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.

FVLK. 9. The relatiues be the masculine gender in the Hebrue tongue, and therefore referred to Abel, and not to sinne, which is of the foeminine gender. Againe, sinne hath no appetite to Cain, but rather Cain to it, therefore euen as it was sayed to Eue, thy appetite shall be to thy husbande, so it is sayed of Abel, his appetite shall be to thee. Sainct Augustine followeth the cor∣rupt translation of the Septuaginta, which for appetite reade conuersion, and therefore there is the lesse account to be made of his authoritie, being also ignoraunt in the Hebrue tongue, and not regarding the Greeke rela∣tiue to be also of the masculine gender. Hierome also in that place, interpreteth not appetite, but societie, and fantasie, ththat chataoth is the masculine gender, and not the foeminine. Whereas it is neuer read but in the foe∣minine gender, out of this place of controuersie. But the text it selfe (you say) is sufficient▪ to conuince this ab∣surditie, because in this speache of God to Cain, there is no word of Abel. It is somwhat that you say, if this that Moises reporteth were all that God sayd to Cain, but

seeing it is certaine, that God at large discoursed wyth him, of the cause of his enuie againste his brother, wee may easily vnderstande in this speach, two arguments to reproue Caines enuie, the one of the person of God, the other of the person of Abel. For God doth reprooue his enuie by his owne iustice, and by Abels innocencie. Which latter argumēt your false translation doth vtter∣ly suppresse. But that a Relatiue is referred to an Antece∣dent, whiche in the same verse is not expressed, it is no strange thing, to them that reade the scripture. Examples I will giue you, Iob 26. v. 6. 11. & 12. and cap. 27. v. 9. & 10. yea it is verye vsuall, when the antecedent maye bee easily vnderstoode, as heere, both by the gender, and also by manner of speache, whiche beeing the same that was spoken of Eues infirmitie & subiection to hir husband, must needes here haue the same sense of Abel towarde Caine his elder brother.

Notes

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