The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-06-05
THE ENGLISH BIBLE.
Difficulties Attending the Early
TranslatiOns-When Each Was
Made and by Whom.


|
! The long struggle of the English
people to get the Scriptures in thei
common tongue is one of the mos
interesting portions Of their history
and the pending introduction of
revised version Of the New Tesla
ment offers a favorable occasion tC
present an outline of that struggle. O.
course no one could have expected
a general circulation of any book
until after the invention of print
ing. But the Bible was an excep
tiOnal work. 1t was the alleged
foundation of all government, anC
priests and kings alike looked to il
for their authority. The churcI
standard was the Vulgate, first ex
ecuted by Jerome before the close
of the fourth century, and YariOusly
amended from time to time; but il
was not until early in the eighteenth
century that it took its present
form. During the reign of Edward
Ill: the exactions upon England OF
the Roman pOntiff, particularly in
money contributions. created much
opposition. Foremost among such
opponents was John Wycliffe, born
about 1924, irregular and well edu-
Gated member of the Church of
Rome, which was then the only
church. The condition of English
civilization at that age was peculiar.
From the conquest in 1866, to the
middle of the fourteenth century,
say 400 years-there had been very
little intellectual development. a
few great men had occupied the
throne; the CHURCH had produced
scholars, theOlOgians and statesmen
of no mean rank; but they all drifted
into the powerful current set in mo-
ton by the Norman invasion. The
actual condition of the people in the
fourteenth century was pitiable.
Violence and bribery everywhere
over-awed justice. In Henry's his
tory we read: "There was not so
much as one of the kings ministers
and judges who did not receive
brides and very few who did not ex-
tort them" Perjury was so uni
versal that it might have been said
"all men are liars Life and prop
perty were in constant danger from
the bands of robbers who roamed
at will over the country under the
protection of powerful barons who
gave them shelter and shared their
booty. Men and women were sold
at the great fairs like cattle. Gross
ness of manners and of converse
ton were common in all ranks and
RIGHTEOUSNESS ran riot in the
church, the castle and the hovel.
The much boosted Magma Charta
had enfranchised the barons, but
it was of no real advantage to the
common people.
JOHN WYCLIFFE'S DISCOVERY.
The Bible was known only to the
church leaders and a few learned
laymen. Not line had been given
out in the language of the people.
There is no record that any attempt
was made to give it or any pOr-
ton of it to them until John Wy
cliffe, then sustaining Edward III.
against the demands of the Pope,
happened to light upon copy of the
Vulgate somewhere in the hiding
places of Oxford college. He read
it; saw its full purpOrt and resolved
to give it to all England, so that
every man might be his own inter
prefer. In doing this he had to fight
all the powers of the church, and he
did fight with a plainneSS and q
force that Luther in his time might
have envied. His course soon at
tracted attention, and in 1865 he was
called to Parliament to assist the
opponents of the demand of Urban
II. for the removal of King Johns
tribute of a thousand marks each
year. Here he held the King to be
above the church, and advanced
other hereSies. The next year he
was made a doctor and professor Of
theology at Oxford. His next con-
spicuOus position was that of one of
q commission sent to demonstrate
with the Pope against the sale of
beneices. In 1877 he was
accused, in an ecclesiastical Parlia-
ment in London, as person hold
ing and propagaing heretical Opin
ions. He met and easily defeated
his accusers. Persecution contin-
ued, but Wycliffe triumphed. The
people began to follow him, and on
one occasion, fearing for his life,
they poured into the court room like
the waves of the sea, determined at
all hazards to protect him. Wycliffe
grew bOlder and attacked the very
corner points of the church edifice,
even the sacrament Of communion.
For this and other heresieS he was
formally condemned, and all who
should teach his doctrines were de-
clared liable to the greater eXcom-
and Imprisonment. But
he went on as if nothing had hap
pened, and devoted much time in
writing tracts for the people, some
Of which contain doctrines almost
as democratic as those of Thomas
j efferSOn. All the time he was
translating the Bible, and in 1884
the work was finished. On the last
day Of that year he died in peace
among his friends.
THE FIRST tNGLISH BIBLE.
This was the first English Bible.