A Censure of the late translation for our Churches: sent vnto a Right Worshipfull knight, Attendant vpon the King.
THE late Bible, Right Worshipful, was sent me to cēsure: which bred in me a sadnes that will greeve me while I breath. It is so ill done. Tell his Maiest. that I had rather be rent in pieces with wilde horses, then any such translation by my consent should bee vrged vpon poore Churches. I will article.
I.
My advertisement they regarded not, but still make SETH a foole to name his sonne sorowfull Enosh: whē, as they translate, men began to call vppon the Name of God. All the ten Fathers names beare sadnes that the seede of the serpent would bring the flood. Thus Moyses meant. SETH called his sonne sorrowfull Enosh: (because) Then sprange corruption in steed of calling vpon God with good vnderstanding, as 1. Pet. 3. handleth the cause. And the Babel Thalmud: and Iarchj 600. yeares old: & 900. Arabiq Sadaias: and the late Iewes Pagnin, & Tremelius. This stubburne errour deserved all punishment: [Page] dashing all the vein of the old world.
II.
Where IESVS is called the sonne of God, Luke cap. 3. and Luke should shew by whom, & had nothing to doe with Ioseph, they in fiftene verses bring fiftene score idle wordes for accomptes in the day of iudgement: and bring Ioseph to bee the sonne of all the men there: where thus Saint Luke meant: IESVS was called of the Father My Sonne, beeing sonne of Ioseph (as men thought) Filius not Filij, Eli filius, to each vp, filius Adam, filius Dei: so seaventie five men are by Saint Luke above the Angells (as Iewes say commonly) the Iust is above the Angells. And heere we have a cleare record how Christ came of David: and Heathen for Saint Luke, and Theophilus kept no lesse then Iewes this most royall Genealogie. Now when ours say, seaventie five times which was the son seaventie five times, they trifle. The relation of each is to Christ: and seaventie five times they obscure the comfort of mankinde. A Iew of Amsterdam obiected the Bishops errour to deny the New Testamēt: that omitted how Christ should come of David. Therevpon I cleared our Lordes [Page] Familie. Bancroft raved. I gave the Anathema. Christ iudged his owne cause. The New edition crosseth me, I require it be burnt.
III.
It denyeth David ever to have bene in the worlde, and so by a consequent Christ him selfe, Act. chap. 13. vers. 20. where they say: God gave them Iudges about the space of foure hundred & fiftie yeares. It is but foure hundred and foure score yeares from the Lambe to the Temple. Now David was not borne before Elies death, but ten yeares after. About 30. of the fourty yeres in the Wildernes, with about foure hundred and fiftie yeares, will make foure hundred and foure score yeres. So by our Bishops all the holie storie should bee a lye. My warning was large herein. And two and twentie yeares agoe admired by French in London, and by them to Zurick, how by Iewes I cleared the text: and by my enemies in London, as my friends wrote vpon the advertisement, to super-admirable report: that none before me did, nor would after match my heed. And what a prank is this: That translaters sould so mocke with the King. This meaneth S. Luk: [Page] God gave them Iudges after a forte (of Law accomptes in troubled states) foure hundreth and fiftie yeares. King Edw. the IV. and K. Henry the sixt did breede such yeares. I humbly desire the King to bid the BB. answere to this.
IV.
I warned how Baasa K. of Israell was a warrier against Asa, being ten yeres dead: and Ochozias was made two yeares elder then his Father, and twentie yeares elder then him selfe. The Bb. will not take the warning. The K can iudge.
V.
Iewes denie the New Test for these lies, Act. 7
1.
Iacob died and our Fathers, and were caried over into Sichem. The Iewes obiect: If the N. Testament so speak, God never wrote it. Iacob was caried to Hebron not to Sychem. S. Stephen and S. Luke have trueth. The BB. have not.
2.
And they were put in the grave which Abraham bought. S. Stephen & S. Luke never meant that all thirteen were put in one grave. They meant that Iacob was buried in Hebron: and the Patriarks in Sichem: and who would thinke that scholers should be ignorant of this? and that after [Page] open advertisemēt in two impressions? what vse shalbe of opening trueth, if men may despise it?
3.
Abraham bought no sepulchre in Sichem. And the sepulchre there was bought for sheep. Thrise the terme Keshita is vsed, and still in the Chaldie and Greeke for sheepe. The margent note for sheepe burneth the hart of the Translatours: who bade them put the errour in the text, and right in the margent?
VI.
The Angel Gabriels message to Daniel the goodliest of men, is the Lampe to both Testamentes: But the trāslation now, as the former, maketh it bitter: and foolish. By it Christ was to end Moyses after seauentie weekes: that is foure hundred and ninetie dayes. The Angel spake of yeares. And why should the Church bee vexed with a doubtfull terme? And what can this meane? Hee shall confirme the covenant with many for one weeke. The Covenant is perpetuall: not a covenant for week. Besides, Prince there twise is Messias: and his People were the Iewes: so the Iewes should destroy their owne Citie. and many [Page] more vnlearned speeches darken the Angell speaking of the Angel of the Covenant: who wil not beare with our sinnes, Exod. 23.
VII.
In Chap. 11. 38. They leave atheisme in the text: blaming worship of the God almightie: & put my translation in the margent, and would make the Angells speach vncerten, about the name of God.
VIII.
The precious twelve stones, Exod. 28. be everie one translated by the Ho. Ghost, Apoc. 21. So that the dumbe stones speak of the Bibles storie. This made a learned Rabbi affect the gospel. And I have handled all often, to approbation of the best learned. They who can cite Rabbines varietie to disturbe the New Test. & to crosse opened trueth, must be told they halt before a cripple. I will suffer no scholer in the world to crosse me in Ebrew and Greek, when I am sure I have the trueth. Men that meant quietnes, would never have dealt thus.
IX.
The H. Ghost should not be cōtemned in Greek spelling of Ebrew, as in Ragau, Luc. 3. after the 70 Gen. 11. It is barbarously perverted into Reu.
X.
Sadik and Ain in Chaldea had one forme and souud, as in Daniels Chaldie: the Ebrew S. is expressed by ain. and so Saint Peter calling Balaam the sonne of Bosor, sheweth that he was then in Chaldea: where ain was expressed by an S. as Thalmud Ierusalemy in Megilah and R. Azarias in a learned treatise noteth. This was a litle before Saint Peters martyrdome: and as from Babylon he wrote his first Epistle, shewing that God had his Church there, as was tolde Psal. 87. So from Babylon he wrote his second. And being a Prophet he would not goe to Rome to Saint Paules Bishoprick to be kild, where he had not taught. The Bishops had fell the bridgemaker of Rome, by one letter Ain pronounced S in Chaldea and Arabia only: if they had followed the Holy Ghost to call Baalam the sonne not of Beor or Boor, but of Bosor: so it had appeared that he was never neare Rome. And Origen in Euseb. the first auctor of his being there: yet telleth that be kept in Asia til a litle before his death. And if Peter ever had bene neare Rome, he being a Prophet, & seeing what stirres would arise, had written some note of his being there: and of the [Page] occasions of his cariage [...] that hated Citie that killed Christ, as S. Luke and Paule shew Pauls occasiō. but not one syllable hath he bent that way. And Balaam the sonne of Bosor had beaten Italy, no lesse then whē he sayth: and that people shall afflict Heber (whereof Christ was more then all the rest together) and shall hold on to destruction. As Iohn most grammatically translated the Ebrew.
EPILOGE.
I blame not this that they keepe the vsual style of former translations in the Church: that the people should not be emazed. For the learned the Geneva might be made exact: for which paynes whole 30. yeres I haue bene called vpon, and spent much time to my great losse by wicked hinderance. When you find the K. at leasure shew his M. this short advertisement. And if his Highnes bid me again as once by the Earle of Pembroke, shew faultie places. I will in a few sheetes translate what I blame most: that they may be sent to all Churches, that haue bought Bibles. So all may be well pacified. The K. meant Royally: but froward would be froward: who haue felt it: as I was sure they should. Of late by M r. Pat. Balfour I heard of most Royall bent: and many of Germanie write me the same. Tell his H. it shall not be lost, by Gods helpe.