An answer to a certain book, writtenAn answere to a certeine booke, written

First that the Bible was corrupted before the time of our saviour Christ, what cause have we to think, especially seeing our saviour Christ never once chargeth the Jews with any such corruption? M. Rainolds saith, it might be that Christ objected the same unto them, although not recorded in the Testament. Remember then that this be put among the traditions unwritten of your Church: and so you need not to seek for other answer, as you do. Yet our saviour Christ when he saith, ye have heard it said, thou shalt love thy neighbour, ¹and hate thine enemy, accuseth not the Scribes and Pharisees, for corrupting the letter of the text, by adding ⟨p. 275⟩thereunto the second member, but for gathering out of the text wicked doctrine, that for so much as we are commanded to love our neighbour, (that is, as they expounded it, our friend) therefore we are licensed to hate our enemy. This false exposition of the scripture, not corruption of the text, doth Christ correct. For that in wicked Manasseh days diverse books were lost, I have before answered: If Christ reprove not the Jews therefore, no marvel, seeing that loss was not through their negligence, but many hundred years before: yet maintenance of open corruption in the text had deserved in them sharp reproof, although them selves had not been the first authors of that corruption.

First that the Bible was corrupted before the time of our sauiour Christ, what cause haue we to thinke, especiallie seeing our sauiour Christ neuer once chargeth the Iewes with any such corruption? M. Rainolds saith, it might be that Christ obiected the same vnto them, although not recorded in the Testament. Remember then that this be put amonge the traditions vnwritten of your Church: and so you neede not to seeke for other answere, as you doe. Yet our sauiour Christ when he saith, ye haue hearde it saide, thou shalt loue thy neighboure, ¹and hate thine enemie, accuseth not the Scribes and Pharisies, for corrupting the letter of the text, by adding ⟨p. 275⟩therunto the second member, but for gathering out of the text wicked doctrine, that for so much as we are commaunded to loue our neighbour, (that is, as they expounded it, our friende) therefore we are licensed to hate our enemie. This false exposition of the scripture, not corruption of the text, doth Christ correct. For that in wicked Manasses daies diuerse books were loste, I haue before answered: If Christ reprooue not the Iewes therefore, no maruell, seeing that losse was not through their negligence, but many hundred yeares before: yet maintenance of open corruption in the text had deserued in them sharpe reproofe, although them selues had not bene the first authores of that corruption.