THE PREFACE
Quod elegerit nos primitias: απαρχης in some Greek copies. Gagn. & 2 Cor. 9. Vestra æmulatio, ό ύμών ζηλος so hath one Greeke copie. Beza.
5. If al their copies be not sufficient, the ancient Greek Fathers had copies and expounded them agreable to our vulgar Latin, as 1 Tim. 6, 20. Prophanas vocum nouitates. So readeth S. Chrysostom and expoundeth it against Heretical & erroneous nouelties. Yet now we know no Greek copie that readeth so. Likewise Io. 10, 29. Pater meus quod mihi dedit maius omnibus est. So readeth S. Cyril and expoundeth it li. 7 in Io. c. 10. likewise 1 Io. 4, 3. Omnie spiritus qui soluit IESVM, ex Deo non est. So readeth S. Irenæus li. 3. c. 18. S. Augustine tract. 6. in Io. S. Leo epist. 10. c. 5. beside Socrates in his Ecclesiastical historie, li. 7. c. 22. and the Tripartite li. 12. c. 4. who say plainely, that this was the old and the true reading of this place in the Greek. And in what Greeke copie extant at this day is there this text Io. 5, 2. Est autem Hierosolymis probatica piscina? and yet S. Chrysostom, S. Cyril, and Theophylacte read so in the Greek, and Beza saith it is the better reading. And so is the Latin text of the Romane Masse booke iustified, and eight other Latin copies, that read so. For our vulgar Latin here, is according to the Greek text, Super probatica. and Ro. 5. v. 17. Donationis & iustitiae. So readeth Theodorete in Greek, & Lu. 2. v. 14. Origen & S. Chrysostom reade, Hominibus bonae voluntatis, and Beza liketh it better then the Greeke text that now is.
6. Where there is no such signe or token of any ancient Greek copie in the Fathers, yet these later interpreters tel vs, that the old Interpreter did follow some other Greek copie. As Marc. 7, 3. Nisi crebro lauerint. Erasmus thinketh that he did read in the Greek πυχή, often: and Beza and others commend his coniecture, yea and the English Bibles are so translated. Whereas now it is πυγμῇ which signifieth the length of the arme vp to the elbow. And who would not thinke that the Euangelist should say, The Pharisees wash often, because otherwise they eate not, rather then thus, Vnles they wash vp to the elbow, they eate not?
7. If al such coniectures, and al the Greek Fathers help vs not, yet the Latin Fathers with great consent wil easily iustifie the old vulgar translation, which for the most part they follow and expound. As Io. 7, 39. Nondum erat spiritus datus. So readeth S. Augustin li. 4 de Trinit. c. 20. and li. 83. Quaest. q. 62. and tract. 52 in Ioan. Leo ser. 2 de Pentecoste. Whose authoritie were sufficient, but indeed Didymus also a Greek Doctour readeth so li. 2 de Sp. sancto, translated by S. Hierom, and a Greek copie in the Vaticane, and the Syriake new Testament. Likewise Io. 21, 22. Sic eum volo manere. So reade S. Ambrose, in Psal. 45. & Psal. 118. octonario Resp. S. Augustine and Vene. Bede vpon S. Iohns Gospel.
8. And lastly, if some other Latin Fathers of ancient time, read otherwise, either here or in other places, not al agreing with the text of our vulgar Latin, the cause is, the great diuersitie and multitude, that was then of Latin copies, (whereof S. Hierom complaineth) til this one vulgar Latin grwv onely into vse. Neither doth their diuers reading make more for the Greek, then for the vulgar Latin, differing oftentimes from both. As when S. Hierom in this last place readeth, Si sic eam volo manere, li. 1. adu. Ionin. It is according to no Greek copie novv extant. And if yet there be some doubt, that the readings of some Greek or Latin Fathers, differing from the vulgar Latin, be a check or condemnation to the same: let Beza: that is, let the Aduersarie himself, tel vs his opinion in this case also. Whosoeuer, saith he, shal take vpon him to correct these things (speaking of the vulgar Latin translation) out of the ancient Fathers writings, either Greek or Latin, vnles he doe it very circumspectly & aduisedly, he shal surely corrupt al rather then amend it, because it is not to be thought, that as often as they cited any place, they did alwaies looke into the book, or number euery word. As if he should say: We may not by and by thinke that the vulgar Latin is faultie and to be corrected, when we read otherwise in the Fathers either Greek or Latin, because they did not alwaies exactly cite the words, but followed some commodious and godly sense thereof.
Thus then we see that by al meanes the old vulgar Latin translation is approued good, and better then the Greek text it self, and that there is no cause why it should giue place to any other text, copies, or readings. Manie if there be any faults euidently crept in by those that heretofore, wrote or copied out the Scriptures (as there be some) them we grant no lesse, then we would grant faults now adaies committed by the Printer, and they are exactly noted of Catholike writers, namely in al Plantins Bi-
