The Sovereign Judge of Controversies in Matters of Religion, Title page – To the reader
A TRACT OF THE SOVERAIGNE IVDGE OF CONTROVERSIES IN MATTERS OF RELIGION.
By IOHN CAMERON Minister of the Word of God, and Divinity Professour in the Academie of Montauban.
Translated into English by IOHN VERNEVIL. M. A.
Basilius ad Eustathium medicum epist. quae est 80. ex edit. Paris. 1618.
foreign.
Let the Scripture giuen by inspiration of God be Vmpire, and the sentence of truth shall wholy bee giuen to them, with whom the tenents agreable to the holy w… shall bee found.
OXFORD. Printed by VVilliam Turner Printer to the famous Vniversity, and are to be sold by Henry Curteine. 1648.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Sr THOMAS LEIGH KNIGHT AND BARONET, AND TO THE VERTVOVS and Religious Lady Mary Leigh his deare and louing Consort.
I AM not vnmindfull of the favours and courtisies (Right Worll.) receiued from your much honoured Grand-father Sr Thomas Leigh, (of blessed memory) at my first comming into England, how in my distresse his liberall maintenance refreshed mee: And in all those yeares that I had the honour to belong vntounto you, how gratious and bountifull I found you both: should I silence these your benefits bestowed on mee, and not acknowledge them to the world, my conscience surely would accuse mee of ingratitude, a vice abominable and hatefull both to God and good men*Peremptoria siquidem res est ingratitudo, hostis gratiae inimica salutis▪ Bernard sermone 2. de septem misericordijs.. To avoide which, I hauehave presumed to publish, and offer to the world vnderunder both your names this my little translation, of the great and learned Cameron; not for any hope I hauehave by this, or any greater seruice to requite your favours to mee, but only to testifie that I confesse and acknowledge Gods goodnesse towards mee in finding such a shelter that hath receiued & kept mee safe in a land where I was a stranger. For which your fauours towards mee, the Lord of heauen and earth restore you an hundred fold into your bosomes, and giuegive your VVorships grace to see (as your Honourable Grand fathers hauehave done) your childrens children like Oliue plants round about your table.
Receiue then this small mite as a token of the bounden seruice of him, who vncessantly prayeth God to blesse you and your Noble Familie with all spirituall blessings in Christ Iesus.
From the publique Library in Oxford this. 30. of Aug. 1628. Your WorPS. most humbly to command IOHN VERNEVIL
To the Reader.
I present vntounto your censure this tract of Monsieur Cameron in English; I know the skill of many for translating out of French to bee farre better then mine owne: but my request is, that you respect my desire to do good, and not my imperfections. I hold it a matter altogether impossible to draw a picture fully to the life: let Poets tell of painters, and of birds deceiued by the exactnesse of their skill; yet an originall ever looseth some lustre and grace, though the translatours care be never so great. Howsoever consider I intreate you, the author of this little tract: for the worke of any man is nowadayes esteemed, as the workeman is, and men care most for reading that whose authours they esteeme. For the Author I will say this little: during his naturall life his reputation was great in France, and so great, that all the Iesuites there did seeke, and at last obtained to hauehave him banished, nor was there any other cause thereof then his great learning,Plantus …in milite. Act. 3. scena 2. v. 29. the Iesuites in their conferences being not able to withstand him.
Quoniam aemulare non licet, nunc in…ides.
He had his refuge here, where by the speciall care of that great fauourer of learning K. Iames (of blessed memory) he was provided for in Scotland, his natiue coūtry, but so great was his harty louelove to France, that by the effectual mediatiō of those honorable Ambassadors then in France, he gat that envious sentence reversed, which being done he immediately conveighed himselfe to Montauban to bee professour there, where he ended his dayes, to the great losse of Gods Church, and that Vniversity. Now seeing the feruent louelove that hee had in doing good to my owne natiue Country, I hauehave endeauoured (as much as lyeth in mee) to requite his louelove, and to make his French worke speake English. If this tract bee fauourably receiued, and that I shall perceiue my English phrase tollerably to be approued, your kind acceptance shall encourage mee to a greater worke: my nature abhorreth idlenesse, and beeing in such a place, I louelove to be doing, and to imploy my selfe, for feare to be worse imployed*.Quem diabolus non invenit occupatum ipse occupat. Enjoy this as a prodromus, till by your prayers God of his infinite grace and mercy enable mee to end my greater worke now in hand. Farewell.
Thine in the Lord IOHN VERNEVIL.