The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-08-03

HE IYNDALL BIBLE.
In Its printed form our English Bible
was born in exile. Caxton's press was
in operation more than half century
| before an edition OF the New Testament
] in the vernacular was printed in Eng
land. William Tyndale born in 1884 in
the west of England, and educated in
the great universities, went in 524 to
the German city of Ham burg. From his
earliest years he had been an earnest
and constant student of the Scriptures.
lie could find no safety in England
while translating the Bible, to which he
had determined to devote his life. Dur
ing the time he passed in Ham burg he
accomplished the task of publishing
separately the Gospels of Matthew and
Mark. Removing to Cologne he engaged
in issuing the entire New Testament,
but here, too, the authorities prevented
the publication, and he fled to Worms.
ReSum1ng their the work interrupted at
Cologne Tyndale determined to issue two
editions of the New Testament. The
printing of the first, a quarto, had been
begun by Guentel before Tyndale's fight.
Inc second, an octave, was executed en-
tirely at Worms by P. Soho ,ffer, the son
OF one of the first great triumvirate OF
| printers. This edition was the first to
De Issued. Eventually the two editions
stole anonymously into England in 1926.
Turning his attention to the Old Testa-
ment, Tyndale published the Pentateuch
in 1880. For five years he continued his
labors and finally brought them to a
successful conclusion.
OTHER ENGLISH BIBLES.
The martyrdom of Tyndale did not
prevent others from assuming the mis-
sion which had inspired him to such
prodigious labor. Indeed, the year pre-
ceeding his death had witnessed the first
complete Bible printed in the English
language. This translation did not claim
the original and exhaustive scholarship
by which Tyndale's efforts were dis
tinguished. 1t was a version from the
German and Latin made by King
Henry's humble subject and dayle ora
| tour, Myles Coverdale.n He was edu-
Gated at the Augustinian monastery in
Cambridge and was reformer by ma
ture. He had, also, the advantage Of
patronage. He carried on his work on
| the continent, and by 1884 the manu-
script was. ready for the priI ter. Yet
the same mystery which wells sosmuch of
the early. Bible work hang about Cover
| dale's first Bible. 1t is even uncertain
where it was printed At Frankfort,
Zurich, Antwerp-which? A recent dis
i covery has proved conclusively that
Jacob Van Meteren of Antwerp was at
| this time employed in producing trans
| lation of the Bible and that for this pur-
| scholar named Miles Coverdale." This
/ makes it most likely that our first Eng
/ fish Bible was printed in the same city
in which Tyndale had been betrayed.
In order to conform with an act OF par
lament prohibiting the Introduction of
bound books into England. Meteren
sent the sheets to Nicholson of South
wark, by whom they were made and pu b.
lished. Nicholson seems to have removed
Coverdale's original title page, which
set forth that the book was faithfully
| and truly translated out of Dutch Ger
many and Latin into English" and to
| have substituted another declaring only
that 1t 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 conse-
| quence the "Great Bible" translated by
4 "divers excellent menn was completed.
Tyndale's translation was now prohibited
| and Coverdale's ambition to see Bill BILE
with annotations was checked. On the
accession of Edward vi. however, Gov.
| erdale again came into prominence: but
Mary's enforcement was the signal
for the prohibition of all open reading
of the Scriptures. Bibles which had been
placed in the churches were buried.
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. anc
other exiles prepared the version of the
Bible which gained and held the hear
of the English people for the next hall
century.
COvERDALE'S VERSION.
The Genevan Testament appeared il
1857, and Calvin himself prefaced il
with an Introductory Epistle." Ii
size and price it was better fitted thai
the Great Bible for general circulation
and Coverdale must have seen with sat
isfaction the addition of the margina
commentary. on which his heart hat
been set in his earlier work. No soone
was the Testament finished than tn
learned exiles plunged into the NOR
seriousbusiness of revising the whole Bi
BILE. They continued at their task" for th
space of ten years and more. day an,
| nlgub. belOro CHey Ildu COnCluQeu IL
Mary died, and Elizabeth assembled tn
English throne.
In form it was moderate quarto; TO
the first time the text was printed il
Roman letter, and the chapters wer
divided into verses. For the first tim
, also the Apocrypha was omitted. TIL
monopoly of printing 1t was granted b.
Elizabeth to John Bodley, whose nam
lives still in the famous library at Ok
ford. Eighty editions appeared befor
the Authorized Version came to disput
with it the place of honor in the affec
lions of the country. Coverdale died il
extreme old age. and probably In grea
/ poverty.
The Bishops Bible was published i
1868. 1t was an authorized book, an
!, the sanction of the sovereign was joyous
ly claimed for it by the printer. In tn
/ year 1903 James was crowned King G
England On his progress from Scot
, land he was compelled to listen to tn
V complaints of the Puritans, who appeale
, to him for deliverance fron what the
called the tyranny of the ritualists Th
king was delighted with theologics
discnssion and prided himself upon hi