Sin theoni en christoni the answer to the preface of the Rhemish Testament. By…Syn theōi en christōi the ansvvere to the preface of the Rhemish Testament. By…

To the four next sections, pag. 9. 10. 11.

To the foure next sections, pag. 9. 10. 11.

What compassion have you had of your country men, which have kept back the wheat of Gods word from them so many years and ages, wherewith they should have been fed to eternal life. And your compassions now, what are they but (as Solomon sayeth of the¹ compassions of the wicked) most cruel. Wherefore it is certain, that as the curses of Gods people have hitherto pierced your souls, and run them thorow for engrossing into your hands the grain of life: so now they vvill be as sore and sharp against you, ⟨p. 81⟩for selling them such musty, mildewed, blasted, and by all means corrupted grain. Neither is your impiety less now in poisoning them, then it was before in starving them. Wherefore you partly persuade us, that you have done this work in fear and trembling: seeing in so open corruptions, and so manifold and manifest wrestings, it was hard for you not to see eft-sons hell opened before your eyes. As for your childish translation of numbering word for word, and as it were syllable for syllable, rather then to give sense for sense, and to translate rather by weight of sense, then by tale of words; although also, it shall appear that you have kept your self to neither; yet have you no defence in Jerome for it. For although by the words you allege, may well be gathered out of him a straighter Jaw in turning the Scriptures, then in turning other writers: yet having showed in the same Epistle, that his use in translating² was not to number but to weigh words, that he followed the words so far as they ⟨p. 82⟩were not strange from the custom of speech, that he translated not words, but sentences; he addeth, that it is no marvel, if this were done in translating profane and ecclesiastical writers, seeing that the seventy interpreters, th'Evangelists and Apostles had done the same, not yielding word for word. And after in the same Epistle he saith, that the care of th'Evangelists, was not to hunt after words and syllables, but to set down the mind or sense of the doctrines. And therefore showeth by divers examples, where they in words neither agree with the 70. interpreters, nor yet with the Hebrew. Amongst other, th'example that he citeth out of Saint Mark is notable: where our Saviour Christs words being only Tabitha Cumi. i. Rise maid: th'Evangelist translating it, to make the sense more full, interlaceth I say to thee.