The Answer to the Preface of the Rhemish Testament, Part 21 – Part 25
To the next ſection.
The Ieſuites taking pleaſure to proue the Lord an euill husband in ſuffering thornes and thiſtles to ouergrow his moſt ſacred and holy field, of th'originall in the new Teſtament: alledg Maiſter Beza, which preferreth the reading of th'old tranſlator in ſome places vntounto the Greeke copies which hee had. Wherein firſt mark, that one ſentence of Maiſter Beza is ſnatched at contrarie to his continuall practiſe, through euerie page in a manner: where he conuinceth th'old tranſlator, of ſlipps and falles in tranſlating. Secondly, obſerue how fondlie they would conclude that Maiſter Beza iuſtifieth the vulgar tranſlation, becauſe he ſayeth: that in ſome places his reading is ſounder then the reading which he found in his Greeke copies. Thirdly, it ought not to be paſſed by, how ſottiſhly, they would conclude: that therefore th'old tranſlator is in ſome places purer then the Greek copies, for that he is in ſome places purer then thoſe copies which Maiſter Beza had. For they might well hauehave knowne, that as Maiſter Beza had Greeke copies which Eraſmus had not, whereby he was able to relieue the olde interpreter againſt Eraſmus, that charged him to hauehave forſaken the Greek: ſo diuers others may hauehave other copies, which neither Maſter Beza nor Eraſmus hauehave come vntounto. And therefore if th'old tranſlator ſhoulde hauehave anie thing better then the Greek copies, which Maiſter Beza had: yet thereof ſhould it not follow, that it ſhould be purer then all the Greeke copies. But this is the prophane minde of the Ieſuites, which would rather put fault in the Greeke copies, then either in the negligence, or inabilitie of tranſlators, to get ſuch a number of copies, as might be able to furniſhe that worke of tranſlation throughly. Now of all the examples in the new Teſtament that they could chuſe to iuſtifie th'olde tranſlator againſt the Greeke copies: it ſeemeth good vntounto them to ſend vsus to Act. 13. 20. wher we nothing doubt but th'olde tranſlator vſed the ſame Greek copie that we hauehave in full conſent. But becauſe there are not 450. yeares vnderunder the gouernment of the Iudges: he changed the place of the praepoſition foreign and ſet it ſo, as th'account of the 450. yeares ſhould be referred vntounto the time which was from the birth of Iſaac, vntounto the time of the Iudges. Wherein as we take his iudgment to be good and ſound: ſo his meanes to ſhew it, needed not to hauehave bene ſo violent, by carying the praepoſition ſo far from his home: if (according to the manner of all tongues) he had vnderſtood a commodious participle. For (ſauing better and riper iudgement) we would thinke that it may well be thus read. After theſe thinges done in 450. yeares or there-about, he gaue &c. The like eclipſe of ſpeach, we read in another place of the Acts, where it is ſaid, that Ioſeph ſent for his father Iacob and all his kindred, ſtanding of 75. perſons. And again to you the promiſe was made. AndAct. 7. 14. Act. 2. 39. ſo th'account of the yeares is verie certaine. For adding to the 400. yeares expired at their departure from Egypt, 40. yeares, wherein they were vnderunder Moſes in the deſert, and 7. yeares, wherein they hauing made a great conqueſt of the land, receiued their inheritance by Lot: there riſeth the number of 447. whereto make a round number, as the Scripture doth in diuers other places: the Apoſtle added three yeares. For which cauſe, he ſaith not praeciſely 450. yeares, but about 450. thereby marking out either the defect of the ſame number of 50. if (ſeuen only yeares of Ioſue being taken to his account) the reſt of his yeares be gathered to the raigne and gouernment of the Iudges, or the ſurplus of the ſame nūber of 50, if the whole gouernment of Ioſue (cōpaſſed in 17. yeares) be numbered. Such alſo is the forehead of theſe Ieſuits, that they dare cite Auguſtine in this caſe, as if there grew any thing in his garden that can giuegive th'olde tranſlator ſuch an incorruptible nature, as they pretend: whoſe iudgement againſt theſe ſcourgers of the holy Scriptures, hath bene before ſhewed. Who affirmeth alſo in the very chapter by them alledged, that all Latine bookes whatſoeuer Auguſt. de doctr. chr. lib. …, ca. 15ought to be reformed by the Greeke c… pies, if therefore th'old tranſlation, was ſo highly commended of him, as they ſay; yet it is euident, that he woulde not hauehave him priuiledged againſt the Greeke in ſuch ſort as he ſhould not (as a ſubiect) appeare before the Greeke copies, as before his lawfull and competent Iudge.
To the ſixe next ſections page 14.
In all theſe ſections the Ieſuites poynts of their ſwordes are ſet againſt themſelues. For if to iuſtifie the vulgar tranſlation they iudge it expedient to ſhewe the aggreement of it, with ſome Greek readings either copies or fathers that followed their copies: then followeth it that the Greek is of more authority then the Latine; as that whoſe credite dependeth of the good report, which the Greeke will giuegive of it. Whereof alſo it is brought to paſſe, that in tranſlating the vulgar rather then the Greek; you are like to thoſe ſilly poore men, that hauing not wherwith to buy new out of the marchants ſhop, goe to the huck-ſtars that hauehave things at the ſecond hand. Maiſter Bezas reuerence of the Greek copies, which you hauehave vtterly caſt from you, doth herein appeare: that euen where his iudgment leadeth him otherwiſe, he notwithſtanding leaueth the Greek reading, according to the vniforme conſent of the Greeke copies: as Iam. 4. 2. where alſo we miſlike not the vulgar for his tranſlation, conſidering that th' Apoſtle (to make th' enuious emulation which followeth more deteſtable)Matth 5. doth as our Sauiour Chriſt did, in the cace of cruell and vnaduiſed wrath, call it murder: wherein alſo th' Apoſt. doth verie excellentlie expound the commandement of murdering. But in the other place of 1. Peter. 3. 21. you falſely report Maiſter Beza, who correcteth th' old interpreter, by a Greek copie of great authoritie; and therefore correcteth not the Greek. How ridiculous they make themſelues and their Gagneye in iuſtifying th' olde interpreter, which maketh it a wonder, that a great deale of fire, ſhould conſume a great deale of wood: all men (that hauehave but their common ſenſe) may eaſily vnderſtand. Howbeit what good choiſe your vulgar hath made of Greek copies, where it hath any that are now extant: it alreadie appeareth manifeſtly by your deepe ſilence; againſt their reaſons which hauehave conuinced the frailtie of his iudgment that wayes: and more ſhall in the cenſure of your tranſlation which pretendeth to follow him.
To the next ſection page 15.
Looke for the anſwere in the laſte ſectiō of pag. 13. beſide that they deal vnfaithfully heere with M. Beza. For although he affirme that th' old interpreter might (in ſome places) hauehave a better copie, then himſelf could come vntounto: yet heere he praeferreth the conſent of the Greeke readings. And indeede it is moſt fit, for the circumſtāce of the place. For telling afterward, how often they waſh, namely as often as they had come from any place of cōmon and ciuill meetings: it agreeth better both with the ſhortneſſe of ſpeach which S. Mark (aboue al other) followeth, and with the doting ſuperſtition of the Phariſes: to expound this by a diligent and exact waſhing, thereby declaring that they did not only waſh often, but waſhed with great endeuour of rubbing one hand againſt another: leaſt (happily) anie vncleanneſſe ſhould ſtick vntounto them: which ſenſe alſo is confirmed of the Syriack paraphraſt.
VntoUnto the next ſection.
If your Latine interpreter be ſo neare driuen, as to borrow his iuſtification of the Latine fathers, which ſeeke themſelues throughout to be iuſtified by the Greeke copies; it is euident, that th' accuſations againſt him, muſt needes cleaue ſtill vntounto him; vntill ſuch time as his proctours can get ſome Greeke copies, to cleare him by.
To the next ſection.
And if the multitude of Latine copies, hurt th' authoritie of your vulgar amongeſt the Latine fathers, becauſe (after it was ſet forth) there were many other tranſlations abrode in their hands. Why did they hurt it, vnles it were becauſe the fathers eſteemed other tranſlations (in diuers poynts) better then it? for they were neither ſo proud, nor ſo negligent, as to hauehave left th' old interpreter in thoſe places, wherein they eſteemed him to hauehave approached nearer vntounto the truth: eſpecially ſeing your vulgar is ſaid to hauehave had Damaſus the Popes commendation, to whoſe voyce you woulde beare the world in hand that the fathers gaue no leſſe reuerence, then to an oracle from heauen. If therefore the Latine fathers, forſooke th' old interpreter, when he was freſh and new, and therefore furtheſt from corruption. How much more would they if they were now aliue, in many places let him goe peaking alone after he hath bene ſo corrupted, as hath bene before declared, and is further euident, by the multitude of Latine copies differing one from another, byLooke the King of Spaines great Bible. far greater diuerſities, then the Greek copies doe: ſo that if it were an impoſſible thing to make choiſe of the trueth of Greek copies, becauſe of their diuerſitie: it is much more impoſſible, to pick out the trueth of the old tranſlation, encombred with ſo many and great varieties.