Heretical translation of holy Scripture against Apostolical TRADITIONS

1 THIS is a matter of such importance, that if they should grant any traditions of the Apostles, and not pretend the written word only: they know that by¹ such traditions mentioned in all antiquity, their religion were wholly defaced and overthrown. For remedy whereof, and for the defacing of all such traditions, they bend their translations against them in this wonderful manner. Wheresoever the Holy Scripture speaks against certain traditions of the Jews, partly frivolous, partly repugnant to the Law of God, there all the English translations follow the Greek exactly,² never omitting this word, tradition. Contrariwise wheresoever the holy Scripture speaks in the commendation of Traditions, to wit, such traditions as the Apostles delivered to the Church, there all their said translations agree, not to follow the Greek, which is still the self same word, but for, traditions, they translate, ordinances, or instructions. Why so and to what purpose? We appeal to the worm of their conscience, which continually accuses them of an heretical meaning, whether, by urging the word, traditions, wheresoever they are discommended, and by suppressing the word, wheresoever they are commended, their purpose and intent be not, to signify to the Reader, that all traditions are naught, & none good, all reprovable, none allowable.

2 For example. Mat. 15. Thus they translate, Why do thy disciples transgress the TRADITION of the Elders? ³ And again, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your TRADITION? And again, Thus have you made the commandment of God of no effect by your TRADITION: here (I warrant you) all the bells sound tradition, and the word is never omitted, and it is very well and honestly translated, for so the Greek word does properly signify. But now on the other side, concerning good traditions, let us see their dealing. The Apostle by the self same word both in Greek and Latin, says thus:⁴ Therefore, brethren, stand & hold fast the TRADITIONS which you have learned either by word, or by our epistle. And again, Withdraw yourselves from every brother walking inordinately, & not according to the TRADITION which they have received of us. ⁵ And again (according to the Greek which they profess to follow:) I praise you brethren, that in all things you are mindful of me, and as I have delivered unto you, you keep my TRADITIONS.

3 Here we see plain mention of S. Paul’s traditions, and consequently of Apostolical traditions, yea and traditions by word of mouth, delivered to the said Churches without writing or Scripture. In all which places look, gentle reader, & seek all their English translations, & thou shalt⁶ not once find the word, tradition, but instead thereof, ordinances, instructions, preachings, institutions, and any word else rather than, tradition, in so much that Beza their Master translates it traditam doctrinam, the doctrine delivered, ⁷ putting the singular number for the plural, & adding, doctrine, of his own. So framing the text of holy Scripture according to his false commentary, or rather putting his commentary in the text, & making it the text of Scripture. Who would think their malice and partiality against traditions were so great, that they should all agree with one consent so duly and exactly in these and these places to conceal the word, which in other places do so gladly use it, the Greek word being all one in all the said places?

4 Yea they do elsewhere so gladly use this word, tradition, when it may tend to the discredit thereof: that they put the said word in all their English Bibles, with the like full consent as before, when it is not in the Greek at all. As when they translate thus,⁸ If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world: ⁹ why as though living in the world, ARE YE LED WITH TRADITIONS? & as another¹⁰ English translation of theirs reads more heretically, Why are ye burdened with traditions? Tell us sincerely you that profess to have skill in the Greek, & to translate according to the Greek? Tell us we beseech you, whether this Greek word δόγμα do signify tradition, and δογματίζεσθαι, to be led or burdened with traditions. You can not be ignorant that it does not so signify,¹¹ but as a little before in the same chapter, & in other places, yourselves translate δόγματα, ordinances, decrees: so τί δογματίζεσθε, must be (as in the vulgar Latin it is) Quid decernitis? Why do you ordain or decree, or, why are you led with decrees?

5 Justify your translation if you can, either out of Scriptures, fathers, or Lexicon. And make us a good reason why you put the word, traditions, here,¹² where it is not in the Greek: and would not put it in the places before, where you know it is most evidently in the Greek. Yea you must tell us, why you translate for tradition, ordinance, and contrary for ordinance, tradition: so turning cat in pan [switching sides slyly] (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 never so authentical, even from the Apostles: which your conscience knows, and you shall answer for it at the dreadful day.

6 Somewhat more excusable it is, but yet proceeding of the same heretical humor, and on your part (that should exactly follow the Greek) falsely translated, when you translate in S. Peter’s Epistle thus:¹³ You were not redeemed with corruptible things from your vain conversation received by the tradition of the fathers. Where the Greek is thus rather to be translated,¹⁴ from your vain conversation delivered by the fathers. but your fingers itched to foist [insert slyly] in the word, tradition, and for, delivered, to say, received, because it is the phrase of the Catholic Church, that it has received many things by tradition, which you would here control by likeness of words in this false translation.

7 But concerning the word tradition, you will say perhaps the sense thereof is included in the Greek word, delivered We grant. But would you be content, if we should always expressly add, tradition, where it is so included? Then should we say 1 Cor. 11, 2.¹⁵ I praise you that as I have delivered you (by tradition,) you keep my precepts or traditions. And again v. 23. For I received of our Lord, which also I delivered unto you (by tradition) &c. And Luc. 1. v. 2. As they (by tradition) delivered unto us, which from the beginning saw &c. and such like, by your example, we should translate in this sort. But we use not this licentious [unrestrained] manner in translating holy Scriptures, neither is it a translators part, but an interpreters, and his that makes a commentary: neither does a good cause need other translation than the express text of the Scripture gives.

8 And if you will yet say, that our vulgar Latin translation has here the word, tradition: we grant it has so, and therefore we also translate accordingly. But you profess to translate the Greek, and not the vulgar Latin, which you in England condemn as Papistical, and ¹⁶ say it is the worst of all, though ¹⁷ Beza your Master pronounce it to be the very best: and will you notwithstanding follow the said vulgar Latin rather than the Greek, to make traditions odious? Yea such is your partiality one way, and inconstancy another way, that for your heretical purpose you are content to follow the old Latin translation, though it differ from the Greek, & again another time you will not follow it, though it be all one with the Greek most exactly. As in the place before alleged, where the vulgar Latin translation has nothing of traditions, but, Quid decernitis, [Why do you decree?] as it is in the Greek: you translate, Why are ye burdened with traditions? ¹⁸

9 So that a blind man may see, you frame your translations to bolster your errors & heresies, without all respect of following sincerely either the Greek or the Latin. But for the Latin no marvel, the Greek at the least why do you not follow?¹⁹ Is it the Greek that induces you to say ordinances for traditions, traditions for decrees, ordinances for justifications, Elder for Priest, grave for hell,²⁰ image for idol? Tell us before God and in your conscience whether it be, because you will exactly follow the Greek: nay tell us truly, and shame the Devil, whether the Greek words do not sound and signify most properly that, which you on purpose will not translate, for disadvantaging your heresies? And first let us see concerning the question of Images.