THE PREFACE
the world should stand any long time, we 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 fellow-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 wide from the Greeke, and from the meaning of the holy Ghost, that them selues which protest to trāslate 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, With the women, agreably to the vulgar Latin: where he saith, Cum vxoribus, with their wiues.
10. It is not onely better then al other Latin trāslations, 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 cœlo cœlestis, The second man from heauen heauenly. So reade other auncient fathers, and Erasmus thinketh it must needes be so, and Caluin him self foloweth it 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 with a wife, is careful of worldly things, how he may please his wife, and is diuided 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 ancient Greeke copies, by the Nestorian Heretikes, and the true reading to be as in our vulgar Latin, Omnis spiritus qui dissoluit IESVM, ex Deo non est. Euery spirit that dissolueth IESVS, is not of God: & Beza confesseth that Socrates in his Ecclesiastical historie readeth so in the Greeke, παν πνεῦμα ο λοεὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν &c.
But the proofe is more pregnant out of the Aduersaries 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 which is in the Greeke. The first tabernacle. where they put, couenant, not as of the text, but in an other letter, as to be vnderstood, according to the vulgar Latin, which 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 Greeke text, Tempori seruientes, seruing the time, which Beza saith 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 which is within the temple: but cleane contrarie, according to the vulgar Latin, which Beza saith is the true reading, Atrium quod est foris templum, the court which is without the temple. Onely in this last place, one English Bible of the yeare 1562, foloweth the errour of the Greeke. Againe, 2 Tim. 2. vers. 14. they adde, but, more then is in the Greeke, to make the sense more cōmodious and easie, according as it is in the vulgar Latin. Again, Ia. 5, 12. they leaue the Greeke, and folow 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 were infinite to set downe al such places, where the Aduersaries (specially Beza) folow the old vulgar Latin and the Greeke copie agreable therevnto, condemning the Greeke text that novv is, of corruption.
Againe, Erasmus the best translatour of al the later, by Bezas iudgement, saith, that the Greeke sometime hath superfluities corruptly added to the text of holy Scripture. as Mat. 6. to the end of the Pater noster, these vvordes, Because thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glorie, for euer-more. Which he calleth, nugas, trifles rashly added to our Lords praier, and reprehendeth Valla for blaming the old vulgar Latin because it hath it not, likevvise Ro. 11, 6. these vvordes in the Greeke, and not in the vulgar latin: But if of vvorkes, it is not now grace: otherwise the worke is no more a worke. and Mar. 10, 29. these vvordes, or wife, and such like. Yea the Greeke text in these superfluities condemneth it self, and iustifieth the vul-
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