study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第7章
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LECTURE II
THE MAKING OF THE KING JAMES VERSION； ITS
CHARACTERISTICS
EARLY in January； 1604； men were making their way along the poor
English highways； by coach and carrier； to the Hampton Court Palace of
the new English king。 They were coming from the cathedral towns； from
the universities； from the larger cities。 Many were Church dignitaries；
many were scholars； some were Puritans； all were loyal Englishmen； and
they were gathering in response to a call for a conference with the king；
James I。 They were divided in sentiment； these men； and those who hoped
most from the conference were doomed to complete disappointment。 Not
one among them； not the King； had the slightest purpose that the
conference should do what proved to be its only real service。 Some of the
men； grave and earnest； were coming to present their petitions to the King；
others were coming to oppose their petitions； the King meant to deny them
and to harry the petitioners。 And everything came out as it had been
planned。 Yet the largest service of the conference； the only real service；
was in no one's mind； for it was at Hampton Court； on the last day of the
conference between James and the churchmen； January 18； 1604； that the
first formal step was taken toward the making of the so…called Authorized
Version of the English Bible。 If there are such things as accidents； this
great enterprise began in an accident。 But the outcome of the accident； the
volume that resulted； is 〃allowed by all competent authorities to be the
first； ＇that is； the chief＇ English classic；〃 if our Professor Cook； of Yale；
may speak； 〃is universally accepted as a literary masterpiece； as the
noblest and most beautiful Book in the world； which has exercised an
incalculable influence upon religion； upon manners； upon literature； and
upon character；〃 if the Balliol College scholar Hoare can be trusted； and
has 〃made the English language；〃 if Professor March is right。 The purpose
of this study is to show how that accident occurred； and what immediately
came from it。
With the death of Elizabeth the Tudor line of sovereigns died out。 The
collateral Stuart line； descending directly from Henry VII。； naturally
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succeeded to the throne； and James VI。 of Scotland made his royal
progress to the English capital and became James I。 of England。 In him
appears the first of that Stuart line during whose reign great changes were
to occur。 Every one in the line held strongly to the dogma of the divine
right of kings； yet under that line the English people transferred
sovereignty from the king to Parliament。＇1＇ Fortunately for history； and for
the progress of popular government； the Stuart line had no forceful figures
in it。 Macaulay thinks it would have been fatal to English liberty if they
had been able kings。 It was easier to take so dangerous a weapon as the
divine right of kings from weak hands than from strong ones。 So it was
that though James came out of Scotland to assert his divine and arbitrary
right as sovereign； by the time Queen Anne died； closing the Stuart line
and giving way to the Hanoverian； the real sovereignty had passed into the
hands of Parliament。
＇1＇ Trevelyan； England Under the Stuarts。
But the royal traveler； coming from Edinburgh to London； is
interesting on his own accountinteresting at this distance。 He is thirty…
seven years old； and ought to be in the beginning of his prime。 He is a
little over middle height； loves a good horse； though he is an ungainly
rider； and has fallen off his horse three or four times during his royal
progress； is a heavy drinker of the liquors of the period； with horribly
coarse； even gross manners。 Macaulay is very severe with him。 He says
that 〃his cowardice； his childishness； his pedantry； his ungainly person and
manners； his provincial accent； made him an object of derision。 Even in
his virtues and accomplishments there was something eminently
unkingly。〃＇1＇ It seemed too bad that 〃royalty should be exhibited to the
world stammering； slobbering； shedding unmanly tears； trembling at the
drawn sword； and talking in the style alternately of a buffoon and of a
pedagogue。〃 That is truly not an attractive picture。 But there is something
on the other side。 John Richard Green puts both sides： 〃His big head； his
slobbering tongue； his quilted clothes； his rickety legs stood out in as
grotesque a contrast with all that men recalled of Henry and Elizabeth as
his gabble and rhodomontade； his want of personal dignity； his buffoonery；
his coarseness of speech； his pedantry； his contemptible cowardice。 Under
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this ridiculous exterior； however； lay a man of much natural ability； a ripe
scholar with a considerable fund of shrewdness； of mother wit and ready
repartee。〃＇2＇
＇1＇ History of England； chap。 i。
＇2＇ Short History of the English People； chap。 viii； sec。 ii。
Some good traits he must have had。 He did win some men to him。 As
some one has said； 〃You could love him； you could despise him； you
could not hate him。〃 He could say some witty and striking things。 For
example； when he was urging the formal union of Scotland and England；
and it was opposed； he said： 〃But I am the husband； and the whole island
is my wife。 I hope no one will be so unreasonable as to suppose that I； that
am a Christian king under the Gospel； should be a polygamist and husband
to two wives。〃＇2＇ After the conference of which we have been speaking；
he wrote to a friend in Scotland： 〃I have had a revel with the Puritans and
have peppered them soundly。〃 As indeed he had。 Then； in some sense at
least； 〃James was a born theologian。〃 He had studied the Bible in some
form from childhood； one of the first things we hear of his doing is the
writing of a paraphrase on the book of the Revelation。 In his talk he made
easy and free use of Scripture quotations。 To be sure； his knowledge； on
which he prided himself unconscionably； was shallow and pedantic。 Henry
IV。 of France； one of his contemporaries； said that he was 〃the wisest fool
in Christendom。〃
＇2＇ Trevelyan； England Under the Stuarts； p。 107。
Now； it was this man who was making his royal progress from
Edinburgh to London in March； 1603； nearly a year before the gathering
of men which we were observing at the opening of this study。 Many things
happened on the journey besides his falling off his horse several times； but
one of the most significant was the halting of the progress to receive what
was called the Miliary Petition； whose name implies that it was signed by
a thousand menactually somewhat less than that numbermostly
ministers of the Church。 The Petition made no mention of any Bible
version； yet it was the beginning of the events which led to it。 Back of it
was the Puritan influence。 It asked for reforms in the English Church； for
the correction of abuses which had grown under Elizabeth's increasing
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favor of ritual and ceremony。 It asked for a better…trained ministry； for
better discipline in the Church； for the omission of so many detailed
requirements of rites and ceremonies； and for that perennially desired
reform； shorter church services！
Very naturally the new King replied that he would take it up later； and
promised to call a conference to consider it。 And this he did。 The
conference met at Hampton Court in January； 1604； and it was for this that
the men were coming from many parts of England。 The gathering was
held on the 14th； 16th； and 18th of the month。 Its sole purpose was to
consider that Miliary Petition； but the King called to it not only those who
had signed the Petition； but those who had opposed it。 He had no notion of
granting any favor to it； and from the first he gave the Puritans rough
treatment。 He told them he would have none of their non… conformity； he
would 〃make them conform or harry them out of the land。〃 Someone
suggested that since this was a Church matter there be called a Synod； or
some general gathering fitted to discuss and determine such things； rather
than leave it to a few Church dignitaries。 For the purposes of the
petitioners it was a most unfortunate expression。 James had just come
from Scotland； where the Presbyterians were with their Synod； and where
Calvinism was in full swing。 He was much in favor of some elements of
Calvinism； but he could not see how all the elements held together。
Predestination； for example； which offends so many people to…day； was a
precious doctrine to King James； and he insisted that his subjects ought to
see how clearly God had predestined him to rule over them！ But he could
not tolerate the necessary logical inference of Calvinism that all men must
be equal before God； and so men can make and unmake kings as they need
to do so； the matter of king or subject being purely an incidental one。 He
remembered the time when Andrew Melville； one of the Scotch ministers；
had plucked him by his royal sleeve and called him 〃God's silly vassal〃
right to his face。 So； when some one said 〃Synod〃 it brought the King up
standing。 He burst out： 〃If that is what you mean； if you want what the
Scotch mean by their Synod and their Presbytery； then I tell you at once
that I will have none of it。 Presbytery agrees with monarchy very much as
God agrees with the devil。 If you have no bishop； you will
