The Answer to the Preface of the Rhemish Testament, Part 17
To the ninth reaſon.
It were to be laboured for, that there were in euerie ſeuerall country, for th' uſe of the Church in it, one Bible tranſlated into the language thereof, and one Latine Bible generally for all the Churches, in whoſe Schooles the Latine tongue is the common interpreter: which (for their euidence and manifeſt preheminence aboue all other tranſlations) might hauehave at the leaſt the moſt voyces of them which are ſkilful in that matter, to recommend them to the publike vſe of eueryevery country, ſeuerally in their proper language, or iointly of all the Schooles in the Latine tongue, as is before mentioned. But that any ſuch trāſlations ſhould be ſeated, with th' originall of the Greek or Hebrew, (whereby they ſhould not hauehave the principall or royall Chariot, whereinto the tranſlations (howe honorable ſo euer) ſhoulde as ſubiectes not once dare to clime:) is in no ſorte to be ſuffered. And although theſe tranſlations, were (for the publike vſe) to be onelyonly holden, and without waighty cauſe & great conſent not to be chāged, or without great modeſty not to be checked: yet other inferior tranſlations, might (for conference ſake) hauehave in priuate houſes and ſtudies, their fruit not to be repented of. Which if it cannot yet be obtained, men are therefore (for the meaſure of grace they hauehave receiued) no more to be diſcouraged, from their worthy labours of dayly clenſing the corruption of tranſlations: then Saint Luke was beaten back from writing the moſte holy ſtory, wherein he was preuentedLuke 1. of many, which vndertooke that which he only atchieued. Neither is there any more danger of diſſentions, and endles reprehending by the diuerſitie of tranſlations now, then was in the primitiue Church. Wherein Auguſtine affirmeth that the number of Latine interpreters, could not be numbered: yetAuguſt. lib. de doctrina Chriſt. c. 11 was he ſo far from deeming that they bred diuerſitie of doctrine, thar he deemed them profitable, eſpecially for thoſe which wanted th' originall tongues: for aſmuch as that which was obſcure in one, might be manifeſt in another. Whereunto may be added, that diuerſitie of tranſlations was alſo profitable for the learned, whoſe diligence of ſeeking for the Greeke copies was thus whetted on. It were a pittifull thing, if th' unitie of ChriſtiansEpheſ. 4 (which the Lord hath bound with ſo many bonds) ſhould be broken by a diuerſitie of tranſlation. And if there may be a diuerſitie of expoſitions vponupon one place of Scripture, without vnlooſing the knot of vnitie of faith and doctrine: it is not to be feared, that the diuerſitie of tranſlations, ſhall be able to cut in ſunder the ſtringes wherewith Chriſtian vnitie and concorde are tied. And if any will abuſe, this diuerſitie of tranſlation to contention: yet are the tranſlations no more in fault therfore, then many other good thinges, which being ordeyned for the nurcery of vnitie, are (through corruption of men) abuſed to the contrary of that which they were ordeined for. As for Cochlau… words of Luther, whoſe enemy he was: they wil not be taken of any indifferēt men. We gladly receiue this teſtimony of our enemies the Ieſuites, that we are ſworne to no mans iudgment, howe learned and loued ſo euer he be vntounto vsus. Howbeit we make it no rule, either to condemne Maiſter Beza where we depart from him, or to iuſtifie th' olde tranſlator, where we cleaue vntounto him: but ſhew our iudgment only, which we held at that time; which vponupon more light of knowledg in th' originall, we are readie to reforme. For with Auguſtine we profeſſe our ſelues of that number, which write in profiting and Auguſtine Epiſt. 7profit in wryting. For the particular accuſation of Cainan Luke 3. 36. looke for anſwer in the proper place. As for that Act. 1. 14. who be furtheſt from the ſenſe of the holy Ghoſt, may be conſideredVponUpon Act▪ 2. verſe 4 of the reaſones alledged there. But that neither we tranſlating with th' olde tranſlator, wemen, nor Maiſter Beza tranſlaitng wiues, are far from the Greeke: it would eaſily hauehave bene vnderſtood of all thoſe which being not Greek borne, had gotten any maner of denization in Greece. For it is wel known, that the Greeke word which th' Euangeliſt vſeth, ſignifieth both aHieron. lib 1. aduerſus Iouinianū. woman and a wife. And if they had not learned th' uſe of this worde, to be indifferent to both in the Greek writers: yet they might hauehave learned it in Ierome a Latine author, who telleth them expreſly, that the Greeke word ſignifieth both wemen and wiues. Therfore whetherſoeuer of theſe two tranſlations departeth from the ſenſe, yet is it euident, that neither departeth from the Greeke.