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. 7. Marke his Doctors whom he opposeth to the fathers, both Greeke & Latine. Because Xenophon (sayth he) in such a place, & Plato in such a place, vse the sayd Greeke word actiuely. I omit this miserable match, and vnworthy names of Xenophon and Plato, in triall of S. Paules wordes, against all the glorious Doctors: this is his common custome. I aske him rather of these his owne Doctors, how they vse the Greeke word in other places of their workes? how vse they it most commonly? yea how doe all other Greeke writers either profane, or sacred, vse it? What say the Greeke readers of all Vniuersities? Sure∣ly, not onely they, but their scholers for the most part, can not be ignorant, that the vse of this word, & the like, is passiue, though* 1.1 sometime it may also signifie actiuely: but that is so rare in com∣parison of the other, that no man lightly will vse it, & I am well assured, it would be counted a fault, & some lacke of skill, if one now in his writings that would expresse this in Greeke, God filleth all thinges with his blessing, shoulde saye, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: and, The wine filleth the cuppe, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Aske them that haue skill, and controule me▪ Contrari∣wise, if one would saye passiuely, All thinges are filled with Gods blessing, The cuppe is filled with wine, Such a pro∣phecie is fulfilled. What meane Grecian would not say, as S.

Chrysostome here expoundeth this word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, vsing it pos∣siuely?

FVLK. 7. Marke howe malice carieth this man al∣most into madnesse. For who but a madde man woulde thinke, that Beza opposeth prophane writers to Ecclesi∣asticall doctours, for vnderstanding of the Scripture? The meane verbe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which the meanest Grammarian in the world knoweth to be taken both actiuely & pas∣siuely by the Grammar rule De verbo medio, Beza pro∣ueth out of Xenophon, and Plato, that it is and may be vsed actiuely. Why not therfore in this place of S. Paule, where bothe the sense requireth it, that one thing be not repeated twise without necessary cause, and the con∣struction of the worde 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 calleth for it, which other∣wise is lefte at randon, without any gouernment? Seeing therefore we haue the common rule of Grammar, and the example of eloquent writers for vse, I maruaile what M. Martine meaneth to waste so many wordes about so cleare a matter. No man that knoweth any thing, doub∣teth but that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 may be, and is often taken passiue∣ly: But seing it is also found to be a verbe meane, who neede to be afraide to vse it actiuely (hauing Xenophon and Plato for his warrant) yea euen in those examples you put of Gods blessing filling all things, or the wine filling the cuppe, if any man would speake so. But if be∣cause the worde is more vsually taken passiuely, men would refraine so to speake, yet why should we thinke that S. Paule did not vse it actiuely? when the actiue sig∣nification is more agreeable, both with his wordes, and with his meaning. But least you shoulde thinke Beza is alone, which taketh it actiuely, what say you to Philip∣pus Montanus one of your owne profession, which in his animaduersions vpon Theophlyactes translation, by him corrected, sayth vpon this place 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 qui adimplet, vel adimpletur, verbum enim est medium, passiuè autem videtur accipere Theophylactus.

Which filleth, or which is filled: for it is a verbe of indifferent signification, actiue or

passiue, but Theophylact seemeth to take it passiuely.

What say you to Isidorus Clarius, who although in his text he readeth passiuely, yet in his note, cōfesseth it may be takē either passiuely or actiuely. For this is his note. Plenitudo eius\] per omnia enim membra adimpletur corpus Christi, quia omnia in omnibus implet, dum ipse agit in omni∣bus, vel per omnes homines haec implet membra. Siue pleni••u∣dinem & complementum omne suum habet ipsa ecclesia ab illo, qui omnia in omnibus adimplet.

That is the fulnesse of him\] for by all the members the bodie of Christ is filled, be∣cause he filleth all in all, while he worketh in all, or throughout all men filleth these members. Or else the Church hir selfe hath all hir fulnesse and accōplishment of him, which filleth al in al.

These mē both Papists, were as good Grecians (I warrant you) as M. Gregorie Martin is, or euer will be, by whom if he will not be controlled, it were folly to presse him with the iudgement of our Greeke readers, which he requireth.

Notes

• * 1.1

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