Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-17 00:00:00

reach of all the words of eternal life in their native
simplicity." The version at 'present in our h inds,
Beard declares " is not a reav translation, but simply a
revision—a revision indebted to previous rivisioas, but
most of all to Tyndale, of whose text it is, to a great extent,
a transcript, as on his part Tyndale's twit is translated
from Luther and the Vulgate more than from the Greek."
The volume before us is dialled into two parts. The
first part is a critical and historic tl revie IT of the circom-
stanees which led to the authorized translation of the B:ble,
and under which it was produce] ; and the second
contains suggestions for the c srreci ►n of the errors which
the author points out in that version, and which he shews
to exist in a greater or less extent is ssaae thoasands of
passages. The first por.ion seems to us conclusive of the
main part, which it urge,—ghat the translation we now
read is but a revised version of a translation, which itself
was rendered, not from the G:eek or the Hebrew, bit from
the German of L•tther. The second part must be carefully
examined by these who feel interested, as every one in
these countries ought to feel, in this question. It contains,
as we have said, some thousands of passages, in which the
author contends there is a necessity for alteration and
Practically, it is upon this portion of the
question the case pat forward, on behalf of a revised
translation, must rest. To enter into a consideration of
any of the passages thus suggested, as requiring emenda-
tion, would be a work beyond the scope of a newspaper
ar!icle. We can only call attention to the deep importance
which must attach to this portion of the work, maintained
as it i., by study, thought, and scholastic acquirement,
such as Pr. Beard possesses.
One or two passages we desire to extract. In the first
portion of the wo►k D. Beard thus speaks of the father of
the English Bible, William Tyndale :
" Thousands have laboured and endured, in the hope of
making the light that is in the Bible clear, manifest, and uni-
versal,—th usands of the ruost learned, excellent, aid pious
disciples of the suffering Messiah-. At the head of those true
children of the light stands William Tyndale, ;he first, and it
may be added, the best translator of the Bible into English.
The reader who gqpves over the guilt of kings, bielops, and
priests, in witholdng the bread and water of life from the
hungry and the thirsty, will be glad to learn that Tyndale was
a priest, and even a friar. But ho was something better than
a member of a sacerdotal bogy;—in the wor.ls of the German
Emperor's Procurator-Genera', he was a learned, pious, and
good man.

revision.

".It was a very gloomy period of the world when Tyndale
was sent into it. The darkest hour of night is said to be the
hour before the dawn. Truly Egyptian was the darkness which
preceded the dawn of our English Reformation ;—the dark-
ness might be fe't. Over the county of Gloucester, in the
end of the fifteen ,h century, the darkness gathered and settled
as if with special preference. Yet there and thin did Gad
kindle a brilliant light, by giving existence to Tyndale (1480).
There and then the young student breathed in that piety
which made him love the Bible, and the truths of the Bible,
better than life itself. From rural scenes in Gloucestershire,
Tyndale went to the University of Oxford, whore he made
himself a proficient in the best learning of the day. From
profound and careful study, he became " lade-ay in the
Scriptures," at a time when an acquaintance with the Bible
was more rare and more perilous than a familiarity with the
black arts, Conceiving it to be his euty to communicate the
light he had received of " the Father of lights," he opened
classes for the expositio❑ of the Scriptures. His reward was
obloquy. As the storm grew constantly heavier, he left Oxford
for Cambridge, where he appears to have employed himself
in the same righteous labour. Dissatisfied with his success,
if not alarmed for his safety, he retired into the seclusion of
his native county. And now he is tutor in the manor-house
of Little Sodhnry. Sir John Walsh, its owner, is right hos-
pitable, and fond of good company. Equally fond of good
cheer are the gr,ndees of the church that live around him.
Often, therefore, are they at Sir John's well-covered table.
" Abbots, Deans, Archdeacons, with divers other doctors and
great-beneficed men,"—high personages all, and no poor vicar
or shabby curate among them,—high personages and truly
orthodox ; lea❑ of soul it might be, hut in body well fed; and
for doctrine irreproachable, believing all the church taught
and a good deal the church did not teach ; indeed, ready of
belief,—men that would rather believe than not,—men who
preferred " things hard to ba understood ;" for to believe
str,:h was a nserit,—men who had no word of tolerance for
newfangled notions, and would go forth any hour to set the
torch to the funeral pim of any one more scrupulous than
themselves touching articles of belief or the authority of the
church :—such was the society that our University scholar
met ever and anon in that hospitable dining-hall. With
those luxurious, old-fashioned dignitaries Tyndale had nothing
in common. At first we may suppose be listened in silence
while, in the midst of their feastings and cups, they spake
now and again of church affair: in a split of entire satisfac-
tion. By degrees, however, his courage arose. At length,
like the prophet (Jer. xx. 9), he may have said—
. His word is in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones ;
I was weary with forbearing, and I could not refrain.'

He spoke, at first, perhaps, timidly, but forthwith with words
like rushing waters. The consequence may be described in
the words of the same authority—
I heari the defaming of many, fear on every side.
Report, say they, and wa wi.l report it.
All my familiars watched for my halting—saying,
Peradventure he wi 1 b 3 enticed, and we shall prevai: against him
And on him sha 1 we have our revenge.'

Ncvertheles., confidence grew with fidelity. Then came
. .

boldness. Tyndale dared to instruct and even reprove those
great men. A conflict ensued. The doctorly prelatists '

wen) defeated.

Rather than take with their dainties what

Faller calls ' the sour sauce' of Tyndale's conversation,
they renounced Sir John's good cheer. But in retiring they
bore with them a rancorous grudge. 'The young upstart had
committed an unpa•donable offence, and he should suffer fo?
hia temerity. Nor were they without means of retribution.
Tyndale was clearly a heretic; and heretics of course were
punished, and, if needs be, burned. So on all sides th - cry
of heretic!' rose around the ear of the daring innovator.
Alike in the ale-houses, the noble mansions, the episcopal
board-rooms, Tyndale was denounced as a herotie. The
noises went on with ever-increasing fut 7 till they had pre-
pared the way for actioi. Wh'n the public mind was suffi-
ciently excited, the offender was (1522) brought before the
Chancellor of the diocese, and subjected to a severe reproof :
He threatened me gtievously, an reviled me, and rated
me as though I ha•l been a dog.' The reproof did not silence
Tyndale, though it let him see how imminent was the danger
in which he stood. Nothing deterred, ho went on teaching
and disputing. Armed with the divine word, he was too
powerful for his enemies. The divine word, therefore, must
be disallowed. It were better for us' seid a learned divine,

to ba without God's laws than without the Pope's.' Then
came there forth from Tyndale the great utterance—' I defy
the Pope and all his laws; an I if God spare my life, ere many
years, I will cause a boy that driveth the plough to know
More of the Scriptures than you do.'
" This word expressed the settled determination of his
soul. Having himself become imbued with divine truth,
and having largely experienced its salutary power, he re-
solvei that, with divine aid, he would unseal the fountain,
and let out its waters, even for the wayfarers. Straight-
way he put his hand to the wor r, when a storm burst
forth which agitated the whole of sooie'y. Compelled to
leave the country, Tyndale went to London, hoping to find
some encouragement in his latour of love from the hands
of the Church and State. • Church and State took part
against him. The opposition become so determined, that he
Bad to the Continent. Establishing himself in the city of
liamburgli first, and then in the city of Antwerp, Tyndale
translated and printed portions of the sacred volume. The
honks ho thus prepared abroad were committed to the
flames in England. 'rho contest was long; and dreadful.
The clergy and the kieg (Henry VIII.) withstood the new
light as if they were animated with the thought—' If we
do not root up printing, printing will root up us.' Tyndale,
inspired and suppor:ed by the Divine Spitit, laboured cease-
lessly, an-I only drew from failure fresh courage. What
manner• of person he was is this juncture, may be learnt
from old John Fox:—

way a man very frugal. and spare of body, a greet student,
and earnest labourer in the setting forth of the Scriptures of God. He
reserved or halle xed to himself two days in the weak, which he
named his p istime, Monday and Saturday. 0:1 Monday, he visited
all such poar men and women as were fled out of England, by reason
of persecution, into Antwerp; and thes., once well understanding
their good exercises and qualities, he did very lib rally comfort and
; and in like manner provided for sick and diseased persons.
Oa ,aturday he walked round about the town, seeking every corner
and hole where he suspected any paor parson to dwell ; and when he
found any to be wall occupied and yet overburdened w:th children,
or el 'e were a ;cd and we k, those also he piestifully relieved. And
thus he a pent his two days of past'me, as he calted them. And truly
his alms were very large, arid so they might well be; far his exht-
b.tion that he had yearly of the Enzlisli merchants at Antwerp, wh-in
living there,was considerable. and that for the most part he bestowed
upon the poor. The rest of the days of the weak he cave wholly to
his book, wherein he most diligently travaled. Ilrhm the Sanday
cams, then watt he to same one merchant's chamber or other,
whither came many other merchants, an 3 unto them would he road
SOlllO one parcel of Sec ptaire ; the which praceeded so fruitfully,
sweaty, and gently from him, much like to the writing of Jahn the
Evangelist, that it was a heavenly comfort and joy to the audience to
hear him read the Scriptures; lik:wis., after dinner, he spent an
hone in the same manner. lie wa; a moo without a spot or blemish
of ranco r or malice, full of mercy' and compassion, so that no one
Was able to reprove him of any sits or

" Were :he world what it ought, such is the man wl-,o'n
kings and priests would delight to honour. But blind kings
and bigoted priests persecuted this man to death. Early in
1535, Tyndale, who had been constantly hunted by the
emissaries of his English foes, was betrayed by one Phillips,
a tool of Stephen Gardiner, the elruel and crafty Bishop of
Winchester. After suffering an Inprisonment of more than
eighteen menthe in the Castle of Vilverde, near giusloig, be