CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



views of Calvin and Beza. It was, in consequence, 

 long the favourite version of the English Puri- 

 tans and the Scotch Presbyterians. In 1568, the 

 Bishop^ Bible was published at London. The 

 text of this was compared with the original by 

 eight bishops, and several other scholars of repu- 

 tation, who appended their initials to their respect- 

 ive tasks ; the whole being under the superintend- 

 ence of Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canter- 

 bury. In 1582 appeared at Rheims, in France, 

 an English version of the New Testament, pre- 

 pared by several Roman Catholic exiles ; and in 

 1609-1610, a similar version of the Old Testa- 

 ment at Douay. Both were taken from the 

 Vulgate, and form the standard English Scrip- 

 tures of the Roman Catholics, being generally 

 known as the Douay Bible. 



We now come to the version which has been 

 in common use for more than 250 years, generally 

 called King James's Bible. At the Hampton 

 Court Conference in January 1604, Dr Rainolds, 

 an eminent Puritan, suggested a new translation 

 as a great national want. Arrangements were at 

 once made for carrying out the project. In July, 

 the king wrote a letter, intimating the appoint- 

 ment of 54 scholars for the preparation of the 

 version. Of these 54, only 47 undertook the work. 

 These were divided into six companies, two of 

 which were to meet at Westminster, two at Cam- 

 bridge, and two at Oxford. Theyfrj/ company at 

 Westminster translated the Pentateuch and the 

 historical books to the end of 2d Kings ; the first 

 at Cambridge, from the beginning of Chronicles 

 to the end of Canticles ; and the first at Oxford 

 undertook the remaining books of the Old Testa- 

 ment canon. The second company at Westmin- 

 ster translated the apostolic epistles ; the second 

 at Cambridge, the Apocrypha ; and the second at 

 Oxford, the gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and 

 the Apocalypse. According to Selden, ' they 

 then met together, and one read the translation, 

 the rest holding in their hands some Bible, either 

 of the learned tongues, or French, Spanish, Italian, 

 &c. If they found any fault, they spoke ; if not, 

 he read on.' When a portion was finished by one 

 of the company, it was sent to all the others in 

 succession for their deliberative examination ; and 

 whenever a difference of opinion was elicited, 

 reference was made to a committee. The final 

 revision of the whole was conducted in London by 

 two delegates from each of the six companies. 

 The work of translation and revision occupied 

 from 1607 to 1610. The superiority of the author- 

 ised version soon proved itself; for though there 

 were several jivals in the field, and no steps were 

 taken to secure for it a preference, it quickly 

 gained the foremost place, and in the course of 

 forty years from its publication, all others had 

 quietly succumbed to it ; it became, and has ever 

 since remained, the English Bible. 



Nevertheless, it has long been felt that the 

 authorised version, noble as it is, had defects 

 which modern scholarship might fairly be called 

 on to remove ; especially in regard to precise 

 accuracy of translation and the interpretation of 

 obscure passages. The English bishops recom- 

 mended that a revision of the existing translation 

 should be undertaken; and in 1870 Convocation 

 appointed a committee for the purpose, comprising 

 amongst its number many of the most distinguished 

 Biblical scholars of various denominations. The 



398 



first meeting of the Committee of Revision was 

 held in Westminster Abbey, 22d June 1870 ; and 

 their translation of the New Testament was pub- 

 lished in 1 88 1. The numerous recent translations 

 of the Scriptures into languages beyond the pale 

 of Christendom, have been executed chiefly under 

 the auspices of Missionary and Bible Societies. 



As to the contents of the Bible, its one grand 

 object, under whatever form it may appear in the 

 various books, is to give an account of this world, 

 both in its origin and government, as the work 

 of an Almighty Creator, always and everywhere 

 present ; and especially to exhibit the relation of 

 man to this Creator, and, in consequence of that 

 relation, in what manner, and with what hopes he 

 ought to live and die subjects undeniably the 

 most momentous that can occupy human thought. 

 The sacred books of other religions have all an 

 analogous aim ; to account, namely, for the origin 

 of all things, and to explain the nature and human 

 relations of that something divine, which it is an 

 instinct of the human mind to conceive as actuat- 

 ing and controlling all that moves. But so differ- 

 ent so immeasurably superior to all other sacred 

 books, is the Bible, in the conception it unfolds of 

 the divine nature as one personal God, exercising 

 towards men the love and care of a parent to his 

 offspring, and in the system of human duties 

 springing therefrom, that on this consideration 

 alone it deserves a measure of human reverence 

 and trust, that can be accorded by an enlightened 

 intelligence to no other religious composition. 

 The doctrines of Christ give a spiritual unity to 

 the whole history and literature of the Hebrew 

 people. If the statements which have been placed 

 before the reader militate against the long- 

 cherished notions concerning the origin and 

 nature of the canon, and if old views as to the 

 nature of inspiration should have to be modified, 

 it will still remain as a thing credible and true, 

 that the Founder of our religion gathered up in 

 his own person, and unfolded in his teaching, the 

 sublimest truths of religion. To Him, in a higher 

 than a mechanical sense, the Law and the Pro- 

 phets pointed. We can take up, and even empha- 

 sise the language of the apostolic theologians, and 

 declare with unfeigned sincerity, that He is the 

 brightness of his Father's glory, and the express 

 image of his person. 



THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 



The Church is, according to the broad Scrip- 

 tural view, the organisation or company of genu- 

 ine Christians, established for the promotion of 

 each other's edification, and for the propagation 

 of Christianity ; and thus including Christ's fol- 

 lowers of all ranks, countries, and ages, it now 

 forms a vast spiritual kingdom, which contrasts 

 strikingly with the 120 disciples gathered in an 

 ' upper room ' in Jerusalem. Even in reference 

 to its denominational subdivisions, several of 

 these have had a most imposing external history, 

 and still exercise a mighty influence in the world. 



The original Church was constituted at Jeru- 

 salem on the day of Pentecost, when three thou- 

 sand persons were converted to the new faith. 

 They are represented as 'continuing steadfastly 

 in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in break- 

 ing of bread, and in prayer' language which 

 denotes the organisation, the ordinances, and the 



