The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-22

the continent, and by 1884 the manuscript
was ready for the printer. Yet the same
mystery which wells so much of the early
BlDte work hangs about Coverdales first
Bible. 1t is even uncertain where it was
printed. At Frankfort, Zurich, Antwerp
which! A recent discovery has proved
conclusively that Jacob Van Meteran of
Antwerp was at this time employed in
producing translation of the Bible and
tnat for this purpose he employed "a
certain learned scholar named Miles
COVerdale." This makes it most likely
that our first English Bible was printed
In the same city in which Tyndale had
been betrayed. In order to conform with
an act OF parliament prohibiting the in
production of bound books into England
Meteran sent the sheets to Nicholson of
southwark, by whom they were made up
and published. Nicholson seems to have
removed Coverdale's original title page
which set forth that the book was faith
fully and truly translated out Of Dutch
(German) and Latin into English" and
TO have substituted another declaring
only that it was faithfully translated
into English"
After other efforts to translate Bible
which would be acceptable to all classes,
the time had come for one not only to be
approved by the king, but to be issued
under his authority. In consequence the
cellent men, was completed. Tyndale's
translation was now prohibited and Cover
dale's ambition to see a Bible with ammo
tatlons was checked. On the accession of
Edward VI, however, Coverdale again
came into prominence, but Mary's en-
thronement was the signal for the prohi-
bitIon of all open reading of the scripture
Bibles which had been placed in the
churches were burned. The next trace
we have of Coverdale is in Geneva, and it
was during this period of forced absence
from England that he, together with
! William Nottingham, who was related
by marriage to Calvin, and other exiles
| prepared the version of the Bible which
gained and held the heart of the English
| people for the next half-century.
CovERDALE's VERSION.
The Genevan Testament appeared in
| 1857, and Calvin himself prefaced it with
an Introductory Epistle" In size and
price it was better fitted than the Great
Bible for general circulation, and Cover
dale must have seen with satisfaction the
| addition Of the marginal commentary, on
which his heart had been set in his
earlier work. No sooner was the Testa-
ment published than the learned exiles
| plunged into the more serious business of
revising the whole Bible They continued
at their task "for the space of ten years
and more, day and night" Before they
had concluded it, Mary died, and
| Elizabeth assembled the English throne.
In form it was moderate quarto; for the
| first time the text was printed in Roman
letter and the chapters were divided into
| verses. For the first time also the Apoc
| rypha was omitted. The monopoly OF
| printing it was granted by Elizabeth Il
| John Bodley, whose name lives still in tho
| famous library at Oxford. Eighty edi
tons appeared before the authorized yer
sion came to dispute with it the place OIL
honor in the affections of the country
Coverdale died in extreme old age, and
| probably, in great poverty.
The Bishops Bible was published II
1913. 1t was an authorized book, and the
sanction of the sovereign WAS joyouslJ
claimed for it by the printer.
In the year 1903 James l. was crowned
| king of England. On his progress from
| Scotland he was compelled TO listen tC
| the complaints of the Puritans, who ap
| pealed to him for deliverance from what
| they called the tyranny of the ritualsts
! The king was delighted with a theologi
cal discussion, and prided himself upon
| his controversial ability. Notwithstand
| ing the fact that he was Scot, he sym
! pathized with the high church, yet he be-
! lieved, with the Puritans, that a uniform
translation of the scriptures was a neces.
/
| demanded that the universities should
prepare it, the church dignitaries revise
| it, the privy council approve it, and then
| he himself would graciously give it his
royal authority. The church authori.
ties hestated, or, at least, pursued
policy of Fabian inactivity. The king,
| however, was thoroughly in earnest. He
| appointed fifty-four scholars to do the
work. and forty-seven in the final list
served They met at Westminster Cam
bridge and oxford to carry through the
| great achievement of the seventeenth
century.
THE AUTHORIZED AND REVISED.
| The authorized version appeared in 1911.
| 1t had the weight of authority, and re-
| ceived recognition in the churches. AL
| though criticised by some scholars of ac-
| knowledged power, it won its way
| throughout all England. For two cen
| turtles and half it dominated the En-
| glish religious life, and is to-day more
! widely read than any Bible on the face of
| the earth.
1t was not long, however, before re-
vision of The authorized version was agi-
tated Yet it maintained tia power and
influence for 200 years. Slowly but
surely the reasons for readjustment of
it's terminology, it's eXpressional peculiar
tiles, became more widely diffused, until
the sentiment for revision found ex-
preston in the adoption of resolution in
the upper house ,of the convocation of
| Canterbury in the year of 1870, favoring
the appointment of committee to per-
form this work. The New Testament
revision was completed in six years, two
years more were spent in second re-
vision, and only after two years and
a-half had passed were all the details so
settled that it could be published. But
the Old Testament required fourteen
years for completion.
The Results of Heredity.