The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1861-09-26
BIBLICAL SKETCHES.
d 1 d ulOA AL D n u L III uDI
BY "UNCLE WILLIAM"
HISTORY AND AUTHENTICITY OF
THE SACRED SCRIPTURES.
SKETCH II,
SKETCH II,

lated the Psalms, or a portion of
them, into the Saxon tongue, about
the year 7OG. Egbcrt, Bishop of
LanGisfern, made a Saxon version
of the four Gospels. Bede trans
lated either part or the whole of
the Scriptures in the Saxon tongue.
The first translation of the Bible
into English was made about the
year 1927, by some unknown per-
son. About the year 1880, John
Wicklife, the morning star Of the
Reformation, translated the entire
Bible into English, from the Latin.
But at q convocation held at Ok
ford in 1908, it was decreed that no
one should be allowed to translate
any part Of the Bible into any lit
tie book or tract; and that no
book Of. this kind (that is, any part
of the Scriptures translated into
English,) should be reads We
need not add, that this decree led
the way to great persecution; some
persons were punished severely,
and not a few were put to death
for reading the English Bible
We are indebted, under God, to
w. Tindal, for the first printed
translation of the Scriptures into
English. lie had this translation
printed at Antwerp, in Flanders.
The Bibles translated by Tindal,
were smuggled into England;
bought up as fast as they could be
brought over, and read by many
who were anxious to have the
word of God in their own language.
In the year 1885, the whole Bible
translated into English, was print
ed in folio, and dedicated to the
King, by Miles Coverdale. This
was the first English translation Of
the Bible allowed by royal author
ity. Other editions and transla-
tons followed; and in the year
1868, the edition called the "Great
Bible," or the "Bishop's Bible" ap-
pearod. But it is to the Puritans,
the fathers Of the congregational
churches, both in Europe and
America, that we are indebted for
our present translation of the Holy
Scriptures. In conference, held
at Hampton Court, in 1903, before
King James the First, between the
Episcopalians and DR.. Reynolds;
the pious, learned, and noble-mind-
cd representative of the Noncon-
formists,, urged upon His Majesty
the absolute necessity Of a new
and accurate translation Of the sa-
cred volume. The Archbishop of
Canterbury, and the Bishop of
London, fattered the King in the
most disgusting manner, but evin-
ced no earnest desire to give the
people q more correct translation
of the word Of God; but DR.. Rey-
nolds prevailed, and his Majesty
ordered that the learned divines of
the Church of England, should be
appointed to translate the Old and
New Testaments. This great work
was begun in the spring of 1907,
and brought to close about the
year 1911. This is the authorised
version Of the Holy Scriptures
now in use amongst us. The sa-
cred records have been preserved
with an uncommon freedom from
gross corruptions, more so than
the classic works of antiquity, and
in purity indicating that the pro.
violence Of God, through the in.
strumentality of man, has watched
over their preservation under the
most disastrous circumstances, and
brought out Of dark and distant
ages, this great light of truth, tc
shine with undimmed splendour
and to spread over all coming gen
erGtions. To God be all the praise
n So great was the expense of transcrib
ing the Bible at that time, that copy O.
Wickliffe's New Testament cost 5000. Nov
Testament can be had in England for eigh
cents -.-.