The Answer to the Preface of the Rhemish Testament, Part 6
To the two next ſections, pag. 8. and 9.
It is an olde practiſe of Satan, to beſtir himſelf, and to open the mouth of all his helhoundes againſt the godlie and learned trauels of thoſe, which hauehave laboured in this worke of tranſlating the holy Bible, or any part thereof. Hereof Ierome complayneth,Hieron. ad Dom. & R…g. in Eſd. & Nehem. & in paralip. Eraſm. Epiſt. ad Moſſella…um. in many places of his prefaces and Epiſtles: that he was tong-rent & raild vponupon miſerablie. The ſame complaint is renewed of Eraſmus, who was bayted by Ley in England, Natalis Bede in Fraunce, Stunica in Spaine, and infinite other vnlearned Monks and Fryers. And therefore it ought not to ſeeme ſtrange, if the worthie labours of Maſter Beza & other learned men of ours, and other Countreys hauehave alſo their currs, to bark at them. As for vsus, albeit we are not of that ſorte of men which louelove our owne, & (as the Dolphins doe their young ones) hauehave in admiration our workes and writings: And further alſo confeſſe, that our tranſlations are not ſo exact in all points of perfection, but that time & ſtudy may better them: yet how falſly they are charged, by the ſlanderous pennes of theſe wrangling Ieſuites, appeareth at large by the learned and ſubſtantiall defence made for our Engliſh tranſlation, vntounto th' unlearned and trifling quarrels againſt the ſame. And if it appeare to th' indifferēt reader, that our tranſlation which (no dout) for pure louelove they beare to their cuntry & countrymen, they iudge the worſt of all others: is free from thoſe corruptions wherewith the Ieſuites hauehave ſlādered it: the good reader may eaſily know, what to iudge of our tranſlations in other Languages, Latine, French, Italian, &c. And herein let all men marke their equitie, and by their fidelitie in their iudgment of Maiſter Caluins and Bezas tranſlations, affirmed by them to be as new and delicate, as Caſtalions, or worſe then it: eſteeme what truſt they deſerue in other their accuſations, for either they hauehave neuer red them, or els partly their ignorance, & partlye their furious malice againſt them, hath ſo bewitched thē, that they can put no difference betwene a ſwelling and ſwaged ſpeach, betweene an honeſt homelye ſtile, & that which is pricked and pranked vp by choiſe & exquiſite words, ſought rather to tickle th' ears of daintie fooles, then for the fit deliuerie of the ſenſe the holye Ghoſt intēdeth. Finally betwene that which goeth vponupon a plaine ſandall, fit to goe far for the publiſhing of the goſpell: then that which is mounted vponupon moyles and pantofles, meet to keepe it at home, amongſte a-fewe, whom that courtlynes and curioſitie of ſpeach dooth delite. And if they will purge themſelues from a manifeſt and impudent ſlander herein? let them note the places, wherin Caluin & Beza departing from Caſtalion, hauehave either rioted as he doeth, or in licenciouſnes of ſpeach hauehave gone beyond him. Now where they charge vsus to diſauthorize, or to make doubtfull diuers whole bookes of Canonicall Scriptures, allowed by th' uniuerſall Church of God, a thouſand yeres & vpwardes: their limitationCyprian de Symb. Apoſt. Euſeb. hist. eccleſ. lib. 6 cap. 25. Hieron. in prolog. Galeat. cap. 7. & in praefat. in lib. leuing vntounto vsus, the moſt ancient fathers and Councels which liued the beſt and firſt fiue hundred years after Chriſt, reiecting the ſame bookes which we doe; argueth a giltie conſcience, conſtreyned to confeſſe the truth which they condemn. A ſtrange impudencie therfore, vvhichwhich neitherSalomon: & prafat. in Iarem. & praefat. in Dan. & ad Domni. & Rogat. in Eſram, & Nehemiam. & ad Laetam. Epiphan. lib. d… menſ. & ponder. Concil. Laodic. can. 59. able to anſwere our manifeſt reaſons, nor to bring any of theirs, nor yet to match in any ſort our authorities: not withſtanding blare out their tongues, crying and barking ſtill, that we diſauthorize the Canonicall Scripture. Their quarrell againſte Maſter Beza is anſwered in the proper place: That againſt the tenth article of the Creede in meeter, is vtterly vnworthy of any anſwer. for the meeter alwayes requiring a paraphraſis, or ſom compas of words: the poet could not more fitly hauehave expounded the forgiuenes of ſinnes then by noting our ſaluation by faith alone: according as th' Apoſtle, of the remiſſion of ſinnes out of the Pſalme, concludeth the iuſtification by faith without workes. Th' other corruption of Chriſts ſoule deſcending into hell, after his death argueth no contradiction amongeſt our ſelues, but a ſmal remnant of th' infection of Poperie in that author: which is ſo malitious and ſtubborne a leproſie, as for the approued tryall of their clenſing frō it, they hauehave commonly neede to be ſhut vp from pulpit and pen, ſome reſonable time: and as they ſay in the French prouerb: The monks Cowle is not eaſely put of in many yeares, what conſent of iudgment there is amongſt vsus in that behalf, the later editions which hauehave left that Creede cleane out, may ſomwhat declare.