Treating of the causes vvhy this nevv Testament is translated according
to the auncient vulgar Latin text.
THE holy Bible long since translated by vs into English, and the old
Testament lying by vs for lacke of good meanes to publish the vvhole in
such sort as a vvorke of so great charge and importance requireth: vve
haue yet through Gods goodnes at length fully finished for thee (most
Christian reader) all the NEVV TESTAMENT, vvhich is the principal, most
profitable & comfortable peece of holy vvrite: and, as vvel for all
other institution of life and doctrine, as specially for deciding the
doubtes of these daies, more propre and pregnant then the other part not
yet printed.
NOVV TO GIVE thee also intelligence in particular, most gentle Reader, of
such thinges as it behoueth thee specially to knovv concerning our
Translation: Vve translate the old vulgar Latin text, not the common
Greeke text, for these causes.
1. It is so auncient, that it vvas vsed in the Church of God aboue 1300
yeres agoe, as appeareth by the fathers of those times.
2. It is that (by the common receiued opinion and by al probabilitie)
vvhich S. Hierom aftervvard corrected according to the Greeke, by the
appointment of Damasus then Pope, as he maketh mention in his preface
before the foure Euangelistes, vnto the said Damasus: and 'in Catalogo
in fine,' and 'ep. 102.'
3. Consequently it is the same vvhich S. Augustine so commendeth and
allovveth in an Epistle to S. Hierom.
4. It is that, vvhich for the most part euer since hath been vsed in the
Churches seruice, expounded in sermons, alleaged and interpreted in the
Commentaries and vvritings of the auncient fathers of the Latin Church.
5. The holy Councel of Trent, for these and many other important
considerations, hath declared and defined this onely of al other latin
translations, to be authentical, and so onely to be vsed and taken in
publike lessons, disputations, preachings, and expositions, and that no
man presume vpon any pretence to reiect or refuse the same.
6. It is the grauest, sincerest, of greatest maiestie, least partialitie,
as being vvithout al respect of controuersies and contentions, specially
these of our time, as appeareth by those places vvhich Erasmus and others
at this day translate much more to the aduantage of the Catholike cause.
7. It is so exact and precise according to the Greeke, both the phrase
and the word, that delicate Heretikes therfore reprehend it of rudenes.
And that it follovveth the Greeke far more exactly then the Protestants
translations, beside infinite other places, we appeale to these.
Tit. 3,14. 'Curent bonis operibus praeesse.' 'proissasthai.' Engl. bib.
1577, 'to mainteine good vvorks.' and Hebr. 10, 20. 'Viam nobis
initiauit,' 'enekainisen.' English Bib. 'he prepared.' So in these
vvordes, 'Iustificationes,' 'Traditiones,' 'Idola' &c. In al vvhich they
come not neere the Greeke, but auoid it of purpose.
8. The Aduersaries them selues, namely Beza, preferre it before al the
rest. (Inpraefat. no. Test an. 1556.) And againe he saith, that the old
Interpreter translated very religiously. (Annot. in 1. Luc. v. 1.)
9. In the rest, there is such diuersitie and dissension, and no end of
reprehending one an other, and translating euery man according to his
fantasie, that Luther said, If the vvorld should stand any long time, vve
must receiue againe (which he thought absurd) the Decrees of Councels,
for preseruing the vnitie of faith, because of so diuers interpretations
of the Scripture. And Beza (in the place aboue mentioned) noteth the
itching ambition of his fellovv-translators, that had much rather
disagree and dissent from the best, then seeme them selues to haue said
or vvritten nothing. And Bezas translation it self, being so esteemed in
our countrie, that the Geneua English Testaments be translated according
to the same, yet sometime goeth so vvide from the Greeke, and from the
meaning of the holy Ghost, that them selues which protest to translate
it, dare not folow it. For example, Luc. 3,36. They haue put these
wordes, 'The sonne of Cainan,' which he wittingly and wilfully left out:
and (Act. 1,14.) they say, 'Vvith the vvomen,' agreably to the vulgar
Latin: where he saith, 'Cum vxoribus,' 'vvith their vviues.'
10. It is not onely better then al other Latin translations, but then the
Greeke text it self, in those places where they disagree.
The proofe hereof is euident, because most of the auncient Heretikes were
Grecians, & therfore the Scriptures in Greeke were more corrupted by
them, as the auncient fathers often complaine. Tertullian noteth the
Greeke text which is at this day (1 Cor. 15,47) to be an old corruption
of Marcion the Heretike, and the truth to be as in our vulgar latin,
'Secundus homo de caelo caelestis,' 'The second man from heauen
heauenly.' So reade other auncient fathers, and Erasmus thinketh it must
needes be so, and Caluin him self folovveth in 'Instit. li. 2. c. 13.
parag. 2.' Againe S. Hierom noteth that the Greeke text (1 Cor. 7, 33)
which is at this day, is not the 'Apostolical veritie' or the true text
of the Apostle: but that which is in the vulgar Latin, 'Qui cum vxore
est, solicitus est quae sunt mundi, quomodo placeat vxori, & diuisus
est.' 'He that is vvith a vvife, is careful of vvorldly things, hovv he
may please his vvife, and is deuided or distracted.' The Ecclesiastical
historie called the Tripartite, noteth the Greeke text that now is
(1 Io. 4, 3) to be an old corruption of the auncient Greeke copies, by
the Nestorian Heretikes, & the true reading to be as in our vulgar Latin,
'Omnis spiritus qui soluit IESVM, Ex Deo non est.' 'Euery spirit that
dissolueth IESVS, is not of God:' and Beza confesseth that Socrates in
his Ecclesiastical historie readeth so in the Greeke.
But the proofe is more preganant out of the Aduersaires them selues.
They forsake the Greeke text as corrupted, and translate according to the
vulgar Latin, namely Beza and his scholers the English translatours of
the Bible, in these places. Hebr. chap. 9. vers. 1. saying, 'The first
couenant,' for that vvhich is in the Greeke. 'The first tabernacle.'
vvhere they put, 'couenant,' not as of the text, but in an other letter,
as to be vnderstood, according to the vulgar Latin, vvhich most sincerely
leaueth it out altogether, saying, 'Habuit quidem & prius iustificationes
&c.' 'The former also in deede had iustifications &c.' Againe, Ro. 11,
vers. 21. They translate not according to the Greek text, 'Tempori
seruientes,' 'seruing the time,' vvhich Beza sayth must needes be a
corruption: but according to the vulgar Latin, 'Domino seruientes,'
'seruing our Lord.' Againe, Apoc. 11, vers. 2. they translate not the
Greeke text, 'Atrium quod intra templum est,' 'the court vvhich is
vvithin the temple:' but cleane contrarie, according to the vulgar
Latin, vvhich Beza saith is the true reading, 'Atrium quod est foris
templum,' 'the court vvhich is vvithout the temple.' Onely in this last
place, one English Bible of the yere 1562, folovveth the errour of the
Greeke. Againe, 2 Tim. 23 vers. 14. they adde, 'but,' more then is in
the Greeke, to make the sense more commodious and easie, according as it
is in the vulgar Latin. Againe, Ia. 5, 12. they leaue the Greeke, and
folovv the vulgar Latin, saying, 'lest you fall into condemnation.' "I
doubt not (saith Beza) but this is the true and sincere reading, and I
suspect the corruption in the Greeke came thus &c." It vvere infinite to
set dovvne al such places, vvhere the Aduersaries (specially Beza) folovv
the old vulgar Latin and the Greeke copie agreable therevnto, condemning
the Greeke text that novv is, of corruption.