they once maliciously forged, and still wickedly retain without altera- 99 66 com 25. Fulke. It is no strange case for an heretic and a traitor, FULKE, that hath sold his tongue to utter slanders against the church of God, and the christian magistrate, protector of the same, to devise and surmise that which never was intended, never was practised: as that against the godly and lawful decrees of the church we should translate "men's traditions," mandments of men;" and to the maintenance of all temporal laws, be they never so wicked, we should translate "ordinance," instead of "creature." As for the crime of treason, and just execution of them that have suffered of your viperous brood, I refer to the trial of the laws and judgments that have passed upon them, as no matter meet for me to dispute of only this all good subjects know, yea, all the world may know, that they which take part with the pope, our prince's open and professed enemy, not in matters of religion only, but in cases concerning her crown and dignity, her realms and dominions, cannot bear dutiful and obedient hearts to her Majesty, whose clemency hitherto hath spared them that acknowledge her princely authority, although in all other points of popery they continue as obstinate as ever they were. MARTIN, 1. FULKE, 1. MARTIN, 2. CHAPTER XVI. Heretical Translation against the Sacrament of Matrimony. Martin. Bur as they are injurious translators to the sacred order of priesthood, so a man would think they should be very friendly to the sacrament of matrimony. For they would seem to make more of matrimony than we do, making it equal at the least with virginity. Yet the truth is, we make it, or rather the church of God esteemeth it, as a holy sacrament, they do not: as giving grace to the married persons to live together in love, concord, and fidelity; they acknowledge no such thing. So that matrimony with them is highly esteemed in respect of the flesh, or (to say the best) only for a civil contract, as it is among Jews and pagans: but as it is peculiar to Christians, and (as St Augustine saith) "in the sanctification also and holiness of a sacrament," they make no account of it, but flatly deny it. Fulke. We make no more of matrimony than the holy scripture doth teach us; neither do we in all respects make it equal with virginity, howsoever you do slander us. But you so "make it an holy sacrament," that you think the holy order of priesthood is profaned by it. We acknowledge that God giveth grace to them that be faithful "to live in love, concord, and fidelity," even as he did to the fathers of the old testament, living in the same honourable estate; which proveth that matrimony is no sacrament of the new testament, although it be an holy ordinance for God's children to live in, and in it is contained a holy secret or mystery of the spiritual conjunction of Christ and his church. It is therefore nothing else but a devilish slander to say that we "esteem it but in respect of the flesh, or for a civil contract." Martin. And to this purpose they translate in the epistle to the Ephesians, v. where the apostle speaketh of matrimony, "This is a magnum est. great secret'." Whereas the Latin church and all the doctors thereof Sacramentum hoc [' Τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστίν· ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω εἰς Χριστὸν καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, Εph. v. 32, "Sacramentum hoc magnum est, ego autem dico in Christo et in ecclesia," Vulg. "This sacrament is great," Wiclif, Rheims. "This is a great secret," Tyndale, Cranmer, Bishops' bible, Geneva Test. "This is a great mystery," Authorised version.] have ever read, "This is a great sacrament:" the Greek church and all the fathers thereof, "This is a great mystery," because that which vorńPLOV. is in Greek "mystery," is in Latin "sacrament:" and contrariwise, the words in both tongues being equivalent; so that if one be taken tum. in the large signification, the other also: as, Apoc. xvii. "I will shew Sacramenthee the sacrament of the woman," and, "I will shew thee the mystery of the woman And so in sundry places, again, if one be restrained μvoτptov. from the larger signification, and peculiarly applied, signify "the sacraments of the church," the other also: as, "the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ," or, "the mystery of the body and blood of Duo SacraChrist:" and the Calvinists in their Latin and Greek catechism say, duo avoτI"Two sacraments," or, "two mysteries." menta. pia. Fulke. The English word "secret" signifieth fully as FULKE, 2. much as the Greek word voτnpiov, in which we must seek no holiness, as papists do, in vain sound of words, but in the matter annexed, which plainly expresseth that it is a great secret of great holiness, whereof the apostle speaketh. And it is very false that you say, that the Latin word sacramentum is equivalent to the Greek for both it signifieth "an oath," which the Greek word doth not, and also it includeth holiness, which the Greek word doth not. Or else, why saith not your vulgar translator, and you, the sacrament of iniquity? Muornptov therefore signifieth "every secret;” sacramentum only "an holy sacrament:" as when you say, Apoc. xvii., "the sacrament of the woman," the meaning is, the secret to be revealed concerning her is an holy thing; else in the same chapter you have not a sacrament written in her forehead, but "a mystery or secret, Babylon, the mother of abominations." That the sacraments are called mysteries, we confess; but that whatsoever is called a mystery may also be called a sacrament, that do we utterly deny. Martin. This being so, what is the fault of their translation in MARTIN, 3. the place aforesaid? This, that they translate neither "sacrament," nor "mystery." As for the word "sacrament," they are excused, because they translate not the Latin: but translating the Greek, why said they not "mystery," which is the Greek word here in the apostle? I mean, why said they not of matrimony, "This is a great mystery?" [' ἐγώ σοι ἐρῶ τὸ μυστήριον τῆς γυναικός, Apoc. xvii. 7. “Ego dicam tibi sacramentum mulieris," Vulg. "I shall shew to thee the sacrament of the woman," Wiclif. "The mystery of the woman," Tyndale, Cranmer, Geneva, Rheims, Bishops' bible, Authorised version.] nest or lawful Were it ho- No doubt, there can be no other cause, but to avoid both those words, to translate, which are used in the Latin and Greek church, to signify “the saBaptizo, "I craments." wash:" or For in the Greek church the sacrament of the body Baptismus, and blood itself is called but "a mystery" or "mysteries," which yet "washing:"or Evangelium, the protestants themselves call a true sacrament. Therefore if they yet the words should have called matrimony also by that name, it might easily have profanely taken signify sounded to be a sacrament also. But in saying it is a great secret, they put it out of doubt that it shall not be so taken. "good news?" no more. FULKE, 3. MARTIN, 4. 1 Tim. iii. Col. i. 26. Eph. iii. 9. Cor. xv. 51. Fulke. Seeing the word "secret" that we use, signifieth wholly as much as "mystery," we hope all reasonable men will allow the same also. "Sacrament" without prejudice to the truth we could not translate; and "mystery," for the better understanding of the people, we have expressed in the English word, "secret;" out of which, if it have any force of argument in it, you may prove matrimony to be a sacrament, as well as out of the Greek word "mystery." But it is the sound of an unknown word, that you had rather play upon in the ears of the ignorant, than by any sound argument out of the scripture to bring them to the knowledge of the truth. Martin. They will say unto me, Is not every sacrament and mystery in English a secret? Yes, as angel is a messenger; and apostle, one that is sent. But when the holy scripture useth these words to signify more excellent and divine things than those of the common sort, doth it become translators to use baser terms instead thereof, and so to disgrace the writing and meaning of the Holy Ghost? I appeal to themselves, when they translate this word in other places, whether they say not thus: "And without doubt, great was the mystery of godliness; God was shewed manifestly in the flesh, &c." again, "The mystery which hath been hid since the world began, but now is opened to his saints;” again, “I shew you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." And the like. Where if they should translate "secret,” instead of "mystery,” as the Bezites do in one of these places, saying, "I will shew you a secret thing;" what a disgracing and debasing were it to those high mysteries there signified? And if it were so in these, is it not so in "matrimony,” which the apostle maketh such a mystery, that it representeth no less matter than Christ and his church, and whatsoever is most excellent in that conjunction? Now then, if in all other places of high mystery they translate it also "mystery," as it is in the Greek; and only in "matrimony" do not so, but say rather, "This is a great secret," using so base a term in so high and excellent a mystery; must we not needs think, (as no doubt it is,) that they do it because of their heretical opinion against the sacrament of matrimony, and for their base estimation thereof? Fulke. Now you fly to your old shift of the ecclesias- FULKE, 4. tical use of terms, which you cannot prove to be like, of this English word "mystery," which is commonly as profanely and secularly used as any other word. For what is more common among artificers, than their science or mystery of weaving, of dyeing, and such like? And yet the word may be used of the highest secrets of christian religion, as it is of our translators. And wheresoever they have said "a mystery," they might as truly have said "a secret;" and where they say "a secret," they might have said "a mystery." But where you say, that "in all other places of high mystery they translate the word 'mystery," it is false. For Matt. xiii. Mark iv. Luke viii., where all the mysteries of the kingdom of God are spoken of, they translate mysteria "the secrets of the kingdom of heaven;" and 1 Cor. iv., where the sacraments and all other secrets of the christian religion are spoken of, they translate uvoτnpiwv "stewards of the mysteries of God." Wherefore it is a shameful and senseless slander that here only we use this word "secret," to shew our base estimation of matrimony. Martin. But they will yet reply again, and ask us, what we gain MARTIN, 5. by translating it either "sacrament," or "mystery?" Doth that make it one of the sacraments properly so called, to wit, such a sacrament as baptism is? No, surely; but howsoever we gain otherwise, at least we gain the commendation of true translators, whether it make with us or against us. For otherwise it is not the name that maketh it such a peculiar sacrament. For, (as is said before,) sacrament is a general name in scripture to other things. Neither do we therefore so translate it, as though it were forthwith one of the seven sacraments, because of the name: but as in other places, wheresoever we find this word in the Latin, we translate it "sacrament", (as in the apocalypse, "the sacrament of the woman";) so finding it here, Apoc. xvii. we do here also so translate it: and as for the diverse taking of it here and elsewhere, that we examine otherwise, by circumstance of the text, and by the church's and doctors' interpretation; and we find that here it is taken for "a sacrament" in that sense as we say, seven sacraments:" not so in the other places. Fulke. No reasonable man can charge us to be false FULKE, 5. translators, when we turn the Greek word into that which it |
