The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1915-02-24
King James Version

whose name was dfstined to become
INDUSTRIOUS among TIE list Of the great
English soveresgns. This was James
!, who took up the crown which Eliza
beth had worn SO honorably for near
ly fifty years. He came TO the throne
at critical TINE. The people OF
England. as Well as of all Europe,
were growing fired of the usurpations
of the clergyF and the abuses of the
established church. The long con-
tinued tyranny which had been prac-
ticed on the peasantry of England
| and Scotland had resulted In general
dissatisfaction and discomfort. Tired
OF prosecutions, the PuTitans longed
for religious freedom. They knew
that James had been trained up I'm the
Presbyterian faith Of the church of
| Scotland, and hence they welcomed
| him to the throne of England, sup
posing that his reign would mean the
correction OF these obuses and the ad-
| vancement of the cause, OF protestant
tism, to which Ire had pledge. his
| loyal support.
One OF the first official acts of James
after his accession to the English
throne was 10 call council of Puri-
| tan and Episcopal igh-churchmen
from the various parts OF his king
dom to discuss matters of ecciesiasti-
cal Importance This council was
| convened at Hampton Court in jan
| uary 1904. There the hierarchy was
| represented by eight bishops, one
arch bishop, five deans. and two doc
tors. Three noted divines also ap-
peared for the Puritan party. During
/ the second days proceedings DIR.
| Reynolds, president of Carpus> College,
| at Oxford. suggested to the council
the advisability of revising alt>the old
| versions of sae Bible and making one
permanent standard translation. to be
accepted by the king and adopted
throughout his hngdom. The plans
which were laid befpre the king met
with his hearty approval. Being out
OF sympathy with the Genevan YER
sion which was then largely used in
England, he at once sanctioh2d the
proposed revision. In an address be
fore the assembly he expressed his
approval of the plan, condemning all
the translations made, up to that time,
especially the Genevan Version whose
| marginal notes, as he declared, were
dangerous and full of treacherous
conceits."
The king was very active in the
work. He began to cooperate with
the council by appointing fifty four
learned translators to do the work
He commanded the bishop of London
to seek aid and suggestions of lin
gusts and Billie scholars throughout
his entire, realm. Before beginning
the translating. no pains were spared
in searching for old manuscripts,
copies and codices, which were care
fully criticized, compared and revised.
The fifty four translators. appointed
by his majesty the king, were not
only the most profound theolosians,
but also the most Capable Hebrew and
Greek scholars available. They were
divided into six companies two OF
(which labored at Westminster, two at
Cambridge, and two at Oxford. The
work was begun in the year 1907 and
occupied two years and nine months.
No labor was too great for the trans
Iators. All former translations were
laid under contribution to the success
OF the collassal work which King
James undertook to accomplish. This
schools of gifted theologians procured
and examined all available early
translations made by William Tyn-
dale, Miles Couerdale and John Wy
cliife, carefully comparing these and
reading closely all the long tedious
manuscripts that fell into their hands.
When this task was completed COM
mittee, representing the various COM
panies. met in London for nine months
to examine the work of the translators
| and prepare the entire volume for
the press.
In making this revision, which was
10 Go the only authorized Versfon OF
the Holy Scripture, King James laid
down the strictest rules for the guild
ance of the scholars In their. methods
Of translation. 1t was not to be too
free, nor was 1t to be slavishly literal.
The edition, known as the Bishops
Bible published in 1868 by Arch Bish-
op Parker WIS to be, by the kings
command, the basis of the translation,
and 1t was to be changed as little as
possible. Proper names were to be
modernized In the matter Of spelling,
and all ecclesiastical terms were to BE
| retained. One very positive ruling
was that no marginal notes of horn-
iietsc,i. or tioctrinal nature were to
be allowed in the authorised transla-
tion No polemical annotations, or
theological discussions whatever, were
to be permitted, nothing but mere
verbal explanations being allowed: In
the margin. The Great Bible and the
Geneyan bible were very distasteful
to the king. not because of the rend-
ering OF the text, but because of the
marginal, notes OF d doctrinal nature
contained In hoth these versions. The
former had been mad in 1883, by Arch
Bishop cranmer, the latter in 1858 by
English exiles who had taken refuge,
in Switzerland from the religious per
secutions OF their own land. Both
these stranslations had been widely
popular being chained to .ynnny OF the
pupiIts In England and scotland !; but