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may be bestowed upon the gourd, which affordeth us a little shade, and which today flourisheth,
but tomorrow is cut down; what may we bestow, nay what ought we not to bestow upon the Vine,
the fruit whereof maketh glad the conscience of man, and the stem whereof abideth forever? And
this is the word of God, which we translate. “What is the chaff to the wheat, saith the Lord?” [
Tanti vitreum, quanti verum margaritum (saith Tertullian,) [Tertul. ad Martyr.] if a toy of
glass be of that reckoning with us, how ought we to value the true pearl? [Jerome. ad Salvin.]
Therefore let no man’s eye be evil, because his Majesty’s is good; neither let any be grieved, that
we have a Prince that seeketh the increase of the spiritual wealth of Israel (let Sanballats and Tobiahs
do so, which therefore do bear their just reproof) but let us rather bless God from the ground of our
heart, for working this religious care in him, to have the translations of the Bible maturely considered
of and examined. For by this means it cometh to pass, that whatsoever is sound already (and all is
sound for substance, in one or other of our editions, and the worst of ours far better than their
authentic vulgar) the same will shine as gold more brightly, being rubbed and polished; also, if
anything be halting, or superfluous, or not so agreeable to the original, the same may be corrected,
and the truth set in place. And what can the King command to be done, that will bring him more
true honour than this? and wherein could they that have been set a work, approve their duty to the
King, yea their obedience to God, and love to his Saints more, than by yielding their service, and
all that is within them, for the furnishing of the work? But besides all this, they were the principal
motives of it, and therefore ought least to quarrel it: for the very Historical truth is, that upon the
importunate petitions of the Puritans, at his Majesty’s coming to this Crown, the Conference at
Hampton Court having been appointed for hearing their complaints: when by force of reason they
were put from other grounds, they had recourse at the last, to this shift, that they could not with
good conscience subscribe to the Communion book, since it maintained the Bible as it was there
translated, which was as they said, a most corrupted translation. And although this was judged to
be but a very poor and empty shift; yet even hereupon did his Majesty begin to bethink himself of
the good that might ensue by a new translation, and presently after gave order for this Translation
which is now presented unto thee. Thus much to satisfy our scrupulous Brethren.
AN ANSWER TO THE IMPUTATIONS OF OUR ADVERSARIES
Now to the latter we answer; that we do not deny, nay we affirm and avow, that the very meanest
translation of the Bible in English, set forth by men of our profession, (for we have seen none of
theirs of the whole Bible as yet) containeth the word of God, nay, is the word of God. As the King’s
speech, which he uttereth in Parliament, being translated into French, Dutch, Italian, and Latin, is
still the King’s speech, though it be not interpreted by every Translator with the like grace, nor
peradventure so fitly for phrase, nor so expressly for sense, everywhere. For it is confessed, that
things are to take their denomination of the greater part; and a natural man could say, Verum ubi
multa nitent in carmine, non ego paucis offendor maculis, etc. [Horace.] A man may be counted a
virtuous man, though he have made many slips in his life, (else, there were none virtuous, for in
many things we offend all)
] also a comely man and lovely, though he have some warts
upon his hand, yea, not only freckles upon his face, but also scars. No cause therefore why the word
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