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of wholesome food, against fenowed traditions; a Physician’s shop (Saint Basil called it) [S. Basil
in Psal. primum.] of preservatives against poisoned heresies; a Pandect of profitable laws, against
rebellious spirits; a treasury of most costly jewels, against beggarly rudiments; finally a fountain
of most pure water springing up unto everlasting life. And what marvel? The original thereof being
from heaven, not from earth; the author being God, not man; the inditer, the holy spirit, not the wit
of the Apostles or Prophets; the Penmen such as were sanctified from the womb, and endued with
a principal portion of God’s spirit; the matter, verity, piety, purity, uprightness; the form, God’s
word, God’s testimony, God’s oracles, the word of truth, the word of salvation, etc.; the effects,
light of understanding, stableness of persuasion, repentance from dead works, newness of life,
holiness, peace, joy in the holy Ghost; lastly, the end and reward of the study thereof, fellowship
with the Saints, participation of the heavenly nature, fruition of an inheritance immortal, undefiled,
and that never shall fade away: Happy is the man that delighted in the Scripture, and thrice happy
that meditateth in it day and night.
TRANSLATION NECESSARY
But how shall men meditate in that, which they cannot understand? How shall they understand
that which is kept close in an unknown tongue? as it is written, “Except I know the power of the
voice, I shall be to him that speaketh, a Barbarian, and he that speaketh, shall be a Barbarian to
me.”
The Apostle excepteth no tongue; not Hebrew the ancientest, not Greek the most
copious, not Latin the finest. Nature taught a natural man to confess, that all of us in those tongues
which we do not understand, are plainly deaf; we may turn the deaf ear unto them. The Scythian
counted the Athenian, whom he did not understand, barbarous; [Clem. Alex. 1 Strom.] so the Roman
did the Syrian, and the Jew (even S. Jerome himself called the Hebrew tongue barbarous, belike
because it was strange to so many) [S. Jerome. Damaso.] so the Emperor of Constantinople [Michael,
Theophili fil.] calleth the Latin tongue, barbarous, though Pope Nicolas do storm at it: [2::Tom.
Concil. ex edit. Petri Crab] so the Jews long before Christ called all other nations, Lognazim, which
is little better than barbarous. Therefore as one complaineth, that always in the Senate of Rome,
there was one or other that called for an interpreter: [Cicero 5::de finibus.] so lest the Church be
driven to the like exigent, it is necessary to have translations in a readiness. Translation it is that
openeth the window, to let in the light; that breaketh the shell, that we may eat the kernel; that
putteth aside the curtain, that we may look into the most Holy place; that removeth the cover of
the well, that we may come by the water, even as Jacob rolled away the stone from the mouth of
the well, by which means the flocks of Laban were watered
]. Indeed without translation
into the vulgar tongue, the unlearned are but like children at Jacob’s well (which is deep)
without a bucket or something to draw with; or as that person mentioned by Isaiah, to whom
when a sealed book was delivered, with this motion, “Read this, I pray thee,” he was fain to make
this answer, “I cannot, for it is sealed.”
THE TRANSLATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT OUT OF THE HEBREW INTO
GREEK
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