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. 20. Of this kinde of falsification is that which is crept as a leprosie through out all your Bibles, translating, Scul∣ptile and conflatile, grauen image, molten image, namely in the first commaundement, where you know in the Greeke it is* 1.1 idoll, and in the Hebrue, such a worde as signifieth onely a gra∣uen* 1.2 thing, not including this worde image: and you know that God commaunded to make the images of Cherubins, and of oxen in the Temple, and of the brasen serpent in the desert, and ther∣fore your wisedomes might haue considered, that he forbadde not all grauen images, but such as the Gentiles made and worship∣ped* 1.3 as Goddes: and therefore Non facies tibi sculptile, con∣curreth with those wordes that goe before, Thou shalte haue none other gods but me. For so to haue an image as to make it a God, is to mke it more than an image: and therefore, when it is an Idoll, as were the Idols of the Gentiles, then it is forbid by this commaundement. Otherwise, when the Crosse stood many yeares vpon the Table in the Queenes Chappell, was it against* 1.4 this commaundement? or was it idolatrie in the Queenes Ma∣iestie and her Counsellers, that appointed it there, being the supreme head of your Churche? Or do the Lutherans your pue∣fellowes, at this day commit idolatrie against this commaunde∣ment, that haue in their Churches the crucifixe, and the holy* 1.5 Images of the mother of God, and of S. Iohn the Euangelist? Or if the whole storie of the Gospell concerning our sauiour Christ, were drawen in pictures and Images in your Churches, as it is in many of ours, were it (trow you) against this commaundement? fie for shame, that you should thus with intolerable impudencie and deceite abuse and bewitch the ignorant people, against your owne knowledge and conscience. For, wot you not, that God ma∣ny times expresly forbade the Iewes both mariages and other conuersation with the Gentiles, least they might fall to worship

their idols, as Salomon did, and as the Psalme reporteth of them?* 1.6 This then is the meaning of the commaundement, neither to make the idols of the Gentiles, nor any other like vnto them, and to that end, as did Ieroboam in Dan and Bethel.

FVLK. 20. This is a sore complaint, that we haue falsified the Scripture, as it were with a Leprosie, in tran∣slating sculptile, and conflatile, a grauen and a molten I∣mage, and namely in the first commaundement, where there is no worde of Image, or Imagrie: but in deede in the second commaundement, wee translate▪ the Hebrue worde Pesel a grauen Image. You say it signifieth a gra∣uen* 1.7 thing, not including the worde Image. I answere you are not able to bring a place in the Bible, where it signifieth any other grauen thing, but onely an Image: & yet it is deriued of a verbe, that signifieth to graue or hewe, as the worde Pisilim, Iud. 3. taken for quarries of* 1.8 stone doth declare. Beside this, the worde nexte follow∣ing, signifying a similitude or Image, sufficiently shew∣eth, that it is not taken generally for any grauen worke, but for such, wherein the likenesse or similitude of God, or any creature is meante to be resembled: and the same doth also the Greeke worde 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 testifie; as for the Cherubins, Oxen, Brasen serpent, or any thing which God commaundeth, is not forbidden by this precept: but that whiche man maketh of his owne head, to ho∣nour as God, or to worship God by it. Wherefore very absurdely, to cloake suche abhominable Idolatrie▪ you say that this commaundement, Non facies sculptile, doth concurre with those words, Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me. By which not only two seuerall cōmaun∣dements are confounded, but also a vaine tautologie cō∣mitted: or els that added for interpretatiō▪ which is more obscure, than the text interpreted. Touching the crosse that stoode sometimes in the Queenes chappel, whereof you speake your pleasure, as also of hir Maiesties Coun∣cellours, it is not by and by Idolatrie, what soeuer is a∣gainst that commaundement, neither is the hauing of

any Images in the Churche (which are had in no vse of religion) contrarie to this commaundement. And al∣though wee will not accuse the Lutherans of Idolatrie, neither can wee, because they worship no Images: yet will we not excuse them, for suffering of Images to be in their Churches, whereof may ensue daunger of Idolatrie, but that in some parte they goe against this commaun∣dement, deceyued in their iudgement, and of vs not to be defended in their errour. After you haue railed a fitte, with fie for shame, and suche like Rhetorike, you seeme to make the prohibition of Images, none other, but such as the prohibition of mariage, and other conuersa∣tion with the Gentiles, which was only for feare of Ido∣latrie. But when you can shewe the like absolute com∣maundement, to forbid mariage, and conuersation with* 1.9 the Heathen, as this is for Images in religion, and wor∣shipping* 1.10 of them, we may haue some regarde of your si∣militude:* 1.11 otherwise the meaning of this commaunde∣ment,* 1.12 is generally to forbid all Images of God, and of* 1.13 * 1.14 his creatures, to honour God by them: for to honour* 1.15 them as Gods, is a breach of the first commaundement,* 1.16 as properly as of the second.* 1.17

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.3

  The meaning of the 1. Commaū∣dement concer∣ning false Gods & grauen idols.
• * 1.4

  The Crosse in the Q. Chappel.
• * 1.5

  Images in the Lutheran Churches.
• * 1.6

  ••. Reg. 11. Psalm. 105. v. 35.
• * 1.7

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.8

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.9

  Hebr.
• * 1.10

  Teraphim.
• * 1.11

  Matsebah.
• * 1.12

  Temunah.
• * 1.13

  M••schith.
• * 1.14

  Pesel.
• * 1.15

  Tselamim.
• * 1.16

  Tabnith.
• * 1.17

  Hamanim.