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. 48. Doubt you whether they translate of pur∣pose and partialitie, in fauour of their opinions? you shall heare them selues say so, and protest it. If I dealt with Lutherans, this* 1.1 one testimonie of Luther were sufficient, who being asked why he added onely, into the text, Rom. 3. answered that he did it to ex∣plicate the Apostles sense more plainly, that is, to make the A∣postle say more plainly, that faith onely iustified. And his Dis∣ciple Illyricus disputeth the matter, that the Apostle saying▪ by* 1.2 faith without workes, saith in deede, onely faith. But be∣cause I deale rather with our English Caluinists, and Beza is their chiefe translator, and a Captaine among them, whome they professe to follow in the title of the new Testament, anno 1580. and by the very name of their Geneua Bibles, let vs see what he sayth.

FVLKE. 48. I thinke there is no man doubteth, but they translated the Scripture, with purpose to main∣taine their opinions, but whether they haue wittingly, and wilfully translated falsely, to maintaine any errours, or hereticall opinions, that is the matter in question, and which hath neede of your greatest demonstration, to make it apparant. That Luther might rightly interprete the place Rom. 3. of onely faith iustifying, by the exclu∣ding of works, I haue before acknowledged, & Illyricus doth rightly defend it. But that he did put in the worde (only) in his translation, which is not in the originall, I will not take vpon me to excuse, seeing the truth of that doctrine is manifest, without that addition: and Luther him selfe in his later editions, hath reformed it. Againe,

what fault soeuer other men haue committed in their translation, we are vniustly charged therewith, except we follow the same in ours. That we professe to follow Be∣za by the very name of our Geneua Bibles, it is a very ridiculous argument. For our Bibles are so common∣ly called, because they were translated, and first printed at Geneua, not by Beza, who at that time, had scarse finished his translation of the newe Testament, and ne∣uer dealt with translating of the olde, so farre as we knowe, but by certaine godlye, and learned Englishe men, which liued there in Queene Maries time, to en∣ioy the libertie of a good conscience, which they could not haue in their owne Country.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tom. 2. fol. 405. edit. Witteb. anno 1551.
• * 1.2

  The expresse testimonies of Beza, (vvhom the English He∣reticall transla∣tions follovv herein) that he doth vvilfully and of purpose translate against such and such catholike asser∣tions.