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then was it obtruded to the people? Yea, why did the Catholics (meaning Popish Romanists) always
go in jeopardy, for refusing to go to hear it? Nay, if it must be translated into English, Catholics
are fittest to do it. They have learning, and they know when a thing is well, they can manum de
tabula. We will answer them both briefly: and the former, being brethren, thus, with S. Jerome,
“Damnamus veteres? Mineme, sed post priorum studia in domo Domini quod possums laboramus.”
[S. Jerome. Apolog. advers. Ruffin.] That is, “Do we condemn the ancient? In no case: but after
the endeavors of them that were before us, we take the best pains we can in the house of God.” As
if he said, Being provoked by the example of the learned men that lived before my time, I have
thought it my duty, to assay whether my talent in the knowledge of the tongues, may be profitable
in any measure to God’s Church, lest I should seem to laboured in them in vain, and lest I should
be thought to glory in men, (although ancient,) above that which was in them. Thus S. Jerome may
be thought to speak.
A SATISFACTION TO OUR BRETHREN
And to the same effect say we, that we are so far off from condemning any of their labors that
travailed before us in this kind, either in this land or beyond sea, either in King Henry’s time, or
King Edward’s (if there were any translation, or correction of a translation in his time) or Queen
Elizabeth’s of ever renowned memory, that we acknowledge them to have been raised up of God,
for the building and furnishing of his Church, and that they deserve to be had of us and of posterity
in everlasting remembrance. The judgment of Aristotle is worthy and well known: “If Timotheus
had not been, we had not had much sweet music; but if Phrynis [Timotheus his master] had not
been, we had not had Timotheus.” Therefore blessed be they, and most honoured be their name,
that break the ice, and giveth onset upon that which helpeth forward to the saving of souls. Now
what can be more available thereto, than to deliver God’s book unto God’s people in a tongue which
they understand? Since of a hidden treasure, and of a fountain that is sealed, there is no profit, as
Ptolemy Philadelph wrote to the Rabbins or masters of the Jews, as witnesseth Epiphanius: [S.
Epiphan. loco ante citato.] and as S. Augustine saith; “A man had rather be with his dog than with
a stranger (whose tongue is strange unto him).” [S. Augustin. lib. 19. de civil. Dei. c. 7.] Yet for
all that, as nothing is begun and perfected at the same time, and the later thoughts are thought to
be the wiser: so, if we building upon their foundation that went before us, and being holpen by their
labours, do endeavor to make that better which they left so good; no man, we are sure, hath cause
to mislike us; they, we persuade ourselves, if they were alive, would thank us. The vintage of
Abienzer, that strake the stroke: yet the gleaning of grapes of Ephraim was not to be despised. See
Joash the king of Israel did not satisfy himself, till he had smitten the ground three
times; and yet he offended the Prophet, for giving over then.
] Aquila, of whom
we spake before, translated the Bible as carefully, and as skilfully as he could; and yet he thought
good to go over it again, and then it got the credit with the Jews, to be called accurately done, as
Saint Jerome witnesseth. [S. Jerome. in Ezech. cap. 3.] How many books of profane learning have
been gone over again and again, by the same translators, by others? Of one and the same book of
Aristotle’s Ethics, there are extant not so few as six or seven several translations. Now if this cost
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