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THE  BOOK  OF  BOOKS  AND  ITS 
WONDERFUL  STORY 


THE  GARDEN  OF  EDEN 

(From  a  Geneva  Bible  in  the  author's  library) 


\^"      COT  28  lb- 


THE  \CTr'/r    '    "  ..aV 


BOOK  OF  BOOKS 


AND   ITS 


WONDERFUL   STORY 


A   POPULAR   HANDBOOK 

FOR  COLLEGES,   BIBLE  CLASSES,   SUNDAY 

SCHOOLS,  AND   PRIVATE  STUDENTS 


BY        / 

JOHN  W.   LEA 


Philadelphia,  Pa. 
THE  JOHN  C.  WINSTON  COMPANY 

1922 


COPYRIGHT,   1922 

BY 

JOHN  W.  LEA 


TO  THE 

GLORY  OF  GOD 

AND  THE 

PRECIOUS  MEMORY 

OF  THE 

GREAT   AND    NOBLE    ARMY    OF    WORKERS 

WHO,    WITH    TIRELESS    ZEAL,    LABORED    THROUGH 

MANY    CENTURIES    AND     IN     MANY    LANDS,     AMID 

HARDSHIPS     AND     PERSECUTION,     AND     IN     MANY 

INSTANCES  ENDURED  DEATH  ITSELF  AS  A    RESULT 

OF  THEIR  LABORS,  TO  WHOM,  IN  THE  PROVIDENCE 

OF    GOD,    WE    ARE    INDEBTED    FOR 

THE    INESTIMABLE    POSSESSION 

OF    THE 

BOOK    OF    BOOKS 


PREFACE 

Many  excellent  books  have  been  written  on  Bible  his- 
tory. Some  have  dealt  with  manuscripts  only,  others  with 
the  English  versions;  some  have  given  more  details  of  the 
external  history,  others  the  internal  structure  and  changes; 
some  are  written  mainly  for  the  scholar,  others  for  the 
general  reader.  A  few  contain  illustrations  of  persons, 
places,  manuscripts,  and  versions,  but  many  of  the  most 
useful  are  not  illustrated.  Some  of  the  most  valuable  are 
now  out  of  print.  It  therefore  seemed  good  to  the  writer 
of  this  book  to  given  an  outline  of  the  whole  story  of  Bible 
production  and  transmission  from  the  original  manuscripts 
to  the  latest  revisions,  and  to  add  thereto  a  plentiful  supply 
of  illustrations,  because  they  help  materially  to  a  proper 
appreciation  of  the  wonderful  story. 

To  a  work  of  this  kind  the  saying  of  the  wise  man, 
that  there  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun,  seems  specially 
applicable.  It  is  possible  only  to  present,  in  a  somewhat 
new  form,  facts  which  are  old  and  which  have  been  pre- 
sented many  times  before.  The  author  is  indebted  to  the 
excellent  works  listed  in  the  Bibliography  for  the  main 
facts;  but,  in  addition,  he  has  had  the  opportunity  to 
examine  copies  of  the  first  editions  of  every  version  from 
Tindale's  to  the  Revised,  and  the  dedications,  prefaces,  and 
prologues  have  in  most  instances  been  taken  verbatim  et 
literatim  from  those  originals.  A  number  of  the  title-pages 
have  been  specially  photographed.  For  this  privilege 
thanks  are  due  to  the  Librarian  of  the  New  York  Public 
Library  and  his  courteous  assistants.     To  the  Directors  of 

(vii) 


viii  The  Book  of  Books 

the  British  Museum,  London,  and  the  Bibhotheque  Na- 
tionale,  Paris,  the  author  is  indebted  for  some  photographs 
specially  taken  for  this  volume;  to  the  John  C.  Winston 
Company,  Philadelphia,  Thomas  Nelson  and  Sons,  New  York, 
and  the  Religious  Tract  Society,  London,  for  illustra- 
tions from  their  publications;  to  the  University  of  Chicago 
Press  for  the  use  of  illustrations  from  The  Biblical  World; 
to  the  Rector  of  Lutterworth  and  the  Rector  of  Little 
Sodbury  for  the  excellent  photographs  in  the  chapters 
on  Wiclif  and  Tindale;  to  the  Bishop  of  Hereford  for  the 
picture  of  the  chained  library;  to  the  American  Bible 
Society  and  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  for  several 
illustrations  and  some  statements  of  eminent  persons;  to 
Mr.  Charles  H.  Clarke,  Miss  A.  M.  Smith,  Mr.  Charles  J. 
Cohen,  and  the  Evening  Bulletin  for  the  use  of  plates; 
to  the  Bishop  of  Worcester,  the  Dean  of  Westminster,  Miss 
Perowne,  and  Miss  Troutbeck,  all  of  England;  the  presi- 
dents, secretaries,  and  Hbrarians  of  Yale,  Harvard,  and  New 
York  Universities,  Hartford,  Andover,  New  Brunswick, 
Princeton,  and  Western  Theological  Seminaries,  and  Union 
and  Haverford  Colleges;  and  many  relatives  of  the  late 
American  Revisers,  for  their  uniform  courtesy  and  cordial 
assistance  in  securing  photographs.  Sincere  thanks  are  here 
given  to  all. 

The  names  of  the  early  translators  were  spelled  variously 
— for  example,  WicUf's  name  has  been  spelled  in  twenty- 
eight  different  ways.  The  following  have  been  adopted  in 
this  book  after  much  careful  consideration:  John  Wiclif, 
William  Tindale,  and  Myles  Coverdale.  As  regards  the 
reproduction  of  dedications,  prefaces,  and  prologues,  they 
are  given  in  full  because  they  contain  important  details 
concerning  the  work  and  interesting  dissertations  on  the 
contents  of  the  Bible  and  their  application  to  the  times. 
The  quaint  spelling  and  phraseology  have  been  retained  in 


The  Book  of  Books  ix 

most  instances,  because,  as  Dore  says,  "to  modernise  the 
orthography  is  to  destroy  one  of  the  charms  of  these  old 
Bibles,  and  seems  to  me  to  be  in  a  bad  taste  as  attempting 
to  improve  their  quaint  diction."  A  little  practice  will 
enable  anyone  to  read  them  with  ease.  The  u's  are  often 
put  for  v's  and  v's  for  u's,  and  an  accent  is  put  over  a  letter 
(usually  a  vowel)  to  denote  the  omission  of  a  letter  after- 
ward (usually  "n"  or  "m"),  as  "tio"  for  "tion,"  the  object 
being  to  save  space  in  a  full  line.  The  spelling  is  so  varied 
that  three  or  more  forms  of  the  same  word  may  be  met 
with  in  as  many  lines.  The  language  was  in  process  of 
fixation,  and  it  took  a  long  time — and  even  today  we  are 
afflicted  with  "standard,"  "simplified,"  and  other  varieties 
of  spelling. 

With  a  consciousness  that  the  work  is  not  without  fault, 
and  with  a  hope  that  the  readers  may  derive  as  much 
pleasure  in  perusing  as  the  author  had  had  in  compiling, 
this  volume  is  now  sent  forth  to  Bible-loving  Christians 
irrespective  of  creed  or  denominational  affiliation. 

John  W.  Lea 

1520  N.  Robinson  Street 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 

August  I,  1922 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.     Introduction i 

II.     The  Popularity  of  the  Bible 17 

III.  The  Testimony  of  Eminent  Persons  to  the 

Value  of  the  Bible  in  the  Life  of  the 

Individual  and  the  Nation 26 

IV.  Chronological  Table  and  Maps. 53 

V.    Ancient  Writing  and  the   Bible   Manu- 
scripts    58 

VI.     Ancient  Versions  and  Quotations 91 

VII.     Early  English  Paraphrases  and  Versions  100 
VIII.    John  Wiclif  and  the  First  English  Bible  105 
IX.     Three    Great    Developments:     The    Re- 
naissance,   THE    Reformation,    the    In- 
vention of  Printing 116 

X.     William  Tindale  and  the  First  Printed 

English  New  Testament 134 

XI.     Myles  Coverdale  and  the  First  Printed 

English  Bible 174 

XII.     Matthew's  Bible  and  Taverner's  Bible.  196 

XIII.  The  Great  Bible  and  Cranmer's  Bible..  211 

XIV.  The  Geneva  Bible 219 

XV.     The  Bishops'  Bible 235 

XVI.     The    Rheims    New    Testament    and    the 

DouAY  Old  Testament 240 

XVII.     The  Authorized  Version 244 

XVIII.     The  Revised  Versions 278 

XIX.     Conclusion 340 

XX.     Bibliography 343 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

The  Garden  of  Eden Frontispiece 

Bible  House,  New  York i6 

Huxley,  T  H 25 

Penniman,  J.  H 25 

Farrar,  F.  W 27 

Presidents  of  the  United  States  (George  Washington,  John 
Adams,  Thomas  Jefferson,  John  Quincy  Adams,  Andrew 

Jackson,  Zachary  Taylor,  Abraham  Lincoln) 34 

Presidents   of  the   United   States    (Ulysses   Simpson   Grant, 

Benjamin  Harrison,  William  McKinley) 36 

President  Roosevelt's  Bible 38 

Presidents  of  the  United  States  (Theodore  Roosevelt,  Wood- 
row  Wilson) 38 

President  Warren  G.  Harding 42 

Map  of  Bible  Lands 52 

Map  of  England  and  Wales 57 

Egyptian  Hieroglyphics 59 

The  Rosetta  Stone 60 

The  Stele  of  Hammurabi 61 

Cylinder  of  Cyrus  H 62 

A  Cuneiform  Inscription 63 

A  Tel  el-Amarna  Tablet 64 

The  Papyrus  Reed 65 

A  Papyrus  Fragment 66 

Papyrus  Documents 67 

The  Moabite  Stone 68 

Portion  of  a   Hebrew  Manuscript 7° 

A  Modern  Pentateuch  Roll 71 

A  Megillah  or  Book  of  Esther,  and  a  Small  Torah,  or  Book  of 

the  Law 73 

The  Old  Illuminator 74 

Convent  of  St.  Catherine,  on  Mount  Sinai 80 

A  Page  of  the  Sinaitic  Manuscript 82 

-  Main  Hall  of  the  Vatican  Library 84 

A  Page  of  the  Vatican  Manuscript 85 

A  Volume  of  the  Alexandrian  Manuscript 86 

A  Page  from  the  Alexandrian  Manuscript 87 

A  Page  of  the  Ephraem  Palimpsest 89 

The    Samaritan  Pentateuch • 90 

Part  of  the  Samaritan  Pentateuch 92 

Ancient  Rolls  and  Container 93 

(xiii) 


xiv  The  Book  of  Books 

PAGE 

Fragment  of  Septuagint  Psalter 94 

Portion  of  Jerome's  Vulgate 96 

Portion  of  a  Syriac  Manuscript 98 

Portion  of  a  Coptic  Manuscript 99 

John  Wiclif 104 

Lutterworth  Church 108 

A  Page  of  Wiclif's  Bible iii 

The  River  Swift. 113 

Wiclif  Tablet  in  Lutterworth  Church 114 

A  Page  of  the  Biblia  Pauperum 117 

Gutenberg  Statue  at  Strasburg 118 

Gutenberg  Taking  an  Impression 120 

An  Old  Wooden  Printing  Press 121 

A  Modern  Newspaper  Press 122 

Martin  Luther 124 

A  Page  of  the  Gutenberg  Bible 126 

A  Page  of  the  Complutensian  Polyglot 128 

Dr.  Tregelles  and  Dr.  Tischendorf 131 

Dr.  Westcott,  Bishop  of  Durham 132 

William  Tindale 135 

The  Tindale  Memorial  at  North  Nibley 136 

Little  Sodbury  Manor  House 137 

Ruins  of  Tindale's  Church 138 

St.  Adehne's  Church,  Little  Sodbury 139 

Interior  of  St.  Adeline's  Church 140 

How  the  People  Received  the  English  Bible 144 

How  the  Clergy  Received  the  English  Bible 145 

Facsimiles  from  the  Grenville  Fragment 147,  148,  150,  152 

Facsimile  Page  of  Tindale's  Octavo  Testament,  1525 162 

Title-page  of  Tindale's  1534  Testament 170 

Vilvorde  Castle 173 

Myles  Coverdale 175 

Title-page  of  Coverdale's  Bible 177 

A  Page  of  Coverdale's  Bible 193 

John  Rogers 197 

Thomas  Cromwell 198 

Title-page  of  Matthew's  Bible 200 

Title-page  of  Taverner's  Bible 208 

Title-page  of  the  Great  Bible 213 

A  Chained  Library 215 

Thomas  Cranmer,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury 216 

Title-page  of  New  Testament  in  Geneva  Bible,  i860 224 

The  Bishops'  Bible  Title-page 234 

Matthew  Parker,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury 236 

A  Page  of  the  Bishops'  Bible 238 

A  Chained  Bible 243 

Title-page  of  the  Authorized  Version,  161 1 248 

A  Page  of  the  Authorized  Version,  161 1 250 


The  Book  of  Books  xv 

PAGE 

Title-page  of  a  Modern  Edition  of  the  Authorized  Version.  .  .   252 

The  Jerusalem  Chamber,  Westminster  Abbey 277 

Four  English  Revisers  of  the  Old  Testament  (Bishops  Ollivant, 

Thirlwall,  Hervey,  and  Browne) 280 

Three  English  Revisers  of  the  Old  Testament  (Bishop  Chris- 
topher Wordsworth,  W.  L.  Alexander,  and  R.  L.   Bensly)  282 

Four  English  Revisers  of  the  Old  Testament  (John  Birrell, 

Thomas  Chenery,  A.  B.  Davidson,  and  Benjamin  Davies)  284 

Four   English    Revisers   of  the   Old   Testament    (G.    C.    M. 

Douglas,  S.  R.  Driver,  C.  J.  Elliott,  and  Frederick  Field)  286 

Four  English  Revisers  of  the  Old  Testament  (J.  D.  Geden, 

Benjamin  Harrison,  C.  D.  Ginsburg,  and  F.  W.  Gotch). .    288 

Four  English  Revisers  of  the  Old  Testament  (William  Kay, 

Stanley  Leathes,  J.  R.  Lumby,  and  J.  J.  S.  Perowne) .  .  .    290 

Four  English  Revisers  of  the  Old  Testament  (E.  H.  Plumptre, 

William  Selwyn,  R.  P.  Smith,  and  A.  H.  Sayce) 292 

Three  English  Revisers  of  the  Old  Testament  (W.  A.  Wright, 

W.  R.  Smith,  and  D.  H.  Weir) 294 

Three  English  Revisers  of  the  New  Testament  (Henry  Alford, 

Bishop  Wilberforce,  and  John  Troutbeck) 296 

Twenty  English  Revisers  of  the  New  Testament  (Bishops 
Ellicott,  Moberly,  and  Lightfoot,  A.  P.  Stanley,  Robert 
Scott,  J.  W.  Blakesley,  E.  Bickersteth,  Archbishop 
Trench,  Bishop  Charles  Wordsworth,  Joseph  Angus, 
David  Brown,  John  Eadie,  F.  J.  A.  Hort,  W.  C.  Hum- 
phry, B.  H.  Kennedy,  William  Lee,  William  Milligan, 
W.  F.  Moulton,  Samuel  Newth,  and  Edwin  Palmer) ....    298 

Four  English  Revisers  of  the  New  Testament  (Alexander 
Roberts,  G.  V.  Smith,  F.  H.  A.  Scrivener,  and  C.  J. 
Vaughan) 300 

Four  American  Revisers  of  the  Old  Testament  (C.  A.  Aiken, 

T.  W.  Chambers,  G.  E.  Day,  and  T  J.  Conant) 314 

Four  American  Revisers  of  the  Old  Testament  (John  De  Witt, 

W.  H.  Green,  G.  E.  Hare,  and  C.  P.  Krauth) 316 

Four  American  Revisers  of  the  Old  Testament  (C.  E.  Stowe, 

Tayler  Lewis,  Joseph  Packard,  and  C.  M.  Mead) 318 

Van   Dyck,  C.  V.  A 319 

Four  American  Revisers  of  the  New  Testament  (Ezra  Abbot, 

Thomas  Chase,  Howard  Crosby,  and  Timothy  Dwight) .    320 

Four  American  Revisersof  the  New  Testament  (H.  B.  Hackett, 

A.  C.  Kendrick,  Charles  Hodge,  and  James  Hadley)  .  .  .   322 

Four  American  Revisers  of  the  New  Testament  (Bishop  Lee, 

H.  B.  Smith,  T  D.  Woolsey,  W.  F.  Warren) 324 

Three  American  Revisers  of  the  New  Testament  (M.  B.  Riddle, 

PhiHp  Schaff,  and  J.  H.  Thayer) . 326 

Title-page  of  the  English  Revised  Version 328 

Title-page  of  the  American  Standard  Revised  Version 329 

The  Jewish  Revisers 332 


THE  BOOK  OF  BOOKS 

Holy  Bible,  Book  Divine, 
Precious  treasure,  thou  art  mine: 
Mine  to  tell  me  what  I  am. 
Mine  to  tell  me  whence  I  came, 
Mine  to  tell  of  joys  to  come. 
Light  and  life  beyond  the  tomb. 


THE  BOOK  OF  BOOKS  AND  ITS 
WONDERFUL  STORY 


CHAPTER   I 

INTRODUCTION 

THE  foundation  upon  which  Christendom  is  based  is  that 
the  Bible  is  true,  that  it  is  God's  revelation  to  man 
concerning  matters  which  are  of  supreme  importance  in 
relation  to  human  destiny,  and  that  it  is  the  only  reliable 
source  of  information  in  this  respect.  It  is  not  our  present 
purpose  to  demonstrate  the  existence  of  God,  important  as 
that  is  stated  to  be  by  the  writer  of  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews,  who  declares  that  ''without  faith  it  is  impossible 
to  be  well-pleasing  unto  Him;  for  he  that  cometh  to  God 
must  believe  that  He  is,  and  that  He  is  a  rewarder  of  them 
that  seek  after  Him."  It  is  assumed  that  those  who  read 
these  pages  admit  the  existence  of  God  and  are  satisfied 
that  Nature  renders  abundant  testimony  to  His  majesty 
and  power. 

Nor  are  we  particularly  concerned  at  present  with 
demonstrating  the  genuineness  or  authenticity  of  the  com- 
positions that  make  up  the  Bible.  We  assume  a  recognition 
that  they  are  the  writings  of  those  who  claim  to  be  their 
authors,  or  for  whom  such  claim  has  been  made  by  individual 
Christians  or  ecclesiastical  organizations  for  generations  past. 
The  discussions  as  to  text  and  substance  belong  to  a  branch 
of  study  separate  and  distinct  from  that  which  is  about  to 
engage  our  attention.  Our  object  is,  recognizing  the  exist- 
ence of  God  and  the  genuineness  of  the  Scriptures  as  a  reve- 
lation from  Him  through  His  accredited  messengers,  to  trace 
the  wonderful  history  of  those  Scriptures  from  their  origin 
in  the  far-distant  past  to  the  form  in  which  we  possess  them 
today. 

(I) 


2  The  Book  of  Books 

Again,  it  is  not  our  intention  here  to  discuss  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Bible,  except  in  a  general  way.  We  do  not  intend 
to  discuss  the  theological  dogmas  which  have  been  such 
fruitful  sources  of  controversy  within  the  churches  ever  since 
the  days  of  the  apostles,  but  our  considerations  in  this  regard 
will  be  limited  to  a  general  view  of  the  nature  and  structure 
of  the  Bible  and  its  value  in  the  lives  of  individuals  and 
nations,  along  with  a  simple  account  of  the  wonderful  story 
of  its  transmission.  We  wish  to  arouse  a  right  appreciation 
of  the  Holy  Writings,  with  an  intelligent  understanding  of 
their  general  message  to  humanity. 

The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  commences  with  the  decla- 
ration: "God  having  of  old  time  spoken  unto  the  fathers 
in  the  prophets  by  divers  portions  and  in  divers  manners, 
hath  at  the  end  of  these  days  spoken  unto  us  in  a  Son." 
God  hath  spoken!  The  voice  of  Nature  has  not  been  left 
alone  to  tell  of  God's  existence,  but  He  has  directly  revealed 
Himself  to  individuals  of  our  race,  and  it  is  the  record  of 
His  varied  revelation  which  is  known  to  us  today  as  the 
Bible.  At  times  God  spake  with  an  audible  voice,  as  when 
He  gave  to  Moses,  at  Mount  Sinai,  the  code  of  laws  by  which 
Israel,  as  a  nation,  was  to  be  governed,  and  the  instructions 
concerning  the  erection  of  a  tabernacle  in  which  He  might 
hold  communion  with  men.  A  portion  of  the  people,  the 
priesthood,  was  separated  to  participate  in  this  close  com- 
munion with  God,  the  priests  alone  being  permitted  to  enter 
the  holy  place  where  God  promised  to  meet  His  people,  and 
the  high-priest  alone  entering  the  holiest  of  all  once  a  year. 
Thus  did  God  reveal  Himself  during  the  existence  of  Israel 
as  a  nation,  and  by  the  oracle  of  Urim  and  Thummim  on 
the  breastplate  of  the  high-priest  He  answered  the  inquiries 
of  His  people.  On  some  occasions  God  made  known  His 
purposes  through  dreams,  as  when  He  caused  King  Nebu- 
chadnezzar to  dream  of  that  wonderful  metallic  image  which 
symbolized  the  destiny  of  the  principal  nations  of  the  world 
for  a  period  of  more  than  two  thousand  years.  Many 
prophets  were  commissioned  to  bear  messages  from  God  to 
the  children  of  Israel,  and  in  some  instances  angels  have 
appeared  to  men  and  brought  tidings  from  the  God  of 
heaven.     Lastly,  God  revealed  Himself  in  a  Son,  the  Lord 


Introduction  3 

Jesus  Christ,  the  transcending  revelation  of  Himself,  in 
whom  He  has  given  to  mankind  an  expression  of  His  own 
attributes,  and  whom  He  has  constituted  a  glorious  pattern 
of  what  He  purposes  that  all  who  will  may  become.  Jesus 
is  the  perfect  revelation  of  God  to  man — as  He  said  on  one 
occasion,  "He  that  hath  seen  Me  hath  seen  the  Father." 

The  record  of  these  divine  revelations  has  been  made 
by  men  who  wrote  by  inspiration  of  God.  "Men  spake 
from  God,"  said  Peter,  "being  moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit," 
and  their  utterances  and  their  writings  have  been  preserved 
by  divine  providence,  so  that  we,  in  these  late  days,  when 
no  open  vision  is  beheld,  when  no  audible  voice  is  heard 
from  heaven,  when  no  accredited  divine  messenger  is  in  our 
midst,  may  rest  our  confidence  in  God  upon  a  belief  of  those 
things  which  He  did  in  the  days  of  old. 

The  Bible  consists  of  sixty-six  distinct  sections  written 
by  almost  as  many  writers,  who  lived  in  countries  and  at 
periods  often  far  apart — the  earliest  being  probably  the  first 
five  books  usually  understood  to  have  been  written  by 
Moses  more  than  three  thousand  years  ago,  and  the  latest 
the  Revelation  given  to  John  in  Patmos  over  eighteen  hun- 
dred years  ago — a  period  of  about  fifteen  hundred  years 
intervening.  The  writers  include  persons  from  all  ranks  of 
society,  from  the  king  to  the  captive  and  the  peasant.  Many 
of  the  psalms  in  Israel's  marvelous  collection  of  national 
songs  of  praise  were  the  work  of  the  sweet  singer  of  Israel, 
David  the  king,  and  the  Book  of  Proverbs  contains  the  wise 
sayings  of  his  son  and  successor,  Solomon.  Some  of  the 
prophecies  were  written  by  Ezekiel  in  exile  on  the  banks  of 
the  river  Chebar,  in  Assyria,  and  by  Daniel,  a  captive  prince 
at  the  court  of  the  king  of  Babylon.  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel 
were  of  the  priestly  order.  Amos  was  a  herdsman  when 
called  to  be  the  Lord's  prophet.  Saul  of  Tarsus,  afterward 
called  Paul,  was  a  lawyer  of  high  distinction,  a  Pharisee  of 
the  Pharisees.  Peter  and  John  were  humble  fishermen. 
Matthew  belonged  to  the  despised  taxgatherers.  Luke  is 
spoken  of  as  the  beloved  physician.  Men  of  all  ranks  and 
stations  in  life  were  commissioned  to  be  bearers  of  the  divine 
message  to  mankind.  And  yet,  with  such  diversity  of 
authorship,  and  so  wide  a  range  of  time,  the  result  is  a  collec- 


4  The  Book  of  Books 

tion  of  writings  which  unite  in  presenting  varied  details  of 
one  divine  message.  There  is  but  one  conclusion  to  be  drawn 
from  so  wonderful  a  fact — that  behind  these  various  writers, 
and  through  all  the  fifteen  centuries,  there  was  a  guiding 
and  controUing  power  exercised  by  God,  which  secured  the 
uniformity  and  the  accuracy  of  the  testimony.  The  inspira- 
tion of  God  can  alone  account  for  the  presentation  of  so 
harmonious  a  revelation  by  such  diversified  means.  As  one 
of  our  poets  has  asked: 

Whence  but  from  heaven  could  men,  unskilled  in  arts, 
In  different  ages  born,  in  different  parts, 
Weave  such  agreeing  truths,  or  how,  or  why 
Should  all  conspire  to  cheat  us  with  a  lie? 
Unasked  their  pains,  ungrateful  their  advice, 
Starving  their  gains,  and  martyrdom  their  price. 

In  a  little  pamphlet  on  the  inspiration  of  the  Bible 
H.  L.  Hastings  supposes  a  picture  drawn  by  a  number  of 
different  artists,  unknown  to  each  other,  who  each  entered 
the  room  and,  without  conference  with  the  others,  painted 
in  turn  a  portion  on  the  canvas,  with  the  result  that  the 
complete  picture  was  a  wonderful  expression  of  a  single  and 
perfect  idea.  What  conclusion  could  be  come  to  in  regard 
to  the  painting?  None  but  that  all  had  received  their 
inspiration  from  the  same  original  source  though  unac- 
quainted one  with  another. 

The  Bible  reveals  God  to  man.  It  corroborates  the 
testimony  of  Nature  as  to  His  majesty  and  power,  and,  in 
addition,  makes  known  His  wisdom  and  His  love.  It  reveals 
Him  as  the  Creator  and  Sustainer  of  all  things  animate, 
for  in  Him  "all  live  and  move  and  have  their  being."  It 
reveals  Him  as  the  Eternal  and  the  Source  of  all  light  and 
life;  as  omnipresent,  filling  all  space  and  working  His 
will  by  His  Spirit;  as  omniscient,  knowing  all  things  and 
foreseeing  the  end  of  all  His  works  from  the  beginning; 
as  omnipotent,  working  all  things  according  to  His  own 
wise  counsels.  It  reveals  man,  on  the  other  hand,  as  weak, 
frail,  and  mortal,  the  head  of  all  animate  creation,  but  of 
the  same  perishing  nature  with  the  rest.  Beyond  this,  it 
opens  up  to  mankind  a  glorious  possibility  of  attaining  to 
the  divine  nature,  setting  forth  the  conditions  which  the 


Introduction  5 

Almighty  has  laid  down,  upon  the  observance  of  which  He 
will  ultimately  raise  the  faithful  among  the  sons  of  men  to 
His  own  unending  being.  It  offers  to  men  salvation  from 
sin  and  death,  through  Jesus  Christ — the  Way,  the  Truth, 
the  Life.  "In  none  other  is  there  salvation,  for  neither  is 
there  any  other  name  under  heaven  that  is  given  among 
men,  wherein  we  must  be  saved." 

There  are  many  persons  who  consider  themselves  good 
Christians,  but  who  disregard  entirely,  or  almost  entirely, 
the  Old  Testament  Scriptures,  declaring  them  to  have  been 
fulfilled  and  that  the  New  Testament  has  now  superseded 
them  as  a  saving  power.  Let  such  bear  in  mind  that  it  was 
to  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  the  apostle  Paul  referred 
when  he  wrote  to  Timothy:  "Evil  men  and  impostors  shall 
wax  worse  and  worse,  deceiving  and  being  deceived.  But 
abide  thou  in  the  things  which  thou  hast  learned  and  hast 
been  assured  of;  knowing  of  whom  thou  hast  learned  them; 
and  that  from  a  babe  thou  hast  known  the  Sacred  Writings 
which  are  able  to  make  thee  wise  unto  salvation  through 
faith  which  is  in  Jesus  Christ.  Every  Scripture  is  inspired 
of  God  and  profitable  for  teaching,  for  reproof,  for  correc- 
tion, for  instruction  which  is  in  righteousness;  that  the  man 
of  God  may  be  complete,  furnished  completely  unto  every 
good  work."  It  was  to  the  same  Old  Testament  Scriptures 
that  Jesus  referred  in  the  closing  words  of  the  parable  of  the 
Rich  Man  and  Lazarus:  "If  they  hear  not  Moses  and  the 
prophets,  neither  will  they  be  persuaded  if  one  rose  from  the 
dead";  and  when  He  rebuked  the  unbelieving  Jews:  "Ye 
search  the  Scriptures,  because  ye  think  that  in  them  ye  have 
eternal  life;  and  these  are  they  which  bear  witness  of  Me; 
and  ye  will  not  come  to  Me,  that  ye  may  have  life.  .  .  . 
Think  not  that  I  will  accuse  you  to  the  Father;  there  is  one 
that  accuseth  you,  even  Moses,  on  whom  ye  have  set  your 
hope.  For  if  ye  believed  Moses  ye  would  believe  My  words." 
It  was  of  the  Old  Testament  that  Paul  wrote  to  the  Roman 
believers:  "For  whatsoever  things  were  written  aforetime 
were  written  for  our  learning,  that  through  patience  and 
through  comfort  of  the  Scriptures  we  might  have  hope." 
And  again  he  referred  to  the  Old  Testament  when  he  declared 
before  King  Agrippa:    "Having  therefore  obtained  the  help 


6  The  Book  of  Books 

that  is  from  God,  I  stand  unto  this  day  testifying  both  to 
small  and  great,  saying  nothing  but  what  the  prophets  and 
Moses  did  say  should  come."  Therefore  whatever  the  New 
Testament  may  contain,  it  cannot  be  in  contradiction  to  the 
Old,  but  can  only  serve  to  amplify  its  teaching  or  indicate 
more  particularly  the  method  by  which  its  promises  are  to 
become  facts. 

Emphasis  must  be  laid  upon  the  fact  that  the  Bible  is 
the  only  reliable  source  of  information  upon  matters  per- 
taining to  human  destiny.  The  apostle  Peter's  exhortation 
is  applicable  in  this  respect,  that  if  any  man  speak  he  should 
do  it  "as  it  were  oracles  of  God."  It  is  asserted  by  some 
that  the  voice  of  "the  church"  is  of  more  value  than  the 
Word  itself,  and  that  it  is  impossible  to  understand  the 
Bible  apart  from  the  guidance  of  popes,  cardinals,  bishops, 
and  councils.  It  was  by  its  blasphemous  claims  that  this 
"church"  kept  the  Word  of  God  from  the  people  of  England 
for  many  centuries,  and  it  endeavored  to  protect  its  assump- 
tions by  conducting  its  services  in  a  foreign  tongue  until, 
in  the  mercy  and  providence  of  God,  a  few  earnest  souls, 
as  John  Wichf  and  WilUam  Tindale,  feeling  that  the  real 
reason  why  the  priests  kept  the  Bible  from  the  people  was 
because  it  denounced  them  and  their  claims,  determined 
that  the  people  should,  by  God's  help,  have  His  message  in 
such  a  form  that  they  could  read  and  understand  it.  By 
the  grace  of  God  they  succeeded,  though  the  opposition  of 
priestcraft  was  exercised  in  its  bitterest  and  most  violent 
forms.  From  then  till  now  successive  generations  have 
witnessed  the  spread  of  the  divine  light,  until  today  no  book 
has  so  wide  a  circulation  or  is  produced  in  so  inexpensive  a 
form  as  the  Bible. 

How  little  most  people  appreciate  the  glorious  privilege 
which  their  ancestors  suffered  so  much  to  obtain  for  them! 
The  very  fact  that  today  the  Bible  is  so  easily  to  be  acquired 
seems  to  be  a  cause  of  little  real  interest  being  taken  in  its 
contents.  Time  was  when  large  sums  of  money  were  will- 
ingly paid  for  the  possession  of  a  single  copy,  and  great  risks 
were  run  in  order  to  hear  portions  read.  Any  kind  of  biblical 
study  was  then  prosecuted  under  great  difficulties  and  with 
constant  fear  of  persecution.     Foxe  has  said: 


Introduction  7 

Certes,  the  fervent  zeal  of  those  Christian  days  seemed  much 
superior  to  these  our  days  and  times,  as  manifestly  may  appear 
by  their  sitting  up  all  night  in  reading  and  hearing;  also  by  their 
expenses  and  charges  in  buying  books  in  English,  of  whom  some 
gave  five  marks  [about  two  hundred  dollars],  some  more,  some  less, 
for  a  book;  some  gave  a  load  of  hay  for  a  few  chapters  of  St.  James 
or  of  St.  Paul  in  English.  .  .  .  To  see  their  travails,  their  earnest 
seekings,  their  burning  zeal,  their  readings,  their  watchings,  their 
sweet  assemblies,  .  .  .  may  make  us  now,  in  these  days  of  free 
profession,  to  blush  for  shame. 

The  above  was  written  nearly  two  hundred  years  after 
Wiclif's  Bible  was  published,  and  now,  more  than  three 
hundred  years  later,  it  is  equally  true.  Even  when  the 
Bible  is  read,  it  is  done  in  a  variety  of  ways  and  for  a  variety 
of  ends.  Some  read  to  learn  and  some  to  scoff;  some  that 
they  may  find  precious  messages  from  God  to  man,  and 
some  in  the  expectation  that  they  may  find  contradictions 
which  they  may  utiHze  for  undermining  its  influence;  some 
read  it  merely  with  an  antiquarian  interest,  viewing  it  as  a 
literary  curiosity  of  no  more  practical  value  than  the  writings 
of  any  ancient  scribe;  some  study  it  that  they  may  ascertain 
what  are  the  truths  it  contains;  and  others  read  it  with 
their  minds  already  made  up,  and  endeavor  to  make  all  its 
statements  fit  in  with  the  theories  they  hold.  The  wisest 
course,  acknowledging  it  to  be  a  revelation  from  God  to 
man,  is  devoutly  to  study  the  truths  it  reveals  and  render 
willing  obedience  to  its  commands. 

The  composition  of  the  Bible  is  as  varied  as  its  author- 
ship. Every  kind  of  writing  finds  a  place  therein.  Its 
histories  are  mainly  concerned  with  the  dealings  of  the 
Creator  with  the  creatures  He  has  formed,  and,  while  the 
history  of  the  Jews  is  more  particularly  treated  of,  events 
transpiring  in  Gentile  lands  are  frequently  dealt  with. 

It  is  not  long  since  a  favorite  argument  of  the  enemies 
of  the  Bible  was  that  its  history  was  unsubstantiated  and 
therefore  unreliable.  But  the  past  century  has  witnessed 
the  verification  of  much  that  was  disputed.  The  sites  of 
ancient  Babylon  and  Nineveh  were  unknown  a  hundred 
years  ago:  their  existence  even  was  questioned;  but  today, 
thanks  to  the  efforts  of  Sir  Henry  Rawlinson  and  Sir  Austen 
Layard,  and  a  host  who  have  followed  in  their  steps,  those 
grand  and  giant  cities  of  the  distant  past  have  been  found; 


8  The  Book  of  Books 

the  accumulated  alluvium  and  the  dust  of  centuries  have 
been  removed  by  the  excavator's  spade,  and  temples  and 
palaces  and  libraries  have  been  opened  to  view.  Devoted 
students  have  followed  up  the  labors  of  the  excavators,  and 
the  unearthed  records  may  now  be  read.  Patient  effort  has 
been  rewarded  with  an  understanding  of  the  strange  cunei- 
form or  wedge-shaped  letters,  and  the  grammatical  rules 
that  governed  the  use  of  the  words  formed  from  them.  The 
archaeological  records  have  confirmed  the  Bible  stories  con- 
cerning the  military  exploits  and  imperial  splendor  of  the 
two  great  nations  of  Babylonia  and  Assyria. 

At  the  middle  of  last  century  the  Hittites  were  unknown 
outside  the  Bible  histories;  but  today  they  stand  revealed 
as  a  powerful  people,  whose  capital  city  has  been  unearthed 
and  the  records  of  whose  exploits  have  been  found  and 
deciphered,  just  as  have  the  Assyrian  and  the  Babylonian. 
The  story  of  oriental  exploration  is  as  wonderful  and  fasci- 
nating as  the  story  of  Bible  transmission,  but  we  have  not 
space  to  follow  it  farther  than  to  note  the  testimony  it  bears 
to  the  accuracy  and  consequent  value  of  the  Holy  Scriptures. 
The  following  quotation  from  the  beginning  of  Dr.  A.  H. 
Sayce's  book.  The  Hittites,  the  Story  of  a  Forgotteyi  Empire, 
will  admirably  point  the  lesson: 

We  are  told  in  the  Second  Book  of  Kings  (7  :  6)  that  when 
the  Syrians  were  encamped  about  Samaria  and  the  Lord  had  sent 
a  panic  upon  them,  "they  said  one  to  another,  'Lo,  the  king  of 
Israel  hath  hired  against  us  the  kings  of  the  Egyptians,  to  come 
upon  us.'"  About  the  year  1843  a  distinguished  scholar  selected 
this  passage  for  his  criticism.  Its  "  unhistorical  tone,"  he  declared, 
"is  too  manifest  to  allow  of  our  eaSy  belief  in  it.  .  .  .  No  Hittite 
kings  can  have  compared  with  the  king  of  Judah,  the  real  and 
near  ally,  who  is  not  named  at  all  .  .  .  nor  is  there  a  single  mark 
of  acquaintance  with  the  contemporaneous  history." 

Recent  discoveries  have  retorted  the  critic's  objection  upon 
himself.  It  is  not  the  biblical  writer  but  the  modern  author  who 
is  now  proved  to  have  been  unacquainted  with  the  contemporan- 
eous history  of  the  time.     The  Hittites  were  a  very  real  power. 

The  monuments  erected  by  the  kings  in  celebration  of 
their  victories,  and  the  inscriptions  on  the  rocks,  with  pic- 
tures of  the  campaigns,  speak  in  loud  and  indisputable  tones 
in  support  of  the  biblical  narratives  and  records. 


Introduction  9 

Another  kind  of  writing  in  the  Bible  is  prophecy,  which 
someone  has  aptly  defined  as  "history  written  before- 
hand." Such  indeed  it  is,  and  it  is  here  that  the  divine 
inspiration  of  the  Bible  is  more  plainly  seen,  perhaps,  than 
anywhere  else.  The  Bible  foretells  the  histories  of  nations 
hundreds,  yea,  thousands,  of  years  beforehand.  This  is 
something  beyond  the  power  of  man.  No  human  being  can 
foretell,  with  any  degree  of  accuracy,  the  destinies  of  indi- 
viduals, nations,  or  empires  for  a  few  years,  or  even  months 
or  days,  as  evidenced  by  the  fallacious  guesses  of  politicians, 
statesmen,  and  newspaper  writers  for  the  past  few  years  in 
relation  to  the  nations  of  Europe.  Who  would  have  said 
ten  years  ago,  or  even  less,  that  the  mighty  nation  that 
aspired  to  world  empire  and  sought  to  attain  it  in  full  con- 
fidence of  its  military  supremacy,  would  today  be  at  the 
mercy  of  those  whom  it  esteemed  "contemptible,"  or  that 
its  vain-glorious  monarch  would  be  wasting  his  years  as  an 
inglorious  fugitive?  Nations  have  gone  and  others  have 
taken  their  places;  empires  and  monarchies  have  given  way 
to  republics;  kings  have  been  deposed  and  presidents  elected 
in  their  stead;  and  international  relations  are  in  a  state  of 
perpetual  change.  An  Irishman  is  credited  with  the  remark 
that  "it  isn't  wise  to  prophesy  till  after  the  event," and,  like 
many  other  Irish  sayings,  there  is  much  wisdom  in  it — that 
is  so  far  as  human  prophesying  is  concerned.  But  with 
divine  prophecies,  with  Bible  prophecies,  it  is  a  different 
matter.  In  them  the  destinies  of  nations  are  predicted  for 
thousands  of  years,  and  without  a  single  error  in  the  pre- 
dictions; this  would  have  been  as  impossible  for  human 
foresight  then  as  now.  Mighty  empires  should  vanish 
entirely;  some  then  unknown  should  arise;  and  others, 
weak  by  comparison,  should  continue  to  be.  Babylon  and 
Assyria,  glorious  when  the  prediction  was  made,  should 
become  waste,  howling  wildernesses.  Tyre,  the  mart  of 
nations,  should  become  a  place  for  the  fisherman  to  spread 
his  net.  Egypt  should  continue,  but  be  the  basest  of  king- 
doms. Moab  and  Ammon  should  pass  completely  off  the 
scene.  The  empires  of  Persia,  Greece,  and  Rome  should 
rise  and  flourish  and  decay.  The  small,  feeble,  despised 
Jewish  nation  should  endure  terrible  persecution  and  oppres- 


lo  The  Book  of  Books 

sion,  and  in  dispersion  the  Jews  should  maintain  their 
individuaHty  and  identity,  and  they  should  at  last  be  restored 
to  favor  among  the  nations  and  return  to  their  land.  In 
every  instance  the  prophecy  was  literally  fulfilled,  testifying 
unequivocally  to  the  divine  inspiration  that  was  back  of 
them  all. 

Biography,  or  the  history  of  individuals,  is  dealt  with, 
not  as  men  are  wont  to  write  the  life-stories  of  their  fellows — 
prejudiced  to  give  prominence  to  either  the  good  deeds  or 
the  bad;  but  faithfully  recording  the  facts  of  the  lives  it 
makes  mention  of,  neither  sparing  the  sins  of  the  king  nor 
obscuring  the  good  deeds  of  the  poorest  and  most  humble. 
Its  poetry  is  of  the  purest  and  loftiest  character.  Its  songs 
are  in  celebration  of  some  great  event  that  actually  has 
happened  or  prophetic  of  things  that  will  surely  come  to 
pass.  Its  metaphors  are  the  most  beautiful  and  expressive. 
What  writings  can  compare  with  the  Psalms  for  lofty  imagery 
and  spiritual  thought  ?  Its  code  of  laws  is  the  most  equitable 
that  ever  was  framed,  and  a  community  founded  upon  and 
controlled  by  the  ethics  of  the  New  Testament  would  approx- 
imate very  closely  to  the  perfect  ideal. 

The  sixty-six  books  of  the  Bible  as  we  have  it  today 
are  divided  into  the  Old  Testament,  containing  thirty-nine 
books,  and  the  New  Testament,  containing  twenty-seven. 
These  are  the  books  that  are  universally  recognized  as  of 
divine  origin  and  so  have  been  assigned  a  place  in  what  is 
called  the  "canon"  and  are  therefore  "canonical."  Some 
Bibles  today  contain  a  number  of  other  books  known  collec- 
tively as  the  Apocrypha  and  placed  between  the  Old  and 
the  New  Testaments.  The  Apocrypha  is  contained  in  the 
Roman  Catholic,  or  Douay  Bibles,  but  since  about  a  hun- 
dred years  ago  has  been  omitted  from  the  Authorized 
Version.  The  evidence  for  the  genuineness  and  divine  origin 
of  these  apocryphal  books  has  been  so  much  questioned 
that  they  have  now  been  eliminated.  Besides  these  canon- 
ical and  apocryphal  books  a  place  has  been  claimed  for  some 
others,  but  it  was  very  early  recognized  that  they  were 
spurious,  and  they  were  not  admitted  into  the  Bible.  Such 
are  some  apocryphal  gospels,  whose  absurd  stories  concern- 
ing   Jesus    readily    convinced    devout    Christians    of   their 


Introduction  ii 

unreliability.  The  sixty-six  books  that  remain  in  the  canon, 
or  recognized  list  of  genuine  and  divine  books,  are  there 
because  the  evidence  for  their  divine  origin  is  entirely  satis- 
factory to  scholars  and  theologians. 

The  Bible  books  were  originally  written  by  hand,  prin- 
cipally on  parchment  or  vellum,  made  from  the  skins  of 
sheep,  calves,  and  antelopes.  These  originals  and  early 
copies  of  them  are  known  as  "manuscripts"  or  hand- 
writings. It  was  a  tedious  job  to  make  copies  by  hand, 
which  was  the  only  way  known  until  a  little  more  than  four 
and  a  half  centuries  ago,  and  the  copyists  were  known  as 
scribes  or  writers,  from  the  Latin  word  scribo,  "I  write." 
The  products  of  the  scribes'  labors  were  known  as  "scrip- 
tures" or  "writings."  Today  we  speak  of  the  Bible  as  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  or  Holy  Scripture,  that  is,  the  holy  writings, 
or  writings  about  holy  or  sacred  things.  The  scribes,  on 
account  of  being  famiHar  with  the  contents  of  the  writings, 
became  teachers  and  were  held  in  considerable  esteem. 

Another  form  of  writing  was  by  impressing  soft  clay 
with  the  edge  of  a  hard  substance,  making  a  deeper  impres- 
sion at  one  end  than  at  the  other,  and  giving  wedge-shaped 
characters.  The  clay  tablets,  having  been  baked,  could  be 
stored  indefinitely.  Many  such  tablets,  containing  school 
lessons,  legal  documents,  religious  records,  and  other  matters, 
have  been  found  in  the  oriental  excavations  and  may  be 
seen  in  the  museums  of  this  and  other  lands. 

In  Egypt,  especially,  the  stems  of  the  papyrus  plant 
were  dried  and  used  for  writing  on  with  ink,  much  in  the 
same  way  that  in  Canada  birch  bark  is  split  into  thin  sheets 
and  used  for  writing. 

No  original  manuscripts  of  the  books  of  the  Bible  are 
known  to  exist  today.  Time,  fire,  war,  and  other  causes 
have  destroyed  them  all.  Nor  are  there  any  very  early 
copies  of  the  originals.  The  earliest  Greek  manuscripts 
belong  to  the  fourth  century  and  the  earliest  Hebrew  to  the 
tenth  century  of  the  Christian  Era. 

When  the  contents  of  the  ancient  manuscripts  were 
translated  from  the  languages  in  which  they  were  first  written 
into  other  languages,  such  translations  were  known  as  "ver- 
sions" or  "turnings."     The  originals  of  the  Old  Testament, 


12  The  Book  of  Books 

having  been  written  principally  in  Hebrew,  with  a  small 
portion  in  Aramaic,  were  later  translated  into  Greek,  Samar- 
itan, Syriac,  Latin,  and  other  languages.  The  New  Testa- 
ment, most  of  which,  if  not  all,  was  written  in  Greek,  was 
translated  into  Latin,  Syriac,  and  other  languages.  Versions 
have  now  been  made  of  both  Testaments  in  nearly  all 
languages  of  the  world. 

In  the  early  Christian  centuries  it  was  a  custom,  as  it 
is  now,  for  theological  writers  and  teachers  to  make  reference 
to,  or  quotations  from,  the  Holy  Scriptures  in  their  addresses, 
letters,  or  commentaries,  just  as  Jesus  and  the  apostles  fre- 
quently referred  to,  or  quoted  from,  the  Old  Testament 
Scriptures.  It  has  been  said  that  the  whole  of  the  New 
Testament  may  be  found  in  the  patristic  writings — the 
writings  of  the  early  Christians,  or  the  Fathers  of  the  early 
church. 

The  originals  having  been  lost,  it  is  from  the  manuscript 
copies  in  the  original  languages,  the  versions  in  other  lan- 
guages, and  the  patristic  quotations  that  we  get  our  knowl- 
edge of  what  the  originals  contained.  Infidels  have  made 
much  of  the  mistakes  that  exist  in  the  modern  English 
Bible  and  have  declared  it  to  be  unreliable  on  that  account. 
That  there  are  mistakes  in  the  present  copies  of  the  Bible 
no  reasonable  person  will  deny;  but  that  for  the  principal 
object  of  the  book,  the  salvation  of  mankind,  it  is  untrust- 
worthy does  not  necessarily  follow.  Is  it  to  be  wondered 
at  that  there  are  a  few  mistakes  in  a  book  that  was  written 
by  half  a  hundred  persons,  who  lived  during  a  period  of 
fifteen  hundred  years,  who  wrote  in  difi^erent  languages  and 
different  lands;  a  book  written  by  all  sorts  and  conditions 
of  men  and  women;  a  book  that  has  been  revised,  edited, 
and  copied  time  after  time,  translated  and  retranslated  into 
language  after  language?  Is  it  to  be  wondered  at  that  some 
small  item  should  be  left  out  by  some  copyist  or  translator, 
or  that  some  details,  especially  numbers,  should  have  been 
copied  erroneously?  It  is  not.  The  wonder  would  be  if 
there  were  no  mistakes  at  all.  Let  any  who  have  had  experi- 
ence in  copying — and,  at  times,  in  copying  things  almost,  if 
not  quite,  illegible — calmly  think  over  the  fact  that  a  book 
which  has  had  such  a  long  and  wonderful  history  should  be 


Introduction  13 

as  free  from  errors  as  it  is.  It  must  be  admitted  that  there 
are  errors  in  the  Bible  as  we  have  it;  he  would  be  ignorant 
or  foolish  who  would  deny  the  fact.  But  whatever  errors 
there  are,  they  do  not  in  any  wise  affect  the  authenticity, 
the  genuineness,  or  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  Bible  as  a 
whole  or  of  any  of  its  constituent  books  in  particular. 

Some  errors  are  purely  errors  of  transcription,  when  a 
scribe  mistook  one  letter  for  another.  That  was  easily 
possible,  for  some  letters  have  such  sHght  differences  that  a 
careless  scribe  would  not  make  them  distinct,  and  the  next 
copyist  would  probably  mistake  one  letter  for  another;  such 
mistakes  would  result  in  a  word  of  different  meaning  getting 
into  the  text,  and  the  error  would  in  all  probability  be 
repeated  in  subsequent  copies.  It  will  easily  be  seen  from 
this  that  the  earlier  the  manuscript,  the  more  probability 
there  is  of  its  being  correct — although  a  late  copy  made 
from  a  correct  manuscript  would  in  all  likelihood  be  more 
accurate  than  an  earlier  copy  made  from  an  incorrect 
manuscript;  therefore  it  is  not  an  invariable  rule  that 
the  earlier  the  manuscript,  the  more  correct  it  is.  The 
importance  of  the  early  manuscripts  will  appear  later  in  our 
considerations. 

Again,  a  scribe  may  have  omitted  something,  and  on 
going  over  it  again  may  have  noticed  the  omission  and  put 
the  missing  portion  in  the  margin.  Later  on,  another  copy- 
ist may  have  left  the  marginal  portion  out  entirely,  not 
knowing  whether  it  really  belonged  in  the  text  or  was 
merely  a  side-note  made  by  a  previous  scribe. 

Again,  an  early  scribe  may  have  done  something  of  the 
same  kind  as  has  been  done  in  our  modern  printed  Bibles. 
He  may  have  put  some  note  of  his  own  in  the  margin,  by 
way  of  comment  or  explanation,  which  another  copyist  may 
have  put  into  the  text,  thinking  it  originally  belonged  there 
and  that  the  former  scribe  had  at  first  omitted  it  and  then 
put  it  in  the  margin.  That  error  would  be  repeated  in 
subsequent  copies. 

Yet  again,  after  theological  disputations  had  arisen  in 
the  church,  things  may  have  been  either  deliberately  inserted 
to  uphold  an  argument,  or  put  on  the  side  and  later  incor- 
porated by  a  copyist. 


14  The  Book  of  Books 

Instances  of  errors  of  these  kinds  occur  at  the  present 
day,  as  anyone  can  testify  who  has  had  anything  to  do  with 
copying  manuscript,  especially  if  the  work  is  long  and 
tedious:  they  were  just  as  likely  to  happen  at  any  period 
of  the  past.  Men's  eyes  grew  tired  then,  as  now,  and  errors 
doubtless  arose  from  that  cause,  as  well  as  from  carelessness 
or  deliberate  intention. 

A  peculiarity  of  the  early  manuscripts  may  have  been 
the  cause  of  some  errors.  They  were  written  with  capital 
letters  only,  and  without  spaces  between  the  words.  When 
divisions  were  made,  a  scribe  may  have  made  a  division  in 
the  wrong  place  and  so  have  made  an  incorrect  copy,  or  a 
translator  may  have  mistaken  the  words  and  given  a  wrong 
translation — just  as  the  little  boy  is  said  to  have  done  with 
the  motto  his  father  put  up  in  his  room.  The  father  was  an 
infidel  and  put  up  the  following  letters:  godisnowhere. 
He  intended  it  to  be  read:  "God  is  nowhere,"  but  his  son 
read  it,  "God  is  now  here." 

In  copying  it  is  easy  for  the  eye  to  rest  on  the  wrong 
line,  and  a  portion  is  either  skipped  or  dupUcated,  according 
to  whether  the  eye  has  gone  forward  or  backward  in  its 
glance.  Even  in  printed  matter  errors  of  this  kind  are 
made.  In  the  first  edition  of  the  King  James  Version  of 
1611,  a  duphcation  of  three  lines  is  made  in  the  tenth  verse 
of  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  Exodus. 

Enormous  labor  has  been  bestowed  by  scholars  in 
examining  the  manuscripts  and  versions  with  a  view  to 
getting  as  near  as  possible  to  the  original  text,  and  although 
there  have  crept  in  many  thousands  of  various  readings  in 
the  centuries  that  have  elapsed  since  the  originals  were 
penned,  many  of  them  are  of  minor  importance  and  many 
are  dupHcations,  and  the  really  important  ones  that  are 
still  matters  of  discussion  are  now  few  indeed.  One  of  the 
members  of  the  American  Revision  Committee,  Dr.  Ezra 
Abbot,  has  said  in  his  Critical  Essays: 

The  number  of  "various  readings"  frightens  some  innocent 
people,  and  figures  largely  in  the  writings  of  the  more  ignorant 
disbelievers  in  Christianity.  "One  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
various  readings!"  Must  not  these  render  the  text  of  the  New 
Testament  wholly  uncertain,  and  thus  destroy  the  foundation  of 
our  faith  .^ 


Introduction  15 

The  true  state  of  the  case  is  something  like  this.  Of  the  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  various  readings,  more  or  less,  of  the 
text  of  the  Greek  New  Testament,  we  may,  as  Mr.  Norton  has 
remarked,  dismiss  nineteen-twentieths  from  consideration  at  once, 
as  being  obviously  of  such  a  character,  or  supported  by  so  little 
authority,  that  no  critic  would  regard  them  as  having  any  claim 
to  reception.  This  leaves,  we  will  say,  seven  thousand  five  hun- 
dred. But  of  these,  again,  it  will  appear,  on  examination,  that 
nineteen  out  of  twenty  are  of  no  sort  of  consequence  as  affecting 
the  sense;  they  relate  to  questions  of  orthography,  or  grammatical 
construction,  or  the  order  of  words,  or  such  other  matters  as  have 
been  mentioned  above,  in  speaking  of  unimportant  variations. 
They  concern  only  the  form  of  expression,  not  the  essential  mean- 
ing. This  reduces  the  number  to  perhaps  four  hundred  which 
involve  a  difference  of  meaning,  often  very  slight,  or  the  omission 
or  addition  of  a  few  words,  sufficient  to  render  them  objects  of 
some  curiosity  or  interest,  while  a  few  exceptional  cases  among 
them  may  relatively  be  called  important.  But  our  critical  helps 
are  now  so  abundant  that  in  a  very  large  majority  of  these  more 
important  questions  of  reading  we  are  able  to  determine  the  true 
text  with  a  good  degree  of  confidence.  In  the  text  of  all  ancient 
writings,  there  are  passages  in  which  the  text  cannot  be  settled 
with  certainty;   and  the  same  is  true  of  the  interpretation. 

It  was  good  advice  which  the  great  scholar  Bengel  gave 
to  his  pupil  Reuss,  to  whom  he  wrote: 

Eat  simply  the  bread  of  the  Scriptures,  such  as  you  find  it; 
and  be  not  disturbed  if  perchance  you  find  here  and  there  a  little 
fragment  of  the  millstone  which  has  fallen  into  it.  You  may  now 
dismiss  all  the  doubts  which  once  horribly  tormented  me.  If  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  which  have  been  copied  so  often,  and  which  have 
so  often  passed  through  the  imperfect  hands  of  fallible  men,  were 
absolutely  without  variations,  the  miracle  would  be  so  great  that 
faith  in  it  would  be  no  more  faith.  I  am  astonished,  on  the  con- 
trary, that  there  has  resulted  from  all  the  transcribing  a  no 
greater  number  of  different  readings. 

In  an  article  in  the  North  American  Review,  a  writer 
made  some  interesting  comparisons  between  the  writings 
of  Shakespeare  and  the  Scriptures,  which  show  that  much 
greater  care  must  have  been  bestowed  upon  the  biblical 
manuscripts  than  upon  other  writings,  even  when  there  was 
so  much  more  opportunity  of  preserving  the  correct  text  by 
means  of  printed  copies  than  when  all  the  copies  had  to  be 
made  by  hand.     He  said: 


i6 


The  Book  or  Books 


It  seems  strange  that  the  text  of  Shakespeare,  which  has  been 
in  existence  less  than  two  hundred  and  eight  years,  should  be  far 
more  uncertain  and  corrupt  than  that  of  the  New  Testament,  now 
over  eighteen  centuries  old,  during  nearly  fifteen  of  which  it 
existed  only  in  manuscript.  .  .  .  \yith  perhaps  a  dozen  or  twenty 
exceptions,  the  text  of  every  verse  in  the  New  Testament  may  be 
said  to  be  so  far  settled  by  general  consent  of  scholars,  that  any 
dispute  as  to  its  readings  must  relate  rather  to  the  interpretation 
of  the  words  than  to  any  doubts  respecting  the  words  themselves. 
But  in  every  one  of  Shakespeare's  thirty-seven  plays  there  are 
probably  a  hundred  readings  still  in  dispute,  a  large  portion  of 
which  materially  affects  the  meaning  of  the  passages  in  which 
they  occur. 


3  3  T^':^'^ 


1  "Vj^ii'^T^"^ 

'Till;?  '^i^'n'"^ 


1 'rnn  Till  111  ^ 


BIBLE  HOUSE,  NEW  YORK 


CHAPTER   II 

THE  POPULARITY  OF  THE   BIBLE 

THE  Bible  has  often  been  spoken  of  as  the  Book  of  Books- 
For  this  there  is  a  twofold  justification.  In  the  first 
place  it  is  the  Book  of  Books  because  it  is  one  book  contain- 
ing many.  It  is,  in  fact,  a  library  in  itself.  Its  name,  the 
Bible,  is  derived  from  hihlia,  "the  books."  There  are  sixty- 
six  books  of  varied  authorship  and  composition,  each  com- 
plete in  itself,  yet  each  connected  with  all  the  others  by  a 
unity  of  thought  and  purpose. 

In  the  second  place,  it  is  pre-eminently  the  Book  of 
Books  because  of  all  books  it  is  the  best  known  and  the  most 
revered.  It  has  had  a  more  interesting  history  than  any 
other  book,  and  it  excels  all  in  its  importance  to,  and  influ- 
ence upon,  mankind. 

It  is  wonderful  that  the  Bible  should  hold  the  position 
that  it  does  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  all  civilized  people, 
in  view  of  the  persistent  efforts  of  its  enemies  to  displace  it. 
No  more  bitter  words  or  deeds  have  ever  been  directed 
toward  any  book  than  those  wherewith  the  Bible  has  been 
assailed  by  its  enemies:  yet  today  it  stands  supreme — the 
Book  of  Books.  Men  have  endeavored  to  list  the  best  books 
in  the  world,  and  they  always  include  the  Bible  and  usually 
assign  to  it  the  first  place.  No  "  best  seller  "  has  ever  approx- 
imated the  sale  of  the  Bible.  Millions  upon  millions  of 
complete  copies  or  parts  have  been  sold  in  nearly  every 
country  of  the  world.  It  may  be  had  in  several  hundred 
languages  and  dialects,  comprising  translations  into  almost 
every  spoken  tongue.  Missionary  enterprise  and  colpor- 
teurs' energy  have  carried  it  to  the  remotest  portions  of  the 
globe.  People  the  world  over  have  desired  the  Bible  and 
its  message.    As  Bishop  Heber  so  beautifully  expressed  it: 

(17) 


1 8  The  Book  of  Books 

From  Greenland's  icy  mountains,  from  India's  coral  strand, 
Where  Africa's  sunny  fountains  roll  down  their  golden  sand. 
From  many  an  ancient  river,  from  many  a  palmy  plain, 
They  call  us  to  deliver  their  land  from  error's  chain. 

What  though  the  spicy  breezes  blow  soft  o'er  Ceylon's  isle. 
Though  every  prospect  pleases,  and  only  man  is  vile; 
In  vain,  with  lavish  kindness,  the  gifts  of  God  are  strown; 
The  heathen,  in  his  blindness,  bows  down  to  wood  and  stone. 

Can  we,  whose  souls  are  lighted  with  wisdom  from  on  high — 
Can  we  to  men  benighted  the  lamp  of  life  deny-f* 
Salvation!     O  Salvation!     the  joyful  sound  proclaim, 
Till  each  remotest  nation  has  learned  Messiah's  name. 

Although  the  Bible  is  so  well  known  and  may  be  had 
for  small  cost  in  any  land;  although  in  every  civilized 
country  there  are  few  homes  which  do  not  contain  one  or 
more  copies  of  the  whole  or  some  part;  yet  there  is  much 
ignorance  as  to  its  origin  and  structure,  its  content  and 
meaning,  and  its  wonderful  history. 

With  a  vague  idea  that  the  Bible  is  divine,  there  are 
persons  so  simple-minded  as  to  imagine  that  it  fell  down 
from  heaven  direct  and  complete,  in  much  the  same  form  as 
Moses  received  the  tables  of  the  law,  graven  by  the  hand  of 
God;  or  as  the  Ephesians  in  Paul's  day  fancied  that  the 
image  of  Diana  fell  down  from  Jupiter.  Such,  however,  is 
not  the  case.  It  is  a  long  story  and  a  wonderful  one,  the 
story  of  how  God  inspired  men  to  write  His  messages  and  to 
record  His  dealings  with,  and  His  promises  to,  mankind — 
how,  first  by  word  of  mouth,  and  then  by  writing  in  various 
tongues,  that  record  has  come  down  to  us  in  its  present  form 
and  in  our  mother-tongue.  This  wonderful  story  will  be 
unfolded  as  we  proceed  in  our  considerations. 

It  cannot  be  too  much  emphasized  that  the  Bible  is  of 
divine  origin.  Its  preservation  against  the  attacks  of  its 
enemies  has  been  watched  over  by  the  providence  of  its 
Author.  H.  L.  Hastings  has  forcibly  illustrated  the  way  in 
which  the  Bible  has  survived  the  attacks  of  infidelity  and 
skepticism,  in  the  following  words: 

Infidels  for  eighteen  hundred  years  have  been  refuting  and 
overthrowing  this  book,  and  yet  it  stands  today  as  solid  as  a  rock. 
Its  circulation  increases,  and  it  is  more  loved  and  cherished  and 


Popularity  of  the  Bible  19 

read  today  than  ever  before.  Infidels,  with  all  their  assaults,  make 
about  as  much  impression  on  this  book  as  a  man  with  a  tack- 
hammer  would  on  the  Pyramids  of  Egypt.  When  the  French 
monarch  proposed  the  persecution  of  the  Christians  in  his  domin- 
ion, an  old  statesman  and  warrior  said  to  him,  "Sire,  the  Church 
of  God  is  an  anvil  that  has  worn  out  many  hammers."  So  the 
hammers  of  infidels  have  been  pecking  away  at  this  book  for  ages, 
but  the  hammers  are  worn  out,  and  the  anvil  still  endures.  If 
this  book  had  not  been  the  book  of  God,  men  would  have  destroyed 
it  long  ago.  Emperors  and  popes,  kings  and  priests,  princes  and 
rulers  have  all  tried  their  hand  at  it;  they  die  and  the  book  still 
lives. 

To  use  another  simile,  the  v^aves  of  infidelity  have 
dashed  themselves  against  the  rock  and  been  broken  and 
rolled  back,  but  the  rock  remains  uninjured  and  still  stands 
firm.     As  the  hymn  says: 

Vain  floods  that  aim  their  rage  so  high! 
At  His  rebuke  the  billows  die. 

The  remarkable  popularity  of  the  Bible  is  mainly  the 
result  of  the  eflPorts  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
the  American  Bible  Society,  and  other  similar  agencies.  For 
more  than  a  century  these  excellent  organizations  have  been 
engaged  in  issuing  copies  of  the  Scriptures  and  in  sending 
forth  messengers  to  distribute  or  to  sell  the  versions  in 
various  lands.  The  circulation  of  no  other  book  has  in  any 
way  approximated  the  circulation  represented  in  the  activi- 
ties of  the  various  Bible  Societies. 

The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  was  organized 
in  London,  England,  in  1804,  and  its  present  headquarters 
are  at  the  Bible  House,  146  Queen  Victoria  Street,  in  that 
city.  The  president  for  the  year  1921-22  is  H.  R.  H.  the 
Duke  of  Connaught,  and  the  numerous  vice-presidents,  some 
of  whom  have  held  ofl&ce  since  1877,  include  high  dignitaries 
of  the  Episcopal  and  Nonconformist  churches,  noblemen, 
statesmen,  and  prominent  business  men.  The  society  had, 
at  the  end  of  its  one  hundred  and  seventeenth  year,  5128 
auxiliaries,  branches,  and  associations  in  England  and 
Wales,  and  outside  Great  Britain  about  4750  auxiliaries 
and  branches,  mostly  in  the  British  Dominions  and  Colonies. 

The  expenditure  of  the  society  for  the  year  which  ended 
March  31,  1921,  was  £447,183,  or  ^2,177,781,  and  the  total 


20 


The  Book  of  Books 


BIBLE  HOUSE,  LONDON 


Popularity  of  the  Bible  21 

expenditure  since  March,  1804,  has  been  £18,919,374  17s  od, 
or  ^92,137,351.  In  its  one  hundred  and  seventeenth  year 
the  society  issued  801,796  complete  Bibles,  727,307  New 
Testaments,  and  7,126,678  portions  of  the  Bible,  making  a 
total  of  8,655,781.  The  largest  number  of  issues  in  any  one 
year  was  11,059,617  for  the  year  ending  March  31,  1916. 
The  total  of  the  issues  in  one  hundred  and  seventeen  years 
is  319,470,209,  made  up  of  63,750,833  Bibles,  98,630,630 
New  Testaments,  and  157,088,746  portions.  Complete 
Bibles  have  been  issued  in  135  languages.  New  Testaments 
in  126  more,  and  portions  of  the  Bible  in  277  more,  making 
a  total  of  538  languages  to  March  31,  1921.  A  number  of 
editions  in  other  languages  have  been  issued  since  that  date, 
and  others  are  being  added  right  along. 

The  Bible  House  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society  is  a  handsome  structure,  as  will  be  seen  from  the 
illustration.  It  is  in  the  very  heart  of  London  near  the 
Bank  of  England  and  the  office  of  The  Times.  The  dome 
of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  shows  behind  the  house,  and 
the  red-brick  church  of  St.  Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe  is 
next  to  it.  The  Bible  House  is  built  near  the  site  of  the 
old  Blackfriars  Monastery  where  Wiclif  was  tried  before 
the  papal  legate  on  a  charge  of  heresy.  Over  the  entrance 
door  are  the  words,  "The  Word  of  the  Lord  endureth  for 
ever."  The  foundation  stone  of  the  present  building  was 
laid  June  11,  1866,  by  the  late  King  Edward  VII  when  he 
was  Prince  of  Wales.  The  library  contains  over  twelve 
thousand  volumes  in  more  than  five  hundred  languages, 
having  been  enriched  in  1890  by  the  addition  of  more  than 
twelve  hundred  English  Bibles  and  Testaments  collected  by 
the  late  Francis  Fry,  to  whom  reference  will  be  made  later; 
and  in  1909  by  the  remarkable  collection  of  one  of  the 
Revisers  of  1870-188 5,  Dr.  Christian  D.  Ginsburg,  which 
includes  many  early  printed  Hebrew  and  German  Bibles. 
There  are  many  of  the  "curious"  Bibles  and  an  interesting 
relic,  a  chained  Bible;  and  a  showcase  illustrates  the  history 
of  the  English  printed  Bible  from  Tindale's  New  Testament 
to  the  late  Revised  Version.  Anyone  visiting  London  should 
not  fail  to  visit  the  Bible  House. 


22  The  Book  of  Books 

The  American  Bible  Society  was  formed  in  1816. 
Societies  had  existed  for  several  years  previous  to  that  year 
in  various  parts  of  the  Eastern  States.  The  first  was  founded 
in  Philadelphia  in  December,  1908;  the  next  in  Connecticut 
in  May,  1809;  the  next  in  Massachusetts  in  July,  1809;  the 
next  in  New  York  in  November,  1809;  and  the  next  in  New 
Jersey  in  December,  1809.  Numerous  other  societies 
sprang  up  in  various  parts  of  the  United  States,  and  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  helped  them  all  with 
congratulations  and  the  State  societies  with  funds;  by  18 16 
more  than  fifteen  thousand  dollars  had  been  thus  contributed. 

In  May,  18 16,  Elias  Boudinot,  president  of  the  New 
Jersey  Bible  Society,  called  a  meeting  of  representatives  of 
the  various  societies,  and  the  American  Bible  Society  was 
organized  with  Mr.  Boudinot  as  its  first  president.  Since 
that  time  the  American  Society  has  been  working  along 
similar  lines  to  those  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Society, 
and  in  the  year  1920  there  were  issued  by  it  313,757  Bibles, 
717,319  New  Testaments,  and  2,776,325  portions  of  the 
Bible,  making  a  total  of  3,825,401.  The  total  issues  for 
one  hundred  and  five  years,  1816-1920,  were  25,280,930 
Bibles,  116,448,410  New  Testaments  and  portions  of  the 
Bible,  or  a  total  of  141,729,340.  The  largest  annual  issue 
was  7,761,377  in  1916. 

The  American  Bible  Society  has  its  headquarters  at  the 
Bible  House,  Astor  Place,  New  York  City,  where  since  1853 
its  presses  have  been  printing  the  Scriptures  in  68  languages 
and  six  embossed  forms  for  the  blind.  Other  presses  are 
owned  and  operated  by  the  Society  in  some  of  its  foreign 
agencies.  The  expenditures  of  the  society  for  the  year 
1919  totaled  ^858,348.52. 

Two  testimonies  to  the  value  of  the  Bible  Societies  may 
be  given  here. 

John  Jay,  first  chief  Justice  of  U.  S.  A.,  said; 

By  conveying  the  Bible  to  the  people  we  certainly  do  them  a 
most  interesting  act  of  kindness. 

Guizot,  the  French  historian,  said: 

Bible  societies  are  but  instruments  and  servants  of  the  divine 
activity  which  it  is  not  within  the  power  of  man  to  baffle  or 
disturb. 


Popularity  of  the  Bible  23 

From  the  great  presses  of  the  Universities  of  Oxford 
and  Cambridge,  and  from  numerous  private  presses  as  well, 
many  more  copies  are  issued  annually,  and  it  has  been 
estimated  that  twenty-five  millions  would  not  be  an  extrava- 
gant figure  for  the  total  annual  output  of  Bibles  and  portions 
of  the  Scriptures  at  the  present  time. 

When  the  Revised  Version  was  published  in  England 
in  May,  188 1,  it  was  simultaneously  published  in  the  United 
States.  Before  the  date  of  publication  the  English  publishers 
had  received  orders  for  more  than  a  million  copies.  In  New 
York  the  streets  were  blocked  with  wagons  waiting  for 
copies  of  the  book  as  they  came  over  from  England,  The 
contents  were  telegraphed  to  Chicago  on  Saturday,  and 
nearly  a  hundred  compositors  and  proofreaders  worked  on 
Sunday  editions  of  two  Chicago  newspapers  that  printed  the 
whole  of  the  Gospels,  Acts,  and  Romans,  the  day  after  pub- 
lication in  New  York.  Before  the  end  of  that  year  nearly 
half  a  million  copies  of  the  English  edition  were  sold  by  one 
publishing  house  in  New  York,  and  a  number  of  American 
editions  were  printed  and  many  thousands  of  copies  sold. 
No  other  book  ever  created  such  a  sensation  as  that.  The 
Book  of  Books  is  indeed  a  wonderful  book. 

Concerning  the  popularity  of  the  Bible,  an  eminent 
American  preacher,  Theodore  Parker,  has  said: 

This  collection  of  books  has  taken  such  a  hold  on  the  world 
as  no  other.  ...  It  goes  equally  to  the  cottage  of  the  plain  man 
and  the  palace  of  the  king.  It  is  woven  into  the  literature  of  the 
scholar,  and  colors  the  talk  of  the  street.  The  bark  of  the  mer- 
chant cannot  sail  the  sea  without  it;  no  ship  of  war  goes  to  the 
conflict,  but  the  Bible  is  there.  It  enters  men's  closets,  mingles 
in  all  the  grief  and  cheerfulness  of  life.  The  affianced  maiden 
prays  God  in  Scripture  for  strength  in  her  new  duties.  Men  are 
married  by  Scripture;  the  Bible  attends  them  in  their  sickness, 
when  the  fever  of  the  world  is  on  them;  the  aching  head  finds  a 
softer  pillow  when  the  Bible  lies  underneath;  the  mariner,  escap- 
ing from  shipwreck,  clutches  this  first  of  his  treasures,  and  keeps 
it  sacred  to  God. 

In  "Present  Day  Tracts,"  No.  23,  The  Vitality  of  the 
Bible,  Professor  Blackie  comments  on  the  influence  the  Bible 
has  had  upon  individual,  family,  and  social  life,  and  draws 
the  conclusion  that  it  is  indeed   "the  Word  of  God  that 


24  The  Book  of  Books 

liveth  and  abideth  for  ever."  He  further  says  that  we 
should  be  perplexed,  "were  we  to  set  about  counting  all 
the  Uterature  that  has  sprung  from  the  Bible,  to  glance  at 
the  history  of  Art,  to  try  to  reckon  all  the  paintings  of  the 
first  quahty  that  have  been  founded  on  Bible  scenes,  or  the 
music  that  has  been  inspired  by  Bible  truths,  or  the  poetry 
that  has  owed  its  soul  to  Bible  influences,  or  the  civilizations 
it  has  moulded,  or  the  legislations  it  has  controlled,  or  the 
institutions  it  has  created."  Again  he  says,  "The  Bible  is 
a  unique  phenomenon.  It  holds  and  has  held  in  this  world 
a  place  never  equaled,  never  even  approached  by  any  other 
book.  ...  It  never  becomes  antiquated,  never  survives 
its  usefulness,  never  acquires  a  decrepit  look;  Time  writes 
no  wrinkles  on  its  brow;  it  flourishes  in  the  vigor  of  immortal 
youth." 

Two  recent  examples  of  the  popularity  of  the  Bible 
have  been  found  in  the  public  press.  The  Bluefield  Daily 
Telegraph,  at  Bluefield,  West  Virginia,  on  May  4,  1922, 
commenced  the  publication,  in  serial  form,  of  the  New 
Testament,  printing  at  the  head  of  a  double  column,  "Read 
the  Bible  with  us,"  and  printing  an  editorial  caUing  atten- 
tion to  the  fact. 

In  the  Evening  Bulletin ,  Philadelphia,  there  appeared 
on  February  9,  1922,  the  following  editorial  note: 

Bible  the  Best  Seller 

Best  sellers  come  and  best  sellers  go  from  season  to  season  as 
authors  and  publishers  manage  to  strike  the  vagrant  fancy  of 
American  readers.  Their  circulation  may  be  reckoned  by  the 
hundred  thousand,  and  in  a  few  instances  like  "Uncle  Tom's 
Cabin"  and  "Ben  Hur,"  may  boast  of  millions,  with  "David 
Harum"  leading  the  van  for  best  sellers  written  in  the  past  quar- 
ter century.  But  year  in  and  year  out  the  Book  of  Books  laughs 
all  others  to  scorn  as  puny  competitors  when  annual  sales  are 
computed. 

Taking  the  United  States  alone,  and  leaving  out  of  account 
the  energetic  operations  of  British  and  other  European  agencies 
for  the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures,  the  American  Bible  Society 
reports  that  last  year  it  distributed  4,286,380  Bibles,  New  Testa- 
ments and  portions  of  each.  The  field  covered  included  both 
home  and  foreign  missions.  This,  however,  is  apart  from  the 
enormous  sales  of  Holy  Writ  by  the  private  publishing  firms,  who 
chiefly  supply  the  well-to-do  church-going  population. 


Popularity  of  the  Bible 


25 


The  cultural  value  of  this  profuse  dissemination  of  sacred 
literature  is  incalculable.  In  spite  of  the  disconcerting  ignorance 
of  the  Bible  which  is  frequently  encountered  among  college  stu- 
dents, there  is  reason  to  feel  that  the  reading  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments  enters  into  the  religious  exercises  of  as  large  a  propor- 
tion of  the  people  as  ever  before. 

College  men  are  being  brought  to  perceive  that  ignorance  of 
the  Bible  is  less  excusable  than  almost  any  other  form  of  ignorance, 
and  under  the  leadership  of  Dr.  Josiah  H.  Penniman,  Acting 
Provost  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  the  undergraduates 
are  getting  acquainted  with  the  Scriptures.  Similar  reports  come 
from  other  colleges  and  universities.  The  work  of  the  Gideons 
in  placing  a  Bible  in  every  hotel  room  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada  is  another  influence  which  brings  the  traveling  public  in 
touch  with  the  treasures  of  the  Bible.  So  its  primacy  as  a  best 
seller,  unapproachable  by  any  other  book,  is  permanently  assured. 


T.  H.  HUXLEY 
A  Famous  English  Professor 


JOSIAH  H.  PENNIMAN 

Acting  Provost 
University  of  Pennsylvania 

(PhoCo.  by  GiUekunst) 


CHAPTER   III 

THE  TESTIMONY  OF   EMINENT  PERSONS  TO 
THE  VALUE  OF  THE   BIBLE  IN  THE 
LIFE  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL 
AND  THE  NATION 

I  WAS  present  some  years  ago  at  the  annual  meeting  of 
the  Birmingham  auxiUary  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society,  when  a  great  bibhcal  scholar  and  editor, 
Dr.  J.  J.  S.  Perowne,  Bishop  of  Worcester,  presided,  and 
another  great  scholar  and  writer.  Dr.  F.  W.  Farrar,  Dean 
of  Canterbury,  delivered  the  principal  address.  It  was 
entitled  "The  Bible,"  and  the  lecturer  gave  expression  to 
his  own  high  estimate  of  the  sacred  book,  and,  from  his  great 
store  of  knowledge  concerning  men  and  their  writings, 
referred  to  the  statements  of  great  men  in  varied  walks  of 
life  who  all  gave  it  the  highest  place  in  their  esteem.  So 
far  as  I  know,  that  address  was  not  published,  though  it 
richly  deserved  to  be;  but  as  I  took  complete  shorthand 
notes  I  shall  here  reproduce  it.  Some  of  the  testimonies 
it  contains  may  be  found  in  some  of  the  volumes  of  Dr. 
Farrar's  sermons  and  essays. 

The  Bible 

One  great  reason — there  are  multitudes  of  reasons,  of  course, 
why  the  Bible  is  better  adapted  for  the  instruction  of  all  mankind — • 
but  one  reason  is  because  the  Bible  is  not  one  book,  but  many 
books — thirty-nine  of  the  Old  Testament  and  twenty-seven  of  the 
New.  The  very  word  "Bible"  means  "the  books";  and  there 
has  been  considerable  discussion  of  late  years  as  to  what  are  the 
best  hundred  books.  Well,  I  can  tell  you  in  one  breath  sixty-six 
of  the  best  of  them,  and  those  are  the  sixty-six  books  of  the  Bible. 

More  than  that,  the  Bible  is  not  a  book,  it  is  a  literature;  and 
as  the  great  Edmund  Burke  said,  "It  is  an  infinite  collection  of 
the  most  venerable  and  the  most  varied  literature."     The  Bible 

(26) 


Testimony  of  Eminent  Persons 


27 


consists,  then,  not  only  of  one  complete  revelation,  but  also  of 
many  separate  elements  of  truth,  beauty,  and  grandeur.  It  is  as 
the  wide  sea;  it  is  as  the  great  sea-shore;  it  is  as  a  paradise  filled 
with  the  forest  trees  of  God.  On  the  wide  sea  every  separate 
wave  may  flash  in  the  sunlight  with  innumerable  laughter;  and 
on  the  wide  sea-shore  every  single  sand   grain,  as  it  catches  the 


DR.  F.  W.  FARRAR 


gleam,  may  flash  forth  into  an  emerald  or  into  a  pearl;  and  in  this 
paradise  of  the  trees  of  God  every  single  leaf  is  for  the  healing 
of  the  nations.  But  still,  the  sea  and  the  shore  and  the  forest 
are  greater  than  the  waves,  than  the  sand  grains,  than  the  sep- 
arate leaves.  And  the  Bible  in  its  immensity  as  one  revelation 
transcends  even  the  special  beauty  and  instructiveness  of  its 
many  separate  and  glorious  truths. 


28  The  Book  of  Books 

Now,  one  great  element  in  the  adaptation  of  the  Bible  as  the 
best  fitted  for  the  elevation  of  the  lives  of  all  mankind  is,  as  I  have 
said,  its  immense  variety.  The  Bible  is  everything  for  some  and 
it  is  something  for  all.  It  would  be  a  great  loss  to  us  if  the  Bible 
were  like  the  Zend  Avesta  of  the  Persians  or  like  the  writings  of 
Confucius  among  the  Chinese — if  it  were  the  work  of  one  limited 
and  monotonous  mind.  Again,  it  would  be  a  great  loss  to  us  if 
the  Bible  were  entirely  or  mainly  like  the  Vedas  of  the  Hindu — 
poetry.  It  would  be  a  great  loss  to  us  if,  like  the  books  of  the 
Buddhists,  it  had  been  written  centuries  after  the  events  which  it 
records  and  by  those  who  are  entirely  forgotten. 

We  are  saved  from  these  elements  of  imperfection  in  the  Bible. 
By  the  very  power  of  its  structure  it  appeals  to  all  sorts  and  condi- 
tions of  men.  The  Bible  was  written  not  only  by  the  poor  but  by 
the  rich,  by  the  lowly  as  well  as  by  the  exalted,  by  kings  and 
peasants,  by  warriors  and  husbandmen,  by  poets  and  chroniclers, 
by  ardent  enthusiasts  and  calm,  dispassionate  reasoners,  and, 
touched  by  so  many  fingers,  our  hearts  can  but  respond  to  one 
note  or  other  of  that  manifold  music.  At  the  mere  turning  of  a 
page  we  may  discourse  with  Solomon  the  magnificent  or  with  Amos 
the  humble  gatherer  of  sycamore  fruit;  we  may  be  listening  to 
David  the  psalmist  warrior  or  to  Matthew  the  Galilean  publican. 

Now  consider  the  New  Testament  by  itself.  You  have  Peter, 
a  bold,  impetuous,  and  practical  Galilean.  In  Paul  you  have  a 
fusile  apostle,  transformed  as  it  were  by  one  flash  of  lightning; 
from  a  narrow-minded  persecutor  becoming,  indeed,  the  foremost 
champion  of  truth  and  liberty  and  light.  In  James,  again,  you 
have  an  esthetic,  a  nazarite;  he  rises,  as  it  were,  to  speak  to  us 
with  the  long  locks  of  the  nazarite  streaming  over  his  shoulders 
and  over  the  white  linen  robes  which  he  habitually  wore.  John 
again,  totally  different  from  the  others,  is  the  listener  whose  whole 
soul  is  bathed  in  the  light  of  eternal  ideas,  as  though  a  white  cloud 
palpitated  splendor  because  it  had  been  cradled  near  the  setting 
sun.  And  each  of  these  great  apostles  has  a  different  aspect  of 
truth  and  a  different  lesson  for  us. 

The  Bible  may  be  compared  to  a  great  mountain  on  which 
are  many  stones.  You  walk  over  the  mountain  and  pick  up  what 
looks  like  a  common  brown  flint.  You  are  about  to  throw  it 
away.  Something  perhaps  makes  you  strike  it  with  your  hammer, 
and  you  find  that  inside  it  there  is  what  is  called  a  crucic  cavity, 
that  is  to  say,  a  hole  filled  with  amethysts  of  the  most  lovely 
purple.  In  the  same  way  there  is  many  a  text  that  is  filled  with 
something  which  the  careless  reader  lacks — an  ordinary  and  not 
very  significant  text,  you  think.  You  break  it  open  by  the  ham- 
mer of  prayerful  meditation,  and  find  it  full  of  crystals  of  purple 
of  a  "light  that  never  shone  on  land  or  sea."  a,  j 

The  Bible,  as  Augustine  so  finely  said,  has  shallows  which 
men  may  ford  and  depths  which  the  elephant  cannot  swim.      It 


Testimony  of  Eminent  Persons  29 

has  mountains  and  valleys,  sunrise  and  sunset;  it  has  barren 
deserts  and  green  pastures;  it  has  lilies  of  the  field  and  the  shadow 
of  a  great  rock  in  a  weary  land. 

I  could  not  dwell  too  much  upon  the  infinitude  and  variety 
of  riches  which  you  may  find  in  the  sacred  page;  but  that  you  may 
not  take  my  evidence  for  it,  I  want  to  bring  before  you  five  entirely 
separate  testimonies  of  men  as  different  from  each  other  as  it  is 
possible  to  be,  every  one  of  whom  agrees  in  overwhelming  and 
eloquent  testimony  to  the  grandeur  and  riches  of  the  Scriptures. 
One  shall  be  a  Romish  cardinal,  another  shall  be  a  Jewish  lit- 
terateur, the  third  shall  be  an  American  Unitarian,  the  fourth  shall 
be  a  German  critic,  and  the  fifth  shall  be  a  French  agnostic;  and 
if  all  these  five  agree  in  speaking  in  the  same  language,  in  exactly 
the  same  terms  in  which  I  have  spoken,  I  think  you  will  agree  that 
I  am  only  speaking  the  innermost  conviction  of  mankind. 

Let  us  begin  with  the  Roman  cardinal.  He  was  your  neigh- 
bor. He  lived  in  Edgbaston  and  died  in  Edgbaston — the  great 
Cardinal  Newman.  He  said:  "Its  light  is  like  the  vault  of  heaven 
in  its  clearness;  its  vastness  is  like  the  bosom  of  the  sea;  its  vari- 
ety is  like  the  scenes  of  Nature." 

I  will  go  on  to  the  Jewish  skeptic,  Heinrich  Heine.  He  was 
by  birth  a  Jew  and  by  religion  an  unbeliever.  He  spent  a  day  in 
the  unusual  task  of  studying  the  Scripture.  When  he  closed  it 
in  the  evening  he  exclaimed:  "What  a  book!  The  whole  world 
is  in  it — sunrise  and  sunset,  promise  and  fulfilment,  birth  and 
death;  the  whole  drama  of  humanity  is  in  this  book.  It  is  rooted 
in  the  deepest  abysses  of  creation,  and  it  towers  up  behind  the 
blue  gate  of  heaven." 

I  will  pass  on  from  the  Jewish  skeptic  to  the  American  Uni- 
tarian, Theodore  Parker,  an  eloquent  and  eminent  preacher.  He 
said:  "The  literature  of  Greece,  which  rises  as  incense  from  that 
land  of  temples,  has  never  had  half  the  influence  on  the  world 
which  has  this  book  of  a  despised  people.  The  sun  never  sets 
upon  its  gleaming  page." 

I  will  pass  on  from  the  American  Unitarian  to  the  great 
German  critic,  Heinrich  Ewald.  One  day  Dean  Stanley  paid 
him  a  visit  in  his  home  in  Germany.  While  they  were  talking 
together  a  New  Testament  which  stood  on  the  table  opposite 
them  fell  to  the  ground.  Ewald  stepped  forward,  picked  up  the 
book,  and  with  indescribable  enthusiasm  exclaimed:  "In  this 
little  book  is  all  the  best  wisdom  of  the  world." 

Now  take  the  French  unbeliever  whose  writings  have  added 
much  to  the  unbelief  of  the  world,  Ernest  Renan.  Renan  said: 
"The  Bible  is,  after  all,  the  great  consoling  book  of  humanity." 

Having  quoted  five  such  remarkable  testimonies,  we  can 
fairly  say  of  the  Scripture,  as  someone  has  said,  that  its  eclipse 
would  be  the  return  of  chaos,  and  that  its  extinction  would  be  the 
epitaph  of  history. 


30  The  Book  of  Books 

And  yet,  in  the  midst  of  all  this  immense  variety,  there  is 
still  a  great,  sublime  unity.  The  Old  Testament,  we  are  told  in 
our  article,  does  not  contradict  the  New.  No;  the  Old  does  not 
contradict  the  New,  but  it  is  different  from  the  New,  just  in  the 
same  way  as  a  splendid  vestibule  is  different  from  the  golden 
shrine  of  the  temple,  and  just  in  the  same  way  as  the  rosy  dawn 
differs  from  the  noonday  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  rising  with 
healing  in  His  wings. 

In  the  Old  and  the  New  Testaments  alike,  the  whole  of  their 
hidden  meaning  pointed  forward  by  the  medium  of  prophecy,  or 
backward  by  the  glance  cast  by  those  who  succeeded  Him,  to 
Christ.  Sin  and  salvation,  the  law  and  the  gospel,  the  foe  and  the 
deliverance,  are  the  meaning  of  the  old  and  new  dispensations. 
And  in  the  whole  of  the  teaching  also  of  Christ  Himself,  as  through 
the  rest  of  Scripture,  there  runs  one  rich,  golden  thread  which  is 
the  majestic  supremacy  of  God  and  the  moral  law,  of  which  a 
great  German  philosopher  said  that  it  was  the  only  thing  which 
could  compare  in  its  awe-inspiring  power  to  the  starry  heaven 
above.  Only  consider  how  that  magnificent  lesson  of  the  eternal 
sanctity  of  the  moral  law  runs  through  the  whole  of  the  Bible! 
You  read  of  Noah  that  he  was  to  the  antediluvians  a  preacher  of 
righteousness.  You  see  Moses  descend  from  the  mount,  his  face 
shining  with  the  epiphany  of  God:  he  then  says  to  the  people: 
"Observe  the  law  that  I  have  commanded,  for  it  is  not  a  vain 
thing  for  you:  for  it  is  your  life."  You  see  Samuel  speaking  to 
the  disobedient  king  who  thought  so  much  of  the  duty  of  sacrifice, 
and  saying  to  him:  "Obedience  is  better  than  sacrifice,  and  to 
hearken  than  the  fat  of  rams."  You  go  on  to  Micah,  and  he  says: 
"What  doth  the  Lord  require  of  thee  but  to  do  justly,  and  to  love 
mercy,  and  to  walk  humbly  with  thy  God.^"  You  ask  Isaiah,  and 
he  says:  "Bring  no  more  vain  oblations.  Wash  you;  make  you 
clean."  You  go  to  Hosea,  and  in  the  favorite  quotation  of  our 
Lord  he  says:  "I  will  have  mercy  rather  than  sacrifice."  It  is 
the  one  lesson  of  all  the  mighty  Hebrew  prophets,  and  Israel 
was  to  the  nations,  pre-eminently,  the  uplifter  of  the  banner  of 
righteousness. 

You  come  to  the  New  Testament,  and  Peter  says  to  you: 
"Add  to  your  faith,  virtue;  and  to  virtue,  knowledge;  and  to 
knowledge,  temperance;  and  to  temperance,  patience;  and  to 
patience,  godliness;  and  to  godliness,  brotherly  kindness;  and  to 
brotherly  kindness,  charity."  And  James  says  to  you:  "Faith 
without  works  is  dead."  And  Paul  says  to  you  that  the  end  of  the 
law  is  charity  out  of  a  pure  heart.  And  John  says  to  you  that 
love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law.  And  if  you  go  to  the  law  of  Christ, 
again  you  have  the  answer  to  the  most  solemn  question  that  can 
possibly  be  framed  by  the  lips  of  man.  The  young  ruler  came 
to  Him,  running,  kneeling,  prostrating  himself  before  Him  and 
saying  to  Him:    "Master,  what  shall  I  do  to  inherit  eternal  life?" 


Testimony  of  Eminent  Persons  31 

He  said  unto  him:  "But  if  thou  wouldst  enter  into  Hfe,  keep  the 
commandments."  Throughout  the  whole  of  the  Bible,  then,  Old 
and  New  Testaments  alike,  runs  that  majestic  unity  of  the  one 
lesson  that  the  end  of  all  the  scheme  of  salvation  is  to  procure 
that  forgiveness  of  sins  which  shall  restore  man,  not  by  his  own 
efforts,  but  by  the  grace  of  Christ,  to  righteousness,  and  so  recon- 
cile him  to  God. 

It  is  because  of  the  sublime  unity  of  that  lesson  that  we  are 
not  in  the  least  afraid  of  attempting  to  put  the  Bible,  without 
note  or  comment,  without  gloss  or  inference,  into  the  hands  of  all 
mankind.  The  page  of  the  Bible  stands  like  the  cerulean  arch, 
which  is  majestic  in  its  simplicity.  But  the  notes  and  comments, 
glosses  and  inferences  of  man,  and  especially  of  age  after  age  of 
erring  priests  with  their  perpetual  bickering  and  strife,  only  tend 
to  obscure  its  beauty.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  Bible  is  and 
ever  must  be  the  special  Book  for  the  education  of  the  human  race. 
I  am  in  favor  of  a  biblical  education,  so  that  it  be  an  education 
honestly  biblical.  I  believe  that  in  the  foundation  of  education, 
the  Bible,  lie  all  the  great  eternal  truths  of  Christianity,  and  I 
will  quote  to  you  the  very  eloquent  and  remarkable  testimony  of 
a  man  whom  at  any  rate  you  will  not  suspect  of  being  a  bibliolator. 
I  will  quote  to  you  the  testimony  of  a  leading  man  of  science, 
Professor  Huxley.  He  made  a  memorable  speech  before  the 
London  School  Board,  in  which  he  used  these  words:  "I  have 
been  seriously  perplexed  to  know  how  the  religious  feeling,  which 
is  the  essential  base  of  conduct,  can  be  kept  up  without  the  use 
of  the  Bible.  .  .  .  By  the  study  of  what  other  book  could  children 
be  made  to  feel  that  each  figure  in  the  vast  historical  procession 
fills,  like  themselves,  but  a  momentary  space  in  the  interval 
between  the  eternities,  and  earns  the  blessings  or  the  curses  of  all 
time,  according  to  its  efforts  to  do  good  and  to  hate  evil,  even  as 
we  also  are  earning  the  payment  for  our  work.^"' 

I  cannot  add  any  testimony  at  any  rate  more  emphatic,  more 
eloquent,  and  more  unsuspected  than  that  as  to  the  value  of  the 
Bible  as  the  main  instrument  in  the  education  of  the  people. 
Although  much,  of  course,  might  be  added  to  it,  it  is  a  testimony 
both  valuable  and  eloquent. 

Then  let  me  pass  on  to  another  point.  I  want  to  show  you 
that  all  we  have  now  said  of  the  Bible  is  confirmed  by  all  history, 
by  all  belief,  and  by  all  experience.  Take  the  case  of  the  individual. 
I  will  only  take  those  who  have  epoch-making  names.  I  will 
show  you  how  in  one  or  two  instances  their  whole  history  was 
influenced  by  the  power  with  which  a  single  text  took  hold  upon 
them. 

No  man,  probably,  has  ever  had  a  greater  influence  on  the 
Christian  church  than  Augustine.  What  wrought  his  conversion? 
Mainly,  a  single  text.  You  all  know  that  he  was  sitting  in  his 
garden  and  heard  a  voice  singing,  "  Tolle,  lege;  tolle,  lege" — "Take 


5 


32  The  Book  of  Books 

and  read;  take  and  read.'f  He  had  never  heard  of  any  childish 
game  in  which  these  words  were  used;  he  made  up  his  mind,  there- 
fore, that  it  was  to  him  a  voice  from  heaven.  He  went  back  to  a 
copy  of  the  Epistle  of  the  Romans  that  had  been  lying  on  his 
table.  He  opened  it  and  put  his  finger  upon  the  first  text  at  which 
he  opened.  /That  text  was:  "Not  in  rioting  and  drunkenness, 
not  in  chambering  and  wantonness,  not  in  strife  and  envying;  but 
put  ye  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  make  not  provision  for  the 
flesh";  and  that  text  acted  like  a  volcanic  outburst  upon  all  that 
was  best  within  him. 

Take  another  instance,  the  one  man  who  more  than  any  other 
effected  the  "bright  and  blissful  Reformation,"  in  which  we  see, 
as  one  writer  says,  "the  truth  of  the  returning  gospel  bathing  men's 
souls  in  the  fragrancy  of  heaven" — the  case  of  Martin  Luther^ 
also  as  the  case  of  Augustine,  how  he  was  influenced  by  the  mes-\ 
sage  of  a  single  text.     You  know  that  he  was  endeavoring  at  Rome,i 
to  perform  the  tedious  works  that  were  required,  and  the  whole]) 
course  of  his  life  was  changed  by  the  text:    "The  just  shall  lifqt/' 
by  faith." 
r         Take   one   instance   more,    the   case   of  David    Livingstone. 
1  When  Stanley  found  him  in  Central  Africa,  he  said  he  was  moved 
l^hy  the  influence  of  the  single  text:   "Leave  all  and  follow  Me." 

So  you  see  in  instances  like  that  whole  epochs  of  the  word 
have  been  influenced  by  the  power  with  which  even  one  single 
text  has  taken  hold  upon  the  minds  of  men. 

Take  the  case  of  a  statesman.  One  of  the  most  eloquent 
American  statesmen  was  Daniel  Webster.  He  was  not  a  religious 
man,  but  when  he  lay  upon  his  deathbed  his  physician  read  to  him 
the  verse:  "Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow 
of  death,  yet  will  I  fear  no  evil,  for  Thou  art  with  me;  Thy  rod 
and  Thy  staff,  they  comfort  me."  And  the  dying  giant  was  just 
able  to  murmur,  "Thy  rod.  Thy  rod,  Thy  staff,  Thy  staff!  Yes; 
that  is  what  I  want." 

So  in  instances  far  too  numerable  even  to  touch  upon,  you 
have  countless  instances  that  this  book  has  been  precious  to  the 
greatest  intellects  as  well  as  to  the  humblest.  Let  me  add  but 
one.  If  you  were  to  ask  me  to  name  the  greatest  man  of  science 
I  should  reply  "Michael  Faraday."  Sir  Henry  Latham  told  me 
that  he  once  visited  Michael  Faraday  in  his  room  and  found  him 
in  tears.  He  said  to  him,  "Mr.  Faraday,  I  am  afraid  you  are 
much  worse.  I  am  sorry  to  see  you  in  tears."  Faraday  said; 
"No;  it  is  not  that."  And,  pointing  to  the  open  Bible  before 
him,  he  said  with  emotion:  "If  this  precious  book  could  guide 
them,  how  could  thy  people  go  so  wrong  as  they  do.?"  So  on, 
then,  in  instance  after  instance,  in  the  greatest  men  of  science  and 
the  greatest  statesmen,  and  the  greatest  poets;  their  one  basis 
for  hope  has  been  the  Bible. 

And  it  has  been  the  same  not  only  with  men,  but  with  nations. 
'   Take  the  case  of  the  American  President,  Andrew  Jackson.     When 


Testimony  of  Eminent  Persons  33 

he  was  lying  upon  his  deathbed  he  pointed  his  physician  to  the 
Bible  and  said;  "Sir,  that  Book  is  the  rock  on  which  our  Republic 
rests!" 

We  have  no  time  to  go  farther  than  merely  to  mention  the 
case  of  England.  In  Mr.  Green's  history,  England  is  described 
as  having  been  so  great  and  so  prosperous,  so  progressive  and  so 
fortunate,  because  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  it  became  emphatically 
the  people  of  one  book,  and  that  book  was  the  Bible. 

In  spite  of  these  testimonies  from  men  of  the  highest  intellect 
in  the  world,  and  even  from  the  greatest  nations  of  the  world, 
which  I  might  indefinitely  multiply,  there  are  men  so  foolish,  so 
shallow,  so  ignorant,  that  they  think  they  can  demolish  the  Bible, 
and  they  venture  to  scoff  at  the  Bible.  Demolish  the  Bible.? — 
they  might  as  well  try  to  demolish  the  Himalayas.  Scoff  at  the 
Bible.'' — they  might  certainly  as  wisely  scoff  at  the  starry  heavens 
themselves.  Why,  all  that  is  best  and  greatest  in  the  literature 
and  in  the  intellects  of  men  is  to  be  found  in  the  Bible.  All  the 
best  books,  all  the  best  pieces  of  music,  all  the  best  pictures  are 
in  it.  It  occupied  for  years  the  exhaustive  labors  of  men  of  high 
genius  like  Origen  and  Jerome;  it  fired  the  burning  eloquence  of 
Augustine  and  of  Savonarola;  it  kindled  the  intrepid  daring  of 
Livingstone;  it  fired  the  burning  zeal  of  Whitfield;  it  inspired 
the  fancy  of  John  Bunyan. 

Therefore,  to  conclude,  I  say  we  ought  with  all  our  hearts  to 
thank  God  for  the  possession  of  this  holy  book,  and  also  thank 
God  for  this  society,  which  has  translated  it  into  so  many  of  the 
tongues  of  earth,  and  so  far  as  possible  is  handing  it  to  the  poorest, 
the  youngest,  and  the  humblest  of  our  population — a  book  for 
the  possession  of  which  in  former  years  even  princes  yearned  in 
vain.  We  thank  God  for  that  possession,  because  in  that  book, 
from  beginning  to  end,  is  written  the  name  of  Christ,  and  even 
the  divine  law  is  perpetually  spelling  out  for  us  that  one  word — 
God. 

We  thank  God  for  that  book  and  we  thank  God  for  that 
society  which  disseminates  it.  I  think  you  will  be  struck  with 
the  words  of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  which  even  Lord  Byron  wrote  on 
the  first  page  of  his  Bible: 

"Within  this  awful  volume  lies 
The  mystery  of  mysteries. 
Happiest  they  of  human  race 
To  whom  God  has  given  grace 
To  fear,  to  read,  to  hope,  to  pray, 
To  lift  the  latch  and  find  the  way. 
Better  had  they  ne'er  been  born 
Who  read  to  doubt  or  read  to  scorn." 


34 


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PRESIDEiNlS  OF  HIE   LNErED   STATES 

George  Washington 

John  Adams  Andrew  Jackson 

Thomas  Jefferson 

John  Quincy  Adams  Zachary  Taylor 

Abraham  Lincoln 


Testimony  of  Eminent  Persons  35 

Testimonies  of  United  States  Presidents 

(  George  Washington,  the  first  President  of  the  United 

J  States: 

1  It  is  impossible  to  rightly  govern  the  world  without  God  and 

\    the  Bible. 

Above  all,  the  pure  and  benign  light  of  revelation  has  had  a 
meliorating  influence  on  mankind,  and  increased  the  blessings  of 
society. 

I  now  make  my  earnest  prayer  that  God  would  be  most 
graciously  pleased  to  dispose  us  all  to  do  justice,  to  love  mercy, 
and  to  demean  ourselves  with  that  charity,  humility,  and  pacific 
temper  of  mind  which  were  the  characteristics  of  the  divine  Author 
of  our  blessed  religion. 

John  Adams,  the  second  President  of  the  United  States: 

It  contains  more  of  my  little  philosophy  than  all  the  libraries 
that  I  have  seen;  and  such  parts  as  I  cannot  reconcile  to  my 
Httle  philosophy  I  postpone  for  future  investigation. 

Thomas  Jeflferson,  the  third  President  of  the  United 
States : 

I  always  have  said,  and  always  will  say,  that  the  studious 
perusal  of  the  sacred  volume  will  make  better  citizens,  better 
fathers,  and  better  husbands. 

John  Quincy  Adams,  the  sixth  President  of  the  United 
States: 

The  first  and  almost  the  only  Book  deserving  of  universal 
attention  is  the  Bible.  The  Bible  is  the  Book  of  all  others  to  be 
read  at  all  ages  and  in  all  conditions  of  human  life;  not  to  be  read 
once  or  twice  through  and  then  laid  aside,  but  to  be  read  in  small 
portions  of  one  or  two  chapters  every  day,  and  never  to  be  inter- 
mitted except  by  some  overruling  necessity.  ...  I  have  for  many 
years  made  it  a  practice  to  read  through  the  Bible  once  a  year.  .  .  . 
It  is  an  inexhaustible  mine  of  knowledge  and  virtue.  .  .  . 

The  earlier  my  children  begin  to  read  it,  the  more  confident 
will  be  my  hopes  that  they  will  prove  useful  citizens  of  their  country 
'and  respectable  members  of  society. 

The  testimony  of  Andrew  Jackson,  the  seventh  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  that  the  Bible  is  the  rock  on  v^hich 
the  Republic  rests,  has  already  been  referred  to  in  Dean 
Farrar's  address. 


36 


The  Book  of  Books 


Zachary  Taylor,  the  twelfth  President  of  the  United 
States : 

It  was  for  the  love  of  the  truths  of  this  great  and  good  Book 
that  our  fathers  abandoned  their  native  shore  for  the  wilderness. 
Animated  by  its  lofty  principles,  they  toiled  and  suffered  till  the 
desert  blossomed  as  the  rose. 


PRESIDENTS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 
Ulysses  Simpson  Grant 


Benjamin  Harrison 


William  McKinley 


Testimony  of  Eminent  Persons  37 

Abraham  Lincoln,  the  sixteenth  President  of  the  United 
States : 

I  am  profitably  engaged  in  reading  the  Bible.  Take  all  of 
this  Book  upon  reason  that  you  can  and  the  balance  by  faith,  and 
you  will  live  and  die  a  better  man.  ...  In  regard  to  the  Great 
Book,  I  have  only  to  say  that  it  is  the  best  Book  which  God  has 
given  to  men. 

President  Grant,  the  eighteenth  President  of  the  United 
States,  delivered  the  following  message  to  the  Sunday 
Schools: 

Hold  fast  to  the  Bible  as  the  sheet  anchor  of  your  liberties. 
Write  its  precepts  on  your  hearts  and  practice  them  in  your  lives. 
To  the  influence  of  this  Book  we  are  indebted  for  all  the  progress 
made  in  true  civilization,  and  to  this  we  must  look  as  our  guide 
in  the  future. 

Benjamin  Harrison,  the  twenty-third  President  of  the 

United  States: 

If  you  take  out  of  your  statutes,  your  constitutions,  your 
family  hfe  all  that  is  taken  from  the  Sacred  Book,  what  would 
there  be  left  to  bind  society  together.? 

William  McKinley,  the  twenty-fifth  President  of  the 
United  States: 

The  more  profoundly  we  study  this  wonderful  Book,  and  the 
more  closely  we  observe  its  divine  precepts,  the  better  citizens 
we  will  become  and  the  higher  will  be  our  destiny  as  a  nation. 

The  teachings  of  the  Bible  are  so  interwoven  and  entwined 
with  our  whole  civic  and  social  life  that  it  would  be  hterally — I  do 
not  mean  figuratively,  I  mean  literally — impossible  for  us  to  figure 
to  ourselves  what  that  life  would  be  if  these  teachings  were  removed. 

The  following  extracts  are  from  speeches  by  the  late 
Theodore  Roosevelt,  the  twenty-sixth  President  of  the 
United  States,  in  reference  to  the  Bible: 

Almost  every  man  who  has  by  his  life-work  added  to  the 
sum  of  human  achievement  of  which  the  race  is  proud,  of  which 
our  people  are  proud,  almost  every  such  man  has  based  his  life- 
work  largely  upon  the  teachings  of  the  Bible. 

This  Book,  which  in  almost  every  civilized  tongue  can  be 
described  as  "The  Book,"  with  the  certainty  of  all  understandmg 
you  when  you  so  describe  it. 


38 


The  Book  of  Books 


PRESIDENT  ROOSEVELT'S   BIBLE 

Presented  by  the  Harvard  Republican  Club  on  his  inauguration  as 
Vice-President.    Alwa3^s  kept  on  the  reading  stand  at  Sagamore  Hill 

(Courtesy  of  American  Bible  Society) 


PRESIDENTS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 
Theodore  Roosevelt  Woodrow  Wilson 

{Copyright  Underwood  &  Undencood) 


Testimony  of  Eminent  Persons  39 

The  great  debt  of  the  EngHsh-speaking  peoples  everywhere 
is  to  the  translation  of  the  Bible  that  we  all  know — I  trust  I  can 
say,  all  here  know — in  our  homes;  the  Bible  as  it  was  put  forth 
in  English  three  centuries  ago.  No  other  book  of  any  kind  ever 
written  in  English — perhaps  no  other  book  ever  written  in  any 
other  tongue — has  ever  so  affected  the  whole  life  of  a  people  as 
this  Authorized  Version  of  the  Scriptures  has  affected  the  life  of 
the  English-speaking  peoples. 

I  ask  that  the  Bible  be  studied  for  the  sake  of  the  breadth 
it  must  give  to  every  man  who  studies  it. 

By  courtesy  of  Mr.  Herman  Hagedorn,  secretary  of 
the  Roosevelt  Memorial  Association,  I  am  able  to  give  an 
account  of  "Bible  Point,"  a  spot  made  famous  because  of 
its  connection  with  President  Roosevelt,  and  novvr  bearing 
testimony  to  his  habit  of  Bible-reading.  The  following  is 
summarized  from  a  brief  article  issued  by  the  Association, 
entitled  "A  Roosevelt  Shrine  in  the  Maine  Woods,"  by 
C.  T.  Hastings.  More  than  forty  years  ago,  while  a  student 
at  Harvard,  Roosevelt  made  a  vacation  trip  to  Lake  Matta- 
wamkeag,  some  ten  miles  distant  from  Island  Falls,  and  was 
so  taken  up  with  the  spot  that  he  returned  many  times. 
On  one  occasion  he  discovered  a  grove  of  hemlock,  birch, 
and  poplar  in  a  quiet  spot  at  the  river's  edge  a  mile  or  so 
below  the  dam.  Here  he  went  for  hours  at  a  time  to  read 
his  Bible,  and  his  companions  named  it  Bible  Point.  A 
bench  has  been  set  between  two  tall  poplars  by  "Bill" 
Sewall,  the  owner  of  the  vacation  camps,  and  on  a  tree  nearby 
is  a  zinc  box  similar  to  a  country  mail-box,  containing  a 
Bible  which  has  on  its  fly-leaf  the  following  inscription  in 
"Bill"  Sewall's  handwriting: 

Theodore  Roosevelt  as  a  young  man  came  to  this  place  to 
read  his  Bible.  Friend,  this  book  has  been  placed  here  for  your 
use.  May  you  receive  from  it  the  inspiration  to  noble  living  and 
high  endeavor  which  he  received. 

Look  up  especially  the  sixth  chapter  of  Micah,  eighth  verse. 
Mr.  Roosevelt  quoted  this  passage  frequently  as  expressing  his 
ideal  of  high-spirited  living. 

It  is  as  applicable  to  national  as  to  personal  experience. 

The  verse  referred  to  is:  "He  hath  shewed  thee,  O 
man,  what  is  good;  and  what  doth  the  Lord  require  of  thee, 
but  to  do  justly,  and  to  love  mercy  and  to  walk  humbly 
with  thy  God." 


40  The  Book  of  Books 

A  sign,  fastened  to  the  tree  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
passer-by  to  the  meaning  of  the  spot,  reads  as  follows: 

This  place,  to  which  a  great  man  in  his  youth  liked  to  come 
to  commune  with  God  and  with  the  wonder  and  beauty  of  the 
visible  world,  is  dedicated  to  the  happy  memory  of  Theodore 
Roosevelt. 

Stranger,  rest  here,  and  consider  what  one  man,  having 
faith  in  the  right  and  love  for  his  fellows,  was  able  to  do  for  his 
country. 

Woodrow^  Wilson,  the  twenty-eighth  President  of  the 
United  States,  at  the  official  celebration  of  the  Centennial  of 
the  American  Bible  Society,  in  Washington,  May  7,  1916, 
closed  his  address  on  the  Bible  with  these  words: 

To  my  mind  the  colporteurs,  the  agents  of  the  Bible  Society, 
tramping  through  country-sides  or  traveling  by  every  sort  of 
conveyance,  in  every  sort  of  land,  carrying  with  them  little  car- 
goes of  books  containing  the  Word  of  God,  and  spreading  them, 
seem  like  the  shuttles  in  a  great  loom  that  is  weaving  the  spirits 
of  men  together.  A  hundred  years  cannot  accomplish  that 
miracle,  a  hundred  years  cannot  realize  that  vision.  But  if  the 
weaving  goes  on,  if  the  light  continues  to  be  spread,  if  men  do  not 
lose  heart  in  this  great  ideal  enterprise,  it  will  some  day  be  accom- 
plished, and  a  light  will  shine  upon  the  earth  in  which  men  cannot 
go  astray. 

At  a  meeting  in  Denver,  May  7,  191 1,  in  celebration  of 
the  Tercentenary  of  the  Authorized  Version  of  the  Bible, 
President  Wilson,  at  that  time  Governor  of  New  Jersey, 
referred  to  the  Bible  as  "the  Magna  Charta  of  the  human 
soul,"  and  concluded  his  address  with  the  following  declara- 
tion and  request: 

America  was  born  a  Christian  nation.  America  was  born  to 
exemplify  that  devotion  to  the  elements  of  righteousness  which 
are  derived  from  the  revelations  of  Holy  Scripture.  I  have  a  very 
simple  thing  to  ask  of  you.  I  ask  of  every  man  and  woman  in 
this  audience  that  from  this  night  on  they  will  realize  that  part 
of  the  destiny  of  America  lies  in  their  daily  perusal  of  this  great 
book  of  revelations — that  if  they  would  see  America  free  and  pure, 
they  will  make  their  own  spirits  free  and  pure  by  this  baptism  of 
the  Holy  Scripture. 

Again,  speaking  of  a  knowledge  of  the  Bible,  President 
Wilson  said: 


Testimony  of  Eminent  Persons  41 

A  man  has  deprived  himself  of  the  best  there  is  in  the  world 
who  has  deprived  himself  of  this,  .  .  .  There  are  a  good  many 
problems  before  the  American  people  today,  and  before  me  as 
President,  but  I  expect  to  find  the  solution  of  those  problems  just 
in  the  proportion  that  I  am  faithful  in  the  study  of  the  Word 
of  God. 

It  is  very  difficult  indeed  for  a  man  or  for  a  boy,  who  knows 
the  Scripture,  ever  to  get  away  from  it.  It  haunts  him  like  an 
old  song.  It  follows  him  like  the  memory  of  his  mother.  It 
forms  a  part  of  the  warp  and  woof  of  his  life. 

Warren  G.  Harding,  the  twenty-ninth  President  of  the 
United  States  and  the  present  incumbent  of  that  high  office 
(1922),  is  well  known  to  have  a  great  regard  for  the  Bible 
and  a  sincere  desire  to  exemplify  its  precepts.  The  following 
answer  to  a  request  for  a  special  message  for  this  volume 
will  be  evidence  of  this: 

The  White  House 
Washington 
December  16,  1921 

My  dear  Mr.  Lea: 

Replying  to  yours  of  December  thirteenth,  I  am  enclosing, 
in  compliance  with  your  request,  a  little  statement  of  the  Presi- 
dent's, concerning  the  Bible,  which  I  think  will  precisely  serve 
your  purpose. 

Very  sincerely, 

Geo.  B.  Christian,  Jr. 

Secretary  to  the  President. 

Mr.  John  W.  Lea, 
1520  N.  Robinson  St., 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 

The  properly  conducted  Sunday  School  seems  to  me  to  be  a 
very  important  feature  of  religious  work,  because  it  serves  the 
young  people  at  a  time  when  they  are  most  impressionable  and, 
particularly,  because  it  affords  them  opportunity  for  an  intimate 
acquaintance  with  that  monument  of  splendid  literature,  the 
Bible.  Both  as  literature  and  as  inspiration,  the  Bible  has  a 
value  with  which  no  other  work  can  be  compared,  and  every 
activity  that  expands  and  popularizes  the  knowledge  of  it  is 
extremely  worth  while. 

(Signed)     Warren  G.  Harding. 


42 


The  Book  of  Books 


WARREN  G.  HARDING 

Inaugurated  President  of  the  United  States,  March,  1921 


{Copvright  Undenoood  &  Underwood) 


Testimony  of  Eminent  Persons  43 

In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Jim  Hicks,  of  Chicago,  who  is  engaged 
in  distributing  Bibles  to  prisons  and  reformatory  and  indus- 
trial schools,  dated  March  28,  1921,  President  Harding  said: 

I  have  always  believed  in  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, whereby  they  have  become  the  expression  to  men  of  the 
word  and  will  of  God.  I  believe  that  from  every  point  of  view 
the  study  of  the  Bible  is  one  of  the  most  worthy  to  which  men 
may  devote  themselves,  and  that,  in  proportion  as  they  know 
and  understand  it,  their  lives  and  actions  will  be  better. 

Testimonies  of  Statesmen  and  Generals 

The  Right  Honorable  William  Ev^art  Gladstone,  v^ho 
was  for  many  years  Prime  Minister  of  England  during  the 
reign  of  Queen  Victoria,  published  a  book  in  advocacy  of 
the  Bible,  under  the  title.  The  Impregnable  Rock  of  Holy 
Scripture.     Speaking  of  the  divine  origin  of  the  Bible  he  says : 

The  memories  of  men,  and  the  art  of  writing  and  the  care  of 
the  copyist,  and  the  tablet  and  the  parchment,  are  but  the  second- 
ary or  mechanical  means  by  which  the  Word  has  been  carried 
down  to  us  along  the  river  of  the  ages;  and  the  natural  and  inherent 
weakness  of  these  means  is  in  reality  a  special  tribute  to  the  gran- 
deur and  vastness  of  the  end,  and  of  Him  that  wrought  it  out. 

The  conviction  which  this  great  statesman  and  scholar 
would  impress  upon  the  minds  of  his  readers  is  thus  stated: 

That  the  Scriptures  are  well  called  Holy  Scriptures;  and  that, 
though  assailed  by  camp,  by  battery,  and  by  mine,  they  are  never- 
theless a  house  builded  upon  a  rock,  and  that  rock  impregnable; 
that  the  weapon  of  offense,  which  shall  impair  their  efficiency  for 
aiding  in  the  redemption  of  mankind,  has  not  yet  been  forged; 
that  the  Sacred  Canon,  which  it  took  (perhaps)  two  thousand 
years  from  the  accumulations  of  Moses  down  to  the  acceptance 
of  the  Apocalypse  to  construct,  is  like  to  wear  out  the  storms  and 
the  sunshine  of  the  world,  and  all  the  wayward  aberrations  of 
humanity,  not  merely  for  a  term  as  long,  but  until  time  shall  be 
no  more. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  chapter,  in  which  he  has  dealt 
with  some  of  the  aspects  of  modern  criticism,  he  places  this 
statement: 

For  the  prerent,  I  have  endeavored  to  point  out  that  the 
operations  of  criticism  properly  so  called,  affecting  as  they  do  the 
literary  form  of  the  books,  leave  the  questions  of  substance,  namely. 


44  The  Book  of  Books 

those  of  history,  miracle,  and  revelation,  substantially  where  they 
found  them.  I  shall,  in  some  of  the  succeeding  chapters,  strive 
to  show,  at  least  by  specimens,  that  science  and  research  have 
done  much  to  sustain  the  historical  credit  of  the  books  of  the  Old 
Testament;  that  in  doing  this  they  have  added  strength  to  the 
argument  which  contends  that  in  them  we  find  a  divine  revelation; 
and  that  the  evidence,  rationally  viewed,  both  of  contents  and  of 
results,  binds  us  to  stand  where  our  forefathers  have  stood,  upon 
the  impregnable  rock  of  Holy  Scripture. 

Not  long  before  his  death  Mr.  Gladstone  w^rote: 

If  I  am  asked  what  is  the  remedy  for  the  sorrows  of  the  heart — 
what  a  man  should  chiefly  look  to  in  his  progress  through  life  as 
the  power  that  is  to  sustain  him  under  trials,  and  enable  him  man- 
fully to  confront  his  aflflictions — ^I  must  point  to  something  which 
in  a  well-known  hymn  is  called  "the  old,  old  story,"  told  in  an 
old,  old  Book,  and  taught  with  an  old,  old  teaching,  which  is  the 
greatest  and  best  gift  ever  given  to  mankind.  .  .  . 

I  have  known  ninety-five  great  men  of  the  world  in  my  time, 
and  of  these  eighty-seven  were  all  followers  of  the  Bible.  .  .  . 
My  only  hope  for  the  world  is  in  bringing  the  human  mind  into 
contact  with  Divine  Revelation. 

Daniel  Webster,  some  of  whose  words  have  been  quoted 
in  Dean  Farrar's  address,  also  said: 

If  we  abide  by  the  principles  taught  in  the  Bible  our  country 
will  go  on  prospering  and  to  prosper,  but  if  we  and  our  posterity 
neglect  its  instructions  and  authority,  no  man  can  tell  how  sudden 
a  catastrophe  may  overwhelm  us  and  bury  our  glory  in  profound 
obscurity. 

Charles  W.  Fairbanks,  a  former  Vice-President  of  the 
United  States,  said: 

The  more  the  Bible  is  put  into  the  minds  and  hearts  and  daily 
lives  of  the  people,  the  less  concern  we  may  have  with  respect  to 
our  political  laws.  Take  out  of  our  lives  the  Scriptures  and  you 
would  strike  an  irreparable  blow  to  our  national  progress  and  to 
those  high  ideals  which  we  associate  with  America  and  Americans. 

Honorable  Wm.  J.  Bryan,  Secretary  of  State  in  Presi- 
dent Wilson's  Cabinet,  in  an  address  entitled  "The  Book 
of  Supreme  Influence,"  at  the  Tercentenary  Celebration  of 
the  King  James  Version  of  the  Bible,  in  Chicago,  May  4, 
191 1,  said: 


Testimony  of  Eminent  Persons  45 

Wherever  the  moral  standard  is  being  lifted  up — wherever 
life  is  becoming  larger  in  the  vision  that  directs  it  and  richer  in 
its  fruitage,  the  improvement  is  traceable  to  the  Bible  and  to  the 
influence  of  the  God  and  Christ  of  whom  the  Bible  tells. 

Thomas  R.  Marshall,  another  Vice-President  of  the 
United  States,  on  May  7,  1916,  in  an  address  at  the  cele- 
bration of  the  Centennial  of  the  American  Bible  Society, 
on  the  eastern  front  of  the  Capitol  in  Washington,  D.  C, 
referred  to  the  inaugural  ceremony  every  fourth  year,  when 
the  new  President,  at  the  conclusion  of  his  oath  of  office, 
kisses  a  Book  held  in  the  hands  of  the  Chief  Justice,  and 
added,  "That  Book  is  the  Holy  Bible — the  Book  of  Books!" 
He  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  three  Presidents  of  the 
United  States  and  several  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court 
had  been  vice-presidents  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  and 
toward  the  end  of  his  address  he  said  concerning  man  and 
the  Bible: 

Whenever  he  finds  his  hands  upon  the  Bible  he  finds  some- 
thing not  only  secure  but  something  that  lights  up  his  own  life 
and  the  lives  of  those  about  him.  It  becomes,  indeed,  a  lamp  unto 
his  feet  and  a  light  unto  his  pathway.  He  may  stumble  and  err 
and  wander  in  by  and  forbidden  paths,  but  it  will  bring  him  back 
most  assuredly  to  the  King's  highways.  .   .  . 

That  this  Bible  ought  to  be  printed  in  every  tongue,  treas- 
ured by  every  human  being,  and  exalted  in  every  home,  goes 
without  saying — and  no  sting  of  any  creed  is  in  the  statement. 
It  contains  wise  counsel  for  the  statesman  and  comfort  for  the 
criminal.  There  is  no  age,  no  clime,  no  race,  and  no  condition 
about  which  it  does  not  speak  words  of  wisdom,  of  encouragement 
and  consolation. 

But  more  particularly  ought  this  Book,  in  this  land,  to  be 
exalted  high.  If  I  were  to  have  my  way,  I  would  take  the  torch 
out  of  the  hand  of  the  Statue  of  Liberty,  in  New  York  Harbor, 
and  in  its  stead  place  an  open  Bible. 

At  the  same  meeting  in  Washington,  Champ  Clark,  at 
that  time  Speaker  of  the  House,  spoke  on  "The  Bible  and 
Public  Life."     In  that  address  he  said: 

The  Bible,  considered  entirely  apart  from  its  religious  value — 
which  I  leave  to  the  preachers  and  Vice-President  Marshall  to 
expound — is  of  inestimable  value.  Considered  solely  as  litera- 
ture, it  is  the  greatest  depository  of  splendid  literature  in  the  wide, 
wide  world.  It  is  the  best  book  ever  put  between  covers — to 
quote  from  before  judges,  before  juries,  in  Congress,  on  the  stump, 


46  The  Book  of  Books 

on  the  lecture  platform,  or  anywhere  else.  A  fitting  quotation 
from  the  Bible  goes  like  a  bullet  to  its  mark.  .  .  . 

When  I  get  brain  fag,  which  frequently  occurs  there  in  that 
large,  tumultuous  assembly,  I  read  King  Solomon's  Proverbs  and 
St.  Paul's  Epistles,  as  an  intellectual  tonic.  There's  nothing  like 
it  in  the  literature  of  the  world.  .  .  . 

If  you  want  to  learn  the  best  English  that  there  is  extant, 
read  the  Bible;  and  this  American  Bible  Society  has  done  a  great 
work  and  a  great  good  by  circulating  the  Bible  so  as  to  be  within 
the  reach  of  all. 

Napoleon,  French  General  and  Emperor,  said  of  the 
Bible: 

I  never  omit  to  read  it,  and  every  day  with  the  same  pleasure. 
Nowhere  is  to  be  found  such  a  series  of  beautiful  ideas,  admirable 
moral  maxims,  which  produce  in  one's  soul  the  same  emotion 
which  one  experiences  in  contemplating  the  infinite  expanse  of 
the  skies  resplendent  upon  a  summer's  night  with  all  the  brilliance 
of  the  stars.  Not  only  is  one's  mind  absorbed,  it  is  controlled, 
and  the  soul  can  never  go  astray  with  this  Book  for  its  guide. 

Lord  Roberts,  British  Field  Marshal: 

You  will  find  in  this  little  book  guidance  when  you  are  in 
health,  comfort  when  you  are  in  sickness,  and  strength  when  you 
are  in  adversity. 

Marshall  Foch,  hero  of  the  World  War  and  General- 
issimo of  the  Allied  armies: 

The  Bible  is  certainly  the  best  preparation  that  you  can  give 
to  an  American  soldier  about  to  go  into  battle,  to  sustain  his 
magnificent  ideal  and  his  faith. 

General  Garibaldi,  the  great  Italian  soldier  and  patriot: 

The  best  of  allies  you  can  procure  for  us  is  the  Bible.  That 
will  bring  us  the  reality  of  freedom. 

General  Robert  E.  Lee,  Commander  of  the  Southern 
forces  in  the  American  Civil  War: 

The  Bible  is  a  book  in  comparison  with  which  all  others  in 
my  eyes  are  of  minor  importance,  and  which  in  all  my  perplexities 
and  distresses  has  never  failed  to  give  me  light  and  strength. 

General  John  J.  Pershing,  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
American  Expeditionary  Forces  in  the  World  War,  in  a 
cable  to  the  American  Bible  Society,  said: 


Testimony  of  Eminent  Persons  47 

I  am  glad  to  see  that  every  man  in  the  Army  is  to  have  a 
Testament.     Its  teachings  will  fortify  us  for  our  great  work. 

Admiral  A.  T.  Mahan,  of  the  American  Navy,  in  an 
address  to  the  cadets  at  West  Point,  said : 

Speaking  after  much  experience  of  bad  and  good,  of  religion 
and  irreligion,  I  assure  you,  with  the  full  force  of  the  convicton 
of  a  lifetime,  that  to  one  who  has  mastered  the  Word  of  God, 
even  imperfectly,  it  brings  a  light,  a  motive,  a  strength,  and  a 
support  which  nothing  else  does. 


Testimonies    of    Philosophers,    Famous   Writers,   and 

Educators 

Professor  Huxley,  in  the  address  before  the  London 
School  Board  from  which  Dean  Farrar's  address  contained 
one  extract,  also  said: 

Consider  the  great  historical  fact  that  for  three  centuries 
this  Book  [the  Bible]  has  been  woven  into  the  life  of  all  that  is 
noblest  and  best  in  our  history,  and  that  it  has  become  the  national 
epic  of  our  race;  that  it  is  written  in  the  noblest  and  purest 
English,  and  abounds  in  exquisite  beauties  of  mere  literary  form; 
and,  finally,  that  it  forbids  the  veriest  hind,  who  never  left  his 
village,  to  be  ignorant  of  the  existence  of  other  countries  and 
other  civilizations  and  of  a  great  past,  stretching  back  to  the 
farthest  limits  of  the  oldest  nations  in  the  world.  .  .  . 

The  Bible  has  been  the  Magna  Charta  of  the  poor  and  of 
the  oppressed.  Down  to  modern  times,  no  State  has  had  a  con- 
stitution in  which  the  interests  of  the  people  are  so  largely  taken 
into  account;  in  which  the  duties,  so  much  more  than  the  privi- 
leges, of  rulers  are  insisted  upon,  as  that  drawn  up  for  Israel  in 
Deuteronomy  and  Leviticus.  Nowhere  is  the  fundamental  truth 
that  the  welfare  of  the  State,  in  the  long  run,  depends  upon  the 
righteousness  of  the  citizen,  so  strongly  laid  down.  The  Bible 
is  the  most  democratic  book  in  the  world. 

John  Ruskin  wrote  much  concerning  the  Bible  in  his 
various  books,  but  perhaps  the  most  comprehensive  is  the 
following  brief  testimony : 

All  that  I  have  taught  of  Art,  everything  that  I  have  written, 
whatever  greatness  there  has  been  in  any  thought  of  mine,  what- 
ever I  have  done  in  my  life,  has  simply  been  due  to  the  fact  that, 
when  I  was  a  child,  my  mother  daily  read  with  me  a  part  of  the 
Bible,  and  daily  made  me  learn  a  part  of  it  by  heart. 


48  The  Book  of  Books 

Again : 

Read  your  Bible — make  it  your  daily  business  to  obey  it  in 
all  you  understand.  To  my  early  knowledge  of  the  Bible  I  owe 
the  best  part  of  my  taste  in  literature. 

Thomas  Carlyle,  the  famous  essayist  and  historian,  has 
said : 

There  is  no  book  like  the  Bible:  there  never  was  and  there 
never  will  be  such  another. 

Jean  Jacques  Rousseau,  a  French  savant,  said: 

I  must  confess  to  you  that  the  majesty  of  the  Scriptures 
astonishes  me.  ...  If  it  had  been  the  invention  of  men,  the 
inventor  would  be  greater  than  the  greatest  heroes. 

Immanuel  Kant,  a  well-known  German  philosopher, 
said: 

The  existence  of  the  Bible  as  a  book  for  the  people  is  the 
greatest  benefit  which  the  human  race  has  ever  experienced. 

Heinrich  Heine,  a  German  Jewish  poet  and  critic,  who 
spoke  of  the  Bible  as  "Jehovah's  Diary,"  at  the  close  of  his 
life  wrote: 

I  attribute  my  enlightenment  entirely  and  simply  to  the 
reading  of  a  book,  .  .  .  and  this  book  is  the  Book,  the  Bible. 
With  right  is  it  named  the  Holy  Scriptures.  He  who  has  lost  his 
God  can  find  Him  again  in  this  Book,  and  he  who  has  never  known 
Him  is  here  struck  by  the  breath  of  the  Divine  Word. 

Rajah  Sir  Harnam  Singh,  of  India,  said: 

I  think  it  may  be  said  that  modern  educated  India  is  to  a 
great  extent  the  product  of  Christian  thought  and  teaching  which 
have  been  imbibed  from  Christian  literature  through  missionary 
institutions.  One  of  the  Brahmo  Samaj  religious  books  consists 
to  a  great  extent  of  quotations  from  the  Bible;  and  non-Christians 
acknowledge  Christ  as  one  of  the  greatest  of  teachers,  and  look 
upon  his  life  as  most  exemplary.  The  Bible  rises  above  all  national 
and  racial  distinction  and  makes  its  appeal  to  the  general  heart 
of  humanity. 

A  Brahmin  of  South  India  said: 

Where  do  the  English  people  get  their  knowledge,  intelligence, 
cleverness,  and  power .f"  It  is  their  Bible  that  gives  it  to  them. 
And  now  they  bring  it  to  us,  translate  it  into  our  language  and 


Testimony  of  Eminent  Persons  49 

say,  "Take  it  and  see  if  it  is  not  good."  Of  one  thing  I  am  con- 
vinced, that,  do  with  it  what  we  will,  oppose  it  as  we  may,  it  is 
the  Christian's  Bible  that  will  sooner  or  later  work  out  the  regen- 
eration of  our  land, 

James  A.  Froude,  an  English  historian: 

The  Bible,  thoroughly  known,  is  a  literature  of  itself — the 
rarest  and  richest  in  all  departments  of  thought  and  imagination 
which  exists. 

Lord  Macaulay  said  that  the  English  Bible  was 

a  book  which,  if  everything  else  in  our  language  should  perish, 
would  alone  suffice  to  show  the  extent  of  its  beauty  and  power. 

Charles  Dickens,  in  a  letter  to  his  son,  said: 

I  put  a  New  Testament  among  your  books  for  the  very  same 
reasons  and  with  the  very  same  hopes  that  made  me  write  an  easy 
account  of  it  for  you  when  you  were  a  little  child — because  it  is 
the  best  book  that  ever  was  or  will  be  known  in  the  world,  and 
because  it  teaches  you  the  best  lessons  by  which  any  human  crea- 
ture who  tries  to  be  truthful  and  faithful  to  duty  can  possibly 
be  guided. 

Hall  Caine,  a  famous  English  novelist,  wrote  in 
McClures's  Magazine  concerning  the  Bible. 

There  is  no  book  in  the  world  like  it,  and  the  finest  novels 
ever  written  fall  far  short  in  interest  of  any  one  of  the  stories  it 
tells.  Whatever  strong  situations  I  have  in  my  books  are  not  of 
my  creation,  but  are  taken  from  the  Bible.  The  Deemster  is  the 
story  of  the  Prodigal  Son;  The  Bondman  is  the  story  of  Esau  and 
Jacob;  The  Scapegoat  is  the  story  of  Eli  and  his  sons,  but  with 
Samuel  as  a  little  girl;  and  The  Manxman  is  the  story  of  David 
and  Uriah. 

Arthur  Henry  Hallam,  an  English  essayist: 

I  see  that  the  Bible  fits  into  every  fold  of  the  human  heart. 
I  am  a  man,  and  I  believe  it  to  be  God's  book  because  it  is  man's 
book. 

Count  Tolstoy,  the  Russian  author: 

I  do  not  know  a  book  which  gives  in  such  compact  and  poetic 
form  every  phase  of  human  ideas  as  the  Bible.  Without  the  Bible 
the  education  of  the  child  in  the  present  state  of  society  is 
impossible. 


50  The  Book  of  Books 

Dostoevsky,  another  Russian  author: 

I  recommend  you  to  read  the  whole  Bible  through  in  the 
Russian  translation.  The  book  makes  a  remarkable  impression 
when  one  thus  reads  it.  One  gains,  for  one  thing,  the  conviction 
that  humanity  possesses,  and  can  possess,  no  other  book  of  equal 
significance. 

Coleridge  the  poet  says  in  his  Confessions  of  an  Enqtiir- 
ing  Spirit: 

For  more  than  a  thousand  years  the  Bible  collectively  taken 
has  gone  hand  in  hand  with  civilization,  science,  law — in  short, 
with  the  moral  and  intellectual  cultivation  of  the  species,  always 
supporting  and  often  leading  the  way. 

When  Sir  Walter  Scott  was  dying,  he  said  to  his  friend 
Lockhart,  "Bring  me  the  book,"  and  when  Lockhart  said 
"What  book?"  Sir  Walter  said,  ''The  Book— the  Bible; 
there  is  only  one." 

Charles  A.  Dana,  former  editor  of  the  New  York  Sun: 
Of  all  books,  the  most  indispensable  and  the  most  useful,  the 
one  whose  knowledge  is  most  effective,  is  the  Bible.     There  is  no 
book  from  which  more  valuable  lessons  can  be  learned. 

George  Herbert  in  "The  Synagogue": 

The  Bible.?     That's  the  Book,  the  Book  indeed, 

The  Book  of  Books 

On  which  who  looks, 
As  he  should  do,  aright,  shall  never  need 

Wish  for  a  better  light 

To  guide  him  in  the  night. 

Sir  Isaac  Newton,  a  famous  philosopher: 

We  account  the  Scriptures  of  God  to  be  the  most  sublime 
philosophy. 

Jacob  Gould  Schurman,  President  of  Cornell  University: 

The  Bible  is  the  most  important  document  in  the  world's 
history.  No  man  can  be  wholly  uneducated  who  really  knows 
the  Bible,  nor  can  anyone  be  considered  a  truly  educated  man 
who  is  ignorant  of  it. 

Sir  Wm.  Jones,  a  great  orientalist  and  linguist  who  was 
acquainted  with  twenty-eight  languages: 


Testimony  of  Eminent  Persons  51 

The  Scriptures  contain,  independent  of  a  divine  origin,  more 
true  sublimity,  more  exquisite  beauty,  purer  morality,  more 
important  history,  and  finer  strains,  both  of  poetry  and  eloquence, 
than  would  be  collected  within  the  same  compass  from  all  other 
books  that  were  ever  composed  in  any  age  or  in  any  idiom.  The 
two  parts  of  which  the  Scriptures  consist  are  connected  by  a 
chain  of  compositions  which  bears  no  resemblance  in  form  or  style 
to  any  that  can  be  produced  from  the  States  of  Grecian,  Indian, 
Persian,  or  even  Arabian  learning.  The  antiquity  of  these  com- 
positions no  man  doubts,  and  the  unstrained  application  of  them 
to  events  long  subsequent  to  their  publication,  is  a  solid  ground 
of  belief  that  they  were  genuine  productions,  and  consequently 
inspired. 

Dr.  J.  H.  Penniman,  Acting-Provost  and  Professor  of 
English  literature  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  in 
A  Book  About  the  English  Bible,  speaks  of  it  in  his  epilogue 
as  "that  treasure-house  of  wisdom  and  beauty  commonly 
known  as  the  Holy  Scriptures,  contained  in  the  Old  and  the 
New  Testaments,"  and  on  the  first  two  pages  of  the  book 
pays  the  following  eloquent  tribute: 

The  greatest  book  is  the  Bible,  and  the  reason  for  the  place 
assigned  to  it  is  that  it  contains  interpretations  of  human  life, 
actual  and  ideal,  which  reveal  man  to  himself,  in  his  joys  and 
sorrows,  his  triumphs  and  his  defeats,  his  aspirations  and  his 
possibilities,  his  relations  to  other  men,  and,  comprehending  and 
enveloping  all,  his  relations  to  God.  Men  may  differ  about  what 
the  Bible  is,  but  the  fact  remains  that  for  centuries  millions  of 
men,  of  all  grades  of  intelligence  and  learning,  have  believed  that 
the  Bible  speaks  to  them  as  no  other  book  has  ever  spoken,  and 
that  what  it  says  comes  with  an  authority  derived  from  God  him- 
self. The  primary  spiritual  problem  of  man  is  his  relations  to 
God.  Men,  everywhere,  recognize  the  existence  of  an  intelligent 
power  outside  and  higher  than  themselves  that  controls  and  regu- 
lates the  universe.  The  individual  who  doubts  or  denies  the 
existence  of  God  is  exceptional,  and  his  opinions  are  at  variance 
with  human  belief  and  experience.  The  Bible,  concerned  as  it 
is  in  its  component  parts  with  the  revelation  of  God  to  man,  and 
the  relation  of  man  to  God,  has  held  the  attention  of  men  because 
it  is  true  to  the  truths  of  life  and  satisfying  to  the  yearnings  of 
the  human  spirit.  Men  have  found  it  so,  and  there  is  an  abiding 
faith  that  men  will  continue  to  find  it  so.  .  .  . 

Reverence  for  the  Bible  is  increased  by  a  knowledge  of  the 
history  of  its  transmission  down  the  centuries,  through  many 
languages,  and  many  versions,  preserving  always  its  distinctive 
qualities  unimpaired  by  the  frailties  of  human  copyists,  and 
unchanged  through  the  lapse  of  time. 


52 


The  Book  of  Books 


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CHAPTER  IV 
CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE  AND  MAPS 

THE  subjoined  chronological  table  will  serve  as  a  back- 
ground to  the  succeeding  chapters,  the  main  political 
and  ecclesiastical  events  being  given  for  comparison  with 
the  particular  dates  of  events  connected  with  the  produc- 
tion and  translation  of  the  Bible.  The  maps  will  serve  for 
the  geographical  identification  of  the  same  events. 

B.C. 

721      Fall  of  Samaria  after  siege  of  two  years  by  Shalmaneser. 
678     Esarhaddon  completes  the  exile  of  the  Israelites  and  sends 

men  of  various  nations  to  Samaria  from  Babylon,  Cuthah, 

Ava,  Hamath,  and  Sepharvaim  (2  Kings  17  :  24). 
606     Babylonian  Empire  fully  developed. 
587     The  Temple  at  Jerusalem  destroyed  by  Nebuchadnezzar, 

king  of  Babylon. 
538     Fall  of  Babylon  and  beginning  of  Medo- Persian  Empire. 
536     Edict  of  Cyrus  for  the  rebuilding  of  Jerusalem. 
432     Establishment  of  worship  of  Jehovah  at  Samaria  by  Manas- 

seh,  who  was  expelled  from  the  priesthood  at  Jerusalem. 
326     Alexander  the  Great. 
285     Translation  of  the  Septuagint  Version  begun  at  Alexandria 

(completed  about  130  b.c). 
168     The  Temple  at  Jerusalem  profaned  by  Antiochus  Epiphanes, 

king  of  Syria. 
165     Judas  Maccabeus  and  his  followers  defeat  the  Syrians  and 

expel  them  from  the  Temple. 
63     Jerusalem  captured  by  Pompey,  the  Roman. 
55     Julius  Cesar  subdues  Gaul  and  Britain. 
4     Birth  of  Jesus  Christ. 

A.D. 

29     Death,  burial,  and  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  and  founda- 
tion of  the  Christian  church. 

70     Destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  burning  of  the  Temple  by  the 
Romans. 
303     Diocletian    issues    an    edict    for    the    persecution    of    the 
Christians. 

(53) 


^. 


54  The  Book  of  Books 

A.D. 

306     Constantine  the  Great  becomes  emperor  of  Rome. 

312  Constantine  is  converted  to  Christianity. 

313  Edict  of  Toleration  issued.     Pagan  Roman  Empire  falls. 

324  Constantinople  founded  by  Constantine. 

325  Council  of  Nice. 

364     Roman  Empire  divided  into  Eastern  and  Western. 

395     Division  complete  under  Arcadius  (Eastern)  and  Honorius 

(Western). 
410     Rome  sacked  by  Alaric  and  the  Goths. 
432     Rome  attacked  by  Attila,  "  the  scourge  of  God,"  and  his 

Huns. 
449     English  land  in  Britain. 
455     Rome  plundered  by  the  Vandals. 
476     End  of  the  Western  Roman  Empire. 
527     Justinian  becomes  emperor  at  Constantinople. 
533     Justinian's  decree  constituting  the  bishop  of  Rome  "  head 

of  all  the  holy  churches." 
570     Birth  of  Mahomet  at  Mecca. 

607     Decree  of  the  emperor  Phocas  constituting  Boniface  III, 
bishop  of  Rome,  head  over  all  the  churches  of  Christendom, 
or  pope. 
622     The  Mohammedan  Era  begins  with  the  flight  of  Mahomet 

from  Mecca  to  Medina. 
632     Death  of  Mahomet. 
637     Jerusalem   captured   by  the  caliph  Omar  and  building  of 

the  Mosque  of  Omar  begun. 
640     Alexandria  captured  by  the  Saracens. 
663     Pope  Vitalian  orders  use  of  Latin  only  in  the  services  of 

the  church. 
768     Charlemagne. 
800     Charlemagne    becomes    emperor   of   the    restored    Roman 

Empire. 
871     Alfred  the  Great  becomes  king  of  the  Anglo-Saxons. 
1066     Norman  conquest  of  England. 
1096     The  First  Crusade. 
1 1 24     Council   of  Toulouse.      The   laity   forbidden   to   read    the 

Scriptures  except  the  Psalter,  and  that  only  in  Latin. 
1 147     The  Second  Crusade. 
1 170     Peter  Waldo  and  the  Waldenses  begin  preaching  against 

the  papacy  and  are  persecuted  by  Rome. 
1 187     The  Third  Crusade. 
1 189     Richard  I  becomes  king. 
1 199     John  becomes  king. 
1202     The  Fourth  Crusade. 
1204     Latin  Empire  established  in  the  East. 

1206     Foundation    of    the    Inquisition,   and    persecution    of   the 
Albigenses. 


Chronological  Table  55 

A.D. 

1215  Magna  Charta  signed  by  King  John. 

1216  Henry  III  becomes  king. 

1217  The  Fifth  Crusade. 
1221  Friars  land  in  England. 

1228  The  Sixth  Crusade. 

1229  Council  of  Toulouse. 
1248  The  Seventh  Crusade. 

1261  Restoration  of  the  Greek  Empire. 

1268  The  Eighth  Crusade — the  last. 

1274  Edward  I  becomes  king. 

1299  The  Ottoman  Empire  adopts  the  device  of  the  Crescent. 

1307  Edward  II  becomes  king. 

1324  John  Wiclif  born. 

1327  Edward  III  becomes  king. 

_I374  Wiclif   declares    the    pope    to     be    Antichrist.    He    starts 
preaching  at  Lutterworth. 

1377  Richard  II  becomes  king. 

1378  The  Great  Schism — rival  popes.      Gregory  XI  denounces 
Wiclif's  heresy. 

• — 1380  Wiclif's  New  Testament  completed. 

1382  Urban  VI  and  Clement  VII  popes.      Wiclif  condemned  at 

^  Blackfriars.     Wiclif's  complete  Bible  issued. 

1384  Death  of  Wiclif. 

1388  Purvey's  revised  edition  of  Wiclif's  Bible  issued. 

^^398  John  Huss  preaches  at  Prague  against  the  papacy. 

1399  Henry  IV  becomes  king. 

1408  The  use  of  English  Bibles  forbidden,  unless  authorized  by 

the  priests. 

141 3  Henry  V  becomes  king. 

1422  Henry  VI  becomes  king. 

143 1  End  of  the  Great  Schism. 

1447  Nicholas  V  becomes  pope. 

1450  Printing  from  movable  type  invented  (exact  date  uncertain). 

T-ii453  Fall    of    Constantinople.     End    of    the    Eastern    Roman 

Empire  and  establishment  of  the  Ottoman,  May  29th. 

1456  First  Bible  printed  at  Mainz,  Germany  (in  Latin). 

1461  Henry  VI  becomes  king. 

1476  Printing  introduced  into  England  by  William  Caxton  (exact 

date  uncertain). 

1483  Martin  Luther  born   at   Eisleben.      Richard   III   becomes 
king. 

1484  Zwingli  born.  <^  Y 
-V  1484  WilHam  Tindale  born.                                         '^    i.H 

1485  Henry  VII  becomes  king.  | '}  .^b 
1492  America  discovered  by  Columbus. 

1497  Melancthon  born. 


56  The  Book  of  Books 

A.D. 

1505     John  Knox  born. 

1509  Henry  VIII  becomes  king. 

1510  Luther  visits  Rome. 

15 13  Leo  X  becomes  pope.  His  sale  of  indulgences  through  the 
agency  of  John  Tetzel  precipitates  the  Reformation. 

1 5 14  Rise  of  Cardinal  Wolsey  to  power. 

1516  First  printed  Greek  New  Testament  published  by  Erasmus. 

1517  Luther  publishes  at  Wittenberg  his  ninety-five  theses 
against  indulgences. 

1520  Luther  publishes  his  Babylonish  Captivity  of  the  Church  and 
denounces  the  papacy. 

1 52 1  Henry  VIII  granted  by  Leo  X  the  title  of  "  Defender  of 
the  Faith  "  because  of  his  Defense  of  the  Seven  Sacraments 
against  Luther. 

1522  Luther's  German  New  Testament  printed. 
^  1525     Tindale's  New  Testament  first  printed. 

1530     Fall  of  Wolsey.     Dies  November  28th. 
,^1530     Tindale's  English  translation  of  the  Pentateuch  printed. 
1534     Papal  supremacy  in  England  abrogated  and  Henry  VIII 
recognized  as  head  of  the  English  church. 

1534  Luther's  German  Bible  printed. 

1535  Coverdale's  Bible  printed. 

y^iS3^     Tindale  martyred  at  Vilvorde,  near  Brussels. 

1537     Matthew's    (Rogers')    Bible    printed,    and    distributed    by 

authority  of  Henry  VIII. 
1539     The  Great  Bible  published. 

1539  Taverner's  Bible  published. 

1540  Cranmer's  edition  of  the  Great  Bible  published. 

1545  Council  of  Trent. 

1546  Death  of  Martin  Luther. 

1547  Edward  VI  becomes  king. 

1549  English  Book  of  Common  Prayer  published. 

1553  Mary  becomes  queen.  Popery  restored  and  Protestants 
persecuted.     John  Rogers  the  first  martyr. 

1555  Ridley  and  Latimer  burned  at  Oxford. 

1556  Cranmer  burned  at  Oxford. 

1557  The  Geneva  New  Testament  published. 

1558  Elizabeth  becomes  queen. 
1560  The  Geneva  Bible  published. 
1568  The  Bishops'  Bible  published. 

1582  The  Rheims  New  Testament  published. 

1603  James  I  becomes  king. 

1609-10     The  Douay  Bible  published. 

\      161 1  The  Authorized  (or  King  James)  Version  of  the  Bible  issued. 

-^       1 88 1  The  Revised  Version  of  the  New  Testament  published  in 

/"  England. 

1885  The  Revised  Old  Testament  published  in  England. 


Chronological  Table  57 

A.D. 

1895     The  Revised  Apocrypha  published  in  England. 

1901     The   American   Standard    (Revised)    Version    published  at 

New  York. 
191 7     The  Jewish  Revised  Version  published  at  Philadelphia. 


MAP  OF  ENGLAND  AND  WALES 


CHAPTER  V 

ANCIENT  WRITING  AND  THE  BIBLE 
MANUSCRIPTS 

WRITING  is  a  very  ancient  art,  but  when  or  where 
it  originated  history  does  not  definitely  tell.  The 
materials  used  have  been  of  many  kinds.  Hard  cutting 
instruments  have  been  used  for  making  impressions  in  soft 
clay  and  in  hard  rock;  softer  pointed  instruments  have 
been  used  for  making  impressions  in  soft  materials  or  for 
leaving  portions  of  their  own  substance  upon  the  material 
written  upon;  and  various  devices  have  been  adopted  for 
making  stains  or  deposits  with  liquids  upon  writing  surfaces 
of  various  kinds.  The  chisel,  the  stylus,  the  pencil,  the 
brush,  and  the  pen  have  been  used  upon  clay,  stone,  wood, 
leather,  wax,  papyrus,  parchment,  vegetable  bark,  paper, 
and  textile  materials.  Originally  one  copy  was  made; 
later,  mechanical  devices  were  used  for  multiplying  copies 
and  saving  time,  as  will  be  detailed  in  a  section  of  a  later 
chapter  devoted  to  the  development  of  printing,  "the  art 
preservative  of  all  arts." 

In  the  childhood  of  the  world,  as  in  the  childhood  of 
the  individual,  early  attempts  at  writing  were  pictorial 
representations  of  objects  of  nature  or  art.  The  child  today 
learns  to  read  by  associating  the  letters  of  the  alphabet  with 
pictures,  as  "A  is  for  apple,  C  is  for  cat,  K  is  for  kettle, 
M  is  for  man."  So  one  of  the  earliest  forms  of  writing,  if 
not  the  earliest,  was  the  hieroglyphic,  in  which  the  charac- 
ters used  for  letters  and  words  were  pictorial  representations 
of  animals  and  things.  Very  ancient  examples  of  hiero- 
glyphics may  be  seen  in  our  museums.  Statues,  wall  tablets 
or  paintings,  mummy-cases  and  coffins,  ornamented  with 
hieroglyphics,  have  been  taken  from  their  original  positions 
in  Egypt  and  placed  in  the  museums  of  many  lands;    and 

(58) 


Ancient  Writing  59 

in  the  two  greatest  cities  of  the  world  may  be  seen  two  of 
the  oldest  and  finest  Egyptian  obeHsks,  the  so-called  Cleo- 
patra's needles,  erected  about  four  thousand  years  ago  in 
front  of  the  Temple  of  the  Sun  at  Heliopolis  and  later 
removed  to  Alexandria.  One  is  on  the  Thames  Embank- 
ment, London,  and  the  other  in  Central  Park,  New  York — - 
each  a  solid  block  of  granite  covered  with  hieroglyphics. 

Of  almost  equal  antiquity  with  these  Egyptian  hiero- 
glyphics are  the  cuneiform,  or  wedge-shaped,  inscriptions  of 
Babylonia  and  Assyria.      With  a  sharp  edge,  impressions 


EGYPTIAN  HIEROGLYPHICS 

wider  at  one  end  than  at  the  other  were  made  upon  soft 
clay,  and  with  the  chisel  similar  forms  were  made  in  hard 
rocks  and  stones.  The  clay  was  in  the  shape  of  bricks  or 
tablets  and  was  written  on  one  or  more  sides  and  afterward 
baked  hard.  Letters,  contracts,  legal  documents,  school 
lessons,  and  royal  records  were  kept  on  these  clay  tablets. 
Many  of  them  may  be  seen  in  our  museums  today.  Scholars 
have  learned  to  read  them,  and  their  testimony  has  given 
wonderful  corroboration  to  the  Bible  narratives. 

Kings  had  their  laws,  records,  and  proclamations 
inscribed  in  cueniform  characters  on  large  stone  steles,  or 
pillars;  on  small  cylinders,  round,  oval,  or  hexagonal;  and 
on  wall  tablets  and  the  face  of  the  rock. 


6o  The  Book  of  Books 

As  explorers  began,  a  century  or  so  ago,  to  excavate  in 
Babylonia,  Assyria,  and  Egypt,  these  stones  and  rock 
inscriptions  and  tablets  were  discovered,  and  the  next  great 
problem  was  to  decipher  and  translate  them.  They  con- 
tained the  dead  languages  of  dead  peoples;  there  was  no 


■<-<'•;t1-^/^yl..^lv^.^*.Al,(lU.,■i.l.:/^^,^,:..-_-,  ,.,p,,>-,j-(i-i'|,-.«4,»<.«.i»-..,.,j./-o-,.jiii.,^'''" 


"r"W.'i;™;""i'-i™u^'Mi»w/,'iVa:A""t"m^^^^^^ 

,',„  ._,^._.^_  .^.-~.^-..;  .^_..;.--,{._.  ,  . 

.', ,(."^;'  .^y.. 

?rJ^V:^VnnViV?iH"V«V^VAK**te^T'i^*t'^t'^'^'*^'oN^^^^ 

"«f?i"o*iVa'iH--("T*lV..T6X»i/i'(^^I."'r '  i'-* 

V,''«-;K;ir 

''vi?^'''7j'?ri"'JiJ.';lS'rr'V^^^ 

fi'?iSssSsHi;iK';sK£SHv" .' 

;;g5^' 

i'^iln7T""t""t'i'M^*u.^.'iTy;;ji^'o«"rt"'U''  ■      ■  ,„,„L.r;.o 

«>.ii-miAiu.i«»tT~««Tini<.-><»i«i»i»l»-""'»  • 

THE  ROSETTA  STONE 


native  exponent  living.  But  the  patient  toil  and  persistent 
endeavor  of  diligent  students  gradually  solved  the  mystery. 
Some  very  important  finds  gave  the  key  to  the  problem. 
The  Rosetta  Stone  was  discovered  at  Rosetta,  in  the  Delta 
of  the  Nile,  in  1799,  and  in  1802  was  placed  in  the  British 
Museum.      It  contained  an  inscription  in  three  languages: 


Ancient  Writing 


6i 


THE  STELE  OF 
HAMMURABI 

At  the  top  the  king  is 
represented  in  an  atti- 
tude of  worship,  receiv- 
ing the  laws  from  the 
Sun-God,  Shamesh.  The 
lower  part  of  the  stele  is 
inscribed  with  the  laws 
which  the  king  promul- 
gated for  his  subjects. 
This  stele  is  of  black 
diorite  about  seven  feet 
high,  and  was  originally 
set  up  in  the  temple  of 
E-sagili  at  Babylon,  but 
was  later  carried  off  by 
an  Elamite  conqueror  to 
Susa,  where  it  was  dis- 
covered, broken  into 
three  pieces,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1901,  and  January, 
1902.  The  laws  have 
been  deciphered  and 
translated,  and  they 
bear  a  remarkable  simi- 
larity in  many  parts  to 
the  Law  of  Moses.  They 
throw  an  interesting 
light  on  the  life  and  cus- 
toms of  Babylonia  nearly 
four  thousand  years  ago. 

The  original  is  in 
Paris,  but  casts  may  be 
seen  in  various  museums. 


(From  Winston's  "International  Bible  Dlcllonary") 


62 


The  Book  of  Books 


CYLINDER  OF 
CYRUS  II 

In  this  cylinder  the 
capture  of  Babylon  is 
mentioned.  The  origi- 
nal is  of  baked  clay  and 
is  in  the  British  Museum, 
London. 


{From  Winston's  "Handy  Bible  Encyclopedia") 


Ancient  Writing 


63 


hieroglyphic,  the  writing  of  the  priests;  Egyptian  script,  or 
demotic,  the  writing  of  the  people;  and  Greek.  In  1818 
Champollion  began  a  comparative  study  of  these  inscrip- 
tions, and,  working  on  the  theory  that  they  were  the  same 
matter  in  three  languages,  and  knowing  the  Greek,  he  dis- 
covered the  key  to  the  decipherment  and  translation  of  the 
other  two.  Similarly  in  Persia  a  rock  inscription  in  three 
languages,  Babylonian,  Elamitic,  and  Persian,  at  Behistun, 
was  deciphered  by  RawHnson  between  1833  and  1851,  and 
the  key  to  the  cuneiform  writing  was  discovered.  Subse- 
quent study  of  both  Egyptian  and  cuneiform  inscriptions 


^1  ^|5:^^  <^- 


r^n^^^  ^  i^^^ 


&-i> 


Hir<^H5JHJ<5BMii 


A  CUNEIFORM  INSCRIPTION      ' 
From  a  brick  of  Nebuchadnezzar 

(From  Winston's  "International  Bible  Dictionary") 

has  substantiated  and  developed  the  discoveries,  so  that  now 
both  Egyptian  and  various  cuneiform  languages  are  sub- 
jects of  study  in  the  universities,  and  scholars  have  trans- 
lated many  tablets  and  inscriptions  which  have  shed  light 
upon  the  biblical  histories. 

In  1887  a  remarkable  find  of  tablets  was  made  at  Tel 
el-Amarna  in  Egypt.  There  were  more  than  three  hundred 
tablets,  mostly  correspondence  between  Egyptian  and 
Asiatic  kings,  fourteen  to  fifteen  centuries  B.C.  These 
letters  revealed  much  concerning  the  strength  of  the  Hittites 
at  the  time  they  were  written. 

Papyrus  is  a  very  ancient  writing  material  of  Egypt, 
used  to  a  small  extent  in  other  countries  as  well.  The 
papyrus  grew  abundantly  in  Egypt,  and  the  name  of  the 


64 


The  Book  of  Books 


reed  was  given  to  the  writing  material  made  from  it;  the 
name  "paper"  is  a  modification  of  "papyrus,"  given  to 
modern  writing  material  because  it  somewhat  resembles  in 
appearance  the  papyrus  of  Egypt.  The  stem  of  the  reed 
was  cut  into  long  strips  which  were  laid  side  by  side  on  a 
board,  and  over  these  another  layer  was  placed  crosswise. 
The  layers  were  moistened,  pressed  or  hammered^together, 
and  dried  in  the  sun,  being  made  smooth  by  polishing  with 
ivory  or  shells.      Sometimes  a  little  glue  was  used  in  the 


A  TEL  EL-AMARNA  TABLET 

iFrom  the  "Biblical  World") 

water  to  increase  the  adhesion.  The  sheets  could  be  cut 
into  convenient  sizes,  and  a  number  of  sheets  could  be  fast- 
ened together  edge  to  edge  to  make  a  roll.  The  rolls  varied 
in  length,  some  being  known  as  long  as  144  feet,  but  usually 
they  were  only  from  20  to  30  feet.  The  writing  was  done 
with  reed  pens,  and  ink  made  from'vegetables.  A  specimen 
of  papyrus  in  Paris  is  considered  to  be  from  about  260c  B.C., 
and  an  even  earlier  date  is  claimed  for  some.  There  have 
been  several  important  finds  of  papyrus  documents  within 
the  past  half-century,  including  fragments  from  the  Sep- 


Ancient  Writing 


65 


tuagint  and  the  New  Testament,  especially  the  Psalter  and 
the  Gospels,  with  apocryphal  writings  and  some  Greek 
classics  as  well. 

The  Israelites  in  bondage  must  have  been  familiar  to 
some  extent  with  the  wntmg  in  Egypt,  also  with  the  writ- 
ing of  the  Assyrians  and  Babylonians,  or  the  earlier  forms 


THE   PAPYRUS  REED 

(From  Winston's  "International  Bible  Dictionary") 

of  these  languages,  Elamitic  and  Sumerian.  Therefore  there 
is  no  difficulty  in  understanding  the  numerous  references  to 
the  writing  of  the  law,  and  the  tables  of  stone,  in  the  Penta- 
teuch and  in  the  Book  of  Joshua.  In  the  Psalms  and  the 
Prophets  are  references  to  pens,  penknives,  inkhorns,  and 
tablets. 

Another  form  of  tablet  was  sometimes  used,  consisting 
of  a  flat  surface  covered  with  wax,  on  which  writing  was 


66 


The  Book  of  Books 


•if* 


,,'   --r:'''  tV^'V'  «;;,,»*■  .«^^SjjJ^^^ 


A  PAPYRUS  FRAGMENT 

(.From  the  " Biblical  World") 


Ancient  Writing 


67 


done  with  a  sharp  pointed  stylus.  Thus,  it  will  be  remem- 
bered, at  the  birth  of  John  the  Baptist,  his  father,  Zacharias, 
being  unable  to  speak  when  appealed  to  concerning  the 
child's  name,  asked  For  a  writing  tablet  and  wrote  that  it 
was  John.  This  was  a  wooden  tablet,  coated  with  wax, 
or  it  may  have  been  with  sand. 

Modern  paper  has  been  in  use  as  a  writing  material 
for  at  least  a  thousand  years.  The  origin  of  the  art  of  mak- 
ing paper  is  obscure.  It  was  originally  made  from  the  fibers 
of  such  plants  as  cotton  and  flax,  and  rags  were  used  later; 
more  recently  numerous  varieties  of  grass,  straw,  and  wood 


r 

1 

m 

^"^ -  •  -  '-^^^^^-^^ 

i 

PAPYRUS  DOCUMENTS 

(From  Winston's  "International  Bible  Dictionary") 

fiber  have  been  used.  The  material  is  first  made  into  a 
pulp,  and  ingredients  are  added  for  giving  the  desired  tex- 
ture and  color;  and,  after  all  have  been  well  beaten  together, 
the  pulp  is  spread  in  thin  layers  or  sheets  on  screens  of  wire 
and  dried.  Very  little  paper  is  now  made  by  hand — only 
the  best  quality  from  the  best  materials.  The  process  has 
been  greatly  cheapened  and  expedited  by  machinery  for  the 
production  of  the  large  sheets  and  long  rolls  that  are  fed 
to  the  mammoth  presses  in  the  making  of  modern  news- 
papers and  books. 

As  papyrus  began  to  get  scarce  recourse  was  had  to  a 
material  which  had  been  used  to  some  extent  from  very 


68 


The  Book  of  Books 


THE  MOABITE  STONE 

(From  Winston's  '•Handy  Bible  Encyclopedia") 


Ancient  Writing  69  "^ 

early  times,  namely,  the  skins  of  animals.  Such  material 
was  called  "parchment,"  a  name  said  to  be  derived  from 
Pergamum,  where  its  manufacture  was  stimulated  by 
Eumenes,  as  Pliny  states,  on  account  of  the  refusal  of 
Ptolemy  to  allow  the  papyrus  to  be  exported.  Skins  dressed 
on  one  side  only  could  be  used  for  rolls;  those  for  books  in 
leaf  form  must  be  dressed  on  both  sides.  The  Encyclopcedia 
Britannica  says  of  the  modern  process  of  preparing  skins, 
that  it  "is  by  washing,  liming,  unhairing,  scraping,  washing 
a  second  time,  stretching  evenly  on  a  frame,  scraping  a 
second  time  and  paring  down  inequahties,  dusting  with 
sifted  chalk,  and  rubbing  with  pumice."  Parchment  is  the 
name  given  to  the  prepared  skins  of  sheep  and  goats;  but 
those  of  calves,  kids,  and  lambs  are  called  vellum.  Some- 
times the  vellum  was  dyed  purple,  and  a  number  of  manu- 
scripts on  such  purple  vellum  are  extant;  the  writing  was  j 
then  done  in  silver  or  gold.  — -' 

The  earliest  Hebrew  writing  known  is  on  the  Moabite 
Stone.  This  stone  was  found  at  Dibon  in  1868.  After 
impressions  of  it  had  been  taken  and  several  attempts  to 
purchase  it  had  failed,  the  Arabs  destroyed  it  by  fire.  The 
fragments,  however,  were  recovered  and  pieced  together, 
and  it  is  now  in  the  Louvre  at  Paris.  It  contains  records 
of  Mesha,  king  of  Moab,  in  which  are  detailed  the  oppres- 
sion of  Moab  by  Omri,  king  of  Israel,  and  the  subsequent 
revolt  and  conquest  of  Israel  by  Mesha,  the  date  being 
about  850  B.C. 

The  Manuscripts 

The  originals  of  the  Old  Testament  were  written  in 
Hebrew,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  small  portions  in  Chal- 
dean or  Aramaic.  They  were  written  in  rolls,  and  later 
some  were  written  in  book  form.  The  oldest  extant  Hebrew 
manuscript  is  about  a  thousand  years  old,  dating  from  the 
early  part  of  the  tenth  century,  or  perhaps  the  end  of  the 
ninth.  Either  the  manuscript  of  the  Prophets  at  Petrograd 
or  one  of  the  Pentateuch  in  the  British  Museum  is  the  oldest 
known.  The  original  Hebrew  manuscripts  were  written 
with  consonants  only,  the  vowel  points  having  been  added 
at  a  much  later  date  by  the  Massoretes.     Somewhere  about 


70  The  Book  of  Books 

the  seventh  or  eighth  century  these  points  were  added  in 
the  form  of  dots  and  dashes,  much  Hke  the  diacritical  marks 
placed  in  pronouncing  Bibles  today  by  some  publishers  to 
indicate  the  pronunciation  of  proper  names.  The  Masso- 
retes  were  students  who  had  studied  the  text  to  make  it  as 
accurate  as  possible.     Without  the  vowel  points  the  conso- 


1 


m 


PORTION   OF  A  HEBREW  MANUSCRIPT 
(Exodus  26  :  7)  from  the  earliest  dated  Hebrew  manuscript,  now  in  the 
British  Museum;  of  the  tenth  century 

(From  i^elsons'  "  Eneyclopcedia) 

nants  might  be  taken  for  any  one  of  several  words,  with 
different  meanings  in  many  cases,  and  this  accounts  for  a 
number  of  errors  in  some  editions  of  the  Bible. 

I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Charles  J.  Cohen  for  the  excellent 
illustrations  of  modern  synagogue  rolls  and  for  some  inter- 
esting details  concerning  them.     The  Sepher  Torah,  a  scroll 


The  Manuscripts 


71 


A  MODERN  PENTATEUCH   ROLL 

{Courtesy  of  Charles  J.  Cohen) 


72  The  Book  of  Books 

of  the  Law,  is  in  use  in  Philadelphia,  at  the  Mikve  Israel 
Synagogue,  and  the  ornaments  at  the  top  of  the  rods  are 
silver  bells.  "In  ancient  Judean  days  the  king  was  required 
to  have  a  copy  to  be  kept  near  his  throne  and  carried  into 
battle,"  but  from  the  histories  of  the  Chronicles  it  seems 
that  at  times  things  got  so  bad  that  the  book  of  the  law  was 
lost,  and  special  mention  is  made  of  its  being  found  again. 
Heads  of  families  had  to  possess  copies  also,  and  were  only 
permitted  to  dispose  of  them  m  case  of  extreme  distress  or 
to  pay  a  teachers'  fee  or  one's  own  marriage  expenses.  The 
scrolls  used  in  the  synagogues  do  not  contain  vowels  or 
accents,  and  are  not  divided  into  verses  or  chapters.  Each 
book  of  the  Law  is  divided  into  fifty-four  sections,  called 
parashyot,  so  that  a  section  may  be  read  each  week,  and 
the  whole  in  a  year — the  fifty-four  being  accounted  for  by 
the  extra  month  occurring  in  some  Jewish  years  (the  Ve- 
Adar),  and,  when  there  are  only  twelve  months,  two  portions 
are  read  some  weeks  to  get  the  fifty-four  in  the  year. 

The  small  Torah,  or  book  of  the  Law,  shown  in  the 
illustration,  originally  belonged  to  the  Simon-Gratz  family, 
Mr.  Cohen's  great-grandfather  being  household  Rabbi. 
It  illustrates  the  practice  that  when  a  place  of  worship  was 
unknown  in  a  small  town,  the  devout  carried  with  him  his 
Torah  in  its  small  ark. 

Extreme  care  was  taken  by  the  Hebrew  scribes  who 
copied  the  rolls  for  the  synagogues,  and  precise  rules  are 
given  in  the  Talmud  for  their  guidance  in  the  work.  Manu- 
scripts must  be  transcribed  from  ancient  and  approved 
copies  only,  and  the  skins  of  clean  animals,  prepared  spe- 
cially by  a  Jew,  must  be  used.  The  fastenings  of  the  sheets 
must  be  made  from  the  sinews  of  a  clean  animal.  Each 
skin  must  have  an  exact  number  of  columns,  of  equal  length 
and  width,  with  an  even  number  of  lines  and  words.  Black 
ink  must  be  used,  prepared  from  soot,  charcoal,  and  honey, 
mixed  into  a  paste,  allowed  to  harden,  and  then  dissolved 
in  water  and  an  infusion  of  galls.  The  scribe  must  look  at 
the  copy  for  each  word,  consider  it  carefully,  and  pronounce 
it  orally  before  writing.  Three  lines  must  be  left  between 
books.  The  fifth  book  of  Moses  must  end  exactly  with  a 
line.  The  scribe  must  be  attired  in  full  Jewish  costume 
when  at  work.     When  any  of  the  divine  names  had  to  be 


The  Manuscripts 


73 


written  the  pen  must  be  washed,  and  before  writing  the 
name  JHVH  (Jehovah  or  Yahweh)  the  scribe  must  wash 
his  whole  body;  and  he  must  be  so  attentive  to  his  work 
that  even  if  a  king  should  speak  to  him  he  could  not  answer 


A  MEGILLAH  OR   BOOK  OF  ESTHER,  AND  A 
SMALL  TORAH,  OR   BOOK  OF  THE  LAW 

{(.'ourtesy  of  Charles  J.  Cohen) 

till  he  had  finished  the  name.  The  copy  had  to  be  exammed 
as  soon  as  finished  and  if  there  were  additions  or  omissions, 
or  if  poetry  was  written  as  prose  or  prose  as  poetry,  or  if 
two  letters  touched  each  other  the  sheet  was  spoiled. 


74 


The  Book  of  Books 


The  monks  who  toiled  in  copying  the  Greek  manuscripts 
did  not  observe  such  detailed  rules  as  did  the  Hebrew  scribes, 
but  they  spent  their  lives  in  carefully  transcribing  and 
decorating  the  Scriptures.     Those  who  did  such  work  were 


THE  OLD  ILLUMINATOR 

(From  an  old  palming) 


excused  from  the  manual  labor  in  garden  and  house.  Long- 
fellow has  put  into  the  mouth  of  Friar  Pacificus  the  following 
lines,  which  describe  the  reverence  and  care  that  were  exer- 
cised in  the  scriptorium  by  the  old  illuminator: 


The  Manuscripts  75 

'Tis  growing  dark!     Yet  one  line  more, 

And  then  my  work  for  today  is  o'er. 

I  come  again  to  the  name  of  the  Lord! 

Ere  I  that  awful  Name  record 

That  is  spoken  so  hghtly  among  men, 

Let  me  pause  awhile  and  wash  my  pen; 

Pure  from  blemish  and  blot  must  it  be 

When  it  writes  that  word  of  mystery! 

Thus  have  I  labored  on  and  on, 

Nearly  through  the  Gospel  of  John. 

Can  it  be  that  from  the  lips 

Of  this  same  gentle  Evangelist, 

That  Christ  Himself  perhaps  has  kissed, 

Came  the  dread  Apocalypse.? 

It  has  a  very  awful  look 

As  it  stands  there  at  the  end  of  the  Book 

Like  the  sun  in  an  eclipse.     Ah  me! 

When  I  think  of  that  vision  divine, 

Think  of  writing  it  line  by  line, 

I  stand  in  awe  of  the  terrible  curse. 

Like  the  trump  of  doom,  in  the  closing  verse. 

God  forgive  me,  if  ever  I 

Take  aught  from  the  Book  of  that  prophecy. 

Lest  my  part  too  should  be  taken  away 

From  the  Book  of  Life  on  the  Judgment  Da}'. 

This  is  well  written,  though  I  say  it; 

I  should  not  be  afraid  to  display  it 

In  open  day,  on  the  self-same  shelf 

With  the  writings  of  St.  Thecla  herself, 

Or  of  Theodosius,  who  of  old 

Wrote  the  Gospels  in  letters  of  gold. 

That  goodly  folio  standing  yonder. 

Without  a  single  blot  or  blunder, 

Would  not  bear  away  the  palm  from  mine 

If  we  should  compare  them  line  for  line. 

There,  now,  is  an  initial  letter! 

St.  Ulric  himself  never  made  a  better, 

Finished  down  to  the  leaf  and  the  snail, 

Down  to  the  eyes  on  the  peacock's  tail. 

And  now,  as  I  turn  the  volume  over, 

And  see  what  lies  between  cover  and  cover. 

What  treasures  of  art  these  pages  hold, 

All  ablaze  with  crimson  and  gold; 

God  forgive  me!     I  seem  to  feel 

A  certain  satisfaction  steal  ' 

Into  my  heart  and  into  my  brain. 

As  if  my  talent  had  not  lain 

Wrapped  in  a  napkin,  and  all  in  vain. 


76  The  Book  of  Books 

Yes,  I  might  almost  say  to  the  Lord, 
Here  is  a  copy  of  Thy  Word, 
Written  out  with  much  toil  and  pain; 
Take  it,  O  Lord,  and  let  it  be 
As  something  I  have  done  for  Thee. 

s/  Greek  manuscripts  are  of  two  kinds,  uncials  and  cur- 
sives. The  oldest  are  the  uncials,  so  called  because  they 
are  written  entirely  in  capital  letters.  They  were  written 
without  spaces  between  the  words,  and  without  punctua- 
tion. Gradually,  means  were  adopted  for  dividing  the 
matter  up  into  sections  for  convenience  of  reference.  Letters, 
or  letters  and  numbers,  were  placed  in  the  margins.  Some 
manuscripts  were  written  stychometrically,  that  is,  with 
just  sufficient  on  one  line  to  be  read  without  stopping. 

There  are  not  many  more  than  a  hundred  Greek  uncial 
manuscripts  of  the  New  Testament  known,  and  of  these 
only  two  contain  the  whole.  They  are  known  to  scholars 
by  English,  Greek,  and  Hebrew  letters  preceded  by  the 
word  "Codex"  which  means  "book" — Codex  A,  Codex  B, 
Codex  >^,  etc. 

The  known  cursives,  which  are  so  called  from  being 
written  in  a  running  hand,  or  with  capital  and  small  letters, 
number  between  two  and  three  thousand.  They  date  from 
the  tenth  to  the  sixteenth  centuries  and  are  not  nearly  so 
valuable  from  a  critical  point  of  view  as  the  uncials.  There 
are  also  more  than  a  thousand  Lectionaries,  or  reading  lists, 
that  is,  lessons  from  the  New  Testament  to  be  read  during 
the  year.     The  cursive  manuscripts  are  listed  by  numbers. 

The  work  of  scholars  is  to  determine  as  nearly  as  pos- 
sible the  original  text.  The  older  the  manuscript,  the  more 
valuable  from  a  textual  point  of  view,  ordinarily;  though  a 
more  recent  copy  from  an  older  original  would  be  likely  to 
be  more  correct  than  an  older  copy  from  a  later  original. 
There  are  other  considerations  which  weigh  in  considering 
the  textual  value  of  a  manuscript,  and  in  a  later  chapter  will 
be  found  a  summary  of  the  rules  which  guide  the  textual 
critics,  as  given  by  Dr.  Philip  SchafF  in  his  Companion  to 
the  Greek  Testament  and  English  Version. 

The  three  most  ancient  and  valuable  uncial  manuscripts 
are  the   Vatican    (Codex  Vaticanus,   or   Codex    B)    in   the 


The  Manuscripts  'j'j 

Vatican,  at  Rome;  the  Alexandrian  (Codex  Alexandrinus, 
or  Codex  A),  in  the  British  Museum,  London;  and  the 
Sinaitic  (Codex  Sinaiticus,  or  Codex  «),  in  the  Imperial 
Library  at  Petrograd  (St.  Petersburg).  Another  valuabe 
manuscript  is  the  Codex  Ephraem,  Codex  Ephraemi  Syri, 
or  Codex  C.  This  is  known  as  a  paHmpsest,  that  is,  a  manu- 
script in  which  the  original  writing  has  been  erased  to  make 
room  for  something  else.  Another  valuable  manuscript, 
with  Greek  and  Latin  on  opposite  pages,  is  the  Codex  Bezae, 
or  Codex  D.  The  remaining  uncials  are  in  most  cases  very 
fragmentary,  but  on  account  of  their  age  are  more  valuable 
than  most  of  the  cursives. 

The  Sinaitic  Manuscript  (Codex  .^  )  is  probably  the 
oldest  Greek  manuscript  extant,  being  supposed  to  date 
from  the  fourth  century.  It  is  in  the  Imperial  Library  at 
Petrograd  (St.  Petersburg),  Russia.  It  was  found  by 
Tischendorf  in  the  Convent  of  St.  Catherine,  on  Mount 
Sinai,  and,  though  the  story  of  the  finding  has  often  been 
told,  it  will  be  interesting  to  read  the  full  account  as  given 
by  Tischendorf  himself  in  a  little  book  entitled,  When  Were 
Our  Gospels  Written? 

The  literary  treasures  which  I  had  sought  to  explore  have 
been  drawn  in  most  cases  from  the  convents  of  the  East,  where, 
for  ages,  the  pens  of  industrious  monks  have  copied  the  sacred 
writings,  and  collected  manuscripts  of  all  kinds.  It  therefore 
occurred  to  me  whether  it  was  not  probable  that  in  some  recess 
of  Greek  or  Coptic,  Syrian  or  Armenian  monasteries,  there  might 
be  some  precious  manuscripts  slumbering  for  ages  in  dust  and 
darkness?  And  would  not  every  sheet  of  parchment  so  found, 
covered  with  writings  of  the  fifth,  sixth,  and  seventh  centuries, 
be  a  kind  of  literary  treasure,  and  a  valuable  addition  to  our 
Christian  literature.?  .  .  . 

I  here  pass  over  in  silence  the  interesting  details  of  my  travels 
— my  audience  with  the  Pope,  Gregory  XVI,  in  May,  1843 — my 
intercourse  with  Cardinal  Mezzofanti,  that  surprising  and  cele- 
brated linguist — and  I  come  to  the  result  of  my  journey  to  the 
East.  It  was  in  April,  1844,  that  I  embarked  at  Leghorn  for 
Egypt.  The  desire  which  I  felt  to  discover  some  precious  remains 
of  any  manuscripts,  more  especially  Biblical,  of  a  date  which 
would  carry  us  back  to  the  early  times  of  Christianity,  was  realized 
beyond  my  expectations.  It  was  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Sinai,  in 
the  Convent  of  St.  Catherine,  that  I  discovered  the  pearl  of  all 
my  researches.  In  visiting  the  library  of  the  monastery,  in  the 
month  of  May,  1844,  I  perceived  in  the  middle  of  the  great  hall 


yS  The  Book  of  Books 

a  large  and  wide  basket  full  of  old  parchments;  and  the  librarian, 
who  was  a  man  of  information,  told  me  that  two  heaps  of  papers 
like  these,  mouldered  by  time,  had  been  already  committed  to 
the  flames.  What  was  my  surprise  to  find  amid  this  heap  of  papers 
a  considerable  number  of  sheets  of  a  copy  of  the  Old  Testament 
in  Greek,  which  seemed  to  me  to  be  one  of  the  most  ancient  that 
I  had  ever  seen.  The  authorities  of  the  convent  allowed  me  to 
possess  myself  of  a  third  of  these  parchments,  or  about  forty-three 
sheets,  all  the  more  readily  as  they  were  destined  for  the  fire. 
But  I  could  not  get  them  to  yield  up  possession  of  the  remainder. 
The  too  lively  satisfaction  which  I  had  displayed  had  aroused  their 
suspicions  as  to  the  value  of  this  manuscript.  I  transcribed  a 
page  of  the  text  of  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah,  and  enjoined  on  the 
monks  to  take  religious  care  of  all  such  remains  which  might  fall 
in  their  way. 

On  my  return  to  Saxony  there  were  men  of  learning  who  at 
once  appreciated  the  value  of  the  treasure  which  I  brought  back 
with  me.  I  did  not  divulge  the  name  of  the  place  where  I  had 
found  it,  in  the  hopes  of  returning  and  recovering  the  rest  of  the 
manuscript.  I  handed  over  to  the  Saxon  Government  my  rich 
collection  of  Oriental  manuscripts  in  return  for  the  payment  of 
all  my  traveling  expenses.  I  deposited  in  the  library  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Leipzig,  in  shape  of  a  collection,  which  bears  my  name, 
fifty  manuscripts,  some  of  which  are  very  rare  and  interesting. 
I  did  the  same  with  the  Sinaitic  fragments,  to  which  I  gave  the 
name  of  Codex  Frederick  Augustus,  in  acknowledgment  of  the 
patronage  given  to  me  by  the  King  of  Saxony;  and  I  published 
them  in  Saxony  in  a  sumptuous  edition,  in  which  each  letter  and 
stroke  was  exactly  reproduced  by  the  aid  of  lithography. 

But  these  home  labors  upon  the  manuscripts  which  I  had 
already  safely  garnered  did  not  allow  me  to  forget  the  distant 
treasure  which  I  had  discovered.  I  made  use  of  an  influential 
friend,  who  then  resided  at  the  Court  of  the  Viceroy  of  Egypt,  to 
carry  on  negotiations  for  procuring  the  rest  of  the  manuscripts; 
but  his  attempts  were,  unfortunately,  not  successful.  "The 
monks  of  the  convent,"  he  wrote  to  me  to  say,  "have,  since  your 
departure,  learned  the  value  of  these  sheets  of  parchment,  and 
will  not  part  with  them  at  any  price." 

I  resolved,  therefore,  to  return  to  the  East  to  copy  this  price- 
less manuscript.  Having  set  out  from  Leipzig  in  January,  1853, 
I  embarked  at  Trieste  for  Egypt,  and  in  the  month  of  February 
I  stood  for  the  second  time  in  the  Convent  of  Sinai.  This  second 
journey  was  more  successful  even  than  the  first,  from  the  dis- 
coveries that  I  made  of  rare  Biblical  manuscripts;  but  I  was  not 
able  to  discover  any  further  traces  of  the  treasure  of  1844.  I  for- 
get: I  found  in  a  roll  of  papers  a  little  fragment,  which,  written 
over  on  both  sides,  contained  eleven  short  lines  of  Genesis,  which 
convince  me  that  the  manuscripts  originally  contained  the  entire 


The  Manuscripts  79 

Old  Testament,   but  that  the  greater  part  had   been  long  since 
destroyed. 

On  my  return,  I  reproduced  in  the  first  volume  of  a  collection 
of  ancient  Christian  documents  the  page  of  the  Sinaitic  manu- 
script which  I  had  transcribed  in  1844,  without  divulging  the 
secret  of  where  I  had  found  it.  I  confined  myself  to  the  statement 
that  I  claimed  the  distinction  of  having  discovered  other  docu- 
ments— no  matter  whether  published  in  Berlin  or  Oxford — as  I 
assumed  that  some  learned  travelers,  who  had  visited  the  convent 
after  me,  had  managed  to  carry  them  off. 

The  question  now  arose  how  to  turn  to  use  these  discoveries. 
Not  to  mention  a  second  journey  which  I  made  to  Paris  in  1849, 
I  went  through  Germany,  Switzerland,  and  England,  devoting 
several  years  of  unceasing  labor  to  a  seventh  edition  of  my  New 
Testament.  But  I  felt  myself  more  and  more  urged  to  recom- 
mence my  researches  in  the  East.  Several  motives,  and  more 
especially  the  deep  reverence  of  all  Eastern  monasteries  for  the 
Emperor  of  Russia,  led  me,  in  the  autumn  of  1856,  to  submit  to 
the  Russian  Government  a  plan  of  a  journey  for  making  systematic 
researches  in  the  East.  This  proposal  only  aroused  a  jealous  and 
fanatical  opposition  in  St.  Petersburg.  People  were  astonished 
that  a  foreigner  and  a  Protestant  should  presume  to  ask  the  sup- 
port of  the  Emperor  of  the  Greek  and  Orthodox  Church  for  a 
mission  to  the  East.  But  the  good  cause  triumphed.  The  interest 
which  my  proposal  excited,  even  within  the  imperial  circle,  inclined 
the  Emperor  in  my  favor.  It  obtained  his  approval  in  the  month 
of  September,  1858,  and  the  funds  which  I  asked  for  were  placed 
at  my  disposal.  Three  months  subsequently  my  seventh  edition 
of  the  New  Testament,  which  had  cost  me  three  years  of  incessant 
labor,  appeared;  and  in  the  commencement  of  January,  1859,  I 
again  set  sail  for  the  East.  .  .  . 

By  the  end  of  the  month  of  January  I  had  reached  the  Con- 
vent of  Mount  Sinai.  The  mission  with  which  I  was  entrusted 
entitled  me  to  expect  every  consideration  and  attention.  The 
prior,  on  saluting  me,  expressed  a  wish  that  I  might  succeed  in 
discovering  fresh  supports  for  the  truth.  His  kind  expression  of 
goodwill  was  verified  even  beyond  his  expectations. 

After  having  devoted  a  few  days  in  turning  over  the  manu- 
scripts of  the  convent,  not  without  alighting  here  and  there  on 
some  precious  parchment  or  other,  I  told  my  Bedouins,  on  the 
4th  February,  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  set  out  with 
their  dromedaries  for  Cairo  on  the  7th,  when  an  entirely  fortuitous 
circumstance  carried  me  to  the  goal  of  all  my  desires.  On  the 
afternoon  of  this  day  I  was  taking  a  walk  with  the  steward  of  the 
convent  in  the  neighborhood,  and  as  we  returned  toward  sunset, 
he  begged  me  to  take  some  refreshment  with  him  in  his  cell. 
Scarcely  had  he  entered  the  room,  when,  resuming  our  former 
subject  of  conversation,  he  said:    "And  I,  too,  have  read  a  Sep- 


8o 


The  Book  of  Books 


tuagint" — i.  e.,  copy  of  the  Greek  translation  made  by  the  Seventy. 
And  so  saying,  he  took  down  from  the  corner  of  the  room  a  bulky 
kind  of  volume,  wrapped  up  in  a  red  cloth,  and  laid  it  before  me. 
I  unrolled  the  cover,  and  discovered,  to  my  great  surprise,  not 
only  those  very  fragments  which,  fifteen  years  before,  I  had  taken 
out  of  the  basket,  but  also  other  parts  of  the  Old  Testament,  the 
New  Testament  complete,  and,  in  addition,  the  Epistle  of  Barna- 
bas and  a  part  of  the  Pastor  of  Hermas.  Full  of  joy,  which  this 
time  I  had  the  self-command  to  conceal  from  the  steward  and  the 
rest  of  the  community,  I  asked,  as  if  in  a  careless  way,  for  per- 
mission to  take  the  manuscript  into  my  sleeping  chamber  to  look 
over  it  more  at  leisure.  There  by  myself  I  could  give  way  to  the 
transport  of  joy  which  I  felt.     I  knew  that  I  held  in  my  hand  the 


CONVENT  OF   ST.    CATHERINE,   ON   MOUNT   SINAI 

most  precious  Biblical  treasure  in  existence — a  document  whose 
age  and  importance  exceeded  that  of  all  the  manuscripts  which  I 
had  ever  examined  during  twenty  years'  study  of  the  subject. 
I  cannot  now,  I  confess,  recall  all  the  emotions  which  I  felt  in 
that  exciting  moment  with  such  a  diamond  in  my  possession. 
Though  my  lamp  was  dim,  and  the  night  cold,  I  sat  down  at  once 
to  transcribe  the  Epistle  of  Barnabas.  For  two  centuries  search 
has  been  made  in  vain  for  the  original  Greek  of  the  first  part  of 
this  Epistle,  which  has  only  been  known  through  a  very  faulty 
Latin  translation.  And  yet  this  letter,  from  the  end  of  the  second 
down  to  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  century,  had  an  extensive 
authority,  since  many  Christians  assigned  to  it  and  to  the  Pastor 
of  Hermas  a  place  side  by  side  with  the  inspired  writings  of  the 


The  Manuscripts  8i 

New  Testament.  This  was  the  very  reason  why  these  two  writ- 
ings were  both  thus  bound  up  with  the  Sinaitic  Bible,  the  trans- 
cription of  which  is  to  be  referred  to  the  first  half  of  the  fourth 
century,  and  about  the  time  of  the  first  Christian  Emperor. 

Early  on  the  5th  of  February  I  called  upon  the  steward.  I 
asked  permission  to  take  the  manuscript  with  me  to  Cairo,  to 
have  it  there  transcribed  completely  from  beginning  to  end;  but 
the  prior  had  set  out  only  two  days  before  also  for  Cairo,  on  his 
way  for  Constantinople,  to  attend  at  the  election  of  a  new  arch- 
bishop, and  one  of  the  monks  would  not  give  his  consent  to  my 
request.  What  was  then  to  be  done.f*  My  plans  were  quickly 
decided.  On  the  7th,  at  sunrise,  I  took  a  hasty  farewell  of  the 
monks,  in  hopes  of  reaching  Cairo  in  time  to  get  the  prior's  con- 
sent. Every  mark  of  attention  was  shown  me  on  setting  out. 
The  Russian  flag  was  hoisted  from  the  convent  walls,  while  the 
hillsides  rang  with  the  echoes  of  a  parting  salute,  and  the  most 
distinguished  members  of  the  order  escorted  me  on  my  way  as  far 
as  the  plain. 

The  following  Sunday  I  reached  Cairo,  where  I  was  received 
with  the  same  marks  of  goodwill.  The  prior,  who  had  not  yet  set 
out,  at  once  gave  his  consent  to  my  request,  and  also  gave  instruc- 
tions to  a  Bedouin  to  go  and  fetch  the  manuscript  with  all  speed. 
Mounted  on  his  camel,  in  nine  days  he  went  from  Cairo  to  Sinai 
and  back,  and  on  the  24th  February  the  priceless  treasure  was 
again  in  my  hands.  The  time  was  now  come  at  once  boldly  and 
without  delay  to  set  to  work  to  a  task  of  transcribing  no  less  than 
a  hundred  and  ten  thousand  lines — of  which  a  great  number  were 
difficult  to  read,  either  on  account  of  later  corrections,  or  through 
the  ink  having  faded — and  that  in  a  climate  where  the  thermometer 
during  March,  April,  and  May  is  never  below  ']']°  of  Fahrenheit 
in  the  shade.  No  one  can  say  what  this  cost  me  in  fatigue  and 
exhaustion. 

The  relation  in  which  I  stood  to  the  monastery  gave  me  the 
opportunity  of  suggesting  to  the  monks  the  thought  of  presenting 
the  original  to  the  Emperor  of  Russia  as  the  natural  protector  of 
the  Greek  Orthodox  faith.  The  proposal  was  favorably  enter- 
tained, but  an  unexpected  obstacle  arose  to  prevent  its  being  acted 
upon.  The  new  archbishop,  unanimously  elected  during  Easter 
week,  and  whose  right  it  was  to  give  a  final  decision  in  such  matters, 
was  not  yet  consecrated,  or  his  nomination  even  accepted  by  the 
Sublime  Porte.  And  while  they  were  waiting  for  this  double 
solemnity,  the  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem  protested  so  vigorously 
against  the  election,  that  a  three  months'  delay  must  intervene 
before  the  election  could  be  ratified  and  the  new  archbishop 
installed.     Seeing  this,  I  resolved  to  set  out  for  Jaff"a  and  Jerusalem. 

Just  at  this  time  the  Grand  Duke  Constantine  of  Russia, 
who  had  taken  the  deepest  interest  in  my  labors,  arrived  at  Jaffna. 
I  accompanied  him  to  Jerusalem.     I  visited  the  ancient  libraries 


82 


The  Book  of  Books 


of  the  holy  city,  that  of  the  monastery  of  Saint  Saba  on  the  shores 
of  the  Dead  Sea,  and  then  those  of  Beyrout,  Ladikia,  Smyrna, 
and  Patmos.  These  fresh  researches  were  attended  with  the 
most  happy  results.  At  the  time  desired  I  returned  to  Cairo; 
but  here,  instead  of  success,  only  met  with  a  fresh  disappointment. 
The  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem  still  kept  up  his  opposition,  and  as  he 
carried  it  to  the  most  extreme  lengths,  the  five  representatives  of 
the  convent  had  to  remain  at  Constantinople,  where  they  sought 
in  vain  for  an  interview  with  the  Sultan  to  press  their  rights. 
Under  these  circumstances  the  monks  of  Mount  Sinai,  although 
willing  to  do  so,  were  unable  to  carry  out  my  suggestion. 


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<--|  Mt-oyNAY^iMi 
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neKiAY'rHoKl- 

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it.xiy)rit-i'iru>AAA 
oAi  rtn  N  AeeoT/yfiA 


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lUt-l  Mt->niC!<iJu 

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iipotxY  IU(  'KCXI 
AAjtowMMAfi  ir— 
eyXtJCOAl  KXO«»Jii" 

eA)  A  xuBNToyt; 

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<,-i  r  I  exXKAfroiO" 

•  I  M-IM  f  (  >Ct-YX  11'-' 

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(  •XI'XOKCO"'"'''^ 


OY 

I; 


A  PAGE  OF  THE  SINAITIC  MANUSCRIPT 


In  this  embarrassing  state  of  affairs  the  archbishop  and  his 
friends  entreated  me  to  use  my  influence  on  behalf  of  the  convent. 
I  therefore  set  out  at  once  for  Constantinople,  with  a  view  of 
there  supporting  the  case  of  the  five  representatives.     The  Prince 


The  Manuscripts  83 

Lobanow,  Russian  ambassador  to  Turkey,  received  me  with  the 
greatest  goodwill,  and  as  he  offered  me  hospitality  in  his  country 
house-  on  the  shores  of  the  Bosphorus,  I  was  able  the  better  to 
attend  to  the  negotiations  which  had  brought  me  there.  But  our 
irreconcilable  enemy,  the  influential  and  obstinate  Patriarch  of 
Jerusalem,  still  had  the  upper  hand.  The  archbishop  was  then 
advised  to  appeal  himself  in  person  to  the  patriarchs,  archbishops, 
and  bishops;  and  this  plan  succeeded — for  before  the  end  of  the 
year  the  right  of  the  convent  was  recognized,  and  we  gained  our 
cause.  I  myself  brought  back  the  news  of  our  success  to  Cairo, 
and  with  it  I  also  brought  my  own  special  request,  backed  with 
the  support  of  Prince  Lobanow. 

On  the  24th  of  September  I  returned  to  Cairo.  The  monks 
and  archbishop  then  warmly  expressed  their  thanks  for  my  zealous 
efforts  in  their  cause,  and  the  following  day  I  received  from  them, 
under  the  form  of  a  loan,  the  Sinaitic  Bible,  to  carry  it  to  St. 
Petersburg,  and  there  to  have  it  copied  as  accurately  as  possible. 

I  set  out  for  Russia  early  in  October,  and  on  the  19th  of 
November,  I  presented  to  their  Imperial  Majesties,  in  the  Winter 
Palace  at  Tsarkoe-Selo,  my  rich  collection  of  old  Greek,  Syriac, 
Coptic,  Arabic,  and  other  manuscripts,  in  the  middle  of  which 
the  Sinaitic  Bible  shone  like  a  crown.  I  then  took  the  oppor- 
tunity of  submitting  to  the  Emperor,  Alexander  II,  a  proposal  of 
making  an  edition  of  this  Bible  worthy  of  the  work  and  of  the 
Emperor  himself,  and  which  should  be  regarded  as  one  of  the 
greatest  undertakings  in  critical  and  biblical  study. 

I  did  not  feel  free  to  accept  the  brilliant  offers  that  were  made 
to  me  to  settle  finally,  or  even  for  a  few  years,  in  the  Russian  capi- 
tal. It  was  at  Leipzig,  therefore,  at  the  end  of  three  years,  and 
after  three  journeys  to  St.  Petersburg,  that  I  was  able  to  carry  to 
completion  the  laborious  task  of  producing  7\.  facsimile  copy  of  this 
codex  in  four  folio  volumes. 

In  the  month  of  October,  1862,  I  repaired  to  St.  Petersburg 
to  present  this  edition  to  their  majesties.  The  Emperor,  who  had 
liberally  provided  for  the  cost,  and  who  approved  the  proposal  of 
this  superb  manuscript  appearing  on  the  celebration  of  the  Mille- 
nary Jubilee  of  the  Russian  empire,  has  distributed  impressions  of 
it  throughout  the  Christian  world,  which,  without  distinction  of 
creed  have  expressed  their  recognition  of  its  value.  Even  the 
Pope,  in  an  autograph  letter,  has  sent  to  the  editor  his  congratu- 
lations and  admiration.  The  two  most  celebrated  universities 
of  England,  Cambridge  and  Oxford,  desired  to  show  me  honor 
by  conferring  on  me  their  highest  academic  degree.  "I  would 
rather,"  said  an  old  man — himself  of  the  highest  distinction  for 
learning — "I  would  rather  have  discovered  this  Sinaitic  manu- 
script than  the  Koh-i-noor  of  the  Queen  of  England." 

But  that  which  I  think  more  highly  of  than  all  these  flattering 
distinctions  is  the  fact  that  Providence  has  given  to  our  age,  in 


84 


The  Book  of  Books 


which  attacks  on  Christianity  are  so  common,  the  Sinaitic  Bible, 
to  be  to  us  a  full  and  clear  light  as  to  what  is  the  real  text  of  God's 
Word  written,  and  to  assist  us  in  defending  the  truth  by  establish- 
ing its  authentic  form. 

The  manuscript  consists  of  346^  leaves,  and  is  of  fine 
vellum,  made  from  antelope  skins;  the  writing  is  in  four 
columns  to  each  page  (except  some  of  the  poetical  portions, 
which  are  two  columns  to  the  page),  and  the  page  is  13K 
inches  wide  and  14^/^  inches  high.  Originally  it  contained 
the  Old  Testament  complete,  the  New  Testament  complete, 
together  with  the  Epistles  of  Barnabas  and  the  "Shepherd" 


MAIN  HALL  OF  THE  VATICAN  LIBRARY 

{From  "The  Biblical  World") 

(or  Pastor)  of  Hermas,  these  last  being  two  apocryphal 
books  which  were  highly  regarded  in  the  early  Christian 
centuries.  Part  of  the  Old  Testament  is  now  missing,  and 
part  of  the  Shepherd  of  Hermas. 

The  Convent  of  St.  Catherine  is  at  the  foot  of  Mount 
Sinai,  and  was  built  by  the  Emperor  Justinian  in  527  a.d. 
There  is  in  the  convent  a  chapel  called  the  "Chapel  of  the 
Burning  Bush,"  and  one  of  its  wells  is  supposed  to  be  the 
one  where  Moses  met  Reuel's  daughters  and  helped  them 
water  their  flocks.  Other  valuable  manuscripts  have  been 
found  there  besides  Codex  X  . 


The  Manuscripts  85 

Copies  of  the  beautiful  four-volume  facsimile  edition  of 
Codex  .^  published  by  Tischendorf  may  be  seen  in  some  of 
the  American  public  and  theological  libraries. 

The  Vatican  Manuscript  (Codex  B)  is  considered  to  be 
of  about  the  same  age  as  the  Sinaitic,  dating  from  the  fourth 
century.  It  is  in  the  Vatican  Library  at  Rome,  where  it 
has  been,  with  a  brief  exception,  since  the  end  of  the  fifteenth 


"     1  /...i-s  jtiVl-  >  o-  • 


'i:":r:2^-!. 


A  PAGE  OF  THE  VATICAN  MANUSCRIPT 

{From  "  The  Biblical  World") 

century  at  least.  It  originally  contained  the  whole  of  the 
Bible,  but  now  the  following  parts  are  missing:  Genesis  to 
the  28th  verse  of  chapter  46;  Psalms  105  to  137;  Hebrews, 
from  verse  14  of  the  9th  chapter  to  the  end  of  the  book; 
I  and  2  Timothy,  Titus,  Philemon,  and  Revelation.  It 
consists  of  759  leaves  of  vellum,  measuring  10^  x  10  inches. 
The  writing  is  in  three  columns.     It  is  bound  in  one  volume 


86 


The  Book  of  Books 


in  red  morocco.  Facsimile  copies  may  be  seen  in  some  of 
our  libraries.  Napoleon  carried  the  manuscript  to  Paris 
among  his  spoils  of  victory,  but  it  was  returned  to  Rome  in 
1815.  It  was  while  it  was  in  Paris  that  its  great  value 
became  known  to  scholars. 

The  Alexandrian  Manuscript  (Codex  A)  is  in  the  British 
Museum,  London.  It  is  so  named  because  originally  it  was 
in  Alexandria;  but  it  was  taken  to  Constantinople  by  Cyril 
Lucar  when  he  became  Patriarch  there,  and  in   1627  was 


BHP*^"- 

^B 

1 

WKB^m 

^ jl 

IBH 

A    VOLUME    OF    THE    ALEXANDRIAN    MANUSCRIPT 
The  New  Testament,  as  it  lies  in  its  case  in  the  British  Museum 

presented  by  him  to  Charles  I.  It  remained  the  possession 
of  the  English  sovereigns  till  it  was  presented  to  the  nation 
by  George  II. 

It  consists  of  four  volumes,  one  of  which  is  represented 
in  the  illustration.  This  is  the  New  Testament  as  it  lies  in 
its  case  in  the  Museum.  The  writing  is  in  two  columns,  on 
thin  vellum,  the  size  of  page  being  13  x  10  inches.  It  orig- 
inally contained  the  complete  Bible,  but  now  about  ten 
leaves  are  missing  from  the  Old  Testament,  and  the  New 
Testament   lacks   the   Gospel   of  Matthew  to   chapter   24, 


The  Manuscripts 


87 


verse  6;  John  6  :  50  to  8  :  52;  and  2  Corinthians  4  :  13  to 
12:6.  The  manuscript  includes  parts  of  two  Epistles  of 
Clement,  which  were  highly  regarded  in  the  early  Christian 
centuries,  a  letter  of  Athanasius,  and  a  treatise  by  Eusebius 
on  the  Psalms. 


V'  >3>.iv.  I  tic  •■<:>(•».  mi  <>«.(•».••«••'• 
i-t'>O.Kvropt».;tf.UOO  >.«  ■  >•><>>.• 


\  »j^i 


»^-Oi;«.i>j 


i>r<  IK:  iiov'Jl**' >'«iv.   ^    |-,i.    , 

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^<ii*oi-r<^"  «.^V"' '  tf  <-it:Ovo  11.- 

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<-oi  ix«io«JPi-«J>o».v''x^v»<j.>c; 
ciKtx  ivxatn  ivit  P».iH>r»»<rr-H"" 

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,xc")r-r-jt  r-xi^f.^.x  • 


^ 


A   PAGE    FROM   THE   ALEXANDRIAN   MANUSCRIPT 

There  is  a  tradition  that  the  manuscript  was  written 
by  Thecla  the  martyr,  and  an  Arabic  inscription  on  the  first 
sheet  so  states,  but  this  origin  is  considered  to  be  very 
doubtful.     It  is  believed  to  date  from  the  fifth  century. 


88  The  Book  of  Books 

Codex  Ephraem  (Codex  C)  is  the  most  valuable  palimp- 
sest, or  rewritten  manuscript,  known.  It  is  in  the  Biblio- 
theque  Nationale,  at  Paris.  Palimpsests  are  manuscripts 
in  which  the  original  writing  has  been  erased  and  something 
else  written  over.  In  this  instance  a  Greek  manuscript 
dating  from  the  fifth  century  was  used,  about  the  twelfth 
century,  for  writing  thereon  some  of  the  works  of  Ephraem 
the  Syrian,  a  preacher  of  the  fourth  century.  At  the  end 
of  the  seventeenth  century  it  was  noticed  that  there  were 
traces  of  an  earlier  writing  beneath  that  of  Ephraem.  The 
manuscript  doubtless  contained  the  complete  Old  and  New 
Testaments,  but  there  are  only  64  leaves  of  the  Old  and 
145  of  the  New  now  remaining.  Numerous  attempts  were 
made  to  decipher  the  earlier  text,  but  without  much  result. 
Later  a  chemical  was  found  capable  of  strengthening  the 
older  writing,  but  still  there  was  great  difficulty  in  decipher- 
ing it.  However,  in  1840  Tischendorf  began  to  labor  dili- 
gently at  the  task,  ahd  in  1843  and  1845  published  an  almost 
complete  reading,  which  has  been  of  very  great  value  to 
students  of  the  Greek  text.  Some  idea  of  the  difficulties 
involved  in  the  work  may  be  gathered  from  the  illustration 
for  which  a  special  photograph  was  taken. 

Codex  Bezae  (Codex  D)  is  a  bilingual  manuscript,  hav- 
ing Greek  on  one  page  and  Latin  on  the  other.  It  is  probably 
of  the  sixth  century,  and  may  be  earlier.  It  was  presented 
to  the  University  of  Cambridge  in  1581  by  Theodore  Beza, 
a  reformer  and  a  friend  of  Calvin.  He  found  it  in  the 
Monastery  of  St.  Irenaeus  at  Lyons  in  1562.  It  contains 
the  Gospels  and  Acts,  and  part  of  the  3d  Epistle  of  John.. 
This  manuscript  is  a  good  example  of  stichometry. 

Codex  Claromontanus  was  discovered  by  Beza  at 
Clermont  in  1582  and  is  now  in  the  Bibliotheque  Nationale 
at  Paris.  It  is  of  very  thin  vellum,  with  Greek  and  Latin 
in  parallel  columns.  It  is  of  the  sixth  century,  and  contains 
the  Epistles  of  Paul  and  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews. 

Codex  Purpureus  is  a  beautiful  example  of  a  vellum 
manuscript  stained  purple,  with  the  writing  in  silver  and 
divine  names  in  gold.  There  are  only  45  leaves,  of  which 
4  are  in  the  British  Museum,  London;  6  in  the  Vatican 
Library,  in  Rome;  2  in  the  Imperial  Library,  in  Vienna; 
and  33  in  the  Monastery  of  St.  John,  in  Patmos. 


The  Manuscripts  89 

Codex  Laudianus,  of  the  Acts,  is  in  the  Bodleian 
Library,  Oxford.  It  is  so  called  because  presented  to  the 
Library  by  Archbishop  Laud,  in  1636.      It  is  of  the  sixth 


.^twj  J5>f  i?mjaoau»(,!  i-*<«-ss£(X-,o' 


-j-i  -L- 


i  •(.Ml    K.(  I  A<M'.|  Jt 


,  _|r>^,»  «4:c 


_jG  -f  <  <vQ-  '  ,  .-i^Q,  —sijni>/dtrii  it  Ota.  C    , 

■  irk^.v  I 

i:A!i     >"      ,V4  ir  J»  U:\'^'i    ■■!  m  ll:l<Ul»  J<lWi>ii»s. 


A  PAGE  OF  THE  EPHRAEM   PALIMPSEST 

century  and  was  probably  taken  from  Tarsus  to  England 
in  the  end  of  the  seventh  century  and  used  by  the  Venerable 
Bede  early  in  the  eighth  century. 


90 


The  Book  of  Books 


Codex  Rossanensis  is  another  manuscript  of  purple 
vellum  with  silver  letters,  and  the  three  first  lines  of  each 
gospel,  in  each  of  its  two  columns,  in  gold.  It  was  found 
by  Drs.  Gebhardt  and  Harnack  in  1879,  at  Rossano  in 
Italy.  It  is  remarkable  for  a  number  of  pictorial  illustra- 
tions of  gospel  history  in  water-colors.  It  contains  only 
the  Gospels  of  Matthew  and  Mark,  and  is  of  the  sixth 
century. 


THE  SAMARITAN  PENTATEUCH 

(From  "The  Biblical  World") 


CHAPTER  VI 
ANCIENT  VERSIONS  AND  QUOTATIONS 

NEXT  in  importance  to  the  manuscripts  in  the  same 
languages  as  those  in  which  the  originals  were  written 
are  the  versions,  or  translations  into  languages  other  than 
those  in  which  the  Scriptures  were  originally  written. 

The  Samaritan  Pentateuch  is  one  of  the  most  famous 
manuscripts  extant.  It  belongs  to  the  small  Samaritan 
colony  at  Shechem,  which  is  descended  from  the  mixed 
people  who  were  sent  to  Samaria  in  the  seventh  century 
B.C.  by  the  king  of  Assyria,  as  recorded  in  2  Kings  17  :  24. 
These  Samaritans  are  referred  to  in  Ezra  4  :  9,  10,  as  "the 
nations  whom  the  great  and  noble  Asnapper  brought  over 
and  set  in  the  cities  of  Samaria."  There  was  always  ill 
feeling  between  the  Samaritans  and  the  Jews,  and  this 
was  increased  when  a  grandson  of  Eliashib,  the  high-priest, 
was  found  to  be  among  those  who  had  married  heathen 
wives,  and  Nehemiah  says  "Therefore  I  chased  him  from 
me."  Josephus  says  this  was  Manasseh,  and  that  he  went 
to  Samaria  with  his  wife  and  his  father-in-law  Sanballat, 
and  a  rival  temple  was  set  up  on  Mount  Gerizim. 

The  Samaritans  did  not  recognize  any  part  of  the  Scrip- 
tures but  the  Pentateuch,  and  an  inscription  on  the  chief 
Samaritan  copy  of  it  says  it  was  written  by  "Abishua  the 
son  of  Phinehas,  the  son  of  Eleazar,  the  son  of  Aaron  the 
priest  in  the  thirteenth  year  of  the  settlement  of  Israel  in 
the  land  of  Canaan,"  but  this  is  not  supposed  by  scholars 
to  be  accurate,  and  the  manuscript  is  considered  to  be 
about  a  thousand  years  old. 

After  the  return  of  the  Jews  from  the  Babylonian  cap- 
tivity, Hebrew  gradually  ceased  to  be  the  common  language 
of  the    people,    and    another    Semitic    language,    Aramaic, 

(91) 


92 


The  Book  of  Books 


took  its  place,  and  Hebrew  became  the  sacred  language. 
It  therefore  became  necessary  for  an  interpreter  to  stand 
beside  the  preacher  and  translate  the  Hebrew  that  the  people 


ii/ 


"^  /v 


'•'5S;  '^/JlUDr-j  'J4^>-J^cic>f  ''^Ja 


"^  ~r 


v^Vi  'X' 


^A>^^ 


.1^'^ 


,.  ^J-   ^^t^-^-AT^'^'^^'^'"^'' 


i 


PART  OF  THE  SAMARITAN  PENTATEUCH 

(From  Winston's  "Handy  Bible  Encyclopedia") 

might  understand  it;  and  later  on  the  interpreters  took  to 
explaining  as  well,  and  there  arose  the  Targums,  or  Aramaic 
paraphrases  of  the  Old  Testament,  when  the  interpretations 
were  committed  to  writing.     They  are  known  by  the  nan  es 


Ancient  Versions 


93 


of  the  authors  or  the  places  where  they  were  written  and 
used.  There  are  three  Targums  on  the  Pentateuch:  the 
Targum  of  Onkelos  or  the  Babylonian  Targum;  the  Jeru- 
salem Targum  of  Jonathan;  and  a  second  Jerusalem  Tar- 
gum of  part  of  the  Pentateuch;  one  on  the  Prophets,  the 
Targum  of  Jonathan  Ben  Uzziel;  and  several  less  valuable 
Targums  on  the  Hagiographa  (that  is,  the  writings  other 
than  the  Law  and  the  Prophets).  These  Targums  took 
definite  form  in  the  early  Christian  centuries. 

The  most  famous  of  the  Old  Testament  versions  is 
the  Septuagint  (LXX),  or  the  version  of  the  Seventy,  This 
was  made  at  Alexandria  for  the  benefit  of  the  Jewish  colony 
there,  but  there  is  much  uncertainty   as  to  the  date   and 


ANCIENT  ROLLS  AND  CONTAINER 

(From  Winston's  "Handy  Bible  Encyclopedia") 

method  of  the  translation.  There  is  a  tradition  that  the 
work  was  done  by  seventy-two  Jews,  specially  brought  from 
Palestine,  in  seventy-two  days.  Another  tradition  says 
that  the  translators  worked  independently,  and,  when  they 
had  finished,  their  translations  were  absolutely  identical. 
These  are  traditions  only;  scholars  now  are  agreed  that  the 
work  was  begun  about  280  B.C.  Greek  had  by  then  become 
the  common  language  ofthe  countries  around  the  eastern  end 
of  the  Mediterranean,  and  the  Septuagint  became  very  pop- 
ular among  the  Jewish  residents  there.  It  was  the  version  in 
use  in  the  days  of  Jesus  and  the  apostles,  and  their  quota- 
tions are  made  from  it.  The  Septuagint  is  valuable  as  being 
made    from    Hebrew    manuscripts    much    older    than    any 


94 


The  Book  of  Books 


Hebrew  manuscripts  now  extant.  The  Old  Testament 
portions  of  the  Sinaitic,  Vatican,  Alexandrian,  and  Ephraem 
manuscripts  are  the  Septuagint  version. 

A  Greek  version  was  made  by  Aquila,  who  was  a  Jewish 
proselyte  of  Pontus,  in  the  early  part  of  the  second  century. 
It  was  a  strictly  literal  translation  for  the  Jews  to  use  in 
contending  with  the  Christians,  but  it  was  used  by  Christians 
as  well  as  Jews. 


"ff-l'OC  -^-^rrt^^yuLfiy^x 


'1  u  ,(k; . 


X^  ^?h^  i^^f  H  Nine  QYX^-rr.  i>j 


c 


.   ^^^^,.% 


FRAGMENT  OF  SEPTUAGINT  PSALTER 

(Psa.   II  :  7  ff.)      Found  in   Egypt,   1892;    now  in   the   British  Museum 

Probably  of  the  third  century 

(From  Nelsons'  "  Encyclopadia) 

Theodotion,  supposed  to  be  a  Jewish  proselyte,  also 
from  Pontus,  made  a  Greek  translation  in  the  latter  half  of 
the  second  century,  which  is  mainly  a  revised  version  of 
the  Septuagint. 

Symmachus,  an  Ebionite  of  the  latter  half  of  the  second 
century,  made  a  very  faithful  translation  of  the  Hebrew, 
and  his  style  was  superior  to  that  of  the  two  just  mentioned. 


Ancient  Versions  95 

His  version  was  made  use  of  by  Jerome  when  he  made  his 
Latin  version,  the  Vulgate. 

These  three  Greek  versions  are  referred  to  by  the 
revisers  who  prepared  the  Authorized  Version,  in  the  remark- 
able preface  which  is  reproduced  in  a  later  chapter,  and  by 
the  Jewish  revisers  in  their  preface  to  the  new  translation 
of  1917,  the  latest  of  the  revised  versions  at  the  date  of  this 
writing. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  third  century  a  great  scholar 
flourished  at  Alexandria,  named  Origen.  He  was  dissatis- 
fied with  the  Greek  version  then  existing  and  himself  revised 
the  Septuagint.  He  published  his  "Hexaplar,"  or  six- 
version  edition,  with  the  following  columns  side  by  side: 
(i)  The  Hebrew  text;  (2)  the  Hebrew  text  transliterated  into 
Greek;  (3)  Aquila's  translation;  (4)  the  translation  of 
Symmachus;  (5)  his  own  revision  of  the  Septuagint;  (6) 
Theodotion's  translation. 

Several  minor  revisions  of  the  Septuagint  were  made 
in  the  fourth  century;  one  by  Eusebius,  of  Caesarea,  for 
use  in  Palestine;  one  by  Htsychius,  of  Alexandria,  for  use 
in  Egypt;  and  one  by  Lucian,  of  Antioch,  for  use  in  Asia 
Minor. 

The  most  important  translation  of  the  Old  Testament 
into  Syriac  is  known  as  the  "Peshito"  or  "simple."  It  was 
probably  made  in  the  second  century,  and  was  referred  to 
by  Ephraem  the  Syrian  in  the  fourth  century.  It  was  most 
likely  made  by  Jews  who  had  become  Christians. 

Another  Syriac  version  was  made  early  in  the  seventh 
century  by  Bishop  Paul,  of  Telia,  and  it  is  a  translation 
from  the  Greek  of  Origen's  Hexaplar. 

The  Latin  version  known  as  the  Vulgate,  because  trans- 
lated into  the  common  or  vulgar  tongue,  is  the  chief  Latin 
translation.  There  had  been  others  before  it,  which  are 
known  as  the  Old  Latin,  but  there  were  great  variations 
between  those  in  use  in  different  parts.  An  African  Latin 
version  and  an  Italian  Latin  version  were  the  principal; 
some  of  the  early  English  paraphrases  and  translations  were 
made  from  the  Old  Latin,  not  from  the  Vulgate. 

The  Vulgate  was  translated  by  Jerome  at  the  request  of 
Pope  Damasus.  Jerome  was  born  about  340  a.d.  at  Stridon 
on  the  border  of  Dalmatia,  and  was  undoubtedly  the  greatest 


96 


The  Book  of  Books 


scholar  of  his  day.  He  traveled  considerably  in  Italy  and 
the  east  and  studied  at  Constantinople  under  Gregory 
Nazianzen.     He  went  to  Rome  again  in  382,  where  he  became 


p..  Mr; 


iNCLlBlOd 


huT 
f^07>unc-\ch  CccrxJ 
iitrilliritmplfxcrrrca^ 

1!  vfii   '■-'.'-ziaflinreifeptr- 

'nn;:.^cit.toa:  uie.v'uu'm  c'caui/i-.-^tV!;! 
\titJXC-  Xcfkrnilix  ryiitlz.\h~i:rritl'   Lr^!:cl:  tiir  I'dc- 

(Itv-  Cr'"!rnmrirf"iu'>i:.\!i.Oir,  r7-ityj>rx>rof7u.v/"ur>.\  f"i- 

Jifi'conuttin  tfiirctlwz  .\-accf'iA-<  Ct Ut  f,c^-':'-r (LU-' i ' 
(^cnfltf^^iKr  c-ftluciiL'  ciffh-d\\t  (•(.■■Loir.vti/rApfi'n.'u 
lot"  'C^tccb.\z tyuni  ■  f^ffht'Tt-pcci.wiiCTityc  f^Utmn 
CrbcriLxii^.et'inzcino incordib-lliir ftcf^cid'.KZ  lob 
CitnccifJtch: 
g     ^  ii.vcf.vii.vurt'c/irai'MtirtirAJrrr^tjii/rur.vciAifn^ 


Now  in  the 


PORTION  OF  JEROME'S  VULGATE 
(Job  I.)      Written  a.  d.  840,  with  gold  and  silver  initials. 

British    Museum 

(From  Nelsons'  "  Encyclopadia) 

closely  associated  with  the  pope  and  undertook,  at  his 
request,  a  revision  of  the  Old  Latin,  and  later  the  translation 
of  the  Scriptures  from  the  originals.  He  commenced  this 
work  at  Rome,  and  issued  first  the  Gospels,  then  the  Acts 


Ancient  Versions  97 

and  the  rest  of  the  New  Testament,  and  then  the  Psalter 
fiom  the  Old  Testament.  After  the  pope's  death  in  384, 
Jerome  went  to  Palestine  and  settled  at  Bethlehem  where 
he  lived  until  420,  and  continued  his  work  of  translation. 
His  complete  Old  Testament  appeared  about  404  and  was 
met  with  considerable  criticism,  especially  from  those  who 
objected  that  the  language  of  his  translation  departed 
greatly  from  that  of  the  older  versions  which  they  regarded 
with  a  feeling  akin  to  reverence.  After  his  death,  however, 
the  Vulgate  gradually  superseded  the  other  Latin  versions, 
and  became  the  standard  of  the  church.  It  was  the  source 
of  Wiclif's  version,  greatly  influenced  the  English  transla- 
tions of  Tindale  and  his  successors,  and  was  the  sole  basis 
of  the  Roman  CathoHc  translation  of  1582  and  1609.  The 
text  has  been  revised  on  several  occasions:  for  the  Complu- 
tensian  Polyglot  by  Cardinal  Ximenes  in  15 17,  the  revised 
version  issued  in  1590  by  Pope  Sixtus  V,  and  the  version 
issued  by  order  of  Pope  Clement  VIII  in  1592.  This  last 
is  still  the  standard  version  of  the  Vulgate. 

Egyptian,  or  Coptic,  versions  were  made  in  the  third 
or  fourth  century,  from  the  Septuagint.  They  included  the 
Memphitic,  or  Bahiric,  for  Lower  Egypt;  the  Thebaic,  or 
Sahidic,  for  Upper  Egypt. 

A  Gothic  version  was  published  in  the  end  of  the  fourth 
century  by  Ulphilas,  bishop  of  the  Western  Goths. 

Besides,  there  have  been  Ethiopic  (for  Abyssinia), 
Arabic,  Armenian,  Persian,  and  others,  but  they  were  issued 
later,  and,  beyond  their  value  for  those  who  spoke  the  par- 
ticular languages,  they  are  of  Uttle  value  from  the  viewpoint 
of  the  history  of  the  text,  most  of  them  being  translations 
of  the  Septuagint  or  the  Vulgate. 

The  great  value  of  the  Septuagint  and  the  Vulgate  Hes 
in  the  fact  that  they  are  translated,  especially  in  the  case 
of  the  Hebrew,  from  manuscripts  much  older  than  any  now 
existing. 

Of  the  Syriac  New  Testament  there  are  several  versions. 
The  Peshito,  or  "simple,"  omits  2  Peter,  2  and  3  John, 
Jude,  and  Revelation.  It  is  the  version  that  has  been  used 
by  the  Syrian  church  from  at  least  the  fifth  century.  The 
Philoxenian  was  a  revision  of  the  Peshito  made  about  508, 
and  this  was  revised  again  in  616  by  Thomas  of  Heraklea  in 


98 


The  Book  of  Books 


Mesopotamia,  his  version  being  known  as  the  Harkleian. 
The  Curetonian  Syriac  is  a  version  in  a  manuscript  found 
in  the  Nitrian  Desert  in  Egypt,  in  1847,  and  pubhshed  in 
1858  by  Canon  WiUiam  Cureton.     The  manuscript  is  now 


IttU^f-^  -  ^^^z^ 


v  ^4Lpec3J^-^^a^p?^etcpcMt, 


5tHci<UJ^ 


IL 


PORTION  OF  A  SYRIAC  MANUSCRIPT 

(Luke  7  :  44747-) 
Found  in  the  Convent  of  Mount  Sinai,  by  Mrs  Lewis  in  1892 

in  the  British  Museum.  It  is  of  the  fifth  century,  but  the 
version  may  be  older  than  the  Peshito.  The  same  version 
is  represented  in  a  paHmpsest  manuscript  discovered  at 
Mount  Sinai  in  1892  by  Mrs.  Lewis. 


Ancient  Versions 


99 


The  Church  Fathers  quoted  directly  and  indirectly 
from  manuscripts  which  were  older  than  any  extant  today, 
and  therefore  such  direct  quotations  are  likely  to  be 
nearer  the  original  than  the  existing  manuscripts — and 
where  they  coincide  with  the  existing  readings  they  are 
valuable  corroborative  evidence.  Frequently  the  substance 
only  is  given,  and  from  a  textual  point  of  view  such 
quotations  are  not  of  much  value.     The  absence  in  the  early 


PORTION  OF  A  COPTIC  MANUSCRIPT 

{From  Nelsons'  " Encyclopadia") 

writings  of  any  reference  to  the  much  discussed  verse, 
I  John  5  :  7,  of  which  we  shall  have  occasion  to  take  notice 
again  in  a  later  chapter,  is  presumptive  evidence  that  it 
did  not  exist  in  the  original  or  any  early  copies,  because  the 
question  of  the  Trinity  was  discussed  at  an  early  date,  and 
such  a  text  would  undoubtedly  have  been  brought  into  the 
controversy,  if  it  existed  then. 


CHAPTER   VII 

EARLY  ENGLISH    PARAPHRASES  AND 
VERSIONS 

FROM  the  seventh  to  the  fourteenth  centuries,  that  is, 
for  a  period  of  nearly  seven  hundred  years,  there  were 
numerous  attempts  at  translating  into  early  English  or 
paraphrasing  portions  of  the  Scriptures,  the  manuscripts  of 
some  of  which  are  extant  today.  There  were  no  known 
attempts  at  translating  the  whole  Bible  into  the  languages 
and  dialects  spoken  in  Britain.  Outside  the  few  existing 
manuscripts,  very  little  is  known  of  either  the  translators 
or  their  work.  It  does  not  appear  that  the  translations  or 
paraphrases  were  for  the  benefit  of  the  common  people,  but 
for  the  help  of  the  clergy  and  monks,  who  in  many  instances 
were  not  well  educated.  Very  few  of  the  people  could  read 
or  write,  and  if  translations  into  the  vernacular  were  to  be 
had  easily,  which  was  not  the  case,  even  then  they  would 
be  unintelligible  to  all  except  a  few.  Again,  it  was  no  more 
the  desire  of  the  clergy  and  monks  in  those  early  centuries 
to  give  the  Word  of  God  to  the  people  in  their  own  tongue 
than  it  was  in  the  fourteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  when 
the  opposition  of  the  priests  to  Wiclif,  Tindale,  and  others 
was  so  fierce. 

The  earliest  known  attempt  to  render  any  portion  of 
the  Scriptures  into  Anglo-Saxon  was  made  by  Caedmon, 
and  the  following  story  is  told  by  Bede  in  his  Ecclesiastical 
History.  The  custom  was  for  persons  to  play  with  the  harp 
and  extemporize  some  lines  to  sing  to  it,  in  the  same  way 
that  the  Welsh  bards  used  to  do — and  the  custom  has  not 
even  yet  died  out  in  Wales;  the  writer  has  been  present  at 
such  events.     Caedmon,  a  servant  of  the  Abbey  at  Whitby, 

(100) 


Early  English  Versions  ioi 

was  unable  to  take  his  part  with  his  companions,  so  absented 
himself.  One  night  he  had  a  vision,  and  a  voice  told  him  to 
awake  and  sing.  He  said  he  could  not;  but  the  voice  assured 
him  that  he  should  sing  of  the  beginning  of  things  and  of 
the  love  of  God.  He  felt  an  inspiration,  and,  on  relating 
the  story,  was  taken  under  the  protection  of  the  abbess, 
Hilda,  and  the  monks,  and  given  an  opportunity  to  develop 
his  gift  of  song.  Bede  says  that  he  made  poetical  para- 
phrases of  the  creation  of  the  world,  and  the  origin  of  the 
human  race,  of  the  exodus  of  Israel  from  Egypt  and  their 
entry  into  the  promised  land,  and  many  other  Scripture 
stories,  of  the  incarnation,  passion,  resurrection,  and  ascen- 
sion of  the  Lord,  of  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the 
doctrine  of  the  apostles.     Caedmon  died  about  680  a.d. 

Of  Aldhelm,  abbot  of  Malmesbury  and  bishop  of  Sher- 
borne, it  is  said  that  he  sang  his  songs  on  a  bridge  that 
passers-by  might  learn  something  of  religion.  Some  of  his 
songs  are  said  to  have  lived  till  King  Alfred's  day.  He  is 
also  said  to  have  paraphrased  the  Psalms,  but  there  is  no 
indisputable  evidence  extant.  Aldhelm  lived  a  little  later 
than  Caedmon,  and  died  about  706. 

Guthlac,  a  hermit  of  Croyland,  near  Peterborough,  is 
supposed  to  have  made  a  version  of  the  Psalms  about  the 
same  time  as  Aldhelm. 

Bede,  a  monk  of  Jarrow-on-Tyne,  generally  called  the 
Venerable  Bede,  undoubtedly  the  greatest  scholar  of  his 
day,  wrote  commentaries  and  an  ecclesiastical  history  and 
translated  the  gospel  of  John.  It  is  thought  by  some  that 
he  only  translated  part  of  the  Gospel,  from  the  beginning 
to  the  9th  verse  of  the  6th  chapter.  Cuthbert,  a  pupil  of 
Bede,  wrote  in  a  letter  to  a  fellow-pupil  named  Cuthwin, 
that  on  the  day  before  Bede  died  (he  died  on  Ascension  Day, 
May  27,  735),  he  was  dictating  his  translation  and  said, 
"Go  on  quickly,  I  know  not  how  long  I  shall  hold  out,  and 
whether  my  Maker  may  not  soon  take  me  away."  On  the 
morrow  he  resumed  his  task.  At  length  Cuthbeit  said, 
"Dear  master,  there  is  but  one  sentence  still  left  undone." 
Said  Bede,  "Write  quickly."  And  when  Cuthbert  said, 
"Master  it  is  finished,"  Bede  said,  "Thou  hast  said  well; 
it  is  finished,"  and  having  said  the  doxology  he  fell  asleep. 


I02  The  Book  of  Books 

King  Alfred  the  Great  translated  the  Ten  Command- 
ments and  part  of  the  Psalms.  He  is  sometimes  supposed 
to  have  translated  also  the  New  Testament  and  part  of  the 
Old,  but  there  is  no  evidence  for  it  other  than  the  Ten 
Commandments.  It  may  be  that  he  even  intended  to  give 
the  whole  Bible  to  his  people  in  English,  but  it  is  not  known 
that  he  accomplished  much  toward  it.     He  died  in  901. 

Besides  these  Anglo-Saxon  versions,  or  paraphrases  of 
portions  of  the  Scriptures,  there  were  some  interlinear  trans- 
lations, or  glosses.  In  these  the  Latin  version  was  written 
on  one  line  and  the  Anglo-Saxon  translation  on  another. 

One  such  gloss  is  known  as  the  Durham  Book.  It  is 
in  the  British  Museum  (Nero,  D  IV).  It  is  also  known  as 
the  Cuthbert  Gospels,  as  it  is  supposed  to  have  been  used 
by  Cuthbert,  the  pupil  of  Bede.  Another  name  for  it  is  the 
Lindisfarne  Gospels.  The  Latin  was  written  by  Eadfrith, 
bishop  of  Lindisfarne,  at  the  end  of  the  seventh  century, 
and  the  Anglo-Saxon  gloss  was  added  by  Aldred,  a  priest 
of  Holy  Isle,  two  centuries  later. 

The  West  Saxon  Gospels  are  another  example  of  the 
interlinear  translation,  but  the  author  is  unknown. 

The  Rushworth  Gloss  is  of  the  end  of  the  tenth  or 
beginning  of  the  eleventh  century,  and  the  manuscript  is 
in  the  Bodleian  Library,  Oxford.  It  is  Jerome's  Vulgate 
Latin,  with  an  Anglo-Saxon  gloss,  and  an  inscription  states 
that  it  was  written  by  an  Irishman  named  MacRegol. 

About  the  beginning  of  the  eleventh  century  Aelfric 
(called  Grammaticus,  "The  Grammarian")  translated  the 
Heptateuch  and  some  other  portions  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment into  Anglo-Saxon,  of  the  Western  dialect. 

The  above-mentioned  paraphrases  and  translations 
were  made  before  the  Norman  Conquest,  and  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  is  almost,  if  not  quite,  unintelligible  to  ordinary 
modern  readers,  as  the  following  version  of  the  Lord's 
Prayer  will  show: 

Faeder  ure  thu  the  eart  on  heofenum,  si  thin  nama  gehalgod; 
to  becume  thin  rice.  Gewurthe  thin  willa  on  eorthan  swa  swa  on 
heofenum.  Urne  daeghwamlicam  hlaf  syle  us  to  daeg;  and  forgyf 
us  ure  gyltas,  swa  swa  we  forgifadh  urum  gyltendum;  and  ne 
galaed  thu  us  on  costnunge.     Ac  alys  us  of  yfele.     Sothlice. 


Early  English  Versions  103 

After  the  Norman  Conquest,  there  does  not  appear  to 
be  any  further  attempt  to  translate  the  Scriptures  for  a 
hundred  years  or  more.  Then  there  began  to  appear 
metrical  paraphrases  and  homilies.  About  the  year  1200 
Orm,  or  Ormin,  an  Augustinian  monk,  wrote  a  long  poem 
on  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts,  known  as  the  "Ormulum." 
Manuscript  copies  are  in  the  Bodleian  Library,  Oxford. 
The  book  is  dedicated  by  Orm  to  his  brother.  Eadie  gives 
a  sample  couplet  with  translation  as  follows: 

Ice  hafe  wennd  inntill  Ennglisshe 

Goddspelless  hallghe  lore 
I  have  turned  into  English 

Gospel's  holy  lore. 

Another  long  poem  was  called  the  Sowlehele,  or  Salus 
Animi,  containing  many  Scripture  narratives.  This  also  is 
in  the  Bodleian  Library. 

Of  numerous  versions  of  the  Psalms,  two  literal  trans- 
lations are  best  known,  one  of  which  is  attributed,  though 
with  some  doubt,  to  William  of  Shoreham,  vicar  of  Chart- 
Sutton,  in  Kent,  about  1327;  the  other  to  Richard  Rolle, 
a  priest  of  Hampole,  in  Yorkshire,  about  1349. 

It  was  stated  by  Sir  Thomas  More  that  there  were 
Enghsh  translations  of  the  whole  Bible  earlier  than  Wiclif's. 
Caxton  stated  that  John  of  Trevisa  had  translated  the  Bible, 
among  other  things;  but  while  the  others  have  survived, 
that  of  the  Bible,  if  it  ever  existed,  has  not  survived.  It  is 
also  referred  to  in  the  Preface  to  the  King  James  Version, 
"In  our  King  Richard  the  seconds  dayes.  lohn  Treuisa 
translated  them  into  English,  and  many  Enghsh  Bibles  in 
written  hand  are  yet  to  be  seene  with  divers,  translated, 
as  it  is  very  probable,  in  that  age."  It  is  not  to  be  supposed 
that  the  King  James  revisers  had  seen  one  of  Trevisa's, 
though  they  may  have  seen  many  of  Wiclif's. 

Concerning  John  De  Trevisa,  Baber  says  in  his 
Wycliffe's  New  Testament  (18 10),  "John  de  Trevisa,  who 
flourished  towards  the  end  of  the  fourteenth  century,  enjoys 
the  reputation  in  the  estimation  of  some  men  of  letters  of 
having  produced  an  English  translation  of  the  Bible;  but 
his  title  to  this  same  has  hitherto  eluded  all  attempts  I  have 
made  to  trace  it." 


I04 


The  Book  of  Books 


No  traces  have  been  found  of  any  translation  by 
Trevisa — only  a  few  texts  on  the  walls  of  Berkeley  Church 
and  the  chapel  at  Berkeley  Castle,  where  he  was  chaplain. 
In  fact,  no  earlier  translation  of  the  whole  Bible  or  of  the 
complete  New  Testament  is  known  than  Wiclif's. 


JOHN  WICLIF 


CHAPTER   VIII 
JOHN  WICLIF  AND  THE  FIRST  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

But  to  outweigh  all  harm,  the  sacred  book 

In  dusty  sequestration  wrapt  too  long 

Assumes  the  accent  of  our  native  tongue; 
And  he  who  guides  the  plow  or  wields  the  crook 
With  understanding  spirit  now  may  look 

Upon  her  records,  listen  to  her  song 

And  sift  her  laws. 

— Wordszvorth. 

JOHN  WICLIF  was  born  about  1320  or  1324  near  Rich- 
mond, Yorkshire,  and  was  educated  at  Oxford.  He  was 
one  of  the  "Schoolmen"  who  made  Oxford  famous  as  a 
great  center  of  learning,  and  was  called  the  "Evangelical 
Doctor."  He  came  into  public  prommence  about  1366  and 
remained  one  of  the  foremost  figures,  if  not  the  foremost, 
in  his  age  until  his  death  in  1384.  Just  what  college  he  first 
studied  at  is  not  known,  but  he  became  Master  of  Balliol 
in  1361.  He  is  considered  by  some  to  be  the  same  John 
Wiclif  who  was  at  one  time  Fellow  of  Merton  College  and 
later  Warden  of  Canterbury  Hall,  and  to  have  been  con- 
nected with  Queen's  College;  but  concerning  these  associa- 
tions there  is  some  doubt.  An  excellent  little  volume  is 
that  of  Prof.  Montagu  Burrows,  entitled  Wiclif  s  Place  in 
History,  containing  three  lectures  delivered  at  Oxford  in 
1881,  just  prior  to  the  quincentenary  celebration.  From 
this  I  shall  make  extracts  concerning  Wiclif  and  his  work. 
.Professor  Burrows  quotes  the  words  of  one  of  Wiclif's  con- 
temporaries, a  bitter  opponent,  who  had,  however,  to  confess 
that  he  "came  to  be  reckoned  inferior  to  none  of  his  time  in 
philosophy,  and  incomparable  in  the  performance  of  school 

(105) 


io6  The  Book  of  Books 

exercises,  a  man  of  profound  wit,  and  very  strong  and  power- 
ful in  disputations."  He  was,  indeed,  "the  foremost  man 
of  his  University  at  one  of  its  loftiest  periods." 

Wiclif  lived  at  a  very  important  period  in  the  political 
and  religious  history  of  England,  and  his  training  and  charac- 
ter fitted  him  for  the  great  work  he  did.  He  recognized  the 
low  estate  to  which  the  church  had  fallen,  and  did  his  best 
to  expose  the  wickedness  of  the  clergy;  and,  having  come 
to  see  that  a  great  factor  in  liberating  the  people  from  the 
iniquity,  tyranny,  and  exactions  of  the  existing  church  sys- 
tem would  be  the  possession  of  the  Bible  in  the  English 
tongue,  he  set  about  the  task  of  supplying  it — not  alone, 
but  with  the  assistance  of  faithful  followers  who  obtained 
their  inspiration  from  him.     Professor  Burrows  says: 

To  Wiclif  we  owe,  more  than  to  any  one  person  who  can  be 
mentioned,  our  English  language,  our  English  Bible,  and  our 
reformed  religion.  ...  In  Wiclif  we  have  the  acknowledged 
father  of  English  prose,  the  first  translator  of  the  whole  Bible 
into  the  language  of  the  English  people,  the  first  disseminator  of 
the  language  of  the  English  people,  the  first  disseminator  of  that 
Bible  amongst  all  classes,  the  foremost  intellect  of  his  times  brought 
to  bear  upon  the  religious  questions  of  the  day,  the  patient  and 
courageous  writer  of  innumerable  tracts  and  books,  not  for  one, 
but  for  all  the  different  classes  of  society,  the  sagacious  originator 
of  the  whole  system  of  ecclesiastical  reformation,  which  in  its 
separate  parts  had  been  faintly  shadowed  forth  by  a  genius  here 
and  there,  but  which  acquired  consistency  in  the  hands  of  the 
master.  By  him  and  by  those  he  had  trained  that  Reformation 
was  so  firmly  planted  that  it  took  deep  root  in  the  land,  and  after 
giving  the  impulse  to  similar  and  later  movements  on  the  con- 
tinent, issued  at  last  in  the  great  system  under  which  we  live,  one 
almost  identical  with  that  of  the  Rector  of  Lutterworth,  who 
died  a  century  and  a  half  before  his  work  had  fulfilled  its  appointed 
results. 

Wiclif  founded  no  colleges,  for  he  had  no  means;  no  human 
fabric  enshrines  his  ideas;  no  great  institution  bears  his  name. 
The  country  for  which  he  lived  and  died  is  only  beginning  to  wake 
up  to  a  sense  of  the  debt  it  owes  his  memory.  And  yet  so  vast  is 
that  debt,  so  overpowering  the  claim,  even  when  thus  briefly 
summarized,  that  it  might  be  thought  no  very  extravagant  recog- 
nition if  every  town  in  England  had  a  monument  to  his  memory, 
and  every  university  a  college  named  in  his  honor.  .  .  . 

Consider  what  a  portent  this  Oxford  Doctor  (or  Professor,  as 
he  virtually  was)  must  have  appeared  in  the  fourteenth  century. 


Wiclif's  Bible  107 

attacking  from  his  chair,  close  to  this  very  spot,  every  portion  of 
the  existing  Church  system,  from  the  pope  at  the  head  to  the  friar 
at  the  foot,  not  with  the  vulgar  weapons  of  reckless  fanaticism 
sharpened  upon  popular  prejudice,  still  less  with  the  weapons  of 
professed  unorthodox  sentiment,  but  with  the  well-tempered  steel 
of  philosophical  reasoning,  based  on  an  appeal  to  the  Scriptures 
and  the  Primitive  Church,  and  invested  with  the  defensive  panoply 
of  a  strictly  moral,  industrious,  self-sacrificing,  courageous  life. 

The  church  livings  were  held  by  foreign  incumbents 
who  received  large  incomes  therefrom,  but  did  no  service; 
the  vacancies  were  filled  by  the  pope,  contrary  to  the  English 
law;  the  Mendicant  Orders  (Dominicans,  or  Black  friars; 
Francisians,  or  Grey  friars;  Carmelites,  or  White  friars;  and 
Augustinians)  originally  introduced  into  England  with  a 
view  to  suppressing  evils,  had  become  degenerate,  and, 
instead  of  ministering  to  were  fleecing  the  people.  Tn  the 
words  of  an  old  English  song, 

No  baron  or  squire  or  knight  of  the  shire 
Lives  half  so  well  as  an  holy  friar. 

Wiclif  preached  and  wrote  pamphlets  against  these 
evils,  and  his  "Poor  Priests,"  called  Lollards,  circulated  his 
literature  among  the  people.  He  quoted  freely  from  Scrip- 
ture, and  came  to  see  that  the  greatest  help  in  freeing  the 
people  from  priestly  tyranny  and  imposition  would  be  the 
possession  of  the  Bible. 

In  1374  Wiclif  was  one  of  the  members  of  a  commission 
sent  to  Bruges  to  discuss  with  commissioners  from  the  pope 
some  of  the  thmgs  which  not  he  alone,  but  the  king  and  par- 
Hament  also,  had  taken  objection  to,  among  them  being  the 
practice  of  the  pope  to  fill  the  English  benefices  and  appoint 
foreign  absentees  who  drew  the  income  but  did  no  work. 
Here  he  undoubtedly  got  a  deeper  insight  into  the  abuses 
that  needed  remedying,  and  returned  more  determined  than 
ever  to  do  his  best  to  reform  them.  Soon  after  this,  in  1378, 
the  great  papal  schism  occurred,  with  rival  popes  at  Rome 
and  Avignon,  each  cursing  the  other  and  giving  the  lie  to 
any  claim  to  real  church  headship. 

In  1374,  ori  his  return  from  Bruges,  WicHf  was  made 
Rector  of  Lutterworth,  a  position  which  he  held  until  his 
death. 


io8 


The  Book  of  Books 


Wiclif  was  twice  tried  for  heresy;  first  at  Blackfriars, 
London,  in  May,  1378,  and  second,  by  the  convocation  at 
Oxford  in  1382,  but  though  condemned  and  excommunicated, 
he  was  permitted  to  return  to  Lutterworth,  where  he  con- 
tinued his  work  of  attacking  the  church  system  and  trans- 
lating the  Bible. 

One  of  the  canons  passed  at  the  Council  of  Toulouse, 
in  1229,  prohibited  the  possession  of  the  Bible,  in  the  follow- 
ing words: 


LUTTERWORTH  CHURCH 

We  also  forbid  the  laity  to  possess  any  of  the  books  of  the 
Old  or  New  Testament,  except,  perhaps,  the  Psalter  or  Breviary 
for  the  Divine  offices,  or  the  Hours  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  which 
some,  out  of  devotion,  wish  to  have;  but  having  any  of  these 
books  translated  into  the  vulgar  tongue,  we  strictly  forbid. 

Therefore  any  attempt  to  translate  the  Bible  for  the 
use  of  the  common  people  was  contrary  to  the  canons  of  the 
church.  But  Wiclif  proceeded  with  the  work  in  spite  of  the 
ecclesiastical  prohibition,  and,  having  first  published  an 
English  translation  of  the  Revelation  (Apocalypse)  of  John, 
he  followed  it  with  the  Gospels  and,  about  1380,  the  com- 
plete New  Testament.     An  edition  with  the  Old  Testament 


Wiclif's  Bible  109 

added,  making  the  complete  Bible,  was  finished  about  1382, 
although  this  is  partly  the  work  of  Nicholas  of  Hereford. 
The  Apocrypha  was  included,  and  at  Baruch  3  :  20,  in  the 
manuscript  which  is  preserved  in  the  Bodleian  Library, 
there  is  an  abrupt  termination.  This  is  taken  to  indicate 
that  Nicholas  of  Hereford  was  arrested  after  he  had  got 
that  far,  and  the  remainder  was  done  by  Wiclif  or  some  of 
his  followers.  There  is  at  present  considerable  doubt 
expressed  by  scholars  as  to  the  part  Wiclif  himself  took  in 
the  work  of  translation,  some  even  asserting  that  he  did 
very  Httle,  if  any,  and  that  the  work  was  done  by  others  at 
his  instigation  and  under  his  supervision.  However  this 
may  be,  the  work  must  be  credited  to  Wiclif  in  some  form 
or  another,  and  to  him  must  be  given  the  credit  of  furnishing 
the  English  people  with  a  complete  Bible  in  their  own  tongue. 
Concerning  Wiclif  being  the  translator,  Baber  says  in 
his  Historical  Account: 

Some  authors  have  doubted  whether  Wiclif  ever  translated 
the  Scriptures.  When  Huss,  a  martyr  to  Wiclif's  principles,  and 
one  nearly  his  contemporary,  speaks  of  such  a  production;  when 
amongst  the  accusations  brought  against  the  reformer  by  Knygh- 
ton,  this  pious  labor  seems  in  the  opinion  of  this  author  to  be  his 
highest  offence;  when  Wiclif  in  one  of  his  homilies  mentions  the 
severe  usage  he  met  with  because  he  dared  to  enable  the  people  at 
large  to  read  in  their  own  tongue  the  revealed  word  of  God;  and 
when,  in  every  list  given  of  his  works  by  his  numerous  biographers, 
mention  is  always  made  of  his  having  translated  the  Scripture 
into  English,  every  doubt  upon  this  point  must,  one  would  think, 
for  the  future  vanish. 

Wiclif's  version  is  a  translation  from  the  Vulgate,  not 
from  the  original  Greek  and  Hebrew.  It  therefore  shares 
any  defects  which  the  Vulgate  possesses.  Wiclif  was  seized 
with  a  paralytic  stroke  on  December  29,  1384,  while  offici- 
ating at  Mass,  and  died  on  the  31st,  being  buried  in  the 
chancel  of  his  church. 

Walsingham  is  quoted  by  Eadie  as  thus  expressing  him- 
self in  relation  to  Wiclif's  sudden  death: 

In  the  ninth  yere  of  this  kyng,  John  Wiclif,  the  orgon  of  the 
devel,  the  enmy  of  the  Cherch,  the  confusion  of  men,  the  ydol  of 
heresie,  the  meroure  of  ypocrisie,  the  norischer  of  scisme,  be  the 
rithful  dome  of  God,  was  smet  with  a  horibil  paralsie  threwoute 
his  body. 


no  The  Book  of  Books 

Another  enemy  of  Wiclif  thus  expressed  himself  con- 
cerning him  and  his  work: 

This  Master  John  WyclifFe  hath  translated  the  Gospel  out  of 
Latin  into  English,  which  Christ  had  intrusted  with  the  clergy 
and  doctors  of  the  Church,  that  they  might  minister  it  to  the  laity 
and  weaker  sort,  according  to  the  state  of  the  times  and  the  wants 
of  men.  So  that  by  this  means  the  Gospel  is  made  vulgar,  and 
laid  more  open  to  the  laity,  and  even  to  women  who  can  read,  than 
it  used  to  be  to  the  most  learned  of  the  clergy  and  those  of  the  best 
understanding!  And  in  this  way  the  gospel  pearl  is  cast  abroad 
and  trodden  under  foot  of  swine,  and  that  which  used  to  be  precious 
to  both  clergy  and  laity  is  rendered  as  it  were  the  common  jest  of 
both.  The  jewel  of  the  clergy  is  turned  into  the  sport  of  the  laity, 
and  what  was  before  the  chief  gift  of  the  clergy  and  doctors  of  the 
Church,  is  made  forever  common  to  the  laity. 

It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  priests  were  incensed 
at  Wiclif  and  did  their  best  to  suppress  the  Bible.  A  bill 
was  brought  into  Parliament  in  1390  for  that  express  pur- 
pose, but  thanks  to  John  of  Gaunt,  Duke  of  Lancaster,  it 
was  not  passed.     The  Duke  said: 

We  will  not  be  the  dregs  of  all.  Seeing  other  nations  have  the 
Law  of  God,  which  is  the  law  of  our  faith,  written  in  their  own 
language,  I  will  maintain  our  having  this  law  in  our  own  tongue, 
against  those,  whoever  they  be,  who  first  brought  in  this  bill. 

In  1408,  at  the  Convocation  of  Canterbury,  when  Arch- 
bishop Arundel  presided,  one  of  the  constitutions  contained 
a  clause  of  which  the  following  translation  is  given  by  A.  W. 
Pollard  in  his  Records  of  the  English  Bible: 

We  therefore  enact  and  ordain  that  no  one  henceforth  on  his 
own  authority  translate  any  text  of  Holy  Scripture  into  the 
English  or  other  language,  by  way  of  a  book,  pamphlet,  or  tract, 
and  that  no  book,  pamphlet,  or  tract  of  this  kind  be  read,  either 
already  recently  composed  in  the  time  of  the  said  John  Wyclif,  or 
since  then,  or  that  mRy  in  future  be  composed,  in  part  or  in  whole, 
publicly  or  privily,  under  pain  of  the  greater  excommunication, 
until  the  translation  itself  shall  have  been  approved  by  the  dio- 
cesan of  the  place  or  if  need  be  by  a  provincial  council.  Whoever 
shall  do  the  contrary  to  be  punished  in  like  manner  as  a  supporter 
of  heresy  and  error. 

Arundel  referred  to  Wiclif  as  "that  pestilent  wretch, 
the  son  of  the  old  serpent,  the  forerunner  of  Antichrist," 
who  had  "completed  his  iniquity  by  inventing  a  new  trans- 
lation of  the  Scriptures." 


Wiclif's  Bible 


III 


But  the  constitutions  of  the  Canterbury  Convocation 
were  powerless  to  prevent  the  spread  of  the  Bible  when  once 
it  had  been  put  into  such  form  that  the  people  could  read  it. 


•Cove  van  ttir^ 

•jiuuuii   Wltlod 

,ijffliir((f);jii(n'^^ 
vettedtsingm 
foiVitoivmc: 

iciii((t»('fin;' 


'apoaijsi'i  cf  Dooiii  popft.'  U'lw 

I  Uf (l)«c u-afl Diwu  up  oowbnnA  WniioleiimiitA tuktliuftuiuxof 


of  ou'mctc  \it  \viurt)C  is  btdM 
ifmrnifui;  ijaiifufx  vcioiuticit 

of  RUiLi>Otli:U(0  WlldlK  \lMlM 

m  nimir  m  m  j/c  (bitpiuar  \)li(t- 
:pl'n  wcitnu  up  ui'jif  iirja-piKf 
U>l)(T  po  tfwcittti  pmr  J  loou; 
mcs  I  fluOitiiipiMUpj  ftfotttes- 


OtfRVtiKll  (/('III  rft'UIjlClKJjlf 

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j(t|)uiri»(tu'  cfvMtifoUdpc  urfo 
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miii6pii6cf.  Giit^  \ct  cdiuittiihc 
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vn  ttpiicfifioi  i(i>i«  gni'iipt  mra 
(;eunic-loo  ripo  mm  OooOa  mv, 
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uii/iriK  iiuofo/ttu^Dflj  cpf=  gma- 
lUlint-  ftott&tl  <ft  i»)iOciU)mgr  ;h 
tvliaieutrpii  ica>»  pdt  if  nikc' 
vp(n;ou  mxB  Uniaic&  Mm 
mm  «9  Icrfawchp  j»>'"Sr  w 


\  after y  19 iutfiouu.muuuii'ttf  I  of  (auo'ftaurpdstpamOiwUiiiar 
giimfbB  0IP'f^'*"5«' I'l' 6>i«*fp  w  WftrngcWgio/s'uijwfroi-iBr 
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A  PAGE  OF  WICLIF'S   BIBLE 
This  is  from  a  copy  in  the  British  Museum 

(From  Nelsons'  " Encyclopadla") 

The  version  of  1382  was  revised  by  some  one  or  more  of 
Wiclif's  followers,  the  work  usually  being  attributed  to  John 
Purvey,  and  a  new  edition  was  published  in  1388,  the  original 


112  The  Book  of  Books 

copy  of  which  is  in  the  Ubrary  of  DubHn  University.  So 
numerous  were  the  copies  of  the  two  versions,  that  after  all 
the  efforts  to  suppress  it,  and  after  all  the  destruction  of 
time  and  circumstance,  there  are  still  extant,  according  to 
Westcott,  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  copies,  thirty  being  of 
the  earlier  version  and  the  others  of  the  later. 

The  people  were  glad  to  get  such  a  Bible.  They  met 
in  secret  to  read  it  or  hear  it  read.  Few  could  own  copies 
on  account  both  of  the  slowness  of  multiplying  them  by 
hand  and  of  the  expense  of  such  multiplication.  But 
Martineau  has  said: 

Those  who  could  not  give  money  would  give  a  load  of  hay 
for  a  few  favorite  chapters,  and  this  in  times  when  the  possession 
of  such  a  manuscript  might  very  probably  be  the  means  of  bringing 
the  owner  to  the  dungeon  or  the  stake.  They  were  forced  to 
hide  their  treasure  under  the  floors  of  their  houses,  and  sit  up  all 
night,  or  retire  to  the  lonely  fields  or  woods,  to  hear  and  read 
without  interruption  the  word  of  the  Book  of  Life. 

Many  suffered  for  reading  the  Bible.  Some  were 
burned  with  copies  around  their  necks;  others  were  executed 
for  teaching  their  children;  they  were  hunted  by  the  clergy 
like  wild  beasts. 

Though  Wiclif  did  not  die  a  violent  death  at  the  hands 
of  his  enemies,  as  it  might  have  been  expected  he  would, 
and  though  the  pope  had  refused  to  order  Wiclif's  body  to 
be  exhumed  and  dishonored,  the  Council  of  Constance  in 
141 5  ordered  his  bones  to  be  disinterred  and  burned,  a  decree 
which  was  not  carried  into  effect  till  1428,  and  of  which  the 
following  quaint  account  is  given  by  Thomas  Fuller  in  his 
Church  History: 

Hitherto  the  Corpse  of  John  Wickliffe  had  quietly  slept  in 
his  grave,  about  one  and  four ty  years  after  his  death,  till  his  body 
was  reduced  to  bones,  and  his  bones  almost  to  dust.  For  though 
the  Earth  in  the  Chancel  of  Lutterworth  in  Leicester-shire,  where 
he  was  interred,  hath  not  so  quick  a  digestion  with  the  Earth  of 
Acheldama,  to  consume  Flesh  in  twenty  foure  houres,  yet  such  the 
appetite  thereof,  and  all  other  English  graves,  to  leave  small  rever- 
sions of  a  body  after  so  many  years. 

But  now  such  the  spleen  of  the  Council  of  Constance,  as  they 
not  only  cursed  his  Memorie,  as  dying  an  obstinate  Heretick,  but 
ordered  that  his  bones  (with  this  charitable  caution,  if  it  may  be 
discerned  from  the  bodies  of  other  faithful  people)  to  be  taken  out 
of  the  ground  and  thrown  farre  off,  from  any  Christian  buriall. 


Wiclif's  Bible  113 

In  obedience  hereunto  Richard  Fleming  Bishop  of  Lincoln, 
Diocesan  of  Lutterzvorth,  sent  his  Officers  (Vultures  with  a  quick 
sight  scent  at  a  dead  Carcase)  to  ungrave  him  accordingly.  To 
Lutterworth  they  come,  Sumner,  Commissarie,  Official,  Chancellour, 
Proctors,  Doctors,  and  the  Servants  (so  that  the  Remnant  of  the 
body  would  not  hold  out  a  bone,  amongst  so  many  hands)  take, 
what  was  left,  out  of  the  grave,  and  burnt  them  to  ashes,  and  cast 
them  into  Swift  a  Neighbouring  Brook  running  hard  by.  Thus 
this  Brook  hath  conveyed  his  ashes  into  Jvon;  Avon  into  Severn; 
Several  into  the  narrow  Seas;  they,  into  the  7nain  Ocean.  And 
thus  the  Ashes  of  Wickliff  are  the  Emblem  of  his  Doctrine,  which 
now,  is  dispersed  all  the  World  over. 


THE  RIVER  SWIFT 

Into  this  river  Wiclif's  bones  were  cast  forty  years  after  his  death.      The 

church  tower  is  visible  in  the  background 

Fuller,  after  quoting  from  a  popish  manuscript  that 
Wiclif  had  recanted  and  died  a  good  Catholic,  and  having 
asked  if  he  had  why  was  not  the  Catholic  Church  sufficiently 
reconciled  without  burning  his  body  after  so  many  years, 
goes  on  to  say: 

But  though  Wickliff  had  no  Tombe,  he  had  a7i  Epitaph,  such 
as  it  was,  which  a  Monk  afforded  him,  and  that  it  was  no  worse, 
thank  his  want,  not  of  malice,  but  invention,  not  finding  out  worse 
expressions. 

The  Divels  l7istrument,  Churches  "Enemie,  Peoples  con- 
fusion, Hereticks  Idol,  Hypocrites  Mirror,  Schisms  Broacher, 
hatreds  sower,   lyes  forger,  flatteries   sinke,   who   at   his   death 


114  The  Book  of  Books 

despaired  like  Cain,  and  stricken  by  the  horrible  Judgements  of 
God,  breathed  forth  his  wicked  Soul  to  the  dark  mansion  of  the 
black  Di^ell. 

In  Lutterworth  Church  a  tablet  has  been  placed  to 
Wiclif's  memory,  of  which  through  the  courtesy  of  the 
present  rector,  Rev.  T.  H.  Croxall,  I  am  able  to  present  an 
excellent  illustration. 


WICLIF  TABLET  IN  LUTTERWORTH  CHURCH 

The  inscription  is  as  follows:  "Sacred  to  the  memory  of  JOHN 
WICLIF  the  earliest  champion  of  ecclesiastical  reformation  in  England. 
He  was  born  in  Yorkshire  in  the  year  1324.  In  the  year  1375  he  was  pre- 
sented to  the  rectory  of  Lutterworth,  where  he  died  on  the  31st  of  Decem- 
ber, 1384.  At  Oxford  he  acquired  not  only  the  renown  of  a  consummate 
schoolman,  but  the  far  more  glorious  title  of  the  Evangelic  Doctor.  His 
whole  life  was  one  impetuous  struggle  against  the  corruptions  and 
encroachments  of  the  papal  court  and  the  impostures  of  its  devoted 
auxiliaries,  the  mendicant  fraternities.  His  labours  in  the  cause  of 
scriptural  truth  were  crowned  by  one  immortal  achievement,  his  transla- 
tion of  the  Bible  into  the  English  tongue.  This  mighty  work  drew  on 
him,  indeed,  the  bitter  hatred  of  all  who  were  making  merchandize  of  the 
popular  credulity  and  ignorance." 

The  following  example   of  Wiclif's  style  will  show  the 
great  advance  that  EngUsh  had  made,  by  his  time,  over  the 


Wiclif's  Bible  115 

Anglo-Saxon   specimen   of  the  Lord's   Prayer  given  in   an 
earlier  chapter: 

Oure  fadir  that  art  in  heuenes:  halowide  be  thi  name  /  thi 
kyngdom  come  to  /  be  thy  wille  done:  as  in  heuene  &  in  erthe  / 
gif  to  vs  this  day:  oure  brede  ouer  other  substaunce  /  and  forgyue 
to  vs  oure  dettis:  as  we  forgyuen  to  oure  dottours  /  and  leede  vs 
not  into  temptacon  but  delyuer  vs  fro  al  euyl  amen/ 

The  Lord's  Prayer  as  above  given  is  from  a  reprint  of 
Wiclif's  1380  New  Testament  made  from  a  manuscript  in 
the  collection  of  Lea  Wilson,  of  Norwood,  at  one  time  the 
property  of  Bishop  Reynolds,  of  Norwich,  1670,  and  later  of 
the  Monastery  of  Sion,  in  Middlesex,  to  whom  it  was  pre- 
sented by  the  widow  of  Sir  Wm.  Danvers,  "In  the  viij  yeere 
of  the  reigne  of  kyng  Henry  the  Eytethe.  Jn  the  yeere  of 
o"^  lord  god  a  m.  fyve  hundred  and  seventeen,"  partly  in  the 
hope  that  by  the  gift  "she  the  moore  tenderly  may  be 
comytted  vnto  the  mercy  of  o''  lord  god  by  the  hooly  dem- 
erytes  of  mastre  confessor  and  his  Bretherne  aforeseid," 
printed  1848  for  William  Pickering,  London.  This  was  the 
first  time  the  1380  Testament  was  printed.  The  New  Testa- 
ment of  the  1382  edition  had  been  printed  on  several  previous 
occasions  (by  Lewis  in  173 1;  Baber  in  1810;  in  Bagster's 
Hexapla,  1841),  and  in  1850  Rev.  Josiah  Forshall  and  Sir 
Frederic  Madden  published  the  whole  1382  Bible  in  four 
large  volumes,  through  the  University  Press  at  Oxford. 


CHAPTER   IX 

THREE   GREAT   DEVELOPMENTS:  THE   RENAIS- 
SANCE, THE   REFORMATION,  THE 
INVENTION  OF   PRINTING 

BETWEEN  the  publication  of  Wiclif's  manuscript  Bible 
in  1382  and  the  first  printed  English  New  Testament  by 
Tindale  in  1525  an  important  period  of  nearly  a  hundred 
and  fifty  years  intervened.  During  that  time  there  had 
been  great  developments,  the  three  most  important  of 
which  were  the  Renaissance,  the  Reformation,  and  the 
invention  of  the  art  of  printing  from  movable  type. 

Before  the  invention  of  printing  from  movable  type,  a 
process  of  printing  from  wooden  blocks  had  been  in  opera- 
tion, but  for  how  long  is  not  known.  In  the  early  fifteenth 
century  there  were  wood-engravers  and  block-printers,  and 
the  art  is  said  to  have  been  practiced  for  a  long  time  before 
in  oriental  countries.  It  is  called  xylography.  The  paper 
was  laid  on  the  inked  block  and  rubbed. 

The  most  notable  example  of  this  kind  of  printing  is  the 
Bihlia  Paupernm  which  consisted  of  leaves  on  which  were 
printed  illustrations  and  some  Latin  texts  descriptive  of 
them.  One  of  them  is  reproduced  here.  The  Biblia  Pau- 
perum  was  not  a  Bible,  strictly  speaking,  as  only  a  few 
incidents  and  scenes  were  used.  In  1884  the  Smaller  Bihlia 
Pauperum  was  published  in  facsimile,  with  an  mtroduction 
by  Dean  Stanley. 

There  is  considerable  uncertainty  as  to  just  how,  when, 
and  where  the  incident  occurred  which  is  supposed  to  have 
given  the  original  idea  from  which  modern  printing  has 
developed,  and  as  to  who  is  entitled  to  the  credit  for  the 
invention.  It  is  generally  supposed  that  Johan  Gansfleisch 
better  known  by  his  maternal  name  of  Gutenberg  which  he 

(116) 


Three  Great  Developments 


117 


adopted  in  later  life,  was  cutting  letters  from  the  bark  of  a 
tree,  and  either  that  he  wrapped  them  up  and  noticed  after- 
ward the  stain  that  was  left  on  the  wrapping  by  the  moist 
letters,  or  that  he  accidently  dropped  one  in  some  purple 
dye  that  was  standing  near,  and,  after  lifting  it  out,  again 
accidentally  dropped  it  upon  a  dressed  skin,  whereon  it  left 


A   PAGE  OF  THE  BIBLIA  PAUPERUM 
Original  in  the  British  Museum 

(From  Nelsons'  " Encyclopadia") 

a  bright  purple  mark.  Whatever  truth  there  may  be  in 
the  story  about  Gutenberg,  it  is  tolerably  certain  that  some 
such  apparently  trivial  circumstance  originated  the  idea  of 
putting  the  principle  to  practical  use.  It  is  also  true  that 
about  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century  movable  type  was 
being  used  for  printing  books. 


II! 


The  Book  of  Books 


The  invention  is  by  some  attributed  to  Laurens  Jans- 
zoon  Coster,  of  Haarlem,  in  Holland,  and  the  improvement 
of  it  to  Gutenberg.     The  Encyclopc^dia  Britannica  devotes 


GUTENBERG  STATUE  AT  STRASBURG 

(Courtesy  of  Miss  A.  M.  Smith) 

many  pages  to  the  pros  and  cons  of  the  question  and  declares 
for  Coster;  but  the  more  general  opinion  is  in  favor  of 
Gutenberg.      One  of  the  earliest  references  to  the  subject 


Three  Great  Developments  119 

is  a  statement  by  John  SchoefFer,  son  of  Peter  Schoeffer,  in 
the  German  translation  of  Lioz  pubhshed  at  Mainz  in  1505: 
"The  admirable  art  of  printing  was  invented  in  Mentz  by 
the  ingenious  Johan  Gutenberg  and  was  subsequently 
improved  and  handed  down  to  posterity  by  the  capital  and 
labor  of  Johan  Fust  and  Peter  SchoefFer." 

In  1456  a  Latin  Bible  was  printed  at  Mainz  by  Guten- 
berg. This  is  variously  known  as  the  Mazarin  Bible,  the 
42-Hne  Bible,  and  the  Gutenberg  Bible.  Other  works  were 
issued  from  the  same  press  by  Gutenberg  and  his  partner, 
Fust,  and  later  by  Fust  and  SchoefFer. 

About  1470  the  first  English  printing  press  was  set  up 
by  William  Caxton  at  the  sign  of  the  Red  Pale,  in  the 
Almonry,  London,  under  the  shadow  of  Westminster  Abbey. 
He  had  learned  the  art  on  the  continent.  Of  the  works  he 
printed  some  are  still  extant. 

The  first  printing  press  in  North  America  was  estab- 
lished at  Harvard  College  in  1639,  but  printing  was  done  at 
an  earlier  date  in  South  America. 

Wooden  presses  were  first  used  for  applying  the  pres- 
sure necessary  to  make  the  imprint  of  the  inked  type  upon 
the  paper.  At  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century  iron 
hand-presses  were  introduced.  Later,  as  mechanical  devel- 
opment advanced,  presses  were  operated  by  power — first 
steam,  then  the  gas-engine,  and  lastly  electricity — ranging 
from  presses  to  print  small  jobs  in  one  color  to  the  gigantic 
newspaper  and  multi-color  presses  of  the  present  day. 

Side  by  side  with  the  development  of  the  presses  has 
been  the  improvement  in  regard  to  type.  Typesetting  by 
hand  has  been  largely  replaced  by  machine  composition, 
and  the  art  of  illustration  has  so  progressed  that  there  is 
little  use  at  the  present  day  for  the  once  valuable  wood- 
engraver,  and  his  art  has  given  way  to  the  various  photo- 
chemical processes  by  which  the  modern  single-color  and 
multi-color  work  is  produced. 

There  is  a  statue  in  honor  of  Gutenberg  at  Mainz,  and 
another  at  Strasburg,  and  he  is  represented  as  having  just 
pulled  from  the  press  a  sheet  of  paper  having  the  imprint 
Fiat  lux.  What  a  splendid  motto  that  was!  It  was  adopted 
by  the  first  English  printer,  William  Caxton,  who  set  up  his 


I20 


The  Book  of  Books 


press  at  Westminster  about  1470 — Fiat  lux,  "Let  there  be 
light,"  the  Latin  form  of  the  divine  command  which  caused 
day  to  scatter  the  darkness  of  primeval  night.  That  great 
printer  is  buried  in  Westminster  Abbey,  not  far  from  where 
his  press  stood,  and  in  the  adjacent  St.  Margaret's  Church 
is  a  Caxton  window  for  which  Dr.  Farrar,  then  Archdeacon 
of  Westminster,  requested  Lord  Tennyson  to  write  an 
inscription  which  reads  as  follows: 

His  cry  was,  "  Light,  more  light,  while  time  shall  last  "; 

He  saw  the  glories  growing  on  the  night, 
But  not  the  shadows  which  that  light  shall  cast 

Till  shadows  vanish  in  the  Light  of  Light. 


GUTENBERG  TAKING  AN   IMPRESSION 

(Courtesy  of  Miss  A.  M.  Smith) 

The  Museum  Plantin-Moretus  at  Antwerp  contains  a 
good  collection  of  early  printing  presses  and  early  printed 
Bibles.  Christopher  Plantin  was  a  famous  printer  who 
established  himself  at  Antwerp  in  1549  and  worked  there 
for  forty  years,  till  his  death  in  1589.  The  Museum  possesses 
a  Bible  in  three  parts  printed  in  folio  by  A.  Pfister  in  1460, 
the  Bihlia  Latina.  The  most  important  Bible  published  by 
Plantin  is  the  Bihlia  Regia,  or  Polyglot  Bible,  in  nine  volumes 
folio,  issued  by  order  of  King  PhiHp  II  from  1568  to  1573. 


Three  Great  Developments 


121 


It  seems  a  far  cry  from  the  crude  presses  of  Gutenberg 
and  Caxton  to  the  giant  presses  of  today;  but  though  there 
has  been  wonderful  progress  in  regard  to  size  and  speed, 
those  who  have  had  the  opportunity  to  examine  the  first 


AN  OLD   WOODEN  PRINTING  PRESS 
As  used  in  Caxton's  days 

book  known  to  have  been  printed,  the  Gutenberg  Bible,  are 
impressed  with  the  beauty  of  the  work;  the  brightness,  after 
nearly  five  hundred  years,  of  the  jet-black  ink;    the  clean- 


122 


The  Book  of  Books 


Three  Great  Developments  123 

cut  type;  and  the  excellence  and  durable  whiteness  of  the 
paper.  For  exquisite  workmanship  it  compares  very  favor- 
ably with  modern  products;  for  durability  it  far  surpasses 
most  of  them. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  give  a  few  details  of  a  modern 
press  in  contrast  to  the  wooden  press  as  used  in  Caxton's 
days.  The  writer  saw  the  wooden  press  (of  which  an  illus- 
tration is  given)  in  operation  at  the  printing  exhibition  in 
London  in  1906,  when  Mr.  McAnally  was  running  off 
souvenir  sheets  headed  "Let  there  be  Hght,"  for  sale  at  one 
penny  each.  By  courtesy  of  the  proprietor  of  the  Evening 
Bulletin,  Philadelphia,  I  am  able  to  present  an  illustration 
of  one  of  the  largest  modern  presses,  the  size  of  which  may 
be  judged  from  the  workmen  upon  and  around  it.  At  the 
Bulletin  plant  five  of  these  enormous  presses  were  installed 
in  1 92 1,  four  others  are  being  added  at  the  moment  of  writing 
(1922),  and  there  are  twelve  of  four-fifths  the  capacity,  and 
when  the  twenty-one  are  in  operation  they  will  print  300,000 
copies  of  a  forty-page  newspaper  in  an  hour,  which  is  equiva- 
lent to  5,000  a  minute,  or  800  a  second.  The  paper  is  fed 
to  these  presses  from  rolls  weighing  more  than  half  a  ton 
each,  and  as  each  day's  issue  is  about  half  a  million  copies, 
there  is  a  daily  consumption  of  140  tons  of  paper.  The 
typesetting,  or  composition,  is  chiefly  done  by  machinery, 
and  such  wonderful  progress  has  been  made  in  the  art  of 
engraving  that  illustrations  of  current  events  can  pass 
through  the  stages  of  photographing,  engraving,  and  printing 
and  be  in  the  hands  of  the  pubhc  in  about  an  hour.  These 
presses  not  only  print,  but  cut,  fold,  count,  and  dehver  the 
newspapers  to  a  traveling  belt,  at  the  rate  above  mentioned. 

One  cause  which  contributed  to  the  invention  and 
progress  of  the  art  of  printing  was  the  movement  known  as 
the  Renaissance.  For  three  or  four  centuries  there  had  been 
a  growing  feeling  of  discontent,  amounting  later  to  revolt, 
at  the  idea  that  the  church  was  of  paramount  authority 
over  the  lives  and  circumstances  of  men.  The  study  in  the 
universities  was  fitting  men  to  lead  in  the  attack  upon  the 
church- — its  authority,  and  its  morals — and  in  the  emanci- 
pation of  the  people.  The  principles  which  found  expression 
in  the  writings  and  sermons  of  Wiclif,  and  which  spread  both 


124 


The  Book  of  Books 


in  England  and  on  the  continent,  ultimately  led  to  the  Refor- 
mation. The  spread  of  learning  created  a  demand  for 
books,  and  the  art  of  printing  facilitated  their  production. 
Almost  simultaneous  with  the  invention  of  printing  was  the 
capture  of  Constantinople  by  the  Turks  in  May,  1453,  and 
the  consequent  impetus  to  classical  culture  and  learning 
which  followed  upon  the  westward  flight  of  the  scholars 
of  Greece. 


MARTIN  LUTHER 

(Courtesy  of  Charles  H.  Clarke) 

WicHf  has  been  styled  the  "Morning  Star  of  the  Refor- 
mation," but  the  full  day  did  not  come  until  after  the 
Renaissance  had  prepared  the  way,  and  until  a  powerful 
aid  had  arisen  in  the  printing  press.  There  had  been  many 
like  WicHf  in  England  and  Huss  in  Bohemia  who  had  pro- 
pagated the  principles  of  the  Reformation  before  Luther, 
Calvin,  Melancthon,  Zwingli,  and  Knox,  whose  names  are 
generally  associated  therewith.  Revolt  had  been  spreading 
for  several  centuries  but  the  break  in  the  church  resulting 
in  the  two  sections  of  Catholics  and  Protestants,  which  have 


Three  Great  Developments  125 

remained  separate  ever  since,  did  not  come  until  a  few  noble 
souls  had  sufficient  courage  to  give  open  defiance  to  the 
pope  and  his  aides.  Martin  Luther  was  pre-eminent  among 
these.  He  was  born  November  10,  1483,  at  Eisleben,  in 
Germany,  and  died  there  February  18,  1546.  He  was  the 
son  of  a  miner,  and  was  educated  at  the  University  of  Erfurt 
with  a  view  to  becoming  a  lawyer.  But  he  entered  the 
Augustinian  convent  at  Erfurt  in  1505  and  was  ordained 
priest  in  1507.  In  1508  he  became  a  professor  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Wittenberg  and  in  15 10  visited  Rome.  His 
spirit  was  stirred  by  the  corruptions  of  the  church,  and 
later  he  saw  the  strong  contrast  between  faith,  as  expounded 
in  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  and  the  works  of  the  church. 
Particularly  was  he  incensed  at  the  sale  of  indulgences  by 
Tetzel,  the  emissary  of  the  pope,  and  on  October  31,  15 17, 
he  nailed  his  famous  ninety-five  theses  to  the  door  of  the 
church  at  Wittenberg.  He  was  excommunicated  by  the 
pope  in  June,  1520,  and  burned  both  the  pope's  bull  and 
the  canon  law.  At  the  Diet  of  Worms  in  1521  he  came 
under  the  ban  of  the  emperor  as  well.  In  1530  the  Lutheran 
Confession  of  Faith  was  expounded  at  Augsburg  and  the 
break  between  the  church  and  the  Reformers  was  complete. 

In  Switzerland,  Scotland,  and  other  countries  the 
Reformation  spread.  In  England  a  break  with  Rome 
came  because  of  personal  differences  between  King  Henry 
VIII  and  the  pope  rather  than  for  doctrinal  reasons. 

The  Gutenberg  Bible  was  printed  in  Latin,  and  the 
type  was  an  excellent  imitation  of  the  manuscripts.  It  was 
printed  between  1450  and  1456  but  does  not  contain  any 
date  or  name  of  printer.  It  is  also  called  the  42-Une  Bible, 
from  the  fact  that  it  had  42  lines  to  the  page;  another  a  few 
years  later  had  36  lines.  Another  name  for  it  is  the  Mazarin 
Bible,  because  a  copy  was  found  in  the  library  of  Cardinal 
Mazarin.  It  was  in  two  volumes,  with  a  total  of  641  leaves 
which  were  not  numbered.  The  printing  is  jet  black,  and 
the  copies  are  variously  ornamented  by  hand.  In  some 
there  is  little  but  the  coloring  of  the  capital  letters  in  red 
and  blue,  with  headlines  of  alternate  red  and  blue  letters; 
others  were  richly  decorated  in  the  margins  in  addition  to 
the  capitals  and  initials.      About  forty  copies  are  extant, 


126 


The  Book  of  Books 


fiPO^^^xeOi0ci^ 


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fitsroliu  pault  ofraiaWrtnrtfcltoto 
tta  ma»ntr  lu  imbo  1^  tamtt  qno^ 
ma  arapihi0  Gannn  nf  i^  fSmt  ttifii; 
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gauitnus  iftcia:tCTaimi^tminL|l» 
mtm  naitte  rfpofnura  trat  onus^n 
vsxm  ant  info|f te  manfini^  ibi  Vk' 
boe  ftpmiLfhii  panb  mdbat  spri>: 
turn :  nr  afmtmK  i^snifiilmta .  tttt 
irim&liuti^pBi&di  dBniu9'>&ti)iiiBi^ 
nte  itoG  onimtoniin  iganfts  1  S^e 

tn  lutost  tttsssixs0jtt  ni  iBitftowiti^ 
hmttmi  a&oiimii?  nauoiii  a&  nltt' 
tcant  i  foo.  jRosmona^aamr  $« 
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ttSidiitati&^iid&niwiiif  bifinia 
apnO  aios.BUa  aut  bit  jneMumii; 
QSGBi^EreraJkBisainin  loniu{il|i^ 
iign  fuasriSt  q  Ecst  otais  bf  Kpnuii 
m&ss^  ainidtu .  l)mcaBtfcatjq[nii> 

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ffif  fl  ni0ra,{p^  Botr  iiQ^ncB .  1^ 
ill 


i^fo  rtliwitefffi^wifirtf  odd  !ff 


A   PAGE  OF  THE  GUTENBERG  BIBLE 
This  page  is  in  the  library  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 


Three  Great  Developments  127 

some  printed  on  vellum;  and  the  prices  obtained  for  copies 
at  sales  in  recent  years  have  made  records.  A  copy  was 
sold  in  New  York  in  191 1  for  fifty  thousand  dollars.  A 
mutilated  copy  was  split  up  into  separate  leaves  in  1922, 
which  sold  with  a  neat  leather  case  and  descriptive  circular 
for  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  each.  A  beautiful  copy  is 
in  the  New  York  PubHc  Library,  and  there  are  not  more 
than  eight  in  the  United  States. 

The  Gutenberg  Bible  is  printed  in  two  columns,  and 
the  only  indication  when  a  new  book  begins  is  the  use  of  a 
six-line  initial  letter  and  a  new  headline  to  the  page.  A 
new  book  begins  anywhere  in  the  column.  The  first  volume 
has  eight  pages  of  introduction  before  Genesis  and  ends 
with  the  Psalms  part  way  down  the  first  column  of  the  last 
page.  The  second  volume  has  one  and  a  quarter  columns 
of  prologue  to  Solomon's  Proverbs.  The  Apocrypha  ends 
in  the  middle  of  the  first  column  of  the  first  page  of  the  leaf, 
and  the  second  page  is  blank.  The  New  Testament  is 
prefaced  with  two  pages  of  prologue  to  Matthew.  From  a 
bibhographical  point  of  view  it  is  the  most  interesting  book 
in  the  world. 

With  the  Reformation  and  the  Renaissance  and  the 
advent  of  printing,  Greek  students  turned  to  a  consideration 
of  the  text  of  the  New  Testament.  Erasmus  published  his 
first  Greek  Testament  in  15 16  at  Basle  in  Switzerland. 
It  was  bilingual,  having  Greek  and  Latin  in  two  columns. 
It  was  produced  in  great  haste  and  with  a  poor  supply  of 
manuscripts,  and  while  of  great  use  was  also  very  defective. 
Other  editions  were  published  in  1519,  1522,  1527,  and  1535. 

An  interesting  fact  about  the  Greek  Testaments  of 
Erasmus  is  that  the  much  discussed  verse,  i  John  5  :  7,  is 
not  in  the  first  or  the  second  edition,  and  it  is  said  that  when 
he  was  taken  to  task  about  its  omission  he  said  he  left  it  out 
because  it  was  not  in  the  manuscript  he  used,  and  that  if  a 
manuscript  was  found  which  contained  it  he  would  insert  it 
in  a  later  edition.  This  he  did  in  his  third  edition,  because 
a  manuscript  had  been  found,  the  Codex  Montfortianus, 
which  contained  it.  It  would  appear  that  the  manuscript 
was  specially  made  to  contain  it,  for  it  may  be  seen  in 
Trinity  College,   Dublin,   and  while  there   are  455   leaves, 


128 


The  Book  of  Books 


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A  PAGE  OF  THE  COMPLUTENSIAN   POLYGLOT 


(From  "The  Biblical  World") 


Three  Great  Developments  129 

the  one  with  that  verse  on  is  of  different  material  from  the 
rest;  and  Dr.  Scrivener,  in  a  note  on  p.  173  of  his  Plain 
Introduction  to  the  Criticism  of  the  New  Testament,  quotes  the 
follov^ing  remark  of  a  witty  Irish  prelate:  "We  often  hear 
that  the  text  of  the  Three  Heavenly  Witnesses  is  a  gloss; 
and  anyone  that  will  go  into  the  College  Library  may  see 
as  much  for  himself."  That  leaf  was  glazed;  the  other 
leaves  were  not. 

Erasmus  was  a  Protestant,  but  before  he  began  the 
preparation  of  his  Greek  New  Testament,  another  was  being 
prepared  for  printing  by  a  Catholic  cardinal,  Francis  ,' 
Ximenes  de  Cisneros,  in  Spain.  This  was  commenced  in 
1502  and  completed  in  15 14,  but  was  not  published  till 
1520,  three  years  after  the  cardinal's  death.  This  version 
is  known  as  the  Complutensian  Polyglot,  being  published 
at  Complutum,  in  Spain,  and  containing,  in  parallel  columns, 
Latin  and  Greek.  The  Old  Testament  contained  Hebrew, 
Latin,  and  Greek.  It  was  frequently  reprinted,  sometimes 
with  considerable  revision. 

In  1534  Simon  de  Colines  published,  at  Paris,  a  Greek 
Testament,  combining  the  Erasmus  and  Complutensian 
texts  with  various  readings  of  his  own  introduction. 

Robert  Stephens  (or  Estienne),  step-son  of  De  Colines, 
published  new  versions  in  1546,  1549,  and  1550  at  Paris, 
and  in  1551  at  Geneva.  The  text  mainly  followed  that  of 
Erasmus  in  his  1527  and  1535  editions.  In  the  1551  edition 
the  text  is  divided  into  verses  for  the  first  time;  a  division 
into  chapters  had  already  been  made. 

Theodore  Beza,  a  noted  reformer,  issued  a  Greek  Testa- 
ment, based  on  that  of  Stephens,  with  some  changes,  in 
1565,  at  Geneva,  with  several  later  editions  until  1605.  He 
had  the  use  of  the  Codex  Bezae  already  referred  to  and  the 
Codex  Clarmontanus,  which  earlier  revisers  had  not. 

In  1624  an  edition  was  published  at  Leyden  in  Holland, 
by  two  brothers,  Bonaventure  and  Abraham  Elzevir.  It 
was  repubhshed  in  1635  and  1641,  and  was  practically  a 
reprint  of  Beza's  version.  From  a  phrase  used  in  the  preface 
to  the  second  edition,  "textum  receptum"  it  has  been  called 
the  textus  receptus  or  the  "received  text."  As  Stephens' 
and  Beza's  were  substantially  that  of  Erasmus,  his  was  in 
reality  the  received  text. 


130  The  Book  of  Books 

In  1675  an  edition  was  published  by  Bishop  Fell,  at 
Oxford,  and  another  by  John  Mill  in  1707.  These  did  not 
differ  materially  from  Stephens'  text,  but  there  were  added 
to  Mill's  edition  about  thirty  thousand  various  readings. 
Manuscripts  of  great  value  were  now  available  for  the 
scholars,  and  they  had  begun  to  use  them  critically  upon  the 
text.  Later  versions  transferred  many  of  the  readings  to 
the  text.  The  very  early  and  valuable  Alexandrian  and 
Vatican  manuscripts  had  become  available,  and  a  proposal 
was  made  by  Dr.  Richard  Bentley,  in  1720,  to  substitute 
for  the  received  text  that  of  the  early  centuries. 

Bengel  issued  a  Greek  Testament  at  Tubingen  in  1734, 
in  which  he  retained  the  received  text,  and  noted  variations 
in  the  margin. 

In  175 1  Wetstein  pubHshed  a  version  at  Amsterdam, 
which  was  the  received  text,  mainly  from  the  Elzevir  edi- 
tions, with  notes  as  to  the  various  readings,  and  extensive 
quotations  from  the  Fathers  and  Greek,  Latin,  and  Hebrew 
writers. 

With  Johann  Jakob  Griesbach  there  came  a  transition 
from  the  received  text  based  on  the  late  cursive  manuscripts 
to  one  according  to  the  earlier  uncials.  His  first  edition 
was  pubHshed  in  1775,  but  his  second  edition,  1796-1806, 
was  much  more  valuable,  and  a  third  was  pubHshed  in  1827, 
fifteen  years  after  his  death,  edited  by  David  Schulz  and 
with  considerable  critical  additions. 

In  1830  an  edition  was  pubHshed  by  J.  M.  A.  Scholz, 
which  differed  very  Httle  from  Griesbach's. 

With  Carl  Lachmann's  edition  of  1 842-1 850  came  the 
complete  reversion  to  the  oldest  manuscripts.  He  ignored 
the  received  text  and  cursive  manuscripts  and  translated 
direct  from  the  uncials.  But  the  most  valuable  of  all  the 
old  manuscripts,  the  Sinaitic,  had  not  then  been  found;  and 
there  was  room  for  further  amendment  after  Tischendorf 
had  published  his  facsimile  edition  of  Codex  ^  . 

Constantin  Tischendorf,  born  at  Lengenfeld,  in  Saxony, 
January  18,  181 5,  deciphered  the  Ephraem  paHmpsest  in 
1 840-1 843  and  discovered  the  Sinaitic  manuscript  1844  and 
1859.  With  all  the  critical,  textual  material  that  had  been 
collected  previously  he  had  greater  faciHties  for  revising  the 


Three  Great  Developments 


131 


Greek  text  than  any  had  had  before  him.  Altogether  he 
pubUshed  eight  editions  of  the  Greek  Testament,  the  first 
in  1841  and  the  last  from  1864  to  1872.  He  died  at  Leipzig, 
December  8,  1874. 

Samuel  Prideaux  Tregelles  was  born  at  Falmouth, 
January  30,  18 13,  and  died  at  Plymouth,  April  24,  1875. 
He  was  a  dihgent  scholar  and  published  a  Greek  Testament 
in  parts  from  1857  to  1872. 


DR.  S.  TREGELLES 

Editor   Greek   New   Testa- 
ment  and    one   of  the 
Revisers,  1870 -1875 


CONSTANTIN  TISCHENDORF 


Henry  Alford,  Dean  of  Canterbury,  published  a  Greek 
Testament  in  four  volumes  from*  1849  to  1861.  Each 
passed  through  several  editions,  and  improvements  were 
made  as  new  and  valuable  materials  were  discovered. 

In  1881  appeared  the  revised  text  of  Westcott  and 
Hort,  in  two  volumes,  the  first  containing  the  text  and  the 
second  an  introduction  and  extensive  notes.  This  is  still 
recognized  as  the  oldest  and  best  text  which  it  is  possible 
to    obtain   with    the    material    at    present    available.      No 


132 


The  Book  of  Books 


important  discovery  of  manuscripts  affecting  the  text  has 
been  made  since  the  Sinaitic  manuscript  was  pubHshed. 

Dean  Alford,  Bishop  Westcott,  and  Mr.  Hort  were  all 
members   of  the   English    Revision   Committee,    and   their 


DR.  B.  F.  WESTCOTT,  BISHOP  OF  DURHAM 

Joint  editor  with  Prof.  F.  J.  A.  Hort  of  the  Greek  Testament,  and  one  of 
of  the  Revisers,  1870-1881 


labors  in  textual  criticism  had  prepared  them  admirably  for 
the  work.  Two  other  members  of  the  revision  committee 
issued  volumes  of  the  Greek  Testament  just  about  the  time 
that  the  Revised  English  Version  was  pubHshed,  1881.  Dr. 
Scrivener  gave  the  received  text,  as  followed  by  the  revisers 


Three  Great  Developments  133 

in  the  Authorized  Version,  together  with  the  variations 
adopted  by  the  revisers.  Archdeacon  Palmer  gave  the 
Greek  Testament  as  followed  by  the  Revision  Committee 
of  1870. 

The  following  is  a  summary  of  the  rules  followed  by 
the  editors  of  the  Greek  text  as  summarized  by  Dr.  SchafF: 

1.  Knowledge  of  documentary  evidence  must  precede  the 
choice  of  readings. 

2.  All  kinds  of  evidence,  external  and  internal,  must  be  taken 
into  account,  according  to  their  intrinsic  value. 

3.  The  sources  of  the  text  must  be  carefully  sifted  and  classi- 
fied and  the  authorities  must  be  weighed  rather  than  numbered. 
One  independent  manuscript  may  be  worth  more  than  a  hundred 
copies  which  are  derived  from  the  same  original. 

4.  The  restoration  of  the  pure  text  is  founded  on  the  history 
and  genealogy  of  the  textual  corruptions. 

5.  The  older  reading  is  preferable  to  the  later  because  it  is 
presumably  nearer  the  source.  In  exceptional  cases  later  copies 
may  represent  a  more  ancient  reading. 

6.  The  shorter  reading  is  preferable  to  the  longer,  because 
insertions  and  additions  are  more  probable  than  omissions. 

7.  The  more  difficult  reading  is  preferable  to  the  easier. 
Transcribers  would  not  intentionally  substitute  a  harsh,  ungram- 
matical  or  unusual  reading  for  one  that  was  unobjectionable. 

8.  The  reading  which  best  explains  the  origin  of  the  other 
variations  is  preferable. 

9.  "That  reading  is  preferable  which  best  suits  the  peculiar 
style,  manner,  and  habits  of  thought  of  the  author;  it  being  the 
tendency  of  copyists  to  overlook  the  idiosyncrasies  of  the  writers." 
— Scrivener. 

10.  That  reading  is  preferable  which  shows  no  doctrinal  bias 
whether  orthodox  or  heretical. 

11.  The  agreement  of  the  most  ancient  witnesses  of  all  classes 
decides  the  true  reading  against  all  medieval  copies  and  printed 
editions. 

12.  The  primary  uncials,  X  B,  C,  and  A — especially  X  and 
B — if  sustained  by  other  Greek  uncials  (as  D,  L,  T,  H,  Z)  and 
first-class  cursives  (as  33),  by  ancient  versions,  and  ante-Nicene 
citations,  outweigh  all  later  authorities,  and  give  us  presumably 
the  original  text  of  the  sacred  writers. 


CHAPTER  X 

WILLIAM   TINDALE   AND   THE   FIRST    PRINTED 
ENGLISH  NEW  TESTAMENT 

WILLIAM  TINDALE  was  born  at  or  near  North 
Nibley,  near  Berkeley  in  Gloucestershire,  about  the 
year  1484.  The  exact  place  and  date  are  not  known.  A 
monument  has  been  erected  at  Nibley  Knoll,  of  which  the 
following  particulars  are  taken  from  the  record  of  the  inaug- 
uration, 1866.  It  is  a  cenotaph  (or  empty  tomb)  consisting 
of  a  square  tower  26  feet  6  inches  wide  at  the  base  and 
1 1 1  feet  high,  exclusive  of  the  cross  at  the  top.  It  is  entered 
on  the  east  side,  and  a  staircase  within  leads  to  a  gallery. 
It  commands  an  extensive  view  from  Warwickshire  to  the 
Bristol  Channel,  over  the  Severn,  into  Wales,  covering 
thirteen  counties.  The  foundation  stone  was  laid  by  Colonel 
Berkeley,  A4ay  29,  1863,  and  it  was  inaugurated  November 
6,  1866,  by  the  Earl  of  Ducie.  The  cost  was  about  eight 
thousand  dollars. 

Very  little  is  known  of  Tindale's  family  or  of  his  early 
years.  For  the  best  information  on  the  subject  the  reader 
is  referred  to  William  Tyndale,  a  Biography,  by  R.  Demaus. 
Some  interesting  items  are  given  in  Acts  and  Monuments, 
by  George  Foxe,  who  styles  Tindale  the  "Apostle  of  Eng- 
land." He  says  that  "he  was  brought  vp  from  a  child  in 
the  Vniuersitie  of  Oxford,  where  he  by  long  continuance 
grew  vp,  and  increased  as  wel  in  the  knowledge  of  tounges, 
and  other  liberall  Artes,  as  especially  in  the  knowledge  of 
the  Scriptures;  whereunto  his  mynde  was  singularly 
addicted."  The  family  of  Tindale  had  adopted  the  name 
Hychyns  (Hitchins  or  Hotchyns),  possibly,  as  Arber  sug- 
gests, for  the  sake  of  concealment  during  the  Wars  of  the 
Roses;  so  he  is  sometimes  referred  to  by  this  name  in 
extracts  which  follow.      He  is  supposed  to  have   taken   his 

(134) 


William  Tindale 


135 


degree  of  Master  of  Arts  at  Oxford  in  15 15  and  to  have 
been  ordained  to  the  priesthood  about  1520  or  1521.  From 
Magdalen  Hall,  Oxford,  Tindale  went  to  Cambridge  and  in 
all  probability  attended  lectures  there  by  Erasmus. 

About  1520  he  went  as  tutor  and  chaplain  in  the  family 
of  Sir  John  Walsh,  at  Little  Sodbury  Manor,  about  fifteen 
miles  from  Bistol  and  not  far  from  the  place  of  his  birth. 
By  courtesy  of  the  present  rector  of  Little  Sodbury  (Rev. 
H.  Hy.  Golledge),  I  am  enabled  to  present  some  excellent 


WILLIAM  TINDALE 

(Photo  by  Murray  Doivding  from  an  old  engraving) 

illustrations  from  photographs  taken  by  Mr.  Murray  Dowd- 
ing,  of  Chipping  Sodbury.  It  was  doubtless  while  at  Sir 
John  Walsh's  that  Tindale  made  up  his  mind  to  translate 
the  Bible  into  English  and  print  it  for  the  enhghtenment  of 
his  fellow-men.  He  had  opportunity  while  there  to  come 
into  close  touch  with  the  ignorance  and  wretchedness  of  the 
clergy.  Demaus  says  that  religion  had  degenerated  "into 
a  round  of  superstitious  customs  and  ceremonial  observ- 
ances"; and  it  is  recorded  that  at  a  later  date  Bishop  Hooper 


136 


The  Book  of  Books 


(of  Gloucester),  in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI,  found  many 
clergy  in  Gloucestershire  who  could  not  repeat  the  Ten 
Commandments,  name  the  author  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  or 
say  where  it  could  be  found.  The  Convocation  of  Canter- 
bury had  forbidden  the  translation  of  Scripture  into  English 


THE  TINDALE  MEMORIAL  AT  NORTH  NIBLEY 

{Photo  by  Murray  Dowding) 

or  the  reading  of  such  translations  without  authority  of  the 
bishop.     Foxe  says: 

The  sayde  Tyndall  beyng  schole  maister  to  the  sayde  maister 
Welche  his  children,  and  being  in  good  fauour  with  his  maister, 
sat  moste  commonly  at  his  owne  table,  whiche  kept  a  good  ordin- 
ary, having  resort  to  hym,  many  tymes  diuerse  great  beneficed 


William  Tindale 


137 


men,  as  Abbots,  Deanes,  Archedeacons,  and  other  diuerse  doctors, 
and  learned  men.  Amongst  whome  commonly  was  taike  of  learn- 
ing, as  well  of  Luther  and  Erasmus  Roterodamus,  as  of  opinions 
in  the  scripture.  The  saide  Maister  Tyndall  being  learned  and 
which  had  bene  a  studient  of  diuinitie  in  Cambridge,  and  hade 
therein  taken  degree  of  schole,  did  man}^  times  therein  shewe  his 
mynde  and  learnyng,  wherein  as  those  men  and  Tyndall  did  varie 
in  opinions  and  iudgementes,  then  maister  Tyndall  would  shewe 
them  on  the  booke  the  places;  by  open  and  manifest  scripture, 
the  whiche  continued  for  a  certaine  season,  diuerse  and  sondry 
tymes  vntyll  in  the  continuance  thereof,  those  great  beneficed 
doctors  waxed  weary  and  bare  a  secret  grudge  in  their  hartes 
against  maister  Tyndale. 


LITTLE  SODBURY  MANOR  HOUSE 

The  residence  of  Sir  John  Walsh,  who  was  champion  to  Henry  VHI 
at  his  coronation.  Henry  visited  the  manor  house  with  his  queen,  Anne 
Roleyn,  and  it  is  said  that  she  watched  the  sports  from  the  bay  window 
of  the  upper  story  at  the  right  of  the  picture. 

(Photo  by  Murray  Dowding) 

The  ecclesiastical  authorities  were  aroused  against  him. 
He  was  cited  to  appear  before  them  and  was  told  that 
he  was  "a  heretic  in  sophistry,  a  heretic  in  logic,  a  heretic'in 
his  Divinity,"  that  he  bore  himself  very  boldly,  and  that  he 
should  be  otherwise  talked  with.     Foxe  continues: 


138 


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And  sone  after  Maister  Tyndall  happened  to  be  in  the  com- 
panie  of  a  learned  man,  and  in  communing  and  disputing  with 
him,  droue  him  to  that  issue  that  the  learned  manne  sayde,  we 
were  better  be  without  Gods  lawe  then  the  Popes:  Maister  Tyndall 
hearing  that,  answered  hym,  I  defie  the  Pope  and  all  his  lawes, 
and  sayde,  if  God  spare  my  lyfe  ere  many  yeares,  I  wyl  cause  a 
boye  that  dryueth  y^  plough,  shall  knowe  more  of  the  scripture 
then  thou  doest. 


RUINS  OF  TINDALE'S  CHURCH 

The  old  church  of  St.  Adeline  at  Little  Sodbury  dates  from  1500. 
It  was  disused  and  dismantled  in  1858.  The  two  yew  trees  are  about 
five  hundred  years  old  and  were  most  likely  there  in  Tindale's  days. 
On  the  hill  to  the  right  is  a  Roman  camp  inside  a  British  camp.  The 
top  part  of  the  manor  house  may  be  seen  at  the  left  of  the  picture. 

{Photo  by  Murray  Dowding) 

Realizing  that  the  opposition  to  him  was  becoming 
very  great,  he  resolved  to  leave  his  position,  and  so  one  day 
said  to  Sir  John  Walsh,  "I  perceive  that  I  shal  not  be  suflPered 
to  tary  long  here  in  this  countrey,  nor  you  shalbe  able  to 
kepe  me  out  of  their  handes,  and  what  displeasure  you 
might  haue  therby  is  harde  to  knowe,  for  the  whiche  I 
should  be  ryght  sory." 


William  Tindale 


139 


So  in  the  summer  of  1523  he  went  to  London,  his  mind 
fully  made  up  to  translate  and  print  the  Bible  if  a  way  could 
possibly  be  found  to  do  it.  Humphrey  Monmouth,  a  London 
draper,  assisted  Tindale,  and  shortly  after,  in  1528,  was 
charged  with  heresy,  and  in  his  answer  to  the  charge  in  his 
petition  to  Wolsey  and  the  Council  he  gives  some  details 
of  Tindale's  stay  with  him.     He  says: 


ST.  ADELINE'S  CHURCH,  LITTLE  SODBURY 
The  stones  from  the  old  church  were  carted  down  and  used  to  build  the 

present  church 

(I'hoto  by  Murray  Dowding) 

Upon  iiii  yeres  and  a  half  past  and  more  I  herde  the  foresaid 
Sir  William  preach  ii  or  iii  sermons  at  St.  Dunstan's  in  the  west, 
in  London;  and  after  that  I  chaunced  to  meet  with  him  and  with 
communication  I  examyned  what  lyving  he  had.  He  said  he  had 
none  at  all;  but  he  trusted  to  be  with  my  Lord  of  London  in  his 
service.  And  therefore  I  had  the  better  fantasy  to  him.  And 
afterward  he  went  to  my  Lord  and  spake  to  him,  as  he  told  me, 
and  my  L.  of  London  answered  him,  that  he  had  Chaplaines 
inough,  and  he  said  to  him,  that  he  would  have  no  more  at  that 
tyme.  And  so  the  Priest  came  to  me  againe,  and  besought  me  to 
help  him,  and  so  I  took  him  into  my  house  half  a  yere:  and  there 
he  lived  like  a  good  Priest,  as  methought.  He  studied  most  part 
of  the  day  and  of  the  night,  at  his  book. 


140 


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Tindale  stayed  in  London  nearly  a  year,  and  then, 
deciding  that  there  was  no  chance  to  get  his  translation 
printed  there,  went  to  the  continent.  It  is  a  matter  of 
doubt  whether  he  ever  visited  Luther  at  Wittenberg.  Some 
scholars  think  he  did  and  there  finished  his  translation; 
others  think  he  did  not;  but  there  is  no  definite  evidence 
either  way.  At  any  rate,  he  was  at  Cologne  in  1525  super- 
intending   the    printing   of  his   New  Testament    by    Peter 


INTERIOR  OF  ST.  ADELINE'S  CHURCH 

This  shows  the  stained  glass  window  and  the  martyr's  pulpit.  The 
figures  are  those  of  Archbishop  Cranmer,  Bishops  Hooper,  Ridley  and 
Latimer,  and  William  Tindale.  The  photograph  was  taken  by  Mr. 
Murray  Dowding,  of  Chipping  Sodbury,  a  descendant  of  Bishop  Ridley. 

Quentel.  Along  with  him  was  William  Roye,  who,  accord- 
ing to  Tindale's  own  statement,  which  will  be  quoted  later, 
had  helped  him  in  his  work  of  translation.  The  fact  that 
he  was  printing  the  New  Testament  leaked  out,  and  the 
chief  agent  in  the  opposition  to  the  work  has  himself  given 


William  Tindale  141 

an  account  of  how  he  discovered  it.  His  name  is  John 
Cochlaeus,  or  Johann  Dobneck,  and,  writing  of  himself  in 
the  third  person,  he  says: 

Two  English  apostates,  who  had  been  sometime  at  Witten- 
berg, sought  not  only  to  subvert  their  own  merchants  (who 
secretly  favored  and  supported  them  in  their  exile)  but  even  hoped 
that,  whether  the  king  would  or  not,  all  the  people  of  England 
would  in  a  short  time  become  Lutherans,  by  means  of  the  New 
Testament  of  Luther,  which  they  had  translated  into  the  English 
language.  They  had  already  come  to  Cologne,  that  thence  they 
might  convey,  secretly,  under  cover  of  other  goods  to  England, 
the  Testament  so  translated,  and  multiplied  by  printers  into 
many  thousands.  For  they  had  so  much  confidence  of  managing 
the  business  well,  that,  at  the  first  onset,  they  asked  from  the 
printers  six  thousand  to  be  given  from  the  press.  But  fearing  lest 
they  should  meet  with  a  very  heavy  loss,  if  anything  happened 
unfortunately,  they  only  put  three  thousand  to  the  press;  which, 
if  the}' should  happily  be  sold,  could  with  ease  be  printed  anew.  .  .  . 

At  that  time,  John  Cochlaeus,  Deacon  of  the  Church  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  at  Frankfort,  lived  as  an  exile  at  Cologne.  .  .   . 

Having  become  more  intimate  and  familiar  with  the  Cologne 
printers,  he  sometimes  heard  them  confidently  boast,  when  in 
their  cups,  that  whether  the  King  and  Cardinal  of  England  would 
or  not,  all  England  would  in  a  short  time  be  Lutheran.  He  heard 
also  that  there  were  two  Englishmen  lurking  there,  learned,  skilful 
in  languages,  and  fluent,  whom,  however,  he  never  could  see  or 
converse  with.  Calling,  therefore,  certain  printers  into  his  lodging, 
after  they  were  heated  with  wine,  one  of  them,  in  more  private 
discourse,  discovered  to  him  the  secret  by  which  England  was  to 
be  drawn  over  to  the  side  of  Luther — namely.  That  three  thousand 
copies  of  the  Lutheran  New  Testament,  translated  into  the  English 
language,  were  in  the  press,  and  already  were  advanced  as  far  as 
the  letter  K  in  ordine  quarter nionum.  That  the  expenses  were 
fully  supplied  by  English  merchants;  who  were  secretly  to  convey 
the  work  when  printed,  and  to  disperse  it  widely  through  all 
England,  before  the  King  or  Cardinal  could  discover  or  prohibit  it. 

Cochlaeus,  being  inwardly  affected  by  fear  and  wonder,  dis- 
guised his  grief,  under  the  appearance  of  admiration.  But  another 
day,  considering  with  himself  the  magnitude  of  the  grievous  dan- 
ger, he  cast  in  mind  by  what  method  he  might  expeditiously 
obstruct  these  very  wicked  attempts.  He  went,  therefore, 
secretly  to  Herman  Rinck,  a  patrician  of  Cologne  and  Military 
Knight,  familiar  both  with  the  Emperor  and  the  King  of  England, 
and  a  Counsellor,  and  disclosed  to  him  the  whole  affair,  as,  by 
means  of  the  wine,  he  had  received  it.  He,  that  he  might  ascertain 
all  things  most  certainly,  sent  another  person  into  the  house  where 


142  The  Book  of  Books 

the  work  was  printing,  according  to  the  discovery  of  Cochlaeus: 
and  when  he  had  understood  from  him  that  the  matter  was  even 
so,  and  that  there  was  great  abundance  of  paper  there,  he  went  to 
the  Senate,  and  so  brought  it  about  that  the  printer  was  inter- 
dicted from  proceeding  farther  in  that  work.  The  two  Enghsh 
apostates,  snatching  away  with  them  the  quarto  sheets  printed, 
fled  by  ship,  going  up  the  Rhine  to  Worms,  where  the  people  were 
under  the  full  rage  of  Lutheranism,  that  there,  by  another  printer, 
they  might  complete  the  work  begun.  Rinck  and  Cochlaeus,  how- 
ever, immediately  advised  by  their  letter  the  King,  the  Cardinal, 
and  the  Bishop  of  Rochester  that  they  might,  with  the  greatest 
diligence,  take  care  lest  that  most  pernicious  article  of  merchandise 
should  be  conveyed  into  all  the  ports  of  England. 

The  secret  being  discovered,  Tindale  fled  to  Worms, 
and  there  issued  his  small,  or  octavo,  New  Testament,  in 
an  edition  of  three  thousand  printed  by  Peter  Schoeffer. 
If  the  larger  one,  the  quarto,  begun  at  Cologne,  was  ever 
completed,  it  was  completed  at  Worms,  but  there  is  doubt 
whether  any  further  printing  was  done  on  that  edition. 
At  any  rate,  no  complete  copy  has  ever  been  found,  and 
only  one  fragment  is  extant.  It  was  discovered  in  1836  by 
a  bookseller  in  London  and  came  into  the  possession  of  the 
Right  Hon.  Thomas  Grenville,  and  is  part  of  the  Grenville 
Library  in  the  British  Museum.  It  contains  only  the 
Prologue  and  the  first  twenty-one  chapters  of  Matthew  and 
a  portion  of  chapter  twenty-two.  It  has  been  reproduced 
in  facsimile  by  Edwin  Arber  (1871)  with  copious  intro- 
duction, and  the  illustrations  here  given  are  from  that 
reproduction. 

Of  the  octavo  edition  two  copies  are  extant.  One,  with 
only  the  title-page  missing,  is  in  the  Library  of  the  Baptist 
College,  Bristol,  and  was  reproduced  in  facsimile  in  1862, 
by  Francis  Fry.  The  illustration  here  given  is  from  that 
facsimile.  The  other  copy  is  incomplete;  it  is  in  the  library 
of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  London. 

Warned  by  Cochlaeus,  the  clergy  were  on  the  look-out 
for  Tindale's  Testaments  as  soon  as  they  were  issued.  Other 
warnings  had  been  sent  also.  At  that  time  Henry  VIII  had 
not  broken  off  relations  with  Rome  and  declared  against 
the  supremacy  of  the  pope. 


William  Tindale  143 

Edward  Lee,  Almoner  of  Henry  VIII,  was  traveling  on 
the  continent  in  1525  and  wrote  to  the  king  from  Bordeaux 
on  December  2d,  in  part  as  follows: 

Please  it  your  Highnesse  moreover  to  undrestand  that  I  am 
certainlie  enformed  as  I  passed  in  this  contree  that  an  Englishman, 
your  subject,  at  the  sollicitation  and  instance  of  Luther,  with 
whome  he  is,  hatha  translated  the  Newe  Testament  in  to  English, 
and  within  fewe  dayes  entendethe  to  arrive  with  the  same  em- 
printed  in  Englond.  I  neede  not  to  advertise  your  Grace  what 
infection  and  daunger  may  ensue  heerbie,  if  it  be  not  withstonded. 
This  is  the  next  waye  to  fulfill  your  realme  with  Lutherians.  For 
all  Luthers  perverse  opinions  bee  grownded  opon  bar  wordes  of 
Scriptur  not  well  taken  ne  vnderstonded,  wiche  your  Grace  hathe 
opened  in  sondrie  places  of  your  royall  Booke.  All  our  forfadres, 
governors  of  the  Churche  of  Englond,  hathe  with  all  diligence  for- 
bed  &  exchued  publication  of  Englishe  bibles,  as  apperethe  in  Con- 
stitutions provincall  of  the  Churche  of  Englond.  Nowe,  Sire,  as 
God  hathe  endued  your  Grace  with  Christen  courauge  to  sett 
forthe  the  standard  against  thies  Philistees  and  to  venquish  them, 
so  I  doubt  not  but  that  he  will  assist  your  grace  to  prosecute  and 
performe  the  same,  that  is  to  vndre  treade  them  that  they  shall 
not  nowe  againe  lift  vppe  their  hedds,  wiche  they  endevor  nowe  by 
meanes  of  Englishe  Bibles.  They  knowe  what  hurte  suche  books 
hath  doone  in  your  Realme  in  tymes  passed. 

Hithretoo,  blessed  be  God,  your  Realme  is  save  from  infection 
of  Luthers  sect,  as  for  so  mutche  that  althowg  anye  peradventur 
bee  secretlie  blotted  within,  yet  for  fear  of  your  royall  Majestic, 
wiche  hathe  drawen  his  swerd  in  Gods  cause,  they  dar  not  openlie 
avowe.  Wherefor  I  can  not  doute  but  that  your  noble  Grace  will 
valiauntlie  maignetaine  that  you  have  so  noblie  begonne. 

Copies  were  smuggled  into  England  in  various  ways. 
They  were  put  in  barrels  and  packages  and  reached  some 
who  were  ready  and  willing  to  distribute  them;  but  the 
distributors  were  afterward  persecuted  as  well  as  the  pub- 
lishers. The  clergy  were  greatly  incensed  and  took  all 
possible  measures  to  suppress  the  books.  Foremost  among 
the  enemies  of  Tindale  was  the  bishop  whose  help  he  had 
first  sought — Cuthbert  Tonstal,  Bishop  of  London.  The 
following  portion  of  a  letter  will  serve  as  a  specimen  of  the 
attitude  of  the  clergy  to  Tindale's  Testaments.  It  is  from 
Robert  Ridley,  chaplain  to  Tonstal,  to  Henry  Golde,  chap- 
lain to  Warham,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 


144 


The  Book  of  Books 


Maister  Golde,  I  hartly  commande  me  vnto  you.  As  con- 
cernyng  this  common  and  vulgare  translation  of  the  new  testament 
in  to  englishe,  doon  by  Mr.  William  Hichyns,  otherwais  called 
Mr.  W.  Tyndale,  and  frear  William  Roy,  manifest  lutheranes 
heretikes  and  apostates,  as  doth  oppynly  apeir,  not  only  by  their 
daily  and  continuall  company  and  familiarite  with  Luther  and  his 
disciples,  bot  mych  mor  by  their  commentares  and  annotationes  in 
Mattheum  et  Marcum  in  the  first  print,  also  by  their  preface  in 
the  2d  prent,  and  by  their  introduccion  in  to  the  epistle  of  Paule 
ad  Romanos  al  to  gither  most  posoned  and  abhominable  hereses 
that  can  be  thowght;    he  is  not  filius  Ecclesiae  Christi  thet  wold 


HOW  THE  PEOPLE  RECEIVED  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 
Gathering  in  secret  to  hear  it  read 

(From  Stoughton's  "Bible  Translations  and  Translators."     Courtesy  of  the  Religious  Tract  Society) 

receaue  a  godspell  of  such  damned  and  precised  heretikes,  thowh 
it  wer  trew,  lyk  as  Paule  and  our  Saviour  Christ  wold  not  take  the 
trew  testimonial  of  Evil  Spretes  that  prased  Criste  trew  saying 

Quod  filius  dei  erat. 

An  interesting  story  is  told  in  Halle's  Chro7iicles  of  the 
efforts  made  by  Tonstal  to  secure  the  whole  of  the  Testa- 
ments and  burn  them: 


William  Tindale 


145 


Here  it  is  to  be  remembred,  that  at  this  present  tyme,  Willyam 
Tyndale  had  newly  translated  and  imprinted  the  Newe  Testa- 
ment in  Englishe,  and  the  Bishop  of  London,  not  pleased  with  the 
translacion  thereof,  debated  with  hymself,  how  he  might  compasse 
and  deuise,  to  destroye  that  false  and  erronious  translacion  (as  he 
saied).  And  so  it  happened  that  one  Augustine  Packyngton  a 
Mercer  and  Merchant  of  London,  and  of  a  greate  honestie,  the 
same  tyme  was  in  Andwarp,  where  the  Bishope  then  was,  and  this 
Packyngton  was  a  man  that  highly  fauored  William  Tindale,  but 
to  the  bishop  vtterly  shewed  himself  to  the  contrar3^  The  bishop 
desirous  to  haue  his  purpose  brought  to  passe,  commoned  of  the 
New  Testamentes,  and  how  gladly  he  would  bye  them.  Packyng- 
ton then  hearj^ng  that  he  wished  for,  saied  vnto  the  bishop,  my 


HOW  THE  CLERGY  RECEIVED  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 
Burning  New  Testaments  at  St.  Paul's 

{From  Stougfilon's  "Bible  Translations  and  Translators."     Courtesy  of  the  Religious  Trad  Society) 

Lorde,  if  it  bee  your  pleasure  I  can  in  this  matter  dooe  more  I 
dare  saie,  then  moste  of  the  Merchauntes  of  Englande  that  are 
here  to  sell,  so  that  if  it  be  your  lordshippes  pleasure,  to  pay  for 
theim,  for  otherwise  I  cannot  come  by  them,  but  I  must  disburse 
money  for  theim,  I  will  then  assure  you,  to  haue  euery  boke  of 
them,  that  is  imprinted  and  is  here  vnsolde.  The  Bishop  thinkyng 
that  he  had  God  by  the  too,  when  in  deede  he  had  (as  after  he 
thought)  the  Deuell  by  the  fiste,  saied,  gentle  Master  Packyngton, 
do  your  diligence  and  get  them  and  with  all  my  harte  I  will  paie 
for  them,  whatsoeuer  thei  cost  you,  for  the  bokes  are  erronious 
and  naughtes  and  I  entende  surely  to  destroy  theim  all,  and  to 


146  The  Book  of  Books 

burne  theim  at  Paules  Crosse.  Augustine  Packyngton  came  to 
Willyam  Tyndale  and  saied,  Willyam  I  knowe  thou  arte  a  poore 
man,  and  hast  a  hepe  of  newe  Testamentes,  and  bokes  by  thee, 
for  the  whiche  thou  hast  both  indaungered  thy  frendes,  and  beg- 
gared thy  self,  and  I  haue  now  gotten  thee  a  Merchaunt,  whiche 
with  ready  money  shall  dispatche  thee  of  all  that  thou  hast,  if 
you  thykne  it  so  proffitable  for  your  self.  Who  is  the  Merchant 
said  Tyndale.^  The  bishoppe  of  London,  saied  Packyngton,  O 
that  is  because  he  will  burne  them  saied  Tyndale,  ye  Mary  quod 
Packyngton,  I  am  the  gladder  said  Tyndale  for  these  two  benefites 
shall  come  therof,  I  shall  get  money  of  hym  for  these  bokes,  to 
bryng  myself  out  of  debt  (and  the  whole  world  shall  crie  out  vpon 
the  burnynge  of  Goddes  worde.)  And  the  ouerplus  of  the  money, 
that  shall  remain  to  me,  shall  make  me  more  studious  to  correct 
the  said  Newe  Testament,  and  so  newly  to  Imprint  the  same  once 
again,  and  I  trust  the  second  will  much  better  like  you,  then  euer 
did  the  first:  And  so  forward  went  the  bargain,  the  bishop  had 
the  bokes,  Packyngton  had  the  thankes,  and  Tyndale  had  the 
money. 

Afterward  when  mo  newe  Testamentes  were  Imprinted,  thei 
came  thicke  and  threfolde  into  Englande,  the  bishop  of  London 
hearyng  that  still  there  were  so  many  Newe  Testamentes  abrode, 
sent  for  Augustyne  Packyngton  and  saide  vnto  him:  Sir  how 
commeth  this,  that  there  are  so  many  Newe  Testamentes  abrode, 
and  you  promised  and  assured  me  that  you  had  bought  al.^  then 
saied  Packyngton,  I  promes  you  I  bought  all  that  then  was  to  bee 
had:  but  I  perceiue  thei  haue  made  more  sence,  and  it  will  neuer 
bee  better,  as  long  as  thei  haue  the  letters  and  stampes,  therefore 
it  wer  best  for  your  lordshippe  to  bye  the  stampes  to,  and  then 
are  you  sure:  the  bishop  smiled  at  hym  and  saied,  well  Packyngton 
well,  and  so  ended  this  matter. 

The  Prologue  to  Tindale's  quarto  edition  of  1525,  the 
Grenville  Fragment,  is  as  follows: 

The.   Prologge. 

I  haue  here  translated  (brethern  and  susters  moost  dere  and 
tenderly  beloued  in  Christ)  the  newe  Testament  for  youre  spiritual 
edyfyinge  /  consolacion  /  and  solas: 

Exhortynge  instantly  and  besechynge  those  that  are  better 
sene  in  the  tonges  then  y  /  and  that  haue  hyer  gyftes  of  grace  to 
interpret  the  sence  of  the  scripture  /  and  meanynge  of  the  spyrite  / 
then  y  /  to  consydre  and  pondre  my  laboure  /  and  that  with  the 
spyrite  of  mekenes.  And  yf  they  perceyue  in  eny  places  that  y 
have  not  attayned  the  very  sence  of  the  tonge  /  or  meanynge  of 
the  scripture  /  or  haue  not  geven  the  right  englysshe  worde  /  that 
they  put  to  there  handes  to  amende  it  /  remembrynge  that  so  is 
there  duetie  to  doo.     For  we  have  not  receyved  the  gyftes  of  god 


William  Tindale 


147 


Cbf.jJUjIoggt 


li:>m  fittt  ttmRattti 

Cbwtbcman^  fufrer6mcofl^erc<ln^ 
tcnUtly  bePcueb  inCbiifl  D  tijcncs: 

^)?ft'in0e/confc»lacton/anb  fol«6: 
Vi)cl>o:tyit0c  in(hnrl)>ani>  bt(cd}yn$c 
tbo|etl>ar  Are  bcmr  fcnc  in  tfecton^f 
then  y  /  m'Cf  t\}at  b^vc  ^j?cr  0)>|1f  of 
pracc  to  interpret  tjjc  fence  of  t^e  (Vr^ 
iprurc  /ant" meanj>nge  of t|)c  fpyiitf: 
te/tben  j>/toconjyt»je  dn^  pon^:c  m)^ 
Ubourc  /  anb  tbftt  tritb  t^e  (py«'tc 
of  mefence.  2(n^  yf  tbey  perceyre  in  eny  places  r J? ar^  i>Avc 
not  atta)?ne^  t||)e  very  jencc  of  tbe  ton^c  /  ot  mzAnyn^t  of 
tbe  fmpturc  /  ot  b^u^  not  gevm  tbcri^btcn^lyfTbe  v»o:Jie/ 
tb<it  tbe)(>  put  to  tbcre  b«n^f  to  « m cn^c  it/rememb:)>n^c  f  b«t  (^ 
fgtbere^lIeticto  t>a>.  goitre  barenorrecej^re^tbe^fyflfof^ob 
fo:  oure  (cfiie^ only/o*  fo:to by^e  tb^ni: but fo:to bef^o we  tbem 
i?nto  tbe  bononrin^f  of 0o&  an^  cb  Jif^/«n^  i^yfyingi  6  ft^s  f  on^ 
0rc0acion  /wcbicb  i&  tbc  bot>y  ofcbiifJ. 

C^The  ca«|c^  tb^t  move>  metotranflate  /y  tbou£(l;t  better 
tbAtotbcrfbubcymfl^to^/tbcntbatyfbuI^crebearcetbem. 
iViozi  every  fuppofel*  yt  fuperflnoii^  /  fo:  tc\)0  yefo  b^nl>e  to 
ftretrby  ly^bt  rbtJlt>e  be  fbcwe^  to  tbcm  tb«t  walFc  tn  &ercf;^ 
ne&/  wbere  tbey  cannot  but  flomble/an^»^)bereto  flombfir  )f^ 
tbet>Aun^er  ofeterrtAfTtJammacion  /  otbcr  fol»efpy^b^fuff 
tbAtbeu?oll»eenpye  cnyman  Cr  fpeaPe  nott  bi^  biotber)  fo 
neceffary  *  tb»n£fe/  orfobe^lcm  maM>e  toa(fy:mc  tb^t  0oo^ 
t>  t\^c  n«tu^aff*caufeofylleff'/ftn^^erfne5  to  proce^c  oute  of 
^y0h^  I  an?)  tbat  Ij?in^e  f  b»l^c  be  ^roun^e^  in  tron^b  ^^ 
reryrie  /  an^  nott  rfttber  cfcnc  contrary  /  tljat  \yQ\)X  ^eflro  ^ 
yetb^ercFne^/an^  ve rttic  reprorctb  a(f manner  l>in^e. 

Z      i| 

FACSIMILE  FROM  THE  GRENVILLE  FRAGMENT  OF 
TINDALE'S   FIRST  NEW  TESTAMENT 


(front  Arber's  reprint) 


148  The  Book  of  Books 

for  oureselues  only  or  forto  hyde  them:  but  forto  bestowe  them 
vnto  the  honouringe  of  god  and  christ  /  and  edyfyinge  of  the  con- 
gregacion  /  which  is  the  body  of  christ. 

T[  The  causes  that  moved  me  to  translate  /  y  thought  better 
that  other  shulde  ymagion  /  then  that  y  shulde  rehearce  them. 

mmtZtMmmu 

n  Cbe^orpdlore.tTlarF^ 

iii  Ihe^cfpcIIcf^XuI^e 

iii^  2:^c0orpclcf0.3bon  .    ^  ,  . 

V  Cbc  Artes  of  t|>c  apc»ftlc$  tt>:itrm  bv  ^JLutC 

vii  <Ehe  fyrfi  piixk  of  0^aul  to  the  (Torrinrh'an^ 
oiij  <r^c  fcconb  pt(We of o.paul  to  tbc  €ovtim1^me 
ix    C>epifik  of  0.p<ixil  to  tU  (Bakr^iane. 


Cl)c  pifHe  of  0.pAul  to  t^e  jEpiefian$, 


ri    irbcpi(ilcof6.p<tnIto  rl?cp^ilippiane 

ri/    <n)c  piftlc  of0.pftul  to  the  e  oIb(|tand 

jrii|  ^be  fyrftpifllcof S.paul  vnto  tbe Srcjfifaloftfans 

riiij  ^U  rccont>c  piftie  of @.paul  vnto  tl)c  tcffaloni^ns 

rt)    ^I>c  ff rf^  piiltc of 6.paul  to  Zimothc, 

xvi  ^U Mn>e  pifllc  of O.  pauI  to  (Timot^e. 

iPij  «Eb£pif?lcof@.pauItotitiJ6 

r Pii|  2^c  pifJJc  of 6.pftul  rnto  pf>ilcmott 

rijr   ^^c  fyrf!  piftrc  0 f S.pctcr 

XK    ^|c  fee on^c  piftlc  of  0.peter 

xxi   2^bcfyr|l piftlc  of <5.3bon 

xxi^  4r^cfccortbcpi(lIeof<5.3l>on 

xxiij  Cl^ct][>rfb  pifllc  of  0.3i[>on 

Zbt  piftie  vnto  tF)ci6btu«& 
^(>  e  pifHc  of  0.3<^mc£> 
^l>c  pilule  of  3ubc 
^l^c  rcvelaaon  of 3^ort . 

A  PAGE  OF  THE  GRENVILLE  FRAGMENT 

{From  Arber's  repTlnt) 

^  More  over  y  supposed  yt  superfluous  /  for  who  ys  so  blynde  to 
axe  why  lyght  shulde  be  shewed  to  them  that  wallce  in  dercknes  / 
where  they  cannot  but  stomble  /  and  where  to  stumble  ys  the 
daunger  of  eternall  dammacion  /  other  so  despyghtfull  that  he 
wolde  envye  eny  man  (y  speake  nott  his  brother)  so  necessary  a 


William  Tindale  149 

thinge  /  or  so  bedlem  madde  to  afFyrme  that  good  is  the  naturall 
cause  of  yuell  /  and  derknes  to  precede  oute  of  lyght  /  and  that 
lyinge  shulde  be  grounded  in  trougth  and  verytie  /  and  nott  rather 
clene  contrary  /  that  lyght  destroyeth  dercknes  /  and  veritie 
reproveth  all  manner  lyinge. 

^  After  hit  had  pleasyd  god  to  put  in  my  mynde  /  and  also  to 
geue  me  grace  to  translate  this  forerehearced  newe  testament  into 
oure  englysshe  tonge  /  howesoever  we  haue  done  it.  I  supposed 
yt  very  necessary  to  put  you  in  remembraunce  of  certayne  poyntes/ 
which  are:  that  ye  well  vnderstonde  what  these  wordes  meane. 
^  The  olde  testament.  ^  the  newe  testamet.  ^  The  lawe. 
T[  The  gospell.  ^  Moses.  ^  Christ.  ^  Nature.  ^  Grace. 
^  Workinge  and  belevynge.  ^  Dedes  and  faythe  /  Lest  we 
askrybe  /  to  the  one  that  which  belongeth  to  the  other  /  and  make 
of  Christ  Moses  /  of  the  gospell  the  Lawe  /  despise  grace  and 
robbe  faythe:  and  fall  from  meke  lernynge  into  ydle  despicious  / 
braulinge  and  scoldynge  aboute  wordes.  K  The  olde  testamet  is 
a  boke  /  where  in  is  wrytten  the  lawe  and  comaundmetes  of  god 
and  the  dedes  of  them  which  fulfill  them  /  and  of  them  also  which 
fulfill  them  nott. 

1[  The  newe  testamet  is  a  boke  where  in  are  coteyned  the 
promyses  of  god  and  the  dedes  of  them  which  beleue  them  or 
beleue  them  nott. 

^  Euagelio  (that  we  cal  the  gospel)  is  a  greke  worde  /  &  sig- 
nyfyth  good  /  mery  /  glad  and  ioyfull  tydinges  /  that  maketh  a 
mannes  hert  glad  /  and  maketh  hym  synge  /  daunce  and  leepe  for 
ioye.  As  when  Davyd  had  kylled  Golyath  the  geaiit  /  cam  glad 
tydinges  vnto  the  iewes  /  that  their  fearful  and  cruell  enemy  was 
slayne  /  and  they  delyvered  oute  of  all  daunger:  for  gladnes  were 
of/ they  songe  /  daunsed  /  and  wer  ioyfull.  In  lyke  manner  is 
the  evangelion  of  god  (which  we  call  gospell  /  and  the  newe  tosta- 
met)  ioyfull  tydinges  /  and  as  some  saye:  a  good  hearing  pub- 
lisshed  by  the  apostles  through  oute  all  the  worlde  /  of  Christ  the 
right  Davyd  howe  that  he  hathe  fought  with  synne  /  with  dethe  / 
and  the  devill  /  and  over  cume  them.  Whereby  all  me  that  were 
in  Bddage  to  synne  /  wouded  with  dethe  /  ouercu  of  the  devill  are 
with  oute  there  awne  merrittes  or  deservinges  /  losed  /  iustyfyed  / 
restored  to  lyfe  /  and  saved  /  brought  to  libertie  /  and  reconciled 
vnto  the  favour  of  god  /  and  sett  at  one  with  hym  agayne:  which 
tydinges  as  many  as  beleve  /  laude  prayse  and  thancke  god  /  are 
glad  /  synge  and  daunce  for  ioye. 

^  This  evangelion  or  gospell  (that  is  to  saye  /  suche  ioyfull 
tydinges)  is  called  the  newe  testament.  Because  that  as  a  man 
when  he  shall  dye  apoynteth  his  gooddes  to  be  dealte  and  dis- 
tributed after  hys  dethe  amonge  them  which  he  nameth  to  be  his 
heyres.  Even  so  Christ  before  his  dethe  commaunded  and  ap- 
poynted  that  suche  evangelion  /  gospell  /  or  tydynges  shulde  be 
declared  through  oute  all  the  worlde  /  and  there  with  to  geue  vnto 


I50 


The  Book  of  Books 


all  that  beleve  all  his  gooddes  /  that  is  to  saye  /  his  lyfe  /  where 
with  he  swalowed  and  devoured  vp  dethe:  his  rightewesnes  / 
where  with  he  banyshed  synne:  his  salvacion  /  where  with  he 
overcam  eternall  damancion.     Nowe  can  the  wretched  man  (that 


Ibp0  VBtht  bobr  of 

rbcrftneracioof  3efo«<J^^«'ifft(Kro^  *  ^btaljam  art& 
fie  of  earib/Cf)*  fonne  alfo  of  3bia  gS^^J^!.;? 

3|Aacbe^att3ftcol):  djefiy  promtfeb 

3acob  bc0att3ui>«6  <"i^  Jjyebics  vntorl2<tti. 

3u&Aeb«0atp^arc6:  (t^rcn; 

«nb  3«ram  of  tljamflr: 

P^aree  bc0att  iEfrom: 
.  jEfrombe0att21ram: 

Iarambc0arr2(rtnn«t»ftb: 

2lmmft&ab  bc0att  naaffan: 
j;laftflonbe0att  Salmon; 
6a!monbc0ftttboo6ofr*|)ab; 
3Boo6  be0ftrt  obcb  of  riir^ : 
<DbcDbe0art3«ffe: 
3c|Tc  hc^Att  SAvib  tbc  Fj'nge: 
C0«»»b  tht  fyngt  bcgart  @olomon/of  I)«r  t|>«t  voX6  r^ 
©olomon  begarroboam:  C^f'yft  cfrry: 

l^oboftm  be  0att:  2tbt«; 
2Ibi'ftbc0attftf«: 
21f(xbe0atriofap^«f: 
3c'fap^atbf0att3or«m: 
3oram  bc0att<D(i«&J 
©fm6bc0art3oatl)attt: 
3oat^Am  bc0a«  Z(i)&&i 
3d)«abe0atr5£3ed)ia6  .- 
JH}e(^ia6  be0fttt  i^TI  Aiiaffes; 
ITJanalfce  bc^attSinJon; 

2[monbc0att3oria6:  -Degarrori?iowY 

3op«6be0fttt3c(^orti«e«nb^i5  brct^rmftboutt^ctymeor  fc  icfre  belj^n^e 
tbe  caprif  itcof  bftbifon  l?vm  after  l?ist>e<> 


levctl?  out  certc^ 
^ne  gcneracions/ 
«&cfcribctl?iCJ2* 
riftcs  U'fiage  from 
so!omo/aftcr  tl?e 
lavpeof:^ore8/ 
butTLucaffecfcn^/ 
betlj  it  nccofo^ng 
ronamrc/rrona^ 
tl?an  folomosbr^ 
otI?cr.5^orfl?cU^ 
we  callerl?  t^em 
a  manncs  cljitere 
t»l?id?  I?is  brooer 
begarrofb'OXPYi* 


A   PAGE  OF  THE  GRENVILLE   FRAGMENT 


{From  Arber's  reprint) 


is  wrapped  in  synne  /  and  is  in  daunger  to  dethe  and  hell)  heare 
no  moare  ioyus  a  thynge  /  then  suche  glad  and  comfortable  tyd- 
inges  of  Christ.  So  that  he  cannot  but  be  glad  and  laugh  from  the 
lowe  bottom  of  his  hert  /  if  he  beleve  that  the  tydynges  are  trewe. 


William  Tindale  151 

^  To  strength  such  feythe  with  all  /  god  promysed  this  his 
evagehon  in  the  olde  testament  by  the  prophettes  (as  paul  sayth 
in  the  fyrst  chapter  vnto  the  romans).  Howe  that  he  was  chosen 
oute  to  preache  goddes  evangeUon  /  wchich  he  before  had  promysed 
by  the  prophettes  in  the  holy  scriptures  that  treate  of  his  sonne 
wchich  was  borne  of  the  seed  of  davyd.  In  the  thryd  chapter  of 
gennesis  /  god  saith  to  the  serpent:  y  wyll  put  hatred  bitwene  the 
and  the  woman  /  bitwene  thy  seede  and  her  seede  /  that  silfe  seede 
shall  tread  thy  heed  under  fote.  Christ  is  this  womans  seede  /  he 
it  is  that  hath  troden  vnder  fote  the  devylles  heed  /  that  is  to  saye 
synne  /  dethe  /  hell  /  and  all  his  power.  For  with  oute  this  seede 
can  no  man  avoyde  synne  /  dethe  /  hell  and  euerlastynge  danacion. 

^  Agayne  gen.  xxii.  god  promysed  Abraham  sayige:  in  thy 
seede  shall  all  the  generatios  of  the  erthe  be  blessed.  Christ  is 
that  seede  of  Abraham  sayth  saynct  Paul  in  the  thryd  to  the 
galathyans  He  hach  blessed  al  the  worlde  through  the  gospel. 
For  where  Christ  is  not  /  there  remaineth  the  cursse  that  fel  on 
ada  as  soone  as  he  had  synned  /  So  that  they  are  in  bondage  vnder 
the  dominacion  of  synne  /  dethe  /  and  hell.  Agaynste  this  cursse 
blesseth  nowe  the  gospell  all  the  worlde  /  in  asmoche  as  it  cryeth 
openly  /  who  so  ever  beleveth  on  the  seede  of  Abraha  shalbe 
blessed  /  that  is  /  he  shalbe  delyvered  fro  synne  /  dethe  and  hell  / 
and  shall  hence  forth  contynue  righewes  /  lyvinge  /  and  saved  for 
euer  /  as  Christ  hym  sylfFe  saith  (in  the  xi  of  John)  He  that  belev- 
eth on  me  shall  never  more  dye. 

^  The  lawe  (saith  the  gospell  of  John  in  the  first  chapter)  was 
geven  be  Moses:  but  grace  and  veritie  be  Jesus  Christ.  The  lawe 
(whose  minister  ys  moses)  was  geven  to  brynge  vs  vnto  the  knowl- 
ege  of  oure  selves  /  that  we  myght  there  by  fele  and  perceave  what 
we  are  of  nature.  The  lawe  condemneth  vs  and  all  oure  dedes  / 
and  is  called  of  Paul  (in  the  thyrd  chap,  of  the  second  pistle  vnto 
the  corrinthians)  the  mynystracion  of  dethe.  For  it  kylleth  oure 
consciences  and  driveth  vs  to  desperacion  /  in  as  moche  as  it 
requyreth  of  vs  that  whych  is  vnpossible  for  vs  to  doo.  It  requy- 
reth  of  vs  the  dedes  of  an  whole  /  man.  It  requyreth  perfecte 
love  from  the  lowe  bottome  and  grounde  of  the  hert  /  as  well  in 
all  thinges  whych  we  sufFre  /  as  in  tho  thinges  whych  we  doo. 
But  saith  John  (in  the  same  place)  grace  and  veritie  is  gevin  vs 
in  christ.  So  that  when  the  lawe  hath  passed  vppon  vs  /  and 
cddemned  vs  to  deth  (whych  is  his  nature  to  doo)  then  have  we 
in  Christ  grace  /  that  is  to  saye  favoure  /  promyses  of  lyfe  /  of 
mercy  /  of  perdon  frely  by  the  merites  of  Christ  /  and  in  Christ 
have  we  veritie  and  trouthe  /  in  that  god  fulfillith  all  his  promyses 
to  the  that  beleve.  Therfore  is  the  gospell  the  ministracion  of 
lyfe.  Paul  calleth  hit  /  in  the  forerehearced  place  of  the  secod 
chap,  to  the  cor.  the  mynistracion  of  the  spyrite  /  and  of  rightewes- 
nes.  In  the  gospell  when  we  beleve  the  promyses  /  we  receave 
the  spyrite  of  lyfe  /  and  are  justified  in  the  bloud  of  Christ  from 


1^2  The  Book  of  Books 


6.i1tAtbct».  S^')^^ 

utUnmc/ic>nC)ttmtt€  forme.  Zni>^etl>Mt<i.ht\>nctt\)y& 
crofleanbfclowetl)  me/is  noh mete fot inc.  ^ct^Mfyribci\f  ^Jntl^enAtneofA 
h^6lyfc/{l)amc{c  iv.arib  f)c  tf)«r  lofi'tl)  ^ie  lyfe  fcr  tny  faFe/   pzopl?er/a  riQ^tm 
f^ftll  fynbc  it.  ^^  nian/o:  a  Dffctp  ^ 

2^ar.i>C:^erI)fltreceapit^  you/reccavit^metftnbI>c  tljflt  receft^  fba^b7nJ?fS'neb 
^ttC'if    vit^ me/receat)it() f)im r^fttfeiitmc. J(oe t^ar  receat?it|>  a  pro^  j^jg^^jj  ^ f^  iClJnft. 
fj>et*intljcitflmepfApropI;et/f|)flI!rcc:eax'capropl)ertj' rc^ 
u?arbe,^nb  |)e  r^ar  reccavitl)  a  rigI>teoii6  mS  i  r  ^c  n  Amc  of  a. 
rj>0^teouem*/ft)al(receapet^erc\»arb  of6Tt0l)reou&  ma. 
2rnbrobofoepcr(l)flll0ePctmtoroonoff!)efeIyHeTOoneefo/  rf-^^„^„ 

bfc  acuppcofcolbc  p  ..areron(j./mfbcnAmeofa^ 
plc;3teny'0«ofamJftl)/^«  f|)al(notrIofef)ye  rerrflrbc.        ©ne  greater  tl?en  a// 

m  it  mm  to  Bflfff  w(rm  5t^  e\?n"arti:?p7J;j? 

fui5  ^ab  enbeb  bie  precept^  viito  \>i6  bifciplee/^e  ";,^^^,^^S/vL'J 

JbepartebtI;ece/toprcad)e«nbteAd>cit^erec.te0.j^gj;j;j;'J6J^^ 

Ctt?^en3bont>ent^cm  prcfonI)erbetf)ett)oil=fof  c^rr(?/f)e  tljo:owoure  allt^e 
fcnttrooofbi'e  bifti'pIecAnbfrtybevnfo^mt.  2(rte  t^ou  |)e  neweteftamct  bero 
t^fttjT)anfomc;orf^aI(rDcloFcfo:anor^er.3cr"^  A"r"p««b  kewtl?  to  tecaver 

m.  ki  M'c> faybc  vnto rljem.^o anbn)cn>e3l>ontol)atye ^auebe:^^  ?'^,^" I^l?I*Jr.. 
bcanbrenc.Sf>cblynbfc/t(>ef>«lt£jce/tbcIypper6ardcnrcb;  ^Z^^ItO^ziKl^ 
Cljebeef  beare/tbebccb  are  reyfeb  vp  ageinc/anb  t^e  0ofpcII  as  but  a  carpertrare* 
i6p:eA4>ebetotI)cporrc.  2fnb  I)«ppy  ie>l>nl>ati^  noot  t:;^  foe  astl^ei  fuppo^ 
hurtebyme.  feo/i  l?e^jmfe!fe 

CJErenaet^eybepArreb  /  Sefue bc^An to fpcflFe  t>nto  tlfc  t^'ll^^ktiiYlfS 
people  of  3bon. .  tP^At  trentye  for  to  fe  m  tl)c  wylbernef^-  lowe  cegre  niofeoj 
n?etyeouttofcArebeti?at>enn0ett)it^tbewynbc:'obert»^At  ver  \»l?en  rl?ey  fa^ 
t»entyeout  for  to  feft»enryeto  fc  a  man  clor^eb  in  fcofte  ray^^  xcefym  put  tofo  vf 
mentfBebolbe/tljey  tt)Af  wearefccfre  dot^yn^c  Aretn  fyn0f  leafeeej/fellcleup 
t)oufei>.^uttol)attretre  out  for  to  fe:froet  ye  out  to  i(hx  proj^  [JJ  MtMei7 
pi>€tiyt3faycvcitoyou/an'bmorcd)e&pvcp^ct.3oit\>i&i6  ■    " 

2fi)Ala .  be  oftpbom  it  ie  trry  ttc.^ebolbe/3febe  my  meffenger  before 

u'i  •        tb)>  i'Ace  vp\)id)  fbAll  prepAire  tby  u>aye  before  tbe. 

C  Perely  y  fayef  ntoyou/  Amo^e  rbc  d;ylbren  ofroomen  Aro^ 
fet^erc  nott  a  gretter  tj>en  3J)on  b(Jptifl»  ^ot  witI>fTott^' 

A  PAGE  OP^  THE  GRENVILLE  FRAGMENT 

(From  Arbcr's  reprint) 


William  Tindale  153 

all  thinges  where  of  the  lawe  condemned  vs.  Of  Christ  it  is  written 
in  the  fore  rehearced  first  chapter  of  Jho:  This  is  he  of  whose 
aboundaunce  /  or  fullnes  /  all  we  haue  receaved  /  grace  for  grace  / 
or  favoure  for  favoure.  That  is  to  saye  /  for  the  favoure  that  god 
hath  to  his  sonne  Christ  /  he  geveth  vnto  vs  his  favour  /  and  good 
will  /  as  a  father  to  his  sonnes.  As  affirmeth  Paul  sayinge:  whych 
loved  vs  in  his  beloved  before  the  creation  of  the  worlde.  For  the 
love  that  god  hath  to  Christ  /  he  loveth  vs  /  and  not  for  oure  aune 
saikes.  Christ  is  made  lorde  over  all  /  and  is  called  in  scripture 
goddes  mercy  stole  whosoever  flyeth  to  Christ  /  can  nether  heare 
nor  receave  of  god  eny  other  thinge  save  mercy. 

Tf  In  the  olde  testament  are  many  promyses  /  whych  are 
nothinge  els  but  the  evangelion  or  gospell  /  to  save  those  that 
beleved  them  /  from  the  vengaunce  of  the  lawe.  And  in  the  newe 
testament  is  ofte  made  mencion  of  the  lawe  /  to  condem  them  / 
whych  beleve  nott  the  promyses.  Moreouer  the  lawe  and  gospell 
maye  never  be  seperate:  for  the  gospell  and  promyses  serve  but 
for  troubled  consciences  whych  ar  brought  to  desperacion  and  fele 
the  paynes  of  hell  and  dethe  vnder  the  lawe  /  and  are  in  captivitie 
and  bondage  vnder  the  lawe.  In  all  my  dedes  y  muste  have  the 
lawe  before  me  to  condem  myne  vnperfectnes.  For  all  that  y  doo 
(be  y  never  so  perfecte)  is  yet  damnable  synne  /  when  hit  is  com- 
pared to  the  lawe  /  whych  requyreth  the  grounde  and  bottoom  of 
myne  hert.  I  muste  therefore  have  alwayes  the  lawe  in  my  sight  / 
that  y  maye  be  meke  in  the  spyrite  /  and  gyve  god  all  the  laude 
and  prayse  /  ascrybinge  to  hym  all  rightewesnes  /  and  to  my  sylfe 
all  vnrightewesnes  and  synne.  I  muste  also  have  the  promyses 
before  myne  eyes  that  y  despeere  nott  /  in  whych  promyses  y  se 
the  mercy  /  favoure  /  and  good  wyll  of  god  apon  me  in  the  bloud 
of  his  Sonne  Christ  whych  hath  made  satisfaction  for  myne  vnper- 
fectnes /  and  fulfilled  for  me  /  that  whych  y  coulde  nott  doo. 

^  Here  maye  ye  perceave  that  two  manner  of  people  are  fore 
deceaved.  Firste  they  whych  iustifie  themsilfe  with  outewarde 
dedes  /  in  that  they  abstayne  outwardly  from  that  whych  the 
lawe  forbiddeth  /  and  doo  outwardly  that  whych  the  lawe  com- 
maundeth.  They  compare  themselves  to  open  synners  and  in 
respecte  of  them  iustifie  themselues  condemnynge  the  open  syn- 
ners. They  se  nott  howe  the  lawe  requyreth  love  from  the  bottom 
of  the  hert.  If  they  dyd  they  wolde  nott  condene  there  neghbours. 
Love  hydeth  the  multitude  of  synnes  /  saith  saynct  Peter  in  his 
first  pistle.  For  whom  y  love  from  the  depe  bottom  and  grounde 
of  myne  hert  /  hym  condem  y  nott  /  nether  recke  his  synnes  / 
but  suffre  his  weaknes  and  infirmytie  /  as  a  mother  the  waknes  of 
her  sonne  /  vntill  he  growe  vppe  in  to  a  perfecte  ma. 

*|y  Those  also  are  deceaved  whych  with  oute  all  feare  of  god 
gave  themselves  vnto  all  maner  vices  with  full  cosent  and  full 
delectacio  /  havinge  no  respecte  to  the  lawe  of  god  (vnder  whose 
vegeaunce  they  are  locked  vp  in  captivitie)  but  saye:  god  is  merci- 
full  and  christ  dyed  for  vs  /  supposinge  that  suche  dremynge  and 


154  The  Book  of  Books 

ymaginacid  is  that  fayth  whych  is  so  greatly  comeded  i  holy 
scripture.  Naye  that  is  nott  fayth  /  but  rather  a  folisshe  opynion 
spryngynge  of  there  awne  nature  /  and  is  nott  geuen  them  of  the 
spyrite  of  god.  Trewe  fayth  is  (as  sayth  the  apostle  Paul)  the 
gyfte  of  god  and  is  geven  to  syners  after  the  lawe  hath  passed  apon 
them  and  hath  brought  there  constiences  vnto  the  brym  of  despera- 
cion  /  and  sorowes  of  hell. 

^  They  that  have  this  right  fayth  /  consent  to  the  lawe  that 
it  is  rightewes  and  good  /  and  iustifie  god  which  made  the  lawe  / 
(nott  withstondinge  that  they  can  nott  fullfill  it  /  for  there  weak- 
nes)  and  they  abhorre  whatsoever  the  lawe  forbyddeth  /  though 
they  cannott  avoyde  it.  And  there  greate  sorowe  is  /  because 
they  cannot  fulfill  the  will  of  god  in  the  lawe  /  and  the  spyrite 
that  is  in  them  cryeth  to  god  nyght  and  daye  for  strength  and 
helppe  with  teares  (as  sayth  Paul)  that  cannot  be  expressed  with 
tonge. 

^  The  firste  /  that  is  to  saye  a  iusticiarie  /  which  iustifyeth 
hym  silfe  with  his  outwarde  dedes  c5senteth  nott  to  the  lawe 
inwarde  /  nether  hath  delectacion  therein  /  ye  /  he  wolde  rather 
that  no  suche  lawe  were.  So  iustifieth  he  nott  god  /  but  hateth 
hym  as  a  tyrat  /  nether  careth  he  for  the  promyses  /  but  will 
with  his  awne  stregth  be  faveour  of  hym  silfFe:  no  wyse  glori- 
fyeth  he  god  /  though  he  seme  outwarde  to  doo. 

^  The  seconde  /  that  is  to  saye  the  sensewell  persone  /  as  a 
volupteous  swyne  /  nether  feareth  god  in  his  lawe  /  nether  is 
thankfuU  to  hym  for  his  promyses  and  mercy  /  which  is  sett  forth 
in  Christ  to  all  them  that  belewe. 

^  Te  right  christen  mam  consenteth  to  the  lawe  that  hit  is 
rightwes  /  and  iustifieth  god  in  the  lawe  /  for  he  afFyrmeth  that 
god  is  rightwes  and  iuste  /  which  is  autor  of  the  lawe  /  he  beleveth 
the  promyses  of  god  /  and  so  iustifieth  god  /  iudgynge  hym  trewe 
and  belevinge  that  he  will  fulfyll  hys  promyses.  With  the  lawe 
he  condeneth  hym  sylfe  and  all  his  dedes  /  and  geveth  all  the 
prayse  to  god.  he  beleueth  the  promyses  /  and  ascribeth  all 
trouth  to  god  /  thus  every  where  iustifieth  he  god  /  and  prayseth 
god. 

^  By  nature  through  the  faule  of  adam  /  are  we  the  chyldren 
of  wrath  /  heyres  of  the  vegeaunce  of  god  by  byrth  /  ye  and  from 
oure  concepcion  /  we  haue  oure  fellowshippe  with  the  damned 
devylles  vnder  the  power  of  derknes  vnd  rule  of  satan  /  whyle  we 
are  yett  in  oure  mothers  wombes  /  though  we  shewe  not  forthe 
the  freutes  of  synne  /  yett  are  we  full  of  the  naturall  poyson  where 
of  all  synfull  dedes  sprynge  /  and  canott  but  synne  outwardes  (be 
we  never  so  yonge)  yf  occasion  be  geven  /  for  oure  na  nature  is 
to  doo  synne  /  as  is  the  nature  of  a  serpent  to  stynge  And  as  a 
serpent  yet  y5ge  /  or  yett  vnbrought  forthe  is  full  of  poyson  /  and 
cannott  afterwarde  (when  the  tyme  is  come  and  occasion  geven) 
butt  brynge  forthe  the  freutes  there  of.      And   as  an  edder  /  a 


William  Tindale  155 

toode  /  or  a  snake  is  hated  of  man  /  (nott  for  the  yvell  that  it 
hath  done  /  but  for  the  poyson  that  is  in  it  and  hurt  which  it  can- 
nott  but  doo)  So  are  we  hated  of  god  for  that  naturell  poyson 
which  is  conceaved  and  borne  with  vs  /  before  we  doo  eny  out- 
warde  yvell.  And  as  the  yvell  /  which  a  venumous  worme  doeth  / 
maketh  it  nott  a  serpent:  but  be  cause  it  is  a  venumous  worme. 
therefore  doeth  it  yvell  and  poysoneth.  And  as  the  frute  maketh 
not  the  tree  yvoll:  but  because  it  is  an  evyll  tree  /  therefore  bryng- 
eth  it  forth  evyll  frute  /  when  the  season  of  frute  is.  Even  so  doo 
nott  oure  evyll  dedes  makes  vs  evyll:  but  because  that  of  nature 
we  are  evell  /  therefore  we  bothe  thynke  and  doo  evyll  /  and  are 
vnder  vengeaunce  /  vnder  the  lawe  /  convicte  to  eternall  dam- 
nacidn  by  the  lawe  /  and  are  contrary  to  the  will  of  god  in  all  oure 
wyll  /  and  in  all  thynges  consent  to  the  wyll  of  the  fende. 

%  By  grace  (that  is  to  saye  by  favoure)  we  are  plucked  oute 
of  Adam  the  grounde  of  all  evyll  and  grafFed  in  Christ  the  rote  of 
all  goodnes.  In  Christ  god  loved  vs  his  electe  and  chosen  /  before 
the  worlde  bega  /  and  reserved  vs  vnto  the  knowlege  of  his  sonne 
and  of  hys  holy  gospell  /  and  when  the  gospell  is  preached  to  vs 
he  openeth  oure  hertes  and  geveth  vs  grace  to  beleve  and  putteth 
the  spirite  of  Christ  in  vs  /  and  we  knowe  hime  as  oure  father 
moost  mercyfull  /  and  consent  to  the  lawe  /  and  love  it  inwardly 
in  oure  hert  /  and  desyre  to  fulfyll  it  /  and  sorrowe  because  we 
cannot  /  which  will  (synne  we  of  frayltie  never  so  moche)is  suffi- 
cient till  more  strength  be  geve  vs  /  the  bloud  of  Christ  hath  made 
satisfaction  for  therefte:  the  bloud  of  Christ  hath  obteyned  all 
thiges  for  vs  of  god.  Christ  is  oure  satisfaction  /  redemer  /  delyv- 
erer  /  saveour  from  vengeaunce  and  wrath.  Obserue  and  merke 
in  the  pistles  of  Paul  /  and  Peter  /  and  in  the  gospell  and  pistles 
of  Jhon  what  Christ  is  vnto  vs. 

^  By  fayth  are  we  saved  only  in  belevynge  the  promyses  /  . 
And  though  faith  be  never  with  oute  love  and  good  werkes  /  yet 
is  oure  savinge  imputed  nether  to  loue  nor  vnto  good  werkes  /  but 
vnto  fayth  only.  For  loue  and  werkes  are  vnder  the  lawe  which 
requyreth  prefection  /  and  the  grounde  and  fontayne  of  the  hert  / 
and  daneth  all  imperfectnes.  Nowe  is  faith  vnder  the  promyses 
wich  dane  not:  but  geve  all  grace  /  mercy  and  favour  /  and  what 
soever  is  conteyned  in  the  promyses. 

*[[  Rightewesnes  is  divers  /  Blynde  reason  ymageneth  many 
maner  of  rightewesnesses.  As  the  iuste  ministracion  of  all  manner 
of  lawes  /  and  the  observing  of  them  /  and  morall  vertues  werein 
philosophers  put  there  felicitie  and  blessednes  /  which  all  are 
nothige  in  the  sight  of  god.  There  is  in  lyke  maner  the  iustifyige 
of  ceremones  /  some  ymagio  them  there  one  selves  /  some  conter- 
faicte  other/  sayinge  in  there  blynde  reason:  suche  holy  persons 
dyd  thus  and  thus  /  and  they  were  holy  me  /  therefore  yf  y  doo 
so  lyke  wyse  y  shall  please  god:  but  they  have  none  answer  of 
god  /  that   that   pleaseth.      The   iewes   seke    rightewnes   I   there 


156  The  Book  of  Books 

ceremonies  which  god  gave  vnto  them  /  not  for  to  iustifie:  but 
to  describe  and  paynt  Christ  onto  them  /  of  which  iewes  testifieth 
paul  sayinge  howe  that  they  have  affectio  to  god:  but  not  after 
knowledge  /  for  they  go  aboute  to  stabHsshe  there  one  iustice  / 
and  are  not  obediet  to  the  iustice  or  rightewesnes  that  cometh  of 
god.  The  cause  is  verely  /  that  excepte  a  man  caste  awaye  his 
awne  ymaginacion  and  reason  /  he  cannot  perceave  god  /  and 
vnderstonde  the  vertue  and  power  of  the  bloud  of  Christ.  There 
is  the  rightewesnes  of  workes  (as  y  saide  before)  whe  the  hert  is 
a  waye  /  they  fele  not  howe  the  lawe  is  spiritual!  and  cannot  be 
fulfilled  /  but  from  the  bottom  of  the  hert.  Ther  is  a  full  right- 
ewesnes /  when  the  lawe  is  fulfilled  from  the  groiide  of  the  hert. 
This  had  nother  Peter  nor  Paul  1  this  lyfe  perfectly:  but  syghed 
after  yt.  They  were  so  farforth  blessed  in  Christ  /  that  they 
hugred  and  thursted  after  it.  Paul  had  this  thurste  /  he  cdsented 
to  the  lawe  of  god  /  that  it  ought  so  too  be  /  but  he  founde  an 
other  luste  in  his  membres  cotrary  to  the  luste  and  desire  of  his 
mynde  /  and  therfore  cryed  oute  sayinge:  Oh  wretched  man  that 
y  am:  who  shall  delyvre  me  from  this  boddy  of  dethe  /  thankes 
be  to  god  throwe  Jesus  Christ.  The  rightewesnes  that  before  god 
is  of  value  /  is  to  beleve  the  promyses  of  god  /  after  the  lawe  hath 
confovnded  the  conscience.  As  when  the  temporall  lawe  ofte 
tymes  condeneth  the  thefe  or  morderer  and  bryngeth  hym  toE 
execution  /  so  that  he  seith  nothinge  before  hym  but  present 
dethe  /  and  then  cdmeth  good  tydiges  /  a  charter  from  the  kynge 
and  delyvereth  him.  Lykewyse  when  gooddes  lawe  hath  brought 
the  synner  into  knowlege  of  him  sylfe  /  and  hath  c5founded  his  / 
conscience  /  and  opened  vnto  him  the  wrath  and  vengeaunce  of 
god  /  then  cometh  good  tydinges  /  the  Evagelion  sheweth  vnto 
him  the  promyses  of  god  in  Christ  /  and  howe  that  Christ  hath 
purchesed  perdon  for  him  hath  satisfied  the  lawe  for  him  /  and 
peased  the  wrath  of  god  /  and  the  povre  synner  beleveth  /  laudeth 
thanketh  god  /  throwe  Christ  /  and  breaketh  oute  into  excedige 
inward  ioy  and  gladnes  /  for  that  he  hath  escaped  so  greate  wrath  / 
so  hevy  vegeaunce  /  so  fearfuU  and  so  everlastinge  a  dethe  /  and 
he  hence  forth  is  an  hiigred  and  a  thurst  after  more  rightewesnes  / 
that  he  might  fulfill  the  lawe  /  and  morneth  contynually  com- 
medinge  his  weaknes  vnto  god  in  the  bloud  of  oure  saviour  Christ 
Jesus 

^  Here  shall  ye  se  compendiously  and  playnly  sett  oute 
the  order  and  practise  of  every  thynge  afore  rehearsed. 

^  The  faule  of  adam  hath  made  vs  heyres  of  the  vegeauce 
and  wrath  of  god  /  and  heyres  of  eternall  danacion.  And  hath 
broughtus  into  captivite  and  bondage  vnder  the  devyll.  And  the 
devyll  is  oure  lorde  /  and  oure  ruler  /  oure  heed  /  oure  governour  / 
oure  prince  /  ye  and  oure  god.  And  oure  wyll  is  locked  and  knet 
faster  vnto  the  will  of  the  devyll  /  then  coude  an  hundred  thowsand 


William  Tindale  157 

cheynes  bynde  a  man  vnto  a  post.  Vnto  the  devylles  will  cosent 
we  /  with  all  oure  hertes  /  with  all  oure  myndes  /  with  al  oure 
myght  /  power  /  strength  /  will  and  luste.  With  what  poysened  / 
deadly  /  and  venunous  hate  /  hateth  a  man  his  enemy!  With 
howe  greate  malice  of  mynde  inwardly  doo  we  fley  and  murther! 
With  what  violece  and  rage  /  ye  and  with  howe  fervent  luste 
comytt  we  aduoutrie  /  fornicacion  /  and  such  lyke  vnclennes! 
with  what  pleasure  and  delectation  inwardly  serveth  a  glotton 
his  belly!  With  what  diligece  disceave  we!  Howe  busyh  seke 
we  the  thynges  of  this  world!  What  soever  we  doo  /  thynke  or 
ymmagion  /  is  abominable  in  the  syght  of  god.  And  we  are  as  it 
were  aslepe  in  so  depe  blyndnes  /  that  we  can  nether  se  /  not  fele 
in  what  misery  /  thraldom  /  and  wretchednes  we  are  in  /  tyll 
moses  come  and  wake  vs  /  and  publesshe  the  lawe.  When  we 
heare  the  lawe  truly  preached  /  howe  that  we  ought  to  love  and 
honoure  god  with  all  oure  strengthe  and  myght  /  from  the  lowe 
bottom  of  the  hert:  and  oure  neghbures  (ye  oure  enemys.)  as 
oureselues  inweardly  from  the  groude  of  the  hert  /  and  to  doo 
whatsoever  god  biddeth  /  and  absteyne  from  what  soever  god 
forbiddeth  /  with  all  love  and  meknes  /  whit  a  fervent  and  a 
burnynge  luste  /  from  the  center  of  the  hert  /  then  begynneth 
the  conscience  to  rage  aginst  the  lawe  /  and  agenst  god  /  No  see 
(be  hit  never  se  greate  a  tempest)  is  so  vnquiet.  It  is  not  possyble 
for  a  naturall  man  to  consent  to  the  lawe  /  that  hit  shuld  be  good  / 
or  that  god  shuld  be  rightewes  /  which  maketh  the  lawe.  Mannes 
witte  /  reason  /  and  will  /  are  so  fast  glued  /  ye  nayled  and 
cheyned  vnto  the  will  of  the  devyll.  Nether  can  eny  creature 
lowse  the  bodes  /  save  the  bloud  of  Christ. 

^  This  is  the  captivitie  and  bondage  whece  Christ  delyvred 
vs  /  redemed  /  and  lowsed  vs.  His  bloud  /  his  deethe  /  his 
pacience  /  in  sufFrynge  rebukes  and  wronges  /  his  preyaers  and 
fastynges  /  his  mekenes  and  fulfillynge  of  the  vtmost  poynte  of 
the  lawe  /  peased  the  wrath  of  god  /  brought  the  faver  of  god  to 
vs  agayne  /  obteyned  that  god  shuld  love  vs  fyrste  /  and  be  oure 
father  /  and  that  a  mercyfull  father  /  that  will  consydre  oure 
infirmitates  and  weaknes  /  and  will  geve  vs  his  spyrite  ageyne 
(which  was  taken  awaye  in  the  fall  of  Adam)  to  rule  govern  and 
strength  vs  /  and  to  breake  the  bondes  of  Satan  /  wherein  we 
were  so  streyte  bounde.  When  Christ  is  thus  wyse  preached  / 
and  the  promyses  rehearced  /  which  are  conteyned  in  the  prophet- 
tes  /  in  the  psalmes  /  and  in  diveres  places  of  the  fyve  bokes  of 
moses:  then  the  herttes  of  them  which  are  electe  and  chose  / 
begin  to  wexe  softe  /  and  to  melte  att  the  boQteous  mercy  of  god  / 
and  kyndnes  shewed  of  Christ.  For  when  the  evagelion  is  preached 
/  the  spyrite  of  god  entreth  i  to  them  which  god  hath  ordeined  and 
apoynted  vnto  eternall  life  /  and  openeth  there  inward  eyes  /  and 
worketh  such  belefe  in  the.  Whe  the  wofull  coscieces  fele  &  taste 
howe  swete  a  thige  the  bytter  dethe  of  Christ  is  /  &  howe  mercy- 


158  The  Book  of  Books 

full  &  lovinge  god  is  through  Christes  purchesynge  and  merittes  / 
They  begyn  to  love  agayne  /  and  to  consentt  to  the  lawe  of  god  / 
howe  that  hit  is  good  /  and  ought  so  to  be  /  and  that  god  is 
rightewes  whych  made  it  /  And  desyre  to  fulfill  the  lawe  /  even 
as  a  sicke  ma  desyreth  to  be  whole  /  and  are  anhongred  /  and  a 
thirst  after  more  rightewesnes  /  and  after  more  stregthe  /  to  ful- 
fill the  lawe  more  perfectly.  And  in  all  that  they  doo  /  or  omitt 
and  leave  vndone  /  they  fele  goddes  honoure  /  and  his  will  with 
meknes  /  ever  condemnynge  the  onperfecnes  of  there  dedes  by 
the  lawe. 

^  Nowe  Christ  stondeth  vs  in  doble  stede  /  and  serveth  vs 
two  maner  wise.  First  he  is  oure  redemer  /  delyverer  /  reconciler  / 
mediator  /  intercessor  /  advocat  /  atturney  /  soliciter  /  oure  hoope 
/  comforte  /  shelde  /  proteccion  /  defender  /  strength  /  helthe  / 
satisfaction  /  and  salvacion.  His  bloud  /  his  death  /  all  that  he 
ever  dyd  /  is  oures.  And  Christ  himsilfFe  /  with  all  that  he  is  or 
ca  doo  /  is  oures.  His  bloud  shedynge  and  all  that  he  dyd  /  doeth 
me  as  good  service  /  as  though  y  mysilfFe  had  done  it.  And  god 
(as  greate  as  he  is)  is  myne  with  all  that  he  hath  /  throw  Christ 
and  his  purchasynge.  If  Secondaryly  after  that  we  be  overcome 
with  love  and  kyndnes  /  and  nowe  seke  to  doo  the  will  of  god 
(whych  is  a  christen  manes  nature)  Then  have  we  Christe,  an 
ensample  to  counterfet  /  as  saith  christ  him  silfFe  in  Jhon:  I  have 
geven  you  an  ensample.  And  in  another  evangeliste  /  he  saith: 
He  that  wilbe  greate  amonge  you  shalbe  youre  servaunt  and  min- 
ister /  as  the  s5ne  of  ma  ca  to  minister  and  not  to  be  ministered 
vnto.  And  Paul  saith:  Counterfet  Christ.  And  Peter  saith: 
Christ  died  for  you  /  and  lefte  you  an  ensample  to  folowe  his 
steppes.  What  soever  therfore  faith  hath  receaved  of  god  throw 
Christes  bloud  and  deservynge  /  that  same  must  love  shed  oute 
everywhitt  /  and  bestowe  hit  on  oure  neighboures  vnto  there 
proffer  /  ye  and  that  though  they  be  oure  enemys.  Be  faith  we 
receave  of  god  /  and  be  love  we  shed  oute  agayne.  And  that  must 
we  doo  frely  after  the  ensample  of  Christ  with  oute  eny  other 
respecte  /  save  oure  neghboures  welth  enly  /  and  nether  loke  for 
rewarde  in  erth  /  ner  yett  in  heven  for  oure  dedes:  but  of  pure 
love  must  we  bestowe  oureselves  /  all  that  we  have  /  and  all  that 
we  ar  able  to  doo  /  even  on  oure  enemys  to  brynge  them  to  god  / 
considerynge  nothynge  but  there  welth  /  as  Christ  dyd  oures. 
Christ  dyd  nott  his  dedes  to  obteyne  heven  therebi  (that  had  bene 
a  madnes)  heven  was  his  alreddy  /  he  was  heyre  thereof/  hit  was 
his  be  enheritaunce:  but  dyd  them  freely  for  oure  sakes  /  cosider- 
inge  no  thinge  but  oure  welth  /  and  to  brynge  the  favour  of  god 
to  vs  agayne  /  and  vs  to  god.  As  no  naturall  sonne  that  is  his 
fatheres  heyre  /  doeth  his  fatheres  will  because  he  wolde  be  heyre  / 
that  he  is  alreddy  be  birth:  his  father  gave  him  that  yer  he  was 
borne  /  and  is  lothther  that  he  shuld  goo  with  oute  it  /  then  he 
himsilfe  hath  witt  to  be:   but  of  puer  love  doeth  he  that  he  doeth. 


William  Tindale  159 

And  axe  him  why  he  doeth  eny  thynge  that  he  doeth  /  he  answer- 
eth:  my  father  bade  /  it  is  my  fatheres  will  /  it  pleaseth  my 
father.  Bondservauntes  worke  for  hyre  /  Children  for  love.  For 
there  father  with  all  he  hath  /  is  theres  alreddy.  So  doeth  a 
christen  man  frely  all  that  he  doeth  /  considereth  nothynge  but 
the  will  of  god  /  and  his  neghboures  welth  only.  Yf  y  live  chaste  / 
I  doo  hit  nott  te  obteyne  heven  thereby.  For  then  shulde  y  doo 
wronge  to  the  bloud  of  Christe:  Christes  bloud  hath  obteyned  me 
that  /  Christes  merettes  have  made  me  heyre  thereof.  He  is 
both  dore  and  waye  thetherwardes  nether  that  y  loke  for  an  hyer 
roume  in  heve  /  then  they  shall  have  whych  live  in  wedlocke  / 
other  then  a  hoare  of  the  stewes  (yf  she  repent)  for  that  were  the 
pryde  of  lucifer:  But  frely  to  wayte  on  the  evangelion  /  and  to 
serve  my  brother  with  all  /  even  as  one  hande  helpeth  another  / 
or  one  membre  another  /  because  one  feleth  anotheres  grefe  /  and 
the  payne  of  the  one  is  the  payne  of  the  other.  What  soever  is 
done  to  the  leest  of  vs  (whether  it  be  good  or  bad)  it  is  done  to 
Christ.  And  whatsoever  is  done  to  my  brother  (if  y  be  a  christen 
man)  that  same  is  done  to  me.  nether  doeth  my  brotheres  payne 
greve  me  lesse  then  myne  awne.  Yf  hit  were  not  so:  howe  saith 
Paul.''  let  him  that  reioyseth  /  reioyse  in  the  Lord,  that  is  to 
saye  christ  /  whych  is  lorde  over  all  creatures.  Yf  my  merettes 
obteyned  me  heve  /  or  an  hyer  roume  there  /  then  had  y  wherein 
y  myght  reioyse  besydes  te  Lorde. 

^  Here  se  ye  the  nature  of  the  lawe  /  and  the  nature  of  the 
evagelion.  Howe  the  Lawe  byndeth  and  daneth  all  me  /  and 
the  Evalion  lowseth  them  agayne.  The  lawe  goeth  before  /  and 
the  evagelio  foloweth.  When  a  preacher  preacheth  the  Lawe  /  he 
byndeth  all  consciences  /  and  when  he  preacheth  the  Gospell  /  he 
lowseth  them  agayne.  These  two  salves  (y  meane  the  Lawe  and 
the  Gospell)  vseth  God  and  his  preacher  to  heale  and  cure  synners 
with  all.  The  lawe  dryveth  oute  the  disease  /  and  maketh  hit 
apere  /  and  is  a  sharppe  salve  and  a  freatinge  corsey  /  and  kylleth 
the  deed  flesshe  /  and  lowseth  and  draweth  the  sores  out  by  the 
rotes  /  and  all  corrupcion.  It  puUeth  from  a  man  the  trust  and 
confidece  that  he  hath  in  himsilfe  /  and  in  his  one  workes  /  merittes 
/  deservinges  and  ceremones.  It  killeth  him  /  sendeth  him  downe 
to  hell  /  and  bryngeth  him  to  vtter  desperacion  /  and  prepayreth 
the  waye  of  the  lord  /  as  hit  is  wrytten  of  Jhon  the  Baptest  For 
hit  is  nott  possible  that  Christ  shuld  come  to  a  man  /  as  loge  as  he 
trusteth  in  himsilffe  /  or  in  eny  worldly  thynge.  Then  commeth 
the  Evangelion  /  a  more  gentle  plaster  /  whych  sowpleth  /  and 
swageth  the  wondes  of  the  conscience  /  and  bryngeth  helth.  It 
bryngeth  the  spyrite  of  god  /  whych  lowseth  the  bondes  of  Satan  / 
and  copleth  vs  to  god.  and  his  will  throw  stronge  faith  and  fervent 
love  /  with  bondes  to  stronge  for  the  devyll  /  the  world  /  or  eny 
creature  to  lowse  them.  And  the  povre  and  wretched  synner 
feleth  so  greate  mercy  /  love  /  and  kyndnes  in  god  /  that  he  is 


i6o  The  Book  of  Books 

suer  in  himsilfe  howe  that  it  is  nott  possible  that  god  shuld  for- 
sake him  /  or  withdrawe  his  mercy  and  love  from  him.  And  boldly 
cryeth  out  with  Paul  sayinge:  Who  shall  seperate  vs  fr5  the  love 
that  god  loveth  vs  withall?  That  is  to  saye,  what  shall  make  me 
beleve  that  god  loveth  me  nott?  Shall  tribulacio?  Anguysshe? 
Persecucion?  Shall  hiiger?  Nakedness?  Shall  a  swearde? 
Nay  /  I  am  sewer  that  nether  deeth  /  ner  lyfe  /  nether  angell  / 
nether  rule  /  ner  power  /  nether  present  thynges  /  ner  thynges  to 
come  /  nether  hye  ner  lowe  /  nether  eny  creature  is  able  to  seperate 
vs  fro  the  love  of  god  which  is  in  Christ  Jesu  our  lorde.  In  all 
suche  tribulacions  a  Christen  man  perceaveth  that  god  is  his 
father  /  and  loveth  hym  /  even  as  he  loved  Christ  when  he  shed 
his  bloud  on  the  crosse.  Fynally  /  as  before  /  whe  y  was  bod  to 
the  devyll  and  his  will  y  wroght  all  maner  evyll  and  wickednes  / 
nott  for  belles  sake  which  is  the  rewarde  of  syne  /  but  because  y 
was  heyre  of  hell  by  byrth  and  bondage  to  the  devyll  /  dyd  y 
evyll.  for  I  could  none  other  wese  doo.  to  doo  syn  was  mi  nature. 
Even  so  nowe  sence  y  am  copied  to  god  by  Christes  bloud  /  doo  y 
well  /  nott  for  hevens  sake:  but  because  y  am  heyre  of  heven  by 
grace  and  Christes  purchesynge  /  and  have  the  spyrit  of  god  /  I 
doo  good  frely  /  for  so  is  my  nature.  As  a  good  tree  bryngeth 
forth  good  frute  /  and  an  evyll  tree  evyll  frute.  By  the  frutes 
shall  ye  knowe  what  the  tree  is.  a  mannes  dedes  declare  what  he 
is  within  but  make  him  nether  good  ner  bad  &c.  We  must  be 
first  evyll  yer  we  doo  evyll  /  as  a  serpent  is  first  poysened  yr  he 
poysen.  We  must  be  also  good  yer  we  doo  good  /  as  the  fyre 
must  be  first  hott  yer  hit  warme  eny  thynge.  Take  an  ensample. 
As  those  blynde  which  are  cured  in  the  evangelion  /  coude  nott  se 
tyll  Christ  had  geven  them  sight  /  And  defF  coude  nott  here  /  tyll 
Christ  had  geven  them  hearynge  /  And  those  sicke  coude  nott  doo 
the  dedes  of  an  whole  man  /  tyll  Christ  had  geven  them  health: 
So  can  no  man  doo  good  in  his  soule  /  tyll  Christ  have  lowsed  him 
oute  of  the  bondes  of  sata  /  and  have  geve  him  wherewith  to  doo 
good  /ye  and  firste  have  powred  into  him  that  selfe  good  thynge 
whych  he  shedeth  forth  afterwarde  on  other.  Whatsoever  is  oure 
awne  is  synne.  Whatsoever  is  above  that  /  is  Christes  gyfte  / 
purches  /  doynge  /  and  workynge.  He  bought  it  of  his  father 
derely  with  his  bloud  /  ye  with  his  moost  bitter  death  and  gave 
his  lyfe  for  hit.  Whatsoever  good  thynge  is  in  vs  /  that  is 
geven  vs  frely  with  oute  oure  deservynge  or  merettes.  for 
Christ's  bloudes  sake.  That  we  desyre  to  folow  the  will 
of  god  /  it  is  the  gyfte  of  Christes  bloud.  That  we  nowe 
hate  the  devylles  will  (where  vnto  we  were  so 
fast  locked  /  and  coulde  nott  but  love  hit)  is 
also  the  gyfte  of  Christes  bloud  /  vnto 
whom  belongeth  the  preyse  and 
honoure  of  our  good  dedes  / 
and  nott  vnto  us. 


William  Tindale  i6i 

The  following  is  the  Lord's  Prayer  from  the  Grenville 
fragment.  A  great  advance  in  the  language  will  be  seen 
in  comparison  with  the  specimens  given  of  Anglo-Saxon  and 
from  Wiclif : 

O  oure  father  /  which  art  in  haven  halowed  be  thy  name. 
Let  thy  kyngdom  come.  Thy  wyll  be  fulfilled  /  aswell  in  erth  /  as 
hit  ys  in  heven.  Geve  vs  this  daye  oure  dayly  breade.  And 
forgeve  vs  oure  treaspases  /  even  as  we  forgeve  them  whych 
treaspas  vs.  Lede  vs  nott  in  to  temptacion.  but  delyvre  vs 
from  yvell  /  Amen. 

The  quarto  edition  had  notes  in  the  outer  margin  and 
references  in  the  inner.  There  were  ninety-one  notes,  and 
the  majority  of  these  were  from  Luther's  translation.  In 
translating,  Tindale  made  use  of  the  Greek  translation  of 
Erasmus  (which  had  been  printed  in  1516  and  reprinted  in 
1 519),  the  Vulgate,  the  Latin  text  printed  with  Erasmus' 
Greek,  and  Luther's  German  translation  which  had  been 
pubhshed  in  1522.  He  did  not  base  his  translation  on 
Wichf's,  but  made  it  independently. 

The  octavo  edition  published  at  Worms  contained  only 
the  text  of  the  New  Testament  and  a  three-page  address 
"To  the  Reder."  There  were  12  wood  cuts,  no  notes  or 
marginal  references,  and  no  chapter  headings.  The  address 
follows : 

To    the    Reder. 

GEve  diligence  Reder  (I  exhorte  the)  that  thou  come  with  a 
pure  mynde  /  and  as  the  scripture  sayth  with  a  syngle  eye  /  vnto 
the  wordes  of  health  /  and  of  eternall  lyfe:  by  the  which  (if  we 
repent  and  beleve  them)  we  are  borne  a  newe  /  created  a  fresshe  / 
and  enioye  the  frutes  off  the  bloud  of  Christ.  Whiche  bloud  cryeth 
not  for  vengeaunce  /  as  the  bloud  of  Abel:  but  hath  purchased 
lyfe  /  love  /  faveour  /  grace  /  blessynge  /  and  whatsoever  is  prom- 
ysed  in  the  scriptures  /  to  them  that  beleve  and  obeye  God:  and 
stondeth  bitwene  vs  and  wrathe  /  vengeaunce  /  cursse  /  and  what- 
soever the  scripture  threateneth  agaynst  the  vnbelevers  and  dis- 
obedient /  which  resist  /  and  consent  not  in  their  hertes  to  the 
lawe  of  god  /  that  it  is  ryght  /  wholy  /  iuste  /  and  ought  soo  to  be. 
Marke  the  playne  and  manyfest  places  of  the  scriptures  /  and 
in  doubtfull  places  /  se  thou  adde  no  interpretacion  contrary  to 
them:  but  (as  Paul  sayth)  let  all  be  conformable  and  agreynge  to 
the  fayth. 


i62  The  Book  of  Books 

Note  the  difference  of  the  lawe  /  and  of  the  gospell.  The  one 
axeth  and  requyreth  /  the  wother  perdoneth  and  forgeveth.  The 
one  threateneth  /  the  wother  promyseth  all  good  thynges  to  them 
that  sett  their  trust  in  Christ  only.     The  gospell  signifieth  gladde 

me  ^oiifl*e/4b  itwae  net  owif  ttwoww  twawf^ 
\twasiicowit>€!CfCntHr^e.  ^nbtobofoever 
htavath  &rim  tlK^efdlsf^^^  t>«rb  not  tbcfrtme^ 
tifA\be(yfenet^Vntoafo\yi\>  m^/wt)i^  biltXfis 
^ouffeapcn  tb«  ^on^e/fln^  4bun&«iMTce  eftap 
nebercfi>eb^mibtl?epubbfcam/<iobtb«ttnmw 
t>fbleioe/ant>be€tvpp9n  tbat^oti{Tr^4bt'twa8 
owttljvcwenyanbaceatwaetpefAlUffiu 

2tnbi'tc«mtoprt|f<r/tl>attp^e  jfcfu^^flbcm 
beb  rb«(er«ftt0f/tbepeple  wo-c  Afldni'e&4tl)ie 
boctryne.  ^oi  ^  taught  ti)tm  oAonc  ptnynQt 
poooct/ Anb  not<w  tbe  fcnbe«. 

\Y/  ^«n  3r«r«^  i»<»*  f 0^^  bcrone  from  tl^e 
W  monntAyncyin(K^pccpUfchtxKt>i}im, 
jJlnblo/  tbitecamalepzt/  <inb  ivoifl^eb  {)im 
faynae;  in<tfUr/  if  tt?ou  t»ylt/  tl?^uc4nffc  wwl^^ 
tw  c&w.-^eputtf<«tbcbi«b^b  wb  tcmcbebb» 
jrtyn^/^tw'li -'be  d  cri£/<in6  iro  met>('rt  riy  bteU« 
piOjV  »«««ef«b  .2Jnb  ^r^ii^  r<wb  ^nto  bi'm.  0e 
t^outd\noman/hutQ<>anb(bctxHt\mi^f^^^ 
ptcfk  <irtb  d|fer  tb«j5W^*t>'»t'^<'l«*^<>"»»"*"^ 
t)eb  to  be  off  re&^  mt»i  tnes  to  tt»m. 

Xpb^;jcfu«  wA«fttebin  roCapem<mtn/t^^ 
re<am  t)ntob<ma»rt<iytie(C^turion^b«r«b;^n5 
^imAnDfAyn^e;tnrA(lcrmyf(Toaufttlyet^(u^ 
rttt  j?oftieofftpepAiryc^5b  ilftgrewuflypAyneb. 
2lnb  ^efus  wybt>nto  bim:  ^  tvpU  c om«4nb  c»^ 
t^  b'tt^'^be  ^l^urton  afwcT^  anb  faib^.'Syr 
'S  Am  nottpojt^t^AttbbU  f^b^  comvnbec 

FACSIMILE  OF   PAGE  OF  TINDALE'S  OCTAVO 
TESTAMENT,   1525 

{From  the  reprint  by  Francis  Fry) 

tydynges  /  and  is  nothynge  butt  the  promyses  off  good  thynges. 
All  is  not  gospell  that  is  written  in  the  gospell  boke:  For  if  the  lawe 
were  a  waye  /  thou  couldest  not  know  what  the  gospell  meante. 
Even  as  thou  couldest  not  se  perdon  /  favour  /  and  grace  /  excepte 


William  Tindale  163 

the  lawe  rebuked  the  /  and  declared  vnto  the  thy  sinne  /  mysdede  / 
and  treaspase. 

Repent  and  beleve  the  gospell  as  sayth  Christ  in  the  fyrst  of 
Marke.  Applye  all  waye  the  lawe  to  thy  dedes  /  whether  thou 
finde  luste  in  the  bottom  of  thyne  herte  to  the  lawe  warde:  and 
soo  shalt  thou  no  dout  repent  /  and  feale  in  the  silfe  a  certayne 
sorrowe  /  payne  /  and  grefe  to  thyne  herte:  because  thou  canst 
nott  with  full  luste  do  the  dedes  off  the  lawe.  Applye  the  gospell  / 
that  is  to  saye  the  promyses  /vnto  the  deservynge  off  Christ  / 
and  to  the  mercye  of  god  and  his  trouth  /  and  soo  shalt  thou  nott 
despeare:  butt  shalt  fele  god  as  a  kynde  and  a  mercifull  father. 
And  his  sprete  shall  dwell  in  the  /  and  shall  be  stronge  in  the:  and 
the  promises  shalbe  geven  the  at  the  last  (though  not  by  and  by  / 
lest  thou  shuldest  forgett  thy  sylfe  and  be  negligent)  and  all 
threatenynges  shalbe  forgeven  the  for  Christis  blouddis  sake  /  to 
whom  commit  thy  silfe  all  togedder  /  with  out  respect  /  other  of 
thy  good  dedes  or  of  thy  badde. 

Them  that  are  learned  Christenly  /  I  beseche:  for  as  moche 
as  I  am  sure  /  and  my  conscience  beareth  me  recorde  /  that  of  a 
pure  entent  /  singilly  and  faythfully  I  have  interpreted  itt  /  as 
farre  forth  as  god  gave  me  the  gyfte  of  knowledge  /  and  vnder- 
stondynge:  that  the  rudness  off  the  worke  nowe  at  the  fyrst  tyme  / 
offende  them  not:  but  that  they  consyder  howe  that  I  had  no  man 
to  counterfet  /  neither  was  holpe  with  englysshe  of  eny  that  had 
interpreted  the  same  /  or  soche  lyke  thinge  in  the  scripture  before- 
tyme.  Moreover  /  even  very  necessitie  and  combraunce  (God  is 
recorde)  above  strengthe  /  which  I  will  not  rehearce  /  lest  we 
shulde  seme  to  host  oureselues  /  caused  that  many  thinges  are 
lackynge  /  whiche  necessaryly  are  requyred.  Count  it  as  a  thynge 
not  havynge  his  full  shape  /  but  as  it  were  borne  afore  hys  tyme  / 
even  as  a  thynge  begunne  rather  then  fynnesshed.  In  tyme  to 
come  (yf  god  have  apoynted  vs  there  vnto)  we  will  geve  it  his  full 
shape:  and  putt  out  yf  ought  be  added  superfluusly:  and  adde  to 
yff  ought  be  oversene  thorowe  negligence:  and  will  enfoarce  to 
brynge  to  compendeousnes  /  that  which  is  nowe  translated  at  the 
lengthe  /  and  to  geve  lyght  where  it  is  requyred  /  and  to  seke  in 
certayne  places  more  proper  englysshe  /  and  with  a  table  to 
expounde  the  wordes  which  are  nott  commenly  vsed  /  and  shewe 
howe  the  scripture  vseth  many  wordes  /  which  are  wother  wyse 
vnderstonde  of  the  commen  people:  and  to  helpe  with  a  declara- 
cion  where  one  tonge  taketh  nott  another.  And  will  endever  oure- 
selves  /  as  it  were  to  sethe  it  better  /  and  to  make  it  more  apte 
for  the  weake  stomakes:  desyrynge  them  that  are  learned  /  and 
able  /  to  remember  their  duetie  /  and  to  helpe  there  vnto:  and  to 
bestowe  vnto  the  edyfyinge  of  Christis  body  (which  is  the  congre- 
gacion  of  them  that  beleve)  those  gyftes  whych  they  have  receaved 
of  god  for  the  same  purpose.  The  grace  that  commeth  of  Christ 
be  with  them  that  love  hym.     Praye  for  vs. 


164  The  Book  of  Books 

There  is  no  date  and  although  the  title-pages  are  missing 
from  the  two  extant  octavo  copies,  as  well  as  from  the  Gren- 
ville  fragment,  it  is  certain  that  the  name  of  the  translator 
did  not  appear.  To  this  Tindale  makes  reference  in  the 
preface  to  his  Parable  of  the  Wicked  Mammon  published 
in  1528: 

^  William  Tyndale  otherwise  called  Hychins  to  the  reader 

Grace  and  peace  with  all  maner  spirituall  fealinge  and  lyuinge 
worthy  of  the  kyndnes  of  Chryst,  be  with  the  reader  and  with  all 
that  thurst  the  wyl  of  God  Amen.  The  cause  why  I  set  my  name 
before  this  lytle  treatyse  and  haue  not  rather  done  it  in  the  newe 
testament  is  that  then  I  folowed  the  counsell  of  Chryst  which 
exhirteth  men  Math.  vi.  to  doo  theyr  good  deades  secretly  and  to 
be  content  with  the  conscience  of  welldoynge  (and  that  god  seeth 
vs)  and  paciently  to  abyde  the  rewarde  of  the  last  daye  which 
Chryst  hath  purchased  for  vs  and  now  wold  fayne  haue  done  lyke- 
wyse  /  but  am  compelled  otherwyse  to  doo. 

Whyle  I  abode  a  faythful  companyon  which  now  hath  taken 
an  other  vyage  vpon  him  /  to  preach  christ  where  (I  suppose)  he 
was  neuer  yet  preached  (God  which  put  in  his  herte  thyther  to 
goo  sende  his  sprite  with  him  /  comforte  him  and  bringe  his  pur- 
pose to  good  effecte)  one  William  Roye  a  man  somewhat  craftye 
when  he  cometh  vnto  new  acquayntaunce  and  before  he  be  thorow 
knowen  and  namely  when  all  is  spent  /  came  vnto  me  and  offered 
his  helpe.  As  long  as  he  had  no  money  /  somwhat  I  could  reule 
him:  but  as  sone  as  he  had  goten  him  money  /  he  became  lyke 
hym  selfe  agayne.  Neuerthelesse  I  suffered  all  thinges  tyll  yat 
was  ended  whych  I  coulde  not  doo  alone  wythout  one  both  to 
wryte  and  to  helpe  me  to  compare  ye  textes  together.  When 
that  was  ended  I  toke  my  leue  and  bode  him  farewel  for  oure  two 
lyues  /  and  as  men  saye  a  daye  longer.  After  we  were  departed 
he  went  /  and  gate  him  new  frendes  which  thinge  to  doo  he  passeth 
all  that  euer  I  yet  knewe.  And  there  when  he  had  stored  hym  of 
money  he  gote  him  to  Argentine  where  he  professeth  wonderful 
faculties  and  maketh  host  of  no  small  thinges.  .   .  . 

Some  man  wyl  aske  perauenture  why  I  take  ye  laboure  to 
make  this  worke,  in  as  mooch  as  they  will  brunne  it  seynge  they 
brunt  the  Gospel  I  answare,  in  brunninge  the  new  testamente 
they  dyd  none  other  thynge  then  that  I  loked  for  /  no  more  shall 
they  do  yf  the  brunne  me  also,  yf  it  be  gods  wyll  it  shall  so  be. 
Neuerthelesse  in  translatynge  the  newe  testamente  I  dyd  my 
dutye  /  and  so  do  I  now  /  and  wyll  do  as  moch  more  as  god  hath 
ordered  me  to  do.  And  as  I  offered  that  to  all  men  to  correcte 
it  /  who  soeuer  coulde,  euen  so  doo  I  this.  Who  soeuer  therfore 
readeth  this  /  compare  it  vnto  the  scrypture.  If  gods  worde 
beare  recorde  vnto  it  and  thou  also  felest  in  thine  herte  that  it  is 


William  Tindale  165 

so  be  of  good  comfort  and  geve  god  thankes.  Iff  gods  worde 
condemne  it,  then  hold  it  acursed,  and  so  do  all  other  doctrines. 
As  Paul  counselleth  his  galathiens,  Beleve  not  every  spyrite 
sodenly,  but  iudge  them  by  the  worde  of  god  which  is  the  triall 
of  all  doctrine  and  lasteth  for  ever.     Amen. 

Several  editions  of  Tindale's  Testament  were  issued  by 
others  than  himself  before  he  issued  a  revised  version 
as  contemplated  in  the  address  to  the  reader  in  the  1525 
octavo.  Some  of  these  were  tampered  with  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  provoke  his  anger.  It  was  1534  before  he  issued 
another  edition.  In  the  meantime  he  had  published  the 
Pentateuch,  1530,  and  in  the  preface  to  Genesis  he  gives 
the  reasons  which  moved  him  at  first  to  translate  the 
Testament: 

W.  T.  To  the  Reader. 

When  I  had  translated  the  newe  testament  /  I  added  a  pistle 
vnto  the  latter  ende  /  In  which  I  desyred  them  yat  were  learned 
to  amend  if  ought  were  founde  amysse.  But  oure  malicious  and 
wylye  hypocrytes  which  are  so  stubburne  and  hard  herted  in  their 
weked  abhominacions  that  it  is  not  possible  for  them  to  amend 
any  thinge  at  all  (as  we  see  by  dayly  experience  when  their  both 
lyvinges  and  doinges  are  rebuked  with  the  trouth)  saye  /  some  of 
them  that  it  is  impossible  to  translate  the  scripture  in  to  English  / 
some  that  it  is  not  lawfull  for  the  laye  people  to  have  it  in  their 
mother  tonge  /  some  that  it  wold  made  them  all  heretykes  /  as  it 
wold  no  doute  from  many  thinges  which  they  of  longe  tyme  have 
falsly  taught  /  and  that  is  the  whole  cause  wherfore  they  forbyd 
it  /  though  they  other  clokes  pretende.  And  some  or  rather  every 
one  /  saye  that  it  wold  make  them  ryse  ageynst  the  kinge  /  whom 
they  them  selves  (vnto  their  damnatyon)  never  yet  obeyed,  And 
leste  these  temporal!  rulars  shuld  see  their  falsehod  /  if  the  scrip- 
ture cam  to  light  /  causeth  them  so  to  lye. 

And  as  for  my  translation  in  which  they  afferme  vnto  the 
laye  people  (as  I  haue  hearde  saye)  to  be  I  wotte  not  how  many 
thousande  heresyes  /  so  that  it  can  not  be  mended  or  correcte  / 
they  haue  yet  taken  so  great  payne  to  examyne  it  /  and  to  com- 
pare it  vnto  that  they  wold  fayne  haue  it  and  to  their  awne  imagi- 
nations and  iugglinge  termes  /  and  to  haue  some  what  to  rayle 
at  /  and  vnder  that  cloke  to  blaspheme  the  treuth  /  that  they 
myght  with  as  little  laboure  (as  I  suppose)  haue  translated  the 
moste  parte  of  the  bible.  For  they  which  in  tymes  paste  were 
wont  to  loke  on  no  more  scripture  than  they  founde  in  their  duns 
or  soch  like  develysh  doctryne  /  haue  yet  now  so  narowlye  loked 
on  my  translatyon  /  that  there  is  not  so  moch  as  one  I  therin  if  it 


i66  The  Book  of  Books 

lacke  a  tytle  over  his  hed  /  but  they  haue  noted  it  /  and  nombre 
it  vnto  the  ignorant  people  for  an  heresy.  Fynallye  in  this  they 
be  all  agreed  /  to  dryve  you  from  the  knowlege  of  the  scripture  / 
and  that  ye  shall  not  haue  the  texte  therof  in  the  mother  tonge  / 
and  to  kepe  the  world  styll  in  darkenesse  /  to  thentent  they  might 
sitt  in  the  consciences  of  the  people  /  thorow  vayne  superstition 
and  false  doctrine  /  to  satisfye  their  fylthy  lustes  /  their  proude 
ambition  /  and  vnsatiable  covetuousnes  /  and  to  exalte  their  awne 
honoure  aboue  kinge  and  emperoure  /  yee  and  aboue  god  him  silfe. 

^  A  thousand  bokes  had  they  lever  to  be  put  forth  agenste 
their  abhominable  doynges  and  doctrine  /  then  that  the  scripture 
shulde  come  to  light.  For  as  longe  as  they  may  kepe  that  doune  / 
they  will  so  darken  the  ryght  way  with  the  miste  of  their  sophis- 
trye  /  and  so  tangle  them  that  either  rebuke  or  despyse  their 
abhominations  with  argumentes  of  philosophye  and  with  worldly 
symylitudes  and  apparent  reasons  of  naturall  wisdom.  And  with 
wrestinge  the  scripture  vnto  their  awne  purpose  clene  contrarye 
vnto  y^  processe  /  order  and  meaninge  of  the  texte  /  and  so  delude 
them  in  descantynge  vppon  it  with  alligoryes  /  and  amase  them 
expoundinge  it  in  manye  senses  before  the  vnlerned  laye  people 
(when  it  hath  but  one  simple  litterall  sense  whose  light  the  owles 
can  not  abyde)  that  though  thou  feale  in  thyne  harte  and  arte 
sure  how  that  all  is  false  yat  they  saye  /  yet  coudeste  thou  not 
solve  their  sotle  rydles. 

^  Which  thinge  onlye  moved  me  to  translate  the  new  testa- 
ment. Because  I  had  perceaved  by  experyence  /  how  that  it 
was  impossible  to  stablysh  the  laye  people  in  any  truth  /  except 
y®  scripture  were  playnly  layde  before  their  eyes  in  their  mother 
tonge  /  that  they  might  se  the  processe  /  ordre  and  meaninge  of 
the  texte:  for  els  what  so  ever  truth  is  taught  them  /  these  enny- 
myes  of  all  truth  qwench  it  ageyne  partly  with  the  smoke  of  their 
bottomlesse  pytte  whereof  thou  readest  apocalipsis.  ix.  that  is  / 
with  apparent  reasons  of  sophistrye  and  traditions  of  their  awne 
makynge  /  founded  with  out  grounde  of  scripture  /  and  partely  in 
iugglinge  with  the  texte  /  expoundinge  it  in  soch  a  sense  as  is 
impossible  to  gether  of  the  texte  /  if  thou  see  the  processe  ordre 
and  meaninge  thereof. 

T[  And  even  in  the  bisshope  of  londons  house  I  entended  to 
have  done  it.  For  when  I  was  so  turmoyled  in  the  contre  where  I 
was  that  I  coude  no  lenger  there  dwell  (the  processe  whereof  were 
to  longe  here  to  reherce)  I  this  wyse  thought  in  my  silfe  /  this  I 
sufFre  because  the  prestes  of  the  contre  be  vnlearned  /  as  god  it 
knoweth  there  are  a  full  ignorant  sorte  which  haue  sene  no  more 
latyn  then  that  they  read  in  their  portesses  and  missales  which 
yet  many  of  them  can  scacely  read  (except  it  be  Jlbertus  de  secretis 
mulierum  in  which  yet  /  though  they  be  never  so  soryly  lerned  / 
they  pore  day  and  night  and  make  notes  therein  and  all  to  teach 
the  mydwyves  as  they  say  /  and  linzvod  a  boke  of  constitutions 


William  Tindale  167 

to  gether  tithes  /  mortuaryes  /  offeringes  /  customs  /  and  other 
pillage  /  which  they  calle  /  not  theirs  but  /  godes  parte  and  the 
deuty  of  holye  chirch  /  to  discharge  their  consciences  with  all: 
for  they  are  bound  that  they  shall  not  dimynysh,  but  encreace  all 
thinge  vnto  the  vttmost  of  their  powers  and  therfore  (because 
they  are  thus  vnlerned  thought  I)  when  they  come  to  gedder  to 
the  alehouse  /  which  is  their  preachinge  place  /  they  afferme  that 
my  sainges  are  heresy.  And  besydes  yat  they  adde  to  of  thir 
owne  heddes  which  I  never  spake  /  as  the  maner  is  to  prolonge 
the  tale  to  shorte  the  tyme  with  all  /  and  accuse  me  secretly  to 
the  chauncelare  and  other  the  bishopes  officers  /  And  in  deade 
when  I  cam  before  the  chauncelare  /  he  thretened  me  grevously  / 
and  revyled  me  and  rated  me  as  though  I  had  bene  a  dogge  /  and 
layd  to  my  charge  wherof  there  coude  be  none  accuser  brought 
forth  (as  their  maner  is  not  to  bringe  forth  the  accuser)  and  yet 
all  the  prestes  of  y®  contre  were  yat  same  daye  there.  As  I  this 
thought  the  bishope  of  London  came  to  my  remembrance  whom 
Erasmus  (whose  tonge  maketh  of  litle  gnattes  greate  elephantes 
and  lifteth  vpp  aboue  the  starres  whosoeuer  geveth  him  a  litle 
exhibition)  prayseth  excedingly  amonge  other  in  his  annotatyons 
on  the  new  testament  for  his  great  learninge.  Then  thought  I  /  if 
I  might  come  to  this  mannes  service  /  I  were  happye.  And  so  I 
gate  me  to  london  /  and  thorow  the  accoyntaunce  of  my  master 
came  to  sir  harry  gilford  the  kinges  graces  countroller  /  and 
brought  him  an  oration  of  Isocrates  which  I  had  translated  out  of 
greke  in  to  English  /  and  desyred  him  to  speake  vnto  my  lorde  of 
london  for  me  /  which  he  also  did  as  he  shewed  me  /  and  willed 
me  to  write  a  pistle  to  my  lorde  /  and  to  goo  to  him  my  silf  which 
I  also  did  /  and  delivered  my  pistle  to  a  servant  of  his  awne  /  one 
wyllyam  hebilthwayte,  a  man  of  myne  old  accoyntaunce.  But 
god  which  knoweth  what  is  within  hypocrites  /  sawe  that  I  was 
begyled  /  and  that  that  councell  was  not  the  nexte  way  vnto  my 
purpose.  And  therfore  he  gate  me  no  favoure  in  my  lordes  sight. 
^  Wherevppon  my  lorde  answered  me  /  his  house  was  full  / 
he  had  mo  then  he  coude  well  finde  /  and  advised  me  to  seke  in 
london  /  wher  he  sayd  I  coude  not  lacke  a  service  /  And  so  in 
london  I  abode  almoste  an  yere  /  and  marked  the  course  of  the 
worlde  /  and  herde  our  pratars  /  I  wold  say  oure  preachers  how 
they  hosted  them  selves  and  their  hye  authorite  /  and  beheld  the 
pompe  of  oure  prelates  and  how  besyed  they  were  as  they  yet  are  / 
to  set  peace  and  vnite  in  the  worlde  (though  it  be  not  possible  for 
them  that  walke  in  darkenesse  to  continue  longe  in  peace  /  for 
they  can  not  but  ether  stomble  or  dash  them  selves  at  one  thinge 
or  a  nother  that  shall  clene  vnquyet  all  togedder)  and  sawe  thinges 
wherof  I  deferre  to  speake  at  this  tyme  and  vnderstode  at  the  laste 
not  only  that  there  was  no  rowme  in  my  lorde  of  londons  palace 
to  translate  the  new  testament  /  but  also  that  there  was  no  place 
to  do  it  in  all  englonde  /  as  experience  doth  now  openly  declare. 


i68  The  Book  of  Books 

^  Vnder  what  maner  therfore  shuld  I  now  submitte  this  boke 
to  be  corrected  and  amended  of  them  /  which  can  suffer  nothinge 
to  be  well?  Or  what  protestacyon  shuld  I  make  in  soch  a  matter 
vnto  our  prelates  those  stubburne  Nimrothes  which  so  mightely 
fight  agenste  god  and  resiste  his  holy  spirite  /  enforceynge  with 
all  crafte  and  sotelte  to  qwench  the  light  of  the  everlastinge  testa- 
ment /  promyses  /  and  apoyntement  made  betwene  god  and  vs: 
and  heapinge  the  firce  wrath  of  god  vppon  all  princes  and  rulars  / 
mockinge  them  with  false  fayned  names  of  hypocrysye  /  and 
servinge  their  lustes  at  all  poyntes  /  and  dispensinge  with  them 
even  of  the  very  lawes  of  god  /  of  which  Christe  him  silf  testifieth 
Matthew.  V.  yat  not  so  moch  as  one  tittle  thereof  may  perish  or 
be  broken.  And  of  which  the  prophete  sayth  Psalme.  cxviij. 
Thou  haste  commaunded  thy  lawes  to  be  kepte  meod  /  yat  is  in 
hebrew  excedingly  /  with  all  diligence  might  and  power  /  and  haue 
made  them  so  mad  with  their  iugglinge  charmes  and  crafty  per- 
suasions that  they  thinke  it  full  satisfaction  for  all  their  weked 
lyvinge  /  to  torment  soch  as  tell  them  trouth  /  and  -to  borne  the 
worde  of  their  soules  helth  and  sle  whosoever  beleve  theron. 

^  Not  withstondinge  yet  I  submytte  this  boke  and  all  other 
that  I  haue  other  made  or  translated,  or  shall  in  tyme  to  come  (if 
it  be  goddes  will  that  I  shall  further  laboure  in  his  hervest)  vnto 
all  them  that  submytte  them  selves  vnto  the  worde  of  god  /  to  be 
corrected  of  them  /  yee  and  moreover  to  be  disalowed  &  also 
burnte  /  if  it  seme  worthy  when  they  have  examyned  it  wyth  the 
hebrue  /  so  that  they  first  put  forth  of  their  awne  translatinge  a 
nother  that  is  more  correcte. 

In  the  1530  Pentateuch  there  was  a  prologue  to  each 
of  the  five  books.  Genesis  and  Numbers  were  printed  in 
black  letter;  Exodus,  Leviticus,  and  Deuteronomy  in  roman 
type.  There  were  11  woodcuts  in  Exodus,  "the  forme  of 
Aaron  with  all  his  apparell,"  and  objects  in  the  tabernacle. 
There  were  some  marginal  notes  of  a  strongly  anti-Roman 
tendency.  Altogether  there  were  384  leaves  with  folios. 
At  the  end  of  Genesis  was  the  following  colophon: 

Emprented  at  Marlborow,  in  the  land  of  Hesse,  by  me  Hans 
Luft,  the  yere  of  oure  Lorde,  m.ccccc.xxx,  the  xvij  dayes  of 
Januarii. 

It  was  doubtless  Tindale's  intention  to  translate  the 
whole  Bible,  but  besides  the  New  Testament  and  the  Penta- 
teuch the  only  other  portion  published  by  him  was  Jonah, 
with  the  following  title: 

The  prophet  lonas,  with  an  introduction  before,  teachinge  to 
understande  him  and  the  right  use  also  of  all  the  scripture. 


William  Tindale  169 

He  had,  however,  translated  from  Joshua  to  2  Chron- 
icles, the  manuscript  of  which  was  used  by  John  Rogers  in 
preparing  Matthew's  Bible. 

An  altered  version  of  Tindale's  was  pubHshed  by  George 
Joye  at  Antwerp,  August,  1534.  The  only  copy  known  is 
in  the  Grenville  collection  at  the  British  Museum.  It  had 
the  following  title : 

The  new  Testament  as  it  was  written  and  caused  to  be  written 
by  them  which  herde  yt  Whom  also  oure  sauioure  Christ  Jesus 
commaunded  that  they  shulde  preach  it  vnto  al  creatures. 

This  edition  contained  an  "Almanack  for  18  yeares" 
(i 526-1 543);  a  "Kalendar"  of  12  pages,  in  black  and  red; 
and  at  the  end  a  table  to  find  the  Epistles  and  Gospels  after 
the  use  of  "Sarysbuery,"  occupying  26  pages.  There  were 
4  woodcuts,  no  prologues,  and  only  one  note.  It  was 
pubhshed  without  a  name,  and  the  colophon  read: 

Here  endeth  the  Newe  Testament  diligently  ouersene  and 
corrected  and  printed  now  agayn  at  Antwerpe  by  me  Widowe  of 
ChristofFel  of  Endhoue  In  the  yere  of  our  Lorde.  m.ccccc  and 
iiij.  in  August. 

Tindale's  revised  edition  appeared  in  November  of  the 
same  year,  1534,  in  which  Joye's  edition  appeared  in  August. 
The  title-page,  of  which  an  illustration  is  here  given,  reads: 

The  newe  Testament  dylygently  corrected  and  compared  with 
the  Greke  by  Willyam  Tindale:  and  fynesshed  in  the  yere  of  oure 
Lorde  God.    A.M.D.  &  xxxiiij  in  the  moneth  of  Nouember. 

There  is  an  address,  "W.  T.  vnto  the  Reder,"  17  pages; 
"A  prologe  into  the  iiii  Euangelystes  shewynge  what  they 
were  &  their  auctoryte,"  3^2  pages  (followed  by  a  separate 
prologue  to  each  of  the  gospels);  "A  warning  to  y^  reader," 
concerning  printer's  errors  that  may  be  found,  and  calling 
attention  to  one  "in  the  xxiii  chapter  of  Matthew  &  in  the 
xxxiii  leffe  on  the  second  s^^de  and  last  lyne,"  yi  page; 
"Willyam  Tindale  yet  once  more  to  the  christen  reader" 
(in  which  he  deals  with  the  activities  of  George  Joye), 
8>2  pages;  after  a  blank  page  is  a  second  title-page:  "The 
Newe  Testament,  Imprinted  at  Antwerp  by  Marten  Emper- 
our.  Anno  M.  D.  xxxiiij";  "The  bokes  conteyned  in  the 
Newe  Testament";   the  text,  with  22  woodcuts  to  the  Book 


I/O 


The  Book  of  Books 


of  Revelation  and  17  in  other  parts,  with  quaint  headings 
to  the  books  such  as:  "The  Actes  of  the  Apostles  wrytten 
by  Saynte  Luke  Euangelist  which  was  present  at  the  doynges 
of  them";     "Epistles   taken   oute   of  the   olde  Testament 


CClje  tie 

gentlpco^recteOanli 
compared  ttottlj  tje 
Sxtkt  bv  U^fllpam 
XinDale:anD  fpneC^ 
Cljeditttljevereofou 
re?Co;be(Poli* 

Montmhtx* 


ts 


TITLE-PAGE  OF  TINDALE'S   1534  TESTAMENT 

which  are  red  in  the  church  after  the  vse  of  Salsburye  vpon 
certen  dayes  of  the  yere"  and  "The  Epistles  of  the  sayntes 
which  are  also  taken  oute  of  the  olde  Testament,"  32  pages; 


William  Tindale  171 

"Table  where  in  you  shall  fynde  the  Epistles  and  the  Gos- 
pels after  the  vse  of  Salsbury,"  18  pages;  "These  things 
haue  I  added  to  fill  vp  the  lefFe  with  all"  (being  a  few  defini- 
tions), 2  pages.     There  are  in  all  424  leaves. 

A  further  edition  was  pubhshed  by  Tindale,  the  text  of 
which  was  printed  in  1534  and  the  title  added  in  1535.  The 
title-page  was: 

^t^The  newe  Testament  yet  once  agayne  corrected  by  Willyam 
Tindale:  Where  vnto  is  added  a  Kalendar  and  a  necessarye  Table 
wherin  easely  and  lightelye  maye  be  founde  any  storye  contayned 
in  the  foure  Euangelistes  and  in  the  Actes  of  the  Apostles. 

%  Prynted  in  the  yere  of  oure  Lorde  God.  M.D.  &  xxxv. 

This  was  followed  by  "An  Almanack  for  xxi  years" 
(1535-1555);  a  "Kalendar"  and  "The  office  of  all  estates," 
16  pages;  "Willyam  Tindale  vnto  the  Christian  Reader," 
15  pages;  "A  prologe  into  the  iiii  Euangelistes  wherein  thou 
mayst  lyghtly  fynde  any  story  conteyned  in  them"  followed 
by  "A  table  for  the  Actes,"  20>^  pages;  a  second  title 
dated  1534,  with  monogram  containing  the  initials  G  H; 
"The  bokes  conteyned  in  the  newe  Testament";  the  text; 
the  Epistles,  after  the  use  of  Sahsbury;  a  table  to  find  the 
epistles  and  gospels — a  total  of  376  leaves,  with  notes  and 
36  woodcuts. 

There  were  altogether  nine  other  editions  in  1535  and 
1536,  and  by  1566  more  than  forty  editions  had  been  issued. 
These  are  all  minutely  described  in  Francis  Fry's  handsome 
volume,  published  in  1878,  J  Bibliographical  Description  of 
the    Editions    of    the    New    Testament,    Tyndale's    Version, 

Tindale  was  treacherously  arrested  May  23,  1535,  and 
imprisoned  in  Vilvorde  Castle,  about  18  miles  from  Antwerp 
and  6  miles  from  Brussels.  While  there  he  labored  diligently 
at  his  task  of  translation,  and  the  only  autograph  of  his 
extant  is  a  letter  written  in  Latin  while  he  was  imprisoned. 
It  was  found  by  Mr.  Galesloot  in  the  archives  of  the  Council 
of  Brabant  and  was  first  published  by  Demaus,  In  one 
place  Tindale  asks  the  governor  to  send  him  warmer  clothing 
if  he  is  to  stay  the  winter  there;  and  in  another  he  asks  for 
a  candle  in  the  evening,  as  it  is  wearisome  to  sit  in  the  dark, 
and  his  Hebrew  Bible,  grammar,  and  dictionary  that  he 
may  spend  his  time  in  study. 


172  The  Book  of  Books 

After  sixteen  months'  imprisonment  Tindale  was  first 
strangled  and  then  burned  at  the  stake  on  October  6,  1536. 
As  he  died  his  last  words  were  a  prayer,  "Lord,  open 
the  King  of  England's  eyes." 

Edwin  Arber  says  in  the  conclusion  of  his  introductory 
essay  to  the  facsimile  reproduction  of  the  Grenville  frag- 
ment, published  in  1871: 

Of  the  fruits  of  the  English  Scriptures  who  may  sufficiently 
speak?  One  great  tangible  result  has  been  the  ennobling  and 
perpetual  elevating  of  the  English  character.  Had  the  bishops 
stamped  out  the  Bible,  England  would  have  been  as  Italy  and  Spain 
were,  and  much  of  the  world's  history  would  have  been  differently 
written.  Hence  the  story  of  the  English  Bible  is  forever  inter- 
woven with  the  history  of  England  and  of  the  United  States.  The 
free  Word  of  God  has  brought  to  us  freedom  of  mind,  of  soul,  and 
of  estate;  and  we  in  this,  as  in  so  many  other  things,  now  inherit, 
without  even  a  passing  thought,  principles  and  privileges  which 
our  forefathers  often  times  purchased  with  their  lives.  May  we 
in  like  manner  be  found  faithful  to  all  that  is  true  and  right  in 
our  day  and  generation,  and  hand  down  intact  to  our  children 
the  munificent  gifts  which  we  have  received,  for  nothing,  from  our 
ancestors. 

What  shall  we  say  of  the  illustrious  translator.''  Strange 
alchemy!  by  transmuting  the  thought  of  one  language  into  the 
expression  of  another  to  free  a  people  from  ignorance,  priestcraft, 
mental  and  spiritual  serfdom.  Yet  by  the  grace  of  God  so  it  was. 
Tyndale  saw  his  life's  work  accomplished.  Ere  he  was  taken 
away  the  ploughboy  came  to  know  the  Scriptures. 

James  Anthony  Froude  has  written: 

The  peculiar  genius  which  breathes  through  the  English 
Bible,  the  mingled  tenderness  and  majesty,  the  Saxon  simplicity, 
the  grandeur^ — unequalled,  unapproached  in  the  attempted  im- 
provement of  modern  scholars — all  are  here  and  bear  the  impress 
of  the  mind  of  one  man  and  that  man  William  Tyndale. 

Bishop  Ellicott  says  of  Tyndale's  1534  Testament,  that 
it  "will  remain  to  the  end  of  time  a  monument  of  the  courage, 
patience,  learning,  competent  scholarship,  thorough  faith- 
fulness, and  clear  English  sense  of  the  noble  hearted  and 
devoted  editor." 

In  the  preface  to  Bosworth  and  Waring's  Gothic  arid 
Anglo-Saxon  Gospels,  published  in  London,  1865,  the  descent 
of  the  Authorized  Version  is  thus  stated : 


William  Tindale 


173 


Our  present  English  Version  was  based  upon  the  Bishops' 
Bible  of  1568,  and  that  upon  Cranmer's  of  1539,  which  was  a  new 
edition  of  Matthew's  Bible  of  1537,  partly  from  Coverdale  of  1535, 
but  chiefly  from  Tyndale;  in  other  words,  our  present  Authorized 
translation  is  mainly  that  of  Tyndale  made  from  the  original 
Hebrew  and  Greek. 


VILVORDE   CASTLE 

(From  Demaus'  "Life  of  Tindale."     Courtesy  of  the  Rellglom  Trad  Society) 


CHAPTER  XI 

MYLES  COVERDALE  AND  THE  FIRST  PRINTED 
ENGLISH   BIBLE 

MYLES  COVERDALE  was  born  in  the  district  of 
Coverdale,  in  the  North  Riding  of  Yorkshire,  in  or 
about  the  year  1488.  He  was  educated  at  Cambridge  in 
an  Augustinian  monastery  presided  over  by  Dr.  Barnes, 
who  later  was  condemned  as  a  heretic.  While  at  Cambridge 
he  studied  diligently,  possibly  under  Erasmus,  and  was  pro- 
ficient both  in  languages  and  in  a  knowledge  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. He  also  while  there  adopted  the  principles  of  the 
Reformers,  and  after  leaving  began  to  preach  against  some 
of  the  doctrines  and  practices  of  Rome.  Because  of  the 
opposition  this  stirred  he  went  to  the  continent  about  1527 
or  1529,  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  he  ever  met  Tindale. 

Coverdale's  zeal  for  Bible  study  is  expressed  in  a  letter 
which  he  wrote  to  Thomas  Cromwell,  who  for  a  time  was  a 
great  favorite  of  Henry  VIII,  but  later  fell  under  his  dis- 
pleasure and  was  executed.     In  that  letter  Coverdale  said: 

Now  I  begin  to  taste  of  Holy  Scriptures:  now  honour  be  to 
God!  I  am  set  to  the  most  sweet  smell  of  holy  letters,  with  the 
godly  savor  of  holy  and  ancient  doctors,  unto  whose  knowledge  I 
cannot  attain  without  diversity  of  books,  as  is  not  unknown  to 
your  most  excellent  wisdom.  Nothing  in  the  world  I  desire  but 
books,  as  concerning  my  learning;  they  once  had,  I  do  not  doubt 
but  Almighty  God  shall  perform  that  in  me,  which  he  of  his  most 
plentiful  favour  and  grace  hath  begun. 

When  or  where  Coverdale  did  his  work  of  translation 
is  not  known,  but  in  1535  he  sent  forth  the  first  complete 
English  printed  Bible,  including  both  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments and  Apocrypha.  The  place  of  printing  is  not  known 
certainly,    but    it    is    supposed    to    have    been    printed    by 

(174) 


Myles  Coverdale 


175 


Froschouer  at  Zurich.  It  is  important  to  note  that  in 
1534  Henry  VIII  had  broken  with  Rome  and  been  recog- 
nized as  the  head  of  the  church  in  England. 

In    1530,  influenced  doubtless  by  the  attitude  of  the 
prelates  toward  Tindale's  New  Testament,  Henry  VIII  had 


MYLES  COVERDALE 

(From  an  engraving  in  the  1838  reprint  of  Coverdale's  1535  Bible) 

caused  it  to  be  known,  as  quoted  by  Westcott,  from  Wilkin's 
Concilia,  that  he 

by  the  advice  and  deliberation  of  his  council,  and  the  agreement  of 
great  learned  men,  thinketh  in  his  conscience  that  the  divulging 
of  this  Scripture  at  this  time  in  the  English  tongue  to  be  committed 


176  The  Book  of  Books 

to  the  people,  should  rather  be  to  the  further  confusion  and  dis- 
traction than  the  edification  of  their  souls. 

But  the  work  of  translation  and  publication  had  begun, 
and  no  ecclesiastical  or  regal  power  could  stop  it.  In  1534, 
at  a  Convocation  at  Canterbury  presided  over  by  Cranmer, 
it  was  resolved  to  petition  the  king  to 

vouchsafe    to   decree    that   a    translation   of  the   Scriptures   into 
English  should  be  made  by  certain  honest  and  learned  men  whom 
the  king  should  nominate;    and  that  the  Scriptures  so  translated 
should  be  delivered  to  the  people  according  to  their  learning. 
This,  however,  had  no  tangible  result. 

Coverdale's  Bible  was  issued  with  the  title: 

BIBLIA  The  Bible  /  that  is,  the  holy  Scripture  of  the  Olde 
and  New  Testament,  faithfully  and  truly  translated  out  of  Douche 
and  Latyn  in  to  Englishe.     m.d.xxxv. 

S.  Paul  II  Tessa.  III. 
Praie  for  vs,  that  the  worde  of  God  maie  haue  fre  passage,  and  be 
glorified.  &ct. 

S.  Paul  Col.  III. 
Let  the  worde  of  Christ  dwell  in  you  plenteously  in  all  wysz- 
dome.  &ct. 

Josue  I. 
Let  not  the  boke  of  this  lawe  departe  out  of  thy  mouth,   but 
exercyse  thyselfe  therin  daye  and  nighte.  &ct. 

Coverdale's  1535  Bible  was  published  complete,  in 
1838,  by  Bagster,  the  reprint  being  made  from  a  copy  in 
the  library  of  the  Duke  of  Sussex.  The  illustration  here 
given  is  from  that  reprint.  It  will  be  noted  that  only  one 
of  the  three  verses  is  in  this  copy.  The  title  pages  differ 
considerably  in  the  various  copies,  and  in  those  which  have 
the  three  verses  there  is  also  a  Latin  inscription  on  each  side 
between  the  panels.    The  title-page  may  be  described  thus: 

At  the  top  in  the  center  is  the  sun  with  the  Hebrew  name 
Yahweh  from  which  radiates  the  word  of  God.  On  the  left  are 
Adam  and  Eve  and  the  tree  of  knowledge  in  which  the  serpent  is 
intertwined,  and,  on  a  scroll,  "  In  what  daye  so  euer  thou  eatest 
thereof,  thou  shalt  dye.  Genesis  2."  On  the  right  is  the  risen 
Christ  (Mathe  28),  with  the  words,  "  This  is  my  deare  Sonne  in 
vhom  I  delyte,  heare  him.  Matt.  17."  In  the  bottom  panel, 
in  the  center,  is  Henry  VIII,  seated  on  his  throne,  with  the  royal 
arms  beneath  his  feet.     At  the  left  the  bishops  are  presenting  to 


Myles  Coverdale 


177 


him  the  Bible  and  at  the  right  the  peers  are  kneeling.  Behind 
the  bishops  is  David  with  his  harp,  and  on  a  scroll,  "  O  how  swete 
are  thy  vvordes  vnto  my  throte:  yee  more  then  hony  &c.  Psal. 
118."  Behind  the  peers  is  the  apostle  Paul,  and,  on  a  scroll, 
"  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospell  of  christ  for  it  is  the  power  of 


TITLE-PAGE  OF  COVERDALE'S   BIBLE,   1535 

iFrom  the  copy  in  the  possession  of  the  Dvke  of  Sussex,  from  uMch  the  18S8  reprint  uas  made) 


178  The  Book  of  Books 

god  Ro.  i."  On  the  left  side  is  Moses  with  the  tables  of  the  law 
(Exo.  21),  and,  below,  Ezra  reading  the  law  (Esdre  9).  On  the 
right  side  Jesus  is  speaking  to  the  disciples  (Marci  16),  and,  below, 
the  apostle  Peter  addressing  the  multitudes  (Actvvm  2). 

An  act  had  been  passed  that  books  printed  abroad 
must  be  sent  to  England  in  sheets  that  the  English  binders 
might  profit  by  binding  them.  So  it  was  possible  to  change 
the  title-pages  and  introductory  matter  in  different  copies. 
The  words  "Douche  and  Latyn"  were  objectionable  to  the 
clergy,  so  they  were  left  out  in  later  copies.  The  earliest 
copies  did  not  contain  a  dedication  to  the  king,  but  the  later 
ones  did.  Some  early  copies  mentioned  "queen  Anne"  as 
the  king's  "dearest  just  wife,  and  most  virtuous  pryncesse"; 
in  later  ones  "Jane"  was  substituted. 

James  Nycholson,  of  Southwark,  London,  printed  the 
new  preliminary  pages,  and  in  1537  printed  an  edition  with 
a  line  on  the  title-page,  "Set  foorth  with  the  Kynges  moost 
gracious  licence." 

There  are  no  perfect  copies  of  the  first  edition  extant, 
but  a  very  fine  example  is  in  the  New  York  Public  Library. 
It  once  belonged  to  Lord  Hampton's  library  and  later  to 
J.  J.  Astor.  It  is  printed  in  black  letter,  with  roman  type 
to  distinguish  parts  now  printed  in  italics.  It  is  a  small 
quarto  with  references  at  the  side  and  with  paragraph  letters. 
It  is  printed  in  two  columns,  with  many  quaint  woodcuts. 
There  are  separate  title-pages  to  the  "Prophetes,"  set  before 
Isaiah;  to  the  "Apocripha";  to  the  New  Testament;  each 
of  which  has  three  rows  of  three  panels,  the  top  and  bottom 
being  allegorical,  and  the  middle  row  having  the  names  of 
the  books  in  the  center  and  conventional  designs  at  the  sides. 
In  the  center  panel  of  the  title  to  the  Apocrypha  the  wording 
is  as  follows: 

APOCRIPHA 

The  bokes  and  treatises  which  amonge  the  fathers  of  olde  are 
not  rekened  to  be  of  like  authorite  with  the  other  bokes  of  the 
byble,  nether  are  they  foude  in  the  Canon  of  the  Hebrue. 

The  thirde  boke  of  Eszdras. 

The  fourth  boke  of  Eszdras. 

The  boke  of  Tobias. 

The  boke  of  Judith. 

Certayne  chapters  of  Hester. 


Myles  Coverdale  179 

The  boke  of  Wyszdome. 

Ecclesiasticus. 

The  Storye  of  Susanna. 

The  Storye  of  Bell. 

The  first  boke  of  the  Machabees. 

The  seconde  boke  of  the  Machabees. 
Vnto  these  also  belongeth  Baruc,  whom  we  haue  set  amoge 
the  prophetes,  next  vnto  Jeremy,  because  he  was  his  scrybe,  and 
in  his  tyme. 

The  Song  of  Solomon  is  headed,  "Salomon's  Balettes." 
The  colophon  is  as  follows: 

Prynted  in  the  yeare  of  cure  LORDE  M.D.  xxxv.  and  fyn- 
eshed  the  fourth  days  of  October. 

The  Dedication  and  Prologue  are  as  follows: 
KYNGE   HENRY  THE   EYGHT, 

KYNGE  OF  ENGLONDE  AND  OF  FRAUNCE,  LORDE  OF  IRLONDE  &C. 
DEFENDOUR  OF  THE  FAYTH,  AND  VNDER  GOD  THE  CHEFE  AND  SUP- 
PREME  HEADE  OF  THE  CHURCH  OF   ENGLONDE. 

^  The  ryght  i^  iust  administracyon  of  the  lazves  that  God  gaue 
vnto  Moses  and  vnto  losua:.  the  testimony e  of  faythfulnes  that  God 
gaue  of  Dauid:  the  -plenteous  abundance  of  wysdome  that  God  gaue 
vnto  Salomon:  the  lucky  and  ■prosperous  age  with  the  multiplicacyon 
of  sede  zvhiche  God  gaue  vnto  Abraham  and  Sara  his  zvyfe,  be  geue 
vnto  you  most  gracyous  Prynce,  with  your  dearest  iust  wyfe,  and 
most  vertuous  Pryncesse,  Queue  Anne,  Amen. 

Caiphas  beynge  bysshope  of  that  yeare,  lyke  a  blynde  prophete 
(not  vnderstandyng  what  he  sayd)  prophecied,  that  it  was  better 
to  put  Christ  vnto  death,  then  that  all  the  people  shulde  perysshe: 
he  meanyng,  that  Christ  was  an  heretike,  a  deceauer  of  the  people, 
&  a  destroyer  of  the  lawe,  and  that  it  was  better  therfore  to  put 
Christ  vnto  death,  tha  to  sufFre  hym  for  to  lyue,  and  to  deceaue 
the  people.  &c.  where  in  very  dede  Christ  was  the  true  prophete, 
the  true  Messias,  and  the  onely  true  Sauiour  of  the  worlde,  sent 
of  his  heauenly  father  to  sufFre  the  moste  cruell,  most  shamefull, 
and  most  necessary  death  for  our  redempcyon:  accordyng  to  y^ 
meanynge  of  the  prophecie  truely  vnderstonde. 

Euen  after  the  same  maner  y'^  blynde  bysshoppe  of  Rome, 
(that  blynde  Baalam  I  saye)  not  vnderstondynge  what  he  dyd, 
gaue  vnto  your  grace  this  tytle:  Defendour  of  the  fayth,  onely 
bycause  your  hyghnes  sufFred  your  bysshoppes  to  burne  Gods 
worde  the  rote  of  fayth,  and  to  persecute  the  louers  and  mynisters 
of  y®  same,     where  in  very  dede  the  blynde  bysshoppe  (though  he 


i8o  The  Book  of  Books 

knewe  not  what  he  dyd)  prophecied,  that  by  the  ryghteous  admyn- 
istracyon  and  contynuall  diHgence  of  youre  grace,  the  fayth  shulde 
so  be  defended,  that  Gods  worde  the  mother  of  Fayth  with  the 
frutes  therof,  shulde  haue  his  fre  course  thorowe  out  all  Christen- 
dome,  but  specyally  in  your  realme. 

Yf  your  hyghnesse  now  of  your  pryncely  benignite  wyll 
pardon  me  to  compare  these  two  bysshoppes  (I  meane  bysshoppe 
Caiphas  and  the  bysshoppe  of  Rome)  &  theyr  prophecies  together, 
I  doute  not  but  we  shal  fynde  them  agree  lyke  brethren,  though 
the  one  be  a  lewe  and  the  other  a  counterfayte  Christian.  Fyrst, 
Caiphas  prophecied  that  it  was  better  to  put  Christ  vnto  death, 
then  that  the  people  shulde  perysshe.  The  bysshoppe  of  Rome 
also,  not  knowynge  what  he  prophecied,  gaue  youre  grace  this 
tytle:  Defendour  of  the  fayth.  The  trueth  of  both  these  prophecies 
is  of  the  holy  goost  (as  was  Baalams  prophecie)  though  they  that 
spake  the,  knewe  not  what  they  sayd.  The  trueth  of  Caiphas 
prophecie  is,  that  it  was  necessary  for  mans  saluacyon,  that  Christ 
by  his  death  shulde  ouercome  death,  and  redeme  vs.  And  the 
trueth  of  oure  Baalams  prophecie  is,  y^  your  grace  in  very  dede 
shulde  defende  the  Fayth,  Yee  euen  the  true  fayth  of  Christ,  no 
dreames,  no  fables,  no  heresie,  no  papisticall  inuencious,  but  the 
vncorrupte  fayth  of  Gods  most  holy  worde,  which  to  set  forth 
(praysed  be  the  goodness  of  God,  and  increace  youre  gracyous 
purpose)  your  hyghnes  with  youre  most  honorable  councell, 
applyeth  all  his  studye  and  endeuoure. 

These  two  blynde  bysshopes  now  agree  in  y^  vnderstadyng 
of  theyr  prophecies:  for  Caiphas  taketh  Christ  for  an  heretike, 
Oure  Balaa  taketh  the  worde  of  Christ  for  heresie.  Caiphas 
iudjeth  it  to  be  a  good  dede  to  put  Christ  vnto  death,  that  he  shulde 
not  deceaue  the  people.  Oure  Balaam  calleth  defendynge  of  the 
fayth,  the  suppressyng,  kepyng  secrete,  and  burnyng  of  the  worde 
of  fayth:  lest  the  lyght  thereof  shulde  vtter  his  darknes:  lest  his 
owne  Decretales  &  Decrees,  his  owne  lawes  and  constitucions,  his 
owne  statutes  and  inuencious  shulde  come  to  none  effecte:  lest 
his  intolerable  exactions  and  vsurpacions  shoulde  lose  theyr 
strengthe:  lest  it  shulde  be  knowen  what  a  thefe  and  murtherer 
he  is  in  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  how  haynous  a  traytoure  to  God 
and  man  in  defraudynge  all  Christen  kynges  &  princes  of  theyr 
due  obedience:  lest  we  your  graces  subiectes  shulde  haue  eyes  in 
the  worde  of  God,  at  the  last  to  spye  out  his  crafty  conueyaijce 
and  iuglynges:  and  lest  men  shulde  se,  how  sore  he  and  his  false 
Apostles  haue  deceaued  all  Christendome,  specyally  youre  noble 
realme  of  Englonde. 

Thus  your  grace  seyth  how  brotherly  the  lewysh  bysshoppe 
and  oure  Balaam  agree  together,  not  onely  in  myter  and  outwarde 
appearaunce:  but  as  the  one  persecuted  the  Lorde  lesus  in  his 
owne  persone,  so  doth  the  other  persecute  his  worde  and  resysteth 
his  holy  ordynaunce  in  the  auctorite  of  his  anoynted  kynges.     For 


Myles  Coverdale  i8i 

so  moche  nowe  as  the  worde  of  God  is  the  onely  trueth  that  dryueth 
awaye  all  lyes,  and  discloseth  all  iuglyng  and  disceate,  therefore  is 
oure  Balaam  of  Rome  so  lothe  that  the  scripture  shulde  be  knowe 
in  the  mother  tonge:  lest  yf  kynges  and  prynces  (specially  aboue 
all  other)  were  exercysed  therein,  they  shulde  reclame  and  chalenge 
agayne  theyr  due  auctorite,  which  he  falsely  hath  vsurped  so  many 
yeres,  and  so  to  tye  hym  shorter:  and  lest  the  people  beyng  taught 
by  the  worde  of  God,  shulde  fall  from  y®  false  fayned  obediece  of 
hym  and  his  disguysed  Apostles,  vnto  the  true  obedience  com- 
manded by  Gods  owne  mouthe:  as  namely,  to  obey  theyr  prynce, 
to  obey  father  and  mother.  &c.  and  not  to  steppe  ouer  father  and 
mothers  bely  to  enter  in  to  his  paynted  religions,  as  his  ypocrites 
teache:  For  he  knoweth  well  ynough,  that  yf  the  cleare  Sonne  of 
Gods  worde  come  ones  to  the  heate  of  the  daye,  it  shal  dryue 
awaye  all  the  foule  myst  of  his  deuelysh  doctrines.  Therefore 
were  it  more  to  the  mayntenaunce  of  Antichristes  kyngdome,  that 
the  worlde  were  styll  in  ignoraunce  and  blyndnes,  and  that  the 
scripture  shulde  neuer  come  to  lyghte.  For  the  scripture  (both 
in  the  olde  testament  and  in  the  new)  declareth  most  aboutdauntly 
that  the  office,  auctorite  and  power  geuen  of  God  vnto  kynges,  is 
in  earth  aboue  all  other  powers:  let  them  call  the  selues  Popes, 
Cardynalles,  or  what  so  euer  they  will,  the  worde  of  god  declareth 
them  (yee  and  commaundeth  them  vnder  payne  of  dampnacion) 
to  be  obedient  vnto  the  temporall  swerde:  As  in  the  olde  Testa- 
ment all  the  prophetes,  Prestes  and  Leuites  were.  And  in  the 
new  Testament  Christ  &  his  Apostles  both  were  obedient  them 
selues,  and  taught  obedience  of  all  men  vnto  theyr  prynces  ad 
temporall  rulers:  which  here  vnto  vs  in  the  worlde  present  the 
persone  of  God,  and  are  called  Goddes  in  the  scripture,  bycause 
of  the  excellecy  of  theyr  office.  And  though  there  were  no  mo 
auctorities  but  the  same,  to  proue  the  peminence  of  the  temporall 
swerde,  Yet  by  this  the  scripture  declareth  playnly,  that  as  there 
is  nothyng  aboue  God,  so  is  there  no  man  aboue  the  kynge  in  his 
realme  but  that  he  onely  vnder  God  is  the  chefe  heade  of  all  the 
c5gregacyon  and  church  of  the  same.  And  in  token  that  this  is 
true,  there  hath  ben  of  olde  antiquite  (and  is  yet  vnto  this  daye) 
a  louynge  ceremonye  vsed  in  your  realme  of  Englonde,  y^  wha 
your  graces  subiectes  reade  your  letters,  or  begynne  to  talke  or 
come  of  your  hyghnes,  they  moue  theyr  bonettes  for  a  signe  & 
token  of  reuerence  vnto  your  grace,  as  to  their  most  soueraigne 
lorde  &  heade  vnder  God.  which  thyng  no  man  vseth  to  do  to  eny 
bysshoppe.  whereby  (yf  oure  vnderstondying  were  nat  blynded) 
we  myght  euydently  perceaue,  that  euen  very  nature  teacheth  vs 
the  same,  that  scripture  cdmaQdeth  vs:  and  that  lyke  as  it  is 
agaynst  Gods  worde  that  a  kynge  shulde  not  be  the  chefe  heade 
of  his  people,  euen  so  (I  saye)  is  it  agaynst  kynde  that  we  shulde 
knowe  any  other  heade  aboue  hym  vnder  God. 

And  that  no  prest  nor  bysshoppe  is  exempte  (nor  can  be  law- 
fully) from  the  obedience  of  his  prynce,  the  scripture  is  full  both 


i82  The  Book  of  Books 

of  strayte  comaundemetes,  &  practises  of  the  holyest  men.  Aaron 
was  obedient  vnto  Moses,  and  called  hym  his  lorde,  though  he 
was  his  owne  brother.  Eleasar  and  Phineas  were  vnder  the 
obediece  of  losua.  Nathan  the  prophete  fell  downe  to  the  grounde 
before  kynge  Dauid,  he  had  his  Prynce  in  such  reuerence  (He  made 
not  the  kynge  for  to  kysse  his  fote  as  the  bysshope  of  Rome  maketh 
Emperours  to  do)  Notwithstondynge  he  spared  not  to  rebuke  hym, 
and  that  ryght  sharply  when  he  fell  from  the  worde  of  God  to 
adultery  &  manslaughter.  For  he  was  not  afrayed  to  reproue  hym 
of  his  sinnes,  nomore  than  Helyas  the  prophete  stode  in  feare  to 
saye  vnto  kynge  Achab:  It  is  thou  and  thy  father's  house  that 
trouble  Israel,  because  ye  have  forsaken  y®  commaundementes  of 
the  Lorde,  and  walke  after  Baal.  And  as  Johan  Baptyste  durst- 
saye  vnto  Kynge  Herode:  It  is  not  lawful  for  the  to  take  thy 
brothers  wyfe.  But  to  my  purpose  I  passe  ouer  innumerable  mo 
ensaples  both  of  the  olde  Testament  and  of  the  new,  for  feare  lest 
I  be  to  tedyous  vnto  your  grace.  SQma,  in  all  godly  regiments  of 
olde  tyme  the  kynge  and  teporall  iudge  was  obeyed  of  euery  man, 
and  was  alwaye  vnder  God  the  chefe  and  suppreme  heade  of  the 
whole  congregacyon,  and  deposed  euen  prestes  whan  he  sawe  an 
vrgent  cause,  as  Salomon  dyd  vnto  Abiathar.  who  coulde  then 
stonde  agaynst  the  godly  obedience  of  his  prynce  (excepte  he 
wolde  be  at  defyaunce  with  God  and  all  his  holy  ordinaunces) 
that  were  well  acquaynted  with  the  holy  scripture,  which  so  earn- 
estly comendeth  vnto  euery  one  of  vs  the  auctorite  and  power 
geuen  of  God  vnto  kynges  and  temporall  rulers?  Therefore  doth 
Moses  so  strately  forbyde  the  Israelites  to  speake  so  moche  as  an 
euell  worde  agaynst  the  prynce  of  y^  people,  moche  lesse  than  to 
disobeye  hym,  or  to  withstonde  hym.  Doth  not  leremy  the  proph- 
ete and  Baruc  also  exhorte  the  people  in  captiuite,  to  praye  for 
the  prosperous  welfare  of  the  kynge  of  Babilon,  and  to  obeye  hym, 
though  he  was  an  infidele.''  In  the  new  Testament  wha  oure 
sauioure  Christ  (beyng  yet  fre  &  Lorde  of  al  kynges  &  prynces) 
shewed  his  obedience  in  payenge  the  trybute  to  oure  ensample, 
dyd  he  not  a  miracle  there  in  puttynge  the  pece  of  money  in  the 
fysshes  mouth  (that  Peter  myght  paye  the  customer  therwith) 
and  all  to  stablysshe  the  obedience  due  vnto  prynces?  Dyd  not 
loseph  and  Mary  the  mother  of  our  sauiour  Christ  departe  fro 
Nazareth  vnto  Bethlee,  so  farre  from  home,  to  showe  theyr  obedi- 
ence in  payenge  the  taxe  to  the  prynce?  And  wolde  not  oure 
Savioure  be  borne  in  the  same  obedience?  Doth  not  Paule  pro- 
nounce hym  to  resyste  God  hym  selfe,  that  resysteth  the  auctorite 
of  his  prynce?  And  (to  be  shorte)  the  Apostle  Peter  dothe  not 
onely  stablysshe  the  obedience  vnto  prynces  and  temporall  rulers 
but  affirmeth  playnly  the  kynge  (and  no  bysshoppe)  to  be  the 
chefe  heade.  Innumerable  places  mo  are  there  in  scripture,  which 
bynde  vs  to  the  obedience  of  oure  prynce,  and  declare  vnto  vs, 
that  no  man  is  nor  can  be  lawfully  excepte  from  the  same:    but 


Myles  Coverdale  183 

that  all  the  mynisters  of  Goddes  worde  are  vnder  the  teporall 
swerde:   &  Prynces  onely  to  owe  obedience  vnto  God  &  his  worde. 

And  where  as  Antichrist  vnto  youre  graces  tyme  dyd  thrust 
his  heade  into  y*'  imperiall  crowne  of  your  hyghnes  (as  he  doth 
yet  with  other  noble  prynces  mo)  that  learned  he  of  Satha  the 
authour  of  pryde,  and  therin  doth  he  both  agaynst  the  doctryne 
&  also  agaynst  y^  ensample  of  Christe:  whiche  because  his  kyng 
dome  was  not  of  this  worlde,  medled  with  no  temporall  matters, 
as  it  is  euydent  both  by  his  wordes  and  practyse:  Luc  xii.  Math, 
xxvi.  loh.  vi.  loh.  xviii,  where  he  y*  hath  eyes  to  se,  maye  se:  & 
he  y*  hath  eares  to  heare,  maye  heare,  y^  Christes  admynistracion 
was  nothyng  teporall,  but  playne  spiritual,  as  he  hym  selfe  affirm- 
eth  &  proueth  in  the  fourth  chapter  of  saynt  Luke  out  of  the  proph- 
ete  Esay:  where  all  bysshopes  and  prestes  maye  se,  how  farre 
theyr  byndynge  and  lowsynge  extendeth,  and  where  in  theyr 
office  consisteth,  namely  in  preachynge  the  Gospell,  &c. 

wherfore  (most  gracyous  prynce)  there  is  no  tonge  I  thynke, 
that  can  fully  expresse  and  declare  the  vntollerable  iniuries,  which 
have  bene  done  vnto  God,  to  al  prynces  and  to  the  comynalties 
of  all  christen  realmes,  sence  they  which  shulde  be  onely  the  min- 
isters of  Gods  worde,  became  lordes  of  the  worlde,  and  thrust  y® 
true  and  iust  prynces  out  of  theyr  rowmes,  whose  herte  wolde  not 
pitie  it  (yee  eue  with  lamentacyon)  to  remember  but  onely  the 
vntollerable  wronge  done  by  that  Antychrist  of  Rome  vnto  youre 
graces  most  noble  predecessoure  kynge  lohn.^'  I  passe  ouer  his 
pestilent  pykynge  of  Peter  pens  out  of  youre  realme:  his  stealynge 
awaye  of  youre  money  for  pardons:  benefices  and  bysshoprykes: 
his  disceauyng  of  youre  subiectes  soules  with  his  deuelyshe  doc- 
trynes  and  sectes  of  his  false  religions:  his  bloudsheddyng  of  so 
many  of  your  graces  people,  for  bokes  of  the  scripture,  whose 
herte  wolde  not  be  greued  (yee  and  that  out  of  measure)  to  call 
to  remebrauce,  how  obstinate  and  disobedient,  how  presumptous 
&  stubburne  that  Antychrist  made  the  bysshoppes  of  youre 
realme  agaynst  your  graces  noble  predecessours  in  tymes  past,p 
as  it  is  manyfest  in  y"^  Cronicles?  I  trust  verely  there  be  no  suche 
now  within  youre  realme:  Yf  there  be,  let  them  remembre  these 
wordes  of  scripture:  Presumptuousnes  goeth  before  destruccio,  & 
after  a  proude  stomacke  there  foloweth  a  fall. 

what  is  now  the  cause  of  all  these  vntollerable  and  nomore 
to  be  sufFred  abhominacions.?  Truely  euen  the  ignorance  of  the 
scripture  of  God.  For  how  had  it  els  ben  possyble,  that  such 
blyndnes  shulde  have  come  in  to  y""  worlde,  had  not  y''  lyghte  of 
Gods  worde  bene  extyncte.?  How  coulde  men  (I  saye)  haue  bene 
so  farre  from  the  true  seruyce  of  God,  and  from  the  due  obedience 
of  theyr  prince,  had  not  the  lawe  of  God  bene  dene  shut  vp, 
depressed,  cast  asyde,  and  put  out  of  remembraunce.?  As  it  was 
afore  the  tyme  of  that  noble  kynge  losias,  and  as  it  hath  bene  also 
amonge  vs  vnto  youre  graces  tyme:    by  whose  most  ryghteous 


184  The  Book  of  Books 

admynistracyon  (thorowe  the  mercyfull  goodnes  of  God)  it  is  now 
founde  agayne,  as  it  was  in  the  dayes  of  that  most  vertuous  kynge 
losias.  And  praysed  be  the  father,  the  sonne,  and  the  holy  goost 
worlde  without  ende,  which  so  excellently  hath  endewed  youre 
Pryncely  hert  with  such  feruentnes  to  his  honoure,  and  to  the  welth 
of  youre  louyng  subiectes,  that  I  maye  ryghtuously  (by  iust 
occasyons  in  youre  persone)  copare  your  highnes  vnto  that  noble 
and  gracyous  kynge,  y*"  lanterne  of  lyghte  amonge  prynces,  that 
feruent  protectour  and  defender  of  the  lawes  of  God:  which 
comaunded  straytly  (as  youre  grace  doth)  that  the  lawe  of  God 
shulde  be  redde  and  taught  vnto  all  y®  people:  set  the  prestes  to 
theyr  office  in  the  worde  of  god:  destroyed  Idolatry  and  false 
ydols:  put  downe  all  euell  customes  and  abusyons:  set  vp  the 
true  honoure  of  God:  applyed  all  his  studye  and  endeuoure  to 
the  ryghtuous  admynistracyon  of  the  most  vncorrupte  lawe  of 
God.  &c.  O  what  felicite  was  amonge  y^  people  of  Jerusalem 
in  his  dayes?  And  what  prosperous  health  both  of  soule  &  body 
foloweth  the  lyke  mynistracion  in  youre  hyghnes,  we  begyne  now 
(praysed  be  God)  to  haue  experience.  For  as  false  doctryne  is 
the  origenall  cause  of  all  euell  plages  and  destruccyon,  so  is  y® 
true  executynge  of  the  lawe  of  God  ad  the  preachyng  of  the  same, 
the  mother  of  all  godly  prosperite.  The  onely  worde  of  god  (I 
saye)  is  the  cause  of  all  felicite,  it  bryngeth  all  goodnes  with  it, 
it  bryngeth  lernynge,  it  gedreth  vnderstondynge,  it  causeth  good 
workes,  it  maketh  chyldren  of  obedience,  breuely,  it  teacheth  all 
estates  theyr  office  and  duety.  Seynge  then  that  the  scripture  of 
God  teacheth  vs  euery  thynge  sufficiently,  both  what  we  oughte 
to  do,  and  what  we  oughte  to  leaue  vndone:  whome  we  are  bounde 
to  obey,  and  whome  we  shulde  not  obeye:  therfore  (I  saye)  it  caus- 
eth all  prosperite,  and  setteth  euery  thyng  in  frame:  and  where 
it  is  taught  and  knowen,  it  lyghteneth  all  darkenesses,  c5forteth 
all  sory  hertes,  leaueth  no  poore  man  vnhelped,  suffreth  nothynge 
amysse  vnamended,  letteth  no  prynce  be  disobeyed,  permytteth 
no  heresie  to  be  preached:  but  refourmeth  all  thinges,  amedeth 
that  is  amysse,  and  setteth  euery  thynge  in  order.  And  why.? 
because  it  is  geuen  by  the  inspiracyon  of  God,  therfore  is  it  euer 
bryngynge  profyte  and  frute,  by  teachynge,  by  improuynge,  by 
amendynge  and  refourmyng  all  the  y'  wyl  receaue  it,  to  make 
them  parfecte  &  mete  vnto  all  good  workes. 

Considerynge  now  (most  gracyous  prynce)  the  inestimable 
treasure,  frute  &  prosperite  euerlastynge,  that  God  geueth  with 
his  worde,  and  trustynge  in  his  infynite  goodnes  that  he  wolde 
brynge  my  symple  and  rude  laboure  herin  to  good  effecte,  therfore 
as  the  holy  goost  moued  other  me  to  do  the  cost  herof,  so  was  I 
boldened  in  God,  to  laboure  in  the  same.  Agayne,  consyderynge 
youre  Imperiall  maiestye  not  onely  to  be  my  naturall  soueraigne 
liege  Lorde  &  chefe  heade  of  y*'  church  of  Engldde,  but  also  the 
true  defender  and  maynteyner  of  Gods  lawes,  I  thought  it  my 


Myles  Coverdale  185 

dutye  and  to  belonge  vnto  my  allegiaunce,  whan  I  had  translated 
this  Bible,  not  onely  to  dedicate  this  translacyon  vnto  youre 
hyghnesse,  but  wholy  to  commytte  it  vnto  the  same:  to  the 
intent  that  yf  any  thynge  therin  be  translated  amysse  (for  in 
many  thynges  we  fayle,  euen  whan  we  thynke  to  be  sure)  it  may 
stode  in  youre  graces  handes,  to  correcte  it,  to  amende  it,  to 
improue  it,  yee  &  cleane  to  reiecte  it,  yf  youre  godly  wysdome 
shall  thynke  it  necessary.  And  as  I  do  with  all  humblenes  sub- 
mitte  myne  vnderstondynge  and  my  poore  translacyon  vnto  y'^ 
spirite  of  trueth  in  your  grace,  so  make  I  this  protestacyon  (hauyng 
God  to  recorde  in  my  coscience)  that  I  haue  nether  wrested  nor 
altered  so  moch  as  one  worde  for  the  mayntenauce  of  any  maner 
of  secte:  but  haue  with  a  cleare  conscience  purely  &  faythfuUy 
translated  this  out  of  fyue  sundry  interpreters,  hauyng  onely  the 
manyfest  trueth  of  the  scripture  before  myne  eyes:  Trustynge  in 
the  goodnes  of  God,  that  it  shalbe  vnto  his  worshippe:  quietnes 
and  tranquilite  vnto  your  hyghnes:  a  perfecte  stablyshment  of  all 
Gods  ordynaunces  within  youre  graces  domynion:  a  generall 
comforte  to  all  Christen  hertes,  and  a  continuall  thankfulnesse 
both  of  olde  and  yonge  vnto  god,  and  to  youre  grace,  for  beynge 
oure  Moses,  and  for  bringynge  vs  out  of  this  olde  Egypte  from  the 
cruell  handes  of  our  spirituall  Pharao.  For  where  were  the  lewes 
(by  ten  thousande  partes)  so  moch  bounde  vnto  Kynge  Dauid, 
for  subduynge  of  greate  Goliath  and  all  theyr  enemys,  as  we  are 
to  your  grace,  for  delyuerynge  vs  out  of  oure  olde  Babylonycall 
captiuyte?  For  y"  which  delyueraunce  and  victory  I  beseke  oure 
onely  medyatoure  lesus  Christ,  to  make  soch  meanes  for  vs  vnto 
his  heauenly  father,  y*  we  neuer  be  vnthankfuU  vnto  him  ner  vnto 
youre  grace:  but  that  we  euer  increace  in  the  feare  of  him,  in 
obedience  vnto  your  hyghnesse,  in  loue  vnfayned  vnto  oure 
neghbours:  and  in  all  vertue  that  commeth  of  God.  To  whom 
for  y®  defendynge  of  his  blessed  worde  (by  your  graces  most 
rightfull  administracyon)  be  honoure  and  thankes,  glory  and 
dominyon,  worlde  without  ende.     Amen. 

youre  graces  humble  subiecte  and  daylye  oratour, 

MYLES  COUERDALE 


A  PROLOGE 

MYLES  COUERDALE  VNTO  THE 
CHRISTEN  READER 

Considerynge  how  excellent  knowlege  and  lernynge  an  inter- 
preter of  scripture  ought  to  haue  in  the  tongues,  and  ponderyng 
also  myne  owne  insufficiency  therin,  &  how  weake  I  am  to  per- 
fourme  y^  office  of  a  translatoure,  I  was  the  more  lothe  to  medle 


i86  The  Book  or  Books 

with  this  worke.  Notwithstondynge  when  I  cosydered  how  greate 
pytie  it  was  that  we  shulde  wante  it  so  longe,  &  called  to  my 
remembraunce  y^  aduersite  of  them,  which  were  not  onely  of 
rype  knowlege,  but  wolde  also  with  all  theyr  hertes  haue  per- 
fourmed  y*  they  beganne,  yf  they  had  not  had  impediment:  con- 
siderynge  (I  saye)  that  by  reason  of  theyr  aduersyte  it  coulde  not 
so  soone  haue  bene  broughte  to  an  ende,  as  oure  most  prosperous 
nacyon  wolde  fayne  haue  had  it:  these  and  other  reasonable  causes 
consydered,  I  was  the  more  bolde  to  take  it  in  hande.  And  to 
helpe  me  herein,  I  haue  had  sondrye  translacions,  not  onely  in 
latyn,  but  also  of  the  Douche  interpreters:  whom  (because  of 
theyr  sj^ngular  gyftes  &  speciall  diligence  in  the  Bible)  I  huae  ben 
the  more  glad  to  folowe  for  the  most  parte,  accordynge  as  I  was 
requyred.  But  to  saye  the  trueth  before  God,  it  was  nether  my 
laboure  nor  desyre,  to  haue  this  worke  put  in  m  ■  hande:  neuer- 
theles  it  greued  me  y^  other  nacyds  shulde  be  more  plenteously 
prouyded  for  with  y^  scripture  in  theyr  mother  tongue,  then  we: 
therefore  when  I  was  instantly  requyred,  though  I  coulde  not  do 
so  well  as  I  wolde,  I  thought  it  yet  my  dewtye  to  do  my  best,  and 
that  with  a  good  wyll. 

where  as  some  men  thynke  now  y^  many  translacyons  make 
diuisyon  in  y^  fayth  and  in  the  people  of  God,  y*  is  not  so:  for  it 
was  neuer  better  with  the  congregacion  of  god,  then  whan  euery 
church  allmost  had  y^  Byble  of  a  sondrye  traslacion.  Amonge  the 
Grekes  had  not  Origen  a  specyall  translacyon?  Had  not  Vulgarius 
one  peculyar,  &  lykewyse  Chrysostom?  Besyde  the  seuentye  inter- 
preters, is  there  not  the  translacyon  of  Aquila,  of  Theodoti5,  of 
Symachus,  and  of  sondrye  other?  Agayne  amonge  the  Latyn 
men,  thou  findest  y*  euery  one  allmost  vsed  a  specyall  &  sondrye 
translacyon:  for  in  so  moch  as  euery  bysshoppe  had  the  knowlege 
of  y*^  tongues,  he  gaue  his  diligence  to  haue  the  Byble  of  his  awne 
translacion.  The  doctours,  as  Hireneus,  Cyprianus,  Tertullian, 
S.  Iherom,  S.  Augustine,  Hylarius  &  S.  Ambrose  vpon  dyuerse 
places  of  the  scripture,  reade  not  y^  texte  all  alyke. 

Therfore  oughte  it  not  to  be  taken  as  euel,  y'  soch  men  as 
haue  vnderstondynge  now  in  oure  tyme,  exercyse  them  selues  in 
y®  tongues,  &  geue  their  diligence  to  translate  out  of  one  language 
in  to  another.  Yee  we  ought  rather  to  geue  god  hye  thankes  ther- 
fore, which  thorow  his  sprete  stereth  vp  mes  myndes,  so  to  exercise 
them  selues  therin.  Wolde  god  it  had  neuer  bene  left  of  after  y^ 
tyme  of  S.  Augustine,  then  shulde  we  neuer  haue  come  in  to  soch 
blindnes  &  ignorauce,  in  to  soch  erroures  &  delusyons.  For  as 
soone  as  the  Byble  was  cast  asyde,  &  nomore  put  in  exercyse,  then 
beganne  euery  one  of  his  awne  heade  to  wryte  what  so  euer  came 
in  to  his  brayne  and  y'  semed  to  be  good  in  his  awne  eyes:  and  so 
grewe  y"  darknes  of  mes  tradicios.  And  this  same  is  y*'  cause  y^ 
we  haue  had  so  many  wryters,  which  seldome  made  mecyon  of 
y*^  scripture  of  the  Byble:    &  though  they  some  tyme  aleged  it, 


Myles  Coverdale  187 

yet  was  it  done  so  farre  out  of  season  &  so  wycle  from  y"  purpose, 
that  a  ma  maye  well  perceaue,  how  that  they  neuer  sawe  the 
oryginall. 

Seynge  then  y^  this  dihgent  exercyse  of  translatynge  doth  so 
moch  good  &  edifyeth  in  other  languages,  why  shulde  it  do  euell 
in  oures?  Doutles  lyke  as  all  nacyons  in  y^  dyuersite  of  speaches 
maye  knowe  one  God  in  the  vnyte  of  faith,  and  be  one  in  loue: 
euen  so  may  dyuerse  translacyons  vnderstonde  one  another,  & 
that  in  the  head  articles  &  grounde  of  oure  most  blessed  faith, 
though  they  vse  sondrye  wordes.  wherefore  me  thynke  we  haue 
greate  occasyon  to  geue  thankes  vnto  God,  that  he  hath  opened 
vnto  his  church  the  gyfte  of  interpretacyon  &  of  pryntyng,  and 
that  there  are  now  at  this  tyme  so  many,  which  with  soch  diligece 
and  faithfulnes  interprete  y^  scripture  to  the  honoure  of  God  and 
edifyenge  of  his  people,  where  as  (lyke  as  when  many  are  shut3^nge 
together)  euery  one  doth  his  best  to  be  nyest  the  marke.  And 
though  they  can  not  all  attayne  therto,  yet  shuteth  one  nyer  then 
another,  and  hytteth  it  better  then  another,  yee  one  can  do  it 
better  the  another,  who  is  now  then  so  vnreasonable,  so  despyte- 
fuU,  or  enuyous,  as  to  abhorre  him  y'  doth  all  his  diligence  to 
hytte  y^  prycke,  and  to  shute  nyest  it,  though  he  mysse  &  come 
not  nyest  the  mark?  Ought  not  soch  one  rather  to  be  commeded, 
and  to  be  helped  forwarde,  that  he  maye  exercyse  himselfe  the 
more  therin? 

For  the  which  cause  (acordyng  as  I  was  desyred)  I  toke  the 
more  vpon  me  to  set  forth  this  speciall  translacyon,  not  as  a 
checker,  not  as  a  reprouer,  or  despyser  of  other  mens  translacyons 
(for  amonge  many  as  yet  I  haue  founde  none  without  occasyon 
of  greate  thankesgeuynge  vnto  god)  but  lowly  &  faythfully  haue 
I  folowed  myne  interpreters,  &  that  vnder  correccyon.  And 
though  I  haue  fayled  eny  where  (as  there  is  noman  but  he  mysseth 
in  some  thynge)  loue  shall  constyrre  all  to  y®  best  without  eny 
peruerse  iudgment.  There  is  noman  lyuynge  y*  can  se  all  thynges, 
nether  hath  god  geuen  eny  man  to  knowe  euery  thynge.  One 
seyth  more  clearly  then  another,  one  hath  more  vnderstondyng 
then  another,  one  can  vtter  a  thynge  better  then  another,  but 
noman  ought  to  enuye,  or  dispyse  another.  He  that  can  do  better 
then  another,  shulde  not  set  him  at  naught  y'  vnderstondeth 
lesse:  Yee  he  that  hath  y'^  more  understondyng,  ought  to  remembre 
that  the  same  gyfte  is  not  his  but  Gods,  and  y*  God  hath  geue  it 
him  to  teach  &  enfourme  the  ignoraunt.  Yf  thou  hast  knowlege 
therfore  to  iudge  where  eny  faute  is  made,  I  doute  not  but  thou 
wilt  helpe  to  amende  it,  yf  loue  be  ioyned  with  thy  knowlege. 
Howbeit  wherin  so  euer  I  can  perceaue  by  my  selfe,  or  by  the 
informacyon  of  other,  that  I  haue  fayled  (as  it  is  no  wonder)  I 
shall  now  by  the  helpe  of  God  ouerloke  it  better  &  amende  it. 

Now  will  I  exhorte  the  (who  so  euer  thou  be  y^  readest  scrip- 
ture)  yf  thou  fynde  oughte  therin  y*  thou  vnderstondest  not,  or 


i88  The  Book  of  Books 

.  that  apeareth  to  be  repugnaunt,  geue  no  temerarious  ner  haystye 
ludgmet  therof:  but  ascrybe  it  to  thyne  awne  ignoraunce,  not  to 
the  scrypture,  thynke  y^  thou  vnderstondest  it  not,  or  y^  it  hath 
some  other  meanynge,  or  y*  it  is  happlye  ouersene  of  y®  interpreters, 
or  wronge  prynted.  Agayne,  it  shall  greatly  helpe  y^  to  vnder- 
stonde  scripture,  yf  thou  marke  not  onely  what  is  spoken  or 
wrytten,  but  of  whom,  &  vnto  whom,  with  what  wordes,  at  what 
tyme,  where,  to  what  intent,  with  what  circumstaunce,  consyder- 
ynge  what  goeth  before,  and  what  foloweth  after.  For  there  be 
some  thynges  which  are  done  &  wrytte,  to  the  intente  y*  we  shulde 
do  lykewyse:  as  whan  Abraham  beleueth  God,  is  obedient  vnto 
his  worde,  &  defendeth  Loth  his  kynsman  from  violent  wronge. 
There  be  some  thynges  also  which  are  wrytte,  to  the  intente  y* 
we  shulde  eschue  soch  lyke.  As  whan  Daniel  lyeth  with  Vrias 
wyfe,  &  causeth  him  to  be  slayne.  Therfore  (I  saye)  whan  thou 
readest  scripture,  be  wyse  &  circumspecte:  &  whan  thou  commest 
to  soch  straunge  maners  of  speakynge  &  darke  sentences,  to  soch 
parables  &  similitudes,  to  soch  dreames  or  vysions  as  are  hyd  from 
thy  vnderstondynge,  comytte  them  vnto  God  or  to  the  gyfte  of 
his  holy  sprete  in  them  y^  are  better  lerned  then  thou. 

As  for  the  commendacyon  of  Gods  holy  scripture,  I  wolde 
fayne  magnifye  it  as  it  is  worthy,  but  I  am  farre  vnsufficiet  therto. 
&  therfore  I  thoughte  it  better  for  me  to  holde  my  tonge,  then 
with  few  wordes  to  prayse  or  commede  it:  exhortynge  y^  (most 
deare  reader)  so  to  loue  it,  so  to  cleue  vnto  it,  &  so  to  folowe  it 
in  thy  daylye  conuersacyon,  y*  other  men  seynge  thy  good  workes 
&  the  frutes  of  y®  holy  goost  in  the,  maye  prayse  the  father  of 
heauen,  &  geue  his  worde  a  good  reporter  for  to  lyue  after  the 
lawe  of  God,  &  to  leade  a  vertuous  conuersacyon,  is  the  greatest 
prayse  y*  thou  canst  geue  vnto  his  doctryne. 

But  as  touchynge^  the  euell  reporte  and^disprayse  that  the 
good  worde  of  God  hath  by  the  corrupte  and  euell  conuersacyon 
of  some,  y*  daylye  heare  it  and  professe  it  outwardly  with  theyr 
mouthes,  I  exhorte  y^  (most  deare  reader)  let  not  y*  ofFende  the 
ner  withdrawe  thy  mynde  fro  the  loue  of  y*^  trueth,  nether  moue 
y*"  to  be  partaker  in  lyke  vnthankfulnes:  but  seynge  y''  lighte  is 
come  in  to  the  worlde,  loue  nomore  the  workes  of  darknes,  receaue 
not  the  grace  of  god  in  vayne.  Call  to  thy  remembraunce  how 
louynge  &  mercifuU  God  is  vnto  the,  how  kyndly  and  fatherly  he 
helpeth  the  in  all  trouble,  teacheth  thyne  ignoraunce,  healeth  the 
in  all  thy  sicknesse,  forgeueth  the  all  thy  synnes,  fedeth  y*^,  geueth 
the  drynke,  helpeth  y^  out  of  preson,  norysheth  the  in  straunge 
countrees,  careth  for  the,  &  seyeth  y*  thou  wante  nothynge. 
Call  this  to  mynde  (I  saye)  &  that  earnestly,  and  consydre  how 
thou  hast  receaued  of  god  all  these  benefites  (yee  and  many  mo 
then  thou  canst  desyre)  how  thou  art  bounde  lykewise  to  shewe  thy 
selfe  vnto  thy  neghboure  as  farre  as  thou  canst,  to  teach  him  yf 
he  be  ignoraunt,  to  helpe  him  in  all  his  trouble,  to  heale  his  sycknes, 


Myles  Coverdale  189 

to  forgeue  him  his  offences,  and  that  hartely,  to  fede  him,  to 
cherish  him,  to  care  for  him,  and  to  se  y*  he  wante  nothyng.  And 
on  this  behalfe  I  beseke  the  (thou  y*  hast  y®  ryches  of  this  worlde, 
and  louest  God  with  thy  harte)  to  lyfte  vp  thyne  eyes,  and  see 
how  greate  a  multitude  of  poore  people  renne  thorow  euery  towne: 
haue  pitie  on  thyne  awne  flesh,  helpe  them  with  a  good  harte,  and 
do  with  thy  councell  all  that  euer  thou  canst,  that  this  vnshamefast 
beggynge  maye  be  put  downe,  that  these  ydle  folkes  maye  be  set 
to  laboure,  &  that  soch  as  are  not  able  to  get  theyr  lyuynge,  maye 
be  prouyded  for.  At  the  leest  thou  y*  art  of  councell  with  soch 
as  are  in  auctoryte,  geue  them  some  occasyon  to  caste  theyr  heades 
together,  and  to  make  prouysyon  for  the  poore.  Put  the  in  remem- 
braunce  of  those  noble  cityes  in  other  countrees,  that  by  the 
auctoryte  of  theyr  princes  haue  so  rychely  ad  well  prouided  for 
theyr  poore  people,  to  the  greate  shame  &  deshonestye  of  vs,  yf 
we  lykewyse  receauynge  y^  worde  of  God,  shewe  not  soch  lyke 
frutes  therof.  wolde  God  y*  those  men  (whose  office  is  to  mayn- 
teyne  y^  comon  welth)  were  as  diligent  in  this  cause  as  they  are 
in  other.  Let  vs  bewarre  by  tymes,  for  after  vnthankfulnes  there 
foloweth  euer  a  plage:  the  mercyful  hande  of  God  be  with  vs,  & 
defende  vs  that  we  be  not  partakers  therof. 

Go  to  now  (most  deare  reader)  &  syt  the  downe  at  the  Lordes 
fete  and  reade  his  wordes,  &  (as  Moses  teacheth  the  lewes)  take 
them  in  to  theyr  herte,  &  let  thy  talkynge  &  communicacion  be 
of  them  whan  thou  syttest  in  thyne  house,  or  goest  by  y®  waye, 
whan  thou  lyest  downe,  &  whan  thou  ryseth  vp.  And  aboue  all 
thynges  fasshyon  thy  lyfe,  &  couersacion  acordyng  to  the  doctryne 
of  the  holy  goost  therin,  that  thou  mayest  be  partaker  of  y^  good 
promyses  of  god  in  the  Byble,  &  be  heyre  of  his  blessynge  in  Christ. 
In  whom  yf  thou  put  thy  trust,  &  be  an  vnfayned  reader  or  hearer 
of  hys  worde  with  thy  hert,  thou  shalt  fynde  swetenesse  theryn, 
&  spye  woderous  thynges,  to  thy  vnderstondynge,  zo  the  auoy- 
dynge  of  all  sedicyous  sectes,  to  the  abhorrynge  of  thy  olde  synfull 
lyfe,  &  to  the  stablyshynge  of  thy  godly  conuersacyon. 

In  the  first  boke  of  Moses  (called  Genesis)  thou  mayest  lerne 
to  knowe  the  almightye  power  of  god  in  creatynge  all  of  naught, 
his  infinite  wysdome  in  ordryng  the  same,  his  ryghteousnes  in 
punyshynge  y®  vngodly,  his  loue  &  fatherly  mercy  in  comfortynge 
the  righteous  with  his  promes.  &c. 

In  the  seconde  boke  (called  Exodus)  we  se  the  myghtye  arme 
of  god,  in  delyuerynge  his  people  from  so  greate  bondage  out  of 
Egypte,  and  what  prouysyon  he  maketh  for  them  in  the  wildernes, 
how  he  teacheth  them  with  his  wholsome  worde  and  how  the 
Tabernacle  was  made  and  set  vp. 

In  the  thyrde  boke  (called  Leuiticus)  is  declared  what  sacri- 
fices the  prestes  &  Leuites  vsed,  and  what  theyr  office  &  Minis- 
tracyon  was. 


190  The  Book  of  Books 

In  the  fourth  boke  (called  Numerus)  is  declared  how  the 
people  are  nombred  and  mustred,  how  the  captaynes  are  chosen 
after  y®  trybes  &  kynreds,  how  they  wete  forth  to  y'^  battayll,  how 
they  pitched  theyr  tentes,  &  how  they  brake  vp. 

The  fyfth  boke  (called  Deuteronomium)  sheweth  how  that 
Moses  now  beynge  olde,  rehearseth  the  lawe  of  god  vnto  y^  people, 
putteth  them  in  remembraunce  agayne  of  all  the  wonders  &  bene- 
fites  that  god  had  shewed  for  them,  and  exhorteth  them  earnestly 
to  loue  y*'  Lorde  theyr  god,  to  cleue  vnto  him,  to  put  their  trust 
in  him  and  to  herken  vnto  his  voyce. 

After  the  death  of  Moses  doth  losue  brynge  the  people  in  to 
the  l5de  of  promes  where  God  doth  wonderous  thynges  for  his 
people  by  losue,  which  distributeth  y^  londe  vnto  them,  vnto 
euery  trybe  theyr  possession.  But  in  theyr  wealth  they  forgat 
the  goodnes  of  God,  so  that  oft  tymes  he  gaue  the  ouer  in  to  the 
hande  of  theyr  enemies.  Neuertheles  whan  so  euer  they  called 
faithfully  vnto  him,  and  conuerted,  he  delyuered  them  agayne, 
as  the  boke  of  Judges  declareth. 

In  the  bokes  of  the  kynges,  is  descrybed  the  regiment  of  good 
and  euell  prynces,  and  how  the  decaye  of  all  nacions  commeth  by 
euel  kynges.  For  in  leroboam  thou  seyst  what  myschefe,  what 
ydolatrye  &  soch  like  abhominacyon  foloweth,  wha  the  kynge  is  a 
maynteyner  of  false  doctryne,  ad  causeth  the  people  to  synne 
agaynst  God,  which  fallinge  awaye  from  gods  worde,  increased  so 
sore  amonge  them,  that  it  was  the  cause  of  all  theyr  sorowe  and 
misery,  &  the  very  occasion  why  Israel  first  and  the  luda,  were 
caryed  away  in  to  captyuite.  Agayne,  in  losaphat,  in  Ezechias 
and  in  losias  thou  seyst  the  nature  of  a  vertuous  kynge.  He 
putteth  downe  the  houses  of  ydolatrye,  seyth  that  his  prestes 
teach  nothynge  but  y^  lawe  of  God,  Comaundeth  his  lordes  to  go 
with  them,  and  to  se  that  they  teach  the  people.  In  these  kynges 
(I  saye)  thou  seyst  the  cddicyon  of  a  true  defender  of  y*'  fayth, 
for  he  spareth  nether  cost  ner  laboure,  to  manteyne  the  lawes  of 
God,  to  seke  the  welth  &  prosperite  of  his  people,  and  to  rote  out 
the  wicked.  And  where  soch  a  prince  is,  thou  seyst  agayne,  how 
God  defendeth  him  and  his  people,  though  he  haue  neuer  so  many 
enemyes.  Thus  wente  it  with  the  in  the  olde  tyme,  and  euen 
after  y^  same  maner  goeth  it  now  with  vs:  God  be  praysed  ther- 
fore,  ad  graunte  vs  of  his  fatherly  mercy,  that  we  be  not  vnthank- 
ful:  lest  where  he  now  geueth  vs  a  losaphat,  an  Ezechias,  yee  a 
very  losias,  he  sende  vs  a  Pharao,  a  leroboam,  or  an  Achab. 

In  the  two  first  bokes  of  Esdras  &  in  Hester  thou  seyst  the 
delyueraunce  of  the  people,  which  though  they  were  but  few,  yet 
is  it  vnto  vs  all  a  special!  cdforte,  for  so  moch  as  God  is  not  forget- 
full  of  his  promes,  but  bryngeth  them  out  of  captiuite,  acordynge 
as  he  had  tolde  them  before. 

In  the  boke  of  lob  we  lerne  comforte  and  pacience,  in  that 
God  not  onely  punysheth  the  wicked,  but  proueth  &  tryeth   the 


Myles  Coverdale  191 

iust  and  righteous  (howbeit  there  is  noman  innocent  in  his  sighte) 
by  dyuerse  troubles  in  this  lyfe,  declaryng  therby,  y'  they  are  not 
his  bastardes,  but  his  deare  sonnes,  and  that  he  loueth  them. 

In  the  Psalmes  we  lerne  how  to  resorte  onely  vnto  God  in 
all  oure  troubles,  to  seke  helpe  at  him,  to  call  onely  vpon  him,  to 
satle  our  myndes  by  paciece,  &  how  we  ought  in  prosperite  to  be 
thankfull  vnto  him. 

The  Prouerbes  and  the  Preacher  of  Salomon  teach  vs  wys- 
dome,  to  knowe  God,  oure  owne  selues,  and  the  worlde,  and  how 
vayne  all  thynges  are,  saue  onely  to  cleue  vnto  God. 

As  for  the  doctryne  of  the  Prophetes,  what  is  it  els,  but  an 
earnest  exhortacion  to  eschue  synne,  &  to  turne  vnto  God.^'  a 
faythfull  promes  of  the  mercy  ad  pardon  of  God,  vnto  all  them  y* 
turne  vnto  him,  and  a  threatenyng  of  his  wrath  to  the  vngodly.^* 
sauynge  that  here  and  there  they  prophecye  also  manifestly  of 
Christ,  of  y^  expulsion  of  the  lewes,  and  callynge  of  the  Heythen. 

Thus  moch  thought  I  to  speake  of  y^  olde  Testament,  wherin 
almyghtie  God  openeth  vnto  vs  his  myghtye  power,  his  wysdome, 
his  louynge  mercy  &  righteousnesse;  for  the  which  cause  it  oughte 
of  no  man  to  be  abhorred,  despysed,  or  lyghtly  regarded,  as  though 
it  were  an  olde  scripture  y*  nothynge  beloged  vnto  vs,  or  y^  now 
were  to  be  refused.  For  it  is  Gods  true  scripture  &  testimony, 
which  the  Lorde  lesus  commaundeth  the  lewes  to  search,  who 
so  euer  beleueth  not  the  scripture,  beleueth  not  Christ,  and  who 
so  refuseth  it,  refuseth  God  also. 

The  New  Testament  or  Gospell,  is  a  manyfest  and  cleare 
testymony  of  Christ  how  God  perfourmeth  his  00th  and  promes 
made  in  the  olde  Testament,  how  the  New  is  declared  and  included 
in  the  Olde,  and  the  Olde  fulfylled  and  verifyed  in  the  New. 

Now  where  as  the  most  famous  interpreters  of  all  geue  sondrye 
iudgmentes  of  the  texte  (so  farre  as  it  is  done  by  y^  sprete  of 
knowlege  in  the  holy  goost)  me  thynke  noman  shulde  be  offended 
there  at,  for  they  referre  theyr  doinges  in  mekenes  to  the  sprete 
of  trueth  in  the  congregacyon  of  god:  &  sure  I  am,  that  there 
commeth  more  knowlege  and  vnderstondinge  of  the  scripture  by 
theyr  sondrie  translacyons,  then  by  all  the  gloses  of  oure  sophisti- 
call  doctours.  For  that  one  interpreteth  somthynge  obscurely 
in  one  place,  the  same  translateth  another  (or  els  he  him  selfe) 
more  manifestly  by  a  more  playne  vocable  of  the  same  meanyng 
in  another  place.  Be  not  thou  offended  therfore  (good  Reader) 
though  one  call  a  scribe,  that  another  calleth  a  lawyer:  or  elders, 
that  another  calleth  father  &  mother:  or  repentaunce,  that  another 
calleth  pennaunce  or  amendment.  For  yf  thou  be  not  disceaued 
by  mens  tradicids,  thou  shalt  fynde  nomore  dyuersite  betwene 
these  termes  then  betwene  foure  pens  and  a  grote.  And  this  maner 
haue  I  vsed  in  my  translacyon,  callyng  it  in  some  place  pennaunce, 
that  in  another  place  I  call  repentaunce,  and  that  not  onely 
because  the  interpreters  haue  done  so  before  me,  but  that  the 


192  The  Book  of  Books 

aduersaries  of  the  trueth  maye  se,  how  that  we  abhorre  not  this 
word  penaunce  (as  they  vntruly  reporte  of  vs)  no  more  then  the 
interpreters  of  latyn  abhorre  penitere,  whan  they  reade  resipiscere. 
Onely  our  hertes  desyre  vnto  God,  is,  that  his  people  be  not 
blynded  in  theyr  vnderstondyng,  lest  they  beleue  pennaunce  to 
be  ought  saue  a  very  repetaunce,  amedment,  or  conuersyon  vnto 
God,  and  to  be  an  vnfayned  new  creature  in  Christ,  and  to  lyue 
accordyng  to  his  lawe.  For  els  shall  they  fal  in  the  olde  blasphemy 
of  Christes  bloude,  and  beleue,  that  they  the  selues  are  able  to 
make  satisfaccion  vnto  God  for  theyr  owne  synnes,  from  the  which 
erroure  god  of  his  mercy  and  pleteous  goodnes  preserue  all  his. 

Now  to  conclude:  for  so  moch  as  all  the  scripture  is  wrytten 
for  thy  doctryne  &  ensample,  it  shalbe  necessary  for  the,  to  take 
holde  vpon  it,  whyle  it  is  offred  the,  yee  and  with  ten  handes  thank- 
fully to  receaue  it.  And  though  it  be  not  worthely  ministred  vnto 
the  in  this  translacyon  (by  reason  of  my  rudnes)  Yet  yf  thou  be 
feruet  in  thy  prayer,  God  shal  not  onely  sende  it  the  in  a  better 
shappe,  by  the  mynistracyon  of  other  that  beganne  it  afore,  but 
shall  also  moue  the  hertes  of  them,  which  as  yet  medled  not  withall, 
to  take  it  in  hande,  and  to  bestowe  the  gifte  of  theyr  vnderstond- 
ynge  theron,  as  well  in  oure  language  as  other  famous  interpreters 
do  in  other  languages.  And  I  praye  God,  that  thorow  my  poore 
ministracyon  here  in,  I  maye  geue  them  that  can  do  better,  some 
occasyon  so  to  do:  exhortyng  the  (most  deare  reader)  in  the  meane 
whyle  on  Gods  behalfe,  yf  thou  be  a  heade,  a  ludge,  or  ruler  of  y^ 
people,  that  thou  let  not  the  boke  of  this  lawe  departe  out  of  thy 
mouth,  but  exercise  thyselfe  therin  both  daye  and  nyghte,  and  be 
euer  readyng  in  it  as  longe  as  thou  lyuest:  that  thou  mayest  lerne 
to  feare  the  Lorde  thy  God,  &  not  to  turne  asyde  from  the  com- 
maundement,  nether  to  the  right  hande  ner  to  the  lefte:  lest  thou 
be  a  knower  of  personnes  in  iudgmet,  and  wrest  the  rights  of  the 
straunger,  of  the  fatherles  or  of  the  wedowe,  and  so  ye®  curse  to 
come  vpon  the.  But  what  office  so  euer  thou  hast  wayte  vpon  it, 
and  execute  it,  to  the  mayntenaunce  of  peace,  to  the  welth  of  thy 
people,  defendynge  the  lawes  of  God,  and  the  louers  therof,  and 
to  the  destruccyon  of  the  wicked. 

Yf  thou  be  a  preacher,  and  hast  the  ouersight  of  the  flocke  of 
Christ,  awake  and  fede  Christes  shepe  with  a  good  herte,  &  spare 
no  laboure  to  do  them  good,  seke  not  thy  selfe,  &  bewarre  of  fylthy 
lucre,  but  be  vnto  y*^  flock  an  ensample,  in  y^  worde,  in  cduersacyon, 
in  loue,  in  feruentnes  of  y^  sprete,  and  be  euer  readynge,  exhort- 
ynge,  &  teachynge  in  Gods  worde,  that  the  people  of  God  renne 
not  vnto  other  doctrynes  and  lest  thou  thy  selfe  (whan  thou 
shuldest  teach  other)  be  founde  ignoraunt  therin.  And  rather 
then  thou  woldest  teach  the  people  eny  other  thynge  then  Gods 
worde  take  the  boke  in  thyne  hande,  &  reade  the  wordes  eue  as 
they  stonde  therin  (for  it  is  no  shame  so  to  do,  it  is  more  shame  to 
make  a  lye)     This  I  say  for  soch,  as  are  not  yet  experte  in  the 


Myles  Coverdale 


193 


scripture,  for  I  reproue  no  preachyng  without  the  boke  as  longe 
as  they  saye  the  trueth. 

Yf  thou  be  a  man  that  hast  wyfe  and  childre,  first  loue  thy 
wyfe,  acordynge  to  the  ensample  of  the  loue,  wherwith  Christ 
loued  the  cogregacion,  and  remembre  that  so  doynge,  thou  louest 


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of  3ci'i4>>.'tb':  cynt  ""'t rf*'  p.rfiiu-  tTtf»/'tucii  ^al1^/^bo^I  ^iib  e'd  rb!>  people  into  rbc  .  - 

rnto  Soar.aub'tiK "lc:t<C  fuyb  vfto  bym:  tbat 3ba!if  ijom-ii  tb:  Albttn of3fruc:.  ■  •> 

i'bi<Mi'»H*ft>cH^st3fuMrcviiroai>:ibaiM/  tbrprafcMbnf  flolwcfyourfttc  fbaf  ti;:-^' 

iy  3f4iic.mb'^acob/;snb!Si'b:3w''l?>'u"K"i'  »'pon/b^i(c3;'t«icnt<titay«ii.  3f«3r-''''>: 

ife  tS%  (i6cl^b»"  fcortjfcnt  if  «W!  b  r^n*  <y«?  «"iK''  il'!ofK^;jrrcm  zIk  wilbcrn  -T:  ejii)  f bf* 

WftrnfT-^  "tFunixwftdrnkg^wJertbu^"'*    •      -  fi-ibi»»oe/pii»^r^j}*«rtrHt£i>Ei!pb«Ke:fl 


p'j,ir.io'^»  to  ufl  b'*  fa-u.-.unrift  /  («  bi>>f«nJ'«^ 
ij  III ,:!  tb:i:'  riiyftbiyc  h,;nMs  £f''"t  PifioiuV 
iv'yK-bc  m^fcoV/S  iti  fbcfy^tofalSfwIl. 

Tbc  cube  of  tbc  ^-ftf  Cofv  oftll  sfta,'"!' 
kb!i?£utc;omiuir». 

/C()CD0fC0f 

C).fv:i(\rb  lifter. 

jftn-tb<:?«tbJfi'n>--K* : 

tb^  ll-iuaunrcofy  ?i.o:5i/ 
fpttc  tbi-'i-o:?"  vnro3o' 
|iw  tbc  font  of  Him  ilJo 
ft*  "i"  in-(;i(}tr:  V7Ty  Kt  * 

nonVfjrr-^cucrtbif-  J* ; 


A  PAGE  OF  COVERDALE'S   BIBLE 

(From  •■The  Biblical  World") 

euen  thyselfe:  yf  thou  hate  her,  thou  hatest  thine  awne  flesh:  yf 
thou  cherishe  her  and  make  moch  of  her,  thou  cherisest  &  makest 
moch  of  thyselfe,  for  she  is  bone  of  thy  bones,  &  flesh  of  thy  flesh. 
And  who  so  euer  thou  be  that  hast  children,  bryng  them  vp  in 


194  The  Book  of  Books 

the  nurtour  and  informacion  of  the  Lorde.  And  yf  thou  be  ignor- 
aunt,  or  art  otherwyse  occupied  lawfully  that  thou  canst  not 
teach  them  thy  selfe,  then  be  euen  as  diligent  to  seke  a  good  master 
for  thy  childre,  as  thou  wast  to  seke  a  mother  to  beare  them:  for 
there  lieth  as  great  weight  in  the  one  as  in  y^  other.  Yee  better 
it  were  for  the  to  be  vnborne,  then  not  to  feare  God,  or  to  be  euel 
brought  vp.  which  thynge  (I  meane  bryngynge  vp  well  of  chil- 
dren) yf  it  be  diligently  loked  to,  it  is  the  vpholdinge  of  all  comon 
welthes:  and  the  negligence  of  the  same,  the  very  decaye  of  all 
realmes. 

Fynally,  who  so  euer  thou  be,  take  these  wordes  of  scripture 
in  to  thy  herte,  and  be  not  onely  an  outwarde  hearer,  but  a  doer 
therafter,  and  practyse  thyselfe  therin:  that  thou  mayest  fele  in 
thine  hert,  the  swete  promyses  therof  for  thy  consolacion  in  all 
trouble,  &  for  the  sure  stablyshinge  of  thy  hope  in  Christ,  and 
haue  euer  an  eye  to  y^  wordes  of  scripture,  that  yf  thou  be  a  teacher 
of  other  thou  mayest  be  within  the  boundes  of  the  trueth,  or  at 
the  leest  though  thou  be  but  an  hearer  or  reader  of  another  mans 
doynges,  thou  mayest  yet  haue  knowlege  to  iudge  all  spretes,  and 
be  fre  from  euery  erroure,  to  the  vtter  destruccion  of  all  sedicious 
sectes  &  straunge  doctrynes,  that  the  holy  scrypture  maye  haue 
fre  passage,  and  be  had  in  reputacion,  to  the  worshippe  of  the 
author  therof,  which  is  euen  God  himselfe:  to  whom  for  his  most 
blessed  worde  be  glory  &  domynion  now  &  euer.     Amen. 

It  is  not  known  certainly  who  the  "five  sundry  inter- 
preters" referred  to  by  Coverdale  are,  but  they  are  generally 
supposed  to  be:  Zwingli's  Swiss  German  version  of  1527, 
Luther's  German  New  Testament  of  1522  and  perhaps  Old 
Testament  of  1534,  Pagninus'  Latin  of  1527,  Jerome's 
Vulgate,  and  Tindale's  New  Testament  and  Pentateuch. 

In  1538  Coverdale  published  a  revised  edition  of  the 
New  Testament  with  the  Latin  of  the  Vulgate  alongside 
the  English. 

The  following  specimens  of  Coverdale's  translation  will 
serve  for  comparison  with  other  versions: 

Psalm  2:  Why  do  the  Heithe  grudge?  why  do  the  people 
ymagyn  vayne  thinges.''  The  kynges  of  the  earth  stode  vp,  and 
the  rulers  are  come  together,  agaynst  the  LORDE  ad  agaynst  his 
anoynted.  Let  vs  breake  their  bondes  a  sunder,  and  cast  awaye 
their  yocke  from  vs.  Neuerthelesse,  he  that  dwelleth  in  heauen, 
shall  laugh  the  to  scorne:  yee  euen  the  LORDE  himselfF  shall 
haue  them  in  derision.  Then  shal  he  speake  vnto  them  in  his 
wrath,  and  vexe  them  in  his  sore  dispeasure.  Yet  haue  I  set  my 
kynge  vpon  my  holy  hill  of  Sion.     As  for  me  I  will  preache  the 


Myles  Coverdale  195 

lawe,  whereof  the  LORDE  hath  sayde  vnto  me:  Thou  art  my 
Sonne,  this  daye  haue  I  begotten  the.  Desyre  off  me,  and  I  shall 
geue  the  the  Heithen  for  thine  enheritaunce,  Yee  the  vttemost 
partes  of  the  worlde  for  thy  possession.  Thou  shalt  rule  them 
with  a  rodde  of  yron,  and  breake  the  in  peces  Hke  an  erthen  vessell. 
Be  wyse  now  therefore  (o  ye  kynges)  be  warned,  ye  that  are  iudges 
of  the  earth.  Serue  the  LORDE  with  feare,  and  reioyce  before 
him  with  reuerence.  Kysse  the  sonne,  lest  the  LORDE  be  angrie, 
and  so  ye  perish  from  the  right  waye.  For  his  wrath  shalbe 
kindled  shortly:    blessed  are  all  they  that  put  their  trust  in  him. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  (Matt.  6):  O  oure  father  which  art  in 
heauen,  halowed  be  thy  name.  Thy  kyngdome  come.  Thy  wyll 
be  fulfilled  vpon  earth  as  it  is  in  heauen.  Geue  vs  this  daye  oure 
dayly  bred.  And  forgeue  vs  oure  dettes,  as  we  also  forgeue  oure 
detters.  And  lede  vs  not  in  to  teptacion:  but  delyuer  vs  from 
euell.  For  thyne  is  the  kyngdome,  and  the  power,  and  the  glorye 
for  euer.     Amen. 

Heb.  II :   By  faith  he  helde  Easter,  and  the  effusion  of  bloude. 

PsA.  1 1  (which  is  Psa.  23  in  modern  versions) :  Thy  staffe  & 
thy  shepehoke  coforte  me. 

Judges  9:53:  But  a  woman  cast  a  pece  of  a  mylstone  vpon 
Abimelechs  heade,  and  brake  his  brane  panne. 

Job  30:  They  were  the  children  of  fooles  &  vylanes,  which 
are  deed  awaye  fro  the  worlde.  Now  am  I  their  songe,  &  am 
become  their  iestinge  stocke.  they  abhorre  me,  they  fle  farre 
fro  me  &  stayne  my  face  w*  spetle. 

We  shall  have  occasion  to  consider  Coverdale  again  in 
connection  v^ith  some  other  English  Bibles,  but  a  few  details 
of  his  life  may  conveniently  be  stated  here.  He  was  in  Paris 
in  connection  with  the  printing  of  the  Great  Bible  in  1538, 
but  came  back  to  England  to  complete  it.  A  few  years 
later  he  again  went  to  the  continent,  and  while  at  Bergza- 
bern  married,  served  as  pastor,  and  taught  school.  After 
the  accession  of  Edward  VI,  1547,  he  returned  to  England 
and  was  made  Bishop  of  Exeter,  but  m  Mary's  reign  was 
again  obliged  to  flee  to  the  continent.  He  was  with  the 
Reformers  at  Geneva  in  1557,  but  in  1559  again  returned 
to  England.  He  was  given  the  living  of  St.  Magnus' 
Church,  London,  which  he  resigned  in  1566.  He  died  in 
1569.  His  was  the  honor  of  giving  to  the  English  people 
the  first  printed  complete  Bible. 


CHAPTER  XII 

MATTHEW'S   BIBLE  AND    TAVERNER'S 
BIBLE 

MATTHEW'S  BIBLE  was  issued  in  1537,  but  who 
Thomas  Matthew  was  is  a  matter  of  speculation.  If 
he  was  an  actual  person  of  that  name  who  had  an  important 
part  in  the  publication  of  the  Bible  that  bears  his  name, 
nothing  more  is  known  of  him  than  that.  The  usual  opinion 
is,  however,  that  the  name  is  an  assumed  one,  used  by  John 
Rogers,  the  real  reviser,  to  hide  his  identity  on  account  of 
the  general  prejudice  against  Tindale  (of  whose  version 
Matthew's  Bible  was  a  substantial  reproduction  in  the  por- 
tions Tindale  translated),  and  because  his  personal  relations 
with  Tindale  would  be  likely  to  add  to  that  prejudice  in 
relation  to  his  own  work.     The  title  page  was  as  follows: 

Tl  The  Byble,  whych  is  all  the  Holy  Scripture:  In  whych  are 
contayned  the  Olde  and  Newe  Testament  truly  and  purely  trans- 
lated into  Englysh  by  Thomas  Matthew. 

Esaye  i.  t^^Hearchento  ye  Heauens  and  thou  earth  geaue 
eare:   For  the  Lorde  speaketh. 

M.D.  XXXVII. 

Set  forth  with  the  Kinges  most  gracyous  lycece. 

John  Rogers  is  notable  as  the  first  Protestant  martyr 
put  to  death  in  the  reign  of  Mary — on  February  4,  1555. 
He  was  born  at  Deritend,  Birmingham,  about  the  year  1500. 
The  author  of  this  volume  was  born  at  Birmingham,  and 
having  spent  more  than  thirty  years  there  is  familiar  with 
the  associations  of  "the  Deritend  Martyr"  with  St.  John's 
Church.  The  present  vicar.  Rev.  J.  A.  Morgan,  has  sup- 
plied the  illustration  which  is  here  given  and  sent  a  clipping 
from  the  Birmingham  Daily  Mail  recording  the  celebration 
of  the  365th  anniversary  of  the  martyr's  death,  February  4. 

(196) 


Matthew's  Bible  197 

1920,  in  which  some  details  are  given  of  Rogers'  Hfe  and 
martyrdom. 

John  Rogers  was  educated  at  Cambridge  and  took  his 
B.A.  degree  in  1525.  After  several  years  as  a  rector  in 
London  he  went  to  Antwerp  about  1534,  was  chaplain  to 
the  English  Merchant  Adventurers,  and  became  acquainted 
with  Tindale.  He  brought  out  his  edition  of  the  Bible  in 
1537  and  in  the  same  year  married  Adriana  Pratt,  of  Bra- 
bant. He  had  by  this  time  become  thoroughly  Protestant. 
He  remained  on  the  continent  until  1548,  when  he  returned 
to  England,  shortly  after  the  death  of  Henry  VHI  and  the 
accession  of  Edward  VI.  In  May,  1550,  he  was  presented 
with  the  rectory  of  St.  Margaret  Moyses  and  the  vicarage 


This  Monument  was  erected  Oct. 
25th,  1883,  by  Public  Subscription,  in 
grateful  memory  of  John  Rogers,  M.A. 
Born  in  Deritend,  A.  D.  1500.  Trans- 
lator in  part  and  Reviser  of  Matthew's 
Bible,  Placed  by  Authority  in  all 
Churches,  1537.  He  was  leader  also  of 
the  Noble  Army  of  Martyrs  of  Queen 
Mary's  Reign,  and  was  burnt  in  Smith- 
field,  London,  A.  D.  1555.  J.  W.  Smith, 
S.  Smith,  Wardens;  W.  C.  Badger, 
M.A.,  Minister. 


JOHN  ROGERS 

A  bust  in  St.  John's  Church,  Deritend 


of  St.  Sepulchre's,  London,  and  in  1551  was  promoted  by 
Bishop  Ridley  to  be  a  prebendary  of  St.  Paul's. 

After  the  accession  of  Mary  he  preached  frequent  ser- 
mons against  the  Roman  Church,  and  on  one  occasion,  as 
he  preached  at  St.  Paul's  Cross,  the  queen  herself  passed 
and  heard  his  denunciations.  He  was  brought  before  the 
Council,  but  dismissed.  In  1553  he  was  ordered  by  the 
Council  to  keep  within  his  own  house,  but  later  was  removed 
to  Newgate  prison.  He  was  brought  a  third  time  before 
the  Council  and  condemned  to  death,  the  presiding  bishop 
being  Gardiner,  styled  by  Rogers  "the  bloody  bishop  of 
Winchester."  As  he  was  led  from  Newgate  to  be  burned 
at  the  stake  in  Smithiield  he  was  asked  to  recant.  He 
replied,  "That  which  I  have  preached  I  will  seal  with  my 


198  The  Book  of  Books 

blood";  and  to  the  sheriff's  remark,  "Then  thou  art  a 
heretic,"  he  answered,  "That  will  be  known  when  we  meet 
at  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ."  His  wife  and  eleven  chil- 
dren sought  to  bid  him  farewell  as  he  went  to  Smithfield, 
but  the  sheriff  would  not  permit  them  to  speak  to  him.  As 
he  was  chained  to  the  stake  he  said  God  would  vindicate 
the  truth  of  what  he  had  taught,  and  urged  the  onlookers 
to  be  true  to  the  Protestant  faith. 

Roger's  Bible  was  a  revision  of  Tindale's  and  Cover- 
dale's,  and  though  no  name  is  given  in  the  colophon  it  was 
in  all  probability  printed  at  Antwerp  by  Jacob  van  Meteren 
and  published  by  Grafton  and  Whitchurch. 


THOMAS  CROMWELL 

{From  LoveU's  "Printed  English  Bible."     Courtesy  of  the  Religious  Tract  Society) 

Archbishop  Cranmer,  on  being  shown  a  copy,  was  so 
pleased  with  it  that  he  approached  Cromwell  with  a  view 
to  getting  the  king  to  issue  a  "license  that  the  same  may  be 
sold  and  redde  of  every  person  withoute  danger  of  any  acte, 
proclamation  or  ordinaunce,  hertofore  graunted  to  the  con- 
trary," and  he  added,  in  reference  to  the  request  that  had 
been  made  by  the  Convocation  of  Canterbury  that  the 
king  should  appoint  learned  men  to  make  a  translation, 
"untill  such  tyme  that  we  the  Bishops  shall  set  forth  a 
better  translation,  which  I  thinke  will  not  be  till  a  day  after 
Domesday."      Concerning   the    translation    itself  he    said. 


Matthew's  Bible  199 

"So  farre  as  I  haue  redde  therof  I  like  it  better  than  any 
other  translation  hertofore  made."  The  license  was  granted, 
as  the  title-page  on  some  copies  shows. 

A  note  in  the  copy  in  the  New  York  Public  Library 
says  that  it  combines  the  best  work  of  Tindale  and  Cover- 
dale  and  is  generally  considered  the  real  primary  version  of 
the  English  Bible. 

The  title-page  is  printed  in  red  and  black  and  the  word- 
ing is  set  in  a  fine  woodcut  representing  the  Garden  of  Eden 
at  the  left  and  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus  at  the  right.  At  the 
bottom  is  an  allegorical  design  in  two  parts  representing  death 
as  victor  and  death  vanquished. 

On  the  back  of  the  title-page  is  a  summary  of  contents 
headed,  "These  thynges  ensuynge  are  ioyned  with  thys 
present  volume  of  the  Byble."  "The  Kalendar  and  Alman- 
ack for  xviij  yeares,"  from  1538,  occupies  4  pages;  "An 
exhortacyon  to  the  studye  of  the  holy  Scrypture  gathered 
oute  of  the  Byble,"  3  pages:  the  dedication  to  Henry  VIII, 
3  pages;  "To  the  Chrysten  Readers.  The  summe  and 
content  of  all  the  holy  Scrypture  both  of  the  Olde  and  New 
Testament.  A  table  for  to  fynde  many  of  the  cheafe  and 
pryncipall  matters  conteyned  in  the  Byble,"  26  pages; 
"The  names  of  all  the  bokes  of  the  Byble  /  wyth  the  con- 
tent of  the  Chapters  /  and  in  what  leafe  euery  boke  begyn- 
neth,"  part  of  a  page;  "A  bref  rehersall  declarynge  how 
longe  the  worlde  hath  endured  from  the  creacyon  of  Adam 
vnto  thys  present  yeare  of  oure  Lorde  m.d.  xxxvii";  "And 
in  the  Marget  of  the  boke  are  there  added  many  playne 
exposycyons  of  soch  places  as  vnto  the  symple  and  vnlearned 
seame  harde  to  vnderstande." 

A  full-page  woodcut,  the  Garden  of  Eden,  faces  Gene- 
sis I,  and  there  are  many  woodcuts  m  the  book.  The  text 
is  divided  into  four  sections,  with  separate  title-pages.  At 
the  bottom  of  the  first  page  of  the  "exhortacyon"  are  orna- 
mental initials,  about  two  inches  square,  I  R,  and  at  the 
end  of  the  dedication  similar  initials  H  R. 

The  title-page  to  the  Apocrypha  reads: 

The  volume  of  the  bokes  called  Apocripha  Contayned  in  the 
comen  Transl.  in  Latyne  whych  are  not  founde  in  the  Hebrue  nor 
in  the  Chalde. 


200 


The  Book  of  Books 


^/.yJl'  f-^    --^$^te4^V^^^ 


TITLE-PAGE  OF  MATTHEW'S   BIBLE,   1537 

(From  the  copy  in  the  New  York  Public  Library) 


Matthew's  Bible  201 

The  Apocrypha  in  Matthew's  Bible  contains  Baruch, 
the  Song  of  the  Three  Children,  and  the  Prayer  of  Manasseh 
in  addition  to  those  in  the  "Apocripha"  of  Coverdale's 
edition. 

The  New  Testament  title-page  reads: 

The  newe  Testament  of  our  sauyour  Jesu  Christ  /  newly  and 
dylygently  translated  into  Englyshe  with  Annotacions  in  the 
Mergent  to  heipe  the  Reader  to  the  vnderstandynge  of  the  Texte. 

Prynted  in  the  yere  of  oure  Lorde  God.     m.  d.  xxxvii. 

At  the  end  of  the  book  is  a  table  "Wherein  ye  shall  fynde 
the  Epistles  and  the  gospels  /  after  the  vse  of  Salisbury." 
The  colophon  reads: 

The  ende  of  the  newe  Testament  and  of  the  whole  Byble. 
To  the  honoure  and  prayse  of  God  was  this  Byble  prynted 
and  fynesshed  in  the  yere  of  oure  Lorde  God  a,  m.d.  xxxvii." 

The  Song  of  Solomon  is  headed:  "The  Ballets  of  Solo- 
mon:   called  in  Latyne  CanticQ  Canticorum." 

The  dedication  is  as  follows: 

To  the  moost  noble  and  gracyous  Prynce  Kyng  Henry  the  eyght  / 
kyng  of  England  and  of  Fraunce  /  Lorde  of  Ireland  &c.  Defender 
of  the  fay  the:  and  vnder  God  the  chefe  and  supreme  head  of  the 
church  of  Engeland. 

It  hath  bene  vsed  of  olde  auncyent  custome  (most  redoubted 
and  prudent  Prynce)  to  dedycate  soche  bokes  as  men  put  forth 
in  to  lyght  (whether  they  be  made  of  their  awne  industrye  and 
proper  wyttes  /  or  translated  forthe  of  one  language  in  to  another) 
to  some  noble  Prynce  /  Kynge  or  Emperour  /  or  otherwyse  excel- 
lent in  byrth  or  renowne:  to  thyntet  that  the  worck  myght  frelyer 
"and  boldelyer  be  occupyed  in  the  hades  of  men  /  as  a  thynge 
hauyng  sauecondet  &  beyng  put  in  to  the  tuicyon  of  the  Prynce  / 
vnto  whom  it  is  offred  &  dedycate.  This  custome  not  onely 
aunciet  but  also  laudable  /  haue  youre  syngular  and  rare  gyftes 
in  worldly  regyment  /  and  the  vertuous  and  Godly  moderacion  of 
mayntenynge  true  preachers  for  the  inducynge  of  your  symple 
subiectes  to  the  syncerytie  and  purenes  of  Christes  Gospell:  with 
the  other  many  folde  and  syngular  vertues  /  wherwyth  the  Prynce 
of  Prynces  hath  indued  your  hyghnes  /  encoraged  me  to  embrace. 
For  vnto  whom  or  in  to  whose  proteccyon  shulde  the  defence  of 
soch  a  worck  be  soner  c5mytted  (wherin  are  contayned  the  infal- 
lyble  promeses  of  mercy  in  the  olde  testament  prefygured  &  in 
the  newe  fulfylled  /  wyth  the  whole  summe  of  Christyanitye)  then 
vnto  his  maiestye  /  which  not  onely  by  name  and  tytle  /  but  most 


202  The  Book  of  Books 

euydently  &  openly  /  most  Christenly  &  with  most  Godly  pollicye  / 
dothe  professe  the  defence  thereof? 

The  want  of  lernynge  /  The  obscureness  &  lownes  of  byrth  / 
The  lack  of  youre  graces  knowledge  &c.  shuld  haply  haue  vtterly 
forbydden  me  /  to  haue  interprysed  the  dedycacion  herof  to  so 
puyssant  a  Prynce:  But  the  experience  of  youre  graces  benygnyte  / 
wherthroughe  youre  prayse  is  renoumed  and  hyghly  magnifyed  / 
euen  amdge  straungers  and  alyentes  /  not  alone  amoge  your  awne 
subiectes  /  The  Godly  moderacion  of  youre  heuenly  polycye  / 
wherwith  ye  suppresse  supersticyon  and  mayntene  true  holynes  / 
inflameth  me  to  some  part  of  boldenes:  Specyally  syth  the  th3mg 
which  I  dedycate  is  soch  as  your  grace  studyeth  dayly  to  forther. 
In  which  studye  &  endeuoure  he  cotynewe  you  /  whych  hath 
moued  you  to  so  holesome  a  purpose:  and  geue  the  same  dylygence 
vnto  other  Christen  Prynces  and  forren  potentates  /  that  he  hath 
breathed  &  instyled  in  to  your  breaste. 

For  the  cheafe  &  pryncypall  thyng  appartaynynge  to  Prynces 
&  nobles  (which  thyng  it  is  good  to  se  that  your  grace  doth  well 
consyder)  is:  to  defende  /  forther  /  set  oute  &  augment  the  knowl- 
edge of  God.  Moses  y^  faythfull  seruant  of  the  Lorde  /  prophecy- 
ing  by  y'^  sprete  y*  Israel  shulde  haue  a  Kynge  /  comaunded:  that 
he  ones  set  on  y®  seat  of  his  kyngdome  /  shulde  reade  the  seconde 
lawe  (meanynge  the  boke  of  Deuteronomye)  all  the  dayes  of  his 
lyfe:  to  thyntent  that  he  myght  learne  to  feare  the  Lorde  his  God  / 
for  to  kepe  all  the  wordes  of  his  lawe  &  ordynaunces  /  and  that 
he  shulde  not  returne  from  the  commaundement  ether  to  the 
right  hand  or  to  the  left.  He  perceaued  /  vndoubted  that  yf  the 
Prynce  him  selfe  were  so  affectuously  anymated  vnto  the  kepynge 
of  the  lawe  /  as  he  is  there  expresly  comaunded:  it  shulde  not  a 
lytell  inflame  hym  to  an  ardent  and  burnyng  zeale  of  settyng  out 
Goddes  glorye  /  in  fortherynge  the  thynges  in  that  lawe  expressed: 
And  knewe  what  wholsome  and  Godly  lawes  soche  a  kynge  wolde 
indeuoure  hym  selfe  to  enstablyshe  /  by  which  the  lawe  of  God 
myght  the  better  be  obserued  /  &  the  largelyer  and  forther  sprynge 
abroade:  And  saw  right  well  that  soch  a  Prynce  coulde  not  but 
will  his  subiectes  to  reade  &  folowe  all  the  poyntes  of  that  lawe  / 
which  he  himselfe  was  so  strayghtly  bounde  both  to  kepe  &  reade. 
Further  in  that  he  willeth  the  Kynges  of  Israel  /  not  ones  to  swarue 
from  the  lawe  of  the  Lorde  ether  to  the  ryght  hande  or  to  the  left  / 
he  instructeth  them  /  to  fulfyll  the  worde  of  God  playnly  /  purely  / 
without  superstycion:  not  to  be  exalted  thorou  prosperytye  /  ner 
deiecte  in  aduersytye:  to  cleaue  and  leane  vnto  the  worde  of  God 
in  tyme  of  glorye  &  renoune  /  and  in  tyme  of  dishonoure  and 
ignomynie  to  amplyfye  ryghtwesnes  &  to  loue  veritye:  which 
thinges  sene  in  y*'  nobylytie  /  adde  no  smal  sporre  vnto  the  comens 
to  imitate  &  follow  the  same.  Yee  they  so  worck  in  y®  hertes  of 
the  noble  /  that  they  be  enforced  what  by  ensample  of  lyfe  /  & 
by  pollytyke  ordynaunces  to  y®  vse  inuented  /  to  allure  soche  as 


Matthew's  Bible  203 

be  vnder  their  subieccyo  to  y®  performaunce  thereof.  That  Moses 
there  comaundeth  vnto  the  kynges  of  Israel  /  partayneth  vnto  all 
y"  Prynces  of  the  Christen  name.  That  he  there  calleth  the  lawe 
is  to  vs  the  holy  scripture  &  worde  of  y^  most  holy  &  myghtie  God. 
Unto  prynces  (euery  one  in  his  dominion)  belongeth  the  amply- 
fiynge  therof  /  as  of  the  rote  of  all  Godlynes.  Now  in  as  moche 
as  the  Lord  hath  raysed  you  vp  before  other  prynces  of  oure  tyme  / 
most  earnestly  to  hearcken  vnto  this  c5maundement  of  his  seruaunt 
Moses  /  &  to  attempt  the  thynges  that  do  not  a  lytel  auaQce 
Goddes  glorye:  &  hath  also  opened  your  eyes  to  se  the  falsheed 
of  the  subtell  and  the  innocency  of  the  Godly:  to  note  the  wylynes 
of  the  chyldren  of  this  worlde  /  &  the  symplycitye  of  the  holv:  to 
extyrp  &  abolyshe  enorme  &  fylthy  abuses  /  and  in  their'steades 
to  rote  &  fyre  the  ryght  /  true  /  &  parfect  doctryne  of  Christian- 
ytie:  ther  is  founde  no  man  /vnto  whom  y^  translacyon  of  the 
Lordes  lawe  can  so  worthely  be  ofFred  and  dedycate  as  vnto  your 
most  gracyous  highnesse.  For  I  nothing  mystrust  but  that  it 
shal  most  acceptably  come  in  to  your  most  fauourable  &  sure 
proteccyon.  Therof  doth  your  peculyar  desyre  of  fortheryng 
soche  lyke  laboures  suffyciently  assure  me.  It  is  no  vulgare  or 
comen  thynge  which  is  ofFred  in  to  your  graces  proteccio  /  but  the 
blessed  worde  of  God:  which  is  euerlastyng  &  ca  not  fayle  /  though 
heaue  &  earth  shuld  perish.  So  precious  a  thynge  requyreth  a 
singular  good  patrone  &  defendar  /  &  findeth  no  nother  vnto  wh5 
the  defence  therof  may  so  iustly  be  comitted  as  vnto  your  graces 
maiestye.  It  is  y^  lawe  of  the  celestiall  King  which  ruleth  all 
thynges  with  a  beck  /  &  yet  is  it  some  tyme  greatly  forthered  or 
hyndered  by  the  ayde  &  hyndraijce  of  earthly  &  worldly  prynces. 
Long  &  oft  was  it  obscured  &  darckened  /  yee  &  in  maner  cleane 
abolished  in  y^  tyme  of  the  comen  wealth  of  Israel.  The  wylye 
iuggeling  of  y'^  preastes  in  persuadyng  y^  prynces  &  rulars  to  be 
conformable  to  their  inuencyons  /  &  the  rashe  beleuynge  people  / 
which  thought  euerything  an  oracle  that  the  prestes  breathed  in 
to  their  breastes  /  dyd  oft  &  many  tymes  fyll  all  full  of  super- 
sticyon  and  Idolatrye.  From  the  tyme  of  Ahab  vnto  y*^  raygne  of 
kyng  Hezekiah  /  laye  true  holynes  and  the  perfect  sekynge  of  God 
vtterly  oppressed:  And  Hezekiah  in  his  tyme  renued  the  lawe  to 
hys  perfeccyon  /  &  hath  therfore  his  worthy  prayse  in  the  scrip- 
ture: But  hys  Sonne  Manasseh  set  vp  agayne  all  the  wyckednes 
that  his  father  had  suppressed.  Josiah  after  he  had  ones  readde 
the  boke  of  the  lawe  founde  in  y^  teple  /  let  no  tyme  slyp  tyll  he 
had  called  all  Israel  together  /  put  downe  all  kyndes  of  Idolatrie  / 
&  holden  the  feast  of  passouer  accordynge  to  the  lawe.  His 
Sonne  Jehoahaz  /  with  the  reast  of  the  kynges  following  dyd  dis- 
content and  displease  the  Lorde  /  maynteynyng  supersticyd  & 
Idolatrye  in  steade  of  godlynes  /  &  causing  the  people  to  applye 
theselues  therto.  The  nomber  of  the  euell  kinges  was  vsually 
greater  than  the  nombre  of  the  good  /  as  the  bokes  of  y^  kynges  & 


204  The  Book  of  Books 

Parali.  do  clearly  testifye.  Soche  was  y^  sutteltie  of  y^  false 
prophetes  y*  they  fyrst  &  principally  bewitched  y®  princes  to  y^ 
defence  of  their  Imaginacios:  who  as  their  heades  /  y®  people 
were  costrayned  to  folow. 

The  youth  of  Manasseh  was  a  mete  praye  for  the  false  proph- 
etes and  prestes  of  Baal  /  which  dyd  instant  hym  /  compasse 
hym  /  and  leadde  hym  as  it  hath  bene  with  a  lyne  to  their  trade 
of  Idolatrye.  They  had  learned  in  the  tyme  of  Ahab  to  do  sacry- 
fyce  vnto  Idoles  /  wherby  their  lucre  &  aduauntage  was  not  a 
lytell  increased:  which  thynge  (for  feare  of  punyshment  be  ye 
sure)  they  had  intermytted  and  left  of  all  the  Rayne  of  that  good 
Kynge  Hezekiah.  In  his  dayes  they  were  cdpelled  to  haue  the 
lawe  of  God  in  honoure.  They  in  deade  abhorred  the  true  wor- 
shyppyng  of  God  /  but  dyd  obey  the  Kynges  comaundementes 
faynedly  thorow  Ipocrysye  /  and  were  in  hert  most  wycked  and 
wretched.  But  they  so  subtely  depraued  the  tyme  of  the  domyn- 
yon  of  young  Manasseh  that  they  persuaded  hym  by  their  craft 
to  reiect  and  set  asyde  the  lawe  of  the  Lorde  /  as  the  new  founde 
relygyo  of  hys  father  Hezekiah:  &  to  receaue  the  superstycyos 
which  his  fore  father  Ahab  /  as  moare  aged  &  wyser  had  instytute: 
yee  and  those  agreable  to  the  lawes  of  other  nacyons.  His  apply- 
able  and  conformable  wyttes  dyd  they  so  bewitch  /  that  he  thought 
it  greate  holynes  to  dysanull  all  that  his  father  had  most  godly 
redressed:  &  to  retayne  all  the  olde  superstycyons  /  rytes  and 
customes  of  Idolatrers:  to  kyll  &  slaye  all  that  by  any  meanes 
shewed  loue  or  zeale  to  true  religid  &  godlynes:  so  that  he  cruelly 
filled  the  cytie  of  Jerusale  with  the  bloude  of  the  Prophetes  /  &  of 
soch  as  warred  &  fought  agaynst  Idolatrye.  In  lyke  maner  dyd 
they  with  Jehoahaz  /  which  shortly  had  put  downe  his  fathers 
decrees:  settyng  moare  by  y^  superstiti5s  of  his  forefather  Ahab  / 
than  by  the  godlynes  of  his  good  father  Josiah.  False  prophetes  / 
Ipocryrish  preastes  /  &  the  mutable  &  vnconstant  comenaltye  / 
haue  euer  bene  readye  to  receaue  their  olde  phantastycall  dreames  / 
&  haue  for  the  moast  parte  contynually  preuayled  agaynst  the 
true  Prophetes  &  preachers  of  the  Lorde.  The  exaples  herof  (yf 
there  shulde  so  many  be  rehearced  as  y®  Chronycles  of  all  tymes 
do  mency5)  wolde  make  a  great  &  an  huge  volume.  Nether 
thinke  I  it  best  to  trouble  your  grace  w*  a  so  long  a  processe  as  to 
recite  the.  And  the  experieces  of  soch  as  shall  herafter  come  / 
are  only  knowe  vnto  y*  Lorde:  nether  knoweth  any  man  what 
chaiige  may  fall.  But  for  y®  fortunate  &  prosperous  estate  of  this 
oure  tyme  (so  farre  as  concerneth  thys  youre  graces  Reaulme)  are 
hyghe  and  vnceassable  thanckes  to  be  geuen  vnto  the  Lorde  of 
Lordes:  which  hath  dealt  so  mercyfully  wyth  the  inhabytauntes 
therof  /  as  to  sende  them  a  Prynce  that  contynually  studyeth  to 
se  the  enryched  in  all  poyntes  of  true  godlynes.  Who  so  remayneth 
vnthanckfull  herein  /  is  not  alone  vngodly  but  also  wretched. 
For  soche  a  Prince  as  geueth  no  care  vnto  y®  inchauntemente  of 


Matthew's  Bible  205 

false  preachers  is  one  of  the  greatest  gyftes  of  God  /  &  soch  a 
worldly  blessyng  to  a  comen  wealth  as  requyreth  an  earnest 
thanckesgeuynge  therfore. 

That  Hezekiah  and  Josiah  were  vnto  Israel  /  the  same  is 
youre  grace  vnto  y^  Reaulme  of  England:  yee  the  godly  haue 
greate  hope  that  your  prayse  shalbe  farre  aboue  theirs.  They 
helde  the  verytye  &  trve  worshyppynge  of  God  /  but  onely  for 
their  awne  tymes.  Your  graces  wysdome  /  illumyned  of  God  / 
shall  (we  trust)  so  fyrmely  stablyshe  the  trade  of  Godlynes  in 
your  lyfe  tyme  /  that  it  shall  neuerthelesse  florysh  /  after  your 
deceasse.  Youre  deuyne  gouernaunce  /  no  lesse  fortunate  than 
polytyque  /  putteth  vs  in  hope  of  soche  a  redresse  as  shalbe  per- 
manent and  durable  /  and  so  surely  grounded  /  that  the  wont 
iuggelyng  &  venemous  persuasions  of  false  preachers  shall  not  be 
so  noysome  vnto  youre  posteryte  /  as  they  haue  bene  vnto  the 
former  age.  This  hope  haue  the  godly  eue  of  forren  &  straunge 
nacyons  in  your  graces  goodnes  /  moch  moare  they  of  your  awne 
reaulme.  Soche  confidence  haue  they  conceaued  by  your  former 
acres  /  wherthrough  youre  grace  hath  so  exceedyngly  profyted 
this  affayre.  The  euerliuyng  Lord  so  prospere  youre  begonne 
purpose  vnto  soch  effect  /  that  the  thinge  may  be  cotynually 
which  ye  haue  begdne:  And  so  streacth  oute  his  myghty  hande 
and  worcke  so  strdgely  in  you  /  that  no  stoarme  of  false  Prophetes 
(the  very  destroyers  of  Princes  and  Realmes)  maye  hereafter  be 
able  to  extynct  the  lyght  /  whych  now  in  your  graces  dayes  hath 
begonne  to  shyne:  And  double  vnto  you  the  addycyo  of  yeares 
that  was  geuen  vnto  Hezekiah  /  ouer  and  aboue  those  that  ye 
shulde  naturally  lyue  /  that  ye  maye  the  better  accomplysh  your 
moast  godly  intent:  And  enspyre  soch  streames  of  grace  in  to 
youre  breast  /  that  you  perseuerynge  vnto  the  ende  /  maye  leaue 
behynde  you  this  testymonye  of  glorye:  that  ye  haue  truly 
defended  the  pure  fayth  of  Christ  /  maynteyned  his  holy  worde  / 
suppressed  superstycyon  /  deleate  &  put  awaye  Idolatye  /  ended 
the  blasphemy  of  false  Prophetes  /  &  brought  youre  reaulme  vnto 
the  true  trade  of  godlynes:  And  blesse  you  at  thys  present  wyth 
a  Sonne  /  by  youre  most  gracyous  wyfe  Quene  Jane  /  which  may 
prosperously  &  fortunately  raygne  /  &  folowe  the  godly  steppes 
of  his  father:  And  after  your  grace  shall  geue  place  to  nature  / 
and  forsake  thys  mortall  lyfe  /  graunte  you  the  rewarde  of  that 
vnspeakahle  and  celestyall  ioye  /  whych  no  eye  hath  sene  /  no 
eare  hearde  /  nor  can  ascende  into  the  herte  of  man.     So  be  it. 

Youre  graces  faythfull  &  true  subiect  Thomas  Matthew. 

The  following  are  specimens  from  Matthew's  Bible: 

Psalm  91  :  5:  So  that  thou  shalt  not  nede  to  be  afrayed  for 
eny  bugges  by  night. 


2o6  The  Book  of  Books 

Psalm  2: 
"l^HY  do  the  Heathen  grudge?  why  do  the  people  ymagyne 
"     vayne  thinges? 

The  Kynges  of  the  earth  stande  vp  /  and  the  rulers  are  come 
together  /  agaynst  the  Lorde  and  agaynst  hys  anoynted. 

Let  vs  breake  their  bondes  asunder  /  &  cast  awaye  their  yock 
from  vs. 

Neuerthelesse  he  that  dwelleth  in  heauen  /  shall  laugh  them 
to  scorne:  yee  euen  the  Lorde  hymself  shall  haue  them  in  derysyon. 

Then  shall  he  speake  vnto  them  in  hys  wrath  /  &  vexe  them 
in  hys  sore  dyspleasure. 

Yet  haue  I  set  my  Kynge  vpon  my  holy  hyll  of  Syon. 

As  for  me  I  will  preache  y®  lawe  /  wherof  the  Lorde  hath 
sayde  vnto  me: 

Thou  art  my  sonne  /  this  daye  haue  I  begotten  the. 

Desyre  of  me  /  &  I  shall  geue  y®  the  Heathen  for  thyne 
enheritaunce  /  Yee  the  vttermost  partes  of  the  worlde  for  thy 
possession. 

Thou  shalt  rule  them  with  a  rodde  of  yron  /  and  breake  them 
in  peces  like  an  earthen  vessell. 

Be  wyse  now  therfore  /  O  ye  Kynges  /  be  warned  /  ye  that 
are  iudges  of  the  earth. 

Serue  the  Lorde  with  feare  /  and  reioyse  before  hym  with 
reuerence. 

Kysse  the  sonne  /  lest  the  Lorde  be  angrye  &  so  ye  perysshe 
from  the  ryght  waye. 

For  his  wrath  shalbe  kindled  shortly:  blessed  are  all  they 
that  put  their  trust  in  hym. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  (Matt.  6) :  O  oure  father  which  arte  in 
heuen  /  halowed  be  thy  name.  Let  thy  kingdome  come.  Thy 
will  be  fulfylled  /  as  well  in  erth  /  as  it  is  in  heuen.  Geue  vs  this 
daye  oure  dayly  bred.  And  forgeue  vs  oure  treaspases  /  euen  as 
we  forgeue  oure  trespacers.  And  leade  vs  not  in  to  temptacion: 
but  delyuer  vs  fro  eujdl.  For  thyne  is  the  kyngedome  &  the 
power  /  and  the  glorye  for  euer.     Amen. 

Taverner's  Bible 

Taverner's  Bible  was  issued  in  1539  in  a  handsome 
folio  edition.  Very  little  is  known  concerning  Richard 
Taverner  beyond  the  fact  that  he  was  born  in  1505,  grad- 
uated at  Cambridge,  studied  afterward  at  Oxford,  and 
became  a  lawyer  of  the  Inner  Temple.  He  was  at  one  time 
employed  by  Cromwell,  but  after  Cromwell  fell  into  the 
king's  disfavor  Taverner  was  for  a  time  imprisoned  in  the 
Tower.     He  was  very  eccentric  in  manner,  and  when  later 


Taverner's  Bible  207 

he  was  licenced  to  preach  as  a  layman  his  matter  was  at 
times  as  strange  as  his  manner.     He  died  in  1575. 
The  title-page  of  Taverner's  Bible  reads: 

The  Most  Sacred  Bible,  whiche  is  the  holy  scripture,  con- 
teyning  the  old  and  new  testament,  translated  in  to  English,  and 
newly  recognised  with  great  diligence  after  most  faythful  exem- 
plars, by  Rychard  Taverner. 

t^°  Harken  thou  heuen,  and  thou  earth  gyue  eare:  for  the 
Lorde  speaketh.     Esaie.  i. 

I^"  Prynted  at  London  in  Fletestrete  at  the  sygne  of  the 
Sonne  by  John  Byddell,  for  Thomas  Barthlet. 

't^°  cvm  priviiegio  ad  imprimendum  solum,     m.d.  xxxix. 

The  dedication  was  to  Henry  VHI,  and  was  as  follows: 

How  hyghly  all  England  is  bounde  to  your  incomparable 
maiestie  for  the  infinite  and  manifolde  benefites  receyued  at  your 
most  gracious  handes,  from  tyme  to  time  without  ceasing,  eue 
from  the  begynning  of  your  most  noble  rayne:  truly  no  mortal 
tonge  is  hable  with  wordes  sufficiently  to  expresse,  or  with  secret 
though tes  of  hert  worthely  to  coceyue:  Certes,  it  far  passeth  bothe 
the  sklender  capacitie  of  my  wyt,  and  also  y^  rude  infancy  of  my 
tong  to  do  either  thone  or  thother:  yea  an  other  Cicero  or  Demos- 
thenes wer  not  ynough  herevnto.  Wherfore  omittinge  or  rather 
leauing  to  some  other  the  iust  Encomye  and  commendacion  of 
your  graces  most  ample  dedes,  worthy  of  eternall  memorie,  yet 
this  one  thing  I  dare  full  well  affirme,  that  amonges  all  your 
maiesties  deseruinges,  vpon  the  christen  religion  (then  which  surely 
nothing  can  be  greater)  your  highnes  neuer  did  thing  more  accept- 
able vnto  god,  more  profitable  to  y^  auaucemet  of  true  christianitie, 
more  displeasaut  to  the  enemies  of  the  same,  &  also  to  your  graces 
enemies,  then  when  your  maiestie  lycenced  and  wylled  the  moost 
sacred  Byble  conteynyng  the  vnspotted  and  lyuely  worde  of  God 
to  be  in  the  Englysh  tong  set  forth  to  your  hyghnes  subiectes. 

To  the  setting  forth  wherof  (most  gracious  &  moost  redoubted 
soueraigne  lorde)  lyke  as  certeyn  men  haue  neither  vndiligetly  nor 
yet  vnlernedly  traueled.  So  agayn  it  can  not  be  denied,  but  y* 
some  faultes  haue  escaped  their  handes.  Neither  speke  I  this  to 
depraue  or  maligne  their  industrie  &  paynes  take  in  this  behalf: 
no,  rather  I  think  them  worthy  of  no  litle  praise  &  thankes  for  the 
same,  considering  what  great  vtilitie  &  profit  hath  redounded  to 
your  graces  hole  realme  by  the  publysshing  and  setting  forth  therof, 
although  it  were  not  finisshed  to  the  ful  absolucion  and  perfection 
of  the  same.  For  assuredly  it  is  a  worke  of  so  great  difficultie,  I 
meane  so  absolutely  to  translate  the  hole  bible  that  it  be  faultlesse, 
that  I  feare  it  can  scace  be  doone  of  one  or  two  persons,  but  rather 
requyreth  bothe  a  deper  confarrynge  of  many  lerned  wittes 
togyther,  and  also  a  iuster  tyme  and  longer  leysure. 


208 


The  Book  of  Books 


,^^???a^agg^-^sayi;fejMt^jS5gMa55^»:^^^ 


THE  MOST 

S  A  C  R  I  n     BIBLE,- 

5CObKJ)ei0t!)cl)olp  fcnptute»con^ 

xzTniwix,  tl)f  olD  tinD  ncto  tfltamcnt, 

tranflarcD  m  to  Cng!in),anD  nctolp 

recogntfcD  feuS)  oreat  Diligrtice 

after  moa  farfljfu!  ctcms 

plarg,b^  RY  CHARD 
XAVEKNER. 

ft^-Harhrn  tlimi  hcutn ,  anti  tbeu  rartft  8?ae 
mtf :  fo?  tbf  JlotCc  ipc ahcti).  (Jf faic.u 

Xl  jAspnfcD ?.t u on&on in flrrtdrrtp at 
Deif ,  fo.:  Choma?  JSaithltt. 

IdCVM     FRIV4LHaiO 
d<i  tm^rinKridumjclum, 


£aHSmS22E3^!!2SgSSSga£HSE£!!S 


TITLE-PAGE  OF  TAVERNER'S   BIBLE,   1539 

{From  the  copy  in  the  New  York  Public  Library) 


Taverner's  Bible  209 

Wherefore  the  premisses  wel  cosidered,  forasmuch  as  y® 
printers  herof  were  very  desirous  to  haue  this  most  sacred  volume 
of  the  bible  com  forth  as  faultlesse  &  emendatly,  as  the  shortnes 
of  tyme  for  the  recognising  of  y^  same  wold  require,  they  desired 
me  your  most  huble  seruat  for  default  of  a  better  lerned,  diligetly 
to  ouerloke  &  peruse  the  hole  copy  and  in  case  I  shold  fynd  any 
notable  default  y^  neded  correctio,  to  amed  the  same,  according 
to  y^  true  exeplars,  Whiche  thynge  accordyng  to  my  talent  I  haue 
gladly  done. 

These  therfore  my  simple  lucubratids  &  labours,  to  wh5  might 
I  better  dedicate,  the  vnto  your  most  excellet  &  noble  maiestie, 
y®  only  authour  &  grounde  nexte  God  of  this  so  highe  a  benefite 
vnto  youre  graces  people,  I  meane  that  the  holy  scripture  is  com- 
municate vnto  the  same. 

But  now  though  many  faultes  pchaiice  be  yet  left  behind 
vncastigat,  either  for  lacke  of  lernig  sufficiet  to  so  gret  an  enter- 
prise, or  for  default  of  leisure,  I  trust  your  maiestie  &  all  other  y^ 
shal  rede  the  same,  wyll  pardon  me,  consyderynge  (as  I  haue 
alredy  declared)  how  harde  &  difficile  a  thinge  it  is,  so  to  set  forth 
this  worke,  as  shal  be  in  al  pointes  faultles  &  without  reprehension. 

And  thus  I  comit  your  most  gracious  &  excellet  maiestie  to 
y^  tucio  of  y**  highest,  to  who  be  al  honour,  glory,  &  prayse,  worlde 
without  ende.     Amen. 

The  dedication  was  followed  by  "An  exhort acion  to  the 
diligent  studye  of  the  holy  scripture  gathered  out  of  the 
Bible,"  I  page;  "The  contentes  of  the  Script vre,"  2  pages; 
"The  names  of  the  bokes  of  the  Bible,"  i  page;  "A  table 
of  the  principall  maters  conteyned  in  the  Byble,"  25  pages; 
and,  at  the  end,  "Table  wherein  ye  shall  fynde  the  Epistels 
and  the  Gospels  after  the  vse  of  Salisbury,"  and  a  colophon: 

^  The  ende  of  the  newe  Testament  and  of  the  hole  Byble. 
T[  To  the  honour  and  prayse  of  God,  was  this  Byble  prynted: 
and  fynysshed,  in  the  yere  of  our  Lorde  God,  a  M.D.  XXXIX." 

The  title-page  to  the  New  Testament  reads: 

The  new  testament  of  our  sauiour  Jesu  Chryst,  translated  in 
to  English:  and  newly  recognised  with  great  diligence  after  moost 
faythfull  exemplars,  by  Rycharde  Taverner. 

Praye  for  vs,  that  the  worde  of  God  maye  haue  fre  passage 
and  be  gloryfied.  iv.  Tessa,  iii. 

Prynted  in  the  yere  of  oure  Lorde  God  m.d.  xxxix. 

There  were  no  cuts  and  few  notes.  The  following  are 
specimens  of  the  translation: 


2IO  The  Book  of  Books 

Psalm  2: 

Why  do  the  Hey  then  grudge?  why  do  the  people  ymagyne 
vayne  thinges? 

The  kynges  of  the  earthe  stande  vp,  &  the  rulers  are  come 
togither,  against  y^  Lorde  and  against  his  annointed. 

Let  vs  breake  their  bondes  asunder,  and  cast  awaye  their 
yock  from  vs. 

But  he  y^  dwelleth  in  heauen,  shall  laughe  them  to  scorne:  the 
Lorde  him  selfe  shal  haue  them  in  derysion. 

The  shal  he  speake  vnto  them  in  his  wrath  and  vexe  them  in 
his  sore  displeasure. 

Yet  haue  I  set  my  kynge  vpon  my  holy  hill  of  Sion. 

As  for  me,  I  will  preache  the  lawe,  wherof  the  Lorde  hath 
sayde  vnto  me:  Thou  arte  my  sonne,  this  daye  haue  I  begotten  the. 

Aske  of  me,  and  I  shall  gyue  the  the  Heythen  for  thyne  enheri- 
taunce,  Yea  the  vttermoste  partes  of  the  worlde  for  thy  possession. 

Thou  shalt  rule  theym  with  a  rod  of  yron,  and  breake  them 
in  peces  lyke  an  earthen  vessell. 

Be  wyse  now  therfore,  O  ye  kynges,  be  warned,  ye  that  are 
iudges  of  the  earth. 

Serve  the  Lorde  with  feare,  and  reioyse  before  him  with 
reverence. 

Embrace  instruction,  least  the  Lorde  be  angrye,  and  so  ye 
perysh  from  the  right  waye. 

For  his  wrath  shalbe  kyndled  shortly:  blessed  are  all  they 
that  put  their  trust  in  him. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  (Matt.  6):  Our  father  whiche  art  in 
heauen,  halowed  be  thy  name.  Let  thy  kyngdome  come.  Thy 
wyll  be  done,  as  well  in  earthe,  as  in  heauen.  Geue  vs  to  daye 
oure  dayly  bred.  And  forgeue  vs  oure  dettes,  euen  as  we  forgeue 
oure  detters.  And  leade  vs  not  into  temptation:  but  delyuer  vs 
from  euyel.  For  thyne  is  the  kingdome  and  the  power,  and  the 
glory  for  euer.     Amen. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
THE  GREAT  BIBLE  AND  CRANMER'S   BIBLE 

THE  GREAT  BIBLE  is  so  called  on  account  of  its 
size — the  pages  were  nine  by  fifteen  inches.  It  was 
published  in  1539,  and  an  account  of  its  preparation  and 
publication  is  given  by  Strype  in  his  Memorials  of  Arch- 
bishop Cranmer.  Having  referred  to  Matthew's  Bible  he 
continues: 

Grafton  and  the  rest  of  the  Merchants  concerned  in  the  Work, 
thinking  that  they  had  not  Stock  enough  to  supply  all  the  Nation, 
and  this  Book  being  of  a  Volume  not  large  enough,  and  considering 
the  Prologues  and  Marginal  Notes  gave  offence  to  some,  and  being 
put  on  by  those  that  favoured  the  Gospel,  that  as  many  as  possible 
could  be,  might  be  printed,  for  the  dispersing  the  knowledg  of 
Christ  and  his  Truth;  they  resolved  to  imprint  it  again,  which 
they  intended  should  be  of  a  larger  Volume  than  any  before;  and 
therefore  it  was  called,  when  it  came  forth.  The  Bible  in  the  largest 
Volume.  They  intended  also,  in  order  to  this  Edition,  to  have 
the  former  Translation  revised,  and  to  omit  several  Prologues  and 
Annotations.  And  Miles  Coverdale  was  the  Man  now,  that  com- 
pared the  Translation  with  the  Hebrew,  and  mended  it  in  divers 
places,  and  was  the  chief  Overseer  of  the  Work.  But  though  they 
left  out  Matthew's,  that  is  Roger's  Notes,  yet  they  resolved  to 
make  Hands  and  Marks  on  the  sides  of  the  Book:  which  meant, 
that  they  would  have  particular  notice  to  be  taken  of  those  Places, 
being  such  Texts  as  did  more  especially  strike  at  the  Errors  and 
Abuses  of  the  Romish  Church. 

Grafton  resolved  to  print  this  Bible  in  Paris,  if  he  could  obtain 
leave,  there  being  better  Paper  and  cheaper  to  be  had  in  France, 
and  more  dextrous  Workmen.  For  this  purpose  the  Lord  Crumzvel, 
who  stood  by  him  in  this  Enterprise,  procured  Letters  of  the  King, 
as  Fox  relates,  to  Francis  the  French  King,  which  were  conveyed 
to  Boner  then  Ambassador  at  that  Court,  for  him  to  present  them 
to  that  King.  The  Contents  of  which  Letters  of  King  Henry  were 
to  this  effect,  "For  a  Subject  of  his  to  imprint  the  Bible  in  English 
in  his  Dominion,  both  in  regard  of  his  Paper  and  Workmen."     The 

(211) 


212  The  Book  of  Books 

King  at  the  same  time  wrote  to  his  said  Ambassador  to  aid  and 
assist  the  Undertakers  of  this  good  Work  in  all  their  reasonable 
Suits.  Boner  did  not  only  present  this  Letter  to  Francis,  and 
obtained  with  good  Words  the  Licence  desired,  but  he  shewed 
great  Friendship  to  the  Merchants  and  Printers,  and  so  encouraged 
them  that  the  Work  went  on  with  good  Speed  and  Success.  .  .  . 

But  notwithstanding  this  Royal  Licence,  such  was  the  over- 
swaying  Authority  of  the  Inquisition  in  Paris,  that  the  Printers 
were  had  up  unto  the  said  Inquisition.  .  .  .  The  Printer,  [Fran- 
cois Regnault]  was  sent  for  by  the  Inquisitors,  and  charged  with 
certain  Articles  of  Heresy:  And  the  English-men  likewise  that 
were  at  the  Cost  and  Charges  hereof,  and  the  Corrector  Coverdale. 
Therefore  finding  it  not  safe  to  tarry  any  longer,  they  fled  away 
as  fast  as  they  could,  leaving  behind  them  all  their  Bibles,  the 
Impression  consisting  of  five  and  twenty  hundred  in  Number; 
which  were  seized.  And  if  you  would  know  what  was  done  with 
them,  the  Lieutenant-Criminal  caused  them  to  be  burnt  in  Maubert- 
place,  as  heretical  books.  Only  a  few  escaped,  the  Lieutenant 
selling  them  for  Waste-paper  to  a  Haberdasher,  being  about  four 
dry-Fats  full.  But  however  not  long  after,  the  English  that  were 
concerned  in  this  Work,  by  the  Encouragement  of  Crumwel,  went 
back  to  Paris  again,  and  got  the  Presses,  Letters,  and  Printing- 
Servants,  and  brought  them  over  to  London.  And  so  became 
Printers  themselves,  which  before  they  never  intended.  .  .  . 

To  this  Impression  of  the  Bible,  that  came  forth  in  these 
troublesome  Times,  and  through  extraordinary  Opposition,  the 
King  gave  Countenance,  commanding  the  buying  and  setting  it  up. 
For  as  it  had  been  printed  about  three  Years  before;  and  Crumwel, 
the  King's  Vicar-General,  in  his  Injunctions  in  the  King's  Name, 
had  ordered  all  incumbents  of  Livings  to  provide  one,  and  to  set 
it  up  publickly  in  their  Churches;  so  this  Year  the  King,  by  his 
Proclamation  in  the  month  of  May,  did  again  command,  that  this 
Bible  of  the  largest  Volume  should  be  provided  by  the  Curates 
and  Parishioners  of  every  Parish,  and  set  up  in  their  Churches. 
For  as  yet,  notwithstanding  the  first  Injunctions,  many  Parishes 
in  the  Realm  were  destitute  of  them:  Whether  it  were  by  reason 
of  the  unwillingness  of  the  Priests  to  have  the  English  Bible,  or 
the  People  to  be  any  ways  acquainted  with  it,  for  fear  it  should 
make  them  Hereticks,  as  their  Curate  told  them.  He  stinted  also 
the  time,  namely,  that  it  should  be  every  where  provided  before 
All-Saints  Day  next  coming,  and  that  upon  a  Penalty  of  forty 
Shillings  a  Month,  after  the  said  Feast,  that  they  should  be  without 
it.  The  said  Proclamation  also  set  the  Price  at  ten  Shillings  a 
Book  unbound;  and  well  Bound  and  Clasped,  not  above  twelve 
Shillings.  And  charged  all  Ordinaries  to  take  care  for  the  seeing 
this  Command  of  the  King  the  better  executed. 

And  upon  this.  Boner,  being  newly  Bishop  of  London,  set  up 
six    Bibles   in    certain    convenient    Places   of  S.    Paul's    Church; 


The  Great  Bible 


213 


TITLE-PAGE  OF  THE  GREAT  BIBLE,   1539 


214  T"he  Book  of  Books 

together  with  an  Admonition  to  the  Readers,  fastned  upon  the 
Pillars  to  which  the  Bibles  were  chained,  to  this  Tenor;  "That 
whosoever  came  there  to  read,  should  prepare  himself  to  be  edified 
and  made  the  better  thereby.  That  he  should  join  thereunto  his 
readiness  to  obey  the  King's  Injunctions  made  in  that  behalf. 
That  he  bring  with  him  Discretion,  honest  Intent,  Charity,  Rever- 
ence, and  quiet  Behaviour.  That  there  should  no  such  Number 
meet  together  there,  as  to  make  a  Multitude.  That  it  be  not  read 
with  Noise  in  time  of  Divine  Service:  Or  that  any  Disputation  or 
Contention  be  used  at  it." 

The  title-page  of  the  Great  Bible  w^as  printed  in  red 
and  black  and  w^as  as  follows: 

The  Byble  in  Englyshe,  that  is  to  saye  the  content  of  all  the 
holy  scrypture,  both  of  y^  olde  and  newe  testament  truly  trans- 
lated after  the  veryte  of  the  Hebrue  and  Greke  textes,  by  y® 
dylygent  studye  of  dyuerse  excellent  learned  men  expert  in  the 
forsayde  tonges.  ^  Printed  by  Rychard  Grafton  &  Edward  Whit- 
church.   Cum  priuilegio  ad  imprimendum  solum.    1539. 

After  the  title-page  came  the  "Names  of  the  bokes  of 
the  Byble,  v^ith  chapter  and  leafe";  "The  Kalendar  & 
Almanach"  (for  17  years);  "An  exhortacyon  to  the  studye 
of  the  holy  Scryptures  gathered  out  of  the  Byble,"  at  the 
end  of  which  were  the  words,  "God  saue  the  Kynge";  "A 
descripcyon  and  successe  of  the  kynges  of  Juda  and  Jeru- 
salen,  declarynge  whan  &  vnder  what  kynges  euery  prophet 
lyued.  And  what  notable  thynges  happened  m  theyr  tymes, 
translated  oute  of  the  Hebrue";  "Wyth  what  iudgment  the 
bokes  of  the  Olde  Testament  are  to  be  red."  There  are 
title-pages  before  Joshua,  Psalms,  Apocrypha,  and  New 
Testament.  The  colophon  reads:  "The  ende  of  the  new 
Testamet:  and  of  the  whole  Byble,  Fynisshed  in  Apryll, 
Anno  M.ccccc. XXXIX.     A  dno  factu  est  istud." 

From  the  part  that  Cromwell  took  in  furthering  this 
translation  of  the  Bible  it  is  sometimes  called  Cromwell's 
Bible.     The  following  are  samples  of  its  renderings: 

Psalm  2:  Why  do  the  Heathen  grudge  together.''  and  why 
do  the  people  ymagine  a  vayne  thynge.'*  The  kynges  of  the  earth 
stande  vp,  and  the  rulers  take  councell  together  agaynst  the  Lorde, 
and  agaynst  hys  anoynted.  Let  vs  break  their  bondes  asunder, 
and  cast  awaye  their  coardes  fro  vs.  He  that  dwelleth  in  heauen, 
shall  laugh  them  to  scorne:  the  Lorde  shall  haue  them  in  derysyon. 
Then  shall  he  speake  vnto  them  in  hys  wrath,  and  vexe  them  in 
hys  sore  dyspleasure.  Yet  haue  I  set  my  kynge  vpon  my  holy 
hyll  of  Syon. 


The  Great  Bible 


215 


I  wyll  preach  the  law,  wherof  the  Lord  hath  sayde  vnto  me. 
Thou  art  my  sonne,  this  daye  haue  I  begotten  the.  Desyre  of  me, 
and  I  shall  geue  y^  the  Heathen  for  thine  enheritaunce,  ad  the 
vttermost  partes  of  the  earth  for  thy  possessio.  Thou  shalt  bruse 
them  with  a  rodde  of  yron,  and  breake  them  in  peces  lyke  a  potters 
vessell.  Be  wyse  now  therfore,  O  ye  kynges,  be  warned,  ye  that 
are  iudges  of  the  earth.  Serue  the  Lorde  in  feare,  and  reioyse 
(vnto  him)  wyth  reuerece.  Kysse  the  sonne,  lest  he  be  angrye, 
and  so  ye  perysh  from  the  ryght  waye  yf  hys  wrath  be  kyndled 
but  a  lytle:   blessed  are  all  they  that  put  their  trust  in  hym. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  (Matt.  6):  Oure  father  which  art  in 
heauen,  halowed  be   thy  name.     Let  thy  kingdome  come.     Thy 


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A  CHAINED  LIBRARY 
This  is  in  St.  Ann's  Church,  Hereford 

(CouTlesy  of  the  Bishop  of  Hereford) 


will  be  fulfilled,  as  well  in  erth,  as  it  is  in  heuen.  Geue  vs  this 
daye  oure  dayly  bred.  And  forgeue  vs  oure  dettes,  as  we  forgeue 
oure  detters.  And  leade  vs  not  into  temptation:  but  delyuer  vs 
from  euyell.  For  thyne  is  the  kyngdom  and  the  power,  and  the 
glorye  for  euer.     Amen. 

Seven  editions  of  the  Great  Bible  were  issued  between 
April,  1539,  and  December,  1541.  The  second  edition,  in 
1540,  contained  a  prologue  by  Archbishop  Cranmer  and 
because  of  that,  this  and  subsequent  editions  are  sometimes 
called  Cranmer's  Bibles.     The  title-page  reads: 


The  Book  of  Books 


THOMAS  CRANMER,  ARCHBISHOP  OF  CANTERBURY 

(.From  the  frontispiece  to  Slrype's  "Memorials  of  Archbishop  Cranmcr") 


Cranmer's  Bible  217 

^  The  Byble  in  Englyshe,  that  is  to  saye  the  contet  of  al  the 
holy  scrypture,  both  of  y"  olde,  and  newe  testamet,  with  a  prologe 
therinto,  made  by  the  reuerende  father  in  God,  Thomas  arch- 
bysshop  of  Cantorbury, 

^  This  is  the  Byble  apoynted  to  the  vse  of  the  churches 
if  Prynted  by  Edward  whytchurche  cum  priuilegio  ad  impri- 
mendum  solum  m.d.  xl 

After  the  title-page  were  the  following:  "The  Kalender 
and  Almanack";  "An  exhortacyon  to  the  Studye  of  the 
holy  Scripture  gathered  out  of  the  Byble";  "A  prologue, 
expressynge  what  is  meant  by  certayn  sygnes  and  tokens 
that  we  haue  set  in  the  Byble"  with  "God  saue  the  Kynge" 
in  large  type  at  the  bottom;  "A  descripcyon  and  successe 
of  the  kynges,  etc. ";  The  prologue,  "  ^  A  prologue  or  preface 
made  by  the  moost  reuerende  father  in  God,  Thomas 
Archbyshop  of  Canturbury  Metropolytan  and  Prymate  of 
Englande,"  with  "God  saue  the  kynge"  at  the  end  and  two 
sets  of  initials,  H  R,  the  first  small,  the  second  about  two 
inches  square  and  very  ornamental;  "The  names  of  all  the 
bookes  of  the  Byble  with  number  of  chapters  and  leafe 
where  found";  and  at  the  end  a  table  to  find  the  Epistles  and 
Gospels.  There  are  title-pages  to  Joshua,  Psalms,  "Hagio- 
grapha,"  and  the  New  Testament. 

The  translation  was  considerably  revised  from  the  1539 
edition,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  examples : 

PsALM  2:  Why  do  the  Heythen  so  furiouslye  rage  together.? 
and  why  do  y®  people  ymagyne  a  vayne  thynge.? 

The  kynges  of  the  erth  stonde  vp,  and  the  rulers  take  councell 
together  agaynst  the  Lorde,  and  agaynst  hys  anoynted.  Let  vs 
breake  theyr  bondes  asunder,  and  cast  awaye  theyr  coardes 
from  vs. 

He  that  dwelleth  in  heauen  shall  laugh  them  to  scorn:  the 
Lorde  shall  haue  them  in  derisyon.  Then  shall  he  speak  vnto 
them  in  hys  wrath,  and  vexe  them  in  hys  sore  displeasure.  Yet 
haue  I  set  my  kynge  vpon  my  holy  hill  of  Syon.  I  wyll  preach 
the  lawe,  wherof  the  Lorde  hath  sayd  vnto  me:  thou  arte  my  sonne, 
thys  daye  haue  I  begotten  the.  Desyre  of  me,  and  I  shall  geue 
the,  y®  Heythen  for  thyne  enheritaunce,  &  the  vtmost  partes  of 
the  erthe  for  thy  possessyo. 

Thou  shalt  bruse  them  with  a  rodd  of  yron,  and  break  them 
in  peces  lyke  a  potters  vessell.  Be  wyse  nowe  therfore,  O  ye 
kinges,  be  warned,  ye  that  are  iudges  of  the  earth.  Serue  the 
Lorde  in  feare,  and  reioyse  (vnto  hym)  with  reuerence.      Kysse 


2i8  The  Book  of  Books 

the  Sonne,  lest  he  be  angrye,  &  so  ye  perysshe  fro  the  (ryght) 
waye,  Yf  his  wrath  be  kyndled  (yee  but  a  lytle)  blessed  are  all 
they  that  put  theyr  trust  in  hym. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  (Matt.  6):  Our  father  which  art  in 
heauen,  halowed  be  thy  name.  Lett  thy  kyngdome  come.  Thy 
will  be  fulfylled,  as  well  in  earth,  as  it  is  in  heauen.  Geue  vs  this 
daye  oure  daylye  breade.  And  forgeue  vs  our  dettes  as  we  forgeue 
oure  detters.  And  leade  vs  not  into  temptacyon:  but  delyuer  vs 
from  euyll.  For  thyne  is  the  kyngdome  and  the  power,  and  the 
glorye  for  euer.  Amen. 

In  the  fourth  edition,  November,  1540,  the  arms  of 
Cromwell  were  removed  from  the  title-page,  as  he  had 
fallen  under  the  displeasure  of  the  king  and  been  executed 
July  28,  1540.  This  edition  is  remarkable  for  the  fact  that 
upon  its  title-page  appear  the  names  of  two  bishops,  one  of 
them  the  Cuthbert  Tonstal  who  fifteen  years  earlier,  as 
bishop  of  London,  had  so  bitterly  opposed  Tindale's  version. 
The  title-page  to  the  fourth  and  sixth  editions  reads: 

The  Byble  in  Englj^she  of  the  largest  and  greatest  volume, 
auctorysed  and  apoynted  by  the  commaundement  of  oure  moost 
redoubted  Prynce  and  soueragyne  Lorde,  Kynge  Henrye  the  viii, 
supreme  head  of  this  his  churche  and  realme  of  Englande:  to  be 
frequented  and  vsed  in  euer)^  churche  within  this  his  sayd  realme, 
accordynge  to  the  tenour  of  his  former  Iniunctions  geven  in  that 
behalfe.  Ouersene  and  perused  at  the  comaundemet  of  the  kynges 
hyghnes,  by  the  ryghte  reuerende  fathers  in  God,  Cuthbert 
bysshop  of  Duresme,  and  Nicolas  bisshop  of  Rochester.  Printed 
by  Rycharde  Grafton.  Cum  priuilegio  ad  imprimendum  solum, 
1541- 

The  version  of  the  Psalms  in  the  November,  1540, 
edition  of  the  Great  Bible  is  the  one  that  has  been  retained 
in  the  Prayer  Book  of  the  English  Church  to  the  present  day. 

After  December,  1541,  no  Bibles  were  printed  during 
the  remainder  of  Henry  VIII's  reign.  After  Cromwell's 
death,  the  papal  section  of  the  clergy  seems  to  have  pre- 
vailed upon  the  king  to  restrict,  if  not  entirely  withdraw, 
his  favor,  and  so  the  further  printing  of  the  English  Bible 
would  be  done  at  considerable  risk.  It  may  be  that  the 
demand  had  been  supplied  for  the  time  being.  The  two 
causes  combined  would  sufficiently  account  for  the  lack  of 
any  editions  between  1541  and  1547. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
THE  GENEVA   BIBLE 

DURING  the  brief  reign  of  Edward  VI,  1 547-1 553,  no 
new  translations  of  the  Bible  were  published,  but  reprints 
of  Tindale's,  Coverdale's,  Matthew's,  and  Cranmer's  were 
made  to  the  number  of  thirty-five  editions  of  the  complete 
Bible  and  fifteen  of  the  New  Testament.  The  changed  cir- 
cumstances encouraged  the  spread  of  Protestant  principles, 
and  the  English  Prayer  Book  was  prepared  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Archbishop  Cranmer  and  published  in  1549. 

When  Mary  came  to  the  throne  the  persecution  of  the 
Protestants  was  so  vigorously  conducted  that  many  fled  to 
the  continent,  and  many  who  remained  at  home  were  put 
to  death,  John  Rogers  was  the  first  martyr,  and  Arch- 
bishop Cranmer  and  Bishops  Hooper,  Latimer,  and  Ridley 
were  among  the  number.  No  opportunity  was  given  for 
new  translations,  or  for  new  editions  of  earlier  translations, 
to  be  issued  during  her  reign. 

The  work  of  Bible  revision,  however,  was  being  actively 
carried  on  by  some  who  had  found  refuge  at  Geneva,  among 
them  being  Myles  Coverdale,  who  had  been  deprived  of  his 
bishopric  at  Exeter,  but  had  managed  to  escape  martyrdom. 
There  was  at  Geneva  a  colony  of  Reformers,  with  John 
Calvin  as  leader.  In  addition  to  Calvin  and  Coverdale  the 
company  included  John  Knox,  the  pastor  of  the  English 
Church  at  Geneva;  William  Whittingham,  who  had  married 
Calvin's  sister,  later  succeeded  Knox  as  pastor,  and  after- 
ward returned  to  England  and  became  dean  of  Durham; 
Thomas  Cole,  Anthony  Gilbey,  Christopher  Goodwin,  and 
Thomas  Sampson.  In  1557  the  New  Testament  was  pub- 
lished.    It  was  mainly,  if  not    entirely,  the  work  of  Whit- 

(219) 


220  The  Book  of  Books 

tlngham    and   was   printed   by   Conrad   Badius.     The  text 
has  been  reprinted  in  Bagster's  Hexapla. 
The  title-page  reads: 

The  Nevve  Testament  of  ovr  Lord  lesus  Christ.  Conferred 
diligently  with  the  Greke,  and  best  approued  translations.  With 
the  arguments,  as  wel  before  the  Chapters,  as  for  euery  Boke  and 
Epistle,  also  diuersities  of  readings,  and  moste  proffitable  annota- 
tions of  all  harde  places:    Whereunto  is  added  a  copious  Table. 

In  the  center  is  a  woodcut  of  Time,  with  his  familiar 
scythe  and  sand-glass,  drawing  a  naked  female  out  of  a  well. 
At  the  right  is  "God  by  Tyme  restoreth  Trvth."  At  the 
left  is  "and  maketh  her  victoriovs."  At  the  bottom:  "At 
Geneva.     Printed  by  Conrad  Badius  M.D.  LVII." 

After  the  title  follow:  "The  Ordre  of  the  bookes  of 
the  Newe  testament  with  the  nomber  of  Chapters,"  i  page; 
"The  Epistle  declaring  that  Christ  is  the  end  of  the  Lawe, 
By  lohn  Caluin,"  i6  pages;  "The  Translator  to  the  Reader, 
4  pages;  "To  the  reader  mercie  and  peace  through  Christ 
ovr  Sauiour,"  4>^  pages;  "The  Argvment  of  the  Gospel, 
writ  by  the  foure  Euangelists";  the  text,  with  the  chapters 
divided  into  verses  for  the  first  time,  and  printed  in  roman 
type,  instead  of  black  letter;  "the  table  of  the  Newe  Testa- 
ment" and  "A  perfect  svppvtation  of  the  yeres  and  time 
from  Adam  vnto  Christ" — it  is  strange  how  exact  they 
thought  their  chronology  was,  for  it  ends:  "The  whole 
summe  and  number  of  yeres  from  the  begynnyng  of  the 
worlde  vnto  this  presente  yere  of  our  Lord  God  1557,  are 
iust  5531,  6  monethes  and  the  said  odde  ten  dayes."  The 
colophon  is:  "Printed  by  Conrad  Badius  M.D.  LVII  this 
X  of  Ivne." 

The  address  to  the  reader  follows : 

To  the  Reader  mercie  and  peace  through  Christ  our  Sauiour. 

As  the  life  of  a  true  Christia  is  moste  subiect  to  the  repre- 
hesion  of  the  worlde:  so  all  his  actids,  and  entreprises,  be  they 
neuer  so  commendable,  moue  the  wicked  rather  to  grudge  and 
murmure,  the  to  glorifie  God  who  is  autor  of  the  same.  Which 
euil  God  hath  left  to  his  Churche,  as  a  necessarie  exercise,  aswel 
that  ma  sholde  not  be  puffed  vp  with  opinion  of  the  giftes  that  he 
receaueth  of  his  heauely  Father:  as  also  that  seing  how  he  euer 
mainteyneth  the  same  in  despite  of  all  outrageous  tyrannic,  he 
might  be  more  assured  of  Gods  diuine  prouidence,   and   louing 


The  Geneva  Bible  221 

kyndenes  towards  his  elect.  For  this  cause  we  se  that  in  the 
Churche  of  Christ  ther  are  thre  kynde  of  men:  some  are  maHcious 
despicers  of  the  worde,  and  graces  of  God,  who  turne  all  things 
into  poison,  and  a  farther  hardening  of  their  heartes:  others  do  not 
openly  resiste  and  contene  the  Gospel,  because  they  are  stroken 
as  it  were  in  a  trance  with  the  maiestie  thereof,  yet  ether  they 
quarell  and  cauell,  or  els  deride  and  mocke  at  whatsoeuer  thing 
is  done  for  the  aduancemet  of  the  same.  The  thirde  sort  are  the 
simple  lambes,  which  partely  are  already  in  the  folde  of  Christ, 
and  so  heare  willingly  their  Shepeherds  voyce,  and  partly  wander- 
ing astray  by  ignorance,  tary  the  tyme  tyll  the  Shepherde  fynde 
them  and  bring  the  vnto  his  flocke.  To  this  kynde  of  people, 
in  this  translation  I  chiefly  had  respect,  as  moved  with  zeale, 
conselled  by  the  godly,  and  drawen  dy  [should  be  "  by  "]  occasion, 
both  of  the  place  where  God  hath  appointed  vs  to  dwel,  and  also 
of  the  store  of  heauenly  learning  &  iudgemet,  which  so  abundeth 
in  this  Citie  of  Geneua,  that  iustely  it  may  be  called  the  patron 
and  mirrour  of  true  religion  and  godlynes.  To  these  therfore 
which  are  of  the  flocke  of  Christ  which  knowe  their  Fathers  wil, 
and  are  afi^ectioned  to  the  trueth,  I  rendre  a  reason  of  my  doing 
in  fewe  lines.  First  as  touching  the  perusing  of  the  text,  it  was 
diligently  reuised  by  the  moste  approued  Greke  examples,  and  con- 
ference of  translations  in  other  tonges  as  the  learned  may  easely 
iudge,  both  by  the  faithful  rendering  of  the  sentence,  and  also  by 
the  proprietie  of  the  wordes,  and  perspicuitie  of  the  phrase.  For- 
thermore  that  the  Reader  might  be  by  all  meanes  proflfited,  I  haue 
deuided  the  text  into  verses  and  sectios,  according  to  the  best 
editions  in  other  langages,  and  also,  as  to  this  day  the  ancient 
Greke  copies  mencion,  it  was  wont  to  be  vsed.  And  because  the 
Hebrewe  and  Greke  phases,  which  are  strange  to  rendre  in  other 
tongues,  and  also  short,  shulde  not  be  so  harde,  I  haue  sometyme 
interpreted  them  without  any  whit  diminishing  the  grace  of  the 
sense,  as  our  lagage  doth  vse  them,  and  sometyme  haue  put  to 
that  worde,  which  lacking  made  the  sentence  obscure,  but  haue 
set  it  in  such  letters  as  may  easely  be  discerned  from  the  comun 
text.  As  concerning  the  Annotations,  wherunto  these  letters, 
a,  b,  c,  &c.  leade  vs,  I  haue  endeuored  so  to  proflfit  all  therby, 
that  both  the  learned  and  others  might  be  holpen:  for  to  my 
knollage  I  haue  omitted  nothing  vnexpounded,  wherby  he  that  is 
anything  exercised  in  the  Scriptures  of  God,  might  iustely  co- 
playn  of  hardnes:  and  also  in  respect  of  the  that  haue  more 
proffited  in  the  same  I  haue  explicat  all  suche  places  by  the  best 
learned  interpreters;  as  ether  were  falsely  expounded  by  some  or 
els  absurdely  applyed  by  others:  so  that  by  this  meanes  both  they 
which  haue  not  abilitie  to  by  the  Commentaries  upon  the  Newe 
testament,  and  they  also  which  haue  not  opportunitie  &  leasure 
to  reade  them  because  of  their  prolixitie  may  vse  this  booke  in 
stede  therof,  and  some  tyme  wher  the  place  is  not  greatly  harde, 


222  The  Book  of  Books 

I  haue  noted  with  this  marke  ",  that  which  may  serue  to  the  edifi- 
cation of  the  Reader:  adding  also  suche  commone  places,  as  may 
cause  him  better  to  take  hede  to  the  doctrine.  Moreouer,  the 
diuerse  readings  according  to  diuerse  Greke  copies,  which  stade 
but  in  one  worde,  may  be  knowe  by  this  note  ",  and  if  the  bookes 
do  alter  in  the  sentence  then  is  it  noted  with  this  starre  *,  as  the 
cotations  are.  Last  of  all  remayne  the  arguments,  aswel  they 
which  conteyne  the  sume  of  euery  chapter,  as  the  other  which 
are  placed  before  the  bookes  and  epistles:  wherof  the  commoditie 
is  so  great,  that  they  may  serue  in  stede  of  a  Commentarie  to  the 
Reader:  for  many  reade  the  Scriptures  with  myndes  to  proffit,  but 
because  they  do  not  consider  the  scope  and  purpose  wherfore  the 
holy  Gost  so  writeth  &  to  what  ende  (which  thing  the  Arguments 
do  faithfully  expresse)  they  either  bestowe  their  tyme  without 
fruit,  or  els  defraude  them  selues  of  a  great  deale  which  they  might 
atteyne  vnto  otherwise.  To  the  intent  therfore  that,  not  onely 
they  which  are  already  aduanced  in  the  knollage  of  the  Scriptures, 
but  also  the  simple  and  vnlearned  might  be  forthered  hereby,  I 
haue  so  moderat  the  with  playnenes  and  breuitie,  that  the  verie 
ignorant  may  easely  vnderstande  them  and  beare  them  in  memorie. 
And  for  this  cause  I  haue  applied  but  one  argument  to  the  foure 
Euangelists,  chiefely  for  because  that  all  writing  one  matter, 
thogh  by  euery  one  diuersly  handeled,  they  required  no  diuersitie 
of  arguments.  Thus  in  fewe  wordes  I  haue  declared  as  touching 
the  chiefe  pointes,  beseching  God  so  to  inflame  our  hearts  with  the 
desire  to  knowe  his  diuine  wil,  that  we  may  meditate  in  his  holy 
worde  both  day  and  night,  wherin  he  hath  reueiled  it,  and  hauing 
atteyned  thervnto  may  so  practise  it  in  all  our  actions,  that  as 
we  growe  in  the  ripenes  of  our  Christian  age,  so  we  may  glorifie 
him  more  and  more  rendring  to  him  eternal  thankes  and  praises 
for  his  heauenly  and  inestimable  giftes  bestowed  vpon  his  Churche, 
that  all  thogh  Satan,  Antichrist,  and  all  his  ennemies  rage  and 
burste,  yet  are  they  not  able  to  suppresse  them,  nether  wil  he 
diminishe  them:  for  seing  he  doth  not  onely  brydel  his  ennemies 
furie,  but  causeth  them  to  defende  and  preserue  his  gifts  for  the 
vse  of  his  Churche  (as  we  se  the  Jewes,  Christs  professed  ennemies 
preserue  the  olde  testament  in  moste  integritie)  what  shulde  we 
doute  of  his  bontiful  liberalitie  towards  vs.^  or  why  do  we  not 
rather  with  all  humilitie  and  submission  of  mynde  obey  him,  loue 
and  feare  him  which  is  God  blessed  for  euer.?  To  whome  with  the 
Sonne  and  holy  Gost  be  praise,  honour  &  glorie.      Amen 

The  following  is  the  Lord's  Prayer  from  the  Geneva 
Testament: 

9  Our  father  which  are  in  heaue,  halowed  be  thy  name. 

ID  Let  thy  kingdome  come.     Thy  wil  be  done  euen  in  earth, 
as  it  is  in  heauen. 

II  Geue  vs  thys  day  our  dayly  bread. 


The  Geneva  Bible  223 

12  And  forgeue  vs  our  debtes,  euen  as  we  forgeue  our  debters. 

13  And  lead  vs  not  into  tentation,  but  deliuer  vs  from  euil. 
For  thyne  is  the  kingdome,  and  the  power,  and  the  glorie  for 
euer,  Amen. 

In  1560  the  complete  Geneva  Bible  was  issued,  in  which 
the  New  Testament  portion  was  considerably  altered  from 
Whittingham's  version  of  1557. 

The  title-page  of  the  Bible  reads: 

THE  BIBLE  and  HOLY  SCRIPTVRES  conteyned  in  the 
Olde  and  New  Testament.  Translated  according  to  the  Ebrue 
and  Greke,  and  conferred  with  the  best  translations  in  diuers 
langages.  With  moste  profitable  annotations  vpon  all  the  hard 
places,  and  other  things  of  great  importance  as  may  appeare  in 
the  Epistle  to  the  Reader.  At  Geneva.  Printed  by  Rovland 
Hall  M.D.  LX. 

In  the  center  of  the  page  is  a  cut  of  the  Israelites  crossing 
the  Red  Sea  and  around  it  are  the  following  inscriptions: 
At  the  top:  "Feare  ye  not,  stand  stil  and  beholde  the  salva- 
tion of  the  Lord  which  he  will  showe  to  you  this  day.  Exod. 
14.13."  Beneath:  "The  Lord  shal  fight  for  you,  therefore 
holde  you  your  peace.  Exod.  14,  verse  14."  At  the  left, 
running  up:  "Great  are  the  troubles  of  the  righteous,"  and 
at  the  right,  running  down,  "but  the  Lord  deliuereth  them 
out  of  all.     Psal.  34.19." 

After  the  title:  "The  names  and  order  of  all  the  bookes 
of  the  olde  Testamet  with  the  nombre  of  their  chapters,  and 
the  leafe  where  thei  begyn";  Dedication  to  Queen  EHza- 
beth,  4  pages;  "To  our  beloved  in  the  Lord,"  &c.  after  the 
title-page  to  the  New  Testament,  the  "Description  of  the 
holy  lande"  with  a  map;  at  the  end,  a  Table  of  the  Inter- 
pretation of  Proper  Names;  Table  of  the  principal  things 
contained  in  the  Bible,  alphabetically  arranged;  a  Chrono- 
logical Table  from  Adam  to  Christ.  There  are  numerous 
woodcuts  to  illustrate  the  tabernacle  and  its  furniture,  and 
two  2-page  maps  to  illustrate  the  wilderness  wanderings  and 
the  gospel  narratives. 

The  following  is  the  dedication: 

To  the  most  vertvovs  and  noble  qvene  Elisabet,  Quene  of 
England,  France  ad  Ireland,  &c.  Your  humble  subiects  of 
the  English  Churche  at  Geneua,  with  grace  and  peace  from 
God  the  Father  through  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 


The  Book  of  Books 


THE 


NEWE  TESTAMENT 

OF     OVR    LORD 

I  S  SV  S       C  1{\I  S  T, 


Conferred  diligently  with  the  Greke,andb«ftappro- 
ucd tranllacions  in  diucrs  languages. 


I  X  O  D.      imij  VeR.  IiH. 

Wic  ihcfiUicm  eftlx  tjiri,Vf)mh  fo  Ttiijhme  i»>w»  ilmiir^ 


"X 


-*:Jr 


"1     :        ^^ 


J  1 


vryrriAHr         j*> 


T  u  £    Lo\D    s  H ^  L    p  I  g  n  r    f  o\    T  oxn 


A  T    C  E  N  E  V  A. 

M.  d;   lx. 


TITLE-PAGE   OF  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT   IN  THE  GENEVA 

BIBLE,  1560 

{From  tile  cow  in  the  New  York  Public  Library) 


The  Geneva  Bible  225 

How  hard  a  thing  it  is,  and  what  great  impedimentes  let,  to 
enterprise  any  worthie  act,  not  only  dailie  experience  sufficiently 
sheweth  (moste  noble  and  vertuous  Quene)  but  also  that  notable 
prouerbe  doeth  cofirme  the  same,  which  admonisheth  vs,  that  all 
thigs  are  hard  which  are  faire  and  excellet.  And  what  enterprise 
can  there  be  of  greater  importance,  and  more  acceptable  vnto 
God,  or  more  worthie  of  singuler  commendation,  then  the  building 
of  the  Lords  Temple,  the  house  of  God,  the  Church  of  Christ, 
whereof  the  Sonne  of  God  is  the  head  and  perfection? 

When  Jerubbabel  went  about  to  builde  the  material  Temple 
according  to  the  commandement  of  the  Lord,  what  difficulties 
and  stayes  daily  arose  to  hinder  his  worthy  indeuours,  y®  bookes 
of  Ezra  and  Esdras  playnely  witnesse:  how  that  not  only  he  and 
the  people  of  God  were  fore  molested  with  foreyn  aduersaries, 
(whereof  some  maliciously  warred  against  them,  and  corrupted 
the  Kings  officers:  and  others  craftely  practised  vnder  pretence 
of  religion)  but  also  at  home  with  domestical  enemies,  as  false 
Prophetes,  craftie  worldlings,  faint  hearted  soldiers,  and  oppressors 
of  their  brethren,  who  aswel  by  false  doctrine  and  lyes,  as  by 
subtil  counsel,  cowardies,  and  extortion,  discouraged  the  heartes 
almoste  of  all:  so  that  the  Lordes  worke  was  not  only  interrupted 
and  left  of  for  a  long  tyme,  but  scarcely  at  the  length  with  great 
labour  and  danger  after  a  sort  broght  to  passe. 

Which  thing  when  we  weigh  aright,  and  consider  earnestly 
howe  muche  greater  charge  God  hath  laid  vpon  you  in  making 
you  a  builder  of  his  spiritual  Temple,  we  can  not  but  partely 
feare,  knowing  the  crafte  and  force  of  Satan  our  spiritual  enemie, 
and  the  weakenes  and  vnabilitie  of  this  our  nature:  and  partely 
be  feruent  in  our  prayers  toward  God  that  he  wolde  bring  to  per- 
fection this  noble  worke  which  he  hath  begun  by  you:  and  there- 
fore we  indeuour  our  selues  by  all  meanes  to  ayde,  &  to  bestowe 
our  whole  force  vnder  your  graces  stadard,  whome  God  hath 
made  as  our  Zerubbabel  for  the  erecting  of  this  moste  excellent 
Temple,  and  to  plant  and  maynteyn  his  holy  worde  to  the  aduance- 
ment  of  his  glorie,  for  your  owne  honour  and  saluatio  of  your 
soule,  and  for  the  singuler  comfort  of  that  great  flocke  which 
Christ  lesus  the  great  shepherd  hath  boght  with  his  precious  blood, 
and  committed  vnto  your  charge  to  be  fed  both  in  body  and  soule. 

Considering  therefore  how  many  enemies  there  are,  which  by 
one  meanes  or  other  as  the  aduersaries  of  Judah  and  Benjamin 
went  about  to  stay  the  building  of  that  Temple,  so  labour  to  hinder 
the  course  of  this  building  (whereof  some  are  Papistes,  who  vnder 
pretence  of  fauoring  Gods  worde,  traiterously  seke  to  erect  idola- 
trie  and  to  destroy  your  maiestie:  some  are  worldlings,  who  as 
Demas  haue  forsake  Christ  for  the  loue  of  this  worlde:  others 
are  ambicious  prelats,  who  as  Amasiah  &  Diotrephes  can  abide 
none  but  them  selues:  and  as  Demetrius  many  practise  sedition 
to  maynteyne  their  errors)  we  persuade  our  selues  that  there  was 


226  The  Book  of  Books 

no  way  so  expedient  and  necessarie  for  the  preseruation  of  the 
one,  and  the  destruction  of  the  other  as  to  present  vnto  your 
Maiestie  the  holy  Scriptures  faithfully  and  playnely  translated 
according  to  the  langages  wherein  thei  were  first  written  by  the 
holy  Gost.  For  the  worde  of  God  is  an  euident  token  of  God's 
loue  and  our  assurance  of  his  defence,  wheresoeuer  it  is  obediently 
receyued:  it  is  the  trial  of  the  spirits:  and  as  the  Prophet  saieth. 
It  is  as  a  fyre  and  hammer  to  breake  the  stonie  heartes  of  them 
that  resist  God's  mercies  ofFred  by  the  preaching  of  the  same. 
Yea  it  is  sharper  then  any  two  edged  sworde  to  examine  the  very 
thoghtes  and  to  iudge  the  aflPections  of  the  heart,  and  to  discouer 
whatsoeuer  lyeth  hid  vnder  hypocrisie  and  wolde  be  secret  from 
the  face  of  God  and  his  Churche.  So  that  this  must  be  the  first 
fundacion  and  groundworke,  according  whereunto  the  good  stones 
of  this  building  must  be  framed,  and  the  euil  tried  out  and  reiected. 

Now  as  he  that  goeth  about  to  lay  a  fundacion  surely,  first 
taketh  away  suche  impedimentes,  as  might  iustely  ether  hurt,  let 
or  difForme  the  worke:  so  is  it  necessarie  that  your  graces  zeale 
appeare  herein,  that  nether  the  craftie  persuasion  of  man,  nether 
worldly  policie,  or  natural  feare  dissuade  you  to  roote  out,  cut 
downe  and  destroy  these  wedes  and  impedimentes  which  do  not 
only  deface  your  building,  but  vtterly  indeuour,  yea  &  threaten 
the  ruine  thereof.  For  when  the  noble  losias  enterprised  the  like 
kinde  of  worke,  among  other  notable  and  many  things  he  destroyed, 
not  only  with  vtter  confusion  the  idoles  with  their  appertinances, 
but  also  burnt  (in  syne  of  detestatio)  the  idolatrous  priests  bones 
vpon  their  altars,  and  put  to  death  the  false  prophetes  and  sor- 
cerers, to  performe  the  wordes  of  the  Lawe  of  God:  and  therefore 
the  Lord  gaue  him  good  successe  &  blessed  him  wonderfully,  as 
long  as  he  made  Gods  worde  his  line  and  rule  to  followe,  and 
enterprised  nothing  before  he  had  inquired  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord. 

And  if  these  zealous  begynnings  seme  dangerous  and  to  brede 
disquietnes  in  your  dominions,  yet  by  the  storie  of  King  Asa  it  is 
manifest,  that  the  quietnes  and  peace  of  kingdomes  standeth  in 
the  vtter  abolishing  of  idolatrie,  and  in  aduancing  of  true  religion: 
for  in  his  dayes  ludah  lyued  in  rest  and  quietnes  for  the  space  of 
fyue  and  thirtie  yere,  til  at  length  he  began  to  be  colde  in  the 
zeale  of  the  Lord,  feared  the  power  of  man,  imprisoned  the  Prophet 
of  God,  and  oppressed  the  people:  then  the  Lord  sent  him  warres, 
&  at  length  toke  him  away  by  death. 

Wherefore  great  wisdome,  not  worldelie,  but  heauenly  is  here 
required,  which  your  grace  must  earnestly  craue  of  the  Lord,  as 
did  Solomon,  to  whome  God  gaue  an  vnderstanding  heart  to  iudge 
his  people  aright,  and  to  discerne  betwene  good  and  bad.  For  if 
God  for  the  furnishing  of  the  olde  temple  gaue  the  Spirit  of  wis- 
dome &  vnderstanding  to  them  that  shulde  be  the  workemen 
thereof,  as  to  Bezaleel,  Aholiab,  and  Hiram:  how  much  more  will 


The  Geneva  Bible  227 

he  indewe  your  grace  and  other  godly  princes  and  chefe  gouernours 
with  a  principal  Spirit,  and  you  may  procure  and  commande  things 
necessarie  for  this  moste  holy  Temple,  forese  and  take  hede  of 
things  that  might  hinder  it,  and  abolish  and  destroy  whatsoeuer 
might  impere  and  ouerthrowe  the  same? 

Moreouer  the  maruelous  diligence  and  zeale  of  lehoshaphat, 
losiah,  and  Hezekiah  are  by  the  singuler  prouidence  of  God  left 
as  an  example  to  all  godly  rulers  to  reforme  their  countreys  and 
to  establish  the  worde  of  God  with  all  spede,  lest  the  wrath  of 
God  fall  vpon  them  for  the  neglecting  thereof.  For  these  excellent 
Kings  did  not  onely  imbrace  the  worde  promptely  and  ioyfully, 
but  also  procured  earnestly  and  commanded  the  same  to  be  taught, 
preached  and  maynteyned  through  all  their  countryes  and  domin- 
ions, bynding  them  and  all  their  subiectes  bothe  great  and  smalle 
with  solemne  protestations  and  couenantes  before  God  to  obey 
the  worde,  and  to  walke  after  the  waies  of  the  Lord.  Yea  and  in 
the  daies  of  Kyng  Asa  it  was  enacted  what  whosoeuer  wolde  not 
seke  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  shulde  be  slayne,  whether  he  were 
smale  or  great,  man  or  woman.  And  for  the  establishing  hereof 
and  performance  of  this  solemne  othe,  aswel  Priests  as  Judges 
were  appointed  and  placed  through  all  the  cities  of  ludah  to 
instruct  the  people  in  the  true  knollage  and  feare  of  God,  and  to 
minister  iustice  according  to  the  worde,  knowing  that,  except  God 
by  his  worde  dyd  reigne  in  the  heartes  and  soules,  all  mans  dili- 
gence and  indeauors  were  of  none  effect:  for  without  this  worde 
we  can  not  discerne  betwene  iustice,  and  iniurie,  protection  and 
oppression,  wisdome  and  foolishnes,  knollage  and  ignorance,  good 
and  euil.  Therefore  the  Lord,  who  is  the  chefe  gouernour  of  his 
Church,  willeth  that  nothing  be  attempted  before  we  haue  inquired 
thereof  at  his  mouth.  For  seing  he  is  our  God,  of  duty  we  must 
giue  him  the  preeminence,  that  of  our  selues  we  enterprise  nothing, 
but  that  which  he  hath  appointed,  who  only  knoweth  all  things, 
and  gouerneth  them  as  may  best  serue  to  his  glorie  and  our  sal- 
uation.  We  oght  not  therefore  to  preuent  him:  or  do  any  thing 
without  his  worde,  but  assone  as  he  hath  reueiled  his  wil,  immedi- 
ately to  put  it  in  execution. 

Now  as  concerning  the  maner  of  this  building,  it  is  not  accord- 
ing to  man,  nor  after  the  wisdome  of  the  flesh,  but  of  the  Spirit, 
&  according  to  the  worde  of  God,  whose  wais  are  diuers  from  mans 
wais.  For  if  it  was  not  lawful  for  Moses  to  builde  the  material 
Tabernacle  after  any  other  sorte  then  God  had  shewed  him  by  a 
patern,  nether  to  prescribe  any  other  ceremonies  &  lawes  then 
suche  as  the  Lord  had  expresly  commaded:  how  can  it  be  lawful 
to  procede  in  this  spiritual  building  any  other  waies,  then  lesus 
Christ  the  Sonne  of  God,  who  is  bothe  the  fundacion,  head  and 
chief  corner  stone  thereof,  hath  commanded  by  his  worde.?  And 
for  asmuche  as  he  hath  established  and  left  an  order  in  his  Churche 
for  the  building  vp  of  his  body,  appointing  some  to  be  Apostles 


228  The  Book  of  Books 

some  Prophetes,  others  Euangelistes,  some  pastors,  and  teachers, 
he  signifieth  that  euery  one  according  as  he  is  placed  in  this  body, 
which  is  the  Church,  oght  to  inquire  of  his  ministres  concerning 
the  wil  of  the  Lord,  which  is  reueiled  in  his  worde.  For  thei  are, 
saieth  leremiah,  as  the  mouth  of  the  Lord:  yea  he  promiseth  to 
be  with  their  mouth,  &  that  their  Hppes  shal  kepe  knollage,  &  that 
the  trueth  &  the  law  shalbe  in  their  mouth.  For  it  is  their  office 
chefely  to  vnderstand  the  Scriptures  &  teache  them.  For  this 
cause  the  people  of  Israel  in  matters  of  difficultie  vsed  to  aske  the 
Lord  ether  by  the  Prophets,  or  by  the  means  of  the  hie  Priest, 
who  bare  Vrim  &  Thummim,  which  were  tokens  of  light  &  knol- 
lage, of  holines  &  perfectid  which  shulde  be  in  the  hie  Priest. 
Therefore  when  lehoshaphat  toke  this  order  in  the  Church  of 
Israel,  he  appointed  Amariah  to  be  the  chief  concerning  the  worde 
of  God,  because  he  was  moste  expert  in  the  law  of  the  Lord,  and 
colde  gyue  cousel  and  gouerne  according  vnto  the  same.  Else 
there  is  no  degre  or  office  which  may  haue  that  autoritie  and 
priuiledge  to  decise  concerning  Gods  worde,  except  withall  he 
hath  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  sufficient  knollage  and  iudgement  to 
define  according  thereunto.  And  as  euery  one  is  indued  of  God 
with  greater  giftes,  so  oght  he  to  be  herein  chefely  heard,  or  at 
least  that  without  the  expresse  worde  none  be  heard:  for  he  that 
hathe  not  the  worde,  speaketh  not  by  the  mouthe  of  the  Lorde. 
Agayne,  what  danger  it  is  to  do  any  thing,  seme  it  neuer  so  godly 
or  necessarie,  without  consulting  with  God's  mouth,  the  examples 
of  the  Israelites,  deceiued  hereby  through  the  Gibeonites  and  of 
Saul,  whose  intention  seemed  good  and  necessarie:  and  of  losiah 
also,  who  for  great  considerations  was  moued  for  the  defence  of 
true  religion  &  his  people,  to  fight  against  Pharaoh  Necho  King 
of  Egypt,  may  sufficiently  admonish  vs. 

Last  of  all  (moste  gracious  Quene)  for  the  aduancement  of 
this  building  and  rearing  vp  of  the  worke,  two  things  are  necessarie. 
First,  that  we  haue  a  lyuely  &  stedfast  faith  in  Christ  lesus,  who 
must  dwel  in  our  heartes,  as  the  only  meanes  and  assurance  of 
our  saluation:  for  he  is  the  ladder  that  reacheth  from  the  earth 
to  heauen:  he  lifteth  vp  his  Churche  and  setteth  it  in  the  heauenly 
places:  he  maketh  vs  lyuely  stones  and  buildeth  vs  vpon  him 
selfe:  he  ioyneth  vs  to  him  self  as  the  mebres  and  body  to  the  head, 
yea  he  maketh  him  self  and  his  Churche  one  Christ.  The  rest  is, 
that  our  faith  being  forthe  good  fruites,  so  that  our  godly  conuer- 
sation  may  serue  vs  as  a  witnes  to  confirme  our  election,  and  be 
an  example  to  all  others  to  walk  as  apperteyneth  to  the  vocation 
whereunto  thei  are  called:  lest  the  worde  of  God  be  euil  spoken  of, 
and  this  building  be  stayed  to  growe  vp  to  a  iust  height,  which 
ca  not  be  without  the  great  prouocatio  of  Gods  iuste  vengeance 
and  discouraging  of  many  thousandes  through  all  the  worlde,  if 
thei  shulde  se  that  our  life  were  not  holy  and  agreable  to  our 
profession.     For  the  eyes  of  all  that  feare  God  in  all  places  beholde 


The  Geneva  Bible  229 

your  countreyes  as  an  example  to  all  that  beleue,  and  the  prayers 
of  all  the  godly  at  all  tymes  are  directed  to  God  for  the  preseruatid 
of  your  maiestie.  For  considering  Gods  wonderful  mercies  toward 
you  at  all  seasons,  who  hath  pulled  you  out  of  the  mouths  of  the 
lyons,  and  how  that  from  your  youth  you  haue  bene  broght  vp 
in  the  holy  Scriptures,  the  hope  of  all  men  is  so  increased,  that  thei 
ca  not  but  looke  that  God  shulde  bring  to  passe  some  wdderful 
worke  by  your  grace  to  the  vniuersal  comfort  of  his  Churche. 
Therefore  euen  aboue  stregth  you  must  shewe  your  selfe  strong 
and  bolde  in  Gods  matters:  and  though  Satan  lay  all  his  power 
and  craft  together  to  hurt  and  hinder  the  Lordes  building:  yet 
be  you  assured  that  God  wil  fight  from  heauen  against  this  great 
dragon,  the  ancient  serpent,  which  is  called  the  deuil  and  Satan, 
til  he  haue  accomplished  the  whole  worke  and  made  his  Churche 
glorious  to  him  selfe,  without  spot  or  wrincle.  For  albeit  all 
other  kingdomes  and  monarchies,  as  the  Babylonians,  Persians, 
Grecians  &  Romans  haue  fallen  &  taken  end:  yet  the  Churche  of 
Christ  euen  vnder  the  Crosse  hath  from  the  begynning  of  the 
worlde  bene  victorious,  and  shalbe  euerlastingly.  Trueth  it  is, 
that  sometyme  it  semeth  to  be  shadowed  with  a  cloude,  or  driuen 
with  a  storme  of  persecution,  yet  suddenly  the  beames  of  Christ 
the  sunne  of  iustice  shine  and  bring  it  to  light  and  libertie.  If 
for  a  tyme  it  lie  couered  with  ashes,  yet  it  is  quickly  kindeled 
agayne  by  the  wynde  of  Gods  Spirit:  thogh  it  seme  drowned  in 
the  sea,  or  parched  and  pyned  in  the  wildernes,  yet  God  giueth 
euer  good  successe.  for  he  punisheth  the  enemies,  and  deliuereth 
his,  nourisheth  them  and  stil  preserueth  the  vnder  his  wyngs. 
The  Lord  of  lordes  &  King  of  kings  who  hath  euer  defended  his, 
strengthe,  cofort  and  preserue  your  maiestie,  that  you  may  be 
able  to  builde  vp  the  ruines  of  Gods  house  to  his  glorie,  the  dis- 
charge of  your  conscience,  and  to  the  comfort  of  all  them  that 
loue  the  comming  of  Christ  lesus  our  Lord.  From  Geneua.  10. 
April.  1560. 

After  the  dedication  came  the  translator's  address  to 
the  reader: 

To  the  Christen  Reader. 

Besides  the  manifolde  and  continual  benefites  which  Almightie 
God  bestoweth  vpon  vs,  bothe  corporal  and  spirituall,  we  are 
especially  bounde  (deare  brethren)  to  giue  him  thankes  without 
ceasing  for  his  great  grace,  and  vnspeakable  mercies,  in  that  it 
hath  pleased  him  to  call  vs  vnto  this  meruelous  light  of  his  Gospel, 
and  mercifully  to  regard  vs  after  so  horrible  backsliding  and  falling 
away  from  Christ  to  Antichrist,  from  light  to  darcknes,  from  the 
liuing  God  to  dumme  and  dead  idoles.  &  that  after  so  cruel 
murther  of  Gods  Saintes  as  alas,  hath  bene  among  vs,  we  are  not 
altogether  cast  of,  as  were  the  Israelites,  and  many  others  for  the 


230  The  Book  of  Books 

like,  or  not  so  manifest  wickednes,  but  receyued  againe  to  grace 
with  most  euident  signes  and  tokens  of  Gods  especial  loue  and 
fauour.  To  the  intent  therefore  that  we  may  not  be  vnmyndful 
of  these  great  mercies,  but  seke  by  all  meanes  (according  to  our 
duetie)  to  be  thanckful  for  the  same,  it  behoueth  vs  so  to  walke 
in  his  feare  and  loue,  that  all  the  daies  of  our  life  wee  may  procure 
the  glorie  of  his  holy  name.  Now  forasmuche  as  this  thing  chiefly 
is  atteyned  by  the  knollage  and  practising  of  the  worde  of  God, 
(which  is  the  light  to  our  paths,  the  keye  of  the  kingdome  of 
heauen,  our  comfort  in  affliction,  our  shielde  and  sworde  against 
Satan,  the  schoole  of  all  wisdome,  the  glasse  wherein  we  beholde 
Gods  face,  the  testimonie  of  his  fauour,  and  the  only  foode  and 
nourishment  of  our  soules)  we  thoght  that  we  colde  bestowe  our 
labours  and  studie  in  nothing  which  colde  be  more  acceptable  to 
God  and  comfortable  to  his  Churche  then  in  the  translating  of  the 
holy  Scriptures  into  our  natiue  tongue:  the  which  thing  albeit 
that  diuers  heretofore  haue  indeuored  to  atchieue:  yet  considering 
the  infancie  of  these  tymes  and  imperfect  knollage  of  the  tongues, 
in  respect  of  this  ripe  age  and  clear  light  which  God  hath  now 
reueiled,  the  translations  required  greatly  to  be  perused  and 
reformed.  Not  that  we  vendicat  any  thing  to  our  selues  aboue 
the  least  of  our  brethren  (for  God  knoweth  with  what  feare  and 
trembling  we  haue  bene  now  for  the  space  of  two  yeres  and  more 
day  and  night  occupied  herein)  but  being  earnestly  desired,  and 
by  diuers,  whose  learning  and  godlynes  we  reuerence,  exhorted, 
and  incouraged  by  the  ready  willes  of  such,  whose  hearts  God 
likewise  touched,  not  to  spare  any  charges  for  the  fortherance  of 
such  a  benefite  and  fauour  of  God  toward  his  Churche  (though 
the  tyme  then  was  most  dangerous,  and  the  persecution  sharpe 
and  furious)  we  submitted  ourselues  at  length  to  their  godly 
iudgmentes,  and  seing  the  great  oportunitie  and  occasions,  which 
God  presented  vnto  vs  in  this  Churche,  by  reason  of  so  many  godly 
and  learned  men,  and  such  diuersities  of  translations  in  diuers 
tongues:  we  vndertooke  this  great  and  wonderful  worke  (with  all 
reuerence,  as  in  the  presence  of  God,  as  intreating  the  worde  of 
God,  whereunto  wee  thinke  our  selues  vnsufliicient)  which  now 
God  according  to  his  diuine  prouidence  and  mercie  hath  directed 
to  a  moste  prosperous  end.  And  this  we  may  with  good  conscience 
protest,  that  we  haue  in  euery  point  and  worde,  according  to  the 
measure  of  that  knollage  which  it  pleased  almightie  God  to  giue  vs, 
faithfully  rendred  the  text,  and  in  all  hard  places  moste  syncerely 
expounded  the  same.  For  God  is  our  witnes  that  we  haue  by  all 
meanes  indeuored  to  set  forthe  the  puritie  of  the  worde  and  right 
sense  of  the  holy  Gost  for  the  edifying  of  the  brethren  in  faith 
and  charitie. 

Now  as  we  haue  chiefly  obserued  the  sense,  and  laboured 
alwaies  to  restore  it  to  all  integritie:  so  haue  we  most  reuerently 
kept  the  proprietie  of  the  wordes,  considering  that  the  Apostles 


The  Geneva  Bible  231 

who  spake  and  wrote  to  the  Gentiles  in  the  Greke  tongue, 
rather  constrayned  them  to  the  Huely  phrase  of  the  Ehrewe,  then 
enterprised  farre  by  moUifying  their  langage  to  speake  as  the 
Gentiles  did.  And  for  this  and  other  causes  we  haue  in  many 
places  reserued  the  Ehrewe  phrases,  notwithstanding  that  thei 
may  seme  somewhat  hard  in  their  eares  that  are  not  well  practised, 
and  also  delite  in  the  swete  sounding  phrases  of  the  holy  Scriptures. 
Yet  lest  ether  the  simple  shulde  be  discouraged,  or  the  malicious 
haue  any  occasion  of  iust  cauillation,  seeing  some  translations 
reade  after  one  sort,  and  some  after  another,  whereas  all  may 
serue  to  good  purpose  and  edification,  we  haue  in  the  margent 
noted  that  diuersitie  of  speache  or  reading  which  may  also  seme 
agreeable  to  the  mynde  of  the  holy  Gost,  and  propre  for  our 
langage  with  the  marke  ".  Againe,  whereas  the  Ehrewe  speache 
semed  hardly  to  agree  with  ours,  we  haue  noted  it  in  the  margent 
after  this  sort  ",  vsing  that  which  was  more  intelligible.  And  albeit 
that  many  of  the  Ebrewe  names  be  altered  from  the  olde  text, 
and  restored  to  the  true  writing  and  first  original,  whereof  thei 
haue  their  signification,  yet  in  the  vsual  names  little  is  changed 
for  feare  of  troubling  the  simple  readers.  Moreouer  whereas  the 
necessitie  of  the  sentence  required  any  thing  to  be  added  (for 
such  is  the  grace  and  propertie  of  the  Ebrewe  and  Greke  tongues, 
that  it  cannot  but  either  by  circumlocution,  or  by  adding  the 
verbe  or  some  worde  be  vnderstand  of  them  that  are  not  wel 
practised  therein)  we  haue  put  it  in  the  text  with  another  kynde 
of  lettre,  that  it  may  easely  be  discerned  from  the  common  lettre. 
As  touching  the  diuision  of  the  verses,  we  haue  followed  the  Ebrewe 
examples,  which  haue  so  euen  from  the  beginning  distinct  them. 
Which  thing  as  it  is  most  profitable  for  memorie,  so  doeth  it  agree 
with  the  best  translations,  &  is  moste  easie  to  finde  out  both  by 
the  best  Concordances,  and  also  by  the  cotations  which  we  haue 
diligently  herein  perused  and  set  forthe  by  this  starre  *.  Besides 
this  the  principal  matters  are  noted  and  distincted  by  this  marke  ^, 
Yea  and  the  argumentes  bothe  for  the  booke  and  for  the  chapters 
with  the  nombre  of  the  verse  are  added,  that  by  all  meanes  the 
reader  might  be  holpen.  For  the  which  cause  also  we  haue  set 
ouer  the  head  of  euery  page  some  notable  worde  or  sentence 
which  may  greatly  further  aswell  for  memorie,  as  for  the  chief 
point  of  the  page.  And  considering  how  hard  a  thing  it  is  to 
vnderstand  the  holy  Scriptures,  and  what  errors,  sectes  and  here- 
sies growe  dailie  for  lacke  of  true  knollage  thereof,  and  how  many 
are  discouraged  (as  thei  pretend)  because  thei  cannot  atteine  to 
the  true  and  simple  meaning  of  the  same,  we  haue  indeuored  bothe 
by  the  diligent  reading  of  the  best  commentaries,  and  also  by  the 
conference  with  the  godly  and  learned  brethren,  to  gather  briefe 
annotations  vpon  all  the  hard  places,  aswel  for  the  vnderstanding 
of  suche  wordes  as  are  obscure,  and  for  the  declaratid  of  the  text, 
as  for  the  application  of  the  same  as  may  moste  apperteine  to 


232  The  Book  of  Books 

Gods  glorie  and  the  edification  of  his  Churche.  Forthermore 
whereas  certeyne  places  in  the  bookes  of  Moses,  and  the  Kings 
and  Ezekiel  semed  so  darke  that  by  no  description  thei  colde  be 
made  easie  to  the  simple  reader,  we  haue  so  set  them  forthe  with 
figures  and  notes  for  the  ful  declaration  thereof,  that  thei  which 
cannot  by  iudgment,  being  holpen  by  the  annotations  noted  by 
the  lettres  a  b  c.  &c.  atteyn  thereunto,  yet  by  the  perspectiue, 
and  as  it  were  by  the  eye  may  sufficiently  knowe  the  true  meaning 
of  all  such  places,  whereunto  also  we  haue  added  certeyn  mappes 
of  Cosmographie,  which  necessarely  serue  for  the  perfect  vnder- 
standing  and  memorie  of  diuers  places  and  countreys,  partely 
described  and  partely  by  occasion  touched,  both  in  the  olde  and 
new  Testament.  Finally,  that  nothing  might  lacke  which  might 
bee  boght  by  labors,  for  the  increase  of  knolage  and  fortherance 
of  Gods  glorie,  we  haue  adioyned  two  moste  profitable  tables, 
the  one  seruing  for  the  interpretation  of  the  Ebrewe  names;  and 
the  other  conteyning  all  the  chefe  and  principal  matters  of  the 
whole  Bible:  so  that  nothing  (as  we  trust)  that  any  will  iustly 
desire  is  omitted.  Therefore,  as  brethren  that  are  partakers  of 
the  same  hope  and  saluation  with  vs,  we  beseche  you,  that  this 
riche  pearle  and  inestimable  treasure  may  not  be  ofered  in  vayne, 
but  as  sent  from  God  to  the  people  of  God,  for  the  increase  of  his 
kingdome,  the  comfort  of  his  Churche,  and  discharge  of  our  con- 
science, whome  it  hath  pleased  him  to  raise  vp  for  this  purpose, 
so  you  wolde  willingly  receyue  the  worde  of  God,  earnestly  studie 
it,  and  in  all  your  life  practise  it,  that  ye  may  now  appeare  in  dede 
to  be  the  people  of  God,  not  walking  any  more  according  to  this 
world,  but  in  the  frutes  of  the  Spirit,  that  God  in  vs  may  be  fully 
glorified,  through  Christ  lesus  our  Lord,  who  lyueth  and  reigneth 
for  euer.     Amen.     From  Geneua,  10.  April.  1560. 

The  Geneva  Bible  was  heartily  welcomed  by  the  English 
people,  and  its  popularity  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that 
a  hundred  and  fifty  editions  of  it  were  printed  between  the 
years  1560  and  1644 — it  continued  to  be  printed  for  more 
than  thirty  years  after  the  King  James  Version  was  published 
in  1611. 

The  following  specimens  are  from  the  Geneva  Bible: 

Psalm  2: 

1  Why  do  the  heathen  rage,  &  the  people  murmur  in  vaine.'' 

2  The  Kings  of  the  earth  band  them  selues,  and  the  princes 
are  assembled  together  against  the  Lord,  and  against  his  Christ. 

3  Let  vs  breake  their  bands,  and  cast  their  cords  from  vs. 

4  But  he  that  dwelleth  in  the  heauen  shal  laugh:  the  Lord 
shal  haue  the  in  derisio. 

5  Then  shal  he  speake  vnto  them  in  his  wrath,  &  vexe  them 
in  his  sore  displeasure,  saying. 


The  Geneva  Bible  233 

6  Euen  I  haue  set  my  King  vpon  Zion  mine  holie  mountaine. 

7  I  wil  declare  the  decree:  that  is,  the  Lord  hathe  said  vnto 
me,  Thou  art  my  Sonne:    this  day  haue  T  begotten  thee. 

8  Aske  of  me,  &  I  shal  giue  thee  the  heathe  for  thine  inherit- 
ance, and  the  endes  of  the  earth  for  thy  possession. 

9  Thou  shalt  krush  them  with  a  sceptre  of  yron,  &  breake 
them  in  pieces  hke  a  potters  vessel. 

10  Be  wise  now  therefore,  ye  Kings:  be  learned  ye  ludges 
of  the  earth. 

11  Serue  the  Lord  in  feare,  and  reioyce  in  trembling. 

12  Kisse  the  Sonne,  lest  he  be  angrie,  and  ye  perish  in  the 
waie,  when  his  wrath  shal  suddenly  burne.  blessed  are  all  that 
trust  in  him. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  (Matt.  6): 

9  Our  father  which  art  in  heauen,  halowed  be  thy  Name. 

10  Thy  kingdome  come.  Thy  wil  be  done  euen  in  earth,  as 
it  is  in  heauen. 

11  Giue  vs  this  day  our  daily  bread. 

12  And  forgiue  vs  our  dettes  as  we  also  forgiue  our  detters. 

13  And  lead  vs  not  into  tentation,  but  deliuer  vs  fro  euil: 
for  thine  is  the  kingdome,  and  the  power,  and  the  glorie  for  eue 
Amen. 


conreynyng  tiie  olde 

'  '  1       Tcjltvncn:.vtdlhc>!t's>c, 


THE  BISHOPS'  BIBLE  TITLE-PAGE 


CHAPTER  XV 
THE   BISHOPS'   BIBLE 

THE  BISHOPS'  BIBLE  was  issued  in  1568,  and,  as 
its  name  indicates,  was  the  official  version  of  the 
bishops.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Cranmer,  in  referring 
to  the  version  proposed  to  be  issued  by  the  bishops,  said  he 
did  not  think  it  would  be  till  Doomsday.  But  the  Geneva 
Bible  issued  by  the  Reformers  contained  some  notes  which 
the  bishops  did  not  like,  and  the  cordial  reception  of  that 
version  by  the  people  spurred  them  to  action.  Matthew 
Parker,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  supervised  the  work  and 
had  the  assistance  of  a  number  of  others,  mostly  bishops, 
whose  initials  are  affixed  to  the  portions  they  revised.  The 
version  is  sometimes  called  Parker's  Bible.  The  identity 
of  some  of  the  assisting  bishops  is  clear,  but  there  is  doubt 
concerning  others.  The  initials  are  not  those  of  the  sur- 
names of  the  workers,  as  Enghsh  bishops  sign  with  the  initials 
of  their  first  names,  but  the  Latin  names  of  their  dioceses 
instead  of  their  surnames.  Thus  the  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, Edward  Benson,  signed  Edward  Cantuar;  the  late 
Archbishop  of  York,  Joseph  Ebor.;  and  the  late  Bishop  of 
Winchester,  S.  Winton.  The  names  of  the  revisers  have 
been  preserved  in  a  letter  written  by  Parker  and  now  in  the 
Record  Office,  London.  The  letters  in  the  order  they  appear 
at  the  ends  of  sections,  with  the  identification  according  to 
Parker's  list,  are  as  follows: 

W.  E.         (W.  Exon.),  William  Alley,  Bishop  of  Exeter. 
R.  M.         (R.  Meneven.),  Richard  Davies,  Bishop  of  St.  David's. 
E.  W.         (E.  Wigornen.),  Edwin  Sandys,  Bishop  of  Worcester. 
A.  P.  C.     Andrew  Pierson,  Prebendary  of  Canterbury. 
T.  B.  (to    the    Psalms),    PThomas    Becon    (or    Bentham,   or 

Bickley). 

(235) 


236 


The  Book  of  Books 


Andrew  Perne,  Canon  of  Ely. 

(R.  Winton),  Robert  Home,  Bishop  of  Winchester. 
Thomas  Bentham,  Bishop  of  Lichfield  and  Coventry. 
(E.    Londin.),    Edmund    Grindal,    Bishop    of  London, 

afterward  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 
(J.  Norvic),  John  Parkhurst,  Bishop  of  Norwich. 
(R.  Elien.),  Richard  Cox,  Bishop  of  Ely. 
Gabriel  Goodman,  Dean  of  Westminster   (formerly  of 

Geneva). 

Besides  the  above,  Parker  mentions  some  v^^hose  initials 
are  not  in  the  Bible:  William  Barlow,  Bishop  of  Chichester; 
Edmund  Scambler,  Bishop  of  Peterborough;  and  Nicholas 
Bullingham,  Bishop  of  Lincoln. 


A. 

P. 

E 

R. 

W. 

T. 

C. 

L 

E. 

L. 

J. 

N. 

R. 

E. 

G. 

G. 

MATTHEW  PARKER 

(From  Sloughton's  •'Bible  Translations  and  Translators."     Courtesy  of  the  Religious  Tract  Society) 

The  original  issue  of  the  Bishops'  Bible  was  printed  by 
Richard  Jugge,  in  black  letter,  and  was  a  magnificent  foho 
volume.  A  fine  copy  is  in  the  New  York  Library.  A  copy 
was  presented  to  Queen  Elizabeth,  whose  portrait  is  on  the 
title-page,  but  there  is  no  dedication.  The  Great  Bible 
was  used  as  a  basis  for  the  revision.  In  1571  the  Convoca- 
tion of  Canterbury  ordered  every  archbishop  and  bishop 
to  have  a  copy  at  home  in  his  dining-room  or  large  hall, 
one  at  each  cathedral,  and  as  far  as  possible  one  in  every 
church. 


The  Bishops'  Bible  237 

The  title-page  has  in  asmall  panel  at  thetop"The.holie. 
Bible."  and,  beneath  the  panel,  "conteyning  the  olde  Testa- 
ment and  the  newe."  In  the  center  of  the  page  is  a  large 
oval  portrait  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  with  the  royal  arms  above, 
and  the  words  around  the  oval,  "  EHsabeth  dei  gratia  Angliae, 
Franciae  et  Hiberniae  regina  fidei  defensor  etc."  In  a  panel 
at  the  bottom  is  the  Latin  of  Romans  i  :  16:  "Non  me 
pudet  Euangelii  Christi  Virtus  enim  Dei  est  ad  salutem 
Omni  credenti  Rom.  i." 

After  the  title-page  followed :  "The  summe  of  the  whole 
Scriptures,  of  the  bookes  of  the  olde  and   new  Testament," 

2  pages;  a  genealogical  table  and  chart  from  Adam  to  Christ, 
with  a  circle  containing  "Adam  Eve  &  the  tree  of  Knowl- 
edge." In  the  upper  left  corner  is  a  large  square  with 
armorial  designs  of  Parker  and  of  Christ  Church,  Canter- 
bury, combined  with  the  motto,  "Mundus  transit  et  con- 
cupiscentia  ejus,"  the  initials  M  P,  and  the  date  1568. 
Then  follow  two  pages  with  subdivisions  of  the  books  of 
the  Bible;  "A  Preface  into  the  Byble  folowyng,"  6  pages; 
"Prologue  by  Thos.  Cranmer,  late  archbishop  of  Canter- 
burie,"  5  pages;    a  chronological  table;   Lessons  to  be  read, 

3  pages;  Easter  table  and  hst  of  holy  days;  Order  of  Psalms 
for  Morning  and  Evening  Prayer;  a  Calendar,  12  pages; 
the  order  of  the  books.  The  text  is  a  beautiful  black  letter, 
and  there  are  numerous  large  cuts  with  ornamental  borders. 
Before  Joshua  is  a  title-page  with  a  portrait  of  the  earl  of 
Leicester.  The  Psalms  begin  with  a  large  initial  containing 
a  portrait  of  Lord  Burghley  and  the  initial  B.  A  title-page 
precedes  the  Apocrypha,  and  a  map  of  the  Holy  Land  is 
before  the  New  Testament.  The  title-page  to  the  New 
Testament  has  an  oval  in  the  center,  with  the  words,  "^The 
newe  Testament  of  our  sauiour  lesus  Christe,"  and  in  a 
panel  at  the  bottom  is  the  English  of  Romans  i  :  16.  A 
"Preface  into  the  new  Testament"  occupies  i  page;  and 
at  the  end  of  the  book  is  "A  table  to  fynde  the  Epistles 
and  Gospels  read  in  the  Churche  of  Englande." 

The  1572  edition  contained  the  Psalms  according  to 
the  Great  Bible  with  the  new  translation  alongside. 

The  following  are  specimen  translations  from  the 
Bishops'  Version: 


238 


The  Book  of  Books 


I  by  faint  Marrhitwe. 

•v...     f^  1  lie  Golpcl  bySaintMatchaiwc. 

TliHliACliaptcr. 

iCIjcSOJtaliJSteofClutacftoiii.lb.'ahsm.  isc-ltniutiajc  cflifsmothcr^jnf. 
:..®J£an2c!fetiftictijlcfqii:rjiinvilD.   .icliciiKtriiiCtntionoECOiiacaitamco.  ^ 

10  *e5cliia3bc5at',Hiii.ifT(T..'>Jl.iiia(rcBbc  :.i'-" 
g.it  .Tinoii  *.lmon  braat  ,1o(i,ip.  •■  ''■" 

11  ••  Jotiagbcg.uJcThoui.ioilirGlwIwn,'' ''' 
.iliom  t1)c  ti'iiic  tlKi'  Uvic  f.iii'cD  aUwi'  to^'i!" 
i3.!bi'loii.  '     I 

u    .'!ii0.iftcttI)o\'U)acb;oiig!)t  roijabi'lmi,  I-  A 

*;{cri)0ii!.i5.lscgat£  ^iMtijid ,  Si>iLui)(ci; T .'. 

bfg.it  :ro:ob,UKi,  •.     '■■  •■ 

I !    ' zo:i)lubcl teg.it  -Ibiub,  •  ."IbiiiO  bm.u  ,'■■' '"'■ 

ClMii!in,<£iiJhiin  bcct.it  ."iw.  '     ', 

14  .Tvj;  begat  §<at»c,  !a^aD(xl>fg.^t,1('  •;  ' 

.Tihai  begat  euuCi* 
i<    e;iiiD  begat €lra,ur,  eiciwt begat  u  ■■:.!  ' 

tbaiiABitfljaii  begat  Jacob, 

16  3.iro'.i  begat  Mcpl) tiKbiiaianlvpf Cl,i 
nc  of  UibomiUisbojiic  Mir.,  tbai  iscaiiai 
€l;nttc.- '.:■ 

17  ,1110 foal tl)i  gaiaatioiistoui A'a: I'laiti 
toDaiiiD.  ate  fourtftiicffciirationo :  tfi.';;! 
Daiiio  Viiti'l  tbcean'riiig  aUiav  mto  1.  .ih-, 
loii.are foiincnic  gnieraiionc : atiDfirii!  •■:,c 
eaivaiigaUU)'Uttoi3.ibr:o:i  imto  OvaDk. 
nrr  foiiriceiiegnieratioiiG. 

13  HlK  bwb  of  JcfuG  Cbnfic  Uiao  on  tiK.i 
IMt. « J  ©iKii.ishiD  iiiorlw  illa«cU>.:G 
toicHiilicDto  3ofe;ih ,  bcfiL-ctliei'  raitic  10 
gtatl)cr )  ibe  ibas  fmuiuc  ilvtl)  tdrlOr  of  titc 
Ooli'gboli. 

19  ICbcii  Jttfcpt)  liei  I)iifliitiPc,ba'iig  a  n-oi). 
temiGiiuii ,  aimiiotlb;'l!','figtoiirii;cI).t.i 
piiblitiue  (wmplc,  Uus  iiivi;^i)r;iii!'i'ici 
putlKtainap. 

10  i5utUi!iv!fbct!)0tml'ttbf'cl!M'i!gf?,tc; 
IWltK. the  angel  oftiK  ?i.o;  'f  aiiwatcavmo 
hmii iiiaD.'camcrarcmg  .■<ciq)|)fl)oiifa!!i!f 
ofDaiHD.feau iiottotaiic  viiroiiicf  •T'vit 
(h)'  Uufc.fo;  tl)at  lUbiclK  |9  eoiieciiicDtii  b.r, 
loofihiholpgiioft. 

It    S>l)c  mal  b2!'iig  foo;tb  a  fomic ,  aiiCi  tfir.it  ^' 
nialt  eal  bio  name  *  Jcfiu:fo.'  Ije  ilialfaue  !)is  /■;„i.,,  |, 
ptoyif  f.om  tbeirfiiiiicB,  Aca.ni;, 

3:  (3ltiiioUUDDOiiiic,tiiatitm)'g'rtbcfii!i 
f!'!lcD,U'lHr!H:lbaprpo!ieiioft1icn.o;nbi'tl;c 
pMphctef.ii'ciiig, 

1}    *i3el)0lti, J  wrgiii  (lialbc  ibttl)  rfHlticnim  fu.ujx 
(Hal  b.'i'iig  foo.ti)  a  foinie,  ana  tltev  Owl  a'.lc 
liigiiamc  eiiunaiiiicl,  ibbiel)  to  b)'  nitctpic^ 
tauoiuCiosUtitbija) 

:  +    Xbcii  3offpb ,  bci'iigr.ii'feO  from  3cfpf , 
3  1)  tiro 


IJ. 


"3bMlwinbe- 
ii»i^gat3tal)<ic,*l 
^i^^-^Qibac  begat  3a. 
«===:^^5=^cob, '  Jacob  be 
?aj  3uDas,ant)  Ina  bKtl):eii. 
J'u.»,<i  J  ^JiilMB  begat  pbaics,*  zaia  of  Clwiiwr, 
^.s,^*^f,,ueg  begat  ecrom,  *  CCiom  begat  3 

J.  ,+  *<T6t.imbegatamuwDab,*3miiiaDabbc- 
fcSrtb  8'«/i2aafroii*/2aa(ronbcgatg<atmon. 
Nau,u  *  *  Swbnoii  begat  2S008  of  Uacbab,'25oo« 
»iKh.4.4  braai  nDbeb  of  Utitb,*Ot)eD  begat  JefTe, 
i.Rw.Ka  <  *Mc  begat  DauiD  tbc  hwg,  »DaiiiD  tljr 
'  s  '?■  i:.t'  teug  begat  *xj!omoij ,  of  bet  rtjat  llxw  toe 
,    .S    ftHftoftine. 

' :.[  '•■'  7   ''&oloiiioiibegaiL<vcboain,^\Oboambc 
■  ",;''    gat  lbia,*,1bta  begat  3ffa. 

;8    **a!i£g.u3o{apbat*3ofapl)atbfgat3o' 

J     tam,*3ojainbcgfltO?ia3. 
y    OM,i8  begat  3oMi)ain,  *3oatl)aiii  begat 

',    3diao*3rt)ac  begat  CKliias. 


PAGE  OF  THE   BISHOPS'   BIBLE 

(From  "  The  Biblical  World") 


The  Bishops'  Bible  239 

Psalm  2: 

1  Why  do  the  Heathen  so  furiously  rage  together?  and  why 
do  the  people  imagine  a  vayne  thing? 

2  The  kynges  of  the  earth  stande  vp:  and  the  rulers  take 
counsell  together  against  god,  and  against  his  annointed. 

2  Let  vs  breake  [say  they]  their  bondes  a  sunder:  and  cast 
away  their  cordes  from  vs. 

4  He  that  dwelleth  in  heauen  wyll  laugh  them  to  scorne:  the 
Lorde  wyll  haue  them  in  derision. 

5  Then  wyll  he  speake  vnto  them  in  his  wrath:  and  he  will 
astonie  them  with  feare  in  his  sore  displeasure. 

6  [Saying]  euen  I  haue  annointed  [him]  my  kyng:  vpon  my 
holy  hyll  of  Sion. 

7  I  wyll  declare  the  decree,  God  sayde  vnto  me:  thou  art 
my  Sonne,  this  day  I  haue  begotten  thee. 

8  Desire  of  me,  and  I  wyll  geue  thee  the  heathen  for  thyne 
inheritaunce:  and  the  vttermost  partes  of  the  earth  for  thy 
possession. 

9  Thou  shalt  bruise  them  with  a  rod  or  iron:  and  breake 
them  in  peeces  like  a  potters  vessell. 

10  Wherfore  be  you  nowe  wel  aduised  O  ye  kinges:  be  you 
learned  ye  [that  are]  iudges  of  the  earth. 

11  Serue  ye  God  in  feare:   and  reioyce  ye  with  a  trembling. 

12  Kisse  ye  the  sonne  lest  that  he  be  angrye,  and  [so]  ye 
perishe  [from]  the  way,  if  his  wrath  be  neuer  so  little  kindled: 
blessed  are  all  they  that  put  their  trust  in  hym. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  (Matt.  6): 
9  O  our  father,  which  art  in  heauen,  halowed  be  thy  name. 

10  Let  thy  kyngdome  come.  Thy  wyll  be  done,  as  well  in 
earth,  as  it  is  in  heauen. 

11  Geue  vs  this  day  our  dayly  breade. 

12  And  forgeue  vs  our  dettes,  as  we  forgeue  our  detters. 

12  And  leade  vs  not  into  temptation,  but  delyuer  vs  from 
euyll.  For  thyne  is  the  kyngdome,  and  the  power,  and  the  glory, 
for  euer,  Amen. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  RHEIMS  NEW  TESTAMENT  AND  THE 
DOUAY  OLD  TESTAMENT 

ALL  the  versions  of  the  Enghsh  Bible  that  we  have 
already  considered  were  made  by  those  who  had  more 
or  less  Protestant  leaning.  We  now  come  to  a  version  made 
by  the  Roman  Catholics,  who  felt  that  the  publicity  given 
to  the  English  Bible  made  it  necessary  for  them  to  set 
forth  a  translation  which  should  serve,  to  some  extent  at 
any  rate,  to  counteract  the  Protestant  influence.  Just  as 
Protestants  had  fled  to  the  continent  on  the  accession  of 
Mary,  so  Catholics  of  prominence  during  Mary's  reign  fled 
to  the  continent  early  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth.  Some  of 
these  established  English  Colleges  at  Douay  and  Rheims. 

In  1582  the  New  Testament  appeared.  It  was  trans- 
lated from  the  Vulgate.  It  had  occupied  Gregory  Martin, 
formerly  of  Oxford,  three  years  and  a  half,  and  was  revised 
by  Cardinal  Allen  and  Richard  Bristow.  The  title-page 
was  plain  in  design  but  very  full: 

The  New  Testament  of  lesvs  Christ,  translated  faithfully 
into  English,  out  of  the  authentical  Latin,  according  to  the  best 
corrected  copies  of  the  same,  diligently  conferred  with  the  Greeke 
and  other  editions  in  diuers  languages:  With  Arguments  of  bookes 
and  chapters,  Annotations,  and  other  necessarie  helpes,  for  the 
better  vnderstanding  of  the  text,  and  specially  for  the  discouerie 
of  the  Corrvptions  of  diuers  late  translations,  and  for  cleering  the 
controuersies  in  religion  of  these  daies:  in  the  English  College 
of  Rhemes. 

[Here  follow  Latin  quotations  from  the  Psalms  and  from  one 
of  Augustine's  tracts,  with  English  translations.] 

Printed  at  Rhemes  by  lohn  Fogny.     1582.     Cum  priuilegio. 

On  the  back  of  the  title-page  was  "The  Censvre  and 
approbation"  and  then  followed  a  lengthy  preface  with  this 
heading: 

(240) 


The  Rheims  New  Testament  241 

"The  Preface  to  the  Reader  treating  of  these  three  points: 
of  the  translation  of  Holy  Scriptvres  into  the  vulgar  tongues, 
and  namely  into  English;  of  the  causes  why  this  new  Testa- 
ment is  translated  according  to  the  auncient  vulgar  Latin 
text:    &  of  the  maner  of  translating  the  same." 

After  the  preface  is  "The  signification  or  meaning  of 
the  Nvmbers  and  Markes  vsed  in  this  New  Testament," 
I  page.  Each  chapter  is  followed  by  a  lengthy  annotation. 
At  the  end  come:  "A  table  of  the  Epistles  and  Gospels 
after  the  Romane  vse  vpon  Sundaies,  Holidaies,  and  other 
principal  daies  of  the  yere,"  3^  pages;  "An  ample  and  par- 
ticvlar  table  directing  the  reader  to  al  CathoHke  truthes, 
deduced  out  of  the  holy  Scriptures,  and  impugned  by  the 
Aduersaries,"  22^  pages;  "The  explication  of  certaine 
vvordes  in  this  translation,"  \y^  pages. 

The  following  is  the  Lord's  Prayer,  which  in  the  margin 
is  called  "the  Pater  noster": 

Ovr  Father  which  art  in  heaven,  sanctified  be  thy  name. 
Let  thy  Kingdom  come.  Thy  wil  be  done,  as  in  heauen,  in  earth 
also.  Giue  vs  to-day  our  supersubstantial  bread.  And  forgiue 
vs  our  dettes,  as  we  also  forgiue  our  detters.  And  leade  vs  not 
into  tentation.     But  deliuer  vs  from  euil.     Amen. 

The  translation  is  characterized  by  very  queer  words 
and  phrases,  the  Latin  and  Greek  forms  being  retained  in 
many  cases.  A  cup  is  called  a  chalice;  passover,  pasche; 
and  such  words  as  the  following  are  used:  azymes,  expro- 
bate,  obsecration,  coinquination.  The  remembrance  of  this 
peculiarity  will  help  in  considering  the  preface  to  the  King 
James  Version  in  the  next  chapter.  Some  of  the  notes  are 
very  bitter,  and  Protestants  are  referred  to  as  those  who  had 
cast  "the  holy  to  dogges  and  pearles  to  hogges." 

The  Old  Testament  was  published  at  Douay  in  two 
volumes  1609-16 10,  lack  of  funds  preventing  its  earlier 
appearance.     The  title-page  was  as  follows: 

The  Holie  Bible  Faithfvlly  translated  into  English  ovt  of  the 
avthentical  Latin.  Diligently  conferred  with  the  Hebrew,  Greeke, 
and  other  Editions  in  diuers  languages.  With  Argvments  of  the 
Bookes,  and  Chapters:  Annotations,  Tables:  and  other  helpes, 
for  better  vnderstanding  of  the  text:  for  discouerie  of  Corruptions 
in  some  late  translations:  and  for  clearing  Controversies  in 
Religion. 


:?42  The  Book  of  Books 

By  the  English  College  of  Doway.  Haurietis  aquas  in  gaudio 
de  fontibus  Saluatoris.  Isaiae  12.  You  shal  draw  waters  in 
joy  out  of  the  Sauiours  fountaines. 

Printed  at  Doway  by  Lavrence  Kellam,  at  the  signe  of  the 
hoHe  Lambe.     M.  DC.  IX. 

After  the  title-page  came  the  "Approbation,"  i  page; 
"To  the  right  vvelbeloved  English  reader  grace  and  glorie 
in  lesvs  Christ  everlasting,"  12  pages;  "The  svmme  and 
partition  of  the  Holie  Bible  with  a  brife  note  of  the  Canoni- 
cal and  Apocryphal  Bookes,"  6  pages. 

The  second  volume  commenced  with  a  special  preface 
to  the  Psalms  of  12  pages,  and  at  the  end:  a  Table  of 
Epistles,  I  page;  Historical  table  of  times,  persons,  and 
notable  things  of  the  canonical  books  of  the  Old  Testament, 
24  pages;  "A  particvlar  table  of  the  most  principal  thinges 
conteyned  as  wel  in  the  holie  text,  as  in  the  Annotations  of 
both  Tomes  of  the  old  Testament,"  27  pages;  the  "Censura" 
of  three  English  theologians,  i  page;  a  page  of  typographical 
corrections,  beginning,  "You  may  please  (courteous  reader) 
to  amend  the  more  especial  errors  happened  in  this  Edition 
by  reading  thus." 

The  following  is  the  translation  of  Psalm  2: 

1  Why  did  the  Gentiles  rage,  and  peoples  meditate  vaine 
things.? 

2  The  kings  of  the  earth  stood  vp,  and  the  princes  came 
together  in  one  against  our  Lord,  and  against  his  Christ. 

3  Let  vs  breake  their  bondes  a  sunder:  and  let  vs  cast  away 
their  yoke  from  vs. 

4  He  that  dwelleth  in  the  heauens,  shal  laugh  at  them:  and 
our  Lord  shal  scorne  them. 

5  Then  shal  he  speake  to  them  in  his  wrath,  &  in  his  furie  he 
shal  truble  them. 

6  But  I  am  appoynted  kyng  by  him  ouer  Sion  his  holie  hil, 
preaching  his  precept. 

7  The  Lord  said  to  me,  Thou  art  my  Sonne,  I  this  day  haue 
begotten  thee. 

8  Aske  of  me,  and  I  will  geue  thee  the  Gentiles,  for  thyne 
inheritance,  and  thy  possession  the  endes  of  the  earth. 

9  Thou  shalt  rule  them  in  a  rod  of  yron,  and  as  a  potters 
vessel  thou  shalt  breake  them  in  peeces. 

ID  And  now  ye  kings  vnderstand:  take  instruction,  you 
that  iudge  the  earth. 


The  Douay  Bible 


243 


1 1  Serue  our  Lord  in  feare :  and  reioyce  to  him  with  trembhng. 

12  Apprehend  discipline  lest  sometime  our  Lord  be  wrath, 
and  you  perish  out  of  the  iust  way. 

13  When  his  wrath  shal  burhe  in  short  time,  blessed  are  al, 
that  trust  in  him. 

The  complete  Bible  of  the  Rheims-Douay  Version  did 
not  appear  until  1633-163 5,  when  it  was  published  at  Rouen. 
Since  then  there  have  been  many  changes  and  revisions, 
and  the  Catholic  Bible  today  is  very  different  from  that 
of  1635. 

The  language  of  the  Douay  Old  Testament  is  as  strange 
as  that  of  the  Rheims  New  Testament.  One  example  will 
suffice  to  show  this.  Some  familiar  verses  from  the  23rd 
Psalm  (which  is  the  izd  in  the  Vulgate)  are  rendered  thus: 

Our  Lord  ruleth  me,  and  nothing  shall  be  wanting  to  me: 
in  place  of  pasture  there  he  hath  placed  me.  Upon  the  water 
of  refection  he  hath  brought  me  up:  .  .  .  Thou  hast  fatted  my 
head  with  oil:   and  my  chalice  inebriating  how  goodly  is  it! 


A  CHAINED  BIBLE 

In  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  Library.     The 

Authorized  Version,  with  its  original  iron  chain 


CHAPTER  XVII 
THE  AUTHORIZED  VERSION 

THE  AUTHORIZED  VERSION  has  been  the  great 
Bible  of  the  Enghsh-speaking  peoples  of  the  world 
for  more  than  three  hundred  years.  It  is  also  called  the 
King  James  Version  because  its  publication  was  undertaken 
at  the  command  of  that  king.  When  he  ascended  the  throne 
there  were  two  strong  parties  in  the  church,  the  bishops  and 
the  Puritans.  Two  versions  of  the  Bible  were  in  common 
use,  the  Bishops'  by  the  clergy,  and  the  Geneva  by  the 
people.  The  attack  made  upon  all  Protestant  versions  of 
the  Bible  by  the  Rheims  New  Testament  had  started  a 
Uvely  conflict  between  Catholics  and  Protestants,  and  in 
1589  William  Fulke,  a  staunch  Protestant,  had  printed  the 
Bishops'  Version  and  the  Rheims  Version  side  by  side  with 
the  Catholic  notes  and  his  replies  to  them.  The  Puritans 
complained  to  James  about  things  in  the  church,  and  James 
called  a  conference  at  Hampton  Court  Palace  for  January 
14,  16,  and  18,  1604.  Among  the  questions  discussed  was 
that  of  Bible  translation,  and  as  an  outcome  of  the  confer- 
ence it  was  decided  to  make  a  new  translation  from  the 
Hebrew  and  Greek.  By  July  22,  1604,  a  selection  of  fifty- 
four  of  the  best  scholars  had  been  made,  and  on  that  date 
the  king  sent  a  letter  to  Bancroft,  Bishop  of  London,  asking 
him  to  inform  the  other  bishops  and  seek  their  aid  in  getting 
the  benefit  of  suggestions  from  any  who  had  special  skill  in 
Hebrew  and  Greek.  Though  the  king  mentioned  fifty-four, 
it  is  only  known  that  forty-seven  actually  took  part  in  the 
work,  and  there  is  considerable  doubt  as  to  the  identity  of 
some  of  them.  Several  lists  have  been  compiled  and  the 
list  given  below  is  perhaps  as  nearly  correct  as  possible. 

The  workers  were  divided  into  six  companies  of  which 
two  met  at  Oxford,  two  at  Cambridge,  and  two  at  West- 

(244) 


The  Authorized  Version  245 

minster,  each  company  dealing  with  a  separate  portion  of 
the  Bible.  The  whole  was  afterward  reviewed  in  London 
by  a  committee  appointed  from  the  six  companies,  and 
finally  by  Bishop  Bilson  of  Winchester  and  Dr.  Miles  Smith. 
The  workers  received  no  financial  remuneration,  but  were 
promised  preferment  as  occasion  should  arise — some  actually 
were  promoted,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  notes  about  each  reviser. 
The  first  company  met  at  Westminster  and  had  the 
Pentateuch  and  historical  books  to  2  Kings.  It  was  com- 
posed of: 

Dr.  Lancelot  Andrews  {chairman).  Dean  of  Westminster; 
afterward  Bishop  of  Chichester,  Ely,  and  Winchester  in  succession. 

Dr.  John  Overall,  Fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge; 
afterward  Dean  of  St.  Paul's,  and  Bishop  of  Lichfield  and  Coventry, 
and  later  of  Norwich. 

Dr.  Adrian  de  Saravia,  Prebendary  of  Canterbury. 

Dr.  Richard  Clarke,  a  preacher  at  Canterbury. 

Dr.  John  Layfield,  Fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge. 

Dr.  R.  Teigh,  Archdeacon  of  Middlesex. 

Mr.  Burleigh,  of  Chelsea  College,  London, 

Mr.  GoefFrey  King,  Professor  of  Hebrew  at  Cambridge. 

Mr.  Richard  Thomson,  of  Clare  Hall,  Cambridge. 

Mr.  William  Bedwell,  of  St.  John's  College,  Cambridge,  a 
great  Arabic  scholar. 

The  second  company  met  at  Cambridge  and  had 
Chronicles  to  the  Song  of  Solomon.     It  was  composed  of: 

Mr.  Edward  Lively  {chairman),  Professor  of  Hebrew  at  Cam- 
bridge.    [Died  1605.] 

Dr.  John  Richardson,  Fellow  of  Emanuel  College,  Cambridge. 

Dr.  Lawrence  Chaderton,  Master  of  Emanuel  College,  Cam- 
bridge. 

Mr.  Francis  Dillingham,  Fellow  of  Christ's  College,  Cambridge. 

Mr.  Thomas  Harrison,  Vice-master  of  Trinity  College,  Cam- 
bridge. 

Mr.  Roger  Andrews,  Master  of  Jesus  College,  Cambridge  (a 
brother  of  Bishop  Andrews). 

Dr.  Robert  Spalding,  Professor  of  Hebrew  at  Cambridge. 

Dr.  Andrew  Byng,  Professor  of  Hebrew  at  Cambridge. 

The  third  company  met  at  Oxford  and  had  Isaiah  to 
Malachi.     It  was  composed  of: 

Dr.  John  Hardinge  {chairman),  Professor  of  Hebrew  and 
President  of  Magdalen  College,  Oxford. 


246  The  Book  of  Books 

Dr.  John  Rainolds,  President  of  Corpus  Christi  College, 
Oxford.  It  was  he  who  first  suggested  the  revision  at  the  Hampton 
Court  Palace  conference.     [Died  1607.] 

Dr.  Thomas  Holland,  Rector  of  Exeter  College,  and  Professor 
of  divinity. 

Dr.  Richard  Kilby,  Rector  of  Lincoln  College,  and  Professor 
of  Hebrew. 

Dr.  Miles  Smith,  Prebendary  of  Hereford,  afterward  Bishop 
of  Gloucester. 

Dr.  Richard  Brett,  Fellow  of  Lincoln  College. 

Mr.  Richard  Fairclough,  Fellow  of  New  College. 

The  fourth  company  met  at  Oxford  and  had  the  Gospels, 
Acts,  and  Revelation.     It  was  composed  of: 

Dr.  Thomas  Ravis  {chairmaji),  Dean  of  Christ  Church,  Oxford, 
afterward  Bishop  of  Gloucester,  and  later  of  London. 

Dr.  George  Abbot,  Dean  of  Winchester;  afterward  Bishop  of 
Lichfield  and  Coventry,  then  of  London,  and  later  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury. 

Dr.  Richard  Edes,  Dean  of  Worcester.     [Died  1604.] 

Dr.  Giles  Thompson,  Dean  of  Windsor;  afterward  Bishop  of 
Gloucester. 

Sir  Henry  Saville,  Provost  of  Eton;  formerly  tutor  to  Queen 
Elizabeth. 

Dr.  John  Perin,  Canon  of  Christ  Church,  Oxford,  and  Professor 
of  Greek. 

Dr.  Ravens,  Fellow  of  St.  John's  College. 

Mr.  John  Harmer,  Fellow  of  New  College  and  Professor  of 
Greek. 

The  fifth  company  met  at  Westminster  and  had  the 
Epistles.     It  was  composed  of: 

Dr.  William  Barlow  {chairman).  Dean  of  Chester;  afterward 
Bishop  of  Rochester,  and  later  of  Lincoln. 

Dr.  Ralph  Hutchinson,  President  of  St.  John's  College,  Oxford. 

Dr.  John  Spencer,  President  of  Corpus  Christi  College,  Oxford. 

Dr.  Roger  Fenton,  Fellow  of  Pembroke  Hall;  later  Prebendary 
of  St.  Paul's. 

Mr.  Michael  Rabbett,  Rector  of  St.  Vedast,  London. 

Dr.  Thomas  Sanderson,  Archdeacon  of  Rochester. 

Mr.  William  Dakins,  Fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge. 

The  sixth  company  met  at  Cambridge  and  had  the 
Apocrypha.     It  was  composed  of: 

Dr.  John  Duport  {chairman).  Prebendary  of  Ely;  afterward 
Master  of  Jesus  College,  Cambridge. 


The  Authorized  Version  247 

Dr.  William  Branthwaite,  Fellow  of  Emanuel  College;  after- 
ward Master  of  Gonville  and  Caius  College. 

Dr.  Jeremiah  RadclifFe,  Fellow  of  Trinity  College. 

Dr.  Samuel  Ward,  of  Emanuel  College;  afterward  Master  of 
Sidney  Sussex  College  and  Professor  of  divinity. 

Mr.  John  Bois,  Fellow  of  St.  John's  College;  afterward  Dean 
of  Canterbury. 

Mr.  Robert  Ward,  Fellow  of  King's  College,  Cambridge. 

Mr.  Andrew  Downes,  Fellow  of  St.  John's  College  and  Pro- 
fessor of  Greek. 

The  king  drew  up  a  set  of  instructions  to  govern  them 
in  their  work,  which  are  given  by  Fuller  in  his  Church  History 
as  follows: 

1  The  ordinary  Bible  read  in  the  Church,  commonly  called 
the  Bishops  Bible,  to  be  followed,  and  as  little  altered  as  the 
Originall  will  permit. 

2  The  names  of  the  Prophets,  and  the  Holy  Writers,  with 
the  other  names  in  the  text,  to  be  retained  as  neer  as  may  be 
accordingly  as  they  are  vulgarly  used. 

3  The  old  Ecclesiasticall  words  to  be  kept,  viz:  as  the  word 
[Church]  not  to  be  translated  Congregation,  &c. 

4.  When  any  word  hath  divers  significations,  that  to  be  kept 
which  hath  been  most  commonly  used,  by  the  most  eminent 
Fathers,  being  agreeable  to  the  propriety  of  the  place,  and  the 
analogic  of  faith. 

5.  The  division  of  the  Chapters  to  be  altered  either  not  at 
all,  or  as  little  as  may  be,  if  necessity  so  require. 

6.  No  marginall  notes  at  all  to  be  affixed,  but  onely  for  the 
explanation  of  the  Hebrew,  or  Greek  words,  which  cannot  without 
some  circumlocution,  so  briefly  and  fitly  be  expressed  in  the  text. 

7.  Such  quotations  of  places  to  be  marginally  set  down,  as 
shall  serve  for  the  fit  reference  of  one  Scripture  to  another. 

8.  Every  particular  man  of  each  company  to  take  the  same 
Chapter,  or  Chapters;  and,  having  translated,  or  amended  them 
severally  by  himself  where  he  thinks  good,  all  to  meet  together, 
conferre  what  they  have  done,  and  agree  for  their  part  what  shall 
stand. 

9.  As  one  company  hath  dispatched  any  one  Book  in  this 
manner,  they  shall  send  it  to  the  rest,  to  be  considered  of  seriously, 
and  juditiously;   for.  His  Majestic  is  very  carefull  in  this  point. 

ID.  If  any  company,  upon  the  review  of  the  Book  so  sent, 
shall  doubt,  or  differ  upon  any  places,  to  send  them  word  therof, 
note  the  places,  and  therewithall  send  their  reasons:  to  which  if 
they  consent  not,  the  difference  to  be  compounded  at  the  General 
Meeting,  which  is  to  be  of  the  chief  persons  of  each  company,  at 
the  end  of  the  work. 


248 


The  Book  of  Books 


TITLE-PAGE  OF  THE  AUTHORIZED  VERSION 


The  Authorized  Version  249 

11.  When  any  place  of  speciall  obscurity  is  doubted  of,  Letters 
to  be  directed  by  Authority,  to  send  to  any  learned  in  the  Land 
for  his  judgment  in  such  a  place. 

12.  Letters  to  be  sent  from  every  Bishop,  to  the  rest  of  his 
Clergie,  admonishing  them  of  this  Translation  in  hand;  and  to 
move,  and  charge  as  many  as,  being  skilfull  in  the  tongues,  have 
taken  pains  in  that  kinde,  to  send  his  particular  observations  to 
the  Company,  either  at  Westminster,  Cambridge,  or  Oxford. 

13.  The  directours  in  each  Company,  to  be  the  Deans  of 
Westminster,  and  Chester,  for  that  place,  and  the  Kings  Professours 
in  the  Hebrew,  and  Greek,  in  each  Universitie. 

14.  These  Translations  to  be  used,  when  they  agree  better 
with  the  Text,  than  the  Bishops  Bible,  viz:  Tindals,  Matthews, 
Coverdales,  Whitchurch,  Geneva. 

Besides  the  said  directions  before  mentioned,  three  or  four 
of  the  most  antient,  and  grave  Divines  in  either  of  the  Universities, 
not  employed  in  translating,  to  be  assigned  by  the  Vice-Chancel- 
lour,  upon  conference  with  the  rest  of  the  Heads,  to  be  Overseers 
of  the  Translations,  as  well  Hebrew,  as  Greek,  for  the  better 
observation  of  the  fourth  Rule  above  specified. 

It  has  been  supposed  by  some  that  the  work  was  not 
actually  begun  until  1607,  but  there  seems  to  be  evidence 
that  from  the  time  of  the  appointment  of  the  companies 
in  1604  the  members  were  engaged  upon  it  in  some  degree. 
Fuller  says  concerning  the  death  of  Mr.  Lively,  chairman 
of  one  of  the  Cambridge  companies,  in  1605: 

The  untimely  death  of  Mr.  Edward  Lively,  much  weight  of 
the  work  lying  on  his  skill  in  the  Oriental  Tongues,  happening 
about  this  time  {happy  that  servant  whom  his  Master,  when  he 
Cometh,  findeth  so  doing)  not  a  little  retarded  their  proceedings. 
However  the  rest  vigorously,  though  slowly,  proceeded  in  their 
hard,  heavie,  and  holy  task,  nothing  offended  with  the  censures 
of  the  impatient  people,  condemning  their  delaies,  though  indeed 
but  due  deliberation,  for  laziness. 

In  1611  the  new  version  was  published,  and  concerning 
it  Fuller  says: 

And  now  after  long  expectation,  and  greate  desire  came  forth 
the  new  Translation  of  the  Bible  (most  beautifully  printed)  by  a 
select  and  competent  number  of  Divines,  appointed  for  that  purpose, 
not  being  too  many,  lest  one  should  trouble  another;  and  yet 
many,  lest  many  things  might  haply  escape  them. 

It  was  indeed  a  most  beautifully  printed  volume,  as 
the  writer  can  testify  after  an  examination  of  the  splendid 


250 


The  Book  of  Books 


I  !iCi-icarj()i 


(  liap.]. 


DiLiicM/'orkl 


tiU'js- 


Tl 


FIRST    B  OOKE 

O  F     M  OS  E  S, 

calK-.l  Cil'.N  ESI.S. 


? 


CHAP.     1. 

TlicaeatiouofHcjutnandtjtih,  (  oldic 
lijlit,  6  of  rhcfirtnjnicm,  .  y  otiliccittli 
l/pat.il«d  from  the  waters,  ii  aiui  in.idc 
fiuiilull,  14  of  ilic  Siiiinc ,  Mooiic,  JDil 
Stjrtcs,  ifi  olfi(}iJntUo\\lc,  14  olbcjiH 
al^lcv.trll,    :'<  ol'M.m.,-,l!K-Ii-u,T.'li;.'>l. 

^  ^'tlKUCBiimins 
S  ioon  tctatto  tiK 
IM  ntrtucu,  iiiiD  tl)e 

~J^i^4  eattlj. 

'^^t  ■  2-    3lnD  tl)t 

K-2?*^  out  fo;tnc  ,  ano 
-  i*s^'*  ijoyt,^  niio  Darltc 
iittTt  wj.  i)pon 
the  (ate  of  t!)c  occpc:  anutlic  fiipirit 
of  eon  niooucD  upon  t!)c  fact  of  tljt 
Vbatcts. 

5  2titD<5ot)ra(t),*?l9tt'!)t«bcUgljt: 
auDtDertttasiigljt. 

4  3tnD  ooD  faU)  tf)c  itcrtjt ,  tliat  it  ^ « 
gooO :  ano  COD  DiuiOebt  (tjc  UsUt  ft^o>» 
tljcDarfttncfTt. 

5  :aiiD  eoD  taiicc  tnc  ugijt ,  ©av, 
anDthcCachntfTc  Dr  tallcD  /?tgl)t:  taut) 
tijceutnms  ant)  tljcfPoituus  iDcrc  tiK 
fliiiMv. 

fi  C:anl)©oDfaiO,  'fttttlKrtbta 
tfirmanunt  mrtjenutjtlof  tljcJbattrs: 
anDltt  a  t)miDc  t!)c  ivaterB  from  tl)t 
ibattrs. 

7  2lnt)  Got!  niat)c  tlic  firmamcut  t 
ano  tHuiBtD  iftc  Tbatcrs ,  uiDid)  ^ =<  tJii» 
net  rt)t  finnamcnt ,  ftoiii  tlic  Uiattrs, 
IDlKri)  Acre  about  U)c f.tiuanieiu :  anb it 
ibasfo. 


8  3liib  ©oD  calicb  tDc '  finuamcm 
DfaiiftiuinDthcCucmngantitljct'Po; 
mrigUirrctticftcoiiDDav. 

9  CauDC)0DfaiD,'}Ltttl)c«!atcr5 
t)nDci;(l)eiicaucn  be  gatbertotogctticc 
bnto  one  place ,  anbiet  ttKD^plauDap' 
ptarrranbitlbasfo. 

1 '  2im  ooo  caiitt)  tl)c  Div  lanb, 
eavtl) ,  anD  the  gatlKraigtogctlicrof 
thtUiatcrs  tailcD  Ijcc.&CtTS:  aiiDOoD 
rniVtliat"v.-.sBoot!. 

II  ,anD0ob(aiD,1LcttljcCarrt)bMug 
foonhtgraiTctlitlittbcvcclDingrecD, 
■■■Hittjcfcmitrrcvccinuigfrmtaftetljis 
UmDe,  ibljofcfccD  i.umfcifc,  tponttje 
tartlKauD  It  Ibasfo. 

Ii  :j{ub  flj:  cart!)  b;oual)t  foonl) 
graffc  ,aiHl|)trbtrcclDmB  fcco  after  {)is 
HinOc,anbtl)ctrccvtcloingfrmt,\l)l)ofe 
fctbwjiuiit  fdfc ,  after  \)i5  UmDe:  ano 
(3oDfattitl)atiiwjiSooD. 

15  3(nD  tl)t  eutning  anb  tUt  S0oy 
ninauitttttittliirboar, 

1+  «!:  3(iiD  ooD  faibe ,  net  tlitrt  bet 
'  UgDts  III  tl)t  fttnuiiiitnt  of  tl)t  Ocautn, 
fobiuibtt  tDcbap  from  tt)t  mgl)t :  anb 
let  tlitm  btc  fbi  Opus  anb  fo*  feafono, 
anbfozDaptsanbytereB. 

1^  21ti0  let  tlitm  btc  fo>ligl)tsmtl)t 
firinaniciuof  tt)cl)tauru ,  to  giue  list)t 
bpan  tl)e  tarti) :  anb  It  ibas  fo. 

16  3lub  Gob  mabttlbo  great  lights: 
tl)e  greater  ugUt  t  to  rule  tDc  bay ,  anb 
tlje  If  (Tet  ligln  to  rule  tljc  nigljt:  i«  "■•"i' 
tDetfarrcBaifo. 

17  ^nc  (500  fct  tlieni  m  tDe  6rma 
mcnCofcl)el)tauen,  to  siticltgljtbpon 
tJje  earth: 

18  Muto' rule  otiti:  tl)c  oap ,  anb 

IS.  OHft 


•0-ut.<. 
1:07. 


•>'«« 


thti*J,th. 


-^■iia 


A   PAGE  OF  THE  AUTHORIZED  VERSION,   i6u 


The  Authorized  Version  251 

copy  in  the  New  York  Library.  It  was  printed  by  Robert 
Barker,  who  had  had  considerable  experience  in  printing 
editions  of  the  earHer  versions.     The  title-page  reads: 

The  Holy  Bible,  conteyning  the  old  Testament,  and  the  New. 
Newly  translated  out  of  the  Originall  tongues  &  with  the  former 
Translations  diligently  compared  and  reuised  by  his  Maiesties 
speciall  comandement.  Appointed  to  be  read  in  Churches. 
Imprinted  at  London  by  Robert  Barker,  Printer  to  the  Kings 
most  Excellent  Maiestie.     Anno  Dom.  1611. 

This  was  followed  by  the  dedication  to  King  James, 
which  is  usually  printed  in  modern  copies  of  the  Author- 
ized Version,  and  the  "The  Translators  to  the  Reader," 
which  is  seldom  printed  now.  It  was  written  by  Dr.  Miles 
Smith,  and  contains  both  details  of  the  work  and  replies  to 
the  arguments  advanced  by  Romanists  and  "Brethren" 
against  the  translators'  methods  and  results.  Both  are 
here  reproduced  in  full. 

The  Epistle  Dedicatorie 

To  the  most  high  and  mightie  Prince,  lames  by  the  grace  of  God 
King  of  Great  Britaine,  France  and  Ireland,  Defender  of  the  Faith, 
&c.  The  translators  of  The  Bible,  wish  Grace,  Mercie,  and  Peace, 
through  lesvs  Christ  our  Lord. 

Great  and  manifold  were  the  blessings  (most  dread  Soueraigne) 
which  Almighty  God,  the  Father  of  all  Mercies,  bestowed  vpon 
vs  the  people  of  England,  when  first  he  sent  your  Maiesties  Royal! 
person  to  rule  and  raigne  ouer  us.  For  whereas  it  was  the  expecta- 
tion of  many,  who  wished  not  well  vnto  our  Sion,  that  vpon  the 
setting  of  that  bright  Occidentall  Starve  Queen  Elizabeth  of  most 
happy  memory,  some  thicke  and  palpable  cloudes  of  darkenesse 
would  so  haue  ouershadowed  this  land,  that  men  should  haue  bene 
in  doubt  which  way  they  were  to  walke,  and  that  it  should  hardly 
be  knowen,  who  was  to  direct  the  vnsetled  State:  the  appearance 
of  your  Maiestie,  as  of  the  Sunne  in  his  strength,  instantly  dis- 
pelled those  supposed  and  surmised  mists,  and  gaue  vnto  all  that 
were  well  affected,  exceeding  cause  of  comfort;  especially  when 
we  beheld  the  gouernment  established  in  your  Highnesse,  and 
your  hopefull  Seed,  by  an  vndoubted  Title,  and  this  also  accom- 
panied with  Peace  and  tranquillitie,  at  home  and  abroad. 

But  amongst  all  our  loyes,  there  was  no  one  that  more  filled 
our  hearts,  then  the  blessed  continuance  of  the  Preaching  of  Gods 
sacred  word  amongst  vs,  which  is  that  inestimable  treasure,  which 


252  The  Book  of  Books 


"international"    series.  self-pronouncing  edition. 


THE 

HOLY   BIBLE 


containing  the 


Old  and  New  Testaments, 


TRANSLATED    OUT    OF    THE     ORIGINAL     TONGUES: 

AND  WITH  THE  FORMER  TRANSLATIONS  DILIGENTLY 

COMPARED   AND  REVISED 


"International" 

Printed  and  Bound  at  the   "International  Press" 
Philadelphia,  U.  S.  A. 

The  John  C.  Winston  Co. 

large  minion.     I2M0.  CLEAR  TYPE  EDITION, 


TITLE-PAGE  OF  A  MODERN  EDITION  OF  THE 
AUTHORIZED  VERSION 


The  Authorized  Version  253 

excelleth  all  the  riches  of  the  earth,  because  the  fruit  thereof 
extendeth  it  selfe,  not  onely  to  the  time  spent  in  this  transitory 
world,  but  directeth  and  disposeth  men  vnto  that  Eternall  happi- 
nesse  which  is  aboue  in  Heauen. 

Then,  not  to  suffer  this  to  fall  to  the  ground,  but  rather  to 
take  it  vp,  and  to  continue  it  in  that  state,  wherein  the  famous 
predecessour  of  your  Highnesse  did  leaue  it;  Nay,  to  goe  forward 
with  the  confidence  and  resolution  of  a  man  in  maintaining  the 
trueth  of  Christ,  and  propagating  it  farre  and  neere,  is  that  which 
hath  so  bound  and  firmely  knit  the  hearts  of  all  your  Maiesties 
loyall  and  Religious  people  vnto  you,  that  your  very  Name  is 
precious  among  them,  their  eye  doeth  behold  you  with  comfort, 
and  they  blesse  you  in  their  hearts,  as  that  sanctified  person,  who 
vnder  God,  is  the  immediate  authour  of  their  true  happinesse. 
And  this  their  contentment  doeth  not  diminish  or  decay,  but 
euery  day  increaseth  and  taketh  strength,  when  they  obserue  that 
the  zeale  of  your  Maiestie  towards  the  house  of  God,  doth  not 
slacke  or  goe  backward,  but  is  more  and  more  kindled,  manifesting 
it  selfe  abroad  in  the  furthest  parts  of  Christendome,  by  writing  in 
defence  of  the  Trueth,  (which  hath  giuen  such  a  blow  vnto  that 
man  of  Sinne,  as  will  not  be  healed)  and  euery  day  at  home,  by 
Religious  and  learned  discourse,  by  frequenting  the  house  of  God, 
by  hearing  the  word  preached,  by  cherishing  the  teachers  therof, 
by  caring  for  the  Church  as  a  most  tender  and  louing  nourcing 
Father. 

There  are  infinite  arguments  of  this  right  Christian  and 
Religious  affection  in  your  Maiestie:  but  none  is  more  forcible 
to  declare  it  to  others,  then  the  vehement  and  perpetuated  desire 
of  the  accomplishing  and  publishing  of  this  Worke,  which  now 
with  all  humilitie  we  present  vnto  your  Maiestie.  For  when  your 
Highnesse  had  once  out  of  deepe  iudgment  apprehended,  how 
conuenient  it  was.  That  out  of  the  Originall  sacred  tongues, 
together  with  comparing  of  the  labours,  both  in  our  owne  and 
other  forreigne  Languages,  of  many  worthy  men  who  went  before 
vs,  there  should  be  one  more  exact  Translation  of  the  holy  Scrip- 
tures into  the  English  tongue;  your  Maiestie  did  neuer  desist, 
to  vrge  and  to  excite  those  to  whom  it  was  commended,  that  the 
worke  might  be  hastened,  and  that  the  businesse  might  be  expe- 
dited in  so  decent  a  maner,  as  a  matter  of  such  importance  might 
iustly  require. 

And  now  at  last,  by  the  Mercy  of  God,  and  the  continuance 
of  our  Labours,  it  being  brought  vnto  such  a  conclusion,  as  that 
we  haue  great  hope  that  the  Church  of  England  shall  reape  good 
fruit  thereby;  we  hold  it  our  duety  to  offer  it  to  your  Maiestie, 
not  onely  as  to  our  King  and  Soueraigne,  but  as  to  the  principall 
moouer  and  Author  of  the  Worke.  Humbly  crauing  of  your  most 
Sacred  Maiestie,  that  since  things  of  this  quality  haue  euer  bene 
subiect  to  the  censures  of  ill  meaning  and  discontented  persons, 


254  The  Book  of  Books 

it  may  receiue  approbation  and  Patronage  from  so  learned  and 
iudicious  a  Prince  as  your  Highnesse  is,  whose  allowance  and 
acceptance  of  our  Labours,  shall  more  honour  and  incourage  vs, 
then  all  the  calumniations  and  hard  interpretations  of  other  men 
shall  dismay  vs.  So  that,  if  on  the  one  side  we  shall  be  traduced 
by  Popish  persons  at  home  or  abroad,  who  therefore  will  maligne 
vs,  because  we  are  poore  Instruments  to  make  Gods  holy  Trueth 
to  be  yet  more  and  more  knowen  vnto  the  people,  whom  they 
desire  still  to  keepe  in  ignorance  and  darknesse:  or  if  on  the  other 
side,  we  shall  be  maligned  by  selfe-conceited  brethren,  who  runne 
their  owne  wayes,  and  giue  liking  vnto  nothing  but  what  is  framed 
by  themselues,  and  hammered  on  their  Anuile;  we  may  rest  secure, 
supported  within  by  the  trueth  and  innocencie  of  a  good  conscience, 
hauing  walked  the  wayes  of  simplicitie  and  integritie,  as  before 
the  Lord;  And  sustained  without,  by  the  powerfull  Protection  of 
your  Maiesties  grace  and  fauour,  which  will  euer  giue  countenance 
to  honest  and  Christian  endeuours,  against  bitter  censures;  and 
vncharitable  imputations. 

The  Lord  or  Heauen  and  earth   blesse  your  Maiestie  with 

many  and  happy  dayes,  that  as  his  Heauenly  hand  hath  enriched 

your  Highnesse  with  many  singular,  and  extraordinary  Graces; 

so  you  may  be  the  wonder  of  the  world  in  this  later  age, 

for  happinesse  and  true  felicitie,  to  the  honour  of  that 

Great  God,  and  the  good  of  his  Church,  through 

Jesvs  Christ  our  Lord  and  onely  Sauiour. 

The  Translators  to  the  Reader 

Zeale  to  promote  the  common  good,  whether  it  be  by  deuising 
any  thing  our  selues,  or  reuising  that  which  hath  bene  laboured 
by  others,  deserueth  certainly  much  respect  and  esteeme,  but  yet 
findeth  but  cold  intertainment  m  the  world.  It  is  welcommed  with 
suspicion  in  stead  of  loue  and  with  emulation  in  stead  of  thankes: 
and  if  there  be  any  hole  left  for  cauill  to  enter,  (and  cauill,  if  it 
doe  not  finde  a  hole,  will  make  one)  it  is  sure  to  bee  misconstrued, 
and  in  danger  to  be  condemned.  This  will  easily  be  granted  by 
as  many  as  know  story,  or  haue  any  experience.  For,  was  there 
euer  any  thing  proiected,  that  sauoured  any  way  of  newnesse  or 
renewing,  but  the  same  endured  many  a  storme  of  gaine-saying, 
or  opposition.''  A  man  would  thinke  that  Ciuilitie,  holesome 
Lawes,  learning  and  eloquence.  Synods  and  Church-maintenance, 
(that  we  speake  of  no  more  things  of  this  kinde)  should  be  as  safe 
as  a  Sanctuary,  and  out  of  shot,  as  they  say,  that  no  man  would 
lift  vp  the  heele,  no,  nor  dogge  mooue  his  tongue  against  the 
motioners  of  them.  For  by  the  first,  we  are  distinguished  from 
bruit-beasts  led  with  sensualitie:  By  the  second,  we  are  bridled 
and  restrained  from  outragious  behauiour,  and  from  doing  of 
iniuries,  whether  by  fraud  or  by  violence:    By  the  third,  we  are 


The  Authorized  Version  255 

enabled  to  informe  and  reforme  others,  by  the  Hght  and  feeling 
that  we  haue  attained  vnto  our  selves:  Briefly,  by  the  fourth  being 
brought  together  to  a  parle  face  to  face,  we  sooner  compose  our 
differences  then  by  writings,  which  are  endlesse:  And  lastly,  that 
the  Church  be  sufficiently  prouided  for,  is  so  agreeable  to  good 
reason  and  conscience,  that  those  mothers  are  holden  to  be  lesse 
cruell,  that  kill  their  children  assoone  as  they  are  borne,  then 
those  noursing  fathers  and  mothers  (wheresoeuer  they  be)  that 
withdraw  from  them  who  hang  vpon  their  breasts  (and  vpon 
whose  breasts  againe  themselues  doe  hang  to  receiue  the  Spirituall 
and  sincere  milke  of  the  word)  liuelyhood  and  support  fit  for  their 
estates.  Thus  it  is  apparent,  that  these  things  which  we  speake 
of,  are  of  most  necessary  vse,  and  therefore,  that  none,  either 
without  absurditie  can  speake  against  them,  or  without  note  of 
wickednesse  can  spurne  against  them. 

Yet  for  all  that,  the  learned  know  that  certaine  worthy  men 
haue  bene  brought  to  vntimely  death  for  none  other  fault,  but 
for  seeking  to  reduce  their  Country-men  to  good  order  and  dis- 
cipline: and  that  in  some  Common-weales  it  was  made  a  capitall 
crime,  once  to  motion  the  making  of  a  new  Law  for  the  abrogating 
of  an  old,  though  the  same  were  most  pernicious:  And  that  cer- 
taine, which  would  be  counted  pillars  of  the  State,  and  paternes 
of  Vertue  and  Prudence,  could  not  be  brought  for  a  long  time  to 
giue  way  to  good  Letters  and  refined  speech,  but  bare  themselues 
as  auerse  from  them,  as  from  rocks  or  boxes  of  poison:  And 
fourthly,  that  hee  was  no  babe,  but  a  great  clearke,  that  gaue 
foorth  (and  in  writing  to  remaine  to  posteritie)  in  passion  perad- 
uenture,  but  yet  he  gaue  foorth,  that  hee  had  not  seene  any  profit 
to  come  by  any  Synode,  or  meeting  of  the  Clergie,  but  rather  the 
contrary:  And  lastly,  against  Church-maintenance  and  allowance, 
in  such  sort,  as  the  Embassadors  and  messengers  of  the  great 
King  of  Kings  should  be  furnished,  it  is  not  vnknowen  what  a 
fiction  or  fable  (so  it  is  esteemed,  and  for  no  better  by  the  reporter 
himselfe,  though  superstitious)  was  deuised:  Namely,  that  at 
such  time  as  the  professours  and  teachers  of  Christianitie  in  the 
Church  of  Rome,  then  a  true  Church,  were  liberally  endowed,  a 
voyce  forsooth  was  heard  from  heauen,  saying:  Now  is  poison 
powred  down  into  the  Church,  &c.  Thus  not  only  as  oft  as  we 
speake,  as  one  saith,  but  also  as  oft  as  we  do  any  thing  of  note 
or  consequence,  we  subiect  our  selues  to  euer/  ones  censure,  and 
happy  is  he  that  is  least  tossed  vpon  tongues;  for  vtterly  to  escape 
the  snatch  of  them  it  is  impossible.  If  any  man  conceit,  that  this 
is  the  lot  and  portion  of  the  meaner  sort  onely,  and  that  Princes 
are  priuiledged  by  their  high  estate,  he  is  deceiued.  As  the  szvord 
devoureth  aswell  one  as  the  other,  as  it  is  in  Samuel;  nay  as  the  great 
Commander  charged  his  souldiers  in  a  certaine  battell,  to  strike  at 
no  part  of  the  enemie,  but  at  the  face;   And  as  the  King  of  Syria 


256  The  Book  of  Books 

commanded  his  chiefe  Captaines  to  fight  neither  zvith  small  nor 
great,  saue  onely  against  the  King  of  Israel:  so  it  is  too  true,  that 
Enuie  striketh  most  spitefully  at  the  fairest,  and  at  the  chiefest. 
Dauid  was  a  worthy  Prince,  and  no  man  to  be  compared  to  him 
for  his  first  deedes,  and  yet  for  as  worthy  an  acte  as  euer  he  did 
(euen  for  bringing  backe  the  Arke  of  God  in  solemnitie)  he  was 
scorned  and  scoffed  at  by  his  owne  wife.  Solomon  was  greater 
then  Dauid,  though  not  in  vertue,  yet  in  power:  and  by  his  power 
and  wisdome  he  built  a  Temple  to  the  Lord,  such  a  one  as  was  the 
glory  of  the  land  of  Israel,  and  the  wonder  of  the  whole  world. 
But  was  that  his  magnificence  liked  of  by  all?  We  doubt  of  it. 
Otherwise,  why  doe  they  lay  it  in  his  sonnes  dish,  and  call  vnto 
him  for  ||  easing  of  the  burden.  Make,  they  say,  the  grieuous  serui- 
tude  of  thy  father,  and  his  sore  yoke,  lighter.  Belike  he  had  charged 
them  with  some  leuies,  and  troubled  them  with  some  cariages; 
Hereupon  they  raise  vp  a  tragedie,  and  wish  in  their  heart  the 
Temple  had  neuer  bene  built.  So  hard  a  thing  it  is  to  please  all, 
euen  when  we  please  God  best,  and  doe  seeke  to  approue  our 
selues  to  euery  ones  conscience. 

If  wee  will  descend  to  later  times,  wee  shall  finde  many  the 
like  examples  of  such  kind,  or  rather  vnkind  acceptance.  The 
first  Romane  Emperour  did  neuer  doe  a  more  pleasing  deed  to 
the  learned,  nor  more  profitable  to  posteritie  for  conseruing  the 
record  of  times  in  true  supputation;  then  when  he  corrected  the 
Calender,  and  ordered  the  yeere  according  to  the  course  of  the 
Sunne:  and  yet  this  was  imputed  to  him  for  noueltie,  and  arro- 
gancie,  and  procured  to  him  great  obloquie.  So  the  first  Christened 
Emperour  (at  the  leastwise  that  openly  professed  the  faith  him- 
selfe,  and  allowed  others  to  doe  the  like)  for  strengthening  the 
Empire  at  his  great  charges,  and  prouiding  for  the  Church,  as  he 
did,  got  for  his  labour  the  name  Pupillus,  as  who  would  say,  a 
wastefull  Prince,  that  had  neede  of  a  Guardian,  or  ouerseer.  So 
the  best  Christened  Emperour,  for  the  loue  that  he  bare  vnto 
peace,  thereby  to  enrich  both  himselfe  and  his  subiects,  and  because 
he  did  not  seeke  warre  but  find  it,  was  iudged  to  be  no  man  at 
armes,  (though  in  deed  he  excelled  in  feates  of  chiualrie,  and 
shewed  so  much  when  he  was  prouoked)  and  condemned  for  giuing 
himselfe  to  his  ease,  and  to  his  pleasure.  To  be  short,  the  most 
learned  Emperour  of  former  times,  (at  the  least,  the  greatest  poli- 
tician) what  thanks  had  he  for  cutting  off  the  superfluities  of  the 
lawes,  and  digesting  them  into  some  order  and  method.^  This, 
that  he  hath  been  blotted  by  some  to  bee  an  Epitomist,  that  is 
one  that  extinguished  worthy  whole  volumes,  to  bring  his  abridge- 
ments into  request.  This  is  the  measure  that  hath  been  rendred 
to  excellent  Princes  in  former  times,  euen.  Cum  bene  facerent,  male 
audire.  For  their  good  deedes  to  be  euill  spoken  of.  Neither  is 
there  any  likelihood,  that  enuie  and  malignitie  died,  and  were 
buried  with  the  ancient.     No,  no,  the  reproofe  of  Moses  taketh 


The  Authorized  Version  257 

hold  of  most  ages;  Yott  are  risen  vp  in  your  fathers  stead,  an  increase 
of  sinfull  men.  What  is  that  that  hath  been  done?  that  which 
shall  be  done:  and  there  is  no  new  thing  voider  the  Sunne,  saith  the 
Wiseman:  and  S.  Steue?i,  As  your  fathers  did,  so  doe  you.  This, 
and  more  to  this  purpose,  His  Maiestie  that  now  reigneth  (and 
long,  and  long  may  he  reigne,  and  his  offspring  for  euer,  Himself e 
and  children,  and  childrens  children  akvayes)  knew  full  well,  accord- 
ing to  the  singular  wisedome  giuen  vnto  him  by  God,  and  the  rare 
learning  and  experience  that  he  hath  attained  vnto;  namely  that 
whosoeuer  attempteth  any  thing  for  the  publike  (specially  if  it 
pertaine  to  Religion,  and  to  the  opening  and  clearing  of  the  word 
of  God)  the  same  setteth  himselfe  vpon  a  stage  to  be  glouted  vpon 
by  euery  euil  eye,  yea,  he  casteth  himselfe  headlong  vpon  pikes, 
to  be  gored  by  euery  sharpe  tongue.  For  he  that  medleth  with 
mens  Religion  in  any  part,  medleth  with  their  custome,  nay,  with 
their  freehold;  and  though  they  finde  no  content  in  that  which 
they  haue,  yet  they  cannot  abide  to  heare  of  altering.  Notwith- 
standing his  Royall  heart  was  not  daunted  or  discouraged  for 
this  or  that  colour,  but  stood  resolute,  as  a  statue  immoueable,  and 
an  anuile  not  easie  to  be  beaten  into  plates,  as  one  sayth;  he  knew 
who  had  chosen  him  to  be  a  Souldier,  or  rather  a  Captaine,  and 
being  assured  that  the  course  which  he  intended  made  much  for 
the  glory  of  God,  &  the  building  vp  of  his  Church,  he  would  not 
suffer  it  to  be  broken  off  for  whatsoeuer  speaches  or  practises.  It 
doth  certainely  belong  vnto  Kings,  yea,  it  doth  specially  belong 
vnto  them,  to  haue  care  of  Religion,  yea  to  know  it  aright,  yea 
to  professe  it  zealously,  yea  to  promote  it  to  the  vttermost  of  their 
power.  This  is  their  glory  before  all  nations  which  meane  well, 
and  this  will  bring  vnto  them  a  farre  most  excellent  weight  of 
glory  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  lesus.  For  the  Scripture  saith  not 
in  vaine.  Them  that  honor  me,  I  will  honor,  neither  was  it  a  vaine 
word  that  Eusebius  deliuered  long  agoe,  that  pietie  towards  God 
was  the  weapon,  and  the  onely  weapon  that  both  preserued  Con- 
stantines  person,  and  auenged  him  of  his  enemies. 

But  now  what  pietie  without  trueth.^  what  trueth  (what 
sauing  trueth)  without  the  word  of  God.?  what  word  of  God 
(whereof  we  may  be  sure)  without  the  Scripture.?  The  Scriptures 
we  are  commanded  to  search.  loh.  5.39.  Esa  8.20.  They  are 
commended  that  searched  &  studied  them.  Act.  17. 11  and  8.28,29. 
They  are  reproued  that  were  vnskilful  in  them,  or  slow  to  beleeue 
them.  Mat.  22.29.  Luk.  24.25.  They  can  make  vs  wise  vnto 
saluation.  2  Tim.  3.15.  If  we  be  ignorant,  they  will  instruct  vs; 
if  out  of  the  way,  they  will  bring  vs  home;  if  our  of  order,  they 
will  reforme  vs;  if  in  heauines,  comfort  vs;  if  dull,  quicken  vs; 
if  colde,  inflame  vs.  Tolle,  lege,  Tolle,  lege.  Take  vp  and  read, 
take  vp  and  read  the  Scriptures,  (for  vnto  them  was  the  direction) 
it  was  said  vnto  S.  Augustine  by  a  supernaturall  voyce.  What- 
soeuar  is  in  the  Scriptures,  beleeue  me,  saith  the  same  S.  Augustine, 


258  The  Book  of  Books 

is  high  and  ditiine;  there  is  verily  trueth,  and  a  doctrine  most  fit  for 
the  refreshing  and  renewing  of  mens  mindes,  and  tmely  so  tempered, 
that  euery  o?ie  may  drazv  from  thence  that  which  is  sufficient  for  him, 
if  hee  come  to  draw  with  a  deuout  and  pious  minde,  as  true  Religion 
requireth.  Thus  S.  Augustine.  And  S.  Hierome:  Ana  scripturas, 
y  amabit  te  sapientia  &c.  Loue  the  Scriptures,  and  wisedome  will 
loue  thee.  And  S.  Cyrill  against  lulian:  Euen  boyes  that  are  bred 
vp  in  the  Scriptures,  become  most  religious,  ifjc.  But  what  mention 
wee  three  or  foure  vses  of  the  Scripture,  whereas  whatsoeuer  is  to 
be  beleeued  or  practised,  or  hoped  for,  is  contained  in  them?  or 
three  or  foure  sentences  of  the  Fathers,  since  whosoeuer  is  worthy 
the  name  of  a  Father,  from  Christs  time  downeward,  hath  like- 
wise written  not  onely  of  the  riches,  but  also  of  the  perfection  of 
the  Scripture?  /  adore  the  fulnesse  of  the  Scripture,  saith  Tertullian 
against  Hermogenes.  And,  againe,  to  Apelles  an  Heretike  of  the 
like  stampe,  he  saith;  /  doe  ?iot  admit  that  which  thou  br ingest  in 
(or  concludest)  of  thine  owne  (head  or  store,  de  tuo)  without  Scrip- 
ture. So  Saint  lustin  Martyr  before  him;  Wee  must  know  by  all 
meanes,  saith  hee,  that  it  is  not  lawfull  (or  possible)  to  learne  (any 
thing)  of  God  or  of  right  pietie,  saue  onely  out  of  the  Prophets,  who 
teach  vs  by  diui^ie  inspiratio7i.  So  Saint  Basill  after  Tertullian, 
It  is  a  manifest  falling  away  from  the  Faith,  and  a  fault  of  presump- 
tion, either  to  reiect  any  of  those  things  that  are  written,  or  to  bring  in 
(vpon  the  head  of  them  eTreicrayeiv)  any  of  those  things  that  are 
not  written.  Wee  omit  to  cite  to  the  same  effect,  S.  Cyril  B.  of 
Hierusalem  in  his  4.  Cataches.  Saint  Hierome  against  Heluidius, 
Saint  Augustine  in  his  3.  booke  against  the  letters  of  Petilian,  and 
in  very  many  other  places  of  his  workes.  Also  we  forebeare  to 
descend  to  latter  Fathers,  because  wee  will  not  wearie  the  reader. 
The  Scriptures  then  being  acknowledged  to  bee  so  full  and  so 
perfect,  how  can  wee  excuse  our  selues  of  negligence,  if  we  doe  not 
studie  them,  of  curiositie,  if  we  be  not  content  with  them?  Men 
talke  much  of  tipthtwyq,  how  many  sweete  and  godly  things  it 
had  hanging  on  it;  of  the  Philosophers  stone,  that  it  turneth  copper 
into  gold;  of  Cornu-copia,  that  it  had  all  things  necessary  for 
foode  in  it;  of  Panaces  the  herbe,  that  it  was  good  for  all  diseases; 
oi  Catholic  on  the  drugge,  that  it  is  in  stead  of  all  purges;  of  Vulcans 
armour,  that  it  was  an  armour  of  proofe  against  all  thrusts,  and 
all  blowes,  &c.  Well,  that  which  they  falsly  or  vainely  attributed 
to  these  things  for  bodily  good,  wee  may  iustly  and  with  full 
measure  ascribe  vnto  the  Scripture,  for  spirituall.  It  is  not  onely 
an  armour,  but  also  a  whole  armourie  of  weapons,  both  ofFensiue 
and  defensiue;  whereby  we  may  saue  our  selues  and  put  the 
enemie  to  flight.  It  is  not  an  herbe,  but  a  tree,  or  rather  a  whole 
paradise  of  trees  of  life,  which  bring  foorth  fruit  euery  moneth, 
and  the  fruit  thereof  is  for  meate,  and  the  leaues  for  medicine. 
It  is  not  a  pot  oi  Manna  or  a  cruse  of  oyle,  which  were  for  memorie 
only,  or  for  a  meales  meate  or  two,  but  as  it  were  a  showre  of 


The  Authorized  Version  259 

heauenly  bread  sufficient  for  a  whole  host,  be  it  neuer  so  great; 
and  as  it  were  a  whole  cellar  full  of  oyle  vessels;  whereby  all  our 
necessities  may  be  prouided  for,  and  our  debts  discharged.  In  a 
word,  it  is  a  Panary  of  holesome  foode,  against  fenowed  traditions; 
a  Physions-shop  (Saint  Basill  calleth  it)  of  preseruatiues  against 
poisoned  heresies;  a  Pandect  of  profitable  lawes,  against  rebellious 
spirits;  a  treasurie  of  most  costly  iewels,  against  beggarly  rudi- 
ments; Finally  a  fountaine  of  most  pure  water  springing  vp  vnto 
euerlasting  life.  And  what  maruaile.''  The  originall  thereof  being 
from  heauen,  not  from  earth;  the  authour  being  God,  not  man; 
the  enditer,  the  holy  spirit,  not  the  wit  of  the  Apostles  or  Prophets; 
the  Pen-men  such  as  were  sanctified  from  the  wombe,  and  endewed 
with  a  principall  portion  of  Gods  spirit;  the  matter,  veritie,  pietie, 
puritie,  vprightnesse;  the  forme,  Gods  word,  Gods  testimonie, 
Gods  oracles,  the  word  of  trueth,  the  word  of  saluation,  &c.  the 
effects,  light  of  vnderstanding,  stablenesse  of  perswasion,  repent- 
ance from  dead  workes,  newnesse  of  life,  holinesse,  peace,  ioy  in 
the  holy  Ghost;  lastly,  the  end  and  reward  of  the  studie  thereof, 
fellowship  with  the  Saints,  participation  of  the  heauenly  nature, 
fruition  of  an  inheritance  immortall,  vndefiled,  and  that  neuer 
shall  fade  away:  Happie  is  the  man  that  delighteth  in  the  Scrip- 
ture, and  thrise  happie  that  meditateth  in  it  day  and  night. 

But  how  shall  men  meditate  in  that,  which  they  cannot  under- 
stand .f*  How  shall  they  vnderstand  that  which  is  kept  close  in 
an  vnknowen  tongue .''  as  it  is  written.  Except  I  know  the  power  of 
the  voyce,  I  shall  be  to  him  that  speaketh,  a  Barbarian,  and  he  that 
speaketh,  shalbe  a  Barbarian  to  me.  The  Apostle  excepteth  no 
tongue;  not  Hebrewe  the  ancientest,  not  Greeke  the  most  copious, 
not  Latine  the  finest.  Nature  taught  a  naturall  man  to  confesse, 
that  all  of  vs  in  those  tongues  which  wee  doe  not  vnderstand,  are 
plainely  deafe;  wee  may  turne  the  deafe  eare  vnto  them.  The 
Scythian  counted  the  Athenian,  whom  he  did  not  vnderstand,  bar- 
barous: so  the  Romane  did  the  Syrian,  and  the  lew,  (euen  S. 
Hierome  himselfe  calleth  the  Hebrew  tongue  barbarous,  belike 
because  it  was  strange  to  so  many)  so  the  Emperour  of  Constanti- 
nople calleth  the  Latine  tongue,  barbarous,  though  Pope  Nicolas 
do  storme  at  it:  so  the  I  ewes  long  before  Christ,  called  all  other 
nations,  Lognazim,  which  is  little  better  then  barbarous.  There- 
fore as  one  complaineth,  that  alwayes  in  the  Senate  of  Rome,  there 
was  one  or  other  that  called  for  an  interpreter:  so  lest  the  Church 
be  driuen  to  the  like  exigent,  it  is  necessary  to  haue  translations 
in  a  readinesse.  Translation  it  is  that  openeth  the  window,  to  let 
in  the  light;  that  breaketh  the  shell,  that  we  may  eat  the  kernel; 
that  putteth  aside  the  curtaine,  that  we  may  looke  into  the  most 
Holy  place;  that  remooueth  the  couer  of  the  well,  that  wee  may 
come  by  the  water,  euen  as  lacob  rolled  away  the  stone,  from  the 
mouth  of  the  well,  by  which  meanes  the  flockes  of  Laban  were 
watered.      Indeede  without  translation  into  the  vulgar  tongue, 


26o  The  Book  of  Books 

the  vnlearned  are  but  like  children  at  Jacobs  well  (which  was 
deepe)  without  a  bucket  or  some  thing  to  draw  with:  or  as  that 
person  mentioned  by  Esay,  to  whom  when  a  sealed  booke  was 
deliuered,  with  this  motion,  Reade  this,  I  pray  thee,  hee  was  faine 
to  make  this  answere,  /  cannot,  for  it  is  sealed. 

While  God  would  be  knowen  onely  in  lacob,  and  haue  his 
Name  great  in  Israel,  and  in  none  other  place,  while  the  dew  lay 
on  Gideo?is  fleece  onely,  and  all  the  earth  besides  was  drie;  then 
for  one  and  the  same  people,  which  spake  all  of  them  the  language 
of  Canaan,  that  is,  Hebrewe,  one  and  the  same  originall  in  Hebrew 
was  sufl&cient.  But  when  the  fulnesse  of  time  drew  neere,  that 
the  Sunne  of  righteousnesse,  the  Sonne  of  God  should  come  into 
the  world,  whom  God  ordeined  to  be  a  reconciliation  through 
faith  in  his  blood,  not  of  the  lew  onely,  but  also  of  the  Greeke,  yea, 
of  all  them  that  were  scattered  abroad;  then  loe,  it  pleased  the 
Lord  to  stirre  vp  the  spirit  of  a  Greeke  Prince  {Greeke  for  descent 
and  language)  euen  of  Ptolofne  Philadelph  King  of  Egypt,  to  pro- 
cure the  translating  of  the  Booke  of  God  out  of  Hebrew  into  Greeke. 
This  is  the  translation  of  the  Seuentie  Interpreters,  commonly  so 
called,  which  prepared  the  way  for  our  Sauiour  among  the  Gentiles 
by  written  preaching,  as  Saint  lohn  Baptist  did  among  the  lewes 
by  vocall.  For  the  Grecians  being  desirous  of  learning,  were  not 
wont  to  suff^er  bookes  of  worth  to  lye  moulding  in  Kings  Libraries, 
but  had  many  of  their  seruants,  ready  scribes,  to  copie  them  out, 
and  so  they  were  dispersed  and  made  common.  Againe,  the 
Greeke  tongue  was  wellknowen  and  made  familiar  to  most  inhabi- 
tants in  Asia,  by  reason  of  the  conquest  that  there  the  Grecians 
had  made,  as  also  by  the  Colonies,  which  thither  they  had  sent. 
For  the  same  causes  also  it  was  well  vnderstood  in  many  places  of 
Europe,  yea,  and  of  Affrike  too.  Therefore  the  word  of  God  being 
set  foorth  in  Greeke,  becommeth  hereby  like  a  candle  set  vpon  a 
candlesticke,  which  giueth  light  to  all  that  are  in  the  house,  or 
like  a  proclamation  sounded  foorth  in  the  market  place,  which 
most  men  presently  take  knowledge  of;  and  therefore  that  lan- 
guage was  fittest  to  containe  the  Scriptures,  both  for  the  first 
Preachers  of  the  Gospel  to  appeale  vnto  for  witnesse,  and  for  the 
learners  also  of  those  times  to  make  search  and  triall  by.  It  is 
certaine,  that  that  Translation  was  not  so  sound  and  so  perfect, 
but  that  it  needed  in  many  places  correction,  and  who  had  bene 
so  sufficient  for  this  worke  as  the  Apostles  or  Apostolike  men.^ 
Yet  it  seemed  good  to  the  holy  Ghost  and  to  them,  to  take  that 
which  they  found,  (the  same  being  for  the  greatest  part  true  and 
sufficient)  rather  then  by  making  a  new,  in  that  new  world  and 
greene  age  of  the  Church,  to  expose  themselues  to  many  exceptions 
and  cauillations,  as  though  they  made  a  Translation  to  serue  their 
owne  turne,  and  therefore  bearing  witnesse  to  themselues,  their 
witnesse  not  to  be  regarded.  This  may  be  supposed  to  bee  some 
cause,  why  the  Translation  of  the  Seuentie  was  allowed  to  passe 


The  Authorized  Version  261 

for  currant.  Notwithstanding,  though  it  was  commended  gen- 
erally, yet  it  did  not  fully  content  the  learned,  no  not  of  the  lewes. 
For  not  long  after  Christ,  Aquila  fell  in  hand  with  a  new  Transla- 
tion, and  after  him  Theodotion,  and  after  him  Symmachus :  yea, 
there  was  a  lift  and  a  sixt  edition,  the  Authours  whereof  were  not 
knowen.  These  with  the  Seuentie  made  vp  the  Hexapla,  and  were 
worthily  and  to  great  purpose  compiled  together  by  Origen.  How- 
beit  the  Edition  of  the  Seuentie  went  away  with  the  credit,  and 
therefore  not  onely  was  placed  in  the  midst  by  Origen  (for  the 
worth  and  excellencie  thereof  aboue  the  rest,  as  Epiphanius  gath- 
ereth)  but  also  was  vsed  by  the  Greeke  fathers  for  the  ground  and 
foundation  of  their  Commentaries.  Yea,  Epiphanius  aboue  named 
doeth  attribute  so  much  vnto  it,  that  he  holdeth  the  Authours 
■thereof  not  onely  for  Interpreters,  but  also  for  Prophets  in  some 
respect:  and  lustinian  the  Emperour  enioyning  the  lewes  his 
subjects  to  vse  specially  the  Translation  of  the  Seuentie,  rendreth 
this  reason  thereof,  because  they  were  as  it  were  enlightened  with 
propheticall  grace.  Yet  for  all  that,  as  the  Egyptians  are  said  of 
the  Prophet  to  bee  men  and  not  God,  and  their  horses  flesh  and 
not  spirit:  so  it  is  euident,  (and  Saint  Hierome  affirmeth  as  much) 
that  the  Seuentie  were  Interpreters,  they  were  not  Prophets;  they 
did  many  things  well,  as  learned  men;  but  yet  as  men  they 
stumbled  and  fell,  one  while  through  ouersight,  another  while 
through  ignorance,  yea,  sometimes  they  may  be  noted  to  adde  to 
the  Originall,  and  sometimes  to  take  from  it;  which  made  the 
Apostles  to  leaue  them  many  times,  when  they  left  the  Hebrew, 
and  to  deliuer  the  sence  thereof  according  to  the  trueth  of  the 
word,  as  the  spirit  gaue  them  vtterance.  This  may  suffice  touching 
the  Greeke  Translations  of  the  old  Testament. 

There  were  also. within  a  few  hundreth  yeers  after  Christ, 
translations  many  into  the  Latine  tongue:  for  this  tongue  also 
was  very  fit  to  conuey  the  Law  and  the  Gospel  by,  because  in  those 
times  very  many  Countreys  of  the  West,  yea  of  the  South,  East 
and  North,  spake  or  vnderstood  Latine,  being  made  Prouinces  to 
the  Romanes.  But  now  the  Latine  Translations  were  too  many 
to  be  all  good,  for  they  were  infinite  {Latini  Interpretes  nullo  modo 
numerari  possunt,  saith  S.  Augustine.)  Againe  they  were  not  out 
of  the  Hebrew  fountaine  (wee  speake  of  the  Latine  Translations  of 
the  Old  Testament)  but  out  of  the  Greeke  streame,  therefore  the 
Greeke  being  not  altogether  cleare,  the  Latine  deriued  from  it 
must  needs  be  muddie.  This  moued  S.  Hieroyne  a  most  learned 
father,  and  the  best  linguist  without  controuersie,  of  his  age,  or 
of  any  that  went  before  him  to  vndertake  the  translating  of  the 
Old  Testament,  out  of  the  very  fountaines  themselues;  which 
hee  performed  with  that  euidence  of  great  learning,  iudgement, 
industrie  and  faithfulnes,  that  he  hath  for  euer  bound  the  Church 
vnto  him,  in  a  debt  of  speciall  remembrance  and  thankefulnesse. 

Now  though  the  Church  were  thus  furnished  with  Greeke  and 
Latine  Translations,  euen  before  the  faith  of  Christ  was  generally 


262  The  Book  of  Books 

embraced  in  the  Empire:  (for  the  learned  know  that  euen  in 
S.  Hieromes  time,  the  Consul  of  Rome  and  his  wife  were  both 
Ethnicks,  and  about  the  same  time  the  greatest  part  of  the  Senate 
also)  yet  for  all  that  the  godly-learned  were  not  content  to  haue 
the  Scriptures  in  the  Language  which  themselues  vnderstood, 
Greeke  and  Latine,  (as  the  good  Lepers  were  not  content  to  fare 
well  themselues,  but  acquainted  their  neighbours  with  the  store 
that  God  had  sent,  that  they  also  might  prouide  for  themselues) 
but  also  for  the  behoofe  and  edifying  of  the  vnlearned  which 
hungred  and  thirsted  after  Righteousnesse,  and  had  soules  to  be 
saued  aswel  as  they,  they  prouided  Translations  into  the  vulgar 
for  their  Countrymen,  insomuch  that  most  nations  vnder  heauen 
did  shortly  after  their  conuersion,  heare  Christ  speaking  vnto 
them  in  their  mother  tongue,  not  by  the  voyce  of  their  Minister 
onely,  but  also  by  the  written  word  translated.  If  any  doubt 
hereof,  he  may  be  satisfied  by  examples  enough,  if  enough  wil 
serue  the  turne.  First,  S.  Hierovie  saith,  Multaru^n  gentiu  Unguis 
Scripiura  ante  trans  lata,  docet  falsa  esse  qucs  addita  sunt,  iffc.  i. 
The  Scripture  being  translated  before  in  the  languages  of  many 
Nations,  doth  shew  that  those  things  that  were  added  (by  Lucian  or 
Hesychius)  are  false.  So  S.  Hierome  in  that  place.  The  same 
Hierome  elsewhere  affirmeth  that  he,  the  time  was,  had  set  forth 
the  translation  of  the  Seuenty,  sues  lingua  hominibus,  i.  for  his 
countreymen  of  Dalmatia.  Which  words  not  only  Erasmus  doth 
vnderstand  to  purport,  that  S.  Hierovie  translated  the  Scripture 
into  the  Dalmatian  tongue,  but  also  Sixtus  Senensis,  and  Alphon- 
siis  a  Castro  (that  we  speake  of  no  more)  men  not  to  be  excepted 
against  by  them  of  Rome,  doe  ingenuously  confesse  as  much.  So, 
S.  Chrysostome  that  liued  in  S.  Hieromes  time,  giueth  euidence 
with  him:  The  doctrine  of  S.  lohn  (saith  he)  did  not  in  such  sort 
(as  the  Philosophers  did)  vanish  away:  but  the  Syrians,  Egyptians, 
Indians,  Persia?is,  Ethiopians,  and  infinite  other  nations  being 
barbarous  people,  translated  it  into  their  {mother)  tongue,  and  haue 
learned  to  be  {true)  Philosophers,  he  meaneth  Christians.  To  this 
may  be  added  Theodorit,  as  next  vnto  him,  both  for  antiquitie, 
and  for  learning.  His  words  be  these,  Euery  Countrey  that  is  vnder 
the  Sunne,  is  full  of  these  wordes  (of  the  Apostles  and  Prophets) 
and  the  Hebrew  tongue  (he  meaneth  the  Scriptures  in  the  Hebrew 
tongue)  is  turned  not  onely  into  the  Language  of  the  Grecians,  but 
also  of  the  Romanes,  and  Egyptians,  and  Persians,  and  Indians, 
and  Armenians,  and  Scythians,  and  Sauromatians,  and  briefly  into 
all  the  Languages  that  any  Nation  vseth.  So  he.  In  like  maner, 
VIpilas  is  reported  by  Paulus  Diaconus  and  Isidar  (and  before 
them  by  Sozomen)  to  haue  translated  the  Scriptures  into  the 
Gothicke  tongue:  lohn  Bishop  of  Siuil  by  Fasseus,  to  haue  turned 
them  into  Arabicke,  about  the  yeere  of  our  Lord  717:  Beda  by 
Cistertiensis,  to  haue  turned  a  great  part  of  them  into  Saxon: 
Efnard  by  Trithemius,  to  haue  abridged  the  French  Psalter,  as 
Beda  had  done  the  Hebrew,  about  the  yeere  800:    King  A  lured  by 


The  Authorized  Version  263 

the  said  Cistertiensis  to  haue  turned  the  Psalter  into  Saxon: 
Methodius  by  Auentinus  (printed  at  Ingolstad)  to  haue  turned  the 
Scriptures  into  ||  Sclaii-onian:  Valdo,  Bishop  of  Frising  by  Beatus 
Rhenanus^  to  haue  caused  about  that  time,  the  Gospels  to  be 
translated  into  Z)z//cA-rithme,  yet  extant  in  the  Library  of  Corbin- 
ian:  Valdus,  by  diuers  to  haue  turned  them  himself,  or  to  haue 
gotten  them  turned  into  French,  about  the  yeere  1160:  Charles 
the  5.  of  that  name,  surnamed  The  wise,  to  haue  caused  them  to 
be  turned  into  French,  about  200.  yeeres  after  Valdus  his  time, 
of  which  translation  there  be  many  copies  yet  extant,  as  witnesseth 
Beroaldus.  Much  about  that  time,  euen  in  our  King  Richard  the 
seconds  dayes,  lohn  Treuisa  translated  them  into  English,  and 
many  English  Bibles  in  written  hand  are  yet  to  be  seene  with 
diuers,  translated  as  it  is  very  probable,  in  that  age.  So  the 
Syrian  translation  of  the  New  Testament  is  in  most  learned  mens 
Libraries,  of  Widminstadius  his  setting  forth,  and  the  Psalter  in 
Arabicke  is  with  many,  of  Augustinus  Nebiensis  setting  foorth. 
So  Postel  affirmeth,  that  in  his  trauaile  he  saw  the  Gospels  in  the 
Ethiopian  tongue;  And  Ambrose  Thesius  alleageth  the  Psalter  of 
the  Indians,  which  he  testifieth  to  haue  bene  set  forth  by  Potken 
in  Syrian  characters.  So  that,  to  haue  the  Scriptures  in  the 
mother-tongue  is  not  a  quaint  conceit  lately  taken  vp,  either  by 
the  Lord  Cromwell  in  England,  or  by  the  Lord  Radeuil  in  Polonie, 
or  by  the  Lord  Fngnadius  in  the  Emperours  dominion,  but  hath 
bene  thought  vpon,  and  put  in  practise  of  old,  euen  from  the  first 
times  of  the  conuersion  of  any  Nation;  no  doubt,  because  it  was 
esteemed  most  profitable,  to  cause  faith  to  grow  in  mens  hearts 
the  sooner,  and  to  make  them  to  be  able  to  say  with  the  words  of 
the  Psalme,  As  we  haue  heard,  so  we  haue  seene. 

Now  the  Church  of  Rome  would  seeme  at  the  length  to  beare 
a  motherly  affection  towards  her  children,  and  to  allow  them  the 
Scriptures  in  their  mother  tongue:  but  indeed  it  is  a  gift,  not 
deseruing  to  be  called  a  gift,  an  vnprofitable  gift:  they  must  first 
get  a  Licence  in  writing  before  they  may  vse  them,  and  to  get  that, 
they  must  approue  themselues  to  their  Confessor,  that  is,  to  be 
such  as  are,  if  not  frozen  in  the  dregs,  yet  sowred  with  the  leauen 
of  their  superstition.  Howbeit,  it  seemed  too  much  to  Clement  the 
8  that  there  should  be  any  Licence  granted  to  haue  them  in  the 
vulgar  tongue,  and  therefore  he  ouerruleth  and  frustrateth  the 
grant  of  Pius  the  fourth.  So  much  are  they  afraid  of  the  light 
of  the  Scripture,  {Lucifugce  Scripturarum,  as  Tertullian  speaketh) 
that  they  will  not  trust  the  people  with  it,  no  not  as  it  is  set  foorth 
by  their  owne  sworne  men,  no  not  with  the  Licence  of  their  owne 
Bishops  and  Inquisitors.  Yea,  so  vnwilling  they  are  to  communi- 
cate the  Scriptures  to  the  peoples  vnderstanding  in  any  sort,  that 
they  are  not  ashamed  to  confesse,  that  wee  forced  them  to  trans- 
late it  into  English  against  their  wills.  This  seemeth  to  argue  a 
bad  cause,  or  a  bad  conscience,  or  both.     Sure  we  are,  that  it  is 


264  The  Book  of  Books 

not  he  that  hath  good  gold,  that  is  afraid  to  bring  it  to  the  touch- 
stone, but  he  that  hath  the  counterfeit;  neither  is  it  the  true  man 
that  shunneth  the  Hght,  but  the  malefactour,  lest  his  deedes  should 
be  reproued:  neither  is  it  the  plaine  dealing  Merchant  that  is 
vnwilling  to  haue  the  waights,  or  the  meteyard  brought  in  place, 
but  he  that  vseth  deceit.  But  we  will  let  them  alone  for  this 
fault,  and  returne  to  translation. 

Many  mens  mouths  haue  bene  open  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  aske 
what  may  be  the  reason,  what  the  necessitie  of  the  employment: 
Hath  the  Church  bene  deceiued,  say  they,  all  this  while?  Hath 
her  sweet  bread  bene  mingled  with  leauen,  her  siluer  with  drosse, 
her  wine  with  water,  her  milke  with  lime.f'  {Lacte  gypsum  male 
miscetur,  saith  .S.  Ireney.)  We  hoped  that  we  had  bene  in  the 
right  way,  that  we  had  had  the  Oracles  of  God  deliuered  vnto  vs, 
and  that  though  all  the  world  had  cause  to  be  offended  and  to 
complaine,  yet  that  we  had  none.  Hath  the  nurse  holden  out  the 
breast,  and  nothing  but  winde  in  it.'*  Hath  the  bread  bene  deliu- 
ered by  the  fathers  of  the  Church,  and  the  same  proued  to  be 
lapidosus,  as  Seneca  speaketh.''  What  is  it  to  handle  the  word 
of  God  deceitfully,  if  this  be  not.''  Thus  certaine  brethren.  Also 
the  aduersaries  of  Itidah  and  Hierusalem,  like  Sanhallat  in  Nehe- 
miah,  mocke,  as  we  heare,  both  at  the  worke  and  workemen,  say- 
ing: What  doe  these  zveake  lezues,  i^c.  will  they  make  the  stories  whole 
againe  out  of  the  heapes  of  dust  zvhich  are  burnt'?  although  they 
build,  yet  if  a  foxe  goe  vp,  he  shall  euen  hreake  dozvne  their  stony  zvall. 
Was  their  Translation  good  before.^  Why  doe  they  now  mend  it? 
Was  it  not  good?  Why  then  was  it  obtruded  to  the  people?  Yea, 
why  did  the  Catholicks  (meaning  Popish  Romanists)  alwayes  goe 
in  ieopardie,  for  refusing  to  goe  to  heare  it?  Nay,  if  it  must  be 
translated  into  English,  Catholicks  are  fittest  to  doe  it.  They 
haue  learning,  and  they  know  when  a  thing  is  well,  they  can 
manum  de  tabula.  Wee  will  answere  them  both  briefly:  and  the 
former,  being  brethren,  thus,  with  S.  Hierome,  D amnamus  veteres? 
Minime,  sed  post  priorum  studia  in  domo  Domini  quod  possumus 
laboramus.  That  is.  Doe  zve  condemn  the  ancient?  In  no  case: 
but  aftei  the  endeuours  of  them  that  were  before  vs,  zvee  take  the  best 
paines  we  can  in  the  house  of  God.  As  if  hee  said.  Being  prouoked 
by  the  example  of  the  learned  that  liued  before  my  time,  I  haue 
thought  it  my  duetie,  to  assay  whether  my  talent  in  the  knowledge 
of  the  tongues,  may  be  profitable  in  any  measure  to  Gods  Church, 
lest  I  should  seeme  to  haue  laboured  in  them  in  vaine,  and  lest  I 
should  be  thought  to  glory  in  men,  (although  ancient),  aboue  that 
which  was  in  them.     This  S.  Hierome  may  be  thought  to  speak. 

And  to  the  same  effect  say  wee,  that  we  are  so  farre  off  from 
condemning  any  of  their  labours  that  traueiled  before  vs  in  this 
kinde,  either  in  this  land  or  beyond  sea,  either  in  King  Henries 


The  Authorized  Version  265 

time,  or  King  Edwards  (if  there  were  any  translation,  or  correction 
of  a  translation  in  his  time)  or  Queene  EHzabeths  of  euer-renouned 
memorie,  that  we  acknowledge  them  to  haue  beene  raised  vp  of 
God,  for  the  building  and  furnishing  of  his  Church,  and  that  they 
deserue  to  be  had  of  vs  and  of  posteritie  in  euerlasting  remem- 
brance. The  ludgement  o{  Aristotle  is  worthy  and  well  knowen: 
//  Timotheus  had  not  bene,  we  had  not  had  much  sweet  musicke; 
but  if  Phrynis  (Timotheus  his  master)  had  not  beene,  wee  had  not 
had  Timotheus.  Therefore  blessed  be  they,  and  most  honoured  be 
their  name,  that  breake  the  yce,  and  giueth  onset  vpon  that  which 
helpeth  forward  to  the  sauing  of  soules.  Now  what  can  bee  more 
auailable  thereto,  then  to  deliuer  Gods  booke  vnto  Gods  people  in 
a  tongue  which  they  vnderstand?  Since  of  an  hidden  treasure, 
and  of  a  fountaine  that  is  sealed,  there  is  no  profit,  as  Ptolomee 
Philadelph  wrote  to  the  Rabbins  or  masters  of  the  lewes,  as  wit- 
nesseth  Epiphaniiis:  and  as  S.  Augustine  saith;  A  man  had  rather 
be  ivith  his  dog  then  with  a  stranger  (whose  tongue  is  strange  vnto 
him.)  Yet  for  all  that,  as  nothing  is  begun  and  perfited  at  the 
same  time,  and  the  later  thoughts  are  thought  to  be  the  wiser: 
so,  if  we  building  vpon  their  foundation  that  went  before  vs,  and 
being  holpen  by  their  labours,  doe  endeuour  to  make  that  better 
which  they  left  so  good,  no  man,  we  are  sure,  hath  cause  to  mis- 
like  vs;  they,  we  perswade  our  selues,  if  they  were  aliue,  would 
thanke  vs.  The  vintage  of  Abiezer,  that  strake  the  stroake;  yet 
the  gleaning  of  grapes  of  Ephraim  was  not  to  be  despised.  See 
Judges  8.  verse  2.  loash  the  king  oi  Israel  did  not  satisfic  himselfe, 
till  he  had  smitten  the  ground  three  times;  and  yet  hee  offended 
the  Prophet,  for  giuing  ouer  then.  Aquila,  of  whom  wee  spake 
before,  translated  the  Bible  as  carefully,  and  as  skilfully  as  he 
could;  and  yet  he  thought  good  to  goe  ouer  it  againe,  and  then  it 
got  the  credit  with  the  lewes,  to  be  called  Kara  aKpiftuav,  that  is, 
accurately  done,  as  Saint  Hierome  witnesseth.  How  many  bookes 
of  profane  learning  haue  bene  gone  ouer  againe  and  againe,  by  the 
same  translators,  by  others.''  Of  one  and  the  same  booke  o(  Aris- 
totles  Ethikes,  there  are  extant  not  so  few  as  sixe  or  seuen  seuerall 
translations.  Now  if  this  cost  may  bee  bestowed  vpon  the  goord, 
which  affordeth  vs  a  little  shade,  and  which  to  day  flourisheth 
but  to  morrow  is  cut  downe;  what  may  we  bestow,  nay  what 
ought  we  not  to  bestow  vpon  the  Vine,  the  fruite  whereof  maketh 
glad  the  conscience  of  man,  and  the  stemme  whereof  abideth  for 
euer.''  And  this  is  the  word  of  God,  which  we  translate.  What  is 
the  chaff e  to  the  zvheat,  saith  the  Lord?  Tanti  vitreum,  quanti  verum 
margaritiun  (saith  Tertidlian,)  if  a  toy  of  glasse  be  of  that  rekoning 
with  vs,  how  ought  wee  to  value  the  true  pearle.^  Therefore  let 
no  mans  eye  be  euill,  because  his  Maiesties  is  good;  neither  let 
any  be  grieued,  that  wee  haue  a  Prince  that  seeketh  the  increase 
of  the  spirituall  wealth  of  Israel  (Let  Sanballats  and  Tobiahs  doe 
so,  which  therefore  doe  beare  their  iust  reproofe)  but  let  vs  rather 
blesse  God  from  the  ground  of  our  heart,  for  working  this  religious 


266  The  Book  of  Books 

care  in  him,  to  haue  the  translations  of  the  Bible  maturely  con- 
sidered of  and  examined.  For  by  this  meanes  it  commeth  to  passe, 
that  whatsoeuer  is  sound  alreadie  (and  all  is  sound  for  substance, 
in  one  or  other  of  our  editions,  and  the  worst  of  ours  farre  better 
then  their  autentike  vulgar)  the  same  will  shine  as  gold  more 
brightly,  being  rubbed  and  polished;  also  if  any  thing  be  halting, 
or  superfluous,  or  not  so  agreeable  to  the  originall,  the  same  may 
bee  corrected,  and  the  trueth  set  in  place.  And  what  can  the 
King  command  to  bee  done,  that  will  bring  him  more  true  honour 
then  this?  and  wherein  could  they  that  haue  beene  set  a  worke, 
approue  their  duetie  to  the  King,  yea  their  obedience  to  God,  and 
loue  to  his  Saints  more,  then  by  yeelding  their  seruice,  and  all 
that  is  within  them,  for  the  furnishing  of  the  worke?  But  besides 
all  this,  they  were  the  principall  motiues  of  it,  and  therefore  ought 
least  to  quarrell  it:  for  the  very  Historicall  trueth  is,  that  vpon 
the  importunate  petitions  of  the  Puritanes,  at  his  Maiesties  com- 
ming  to  this  Crowne,  the  Conference  at  Hampton  Court  hauing 
bene  appointed  for  hearing  their  complaints:  when  by  force  of 
reason  they  were  put  from  all  other  grounds,  they  had  recourse 
at  the  last,  to  this  shift,  that  they  could  not  with  good  conscience 
subscribe  to  the  Communion  booke,  since  it  maintained  the  Bible 
as  it  was  there  translated,  which  was  as  they  said,  a  most  corrupted 
translation.  And  although  this  was  iudged  to  be  but  a  very  poore 
and  emptie  shift;  yet  euen  hereupon  did  his  Maiestie  beginne  to 
bethinke  himselfe  of  the  good  that  might  ensue  by  a  new  transla- 
tion, and  presently  after  gaue  order  for  this  Translation  which  is 
now  presented  vnto  thee.  Thus  much  to  satisfie  our  scrupulous 
Brethren. 

Now  to  the  later  we  answere;  that  wee  doe  not  deny,  nay 
wee  affirme  and  auow,  that  the  very  meanest  translation  of  the 
Bible  in  English,  set  foorth  by  men  of  our  profession  (for  wee  haue 
seene  none  of  theirs  of  the  whole  Bible  as  yet)  containeth  the  word 
of  God,  nay,  is  the  word  of  God.  As  the  Kings  Speech  which  hee 
vttered  in  Parliament,  being  translated  into  French,  Dutch,  Italian 
and  Latine,  is  still  the  Kings  Speech,  though  it  be  not  interpreted 
by  euery  Translator  with  the  like  grace,  nor  peraduenture  so  fitly 
for  phrase,  nor  so  expresly  for  sence,  euery  where.  For  it  is  con- 
fessed, that  things  are  to  take  their  denomination  of  the  greater 
part;  and  a  naturall  man  could  say,  Verum  vbi  multa  nitent  in 
carmine,  non  ego  paiccis  offender  viaulis,  iffc.  A  man  may  be 
counted  a  vertuous  man,  though  hee  haue  made  many  slips  in 
his  life,  (els,  there  were  none  vertuous,  for  in  many  things  we 
offend  all)  also  a  comely  man  and  louely,  though  hee  haue  some 
warts  vpon  his  hand,  yea,  not  onely  freakles  vpon  his  face,  but 
also  skarres.  No  cause  therefore  why  the  word  translated  should 
bee  denied  to  be  the  word,  or  forbidden  to  be  currant,  notwith- 
standing that  some  imperfections  and  blemishes  may  be  noted  in 
the  setting  foorth  of  it.  For  what  euer  was  perfect  vnder  the 
Sunne,  where  Apostles  or  Apostolike  men,  that  is,  men  indued 


The  Authorized  Version  267 

with  an  extraordinary  measure  of  Gods  spirit,  and  priuiledged 
with  the  priuiledge  of  infalHbih'tie,  had  not  their  hand?  The 
Romanistes  therefore  in  refusing  to  heare,  and  daring  to  burne 
the  Word  translated,  did  no  lesse  then  despite  the  spirit  of  grace, 
from  whom  originally  it  proceeded,  and  whose  sense  and  meaning, 
as  well  as  mans  weaknesse  would  enable,  it  did  expresse.  ludge 
by  an  example  or  two.  Plutarch  writeth,  that  after  that  Rome 
had  beene  burnt  by  the  Galles,  they  fell  soone  to  builde  it  againe: 
but  doing  it  in  haste,  they  did  not  cast  the  streets,  nor  proportion 
the  houses  in  such  comely  fashion  as  had  bene  most  sightly  and 
conuenient;  was  Catiline  therefore  an  honest  man,  or  a  good 
Patriot,  that  sought  to  bring  it  to  a  combustion?  or  Nero  a  good 
Prince,  that  did  indeed  set  it  on  fire?  So,  by  the  story  of  Ezr ah, 
and  the  prophesie  of  Haggai  it  may  be  gathered,  that  the  Temple 
built  by  Zerubbabel  after  the  returne  from  Babylon,  was  by  no 
meanes  to  bee  compared  to  the  former  built  by  Solomon  (for  they 
that  remembered  the  former,  wept  when  they  considered  the 
later)  notwithstanding,  might  this  later  either  haue  bene  abhorred 
and  forsaken  by  the  lezves,  or  prophaned  by  the  Greekes?  The 
like  wee  are  to  thinke  of  Translations.  The  translation  of  the 
Seuentie  dissenteth  from  the  Originall  in  many  places,  neither 
doeth  it  come  neere  it,  for  perspicuitie,  grauitie,  maiestie;  yet 
which  of  the  Apostles  did  condemne  it?  Condemne  it?  Nay, 
they  vsed  it,  (as  it  is  apparent,  and  as  Saint  Hierome,  and  most 
learned  men  doe  confesse)  which  they  would  not  haue  done,  nor 
by  their  example  of  vsing  it,  so  grace  and  commend  it  to  the 
Church,  if  it  had  bene  vnworthy  the  appellation  and  name  of  the 
word  of  God.  And  whereas  they  vrge  for  their  second  defence 
of  their  vilifying  and  abusing  of  the  English  Bibles,  or  some  pieces 
thereof,  which  they  meete  v/ith,  for  that  heretikes  (forsooth)  were 
the  Authours  of  the  translations,  (heretikes  they  call  vs  by  the 
same  right  that  they  call  themselues  Catholikes,  both  being  wrong) 
wee  marueile  what  diuinitie  taught  them  so.  Wee  are  sure  Ter- 
tullian  was  of  another  minde:  Ex  personis  probamus  fidem,  an  ex 
fide  personas?  Doe  wee  trie  mens  faith  by  their  persons?  we 
should  trie  their  persons  by  their  faith.  Also  S.  Augustine  was 
of  an  other  minde:  for  he  lighting  vpon  certaine  rules  made  by 
Tychonius  a  Donatist,  for  the  better  vnderstanding  of  the  word, 
was  not  ashamed  to  make  vse  of  them,  yea,  to  insert  them  into 
his  owne  booke,  with  giuing  commendation  to  them  so  farre  foorth 
as  they  were  worthy  to  be  commended,  as  is  to  be  seene  in  S.  Aicg- 
ustines  third  booke  De  doctrind  Christiana.  To  be  short,  Origen 
and  the  whole  Church  of  God  for  certain  hundred  3'eeres,  were 
of  an  other  minde:  for  they  were  so  farre  from  treading  vnder 
foote,  (much  more  from  burning)  the  Translation  of  Aqiiila  a 
Proselite,  that  is,  one  that  had  turned  lew;  of  Symmachus,  and 
Theodotion,  both  Ebionites,  that  is,  most  vile  heretikes,  that  they 
ioyned  them  together  with  the  Hebrezv  Originall,  and  the  Transla- 


268  The  Book  of  Books 

tion  of  the  Seueyitie  (as  hath  bene  before  signified  out  of  Epiphan- 
ius)  and  set  them  forth  openly  to  be  considered  of  and  perused  by 
all.  But  we  weary  the  vnlearned,  who  need  not  know  so  much, 
and  troubled  the  learned,  who  know  it  already. 

Yet  before  we  end,  we  must  answere  a  third  cavill  and  obiec- 
tion  of  theirs  against  vs,  for  altering  and  amending  our  Taansla- 
tions  so  oft;  wherein  truely  they  deale  hardly,  and  strangely  with 
vs.  For  to  whom  euer  was  it  imputed  for  a  fault  (by  such  as 
were  wise)  to  goe  ouer  that  which  hee  had  done,  and  to  amend  it 
where  he  saw  cause?  Saint  Augustine  was  not  afraid  to  exhort 
S.  Hierome  to  a  Palinodia  or  recantation:  the  same  S.  Aiigustine 
was  not  ashamed  to  retractate,  we  might  say  reuoke,  many  things 
that  had  passed  him,  and  doth  euen  glory  that  he  seeth  his  infirm- 
ities. If  we  will  be  sonnes  of  the  Trueth,  we  must  consider  what 
it  speaketh,  and  trample  vpon  our  owne  credit,  yea,  and  vpon 
other  mens  too,  if  either  be  any  way  an  hinderance  to  it.  This 
to  the  cause:  then  to  the  persons  we  say,  that  of  all  men  they 
ought  to  bee  most  silent  in  this  case.  For  what  varieties  haue 
they,  and  what  alterations  haue  they  made,  not  onely  of  their 
Seruice  bookes,  Portesses  and  Breuiaries,  but  also  of  their  Latine 
Translation?  The  Seruice  booke  supposed  to  be  made  by  S. 
Ambrose  {Officium  Amhrosianum)  was  a  great  while  in  speciall  vse 
and  request:  but  Pope  Hadrian  calling  a  Councill  with  the  ayde 
of  Charles  the  Emperour,  abolished  it,  yea,  burnt  it,  and  com- 
manded the  Seruice-booke  of  Saint  Gregorie  vniuersally  to  be  vsed. 
Well,  Officium  Gregorianum  gets  by  this  meanes  to  be  in  credit, 
but  doeth  it  continue  without  change  or  altering?  No,  the  very 
Romane  Seruice  was  of  two  fashions,  the  New  fashion,  and  the 
Old,  (the  one  vsed  in  one  Church,  the  other  in  another)  as  is  to 
bee  scene  in  Pamelius  a  Romanist,  his  Preface,  before  Micrologics. 
The  same  Pamelius  reporteth  out  of  Radidphus  de  Riuo,  that 
about  the  yeere  of  our  Lord,  1277.  Pope  Nicolas  the  third  remoued 
out  of  the  Churches  of  Rome,  the  more  ancient  bookes  (of  Seruice) 
and  brought  into  vse  the  Missals  of  the  Friers  Minorites,  and  com- 
manded them  to  bee  obserued  there;  insomuch  that  about  an 
hundred  yeeres  after,  when  the  aboue  named  Radulphus  happened 
to  be  at  Rome,  he  found  all  the  bookes  to  be  new,  (of  the  new 
stampe.)  Neither  was  there  this  chopping  and  changing  in  the 
more  ancient  times  onely,  but  also  of  late:  Pius  Quintus  himselfe 
confesseth,  that  euery  Bishopricke  almost  had  a  peculiar  kind  of 
seruice,  most  vnlike  to  that  which  others  had:  which  moued  him 
to  abolish  all  other  Breuiaries,  though  neuer  so  ancient,  and  priui- 
ledged  and  published  by  Bishops  in  their  Diocesses,  and  to  estab- 
lish and  ratifie  that  onely  which  was  of  his  owne  setting  foorth, 
in  the  yeere  1568.  Now,  when  the  father  of  their  Church,  who 
gladly  would  heale  the  soare  of  the  daughter  of  his  people  softly 
and  sleightly,  and  make  the  best  of  it,  findeth  so  great  fault  with 
them  for  their  oddes  and  iarring;  we  hope  the  children  haue  no 
great  cause  to  vaunt  of  their  vniformitie.     But  the  difference  that 


The  Authorized  Version  269 

appeareth  betweene  our  Translations,  and  our  often  correcting  of 
them,  is  the  thing  that  wee  are  specially  charged  with;  let  vs  see 
therefore  whether  they  themselues  bee  without  fault  this  way,  (if 
it  be  to  be  counted  a  fault,  to  correct)  and  whether  they  bee  fit 
men  to  throw  stones  at  vs:  0  tandem  niaior  parcas  ijisane  minori: 
they  that  are  lesse  sound  themselues  ought  not  to  obiect  infirmities 
to  others.  If  we  should  tell  them  that  Valla,  Stapulensis,  Erasmus, 
and  Vines  found  fault  with  their  vulgar  Translation,  and  conse- 
quently wished  the  same  to  be  mended,  or  a  new  one  to  be  made, 
they  would  answere  peraduenture,  that  we  produced  their  enemies 
for  witnesses  against  them;  albeit,  they  were  in  no  other  sort 
enemies,  then  as  S.  Paul  was  to  the  Galatians,  for  telling  them  the 
trueth:  and  it  were  to  be  wished,  that  they  had  dared  to  tell  it 
them  plainlier  and  oftner.  But  what  will  they  say  to  this,  that 
Pope  Leo  the  Tenth  allowed  Erasmtis  translation  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, so  much  different  from  the  vulgar,  by  his  Apostolike  Letter 
&  Bull;  that  the  same  Leo  exhorted  Pagnin  to  translate  the  whole 
Bible,  and  bare  whatsoeuer  charges  was  necessary  for  the  worke? 
Surely,  as  the  Apostle  reasoneth  to  the  Hebrezves,  that  if  the  former 
Law  and  Testament  had  bene  sufficient,  there  had  beene  no  need  of 
the  latter:  so  we  may  say,  that  if  the  olde  vulgar  had  bene  at  all 
points  allowable,  to  small  purpose  had  labour  and  charges  bene 
vndergone,  about  framing  of  a  new.  If  they  say,  it  was  one  Popes 
priuate  opinion,  and  that  he  consulted  onely  himselfe;  then  wee 
are  able  to  goe  further  with  them,  and  to  auerre,  that  more  of 
their  chiefe  men  of  all  sorts,  euen  their  owne  /'r^wZ-champions 
Paiua  &  Vega,  and  their  owne  Inquisitors,  Hieronymus  ab  Oleastro, 
and  their  own  Bishop  Isidorus  Clarius,  and  their  owne  Cardinall 
Thomas  a  Vio  Caietan,  doe  either  make  new  Translations  them- 
selues, or  follow  new  ones  of  other  mens  making,  or  note  this 
vulgar  Interpretor  for  halting;  none  of  them  feare  to  dissent  from 
him,  nor  yet  to  except  against  him.  And  call  they  this  an  vni- 
forme  tenour  of  text  and  iudgement  about  the  text,  so  many  of 
their  Worthies  disclaiming  the  now  receiued  conceit?  Nay,  we 
wil  yet  come  neerer  the  quicke:  doth  not  their  Par  is -tdmon  differ 
from  the  Louaine,  and  Hentenius  his  from  them  both,  and  yet  all 
of  them  allowed  by  authoritie.'*  Nay,  doth  not  Sixtus  Ouintus 
confesse,  that  certaine  Catholikes  (he  meaneth  certaine  of  his  owne 
side)  were  in  such  an  humour  of  translating  the  Scriptures  into 
Lattne,  that  Satan  taking  occasion  by  them,  though  they  thought 
of  no  such  matter,  did  striue  what  he  could,  out  of  so  vncertaine 
and  manifold  a  varietie  of  Translations,  so  to  mingle  all  things, 
that  nothing  might  seeme  to  be  left  certaine  and  firme  in  them,  hcc^. 
Nay  further,  did  not  the  same  Sixtus  ordaine  by  an  inuiolable 
decree,  and  that  with  the  counsell  and  consent  of  his  Cardinals, 
that  the  Latine  edition  of  the  olde  and  new  Testament,  which  the 
Councill  of  Trent  would  haue  to  be  authenticke,  is  the  same  without 
controuersie  which  he  then  set  forth,  being  diligently  corrected 
and  printed  in  the  Printing-house  of  Vatican?     Thus  Sixtus  in  his 


270  The  Book  of  Books 

Preface  before  his  Bible.  And  yet  Clement  the  eight  his  immediate 
successour,  pubHsheth  another  edition  of  the  Bible,  containing  in 
it  infinite  differences  from  that  of  Sixtus,  (and  many  of  them 
waightie  and  materiall)  and  yet  this  must  be  authentike  by  all 
meanes.  What  is  to  haue  the  faith  of  our  glorious  Lord  Iesus 
Christ  with  Yea  and  Nay,  if  this  be  not?  Againe,  what  is  sweet 
harmonie  and  consent,  if  this  be?  Therfore,  as  Demarotus  of 
Corinth  aduised  a  great  King,  before  he  talked  of  the  dissensions 
among  the  Grecians,  to  compose  his  domesticke  broiles  (for  at 
that  time  his  Queene  and  his  sonne  and  heire  were  at  deadly  fuide 
with  him)  so  all  the  while  that  our  aduersaries  doe  make  so  many 
and  so  various  editions  themselues,  and  doe  iarre  so  much  about 
the  worth  and  authoritie  of  them,  they  can  with  no  show  of  equitie 
challenge  vs  for  changing  and  correcting. 

But  it  is  high  time  to  leaue  them,  and  to  shew  in  briefe  what 
wee  proposed  to  our  selues,  and  what  course  we  held  in  this  our 
perusall  and  suruay  of  the  Bible.  Truly  (good  Christian  Reader) 
wee  neuer  thought  from  the  beginning,  that  we  should  neede  to 
make  a  new  Translation,  nor  yet  to  make  of  a  bad  one  a  good  one, 
(for  then  the  imputation  of  Sixtus  had  bene  true  in  some  sort, 
that  our  people  had  bene  fed  with  gall  of  Dragons  in  stead  of  wine, 
with  whey  in  stead  of  milke:)  but  to  make  a  good  one  better,  or 
out  of  many  good  ones,  one  principall  good  one,  not  iustly  to  be 
excepted  against;  that  hath  bene  our  indeauour,  that  our  marke. 
To  that  purpose  there  were  many  chosen,  that  were  greater  in 
other  mens  eyes  then  in  their  owne,  and  that  sought  the  truth 
rather  then  their  own  praise.  Againe,  they  came  or  were  thought 
to  come  to  the  worke,  not  exercendi  causa  (as  one  saith)  but 
exercitati,  that  is,  learned,  not  to  learne:  For  the  chief  ouerseer 
and  lpyohwKTri<;  vnder  his  Maiestie,  to  whom  not  onely  we,  but 
also  our  whole  Church  was  much  bound,  knew  by  his  wisedome, 
which  thing  also  Nazianzen  taught  so  long  agoe,  that  it  is  a  pre- 
posterous order  to  teach  first  and  to  learne  after,  yea  that  to  ev 
ttlBw  Kepa/xLav  fiavOdveLv  to  learne  and  practise  together,  is  neither 
commendable  for  the  workeman,  nor  safe  for  the  worke.  There- 
fore such  were  thought  vpon,  as  could  say  modestly  with 
Saint  Hierome,  Et  Hebrceum  Sermonem  ex  parte  didicimus,  y  in 
Latino  pene  ah  ipsis  incunabulis  i^c.  detriti  sumus.  Both  we  haue 
learned  the  Hebrew  tongue  in  part,  and  in  the  Latine  wee  haue  heene 
exercised  almost  jrom  our  verie  cradle.  S.  Hierome  maketh  no  men- 
tion of  the  Greeke  tongue,  wherein  yet  hee  did  excell,  because  hee 
translated  not  the  old  Testament  out  of  Greeke,  but  out  o{  Hebrezve. 
And  in  what  sort  did  these  assemble?  In  the  trust  of  their  owne 
knowledge,  or  of  their  sharpenesse  of  wit,  or  deepenesse  of  iudge- 
ment,  as  it  were  in  an  arme  of  flesh?  At  no  hand.  They  trusted 
in  him  that  hath  the  key  of  Dauid,  opening  and  no  man  shutting; 
they  prayed  to  the  Lord  the  Father  of  our  Lord,  to  the  effect  that 
S.  Augustine  did:  0  let  thy  Scriptures  he  my  pure  delight,  let  me  not 


The  Authorized  Version  271 

be  deceiued  in  them,  neither  let  vie  deceiue  by  them.  In  this  confi- 
dence, and  with  this  deuotion  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,  truely  it  was  the  Hebrew  text  of  the  Olde  Testament, 
the  Greeke  of  the  New.  These  are  the  two  golden  pipes,  or  rather 
conduits,  where  through  the  oliue  branches  emptie  themselues 
into  the  golde.  Saint  Augustine  calleth  them  precedent,  or  originall 
tongues;  Saint  Hierome,  fountaines.  The  same  Saint  Hierome 
affirmeth,  and  Gratian  hath  not  spared  to  put  it  into  his  Decree. 
That,  as  the  credit  of  the  olde  Bookes  (he  meaneth  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment) is  to  be  tryed  by  the  Hebrewe  Volumes,  so  of  the  Nezv  by  the 
Greeke  tongue,  he  meaneth  by  the  originall  Greeke.  If  trueth  be 
to  be  tried  by  these  tongues,  then  whence  should  a  Translation 
be  made,  but  out  of  them }  These  tongues  therefore,  the  Scriptures 
wee  say  in  those  tongues,  wee  set  before  vs  to  translate,  being  the 
tongues  wherein  God  was  pleased  to  speake  to  his  Church  by  his 
Prophets  and  Apostles.  Neither  did  we  run  ouer  the  worke  with 
that  posting  haste  that  the  Septuagint  did,  if  that  be  true  which 
is  reported  of  them,  that  they  finished  it  in  72.  dayes;  neither  were 
we  barred  or  hindered  from  going  ouer  it  againe,  hauing  once  done 
it,  like  S.  Hierome,  if  that  be  true  which  himselfe  reporteth,  that 
he  could  no  sooner  write  any  thing,  but  presently  it  was  caught 
from  him,  and  published,  and  he  could  not  haue  leaue  to  mend  it: 
neither  to  be  short,  were  we  the  first  that  fell  in  hand  with  trans- 
lating the  Scripture  into  English,  and  consequently  destitute  of 
former  helpes,  as  it  is  written  of  Origen,  that  hee  was  the  first  in 
a  maner,  that  put  his  hand  to  write  Commentaries  vpon  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  therefore  no  marueile,  if  he  ouershot  himselfe  many 
times.  None  of  these  things:  the  worke  hath  not  bene  hudled 
vp  in  72.  dayes,  but  hath  cost  the  workmen,  as  light  as  it  seemeth, 
the  paines  of  twise  seuen  times  seuentie  two  dayes  and  more: 
matters  of  such  weight  and  consequence  are  to  bee  speeded  with 
maturitie:  for  in  a  businesse  of  moment  a  man  feareth  not  the 
blame  of  conuenient  slacknesse.  Neither  did  wee  thinke  much  to 
consult  the  Translators  or  Commentators,  Chaldee,  Hebrewe, 
Syrian,  Greeke,  or  Latine,  no  nor  the  Spanish,  French,  Italian,  or 
Dutch;  neither  did  we  disdain  to  reuise  that  which  we  had  done, 
and  to  bring  backe  to  the  anuill  that  which  we  had  hammered: 
but  hauing  and  vsing  as  great  helpes  as  were  needful,  and  fearing 
no  reproch  for  slownesse,  nor  coueting  praise  for  expedition,  wee 
haue  at  the  length,  through  the  good  hand  of  the  Lord  vpon  us, 
brought  the  worke  to  that  passe  that  you  see. 

Some  peraduenture  would  haue  no  varietie  of  sences  to  be 
set  in  the  margine,  lest  the  authoritie  of  the  Scriptures  for  deciding 
of  controuersies  by  that  shew  of  vncertaintie,  should  somewhat  be 
shaken.  But  we  hold  their  iudgmet  not  to  be  so  sound  in  this 
point.  For  though,  whatsoeuer  things  are  necessary  are  7nanifest, 
as  S.  Chrysostome  saith,  and  as  S.  Augustine,  In  those  things  that 


272  The  Book  of  Books 

are  plainely  set  dozvne  in  the  Scriptures,  all  such  matters  are  found 
that  concerne  Faith,  hope  and  Charitie.  Yet  for  all  that  it  cannot 
be  dissembled,  that  partly  to  exercise  and  whet  our  wits,  partly 
to  weane  the  curious  from  loathing  of  them  for  their  euery-where- 
plainenesse,  partly  also  to  stirre  vp  our  deuotion  to  craue  the 
assistance  of  Gods  spirit  by  prayer,  and  lastly,  that  we  might  be 
forward  to  seeke  ayd  of  our  brethren  by  conference,  and  neuer 
scorne  those  that  be  not  in  all  respects  so  complete  as  they  should 
bee,  being  to  seeke  in  many  things  our  selues,  it  hath  pleased  God 
in  his  diuine  prouidence,  heere  and  there  to  scatter  wordes  and 
sentences  of  that  difficultie  and  doubtfulnesse,  not  in  doctrinall 
points  that  concerne  saluation,  (for  in  such  it  hath  beene  vouched 
that  the  Scriptures  are  plaine)  but  in  matters  of  lesse  moment, 
that  fearefulnesse  would  better  beseeme  vs  then  confidence,  and 
if  we  will  resolue,  to  resolue  vpon  modestie  with  S.  Augustine, 
(though  not  in  this  same  case  altogether,  yet  vpon  the  same 
ground)  Melius  est  dubitare  de  occultis,  quam  litigate  de  incertis, 
it  is  better  to  make  doubt  of  those  things  which  are  secret,  then 
to  striue  about  those  things  that  are  vncertaine.  There  be  many 
words  in  the  Scriptures,  which  be  neuer  found  there  but  once, 
(hauing  neither  brother  nor  neighbour,  as  the  Hebrewes  speake) 
so  that  we  cannot  be  holpen  by  conference  of  places.  Againe, 
there  be  many  rare  names  of  certaine  birds,  beastes  and  precious 
stones,  &c.  concerning  which  the  Hebrewes  themselues  are  so 
diuided  among  themselues  for  iudgement,  that  they  may  seeme 
to  haue  defined  this  or  that,  rather  because  they  would  say  som- 
thing,  the  because  they  were  sure  of  that  which  they  said,  as  S. 
Hierome  somewhere  saith  of  the  Septuagint.  Now  in  such  a  case 
doth  not  a  margine  do  well  to  admonish  the  Reader  to  seeke 
further,  and  not  to  conclude  or  dogmatize  vpon  this  or  that  per- 
emptorily? For  as  it  is  a  fault  of  incredulitie  to  doubt  of  those 
things  that  are  euident:  so  to  determine  of  such  things  as  the 
Spirit  of  God  hath  left  (euen  in  the  iudgment  of  the  iudicious) 
questionable,  can  be  no  lesse  than  presumption.  Therfore  as  S. 
Augusti^ie  saith,  that  varietie  of  Translations  is  profitable  for  the 
finding  out  of  the  sense  of  the  Scriptures:  so  diuersitie  of  signifi- 
cation and  sense  in  the  margine,  where  the  text  is  not  so  cleare, 
must  needes  doe  good,  yea,  is  necessary,  as  we  are  perswaded. 

We  know  that  Sixtus  Ouintus  expresly  forbiddeth  that  any 
varietie  of  readings  of  their  vulgar  edition,  should  be  put  in  the 
margine,  (which  though  it  be  not  altogether  the  same  thing  to 
that  we  haue  in  hand,  yet  it  looketh  that  way)  but  we  thinke  he 
hath  not  all  of  his  owne  side  his  fauourers,  for  this  conceit.  They 
that  are  wise,  had  rather  haue  their  iudgements  at  libertie  in 
differences  of  readings,  then  to  be  captiuated  to  one,  when  it  may 
be  the  other.  If  they  were  sure  that  their  hie  Priest  had  all  lawes 
shut  vp  in  his  brest,  as  Patd  the  second  bragged,  and  that  he  were 
as  free  from  errour  by  speciall  priuiledge,  as  the  Dictators  of  Rome 


The  Authorized  Version  273 

were  made  by  law  inuiolable,  it  were  an  other  matter;  then  his 
word  were  an  Oracle,  his  opinion  a  decision.  But  the  eyes  of  the 
world  are  now  open,  God  be  thanked,  and  haue  bene  a  great  while, 
they  find  that  he  is  subiect  to  the  same  affections  and  infirmities 
that  others  be,  that  his  skin  is  penetrable,  and  therefore  as  much 
as  he  prooueth,  not  as  much  as  he  claimeth,  they  grant  and 
embrace. 

An  other  thing  we  thinke  good  to  admonish  thee  of  (gentle 
Reader)  that  wee  haue  not  tyed  our  selues  to  an  vniformitie  of 
phrasing,  or  to  an  identitie  of  words,  as  some  peraduenture  would 
wish  that  we  had  done,  because  they  obserue,  that  some  learned 
men  some  where,  haue  beene  as  exact  as  they  could  that  way. 
Truly,  that  we  might  not  varie  from  the  sense  of  that  which  we 
had  translated  before,  if  the  word  signified  the  same  thing  in  both 
places  (for  there  bee  some  wordes  that  bee  not  of  the  same  sense 
euery  where)  we  are  especially  carefull,  and  made  a  conscience, 
according  to  our  duetie.  But,  that  we  should  expresse  the  same 
notion  in  the  same  particular  word;  as  for  example,  is  we  translate 
the  Hebrew  or  Greeke  word  once  by  Purpose,  neuer  to  call  it  Intent; 
if  one  where  I ourneying,  neuer  Traueiling;  if  one  where  Thinke, 
neuer  Suppose;  if  one  where  Paine,  neuer  Ache;  if  one  where  loy, 
neuer  Gladnesse,  &c.  Thus  to  minse  the  matter,  wee  thought  to 
sauour  more  of  curiositie  then  wisdome,  and  that  rather  it  would 
breed  scorne  in  the  Atheist,  then  bring  profite  to  the  godly  Reader. 
For  is  the  kingdome  of  God  become  words  or  syllables.?  why 
should  wee  be  in  bondage  to  them  if  we  may  be  free,  vse  one  pre- 
cisely when  wee  may  vse  another  no  lesse  fit,  as  commodiously  .f* 
A  godly  Father  in  the  Primitiue  time  shewed  himselfe  greatly 
moued,  that  one  of  newfanglenes  called  Kpd(3/3aTov  o-ki/attous, 
though  the  difference  be  little  or  none;  and  another  reporteth, 
that  he  was  much  abused  for  turning  Cucurbita  (to  which  reading 
the  people  has  beene  vsed)  into  Hedera.  Now  if  this  happen  in 
better  times,  and  vpon  so  small  occasions,  wee  might  lustly  feare 
hard  censure,  if  generally  wee  should  make  verball  and  vnnecessary 
changings.  We  might  also  be  charged  (by  scoffers)  with  some 
vnequall  dealing  towards  a  great  number  of  good  English  wordes. 
For  as  it  is  written  of  a  certaine  great  Philosopher,  that  he  should 
say,  that  those  logs  were  happie  that  were  made  images  to  be 
worshipped;  for  their  fellows  as  good  as  they,  lay  for  blockes  be- 
hind the  fire:  so  if  wee  should  say,  as  it  were,  vnto  certaine 
words.  Stand  vp  higher,  haue  a  place  in  the  Bible  alwayes,  and  to 
others  of  like  qualitie.  Get  ye  hence,  be  banished  for  euer,  wee 
might  be  taxed  peraduenture  with  S.  lames  his  words,  namely, 
to  be  partiall  in  our  selues  and  iudges  of  euill  thoughts.  Adde  here- 
unto, that  nicenesse  in  wordes  was  always  counted  the  next  step 
to  trifling,  and  so  was  to  bee  curious  about  names  too:  also  that 
we  cannot  follow  a  better  patterne  for  elocution  then  God  him- 
selfe: therefore  hee  vsing  diuers  words,  in  his  holy  writ,  and 
indifferently  for  one  thing  in  nature;   we,  if  wee  will  not  be  super- 


274  The  Book  of  Books 

stitious,  may  vse  the  same  libertie  in  our  English  versions  out  of 
Hehreiv  &  Greeke,  for  that  copie  or  store  that  he  hath  giuen  vs. 
Lastly,  wee  haue  on  the  one  side  auoided  the  scrupulositie  of  the 
Puritanes,  who  leaue  the  olde  Ecclesiasticall  words,  and  betake 
them  to  other,  as  when  they  put  washing  for  Baptisme,  and  Con- 
gregation  in  stead  of  Church:  as  also  on  the  other  side  we  haue 
shunned  the  obscuritie  of  the  Papists,  in  their  Azimes,  Tunike, 
Rational,  Holocausts,  Prcspuce,  Pasche,  and  a  number  of  such  like, 
whereof  their  late  Translation  is  full,  and  that  of  purpose  to  darken 
the  sence,  that  since  they  must  needs  translate  the  Bible,  yet  by 
the  language  thereof,  it  may  bee  kept  from  being  vnderstood.  But 
we  desire  that  the  Scripture  may  speake  like  it  selfe,  as  in  the 
language  of  Canaan  that  it  may  bee  vnderstood  euen  of  the  very 
vulgar. 

Many  other  things  we  might  giue  thee  warning  of  (gentle 
Reader)  if  wee  had  not  exceeded  the  measure  of  a  Preface  alreadie. 
It  remaineth,  that  we  commend  thee  to  God,  and  to  the  Spirit  of 
his  grace,  which  is  able  to  build  further  then  we  can  aske  or  thinke. 
Hee  remoueth  the  scales  from  our  eyes,  the  vaile  from  our  hearts, 
opening  our  wits  that  wee  may  vnderstand  his  word,  enlarging 
our  hearts,  yea  correcting  our  affections,  that  we  may  loue  it 
aboue  gold  and  siluer,  yea  that  we  may  loue  it  to  the  end.  Ye 
are  brought  vnto  fountaines  of  liuing  water  which  yee  digged  not: 
doe  not  cast  earth  into  them  with  the  Philistines,  neither  preferre 
broken  pits  before  them  with  the  wicked  lewes.  Others  haue 
laboured,  and  you  may  enter  into  their  labours;  O  receiue  not 
so  great  things  in  vaine,  O  despise  not  so  great  saluation!  Be  not 
like  swine  to  treade  vnder  foote  so  precious  things,  neither  yet 
like  dogs  to  tear  and  abuse  holy  things.  Say  not  to  our  Sauiour 
with  the  Gergesites,  Depart  out  of  our  coasts;  neither  yet  with 
Esau  sell  your  birthright  for  a  messe  of  potage.  If  light  be  come 
into  the  world,  loue  not  darkenesse  more  then  light;  if  foode,  if 
clothing  be  offered,  goe  not  naked,  starue  not  your  selues.  Remem- 
ber the  aduise  of  Nazianzetie,  It  is  a  grieuous  thing  (or  dangerous) 
to  neglect  a  great  faire,  and  to  seeke  to  make  markets  afterwards: 
also  the  encouragement  of  S.  Chrysostome,  It  is  altogether  impossible, 
that  he  that  is  sober  {and  zvatchfull)  should  at  any  time  be  neglected: 
Lastly,  the  admonition  and  menacing  of  S.  Augustine.  They  that 
despise  Gods  will  inuiting  them,  shal  feele  Gods  will  taking  vengeance 
of  them.  It  is  a  fearefull  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  liuing 
God:  but  a  blessed  thing  it  is,  and  will  bring  vs  to  euerlasting 
blessedness  in  the  end,  when  God  speaketh  vnto  vs,  to  hearken; 
when  he  setteth  his  word  before  vs,  to  reade  it;  when  hee  stretcheth 
out  his  hand  and  calleth,  to  answere.  Here  am  I;  here  we  are  to 
doe  thy  v\^^  O  God.  The  Lord  worke  a  care  and  conscience  in 
vs  to  know  hnu  and  serue  him,  that  we  may  be  acknowledged  of 
him  at  the  appearing  of  our  Lord  lesus  Christ,  to  whom  with  the 
holy  Ghost,  be  all  prayse  and  thankesgiuing.     Amen. 


The  Authorized  Version  275 

Then  followed  a  calendar  occupying  12  pages;  "An 
Almanacke  for  xxxix  yeeres,"  i  page;  a  table  "To  finde 
Easter  for  euer,"  i  page;  "The  Table  and  Kalender,  expres- 
sing the  order  of  Psalmes  and  Lessons  to  be  said  at  Morning 
and  Euening  prayer,"  5  pages;  the  names  and  order  of  the 
books,  I  page;  34  pages  of  genealogical  charts  with  i  page 
of  explanation;  i  page  with  royal  coat  of  arms;  and  4  pages 
with  map  of  Canaan  on  the  inside  and  an  index  on  the 
outside. 

The  version  was  reprinted  page  for  page  in  facsimile  at 
Oxford  in  1833,  and  a  smaller  edition  in  roman  type,  exactly 
page  for  page,  in  191 1,  the  three  hundredth  anniversary  of 
the  original  issue.  To  the  latter  is  prefixed  an  excellent 
introduction  of  about  fifty  pages  by  A.  W.  Pollard. 

The  following  are  specimen  translations: 

Psalm  2: 

1.  Why  do  the  heathen  rage,  and  the  people  imagine  a  vaine 
thing  I 

2.  The  Kings  of  the  earth  set  themselues,  and  the  rulers  take 
counsell  together,  against  the  Lord,  and  against  his  Anoynted, 
saying, 

3  Let  vs  break  their  bandes  asunder,  and  cast  away  their 
cords  from  vs. 

4  Hee  that  sitteth  in  the  heauens  shal  laugh:  the  Lord  shall 
haue  them  in  derision. 

5  Then  shall  hee  speake  vnto  them  in  his  wrath,  and  vexe 
them  in  his  sore  displeasure. 

6  Yet  haue  I  set  my  King  vpon  my  holy  hill  of  Sion. 

7  I  will  declare  the  decree:  the  Lord  hath  said  vnto  mee, 
Thou  art  my  sonne,  this  day  haue  I  begotten  thee. 

8  Aske  of  me,  and  I  shall  giue  thee  the  heathen  for  thine 
inheritance  and  the  vttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  thy  possession. 

9  Thou  shalt  breake  them  with  a  rod  if  iron,  thou  shalt  dash 
them  in  pieces  like  a  potters  vessell. 

10  Bee  wise  now  therefore,  O  yee  Kings:  be  instructed  ye 
Judges  of  the  earth. 

11  Serue  the  Lord  with  feare,  and  reioyce  with  trembling. 

12  Kisse  the  Sonne  lest  he  be  angry,  and  ye  perish /rom  the 
way,  when  his  wrath  is  kindled  but  a  little:  Blessed  are  all  they 
that  put  their  trust  in  him. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  (Matt.  6): 
9  Our  Father  which  art  in  heauen,  hallowed  be  thy  name. 
10  Thy  kingdome  come.     Thy  will  be  done,  in  earth,  as  it  is 
in  heaven. 


276  The  Book  of  Books 

11  Giue  vs  this  day  our  daily  bread. 

12  And  forgiue  vs  our  debts  as  we  forgiue  our  debters. 

12  And  lead  vs  not  into  temptation,  but  deliuer  vs  from  euill: 
for  thine  is  the  kingdome,  and  the  power,  and  the  glory,  for  euer, 
Amen. 

The  Authorized  Version  is  so  well  known  and  appre- 
ciated that  it  seems  strange  to  believe  that  it  took  a  long 
time  to  win  its  way  into  the  favor  of  the  people.  The 
Geneva  Version  w^as  printed  until  1644.  In  1628  the  Cam- 
bridge University  Press  printed  the  New  Testament  and  in 
1629  the  complete  Bible.  The  Oxford  University  Press 
printed  its  first  Bible  in  1675.  Changes  in  spelling  and  to 
some  extent  in  wording  were  made  from  time  to  time,  and 
eventually  the  Apocrypha  was  omitted,  so  that  the  present 
Authorized  \  ersion  differs  considerably,  though  not  sub- 
stantially, from  that  of  161 1.  It  has  come  to  be  recognized 
as  the  finest  specimen  of  English  literature;  in  fact,  it  is 
the  model  after  which  the  best  in  English  literature  has 
been  patterned.  Not  only  have  Protestants  recognized  the 
excellence  of  the  translation,  but  the  following  eloquent 
testimony  is  from  the  pen  of  a  famous  Catholic,  F.  W.  Faber: 

Who  will  say  that  the  uncommon  beauty  and  marvelous 
English  of  the  Protestant  Bible  is  not  one  of  the  great  strongholds 
of  heresy  in  this  country.^  It  lives  on  the  ear,  like  music  that 
can  never  be  forgotten,  like  the  sound  of  church  bells,  which  the 
convert  hardly  knows  how  he  can  forego.  Its  felicities  often  seem 
to  be  almost  things  rather  than  words.  It  is  part  of  the  national 
mind,  and  the  anchor  of  national  seriousness.  Nay,  it  is  wor- 
shiped with  a  positive  idolatry,  in  extenuation  of  whose  grotesque 
fanaticism  its  intrinsic  beauty  pleads  availingly  with  the  man  of 
letters  and  the  scholar.  The  memory  of  the  dead  passes  into  it. 
The  potent  traditions  of  childhood  are  stereotyped  in  its  verses. 
The  power  of  all  the  griefs  and  trials  of  a  man  are  hid  benea  th 
its  words.  It  is  the  representative  of  his  best  moments,  and  all 
that  there  has  been  about  him  of  soft  and  gentle,  and  pure  and 
penitent  and  good,  speaks  to  him  forever  out  of  his  Protestant 
Bible.  It  is  a  sacred  thing  which  doubt  has  never  dimmed  and 
controversy  never  soiled. 

The  original  edition  contained  a  repetition  of  three  lines 
m  Exodus  14  :  10,  and  some  161 1  copies  contained  "he 
went"  and  some  "she  went"  in  Ruth  3:15.     The  chrono- 


The  Authorized  Version  277 

logical  dates  seen  in  modern  reference  Bibles  did  not  appear 
until  they  were  inserted  by  Bishop  Lloyd  in  1701;  they 
were  taken  from  a  work  by  Archbishop  Ussher  and  are  not 
now  considered  very  reliable. 


THE  JERUSALEM  CHAMBER,  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE   REVISED  VERSIONS 

BETWEEN  1611  and  1881  there  were  many  private 
revisions  of  the  New  Testament,  of  the  whole  Bible,  or 
of  separate  books,  and  some  efforts  were  made  for  the  official 
issue  of  a  new  version;  but  it  was  not  until  1870  that  definite 
action  was  taken  which  resulted  in  the  publication  of  the 
English  Revised  Version  of  the  New  Testament,  in  1881, 
the  Old  Testament  in  1885,  the  Apocrypha  in  1895,  and  the 
American  (Standard)  Revised  Version  in  1901.  In  1912  a 
revised  version  was  published  by  the  American  Bible  Union, 
and  in  1917  a  Jewish  Revised  Version  was  published  in 
America. 

On  February  i,  1856,  Canon  Selwyn  gave  notice  to  the 
Upper  House  of  Convocation  of  a  motion  as  follows: 

To  propose  a  petition  to  Upper  House  requesting  His  Grace 
and  their  Lordships  to  take  into  their  consideration  the  subject 
of  an  address  to  the  Crown,  praying  that  Her  Most  Gracious 
Majesty  may  be  pleased  to  appoint  a  body  of  learned  men  well 
skilled  in  the  original  languages  of  the  Holy  Scriptures — 

To  consider  such  amendments  of  the  Authorized  Version  as 
have  been  already  proposed,  and  to  receive  suggestions  from  all 
persons  who  may  be  willing  to  offer  them. 

To  communicate  with  foreign  scholars  on  difficult  passages 
when  it  may  be  deemed  advisable. 

To  examine  the  marginal  readings  which  appear  to  have  been 
introduced  into  some  editions  since  the  year  161 1. 

To  point  out  such  words  and  phrases  as  have  either  changed 
their  meaning  or  become  obsolete  in  the  lapse  of  time, — and 

To  report  from  time  to  time  the  progress  of  their  work,  and 
the  amendments  which  they  may  be  prepared  to  recommend. 

This  was  not  very  favorably  received,  and  on  July  22, 
1856,  a  motion  was  made  in  the  House  of  Commons  by  Mr. 

(278) 


The  Revised  Versions  279 

Heywood,  for  an  address  praying  the  Crown  to  issue  a  Royal 
Commission  to  consider  amendments  that  had  been  pro- 
posed in  the  Authorized  Version,  to  receive  suggestions  from 
those  willing  to  offer  them,  to  point  out  errors  and  obsolete 
words,  and  to  report  accordingly.  Owing  to  opposition 
which  developed  the  motion  was  withdrawn. 

In  February,  1857,  another  proposal  was  introduced  to 
the  Convocation  of  Canterbury  as  follows: 

To  request  the  Upper  House  to  take  into  consideration  the 
appointment  of  a  joint  Committee  of  both  Houses  to  deliberate 
upon  the  best  means  of  bringing  under  review  the  suggestions  made 
during  the  two  centuries  and  a  half  for  the  still  further  improve- 
ment of  the  Authorized  Version  of  the  Holy  Scripture,  and  of 
publishing  the  results  of  the  inquiry. 

There  was  not  much  enthusiasm  shown  for  the  project 
and  eventually  an  amendment  proposed  by  Archdeacon 
Denison  was  adopted  as  follows: 

That  it  is  not  expedient  that  this  House  give  any  encourage- 
ment to  any  alteration  of  modification  of  the  Authorized  Version, 
whether  by  way  of  insertion  in  the  text,  marginal  note,  or  otherwise. 

As  regards  concerted  action  the  matter  was  then 
dropped.  It  was  probably  felt  that,  even  though  there 
might  be  great  need  for  revision,  there  was  not  a  sufficient 
number  of  capable  scholars,  or  the  necessary  material  was 
not  readily  available.  But  private  interest  in  the  matter 
on  the  part  of  a  few  earnest  workers  did  not  cease,  and  a 
small  group  of  clergymen  published  a  revision  of  portions 
of  the  New  Testament.  The  names  of  the  clergymen  were: 
Dean  Alford,  of  Canterbury;  Dr.  Barrow,  Dr.  Moberly, 
Dr.  Elhcott,  and  Mr.  Humphry.  In  1857  they  pubhshed 
the  Gospel  of  John,  and  later  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans, 
and  the  two  Epistles  to  the  Corinthians.  From  1861  to 
1863,  four  of  them  published  revised  versions  of  the  Epistle 
to  the  Galatians,  Ephesians,  Philippians,  and  Colossians. 

Concerning  the  revision  of  the  Authorized  Version  by 
five  clergymen,  Archbishop  Trench,  of  Dublin,  remarked  in 
his  work  On  the  Authorized  Version  of  the  New  Testament: 

They  have  not  merely  urged  by  precept,  but  shown  by  proof, 
that  it  is  possible  to  revise  our  Version  and  at  the  same  time  to 
preserve  unimpaired  the  character  of  the  English  in  which  it  is 


28o 


The  Book  of  Books 


ALFRED  OLLIVANT 
Bishop  of  LlandafF 


CONNOP  THIRL  WALL 
Bishop  of  St.  David's 


LORD  A.  C.  HERVEY 
Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells 


E.  H.  BROWNE 

Bishop  of  Winchester 


FOUR  ENGLISH  REVISERS  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions  281 

composed.  Nor  is  it  only  on  this  account  that  we  may  accept 
this  work  as  by  far  the  most  hopeful  contribution  which  we  have 
yet  had  to  the  solution  of  a  great  and  difficult  problem;  but  also 
as  showing  that  where  reverent  hands  touch  that  building,  which 
some  would  have  wholly  pulled  down,  that  it  might  be  wholly 
built  up  again,  these  find  only  the  need  of  here  and  there  replacing 
a  stone  which  had  been  uncautiously  built  in  the  wall,  or  which, 
trustworthy  material  once,  has  now  yielded  to  the  lapse  and  injury 
of  time,  while  they  leave  the  building  itself,  in  its  main  features 
and  framework,  untouched. 

By  the  year  1870  these  illustrations  of  the  principles 
and  results  of  revision  had  become  pretty  well  known,  and 
in  1862  Dr.  Tischendorf  had  published  his  elaborate  edition 
of  the  manuscript  he  had  discovered  in  1859  at  the  Convent 
of  St.  Catherine,  on  Mount  Sinai,  and  its  great  value  had 
been  recognized  by  scholars.  The  time  was  more  opportune 
then  than  it  was  thirteen  or  fourteen  years  earlier  for  under- 
taking the  work  of  revision,  and  the  subject  was  reintro^ 
duced  in  the  Convocation  of  Canterbury. 

On  February  10,  1870,  the  following  resolution  was 
proposed  by  Dr.  Wilberforce,  Bishop  of  Winchester,  and 
seconded  by  Dr.  C.  J.  Elhcott,  Bishop  of  Gloucester  and 
Bristol,  and  unanimously  carried  in  both  Houses  of  Convo- 
cation at  Canterbury: 

To  report  upon  the  desirableness  of  a  Revision  of  the  Author- 
ized Version  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  whether  by  marginal 
notes  or  otherwise,  in  all  those  passages  where  plain  and  clear 
errors,  whether  in  the  Hebrew  or  the  Greek  Text  originally  adopted 
by  the  Translators,  or  in  the  translations  made  from  the  same, 
shall,  on  due  investigation,  be  found  to  exist. 

The  proposition  as  first  introduced  had  reference  to  the 
New  Testament  only,  but  before  it  was  adopted  as  above 
the  Old  Testament  had  been  added  at  the  suggestion  of  the 
Bishop  of  LlandaflF,  Dr.  Ollivant. 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  consider  the  matter  and 
report.  The  members  of  that  committee  were:  The  Bishop 
of  Winchester  (Dr.  Wilberforce),  The  Bishop  of  St.  David's 
(Dr.Thirlwall),  the  Bishop  of  Llandaff  (Dr.  Ollivant),  the 
Bishop  of  Gloucester  and  Bristol  (Dr.  Elhcott),  the  Bishop 
of  Ely  (Dr.  Browne),  the  Bishop  of  Lincoln  (Dr.  Christopher 
Wordsworth),  the  Bishop  of  Sahsbury  (Dr.  Moberly),  the 


282 


CHRISTOPHER  WORDSWORTH,  Bishop  of  Lincoln 


W.  L.  ALEXANDER  R-  L.  BENSLY 

THREE  ENGLISH  REVISERS  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions  283 

Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  (Lord  Hervey),  the  Prolocutor 
(Dr.  Bickersteth),  the  Dean  of  Canterbury  (Dr.  Alford), 
the  Dean  of  Westminster  (Dr.  Stanley),  the  Dean  of  Lincoln 
(Dr.  Jeremie),  Archdeacon  Rose,  of  Bedford;  Archdeacon 
Freeman,  of  Exeter;  Archdeacon  Grant,  of  Rochester  and 
St.  Albans;  Chancellor  Massingberd,  Canon  Blakesley, 
Canon  How,  Canon  Selwyn,  Canon  Swainson,  Canon  Wood- 
gate,  Dr.  Jebb,  Dr.  Kay,  and  Mr.  De  Winton.  The  report 
they  presented  consisted  of  the  following  resolutions: 

1.  That  it  is  desirable  that  a  Revision  of  the  Authorized 
Version  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  be  undertaken. 

2.  That  the  Revision  be  so  conducted  as  to  comprise  both 
marginal  renderings,  and  such  emendations  as  it  may  be  found 
necessary  to  insert  in  the  Text  of  the  Authorized  Version. 

3.  That  in  the  above  resolutions  we  do  not  contemplate  any 
new  translation  of  the  Bible,  or  any  alteration  of  the  language, 
except  where  in  the  judgment  of  the  most  competent  scholars 
such  change  is  necessary. 

4.  That  in  such  necessary  changes,  the  style  of  the  language 
employed  in  the  existing  Version  be  closely  followed. 

5.  That  it  is  desirable  that  Convocation  should  nominate  a 
body  of  its  own  members,  to  undertake  the  work  of  revision,  who 
shall  be  at  liberty  to  invite  the  co-operation  of  any  eminent  for 
scholarship,  to  whatever  nation  or  religious  body  they  may  belong. 

In  accordance  with  the  resolutions,  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  carry  them  into  effect,  as  follows:  the  eight 
Bishops,  the  Prolocutor,  the  Deans  of  Canterbury  and 
Westminster,  Archdeacon  Rose,  Canons  Blakesley  and 
Selwyn,  Dr.  Jebb,  and  Dr.  Kay. 

The  resolution  to  invite  the  co-operation  of  eminent 
scholars,  irrespective  of  nationality  or  rehgious  creed,  was 
based  on  the  recognition  that  there  were  many  outside  the 
Established  Church  whose  labors  had  proved  their  ability 
and  whose  co-operation  would  be  eminently  desirable. 
Bishop  Ellicott  had  previously  published  his  convictions  in 
the  following  words: 

It  would  not  be  hopeful  to  undertake  such  a  truly  national 
work  as  the  revision  of  the  English  Bible,  that  Book  of  Life  which 
is  alike  dear  and  common  to  us  all,  without  the  presence  and 
co-operation  of  the  most  learned  of  our  brethren  of  non-conformity. 
.  .  .  General  questions  may  often  keep  us  apart;  uncharitable 
and  embittered  politicians  may  continue,   as  we  have  seen  not 


284 


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JOHN  BIRRELL 


THOMAS  CHENERY 


A.  B.  DAVIDSON  BENJAMIN  DAVIES 

FOUR  ENGLISH  REVISERS  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions  285 

long  since,  their  discreditable  efforts  to  sow  dissension  and  ani- 
mosities, but  in  the  calm  region  of  Biblical  learning  such  pitiful 
efforts  will  never  be  permitted  to  prevail.  The  men  that  may 
hereafter  sit  round  the  council  table  of  revision  will  be  proof 
against  all  such  uncharitableness;  they  will  be  bound  by  the  holy 
bond  of  reverence  for  the  same  Book,  and  adoration  for  the  same 
Lord.  Those  whom  God  may  hereafter  vouchsafe  to  join  together 
in  a  holy  work,  sectarian  bitterness  will  never  be  able  to  put 
asunder. 

The  Revisers  in  1611  used  Beza's  Greek  Text,  4th 
edition,  published  1509,  and  the  4th  edition  of  Stephens, 
published  in  1557.  These  were  not  much  altered  from  the 
third  (1582)  edition  of  Beza's  Greek  Testament  and  the 
third  (1550)  edition  of  Stephens'  Greek  Testament.  The 
fourth  edition  of  Erasmus'  Greek  Text  had  considerable 
influence  upon  the  above,  and  v^as  really  the  original  text, 
or,  as  it  is  called,  the  mother  text  of  the  Authorized  Version. 

Soon  after  the  issue  of  the  Authorized  Version,  namely, 
in  1628,  the  Alexandrian  manuscript  had  arrived  in  England, 
and  in  1862  the  Sinaitic  had  become  available.  Between 
those  dates  many  other  valuable  manuscripts  had  been  dis- 
covered and  scholars  had  made  use  of  them  in  amending  the 
Greek  Text,  but  only  in  private  versions  had  they  been  used 
in  modification  of  the  EngHsh  Bible. 

Bishop  Elhcott  said  in  reference  to  the  Sinaitic  MS.: 

Every  earnest  man  must  regard  it  as  something  more  than 
accident  that  a  manuscript,  so  venerable,  and  so  perfect,  should 
have  been  discovered  just  at  a  time  when  such  a  witness  was,  in 
many  important  passages,  so  especially  needed. 

In  May,  1870,  on  report  of  the  committee  appointed  to 
carry  out  the  resolution  of  February  preceding,  it  was 
resolved: 

I.  That  the  Committee,  appointed  by  the  Convocation  of 
Canterbury  at  its  last  Session,  separate  itself  into  two  Companies, 
the  one  for  the  revision  of  the  Authorized  Version  of  the  Old 
Testament,  the  other  for  the  Authorized  Version  of  the  New 
Testament, 

II.  That  the  Company  for  the  revision  of  the  Authorized 
Version  of  the  Old  Testament  consist  of  the  Bishops  of  St.  Davids, 
LlandafF,  Ely,  Lincoln,  and  Bath  and  Wells,  and  of  the  following 
Members  from  the  Lower  House;  Archdeacon  Rose,  Canon 
Selwyn,  Dr.  Jebb,  and  Dr.  Kay. 


286 


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G.  C.  M.  DOUGLAS 


S.  R.  DRIVER 


C.  J.  ELLIOTT 


FREDERICK  FIELD 


FOUR  ENGLISH  REVISERS   OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions  287 

III.  That  the  Company  for  the  revision  of  the  Authorized 
Version  of  the  New  Testament  consist  of  the  Bishops  of  Winchester, 
Gloucester  and  Bristol,  and  Sahsbury,  and  of  the  following  Mem- 
bers from  the  Lower  House,  the  Prolocutor,  the  Deans  of  Canter- 
bury and  Westminster,  and  Canon  Blakesley. 

IV.  That  the  first  portion  of  the  work  to  be  undertaken  by 
the  Old  Testament  Company,  be  the  revision  of  the  Authorized 
Version  of  the  Pentateuch. 

V.  That  the  first  portion  of  the  work  to  be  undertaken  by  the 
New  Testament  Company,  be  the  revision  of  the  Authorized 
Version  of  the  Synoptical  Gospels. 

VI.  That  the  following  Scholars  and  Divines  be  invited  to 
join  the  Old  Testament  Company:  Dr.  W.  L.  Alexander,  Professor 
Chenery,  Canon  Cook,  Professor  A.  B.  Davidson,  Dr.  B.  Davies, 
Professor  Fairbairn,  Rev.  F.  Field,  Dr.  Ginsburg,  Dr.  Gotch, 
Archdeacon  Harrison,  Professor  Leathes,  Professor  M'Gill,  Canon 
Payne  Smith,  Professor  J.  J.  S.  Perowne,  Professor  Plumptre, 
Canon  Pusey,  Dr.  Wright  (British  Museum),  W.  A.  Wright 
(Cambridge). 

VII.  That  the  following  Scholars  and  Divines  be  invited  to 
join  the  New  Testament  Company:  Archbishop  of  Dublin,  Dr. 
Angus,  Dr.  Eadie,  Rev.  F.  J.  A.  Hort,  Rev.  W.  G.  Humphry, 
Canon  Kennedy,  Archdeacon  Lee,  Dr.  Lightfoot,  Professor  Milli- 
gan,  Professor  Moulton,  Dr.  J.  H.  Newman,  Professor  Newth, 
Dr.  A.  Roberts,  Rev.  G.  Vance  Smith,  Dr.  Scott  (BalHol  Coll.), 
Rev.  F.  Scrivener,  Dr.  Tregelles,  Dr.  Vaughan,  Canon  Westcott. 

VIII.  That  the  General  Principles  to  be  followed  by  both 
Companies  be  as  follows: 

1.  To  introduce  as  few  alterations  as  possible  into  the  Text 
of  the  Authorized  Version  consistently  with  faithfulness. 

2.  To  limit,  as  far  as  possible,  the  expressions  of  such  altera- 
tions to  the  language  of  the  Authorized  and  earlier  English  versions. 

3.  Each  Company  to  go  twice  over  the  portion  to  be  revised, 
once  provisionally,  the  second  time  finally,  and  on  principles  of 
voting  as  hereinafter  is  provided. 

4.  That  the  Text  to  be  adopted  be  that  for  which  the  evidence 
is  decidedly  preponderating;  and  that  when  the  Text  so  adopted 
differs  from  that  from  which  the  Authorized  Version  was  made, 
the  alteration  be  indicated  in  the  margin. 

5.  To  make  or  retain  no  change  in  the  Text  on  the  second 
final  revision  by  each  Company,  except  two-thirds  of  those  present 
approve  of  the  same,  but  on  the  first  revision  to  decide  by  simple 
majorities. 

6.  In  every  case  of  proposed  alteration  that  may  have  given 
rise  to  discussion,  to  defer  the  voting  thereupon  till  the  next 
Meeting,  whensoever  the  same  shall  be  required  by  one-third  of 
those  present  at  the  Meeting,  such  intended  vote  to  be  announced 
in  the  notice  for  the  next  Meeting. 


The  Book  of  Books 


J.  D.  GEDEN 


BENJAMIN  HARRISON 


C.  D.  GINSBURG 


F.  W.  GOTCH 


FOUR  ENGLISH  REVISERS  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions  289 

7.  To  revise  the  headings  of  chapters,  pages,  paragraphs, 
itahcs,  and  punctuation. 

8.  To  refer,  on  the  part  of  each  Company,  when  considered 
desirable,  to  Divines,  Scholars,  and  Literary  Men,  whether  at 
home  or  abroad,  for  their  opinions. 

IX.  That  the  work  of  each  Company  be  communicated  to  the 
other  as  it  is  completed,  in  order  that  there  may  be  as  little  devia- 
tion from  uniformity  in  language  as  possible. 

X.  That  the  Special  or  Bye-rules  for  each  Company  be  as 
follows : 

1.  To  make  all  corrections  in  writing  previous  to  the  meeting. 

2.  To  place  all  the  corrections  due  to  textual  considerations 
on  the  left  hand  margin,  and  all  other  corrections  on  the  right 
hand  margin. 

3.  To  transmit  to  the  Chairman,  in  case  of  being  unable  to 
attend,  the  corrections  proposed  in  the  portion  agreed  upon  for 
consideration. 

Of  those  named  in  the  above  resolutions,  the  bishop  of 
Lincoln,  (Christopher  Woodsw^orth)  and  Dr.  Jebb  resigned 
in  1870;  Canon  Cook,  Canon  Pusey,  and  Dr.  New^man 
declined  to  serve.  Some  died  early  in  the  work,  and  others 
were  added  to  both  Old  and  New  Testament  Committees. 
The  following  is  the  most  complete  list  that  has  ever  been 
published  of  those  actually  engaged  in  the  work,  with  par- 
ticulars as  to  dates  of  birth  and  death,  and  details  of  appoint- 
ments. It  is  a  Ust  which  includes  the  finest  scholars  of  the 
day;  and  the  accompanying  photographs  of  nearly  all  the 
members  have  been  obtained  at  considerable  effort,  and 
through  the  kind  co-operation  of  relatives — especially  of 
Miss  E.  Perowne,  daughter  of  the  late  Bishop  of  Worcester. 
The  photographs  were  taken,  in  most  cases,  in  the  year  1874 
and  represent  the  workers  as  they  appeared  at  the  time  of 
the  revision.  In  a  few  instances  it  has  not  been  possible  to 
obtain  photographs  or  complete  statistics.  So  far  as  the 
author  is  aware  the  only  living  member  of  the  committees 
is  Professor  Sayce.  The  names  of  the  members  of  each 
committee  are  arranged  alphabetically  for  ease  of  reference. 

Old  Testament 

Alexander,  William  Lindsay,  D.D.  (Congregationalist),  born 
Aug.  24,  1808,  at  Edinburgh:  died  Dec.  22,  1884,  at  Edin- 
burgh. Professor  in  the  Theological  Hall  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Churches  of  Scotland  at  Edinburgh. 


290 


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WILLIAM    KAY 


STANLEY  LEATHES 


J.  R.  LUMBY 


J.  J.  S.  PEROWNE 


FOUR  ENGLISH  REVISERS  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions  291 

Bensly,  Robert  Lubbock,  M.A.  (Church  of  England),  born 
Aug.  24,  183 1,  at  Eaton,  near  Norwich;  died  April  23,  1893, 
at  Cambridge.     Lecturer  in  Hebrew  at  Cambridge. 

BiRRELL,  John,  M.A.,  D.D.  (Church  of  Scotland),  born  Oct.  21, 
1836,  at  Newburn,  near  St.  Andrew's,  Scotland;  died  Jan.  I, 
1902.  Professor  of  Oriental  Languages  at  St.  Andrews 
University. 

Browne,  Edward  Harold,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born 
Mar.  6,  1811,  at  Aylesbury;  died  Dec.  18,  1891,  at  Shales 
in  Hampshire.  Bishop  of  Ely;  Bishop  of  Winchester,  1873. 
Chairman  of  Old  Testament  Committee. 

Chance,  Frank,  M.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  June  22, 
1826,  at  London.  A  London  physician  and  noted  Hebrew 
scholar. 

Chenery,  Thomas,  (Church  of  England),  born  1826,  at  Barba- 
does;  died  Feb.  11,  1884,  at  London.  Professor  of  Arabic 
at  Oxford.  In  1887  became  editor  of  the  London  Times. 
Secretary  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society. 

Cheyne,  Thomas  Kelley,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  Sept. 

18,  1841,  at  London;  died  Feb.  16,  1915.  Lecturer  in  Hebrew 
and  Divinity  at  Oxford. 

Cook,  Frederick  Charles,  Canon  of  Exeter.  [Declined  invi- 
tation.] 

Davidson,  Andrew  Bruce,  D.D.  (Free  Church  of  Scotland), 
born  1840  at  Kirkhill,  Aberdeenshire);  died  July  6,  1902. 
Professor  of  Hebrew  in  Free  Church  College,  Edinburgh. 

Davies,  Benjamin,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Baptist),  born  1814;   died  July 

19,  1875.     Professor  of  Hebrew  in  the  Baptist  College,  London. 
Douglas,  George  Cunningham    Monteath   (Free   Church  of 

Scotland),  born  Mar.  2,  1826,  at  Kilbarchan,  Scotland;  died 
at  Bridge  of  Allan,  May  24,  1904.  Professor  of  Hebrew  and 
Principal  of  Free  Church  College,  Glasgow. 

Driver,  Samuel  Rolles,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  Oct. 
2,  1846,  at  Southampton;  died  Feb.  26,  1914.  Regius  Pro- 
fessor of  Hebrew  at  Oxford  and  Canon  of  Christ  Church, 
Oxford. 

Elliott,  Charles  John,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  July  7, 
1 81 8;  died  May  11,  1881.  Canon  and  Vicar  of  Winkfield, 
Windsor;    a  noted  Hebrew  scholar. 

Fairbairn,  Patrick,  D.D.  (Free  Church  of  Scotland)  born  Jan. 
28,  1805,  at  Greenlaw;  died  Aug.  6,  1874,  at  Glasgow.  Prin- 
cipal of  Free  Church  College,  Glasgow. 

Field,  Frederick,  M.A.,  LL.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  July 

20,  1 801,  at  London;  died  April  19,  1885,  at  Norwich. 
Rector  of  Heigham,  near  Norwich. 

Geden,  John  Dury,  D.D.  (Wesleyan),  born  May  4,  1822,  at 
Hastings;  died  March,  1886.  Professor  of  Hebrew  at  Dids- 
bury  College,  near  Manchester. 


292 


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E.  H.  PLUMPTRE 


WILLIAM  SELWYN 


R.  PAYNE  SMITH 


A.  H.  SAYCE 


FOUR  ENGLISH  REVISERS  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions  293 

GiNSBURG,  Christian  David,  LL.D.  (Jewish),  born  Dec.  25, 
183 1,  died  Mar.  7,  1914.  Famous  Hebrew  scholar.  Revised 
the  Massoretic  text  of  the  Hebrew  Bible  and  edited  the 
Hebrew  Bible  for  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society. 

GoTCH,  Frederick  William,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Baptist),  born  1807, 
at  Kettering.     Principal  of  the  Baptist  College,  Bristol. 

Harrison,  Benjamin  (Church  of  England),  born  1808;  died  1887. 
Archdeacon  of  Maidstone  and  Canon  of  Canterbury. 

Hervey,  Lord  Arthur  Charles,  D.D.,  (Church  of  England) 
born  Aug.  20,  1808,  at  London;  died  June  9,  1894,  near 
Basingstoke  in  Hampshire.     Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells. 

Jebb,  John,  D.D.,  Canon  of  Hereford.     [Resigned  1870.] 

Kay,  William,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  April  8,  1820, 
at  Pickering,  Yorkshire;  died  1886.  Rector  of  Great  Leighs, 
Chelmsford;  formerly  Principal  of  Bishops'  College,  Calcutta; 
later  Canon  of  St.  Albans. 

Leathes,  Stanley,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  March  21, 
1830,  at  Ellesborough,  Bucks;  died  April  30,  1900.  Professor 
of  Hebrew  in  King's  College,  London. 

LuMBY,  Joseph  Rawson,  D.D.  (Church  of  England).  Professor 
of  Divinity  at  Cambridge. 

McGiLL,  J.  (Church  of  Scotland),  born  1819;  died  March  16, 
1 87 1.  Professor  of  Oriental  Languages,  St.  Andrew's  Uni- 
versity, Scotland. 

Ollivant,  Alfred,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  1798,  at 
Manchester;  died  Dec.  16,  1882,  at  LlandafF.  Bishop  of 
Llandaff. 

Perowne,  John  James  Stewart,  D.D.  (Church  of  England), 
born  March  13,  1823,  at  Bombay;  died  Nov.  6,  1904.  Canon 
of  Llandaff;  later  Dean  of  Peterborough;  and  later,  Bishop 
of  Worcester. 

Plumptre,  Edward  Hayes,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born 
Aug.  6,  1821,  at  London;  died  Feb.  i,  1891,  at  Wells.  Pro- 
fessor at  King's  College,  London;  later  Dean  of  Wells. 
[Resigned  1874.] 

Pusey,  Edward  Bouverie,  D.D.,  Canon  of  Oxford.  [DecHned 
invitation.] 

Rose,  Henry  John  (Church  of  England),  born  Jan.  3,  1801;  died 
Jan.  31,  1873,  at  Bedford.     Archdeacon  of  Bedford. 

Sayce,   Archibald   Henry,    LL.D.    (Church  of  England)    born 
Sept.  25,  1846,  near  Bristol.     Professor  of  Comparative  Phil- 
ology at  Oxford. 
Selwyn,   William,    D.D.  (Church    of  England),    born    1806,  at 

London;  died  April  24,  1878.     Canon  of  Ely. 
Smith,  Robert  Payne,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  Nov. 
1818,  in  Gloucestershire;  died  April  i,  1895.     Canon  of  Christ 
Church,  Oxford;    Dean  of  Canterbury,  1871. 


294 


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W.  A.  WRIGHT 


1 

1                 ■■-  'i^^^H 

1 

1 

li^^i^''  '^^i^^^^l 

i 

BK-f^  jj 

i^r^  iH 

W.  R.  SMITH 


D.  H.  WEIR 


THREE  ENGLISH  REVISERS  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions  295 

Smith,  William  Robertson,  LL.D.  (Free  Church  of  Scotland), 
born  Nov.  8,  1846,  at  Keig,  near  Aberdeen;  died  March  31, 
1894.     Professor  of  Hebrew  in  Free  Church  College,  Aberdeen. 

Thirl  WALL,  Connop,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  Feb.  11, 
1797,  at  London;  died  July  27,  1875,  at  Bath.  Bishop  of 
St.  David's. 

Weir,  Duncan  Harkness,  D.D.  (Church  of  Scotland),  born  1822, 
at  Greenock;  died  Nov.  24,  1876,  at  Glasgow,  Professor  of 
Oriental  Languages  at  Glasgow  University. 

Wordsworth,  Christopher,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Lincoln.  [Re- 
signed, 1870.] 

Wright,  William,  M.A.,  Ph.D.  (Church  of  England),  born 
Jan.  17,  1830,  at  Bengal;  died  May  22,  1889,  at  Cambridge. 
Professor  of  Arabic  at  Cambridge.  Formerly  in  manuscript 
department  of  British  Museum, 

Wright,  William  Aldis  (Church  of  England),  born  1836;  died 
May  19,  1914.  Bursar  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge.  Sec- 
retary of  Old  Testament  Committee. 

New  Testament 

Alford,  Henry,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  Oct.  7,  1810, 
at  London;  died  Jan.  12,  1871,  at  Canterbury.  Dean  of 
Canterbury. 

Angus,  Joseph,  D.D.  (Baptist),  born  Jan.  16,  1816;  died  Aug. 
18,  1902,  at  London,  President  of  the  Baptist  College, 
London. 

Bickersteth,  Edward,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  Oct.  23, 
1 8 14;  died  1892.  Prolocutor  of  the  Lower  House  of  Convo- 
cation;  Dean  of  Lichfield. 

Blakesley,  Joseph  William,  B.D.  (Church  of  England),  born 
Mar.  6,  1808,  at  London;  died  April  18,  1885,  at  Lincoln. 
Canon  of  Canterbury;    Dean  of  Lincoln,  1872. 

Brown,  David,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Free  Church  of  Scotland),  born 
Aug.  17,  1803,  at  Aberdeen;  died  July  3,  1897,  at  Aberdeen. 
Professor  in  Free  Church  College,  Aberdeen;   Principal,  1876. 

Eadie,  John,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Presbyterian),  born  May  9,  1810,  at 
Alva  in  Stirlingshire;  died  June  3,  1876,  at  Glasgow.  Pro- 
fessor of  Biblical  Literature  in  the  United  Presbyterian  Col- 
lege, Glasgow. 

Ellicott,  Charles  John,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  April 
25,  1 8 19,  at  Whitewell,  near  Stamford;  died  Oct.  15,  1905. 
Bishop  of  Gloucester  and  Bristol.  Chairman  of  New  Testa- 
ment Committee. 

HoRT,  Fenton  John  Anthony,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born 
April  23,  1828,  at  Dublin;  died  Nov.  30,  1892.  Professor 
of  Divinity  at  Cambridge, 


296 


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HENRY  ALFORD 


SAMUEL  WILBERFORCE  JOHN  TROUTBECK 

Bishop  of  Winchester  Secretary 

THREE  ENGLISH  REVISERS  OF  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions  297 

Humphry,  William  Gilson,   D.D.   (Church  of  England),   born 

Jan.  30,  1815,  at  Sudbury  in  Suffolk;  died  Jan.  10,  1886,  at 

London.     Prebendary  of   St.   Paul's,  London;    Vicar  of  St. 

Martin's-in-the-Fields,  and  Rural  Dean.     A  thanksgiving  ser- 
vice was  held  in  his  church  on  the  completion  of  the  New 

Testament,  Nov.  11,  1880. 
Kennedy,    Benjamin   Hall,   D.D.    (Church  of  England),   born 

Nov.  6,  1804;   died  April  6,  1889.     Canon  of  Ely  and  Regius 

Professor  of  Greek  at  Cambridge. 
Lee,  William,  D.D.  (Church  of  Ireland),  born  1815,  died  May 

11,1883.     Archdeacon  of  Dublin. 
LiGHTFOOT,  John  Barber,  D.D.,  LL.D.   (Church  of  England), 

born  April   13,   1828,  at  Liverpool;    died   Dec.   21,   1889,  at 

Bournemouth.      Professor  of  Divinity  at  Cambridge;    Canon 

of  St.  Paul's  1871;   Bishop  of  Durham,  1879. 
Merivale,  Charles,  D.D.,  D.C.L.,  LL.D.  (Church  of  England), 

born  March  8,  1808,  at  London;    died  Dec.  27,  1893.     Dean 

of  Ely.     [Resigned  1871.] 
Milligan,  William,  D.D.  (Chucrh  of  Scotland),  born  March  15, 

1 82 1,    at    Edinburgh;     died    Dec.    11,    1892.      Professor    of 

Divinity  and  Biblical  Criticism  at  Aberdeen  University. 
Moberly,  George,  D.C.L.  (Church  of  England),  born  Oct.  10, 

1803,    at   St.    Petersburg;   died    July   6,   1885,  at   Salisbury. 

Bishop  of  Salisbury. 
Moulton,  William  Fiddian,  D.D.  (Wesleyan),  born  March  14, 

1835,  3t  Leek  in  Staffordshire;    died  Feb.  5,  1898.     Classical 

Tutor  in    Richmond    College;     Master  of  the   Leys   School, 

Cambridge,  1874. 
Newman,  John  Henry,  D.D.  (Roman  Catholic);    later  cardinal. 

[Declined  invitation.] 
Newth,  Samuel,  D.D.  (Congregationalist),  born  Feb.  15,  1821, 

at  London;    died   1898.      Principal  of  New  College,  Hamp- 

stead,  London. 
Palmer,  Edwin,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  July  18,  1824, 

at  Mixbury  in  Oxfordshire;   died  Oct.  17,  1895.     Professor  of 

Latin  at  Oxford;   Archdeacon  of  Oxford  and  Canon  of  Christ 

Church  1878. 
Roberts,  Alexander,  D.D.  (Church  of  Scotland),  born  May  12, 

1826,    in    Kincardineshire,    Scotland;     died    March    8,    1901. 

Professor  of  Humanity  at  St.  Andrew's  University. 
Scott,  Robert,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  Jan.  26,  1811, 

at  Bondleigh  in  Devonshire;  died  Dec.  2,  1887,  at  Rochester. 

Dean  of  Rochester. 
Scrivener,  Frederick  Henry  Ambrose,  LL.D.,  D.C.L.  (Church 

of  England),  born  Sept.  29,  1813,  at  Bermondsey  in  Surrey; 

died  Oct.  29,  1 891.     Prebendary  and  Vicar  of  Hendon,  near 

London. 


298 


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BBIB 


TWENTV'-FOUR  ENGLISH  REVISERS  OF  THE 
NEW  TESTAMENT 

First  Row:  (left  to  right)  C.  J.  Ellicott,  George  Moberly,  J.  B.  Light- 
foot,  A.  P.  Stanley,  Robert  Scott. 

Second  Row:  J.  W.  Blakesley,  Edward  Bickersteth,  R.  C.  Trench, 
Charles  Wordsworth,  Joseph  Angus. 

Third  Row:  David  Brown,  John  Eadie,  F.  J.  A.  Hort,  W.  C.  Hum- 
phry, B.  H.  Kennedy. 

Fourth  Row:  William  Lee,  William  Milligan,  W.  F.  Moulton,  Samuel 
Newth,  Edwin  Palmer. 


The  Revised  Versions  299 

Smith,  George  Vance,  D.D.,  Ph.D.  (Unitarian),  born  June  13, 
1816,  at  Portarlington,  Ireland;  died  Feb.  28,  1902,  at  Bow- 
don.      Principal  of  Carmarthen  Presbyterian  College,  Wales. 

Stanley,  Arthur  Penrhyn,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born 
Dec.  13,  1815,  at  Alderley  in  Cheshire;  died  July  18,  1881, 
at  London.     Dean  of  Westminster. 

Tregelles,  Samuel  Prideaux,  LL.D.  (Plymouth  Brother), 
born  Jan.  30,  1813;  died  April  24,  1875.  Noted  scholar  and 
editor  of  Greek  New  Testament. 

Trench,  Richard  Chenevix,  D.D.  (Church  of  Ireland),  born 
Sept.  9,  1807,  at  Dublin;  died  March  28,  1886,  at  London. 
Archbishop  of  Dublin. 

Troutbeck,  John,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  Nov.  12, 
1832,  at  Blencowin  Cumberland;  died  Oct.  ii,  1899,  at  London; 
buried  in  the  cloisters  of  Westminster  Abbey.  Minor  Canon 
of  Westminster  and  Chaplain  to  H.  M.  Queen  Victoria. 
Secretary  of  the  New  Testament  Committee.  After  his 
death  the  minutes  were  deposited  in  the  Chapter  Library, 
Westminster,  and  later  sent  by  request  to  the  University  of 
Cambridge.  A  collateral  ancestor,  also  Rev.  John  Trout- 
beck,  was  the  last  King's  Chaplain  at  Boston,  Mass. 

Vaughan,  Charles  John,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  Aug. 
8,  1816,  at  Leicester;   died  Oct.  15,  1897.     Dean  of  Llandaff. 

Westcott,  Brooke  Foss,  D.D,  (Church  of  England),  born  Jan. 
12,  1825,  at  Birmingham;  died  July  27,  1901.  Regius  Pro- 
fessor of  Divinity  at  Cambridge  and  Canon  of  Peterborough; 
Bishop  of  Durham  1890. 

Wilberforce,  Samuel,  D.D.  (Church  of  England),  born  Sept. 
7,  1805,  at  Clapham,  London;  died  July  19,  1873,  at  Dorking. 
Bishop  of  Winchester;    formerly  Bishop  of  Oxford. 

Wordsworth,  Charles,  D.C.L.  (Church  of  England),  born  Aug. 
22,  1806,  at  Bocking;  died  Dec.  5,  1892.  Bishop  of  St. 
Andrew's,  Scotland. 


BEii 


FOUR  ENGLISH  REVISERS  OF  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 

Left  to  Right:  Alexander  Roberts,  G.  V.  Smith,  F.  H.  A. 
Scrivener,  C.  J.  Vaughan 


3CX)  The  Book  of  Books 

The  actual  work  of  revision  began  with  a  meeting  of 
/^e  New  Testament  Committee,  June  22d,  in  the  Jerusalem 
Chamber,  Westminster  Abbey.  I  have  a  memorandum  of 
Bishop  Perowne's  which  states  that  the  total  number  of 
sittings  of  the  Old  Testament  Committee  was  794,  at  793 
of  which  the  Secretary  (W.  Aldis  Wright)  was  present,  and 
of  the  New  Testament  Committee  407.  The  revisers  gave 
their  time  and  services  free,  and  the  Universities  of  Oxford 
and  Cambridge  arranged  to  pay  the  expenses  of  travel, 
printing,  etc.,  in  consideration  of  having  the  copyright. 
Meetings  of  the  Old  Testament  Committee  were  held  bi- 
monthly for  ten  days  each,  and  of  the  New  Testament 
Committee  monthly  for  four  days  each.  The  details  of  the 
work  will  be  found  in  the  preface  which  is  here  reprinted. 

The  Revised  New  Testament  was  issued  on  May  17, 
1 88 1,  with  a  title-page  of  which  a  facsimile  is  given  below. 
It  will  be  seen  that  the  modern  title-pages  are  severely 
plain  in  comparison  with  those  of  earlier  versions. 

On  November  5,  1885,  the  Old  Testament  was  pub- 
lished. It  will  be  seen  from  the  statistics  in  the  list  of 
revisers,  that  a  considerable  number  had  died  before  the 
work  was  complete.  Of  those  who  were  left,  some  began 
work  on  the  revised  Apocrypha,  which  was  pubHshed  in 
1895.  From  the  preface  thereto  it  appears  that  it  was 
resolved  on  March  21,  1879,  that  when  the  New  Testament 
revision  was  complete  three  committees  should  be  formed 
for  the  Apocrypha,  to  be  called  the  London,  Westminster, 
and  Cambridge  committees,  to  deal  with  separate  portions. 
At  the  final  meeting  of  the  New  Testament  Committee, 
November  11,  1880,  rules  for  working  were  adopted,  and 
Dr.  Troutbeck  was  appointed  secretary  for  the  three  com- 
mittees. On  the  completion  of  the  Old  Testament  revision 
some  of  the  members  were  constituted  a  committee  to  deal 
with  the  books  of  the  Apocrypha  not  allotted  to  the  other 
three  committees.  The  work  was  brought  to  a  satisfactory 
conclusion  by  January,  1895. 

When  the  work  was  undertaken  in  1870  it  was  felt 
generally  that  the  new  revision  must  be  made  to  conform 
as  nearly  as  possible  to  the  language  of  the  Authorized  Ver- 
sion which  had  so  long  been  the  Bible  of  the  English  people. 
Bishop  Ellicott  had  written: 


The  Revised  Versions  301 

If  it  is  to  be  hereafter  a  popular  Version  it  can  only  become 
so  by  exhibiting,  in  every  change  that  may  be  introduced,  a 
sensitive  regard  for  the  diction  and  tone  of  the  present  Version, 
and  also  by  evincing,  in  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  changes,  a 
due  recognition  of  the  whole  internal  history  of  the  English  New 
Testament. 

The  main  reasons  for  the  revision  were:  (i)  The  avail- 
ability of  new  manuscripts,  already  referred  to;  (2)  the 
emendation  in  the  text  that  had  been  made  from  the  study 
of  these  manuscripts;  (3)  the  presence  in  the  A.  V.  of  many 
words  whose  meaning  had  changed  since  161 1,  or  which 
had  become  obsolete;  (4)  the  need  of  greater  uniformity  in 
the  translation;  (5)  mistranslations  and  misspelHngs  in  the 
A.  V.  These  are  dealt  with  in  the  somewhat  lengthy  preface, 
which  is  here  reproduced. 

The  English  Version  of  the  New  Testament  here  presented 
to  the  reader  is  a  Revision  of  the  Translation  published  in  the 
year  of  Our  Lord  1611,  and  commonly  known  by  the  name  of  the 
Authorised  Version. 

That  Translation  was  the  work  of  many  hands  and  of  several 
generations.  The  foundation  was  laid  by  William  Tyndale.  His 
translation  of  the  New  Testament  was  the  true  primary  Version. 
The  Versions  that  followed  were  either  substantially  reproductions 
of  Tyndale's  translation  in  its  final  shape,  or  revisions  of  Versions 
that  had  been  themselves  almost  entirely  based  on  it.  Three 
successive  stages  may  be  recognised  in  this  continuous  work  of 
authoritative  revision:  first,  the  publication  of  the  Great  Bible 
of  1539-41  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIH;  next,  the  publication  of 
the  Bishops'  Bible  of  1568  and  1572  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth;  and 
lastly,  the  publication  of  the  King's  Bible  of  1611  in  the  reign  of 
James  I.  Besides  these,  the  Genevan  Version  of  1560,  itself 
founded  on  Tyndale's  translation,  must  here  be  named;  which, 
though  not  put  forth  by  authority,  was  widely  circulated  in  this 
country,  and  largely  used  by  King  James'  Translators.  Thus 
the  form  in  which  the  English  New  Testament  has  now  been  read 
for  270  years  was  the  result  of  various  revisions  made  between 
1525  and  161 1 ;  and  the  present  Revision  is  an  attempt,  after  a 
long  interval,  to  follow  the  example  set  by  a  succession  of  honoured 
predecessors. 

I.  Of  the  many  points  of  interest  connected  with  the  Transla- 
tion of  1611,  two  require  special  notice;  first,  the  Greek  Text 
which  it  appears  to  have  represented;  and  secondly,  the  character 
of  the  Translation  itself. 

I.  With  regard  to  the  Greek  Text,  it  would  appear  that,  if 
to  some  extent  the  Translators  exercised  an  independent  judge- 


302  The  Book  of  Books 

ment,  it  was  mainly  in  choosing  amongst  readings  contained  in 
the  principal  editions  of  the  Greek  Text  that  had  appeared  in  the 
sixteenth  century.  Wherever  they  seem  to  have  followed  a  read- 
ing which  is  not  found  in  any  of  those  editions,  their  rendering 
may  probably  be  traced  to  the  Latin  Vulgate.  Their  chief  guides 
appear  to  have  been  the  later  editions  of  Stephanus  and  of  Beza, 
and  also,  to  a  certain  extent,  the  Complutensian  Polj^glott.  All 
these  were  founded  for  the  most  part  on  manuscripts  of  late  date, 
few  in  number,  and  used  with  little  critical  skill.  But  in  those 
days  it  could  hardly  have  been  otherwise.  Nearly  all  the  more 
ancient  of  the  documentary  authorities  have  become  known  only 
within  the  last  two  centuries;  some  of  the  most  important  of 
them,  indeed,  within  the  last  few  years.  Their  publication  has 
called  forth  not  only  improved  editions  of  the  Greek  Text,  but  a 
succession  of  instructive  discussions  on  the  variations  which  have 
been  brought  to  light,  and  on  the  best  modes  of  distinguishing 
original  readings  from  changes  introduced  in  the  course  of  tran- 
scription. While  therefore  it  has  long  been  the  opinion  of  all 
scholars  that  the  commonly  received  text  needed  thorough  revi- 
sion, it  is  but  recently  that  materials  have  been  acquired  for 
executing  such  a  work  with  even  approximate  completeness. 

2.  The  character  of  the  Translation  itself  will  be  best  estimated 
by  considering  the  leading  rules  under  which  it  was  made,  and  the 
extent  to  which  these  rules  appear  to  have  been  observed. 

The  primary  and  fundamental  rule  was  expressed  in  the 
following  terms: — 'The  ordinary  Bible  read  in  the  Church,  com- 
monly called  the  Bishops'  Bible,  to  be  followed,  and  as  little 
altered  as  the  truth  of  the  Original  will  permit.'  There  was, 
however,  this  subsequent  provision: — 'These  translations  to  be 
used,  when  they  agree  better  with  the  text  than  the  Bishops' 
Bible:  Tindale's,  Matthew's,  Coverdale's,  Whitchurch's,  Geneva.' 
The  first  of  these  rules,  which  was  substantially  the  same  as  that 
laid  down  at  the  revision  of  the  Great  Bible  in  the  reign  of  Eliza- 
beth, was  strictly  observed.  The  other  rule  was  but  partially 
followed.  The  Translators  made  much  use  of  the  Genevan  Ver- 
sion. They  do  not  however  appear  to  have  frequently  returned  to 
the  renderings  of  the  other  Versions  named  in  the  rule,  where 
those  Versions  differed  from  the  Bishops'  Bible.  On  the  other 
hand,  their  work  shews  evident  traces  of  the  influence  of  a  Version 
not  specified  in  the  rules,  the  Rhemish,  made  from  the  Latin 
Vulgate,  but  by  scholars  conversant  with  the  Greek  Original. 

Another  rule,  on  which  it  is  stated  that  those  in  authority 
laid  great  stress,  related  to  the  rendering  of  words  that  admitted 
of  different  interpretations.  It  was  as  follows: — ^'When  a  word 
hath  divers  significations,  that  to  be  kept  which  hath  been  most 
commonly  used  by  the  most  of  the  ancient  fathers,  being  agreeable 
to  the  propriety  of  the  place  and  the  analogy  of  the  faith.'  With 
this  rule  was  associated  the  following,  on  which  equal  stress  appears 


The  'Revised  Versions  303 

to  have  been  laid: — 'The  old  ecclesiastical  words  to  be  kept,  viz. 
the  word  Church  not  to  be  translated  Congregation,  &c.'  This 
latter  rule  was  for  the  most  part  carefully  observed;  but  it  may 
be  doubted  whether,  in  the  case  of  words  that  admitted  of  different 
meanings,  the  instructions  were  at  all  closely  followed.  In  dealing 
with  the  more  difficult  words  of  this  class,  the  Translators  appear 
to  have  paid  much  regard  to  traditional  interpretations,  and  espe- 
cially to  the  authority  of  the  Vulgate;  but,  as  to  the  large  residue 
of  words  which  might  properly  fall  under  the  rule,  they  used 
considerable  freedom.  Moreover  they  profess  in  their  Preface  to 
have  studiously  adopted  a  variety  of  expression  which  would  now 
be  deemed  hardly  consistent  with  the  requirements  of  faithful 
translation.  They  seem  to  have  been  guided  by  the  feeling  that 
their  Version  would  secure  for  the  words  they  used  a  lasting  place 
in  the  language;  and  they  express  a  fear  lest  they  should  *be 
charged  (by  scoffers)  with  some  unequal  dealing  towards  a  great 
number  of  good  English  words,'  which,  without  this  liberty  on 
their  part,  would  not  have  a  place  in  the  pages  of  the  English 
Bible.  Still  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  they  carried  this  liberty 
too  far,  and  that  the  studied  avoidance  of  uniformity  in  the  render- 
ing of  the  same  words,  even  when  occurring  in  the  same  context, 
is  one  of  the  blemishes  in  their  work. 

A  third  leading  rule  was  of  a  negative  character,  but  was 
rendered  necessary  by  the  experience  derived  from  former  Versions. 
The  words  of  the  rule  are  as  follows: — *No  marginal  notes  at  all 
to  be  affixed,  but  only  for  the  explanation  of  the  Hebrew  or  Greek 
words  which  cannot  without  some  circumlocution  so  briefly  and 
fitly  be  expressed  in  the  text.'  Here  again  the  Translators  used 
some  liberty  in  their  application  of  the  rule.  Out  of  more  than 
760  marginal  notes  originally  appended  to  the  Authorised  Version 
of  the  New  Testament,  only  a  seventh  part  consists  of  explana- 
tions or  literal  renderings;  the  great  majority  of  the  notes  being 
devoted  to  the  useful  and  indeed  necessary  purpose  of  placing 
before  the  reader  alternative  renderings  which  it  was  judged  that 
the  passage  or  the  words  would  fairly  admit.  The  notes  referring 
to  variations  in  the  Greek  Text  amount  to  about  thirty-five. 

Of  the  remaining  rules  it  may  be  sufficient  to  notice  one,  which 
was  for  the  most  part  consistently  followed: — 'The  names  of  the 
prophets  and  the  hoXy  writers,  with  the  other  names  of  the  text, 
to  be  retained,  as  nigh  as  may  be,  accordingly  as  they  were  vul- 
garly used.'  The  Translators  had  also  the  liberty,  in  'any  place 
of  special  obscurity,'  to  consult  those  who  might  be  qualified  to 
give  an  opinion. 

Passing  from  these  fundamental  rules,  which  should  be  borne 
in  mind  by  any  one  who  would  rightly  understand  the  nature  and 
character  of  the  Authorised  Version,  we  must  call  attention  to 
the  manner  in  which  the  actual  work  of  the  translation  was  carried 
on.    The  New  Testament  was  assigned  to  two  separate  Companies, 


304  The  Book  of  Books 

the  one  consisting  of  eight  members,  sitting  at  Oxford,  the  other 
consisting  of  seven  members,  sitting  at  Westminster.  There  is 
no  reason  to  believe  that  these  Companies  ever  sat  together.  They 
communicated  to  each  other,  and  Hkewise  to  the  four  Companies 
to  which  the  Old  Testament  and  the  Apocrypha  had  been  com- 
mited,  the  results  of  their  labours;  and  perhaps  afterwards  recon- 
sidered them:  but  the  fact  that  the  New  Testament  was  divided 
between  two  separate  bodies  of  men  involved  a  grave  inconveni- 
ence, and  was  beyond  all  doubt  the  cause  of  many  inconsistencies. 
These  probably  would  have  been  much  more  serious,  had  it  not 
been  provided  that  there  should  be  a  final  supervision  of  the  whole 
Bible,  by  selected  members  from  Oxford,  Cambridge,  and  West- 
minster, the  three  centres  at  which  the  work  had  been  carried  on. 
These  supervisors  are  said  by  one  authority  to  have  been  six  in 
number,  and  by  another  twelve.  When  it  is  remembered  that 
this  supervision  was  completed  in  nine  months,  we  may  wonder 
that  the  incongruities  which  remain  are  not  more  numerous. 

The  Companies  appear  to  have  been  occupied  in  the  actual 
business  of  revision  about  two  years  and  three  quarters. 

Such,  so  far  as  can  be  gathered  from  the  rules  and  modes  of 
procedure,  is  the  character  of  the  time-honoured  Version  which 
we  have  been  called  upon  to  revise.  We  have  had  to  study  this 
great  Version  carefully  and  minutely,  line  by  line;  and  the  longer 
we  have  been  engaged  upon  it  the  more  we  have  learned  to  admire 
its  simplicity,  its  dignity,  its  power,  its  happy  turns  of  expression, 
its  general  accuracy,  and,  we  must  not  fail  to  add,  the  music  of 
its  cadences,  and  the  felicities  of  its  rhythm.  To  render  a  work 
that  had  reached  this  high  standard  of  excellence  still  more  excel- 
lent, to  increase  its  fidelity  without  destroying  its  charm,  was  the 
task  committed  to  us.  Of  that  task,  and  of  the  conditions  under 
which  we  have  attempted  its  fulfilment,  it  will  now  be  necessary 
for  us  to  speak. 

II.  The  present  Revision  had  its  origin  in  action  taken  by 
the  Convocation  of  the  Province  of  Canterbury  in  February  1870, 
and  it  has  been  conducted  throughout  on  the  plan  laid  down  in 
Resolutions  of  both  Houses  of  the  Province,  and,  more  particularly, 
in  accordance  with  Principles  and  Rules  drawn  up  by  a  special 
Committee  of  Convocation  in  the  following  May.  Two  Com- 
panies, the  one  for  the  revision  of  the  Authorised  Version  of  the 
Old  Testament,  and  the  other  for  the  revision  of  the  same  Version 
of  the  New  Testament,  were  formed  in  the  manner  specified  in 
the  Resolutions,  and  the  work  was  commenced  on  the  twenty- 
second  day  of  June  1870.  Shortly  afterwards,  steps  were  taken, 
under  a  resolution  passed  by  both  Houses  of  Convocation,  for 
inviting  the  co-operation  of  American  scholars;  and  eventually 
two  Committees  were  formed  in  America,  for  the  purpose  of  acting 
with  the  two  English  Companies,  on  the  basis  of  the  Principles 
and  Rules  drawn  up  by  the  Committee  of  Convocation. 


The  Revised  Versions  305 

The  fundamental  Resolutions  adopted  by  the  Convocation 
of  Canterbury  on  the  third  and  fifth  days  of  May  1870  were  as 
follows: — 

'i.  That  it  is  desirable  that  a  revision  of  the  Authorised  Ver- 
sion of  the  Holy  Scriptures  be  undertaken. 

'2.  That  the  revision  be  so  conducted  as  to  comprise  both 
marginal  renderings  and  such  emendations  as  it  may  be  found 
necessary  to  insert  in  the  text  of  the  Authorised  Version. 

'3.  That  in  the  above  resolutions  we  do  not  contemplate  any 
new  translation  of  the  Bible,  or  any  alteration  of  the  language, 
except  where  in  the  judgement  of  the  most  competent  scholars 
such  change  is  necessary. 

'4.  That  in  such  necessary  changes,  the  style  of  the  language 
employed  in  the  existing  Version  be  closely  followed. 

'5.  That  it  is  desirable  that  Convocation  should  nominate  a 
body  of  its  own  members  to  undertake  the  work  of  revision,  who 
shall  be  at  liberty  to  invite  the  co-operation  of  any  eminent  for 
scholarship,  to  whatever  nation  or  religious  body  they  may  belong.' 

The  Principles  and  Rules  agreed  to  by  the  Committee  of  Con- 
vocation on  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  May  1870  were  as  follows: — 

'i.  To  introduce  as  few  alterations  as  possible  into  the  Text 
of  the  Authorised  Version  consistently  with  faithfulness. 

'2.  To  limit,  as  far  as  possible,  the  expression  of  such  altera- 
tions to  the  language  of  the  Authorised  and  earlier  English  Versions 

'3.  Each  Company  to  go  twice  over  the  portion  to  be  revised, 
once  provisionally,  the  second  time  finally,  and  on  principles  of 
voting  as  hereinafter  is  provided. 

'4.  That  the  Text  to  be  adopted  be  that  for  which  the  evidence 
is  decidedly  preponderating;  and  that  when  the  Text  so  adopted 
differs  from  that  from  which  the  Authorised  Version  was  made, 
the  alteration  be  indicated  in  the  margin. 

'5.  To  make  or  retain  no  change  in  the  Text  on  the  second 
final  revision  by  each  Company,  except  two  thirds  of  those  present 
approve  of  the  same,  but  on  the  first  revision  to  decide  by  simple 
majorities. 

'6.  In  every  case  of  proposed  alteration  that  may  have  given 
rise  to  discussion,  to  defer  the  voting  thereupon  till  the  next 
Meeting,  whensoever  the  same  shall  be  required  by  one  third  of 
those  present  at  the  Meeting,  such  intended  vote  to  be  announced 
in  the  notice  for  the  next  meeting. 

'7.  To  revise  the  headings  of  chapters  and  pages,  paragraphs, 
italics,  and  punctuation. 

'8.  To  refer,  on  the  part  of  each  Company,  when  considered 
desirable,  to  Divines,  Scholars,  and  Literary  Men,  whether  at 
home  or  abroad,  for  their  opinions.' 

These  rules  it  has  been  our  endeavour  faithfully  and  consist- 
ently to  follow.  One  only  of  them  we  found  ourselves  unable  to 
observe  in  all  particulars.     In  accordance  with  the  seventh  rule, 


3o6  The  Book  of  Books 

we  have  carefully  revised  the  paragraphs,  italics,  and  punctuation. 
But  the  revision  of  the  headings  of  chapters  and  pages  would 
have  involved  so  much  of  indirect,  and  indeed  frequently  of  direct 
interpretation,  that  we  judged  it  best  to  omit  them  altogether. 

Our  communications  with  the  American  Committee  have 
been  of  the  following  nature.  We  transmitted  to  them  from  time 
to  time  each  several  portion  of  our  First  Revision,  and  received 
from  them  in  return  their  criticisms  and  suggestions.  These  we 
considered  with  much  care  and  attention  during  the  time  we  were 
engaged  on  our  Second  Revision.  We  then  sent  over  to  them  the 
various  portions  of  the  Second  Revision  as  they  were  completed, 
and  received  further  suggestions,  which,  like  the  former,  were 
closely  and  carefully  considered.  Last  of  all,  we  forwarded  to 
them  the  Revised  Version  in  its  final  form;  and  a  list  of  those 
passages  in  which  they  desire  to  place  on  record  their  preference 
of  other  readings  and  renderings  will  be  found  at  the  end  of  the 
volume.  We  gratefully  acknowledge  their  care,  vigilance,  and 
accuracy;  and  we  humbly  pray  that  their  labours  and  our  own, 
thus  happily  united,  may  be  permitted  to  bear  a  blessing  to  both 
countries,  and  to  all  English-speaking  people  throughout  the  world. 

The  whole  time  devoted  to  the  work  has  been  ten  years  and 
a  half.  The  First  Revision  occupied  about  six  years;  the  Second, 
about  two  years  and  a  half.  The  remaining  time  has  been  spent 
in  the  consideration  of  the  suggestions  from  America  on  the  Second 
Revision,  and  of  many  details  and  reserved  questions  arising  out 
of  our  own  labours.  As  a  rule,  a  session  of  four  days  has  been 
held  every  month  (with  the  exception  of  August  and  September) 
in  each  year  from  the  commencement  of  the  work  in  June  1870. 
The  average  attendance  for  the  whole  time  has  been  sixteen  each 
day;  the  whole  Company  consisting  at  first  of  twenty-seven,  but 
for  the  greater  part  of  the  time  of  twenty-four  members,  many 
of  them  residing  at  great  distances  from  London.  Of  the  original 
number  four  have  been  removed  from  us  by  death. 

At  an  early  stage  in  our  labours,  we  entered  into  an  agreement 
with  the  Universities  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge  for  the  conveyance 
to  them  of  our  copyright  in  the  work.  This  arrangement  provided 
for  the  necessary  expenses  of  the  undertaking;  and  procured  for 
the  Revised  Version  the  advantage  of  being  published  by  Bodies 
long  connected  with  the  publication  of  the  Authorised  Version. 

IIL  We  now  pass  onward  to  give  a  brief  account  of  the  par- 
ticulars of  the  present  work.  This  we  propose  to  do  under  the 
four  heads  of  Text,  Translation,  Language,  and  Marginal  Notes. 

I.  A  revision  of  the  Greek  text  was  the  necessary  foundation 
of  our  work;  but  it  did  not  fall  within  our  province  to  construct 
a  continuous  and  complete  Greek  text.  In  many  cases  the  English 
rendering  was  considered  to  represent  correctly  either  of  two 
competing  readings  in  the  Greek,  and  then  the  question  of  the 
text  was  usually  not  raised.  A  sufficiently  laborious  task  remained 
in  deciding  between  the  rival  claims  of  various  readings  which 


The  Revised  Versions  307 

might  properly  affect  the  translation.  When  these  were  adjusted, 
our  deviations  from  the  text  presumed  to  underlie  the  Authorised 
Version  had  next  to  be  indicated,  in  accordance  with  the  fourth 
rule;  but  it  proved  inconvenient  to  record  them  in  the  margin. 
A  better  mode  however  of  giving  them  publicity  has  been  found, 
as  the  University  Presses  have  undertaken  to  print  them  in  con- 
nexion with  complete  Greek  texts  of  the  New  Testament. 

In  regard  of  the  readings  thus  approved,  it  may  be  observed 
that  the  fourth  rule,  by  requiring  that  '  the  text  to  be  adopted  ' 
should  be  *  that  for  which  the  evidence  is  decidedly  preponderat- 
ing,' was  in  effect  an  instruction  to  follow  the  authority  of  docu- 
mentary evidence  without  deference  to  any  printed  text  of  modern 
times,  and  therefore  to  employ  the  best  resources  of  criticism  for 
estimating  the  value  of  evidence.  Textual  criticism,  as  applied 
to  the  Greek  New  Testament,  forms  a  special  study  of  much 
intricacy  and  difficulty,  and  even  now  leaves  room  for  considerable 
variety  of  opinion  among  competent  critics.  Different  schools  of 
criticism  have  been  represented  among  us,  and  have  together 
contributed  to  the  final  result.  In  the  early  part  of  the  work 
every  various  reading  requiring  consideration  was  discussed  and 
voted  on  by  the  Company.  After  a  time  the  precedents  thus 
established  enabled  the  process  to  be  safely  shortened;  but  it 
was  still  at  the  option  of  every  one  to  raise  a  full  discussion  on 
any  particular  reading,  and  the  option  was  freely  used.  On  the 
first  revision,  in  accordance  with  the  fifth  rule,  the  decisions  v/ere 
arrived  at  by  simple  majorities.  On  the  second  revision,  at  which 
a  majority  of  two  thirds  was  required  to  retain  or  introduce  a 
reading  at  variance  with  the  reading  presumed  to  underlie  the 
Authorised  Version,  many  readings  previously  adopted  were 
brought  again  into  debate,  and  either  re-affirmed  or  set  aside. 

Many  places  still  remain  in  which,  for  the  present,  it  would 
not  be  safe  to  accept  one  reading  to  the  absolute  exclusion  of  others. 
In  these  cases  we  have  given  alternative  readings  in  the  margin, 
wherever  they  seem  to  be  of  sufficient  importance  or  interest  to 
deserve  notice.  In  the  introductory  formula,  the  phrases  'many 
ancient  authorities,'  'some  ancient  authorities,'  are  used  with 
some  latitude  to  denote  a  greater  or  lesser  proportion  of  those 
authorities  which  have  a  distinctive  right  to  be  called  ancient. 
These  ancient  authorities  comprise  not  only  Greek  manuscripts, 
some  of  which  were  written  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  centuries,  but 
versions  of  a  still  earlier  date  in  different  languages,  and  also  quota- 
tions by  Christian  writers  of  the  second  and  following  centuries. 

2.  We  pass  now  from  the  Text  to  the  Translation.  The 
character  of  the  Revision  was  determined  for  us  from  the  outset 
by  the  first  rule,  'to  introduce  as  few  alterations  as  possible, 
consistently  with  faithfulness.'  Our  task  was  revision,  not 
re-translation. 

In  the  application  however  of  this  principle  to  the  many  and 
intricate  details  of  our  work,  we  have  found  ourselves  constrained 


3o8  The  Book  of  Books 

by   faithfulness   to  introduce   changes  which   might  not   at   first 
sight  appear  to  be  included  under  the  rule. 

The  alterations  which  we  have  made  in  the  Authorised 
Version  may  be  roughly  grouped  in  five  principal  classes.  Fil"st, 
alterations  positively  required  by  change  of  reading  in  the  Greek 
Text.  Secondly,  alterations  made  where  the  Authorised  Version 
appeared  either  to  be  incorrect,  or  to  have  chosen  the  less  probable 
of  two  possible  renderings.  Thirdly,  alterations  of  obscure  or 
ambiguous  renderings  into  such  as  are  clear  and  express  in  their 
import.  For  it  has  been  our  principle  not  to  leave  any  transla- 
tion, or  any  arrangement  of  words,  which  could  adapt  itself  to 
one  or  other  of  two  interpretations,  but  rather  to  express  as  plainly 
as  was  possible  that  interpretation  which  seemed  best  to  deserve 
a  place  in  the  text,  and  to  put  the  other  in  the  margin. 

There  remain  yet  two  other  classes  of  alterations  which  we 
have  felt  to  be  required  by  the  same  principle  of  faithfulness. 
These  are, — Fourthly,  alterations  of  the  Authorised  Version  in 
cases  where  it  was  inconsistent  with  itself  in  the  rendering  of  two 
or  more  passages  confessedly  alike  or  parallel.  Fifthly,  altera- 
tions rendered  necessary  hy  consequence,  that  is,  arising  out  of 
changes  already  made,  though  not  in  themselves  required  by  the 
general  rule  of  faithfulness.  Both  these  classes  of  alterations  call 
for  some  further  explanation. 

The  frequent  inconsistencies  in  the  Authorised  Version  have 
caused  us  much  embarrassment  from  the  fact  already  referred  to, 
namely,  that  a  studied  variety  of  rendering,  even  in  the  same  chap- 
ter and  context,  was  a  kind  of  principle  with  our  predecessors, 
and  was  defended  by  them  on  grounds  that  have  been  mentioned 
above.  The  problem  we  had  to  solve  was  to  discriminate  between 
vaiieties  of  rendering  which  were  compatible  with  fidelity  to  the 
true  meaning  of  the  text,  and  varieties  which  involved  inconsist- 
ency, and  were  suggestive  of  differences  that  had  no  existence  in 
the  Greek.  This  problem  we  have  solved  to  the  best  of  our  power, 
and  for  the  most  part  in  the  following  way. 

Where  there  was  a  doubt  as  to  the  exact  shade  of  meaning, 
we  have  looked  to  the  context  for  guidance.  If  the  meaning  was 
fairly  expressed  by  the  word  or  phrase  that  was  before  us  in  the 
Authorised  Version,  we  made  no  change,  even  where  rigid  adher- 
ence to  the  rule  of  translating,  as  far  as  possible,  the  same  Greek 
word  by  the  same  English  word  might  have  prescribed  some 
modification. 

There  are  however  numerous  passages  in  the  Authorised  Ver- 
sion in  which,  whether  regard  be  had  to  the  recurrence  (as  in  the 
first. three  Gospels)  of  identical  clauses  and  sentences,  to  the  repe- 
tition of  the  same  word  in  the  same  passage,  or  to  the  character- 
istic use  of  particular  words  by  the  same  writer,  the  studied  variety 
adopted  by  the  Translators  of  1611  has  produced  a  degree  of 
inconsistency   that   cannot   be   reconciled   with    the   principle   of 


The  Revised  Versions  309 

faithfulness.  In  such  cases  we  have  not  hesitated  to  introduce 
alterations,  even  though  the  sense  might  not  seem  to  the  general 
reader  to  be  materially  affected. 

The  last  class  of  alterations  is  that  which  we  have  described 
as  rendered  necessary  by  consequence;  that  is,  by  reason  of  some 
foregoing  alteration.  The  cases  in  which  these  consequential 
changes  have  been  found  necessary  are  numerous  and  of  very 
different  kinds.  Sometimes  the  change  has  been  made  to  avoid 
tautology;  sometimes  to  obviate  an  unpleasing  alliteration  or 
some  other  infelicity  of  sound;  sometimes,  in  the  case  of  smaller 
words,  to  preserve  the  familiar  rhythm;  sometimes  for  a  converg- 
ence of  reasons  which,  when  explained,  would  at  once  be  accepted, 
but  until  so  explained  might  never  be  surmised  even  by  intelligent 
readers. 

This  may  be  made  plain  by  an  example.  When  a  particular 
word  is  found  to  recur  with  characteristic  frequency  in  any  one 
of  the  Sacred  Writers,  it  is  obviously  desirable  to  adopt  for  it 
some  uniform  rendering.  Again,  where,  as  in  the  case  of  the  first 
three  Evangelists,  precisely  the  same  clauses  or  sentences  are 
found  in  more  than  one  of  the  Gospels,  it  is  no  less  necessary  to 
translate  them  in  every  place  in  the  same  way.  These  two  prin- 
ciples may  be  illustrated  by  reference  to  a  word  that  perpetually 
recurs  in  St.  Mark's  Gospel,  and  that  may  be  translated  either 
'straightway,'  'forthwith,'  or  'immediately.'  Let  it  be  supposed 
that  the  first  rendering  is  chosen,  and  that  the  word,  in  accordance 
with  the  first  of  the  above  principles,  is  in  that  Gospel  uniformly 
translated  'straightway.'  Let  it  be  further  supposed  that  one  of 
the  passages  of  St.  Mark  in  which  it  is  so  translated  is  found, 
word  for  word,  in  one  of  the  other  Gospels,  but  that  there  the 
rendering  of  the  Authorised  Version  happens  to  be  'forthwith  '  or 
'immediately.'  That  rendering  must  be  changed  on  the  second 
of  the  above  principles;  and  yet  such  a  change  would  not  have 
been  made  but  for  this  concurrence  of  two  sound  principles,  and 
the  consequent  necessity  of  making  a  change  on  grounds  extrane- 
ous to  the  passage  itself. 

This  is  but  one  of  many  instances  of  consequential  alterations 
which  might  at  first  sight  appear  unnecessar}^,  but  which  never- 
theless have  been  deliberately  made,  and  are  not  at  variance  with 
the  rule  of  introducing  as  few  changes  in  the  Authorised  Version 
as  faithfulness  would  allow. 

There  are  some  other  points  of  detail  which  it  may  be  here 
convenient  to  notice.  One  of  these,  and  perhaps  the  most  impor- 
tant, is  the  rendering  of  the  Greek  aorist.  There  are  numerous 
cases,  especially  in  connexion  with  particles  ordinarily  expressive 
of  present  time,  in  which  the  use  of  the  indefinite  past  tense  in 
Greek  and  English  is  altogether  different;  and  in  such  instances 
we  have  not  attempted  to  violate  the  idiom  of  our  language  by 
forms  of  expression  which  it  could  not  bear.  But  we  have  often 
ventured  to  represent  the  Greek  aorist  by  the  English  preterite, 


3IO  The  Book  of  Books 

even  where  the  reader  may  find  some  passing  diflaculty  in  such  a 
rendering,  because  we  have  felt  convinced  that  the  true  meaning 
of  the  original  was  obscured  by  the  presence  of  the  familiar  auxil- 
iary. A  remarkable  illustration  may  be  found  in  the  seventeenth 
chapter  of  St.  John's  Gospel,  where  the  combination  of  the  aorist 
and  the  perfect  shews,  beyond  all  reasonable  doubt,  that  different 
relations  of  time  were  intended  to  be  expressed. 

Changes  of  translation  will  also  be  found  in  connexion  with  the 
aorist  participle,  arising  from  the  fact  that  the  usual  periphrasis 
of  this  participle  in  the  Vulgate,  which  was  rendered  necessary 
by  Latin  idiom,  has  been  largely  reproduced  in  the  Authorised 
Version  by  '  when  '  with  the  past  tense  (as  for  example  in  the 
second  chapter  of  St.  Matthew's  Gospel),  even  where  the  ordinary 
participial  rendering  would  have  been  easier  and  more  natural 
in  English. 

In  reference  to  the  perfect  and  the  imperfect  tenses  but  little 
needs  to  be  said.  The  correct  translation  of  the  former  has  been 
for  the  most  part,  though  with  some  striking  exceptions,  main- 
tained in  the  Authorised  Version:  while  with  regard  to  the  imper- 
fect, clear  as  its  meaning  may  be  in  the  Greek,  the  power  of  expres- 
sing it  is  so  limited  in  English,  that  we  have  been  frequently  com- 
pelled to  leave  the  force  of  the  tense  to  be  inferred  from  the  context. 
In  a  few  instances,  where  faithfulness  imperatively  required  it, 
and  especially  where,  in  the  Greek,  the  significance  of  the  imperfect 
tense  seemed  to  be  additionally  marked  by  the  use  of  the  participle 
with  the  auxiliary  verb,  we  have  introduced  the  corresponding 
form  in  English.  Still,  in  the  great  majority  of  cases  we  have 
been  obliged  to  retain  the  English  preterite,  and  to  rely  either  on 
slight  changes  in  the  order  of  the  words,  or  on  prominence  given 
to  the  accompanying  temporal  particles,  for  the  indication  of  the 
meaning  which,  in  the  Greek,  the  imperfect  tense  was  designed 
to  convey. 

On  other  points  of  grammar  it  may  be  suflflcient  to  speak 
more  briefly. 

Many  changes,  as  might  be  anticipated,  have  been  made  in 
the  case  of  the  definite  article.  Here  again  it  was  necessary  to 
consider  the  peculiarities  of  English  idiom,  as  well  as  the  general 
tenor  of  each  passage.  Sometimes  we  have  felt  it  enough  to  prefix 
the  article  to  the  first  of  a  series  of  words  to  all  of  which  it  is  pre- 
fixed in  the  Greek,  and  thus,  as  it  were,  to  impart  the  idea  of  defin- 
iteness  to  the  whole  series,  without  running  the  risk  of  overloading 
the  sentence.  Sometimes,  conversely,  we  have  had  to  tolerate  the 
presence  of  the  definite  article  in  our  Version,  when  it  is  absent 
from  the  Greek,  and  perhaps  not  even  grammatically  latent; 
simply  because  English  idiom  would  not  allow  the  noun  to  stand 
alone,  and  because  the  introduction  of  the  indefinite  article  might 
have  introduced  an  idea  of  oneness  or  individuality,  which  was 
not  in  any  degree  traceable  in  the  original.     In  a  word,  we  have 


The  Revised  Versions  311 

been  careful  to  observe  the  use  of  the  article  wherever  it  seemed 
to  be  idiomatically  possible:  where  it  did  not  seem  to  be  possible, 
we  have  yielded  to  necessity. 

As  to  the  pronouns  and  the  place  they  occupy  in  the  sentence, 
a  subject  often  overlooked  by  our  predecessors,  we  have  been  par- 
ticularly careful;  but  here  again  we  have  frequently  been  baffled 
by  structural  or  idiomatical  peculiarities  of  the  English  language 
which  precluded  changes  otherwise  desirable. 

In  the  case  of  the  particles  we  have  met  with  less  difficulty, 
and  have  been  able  to  maintain  a  reasonable  amount  of  consist- 
ency. The  particles  in  the  Greek  Testament  are,  as  is  well  known, 
comparatively  few,  and  they  are  commonly  used  with  precision. 
It  has  therefore  been  the  more  necessary  here  to  preserve  a  gen- 
eral uniformity  of  rendering,  especially  in  the  case  of  the  particles 
of  causality  and  inference,  so  far  as  English  idiom  would  allow. 

Lastly,  many  changes  have  been  introduced  in  the  rendering 
of  the  prepositions,  especially  where  ideas  of  instrumentality  or 
of  mediate  agency,  distinctly  marked  in  the  original,  had  been 
confused  or  obscured  in  the  translation.  We  have  however  borne 
in  mind  the  comprehensive  character  of  such  prepositions  as  '  of ' 
and  '  by,'  the  one  in  reference  to  agency  and  the  other  in  refer- 
ence to  means,  especially  in  the  English  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury; and  have  rarely  made  any  change  where  the  true  meaning 
of  the  original  as  expressed  in  the  Authorised  Version  would  be 
apparent  to  a  reader  of  ordinary  intelligence. 

Ti.  We  now  come  to  the  subject  of  Language. 

The  second  of  the  rules,  by  which  the  work  has  been  governed, 
prescribed  that  the  alterations  to  be  introduced  should  be  ex- 
pressed, as  far  as  possible,  in  the  language  of  the  Authorised 
Version  or  of  the  Versions  that  preceded  it. 

To  this  rule  we  have  faithfully  adhered.  We  have  habitually 
consulted  the  earlier  Versions;  and  in  our  sparing  introduction  of 
words  not  found  in  them  or  in  the  Authorised  Version  we  have 
usually  satisfied  ourselves  that  such  words  were  employed  by 
standard  writers  of  nearly  the  same  date,  and  had  also  that  general 
hue  which  justified  their  introduction  into  a  Version  which  has 
held  the  highest  place  in  the  classical  literature  of  our  language. 
We  have  never  removed  any  archaisms,  whether  in  structure  or  in 
words,  except  where  we  were  persuaded  either  that  the  meaning 
of  the  words  was  not  generally  understood,  or  that  the  nature  of 
the  expression  led  to  some  misconception  of  the  true  sense  of  the 
passage.  The  frequent  inversions  of  the  strict  order  of  the  words, 
which  add  much  to  the  strength  and  variety  of  the  Authorised 
Version,  and  give  an  archaic  colour  to  many  felicities  of  diction, 
have  been  seldom  modified.  Indeed,  we  have  often  adopted  the 
same  arrangement  in  our  own  alterations;  and  in  this,  as  in  other 
particulars,  we  have  sought  to  assimilate  the  new  work  to  the  old. 

In  a  few  exceptional  cases  we  have  failed  to  find  any  word  in 
the  older  stratum  of  our  language  that  appeared  to  convey  the 


312  The  Book  of  Books 

precise  meaning  of  the  original.  There,  and  there  only,  we  have 
used  words  of  a  later  date;  but  not  without  having  first  assured 
ourselves  that  they  are  to  be  found  in  the  writings  of  the  best 
authors  of  the  period  to  which  they  belong. 

In  regard  of  Proper  Names  no  rule  was  prescribed  to  us.  In 
the  case  of  names  of  frequent  occurrence  we  have  deemed  it  best 
to  follow  generally  the  rule  laid  down  for  our  predecessors.  That 
rule,  it  may  be  remembered,  was  to  this  effect,  '  The  names  of  the 
prophets  and  the  holy  writers,  with  the  other  names  of  the  text, 
to  be  retained,  as  nigh  as  may  be,  accordingly  as  they  were  vulgarlj^' 
used.'  Some  difficulty  has  been  felt  in  dealing  with  names  less 
familiarly  known.  Here  our  general  practice  has  been  to  follow 
the  Greek  form  of  names,  except  in  the  case  of  persons  and  places 
mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament:  in  this  case  we  have  followed 
the  Hebrew. 

4.  The  subject  of  the  Marginal  Notes  deserves  special  atten- 
tion. They  represent  the  results  of  a  large  amount  of  careful  and 
elaborate  discussion,  and  will,  perhaps,  by  their  very  presence, 
indicate  to  some  extent  the  intricacy  of  many  of  the  questions 
that  have  almost  daily  come  before  us  for  decision.  These  Notes 
fall  into  four  main  groups:  first,  notes  specifying  such  differences 
of  reading  as  were  judged  to  be  of  sufficient  importance  to  require 
a  particular  notice;  secondly,  notes  indicating  the  exact  rendering 
of  words  to  which,  for  the  sake  of  English  idiom,  we  were  obliged 
to  give  a  less  exact  rendering  in  the  text;  thirdly,  notes,  very  few 
in  number,  affording  some  explanation  which  the  original  appeared 
to  require;  fourthly,  alternative  renderings  in  difficult  or  debate- 
able  passages.  The  notes  of  this  last  group  are  numerous,  and 
largely  in  excess  of  those  which  were  admitted  b}^  our  predecessors. 
In  the  270  years  that  have  passed  away  since  their  labours  were 
concluded,  the  Sacred  Text  has  been  minutely  examined,  discussed 
in  every  detail,  and  analysed  with  a  grammatical  precision 
unknown  in  the  days  of  the  last  Revision.  There  has  thus  been 
accumulated  a  large  amount  of  materials  that  have  prepared  the 
way  for  different  renderings,  which  necessarily  came  under  discus- 
sion. We  have  therefore  placed  before  the  reader  in  the  margin 
other  renderings  than  those  which  were  adopted  in  the  text,  wher- 
ever such  renderings  seemed  to  deserve  consideration.  The  render- 
ing in  the  text,  where  it  agrees  with  the  Authorised  Version,  was 
supported  by  at  least  one  third,  and,  where  it  differs  from  the 
Authorised  Version,  by  at  least  two  thirds  of  those  who  were 
present  at  the  second  revision  of  the  passage  in  question. 

A  few  supplementary  matters  have  yet  to  be  mentioned. 
These  may  be  thus  enumerated, — the  use  of  Italics,  the  arrange- 
ment in  Paragraphs,  the  mode  of  printing  Quotations  from  the 
Poetical  Books  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  Punctuation,  and,  last 
of  all,  the  Titles  of  the  different  Books  that  make  up  the  New 
Testament, — all  of  them  particulars  on  which  it  seems  desirable 
to  add  a  few  explanatory  remarks. 


The  Revised  Versions  313 

(a)  The  determination,  in  each  place,  of  the  words  to  be 
printed  in  itahcs  has  not  been  by  any  means  easy;  nor  can  we 
hope  to  be  found  in  all  cases  perfectly  consistent.  In  the  earliest 
editions  of  the  Authorised  Version  the  use  of  a  different  type  to 
indicate  supplementary  words  not  contained  in  the  original  was 
not  very  frequent,  and  cannot  easily  be  reconciled  with  any  settled 
principle.  A  review  of  the  words  so  printed  was  made,  after  a 
lapse  of  some  years,  for  the  editions  of  the  Authorised  Version 
published  at  Cambridge  in  1629  and  1638.  Further,  though 
slight,  modifications  were  introduced  at  intervals  between  1638 
and  the  more  systematic  revisions  undertaken  respectively  by 
Dr.  Paris  in  the  Cambridge  Edition  of  1762,  and  by  Dr.  Blayney 
in  the  Oxford  Edition  of  1769.  None  of  them  however  rest  on 
any  higher  authority  than  that  of  the  persons  who  from  time  to 
time  superintended  the  publication.  The  last  attempt  to  bring 
the  use  of  italics  into  uniformity  and  consistency  was  made  by 
Dr.  Scrivener  in  the  Paragraph  Bible  published  at  Cambridge  in 
1870-73.  In  succeeding  to  these  labours,  we  have  acted  on  the 
general  principle  of  printing  in  italics  words  which  did  not  appear 
to  be  necessarily  involved  in  the  Greek.  Our  tendency  has  been 
to  diminish  rather  than  to  increase  the  amount  of  italic  printing; 
though,  in  the  case  of  difference  of  readings,  we  have  usually 
marked  the  absence  of  any  words  in  the  original  which  the  sense 
might  nevertheless  require  to  be  present  in  the  Version;  and 
again,  in  the  case  of  inserted  pronouns,  where  the  reference  did 
not  appear  to  be  perfectly  certain,  we  have  similarly  had  recourse 
to  italics.  Some  of  these  cases,  especially  when  there  are  slight 
differences  of  reading,  are  of  singular  intricacy,  and  make  it 
impossible  to  maintain  rigid  uniformity. 

{b)  We  have  arranged  the  Sacred  Text  in  paragraphs,  after 
the  precedent  of  the  earliest  English  Versions,  so  as  to  assist  the 
general  reader  in  following  the  current  of  narrative  or  argument. 
The  present  arrangement  will  be  found,  we  trust,  to  have  pre- 
served the  due  mean  between  a  system  of  long  portions  which 
must  often  include  several  separate  topics,  and  a  system  of  fre- 
quent breaks  which,  though  they  may  correctly  indicate  the  sepa- 
rate movements  of  thought  in  the  writer,  often  seriously  impede 
a  just  perception  of  the  true  continuity  of  the  passage.  The 
traditional  division  into  chapters,  which  the  Authorised  Version 
inherited  from  Latin  Bibles  of  the  later  middle  ages,  is  an  illus- 
tration of  the  former  method.  These  paragraphs,  for  such  in 
fact  they  are,  frequently  include  several  distinct  subjects.  More- 
over they  sometimes,  though  rarely,  end  where  there  is  no  sufficient 
break  in  the  sense.  The  division  of  chapters  into  verses,  which 
was  introduced  into  the  New  Testament  for  the  first  time  in  1551, 
is  an  exaggeration  of  the  latter  method,  with  its  accompanying 
inconveniences.  The  serious  obstacles  to  the  right  understanding 
of  Holy  Scripture,  which  are  interposed  by  minute  subdivision, 
are  often  overlooked;    but  if  any  one  will  consider  for  a  moment 


314 


The  Book  of  Books 


C.  A.  AIKEN 


T.  W.  CHAMBERS 


G.  E.  DAY 


T.  J.  CONANT 


FOUR  AMERICAN  REVISERS  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions  315 

the  injurious  effect  that  would  be  produced  by  breaking  up  a  por- 
tion of  some  great  standard  work  into  separate  verses,  he  will  at 
once  perceive  how  necessary  has  been  an  alteration  in  this  par- 
ticular. The  arrangement  by  chapters  and  verses  undoubtedly 
affords  facilities  for  reference:  but  this  advantage  we  have  been 
able  to  retain  by  placing  the  numerals  on  the  inside  margin  of 
each  page. 

(c)  A  few  words  will  suffice  as  to  the  mode  of  printing  quo- 
tations from  the  Poetical  Books  of  the  Old  Testament.  Wherever 
the  quotation  extends  to  two  or  more  lines,  our  practice  has  been 
to  recognise  the  parallelism  of  their  structure  by  arranging  the 
lines  in  a  manner  that  appears  to  agree  with  the  metrical  divisions 
of  the  Hebrew  original.  Such  an  arrangement  will  be  found 
helpful  to  the  reader;  not  only  as  directing  his  attention  to  the 
poetical  character  of  the  quotation,  but  as  also  tending  to  make  its 
force  and  pertinence  more  fully  felt.  We  have  treated  in  the  same 
way  the  hymns  in  the  first  two  chapters  of  the  Gospel  according 
to  St.  Luke. 

{d)  Great  care  has  been  bestowed  on  the  punctuation.  Our 
practice  has  been  to  maintain  what  is  sometimes  called  the  heavier 
system  of  stopping,  or,  in  other  words,  that  system  which,  especi- 
ally for  convenience  in  reading  aloud,  suggests  such  pauses  as  will 
best  ensure  a  clear  and  intelligent  setting  forth  of  the  true  meaning 
of  the  words.  This  course  has  rendered  necessary,  especially  in 
the  Epistles,  a  larger  use  of  colons  and  semicolons  than  is  custom- 
ar}^  in  modern  English  printing. 

(<?)  We  may  in  the  last  place  notice  one  particular  to  which 
we  were  not  expressly  directed  to  extend  our  revision,  namely,  the 
titles  of  the  Books  of  the  New  Testament.  These  titles  are  no 
part  of  the  original  text;  and  the  titles  found  in  the  most  ancient 
manuscripts  are  of  too  short  a  form  to  be  convenient  for  use. 
Under  these  circumstances,  we  have  deemed  it  best  to  leave 
unchanged  the  titles  which  are  given  in  the  Authorised  Version  as 
printed  in  1611. 

We  now  conclude,  humbly  commending  our  labours  to 
Almighty  God,  and  praying  that  his  favour  and  blessing  may  be 
vouchsafed  to  that  which  has  been  done  in  his  name.  We  recog- 
nised from  the  first  the  responsibility  of  the  undertaking;  and 
through  our  manifold  experience  of  its  abounding  difficulties  we 
have  felt  more  and  more,  as  we  went  onward,  that  such  a  work 
can  never  be  accomplished  by  organised  efforts  of  scholarship  and 
criticism,  unless  assisted  -by  Divine  help. 

We  know  full  well  that  defects  must  have  their  place  in  a 
work  so  long  and  so  arduous  as  this  which  has  now  come  to  an 
end.  Blemishes  and  imperfections  there  are  in  the  noble  Transla- 
tion which  we  have  been  called  upon  to  revise;  blemishes  and 
imperfections  will  assuredly  be  found  in  our  own  Revision.     All 


3i6 


The  Book  of  Books 


JOHN  DE  WITT 


W.  H.  GREEN 


G.  E.    HARE 


C.  P.  KRAUTH 


FOUR  AMERICAN  REV    ERS  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions  317 

endeavours  to  translate  the  Holy  Scriptures  into  another  tongue 
must  fall  short  of  their  aim,  when  the  obligation  is  imposed  of 
producing  a  Version  that  shall  be  alike  literal  and  idiomatic, 
faithful  to  each  thought  of  the  original,  and  yet,  in  the  expression 
of  it,  harmonious  and  free.  While  we  dare  to  hope  that  in  places 
not  a  few  of  the  New  Testament  the  introduction  of  slight  changes 
has  cast  a  new  light  upon  much  that  was  difficult  and  obscure,  we 
cannot  forget  how  often  we  have  failed  in  expressing  some  finer 
shade  of  meaning  which  we  recognised  in  the  original,  how  often 
idiom  has  stood  in  the  way  of  a  perfect  rendering,  and  how  often 
the  attempt  to  preserve  a  familiar  form  of  words,  or  even  a  familiar 
cadence,  has  only  added  another  perplexity  to  those  which  already 
beset  us. 

Thus,  in  the  review  of  the  work  which  we  have  been  permitted 
to  complete,  our  closing  words  must  be  words  of  mingled  thanks- 
giving, humility,  and  prayer.  Of  thanksgiving,  for  the  many 
blessings  vouchsafed  to  us  throughout  the  unbroken  progress  of 
our  corporate  labours;  of  humility,  for  our  failings  and  imperfec- 
tions in  the  fulfilment  of  our  task;  and  of  prayer  to  Almighty  God, 
that  the  Gospel  or  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  may  be 
more  clearly  and  more  freshly  shewn  forth  to  all  who  shall  be 
readers  of  this  Book. 

Soon  after  the  commencement  of  the  work  of  revision 
in  England  steps  were  taken  to  secure  the  co-operation  of 
American  scholars.  Dr.  Angus  was  in  New  York  in  August, 
1870,  and  had  an  interview  with  Dr.  Philip  Schaff,  one  of 
the  foremost  scholars  of  the  day.  As  a  result,  about  thirty 
of  the  best  scholars  were  invited  to  become  members  of  the 
American  Old  Testament  and  New  Testament  Companies. 
Dr.  SchafFwas  chosen  president  of  the  whole,  and  Dr.  Day, 
of  Yale,  secretary.  The  Old  Testament  Company  had  for 
its  Chairman  Dr.  Green,  of  Princeton,  and  for  its  secretary, 
Dr.  Day.  The  New  Testament  Company  had  for  its 
chairman  Dr.  Woolsey,  of  Yale,  and  for  its  secretary.  Dr. 
Thayer,  of  Andover.  The  list  of  members  is  here  given  with 
as  complete  details  as  could  be  obtained  in  regard  to  each. 
They  are  arranged  alphabetically  for  easy  reference. 

Old  Testament 

Aiken,  Charles  Augustus,  D.D.  (Presbyterian),  born  Oct.  30, 
1827,  at  Manchester,  Vt.;  died  Jan.  14,  1892,  at  Princeton, 
N.  J.  Professor  of  Apologetics  and  Christian  Ethics  at 
Princeton. 


3ii 


The  Book  of  Books 


C.  E.  STOWE 


TAYLER  LEWIS 


JOSEPH   PACKARD 


C.  M.  MEAD 


FOUR  AMERICAN  REVISERS  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions 


319 


Chambers,  Talbot  Wilson,  D.D.  (Dutch  Reformed),  born  Feb. 
25,  1819,  at  Carlisle,  Pa.;  died  Feb.  3,  1896.  Lecturer  in 
Theological  Seminary,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J. 

CoNANT,  Thomas  Jefferson,  D.D.  (Baptist),  born  Dec.  13,  1802, 
at  Brandon,  Vt.;  died  Apr.  30,  1891.  Of  the  American  Bible 
Union;   formerly  Professor  of  Hebrew^at  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Day,  George  Edward,  D.D.  (Congregationalist),  born  Mar.  19, 
1815,  at  Pittsfield,  Mass.;  died  July  2,  1905,  at  New  Haven, 
Conn.  Professor  of  Hebrew  at  Yale  University,  New  Haven, 
Conn. 


C.  V.  A.  VAN  DYCK 

DeWitt,  John,  D.D.  (Reformed),  born  Nov.  29,  1821,  at  New 
Brunswick,  N.  J.;  died  Oct.  19,  1906.  Professor  of  Oriental 
Languages  at  Theological  Seminary,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J. 

Green,  William  Henry,  D.D.  (Presbyterian),  born  Jan.  27,  1825, 
at  Groverville,  N.  J.;  died  Feb.  10,  1900.  Professor  of  Hebrew 
at  the  Theological  Seminary,  Princeton,  N.  J. 

Hare,  George  Emlen,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Episcopahan),  born  Sept.  4, 
1808,  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.;  died  Feb.  15,  1892,  at  Philadelphia. 
Professor  of  Hebrew  in  the  Divinity  School,  Philadelphia. 

Krauth,  Charles  Porterfield,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Lutheran),  born 
Mar.  17,  1823,  at  Martinsburg,  Va.;  died  Jan,  2,  1883,  at 
Philadelphia,  Pa.  Professor  in  Evangelical  Lutheran  Semin- 
ary, Philadelphia,  and  Vice-provost  of  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania. 


320 


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EZRA  ABBOT 


THOMAS  CHASE 


HOWARD  CROSBY 


TIMOTHY  DWIGHT 


FOUR  AMERICAN  REVISERS  OF  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions  321 

Lewis,  Tayler,  LL.D.  (Reformed),  born  Mar.  27,  1802,  at  North- 
umberland, N.  Y.;  died  May  11,  1877,  at  Schenectady,  N.  Y. 
Professor  of  Greek  and  Hebrew  at  Union  College,  Schenectady. 

Mead,  Charles  Marsh,  D.D.  (Congregationalist),  born  Jan.  28, 
1836,  at  Cornwall,  Vt.;  died  Feb.  15,  1911.  Professor  of 
Hebrew  at  Andover  College,  Mass.  He  carried  the  Revision 
through  the  press  with  marvelous  accuracy. 

Osgood,  Howard,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Baptist),  born  Jan.  4,  183 1,  at 
Plaquemines,  La.;  died  Nov.  29.  1911.  Professor  of  Hebrew 
in  the  Baptist  Theological  Seminary,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Packard,  Joseph,  D.D.  (Episcopalian),  born  Dec.  23,  1812,  at 
Wiscasset,  Maine;  died  May  3,  1902,  at  Alexandria,  Va. 
Professor  of  Hebrew  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Seminary, 
Alexandria,  Va. 

Stowe,  Calvin  Ellis,  D.D.  (Congregationalist),  born  Apr.  26, 
1802,  at  Natick,  Mass.;  died  Aug.  6,  1886,  at  Hartford,  Conn. 
Professor  of  Hebrew  at  Andover  College,  Mass.;  husband  of 
Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe,  author  of  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin. 
[Resigned  1876.] 

Strong,  James,  S.T.D.,  LL.D.  (Methodist),  born  Aug.  14,  1822, 
at  New  York;  died  Aug.  7,  1894.  Professor  of  Hebrew  and 
Exegetical  Theology  at  Drew  Theological  Seminary,  Madison, 
N.J. 

Van  Dyck,  Cornelius  Van  Alen,  D.D.,  M.D.  (Missionary),  born 
Aug.  18,  1818,  at  Kinderhook,  N.  Y.;  died  Aug.  13,  1895,  at 
Beirut.  Professor  in  the  American  College  at  Beirut,  Syria. 
Translated  part  of  the  Bible  into  Arabic  for  the  American 
Bible  Society. 

New  Testament 

Abbott,  Ezra,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Unitarian),  born  Apr.  28,  1819,  at 
Jackson,  Maine;  died  Mar.  21,  1884,  at  Cambridge,  Mass. 
Professor  of  New  Testament  Criticism,  Harvard  University, 
Cambridge,  Mass. 

Burr,  Jonathan  Kelsey,  D.D.  (Methodist),  born  Sept.  21,  1825, 
at  Middletown,  Conn.;  died  Apr.  24,  1882,  at  Trenton,  N.  J. 
Professor  of  Hebrew  and  Exegetical  Theology  in  Drew  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  Madison,  N.  J. 

Chase,  Thomas,  LL.D.  (Quaker),  born  June  16,  1823,  at  Wor- 
cester, Mass.;  died  Oct.  5,  1892,  at  Providence,  R.  L  Presi- 
dent of  Haverford  College,  near  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Crooks,  George  R.,  D.D.  (Methodist),  born  Feb.  3,  1882;  died 
Feb.  20,  1887.  Professor  in  Drew  Theological  Seminary, 
Madison,  N.  J.     [Resigned.] 

Crosby,  Howard,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Presbyterian),  born  Feb.  26, 
1826,  at  New  York;  died  Mar.  21,  1891.  Chancellor  of  the 
University  of  New  York. 


322 


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H.  B.  HACKETT 


A.  C.  KENDRICK 


CHARLES  HODGE 


JAMES  HADLEY 


FOUR  AMERICAN  REVISERS  OF  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions  323 

DwiGHT,  Timothy,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Congregationalist),  born  Nov- 

16,  1828,  at  Norwich,  Conn.;  died  May  26,  1916.  Professor 
of  Sacred  Literature  at  Yale  University;  later  President  of 
Yale. 

Hackett,  Horatio  Balch,  D.D.,  LL.D,  (Baptist),  born  Dec.  27, 

1808,  at  Salisbury,  Mass.;  died  Nov.  2,  1875,  at  Rochester. 
Professor  of  New  Testament  Exegesis  at  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Hadley,  James,  LL.D.  (Congregationalist),  born  Mar.  30,  1821; 

died  Nov.  14,  1872.     Professor  of  Greek  at  Yale  University. 
Hodge,  Charles,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Presbyterian),  born  Dec.  18,  1797, 

at    Philadelphia,    Pa.;     died    June    19,    1878,    at    Princeton. 

Professor  of  Theology  at  Princeton,  N.  J. 
Kendrick,  Asahel  Clark,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Baptist),  born  Dec.  7, 

1809,  at  Poultney,  Vt.;  died  Oct.  22,  1895.  Professor  of 
Greek  at  Rochester  University,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Lee,  Alfred,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Episcopahan),  born  Sept.  9,  1807,  at 
Cambridge,  Mass.;   died  Apr.  12,  1887.     Bishop  of  Delaware. 

Riddle,  Matthew  Brown,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Reformed),  born  Oct. 

17,  1836,  at  Pittsburgh,  Pa.;  died  Aug.  30,  1916,  at  Pitts- 
burgh. Professor  of  New  Testament  Literature  and  Exegesis 
at  Hartford  Theological  Seminary,  Conn.,  and  later  at  the 
Western  Theological  Seminary,  Pittsburgh. 

Schaff,  Philip,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Presbyterian),  born  Jan.  i,  1819,  at 
Coire,  Switzerland;  died  Oct.  20,  1893,  at  New  York.  Pro- 
fessor of  Sacred  Literature  in  Union  Theological  Seminary, 
New  York. 

Short,  Charles,  LL.D.  (Episcopalian),  born  May  28,  1821,  at 
Haverhill,  Mass.;  died  Dec.  24,  1886,  at  New  York.  Pro- 
fessor of  Latin  in  Columbia  College,  New  York. 

Smith,  Henry  Boynton,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Presbyterian),  born  Nov. 
21,  1815;  died  Feb.  7,  1877.  Professor  of  Theology  in  Union 
Theological  Seminary,  New  York.  [Resigned  on  account  of 
ill  health.] 

Thayer,  J.  Henry,  D.D.  (Congregationalist),  born  Nov.  7,  1828, 
at  Boston,  Mass.;  died  Nov.  26,  1901,  at  Cambridge,  Mass; 
Professor  of  Sacred  Literature  at  Andover  College,  Mass. 
later  at  Harvard  University,  Cambridge,  Mass. 

Warren,  William  Fairfield,  D.D.  (Methodist),  born  Mar.  13, 
1833,  at  Williamsburg,  Mass.;  only  surviving  member  of  the 
whole  committee,  1922.  President  of  Boston  University, 
Mass.  [Accepted  appointment,  but  resigned  at  beginning  of 
revision,  as  duties  at  university  prevented  attendance  at  meet- 
ings of  committee.] 


324 


The  Book  of  Books 


ALFRED  LEE 
Bishop  of  Delaware 


H.  B.  SMITH 


T.  D.  WOOLSEY 


W.  F.  WARREN 


FOUR  AMERICAN  REVISERS  OF  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions  325 

Washburn,  Edward  Abiel,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Episcopalian),  born 
Apr.  16,  1819,  at  Boston,  Mass.;  died  Feb.  2,  1881,  at  New 
York.     Rector  of  Calvary  Episcopal  Church,  New  York. 

WooLSEY,  Theodore  Dwight,  D.D.,  LL.D.  (Congregationahst), 
born  Oct.  31,  1801,  at  New  York;  died  July  i,  1889,  at  New 
Haven,  Conn.     Ex-president  of  Yale  University. 

The  American  Companies  organized  on  December  7, 
1 87 1,  and  began  active  w^ork  on  October  4,  1872.  The 
meetings  were  held  at  Rooms  40  and  42  Bible  House,  New 
York,  the  last  Friday  and  Saturday  of  each  month  from 
September  to  May,  with  a  summer  meeting  at  Andover  or 
New  Haven.  Copies  of  the  portions  as  revised  by  the 
English  Companies  were  sent  confidentially  to  the  American 
Revisers,  who  either  approved  the  alteration  or  suggested 
something  else.  The  Revisers  did  not  receive  any  remun- 
eration for  their  work,  but  the  expenses  incident  to  traveling 
and  holding  the  meetings  were  met  by  voluntary  contribu- 
tions, the  contributors  receiving  in  return  handsomely  bound 
presentation  copies  of  the  English  Revised  Version,  which 
were  sent  by  the  University  Presses. 

Many  of  the  suggestions  of  the  American  Revisers  were 
not  accepted  by  the  English  Companies,  but,  to  obviate  the 
publication  of  two  distinct  versions  at  once,  an  arrangement 
was  made  whereby  the  American  Revisers  agreed  not  to 
issue  a  version  for  at  least  fourteen  years  if  the  English 
Companies  would  publish  at  the  end  of  their  version  a  list 
of  the  unaccepted  American  suggestions.  From  the  date 
of  the  Revised  Old  Testament,  1885,  this  reached  to  1899, 
and  in  the  meantime  the  surviving  members  of  the  American 
Companies  continued  their  work  and  made  still  further 
revision.  Only  three  of  the  New  Testament  Company  were 
left,  Drs.  Dwight,  Riddle,  and  Thayer.  Of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment Company  there  were  Drs.  Day,  De  Witt,  Mead,  and 
Osgood.  The  others  had  died  or  were  too  feeble  to  continue 
the^work.  As  regards  the  Old  Testament,  the  bulk  of  the 
work  fell  to  Dr.  Mead;  in  fact,  he  had  to  finish  it  entirely 
alone.  He  was  the  youngest  member  of  the  committee,  and 
he  did  the  necessary  editing  and  saw  the  work  through  the 
press.  The  American  Standard  Version  was  published  in 
1901  under  an  arrangement  whereby  Thomas  Nelson  and  Sons 


326 


M.  B.  RIDDLE 


PHILIP  SCHAFF  J-  H.  THAYER 

THREE  AMERICAN  REVISERS  OF  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 


The  Revised  Versions  327 

were  given  the  copyright  and  paid  the  incidental  expenses 
of  the  work.  The  interesting  preface  to  the  New  Testament 
is  here  reproduced  by  permission  of  the  pubhshers. 

This  edition  of  the  Revised  New  Testament  of  188 1  embodies 
a  purpose  entertained  by  many  members  of  the  American  Revision 
Committee  almost  from  the  publication  of  the  work.  The  list  of 
passages  in  which  the  New  Testament  Company  dissented  from 
the  decisions  of  their  English  associates,  when  it  was  transmitted 
to  them,  bore  the  heading,  "  The  American  New  Testament 
Revision  Company,  having  in  many  cases  yielded  their  preference 
for  certain  readings  and  renderings,  present  the  following  instances 
in  which  they  differ  from  the  English  Company,  as  in  their  view 
of  sufficient  importance  to  be  appended  to  the  revision,  in  accord- 
ance with  an  understanding  between  the  Companies." 

The  knowledge  of  the  existence  of  these  suppressed  deviations 
naturally  stirred  a  desire  that  they  should  be  made  accessible  to 
at  least  the  American  public.  This  desire,  especially  on  the  part 
of  those  whose  generous  interest  in  the  work  from  its  inception 
had  enabled  the  American  revisers  to  meet  the  pecuniary  outlay 
its  preparation  involved,  they  were  not  unwilling  to  gratify.  The 
obligation  they  felt,  however,  to  guard  as  far  as  they  might  the 
purity  and  integrity  of  the  version,  led  them  to  pledge  their  sup- 
port for  fourteen  years  to  the  editions  issued  by  the  University 
Presses  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge.  But  the  reiterated  suggestion 
to  those  Presses  to  publish  an  edition  especially  for  American 
readers  not  having  met  with  favor,  they  acceded  to  the  overtures 
of  the  Messrs.  Nelson  and  engaged  in  preparing  gratuitously  the 
desired  edition,  to  be  issued  when  the  expiration  of  the  period 
specified  should  open  the  way  for  its  honorable  publication.  The 
publishers,  on  their  part,  agreed  to  protect  the  version  in  its 
integrity,  and  to  sell  the  book  at  a  price  not  exceeding  a  fair  profit 
on  its  cost. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  edition  no  attempt  has  been  made 
to  preserve  a  full  record  of  the  other  readings  and  renderings  than 
those  that  appeared  in  the  work  as  published  in  1881  which  were 
preferred  by  the  American  revisers.  The  Appendix  of  that  edi- 
tion, however,  was  not  only  hastily  compiled  under  pressure  from 
the  University  Presses,  but  its  necessarily  limited  compass  com- 
pelled, as  the  original  heading  intimated,  the  exclusion  of  many 
suggestions  that  the  American  Company  held  to  be  of  interest 
and  importance.  These,  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  a  con- 
siderable number,  have  been  incorporated  in  the  present  edition. 
The  opportunity  has  been  taken  also  to  introduce  not  a  few  altera- 
tions, individually  of  slight  importance,  yet  as  a  body  contributing 
decidedly  to  the  perfection  of^the  work.  But  the  survivors  of 
the  New  Testament  Company  have  not  felt  at  liberty  to  make 


328  The  Book  of  Books 

new  changes  of  moment  which  were  not  favorably  passed  upon 
by  their  associates  at  one  stage  or  another  of  the  original  prepara- 
tion of  the  work. 

Respecting  details,  but  little  need  be  added  to  the  ample 
statements  made  in  the  Preface  prefixed  to  the  work  on  its  first 
appearance. 

THE 

NEW  TESTAMENT 


OUR  LOED  AND  SAVIOUR 

JESUS   CHKIST 

TRANSLATED  OUT  OF  THE  GREEK: 

BEING  THE  VERSION  SET  FORTH  A.D.  1011 

COMPARED  WITH  THE  MOST  ANCIENT  AUTHORITIES  AND  REVISED 

A.D.  1881. 


PRINTED   FOR   THE   UNIVERSITIES   OF 
OXFORD  AND  CAMBRIDGE 


OXFORD 

AT  THE   UNIVERSITY   PRESS 
1881 

ENGLISH  REVISED  TITLE-PAGE,  1881 

In  the  delicate  matter  of  rendering  the  names  of  the  several 
coins  that  occur  in  the  New  Testament,  we  have  departed  some- 
what from  our  English  brethren.  For  the  Greek  Xe-n-rov  the  term 
"  mite  "  has  been  retained,  and  for  KoS/aavr?;?  the  rendering  "  farth- 
ing "  (see  Mk.  xii.  42).  But  daadpiov  has  been  translated  "  penny  " 
(Mt.  X.  29;  Lk.  xii.  6);  while  in  thirteen  out  of  sixteen  instances 
where  in  the  edition  of  1881  the  Greek  Srjvapiov  was  represented 
by  this  English  word,  the  term  "  shilling  "  has  been  substituted, 


The  Revised  Versions  329 

not  only  as  corresponding  more  nearly  to  the  coin's  relative  value, 
but  also  because  "  penny,"  according  to  its  modern  use,  is  in  some 
cases  highly  inappropriate  (see  Mt.  xx.  2;   Lk.  x.  35;   Rev.  vi.  6). 

THE  NEW  COVENANT 

COMMONLY    CALLED 

THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 

OF 

OUR    LORD    AND    SAVIOUR 

JESUS   CHRIST 

TRANSLATED    OUT    OF   THE    GREEK 

BEING  THE  VERSION    SET  FORTH  A.D.   1611 

COMPARED  WITH  THE  MOST  ANCIENT  AUTHORITIES  AND  REVISE  i 

A.D.  1881 

Netolg  "Etiittt  bo  tlje  "Nzin  Cegtammt  members  of  % 

American  ^Slebision  C0mmittcf 

A.D.  1900 

STANDARD  EDITION 


NEW  YORK 

THOMAS  NELSON  &   SONS 

381-386    rOURTH  AVENUE 


Ifinion  24mo 


AMERICAN  REVISED  TITLE-PAGE,  1901 

In  the  three  remaining  instances  (Mt.  xxii.  19;  Mk.  xii.  15;  Lk. 
XX.  24),  the  Greek  name  of  the  coin  has  been  introduced,  in  order 
to  rneet  the  obvious  requirement  of  the  context.  Where  the 
English  value  of  coins  is  given  in  the  margin,  we  have  added  the 


330  The  Book  of  Books 

equivalents  in  our  national  currency;  but  in  the  case  of  the  talent 
(Mt.  xviii.  24)  what  is  believed  to  be  a  more  accurate  valuation 
has  been  given. 

In  formal  particulars,  this  new  edition  will  show  but  slight 
and  infrequent  deviations  from  its  predecessor.  The  division  of 
the  text  into  paragraphs  in  that  edition  has  not  been  often  departed 
from;  and  then  chiefly  in  cases  where  the  same  matter  is  found  in 
more  than  one  of  the  Gospels,  and  hence  uniformity  of  division 
seemed  desirable.  Further,  in  the  Epistles  and  the  Revelation 
the  more  decided  transitions  to  a  new  topic  have  been  indicated 
by  leaving  a  line  blank.  The  somewhat  ponderous  and  peculiar 
system  of  punctuation  of  the  original  edition  has  been  in  the 
main  adhered  to;  although,  pursuant  to  the  principle  there  fol- 
lowed, a  comma  has  here  and  there  been  dropped  which  seemed 
likely  to  obstruct  the  reader,  and  the  gradations  of  thought  have 
been  occasionally  indicated  more  distinctly  by  substituting  a  semi- 
colon for  the  overworked  colon.  The  titles  of  the  books,  which  in 
the  former  edition  were  given  as  printed  in  161 1,  have  been  some- 
what abbreviated,  at  the  dictate  of  convenience,  and  agreeably 
to  usage,  ancient  as  well  as  modern.  They  have  been  altered  only 
in  the  few  instances  where  the  former  heading  was  erroneous  (as 
in  the  case  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews),  or  apt  to  mislead  (as 
in  the  case  of  the  Book  of  Acts),  or  hardly  intelligible  to  the  ordin- 
ary reader  (as  the  "  General  "  in  the  heading  of  some  of  the  shorter 
Epistles),  or  founded  in  a  misapprehension  (as  in  the  case  of 
"Saint"  prefixed  to  the  names  of  the  Evangelists).  Moreover, 
the  alternate  title  of  the  New  Testament,  and  the  mode  of  printing 
the  headings  of  the  Four  Evangelists'  narratives,  are  designed  to 
recall  to  mind  the  inherent  signification  and  primitive  use  of  the 
terms  "Testament"  (compare  Hebrews  ix.  15  f.)  and  "Gospel." 
In  the  Book  of  Revelation,  also,  the  "  Glorias,"  "  Trisagia,"  etc. 
have  been  marked  typographically. 

In  dealing  with  the  Language,  the  American  revisers  have 
endeavored  to  act  with  becoming  deference  and  reserve.  A  few 
archaisms,  such  as  "  how  that,"  "  for  to,"  "  the  which,"  "  how- 
beit,"  etc.,  which  are  becoming  uncouth  to  a  modern  ear,  have 
been  generally  although  not  invariably  discarded.  Not  a  few  of 
the  instances  of  the  superfluous  use  of  "  do  "  and  "  did  "  as  auxil- 
iaries, of  "  that  "  as  equivalent  to  "  that  which,"  and  the  like, 
have  also  been  removed;  and  current  usage  has  been  recognized 
in  the  case  of  forms  which  King  James's  revision  employed  indis- 
criminately, as  "  beside  "  and  "  besides  "  (see  Luke  xvi.  26;  xxiv. 
21).  But  in  making  these  and  other  slight  changes,  the  American 
editors  have  not  forgotten  that  they  were  dealing  with  a  venerable 
monument  of  English  usage,  and  have  been  careful  not  to  obliterate 
the  traces  of  its  historic  origin  and  descent. 

Notwithstanding  the  caution — as  wise  perhaps  as  prudent — 
which  led  the  English  Committee  wholly  to  omit  the  headings  of 


The  Revised  Versions  331 

chapters  and  pages,  and  in  spite  of  the  disfavor  which  has  been 
the  fate  of  many  attempts  to  furnish  them,  it  has  been  deemed  best 
to  equip  the  present  edition  with  running  headhnes,  which  may 
serve  in  some  sort  instead  of  a  detailed  Table  of  Contents,  and  as 
landmarks  to  a  reader  familiar  with  the  text.  In  preparing  them 
it  has  been  the  constant  aim  to  avoid  as  far  as  possible  all  pre- 
commitments,  whether  doctrinal  or  exegetical;  and  with  this 
object  in  view,  the  forms  of  statement  employed  have  been  drawn 
in  the  main  from  the  Biblical  text.  Often  a  fragmentary  quota- 
tion which  might  serve  as  a  catchword  or  reminder  of  a  well- 
known  passage  has  been  deemed  sufficient.  The  limitations  of 
space  have  frequently  compelled  a  partial  selection  from  the  con- 
tents of  a  given  page,  the  continuation  of  a  heading  from  one  page 
to  the  next,  or  even  the  entry  of  the  kernel  of  a  statement  on  a 
page  adjoining  that  on  which  it  appears  in  the  text.  Slight  dis- 
placement in  such  a  case  seemed  preferable  to  total  omission. 

It  is  not  superfluous  to  mention  expressly  the  fact  that  in  this 
edition  the  variant  readings  and  renderings  are  placed  at  the  foot 
of  the  pages,  but  in  as  close  juxtaposition  as  possible  with  the 
passages  to  which  they  relate.  The  reader's  attention  is  hereby 
drawn  to  the  circumstance  that  some  degree  of  uncertainty  still 
cleaves,  in  the  judgment  of  scholars,  either  to  the  text  of  the  pas- 
sage before  him,  or  to  its  translation,  or  to  both.  Accordingly, 
when  he  remembers  that,  by  the  rule  of  procedure  which  the  Com- 
mittee followed,  the  translation  of  1611  held  its  place  in  every 
instance  until  an  alteration  commanded  the  votes  of  two-thirds  of 
the  revisers,  it  will  become  evident  to  him  that  a  rendering  given 
in  the  margin  may  have  commended  itself  to  a  majority,  while 
still  falling  short  of  the  degree  of  approval  necessary  to  enable  it 
to  supplant  the  text.  It  is  known  that  this  was  the  case  in  a 
considerable  number  of  instances,  of  which  the  established  term 
"  Comforter  "  as  the  appellation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  four- 
teenth chapter  of  the  Gospel  of  John  is  a  notable  representative. 

The  present  volume,  it  is  believed,  will  on  the  one  hand  bring 
a  plain  reader  more  closely  into  contact  with  the  exact  thought  of 
the  sacred  writers  than  any  version  now  current  in  Christendom, 
and  on  the  other  hand  prove  itself  especially  serviceable  to  students 
of  the  Word.  In  this  belief  the  editors  bid  it  anew  God-speed,  and 
in  the  realization  of  this  desired  result  they  will  find  their  all- 
sufficient  reward. 

The  following  are  samples  of  the  Revised  renderings: 

Psalm  2: 

1  Why  do  the  nations  rage, 

And  the  peoples  imagine  a  vain  thing.'' 

2  The  kings  of  the  earth  set  themselves. 
And  the  rulers  take  counsel  together, 

Against  the  Lord,  and  against  his  anointed,  saying, 


332 


The  Book  of  Books 


3  Let  us  break  their  bands  asunder, 
And  cast  away  their  cords  from  us. 

4  He  that  sitteth  in  the  heavens  shall  laugh: 
The  Lord  shsll  have  them  in  derision. 

5  Then  shall  he  speak  unto  them  in  his  wrath, 
And  vex  them  in  his  sore  displeasure: 

6  Yet  I  have  set  my  king 
Upon  my  holy  hill  of  Zion. 

7  I  will  tell  of  the  decree: 

The  Lord  said  unto  me,  Thou  art  my  son; 
This  day  have  I  begotten  thee. 

8  Ask  of  me,  and  I  will  give  thee  the  nations  for  thine  inheritance, 
And  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  thy  possession. 

9  Thou  shalt  break  them  with  a  rod  of  iron; 

Thou  shalt  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel. 

10  Now  therefore  be  wise,  O  ye  kings: 
Be  instructed,  ye  judges  of  the  earth. 

11  Serve  the  Lord  with  fear. 
And  rejoice  with  trembling. 

12  Kiss  the  son,  lest  he  be  angry,  and  ye  perish  in  the  way, 
For  his  wrath  will  soon  be  kindled. 

Blessed  are  all  they  that  put  their  trust  in  him. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  (Matt.  6): 

Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven,  Hallowed  be  thy  name. 
Thy  kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done,  as  in  heaven,  so  on  earth. 
Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread.  And  forgive  us  our  debts,  as 
we  also  have  forgiven  our  debtors.  And  bring  us  not  into  temp- 
tation, but  deliver  us  from  the  evil  one. 


THE  JEWISH   REVISION  COMMITTEE 

Left  to  right:  Joseph  Jacobs,  Solomon  Schechter,  Max  L.  Margolis,  Cyrus 

Adler,  David  Philipson,  Kaufman  Kohler,  Samuel  Schulman 


The  Revised  Versions  333 

The  Jewish  Revised  Version  was  published  at  Phila- 
delphia in  1917  by  the  Jewish  Publication  Society  of  America. 
The  circumstances  under  which  it  was  produced  and  the 
nature  of  the  work  are  set  out  in  detail  in  the  preface  which 
is  here  reproduced  by  permission  of  the  publishers. 

The  sacred  task  of  translating  the  Word  of  God,  as  revealed 
to  Israel  through  lawgiver,  prophet,  psalmist,  and  sage,  began  at 
an  early  date.  According  to  an  ancient  rabbinic  interpretation, 
Joshua  had  the  Torah  engraved  upon  the  stones  of  the  altar 
(Joshua  viii.  32)  not  in  the  original  Hebrew  alone,  but  in  all  the 
languages  of  mankind,  which  were  held  to  be  seventy,  in  order 
that  all  men  might  become  acquainted  with  the  words  of  the 
Scriptures.  This  statement,  with  its  universalistic  tendency,  is, 
of  course,  a  reflex  of  later  times,  when  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  had 
become  a  subject  of  curiosity  and  perhaps  also  of  anxiety  to  the 
pagan  or  semi-pagan  world. 

While  this  tradition  contains  an  element  of  truth,  it  is  certain 
that  the  primary  object  of  translating  the  Bible  was  to  minister  to 
a  need  nearer  home.  Upon  the  establishment  of  the  Second 
Commonwealth  under  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  it  became  imperative 
to  make  the  Torah  of  God  'distinct  and  giving  sense'  through 
the  means  of  interpretation  (Nehemiah  viii.  8  and  xiii.  24) 
that  the  Word  of  God  might  be  understood  by  all  the  people. 
The  Rabbis  perceived  in  this  activity  of  the  first  generation  of  the 
Sopherim  the  origin  of  the  Aramaic  translation  known  as  the 
Targum,  first  made  orally  and  afterwards  committed  to  writing, 
which  was  necessitated  by  the  fact  that  Israel  had  forgotten  the 
sacred  language,  and  spoke  the  idiom  current  in  a  large  part  of 
western  Asia.  All  this,  however,  is  veiled  in  obscurity,  as  is  the 
whole  inner  history  of  the  Jews  during  the  Persian  rule. 

The  historic  necessity  for  translation  was  repeated  with  all 
the  great  changes  in  Israel's  career.  It  is  enough  to  point  to  the 
Septuagint,  or  the  Greek  translation  of  the  Scriptures,  the  product 
of  Israel's  contact  with  the  Hellenistic  civilization  dominating  the 
world  at  that  time;  to  the  Arabic  translation  by  Gaon  Saadya, 
when  the  great  majority  of  the  Jewish  people  came  under  the 
sceptre  of  Mohammedan  rulers;  and  to  the  German  translation 
by  Mendelssohn  and  his  school,  at  the  dawn  of  a  new  epoch, 
which  brought  the  Jews  in  Europe,  most  of  whom  spoke  a  German 
dialect,  into  closer  contact  with  their  neighbours.  These  trans- 
lations are  all  historical  products  intimately  connected  with 
Israel's  wanderings  among  the  nations  and  with  the  great  events 
of  mankind  in  general. 

Ancient  and  continuous  as  this  task  of  translation  was,  it 
would  be  a  mistake  to  think  that  there  were  no  misgivings  about  it. 
At  least  it  is  certain  that  opinions  were  divided  as  to  the  desir- 


334  The  Book  of  Books 

ability  of  such  undertakings.  While  Philo  and  his  Alexandrian 
coreligionists  looked  upon  the  translation  of  the  Seventy  as  a 
work  of  inspired  men,  the  Palestinian  Rabbis  subsequently  con- 
sidered the  day  on  which  the  Septuagint  was  completed  as  one  of 
the  most  unfortunate  in  Israel's  history,  seeing  that  the  Torah 
could  never  be  adequately  translated.  And  there  are  indications 
enough  that  the  consequences  of  such  translations  were  not  all  of 
a  desirable  nature.  However,  in  view  of  the  eagerness  with  which 
they  were  undertaken  almost  in  every  land  and  in  every  great  epoch 
of  the  world's  history,  it  is  evident  that  the  people  at  large  approved 
of  such  translations,  thinking  them  to  be  a  heave-offering  to  the 
Lord  of  each  newly  acquired  vernacular  adopted  in  the  course  of 
the  ever-changing  conditions  of  history,  and  in  particular  a  tribute 
to  the  beauty  of  Japheth  dwelling  in  the  spiritual  tents  of  Israel. 

The  greatest  change  in  the  life  of  Israel  during  the  last  two 
generations  was  his  renewed  acquaintance  with  English-speaking 
civilization.  Out  of  a  handful  of  immigrants  from  Central  Europe 
and  the  East  who  saw  the  shores  of  the  New  World,  or  even  of 
England  and  her  colonies,  we  have  grown  under  Providence  both 
in  numbers  and  in  importance,  so  that  we  constitute  now  the 
greatest  section  of  Israel  living  in  a  single  country  outside  of 
Russia.  We  are  only  following  in  the  footsteps  of  our  great  pre- 
decessors when,  with  the  growth  of  our  numbers,  we  have  applied 
ourselves  to  the  sacred  task  of  preparing  a  new  translation  of  the 
Bible  in  the  English  language,  which,  unless  all  signs  fail,  is  to 
become  the  current  speech  of  the  majority  of  the  children  of  Israel. 

The  need  of  such  a  translation  was  felt  long  ago.  Mention 
may  be  made  of  the  work  of  Isaac  Leeser  in  America,  which  was 
both  preceded  and  followed  by  two  translations  produced  in 
England,  the  one  by  Dr.  A.  Benisch,  the  other  by  Dr.  Michael 
Friedlander.  The  most  popular,  however,  among  these  trans- 
lations was  that  of  Leeser,  which  was  not  only  the  accepted 
version  in  all  the  synagogues  of  the  United  States,  but  was  also 
reproduced  in  England.  Its  great  merit  consisted  in  the  fact  that 
it  incorporated  all  the  improvements  proposed  by  the  Mendel- 
ssohn School  and  their  successors,  whose  combined  efforts  were 
included  and  further  developed  in  the  so-called  Zunz  Bible,  which 
enjoyed  a  certain  authority  among  German  Jews  for  several 
generations.  With  all  the  advance  of  time  and  the  progress  made 
in  almost  all  departments  of  Bible  study,  it  was  found  that  Leeser's 
translation  would  bear  improvement  and  recasting. 

Steps  leading  to  the  preparation  of  a  new  translation  into  the 
English  language  were  taken  by  the  Jewish  Publication  Society  of 
America  in  1892.  It  was  intended  to  secure,  if  possible,  through 
the  co-operation  of  scholars  in  the  United  States  and  in  Great 
Britain,  a  new  translation  of  each  book,  and  to  place  it  in  the 
hands  of  an  Editorial  Committee,  who  by  correspondence  with 
the  translators  should  harmonize  the  results  of  the  work  of  the 


The  Revised  Versions  335 

individual  contributors.  This  method  was  followed  until  1 901 
under  the  general  direction  of  Doctor  Morris  Jastrow,  Editor-in- 
Chief,  with  Doctor  Kaufman  Kohler  and  Doctor  Frederick  de 
Sola  Mendes  as  the  other  members  of  the  Editorial  Committee. 

It  became  apparent  in  1901  that  by  this  procedure  the  publi- 
cation of  a  translation  of  the  entire  Hebrew  Bible  would  be  in- 
definitely delayed,  and  accordingly  the  Book  of  Psalms,  trans- 
lated by  Doctor  Kohler  and  revised  by  his  colleagues,  was  given 
to  the  press  and  issued  in  1903.  The  death  of  Doctor  Jastrow  in 
that  year  required  the  formation  of  a  new  committee  under  the 
chairmanship  of  Doctor  Solomon  Schechter.  This  committee, 
however,  soon  found  that  the  method  adopted  was  too  complex, 
and  that  it  was  impossible  to  accomplish  by  correspondence  the 
extensive  work  required. 

In  1908  the  Jewish  Publication  Society  of  America  and  the 
Central  Conference  of  American  Rabbis  reached  an  agreement  to 
co-operate  in  bringing  out  the  new  translation  upon  a  revised 
plan  of  having  the  entire  work  done  by  a  Board  of  Editors  instead 
of  endeavoring  to  harmonize  the  translations  of  individual  con- 
tributors. As  a  result  of  this  understanding  the  present  Board, 
consisting  of  Doctor  Solomon  Schechter,  Doctor  Cyrus  Adler,  and 
Doctor  Joseph  Jacobs,  representing  the  Jewish  Publication  Society 
of  America,  and  Doctor  Kaufman  Kohler,  Doctor  David  Philipson, 
and  Doctor  Samuel  Schulman,  representing  the  Central  Confer- 
ence of  American  Rabbis,  was  constituted,  and  by  mutual  agree- 
ment Professor  Max  L.  Margolis  was  chosen  as  'he  seventh  mem- 
ber, he  to  be  the  Editor-in-Chief  of  the  work  and  Secretary  to  the 
Editorial  Board,  of  which  Doctor  Cyrus  Adler  was  elected  Chair- 
man. Incidentally  the  selection  thus  made  resulted  in  an  equal 
representation  of  the  Jewish  Theological  Seminary  of  America  at 
New  York,  of  the  Hebrew  Union  College  at  Cincinnati,  and  of  the 
Dropsie  College  for  Hebrew  and  Cognate  Learning  at  Philadelphia. 
For  one  year  Professor  Israel  Friedlander  acted  as  a  member  of 
the  Board  in  the  stead  of  Doctor  Schechter. 

The  method  employed  by  the  Board  was  as  follows: 

In  preparing  the  manuscript  for  consideration  by  the  Board 
of  Editors,  Professor  Margolis  took  into  account  the  existing 
English  versions,  the  standard  commentaries,  ancient  and  modern, 
the  translations  already  made  for  the  Jewish  Publication  Society 
of  America,  the  divergent  renderings  from  the  Revised  Version 
prepared  for  the  Jews  of  England,  the  marginal  notes  of  the 
Revised  Version,  and  the  changes  of  the  American  Committee  of 
Revisers.  Due  weight  was  given  to  the  ancient  versions  as  estab- 
lishing a  tradition  of  interpretation  notably  the  Septuagint  and 
the  versions  of  Aquila,  Symmachus,  and  Theodotion,  the  Targums, 
the  Peshitta,  the  Vulgate,  and  the  Arabic  version  of  Saadya. 
Talmudic  and  midrashic  allusions  and  all  available  Jewish  com- 
mentators,   both     the    great    medieval    authorities,    like    Rashi, 


336  The  Book  of  Books 

Kimhi,  and  Ibn  Ezra,  and  the  moderns  S.  D.  Luzzatto,  Malbim, 
and  Ehrlich,  as  well  as  all  the  Important  non-Jewish  commentators 
were  consulted.  On  this  basis,  a  manuscript  was  prepared  by  the 
Editor-in-Chief  and  a  copy  sent  to  every  member  of  the  Board  of 
Editors.  Sixteen  meetings  covering  a  period  of  seven  years  and 
occupying  one  hundred  and  sixty  working  days,  were  held,  at 
which  the  proposals  in  this  manuscript  and  many  additional  sug- 
gestions by  the  members  of  the  Board  were  considered.  Each 
point  was  thoroughly  discussed,  and  the  view  of  the  majority  was 
incorporated  into  the  manuscript.  When  the  Board  was  evenly 
divided,  the  Chairman  cast  the  deciding  vote.  From  time  to  time 
sub-committees  were  at  work  upon  points  left  open,  and  their 
reports,  submitted  to  the  Board,  were  discussed  and  voted  upon. 
The  proof  of  the  entire  work  was  sent  to  each  member  of  the  Board 
for  revision,  and  the  new  proposals  which  were  made  by  one  or 
another  were  in  turn  submitted  to  a  vote  by  correspondence  and 
to  a  final  vote  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  Board,  held  in  October- 
November,  1915. 

The  present  translation  is  the  first  for  which  a  group  of  men 
representative  of  Jewish  learning  among  English-speaking  Jews 
assume  joint  responsibility,  all  previous  efforts  in  the  English 
language  having  been  the  work  of  individual  translators.  It  has  a 
character  of  its  own.  It  aims  to  combine  the  spirit  of  Jewish 
tradition  with  the  results  of  biblical  scholarship,  ancient,  mediaeval, 
and  modern.  It  gives  to  the  Jewish  world  a  translation  of  the 
Scriptures  done  by  men  imbued  with  the  Jewish  consciousness, 
while  the  non-Jewish  world,  it  is  hoped,  will  welcome  a  translation 
that  presents  many  passages  from  the  Jewish  traditional  point  of 
view. 

The  repeated  efforts  by  Jews  in  the  field  of  biblical  translation 
show  their  sentiment  toward  translations  prepared  by  other 
denominations.  The  dominant  feature  of  this  sentiment,  apart 
from  the  thought  that  the  christological  interpretations  in  non- 
Jewish  translations  are  out  of  place  in  a  Jewish  Bible,  is  and  was 
that  the  Jew  cannot  afford  to  have  his  Bible  translation  prepared 
for  him  by  others.  He  cannot  have  it  as  a  gift,  even  as  he  cannot 
borrow  his  soul  from  others.  If  a  new  country  and  a  new  language 
metamorphose  him  into  a  new  man,  the  duty  of  this  new  man  is 
to  prepare  a  new  garb  and  a  new  method  of  expression  for  what 
is  most  sacred  and  dear  to  him. 

We  are,  it  is  hardly  needful  to  say,  deeply  grateful  for  the 
works  of  our  non-Jewish  predecessors,  such  as  the  Authorised 
Version  with  its  admirable  diction,  which  can  never  be  surpassed, 
as  well  as  for  the  Revised  Version  with  its  ample  learning — but 
they  are  not  ours.  The  Editors  have  not  only  used  these  famous 
English  versions,  but  they  have  gone  back  to  the  earlier  trans- 
lations of  Wycliffe,  Tyndale,  Coverdale,  the  Bishops'  Bible,  and 
the  Douai  Version,  which  is  the  authorised  English  translation  of 


The  Revised  Versions  337 

the  Vulgate  used  by  the  Roman  Catholics;  in  a  word,  upon 
doubtful  points  in  style,  all  English  versions  have  been  drawn 
upon.  The  renditions  of  parts  of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  by  Lowth 
and  others  in  the  eighteenth  century  and  by  Cheyne  and  Driver 
in  our  own  days  were  likewise  consulted. 

As  to  the  text  and  order  of  the  biblical  books,  the  present 
translation  follows  Jewish  tradition,  the  Sacred  Scriptures  having 
come  down  in  a  definite  compass  and  in  a  definite  text.  They  are 
separated  into  three  divisions:  Law  (Torah,  Pentateuch),  Prophets 
(Nebi'im),  Writings  (Ketubim).  Each  of  these  possesses  a  dif- 
ferent degree  of  holiness  or  authority.  In  the  Prophets  and  the 
Writings  the  order  of  the  books  varies  in  manuscripts  or  among 
Jewish  authorities;  but  there  is  absolute  agreement  as  to  the 
compass  of  these  two  divisions,  and  no  book  is  transposed  from 
one  into  the  other.  Thus  Ruth,  Lamentations,  and  Daniel  are 
all  placed  in  the  division  of  Writings — not  among  the  prophets,  as 
in  non- Jewish  versions. 

With  every  step  by  which  each  of  the  three  parts  was  sealed, 
nothing  to  be  added  or  to  be  taken  away,  the  text  was  likewise 
fixed  and  thenceforth  made  the  object  of  zealous  watchfulness. 
Even  with  regard  to  the  latest  book  of  our  Scriptures,  we  read  its 
text  substantially  in  the  form  in  which  the  great  Rabbi  Akiba 
read  it,  he  who  said  that  the  system  by  which  the  sacred  text  was 
guarded  constituted  a  fence  about  the  Scriptures.  In  that  system, 
at  first  oral  and  later  committed  to  writing,  the  letters  were 
actually  counted  and  lists  made,  to  the  end  that  no  alterations 
should  creep  in  at  the  hands  of  careless  scribes.  The  first  to 
collect  the  notes  known  as  Masorah  was  Jacob  ben  Haim  Ibn 
Adonijah,  the  editor  of  the  second  Rabbinic  Bible.  In  our  own 
day  many  scholars  have  been  prominent  in  this  field  of  labour, 
chief  among  whom  are  Wolf  Heidenheim,  S.  FrensdorfF,  S.  Baer, 
and  C.  D.  Ginsburg.  Not  only  does  the  text  known  as  the  mas- 
oretic  represent  the  text  current  in  the  Synagogue  with  regard  to 
consonants,  but  also  with  regard  to  its  signs  standing  for  vowels 
and  accents,  both  of  which  embody  the  interpretation  accepted 
by  the  Synagogue.  While  in  the  scrolls  which  are  read  in  the 
Synagogue  the  bare  consonants  are  alone  permitted,  readers  must 
prepare  themselves  from  copies  allowed  for  private  use,  in  ancient 
times  written  and  now  printed,  which  contain  the  additional  signs 
for  vowels  and  accents.  A  translation  must  naturally  follow  the 
guide  of  the  latter.  Moreover,  the  public  reader  is  bound  in 
certain  cases  to  substitute  mentally  other  consonants  in  the  place 
of  those  found  in  the  scrolls,  in  accordance  with  the  marginal 
annotations  in  the  copies  intended  for  private  use.  These  variants 
are  taken  traditionally  for  corrections,  and  the  public  reader  who 
persists  in  ignoring  them  forfeits  his  position.  It  is  true  that  in 
the  case  of  such  variations  the  Jewish  commentators  of  the  Middle 
Ages  sought  to  elicit  a  meaning  also  from  the  textual  reading,  and 


A 


338  The  Book  of  Books 

seem  here  and  there  tacitly  to  give  it  preference,  but  all  this  par- 
takes of  the  nature  of  private  judgment,  and  does  not  affect  the 
uniform  practice  of  the  public  readings  in  the  Synagogue.  While 
as  a  rule  the  margin  (Kere)  was  followed,  we  have  occasionally 
adopted  the  consonants  of  the  text  (Ketib),  as  for  instance  in 
Psalm  cxxxix.  16,  and  II  Chronicles  xxiv.  27;   xxxiv.  9. 

A  translation  destined  for  the  people  can  follow  only  one 
text,  and  that  must  be  the  traditional.  Nevertheless  a  translator 
is  not  a  transcriber  of  the  text.  His  principal  function  is  to  make 
the  Hebrew  intelligible.  Faithful  though  he  must  be  to  the 
Hebrew  idiom,  he  will  nevertheless  be  forced  by  the  genius  of  the 
English  language  to  use  circumlocution,  to  add  a  word  or  two,  to 
alter  a  sequence  of  words,  and  the  like.  In  general,  our  rule  has 
been  that,  where  the  word  or  words  added  are  implied  in  the 
Hebrew  construction,  no  device  is  used  to  mark  the  addition; 
where,  on  the  other  hand,  the  addition  is  not  at  once  to  be  inferred 
from  the  original  wording  and  yet  seems  necessary  for  the  under- 
standing, it  has  been  enclosed  in  brackets.  Naturally  opinion  will 
differ  as  to  what  may  be  deemed  an  addition  warranted  by  the 
Hebrew  construction  and  what  may  not,  but  as  intelligibility  was 
the  principal  aim,  the  Editors  have  felt  justified  in  making  their 
additions,  sparingly  it  is  true,  but  nevertheless  as  often  as  the 
occasion  required. 

We  have  thought  it  proper  to  limit  the  margin  to  the  shortest 
compass,  confining  it  to  such  elucidation  of  and  references  to  the 
literal  meaning  as  are  absolutely  necessary  for  making  the  trans- 
lation intelligible.  The  Rabbis  enumerate  eighteen  instances  in 
which  the  scribes  consciously  altered  the  text.  We  have  called 
attention  to  a  change  of  this  nature  in  Judges  xviii.  30. 

Personal  pronouns  referring  to  the  Deity  have  been  capitalized. 
As  an  aid  to  clearness  direct  discourse  has  been  indicated  by 
quotation  marks.  In  the  prophetical  writings,  where  the  speech 
of  the  prophet  imperceptibly  glides  into  the  words  of  the  Deity, 
and  in  the  legal  portions  of  the  Pentateuch,  it  has  been  thought 
best  to  use  quotation  marks  sparingly.  Although  the  spelling  of 
proper  names  in  the  English  Bible  in  many  instances  deviates 
somewhat  from  an  accurate  representation  of  the  Hebrew,  it  has 
nevertheless  been  deemed  wise,  owing  to  the  familiarity  of  Hebrew 
names  in  their  usual  form,  generally  to  retain  the  current  spelling. 

In  all  externals  this  translation  is  especially  adapted  for  use 
in  synagogue  and  school.  The  Keriat  ha-Torah,  or  reading  of 
the  section  from  the  Five  Books  of  Moses,  is  the  central  feature 
of  the  Synagogue  service.  The  Pentateuch  is  divided  into  fifty- 
four  sections;  beginning  with  the  Sabbath  following  the  Feast  of 
Tabernacles,  the  readings  on  the  Sabbaths  of  the  year  are  taken 
in  their  order  from  the  Five  Books  of  Moses.  The  reading  con- 
sists either  of  the  whole  section  or  of  a  selected  portion.  There 
was  a  variant  custom  according  to  which  the  reading  of  the  Torah 


The  Revised  Versions  339 

extended  over  a  period  of  three  years  instead  of  one  year.  How- 
ever, the  one  year  cycle  gradually  superseded  the  three  year  cycle, 
and  has  become  the  universal  custom  in  the  Synagogue. 

The  Pentateuchal  readings  are  supplemented  by  readings 
from  the  Prophets  known  as  Haftarot.  Readings  from  the  third 
portion  of  the  Bible,  though  customary  at  one  time,  have  now 
largely  fallen  into  disuse.  The  five  small  books  known  as  the 
Five  Megillot  are  given  a  place  in  the  Synagogue  service  in  their 
entirety.  On  the  feast  of  Purim  the  book  of  Esther  is  read;  the 
book  of  Lamentations  is  read  on  Tish'ah  be-Ab  (Ninth  of  Ab), 
the  fast-day  observed  in  commemoration  of  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem;  Song  of  Songs,  Ruth,  and  Ecclesiastes  are  read 
respectively  on  the  Feast  of  Passover,  the  Feast  of  Weeks,  and  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles. 

The  sections  of  the  Pentateuch  as  traditionally  read  on  the 
Sabbath  are  indicated,  and  a  table  gives  all  Scriptural  readings, 
both  on  the  Sabbath  and  on  feast  days  and  fast  days. 

A  note  adds  that  two  of  the  revisers  died  after  the  final 
meeting  of  the  Board  in  November,  191 5,  namely,  Solomon 
Schechter  and  Joseph  Jacobs. 

Then  follows  the  table  referred  to  in  the  preface,  giving 
the  appointed  readings  for  Sabbaths,  feast  days,  and  fast 
days. 

The  text  follows  in  three  divisions: 

The  Law:  Genesis,  Exodus,  Leviticus,  Numbers,  Deuteronomy. 

The  Prophets:  Joshua,  Judges,  I  Samuel,  II  Samuel,  I  Kings, 
II  Kings,  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel,  The  Twelve  (Hosea,  Joel, 
Amos,  Obadiah,  Jonah,  Micah,  Nahum,  Habakkuk,  Zephaniah, 
Haggai,  Zechariah,  Malachi). 

The  Writiiigs:  Psalms,  Proverbs,  Job,  Song  of  Songs,  Ruth, 
Lamentations,  Ecclesiastes,  Esther,  Daniel,  Ezra,  Nehemiah, 
I  Chronicles,  II  Chronicles. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
CONCLUSION 

The  foregoing  sketch  of  the  wonderful  story  of  the 
Book  of  Books  has  taken  into  account  all  the  great  events 
that  had  an  important  bearing  on  its  external  history.  Any 
who  desire  to  study  the  internal  character  of  the  various 
versions  will  find  the  works  of  Westcott,  Eadie,  and  others 
mentioned  in  the  Bibliography  very  valuable. 

Many  other  versions  have  been  published  during  the 
four  centuries  that  have  elapsed  since  Tindale's  New  Testa- 
ment appeared,  but  though  they  are  of  interest  they  are 
more  or  less  of  a  private  character  and  have  had  relatively 
little  influence. 

There  was  a  translation  of  Matthew's  gospel  in  1550 
by  Sir  John  Cheke,  in  which  he  tried  to  eliminate  all  Latin 
words  and  took  great  liberties  with  the  Enghsh  spelling. 
He  omitted  the  silent  "e"  at  the  end  of  words  as  "were," 
"praise,"  writing  them  "wer,"  "prais,"  and  writing  single 
"1"  in  "al,"  "wel,"  and  such  words.  This  fragment  was 
never  printed  till  1843. 

Lawrence  Tomson  in  1576  translated  Beza's  French 
New  Testament  into  English,  and  editions  of  the  Geneva 
Bible  were  published  in  which  Tomson's  version  was  used 
instead  of  the  Genevan. 

A  number  of  private  translations  of  the  New  Testament, 
and  a  few  of  the  Old,  have  been  published  in  the  last  two 
hundred  years.  As  these  are  in  most  instances  the  work  of 
single  scholars,  they  have  not  had  a  very  wide  influence. 
Of  the  more  recent  versions  mention  may  be  made  of  New- 
come's  New  Testament,  Rotherham's  Emphasized  (Old  and 
New  Testaments),  Wilson's  Emphatic  Diaglot  (New  Testa- 
ment in  the  original  Greek,  with  a  word  for  word  interlinear 
translation  as  well  as  a  free  one),  Ferrar  Fenton's  The  Holy 
Bible  in  Modern  English,  Weymouth's  The  New  Testament 

(340) 


Conclusion  341 

in  Modern  Speech,  The  Twentieth  Century  New  Testament, 
Moulton's  Modern  Reader's  Bible,  and  MofFatt's  new  trans- 
lation. 

The  first  Bible  printed  in  America  was  Eliot's  Indian 
Bible,  published  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  1661  and  1663.  In 
1743  Christopher  Saur  printed  a  German  Bible  at  German- 
town,  Philadelphia.  In  1777  Robert  Aitken  published  the 
first  American  English  New  Testament,  and  in  1782  the 
complete  Bible,  at  Philadelphia.  In  1790  the  first  American 
edition  of  the  Douay  Bible  was  printed  at  Philadelphia  by 
Matthew  Carey,  and  in  1 851-1862  Kenrick's  revised  Douay 
Bible  was  published  at  Philadelphia.  In  1808  Charles 
Thomson  published  an  English  Bible  translated  from  the 
Septuagint,  in  four  volumes,  printed  by  Jane  Aitken.  In 
1853  Isaac  Leeser's  Jewish  version  of  the  Old  Testament 
was  published  at  Philadelphia. 

Many  editions  of  the  Bible  have  possessed  peculiarities 
which  have  caused  them  to  be  known  as  "curious"  Bibles, 
The  Geneva  is  often  called  the  "Breeches  Bible"  because 
Gen.  3  :  7  is  translated  "And  they  sewed  figge  tree  leaves 
together,  and  made  themselves  breeches."  The  translation 
of  Psa.  91  :  5  in  some  is  "Thou  shalt  not  nede  to  be  afrayed 
for  eny  bugges  by  night,"  and  such  are  known  as  "  Bug 
Bibles,"  though  the  word  means  "terrors"  or  "bugaboos," 
not  "insects."  A  1562  edition  has  "Blessed  are  the  place- 
makers"  in  Matt.  5  :  9  for  "peacemakers."  The  Douay, 
1609,  had  in  Jer.  8  :  22,  "Is  there  no  rosin  in  Gilead.''" 
while  some  versions  have  "triacle."  A  Bible  was  printed 
in  163 1  with  the  "not"  omitted  from  the  seventh  com- 
mandment, Exod.  20  :  14;  it  is  called  the  "Wicked  Bible," 
and  the  printers  were  fined  £300.  In  1670  a  small  Bible 
was  printed  at  Aberdeen,  one  inch  square  and  half  an  inch 
thick,  known  as  the  "Thumb  Bible."  The  "Vinegar  Bible," 
1717,  had  the  headUne  to  Luke  20,  "The  Parable  of  the 
Vinegar,"  instead  of  "Vineyard."  In  another  edition  Psa. 
119  :  161  is  rendered  "Printers  have  persecuted  me,"  instead 
of  "princes."  A  Bible  in  1801  had  "murderers"  for  "mur- 
murers"  in  Jude  16.  One  1806  Bible  had  "I  discharge  thee 
before  God"  instead  of  "charge"  in  i  Tim.  5  :2i;  and 
another  1806  Bible  had  "The  fishes  will  stand  upon  it"  for 
"fishers"  in  Ezek.  47  :  10. 


342  The  Book  of  Books 

Translations  have  been  made  into  various  modern  lan- 
guages, which  it  would  be  interesting  to  consider;  but  as 
space  is  limited  they  are  omitted  here,  because  they  have 
no  particular  bearing  on  the  main  story  of  how  we  got  our 
English  Bible. 

The  survey  has  been  comprehensive,  but  necessarily 
brief.  Each  section  of  it  has  at  one  time  or  another  been 
made  the  subject  of  a  good-sized  volume.  But  the  story 
is  a  wonderful  one,  and  it  is  hoped  that  this  review,  brief 
though  it  is,  will  serve  to  stimulate  interest  in,  and  rever- 
ence for,  the  most  wonderful  of  all  books — the  Book  of  Books. 


CHAPTER  XX 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Anderson,  Christopher.     Annals  of  the  English  Bible.     2  Vols. 

London:    Pickering,  1845. 
Arber,  E.      The  First  Printed  English  New  Testament.     London, 

1871. 
Bible,  The.     Authorized  Version,  1611,  and  modern  editions. 
Bible,  The.     Revised  Version,  1881  and  1885. 
Bible,  The.     American  Standard  Version.     New  York:    Nelson, 

1 901. 
Bible,  The.     New  Translation  according  to  the  Massoretic  text. 

Philadelphia:  Jewish  Publication  Society  of  America,  1917. 
Brown,  J.  The  History  of  the  English  Bible.  Cambridge,  1911. 
Burrows,  Montagu.     Wiclifs  Place  in  History.     Three  Lectures 

at  Oxford,  1881.     London:    Isbister,  1882. 
Chambers,  Talbot  W.     A  Companion  to  the  Revised  Old  Testament. 

New  York:    Funk  &  Wagnalls,  1885. 
Conant,  H.  C.     The  English  Bible.     New  York:    Sheldon,  Blake- 
man  &  Co.,  1856. 
Condit,    Blackford.      History  of  the  English  Bible.      Chicago: 

Barnes,  1882. 
CoNLEY,  J.  W.      The  Bible  in  Modern  Light.     Philadelphia:    The 

Griffith  &  Rowland  Press,  1904. 
Dore,  J.  R.     Old  Bibles:    An  Account  of  the  Early  Versions  of  the 

English  Bible.      London:     Eyre   &  Spottiswoode.      2d  edn., 

1888. 
Eadie,  John.      The  English  Bible.     2  vols.     London:    Macmillan, 

1876. 
Ellicott,   C.   J.      Considerations  on  the  Revision  of  the  English 

Version  of  the  New  Testament.     London:    Longmans,  1870. 
English  Hexapla  of  the  New  Testament,  The.     London:     Bagster  & 

Sons. 
FoRSHALL,    J.    and    Madden,    F.      Reprint    of   Wyclife's    Bible. 

Oxford:    University  Press,  1850. 
Fry,  Francis,  F.S.A.      The  Editions  of  the  New  Testament,  Tin- 
dale's  Versions,  1^2^-1^66.     London:    Henry  Sotheran  &  Co., 

1878. 
Fuller,  Thomas.     Church  History,     1655. 
Green,  J.  R.     A  Short  History  of  the  English  People.     New  York: 

Harper  &  Bros.,  1876. 

(343) 


344  The  Book  of  Books 

Guide  to   the  Exhibited  Manuscripts,   British  Museum.      London: 

British  Museum,  1912. 
Hall,    Isaac   H.       The   Revised  New    Testament   and  History   of 

Revision.     Philadelphia:    Hubbard  Bros.,  1881. 
Helps  to  the  Study  of  the  Bible.     Oxford:    University  Press. 
HoARE,   H.  W.      The  Evolution  of  the  English  Bible.      London: 

Murray,  1901. 
Hunting,  H.  B.     The  Story  of  Our  Bible.     New  York:    Scribners, 

Kenyon,  F.  G.    Our  Bible  and  the  Ancient  Manuscripts.     London: 
Eyre  &  Spottiswoode,  2d  edn.,  1896. 

LovETT,     Richard.        The    Pri^ited    English    Bible,    152^^-1885. 
London:    Religious  Tract  Society,  1894. 

Margolis,  M.  L.     The  Story  of  Bible  Translations.     Philadelphia: 
Jewish  PubHcation  Society  of  America,  1917. 

Merrill,   G.   E.      The  Parchments  of  the  Faith.      Philadelphia: 
American  Baptist  PubHcation  Society,  1894. 

Merrill,  G.  E.     The  Story  of  the  Manuscripts.     Boston:    Lothrop 
&  Co.,  1881. 

Mitchell,  Edward  C.      The  Critical  Handbook  of  the  Greek  New 
Testament.     New  York:    Harper  &  Bros.,  1896. 

MoMBERT,  J.  L     J  Handbook  of  the  English  Versions  of  the  Bible. 
New  York:    Randolph  &  Co.,  1883. 

Moulton,  W.   F.      The  History  of  the  English  Bible.      London: 
Cassell,  1878;   3d  edn.,  1887. 

New  Testament.     Various  editions  of  the  Greek  Text:    Tischen- 
dorfF,  Griesbach,  Emphatic  Diaglott,  Westcott  and  Hort,  etc. 

New  Testament.    Various  translations:    Rotherham,  Weymouth, 
Newcome,  Moulton,  MofFatt,  New  Century,  etc. 

Pattison,  T.  Howard.     The  History  of  the  English  Bible.     Phila- 
delphia:   American  Baptist  Publication  Society,  1894. 

Penniman,  J.  H.     A  Book  About  the  English  Bible.     New  York: 
Macmillan,  1920. 

Pollard,  Alfred  W.     An  Exact  Reprint  of  the  Authorized  Version 
161 1.     Oxford:    University  Press,  191 1. 

Pollard,  Alfred   W.      Records  of  the  English  Bible.      Oxford: 
University  Press,  1911. 

Price,  Ira  Maurice.    The  Ancestry  of  Our  English  Bible.    Phila- 
delphia:   Sunday  School  Times  Co.,  1907. 

Rice,   Edwin  W.      Our  Sixty-six   Sacred  Books.      Philadelphia: 
American  Sunday  School  Union,  1893. 

Riddle,  M.  B.     The  Story  of  the  Revised  Nezv  Testament.    Philadel- 
phia:   Sunday  School  Times  Co.,  1908. 

Roberts,  Alex.      Companion  to  the  Revised  Version  of  the  New 
Testament.     New  York:    Funk  &  Co.,  1881. 

Roberts,  Alex.     Old  Testament  Revision.      London,  Hodder  & 
Stoughton,  1883. 


Bibliography  345 

ScHAFF,  Philip.  A  Companion  to  the  Greek  Testament  and  the 
English  Version.     New  York:    Harper  &  Brothers,  1885. 

Schaff-Herzog  Encyclopedia  of  Religious  Knowledge.  New  York: 
Funk  &  Wagnalls,  3d  edn.,  1894. 

Scrivener,  F.  H.  A  Plain  Introduction  to  the  Criticism  of  the 
New  Testament.  Cambridge:  Deighton,  Bell  &  Co.,  2d  edn., 
1874. 

Scrivener,  F.  H.  The  Cambridge  Paragraph  Bible  of  the  Authorized 
Version.  With  a  critical  introduction.  Cambridge:  Uni- 
versity Press,  1873. 

Severn,  Herman  H.  Makers  of  the  Bible  and  Their  Literary 
Methods.     Philadelphia:    Judson  Press,  1922. 

Smyth,  J.  Paterson.  The  Old  Documents  and  the  New  Bible. 
New  York:    James  Pott  &  Co.,  1890. 

Smyth,  J.  Paterson.  How  God  Inspired  the  Bible.  New  York: 
James  Pott  &  Co.,  1892. 

Smyth,  J.  Paterson.  The  Bible  in  the  Making.  New  York: 
James  Pott  &  Co.,  1914. 

Smyth,  J.  Paterson.  Hozv  We  Got  Our  Bible.  New  York:  James 
Pott  &  Co.,  1915. 

Stanley,  A.  P.  Biblia  Pauperum — Facsimile  Reprint  with  Intro- 
duction.    London:    Unwin,  1884. 

Stoughton,  John.  Our  English  Bible:  Its  Translations  and 
Translators.      London:     The  Religious  Tract  Society,  about 

1875- 
Strype,  J.     Me^norials  of  Archbishop  Cranfner.     1694. 
Thomson,  W.  B.     The  History  of  the  English  Bible.     Edinburgh: 

T.  &  T.  Clark. 
TiscHENDORF,   C.      When   Were  Our  Gospels   Written?      London: 

Religious  Tract  Society;   New  York:    Revell. 
Westcott,  B.  F.     a  General  View  of  the  History  of  the  English 

Bible.     London:    Macmillan,  2d  edn.,  1872. 
Westcott,  B.  F.     The  Bible  in  the  Church.     London:    Macmillan, 

1870. 


INDEX 


Abbot,  Ezra,  14,  320,  321 

Acts  and  Monuments,  134 

Adams,  John,  34,  35 

Adams,  John  Quincy,  34,  35 

Aelfric,  102 

Aiken,  C.  A.  314,  317 

Aitken's  Bible,  341 

Aldhelm,  loi 

Alexander,  W.  L.,  282,  287,  289 

Alexandrian  Manuscript,  76,  JJ,  86 

87 
Alfred,  King,  loi,  102 
Alford,  H.,  131,  132,  279,  283,  295- 

97 
American  Bible  Society,  19,  21,  22, 

24 
Apocrypha,  10 
Aquila's  Version,  94 
Aramaic,  69,  91 
Arundel,  Archbishop,  no 
Augustine,  28,  31,  33 
Authorized  Version,  244-77 

Bede,  Venerable,  100,  loi 
Bengel,  15,  130 
Bensly,  R.  L.,  282,  291 
Beza,  Theodore,  129 
Bible  Best  Seller,  17,  24 
Bible  House,  London,  20,  21 
Bible  House,  New  York,  16,  22,  325 
Bible,  Statistics  of  Circulation,  19- 

22 
Bickersteth,  E.,  283,  295,  298 
Birrell,  J.,  284,  291 
Bishops'  Bible,  235-39 
Blackie,  Professor,  23 
Blakesley,  J.  W.  283,  287,  295 
Bluefield  Daily  Telegraph,  24 
Book  About  the  English  Bible,  A,  $1 
Boudinot,  Elias,  22 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 

19 
Brown,  D.,  295,  298 


Browne,  E.  H.,  280,  281,  291 
Bryan,  W.  J.,  44 
Bunyan,  John,  33 
Burke,  Edmund,  26 
Burr,  J.  K.,  321 
Burrows,  Montagu,  105 

Caedmon,  100,  loi 

Caine,  Hall,  49 

Calvin,  John,  219 

Carlyle,  Thomas,  48 

Caxton,  William,  119 

Chained  Bible,  21,  243 

Chambers,  T.  W.,  314,  319 

Champollion,  63 

Chance,  F.,  291 

Chase,  T.,  320,  321 

Chenery,  T.,  284,  287,  291 

Cheyne,  T.  K.,  291 

Christian,  Geo.  B.,  Jr.,  41 

Clark,  Champ,  45 

Cochlaeus,  John,  141 

Codex  A,  76,  77,  86,  87 

Codex  B,  76,  84,  85 

Codex  Bezae,  77,  78 

Codex  C,  77,  88,  89 

Codex  Claromontanus,  88 

Codex  Laudianus,  89 

Codex  Montfortianus,  127,  129 

Codex  Purpureus,  88 

Codex  Rossanensis,  90 

Codex  Sinaiticus,  77,  82 

Cohen,  Charles  J.,  70-73 

Coleridge,  S.,  50 

Colines,  Simon  de,  129 

Complutensian  Polyglot,  128,  129 

Conant,  T.  J.,  314,  319 

Convent  of  St.  Catharine,  77,  80, 

84 
Convocation  of  Canterbury  (1534) 

176;     (1856)    278;     (1857)    279; 

1870)  281 
Coptic  Versions,  97,  99 


(347) 


348 


The  Book  of  Books 


Cook,  F.  C,  291 
Council  of  Constance,  112 
Council  of  Toulouse,  108 
Coverdale,  Myles,  174-95,  219 
Cranmer,  Thomas,   140,   176,   198, 

215,  219 
Critical  Essays,  14 
Cromwell,  Thomas,  174,  198,  206, 

211,  214 
Crooks,  G.  R.,  321 
Crosby,  H.,  320,  321 
Cuneiform  Inscriptions,  li,  59-64 
Curious  Bibles,  341 
Cuthbert,  loi 
Cuthbert  Gospels,  102 

Dana,  Charles  A.,  50 
Davidson,  A.  B.,  284,  287,  291 
Davies,  B.,  284,  287,  291 
Day,  G.  E.,  3i4>3i9»  325 
De  Witt,  J.,  316,  319,  325 
Dicken,  Charles,  49 
Dostoevsky,  50 
Douay  Bible,  240-43 
Douglas,  G.  C.  M.,  286,  291 
Driver,  S.  R.,  286,  291 
Durham  Book,  102 
Dwight,  T.,  320,  323,  325 

Eadfrith,  102 

Eadie,  J., 287,  295,  298 

Egyptian  Hieroglyphics,  58,  59 

Egyptian  Versions,  97 

Ellicott,  C.  J.,   172,  279,  281,  285, 

295,  300 
Elliott,  C.  J.,  286,  291 
Elzevirs,  The,  129 
English  Prayer  Book,  219,  291 
Ephraem  Palimpsest,  77-79 
Erasmus,  127 

Evening  Bulletin,  24,  122,  123 
Ewald,  Heinrich,  29 

Faber,  F.  W.,  276 
Fairbairn,  Patrick,  291 
Fairbanks,  C.  W.,  44 
Faraday,  Michael,  32 
Farrar,  F.  W.,  26,  27,  120 


Fell,  Bishop,  130 
Field,  F.,  286,  287,  291 
Foch,  Marshal,  46 
Foxe,  7,  134,  136 
Froude,  J.  A.,  49,  172 
Fry,  Francis,  21,  142,  171 

Garibaldi,  General,  46 

Gaunt,  John  of,  no 

Geden,  J.  D.,  288,  291 

Geneva  Bible,  219-33 

Ginsburg,  C.  D.,  21,  287,  288,  293 

Gladstone,  W.  E.,  43,  44 

Gotch,  F.  W.,  287,  288,  293 

Gothic  Versions,  97 

Grant,  U.  S.,  36,  37 

Great  Bible,  211 

Green,  J.  R.,  33 

Green,  W.  H.,  316,  319 

Grenville  Fragment,  142,  146-50 

Griesbach,  130 

Guizot,  22 

Gutenberg  Bible,  119,  125-27 

Gutenberg,  Johan,  1 16-19 

Guthlac,  loi 

Hackett,  H.  B.,  322,  323 
Hadley,  J.,  322,  323 
Hagedorn,  H.,  39 
Hallam,  A.  H.,  49 
Halle's  Chronicles,  114 
Hammurabi,  Stele  of,  61 
Harding,  Warren  G.,  41-43 
Hare,  G.  E.,  316,  319. 
Harrison,  B.  (President),  36,  37 
Harrison,   B.   (Archdn.),   287,  288, 

293 

Hastings,  H.  L.,  4,  18 

Heber,  Bishop,     17 

Heine,  Heinrich,  29,  48 

Herbert,  George,  50 

Hervey,  A.  C,  280,  283,  293 

Hicks,  Jim,  43 

Hieroglyphics,  58,  59 

Hittites,  8,  63 

Hittites,    The,    the  Story  of  a  For- 
gotten People,  8 


Index 


349 


Hodge,  C.  322,  323 

Hooper,  Bishop,  135,  140,  219 

Hort,  F.  J.  A.,  131,  132,  287,  29s, 

298 
Humphry,  W.  G.,   279,   287,   297, 

298 
Huxley,  T.  H.,  25,  47 

Inspiration  of  the  Bible,  3 

Jackson,  Andrew,  32,  34,  35 
Jay,  John,  22 
Jebb,  J.,  283,  293 
Jefferson,  T.,  34,  35 
Jerome,  33,  95 
Jones,  Sir  William,  50 

Kant,  Immanuel,  48 

Kay,  William,  283,  290,  293 

Kendriek,  A.  C,  322,  323 

Kennedy,  B.  H.,  287,  297,  298 

King  Edward  VH,  21 

Knox,  John,  219 

Krauth,  C.  P.,  316,  319 

Lachmann,  C,  130 

Latham,  Sir  Henry,  32 

Latimer,  Bishop,  140,  219 

Layard,  Sir  Austen,  7 

Leathes,  S.,  287,  290,  293 

Lee,  Alfred,  323,  324 

Lee,  Robert,  E.,  46 

Lee,  Wm.,  287,  297,  298 

Leeser's  Translation,  341 

Lewis,  Tayler,  318,  321 

Lightfoot,  J.  B.,  287,  297,  298 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  34,  37 

Livingstone,  David,  32 

Lord's  Prayer:  Anglo-Saxon,  102; 
Wiclif's,  115;  Tindale's,  161; 
Coverdale's,  195;  Matthew's, 
206;  Taverner's,  210;  Great, 
215;  Cranmer's,  218;  Geneva, 
222,233;  Bishops',  239;  Rheims, 
241;  Authorized,  275;    Revised, 

332- 
Lumby,  J.  R.,  290,  293 
Luther,  Martin,  32,  124,  125 


McGill,  J.,  293 
McKinley,  William,  36,  37 

Macaulay,  Lord,  49 

Mahan,  Admiral,  47 

Manuscripts,  11,  69 

Manuscripts,  Hebrew,  Writing,  72 

Marshall,  Thomas  R.,  45 

Massoretes,  69 

Mead,  C.  M.,  318,  321,  325 

Matthew,  Thomas,  196 

Matthew's  Bible,  196 

Memorials  of  Archbishop   Cranmer 

211 
Mendicant  Orders,  107 
Merivale,  C,  297 
Milligan,  W.,  287,  297,  298 
Mistakes  in  the  Bible,  12-15 
Moabite  Stone,  68,  69 
Moberly,  G.,  279,  281,  297,  298 
Modern  Versions,  340 
Monmouth,  Humphrey,  139 
Moulton,  W.  F.,  287,  297,  298 

Napoleon,  Emperor,  46 
Newman,  Cardinal,  29,  287,  297 
Newth,  S.,  287,  297,  298 
Newton,  Sir  Isaac,  50 
North  American  Reviezv,  15 

Old  Latin  Versions,  95,  96 
Ollivant,  A.,  280,  281,  293 
Origen,  33,  95 
Ormulum,  The,  103 
Osgood,  H.,  321 

Pacificus,  Friar,  74 

Packard,  J.,  318,  321 

Packington,  Augustine,  145,  146 

Palmer,  E.,  133,  297,  298 

Paper,  67 

Papyrus,  li,  63,  65-67 

Parable  of  the  Wicked  Mammon,  164 

Parchment,  11,  69 

Parker,  Matthew,  235-37 

Parker,  Theodore,  23,  29 

Penniman,  J.  H.,  25,  51 

Perowne,  J.  J.  S.,  26,  287,  290,  293 


350 


The  Book  of  Books 


Perowne,  Miss  E.,  289 

Pershing,  General  J.  J.,  46 

Peshito  Version,  95 

Plain  Introduction  to  the  Criticism,  of 
the  New  Testament,  129 

Plumptre,  E.  H.,  287,  292,  293 

Printing,  Invention  of,  1 16-123 

Prophecy, 9 

Psalm  2:  Coverdale's,  194;  Mat- 
thew's, 206;  Taverner's,  210; 
Great,  214:  Cranmer's,  217; 
Geneva,  222;  Bishops',  239; 
Douay,  242;  Authorized,  275; 
Revised,  331 

Pusey,  E.  B.,  287,  293 

Quentel,  Peter,  140 

RawHnson,  Sir  Henry,  7 
Renan,  Ernest,  29 
Reuss,  15 

Revised  Versions,  278-339 
Rheims  Testament,  240 
Riddle,  M.  B.,  323,  325,  326 
Ridley,  Bishop,  140,  219 
Roberts,  A.,  287,  297,  299 
Roberts,  Lord,  46 
Rogers,  John,  196-98,  219 
Rolle,  Richard,  103 
Roosevelt,  Theodore,  37-40 
Rose,  H.  ].,  283,  293 
Rosetta  Stone,  60 
Rousseau,  J.  J.,  48 
Roye,  William,  140 
Rushworth  Gloss,  112 
Ruskin,  John,  47 

Samaritan  Pentateuch,  90-92 
Samaritans,  91 
Savonarola,  33 
Sayce,  A.  H.,  8,  289,  293 
SchafF,  P.,  76,  133.  323,  326 
Scholz,  J.  M.  A.,  130 
Schurman,  J.  G.,  50 
Scott,  R.,  287,  297,  298 
Scott,  Sir  Walter,  33,  50 
Scrivener,  F.  H.  A.,  129,  132,  287, 
297,  299 


Selwyn,  W.,  278,  283,  293 

Septuagint,  93,  94,  95 

Sewall,  "Bill,"  39 

Shakespeare,  15,  16 

Shoreham,  William  of,  103 

Short,  C,  323 

Sinaitic  Manuscript,  yj,  82 

Singh,  Rajah,  48 

Smith,  G.  v.,  287,  299 

Smith  H.  B.,  323,  324 

Smith,  R.  P.,  287,  292,  293 

Smith,  W.  R.,  294,  295 

Stanley,  A.  P.,  29,  116,  283,  287, 

298,  299 
Stephens,  Robert,  129 
Stichometry,  y6,  88 
Stowe,  C.  E.,  218,  321 
Strong,  J.,  321 

Strype's  Memorials  of  Cranmer,  211 
Symmachus'  Version,  94 
Syriac  Versions,  95,  97,  98 

Targums,  92,  93 
Taverner,  Richard,  206 
Taylor,  Zachary,  34,  36 
Tel  el- Amarna  Tablets,  63,  64 
Tennyson,  Lord,  120 
Thayer,  J.  H.,  323,  325,  326 
Theodotion's  Version,  94 
Thirlwall,  C,  280,  281,  295 
Tindale,  William,  6,  134-73 
Tindales'  Pentateuch,  165,  168 
Tischendorf,  C,  yy,  130,  131 
Tolstoy,  Count,  49 
Tyndale,  JVilliam,  A  Biography,  134 
Tonstal,  Cuthbert,  143,  144,  218 
Tregelles,  S.  P.,  131,  287,  299 
Trench,  R.  C,  279,  287,  298,  299 
Trevisa,  John,  103,  104 
Troutbeck,  J.,  296,  299,  300 

Van  Dyck,  C.  V.  A.,  319,  321 

Vatican  Library,  89,  85 

Vatican  Manuscript,  76,  84,  85 

Vaughan,  C.  J.,  287,  298,  299 

Vellum,  II,  69 

Versions,  1 1 

Vilvorde  Castle,  171,  173 


Index 


351 


Vitality  of  the  Bible,  The,  23 
Vulgate,  95,  96,  97 

Walsh,  Sir  John,  135,  137,  138 

Walsingham,  109 

Warren,  W.  F.,  323,  324 

Washburn,  E.  A.,  325 

Washington,  George,  34,  35 

Webster,  Daniel,  32,  44 

Weir,  D.  H.,  294,  295 

West  Saxon  Gospels,  102 

Westcott,  B.  F.,  131,  132,  287,  299 

Wetstein,  130 

When  Were  Our  Gospels  Written?  fj 


Whitfield,  33 

Whittingham,  William,  219 
Wiclif,  John,  6,  21,  103-15 
Wiclifs  Place  in  History,  105 
Wilberforce,  S.,  281,  296,  299 
Wilson,  Woodrow,  38,  40 
Woolse}",  T.  D.,  324,  325 
Wordsworth,  Charles,  298,  299 
Wordsworth,  Christopher,  281,  282 

295 
Wright,  W,  287,  295 
Wright,  W.  A.,  287,  294,  295,  300 
Writing,  11,  58 
Writing  Materials,  58 


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