study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第3章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
but it was connected with the first。 He set out to give the common people
the full text of the Bible for their common use； and to encourage them not
only in reading it； if already they could read； but in learning to read that
they might read it。 Tennyson compares the village of Lutterworth to that of
Bethlehem； on the ground that if Christ； the Word of God； was born at
Bethlehem； the Word of Life was born again at Lutterworth。＇1＇ The
translation was from the Vulgate； and Wiclif probably did little of the
actual work himself； yet it is all his work。 And in 1382； more than five
centuries ago； there appeared the first complete English version of the
Bible。 Wiclif made it the people's Book； and the English people were the
first of the modern nations to whom the Bible as a whole was given in
their own familiar tongue。 Once it got into their hands they have never let
it be taken entirely away。
＇1＇ 〃Not least art thou； thou little Bethlehem In Judah； for in thee
the Lord was born； Nor thou in Britain； little Lutterworth； Least； for in
thee the word was born again。〃 Sir John
Oldcastle。
Of course； all this was before the days of printing； and copies were
made by hand only。 Yet there were very many of them。 One hundred and
fifty manuscripts； in whole or in part； are extant still； a score of them of
the original version； the others of the revision at once undertaken by John
Purvey； Wiclif's disciple。 The copies belonging to Edward VI。 and Queen
Elizabeth are both still in existence； and both show much use。 Twenty
years after it was completed copies were counted very valuable； though
they were very numerous。 It was not uncommon for a single complete
manuscript copy of the Wiclif version to be sold for one hundred and fifty
10
… Page 11…
Study of the King James Bible
or two hundred dollars； and Foxe； whose Book of Martyrs we used to read
as children； tells that a load of hay was given for the use of a New
Testament one hour a day。
It would be difficult to exaggerate the influence of this gift to the
English people。 It constitutes the standard of Middle English。 Chaucer and
Wiclif stood side by side。 It is true that Chaucer himself accepted Wiclif's
teaching； and some of the wise men think that the 〃parson〃 of whom he
speaks so finely as one who taught the lore of Christ and His apostles
twelve； but first followed it himself； was Wiclif。 But the version had far
more than literary influence； it had tremendous power in keeping alive in
England that spirit of free inquiry which is the only safeguard of free
institutions。 Here was the entire source of the Christian faith available for
the judgment of common men； and they became at once judges of
religious and political dogma。 Dr。 Ladd thinks it was not the reading of the
Bible which produced the Reformation； it was the Reformation itself
which procured the reading of the Bible。＇1＇ But Dr。 Rashdall and
Professor Pollard and others are right when they insist that the English
Reformation received less from Luther than from the secret reading of the
Scripture over the whole country。 What we call the English spirit of free
inquiry was fostered and developed by Wiclif and his Lollards with the
English Scripture in their hands。 Out of it has grown as out of no other one
root the freedom of the English and American people。
＇1＇ What Is the Bible？； p。 45。
This work of Wiclif deserves the time we have given it because it
asserted a principle for the English people。 There was much yet to be done
before entire freedom was gained。 At Oxford； in the Convocation of 1408；
it was solemnly voted： 〃We decree and ordain that no man hereafter by his
own authority translate any text of the Scripture into English； or any other
tongue； by way of a book； pamphlet； or other treatise； but that no man read
any such book； pamphlet； or treatise now lately composed in the time of
John Wiclif 。。。 until the said translation be approved by the orderly of the
place。〃 But it was too late。 It is always too late to overtake a liberating idea
once it gets free。 Tolstoi tells of Batenkoff； the Russian nihilist； that after
he was seized and confined in his cell he was heard to laugh loudly； and；
11
… Page 12…
Study of the King James Bible
when they asked him the cause of his mirth； he said that he could not fail
to be amused at the absurdity of the situation。 〃They have caught me；〃 he
said； 〃and shut me up here； but my ideas are out yonder in the streets and
in the fields； absolutely free。 They cannot overtake them。〃 It was already
too late； twenty years after Wiclif's version was available； to stop the
English people in their search for religious truth。
In the century just after the Wiclif translation； two great events
occurred which bore heavily on the spread of the Bible。 One was the
revival of learning； which made popular again the study of the classics and
the classical languages。 Critical and exact Greek scholarship became again
a possibility。 Remember that Wiclif did not know Greek nor Hebrew； did
not need to know them to be the foremost scholar of Oxford in the
fourteenth century。 Even as late as 1502 there was no professor of Greek at
the proud University of Erfurt when Luther was a student there。 It was
after he became a doctor of divinity and a university professor that he
learned Greek in order to be a better Bible student； and his young friend
Philip Melancthon was the first to teach Greek in the University。＇1＇ But
under the influence of Erasmus and his kind； with their new insistence on
classical learning； there came necessarily a new appraisal of the Vulgate as
a translation of the original Bible。 For a thousand years there had been no
new study of the original Bible languages in Europe。 The Latin of the
Vulgate had become as sacred as the Book itself。 But the revival of
learning threw scholarship back on the sources of the text。 Erasmus and
others published versions of the Greek Testament which were disturbing to
the Vulgate as a final version。
＇1＇ McGiffert； Martin Luther。
The other great event of that same century was the invention of
printing with movable type。 It was in 1455 that Gutenberg printed his first
book； an edition of the Vulgate； now called the Mazarin Bible。 The bearing
of the invention on the spread of common knowledge is beyond
description。 It is rather late to be praising the art of printing； and we need
spend little time doing so； but one can see instantly how it affected the use
of the Bible。 It made it worth while to learn to readthere would be
something to read。 It made it worth while to writethere would be some
12
… Page 13…
Study of the King James Bible
one to read what was written。
One hundred years exactly after the death of Wiclif； William Tindale
was born。 He was eight years old when Columbus discovered America。 He
had already taken a degree at Oxford； and was a student in Cambridge
when Luther posted his theses at Wittenburg。 Erasmus either was a teacher
at Cambridge when Tindale was a student there； or had just left。 Sir
Thomas More and Erasmus were close friends； and More's Utopia and
Erasmus's Greek New Testament appeared the same year； probably while
Tindale was a student at Cambridge。
But he came at a troubled time。 The new learning had no power to
deepen or strengthen the moral life of the people。 It could not make
religion a vital thing。 Morality and religion were far separated。 The priests
and curates were densely ignorant。 We need not ask Tindale what was the
condition。 Ask Bellarmine； a cardinal of the Church： 〃Some Years before
the rise of the Lutheran heresy there was almost an entire abandonment of
equity in ecclesiastical judgments； in morals； no discipline； in sacred
literature； no erudition； in divine things； no reverence； religion was almost
extinct。〃 Or ask Erasmus； who never broke with the Church： 〃What man
of real piety does not perceive with sighs that this is far the most corrupt
of all ages？ When did iniquity abound with more licentiousness？ When
was charity so cold？〃 And； as a century before； Wiclif had felt the social
need for a popular version of the Bible； so William Tindale felt it now。 He
saw the need as great among the clergy of the time as among the laity。 In
one of his writings he says： 〃If you will not let the layman have the word
of God in his mother tongue； yet let the priests have it； which for the great
part of them do understand no Latin at all； but sing and patter all day with
the lips only that which the heart understandeth not。〃＇1＇ So bad was the
case that it was not corrected within a whole generation。 Forty years after
Tindale's version was published； the Bishop of Gloucester； Hooper by
name； made an examination of the clergy of his diocese。 There were 311
of them。 He found 168； more than half； unable to repeat the Ten
Commandments； 31 who did not even know where they could be found；
40 who could not repeat the Lord's Prayer； and nearly as many who did
not know where it originated； yet they were all in regular standing as
13
… Page 14…
Study of the King James Bible
clergy in the diocese of Gloucester。 The need was keen enough。
＇1＇ Obedience of a Christian Man。
About 1523 Tindale began to cast the Scriptures into the current
English。 He set out to London fully expecting
