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. 19. If S. Hierome in all these places had tran∣slated, nuntium, then the English were messenger: but tran∣slating it, angelum, and the Church & al antiquitie so reading and expounding it as a terme of more dignitie and excellencie, * 1.1 what meane these base cōpanions to disgrace the very eloquēce of the Scripture, which by such termes of amplification would speake more significantly and emphatically? what meane they

I say) that so inuey against Castaleo for his profanenesse, them selues to say, for Angell, Messenger, for Apostle, Legate, or Embassadour, and the like? Are they afraid, lest by calling mē Angels, it would be mistaken, as though they were Angells in deede by nature? then S. Paule spake daungerously, when he sayd to the Galathians, As Gods Angel you receiued me,* 1.2 as Christ Iesus. But to proceede.

FVLK. 19. The verye eloquence of the Scripture, is best expressed, when the wordes are translated as they signifie in the originall tongue. And although some words, be appropried to certaine callings, which it is not conuenient to turne into the generall signification: yet is neither the Hebrew, nor the Greeke word, that sig∣nifieth Messengers in the Scripture, so restrayned, but that it is vsed, for all Messengers indifferently, of God and men yea of God, and the deuill. Wherefore there is no cause why we should vse the Greeke worde Angell, rather than the English worde Messenger. And where you aske, whether we be afrayd, lest by calling men An∣gels, it would be mistaken, as though they were Angels in nature: we may well feare, lest the ignorant & vnlear∣ned, might so be deceiued, when Bristow, so great a Do∣ctor▪ & writer among you, is so fondly disguised, that he mistaketh the Angell of the Church of Philadelphia,* 1.3 for an Angell by nature, and alledgeth, that which God promiseth, that his enimies the Iewes shall worship be∣fore his feete, to proue the inuocation and worship of heauenly Angels. Neither spake Paule daungerously, when he said the Galathiās receiued him as an Angel of God as Christe Iesus. For the worde Angell in the Greeke tongue signifieth a messenger: it was easie to vn∣derstand, that the messenger or embassadour of a Prince is receiued as the Prince him selfe, without confounding the persons, of the Prince and his messenger.

Notes

• * 1.1

  See Apoc. c. 2. and 3. in the En∣glish Bibl. 1562. To the messen∣ger of the con∣gregation, &c. Angelo Ecclesia.
• * 1.2

  ••••l. 4. v. 14.
• * 1.3

  Apo••. 3. ••••••st. repl. c. 6.