Page:1609 Doway Old Testament.pdf/7

TO THE ENGLISH READER fallen out of al Diuines handes, and growne out of credite

and vse. If moreouer we consider S. Ieroms lerning, pietie,

diligence, and sinceritie, together with the commodities

he had of best copies, in al languages then extant, and of

other lerned men, with whom he conferred: and if we so

cōare the same with the best meanes that hath bene since,

surely no man of indifferent iudgement, wil match anie

other Edition with S. Ieroms: but easely acknowlege with

the whole Church Gods particular prouidēce in this great

Doctor, as wel for expounding, as most especialy for the

true text and Edition of Holie Scriptures. Neither do we

flee vnto this old Latin text, for more aduantage. For besides

that it is free from partialitie, as being most ancient of

al Latin copies, and long before the particular Controuersies

of these dayes beganne; the Hebrew also & the Greke

when they are truly translated, yea and Erasmus his Latin,

in sundrie places, proue more plainly the Catholique Romaine

doctrine, then this which we relie vpon. So that

Beza & his folowers take also exception against the Greke,

when Catholiques allege it against them. Yea the same

Beza preferreth the old Latin Version before al others, &

freely testifieth, that the old Interpreter translated religiously.

VVhat then do our countriemen, that refuse this

Latin, but depriue themselues of the best, and yet al this

while, haue set forth none, that is allowed by al Protestantes,

for good or sufficient.

How wel this is donne the lerned may iudge, when by

mature conference, they shal haue made trial therof. And if

anie thing be mistaken, we wil (as stil we promise) gladly

correct it. Those that trāslated it about thirtie yeares since,

were wel knowen to the world, to haue bene excellent

in the tongues, sincere men, and great Diuines. Only one

thing we haue donne touching the text, wherof we are especially

to geue notice. That whereas heretofore in the

best Latin Editions, there remained manie places differing