The Obedience of a Christian Man

The sermons which thou readest in the Acts of the apostles & all that the apostles preached were no doubt preached in the mother ⟨image 16⟩tongue. Why then might they not be written in the mother tongue? As if one of us preach a good sermon why may it not be written? Saint hierom also translated the bible in to his mother tongue. Why may not we also? They will say it can not be translated in to our tongue it is so rude. It is not so rude as they are false liars. For the greek tongue agreeth more with the english then with the latin. And the ¹properties of the hebrew tongue agreeth a thousand times more with the english then with the latin. The manner of speaking is both one so that in a thousand places thou needest not but to trans / late it in to the english word for word when thou must seek a compass in the latin / and yet shalt have much work to translate it well-faveredly / so that it have the same grace and sweetness / sense and pure understanding with it in the latin / as it hath in the hebrew. A thousand parts better may it be translated in to the english then in to the latin. Ye and except my memory fail me and that I have forgotten what I read when I was a child thou shalt find in the English chronicle how that king ²Athelstan caused the holy scripture to be tram slated into the tongue that then was in Englō de and how the prelates exhorted him there unto.

The sermons which thou readist in the Actes of ye apos•les & all yt the apostles preached were no doute preached in the mother ⟨image 16⟩tōge. Why thē mighte they not be writtē in the mother tonge? As yf one of vs preach a good sermon why maye it not be written? Saynt hierom also trāslated the bible in to his mother tonge. Why maye not we also? They will saye it can not be translated in to oure tonge it is so rude. It is not so rude as they are false lyers. For the greke tonge agreeth moare with the english then with the latyne. And the ¹propirties of the hebrue tonge agreth a thousande tymes moare with the english then with the latyne. The maner of speakynge is both one so yt in a thousande places thou neadest not but to trās / late it in to ye english worde for worde whē thou must seke a compasse in the latyne / and yet shalt have moch worke to trāslate it wel-faveredly / so that it have the same grace ād swetnesse / sence and pure vnderstandinge with it in the latyne / as it hath in the hebrue. A thousande partes better maye it be translated in to the english then in to the latyne. Yee and excepte my memory fayle me and that I have forgotten what I redde when I was a childe thou shalt fynd in the englesh cronycle how that kynge