lest his deeds should be reproved; neither is it the plaindealing merchant that is unwilling to have the weights, or the meteyard, brought in place, but he that useth deceit. But we will let them alone for this fault, and return to translation. [Sidenote: The speeches and reasons both of our brethren, and of adversaries, against this work.] Many men’s mouths have been opened a good while (and yet are not stopped) with speeches about the translation so long in hand, or rather perusals of translations made before: and ask what may be the reason, what the necessity, of the employment. Hath the Church been deceived, say they, all this while? Hath her sweet bread been mingled with leaven, her silver with dross, her wine with water, her milk with lime? (_lacte gypsum male miscetur_, saith St. _Irenee_.) [Sidenote: _St. Iren. lib. 3. cap. 19._] We hoped that we had been in the right way, that we had had the Oracles of God delivered unto us, and that though all the world had cause to be offended, and to complain, yet that we had none. Hath the nurse holden out the breast, and nothing but wind in it? Hath the bread been delivered by the Fathers of the Church, and the same proved to be _lapidosus_, as _Seneca_ speaketh? What is it to handle the word of God deceitfully, if this be not? Thus certain brethren. Also the adversaries of _Judah_ and _Jerusalem_, [Sidenote: Neh. 4. 2, 3.] like _Sanballat_ in _Nehemiah_, mock, as we hear, both at the work and workmen, saying, _What do these weak Jews, &c., will they make the stones whole again out of the heaps of dust which are burnt? although they build, yet if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stony wall_. Was their translation good before? Why do they now mend it? Was it not good? Why then was it obtruded to the people? Yea, why did the Catholicks (meaning Popish _Romanists_) always go in jeopardy for refusing to go to hear it? Nay, if it must be translated into _English_, Catholicks are fittest to do it. They have learning, and they know when a thing is well, they can _manum de tabula_. We will answer them both briefly: [Sidenote: _St. Hieron. Apolog. advers. Ruffin._] and the former, being brethren, thus with St. _Hierome_, _Damnamus veteres? Minime, sed post priorum studia in domo Domini quod possumus laboramus._ That is, _Do we condemn the ancient? In no case: but after the endeavours of them that were before us, we take the best pains we can in the house of God._ As if he said, Being provoked by the example of the learned that lived before my time, I have thought it my duty to assay, whether my talent in the knowledge of the tongues may be profitable in any measure to God’s Church, lest I should seem to have laboured in them in vain, and lest I should be thought to glory in men (although ancient) above that which was in them. Thus St. _Hierome_ may be thought to speak.