Saint Augustines confessions translated: and with some marginall notes illustrated. Wherein, diuers antiquities are explayned; and the marginall notes of a former Popish translation, answered. By William Watts, rector of St. Albanes, Woodstreete

CHAP. 31. Truth is to be receiued, who∣euer speakes it.

1. SO now, when another shall say, Moses meant as I doe: and another, Yea the very same that I doe: I sup∣pose that with more religi∣on I may say, Why meant hee not as you both meane, if you both meane truely? And if there may bee a third truth, or a fourth; yea if any o∣ther man may discouer a∣ny other trueth in those

words; why may not Hee bee beleeued to haue seene all these; Hee, by whose ministery, GOD that is but One, hath tempered these holy Scriptures to the mea∣nings of a many, that were both to see true, and yet diuerse things? For mine owne part verily, (and fearelessely I speake it from my heart) that were I to endite any thing that should attayne * 1.1 the highest Top of authority, I would choose to write in such a strayne, as that my words might car∣ry the sound of any trueth with them, which any man were apprehensiue of, con∣cerning these matters; ra∣ther then so clearely to set downe one true sence onely concerning some one parti∣cular, as that I should there∣by exclude all such other sences, which being not false,

could no waies offend mee. I will not therefore, O my God, be so heady, as not to beleeue, that this a a 1.2 man ob∣tained not thus much at thy hands. Hee without doubt both perceiued, and was ad∣uised of, in those words, whenas hee wrote them; what trueth soeuer wee haue beene able to finde in them: yea and whatsoeuer we haue not heretofore beene able, no nor yet are: prouided, that this trueth bee possi∣ble to bee found in them at all.

Notes

• * 1.1

  This is the third time that St Austen hath giuen the Scrip∣tures this stile; and neuer mentio∣ned any subiection of the Scriptures vnto the Church, which the Papist would so fayne haue
• a 1.2

  Moses.