Vulgate

VULGATE. The Title of Vulgate is given to that Latin Translation of the Bible which was declared to be Authentick by the Council of Trent. These are the Concil. Trid. Sess. 4. c. 2.Words of this Council: “ The “ holy Council taking it into their Consideration, that the Church of God “ would receive no small Advantage, if “ of the several Latin Editions at this “ Day to be seen, it were known which “ it is that ought to be admitted for Authentick; it Orders, Declares, and “ Determines, that the ancient and common Edition, which has been approved “ by the Church by a long use for so “ many Ages, ought to be held as Authentick; That it ought to be received “ as Authentick in the publick Lessons, “ Disputations, Preaching, and Theological Explications; and will not allow “ that any shall be so bold as to reject it “ on any Pretence whatever.” In this Place the Council does not intend to compare the Vulgate with the Originals, for that was not the Question; but only with the other Latin Versions that were then in Vogue; many of which were very suspicious, as proceeding from Authors either unknown or Heretical. ‘Tis therefore very unreasonable, that the Adversaries of the Church should accuse the Council with having preferred the Vulgate to the Originals. Salmero,¹ who assisted at this Council, and Pallavicinus,² who wrote the History of it, both assure us, that the Council had no other Intention, than to declare, that the Vulgate was the only Latin Version that it approved of, and which it held as Authentick; as containing nothing contrary to sound Faith or good Morals.

We cannot assign either the Time or the Author of this ancient Latin Version of the Scripture, but we are persuaded, that it is only since the Establishment of Christianity, that the Scriptures were translated out of Greek into Latin. We have no Knowledge that the Jews ever render’d any of their sacred Writings into Latin, although they were very numerous in Rome and Italy. But as to the Christians, they signalized their Zeal very early, and with a Spirit of Emulation, in spreading the Truth through the World, by a great Variety of Translations of the Scripture. Infinite Numbers applied themselves to this Work, as we are told by St. Austin,c Qui Scripturas ex Hebræa Lingua in Græcam verterunt, numerari possunt: Latini autem Interpretes nullo modo. No sooner did any Man apprehend, that he had some Talent at translating from Greek into Latin, but that he made an Attempt at translating the first Greek Copy that came into his Hands; Ut enim cuique primis fidei temporibus in manus venit Codex Græcus, & aliquantulum facultatis sibi utriusque Linguæ habere videbatur, ausus est interpretari.

Hence proceeds that Multiplicity of Latin Versions of the Bible, and the little Agreement that they have with each other. This made St. Jerome,³ assert, that there were almost as many different Translations as Books: Cùm apud Latinos tot sint exemplaria ferè quot Codices, & unusquisque pro arbitrio suo vel addiderit, vel subtraxerit quod ei visum est. But among these ancient Versions, there was always one of greater Authority, and more universally received than the rest. This was known to Antiquity by the Name of the Italick Version, the Vulgar, or the Vulgate; and was called the Ancient after that St. Jerome had formed a new one from the Hebrew. The former was a Translation from the Greek, and it had the greatest Credit among the Latin Editions, because it adhered closer to the Letter of the Original, and was the most perspicuous as to Sense:⁴ Verborum tenacior cum perspicuetate sententiæ.

Although intelligent Persons readily allowed of the Necessity of a new Translation, which should be faithful and accurate, and which might stand instead of all the rest; yet they continued to the end of the fourth Century, or to the beginning of the fifth, without attempting any thing in this Matter. And when St. Jerome began to make an Essay of a Latin Translation immediately from the Hebrew, he met with great opposition even from Persons that meant well, but who apprehended the Authority of the Septuagint would suffer by it, whom several looked upon as divinely inspired; and they feared it might give offence to those that were accustomed to the ancient Version, to see a new one disagreeing with the former. The good Father first made some Trials, to see if he could reform the Latin Versions made from the Greek; he twice attempted to restore the Psalter;⁵ he also bestowed some Labour upon several other Books of the Bible,⁶ but his Endeavours met with but very little Success; the old Usage still prevailed. At last he yielded to the Solicitations of many of his Friends, who desired him to undertake an entire Latin Version of the Bible from the Hebrew.⁷

At first he translated the Books of Samuel, and the Kings, at the Request of Paula and Eustochium. Then he translated the Book of Job, which he seems to have intended for Marcella, a Roman Lady. Thirdly, he turned into Latin the Greater and the Lesser Prophets, and some time after the Book of Esdras. Fourthly, he translated the Psalms from the Hebrew, and gave them to Sophronius to put into Greek. Fifthly, at the instances of Heliodorus and Chromatius he translated the three Books of Solomon; that is, the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Canticles. Sixthly, he undertook the Translation of the Pentateuch, at the Request of one of his Friends called Desiderius; but he could not finish this Work till after several Interruptions, because of its great Length. Seventhly, at the Intreaty of Eustochium he compleated the Version of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and Esther. Lastly, he translated the Chronicles at the Request of Chromatius.

It is impossible to shew exactly the several Times at which each of these Works were performed; but we know, that in the Year 392 the Books of Samuel and Kings, Job, the Greater and Smaller Prophets, the Psalms, and the Books of Solomon, were already translated. That the Books of Esdras and Genesis were turned into Latin between the Years 392 and 394. He could not finish the rest of the

2 Pentateuch, that is, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, before the Year 404, or 405; that is, after the Death of Paula, which happened in 404.⁸ After this Year he translated Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. He did not finish the Translation of the Chronicles till the Year 396, as may be collected from the Letters and Prefaces of St. Jerome. He did not meddle with such Books of the Old Testament as are only in the Greek; such as Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, the two Books of the Maccabees, the Prophecy of Baruch, the Letter of Jeremiah, the Additions at the End of Esther, and the two last Chapters of Daniel, which are however in the ancient Vulgate. Even the Psalter, such as we sing it at this Day, is almost entirely of the ancient Italick: St. Jerome’s Version of it from the Hebrew is not found in our Bibles. Our Vulgate of the Psalter is not the ancient Latin Version reformed from the Greek by St. Jerome, but a Mixture of the ancient Italick, together with the Emendations of St. Jerome.

He translated also the New Testament from the Greek, at the Request of Pope Damasus.⁹ Before his Translation, there was so little Agreement among the Latin Copies, that there were almost as many different Versions as Books: Tot enim sunt exemplaria penè quot sunt codices. But to avoid giving offence to those that had been accustomed to the ancient Vulgate, he endeavoured as much as possible to retain the old ways of Expression that were already in the Text: Ita calamo temperavimus, ut his tantùm quæ sensum videbantur mutare correctis, reliqua pateremur manere ut fuerant. This did not a little contribute to make his Translation received by the whole Latin Church, to the Exclusion of the old Italick, which is no longer to be found any where compleat that we know of, and of which there only remains some Part in old Manuscripts, or some Fragments in the Writings of the Fathers that lived before St. Jerome.

The Progress of this new Translation was so rapid, that this Father could no sooner publish a Book, than it was presently dispersed through the Cities and Provinces. Rufinus,¹⁰ the Rival of St. Jerome, could not see this without some Uneasiness, and he reproaches him with it. Lucinius¹¹ the Spaniard, a Person zealously affected to the Holy Scriptures, in the Year 394, sent to Bethlehem six Transcribers, to write out the Versions, and all the other Works of St. Jerome. St. Austin at first was not very favourable to the Version of St. Jerome, but afterwards had so great an Esteem for it, that from it he composed his Speculum, or Looking-glass, which is a Collection of Passages of Scripture, for the use of unlearned Believers. Philip the Priest, who was a Cotemporary with St. Jerome, in his Commentary upon Job, has wholly followed the Version of St. Jerome. St. Gregory the Great,a has almost always done the same in his Morals upon Job, though he says, that in his time the Roman Church made use indifferently of the ancient Italick Version, and of the new one done from the Hebrew. Isidore of Seville,¹² who lived about the Year 630, says, without any Exception, that all the Churches followed the Version of St. Jerome: Cujus Editione omnes ecclesiæ usquequaque utuntur. Lastly, Hugo Victor affirms,¹³ that the Latin Church made a Decree, by which it ordained, that for the time to come, no other Version should be made use of. We know nothing of this Decree; and it is very possible that no such was ever made; but the constant Use and Practice of the Church is equivalent to the strongest Decree.

The ancient Vulgate, which was in use before that of St. Jerome, although composed at a Time when the Latin Tongue was in its greatest Purity, was however very barbarous, as may be sufficiently proved by what remains of it to this Day. The first Interpreters made it much less their care to express themselves purely and elegantly, than plainly and intelligibly, so as to be understood by the most ignorant, and to render the Greek Text of Scripture faithfully and literally into Latin. St. Jerome’s Style is much purer, tho’ without any Affectation of Ornament. He studied much more to translate perspicuously than to write fine Latin. And as to the main, it may be said, that his Translation is really excellent, tho’ not altogether without Faults. The more knowing, even among the Protestants, have commended the Vulgate, and prefer it before any other Latin Translation. Ludovicus de Dieu,¹⁴ acknowledges, that the ancient Latin Translator was a very learned Man. He has his Faults and Barbarisms, says he; but I cannot help admiring his Fidelity and Judgment, even in those Places where he is most barbarous. When Grotius¹⁵ gives his Reasons for chusing the Vulgate, upon which to make his Notes upon the Scriptures, he has these remarkable Words: I have always much esteemed the Author of the Vulgate, not only because he delivers no opinion contrary to Faith, but also because he abounds with Erudition. Fagius¹⁶ looks upon those as shameless and but halflearned, who dare speak ill of this famous Translation.

When the Council of Trent gave Orders,¹⁷ that the Scriptures should be printed as soon as might be, and as correctly as possible, particularly, according to the ancient Edition of the Vulgate; Pope Sixtus V. made it his chief care to procure a perfect Edition of the Latin Vulgate, which might serve as a Model for all future Editions, for the use of the Catholick Church. He appointed many learned Divines to this Work, who laboured in it with great Application. His Edition was finished in the Year 1589, but did not come out till 1590. But as this was found not to have all the Perfection might be desired, Pope Clement VIII. made another Edition of it in 1592, which has ever since been looked upon as the Model of all that were printed afterwards. ‘Tis this Edition that the Latin Church holds for Authentick, according to the Determination of the Council of Trent, and according to the Bull of Clement VIII. Yet we are not to imagine that this Edition is entirely exempt from Faults. Cardinal Bellarmine,¹⁸ who with other Divines had attended the Correction of it, acknowledges, in his Letter to Lucas of Bruges, that there are still several Faults, which for good Reasons the Correctors did not think proper to remove. Scias velim Biblia vulgata non esse à nobis accuratissime castigata; multa enim de industria justis de causis pertransivimus.

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