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THE BIBLE. 



BIBLE, 



EARLY TRANSLATIONS OF THE 

 BIBLE. 



The translation of the Bible was 

 begun very early in this kingdom. 

 Some part of it was done by king 

 Alfred. Adelmus translated the 

 Psalms into Saxon in 709. Other 

 parts were done by Edfrid, or Eg- 

 bert, 750 ; the whole by Bede. In 

 1357 Trevisa published the whole 

 in English. Tindall's translation 

 appeared in 1334, was revised and 

 altered in 1538, published with a 

 preface of Cranmer's in 1549, and 

 allowed to be read in churches. In 

 1551 another translation was pub- 

 lished, which, being revised by seve- 

 ral bishops, was printed with their 

 alterations in 1560. In 1613 a new 

 translation was published by autho- 

 rity, which is that in present use. 

 There was not any translation of it 

 into the Irish language till 1685. 

 The pope did not give his permis- 

 sion for the translation of it into 

 any language till 1759. (Jeuoway's 

 Notes.) 



PRESENT TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE. 



This translation was made at the 

 command of King James I. ; the 

 translators were fifty-four of the 

 most learned men of that time, who 

 were divided into five bodies, of 

 which each was to labour on a par- 

 ticular part of the Bible, which was 

 thus divided: The Pentateuch, 

 and the Books of Judges, Euth, 

 Samuel, and Kings, to the Deans 

 of Westminster and St. Paul's, Doc- 

 tors Sara via, Clark, Layfield, Leigh, 

 Messrs. Stretford, Sussex, Clare, 

 Bedwell. From the Chronicles to 

 Ecclesiastes, to Dr. Richardson, and 

 Messrs. Sirley, Chadderton, Dilling- 

 ham, Harrison, Andrews, Bpalding, 

 Binge. All the Prophets and La- 

 mentations to Dr. Harding, Eein- 

 oldsj Holland, Kilby, Messrs. Here- 



ford, Brett, Fareclowe. All the 

 Epistles to the Dean of Chester, 

 Dr. Hutchiuson, Spencer, Messrs. 

 Fenton, Babbit, Sanderson, Dakins. 

 The Gospels, Acts, and Apocalypse, 

 to the Deans of Christchurch, Win- 

 chester, Worcester, Windsor, Drs. 

 Perin, Ravins, Messrs. Savile, Har- 

 mer. And the Apocrypha, to Drs. 

 Duport, Braithwaite, Katcliffe, 

 Messrs. Ward, Downes, Boyse, 

 Warde. They met at Westmi uster, 

 Oxford, and Cambridge, as it was 

 convenient for each body. The 

 method in which they proceeded 

 was thus : Several translations of 

 each part were drawn up by the 

 members of that body to which it 

 was allotted, who then, in a joint 

 consultation, selected three of the 

 best, or compiled them out of the 

 whole number. Thus in three years, 

 three translations of the whole were 

 sent to London ; then six deputies, 

 two from each place, were appointed 

 to extract one translation out of 

 the three, which was finished and 

 printed in the year 1611. 



BOOKS MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE, 

 NOW LOST OR UNKNOWN. 



At your request, I have copied 

 out, from the collection I have 

 made, the ten underwritten (I 

 think) lost books; but should be 

 glad to be set to rights by better 

 information : 



I. "The Prophecy of Enoch.'* 

 See Epistle to Jude 14. 



II. "The Book of the Wars of 

 the Lord." See Numb. xxi. 14. 



III. " The Prophetical Gospel of 

 Eve, which relates to the Amours 

 of the Sons of God with the Daugh- 

 ters of Men." See Origeii Cout. 

 Celsum, Tertul. &c. 



IV. "The Book of Jeshur." See- 

 Joshua x. 13 ; and 2 Sam. i. 18. 



