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. 14. But the gay confuter with whome I be∣ganne,* 1.1 sayeth for further aunswere: Admit that in some of our translations it bee, Children keepe your selues from images (for so he woulde haue sayed if is were truely printed) What great crime of corruption is here com∣mitted? And when it is sayed agayne, this is the crime and fault thereof, that they meane by so translating to make the simple beleue that idols and images are all one, which is ab∣surde: he replyeth that it is no more absurditie, than in steede of a Greeke worde, to vse a Latine of the same si∣gnification. And vpon this position he graunteth that accor∣ding to the propertie of the Greeke worde a man may say, God* 1.2 made man according to his idol, and that generally, idolū* 1.3 may as truely be translated an image, as Tyrannus a King (which is verie true, both being absurde) and here he cited many authours and dictionaries idly, to proue that idolum may* 1.4 signifie the same that image.* 1.5

FVLK. 14. But this scornefull replier with whom I haue to do, is so accustomed, to false and vnhonest dea∣ling, that he can neuer report any thing that I haue writ∣ten truely, and as I haue written, but with one forgerie or an other, he will cleane corrupt and peruert my say∣ing. As here, he shameth nothing to affirme, that I graunt, that according to the propertie of the Greeke worde, a man may say. God made man according to his idoll I will reporte mine owne wordes, by which e∣uerie man may perceaue howe honestly he dealeth with me.

But admit that in some translation it bee as you say: Children keepe your selues from images: what greate crime of corruption is here committed? You saye that it is to make simple men beleeue that idolls and images are all one, which is absurde. This is no more absurditie, than in stead of a Greeke word to vse a

Latine of the same signification. But you replie, that then where Moises sayeth that God made man according to his owne image, we shoulde consequently say, that God made man according to his idoll. I aunswere, howsoeuer the name of idols in the Englishe tongue for the greate dishonour that is done to God in worshipping of ima∣ges, is become so odious that no Christian man woulde say, that God made man according to his idoll, no more than a good subiect woulde call his lawefull Prince a tyraunt, yet according to the Greeke word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 may bee as truely translated an image, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a King.

Here if I were disposed to giue the rayne to affec∣tion, as you doe often being vnprouoked by me, were sufficient occasion offered, to insult against your false∣hoode. But I will forbeare, and in plaine wordes tell you, that if you be so simple, that you can not vnder∣stande the difference of these two propositions, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 wheresoeuer it is reade in Greeke, may be truely trans∣lated an image: and this: wheresoeuer the worde image is vsed in Englishe, you may vse the word idoll, you are vnmeete to reade a Diuinitie Lecture in Englande, how soeuer you be aduaunced in Rhemes. If not of igno∣rance, but of malice, you haue peruerted both my words and meaning, let God and all godly men be iudge be∣twene you and me. My wordes are not obscure nor am∣biguous, but that euerie child may vnderstand my mea∣ning to be no more but this. That this Englishe worde idoll is by vse restrayned, onely to wicked images. The Greeke worde 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth generally all images, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 did all Kings, vntill Kings that were so called, be∣came hatefull for crueltie, which caused euen the name tyrannus to be odious.

Notes

• * 1.1

  V V. Fulke. Fol. 35.
• * 1.2

  Gen 1.
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.5

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