A defense of the sincere and true translations of the holie Scriptures into the English tong against the manifolde cauils, friuolous quarels, and impudent slaunders of Gregorie Martin, one of the readers of popish diuinitie in the trayterous Seminarie of Rhemes. By William Fvlke D. in Diuinitie, and M. of Pembroke haule in Cambridge. Wherevnto is added a briefe confutation of all such quarrels & cauils, as haue bene of late vttered by diuerse papistes in their English pamphlets, against the writings of the saide William Fvlke.

MART. 51. Well yet, sayewe, there are places in the same Greeke text, as plaine for vs as these now cited, where you can not say, it came out of the margent, or, it was added falsely to the text. A••, Stand and hold fast the traditions, &c. by this* 1.1 text we require that you graunt vs traditions deliuered by word of mouth, as wel as the written word, that is, the Scriptures. No, say they, we know the Greeke word signifieth tradition, as plaine as possibly, but here and in the like places, we rather translate it, ordinances, instructions, and what els soeuer. Nay Sirs, say we, you can not so answer the matter, for in other places, you translate it duely, and truely, tradition: and why more in one place, than in another? They are ashamed to tell why, but they must tell, and shame both thom selues, and the deuill, if euer they thinke it good to answer this treatise, as also why they chan∣ged congregation, which was alwaies in their first translati∣on, into Church, in their later translations, and did not change likewise ordinances, into traditions, Elder•• into Priestes.

FVLK. 51. That the Thessalonians had some parte of Christian doctrine, deliuered by word of mouth, that is, by the Apostles preaching, at such time as he did write

vnto them, and some part by his Epistles, the text enfor∣ceth vs to graunt, and we neuer purposed to denye: But that the Church at this daye, or euer since the newe Te∣stament was written, had any tradition by worde of mouth, of any matter necessary to saluation, which was not contayned in the olde or newe Testament, we will neuer graunt, neither shall you euer be able out of this text, or any text in the Bible to proue. Make your Syl∣logismes, when you dare, and you shall be aunswered. But we knowe (you saye) that the Greeke word signifi∣eth, tradition, as plaine as possibly, but here, and in like places, we rather translate it, ordinances, instructions, and what else soeuer. We knowe that it signifieth tradi∣tion, constitution, instruction, precept, also mancipation, treatise, treason.

For al these the Greeke Dictionaries do teach, that it signifieth. Therefore if in any place we haue translated it ordinaunces, or instructions, or institutions, we haue not gone from the true signification of the worde, nei∣ther can you euer proue, that the worde signifieth such a doctrine onely, as is taught by worde of mouth, and is not, or may not be put in writing. But in other places you can tell vs, that we translate it duely and truly, tradi∣tion, and you will know, why more in one place, than in another, affirming that we are shamed to tell why. For my part, I was neuer of counsaile with any that transla∣ted the Scriptures into English, and therefore it is pos∣sible, I can not sufficiently expresse what reason moued the translators so to varie in the exposition of one and the same worde. Yet can I yeelde sufficient reason, that might leade them so to doe, which I thinke they fol∣lowed. The Papistes doe commonly so abuse the name of tradition, which signifieth properly a deliue∣rie, or a thinge deliuered, for such a matter as is deliuered onely by worde of mouth, and so recea∣ued from hande to hande, that it is neuer put in wri∣ting, but hath his credite without the holye Scriptures

of God, as the Iewe had their Cabala, and the Scribes & Pharisees had their traditions beside the lawe of God,* 1.2 and the Valentinian Heretikes accused the Scriptures, as insufficient of authoritie, and ambiguously written, and that the truth could not be found in them by those that knewe not the tradition, which was not deliuered by writing, but by worde of mouth, iumpe as the Papists doe. This abusing of the word, tradition, might be a sufficient cause for the translators, to render the Greeke worde, where it is taken for such doctrine as is beside the commaundement of God, by the name of traditi∣on, as the worde is commonly taken. But where the Greeke worde is taken in the good parte, for that do∣ctrine which is agreeable with the holy Scriptures, they might with good reason auoide it, as you your selfe doe not alwayes translate tradere, to betray, but sometimes to deliuer. So did the translators giue these words, ordinan∣ces, instructions, institutions, or doctrine deliuered, which doe generally signifie the same that tradition, but haue not the preiudice of that partiall signification, in which the Papistes vse it, who wheresoeuer they find tra∣dition, straight way imagine they haue found a sufficient argument, against the perfection and sufficiencie of the holy Scripture, and to bring in all riffe raffe, and trishe trashe, of mans doctrine, not onely beside, but also con∣trarye to the manifest worde of God, conteined in his most holy and perfect Scriptures. To the shame of the deuill therefore, and of all popish maintainers of tra∣ditions vncommaunded by God, this reason may be yelded.

Nowe to aunswer you why Ecclesia was first transla∣ted congregation, and afterward Church: the reason that moued the firste translators (I thinke) was this: the worde Churche of the common people, at that tyme, was vsed ambiguously, both for the assemblie of the faythfull, and for the place in which they as∣sembled: for auoyding of which ambiguitie, they

translated Ecclesia the congregation, and yet in their Creede, and in the notes of their Bibles, in preaching, & writing they vsed the word Church for the same, the la∣ter translators seing the people better instructed, & able to discerne when they read in the Scriptures, the people, from the place of their meeting, vsed the worde Church in their translations, as they did in their preaching. These are weightie matters that wee muste giue accompt of them▪ Why we chaunge not ordinances into traditions, and Elders into Priests, wee will answere when we come to the proper places of them. In the meane season wee thinke there is as good cause for vs in translating, some∣time to auoide the termes of traditions and prieste, as for you to auoid the names of Elders calling them aun∣cients, and the wise men sages, as though you had rather speake French, than English as we do. Like as you tran∣slate Conside. haue a good hart after the french phrase, ra∣ther than you would say as we do, be of good comforte.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2. Thess. 2.
• * 1.2

  Irenaeus, lib. 3. c. 2.