That the Ministers haue corrupted the Bible in sundry places, which proue the Reall Presence, and holy Sacrifice of the Masse. The second Section.

EVen as in this our corrupted Age, there be many and diuers Sects and Religions (yet but one true Religion Fayth, and Profession) in Germany & Holland specially, in Scotland, England, Denmarke, and Sueden; so there be many diuers Bibles, euery Religion forging and making Page  23 a Bible to proue and mantayne the errours, heresies, and blasphemies therof. And this with that pretext, which by inuentours of heresies is vsed in euery Age, saying alwayes to the poore ignorant people, that they preached nothing but the expresse Word of God, the playne Scripture, the formall text of the Bible. Notwithstanding in effect they preached nothing but their owne fantasies, inuentions, dreames, expositions, yea in a word, heresies and blasphe∣mies. To the which end it hath bene euer the custome of new Religion-makers to corrupt the Bible, to falsify the word of God, committing therby Lese-Maiesty Diuine. So the Puritane Ministers in Scotland haue euery where corrupted the Bible, and that in such sorte, that there is not one debatable poynt of Religion, betwixt vs and them, wherin they haue not most blasphemously and impiously corrupted the Bible.

2. As for example, our Sauiour Christ Iesus in Saint Matthew, in that short prayer called the Lords prayer, teacheth vs to aske specially not only corruptible bread, but the bread of Lyfe, that is, his owne flesh contayned in the blessed Sacrament, vnder the shape of bread, for the which cause our Sauiour called it(a) Supersubstantiall (because one substance is changed in another substance) or supernaturall bread, for so it is in the Greeke, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, Giue vs this day our supersubstantiall bread, which word:(b) S. Hierome expoundeth plainly of the blessed Sacrament. Likewise,(c) S. Ambrose,(d) S. Athanasius,(e) S. Augustin, and(f) S. Cyprian, whose words are; Sicut enim dicitur Pater noster, quia credentiam Pater est: sic panis noster, quia in Sacramento nobis datur. That is: Euen as God is called our Father, because he is God of the faythfull: so he is called, our Bread, because he is giuen to vs in the blessed Sacrament. Da∣mascenus confirmeth the same with sundry other holy Fa∣thers, who all expone those words of the Lords prayer, specially of the Blessed Sacrament, and Reall Presence.

3. And notwithstanding that in all the Greek Bibles, it is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, supersubstantiall bread, yet neuer a one of the Scottish Bibles hath followed the Greek text heer, be∣cause Page  24 it is a disaduantage, against them, and for vs Catho∣liks. And the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, not only is in S. Luke, but also the same is craued 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, dayly, because the bles∣sed Sacrament is both supersubstantiall and dayly bread, as witnesseth plainly the custome amongst the Apostles and Christians in the primitiue Church, & S. Ambrose giueth the reason wherfore it is called, supersubstantial:(g) Panem nostrum (sayth he) quotidianum da nobis hodie. Memini sermonis mei cùm de Sacramentis tractarem: Dixi vobis, quòd ante verba Chri∣sti, quod ossertur, panis dicatur: vbi verba Christi deprompt a fuerint, iam non panis dicitur, sed corpus appellatur: Quare ergo in oratione Dominica quae postea sequitur, ait, Panem nostrum? Panem quidem dixit, sed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, hoc est supersubstantialem. Non iste panis est, qui vadit in corpus: sed ille panis vitae aeternae, qui animae nostrae sub∣stantium fulcit, ideo Grecè 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 dicitur &c.

4. Euen as heer the Ministers haue left their owne Greeke text to mantayne their errour in not translating the Lords prayer as they should haue done, so they haue added to the Lords prayer, For thyne is the Kingdome, the power, and the glory for euer. It is manifest, that there be many Greeke new Testaments, that haue not these words, which though they had, it would proue nothing, for(h) Caluin belieueth constantly that the Greek text, now extant, is corrupted, And(i) Beza witnesseth the same: Ita{que} ingenuè profiteor edi∣tionem Gracam eo loco mihi videri deprauatam. Lykewise(k) Cal∣uin granteth that the Greek Euangel of S. Matthew is cor∣rupted, where all the Greek copyes haue (which was spo∣ken by Ieremias the Prophet) yet those words are found in Zachary, and not in Ieremy. Lykewise(l) Caluin lea∣ueth the Hebrew text (as corrupted) of the nynth Chapter of Isay, and the twenty three of Ieremie, and preferreth our Latin Catholik version therunto. And he sayth plainly,(m) That in the seauēth Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles vers. 16. The Greek text is manifestly corrupted, because the word Abraham is put for Iacob. And vpon the 20. of S. Mat∣thew 16. vers. he sayth that those words, Many are called, but few are chosen, are impertinent, and no wyse to the pur∣pose. Lykewise Beza(n) abandoneth in sundry other pla∣ces Page  25 the Greek text as corrupted, and followeth the Catholik Latin text, which is called Vulgata editio.

5. If the Greek new Testament be fulty and errone∣ous, how can it be the infallible Word of God? For as S. Augustin teacheth very wisely: If the Apostles haue erred in wryting the Euangells but in one place, it followeth, that they had not the infallible assistance of the holy Ghost in that place, and consequently the Reader will euer re∣maine incertaine, when they had that infallible assistance, and when not: wherof it followeth of necessity, that nei∣ther the Greek text of the new Testament, nor the Hebrew text of the old Testament, can be an infallible rule and iudge of Controuersies, because there is no Hebrew, Greek, nor Syriake copy now extant, which doth not containe sundry errours, the originals and autographes which the Apostles writ, not being extant. For this cause S. Hierome sayth wisely:(o) That the Latin copies of the Bible are more correct and true, then the Greek, and the Greek more correct then the Hebrew: Emendatiora sunt exemplaria Latina, quàm Graeca, & Graeca quàm Hebraea. Thus also constantly belieueth S. Augustin (whom Caluin calleth the Eagle of the Doctours):(p) In ipsis autem interpretationibus, Itala caeteris praeferatur, nam est verborum tenacior cum perspicuitate sententiae, & latini• quib•slibet emendandis Graeca adhibeantur, in quibus sep∣tuagintae in erpretum, quoad vetus Testamentum attinet, excellit auctoritas. And Beza himself the Oracle of the Puritanes, maketh greater account of our Latin Edition, then of the Greek copies that are now extant:(q) Quin etiam aliquot locis animaduertimus veteris interpretis lectionem, quamuit cum nostris Graecis exemplaribus non conueniat, interdum tamen melius quadra∣re, nempe quòd emendatius aliquod exemplar sequutus esse videatur. And a little after he preferreth our Latin vulgar Edition (which is preferred to all other Editions by the Catholike Church) saying: Quam ego maxima ex parte amplector, & ceteris omnibus antepono.

6. Since then, our vulgar Latin edition hath not these words. For thyne is the Kingnome, the power, and glory &c. why should the Ministers put them in the Lords prayer? Page  26 specially since the ancient Greek copies haue them not as may appeare,* because S. Augustin, S. Ambrose, S. Hie∣rome, S. Cyril, S. Cyprian, and Tertullian, explica∣ting the Lords prayer, make no mention of those wordes, in whose tyme the Greek copies did not differ herein from the Latin.

7. And it is easie to remark and see in this matter the new-fangled spirits of our Scots Ministers, amongst whom scarsely shall you find three that say the Lords prayer after the same forme: for some say, Our Father which art in Hea∣uen, others, O Our Father: some, Hallowed be thy name, o∣thers, Hallowed and blessed be thy Name, others, Hallowed, blessed, and sanctified be thy Name: some, Giue vs this day &c others, Giue vs O Lord this day: some, But deliuer vs from all euill, others, But deliuer vs from that euill one. And if in so short a prayer ther be such variety amongst Ministers, what marueile is it to see so great variance in matters of Religion, in expoun∣ding the Bible? the one suffering banishment for not a∣uowing kneeling, others for receauing kneeling against the solemne Oath and promise inioying their rents and sti∣pends: to the one and the other I will addresse those words of the Bible, for taking out of the Bible the words, supersubstantial bread:(r) If any man shall adde vnto these things, vnto him God shall adde the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall diminish &c. God shall take away his parte of the booke of lyfe.

8. The second corruption is in S. Matthew:(s) And at they did suppe, Iesus took the bread and blessed it, and brake it, and gaue it to his Disciples &c. in the Greek it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, he blessed, whereby the Bible shewes that our Sauiour blessed the bread, and by vertue of his blessing and words, turned the bread into his precious Body, for the blessing of Christ is not idle,* as when he multiplyed the fyues loaues, and two fishes by his blessing. And notwithstanding that al the Greek Bibles haue the word Blessed in S. Matthew: yet the Ministers haue left out the word, Blessed, and translated He gaue thankes, not making any account of the Greek Bi∣bles in this point, and that only to improue and gainstād Page  27 the forme o• •lessings, which the Catho•ike Church vseth in administring the Sac•aments.

9. The double and pe•uers dealing of the Ministers in this, is, that the same Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, I blesse, they turne in other parts of the Bible, as it should be turned: as in S. Matthew:(t) And he looked vp to Heauē, and blessed, and brake &c. And in S. Luke:(u) And be lif••d vp his hands and blessed them. And to the Galathians:(x) In thee shall all Nations be blessed, and in sundry other places where they turne alwaies the Greek word as it should be, and not in the 26. of Matthew. For the Syriake text maketh plainly for vs: Nesab Ieschuah lachemo •barec, Iesus took bread and blessed it. When the word blessing is referred to God, then it may signify to thank God, to praise God; but when it is referred to a creature, as in S. Matthew it is, it cannot be taken for thankesgiuing. But S. Luke say the Ministers, hath only (y) He took bread, and when he had giuen •hanks, he brake it, not making mention of the word, Blessing.* I answer that our Sauiour both gaue thanks and blessed the bread, as S. Augustin testifieth, and the two Euangelists, S. Matthew and S. Marke plainly witnesse, vsing the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, He blessed it. Now it is certaine, that the word blessing, cānot be taken for the word than∣kesgiuing, as when Iacob desired God to blesse his sonne Ioseph,* it cānot be said that he desired God to giue thanks to his sōne Ioseph, & infinite such other places which I o∣mit to be short, only cōtent with those words of S. Paul:(a) The cuppe of blessing which we blesse, is it not the communion of the Bloud of Christ? 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, it cānot be said the cuppe of thankesgiuing which we thanke for. The article, is the accusatiue case, wherfore the holy Fathers accordingly a∣uowe, that our Sauiour both gaue thankes, and blessed the bread. S. Augustin, quem citat Beza:(b) Non enim omnis panis, sed accipiens benedictionem Christi, fit Corpus Christi. Shew∣ing plainly that the blessing of Christ, had force to turne the bread into his body, for the blessing & words of Christ are of efficacy and working, not like the words of man, which are idle and without effect sayth S. Ambrose:(c) Tu fortè dicit, Meus panis est vsitatus: sed panis iste, panis est ante Page  28 verba Sacramentorum, vbi accesserit consecratio, de pane fit car• Christi. Hoc igitur astruamus. Quomodo potest, qui pauis est, corp••esse Christi? Consecratione. Consecratio igitur quibus verbis est, & cuius sermonibus? Domini Iesu. Nam reliqua omnia qua dicuntur, •aus Deo defertur: Oratione petitur pro populo, pro Re∣gibus, pro cateris: vbi venitur vt conficiatur venerabile Sacramen∣•um, iam non suis Sermonibus Sacerdos, sed vtitur Sermonibus Chri∣sti. Ergo, sermo Christi hoc conficit Sacramentum. Quis Sermo Christi? Nempe is, quo facta sunt omnia. Iussit Dominus & facta est terra: Iussit Dominus & factum est caelum: Iussit Dominus & facta sunt mania: Iussit Dominus & omnis creaturae generata est. Vides ergo quàm operatorius sit Sermo Christi. Can any man speake more plainly, against the Puritanes and Prote∣stants?

10. I doe supercede the prouing of other blasphe∣mous corruptions of the Ministers, referring them to se∣ueral Ages; asking only these three questions of Maister Ramsey. First, to name me any auncient Father, who euer did take the word, Blessing, for Thankesgiuing? The secōd, to name me any man of any Nation, who before Cal∣uin corrupted the Bible so blasphemously in this place? The third: Whether the perfect knowledge of the Greek tongue should be rather graunted to the Greek Fathers, (who do read vniuersally the word, He blessed, heere) then to our Scottish Ministers, whose ignorance in the Greek tongue is such, that to this day not one of them haue shew∣ed to be skilfull therin (to my knowledge) by any pu∣blik testimony.