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. 21. In all which places, if they will translate El∣der, and yet make the same a common name to all Ecclesiastical degrees, as Beza defineth it, let the indifferent Reader consider* 1.1 the absurd confusion, or rather the impossibilitie thereof: if not, but they will graunt in all these places, it signifieth Priest, and so is meant: then we must beate them with Bezaes rodde of re∣prehension* 1.2 against Castaleon: that we can not dissemble the boldnesse of these men, which woulde God it rested within the custome of words onely, and were not important matter, concerning their heresie. These men therefore tou∣ching the word Priest, though vsed of sacred writers in the mysterie of the newe Testament, and for so many yeares after, by the secret consent of all Churches, conse∣crated to this one Sacrament, so that it is now growen to be the proper vulgar speeche almoste of all nations: yet* 1.3 they dare presume rashly to change it, and in place there∣of, to vse the word Elder delicate men forsooth (yea worse a great deale, because these do it for heresie, & not for delicacy) which neither are moued with the perpetuall authoritie of so many ages, nor by the daily custome of the vulgar speech, can be brought to thinke that lawful for diuines,

which all men graunt to other maisters & professors of artes, that is, to reteyne & hold that as their owne, which by long vse, & in good faith, they haue truely possessed. Neither may they pretend the authoritie of any auncient writer (as that the old Latine translator sayth, Senior, & Se∣niores)* 1.4 for that which was to them as it were newe, to vs is olde: & euen then, that the selfe same wordes which we now vse, were more familiar to the Church, it is eui∣dent, because it is very seldom that they speake other∣wise.

FVLK. 21. I see no impossibilitie, but that in all places where we reade Presbyter, we may lawfully tran∣slate Elder, as well as Priest, and make it stil in Scripture, a common name to all Ecclesiasticall degrees, at least, to as many as the Scripture maketh it common, without a∣ny absurditie or confusion. And albeit in the fathers, we should translate it Priest, because they vnderstood by the name Presbyter, a distinct degree from Episcopus: yet the saying of Beza against Castaleo, could not by any wise man be applyed to vs. For Castaleo changed the name of the Sacrament Baptismus, by which both the Scriptures, and the fathers vniformely, did vse to signifie one, and the same Sacrament: whereas the name of Pre∣sbyter, in the Scripture, signifieth one thing, and in the fa∣thers an other. For in the Scripture it is taken indifferēt∣ly for Episcopus, and Episcopus for Presbyter: but in the fa∣thers these are two distinct degrees. Therfore he is wor∣thy to be beaten in a Grammar schole, that can not see manifest difference betwene the vse of the worde Baptis∣mus, which being spoken of the Sacrament▪ in the Scrip∣tures, and fathers, is alwayes one and of Presbyter, which in the Scriptures is euery Ecclesiasticall gouernor, in the fathers one degree onely, that is subiect to the Bishop.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Annot. in 1. Pet. 5.
• * 1.2

  Bezaes vvords in the place a▪ boue alledged.
• * 1.3

  Prete. Prebstre. Priest.
• * 1.4

  Presbyter, for a Priest. Baptismus for the Sacra∣ment of Bap∣tisme.