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.

Martin.

HAVING now discouered their corrupt tran∣slations* 1.1 for defacing of the Churches name, and abolishing of Priest and Priesthood: let vs come to another point of very great im∣portance also, and which by the wonted conse∣quence or sequele of errour, includeth in it many erroneous branches. Their principall malice then being bent against Purgatorie, that is, against a place were Chri∣stian soules be purged by suffering of temporall paines after this life, for surer maintenaunce of their erroncous deniall hereof, they take away and denie all third places, saying that there was neuer from the beginning of the worlde any other place for soules after this life, but onely two: to witte, heauen for the blessed: and hell for the damned. And so it foloweth by their hereticall doctrine, that the Patriarches, Prophetes, and other good holy men of the old Testament, went not after their deaths, to the place called Abrahams bosome, or Limbus patrum. But

immediatly to heauen: & so againe by their erroneous doctrin•• it foloweth, that the fathers of the old Testament were in hea∣uen, before our sauiour Christe had suffered death for their re∣demption: and also by their erroneous doctrine it foloweth, that our sauiour Christ was not the first man that ascended and en∣tred into heauen: and moreouer by their hereticall doctrine it foloweth, that our sauiour Christe des••ended not into any such third place, to deliuer the fathers of the olde Testament out of their prison, and to bring them triumphantly with him into hea∣uen, because by their erroneous doctrine they were neuer there •• and so that article of the Apostles Creede concerning our saui∣our Christ his descending into hell, must either be put out by the Caluinists, as Beza did in his Confession of his faith printed An. 1564. or it hath some other meaning, to wit, either the lying of his bodie in the graue, or (as Caluine and the purer Caluinists* 1.2 his schollers will haue it) the suffering of hell paines & distresses vpon the Crosse. Loe the consequence and coherence of these er∣rours and heresies.

Fulke.

WE may be bolde to say with S. Augu∣stine,* 1.3 We beleeue according to the au∣ctoritie of God▪ that the kingdome of heauen is the first place appointed for Gods elect, and that hell is the seconde place, where all the reprobrate & such is be not of the faith of Christe, shall suffer eternall punishment. Tertium penitus ignoramus, imo nec esse in scripturis sanctis inuenimus. The thirde place we are vtterly ignorant of, yea and that it is not, wee finde in the holy Scriptures. But hereof it followeth, say you, that the godly of the olde Testament, went not af∣ter their deathes to Abrahams bosome, or Limbus pa∣trum, but immediately to heauen. Of Limbus patrum. which is a border of the Popes hel, I graūt it followeth▪

but of Abrahams bosome it followeth none otherwise, than if I should say, Gregorie Martin went into Chepe∣side, Ergo, he went not to London. That the fathers of the old Testament were in Heauen, before our Sauiour Christ had suffered death for their redemption, it is no incōuenience: for his death was as effectuall to redeeme them that liued before he suffered actually, as them that liue since, because in Gods sight, hee is the Lambe that was slaine from the beginning of the world. And the fa∣thers that were iustified by faith in his bloud, receyued the same crowne and rewarde of rightuousnesse, that we do beyng iustified by the same meanes. And yet our Sa∣uiour Christe was the first man, that in his whole man∣hood ascended and entred into heauen, into the fulnesse and perfection of glory which is prepared for all Gods elect, to be enioyed after the generall resurrection. That our Sauiour Christe descended into no prison after his death, we verily beleeue, and yet we do also constantly beleeue the article of our Creede, that he descended in∣to hel, by suffering in soule the paynes due to Gods iu∣stice, for the sinnes of all whome hee redeemed, and by vanquishing the Deuill, and all the power of hel, in working the redemption of all the children of God. If Beza in his confession had cleane left out that article, whiche is vntrue, hee had bene no more to bee blamed than the auctors of the Nicene Creede, and many o∣ther Creedes in which it is not expressed, because it is partly conteyned vnder the article of his sufferings, part∣ly it is in parte of the effect and vertue of his death and redemption.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1
• * 1.2

  Caluins Institu∣tions li. 2. c. 16. Sect. 10. and in his Catechisme.
• * 1.3

  1