Versions useful but not ultimate; against Targum prophecy and Trent's Vulgate authenticity
Versions may indeed be used in settling theological controversies, but not ultimately. Theodoret notes that the Scriptures have been turned not only into Greek but into Roman, Egyptian, Persian, Indian, Armenian, Scythian, and even Sarmatian — once for all, as I may say, into all the tongues the nations have used — and that for our teaching, as Paul teaches (Rom. 15:4). Yet if a laborious and more solid investigation of the truth is to be undertaken, and appeal is made by due process from versions to the original text, then one must flee to no version, but to the Hebrew and Greek truth alone, as to a citadel and stronghold, with Jerome in his letter to Vitalis. For a prophet is one thing, an interpreter another, as Jerome says in the preface to the Pentateuch, calling authentic Scripture itself the truth.
Therefore (1) the Jews err who ascribe prophetic authority to the Chaldean paraphrast; (2) the papists err who make the Latin Vulgate authentic — Trent, session 4, decreeing that the old Vulgate edition be held authentic in public readings, disputations, preachings, and expositions. Yet Arias Montanus, one of the Tridentine fathers, thinks otherwise in his preface to the Biblical work. To him for instruction we commend Martin Becanus, who too awkwardly praises his party's happiness in following one certain, constant, and uniform edition.
Latin
Licet quidem versionibus uti in dirimendis controversiis theologicis, sed non ultime. Nam Theodoretus lib.5. de corrig. affect. non modo, ait, in Graecum idioma conversi sunt, sed in Romanam quoque linguam, Aegyptiam, Persicam, Indicam, Armenicam & Scythicam, atque adeo Sauromaticam, semelque, ut dicam, in omnes linguas, quibus cunctae nationes usae sunt, & quidem ut Paulus docet, ad doctrinam nostram, Rom. 15.4. Si tamen operosa solidiorque veri investigatio instituenda sit & a versionibus ad textum originalem legitimo processu provocetur, sane ad nullam versionem, sed ad solam aletheian Hebraeam & Graecam, tanquam ad arcem quandam & praesidium, cum Hieronymo ep. ad Vitalem, imo confugiendum est. Aliud enim est vates, aliud interpres, teste Hieronymo, praefatione in Pentateuchum, qui Scripturam authenticam ipsam veritatem vocat. Quare 1. errant Judaei, qui Chaldaeo paraphrastae propheticum tribuunt. 2. Pontificii, qui Latinam vulgatam authenticam faciunt, Concil. Trid. sess.4. ubi decernunt, ut vetus vulgata editio in publicis lectionibus, disputationibus, praedicationibus & expositionibus pro authentica habeatur. Quamvis Arias Montanus, unus e patribus concilii Tridentini, praefatione super opus Biblicum diversum sentiat. Cui erudiendum commendamus Martinum Becanum, qui nimis inepte praedicat suorum felicitatem, qui unam certam, constantem & uniformem sequuntur editionem.