tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69238485973241992382024-03-13T15:51:13.600+00:00theAV4everLearning to read the KJV again - after long neglect!Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-55877449870779691792014-01-07T05:13:00.000+00:002014-01-10T02:15:04.872+00:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h1>"Every word of God is pure,” or is it?</h1><p>Recently I got involved in a discussion with a Christian friend on Romans 8: 1. We were trying to decide whether the second half of that verse (KJV) is spurious or genuine. Correspondence between us followed, and I have reproduced it here, so please make your own judgment [The recipient's name has been changed to preserve anonymity].</p><p><h3>Hi William,</h3></p><p>In our discussion at breakfast today, you implied you are not sure it's sound to say that the Received Text (TR) – the Greek Text behind the KJV - could contain a perfect text of Scripture. The example you gave is the first clause of Romans 8:1. Here, according to the AV, the apostle Paul said:<p><i>“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”</i> KJV</p><p>All modern versions based on the Bible Society's Critical Greek Text (4th Ed.,) leave out the second adjectival clause, thus:<p><i>“There is, therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”</i>
(ESV) </p></p><p>You also implied, if you keep the additional clause in the Text, it qualifies Paul's thought here unhelpfully, in that it may suggest a person not walking by the Spirit is condemned, that is, unsaved, or, eternally damned.</p><p>The external textual evidence for keeping the clause in, or leaving it out, is ambiguous, as other language versions and 'Church fathers' etc., support either option. The main Greek textual evidence for the TR being in fact correct, consists in the fact that the majority of preserved manuscripts (MSS) keep it in. That is, there are nearly 800 Greek MSS of the Pauline Epistles, and the great majority of these keep,<i> “who walk not after the flesh . . . etc.,”</i> in the Text. Only a few (less than 50) leave it out, noticeably Prof. Hort's 'famous' MSS (Codex B [Vaticanus], and Codex Aleph [Sinaiticus]), with their few acolytes.<h3>Condemnation or disability?</h3></p><p>There are verses which show that Rom 8:1 (TR) does not necessarily mean,<i> “There is no eternal damnation to those that are in Christ Jesus,”</i> but can instead mean, (as per Griffith-Thomas' commentary on Romans),<i> “There is no disability to those who . . .”</i> Paul is saying a bad conscience no longer gets in the way of worship. His use of “katakrino” here means either “condemn,” or it could mean disqualify. The same Greek word (to condemn) is used in Luke 11:32 <i>“The men of Nineveh . . will condemn [this generation]”</i>; in Rom 2:1 it is also used for the believer incriminating himself when he judges another,<i> “thou condemnest thyself”</i>; and in Rom. 14: 23, again, for self-condemnation at the Lord's Supper - <i>“he that doubteth is damned if he eat.” </i> That is, because we are justified by faith, we have a clear conscience, and through Him we have free access to the throne of a holy God. The disability is gone. Paul thus is not thinking of the eternal consequences of sin at this point, but its existential consequences, the disabling effects of sin on our conscience, here and now.</p><p>If this is a correct way of interpreting “katakrino” here, then it makes sense for Paul to add, in verse 1, <i>“who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”</i> If I do not walk according to the Spirit. I am living merely in the power of the natural life, and obeying the law of sin in my members, rather than obeying the law of the Spirit. I will therefore as a believer easily get a bad conscience. This will obstruct my ability to <i>“abide in Him,”</i> and live in communion with the LORD.</p><p>Just because the disputed phrase is found in verse 4b, does not mean it was exported back into verse 1, simply by the fact that it occurs later in the passage. It seems to me, the phrase became disputed because 8:1a was interpreted wrongly, first up. If you say Paul had the eternal consequences of sin in mind in v. 1, then naturally the second part of the verse does not fit. Whereas, if you say, Paul had in mind the way sin disables us from walking in the Spirit, and knowing God's presence in our lives, then it does fit. But, Rom 2:1 and 14: 23 cannot possibly refer to condemnation to hell, can it? There is certainly disability, however, if someone tries to live the Christian life in the power of the flesh (sinful nature) - you doubtless agree with that.</p><p><h3>A resolution.</h3>
In summary, the textual evidence is divided, but I follow the majority Text here, as did the KJV translators. After all, they had a better knowledge of the Greek MSS (and the foreign language versions) and the early Christian writers, compared to contemporary scholars. They soaked their every waking moment in them, as compared to our more diversified occupations. They knew how the early Christian writers had dealt with Rom 8:1, that is, some were in favour of the (allegedly) imported clause, and others were opposed to it. They knew the church worship reading calendar-manuals (lectionaries) had uniformly kept the phrase in the Text. In contrast, contemporary scholars claim they have applied some kind of 'scientific' standard to the Text, and thus produce so much better results than their predecessors. It's a furphy.</p><p>
So, as I say, if you start with the position “MSS from Antioch (the Majority Text) are more reliable than MSS from Alexandria (Hort's Codex B and Aleph), then you keep the clause in the Text, believing the Holy Spirit preserved the Reformers from error, when they produced the first Greek edition of the NT MSS - into print for the first time. Syrian Antioch was the home of genuine Gentile Christianity; Alexandria was the home of Egyptian Gnosticism - with its pernicious effects on the Christian faith. The KJV translators certainly believed that, too, and thought very little of Prof. Hort's precious Codex B (Vaticanus)</p><p>If the Bible is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice, then we should go to the Bible to discover what it teaches us, as to how to decide what should be in the Bible and what should be out. We are inheritors of the first Christians (named such at Antioch), and we reject the mystical symbolism of Gnostic (largely Egyptian) interference with the Text of Scripture. We should expect that the Holy Spirit showed the same care in preserving the “apographs" (the copies) from error, as he did in inspiring it in the first place. That’s where I stand, anyway.</p><p>Your brother in Christ Jesus, Clive.</p>
Correspondent's reply:</p><p><h3>Hi Clive,</h3></p><p>“I was prompted to look at the how the Darby Bible handled Rom 8:1 and it too omits the second half. Not sure what to make of that.</p><p>I merely take the stance of an observer as I, like perhaps the majority, at least for the present, lack the background and resources to research such matters independently, and thus I note with interest the various comments of Bible scholars but find myself wondering what to make of it all. So if we take a text like Rom 8.1 as an example, I note that there are differences of opinion among Bible scholars and I simply move on with what I am sure of in the way of the principles involved.” </p><p>Yours, William</p><p><h3>Hi William,</h3></p></p>Thanks for your email and your interesting comments.</p><p>I take the view that God has promised to "guide (us) into all truth” and that involves understanding and interpreting Scripture accurately. Whereas I get the impression that you are saying something different. That is, God guides the church into all truth in a very general sense, say, in getting major teachings right, but that doesn’t extend to getting all the details of the Text, and so on, right. Yes, I realise it’s a problem when commentators differ in what they do with a Text. At that point do we throw up our hands and say, Well, as I don’t know the Greek and haven’t studied the technical aspects about differing manuscripts, etc., then I can’t possibly make a judgement. On that basis, you would say, perhaps, 'Who knows whether the Gospel of Mark ended at verse 8 or verse 20? If the critical editors say it ended at verse 8, then I’ll just have to be agnostic about it!' Whereas, if we believe God providentially preserved His Text the same way He inspired it in the first place, then we can confidently say, “No way did Mark’s ending get lost, with a shorter one possibly substituted.” We should instead, be sure of every detail of Scripture. <h3>JND the Textual Critic</h3></p><p>I realise JN Darby and William Kelly and other brethren didn’t believe that, so the critics among them interfered with the Received Text, and changed it quite freely. [Thus JND's 1890 edition of the NT omits Rom 8:1b without mention or demur!]. In my view this was a mistake of the Brethren movement, and of course the talented textual critic Samuel Tregelles - in fellowship with Exclusive Brethren - was a leading critic of his day, and brought out his own Greek Text of the NT!! </p><p>JN Darby left out the second part of Rom 8:1 as you say. In my view he had no good reason to do that. In a similar way, he changed the threefold AV rendering of “krisis” in John 5: 22, 24, and 29, saying the translators got v. 24 wrong, when rendering the word as “condemnation,” rather than “judgement.” [Whereas it is clear, we all will be judged, but the saved will not be condemned – to which thought the KJV translators were calling attention in v. 24.] </p><p>As to the use of the word in Rom 8: 1, Darby shows by his comments, that he took your earlier view of the matter (i.e. condemnation = eternal damnation). In his critical footnote he shows he rejects the clause, not because of the external evidence of MSS but because, he says, “The Greek, were it to stand as part of the text, must be translated, ‘There is no condemnation for those who, in Christ Jesus, walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” That is, he automatically assumes that “condemnation” means eternal damnation, whereupon incongruity results. However, as I said, if “condemnation” is better rendered “disability” here (for those with a clear conscience to worship God in sincerity), then there’s absolutely no reason why the way in thich the AV translates and incorporates the clause, within the verse, should not be accepted as accurate and helpful. </p><p>The Brethren’s mistake I believe was to assume, along with the rest of Christendom - with its growing habit of sitting in judgement on the Word of God in the Traditional Text - that the KJV men were not superior in their knowledge and scholarship, as compared to contemporary scholars. In the KJV translators we see a group of over 50 men, subject to one another's judgement, and vastly saturated in all the relevant material. They thus made very well informed textual judgements - as between manuscripts, early writers, etc.</p><p>JN Darby prided himself on having won a Classical medal at Trinity College, Dublin, the prize which acknowledged his superior grasp of Greek and Latin. Because of that, some of his other brethren doubtless stood in awe of him. What results from reliance on a handful of elite scholars? A reliance on men rather than on God the Holy Spirit. So much so, that William Kelly (who followed Darby closely) said his younger disciples didn’t need to study Greek and Hebrew for themselves, as they now had all they needed, laid out before them. Darby, however, said in later life he thought that somewhere along the way, he had got something seriously wrong. He was right. Thinking he could improve on the KJV translators' scholarship, in my view, was where he went wrong. And, naturally, Kelly followed him closely.<h3>A resolution</h3> </p><p>Whenever someone tells me a KJV reading is wrong and needs correcting, I have been constantly helped by responding sceptically to such comments, saying, “I’ll study the question for myself in the light of the KJV. I'll assume the latter is right, first working out why they rendered the Text in such a way. Then, I will decide if their rendering stands up in the light of all we know, and agree upon.” I have yet to be shown the KJV translators were substantially wrong anywhere. Where can their rendering be improved in accuracy (I’m not thinking of style)? Scholars glibly refer to the mistakes of the KJV, but they don’t allow the criticism to be properly tested, it seems - assumed not proved!! QED. </p><p>I hope that helps, William, to show where I am coming from,</p>Your brother,<p>Clive.</p>
Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-25639930311784670592013-07-26T16:05:00.000+01:002013-07-27T19:05:57.093+01:00Damien Hirst's 'Verity'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last week I visited Ilfracombe in North Devon, a quaint Victorian town on the rocky North Devon coast, with several thousand souls. I spent the first six months of my life here, so feel a vested interest, and affectionate attachment to the place. Damien Hirst's statue "Verity" stands at the end of the harbour quay, inviting study and reflection.<br />
Controversy abounds as to the artistic value of the statue. Some say it is 'disvalue': an ugly and meaningless piece of ConArt, destined for the scrap heap. One Facebook entry, ("Manyani") says (Oct 12 2012):<br />
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"I think the problem is that Hirst's recent work lacks any soul. It is about as emotionally engaging as as a souvenir knick knack in a tourist trap. Completely dead. It would be interesting to see it turn green if it will and if I'm alive in 20 years to see whether it has become a much loved local focal point." <br />
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It "lacks soul"? Yes, says Ruth Dudley Edwards, no thanks to the Tate lately 'promoting talentless self-publicists, and encouraging the proliferation of the ugly and the pointless.' But, Hirst must have meant something by it, other than buy it!" <br />
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<p>I'll attempt to give it soul, or reveal its soul. Yes, it has turned a streaky chlorinated green - maybe oppressed by bored and jealous mermaids. The artist said his inspiration for the statue came from three sources: the Statue of Liberty, Degas' "Little dancer," and the Scales of Justice, mounted over the Old Bailey. This gives us some clues: the New York symbol represents freedom from oppressive and arbitrary authority; the Little Dancer represents the effect on a girl of sexually abusive men, whilst the Scales speak of the natural human desire for justice to be satisfied. Thus, we see Verity trampling over those books of Law (and Science?), which lie beneath her bronze feet - she feels oppressed by them. Her face suggests she is a scarred victim of a malicious rapacious criminality - as was the Little Dancer. Her pregnant despair cries out for help, for, although she shares the guilt of the abuser, she asks, perhaps, for pity, not condemnation, as she hides the scales of justice behind her back.<br />
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Verity means Truth (Lat. veritas), Hirst speaks in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmvViy_qDI0">an interview</a> of using "universal triggers" to provide strands for his work, which he then brings together to produce a piece of art.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.woolacombeblog.co.uk/wp-content/upLoads/2012/11/verity1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.woolacombeblog.co.uk/wp-content/upLoads/2012/11/verity1.jpg" /></a></b></div>
There are perhaps five attempted universals in 'Verity', starting from the base of the statue:<br />
a. Rebellion - the books on the pedestal represent authority, whether of Law or Science, or both. 'Verity' puts experience above all book learning, and is prepared to trample on all ancient notions of authority. Experts differ, opinions differ, and all knowledge in a post-modern world is uncertain. There's no such thing as objective truth about the meaning of sex, only your truth - which may not be my truth - and vice versa. The woman must find her own meaning in gender relationships, not rely on others to interpret them for her.<br />
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b. Admission - the open womb represents a more honest statement about women's predicament. Some may prefer the term 'Exhibition', as compared to the traditional practice of privacy and confinement in time of pregnancy. She wants 'pro-choice' freedom to have sexual experience without childbirth, all the while acknowledging she knows she is responsible, as a mother, to face up to the dilemma this occasions.<br />
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c. Abstention - Verity has hidden the scales of justice behind her back. That is, she asks viewers to abstain from judging her condition negatively, as if a damning verdict may justly be passed on her condition.<br />
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<p>d. Frustration - She has voluptuous lips, which speak maybe of insatiable sexual appetite. What chance has she of staying childless, when surrounded by men who find her sexually alluring, and feel seduced by her?<br />
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e. Contention - the sword speaks of woman's readiness to respond aggressively to men's (or others) criticism of her condition. She will give as good as she gets. She knows that her sexuality gives her power over men, and she is prepared to use it to the full, if need be. <br />
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To make sex and gender so central to his statue suggests Hirst has drunk at the well of Sigmund Freud and, like his mentor, he makes no bones in not believing in God. There's your first mistake, Damien. <a href="http://http//www.flickr.com/photos/61529725@N08/9109130367"></a><br />
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Anyway, let's analyse these supposed 'universals' a little closer, and give a biblical perspective to them.<br />
1. Rebellion - 'Your truth may not be my truth, and vice versa.' The woman must find her own meaning in gender relationships.' The Bible's remedy to the one-parent problem is a one man-one woman marriage for life - without attitude. <i>"[As to wives, let their adorning] . . . be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." </i>1 Pet. 3: 3-4. Marriage will not work if the woman lacks a "meek and quiet spirit." But, that's far too high a price to pay for many.<br />
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2. Admission - 'Verity wants 'pro-choice' freedom to be childless, while acknowledging she is responsible as a mother too.' The Bible's remedy for this dilemma, is to see childbearing as a wonderful privilege and duty, in spite of what the Enemy did in the Garden: <i>"For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they [both parents] continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. </i> 1 Tim 2: 13<br />
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3. Abstention - Verity has hidden the scales of justice behind her back. She asks viewers to abstain from judging her condition negatively, Jesus (and the Bible) agree with her, when he said:<i>"Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" </i>Matthew 7. <i> He [Jesus] said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." </i>John 8.<br />
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4. Frustration - 'What chance has she of men not feeling seduced by her?' The Bible's answer to this: to realise that unless she searches for sexual healing - and wholeness - she will always be vulnerable to abusive men, and to her own changing moods. Our Verity has, perhaps, the spirit of Degas' little dancer - the abused child-prostitute - who will one day become, as described in Proverbs 9: 18 <i> " A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, To call passengers who go right on their ways: Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell." </i><br />
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5. Contention - She will give as good as she gets - she knows that aggressive sexuality gives her power over men, and she is prepared to use it. The Bible's remedy for this false feminism is to realise she needs the new birth, no, not physical, but the spiritual rebirth Jesus speaks of, to the Jewish rabbi, Nicodemus (John 3):<b />
<i>"Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.. . . 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. . . . For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. "</i><br />
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When we take the remedy, healing immediately begins. Jesus' healing turns 'unwanted' natural life, into a life which God has planned, for your good and mine. As Jesus Christ said, <i> "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." </i> John 10: 10.
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Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-15075870788498548872013-07-24T19:41:00.001+01:002013-07-24T19:41:37.864+01:00Jesus and same-sex union<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div><p>Last Sunday the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Rev. James Jones, seemed to be exercising a semantic sleight of hand, when arguing on the BBC's Sunday programme, that it is right to ask for God's blessing on same sex relationships. He sought to validate the Church's blessing by saying that biblical relationships laid a doctrinal foundation, namely, Jesus' relationship to His Father (John 1:18), John the apostle's relationship to Jesus (John 13:25) , and David's affection toward his best friend Jonathan, son of King Saul (1 Samuel 18:1). In the first two cases, Jones stressed that the physical intimacy is described in Scripture as a relationship in "the bosom" (KJV), that is, 'close to the heart.'</p><p><i>Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. St. John 13:25`<b>No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. </i>St John 1:18</p><p>The relationship between John and Jesus, as well as David and Jonathan, says the Bishop, were "same-sex" relationships. However, by comparing them with Jesus' relationship to His Father, he introduces confusion. Rev. Jones ignores the fact that gender difference is peculiar to the need for human reproduction.; Fatherhood in God bears no relationship to gender as such, but is a necessary metaphor to describe God analogically. God is One who protects, provides, guides and cares for us, in the same way a father should do in the human family. Describing God as "Father" is not a sexual or gender statement at all. If angels neither marry nor are married in heaven (Matt. 22: 30), how much more true that is of God, who is totally Unique. Just as God cannot create a stone He cannot lift, so He cannot reproduce - the idea is a monstrous thought. </p><p>So far has the Bishop strayed from Scripture, that he has lost hold on the Head (Col. 2: 19). The muddled thinking consists in the use of the phrase, "same-sex relationships." A normal use of the phrase, when discussing homosexuality, includes showing the kind of physical affection which is "non-celibate" between males (or between females), where such affection includes an invasive (in my view) interference with "those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable,' and about which St Paul says: "upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness." (1 Cor. 12: 23-24). They were made by God for purposes of procreation, and the only basis on which a spouse (of the opposite sex) has a peculiar position in relationship to those parts of the body, is described by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 7: 4</p><p><i>The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.</i></p><p>Pauline teaching is statedly grounded in the Mosaic Law, for he authoritatively sets out relationships within the church on the assumption "the Law" has a teaching authority (1 Cor. 9:8; 14: 21, 34). But, the Mosaic Law condemns same-sex relationships:</p><p><i>Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. 23Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. 24Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: . . . 25And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. </i>Lev. 18.</p><p>Also, St. Paul reasserts the norm of marriage, as being between one man and one woman, which Jesus Himself taught.</p><p><i>Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 3Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.</i>1 Cor 7: 1-2<b></b><i>And he [Jesus] answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.</i> Mat 19: 4-6</p><p>The expression "touch" in 1 Cor. 7: 1 is euphemistic for taking advantage of a woman in a sexual way. There was no place in Paul's thinking for questioning the Law's condemnation of homosexual relationships. He says, for example:</p><p><i>Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind . . . shall inherit the kingdom of God.</i> 1 Cor. 6: 9-10 </p><p>Here, the apostle uses two Greek words (as underlined), "malakos" and "arsenokoites." The first refers to the 'female' partner in the relationship, who has a more passive role, and thus takes on an effeminate, soft body language uncharacteristic of men; the second refers to the 'male' in the relationship, who takes more initiative, and who is thus is more obviously guilty of abusing his sexual appetite, through such misuse. </p><p>When the writer and historian Antonia Fraser in <a href="http://http://www.amazon.co.uk/Times-James-Scotland-England-Queens/dp/0297767755/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374670495&sr=1-10">"The Life and Times of King James of Scotland"</a> accused King James 1 of having a homosexual relationship, she added, 'presumably the relationship was consummated.' By this she meant to imply that same-sex union is characteristically expressed by conduct (abnormally) mirroring, as far as possible, conjugal union. The KJV uses the term "sodomy" for such behaviour. It is amazing to me that our UK Parliament has recently added its official blessing to such a corrupt relationship. The apostle Paul claims to speak to this issue with God's authority here, as elsewhere in the canon of Scripture. One example, among his many statements, is to this effect:</p><p><i>If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.</i> 1 Cor 14: 37</p><p>Someone who makes no profession of being a believer in, and disciple of Jesus Christ will naturally consider Paul to have been self-deluded, in making claim to possessing prescriptive authority. But, for a Church bishop to implicitly deny that authority is morally indefensible. Confusion is the outcome - there's a day of reckoning ahead. </p>
Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-28536294935753733372013-07-10T18:02:00.000+01:002013-07-13T07:07:03.205+01:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div><h2>Did Jesus command his disciples to “raise the dead”?</h2>
<p>A few days ago I was visiting the Emmanuel Centre, Westminster for an OM event (Operation Mobilisation) , and was impressed with the golden-varnished texts displayed around its walls. Matthew 10: 8 was one of the texts featured, which had me thinking: for over three hundred years the Church has believed Jesus said these words to his chosen few:<blockquote><i>“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, . . .[G]o rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, <b>raise the dead,</b>cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” Matthew 10.</i></Blockquote></p><p>It is sometimes believed (wrongly) that the great defender of the Traditional text of Scripture, Dean John Burgon, - of Chichester Cathedral, and an Oxford don – believed every word of the King James Version was accurate. This may be because the Dean Burgon Society, founded by Dr. Donald Waite in New Jersey, USA, rejects all English versions (including the NKJV), other than the “Authorised”. Burgon believed no text should be changed until all the evidence was in; but this involves a comprehensive study of the thousands of cursive NT manuscripts (MSS), which have been preserved through the centuries. Burgon also insisted on the same attention being given to all the church fathers' writings, whose evidence for the correct text is as important as that of the Greek MSS themselves. Also important are the thousands of lectionaries, which are service manuals, preserved from the fourth century onwards.</p><p>Truth is, Burgon was not entirely true to his principles, for in his “The Revision Revised” he dismissed the supposed instruction of Jesus to raise the dead, because, as he said, 'not 1 in 20 of the MSS support it.' But, all the evidence is not in on the Text, so he was a bit naughty to plead the majority argument at that point, as if that settled the matter. I suspect he rejected the phrase, not only on textual grounds, but for theological reasons. He probably thought it was intrinsically unlikely that Jesus would have expected an ability from his disciples to actually raise the dead, when their faith seemed at times so frail or fragile.</p><p>On the theological point, there are several reasons to explain why Jesus commanded them to raise the dead. First, Jesus expected his close disciples to do the same work of healing etc., as he did, however little or much faith it took. Thus, in Matthew 16:<blockquote><i>“Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” Matt. 17: 19- 21.</i></blockquote>Secondly, he taught them they would be able to do just what he did, which as we know included raising the dead. St. John explains:<blockquote><i>“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” John 14: 12-14</i></blockquote></p><p>The fact that the disciples lacked the faith to do such an extraordinary thing as raise a dead person to life is not relevant. They had watched him raise the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7: 11), and the daughter of Jairus (Luke 7: 12 - 15), and multitudes of those terminally sick (Matt. 12: 15) had been healed. When Martha and Mary complained to Jesus that he had been tardy in responding to their pleas to come and heal Lazarus before he died, he didn't apologise for the delay. Instead, he said he expected better of them:<blockquote><i>“When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 21“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” 23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11. </i></blockquote></p><p>He even chastised them severely in Matthew 17:14 ff. for their lack of faith:<blockquote><i>“And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 18And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.”</i></blockquote></p><p>So, if John Burgon was dismissive of the Text on theological grounds, he was out of order, for it's easily possible that Jesus was challenging the disciples to exercise extraordinary faith. If he dismissed the phrase on text-critical grounds, then he breached the rules he recommended to others, when he argued that no KJV text should be altered (does that not include, 'or propose to be altered'?) until a comprehensive (exhaustive) study of the primary sources has been undertaken. Such a thing will apparently never be done, as there is little taste for such minute study in scholarly circles, except by the very few. The task is gargantuan, and there's so much else to attract our attention.</p><p>Why did Burgon argue against the phrase, <i>“raise the dead”</i> on the textual evidence? Because he wanted to make the point that the later cursive MSS were far too easily dismissed, when textual critics weigh up the evidence, for including a verse or phrase in. These miniscule MSS proliferate as the centuries proceed, and they bear witness to the united testimony of what was later called “the Received Text” (TR). “Received” means 'believe to have been received by the churches all down through the centuries as authentic', starting with the Apostolic autographs. The Reformers rightly believed (e.g. John Owen) that God the Holy Spirit was concerned to preserve every word of the original text (St. John 16:13), in spite of human carelessness, whether by the copyist or some other. Had not God said:<blockquote><i>“He (Jesus) answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” St. Matt. 4:4.</i></blockquote></p><p>That's every word, and:<blockquote><i>“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35</i></blockquote></p><p>Jesus is indeed ”the Word,” and, as the preincarnate 'logos' (Gk. word), he is in a real sense the author of it all. By what reasoning do we accept, then, that Jesus neither meant “every word” literally, nor that God failed to do what he promised (Psalm 12: 6-7). </p><p>Such are the vagaries of New Testament criticism, that with industry and artistry it is possible to make a reasonable (or plausible, depending on your presuppositions!) case for every verse of Scripture in the TR. If you have a knowledge of textual criticism, then you will be interested to read my rationale below, for keeping Matthew 10:8 in the Text. Don't be deceived however. I would not have the same confidence to defend it, did I not already believe, prior to study of a text, that (a) God intended to preserve every word, and (2) The KJV translators had a superior understanding of the main sources available (early Christian writings, lectionaries, Versions) to achieve textual certainty.</p><p>As far as the textual evidence – for or against “raise the dead” – is concerned, one would have thought that the KJV translators would have omitted the reading from the Text, because the Traditional text (Byzantine), which they believed in, largely omits it. Only a comparitively few miniscules have the command in - Burgon thus opposed it. <i>“Raise the dead”</i> is supported by the uncials AlephABCD but that cut no ice with Burgon, as he lamented the five Uncials are so at loggerheads with one another in the Gospels, and in so many places, they were totally untrustworthy as witnesses to the genuine Text. This is in sharp contrast to the views of Westcott and Hort - and todays critical editors of the Text - who still adhere to the old line that Hort's theories are essentially 'kosher', and the readings of the two codices AlephB are therefore a necessary default position, where the correct Text is difficult to decide upon. This is said to be the case, even though AlephB readings are followed by, at most, 47 Greek MSS compared to over 5000 Greek MSS, which largely reflect the Traditional text, that Text believed to be handed down from the apostles.</p><p>Thus, the case for not leaving the words out is: that the major early Uncials have it in (01, B, C*, D, N, P, W, D, 0281vid,) and several of the cursives also (f1, f13-part, 22, 33, 157, 372, 565, 700mg, 892, 2737, pc, L2211). The Old Latin and the Vulgate have it in, as well as the Syriac Sahidic and the Syriac Bohairic (Lat, Sy-S, Sy-H, bo).</p><p>The case against the words lies in the fact that the major Uncials are untrustworthy (01, B, C*, D) and most of the preserved MSS through the centuries leave them out. If we follow Burgon's view here, we will not only say most of the MSS omit it (not an unimportant consideration). Several Uncials also omit it (C, K, P, L, X, G, Q, 124, 174, 788 (=f13-part), 118, 700*). The Syriac Palestinian MS omits, the Syriac Peshitta omits (this is an important early Version); the Egyptian Sahidic omits, and one church father omits, Basil (4th AD).</p><p>Which is the correct reading?</p><p>Burgon, in my view, got it wrong - it should be kept in the Text. Wrong, not because Burgon was a poor scholar (far from it!), but because he lacked a certain belief that God had promised to preserve every word of Scripture. If we are to grow to true maturity, spiritually, we need every word, not simply most words. There are several readings in the TR, which the KJV translators followed, even though they are not in the Majority text. The TR got its first orientation from Erasmus's first printed NT Greek edition. Erasmus was willing to follow the Latin text when it seemed to reflect the common text (ie readings accepted by most churches in the West). But, why should we trust these readings when they fly in the face of the choices of the copyists of most of the MSS? Because a belief in the superiority of the traditional text is essentially a “faith” position. This consists in saying: (1) God promised to preserve for us every word of the Bible (KJV Psa 12: 6-7 says so). (2) The TR should be followed implicitly, because God would have not abandoned His detailed concern to preserve for us every word of God at the critical moment of printing (1516 AD) when the hand-written Text became the first printed Text, through Erasmus. (3) It is therefore logical and spiritually astute to believe that the Holy Spirit guided Erasmus in his initial choices – his work was later taken up by other TR editors (Stephens, Beza, Elzevir – the KJV used Beza's text as their base text). </p><a href="http://www.atotheword.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/faith-in-god.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="1" src="http://www.atotheword.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/faith-in-god.gif" /></a><p>I should distrust my own judgement, when someone casts doubt on any word in the KJV. I should study it seriously on any and every particular point, to know whether my trust in it is justified. It's a life-changing translation. Don't let its influence escape your intellect. No, we should let it shape our minds on a daily basis. The next generation needs to see us reading it, and they will then follow our example. But, if you leave it on the shelf unread, and ban it from public use, don't expect the younger generation not to follow your example, and so they will neglect it.</p>
Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-65984106654087373622011-12-28T10:05:00.020+00:002011-12-29T04:01:05.759+00:00Thomas Bilson - Jacobean courtier bishop<h2>Family and academic background</h2><p>Thomas Bilson was born in 1546/7, was one of five children of German descent. The family were settled in Winchester for two generations, and had fairly close family links with the brewery trade, the local Council, Winchester College and Merton College, Oxford. Bilson was educated at the twin foundations of William de Wykeham, Winchester College (1559) and New College, Oxford, graduating BA (1566), and MA in 1570. He became a teacher in, and later Headmaster of Winchester College, 1572. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Winchester_College_Chapel_beyond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="450" width="540" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Winchester_College_Chapel_beyond.jpg" /></a></div>Winchester College Chapel<br />
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<h2>Theological achievements</h2><p>In 1579 Bilson resigned the headship of Winchester to concentrate on theological study, rapidly acquiring a BTh that same year, and a DTh two years later. He was elected warden of the college, as well as canon and prebend at the cathedral. In 1596 he became bishop of Worcester, and three years later bishop of Winchester. Bilson broadened his academic interests during these years and <blockquote>now became ‘infinitely studious and industrious in Poetry, in Philosophy, in Physick, and lastly (which his genius chiefly call'd him to) in Divinity’ (Harington, 72–3).(1)</blockquote>Says <a href="http://www.wilderness-cry.net/bible_study/translators/">McClure</a> : <blockquote>Anthony Wood proclaims him so “complete in divinity, so well skilled in languages, so read in the Fathers and Schoolmen, so judicious is making use of his readings, that at length he was found to be no longer a soldier, but a commander in chief in the spiritual warfare, especially when he became a bishop!"</blockquote>The bishop also enjoyed and wrote a little distinguished poetry, which may explain why he was chosen to bring the final touches to the Bible translation work toward the end. </p><h2>Bilson’s writings</h2><p>During these years he wrote well over half a million words in two books - <i>The True Difference betweene Christian Subjection and Unchristian Rebellion</i>(1585) and <i>The Perpetual Governement of Christes Church</i> (1593). <blockquote>[These] established Bilson, alongside Richard Hooker, as the most scholarly and learned of a group of contemporary writers who used the joint challenge of papal supremacy and presbyterian democracy both to carve out a defence of the Church of England.(1)</blockquote>Bilson rejected both the right of the pope to depose a monarch or elect church ministers, and supported the political resistance of protestants on the continent. He believed the superiority of hereditary government depended for its validity on the original permission of the people, and that tyranny should be resisted in the face of arbitrary and unwise rule.</p><h2>The harrowing of hell</h2><p>Did Jesus descend into hell on our behalf, and endure our punishment, after He died? The phrase in the Apostles Creed might suggest He did. In a controversy which lasted from 1597 to 1604, Bilson interpreted the phrase literally, and this reflected the prevailing view of the time - whilst Puritans tended to prefer a metaphorical interpretation. Bilson maintained that Christ went to hell, not to suffer, but to wrest the keys of hell out of the Devil’s hands. Hugh Broughton, a noted Hebraist, aggressively opposed this, and his personal animosity towards some he disagreed with excluded him from the company of translators of the King James Bible. <blockquote>Queen Elizabeth, in her ire, commanded Bilson, "neither to desert the doctrine, nor let the calling which he bore in the Church of God, be trampled under foot, by such unquiet refusers of truth and authority." [McClure]</blockquote>In response, Bilson wrote a treatise of half a million words, entitled <i>The Survey of Christ’s Sufferings</i>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.faithvillage.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Hell-is-Real-Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="175" width="125" src="http://www.faithvillage.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Hell-is-Real-Book.jpg" /></a></div>faithvillage.com<br />
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<h2>Hampton Court Conference</h2><p>Thomas Bilson preached at James I's coronation, July 1603. His Episcopal seniority made him one of the main combatants at the Hampton Court conference, January 1604. James had called the conference to give the Puritans an opportunity to speak their mind on then current and contentious ecclesiastical issues. But, Bilson didn’t want the conference to take place, as he felt the level and dignity of any discussion would be demeaned by their presence. <blockquote>. . . according to Stephen Egerton [Bilson] had suggested to James that: “the Bishops (being esteemed the father and pillars of the Church, for gravitie, learninge & government, &c both at home and in forraine parts) might not be so disparaged as to conferre with men of so meane place and quality. (Shriver, 56)(1)</blockquote>During the conference Bancroft was highly combative whereas Bilson because of ill health, ‘stoode mute: and said little or nothing’ (Usher, 340).(1) <blockquote>Bilson was now suffering from sciatica, arthritis, vertigo, ‘a continual singing in my head … many obstructions and extreme windiness’ (Salisbury MSS, 17.6).(1)</blockquote></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3324/3572096228_081ebaf8d9_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3324/3572096228_081ebaf8d9_z.jpg" /></a></div>Coronation chair - Westminster Abbey<br />
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<h2>Involvement in the KJB translation</h2><p>Thomas Bilson was chosen, along with Richard Bancroft, as two of the most senior clergy, to review the entire draft translation of the Bible, and help put the final finishing touches to the all-important work. Once each company had completed its draft manuscript, and reviewed the drafts of each of the other five companies, Rule 10 of James 1 (as drawn up by Bancroft) required the entire work to be reviewed “by the chiefe persons of each company.” Rule 13 required that deans of both Westminster and Chester, and the Regius professors (RP) of both Universities be acknowledged as key participants, in the making of final textual choices. (2)<blockquote>If any Company, upon ye review of ye books so sent, really doubt, or differ uppon any place, to send them word thereof, note the place, and withal send their reasons; to which if they consent not, the difference to be compounded at ye general meetinge, which is to be of the chiefe persons of each company, at ye ende of ye worke.</blockquote>If James’ absolutist claims were to be honoured, this rule would have been adjudged flouted, had it not been followed carefully. Hence, it is very strange if John Bois’ biographer is accurate when he says the committee was not composed of those who had been previously overseers or supervisors of the six companies, but that they started afresh. [Rule 10]</p><h2>The General Committee of revision</h2><p>The final committee must have contained up to twelve members. Directors present (and their associated ‘heavyweights’) would have included four or five Regius professors of Hebrew and Greek [John Harding (RP 1604), Andrew Byng (RP 1608), Andrew Downes (RP 1585), John Peryn (RP 1597), and John Harmer). Others were Lancelot Andrewes (Dean of Westminster), John Duport, John Bois, Thomas Ravis, and William Barlow (Dean of Chester).] We know from a surviving document of the notes that John Bois took during the proceedings, that this review committee for certain included John Bois, Andrew Downes, and John Harmar.(3) The other committee members are inferred from the need to strictly apply Rules 10 and 13 of the Royal commission. </p><h2>Committee of review</h2><p>The General Committee of Review met at Stationers' Hall, London in 1609. They received a list of readings of texts, words or phrases which were still in some doubt, even after the six companies had discussed them and failed to reach agreement as to the best rendering. Some of their final decisions would have been tentative. The Committee would have made known to Bilson and Smith the textual issues at stake, which needed their input. However, it is hard to believe that the final-final review restricted itself to a list of stated ambiguities. The two men could well have worked through sections of the entire Bible individually, looking for opportunities to improve both style and substance, if such were possible. Every word was theoretically open to challenge, especially with an ear to producing a pleasing, sonorous, lucid style: <blockquote>So Bois put down word meanings as a dictionary would, or alternates as a thesaurus would; later still would come a choice among possible constructions for sound and rhythm and euphony of the whole. The Bois notes show how careful the translators were, first of all, to determine exact meanings or establish a permissable range of meaning. Final constructions thus appear, almost always, to simplify the Bois suggestions.(3)</blockquote></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3505/3714330414_1baa248cc7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="500" width="375" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3505/3714330414_1baa248cc7.jpg" /></a></div>Stationer's Hall<br />
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<h2>The final-final review and revision</h2><p>Miles Smith and Thomas Bilson undertook the final editing - already reviewed and revised - of the entire draft of the Bible. Bois’ notes show that the General committee not infrequently resolved a textual issue by recommending Andrew Downes’ preferences. The Bible itself shows that the two men probably had a definite say in some of the final choices. Just a few examples where the reviewers did not follow Andrew Downes’ choices (as perhaps initially recommended) are:<br />
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(1) 1 Cor 10:20 Downes: “And I would not have you partakers with the devil.” KJB: “and I would not that you should have fellowship with devils.”<br />
(2) 1 Cor. 15:33 Downes. “Be not deceived; evil communications corrupt good natures/dispositions/manners/” The KJB final choice has “good manners.“<br />
(3) 1 Thess. 5:23 Downes “. . . that your spirit may be kept perfect.” KJB: “your whole spirit . . . be preserved blameless.”<br />
(4) 2 Tim. 2:5 Downes “and though a man labour for the best gain, try masteries . . . unless he strive and labour lustily.” KJB: “And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.”<blockquote>In the final editing the last learned men, Smith and Bilson, used the Bois words “perfecting holiness” in II Corinthians 7:1. In the next phrase they refused the Bois phrasing, “we have made a gain of no man,” in favour of “we have wronged no man.” For 8:4 they took the whole Downes reading, “that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.” (4)</blockquote></p><p>However, the evidence suggests the procedure was a little more complex than making simple choices. The review committee probably left hanging some of the textual decisions needed, and offered possible alternatives. Then the manuscripts reached Bilson and Smith. It is highly probable the review committee suggested to Smith and Bilson their tentative resolutions of some knotty choices, in the hope of gaining the benefit of their viewpoint. However, Smith and Bilson would have found the tyranny of distance and competing duties hindered a proper resolution, in some or many cases. If so, in some cases they had simply to make their own choices, ignoring any referral to the General Committee. In other cases, they would have gone back and forth to the General Committee (either in session, or to various individual members within it) hoping to bring finality, whilst aiming to preserve harmonious relationships. It is not surprising if they were not entirely successful in this. Assuming there were some muted criticisms of supposed arbitrariness by one or two of the two reviewers, this would have emboldened Richard Bancroft, the overall manager of the project, and jealous of his perceived right to contribute to the final result, to make his own final changes!</p><h2>Adding the finishing touches</h2><p>Bilson was not required to add a prefatory address to King James, as this was Miles Smith’s privilege, and a brilliant essay he gave us. However, it is possible that Bilson helped Smith add the chapter headings. Bilson also wrote the dedication to the King placed in the front of the Bible, where “the glories of the Jacobean state are emblazoned here in unequivocal pomp and glory.” (3). </p><h2>Final days</h2><p>Thomas Bilson died in 1616, at a good old age, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. He was said to have been the exemplar prelate. His tomb celebrates the coming bodily resurrection - the ultimate hope of every true Christian, whatever his ecclesiastico-political views. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bilson">The text</a> on the tomb reads: <blockquote>Here lies Thomas Bilson formerly bishop of Winchester and counsellor in sacred matters of his serene highness King James of Great Britain who when he had served God and the church for nineteen years in the bishopric laid aside mortality in certain hope of resurrection 18th June 1616 aged 69.</blockquote></p><h2>Other names associated with the Translation</h2><p>There are five other names connected with the translation of the Bible, which have not been considered in these blogs celebrating the quadricentennial year of the publication of the King James Bible. They are George Ryves, Thomas Sparke, William Eyre, Arthur Lake, and Nicholas Love. These all may have had a hand in the discussions of the translators, whether formally or informally. John Bois mentions Arthur Lake in his notes, as one involved in the final review discussions in general committee. However, the source for Sparke and Eyre’s involvement is said to be undependable (4). George Ryves is referred to in a letter from Thomas Bilson to Sir Thomas Lake, which describes Ryves as “warden of New College in Oxford, and one of the overseers of that part of the New Testament that is being translated out of Greek.” Bilson also asked the King if Nicholas Love, schoolmaster of Winchester could exchange some livings with Ryves, so they could cooperate better in helping the work forward. Perhaps this work consisted in providing a path of smooth communication between the companies, thus spurring members on to see the work expedited.(4)</p><p>And so, four hundred years on, God has mightily blessed the amazing achievement of these fifty-two or more men. He continues to bless those who read and study it seriously; and He will go on doing so, as long as English is spoken and understood. </p><p>(1) Richardson, William (2004) <i>Dictionary of National Biography</i>. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. <br />
(2) McGrath, Alister (2002) <i>In the beginning: the story of the King James Bible and how it changed a nation, a language and a culture</i>. New York: Anchor Books, a Division of Random House, Inc. pp 174-175 <br />
(3) Nicolson, Adam. (2003) <i>Power and glory: Jacobean England and the making of the King James Bible, </i>Lon: Harper. p. 208, 217.<br />
(4) Paine, Gustavus, (1959/1977) <i>The men behind the King James version, MI: Baker</i>pp. 115-116, 116-118, p. 76, 72.<br />
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This is 52/52 index previousClivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-35336580587800404652011-12-27T02:04:00.001+00:002011-12-27T09:01:01.166+00:00Richard Bancroft - a potent prelate<h2>Academic background</h2><p>Richard Bancroft was born in 1544 at Farnworth, a village in south Lancashire. His parents had clerical connections, for his great Uncle was Archbishop of Dublin and Bishop of Oxford. (1) Bancroft went to the local grammar school and thence to Cambridge, maybe aged 20. He first studied at Christ's College, and then Jesus College, being awarded a BA in 1567 and later an MA in 1570, at which time (1572) he was ordained a clergyman. His reputation was said to be higher on the sportsfield - in boxing, wrestling, and <a href="http://www.alliancemartialarts.com/quarterstaff.htm">quarterstaff</a> than as a scholar. Notwithstanding, he was chosen to greet Queen Elizabeth during her first visit to Cambridge in 1564. In 1575 he became rector of Teversham in Cambridgeshire, and the next year was appointed one of the preachers to the university. The further divinity studies of these years meant he graduated BD in 1580 and DD five years later.</p><p><h2>Ecclesiastical appointments</h2><p>Richard Bancroft held various livings, chaplaincies and was also a prebendary of St Paul’s. He had been canon of Westminster since 1587. He became Bishop of London in 1597. By this time, Archbishop Whitgift was virtually incapacitated by reason of age and infirmity, and this meant Bancroft exercised the power of primate, with sole management of ecclesiastical affairs. When Whitgift died in 1604, Bancroft formally accepted the position of Archbishop. He had but six years remaining to show the same zeal and severity towards the extreme puritan. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hyde,_1st_Earl_of_Clarendon">Someone</a> expressed the opinion that "if Bancroft had lived, he would quickly have extinguished all that fire in England which had been kindled at Geneva," such was his antipathy to the Puritan viewpoint.</p><h2>Theological conflict</h2><p>Bancroft knew the moderate Puritan <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/03/laurence-chaderton-saintly-scholar.html">Laurence Chaderton</a> from College days, and the two remained lifelong friends in spite of their doctrinal differences. In his mature years Bancroft regarded men like <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/03/john-rainolds-father-of-king-james.html">John Rainolds</a>, William Whitaker, and Chaderton as respectable moderates. By the time he reached his late 30’s Richard Bancroft had become a prominent opponent of the more extreme Puritans who believed the Church should be entirely separate from the State. In 1583 Bancroft reported a libel to the Magistrates, which had been pinned up in one of the city churches. This compared the Queen - England's ostensible ‘Deborah’ - to ‘that woman Jezebel’ of Revelation 2:20. Elizabeth had long pursued the middle way - later encapsulated in the writings of Richard Hooker - whereby Anglicanism was to be neither Puritan nor Roman. Ceremonial matters, such as the wearing of vestments were not a vital issue, though not to be despised. Bancroft’s report on the libel led to the arrest and subsequent death of two followers of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Browne_(Brownist)">Robert Browne</a>, whose writings later accounted for the founding of Congregationalist churches. The axe fell on John Copping and Elias Thacker, for distributing Browne’s writings, especially <i>A Treatise of Reformation without Tarrying for Anie</i>. <blockquote>Bancroft was increasingly involved in developing an anti-puritan rhetoric, and by the time that he was admitted DTh at Cambridge in April 1585 he had produced a series of investigative accounts of puritanism in which he wrote warmly in the defence of episcopacy and denounced the practices of gathered congregations. He condemned the heresies in Robert Browne's books . . . and sought to exploit the inner weaknesses and rivalries. . . (1) </blockquote></p><h2>Deadly politics</h2><p>Bancroft preached a famous or notorious - depending on your point of view - at St Paul’s Cross, after becoming a member of the ecclesiastical commission. <blockquote>On 9 February 1589 [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Bancroft">Bancroft</a>] preached at Paul's Cross a sermon, the substance of which was a passionate attack on the Puritans. He described their speeches and proceedings, caricatured their motives, denounced the exercise of the right of private judgment, and set forth the divine right of bishops in such strong language that one of the queen’s councillors held it to amount to a threat against the supremacy of the crown. </blockquote><blockquote>Bancroft set about to root out the separatist congregations in London. The fate of such men as Henry Barrow, John Greenwood and John Penry was sealed, (died 1593). John Penry may have been an author of the anonymous Marprelate Tracts (1588), which lampooned the Bishops. <block>. . .[T]he more extreme separatists, who considered each congregation a self sufficient church of Christ, became the target of a campaign led by Richard Bancroft. They were to be found in private houses all around London, holding private conventicles in which their inspirational preachers were ‘esteemed as godds.’ . . . The state church could not tolerate the freedom or the priestlessness of such behaviour. Many Separatists . . . fled to the Netherlands but others were arrested. . . . . Their leaders, honest, fierce men, the spiritual forebears of the Massachusetts colonists, were to be interrogated. . . . Andrewes was at their head. . . . Andrewes argued with [Henry Barrow in vain] . . [Barrow] was finally executed. . . (2) </blockquote></p><h2>Defending episcopacy</h2><p>In 1592 Bancroft became a household chaplain of the archbishop, at Lambeth. There he wrote two books defending the union of Church and State. Having already publicly defended episcopacy in response to the Marprelate Tracts, he now showed the origins of the Puritan reform movement as being located in Geneva, under John Calvin, and coming via Theodore Beza, to England. Over against this, he espoused episcopacy as established by God, using the influential writings of <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/04/hadrian-saravia-continental-influence.html">Hadrian Saravia</a>, another KJV translator (1590). Bancroft rejected the pattern of reformation demanded by the ‘separatists,’ in the belief that episcopacy was validated by both Scripture and History.</p><h2>The Hampton Court Conference</h2><p>Richard Bancroft was not initially well disposed to John Rainolds’ proposal for a new definitive translation of the Bible. However, once the King confirmed his desire, and Bancroft was appointed Archbishop the same year (1604), he pursued the King’s cause thoroughly and energetically. He drew up fifteen rules for the translators to follow, as approved by King James. These rules had a seriously limiting effect on the translators’ method. It is these rules which justify viewing Bancroft as one of the translators, even though - in his role as overseer of the project - he belonged to none of the six companies of translators. Examples of his control over method are the following instructions: (1) Follow the Bishops’ Bible as far as the truth of the original will permit - but also use Tyndale, Matthews, Coverdale, and Geneva, where necessary. This rule naturally limited the style of the translator in choosing his words. (2) Keep traditional ecclesiastical words in the Text e.g. don’t change “church” to “congregation” (3) Treat the writings of the Church fathers as a precedent, and follow their translation choices, as a way of resolving ambiguity in word-meaning. (4) Rule 10: In matters of disagreement, refer the problem to the directors of each company for final discussion and decision, when deciding on word (or phrase) choices. (5) In knotty cases involving rare words, use the skills of other scholars outside the companies to settle the meaning if at all possible. </p><h2>What did Bancroft translate?</h2><p>On the strength of his controlling influence, Bancroft received the final draft of the KJB from Miles Smith and Thomas Bilson, and proceeded to make fourteen changes without any consultation with the directors of the teams. <blockquote>Miles Smith, as final editor, protested that after he and Bilson had finished, Bishop Bancroft made fourteen more changes. “He is so potent that there is no contradicting him,” said Smith, and cited as an example of Bancroft’s bias His insistence on using “the glorious word Bishopric” even for Judas, in Acts 1:20. . . (3)</blockquote>Acts 1:20 says: <blockquote>For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.</blockquote>The KJB margin here has “bishoprick: or, office, or, charge.” Smith saw Bancroft had introduced an anachronism by inserting episcopacy into Acts 1, as the twelve apostles referred to in Acts 1 :17 were never called overseers (the literal meaning of episcopos) in the New Testament. They were by their preaching the founders of congregations. They were not the administrators of them; this was left to local and non itinerant leaders. </p><p>A second example of Bancroft’s anachronistic insertions is Acts 19:37.</p><p><blockquote>For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.</blockquote>The speaker here is the town clerk of Ephesus, almost certainly neither a Christian, nor aware of what a Christian church is. Yet, here he apparently defends the apostles against an imaginary charge of being “robbers of churches.” Whereas Luke wrote of “temple robbers” (<i>hierosulos</i>), the same word the Apostle Paul uses in Romans 2:22, to similar effect: <blockquote>thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? </blockquote>Temples housed idols and were pagan places of worship, like the great Temple to the goddess Diana nearby. <a href="http://www.wilderness-cry.net/bible_study/translators/">McClure</a> explains:<br />
<blockquote>Many of the Puritans were stiffly opposed to bestowing the name “church,” which they regarded as appropriate only to the company of spiritual worshippers, on any mass of masonry and carpentry. [It is not till about A.D. 229, that we find any record of the assembling of Christians in what would now be called a church Barton, Ecclesiastical history, p. 496.] But Bancroft, that he might for once stick the name to a material building, would have it applied, in the nineteenth chapter of Acts, to the idols’ temples! . . . . Let us be thankful that the dictatorial prelate tried his hand no farther at emending the sacred text. </blockquote>Other changes were made, which, according to Alister McGrath are difficult to pinpoint:<blockquote>Richard Bancroft reviewed what had been hitherto regarded as the final version of the text. It would be one of his final acts; Bancroft died on November 2, 1610, and never lived to see the translation over which he had held so much sway. Smith complained loudly to anyone who would listen that Bancroft had introduced fourteen changes in the final text without any consultation. Yet we remain unclear as to what those alleged changes might have been.</blockquote>Bancroft died at Lambeth Palace, and in simple ceremony his body was interred two days later in the chancel of the parish church of Lambeth. </p>(1) Cranfield. Nicholas W.S. (2004) <i>Oxford Dictionary of National Biography</i> <br />
(2) Nicolson, Adam. (2003) <i>Power and glory: Jacobean England and the making of the King James Bible,</i> Lon: Harper. pp 86-87, 92. <br />
(3) Paine, Gustavus. (1959/1977)<i>The men behind the King James version, MI: Baker</i> p. 128, <br />
(4) McGrath. Alister (2001) <i>In the Beginning: The story of the King James Bible</i> p. 188 <br />
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This is 51/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/12/ralph-ravens-mysterious-defection.html">previous</a> next <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-77769283330820439772011-12-17T08:36:00.020+00:002011-12-29T05:53:15.080+00:00Ralph Ravens - a mysterious defection.<h2>Career background</h2><p>Ralph Ravens was born in or around 1553. He was educated at one of the best schools for instilling scholarly accuracy - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant_Taylors%27_School,_Northwood">Merchant Taylors’</a>, from 1571 to 1575. Thence he went up to Oxford, to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John's_College,">St. John's College</a> aged 18, and became a fellow that same year, in 1575. He graduated B.A. at the age of 26 (approx.) - in 1579 - and received his M.A. four years later. Ravens then took ‘holy orders’ in 1587 and focused on studies in divinity, which led to a B.D. in 1589. He thereafter became vicar of Kirtlington, Oxfordshire, 1591. After five years in this ‘post’, and with continuing study, Ravens was awarded a doctorate (DD) in 1596, perhaps by now aged 43. He served also in the church at Dunmow, Essex in the year following. After several further years of service he became rector of <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Great_Easton,_Essex">Great Easton</a> (also as Eyston Magna), Essex, commencing 1605. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Great_Easton%2C_Essex_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1304827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="214" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Great_Easton%2C_Essex_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1304827.jpg" /></a></div>Great Easton, Essex<br />
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<h2>Involvement in Bible translation</h2><p>Ralph Ravens was a member of the second Oxford company, commissioned to translate the Gospels, Acts and the book of Revelation. This is generally acknowledged by both the presence of his name on preserved lists, and in the lists of contemporary writers. (1) After the initial appointments, two members of the second Oxford company were thereafter substituted. First <a href="http://www.biblecollectors.org/articles/king_james_translators.htm.">Richard Eedes</a>, dean of Worcester, died in 1604 before the work got started. (2) He was replaced by <a href="http:// theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/06/dr-john-aglionby-aquiline-acumen.html">John Aglionby</a>. Also, Ralph Ravens was replaced by <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/11/leonard-hutton-elegant-scholar.html">Leonard Hutton</a> at some point between 1604 and 1610. We do not know the reason for Ravens’ defection, nor exactly when the replacement occurred. It may have been due to personal conflict between members of the group. The Director, <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/04/thomas-ravis-scourge-of-puritans.html">Thomas Ravis</a> is described as “haughty and harsh.“ (2)<br />
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If this is true, it could easily have caused friction, leading to conflict within the group. The very similarity in their names may have tended to animosity. Or, was it that Ravens’ found himself unable to attend meetings regularly - whether through sickness or some other handicap? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/63/63CCE57E-B2E9-4FF8-90EE-9B53FDA71765/Presentation.Large/Addax-pair-fighting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="325" src="http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/63/63CCE57E-B2E9-4FF8-90EE-9B53FDA71765/Presentation.Large/Addax-pair-fighting.jpg" /></a></div>Addax-pair-fighting.jpg<br />
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All the evidence suggests Ravens contributed to translation work, perhaps for several years, leading up to the year when the King James version was presented for publication, in 1610. If he ‘fell foul’ of the Director of the company for some unknown reason, he may thereby have become <i>persona non grata</i>. </p><p>Ralph Ravens died in 1616. </p><p>(1) Ravens is listed as a member by: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alister_McGrath">Alister McGrath</a>, <a href="http://www.wilderness-cry.net/bible_study/translators/">Alexander McClure</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Nicolson">Adam Nicolson</a>, Gustavus Paine, and on Wikipedia. Some admit ambivalence.<br />
(2) Paine, p. 74. p. 50</p>This is 50/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/12/james-montagu-royal-devotee.html">previous</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/12/ralph-ravens-mysterious-defection.html">next</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-52867714747401993412011-12-08T23:45:00.012+00:002011-12-17T08:38:50.322+00:00James Montagu - Royal devotee<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Montague_(bishop)">James Montagu</a> (also Mountagu, Montague) was born in 1568 at Boughton, Northamptonshire to Sir Edward Montagu. James’ mother Elizabeth came from the influential Sidney family. His mother’s aunt Frances Sidney, provided in her will for the foundation of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Sussex_College,_Cambridge">Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge</a>. Her executors chose James Montagu as the first master of the college, with the cautious approval of other heads, being concerned whether someone in his twenties was a suitable appointment. Montagu laid the foundation stone of the college, of which he was Master from 1596 to 1608. Understandably, this family connection determined Montagu's career in the university, in the Royal court, and in the Church. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2801/4096250684_4442337625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="500" width="398" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2801/4096250684_4442337625.jpg" /></a></div>Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex<br />
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<h2>Academic career</h2><p>Montagu became a fellow-commoner at Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1585. He was created DD ‘by special grace’ in 1598. He never held a parochial living. </p><h2>Ecclesiastical appointments</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/St_james_palace.jpg/300px-St_james_palace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="459" width="300" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/St_james_palace.jpg/300px-St_james_palace.jpg" /></a></div>St. James' Palace, <br />
one of the Chapels Royal.<br />
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<p>The year 1603 was an important year for Montagu. He was appointed to the royal chaplaincy, and then to the deanery of the Chapel Royal. He also became dean of Lichfield, and dean of Worcester cathedral, 1604. Four years later Montagu was consecrated <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_of_Bath_and_Wells">Bishop of Bath and Wells</a> and proved an energetic administrator. In 1616 he was made Bishop of Winchester. Whilst at Bath and Wells, he was a supporter of the legend of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glastonbury_Thorn">Holy Thorn </a>of Glastonbury. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Bishop_James_Montague.jpg/200px-Bishop_James_Montague.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="319" width="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Bishop_James_Montague.jpg/200px-Bishop_James_Montague.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<h2>Supporter of Puritanism</h2><p>Richard Bancroft revived the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_of_the_Chapel_Royal">royal chapel deanery</a> to counteract Scottish presbyterian influence upon James. Montagu’s appointment was recognition he was an appropriate mediator between ecclesiological extremes, for, on the one hand he followed Calvinist teaching - sympathetic to those of ‘godly conscience‘; on the other hand, he saw no reason to question episcopacy and the royal prerogative in matters of church discipline. He had even spoken in favour of ceremonies at the Hampton Court conference. Yet, it is not surprising that while Master, Montagu’s influence earned the college a reputation as supporting puritanism.</p><h2>Close to the King</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRmVWt725ehe07qmty75KkI105p7ZnWoFXj8tu4qpmpLLntNzOBuw" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="194" width="259" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRmVWt725ehe07qmty75KkI105p7ZnWoFXj8tu4qpmpLLntNzOBuw" /></a></div>King James 1<br />
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<p>James Montagu was a royal favourite, and this link was both immediate (1603) and lifelong. He was closer to the king than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Abbot_(bishop)">George Abbot</a>, Archbishop of Canterbury, and was seen as influencing James I against the Arminians. Montagu introduced the Puritan <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Hildersham">Arthur Hildersham</a>, to court circles, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon">Francis Bacon</a> judged him one of the three most influential servants in the king's household - despite now and then getting into practical difficulties with the King, over puritan issues. </p><h2>Montagu as writer and translator</h2><p>James Montagu edited the collected works of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_VI_and_I">the King</a>. James’ eight books were written between 1584 and 1609. Montagu gave a long panegyrical preface to the collection, and this seems to have been his one original composition. Montagu’s introduction so excelled in formal public eulogy that the King would have had little difficulty in seeing himself in absolutist terms. James’ insistence on the full allegiance of his subjects versus Roman Catholicism was formalized in <i>An Apologie for the Oath of Allegiance </i>in 1607. Montagu helped produce this work - he was more the adminstrator than an assiduous scholar. </p><h2>Translator of the King James Version?</h2><p>Such a close connection to the King during the time the Bible was being revised and translated would have allowed Montagu some connection with the work. It seems fashionable for Montagu’s name to be included on the formal list, describing the second Oxford company of translators.(1) (2) Others exclude his name for lack of evidence <a href="http://www.wilderness-cry.net/bible_study/translators/">(3)</a> (4). The group worked on the Gospels, the Acts and Revelation. However, is there any real evidence that Montagu was an official member of the company? He was a busy adminstrator in the west country during the years the translation was being made. He had received an ‘honorary’ D.D. but we do not know if he was consulted, even informally - though it would not have been inappropriate to do so:<blockquote>Proof one way or the other, is most difficult. The surmise that many must have aided in the translation unofficially, seems justified. Many must have offered advice on verses, helped solve hard problems, and queried readings on which the chosen learned men agreed. (5)</blockquote></p><h2>Last days</h2><p>Montagu died at Greenwich in 1618, In his will he remembered the king's favour as ‘the greatest comforte of my life’, and left him a gold cup of £100 value.(5) Montagu estimated in his will that he had already bestowed over £5000 on his episcopal properties; further bequests included rents and ‘all my bookes’ to Sidney Sussex College. His body was taken to Bath for burial in the abbey church whilst his bowels were buried in the chancel at Greenwich. His commissioned tomb shows a canopied recumbent effigy of the bishop in the nave of Bath Abbey. </p><p>1. Nicolson, Adam. (2003) <i>Power and glory: Jacobean England and the making of the King James Bible</i>, Lon: Harper. p. 258.<br />
2. McGrath, Alister (2001) <i>In the beginning</i> Lon: Hodder. p.181.<br />
3. McClure, Alexander. (1858) <i>The translators revived: A Biographical Memoir of the Authors of the English Version of the Holy Bible</i>. Mobile, Alabama: R. E. Publications (republished by the Marantha Bible Society, 1984 ASIN B0006YJPI8)<br />
4. McCullough, P. E. (2004) <i>Oxford dictionary of national biography</i> Authorized Version of the Bible, translators of the.<br />
5. Payne, Gustavus, (1959/1977)<i>The men behind the King James version</i>, MI: Baker p. 76.<br />
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This is 49/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/11/william-thorne-a-contentious-question.html">previous</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/12/ralph-ravens-mysterious-defection.html">next</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-25403107459560990432011-12-02T05:06:00.003+00:002011-12-02T05:16:09.301+00:00William Thorne - a strange contention<h2>Academic background</h2><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Thorne_(orientalist) ">William Thorne</a> was born in 1568 in Semley, Wiltshire. His background, according to University records, made him a ‘plebe’ (plebeius: neither a gentleman nor a clergyman)! However, there was a pre-existing link between Thorne's family and the aristocratic family of Pembrokes.(1) Thorne entered Winchester College in his teens (1582) and from there went up to New College, Oxford, graduating BA in 1589. An MA followed in 1592. Five years later he was ‘licensed to preach.’ He was Regius professor of Hebrew in Oxford from 1598 for six years, until 1604. In the meantime, he formalized his divinity studies, receiving a BD in 1600, with a doctorate two years later.</p><h2>His linguistic abilities</h2><p>Thorne was both a classical and Hebrew scholar. His ability to read Hebrew is evidenced in some extant letters and poems, which were written to him in Hebrew. He himself is known to have written at least one poem in Hebrew.</p><p>Thorne frequently corresponded with the well-known Dutch Hebraist <a href="http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_van_den_Driesche)">Johann Drusius </a>(Johannes van-den-Driesche). In 1609 the latter dedicated one of his writings to Thorne, expressing gratitude that he had generously taken in Drusius's son, John, for two years in Oxford. John was a prodigy, said to have mastered Hebrew at the age of nine! In this writing, in 1609, Drusius quotes some Syriac too, adding a remark in such a way as to imply Thorne also knew some Syriac. There is some indication that Thorne may have also been able to read Arabic. The Elizabethan poet and clergyman <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Fitzgeoffrey">Charles Fitzgeffrey</a> devoted a Latin epigram to him in his <i>Affaniae</i> (1601), in admiration of Thorne’s oriental scholarship. </p><h2>Ecclesiastical offices</h2><p>William Thorne became dean of Chichester in 1601. The same year he became rector of Tollard Royal, Wiltshire, and two years later prebend of Bussall. Another three years passed, and he took the vicarage of Amport, Hampshire, in 1606. Then, a year later in 1607 he became canon of Chichester and rector of Birdham, Sussex. Then in 1613 the prebend of Hova Villa, and with the passing pf another three years he became rector of North Marden, Sussex. Finally in 1619 he took the rectory at Warblington, Hampshire. </p><h2>Translator of the KJV</h2><p>There is no good reason to doubt that William Thorne was a member of the first Oxford company, translating the Major and Minor Old Testament prophets. Thorne’s involvement in the project is made certain by a paper, written in 1606, housed in the Public Records Office, London. This is worth quoting in detail, as follows: <blockquote>At the request of Dr. Thorne, his majesty’s chaplain, we whose names are hereunto subscribed have thought it equal and just to make known unto all, whom it appertained, that he hath for many years read the public Hebrew lecture with very good recommendation in the University of Oxford, that <i>he is now likewise very necessarily employed in the translation of that part of the Old Testament</i> which is remitted to that university, that he doth govern in the church of Chichester where he is dean with judgment and discretion, and that in the one and the other place he hath ever been and now is of very good and honest reputation. (2)[emphasis added]</blockquote>This was a petition written in 1606, signed by fourteen bishops, including Thomas Bilson of Winchester and Thomas Ravis of Gloucester - both involved, respectively, as editor and translator of the KJV. </p><h2>Earliest is best?</h2><p>What more evidence, then, does the enquirer seek before Thorne‘s name is confidently added to the first Oxford company of translators? Why is doubt still expressed by some, as to Thorne’s membership of the Oxford translation committee? The answer relates to the thorny question of the ostensibly scientific principle, when applied to manuscripts. This says, “earliest is best,“ and Thorne’s name is not mentioned in the earliest lists of translators. This is analogous to the disputed question whether the KJV Text itself represents an inferior unscientific scholarship (compared to more contemporary translations), because the King’s translators did not seek out and prefer the textual readings of the earliest extant Greek manuscripts, nor did they assume that, because they (such few as existed) were earlier, they were therefore better. </p><p>The <a href="http://www.biblecollectors.org/articles/king_james_translators.html ">evidence in support </a>of Thorne’s involvement, is substantial, as quoted, even if his name is not among the 48 scholars listed in the British museum. For example, would Thomas Bilson and Thomas Ravis have signed the document as worded, if Thorne had not been involved in the translation? Moreover, Thorne’s credentials as former Regius professor of Hebrew at Oxford for six years, as well as being the King's chaplain, would have been more than enough to make him eminently suitable for inclusion in the translation project. Thorne was also a member of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Case_(Aristotelian_writer)">John Case's circle.</a> This was a group of Oxford students who regularly met in Case’s own house in Oxford, to discuss philosophical topics, up to 1600. In 1592 John Case wrote a dedicatory verse to one of Thorne’s works - a commonplace book reorganizing Cicero's ideas on rhetoric, with extensive reference to Aristotle. (1) Thorne clearly was in the wider environment of Oxford scholarship, and this group included several of the Oxford translators. One of them, Ralph Ravens, was also wrongly omitted from some of the early lists. Failure to invite Thorne to join a translation company ran the risk of being received as an insult.</p><h2>Final days</h2><p>William Thorne died in 1630 and was buried in Chichester Cathedral. There is no record to suggest he ever married. </p><p>(1) DeCoursey Mathew, (2004) <i>Oxford Dictionary of National Biography</i> Authorized Version of the Bible, translators of the. <br />
(2) Payne, Gustavus, (1959/1977)<i>The men behind the King James version.</i> MI: Baker pp. Pp. 46, 75-76 </p>This is 48/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/11/richard-kilby-reputable-hebraist.html ">previous</a> next <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-13889270314313754852011-12-01T08:01:00.013+00:002011-12-01T20:12:58.133+00:00Richard Kilby - reputable Hebraist<p>Richard Kilby was born in 1560/61 at in Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreake, Leicestershire. Leicestershire. No details are know as to the identities of his parents. He entered Lincoln College, Oxford, in 1577, aged sixteen, and was elected to a fellowship there in the following year. A BA and MA followed in 1578 Focusing on divinity for another four years, he received a B.D. and finally a D.D. in 1596. He took ‘holy orders’ in the usual way, and became a preacher of note in the University. In 1590 he was elected rector of Lincoln College, and in 1601 he became a prebend of Lincoln Cathedral.</p><h2>His academic attainments</h2><p>Kilby’s acquaintance <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Casaubon">Isaac Casaubon</a> described him as ‘a man of some reading beyond the common’ (Feingold, 455)(1).</p><p>Richard Kilby was appointed Regius Professor of Hebrew in Oxford University. He held this professorship from 1610 until his death in 1620. His one publication was the sermon he gave at the funeral service in 1612 for Thomas Holland, who had been the university's Regius professor of divinity. </p><p>Kilby had hoped to publish a continuation of Jean Mercier's commentary on the book of Genesis. However, the Library of Lincoln College contains a surviving manuscript commentary on Exodus. This document shows the extent of his Hebrew learning, as he gives substantial quotes from up to one hundred Hebrew sources, many of them scarcely known writings of Rabbinical interpreters.</p><p><h2>Translation of the KJV</h2><p>Kilby became a member of the first Oxford company, appointed by King James 1 to translate the Major and Minor prophets, from Isaiah to Malachi. The Director of the company was John Harding, president of Magdalen College. </p><p>The writer of short biographies, Izaac Walton,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izaak_Walton "></a> in his life of the once-celebrated Bishop Sanderson, describes an incident involving a young inexperienced preacher whom Richard Kilby heard whilst traveling with Bishop <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sanderson">Robert Sanderson </a>. The young clergyman was in effect criticizing from the pulpit the inferior scholarship of the new King James translation. Isaac Walton, author of The Complete Angler, tells it in his own words. </p><p><blockquote>I must here stop my reader, and tell him that this Dr. Kilby . . . was to ride a journey into Derbyshire, and took Mr. Sanderson to bear him company; and they, resting on a Sunday with the Doctor’s friend, and going together to that parish church where they then were, found the young preacher to have no more discretion, than to waste a great part of the hour allotted for his sermon in exceptions against the late translation of several words . . . . [He] shewed three reasons why a particular word should have been otherwise translated. When evening prayer was ended . . . the Doctor told him, he might have preached more useful doctrine, and [as for] that word for which he offered . . . three reasons why it ought to have been translated as he said, he and others had considered all of them, . . . . And the preacher was so ingenuous [as] to say, ‘He would not justify himself.' <a href="http://www.wilderness-cry.net/bible_study/translators/">McClure</a></blockquote>In fact, Kilby told the young man that, not only that they had considered his proposed reading, but thirteen others as well; only then had they decided on the rendering they gave in their translation!</p><p>Kilby left a large and valuable collection of books to Lincoln College. These comprised Hebrew volumes, commentaries on the Pentateuch, as well as dictionaries and Bibles. He died in 1620 and was buried in the chancel of All Saints' Church, Oxford.</p><p>(1) Wilson, David. (2004) <i>Oxford Dictionary of National Biography</i> Authorized Version of the Bible, translators of the.</p><p>This is 48/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/11/leonard-hutton-elegant-scholar.html ">previous</a> next <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-59022884614113152732011-11-19T10:35:00.035+00:002011-11-22T04:08:53.789+00:00Leonard Hutton - An elegant scholar<h2>Academic background</h2><p>Leonard Hutton was born in 1557/1558. We know little or nothing of his origins, whether in family connection or geographical location. He first appears as a student in London, at Westminster School - which probably makes him a Londoner. Every third year the school selected three scholars to attend Christ Church, Oxford. Hutton went up to Oxford in 1574. There followed a lifelong pursuit of learning in the University, first graduating BA in 1578, proceeding MA in 1582. Matters of divinity then became the focus, when a BD followed in 1591. Finally he was admitted DD in 1600. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.simonho.org/images/photographs_oxford/Oxford_Graduation3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="http://www.simonho.org/images/photographs_oxford/Oxford_Graduation3.jpg" /></a></div>Oxford graduation ceremoney<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pragmaticmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/bodleian-library-517210-sw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="300" src="http://www.pragmaticmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/bodleian-library-517210-sw.jpg" /></a></div>Bodleian Library<br />
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<p>Hutton featured prominently in early seventeenth-century church and university life. He led the ceremony which opened the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodleian_Library">Bodleian Library </a>in 1602 - a <a href="http://reasures.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/">national treasure</a>. He preached on the queen's accession day. As pro-vice-chancellor in 1603, he became involved in theological disputes within the university. </p><h2>Spiritual qualifications</h2><p>Alex <a href="http://www.wilderness-cry.net/bible_study/translators/">MacClure</a> says:<br />
<blockquote>He was well known as an “excellent Grecian,” and an elegant scholar. He was well versed in the [church] fathers, the [medieval] schoolmen, and the [ancient] learned languages, which were the favorite studies of that day; and he also investigated with care the history of his own nation.</blockquote></p><p>It was standard at that time to take ‘holy orders’ and so Hutton thereby added frequent preaching to his lifestyle. He became rector in several parishes: Long Preston, Yorkshire (1587–8); Rampisham, Dorset (1595–1601); Floore (Flower), Northamptonshire (1601 until his death); and Weedon Bec, Northamptonshire (1602–4). He was made canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, in 1599, and later became a prebendary of Reculversland in St Paul's, London, 1609. </p><br />
<h2>Literary attainments</h2><p>His first achievement was in being appointed (1604) one of the translators of the group working on the Gospels, Acts, and Apocalypse, appointed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_VI_and_I">King James</a>. This Second Oxford company was directed by <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/04/thomas-ravis-scourge-of-puritans.html">Thomas Ravis</a>, who also went to both Westminster School and Christ Church Oxford.</p><p>There followed his first published work in 1612, entitled <i>An Answere to a Certaine Treatise of the Crosse in Baptisme</i>. This was a response to the Puritan <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bradshaw_(Puritan) ">William Bradshaw</a> and aimed to defend the more ceremonial understanding of public worship.</p><p>Other works followed, featuring the local history of ecclesiastical Oxford. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/DL2009/images/spires.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="266" width="400" src="http://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/DL2009/images/spires.jpg" /></a></div>Spires of Oxford<br />
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In 1606 ninety-eight Oxford dons wrote a collection of verses celebrating the visit of King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_IV_of_Denmark">Christian IV</a> of Denmark and Hutten contributed to these. </p><p><h2>Family connections</h2><p>Hutton got married to one Anne Hampden in about 1600. Daughter Alice was born (1602–1628) - she married the then dean of Christ Church, and later bishop of Oxford. Hutton lived to a ripe old age and died May 17th, 1632, aged seventy-four or thereabouts. </p><p>In 1635 a brass inscription in Latin records, in the north transept of Christ Church Cathedral, that he ‘gave back to God a soul learned, straightforward, and godly’. </p><p>This is 46/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/11/daniel-featly-fairclough-puritan.html">previous</a> next <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a></p>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-29990133995723648302011-11-14T02:55:00.029+00:002011-11-22T04:08:22.329+00:00Daniel Featley (Fairclough) - Puritan protaganist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.oldukphotos.com/graphics/England%20Photos/Oxfordshire,%20Oxford,%20Magdalen%20College%20II.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="550" src="http://www.oldukphotos.com/graphics/England%20Photos/Oxfordshire,%20Oxford,%20Magdalen%20College%20II.jpg" /></a></div>Magdalen College, Oxford<br />
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<h2>Early Days</h2><p>Daniel Featley (Fairclough) was a Church of England clergyman and religious controversialist, born 5th March 1582 in Charlton-on-Otmoor, Oxfordshire, son of John Fairclough and his wife, Marian Thrift. At the age of seven he became a chorister of Magdalen College, Oxford, where his father was a college servant. His linguistic talent was early noticed when, at the age of twelve, he habitually produced witty and elegant verses in Latin and Greek (Featley, 8) to the delight of many.</p><h2>Academic career</h2><p>Featley is noted as a protégé of John Rainolds, who was a leading spokesman for the Puritans. Featley was received as a scholar of Corpus Christi College, and graduated BA in 1601, and then appointed a probationer fellow of the college. He proceeded MA in 1606, and became noted as a disputant and preacher. It was another seven years before Featley took B.D. in 1613. </p><h2>Appointment to the Translation Committee</h2><p>At some point after 1604 he was appointed to the first Oxford company of translators, whose work focused on the Major and Minor Prophets of the Old Testament (Isaiah - Malachi). Some have questioned Featley’s suitability for the translation task, as he was only in his twenties at the time of appointment. In 1607 he delivered an oration at the funeral of John Rainolds. As Rainolds had been a member of the first Oxford company, it is more than possible that Featley was appointed to fill the breach left by his mentor‘s death for three years, prior to his departing for the continent. We do not know the measure of attainment he achieved in his Hebrew studies to suit him for the task of Old Testament translation. The chronology suggests his appointment may have motivated him to undertake more formal studies in Hebrew, in order to fulfill his commission. Whichever, we should be well assured that Featley’s general linguistic skills were not in doubt. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTNurCuPGOnhCVOXzU-FhDltUqSrckk_26mAKGBie0-f3D2RLQ5" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="183" width="275" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTNurCuPGOnhCVOXzU-FhDltUqSrckk_26mAKGBie0-f3D2RLQ5" /></a></div>topnews.in<br />
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<p><h2>Experiencing the Continent</h2><p>In 1610 Featley was recommended to the English ambassador to Paris, Sir Thomas Edmondes, who appointed him as his household chaplain. He spent the three years following in Paris, where he was known as redoubtable in arguing for the protestant cause. He was reported as being despised by the Jesuits for his smallness of stature. Nevertheless, he made up for this by quick repartee, together with an ability to make fine-shaded distinctions when pursuing an argument (Leo, 23). Featley claimed that a local Cardinal had tried to recover him to the Catholic fold, by ‘promise of far greater preferments than ever he could expect in England’ (D. Featley, Sacra nemesis, the Levites Scourge, 1644, 66). </p><p><h2>Labelled an extremist</h2><p>Theologically, at home Featley was finding disapproval from the mainstream, with his outspoken puritanical views of worship, etcetera. Tact was not his strong suit. He seems to have given offence by his plain speaking, even in consecration sermons. However, for those sharing his theological views, Featley remained a significant figure throughout the first half of the 17th century. <blockquote>Though he was small of stature, yet he had a great soul, and had all learning compacted in him. (<a href="http://www.wilderness-cry.net/bible_study/translators/">McClure</a>). </blockquote>In the wake of the Synod of Dort (1618) he also mediated in a number of theological disputes between puritan ministers, and supplied a conciliatory note to the discussion by his prefaces to several influential works. <blockquote>Among protestant divines in France and the Netherlands he was regarded as one of the leading defenders of the Reformed faith; Leo recalled visiting the University of Groningen and seeing Featley's name in a list of ‘the most famous Schoole-men’ of the Christian church.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.alas-groningen.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/2292027336_c234654396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="375" width="500" src="http://www.alas-groningen.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/2292027336_c234654396.jpg" /></a></div>Univeristy of Groningen<br />
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It was his misfortune that, having found himself out of favour in the 1630s because of his views on doctrine, Featley then found himself attacked in the 1640s because of his views on church discipline, and was thus denied the recognition his talents deserved.(1) </blockquote></p><h2>A convinced Calvinist</h2><p>Featley was strongly opposed to the Arminian school of theology, which he regarded as dangerously close to semi-Pelagianism and Roman Catholicism. He may have been the ‘Oxford man, chaplein to the Archbishop’ mentioned for preaching a visitation sermon ‘wondrous plainly and vehemently against the fearfull or flattering silence of our Clergie’, warning that ‘the hope of a crosier staffe or a Cardinalls hatt would make many a Scholler in England beat his braine to reconcile the Church of Rome and England’ (BL, Harley MS 389, fol. 318). At King Charles I's first parliament in 1625, Featley was elected a member of convocation, and became the leader of a group of forty-five clergy who agreed among themselves ‘to oppose everything that did but savour or scent never so little of Pelagianism or Semi-Pelagianism.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.britroyals.com/images/charles1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="226" width="148" src="http://www.britroyals.com/images/charles1.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://www.britroyals.com/kings.asp?id=charles1">King Charles 1</a><br />
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<h2>Surprising comfort to a troubled King</h2><p>Featley produced a devotional manual entitled <i>Ancilla Pietatis </i>in 1626 which proved very popular, going through six editions with translations into French and other languages - it was a special favourite with Charles I as he struggled to cope with his confrontation with the ‘separatists,‘ who were insisting parliamentary government was wiser than absolute monarchy.</p><h2>The price of commitment</h2><p>During the Civil War years Featley landed up in prison for defending episcopal government. He was already in bad health , and the situation hastened his death of asthma and dropsy, in 1645, and he was buried in the chancel of Lambeth church. </p><h2>Literary achievements</h2>Daniel Featley published as many as forty books and treatises, also leaving a huge number of articles/manuscripts. <blockquote>His other labors have passed away; “but the word of the Lord,” which, as it is believed, he aided in giving to unborn millions, “abideth for ever. <a href="http://www.wilderness-cry.net/bible_study/translators/">McClure</a></blockquote></p><p><br />
(1) Hunt, Arnold. (2004) <i>Oxford Dictionary of National Biography</i><br />
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This is 45/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/11/robert-ward-almost-anonyomous.html">previous</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/11/leonard-hutton-elegant-scholar.html">next</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-88663811240188205082011-11-01T11:56:00.007+00:002011-12-01T07:48:24.099+00:00Jeremiah Radcliffe - close to the King’s physician<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Radcliffe ">Jeremiah Radcliffe’s </a> date of birth is unknown. He was educated at Westminster School and went on to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he became a Fellow in 1572. <br />
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He ‘took holy orders’ in the usual way, and developed pastoral relationships as time went on, in 1588 becoming Vicar of Evesham. Then, two years later, he was <a href="http://stepneyrobarts.blogspot.com/2010/10/orwell-cambridgeshire.html">Rector of Orwell</a> 1590. Thus, he acquired 'a string of livings' and the influence of family is seen in his being brother to the King's physician" (1) His teaching career resulted in his being made Vice-Master of his College in 1597 for 15 years. In the year 1600, he received a doctorate in Divinity, which was acknowledged by both universities. He also served in the "Second Cambridge Company" charged by James I of England with translating the Apocrypha for the King James Version of the Bible. He died in 1612. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/large/451bcba8-4097-4bea-9fa4-9e2caa3cc045.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="452" width="268" src="http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/large/451bcba8-4097-4bea-9fa4-9e2caa3cc045.bmp" /></a></div>Memorial to Jeremiah Radcliffe<br />
Church of St. Andrew, Orwell.<br />
(1) Bobrick, Benson p. 241.</p>This is 44/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/11/robert-ward-almost-anonyomous.html">previous</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/11/daniel-featly-fairclough-puritan.html">next</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-57649849473437998472011-11-01T10:36:00.002+00:002011-11-22T04:12:23.754+00:00Robert Ward - almost anonyomous<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6150/5977531378_782e462f7f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="375" width="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6150/5977531378_782e462f7f.jpg" /></a></div>King's College, Cambridge<br />
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<p>Robert Ward (otherwise known as John Ward) was an English scholar, and a fellow of King's College, Cambridge. He was a prebendary of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichester_Cathedral">Chichester Cathedral</a>., and served in the "Second Cambridge Company" charged by James I of England with translating <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocrypha">the Apocrypha </a>for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorized_King_James_Version">King James Version</a> of the Bible.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=64RCAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&edge=curl" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="180" width="128" src="http://books.google.com/books?id=64RCAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&edge=curl" /></a></div><br />
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<p><a href="http://www.wilderness-cry.net/bible_study/translators/">McClure</a> says of Ward <blockquote>All that we gather of this Dr. Ward is that he was Prebendary of Chichester, and Rector of Bishop’s Waltham in Hampshire. Also, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Fuller">Fuller</a> gives him the strange title of “Regal,” probably denoting some station in the University.</blockquote><p>Other than these few details, we know very little about him. Further research may remedy that. </p>This is 43/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/10/john-layfield-adventurous-chronicler.html">previous</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/11/jeremiah-radcliffe-close-to-kings.html">next</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-25091304146025876322011-10-21T12:07:00.004+01:002011-12-06T06:13:18.722+00:00William Tyndale - a Rock foundation<h2><a
href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Tyndale">William Tyndale</a> - His influence on the KJV</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_t8NSmG0U1f4/StNvS1pX6UI/AAAAAAAADn0/oaNi4RgHoEk/s200/tyndale1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="176" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_t8NSmG0U1f4/StNvS1pX6UI/AAAAAAAADn0/oaNi4RgHoEk/s200/tyndale1.JPG" /></a></div>povman.wordpress.com<br />
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<p>Tyndale is the unsung hero:<br />
<blockquote>Newspaper headlines still quote Tyndale, though unknowingly, and he has reached more people than even Shakespeare. (1)</blockquote>Really? Even more than Shakespeare? We are being taught to appreciate and revere the name of this unsung hero: see <a href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Tyndale">external links</a> (at the foot).</p><h2>How influential was he?</h2><p>A writer in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Contemporary_Review">Contemporary Review </a> says, <br />
<blockquote>[Tyndale] is the mainly unrecognised translator of the most influential book in the world. Although the Authorised King James Version is ostensibly the production of a learned committee of churchmen, it is mostly cribbed from Tyndale with some reworking of his translation.</blockquote><p>Describing their work as “cribbed” is inaccurate for two reasons: First, each KJV committee was led by a Director who was committed to ensure King James’ <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/01/miles-smith-chosen-vessel-and.html">guidelines</a> for translation were strictly followed. A foundation rule was that each translator make his own draft translation of a passage before it was discussed in committee, and that the final draft should then be compared with previous translations. Second, these <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html ">articles</a> have shown that the KJV translators were more than adequately equipped to make a scholarly and independent judgement, as to how to translate any word, phrase or sentence. </p><p>The Directors of the six translation committees working on a designated portion of the Text were men of great academic distinction: <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/01/lancelot-andrewes-adding-beauty-and.html">Lancelot Andrewes</a>(Genesis - 2 Kings), <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/william-barlow-political-wheeler-dealer.html">William Barlow</a> (Romans - Jude), <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/04/john-harding-quiet-achiever.html">John Harding </a>(Isaiah - Malachi), Thomas Ravis <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/04/thomas-ravis-scourge-of-puritans.html"></a><br />
(Gospels, Acts, Apocalypse), <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/06/edward-lively-devoted-hebraist.html">Edward Lively</a>/<a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/03/laurence-chaderton-saintly-scholar.html">Laurence Chaderton </a>(1 Chronicles - Ecclesiastes), and <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/07/john-duport-reverend-and-learned.html">John Duport </a>(Apocrypha). A ‘hyperlink-glance’ at their attainments should convince the reader that these Directors were able to ensure that the translation process, as guided by them, received the diligent thoroughness required by the King’s specific guidelines. </p><p>The flyleaf of most printings of the Authorized Version observes that the text had been "translated out of the original tongues, and with the former translations diligently compared and revised, by His Majesty's special command." James' instructions included several requirements that kept the new translation familiar to its listeners and readers. The text of the Bishops' Bible would serve as the primary guide for the translators, and the familiar proper names of the biblical characters would all be retained. If the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishops'_Bible">Bishops' Bible</a> <br />
was inadequate, as was frequently the case, the translators were allowed to consult from a pre-approved list, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyndale_Bible">Tyndale Bible</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myles_Coverdale ">Coverdale Bible</a>,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Bible ">Matthew's Bible</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Bible">the Great Bible</a>, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Bible">Geneva Bible</a>. Every verse of the Bible can readily be compared <a href="http://studybible.info/version/">online</a>, as between these and other Versions.</p><h2>How much of the KJV is Tyndale’s work?</h2><p>In answering this question, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Daniell_(Literary_scholar)">David Daniell </a> accepts the work of Mormon writers Jon Nielson and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Skousen">Royal Skousen</a>. They noted that previous estimates of Tyndale's contribution to the KJV 'have run from a high of up to 90% (Westcott) to a low of 18% (Butterworth)'. They tested this by using a statistically accurate and appropriate method of sampling - based on eighteen portions of the Bible - to show that Tyndale's contribution to the New Testament amounts to about 83% of the text, and in the Old Testament 76%.</p><h2>What were William Tyndale’s linguistic skills?</h2><p>Born in or around 1494, Tyndale’s life-aim from the age of ten(!) onwards was to translate the Bible into good English. All his energy was deliberately focused to achieve this aim. Tyndale showed an unusual aptitude for languages even as a child at Lady Berkeley's Grammar School at Wotton under Edge, where he learned to read Latin with ease. He went up to Oxford aged 12, where [so Foxe reports] ‘by long continuance he grew and increased in the knowledge of tongues and other liberal arts,’ and was ‘singularly addicted to the study of the Scriptures.’ By the time he was eighteen, William Hychyns (an alternative family name for Tyndale) graduated BA at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalen_Hall,_Oxford">Magdalen Hall</a>, Oxford, in 1512. He sat at the feet of three great Christian humanists: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Grocyn">William Grocyn</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Latimer">William Latimer</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Linacre">Thomas Linacre</a>. Having been made MA three years later he began to study theology. Foxe records that he ‘read privily to certain students and fellows of Magdalen College some parcel of divinity, instructing them in the knowledge and truth of the scriptures’ (Foxe, ed. Pratt, 5.114–15).(4) Erasmus’ freshly published (1516) Greek NT may have been the foundation of these studies. Tyndale then went to Cambridge, where Greek studies had received a strong injection from the visit of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erasmus">Erasmus</a>, who taught Greek there for several years while Tyndale was still at Oxford.</p><p>Arriving later in London (1523?) Tyndale sought to commend his scholarly aspirations to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuthbert_Tunstall">Cuthbert Tunstall</a>, Bishop of London, so to obtain his help in publishing an English translation of the entire Bible. Tyndale had taken with him his translation of an oration of the Greek rhetorician Isocrates, with which to prove his highly-skilled attainments in Greek. He was later praised by the German scholar Hermann Buschius for his mastery of seven languages: Greek, Latin, Hebrew, German, Spanish, and French, as well as English. </p><h2>Tyndale’s trail-blazing energy</h2><p>William Tyndale published the entire New Testament in 1526/1535. He then translated and published the Pentateuch, and the book of Jonah. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rogers_(Bible_editor_and_martyr)">John Rogers </a>continued Tyndale’s work after the latter’s martyrdom at the hands of Henry VIII. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tyndalesploughboy.org/wp-content/uploads/Matthews-Bible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="284" width="523" src="http://www.tyndalesploughboy.org/wp-content/uploads/Matthews-Bible.jpg" /></a></div>tyndalesploughboy.org<br />
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The publication was called the Matthew’s Bible, in order to conceal from the authorities Tyndale’s posthumous involvement. What of the remainder of the Old Testament? David Daniell’s view is that, the Matthew Version containing the Books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, First and Second Samuel, First and Second Kings, and First and Second Chronicles, were all William Tyndale‘s work. Tyndale worked directly from the Hebrew and Greek, occasionally consulting the Vulgate and Erasmus’s Latin version, and he used Luther's Bible for the prefaces, marginal notes and the biblical text. The remaining prophetic and poetic books of the Old Testament (and the Apocrypha) in the Matthew Bible were the work of Myles Coverdale. A. S. Herbert, Bible cataloguer, says of the Matthew Bible: <br />
<blockquote>This version, which welds together the best work of Tyndale and Coverdale, is generally considered to be the real primary version of our English Bible upon which later editions were based, including the Geneva Bible and King James Version. Thus the Matthew Bible, though largely unrecognized, significantly shaped and influenced English Bible versions in the centuries that followed its first appearance. (2)</blockquote></p><h2>How did the KJV translators use earlier Versions?</h2><p>The Bishops Bible was chosen to be the primary guide and orientation to spring-board a discussion, and a way of comparing a translators’ own first drafts. Nicolson gives a helpful example of how this worked by quoting Dr Ward Allen, who showed from a 1602 edition of the Bishops Bible how the revision worked. In this Bible, an individual translator has privately marked first suggestions for revision, ready for the impending weekly meeting with his colleagues. There his textual choices were aired, discussed and analysed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Books/Pix/covers/2003/05/14/power-and-glory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="195" width="128" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Books/Pix/covers/2003/05/14/power-and-glory.jpg" /></a></div>Adam Nicolson's book<br />
guardian.co.uk<br />
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<p>A quotation follows, which illustrates using an example from Luke 1:57. <br />
<blockquote>In Luke 1:57, the moment when Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, the herald of Christ, gives birth, the Bishops’ Bible text reads: <blockquote>Elizabeth’s time came that she should bee delivered, and she brought forth a son. </blockquote>This, incidentally, is almost exactly the wording of William Tyndale’s 1526 New Testament. It is an uncomplicated and straightforward moment, almost certainly too prosaic for Jacobean taste, and, in one minute particular, inaccurate. The King James Translator on his own in his room marked the verse very carefully with Greek letters as follows: <br />
<blockquote>kElizabeth’s time lcame that she should bee delivered, and she brought forth a son.</blockquote>and in the margin beside it wrote ‘k Now’ and ‘l was fulfilled’, with the intention presumably that the verse should read: <blockquote>Now Elizabeth‘s time was fulfilled that she should bee delivered, and she brought forth a son.</blockquote>That is the suggestion that he took to the weekly meeting. His co-Translators didn’t entirely like what he had done. They accepted his inclusion ‘Now’, translating a word which is in the Greek, and giving an extra flick of vitality and of conversational engagement to the verse, the storyteller drawing you in. But his other suggestion was rejected. The phrase ‘was fulfilled’ was a brave attempt at just the kind of lexical enrichment the Jacobeans enjoyed, and on which the King James Bible, almost subliminally, often relies. It carries a double hidden pun: not only has the time come for Elizabeth’s son to be born, but she was both filled full with the child in her womb and fulfilled in her role and duty as mother of the Baptist.</p><p>The idea is marvelous but the word is not quite right, a little dense, even a little technical. So ‘ was fulfilled’ is crossed out in the margin and replaced with ‘full time came’. As a result, the reading in the King James Bible, with which the English-speaking world has been familiar ever since, is Tyndale plus first Oxford Translator plus revision by the Oxford company: <br />
<blockquote>Now Elizabeth’s full time came that she should bee delivered and she brought forth a sonne.</blockquote>’It is undoubtedly the best, more accurate for its inclusion of ‘Now’ and wonderfully subtle in the phrase they landed on. ‘Full time came’ is irreproachably English, simple, accessible, conceptually rich, as full of potent and resonant meanings as Elizabeth was with child. In Jacobean English, full can mean plump, perfect and over brimming, and all of those meanings are here. (3)</blockquote></p><h2>Tyndale’s influence lives on</h2><p>A well-known quotation of William Tyndale is his comment to a biblically illiterate priest: <br />
<blockquote>‘I defy the Pope and all his laws, and if God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the Scriptures than thou doest.’ </blockquote>Fifteen years later, Tyndale was killed, first strangled by the hangman at the stake, then ‘with fire consumed.’ Approximately one year later, in 1537, Tyndale’s entire work was published in <a href="http://www.newmatthewbible.org/about.html">the Matthew Bible</a>. It was a Bible written in blood.</p><p>David Daniell says: <blockquote>William Tyndale's Bible translations have been the best-kept secrets in English Bible history…Astonishment is still voiced that the dignitaries who prepared the 1611 Authorized Version for King James spoke so often with one voice—apparently miraculously. Of course they did: the voice (never acknowledged by them) was Tyndale's. (5)</blockquote></p><p>The Bible’s Old Testament is about the bloodline of Israel, and the world‘s future destiny in the Messiah of God. The New Testament is about the sacrificial nature and effects of the blood of Jesus Christ. How suitable, then, that our English Bible too was written in blood. As William Tyndale was about to lose consciousness at the stake, he cried ’with fervent zeal and a loud voice: “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.” The prayer Tyndale made for Henry VIII is the prayer we too should make for our fellow countrymen. Tyndale’s prayer was abundantly answered within two years, when a Bible was chained to every church lectern in the land. God will answer our prayers for a quickened nation in the same way, if we are prepared by God’s Spirit to follow Tyndale’s example of dedication and single-mindedness. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://calvinisedpipe.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/william-tyndale-strangled-and-burned-at-vilvoorde-castle-belgium-1536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="313" width="450" src="http://calvinisedpipe.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/william-tyndale-strangled-and-burned-at-vilvoorde-castle-belgium-1536.jpg" /></a></div>Tyndale's death<br />
calvinisedpipe.wordpress.com<br />
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<p>(1) Daniell, David (1994) <i>William Tyndale: A Biography</i> Yale University Press, p. 2. <br />
(2) Herbert, A. S. <i>Historical Catalogue of Printed Editions of the English Bible 1525–1961, </i>London: British and Foreign Bible Society; New York: American Bible Society, 1968<br />
(3) Nicolson, Adam. (2003) <i>Power and glory: Jacobean England and the making of the King James Bible, </i>Lon: Harper. p. 152-153.<br />
(4) Daniell, David. (2004) <i>Oxford Dictionary of National Biography</i><br />
(5) Daniell, David, Introduction to Tyndale’s New Testament (New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 1995). See <a href="http://www.kingjamesbibletrust.org/the-king-james-bible/experience-the-bible-revolution">the video</a> (<i>The Bible Revolution</i>) on the King James Bible Trust website at <br />
<a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">Index of translators</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-13668266908076420572011-10-17T11:51:00.004+01:002011-11-01T10:46:17.449+00:00John Layfield - adventurous chronicler<h2>Early days</h2><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Layfield_(theologian)">John Layfield</a> was born in 1562/3 was the son of Edward Layfield, a prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral. Layfield was educated at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant_Taylors%27_School,_Northwood">Merchant Taylors' </a>School, Northwood before proceeding to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated BA in 1582 and became a Fellow in 1583. He proceeded MA in 1585 and BTh in 1592. He was also lector in Greek in 1593 and examiner in grammar in 1599. He later married Elizabeth in 1603 at St Mary, Whitechapel, and had two sons and a daughter. (1) </p><br />
<h2>Adventures abroad</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/George_Clifford_3rd_Earl_of_Cumberland_after_Nicholas_Hilliard.jpg/200px-George_Clifford_3rd_Earl_of_Cumberland_after_Nicholas_Hilliard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="253" width="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/George_Clifford_3rd_Earl_of_Cumberland_after_Nicholas_Hilliard.jpg/200px-George_Clifford_3rd_Earl_of_Cumberland_after_Nicholas_Hilliard.jpg" /></a></div>George Clifford<br />
Wikipedia.com<br />
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<p>In 1598 Layfield accompanied George Clifford, third earl of Cumberland as his chaplain and chronicler, during a violent and dangerous expedition to the West Indies, when hundreds died (2). Clifford wanted to see Reformed truth spread across the globe. Layfield wrote a long account of the voyage to Puerto Rico in ‘Purchas his Pilgrimes.’ Cumberland's biographer says Layfield's ‘detailed description of the whole voyage is the most reliable as well as the most complete of the extant accounts’ (Spence, 144). <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sonsothunder.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/ships_sailing_ship_008193_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="370" width="550" src="http://sonsothunder.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/ships_sailing_ship_008193_1.jpg" /></a></div>sonsothunder.wordpress.com<br />
Nicolson says of the writer’s value to the expedition:<br />
<blockquote>John Layfield . . . was an explorer and prose writer of real distinction, who left one of the most civil-minded and generous accounts ever written of the English arrival in the New World. . . . What Layfield brought to this exciting subject . . . was an unabashed manliness of style, a smart brisk way of telling a story in which piety or an adopted moralism had no part. . . . Even before they leave Portsmouth, Layfield displays his gift for clear and dramatic narrative, for instant characterisation, for a scene brought utterly alert. . . . Layfield’s chronicle is as bright-colored as anything by Robert Louis Stevenson . . . . Nothing about Layfield is cynical or even prejudiced. (2)</blockquote></p><h2>Translator of the KJV</h2><p>In 1606 he was one of the Greek and Hebrew scholars appointed by James I to produce what became the Authorized Version of the Bible. Layfield was one of ten who met at Westminster to work on the Old Testament, Genesis to 2 Kings inclusive. It was said that "being skilled in architecture, his judgment was much relied on for the fabric of the tabernacle and temple" as described in the book of Leviticus. </p><p>Paine quotes a lengthy passage from Layfield’s Carribean chronicle, describing the island of Dominica, and notes his exact and charming vocabulary:<blockquote>Though we can prove nothing by mere diction, there are many words in this passage that are found in the King James Bible: apparel, attired, discovered, nakedness, boring ears, covered, profitable. The rhythms of Layfield also may remind us of those in the books on which he laboured. (3) </blockquote></p><p>Nicolson quotes as an example from the opening chapters of Genesis: <blockquote>9And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow euery tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and euil. 10And a river went out of Eden to water the garden;</blockquote><blockquote>[Layfield] had a hand in writing this . . . . As he did so he would have had in mind those incomparable forests of Dominica, where ‘the trees doe continually maintaine themselves, in a greene-good liking’ - extraordinary phrase - ‘partly of many fine Rivers, which to requite the shadow and coolenesse they receive from the Trees, give them back again a continuall refresshing of very sweete and tastie water.‘ The seventeenth century English idea of Paradise, a vision of enveloping lushness, was formed by the seduction of an almost untouched Caribbean. (2) </blockquote></p><p>No doubt Lancelot Andrewes chose him as a member of his Westminster group, more for his ability with English style, than in understanding Hebrew - Layfield was more the Greek scholar than Oriental. </p><h2>Church appointments</h2><p>Layfield was Rector of Aldwincle St Peter's, Northamptonshire from 1598 to 1602, and then became rector of St Clement Danes, London, resigning his fellowship at Trinity in 1603. </p><p>Layfield was admitted to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Temple">Inner Temple</a> in 1606. Four years later, he became one of the first fellows of Chelsea College, newly founded to resist a return to Papal authority, by the production of an anti-Catholic polemic. </p><p>In 1613 he contributed laudatory verses to the preface of Sir <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Leighton">William Leighton's </a>Tears or Lamentations of a Sorrowful Soul. He died, probably in his London rectory, in 1617. In his will, he left land in Old Cleeve, Somerset, and Royston, Hertfordshire, to his wife for her lifetime, with remainder to their eldest son, Edward. </p><br />
<p>(1) Bayne, Ronald (2004) <i>Oxford Dictionary of National Biography</i><br />
(2) Nicolson, Adam. (2003) <i>Power and glory: Jacobean England and the making of the King James Bible</i>, Lon: Harper. pp. 102-103<br />
(3) Paine, Gustavus, (1959/1977)<i>The men behind the King James version, MI: Baker</i> p. 36.<br />
This is 42/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/10/francis-burleigh-unremarkable-choice.html">Previous</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/11/robert-ward-almost-anonyomous.html">next</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-69984913438333724102011-10-16T15:24:00.005+01:002011-11-01T10:52:39.737+00:00Francis Burleigh - an unremarkable choice<p>Francis Burleigh (Burley, Burghley) is not quite anonymous, although there appears no evidence as to when or where he was born, or when or where he died. Is there not a currently living member of the Burleigh family, willing to research the records to discover more about this member of the committee, which bequeathed the Book of Books to the English-speaking world? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.verwandt.de/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/papelpequ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="338" width="500" src="http://www.verwandt.de/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/papelpequ.jpg" /></a></div>dynastree.com<br />
The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Burleigh ">Wikipedia</a> site awaits. </p><h2><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsea_College_(17th_century)">Chelsea College</a>, London</h2><p>Burleigh was made a fellow of Chelsea College (1), founded in London by royal charter two years before the KJV was published. Other translators among the original fellows were <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/04/john-overall-thinking-in-latin.html">John Overall</a>, <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/01/miles-smith-chosen-vessel-and.html">Miles Smith</a>, <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/john-spencer-assisting-richard-hooker.html">John Spenser</a>, and <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/01/john-bois-boy-genius.html">John Boys</a>. Other original fellows included <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/10/john-layfield-adventurous-chronicler.html ">John Layfield</a> and <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/08/richard-brett-eminent-reputation.html">Richard Brett</a>. Burleigh was appointed to contribute to Lancelot Andrewes' "First Westminster Company," in the translating of the first twelve books of the Bible. Presumably, the need to graduate in Classics and/or divinity at Oxford or Cambridge, was an essential requirement for this task. </p><h2>Church appointments</h2><p>Nicolson tells us he was appointed as Vicar of Bishop's Stortford by Lancelot Andrewes in 1590. (2) He is also named as Rector of St. James the Great Church <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorley, Hertfordshire.">Thorley</a>, Hertfordshire, from 1594 - 1610.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4254690189_0c31933cce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="375" width="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4254690189_0c31933cce.jpg" /></a></div>St. James the Great, Thorley<br />
flickr.com<br />
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He was appointed a third living as rector of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Benet_Paul's_Wharf">St Benet Paul's Wharf</a>, London. (3) </p><p>(1) Bobrick, Benson. (2001) <i>The Making of the English Bible</i> Lon: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, p. 231.<br />
(2) Nicolson, Adam. (2003) <i>Power and glory: Jacobean England and the making of the King James Bible</i>, Lon: Harper. p. 253.<br />
(3) Westbrook, Vivienne (2004) <i>Oxford Dictionary of National Biography</i></p>This is 41/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/10/geoffrey-king-hugh-broughtons-friend.html ">previous</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/10/john-layfield-adventurous-chronicler.html">next</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-5279183517343996502011-10-08T12:34:00.003+01:002011-10-17T16:05:43.609+01:00Geoffrey King - Hugh Broughton’s friend<p>Details about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_King_(theologian)">Geoffrey King’s </a>life are mostly unknown. His place and date of birth (and death) are seemingly unrecorded. In adulthood, he became a fellow of King’s College Cambridge. King has a double claim to be remembered. First he was chosen to be part of the team of Lancelot Andrewes at Westminster, which translated the first books of the Old Testament. Secondly, he became Professor of Hebrew at King’s College, Cambridge, succeeding <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/08/robert-spalding-hebrew-professor.html ">Robert Spaulding</a>. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSFeVWKg_16vHwmxcIwlFL-r9bRLTlLq8yhgBJe9Y4SUgLwSQqYuw" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="182" width="276" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSFeVWKg_16vHwmxcIwlFL-r9bRLTlLq8yhgBJe9Y4SUgLwSQqYuw" /></a></div>King's College, Cambridge<br />
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</p><p>Of the Westminster group, Nicolson says: <blockquote>Several of Andrewes’ team remain little more than names: Richard Clarke, a fellow of Christ’s college, Cambridge, whose sermons were said to be “a continent of mud’; Robert Tighe, vicar of All Hallows, Barking, the church in which Lancelot Andrewes had been christened; Geoffrey King, another Christ’s man, and in time Professor of Hebrew at Cambridge; and Francis Burleigh, who had been a scholar at Pembroke, Andrewes’ own college. Even among the obscure the connections continued to work. Those four have the look of workhorses, men flattered to be included, who could be asked to do much of the legwork. . .(1)</blockquote></p><h2>The influence of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Broughton">Hugh Broughton</a></h2><p>King was reputed to be a personal friend of the controversialist Hugh Broughton (1549–1612). This gives us a clue as to whether King was dedicated to the mastery of Hebrew. Broughton was distinguished both in preaching and intense study, becoming an outstanding Hebrew scholar. He was thus intensely disappointed not to be invited to join the KJV translation committee. <blockquote>Since his learning was beyond question, their refusal to give due recognition to Broughton's merits as a scholar was no credit to the selectors of the Authorized Version. However, it may be justly assumed that he was not invited to co-operate on account of his arrogance and intolerance. Because he was so waspish and cantankerous in controversy, other scholars were unwilling to associate with him. He would have been a troublesome collaborator.(2) </blockquote></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.npgprints.com/lowres/38/main/73/321491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="428" width="323" src="http://www.npgprints.com/lowres/38/main/73/321491.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<p>Broughton put himself offside with fellow scholars by a habit of writing excessive negative criticism concerning the writings and ministry of others. His first book was itself attacked in public lectures by two key members of the KJV committee, John Rainolds, president of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and by Edward Lively, Regius professor of Hebrew at Cambridge. </p><p>Notwithstanding these reservations, and despite his intemperate outbursts, Hugh Broughton was a popular teacher and much loved by those he taught. He is said to have been a jovial dinner companion and a loyal friend. Whether as a pupil or colleague, Geoffrey King would have been much influenced by Broughton’s views as to the nature, importance and need for serious Hebrew study. It is thus important to understand Broughton’s views.</p><blockquote>Broughton's writings demonstrate that he may justifiably be regarded as the most proficient English Hebraist of his day. Not only was he able to read the Old Testament in the original, he was familiar at first hand with a wide range of post-biblical Jewish authors. His contribution to Old Testament studies includes a translation of Daniel into English and Latin with explanatory notes and comments (1596), a commentary on Ecclesiastes with an accompanying English translation of the text (1605), an English rendering of Lamentations (1606), and an English version of the book of Job (1610). In what became known as the ‘battle of the vowel points’ Broughton shared the rabbinic attitude towards the Masoretic vocalization of the Hebrew Bible. He argued against the Catholics that the vowels were a part of the original text, not a late invention of the rabbis and therefore untrustworthy. (2)</blockquote></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT-7MzHo860DFA9PrUelfqUPX2tLLZgqUEMpV70My5UWQEJ3Kw5" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="183" width="275" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT-7MzHo860DFA9PrUelfqUPX2tLLZgqUEMpV70My5UWQEJ3Kw5" /></a></div>Elohim in Hebrew Bible<br />
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<p>Broughton dedicated himself to the interpretation of biblical apocalyptic writings. To succeed in this he believed it needed to be based on a thorough mastery of Hebrew and the study of traditional Jewish exegesis. In teaching his students privately, he believed daily Bible readings and conversations in Hebrew were essential. Samuel Clarke claimed that in Broughton's published works: <blockquote>[T]he serious and impartial reader will find … a winning and inciting enforcement to the reading of the Scriptures, with a greater seriousness, and more than ordinary searching into them. . . . [Among ordinary students] some such there were, that being excited and stirred up by his books, applied themselves to the study of the Hebrew tongue and attained to a great measure of skill and knowledge therein. (2)</blockquote></p><h2>Influence upon on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorized_King_James_Version">new translation</a></h2>As a friend of Broughton, Geoffrey King would have sought his advice on various questions of translation. <blockquote>Among the papers of John Rainolds are some Broughton comments and advice set down with respect for his learning. Broughton made his own partial version from the Bible from which the King James men appear to have taken some wordings. Speaking of wild horses, Broughton said of the horse, in Job 39:19, “Canst thou clothe his neck with thunder? . . . . Thunder is a figure for that which quivers; what a splendid phrase we lose if we object to “clothed his neck with thunder.” We can thank rabid Hugh Broughton for his inspired word.(3) </blockquote></p><p>(1) Nicolson, p. 99 <br />
(2) Lloyd Jones, National Dictionary of Biography <br />
(3) Paine, p. 107 <br />
This is 40/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/09/william-branthwaite-expertise-in-greek.html">previous</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/10/francis-burleigh-unremarkable-choice.html">next</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-84944689285397762942011-09-29T09:44:00.017+01:002011-10-08T12:37:12.023+01:00William Branthwaite - expertise in Greek<h2>Curriculum Vitae</h2><p></p>William Branthwaite was born in 1563 into a landed Norfolk family. He entered Clare College, Cambridge in 1579 and graduated BA in 1583. He became a founding fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in 1585 under Laurence Chaderton. He was the first of eighteen members of his family to enter Emmanuel, receiving an MA in 1586. He then narrowed his focus to divinity as was the custom, and took a BTh in 1593, and was finally awarded a DTh (or DD, Paine) in 1598.</p><h2>Master of Gonvile and Caius College</h2><p>On 9 December 1607 he became master of Gonville and Caius [pron: keys] by royal mandate. He became vice-chancellor of the university in 1618, but died in January 1619, before the end of his year of office. In his will, proved on 11 March, he made a substantial bequest of books and property to his college, and was also a benefactor to Emmanuel.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.cdn.fotopedia.com/flickr-3462939589-original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="540" src="http://images.cdn.fotopedia.com/flickr-3462939589-original.jpg" /></a></div>Stephen Hawking, Fellow of Gonville and Caius College<br />
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<h2>Translation Committee</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.travelresearchonline.com/live/rl/activities/images/biblicalGreek%20Manuscript%20of%201st%20Corinthians%2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="236" width="325" src="http://www.travelresearchonline.com/live/rl/activities/images/biblicalGreek%20Manuscript%20of%201st%20Corinthians%2013.jpg" /></a></div>(Greek MS) "Love is patient," 1 Cor. 13<br />
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<p>Branthwaite was reputed to have a thorough mastery of Greek, and this doubtless secured him a place among the biblical revisers of the "Second Cambridge Company" charged by James I of England with translating the Apocrypha.</p><p>Branthwaite died 1620. He was known as a wit (Benson Bobrick). Says McClure, <blockquote>These few items go to mark him as a learned, reverend, and worshipful divine</blockquote></p><p>Vivienne Westbrook, ‘Authorized Version of the Bible, translators of the (act. 1604–1611)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2009 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/74199, accessed 9 Sept 2011]</p><p>This is 39/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/09/giles-thomson-royal-chaplain.html">previous</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/10/geoffrey-king-hugh-broughtons-friend.html">next</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-429389394973617392011-09-23T17:23:00.012+01:002011-10-08T12:39:26.965+01:00Giles Thomson - Royal Chaplain<h2>Academic ascent</h2><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giles_Thomson">Giles Thomson </a>(also Tomson) was born in London in 1553 to a grocer of the same name. His serious education started at Merchant Taylors' School in 1564, where he was a fellow pupil of Lancelot Andrewes. <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/01/lancelot-andrewes-adding-beauty-and.html "></a>From there he became an exhibitioner to study at University College, Oxford, in 1571 He graduated BA four years later. An MA followed in 1578 when he was also incorporated at Cambridge. He was made a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, in 1580, serving as university proctor in 1586. Narrowing his focus in divinity studies resulted in a BD in 1590. He was made divinity lecturer in Magdalen College and awarded a DD in 1602. It appears that he never married. (1)</p><h2>Ecclesiastical appointments</h2>Thomson accumulated a clutch of ecclesiastical appointments in youth and middle age: Canon residentiary of Hereford cathedral, 1594, and Rector of Pembridge in Herefordshire. Some time in the late 1590s he became chaplain to Queen Elizabeth, as was his friend, Dr. Richard Eedes. He became Dean of Windsor in 1602 and remained a royal chaplain on the accession of James I. Thomson was known as an eminent preacher and addressed his Queen in a Lenten series, 1598 and 1599. He continued to preach before King James also.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/c/ca-qstd.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="217" width="360" src="http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/c/ca-qstd.gif" /></a></div><br />
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<p><h2>The Hampton Court conference</h2><p>In January 1604 Thomson, as Dean of Windsor, attended the Hampton Court conference, though he may have been silent throughout. This was the meeting where a new translation of the Bible was proposed and agreed upon. King James had the power of direct appointment, and it would have been natural for him to look to a past fellow student of Thomson, Lancelot Andrewes, to help him in the appointment process. The latter could doubtless attest to Thomson’s linguistic skill, recommending to include him in the team of eight Oxford scholars who translated the Gospels, the Acts, and the book of Revelation. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMdFwon2pfg/TH2lo5E3TVI/AAAAAAAAK30/k2O7dnABHl0/s1600/kells_188v1_I_lion_fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="429" width="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMdFwon2pfg/TH2lo5E3TVI/AAAAAAAAK30/k2O7dnABHl0/s1600/kells_188v1_I_lion_fish.jpg" /></a></div>Book of Kells (Gospels)<br />
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<h2>Able rhetorician</h2></p><p>Thomson was a ‘good friend’ of the strategic thinker and poet <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Davies_(poet)">John Davies</a>. Davies spoke highly of his friend as a lively conversationalist, with a shining face which united intelligence with piety . (Microcosmos, 1603, sig. Nn2ir); </p><p>It was a royal pastime to visit the University to receive its obeisance, observe its good order, and be entertained with various orations, debates, and theatrical plays. Elizabeth I visited Oxford in 1592. It was noted that Thomson distinguished himself with ‘a very learned and discreet speach’ (Nichols) in a natural philosophy (science) disputation. King James 1 also listened to Giles Thomson (with <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/03/thomas-holland-deep-learning-strong.html ">Thomas Holland</a> and <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/04/john-harding-quiet-achiever.html ">John Harding</a> supporting) in a debate which opposed <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/06/dr-john-aglionby-aquiline-acumen.html">John Aglionby’s </a>argument, that both saints and angels know our conscious thoughts. (2) </p><p><h2>Later years</h2></p><p>Thomson was consecrated Bishop of Gloucester 1611. However, he never visited the city, for he died soon after in 1612, aged fifty-nine. <a href="http://www.wilderness-cry.net/bible_study/translators/ "> McClure</a> speaks of his death in another’s words, as being, “to the great grief of all who knew the piety and learning of the man.” Thomson was buried in Bray chapel at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._George's_Chapel,_Windsor_Castle">St George's Chapel</a>, Windsor, with a monument depicting him, half-length, in the pulpit. The <a href="http://www.thamesweb.co.uk/windsor/windsorhistory/winguide06b.html">Latin inscription </a>says of him:<br />
<blockquote>Here lieth Giles Tomson, formerly Dean of this Chapel, whose mind was upright, tongue learned, and hands pure. . . ever a friend to the good, indigent and learned. Though his mortal body lies under the earth, his soul is raised by piety to the skies. He was thirteen years Dean of this Chapel, during which he was in manners grave, prudent, and pious. Afterwards . . . snatched away by death, June 14, 1612, aged 59.<br />
</blockquote></p><p>(1) Fincham, Kenneth <a href="http://www.oxforddnb.com"><i>Dictionary of National Biography</i></a>, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2009. <br />
(2) Payne, Gustavus, (1959/1977)<i>The men behind the King James version, MI: Baker</i> p. 85 </p><p>This is 38/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/09/thomas-sanderson-fellow-of-balliol.html">previous</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/09/william-branthwaite-expertise-in-greek.html">next</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-70354506177039781322011-09-15T10:34:00.024+01:002011-09-23T08:09:18.623+01:00Thomas Sanderson - fellow of Balliol<p>Thomas Sanderson is almost unknown to us. He was a fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, and rector of <a href="www.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-Hallows-the-Great ">All Hallows the Great</a>, London which was demolished 1894. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Wood ">Anthony Wood</a>, the antiquarian mentions a Thomas Sanderson, D. D., of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balliol_College,_Oxford">Balliol College</a>, Oxford. The same man was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archdeacon_of_Rochester">Archdeacon of Rochester</a> during the years 1601 and 1614. He was a member of the Second Westminster Company of translators, directed by William Barlow.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Balliol_front_quad.jpg/800px-Balliol_front_quad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="540" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Balliol_front_quad.jpg/800px-Balliol_front_quad.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<h2>A minor writer</h2><blockquote>The King James men were minor writers, though great scholars, doing superb writing. Their task lifted them above themselves, while they leaned firmly on their subjects. Many have written in wonder about what they achieved. (1)</blockquote><br />
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<p>Gustavus Paine (2) goes on to quote Dr William Faber’s taste for the KJV:<br />
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<blockquote>It lives on the ear like a music that can never be forgotten, like the sound of church bells . . . . It is part of the national mind and the anchor of national seriousness. The memory of the dead passes into it. . . . It is the representative of his best moments; and all that there has been about him of soft, gentle, and pure, and penitent, and good speaks to him for ever out of his English Bible.</blockquote></p><h2>Appeal</h2><p>Reader, have you experienced what <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_William_Faber">Dr Faber</a> is talking about? Try reading seven verses each morning from the AV Bible, asking God to speak to you through its pages. You’ll be surprised - after sympathetic and close consideration of the actual words - how readily the Text yields its probable meaning!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://evangelicalbible.com/shop/images/9780521146074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="300" src="http://evangelicalbible.com/shop/images/9780521146074.jpg" /></a></div>forum.ship-of-fools.com<br />
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<p>(1)Vivienne Westbrook, ‘Authorized Version of the Bible, translators of the (act. 1604–1611)’, Oxford <a href="http://www.oxforddnb.com"><i>Dictionary of National Biography</i></a>, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2009 <br />
(2)Payne, Gustavus, (1959/1977)<i>The men behind the King James version, MI: Baker</i>pp. 62 - 63 </p>This is 37/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/09/roger-fenton-popular-preacher.html">previous</a> next <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-57882664870495161292011-09-09T13:20:00.035+01:002011-09-15T10:44:23.664+01:00Roger Fenton - a popular preacher<p>Academic background </p><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Fenton_(clergyman)">Roger Fenton</a> was born in 1565 in Lancashire and was educated at Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, where he matriculated as a sizar in 1585. Four years later he graduated B.A. and became a fellow in 1590. Subsequently awarded an M.A. he then narrowed his studies to divinity and proceeded B.D. in 1602. With another eleven years of study he received a D.D. in 1613. Meanwhile in 1601 he became the rector of <a href="http://ststephenwalbrook.net/">St. Stephen's Church, Walbrook</a>, also of the neighbouring St. Benet's Sherehog in 1603. In his work there over many years there he was described as “the painful, pious, learned, and beloved minister.” He moved on from Walbrook to the vicarage of Chigwell, Essex in 1606. Three years later, he succeeded Lancelot Andrewes in the prebend of St. Pancras in St. Paul's, which thus made him rector and patron, as well as vicar, of Chigwell. <a href="www.http://ststephenwalbrook.net/">St Stephen's</a> is thought by some to be the finest of the church buildings of Sir Christopher Wren. One of its vicars started the Samaritan movement.</p><br />
<h2>Sermon Publications</h2><p>Fenton was preacher to the readers at Gray's Inn, starting 1598, and he held the post for the rest of his life. The Elisabethan period is considered the "golden age" of this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray's_Inn ">Inn</a> of lawyers, and the Queen is its Patron Lady. Fenton was a popular preacher of the day; His first work was 'An Answer to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Alabaster">William Alablaster</a>, his Motives,' 1599. Fenton prefaces his work with a short note where ‘he wisheth health of soule and bodie' to William Alabaster, languishing in the Tower of London, 1598/99. He sets out to counter the arguments that Alabaster had use to justify his conversion to Roman Catholicism. These counter-arguments may have been persuasive, as Alabaster eventually gave up Catholicism, and was favoured by James I. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thepoetsgarret.com/elizabethanpoets/alabaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="308" src="http://thepoetsgarret.com/elizabethanpoets/alabaster.jpg" /></a></div><br />
William Alabaster<br />
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<p>Another of his sermons, 'Of Simonie and Sacriledge,' was published in 1604. The context of the sermon shows he was at that time chaplain to Sir Thomas Egerton, the Lord Chancellor. A third work was 'A Treatise of Usurie,' in three books, published the same year as the KJV, and there is some evidence it was dedicated to Sir Francis Bacon, also a member of Gray‘s Inn. Fenton’s views on the morality or otherwise of usury were taken up forty years after publication in a tract by Sir Robert Filmer entitled 'Quaestio quodlibetica, or, A discourse, whether it may bee lawfull to take use for money.' This bears the sub-title, 'An Examination of Dr. Fenton's Treatise of Usury.' The author quotes Dr. Fenton and Dr. Andrewes as two of the most noted opponents of usury in England. Although Fenton’s views on usury were attacked after he died, 16 Jan. 1615, they were more than adequately defended by the Bishop of London, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_King_(bishop)">John King.</a> Fenton’s successor at Chigwell, one Emmanuel Utie, published another of Fenton’s sermons posthumously, called 'A Treatise against the Necessary Dependance upon that One Head and the present Reconcilation to the Church of Rome. Together with certaine sermons preached in publike assemblies.' Three of these sermons had been preached before King James. </p><p>Yet another sermon was published in 1615, 'Upon Oathes,' preached before <a href="http://www.grocershall.co.uk/">the Grocers' Company</a>; and a small volume containing four more appeared in 1616.</p><p>Utie's dedication piece spoke of Fenton's merits as a preacher and writer, acknowledging 'that judgement which was admired of every side,' and saying that his style with words had '. . . naked innocencie without affectation and . . natural majestie,’ the manner of his honey-producing industry was ‘like a master bee without a sting.' </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://hawaiihoneybee.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/honey-bee.jpg?w=501&h=376" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="550" src="http://hawaiihoneybee.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/honey-bee.jpg?w=501&h=376" /></a></div><br />
Hawaiihoneybee.wordpress.com <br />
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<h2>Translating the Bible</h2><p>We have seen that Roger Fenton, like many of the translators, had patrons in high places. His ministry was located in London, so he was a natural choice to be one of seven men who formed the second Westminster company - led by William Barlow - with the task of translating the New Testament epistles.</p><p><h2>Final Appreciation</h2><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pembroke_Hall,_Cambridge">Nicholas Felton</a>, Master of Pembroke said of Fenton:<blockquote>None was fitter to dive into the depths of school divinity. He was taken early from the University, and had many troubles afterward; yet he grew and brought forth fruit. Never a more learned hath Pembroke Hall brought forth, with but one exception.</blockquote>He was referring to Bishop Lancelot Andrews. Fenton died January 16th, 1616, at the age of fifty. He had suffered much with poor health, probably owing to sedentary habits. Says Fulton, his friend,<blockquote>In the time of his sickness, I told him that his weakness and disease were trials only of his faith and patience. "Oh no," he answered, <i>Non probationes, sed castigationes.</i> - “they are not trials but corrections.” </blockquote>His body was buried under the communion-table of St. Stephen’s, where his parishioners erected a monument to his memory, inscribing their affection toward their pastor as one eminent in both piety and learning. </p><p>"Fenton, Roger". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.itraveluk.co.uk/photos/data/502/st-stephens-walbrook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="640" width="427" src="http://www.itraveluk.co.uk/photos/data/502/st-stephens-walbrook.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Steve Cadman<br />
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<p>This is 36/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/09/william-dakins-cut-short-in-his-days.html">previous</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/09/thomas-sanderson-fellow-of-balliol.html">next</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-11476789051613713572011-09-02T10:34:00.017+01:002011-09-22T17:34:03.418+01:00William Dakins - cut short in his days<p>William Dakins was born c. 1568/9 the son of William Dakyns (d. 1598), vicar of Ashwell, Hertfordshire. William attended the famous Westminster School aged thirteen, in 1582. <br />
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From there he won a scholarship at Trinity College, Cambridge, and graduated BA in 1591 becoming a Fellow of Trinity in 1593. Having acceded to M.A in 1594 he then focused on Divinity studies, adding a BD in 1601. The next year he began lecturing in Greek and became vicar of Trumpington, Cambridgeshire, in 1603. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://millroadcemetery.org.uk/MillRoadCemetery/ImageCache/cache_nGKxnx0_1370.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="540" src="http://millroadcemetery.org.uk/MillRoadCemetery/ImageCache/cache_nGKxnx0_1370.jpeg" /></a></div>St. Mary the Less, Trumpington<br />
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<p>In 1604, he was appointed Professor of Divinity at Gresham College, London. This was on the recommendation of the vice-chancellor and several heads of Cambridge colleges as well as some of the nobility - and even by King James I himself. Christopher Hill comments that James was probably glad to have a "harmless academic" appointed, after his puritan predecessors. The King, says McClure, called him “an ancient divine” in his letter to the Mayor and Aldermen of London. This alluded not to his age, but to his theological character. </p><p>The appointment to Gresham College was seen as fair remuneration for the work he was to do in helping translate the KJV Bible. His training made him more than adequate to the task, on account of “his skill in the original languages.” </p><p>In 1605 he resigned the vicarage of Trumpington, and the following year he became junior dean of Trinity College. He died in February 1607 only a few months after, being less than forty years old. Thus, his work on the Second Westminster Company (Romans - Jude), under William Barlow (Director), lasted but a short time. </p><p><a href="http://www.gresham.ac.uk/
">Gresham College </a>is an institution of higher learning located in central London, founded in 1597. Today it hosts over 140 lectures every year within the City of London. The Professor of Divinity at Gresham College, London, gives these educational lectures free to the public. The college when founded appointed seven professors, and now also has visiting professors. However, it does not enroll students and awards no degrees. Recent lectures on religion are <a href="http://www.gresham.ac.uk/category/lecture-categories/religion.">listed</a>. A relevant upcoming lecture is <a href="http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/the-language-of-the-king-james-bible">The Language of the King James Bible </a>by Dr Christopher de Hamel, on 26 September 2011 - a Symposium to mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/5059797338_d19602d438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="333" width="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/5059797338_d19602d438.jpg" /></a></div>Bill Bryson lecture, Gresham College.<br />
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<p>This is 35/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/08/robert-tighue-known-to-god.html">Previous</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/09/roger-fenton-popular-preacher.html">next</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-548533953154468002011-08-26T10:45:00.032+01:002011-09-22T17:02:20.026+01:00Robert Tighue - Known to God<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Tighe">Robert Tigue</a> (or Tighe, Teigh), [1] was listed in all the earlier (pre-nineteenth century) printed lists of the Translators, as <i>Leigh<b></b></i> says <a href="http://www.wilderness-cry.net/bible_study/translators/">McClure</a>.</p><p>Dr. Tighe was born at Deeping, Lincolnshire; and was educated partly at Oxford, and partly at Cambridge. He is characterized as "an excellent textuary and profound linguist." (2) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4671454795_7c1a582324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="375" width="550" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4671454795_7c1a582324.jpg" /></a></div>Field in Market Deeping<br />
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<p>He was Archdeacon of Middlesex and Vicar of the Church of All Hallows, Barking, London. This was the church in which Lancelot Andrewes had been christened. (AN). Tighue was also archdeacon of Westminster. </p><br />
<p>Robert Tighue was a member of Lancelot Andrewes’ Westminster I group, engaged in translating the Old Testament books Genesis - II Chronicles. This was the group of whom Andrewes’ wrote [to the Society of Antiquaries, 1604] at their commencement: <br />
<blockquote>Most of our company are negligent.</blockquote>Perhaps Tighue was one of the exceptions to this assessment. As far as we know, he had little to distract him from the important work. He may be one of the unsung heroes of the Translation, those who are largely unknown to men, but known to God, and added value to the work. </p><p>Dr. Tighe died in 1620 (Nicolson says, 1616), and left his son an estate of one thousand pounds annually. McClure‘s comment: <blockquote>[This] is worth mentioning because [such an act is] so rarely done by men of the clerical profession.</blockquote></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2713/4241399062_f6de60b8f8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="550" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2713/4241399062_f6de60b8f8.jpg"/></a></div>Church Interior, All Hallows, Barking<br />
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<p>1. Le Neve's <i>Fast Eccles</i>. Ang. P. 194 <br />
2. McClure, Alexander <i>The Translators Revived.</i> </p><p>This is 34/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/08/robert-spalding-hebrew-professor.html">previous</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/09/william-dakins-cut-short-in-his-days.html">next</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923848597324199238.post-3439907930074496622011-08-18T10:47:00.007+01:002011-09-22T16:31:03.478+01:00Robert Spalding - Hebrew Professor<p>Robert Spalding was a fellow of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_College,_Cambridge ">St. John’s College, Cambridge</a>. We don’t know his date of birth, but he succeeded <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/06/edward-lively-devoted-hebraist.html">Edward Lively </a>as Regius Professor of Hebrew in Cambridge University in 1605. Spalding was appointed to the first Cambridge group of translators of the King James Version. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorized_King_James_Version "></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.donpotter.net/docu0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="100" width="350" src="http://www.donpotter.net/docu0020.JPG" /></a></div>videarius.eu<br />
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<block quote>The first Cambridge group was responsible for revising the Old Testament books from Chronicles to Ecclesiastes. Its members were <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/07/roger-andrewes-in-shadow-of-his-brother.html ">Roger Andrewes</a> (or Andrews), master of Jesus College, Cambridge; <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/04/andrew-bing-not-quite-anonymous.html">Andrew Byng</a>, a prebendary of York, where he later became subdean; <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/03/laurence-chaderton-saintly-scholar.html">Laurence Chaderton</a>, one of the original delegates at Hampton Court; <a href="http:// theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/02/francis-dillingham-great-grecian.html">Francis Dillingham</a>, a prolific theological writer; <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/01/thomas-harrison-remarkable-translator.html">Thomas Harrison</a>, a biblical scholar reputedly second only to Andrewes in learning; <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/06/edward-lively-devoted-hebraist.html">Edward Lively</a>, a Hebraist whose death in 1605 prevented his participation in the work; Robert Spalding, a fellow of St John's College; and <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/07/john-richardson-well-accepted-hebraist.html">John Richardson</a> (d. 1625). It was natural and inevitable that Cambridge University should dominate this group. (1)</block quote></p><p>Robert Spalding died in 1626.</p><p>(1) Westbrook, Vivienne (2004) <i>Oxford Dictionary of National Biography</i>Authorized Version of the Bible, translators of the.</p>This is 33/52 <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/08/richard-brett-eminent-reputation.html">previous</a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/08/robert-tighue-known-to-god.html">next </a> <a href="http://theav4ever.blogspot.com/2011/05/index-of-king-james-translators_09.html">index</a>Clivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17381181402866048722noreply@blogger.com0