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.

NOW let vs see concerning the Eucharist, which they allow for a Sacrament, how they handle the matter to the disgracing and de∣facing of the same also. They take away the operation and efficacie of Christes blessing* 1.1 pronounced vpon the bread and wine, ma∣king it onely a thankesgiuing to God: and to this purpose they translate more gladly, thanks-giuing then, blessing▪ as Mat. 26. the Greeke wordes being two, the one signifying properly, to blesse: the other, to giue thanks: they translate both thus,* 1.2 when he had giuen thanks. Likewise Marc. 14. in the Bi∣ble printed 1562. And when they translate it, blessing, they meane nothing else but giuing thankes, as Beza telleth vs in his Annotations Mat. 26. ver. 26. Wee reply and by most ma∣nifest Scripture prooue vnto them, that the former Greeke woorde doeth not signifie thankes giuing properly, but blessing, and a blessing of creatures to the operation of some great effect

in them: as when Christ tooke the fiue loaues and two fishes, to multiply them, he blessed them Luc. 9. What say they to this* 1.3 thinke you? Doth not the Greeke worde here plainly signifie, blessing of creatures? No, (saith Beza) no doubt but here also it signifieth giuing thankes. Howe Beza? he addeth, Not as though Christ had giuen thankes to the bread, for that were too absurd: but wee must mollifie this in∣terpretation thus, that he gaue thankes to God the fa∣ther for the loaues and the fishes. Is not this a notable ex∣position of these wordes, benedixit eis?

FVLK. 1

THE Sacrament of the bodie & bloud of Christ beeing a matter of some great weight & controuersie between vs, you might not omit but note our false translations against it. But be∣cause wee haue dealt so syncerely as malice hath nothing to blame therein, you must fayne a quarrell and forge a controuersie where none is be∣tweene vs, namely, that we take away Christes blessing pronounced vpon the bread and wine making it onely a thanksgiuing vnto God: which is a false and impu∣dent slander, as in that which followeth concerning this matter most plainly shall appeare euen by testimo∣nie of him whom you doe most slaunder in this case. But let vs see what fault is in our translation. Math. 26. and Ma••. 14. two of our translations for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 say, when he had giuen thankes. To this I answere, that Beza telleth you that in seuen Greeke copies the word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which signifieth giuing of thankes, with∣out controuersie, as also 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth, but not onely so expressing rather the Hebrue worde 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which si∣gnifieth

both to blesse, and to giue thankes. But seeing Saint Luke and S. Paul reporting the institution of the supper doe vse the worde 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which signifieth giuing of thankes: wee count them the best interpre∣tors of the other two Euangelists which plainly teache vs that by blessing they meane giuing of thankes, or that the Greeke worde doeth here signifie giuing of thankes as in manie other places. The place Luke. 9. where Christ blessed the loaues is also interpreted by S. Iohn who reporting the same miracle (as Beza she∣weth) vseth the word which signifieth only thankes gi∣uing, but because 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is in Luke vsed as a verbe transitiue, which cannot signifie thanks giuing or pray∣er made to the creatures, wee must vnderstand, that hee blessed the loaues, that is he gaue thankes to God for them, and with all prayed, that so small a quantitie of bread and fish might feede so great a multitude, and that this whole feast might be referred to the glorie of God. This is Bezaes interpretation, which because it was too long for your quarrell you cut off the better part of it, and like a grinning hypocrite scoffe at a piece as though it were the whole exposition of these words henedixit eis he blessed them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Bib. 1562. 1577.
• * 1.2

  Great diffe∣rence in the scriptures betweene blessing, and giuing of thanks.
• * 1.3

  Benedixit eis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Annot. in 9. Luc. v. 16.