The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-10-22
-NOIE AMEhlCAN-
THE MARYLAND BIBLE
SOCIETY'S CORNER
"The Word OF Our God Shall
Stand Forever"
The King james Version

Of all the forms of the English
Bible, the most distinguished and
widely cherished is the King James
Version. That it is the classic of
sixteenth and seventeenth century
English, none can doubt. 1t is treas
ure of Christian liturgy, and comes
down to US freighted with religious
associations from the great past,
which have an inestimable value for
the tumultuous present.
Great and influential as the author
lied, or King James Version, has been
from the date of its appearance until
the present hour, it's authorization
was something of an accident, though
providential one.
King James the First had hardly
crossed the Scottish border to assume
the English crown, when he was met
by what was termed the Millenary
Petition, from belief that it was
signed by a thousand of the Clergy.
1t really received the assent of some
eight hundred or about tenth of
the clergy of the Realm. The petit
TONERS asked for no change in the
government or organization of the
Church, but for a reform in the
Courts, the removal of superstitious
usages from the Book of Common
Prayer, the disuse of lessons from the
Apocryphal books of the Scriptures,
a more rigorous observance of Sun
day, and the provision and training
for ministers who could preach to the
people. Concessions on these points
would for the moment at least have
satisfied the bulk of the Puritans; and
for while it seemed as if concessions
were purposed. The King not only re-
ceived the petition, but promised a
conference of Bishops and divines in
which it should be discussed.
But royal promises are flexible. Ten
months were suffered to pass before
the pledge was redeemed. In the
meantime a fierce protest from the
University of Oxford gave little prom
Use of a peaceful settlement. The Uni
versity denounced the Puritan demand
as preludes of Presbyterian system
in which the clergy would "have pow
err to bind their Kings in chains and
their Princes in links of iron. That is
to censure him, to enjoin him penance,
to excommunicate him, yea-in case
they see cause-to proceed against
him as a tyrant." This reads like
prophecy, in the light of what hap
pened to Charles the First.
However, in January, 1904, King
James summoned four Puritan min
listers to meet the Archbishop and
eight of his suffragrans, at Hampton
Court, presumably to effect a settle
ment of differences. From the first
he showed no disposition to discuss
the grievances alleged in the petition.
He revelled in the opportunity for a
display of his theological knowledge,
but he viewed the Puritan demands
in purely political light. He charged
the petitioners with aiming at Scot
fish Presbytery," where Jack and Tom
and Will and Dick shall meet and at
their pleasure censure me and my
Council and all our proceedings"
"Stay," he went on with amusing
vehemence, "stay, pray you for one
seven years before you demand that
from me, and if you find me pussy
and fat and my windpipe stuffed, /
will perhaps hearken to you" The
King little realized that he had come
to the throne in land where Perlia-
ments were realities, and where '"cen-
sure' of king and council was a nat
ional tradition. So, while the Puri-
itians did not gain the ends they
sought, they continued to question the
royal infallibility.
The one great achievement of the
Hampton Court Conference was the
authorization of the 1911 Version of
the English Bible by King James, a
version which to this day retains its
hold upon the hearts of the English