study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第34章
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to the spectators。〃 In so far as that is true； it is to the credit of the Puritan；
for the bear can stand the pain of being baited far better than human nature
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can stand the coarsening effects of baiting him； and it is nobler to oppose
such sport on human grounds than on animal grounds。 But； of course； the
epigram is Macaulay's； and must be read with qualification。 The fact is；
and he says it often enough without epigrams； that the times had become
trifling except as this grave； thoughtful group influenced them。
＇1＇ Trevelyan； England under the Stuarts； p。 66。
3。 The attitude of the Puritans toward the Sabbath came from their
serious thought of the Bible。 Puritanism gave England the Sabbath again
and planted it in America as an institution。 Of course； these men learned
all that they knew of it from the Bible。 From that day； in spite of much
change in thought of it； English… speaking people have never been wilful
abusers of the Sabbath。 But the condition in that day was very different。
Most of the games were on the day set apart as the Sabbath。 There were
bull…baiting； bear…baiting； and football on Sunday。 Calvin himself； though
not in England； bowled on Sunday； and poor Knox attended festivities
then； saying grimly that what little is right on week…days is not wrong on
Sundays。 After the service on Sunday morning the people thronged to the
village green； where ale flowed freely and games were played until the
evening dance was called。 It was a work…day。 Elizabeth issued a special
injunction that people work after service on Sundays and holidays if they
wished to do so。 Employers were sustained in their demand for Sunday
work。
There are always people in every time who count that the ideal
Sabbath。 The Puritans found it when they appeared。 The English
Reformation found it when it came。 And the Bible found it when at last it
came out of obscurity and laid hold on national conditions。 Whatever is to
be said of other races； every period of English…speaking history assures us
that our moral power increases or weakens with the rise or fall of Sabbath
reverence。 The Puritans saw that。 They saw； as many other thoughtful
people saw； that the steady； repeated observance of the Sabbath gave
certain national influences a chance to work； reminded the nation of
certain great underlying and undying principles； in short； brought God into
human thought。 The Sunday of pleasure or work could never accomplish
that。 Both as religionists and as patriots； as lovers of God and lovers of
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men； they opposed the pleasure…Sunday and held for the Sabbath。
But that comes around again to the saying that the persistent moral
appeal of the Bible gives it inevitable influence on history。 It centers
thought on moral issues。 It challenges men to moral combats。
Such a force persistently working in men's minds is irresistible。 It
cannot be opposed； it can only fail by being neglected。 And this is the
force which has been steadily at work everywhere in English…speaking
history since the King James version came to be。
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LECTURE VI
THE BIBLE IN THE LIFE OF TO…DAY
THIS lecture must differ at two points from those which have
preceded it。 In the first place； the other lectures have dealt entirely with
facts。 This must deal also with judgments。 In the earlier lectures we have
avoided any consideration of what ought to have been and have centered
our interest on what actually did occur。 We especially avoided any
argument based on a theory of the literary characteristics or literary
influence of the Bible； but sought first to find the facts and then to
discover what explained them。 It might be very difficult to determine what
is the actual place of the Bible in the life of to…day。 Perhaps it would be
impossible to give a broad； fair judgment。 It is quite certain that the people
of James's day did not realize the place it was taking。 It is equally certain
that many of those whom it most influenced were entirely unconscious of
the fact。 It is only when we look back upon the scene that we discover the
influence that was moving them。 But； while it is difficult to say what the
place of the Bible actually is in our own times； the place it ought to have is
easier to point out。 That will involve a study of the conditions of our times；
which suggest the need for its influence。 While we must consider the facts；
therefore； we will be compelled to pass some judgments also； and therein
this lecture must differ from the others。
The second fact of difference is that while the earlier lectures have
dealt with the King James version； this must deal rather with the Bible。
For the King James version is not the Bible。 There are many versions；
there is but one Bible。 Whatever the translators put into the various
tongues； the Bible itself remains the same。 There are values in the new
versions； but they are simply the old value of the Bible itself。 It is a
familiar maxim that the newest version is the oldest Bible。 We are not
making the Bible up to date when we make a new version； we are only
getting back to its date。 A revision in our day is the effort to take out of the
original writings what men of King James's day may have put in； and give
them so much the better chance。 There is no revised Bible； there is only a
revised version。 Readers sometimes feel disturbed at what they consider
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the changes made in the Bible。 The fact is； the revision which deserves the
name is lessening the changes in the Bible； it is giving us the Bible as it
actually was and taking from us elements which were not part of it。 One
can sympathize with the eloquent Dr。 Storrs； who declared； in an address
in 1879； that he was against any new version because of the history of the
King James version； describing it as a great oak with roots running deep
and branches spreading wide。 He declared we were not ready to give it up
for any modern tulip…tree。 There is something in that； though such figures
are not always good argument。 Yet the value to any book of a worthy
translation is beyond calculation。 The outstanding literary illustration of
that fact is familiar。 The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam lay in Persian
literature and in different English translations long before Fitzgerald made
it a household classic for literary people。 The translator made the book for
us in more marked way than the original writer did。 In somewhat the same
way the King James version gave to the English…speaking people the Bible；
and no other version has taken its place。
Yet that was not a mistaken move nearly forty years ago； when the
revision of the King James version was proposed and undertaken。 Thirty
years ago （1881） it was completed in what we ordinarily call the Revised
Version； and ten years ago （1901） the American form of that Revised
Version appeared。 Few things could more definitely prove the accepted
place of the King James version than the fact that we seem to hear less to…
day of the Revised Version than we used to hear； and that； while the
American Revised Version is incomparably the best in existence in its
reproduction of the original； even it makes way slowly。 In less than forty
years the King James version crowded all its competitors off the field。 The
presence of the Revised Version of 1881 has not appreciably affected the
sales or the demand for the King James version。 In the minds of most
people the English and the American revisions stand as admirable
commentaries on the King James version。 If one wishes to know wherein
the King James version failed of representing the original； he will learn it
better from those versions than from any number of commentaries； but the
number of those to whom one or other of the versions has supplanted the
King James version is not so large as might have been expected。
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There were several reasons for a new English version of the Bible。 It
was； of course； no indignity to the King James version。 Those translators
frankly said that they had no hope to make a final version of the Scriptures。
It would be very strange if in three hundred years language should not
have grown by reason of the necessities of the race that used it； so that at
some points a book might be outgrown。 In another lecture it has been
intimated that the English Bible； by reason of its constant use； has tended
to fix and confirm the English language。 But no one book； nor any set of
books； could confine a living tongue。 Some of the reasons for a new
version which give value to these two revisions may be mentioned。
1。 Though the King James version was made just after the literary
renaissance； the classical learning of to…day is far in advance of that day。
The King James version is occasionally defective in its use of tenses and
verbs in the Greek and also in the Hebrew。 We have Greek and Hebrew
scholars who are able more exactly to reproduce in English the meaning of
the original。 It would be strange if that were not so。
2。 Then there have been new and important discoveries of Biblical
literature which date earlie
