GENERAL PREFACE. such a salvation as it becomes God to give, and such as man needs to receive, is within the grasp of every human soul. He who carefully and conscientiously receives the truths of Divine revelation, not merely as a creed, but in reference to his practice, cannot fail of being an ornament to civil and religious society. It is my endeavour therefore to set these truths fairly and fully before the eyes of those who may be inclined to consult my work. I do not say that the principles contained in my creed, and which I certainly have not studied to conceal, are all essentially necessary to every man's salvation; and I should be sorry to unchristianize any person who may think he has Scriptural evidence for a faith in several respects different from mine. I am sure that all sincere Christians are agreed on what are called the essential truths of Divine revelation; and I feel no reluctance to acknowledge that men eminent for wisdom, learning, piety, and usefulness, have differed among themselves and from me in many points which I deem of great importance. While God bears with and does us good, we may readily bear with each other. The hostility of others I pass by. The angry and malevolent are their own tormentors. I remember the old adage: "Let envy alone, and it will punish itself." Of the copy of the sacred text used for this work it may be necessary to say a few words. It is stated in the title that the text "is taken from the most correct copies of the present authorized version." As several use this term who do not know its meaning, for their sakes I shall explain it. A resolution was formed, in consequence of a request made by Dr. Reynolds, head of the nonconformist party, to King James I., in the conference held at Hampton Court, 1603, that a new translation, or rather a revision of what was called the Bishops' Bible, printed in 1568, should be made. Fifty-four translators, divided into six classes, were appointed for the accomplishment of this important work. Seven of these appear to have died before the work commenced, as only forty-seven are found in Fuller's list. The names of the persons, the places where employed, and the proportion of work allotted to each class, and the rules laid down by King James for their direction, I give chiefly from Mr. Fuller's Church History, Book x., p. 44, &c. Before I insert this account, it may be necessary to state Dr. Reynolds's request in the Hampton Court conference, and King James's answer. Dr. Reynolds. "May your Majesty be pleased that the Bible be new translated, such as are extant not answering the original?" [Here he gave a few examples.] Bishop of London. "If every man's humour might be followed, there would be no end of translating." The King. "I profess I could never yet see a Bible well translated in English; but I think that of all, that of Geneva is the worst. I wish some special pains were taken for a uniform translation, which should be done by the best learned in both universities, then reviewed by the bishops, presented to the privy council, lastly ratified by royal authority, to be read in the whole Church, and no other." The bishop of London in this, as in every other case, opposed Dr. Reynolds, till he saw that the project pleased the king, and that he appeared determined to have it executed. In consequence of this resolution, the following learned and judicious men were chosen for the execution of the work. WESTMINSTER.-10. THE PENTATEUCH: THE STORY FROM JOSHUA TO THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES EXCLUSIVELY. Dr. ANDREWS, Fellow and Master of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge; then Dean of Westminster, afterwards Bishop of Winchester. Dr. OVERALL, Fellow of Trinity Coll., Master of Kath. Hall, in Cambridge; then Dean of St. Paul's, afterwards Bishop of Norwich. Dr. SARAVIA. Dr. CLARKE, Fellow of Christ Coll. in Cambridge, Preacher in Canterbury. Dr. LAIFIELD, Fellow of Trin. in Cambridge, Parson of St. Clement Danes. Being skilled in architecture, his judgment was much relied on for the fabric of the Tabernacle and Temple. Dr. LEIGH, Archdeacon of Middlesex, Parson of All-hallows, Barking. Master BURGLEY. Mr. KING. Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. BEDWELL, of Cambridge, and (I think) of St. John's, Vicar of Tottenham, near London. GENERAL PREFACE. CAMBRIDGE.-8. FROM THE FIRST OF THE CHRONICLES, WITH THE REST OF THE STORY, AND THE HAGIOGRAPḤA, VIZ., JOB, PSALMS, PROVERBS, CANTICLES, ECCLESIASTES. Master EDWARD LIVELY. Mr. RICHARDSON, Fellow of Emman., afterwards D. D., Master, first of Peter-house, then of Trin. College. Mr. CHADERTON, afterwards D. D., Fellow first of Christ Coll., then Master of Emmanuel. Mr. DILLINGHAM, Fellow of Christ Coll., beneficed at in Bedfordshire, where he died a single and a wealthy man. Mr. ANDREWS, afterwards D. D., brother to the Bishop of Winchester, and Master of Jesus Coll. Mr. HARRISON, the Rev. Vice-master of Trinity Coll. Mr. SPALDING, Fellow of St. John's in Cambridge, and Hebrew Professor therein. Mr. BING, Fellow of Peter-house, in Cambridge, and Hebrew Professor therein. OXFORD.-7. THE FOUR GREATER PROPHETS, WITH THE LAMENTATIONS, AND THE TWELVE LESSER PROPHETS. Dr. HARDING, President of Magdalen Coll. Dr. REYNOLDS, President of Corpus Christi Coll. Dr. HOLLAND, Rector of Exeter Coll. and King's Professor. Dr. KILBY, Rector of Lincoln Coll. and Regius Professor. Master SMITH, afterwards D. D., and Bishop of Gloucester. He made the learned and religious Preface to the Translation. Mr. BRETT, of a worshipful family, beneficed at Quainton, in Buckinghamshire. Mr. FAIRCLOWE. CAMBRIDGE.~7. THE PRAYER OF MANASSEH, AND THE REST OF THE APOCRYPHA. Dr. DUPORT, Prebend of Ely, and Master of Jesus Coll. Dr. BRAINTHWAIT, first Fellow of Emmanuel, then Master of Gonvil and Caius Coll. Dr. RADCLIFFE, one of the Senior Fellows of Trin. Coll. Master WARD, Emman., afterwards D. D., Master of Sidney Coll. and Margaret Professo Mr. Downs, Fellow of St. John's Coll. and Greek Professor. Mr. Boyce, Fellow of St. John's Coll., Prebend of Ely, Parson of Boxworth in Cambridgeshire. Mr. WARD, Regal, afterwards D. D., Prebend of Chichester, Rector of Bishop-Waltham, in Hampshire. OXFORD.-8. THE FOUR GOSPELS, ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, APOCALYPSE. Dr. RAVIS, Dean of Christ Church, afterwards Bishop of London. Dr. ABBOTT, Master of University Coll., afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury. Mr. THOMSON. Mr. SAVILL. Dr. PERYN. Dr. RAVENS. Mr. HARMER. WESTMINSTER.—7. THE EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL, AND THE CANONICAL EPISTLES. Dr. BARLOWE, of Trinity Hall, in Cambridge, Dean of Chester, afterwards Bishop of Linco n. Dr. HUTCHENSON. Dr. SPENCER. Mr. FENTON. Mr. RABBET. Mr. SANDERSON. Mr. DAKINS. GENERAL PREFACE. "Now, for the better ordering of their proceedings, his Majesty recommended the following rules, by them to be most carefully observed. 1. The ordinary Bible read in the Church, commonly called the Bishops' Bible, to be followed, and as little altered as the original will permit. 2. The names of the prophets, and the holy writers, with their other names in the text, to be retained, as near as may be, according as they are vulgarly used. 3. The old ecclesiastical words to be kept, viz., the word Church not to be translated Congregation, &c. 4. When any word hath divers significations, that to be kept which hath been most commonly used by the most eminent fathers, being agreeable to the propriety of the place, and the analogy of faith. 5. The division of the chapters to be altered either not at all, or as little as may be, if necessity so require. 6. No marginal notes at all to be affixed, but only for the explanation of the Hebrew or Greek words, which cannot, without some circumlocution, so briefly and fitly be expressed in the text. 7. Such quotations of places to be marginally set down, as shall serve for the fit reference of one scripture to another. 8. Every particular man of each company to take the same chapter, or chapters; and having translated or amended them severally by himself, where he thinks good, all to meet together, confer what they have done, and agree for their part what shall stand. 9. As any one company hath despatched any one book in this manner, they shall send it to the rest, to be considered of seriously and judiciously; for his Majesty is very careful in this point. 10. If any company, upon the review of the book so sent, shall doubt or differ upon any places, to send them word thereof, note the places, and therewithal send their reasons; to which, if they consent not, the difference to be compounded at the general meeting, which is to be of the chief persons of each company, at the end of the work. 11. When any place of special obscurity is doubted of, letters to be directed by authority, to send to any learned in the land, for his judgment in such a place. 12. Letters to be sent from every bishop to the rest of his clergy, admonishing them of this translation in hand; and to move and charge as many as, being skilful in the tongues, have taken pains in that kind, to send his particular observations to the company, either at Westminster, Cambridge, or Oxford. 13. The directors in each company to be the Deans of Westminster and Chester for that place: and the King's Professors in Hebrew and Greek in each university. 14. These translations to be used, when they agree better with the text than the Bishops' Bible, viz., TINDAL'S, COVERDALE'S, WHITCHURCH, "Besides the said directions before-mentioned, three or four of the most ancient and grave divines in either of the universities, not employed in translating, to be assigned by the vicechancellor, upon conference with the rest of the heads, to be overseers of the translations, as well Hebrew as Greek, for the better observation of the fourth rule above specified. "And now after long expectation and great desire," says Mr. Fuller, "came forth the new translation of the Bible (most beautifully printed) by a select and competent number of divines appointed for that purpose; not being too many, lest one should trouble another; and yet many, lest many things might haply escape them. Who neither coveting praise for expedition, nor fearing reproach for slackness, (seeing in a business of moment none deserve blame for convenient slowness,) had expended almost three years in the work, not only examining the channels by the fountain, translations with the original, which was absolutely necessary, but also comparing channels with channels, which was abundantly useful in the Spanish, Italian, French, and Dutch (German) languages. These, with Jacob, rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well of life; so that now, even Rachel's weak women may freely come both to drink themselves and water the flocks of their families at the same. "Leave we then those worthy men now all gathered to their fathers and gone to God, however they were requited on earth, well rewarded in heaven for their worthy work. Of whom, as also of that gracious KING that employed them, we may say, Wheresoever the Bible shall be preached or read in the whole world, there shall also this that they have done be told in memorial of them." Ibid. p. 57, &c. The character of James I. as a scholar has been greatly underrated. In the Hampton Court conference he certainly showed a clear and ready comprehension of every subject brought before GENERAL PREFACE. him, together with extensive reading and a remarkably sound judgment. For the best translation into any language we are indebted under God to King James, who was called a hypocrite by those who had no religion, and a pedant by persons who had not half his learning. Both piety and justice require that, while we are thankful to God for the gift of his word, we should revere the memory of the man who was the instrument of conveying the water of life through a channel by which its purity has been so wonderfully preserved. As to politics, he was, like the rest of the Stuart family, a tyrant. Those who have compared most of the European translations with the original, have not scrupled to say that the English translation of the Bible, made under the direction of King James I., is the most accurate and faithful of the whole. Nor is this its only praise; the translators have seized the very spirit and soul of the original, and expressed this almost everywhere with pathos and energy. Besides, our translators have not only made a standard translation, but they have made their translation the standard of our language; the English tongue in their day was not equal to such a work, "but God enabled them to stand as upon Mount Sinai," to use the expression of a learned friend, "and crane up their country's language to the dignity of the originals, so that after the lapse of 200 years the English Bible is, with very few exceptions, the standard of the purity and excellence of the English tongue. The original from which it was taken is, alone, superior to the Bible translated by the authority of King James."* an opinion in which my heart, my judgment, and my conscience, coincide.† This is These are the words of the late Miss Freeman Shepherd, a very learned and extraordinary woman, and a rigid papist. † It is not unknown that, at the Hampton Court conference, several alterations were proposed by Dr. Reynolds and his associates to be made in the Liturgy then in common use, as well as in the Bible. These however were in general objected to by the king, and only a few changes made, which shall be mentioned below. While on this part of the subject it may not be unacceptable to the reader to hear how the present Liturgy was compiled, and who the persons were to whom this work was assigned; a work almost universally esteemed by the devout and pious of every denomination, and the greatest effort of the Reformation, next to the translation of the Scriptures into the English language. The word LITURGY is derived, according to some, from Aern, prayer, and epyov, work, and signifies literally the work or labour of prayer or supplication; and he who labours not in his prayers prays not at all: or more properly heroupyia, from 2euros, public or common, and epyov, work, denoting the common or public work of prayer, thanksgiving, &c., in which it is the duty of every person to engage; and from Acravevw, to supplicate, comes Aurai, prayers, and hence Atravela, LITANY, supplication, a collection of prayers in the Liturgy or public service of the Church. Previously to the reign of Henry VIII. the Liturgy was all said or sung in Latin, but the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, in 1536 were translated into English, for the use of the common people, by the king's command. In 1545 the Liturgy was also permitted in English, as Fuller expresses it, "and this was he farthest pace the Reformation slept in the reign of Henry VIII." In the first year of Edward VI., 1547, it was recommended to certain grave and learned bishops, and others then assembled, by order of the king, at Windsor Castle, to draw up a communion service, and to revise and reform all other offices in the Divine service; this service was accordingly printed and published, and strongly recommended by special letters from Seymour, Lord Protector, and the other lords of the council. The persons who compiled this work were the following: 1. THOMAS CRANMER, Archbishop of Canterbury. 2. George Day, Bishop of Chichester. 3. Thomas Goodrick, Bishop of Ely. 4. John Skip, Bishop of Hereford. 5. Henry Holbeach, Bishop of Lincoln. 6. NICHOLAS RIDLEY, Bishop of Rochester. 7. Thomas Thirlby, Bishop of Westminster. 8. Doctor May, Dean of St. Paul's. It is worthy of remark that as the first translators of the Scriptures into the English language were several of them persecuted unto death by the papists, so some of the chief of those who translated the Book of Common Prayer, (Archbishop Cranmer and Bishop Ridley) were burnt alive by the same cruel faction. This was what Mr. Fuller calls the first edition of the Common Prayer, published in 1548. Some objections having been made to this work by Mr. John Calvin abroad, and some learned men at home, particularly in reference to the Commemoration of the Dead, the use of Chrism, and Extreme Unction, it was ordered by a statute in parliament (5 and 6 of Edward VI.) that it should be faithfully and godly perused, explained, and made fully perfect. The chief alterations made in consequence of this order were these: the General Confession and Absolution were added, and the Communion Service was made to begin with the Ten Commandments, the use of oil in Confirmation and Extreme Unction was left out, also Prayers for the Dead, and certain expressions that had a tendency to countenance the doctrine of transubstantiation. The same persons to whom the compiling of the Communion Service was intrusted were employed in this revision, which was completed and published in 1553. On the accession of Queen Mary this Liturgy was abolished, and the Prayer Book, as it stood in the last year of Henry VIII., commanded to be used in its place. In the first year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, 1559, the former Liturgy was restored, but it was subjected to a farther revision, by which some few passages were altered, and the petition in the Litany for being delivered from the tyranny and all the detestable enormities of the bishop of Rome left out, in order that conscientious Catholics might not be prevented from joining in the common service. This being done, it was presented to parliament, and by them received and established; and the Act for Uniformity, which is usually printed with the Liturgy, published by the queen's authority, and sent throughout the nation. The persons employed in this revision were the following: 1. Master Whitehead, once Chaplain to Queen Anna Bullein. 2. Matthew Parker, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury. 3. Edmund Grindall, afterwards Bishop of London. 4. Richard Cox, afterwards Bishop of Ely. 5. James Pilkington, afterwards Bishop of Durham. 6. Doctor May, Dean of St. Paul's and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. 7. Sir Thomas Smith, Principal Secretary of State. GENERAL PREFACE. This Bible was begun in 1607, but was not completed and published till 1611; and there are copies of it which in their titlepages have the dates 1612 and 1613. This translation was corrected, and many parallel texts added, by Dr. Scattergood, in 1683; by Dr. Lloyd, bishop of London, in 1701; and afterwards by Dr. Paris, at Cambridge; but the most complete revision was made by Dr. Blayney in the year 1769, under the direction of the vice-chancellor and delegates of the University of Oxford, in which, 1. The punctuation was thoroughly revised; 2. The words printed in italics examined and corrected by the Hebrew and Greek originals; 3. The proper names, to the etymology of which allusions are made in the text, translated, and entered in the margin; 4. The heads and running titles corrected; 5. Some material errors in the chronology rectified; and 6. The marginal references re-examined, corrected, and their number greatly increased. Copies of this revision are those which are termed above the most correct copies of the present authorized version; and it is this revision re-collated, re-examined, and corrected from typographical inaccuracies in a great variety of places, that has been followed for the text prefixed to these notes. But, besides these corrections, I have found it necessary to re-examine all the italics; by those I mean the words interspersed through the text, avowedly not in the original, but thought necessary by our translators to complete the sense, and accommodate the idioms of the Hebrew and Greek to that of the English language. See the sixth rule, p. 16. In these I found gross corruptions, particularly where they have been changed for Roman characters, whereby words have been attributed to God which he never spoke. The Punctuation, which is a matter of no small importance to a proper understanding of the sacred text, I have examined with the greatest care to me possible: by the insertion of commas where there were none before; putting semicolons for commas, the better to distinguish the members of the sentences; changing colons for semicolons, and vice versa; and full points for colons, I have been in many instances enabled the better to preserve and distinguish the sense, and carry on a narration to its close, without interrupting the reader's attention by the intervention of improper stops. The References I have in many places considerably augmented, though I have taken care to reprint all that Dr. Blayney has inserted in his edition, of which I scruple not to say, that as far as they go, they are the best collection ever edited, and I hope their worth will suffer nothing by the additions I have made. After long and diligently weighing the different systems of Chronology, and hesitating which to adopt, I ultimately fixed on the system commonly received; as it appeared to me on the whole, though encumbered with many difficulties, to be the least objectionable. In fixing the dates of particular transactions I have found much difficulty; that this was never done in any edition of the Bible hitherto offered to the public, with any tolerable correctness, every person acquainted with the subject must acknowledge. I have endeavoured carefully to fix the date of cach transaction where it occurs, and where it could be ascertained, showing throughout the whole of the Old Testament the year of the world, and the year before Christ, in which it happened. From the beginning of Joshua I have introduced the years before the building of Rome Of these Drs. Cox and May were employed on the first edition of this work, as appears by the preceding list. In the first year of King James, 1604, another revision took place, and a few alterations were made, which consisted principally in the addition of some prayers and thanksgivings, some alteration in the Rubrics relative to the Absolution, to the Confirmation, and to the office of Private Baptism, with the addition of that part of the Catechism which contains the Doctrine of the Sacraments. The other additions were, A Thanksgiving for divers Benefits, A Thanksgiving for Fair Weather, A Thanksgiving for Plenty, A Thanksgiving for Peace and Victory, and A Thanksgiving for Deliverance from the Plague. See the Instrument in Rymer, vol. xvi. p. 565, &c. When the work was thus completed, a royal proclamation was issued, bearing date March 1, 1604, in which the king gave an account of the Hampton Court conference, the alterations that had been made by himself and his clergy in the Book of Common Prayer, commanding it, and none other, to be used throughout the kingdom. See the Instrument, Rymer, vol. xvi., p. 575. In this state the Book of Common Prayer continued till the reign of Charles II., who, the 25th of October, 1660, "granted his commission, under the great seal of England, to several bishops and divines to review the Book of Common Prayer, and to prepare such alterations and additions as they thought fit to offer." In the following year the king assembled the convocations of both the provinces of Canterbury and York, and "authorized the presidents of those convocations, and other the bishops and clergy of the same, to review the said Book of Common Prayer," &c., requiring them, "after mature consideration, to make such alterations and additions as to them should seem meet and convenient." This was accordingly done, several prayers and some whole services added, and the whole published, with the Act of Uniformity, in the 14th of Charles II., 1661; since which time it has undergone no farther revision. These several additions have made the public service too long, and this is the principal cause why this part of Divine worship is not better attended. This excellent service is now burdensome through its extreme length; and the clergy shorten their sermons, making them superficial, to prevent too much weariness in their congregations. After being an hour and a half at prayers, they dismiss their audience with fifteen or twenty minutes' preaching; thus the people are not sufficiently instructed. This is a short history of a work which all who are acquainted with it deem superior to every thing of the kind produced either by ancient or modern times. It would be disingenuous not to acknowledge that the chief of those prayers were in use in the Roman Catholic Church from which the Church of England is reformed; and it would betray a want of acquaintance with ecclesiastical antiquity to suppose that those prayers and services originated in that Church, as several of them were in use from the first ages of Christianity, and many of the best of them before the name of pope or popery was known in the earth, |