Heretical translation by ADDING TO THE TEXT

1 BECAUSE in the last corruption I spake of adding to the text, though it be their common and universal fault in every controversy, as is to be seen in every chapter of this book: yet here I will add certain places not yet mentioned. As,¹ The rest of the Acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and CARVED IMAGES THAT WERE LAID TO HIS CHARGE, BEHOLD THEY ARE WRITTEN &c. these words,² carved images laid to his charge, are more than is either in the Greek or the Hebrew.

2 Again,³ Saul confounded the Jews proving (by conferring one Scripture with another) that this is very Christ. These words,⁴ by conferring one Scripture with another, are added more than is in the Greek text: in favour of their presumptuous opinion, that conference of Scriptures is enough for any man to understand them, and so to reject both the commentaries of the Doctors, & exposition of holy Councils and Catholic Church. It is so much more I say than is in the Greek text, and a notorious corruption in their Bible read daily in their churches as most authentical. See the rest of their Bibles, and thou shalt find no more for all those words, but, affirming, or, confirming. ⁵ and the self same Bible in the first epistle to the Corinthians translates the same Greek word thus, Who shall instruct? ⁶ And indeed that is the true and usual signification of the word, both in the Old Testament, and in the new. As Deut. 4. Thou shalt teach them thy children. And Esa. 40. Who shall instruct our Lord? the Hebrew word also in both places signifying no more but instructing and teaching.⁷ And so does the Apostle cite it to the Corinthians out of Isaiah, & he uses it to the Colos. (c. 2. v. 2) in the same signification, as the Church reads and expounds it, and so consequently S. Luke in the place whereof we now treat, says nothing else, but that S. Paul earnestly taught or instructed them that Jesus is Christ. And yet our new Translators without respect of Hebrew or Greek, have coined a new signification, of conferring one Scripture with another. So ignorant they are in the signification of Greek words, or rather so wilfully malicious.

3 Again,⁸ in the first epistle of S. Peter they translate thus: The word of the Lord endures ever: and this is the word which by the Gospel was preached unto you. where these words, by the Gospel, are added deceitfully and of ill intent, to make the reader think that there is no other word of God but the written word, for the common reader hearing this word, Gospel, conceives nothing else. But indeed all is the Gospel whatsoever the Apostles taught either by writing, or by tradition and word of mouth, as S. Paul speaks 2. Thess. 2. and S. Peter says nothing else in the place alleged, but,⁹ This is the word which is preached among you, as the Geneva bibles translate, or more significantly, which is evangelized among you, as we translate. For though there be greater significancy in the Greek word, than is expressed by bare preaching or telling a thing, as having a goodly relation and allusion to the word, Euangelium, Gospel: ¹⁰ yet neither do they in any other place, neither can they translate it, to preach by the Gospel: but simply, to preach, to tell, to show. As, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, ¹¹ Act. 10. v. 36. so themselves translate it. And Ps. 95 (or 96. v. 2) Be telling of his salvation from day to day. Which in other places is spoken by other Greek words, that have no signification at all of Gospel. As immediately in the said Ps. 95 (or 96. v. 3) & Ps. 104. (or 105. v. 1.) & Act. 13. v. 5. and c. 17. v. 23. and Io. 1. vers. 3.

4 All which words signify only to tell, to show, to declare, and are used indifferently for & with the other word which they here only translate, to preach by the Gospel. Whereas in all others places when they will translate it most significantly,¹² they express it by bringing glad tidings: and in some places where it should be expressed most significantly in respect of evangelizing or preaching the Gospel,¹³ there they translate it barely, preachers, & preaching. Only S. Peter’s place aforesaid, must be stretched to signify, The word preached by the Gospel, to insinuate & uphold their heresy of the written Gospel only, or only written word, against Apostolical traditions not written. If this be not their meaning, let them give us a good reason why they translate it so in this one place only.

5 It is written of Luther that he for the self same heresy,¹⁴ in his first translation into the German tongue, left out these words of S. Peter altogether, This is the word which is evangelized or preached to you. Why so? Because S. Peter does here define what is the word of God: saying, that which is preached to you, & not that only which is written. Which false dealing of Luther is no small presumption against the like heretical meaning of our English Protestants, who (I am sure) in this point of controversy of the word written & unwritten, will not deny that they agree with the Lutherans.

6 Again in the epistle of S. James,¹⁵ they add the word, Scripture, into the text, saying, But the Scripture offers more grace. Where the Apostle may say as well, and indifferently, The Spirit or Holy Ghost gives more grace, and it is much more probable, and is so expounded of many. Let the good reader see the circumstance of the place, and abhor their sauciness in the text of holy Scripture.

7 One addition of theirs I would not speak of, but only to know the reason why they do it, because it is very strange, and I know not what they should mean by it. This I am sure, if they do it for no purpose, they do it very foolishly and forgetfully and contrary to themselves. In the Gospel of S. Mark,¹⁶ in the reckoning of the Apostles, they add these words, And the first was Simon, ¹⁷ more than is in their Greek text. Which addition they learned of Beza, whose contradictions in this point are worthy noting.¹⁸ In S. Matthew where these words are, he suspects that, first, was added by some Papist, for Peter’s primacy: here, where the word is not, he avouches it to be the true text of the Gospel, & that because Matthew reads so. There he alleged this reason, why it could not be said the first, Simon, because there is no consequence nor coherence of second, third, fourth, &c: here he says, that is no impediment, because there be many examples of such speech, & namely in the said place of S. Matthew. There he says it is not so, though all Greek copies have it so: here it must needs be so, though it be only found in certain odd Greek copies of Erasmus, which Erasmus himself (as Beza confesses) allowed not, but thought that these words were added in them out of S. Matthew. What these contradictions mean I know not, and I would learn the reason thereof, of his scholars our English translators, who’ by their Masters authority have made the self same addition in their English translation also.

8 There is also another addition of theirs, either proceeding of ignorance, or of the accustomed humor, when they translate thus:¹⁹ if ye continue stablished in the faith, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard how it was preached to every creature: or, whereof ye have heard how that it is preached: or, whereof ye have heard, and which has been preached to every creature, &c. For, all these varieties they have, and none according to the Greek text, which is word for word, as the vulgar Latin interpreter has most sincerely translated it, Vnmoueable from the hope of the Gospel which you have heard, ²⁰ which is or has been preached among all creatures, &c. So that the Apostles exhortation is unto the Colossians, that they continue grounded and stable in the faith and Gospel which they had heard and received of their first Apostles:²¹ as in the epistle to the Romans, and to the Galatians, and to the Thessalonians, and to the Hebrews, and to Timothee, and S. John in his first epistle c. 2. v. 24: and S. Jude v. 3. & 20: all use the like exhortations.

9 But this does not so well like the Protestants which ²² with Hymenaeus & Alexander and other old Heretics have fallen from their first faith, and therefore they alter the Apostles plain speech with certain words of their own, and they will not have him say, Be unmovable in the faith and Gospel which you have heard and received: but, whereof you have heard how that it is preached: as though he spake not of the Gospel preached to them, but of a Gospel which they had only heard of, that was preached in the world. Certain it is, these words, whereof you have heard how it was preached, are not so in the Greek: but, which you have heard, which has been preached. Which is as much to say, as that they should continue constant in the faith and Gospel which themselves had received, and which was then preached and received in the whole world. So say we to our dear countrymen, Stand fast in the faith & be unmovable from the hope of the Gospel which you heard of your first Apostles,²³ which was & is preached in all the world. If the Protestants like not this exhortation, they do according to their translation.