The Answer to the Preface of the Rhemish Testament, Part 7
To the foure next ſections, pag. 9. 10. 11.
What compaſsion hauehave you had of your country men, which hauehave kept back the wheat of Gods word from them ſo many yeares and ages, vvherevvith they ſhould hauehave bene fed to aeternall life. And your compaſsions novv, vvhat are they but (as Salomon ſaieth of theProv. 12. 10. compaſsions of the wicked) moſte cruell. Wherefore it is certaine, that as the curſes of Gods people hauehave hitherto pearſed your ſoules, and runne them thorovv for engroſsing into your hands the graine of life: ſo novv they vvill be as ſore and ſharp againſt you, for ſelling them ſuch muſtie, mildred, blaſted, and by all meanes corrupted graine. Neither is your impietie leſſe now in poyſoning them, then it was before in ſtaruing them. Wherefore you partly perſwade vsus, that you hauehave done this worke in feare and trembling: ſeeing in ſo open corruptions, and ſo manifolde and manifeſt wreſtings, it was harde for you not to ſee eft-ſones hell opened before your eyes. As for your childiſh tranſlation of numbering word for word, and as it were ſyllable for ſyllable, rather then to giuegive ſenſe for ſenſe, and to tranſlate rather by weight of ſenſe, then by tale of words; although alſo, it ſhal appeare that you hauehave kept your ſelfe to neither; yet hauehave you no defence in Ierome for it. For although by the wordes you alleadge, maye well be gathered out of him a ſtraighter Iawe in turning the Scriptures, then in turning other writters: yet hauing ſhewed in the ſame Epiſtle, that his vſe in tranſlatingHieron. ad Pammach de optima gener. inter pr…t…ndi. was not to nūber but to weigh wordes, that he followed the wordes ſo farre as they were not ſtrange from the cuſtome of ſpeach, that he tranſlated not wordes, but ſentences; he addeth, that it is no maruell, if this were done in tranſlating prophane and eccleſiaſticall writers, ſeing that the ſeuenty interpreters, th'Euangeliſtes and Apoſtles had done the ſame, not yeelding worde for worde. And after in the ſame Epiſtle he ſaith, that the care of th'Evangeliſts, was not to hunt after wordes and ſyllables, but to ſet downe the minde or ſenſe of the doctrines. And therefore ſheweth by diuers examples, where they in wordes neither aggree with the 70. interpreters, nor yet with the Hebrew. Amongſt other, th'example that he citeth out of Saint Marke is notable: where our Sauiour Chriſts words being onelyonly Tabitha Cumi. i. Riſe mayde: th'Euangeliſte tranſlating it, to make the ſenſe more full, interlaceth I ſay to thee. And if the Ieſuites tarie to heare, where Ierome himſelf vſeth this libertie in tranſlating the Scriptures: we ſendAd Pammach. & Marcellinum. them to another Epiſtle of his, where they ſhall find him defēding himſelfe in his liberty of trāſlating Naſchqu Bar which being worde for worde, kiſſe the ſonne, he tranſlated adore the ſonne: leaſtNolens trā ſferre putidè, ſenſum magis, ſequutus ſū. (as hee ſaith) if hee had turned otherwiſe, he ſhould hauehave turned it euill fauoredlie. Which we write, rather to ſhew how farre Ieromes iudgement in tranſlating, differed from theſe apiſh Ieſuites, then that wee eſteeme that th'other tranſlation which hee ſhunned, was ſo hard orrough, as hee iudged it. And therefore it was elegantly ſaide of the Emperour, I hate alike as departing aequally from the meane, both Antiquitaries Suetonius in Octauio Auguſto.and affectors of nouelties. The firſte place recited out of Auguſtine, maketh nothing to the purpoſe. For as the ſtile of the Scripture, as it were the garments and habite thereof, is neither new fangled, nor exquiſitly laboured by perſwaſible wordes of mans wiſedome: ſo is it not foule & ſluttiſh; but it is arrayed from top to toe as an honeſt and chaſte matrone, avoyding aſwell barbarouſnes and ruſticalnes of th'one ſide, as curioſitie and affectation of th'other. In th'other place there is no ſuch thing founde as they talke of, albeit that alſo ſhould make as little to the purpoſe as th' other. And if the olde writters ſpeaking and writing vntounto their people, did ſpeake and write barbarouſlie, that they might bee the better vnderſtoode of them: what is that, to make it a rule in tranſlating. If Ierome in correcting th' olde tranſlation, ſo tempered his penne that amending it, where it changed the ſenſe of the text, he left the reſt to remaine as they were: It followeth not becauſe hee ſuffered them to ſtand, that therefore he alowed of them throughout: conſidering that a man vvill not vſe that boldneſſe in correcting another mans vvorke, vvhichwhich he vvould doe in his ovvn, nor put out eueryevery phraſe, and eueryevery maner of ſpeach, vvhichwhich he himſelf could better. Beſides that it is a harder matter then you ar euer able to performe, to ſhevve that this olde tranſlation vvherein theſe venerable barbariſmes & ſoleciſmes are found, is the ſame that Ierome corrected. In none of th' other places alleadged out of Auguſtine, is there any thing to maintaine this babiſhnes of tranſlation: but rather contrariwiſe, when he affirmeth that ſome bind themſelues too much vntounto the wordes, vvhichwhich tranſlations hee holdeth for inſufficient. Alſo that vvhen the phraſes are not tranſlated, according to the cuſtome of the auncient Latiniſts: although nothing be taken away from the vnderſtanding; yet they offend thoſe which are delighted with the things, when a certaine purenes is kept in the ſignes of the thinges, meaning the words. And vvhat his iudgement is inAuguſt. lib de vera relig. cap. 5…. this cauſe, he doth other where plainly and clearely ſet dovvne: vvhen hee ſaith that the Scripture is to be declared according to the proprietie of eueryevery tongue. Indeede he ſaith that ſometime the vulgar ſpeach is more profitable: but his reaſon is farre different from yours. For it appeareth vvhen hee praeferrethAuguſt. de doctr. Chr. lib. 2. c. 11. thoſe Barbariſmes it is for the better cōmodity & capacity of the people to whome he ſpake or wrote praferring rudenes of ſpeach; onelyonly to that purenes, which either bringeth new words to offend th' eares of the reader: or elſe maketh the ſenſe doubtfull or obſcure. In vvhichwhich reſpect he affirmeth, that toAuguſt. in Pſal. 138. let his ſpeach fall th' eaſilyer to th' vnderſtanding of his people, hee had rather ſay, oſſum, which is no true ſpeach then os, which is the proper and true lāguage. Beſide that it is more euidēt by their barbariſmes in other ſpeaches then in the texts of Scripture: that they ſo ſpeak ſometime, becauſe they met with no better, nor more choiſe wordes. Seing therefore a good pure Latine ſpeach, is now better vnderſtood, then th' ould rotten and ruſtie wordes: there is no cauſe, why they ſhould not now be aboliſhed, if euer they had any vſe heretofore. And if it pleaſe the Ieſuites, to confer the ſtile of theſe dayes, ſithence the Goſpell (after a long winter of ignorance) began to flowre againe, with the ſtile of thoſe which wrote 200. yeares hence: we ſuppoſe that they will accord vsus, that there is as greate difference, as was ſometime betweene the Dorickes and th' Attickes in Greece, or is now betweene the courte and countrey with vsus, yet we think that the Ieſuites will not therefore, rather chuſe to ſtamber & ſtut with their fore-goers, then to ſpeake clearly & purely with the preſent age: ſure we are, that they hauehave done their beſt to the contrary. Wherefore it is euident, that you can bring nothing to defend your ſottiſh ſpeach of hell of fire, for hell fire: for againſt the ſpirituals of wickednes in the celeſtials, for docible of God, &c. nor yet for your doubtful and dangerous ſpeach, of the ſinne of the ſpirit, for the ſinne againſt the ſpirit, with a number moe of the ſame late. And yet hauehave you not kept the law your ſelues hauehave made, for you hauehave tranſlated eighteene years, Luke 13. 4where both the Greeke and olde Interpreter, which you propound to follow ſo ſuperſtitiouſly, hauehave ten and eight years. If here ſeing your folly, you amended it, why hauehave you not corrected it in places of greater importance, and hauing corrected th' olde traſlatour in another place of ſome moment, Rom. 13. 9. where for reſtored you hauehave turned compriſed, why hauehave you not performed the ſame in other of greater weight. Not to ſpeake of Lindanus your brother in this impietie, who ſpeaking of the truth of the matter retained by th' ould interpreter, more then the truth: yet notwithſtanding, confeſſeth the often ſlips of improprietie in ſpeache, and other babiſhnes of him in tranſlating. Now as by your vnlearned tranſlation, you hauehave greatly embaſed the pure mettle of the holy word; ſo by your corrupt annotations wreſting and writhing, haling & pulling the tranſlation, either to a diuers or contrarie ſenſe of that which the wordes giuegive, you hauehave made it no better then filthie droſſe: So that it may be verified of your work which Ierom ſayth: you make of the Goſpell of Chriſt, the goſpell of Hieron. in Epiſt. ad. Gal. cap. 1.man, or that which is worſe the goſpel of the Diuell. If you had giuen your people your tranſlation alone: we dout not, but they ſhould notwithſtanding all your declinings frō the natiue purenes of the word, hauehave found releefe in it againſt extream famine, which your vnfaithfulneſſe hath thruſt them into. Which thing you wel perceiuing durſt not vponupon the peril of quenching your kitchin-fire: put forth your ſingle few of tranſlatiō, without y• Cooloquintida of your annotatiōs; therby to bring certain death to all thoſe that ſhoulde taſte of them. Wherein let th' indifferent reader compare our confidence, we hauehave in the goodnes of our cauſe, in either nakedly deliuering the Scripturs without any annotations at al, or els with few & ſhort directiōs. Rather to open the file and courſe of the Scriptures, then to praeiudice the reader, either with recommending ours, or condemning th' aduerſaries iudgment. Let him (I ſay) compare it with the fearfull dout, that the Ieſuits hauehave of theirs: which durſt not commend their ſingle tranſlation, vntounto the conſcience of the reader, vnleſſe (beſide the load and charge of their margent notes) they had added almoſte at the end of eueryevery chapter a iag of annotations, wherein they recommend their owne, and condemne our doctrine: therby (at vnawares) teſtifiing againſt themſelues, that the wordes of the holy Ghoſt ſpeak nothing for them, vnles they be twitched aſide, with the wrinch & wreſt of their annotatiōs. We hauing found Chriſt in the Scripturs, cannot be to ſeek in the true Church: you that hold not the head, it is no maruel, if you hauehave not layd hold of a filthy & deade caryon, in ſteade of the liuely body of Chriſt, which is his Church. We which follow the light of the ſcripture in all queſtions that can be moued of religion, and not in thoſe onelyonly which you idely & rouingly alledge out of Auguſt. hauehave promiſe of reſolution2. Tim. 3 …. Petr. 1 in all our doubts. But you which blaſphemouſly make the Scripturs to giuegive no more light, to the deciſion of diuers poyntes in religion, thē a haircloth: do miſerably run your ſelues & others, to the condemnation wherevnto you are ordained. In which way, although you vvould drag Auguſtine vvith all your might and maine; yet vvill not he keepe you company, not onelyonly for that he hath nothing for you in the place vvhichwhich you alledge, but that he hath the cleane contrary vntounto you: vvho affirmeth that in the Scriptures we are to ſeeke the Church, by them to Auguſt d… vnit. eccleſ. cap. 3.diſcuſſe our controuerſies; & after he ſaith, that all ſhould be remoued whatſoeuer is alledged of either ſide againſt other, ſauing that which commeth out of the canonicall Ibi. cap. 16.Scriptures. And againe, we deſire not to be beleeued, becauſe wee are in the Church of Chriſt, or that Optatus or Ambroſe or innumerable Biſhops of our profeſſion hauehave cōmended it vntounto vsus. Howbeit as through the vvhole booke it ſhall appeare, hovv ſmall conſent of the auncient Church, you hauehave in the principal demandes hanging betvveene you and vsus: ſo it ſhal appeare a little after, that there is a more certaine rule of th' underſtanding of the Scriptures then you aſsigne: and that although the former iudgement of the Church of Chriſt▪ ſithence th' Apoſtles time, is able to keepe vsus from falling dangerouſlie in the principal and fundamentall poyntes of our religion; yet that they cannot free vsus from error in every queſtion, that may bee mooued of it: not to ſpeake of the faint proofes that ſometime they vſed euen in great myſteries of our religion, vvherein notvvithſtanding (touching the matter it ſelfe) their iudgement is ſounde and Catholicke.