Heretical translation concerning JUSTIFICATION

ABOUT the article of justification, as it has many branches, & their errors therein be manifold, so are their English translations accordingly many ways false and heretical. First against justification by good works and by keeping the commandments, they suppress the very name of justification in all such places where the word signifies the commandments or the Law of God, which is both in the old and New Testament most common and usual, namely in the books of Moses, in the Psalm 118. that begins thus, Beati immaculati: [Blessed are the immaculate] in the Psalm 147. v. 19. 1 Mac. 1. v. 51. and c. 2. v. 21. Luc. 1. v. 6; Ro. 2. v. 26. In all which places and the like, where the Greek signifies justices & justifications most exactly,¹ according as our vulgar Latin translates, iustitias and iustificationes: there the English translations say jointly and with one consent, ordinances, or, statutes For example, Ro. 2. If the uncircumcision keep the ORDINANCES of the Law, ² shall it not be counted for circumcision? And Luc. 1, 6. They were both, righteous before God, ³ walking in all the commandments and ORDINANCES of the Lord, ⁴ blameless. Why translate you it ordinances, and avoid the term, justifications? is it because you would follow the Greek? I beseech you is not δίκαιος, just, δικαιοῦσθαι, to be justified, δικαιώματα, justifications or justices? In the Old Testament you might perhaps pretend, that you follow the Hebrew word,⁵ and therefore there you translate, statutes, or, ordinances. But even there also, are not the Seventy Greek interpreters sufficient to teach you the signification of the Hebrew word: who always interpret it, δικαιώματα, in English, justifications?

2 But be it, that you may control them in the Hebrew, which none but fools will grant unto you: in the New Testament what pretense have you? Do you there also translate the Hebrew word, or rather the Greek? The Greek undoubtedly you should translate. What reason then can you have why you do not? None other surely than that which Beza gives for himself, saying, that he rejected the word, justifications (notwithstanding it expressed the Greek, word for word, notwithstanding the Seventy Greek interpreters used it to signify the whole Law, and in Latin it be commonly translated, iustificationes) notwithstanding all this,⁶ for this only cause (says he) did I reject it, to avoid the cavillations [petty objections] that might be made by this word, against justification by faith. As if he should say, This word truly translated according to the Greek, might minister great occasion to prove by so many places of Scripture, that man’s justification is not by faith only, but also by keeping the law, and observing the commandments, which therefore are called according to the Greek and Latin, justifications, because they concur to justification, and make a man just, as by S. Luke’s words also is well signified, which have this allusion, that they were both just, because they walked in all the justifications of our Lord. Which they on purpose suppress by other words.

3 And hereof also it rises,⁷ that when he cannot possibly avoid the word in his translation (as Apoc. 19, 8. Bissinum enim iustificationes sunt sanctorum, The silk is the justifications of Saints:) there he helps the matter with this commentary, That justifications, ⁸ are those good works which be the testimonies of a lively faith. But our English translators have another way to avoid the word even in their translation. For they say here, the righteousness of Saints: because they could not say, ordinances of Saints: and they would not say, justifications of Saints: knowing very well (by Beza’s own commentary) that this word includes the good works of Saints: which works if they should in translating call their justifications, it would go sore against justification by only faith. Therefore do they translate instead thereof, ordinances, &, statutes, where they can, which are terms furthest of from justification: and where they can not, there they say, righteousness, making it also the plural number, whereas the more proper Greek word for righteousness is εὐθύτης (Dan. 6, 22.) which there some of them translate unguiltiness: because they will not translate exactly, if you would hire them.

4 And therefore as for, justice, and, justifications, they say righteousness: ⁹ so for, just, they translate, righteous. and by this means, Joseph was a righteous man, rather than a just man: and Zachary & Elisabeth were both righteous before God, rather than just: because when a man is called just, it sounds that he is so indeed, and not by imputation only: as a wise man, is understood to be wise indeed, and not only so imputed. Therefore do they more gladly and more often say, righteous men, rather than, just men, and when they do say, just men, as sometime they do lest they might seem wilful inexcusably: there they understand, just by imputation, and not indeed, as is to be seen in Beza’s Annotations upon the Epistle to the Romans. Note also that they put the word, just, when faith is joined withal. As Ro. 1. The just shall live by faith. to signify that justification is by faith. But if works be joined withal, and keeping the commandments, as in the place alleged Luc. 1. there they say, righteous, to suppress justification by works.

5 And certain it is, if there were no sinister meaning, they would in no place avoid to say, just, justice, justification, where both the Greek and Latin are so,¹⁰ word for word. As for example 2 Tim. 4, 8. In all their bibles,¹¹ Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of RIGHTEOUSNESS, which the Lord the RIGHTEOUS judge shall GIVE me at that day. And again 2 Thess. 1. Rejoice in tribulations which is a token of the RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT of God, ¹² that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which ye suffer. For it is a RIGHTEOUS THING with God, ¹³ to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you: and to you that are troubled, rest with us, in the revelation of the Lord JESUS from heaven. And again Hebr. 6, 10. God is not UNRIGHTEOUS to forget your good work and labour, &c. ¹⁴ These are very pregnant places to discover their false purpose in concealing the word, justice, in all their bibles. For if they will say, that justice is not an usual English word in this sense, and therefore they say, righteousness: yet I trow, just, and unjust, are usual and well known. Why then would they not say at the least, in the places alleged, God the JUST judge, A token of the JUST JUDGEMENT of God, It is a JUST thing with God, God is not UNJUST to forget, &c? Why is it not at the least in one of their English Bibles, being so both in Greek and Latin?

6 Understand gentle Reader, and mark well,¹⁵ that if S. Paul’s words were truly translated thus, A crown of JUSTICE is laid up for me, which our Lord the JUST judge will RENDER unto me at that day, and so in the other places: it would infer, that men are justly crowned in heaven for their good works upon earth, and that it is God’s justice so to do, & that he will do so because he is a just judge, & because he will show his JUST JUDGEMENT, and he will not forget so to do, because he is not unjust: as the ancient fathers (namely the Greek doctors S. Chrysostom,¹⁶ Theodorete, & Oecumenius upon these places) do interpret and expound. in so much that Oecumenius says thus upon the foresaid place to the Thessalonians, ἄρα, ὅτι &c. See here, that to suffer for Christ procures the kingdom of heaven according to JUST JUDGEMENT,¹⁷ and not according to grace. Which lest the Adversary might take in the worse part, as though it were only God’s justice or just judgement, and not his favour or grace also, S. Augustine excellently declares how it is both the one and the other: to wit, his grace and favour and mercy, in making us by his grace to live and believe well, and so to be worthy of heaven: his justice and just judgement, to render and repay for those works which himself wrought in us, life everlasting. Which he expresses thus:¹⁸ How should he render or repay as a just judge, unless he had given it as a merciful father? Where S. Augustine urges the words of repaying as due, and of being A JUST JUDGE therefore. Both which the said translators corrupt, not only saying, righteous judge, for, just judge: but, that he will give a crown, which is of a thing not due, for that which is in the Greek,¹⁹ He will render or repay: which is of a thing due and deserved, & has relation to works going before, for the which the crown is repaid. He said not (says Theophylact upon this place) he will give, but, he will render or repay, as a certain debt. For he being just, will define & limit the reward according to the labours. The crown therefore is due debt, because of the judges justice. So says he.

7 Which speeches being most true as being the express words of holy Scripture, yet we know how odiously the Adversaries may & do misconster [misread] them to the ignorant, as though we challenged heaven by our own works, and as though we made God bound to us. Which we do not, God forbid. But because he has prepared good works for us (as the Apostle says) to walk in them,²⁰ and does by his grace cause us to do them, and has promised life everlasting for them, and tells us in all his holy Scriptures, that to do them is the way to heaven: therefore not presuming upon our own works as our own or as of ourselves, but upon the good works wrought through God’s grace by us his seely instruments, we have great confidence (as the Apostle speaks) and are assured that these works proceeding of his grace,²¹ be so acceptable to him, that they are esteemed and be worthy and meritorious of the kingdom of heaven. Against which truth, let us see further, their heretical corruptions.