Page:1582 Rhemes New Testament.pdf/4

Rh popular, and their factious leaders, on the other, is a high point of prudence. These later, partly of simplicitie, partly of curiositie, and specially of pride and disobedience, haue made claime in this case for the common people, with plausible pretences many, but good reasons none at all. The other, to whom Christ hath giuen charge of our soules, the dispensing of Gods mysteries and treasures (among which holy Scripture is no smale store) and the feeding his familie in season with foode fit for euery sort, haue neither of old nor of late, euer wholy condemned all vulgar versions of Scripture, nor haue at any time generally forbidden the faithful to reade the same: yet they haue not by publike authoritie prescribed, commaunded, or authentically euer recommended any such interpretation to be indifferently vsed of all men.

The Armenians say they haue the Psalter and some other peeces translated by S. Chrysostom into their language, when he was banished among them: and George the Patriarch, in writing his life, signifieth no lesse. The Slauonians affirme they haue the Scriptures in their vulgar tongue, turned by S. Hierom, and some would gather so much by his owne wordes in his epistle to Sophronius, but the place in deede proueth it not. Vulpilas surely gaue the Scriptures to the Gothes in their owne tonge, and that before he was an Arrian. It is almost three hundred yeres, since Iames Archbishop of Genua, is said to haue translated the Bible into Italian. More then two hundred yeres agoe, in the daies of Charles the fifth, the Frenche king, was it put forth faithfully in Frenche, the sooner to shake out of the deceiued peoples hādes, the false heretical translations of a secte called Waldenses. In our owne countrie, notwithstanding the Latin tonge was euer (to vse Venerable Bedes wordes) common to all the prouinces of the same for meditation or studie of Scriptures, and no vulgar translation commonly vsed or occupied of the multitude, yet they were extant in English euen before the troubles that Wicleffe and his folowers raised in our Church, as appeareth, as well by some peeces yet remaining, as by a prouincial Constitution of Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canturburie, in a Councel holden at Oxford. where straite prouision was made, that no heretical version set forth by Wicleffe, or his adherentes, should be suffered, nor any other in or after his time be published or permitted to be readde, being not approued and allowed by the Diócesan before: alleaging S. Hierom for the difficultie and danger of interpreting the holy Scripture out of one tonge into an other, though by learned and Catholike men. So also it is there insinuated, that neither the Translations set forth before that Heretikes time, nor other afterward being approued by the lawful Ordinaries, were euer in our countrie wholy forbidden, though they were not (to say the truth) in quiet and better times (much lesse when the people were prone to alteratiō, heresie, or noueltie) either hastily admitted, or ordinarily readde of the vulgar, but vsed onely, or specially, of some deuout religious and contemplatiues persons, in reuerence, secrecie, and silence, for their spiritual comforte.

Now since Luthers reuolt also, diuers learned Catholikes, for the more speedy abolishing of a number of false and impious translations put forth by sundry sectes, and for the better preseruation or reclaime of many good soules endangered thereby, haue published the Bible in the seueral languages of almost all the principal prouinces of the Latin Church: no other bookes in the world being so pernicious as hereticall translations of the Scriptures, poisoning the people vnder colour of diuine authoritie, & not many other remedies Rh