The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-09-17
CONVOCATION OPENS
AT ST. JAMES TODAY

NConCinueu from page oHeI
! Calvin. Nothing can be farther
from the reality.
From 476 AID. to 1000 AID,
sometimes called the Dark Ages,
the GOths, the Franks, and the
Mohammedans, overran the land
in the beginning, to be followed
by the Mortimer. 1t was a per-
iod of great confusion, the Roman
civilization was destroyed in West
ern Europe. and the onlay stab
liking force was the Christian
church, which was a missionary
church. During this period, the
Germanic natives were converted
to Christianity.
"Order in both state and
church came with the accession of
Otto | to rule in the Empire and
of Gregory VII to the Papacy.
This period from 1000 AID, to
1900 AID, was a period of great
mental and political activity.
During it occurred the crusades,
By the end of the 18th century,
medieval thought he taken It's
final shape.
Now, what of the Bible dur
ing this long time? Did people in
general have knowledge of it?
There was never any restriction
made as to it's possession and its
reading. Every man and woman
who could read and could buy a
Bible could have one. There were
MANY translations made of the
Gospels and Epistles. During the
18th century they made for popu-
lar use Bibha Pauperum; these
were illustrated lives of Christ.
There were miracle and mystery
PLAYS dealing with Biblical sub
jects, and the walls of the church
es were covered with paintings IL
Illustrating the Gospels. The writ
ings of the authors are filled with
quotations from the Bible.
"But physical conditions made
possession of a complete Bible
very expensive, for before print
ing all literature was done by
hand. There are sc books in the
usual Bible; anyone can see what
task it would be to copy all
these in one book or what a slz-
able bundle these books would
form. Then these manuscripts
were written on parchment or
vellum, which were the prepared
skins Of animals. But any one
who could read or afford to buy
could have Bible; there was no
law against it.
"But in the 18th and 18th cen
turtles, from many causes arose
heresies in Europe. These here
sizes were theological, social, and
political: against them were pass
ed by the rules, with popular sup
mort, laws. The leaders of these
! heresies translated portions, if not
| all, of the Bible. Now every
translation is an Interpretation
and the individual translators
translated Latin words to suit
their own views.
"The laws against heresy were
laws of the state, passed by the
civil authority. At no period had
the church power to put any one
to death. It's function was to de-
clare what was heresy.
"In the 18th century the posses
sion of a Bible translated by ar
unauthorized person was forbid
den and was deemed evidence thai
the possessor sympathized witt
the heresy. However, he was eX
amined as to his belief, and pun
;shed for it. not for his posses
sion of a Bible. What was for
hidden was the translation ant
nossession of a Bible unauthoriz
cd but what was punished was the
belief deemed herctical.
"To sum up, the knowledge OF
the fundamentals of the New
Testament was known to all PEG
ME during the Middle Ages. Al
who could read could have trans
Iations of the Scriptures, ant
more people could read them Il
IMAGINED. No person was eve
mt to death for possessing
Rihle. but for holding heretica
beliefs, an unauthorized transla
tion was considered prima faci
evidence that he was a hereto"