The religious care & sinceritie obserued in this translation.they may seeme more hard or barbarous, See S. August. li. 3. confes. c. 5.* as the whole style of Scripture doth lightly to such at the beginning: acknowledging with S. Hierom, that in other writings it is enough to giue in translation, sense for sense, but that in Scriptures, lest we misse the sense, we must keepe the very words. Ad Pammach. epistola 10. 1. ca. 2 in princip. We must, saith S. Augustin, speake according to a set rule, lest licence of words breed some wicked opinion concerning the things conteined vnder the words. De ciuitate lib. 10. cap. 12. The ancient Fathers kept religiously the very barbarismes of the vulgar Latin text.Whereof our holy Forefathers and ancient Doctours had such a religious care, that they would not change the very barbarismes or incongruities of speach which by long vse had preuailed in the old readings or recitings of scriptures, as, Mt. 22.
Mar. 8.Neque nubent neque nubentur, in Tertullian li. 4. in Marcion. in S. Hilarie in c. 22. Mat. and in al the Fathers. Qui me confusus sueris, coufundar & ego eum, in S. Cyprian ep. 63 nu. 7. Talis enim nobis decebat sacerdos (which was an elder translation then the vulgar Latin that now is) in S. Ambrose c. 3 de fuga sæculi, and S. Hierom himself, Hebr. 7.who otherwise corrected the Latin translation that was vsed before his time, yet keepeth religiously (as himself professeth Præfat. in 4 Euang. ad Damasum) these and the like speaches, Mat. 6. 20, 22.Nonne uos magis pluris estis illis? and, filius hominis non venit ministrari, sed ministrare: and, Neque nubent, neque nubentur: in his commentaries vpon these places: and, Lu. 13.Non capit Prophetam perire extra Hierusalem, in his commentaries in c. 2. Ioel. sub finem. And S. Augustin, who is most religious in al these phrases, counteth it a special pride and infirmitie in those that haue a litle learning in tongues, and none in things, that they easily take offense of the simple speaches or solecismes in the scriptures. de doctrina Christ. li. 2. cap. 13. See also the same holy Father li. 3 de doct. Christ. c. 3. and tract. 2 in Euang. Ioan. But of the manner of our translation more anon.
Of the ANNOTATIONS, why they were made, and what matter they conteine.Now, though the text thus truely translated, might sufficiently, in the sight of the learned and al indifferent men, both controule the aduersaries corruptions, and proue that the holy Scripture whereof they haue made so great vantes, make nothing for their new opinions, but wholy for the Catholike Churches beleefe and doctrine, in al the points of difference betwixt vs: yet knowing that the good and simple may easily be seduced by some few obstinate persons of perdition (whom we see giuen ouer into a reprobat sense, to whom the Ghospel, which in it-self is the odour of life to saluation, is made the odour of death to damnation, 2. Cor. 2ouer whose eies for sinne and disobedience God suffereth a veile or couer to lie, whiles they read the new Testament, euen as the Apostle saith the Iewes haue til this day, in reading of the old, 2. Cor. 3that as the one sort can not find Christ in the Scriptures, read they neuer so much, so the other can not find the Catholike Church nor her doctrine there neither) and finding by experience this saying of S. Augustin to be most true: De doctr. Christ. lib. 3. cap. 10.If the preiudice of any erreneous persuasion preoccupate the mind, whatsoeuer the Scripture hath to the contrarie, men take it for a figuratiue speach: for these causes, and somewhat to help the faithful Reader in the difficulties of diuers places, we haue also set forth reasonable large ANNOTATIONS, thereby to shew the studious reader in most places perteining to the controuersies of this time, both the heretical corruptions and false deductions, & also the Apostolike tradition, the expositions of the holy Fathers, the decrees of the Catholike Church and most ancient Councels: which meanes whosoeuer trusteth not, for the sense of holy Scriptures, but had rather follow his priuate iudgement or the arrogant spirit of these Sectaries, he shal worthily through his owne wilfulnes be deceiued: beseeching all men to looke with diligence, sinceritie, and indifferencie, into the case that concerneth no lesse then euery ones eternal saluation or damnation.
Heresies make Catholikes more diligent to search and find the senses of holy Scripture for refelling of the same.Which if he doe, we doubt not but he shal to his great contentment, find the holy Scriptures most cleerely and inuincibly to proue the articles of Catholike doctrine against our aduersaries, which perhaps he had thought before this diligent search, either not to be consonant to God’s words, or at least not conteined in the same, and finally he shal proue this saying of S. Augustine to be most true: In Psal. 67 prope sinem.Multi sensus &c. Many senses of holy Scriptures lie hidden, & are knowen to some few of greater vnderstanding: neither are they at any time auouched more commodiously and acceptably then at such times, when the care to answer heretikes doth force men therevnto. For then, euen they that be negligent in matters of studie and learning, shaking of sluggishnes, are stirred vp to diligent hearing, that the Aduersaries may be re-
