The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1873-09-20 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

LECTURE AT DALTON. —The Roy. W. Clarke, of Taunton. gave a lecture upon the popular and instructive subject, "The history and triumphs of the English. Bible," in the Bible Christian Chapel, Broughton Road, Dalton, on Wednesday evening. There was a good attendance. The Rev. J. Hender, of Barrow, took the chair. The lecture was given on behalf of the chapel trust ' fund. The lecturer said that the Bible was the best of all books. For 2,500 years it was handed down from father to son in the traditions, and it was not till the expiration of that time, that the slightest attempt was rinds to write it out. Afterwards it was wiitten in picture writing on papyrus or parchment. The Bible was written first in the Hebrew tongue when the Jews were in Judea, and then in the Chaldean when they were in captivity, and then in Greek, by Ptolemy of Egypt, who got 16 learned men to translate it, and the latter was esteemed one of the finest copies to this day. The first time the Holy volume was destroyed was by Joachim, who cut it with a penknife and threw it into the flames. The Jews were then carried inta captivity. In A.D. 700, a portion of the Bible was translated in England, it was supposed by a Bishop of Sherburn. The venerable Bede in the succeeding century translated a portion of the Gosnel of St. John, and was engaged in the work of translation until he died. Alfred the Great was the next tr,inslator, and was engaged on the Psalms when he expired. That king was one of the hest and wisest of men, and died very much beloved. Alcuin the learned was also another, and to him was attributed the saying, "In reading, God speaks to us. and in praying, we speak to God. John Wicliffe then translated the Gospels. He was born in Yorkshire, and educated in Merton College. A disease broke out at that time that swept off nearly one half of the population of the country; this atm& Wicliffe, who became convertedj and preached his new doctrine to the students at Oxford. This was prohibited, and the translator was, cited to appear at Westminster gall before the bishops. Forty-seven bishops as., sembled with a large number of friars and priests. At that time as many as 100 murders per year were committed by the priests, so that if the.priesta went astray what could be expected of the people t Richard ll's Queen was in favour of Wicliffe, and ordered .Lord Clifford to nrevent the prosecution. John O'CLaunt., Henry Percy, and others protected Wicliffe, and an earthquake shock the City of London, _.many of the bishops thinking the band of God WAS against them. Wicliffe then went to Letterworth to finish his translation, and his Bible' was in use 493 years. At that time a Bible cost £4O, and men only earned lid. per day, so that it would take a man's wages for 15 years to buy one. At that time the Bibles were chained up in cathedrals. The followers of Wicliffe were called Lollards, and in the reign of Henry V. they were burnt, a nobleman named Cobham being executed ip •St. Giles field, which was tbe scene of the slaughter of many of the Bible, readers. John . Brown, of Asford, for a simple observation to &priest, WAS burnt in the feet, placed in the stocks arid cruelly med. Tin thi.courae of the lecture several diagrams were shown illustrative of the subjects, the lecturer growing very farm in his remarks and style while describing the atrocities which took place in the " good old times" of the Plantagenet& In 1450 Guttenburg printed the first Bible in Metz,k it was printed in Latin, and contained 641 folks. One hundred years after Wicliffe's Tyndall, a clergymen educated at'Cambridgeein secret got a Bible rented at rciltigne. Luther about the same time WAS in his 'castle of Wire- burg translatir g the New Tee went, he having. been converted. Tvidall's ,;secret.. CAM out and be Lad to gathes lip hirellitas and flee to Worms, where Luthef‘easorrbe cturer in an able manner continued fi trace the history of the Bible and its supporters up to the present any, and rhe audience wined to enjoy the anecdotes illustrative of this very interesting subject.  I  Mrs. E. song dere(  prewa talc, at t ing  1  THE CORONER FOR THE LIBERTY OF FURcg.—lt IS stated that Mr. John Poole, solicitor, Ulverston, has been appointed coroner for the Liberty of Furness, vacant by the resignation of Mr. William Butler, Dalton, wko has for many years filled the office with great ability.