6

Besides his labours in the preparation of a new version, Martin had employed himself in pointing out the errors of the Protestant translations. This work, which had been in hands two or three years previously to its publication, was printed in the same year with the Rhemish Testament, but posterior in point of time, as is shewn by one of the marginal notes to the Preface to the Testament; which reads, Al this their dealing is noted (as occasion serveth) in the Annotations upon this Testament; and more at large in a booke lately made purposely of that matter, called a DISCOVERIE &c.' But in subsequent editions the note is-' and 'more at large in the DISCOVERY of heretical Translations, of ' which we have added a table in this edition.' Martin also, in his tract, speaks of 'the late new English Testament Catholiquely 'translated and printed at Rhemes.' Its full title is, 'A Disco'verie of the manifold corruptions of the holy Scriptures by the Heretikes of our daies, specially the English sectaries, and of 'their foul dealing herein, by partial and false translations to the advantage of their heresies, &c.' 8vo. Rhemes, 1582.

6

The character of this translation, and of the Notes which accompany it, is so well known and has been so frequently described, that it does not seem necessary to enlarge upon the subject here. I have given the remarkable Preface, at full length, in the Appendix, for the information of those readers who are strangers to the original work.

I do not know what number of copies was printed: but probably it was considerable: for even at this day the edition is not very rare. Most of the English public libraries possess it, as well as many private individuals and it frequently appears for sale in booksellers' catalogues. Public attention was soon directed to the work; and several of our Divines undertook to examine and expose its defects, as a fit reply to the bitter attacks which had been made upon Protestant versions for many years past. The translators of Rhemes had openly thrown down the gauntlet of defiance: and, in their Annotations, not only defended their own version, but heaped every foul and abusive epithet, upon the Protestant Bibles, the Protestant Clergy, the Reformers, of Germany, Switzerland, France, and England; upon Queen Elizabeth, and the Protestant Faith. It would be difficult to find a more studied series of deliberate insults, than these Notes contain: and where could such sentiments and language be more out of place and more indecent, than in a professed commentary on the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

I will here notice all together some of the principal pieces on the Protestant side; though they did not make their appearance at the same time, but were spread over a considerable period.

In

Dr. Wm. FULKE, Master of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, had already had partial skirmishes with some of the English Priests of Douay. In 1571 he had published, 'A Confutation of a Popishe and Sclanderous libelle, in forme of an Apologie: &c.' (probably, the Apology of Fr. Staphylus, mentioned above, at p. 10.) 1577, Two Treatises against the Papists,' on the subjects of the Church, Purgatory, and Prayers for the dead. In 1579, 'The ' overthrow and detection of the several heresies of Doctor Loskins, ' and Doctor Saunders of Images, and Master Rastall's answer to 'the Bishop of Sarum's sermons.' In 1580, A Retentive, to stay good Christians in true faith and religion, against the "Motives" of • Richard Bristow also, a Discoverie of the dangerous Rocke of 'the Popish Church, commended by Nicholas Saunders, D. D.' In 1581, A Confutation and Detection of Stapleton and Marshall, two Popish heretiques.' In the same year, 'A Confutation of Howlett's [i. e. Robert Parsons] Reasons why Papists come not to Church.' Also, The Conference at Wisbich Castle with the Papistes;' also, A Rejoinder to Bristow's replie in defence of Allen's "Scrole of Articles" and "booke of Purgatorie.""

เ

6

As soon as Gregory Martin's Discoverie of Corruptions,' &c. made its appearance, Dr. Fulke prepared an answer to it; which he executed both efficiently and rapidly, for it was in the hands of the public in 1583, under the title of A Defence of the sincere and 'true translation of the Holy Scriptures into the English tongue, against the manifold cavils, frivolous quarrels, and impudent slaun'ders of Gregorie Martin,' &c. 8°. London, 1583. And having thus vindicated the Protestant translators, we shall find him afterwards turning his attention to an examination of the work of the Rhemish Divines.

In 1585, THOMAS BILSON, Warden of Winchester, published a book entitled The true difference between Christian subjection and unchristian rebellion: wherein the princes lawful power 'to command for truth, and indepriveable right to bear the 'sword are defended against the Pope's censures, and the Jesuits' 'sophisms, uttered in their "Apologie" and "Defence of English 'Catholics;" with a demonstration, that the things reformed in the Church of England, by the laws of this Realm, are truly 'Catholic, notwithstanding the vain shew made to the contrary,

in their late Rhemish Testament. Oxford, printed by Joseph Barnes,' 1585. 4o. Reprinted, the next year, in London, in

octavo.

The two tracts, which Dr. Bilson here answers, are Cardinal Allen's Apologie &c. of the two English Colleges, at Rome and Rhemes,' &c. mentioned above: and A true, sincere and modest ' defence of English Catholics that suffer for their faith both at 'home and abroad,' &c. printed without date, or name of place, or author, but universally attributed to the same writer. Bilson's reply is in four parts: in the fourth, p. 487, he speaks of the wrangling observations lately sent us from Rhemes, wherein, with' out all shame and care, you refute not us but yourselves and your own conclusions, that you might say somewhat against us before 'the simple and unlearned.' &c. He cites several of the Rhemists' Annotations, and replies to their reasonings, at pp. 488. 490. 492. 505. 506. 515. 516. 526. 532. 534. 546. 548. 554. 582. 8°. Edition.

In 1588, GEORGE WITHER-a writer, of whom I can find out nothing ccrtainf, except that he was not the Poet of those names— published a reply to the Marginal Notes (only) of the Rhemish Testament: Title, within a broad wood-cut border, A view of the Marginal notes of the Popish Testament, translated into English by the English fugitive Papists resident at Rhemes in France. 'By George Wither. Printed at London by Edmund Bollifant for Thomas Woodcock.' 4o. Dedication to John Archbishop of Canterbury, dated xii April 1588, 6 pages: the work, p. 1-346. In his Dedication, Wither censures severely both the translation, preface, and annotations, of his opponents. He states, that he merely undertakes to examine the marginal notes, in order to satisfy the desires of many persons that the whole work should be closely reviewed; which he hopes will soon be done. He quotes so much of

f I think it most probable, that he was the Archdeacon of Colchester, who held that office from 1570 to 1617, and who in 1585 published 'An A. B. C. 'for Layemen, other-wise called, The 'Lay-man's Letters: an Alphabet for 'Lay-men delivering unto them such 'lessons as the Holy Ghost teacheth 'them in the Worde, by thinges sensible, very necessary to be diligently 'considered,' printed by Robert Waldegrave, 1585. 8°. Herbert (p. 1142) gives the author's name Wilkes, instead of Wither; though Maunsell's Cata

their Text, as gives occasion to the marginal notes. His remarks are pungent and severe.

This book is very rare. I have not met with more than one copy, which formerly was Mr. Douce's-and probably Herbert's,— and is now in the Bodleian Library.

In the same year, 1588, Dr. EDWARD BULKELEY published a Reply to a portion of the Rhemists' preface, under the following title: An Answer to ten frivolous and foolish Reasons set down by the Rhemish Jesuites and Papists in their Preface before the • New Testament by them lately translated into English, which have ⚫ moved them to forsake the originall fountain of the Greeke, wherein 'the Spirit of God did indite the Gospell, and the holie Apostles 'did write it, to follow the streame of the Latin translation, trans'lated we know not when, nor by whom. With a discoverie of 'many great Corruptions and faults in the said English translation 'set out at Rhemes. Londini, impensis Georgii Bishop, 1588.' 4°. Dedication to Sir Francis Walsingham, 5 pages: the work, p. 1. 103. The ten Reasons answered are those given in sections 26-37 of the Preface, (as numbered by Fulke and by Cartwright.) He next replies to the Proofs given for those Reasons. At p. 51. he begins his 'Discoverie of Corruptions,' &c. At p. 76. he animadverts on the strange words and affected phrases.' From p. 81. to the end, he adduces certain places out of Scripture and the Fathers, to shew how requisite and profitable it is for all men-to 'reade and heare the Word of God.' At p. 81. he says, 'I did not 'purpose to make a full answer to the Rhemists whole Preface, 'which I hope hereafter will be performed by some other :' (alluding perhaps to Fulke; or, more probably, to Cartwright.)

·

As there had not yet appeared a complete review of the entire New Testament of Rhemes, Dr. Fulke once more set himself to work in the good cause; and gave the world the result of his great diligence and learning, in the year 1589, under the following title: 'The text of the New Testament of Jesus Christ, translated out of 'the Vulgar Latine by the Papists of the traiterous seminarie at Rhemes. With arguments of bookes, chapters, and annotations, 'pretending to discover the corruptions of divers translations, and 'to clear the controversies of these dayes. Whereunto is added the Translation out of the Original Greeke, commonly used in the Church of England, with a Confutation of all such arguments, 'glosses, and Annotations, as conteine manifest impietie, of heresy treason and slander against the Catholike Church of God, and the

'true teachers thereof, or the Translations used in the Church of England; both by auctoritie of the Holy Scriptures, and by the ⚫ testimonie of the ancient fathers. By William Fulke, Doctor in 'Divinitie.'

In his Confutation of the Rhemists' Preface, Fulke informs the reader, that his purpose with respect to the Rhemish Annotations is—'not to strive for every word in the margent, as the names of Popish feastes and such like, neither to medle with those Annota'tions, which although they be not rightly gathered out of the text, ' yet conteine no impietie or slaunder of the Church or the true 'members thereof: but only with such as are framed against the 'trueth and the mainteyners thereof.'

In his dedication to Elizabeth Fulke says, 'At such time as I 'published a Defence of our English Translations of the Holy Scriptures, against the malicious cavils of Gregorie Martine, . . . . I 'thought myselfe discharged in duty from any further dealing against these Rhemish gloses. Both for that I was persuaded, that among so many learned Divines as doe now flourish in the 'Church of England, a worke of such importance could not be ' altogether neglected: and especially because it was reported that, by other men of very good gifts, it was already even at the first ' undertaken. But so many yeares having passed, and the expecta'tion of many godly men not being yet satisfied with a full and generall answer (although their hunger hath bin well slaked with 'sundry learned discourses, uttered partly by occasion in other 'bookes, partly in speciall Treatisess directed against some portion ' of these Annotations, beside often Confutations of the same in 'publike Sermons), being solicited by men of good judgement and qualities, I have attempted to set forth by my selfe, that which I 'have long looked for, and much rather desired to be performed by ' others. Not meaning therby to prejudice the more learned la'bours, and longer studied Commentariesh of them that had taken 'the matter in hand before me, if they purpose at length to bring 'them to light but to provide in the meane time, that by a short ' and sufficient reply, the weake might be confirmed, the doubtful 'satisfied, and especially the insolency of the Adversaries might be ' repressed. Who not content to quarrell at the sinceritie and

Probably, he is referring to the treatises of Bilson, Bulkeley, Withers, &c.

h There is little doubt, that the allu

sion is to the Work of Thomas Cartwright; which had been taken in 'hand' sometime previously, but did not appear till many years afterwards.