Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-11
REVISION OF BIBLE
Some Interesting Historical
Facts Recalled.
CONFERENCE IN YEAR 1904
King James Selected -Four and
Fifty Learned Men"
WORK WAS CAREFULLY DONE
Printed From Movable Types-Sec-
.ond Edition Published in 1912
and Third in 1913
WORK WAS CAREFULLY DONE
BY WILLIAM e. Curtis.

Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald
In connection with the three hundredth
anniversary of the publication of King
James version of the holy Scriptures it
may be interesting to recall few his
torical facts.
The revision OF what was known as
1.-The Bishops Bible" which was then
generally used by theologians and the
clergy, was suggested by DR.. Reynolds,
OF Corpus Christi College, oxford.
and leader Of the Puritan party in Eng
land. DR.. Reynolds argued that lone of
the things amiss in the church was the
imperfect translation Of the holy scrip
lures. and he recommended to the king
that 1.-The best learned in both universities
Oxford and Cambridge should take
some special pains in behalf of one uni.
form translation, and that after them it
should be reviewed by the bishops and the
chief learned of the church, and from
them presented to the privy council. and
lastly be ratified by his royal authority
so that this whole church should be bound
unto 1t and none other"
DIR. Bancroft, Bishop Of London, oppos-
ed the suggestion with great energy, and
declared that III every mans humor
should be followed there would be no end
of TRANSACTIONS but King James was
January, 1904, he called together a con-
ference on ecclesiastical matters at Hamp-
ton Court Palace, which had been the
residence Of Cardinal Wolsey, twelve
miles from London on the bank Of the
Thames.
Bitter fractional Fights.
,rl,are ,,,aro h;+to. &. ,t;oro1 a~,,t, g., tI,e
estab lished church. which were becoming
very acute, and it is very likely that
King James. who always liked to NEEDLE
with ecclesiastical matters, had an idea
that he might divert attention Of the
eontending factions by undertaking DR..
Reynolds suggestion. The Puritans were
growing bold and strong. and were criti-
cising the bishops and clergy Of the estab-
lished church with intense partisanship.
Just about this time a petition signed by
800 clergymen was presented to the Arch
bishop Of Canterbury. asking that the sign
of the cross be omitted in baptism, and
that the ring be omitted in the marriage
ceremony. They demanded also severer
tests of the educational and spiritual
for the clergy, stricter rules
of temperance and sobriety, a better OBJ
servance of the Sabbath and a reorganiza-
ton of the church courts-but not one of
the demands In the petition received any
attention from the hierarchy.
The conference met at Hampton Court
January IA. 1904. and continued three days,
The king attended the first session and
his vanity was immensely gratified to
have an opportunity to display his learn
ing and to express his theological opin-
ions. for. as Sir Walter Scott once said,
he was the most learned fool in all
Chrfstendom. The bishops were defer
entail and fiattered him, but the Puritan
representatives at the conference were
have some knowledge as to what was
intended before they gave their consent.
Suspicious of Leaders.
r. ! y.ere suspicion of the FL ,ts o.
the aders OF the movement and of the
sine, .ity Of the bishops and regarded
this meddling with the Holy Word as
dangerous to the truth" When the king
was notified that the Puritan delegates
refused to conform to the plans of the
conference he declared:
Il will make them conform or | will
harry them out Of the kingdom."-
Five years later John Robinson and his
Puritan congregation fled to. Leyden
across the British channel, for peace and
liberty; sixteen years later the Mayfiower
started on its cruise with refugees from
persecution; four years later John Milton
was born and at the time of the confer
ence Oliver Cromwell was a lad five
years old. who afterward became stu
dent at Cambridge Of DR. Ward, a men,
Der Of the revision committee.
The king himself selected the -four and
fifty learned men" to revise the text of
the Bishops Bible with the aid of other
TRANSACTIONS, and on the Both of June,
1904, he wrote DIR. Bancroft. Bishop of
London. commanding him to "'take meas
ures to compensate the revisers by church
preferment."
Funds Are Asked.
In a very royal way the king indicated
that he would like to have borne the ex-
pensee Of these committees. but some of
his lords did hold it inconvenient," SO
he requested "the bishops and chapters
to contribute toward this work" with the
suggestion that "his majesty would be
acquainted with every mans liberahty."
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