BibleWare/BibWare.bin/bibtrans/kjvpref.exe/MSG_KJV.05

Text File | 1994-02-11 | 6KB | 87 lines

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    THE TRANSLATING OF THE SCRIPTURE INTO THE VULGAR TONGUES
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Now through the Church were thus furnished with Greek and Latin Trans-
lations, even before the faith of CHRIST was generally embraced in the
Empire; (for the learned know that even in S. Jerome's time, the Consul
of Rome and his wife were both Ethnics, and about the same time the
greatest part of the Senate also) [S. Jerome. Marcell.Zosim] yet for
all that the godly-learned were not content to have the Scriptures in
the Language which they themselves understood, Greek and Latin, (as
the good Lepers were not content to fare well themselves, but acquainted
their neighbors with the store that God had sent, that they also might
provide for themselves) [2 Kings 7:9] but also for the behoof and
edifying of the unlearned which hungered and thirsted after righteous-
ness, and had souls to be saved as well as they, they provided Trans-
lations into the vulgar for their Countrymen, insomuch that most
nations under heaven did shortly after their conversion, hear CHRIST
speaking unto them in their mother tongue, not by the voice of their
Minister only, but also by the written word translated.  If any doubt
hereof, he may be satisfied by examples enough, if enough will serve
the turn.  First S. Jerome saith, Multarum gentium linguis Scriptura
ante translata, docet falsa esse quae addita sunt, etc. i.e. "The
Scripture being translated before in the languages of many Nations,
doth show that those things that were added (by Lucian and Hesychius)
are false." [S. Jerome. praef. in 4::Evangel.]  So S. Jerome in that
place.  The same Jerome elsewhere affirmeth that he, the time was,
had set forth the translation of the Seventy suae linguae hominibus,
i.e., for his countrymen of Dalmatia [S. Jerome. Sophronio.]  Which
words not only Erasmus doth understand to purport, that S. Jerome
translated the Scripture into the Dalmatian tongue, but also Sixtus
Senensis [Six. Sen. lib 4], and Alphonsus a` Castro [Alphon. lb 1
ca 23] (that we speak of no more) men not to be excepted against
by them of Rome, do ingenuously confess as much.  So, S. Chrysostom
that lived in S. Jerome's time, giveth evidence with him:  "The
doctrine of S. John [saith he] did not in such sort [as the Philo-
sophers' did] vanish away: but the Syrians, Egyptians, Indians,
Persians, Ethiopians, and infinite other nations being barbarous
people translated it into their [mother] tongue, and have learned
to be [true] Philosophers," he meaneth Christians. [S. Chrysost.
in Johan. cap.I. hom.I.]  To this may be added Theodoret, as next
unto him, both for antiquity, and for learning.  His words be these,
"Every Country that is under the Sun, is full of these words (of the
Apostles and Prophets) and the Hebrew tongue [he meaneth the Scrip-
tures in the Hebrew tongue] is turned not only into the Language of
the Grecians, but also of the Romans, and Egyptians, and Persians,
and Indians, and Armenians, and Scythians, and Sauromatians, and
briefly into all the Languages that any Nation useth. [Theodor. 5.
Therapeut.]  So he.  In like manner, Ulfilas is reported by Paulus
Diaconus and Isidor (and before them by Sozomen) to have translated
the Scriptures into the Gothic tongue: [P. Diacon. li. 12.]  John
Bishop of Sevil by Vasseus, to have turned them into Arabic, about
the year of our Lord 717; [Vaseus in Chron. Hispan.]  Bede by Cister-
tiensis, to have turned a great part of them into Saxon: Efnard by
Trithemius, to have abridged the French Psalter, as Beded had done
the Hebrew, about the year 800: King Alfred by the said Cistertien-
sis, to have turned the Psalter into Saxon: [Polydor. Virg. 5 histor.]
Methodius by Aventinus (printed at Ingolstadt) to have turned the
Scriptures into Slavonian: [Aventin. lib. 4.]  Valdo, Bishop of
Frising by Beatus Rhenanus, to have caused about that time, the
Gospels to be translated into Dutch rhythm, yet extant in the
Library of Corbinian: [Circa annum 900. B. Rhenan. rerum German.
lib 2.]  Valdus, by divers to have turned them himself into French,
about the year 1160:  Charles the Fifth of that name, surnamed the
Wise, to have caused them to be turned into French, about 200 years
after Valdus his time, of which translation there be many copies
yet extant, as witnesseth Beroaldus.  Much about that time, even
in our King Richard the second's days, John Trevisa translated
them into English, and many English Bibles in written hand are yet
to be seen with divers, translated as it is very probable, in that
age.  So the Syrian translation of the New Testament is in most
learned men's Libraries, of Widminstadius his setting forth, and
the Psalter in Arabic is with many, of Augustinus Nebiensis' set-
ting forth.  So Postel affirmeth, that in his travel he saw the
Gospels in the Ethiopian tongue; And Ambrose Thesius allegeth the
Pslater of the Indians, which he testifieth to have been set forth
by Potken in Syrian characters.  So that, to have the Scriptures
in the mother tongue is not a quaint conceit lately taken up, either
by the Lord Cromwell in England, [Thuan.] or by the Lord Radevile in
Polony, or by the Lord Ungnadius in the Emperor's dominion, but hath
been thought upon, and put in practice of old, even from the first
times of the conversion of any Nation; no doubt, because it was
esteemed most profitable, to cause faith to grow in men's hearts
the sooner, and to make them to be able to say with the words of
the Psalms, "As we have heard, so we have seen." [Ps 48:8]

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