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. But will you not yet see merite and meri∣torious workes in the Scripture? I maruell your skill in the Greeke teacheth you nothing in this point. S. Iohn saith: Looke to your selues, that you lose not the things which you haue wrought, but that you may receiue a full reward. Me thinketh, in these wordes the equiualent of merite is easily seene of any man that is not wilfully blinde. But you should see further thā the cōmon sorte. For you know that the Greeke here signifieth▪ not only that which we worke, but that which we worke for. At in the Greeke phrase of working for a mans liuing, and as you translats Io. 6. v. 27. LABOVR NOT FOR THE MEATE that perisheth, but for that meate which endu∣reth vnto life euerlasting. Such labourers God hired to

worke in his vineyard, & the workeman is worthie of his hire. So that the Apostle in the former wordes exhorteth to per∣seuerance, that we lose not the reward or pay, for which we worke and which by working we merite and deserue.

FVLK. 21. You fare with vs, as a mery fellow did with his friendes, of whom Erasmus telleth, who affir∣ming that he sawe in the skie a fiery dragon, with often asking them if they did not see it, he induced them at length, euery one to cōfesse they saw it, least they should haue bene thought to be purblind. But in good earnest, & in my conscience, I see no more merite in the Scrip∣tures, than I did before. Yea I haue this argument more, to persuade mee that it is not founde in the Scriptures, because the chiefest patrones thereof, hauing taken such paynes to finde it, are nowe as farre from it, as euer they were. But to the matter, I say there is no merite in∣cluded in the saying of S. Iohn, although you rehearse it in the seconde person, after the vulgar Latine tran∣slation, and not after the Greeke, whiche is in the firste person, and may be referred to the rewarde of the Apo∣stles, which shall be full, if they whom they haue con∣uerted to the faith, doe perseuere vnto the ende. But make it as strong for your parte as you can, the full re∣warde is giuen according to the moste bountifull pro∣mise of God, to our good workes, of his meere mercie and grace, and not by deserte of our workes. And the parable of the labourers, whom God hired into his vineyarde, declareth moste euidently, that the rewarde is of grace, not of merite. For if it were of merite, they that came first earely in the morning, should haue receyued more, as their labour was greater, than they whiche came at the laste houre. Where our Sauiour Christe sayeth▪ the workeman is worthie of his hire, hee teacheth his Disciples, that they maye lawfully take meate and drinke of them to whome they preach, ac∣cording to that common saying, or Prouerbe. But thereof it followeth not, that euery one which worketh

in Gods vineyarde, is worthie for his workes sake, and by deserte of his labour, of eternall glorie, for he promiseth greater rewarde to his workemen, a thou∣sande folde and more, than their labour doth deserue▪ So that yet wee see not, that wee merite and deserue by working, although we receyue rewarde for our work▪ or according to our workes. Vnde mihi tantum meriti (saith a godly father) cui indulgentia est pro coron••? whence should I haue so greate merite when pardon or mercie is my crowne.

Notes

• 2. Epist. v. 8.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• Mat. 20.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Luc. 10.
• Math. 20.
• Luc. 10.
• Ambros. ad virg. in exhor.