OF THE ENGLISH BIBLE BY BROOKE FOSS WESTCOTT, D.D. THIRD EDITION REVISED BY WILLIAM ALDIS WRIGHT, VICE-MASTER OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE London: NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1905 [All Rights reserved] Ευλόγως ὁ Διδάσκαλος ἡμῶν ἔλεγεν Γίνεσθε τραπεζίται Δόκιμοι. First Edition, Crown 8vo. 1868, Second Edition, Crown 8vo. 1872, Third Edition revised by William Aldis Wright, 8vo. 1905 SEP 3 0 1907 CBAD 1905 PREFACE. IN N the following Essay I have endeavoured to call attention to some points in the history of the English Bible which have been strangely neglected. The history of our Bible is indeed a type of the history of our Church, and both histories have suffered the same fate. The writers who have laboured most successfully upon them have in the main confined themselves to outward facts without tracing the facts back to their ultimate sources, or noticing the variety of elements which go to form the rinal result. As far as I know no systematic inquiry into the internal history of our Authorised Version has yet been made, and still no problem can offer greater scope for fruitful research. To solve such a problem completely would be a work of enormous labour, and I have been forced to content myself with indicating some salient points in the solution, in the hope that others may correct and supplement the conclusions which I have obtained. It is at least something to know generally to what extent Tindale and Coverdale made use of earlier versions, and to be able to refer to their sources most of the characteristic readings of Matthew's New Testament and of the Great Bibles1. 1 Perhaps I may be allowed to mention one or two collations which would certainly furnish some valuable results. (1) A collation of the Grenville Fragment with the smaller Tindale's Testament of 1525. (2) A collation of Tindale's Testaments of 1534 and 1535 with the New Testament in Matthew's Bible of 1537. (3) A collation of Tindale's Pentateuchs of 1530 and 1534 with Matthew's Bible 1537, for which Mr Offor's MSS. in the British Museum would be available as a verification (see p. 208, n.). (4) A collation of numerous select passages in the Great Bibles of 1539, W. b Even in the external history of our Bible much remains to be done. It seems scarcely credible that adequate inquiry will not shew from what presses Tindale's New Testament of 1535', Coverdale's Bible of 1535 and Matthew's Bible of 1537 proceeded. And it is impossible not to hope that Mr Brewer's researches may yet bring to light new documents illustrating the vacillating policy of Henry VIII. as to the circulation of the vernacular Scriptures. It does not fall within my province to criticise other histories. I have used Mr Anderson's Annals of the English Bible, and the Historical Account' prefixed to Bagster's Hexapla (to which Mr Anderson does scant justice) with the greatest profit, and I desire to express generally my obligations to both essays. If I differ from them silently on any points I do so purposely, and in some cases I have even felt obliged to point out errors in them which were likely to mislead. Absolute accuracy in an inquiry of so wide a range seems to be impossible, and everyone who is conscious of his own manifold mistakes would gladly leave the mistakes of others unnoticed; but when writers like Mr Hallam and Mr Froude misrepresent every significant feature in an important episode of literary history, it seems necessary to raise some protest. Their names are able to give authority to fictions, if the fictions are unchallenged3......................... April, 1540, and November, 1540, with a view to ascertaining how far the reaction in the last text extends, and whether it can be traced to any principle. (5) A collation of the New Testaments of the Bishops' Bibles of 1568 and 1572. 1 See p. 161, n., 1872. 2 The Historical Account appears in two forms. That which I have used was drawn up (I am informed) by Dr S. P. Tregelles. In the later issue of the Hexapla this independent and valuable narrative was replaced by another written (it is said) by Mr Anderson, which I have not consulted. 1872. [It was written not by Mr Anderson, but by Dr John Stoughton.-W. A. W.] 3 One example of this contagiousness of error, which is a fair specimen of a very large class, falls under my notice as these sheets are passing through the press. Tindale,' writes Mr Smiles, 'unable to get his New Testament |