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it, he is at once astonished and grieved, fe reads his bible, and nds nothing said about the Trin-No, not even the term used in that sacred book. But he But he reads, that Jehovah, our God, is one Lord-and that there is no God beside him.' That God has appointed, ordained, or constituted Jesus Christ to be the Mediator and Redeemer of ignorant, sinful men, to dispense spiritual and immortal blessings.

Of the particular nature of Christ, he is ignorant. He knows not his peculiar essence, compared to angels or men. Yet he receives him as his Savior, appointed by God to instruct and redeem the world.

This candid, honest, humble, devout man is also willing every one should form his own opinions, and interpret scriptare for himself. But he contends, that no one has a right to anathematize others for not subscribing to his creed in all its particularities and details.

Though I am averse from religious controversy, where there is a bitter spirit of dogmatizing and crimination, I read with pleasure those publications designed to explain difficult sub

jects in theology, if written with candor and impartiality. And I have been greatly pleased lately by perusing a pamphlet by Rev. Mr. Norton of Weymouth on the subject above mentioned. It discovers great knowledge of the scriptures, and a most commendable temper of meekness, candor and piety.

Mr. Norton, it seems, is deserted by some of his former friends in the ministry, because he does not believe in the Trinity, and cannot use unscriptural phrases relating to this dogma in theology. He has offered to discuss the subject-But his brethren decline. His only course was to appeal to the public. He has done it with ability and candor. Since the publication of "Bible News," we recollect nothing so able, impartial and satisfactory. We hope the pam. phlet will be read by all christians, who wish for light and truth. Here is much instruction on a difficult subject, untinctured by the usual acrimony and bitterness of theological disputants. No, one, we think, can read the book attentively, without instruction and satisfaction. A LAYMAN.

MORAL QUESTIONS.

How are children and unlearned people to get to heaven, if their salvation depends on deciding such questions, or believing such propositions as now divide the ministers of the gospel?

If such a faith in Jesus Christ, as disposes us to obey his pre

cepts and imitate his example, is not of a saving nature, what better is the gospel than a riddle, which cannot be explained?

Is not the form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, strictly heretical, according to some modern views of heresy?

THE BIBLE.

Continued from page 249.

Coverdale's Bible. 1535. IN 1535, the whole Bible, translated into English, was printed in folio, and dedicated to the king, by MILES COVERDALE. This was the first English Bible, or complete translation of the scriptures, printed, and the first allowed by royal authority. In the following year lord Cromwell, the king's vicegerent, published Injunctions to the clergy, one of which required, "That ev'ery parson or proprietor of any 'parish church within this realm 'shall on this side the feast of St. Peter ad vincula [Aug. 1.] pro'vide a book of the whole Bible, 'both in Latin and English, and lay it in the quire for every man 'that will, to look and read there"on; and shall discourage no man from the reading any part of the 'Bible, either in Latin or English, but rather comfc., exhort, and admonish every man to read the same as the very word of "God and the spiritual food of 'man's soul, whereby they may

"the better know their duties to "God, to their sovereign lord the 'King and their neighbour; ever 'gently and charitably exhorting 'them, that, using a sober and å "modest behaviour in the reading and inquisition of the true sense "of the same, they do in no wise stiffly or eagerly contend or 'strive one with another about 'the same, but refer the declara'tion of those places that be in 'controversy to the judgment of

"them that be better learned.? This seems a confirmation that Coverdale's Bible was licensed by the king, there being at that time no other Bible in England.*

Matthews's Bible. 1537.

IN 1537, another edition, under the name of MATTHEWS'S BIBLE, was printed and "set forth with the king's most gracious license." It was printed in folio with this title: "The Byble, "which is all the Holy Scrip"ture, in which are contayned "the Olde and Newe Testament "truelye and purelye translated "into Englysh. By Thomas Mat"thewe."

This was substantially the translation of Tyndal and Coverdale. It seems admitted, that the famous JOHN ROGERS, a learned Nonconformist divine, who became the first martyr in the succeeding reign of Queen Mary, was employed by Cranand to furnish the few emendamer to superintend this edition, tions and additions that were thought necessary. This edi tion was favoured by archbishop Cranmer, who not only procured the royal license for it, but that in the Injunctions, which Cromwell, as the king's vicar general, published the next year (1538), the clergy should be ordered to provyde on thys syde the Feaste of N. next comying 'one Booke of the whole Byble

*Lewis Hist. Eng. Transl. 103, 104. Strype says, an edition of Coverdale's Bible was printed in quarto in 1550, "for the more common and private use of Christians." Eccles. Memorials, ii, 265.

of the largest volume in Eng'lish, and the same set up in some 'convenient place within their Churches that they have cure of, "whereas their Parishioners might 'most commodiously resort to the 'same and read it: and that the 'charges of this Book should be ratably borne betweene them and "the Parishioners aforesaid; that 'is to say, thone half by the Parson, and the other half by them,' &c. as in the before mentioned Injunctions of 1536. A Declaration was also published by the king, to be read by the curates of the several churches, to inform the people, that it had pleased the king's majestie to permit and command the Bible, being translated into their moth er-tongue, to be sincerely taught by them, and to be openly layd forth in every Parish Church.'

It is humiliating to find, that the ministers of the Word were shamefully reluctant to commit to their people this "key of knowledge," and did every thing they dared, to keep them in blind subjection. "Notwithstanding this," we are assured, "it was wonder"ful to see with what joy this "Book of God was received, not "only among the learneder sort, "and those that were noted for "lovers of the Reformation, but "generally all England over, a"mong all the vulgar and com"mon people; and with what "greediness God's word was read, "and what resort to places where "the reading of it was. Every "body, that could, bought the

"Book, or busily read it, or got "others to read it to them, if they "could not themselves, and di"vers more elderly people learn"ed to read on purpose."*

Cranmer's, or The Great Bible. 1539.

THIS translation was published in large folio, in 1539, with the following title: The Byble "in Englyshe, that is to say the "content of all the holy scrip"ture bothe of the olde and newe "testament, truly translated after "the veryte of the Hebrue and "Greke textes by the dylygent "studye of dyverse excellent "learned men, expert in the for"sayde tonges." In this edition Matthews's Bible was revised, and several alterations and corrections were made in the translation, especially in the book of Psalms. A third edition of this, in folio, was printed in 1541, in the title of which it is said to be "authorized and appointed by "the commandment of king Hen"ry VIII. . . . . to be frequent"ed and used in every Church "within his realme." A decree was at the same time published by the king, for setting up "the great volume" in every parish church throughout England; but it appears to have been very partially and reluctantly observed. Fuller says, "The Bible of the great volume" was "rather commended than commanded to people. Few country parishes could go to the cost of them, though bishop Bonner caused six of them to be chained in the Church of

* Lewis Hist. Eng. Transl. 108, 150. Strype's Eccles, Memorials, i. 323. Burnet Hist. Reform. i. 178-181, 244, and No, 30 Coll. Records. Johnson, in W. T. iii. 74.

St. Paul's, in convenient places." After the death of Cromwell in 1540, the bishops that inclined to popery gained strength, and the English translation was represented to the king as very erroneous and heretical, and destructive of the peace and har. mony of the kingdom. Cranmer now renewed the design, which he had long entertained and often proposed, of having a translation of the Bible into English, with a view to its diffusion among the people of England. In a convocation which met this year, the archbishop, in the king's name, required the bishops and clergy to revise the translation of the New Testament, which for that purpose was divided into 14 parts and apportioned out to 15 bishops. BishGardiner clogged the work by embarrassing instructions; and Cranmer, perceiving the resolution of the bishops to defeat the undertaking, procured the king's consent to refer it to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. In a following session he informed the house, That it was the king's will and pleasure, that the translation, both of the Old and New Testament, should be examined by both UniversitiesThis proposal met with much opposition in the house, nearly all the bishops protesting against it. "And here," says Fuller, "(for ought I can find to the contrary, the matter ceased, and the Convocation soon after was dissolved."

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Complaint being made in parliament in 1542, That the liberty granted to the people to have in their hands the books of the Old and New Testament had been much abused, it was enacted, "that all manner of books of the Old and New Testament in English," of Tyndal's translation, "should be clearly and utterly abolished, extinguished and forbidden to be kept and used in this realm, or elsewhere in any of the king's dominions. The act also required, that if there should be found in any Bibles or New Testaments, not of Tyndal's translation, any annotations or preambles, the owners of them should cut or blot the same in such a manner, that they could not be perceived or read. It was also enacted, That no manner of person, after the first of October, should take upon him to read openly the Bible or any part of Scripture in English, but by appointment of the king or ordinary of the place, on pain of a month's imprisonment. It was provided however, that the chancellor of England and a few other public officers, who had been accustomed to declare or teach good, virtuous or godly exhortations in any assemblies," might use any part of the Bible as they had been wont; and every nobleman and gentleman, being a householder, might read or cause to be read by any of his family servants, in his house, orchards, or garden, and to his own family, any text of the Bible or New

* Historians differ here in their dates. I follow the old historian FULLER, who places the Convocation "Ann. Dom. 1540. Ann. Regis Hen. 8. 32;" and in the margin, against the article assigning the Books to the Translators, has this entry: "Transcribed with my own hand, out of the Records of Canterbury" Church Hist. B. v. p. 236.

Vol. III.

35

ble.

Testament; and "every merchantman being a householder, and any other persons, other than women, prentices, &c. might read to themselves privately the BiBut no women except noblewomen and gentlewomen, who might read to themselves alone and not to others, any texts of the Bible, &c.-nor artificers, prentices, journeymen, serving men of the degrees of yeomen or under, husbandmen, nor labourers, were to read the Bible or New Testament in English to himself or any other, privately or openly, upon pain of one month's imprisonment."

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The papal current in England was at this time deeply affected by the parent fountain at Rome. Many of the English laity, and no small proportion of the clergy, were still, and long continued to be, under the dominant influence of the Romish hierarchy. The recent measures of parliament, and many subsequent impositions in church and state, may be traced to that source. The council of Trent, called by the pope, which commenced its session in 1545, passed a severe and intolerable law with respect to all interpreters and expositors of the Bible; and, "to fill up the measure of these tyrannical and iniquitous proceedings, the church of Rome persisted obstinately in affirming, that the Holy Scriptures were not composed for the use of the multitude, but only for that of their spiritual teachers;

and, of consequence, ordered
these divine records to be taken
from the people, in all places
where it was allowed to execute
its imperious commands." It is
but just, however, to observe,
that the Romish clergy are di
vided on this subject. Those on
one side maintain the dnty of be-
ginning early to impart a know-
ledge of the truths and duties of
religion; those on the other, re-
commend a devout ignorance
and unlimited obedience to the
orders of the church.
The one,
believing nothing so profitable to
Christians as the study of the
Holy Scriptures, judge it highly
expedient that they should be
translated into the language of
every country; the other, regard-
ing all vernacular translations of
the Bible as of dangerous, and
even pernicious tendency, ex-
clude the people from the privi
lege of consulting the sacred vol-
ume. "They accordingly main-
tain, that it ought only to be
published in a learned language,
to prevent its instructions from
becoming familiar to the multi-
tude.”+

From the history of translations during the reign of Henry VIII, we learn, that the friends and advocates for reformation conducted with zeal and prudence in the great work of introducing and improving English translations of the Bible; that they encountered many difficulties from the dangerous inconstancy of a despotic prince, and from the in* Lewis Hist. Eng. Transl. 90, 91, 128, 145, 148-150. Fuller's Church Hist. B. v. 236-239; vii. 387. Burnet's Hist. Reformation, iii. 160. Parker de Antiquit. Brit. Eccles 505. Strype's Eccles. Memor. i. ch. 50. Johnson. Stat. of 34 and 35 of Henry VIII.

Mosheim's Eccles. Hist. iv. 215, 233.

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