The citizen., 1911-01-12
Goal Of Religious Ambitions

SOdl W ntlIklOuS p'lpltlOHS
The previous article of this series
showed how our first English Bible
came into existence in the fourteenth
century. This Wiclif Bible, however,
was only a translation of the Lat
in and this did not get into the pos
session of many people, because it
had to be copied by hand. The goal
of religious ambition in those days
was to get a Bible that was based
on the Hebrew and Greek. The near
er to the original text it was possi-
BILE to come the purer would the
message be.
King and Bishops Oppose
1t was not until the sixteenth CEN
tury that this was brought about.
This was the wonderful century that
gave the world Martin Luther, John
Calvin and other men of ability and
courage. 1t was the century of the
revolt against the Catholic church
and the beginning of Professionalism.
The greatest heroism was required 10
produce such a Bible, for England's S
King, Henry VIII, was the Defend
er of the Faith" and such great
churchmen as Cardinal Wolsey re-
sisted change.
Tndale's Vow
William Tindale, or Tyndale as it
is sometime spelled, by training and
character was the man for this work.
He was born about 1890 IN Gloucest-
ershire, in the west of England. Even
as boy he showed a great aptitude
for languages and knowledge of the
Scriptures. AS a student at college
he was wont to gather the boys
in his room and read to them "Some
parcel of divinity" When he left col
lege he entered the service of a
nobleman, Sir John Walsh, and be-
came chaplain and tutor. He was
an opponent of the church as it
existed and won to his support his
patron. He preached ON the college
green at Bristol until he was call
ed to account by the officials of
the church. 1t was in heated .arg;I-
ment with bishop that the purpose
which occupied the rest of his life
was first made known. "If God spare
my life," he said, "ere many years
will cause a boy that driveth the
plough shall know more of the scrip
ture than thou dost."
Completes Task in Germany
Believing that he could accomplish
his purpose he went to London. He
hoped to be received by the Bishop of
London. but found there was neith-
er place for him nor his New
Testament in England's chief city.
Realizing that his work must be done
outside of England, Tindale went TO
Germany where there was liberty
of belief in some places. The trans
lation of the new testament from
the Greek was rapidly done and the
work was brought to a close in the
university town of Wittenberg where
Luther had taught and preached. A
printer was found to undertake the
task of printing in Cologne and 1t
was partly completed when enemies
of the cause discovered what was go
ing on. Tndale hurriedly gathered
the sheets already printed and went
with them to the city of Worms
where the work was finished with
out further disturbance.
Fiery Opposition in England
Copies to the number of six thou
sand were printed and sent to Eng
land In 1926. The opposition 10
their circulation and use was great.
The leaders of the Church of Henry
VIII saw clearly that IL the peo-
pie were able to compare the
church Of the Apostles as described
In the book OF Acts with the Cath
Ollie church of England their powers
were not worth much. Many copies
of this new testament were burned