1. "To follow the common English translation used in the churches, and
not to recede from it, but where it varieth manifestly from the Hebrew
or Greek original. 2. To use sections and divisions in the text as
Pagnine in his translation useth, and for the verity of the Hebrew to
follow the said Pagnine and Muenster specially, and generally others
learned in the tongues. 3. To make no bitter notes upon any text, or
yet to set down any determination in places of controversy. 4. To note
such chapters and places as contain matters of genealogies, or other
such places not edifying, with some strike or note, that the reader
may eschew them in his public reading. 5. That all such words as sound
in the old translation to any offence of lightness or obscenity be
expressed with more convenient terms and phrases."
The work was pushed forward with energy, and on the 5th of October 1568
the volume was ready for publication. It was a magnificent folio,
generally known as the _Bishops' Bible_, since not less than eight of
these dignitaries took part in the revision. But the detached and
piecemeal way in which the revision had been carried out naturally
caused certain inequalities in the execution of the work. The different
parts of the Bible vary considerably in merit, the alterations in the
New Testament, for instance, showing freshness and vigour, whereas most
of the changes introduced in the Old Testament have been condemned as
"arbitrary and at variance with the exact sense of the Hebrew text"
(Westcott, op. cit. p. 237). Several editions of the _Bishops' Bible_
were afterwards published, but it is doubtful whether the ecclesiastical
authorities in spite of repeated enactments (Cardwell, _Synodalia_, pp.
115, 123, 210, 292) ever succeeded in entirely enforcing its public use
in the churches. After 1569 the Great Bible ceased, however, to be
reprinted. But in the homes the Genevan version still maintained its
supremacy. One thing is certain, that the book of Psalms of the new
revision had fairly soon to give way before the well-known and smooth
rendering of the Great Bible. In the second edition of the Bishops'
Bible, 1572, the two texts were actually printed side by side; in all
later editions except one (1585) the older Psalter alone remained.
The Reims and Douai Version.
From the time of Tyndale onwards the translation of the Scriptures into
English had been more or less an outcome of the great reformatory
movements within the church. It was not until Queen Elizabeth's reign
that members of the Romanist party found it expedient to translate the
Bible into the vernacular "for the more speedy abolishing of a number of
false and impious translations put forth by sundry sectes, and for the
better preseruation or reclaime of many good soules endangered thereby"
(_Preface_ to the Rhemish Version).
According to the title-page the New Testament was "translated faithfvlly
into English ovt of the authentical Latin, according to the best
corrected copies of the same, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and
other editions in diuers languages.... In the English College of Rhemes,
1582." The Old Testament had been "long since" completed, but "for lacke
of good meanes" (Preface to the New Testament), its appearance was
delayed till 1609-1610, when it was published at Douai. The complete
work, known as the _Rhemes and Douay Version_, was reprinted in Rouen in
1635, and after a considerable time revised by Dr Challoner (1749-1750).
The translation is really anonymous, but there seems to be little doubt
that it was carried out by some of the Romanist refugees connected with
the Seminary at Douai and the English college at Reims, the chief
amongst them being Gregory Martin, William Allen, Richard Bristow and J.
Reynolds. Like the Wycliffite Versions it is merely a secondary
rendering from the Latin Vulgate, and it suffered from many of the
defects which characterized these versions, extreme literalness, often
stilted, ambiguous renderings, at times unintelligible except by a
reference to the Latin original, as in Luke xxii. 18, "I will not drink
of the generation of the vine," or Phil. ii. 7, "But he exinanited
himself."
As further examples of this rendering we print the same passages from St
Matthew:--
(Matthew iii. 1-4.) And in those dayes cometh Iohn the Baptist
preaching in the desert of Ievvrie, saying. Doe penance: for the
Kingdom of heauen is at hand. For this is he that vvas spoken of by
Esay the Prophet, saying, A voyce of one crying in the desert, prepare
ye the way of our Lord, make straight his pathes. And the sayd Iohn
had his garment of camels heare, & a girdle of a skinne about his
loynes: and his meate was locustes & vvilde honie.
(Matthew vi. 9-13.) Ovr Father which art in heauen, sanctified be thy
name. Let thy Kingdom come. Thy wil be done, as in heauen, in earth
also. Giue vs to day our supersubstantial bread. And forgiue vs our
dettes, as we also forgiue our detters. And leade vs not into
tentation. But deliuer vs from evil. Amen.
The strongly Latinized vocabulary of this version was not without its
influence on the next great venture in English translations of the
Bible, the _Authorized Version_.[41]
The Authorized Version, 1611.
The English Bible, which is now recognized as the _Authorized Version_
wherever the English language is spoken, is a revision of the Bishops'
Bible, begun in 1604, and published in 1611. It arose incidentally out
of a Conference between the High Church and the Low Church parties
convened by James I. at Hampton Court Palace in January 1604, for the
purpose of determining "things pretended to be amiss in the church," and
was originally proposed by Dr Reynolds, president of Corpus Christi
College, Oxford, the leader and spokesman of the Low Church party, and
subsequently on the committee which revised the translation of the
Prophets.
No real opposition was offered to the proposal, and the king cleverly
sketched out on the moment a plan to be adopted. He "wished that some
special pains should be taken in that behalf for one uniform
translation--professing that he could never yet see a Bible well
translated in English--and this to be done by the best learned in both
the Universities; after them to be reviewed by the bishops and the chief
learned of the Church; from them to be presented to the privy council;
and lastly to be ratified by his royal authority; and so this whole
church to be bound unto it and none other."[42] He also particularly
desired that no notes should be added by way of comment in the margin,
since some of those in the Genevan Bible appeared to him "very partial,
untrue, seditious and savouring too much of dangerous and traiterous
conceits."
The appointment of the revisers was a work of much responsibility and
labour, and five months elapsed before they were selected and their
respective portions assigned to them; but the list of those who began
the work, and who, with some few changes in consequence of deaths,
brought it to a happy conclusion, shows how large an amount of
scholarship was enlisted. It includes Dr Andrewes, afterwards bishop of
Winchester, who was familiar with Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac, Greek, Latin
and at least ten other languages, while his knowledge of patristic
literature was unrivalled; Dr Overall, regius professor of theology and
afterwards bishop of Norwich; Bedwell, the greatest Arabic scholar of
Europe; Sir Henry Savile, the most learned layman of his time; and, to
say nothing of others well known to later generations, nine who were
then or afterwards professors of Hebrew or of Greek at Oxford or
Cambridge. It is observable also that they were chosen without reference
to party, at least as many of the Puritan clergy as of the opposite
party being placed on the committees.
The following list[43] is drawn up in such a way as to show the
academical or other position which each of them occupied, and the
particular part of the work on which they were engaged.
Genesis-2 Kings.
Westminster.
Dr Lancelot Andrewes, dean of Westminster.
Dr John Overall, dean of St Paul's.
Dr Hadrian de Saravia, canon of Canterbury.
Dr Richard Clark, fellow of Christ's Coll., Camb.
Dr John Layfield, fellow of Trin. Coll., Camb.
Dr Robert Teigh, archdeacon of Middlesex.
Mr Francis Burleigh, Pemb. Hall, Camb., D.D., 1607.
Mr Geoffrey King, fellow of King's Coll., Camb.
Mr Thompson, Clare Hall, Camb.
Mr William Bedwell, St John's Coll., Camb.