Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-10-04
From the Edinburgh Christian Magazine.
KING JAMEs'S INSTRUCTIONS TO THE TRANS
LATORS OF THE BIBLE.

KING JAMEs's INSTRUCTIONS TO THE TRANS
LATORs OF THE BIBLE.
RULE |. The ordinary Bible read in the
church, commonly called the Bishops
Bible, to be followed, and as little altered
as the original will permit. II. The
names of the prophets and the holy writer's,
with the other names in the text, to be re-
tanned, as nearly as may be, according as
they are vulgarly used. III. The old
ecclesiastical words to be kept; viz. as the
word church, not to be translated congre.
gution, &c. ". When any word hath
divers Specifications, that to be kept which
hath been most commonly used by the
most eminent Fathers, being agreeable to
the propriety of the place, and to the analo-
gy of faith. V. The division of the
Chapters either not to be altered at all, or
as little as may be, if necessity so require
vi. No marginal notes to be affixed, but
only for the explanation of the Hebrew or
Greek words, which cannot, without Cir
cumlocution, so briefly and fully be expires.
sed in the text. VII. Such quotations OF
places to be marginaly set down, as shall
serve for the fit reference of one scripture
to another. VIII. 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, confer
what they have done, and agree, for their
part, what shall stand.t TX. AS any one
company hath despatched any one book in
this manner, they shall send it to the rest,
to be considered seriously aud judiciously;
for his Majesty is very careful in this point.
X. If any of the company, in the review
of the book so sent, shall doubt or differ
upon any places, and these withal send the
reasons, to which ifthey consent not, the
difference shall be compounded at the ge-
neral meeting, which is to be Of the chief
persons of each company at the end OF the
work. XI. When any place of special
obscurity is doubted of, letters to be direct
ed by authority, to send any learned man in
the land, for his judgement in such place.
XII. Letters to be sent from every bishop
to the rest of his clergy, admonishing them
of this translation in hand, and to move
and charge as many as, being skilful in the
tongues, have taken pains in that hand,
to send his particular observations 10 the
company. either at Westminster, Oxford,
or Cambridge. Xiii. The directors in
each company, to be the Dean Of West.
minister and Chester for that place, and
the Kings professors in Hebrew and
Greek in each University. XIV. These
translations to be used when they agree
better with the text than the Bishops Bible,
viz. Tyndel's Matthew's, Covcndalc's
Whytechurch's, Geneva
The Bible was divided into chapters in
the 18th century by Stephen Langton, Arch
bishop of Canterbury.
The learned Selden, in his Table Talk,
commencing the English translation of the
Bible as the best in the world, and as render
inc the sense of the original best, says, "The
translators in King Jamess time took an ex-
cellent way. That part of the Bible was CIV
en- to him who was most excellent in such
tongue, and then they met together, and one
read the translation, the rest holding in their
hands some Bible, either of the learned
tongues, or French, Spanish, italian, &C.: If
they found fault, they spoke; if not, he read
on"
To give particular history of the differ
ent translations of the Bible, would be giving
history of the Reformation. The most an
cient English translation Of the New Tesla
ment, Give except the Saxon translation OF
the four Gospels,) is that made by John
WickIff, the English Reformer, in the year
1867, which so alarmedthe Romish clergy, that
it was prohibited; and some, for using it, were
put to death. There is beautiful MS. OF
Wicklff's translation, on vellum, in the Advo-
Gates Library at Edinburgh. The art OF
printing, discovered about the year 1909
affording such wonderful facilities for multiply
inc copies of the scriptures, and both the Ian
guage and photography ofWickif's transla-
ton having become in great measure OBJ
solete, William Tyndal, Welchman, educa-
ted at Oxford, translated the New Testament
into English in the reign OF Henry VIII. in
tending to publish it from the press, the more
effectuaLy to expose the errors of Popery but
falling under the susp spicion Of heresy, he was
Obliged to flee to Antwerp, where he finished
it, and there or at Hamburgh published it in
1926. Before he had finished the printing OF
a second edition in 1884, he was imprisoned
in the castle of Antwerp where he remained
till he was strangled and burnt as hereto in
1886. Before his death, he had translated
the books of the Old Testament to Nehemiah,
together with Jonah, which, with the New
Testament, make what is called Iy1deps b.
bic. With the same views Myles Coverdale,
a native of Yorkshire, and one of the Austin
friars in Cambridge, translated the other
books of the Old Testament, and published
the whole, with dedication to Henry VIII.
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