Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/1611_kjv/msg-kjv.10

Text File | 1994-02-11 | 5KB | 82 lines

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          THE PURPOSE OF THE TRANSLATORS, WITH
           THEIR NUMBER, FURNITURE, CARE, ETC.
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     But it is high time to leave them, and to show in brief what we
proposed to ourselves, and what course we held in this our perusal
and survey of the Bible.  Truly (good Christian Reader) we never
thought from the beginning, that we should need to make a new Trans-
lation, nor yet to make of a bad one a good one, (for then the im-
putation of Sixtus had been true in some sort, that our people had
been fed with gall of Dragons instead of wine, with whey instead of
milk:) but to make a good one better, or out of many good ones, one
principal good one, not justly to be excepted against; that hath been
our endeavor, that our mark.  To that purpose there were many chosen,
that were greater in other men's eyes than in their own, and that
sought the truth rather than their own praise.  Again, they came or
were thought to come to the work, not exercendi causa (as one saith)
but exercitati, that is, learned, not to learn:  For the chief over-
seer and [NOTE: Greek letters omitted] under his Majesty, to whom
not only we, but also our whole Church was much bound, knew by his
wisdom, which thing also Nazianzen taught so long ago, that it is a
preposterous order to teach first and to learn after, yea that [NOTE:
Greek letters omitted] to learn and practice together, is neither
commendable for the workman, nor safe for the work. [Idem in Apologet.]
Therefore such were thought upon, as could say modestly with Saint
Jerome, Et Hebreaeum Sermonem ex parte didicimus, et in Latino pene
ab ipsis incunabulis etc. detriti sumus.  "Both we have learned the
Hebrew tongue in part, and in the Latin we have been exercised almost
from our very cradle."  S. Jerome maketh no mention of the Greek tongue,
wherein yet he did excel, because he translated not the old Testament
out of Greek, but out of Hebrew.  And in what sort did these assemble?
In the trust of their own knowledge, or of their sharpness of wit, or
deepness of judgment, as it were in an arm of flesh?  At no hand. They
trusted in him that hath the key of David, opening and no man shutting;
they prayed to the Lord the Father of our Lord, to the effect that S.
Augustine did; "O let thy Scriptures be my pure delight, let me not be
deceived in them, neither let me deceive by them." [S. Aug. lib. II.
Confess. cap. 2.]  In this confidence, and with this devotion did they
assemble together; not too many, lest one should trouble another; and
yet many, lest many things haply might escape them.  If you ask what
they had before them, truly it was the Hebrew text of the Old Testament,
the Greek of the New.  These are the two golden pipes, or rather conduits,
where-through the olive branches empty themselves into the gold.  Saint
Augustine calleth them precedent, or original tongues; [S. August. 3.
de doctr. c. 3. etc.]  Saint Jerome, fountains. [S. Jerome. ad Suniam
et Fretel.]  The same Saint Jerome affirmeth, [S. Jerome. ad Lucinium,
Dist. 9 ut veterum.] and Gratian hath not spared to put it into his
Decree, That "as the credit of the old Books" (he meaneth of the Old
Testament) "is to be tried by the Hebrew Volumes, so of the New by the
Greek tongue," he meaneth by the original Greek.  If truth be tried by
these tongues, then whence should a Translation be made, but out of
them?  These tongues therefore, the Scriptures we say in those tongues,
we set before us to translate, being the tongues wherein God was pleased
to speak to his Church by the Prophets and Apostles.  Neither did we run
over the work with that posting haste that the Septuagint did, if that
be true which is reported of them, that they finished it in 72 days;
[Joseph. Antiq. lib. 12.] neither were we barred or hindered from going
over it again, having once done it, like S. Jerome, if that be true
which himself reporteth, that he could no sooner write anything, but
presently it was caught from him, and published, and he could not have
leave to mend it: [S. Jerome. ad Pammac. pro libr. advers. Iovinian.]
neither, to be short, were we the first that fell in hand with trans-
lating the Scripture into English, and consequently destitute of former
helps, as it is written of Origen, that he was the first in a manner,
that put his hand to write Commentaries upon the Scriptures, [Sophoc.
in Elect.] and therefore no marvel, if he overshot himself many times.
None of these things: the work hath not been huddled up in 72 days,
but hath cost the workmen, as light as it seemeth, the pains of twice
seven times seventy two days and more:  matters of such weight and
consequence are to be speeded with maturity: for in a business of
movement a man feareth not the blame of convenient slackness. [S.
Chrysost. in II. Thess. cap. 2.]  Neither did we think much to consult
the Translators or Commentators, Chaldee, Hebrew, Syrian, Greek or
Latin, no nor the Spanish, French, Italian, or Dutch; neither did we
disdain to revise that which we had done, and to bring back to the
anvil that which we had hammered: but having and using as great helps
as were needful, and fearing no reproach for slowness, nor coveting
praise for expedition, we have at length, through the good hand of
the Lord upon us, brought the work to that pass that you see.

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