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I 
 
 A N 
 
 HISTORICAL VIEW 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ENGLISH BIBLICAL TRANSLATIONS, &c. 
 
 n 
 
 \ 
 
 • . • ' • I 1 
 
 ^•.lt ICfT. ta nitfijaTS*-.' u«» 
 
 a®* 
 
i 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 * > 
 
 \ 
 
 V 
 
A N 
 
 HISTORICAL. VIEW 
 
 THE 
 
 EXPEDIENCY OF REVISING BY AUTHORITY 
 
 OUR 
 
 PRESENT TRANSLATION: 
 
 AND THE 
 
 MEANS OF EXECUTING SUCH A REVISION. 
 
 v/ 
 
 By WILLIAM NEWCOME D. D. 
 
 BJSHOP OF WATERFORD, AND MEMBER OF THE 
 ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY. 
 
 DUBLIN. 
 PRINTED BY JOHN EXSHAW, 
 
 — 1792 .— 
 

 
 
 V 
 
 
 
 V 
 
 * 
 
 »•* 
 
 * •'*' '' 
 
 * 
 
 \\4V\,r * 
 
 
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 i 
 
 
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 ✓ 
 
«* 
 
 f 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 It is an enquiry of much importance, 
 whether the ftate of our Englifh bible 
 demands a revifal under the higheft fandtion 
 and authority. The following work, or 
 rather compilation, is defigned to exhibit a 
 comprehenfive view of this queftion ; that 
 attention to it may be raifed in fome, and 
 revived in others; and that every competent 
 
 reader may enable himfelf to decide on it 
 
 \ 
 
 with a wellinformed judgement. 
 
IV 
 
 P R E F A C E. 
 
 b 
 
 The Author’s original plan extended no 
 
 further than to folve every objection which 
 
 * 
 
 has been urged againft adopting fuch a 
 meafure, and to ftate the principal argu¬ 
 ments ufually alleged in fupport of it. 
 But his thoughts foon led him to take an 
 hiftorical furvey of the fubjeCt : and as 
 
 I 
 
 Lewis’s account of our feveral Englifh 
 tranflations, though a very ufeful book to 
 confult, is too minute, and fometimes too 
 indiftind, to invite a perufal, he conceived 
 that it might neither be unprofitable nor 
 unpleafing to biblical fcholars, if he ex¬ 
 tracted from that work a general hiftory 
 of the chief editions, and fupplied from a 
 few other books, and efpecially from fome 
 of the prefaces to our early bibles, what¬ 
 ever feerned interefting both with refped 
 
 to 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 v 
 
 to our vernacular tranflations of the fcrip- 
 tures, and alfo to the Rate of clerical 
 literature during the period treated of. But 
 as the fituation which afforded him leifure 
 for profecuting his defign precluded him 
 from accefs to any library, fome quotations 
 mu ft have been too implicitly followed, and 
 many weighty authorities and curious fadts 
 mu ft have been omitted. 
 
 In matters of fadt it is indifpenfable to 
 quote authorities. He has alfo largely 
 produced them in matters of opinion ; 
 becaufe the writers referred to expreffed his 
 fentiments much better than he was able 
 to reprefent them, becaufe he thus points 
 out fources whence the reader may derive 
 further information, and becaufe the weight 
 
 
VI 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 \ 
 
 of eminent names arrefts attention to what 
 is advanced. 
 
 The rules for biblical tranflators, prefixed 
 to the Author’s expofition of the Minor 
 Prophets, have been much enlarged in the 
 concluding chapter: and he hopes that they 
 are fomewhat improved, if not from his 
 own refledions, yet from the later publica¬ 
 tions of fuch able critics as Dr. Geddes, 
 Dr. Campbell, Dr. Symonds, and Mr. 
 Wakefield. 
 
 The zeal of the good, the great, and the 
 learned, in advancing the Englifh bible to 
 its prefent ftate, is highly inftrudtive and 
 worthy of imitation. It has adually been 
 imitated in fome countries, ' during the 
 
 prefent 
 
 i 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 • 6 
 Vll 
 
 prefent century. Beaufobre and L’Enfant, 
 
 who published their French tranflation of 
 
 the New Teftament in 1718, thus exprefs 
 
 themfelves in their * preface. 44 XI y a deja 
 
 44 plufieurs annees, que fur la reprefentation 
 
 44 que Ton fit au feu Roi de Pruffe de glorieufe 
 
 44 memoire, que nos Verfions Fran^oifes 
 
 44 commencant a n’etre plus ni fi intelligibles, 
 
 44 ni fi agreables a lire, qu’elles le furent 
 
 44 d’abord, il fembloit que 1’ediiicatioii 
 
 44 demandat qu’elles fuffent retouchees, on 
 
 44 qu’on en fit une nouvelle ; d’autant plus 
 
 44 que depuis longtems on l’avoit pratique 
 
 44 en France avec tant de fucces, que nos 
 
 44 Verfions tomboient infenfiblement dans le 
 
 44 mepris de biens des gens. Ce Prince, 
 ¥ 
 
 * P. ccxxiv\ 
 
 1 
 
 / 
 
 44 toujours 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 • • * 
 
 Vlll 
 
 “ toujours attentif au bien public, par report 
 “ a la Religion et a l’Etat, nous fit Fhonneur 
 « de jetter les yeux fur nous pour entre- 
 “ prendre ce Travail, et de nous 1 ’ordonner 
 “ par un Decret.” 
 
 We learn a fimilar anecdote from the * 
 preface to Dr. Kennicott’s Hebrew bible, 
 published in 1780. “ Honorificum fane 
 
 “ eft quod Rex Suecise Auguftiffimus, 
 “ primus omnium, illuftre pofuit exemplum; 
 “ fafto mandato,ut inchoaretur Veteris Tefta- 
 “ menti examinatio, et accuratiffima Ver- 
 « fionis Suecicas recenfio : quo parata eflet 
 “ ea Verfio, ut in fe admit tat commoda, 
 “ quotquot adminiftraverit hxc Variarum 
 “ Leftionum editio,” 
 
 * § * 8 5 * 
 
 \ 
 
 May 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 ix 
 
 May the Allwife God, in his fit time, 
 difpofe the Sovereign of the firft Proteftant 
 Churches, and of the moft learned countries, 
 in the world, to complete his ads of piety 
 by promoting equal attention to the Engliih 
 bible. 
 
 Waterford. September 20. 
 
 1792. 
 
f 
 
 ERRATA* 
 
 Page 5 Line 
 
 6 
 
 Read intelligible. 
 
 21 - 
 
 18 
 
 - year 1529. 
 
 2-3 - 
 
 2 A - 
 
 4 
 
 - a tittle. 
 
 0 
 
 Nehemiah or the firft of Efdras'. 
 
 30 \ 
 
 8 
 
 - tranquillity. 
 
 45 - 
 
 16 
 
 -- Fulke. 
 
 84 - 
 
 14 
 
 Place a comma after Rochefter. 
 
 96 
 
 19 
 
 - written. 
 
 I14 - 
 
 11 
 
 Place a comma after not. 
 
 116 - 
 
 13 
 
 - erant. 
 
 123 - 
 
 4 
 
 - Add A. D. 1734, 
 
 130 
 
 1 
 
 Place a comma after interpretations 
 bus 
 
 744 - 
 
 2 
 
 -Anglis. 
 
 206. - • 
 
 20 
 
 -Lettres. 
 
 2!4 - 
 
 13 
 
 -Place a comma after yet. 
 
 258 - 
 
 20, 22, 23 
 
 —^— than, have, practice. 
 
 264 - 
 
 2 
 
 -f’agit. 
 
 270 - 
 
 5 
 
 —— whofoever. 
 
 274 
 
 6 
 
 -- fometimes. 
 
 8 
 
 - appears. 
 
 279- 
 
 7 
 
 - conjunction. 
 
 ■294 
 
 5 
 
 - often. 
 
 303 
 
 22 
 
 -- Greek. 
 
 ✓ 
 
/ 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 V 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 T’he progrefs of our Englifj verjions > the 
 manner of conducting them and their 
 
 r 
 
 ejfecls on the minds of men Page i 
 
 SECT. I. 
 
 Of the Saxon verfons 
 
 SECT. 
 
xii CONTENT S. 
 SECT. II. 
 
 Page 
 
 Of the verfons by Wiclif and hisfollowers 3 
 
 SECT. III. 
 
 Of Tindall’s verfon - _ jg 
 
 SECT. IV. 
 
 1r 
 
 Of the other Englifh verfons in the reign 
 
 Henry VIII. 
 
 - 
 
 26 
 
 Cover dale's bible 
 
 - 
 
 29 
 
 Matthewes bible 
 
 - 
 
 34 
 
 Cranmers or the great bible 
 
 
 43 
 
 Taverner s bible 
 
 - 
 
 46 
 
 SECT. V. 
 
 Of the Englifh verfons in the reign of 
 Edward VI. - - 60 
 
 SECT. 
 
CONTENTS. xiii 
 
 S, E C T. VI. 
 
 Page 
 
 Of the Englijh verfons in the reigns of 
 Queen Mary and Queen Elifabeth 65 
 
 1 The Geneva bible - 68 
 
 1 y 
 
 \the Bijhops bible - - 78 
 
 SECT. VII, 
 
 Of the verfion in the reign of James I. 91 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 Authorities refpeChng the received verfion 
 of the 'bible - _ j 1 - 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 Objections to an improved verfon of the bible 
 
 confidered - - 187 
 
 »• • ‘ ^ 
 
 CHAP. 
 
 * J * 
 
 I ■ , ' ‘ ^ -J 
 
 V 
 
« 
 
 XXV 
 
 CONTENTS.. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Page 
 
 Arguments jhewing that an improved 
 verfton of the bible is expedient 233 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 Rules for conducing an improved verfion 
 of the bible - - 2 54 
 
 A lift, containing the Englifh tranftations of 
 the bible, and of its parts , with their 
 remarkable editions, jrom 1526 to 179 2 * 3^5 
 
 A N 
 
A N 
 
 HISTORICAL VIEW 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ENGLISH BIBLICAL TRANSLATIONS, &c. 
 
 A 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 *The progrefs of our Englijh verfons; the man¬ 
 ner of conducting them \ and their effects on 
 the minds of men . 
 
 SECT. I. 
 
 ^ V I 
 
 Of the Saxon verfons* 
 
 About the year 709, Adelme, Bifhop 
 of Sherborne, tranflated the pfalms into 
 * Saxon. Egbert, Bifhop of Landisfern, 
 
 * Preface to annotations on the bible by certain learned 
 £)ivines. Folio. London. 1657* Hiftorical account of 
 the Englifh tranflations &c. By Anthony Johnfon. 8vo, 
 London. 1730. 
 
 B 
 
 who 
 
( 2 ) 
 
 who died in 721, made a Saxon verfion of 
 the four gofpels. Within a few years of this 
 period, Bede mandated the whole bible into 
 that language. Near two hundred years after 
 Bede, King Alfred executed another tranfla- 
 tion of the pfalms j either to fupply the lofs 
 of Adeline 1 s> which is fuppofed to have perill¬ 
 ed in the Danifh wars, or to improve the 
 plain nefs of Bede’s verlion j as none of the 
 Englifh was more acute in conception, or 
 more elegant in expreffion, than that famous 
 King. A Saxon tranflation of the Pentateuch, 
 Jofhua, part of the books of Kings, Ellher, 
 Judith, and the Maccabees, is alfo attributed 
 to Elfric, or Elfred, who was Archbifhop 
 of Canterbury in the year 995* 
 
 Our Reformers alleged thefe and other 
 Saxon verlions, which I need not enumerate, 
 as proofs that allowing the ufe of the fcrip- 
 tures in the vulgar tongue was not a new 
 conceit, originating from Archbifhop Cran- 
 
 mer and. Lord Cromwell in the reign of 
 
 • ' - ' * , 
 
 Henry VIII j but a rightful though inter¬ 
 rupted inheritance, bequeathed to the people 
 
 b y 
 
I 
 
 ( 3 ) 
 
 V 
 
 by their remote anceftors : to illuftrate which 
 argument, Archbifhop * Parker, in the year 
 1571, encouraged John Fox, the Martyro- 
 logiflr, to print the four gofpels from a Saxon 
 manufcript in the Bodleian library* 
 
 SECT. II. 
 
 Of the ‘verfiom by Wiclij and his followers • 
 
 “ \Ve find, fays Lewis, by the MSS. 
 now remaining, that feveral attempts were 
 made to tranilate into Englifh the Plalter, 
 the hymns of the church, and the reft of 
 the fcriptures* 
 
 (6 
 
 (< 
 
 Thefe tranflations feem to have been 
 made before the time of the famous Dr. 
 f John Wiclif: but they were tranflations 
 
 * See Lewis’s hiftory of the tranflations of the bible 
 &c. Fol. London. 1731. p. 2. 
 
 B 2 
 
 " of 
 
( 4 ) 
 
 ** of only fome parts of the Old reftament, 
 
 « as the Pfalter, the Church leffons, and 
 * e hymns ; or of the New Teflamcnt, 01 
 * c rather fome of its books ; and not of 
 tc the whole bible. And they feem not to 
 4e have been publifhed ; but made only for 
 «« the tranflator’s own ufe. 
 
 “ John Wiclif was born in the year 1324, 
 ** and died in 1384. Some time before 1 381> 
 « his tranflation of the bible, at lead; of the 
 “ New Teftament, was finifhed and pub- 
 “ lifhed. 
 
 iC He fet about tranflating the whole bible 
 1* into the Englifh then fpoken. This 
 “ tranflation he made from the Latin bibles 
 «« then in common ufe, or which were at 
 “ that time ufually read in the church. 
 ** The reafon of which feems to have been, 
 u not that he thought the Latin the original, 
 •* or of the lame authority with the Hebrew 
 « and Greek text, but becaufe he did not 
 « underftand thofe languages well enough to 
 u tranflate from them. He like wife chofe 
 
 “ to 
 
( 5 ) 
 
 " to tranflats word for word ; as had been 
 “ done before in the Anglo-Saxonic tranfla- 
 “ tion, without always obferving the idioms 
 or proprieties of the feveral languages ; by 
 c< which means this tranllation, in fuch 
 “ places, is not very inteligible to thofe who 
 “ do not underiland Latin. 
 
 “ Henry Knyghton, a Canon of Leicefler 
 “ in the neighbourhood of Dr. Wiclif, and 
 “ contemporary with him, made heavy com- 
 “ plaints of his publifhing this tranllation. 
 ( This John Wiclif/ fays he in his book de 
 eventibus Angliae, ‘ tranflated out of Latin 
 
 * into Englifh the gofpel which Chrift had 
 ‘ entrufted with .the Clergy and Dodtors of 
 € the church, that thefe might minifter it to 
 4 the Laity and weaker fort, according to 
 6 the exigency of the times, and their feveral 
 € occafions. So that by fuch means the gofpel 
 
 * was made vulgar , and laid more open to the 
 
 * Laity, and even to women who could read, 
 
 * than it ufed to be to the moft learned of the 
 
 * clergy, and thofe of the belt underftanding: 
 c and thus the gofpel-jewel, or evangelical 
 
 * pearl, 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 5 pearl, was thrown about, and trodden under 
 * foot of * fwine/ 
 
 Wiclif was not only a good divine and 
 fcripturift, but well {killed in the civil, canon, 
 and Englifh law. To great learning and 
 abilities he added the ornament of a grave, 
 unblemilhed, and pious conduct. He died 
 in his own parifh of Lutterworth, Dec. 31. 
 1384. By a decree of the council of Con- 
 ftance about twenty-eight years afterwards, 
 his voluminous writings were condemned to the 
 flames, and, with a mean revenge, his bones 
 were dug up and burnt, and their a£hes were 
 caft into an adjoining brook, 
 
 “ In Wiclif’s tranfiation v/e may obferve 
 “ that thofe words of the original, which the 
 ic Romanics have fince termed facred words, 
 “ and therefore not to be tranflated, are not 
 
 always thus fuperftitioufly regarded,—At 
 
 * Lewis, p. 4, 5, 6. 
 
 4 
 
 f See Biographia Britannica, 
 
 i* other 
 
( 7 ) 
 
 « other times indeed thefe foreign words are 
 tc retained.- 
 
 i( But notwithftanding, fo offenfive, it 
 « feems, was this tranflation of the bible to 
 « thofe who were for taking away the key of 
 “ knowledge and means of better informal 
 " tion, that a bill, we are told, was brought 
 •«« into the Houfe of Lords, 13 Rich. II. 
 « A. D. 1390, for the purpofe of fuppreffing 
 “ it. On which the Duke of Lancafter, 
 “ the King's uncle, is reported to have fpoken 
 « to this efFedt: ‘We will not be the dregs 
 
 * of all: feeing other nations have the law 
 « of God, which is the law of our faith, 
 
 « written in their own language.’ “ At the 
 “ fatne time he declared in a very folemfi 
 
 manner," * That he would maintain our 
 « having this law in our own tongue again ft 
 ‘ thofe, whoever they fhould be, who firft 
 ‘ brought in the bilk' “ The Duke was 
 iC feconded by others, who faid, ‘ That if 
 4 the gofpel, by its being tranflated into 
 « Engliih, was the occafion of running into 
 
 * error, they might know that there were more 
 
 1 * hereticks 
 
( 8 ) 
 
 * hereticks to be found among the Latins 
 ‘ than among the people of any other 
 
 * language. For that the Decretals reckoned 
 
 * no fewer than fixty-fix Latin hereticks $ 
 
 * and fo the gofpel muft not be read in Latin* 
 
 * which yet the oppofers of its Englifli 
 € tranflation allowed/ “ Upon which, it is 
 u faid, the bill was thrown out of the 
 “ Houfe.” * 
 
 John Trevifa of Cornwall, and Vicar of 
 Berkley in Gloucefterfhire, to whom fome 
 attribute *f* an Englifh tranflation of the biblc 
 in 1397, in fadt J tranflated a few texts only, 
 which were painted on the walls of his 
 Patron’s chapel in Berkley Caftlc, or which 
 are fcattered in fome parts of his works. 
 
 * Lewis. Ib. p. 7, 8, from Fox’s preface to the Saxon 
 gofpels, and Ufsher de feripturis et facris vernaculis. 
 
 + John Bale. AfTembly’s annotations: Pref. Preface 
 of King James’s tranflators. 
 
 
 This 
 
 t Lewis, p. 13. 
 
( 9 ) 
 
 «« This fuccefs of the Duke of Lancafter 
 “ perhaps gave encouragement to fome of 
 “ Dr. Wiclifs followers to review his tranf- 
 44 lation, or rather to make another not fo 
 44 ftridt or verbal as his, but more according 
 44 to the fenfe. To this tranflation feems to 
 44 belong the large prologue printed as 
 44 Wiclifs in 1550, and faid to be taken 
 “ from a MS. bible then in the King’s 
 “ chamber. 
 
 \ 
 
 c< In this prologue, the author gives the 
 “ following account of his own performance 
 “ in tranflating the bible into Englilh : 
 
 4 He, with feveral others who affifted him, 
 
 4 got together, he fays, all the old Latin 
 4 bibles they could procure : thefe they di- 
 * ligently collated and conrefted what errors 
 4 had crept into them, in order to make one 
 4 Latin bible fome deal true; lince many 
 4 bibles in Latin were very falfe, efpecially 
 4 thole that were new. Then they colledled 
 4 the Doctors’ and common gloffes, efpecially 
 
 4 Lyra j 
 
( 10 ) 
 
 # 
 
 * Lyra *; with which they lludied the text 
 
 * anew, in order to make themfelves mailers 
 
 » 
 
 * of the fenfe and meaning of it. Next they 
 confulted old Grammarians, and ancient 
 
 5 Divines, as to the hard words and fentences, 
 
 * how they might be bell underllood and 
 
 * tranllated ; which having done, they 
 
 * fet about the tranilation, which they re- 
 € folved Ihould not be a verbal one, but, as 
 € clearly as they could, exprefs the fenfe and 
 
 * meaning of the text/ -f* 
 
 “ About twenty-four years after Dr 0 
 * c WicliPs death, it was decreed by Arch- 
 “ bilhop Arundel; in a conllitution publilhed 
 “ in a Convocation of the Clergy of his Pro- 
 “ vince alfembled at Oxford, ‘ that no one 
 
 * Ihould thereafter tranllate any text of holy 
 
 * fcripture into Englilh by way of a book, or 
 
 * Nicholas de Lyra, a town in Normandy, who 
 flourifhed A. D. 1320, and died A. D. 1340. See Lc 
 Long. Bibl. facra. 
 
 ; f Lewis. Ib, p. 8, 90 
 
 4 little 
 
( II ) 
 
 * little book, or trad, and that no book, &C, 
 
 « of this kind Ihould be read, that was com- 
 
 * poled lately in the time of John Wiclif, 
 
 * or fince his death/ 
 
 “ Of this confutation^ Sir Thomas More 
 u gives us the following account: 4 Ye fhali 
 « underftand, that the great arch-heretic 
 4 Wiclif (whereas the holy bible was long 
 4 before his days by virtuous and well learned 
 4 men tranflated into the ■f* Englifh tongue* 
 
 4 and by good and godly people with devo- 
 4 tion and fobernefs well and reverently read) 
 
 4 took upon him of a malicious purpofe' to 
 4 tranflate it of new: in which tranflation he 
 4 purpofely corrupted that holy text, malicw 
 
 * oufly planting therein fuch words as might* 
 4 in the reader’s ears, fewe to the proof of 
 4 fuch herefies as he went about to fow $ 
 
 * which he not only fet forth with his own 
 
 * Dialogues* fol* 82. See p. 234. Book IIL c* 14* 
 Works. London. 1557. 
 
 f So the Anglo»Saxonic was commonly called* 
 
 £ 
 
 tranflation 
 
( 12 ) 
 
 c tranflation of the bible, but alfo with 
 
 * certain prologues and gloffes he made there- 
 
 * upon : That after it was perceived what 
 6 harm the people took by the tranflation, 
 
 * prologues, and gloffes of Wiclif, and alfo 
 
 * of fome others that after him helped to fet 
 
 * forth his bible, then for that caufe it was at 
 
 * a council holden at Oxford provided upon 
 4 great pain, that no man fhould from thence- 
 
 * forth tranflate into the Eriglifh tongue, or 
 
 * any other language, of his own authority, 
 
 * by way of book, bible, or treatife, nor no 
 € man openly or fecretly any fuch book, &c. 
 i read, newly made in the time of the faid 
 < John Wiclif or fince, or that fhould be 
 € made any time after, till the fame tranflation 
 c were by the Diocefan, or, if need fhould 
 ‘ require, by a provincial council, approved : 
 c But that it neither forbad the tranflations to 
 
 * be read that were already done of old before 
 ‘ Wiclif s days, nor damned his becaufe it 
 
 * was new, but becaufe it was naught, nor 
 & prohibited new to be made ; but provided 
 
 * that they fhall not be read, if they be made 
 i amifs, till they be by good examination 
 
 ‘ amended. 
 
( 1 3 ) 
 
 ( amended, except they be fuch truncations 
 ‘ as Wiclif made and Tyndal, that the ma- 
 c licious mind of the tranllator had in fuch 
 
 < wife handled it, as it were loft labour to go 
 
 * about to mend them i Laftly i that to burn 
 
 < the Enghih bible without refpedt, be the 
 
 < tranflation old or new, good or bad, was in 
 6 his mind not well done. .Myfelf, fays he, 
 
 * have feen, and can fhew you, bibles fair 
 
 * and old, written in Englifh, which have 
 € been known and feen by the Bifhop of ths 
 
 < diocefe, and left in laymen’s hands and 
 « women’s; to fuch as he knew for good and 
 « catholick folk, that ufed it with devotion 
 c and fobernefs. But of truth all fuch as 
 ‘ are found in the hands of heretics they life 
 
 < to take away; but they do caufe none to be 
 1 burned, as far as ever I could wit, but only 
 
 * fuch as they found faulty.’ * 
 
 * Lewis. Ib. p. io, m 
 
 «<r 
 
 Holy 
 
( H ) 
 
 “ * Holy Dodtors never meant, as I fuppofe, 
 cf the forbidding of the bibie to be read in 
 “ any vulgar tongue. For I never yet heard 
 “ any reafon laid, why it were not conveni- 
 “ ent to have the bibie tranilated into the 
 “ Englifh tongue, but all thofe reafons, 
 " feemed they never fo gay and glorious at 
 “ the fir ft fight, yet, when they were well 
 * c examined, they might in effedt, for ought 
 “ that I can fee, as well be laid againft the 
 “ holy writers that wrote the fcriptures in 
 “ the Hebrew tongue, and againft the blefled 
 “ evangelifts that wrote the fcriptures in 
 “ Greek, and againft all thofe in like wife 
 that tranftated it out of every of thofe 
 u tongues into Latin, as to their charge that 
 g would well and faithfully tranflate it out of 
 “ Latin into our Englifh tongue/' 
 
 “ Holy fcripture might be with diligence 
 “ well and truly tranflated by fome godly, 
 
 * Sir Thoma6 More’s works, p. 243. Dialogues. 
 
 Book III. c. 16, 
 
 u catholick, 
 
/ 
 
 ( *5 ) 
 
 « catholick, and well learned man, or by 
 “ divers dividing the labour among them, 
 “ and after conferring their feveral parties to- 
 “ gether each with other. And, after that, 
 “ might the work be allowed and approved 
 “ by the Ordinaries, and by their authorities 
 " fo put unto print, as all the copies fliould 
 « come whole unto the Bifhop’s hand. 
 v Which he may, after his difcretion and 
 “ wifdom, deliver to fuch as he perceiveth 
 “ honeft, fad, and virtuous, with a good 
 “ monition and fatherlv counfel to ufe it re- 
 iC verently, with humble heart, and lowly 
 ** mind. &c. * 
 
 k 
 
 * II}. p. 2450 
 
 * 
 
 SECT. 
 
( i6 ) 
 
 SECT. in. 
 
 Of Tindall's verfion. 
 
 JL H E temper of the times with refpedt to 
 Tindall’s tranflation, which appears in part 
 by the paffages quoted from Sir Thomas 
 
 More’s dialogues, will be more fully fhewn 
 
 » 
 
 by entering into the general hiftory of the 
 tranflator and his book. 
 
 t 
 
 Tindall was educated at Magdalen Hall in 
 Oxford; and, on account of his integrity 
 and learning, was advanced to a canonry of 
 Chrift Church College, then newly founded 
 by Cardinal Wolfey. Having imbibed the 
 
 A 
 
 opinions of Luther, he was involved in great 
 troubles ; but in the midft of them he refo- 
 lutely profecuted his great delign of tranfla- 
 
 ting the New Teftament into Englifh. The 
 meafures taken by him in life were all fub- 
 
 fervient 
 
( i7 .) 
 
 fervient to this end; which he propofed to 
 himfelf for the following reafon, becaufe 
 “ he had perceived by experience that it was 
 “ impoflible to eftablifh the lay-people in any 
 “ truth, unlefs the fcriptures were plainly 
 “ laid before their eyes in their mother tongue, 
 “ that they might fee the procefs, order, and 
 “ meaning of the text.” But finding no 
 opportunity to execute his pious intention in 
 England, he fought for greater fecurity and 
 liberty at Antwerp in Flanders. Here he 
 finifhed his favourite work, with the afliftance 
 of John Fry, or Fryth, and William Roye; 
 the former * of whom was burnt in Smith- 
 field for herefy, July, 1552, and the latter 
 fuffered that dreadful death in Portugal onthe 
 fame accufation. 
 
 After the publication of the book without 
 a name at Antwerp, or Hamburgh, in the 
 year 1526, thofe eminent prelates, Warharfi 
 and Tonftall, hurled furious cenfures againft 
 
 * Johnfon. 20* 
 
 c 
 
 the 
 
( it ) 
 
 the eranflator and his adherents ; and almoft 
 all the firft impreffion was purchafed by 
 Tonftall, to prevent its difperfion among the 
 mafs of the people. 
 
 Of this purchafc the following fad: is 
 related. “ Sir * Thomas More being 
 “ Lord Chancellor, and having feveral 
 “ perfons accufed of herefy, ana ready for 
 “ for execution, offered to compound with 
 “ one of them, named George Conftantine, 
 « for his life, upon the cafy terms of dif- 
 covering to him who they were in London 
 “ that maintained Tindall beyond the fea. 
 “ After the poor man had got as good a 
 « fecurity for his life as the honour and truth 
 “ of the Chancellor could give him, he told 
 «* him, * It was the Bifhop of London who 
 
 * maintained him, by fending him a fum of 
 « money to buy up the impreffion of his 
 
 * Teftaments.’ “ The Chancellor fmiled, 
 “ faying, that he believed he faid true. 
 “ Thus was this poor Confeffior’s life 
 “ faved.” 
 
 * Preface to Matthew Pool’s annotations. 
 
 The 
 
 » 
 
( *9 ) 
 
 The tenour of the ecclefiaftical commifiions 
 is curious : “ that many children of iniquity, 
 
 “ maintainers of Luther’s fedt, blinded 
 “ through extreme wickednefs, wandering 
 “ from the way of truth and the catholick 
 “ faith, craftily have tranflated the New 
 “ Teftament into our Englifh tongue, in- 
 “ termeddling therewith many heretical ar- 
 “ tides and erroneous opinions, pernicious 
 “ and offenfive, feducing the Ample people, 
 “ attempting, by their wicked and perverfe 
 “ interpretations, to prophanate the ma- 
 “ jefty of the fcripture which hitherto 
 “ hath remained undefiled, and craftily to 
 “ abufe the moft holy word of God, and the 
 “ true fenfe of the fame:——which truly, 
 “ without it be fpeedily forefeen, without 
 “ doubt will contaminate and infed the flock 
 “ committed unto us with the moft deadly 
 “ poifon andherefy, to the grievous peril and 
 “ danger of the fouls committed to our charge, 
 “ and the offence of God’s divine majefty.” 
 All therefore were required, under pain of 
 excommunication, to deliver up the copies of 
 
 C 2 this 
 
. ( 20 ). 
 
 this translation. Such books as could be 
 procured by purchafe, or by menace, were 
 committed to the flames in Paul’s * 
 Churchyard: which had a f hateful appear¬ 
 ance, and was generally called burning the 
 word of God ; and the people concluded 
 that there mull be a plain contrariety between 
 the New Teftament and the do&rines of thofe 
 
 4 . I 
 
 who treated it with fuch indignity. 
 
 Penance was enjoined to Thomas Patmore, 
 and to the author’s brother, John Tindall, 
 on fufpicion of importing and concealing 
 thefe books. Sir Thomas $ More, Lord 
 Chancellor, adjudged “ that they fhould ride 
 “ with their faces to the tails of their horfes, 
 “ having papers on their heads, and the New 
 « -Teftaments, and other books which they 
 “ had difperfed, hung about their cloaks; and, 
 
 * Fuller, B. v. 225, 
 
 f Johnfon. p, 24. 
 
 X Johnfon, p« 24. 
 
 at 
 
( 21 ) 
 
 “ at the Standard at Cheapfide, fhould 
 “ themfelves throw them into a fire prepared 
 “ for the purpofe j and that they fhould 
 “ afterwards be fined at the King’s pleafure.” 
 Humphry Monmouth alfo, who fupported 
 Tindall abroad by an annuity of ten pounds, 
 was imprifoned in the Tower j and, 
 though a man of wealth, was almoft re¬ 
 duced to ruin. But when Tonftall’s pur- 
 chafe ferved only to benefit Tindall, and 
 to defray the charge of a more correct edition, 
 and when the ftrong meafure of the epifcopal 
 commiffions failed of the defired effed, and 
 the burning of the fcripture gave offence as 
 a facrilegious ad } the pen of the witty, 
 eloquent, and learned Sir Thomas * More 
 was employed againft the Tranflator in the 
 year 1559; and in the following year a royal 
 proclamation was iffued, by the advice of the 
 Prelates and Clerks, and of the Univer- 
 fities, for totally fuppreffing the tranfla- 
 tion of the fcripture corrupted by Willjam 
 
 The great Patrons of Popery induced him to write the 
 dialogues quoted above. 
 
 Tindall, 
 
( 22 ) 
 
 Tindall. This proclamation fet forth, 
 
 “ that it was not neceflary to have the 
 “ fcriptures in the Englifh tongue, and in 
 t< the hands of the common people ; but 
 « that the diftribution of them, and the 
 •< permitting or denying of them, depended 
 “ only on the difcretion of their Superiors; 
 t( an d that, having refpedt to the malignity 
 of the time, an Englifh tranflation of the 
 “ bible would rather be an occafion of the 
 •t continuance or increafe of errors, than 
 «< any benefit to their fouls. Yet if it ihould 
 “ appear that the people abandoned all erro- 
 « neous opinions, and the tranflation then 
 « in print, the King intended to provide 
 “ that the holy fcriptures fhould be by great, 
 “ learned, and catholick perfons tranflated 
 “ into the English tongue, if it fhould then 
 sc feem convenient 
 
 Before this proclamation was ilfued Tin¬ 
 dall had tranflated the Pentateuch, which he 
 
 printed 
 
 3 
 
( 23 ) 
 
 printed at Hamburgh in 1530. In the 
 preface he complained that “ there was not 
 “ fo much as one / in his New Teftament* 
 “ if it lacked a little over its head, but it had 
 “ been noted, and numbered to the ignorant 
 people for an herefy ; who were made 
 “ to believe that there were many thoufand 
 “ herefies in it, and that it was fo faulty 
 * c that it could not be mended or corrected.” 
 
 He alfo publifhed in 1531 an Englifh 
 verfion of the prophet Jonah, with a pro¬ 
 logue full of inventive againft the church of 
 Rome; proving himfelf, as * Lord Herbert 
 calls him, a witty, but violent and fometimes 
 railing, difputant. -f Strype fuppofes that 
 before his death he fini£hed all the bible but 
 the apocrypha, which was tranflated by 
 Rogers. But it feems more probable that he 
 tranflated the hiftorical parts only. 
 
 * Life of Henry viii. p. 406. 
 
 f Life of Cranmer. Fol. London. 1694. p. 59. 
 
 t Fuller. Book v. 224. Johnfon. j>. 26. Lewis, p. 
 26. Geddes’s profpeftus. p. 88. 
 
 Hall 
 
. ( 24 ) 
 
 * Hall fays in his Chronicle, which was 
 printed during the reign of Henry VIII. 
 by Richard Grafton, Tindall’s friend and 
 benefadtor; “ William Tindall tranflated the 
 “ New Teflament, and firfl put it into 
 “ print ; and he likewife tranflated the five 
 “ books of Mofes, Jofhua, Judicum, Ruth, 
 « the books of Kings, and books of Parali- 
 “ pomenon, Nehemiah, and the firfl of 
 “ Efdras, and the prophet Jonas : and no 
 u more of the holy fcriptures.” 
 
 On 'f Tindall’s return to Antwerp in 1531, 
 King Henry VIII. and his Council contrived 
 means to have him feized and imprifoned. 
 He was condemned to death by the Emperor’s 
 decree in an affembly at Aufburgh; and in 
 the year 1536 he was firangled at Villefort 
 near Bruffels, the place of his imprifoment ; 
 
 * P. 227. See Bibliotheca Literaria. N. iv. An 
 efiay on the various Englifh tranflations of the bible. 
 4to. p. 4. London. 1723. 
 
 f See Lewis, and the Biographia Britannica. 
 
 after 
 
/ 
 
 ( 25 ) 
 
 after which his body was reduced to a&es. 
 He expired, praying with repeated earneft- 
 nefs, “ Lord, open the King of England’s 
 u eyes. 
 
 “ * None will deny that many faults 
 “ needing amendment are found in Tindall’s 
 “ tranflation. But it was not a talk for a 
 “ man, but men : his Ikill in Hebrew was not 
 “ conliderable : the knowledge of languages 
 “ was then in its infancy : and our Englilh 
 “ tongue was not improved to its prefent 
 s ‘ expreffivenefs.” Dr. *j- Geddes thinks 
 that “ though Tindall’s is far from being 
 “ a perfedt tranflation, yet few firfL tranfla* 
 “ tions will be found preferable to it% 
 “ It is aftonilhing, fays this writer, how 
 “ little obfolete the language of it is, even 
 
 “ at this day: and in point of perfpicuity 
 
 » ■ • ■ ■* 
 
 “ and noble fimplicity, propriety of idiom 
 
 “ and purity of ftyle, no Engliih verfion 
 * Fuller. Book v. 224. Johnfon. 26. 
 t Profpedlus. p. 88* 
 
 “ has 
 
I 
 
 ( 26 } 
 
 \ 
 
 has yet furpaffed it.” And he * elfewhere 
 declares, that, if he had been inclined to 
 make any prior Englifh verfion the ground¬ 
 work of hisown, it would certainly have been 
 Tindall's : and that perhaps he ihould hare 
 done this, if their Hebrew text had been 
 the fame* 
 
 * General anfwer &c. p. 4. 
 
 SECT. IV. 
 
 Of the other Eng lift) verfons in the reign oj 
 
 Henry VIII. 
 
 Cranmer was advanced to the fee of 
 Canterbury on the 30th of March, 1533.* 
 The Convocation of his province fat in the 
 
 * Strype’s life of Cranmer. p. 24.. 
 
 * following 
 
( 2 7 ) 
 
 following year. “ * Thofe who promoted 
 “ a reformation took occaflon to fay, that it 
 “ was vifible the clergy knew there was an 
 “ oppofition between the fcriptures and their 
 “ dodtrines that they had firft condemned 
 “ Wiclif s tranflation, and then Tindall’s; 
 
 “ and though they ought to teach men the 
 « word of God, yet they did all they could 
 “ to fupprefs it. It was therefore now 
 “ generally defired, that, if there were juft 
 “ exceptions againft what Tindall had done, 
 “ thefe might be mended in a new tranf- 
 “ lation.” And thus on the 19th of De¬ 
 cember, through the influence of the Arch- 
 bifhop and his friends, the two Houfes de¬ 
 puted his Grace to attend his Majefty with a 
 petition “ that the fcriptures ftiould be 
 “ tranflated into the vulgar tongue by fome 
 “ honeft and learned men to be nominated 
 
 1 * 
 
 “ by the King, and that they fhould be 
 “ delivered to the people according to their 
 “ learning.” However, a claufe was added, 
 not agreeable to the largenefs and liberality of 
 
 * Johnfon. p. 29. 
 
 Cranmer’s 
 
( 28 } 
 
 Cranmer’s mind ; “ that all the King’s 
 “ fubjeds, in whofe pofieflion any books of 
 “ fufpeded dodrine were, efpecially in the 
 “ vulgar tongue, whether printed beyond or 
 “ on this fide the fea, fhould be warned 
 “ within three months to bring them in 
 “ before perfons to be appointed by his 
 “ Majefty, under a certain penalty to be 
 “ limited by him.” 
 
 * Burnet fays that the arguments for a new 
 tranflation of the bible, joined with the 
 power which Queen Anne Bullen had in his 
 affeftions, were fo much confidered by the 
 King, that he gave orders for fetting about it 
 immediately: but that Gardiner and all his 
 party oppofed this meafure, both in Convo¬ 
 cation and in fecret with the King. 
 
 * Hiftory of the Reformation. London. 1681. Fol 
 2. 195* * 
 
 COVER- 
 
( 29 ) 
 
 COVERDALES BIBLE. 
 
 np 
 
 1 HE next year, 1535, whole bible, 
 tranflated into English, was finished at the 
 prefs. It is dedicated to the King by Miles 
 Coverdale, a man greatly efteemed for piety, 
 knowledge of the feriptures, and diligent 
 preaching ; on account of which qualities 
 King Edward VI. advanced him to the fee of 
 Exeter. In the dedication the translator 
 praifes his Majefty “ becaufe he, with his 
 * c moll honourable Council, applied all Study 
 “ and endeavour to fet forth the uncorrupt 
 “ faith of God’s moft holy word ; and be- 
 “ caufe, by his moft righteous administration, 
 “ God’s law, which had been Shut up, 
 <c deprefted, caft afide, and put out of re- 
 “ membrance, was now found again ; and 
 “ his Majefty, like another JoShua, com- 
 manded ftridtly that the law of God Should 
 “ be read, and taught unto all the people.” 
 He then very wifely States the teftimony of 
 
 feripture 
 
( 3 ° ) 
 
 fcripture to the fupremacy of Kings in their 
 own realms, as oppofed to the ufurpations of 
 the Romifh fee. Nor can the divine wifdom 
 be fufficiently admired, that the facred 
 writers thus affert the preeminence of the 
 ruling powers, and the obedience of every 
 man to their authority: as fuch dodtrincs 
 are highly favourable to the traquillity of the 
 world, to the introduction of Chriftianity 
 into eveiy country, and to the encouragement 
 of an unreftrained ufe of the fcriptures 
 among all clafles of men in all Chriftian com¬ 
 munities. He further obferves, in his dedi¬ 
 cation and epiftle to the reader, “ that, as 
 “ to the prefent tranflation, it was neither 
 “ his labour nor his defire to have this work 
 “ put into his hand; but that being inftantly 
 “ required to undertake it, and the Holy 
 “ Ghofi: moving other men to do the cofi: 
 " thereof, he was the more bold to take it 
 “ in hand. According therefore as he was 
 “ defired, he took the more upon him to fet 
 “ forth this Ipecial tranflation; notasacheck- 
 “ er, reprover, or delpifer of other men’s tranf- 
 
 “ lations, 
 
( 3 * ) 
 
 “ lations, but lowly and faithfully following 
 4€ his interpreters, and that under correction. 
 ** Of thefe, he faid, he made ufe of five 
 €€ different ones, who had tranflated the 
 “ fcriptures not only into Latin but alfo 
 “ into Dutch/' He further declares, that 
 44 he had neither wrefled nor altered fo much 
 4t as one word for the maintenance of any 
 “ manner of fedt, but had with a clear 
 t€ confcience purely and faithfully tranflated 
 ** out of the foregoing interpreters, having 
 only the manifeft truth of the fcrip-r 
 “ ture before his eyes. But becaufe fuch 
 ,( different tranflations, he faw, were apt to 
 “ offend weak minds, he expreffes his afiu- 
 “ ranee, that there came more underflan ding 
 (C and knowledge of the feripture by thefe 
 “ fundry tranflations, than by all the gloffes 
 “ of fophiflical Dodtors ; and he therefore 
 “ defires that offence might not be taken 
 44 becaufe one tranflated Scribe and another 
 “ Lawyer , one Repentance and another 
 “ Penance or Amendment P 
 
 This 
 
This is the firft Englifh bible allowed by 
 royal authority ; and the firft tranflation of 
 the whole bible printed in our language. It 
 was called a fpecial tranflation, becaufe it 
 was different from the former Englifh tranfla- 
 tions ; as Lewis fhews by comparing it with 
 Tindall’s. The laft page contains thefe 
 words : “ Printed in the year of our Lord 
 
 “ MDXXXV. and finifhed the fourth day 
 “ of October.” 
 
 / 
 
 Soon after this. Lord Cromwell, Keeper 
 of the Privy Seal, and the King’s Vicar 
 General and Vicegerent in ecclefiaftical mat¬ 
 ters, publifhed injunctions to the Clergy by 
 the King’s authority; the feventh of which 
 was, “ that every parfon, or proprietary of 
 “ any parifh church within the realm, be- 
 “ fore Auguft ift, fhould provide a book 
 “ of the whole bible, both in Latin and alfo 
 “ in Englifh, and lay it in the Choir, for 
 ic every man that would to look and read 
 “ therein : and fhould difcourage no man 
 <€ from reading any part of the bible either 
 
( 33 ) 
 
 f 
 
 “ in Latin or Englifh, but rather comfort, 
 “ exhort, and admonifh every man to read 
 “ it, as the very word of God, and the 
 “ fpiritual food of man's foul. * &c.” 
 
 f Not long after this time, Cranmer’s 
 mind was fo intent on introducing a free ufe 
 of the Englifh fcriptures by able and faithful 
 tranflators, that he divided an old Englifh 
 tranflation of the New Teftament into nine 
 or ten parts, caufed thefe parts to be tran- 
 fcribed into paper books, and then diftributed 
 them among the moft learned Bifhops, and 
 others ; requiring that they would per- 
 fedtly correft their refpedtive portions, and 
 return them to him at a limited time. 
 When the day came, every man ' fent his 
 
 proper part to Lambeth, except Stokefley 
 Bifhop of London. 
 
 * See Lewis, p. 22, 23, 24, 25. 
 
 t Strype’s life of Cranmer, p. 24. Johnfon, p. 31. 
 
 D 
 
 MAT- 
 
( 34 ) 
 
 / * 
 
 t , * • 
 
 M A T T HEW E’^ B I B L E. 
 
 4 i ... 
 
 „ / 
 
 IN the year 1537, another edition of the 
 Englifh bible was printed by Grafton and 
 Whitchurch ; at Hamburgh, as fome think, 
 or, as others, at Malborow or Marpurg in 
 Heffe. It bore the name of Thomas Mat- 
 thewe ; and was “ fet forth with the King's 
 << moft gracious licence." In Mr. Wanley s 
 opinion, to the end of Chronicles was Tindall s 
 tranflatioh, and thence to the end of the 
 Apocrypha Coverdale’s : but it is probable, 
 fays Lewis, that the prophecy of Jonah fhould 
 be excepted, which Tindall finifhed in his 
 life time, and which is the fame in this edition 
 and in the former bible of 1535- Mr. 
 Wanley alfo ohferved that the whole New 
 Teftament was Tindall’s. This book con¬ 
 tained Tindall’s prologue and notes ; and was 
 no other, as Heylin fays, than the tranfla- 
 
 * Hift. of Ref. fol. 20. 
 
 tion 
 
( 35 ) 
 
 tion of Tindall and Coverdale fomewhat 
 altered. It is allowed that the name of 
 Matthewe was a feigned one for prudential 
 reafons ; one of which was, that the memory 
 of Tindall had become odious to many. 
 
 It may well be admitted that John Rogers, 
 a learned Academic, and the firft who was 
 condemned to the flames in the reign of 
 Queen Mary, was employed by Cranmer to 
 fuperintend this edition, and to furnifh the 
 few emendations and additions which were 
 thought neceflary. This muft have been the 
 general perfuafion in the year 1555; as the 
 fentence condemnatory, which * Fox has 
 preferved, is “ againft John Rogers, Fried:, 
 “ alias called Matthew,” Cranmer prefented 
 a copy of this book to Lord Cromwell ^ 
 defiring his interceflion with the King for the 
 
 royal licence that it might be purchafed and 
 ufed by all. 
 
 * Vol. iii. 125. 
 t Lewis, p. 26, 27. 
 
 D 2 
 
 There 
 
( 3 6 ) 
 
 There are extant ^ two letters from the 
 Archbifhop on the fubjedt of Lord Cromwell s 
 effectual interpofition, full of warm appro¬ 
 bation and acknowledgement. “ I doubt 
 “ not, fays he, but that hereby fuch fruit of 
 “ good knowledge fhall enfue, that it fhall 
 « well appear hereafter what high and excel- 
 “ lent fervice you have done unto God and 
 *< the King : which {hall fo much redound to 
 “ your honour that, belides God’s reward, 
 “ you fhall obtain perpetual memory for the 
 6i fame within this realm.” 
 
 “ This deed you {hall hear of at the Great 
 “ Day when all things (hall be opened and 
 “ made manifeft.” 
 
 In the *f* year 1538, an injunction was 
 publifhed by the Vicar General of the king- 
 
 * 1 i 
 
 * Strype. Life of Cranmer, p. 58. The former letter 
 is dated Augufl xiii. 
 
 f Lewis, p. 26. 
 
 dom. 
 
 2 
 
( 37 . ) 
 
 dom, “ ordering the clergy to provide, be- 
 “ fore a certain feitival, one book of the 
 “ whole bible of the largeft volume in En- 
 “ gliih, and to let it up in fome convenient 
 “ place within their churches, where their 
 “ parifhioners might moft commodioufly re- 
 “ fort to read it.” A royal * declaration was 
 alfo publifhed, which the curates were to 
 read in their feveral churches, informing the 
 people that “ it had pleafed the King's 
 “ Majefty to permit and command the bible, 
 “ being tranflated into their mother tongue, 
 “ to be fincerely taught by them, and to be 
 “ openly laid forth in every parifh church.” 
 But the curates were very cold in this affair ; 
 and read the injunction and declaration in fuch 
 a manner that they could fcarcely be -f un¬ 
 der flood. 
 
 * See it: N. xxiii. Strype’s Appendix to his life of 
 Cranmer. 
 
 f Lewis. Ib. 
 
 Johnfon 
 
( 38 ) 
 
 * Johnfon adds that they alfo read the 
 word of God confufedly; and that they bade 
 their parifhioners, notwithftanding the in-* 
 jundfions which they read, being compelled 
 by authority, “ to do as they did in times 
 paft, and to live as their Fathers, the old 
 “ fafhion being the befl.” And yet the de¬ 
 claration was framed to caution the people 
 again# taking fuch indecent liberties as to 
 contend and difpute about what they read, in 
 places very unfit for fuch conferences; and 
 to exhort them that they would make a better 
 ufe of the King’s licence. Fox~\* obferves 
 that “ the fetting forth of this book did 
 “ not a little offend Gardiner and his fellow 
 “ bifhops, both for the prologues, and 
 “ efpecially becaufe there was a table in the 
 “ book chiefly about the Lord’s fupper, the 
 “ marriage of priefts, and the mafs, which 
 “ there was faid not to be found in fcriphire.” 
 
 * P. 37 * ^ " , 
 
 t A&s and monuments, &c. Fol. London, 1641. ii, 
 
 ©n 
 
( 39 ) 
 
 On the other hand, ‘ it was wonderful, fays 
 
 * * Strype, to fee with what joy this book 
 < of God was received, not only among the 
 1 more learned, and thofe who were noted 
 ‘ lovers of the reformation, but generally all 
 
 * over England, among all the common 
 « people ; and with what greedinefs God’s 
 
 * word was read, and what refort there was 
 ‘ to the places appointed for reading it. 
 
 ‘ Every one that could, bought the book, 
 
 * and bufily read it, or heard it read ; and 
 
 * many elderly perfons learnt to read on 
 
 * purpofe.’ 
 
 The *'}'* church of Hereford being vacant, 
 Cranmer vifited that fee, and enjoined the 
 clergy to procure by the firft of Auguft 
 a whole bible in Latin and Englifh, or at 
 leaft a New Teftament in thofe languages ; 
 to ftudy every day one chapter of thofe 
 
 * Life of Cranmer, p. 64. 
 f Johnfon, p. 37. 
 
 books. 
 
( 4 ° ) 
 
 books, conferring the Latin and Englifli to¬ 
 gether, from the beginning to the end ; and 
 not to difcourage any laymen from reading 
 them, but encourage them to it, and to read 
 them for the reformation of their lives, and 
 knowledge of their duty. 
 
 * In the courfe of this year, 1538, a quarto 
 New Teftament, in the Vulgate Latin, and 
 in Coverdale’s Englifh, though it bore the 
 name of Hollybulhe, was printed with the 
 King’s licence by James Nicholfon. In the 
 dedication Coverdale fays, “ he does not 
 “ doubt but fuch ignorant bodies as, having 
 “ cure of fouls, are very unlearned in the 
 “ Latin tongue, /hall through this fmall 
 “ labour be occafioned to attain unto more 
 “ knowledge, or at leaft be conftrained to fay 
 “ well of the thing which heretofore they 
 <€ have blaiphemed.” 
 
 * Lewis, p. 27, 29, 
 
 About 
 
(, ) 
 
 About this time an event happened which 
 ihewed the vigilance and jealoufy of the 
 Pvomanifts with refped: to vernacular tranfla- 
 tions of the bible. Grafton had permiffion 
 from * Francis lit, at the requeft of King 
 Henry himfelf, to print a bible at Paris, on 
 account of the fuperior fkill of the workmen* 
 and the comparative goodnefs and cheapnefs 
 of the paper. But, notwithftanding the 
 royal licence, the Inquifition interpofed 
 by an -f* inftrument dated December 17th, 
 1538. The French printers, their Englilh 
 employers, and Coverdale the corrector of 
 the work, were fummoned by the Inquifi- 
 tors : and the impreffion, confifting of 2500 
 copies, was feized and condemned to the 
 flames. But the avarice of the officer who 
 fuperintended the burning of thefe heretical 
 hooks , for fo they were called, induced him 
 to fell fome chefts of them to a Haberdaffier, 
 
 i 
 
 * See the licence in Strype’s life of Cranmer, N. xxx. 
 t See it: Strype’s Cranmer, p. 83. 
 
 for 
 
( 42 ) 
 
 for the purpofe of wrapping his wares. The 
 Englifh Proprietors, who fled at the alarm, 
 returned to Paris when it fubfided ; and not 
 only recovered fome of thofe copies which 
 had efcaped the fire, but brought with them 
 to London the prefles, types, and printers. * 
 
 * Fox, A&s and monuments, ii. 516. Burnet, Hift. 
 of the Reformation, 1. 249. Preface to Poole’s Englifh 
 annotations. Fol. London. 1683. Strype’s Cranmer. p. 
 82, 3. Le Long Bibliotheca Sacra. Paris. 1723. fol, p. 
 429. 
 
 1 
 
 CRAN- 
 
( 43 ) 
 
 \ 
 
 CRANMER’S 
 
 O R 
 
 THE GREAT BIBLE. 
 
 IN * April 1539, Grafton and Whitchurch 
 printed the bible in large folio, cum privilegio 
 ad imprimendum folum. To this edition a 
 beautiful frontifpiece, defigned by Holbens 
 was prefixed: in the text, thofe parts of the 
 Latin verfion which are not found in the 
 
 Hebrew or Greek are inferted in a fmaller 
 letter ; for inftance, the three verfes of the 
 xivth pfalm, which are the 5 th, 6 th, and 7th 
 in the tranflation of our liturgy, and the 
 controverted words 1 John v. 7, 8 : and a 
 mark is ufed to denote a difference of reading 
 
 •* Lewis, p. 30, 31. 
 
 between 
 
( 44 ) 
 
 between the Hebrews and Chaldees ; which, 
 to avoid prolixity, the editors left to be 
 afterward explained in a feparate treatife. 
 Matthewe’s bible was revifed, and feveral 
 alterations were made in the tranflation, efpe- 
 cially in the book of pfalms. But Tindall’s 
 prologues and notes, and the notes added by 
 others in the edition of 1537, were all omit¬ 
 ted. “ Certain godly annotations were to 
 “ have been made: but, forfomuch as 
 « there had not been fufficient time minifter- 
 €C ed to the King’s mo ft honourable council 
 “ for the overfight and correction of them, 
 “ they were omitted till their more conve- 
 “ nient leifure.” Pointing hands, placed in 
 the margin and in the text, fhew the paffages 
 on which thefe notes were to have been 
 
 written. 
 
 * Johnfon calls this third edition of the 
 feriptures the bible in the large or great 
 
 * P. 38—42. Strype’s life of Cranmer. p. 444. 
 
 volume. 
 
volume, afcrlbes it to the year 1539, and 
 fuppofes it the fame which Grafton obtained 
 leave to print at Paris. He fays that Miles 
 Coverdale compared the tranflation with the 
 Hebrew, mended it in many places, and was 
 the chief overfeer of the work. Agreeably 
 to this, Coverdale, in a fermon at Paul’s 
 Crofs, defended his tranflation upon occafion 
 of fome flanderous reports which were then 
 raifed againft it, confefling “ that he himfelf 
 “ now faw fome faults, which, if he might 
 “ review the book once again, as he had twice 
 “ before, he doubted not he fhould amend : 
 “ but for any herefy, he was fure that there 
 « was none maintained in his tranflation.” 
 This is related by Dr. Fulk, who was one of 
 Coverdale’s auditors. y . 
 
 TAVER- 
 
( 46 ) 
 
 TAVERNER’S BIBLE. 
 
 In the courfe of the year 1539, * another 
 bible was printed by John Byddelli. Its 
 conduftor was Richard Taverner, Who re¬ 
 ceived his education at Chriftchurch in 
 Oxford, and had the patronage of Cromwell 
 when Secretary of State. It is probable that 
 his patron encouraged him to undertake this 
 work, on account of his lkill in the Greek 
 tongue. This is neither a bare revifal of the 
 Engliih bible juft deferibed, nor a new verfion j 
 but between both. It is a corre&ion of what is 
 called Matthewe’s bible ; many of whofe mar¬ 
 ginal notes are adopted, and many omitted, and 
 others inferted by the editors. In his dedica¬ 
 tion Taverner tells the King “ that it is a 
 “ work of fuch great difficulty fo abfolutely 
 “ to tranflate the bible that it be faultlefs, 
 
 * Lewis, p. 32. 
 
 “ that 
 
( 47 ) 
 
 that he feared it could fcarce be done of 
 “ one or two perfons ; but rather required 
 “ both a deeper conferring of many learned 
 u wits together, and alfo a jufler time and 
 (< longer leifure : but forafmuch as the 
 “ printers were very defirous to have the 
 “ bible come forth as faultlefs and emendately 
 *‘ as the fliortnefs of the time for the recog- 
 <( nifing of the fame would require, they 
 “ delired him, for default of a better learned, 
 “ diligently to overlook and perufe the whole 
 “ copy, and, in cafe he fhould find any 
 “ notable default that needed correction, to 
 “ amend the fame according to the true 
 “ exemplars ; which thing, according to his 
 “ talent, he had gladly done.” After his 
 patron’s death, he was imprifoned in the 
 Tower for this work ; but had the addrefs to 
 reinflate himfelf in the King’s favour. 
 
 * Wood attributes Taverner’s imprifonment 
 to the influence of thofe Bifhops who were 
 
 * Hid. et ant. Univ. Oxon. Fob 1674. L. ii. p. 
 2.64. where a particular account of Taverner may be feem 
 
 addifted 
 
( 4 » ) 
 
 addidted to the Romifh religion - y and informs 
 us that his verfion was read in churches by 
 royal authority. 
 
 On November 13, 1539, the King, at 
 Cranmer’s interceffion, * appointed Lord 
 Cromwell “ to take fpecial care and charge 
 “ that no perfon within the realm attempt to 
 print any Englifh bible during the fpace of 
 “ five years, but fuch as fhall be admitted by 
 “ the faid Lord Cromwell.” The reafon 
 given is, “ that the bible fhould be perufed 
 “ and confidered in one tranflation ; the 
 ** frailty of men being fuch, that the diverfity 
 “ thereof may breed and bring forth manifold 
 “ inconveniencies, as when wilful and heady 
 folk fhall confer upon the diverfity of the 
 faid tranflations.” 
 
 * Burnet. Hitt. of Ref. 1. 270. See the King’s letters 
 patent in Burnet’s collection of records. N. xv.-and Lewis, 
 p. 30. 
 
 In 
 
 1 
 
( 49 ) 
 
 In the year 1540, * two privileged edi¬ 
 tions of the bible which had been printed in 
 
 the preceding year came from the prefs 
 of Edward Whitchurche. Lewis mentions 
 three other impreffions of the great bible* 
 which appeared in the courfe of this year ; 
 two printed by Whitchurche, and one by 
 Petyt and Redman. 
 
 Cranmer wrote a prologue, or preface, for 
 the editions of the year 1540 ; the tenour of 
 which inftrudts us in the opinions and prac¬ 
 tice of thofe times. With refpedi to fuch as 
 would not read, or hear, the fcripture in the 
 vulgar tongue, “ he wonders that any man 
 ** fhould be fo mad as to refufe in darknefe 
 “ light, in hunger food, in cold fire. So 
 “ that, if there were a people, as fome write, 
 “ who never faw the fan, it is credible that, 
 “ if its light had entrance to them, at the 
 <c firft fome of them would be offended 
 “ therewith/’ But the greateft part of the 
 
 * Lewis, p. 33, 34. 
 
 E 
 
 preface 
 
( 5 ° ) 
 
 preface is occupied in fire wing from Chryfoftorn 
 * * what it availeth that fcripture Ihoulci be 
 “ had and read of the lay and vulgar people 
 and from Gregory Nazianzen, tnat it is 
 “ not fit for every man to difpute the high 
 « queftions of divinity, neither is it to 
 « be done at all times, neither in every 
 “ audience mu ft we difeufs every doubt, but 
 “ we muft know when, to whom, and how 
 <« far, we ought to enter into fuch matters. 
 
 << Therefore, fays the Archbifhop, every 
 “ man that cometh to the reading of this 
 “ holy book ought to bring with him firft 
 “ the fear of Almighty God, and next a 
 81 firm and liable purpofe to reform his own 
 “ felf according thereunto, and fo to conti- 
 “ nue, proceed, and profper from time to 
 « time, Ihewing himfelf to be a lober and 
 “ fruitful hearer and learner: which if he 
 « a 0 , he lhall prove at length well able to 
 << teach, 'though not with his mouth, yet 
 “ with his living and good example, which 
 « i s f ure the moft lively and effedluous form 
 “ and manner of teaching.” 
 
 This 
 
( 5 1 ) 
 
 This year, in the month of May, the 
 curates and parishioners of every parifh were 
 required by royal proclamation to provide 
 themfelves with the bible of the largeSt 
 volume Defore the feaft of All Saints, under 
 the penalty of forty Shillings for every month 
 during which they Should be without it. 
 The King charged all Ordinaries to fee that 
 this proclamation was obeyed : but p*ave the 
 people to underftaiid that his allowing them 
 the Scriptures in their mother tongue was not 
 his duty, but his goodnefs and liberality to 
 them; of which he exhorted them not to 
 make any ill uSe* Upon this Bonner, BiShop 
 of London, placed fix bibles in his cathedral^ 
 but fet up on the pillars to which they were 
 chained an admonition to the following effeCt: 
 
 Fhat whofoever came thither to read, 
 “ Should prepare himfelf to be edified and 
 " made better thereby : that he Should join 
 (i thereunto his readinefs to obey the King’s 
 “ injunctions made in that behalf: that he 
 bring with him difcretion, honeSt intent, 
 chanty, reverence, and quiet behaviour : 
 
 E 2 “ that 
 
\ 
 
 ( 52 ) 
 
 “ that there fhould no fuch number meet to- 
 “ gether as to make a multitude: that no 
 “ expofition be made thereupon, but what is 
 « declared in the book itfelf: and that it be 
 “ not read with noife in time of divine fervice : 
 
 “ nor that any difputation or contention 
 “ be ufed * at it.” 
 
 In + May 1541 one edition of Cranmer’s 
 bible was fini fried by Richard Grafton ; who 
 alfo completed in the November following 
 another bible of the largeft volume, which 
 was fuperintended, at the King’s command, 
 by Tonftal Bifhop of Durham and Heath 
 Bidiop of Rochefter. 
 
 It J being the King’s fettled judgement* 
 « that his fubjedts fhould be nurfed in Chrift 
 
 * Lewis, p. 34. from Strype’s Cranmer: p. 84. 
 
 4 Lewis, p. 34> 35 * 
 
 X Lewis, p. 35. 
 
 “ by 
 
 I 
 
( 53 ) 
 
 €t by reading the fcriptures,” on the 7th of 
 May he again published a brief, or decree, 
 for Tetting up the bible of the great volume 
 in every parifh church throughout England. 
 But a writer of the year 1546 informs us that 
 thefe decrees and injunctions were partially 
 and reludfantly obferved ; that no fmall number 
 of churches were without any bible ; and 
 that in other churches it was placed where 
 poor men durft not prefume to come. He 
 alfo charges the Bifhops with attempting to 
 fupprefs the bible, under pretence of prepar¬ 
 ing a verlion of it for publication within feven 
 years. 
 
 For now thofe Bifhops who were well 
 difpofed to the church of Rome began to 
 gain ftrength. Cromwell, Earl of Effex, 
 had been executed in July 1540. The 
 Englifh tranflation was reprefen ted to the 
 King as very erroneous and heretical. The 
 free ufe of it was faid to encreafe faCtion and 
 parties, to raife difputes among the common 
 
 w 5 
 
( 54 ) 
 
 people* and to deftroy the peace of the king-^ 
 dom. In the Convocation therefore, which 
 met Febr. 16. 1542, the Archbifhop, in the 
 King^s name, required the Bhhops and Clergy 
 to revife the tranflation of the New Xefta- 
 ment, which he divided for that purpofe into 
 fourteen parts, and portioned them out to 
 fifteen Bifhops, affigning two to the Apoca- 
 lypfe on account of its difficulty. But a 
 defign was conceived to banifh the tranflation 
 already made. Trifles were infilled on ; and 
 
 j 
 
 Gardiner produced a long catalogue or 
 Latin wards, which were either to remain 
 untranflated or to be englifhed with as little 
 alteration as poffible. The plain purpole of 
 this was, that the fcriptures might remain 
 dark to the mere Engliffi reader. Cranmer 
 therefore, perceiving the refolution of the 
 
 * See their names : Fuller’s Church rliftory : Fob 
 London. 1655. Book v. p. 237. Lewis, p. 35. 
 
 f They are enumerated by Fuller and Lewis: ubi 
 
 fupra. 
 
 Bifhops 
 
( 55 ) 
 
 Bifhops that this motion of tranflating the 
 bible, or correcting the old tranflation, fhould 
 come to nothing, procured the King's confent 
 that the matter fhould be referred to the 
 two * Univeriities : again ft which all the 
 Bifhops protefted, except Goodrick Bifhop 
 of Ely, and Barlow Bifhop of St. David’s. 
 The protefting Bifhops affirmed that in the 
 Univeriities, which were of late much decayed, 
 all things were carried by young men, the 
 Regent Mafters, whole judgements were not 
 to be relied on ; fo that the learning of the land 
 was chiefly in the Convocation. But the 
 Archbifhop declared that he would adhere to 
 the will and pleafure of the King his Mafter. 
 By this conteft, the matter feems to have 
 ceafed ; and foon after the Convocation was 
 diflolved. 
 
 * Strype’s Cranmer. p. 94. Johnfon. p. 48. Lewis, 
 p- 35 ) 3 6 * 
 
 The 
 
/ 
 
 ( 56 ) 
 
 * The Romifh party prevailed alfo in par¬ 
 liament; where Tindall's tranflation was con¬ 
 demned and abolifhed by law, but other tranfla- 
 tions were allowed to remain in force, provided 
 the annotations and preambles were expunged. 
 However, even thefe tranflations were to be 
 read by the higher daffies only; and not by 
 the lower fort, without the King’s licence. 
 
 “ All •f* men might read the fcriptures, 
 “ except fervants ; but no woman, except 
 “ ladies and gentlewomen, who had leifure, 
 “ and might afk fomebody the meaning." 
 
 Mitigations J of this kind were obtained 
 by Cranmer with great difficulty. His 
 motion for thefe was at firft fupported by the 
 Biihops of Worcefter, Chichefter, Hereford, 
 and Rochefter, But when the Biffiop of 
 
 * Lewis, p. 36, 7, 8, 34, 35 ’ H. viii. C, 1. Strype s 
 Cranmer. p. 84, 5. 
 
 4 Selden. iii. 2010, 
 
 % johniton. p. 53. 
 
 i 
 
 Win^hefter,. 
 
( 57 ) 
 
 Winchefter, and the Romifh fadtion, oppofed 
 the meafure with earneftnefs and violence, 
 all the Bifhops deferted him, nor could he 
 have extorted the King's confent, if his 
 Majefty had not thought it prudent to leave 
 his fubjedts eafy and content during his abfencc 
 on an expedition againft France. 
 
 * Soon after palling this aft, a treatife, called 
 << A neceffary doftrine and erudition for any 
 “ Chriftian man,” was puhlifhed by royal 
 authority ; in the preface to which the King 
 tells his fubjeds that, “ for the part of the 
 “ church ordained to be taught, it ought to 
 “ be deemed that the reading of the old and 
 “ new teftament is not fo neceffary for all 
 “ thofe folks, that of duty they ought and be 
 “ bound to read it, but as the prince, and 
 “ the policy of the realm, fhall think con- 
 « venient fo to be tolerated, or taken from 
 “ it. Confonant whereunto, the politic law 
 « of our realm hath now retrained it from a 
 
 great many/' 
 
 * Lewis, p. 37. 
 
 After 
 
 r ^ *•. • 
 
 1 
 
( 58 ) 
 
 , > # 
 
 * After this Grafton, the King’s Printer, 
 was imprifoned j and not relealed till he had 
 given a bond of 300/. neither to print nor 
 fell any more Englifh bibles till the King and 
 the Clergy Ihould agree on a tranflation. 
 
 -j- In the year 1544, John Day and Wil¬ 
 liam Seres printed the Pentateuch after the 
 copy which the King’s Majefty fet forth: and 
 in 1546, the laft year of his reign, the King 
 prohibited by proclamation having and read¬ 
 ing J Wiclif’s, Tindall’s, and Coverdale’s 
 tranllations, and forbad the ufe of any other 
 than what was allowed by parliament. This 
 jj Strype attributes to the contefts and 
 clamours of the people one againft another j 
 
 * Lewis. Ib„ \ 
 
 f Lewis. Ib. 
 
 ♦ 
 
 t Afiembly’s annotations. Pref. at the end of p. 3. 
 
 || Life of Cranmer. p. 138. 
 
 while 
 
( 59 ) 
 
 while they difputed fo much of what they 
 read, and practifed fo little. But a more 
 povyerful caufe was, the encreafing ftrength 
 of the Romiffi faction, and the abatement 
 of the King’s warmth for the reformation, 
 in the latter part of his reign. 
 
 This hiftory of our Englifh tranflations in 
 the time of Henry VIII. illuftrates what is 
 well known, that the King exercifed a very 
 defpotic power both in religious and civil 
 affairs. It alfo fliews with what zeal and 
 prudence the Friends * to the Reformation 
 Conducted themfelves in the great work of 
 introducing and improving Englifh tranflati¬ 
 ons of the bible what peculiar difficulties 
 they had to encounter from the dangerous in- 
 
 i 
 
 conftancy of a tyrant, and from the inveterate 
 prejudices of a ftrong Romifh party ; and 
 
 * See the names of the Reforming Bifhops in Fuller : 
 Book v. p. 212. From Lord Herbert. London, 1649. 
 p. 405. 
 
 with 
 
( 6o ) 
 
 with what avidity the Engli/h fcriptures were 
 read by the bulk of the people, fo that the 
 free ufe of them at length became a 
 mark of honourable diftindtion to the higher 
 ranks. 
 
 •'. y, • . i 
 
 * 
 
 SECT. V. 
 
 A 
 
 Of the Eng I if e verJions in the reign of 
 
 Edward FL 
 
 SoON * after the acceffion of this King 
 to the throne on January 28, 1546, the 
 fevere ftatute of 34, 35 Henry VIII. c. 1. 
 was repealed ; and a royal injunction was 
 publilhed, that not only the whole Englifh 
 
 * Lewis, p. 38, 
 
 bible 
 
( 6i ) 
 
 / ^ y 
 
 bible Ihould be placed in churches, but alfo 
 
 the paraphrafe of Erafmus in Englifh to the 
 end of the four evangelifts. Mention how¬ 
 ever was made of authority and licence to 
 readers ; who were to be exhorted alfo that 
 foould be no reafomng or contention, 
 but that all ihould quietly hear the reader. 
 
 It * was likewife ordered by this injunction 
 
 » 
 
 that every Parfon, Vicar, Curate, Chantery 
 Prieft, or Stipendiary, being under the degree 
 of a Bachelor of Divinity, ihould have of 
 his own the New Teftament, both in Latin 
 and Engliih, with the paraphrafe of Erafmus 
 upon it ; and that the Bifhops &c. in their 
 Synods, or Vifitations, ihould examine them 
 how they had profited in the Study of the 
 holy fcriptures. 
 
 It was further appointed that the epiftle 
 and gofpel of the mafs ihould be read in 
 
 * Lewis, p. 39. 
 
 " * 
 
 t Lewis, p. 39. 
 
 Engliih ; 
 
 - 1 * 
 
 / . 
 
 / 
 
( 62 ) 
 
 Eiigiil.fi ; and that, on every Sunday and 
 Holiday, one chapter of the New Tefta- 
 inent in Englifh thould be plainly and dif- 
 tindly read at Matins, and one chapter of 
 the Old Teftament at Evening. But* after¬ 
 wards in the year 1549, when the book of 
 common prayer &c. was finifhed, what nearly 
 reiemhles our prefect cuftom was enjoined, 
 that, alter reading the pfalms in order at 
 Morning and Evening prayer, two leffons. 
 the fir ft from the Old Teftament and the 
 fecond from the New, fhould be read dif- 
 tindfly with a loud voice. 
 
 / 
 
 A rebellion having been raifed in the year 
 1 54 9 ’ “fid the rebels having required among 
 other articles that the bible in Englifh fhould 
 be fuppiefled, Cranmer thus eloquently de¬ 
 fended the ufe of it in the vulgar tongue : 
 
 Wherefore did the Hoiy Ghoft come down 
 “ 111 fiei 7 tongues, and give the Apoftles 
 “ knowledge of all languages, but that all 
 
 * Lewi?, p. 43. ' 
 
 nations 
 
( 6 3 ) 
 
 x \ 
 
 “ nations might hear, fpeak, and learn God’s 
 “ word in their mother tongue ? And can 
 “ you name me any Chriftians in ail the 
 “ world, but they have, and ever had, 
 
 “ God’s word in their own tongue ?——-And 
 “ will you have God further from us than 
 “ from all other countries: that he fliall 
 “ fpeak to every man in his own language 
 “ that he underftandeth and was born in, and 
 “ to us fhall fpeak a ftrange language that we 
 “ underftand not ? And will you that all 
 “ other realms fhall laud God in their owii 
 “ fpeech, and we fhall fay to him we know 
 <c not what ? Although you favour fo little 
 Xi of godlinefs that you lift not to read his 
 word yourfelves, you ought not to be fo 
 “ malicious and envious to let them that be 
 t( more godly, and would gladly read it to 
 “ their comfort and edification. And if 
 “ there be an Englifh heretic, how will you 
 “ have him confuted but in Englifh ? And 
 “ whereby elfe, but by God’s word ? Then it 
 « followeth that, to confute Englifh heretics, 
 we muft have God’s word in Englifh, as 
 
 “ all 
 
( 6 4 ) 
 
 u all other nations have it in their own native 
 “ language. 
 
 x V* ' > s .. f „ # 
 
 During the courfe of this reign, that is, 
 in Ids than feven years and fix months, eleven 
 impreflions of the whole Englifh bible were 
 publifhed, and fix of the Englifh New 
 Teflament : to which may be added an 
 Englifh tranflation of the whole New Telia- 
 ment paraphrafed by Erafmus. So earneflly 
 did the Reformers endeavour, according to 
 the motto fometim.es prefixed to their bibles, 
 “ that * the word of the Lord might have 
 “ free courfe, and be glorified.” It is worthy 
 of notice that the bibles were reprinted 
 according to the preceding editions ; whether 
 Tindall’s, Coverdale’s, Matthewe’s, Cran- 
 mer’s, or Taverner’s ; that is, with a dif¬ 
 ferent text, and with different notes : the 
 Reformers feeming more intent on gratifying 
 the taftes of all readers, than fearful of per¬ 
 plexing them by flight variations, when the 
 
 * ^ ThelT. iii. i. 
 
 / 
 
 v great 
 
( 65 ) 
 
 \ 
 
 great • outlines were the feme. But it is 
 
 o 
 
 doubted by the writer of the preface to King 
 James’s tranflation, whether there were any 
 tranflation, or correftion of a tranflation, m 
 the courfe of this reign. 
 
 SECT. VI. 
 
 Of the Englijh verjions in the reigns of Queen 
 Mary and Queen Elifabeth . 
 
 C^UEEN MARY began her reign July 
 6. 1553; and ended it November 17. 1558. 
 The terrors of perfecution drove many of the 
 principal Reformers to Geneva: where they 
 publifhed, in 1557, an Englifh New Tefta- 
 ment printed by Conrad Badius, the firft in 
 
 F ' our 
 
( 66 ) 
 
 our language which contained the diftindtions 
 of verfes by numeral figures, after the general 
 manner of the Greek Teftament which 
 
 ' ■ /■ ■ i 
 
 Robert Stephens publifhed A. D. 1551. 
 But Robert Stephens placed his figures in 
 the margin ; whereas the Geneva editors 
 prefixed their’s to the beginning of minute 
 fubdivifions with breaks, after our prefent 
 manner. 
 
 When * Queen Elifabeth pafled through 
 London from the Tower to her coronation, a 
 pageant was eredted in Cheapfide, which 
 reprefen ted Time coming out of a cave, and 
 leading a perfon cloathed in white filk, who 
 rep refen ted Truth his daughter. Truth had 
 the Englifh bible in her hand, on which was 
 written Verbum veritatis. Truth addrefied 
 the Queen, and prefented her with the book. 
 She kiffed it, held it in her hands, laid it on 
 her breaft, greatly thanked the City for their 
 prefent, and added that file would often and 
 diligently read it. 
 
 * Johnfon, p. 67* 
 
 In 
 
( 67 ) 
 
 In * I559> a royal vifi tat ion was appoint¬ 
 ed ; the bible, and Erafmus’s paraphrafe, 
 were reftored to churches ; and articles of 
 enquiry were exhibited whether the clergy 
 difcouraged any from reading any part of the 
 fcriptures. “ Minifterswere alfo enjoined 
 “ to read every day one chapter of the bible 
 “ at lead:; and all who were admitted readers 
 “ in the church were daily to read one chapter 
 “ at lead: of the Old Teftament, and another 
 “ of the New, with good advifement, to the 
 “ encreafe of their knowledge/' 
 
 t S-U. - 
 
 During this £ year the exiles at Geneva 
 publifhed the book of pfalms in Englifh, 
 with marginal notes, and with a dedication to 
 the Queen dated February 10, 
 
 * Lewis, p. 52, 
 
 + Johnfon. p. 72. 
 
 X Johnfon. p. 71. 
 
 m 
 
 F 2 
 
 - j. t_ . . 
 
 THE 
 
(.68 ) 
 
 THE GENEVA BIBLE. 
 
 Jn 1560 * the whole bible in 4to. was 
 printed at Geneva by Rowland Harte ; fome 
 of the English refugees continuing in that 
 city folely for this purpofe. 
 
 The tranilators were Bifhop Coverdale, 
 Anthony Gilby, William Whittingham, 
 Chriftopher Woodman, Thomas Sampfon, 
 and Thomas Cole ; to whom fome add 
 J- John Knox, John Bodleigh, and John 
 Puliain ; all % zealous Calvinifts, both in 
 do&xine and difcipline; but jj the chief and 
 
 * Lewis, p. 58. 
 
 f Lewis : p. 50: vmo gives a fhort account of fome. 
 
 X Johnfon. p. 66. 
 
 || Le Long. p. 430. 
 
 nioft 
 
 2 
 
moft learned of them were the three firft. 
 “ Thefe * were perfaaded that the former 
 
 JL 
 
 <c Englifh translation required to be re- 
 “ examined ; many errors being occasioned 
 “ in it by the infancy of thofe times, and 
 “ imperfect knowledge of the tongues, in 
 “ refpedt of the ripe age, and clear light, 
 “ which God afterwards revealed; as they 
 “ fpeak in their preface. Hence many 
 “ learned and godly men put them on this 
 “ Work by their earned: defire and exhorta- 
 “ tion; being encouraged alfo by the ready 
 “ wills of fuch, whofe hearts Godhad touched 
 “ not to fpare any charge for the furtherance 
 “ of fuch a benefit towards God’s church. 
 “ Another encouragement to them was the 
 “ prefent opportunity and occafion which 
 “ God afforded them, by means of fo many 
 “ godly and learned men where they were, 
 
 * Preface to the Old Teftament. Strype’s life of Parker. 
 London, Fol. 1711. p. 205. Lewis, p. 66—70. 
 
 f They confulted Beza and Calvin. Johnfon. p. 66. 
 
 and 
 
( 7 ° ) 
 
 ( 
 
 “ and fuch diverfities of tranflations into 
 “ divers tongues, which they had then the 
 “ liberty of confulting. And as to their 
 “ carefulnefs and fincerity in the work, they 
 “ faid for themfelves that they might with 
 “ a good confidence proteft that, in every 
 “ point and word, according to the meafure 
 “ of that knowledge which it pleafed 
 “Almighty God to give them, they had 
 “.faithfully rendered the text, and in all hard 
 “ places moil fincerely expounded it. for 
 “ God is our witnefs, fay they, that we have 
 “ by all means endeavoured to fet forth the 
 “ purity of the word, and right fenfe of the 
 “ Holy Ghoft, for the edifying of the 
 “ brethren in faith and charity. And as 
 “ they chiefly obferved the fenfe, fo they 
 “ reverently kept the propriety of the words; 
 “ confidering that the Apoftles, who fpake 
 “ and wrote to the gentiles in the Greek 
 “ tongue, rather conftrained them to the 
 “ lively phrafe of the Hebrew, than mollified' 
 “ their language to fpeak as the gentiles did, 
 “ And for this and other cauies, they in many 
 
 “ places 
 
( 7 * ) 
 
 “ places referved the Hebrew phrafes, not- 
 
 “ withftanding they might feem fomewhat 
 “ hard in their ears that were not well prac- 
 
 “ tifed in the phrafes of holy fcripture. 
 
 <e So at laft, after the labour and ftudy of 
 “ two years and more, day and night, they 
 “ finifhed their tranflation, and publifhed it; 
 “ prefixing an epiftle dedicatory to the Queen, 
 and another epiftle, by way of preface, to 
 “ their brethren of England, Scotland, and 
 (€ Ireland. 
 
 “ That which was done in the Geneva 
 u bible, befides the tranflation, was what 
 (S follows: 
 
 “ I. Becaufe fome tranflations read after 
 
 ♦ 
 
 “ one fort, and fome after another, they 
 “ noted in the margin the diverfities of fpeech 
 i( and reading, efpecially according to the 
 (t Hebrew. 
 
 M II. Where 
 
'( 7 2 ) 
 
 \ 
 
 “ II. Where the 'Hebrew fpeech feemcd 
 “ hardly to agree with our’s, they noted it in 
 “•the margin, tiling /that which was more 
 “ intelligible! 
 
 “ III. Though many of the Hebrew 
 “ names were altered from the old text, and 
 “ reftored to the true writing, and firft ori- 
 “ ginal, yet in the ufual names little was 
 “ changed, for fear of troubling Ample 
 “ readers. 
 
 u IV. Where the neceffity of the fentence 
 “ required any thing to -be added, whether 
 “ verb or fome other word, they put it in 
 " the text with another kind of letter j that 
 “ it might eafily be difcerned from the com- 
 “ mon letter of the text. 
 
 “ V. As to the divilion of the verfes, they 
 “ followed the Hebrew examples, adding the 
 “ number to each verfe. 
 
 ** VI. And 
 
i 73 ) 
 
 “ VI. The principal matters were noted ; 
 “ and the arguments, both for each book and 
 each chapter. 
 
 “ VII. They fet over the head of every 
 “ page fome notable word or fentence, for 
 the help of memory. 
 
 “ VIII. They fet brief annotations upon 
 “ all the hard places, as well for the under-. 
 “ Handing of obfcure words, as for declaration 
 “ of the text. And for this purpofe they 
 “ diligently read the belt commentaries, and 
 iC had much conference with godly and learn-* 
 ** ed brethren. 
 
 “ IX. They fet forth with figures certain 
 “ places in the books of Mofes, of the Kings, 
 KX and Ezekiel: which feemed fo dark, that 
 (C they could be made eafy to the reader by no 
 “ other defcription. 
 
 “X. They 
 
I 
 
 ( 74 . ) 
 
 “ X. They added certain maps of cofmo- 
 “ graphy of divers places and countries; partly 
 “ defcribed, and partly by occalion touched, 
 “ both in the Old and New Teftament. 
 
 % 
 
 “ XI. They adjoined two profitable tables: 
 “ the one of interpretations of Hebrew 
 “ names, and the other containing all the 
 “ chief and principal matters of the whole 
 ec bible.” 
 
 I 
 
 Of this * tranflation, which was moftly 
 ufed in private families on account of the 
 notes, there were above thirty editions in 
 folio, quarto, or oftavo, moftly printed by 
 the Queen's and King's printers, from the 
 year 1560 to 1616. Editions of it were 
 likewife printed at Geneva, Edinburgh, and 
 Amfterdam. It even appears that, in the 
 
 year 1565* Archbifhop Parker applied to 
 
 1 * . 
 
 * Lewis, p. 70, 
 
 t Lewis, p, 58. 
 
 4 
 
 Secretary 
 
( 75 ) 
 
 Secretary Cecil that a term of twelve years 
 longer might be granted to Bodleigh for 
 printing this bible, in coniideration of the 
 charges fuftained by him in the former edition, 
 and now in the revifal of it; and becaufe his 
 Grace and Bifhop Grindal thought fo well of 
 the firft impreffion and the review of it«, 
 The Archbifhop added, that though another 
 fpecial bible for churches was intended to be 
 fet forth, as convenient time andleifure fhould 
 hereafter permit, yet it would nothing hinder, 
 but rather do much good, to have diverfity 
 of tranflations and readings. However, * 
 the book was to pafs under the Archbifhop s 
 regulation, and was not to be publifhed with¬ 
 out his confent and advice. But the under¬ 
 takers, unwilling to come under thefe 
 reftraints, deferred the impreffion till after 
 Parker’s death. ■f* Neale afiigns this as a 
 
 •’ - ' i 
 
 * Johnfon. p. 74, 
 
 f Hi (lory of the Puritans. 1. 129. 8vo. Dublin. 1755. 
 See alfo Collier. Eccl. Hift. 1. 5 ° 4 * 
 
 reafon 
 
 / 
 
 
( ?6 ) 
 
 realbn why it was flopped j “ becaufe, in 
 " the dedication to the Queen, and epiftle to 
 “ the reader, which are left out in the after 
 “ editions, the tranflators had touched fome- 
 “ what feverely upon certain ceremonies 
 " retained in the church of England, which 
 “ they excited her Majefty to remove as hav- 
 “ ing a popifh afped ; and becaufe the 
 “ tranflators hud publilhed fundry marginal 
 “ notes, which were thought to touch the 
 “ Queen’s prerogative, and to allow the 
 
 “ fubjed to refill wicked and tyrannical 
 “ Kings.’’ 
 
 J „ . X 
 
 To fome editions of the Geneva bible, for 
 inllance to thofe of 1599 and of 1611, is 
 fubjoined Beza’s tranflation of the New 
 Teftament, englilhed by L. Tomfion, * who 
 was Under Secretary to Sir Francis Walfing- 
 ham: but though he pretends to tranflate 
 from Beza, he has very feldom varied fo 
 
 V 
 
 * EfFay kc, in the Bibliotheca Literaria. p. 14. 
 
 much 
 
much as a word from the Geneva tranf- 
 lation. 
 
 Dr. Geddes * gives an honourable tefti- 
 mony to the Geneva veriion as he makes 
 no helitation to declare that he thinks it 
 in general better than that of King James’s 
 tranilators. 
 
 * General anfwer &c. p. 4. / 
 
 THE 
 
( 78 ) 
 
 THE BISHOP’S BIBLE. 
 
 iN the courfe of the year 1568, the bible 
 was finifhed which has been already men¬ 
 tioned as intended by Archbifhop Parker. 
 * Le Long quotes authority that this edition 
 was undertaken by royal command, -f* Strype 
 calls the Archbifhop’s refolution a noble 
 one, “ to perform what Cranmerhad in vain 
 “ endeavoured to compafs, (the Bi/hops of 
 “ thofe days being utterly averfe to any fuch 
 “ meafure ;) that the Bifhops fhould join to- 
 “ gether, and take their portions in reviewing, 
 “ amending, and fetting forth the Englifh 
 “ tranflation of the holy fcriptures.” 
 
 * P. 430. 
 
 t Life of Parker, p. 208, 
 
 The 
 
( 79 ) 
 
 The method purfued was this : Diftimd 
 portions of the bible, * fifteen in number at 
 leaft, were allotted to feled men of learning 
 and abilities ; appointed, as •f Fuller fays, 
 by the Queen's commiflion : and accordingly, 
 at the conclufion of each part, the edition of 
 1568 has the initial letters of each man's 
 name, to the end of the firft epiftle to the 
 Corinthians. But it remains uncertain who, 
 and whether one or more, reviled the reft of 
 the New Teftament. Eight of the perfons 
 employed were Bilhops ; whence the book 
 was called the Bilhop's bible. 
 
 The Archbifhop employed other J critics 
 alfo, to compare this bible with the original 
 
 * See the names and allotments in Burnet. Hift. of Ref. 
 ii. 406. Strype’s Parker, p. 403. Collier. Eccl. Hid. 
 1. 541. Lewis, p. 59. 
 
 + Cent. xvi. Book vii. p. 387. 
 
 t See Strype’s Parker, p. 404, and appendix: N. 85. 
 Lewis, p. 57. 
 
 languages 
 
( 8o ) 
 
 languages and with the former tranflations ; 
 
 , * one of whom was Laurence, a man of great 
 fame in thofe times for his knowledge of 
 Greek, whofe caftigations the Bifhop’s bible 
 followed exactly. His Grace alfo fent * 
 inftrudtions about the method which his 
 tranflators were to obferve ; and advifed 
 that fome fhort marginal notes fhould be 
 added for the illuftration or corre&ion of the 
 text. It is a misfortune that the particulars 
 of thefe inftruftions are not known. Burnet •f* 
 fays that he could not difcover them ; unlefs 
 they were the fame with thofe afterwards 
 given to King James’s tranflators. Edwin 
 Sandys, Bifliop of Worcefter, a perfon well 
 fulled in the original languages, advifed, 
 in a letter to the Archbilhop, “ that the 
 “ whole bible fliould be diligently furveyed 
 “ by fome w r ell~learned men, before it was 
 “ put to print ; and obferved that the fetters 
 
 * Strype. Ib. p. 208. 
 
 t Hift. of Ref. ii. 406,-. 
 
 forth 
 
( 8i ) 
 
 “ forth of the common tranflation followed 
 “ Munfter too much, who doubtlefs was a 
 “ man very negligent in his doings, and often 
 “ fwerved very much from the Hebrew/' 
 Gueft, Bifhop of Rochefter, to whom the 
 pfalms were allotted, wrote to the Arch- 
 bifhop, that “ where in the New Teftament 
 “ one piece of a pfalm was reported, he 
 
 ■ i 
 
 “ tranflated according to the tranflation 
 “ thereof in the New Teftament, for the 
 “ offence that might rife to the people upon 
 “ divers tranflations.” Cox, Bifhop of Ely, 
 * wrote alfo to his Grace in thefe words : 
 “ I would wifh that fuch ufual words as we 
 “ Englifh be acquainted with might ftill 
 “ remain in their form and found, fo far forth 
 “ as the Hebrew will bear; inkhorn terms 
 to be avoided. The tranflation of the 
 “ verbs in the pfalms to be ufed uniformly in 
 “ one tenfe &c. And if ye tranflate bonitas 
 
 “ or mifericordia, to ufe it like wife in all 
 
 K *■ 
 
 <c places of the pfalms, &c. 
 
 * See the three letters in Strype’s Parker. 208. 
 
 G “ The 
 
( 82 ) 
 
 “ The * Archbifhop had -the main direc- 
 “ tion of this affair, reviewed the perform- 
 “ ance, and, it may be, gave the finifhing 
 “ hand.” “ H is -f province was, not fo 
 “ much to tranflate, as to overfee, ciiredl, 
 
 “ examine, prepare, and finifli all ; which 
 “ he performed with great care and exadtnefs.” 
 “ Whether the whole body examined the 
 
 “ performances of each other, is fomewhat 
 “ uncertain.” 
 
 But let us attend to the Archbifhop’s own 
 words. In his preface to the Old Tellament 
 he writes, that “ becaufe the former % im- 
 “ predion was exhaufted, and very faultily 
 “ printed, fome welldifpofed men had re- 
 “ viewed it, to add more light in the tranfla- 
 “ tion, and order of the text, and to print it 
 
 * Collier. Eccl. Hift. p. 54 r > 2. 
 t Bibl. Lit. N. iv. 13. Johnfon. p. 76. 
 j Cranmer’s. Collier. Eccl. Hift. r. 5+2. 
 
 “ more 
 
 f 
 
( §3 ) 
 
 “ more correftly ; not as condemning the 
 (t former tranflation which was followed more 
 “ than any other ; and defiring the reader, 
 44 if ought had efcaped, to corred it in the 
 “ fpirit of charity, calling to remembrance 
 44 what diverlity hath been feen in men's 
 “ judgements in the tranflation of thefe books 
 44 before thefe days, though all directed their 
 44 labours to the glory of God, to the edifi- 
 “ cation of the church, and to the comfort 
 “ of their Chriftian brethren ; and always, 
 “ as God did further open unto them, fo 
 “ evermore defirous they were to reform their 
 44 former human overlights. 
 
 “ And with charity, fays the Archbifliop, 
 “ it ftandeth the reader not to be offended 
 44 with the diverlity of tranflators, nor with 
 “ the ambiguity of tranflations.” 4 Though, 
 4 faith * St. Aullin, in the primitive church 
 ‘ t he late interpreters which did tranflate the 
 4 fcriptures be innumerable, yet wrought this 
 
 * De doctr. Chrid. ii. c. 3. 
 
 G 2 1 rather 
 
 1 
 
( . 84 ) 
 
 ‘ rather an help than an impediment to the 
 
 ‘ readers, if they be not too negligent. For 
 
 / 
 
 € divers tranflations, faith he, have made 
 ‘ many times the harder and darker fentences 
 * more plain and open “ fo that of congru- 
 “ ence no offence can juftly be taken for this 
 “ new labour, nothing prejudicing any other 
 “ man’s judgement by this doing, nor yet 
 “ hereby profeffing this fo abfolute a tranfla- 
 “ tion as that hereafter might follow no other 
 “ that might fee that which as yet was not 
 “ underffanded. In this point it is conveni- 
 “ ent to confider the judgement that * John, 
 “ once Bifliop of Rochefter was in, who 
 “ thus wrote : 4 It is not unknown but that 
 ‘ many things have been more diligently 
 ‘ difcuffed, and more clearly underffanded, 
 c by the wits of thefe latter days, as well 
 ‘ concerning the gofpels as other fcriptures, 
 « than in old time they were. The caufe 
 4 whereof is, faith he, for that to the old men 
 < the ice was not broken ; or, for that their 
 
 ‘ age 
 
 * Filhcr. Artie. 7. rant ra Lutherum. 
 
( 8 5 ) 
 
 % , ^ i 
 
 * age was not fufficient exquifitely to expend 
 € the whole main fea of the fcriptures ; or 
 ‘ elfe for that, in this large field of the 
 
 * fcriptures, a man may gather fome ears 
 
 * untouched after the harveftmen, how dili- 
 
 * gent foever they were. For there be yet, 
 
 * faith he, in the gofpels very many dark 
 
 * places, which without all doubt to the 
 4 pofterity fhall be made much more open.’ 
 
 And here yet once again,” fays the 
 Archbifhop in his preface to the New 
 Teftament,. “ let the reader be admonifhed, 
 “ charitably to examine this tranflation of 
 (C the New Teftament following ; and be 
 “ not offended with diverfity of interpretation, 
 “ though he find it not to agree with his 
 “ wonted text, or yet to difagree from the 
 “ common tranftation : remembering what 
 44 Santes Pagninus teftifieth of that antient 
 44 interpreter St. Jerom,” ‘ that in many 
 c places of his commentaries he doth read 
 ‘ and expound other wife than is found in the 
 ‘ common tranflation. Yea, faith Santes, 
 
 4 Jerom 
 
* Jerom doth retradl very many places, 
 
 * and doth plainly confefs that himfelf was 
 1 deceived, by the hafte of his tranflating, 
 5 in the doubtful fignification of the words. 
 
 * And therefore faith the fame Jerom thus: 
 s I think it better to rebuke mine own error, 
 
 * than, while I am afhamed to confefs my 
 s lack of /kill, to per fill in an error. For 
 5 who was ever, faith he, fo well learned, 
 g that hath not fomewhere been deceived ?*• 
 
 In his book * de antiquitate ecclefias 
 Britannicas the Archbifhop exprefles himfelf 
 in the following words on the fubjedt of this 
 bible: “ Priflinam illam Anglicam verfionem 
 to tarn pio judicio examinavit ; adhibitis 
 “ fibi literatis fuis Capellanis, quorum femper 
 “ optimum deledlum ex Academia ad fe 
 “ fumpfit, nec non fratrum fuorum Epifcopo- 
 “ rum aliorumque dodtorum hominum adju- 
 “ mentis; quibufcum cupide atque fludiofe 
 
 * Quoted by Lewis, p. 59. 
 
Ml- ( 87 ) 
 
 “ egit, ut hunc tam divinum laborem fecum 
 “ communicarent.” 
 
 << So* highly pleafed was this good Prelate 
 « when he faw an end put to this great work, 
 “ that he feemed to be in the fame fpirit 
 “ with old Simeon, ufing his very words: 
 
 ‘ Lord, now lettefi thou thy fervant depart in 
 ‘ peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes 
 ‘ have feen thy falvation.’ 
 
 “ Of this bible I obferve, fays f Lewis, 
 “ that the editions of it are moftly in folio 
 “ and quarto. I never heard of but one in 
 « oftavo. The reafon of this, I fuppofe, 
 “ was, that it was principally defigned for 
 “ theufeof churches.” 
 
 “ The Romanifts,fays this % author, finding 
 “ that it was impoffible to keep the Englifh 
 
 * Strype’s Parker, p. 272. 
 
 t P. 66. 
 
 <6 
 
 r 
 
 J Lewis, p. 70—74. 
 
 bible 
 
( 88 ) 
 
 “ bible out of the hands of the common 
 “ people, were now refolved to have an 
 “ Englifh tranflation of their own making: 
 “ nor * were they afhamed to confefs that we 
 “ forced them to tranflate the fcriptures into 
 “ Englifh againft their wills.” Accordingly, in 
 1582 they printed at Rheims an Englifh New 
 Teftament in quarto, tranflating from the 
 Vulgate Latin, and retaining many Eaftern, 
 Greek, and Latin words j luch as Corbana, 
 Neophyte, Prepuce &c. So that -j~ Fuller 
 calls it, in his quaint manner, “ a tranflation 
 which needed to be tranflatedand Fulke 
 fays that “ by all means they laboured to 
 “ fupprefs the light of truth under one 
 “ pretence or other.” A great many of the 
 copies were J feized by the Queen’s Secretary, 
 and confifcated by her authority. But Secre- 
 
 * Preface by King James’s tranflators. 
 
 f Church Hifl. B. ix. 171. 
 
 1 
 
 $ Bibl. Lit. N. iv. p. 15. 
 
 tary 
 
a 
 
 ( s 9 ) , 
 
 tary Cecil’s employment of Cartwright, 
 Calvinift, and Archbifhop Parker’s confe- 
 quent patronage of Fulke, a member of the 
 eftablifhed church, to confute the Rhemifts, 
 was a procedure agreeable to the true fpirit of 
 Proteftantifm ; argument being the only 
 weapon which fhould be wielded to defend 
 Chriftianity, or any mode of profefling it. 
 The Old Teftament was afterwards published 
 at Doway in two quarto volumes, the former 
 in 1609, and the other in 1610. It is faid 
 that the tranflators were William Allyn after¬ 
 wards Cardinal, Gregory Martin, and Richard 
 Briftow ; and that the annotator was Thomas 
 Worthington. But -f* fome afcribe the 
 verfion of the New Teftament chiefly to 
 William Raynold. 
 
 “ In % the Convocation of the Province of 
 “ Canterbury which met April 3. 1 57 1 ^ a 
 
 f Le Long. 418. 
 
 % Lewis, p. 65. 
 
 canon 
 
( 9 ° ) 
 
 “ canon was made, enjoining the Church- 
 “ wardens to fee that the Holy Bible be in 
 “ every church in the largell volume, (if it 
 “ might conveniently be ;) fuch as were 
 “ lately imprinted at London. It was like- 
 u wife ordered that every Archbifhop and 
 “ Bilhop, every Dean and chief Refidentiary, 
 “ and every Archdeacon, Ihould have one 
 ** of thefe bibles in their cathedrals and 
 ** families.” 
 
 SECT. 
 
( 9 1 ) 
 
 SECT. VII. 
 
 Of the verfon in the reign of fames I, 
 
 JaMES I. fucceeded to the throne of 
 Great Britain March 24. 1602. * He was 
 
 foon petitioned by the Puritans on the fubjed: 
 of ecclefiaftical affairs ; and being himfelf 
 much difpofed to begin his reign by fettling 
 the dodxine and difcipline of the church, he 
 appointed by proclamation January 12. 1603, 
 for a conference at Hamptoncourt between 
 feveral Bifhops and Deans, and the leaders 
 of the Puritans. On the fecond day of this 
 conference. Dr. Reynolds, the Speaker of 
 the Puritans, moved his Majefty that a new 
 tranllation of the bible might be undertaken, 
 
 * Lewis, p. 78, 9. Fuller, Book x. p. 14. 
 
 becaufe 
 
( 92 ) 
 
 becaufe thofe which were allowed in the 
 
 * 9 
 
 reigns of Henry VIII. and Edward VI. were 
 corrupt ; and fuch verfions as were extant 
 were not anfwerable to the truth of the 
 original. 
 
 * Learned men have obferved of the 
 tranflators in the reign of Henry VIII. that 
 they followed Erafmus and Sebaftian Munfter 
 too clofely; of the Geneva verfion, that it 
 was formed too faithfully on the model of 
 Beza; and of the Bifhop’s bible, that it was 
 not fufficiently exaCt, but full of errors, 
 becaufe its conductors departed from the 
 Hebrew, and trod too exactly in the foot- 
 fteps of the Greek. 
 
 f The King anfwered Dr. Reynolds, that he 
 had never yet feen a bible well tranllated into 
 
 * Str yP e, s Li te of Parker. 404 L e Long. Bibl. facra. 
 P* 43 °> 432 - 
 
 f Lewis, p. 79. 
 
 Englifh j 
 
( 93 ) 
 
 jr^glifb. • though he confidered the Geneva, 
 tranflation as the worft. He therefore wifhed 
 that the moft learned men in both the Uni- 
 verfities would undertake the work j which, 
 when reviewed by the Bifhops, might be 
 prefented to the Council, and then receive the 
 fandtion of his authority : that fo the whole 
 national church might be bound to that 
 tranflation, and not ufe any other. How¬ 
 ever, on the fuggeftion of Bancroft Bifhop of 
 London, he forbad marginal notes; fome of 
 the Geneva notes having been, in his opinion, 
 tc very partial, untrue, leditious, and favour— 
 “ ing too much of dangerous and traiterous 
 “ conceits.” 
 
 * In 1604, the King commiflioned fifty 
 
 four learned men of the two Univerfities, and 
 
 of other places, to confer together, fo that 
 
 nothing fhould pafs without a general confent, 
 
 in order to make a new and more corredt 
 
 * 
 
 * Lewis, p, 79 * 
 
 tranflation 
 
 2 
 
 
( 94 ) 
 
 tranflation of the bible. * Such of thefe as 
 furvived till the commencement of the work 
 were divided into fix "j~ clafles. Ten were 
 to meet in Weftminfter, and to tranflate 
 from the Pentateuch to the end of the fecond 
 book of Kings. Eight, aflembled at Cam¬ 
 bridge, were to finifh the reft of the hiftori- 
 cal books, and the Hagiographa. At Oxford, 
 leven were to undertake the four greater 
 prophets with the Lamentations of Jeremiah, 
 and the twelve Minor prophets. The epiftles 
 of St. i aul, and the remaining canonical 
 epiftles, were allotted to another company of 
 ieven at Weftminfter, Another company of 
 eight at Oxford were to tranflate the four 
 gofpels, the Ads of the Apoftles, and the 
 Apocalypfe. Laftly, another company of 
 feven at Cambridge had afligned to them the 
 Apocrypha, including the prayer of Manafleh. 
 
 * Collier. Eccl. Hift. i. 693. 
 
 t See the names of the forty-feven, and fome account 
 0 ' t ‘ !em > ^ filer’s Church Hiftory. Book x. p. 45. Collier. 
 Eccl. Hift. 1. 693. Bibl. Lit. N. iv. p- 18. 
 
 \ 
 
 Thefe 
 
( 95 ) 
 
 “ Thefe* were not too many, left one fhould 
 “ trouble another; yet many, left many 
 “ things haply might efcape them.” 
 
 On July 22. 1604, the King wrote to the 
 4 - Archbilhop of Canterbury, that, as many 
 of thefe learned men were wholly unpreferred, 
 or flenderly preferred, ecclefiaftical or lay 
 patrons fhould be required to certify the 
 avoidance of any prebend, or parfonage, rated 
 at 20/. yearly in the King’s Books ; that his 
 Majefty might recommend one of the tranfla- 
 tors to fuch preferment, the King having 
 determined to obferve the J fame rule with 
 refpeft to his own clerical partronage : and 
 
 * Preface to King James’s bible. 
 
 f Collier. 1. 692. where fee the letter. But Lewis, 
 p. 80, fays that the letter was addrefled to the Bilhop 
 of London. Bancroft was tranflated from London to 
 Canterbury in 1604. 
 
 / 
 
 J Seven of the translators were created Bifhops in a few 
 years. * 
 
 that 
 
. , ( 96 ) 
 
 that the Prelates were to inform themfelves 
 of fuch learned men in their feveral diocefes 
 as had knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek 
 tongues, and had ftudied the fcriptures ; and 
 lignify to them the King’s pleafure that they 
 fhould fend their obfervations to one of three 
 perfons appointed for the purpofe. 
 
 At the fame time * Cecil, Earl of Salifbury, 
 Chancellor of Cambridge, notified to the 
 Vicechancellor and Heads of Colleges 
 the King’s pleafure and command, that, if 
 they knew of other fit tranflators, they 
 fhould add them to the number: and that 
 the tranflators appointed by the King fhould 
 be admitted and entertained without expence, 
 ihould receive kind ufage, and fhould be 
 exempted from all Academical exercifes. And 
 it is probable that a fimilar letter was 
 writter to the Univerfity of Oxford by their 
 Chancellor, 
 
 * Lewis, p. 80. 
 
 The 
 
< 
 
 ( 97 ) 
 
 The * Bifhop of London wrote alfo to 
 the Cambridge tranflators on July 31. 1604, 
 that the King was pleafed with the choice of 
 them, and commanded them to meet and 
 begin their work with all poffible fpeed; that 
 his Majefty was not fatisfied till it was entered 
 on ; and that his royal mind rejoiced more in 
 the good hope which he had for its happy 
 fuccefs, than for the peace concluded with 
 Spain. The Bifhop wrote on the fame day 
 to the Governours of the Univerfity; preffing 
 them in the ftrongeft terms to aflemble the 
 tranflators, and to further the work. His 
 Lordfhip recommended alfo to the Prelates, 
 and to the Deans and Chapters, in the King’s 
 name, that they would raife among them a • 
 thoufand marks towards defraying the ex- 
 pences of the tranflators. “ What fuccefs 
 “ thefe letters recommendatory met with, 
 “ fays Lewis, I do not find: it feems as if 
 “ they had but a very cold reception.” 
 
 * Lewis, p. 80—83. 
 
 H 
 
 The 
 
( 98 ) 
 
 The King prefcribed certain rules to be 
 very carefully obferved by the tranfiators* 
 
 I* The ordinary bible read in the church, 
 commonly called the Bifhops bible, to be 
 followed, and as little altered as the original 
 will permit- v 
 
 II. The names of the prophets, and the 
 holy writers, with the other names in the 
 text, to be retained as near as may be ac¬ 
 cording as they are vulgarly ufed. 
 
 III. The old ecclefiaftical words to be 
 kept: as the word church not to be tranflated 
 congregation , &c. 
 
 IV. When any word hath divers figniftca- 
 tions, that to be kept which hath been 
 moft commonly ufed by the mo ft eminent 
 * Fathers, being agreeable to the propriety 
 of the place, and the analogy of faith. 
 
 * Of the ancient Fathers. Burnet. Hift. of Ref. vol. n. 
 Records, p. 368. 
 
 V, The 
 
( 99 ) 
 
 V. The divifion of the chapters to be 
 altered either not at all, or as little as may be, 
 if neceflity fo require. 
 
 VI. No marginal notes at all to be affixed, 
 but only for the explanation of the Hebrew 
 or Greek words, which cannot without fome 
 circumlocution fo briefly and fitly be exprefied 
 in the text. 
 
 VII. Such quotations of places to be 
 marginally fet down, as fhall ferve for the 
 fit reference of one fcripture to another. 
 
 i 
 
 VIII. Every particular man of each com¬ 
 pany to take the fame chapter, or chapters ; 
 and, having tranflated or amended them 
 feverally by himfelf, where he thinketh good, 
 all to meet together, confer what they have 
 done, and agree for their 
 ftand. 
 
 H 2 
 
 I S 
 
( IOO ) 
 
 IX. As any one company hath dilpatchcd 
 any one book in this manner, they fhall fend 
 it to the reft, to be confidered of ferioufiy 
 and judicioufly: for his Majefty is careful in 
 this point. 
 
 X. If any company, upon the review of 
 the book fo fent, fhall doubt or differ upon 
 any places, to fend them word thereof, note 
 the places, and therewithal fend their reafons: 
 to which if they confent not, the difference 
 to be compounded at the General meeting, 
 which is to be of the chief perfons of each 
 company at the end of the work. 
 
 XI. When any place of fpecial obfeurity is 
 doubted of, letters to be directed by authority, 
 to fend to any learned [man] in the land, for 
 his judgement in fuch a place. 
 
 ^ XII. Letters to be fent from every Bifhop 
 to the reft ^ his clergy, admonifhing them 
 of this transition in hand $ and to move and 
 charge as many as, being fkilful in the 
 
 tongues. 
 
 3 
 
( I°I ) 
 
 tongues, have taken pains in that kind, to fend 
 his particular obfervations to the Company, 
 
 either at Weftminfter, Cambridge, or Oxford. 
 
 +, 
 
 XIII. The Directors in each company to 
 
 be the Deans of Weftminfter and Charter for 
 
 ♦ 
 
 that place ; and the King's Profeffors in the 
 
 » 
 
 Hebrew and Greek, in each Univerfity. 
 
 XIV. Thefe tranflations to be ufed, when 
 they agree better with the text than the 
 Bifhops bible: viz. 
 
 The order in Fuller, The order in Lewis, 
 
 * Burnet, Collier, and p. 82. 
 
 Johnfon. 
 
 1. Tindall's. 
 
 2. Matthewe's. 2. Coverdale's. 
 
 3. Coverdale’s. 3. Matthewe's. 
 
 4. 'f Whitchurche's. 
 
 5. Geneva. 
 
 * He copied from Bifhop Ravis’s paper, who was one 
 of the Tranflators. Hift. of Ref. ii. 406,. 
 
 f “ This feems to intend the Great Bible, printed 1539, 
 a and 1540, by Edward Whitchurch, one of K. Henry 
 4C viii’s Printers, and Grafton.” Lewis, p. 82. 
 
 It 
 
( 102 ) 
 
 It was * alfo his Majeily’s pleafure, figni- 
 iied to the Vicechancellor t >f Cambridge in a 
 letter from the Bilhop of London, dated 
 Aug. 30. 1604, that, “ befides the learned 
 perfons employed with them for the 
 €C Hebrew and Greek, there Ihould be three 
 “ or four of the moll eminent and grave 
 “ Divines of the Univerfity, affigned by the 
 “ Vicechancellor upon conference with the 
 “ reft of the Heads, to be Overfeers of 
 “ the tranflations, as well Hebrew as Greek, 
 
 * m 
 
 “ for the better obfervation of the rules ap- 
 iC pointed, and efpecially the third 'f and 
 u fourth rule.” 
 
 Almoll three years were employed in this 
 tranflation ; which was J begun in the fpring 
 of 1607, and was not a little retarded by the 
 
 * Lewis, p. 82. 
 
 f Fuller and Burnet mention the fourth rule only? 
 
 i 
 
 % Joknfon. p. 950 
 
 deatfy 
 
(. I0 3 ) 
 
 death of Mr. Lively, the weight * of the 
 work greatly refting on him becaufe of his 
 fkill in the oriental tongues. 
 
 When -f- the whole was finilhed, and three 
 copies of it were lent to London, one from 
 Cambridge, a fecond from Oxford, and a 
 third from Weftminfter, two were chofen 
 from the joint companies which had affembled 
 at thofe places, to review and polilh it. The 
 two from the Cambridge companies were 
 Mr. John Bois, Fellow of St. John’s Col¬ 
 lege, and Mr. Andrew--Downes, ProfeiTor 
 of Greek. Thefe daily met their four fel- 
 lowlabourers in Stationer’s Hall, London j 
 where in nine months they completed their 
 talk, and received each of them by the week 
 30/. from the company of Stationers, whereas 
 “ before they had nothing.” 
 
 * Fuller. Book x. 47. 
 
 f Lewis, p. 83. 
 
 “ Laft 
 
( io 4 ) 
 
 u Laft * of all, Bilfon Bifhop of Win~ 
 * 6 chefter, and Dr. Myles Smyth, *f* who 
 “ from the beginning had been very adlive 
 €C in this affair, again reviewed the whole, 
 * € and prefixed arguments to the feveral 
 “ books : and Dr. Smyth, who, for his 
 “ indefatigable pains taken in this work, was 
 ** foon after the printing of it made Bifhop 
 ** of Gloucefter, was ordered to write the 
 
 preface. ,> 
 
 The J preface makes mention of a chief 
 overfeer and tafkmafler under his Majefiy, to 
 whom not only the tranflators but alfo the 
 whofe church was much bound. It may be 
 conjectured that this was Bancroft* 
 
 * Lewis, p. 83. 
 
 + I n the report to the Synod of Dort he is called Vir 
 eximius, ab initio in toto hoc opere verfatillimus. Le 
 Long, p. 431. He was of Brafenofe College. Oxford, 
 See Heylin’s help to the Englifh hiftory. 
 
 t Paragraph. The purpofe of the tranflators &c. 
 
 ■* * * . V** . | ' 
 
 The 
 
( io5 ) 
 
 The Englifh Divines delivered a paper to 
 the Synod of Dort on Nov. 20. 1618, in 
 confequence of the honourable mention which 
 had been made of this mojl accurate verfion , 
 lately published under the royal aufpices, 
 with great care, and at a great expence. The 
 * account given is confiderably different from 
 what has been ftated. It is faid that, after 
 each individual had finifhed his talk, twelve 
 men affembled in one place, and revifed the 
 whole. Seven rules are mentioned as pre- 
 fcribed to the interpreters. The third is, 
 that, where a Hebrew or Greek word admits 
 of two proper fenfes, one fhould be expreffed 
 in the context and the other in the margin : 
 the fifth, that in the tranflation of Tobit and 
 Judith, as there was a great difference be- 
 tween the Greek and the Vulgate, the Greek 
 text fhould be followed : the fixth, that the 
 words which were neceffarily to be inferted 
 for completing the fenfe fhould be diftinguifh- 
 
 * Le Long. p. 431, from the feventh feffion of the 
 Synod of Dort. 
 
 ed 
 
( io6 ) 
 
 \ w x 
 
 cd by a fmaller character: the feventh, that 
 new arguments fhould be prefixed to each 
 book, and new contents to each chapter $ 
 and that a perfect * genealogy, and defcrip- 
 tion of the holy land, fhould accompany the 
 work. The firft, fecond, and fourth rules 
 coincide with the firft, fixth, and feventh of 
 the fourteen detailed above. 
 
 In their dedication to the King the tranfla- 
 tors fay: “ There are infinite arguments 
 iC of a right Chriftian and religious affedion 
 €C in your Majefty : but none is more forcible 
 “ to declare it to others, than the vehement 
 KC and perpetuated defire of the accomplifhing 
 “ and publifhing of this work.—For when 
 « your Highnefs had out of deep judgement 
 ** apprehended, how convenient it was that 
 “ out of the original tongues, together with 
 « comparing of the labours, both in our own 
 “ and other foreign languages, of many 
 «« worthy men who went before us, there 
 
 * Both are in the edition of 1611. ’ ~ 
 
 “ ihould 
 
 L 
 
( io 7 ) 
 
 « fhould be one more exaft tranilation of the 
 “ holy fcfiptures into the Engliih tongue, 
 « your Majefty did never defift to urge and 
 <f to excite thofe to whom it was commended, 
 “ that the work might be expedited, in fo 
 “ decent a manner as a matter of fuch im- 
 “ portance might juftly require. 
 
 “ And now at laft-we hold it our duty 
 
 “ to offer it to your Majefty, not only as to our 
 « King and Sovereign, but as the principal 
 “ Mover and Author of the work : humbly 
 “ craving——that, fince things of this 
 “ quality have ever been fubjecft to the 
 “ cenfures Qf illmeaning and difcontented 
 “ perfons, it may receive approbation and 
 “ patronage from fo learned and judicious a 
 “ .Prince as your Highnefs is ; whole allow- 
 “ ance and acceptance of our labours lhall 
 more honour and encourage us, than all 
 f the calumniations and hard interpretations 
 “ of other men lhall difmay us.” 
 
 The 
 
( IC> 8 ) 
 
 The writer of the preface fpeaks thus of the 
 King. “ His Majelty—knew full well—that 
 “ whofoever attempteth any thing for the 
 public, (Ipecially if it pertain to religion, 
 and to the opening and clearing of the word 
 “ God,) the lame fetteth himfelf upon a 
 “ flage to be glouted upon by every evil eye ; 
 “ yea, he cafleth himfelf headlong upon 
 “ pikes, to be gored by every lharp tongue. 
 “ For he that meddleth with men’s religion 
 “ in any part, meddleth with their freehold; 
 •" and though they find no content in that 
 “ which they have, yet they cannot abide to 
 “ hear of altering. Notwithflanding, his 
 “ royal heart was not daunted for this or 
 
 “ that colour, but flood refolute :_he 
 
 “ knew who had chofen him to be a foldier 
 “ or rather a Captain ; and being allured 
 “ that the courfe which he intended made 
 “ much for the glory of God, and the 
 “ building up of his church, he would not 
 “ fuffer it to be broken off for whatfoever 
 “ fpeeches or pradtices. It doth certainly 
 “ belong unto Kings, yea, it doth fpecially 
 
<( 
 
 a 
 
 ( I0 9 ) 
 
 belong unto them, to have care of religion* 
 yea, to know it aright, yea, to promote it 
 zealoufly, yea, to promote it to the utter- 
 
 
 «« moll of their power. This is their glory 
 i( before all nations which mean well; and 
 “ this will bring them unto a far more excel- 
 “ lent weight of glory in the day of the Lord 
 Jefus.” 
 
 The next topics in the preface are the 
 praife of the feriptures ; the neceffity of 
 tranflating them ; the ancient and modem 
 authorities for tranflations of them into the 
 vulgar tongue ; and the unwillingnefs of the. 
 Romanifts that they {Jaould be fo divulged. 
 
 The fpeeches and reafons both of brethren 
 and adverfaries againft the work are then con- 
 lidered ; the purpofe of the tranflators is 
 declared, with their number, qualifications, 
 helps, and care ; and reafons are given why 
 an uniformity of phrafing, or identity of 
 words, is not always obferved. 
 
 Con- 
 
 
( 110 ) ' 
 
 Concerning their own care the tranflators 
 fpeak thus : “ We had before us the Hebrew 
 “ text of the Old Teftament, and the Greek 
 “ of the New. Neither did we run over the 
 “ work with polling hafte,—neither were 
 “ we barred and hindered from going over it 
 
 St 
 
 SC 
 
 St 
 
 it 
 
 Si 
 
 Si 
 
 sc 
 
 st 
 
 sc 
 
 St 
 
 St 
 
 ct 
 
 sc 
 
 sc 
 
 it 
 
 sc 
 
 it 
 
 Si 
 
 again, having once done it. Neither were 
 we the firft that fell in hand' with tranflat- 
 ing the fcriptures into Englifh, and confe- 
 
 quently deftitute of former helps.-The 
 
 work hath not been huddled up—but hath 
 coft the workmen, as light as it feemeth, 
 the pains of near three years: matters of 
 fuch weight and confequence are to be 
 fpeeded with maturity; for in a bufinefs of 
 moment a man feareth not the blame of 
 convenient flacknefs. Neither did we think 
 much to confult the tranflators or com¬ 
 mentators, Chaldee, Hebrew, Syriac, 
 Greek, or Latin ; no nor the Spanifh, 
 French, Italian, or Dutch: neither did 
 we difdain to revife that which we had 
 done, and to bring back to the anvil that 
 which we had hammered : but having and 
 
C *** ) 
 
 « uliag as great helps as were needful, and 
 «< fearing no reproach for flownefs, or covet-* 
 
 “ ing praife for expedition, we have at length* 
 
 ** through the good hand of the Lord upon 
 « us, brought the work to that pafs that 
 
 “ you fee.” 
 
 \ * 
 
 9 
 
 Laftly, the tranflators tell the. reader that 
 they neither ufed the modern terms, inllead 
 of the old ecclefiaftical ones, like the 
 fcrupulous Puritans, nor purpofely darkened 
 the fenfe, like the Romaniils, by the adoption 
 of foreign words. “ We deiire, fay they, 
 “ that the fcripture may fpeak like itfelf,— 
 “ that it may be underftood even of the very 
 “ vulgar.” 
 
 * Fuller informs us that this “ new 
 “ tranilation of the bible came forth after 
 “ long expectation, and great delire.” In 
 the language of Dr. Myles Smyth, the tranfla- 
 tors, and their predecelfors in the fame 
 
 * Book x. p. 57. 
 
 <c work. 
 
( II* ) 
 
 work, “ have * put afide the curtain 
 “ that all may look into the Moft Holy 
 (c Place ; have removed the cover of 
 “ the well, that all may come by the water, 
 “ even as Jacob rolled away the'ftone from 
 “ the mouth of the well, by which means 
 “ the flocks of Laban were watered.” We 
 enjoy the benefit of their verfions into our 
 native tongue at the price of Tindall’s blood j 
 by the imprifonment and exile of Coverdale, 
 whofe life the King of Denmark obtained 
 with difficulty from Queen Mary ; by the 
 piety of our Sovereigns ; and by the labours, 
 reproaches, and dangers of many religious 
 and learned men, who, if we begin from 
 Tindall, fucceeded one another for the fpace 
 of near a century. 
 
 * Preface to King James’s bible : : Tranflation? 
 
 neceffary. 
 
 CHAP. 
 

 ( ”3 ) 
 
 v 
 
 ' * 
 
 . < JL 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 4 ' ' V ^ ; 
 
 Authorities refpcBing the received verfion of the 
 
 hible . 
 
 1 SHALL now ftate, in their order of 
 time, fuch authorities as have occurred to 
 
 me on the fubjedt of our authorifed verfion ; 
 
 \ \ 1 * 
 
 whether they concern its merit or demerit, the 
 propriety or impropriety of committing it 
 to the anvil. 
 
 I. “ The Englifh tranflation of the bible 
 t€ is the beft tranflation in the world, and 
 “renders the -fenfe of the original beft, 
 “ taking in for the Englifti. tranflation the 
 
 I “ Bifhop's 
 
( H4 ) 
 
 “ Eifhop’s bible, as well as King James’s, 
 “ The tranflators in King James’s time took an 
 ** excellent way. That part of the bible was 
 “ given to him who was moft excellent in 
 “ fuch a tongue j (as the apocrypha to 
 “ Andrew Downes;) and then they met to- 
 “ gether, and one read the tranflation, the 
 “ reft holding in their hands fome bible, 
 “ either of the learned tongues, or French, 
 “ Spanifti, Italian, &c. If they found any 
 “ fault, they fpoke ; if not he read on. 
 
 “ There is no book fo tranflated as the 
 “ bible for the purpofe. If I tranflate a 
 French book into Englifh, 1 turn it into 
 “ Englilh phrafe, not into French Engliftn 
 « Jl fait froid, I fay, 'tis cold, not, it makes 
 <• cold ; but the bible is rather tranflated into 
 “ Englifti words, than into Englifti phrafe. 
 « The Hebraifms are kept, and the phrafe of 
 “ that language is kept. See.” 
 
 Seldens works. Fol. 3. 2009. He dtea 
 in. 1654. 
 
 II. “At 
 
{ ”5 ) 
 
 II. At a grand Committee For religion, 
 
 ** in a pretended parliament fummoned by 
 “ Oliver Cromwell in i6;6, it was ordered 
 tc that a Sub-Committee fhould advife with 
 “ Dr. Walton, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Caftle, 
 
 “ Mr. Clark* Mr. Poulk, Dr. Cuaworth, 
 
 “ and Fuch others as they thought proper, to 
 iC conFider oF the tranflations and impreffions 
 u oF the bible, and to offer their opinion 
 “ therein to the Committee ; and that it 
 t€ fhould be more particularly recommended 
 “ to Bulftrode Whitlock, one oF the Lords 
 “ Commiffioners of the Treafury, to take 
 “ care of that affair. The Committee niet 
 €< frequently at Whitlock's houfe, made 
 “ many obfervations on the fubjedt, and 
 “ pretended to difcover fome miftakes in the 
 “ lafb Englifh tranflation, which yet they 
 “ allowed was the beft extant. They took 
 “ a great deal of pains in this bufinefs, 
 “ which yet came to nothing by the diffolur. 
 u tion of the parliament." 
 
 Johyifon, &c. p. 99. 
 
 I 2 III. “ In 
 
 / • 
 
I 
 
 V 
 
 ( II 6 ) 
 
 III. “ In omnes fere Europe linguas— 
 “ hodie eloquia facra traduda funt. Inter 
 “ omnes vero eminet Anglicana, Jacobi 
 “ Regis aufpiciis, collatis multorum virorum 
 
 dodorum ftudiis, elaborata.” 
 
 Walton . Proleg . in Bibl. PolygL Lond* 
 1657. r. v. 35. 
 
 IV. “ In verfione Anglicana, concinnata 
 €t A. D. 1611, plurima occurrunt magnae 
 “ eruditionis, peritiaeque in linguis originariis, 
 €€ acuminis & judicii plufquam vulgaris, 
 “ fpecimina $ quaeque mihi hand raro in 
 “ difficillimis textibus maximo erat adjumento 
 i( & ufufi” 
 
 Poli fynopfis , Prof. p. v. A. D. 1669. , 
 
 ; • \ 
 
 V. The other Bnglifh tranflations are 
 
 now antiquated, and difficult to be pro- 
 “ cured j there having been no editions of 
 “ any of them, as I am perfuaded, fince the 
 
 “ publication 
 
( 1 *7 ) 
 
 “ publication of the laft verfion ; which 
 €€ feems to have made its way by a general 
 ** confent and approbation, without the in- 
 “ terpofition of authority to enforce it. A 
 “ fure argument that it is generally efteemed 
 “ the bed: we have ; though it has ftill 
 “ many conliderable faults, and very much 
 “ needs another review.” 
 
 Bibliotheca Lit. N. iv. p. 72. A- D. 
 
 1723. 
 
 VI. “ It being requifite that the Reader 
 “ Should have our Englifh tranflation by itfelf, 
 “ placed on one fide of the paraphrafe, I 
 “ have alfo improved that to his greater ufe, 
 “ by correcting the faid tranflation, either 
 “ where it does not give the true fenfe of the 
 
 t *• 
 
 “ original, or where the true fenfe is not well 
 expreft according to our way of tpeaking 
 f ‘ nowadays, or the like'.” 
 
 Dr. Wells. General Preface to O. T. p. v. 
 
 1724. See alfo p. vi.—x. 
 
 i 
 
 VII. <e Juflice 
 
( lit ) 
 
 VII. “ juftice has been at length done 
 tk to the verfions of Jerom, Santes Pagninus,, 
 
 “ Erafmus, Junius and Tremellius, and 
 “ Beza, though they were ill received at firft: 
 ** and it has been acknowledged that the 
 “ amendments which they have made ac- 
 « cording to the original were not only ufeful, 
 €( but alfo abfolutely neceffary: which gives 
 fC ground to hope that it would ftill be ac- 
 u ceptable to endeavour to give a more exaft 
 “ tranflation of the bible than any that has 
 * c hitherto appeared. And indeed it were to 
 << be wifhed that thofe who are in power 
 did employ men of true learning and folid 
 * c piety, free from bigotry and blind zeal, in 
 
 « fo noble and neceflary a work.” 
 
 «. « 
 
 An Effay for a new tranflation of the 
 bible , &c- Second ed. p. 33. 8 m 
 Lond. 1727. 
 
 VIII. “ Innumerable inftances might be 
 " made [in the Englifh bible] of faulty 
 
 “ tranflations 
 
( "9 ) 
 
 “ tranflatians of the divine original; which 
 either weaken its fenfe, or debale and 
 “ tarnilh the beauty of its language.” 
 
 Blackwall's Sacred ClaJJics. Pref. xv. 
 A. D. 1731. 
 
 « A new tranflation can give no offence to 
 “ people of found judgement and confidera- 
 c * tion ; becaufe every body, converfant in 
 “ thefe matters, and unprejudiced, mull 
 “ acknowledge that there was lefs occafion 
 “ to change the old verlion into the prefent, 
 
 « than to change the prefent into a new 
 ^ one. Any fcholar that compares them 
 « vvill find that the old one, though amended 
 by this that we now ufe in feveral places, is 
 « yet equal to it in very many, and fuperior 
 ff in a confiderable number,” lb. xxi, 
 
 ff Such an accurate and admirable tranfla^ 
 *f tion, proved and fupported by found 
 
 a criticifm, would qualh and filence mott of 
 
 i( the 
 
( 120 ) 
 
 “ the objections of pert and profane cavillers } 
 
 * 
 
 f‘ which chiefly proceed from their want of 
 “ penetration and difcernment of the con- 
 “ nexion of the argument, and their igno- 
 “ ranee of the manner and phrafe, of the 
 “ divine writings. It would likewife remove 
 ■ c the fcruples of many pious and confcien- 
 “ tious Chriftians.” lb. xxii. 
 
 *■ In fhort, a faithful, juft, and beautiful 
 “ verflon of the books of God will bring 
 “ inexprefiible advantage and pleafure, not 
 “ only to devout Chriftians who do not un- 
 “ derftand the facred original, but to the 
 f‘ learned, who can with judgement and high 
 “ pleafure read them in the language that 
 “ the all wife God delivered them in ; and 
 “ with high pleafure and improvement com- 
 “ pare the translation with the infpired text. 
 “ Such a work will recommend itfelf to all 
 €€ men of true fenfe and judgement by its 
 “ feithfulnefs and integrity ; by its beautiful 
 plainnefs, and vigorous emphafis ; by the 
 
 “ natural 
 
( i2i ) 
 
 f* natural eafmefs and graceful gravity of its 
 “ flyle and language. &c. lb. xxix. 
 
 A new divilion of the facred booKS into 
 
 • \ 
 
 chapters, fe&ions, ana perioas, might he 
 fo contrived and managed as to make a new 
 « edition very commodious and beautiful ; 
 « which would overbalance all inconveniences 
 “ which fuperftition and weaknefs could 
 <c pretend might arife from alterations, and 
 “ make a victorious and fpeedy way to the 
 f* favour and full approbation oi the world. 
 
 lb . vol. ii. 126. 
 
 f* As to verfes, there is not one chapter in 
 “ the New Teftament, as far as I have ob- 
 iC ferved, but is faultily dividedj that is, we have 
 i6 that portion of facred writ ngured and 
 ce marked’ out for a complete fenfe (which 
 ought to be a period) which does not iiniili 
 out a complete lenfe. And this mull not 
 «? onlv often hinder the reader from readily 
 
 f* taking the meaning and connexion of a 
 
 “ paflage ; 
 
V 
 
 ( 122 ) 
 
 " pafi'age; but makes the ftyle look rough 
 " and horrid, and breaks the noble periods 
 " into little fragments, and disjointed 
 "members,” Jb. 132, 
 
 4 
 
 \ : 1 
 
 It is with pleafure,' and a juft veneration 
 to the memory of our learned and judicious 
 cc Tranflators,thatI acknowledge their verlion 
 ct in the main to be faithful, clear, and folid. 
 cc But no man can be fo fuperftitioufly devoted 
 to them, but muft own that a confiderable 
 <c number of paffages are weakly and imper- 
 fc fectly, and not a few falfely, rendered, 
 <c And no wonder : for fince their time there 
 have been great improvements in the 
 knowledge of antiquity, and advancements 
 411 in critical learning. &c.” Ib. 161. 
 
 IX. <c This I offer with fubmiffion to 
 “ better judgements, if ever a proper time 
 “ fhould come for reviling and correcting our 
 laft Englilh tranllation: which, though a 
 “ very good one, and upon the whole fcarce 
 
 “ inferior 
 
( 123 ) 
 
 ** inferior to any, yet is undoubtedly capable 
 of very great improvements.” 
 
 Water land. Scripture vindicated . Part 
 iii. 64. 
 
 X. “ I thought it might be fome additional 
 “ improvement of this work, and fome en- 
 t* tertainment to the more accurate reader, 
 to give the text in a new verfion, which 
 u I have accordingly done from the original 
 *< with all the care I could. There are fo 
 “ few places, in which the general fenfe will 
 “ appear different from our received tranfla- 
 “ tion, that fome will perhaps think this an 
 " unneceifary trouble. But I can by no 
 gi means repent it, as it has given me an 
 opportunity of fearching more accurately 
 “ into feveral beauties of exprelfion, which 
 ** Jiad before efcaped me j and of making 
 “ fome alterations, which though they may 
 “ not be very material to the edification of 
 “ men’s fouls, yet may in fome degree do a 
 
 “ further 
 
( *24 ) 
 
 “ further honour to fcripture ; raifing fome 
 “ of thofe ornaments which were before 
 “ depreffed j and fu'fficiently proving that 
 leveral oojections urged againft it were 
 entirely of an Engli/h growth : ends which 
 “ might yet more abundantly be anfwered by 
 “ a new yerfion of the Old Teftament, 
 which has fuffered much more in our 
 tranflation, as it is natural to fuppoie it 
 mull,” 
 
 Doddridge.. Ft of. to Family Fxfiojifox, 
 p. iii. 1738, 
 
 XI. “ The common Englilh tranflation is 
 “ in general, fo far as I can judge, abundantly 
 “ the belt that I have-feen. Yet I do not 
 “ fay, it is incapable of being brought in 
 “ feveral places nearer to the Original. 
 “ Neither will I affirm that the Greek copies, 
 “ from which this tranflation was made, are 
 “ always the moil corred. And therefore I 
 fhall take the liberty, as occafion may re- 
 
 “ °l U fr e 3 
 
 / 
 
( I2 5 ) 
 
 <( quire, to make here and there a fmail 
 alteration.” 
 
 r \ V. / ‘ ‘ « '* . * * 
 
 1 The New Pejl ament. By John Wejley. 
 
 M. A. izmo. Pref. p. iv. 1754. 
 
 X 
 
 XII. “ To confirm and illuftrate the holy 
 < c fcriptures, to evince their truth, to fhew 
 <c their confiftency, to explain their meaning, 
 “ to make them more generally known and 
 “ ftudied, more eafily and perfectly under-^ 
 “ flood, by all ; to remove the difficulties, 
 “ that difcourage the honeft endeavours of 
 “ the unlearned, and provoke the malicious 
 “ cavils of the half-learned: this is the moft 
 € * worthy objedt that can engage our atten- 
 “ tion ; the moft important end to which 
 ec our labours in the fearch of truth can be 
 “ directed. And here I cannot but mention 
 * s that nothing would more effectually con- 
 “ duce to this end than the exhibiting of the 
 <c holy fcriptures themfelves to the people in 
 “ a more advantageous and juft light, by an 
 
 “ accurate 
 
 3 
 
( 126 
 
 '* accurate revifal of our vulgar tranflatjon by 
 “ public authority. This hath often been 
 repreiented; and, I hope, will not always 
 " be reprefented in vain.” 
 
 ., 
 
 Dr. Lowth's Vijitation fermon at Dur¬ 
 ham . 1758* 
 
 XIII. “ Let us now—endeavour to ihew 
 “ that many of the inconfiftencies, impro- 
 “ prieties, and obfcurities which occur to an 
 “ attentive reader of any of the verfions, 
 “ antient or modern, are occafioned by the 
 “ Tranflator’s mifunderftanding the true im- 
 “ port of feveral Hebrew words and phrafes. 
 “ The confequence of the proof of this will 
 “ be, ihewing the benefit and expediency of 
 “ a more corredt and intelligible tranflation 
 “ of the bible.” 
 
 Remarks upon feveral pajfages of 
 Scripture , &c. By Matthew Pilkmg- 
 ton. 8 vo. Cambridge. 1759. p. 77. 
 
 S< 
 
 The 
 
( IZ 7 ) 
 
 * c The uncouth and obfolete words and 
 «« expreffions that are met with in our Englilh 
 M verfion of the bible are generally intelligible* 
 
 i 
 
 “ and convey the ideas the writers had in 
 « view. But as our language is very much 
 “ improved in politenefs and corre&nefs fince 
 u that verfion was made, it may properly be 
 “ wilhed that the feriptures might receive 
 “ every advantage which the improvement of 
 “ our language can give them : efpecialiy as 
 “ the delicacy of fome people’s ears is pre- 
 “ tended to be difgufred with every uncouth 
 “ found. No doubt but that the improve- 
 « ment of the language was one of the con-* 
 “ fiderations that induced King James to 
 “ order a new verfion to be made, about forty 
 years after that publiihed and made ule of 
 “ in the time of Queen Elizabeth ; the 
 fc tranflators whereof appeared fo well to have 
 C( understood the feriptures, that little more 
 “ than the language of it was altered by the 
 u tranllators in King James’s time. It is 
 ** now about 140 years fince that verfion was 
 
 “ made: 
 
( 128 ) 
 
 cc made : and will it not be thought, will it 
 “ not be found upon examination, that our 
 “ language hath been more altered, and re- 
 “ ceived greater improvement, in the laft 140 
 “ years than in the 40 years preceding ? And 
 “ would not, confequently, a greater benefit 
 “ arife now from a new verfion, upon that 
 “ account, than could then be expected ?” 
 
 lb. p. 114. 
 
 “ Thofe exprefiions which, though de« 
 livered in words of common ufe, may be 
 “ called uncouth from their being in fomc 
 * c tneafure unintelligible, require fuch altera¬ 
 tions as the original will moft properly ad¬ 
 mit to be made.-Thefe inftances are 
 
 “ here mentioned, further to fhew the benefit 
 and expediency of a more correct and in¬ 
 telligible tranflation of the bible than we 
 " have at prefent.”- lb. p. 115, 117. 
 
 XIV. “ Verum utut de his ftatuatur, 
 novam faltem fcripturse verfionem defiderari 
 
 “ plurimis 
 
( I2 9 ) 
 
 t 
 
 “ plurimis videtur : nempe ut populus Chrif- 
 €€ tianus ea luce fruatur, quae favente Numine 
 “ oraculis divinis per continuas virorum 
 “ docftorum vigilias affulfit, hifce 150 annis 
 (t proxime elapfis, ante quos confedta eft 
 “ Anglica Verfio. Et quis refragetur honef- 
 “ tiffima? petitioni ? Sed ad hoc opus poft 
 “ conquifitam undique omnigenae eruditionis 
 “ apparatum demum accedendum eft ; atque 
 “ in eo verfandum fumma religione, cautela, 
 “ induftria, curaporro inter multos amiciftime 
 “ confpirantes per longum tempus difpertita. 
 “ Prodeunt quotidie certatirn interpretes; fed 
 “ fere proletarii, vel quorum fupervacanea 
 “ diligentia incertiores multo fumus quam 
 “ dudum. Revivifcit lingua fandiae per- 
 “ ft uam neceflaria cognitio : fed juftas 
 vires nondum acquifivit, & fomniis fuis fe 
 “ obletftant quidam ejus cultores. Expedlan- 
 “ dum ideo, ft aliquid opera dignum facere 
 “ volumus, donee hi aut relipuerint aut 
 “ erroris manifefti fint, donee deferbuerit 
 
 K “ novorum 
 
 \ 
 
( * 3 ° ) 
 
 “ novorum fenfuum eruendorum asftus, & haec 
 « pene dixerim rabies emendandi, qua impel- 
 “ luntur ut mendis imprudenter referciant 
 “ codicem facrum homines probi nec ineruditi; 
 “ donee denique exitum aliquem habeat lau- 
 “ dandum apprime inftitutum conferendi in- 
 “ ter fe, & cum primaevis interpretationibus 
 “ veteris Teftamenti libros Hebraice ferip- 
 “ tos/’ 
 
 Archbijhop Seeker s Latin fpeech, intended 
 to have been made at opening of 
 the Convocation in 1761. Printed at 
 the end of his Charges . London- 1769. 
 
 P- 3 6 3 - 
 
 XV. “ The Vulgar Tranflation of the 
 “ Bible—is the beft ftandard of our lan- 
 guage.” 
 
 Dr. Lowtb’s ' Jhort introduction to 
 EngHJh Grammar . , London . 1763. 
 Old. ed. p. 93. 
 
 XVI. “ The 
 
( *3! ) 
 
 XVI. “ The text in this edition is fome- 
 “ thing different from the vulgar tranflation. 
 
 “- 0n comparing that verfion carefully 
 
 “ with the original, (though it is a good tranfla- 
 “ tI0n on l ^ e whole,) I thought it requilite 
 “ t0 dev iate from it fometimes, and fre- 
 “ q uenf iy to alter the language. For fome 
 “ of the wor ds and phrafes, familiar to our 
 anceffors, are now grown fo obfolete as 
 “ not to he intelligible to the generality of 
 “ readers : others are too mean, equivocal, or 
 “ inadequate to the original; which is per, 
 “ haps owing to the fluctuating ftate of our 
 “ language : and fome phrafes are not fo 
 “ exactly rendered by our tranflators, as a 
 “ work of that kind required.” 
 
 Wynnes New Tejlament: 2 vol. 8 vo. Lond. 
 
 1764. p. xii. 
 
 XVII. “ It is well known that thofe 
 
 ** ca ^ ec * the living languages do alter.-, 
 
 “ Hence it is neceffary that new tranflations 
 
 K 2 “ fhould 
 
( J 3 2 ) 
 
 “ fhould be made from one time or century 
 “ to another, accommodated to the prefent 
 “ ufe of fpeaking or writing. 
 
 (£ This deference is paid to the heathen 
 
 “ claffics.--And why fhould the fcripture 
 
 « meet with iefs regard ? Is it to be therefore 
 “ more expofed to ridicule and contempt in 
 “ this our libertine age ? 
 
 “ Let the preface of King James’s tranfla- 
 “ tors—be compared with Addifon’s writings; 
 “ and fee what difference of language there 
 “ is in a hundred years.” 
 
 Purvers tr(inflation of the hible . Fol. 
 
 Lond . 1764. Introd . p . v. 
 
 XVIII. “ It were to be wifhed that our 
 “ Governours in Church and State would 
 “ favour us with a verfion of the fcriptures 
 “ with all poffible improvement ; and ex- 
 M prefiing the fenfe of the infpired writers 
 
 with 
 
I 
 
 ( r 33 ) 
 
 “ with the greateft perfpicuity and cxaclnefs; 
 “ conveying their fpirit and manner with 
 “ the utmoft energy •, and fetting off their 
 “ matter and fubjed with mofl noble fimpli- 
 city and apoftolic plainnefs. Till this is 
 “ undertaken under the patronage of fupreme 
 “ authority, it will be an ufeful attempt to 
 “ private Divines to fupply the defect, and 
 “ to give us improved verfions of this molt 
 “ important of all books.” 
 
 Preface to the 12mo. edition of Dod¬ 
 dridge's tranfation of the N. T. Lond. 
 
 * 7 *5 • 
 
 1 N 
 
 XIX. “ The Englifh tranflation of the 
 “ bible in the reign of King James ift is, no 
 “ doubt, a very good one, and juftly fo efteemed 
 “ to tnis day:—but it is not to be wondered at 
 iC if fome words and phrafes, then in ufe and 
 “ well underftood, Ihould by this time be- 
 “ come obfolete and almoft unintelligible to 
 
 “ common readers.-The principal at- 
 
 “ tempt therefore of this tranllation is both 
 
 to 
 
( 134 ) 
 
 > 
 
 to bring it nearer to the original, either in 
 “ the text or notes; and to make the form of 
 “ expreflion more fuitable to our prefent 
 fC language. For as the Engjifh tongue, 
 “ like other living languages, is continually 
 “ changing, it were to be wifhed that the 
 tranflation of the facred oracles could be 
 “ revifed by public authority, and reduced to 
 “ prefent forms of writing and fpeaking, at 
 “ leaft once in a century. 
 
 Worjley s New Lejiament . 8m London * 
 1770. 
 
 XX. “ The chief excellency of the ver~ 
 £e fion now in ufe confifts in being a clofer 
 “ tranflation than any that had preceded ; in 
 “ ufing the propereft language for popular 
 “ ufe, without affectation of fublimity, nor 
 “ yet liable to the charge of vulgarity of 
 “ expreflion. It has like wife obferved a due 
 “ medium between the Genevefe and Romifh 
 “ verflons ; equally avoiding on the one hand 
 “ the fcrupulofity of the Puritans, who 
 
 “ prefer 
 
I 
 
 ( l 35 ) 
 
 “ prefer their new terms, fuch as wajhing and 
 u congregation , to the old Ecclefiaftical ones, 
 “ baptifm and church $ and on the other hand 
 “ the obfeurity of the Papifts, in not tranf- 
 “ lating fuch words as azymes , holocauji , pre- 
 “ puce 9 pafche , &c. But, notwithftanding thefe 
 f€ conceffions in its favour, it certainly does 
 “ not exhibit in many places the fenfe of 
 “ the text fo exactly as the verlion of 1599, 
 “ [or, the Geneva tranflation,] and miftakes 
 “ it befides in an infinite number of inftances. 
 “ Frequently it exprefles not the proper 
 “ fubjedt of the fentence : and adheres at 
 “ other times fo clofely to the letter as to 
 “ tranflate idioms. It arbitrarily gives new 
 “ fenfes tP words ; omits or fupplies them 
 “ without neceffity : thefe laft are indeed 
 “ diftinguilhed by another character; but 
 “ very unfavourable inferences, either to the 
 “ genuinenefs of the text, pr to the nature 
 “ of the Hebrew, muft thence be drawn by 
 “ a reader unacquainted with that language. 
 
 It is deficient in refpedt to the fhort expla- 
 
 “ natory 
 
( ! 3 6 ) 
 
 iC natory notes in the margin, which abound 
 “ in thelaft mentioned verfion. The * words 
 u are at times fo tranfpofed as to create an 
 “ hyperbaton ; or are not fufficiently varied. 
 “ And, to fum up ail, it has this fault in 
 “ common with the otl^er, that it may be 
 “ juftly queftioned whether any pofiible fenfe 
 “ can by fair interpretation be deduced from 
 “ the words in not a few places.” 
 
 Critical remarks on Job &c. By D . 
 DurelL 4/0. Oxford 1772. Preface . 
 p. vi. 
 
 V "/ ' ' , ' •- ' ' *. '*' ii _ 
 
 “ Is it pretended that the times will not 
 bear a new verfion ? I anfwer by another 
 “ queftion. Is the temper of the people of 
 “ thefe days totally different from that of 
 “ their anceftors, at the diftance of fix gene- 
 
 * The defects in our verfion which are here enume¬ 
 rated arc fupported by inftances in the frft thirty chapters 
 of Job, 
 
 << 
 
 rations ? 
 
( »37 ) 
 
 “ rations ? On the introdudion of the 
 “ prefent verfion into our churches in the 
 t( year 161i, we read of no tumult, clamour, 
 “ or difcontent. The fame pacific difpofition 
 “ prevailed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. 
 “ To afcend higher would be as unneceffary, 
 “ as to controvert the axiom, that fimilar 
 “ caufes always produce fimilar effects. The 
 “ godly, the learned, the ingenuous, would 
 “ doubtlefs rejoice ; the gay, the though t- 
 “ lefs, the voluptuous, would ftill continue 
 “ uninterefted and unafFeded : but the Cavii- 
 
 “ ler, the Sceptic, and the Deift would 
 “ hereby find the fharpeft and moft trufty 
 
 “ arrows of their quiver blunted ; and the 
 “ illiterate vulgar, who always depart re- 
 “ ludantly from old inftitutions, would foon 
 be reconciled; when, inftead of an invafion 
 “ of their property, they experienced that the 
 “ old debafed coin was only called in, in 
 “ order that they might be repaid in new, 
 <€ of true fterling value/’ 
 
 “ The 
 
( J 3 8 ) 
 
 “ The minds of the people cannot hereby 
 be unfettled. All the leading articles of 
 “ religion will remain undifturbed j neither 
 “ will the ground of their faith or pradlice 
 ‘‘ be ever fo remotely affe&ed. &c.” 
 
 Ib. p. viii. 
 
 XXI. “ Thefe valuable remains of that 
 “ g reat and good man [Archbifhop Seeker’s 
 “ corrections of the Engliih tranllation, and 
 “ critical remarks on the Hebrew text] will 
 “ be of infinite fervice, whenever that ne- 
 “ ceflary work, a New Tranllation, or a 
 “ Revifion of the prefen t Tranllation of the 
 “ Holy Scriptures, for the ufe of our 
 “ Church, ihall be undertaken.” 
 
 Prelim, dijfert. to Ifaiah. By Dr. Lowth , 
 Bijhop of London. \to. London. 1778, 
 p. lxix. 
 
 “ As the ftyle of the vulgar tranllation is 
 “ not only excellent in itfelf, but has taken 
 
 “ pofleflion 
 
I 
 
 ( 1 39 ) 
 
 gt pofleffion of our ear, and of our tafte, to 
 “ have endeavoured to vary from it, with no 
 “ other defign than that of giving fomething 
 * c new infiead of it, would have been to 
 “ difguft the reader, and to reprefent the 
 fenfe of the Prophet in a more unfavourable 
 
 manner.-Whenever it fhall be thought 
 
 “ proper to fet forth the Holy Scriptures for 
 “ the public ufe of our Church to better ad- 
 “ vantage than as they appear in the prefent 
 4€ EnglifhTranflation, the expediency of which 
 “ grows every day more and more evident, 
 “ a revifion or correction of that tranflation 
 “ may perhaps be more advifeable, than to 
 “ attempt an entirely new one. For as to 
 
 “ %le and language, it admits but of little 
 
 \ 
 
 4C improvement ; but, in refpeCt of the fenfe 
 “ and the accuracy of interpretation, the 
 “ improvements of which it is capable are 
 great and numberlefs.” Ib. p. Ixxii. 
 
 i , ' f 
 
 XXII. “ When the [national] verfion 
 f( appeared-it contained nothing but what 
 
 was 
 
( »4° ) 
 
 “ was pure in its reprefentation of fcriptural 
 doctrine ; nothing but what was animated 
 “ in its expreffions of devout affection : 
 “ general fidelity to its original is hardly 
 “ more its charafteriftic than fublimity in 
 “ itfelf. The Englifh language acquired 
 “ new dignity by it 3 and has hardly acquired 
 “ additional purity fince : it is ftill confidered 
 “ as the ftandard of our tongue. If a new 
 “ verfion Ihould ever be attempted, the fame 
 “ turn of expreffion will doubtlefs be em- 
 “ ployed; for it is a ftyle confecrated not 
 “ more by cuftom than by its own native 
 “ propriety/’ 
 
 A revifal of the Englijh tranfation of the 
 Old fef ament recommended. By the 
 Rev. y. White , Laudian Profejfor of 
 Arabic &c. Afermon . Oxford . 1779. 
 p. 8, 9. 
 
 “ What the members of our Church, 
 “ and the Divines of other communions, 
 
 “ have 
 
 2 
 
( H 1 ) 
 
 “ have already done, feems to lay an obliga- 
 “ tion upon the Divines of the prefent age 
 “ to do fomething flill further.-— 
 
 “ At the time when the prefent verfion 
 “ was compiled, the MS. copies of the Old 
 <€ Teftament had not been confulted ; the 
 “ antient Maforetic text was in general fol- 
 
 “ lowed without fcruple.-The collateral 
 
 “ dialedts of the original tongues had been 
 “ at that time but moderately cultivated, 
 
 “ and were but imperfectly underftood.- 
 
 “ Antient verfions have fince been publifhed, 
 “ which were not before extant, at leaft 
 “ in a public form, to Europe in gene- 
 
 “ ral.-The knowledge of eaftern cufcoms 
 
 “ has been familiarized by a more frequent 
 “ accefs to the Eaft, and a more diligent 
 “ obfervation of its ufages.—The laft ad van- 
 “ tage-—is, that importation of facred litera- 
 “ ture which has been made by the contri- 
 “ buted efforts of various perfons of fagacity, 
 
 r 
 
 “ and erudition.-The materials are col- 
 
 “ lefted ; they have been well collected, 
 
 “ wifely. 
 
( H2 ) 
 
 “ wifely, and Iaborioufly : but in vain have 
 “ the y b een fo collected, if they are not 
 “ applied to their proper end, the final cor- 
 rcdtion of the text, and of a tranllation 
 “ compofed when thefe materials were want- 
 
 “ in g-- w bat is wanting, is wanting not 
 
 “ for the neceffity of edification, but for the 
 “ improvement of facred literature. When 
 “ that which is wanting is executed, it need 
 “ not innovate the general pra&ice of the 
 “ members of the Church : to them every 
 “ thing elfential will appear as it did before : 
 “ but Scholars will rejoice to fee new ac, 
 “ curacy in matters not abfolutely elfential, 
 “ that are connected with religion : they 
 “ will rejoice to fee the various emendations 
 “ and illuftrations, that have been generally 
 “ approved, embodied in a new tranllation. 
 “ Light will be thrown on many palfages, 
 “ and dignity reftored to others.” 
 
 _lb. p. io, xi, 3, 14, 15, 16. 
 
 XXIII. “ In 
 
( H3 ) 
 
 XXIII. ce In this edition I have—at- 
 “ tempted feveral things for the benefit of 
 “ thofe who are unlearned, but of a liberal 
 
 C( turn of mind.-1 may have failed in my 
 
 “ attempt ; but I have endeavoured to con- 
 “ fult the real wants of a moft refpedlable 
 “ clafs of Chriftians. 
 
 “ With this view I have, in the firft 
 “ place, corrected our common verfion 
 “ throughout, whenever I thought it ne- 
 “ ceffary, either on account of its giving a 
 “ wrong fenfe, or for the fake of changing 
 “ fome obfolete words and phrafes. An 
 “ intire new tranflation I thought unnecefiary; 
 “ and indeed it would not have been eafy to 
 “ make one, the general character of which 
 “ would give more fatisfa&ion, or more 
 " happily exprefs the fimplicity of the origi- 
 “ nal writers of the gofpel hiftoiy, who 
 “ were the far theft in the world from being 
 “ writers by profeHion.” 
 
 Dr. Priejiley's preface to the Englijh 
 edition of his harmony of the Evange- 
 lifts, p. iii. 4/0. London . 1780. 
 
 XXIV. “ Quod 
 
\ 
 
 ( J 44 ) 
 
 XXIV. “ Quod ad nofmet ipfos attinet, 
 “ erant Angli S. Scripturae verfiones, hodi- 
 “ erna antiquiores. Ecquis vero Ecclefiae 
 “ Reformats fautor negabit, eos, qui verfio- 
 “ nibus Anglicanis ufi funt antiquioribus, 
 fX veram habuiffe Chriftianae religionis cog- 
 “ nitionem ? Eos, inquam, qui religionem 
 “ vita exornarunt, et qui mortem ipfam 
 “ religionis caula non gravatim fubierunt ? 
 “ Novam tamen verlionem, circa annum 
 “ 1600, flagitabant noftrates ; quae & mox, 
 “ bonis omnibus faventibus, confeda fuit. 
 “ Jam vero, aetate hac nollra, nonne merito 
 “ expe&ari poteft accuratior interpretatio ? 
 “ Habemus certe lingua Hebraicae Graecseque 
 “ accuratiorem longe quam olim cognitionem. 
 “ In re critica, ferventi Audio, & felici ad- 
 “ modum fucceilu, per annos fere 200, 
 “ operam impenderunt viri eruditi. In 
 “ promptu nunc funt ditiffima ex codd. 
 
 m. s. tis fubfidia; per quae de vera leddone 
 “ tutius judicari poffit. Quidni itaque et 
 “ nunc etiam boni omnes faverent, fi hodier- 
 “ nam noflram verfionem in melius recudi 
 
 “ viderint ? 
 
( 145 ) 
 
 “ viderint ? Sunt certe, & ii magni nominis 
 
 “ viri, qui verfionem impenfe flagitant per- 
 
 “ fedtiorem; quorum tamen nemo non fatebi- 
 
 “ tur, in ea, quam nunc habemus, verfione 
 
 “ f at i s omninointegritatis efie, ut de credendi 
 
 <f & agendi norma liquido conftent omnia.” 
 
 * 
 
 Benjamtni Kennicott vet. teft. Hebr. 
 
 cum variis left. Oxen. 1780. Di/s. 
 
 gen. §. 8. 
 
 aaV . “ It is now near two hundred 
 
 “ y ears dnce ° 1!r prefent tranflation of the 
 fciiptures was made : a fpace of time 
 “ much too long to expedt any tranflation 
 fliouid continue corredl, amidfi: our conti- 
 “ nua ^ improvements in knowledge and bibli- 
 “ cal learning. And in the next Adi of 
 " Parliament for the purpofe, it is to be 
 “ ho P ed that a claufe will be inferted, em- 
 “ P ow enng td e moll: judicious of our Bifhops, 
 “ and ot t!le learned in both Univerfities 
 “ and the Metropolis, to meet every fifty 
 “ years to revile* the tranflation, and to make 
 
 L t£ fuch 
 
( H 6 ) 
 
 ** fuch alterations as fhall be found neceffary. 
 “ At this time a new tranflation is much 
 “ wanted, and univerfally called for. And 
 “ we have at length obtained all the affiftance 
 “ probably, that can be expected to enable 
 “ us to fet about it. All that feems wanting, 
 “ is labourers to be employed in the vineyard. 
 “ Competent labourers, I am told, are very 
 “ few in number. And what is worfe, the 
 (C recompence to be reaped by them is fo far 
 “ from tempting them to ftudy the Oriental 
 “ languages, that it will fcarce enable them 
 (( to buy books neceffary for the purpofe. 
 “ And what is ftill more unhappy, in this age 
 “ patrons of Scripture learning are not to be 
 “ found ; fo that it will be no wonder if the 
 “ work goes on heavily,’’ 
 
 Green s Preface to Poetical parts of the 
 OldPeflament, p, v. vi. 4 to. Cambridge* 
 1781. 
 
 XXVI. “ But let me indulge a hope, that 
 “ the time is not far diftant when the talk 
 
 Si of 
 
 « 
 
( 147 ) 
 
 “ of bringing forward thefe materials [Ken- 
 “ nicott’s collations] to their proper life will 
 “ not be left, as hitherto it hath been, alto- 
 “ gether in the hands of a few wellintentioned 
 individuals, but will be undertaken on a 
 “ more extenfive plan by a feledt aflembly of 
 the moil learned and judicious divines, 
 “ commiffioned by public authority to exa- 
 “ m ine into the ftate of the Hebrew text, 
 to reftore it as nearly as pofiible to its 
 “ primitive purity, and to prepare from it a 
 “ new trandation of the fcripturcs in our own 
 “ language for the public fervice, This has 
 “ long been mod: devoutly wifhed by many 
 of the bed: friends to religion and our 
 eftablifhed church, who, though not in- 
 “ fendble of the merit of our prefent verdon 
 in common ufe, and judily believing it to 
 be equal to the very bed: that is now extant 
 “ in any language* ancient or modern, for- 
 “ rowfully confefs that it is flill far from 
 being fo perfedl as it might and fhould 
 be; that it often reprefents the errors of a 
 
 L a 
 
 faulty 
 
 
( h8 ) 
 
 “ faulty original with too exaCt a re - 
 “ femblance : whilft on the other hand it has 
 
 i ■ / 
 
 “ miftaken the true fenfe of the Hebrew in 
 “ not a few places ; and fometimes fubfti- 
 “ tuted an interpretation fo obfcure and 
 “ perplexed, that it becomes almoft impoffi- 
 “ ble to make out with it any fenfe at all. 
 “ And if this be the cafe, (hall we not be 
 “ felicitous to obtain a remedy for fuch 
 “ glaring imperfections ? Shall we content 
 ourfelves with faying, that neither the 
 “ errors which have crept into the original 
 “ text, nor thole which deform the tranfla- 
 “ tion, have fallen upon any elfential points 
 “ either of doCtrine or morals; and therefore 
 “ there is no great damage to be apprehended 
 “ from their continuance ? The premifle# 
 “ may be true ; but are we equally fare with 
 “ refpect to the conclufion ? Can we with 
 “ certainty forefee all the mifchief that may 
 “ poilibly and eventually refult from, an 
 “ error, of what kind foever, wilfully re- 
 “ tained in a book of fuch high and uni- 
 
 “ verfal 
 
( H9 ) 
 
 “ verfal importance ? Are we not taught to 
 believe, that all and every part of fcripture 
 " is given by infpiration of God, and is, 
 “ according to the intention of the Donor, 
 profitable for dodlrine, for reproof, for 
 “ correction, for inftrudtion in righteoufnefs ? 
 “ 2 Tim. iii. 16. But can any fcripture be 
 “ profitable, except it be underftood ? And 
 “ if not rightly underftood, may not the 
 “ perverfion of it be proportionably danger- 
 “ ous ? Or is it nothing to deprive the 
 people of that edification, which they 
 “ might have received, had a fair and juft 
 “ expofition been fubftituted inftead of a 
 <( falfe one ? Do we not know the advan- 
 “ tage that is commonly taken by the ene- 
 “ miss of revelation, of triumphing in ob- 
 “ jedtions plaufibly raifed againft the divine 
 “ word upon the bafis of an unfound text 
 “ or wrong tranflation ? And though thefe 
 cc objections have been refuted over and over 
 “ again by the moft folk! argumentation of 
 private Religionifts, do they not ftill con¬ 
 
 tinue 
 
( 1 5 ° ) 
 
 44 tinue to ring tliem in the ears of the vulgar 
 44 and unlearned chriftian, as if they were 
 44 owned and admitted to be unanfwerable ? 
 
 44 So that it feems requifite for the honour of 
 “ God and his true religion, that thefe 
 44 Humbling blocks fhould be removed out of 
 if the way as foon as poffible by a folemn 
 
 44 and public disavowal.-It may be faid 
 
 44 perhaps, that the minds of men ought not 
 44 to be un fettled in religious matters ; and 
 44 that no one can tell what popular clamors 
 44 and difcontents the propofed ftep may 
 44 occafion. To this it may be be replied 
 44 that, as no innovation in religion is intend- 
 44 ed, not any the leaft alteration in the 
 44 grounds of our faith or practice, no one’s 
 44 rights of any kind invaded, nor any en~ 
 44 croachment made on the fpiritual liberty of 
 “ a fingle member of the community; what 
 44 pretence can there be for uneafinefs or 
 44 difcontent ? The Clergy, it may be pre- 
 44 fumed, from a conviction of its re&itude, 
 44 are already fufficiently difpofed to approve 
 
 44 and 
 
( 1 5 1 ) 
 
 4i and favour the undertaking. Nor will the 
 4< more enlightened part of the laity be lefs 
 “ ready to difcern its propriety and falutary 
 “ tendency. And even the lowed: of the 
 “ people, the mod apt to dartle at a depar- 
 “ ture from long edablhhed ulages, will, if 
 “ the change -be not greater than what is 
 “ neceflary, either fcarcely perceive it at all, 
 <; or fo far as they do, will perceive it is 
 “ made for the better; that by the alteration 
 “ of a few words they are enabled to fee 
 “ clearly what they could not before under¬ 
 hand, and are relieved from fome difficul- 
 “ ties, which could not fail to perplex and 
 “ confound the weaknefs of their under- 
 “ dandings. They will naturally, I mean 
 “ the confcientious and confiderate part of 
 “ them, inquire of their fpiritual guides, or 
 “ of thofe upon whofe judgments they are 
 “ ll ^ e d to depend ; and will by them be 
 “ informed that nothing has been done but 
 upon the mod jud and reafonable grounds ; 
 “ they will therefore not only be quiet and 
 ** fatished, but thankful to their fuperiors 
 
 * 44 for 
 
( ' 152 ) 
 
 “ for having fhewn fo laudable a concern for 
 their better edification. As for the 
 “ thoughtlefs and inconfiderate, they will 
 “ probably give themfelves no further trouble 
 (( about tne matter, than, as the manner of 
 fuch men is, to applaud or condemn, 
 “ without knowledge, and without frmi- 
 st ficance. Such we may reafonably prefume 
 €s will be the difpofition of men’s minds in 
 “ the general upon the conclufion of this 
 “ weighty affair. Nor can it be faid that 
 “ this is arguing upon fpeculation only. 
 “ The experiment has been already repeatedly 
 “ made ; new verfions have been fucceffively 
 “ introduced with the fandion of royal 
 “ authority many times fince the asra of the 
 
 “ Reformation ; and the event has been 
 
 » / 
 
 “ known to have turned out exadtly fuch as 
 “ has been defcribed. Why then ihould the 
 “ prefent generation be fuppofed to be more 
 fuperftitious and bigoted than thofe who 
 ‘ 5 have gone before them, cr more likely to 
 break cut into disturbances and ferments, 
 
 / “ upon the offer of what is fo apparently for 
 
 / 
 
 “ their 
 
 2 
 
( *53 ) 
 
 * 
 
 / 
 
 “ their good ? Since then we have advan- 
 “ tages which our forefathers were not 
 ** poffeffed of, nay, of which it does not 
 
 i 
 
 “ appear they haa any conception ; why 
 “ fhould we not do for ourfelves and our 
 “ pofterity, what they would undoubtedly 
 have done for us, had they been found 
 “ in like circumftances as we are ? Let 
 “ the work of purifying and reforming what 
 “ is amifs in the prefent edtition of our 
 “ Bible be fairly and honeftly fet about, and 
 
 i 
 
 “ with that moderation and fobernefs of 
 “ mind which the gravity of the fubjedt 
 “ requires; and I doubt not but we may 
 “ fafely difregard the fuggeftions of a nar- 
 “ row and timid policy] fuch as, if attended 
 “ to, would equally on all occafions, by 
 “ railing imaginary fears and unreafonable 
 “ alarms, difcountenance and obilrud: the 
 “ wifeft and moil: falutary improvements 
 * c that can poflibly be devifed. 5 ' 
 
 Prelim, difc. to Dr, Blayney s Jeremiah . 
 p. ix, x, xi, xii, xiii. 4 to. Oxjordl 
 1784, 
 
 “ That 
 
 XXVII. 
 
( *54 ) 
 
 XXVII. “ That a new tranflation of the 
 bible, particularly of the Old Teftament, 
 “ is ftill wan ted, I fhall alfume as a pofition 
 “ generally agreed upon.” 
 
 Dr. Geddes’s Profpecius of a new tranfla¬ 
 tion of the Holy Bible, yto. Glafgow. 
 1786. p. 2. 
 
 “ The higheft eulogiums have been made 
 “ on the tranflation of James ift both by 
 “ our own writers and by foreigners j and 
 “ indeed if accuracy, fidelity, and the ftridteft 
 “ attention to the letter of the text, be fuppofed 
 “ to conftitute the qualities of an excellent 
 “ verfion, this of all verfions mull, in o- e . 
 “ neral, be accounted the moll excellent. 
 “ Every fentence, every word, every fyllable, 
 “ every letter and point feem to have been 
 “ weighed with the niceft exadlitude, and 
 “ exprefled, either in the text or margin, 
 “ w ith the greateft precifion. Pagninus 
 “ himfelf is hardly more literal j and it was 
 “well remarked by Robertfon, above a 
 
 “ hundred 
 
( *55 ) 
 
 (£ hundred years ago, that it may ferve for 
 “ a lexicon of the Hebrew langmagfe, as well 
 “ as for a tranflation. 
 
 “ It is however, confeffedly, not without 
 4 ‘ its faults. Belides thofe that are common 
 a to it with every verfion of that age, ariling 
 S( from faulty originals and Maforetic pre- 
 “ poffeffions, its own intrinfic and pecu- 
 “ liar blemifhes appear to be the following: 
 
 , Firft, from a fuperftitious attention to 
 “ render the Hebrew and Greek into literal 
 “ Englifh, its authors adopted modes of ex- 
 “ preilion which are abhorrent from the 
 “ Englifh idiom; and perhaps from that of 
 “ all other modern tongues. Our ears, 
 “ indeed, £re now accuftomed to thisphrafe- 
 “ ology ; and the language is become fami- 
 “ har t0 us, by being the language of the 
 “ national religion : but a proof that many 
 “ of thofe expreffions are neither natural 
 £< nor analogous is, that they have never yet 
 
 “ been 
 
( * 5 6 ) 
 
 4r been able to force their way into common 
 “ ui'age, even in converfation ; and he, who 
 " fhould employ them, would be fuppofed 
 “ to jeer at fcripture, or to affeft the 
 “ language of fanaticifm. In fhort, what 
 “ Selden faid of it is ftriftly true:” * It is 
 ‘ rather tranilated into Englith words, than 
 ‘ into Englilh phrafe.’ “ From the fame 
 “ caufes, it is in many places obfcure and 
 <c ambiguous, where a fmall variation in the 
 “ arrangement of the words would have made 
 “ it clear and unequivocal. 
 
 “ Secondly, there is a manifeft want of 
 “ uniformity * in the mode of tranllating. 
 
 ' f ®r. Allies Smith, who wrote the preface, feems to 
 “ have been fenfible of this, when he apologizes, in a 
 “ certain manner, for a want of” ‘ Identity of phrafmg.’ 
 
 This difference is obfervable, not only in the different 
 
 portions of fcripture ailigned to the different clafles, 
 “ but often in the fame portion, not feldom in the fame 
 “ book, and ibmetimes even in the fame chapter and fame 
 u verfe.” 
 
 , “ This 
 
 / 
 
( >57 ) 
 
 £i This was indeed unavoidable. The dif- 
 “ ferent parts of the bible were afiigned to 
 ** fo many different perfons, or at leaft to fo 
 4C many different Quorums : and although the 
 “ whole was ultimately committed to the 
 “ revifal of fix perfons affembled for the 
 £C purpofe, it does not appear that they made 
 “ any great change in its fir ft texture. 
 “ When we confider that they were only 
 nine months about this revifion, we cannot 
 “ well look for a rigorous examination of 
 “ the fidelity of the vcrfion ; much lefs, for 
 " a reduction of its ftile to the * fame 
 colour and complexion. The books called 
 <c Apocrypha are, in general, I think, better 
 44 tranBated than the reft of the bible: for 
 which one reafon may be, that the tranf- 
 “ lators of them were not cramped by the 
 fetters of the Mafora. 
 
 cc * It was again revifed by Bifhop Bilfon and Dr. 
 “ Smith : but what they did, or how long they were era- 
 cc ployed in the revifal, I have not been able to learn.” 
 
 Thirdly: 
 
( 158 ) 
 
 “ Thirdly: King James’s tranflators mif- 
 “ took the true meaning of a great many 
 “ words and fentences by depending too 
 “ much on modern lexicons, and by paying 
 “ too little attention to the ancient verfions. 
 “ Many of thofe miftranflations have been 
 “ noted and rectified by different commenta- 
 “ tors ; but many Hill remain unnoticed, 
 “ and feem to cry for amendment. 
 
 “ Fourthly : in compliance with a novel 
 “ opinion, that not a word nor particle Ihould 
 “ be in a vernacular verfion, that has not ano- 
 “ ther word and particle, exactly correfpond- 
 “ ing with it, in the Hebrew ; and at the 
 “ fame time to prevent an obfcurity, which 
 “ would be the neceflary confequence of that 
 “mode of tranflating; perhaps alfo to ob- 
 “ viate the reproaches of want of fidelity, 
 “ that had been thrown againfi: the Bilhop’s 
 “ bible both by the Catholics and the Pro- 
 “ teftants, they encumbered their verfion 
 “ with a load of ufelefs Italics; often with- 
 “ out the leaft neceffity, and almcft always, 
 
 to 
 
( 1 59 ) 
 
 “ to the detriment of the text. In fad:, 
 “ either the words in Italics are virtually 
 “ implied in the Hebrew, or they are not. 
 “ In the former cafe, they are a real part of 
 “ the text, and fhould be printed in the fame 
 “ charader : in the latter, they are generally 
 “ ill afforted and clumfy Ekes, that may well 
 “ be fpared; and which often disfigure the 
 “ narration under pretence of * correding 
 “ it. 
 
 “ Fifthly: King James’s tranflators, like 
 “ all other tranflators of their day, were too 
 “ much guided by theological fyflem ; and 
 “ feem, on fome occafions, to have allowed 
 “ their religious prejudices to have gotten the 
 “ better of their judgement. To point out ex- 
 “ amples would be an invidious talk: but it is 
 “ extremely proper that every tranflator fhould 
 
 “ * Since writing the above, I am happy to find that 
 “ the l ate Archbifhop Seeker was of the fame opinion, 
 
 u In his valuable manufeript notes on the bible,_he has 
 
 “ daflied over many thoufands of Italics, in the copy of 
 “ the Englifh bible he ufed ; and hardly ever without fome 
 “ improvement to the pafTage.” 
 
 “ have 
 
 s 
 
( i6o ) 
 
 “ have them conftantly in view, as fo many 
 €e cautionary mementos to himfelf. 
 
 «* * c 1 • V . 
 
 i 
 
 “ In fine: through the conftant flu&ua- 
 “ tion and progrefs of living languages, 
 “ there are many words and phrafes, in the 
 “ vulgar verfion, now become obfolete ; a. 
 “ fpecimen of which may be feen in Pil- 
 “ kington’s judicious remarks, published 
 “ at Cambridge in 1759. * The conftrufti- 
 “ on too is frequently lefs grammatical than 
 
 “ * There is in the Critical Review, vol. xviii. p. 101. 
 ,£ a lift of words and phrafes, which the authors deemed 
 “ obfolete or improper; fome of which, however, are ftill 
 “ ufed by good writers. As for the long catalogue of 
 “ words in Purver’s appendix, there are at leaft two thirds 
 “ °f them not only not obfolete, but often more proper 
 “ thal1 thofe he would fubftitute in their place. Indeed, 
 “ we ought not eafily to rejefl a ; term, becaufe it is not, 
 ‘ perhaps, of the firfc faihion; elpecially if it be expreffive, 
 “ euphonic, and fufhciently removed from vulgarity. 
 “ The nomenclature of our language is not yet fo very 
 tc copious, as to need to be diminifhed. 5 * 
 
 € £ 
 
 the 
 
( . i6 * ) 
 
 * c the prefent ftate of our language feems to 
 K< require; and the arrangement of the words 
 “ and fentences is often fuch as produces ’ 
 €€ obfcurity or ambiguity.” 
 
 » 
 
 lb. p. 92—96. 
 
 \ » 
 
 XXVIII. “ During^the long extent of 
 €e years (almoft two whole centuries) fince 
 <c our laft tranflation was made, many im- 
 " perfections and errors in it have been dif- 
 “ covered by learned men. And Several 
 “ paifages have been lately pointed out, in, 
 
 “ which the older English translations had 
 <c better expreiTed the fenfe of the Originals, 
 
 (< both in the Old and in the New Tefta- 
 “ ment. But, notwithstanding thefe ble- 
 “ mifhes, and even miltakes, and though it 
 “ is certain that great improvements might 
 “ be now made in translating the whole bible, 
 
 “ becaufe the Hebrew and Greek laneuao-ps 
 
 O £> 
 
 “ have been much cultivated, and far better 
 “ underftood, fince the year 1600; yet we 
 " *hah then only fee the great expediency * 
 
 4 
 
( 162 ) 
 
 V 
 
 “ or rather the nece£ity y of a more exad: 
 “ Englifh bible, when we refled: that the 
 “ Hebrew text itfelf is now found to be 
 “ wrong in many inftances, fome of which 
 “ are of confiderable confequence.” 
 
 Kennicotfs Remarks > &c. Sva, 1787. 
 
 p . 6 . 
 
 XXIX. “ Need I, in fo late and fo en- 
 “ lightened an age, fubjoin an apology fox; 
 “ the defign itfelf, of giving a new tranflation 
 “ of any part of fcripture ? Yet there are 
 fome knowing and ingenious men, who 
 “ feem to be alarmed at the mention of 
 “ tranflation, as if fuch an attempt would 
 “ fap the very foundations of the Chriftian 
 “ edifice, and put the faith of the people in 
 “ the moft imminent danger of being buried 
 e< in its ruins. This is no new apprehenfion. 
 “ The fame alarm was taken fo early as the 
 “ fourth century, when Jerom was employed 
 “ in preparing a new tranflation of the bible 
 
 ** into 
 
( i6 3 ) 
 
 “ hi to Latin ; or, at leaft, in making Such 
 “ alterations and corrections in the old Italic, 
 “ as the original and the belt Latin MSS. 
 45 Ihould appear to Warrant. The people 
 in general exclaimed •, and even the learned 
 “ were far from applauding an attempt 
 “ which, in their judgment, was fo bold and 
 
 fo dangerous.-That interpreter, how- 
 
 “ ever > perfevered, in fpite of the greateft 
 “ discouragements, the ditfuafion of friends, 
 “ die invedtives of enemies, arid the Unfa- 
 “ vourab]e impreffions which by their means 
 were made upon the people. The verlion 
 “ was made and publithed• and thofe hideous 
 bugbears of fatal confequenees, which had 
 “ d een So much defcanted on, were no more 
 heard of. The vcfiion—advanced in re¬ 
 putation every day. The people very Soon, 
 “ and very generally, difcovered that, along 
 “ Wlth ail the Simplicity they could defire, 
 
 “ n was in every refpeCt more intelligible, 
 
 “ ar »d consequently both more inftructive and 
 " more agreeable, than the old.” 
 
 Campbell. Pref. to the Four Gofpds tranf- 
 lated&c. p. xxiii. xxiv. 4 to. 1789. 
 
 M 2. “ How* 
 
i 
 
 ( 164 ) 
 
 “ How difinal were the apprehenlions 
 
 1 
 
 « which were entertained immediately after 
 “ the Reformation, on account of the many 
 “ translations of the fcriptures which came 
 “ quick in fucceffion, one after another ? 
 “ Have men’s fears been juflified by the 
 “ effeft ? Quite the reverfe. Nothing will 
 “ be found to have conduced more to fubvert 
 € * the dominion of the metaphyfical theology 
 
 “ of the fchoolmen,-than the critical 
 
 “ ftudy of the facred fcriptures, to which 
 “ modern tranflators have not a little contri- 
 « buted. Nothing has gone further to 
 “ fatisfy reafonable men that, in many of 
 “ the profound difputes of theologians, reve- 
 “ lation could not, with juftice, be accufed 
 “ of giving countenance to either fide.” 
 
 lb . p. xxvi. 
 
 * 
 
 lt It has been faid, that the introduction 
 “ of different tranflations tends to unfettle 
 “ men in their principles, particularly with 
 “ regard to the authority of facred writ, 
 
 “ which. 
 
( 165 ) 
 
 “ which, they fay, is made to fpeak fo varioufly 
 “ in thefeproduftions. Fo," my part, I have 
 “ not difcovered that this is, in any degree* 
 the effeft. The agreement of - all the 
 tianflations, as to tne meaning, in every 
 tiling of principal confequence, makes 
 " their differences, when properly confidered, 
 “ appear as nothing. They are but like the 
 lnconfiduaole variations in expreflions 
 “ which different witneffes, though all per- 
 “ feftly unexceptionable, employ in relating 
 “ the fame faff. They rather confirm men’s 
 “ fiith in fcripture j as they (hew, in the 
 •“ ftrongeft light, that ail the various ways 
 “ which men of difcordant fentiments have 
 “ devifed, of rendering its words, have made 
 “ no material alteration, either on the narra¬ 
 tive itfelf, or on tne divine inftruftions 
 “ contained in it. People are at no lofs to 
 “ difcover, that the difference among inter- 
 “ prefers lies chiefly in this, that one renders 
 “ the account of things, which that book 
 " exhibits, more intelligible, more perfpicu- 
 “ ous, or even more affefting, than another. 
 
 “ Thefe 
 
( i66 ) 
 
 “ Thefe differences are, I acknowledge, of 
 “ great moment to readers; they are fuch 
 “ as may fhew one verfion to be greatly 
 “ fuperior to another in point of ufe.” 
 
 lb. p, xxvii. 
 
 « 
 
 “ Is there not, even in fome who are the 
 “ friends of truth, and the friends of free- 
 “ dom, who, in religion, as in other matters, 
 “ would give fcope to, inquiry and communi- 
 “ cation, a fort of jealoufy on the article of 
 “ tranflation, which makes them lefs equita- 
 “ ble, lefs candid, judges in regard to it, 
 (( than in regard to any other matter which 
 comes under their difcuffion ? They are 
 “ jealous for the honour of the common 
 “ verfion ; and, though they are far from 
 afcribing any fupernatural power to the 
 “ tranflators, they are afraid of the detedion 
 “ of any error which might make that 
 “ verfion fink in the opinion of the people.” 
 * This, they fay, could not be produ&ive of 
 f a good cfred, either on the faith of the 
 
 * nation. 
 
( i6 7 ) 
 
 5 nation, or on their practice ; for, as the 
 ‘ people cannot be fappofed nice in dif- 
 ‘ tinguiihing, their bihle and their religion 
 ‘ are to them the fame thing. By difcrediting 
 
 * the one, you injure the other; and, by 
 
 * introducing queftions about the proper 
 ‘ rendering of a particular paffage, you 
 
 * weaken the effedt of the whole/ “ As 
 “ there is fome plaufibility in this method of 
 “ arguing, I beg leave to offer a few more 
 “ thoughts on the fubjedL 
 
 « 
 
 “ In every queftion relating to fadl, where 
 “ experience may be had, our fafeft recourfe 
 iC is to experience. Since the beginning of 
 “ the fixteenth century, many Latin tranfla- 
 “ tions of the bible, of very different characters, 
 
 “ have been publifhed. Can we j idly lay 
 “ that, by means of thefe, the authority 
 lc of fcripture, among thofe who do not 
 “ underhand the original, but are readers of' - 
 “ thofe verfions, has been weakened, and 
 “ fcepticifm has been promoted ? I do not 
 think that, with any fhadow of reafon, 
 
 “ this can be afferted. If people will but 
 
 4 4 reflect 
 
refled:, they will foon be fenfible, that it 
 6< is not among the readers of fcripture, 
 “ either in the original or in tranflatiofts, 
 that thofe evils abound/’ 
 
 lb. p. xxxiii. xxxiv. 
 
 “ —Have the attempts which have been 
 made in this illand, I may aim oft fay, 
 fince the days of Wiclifl 7 , to tranflate 
 " the fcriptures into Englifh, ever been 
 found to lefTen their authority ? I have not 
 if heard tnis affirmed by any body. Yet 
 “ every new verfion altered, and pretended 
 “ to corred, many things in thofe which 
 had preceded. But whatever may be the 
 “ private judgment of individuals concerning 
 “ tlie comparative merit of the different 
 “ tranflations, we cannot difcover any traces 
 “ of evidence, that their number did, in the 
 “ fmalleft degree, derogate from the venera- 
 tion for holy writ generally entertained by 
 “ the people/’ 
 
 lb, p. xxxv. 
 
 * “ Now, 
 
( i6 9 ) 
 
 “ Now, to take the matter in another 
 view, the caufe affigned is nowife adequate 
 €t to the effed. If the different ways of 
 ** rendering one paffage may make the un- 
 <€ learned doubtful with regard to the mean- 
 “ ing of that paffige ; the perfed harmony 
 “ of the different interpreters, as far as 
 iC regards the fenfe, in many more paffages, 
 €i nay, I mayjuftly fay, in every thing that can 
 £< be considered as effential in the hiflory and 
 dodrine, ferves as the ftrongeft confirma- 
 “ tion of thefe in particular. The different 
 tranilators are like fo many different touch- 
 
 “ ft ones/' 
 
 / 
 
 lb . p. xxxvi. 
 
 “ That one verfion expreffes the fenti- 
 ment more intelligibly, more perfpicuoufly, 
 “ or more emphatically than another, will 
 “ indeed occafion its being read with more 
 pleafure, and even more profit ; but it 
 “ will never, on that account, be confidered 
 <( by any as giving a contradidory teffimony. 
 
 " Yet 
 
I V 1 ’ • 
 
 ( 170 ) 
 
 “ Yet it is fuch oppofition of evidence that 
 “ is the only circumftance which can affed 
 “ t,ie veracity of holy writ, and confequently 
 “ t!ie credit given to it by the people. And 
 “ lively whatever can, on the contrary, be 
 “ rendered conducive to the emolument of 
 “ the reader, cannot be prejudicial to the 
 “ caufe of religion, or difrefpedful to the 
 “ word of God, which does not confifl: in 
 " the words of any tranflation, but in the 
 “ didates of the divine fpirit.” 
 
 lb. p. xxxvii. 
 
 “ In regard to the common tranflation, 
 “ though not entirely exempted frojn the influ- 
 “ ence of party and example,—it is upon the 
 f ‘ whole one of the beft of thofe compofed fo 
 “ loon after the Reformation.—But fince that 
 time, it mult be owned, things are greatly 
 aneied in the church. - ■ 'The reign of 
 fchoialbic fophiftry and altercation is pretty 
 ‘ well-over. Now when to this refledion 
 t! we add a proper attention to the great 
 1 - “ acquilitions 
 
( i7i ) 
 
 “ acquifitions in literature which have of 
 “ late been made, in refpedl not only of 
 " languages, but alfo of antiquities and 
 “ criticifm, it cannot be thought derogatory 
 “ from the merit and abilities of thofe 
 • ;i worthy men who formerly bellowed their 
 “ time and labour on that important work, 
 “ to fuppofe that many miftakes, which 
 were then inevitable, we are now in a 
 “ condition to correct.” 
 
 Ib. voL i. 568, 
 
 “ It deferves further to be remarked that, 
 “ from the changes incident to all languages, 
 “ it fometimes happens that words, which 
 expreffed the true fenfe at the time when 
 “ a tranflation was made, come afterwards 
 “ to exprefs a different fenfe; in confequence 
 “ whereof, tho’ thofe terms were once a proper 
 <c verfion of the words in the original, they are 
 “ not fo after fuch an alteration, having 
 “ acquired a meaning different from that 
 “ which they haej. formerly. In this cafe, 
 
 “ it 
 
( * 7 2 ) 
 
 it cannot be doubted that, in a new tranf- 
 ** lation, fiich terms-ought to be changed. 
 
 c * The number of changes whereby living 
 “ language is affedted in' particular periods, 
 “ is not always in proportion to the extent 
 €C of time. It depends on the flage of ad- 
 “ vancement in which the language happens 
 “ be during the period, more than on the 
 “ Ien g th of that period.——It is not merely 
 the number of writings in any language, 
 " tc but it is rather their merit and eminence, 
 “ which confers liability on its words, 
 “ phrafes, and idioms.” 
 
 lb. P . 570, 571, 572. 
 
 XXX. “ Though I have enlarged much 
 ore upon the ambiguities in our verfion, 
 “ than upon any other defedls, yet flill there are 
 “ numberlefs in fiances which I have omitted 
 “ mentioning on that head ; and I defire it 
 ^ may be underflood that I'do not take upon 
 “ me to enter into a full examination of 
 
 our 
 
( i73 ) 
 
 “ our verfion, but merely to point out 
 “ the principal faults with refpedl to the 
 “ language.” 
 
 Dr. Symonds s Preface to Obfervations on 
 the expediency of revifmg the prefent 
 Englifj verfion of the four Go/pels , and 
 of the Adis of the Apofles . 4 to. Cam¬ 
 bridge. 1789. p. ii. iii. 
 
 “ Whoever examines our verfion in pre~ 
 “ fent ufe with the leaft degree of attention, 
 “ will find that it is ambiguous and incor- 
 t€ red :; even in matters of the higheft iin- 
 “ portance. 
 
 “ There are fome writers who fairly ac- 
 “ knowledge thefe miftakes and imperfedi- 
 “ ons; but ftrenuoufly maintain, that to 
 “ new-model or to revife our verfion would 
 “ be a rafh and dangerous experiment; as it 
 “ might unhinge the minds of weak 
 “ Chriftians, and difturb the public quiet. 
 “ Thefe arguments, which are the refult of 
 
 V , \ 
 
 “ timidity 
 
 J 
 
• ft 
 
 ( J 7+ ) 
 
 timidity rather than of prudence, have 
 “ been adopted in all ages, and in all coun- 
 “ tries ) and have been the perpetual ob- 
 “ facies to improvement in feveral parts of 
 “ Europe. But is error fo valuable an in- 
 “ heritance, that it ought never to be relin- 
 quiihed ? Can it be iandtified by the plea 
 of a long prefcription ? Experience 
 teaches us, that miilakes in religion are of 
 all others the moil; pernicious: not only 
 “ becaufe they affedl us in the moil im- 
 “ portant concerns, but as they are the moil 
 “ difficult to be corredted ; and it might 
 “ almoil be queilioned, whether it would 
 “ not be fafer to take the bible out of the 
 “ hands of the common people than to 
 “ ex P ofe them to the danger of drawing falfe 
 “ conclufions from erroneous tranilations • 
 
 “ for it is doubtlefs much worfe to be milled 
 than to be ignorant. In regard to the 
 argument founded on the apprehenfions of 
 “ alarming the public, how fpecious foever 
 ‘ it may appear to* Superficial reader?, yet it 
 
 “ cannot 
 
( l 75 ) 
 
 “ cannot have any real weight with thofe who 
 “ examine and judge for themfelves. We 
 “ ought to form our opinions of future 
 “ events, by the practice of pad; ages. This 
 “ is the chief benefit to be derived from 
 “ hiftory. Now if we cafl our eye upon the 
 “ period when the prefent verlion was made, 
 we fhall find that the mafs of the people 
 were not agitated by thofe imaginary 
 “ terrors, which are conjured up in our 
 “ days ; their curiofity was excited, and 
 “ their impatience prompted them to break 
 out into cenfures : not on account of the 
 “ impropriety of the plan, but of the dila¬ 
 tory conduct of the Tranflators . f rom 
 whofe pedantic and uncouth preface we 
 “ may gather likewife, that the clamours 
 • £ raifed againfl them were chiefly the effects 
 “ of party zeal, which is now in a great 
 “ meafure fubfided in this country. But 
 
 “ w ^ iat ma y ferve to put this matter beyond all 
 “ doubt is, that the prefent verfion appears 
 to have made its way without the mterpo— 
 <! fition of any authority whatfoever : for it 
 
 4 
 
 IS 
 
( l 7& ) 
 
 i* 
 
 “ is not eaiy to difcover any traces of a pro- 
 “ clamation, canon, or ftatute, publifhed 
 €< on purpofe to enforce the ufe of it. 
 
 “ There are other writers who warmly 
 “ contend, that our verlion is fufficiently 
 “ clear and obvious in all things necefiary to 
 “ be believed and praftifed ; and that there- 
 “ fore to alter it in the leaft degree would be 
 “ a daring and mifchievous innovation. On 
 “ this point I will freely join iflue with 
 iC them ; and reft the merits of the cafe upon 
 * c a fingle argument. Hath not the mifre- 
 “ prefentation of one word driven thoufands 
 “ of wellmeaning Chriftians from the 
 “ Holy Communion ? For the truth of this 
 “ melancholy aflertion we may fafely appeal 
 “ to the matters of families, and to fuch as 
 “ are concerned in parochial cures.” 
 
 Dr . Symonds . p. 2, 3, 4. 
 
 r 
 
( l 77 ) 
 
 “ It will be proper to enquire into the 
 “ grounds of an opinion which pafTes among 
 “ fome perfons for an undoubted truth ; 
 “ namely, that the Vulgar tranflation of 
 “ the bible is the belt llandard of the 
 
 “ Englifh language.-To be one of the 
 
 e( ftandards, and to be the bejl llandard 
 “ of it, are two things which are ex- 
 £e tremely different. Though the plain and 
 “ limple turn of expreffion* which refult 
 “ from the choice of old Englilh words, 
 “ will in title our verfion to the former ap- 
 “ pellation, yet many other circumllances 
 mull be united to confirm its claim to the 
 “ latter. It will be requifite therefore to 
 “ fubmit to examination a few more quellions 
 upon this head. Are the words and 
 “ phrafes, employed by our Tranlktors, 
 generally placed in their proper order ? 
 “ Are they fo arranged, as to preclude all 
 <c obfcurity and ambiguity ? Do we always 
 “ find the Antecedent, to which the Re~ 
 “ latives refer ? Hath a right attention been 
 
 N paid 
 
• ( 178 ' ) 
 
 “ paid to the Modes and Times of Verbs ? 
 “ And is there a due propriety obferved in 
 €< the ufe of Particles, upon which the clear- 
 nefs of a fentence chiefly depends ? I fcarcely 
 “ think that any one will venture to anfwer 
 “ in the affirmative : but unlefs thefe rules* 
 “ or the greater part of them, be complied 
 “ with, I cannot poflibly fee how our Verfion 
 “ of the Bible, or any other compofition, 
 “ can lay claim to be called the beji ftandard 
 “ of a language/* 
 
 lb. p. 6, 7, 8* 
 
 “ The ambiguities in our verfion are very 
 “ numerous; and fometimes too grofs to 
 “ be defended/* 
 
 lb. p. 11. 
 
 “ The more frequently I refleft upon the 
 important truths of Chriftianity, the more 
 “ ardently I wifh to fee our verfion revifed 
 by proper authority ; not according to the 
 
 “ caprice 
 
I 
 
 ( *79 ) 
 
 “ caprice of licentious interpreters, but ex- 
 “ preffing the genuine fenfe of the facred 
 “ wnt ings ; not embelliihed with the falfe 
 “ colouring of rhetoric, but, like the 
 Original itielfj fimple and unadorned : 
 “ in fine > correft enough to fatisfy the 
 “ learned and the polite j yet plain 
 
 “ enough to convince the lowed: orders of 
 “ mankind.” 
 
 lb. p. 178. 
 
 XXXI. “ After all the improvements in 
 critical knowledge, and all the varieties 
 “ difcovered in the MSS. of the original 
 “ text of fcripture, and in the ancient 
 c verfions, I am glad to fee incomparably 
 the ableft critic of the age contending 
 “ ftrenuoufly for the general excellence of 
 “ °ur prefent authorifed tranflation ; and 
 " recommending at the utmoft cautious cor- 
 “ reftions of particular paffages. The 
 prudence and judgment of this venerable 
 
 N 2 ” Prelate 
 
( 180 ) 
 
 “ Prelate furniffi an admirable lefion to the 
 “ forwardnefs of young proficients in divi- 
 “ nity.” 
 
 Fhe charge of Dr. Lewis Bagot , Bijkop 
 of Norwich , at his primary vifitation . 
 P. 33. From a letter to his Lordjhip . 
 Prmted\ London. 1789. p. 3. 
 
 XXXII. “ What corruptions are crept 
 “ into various parts of the Divine Book, 
 “ the refearches of the learned make daily 
 “ appear : and thefe fame corruptions, by 
 inattention, are obtaining every day autho- 
 “ rity, and will be infinitely more difficult 
 “ to be removed. What ftronger inftance 
 “ can be brought in proof, than that famous 
 1c text, 1 John v. 7, 8, fo much and eagerly 
 “ contended for 
 
 Hints &c. By a Layman. London. ed. 
 4 -th. White. 1790. p. 53. 
 
 XXXIII. “ I will 
 
( i8i ) 
 
 XXXIII. “ I will venture to affirm (and 
 “ I affirm with full convidion) that James’s 
 “ tranflators have lefs merit than any of 
 “ their predeceffors; and that the verfion 
 “ of Tindall, revifed by Coverdale, is a 
 “jufter reprefentation of the original (fuch 
 “ as he had it) than our prefent Vulgar 
 “ Verfion. The truth is—and why ffiould not 
 “ the truth be fpoken ? b^ov ya.% h kx^ua. 
 “ kst —that James’s tranflators did little more 
 “ than copy the Geneva * verfion j which 
 “ was little more 'than a tranfcript from the 
 “ revifed French ; which was chiefly bor- 
 “ rowed from Pagninus. If any one doubt of 
 
 “ * The principal difference confifts in a more fcru- 
 u pulous adhefion to the letter of the original, and in the 
 “ infertion of a multitude of Italics to fupply its apparent 
 “ deficiency; although the greater part of thefe fupple- 
 “ nients are virtually contained in the Hebrew. On the 
 “ whole, I make no hefitation to declare, that I think the 
 u Geneva verfion, in general, the better of the two.” 
 
 a 
 
( 182 ) 
 
 \ 
 
 “ this, let him compare all thofe verfions 
 “ with as much pains and patience as I 
 “ have done ; and then let him contra- 
 “ did: me.” 
 
 Dr. Geddes s general anfwer to queries &c. 
 
 Ajo. London. 1790. p. 4. 
 
 XXXIV. “ With refped to our received 
 trandation, it is, efpecially in point of 
 u fimplicity, worthy of the highed: commen- 
 “■ dation : but the authors of it, at fo early 
 “ a period after the revival of letters, had 
 “ acquired a lefs competent knowledge of the 
 “ original language, than many fince their 
 “ times have been able to attain. It were a 
 “ mod: injurious imagination to fuppofe, that 
 “ the joint exertions of fo many fcholars, 
 “ for fuch a length of time, have not been 
 “ able to difcover many things unknown to 
 “ their predeceflbrs. Accordingly, fome 
 “ miftakes of the groded: kind deform the 
 <£ common verlion of the fcriptures : a mul- 
 
 “ titude 
 
i 
 
 G 183 ) 
 
 “ of elegancies, depending on a more 
 
 “ nice and accurate perception of the Greek 
 and oriental phrafeology, efcaped the 
 
 notice of thole who firft engaged in this 
 “ work/* 
 
 Wakefield s tranfiation of the iV. 71 1791 e 
 Prefi. v. 
 
 “ A revifal [of our prefent tranflation of 
 “ the bible] upon a plan fomewhat limilar, 
 conducted under proper authority, and un¬ 
 der due reftriftion, by men of acknow¬ 
 ledged erudition, and with abilities every 
 “ way competent to fuch an undertaking, 
 could hardly fail of beinggenerally approved. 
 But if it Ihould be thought, by men of 
 “ judgment and learning, that ferious incon- 
 “ veniences might at prefent arife even from 
 “ fuch a temperate revifal as this, there 
 “ could at lead; be no objection to a new edi- 
 “ tion of the prelent tranflation, with fuch 
 “ emendations as are here propofed, fubjoin- 
 
 " ed 
 
 % 
 
( 184 ) 
 
 “ cd in fhort notes, or marginal readings. 
 “ And this might afterwards perhaps gradu- 
 “ ally lead the way to an infertion of them 
 ‘ in the text, if on due confideration they 
 ihould be judged of fufficient importance 
 to be fo adopted. 
 
 “ The number of alterations which mi»ht 
 
 £> 
 
 “ he neceffary, tho’ confiderable when taken 
 “ colledively, yet being difperfed through 
 the whole bible, would fcarcely be obferved 
 by txie ordinary reader j neither are they of 
 iuch a nature as in the lead; to endanger ci- 
 ” t ^ er his faith or his principles : while, on 
 the other hand, the fcholar would feel 
 a very fenfible fatisfadion at feeing 
 “ errors correded, obfcurities illuftrated, 
 “ contradidions removed, obfolete ex- 
 “ preffion s modernized, and a corrednefs 
 “ an ^ confifteney given to the whole, 
 “ which would not only be peculi- 
 “ arly pleading to the friends of Revelation, 
 but might be the means cf recommending 
 
 “ to 
 
( « 8 5 ) 
 
 “ to the more ferious notice and attention of 
 “ the Philofopher that facred volume which he 
 “ is but too apt to treat with the mod: unme- 
 “ rited negled: and contempt, merely on ac- 
 <x count of thofe very errors in the tranflation, 
 “ which it is the objedl of this propofal to 
 <c rectify.” 
 
 A Jhort fpecimen for an improvement in 
 fome parts of the prefent tranfation of 
 the Old Tef ament. By Richard Orme- 
 rod, M. A. &c. London. Riving torn. 
 1792. 
 
 A 
 
 The authors to whom I have referred are, 
 in fome places, inconfiftent with each 
 other; and in fome places they advance por¬ 
 tions contrary to my own fentiments : but 
 I have quoted writers of different charac¬ 
 ters and denominations largely and impar¬ 
 tially. They will greatly affift the reader in 
 fettling his judgement on that interefting 
 fubjeft, the expediency of an improved 
 
 biblical 
 
( 186 ) 
 
 biblical verlion. They furnilh many folid 
 arguments in fupport of fuch a meafure : 
 and they place the chief objections to it in 
 various and rtrong points of view. Thefe 
 objections they examine as diligently, as 
 they r refent them faithfully: and, as far as 
 I can difcern, they divert them of their falfe 
 gLre, and deftroy their force. But I go on to 
 
 ftate and folve objections particularly and 
 methodically. 
 
 \ 
 
 CHAP. 
 
Objections to an improved verjion of the bible 
 
 confderedo 
 
 T H E prefent age has feen a literary 
 phenomenon of a curious nature ; a * Prieft 
 of the Romifh church, refident in England, 
 tranflating the fcriptures into our native 
 tongue, and publicly maintaining againft 
 
 * The Rev* Alexander Geddes. L. L. D. 
 
 two 
 
( 188 ) 
 
 * two Proteftants the great utility of 
 a new Engli/h tranflation, in preference to 
 that made a hundred and eighty years ago. 
 As the fubjed of this debate cannot but 
 deeply intereft every lover of the facred 
 writings, I IhaU examine all the objedions to 
 fuch an undertaking which I have been able 
 to colled, and date the principal reafons in 
 fupport of it. 
 
 Objection I. 
 
 \ 
 
 * c A new tranflation of the bible is 
 quite unneceflary.” 
 
 That our English tranflation of the fcrip- 
 tures, or indeed that any tranflation of them 
 
 * The Dr. Vicehmus Knox, whom Dr. Geddes 
 calls an ingenious and amiable writer; and the Author of 
 the monthly review for January 1787, whom Dr. Geddes 
 calls a writer cf no common abilities. 
 
 f Knox's eflays moral and literary. N. xlix. 
 
 extant. 
 
( i8 9 ) 
 
 extant, “ contains all things neceffary to 
 “ falvation,” is a truth which no member of 
 any Proteftant church will controvert. But, 
 in common language, a meaiure is faid to be 
 neceffary when it is highly expedient. Now 
 let any competent fcholar ftudy the bible in 
 the original tongues ; and then pronounce 
 whether our authorized verfion is not capable 
 of amendment and improvement in number- 
 lefs places, many of which muff be confi- 
 dered as very important. At the fame time, 
 the fundamental articles of faith, and the 
 leading rules of practice, fo pervade the 
 bible, that various pafiages in which they 
 occur either remain uncorrupt, or can be 
 eafily reftored to integrity by rules of criticism 
 in which all acquiefce. Whence we fee 
 how wifely God has given the feriptures their 
 prefent form : whereas if his revealed will 
 had been delivered in the way of rigorous 
 method and fyftem, like fome treatiies on 
 natural religion, truths of the greateft mo¬ 
 ment might have occurred in a fingle 
 Daffao-e liable to corruption or perverfiom 
 
 A O 1 A 
 
 rr » 
 
 ip ■* • '» cy 
 
 mug 
 
( 190 ) 
 
 King James’s tranflators ftate and obviate 
 this objection in their preface. 
 
 “ Many—afk what may be the reafon, 
 “ what the neceffity, of the employment. 
 
 “ We wil1 anfwer them—briefly—with 
 “ St. Jerom. Damnamus veteres ? Minime: 
 
 “ fed> P oft P riorum Lidia, in domo Domini 
 quod poffumus laboramus. 
 
 So far from condemning any of their 
 “ labours Aat have travailed before us in this 
 “ kind,—we acknowledge them to have been 
 
 “ raifed U P of G od for the building and 
 “ furnifhing of his church ; and that they 
 “ deferve to be had of us, and of poflerity, 
 
 “ in everlafting remembrance.-Blefled be 
 
 “ the y> and moil honoured be their name, 
 “ that break the ice, and give the firft onfet 
 upon that which helpeth forward to the 
 
 “ Paving of fouls.-Yet for all that, as 
 
 nothing is begun and perfedted at the fame 
 
 “ time. 
 
( 19* ) 
 
 ** time, and the latter thoughts are thought 
 to be wifer j fo, if we, building upon 
 “ their foundation that went before us, and 
 “ being holpen by their labours, do endea- 
 “ vour to make that better which they left 
 “ fo good, no man, we are fure, hath caufe 
 “ to mislike us; they, we perfuade ourfelves, 
 “ if they were alive, would thank us. How 
 “ many books of profane learning have 
 “ be en gone over again and again by the 
 “ fame tranflators or by others ? Now if this 
 
 “ coft may be beftowed upon the gourd,__ 
 
 “ what may we beftow, nay, what ought we 
 “ not to beftow, upon the vine ?—For by this 
 “ means it cometh to pafs that whatfoever 
 “ is found already,—the fame will thine as 
 “ g°ld more brightly for being rubbed and 
 “ poliihed ; alfo if any thing be halting, or 
 fuperfluous, or not fo agreeable to the 
 original, the fame may be corrected, and 
 “ the truth fet in place. 
 
 “ We never thought from the beginning 
 that we fhould need to make a new tranfta- 
 tion, nor yet to make of a bad one a good 
 
 a 
 
 one; 
 
( J 92 ) 
 
 one; but to make a good one better, or 
 “ out of many good ones one principal good 
 “ one, not juftly to be excepted again it : 
 “ that hath been our endeavour, that our 
 “ mark.” 
 
 An anonymous * writer, juftly entitled to 
 
 the attention of the Public, takes notice of 
 
 this objection in the following manner: “ If 
 
 “ eve ry part of fcripture be intended to an- 
 
 “ Aver fome important purpofe, (as certainly 
 
 “ it is, or it would not have been given to 
 
 l< us,) every part ought to be put into the 
 
 “ hands of Chriftians as free as poflible from 
 
 “ obfcurity and error. Who can fav what 
 
 * 
 
 " confequences may refult from even fmall 
 cc miftakes ? But fome—are fo confiderable 
 ^ as to deprive Chriftianity of much folid 
 evidence, and furnifh the Sceptic with 
 “ m °ft formidable weapons. It is true 
 that our prefent verfion appears to contain 
 
 * Jcvea!ons k»r reviling by authority our prefent verfion 
 &c. Cambridge., 1788. p. 47. 
 
 every 
 
( J 93 ) 
 
 " every thing neceffary to falvation : but if 
 “ this is a fufficient reafon for not correcting 
 “ thofe faulty pafiages which can be cor- 
 " redted, it would be a fufficient reafon for 
 
 ** throwing them out of it altogether.- 
 
 “ But as our heavenly Father has been pleafed 
 “ to favour his creatures with additional 
 " light, ill does it become man—to permit 
 “ any of this light to be obfeured, or pre- 
 
 “ tend that it is not wanted.” 
 
 • 
 
 But the Reviewer alks “ the moft zealous 
 
 * 
 
 “ advocate for a new verfion, whether the 
 “ prefent does not convey every inftru&ion to 
 “ Chriftians of the lower ranks which they 
 “ are capable of receiving. Is their view of 
 “ the great outlines of religion intercepted 
 “ or obfeured, becaufe fome of. the minuter 
 “ touches, which their fituation could never 
 “ have enabled them to perceive, are copied 
 “ with a lefs faithful pencil ? Will the 
 “ peafant, who has already learnt from his 
 “ bible that there is one God, the punifher 
 “ of the wicked, and the rewarder of the 
 
 Q . <c righteous. 
 
( 194 ) 
 
 “ righteous, reap any neceffary or ufeful 
 “ inftruCtion from being told that the *\vords 
 which originally recorded thefe awful 
 “ principles of religion were arranged in 
 “ metrical order ? In paffages relating to 
 €i ancient cuftoms, of which he is neceffarily 
 “ ignorant, will he feel the fuperior force of 
 “ a tranflation that marks fuch allulions 
 “ with greater exaCtnefs and propriety ? In 
 “ the feleCtion of correfponding idioms, by 
 “ means of which a good verfion reflects the 
 “ beauties of the original language, what 
 €C charms fhall he be able to difcover, who, 
 “ inheriting only a mechanical ufe of his own 
 “ tongue, is equally ignorant of univerfal 
 * c grammar, and of the peculiar force of 
 “ idiomatical* expreffions ?” 
 
 u The imperfections complained of feldom 
 “ affeCt either the faith or practice of illiterate 
 
 • * tv.' « 
 
 “ perfons : and in many inftances even a 
 u more accurate verfion would to them be 
 u attended with equal *f* obfcurity,” 
 
 * Review for Januaiy 1787* p. 44. 
 
 t lb. p, 45, 
 
 But 
 
( 1 95 ) 
 
 But, in an argument of general concern, 
 our thoughts muft comprehend others befides 
 -the illiterate , the lower ranks , and the peafant. 
 It is true that the tranflators of a national 
 bible fhould adapt themfelves to thefe with 
 great condefcenfion. But they fhould alfo 
 extend their views to the well educated and 
 learned; and to that large and valuable clafs 
 of readers whofe good fenfe and moderate 
 attainments place them in a middle rank be¬ 
 tween inquifitive. fcholars and thofe who hold 
 the plough and whoje talk is oj' ^ bullocks . 
 While a tranflation reprefen ts to men of deep 
 erudition and refined tafte, and to thofe of mo¬ 
 derate acquirements and ordinary abilities, 
 the curious properties of the Hebrew poetry, 
 the ftridl conformity of ancient writings to 
 the cuftoms of remote times, and metaphors 
 or idioms correfponding to eaftern man¬ 
 ners and countries and to the glow of 
 eaftern genius, a proper exaftnefs in thefe 
 particulars will not induce obfcurity to the 
 meaneft reader, will not affeft a fingle point 
 
 * Ecclus. xxxviii. 25. 
 
 O 2 
 
 of 
 
( 196 ) 
 
 6 f doftrinc or duty, but will ferve great 
 purpofes on the whole, and will open a copi¬ 
 ous fource of pleafure, inftrudtion, and con¬ 
 viction, to all who are capable of receiving 
 
 them. 
 
 It is obfervable that when the Objedtor 
 proceeds to recapitulate his argument, he 
 introduces limitations to what he afferts. 
 Now if, according to his conceffions, the 
 faith and pradtice of illiterate perfons are 
 fometimes affeCted by the prefent verfion, 
 and if in fotne injlances its obfcurity could be 
 removed > religion is a matter of fuch great 
 concern as to demand from thofe who watch 
 over its interefts that even thefe defedts 
 fhould be redified. It is dangerous to retain 
 any known errors in our national verfion: 
 they operate differently on different minds • 
 nor is it eafy to eftimate their degree or 
 effeds. The opinions and condud not only 
 of the unlearned, but even of the learned 
 themfelves who do not carefully examine 
 
 » the 
 
( *97 ) 
 
 the fcriptures, have in fad: been ftrongly in¬ 
 fluenced, in matters of acknowledged im¬ 
 portance, by corrupt readings or miftranfla- 
 tions of a very few texts* 
 
 Objection II. 
 
 “ A new tranflation is an extremely 
 
 “ dangerous attempt.-Nothing would 
 
 “ more immediately tend to fhake the bafis 
 
 u of the eftablifhment.-It would be 
 
 ( 
 
 “ imprudent to fliock the minds of fome 
 “ very devout and wellmeaning people, by 
 “ an innovation which they could not help 
 “ confidering as an infult on heaven. If 
 “ the leflons were to be read in different 
 “ words from thofe which they have heard 
 “ from their infancy, their faith might be 
 more endangered than from all the argu- 
 ** ments of the Deifls.—— Innovations of 
 f< this kind are of the highefl importance $ 
 “ and may be attended with the moft violent 
 * concuffions,” 
 
 * Knox. Ib. 
 
 “ We 
 
( !9 8 ) 
 
 “ We think the frequent recommendations 
 “ of a new tranflation of the fcriptures the 
 “ more alarming, as they come from perfons 
 “ whofe talents derive additional refpeClabiiity 
 “ from the purity of their intentions ; and 
 “ whofe reputation confers authority, as 
 “ well as fplendour, on the higheft ftations 
 if in the church. 
 
 “ The probable, not to fay the necefifary, 
 ff confequences of the meafure are dangerous 
 “ in the extreme. It would tend to lhake 
 u the faith of thoufands, to whom it were 
 ■ ‘ impoffible to demonftrate the neceflity of a 
 u change, or the principles on which it was 
 “ conducted. Thefe would lofe their vene- 
 ration for the old verfion, without acquir- 
 “ ing fuffi.cient confidence in the new. 
 
 t 
 
 “ They would even expert dill further al- 
 “ terations in what they have hitherto re- 
 “ ceived as the infallible oracles of heaven 5 
 “ and thus, being incapable of inquiry them- 
 “ felves, and fufpicious of their inftru&ors, 
 “ might they be abandoned at length either 
 
 “ to 
 
( 199 ) 
 
 f< to doubts that admit of no folution, or to 
 “ Atheifm which mocks conviction. Great 
 “ indeed muft be the benefits, that can* 
 “ compenfate even for the remoteft probabi- 
 “ lity of fuch an * evil.” 
 
 This mode of objecting does not immedi¬ 
 ately affeCt the merits of the queftion, by 
 maintaining that there are not numerous and 
 important errors in our tranflation of the 
 bible, and that it is incapable of admitting 
 many emendations and much pofitive excel¬ 
 lence ; but it arraigns the prudence of intro¬ 
 ducing a corrected verfion, as a meafure from 
 which dangerous effects, and not folid advan¬ 
 tages, will be apt to arife on the whole. It 
 muft therefore be confidered, whether the 
 confequences apprehended are not exaggera¬ 
 ted ; and whether they may not be prevented 
 in a great degree, if not entirely, by prudent 
 fteps preparatory to fuch an undertaking, and 
 by the moll prudent manner of carrying it 
 into execution. 
 
 * Monthly Review for January 1787. 44" 
 
 It 
 
( 200 ) 
 
 It is my full perfuafion that whatever tends 
 to the perfection of our eftablifhment would 
 not Jhake it, but give it fplendour, flrength, 
 and fecurity : and that a verfion of the 
 fcriptures, as accurate as the united learning 
 of the prefent age could make it, would 
 redeCt the higheft honour on our national 
 church 5 and holds a diftinguifhed place 
 among thofe meafures which would fix it 
 on a bafis as firm as truth, virtue, and 
 Chriftianity. Such a work would be as na¬ 
 tural a fubjeCt for the praife of all Proteftant 
 countries, as King James's bible was for the 
 honourable teftimony borne to it by the * 
 Synod of Dort. To vilify or corrupt the 
 word of God, is an injult on heaven but to 
 beftow intenfe thought and labour on it, that 
 all may read it with every poffible advantage* 
 is to treat it with becoming attention, and 
 with that ’ kind of religious veneration which 
 it demands. 
 
 * Sec p. 105. 
 
 It 
 
( 201 ) 
 
 It is a remark worth inculcating that, after 
 Coverdale’s tranflation had received the 
 lanftion of authority, the bibles of Mat- 
 thewe, Cranmer, Taverner, Archbiihop 
 Parker, and James i ft, were all innovations 
 intheir day : and yet that, confidered as 
 different verfions, they produced no civil or 
 ecclefiaftical commotion, no violent agita¬ 
 tions in the minds of men, refembling thofe 
 which are now foretold. It is true that men 
 of weak minds were cautioned againft being 
 offended by a diverfity of tranflation : as we 
 may now inftruft uninformed readers why 
 the authority and profitable ufe of the fcrip- 
 tures are not impaired by the choice of 
 renderings given in the margin of our prefent 
 bibles. But, in the * judgement both of 
 Bishop Coverdale and of Archbiihop Parker, 
 fuch various tranflations were rather a help 
 than a hindrance; nay, it was afferted of them 
 that they elucidated difficulties even beyond 
 the gloffes of commentators. And though 
 
 * P- 3 1 - 8 3 > 4 - 
 
 Cranmer, 
 
( 202 ) 
 
 * Cranmer, from motives with the extent of 
 which we are unacquainted, obtained the 
 royal aflent in 1539 that Lord Cromwell 
 ihould licenfe all impreffions of the Englifh 
 bible, and affigned as a reafon that conferring 
 on the difagreement of tranflators might 
 caufe many inconveniencies; yet, when he 
 bore entire fway in the reign of Edward VI, 
 we find that he promoted the reprinting of 
 Tindall’s New Teftament, and of all the 
 bibles which had appeared in the preceding 
 reign. Comparifons of different tranllations 
 would be confined to a contradled period of 
 time, and to a fewperfons. Thus, the curi¬ 
 ous only compare the tranflation of the 
 pfalms in the bible with that in the liturgy: 
 and no offence is expreffed by any, becaufe 
 the fentences in the Communion Service 
 which are read at the Offertory and after the 
 Abfolution, the hymns called Benediftus, 
 Magnificat, and Nunc dimittis, nay, even 
 the Lord’s prayer and the ten commandments 
 as read in the church and taught in the 
 
 * P. 48. 
 
 catechifm. 
 
( 203 ) 
 
 eatechifm, are differently rendered in the' 
 eftabliffied verfion and in the Book of Com¬ 
 mon Prayer. Add to this, that a tranflation by 
 authority ought to fuperfede all others from its 
 intrinfic excellence : and would of courfe 
 fuperfede them by the frequency, corredtnefs, 
 and cheapnefs of its editions, as King James’s 
 Bible did that of Geneva, notwithstanding 
 the preference given to it by the Calvinifts. 
 At the fame time, its proper weight muff be 
 allowed to the following remark made by * 
 Dr. Campbell : “ Though fome verfions 
 were publicly authorifed before that of 
 James iff, none of them had been of near 
 Ci fo long ftanding as that v/hich is in ufe at 
 f c prefent ; and confequently the people’s 
 attachment to any one of them was not 
 f‘ near fo much Strengthened by habit, as 
 “ the prefent attachment to theEngliffi bible 
 ft may be fuppofed to be. An alteration 
 “ therefore, in refpecff of public ufe, might 
 be a much more difficult talk now than it 
 
 * Preface to the four Gofpels &c* i. xliv. 
 
 \ \ , 
 
 ' (c 
 
 was 
 
( 204 ) 
 
 was then.” But if length of time has 
 
 \ 
 
 alfo operated another way, by difcovering 
 many errors in the matter of our national 
 verfion, and even by caufing many defedts in 
 its ftyle ; who will maintain that the fame 
 advantage fhall not be taken from the pro- 
 grefs of knowledge in biblical criticifm, 
 which is ufed to advance every other fpecies 
 of literature, however inferior ? Dr. Camp¬ 
 bell is far from fupporting, or infinuating, 
 fuch a pofition : he makes the obfervation to 
 fhew the prefent difficulty of introducing 
 another verfion, not to prove its impropriety. 
 Now it is a happy circumftance in favour of 
 a corredted tran flat ion, that all the prejudice 
 for the received one which does not extend 
 to its faults may be wifely indulged. The 
 general ftyle and colour of the revifed verfion 
 fhould be the fame : and every alteration 
 ftiould be avoided which is not in fome 
 refpedt an improvement. So that, when it 
 is read in the church or in the clofet, the 
 venerable turn and manner which poflefs the 
 
 public 
 
 * 
 
( 205 ) 
 
 public ear and tafte by a kind of prefcription 
 will continue a charafteriftic of the bible; 
 but far fuperior benefit and pleafure will 
 arife from making it more faithful to the 
 genuine text, more intelligible, more beauti¬ 
 ful, and more emphatical. 
 
 It is hard to conceive how the faith 
 of thoufands can be fbaken by removing 
 ftumblingblocks inftead of retaining them. 
 The arguments of the Deifts are either ge*- 
 neral fpeculative objections, or abfurdities 
 imputed to the facred writings. Many 
 difficulties of the latter clafs are fuperficial 
 ones, arifing from an ignorance of the origi¬ 
 nal languages ; and would vanifh from the 
 text by judicious renderings. Look into the 
 writings of Voltaire, and fee what wild con- 
 clufions he draws from inaccuracies in the 
 Vulgate verfion ; and how he leads himfelf, 
 and endeavours to lead his readers, into the 
 depths of fcepticifm, by affiiming that there 
 
 is a verbal correfpondence between the 
 
 Hebrew 
 
' (■ 2o6 ) 
 
 Hebrew and the Latin. Thus * becaufe, 
 i Sam. xxviii. 7, the Vulgate has “ Qua:rite 
 “ mihi mulierem habentem pytbonem he 
 argues that the book was not written till the 
 Jews had fome acquaintance with the Greeks 
 after the time of Alexander. Whereas the He¬ 
 brew is sin Ob, and the Greek 
 Again : f becaufe, Prov. xxiii. 3 j, the 
 Vulgate tranilates, “ Ne intuearis vinum, 
 “ quando flavefcit, cum fplenduerit in vitro 
 color ejus, he concludes that, drinking 
 glaffes being a late invention, the book of 
 proverbs was compofed at Alexandria. But 
 the Hebrew denotes a cup , without includ¬ 
 ing the idea of its materials. Were a verfion 
 of the bible executed in a manner fuitable to 
 the magnitude of the undertaking, fuch a 
 meafure would have a dired tendency to 
 eftablijh the faith of thoufands, to open their 
 
 * Letters de quelques Juifs. Ed. 3. Paris. 1772. 
 iomeji. Lxtrait xvn. 
 
 * lb. Extr. xi. 
 
 under- 
 
( 2 °7 ) 
 
 underftandings, to warm their hearts, to 
 enliven their devotions, and to delight their 
 imaginations. Abfurd belief and corrupt 
 practice arife from an ignorance or perverfion 
 of the fcriptures; not from the beft human 
 inducements and affiftances to fearch and 
 underftand them. It is the nature of 
 truth, and efpecially of divine truth, to 
 captivate thofe who contemplate it, in pro¬ 
 portion as the veil is withdrawn, and its 
 genuine features appear. 
 
 But the faith of thofe will be fhaken, to 
 whom it were impoffible to demonfirate the necejjity 
 of a change . 
 
 The liberal Dr. Geddes obferves that, 
 “ if fuch illfounded prejudices exift among 
 “ the people, it is the fault of their teachers; 
 “ and their teachers fhould ferioufly labour 
 « to remove them. The people fhould be 
 “ taught (for they are not indocil) that it 
 “ is to the meaning, and not the words, of 
 
 “ fcripture. 
 
( 208 ) 
 
 u fcripture, to the fenfe, and not the found, 
 <‘ that they ought to attend : that a tranfla- 
 “ tion of the bible, like all other tranflati- 
 4 ‘ ons, is fufceptible of further and further 
 “ improvement : that the languages, in 
 “ which the fcriptures were originally writ- 
 “ ten, are now better underftood than when 
 ** the laft tranflation was made: that the 
 “ originals themfelves have, by the diligence 
 €l and labours of the learned, been reftored 
 “ more nearly to their firft integrity ; and 
 “ that, by thefe means, a number of difficult 
 “ paflages may be illuftrated, obfcurities 
 “ removed, objedlions obviated, and the 
 “ divine oracles made more intelligible to 
 “ every capacity. All this the people have 
 “ a right to know ; and, knowing all this, 
 “ they will not only be not averfe to a new 
 “ tranflation, but expert it with eagernefs, 
 “ and receive it with pleafure, with a plea- 
 “ fure proportioned to their zeal and de- 
 “ votion.——There are few, even of the 
 “ lowed: clafs, who have not heard of the 
 
 3 “ imper- 
 
( 20 9 ) 
 
 “ imperfeClions of our public verfion : our 
 “ preachers are conftantly correcting parti- 
 “ cular paffages in it.. Bible hiftories and 
 c ‘ family Expofitors, without number, are 
 <c difperfed all over the kingdom, in which 
 “ many miftranflations are corrected, or 
 “ pretended to be fo ; and yet the people 
 14 read them with avidity, and even with 
 4< enthufiafm. In fhort, the prejudices of 
 “ the people againft an improved verfion 
 “ either do not exift at all, or are fuch as 
 “ may eafily be removed, or deferve not 
 “ to be * regarded,’ 5 
 
 Let us alfo attend to fimilar remarks of 
 another able writer, who profeffes to follow 
 
 Dr. Geddes in fome particulars* “ Were it 
 
 ** / / 
 
 “ true that alarms of the fort reprefen ted 
 <c would follow the meafure propofed, they 
 “ would afford a ftrong argument againft 
 
 * Dr. Geddes’s letter to the Bifhop of London. 4to, 
 London. 178 7, 
 
 p '• 
 
 adopting 
 
( 21 ° ) 
 
 <4 
 
 “ adopting it on light grounds; but not 
 " when it is loudly called for by numerous 
 “ and material errors. To be intimidated by 
 “ them in this cafe, would be to facrifice 
 u the effential interefts of religious truth to 
 “ apprehenfions founded on mifconception 
 “ and prejudice ; apprehenfions too which 
 “ will not outlive the prefent generation. 
 “ If, on a revifal taking place, the common 
 “ people fhould really harbour the opinions 
 “ imputed to them in the objection, they 
 “ ought to be told by their paftors, that 
 cc their fcriptures are a tranflation from other 
 “ languages, and liable to miftakes like every 
 “ other book : that the correcting of thefe, 
 “ inftead of new modelling or changing their 
 “ religion, tends to do away the changes 
 “ which time and human frailty had made 
 “ in the word of God, and bring it back to 
 “ its original purity : that, if they turn to the 
 “ parts altered, they may frequently fee how 
 “ much the alteration has been for the 
 “ better 5 that, where they cannot fee this, 
 
 “ they 
 
( 211 ) 
 
 “ they may depend upon there having always 
 been a good reafon for what has been 
 “ done : that, as no change whatever has 
 “ been introduced into their religion, they 
 <e have not a fhadow of reafon to fear that 
 “ any will. This would be defending truth 
 €< as it ought to be defended, by candour and 
 “ reafon : it would be acting on the prin- 
 (< ciples of the Reformation, and would 
 €€ produce the defired effect in quieting men’s 
 ic minds. To keep them quiet by keeping 
 “ them in the dark with refpeft to the Rate 
 “ of our prefent verlion, would be the fyflem 
 “ of Popery previous to the fixteenth cen- 
 “ tury 5 a fyftem which even that religion 
 is become too liberal to continue. But 
 “ what reafon is there to fuppofe that any 
 defcription of men would fee the revifel 
 “ of the bible in the light Rated in the 
 ** objection ? Did an alarm of this kind 
 “ fpread through the nation, when any of 
 t€ the various tranflations, which took place 
 “ between the years 1530 and 1620, were 
 
 P 2 firft 
 
( 212 ) 
 
 firft publiihed ? On the contrary, Chriftia- 
 
 y 
 
 “ nity derived great advantages from the dif- 
 “ cuflion they occafioned. Men were at 
 “ firft divided in opinion with refpedt to 
 ** their comparative merits ; but they never 
 “ imagined that their religion was changed. 
 iC In a little time they quietly acquiefced in the 
 “ ufe of our prefent Englifh bible for this 
 “ plain reafon, that it was evidently the beft 
 “ verfion they had : and undoubtedly fimilar 
 “ reafons would foon make them perfectly 
 “ fatisfied with the alterations now propofed, 
 “ which are not to be compared in point of 
 
 number and appearance with thofe which 
 “ were brought forward by King James's * 
 “ tranflators." 
 
 •J* I muft illuftrate the argument ftill 
 farther by alleging another teftimony. iC As 
 
 ■'* Reafons for reviling our Verfion &c. p. 55. 
 
 f Confidcrations on the expediency of reviling the 
 liturgy &c. By a cQftilftent Proteftant. London. Cadell. 
 1790. p.. 102, 
 
 to 
 
( 213 ) 
 
 “ to a new tranflation of the bible, or, which 
 “ amounts to much the fame thing, a proper 
 “ amendment of the old one ; it has of late 
 “ become a fort of fafhion to difcourage 
 “ the idea of attempting it. I mu ft, how- 
 “ ever, profefs that I fee much utility, and 
 no danger whatever, in the defign. A 
 “ Angle fermon would explain to the 
 “ moft illiterate congregation of Chriflians 
 in the kingdom the neceflity for undertak- 
 «« in^, and the advantage which would attend 
 « the execution of the work. Men of every 
 “ condition would be no more ftartled or 
 “ fcandalized at hearing read in the church a 
 “ new tranflation of the leffons, than they 
 « were at hearing read a new tranflation of the 
 « epifiles and gofpels on the laid* revifal of the 
 “ liturgy j when the epiftles and gofpels 
 “ were taken out of our prefent tranflation 
 of the bible, they being read before ac~ 
 “ cording to the old-.” 
 
 * In i 66 t. 
 
 If 
 
 / 
 
( 214 ) 
 
 If frequent recommendations of a new verfion 
 come from ecclefiaftics who derive weight 
 from their rank, and, which is the higheft 
 of all ranks, from their reputation 3 let not 
 the important meafure recommended by 
 them be prejudged, but examined 3 let not 
 popular fears be excited, but let ferious at¬ 
 tention be paid to their arguments. It is 
 by reafon only that fuch can expedt to. 
 prevail in an age which bends not to au- - 
 thority, but is learned, inquifitive, and as 
 much emancipated from intelle&ual as 
 from civil llavery 3 and yet I fear, more 
 eminent for its critical knowledge of the 
 Greek and Roman authors, and for its pro- 
 grefs in philofophy and the arts, than for its 
 fkill in the eaftern languages, and for its 
 cultivation of theological and facred litera- 
 %re. But if, by the divine Providence, the 
 number of fuch recommenders fhould en- 
 creafe, and if convi&ion fhould be wrought in 
 the bulk of the clergy and wellinformed laity, 
 little difficulty or difcouragement will re¬ 
 
 main ; 
 
( 215 ) 
 
 main : as the common people are prone to 
 follow thofe whofe wifdom and ftation they 
 habitually reverence, unlefs force, or intereft 3 
 or fpecious alarm, warps them to another 
 direction. A repeated difcuffion of the above 
 mentioned topics in difcourfe, in the pulpit, 
 and from the prefs, and the concurrence of 
 the beit, the wifeft, the moft learned, and 
 - ' the greateft, in the recommendation, patro¬ 
 nage, and conduct of an amended verfion, 
 would give the bulk of the community as 
 great a confidence in it as they ever repofed in 
 any preceding one. 
 
 ' . '• i V ^ M 
 
 But thofe who are incapable of inquiry 
 would even expedl Jlill further alterations in 
 what they have hitherto received as the infallible 
 oracles of heaven . 
 
 Dr. Geddes has fuggefted, in the quota¬ 
 tion given above, that the people fhould be 
 
 taught why further alterations may become 
 
 —- 
 
 neceflary to the perfection of an authorifed 
 
 verfion: 
 
 i 
 
( 216 ) 
 
 vcriion : fuch a work being “ fufceptible*' 
 
 X 
 
 in the nature of the thing “ of ftill further 
 “ and further improvement/' Critics, by 
 fuperior acutenefs, or fuperior patience of 
 refearch, may furnifh emendations fuitable 
 to the genius of the original languages ; or, 
 by an acceffion of external helps, doubtful 
 readings may be eftablilhed, or new ones 
 difcovered. Under the aufpices of a Sir 
 William Jones, invaluable treafures may 
 ftill be fupplied from China, or other remote 
 countries of the Eaft. But thefe alterations, 
 like Dr. Mill’s thirty thoufand various read¬ 
 ings, will not affedt the fundamentals of our 
 religion ; which will always reft immovably 
 on various texts the genuine readings of 
 which cannot be called in cjueftion. 
 
 Our Tranflators, in their preface, thus 
 animadvert on the objection, that further 
 alterations may ftill be expedted. “ We 
 muft anfwer a—cavil and cbjedtion of 
 ■ * our adverfaries againft us, for altering and 
 amending our tranllations fo oft : wherein 
 
 “ truly 
 
 / 
 
( 2I 7 ) 
 
 <c truly they deal hardly and ftrangely with 
 “ us. For to whom ever was it imputed 
 “ for a fault (by fuch as were wife) to go 
 “ over that which he had done, and to 
 “ amend it where he faw caufe ? If we be 
 <c fons of the truth, we mu ft confider what 
 “ it fpeaketh ; and trample upon our own 
 u credit, yea, and upon other men’s too, 
 * e if either be any way an hindrance to 
 
 The ferious and fenfible * writer to whom I 
 have already referred more than once has given 
 
 ✓ i 
 
 a greater extent to this objection. “ Some 
 “ may fay,” ‘ Let us introduce no change ; 
 * for we cannot tell what further changes 
 s may be required of usd 
 
 Fie replies: <c This is an argument which 
 “ the lukewarm and the timid oppofe to 
 “ every improvement, however important 
 
 * The reafons for revifing by authority our prefent 
 ■yerfion &c. Cambridge. 1788. p. 52, 3, 
 
 “ end 
 
( 218 ) 
 
 « and defirable. Had this been liftened to, 
 
 “ neither the Reformation nor the Revo- 
 “ lution could have taken place; and we 
 “ ihould have been ftill fubjedt to Romifh 
 “ fuperftition and to defpotic power. No- 
 thing can be more weak than declining to 
 “ make proper alterations, becaufe improper 
 ones may afterwards be demanded. This 
 “ is confounding the natural diftindtions 
 between truth and error, and giving 
 “ weapons to our adverfaries ; whofe ground 
 u of objection would not be narrowed by 
 “ any thing fo much as by candidly altering 
 “ what is not fairly defenfible. Such condudb 
 “ would fhew mankind that our proceedings 
 “ are diredted by rational convidtion, not by 
 “ fear or prejudice. It is certainly not lefs 
 “ the part of wifdom and magnanimity to 
 “ give up what is wrong, than refolutely to 
 « maintain what is right.’' 
 
 Objection 
 
( 219 ) 
 
 Objection III, 
 
 4 . 
 
 But it is faid that “ the * prefent tranfla- 
 tion derives an advantage from its anti- 
 “ quity, greatly faperior to any which could 
 “ arife from a correction of its inaccuracies. 
 “ Were the bible corrected and modernized* 
 “ —it would lofe its air of fanCtity, which 
 “ enables it to make an impreffion which no 
 “ accuracy could produce/’ 
 
 Hence it would follow, according to Dr. 
 Geddes -f*, that the veriions of Tindall, 
 Wiclif, and Jerom rife in excellence. But, 
 as he juftly remarks, “ no age or prefcrip- 
 
 “ tion can authorize error: and it is obitinacy 
 
 - 
 
 i( to defend in any verfion, however antient 
 “ or venerable, what cannot be rationally 
 “ defended.” 
 
 * Knox. Ib. 
 
 < 
 
 f Letter to the Bifhop of London, p. 76. 
 
 But 
 
 / 
 
( 220 ) 
 
 But perhaps the ingenious objedor means 
 that the antiquity of ftyle in our eftabliflhed 
 veriion gives it an awful air, fuitable to a 
 facred book. Now it is allowed, and infilled 
 on, that the grave ancient call fihould prevail 
 in an English tranflation of the bible: and it 
 is manifeft that this recommendation may 
 remain entire, after the removal of every 
 real defed, However, a tranflation may 
 become too antiquated: and in fad our own 
 bible retains words and forms of fuch remote 
 ufe, that fome of them are not underftood 
 even by intelligent readers, and that many of 
 them are rather harfh and uncouth than 
 venerable and majeftic. But to make a biblical 
 veriion faithful and exad, fo that it may re¬ 
 present the true text of the original in the bell 
 manner, is very different from giving it 
 “ a ihewy and modernized’* appearance. 
 Tumid didion, ambitious ornament, poetical 
 phrafeology, and the many terms which are 
 daily naturalized from ancient and modern 
 languages, mull be carefully excluded from a 
 book which, agreeably to my idea of its per- 
 
 fedion. 
 
 * 
 
( 221 ) 
 
 fedtion, fhould be the well of Englijh undefiled . 
 To purfue the Objedtor’s allufion, let the 
 
 Hebrew and Chriftian prophets appear in their 
 
 \ 
 
 proper garb : let us* make them holy garments 
 for glory and for beauty . 
 
 Obj ECT ION IV. 
 
 tt 
 
 it 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 tt 
 
 <t 
 
 tt 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 n 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 << But the prefent tranflation ought to 
 be retained in our churches for its intrinfic 
 beauty and excellence. The poetical 
 paffages offcripture are peculiarly pleating. 
 The language, though it is fimple and 
 natural, is rich and expreffive. — The 
 pfalms—are literally tranflated ; and yet 
 that tranflation abounds with paffages ex- 
 quifitely beautiful and irrefiftibly trans¬ 
 porting. Even where the fenfe is not 
 very clear, nor the connexion of ideas 
 obvious at firft fight, the mind is foothed, 
 and the ear ravithed, with the powerful yet 
 unaffedted charms of the ftyle.” 
 
 Knox . lb. 
 
 it 
 
 * Exod, xxviii. 2. 
 
 Although 
 
( 222 ) 
 
 “ Although this panegyric,” fays Dr. 
 Geddcs, “ be fomewhat outre, I am willing 
 “ to fubfcribe to it. But all thofe beauties, in 
 “ an equal degree, and fome of them even in 
 “ a greater degree, are found in our firft 
 “ verfions j and mull be more or lefs found 
 “ in every verfion of the Hebrew fcriptures 
 “ that is not a mere paraphrafe. The great 
 “ merit of James’s tranflators did not cer- 
 “ tainly conlill in beautifying or meliorating 
 “ the ftyle of the former verfions ; but in 
 “ correcting their errors, and making a ver- 
 “ fion more ftridtly conformable to the letter, 
 “ though not always the fpirit, of their 
 “ fuppofed indefedtible originals. Their 
 “ fidelity and accuracy deferve great com- 
 “ mendation ; and that is almoit all they 
 “ have a juft claim to. The ftyle they found 
 “ in their prototype ; and the diction and 
 " phrafeology they borrowed from their 
 “ predeceffors in tranflation : and it is well 
 “ that they had fuch models ; for their own 
 “ preface evinces that their tafte was none of 
 
 “ the 
 
( 223 ) 
 
 “ the beft. We have indeed fome difficulty 
 
 to believe that it could be written by the 
 “ fame perfons. 
 
 « What is beautiful, what is excellent, 
 « what is melodious and xavifhing, in thepre- 
 “ fent verfion, fhould be undoubtedly re- 
 « tained by all future tranflators : but is 
 <c there any reafon for retaining its corrupti- 
 « ons, its miftranflations, its obfcurities, and 
 « its other acknowledged* imperfections 
 
 The anonymous writer repeatedly 
 quoted anfwers thus : “ The prefent verfion 
 “ certainly has, to a high degree, the qualities 
 “ of beauty, fimplicity, and force : and we 
 “ are taught from our infancy to look upon 
 
 « it with fuch affe&ion and refpeCt, that we 
 
 • 
 
 \ 
 
 * Letter to the Bilhop of London, p. 76, 7. 
 
 f Reafons for reviling by authority our prefent verfion 
 & C * P* 53> 4' 
 
 not 
 
( 2 H ) 
 
 tc not only perhaps give it credit, where it 
 “ does polfefs thefe excellencies, for a greater 
 “ fhare of them than it actually has, but 
 frequently perfuade ourfelves of their 
 “ exiftenee without any real grounds, and 
 are blind to all but very glaring defefts. 
 “ This opinion of the fcripture ftyle, though 
 “ in part illfounded, is very conducive to our 
 “ religious improvement: it may be unfa- 
 vourable to us as Critics, but it tends to 
 “ make us good Chriftians : and as this is 
 “ the great end to be produced by the fcrip- 
 tures, it appears to me that their prefent 
 language fhould almoft always be retained, 
 €( even where it is faulty , provided it expreifes 
 clearly, and alfo grammatically, the fenfe 
 f< of the original. Where it fails in thefe 
 €i refpedts, it ought furely to be corrected, 
 tc None can wifli to retain any beauties, or 
 “ fuppofed beauties, of exprehion, at the 
 €< expence of truth and good fenfe. A revifal 
 “ on thefe principles would make an effential 
 “ change in the intrinfic merit of our bible, 
 
 “ but 
 
{ 225 ) 
 
 4 * but very little in its general ftyle : efpe- 
 “ cially if proper care were taken to imitate 
 “ the prefent fcripture language in the 
 ** corrections that might be thought ne~ 
 “ ceffary.” 
 
 I cannot agree with this author that 
 language which deferves to be called faulty 
 Ihould be retained by the Revifers of our 
 bible even in a fingle inftance. In my 
 opinion* they fhould ftudioufly remove from 
 it every minute defeCt: that, according to 
 the extent of human abilities, they may 
 
 prefent it to the Church, as the Church 
 
 « 
 
 (hould prefent itfelf to Chrift, not only * 
 holy, but without fpot and blemijh . 
 
 Objection V, 
 
 But the correcting tranflators differ among 
 themfelves, 
 
 * Eph. v. 27. 
 
 Q_ is 
 
 / 
 
'{ 226 ) 
 
 In the midfl of great difficulties, with 
 different abilities, oppofite prejudices of edu¬ 
 cation, and various degrees. of induftry and 
 of affiftance in their critical purfuits, it is 
 neceffary that differences fhould arife among 
 interpreters of the feriptures. Undoubtedly, 
 King James's tranflators often difagreed as 
 individuals ; and adopted in a body what 
 feemed moft agreeable to the found rules of 
 
 * ‘V 
 
 interpretation. Let a like number of able 
 judges decide, on the fame principles, be¬ 
 tween the biblical critics of the prefent 
 
 age ' \ \ v ' ; , ■ (1 - * 
 
 Objection VI* 
 
 But the new tranflators recede too far from 
 the common verfion. 
 
 3 
 
 They fhould depart from its miftakes and 
 Imperfections only; but fhould retain its 
 general didtion and manner. It may well be 
 admitted as a rule, that they fhould never 
 recede from it without a fatisfadtory reafon. 
 
 Objec- 
 
 x 
 
( 22 7 ) 
 
 Objection VII. 
 
 > I 
 
 ** Such as * wiffi for further information 
 “ may have recourfe to thofe Authors who 
 “ have explained obfcure and erroneous 
 “ paflages.” 
 
 “ But have all Chriftians who meet with 
 “ difficulties time and ability to confult thefe 
 “ writers ? Or if they had, is it in any re- 
 “ fpedt decent or fit that the public fcrip- 
 “ tures, confefled to want affifiance, fhould 
 “ be fuffered to depend for fupport on thefe 
 “ extraneous props ? Our bible is of infinitely 
 c< more dignity and importance than all other 
 f 1 ‘ books. It is the nobleft gift of our Almighty 
 
 Father; and as its unrivalled excellencies 
 “ bear ample teftimony to its divine origin, 
 “ fo ffiould it be kept as pure as pofiible from 
 “ the blots and ftains occafioned by human 
 
 * The reafons for reviling by authority cur prefent 
 verlion &c, p. 48, 
 
 Q^_2 “ frailty. 
 
( 228 ) 
 
 i ^ 
 
 “ frailty. Wherever the fenfe of the original 
 44 is lofc or perverted in the tranflation, let 
 44 the latter be corrected. But the correction 
 54 fhould proceed with a care and attention 
 44 fuitable to the greatnefs of the concern : 
 “ it fhould be made by the united efforts of 
 “ the learned, regularly called together for 
 44 that purpofe. The Chriftian will then 
 44 have a confidence in the alterations intro- 
 44 duced; which the authority of no indivi- 
 44 dual, however enlightened, however re- 
 44 fpeCtable, can give him. The latter would 
 44 be fufficient in the interpretation of any 
 44 profane author; but the interpretation of 
 44 fcripture, the fble guide of his religious 
 44 conduCt, is of fuch high importance, that 
 44 it never can be too amply fecured from 
 44 error, can never reft on too firm a founda- 
 
 44 tion.--The national bible is the great 
 
 44 record of our religion : it is this which 
 44 the Deift attacks, and this mult fupply us 
 
 i 
 
 44 with our defence. We cannot anfwer,him 
 44 with quotations from any private author: 
 
 it 
 
( 229 ) 
 
 “ it is not againft Lowth &c. that he points 
 “ his attacks, but againft the public religion, 
 
 “ as it ftands in the public and authorifed 
 “ features.” 
 
 Objection VIII. A 
 
 Pi &L AL' - * 
 
 But no tranilation, even of a fingle book, 
 has yet appeared, preferable on the whole to 
 the received one. 
 
 A new tranflation of the bible, which 
 preferved the general tenour of the prefent, 
 muft produce the fame general effedt ; and 
 that with many important advantages, fup- 
 pofing it ably conducted by a number of 
 Scholars, with accefs to the mod complete 
 biblical apparatus, and under the mod en¬ 
 couraging patronage. The attempts of in¬ 
 dividuals neceffarily labour under great com¬ 
 parative imperfection : and yet thefe fhould 
 be promoted by the natural patrons of facred 
 learning, and parts of the fcriptures fhould be 
 
 affigned 
 
( 23 ° ) 
 
 afiigned to fuch as are beft qualified for the 
 honourable talk of tranllating and explaining 
 them ; becaufe thefe private verfions and 
 expofitions will form a moll ufeful ground¬ 
 work for a revifed verfion of the whole bible 
 by public authority. The lover of the 
 fcriptures Ihould therefore pray the Lord of 
 the harveji to fend more labourers into fo plen¬ 
 tiful a harvef. 
 
 Objection IX. 
 
 “ But * fome, perhaps, who are con- 
 “ vinced that our bible Ihould be revifed, 
 “ may think that this is not a proper time 
 “ for the undertaking ; that a few more years 
 “ will throw additional light on facred 
 “ literature ; that we Ihould wait till we can 
 “ carry our work to a greater degree of per- 
 “ fedion, and, if poffible, make future 
 “ revifals unnecelfary.” 
 
 * ReafGns for reviiing by authority our prefent verfion 
 &c. p. 58. 
 
 Answer. 
 
( 2 3 r ) 
 
 I 
 
 Answer. 
 
 “ This argument will probably exift in 
 €C as great force againft correcting the fcrip- 
 tures fifty or a hundred years hence, as 
 5< at prefent. Religious knowledge will 
 {c continue to increale, in proportion as 
 “ human learning improves, and as new light 
 « ; s obtained from verfions and manufcripts. 
 
 «< Thofe known at prefent muft be of fur- 
 « ther ufe when more fully confidered; and 
 “ frelh ones in great numbers may ftill be 
 « collected in differeht countries, particularly 
 “ in the Eaft. Without doubt, in twenty 
 “ years we fhould be able to redify more 
 “ errors in our bible than we now can. But 
 « {hall we in the mean "time prolong the , 
 €i difficulties of the Chxiftian* and the fancied 
 « triumph of the Infidel? The miftakes 
 lt difcovered are well worthy of correction. 
 “ Should others of importance be brought 
 « to light in the next or the fubfequent 
 
 " generation. 
 
( 232 ) 
 
 4 ‘ generation, let them alfo be corrected. 
 
 “ The true rule in this cafe is, to revife as 
 ' s 1 often as a revifal is necellary• To defer this 
 « longer, is an injury to religion; to put it off 
 t iH it can he done in fuch a way as to pre- 
 « elude the neceffity of future revifals, is in 
 “ fad to put it off for ever.” 
 
 To defer a work of this kind till the nation 
 poffeffes a due knowledge of * the Hebrew 
 tongue to execute it properly, is a delay of 
 expediency, or rather of neceffity : but to 
 wait till men awake from their dreams, 
 whether of dotage or frenfy, with refped to 
 the language or text of the Old Teftament, 
 is alfo to wait for ever. The tafte of the 
 age for found logic, found criticifm, and 
 found philofophy, has acquired fufficient 
 
 ftrength to triumph- over their oppofers. 
 
 + 
 
 * 
 
 * See p. 129, 130. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
233 
 
 CHAP. IV. ' 
 
 Arguments Jhewing that an improved verjion of 
 the bihle is expedient. 
 
 I SHALL now ftate the chief reafons in 
 fupport of a corre&ed Englifh tranflation of 
 the fcriptures for national ufe. 
 
 One argument for fuch a tranflation is the 
 flux nature of living languages. The ftyle 
 of Wiclif’s verfxon, and of Tindall’s, differs 
 very widely in the courfe of 148 years : and 
 the Englifh tongue underwent alfo a great 
 change between the publication of Tindall’s 
 
 bible 
 
( 234 ) 
 
 faible and that of King James’s tranflators, 
 in the courfe of 81 years. Since the year 
 1611, when the prefent verfion firft appeared, 
 the cultivation of claffical learning, a feries 
 of eminent writers, and the refearches of 
 acute grammarians, have communicated to 
 our language a great degree of copioufnefs, 
 of elegance, of accuracy, and perhaps of 
 liability. Many words and phrafes which 
 occur in the received verfion are become 
 unintelligible to the generality of readers ; 
 and many which are intelligible are fo anti¬ 
 quated and debafed as to excite dilgull among 
 the ferious, and contempt and derifion among 
 libertines. The ftrength of the argument 
 from this topic rifes in proportion to the 
 frequency of fuch expreffions, and to the 
 importance of the book throughout which 
 they abound. Pilkington * has a fedion on 
 obfolete or illchofen words, which Ihould be 
 
 * Remarks on feveral pafTages of fcripture &c. Soft. 
 x xiii. Cambridge. 8vo. 1759- 
 
 altered 
 

 ( 23 5 ) 
 
 altered in a new tranflation. Purver * has 
 made a laborious but injudicious collection of 
 what he efteems exceptionable words, or 
 idioms, ufed in the bible. Dr. Symonds, dr 
 a writer of real judgement and tafte, has 
 furnifhed a well feleCted fpecimen of ambi¬ 
 guous, ungrammatical, mean, and obfolete 
 expreffions, in the common tranflation of 
 the four gofpels and ACts of the Apoftles. 
 Dr. Campbell J has alfo fuggefted fome 
 lifeful remarks on terms which are ftill ufed 
 though their fignification is changed, and on 
 antiquated words, phrafes, and forms of 
 conltrudtion, inferted in our tranflation of 
 
 * See the appendixes to his tranflation of the bible, 
 marked D, E, F. 
 
 f See Obfervations on the expediency of revifing the 
 prefent Englilh verfion &c. 4to. Cambridge. 1789. 
 
 J See The four gofpels tranflated from the Greek. Vol. 
 1. p. 573 &c. 4to. London. 1789. 
 
 the 
 
( 2 3 6 ) 
 
 the New Teftament. * Some unufual words, 
 found in the earlier editions of King James’s 
 bible, have been altered by later Editors 
 without any authority but that of ufe, which 
 will always bear fovereign fway in matters of 
 language. To give a few inftances. We 
 read more for moe y Deut. i. 11 ; fi nC e for 
 fith , Jer. xv. 7. xxiii. 38; ed. Oxf. 1769; 
 impojfible for unpojjible , Luke 1. 37; midji for 
 midsy Luke xxiii. 45 ; the man that owneth 
 this girdle, for oweth , Adis xxi. 11 ; and, 
 we jetched a compafs, for we fet 9 Ads 
 xxviii. 13, 
 
 It is not fufficient to fuggeft, or to prove, 
 that many or all of the exceptionable terms 
 or phrafes, enumerated by the writers re¬ 
 ferred to, had the fandion of general ufe in 
 the age of our tranflators. At prefent, fome 
 
 * See alfo Dr. Wells’s preface to his comment on the 
 O. T. Pref. p. ix : and the Critical Review, vol. xviii. 
 p. 101. referred to by Dr. Geddes. Profpe&us; p. 95. 
 
 of 
 
( 2 37 ) 
 
 of them convey no meaning to moft readers, 
 and fome of them a wrong one. Few know 
 that harnefs denotes armour ; Exod. xiii. 18, 
 i Kings xx. 11 ; that to ear the] ground means 
 to till it; i Sam. viii. 12 ; and that when Job 
 fays “ Neither is there any dayfman betwixt 
 “ us,” he means umpire, c. ix. 33. I 
 
 believe that, early in the feventeenth century, 
 the word carriage exprefled what travellers 
 now call their baggage ; and that to 
 take thought fignified to be felicitous , to take 
 anxious thought. But ftill, when it is faid 
 that “ David left his carriage in the hand of 
 “ the keeper of the caimiage 1 Sam. xvii. 
 22 ; and when St. Luke fays, “ we took up 
 “ our carriages , and went up to Jerufalem 
 Adts xxi. 15 ; the minds of many muft be 
 warped to a modern fenfe of the word : and, 
 which is of ferious confequence, the precept 
 “ Take no thought for the morrow'’ is at 
 prefent mifunderftood by ordinary readers ; 
 and, from the found of the words, has 
 been cenfured by the Deifls as unreafon- 
 able. 
 
 But 
 
C 2 3 s ) 
 
 But we muft not reft in removing imper¬ 
 fections from an authorized verfion of the 
 fcriptures. Every politive excellence of 
 ftyle and manner, every chafte ornament 
 which the dignity of fuch a work admits, 
 ftiould diftingui/h a book which as much 
 exceeds all other books as the heavens are 
 higher than the earth. That the Englilh 
 tranflation is recommended by general excel¬ 
 lencies of this kind, is what all muft admit : 
 but that its recommendations are as uniform 
 as the rules of good writing and the refined 
 tafte of the prefent age require, is what 
 prejudice itfelf will not aftert, It may be 
 advanced to a much higher degree of per¬ 
 fection by following a right punctuation of 
 the original, by a regular orthography, 
 by a natural and pleafing collocation of the 
 words, by ftriCt grammatical purity, and by 
 additional perfpicuity, fimplicity, elegance, 
 dignity, and energy. Thefe properties have 
 charms for the wife and for the unwife ; 
 
 a 
 
 fince, according to Tully’s obfervation, how 
 
 widely 
 
( 239 ) 
 
 widely foever men differ in executing any 
 kind of compolition, it is wonderful how 
 fimilar an effedt perfection produces on all, 
 and how it attracts their attention and com¬ 
 mands their applaufe. 
 
 i 
 
 The ftyle of a biblical verfion is not a 
 matter of inferior concern ; both as it invites 
 the perufal of a book which the Spirit of 
 God infpired, and as it influences the nati¬ 
 onal language and tafte. But we fhould be 
 certain that we have difcovered religious 
 truth* before we exert our utmoft efforts to 
 reprefent it under every poflible advantage : 
 and therefore it is by far the higheft confi- 
 deration, whether our public verfion exhibits- 
 the true reading and fenfe of the divine 
 original. It is granted that its interpretati¬ 
 ons, as well as its ftyle, may be allowed great 
 merit, confidering the time when it was exe¬ 
 cuted. But fince that period the biblical 
 apparatus has been much enriched by the 
 publication of polyglots ; of the Samaritan 
 
 pentateuch ; 
 
f 
 
 ( 240 } ( . 
 
 pentateuch; of ancient and modern verfi- 
 ons; of lexicons, concordances, critical difler- 
 tationsand fermons ; books of eaftern travels ; 
 difquifitions on the geography, cuftoms, and 
 natural hiftory of the Eaft; accurate tables 
 of chronology, coins, weights, andmeafures. 
 Many Hebrew and Samaritan MSS, many 
 early printed editions of the Hebrew fcrip- 
 tures, have been collated by Kennicott and 
 De Rofli 5 the eaftern languages, which have 
 fo clofe an affinity with the Hebrew, have 
 been induftrioufly cultivated at home and 
 abroad; the Maforetic pun&uation is now 
 ranked among ufeful affiftances, but is no 
 longer implicitly followed ; and the Hebrew 
 text itfelf is generally allowed to be corrupt in 
 many places, and therefore capable of emen¬ 
 dation by the fame methods which are ufed 
 in reftoring the integrity of all other ancient 
 books. With fuch an acceffion of helps, 
 with light poured in from every part of the 
 literary world, with fuch important prin¬ 
 ciples, and with the advancement of critical 
 
 Ikill to apply them, it is natural to conclude 
 
 that 
 

 ( 241 ) 
 
 that many miftakes and obfcurities may be 
 removed from the prefent verfion, and that 
 the precifion, beauty, and emphafis of the 
 original may be communicated to it in various 
 places. 
 
 In their preface, our tranflators naturally 
 mention the obfcurity experienced by them 
 in the Hebrew words which occur but once; 
 and in the rare names of birds, beafts, 
 precious ftones, &c. How confiderably 
 liich difficulties have been diminifhed fince 
 their time by a knowledge of the oriental 
 
 dialefts, and by the labours of'fuch men as 
 
 % ■ . .<> 
 
 Bochart and Michaelis, not to name many 
 others, is well known to fuch as are con- 
 verfant in thefe ftudies. 
 
 x 
 
 - K 
 
 But 
 
( 242 ) 
 
 But as the moll copious fource of obfcu- 
 fity is the corrupt ftate of the Hebrew text, 
 it may net be improper to remind the learned, 
 and to inform the ignorant, from what caufes 
 thefe corruptions have arifen. 
 
 • «* - r 
 
 “ The- Hebrew feriptures,' like every 
 
 <c other ancient book, have fuffered through 
 
 “ the human imperfections of Tranfcribers 
 
 • • • % 
 
 “ and Interpreters ; and on many accounts 
 “ the errors they have derived from this 
 
 r * • * f • . , r 
 
 “ fource are numerous and eonfiderable. 
 tl Ezra' is fuppofed to have collected and 
 
 ■ •' . -V » 
 
 “ revifed the infpired writings of his Pre- 
 “ deceffors ; but fo great a length of time 
 * has fince elapfed, that the oldeft 
 “ manuferipts at prefent extant do not 
 “ reach that sra by twelve or fourteen 
 i€ hundred years. In addition to this mif- 
 “ fortune, about the time of Ezra the Hebrew 
 “ became a dead language ; and the know- 
 “ ledge of it was almoft entirely confined to 
 “ the Jews till within- a few centuries. 
 
 “ Their 
 
( 2 43 ) 
 
 “ Their difperfion and fubfequent -calamities 
 “ were equally unfavourable to the prefer.vation 
 “ of this knowledge, and to the purity of their 
 “ fcriptures. Thefe, during a long period, 
 “ were, perhaps, exclufively in the hands of 
 “ this nation ; and not only their corredtnefs 
 * € but their very exiftence depended chiefly on 
 fC the care of private Synagogues. Nor could 
 “ the Jews tranfmit either their fkill in 
 “ Hebrew, or the traditions with refpedt to 
 “ the way in which their Forefathers under- 
 “ flood the obfcure parts of fcripture, 
 “ from generation to generation, without 
 t€ great lofs and corruption ; perfecuted as 
 “ they were, and deflitute both of a regular 
 “ priefthood and of civil government. It 
 “ might have been expected that Chriflians 
 “ would have attended with the utmoft care 
 “ to the Hebrew fcriptures, which were fo 
 “ dangeroufly fituated in the hands of the 
 “ Jews. But from the earlieft times they 
 “ depended extremely on tranflations, (par- 
 “ ticularly on the Greek verfion of the 
 “ Seventy;) and fince the Council of Trent, 
 
 R 2 ' “ A. D. 
 
( 244 ) 
 
 “ A. D. 1546, wherein the Vulgate was 
 44 declared to be authentic, thofe of the 
 44 Romiih Church have till very lately fup- 
 44 ported that tranflation, to the entire ne- 
 44 gleft, and in fome meafure to the difpa- 
 44 ragement, of the Hebrew text. Under 
 44 thefe circumftances, it is almoft a miracle 
 4£ that the Old Teftament is come down to 
 44 us in its native language : but the perfe- 
 144 verance of the Jews in every thing relating 
 44 to their religion is well known : they have 
 44 preferved their feriptures from lofs or 
 44 abfolute corruption through a long fuc- 
 44 ceffion of ages, notwithftanding their 
 44 miferable condition, their great want of 
 44 critical fkill, and the abfurdity of their 
 44 Copyifls, who have in many refpedts 
 facrificed the corredtnefs of their tranfeript 
 44 to its fair appearance. When they com- 
 44 mitted miftakes, they frequently left them 
 uncorretfted, to avoid a blot or erafure; they 
 44 omitted or added letters, without any 
 M authority, at the ends of lines, to pre- 
 
 44 ferve 
 
( 245 ) 
 
 “ ferve their evennefs ; and, from the fame 
 “ motive, often wrote part of a word at 
 “ the end of a line which would not admit 
 “ the whole, and placed the entire word 
 “ at the beginning of the following one: 
 “ they alfo feem frequently to have taken 
 “ marginal notes into the text. It is ap- 
 “ parent what numerous corruptions muft 
 €i have been derived from fuch egregious 
 
 “ folly. In addition to this evil, the pecu- 
 “ liar nature of the Hebrew language makes 
 
 “ the errors which neceflfarily arife from human 
 €€ frailty very frequent, and all errors fingu- 
 “ larly detrimental. This it may be proper 
 “ briefly to explain. 
 
 M 
 
 “ There is a concifenefs in the Hebrew, of 
 i# which thofe who are acquainted only with 
 “ the languages of Europe can form no ade- 
 “ quate idea. A verb, fubllantive, or adjective, 
 " generally confifts of three letters ; and every 
 “ variety of conjugation, mood, tenfe, per- 
 “ fon, number, and gender, to which thefe 
 
 “ are 
 
 
( 2 4 6 ) 
 
 are refpedtively liable,- together with a very 
 “ great proportion of the pronouns, adverbs, 
 * c prepolitions, conjunctions, and particles of 
 the language, are exprefled by adding in 
 ic ' various lituations one, two, or fometimes 
 more letters to the original three. By 
 u thefe means it often happens that the fenfe 
 “ °f fix or leven words in Hebrew cannot 
 4C ' exprefled by fewer than twenty in 
 u Englilh. From hence it may eafily be con¬ 
 ceived, how detrimental the omiflion or 
 s< corruption of a Angle Hebrew word mull be 
 * to the fenfe of a fen fence. Miftakes are not 
 only of ■worfe confequence; they are alfomore 
 “ readily made, and more difficult to rectify, 
 “ Hebrew than in any weftern language. 
 Many, of the letters are fo much alike, 
 that it is extremely eafy for a writer to read 
 ** °ne for another in the copy from which he 
 " tranfcribes ; or by negligence, or a flip of 
 his pen, not to make the neceflary dif- 
 tinftions between them in that which he 
 {< nas in hand. When a letter is omitted or 
 “ changed in Engliffi, the error is generally 
 
 “ corroded 
 
( 247 ) 
 
 « corre&ed without difficulty, becaufe the 
 ** word has no meaning in its corrupted 
 « form. But not loin Hebrew: there, from 
 fo few letters being ufed to exprefs ideas, 
 
 “ an omiffion or change of this fort, whether 
 f? in the original word, or in its adjuncts, is 
 *f very likely to produce a frefh word and a 
 “ frefh meaning. When the reader, per- 
 « haps, at length determines from the, in- 
 “ congruity of this meaning with the con* 
 « text, that the fentence muft be corrupt, 
 « he may find it difficult to fix on the cor- 
 rupted word, and frill more fo to make the 
 f* proper alteration. For almoft every altera- 
 tion he can devife produces fome new 
 << fenfe ; and, out of fo many, it is generally 
 « an arduous tafk, and often impoffible, to 
 “ felect the right one on fucli grounds of 
 it probability as fatisfy his * mind." 
 
 * The reafons for revifmg. by authority our present 
 verfion &c. p. 4—8. 
 
 I know 
 
( 2*8 ) 
 
 I know not any other fources of cor¬ 
 ruption in the Hebrew text befides thofe 
 juft enumerated, except that the method of 
 writing parallel hemiftichs in oppofite 
 columns, as Deut. xxxii is printed in moft 
 editions, may fometimes have caufed a tranfpo- 
 fition of whole lines; that the line * on which 
 copyifts wrote may have led to errors in the 
 formation of fome letters; that letters and 
 words may have been fubftituted for each 
 other from a fimilarity of *j- found ; that 
 voces honejliores have been fometimes admitted 
 into the text; that frequent fubftitutions 
 have been made for the incommunicable 
 name of the Deity ; that artificial marks for 
 numbers may have eafily been miftaken ; 
 and that the abbreviations ufed by fcribcs for 
 
 whole words, or for the common termina¬ 
 ls 
 
 tions of them, may occafionally have intro¬ 
 duced mutilated and ungrammatical forms of 
 
 * Sec under Rule xxi. ch. v, 
 f Sec ib. 
 
 fpcech. 
 
( 2 49 ) 
 
 fpeech. I do not fuppofe that the Hebrew 
 text might be vitiated in fome degree by 
 being tranfcribed at once from the ancient 
 Samaritan character into the prefent fquare 
 or Chaldee ; becaufe it feems more probable 
 that the deviation from letters of a compli¬ 
 cated to thofe of a more fimple form was a 
 gradual work of time. But the multiplica¬ 
 tion of fimilar letters, whether in the old 
 Samaritan or modern Rabbinical alphabet, 
 makes one caufe of a corrupt text more 
 effective, and fhould turn the attention oi 
 curious critics to fimilarities of this nature. 
 
 The text of the New Teftament has 
 been tranfmitted to us in as great a degree 
 of perfection as could be expeCted or deli red. 
 Biflhop Fell, Mill, Kufter, Wetftein, and 
 Griefbach, have collected and arranged its 
 various readings from manufcripts, verfions, 
 and the quotations of ancient writers : and 
 there is fo little need to amend its text by 
 
 conjecture. 
 
• ' ( 2 5° ) 
 
 conjecture, that * Wetftein thinks fcarcely 
 one or two conjectural readings admiflible of 
 all the learned and ingenious ones which he 
 has placed at the foot of his page. . The 
 ftruCture of its language exempts it from 
 fome caufes of corruption to which the 
 Hebrew is liable. Its phrafeology may be 
 explained from very large remains of Greek 
 writers ; fome of whom, and thofe volumi¬ 
 nous, compofed their books during the 
 Apoftolical age. The oriental turn obferva- 
 ble in the diCtion of this book is illuftrated 
 by a famenefs of ftyle throughout the Greek 
 tranflation of the Hebrew fcriptures. The 
 writings of the New Teflament are quoted by a 
 long fbcceflionof au thors from the firft century. 
 It is probable that ‘f* Latin tranflations of 
 them were frequent in Italy about the middle 
 of the fecond century. The age of the 
 Alexandrian manufcript is fixed by its learned 
 
 * N. T. ii. 858. 
 
 f Wetfb Prol. in N. T. p. 79. 
 
 editor, 
 
( z 5 i ) 
 
 editor. Dr. Woide, to fome time between 
 the middle and clofe of the fourth century. 
 Thofe who examine the New Teftament 
 with a view to its integrity will find that 
 its corruptions principally arife from the 
 infertion of marginal notes into the text; 
 that thefe notes are chiefly parallel pafiages 
 from other parts of fcripture, or grammati¬ 
 cal fupplements, or explanations of obfcure 
 words and phrafes ; and that probably very 
 few of them remain undifcoverable by our 
 various external helps and by the touchftone 
 of criticifm. It is a happy circumftance 
 that the original Greek was fo much ne¬ 
 glected in the dark and fierce ages of pole- 
 mical theology and perfecution ; as partly 
 on this account the text has efcaped the 
 
 facrilege of additions and omiffions favourable 
 
 -1 
 
 to prevailing doCtrines. In tranflating this 
 book there are no infuperable difficulties; 
 but every thing is comparatively clear and 
 inviting. The Greek language always 
 makes a part of liberal education : fo that 
 
 the 
 
( 2J2 ) 
 
 the knowledge of it is extenfive, and many 
 learned men of this age, and of thefe coun¬ 
 tries, are lkilled in it to an eminent degree. 
 What is the prefent ftate of Hebrew litera¬ 
 ture in Great Britain, a long abfence from 
 that country, and want of intercourle with 
 fuch as can furnifh competent information, 
 difqualify me to form a judgement, except 
 from the rarenefs of publications which 
 difplay it. That its ebb is low in the king¬ 
 dom of Ireland, my obfervations and en¬ 
 quiries lead me to fear. The natural means 
 to promote its cultivation are thefe : teaching 
 the elements of it in fchools, after the 
 cuftom of Weftminfter fchool, at leaf: to 
 fuch as are deftined for the clerical profeffion; 
 the founding of Hebrew Exhibitions in the 
 Univerlities, on the plan of Dr. Hody’s * 
 at Wadham College in Oxford, to which 
 judicious benefadtion, hitherto unimitated, 
 we are in part indebted for fuch men as 
 Coilard, Kennicott, and White j gratuitous 
 
 * See Biographia Britannica. 
 
 « 
 
 I 
 
 private 
 
( 253 ) 
 
 private ledtures from the Academical Pro- 
 feffors, agreeably to the example of Dr. 
 Blayney in Oxford ; enforcing the Acade¬ 
 mical ftatute which requires an acquaintance 
 with Hebrew for the fecond degree in Arts ; 
 and enjoining by proper authority a moderate 
 knowledge of it, for inftance, the perufal 
 of a few hiftorical books, as a qualification 
 for the order of priefthood. 
 
 / 
 
 A judicious felection of corrupt paflages in 
 the fcriptures, the true readings of which 
 may be recovered j and of uncorrupt paffages 
 mifunderftood by our tranflators, or capable 
 of much additional beauty and emphafis ; 
 would illuftrate and enforce the arguments 
 here propofed, and be’ the moil probable 
 means of giving them decilive weight with 
 men of letters. Pilkington’s and Kennicott’s 
 remarks of this nature furnifh fome valuable 
 materials ; but they may be greatly improved 
 and enlarged. 
 
 J 
 
 CHAP. 
 
( 254 ) 
 
 J 
 
 . . I. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 Ritlesfor conducing an improved verjion of the 
 
 bible . 
 
 rT" 
 
 I HE following rules for a more perfed 
 Englifh verfion of the fcriptures, corrected 
 and enlarged fince they were inferted in the 
 preface to my comment on the Minor 
 Prophets, are fubmitted to the learned with 
 much deference, and that the wifdom of 
 many may corred the imperfed ideas of an 
 individual. It is expedient that, in the firft 
 
 place. 
 
' ( 2 SS ) 
 
 place, a previous plan, refembling the regu¬ 
 lations prefcribed to King James’s tranflators, 
 fhould be deliberately adjufted by a large 
 committee of judicious and ; learned men. 
 A more feledt committee, well acquainted 
 with the original tongues in which the bible 
 is written, fhould then be appointed by pro¬ 
 per authority ; who fhould invite every 
 icholar to contribute his remarks ; who 
 fhould have their refpedtive parts affigned 
 them ; and, after the performance of their 
 allotted tafks, fhould amicably unite in ad¬ 
 vancing the whole to its proper degree of 
 perfection* 
 
 i 
 
 RULE 
 
/ 
 
 C 256 ) 
 
 rule 1 . 
 
 ; 
 
 A TRANSLATION of the bible Ihould 
 exprefs every word in the original by a literal, 
 verbal, or clofe rendering, where the Englilh 
 idiom admits of it. 
 
 For thus the tranllator Ihews how he reads 
 the original: and not only the matter of the 
 feriptures, but their peculiar language and 
 manner, will be faithfully reprefen ted. The 
 facred writings are of lingular importance ; 
 they are the rule of our faith and practice : 
 and therefore it is requilite that the reader 
 unlkilled in Hebrew, Chaldee, and 
 Greek, Ihould always be enabled, us far as 
 the nature of the Englilh language allows, 
 to argue with equal juftnefs from a tranflation 
 as fcholars do from the original text. 
 
 An 
 
( 2 57 ) 
 
 An exception to this rule may be admitted, 
 when an ancient cuftom cannot be exprelTed 
 in a tranflation without perplexing common 
 readers. Thus, though the Jewifh books 
 in our Lord’s time confifted of parchment 
 fcrolls, rolled up when difufed and unrolled 
 for ufe, yet our tranflators judicioufly render, 
 “ he opened the book, u he clofed the book,’' 
 Luke iv. 17, 20. I once thought that 
 uvaKhivshi, ctvouteiardui, and ccvmttikIsiv, might 
 alfo be properly rendered tofit down , though the 
 Jews reclined at their meals: but I now prefer 
 rendering thofe words by to be at table , to 
 place himfelf at table , to be a guefi ; for the * 
 illuftration of fuch paflages as Luke vii. 38, 
 John xiii. 23, 25. 
 
 “ On -f- doit rendre mot pour mot 
 “ les termes de l’Original, lors qu’on peut 
 
 * See Dr. Campbell, ii. 365, 6. 
 
 f Le Clerc. Nouv. Tcft. 4to. Amfterd. 1703. Pre¬ 
 face, 
 
 S 
 
 les 
 
( 2 5 8 ) 
 
 ( 4 
 
 €< les fouffrir & les entendre, dans notre 
 “ langue.—Quand on peut fe faire entendre 
 “ aux Ledteurs, en ne changeant rien, ou 
 “ au moins en ne changeant que ce que la 
 “ langue, dont on fe fert, deniande neceffaire- 
 6€ ment que Ton change, ou d°i£ demeurer 
 * € attache aux expreffions de 1*Original. 
 “ Cette maniere de traduire reprefente, en 
 6 ‘ quelque forte, l’Auteur a ceux qui ne 
 peuvent pas recourir a la fource j & ils fe 
 “ font un plaifir de voir, dans leur langue, 
 (i les termes de celui qu’ils fouhaitent d’en- 
 €i tendrex” 
 
 “ The author is fenftble, fays Dr. 
 “ Macknight, that a literal tranflation of 
 “ the fcriptures, fuch as he hath attempted, 
 “ cannot be lb elegant as one in which 
 “ more liberty is taken. But, as a free 
 “ translation is in reality a paraphrafe rather 
 “ than a tranflation, a verfion of the 
 “ fcriptures, formed on that plan, never can 
 ** have" the authority in matters of faith and 
 
 44 practice which ji tranflation of writings 
 
 / 
 
 “ acknow- 
 
( 2 59 ) 
 
 “acknowledged to be infpired ought to 
 “ have : and this feems to be the reafon 
 <c why moft of the learned men who Have 
 “ tranflated the fcriptures have preferred 
 “ Ae literal to the free method. In endea- 
 “ vouring therefore to make this tranflation 
 “ as literal as poffible, confidently with the 
 “ genius of the Englifh language, the 
 “ author is fufficiently juftified by the nature 
 “ of the writings tranflated, and by the 
 “ example of thofe who have gone before 
 “ him in the like * undertaking/’ 
 
 4 K 
 
 “ The -f* tranflator ought faithfully to 
 ** reprefent his original, as far as the language 
 “ which he writes in is capable of doing it.” 
 
 “ There J are two extremes in tranflat- 
 “ ing :-from one we derive what is called 
 
 , * A new literal tranflation of the epiftles to the ThefTa- 
 lonians &c. 4-to. London. 1787. F. viii. See alfo p. 
 
 xxxviii. 
 
 f Campbell on the gofpels. 4*0, 1. 321. 
 
 t lb. p. 447 - 
 
 S 2 
 
 “ a clofe 
 
( &6o ) 
 
 *'* a clofe and literal, from the other, a loofe 
 ** and free tranflation. Each has its advo- 
 * ( cates. But though the latter kind is moft 
 i( patronifed, when the fubjeft is a per- 
 “ formance merely human, the general fen- 
 “ timents, as far as I am able to collect 
 “ them, feem rather to favour the former, 
 “ when the fubjeil is any part of holy writ. 
 “ And this difference appears to proceed 
 “ from a very laudable principle ; that we 
 “ are not entitled to ufe fo much freedom 
 
 A 
 
 “ with the dictates of infpiration, as with 
 “ the work of a fellow creature.” 
 
 “ Much has been faid on the fubjedt of 
 “ literal tranflation by learned expofitors; 
 “ but the examples of thofe upon whofe 
 judgements we may fafely rely, as well as 
 ** many conclufions arifing from the nature 
 “ of the thing itfelf, lead me decifivcly to 
 affirm, that a veriiori of the bible fhould 
 “ be as literal as the difference of language 
 “ will permit. Though it fhould be allow- 
 “ ed, merely for the fake of- argument, that 
 
 . “ a loofe 
 
( 26 i ) 
 
 “ a loofe tranflation may be of fufficient 
 “ authority in determining matters of faith 
 iC and praftice, yet ftill it would be liable to 
 “ an infuperable objection : I mean, the 
 “ impoffibility of furnifhing the reader with 
 ** a juft idea of the * original/ 9 
 
 “ Every language has many idioms 
 “ peculiar to itfelf ; and nothing is more 
 “ abfurd than to torture our own, or any 
 “ modern language whatever, in order to 
 4< accommodate it to the Greek or the 
 “ Hebrew. There are three exceptions to a 
 “ literal tranflation, which naturally offer 
 “ themfelves. I. When the language will 
 “ not admit of a literal tranflation, fo as to 
 
 “ make the words fufficiently intelligible/ 9 
 
 , . i v •,/ 
 
 As Matth. xxiii. 16. “ Whofoever (hall 
 
 “ fwear by the gold of the temple, he is 
 44 a debtor, [he is bound by his oath/’] 
 
 * Dr. Symonds on the expediency of revifing out 
 Engltfh verfion &c, p. 112. 
 
 << 
 
 t lb. p. 120 &c. 
 
 II. When 
 
' ( 262 ) 
 
 11 II. When the times of the verbs will 
 ic not admit of a literal tranflation/’ 
 
 As Mark xi. 24. “ What things foever 
 
 f* yc defire [afk] when ye pray, believe that 
 “ ye receive them [will receive them] and ye 
 “ fhall have them.” 
 
 But in fuch paflages as John v. 14, After¬ 
 ward Jefus jindeth him in the temple, and 
 jaid unto him &c. it does not feem neceflary 
 to make the tenfes uniform. Ovid has, 
 
 Inde foco tepidum cinerem dimovity & ignes 
 Sufcitat hefternos: 
 
 Metam. viii. 641. See alfo Lib . xiii. 
 
 1-—4.. STer. Andr. i. i. 101. 
 
 So Livy: Ad oppidum deinde Aftam 
 legiones duciU Id quoque haud multo 
 majore certamine cepit quam caftra: fed dum 
 incautius fubit muros, idtus ex vulnere port 
 dies paucos moritur. L. xxxix. 21. Ca- 
 duntur pafiim Hifpani per tota cuftra ; nee 
 plus quam quatuor millia hominum effugerunt. 
 
 lb . 31. 
 
 I do 
 
( 2^3 ) 
 
 « I do * not think it judicious to deny 
 “ our language thofe variations which other 
 “ languages fo readily admit, and which are 
 “ calculated to give a ftriking reprefentation 
 “ of the tranfaftion, and to infufe life and 
 tc vigour into the languor of a narrative, 
 
 III. “ When Hebraifms and Grascifms 
 iC are either redundant, or repugnant to the 
 c< Englifh idiom.” 
 
 As Luke xxih 15* “ With defire I have 
 
 “ defired,” 
 
 i . '_n • * ' 4 ^ J. . . ' < w ^ n 
 
 But there are likewife oppofite authorities, 
 Houbigant fpeaks thus of his verfion : Confi- 
 lium noftrum fuit, ut neque liberius, neque 
 verbum de verbo, interpretaremur.——• 
 Hebraica verba ponderanda funt, non nu~ 
 meranda. 
 
 Proleg . clxxvii. cxc. 
 
 * Wakefield. Preface to his tranflation of the New 
 Xeftament. p. xi. 
 
 The 
 
( 264 ) 
 
 I 
 
 The words of the Pruflian tranflators are: 
 II faut remarquer qu’il ne fa’git point ici 
 de rendre mot pour mot, mais fens pour 
 fens. &c. 
 
 Pref. ccxxvii. 
 
 Dr. Geddes * alfo is an advocate for a 
 tranflation which is not literal or verbal, but 
 €€ fentential that is, where “ every 
 fentence of the English correfponds as 
 “ exadtly to the Hebrew as the difference 
 of the two idioms will permit.” His 
 idea of a good tranflation is, “ cujus fenfus 
 € * a fuo fonte non deviat, fed fententias 
 ■■ reddit & eafdem & aequales.” “ The 
 ge meaning •j - of the author is to be weighed 
 “ more than his words.” There muft be 
 
 * General anfwer &c. p. 5. 
 
 f Profpe&us. 127. 
 
 a liberal. 
 
( 265 ) 
 
 ** a * liberal, but ft rift equipollency. ,= ' He 
 juftly obferves that “ the -j- extremes are, a 
 “ wild paraphrafe and a fervile verfion.” My 
 idea of a perfect biblical verfion is, that it 
 Should approach nearer to the latter extreme 
 than to the former. He rightly fays that 
 it $ is absolutely impoffible to translate 
 “ literally from any language whatever, 
 “ without being often barbarous, obfcure, 
 “ and equivocal.” Let the translation from 
 the original languages of the bible be as 
 verbal as it can be made without thefe and 
 Similar deformities. He allows that “ the 
 “ § English translator will not often have 
 u occafion to facrifice perfpicuity, and the 
 “ other good qualities of a tranflator, to a 
 “ fcrupulous adherence to the letter of the 
 “ original j and that we can attain in our 
 
 * lb. p. 15. 
 f Profpe&us. p. 126# 
 
 % lb. p. 127. 
 
 » 
 
 1 \ 
 
 § lb. p. 128, 
 
 <6 
 
 own 
 
( 2 66 ) 
 
 “ own language a ftriking equipollence of 
 “ fimplicity, concifenefs, and energy.” 
 Biflioo * Lovvth alfo has the following 
 paffage : “ Thus far of the genuine form 
 “ and character of the prophet’s compofi- 
 <<r lion : which it has been the tranllator’s 
 “ endeavour clofely to follow, and as exactly 
 to exp refs as the difference of the language 
 “ would permit : in which indeed he has 
 “ had great advantage in the habit which 
 << our language has acquired of expreffing 
 with cafe, and not without elegance, 
 Hebrew ideas and Hebrew forms of fpeak- 
 ing, from our conftant ufe of aclofe verbal 
 “ tranflation of both the Old and New 
 « Teftament ; which has by degrees moulded 
 << our language into fuch a conformity with 
 << that of the original fcriptures, that it can 
 “ upon occafion affume the Hebrew character 
 « without appearing altogether forced and 
 “ unnatural.” It will therefore be peculiarly 
 inexcufable in an Englifh tranflator, if he 
 
 4 
 
 * Prcl. difT. to Ifaiah. p. Li. 
 
 “ mifleads 
 
( 267 ) 
 
 «« mideads * the reader by tranflating fo freely 
 “ as to fubftitute his own ideas in the room 
 “ of the author’s,” 
 
 I entirely acquiefce in Bifhop Lowth s 7* 
 decifion : “ The firft and principal bufmefs 
 “ of a trandator is to give the plain, literal, 
 “ and grammatical fenfe of his author, tne 
 “ obvious meaning of his words, phrafes, 
 
 and fentences ; and to exprefs them in the 
 t( language into which he trandates, as far 
 “ as may be, in equivalent words, phrafes, 
 
 “ and fentences.-Want of fidelity admits 
 
 “ of no excufe, and is intitled to no in- 
 “ dulgence. This is peculiarly To in fubjedh 
 “ of high importance, fuch as the Holy 
 <« Scriptures, in which fo much depends on 
 f‘ the phrafe and expreffion.” 
 
 * Profp. p. 127. 
 
 f .Prel. difli to Ifaiah. p« Lii. 
 
 Let 
 
( 268 ) 
 
 "s 
 
 I 
 
 Let the learned therefore ftrive to give a 
 literal tranflation of the fcriptures as much 
 purity, propriety, fimplicity, perfpicuity, 
 uniformity, harmony of ftrudiure, beauty, 
 dignity, and energy, as fuch a tranflation is 
 capable of receiving. This is a noble objedl 
 for the united efforts of biblical critics. 
 Lax renderings admit of great variety: this 
 
 mode of procedure fixes their labours to a 
 point. 
 
 \ 
 
 The rule excludes 
 
 I. Unneceffary deviation from the gram¬ 
 matical form of the original words. 
 
 As, “ Leading them through the abyfis 
 “ like a courfer in the plain, without objlacle” 
 [Infteadof, “ that they fhould not Humble.”] 
 
 Bifhop 
 
( 269 ) 
 
 BHhop Lowth. * Ifai. lxiii. 13. “ For 
 
 “ the Lord Jehovah is my helper.” [helpeth 
 me.l Bifhop Lowth. Ifai. L. 7. The 
 learned and inftrudlive Dr. Campbell fome- 
 times changes the lively dramatical form: as, 
 “ whoever fhall call him fool, fhall be ob- 
 
 * 
 
 * This truly learned and ingenious Prelate has contri¬ 
 buted more than any writer of the age towards enabling us 
 to underftand the fenfe of the Hebrew fcriptures, to tafte 
 their beauties, and to reftore their integrity by the rules of 
 found criticifm. Kis expofition of Ifaiah is the beft com¬ 
 mentary extant on any part of the Old Teftament. His 
 tranflation reprefents the meaning of the original with 
 great judgement and learning. My objections ^e, not 
 againft his interpretations, but only again# the mode of 
 rendering which he has occafionally adopted . and I have 
 freely ftated them, becaufe I confider the fubjeClas an im¬ 
 portant one, and becaufe I feel the weight which a name 
 of fuch eminence carries with it. 
 
 When pafTages are pointed out in other translators, 
 which, in my humble judgement, feem departures from 
 the true ftyle of fcripture tranflation, I defire alfo to be 
 confidered 
 
 velut fi 
 
 Egregio infperfos reprehendam corpore naevos. 
 
 i ' 
 
 t “ noxious 
 
 1 
 
( 2 7 ° ) 
 
 “ noxious to the council j but whoever tliall 
 “ call him mifcreant, thall be obnoxious 
 to hell-fire. Matth. v. 22. [“ whofoever 
 “ lhall % to his brother, ‘ Thou vile man,’ 
 “ fliall be liable to the council: but whoever 
 fliall lay, * Thou fool,’ Ihall be liable to 
 nell-fire. J “ Therefore when the pro- 
 “ curator alked which of the two he Ihould 
 releafe, they all anfwered, Barabbas.” 
 Matth. xxvii. 21. [“ Then the Governour 
 
 “ fpake and faid unto them, * Which of the 
 ‘ two will ye that I releafe unto you ?’ “ And 
 “ they faid, ‘ Barabbas.’J 
 
 __ I 
 
 “ Retinendus eft in narrationibus prifcus 
 is fcnbendi mos* quo perfonce ipfte loquentes 
 “ inducuntur, non tantum eas narratur fuifle 
 locutas. Sic Exod. c. non lie narran* 
 “ dum, Rex Mgypti mandavit obftetricibus, 
 
 0 
 
 “ ut^Ji ammadverterent efj'e mares, necarentyfm 
 femincis y conjkrvarent: quod fecit Caftalio ; 
 
 “ fed & c: Rex Mgypti Jic mandavit: Si erit 
 “fliuSy occiditote ; fm jilia y confervatote.” 
 
 Houbigant . Proleg . clxxxvii. 
 
 The 
 
( 2 7 1 ) 
 
 
 T’he rule excludes 
 
 II. Unnecefiary paraphrafe. “ As, I 
 “ Jehovah zzw author of [do] all thefe 
 “ things.” Bi£hop Lowth. Ifai. xlv. yd* 
 “ And mine arm Ihall difpenfe judgement to 
 “ [judge] the people.” Bifhop Lowth. 
 “ Ifai. li. ‘5. “A feed of a genuine 
 “ quality . [A right feed.”] Dr. Blayney. 
 See his elaborate and ufeful commentary on 
 Jeremiah: c. ii. 21. “ Intentions of peace, 
 
 “ and not of hurtful tendency .” [evil.] Dr. 
 Blayney. Jer. xxix. 11. “A feaft of deli- 
 “ cades exquifitely rich } [fatlings full of mar- 
 “ row.”] Bp. Lowth. Ifai. xxv. 6. 
 
 Paraphrafes of this kind enervate the force 
 of the original, difguife its manner, and 
 fometimes fuggeft a wrong idea. Thus a 
 ftate of modem refinement and luxury is pre- 
 fented to our minds by the laft example ; and 
 not the picture of Hebrew manners elfewhere 
 
 exhibited 
 
 / 
 
( 2 7 2 ,) 
 
 exhibited by Ifaiah : “ behold joy and glad- 
 nefs, flaying oxen and killing (beep-” 
 c, xxii. 13. 
 
 \The rule excludes 
 
 III. Sentential renderings. As, “ Who 
 “ reverfeth the devices of the fages . [turneth 
 “ wife men backward.”] Bifhop Lowth. 
 Ifai. xliv. 25. “ For notifying to the people 
 
 “ that thou art cleanfed . [For a teftimony 
 “ unto them.”] Dr. Campbell. Luke 
 v. 14. 
 
 The rule excludes 
 
 IV. Defective renderings. The xxxvith 
 chapter of Ifaiah begins in Bilhop Lowth’s 
 verfion ; iC In the fourteenth year of King 
 “ Hezekiah,” &c. w c Now it came to 
 * pafs,’ or, “ It came to pafs,” being omit¬ 
 ted. 
 
( 273 ) 
 
 ted. In like manner. Dr. Campbell renders 
 Luke v. i, “ One time, as he flood by the 
 “ lake of Gennezarethand Dr. Symonds * 
 has the fame omiflion: “ While the people 
 “ prefled upon Jefus to hear the words of 
 “ God, he flood by the lake of Gennezareth. 7 
 „ Bi/hop Lowth leaves alfo “ faying 57 
 
 untranflated, Ifu. xxxvi. 21. The render¬ 
 ing of thefe and of many other expletives 
 and pleonafms is unneceffary to the fenfe, 
 and may feem inelegant to fome; but ftill it 
 ferves to ftamp on the facred writings their 
 appropriated eaftern character; and “ to 
 “ preferve in a verfion that original turn 
 “ which is effential to its perfection.” For 
 this reafon the word behold fhould be con- 
 ftantly inferted in tranflations, and the re¬ 
 dundant pronoun frequently: as “ Build J 
 
 * 
 
 * P. 24. See alfo Pilkington’s remarks, p. 97. 
 
 f Beaufobre & Lenfaut. Preface, ccxxxii. 
 
 J See Dr. Geddes’s letter to the Bilhop of Londo% 
 p. 22. 
 
 <( 
 
 T 
 
 me 
 
( 2 74 )~ 
 
 “ me an altar.” “ Come curfe me Jacob.” 
 Claffical tranflators will be more difpofed to 
 the ufe of the latter, by being accuftomed to 
 them in the beft Greek and Latin writers. 
 But as tranflating thefe and many other * 
 Hebrew redundancies fome times well expreffes 
 the manner and force of the original, and 
 fometimes appear unnatural and vulgar ; the 
 admiffion or rejection of them mu ft often be 
 determined by a good tafte and a good ear. 
 
 * See Dr. Geddes’s letter to the Bifhop of London, 
 p. 18—29. 
 
 RULE 
 
( 2 75 ) 
 
 
 RULE II. 
 
 WHERE the Englifh idiom requires a 
 paraphrafe, the tranflator fhould endeavour 
 fo to form it as to comprehend the original 
 word or phrafe; and the fupplemental part 
 fhould ftand in Italics : except where 
 harfhnefs of language arifes from purfuing 
 this method. 
 
 Bifhop Lowth renders win ™ Ifai. i. 4, 
 “ They are eftranged from him, they have 
 turned their back upon him/' According 
 to this rule, we (hould render thus : “ They 
 “ are eftranged from him , they are gone back- 
 “ ward.” So Luke ix. 53 ma y rendered, 
 “ Becaufehis face was as though he were going 
 “ to Jerufalem.” Sometimes the rule muft 
 
 be impradlicable : and where the diction 
 
 qp 2 becomes 
 
( 276 ) 
 
 \ 
 
 becomes inelegant, or inharmonious, from the 
 ohfervance of it, it fhould be negledted. 
 
 The ufe of Italics, like that of pundtua- 
 tion, and of annotation at the foot of the 
 page, may well be placed among the ingeni¬ 
 ous improvements of the moderns : and I 
 think that Italics may be very properly in¬ 
 troduced in a tranfiation of the bible, though 
 other books may not be efteemed of fufficient 
 importance to juflify their admiffion. And 
 yet fome principal editors of the Greek 
 daffies, as Barnes, Hudfon, Clarke, Duker, 
 &c. have m fed them throughout their Latin 
 tranflations. 
 
 In Cranmer’s bible, the * additions to 
 the Hebrew and Greek originals in the 
 Latin Vulgate were tranflated and inferted in 
 
 a fmaller letter than the text. The -f- editors 
 
 / * v -„ -- 
 s.- v 
 
 # ^ ; T*' !' '***• *■ * 
 
 * Lewis 8vo. 128. )r*~' 
 
 j- See their preface. 
 
 of 
 
 f 
 
( 277 ) 
 
 of the Geneva bible affign this reafon for 
 fupplements in the text with another kind of 
 letter; that ‘ c fuch was the grace and property 
 “ of the Hebrew and Greek tongues, that 
 “ they could not be underftood of thofe who 
 “ were not well pradtifed therein, but either 
 “ by circumlocution or by adding the verb 
 “ or fome word.” In Archbifhop Parker’s 
 “ bible, there are many * infertions between 
 brackets, and in a fmaller character, which 
 are equivalent to the Italics ufed by King 
 James s tranflators. Dr. Geddes believes 
 that Italic fupplements were firft ufed by 
 Arias Montanus, who died in 1598. Some¬ 
 times the J antecedent fhould be fupplied 
 
 * See Pf. lxii. 
 
 + Letter to the Bifhop of London, p. 33. 
 
 % See letter to the Bifhop of London, p. 47. 
 
 lii 
 
 \ A 
 
( 278 ) 
 
 ' i 
 
 in * Italics: as Numb, xxiii. 7, 44 And 
 54 Balaam took up his parable.” Sometimes 
 the interpretation of a proper name fhould be 
 given in Italics : as, 44 Call her name Lo- 
 ruhamah, or y 44 Not-having-cbtaitied-mercy: 
 
 for I will no more have mercy on the houfe 
 “ of Ifrael.” Hof. 1. 6. Sometimes words 
 necelfary to the fenfe fhould be added in 
 Italics : as, 44 Set the trumpet to thy 
 mouth: as an eagle the aijfyrian cometh 
 againft the houfe of Jehovah.” Hof viii. 1. 
 Italics are alfo very ufeful for illuftrating 
 the concifenefs and the peculiar turn and 
 manner of the original. The concifenefs of 
 the Hebrew language appears by reprefenting 
 a tranflation in this form: But I give myfelf 
 unto prayer. Pf, cix. 4. It is often expe¬ 
 dient to fupply the participle faying in a 
 different character: as before Prov. xxxi. 29 : 
 
 * The reader will find Houbigant’s opinion of Italics, 
 - Proleg. cxc ; and Dr. Geddes’s, Profpe£tus p. 94. 
 Letter to the Bifhop of London, p. 26, 33, 34, 35^ 
 Yet I cbfen r e that he has adopted them in his fpecimen. 
 
 before 
 
( 2 79 ) 
 
 before Eccl. iv. 6 : before Cantic. vi. io. 
 Our tranflators have fupplied it Ifaiali xiv. 
 
 16 ; and thus the learned reader, unfkilled in 
 Hebrew, is led to compare that pafifage with 
 thofe animated ones which critics have praifed 
 in the firft * writers of antiquity. When 
 the conjudtion and is printed in Italics in 
 fuch paflages as €f How -f goodly are thy 
 “ tents, O Jacob : and thy tabernacles, O 
 “ Ifrael !” It is fhewn that the afyndeton 
 abounds in the Hebrew feriptures. There is 
 an elegant Atticifm which occurs Luke xiii. 
 9. If it bear fruit, well .’ 7 We find 
 this figure of fpeech in the Chaldee, Dan. 
 iii. 15 ; and, I think, in the Hebrew, Exod. 
 xxxii. 32 : “ Yet now, if thou wilt forgive 
 “ their fin, well.” Diflinguifli the word 
 %vell by Italics ; and the figure admired in the 
 beft Greek writers is prefented to the eye of 
 thofe fcholars who are unable to confult the 
 
 f See 11 . O. 348. iEn. ix. 642. 
 
 original. 
 
 f Numb. xxiv. 5 ° 
 
( 2^0 ) 
 
 I 
 
 original. The particle of fimilitude is often 
 omitted by Hebrew writers, as by the moil 
 elegant among the claffics. “ Therefore 
 “ were their inhabitants of fmall power, 
 “ they were diimayed and confounded: they 
 “ were as the grafs of the field, and as the 
 “ green herb ; as the grafs on the houfetops, 
 “ and as corn blafted before it groweth up. 
 “ Ifai. xxxvii. 27. “ All thy ftrong holds 
 
 Jhall be as fig trees with the firft ripe figs.” 
 Nah. iii. 12. And Deut. xxviii. 23 thould 
 be rendered, “ And thy heaven that is over 
 “ thine head fhall be as brafs ; and the earth 
 “ that is under thee as iron.” When Italics 
 imply the omifiion of this particle, a pleafing 
 parallel is drawn between the Hebrew idiom 
 and that of the learned languages. 
 
 ( 
 
 RULE 
 
^ 281 ) 
 
 RULE III. 
 
 WHERE a verbal tranflation cannot be 
 thus interwoven, one equivalent to it, and 
 which implies the reading in the original, 
 fhould be fubftituted ;. and the idiom in the 
 text fhould be literally rendered in the 
 margin. 
 
 By obferving the fecond and third rules, 
 the utmofl fidelity to the original will be 
 fhewn, which is the primary duty of a bibli¬ 
 cal tranflator ; the cuftoms and manner of 
 the eaflern nations will be explained ; the 
 peculiar genius of the original languages 
 will be exhibited, and the reader unfkilled in 
 them will be belt enabled to interpret for 
 himfelf. 
 
 Thus 
 
 . > 
 
( 282 ) 
 
 Thus Bilhop Lowth renders Ifaiah v. x. 
 “ My beloved had a vineyard on a high and 
 “.fruitful hill. 5 \ Here the marginal render¬ 
 ing Ihould be, on an horn the Jon of oil . 
 
 And Gen. xiv. 22. fhould be rendered, 
 “ And Abram faid to the King of Sodom/ 5 
 “ I have fworn to Jehovah, the Moft High 
 “ God, &c.” Margin. “ I have lifted up 
 “ mine hand." 
 
 The Geneva tranllators fpeak thus of 
 marginal renderings : “ Where the Hebrew 
 
 fpeech feemeth hardly to agree with ours, 
 “ we have noted it in the margin, ufing 
 " that which was more intelligible.’ 5 And 
 the fourth rule obferved by our tranllators, 
 according to Le Long, was, <€ Hebraifmi 
 “ et Graecifmi difficiliores in margine repofiti 
 funt. 55 
 
 I believe that the common people rarely 
 look beyond the text of their bibles. But 
 
 an 
 
( 28 3 ) 
 
 an authorized verlion fhould be adapted to 
 all clafies of men. Thofe who are acquaint¬ 
 ed with the original may be agreeably and 
 profitably reminded ,of Hebraifms, when 
 they read a tranflation. Men of found 
 underftanding, unfkilledin the languages, will 
 often receive a favourable idea of the oriental 
 ftyle by a verbal tranflation of its idioms $ 
 which, in general, are ftrong, beautiful, and 
 intelligible modes of fpeech, and will natu- 
 rally attract attention and admiration by their 
 novelty to a mere Englifh reader. Scholars, 
 unacquainted with Hebrew, will receive 
 pleafure and inftruftion from a literal verflon 
 oforientalifms* immediately prefented to their 
 
 i 
 
 eye, without the trouble of referring to a 
 fervile Latin tranflation. Indeed, J cannot 
 conceive how a tranflator can “ mark *f* the 
 peculiarities of his Author’s ftyle, imitate 
 “ his features, his air, his gefture, and even 
 his voice,” without having con flan t re- 
 courfe to this expedient. 
 
 * See Dr. Geddes’s letter to the Bp. of London, p. 17. 
 
 -f Biihop Lowth’s Ifalah. p. xxxv. 
 
 RULE 
 
{ 284 ) 
 
 
 RULE IV. 
 
 THE language of a biblical tranflation 
 fliould be pure, or conformable to the rules 
 of grammar. 
 
 Bifhop Lowth * has corrected many 
 “ grammatical paflages in our verfion of 
 “ the Old and New Teftament ; and the 
 
 “ rules of criticifm which he has laid down, 
 
 * 
 
 “ and which are now as it were eftablifhed, 
 “ will enable us to correct feveral hundred 
 “ errors of a fimilar nature in the New 
 “ Teftament alone/' 
 
 * Dr. Symonds. p. 8. 
 
 “ The 
 
 / 
 
( 28 5 ) 
 
 « The * general tenor of their verfion of 
 «« the four Gofpels, and of the Afts of the 
 « Apoftles, muft induce us to conclude that our 
 « Tranllators had not a thorough knowledge 
 « of Grammar and Syntax ; or, at leaft, that 
 “ they did not fufficiently attend to the rules 
 « of them. As the inftances of this kind 
 « are exceedingly numerous, I fhall feleft 
 
 only a few fpecimens.” 
 
 The following examples have occurred to 
 me in the fame part of the facred writings. 
 
 \ 
 
 Maith. xviii. 12. “ If a man have an 
 
 « hundred fheep, and one of them be gone 
 «< aftray, doth he not leave the ninety and 
 “ nine, and goeth [go] into the mountains, 
 “ and feeketb [feek] that which is gone 
 “ aftray ?” 
 
 * Dr. Symortds. p. 63. See the fpecimens from p. 64. 
 to p. 90. 
 
 Matth. 
 
 2 
 
( 286 ) 
 
 I 
 
 Matth. xxv. 26. “ Thou knoweft that 
 
 4< I reap where I fowed not, and gather 
 * c where I have not Jtrawed, [ftrawed not. 
 “ or, rather, fcattered not.”] 
 
 Luke xii. 48. €( But he that knew not, 
 
 “ and did commit [committed] things worthy 
 “ of ftripes, &c.” 
 
 John vii. 49. “ But this people who 
 
 “ knoweth [know] not the law are accurfed.” 
 
 John ix. 31. “ Now we know that God 
 
 “ heareth not Tinners: but if any man be a 
 “ worfhipper of God, and doeth [do] his 
 “ will, him he heareth.” 
 
 Adds xxvii. 21. “ Sirs, ye fhould have 
 
 “ hearkened unto me, and not have loofed 
 “ from Crete, and to have gained [have 
 “ gained] this harm and lofs.” 
 
 There 
 
( 2§ 7 ) 
 
 I 
 
 There are many grammatical niceties about 
 which tranflators of the bible fhould agree in 
 common. One adive preter tenfe of certain 
 verbs, as brake , fpake, &c. fhould be re« 
 gularly ufed ; and one paffive participle, as 
 gotten , ho'lpen , &c. The particles which 
 govern a * fubj undive mood fhould be 
 enumerated : as before , John xiv. 29, if 
 left, that when it denotes the motive or 
 end, though , or although , till or until t 
 unlefs, whether , &c. Rules refpeding the 
 ufe of Jhall and will, fhould and would; 
 and of the auxiliaries am and have before the 
 paflive participles of verbs neuter, as I am 
 or have afce?ided, fallen, grown; &c. fhould 
 be extraded from our moft learned gram- 
 
 * The fubjun&ive fhould be ufed when the phrafe 
 exprefTes a condition, doubt, conceffion, or contingency; 
 as, z/^thou be the fon of God 5 though he fall &c. But when 
 the form is equivalent to an affirmation, the indicative 
 fhould be ufed : as, though he vjgs a fon, though he was 
 rich, &c. Lcvrth's grammar, p. 154, 
 
 manans. 
 
( 288 ) 
 
 marians,. Wallis, S. Johnfon*, Lowth, 
 and Prieftley ; and they fhould be carefully 
 examined and fettled by the moft accurate 
 judges. 
 
 $ ‘ v • f \ 
 
 My prefent opinion is, that we fhould 
 write afterward, not afterwards ; -f* among, 
 
 not amongft; between, not betwixt; downward , 
 not downwardseverfo , not never fo , before 
 an adjective ; forward , not jorwards ; further , 
 from forth , not farther; hence , not 
 hence. Is it lawful—or #0/ ? not no ? Luke 
 xx. 22. nowife, not noways ; otherwife , not 
 otherways ; I would rather, not J /W rather; 
 thence, not frG?n thence upward, not upwards; 
 mlefs a conjunction, not except•, whence, not 
 
 * See Jhall , vjill , in his dictionary. 
 
 f In Tome of the inltances here given, I have ufed the 
 liberty to differ fronnuMr. Sheridan in his preface to Swift’s 
 works. 
 
( 289 ) 
 
 from whence ; who the mafculine relative, not 
 which; who before a confonant, and that 
 before a vowel: but fome have propofed to 
 reftrain the relative that to things without 
 life. There would be no necefiity for men¬ 
 tioning that it is the neuter pronoun, and her 
 the feminine, if our tranflators had not often 
 fubftituted the latter for the former, ac¬ 
 cording to the cuftom of their age. This 
 fometimes produces ftrange confulion. 
 
 “ This vine did bend [bent] her roots toward 
 “ him, and £hot forth her branches toward 
 “ him, that he might water it by the 
 
 “ furrows of her plantation.- It fhall 
 
 “ wither in all the leaves of her ipring.” 
 Ezek. xvii. 7, 9. “ Shall I caufe it to return 
 “ into his flieath ?” Ib. xxi. 30. “ Doth not 
 “ behave itfelf unfeemly, [unbecomingly] 
 
 “ feeketh not her own.” 1 Cor. xiii. 5. 
 
 _ ■ > / 
 
 * 
 
 ' * > 1 
 
 It alfo Teems to me that the article an 
 
 Thould be ufed before all vowels, not ex- - 
 
 % ^ 
 
 cepting u in fuch words as ufage ; before o 
 
 U ' when 
 
( 29 ° ) 
 
 when it has the found of w, as in one; and 
 before £ when it afpirates words, as in boufe . 
 X alfo think that the pronouns mine and 
 thine are proper in thofe places where the 
 article an is required. Thefe modes of 
 writing are the more ancient and auftere 
 ones ; and therefore feem more fuitable to 
 the ftyle of the facred writings. 
 
 RULE 
 
r* 
 
 ( 2 9 * ) 
 
 . ♦ 
 
 RULE V. 
 
 \ _ - •• 
 
 > ' 
 
 PROPRIETY Ihould be a prevailing 
 character in the words and phrafes of a 
 biblical tranflation : that is, they fhould 
 have the fanCtion of ufe, and the fignifica¬ 
 tion given to them Ihould be warranted by 
 the belt fpeakers and writers. 
 
 To this general rule a few exceptions are 
 neceflary, that the venerable turn of our 
 prefent verfion may be retained. We Ihould 
 admit into our Englifh bible the ancient 
 inflections of verbs ; the ancient form of 
 Ample and pofleffive pronouns; fome ancient 
 compounded words, as herein, hereupon 6cc. 
 and, occaflonally, fuch ancient words and 
 phrafes as add no lefs dignity to the lublime 
 
 ' *• Vv* > 
 
 U 2 parts 
 
( z 9 2 ) 
 
 parts of the facred page than to an heroic 
 poem, and, like illuftrious ft rangers, attract 
 our attention and refpect. But, in con¬ 
 formity to this rule, a large number of 
 words and phrafes ought to be expunged 
 from our prelent tranflation ; in furnifhing 
 a complete index of which, future cor¬ 
 rectors of it will be much affifted by 
 the * authors to whom I have already 
 
 referred. 
 
 . #■ «» -f 
 
 * P. 234 ) 5 > 6. .. ' . „ 
 
 RULE 
 
( 293 ) 
 
 RULE VI. 
 
 THE Simplicity of the prefent verfion 
 ihould be retained. 
 
 Swift was an admirer of fimplicity, and 
 is an example of it. He thinks it “ one * 
 “ of the greateft perfections in any language ” 
 and “ the many beautiful paflages in the 
 <€ Old and New Tellament he takes to be 
 “ owing to the fimplicity that runs through 
 “ the whole/* 
 
 This fimplicity arifes in a great meafure 
 from the preference of pure Englifh words 
 to foreign ones. Thus our tranflators ufe 
 keep back for fupprefs , call upon for invoke , 
 bow down for incline , lift up for exalt , Jtretch 
 
 * Letter to Lord Oxford. 
 
 ’out 
 
 3 
 
• - ( 294 ) 
 
 out for extend, put under for fubmit , put out 
 for extinguijh, cry out for exclaim, put away 
 for divorce, put afunder for Jeparate, cut off 
 for reject, let go for difmijs, fall away for 
 defert, &c. They are even fo fond of thefe 
 Anglicifms, that they of ten prefer them to 
 finglc English words 1 as in the ufe of turn 
 back for return, go away for depart, let go for 
 releafe 5 cc. Our tranflators fhould be imi¬ 
 tated in every circumftance which produces 
 fimplicity, not only becaufe a fimple ftyle has 
 cxquifite charms for every reader of tafte, 
 bnt alfo becaufe it is accommodated to 
 ordinary capacities ; which is fo great a 
 merit in a verfion defigned for popular 
 ufe, that, in the opinion of fome, “ no 
 '-C word fhould be admitted into our 
 << Englifh bible, however proper and elegant, 
 << jf another more eafy can be found.’ 
 
 Dr. Geddes f himfelf grants that, in 
 general, domeftic words are preferable to 
 
 * 1 heological Repofitory. v. 209* 
 * f Genera! anfwer &c. p. 19. 
 
 exotic 
 
/ 
 
 ( 2 95 ) 
 
 exotic ones, when both are equally ufed, 
 and both exprefs the fame idea. But if one is 
 more explicit, more difcriminating, more noble* 
 and more harmonious, he fays that he ihould 
 certainly adopt it without regard to its origin. 
 Here a tranflator ihould confider how he 
 can beft unite the feveral qualities which 
 conftitute the perfection of his work; and 
 that his language fhould be no jLefs plain 
 and intelligible, than precife and dignified. 
 He may therefore well prefer Ample language 
 of our own growth, when it fufficiently ex- 
 preffes the meaning of the original; he may 
 allow fomething to the nature of a verfion 
 which is more for ufe than for fhew; and 
 
 may juftly think his own a fituation in 
 
 / 
 
 which, according to the Critic’s advice, the 
 ftrength of a writer Ihould be purpofely 
 fpared and extenuated. 
 
 ’ . , 
 
 Mr. Wakefield * laid it down as a rule for 
 himfelf, “ to make his tranflation as com- 
 
 * Preface to his tranflation of the N. T. p. v. 
 
 “ pletely 
 
 / 
 
( 296 ) 
 
 u pletely vernacular without vulgarity, as 
 « was confiftent with fome neceffary induce- 
 “ ments to variation which he fpecifies : that 
 « it might be rendered as perfedt a fpecimen 
 «« as he could make it of pure unaffedted 
 iC Englifh didtion.” He adds : “ With this 
 « view to purity of ftyle, I have, in fome 
 « inftances, fubftituted a word of our own 
 “ growth for its equivalent from a Roman 
 
 “ origin.- 1 could wifh to fee an Englifh 
 
 “ verfion of the fcriptures in fuch phrafeo- 
 u logy as fhould make it an ever lofting 
 “ poffeflim for our countrymen.” 
 
 j the rule excludes 
 
 I. Such foreign words as dilate , vindicatory 
 fabricator , inanity , * reElitudey &c. devolve , 
 revolve y relinquijhy convoke , depofity libations , 
 
 * “/ ■ ”* ■ *- e • « !'• r f Uj * i 
 
 ' * See Bithop Lowth’s Ifaiah, 
 
 machinations s 
 
( 2 97 ) 
 
 # machinations , &c. conflux , inebriated , 
 
 veracity y -f* veracious &c. 
 
 The rule excludes 
 
 \ 
 
 2. The pomp and elegance of modernifed 
 didtion, Dr. Doddridge renders Mark vi. 
 21, “ And a convenient day happened when 
 “ Herod on his birthday made a fupper for 
 “ his lords, and chief officers, and other 
 ^ per fans of dillinguijhed rank in Galilee.” 
 Biffiop Lowth has difparting rills y Ifai. xxx. 
 25; your foul fliall feaft itfef with the richeft 
 delicacies , ib. Iv. 2 ; in fuppliant guife addrefs 
 thee. Ib. xlv. 14. Dr. Blayney tranflates, 
 “ His haughtinefs is exceedingly fupereminentl 
 Jer. xlviii. 29. And we find in Dr. 
 
 * See Dr. Blayney’s Jeremiah. 
 
 f See Dr. Geddes’s Profpe£tus. 132, 3. Letter to 
 the Bifhop of London. 54. 
 
 Campbell, 
 
( * 9 * ) 
 
 \ 
 
 Campbell, (C Now if Satan expel Satan, his 
 “ kingdom is torn by civil dijfentions” 
 Matth. xii. 26. “ Many will ajfume my 
 
 character, faying, I am the Mefliah.” Ib. 
 xxiv. 5. “ When he returned, vefted with 
 
 “ royal power” Luke xix. 15. 
 
 Similar embellilhments of ftyle are the 
 natural confequence of free verfions ; and 
 therefore, in Dr. Geddes’s * judgement, 
 form perhaps the ftrongeft argument that 
 “ can be urged in favour of literal verfions.” 
 
 The words of the learned and excellent 
 Pruffian tranflators, -f De Beaufobre and 
 L’Enfant, are very pertinent to the prefent 
 lubjedt. 4S We have avoided all expreflions 
 which are too modern, and which border 
 the leafi: affedtation. And though we 
 
 * Profpe&us. 135. 
 t Preface generate, ccxxxiv. 
 
 “ have 
 
( 299 ) 
 
 “ have conformed ourfelves to the ftyle of 
 « the facred writers, we have taken care 
 “ that this popular manner fhould not be a 
 « low one ; left, according to the proverb, 
 “ familiarity might beget contempt. In the 
 “ fimple language of thefe authors there is a 
 “ noblenefs, which advantageoufly diftin- 
 “ guiflies them from ordinary writers ; and 
 we have endeavoured not to deviate from 
 “it.” 
 
 RU LE 
 
( 
 
 ( 3 °° ) 
 
 ✓ 
 
 I 
 
 RULE VII, 
 
 A TRANSLATION of the bible fhould 
 be perfpicuous. 
 
 What the bell: critics have obferved of 
 didfion in general, that its excellence confifts 
 in being perfpicuous and not abjedt, is peculi- 
 arly applicable to the ftyle of an authorifed 
 biblical verfion. 
 
 “ If, fays Dr. Geddes, * the fcriptures are 
 “ at all to be tranflated, of which we can 
 “ have no doubt, they fhould certainly be 
 
 * Profpedtus. p. 129. 
 
 made 
 
( 3 01 ) 
 
 / 
 
 « made as plain and perfpicuous as poffible 5 
 “ and not a Angle ambiguity fliould be left 
 « in them that can be by any means re- 
 “ moved.” 
 
 « To attain this perfpicuity,” fays the 
 fame * writer, “ it will always be lawful 
 « for a tranflator to paraphrafe what cannot 
 “ be literally rendered without obfcurity.” 
 
 My perfuafion is, that the tranflator fliould 
 not invade the province of the commen¬ 
 tator ; but that, when a paflage is too 
 obfcure for ordinary readers, the preferable 
 method is, to annex fliort notes explaining 
 the grammatical fenfe. 
 
 “ it f were to be wifhed, fays Dr. 
 « Waterland on this fubjed, that the later 
 
 * Letter to the Bifhop of London, p. 54. 
 
 * „ 4 
 
 4 Scripture vindicated. Part iii. 64* 
 
 “ Englifh 
 
 A 
 
( 3°2 ) 
 
 " Englifh tranflators had either not followed 
 “ the Geneva verfion in their own fcrupulous 
 “ adherence to the very letter and phrafeology 
 “ of the Original, or, if they refolved fo 
 “ to do, that they had added fome marginal 
 “ note alfo. For as too fervile an adherence 
 “ to the letter, in fuch cafes, requires a 
 “ cautionary or explanatory note ; fo, if 
 “ no note be intended, the tranflation itfelf 
 ** ought to be the freer and bolder in ex~ 
 “ prefling the certain fenfe of the Original, 
 “ fo as to anfwer the end of ftridt verfion 
 “ and note both in one.” At the fame time, 
 the literal tranflator lliould pay conftant 
 attention to the chief caufes of perfpicuity; 
 the ufe of words that are common and there¬ 
 fore intelligible, and the moft proper difpofi- 
 tion of them in a continued difcourfe. As 
 the oppoiite qualities of ftyle produce ob- 
 fcurity, they muft be carefully avoided by a 
 tranflator of the fcriptures, as far as the 
 nature of the original writings permits j which 
 are by no means compofed according to the 
 
 rhetorical 
 
I . 
 
 ( 3°3 ) 
 
 rhetorical rules refpedting a moderate length 
 of periods, and an orderly arrangement of 
 claufcs. 
 
 Obfolete, foreign, and learned words and 
 phrafes fhould not be admitted, except 
 where the idea is of fuch a nature that it 
 ought to be conveyed indirectly. Some 
 paflages in our verfion are now of fo anti¬ 
 quated a turn, as not to be underftood by the 
 generality of fcholars. As Judges ix. 53, 
 <( And a certain woman caft a .piece of a 
 “ milftone on Abimelech’s head, and all to 
 “ brake his foull.” That is, utterly, altoge¬ 
 ther, brake : et fregit. And again, 
 
 Ezek. xxx. 2. “ Woe worth the day/’ That 
 is, befal. Worthy effe, fieri. Junius. ^ nn, 
 vse diei, alas for the day ! It muft always be 
 remembered that Bifhop Lowth s verfion is 
 defigned for the learned : in one for vulgar 
 ufe forec for choice vine, ilex for green oak &c. 
 would be clearly inadmiflible. In the New 
 Teftament fome Geek words are retained. 
 
 I 
 
 as 
 
( 3°4 ) 
 
 as phyladleries , which may be rendered 
 frontlets or fcrolls; and anathema, to which I 
 prefer accurfed. There are three ways of 
 proceeding as to Hebrew and Hebrew- 
 Syriac words, fuch as Lo-ammi, Hallelujah, 
 Raca, Mammon, Hofanna, Maranatha &c: 
 admitting them into the text and rendering 
 them in the margin, as our tranflators do ; 
 rendering them in the text, and inferting 
 them in the margin ; or both retaining and 
 rendering them in the text, as, Maranatha, 
 that %s to fay. Our Lord cometh. Where the 
 word has no reference to another part of the 
 fentence, the fecond mode is preferable ; but 
 I recommend the laft way, when the force 
 of the paflage cannot be underftood without 
 knowing the etymology of the term : 
 as, — “ and fhalt call his name Ifhmael, or, 
 “ God-heareth becaufe Jehovah hath heard 
 
 “ thine affliction.” Gen. xvi. n. So Hofea 
 
 * / 
 
 1.9. “ Call his name Lo-Ammi, or, Not - 
 “ my-people. For ye are not my people, 
 &c.” 
 
 • / 
 
 In 
 
f 
 
 ( 3°5 ) 
 
 In their preface our tranflators thus exprefs 
 themfelves on this fubjedt : “ We have 
 
 “ fhunned the obfcurity of the Papifts, in 
 “ their azymes , tunike, rational, holocaujls, 
 “prepuce, pafche , and a 1 number of fuch 
 “ like, whereof their tranflation is full, and 
 “ that of purpofe to darken the fenfe.” &c. 
 “ That there are certain myfterious words of 
 “ the originals, which fhould not be ren- 
 “ dered, may be a pious, but is not a 
 “ rational * notion.” 
 
 Retaining too much of the Hebrew idiom 
 is another fource of obfcurity. Thus 
 Ainfworth renders pf. xcv. 2, “ Let us 
 “ prevent his face [come before his prefence] 
 “ with thankfgiving.” Of this kind there 
 are fome inftances in Dr. Blayney’s Jeremiah : 
 <£ If it feem good unto thee to come with 
 “ me to Babylon, come ; and I will Jet mine 
 “ eyes upon thee [look well unto thee] 
 c. xl. 4. “ Let not the daughter of thine eye 
 
 * Dr, Geddes’s Profpe6tus. 129, 
 
 “ ft and 
 
 X 
 
( 3 06 ) 
 
 “ ftand ftill.” [the apple of thine eye ceafe.] 
 Lament, ii. 18. 
 
 Want of regular arrangement in the 
 branches of fentences is another caufe of 
 obfcurity: to remove which fome excellent 
 entities have thought that, even where there 
 is a trajedtion in the original, the claufes in 
 a tranflation fhould be difpofed in an orderly 
 manner. As Mark xi. 13. “ And when 
 
 44 he faw a figtree at a diftance, having leaves, 
 “ he came, if perhaps he might find any 
 “ thing upon it; for the feafon of gathering 
 iC figs was not come : but when he came to 
 
 it he found nothing but leaves.” Mark 
 
 xv. 21. “ And one Simon, a Cyrenian, 
 
 “ the father of Alexander and Rufus, who 
 “ palled by, coming out of the country, 
 “ they compel to bear his crofs.” Mark 
 
 xvi. 3, 4. “ And they faid among them- 
 
 “ felves, Who fhall roll away the (tone for us 
 “ from the door of the fepulchre ? For it 
 t€ was very great. But when they looked 
 “ they faw that the flone was rolled away.” 
 
 Dr. 
 
( 3°7 ) 
 
 Dr. Symonds has pointed out three caufes 
 of ambiguity in our verfion. 
 
 1. It is often extremely difficult to find 
 the antecedent to which the relatives refer. 
 As, “ And, behold, there was a man who 
 “ had a withered hand and they afked 
 “ him [Jefus] faying, Is it lawful to work a 
 t€ cure on the Sabbath ?” Matth. xii. io. 
 
 2. Equivocal expreffions are frequently 
 
 ufed. As, “ Whofoever defireth to be great 
 “ among you, let him be your minijler . 
 [fervant.”] Matth. xx. 26. “ Ye have 
 
 “ heard of my converfation [behaviour] in 
 “ time paft. >;> Gal. 1. 13. 
 
 3. There is an indeterminate ufe of pre^ 
 pofitions. As, “ But now ye feek to kill 
 “ me, a man that hath told you the truth, 
 <( which I have heard o/'[from] God.” John 
 viii. 40. 
 
 X 2 * RULE 
 
( 3° 8 ) 
 
 RULE VIII. 
 
 T H E fame original word, and its deriva¬ 
 tives, according to the different leading 
 fenfes, and alfo the fame phrafe, fhould be 
 refpedHvely tranflated by the fame cor- 
 refponding Englifh word or phrafe: except 
 where a diftindt reprefentation of a general 
 idea, or the nature of the Englifh language, 
 or the avoiding of an ambiguity, or elegance 
 of ftyle, or harmony of found, requires a 
 different mode of expreffion. 
 
 r , ■ . / 
 
 In their preface we learn the fentiments of 
 our tranflators on this fubjeft. 
 
 ss 
 
 Another 
 
' ^ a 
 
 ( 3®9 ) 
 
 “ Another thing we think good to ad- 
 * c monifh thee of, that we have not tied 
 “ ourfelves to an uniformity of phrafing, or 
 “ to an identity of words ; as fome peradven- 
 “ ture would wifh that we had done, becaufe 
 “ they obferve that fome learned men fome- 
 “ where have been as exadt as they could 
 
 “ that way. Truly, that we might not 
 
 ' * _ * \ 
 
 “ vary from the fenfe of that which we had 
 “ tranflated before, if the word fignified the 
 “ fame thing in both places, (for there be 
 “ fome words that be not of the fame fenfe 
 “ every where,) we were efpecially careful, 
 “ and made a confcience, according to our 
 “ duty. But that we fhould exprefs the 
 “ fame notion in the fame particular word, as 
 “ for example, if we tranflate the Hebrew 
 “or Greek word once by purpofe , never to 
 “ call it intent \ or one where journeying , 
 “ never travelling ; if one where think* never 
 “ f u PP°f c > i* one where pain, never ache \ it 
 “ one where joy, never gladnefs, &c ; thus to 
 “ mince the matter, we thought to favour 
 “ more of curicfity than wifdom, and that 
 
 “ it 
 
 \ 
 
( 3 ID ) 
 
 “ it would rather breed fcorn in the atheift 
 « than bring profit to the godly reader. 
 
 “ For is the kingdom of God become words 
 “ or fyllables ? Why Ihould we be in bondage 
 « to them, if we may be free ? ufe one 
 “ precifely, when we may ufe another no 
 
 “ lefs fit as commodioufly ?-We might 
 
 “ alfo be charged by fcofters with fome un- 
 « equal dealing towards a great number of 
 
 “good Englilh words.-Add hereunto 
 
 « that nicenefs in words was always accounted 
 “ the next ftep to trifling ; and fo was it 
 “ to be curious about names too : alfo that 
 « we cannot follow a better pattern for elocu- 
 “ tion than God himfelf: therefore he ufing 
 “ divers words in his holy writ and indiflerent- 
 “ ly for one thing in nature, we, if we will 
 “ not be fuperftitious, may ufe the fame 
 “ liberty in our Englifh verfions out of 
 “ Hebrew and Greek, for that copy or ftore 
 “ that he hath given us.” 
 
 Hugh 
 
( 3” ) 
 
 Hugh Broughton, tranflator of Daniel, 
 Ecclefiaftes, Lamentations, and Job, a learn¬ 
 ed but arrogant man, wrote an epiftle on 
 tranflating the Bible ; a copy of which the 
 Bifhop of London tranfmitted to King 
 James’s tranflators while they were engaged 
 in the work. Broughton’s fifth rule was, 
 “ The fame terms muft be tranflated the 
 “ fame * way.” It therefore feems probable 
 that the paffage juft quoted was introduced 
 for the purpofe of difcufiing Broughton’s 
 pofition. 
 
 Other learned men have expreffed them- 
 felves differently from our tranflators. 
 
 “ Veterem interpretem Erafmusmerito in 
 4 ‘ co reprehendit, quod unum idemque voca- 
 “ bulum faepe diverfis modis explicet. Atqui 
 “ in eo ipfo quoties peccat ? Leviculum hoc 
 ft eft, dices. Ego veroaliter cenfeo, nifi cum 
 
 * Lewis. Fol. ;6 } 7, 8, 
 
( - 3 12 ) 
 
 “ ita necefie eft, in his quidern libris in quibus 
 
 “ fiepe videas mirifica quasdam arcana velut 
 
 “ unius vocabuli involucris tegi : lit quo 
 
 “ propius abeft a Grascis & Hebraeis Latina 
 
 “ interpretatio, eo mihi quidem magis pro- 
 
 “ banda videatur: ita tamen ut, fimplicitate 
 
 “ ilia fermonis fervata, quae in his Spiritus 
 
 “ fandli oraculis plane divina eft, afperum 
 
 " iilud & horridum fcribendi genus vitetur.” 
 
 • 
 
 “ Verborum proprietatem adeo ftudiofc 
 “ fum fedtatus, ut etiam a fynonymis, quoad 
 “ ejus fieri potuit, libens abftinuerim. Sin- 
 “ gula Gyxc?l vocabula eodem ubique modo 
 “ exprimere ftudui, nifi cum divcrfa fuerit 
 “ fignificatio, aut peculiaris aliqua ratio 
 “ incidit : quam & ipfe plerumque notavi.” 
 
 Beza Nov . Tdejl. 1563. Dedic. to Queen 
 Elizabeth . 
 
 “ Quumautem, fient in Graeco fermone 
 “ una eademque vox retinetur, in Latina 
 
 “ quoque 
 
( 3*3 ) 
 
 (< quoque interpretation^ lervatur, ea certe in 
 (e re mult am confuli iis potiffimum videtur, 
 
 « qui,cum Graecaelinguae fint imperiti, Latino 
 “ acquiefcere fermoni necefie habent. Nam 
 “ inde hoc fatem colligunt, uno eodeni- 
 “ que vocabulo Graecum fcriptorem uti, 
 
 “ ideoque locum.unum cum altero conferri 
 “ debere.” 
 
 Henr. Stephani prof, ad Nov Tejl. 12 mo. 
 
 I S7 6- 
 
 « Here at one view,” fays Dodtor Taylor 
 in the preface to his * Hebrew concordance, 
 « thofe who fhall undertake a new verfion 
 << will fee under every word how variouily it 
 “ is rendered in the prelent verfion; and fo 
 “ may more eafily and exadtly judge how juft 
 “ thofe renderings are, and how far they may 
 * ( be reduced to one and the fame rendering, 
 
 -* jt would be very ufeful to tranflators, if a con¬ 
 cordance of the Greek Teftament was formed on the 
 
 fame plan. 
 
 which 
 
( 3 ! 4 ) 
 
 ff which is much to be preferred where the 
 “ fenfe will bear it/’ 
 
 “ Enough hath been faid to fhew that the 
 “ fame Hebrew word fhould continue to be 
 
 rendered in the fame manner in any verfion; 
 “ unlefs fome evident appropriated fenfe had 
 “ been affixed to it, which fometimes makes 
 “ a * variation necelfary : as, naan fome- 
 €€ times fignifies fm y and fometimes a fin - 
 “ offering .'* 
 
 “ It is enough that the fame word or 
 “ phrafe be, in the fame circumftances, and 
 “ in the fame acceptation, tranflated in the 
 “ fame manner.** 
 
 * Pilkington’s remarks &c. 151. 
 
 f Dr. Geddes. Profpe£tus. 137. Letter to the Bifhop 
 of London. 4. where he fhews that our tranflators often 
 deviate from this rule. 
 
 
 The 
 
( 3i5 ) 
 
 “ The * rule, to tranflate uniformly, when 
 “ it can be done, in a confiftency both with 
 “ propriety and perfpicuity, is a good rule ; 
 
 “ and one of the fimpleft and fureft methods 
 “ I know of making us enter into the con- 
 “ ceptions of the facred writers, and adopt 
 “ their very turn of thinking.” 
 
 A more fcrupulous exa&nefs may well be 
 required in tranflating the fcriptures, than in 
 any other tranflation : and unlearned readers 
 fhould not be deceived, by the needlefs ufe 
 of fynonymous terms, in their comparifon of 
 paflages which appear to be parallel, and in 
 their notions about the extent of the original 
 languages and copioufiiefs of flyle in the 
 facred writers. It may alfo be fhewn that 
 not only the fenfe, but the beauty and 
 force, of many paflages depend on a verfion 
 not deviating from uniformity without a 
 decifive reafon. 
 
 * Dr. Campbell. I. 290. 
 
 It 
 
( 31 6 ) 
 
 It is therefore propofed 
 
 i. That translators fhould previoufly agree 
 on the rendering of certain words and phrafes. 
 For inftance, that mrr £hould always be 
 rendered by “ Jehovah,” and mm by 
 
 “ Jehovah the God of Hofts.” 
 
 The word * Jehovah, which exprefles the 
 divine felfexiftence, is familiarifed to us by 
 its occafional ufe in our common tranflation. 
 It appears to me not a barbarous •f* but a 
 grand and magnificent term ; and its dignity 
 is allowed by its frequent admiffion into our 
 facred poetry, from Sandys and Milton to 
 Merrick Mafon and Potter. It cannot be 
 
 * Draft us could ftnd no higher authority for this word 
 than that of Galatinus, who lived in 1530. Dr. 
 Geddes’s Letter to the Biihop of London. 55. Caftey, 
 in his preface to the catalogue of books in the 
 King’s Library, fays that it was never heard of till 
 Luther’s time. Lewis. 8vo. 129. 
 
 f See Dr. Geddes’s Letter to the Bifnop of Lond. 55. 
 
 excluded 
 
I 
 
 ( 3*7 ) 
 
 excluded from fome places without manitelt 
 impropriety: as Exod. vi. 3. Pf. kxxiii. 18. 
 Ifai. xlvii. 4. Amos iv. 13. I would alio 
 tranllate n ' by Jehovah ; and place Jab in the 
 margin. 
 
 “ It* feems better to retain the original 
 « word Jehovah, than to tranflate it Lord. 
 “ Firft, becaufe it is the peculiar and incom- • 
 “ municable name of God. Secondly, be- 
 « caufe, being his '-tutelar name too, the 
 iC propriety of it is more ooievable wnen 
 “ oppofed to the Gods of the heathen, 
 “ as it frequently is. And thirdly, became 
 “ Hebrews having another word which pro- 
 “ perly fignifies what our word Lord does, 
 << a nd is fo tranilated, the common reader is 
 “ apt to confound them.” 
 
 It is propofed 
 
 2. That it fhould be confidered, by the 
 help of concordances, whether the fame 
 
 * Qrcsn on the poetical parts of the O. 1 • P* 59 * 
 
 word 
 
\ 
 
 { 3 l8 ) 
 
 word can always be rendered in the fame 
 manner; and that, when an Englifh word 
 fuits every place, it fhould be invariably ufed. 
 Our tranflators often vary their terms, not 
 only unnecefiarily, but fo as to miflead the 
 reader. K gctrifog, which occurs four times, 
 is twice rendered, “ mod excellent/’ and 
 twice “ mod noble.” riar^/a, which occurs 
 thrice, is rendered by “ family,” “ lineage,” 
 and “ kindred.” 'Ams’ct,Tou> which occurs 
 thrice, is rendere4 by “ to turn upfide down,^ 
 “ to make an uproar,” and, “ to trouble.” 
 The words zou.ootg \%loig occur thrice, and are 
 rendered <c in due time,” “ in his times,” 
 and, “ in due times.” K ottos is thrice joined 
 with {juoyjo ;; and the words are once rendered 
 by “ wearinefs and painfulnefs,” and twice 
 by “ labour and travel.” Within the com- 
 pafs of two verfes, agyJloizXivog is rendered 
 <c governour of the feaft,” and “ ruler of the 
 “ feaft :” John ii. 8, 9. John xv. 26, 27, 
 puglvgelv is rendered “ to teftify,” and “ to 
 “ bear wilnefs.” i Cor. xii. 4, 5, hatgiarug 
 
 is 
 
I 
 
 ( 3 J 9 ) 
 
 is rendered “ diverfities,” and “ differences/’ 
 Ezek. xxx. 6, 18, the fame words are 
 
 rendered “ the pride of her power,” and 
 “ the pomp of her ftrength.” Even in the 
 fame verfe we find pivu tranflated by “ abide’’ 
 and “ tarry,” Luke xxiv. 29 : sXea by “ to 
 “ have compaffion” and “ to pity,” Matth, 
 xviii. 33 : and cucoviog by “ everlafting” and 
 “ eternal,” Matth. xxv. 46. 
 
 3. That, if the original word cannot 
 always admit cf the fame rendering, of which 
 there are many examples, the different 
 renderings may be reduced to as few as poffi- 
 ble, and thofe the fitted: which the Englifh 
 language affords. 
 
 4. That different words, which have the 
 fame fenfe or nearly the fame, fhould be 
 diftinguilhed in tranilating them, when the 
 Englifh tongue furniihes ' diflindl and pro¬ 
 per terms. As l%ftXyj<r<ro i u,cti I am greatly 
 “ amazed,” Sufi/Stopou “ I am aftonifhed,” 
 irJufiicucu “ I am greatly aftonifhed,” atrSwis 
 
 “ fick,” 
 
( 3~° ) 
 
 «* fick,” ctcgafog “ dife.ifed 
 “ malady,” btrOema, “ infirmity,” votrog and 
 “ vatriiyM “ difeafe:” -raAvhy.og “ very coftly” 
 vroXvTiXrii “ very precious,” / 3 aay 7 w,os “ of 
 « great price.” Nice diftindtions in phrafeo- 
 logy, and minute differences in words, 
 Ihould be obferved by accurate tranflators. 
 Thus Matth. xxvii. 46, Mark xv. 34, 
 
 r* 
 
 c&'/zfiorifFz and s/ 3 oticz are rendered cued . 
 but the former word ihould t>e rendered 
 
 “ cried out.” 
 
 5. That parallel paffages ihould be ren¬ 
 dered in the fame words. But uireg is dif¬ 
 ferently rendered, Mark ix. 40, Luke ix, 
 ^p. “ He that is not again ft us, is on our 
 
 <* part.” “ He that is not againft us, is for 
 “ us.” Matth. xxvi. 41 and Mark xiv. 38 
 exaftly correfpond in the original, but differ 
 in our tranflation. “ Watch and pray, that 
 -“ye enter not into temptation: the fpirit 
 “ indeed is willing, but the fleih is weak. 
 
 “ Watch ye and pray, left ye enter into 
 
 “ temptation : 
 
( 3 21 ) 
 
 u temptation : the fpirit truly is ready, but 
 
 the flefh is weak.” 
 
 «* i • f ■ • < 
 
 . - ” v . 41 
 
 The quotation from Gen. xv. 6. is ren¬ 
 dered differently Rom. iv. 3, Gal. iii. 6, 
 James ii. 23 ; our tranflators ufing “ cotinted,” 
 “ accounted,” and t€ imputed” for t'hbyio'Qrt- 
 Again : We find that the quotation 
 from pf. xcv. 11. is rendered “ They fhall 
 “ not enter into my reft,” Hebr. iii* 1 1 > and, 
 “ If they fhall enter into my reft,” ib* c. iv. 5* 
 
 % 
 
 That many paffages of fcripture would be 
 placed in a ftriking light by uniformity of 
 rendering, may appear from the following 
 examples. Ifaiah xxxvii. 3, 4, fhould be 
 thus rendered, (€ This day is a day of 
 trouble, and of reproofs and of blafphemy. 
 
 “ It may be that the Lord thy God-—will 
 “ reprove the words &c.” Rabfhakeh has 
 uttered words of reproof againft Judah : it 
 may be that -God will reprove the words of 
 the AfTyriao* So Matth. v. 15, 16: “ and 
 
( 3 22 ) 
 
 “ it Jhineth, xk^tcet, [not, and it giveth light] 
 “ to all that are in the houfe. Let your light 
 t€ fo Jhine ,” &c. Rom. i. 19 : 
 
 “ Becaufe that which may be known of God 
 “ is manifejl [<pun%oi '\ among them : for God 
 “ hath manifejled it [spocn^/rs, not Jhewed it] 
 “ unto them.” Rom. xv. 4, 5 : “ ^' or 
 “ whatfoever things .were written aforetime, 
 “ were written for our inftrudtion, that we 
 “ through patience and comfort of the 
 “ fcriptures might have hope. Nov/ the 
 “ God of patience and comfort [not, confo- 
 “ lation] grant you to be likeminded &c. 
 And again, jb. v.. 12, 13: “ in him fiiall 
 iC the gentiles hope . [not, truft,] Now the 
 “ God of hope fill you with all joy” &c. 
 
 r - . * . 
 
 The.beauty of St. Paul’s manner is loft in 
 the common rendering. 
 
 » > . * • ... 
 
 Sometimes a . diilinct reprefentation of a 
 general idea requires a different word: as 
 nm u in a general fenfe is a gift, in . a reftr^ined 
 fenfo, a%i offering - * . 
 
 - .U- K_ . . ... 
 
 1 
 
 Sometimes 
 
( 3 2 3 ) 
 
 Sometimes the Englifh language makes a 
 
 s 
 
 different term neceffary: as hdhi when op- 
 pofed to man, muft be rendered beafl; when 
 oppofed to wild beafts, cattle . See Gen. i. 
 25. Joel 1. 18. 
 
 Ambiguity is avoided Amos. iii. 6, by 
 rendering, “ Shall there be evil in a city, 
 €€ and Jehovah hath not inflicted it ?” Where, 
 if the word done had been ufed, God might 
 feem reprefented as the author of moral evil, 
 inflead of judicial calamities. 
 
 , _ . v v .... * 
 
 Elegance of language forbids the ufe of 
 recover , cover, and difcover, in three lines. 
 Hofea ii. 9. 
 
 Euphony fhould alfobe confidered. Thus, 
 Ifai. xli. 7, “ he that fmootheth with the 
 
 “ hammer,’' fhould be avoided, if poffible. 
 Maketh fmootb , or polijheth , may be fubfti- 
 tuted. And Exod. xv. 16, “ By the great- 
 nefs of thine arm they fhall be as flill as a 
 
 Y 2 “ flone/ 
 
$ 
 
 ( 3 2 4 ) 
 
 “ ftone/' may be rendered, “ they (hall be 
 “ motionlefs as a ftone.’* 
 
 It may be added that fince the Hebrew 
 van, in the fenfe of and, occurs perpetually, 
 and not feldom at the beginning of many 
 claufes together ; as Amos viii. i o, Hof. ii. 
 19—23, Zech. ix. 3—8 ; it is often proper 
 to tranflate it by Now, fo, then &c. The 
 obfervation may be extended to other par¬ 
 ticles which recur frequently in the fame 
 fenfe > and to other words of continual ufe 
 which are not the objedl of criticifm* as 
 
 RULE 
 
{ 3 2 5 ) 
 
 RULE IX. 
 
 THE collocation of the words fhould 
 never be harfh and unfuited to an Englifh ear. 
 An inverted ftrudture may often be ufed in 
 imitation of the original, or merely for the fake 
 of rhythm in the fentence, efpecially in the 
 poetical parts of fcripture. However, the 
 difpofition fhould be determined by what is 
 ea(y and harmonious in the Englifh language •, 
 and not by the order of the words in the 
 original, where this produces a forced ar- 
 rangement, or one more adapted to the 
 licence of our boldefl poetry, than to profaic 
 numbers. 
 
 It 
 
( 3 26 ) 
 
 It cannot therefore be recommended to 
 future tranflators, that they fhould imitate 
 the manner of placing words which Bifliop 
 Lowth occafionally ufes. As 
 
 “ A race of evil doers; children degene¬ 
 rate.” Ifai. i. 4. 
 
 “ Wherefore mv bowels for Moab like a 
 
 * 
 
 harp fhall found.” c. xvi. 11. 
 
 “ And it fhall be that wherever Jthall pafs 
 “ the rod of correction. 0 c. xxx. 32. 
 
 “ In Jehovah fhall be juftified and make 
 
 <f their boaft, all the feed of Ifrael.” c. 
 
 •» * 
 
 xlv. 25. 
 
 - So didft thou lead thy people, to make 
 thyfelf a name illuftrious. 0 c. lxiii. 14. 
 
 / \ , * r .. * • 1 - 
 
 lt How doth the city folitary fit, fhe that 
 was full of people !” Lament i. 1. Prelim, 
 diflert. p. xxix. 
 
 But 
 
( 327 ) 
 
 But fuch a ftru&ure as the following feems 
 likely to meet with general approbation : 
 
 “ To the fatherlefs they adminifter not 
 
 * • •' ' ' .. i ; * 
 
 “juftice.” c. i. 23. 
 
 • _ . ■ v «. ' 
 
 “ And the reproach of thy widowhood 
 “ thou fhalt remember no more.” c. liv. 4. 
 
 f. 
 
 Though I think that the former line may 
 be better rendered, according to Rule i. vi. 
 
 « The fatherlefs they judge not.” 
 
 In Dr. Blayney’s translation we find 
 frequent inftances of a good ftrudture, by 
 judicioufly adhering to the Hebrew turn of 
 the fentence : 
 
 “ And mine heritage 
 nation.” Jer. ii. 7. 
 
 ye made an abomi- 
 
 a 
 
 “ And the fwbrd and famine we fhall not 
 fee.” ' Jer. v. 12. 
 
 Our 
 
( 3 28 ) 
 
 Our tranflators alfo fometimes give a 
 pleafing modulation to their claufes by con- 
 formity to the order of the Hebrew words. 
 As, “ Surely with a mighty hand, and with 
 f € a ftretched out arm, and with fury poured 
 €€ out, I will rule over you/’ Ezek. xx. 33 - 
 “ And with their idols they have committed 
 
 adultery/’ ib. xxiii. 37, But they are 
 by no means conftant obfervers .of this 
 method : for in the next verfe to the palfage 
 laft quoted they render, “ And have profaned 
 “ my Sabbaths $” whereas the order in the 
 Hebrew is, “ And my fabbaths they have 
 “ profaned.” They alfo properly make ufe of 
 inverlions which are not found in theHebrew: 
 
 • vl , 1 . I 
 
 as, “ and out their hand I will not deliver 
 “ them.” Zech. xi. 6. 
 
 There are however many unplealing collo¬ 
 cations of words in our tranflation of the 
 New Teftatnent ; to fome of which I fhall 
 refer the curious reader. Luke v. 6. John 
 vii. 47. <xi. 43. xii. 8, 16. Adts ix. 10. 
 xiii. 44. xxvi. 4. Hebr. vi. 20. 
 
 RULE 
 
( 3 2 9 ) 
 
 I 
 
 RULE X. 
 
 A SUITABLE degree of beauty and 
 elegance Ihould be communicated to a tranfla- 
 tion of the bible. 
 
 This beauty, in its prevailing charader, 
 muft be eafy and natural, Ample and ievere j 
 free from laboured ornament, and artful 
 variety of phrafe. The ftyle, like that of 
 the original, muft be raifed in the poetical 
 parts, but not inflated $ and plain in the 
 hiftorical parts, bqt not abjed, In this refped, 
 the tranflator cannot place before him a more 
 excellent general rule than the following: 
 
 Let * nothing be admitted into the text 
 ** which we cannot read with pleafure, as 
 “ well as with advantage.” 
 
 * Dr. Symonds. p. 123- 
 
 RULE 
 
( 33 ° ) 
 
 RULE XI. 
 
 DIGNITY ftiould charadterife a verfion 
 of the bibte. 
 
 • - t ' ■ • i ' *' ‘ ‘ * ' * v * ... 
 
 * ■ '• • f;- *•# • • < ■ • I •* \ . . ••• T t y ,/■?' f ,-/♦ . f .! 
 
 The majefty of the facred fcriptures arifes 
 
 in a great degree from their iimplicity : and 
 
 • « * »»■»*. ^ 
 
 therefore the arts of modern embellifhment 
 ferve rather to enervate a tranflation of them 
 
 v < ■ ‘ • •; ’' » - r 1 
 
 than to flrengthen it. 
 
 The oppofite extreme arifes from the in¬ 
 troduction of debafed and offenlive terms or 
 
 i. Some 
 
I 33 1 ) 
 
 i. Some terms are degraded by familiar 
 ufe. Do&or Prieftley * has cuflomhoufe for 
 receipt of cuftom. Ezek. xvi. 43 we read, 
 
 “ Becaufe thou—haft fretted [provoked] me 
 “ in all thefe things.” Bilhop Lowth has, 
 
 “ And do thou offer up thy prayer for the 
 poor remains of the people." Ifai. xxxvii. 4. 
 Our tranflators render Mark xii. 4, “ andfent 
 him away ihamefully handled 1 which term 
 is injudicioufly ufed by Dr. Scott, Matth. 
 xvii. 15 j “ becaufe he is lunatick, 
 “ and grievoufly handled. Dr. Campbell 
 has, “ led fhe come perpetually and plague 
 » me.” Luke xviii. 5. “Rabbi, which fig- 
 
 « n ifieth DoSlor." John 1. 38. “His 
 
 << met him, and acquainted him that 
 
 « his boy was well.” iv. 5 1 • “ M y time » 
 
 “ n ot yet come: any time will fiat you. vii. 
 6 . “ and fo not in a condition to eat the 
 “ palfover.” xviii. 28. “ My lads, have ye 
 
 “ any victuals ? xxi. 5* 
 
 * Englifh Harmony. 
 
 2. Though 
 
( 33 2 ) 
 
 2. Though it has been obferved that pure 
 English words are preferable to foreign ones, 
 jet fome Anglicifms appear colloquial and 
 vulgar. As, he held his tongue, or, he 
 held his pence , for he wasfilent : we cannot telly 
 for we know not; to take in handy for to 
 undertake ; to be at handy for to draw near or 
 fa approach ; to cajl in one's teeth , for to revile, 
 &c. One reafon for the difufe of fuch 
 phrafes is, that a tranflation of the bible 
 ihould be a claffical book to foreigners, who 
 would be perplexed by fuch language. 
 
 3. Modern phrafeology, as fuch, is un¬ 
 dignified in a tranflation of the bible. As, 
 “ they fancied the reign of God would im- 
 xt mediately commenced ’ Dr. Campbell. 
 Luke xix. ii. “ even their rulers joined 
 
 them in ridiculing him/’ ib. xxiii. 35. 
 
 Are ye not fenfible that ye have no influenceV x 
 John xii, 19, 
 
 4. OfFenfive terms Ihould be avoided. 
 Ifaiah lxiv. 6, the Englifh verfion has, 
 
 “ And 
 
( 333 ) 
 
 “ And all our righteoufneffes are as filthy 
 “ ragswhich Bilhop Lowth renders “ like 
 “ a rejected garmentin more dignified 
 language, as well as nearer to the original. 
 Lament, i. 17, “ Jerufalem is become as a 
 “ woman fet apart for unclean among them,” 
 which is nearly Dr. Blayney’s rendering; or, 
 “ as a removed woman,” which is the com¬ 
 mon rendering of Ezek. xxxvi. 17; is pre¬ 
 ferable to that which our tranilators have 
 admitted into the text. Dr. Delany, in his 
 life of David, propofes to render fuch paffages 
 as occur 1 Kings xiv. 10, “ him that * 
 “ watereth againft the wall.” 
 
 * Others prefer rendering every male . So Bochart 
 Hieroz. P. I. L. ii. c. lvi. marls aut viri eft periphr'afis. 
 He adds aut viri , becaufe fome refer the words to adult 
 males only. But Le Clerc, on 1 Sam. xxv. 22, thinks, 
 with moft Jewifh and Chriftian interpreters, a canibus ortam 
 efle hanc loquutionem. 
 
I 
 
 ( 334 ) 
 
 RULE XII. 
 
 ENERGY fhould be another charac- 
 teriftic of a biblical tranflation. 
 
 This quality is obtained, in a great degree, 
 by fimplicity and propriety in the terms 
 felefted to reprefent the peculiar notions con¬ 
 veyed by the facred writers, and by expreffing 
 the claufes of the original with due concife- 
 nefs. The forcible ftyle of the {captures is 
 enfeebled by epithets and paraphrafe ; nor 
 does the majeftyof their manner more difdain 
 the defeat of ornament than the excefs of 
 it. 
 
 Much 
 
r 
 
 ( 335 ) 
 
 Much force will be added to a verlion of 
 the bible by retaining thofe Hebraifms which 
 the Englifti language eafily admits, or to 
 which an Englifti ear is now accuftomed. 
 Of this kind are, Enoch walked with God; 
 though the fortify the height of her ftrength - 9 
 the throne of his glory ; labour of love ; as for 
 Ephraim , their glory (hall flee away as a bird: 
 which laft form refembles Salluft’s plebs ur- 
 bana ea vero praeceps ierat ; and that common 
 Atticifm, urbem quam ftatuo, veftra eft. 
 
 “ The * Hebrew idioms run into the Englifti 
 “ tongue with a particular grace and beauty. 
 
 “ Our language has received innumerable 
 “ elegancies and improvements from that 
 “ infufion of Hebraifms which are derived 
 “ to it out of the poetical paflages in holy writ. 
 
 They give a force and energy to our ex- 
 “ preflions, warm and animate our language, 
 “ and convey our thoughts in more ardent 
 “ and intenfe phrafes than are to be met with 
 
 i 
 
 * Addifon. Spect. p. 4°5* 
 
 “ in,. 
 
V 
 
 ( 336 ) 
 
 ** in our own tongue. There is fomething 
 “ fo pathetic in this kind of didtion, that it 
 “ often fets the mind in a flame, and makes 
 “ our heart burn within us. M _ 
 
 Houbigant juftly objedts, i. to retaining 
 obfeure Hebraifms ; an example of which 
 occurs Hebr. iv. 3, t€ As I have fworn in 
 “ my wrath, //'they fliall enter into my reft 
 2. to thofe Hebraifms which weaken the 
 fignificance cf the original; as, “ He that 
 “ curfeth father or mother, let him die the 
 €€ death where the meaning is not, let him 
 be put to death , but let him furely be put to 
 death: 3. to thofe Hebraifms which mifre- 
 prefent the meaning of the original ; as when 
 a Latin tranflator renders, Omnis extraneus 
 non comedet fanguinem, for Nul/us. Proleg. 
 clxxxviii. 
 
 y N 
 
 We learn * Pilkington’s opinion on this 
 fubjed from the following paflages. “ Where 
 
 9 
 
 * Remarks, 93. 
 
 “ the 
 
( 337 ) 
 
 “ the Hebrew idioms are of fuch a nature, 
 “ that they would be carefully avoided by a 
 “ correct writer, and a Matter of the Englifh 
 “ ftyle, I think they might more properly be 
 “ varied fo as to be made more fuitable to the 
 “ propriety of the Englifh idiom.’* 
 
 “ There is * a dignity and folemnity of 
 “ exprefilon in the phrafes of all languages, 
 cc which mutt be loft by a converfion of 
 “ them into language fuited to the Englifh 
 “ idiom : and the literal tranflation of thofe 
 “ in the Hebrew may give the reader to 
 “ underftand that the fcriptures are writings 
 “ of no modern date. But the chief defign 
 “ of thofe writings was, edification and 
 “ inftrucftion ; which is, in fome meafure, 
 « obftrudled by any obfcurity that may ap- 
 cc pear therein. And as, in fome of the 
 “ remarks above, we have obferved that the 
 “ tranflators have fometimes converted the 
 “ phrafes into the Englifh idiom, and, in the 
 “ margin only, given the literal verfion of the 
 
 \ 
 
 z 
 
 * Tb. 192. 
 
 Hebrew; 
 
( 33 8 ) 
 
 \ 
 
 “ Hebrew fo> had this been done more 
 
 frequently, the readers of tafte and judge- 
 “ merit would have had the opportunity of 
 €t intuitively obferving the dignity and majefty 
 c * of the Hebrew expreffions ; which few 
 “ of the common readers can difcover and be 
 114 pleafed with.” 
 
 Dr. Geddes has prefcribed to himfelf the 
 following canons, which are juftly entitled to 
 the approbation of the public. 
 
 I. “ All * Hebraifms that are fufficiently 
 clear to exclude ambiguity, and either 
 “ were from the beginning, or are become 
 <( by long ufage, intelligible to every clafs 
 of readers ; and, at the fame time, have 
 ** nothing in them that offends again ft the 
 
 * Letter to the Bifhop of London, p. 15. On Hebraifms 
 fee Cler. Proleg. in Vetus Teftamentum. p. xix. Beanfo- 
 bre & L’Enfant. Pref. Nouv. Teft. ccxxxii. Pilking- 
 ton’s remarks. Se£t. xix. xxxiii. Campbell on the gofpels. 
 1. 4^9- 
 
 ct 
 
 laws 
 
I 
 
 , 1 .' • \ • 
 
 ( 339 ) 
 
 “ laws of grammar and good writing, fhould 
 “ univerfally be retained : but thofe that 
 “ are obfcure, equivocal, uncouth, and un- 
 “ grammatical, fhould as univerfally be 
 “ rejected. 
 
 II. “ In rendering the poetical and fen- 
 “ tential parts of fcripture, bolder Hebraifms 
 “ are allowable, than in the hiftorical and 
 “ legiflative parts. 
 
 <c 
 
 <( 
 
 III. “ Whatever Hebraifm has been once 
 
 adopted—-fhould, in the fame fort of 
 
 ftyle, and in circumftances exadly fimilar, 
 < be uniformly and univerfally retained. 
 
 Z a 
 
 RULE 
 
 i 
 
/ 
 
 \ 
 
 (; m ), 
 
 / 
 
 - ■ ; ; 
 
 . 
 
 RULE XIII. 
 
 THE * old ecclefiaftical terms fhould be 
 
 v i 
 
 continued, as repentance, my fiery, elect, pre- 
 deftinated, Sec. 
 
 ? . 
 
 “ We have avoided the fcrupulofi ty of the 
 
 “ Puritans; who leave the old ecclefiaftical 
 
 - ’ • ... 
 
 “ words, and betake them to other : as when 
 “ they put wajhing for baptifm, and congrega- 
 “ tion inftead -f- of church.” 
 
 Such words are now part of our theologi¬ 
 cal language ; and explanations of them per¬ 
 petually occur. 
 
 * See the third rule given to King James’s tranflators. 
 ?. 98. 
 
 f Preface to the Englifh tranlktion. 
 
 RULE 
 
( 34 1 ) 
 
 RULE XIV. 
 
 METAPHORS are, in general, to be 
 retained; and the fubftitution, or unneceflary 
 introduction, of new ones (hould be avoided. 
 
 If the original metaphor cannot be trans- 
 fufed, it fliould be rendered in the margin. 
 The genius of a language, and the nature 
 and cuftoms of a country, will often appear 
 by obferving this rule. 
 
 Bilhop Lowth renders Ifai. xliv. 8 : 
 
 “ Is there a God befide me ? 
 
 • % 
 
 “ Yea, there is no other fure Protestor; 
 
 I know not any.’ 
 
 “Yea 
 
( 342 } 
 
 “ Yea, there is no God •> [marg. Hebr. 
 rock.] Englifh verfion. 
 
 I prefer admitting into the text, “ Yea, 
 ee there is no rock &c.” See pf. xviii. 2, 
 46. 
 
 Again : the Bi/hop renders c. xlii. 22. 
 
 * « 
 
 And are plunged [hidden] in dark dungeons. 
 
 v. 1 * * 
 
 • Gen. vii. 4, our tranflators render, “ and 
 “ every living fubftance that I have made 
 “ will I deftroy [marg. Hebr. blot out] from 
 
 “ off the face of the earth.” Here alfo the 
 
 ♦ 
 
 * metaphor might well have been retained. 
 
 * See Lewis, fol. 85. 
 
 KUL E 
 
( 343 ) 
 
 RULE XV. 
 
 PROPER names fhould remain as they 
 are now written in thofe places where they 
 are mo ft corre&ly reprefented. 
 
 Xhis was the ^ lecond rule given to Ring 
 James’s tranllators. 
 
 So little depends on their orthography in 
 a tranllation, and they are now fo familiarifed 
 to the ear, that to alter them may perplex or 
 offend fome, and cannot benefit any-. 
 
 Bifhop Lowth writes Tfcar for Zoar, 
 Botfrah for Bozrah, Retjin for Refin, Amots 
 
 * See p. 98. 
 
 1 
 
 for 
 
( 344 ) 
 
 for Amos &c. Dr. BJayney alfo has Jabetz, 
 Jahatza &c. 
 
 * ^ r - Geddes is " of opinion, that we 
 “ fhould retain the old names with as little 
 innovation as pomMe,” He only propofes 
 to exprefs n by h, a by ch, p by c or £, 
 w b y Jh y i by z, x by or # with a point 
 
 above it ; and where proper names end 
 with n, he would diftinguifh mafculines from 
 feminines, as "Judah from Debora , by re¬ 
 taining h. 
 
 It is material that, throughout the Old 
 1 eflament, uniformity fhould be preferved 
 in writing proper names. Dr. Kennicott f 
 
 has extracted from the pentateuch a catalogue 
 of thirty one names expreffed uniformly 
 
 in the Hebrew, yet differently in the Englifh 
 verfion : as Gaza and Azzah, Rachel and 
 Rahely &c, x 
 
 * Letter to the Bifhop of London, p. 70. 
 
 V 
 
 t Remarks on feleft palTages &c. p. 25. 
 
 It 
 
( 345 ) 
 
 It is alfo material that the names of the 
 fame perfons fhould be written in the New 
 Teftament as it is judged moft proper to 
 write them in the Old: and that, for in- 
 fiance, we fhould read Elijah, Elifha, Ifaiah, 
 Noah, Haran, Jofhua, Hofea, &c. for Elias, 
 Elifeus, Efaias, Noe, Charran, Jefus, Hebr. 
 iv, 8, Ofee, &c 
 
( 346 ) 
 
 *• .( 
 
 -' -<• 
 
 RULE XVL 
 
 THE beft known geographical terms 
 fhould be inferted in the text, and thofe 
 of the original Ihould ftand in the margin. 
 As Syria, marg. Aram . Ethiopia , marg. 
 Cufh. 
 
 RULE 
 
( 347 ) 
 
 RULE XVII. 
 
 THE language, fenfe, and punctuation, 
 of our prefent verfion fhould be retained; 
 unlefs when a fufficient reafon can be afligned 
 for departing from them. 
 
 One of the chief rules which f Mr. 
 Wakefield prefcribed to himfelf in executing 
 his tranflation of the New Teftament was : 
 
 To adopt the received verfion upon all 
 “ poflible occafions, and never to fuperlede 
 <c it, unlefs fome low obfolete or obfcure 
 “ word, fome vulgar idiom, fome coarfe or 
 “ uncouth phrafe, fome intricate conftruc- 
 
 i 
 
 * Preface, ii. 
 
 * f j 
 
 “ tion. 
 
( 34 § ) 
 
 f 
 
 “ tion, fome harfh combination of terms, 
 “ or fome mifreprefentation of the fenfe, 
 “ demanded an alteration.” He adds : Ufe 
 “ has fo far fandtified, if I may employ the 
 €C term, our received verfion, that no tranfla- 
 “ tion, I am perfuaded, elfentially different 
 “ from it, can ever be cordially relifhed, I 
 “ do not fay by the generality , but by readers 
 “ of exact tafte and polijhed under ft andings ♦ 
 “ Nor have I ever yet eonverfed with a fingle 
 “ perfon, whofe approbation I could wifh to 
 “ fecure, of a different opinion in this 
 “ refpedt.” 
 
 A 
 
 r 
 
 1 
 
 RULE 
 
( 349 ) 
 
 RULE XVIII. 
 
 THE critical fenfe of pafTages Ihould be 
 confidered j and not the opinions of any 
 denomination of Chriftians whatever. 
 
 { 
 
 The tranflators Ihould be philologifts, and 
 not controverfialifts. 
 
 “ In this verfion we have had folely in 
 « view the thoughts of the facred writers, 
 “ without regard to the particular explanati- 
 “ ons and applications of Divines. The 
 “ fyftems and dogmas of religion ought to 
 “ be regulated by holy feripture ; and not 
 “ holy feripture by thefe fyftems and dogmas. 
 
 tfC „-Every one Ihould be left free to 
 
 i “ interpret 
 
( 35 ° ) 
 
 “ interpret fcripture by the fame rules which 
 “ he ought to follow in explaining any other 
 “ book whatfoever.” 
 
 Beaufobre et U Enfant. Pref. ccxxxii. 
 
 “ It is the bufinefs of the interpreter, 
 “ much more of the tranflator, to give the 
 “ obvious literal fenfe of his author; with a 
 “ view to no particular fyftem, and without 
 €C regard to parties or principles.” 
 
 * • ' • . i 
 
 Dr. Geddes . ProfpeBus. 125. 
 
 “ A tranflator fhould try to forget that he 
 “ belongs to any particular fociety of 
 “ Chriflians ; be extremely jealous ofhismoft 
 rational prepofleffions; keep all theological 
 confequences as fir out of his fight as 
 (C poffible ; and inveftigate the meaning of 
 “ his original by the rules only of a found 
 
 “ and 
 
( 35 1 • ) 
 
 “ and fober criticifm $ regardlefs of pleafing 
 “ or difpleafing any party.” 
 
 lb. 141. 
 
 “ The author has endeavoured to make 
 “ the tranflation an exadt image of the 
 “ original, by giving the literal meaning of 
 “ the Greek text in common ufe, as nearly 
 “ as the nature of the Englifh language 
 “ would allow, without bending it in the 
 “ leaft, for the purpofe of favouring or of 
 “ oppofing the particular tenets of the dif- 
 “ ferent fedts into which Chriftians have 
 “ divided themfelves.” 
 
 / 
 
 Macknighf s new literal tranflation of the 
 two Epiftles to the 'Thejfalonians. p. 1. 
 
 “ It has been obferved of our tranflation, 
 “ that the makers of it were a little too 
 “ complaifant to the King in favouring his 
 notions of predeftination, eledlion, perfe- 
 
 verance, &c.-But it may well enough 
 
 “ be 
 
( 35 ^ ) 
 
 ct be queftioned whether all thefe were not 
 “ the opinions of the tranflators as really as 
 “ they were the King’s.” 
 
 Lewis . 8vo. 330. 
 
 €t The tranflators of our Englifh teftament 
 “ give many words a predeftinarian fenfe 
 “ which there is no reafon for.” 
 
 Gilpin’s expofition of the New Teftament. 
 
 4 t0 - p. 35 °- 
 
 I 
 
 RULE 
 
* 
 
 ( 353 ) 
 
 RULE XIX. 
 
 PASSAGES already admitted in to. the 
 common verlion, but which are allowed to 
 be marginal gloiles, or about the authen¬ 
 ticity of which critics have reafon to be 
 doubtful, Ihould be placed in the text be¬ 
 tween brackets. 
 
 A a RULE 
 
 $ 
 
( 354 ) 
 
 RULE XX. 
 
 IN the befl: editions of the bible, the 
 poetical parts fhould be divided into lines 
 answering to the metre of the original ; or 
 
 > T' , * J ; i • ' • , ; ’f f % 
 
 feme other method fhould be ufed to dif- 
 tinguifh them from profe. 
 
 “ Quod fi quis totam hanc membrorum 
 #< atque inciforum obfervationem, tenuem, 
 ** ac nugatoriam, opersque plane inutilis effe 
 €i exiflimet; repute t is fecum, nihil cuiquam 
 “ majori elTe ufui ac praelidio ad inveftigandoa 
 “ feriptoris alicujus fenfus, quam ut ejus ftyli 
 “ et generalem charadlera et peculiares notas 
 * v € * imprimis 
 
( 355 ) 
 
 “ imprimis intelligat, femperque eo fedulo 
 “ animum advertat: porro etiam fciat nulla 
 “ alia de caufa faspius in errorem incidiffe 
 “ omnes interpretes, quam ex hujus ipfius 
 €t rei incuria, vix quidquam uberiores in 
 “ critica facra verfanti fruftus etiamnum 
 “ polliceri, quam pofitam in eadem curiofam 
 “ et folicitam diligentiam. ,> 
 
 Lowth . Pral. Hebr . xix. adJinem . 
 
 , . t • , \ 
 
 i * ■-' . 
 
 “ Whatever doubts may remain concerning 
 “ particulars, yet upon the whole, I fhould 
 “ hope that the method of diftribution here 
 “ propofed, of fentences into ftanzas and 
 “ verfes in the poetical parts of fcripture, 
 “ will appear to have fome foundation, and 
 “ even to carry with it a confiderable degree 
 “ of probability. Though no complete 
 i( fyftem of rules concerning this matter 
 “ can perhaps be formed, which will hold 
 “ good in every particular ; yet this way of 
 <f confidering the fubjedt may have its ufe, 
 
 A a 2 
 
 m 
 
{ 356 ) 
 
 “ in furnifhing a principle of interpretation 
 “ of fome confequence, in giving a general 
 
 “ idea of the ftyle and character of the 
 
 •» 
 
 “ Hebrew poetry, and in ihewing the clofe 
 conformity of ftyle and charadter between 
 “ great part of the prophetical writings, and 
 “ and the other books of the Old Tefta- 
 “ ment univerfally acknowledged to be 
 * c poetical/* 
 
 Lowth. PreL dijf. to If at ah. xxxiv. 
 
 Dr. Kennicott’s words on this fubjedt 
 are: Si univerfa in bibliis Hebraeis carmina, 
 
 “ more poetico, lineis brevibus, et plerum- 
 4,9 que fere aequalibus, (faltem ubi non 
 ** fuerint corrupts,) nunc demum im prime- 
 ** rentur ; mirum quantum elucefceret ftatim 
 facri poetae mens, idque in mille locis ; 
 
 “ ubi fub ufitata profae forma difficillimum . 
 ** eft ullam, faltem veram, expifcari fen- 
 tentian. ,> 
 
 «r 
 
 Prcef ad Vet . Pe/l. Hebr. §. xx. See 
 alfo Remarks , &c. 37, 173. 
 
 A conftant 
 
( 357 •) 
 
 “ A eonftant attention to the poetical 
 
 “ conftru&ion of the fentences, and to the 
 
 “ parallelifm which for the moil part obtains 
 
 <c in them, is of fo great importance, not 
 
 €< only to the elegance but to the fenfe and 
 
 st fidelity of a tranflation, and conduces fo 
 
 <c much to a juft refprefentation of the genius 
 
 “ and meaning of the author, that I am 
 
 “ ftrongly of opinion an arrangement in 
 
 ‘‘ lines mull always be retained with 
 
 * 
 
 “ advantage in every veriion of any poetical 
 
 “ parts of the Old Teftament.--Outward 
 
 “ form is a great afliftance, not only to the 
 “ tranllator while he is tranflating, but to the 
 “ attention and underftanding of the reader, 
 
 “ -The poetial conftrudtion of fentences 
 
 “ being fo eflential not only to tailing the 
 iC beauties but to underftanding the fenfe of 
 “ the Hebrew poetry, I would have that 
 
 i ^ 5 
 
 poetry always prefented to the eye of a 
 u tranllator as well as a reader, in the form 
 ** which would be moft likely to draw his 
 u attention to it.” 
 
 Dr . Sturges's remarks on a new tranjlation 
 of Jfaiab. p. 12. London . 1791* 
 
 Thus 
 
( 35 8 ) 
 
 Thus Gen. iv. 23 is rightly pointed by 
 Bifhop Lowth : 
 
 ^\ ‘ j ( f t J l i ; / i j y t> s i f i • v >. 
 
 ” Adah and Zillah, hear my voice j” 
 
 ( 
 
 “ Ye wives of Lamech, hearken to my 
 “ fpeech.” 
 
 And Il’ai. liii. 2 : 
 
 « He hath no form nor comelinefs, that 
 e< we Ihould regard him j” 
 
 “ Nor appearance, that we fhould delire 
 “ him.” 
 
 1 / ‘ — ' v 
 
 See Pral. Hebr . 
 
 There are four paffages which the Hebrew 
 MSS. and moft of our printed editions 
 reprefent in a poetical form : Exod. xv. 
 Deut. xxxii, Judg. v. and 2 Sam. xxii. 
 
 Dr, 
 
( 359 ) 
 
 * Dr. Geddes entertains ferious doubts 
 as to “ the propriety of dividing a verlion 
 “ of the poetical parts of fcripture into lines 
 « or hemiftichs.” He “ can fee no force or 
 « beauty it adds to the text, nor profit or 
 “ pleafure it can bring to the reader.” It 
 often adds great force and beauty to the 
 fcriptures, by correcting the Maforetical punc¬ 
 tuation ; by pointing out additions, -f* 
 omiffions, and tranfpofitions ; and by directly 
 leading to the explanation of obfcure words 
 and phrafes. It advertifes the reader that he 
 is palling from the regions of profe into poetry, 
 and teaches him to expect greater licence of 
 ftyle. It exhibits “ the % fhape of the 
 « writer’s compofition, and the form of 
 « his contractionand many may think, 
 with Bifhop Lowth, that, “ as § to the 
 
 * Letter to the Bifliop of London, p. 4** 
 
 f See Biftiop Lowth’s preface to Ifaiah, p, xxxi. n. 2 . 
 xxxviii—xl. 
 
 X Bifbop Lowth’s pref. to Ifai. p. xxxvi. 
 
 § lb. p. lxxii. 
 
 “ turn 
 
( 3 6 ° ) 
 
 •* turn and modification of the fentences, 
 “ a tranflator is as much confined to his 
 H author’s manner as to his words.” 
 
 ••» * « - r v *• * 4 i i< • r * ' - i o. f **r 
 
 But fuch a divifion <c * confiderably dif- 
 “ joints and disfigures the text, and often 
 “ perplexes and puzzles the reader.” When 
 fuch cafes arife, the metrical diftribution 
 ftiould not be followed with fervility : but in 
 numberlefs inftances it is a very natural, 
 perfpicuous, and ufeful arrangement. We 
 fhould rather afk what the right difpofitioii 
 of the text is, than “ how it looks,” or 
 “ how the reader will be pleafed with its 
 “ garb.” To call this arrangement a 
 u whimfical manner” is petitio principii. 
 The difpofition into hemifticbs is fometimes 
 certain, fometimes next to certain. It would 
 be flrange indeed if, when Homer, Pindar, 
 or the Greek dramatic writers are tranflated 
 into Latin profe, the tranflator did not ac¬ 
 commodate each line to the meafure of his 
 
 original. 
 
 * Dr. Gecdes’s letter. 42. 
 
( 3 61 ) 
 
 original. And what anfwer would he receive, 
 who feletfted from thefe tranllations fuch 
 parts as beft ferved his purpofe, or even fuch 
 as firft occurred in Pindar or in the choral 
 parts of the Tragedians, and then gravely 
 afked, 4e What * inftrudtion or edification 
 C( can the mere Latin reader receive from 
 “ fuch irregular and ill-connedted lines as 
 “ thefe, prefen ted to him as an exemplifica- 
 <c tion of Greek verfe 
 
 From the conciienefs of the language, 
 the poetical parts of the Hebrew fcriptures 
 lofe their regularity in an Englifh tranflati- 
 on ; the tranflator being often compelled to 
 ufe three, four, or five times as many words 
 as occur in the original. 
 
 As to the difagreable effedt which a metrical 
 divifion would have on the beft public f readers 
 of the bible, which is another point infilled on; 
 
 * lb. p. 44. 
 
 f lb. p. 45. 
 
 this 
 
( 3 6 2 ) 
 
 this bad confequence would be removed by ob- 
 ferving the pundluation alone, and difregarding 
 the paufe of the half comma, which, in reading 
 Englifh poetry, Ihould be made at the end 
 of every line where no flop is placed: and 
 this very inconvenience, together with many 
 others which have been often lamented, 
 attepds the arrangement of the poetical 
 parts in the ufual form of verfes, according 
 to the method adopted by Dr. Geddes in 
 his fpecimen. 
 
 If, however, it fhould be thought ad- 
 vifable to exclude the poetical diftribution 
 from our bibles, and confine it to the pro- 
 Iufions of the fcholar ; ftillfome proper mark 
 of diftindtion for metical paufe, as the 
 Hebrew Rebhia , (or two horizontal points 
 placed over a word,) may be admitted intc 
 the authorized impreffions of the Old Tefta- 
 ^pient : or, at leaft, the contents prefixed 
 may advertife the reader of the paflages 
 
 generally 
 
( 3 6 3 ) 
 
 generally allowed to affume the tone and 
 form of poetry 5 as thefe often remain 
 concealed even from fcholars unacquainted 
 with the original, not only in fuch detached 
 paflages as Gen. iv. 23, 24. xxi. 6, 7. but 
 in chapters, and in whole books. 
 
 V 
 
 I 
 
 RULE 
 

 ( 3^4 ) 
 
 j ■ • o J l.; i. 
 
 RULE XXI. 
 
 O F dark paffages, which exhibit no 
 meaning as they Hand in our prefent 
 verfion, an intelligible rendering Ihould be 
 made on the principles of found criticifm. 
 
 Emendations founded On external authority 
 will of courfe be preferred; and, when there 
 is a choice of them, that particular one 
 which furnilhes the bell fenfe, and molt 
 refembles the prefent text. When outward 
 helps fail, recourfe can only be had to the 
 exigence of the place. 
 
 When men meddle with the literal 
 text, the queftion is, where they Ihould 
 “ Hop. In this cafe a man mull venture his 
 
 “ difcretion. 
 
( 3 6 5 ) 
 
 “ difcretion, and do his beft to fatisfy him- 
 “ felf and others in thofe places where he 
 “ doubts. For although we call the fcripture 
 “ the word of God, as it is, yet it was writ 
 “ by man, a mercenary roan, whofe copy 
 “ either might be falfe or he might make it 
 
 “ falfe.” 
 
 Selden. Fol. iii. 2010. 
 
 « Aliud eft fubfidium, quo ufi funt inter- 
 “ pretes omnes j nempe conjedtura, quae 
 “ nititur rebus ipfis & ferie fermonis. Saepe 
 « en i m vocibus fenfum certum adfignarunt 
 «< interpretes, quia putarunt eum neceffario 
 « requiri a loci circumftantiis. Qua in re 
 “ facillimum eft falli j cum plures fenfus um 
 <t eidemque loco conTenire queant, nec nobis 
 tt i n terdum fcriptoris fcopus fatis pateat. 
 “ Solent potiffimum duobus modis faiii in- 
 « terpretes in ejufmodi phrafibus & vocabulis j 
 « q UO d attendant praeconceptas notiones, 
 « q Uas ipfi habent earum rerum de quibus 
 
 44 agitur ; 
 
( 366 ) 
 
 “ agitur j cum faspe fcriptor quern inter- 
 “ pretantur eafdem non habuerit: et quod 
 “ earn fententiam flatuant fine dubio elfe 
 “ optimam, qua pofita, elegantior aut vali- 
 “ dior ell fcriptoris ratiocinatio j cum neque 
 “ elegantiam illam captaverit, neque de- 
 “ monllrationes afFerre voluerit.” 
 
 Clerici Ars crit. P. i. c. iv. §. u. 
 
 Emendandi leges. 
 
 1. “ Si quid mutetur, mutationem res 
 “ ip la, orationifve feries, ftylufve fcriptoris 
 “ pollulato. 
 
 2. “ Omnis emendatio lingua; ingenio, 
 “ aut fcriptoris llylo, confentanea ello. 
 
 3. “ Ratio depravationis, fi fieri potell, 
 “ redditor. 
 
 4. “ Nc 
 
( 3 6 7 ) 
 
 4. u Ne ulla emendatio aledione veterum 
 “ codicum nimium recedito. 
 
 7. 11 De omnibus in notis monere liceto; 
 
 “ & nulla nifi manifefta, aut ex Mfs. codd. 
 
 “ haufta leftio, in textum orationis inferior.” 
 
 Ib . P. iii. S. i, c. xvi. 
 
 “ Emendationes ex conjedura petitae, ficut 
 “ non temere unquam admittendae ita nec 
 ** temere rejicienda funt*” 
 
 « Si modis omnibus, et omnibus auxiliis 
 « adhibitis, curandum eft ut habeatur editio 
 “ emendatiffima N. T. etiam illud fubfidium, 
 « quod ab ingenio dodorum virorum peti 
 “ poteft, ficut in omnibus aliis codicibus 
 “ citra cdntroverfiam rede & prseclare adhi- 
 « bitum fuit, ita neque in facris codicibus 
 « omittendum, nedum omnino damnandum, 
 « videtur.-Qui haec admittere recufant, 
 
 « tenentur a priori probare, fieri non potuiffe 
 
 “ ut 
 
( 3^8 ) 
 
 “ ut in editiones N. T. aliquod mendum 
 “ irreperet, quod ope codicum Mfs. tolli 
 “ non poffit ; quam probationem cupide 
 “ equidem expedtamus.” 
 
 WetJIenii Nov . 7 ^/?. FoL ii. 854. 
 
 “ Emendationis ultimum fontem habemus 
 “ Artem ipfam Criticam, ficubi Mfs. 
 “ codices nihil opis afferunt, certa via & 
 
 “ ratione utendam.-Prima cautio. Emen- 
 
 “ dationes fadtas ne inferantur in contextual 
 “ facrurn. 2. Emendationes ne plures 
 “ fiant, quam neceffitas ipfa coget, 3. Ad 
 “ criticam facrarn ne quis accedat, niii 
 “ Hebraicas linguas indolem diligenter in- 
 “ fpexerit. 4. Ne quis criticas facrae curam 
 “ libi affumat, nili non mode Hebraicam 
 “ linguam, fed csteras etiam linguas ex 
 4< Hebraica natas, fatis diligenter addidi- 
 “ ceril.” 
 
 Houbiganii Prolog, in EibL Hebr . 
 cxxvii &c. 
 
 a 
 
 There 
 
( 3 6 9 ) 
 
 “ There is fcope enough for—the im- 
 “ provement of facred literature : efpecially 
 “ if proper hands were employed in doing 
 “ the fame good office for the Hebrew bible 
 “ as hath been done for the Greek Tefta- 
 (i ment ; I mean in mending the text a little, 
 “ by confulting the moil ancient manufcripts 
 
 “ and veriions.” ' 
 
 * *■ a* ’ '* 5 
 
 ^Taylor to Hebr. L*o?2C. Scfct* iv. 
 
 <c The condition of the Hebrew text is 
 “ fuch as, from the nature of the thing, 
 “ the antiquity of the writings themfelves, 
 “ the want of due care, or critical fkill, 
 « (in which latter at leaft the Jews have 
 “ been exceedingly deficient,) might in all 
 « reafon have been expedted: the miftakes 
 (< are frequent, and of various kinds ; of 
 i( letters, words, and fentences; by variation, 
 “ omiffion, tranfpofition ; hich as often 
 injure the beauty and elegance, embarrais 
 
 B b " the 
 
I 
 
 ( 37 ° ) 
 
 ** the conftrudtion, alter or obfcure the fenfe, 
 ** and fometimes render it quite unintel- 
 ** ligible/' 
 
 Lowth . Pref> to Ifai . lix„ 
 
 f • t - • * 
 
 m .• k >. v.'-' ‘ y ■ . 1 . j 
 
 “ A change of one of the fimilar Hebrew 
 ie letters for the other, when it remarkably 
 “ clears up jthe fenfe, may be fairly 
 ** allowed to criticifm, even without any 
 <rc other authority than that of the context 
 u to fupport it.” 
 
 - r , N 
 
 lb. Iviii. 
 
 “ If the tranilation Ihould fometimes 
 “ appear to be merely conjectural, I defire 
 “ the reader to confider the exigence of the 
 “ cafe ■, and to judge whether it is not better, 
 “ in a very obfcure and doubtful paifage, to give 
 " fomething probable by way of fupplement 
 " to the author’s fenfe apparently defective, 
 
 “ than 
 
( 37 l ) 
 
 “ than either to leave a blank in the tranfla- 
 “ tion, or to give a merely verbal rendering, 
 
 « which would be altogether unintelligible. 
 
 “ I believe that every tranflator whatever, 
 
 “ of any part of the Old Teftament, has 
 “ fometimes taken the liberty, or rather has 
 “ found himfelf under the neceffity, of of- 
 “ fering fuch renderings, as, if examined, 
 
 “ will be found to be merely conjedtuiaL 
 <e But I defire to be underftood as offering 
 “ this apology in behalf only of tranflations 
 “ defigned for the private ufe of the reader ; 
 
 <c not as extended, without proper limitati- 
 ons, to thofe that are made for the public 
 “ fervice of the church. 
 
 3 . lxxiii. See alfo p. Ixiv. 
 
 i 
 
 The fame excellent critic, after making a 
 conjectural emendation of Ifai. Ixiv. 5> adds . 
 “ This, it may be faid, is impofing your 
 “ fenfe on the prophet. It may be fo: for per- 
 “ haps thefe may not be the very words of 
 
( 37 2 ) 
 
 u the prophet: but however it is better than 
 “ to impofe upon him what makes no fenfe 
 “ at all; as they generally do, who pretend 
 to render fuch corrupt parages.” 
 
 14< Verbum j'a'n aujler decurtatur in es'r? 
 “ Occident, in pf. 107. 3: nam nullus lane 
 “ auftor, nedum afflatu ufus divino, feribere 
 potuit—ab oriente & occidente , a fepten- 
 44 trione & occidente Hinc perfpicias velim, 
 44 quantopere conducat, vel potius quam 
 “ necefie fit, textum noftrum aliquando ex 
 “ conjeftura fola corrigere; quia hie deferi- 
 44 mur omnino a manuferiptis Hebrafis aeque 
 “ ac verfionibus antiquis.” 
 
 Kennicott Dijf. Gen. BibL llebr. §.26, 
 
 “ Ad auftores verfionis Anglicanas quod 
 44 attinet: multa exempla probant eos non 
 “ Temper vertifle quod in Hebraico inve- 
 44 nerant, fed quod ibi legi oportere puta- 
 
 bant : 
 
 £C 
 
( 373 ) 
 
 €< 
 
 4 < 
 
 (€ 
 
 it, 
 
 C( 
 
 cc 
 
 (( 
 
 ft 
 
 it 
 
 St 
 
 it 
 
 a 
 
 bant: adeo ut in ea fuerint opinione, 
 textum HebraBum fepe corruptum efle. ,5> 
 
 •s 
 
 lb. §. 50 . 
 
 <c It is manifeft, fays Profeflor J. D. 
 Michaelis, that in fome of the Minor 
 Prophets the text has been fent down to 
 us in very faulty copies; fo very faulty, that 
 the true reading of feveral paffages is want¬ 
 ing in the MSS. and ancient verfions, and 
 that conjectural criticifm is necelfary.” 
 
 Bibl. Orient . et Exeget. Part xxL 
 Communicated by Dr . Woide „ 
 
 “ When the corruptions of the text 
 cannot be removed, either by the collation 
 
 t 
 
 of MSS. or the aid of verfions, internal 
 analogy, or external teftiinony ; the laffc 
 refource is conjectural criticifm.’* 
 
 c< The 
 
1 
 
 ( 
 
 ( 374 ) 
 
 “ The following canons are not limited 
 “ to conjedtural criticifm ; but extend to 
 “ every other fource of emendation. 
 
 I. “ Never fuppofe that the text is cor- 
 “ rupted, without the moll cogent and con- 
 “ vincing reafons. 
 
 ■ recourfe to conjedtural 
 €c C1 *hicifm, until every other fource has been 
 “ tried and exhaufted. 
 
 • • •• ; if . .. r 
 
 III. Let all corredtions be conliftent 
 “ the text, and with one another, 
 
 ■ ' ■ . • » ' . r <; 
 
 / ' 
 
 \ 
 
 IV. “ Infert no corredtion, however 
 “ plaulible or even certain, in the text, 
 “ without warning the reader, and dif- 
 “ tinguifhing it by a proper note. 
 
 Thefe canons ftridtly adhered to, and 
 
 difcreetly ufed, we lee no danger in cor- 
 
 , “ redling 
 
( 375 ) 
 
 “ reding the Hebrew text. Nay, until it 
 ** be thus correded, we (hall never have a 
 “ good tranflation * of it.” 
 
 \ 
 
 Three curious indances of amending the 
 
 ■ » / * - 
 
 Hebrew text are dated by Bifhop Lowth 
 in his preliminary differtation to Ifaiah, p. 
 xxxix. xl. 
 
 / 
 
 I (hall fugged two other examples. We 
 read. Numb. xvi. i, 2, Now Korah &c. took 
 men ; &c. “ But, fays f Dr. Kennicott, 
 
 “ fo material a word as that in Italics cannot 
 “ be underdood: and indeed the whole turn 
 ** of the verfe calls for a different condrudi- 
 €t on.” He therefore thinks that the 
 hidorian ufes the word npb in the meta- 
 
 * See Dr. Geddes’s Profpe&us. 55, 60: and what Dr. 
 Campbell has advanced againft him. The four Gofpelj 
 kc, i. 647. 
 
 f See Remarks on felcd paflages &c. 58. 
 
 phorical 
 
• ( 37 6 ) 
 
 phorical lenfe of alluring, winning, or gain- 
 ing by perfuaf on, becaufe Solomon has twice 
 uled it thus in the book of Proverbs: and, 
 by another unnatural rendering of the con¬ 
 junctive particle, he puts this fenfe on- 
 
 the paflage : Now Korah- won over both 
 
 Dathan and Abiram. But if we read tap 
 the change of ri into & is a very flight one, 
 and the conftruction is eafy and common, 
 i. Then rofe up Korah &c. 2. they rofe up 
 before Mofes &c. See Jer. xxxix. 13, 14. 
 
 Dr. Henry Owen has fomewhere obferved 
 in his curious and ufeful tracts, that the line 
 on which Copyifts wrote may be one caufe 
 of errors in tranferibing. The lower hori¬ 
 zontal ftroke of a letter may be omitted, the 
 writer fuppofing that it was the Kne; or it 
 may be added, the writer fuppofing that it 
 was not the line. 
 
 Ifai. 
 
( 377 ) 
 
 Ifai.x. 15, yr ah always appeared to me a 
 very harfh mode of expreffion ; nor can I per- 
 fuade myfelf that the examples produced by 
 Bifhop Lowth in explanation of it are ap- 
 pofite ones. I therefore conje&ure imA pre- 
 hendenti. Let the reader obferve the form 
 of the whole pafiage : 
 
 “ Shall the ax boaft itfelf againft him that 
 “ heweth therewith ? 
 
 “ Shall the faw magnify itfelf againft 
 “ him that fhaketh it ? 
 
 “ As if the rod fhould fhake itfelf againft * 
 
 ‘ him that lifteth it up : 
 
 t€ As if the ftaff ftiould lift itfelf up 
 t€ againft him that holdeth it” 
 
 • ’ V 
 
 Let the reader alfo recoiled Dr. Owen’s *f* 
 remark, that “ the ancient tranfcribers of 
 
 * So Syr. Vulg. 8 MSS. 
 
 f Brief account of the Septuagint verfion. 53. 
 
 “ fcripture 
 
( 37 & ) 
 
 “ fcripture did not attend fo mueh to the 
 “ orthography of words, as to their found or 
 
 “ pronunciation.-Sounding the words 
 
 “ before they wrote them, they followed 
 “ rather their ear than their eye.” 
 
 o 
 
 In printing the beft edition of a correfhed 
 verfion, it is propofed that the references to 
 parallel places fhould be ranged at the foot 
 of the page ; that fupplemental words be 
 diftinguifhed by Italics that different in¬ 
 terpretations of obfeure places, and literal 
 renderings of Hebraifms and Grecifms, 
 fhould be occafionally given in the margin ; 
 that fpeeches fhould be marked with inverted 
 commas, at leafl fuch as are fuddenly and 
 abruptly introduced, and fuch as may eafily 
 be confounded with the narration ; that the 
 paragraphs fhould be accurately divided ac¬ 
 cording to the fenfe, and fhould confifl: of 
 larger ones marked f, and of fmaller 
 marked fs that the contents, briefly com¬ 
 prehending the critical fenfe of the writer, 
 
 fhould 
 
( 379 ) 
 
 fhould be prefixed to each larger paragraph ; 
 that the chapters fhould be numbered in 
 the margin, and the verfes, either in the 
 margin, or by a fmall figure over the line, 
 as in the Louvre edition of the Greek Telia- 
 ment: that there fhould be different * 
 
 * • ~ * r* 
 
 marks for various readings adopted in the 
 tranflation, denoting (i) whether they 
 are founded on the ancient verfions and 
 paraphrafes, (2) on MSS. including the 
 Samaritan, { 3 ) on both thefe authorities, 
 or (4) on conje&ure only and that a large 
 explanatory index of difficult terms through¬ 
 out their feveral claffes fhould be fub- 
 
 -; *■ •A * * » ** •* f f * * f f > ’ 
 
 joined, together with an accented table 
 of proper names and a table alfo of the 
 facred books in their *f chronological order $ 
 according to which order it is my opinion 
 that they ffiould be read in churches. 
 
 1 
 
 * See Griefbach’s N. T. 
 
 / * 
 
 • ' 1 
 
 f See Dr. Wairs preface to his critical notes on the Old 
 Teftament. p. lix. 8 vo. 1734* 
 
 As 
 
( 3 So ) 
 
 As too much deliberation cannot be ufed 
 in a work of fuch magnitude, it is advifable 
 that a large impreffion of the corrected 
 verfion fhould precede what is to receive the 
 
 , fandtion of authority ; in order to enrich the 
 
 % 
 
 final edition, in a ftill greater degree, by the 
 joint emendations and improvements of bi¬ 
 blical fcholars at home and abroad. 
 
 I truft that thefe rules have obviated fome 
 objections to undertaking an amended ver¬ 
 fion ; as, according to them, fuch a verfion 
 would be as fimple, natural, and majeftic, 
 as beautiful, affedting, and fublime, as that 
 in prefent ufe ; with the additional recom¬ 
 mendation of being more pure, exadt, and 
 intelligible. It is true that nothing of this 
 kind can be executed ^ without temporary 
 offence to the prejudiced and ignorant. But 
 the opinion of thefe will be foon outweighed 
 by the judgement of the reafonable and well- 
 informed. The publication of Erafmus’s * 
 
 * See Lewis. Fol. 14. 
 
 Greek 
 
( 3 Sl ) 
 
 Greek Teftament in England, the early 
 tranflations of the bible into our native 
 tongue, nay, the Reformation, and even 
 Chriftianity itfelf, gave rude {hocks to 
 popular prepofleffion : over which Truth and 
 Right, conduced by Prudence, muft always 
 gain a final triumph. The real queftion 
 before us amounts to this ; whether we {hall 
 fupply Chriftian readers and Chriftian con¬ 
 gregations with new and ample means of 
 inftrudion and pleafure, by enabling them 
 to underftand their bible better : and let all 
 thofe who can promote a work of fuch moment 
 confider this qucilion with due fenoufnels 
 and attention. 
 
 F I N l S. 
 

 
 
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• / 
 
 LIST 
 
 OF 
 
 VARIOUS EDITIONS 
 
 OS 
 
 THE BIBLE, 
 
 s ‘ t 
 
 AND 
 
 PARTS THEREOF, 
 IN ENGLISH 
 From the Year 1526 to 1776. 
 
 A Manuscript List of Englijb BIBLES, copied from one compiled 
 by the late Mr. Jofeph Ames , prefented to the Lambeth- Library 
 by Dr. Gifford , hath furniihed fome Part of this 
 Publication : later Difcoveries of feveral Learned 
 Gentlemen have fupplied the reft. 
 
 I . ' 
 
 FIRST PRINTED: LONDON : 
 
 MDCCLXXVIII. 
 

 
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A 
 
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 OS' 
 
 VARIOUS EDITIONS OF THE BIBLE 
 
 N. T. tranflated 
 by William Tin- 
 dale 
 N. T. Ditto 
 
 N. T. Ditto 
 
 N. T. Ditto 
 
 Pentateuch, Ditto 
 
 Ifaye tranflated by 
 Geo. Joye 
 N. T, tranflated 
 by Tindale, and 
 corre< 5 ted by 
 George Joye 
 Pentateuch, tran¬ 
 flated by Tin- 
 dale • 
 
 [Antwerp,] 
 
 In the Pofieffionof 
 about 1526 12 0 Dr. Gifford. 
 
 J Malborow 
 
 about 1527 12 0 
 
 5 ° 
 
 153O 12° 
 
 12 ^ 
 
 ( Emanuel College, 
 1528 or 29 1 2 ^ Cambridge. 
 
 iiviaioorow \ Mr. Tutet, 
 
 \m the'Land HansLuft 15 3° 12 ) Dr. Gifford. 
 
 3 of Heile, L 
 
 'I , Beckenetb, 0 Dr. Gifford. 
 
 iStrazburg, Ra , thaffar . 12 
 
 Balthaffar 
 Widow of 
 
 Widow of r st. Paul’s Library, 
 
 Chrillophall 17 o) ] 0 rd Pembroke, 
 
 Antwerp, ofEndh F 0¥en "434 « | Giffwd . 
 
 1534 12° Dr. Gifford. 
 
 C c 
 
 Jeremy 
 
( 388 ) 
 
 Jeremy* the Pro- 
 phete, with the 
 Song of Mofes, 
 ^ranllat^tl by 
 George Joy* 
 
 n 
 
 O V 
 
 In the Poffeffion o t 
 f Puhlick Library, 
 
 IntheMonetheofMay, 1534 8°< Cambridge. 
 
 f Mr. Herbert. 
 
 f Dr. Gifford. ‘ 
 about 1534 4°s Imperfed, the 
 
 f Date wanting. 
 
 N. T. Tindale’s 
 
 N. T. Tindale* 
 his Second £d 
 
 tion, with a V Antwerp, Martin Em- 
 Preface againlt ( perowre, *534 12 
 
 Joye J 
 
 N T. Tindale’s; 
 
 a repeated or 
 furreptitious 
 Edition of the 
 preceding 
 
 B. by Myles Co- 
 verdale 
 
 N. T. Tindale’s 
 
 N. T. TinJale's 
 
 12 
 
 Dr. Gifford. 
 Britifh Mufeum. 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 'Britifh Mufeum, 
 Dr. Gifford, 
 
 Mr. Tutet. 
 
 .Mr. Herbert. 
 
 
 { All Souls Coll. 
 Publ. Libr. Camb. 
 Sion College, 
 
 Dr. Gifford, . 
 Britifh Mufeum. 
 
 C Dr. Gifford, 
 
 his3dandlaff Edition, 1536 12 0 { Ed. Jacob, Efq; 
 
 Publ. Libr. Camb. 
 Rob. Child, Efqj 
 Dr. Gifford, 
 
 Britifh Mufeum, 
 Mr. Tutet, 
 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 Lambeth Library, 
 E. of Pembroke, 
 
 1536 4 ' 
 
 At the ex- 
 pence off 
 
 B. by' Thomas ] 
 
 Matthewe. I M . AV , 11Jiyj 
 
 [Partly T in- > [Abroad] Rich. Graf- 1537 fol. J Dr. Gifford, 
 dale’s and part- 1 ton and Ed. 
 
 ly Coyerdale’s] Whitchurch, 
 
 B. Ditto Southwark, Jas. Nicol- 
 
 l'on, 1537 
 
 The Prophete Jonas ' about 1538 
 
 N. T. Lat. und"j 
 Eng. the Latin / 
 
 Erafmus’s, the > London, Rbt.Redman, 
 
 Englifh Mat- 1 
 
 4 ° 
 
 Mr. Tutet*, 
 Bodleian, Library, 
 Britifh Mufeum. 
 
 thewe’s 
 
 
 1 \ , 
 
 * Mr Tutet’s Copy is that mentioned by Lewis, p. 47. remarkable for the 
 Forgery in Romans I. I. Paul an Kneawe of jefus Chriil. 
 
 N.T. 
 
( 3 S 9 ) 
 
 N. T. Lat. and y 
 
 Eng. the Latin / FrauncesRegnault 
 
 after the Yul- > Paris,for Ruh. Grafton 1538 8° 
 
 gate, the Eng. i andE.Whitchurch, 
 
 ♦ Coverdale’s J 
 
 N. T- Ditto by \ T , 0 
 
 Coverdalc \ London < ‘« 8 
 
 The Pyllles and— 
 
 Gofpels for every / 
 
 Sonday and Ho: v r Paris, 1538 8° 
 
 Dayein the Y ert \ 
 
 N. *T. Lat. and 
 
 Eng. after the ! Southwark, Jas. Nicol- 
 "Vulgate, by Jo- v> fon, 1538 
 
 han Hollvbufhe, 
 
 # j » 
 
 7. e. Coverdale. 
 
 In the Poffeffion of 
 Dr. Gifford. 
 
 8° Mr. Herbert, 
 
 Mr. Herbert, 
 
 f All ioouls ColL 
 , o < Trinity Coll Cara, 
 f Robert Child, Efq* 
 
 N. T. Tindale’s Antwerp, Mat. Cromer, 1538 12 Q 
 
 1 
 
 1. about 1538 fol. 
 
 Dr. Gifford. 
 
 B. by Matthewe, y 
 reprinted from / 
 the Edition ofs 
 1537, with fome ( 
 Difference J 
 Ditto Ditto 
 
 1539 12' 
 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 , All Souls Coll, 
 j St. John's Coll. 
 
 B. Cranmer’s 01 f London, and Ed. Whit- 1539 fol. ) Ci ^k nd £ e > 
 the Great B. ( church. April, 
 
 Rich. Grafton 
 
 B. Ditto 
 
 f , A 
 
 B. by R ichard Ta 
 vernev; an E *i- 
 tion of the great 
 B. 
 
 B. Ditto, 
 
 B. Ditto, 
 
 Ditto, Ed. Whitchurch, 
 
 Britilh Mufeura. 
 fol. ) Marquis of Rack- 
 l ingham. 
 f Publ. Libr. Cam. 
 
 IJttto i° hn pyJeH for foI ) Dr . Gilford, 
 
 UilLO Xhos.Barthelett, ^ r 
 
 1 » • ■ v ' s * 
 
 Ditto, Ditto, 1539 4 ° 
 
 Ditto, R. WhytchUr-he, 1540 foi. 
 
 N. B Some Copies 
 have “Rich. Graf- 
 “ ton,” others are 
 dared “ Apryll 
 1540,” and again 
 others “ May 
 JS 4 1 * 
 
 ^ Britifn Mufeura. 
 
 r P.ubl. Libr. Cam. 
 j Sion College, 
 i ( \ Dr. Gifford, 
 
 j Lambeth Libraiy, 
 v Mr. fie 1 bert- 
 
 C c 2 
 
 The 
 
( 39° ) 
 
 In the PofTefiioii of 
 
 >London, Rd. Bankes, 1540 4 0 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 The Epi files and 
 Gofpells, with 
 Poitilles or Ho 
 miles thereupon 
 by divers learn 
 ed Men, recog¬ 
 nized and aug¬ 
 mented by Ri¬ 
 chard Taverner 
 Ditto 
 N. T. tranhated 1 
 
 from the Latin >Ditto, R. Grafton, and j . 
 of Erafmns ) J. Whitchurche, 
 
 N. T. Unknown 
 
 Tranllation 
 
 nn ^ 
 
 no date Mr. Herbert. 
 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 See Ames, p. 499. 
 
 B. Cranmer’s 
 
 Thos. Petyt and 
 
 Ditto R. Redman for 1540 fol. 
 Thos. Berthelet, 
 
 B* Overfene by"\ 
 
 Cuthbert I 
 
 fTonftall] Bi- f r _ . 
 
 fhop of Durefm > Ditto Rich. Grafton, 1541 fol. 
 
 and Nicholas l 
 [Heath] Bifii. \ 
 of Ro> hefter J 
 
 B. Another Edi- j Ditto,E.Whitchurche, 1541 fol. 
 
 tion 3 
 
 B. of Kg. Hen. 8. 
 two Copies dif¬ 
 ferent. Black 
 Letter and im¬ 
 perfect 
 
 Pentateuch Ditto, ^ ! 544 - I2 ° 
 
 N. T. according] _ . , _ r , 0 
 
 to the great B $ D,tt0 - R,ch -Grafton, .546 
 
 N. T. Latin and J 
 
 Englifh. the La- >Ditto, Wm. Powell, 1547 4 ° 
 tin Erafuius’s . ) 
 
 N. T. Tindale's Ditto, Thos. Pertyt, 1548 4 
 
 -Britifil Mufeum. 
 Emanuel College, 
 Cambridge. 
 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 Bodleian Library, 
 
 John Loveday,Efq. 
 
 fol. Lambeth Library. 
 
 Dr. Gifford. 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 N. T. Ditto 
 
 tv T. Pettyt for no 
 Ditto, x>Bert i ielet> date 16 
 
 N. T. 
 
I 
 
 ( 39 1 ) 
 
 N; T. Tin dale’s/ 
 
 with the Notes /j^ 0n( j John Day and t % x $o 
 of Thomas Mat- f W. Seres 
 
 In thePoffefiionot 
 Eton College. 
 
 thevve 
 
 N. T. Tindale’s 
 N. T. 
 
 N. T. with the j 
 
 Ditto, 
 
 Richard 
 
 Jogge, 
 
 1548 24 0 
 
 T. Daye and Q „ o 
 Dltt0 - W. Seres, 1548 4 
 
 Paniphraje ot j Is. Whit- vol. i. 1548 s i tv. Gifford 
 
 Erafmos ; pub- > Ditto, church V0 ). U . , 549 foh Ur ' Oltlord - 
 
 lifhed by Ni- \ 
 
 ■ pup- / 
 
 by Ni- I 
 cholas Udali. 
 
 N *Eng. th^ Latin |Ditto, Wm. Powell, 1549 4 ° Edvv. Jacob, Efq* 
 
 B E reprTmed from J Ditto, E. Whitchurche, 1549 foL \ Dr.Gifford. 
 the Edition ofV OtherCop.es have 1 Bodleian Library. 
 
 } “ Rich. Grafton.” 
 
 The Fyve Bolter of J / , 0 
 
 Solomon,' with f Ditto, Ditto, Ditto, li” Ditto. 
 
 thb Story of Bel ) 
 
 Ditto 
 
 B. by Marthewe, 
 reprinted from 
 the Edition of 
 1537, v\ith fome 
 Alterations,and 
 publifned byEd- 
 mund Becke 
 
 B. T averner’s 
 
 Ditto W 5 rll j am Bo ”~Ditto, Ditto. 
 
 > ham, 
 
 f Publ. Libr. Cam*i, 
 
 Ditto Thos.Rayno d fol ) Dr . Gifford. 
 
 Dltt0 ’ andWm.Hyll, 1549 \ M r. Herbert. 
 
 Ditto, 
 
 N. T. Tindale’s,] 
 
 w rh the Notes > Ditto, 
 of Matthewe ) 
 
 N. T. Coverdale’s Ditto, 
 
 B. Tindale’s 
 
 All Souls Coll, 
 t Publ.Libr. Camb. 
 
 J. Day and 1549 fol. \ Sion College, 
 
 W. Seres, J ]yi r ^ Herbert, 
 
 L Sir. J. Hawkins, 
 
 John Day, 1549 ,6 ° 
 
 Wm. Tilly, 1549 4° Dr. Gifford. 
 
 Apocripha 
 N. T. Tindale’s 
 
 JSL T. Ditto 
 
 Di«o, V D Se y re:; d «« 12 
 
 Ditto, Ditto, 
 
 W. Seres, 1549 
 
 Ditto, 
 
 J 549 12 ^ Britifh Mufenu 
 8 ° 
 
 C Dr. Gifford. 
 
 Ditto, W. Copland, *549 ,A £ Mr. Cratherode. 
 
 N. T, 
 
( 39 ^ ) 
 
 N* T. Bond. John Cawood, 1549 4° 
 
 B„ Ditto, Ditto, 1549 4° 
 
 Ditto ' Ditto, Rich.Grafton, 1549 4 ° 
 
 The Canticles, or 
 Bulades of So- f 
 
 lorn on, in Eng- f ( 
 
 lyfh Me re, by ( Ditto, Wm. Baldwin, 1549 4 ° { 
 
 William Bald- \ 
 win 
 
 N. T. TyndaleT Ditto, ^ hn ^’ y and 1*50 ia° 
 
 J ’ Wm. beres, “ 
 
 N, T. Latin and) Tho Gaultier, 
 
 Englifh, Eraf ^Ditto, forl.C i.e. Sir 1550 8° 
 
 jnus’s J J°hn Cheeke, 
 
 N, T. Coverdale* 
 B. CoverdaIe f $ 
 
 B» CoverdaIefs 
 
 N. T. CoverdaIefs 
 
 N. T. 
 
 The Thyrd e Bo k es 
 of the Macha- 
 hees r of found 
 in the Hebrew 
 Canon,bu ttrnnf- 
 lated out ol the 
 Greke into Latin 
 
 Ditto 
 
 The Fyve Bokes‘ 
 of Salomon and 
 of Jefus • the 
 Sonne of Syrach, 
 
 Ditto, Reynolde Wolfe 1550 8° | 
 
 Ditto No Title, 1550 fol. 
 Ditto, for And. Helter, 1550 4 0 
 
 In f553*a new Ti- | A 
 tie -was added 
 with that Date, 
 and the Name of 
 Richard jugge.. 
 
 No Place, NoNann, 1550 16 0 
 Worfeter, J.vjfwan, 
 
 * 12 January, 1550 4 0 
 
 Lend. Gualter Lynne, 1550 4 : 
 
 Ditto, Ditto, 1 55° I2 ' 
 Ditto, Wm. Copland, « 55 ° 52 
 
 In the Poffeflion of 
 Dr. Gifford. 
 
 Lan betfi Library., 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 Lambeth Library, 
 Dr. Gifford, 
 
 Mr. Turer, 
 
 Mr. Herbert, 
 Bntilh Mufeum. 
 
 Lamheth Library, 
 John Thorpe, Efqj 
 
 Lambeth Library. 
 Edw. Jacob, Efqj 
 Britifh Mufeum, 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 Bodleian Library, 
 Dr. Gifford. 
 
 All Souls Coll. 
 
 Britifh Mufeum. 
 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 B. Matthewe’s, 
 
( 
 
 ) 
 
 B. Matthew e’s, 
 
 with fome Va- ^Lond. 
 riation 
 
 B. Matthewe’s, 
 with an addition 
 of tiie 3d Book ^ Ditto, 
 of The Macca¬ 
 bees by Edmond 
 Becke 
 
 B. Matihewe’s 
 
 In the PoffeiTion. $$ 
 
 T r t-x r, $ Britilh Mufeurn, 
 
 johu Daye, .551 ]_ M r. Herbert. 
 
 John Daye, 1551 foL S:r John Hawkir*, 
 
 Ditto 
 
 Ditto, 
 
 Ditto, Nic. Dv!l for 
 
 Pentateuch, 
 
 Tyndale’s 
 
 N. T, 
 
 | Ditto, 
 
 Certayne Chap¬ 
 ters of the Pro¬ 
 verbs of Salo¬ 
 mon, drawen 
 into Metre by 
 Tho. Sterne- 
 holde 
 
 B. the Great B f 
 The 14 fii ft Chap¬ 
 ters of the A£tes 
 of the Apoliles, 
 trunflated into 
 Engtyfhe Metre 
 
 Ditto, 1551 12° r ^ , 
 
 pThnir Ch. Cant, 
 
 1 <a foi \ Dr. Gifford, 
 
 Rob. Pay, dLamb^th Library, 
 
 N. B. Different C All >-ou!s Coll, 
 
 Copies have the 
 Names of dif¬ 
 ferent Printers 
 gk Book fellers, 
 
 John Day, 1 55 1 i3 ° BritifliMufeum* 
 
 ( Dr. Gifford, 
 
 Ditto, Richard Jugge, 155a 4°^ Lambeth Library, 
 
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 by P. Doddridge 3 
 
 BW ated 1 Author > 
 
 In the PofTeffion of 
 I 7+ S 8° Mr. Herbert. 
 
 ■J 759 4 ° Mr. ^ er ^ ert * 
 
 Ditto, 
 
 N. T. byFr. Pox 
 N. T. with air In- *7 
 
 terpretation by S Ditto, a vol. 1748 and 
 John Heylyn \ 
 
 N. T. Rhemifh No Place, 
 
 B. Rhemifh, a new ) r , , 
 
 Trandatron \ LOTd ' + voU 
 
 N T. Rhemifh Ditto, 
 
 N. T*. with Notes 7 ,, 
 
 by John Wefley ( D!tt0 > VV. Bowyer, 
 
 1746 4 0 Mr. Tutet. 
 T. Bafket, 1748 8° 
 
 B 
 
 with Notes by 7 ,, 
 
 Sam. Clarke ' > Ditto, J. 1 ulle, 
 
 B. tranflated by 3 
 
 AnthonyPurver, ( Ditto, 
 2 vol. - 
 
 3 
 
 N. T. tranflated by ^ 
 
 Ric. Wynne, A. (.Ditto, Dodfley, 2 vol. 
 M. \ 
 
 N. T. tranflated by 
 
 Phil. Doddridge \ Ditto, 1 v0 ' 
 
 The Song of Solo¬ 
 mon, newly tranf¬ 
 lated (in Profe) 
 
 from the original l R . Dodn 
 
 Hebrew; with a | * J 
 
 Commentary and 
 Annotations 
 B. with Notes, by 7 
 
 Sam. Clark \ Glafgow, 
 
 N- T. Liberal-^ 
 
 Tranflation °MT nnt i 
 byE. Harwood, f L0n<1, 
 
 % vol. 3 
 
 1761 4 0 
 1750 8° 
 
 1750 8° Mr. Herbert. 
 
 1753 8° Mr. Herbert, 
 x 755 4° Mr. Herbert. 
 
 1760 fol. Mr. Herbert. 
 
 , r . C Lambeth Library, 
 
 ■ 764 1 AI1 Souls Coll. ' 
 
 / ' » ' • ' 
 
 1764 8° 
 
 ■' > I 7 
 
 C Lambeth Library, 
 
 1765 8° | re p e ated Edition. 
 
 1764 8° Tho. A file, Efcj; 
 
 1765 fol. 
 
 1768 8° Lambeth Library 
 
( 4°6 ) 
 
 B. with new mar- 7 ^ r , 
 ginal References } x or * 
 
 In the PoiTeffion of 
 
 1769 fol. 
 
 B. with Annotati- 
 
 ons } Birmingham, B ^ e r ' 1772 foU 
 
 Book of Job tranf- 'j 
 t I -1 lated into Eng- / 
 
 lifh Yerfe, with t London, Buckland, 1773 8° 
 
 7 '■*r~ Not es, By Tho. I 
 *.. , , .Scott, 2d edit- J 
 B. Heb. and Eng. } 
 
 with Notes bv > D i tt0 Cox and Biggs, go R ev . W. Tooke. 
 
 Dr. Bailey ' ) ’ 4 vol. 
 
 Tranflatiou of St 
 * Paul’s iftEpiftle / 
 
 "T\| to the Corinthi- > Ditto, T. Cadell, 1 77 ^ 4 
 ans, by Bifhop 1 
 Pearce, 2 vol. J 
 
 N. B f There are extant in many Libraries various imperfect Copies of the 
 Old and New Teftament; which being carefully collated, fome of them maybe 
 found of different Editions from any in this Lift. 
 
 
 SUPPLEMENT. 
 
( 4 °7 ) 
 
 SUPPLEMEN 
 
 T. 
 
 Joel, Tranflated, ^ 
 
 with notes, by Dr. Condon, J- Noon. 1735 4° 
 
 Sam. Chandler V 
 The epiitle to the ^ 
 
 Romans. Byjn. (.Ditto, Waugh. 1747 4 0 
 
 Taylor, ad. edi. \ 
 
 The laft words of-^ 
 
 David, with notes. / 
 
 Tranflated, by R.r Dltt0 > Bowyer. 1749 4° 
 
 Grey j 
 
 * Solomon’s fong. \ 
 
 Tranflated. C Millar. 1751 
 
 Anonymous \ 
 
 The book of Job.-^ 
 
 Tranflated with/ Dkt0 Ditt0 . 1756 4 o 
 
 notes, by Thos. f 
 Heath J 
 
 Ecclefiaftes.Tranf-T 
 
 lated with notes t Loud HawkUls . ,760 4” 
 by A. V. Def-l 
 voeux J 
 
 The prophecies of- 
 Jacob and Mofes 
 Tranflated, with l. Oxford, 
 notes, byD. Du- 
 rell 
 
 The 3 firft chapters 
 ofGenefis. Tranf- / Loiadon, 
 lated, with notes, f 
 by Abr. Dawfon j 
 The fourth & fifth - ) 
 chapters of Ge- I 
 nefis. Tranflat- > Dltt0 > 
 ed, with notes, \ 
 by Abr. Dawfon J 
 J-The Pentateuch, 
 
 Jofhua, Judges, 
 
 four books of ^ it? 
 
 Kings. Tranf¬ 
 lated by Julius 
 Bates. 
 
 The fifty-fecond &r 
 fifty-third chap¬ 
 ters of Ifaiah. 
 
 Tranflated, with 
 notes, by Wm. 
 
 Green. 
 
 Clarendon 
 
 Prefs. 
 
 1763 4« 
 
 Field. 1765 4 r 
 
 Cadell. 1772 4 C 
 
 773 
 
 Cambridge, 
 
 dtacoo . 1 ” 6 
 
 \ / 
 
 * Dr. Geddes’s letter to the Biihop of London. 4 to. 1787- P- 
 
 f Dr. Geddes’s Profpe&us p. 96 
 
 MANUSCRIPTS. 
 
( 4° 8 ) 
 
 - v«' 
 
 MANUSCRIPTS. 
 
 £ The gofpelof St. 
 Matthew *, the 
 two Jaft verfes 
 wanting •, and 
 twenty verfes of 
 St. Marl?. 
 Tranllatedby Sir 
 John Cheke. 
 
 + All the OldN 
 Teitament; and I 
 of the New, the 
 four firft chap¬ 
 ters of St. John’s 
 ' gofpel,Romans, 
 
 5 Cor. St. James, 
 ifl.and 2d. epif- 
 tles of St. Peter, 
 lit. 2d. and 3d, 
 
 • epiltles of St. 
 John, and Reve¬ 
 lation : Trans¬ 
 lated by Ambr. 
 
 , . Ufher, elder 
 Brother of Pri¬ 
 mate Ufher. I 
 With thefe is 1 
 bound a com- 1 
 ment on Phile- 1 
 nion by the fame j 
 author. J 
 
 Library of 
 >Bennet College 
 Cambridge. 
 
 About 1550 
 
 Library 
 of Trinity 
 ^College 
 Dublin. 
 
 \ 
 
 About 1603 
 
 # Lewis. Fol. 46. 8vo. 186; 
 f Lewis. Fol. 87. 8vo. 339. 
 were obligingly communicated 
 Trinity College. 
 
 The particulars relating to the New Teftament 
 by the Rev. Dr. Barrett, a Senior Fellow of 
 
 CONTINUATION. 
 
( 4°9 ) 
 
 CON 
 
 INUATION. 
 
 1779 4< 
 
 / 
 
 Johnfon. 
 
 
 Ifaiah. Tranflated, 
 
 with notes. By > London, Dodfley. 
 
 Bilhop Lowth. 3 
 A harmony of the^ 
 
 17XX j"f London, Johnfon. „8o 
 
 Prieflley 3 
 
 Poetical partsofthe"> 
 
 Old Teftament. I 
 
 Tranflated, with V Cambridge, Dodfley. 1781 
 
 notes, by Wm.l j 
 Green j 
 
 Exodus. Tranllat- 1 
 
 ed, with notes, >London, 
 by W. Hopkins 3 
 Jeremiah. Tranf- 'i 
 
 lated, with notes, > Oxford, 
 by Ben. Blayney 3 
 The Minor ProO 
 phets. |Tranflat- I 
 
 byBifhop New- C London, J. Johnfon. 
 
 come J 
 
 The fong of Solo-T 
 
 mon. Tran flat- L 0x f ord> 
 ed, with notes, V 
 by B. Hodgfon J 
 The fixth and ele- T 
 yen following / 
 chapters of Ge- C Norwich, 
 nefis. Tranflat- ( 
 ed, with notes, V 
 by Abr. Dawfon J 
 
 4 . 2 $ 
 
 1784 4 ( 
 
 Clarendon 
 
 prefs. 
 
 1784 4 0 
 
 Dublin Wm. Jones, ^g^ ^ 
 
 Clarendon 
 
 prefs. 
 
 1786 4' 
 
 Chafe. 1786 4 C 
 
 The firft and fe- 
 cOr.d ep. to the 
 Theflf. Tranf¬ 
 lated, with notes, 
 by Dr. Mack- 
 night 
 Remarks on feledl 
 palfages of the 
 OldTeft. Exod. 
 xi. xv. Deut. 
 xxxii. Numb, 
 xxi. Judges v. 
 a Sam. xxiii. 
 By B. Kennicott 
 
 London, Robinfon. 1787 4 C 
 
 >Oxford, D. Prince. 1787 
 
 T 
 
 V 
 
 
 v. / 
 
 /- 
 
 l 
 
 4 * 
 
 V 
 
 CONTINUATION. 
 
I O N. 
 
 ( 4'o ) 
 
 r** 
 
 C O N T I N U A T 
 Ezekiel. Tranf-O 
 
 ^ lated, with notes, ( Dublin, Wm. Jones, gg 
 by Bifliop New-C London, J. Johnfon.j 
 .... come 3 
 
 Specimen &c. Gen.' 
 i. Exod. xiii. 
 
 xiv. Tranfla- ^ Ditto, Faulder. 1788 4 0 
 ted, with notes, 
 by Al. Geddes 
 Proverbs. Tranf -1 r] , 
 
 ‘ lated, wjjh$CBte4T>Gfcford, . 3re %. ° n 4° 
 
 A&s of the Apof -0 
 
 ""^Vles. Tranflat- ( London, Payne. 1789 8° 
 ed, with notes, by ( 
 
 John Willis 3 
 
 The four gofpels.' 
 
 Tranflated, with £ Ditto, Cadell. *789 4 C 
 
 notes, by Dr. 
 
 Campbell. 2 vol.. 
 
 Ecclefiaftes.Tranf-d 
 
 dated, with notes, VOxford, D. Prince. 1790 4 0 
 by B. Hodgfon ) 
 
 A new tranflation 
 
 of Ifaiah. By a > London, Johnfon. 1790 8° 
 
 Layman J 
 
 New Teft. tranf-O 
 
 r Ditto, Deighton, 1791 8° 
 
 byG. Wakefield. V * s yy 
 
 3 vol. 3 
 
 Daniel. Tranfla -1 
 
 ted, with notes, ^Oxford, 
 by Thos. Wintle J 
 
 J. Cooke 1792 4 0 
 
 be 
 
 Deborah’s fong.O 
 
 Tranflated, with f £ xete Payne. No date. 4 0 
 notes, bySteph.V 
 
 Wellon 3 
 
 Ecclefiafles.Tranf-Leicefter, Ireland. No date. 8° 
 lated, with notes. 
 
 By Step. Greena¬ 
 way. 
 
 * 
 
 / 
 
 VARIOUS 
 
 l 
 
( 4 11 ) 
 
 % 
 
 VARIOUS EDITIONS 
 
 THE PSALMS 
 
 — 
 
 IN ENGLISH. 
 
 From the Year 1505 to 1765. 
 
 •‘London, byPynfon, 
 
 The Fruytful 
 Sayngs of Da¬ 
 vy de, in the Se¬ 
 ven Penitencial 
 Pfalms 
 Fyfher’s Seven Pe- 1 
 
 nitencyalPfalms, > Ditto, by J. Day, 
 
 &c. 3 
 
 Ditto, Onto, 
 
 Pfalter, tranflatedT 
 from the Latin | 
 
 Verfion of Fe-V Argentine, Fr. Foye, 
 
 line, i.e. Martin l 
 
 150$ 
 
 I 
 
 4° j 
 
 ' The late Mr. 
 
 [ Ratcliffe. 
 
 1519 
 
 4° 
 
 Ditto. 
 
 1529 
 
 4° 
 
 Ditto. 
 
 1530 
 
 12° 
 
 Publ. Libr. Camb 
 
 Bucer J 
 
 Pfalter, tranflated 
 from the Latin > 
 
 by George Joye ) 
 Pfalter, Latin and j 
 Englilh ) 
 
 Pfalter 
 Pfalter 
 
 Antwerp, 
 
 Mart, Em- 
 perowre, 
 
 1534 12° 
 
 Load. R. Grafton, 154 ° 
 
 Ditto, Ed. Whitchurch, 1549 12° 
 No Place, Ditto, No Date 12° 
 
 C Publ. Lib. Cambo 
 | Mr. Herbert. 
 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 Ames, p. 2o3. 
 Bricilh Mufeum, 
 
 X 
 
 F f 
 
 pfalter, 
 
( 412 ) 
 
 In the Poffefficn of 
 
 Hum. Powell 
 
 for No Nate 4 0 
 E. Whitchurch 
 
 Pfalter, according | . , 
 
 to the great B. ) ° n 
 
 Pfalter in Metre,T 
 
 faid to be tranf-f _ 
 
 lated by Johi)f D,tto > J° hn Daye, 
 
 Keeper 
 Pfalter in Englyfne ) 
 
 Metre, tranflated ( Ditto, Rbt. Crowley, 1549 4 ° 
 
 by Rbt. Crowley 3 
 T he feven Peniten 
 tial Pfalms, by 
 
 0 { Bodleian Library, 
 ^ { Mr. Herbert. 
 
 \ Library. 
 
 “ teil ‘? n . , T „ 0 1 Emanuel College 
 
 fry > Ditto, Rich. Tottell 1549 12 ’ 
 
 Sir Tho. Wyat # 3 
 
 Pfalter, according j Canterb. Jn. Mychell, 1540 4° 
 to the great B. 3 
 
 The Pfalms in 3 c- t tj i * o 
 
 Metre, by T. >Lond. E. Whitchurch, 1552 12 0 Sir J. Hawkins. 
 
 Sternho'de f 3 
 
 Certayne Pfalmes 
 feledt out of the 
 Pfalmes of Dauid, 
 and drawen into 
 Englyfhe Metre, 
 with Notes to 
 every Pfalme, in 
 iiiiParts,toSynge, 
 by F. S. (Francis 
 Seagar) 
 
 The Pfalter in verfe I 
 [by Abp. Parker] 3 
 
 Pfalter, according j Ditto, Wm. Sere?, 1569 
 to the Great B ) 
 
 William Seres, 1553 12 0 Sir J. Hawkins. 
 
 1567 4< 
 
 
 * The Earl of Surrey alfo tranflated feveral Pfalms. 
 
 | The Title of this Book is here briefly given ; hut is as follows in the printed 
 Copy, “ All fuche Pfalmes of Dauid as Thomas Sternholde late Grome of the 
 “ Kvnges Maieftyes Robes did in his Life-tyme drawe into Englyfhe Metre.” 
 
 I ' 
 
 Pfalms 
 
( 413 ) 
 
 / 
 
 In the PotTeffion of 
 
 Pfalms, tranflated"! R. Yardley 
 
 into Profe, from I andP. Short 
 
 the Latin ofvLond. fox the Af- No Date i6° Mr.CecilofLewes. 
 Beza, by Anth. ( iignesofW, 
 
 Gilbie J Seres, 
 
 Pfalms black letter Ditto, John Daye, No Date 4 0 Lambeth Library. 
 
 *1 he fir ft Parte of 
 the Pfalmes, col- J 
 levied into Eng- $ 
 lifhe Metre by * 
 
 Thomas Stern- * 
 
 holde and others, f Ditto, John Day, 
 conferred with 
 the Hebrew, 
 with apte Notes 
 to fmg them 
 withal * 
 
 15641a 0 Sir J. Hawkins. 
 
 The Pfalms i n') 
 
 Metre, by Tho. > Ditto, Ditto, *564 I2 ° " erc ^ 
 
 Sternhold, &c. J 
 
 Pfalms, by Arthur"** Thos. Eaft and 
 
 Golding, with/jA*,,. H. Middleton, 
 Galvin’s Com-f ’ for L. Harrifon 
 mentaries j andG. Biftiop, 
 
 157 1 
 
 4 ° 
 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 The Pfalms in 
 
 Metre by Tho. >Ditto, John Daye, 157a 4 0 
 
 Sternhold, &c. J 
 
 Pfalms Geneva > Ditt0 
 V erlion \ 
 
 II. Denham, 1578 16 0 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 I 
 
 % To this Edition of the Pfalms is prefixed the Catechiirn, as alfo an Intro¬ 
 duction to learn to fing; of which fee a particular Account in Sir John Hawkins s 
 •Hiftory of .Mufick, vol. iii. p. 508. 
 
 F f 2 The 
 
 \ 
 
 \ 
 
 > 
 
( 4 I 4 ) 
 
 The whole Boke of- 
 Pfalms, colledf- 
 ed into Englilh 
 Metre by Thos. 
 Sternhold, Wm.l 
 Whittingham, 
 
 J. Hopkins, andi 
 others, confer¬ 
 red with the 
 Hebrue, with apt 
 Notes to fing 
 them withal 
 
 The Pfalms in Me¬ 
 tre, by T. Stern- 
 hold, &c. 
 
 ’Lond. JohnDaye, 1579 4' 
 
 1 
 
 Ditto, Ditto, 
 
 The Pfalmes truly "1 
 opened by Para- I 
 phrafes, from .1 
 the Latin of 1 Ditto, 
 Beza, by Anth. 1 
 Gilbie, in Profe J 
 
 1580 foL 
 
 H. Denham, 1581 12 0 
 
 The firft 21 Pfalms 
 tranflated by 
 Robinfon from 
 the Latin Verfi- 
 oa of Vidforinus 
 Strigelius ; Jub 
 tit. “Part of the 
 “ Harmony of' 
 “ King Davidls 
 Harp’* 
 
 
 The whole Booke 
 of Pfalmes, col¬ 
 lected into Eng- 
 lifhe Metre, by 
 T. Sternhold, J. 
 Hopkins, Wm, 
 Whittingham & 
 others, confer¬ 
 red with the 
 Hebrew, with 
 apte Notes to 
 fing them with- 
 all 
 
 Ditto, 
 
 3582 4 ( 
 
 > Ditto, John Daye, 1582 12 0 
 
 In the Poffefiion of 
 
 Sir J. Hawkins, 
 
 Dr. Percy. 
 
 Ames, p. 390, 
 
 Sir J, Hawkins. 
 
 Pfalter 
 
( 4 1 $ ) 
 
 Pfalter, according 
 to the Great Bible 
 
 The Pfalms in 
 Metre 
 
 Lond, Hen. I^enhain, 1583 
 
 v % 
 
 Ditto, John Daye, 1583 
 
 4 ° 
 
 4 ° 
 
 The whole Pfalter 
 tranflated into / 
 Eng. Verfe, by f 
 Sir Phil Sidney f 
 and the Counters \ 
 of Pembroke -J 
 
 1 
 
 In M S. never printed. 
 
 A 
 
 Pfalms 
 
 Welfh Pfalter 
 
 Lond. T. Vautraullier, 1587 12,0 
 
 ( J 5 88 
 
 Ditto, I 4 
 
 Pfalms in Metre J n -Y 5 lfe ’ f °!r| 
 
 byT.Stemho.de (Drtto, 
 
 I59 1 4' 
 
 Pfalms, Expofition 
 of the, by 1 ho?. 
 Wilcocke,noTi- 
 tle 
 
 ] 
 
 1591 40 
 
 Pfalms, with their 
 Tunes 
 
 Pfalter 
 
 Pfalms in Metre, 
 by Sternhold,&c. 
 
 Ditto, Thos. Eft, 
 
 Deputies of Ch. 
 Ditto, garker, 
 
 John Windet, 1 
 Ditto, for the Afligns V 
 of Rich. Day, ) 
 
 1592 8° 
 
 1594 fol. 
 
 1595 fol. 
 
 Ditto 
 
 Ditto 
 
 Ditto 
 
 Pfalms in Profe 
 and Metre, with 
 Tunes*, the Profe 
 according to the 
 Geneva Tranf- 
 lation ; the Me¬ 
 tre by T. Stern- 
 £iold, &c. 
 
 Ditto, 
 
 Ditto, 
 
 Ditto, 
 
 ^ Dort, 
 
 Ditto, 1595 4 0 &8° 
 Ditto, 1597 fo1 - 
 
 Ditto, 15 9 8 4 ° 
 
 Abr. Canin, 1601 16 0 
 
 In the Poffeflion of 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 Lambeth Library. 
 Lambeth Library* 
 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 Lambeth Library. 
 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 Britifti Mufeum. 
 
 * v * 
 
 Britifti Mufeum. 
 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 Britifh Mufeum. 
 Sir J. Hawkins. 
 
 Mr. Herbert, 
 
 Pfahnr 
 
 / 
 
 1 
 
( 4i6 ) - 
 
 Via 1 ms for the j 
 
 Church of Scot- >Middleburgh, 
 laud 3 
 
 P falter Lond. Robt. Barker, 
 
 PfalmsinMetre, as ^ Heirs b Suc- 
 
 allowed by the VEdinb. cefl'ors.of And. 
 Kirk of Scotland 3 Anderfon, 
 
 Pfalms in Profe 5 n; 
 and Metre $ Ultt0> 
 
 Pfalms with certain 
 Songs and Can- I 
 tides of Mofes, > Ditto, 
 
 Ifaiah,Hezekiah I 
 
 be. J 
 
 The Pfalms inProfe 'j 
 
 and Metre, by VAmlterd. Giles Thorp, 
 Hen.Ainfworth ) 
 
 Pfalms in Metre, 1 n; Company of 
 by Sternhold,&c. ) * Stationers, 
 
 The Pfalms, by 7 Lond> 
 
 Hen. Ainfworth y 
 
 Amlierdam, Ditto 
 
 The Pfalm 
 Metre, by Wm 
 Johnfon 
 
 "Fifty Seleft Pfalms 
 paraphrafticalfy 
 turned intoEng. 
 
 "Verfe [by Sir 
 Edwin Sandys; 
 
 •vid. Wood’s 
 Ath.] and fet 
 by Rt. Tailour, 
 be. 
 
 Pfalms, ditto 
 Pfalms in Profe ’'J 
 and Verfe, with j 
 the Songs of f 
 Mofes, Deborah, 
 be. tranflated bv 
 H Dod 
 
 in l .. 
 
 ro. > Ditto, 
 
 In the PoiTeflion of 
 1602 12 0 Lambeth Library,, 
 1606 4 0 Britifh Mufeum, 
 1608 24 0 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 1 
 
 16n 8° Bodleian Library. 
 
 ' - _y • . / 
 
 1611 8° Lambeth Library * 
 
 f Lambeth Library, 
 
 1612 8° J Sir J. Hawkins, 
 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 1612 4 0 Britifh Mufeum. 
 
 1612 4 0 
 
 1613 8° Britifh Mufeum. 
 
 1613 8° Vid. Le Long, 
 
 Lond. Tho. Snodham 1615 4° Dr * Perc > r « 
 
 1617 
 
 1620 8° Bodleian Library, 
 
 Pfalms 
 
( 4i7 ) 
 
 Pfalms by Thos. ) Lond _ 
 Ravemcroit ) 
 
 In the PofFeffion of 
 1621 8° Lambeth Library- 
 
 The whole Booke 
 of David’s 
 Pfalmes, both 
 Profe and 
 
 1 
 
 m Prole and ^ FortheComp. ) 1625 24° Sir J. Hawkins, 
 
 Metre, with apt ^ 1K0 » of Stationers, $ 1626 8° Lambeth Library. 
 
 Certaine PfalmesY 
 
 inEnglilhYerfe, | ForStreetand - - _ 
 
 by Francis Lord > Ditto, Whitaker i y2 S 4 Dr. Percy. 
 Verulam Vif- 1 
 
 1 J 
 
 For Hanna Bar- 
 
 count St. Albans 
 Ditto 
 
 The Pfalms 
 
 Ditto, rett and R. 1625 4 0 Lambeth Library. 
 Whitaker, 
 
 ie Pfalms ini Tan. Fred. . r .( Sion College, 
 
 Profe, tranflatedf Amfterd. Stara> l6a 9 fol. j Dr . Percy, 
 by Alex. Top A 
 Efqj 3 
 
 The Pfalms tranf-^ r Lambeth Library, 
 
 P.SS .... ' 
 
 with the Profe as 1 
 in his Bible J 
 
 T Lyric P YeHe, by X Netherlands, g^hel, 1632 I2 ° Dr ’ Pe - rC3r ' 
 George Wither ) 
 
 All the French'' 
 
 Pfalrri Tunes, 
 with Englifh 
 Words, accord- l Lond. Tho. Harper, 1632 12 
 ing to the Verfes f 
 and Tunes ufed 
 
 3 Dr. Percv. 
 
 in the Reformed 
 Churches, 2 cc. 
 
 Pfalms in Profe \ Aberdeen, 
 and Metre 
 
 ^ Abet 
 
 1633 3 ° Bodleian Library. 
 
 Pfalms 
 
( 4i 8 ) 
 
 Pfaims in Metre Edinburgh, 
 
 1635 8<> 
 
 Pfaims in Profe 
 
 1 n v^ Heirs of And. K QO ( 
 and Metre \ D,tt0 > Hart, - 1635 8 1 
 
 Paraphrafe on the ") 
 
 Pfaims tranftated > London, 1636 fol. 
 
 by King James j 
 
 A Paraphrafe upon*\ 
 the Hymns dif- I 
 perfed through- f 
 
 out the Old and > Ditto, 16 
 
 New Teftament I 
 by G. S. [Geo. I 
 Sandys] J 
 
 The Pfaims of' 
 
 David and other 
 
 Holy Prophets, f For Fra. Conf- T „ 0 j 
 
 by B. R. Efq; ? Ditto, ub , e> 1638 la < 
 
 [perhaps Burna¬ 
 by] 
 
 36 IZ° « 
 
 The Pfaims in Me-") 
 
 tre [no Name of { > Rotterdam. Fo . r H.l u- j 
 
 Tranllator] 
 
 till, 
 
 6 3S 
 
 The five Ecoks of' 
 
 Mofes,the|Pfalms, 
 
 and the Canticles, i Fond. ^ FPa ^ s > ( or ^39 ( 0 \, 
 tranflated by H 1 Jon.BeHamie, 
 
 Ainfworth 
 
 Pfaims in Profe") n n f or r onn 
 
 and Metre, with 1 Ditto, >«43 «S» 
 
 N otes 
 
 The Pfaims in four" 
 
 Languages, 
 
 Oviz. Greek, 
 
 Latin, Engiifh, ^ Ditto, Thos. Harper, 1643 12° 
 and Hebrew) by 
 W. S. (Wiilm. 
 
 Statyer) 
 
 In thePoffeffion of 
 Sion College, 
 
 Bodleian Library, 
 Lambeth Library, 
 
 Sir J. Hawking 
 Dr. Percy. 
 
 Sion College, 
 Dr. Percy. 
 
 Dr. Percy. 
 
 Sion College. 
 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 Dr. Percy. 
 
 The 
 
( 4*9 ) 
 
 In the Polfeffion of 
 
 The Pfalms in Me¬ 
 tre, clofe and 
 proper to the 
 Hebrew [by W. 
 Barton, after¬ 
 wards much al¬ 
 tered] 
 
 Lond. Matt.Simmons, 
 
 C Dr. Percy, 
 1644 12° | gj on College. 
 
 The Pfalmes in 
 Eng. Profe and 
 Metre, with An¬ 
 notations by H. 
 Ainfworth 
 
 Amfterd.Th. Stafford, 1644 
 
 8 ° 
 
 Dr. Percy. 
 
 Some of Milton’s 
 Pfalms, printed 
 among hisPoems 
 
 i 
 
 Lond. Ruth. Raworth, 1645 
 
 \ 
 
 8 0 Dr. Percy. 
 
 The Pfalms inMe-“| 
 tre, by Fr.Roufe I 
 [N.B.From this > Ditto, 
 was formed the l 
 Scottifh Verfion] J 
 
 1646 8° Wood’s Athense, 
 
 The Pfalms in Me-' 
 « __ • 
 
 tre, by Francis 
 
 Roberts,printed -Edinburgh, 
 
 1649 8° 
 
 Vid. Le Long, 
 
 with his Key to I 
 the Bible ; J 
 
 - 
 
 
 and again in 7 
 other Sizes 5 
 
 1656, See. 
 
 V 
 
 Pfalms in Metre,T 
 
 by Henry King, (. London, 
 
 Bilhop of Chi- V 
 chefter ' 
 
 t 
 
 1651 8° 
 
 Eodleian Library 
 
 Th a e P ^fe With |“-- 
 
 1653 fol. 
 
 
 Pfalms in Metre, 
 by Wm. Barton 
 M. A. 
 
 a 
 
 Ditto, Roger Daniel, 
 
 i$S4 I2 ° 
 
 Sion College, 
 Dr. Percy. 
 
 I 
 
 The Pfalms in Me--j 
 
 tr e, by Henry'(Ditto, 
 King, Bifhop off 
 Chicheiter 3 
 
 1654 
 
 Gg 
 
 Pfalms 
 
( 4 2 ° ) 
 
 In the Poffeffion of 
 
 Pfalms, with a Pa¬ 
 raphrase and An¬ 
 notations, by Hen. 
 
 Hammond 
 
 Pfalms paraphrafed Lond. T. Garth wake, 1664 8° Lambeth Library. 
 
 1659 
 
 A Paraphrafe on ^ ( Sion College, 
 
 the Pfalms, by > Ditto, R. White, 1667 4 ° { Dr. Percy. 
 Sam. Woodford ) 
 
 The Pfalms para¬ 
 phrased, by Miles 
 Smyth 
 
 Many of the Pfalms^ 
 
 paraphrased, in / Various Editions, folio 
 the Works off 
 Abrm. Cowley J 
 
 |Ditto, Fo ^° ,Garth “ 1668 8° Dr. Percy. 
 
 wait, 
 
 Pfalms in Metre, } London, 
 by Bilhop King 3 
 
 A Paraphrafe upon 
 theDivinePoems; 
 
 •viz. Job, Ecclefi- 
 afles, the Song of 
 Solomon, the da- 
 jnentations, the 
 Songs in the Old 
 and New Tefta- 
 ment, and the 
 Pfalms, by Geo. 
 
 Sandys 
 
 1671 8° Lambeth Library. 
 
 1676 8° Sir J. Hawkins. 
 
 The Pfalms in Me- 1 
 
 tre,byS. Wood-VDitto, *678 4® 
 
 ford \ 
 
 A Century of feledt 
 Pfalms in Verfe, > Ditto, 
 by John Patrick J 
 
 1679 
 
 r 
 
 Bodleian Library. 
 
 Pfalms andHymns 
 in Metre, for the 
 UfeoftheSaints, 
 especially inNew 
 England, 5th 
 Edition 
 
 Ditto* ForR.Chifwell, 1680 12 0 
 
 Dr Percy.| 
 
I 
 
 ( 421 ) 
 
 In the PofTeffion of 
 
 The Afcents of the \ 
 
 Souls : Para- j 
 phrafes on the / 
 
 Fifteen Pfalms I . , 
 
 of Decrees, from V ^ r> 
 
 the Italian of ) Lond. ForR.Harford, id8 1 fol. Dr. Percy. 
 
 Loredano, ren¬ 
 dered into Eng- 
 lifh [by Henry 
 Lord Coleraine] 
 
 Pfalms in Metre, Ditto. 
 bySternhold.&c.J ’ 
 
 Pfalms in Metre, } 
 
 by J. Patrick \ D,tt0 - 
 
 D £ Sion College, 
 
 1682 8 J | Lambeth Library. 
 1684 12 0 Sion College. 
 
 A Century of feledl 1 
 
 Pfalms, by J. >Ditto, ForR.Royfton, 1686 8° Dr. Percy. 
 Patrick, &c. 3 
 
 7 
 
 > Ditto, 
 
 1688 12 0 Lambeth Library. 
 
 Pfalms fung in the' 
 
 Parities of St. 
 
 Martin and St. 
 
 James 
 
 rSion College, 
 
 Pfalms and Hymns J For Brab, Ayl- 0 j Bodleian Library, 
 
 in Metre, by Si- (.Ditto, mer> 168812 j Lambeth Library, 
 
 mon Ford, D. D. 3 v-Dr. Percy. 
 
 Pfalms in Metre, ^ 
 
 by Wm. Barton, VDitto, 
 
 M. A. 3 
 
 1691 12° Lambeth Library, 
 
 A Century of feleft \ 
 Pfalms turned I 
 into Metre, for | 
 the Ufe of the > Ditto, 
 Charter houfe, l 
 London, by J. j 
 Patrick J 
 
 Thefirft 20Pfalms, 
 
 by N. Brady and Ditto, 
 N. Tate J 
 
 Pfalms by N. Brady T 
 and N. Tate, C Ditto, 
 licenfed to be fung V 
 in Churches, 1696-) 
 
 1691 8° Dr. PercyT 
 
 1695 8° Dr. Percy. 
 
 1696 8° Mr, Herbert. 
 
 G g 2 
 
 DavicWJs, 
 
1 
 
 ( 422 ) 
 
 In the Pofleflion of 
 
 Dav idfeos,ora$pe- 
 cimen of fome of 
 David’s Pfalms in 
 Metre, with Re¬ 
 marks on the Lat. )>Lond. 
 Tranflators, by 
 John Philips (by 
 mirtake dated 
 1798) 
 
 Pfalms in Metre, ) n . t 
 by J. Patrick J D ‘ tt0 * 
 
 For V/. Keble- 
 white, 
 
 i6 9 s 8° Dr - Perc y- 
 
 1698 8 
 
 Pfalms in Metre,' 
 tranflated by 
 L. Mil bourne, 
 Prefbyter, &c. * 
 
 Pfalms in Metre, 
 
 C Mr.CecilofLewes, 
 
 Ditto, W. Rogers & al. 1698 12 0 j j) r Percy. 
 
 by N. Brady and k Ditto, 
 N. Tate J 
 
 1698 8° Lambeth Library. 
 
 Some of the Pfams^ FortheUfe 
 
 in Metre, by J • L Cambridge, oftheUni- 1699 12° ® r ' Perc y* 
 
 Patrick, N.Brady, C verfity, 
 
 and N. Tate J 
 
 The Pfalms of Da-" 
 vid [in Profe] 
 tranflated from 
 the Vulgat [by 1 p j 
 Mr. Carryll, f S ’ 
 created Lord 
 Dartford by the 
 Pretender] 
 
 C Lambeth Library, 
 1700 12° | Dr. Percy. 
 
 P tmntoed, eW m 1 Loud. Tho.Parkhurft, 1700 iz° Lambeth Library. 
 Metre ) 
 
 The firft fifteen 
 Pfalms in Lyric 
 Yerfe, by Dr. 
 
 [James] Gibbs 
 
 * In his Preface, Milbourne mentions Verfions of the Pfalms by Mr. Mat, 
 Mr. Burnaby, and Mr. Goodridge, as alfo byMrs. Beale, the Painter j the 
 iaft, I believe, arc printed in Dr. Woodford’s Paraphrafe. P. 
 
 0 C Bodleian Library, 
 
 Ditto, J. Matthews, 1701 4 0 j Dr Percy< 
 
 The 
 
 I 
 
( 423 ) 
 
 In the Poffeffion of 
 
 The Pfalms iiO 
 Metre, by Wm. I 
 n, M. A. > 
 
 Bart ? n ; J' Lond * F °ofStadone?s, 1705 l2 ° Dr * Percya 
 
 as left hnithed in 1 
 
 his Life time 
 
 Seleft Pfalms, by 
 Bafil Kennet. 
 
 : 1 
 
 , b y| 
 
 t. > 
 
 8 ' 
 
 Pfalms, with the 1 — , , — .. 
 
 Argument of V Ditto, John Taylor, 1701 8° Lambeth Library. 
 
 each Pfalm J 
 
 Pfalms,by J. John-| Di 
 fon 5 
 
 Pentateuch, Job, 
 
 Pfalms, Proverbs, 
 
 Ecclefiaftes, and . 
 
 Solomon’s Songs, ( Ditto, 
 withObfervations 
 by Matt. Henry 
 
 The Pfalms in" 
 
 Metre, allowed ( Edinburgh, 
 by Authority of( 
 the Kirk, &c. 
 
 go Lambeth Library. 
 
 C vol i. I/07 Sion College. 
 ( vol. 11. 1710 * 
 
 1710 12 0 Dr. Percy. 
 
 The Pfams in Me- J nr . p 
 
 tre, by Sir John i-Lond. For J. Bowyer, 1714 8° Ur ‘ Percy. 
 
 Denham J 
 
 Pfalms and Hymns J ^ 
 
 by the late Rev. > Ditto, For JobClarke, 1714 12 0 Dr. Percy. 
 Dan, Burgefs J 
 
 The Pfalms in Me-T 
 
 tre, by J. Patrick, ( Ditto, For J. Churchill, 17 *5 12° Dr. Percy. 
 
 D. D. [Thus is C 
 thevvholePfalter] J 
 
 The whole Book of- 
 Pfalms. with all 
 
 the ancient and I For t ], e Comp. 0 5 Dr - Perc y. 
 
 proper Tunea ^ Ditto, of Stationers, 17,5 12 \ Mr. Nichols, 
 compofed by J. \ 
 
 Play ford, 13th 
 Edition 
 
 Pfalterium 
 
( 424 ) 
 
 Pfalterium Amen-” 
 canum ; the 
 Pfalms in blank 
 Verfe [yet print¬ 
 ed as Profe] J 
 
 In the PofTeffion of 
 ► Bolton, by S.Kneeland, 1718 ia° Dr. Percy. 
 
 The Pfalms imi¬ 
 tated in the 
 Language of the 
 N ewTellament, 
 by J. Watts 
 
 .Lend. F " J- CUrke * 1719 Dr. Percy. 
 
 J 
 
 Pfalms in Metre, ^ 
 
 by Sir PJchard VDitto, J. March, 
 
 Blackmore J 
 
 1721 8° 
 
 C Dr. Percy, 
 
 4 Mr. Nichols, 
 
 A Paraphrafe of") 
 fomefeleitPfalras 1 
 
 by Mr. Richard > Ditto, For Bern. Lmtot, 1722 
 Daniel,* Arch 1 
 deacon ofArmagh J 
 
 0 , Dr. Percy, 
 
 C Dr. 
 
 I Mr. 
 
 Nichols* 
 
 ^ew Verfion, ) For C omp. 0 f 
 
 . Brady,D.D. > Ditto, Stationers, ^ 
 N. Tate, Efq; 3 
 
 The New Yerfioji, 
 by N 
 and N 
 
 I2 o Dr. Percy. 
 
 The cxixth Pfalm 
 paraphrafed in . 
 
 Eng. Yerfe, by ( Ditt0t For W. Innys, 
 Geo. Atwood, « 
 
 B. D. Archdea¬ 
 con of Taunton 
 
 The Pfalms in Me-T 
 
 tre, allowed by( Glaf20W( 
 
 Authority of the l 
 Kirk, &c. J 
 
 A Colle&ion of"A 
 
 Pfalms and fL on( t. 
 
 Hymns [feems f 
 Moravian] J 
 
 Pfalms and HymnsT 
 
 for the Moravian ( D j tto 
 Worlhip [by Mr. C 
 Gambcld] J 
 
 1730 4 0 Dr. Percy. 
 
 1734 12° Dr. Percy* 
 
 1738 12 0 Dr. Percy * „ 
 
 8 ° 
 
 Archdeacon Daniel printed alfo a Verfion of the Penitential Pfalms* 
 
 Pfalms 
 
( 425 ) 
 
 Pfalms New Eng- ^ 
 
 ii{h Verfion, by > London, / 
 Z. Mudge \ 
 
 ThePfalms in Me-' 
 tre, [in Lyric 
 Meafure, with¬ 
 out Rhyme, by 
 Mr. Pike] 
 
 The Pfalms, from “% 
 
 Buchanan’s Lat. | 
 into Eng. Verfe, 
 
 4 
 
 Ditto, by H. Kent, 1751 W 
 
 \ 
 
 For Mrs. A. 
 
 by the Rev. T. f Ditto, Cradock, of 1754 8 
 Cradock [of l Wells, &c. 
 
 Maryland] J 
 Pfalms and Hymns*^ 
 
 by Mr. Wefley, / p repuent Editions. 
 
 Mr. Whitfield, ( 4 
 
 Mr. Madan, &c.^ 
 
 The Pfalms in He¬ 
 roic Verfe [by 
 Stephen Wheat- 
 land and Tip 
 ping Sllvefler] 
 
 Ditto, For S. Birt, &c. 1754 8° 
 
 A feledt Collection 
 of the Pfalms, 
 tranflated by the 
 mofl eminent 
 Poets; publifhed 
 with fome Ori¬ 
 ginals (of his 
 own) by Henry 
 Dell, Bookfeller 
 
 Ditto, For the Editor, 
 
 1754 12 ° 
 
 The.Pfaltei% in its } Ditto, S. Longman, 1759 8° 
 original Form ) 
 
 Robfon’s firftBook 
 
 of David’s Pfalms V Ditto, Wai. Sfindby, 1761 8° 
 in Heroick Verfe j 
 
 Pfalms, tranflated 
 from the Hebrew, 
 in meafured 
 Profe, w r ith criti— 
 tical Notes, by 
 W. Green, A. M. 
 
 Cambridg. 
 
 Jof. Ben- 
 tham, 
 
 1762 8° 
 
 / 
 
 In thePoffeilion of 
 
 Lambeth Library, 
 Dr, Percy. 
 
 Dr. Percy. 
 
 Dr. Percy. 
 
 Dr. Percy. 
 
 Lambeth Library, 
 Mr. Herbert. 
 
 Lambeth Library. 
 
 Lambeth Library. 
 
 / 
 
 Pfalms 
 
( 42 6 ) 
 
 Pfalms and Hymns ) , 
 
 by Ch. Bradbury 5 London, 
 
 Pfalms and Hymns > . 
 
 by Dr. Doddridge 5 
 
 Pfalms, in Verfe, 
 
 tranflated by Jas. V Reading, 
 
 In the. PofiTeflion of 
 1963 ia° Lambeth Library. 
 
 Merrick 
 
 The Pfalms ofl 
 David, attempt¬ 
 ed in the Spirit 
 of Chriftianity, 
 by Chriftopher 
 
 Smart, A. M. 
 
 W 
 
 1765 4 ° Lambeth Library, 
 
 ►London, 
 
 by Dryden +0 D r. Percy. 
 
 JL/CclCD} 
 
 The Pfalms in Me-1 
 
 tre, tranflated or f _ 
 
 paraphrafed, by > Reading, by J.Carnan, 1766 ia° Dr. Percy, 
 lames Merrick, 1 
 M. A. J 
 
 The Pfalms in Me¬ 
 tre [the common 
 Scottifh Verflon] 
 
 ■with Annotati¬ 
 ons ofMr. David /Glafgow, 
 Dickfon, Profef- 
 forof Divinity at 
 Edinburgh 
 
 1-569 l%° Dr. Percy. 
 
 A Colle&ion of' 
 
 Pfalms, &c. by (.Ditto, Waugh, 
 R. Flexman, D. 
 
 D. 
 
 1990 12' 
 
 * * Other Editions of the Pfalms might be added; but they are purpoielff 
 omitted, as being rather Paraphrafes than Tranflations. 
 
 \ 
 
 I 
 
4 27 ) 
 
 ( 
 
 S U 
 
 L E M E N T 
 
 TO THE 
 
 VARIOUS EDITIONS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PSALMS. 
 
 Pfalms. TranfO 
 
 lated with notes. VCambridge, Bentham. t 75 S 8 
 by T, Edwards J 
 
 Dr. Chandler’s life 
 of David con- 
 
 tains tranflations ^London, Buck land, 
 of 17 pfalms, 
 with notes. 2 vol. 
 
 1766 8° 
 
 CONTINUATION. 
 
 Kennicott’s 
 
 marks contain f 
 tranflations ofV 
 thirty-twoPfalms J 
 
 Dr. Geddes’s fpe-1 
 cimen contains a (. 
 tranflation of Pf. V 
 xvi. J 
 
 Pfalms. TranfO 
 
 lated with notes, l Ditto, 
 by Steph. Street. V 
 - - ol. J 
 
 2 V 
 
 Davis* 
 
 1787 
 
 1788 
 
 1790 8° 
 
 coifdhavebeen difcove'/ed, T mcft' X ^1 ^p.Son 
 
 ^Thofc'artldes'on^are inferred, in which the tranflation d.ffera from 
 the received one. 
 
 H h 
 

 % 
 
 
 J 
 
 t 
 
 
 
 +\, ’ , ' v ' ' .. >■-{* 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 V 
 
 \ 
 
 - I 
 
 / 
 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 o' ;t:,J fl! ■ 
 
 V- • *• It 
 
 ;r i „} l . : 
 
 * • *" -U{*- xtOij 
 
I 
 
 ‘« '» I 
 
 \ 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 A 
 
 » i 
 
 ✓ , 
 
 n 
 
 I 
 
 I 1 ■. I 
 
 { 
 
 /i # \ t • I 
 
 Addison Page 33s 
 
 Ainfworth 305 
 Alexandrian MS. 250 
 Alfred 2 
 
 Allyn, Cardinal 89 
 Anglo-Saxonic bibles 11, 13 
 
 Annotations to the bible 44, 46, 56, 73, 76, 80, 89, 93, 
 
 99> 1 35> i3 6 > 3 0I j 3°2 
 Antecedent 307 
 Antiquated words See obfolete 
 Arundel, Archbifhop 10 
 
 I i 
 
 Aflembl/s 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Allembly’s Annotations Page I, 8 
 Atticifm 279, 335 
 
 9 s \ ‘ 
 
 B 
 
 i 
 
 • ' - 
 
 Badius, Conrad 65 
 Bagot, Bifhop 180 
 Bale, John 8 
 
 Bancroft, Bifhop 93, 95, 97, IC2, 104 
 
 \ 
 
 Barlow, Bifhop 55 
 
 Beaufobre and L’Enfant VII, 264, 298, 35 °- 
 
 Bede 2, 8 , 
 
 Beza 69, 76, 92, 118, 312 
 
 Bible Saxon 1—3 
 
 WicliPs 3—7, 58 
 WicliPs followers 9, 10 
 Anglo-Saxonic ix, 13 
 Tindall’s 16-26, 56, 58 
 Coverdale’s 29—32, 58 
 Matthewe’s 34—36 
 
 Cranmer’s, or, The Great Bible 43 “~ 45 > 101 
 
 Tav erner s 46 
 
 By Tonftall and Heath 32 
 
 Geneva 68—77, 92, 93, 18r 
 
 Bifhops yB-^-Sy, 92, 93 
 
 Doway 89 
 
 James 
 
INDEX. 
 
 • l , 
 
 * I 
 
 James Page i, 91—112 
 
 -whether the ftandardof our language 130, 177 
 
 In the vulgar tongue 2, 7, 14, 22, 27, 41, 49, 51? 
 56,57,62,109 
 Bilfon, Bifhop 104 
 Bifhops, Reforming 59 
 
 of the Romifh party 53, 55 
 Blackwall 119—122 
 
 Blayney, Do£lor 153, 253, 271, 297, 305, 327, 333 
 Bochart 241 
 Bois, John 103 
 
 N. i 
 
 Bonner 51 
 Broughton 311 
 Burnet 28, 80 
 
 Byddell, John 46 
 
 * 
 
 C 
 
 Calvin 69 • 
 
 Campbell, Do&or VI, 162—172. 203, 235* 257, 259, 
 269,272,273,298,315,331,332,375 
 Cartwright 89 
 Caftle 115 
 Cecil 75, 89, 96 
 Chapters in the bible 99, 121 
 Chryfoftom 50 
 
 Clergy 32, 37, 38, 39, 40, 51, 53, 61, 67, 90, 97 
 
 I i 2 
 
 Collier 
 
index, 
 
 Collier Pag? 82 
 
 Conjeflure 250, 365, 367, 37 °— 37 8 
 Confiderations on reviling the liturgy 212 
 Conftance, council of 6 
 Conftantine. George iB 
 Convocation 55 
 Coftard 252 
 
 Coverdale 29—32, 40, 41, 43, 45 > 5 8 > 68 > II2 > l8l > 261 
 Cox, Bifhop 81 
 
 Cranmer 26, 33, 35, 36, 39, 43 > 4 8 > 49 > 54 > 5 6 > 62 
 Cromwell, Lord 32, 35) 36, 48, 53 
 
 Cud worth 115. 
 
 ' 
 
 D 
 
 Day, John 58 
 Delany 333 
 De R01T1 240 
 Doddridge 124, 133, 297 
 Dort, Synod of 104, 105 
 Do way bible 89 
 Downes, Andrew 103, 114 
 Durel!, Doctor 136 
 
 \ 1 * 
 
 Edward 
 
 r 
 
Edward VI Page 29, 60 
 
 Elifabeth, Queen 66 
 
 Epiftle and gofpel 61,213 
 
 Equivocal words 307 
 
 Erafmus 61, 64, 67, 92, n8, 311, tfo 
 
 Eflfay for a new translation &c. 118. 
 
 F 
 
 Fiftier, Bifhop 84 
 
 Foreign words 296 
 
 Fox, John 3, 35, 38 
 
 Francis I. 41 
 
 Fry or Fryth, John 17 
 
 Fulke 45, 88, 89 
 
 Fuller 20, 23, 25, 79,88, hi. 
 
 Gardiner, Bifhop 28, 38, 54 
 
 • Geddes, Dodor VI, 23, 25 . 26, 77, i 54 > 182, 187, iSd, 
 207, 215, 219, 222, 264, 273, 277, 278, 294, 
 297, 298, 300, 305, 314. 33 8 . 344 . 35 °. 359 . 
 
 375 
 
 2 
 
 Geneva, 
 
INDEX, 
 
 \ ' 
 
 Geneva Page 65 Seebible 
 Gilpin, Rev. Mr. 352 
 Goodrick, Bifhop 55 
 
 Grafton, Richard 24, 34, 41, 43, 45, 52, 5$ 
 
 Green, Rev. Mr. 146, 317 
 
 Griefbach 379 
 
 Grindal, Bifhop 75 
 
 Gueft, Bifhop 81. 
 
 - H 
 
 L 1 
 
 Hall 24 
 
 Hampton court conference 91 
 Harte, Rowland 68 
 Heath, Bifhop 52 
 
 Hebraifms 71, 72, 114, 283, 335—9 
 ^ebrew idioms 283, 335 
 literature 252 
 
 text, corrupt 242—-249, 369 
 words 304, 305 
 Hebrew-Syriac words 304 
 Henry VIII 24, 29, 41, 48, 51, 52, 57, 58, 59 
 Herbert, Lord 23, 59 
 Heylin 34, 104 
 Hints &c. By a Layman 180 
 Hedy 252 
 Holbens 43 
 Hollybufhe 40 
 
 Houbigant 
 
INDEX. 
 
 * . 
 
 \ 
 
 Houbigant Page 263, 270, 278, 3363 3683 
 Hymns of the church 4? 2.02 
 
 I 
 
 James I. 91, 9 2 ’ 95 
 Jehovah 248, 316, 317 
 Jerom 85 
 Inquifition 4 1 
 
 Johnfon, Anthony 1, 17? 2 7 > **5 
 
 Do&or Samuel 288 
 
 Jones, Sir William 216 
 
 Italics 43, 72 , X05,106, * 35 > IS 8 ) ! 59 ) l8l > 2 75 > 2 7 6 ~“ 
 280 
 
 K 
 
 Kennicott VIII, 145, 162, 240, 252, 253, 344 ) 35 ^ 37 2 > 
 
 375 
 
 Knox, Doctor Vicefimus 188, 197? 219? 221 
 jCnyghton, Henry ^ 
 
 Lancafter, 
 
 1 
 
X. 
 
 I 
 
 r N D E 
 
 Lancafter, Duke of Page 7 
 
 Laurence 80 
 
 Le Clerc 257, 366, 367 
 
 Le Long 10, 42, 78, 105 
 
 Leflons, read in the church 62 
 
 Lettres de quelques Juifs 206 
 
 Lewis 3, 6, 8, 9, 13, 380, folio. 330 o&avo, 
 
 Lively 103 
 
 Lowth, Bifhop 126, 130, 138, 139, 266, 267, 269, 271, 
 • 272, 273, 275, 282, 283, 287, 296, 297, 303, 
 
 326, 33i> 34ij 343> 355) 35 6 > 359) 3 6o > 37°= 
 
 - 375)377 
 
 Lyra, Nicholas de io 
 
 M 
 
 \ ( * 
 
 Macknight, Do£tor 258, 351 
 Marginal renderings 281 
 Mary, Queen 65 
 Matthewe 34—36, 44 
 Metaphors 341 
 
 j 
 
 Michaelis 241, 373 
 
 Modem 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Modern language Page in, I 35 i 2 97 > 33 2 
 Monmouth, Humphry 21 
 Monthly Review. See Review. 
 
 More, Sir Thomas 11, 14, 18, 20, 21 
 Munfter, Sebaftian 81, 92 
 
 % . . * -*v 
 
 1 : , ‘ 
 
 N 
 
 Names, proper 72, 74, 98, 310, 343—5 
 Nazianzen, Gregory 50 
 Neale 75 
 
 New Teftament 16, 23, 35, 65, 88, 249, 250 
 Notes to the bible. See Annotations 
 
 * ' 4 
 
 I *■ 
 
 o 
 
 Obfolete words 127, 160, 171, 234, 236, 237, 303 
 Ormerod, Rev. Richard 185 
 Owen, Do£br 376, 377 
 
 P 
 
 Pagninus 85,181 
 
 paraphrafe 271 
 
 Paris, bible printed at 41, 45 
 
 Parker; 
 
\ 
 
 I N D E X. 
 
 * 
 
 Parker, Archbifliop Page 3, 74, 78, 82—87> 8 9 > 201 
 Patmore, Thomas 20 
 X’enance 20 
 Pentateuch 22 
 
 Pilkington 126, 160, 234, 253, 314, 336 
 Pleonafms 273 
 
 Poetical parts of the bible 354 
 Poll fynopfis 116 
 Pool’s annotations 18 
 
 Preface to King James’s bible 104, 175, 222 
 Prepofitions 307 
 
 Prieftley, Doftor 1 43 > 288 > 33 * 
 
 Pruflia, King of VII 
 Pfalter 4, 67, 81 
 Puritans 91, m 
 Purver 132, 160, 235 
 
 R 
 
 Ravis, Bifhop 101 
 
 Readings. See various $ 
 
 Reafons for revifing our prefent verfion, quote<J 192, 2095 
 217, 223, 227, 230, 242 
 Review Monthly 188, 193, 198 
 Critical 160, 236 
 Reynolds, Dodlor 91 
 Rhemifh New Teftament 88 
 Rogers^ John 23, 35 . 
 
 Romanics 
 
I N D E X. 
 
 Romanifts Page 38, 41, 48, 53, 56, 57, 59, 87, 109, 
 iix> 3°5 
 Roye, William 17 
 
 Rules obferved by the Geneva tranflators 71 
 
 King James’s tranflators 28, 105 
 recommended to tranflators 256—381 
 
 S 
 
 / 
 
 Sacred words 6, 54, 88, iii> 135 
 
 Sandys, Bifhop 80 
 
 Saxon verfions 1, 2, 3, n> 13 
 
 « 
 
 Scott, Doctor 331 
 Seeker, Archbifhop 130, 159 
 Selden, 56, 114, 1565 3^5 
 Seres, William 58 
 Sheridan 288 
 
 Smyth, Dr. Myles 1045 xxi, i 5 ^> 1 7 S 
 Stephens, Robert 66 
 Henry 313 
 Stokefley, Bifhop 33 
 Strype 23, 78 
 Sturges, Doctor 357 
 Supremacy of Kings 30 
 Sweden, King of VIII 
 Swift 293 
 
 Symonds, Dodlor VI, 172—179, 235, 261, 
 
 285 , 3°7 
 
 1 
 
 
 273,284, 
 Taverner 
 
 1 
 
INDEX. 
 
 4 '[ X 
 
 T 
 
 Taverner Page 46, 47 
 Taylor, John 313, 369 
 Tindall, John 20 
 
 William 13, 16—26, 44, 56, 58^ 181 
 Tomfon 76 
 
 Tonllall, Bifhop 17, 18, 21, $2 
 Traje&ions 306 
 
 Tranflation of the bible, bill for fupprefling 7 
 apt to caufe objections 107, 108 
 diverfity in 31, 48, 64, 64, 75, 8r, 83, 84, 85, 
 164, 168,169, 201, 202, 225 
 improved, whether to be deferred 236 
 (hould be literal 114, i54> 281, 298 
 
 pure 284 
 proper 291 
 fimple 293, 302 
 
 perfpicuous 300. See 172, 178 
 
 uniform 119, 156) 3°^" 
 
 harmonious 325 
 
 elegant 329 
 
 dignified 330 
 
 energetic 334 
 
 Tranfiators, King James’s 95 
 
 recommended to patrons 95 
 feven of them made Bifhops 95 
 
 Uniyerfities 
 
 t 
 
INDEX. 
 
 U 
 
 Uni verities Page 55 
 
 V 
 
 Various readings 43 , 7 1 > 75 
 Verfes in the bible 66, 72, 99, E2I 
 Voltaire 205 
 
 Vulgar tongue. See bible 
 
 W 
 
 • \ . ' • . : A ' | 
 
 Wakefield VI, 183, 263, 295? 347 
 
 Wall 379 
 
 Wallis 288 
 
 Walton 115, 116 
 
 Wanley 34 
 
 Warham, Archbifbop 17 
 Waterland 123, 301 
 Wells 117, 236 
 Wefley 125 
 Wetftein 368 
 
 Whitchurch, Edward 34, 43, 49 
 
 White, ProfefTor 140—142, 252 
 
 Whitlock 115 
 
 Wiclif 3, 4, 5. 6, 12, 58 
 
 Wiclif’s followers 9 
 
 Woide 251, 373 
 
 Wood 47 
 
 Worfley 134 
 
 Wynne 131 
 
 Texts 
 
 4 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Texts referred to. 
 
 Exod. XXXII. 32 
 
 279 
 
 Numb. XVI. 1, 
 
 2 
 
 375 
 
 1 Sam. XXVIII. 7 
 
 206 
 
 1 Kings XIV. 
 
 10 
 
 333 
 
 Prov. XXIII. 
 
 3 i 
 
 206 
 
 XXXI. 
 
 29 
 
 278 
 
 Eccl. IV. 
 
 6 
 
 279 
 
 Cantic. VI. 
 
 10 
 
 279 
 
 Ifai X. 
 
 1 
 
 i 5 
 
 377 
 
 XXXVII. 3, 
 
 . 4 
 
 3 21 
 
 Matth. V. 15, 
 
 16 
 
 32 1 
 
 Rom. I. 
 
 19 
 
 , 3 22 
 
 XV 4, 5 
 
 3 22 
 
 12, 
 
 13 
 
 3 22 
 
 I Cor. XI. 
 
 29 
 
 176 
 
 I John V. 7, 
 
 8 
 
 43, 180 
 
 - •<»"! ——*• 
 
 ) 
 
 *v ■ 1 \ 
 
 PubUJhed by the fame Author. 
 
 4 
 
 A fermon preached before the Houfe of Lords in Chrift- 
 church, Dublin, Oa. 23. 1767. 
 
 1 ‘ '' 
 
 \ 
 
 • K . r y ‘ t i i *7 
 
 A fermon preached before the Houfe of Lords in Chrift- 
 church, Dublin, Nov. 5* 1 7 ^ 9 - 
 
 A fermon 
 
list of publications. 
 
 A fermon preached before the Incorporated Society m 
 
 Chriftchurch, Dublin, May io. 1772. 
 
 •» • ' . / 
 
 A fermon preached in the Chapel of the Afylum for 
 penitent women, Dublin, Febr. 7. 1773 * 
 
 A harmony of the Gofpels, in which the original text 
 is difpofed after Le Clerc’s general manner, with fuch 
 various readings at the foot of the page as have received 
 Wetftcin’s fandrion in the folio edition of his Greek Tefta- 
 ment. Obfervations are fubjoined, tending to fettle the 
 time and place of every tranfadlion, to eftablifh the feries 
 of fails, and to reconcile Teeming inconfiftencies. Folio. 
 PriceaGuinea. 1778. W. Hallhead. Dublin. J. Robinfon. 
 Paternofler-row London. 
 
 A fermon preached at St. Mary’s, Kilkenny, on Febr. 
 IO. 1779 S being the day appointed for a public fail. 
 
 The duration of our Lord’s miniftry particularly confi* 
 dered : in reply to a letter from the Rev. Dr. Prieftley on 
 that fubjedt. i2rno. J. Robinfon. 1780. 2s. 
 
 1 
 
 A reply to a fecond letter from the Rev. Dr. Prieftley oa 
 the duration of our Lord’s miniftry. i2mo. Robinfon. 
 1781. 2S. 
 
 A fermon preached before the Houfe of Lords in Chrift¬ 
 church, Dublin. Febr. 7. 1782 j being the day appointed 
 for a public faft. 
 
 Obfervations 
 
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS, 
 
 Obfervations on our Lord’s condudt as a divine Inftruc- 
 tor, and on the excellency of his moral character. 4to. 
 price three crowns. W. Jones. Dublin. J. Robinfon. 
 London. 1782. 
 
 An Attempt towards an improved verfion, a metrical 
 arrangement, and an explanation of the twelve Minor 
 Prophets. 4to. price half a guinea. W. Jones. Dublin. 
 J. Johnfon. London. 1785. 
 
 1 . ' * 
 
 An attempt towards an improved verfion, a metrical 
 arrangement, and an explanation of the prophet Ezekiel. 
 4to. price half a guinea. W. Jones. Dublin. J. Johnfon. 
 London. 1788. 
 
 A review of the chief difficulties in the gofpel hiflory 
 relating to our Lord’s refurredtion: intended to retradl 
 fome errors contained in the Author’s Greek Harmony, 
 and to fhew that Dr. Benfon’s hypothecs is fati^fadiory. 
 4to. price 6d. W. Jones. Dublin. J. Johnfon. London, 
 1791. 
 
y \ 
 
 ' 
 
 SUPPLEMENT, 
 
 ■ < 
 
 Page 65. After line 5 add: 
 
 It appears, however, that a defign to 
 
 tranflate and illuftrate the bible was laudably 
 
 % 
 
 entertained. Martin Bucer and Paul Fagius, 
 learned Proteftant Minifters of Germany, 
 came to England in April 1549> having 
 been honourably invited into that country, 
 as an afylum from the troubles which 
 prevailed in their own, by repeated letters 
 
 K k from 
 
 * 
 
( 4 3 ° ) 
 
 from the Lord Protestor and Archbiihop 
 Cranmer. Bucer was made Profeffor 
 of Divinity, and Fagius Profeffor of 
 the Hebrew language, in the Univerfity 
 of Cambridge : where both intended to 
 read ledtures, explaining the difficulties 
 in the fcriptures, and reconciling thofe 
 paffages which feemed inconfiftent. Fagius 
 propofed to begin with the prophet Ifaiah ; 
 and Bucer, with the evangelift St. John. 
 The plan of thefe ledtures was fuggefted 
 by the Archbifhop himfelf ; who, at the 
 fame time, expreffed an earned: defire that 
 the fcriptures ffiould be publifhed in the 
 moft exadt agreement with the original 
 text. But a fever put an end to Fagius’s 
 life in November, before he had entered 
 on his cpurfe of ledtures ; and, in February 
 2551, a complication of the Stone and 
 Cholic deprived England of his learned 
 colleague Bucer. 
 
 Caftali© 
 
( 43i ) 
 
 Caftalio affigns three reafons for dedi¬ 
 cating his Latin tranflation and explanation 
 of the bible to King Edward VI : that 
 the kingdom of England had become a 
 refuge to thole who were perfecuted foi 
 ftudying and defending the fcriptures . 
 that, befides the cultivation of other 
 languages and branches of literature, the 
 King was ftudious of tiie Latin tongue, 
 and was taught it by an able Preceptor . 
 and that “ his Majefty had lately delega- 
 “ ted to learned men the province of 
 16 tranflating the facred books, but had 
 « been ob ft rutted by the death of 
 
 “ one.” 
 
 As this dedication was written at Balil 
 in February 1551, at the end of which 
 month Bucer died, Caftalio does not refe* 
 to Bucer, as Lewis fuppofes, but to 
 Fagius ; whofe ikill in Hebrew caufed 
 
 Kk 2 Cranmer 
 
( 43 2 ) 
 
 Cranmer to rely, much on him for his 
 fuperintendence of the Old Teftament. 
 
 Strype’s Cranmer : p. Lewis : 
 
 fol. p. 44. 
 
 Page 125. After 1. 2 add: 
 
 “Our Englifh tranflation of the bible, 
 though in the main a good one, is in 
 lome places intolerably faulty; even fo 
 as quite to alter the fenfe, and give a 
 meaning which never entered into the 
 “ thoughts of the author.” 
 
 Trapp’s notes on the gofpels : p. I21 . 
 Oxford. 8 vo. 2 d. ed. 1775. The 
 author died in 1747. 
 
 Note 
 
( 433 
 
 ) 
 
 [ 
 
 Note on p. 145 1. 16. 
 
 The ufe of the Englifh verfion in our churches is 
 not enforced by any AS: of Parliament. The edition 
 of 1611 has By Authority in its title page. It is 
 a proper matter of enquiry whether it received the 
 fanaion of King James’s Privy Council in that year. 
 It appears by fome editions of our Liturgy that, in 
 
 1696, an aa of Council left the ufe of the pfaims 
 
 tranflated by Brady and Tate to the option of congre¬ 
 gations. 
 
 Page 146. After !. 20. add: 
 
 • ■ * 1 « 
 
 « I / 
 
 ^ e lead the lacred authors under 
 the difad vantage of a literal tranflation : 
 
 . 1 * 
 
 “ and 
 
( 434 ) 
 
 ft and that not fo correct and perfedt as 
 “ it might be.” 
 
 Bijhop Newton s works : \to* iii. 306. 
 
 1782. 
 
 Note on the word correcting: p. 209: 1. 2. 
 
 This circumftance, that the miftakes in our tranfla- 
 tion are fo frequently Stated to pious and unlearned 
 Chriftians by our Preachers of the very firft eftimation, 
 furnifhes a ftrong argument for a fpeedy removal of all 
 its known defeats. Such remarks, though occasionally 
 neceflary even in our public difcourfes, tend to unfet¬ 
 tle the minds of many hearers, to difturb the fecurity 
 of their reliance on the Englilh bible, and to leave 
 them in a ftate of fufpence whether the miftranflations 
 may not be more numerous and important than their 
 Inftru&ors point out, 
 
 
 Note 
 
C 435 ) 
 
 Note on 1. 17, p. 249. 
 
 To thefe fhould be added C. F. Matthaei, who, be¬ 
 tween the years 1782 and 1788, publifhed a Greek 
 Teftament with collations of MSS. at Riga, in eleven 
 volumes 8vo. profeftor Alter, who, in 1787, publifhed 
 a Greek Teftament with collations of MSS. at Vienna, 
 in two volumes 8vo. and Andrew Birch, who, in 
 1788, publifhed the four gofpels with collations of 
 MSS. at Copenhagen, in one volume 4to. 
 
 Page 252, 253, to the end of the firfl 
 paragraph, read thus : 
 
 gratuitous private lectures from the Aca¬ 
 demical Profeffors, agreeably to the example 
 
 of 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 ( 43 6 ) 
 
 of Dr. Blayney in Oxford, and the moft 
 weighty requeft to the Governours of our 
 Univerfities that they would recommend 
 and encourage attendance on thefe lectures ; 
 enforcing the Academical llatute which re¬ 
 quires an acquaintance with Hebrew for the 
 fecond degree in Arts ; enjoining by pro¬ 
 per authority a moderate knowledge of it, 
 for inftance, the perufal of a few hiftori- 
 cal books, as a qualification for the order 
 of priefthood \ and honourably diftinguifhing 
 and patronizing thofe who excel in oriental 
 learning. 
 
 Note on 1 . io p. 
 
 To difparage an arrangement of lines in Englilh 
 anfwerable to the fuppofed Hebrew meafure, it has been 
 afked by a learned tranilator and interpreter of Ifaiah j 
 
 <c Would 
 
( 437 ) 
 
 <c Would not a profaic tranflation of Horace and Virgil 
 tc into Englifh, printed in lines correfponding to the 
 “ originals, be ahfurd and ridiculous See a letter to 
 Dr. Sturges by Michael Dodfon Efq. London . J. Johnfon. 
 
 I 79 I * 
 
 But let it be obferved that the ftru&ure of poetry in 
 Greek and Latin differs very much from that in Hebrew. 
 In Greek and Latin, between which languages a near 
 affinity fubfiffis, the vrords admit of a very diftant and 
 variable collocation j and the paufes are often of a very 
 
 f 
 
 great and unequal length. But in Hebrew poetry the 
 hemiftichs, for the moft part, are concife and cor¬ 
 refponding ; and, for the moil part, are capable of being 
 well reprefented in the Englifh language, the texture of 
 which is fuch that it can feldom be adapted, line for 
 line, to the verification of the Greek and Romans. 
 
 i 
 
4 
 
 ( 43 § ) 
 
 Page 409. After the third article add: 
 
 y , 1 . 
 
 The epiftle to the Hebrews, tranflated, 
 with notes, by Sam. Hardy. London. 
 
 1783. 8vo. Hardy’s. N. 31. .Newgate 
 
 , 
 
 ftreet. 
 
 
Additional Errata. 
 
 re vii Line 
 
 16 
 
 via - 
 
 1 
 
 177 - 
 
 10 
 
 256 - 
 
 14 
 
 258 - 
 
 6 
 
 262 - 
 
 20 
 
 273 - 
 
 20 
 
 275 - 
 
 9 
 
 286 - 
 
 1 
 
 313 - 
 
 ■ 5 
 
 3*7 - 
 
 11 
 
 
 - 14 
 
 319 
 
 ■ 22 
 
 356 - 
 
 - 20 
 
 379 - 
 
 - 22 
 
 Read bien. 
 
 -rapport. 
 
 -refults. 
 
 -as far. 
 
 -on doit. 
 
 -caftra. 
 
 -Lenfant. 
 
 -YinK 
 
 -knewefb 
 
 -faltem. 
 
 -obfervable. 
 
 -the Hebrews. 
 
 -- exQa/ul2c0fiicu 
 
 ——. fententiam. 
 
 --p. lxiii. 
 

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