A discouerie of the manifold corruptions of the Holy Scriptures by the heretikes of our daies specially the English sectaries, and of their foule dealing herein, by partial & false translations to the aduantage of their heresies, in their English Bibles vsed and authorised since the time of schisme. By Gregory Martin one of the readers of diuinitie in the English College of Rhemes.

CHAP. II. Heretical translation of holy Scripture against Apostolical TRADITIONS.

1 THIS is a matter of such impor∣tance, that if they should graunt any traditions of the Apostles, and not pretend the vvritten vvord only: they knovv that byc such tra∣ditions mentioned in al antiquitie, their re∣ligion

vvere vvholy defaced and ouerthro∣vven. for remedie vvhereof, and for the de∣facing of al such traditions, they bend their translations against them in this wonderful maner. Vvheresoeuer the Holy, Scripture speaketh against certaine traditions of the Ievves, partly friuolous, partly repugnant to the Lavv of God, there al the English translations folovv the Greeke exactly, ne∣uer omitting this vvord, tradition. Contra∣rievvise vvheresoeuer the holy Scripture speaketh in the commendation of Traditi∣ons, to vvit, such traditions as the Apostles deliuered to the Churche, there al their said trāslations agree, not to folovv the Greeke, vvhich is still the self same vvord, but for, traditions, they translate, ordinances, or instructions. Vvhy so and to vvhat purpose? vve appeale to the vvorme of their conscience, vvhich continually accuseth them of an heretical meaning, vvhether, by vrging the vvord, traditions, vvheresoeuer they are discommen∣ded, and by suppressing the vvord, vvhere∣soeuer they are commended, their purpose and intent be not, to signifie to the Reader, that al traditions are naught, & none good, al reprouable, none allovvable.

2 For example. Mat. 15. Thus they translate, Vvhy do thy disciples transgresse the TRADITION of the Elders? And againe, Vvhy do you also transgresse

the commaundement of God by your TRADITION? And againe, Thus haue you made the commaunde∣ment of God of no effect by your TRADITION: here (I vvarant you) al the belles sound tradi∣tion, and the vvord is neuer omitted, and it is very vvel and honestly translated, for so the Greeke vvord doth proprely signifie. But novv on the other side, concerning good traditions, let vs see their dealing. The Apostle by the self same vvord both in Greeke and Latin, saith thus: Therfore, brethren, stand & hold fast the TRADITIONS vvhich you haue learned either by vvord, or by our epistle. And againe, Vvithdraw your selues from euery brother walking inor∣dinatly, & not according to the TRADITION vvhich they haue receiued of vs. And againe (according to the Greeke vvhich they professe to fo∣lovv:) I praise you brethren, that in al things you are mindeful of me, and as I haue deliuered vnto you, you keepe my TRADITIONS.

3 Here vve see plaine mention of S. Paules traditions, and cōsequently of Apostolical traditions, yea and traditions by vvord of mouth, deliuered to the said Churches vvithout vvriting or Scripture. In al vvhich places looke, gentle reader, & seeke al their English translations, & thou shalt not once finde the vvord, tradition, but in steede thereof, ordinances, instructions, preachings, institutions, and any vvord els rather then, tradition, in so much that Beza their maister

trāslateth it traditam doctrinā, the doctrine deliuered, putting the singular number for the plural, & adding, doctrine, of his ovvne. so framing the text of holy Scripture according to his false cōmētarie, or rather putting his cōmē∣tarie in the text, & making it the text of Scri∣pture. Vvho would thinke their malice and partialitie against traditions vvere so great, that they should al agree vvith one con∣sent so duely and exactly in these and these places to cōceale the word, vvhich in other places do so gladly vse it, the Greeke vvord being al one in al the said places?

4 Yea they doe els vvhere so gladly vse this vvord, tradition, vvhen it may tend to the discredite thereof: that they put the said vvord in al their English Bibles, vvith the like ful consent as before, vvhen it is not in the Greeke at al. As vvhen they trans∣late thus, If ye be dead vvith Christ from the rudiments of the vvorld: vvhy as though liuing in the vvorld, ARE YE LEDDE VVITH TRADITIONS? & as an other English translation of theirs readeth more heretically, Vvhy are ye burdened vvith traditions? Tel vs sincerely you that pro∣fesse to haue skill in the Greeke, & to trans∣late according to the Greeke? tell vs vve beseche you, vvhether this Greeke vvord 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 do signifie tradition, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to be ledde or burdened vvith traditions.

You can not be ignorant that it doth not so signifie, but as a litle before in the same chapter, & in other places, your selues trans∣late 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ordinances, decrees: so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, must be (as in the vulgar Latin it is) Quid de∣cernitis? Vvhy do you ordaine or decree, or, vvhy are you ledde vvith decrees?

5 Iustifie your translation if you can, either out of Scriptures, fathers, or Lexicon. and make vs a good reason vvhy you put the vvord, traditions, here, vvhere it is not in the Greeke: and vvould not put it in the places before, vvhere you knovv it is most eui∣dently in the Greeke. Yea you must tel vs, vvhy you translate for tradition, ordinance, and contrarie for ordinance, tradition: so turning catte in panne (as they say) at your pleasure, and wresting both the one and the other to one end, that you may make the very name of traditions odious among the people, be they neuer so authentical, euen from the Apostles: vvhich your conscience knovveth, and you shal ansvver for it at the dreadful day.

6 Somevvhat more excusable it is, but yet proceding of the same heretical humor, and on your part (that should exactly folovv the Greeke) falsely translated, vvhen you translate in S. Peters Epistle thus: You vvere not redeemed vvith corruptible things from your vaine

conuersation receiued by the tradition of the fathers. Vvhere the Greeke is thus rather to be translated, from your vaine conuersation deliuered by the fathers. but your fingers itched to foist in the vvord, tradition, and for, deliuered, to say, receiued, because it is the phrase of the Catho∣like church, that it hath receiued many things by tradition, vvhich you vvould here con∣troule by likenes of vvordes in this false translation.

7 But concerning the vvord tradition, you vvil say perhaps the sense thereof is inclu∣ded in the Greeke vvord, deliuered Vve gra∣unt. but vvould you be content, if vve should alvvaies expresly adde, tradition, vvhere it is so included? then should vve say 1 Cor. 11, 2. I praise you that as I haue deliuered you (by tradition,) you keepe my precepts or tradi∣tions. And againe v. 23. For I receiued of our Lord, vvhich also I deliuered vnto you (by tradition) &c. And Luc. 1. v. 2. As they (by tradition) deliuered vnto vs, vvhich from the beginning savv &c. and such like, by your example, vve should translate in this sort. but vve vse not this licentious maner in trāslating holy Scriptures, neither is it a translators part, but an interpreters, and his that maketh a commentarie: neither doth a good cause neede other translation then the expresse text of the Scripture gi∣ueth.

8 And if you vvil yet say, that our vulgar Latin translation hath here the vvord, tradition: vve graunt it hath so, and therfore vve also translate accordingly. but you pro∣fesse to translate the Greeke, and not the vulgar Latin, vvhich you in England con∣demne as Papistical, and * say it is the vvorst of al, though * Beza your maister pronoūce it to be the very best: and vvil you not∣vvithstanding folovv the said vulgar Latin rather then the Greeke, to make traditions odious? Yea such is your partialitie one vvay, and inconstancie an other vvay, that for your heretical purpose you are content to folovv the old Latin translation, though it differ from the Greeke, & againe an other time you vvil not folovv it, though it be al one vvith the Greeke most exactly. as in the place before alleaged, where the vulgar Latin trāslation hath nothing of traditions, but, Quid decernitis, as it is in the Greeke: you translate, Vvhy are ye burdened vvith traditions?

9 So that a blinde man may see, you frame your translations to bolster your errours & heresies, without al respect of folovving sincerely either the Greeke or the Latin. But for the Latin no maruel, the Greeke at the least vvhy doe you not folovv? Is it the Greeke that induceth you to say ordināces for traditions, traditions for decrees, ordi∣nances

for iustifications, Elder for Priest, graue for hel, image for idol? tel vs before God and in your conscience vvhether it be, because you wil exactly folow the Greeke: nay tel vs truely, and shame the Diuel, vvhether the Greeke wordes do not sound and signifie most properly that, vvhich you of purpose vvil not translate, for disaduan∣taging your heresies? And first let vs see concerning the question of Images.

Notes

• c

  See the an∣notations of the nevv Te∣stament 2 Thess, 2, 15.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• 2 Thes. 2. v. 15 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, tradi∣tiones. 2 Thess. 3, 6.
• 1 Cor. 11, 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Yet M. Fulke saith, it is found there. pag. 153 against D. Sand. Rocke. If he giue not vs an instance. let him giue him self the lie.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Col. 2.20.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• of the yere 1579.
• Col. 2, 14. Ephes. 2, 15. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 they trans∣late, ordi∣nance: and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, tradition: cleane con∣trarie.
• 1 Pet. 1, 18.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Tradidi 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• Discouer. of the Rocke. pag. 147.
• Prefat. in no. Test. 1556.
• Col. 2, 20.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉