HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS.

and fiynished in the yere of oure Lorde God MDXXXVII.' The exhortation to the study of the Bible, prefixed to the Book, is signed J. R. the initials of Rogers, thus pointing him out as the editor. The work was commonly ascribed to this excellent man at the time, although the name given to it was that of Matthew's Bible, Thomas Matthew being a fictitious name assumed by Rogers for the Version, when concealment in such matters was sought for the sake of personal safety. He was the first martyr who suffered in Queen Mary's reign.

This Bible received the Royal License, on the title-page appeared the corrected words, Set forth with the king's most gracious license,' and enactments were forthwith issued commanding the clergy to place copies in all the churches that the parishioners might obtain constant access to them. This Book became the favourite one, and superseded the version of Coverdale. But still Coverdale continued his Biblical labours, and in 1531, published a new version of the New Testament.

In 1538 a quarto edition of the New Testament, in the Vulgate Latin and Coverdale's English, bearing the name of Hollybushe was printed with the King's license; and in 1539, another edition of the same in 8vo. dedicated to Lord Cromwell. In 1538, an edition in 4to. of the New Testament in English, with Erasmus' Latin translation, was printed with the King's license, by Redman.

THE GREAT BIBLE. To Cromwell mainly is to be attributed the patronage, pecuniary assistance, and the obtaining of the Royal sanction, which enabled Coverdale to execute the task of bringing through the press the Great Bible in the year 1538 and 1539. Paris was the place chosen for the printing, because the best paper and presswork might be commanded there. Grafton, the printer, superintended the printing, and Coverdale acted as editor and corrector. With the countenance of the English Ambassador and the License of the King of France, they proceeded rapidly with the work, 23rd July, 1538. But in December, the Inquisition issued an order, prohibiting them, under canonical pains, to imprint the said Bible. They were summoned before the inquisitors, but sought safety in flight, and having forwarded all the sheets of the book, as far as they had gone, they hastily decamped from Paris, leaving the residue of the sheets to be seized by the officers of the Inquisition. Some were burnt, but four great vats full were sold to a haberdasher to wrap his caps in. They afterwards returned to Paris, and succeeded in recovering the presses, types, and workmen they had employed there. Grafton set up business in London, and in 1539, he completed some of the copies, and at length the Bible appeared with the Colophon, Fynisshed Apryle Anno M,CCCCCXXXIX.'

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It is a revision of Matthew's and Tyndale's version.

In 1540, another edition was issued of the Bible, from the press of Grafton, with a preface by Archbishop Cranmer. Cranmer's Great Bible. Hence called

In 1541, appeared another edition, 'oversene and perused at the comanndement of the Kynges hyghnes, by the ryghte reverende fathers in God, Cuthbert, Bysshop of Duresme, and Nicolas, Bishop of Rochester.'

At this time Bibles were placed in St. Paul's chained to the desk, where some professors of the new learning read to the groups assembled. In 1539, a Bible was printed in folio, called Taverner's Bible, from the name of its conductor Richard Taverner; who was educated at Christ-Church, Oxford, patronised by Lord Cromwell, and probably encouraged by him, to undertake the work on account of his skill in the Greek tongue, this is a correction of Matthew's Bible.

On the 25th Jan., 1547, Henry VIII. died and was buried on 16th Feb., at Windsor, in St. George's Chapel. On the Sunday after, young Edward was crowned, amidst costly splendour, in the Abbey of Westminster. When the royal insignia were presented to the boyish monarch, and he saw the three swords, borne in state on such occasions, glittering before him, he asked for a fourth; some one, not catching the idea, inquired what his majesty meant, when he replied, 'The Bible, that book is the sword of the Spirit, and to be preferred before these swords. That ought, in all right, to govern us, who use them for the people's safety by God's appointment. Without that sword we are nothing, we can do nothing, we have no power; from that we are what we are this day; from that alone we obtain all power and virtue, grace and salvation, and whatever we have of divine strength.' No new translation or revision was published in the reign of Edward, except a translation of the paraphrase by Erasmus.

THE GENEVAN VERSION. In the reign of Mary, a band of pious men, driven by persecution, took refuge on the continent and settled down in Geneva. The exiles formed themselves into a Church and William Whittingham was their patron, and he probably was the man who prepared the translation called the Genevan Testament. It was published in 1557. An eloquent preface to it was written by John Calvin, whose sister Whittingham had married. Notes are introduced in the margin, and for the first time the English Scriptures were divided into verses, and italics introduced to denote those words which have no corresponding ones in the original. Some time after Whittingham had completed the Genevan Testament, he set to work, in connexion with others, upon the preparation of the Genevan Bible. This occupied them 'two years and more day and night.' It was completed in April 1560.

ARCHBISHOP PARKER'S or the BISHOPS' BIBLE was completed in 1568, after having been in course of preparation during three years. The Archbishop took on himself the labour to contrive, and set the whole work a going, in a proper method, by sorting out the whole Bible into parcels, and distributing those parcels to able Bishops and other learned men, to peruse and collate each of the books allotted them, sending withall his instructions for the order they should observe, and they were to add some short marginal notes, for the illustration or correction of the text and all these portions being finished, and sent back to the Archbishop, he was to add the last hand to them, and so to take care for printing and publishing the whole. Nine of the individuals who thus took part in the revision were Bishops; hence the edition is generally known as the 'Bishops' Bible.' His object in setting forth the edition was not to produce a new version, but to test and correct

HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS.

Cranmer's Bible, the translation then in common use, by a critical examination of the inspired originals.

The Rhemish and Douay Versions.

In the year 1582, The Romanists finding it impossible to withhold the Scriptures any longer from the common people, printed an English New Testament at Rheims. it was translated, not from the original Greek, but from the Latin Vulgate. Numbers of words are left untranslated, such as Pasche,'' Azymes,' Tunike,' 'Neophyte,' and the notes all speak the papal doctrine. The Old Testament was translated from the Vulgate at Douay (whence it is called the Douay Bible) in two volumes 4to., in 1609 and 1610. English Bible, which alone is used by the Romanists of this These translations form the country.

A large number of Bibles, of different editions, were printed and circulated in Elizabeth's reign. One of which is called the BreechesBible from the translation, instead of "they made themselves aprons," in Genesis iii. 7. "They made themselves Breeches,"

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KING JAMES'S BIBLE. This is the authorized version now in common use. On the 3th October, James 1st appointed a meeting to be held for the hearing and the determining 'things pretended to be amiss in the church.' The meeting arose out of the complaints of the Puritans, who early saluted their new sovereign with a list of ecclesiastical grievances which they besought him to remove. for this conference was the 14th of January, 1604, and the place The time fixed appointed for holding it was Hampton Court. Rainolds the leader of the Puritans, objected to certain renderings in the extant version, and he proposed to his Majesty that there should be a new translation. Bancroft, the Bishop of London, no friend of the Puritans, and therefore no favourer to Rainolds, abruptly observed, That if every man's humour should be followed, there would be no end of translating.' But James sided with the puritans, and professed himself friendly to a new translation. He objected to any notes being appended and Rainolds concurred with him in this view, for his proposition was to the following effect, that a translation be made of the whole Bible, as consonant as can be to the original Hebrew and Greek, and this to be set out and printed without any marginal notes, and only to be used in all churches of England in time of divine service.' to have been taken soon after the conference, for securing suitable Measures seem persons for the important task of preparing the new translation. On the 22nd of July, the same year, the king wrote to Bancroft. He stated that he had 54 learned men for the translating of the Bible, divers of whom had no ecclesiastical preferment; and the main object of the letter is to enjoin upon Bancroft and the Bishops that, whenever a living of twenty pounds per annum was vacant, they should inform his Majesty of it, that he might commend to the patron one of the said translators, as a fitting person to hold it, as his reward for his service in the translation. should inform themselves of such learned men in their dioceses, and He further required that the Bishops charged them to assist in the work by sending their observations to Mr. Lively, Dr. Harding, or Dr. Andrews. In compliance with the

King's command, Bancroft wrote to the Bishops, and here ended all the trouble so far as history records, that James I. ever took respecting the translation which bears his name. The earl of Salisbury, chancellor of the University of Cambridge, wrote to the Vice-chancellor and Heads of Houses, also conveying to them the expression of his Majesty's pleasure that they should join in the undertaking, by recommending fit persons to assist, and by entertaining the translators at the Colleges without any charge, only the poor Colleges were to look to the Bishop of London to defray any expences in which they might be involved. Bancroft again wrote to the Bishops on 31st July, telling them to acquaint the Dean and Chapter with the subject and ascertaining what they would contribute. It is now made pretty certain by Mr. Anderson that the money expended in the translation was chiefly, if not entirely, supplied by Mr. Barker the printer and patentee. 'I conceive,' says a writer in the year 1657, That the sole printing of the Bible and Testament, with power of restraint in others, to be of right the property of one Matthew Barker, citizen and stationer of London, in regard that his father paid for the amended or corrected translation of the Bible £3,500, by reason whereof the translated copy did, of right, belong to him and his assignees. The Stationers Company advanced money while the revision of the book was going on in their hall; but probably it was refunded to them when Barker paid for his patent.' On the 31st July, Bancroft sent a copy of the king's letter to Cambridge for the persons who had been selected by the university, as translators, expressing his Majesty's approbation of the choice, and his desire that they should meet as early as possible. The following instructions accompanied the letters.

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 the other names in the text, to be retained, as near as may be, accordingly as they are vulgarly used.

3. The old ecclesiastic words to be kept, as the word church, not to be translated congregation.

4. When any word hath diverse 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 divisions 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 references 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, and 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, doubt or differ upon any place, to send word thereof, to note the places and therewithall to send their reasons; to which if they consent not the difference to be compounded at the general meeting, which is to consist 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 clergies, 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 their particular observations to the company, either at Westminster, Cambridge, or Oxford, according as it was directed before in the King's letter to the Archbishop.

13. The directors in each company to be the Deans of Westminster and Chester for Westminster, and the King's professors in Hebrew and Greek in the two Universities.

These translations to be used when they agree better with the text than the Bishops' Bible-Tyndale's, Coverdale's, Matthews, Whitechurche's, Geneva.

Doubts having arisen in the minds of some of the Cambridge men as to the observing the third and fourth rules, Bancroft wrote to them again, stating that it was the Royal wish there should be three or four divines of the University, appointed as overseers of the translation, especially with a view to carry out the third and fourth rules; probably a similar plan, from the beginning, was contemplated with regard to Oxford: certainly an instruction to that effect was sent to Dr. Ravis, one of the company, who assembled at that University. The number of learned men who took parts in the translation was forty-seven, whose names have been handed down. They were divided into six parties, two of which met at Westminster, two at Cambridge, and two at Oxford.

The first party met at Westminster and to them was committed the Pentateuch with the other historical Books as far as the second Book of Kings.

The second party met at Cambridge, consisting of eight persons, and they prepared the translation from the beginning of Chronicles to the end of Canticles.

The third company assembled at Oxford and consisted of seven members who undertook the rest of the Old Testament from Isaiah to Malachi.

The fourth company was convened at Oxford, consisting of eight members, who received for their portion of labour the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Revelation of John.

The fifth company met at Westminster and translated the Epistles.