The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-03-13
"IHE HISTORY or THE ENGLISH
PVpTEr

BIBLE.'
'The TRANSACTIONS of the Second Gen.
tury' formed the subject of Professor
Sanders fourth lecture in this course at
st. Paul's parish house Saturday after
noon.
The Syriac Version, date about $50 A.
D., made at Odessa by Jewish Chris
| tians, was the first, closely followed by
the "Peshitto" or Simple version, and
the "Curetonian.' This Syriac version
had very important bearing upon the
New Testament Canon, as did also the
Sinaitic Text discovered in 1892. The
next great translation was into the old
Latin, about 175 A. D., made probably in
North Africa, following the Septuagint,
and gradually adopted by the Western
church. (the Eastern church still adher-
ing to its old superstitions and tradi-
Latin Bible was known to Tertullan in
200 A. D., which date marks the history
of the adoption of the New Testament
canon.
The period 170-30S A. d. marked the
gradual separation of canonical and I'M
canoncal literature, and this selection
was ratified by church councils. By 400
A. d. the New Testament was almost
universally accepted. The Old Latin
Bible was little more than a translation
from translation the LXX), and it
was so greatly corrupt owing to careless
copying, variant versions, and so I'M
satisfactory, that Jerome (346-420 A. d.
commenced his Vulgate, from which the
present New Testament derives its au
thenticity. Jerome was appointed to his
great work by Pope Damascus in 3S2 A.
D., on account of his eminent fitness for
such labor. The New Testament was
cautiously revised, and the Old Testa-
ment was carefully translated from
the Hebrew, Jerome repudiating the ex-
listing old Latin version.
The Western church fostered and pro-
tected the New Bible. and its history
was traced through it's rivalry with the
Eastern church. Its centering at Rome
was influenced by Germanic ideas. The
llllGl Stpdld .Culllt III Iubu "a. l.. l. lie
Western church was cha acterized by its
missionary responsiveness. 1t develop
ed monasticism, made the Latin sa-
cred language, exalted the liturgies
above preaching, and it's clergy were il
lterate but extremely exacting. This
period of 400 A. d. to 1900 A. d. marked
the life of the Latin Bible.
The influences which made the Bible
a book for priests or monks rather than
laymen were simple and inevitable from
the scarcity of Tearing among all classes
but the ecclesiastics. During this pc
Rod the famous Golden Gospels
arose. The Norman and Danish inva-
sions of France and England stopped |
literary activity in those lands. Lang I
dale in 1860 added chapter divisions to
the Vulgate under the revision of the
of Paris. The first Bible was
printed in 1456, revised by Pope Sixtus
in 1890, and the Vulgate did not receive
until 1892.
There were numerous minor influences
at work during this long period which |
are difficult to arrange in logical or
order; viz, Wycliffe's first
Bible in English, it's relation
and influence to the Vulgate, the Greek
Testament edited by Erasmus, and the
activity of scholars in Biblical studies;
Luthers work, his difficulties and final
success; also Tyndale's printed Bible,
MS determination to give it to the Eng
ish people, and success under almost In
difficulties.
Coverdale's Bible appeared in 1888.
Cromwell patronized this edition, ana
through his permission, it was spread
throughout England. Mathews Bible
appeared in 1887, closely related to Tyn-
lale's and Coverdale's books. Then the
Great Bible, with Coverdale the editor
md Cromwell the patron, appeared.
passing through seven editions, and was
ordered to be placed in the churches,
t was extremely popular and its psal-
err is now used in the Common Book Of
Prayer to-day.
The next period to be spoken of VIII
,e that of the Bible as adopted by the
english speaking peoples of this day,
coming from the Great Bible just de-
cribed.
r5TccrNvc MAN FOITND