serueth for the aduantage of their priuate opiniōs. For which, they are bold also partly to disauthorise quite, partly to make doubtful, diuers whole bookes allovved for Canonical Scripture by the vniuersal Church of God this thousand yeres and vpward: to alter al the authentical and Ecclesiastical vvordes vsed sithence our Christianitie, into new prophane nouelties of speaches agreable to their doctrine: to change the titles of workes, to put out the names of the Authours, to charge the very Evangelist vvith following vntrue translation, to adde whole sentences proper to their sect, into their psalmes in meter, euen into the very Creede in time. Al which the poore deceiued people say and sing as though they vvere God's owne word, being indeed through such sacrilegious treacherie, made the Diuels word.
To say nothing of their intolerable liberty and licence to change the accustomed callings of God, Angel, men, places, & things vsed by the Apostles and al antiquitie, in Greeke, Latin, and all other languages of Christian Nations, into nevv names, sometimes falsely, and alwaies ridiculously and for ostentation taken of the Hebrues: to frame and fine the phrases of holy Scriptures after the forme of prophane Writers, sticking not, for the same to supply, adde, alter or diminish as freely as if they translated Liuie, Virgil, or Terence. Hauing no religious respect to keepe either the maiestie or sincere simplicity of that venerable style of Christes spirit, as S. Augustine speaketh, which kind the holy Ghost did choose of infinite wisedom to haue the diuine mysteries rather vttered in, then any other more delicate, much lesse in that meretricious maner of writing that sundrie of these new translatours doe vse: of which sort Caluin him selfe and his pue-fellowes so much complaine, that they professe, Satan to haue gained more by these nevv Interpreters (their number, leuitie of spirit, and audacitie encreasing daily) then he did before by keeping the word from the people. And for a paterne of this mischeefe, they giue Castalion, adiuring all their churches and scholars to bevvare of his translation, as one that hath made a very sport and mockery of Gods holy word. So they charge him: themselues (and the Zuinglians of Zuricke, whose translations Luther therfore abhorred) or handling the matter with no more fidelitie, grauitie, or sinceritie, then the other: but rather with much more falsification, or (to vse the Apostles wordes) cauponation and adulteration of God's word, then they Besides many wicked gloses, prayers, confession of faith, conteining both blasphemous errors and plaine contradictions to them selues and among them selues, al priuileged and authorised to be ioyned to the Bible, and to be said and sung of the poore people, and to be beleeued as articles of faith and wholy consonant to Gods word.
We therfore hauing compassion to see our beloued Countriemen, with extreme danger of their soules, to vse onely such prophane translations, and erroneous mens mere phantasies, for the pure and blessed vvord of truth; much also moued therevnto by the desires of many deuout persons; haue set forth, for you (benigne Readers) the new Testament to begin withal, trusting that it may giue occasion to you, after diligent perusing thereof, to lay away at least such their impure versiōs as hitherto you haue beē forced to occupie. How well we haue done it, we must not be iudges, but referre al to God's Church and our Superiours in the same. To them vve submit our selues, & this, & al other our labours, to be in part or in the whole, reformed, corrected, altered, or quite abolished: most humbly desiring pardon if through our ignorance, temeritie, or other humane infirmitie, we haue any where mistaken the sense of the holy Ghost. Further promising, that if hereafter we espie any of our ovvne errours, or if any other, either frende of good wil, or aduersarie for desire of reprehension, shal open vnto vs the same; we wil not (as Protestants doe) for defense of our estimation, or of pride and contention, by wrangling wordes wilfully persist in them, but be most glad to heare of them, & in the next edition or otherwise to correct them: for it is truth that we seeke for, and Gods honour: which being had either by good intention, or by occasion, al is vvel. This we professe onely, that we haue done our endeuour with praier, much feare and trembling, lest we should dangerously erre in so sacred, high, and diuine a worke: that we haue done it with all faith, diligence, and sinceritie: that vve haue vsed no partialitie for the disaduantage of our aduersaries, nor no more licence then is sufferable in translating of holy Scriptures: continually keeping our selues as neere as is possible, to our text to the very wordes and phrases which by long vse are made venerable, though to some prophane or delicate cares
