ALL other means of salvation being thus taken || away, as you have already seen, their only and last refuge is faith alone and that not the Christian faith contained in the articles of the creed, and such like; but a special faith and confidence, whereby every man must assuredly believe, that himself is the son of God, and one of the elect predestined to salvation. If he be not, by faith, as sure of this, as of Christ's incarnation and death, he shall never be saved.

(1) FOR maintaining this heresy, they force the Greek text to express the very word of assurance and certainty thus: "Let us draw nigh with a true heart, in assurance of faith" their last translation makes it, "in full assurance of faith;" adding the word full to what it was before; and that, either because they would be thought to draw that word from the original, or else because they would thereby signify such an assurance or certainty, as should be beyond all manner of doubt or fear; thereby excluding not only charity, but even hope also, as unnecessary.

(2) THE word in the Greek is far different from their expression; for it signifies, properly, the fulness and completion of any thing; and therefore, the apostle joins it sometimes with faith, sometimes with hope, (as in Heb. vi. 11,) sometimes with knowledge or understanding, (Col. ii. 2,) to signify the fulness of all three, as the Vulgate Latin interpreter most sincerely (Rom. iv. 21,) translates it. Thus when the Greek signifies "fulness of faith," rather than "full assurance," (or, as Beza has it, "certain persuasion,")" of faith;" they err in the precise translation of it; and much more do they err in the sense when they apply it to the "certain " and "assured faith," that every man ought to have, as they say, of his own salvation. Whereas the Greek fathers expound it of the "fulness of faith," that every faithful man must have all such things in heaven, as he sees not; namely, that Christ is ascended thither, that he shall come with glory to judge the world, &c., (a) adding further, and proving out of the apostle's words next following, that (the Protestants) "only faith is not sufficient, be it ever so special or assured."(b) For the said reason do they also translate," The special gift of faith," (Sap. iii. 14,) instead of "The chosen gift of faith." Another gross corruption they have in Ecclesiasticus, v. 5. But because, in their Bibles of the later stamp, they have rejected these books, as not canonical, though they can show us no more reason or authority for their so doing, than for altering and corrupting the text, I. shall be content to pass it by.

(3) BEZA, by corrupting this place of the Corinthians, translating totam fidem for omnem

(a) St. Chrysost., Theodoret, Theophyl. upon Rom. x. (6) St. Chrysost., Hom. 19, c. 10, ad Heb.

(5) AGAIN, in all those places of the Gospel, where our blessed Saviour requires the people's faith, when he healed them of corporal diseases only, they gladly translate, "Thy faith hath saved thee," rather than, “ Thy faith hath healed thee," or, "Thy faith hath made thee whole." And this they do, that by joining these words together, they may make it sound in the ears of the people, that faith saves and justifies a man: for so Beza notes in the margin, fides salvat, "faith saveth;" whereas the faith that was here required, was of Christ's power and omnipotence only; which, as Beza confesses, may be possessed by the devils themselves; and is far from the faith that justifies.(d)

But they will say, the Greek signifies as they translate it I grant it does so; but it signifies very commonly to be healed corporally, as, by their own translation, in these places, Mark v. 26; Luke viii. 36, 48, 50; and in other places, where they translate, " I shall be whole," "they were healed;" ;" "he was healed;"" she shall be made whole." And why do they here translate it so? Because they know, "to be saved," imports rather the salvation of the soul and therefore, when faith is joined with it, they translate it rather "saved" than "healed," to insinuate their justification by "faith only."

A GENERAL mark, wherewith all heretics that have ever disturbed God's church have been branded, is, "to reject apostolical traditions," and to fly to the scripture, as by themselves expounded, for their "only rule of faith." We read not of any heresy since the apostles' time, on which this character has been more deeply stamped, than in those of this last age, especially the first heads of them, and those who were the interpreters and translators of the scriptures; whom we find to have been possessed with such prejudice against apostolical tradition, that wheresoever the holy scripture speaks against certain traditions of the Jews, there all the English translations follow the Greek exactly, never omitting to translate the Greek word napadóσis, "tradition." On the contrary, wheresoever the sacred text speaks in commendation of traditions, to wit, such traditions as the apostles delivered to the church, there (1) all their first translations agree not to follow the Greek, which is still the self-same word; but for traditions, use the words ordinances or instructions, preachings, institutions, and any word else, rather than traditions: insomuch, that Beza, the master of our English scripturists, translates the word nagadóosis, traditam doctrinam, "the doctrine delivered," putting the singular number for the plural, and adding "doctrine" of his own accord. (a)

Who could imagine their malice and partiality against traditions to be so great, that they should all agree, in their first translations I mean; for they could not but blush at it in their last, with one consent so duly and exactly, in all these places set down in the former page, to conceal and suppress the word traditlon, which, in other places, they so gladly make use of? I appeal to their consciences, whether these things were not done on purpose, and with a very wicked intention, to signify to the reader, that all traditions are to be reproved and rejected, and

none allowed.

(2) IN some places they do so gladly use this word tradition, that rather than want it, they make bold to thrust it into the text, when it is not in the Greek at all; as you see in this place of the Epistle to the Colossians, (b) "Why, as though living in the world, are you led with traditions?" And as another English Bible reads mere heretically, "Why are ye burthened with traditions?" Doubtless, they knew as well then, as they do now at this day, that this Greek word Soyua, doth not signify tradition; yea, they were not ignorant, when a little before, in the same

chapter, and in other places, themselves translate dóyuara, "ordinances," "decrees." (c) Was not this done then to make the very name of tradition odious among the people?

And though some of these gross corruptions are corrected by their last translators, yet we have no reason to think they were amended out of any good or pure intention, but rather to defend some of their own traditions, viz., wearing of the rocket, surplice, four-cornered cap, keeping the first day in the week holy, baptizing infants, &c., all which things being denied by their more refined brethren, as not being clearly to be proved out of scripture, and they having no other refuge to fly to but tradition, were forced to translate tradition in some places, where it is well spoken of. But, I say, this could not be from any pure intention of correcting their corrupted scripture; but rather for the said selfend; which appears evidently enough from their not also correcting other notorious falsifications, (as 1 Pet. i. 18,) (3) " You were not redeemed with corruptible things, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;" where the Greek x tns paralas dμ@v ανατροφῆς πατροπαροδότε, is rather to be thus translated, and it is the Greek they pretend to follow, and not our Vulgate Latin which they condemn "From your vain conversation delivered by the fathers ;" but because it sounds

But

with the simple people, to be spoken against the traditions of the Roman Church, they were as glad to suffer it to pass, as the former translators were, for the same reason, to foist in the word tradition; and for delivered, to say received. I say, because it is the phrase of the Catholic Church, that it has received many things by tradition, which they would here control by likeness of words, in their false translations. concerning the word tradition, they will tell us, perhaps, the sense thereof is included in the Greek word, delivered. We grant it: but would they be content, if we should always expressly add tradition, where it is so included? Then should we say in the Corinthians, "I praise you, that as I have delivered to you, by tradition, you keep my precepts or traditions." And again, "For I received of our Lord, which also I delivered unto you, by tradition." (d) And in another place, " As they, by tradition, delivered unto us, which from the beginning saw," &c., and such like, by their example, we should translate in this sort. But we use not this licentious manner in translating the holy scriptures ; neither is it a translator's part, but an interpreter's, and his that makes a commentary: nor does a good cause need any other translation than the express text of the scripture.

(a) 2 Thes. ii. 3. (b) Bib. 1579.

(c) Col. ii. 14; Eph. ii. 15. (d) 1 Cor. xi. 2, 23; Luke i. 2.

The Book, Chapter, and Verse.

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The last Translation of the Protestant Bible, Ed. Lon. an. 1683.

Ephesians "Sacramentum" chap. v. μυςήριον, hoc magverse 32. num est. (1)

This is a great "secret." (1)

This is a great "mystery."

(1) THE church of God esteems marriage a holy || sacrament, as giving grace to the married persons, to live together in love, concord, and fidelity. But Protestants, who reckon it no more than a civil contract, as it is amongst infidels, translated this text accordingly, calling it, in their first translations, instead of a 66 great sacrament," or "mystery," as in the Greek, a “great secret.”

But we will excuse them for not translating "sacrament," because they pretended not to translate the Latin but the Greek: yet, however, we must ask them, why they call it not "mystery," as it is in the Greek? Doubtless, they can give us no other reason, but that they wished only to avoid both those words, which are used in the Latin and Greek Church, to signify sacrament; for the word mystery is the same in Greek, that sacrament is in Latin; and in the Greek church, the sacrament of the body and blood itself, is called by the name of mystery, or mysteries; so that, if they should have called matrimony by that name, it would have sounded equally well as a sacrament also: but in saying," it is a great secret," they are sure it shall not be taken for a sacrament.

66

But perhaps, they will say, is not every sacrament and mystery, in English," a secret?" Yes, as angel is a messenger;" priest, an "elder;" apostle," one that is sent;" baptism," washing;" evangelist, "a bringer of good news;" Holy Ghost, " Holy Wind;" bishop, superintendent." But when the holy scripture uses these words to signify more excellent and divine things than those of the common sort, pray does it become translators to use profane,

66 overseer

or

But because they have kept to the Greek in their last translation, I shall say no more of it; nor should I indeed have thus much noticed it here, but to show the reader how intolerably partial and crafty they were in their first translations.

(a) Tim. iii.; Col. i. 26; Eph. iii. 9; 1 Cor. xv. 15. (b) St. Aug. de Nupt. et Concup., lib. i. c. 10. (c) Fulk. in Rhem. Test. in Ephes. v. 32, sect. 5.