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Herd ye reder euer such a nother? Is presbyteros here called an elder in ye olde latine trāslacyō? I fynde there this word seniores, where the greke chyrch vsed in theyr langage presbyte¦ros. But as for this word elde•• which Tindale sayth is ye old latyne translacyō: he were lyke to pore out his eyen vpp•••• latyne boke ere he fynde y• englyshe word elder th••••••, 〈…〉〈…〉
[ A] he cause yt to be wryten in hym selfe. And yet he layeth lyke textes .iii. or foure / some in ye pystles of saynt Iohn̄, & some in the Actes, where he fyndeth in stede of presbyteros this word seniores and natu maiores/and alwaye he setteth thereto, lo here is presbyteros called an elder and an elder in byrth, as though this latine word seniores or natu maiores were this englysh word elder / where he sayth that presbyteros is called elder in the olde trāslacyon / whych as ye se muste nedes be false: but yf this englyshe worde be in that latine boke, and that he make en∣glyshe latine and latine englyshe.
But now leste he call the redargucyon of his foly sophys¦tycacyon / lette vs diuine for hym what he myght meane. He wyll happely say, that he meaneth yt this greke word pr••s••yte¦ros is in the texte that he hath alleged called by the olde trans¦latour [ B] seniores, and seniores sygnyfyeth elder or elders. And so though this worde elder be not in the latine trāslacyon, yet syth that latine worde is there that sygnyfyeth in laten the same thynge that this worde elder sygnyfyeth in englyshe: we can not blame hym for translatynge presbyteros in to thys worde elder / but yf we blame in lyke wyse the translatour, for translatynge presbyteros in to this worde seniores.
Fyrste yf I sayed that the olde translacyon were in that poynt not so well as yt myght haue ben / I sholde not saye so alone. And Erasm{us} whom Tyndale calleth my derlyng, and whom hym selfe doth for all that in his own trās••acyon preferre byfore the olde / doth as well in the sayed pystle of saynt Peter, as in the sayd .xx. chapiter of thapostles Actes, not onely kepe styll the greke worde presbyteros, but sheweth [ C] also that the old translatour translated it not well, bycause he translated there thys worde presbyteros into thys worde s••∣niores, and in the tother place into maiores natu/but sayth that he shold rather haue kepte styll the worde presbyteros vnchaun¦ged, bycause that worde is yt yt sygnyfyeth authoryte wyth the grekes / where seniore•• in latine sygnyfyeth but theyr age, and all were not olde as appered by Timothe. And for that cause in the sayed place of saynte Peter his pystle / saynt Hie¦rome amendeth that olde translacyon and kepeth presbyteros styll, recitynge saynte Peter in this wyse: Presbyteros qui sunt ••n vobis obsecro ego compresbyter. wherein saynt Hierome was rather cont•••••• to ioyne the latine cōiunccyon with the greke word, and ••all y•• compresbyter/then to chaunge that worde sygnyfy∣enge the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in to seni••res and consen••or, sygnifyeng but ye age.
For amonge the latines senior sygnyfyed none other / but a∣monge [ A] the grekes presbyteri was the name that many tymes sygnyfyed rulers and gouernours.
Now yf we lyste we may yet excuse the olde translatour / whych how sone after Crystes deth he translated it who can tell? And then when the latine chyrche had no laten worde for the crysten prestes all redy receyued & vsed / what blame was he worthy that toke that worde not contynually but a∣monge, whyche of all the latine wordes semed to hym to go nexte the sygnifycacyon of presbyteros at that tyme. And yt was as hym thought seniores, in whych word yet the chyrch neuer folowed hym though / but though they redde his trāslacion openly in diuine seruyce, yet neyther in theyr wrytynge nor preachynge wold they take vp that worde and call a preest seniour / as appereth by the bokes and sermons of all holy [ B] doctours synnys.
And therfore Tyndale is wythoute excuse, whyche hath translated presbyteros by this englyshe worde elders / a worde vnknowen amonge englyshe men to sygnyfye prestes / and amonge whom this word preste was ye proper englesh word well knowen, and had serued in that sygnifycacyon so ma∣ny hundred yere afore Tyndale was borne.
Also go me to the place whych Tyndale alledgeth in the fyrste pystle of saynt Petre: Seniores qui sunt in vobis obsecro ego conse¦nior pascite qui in vobis est grezem Christi. whych place I take for en∣sample. For where he layeth two places of the pystles of saynt Iohn̄, and one in the .xx. of the Actes / all be for one purpose, and this one place answerd, answereth them all: I saye therfore that Tyndale hath euen here in this his newe [ C] boke translated that same place wronge, and all the rema∣naunt in lyke wyse. And that wyll I proue partely by Tyn¦dales owne wordes, whych in this boke folowe the transla∣cyon of those wordes.
The elders that are amonge you, I beche whych am an elder also, that ye ••ede the flocke of Cryste whych is amonge you. There is presbyteros calle•• an elder And in that he sayth fede Cristes flocke / he meaneth euen the ministers that were chosen to teache the people and to enforme them in godd•••• worde and •••• saye persones.