CHAP. III. INTERNAL Ex. xxxiii. 19. 'For finding nothing in man that can deserve 'mercy, he will freely save his. 'Hereby it appeareth that Naomi by dwelling 'among idolaters was waxen cold in the true zeal Ruth i. 9. 'of God, which rather hath respect to the ease of 'the body than to the comfort of the soul. 2 Chron. xv. 16. Ps. lxxxix. 12. Is. vi. 5. Jerem. xxxi. 34. 'Herein he shewed that he lacked zeal for she 'ought to have died both by the covenant (v. 13) and by the law of God; but he gave place to 'foolish pity and would also seem after a sort to 'satisfy the Law. 'Tabor is a mountain westward from Jerusa'lem, and Hermon eastward; so the prophet 'signifieth that all parts and places of the world 'shall obey God's power for the deliverance of his 'Church. 'He speaketh this for two causes: the one be'cause he that was a mortal creature, and therefore 'had more need to glorify God than the angels, did 'it not and the other because the more near that 'man approacheth to God the more doth he know 'his own sin and corruption. 'If the sun moon and stars cannot but give light 'according to mine ordinance, so long as this world 'lasteth, so shall my church never fail, neither shall 'anything hinder it and as sure as I will have a people so certain is it that I will leave them my word for ever to govern them with. 'He divided the law of nature corrupt into ungodliness and unrighteousness. Ungodliness containeth the false worshipping of God: unrighteousness breach of law towards man. CHAP. III. INTERNAL HISTORY. Rom. i. 18. 'As the only will and purpose of God is the Rom.ix.15. chief cause of election and reprobation, so His free mercy in Christ is an inferior cause of salva 'tion and the hardening of the heart an inferior cause of damnation. 16 'Open that which grieveth you that a remedy James v. 'may be found; and this is commanded both for him that complaineth and for him that heareth, 'that the one should shew his grief to the other. 'The souls of the saints are under the altar Rev. vi. 9. 'which is Christ, meaning that they are in his safe 'custody in the heavens.' 'Locusts are false teachers, heretics and worldly Rev. ix. 3. 'subtil prelates, with monks, friars, cardinals, pa'triarchs, archbishops, bishops, doctors, bachelors 'and masters which forsake Christ to maintain 'false doctrine'' 1 In the New Testament the notes in the Bible (1560) differ from those in the Testament of 1557 (e.g. Matt. xxviii. 15; Mark CHAP. INTERNAL HISTORY. of the Bishops' Bible. § 7. THE BISHOPS' BIBLE. The correspondence on the subject of the BiThe design shops' Bible which has been already quoted explains the general design of the revisers'. It was their object to remove from the Great Bible all errors which seemed to impair the sense, and at the same time to produce a popular and not a literary version. In both respects-in the alteration of the renderings and in the alteration of the language-they proposed at least in the first instance to confine themselves to necessary changes, for the revision was essentially conservative in its conception. But in the execution of the plan some of the revisers certainly made use of far wider liberty than the original scheme permitted. The design The execution of the work is indeed, if a very unequally carried out. partial examination may be trusted, extremely unequal; and the Greek scholarship of the revisers is superior to their Hebrew scholarship. How far the separate sections are marked by the special characteristics of the men engaged upon them I cannot say, and the inquiry is not one which would reward the labour which it would cost. Still the revision has received far less attention 1 See pp. 130 ff. than it deserves, and in the New Testament it CHAP. shews considerable vigour and freshness. III. INTERNAL HISTORY. General The historical books of the Old Testament follow the text of the Great Bible very closely. The character. Hagiographa, as far as I have examined them, are corrected with considerable freedom. The Prophets are altered very frequently, but in these the new renderings can generally be traced to some other source. The influence of the Genevan revision is perceptible throughout, but it is more obvious in the Prophets than elsewhere. Castalio was certainly consulted and had some influence with the revisers, but with the exception of the Genevan version itself no fresh sources were open to them in addition to those which the Genevan exiles had used1. One or two passages will illustrate what has Examples. been said. GREAT BIBLE, 15503. I But who hath given cre- Is. liii. dence unto the thing we have heard? or to whom is the arm of the Lord known? 2 For he did grow before the Lord like as a branch 1 See p. 273. 2 The passages are taken from the Great Bible of 1550. The readings of the Bishops' Bible from the first edition of 1568. 3 The italics, as before, indicate words and phrases which were changed in the revision. The renderings substituted are given in detail afterwards. CHAP. INTERNAL HISTORY. and as a root in a dry ground. He hath neither beauty nor favour. When we shall look upon him there shall be no fairness: we shall have no lust unto him. 3 He is despised and abhorred of men: he is such a man as is full of sorrow and as hath good experience of infirmities. We have reckoned him so vile that we hid our faces from him; yea he was despised and therefore we regarded him not. 4 Howbeit he only hath taken on him our infirmities and borne our pains. Yet we did judge him as though he were plagued and cast down of God and punished. 5 Whereas he (notwithstanding) was wounded for our offences and smitten for our wickedness. For the chastisement of our peace was laid upon him, and with his stripes are we healed. 6 As for us, we have gone all astray (like sheep) every one hath turned his own way; but the Lord hath heaped together upon him the iniquity of us all. 7 He suffered violence and was evil entreated, and did not yet open his mouth. He shall be led as a sheep to be slain, yet shall he be as still as a lamb before the shearer and not open his mouth. |