X pursued for a searching examination of the whole CHAP English Bible, with a view to improvement of the translation. The two committees consisted of the following members: OLD TESTAMENT COMMITTEE. Lee, Archbishop of York. *Goodrich, Bishop of Ely. *Redmayne, afterwards Master of Trinity College, Cam bridge. *Taylor, afterwards Bishop of Lincoln. A.D. 1541-2 collected, and which he thought should be transferred into English in their idiomatic form. The following is his list:-"Ecclesia, Pœnitentia, Pontifex, Ancilla, Contritus, Holocausta, Justitia, Justificare, Idiota, Elementa, Baptizare, Martyr, Adorare, Dignus, Sandalium, Simplex, Tetrarcha, Sacramentum, Simulacrum, Gloria, Conflictationes, Ceremonia, Mysterium, Religio, Spiritus Sanctus, Spiritus, Merces, Confiteor Tibi Pater, Panis præpositionis, Communio, Perseverare, Dilectus, Sapientia, Pietas, Presbyter, Lites, Servus, Opera, Sacrificium, Benedictio, Humilis, Humilitas, Scientia, Gentilis, Synagoga, Ejicere, Misericordia, Complacui, Increpare, Distribueretur orbis, Inculpatus, Senior, Apocalypsis, Satisfactio, Contentio, Conscientia, Peccatum, Peccator, Idolum, Prudentia, Prudenter, Para bola, Magnifico, Oriens, Subditus, Didrachma, Hospitalitas, Episcopus, Gratia, Charitas, Tyrannus, Concupiscentia, Cisera, Apostolus, Apostolatus, Egenus, Stater, Societas, Zizania, Christus, Conversari, Profiteor, Impositio manuum, Idololatria, Dominus, Sanctus, Confessio, Imitator, Pascha, Innumerabilis, Inenarrabilis, Infidelis, Paganus, Commilito, Virtutes, Dominationes, Throni, Potestates, Hostia." [Ibid., p. 108.] It will be observed that Gardiner's principle was largely carried out in our present translation, where many words are kept in a Latin form, as Redeemer, Regeneration, Reconcile, Resurrec tion, Ascended, which were preferred to the old English Againbuyer, New-birth, At-one-making, Again-rising, Steighed. Wilkins' Concilia, iii. 861. CHAP A. D. 1541-2 Compe. tent learning of These committees contain the names of men thoroughly competent, from their acquaintance with these Com Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and other languages, to mittees Henry VIII. stops work undertake the work: and a majority of the divines named (those distinguished by asterisks), were afterwards employed in the translation and revision of the Services for the Book of Common Prayer." But the labours of these learned men were interthe good rupted before much progress had been made. The King sent a message to Convocation on March 10, 1541-2, by Archbishop Cranmer, to the effect that it was his will and pleasure for the translations of the Scriptures to be submitted to the two universities. The members of the committees represented to Cranmer that this was highly inexpedient, as the learning of the universities was then at a very low ebb, and the control of everything both at Oxford and Cambridge in the hands of young men, whose judgment was not to be relied on for so important an object. Cranmer, however, placed the will of his Sovereign before everything, and this remonstrance had no effect. No steps were taken to appoint translators from the universities, and thus a most promising plan fell to the ground for more than sixty years through See Annotated Book of Common Prayer, p. xxii. ed. 1866. The CHAP the obstructive interference of the King. Epistles to the Corinthians are known to have been finished, and there can be no doubt that many other portions also were in a forward state. X A. D. 1541-2 ance of the secure a lation What has been narrated will show that the eccle- Perseversiastical rulers and guides of the Church of England Bishops in were fully awake to the importance of providing an trying to accurate translation of the Holy Bible at an early good transperiod of the Reformation; that they persevered for some years in their endeavours to obtain one; that their matured plans were substantially identical with those afterwards carried out for the production of our present noble authorized version: and that what was done in 1611 by a royal commission must have been done in 1541 by a proper synod of the Church, if it had not been for the weakness of Cranmer in yielding to the interference of Henry the Eighth. The consequence of that interference was that the "Great Bible" of 1539 (well-known to us still by our Prayer Book Psalms) continued to be the authorized version of the Church of England until 1568, when it was superseded by that made under the direction of Archbishop Parker: which was to be superseded in its turn, after forty years, by that since used for two centuries and a half. The history of these later translations must be followed up in a subsequent volume of this work. CHAPTER XI THE RISE OF PROTESTANT DISSENT CHAP THE HE Reformation of the Church of England was, in the main, effected upon conservative and constitutional principles: and especial care was taken at all times to avoid anything that would break into Prudence the continuity of its life. This principle did, in fact, deeply influence all the official movements of the Rebest Re- formation. All the more solid, learned, and thoughtful and cau tion of formers reformers said to themselves-" If we break off from the Old Church of England, we cut away the ground from under our feet. We must continue the line of the episcopate, and hand it on unbroken to our descendants; we must provide a true priesthood the same in every respect as has been provided hitherto ; we must guard the ancient sacraments of the Church, and take care that no essentials shall be wanting to their due administration, recté and rité, as to principles and ritual; we must see that whatever changes may be expedient in our Liturgy and other services, nothing is taken away, nothing added, which shall cut them off from the fellowship of primitive offices: we must maintain the creeds intact; and, whatever special formularies may be needed for our special. XI position, we must in all things be sure that the CHAP Catholic faith is still held by the Church of England. Let Rome treat us how she will, be it ours so still to hold our place in the one body of Christ, that we may still claim union with her, and with all living branches of the one true Vine." different But there was a large and increasing body of Others of a Englishmen in whose eyes such orderly principles class were of no value; men who knew very little of history or theology, who lived in a narrow circle of present interests, who were not scrupulous as to national or individual honour, who had strong hankerings after novelties, and who, above all, were saturated with self-confidence. These men laid the foundations of that sectarian spirit which has been known for three centuries by the names of Protestantism,1 Puritanism, Nonconformity, and Dissent; and which is, in reality, as strongly antagonistic to the fundamental principles of the Church of England as to those of the Church of Rome. and the English Protestants generally trace up their origin Wickliffe to Wickliffe and the Lollards: and those who over- Reformalook the orderly character of the Church of England tion Reformation identify the two movements and consider Wickliffe as the father of both. But, as it is remarked by Archdeacon Hardwick, "the rise, the 1 The name of "Protestant" was originally imported from Germany. In the year 1529 the Diet of Spires passed a decree forbidding unauthorized interference with the doctrines or worship of the Church, and this was protested against by some of the petty German dukes at the instigation of Luther. These and their adherents were called Protestants, and the name was gradually assumed by the extreme |
