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. 26. And so be these places, where them selues translate Sacerdos a Priest, they may learne also how to trans∣late Presbyteros in S. Hierome saying the verie same thing,* 1.1 that at their praiers, the bodie and bloud of our Lord is made. And in an other place, that with their sacred mouth, they make our Lordes bodie. Likewise when they read S. Ambrose agaist the Nouatians, that God hath graūted licēc•• to his Priests to release & forgiue as well great sinnes as* 1.2 litle without exception: & in the Ecclesiastical history, how the Nouatian Heretikes taught that such as were fallen into great

sinnes, should not aske for remission of the Priest, but of God* 1.3 onely: they may learne howe to translate Presbyteros, in S. Hierom, and in the Ecclesiasticall historie, where the one sayth thus: Episcopus & Presbyter, cùm peccatorum audierit varietates, scit qui ligandus sit, qui soluendus: and the o∣ther* 1.4 speaketh de Presbytero Poenitentiario, of an extraor∣dinarie Priest, that heard confessions, and enioyned penance, who afterward was taken away, and the people went to diuerse ghostly fathers, as before. And especially Saint Chrysostome ••ill make them vnderstand what these Presbyteri were, and how they are to be called in English, who telleth them in their owne word, that Sacerdotes, the Priestes of the newe lawe* 1.5 haue power, not onely to know, but to purge the filth of the soule, therefore whosoeuer despiseth them, is more worthy to be punished, than the ••ebell Dathan, and his complices.

FVLK. 26. Where S. Hierom vseth the worde Pres∣byteri, we wil make no great curtesie to translate Priests: knowing that when he sayth, at their prayers, the bodie and bloud of Christ is made, he meaneth the Sacrament of the bodie and bloud: of Christ, as he him selfe sayth in an other place.

Dupliciter sanguis Christi, & ••ar•• intelli∣gitur. The bloud and flesh of Christ is vnderstoode two maner of wayes either that spirituall and diuine, whereof he him selfe sayde: my flesh is meate in deede, and my bloud is drinke in deede: and except yee shall eate my fleshe and drinke my bloud, you shall not haue eternall life: or else the flesh and bloud which was crucified, and which was shedde by the speare of the souldier. This and such other places teach vs to vnderstand S. Hierome,

if he speake any where obscurely or vnproperly of the myste∣rie of our Lordes supper. We graunt with Ambrose, that God hath giuen auctoritie to all the ministers of the worde, to remit all sinnes that be remissible. But this do not you graunt, for you reserue some to the Bishops, and some to the Pope alone to remitte, wherein you goe cleane against Ambrose, who fauoureth you not so

much by the terme Sacerdos, which you say he vseth, as he condemneth your partiall & Popish reseruation of cases, when he alloweth euery Priest to forgiue, as well great sinnes as litle▪ without exception. S. Hierom you cite at large, as it seemeth, to insinuate auricular cōfession. But the whole saying you liked not, because it▪ sheweth how they forgiue sinnes. It is writtē in Math. lib. 3. cap. 16. vpō those wordes spoken to Peter.

Vnto thee will I giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen &c. Istū locū episcopi & presbyteri nōintelligentes &c. This place Bishops & Priests not vnderstanding, take vpon them somewhat of the pride of the Pharizees: so that they thinke they may ey∣ther condemne the innocentes, or lose the guiltie per∣sons: whereas with God not the sentence of the Priests, but the life of the persons accused is inquired of. Wee read in Leuiticus of the Lepers, where they are cōmaun∣ded to shewe them selues to the Priestes, and if they haue the Leprosie, then by the Priest they are made vn∣cleane. Not that Priestes make Lepers and vncleane per∣sons, but that they may haue knowledge of him that is a Leper▪ and him that is no Leper: and may discerne who is cleane or who is vncleane. Therefore euen as the Prieste doth there make the Leper cleane or vncleane: So here also the Bishop and Prieste doth binde or lose, not them that be innocent or guiltie, but according to his office, when he shall heare the varietie of sinners, he knoweth who is to be bound, and who is to be loosed.

But where you saye, the people went to diuerse ghostly fathers, as before, when that extraordinarie penitenti∣arie Priest was taken away, for the adulterie of a Deaco•• at Constātinople, you speake beside the booke, to make the ignorant beleeue that the people went to auricu∣lar shrift. For in Constantinople, where this priuie con∣fession was taken away, the people were left to their owne consciences. At Rome the same time, great offen∣ders did open penance, neither were there any such di∣uerse ghostly fathers, as you speake of. That Chryso∣stom

sayth, lib. 3. de sacerdotio, we receiue it, being so vn∣derstood, as i•• be not contrary to that I cited euen nowe our of Hie〈…〉〈…〉 But what maketh all this against transla∣ting Presbyter, an Elder?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Presbyteri.
• * 1.2

  Sacerdotibus.
• * 1.3

  a Sacerdote.
• * 1.4

  Sozom. lib. 7. c. 16▪ Socrat. lib. 5. c. 19.
• * 1.5

  Lib. 3. de Sacerd.