TO THE ENGLISH READER
fallen out of al Diuines handes, and growne out of credite Al others growne out of vse. S. Ierom excelled al other Doctors in translating & expounding holie Scriptures.
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 His Edition free from. partialitie.
true text and Edition of Holie Scriptures. Neither do we His Edition free from. partialitie.
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 Preferred before al other Editions by Beza.
doctrine, then this which we relie vpon. So that Luc. 22. v. 20. Prefat. Noui. Testam. Anno. 1556. Luc. 1. v. 1.
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 None yet in England allowed for sufficient.
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 VVhat is done in this Edition
anie thing be mistaken, we wil (as stil we promise) gladly Preface before the nevv Testam.
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 Diuers readinges resolued vpon, & none leift in the margent.
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
