The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-07-11

a. a 1911. by the Rector Of ST.
MIS- SchOOl.)
~7T will help Us in Under
standing the question to
b get a air idea OF the
~ historical setting Of
EET the Authorized or
III King James version.
IG>D Speaking in round
- numbers, the ear 1900
marks the period Of the
~ discovery of America:
1la wear 1000 that of the first settle
,nef.fe The first settlement by Sir
Vaf.r Raleigh on the shores of u
CT, was in 1855. and the settlement
e. jamestown was made in 1907.
These dates help US to keep in mind
fafrly accurately the year in which
The Authorized version appeared, 1611.
Shakespeare went to London in 1887,
and the period of his literary activity
was from 1888 to 1913, 1900 being,
therefore the middle date. We find
h rcfore that shakespeare derived
III, language of his plays from the
same great treasury Of English from
which was drawn the language OF the
Authorized Version.
All good English writer's have owed
much to the English Bible, and they
have quoted from it freely, both with
regard to ideas and with reSar to
particular phrases. 1t must be re-
membered that Shakespeare, of course
does not quote our Authorized Version,
since it appeared shortly before his
death. but a very large proportion OF
the language of the Authorized Yer
sion was already in the versions that
were in use before his time, and that
owed their origin to the valuable
work in succession of Wycliffe, Tyn-
dale and Coverdaie. It will help US
to understand the position OF the
English Bible at this period to remem-
Der that when jamestown was settleo
in 1907 the settlers brought over the
Prayer Book of the Church of Eng
land in practically the same shape in
which it exists today, but that or
course they did not have the Author
tied Version. on which scholars were
then at work. The Bible they used
was the one whose language is ia
miIiar to US now in the prayer Book
Version Of the Psalms and in some
other parts of the Prayer Book.
The principal versions in use before
the appearance of the Authorized Yer
sin were the Bishops Bible, the Great
Bible, and the Genevan Bible. n
last named version represented the
extreme Protestant influence, and in
Guided marginal notes which, in many
instances, were extremely cOntrOVer-
slal in character.
M, t..~cio+o-- e Tho pr;oaI
Version are entitled to great credit for
the care which they showed in their
work and for the broad spirit in which
il was conceived and executed. Meth
er dId we dlSdaln TO revise that which
We had done, and to bring back to the
anvil that which We had hammered;
out having and using as great helps as
were needful, and fearing no reproach
Tor SlOWneSS, nor cOveting praise for
expedition, We have at the length,
through the good hand of the Lord
upon us, brought the work to that
aasS which you see"
The Authorized Version would not
have been SO generally received, and
II would have failed to become the
fltle Of the whole English speaking
people. had it not been worked up and
executed in an extremely broad and
eHmpathetlc spirit. The tranSlatOrs
iidde use OF everything that came to
'heIr hands, ever availing themselves
OF the Roman Catholic version Of
Ithelms. Thus they struck a happy
mean between HI they termed the
ScfupulOsity of the Puritan and 1.-The
"tScurlty of some scholars. The
~&nthor1zed Version thus became the
blpie, not of a particular sect, but OF
the whole English people. Further
more, the Authorized Version set the
highest standard in simplicity and
htauty Of diction." It's simplicity
made it available for the plowman,
ana It's beauty attracted the admira-
t1on Of the Learned and refined.
1'fik!nE testimony as to ''the uncom
mon Beauty and marvellous English
n' me Authorized Version is found iT
ne words of the Roman Catholic,
Ialher faher: 1T lives on the ear
like music that can never be forgot
Hh, Ike the sound of church bells