El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-01

iHucH Win us spiritual life as with It's
material progress. The English Bible
continues to uphold it's reputation of
being the best seller among the world s
books. ; In 1910 the American Bible
society put cut nearly two and quar-
ter million copies of the Scriptures In
the "a years of its existence the same
organization has printed and sold S5,-
100000 volumes In the early days,
when the art of printing was a slow
and painful process. a copy of the
English Bible cost 40 pounds, equiva-
lent in purchasing power to $500 in
United States currency. Today copy
Of the Gospels may be purchased for
cents, and a complete Bible for a
nickel
Reads Like a Romance.
The history of our English Bible
reads like a vivid romance, at times
clouded with superstition, cruelty
and bigotry. John Wickliffe $3.50
made the first translation into the
English language, literal rendition
from the Vulgate. His work in this
respect preceded and pioneered the
Reformation. William TyndaIe was
the true father of the English ma
tiOnal version, founded on the original
languages. He conceived and under
took the work when he risked his life
If q proof sheet of 1t were found on
him, and his work was the basis of
all subsequent ones He published the
New Testament at Wittenburg in 1926.
He and CoverdaIe commenced to trans
late the Old Testament at Antwerp,
but they were discovered. Tyndale
was captured, strangled and his body
burned at the stake near Brussels in
1886. Coverdale finished the transla-
ton Of the Old Testament in 1886.
Matthew's Bible (1537) was ap-
proved by royal authority, although he
was burned at the stake in Snithfield
in 1856. It was the first to contain
notes. A new edition in 1888, the
Great Bible" and another in 1910 with
>Crahmer's preface-''Cranmer' Bible"
which omitted the notes, supplanted
the former This was the version is
sued by command Of Henry VIII. ana
chained to reading desks in the church
es. so that the common people might
see the Scriptures in English The
Geneva Bible" followed in 1850, with
Calvinistic notes. This won great pop
ularity Archbishop Parker went back
to the Great Bible" and appointed
commission or bishops to revise 1t.
This produced the Bishops Bible
Q56S) It also had explanatory notes
and was read in the churches. This
Bishops Bible represented the church
party, while the Geneva Bible retained
its place among the Puritans. and, in
fact, with the popular majority. In
1910 the English Catholics also pro-
duced a representative version, trans
lated from the Vulgate, and known as
the ''Douay Bible"
The King James Version.
In 1904, at the Hampton court con-
ference" it was proposed to supercede
the two Protestant versions-the Bish-
ops and the Geneva-by a new one
satisfactory 10 both parties. James I.
appointed, commission of At learned
men of all sects to do the work. and
fixed the rules under which they were
to act The Bishops Bible was 20 be
made the basis, and only altered where
necessary. This version was published
in 1911. and gradually displaced the
others by virtue Of its intrinsic merits
Under the commonwealth the question
Of a new version was raised. but
committee of the Long parliament re-
ported that the English version was
THE best in the world" and what we
call the king James Bible, OF autnor-
lied version, is certainly one OF the
very best national Bibles. No revision
of that edition was undertaken until
1870. when the COnvocatiOn Of Canter-
bury began the work. which, being
pushed to completion by body OF
English and American scholars, gave
rs what Is known as the revised YER
sion.
Giving the Bible to the People.
1t was centuries before the desires
" those who wished to give the Bible
to the peepie were fulfilled. YAM al
tenpts were made in Anglo-Saxon
times TO render the Latin version OF
the Bible. only understood by the
learned men and the priests, into the
common vernacular OF the English
neople Caedmon, the venerable Bede,
king Alfred. AeIfric-these were some
who translated or paraphrased por-
tions of the Bible Copies OF these
fragments thus laboriously made by
hand were eagerly sought for. Some
gave q load Of hay for few chapters
of st. John or Of St Pauls epistles in
English"
It is the tercentenary of the appear
ance of king James's Bible which is
being so widely celebrated in this
month of March, with appropriate cere-
monies and exercises in America and
England. wherever the English tongue
is spoken or the Scriptures read.
An Ancient Bible.
Among the ancient Bibles behind
the glass cases in the library OF the
British and Foreign Bible society in
London there is a large folio volume,
stcutly bound. printed in black letter,
with ink that has retained its color
for 800 years There is the following
legend on the title page: The Holy
Bible, conteyning the Old Testament
and the New; newly translated out OF
the original tongues; with the former
TRANSACTIONS diligently compared, and
revised by his Maiesties Special Com
Appointed to be read in
Churches. Imprinted at London by
Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings
Most Excellent Majestic. Ammo Dom
1911"
An interesting exhibition has been
arranged by the British museum in
connection with the observance Of the
The exhibition viii be
divided into two sections, manuscripts
and printed books The manuscripts
illustrate the progress OF the Bible
from the very earliest times, starting
with examples OF Hebrew and Greek
originals, and going on TO the Latin
which really brought the
Bible into England. The printed or
book section starts with copy of the
first example of portion of the Bibla
printed in England. this being Tyn-
dale's New Testament, produced in
1926.
Other examples of printed work show