epiſtle …are them.

I thanke God, who hath moued your heart, guid Syr, to communicate with vsus alwayes your most godlie & learned trauells, whereby the beſt of iudgement and moſt cōſummate in learning amangs vsus, findes tham ſelues not a little both profited and delighted. The word of your Tranſlation, here moued ane verie earneſt deſire of all efter it. I hauehave ſhewed your affection and maide report of all the guid thinges you did concredit to the bearer to the noble Gentlemā you wrote of, which were al moſt gladlie accepted. So that you may perſwade your ſelfe, if you reſolue to come in this countrey, you ſhalbe hartily wealcome to him, and to vsus all moſt expected, wiſhing earneſtly our Inne war worthie of ſuch a ghaſt. In the meane time we all doe moſt hartilie thanke you, and imbreath you in the Lord Ieſus.

From Edingbrouche the xx. of Nouember 1596. Your obliſed friend, I.M.

This kind letter would not be forgotten: ſpecially of me ſo much beholdē to the nation: and much more then yet I hauehave ſhewed, which nowe I can not ſtande vponupon. But I muſt returne to the foreſaid trāſlation: yet I muſt not hope to bringe in this kinde where all will runne in one ſorte, examples one of a thouſand, that I might: where the Prophetes p. 47ſhort ſpeaches to ſtirre diligence, are by vsus turned from Chriſt to Belial, from vertue to ſinne, frō the temple of God to peors religion: as, if thou hate her, put her away. Malachy. 2. wee make God a commaunder of divorcemēts vpō hatredt whiche doctrine Chriſt expreſly confuteth.Mal 2I will ſhewe anone, howe it fell out, that ſo many errours grewe, the cauſe wherof, they that be in them, I am afraid, doe little knowe. And thus much for the fourth poinct; that termes of Equivocation bee not turned to ridiculous ſenſes: wherein we hauehave committed many offences: but not more nor nothing ſo many as the vulgar Latin.The fifte poinct. Cō ſtant memorie to tranſlate the ſam alwayes alike. The next poinct that I am to handle, is moſt pleaſaunt: and the miſſing in it argueth not want of learning, but of leaſure. …t conteyneth conſtant memorie to tranſlate the ſame often repeated in the ſame ſorte: and the differing repetitions likewiſe with their differences. Moſes termes bee repeated infinitely in all the Prophetes: The Pſalmiſt foloweth Deborah much in the very letters: and Salomon much …is fathers ſayinges: though in much againe he is in ſtyle …raunge as hauing much conference with Eaſterne Phi…oſophers. So in Eccleſiastes, he differeth in ſtyle from all. …ob is alſo in his very letters cited very much of Dauid, Salo…on, and the Heard-man of Tekoah: who beginneth with the End of Ioel. Eſay likewiſe hath as Ioel this ſwete & terrible ſaying: A cōſuming from God… ſhall come.Ce ſhod myſhaddai iabo. Shewing how he hono…ed the ſpirite which ſpake in him. Micha doeth honor him … much and more: who copyed out a great number of …nes from Eſai with very little change: And Ieremy folow…th him ſo notably, later by ſeauentie yeares, that in long …luſions of Pachadh, Pachath, and Pach, as feare, care, ſnare, …en toſſed in the ſentence: he ſolemnizeth his very Let…rs: ſhewing with all how that which Eſay teld, they felt: … in Taaniah and Aniah, bewayling and wayling Eſay pro…hecyed, Ieremy recorded, both to Iudah. So for Moab he …ath Eſaies eloquence: and Abakuks very ſyllables for Babel. p. 48So Abakuk too hath Eſaies for the knowledge of God covering as water doth, in the Sea: ſo Micha the ſeconde beginneth with that ſtraunge Grammer and letters of Micha the firſt.In Ebrewe Shim gl… g…ammim c…llam. Heare ô ye people, all they. The Ebrewes chaunge the pronownes ſodenly, now and thē: as the two Michahs doe, ô YEE, and all THEY. Nowe, the vſing of the ſame ſyllables, biddeth to looke vntounto the ſame euent. Micha ſonne of Imlah proued true in Achab, and the fall of Iſrael for the time thē, though foure hundreth falſe prophetes thought and taught otherwiſe. So ſhould the Iewes thinke of Micha the Moraſthite, that his wordes would prooue equally true.It is a deap matter that only Abbakuk Aggei & Zacha y title them ſelues Prophetes. But to holde on: Abakuk entitleth him ſelfe a Prophete: Aggei and Zachary doe the ſame: none, I trow, but they three. The reaſons be weightie: And Daniel is a wonderfull gracious man for all thinges. And in noble ſort for this: for calling by one ſkilfull worde, whole ſtories to be compared togither. By the worde Tippaghem, was Troubled, vſed onelyonly afore in Pharaohs ſpirite, placed again in **Seauen wayes ſcripture writes his name: which to imitate none of grace wil forbid.Nauocodroſors he calleth into minde: Pharaoh, his Chartummim, or coniurers, Ioſeph and infinite compariſons with Nauocodroſor, his Chartummim, and Daniel: yea the whole ſtories for both kingdomes are called into mynde by one worde, Be-hammered the worde properly ſignifieth. But how ſo euer it ſhould be tranſlated in the margent of the later from the firſt it ſhould be noted. So whē he prayſeth God, as dwelling in light that none can come too, which thing God handleth in Iob in ſpeaches reaching through the frame of nature, Daniel vſeth a phraſe vſed onelyonly of God: Iadagh Binah: to knowe vnderſtanding: teachinge thereby howe he that will, may prooue true his ſaying of Gods wiſedome, from Gods owne declaration of it: a peculiar longe ſpeach vſed of purpoſe in that argument. So Mauz, the name of might and almighty vſed of Dauid, p. 49Salomon, Eſai, Nahum, Ezekiel, with attribes commonly of rock, life, ſaluation, and ſuch. So in Daniel in the plurall number increſing the force. Maüzim, and the temple is called the ſanctuarie of Maüz, and fortes of Mauzim: wherein while the Seauentie hid their minde, an errour intollerable came in, in Dan. 11. which thus ſhould ſtand: As for the God Maüzim (that is almightie) in his place he ſhall worſhip, Se the common tranſlation.yea a God ſhall he worſhip whom his fathers knewe not: and he ſhall cauſe the holdes or fortes of Maüzim to hauehave a ſtraunge God. Here the Angel comfortes the Iewes againſt Antiochus ſtrength, by the very name of God, twiſe laying attributes of the Temple to cleare the ſpeach. But I may not tary in Daniel, Nehemias repeateth that terme in honour of Daniel, & memorie of him. But of all, Ezra, is moſt herein, whoſe whole worke of the Chronicles is infinite much in the very ſyllables of the former: and when he changeth the phraſe, that change hath great vſe, and ſhould be marked in a tranſlation. Such is the newe Teſtament: whoſe firſt oration faſteneth to the laſt ſpeach of the olde. For Gabriel to Zacharie beginneth the newe Teſtament where the olde ended. And this ſhould hauehave made the Church to hauehave hid the …idde Apogrypha, according to their name: and neuer to …aue let them ſee the ſunne of the Church. They breake the chayne: and make monſtrous all the body of the Teſtament, abſolute without it: and not admitting any word of it: for lāguage to any one letter, nor to any wit in ſtyle, articles or ſtory. Infinite much of the newe teſtament might hauehave in the margent the Ebrew which it trāſlateth. As this: Grace and peace from God: Aarons bleſſing, & this:The newe Teſtament is almoſt all frō the olde. God knoweth who be his: from Moſes ſpeach to Coreh: and God hath not forſaken his people. Be thou perfect as thy Father in heauen is perfect: from this, Thou ſhalt be perfect with the Lord thy God, and ſo infinitely. A Tranſlatour ſhould hauehave all this p. 50in tables before him. So the Bible ſhould bee ſhorter for memorie by a quarter: when the minde ſhould ſee what was plaine afore, and is but repeated. And in facilitie ten times eaſier: ſhewing no newe matter to be in handlinge, but a commentarie of the old. Moſes ſong, Deut. 32. might be ſhewed al through in the Prophetes, Paul, Peter, Iude, & others. Howe we hauehave contemned all this: examples wee hauehave like the ſande of the ſea, that can not bee numbred. Two I could bring too haynous: eyther ouerturning, the one the maine of faith, in a Trāſlation: the other in a note caſting out the canonical with a Semicycle, as leſſe profitable, and drawing in Tobyes Legenda aurea, made as other Iewiſh, forbid fables, to breake all the frame and honor of Gods counſel: wherein we ſhewe that wee neuer knewe, howe the families guide the holy ſtory, in a moſt ſenſible dignitie: and what families might not excell the reſt, nor yet in any dignitie come neare the chiefe. And thus fiue partes of my eight are concluded.The ſixt care Facilitie of phraſe. Curioſitie an enemy to this poinct. In our ſixt care facilitie of phraſe defended by the newe Teſtament, the Septuagint, and writers old indifferent for all nations muſt bee had. Here ſtudentes in Ebrew miſſe by curioſitie: as when they ſay: He that beleeueth ſhall not haſten. The Septuagint knowing that haſtening to vnſtayed thoughtes in the mind, and colour of face argueth ſhame: ſayd ſhall not be aſhamed. Moſes ſayth: The day of their deſtructiō is neare: and the caſe of the things ready for them haſteneth. Saint Peter tranſlateth him moſt oratoriouſly: though changing his order: Their deſtruction ſumbleth not: and their iudgement of olde is not ſlowe. The holy Ghoſt his trāſlation here ſhould ſtande. Many ſuch places come where the ſtrict propriety is too harſh. As, If the iuſt hauehave his payement (that is doubtfull to the ſimple) in Greeke, is hardly ſaued: very learnedly. Ignorance herein caught of late two ſides of ſtriuers tardy, p. 51about this: God called for darknes and it came, and they were not diſobedient vntounto his worde. Therein ſome defend the Ebrew,Wher the 70 (to avoid an harſhphraſe) dealt as paraphraſtes, our vnreadineſſe cauſed Batrachomy… machiā: wher a Grāmariā kite would cary awaye both ſtriuers as they may: but marked not the verbe plural put imperſonallie. The Greekes altered the relation of diſobedience vntounto the Egyptians thus: As they diſobeyed his worde. Herein we had a very vnſeaſonable ſtrife: with bitter contention, and extreme vnſkilfulnes in the offenders and defenders. The Greekes knew well what the Ebrewe had: but ſawe it harſh for the Greeke phraſe: and that made them departe from proprietie, as paraphraſtes may, retayning the ſenſe. And here I think it good to digreſſe a litle vntounto the Septuagintaes ſtory, for great vſe of our preſent matter.Of the Septuagint: that all trāſlated not the ſam thing, but eueryevery one his part, &c. Their time is ſaid to be in Ptolomy the ſecond his dayes: their nū ber to be exactly ſeauentie and two, ſix of eueryevery tribe. Ptolemy Philadelphus deſirous of a famous Library, ſent to Iu…ah for their beſt authours and tranſlatours: and had them …nt. They tranſlated ſeuerall partes about fourtene chapters, as nowe we diſtinguiſh them: or ſome one might goe …rough ſome little booke alone. The copyes which they …ad with them in Egypt, were not vowelled nor accēted: …ut as ſome Printes yet are without eyther. Where both …lpes are not, none without exceeding great paynes can …t vponupon the trueth alwayes. The want whereof lefte the …ptuagint vntounto infinite errours. They were not all of like …. The Tranſlatours of Moſes were very eloquent:Gene. 4. If thou offre well, and diuide not wel thou haſt ſinned.Gen 4 yet …e Tranſlatour of Gods wordes to Cain, either of purpoſe …d his minde, or was very ſimple in Ebrewe. They who …ealt with the ſtorie, were likewiſe eloquent: and ſo in the …rouerbes and the Pſalmes. The Grecian on Iob was a …et reader: and cared not to yeeld eueryevery ſaying ſtrictlie, …ut what might be to Greeks familiar: The Tranſlator of …ccleſiaſtes, was yonger in Ebrew thē Greek: he of Amoz …ot the beſt: he of Ezekiel very learned. The diuerſitie of p. 52their ſtyle: and hitting nowe: nowe miſſing farre, in the ſame, tels that all did not al. Oftētimes they rather abridge then tranſlate: as on Heſter, & infinitely in the Prophetes. In myſteries and hard Phraſes often they deale exceeding wel.1…50. years difference Gene. 5. and 11. betwixt Ebrewes & Grekes, this yet amazeth the worlde.Gen 5 But very much they hid their minde▪ ſpecially for the worldes age betwixt Adam and Ahraham. There was no other tranſlation but theirs in the Apoſtles age: and it was more knowen to the Iewes then the Ebrewe, ended from daily vſe fiue hundreth yeares afore. Therefore they vſe it exceeding much. In many places they leaue it & tranſlate moſt oratoriouſlie.The Greke Teſtaments words 4600 are▪ the moſt part, from the Seauentie. It was often deceyued by miſtakinge Characters like: as, Daleth and Reſh, be: D. and V. Caph & Reſh: where the foot of Caph wanted Inke. In ſuch places, if the tranſlatours had borowed their neighbours copies, they had not miſſed. But they ſaw no reaſon of exact care, wher their labour was required only for a braue Librarie. Syracides that was a childe when they tranſlated, excuſeth the matter, how hard it was to trāſlate Ebrew into Greeke. Hard muſt it be for thos poor afflicted Iewes lothing Heathen, to affoord ſeauēty learned through all the Prophets Emblemes, Ebrew ſubtilties, and Greeke elegancy: where the Church neuer had ſeauētie, or I trow ſeauen that ſpent their life in Ebrew & Greeke for the explaning of the Bible.The church neuer had yet ſeauen that ſpent theyr life in vowelled Ebrew and Greke exact antiquity, for the Bibles vſe. Their tranſlation was turned into Arabique, though that tongue is almoſt Ebrew, and into the neare Ethiopiā: either becauſe they had not exact Ebricians, or thought it not ſafe to differ. The vulgar Latin, and all ours, ſauing the Geneva follow it. And this is the cauſe why ours come ſo much ſhort of the Ebrew. And the defendours mynde to feede on ackornes when corne is founde out. Iudgement in a ſucking Babe is not weake, ſhort of a mans: more then theirs which cōpare ours with one able to abide triall by the Ebrewe, cometh ſhort of true learning. The Genevah p. 53folowed the Ebrew, though the French bragge how it folowed their: the Dutch how their. I trowe it is not inferiour to any of theirs: as D. Trelcatius often confeſſeth at Leyden. And I thinke the BB.Why our Bb returned to followe the 70. rather then the exact, true vnfallible Ebrewe. reuiued the folowers of the vulgar Latin and the Greeke, leaſt our people ſhould bee too much amazed at the firſt, by the great diuerſitie. But to returne & conclude: as memorie to marke howe the la…er folowe the former for light, and delight, ſo a learned …acilitie is of vnſpeakeable force. Nowe commeth in the …eauenth poinct: the braue Greke termes either of the Sea…entie, or of the Apoſtles better vſage.The ſeuenth poinct: for ſtateli greek termes: to ſtand in the margent. Their marking is of great importāce. And this ſhould not only be a great help …o ſhew ſtill through the margēt Gods handlingl al his old …ories: but a matter of certaintie in difficulties. Some here …iding amiſſe, diſgrace all. For example this may be taken: …aul ſayeth: We muſt giuegive more heede to that which hath bene …ard, leaſt we flowe: our common tranſlation hath:Ebt. 2.1. verie coldlie tranſlated: where Zub Lam. 4. or Luz, Pro. 3. is touched.Lam 4Prov 3 leaſt at …lie time we ſhould let them ſlippe. Saint Paul had bene a …abe, if he had thought that all Ieruſalems Rabbines could …rget vpō what principles Paul diſputed: or thoght that … the Rabbines had embraceſt the rules & principles, they …uld ſoone forget them. Here the Arabiques tranſlate ele…ntlie, Naſkitu: WE FALL. The Syriaque, Naebed WE PE…SH. Saint Pauls metaphore was taken from Ieremies la…ntations, 4. in Teth. They are in better caſe whiche died … the ſword, then which died by hunger: which flowed, … perced by wanting the fruite of the fielde. This trope …lled into the Iewes mynde Sedekias kingdomes fall:Taaniuth goeth vponupon Ieruſalems ſecond and laſt deſtruction. and …arned of a farre greater, which ſoone fell vponupon cōtempt … this warning. Of that Ieruſalemy hath a comon treatiſe, … whole booke vponupon this: which all, Paul warned in one … terme: that might not be turned to a baſe meaning, be…lling no men of grauitie in any religiō or reaſon. In this p. 54place the bare worde ſhould hauehave bene kept, or an other warranted. He that could not come to Saint Pauls reach: yet ſhould hauehave marked how from Pro. 3. his Greke word was takē: for a froward departing, & the word two wayes terrible, each leading to deſtruction, and both meeting togither,Zemach Eſa. 4. Apaūgaſma▪ Ebrew 1.3.Isa 4 would be twiſe treſ-excellent. The brightnes of glorie, Eb. 1.3. expoundeth Zemach, or day-ſpring, Eſa. 4. to cleare all the Prophets: all Paul, and the Chaldy (vponupon Eſai 4) a rare place of old Ionat. a Rab (of old Simeons age or neare) ſpeaking clearly of Chriſt. Now to teach vsus, that, The Syriaque hath Zimcha, Eſaies. When thouſands of theſe come in ſingular great matters, better then commentaries to lighten eyes: all togither will make a mountayne of golden learning, and hauehave great force. Here a tranſlatour ſhould hauehave all that the newe teſtament tranſlated, noted in his Ebrew Bible: to be plentiful in the vſe of that helpe. So for this ſentence: He maketh his Angels ſpirites, and his miniſters a flame of fyre: not onelyonly the Septuagint and the Apoſtles, but alſo the Zoar in many places ſawe that God ſpake of the Angels made like windes and flames. Wherein the facilitie of the matter ſhould bee warranted for better ſatisfaction of all: by all of indifferent affections. In this all tranſlations of learned tongues olde and ancient will much delite and ſtrengthen: the Arabique and the Syriaque: the Chaldy paraphraſtes, Onkelos, Meturgeman, Ieruſalemy: Ionothan, Ioſeph the Blind, Aquilas: the Septuagint. Yea & the fragmentes of Aquilas Symmachus, Theodotion. As when Iacob ſayth,…hebet is in Moſes 32. times: & neuer a Sceptre in him, but, a Tribe. the Scebet ſhall not depart from Iudah, till Shiloh come, Aquilas ſayth: by Scebet (in Greke Sceptron) he meaneth the tribe. He ſayd truely: Learnedly and to infinite good vſe. Ieruſalemy and Barbinel check vsus rightly: for Malachy, Thus they ſay: For he hateth diuorcements: The Eternall is the ſpeaker. Here their authoritie is the ſtrongeſt p. 55of all humane: for vsus, againſt them ſelues. The Babylonian Talmud is no leſſe: conſtruing Ezra 1. Chron. 3. That Iechonias Aſſyr, in ſtrait priſon made Salathiel his ſonne: here the Talmud for this one poinct is much worth. Moſt pleaſant …re the Prophets words, turned by the Apoſtles: as Sechi & Maos, in Ierem. and Peripſema and Scybala in Saint Paul. …n this ſorte all the Greeke Teſtamentes wordes might be …rought into eueryevery Bibles table: yea and the Ebrew two, with one leafe of Grammer introduction: whereby a few …oures would yeeld a methode to iudge and ſtudie as oc…aſion and leaſure ſerued. A Linguiſt would as eaſilie per…orme this, as theſe his coūtrey lāguages. And this muſt be …olden, that Libanus affoarded not more timber trees to …lomons houſe, then the Greeke Septuaginta doeth to the …ewe Teſtament: and the termes called into queſtion for …iuinitie being in it are beſt expounded by it. Examples I …eede none: infinite experience of daily ſtriuers ſhewe e…ugh. And nowe comes the laſt poinct to comment by …ripture: ſo all Salomons Prouerbes may be ſet on the fitt …ories: ſo the ſtories with their Prophecies▪ & the Pſalmes …on the lawe: the Epiſtles vponupon the Ceremonies much: …ch on all. The helpe herein would make the newe Te…ment, and the former Prophetes, as Daniel, Eſaie, and …h, eaſie, before the Reader commeth to them.The concluſion, And …we I hauehave ended all partes touched in my entrance of …ch. Ornamentes aboue theſe, I hauehave elſe-where con…ed into one woorke manie alreadie. To conclude, …s I had to ſay touching tranſlation. The rare Hono…le Earle H. Huntingdon, many yeares togither,H.E. of Hunting. ſhold be honored ſtil of his true affectioned, to finiſh his beginnings, vrged my …ll this way: whom one Earle of you, Nobles, of neare …initie, ſucceeded in willingnes & ſo liberallie towarde …arges, that vponupon that (according to theſe eightfold ob…uations) ſomewhat, if God will, ſhall come to light. p. 56And one of you Lordes requeſted me to write a common Epiſtle to you all: that you might ſo better knowe howe in time to agree for execution of good will this way. That requeſt I hauehave (as ye ſee) accompliſhed. And I hope your Noble learning will not expect an inflaming peroration. The dignitie of the matter is greater then any Oratour can match. And for perſonnages, none be ſo fitt as your ſelfes to vrge it. Profeſſed Scholers, who ſtudie to liue: and not liue to ſtudie, are commonly, being advaunced, hinderers of all that paſſeth the common baſe courſe. And as my furtherance for honorable wordes, workes, charges, and all tendring hath bene from the Nobilitie (from what ſide the contrarie: I will yet ſee, and nothing ſay) ſo I am free to chuſe whom I would honour in this motion. VnderUnder the terme of Nobilitie, as we here towards Germanie do, I conteyne all the ancient and good Gentry of the land: whom all I wiſh to hauehave a care & portion about the book of life. The deliberation ſhould be quick. The King of our language hath dealt very royally for his part: with a willingnes very readie. Yet my great deſire was, that Engliſh Nobilitie might be moued, to be at the charges of this trauell. And ſo I leaue the matter to your learned Honorable and Worſhipfull conſideration.

From MIDDELBVRGH, in Sea-land, This 29. of May, 1597. Your Honours to commaunde, H. BROVGHTON.