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. 3. For this purpose bothe hee and the En∣glishe* 1.1 Bibles translate thus: Abraham beleeued God, and it was reputed to him FOR IVSTICE, Rom. 4. v. 3. & 9. Where he interpreateth, for iustice, to be nothing else but. in* 1.2 the steede & place of iustice: so also taking away true inhe∣rent iustice euen from Abraham himselfe. But to admit their translation (whiche notwithstanding in their sense is moste false) must it nedes signifie, not true inherent iustice, because the Scripture saith, it was reputed for iustice? Do such spea∣ches import, that it is not so in deede, but is onely reputed so? Then if wee say, This shall be reputed to thee for sinne: for a greate benefite, and so foorth: it shoulde signifie, it is no sinne indeede, nor great benefite. But let them call to mind,* 1.3 that the Scripture vseth to speake of sinne and of iustice alike. It shal be sinne in thee, or, vnto thee, as they translate Bibl.* 1.4 1577: or as S. Hierome translateth, It shall bee reputed to thee for sinne, Deut. c. 23. & 24. & (as themselues translate) it shall be righteousnesse vnto thee, before the Lord thy God. And againe, Deut. c. 6. This shall bee our righteous∣nes before the Lord our God, if we kepe al the com∣maundements, as he hath commaunded vs. If then iustice onely be reputed▪ sinne also is onely reputed: if sin bee in v•• in∣deede, iustice is in vs indeede.

FVLK. 3. Our translation taketh not from Abra∣ham true iustice, nor yet iustice inherent, but declareth that he was not iustified before God by workes, that is by iustice inherent, but by faith whyche apprehen∣deth the iustice of Christ, whych is altogyther without vs. And therefore you cauil in your olde rotten quarrell, when you goe aboute to make reputed to bee contrarie to truthe, or indeede. Faith was reputed by God to A∣braham for iustice indeede, but not as iustice inherent. And Abrahā was truly iustified by faith as by an instru∣mentall cause, not that faith was the iustice by which he was iust in the sight of God, excluding all other causes:

but there was nothing in Abrahā but faith which God accompted for iustice. But Abrahams faith embraced the mercie of God in the promised seede, in whiche as well hee, as all the tribes of the earth should be blessed. The places of scripture that you cite speaking of sinne & iustice alike, be not contrary to the imputation of iu∣stice vnto them in which it is not inherent. For in nei∣ther of both places the holy ghost vseth the word of im∣putation, howsoeuer S. Hierome translateth it, but the verbe substantiue. And the meaning is plaine. It shal be sinne in thee: for sinne is indeede inherent, as perfecte iustice also shoulde bee if wee coulde obserue all the commaundements of God as Moses sayeth. Deut. 6. and we shoulde be iustified thereby. But by one iuste acte whereof Moses speaketh, Deut. 24. thoughe it proceede of iustice that is in vs, the scripture neuer saith that wee shall be iustified. To conclude, wee confesse, that bothe sinne and iustice are in the children of God, but not that iustice, whereby they are reputed iuste or iustified, or made iuste beefore God, but an effecte or fruite there∣of.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pro iustitia. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.2

  Vice & loco.
• * 1.3

  Reputabitur tibi in peccatum.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉