study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第4节
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when they asked him the cause of his mirth； he said that he could not fail
to be amused at the absurdity of the situation。 〃They have caught me；〃 he
said； 〃and shut me up here； but my ideas are out yonder in the streets and
in the fields； absolutely free。 They cannot overtake them。〃 It was already
too late； twenty years after Wiclif's version was available； to stop the
English people in their search for religious truth。
In the century just after the Wiclif translation； two great events
occurred which bore heavily on the spread of the Bible。 One was the
revival of learning； which made popular again the study of the classics and
the classical languages。 Critical and exact Greek scholarship became again
a possibility。 Remember that Wiclif did not know Greek nor Hebrew； did
not need to know them to be the foremost scholar of Oxford in the
fourteenth century。 Even as late as 1502 there was no professor of Greek at
the proud University of Erfurt when Luther was a student there。 It was
after he became a doctor of divinity and a university professor that he
learned Greek in order to be a better Bible student； and his young friend
Philip Melancthon was the first to teach Greek in the University。＇1＇ But
under the influence of Erasmus and his kind； with their new insistence on
classical learning； there came necessarily a new appraisal of the Vulgate as
a translation of the original Bible。 For a thousand years there had been no
new study of the original Bible languages in Europe。 The Latin of the
Vulgate had become as sacred as the Book itself。 But the revival of
learning threw scholarship back on the sources of the text。 Erasmus and
others published versions of the Greek Testament which were disturbing to
the Vulgate as a final version。
＇1＇ McGiffert； Martin Luther。
The other great event of that same century was the invention of
printing with movable type。 It was in 1455 that Gutenberg printed his first
book； an edition of the Vulgate； now called the Mazarin Bible。 The bearing
of the invention on the spread of common knowledge is beyond
description。 It is rather late to be praising the art of printing； and we need
spend little time doing so； but one can see instantly how it affected the use
of the Bible。 It made it worth while to learn to readthere would be
something to read。 It made it worth while to writethere would be some
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one to read what was written。
One hundred years exactly after the death of Wiclif； William Tindale
was born。 He was eight years old when Columbus discovered America。 He
had already taken a degree at Oxford； and was a student in Cambridge
when Luther posted his theses at Wittenburg。 Erasmus either was a teacher
at Cambridge when Tindale was a student there； or had just left。 Sir
Thomas More and Erasmus were close friends； and More's Utopia and
Erasmus's Greek New Testament appeared the same year； probably while
Tindale was a student at Cambridge。
But he came at a troubled time。 The new learning had no power to
deepen or strengthen the moral life of the people。 It could not make
religion a vital thing。 Morality and religion were far separated。 The priests
and curates were densely ignorant。 We need not ask Tindale what was the
condition。 Ask Bellarmine； a cardinal of the Church： 〃Some Years before
the rise of the Lutheran heresy there was almost an entire abandonment of
equity in ecclesiastical judgments； in morals； no discipline； in sacred
literature； no erudition； in divine things； no reverence； religion was almost
extinct。〃 Or ask Erasmus； who never broke with the Church： 〃What man
of real piety does not perceive with sighs that this is far the most corrupt
of all ages？ When did iniquity abound with more licentiousness？ When
was charity so cold？〃 And； as a century before； Wiclif had felt the social
need for a popular version of the Bible； so William Tindale felt it now。 He
saw the need as great among the clergy of the time as among the laity。 In
one of his writings he says： 〃If you will not let the layman have the word
of God in his mother tongue； yet let the priests have it； which for the great
part of them do understand no Latin at all； but sing and patter all day with
the lips only that which the heart understandeth not。〃＇1＇ So bad was the
case that it was not corrected within a whole generation。 Forty years after
Tindale's version was published； the Bishop of Gloucester； Hooper by
name； made an examination of the clergy of his diocese。 There were 311
of them。 He found 168； more than half； unable to repeat the Ten
Commandments； 31 who did not even know where they could be found；
40 who could not repeat the Lord's Prayer； and nearly as many who did
not know where it originated； yet they were all in regular standing as
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clergy in the diocese of Gloucester。 The need was keen enough。
＇1＇ Obedience of a Christian Man。
About 1523 Tindale began to cast the Scriptures into the current
English。 He set out to London fully expecting to find support and
encouragement there； but he found neither。 He found； as he once said； that
there was no room in the palace of the Bishop of London to translate the
New Testament； indeed； that there was no place to do it in all England。 A
wealthy London merchant subsidized him with the munificent gift of ten
pounds； with which he went across the Channel to Hamburg； and there
and elsewhere on the Continent； where he could be hid； he brought his
translation to completion。 Printing facilities were greater on the Continent
than in England； but there was such opposition to his work that very few
copies of the several editions of which we know can still be found。 Tindale
was compelled to flee at one time with a few printed sheets and complete
his work on another press。 Several times copies of his books were
solemnly burned； and his own life was frequently in danger。
There is one amusing story which tells how money came to free
Tindale from heavy debt and prepare the way for more Bibles。 The Bishop
of London； Tunstall； was set on destroying copies of the English New
Testament。 He therefore made a bargain with a merchant of Antwerp；
Packington； to secure them for him。 Packington was a friend of Tindale；
and went to him forthwith； saying： 〃William； I know thou art a poor man；
and I have gotten thee a merchant for thy books。〃 〃Who？〃 asked Tindale。
〃The Bishop of London。〃 〃Ah； but he will burn them。〃 〃So he will； but
you will have the money。〃 And it all came out as it was planned； the
Bishop of London had the books； Packington had the thanks； Tindale had
the money； the debt was paid； and the new edition was soon ready。 The old
document； from which I am quoting； adds that the Bishop thought he had
God by the toe when； indeed； he found afterward that he had the devil by
the fist。＇1＇
＇1＇ Pollard； Records of the English Bible； p。 151。
The final revision of the Tindale translations was published in 1534；
and that becomes the notable year of his life。 In two years he was put to
death by strangling； and his body was burned。 When we remember that
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this was done with the joint power of Church and State； we realize some
of the odds against which he worked。
Spite of his odds； however； Tindale is the real father of our King James
version。 About eighty per cent。 of his Old Testament and ninety per cent。
of his New Testament have been transferred to our version。 In the
Beatitudes； for example； five are word for word in the two versions； while
the other three are only slig
