a study of bible-第4章

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　current　English　impressed　these　literary　men　very　much　as　we　would　be　impressed　by　putting　the　Bible　into　current　slang。


All　this　while；　and　especially　between　the　time　when　Tindale　first　published　his　New　Testament　and　the　time　they　burned　him　for　doing　so；　an　interesting　change　was　going　on　in　England。　The　King　was　Henry　VIII。；　who　was　by　no　means　a　willing　Protestant。　As　Luther's　work　appeared；　it　was　this　same　Henry　who　wrote　the　pamphlet　against　him　during　the　Diet　of　Worms；　and　on　the　ground　of　this　pamphlet；　with　its　loyal　support　of　the　Church　against　Luther；　he　received　from　the　Roman　pontiff　the　title　〃Defender　of　the　Faith；〃　which　the　kings　of　England　still　wear。　And　yet　under　this　king　this　strange　succession　of　dates　can　be　given。　Notice　them　closely。　In　1526　Tindale's　New　Testament　was　burned　at　St。　Paul's　by　the　Bishop　of　London；　ten　years　later；　1536；　Tindale　himself　was　burned　with　the　knowledge　and　connivance　of　the　English　government；　and　yet；　one　year　later；　1537；　two　versions　of　the　Bible　in　English；　three…quarters　of　which　were　the　work　of　Tindale；　were　licensed　for　public　use　by　the　King　of　England；　and　were　required　to　be　made　available　for　the　people！　Eleven　years　after　the　New　Testament　was　burned；　one　year　after　Tindale　was　burned；　that　crown　was　set　on　his　work！　What　brought　this　about？

Three　facts　help　to　explain　it。　First；　the　recent　years　of　Bible　translation　were　having　their　weight。　The　fugitive　copies　of　the　Bible　were　doing　their　work。　Spite　of　the　sharp　opposition　fifty　thousand　copies　of　Tindale's　various　editions　had　actually　been　published　and　circulated。　Men　were　reading　them；　they　were　approving　them。　The　more　they　read；　the　less　reason　they　saw　for　hiding　the　Book　from　the　people。　Why　should　it　not　be　made　common　and　free？　There　was　strong　Lutheran　opinion　in　the　universities。　It　was　already　a　custom　for　English　teachers　to　go　to　Germany　for　minute　scholarship。　They　came　back　with　German　Bibles　in　Luther's　version　and　with　Greek　Testaments；　and　the　young　scholars　who　were　being　raised　up　felt　the　influence；　consciously　or　unconsciously；　of　the　free　use　of　the　Bible　which　ruled　in　many　German　universities。

The　second　fact　that　helps　to　explain　the　sudden　change　of　attitude　toward　the　Bible　is　this：　the　people　of　England　were　never　willingly　ruled　from　without；　religiously　or　politically。　There　has　recently　been　a　considerable　controversy　over　the　history　of　the　Established　Church　of　England；　whether　it　has　always　been　an　independent　church　or　was　at　one　time　officially　a　part　of　the　Roman　Church。　That　is　a　matter　for　ecclesiastical　history　to　determine。　The　foundation　fact；　however；　is　as　I　worded　it　a　moment　ago：　the　people　of　England　were　never　willingly　ruled　from　without；　religiously　or　politically。　They　were　sometimes　ruled　from　without；　but　they　were　either　indifferent　to　it　at　the　time　or　rebellious　against　it。　Those　who　did　think　claimed　the　right　to　think　for　themselves。　The　Scotch　of　the　north　were　peculiarly　so；　but　the　English　of　the　south　claimed　the　same　right。　There　has　always　been　an　immense　contrast　between　the　two　sides　of　the　British　Channel。　The　French　people　during　all　those　years　were　deeply　loyal　to　a　foreign　religious　government。　The　English　people　were　never　so；　not　in　the　days　of　the　fullest　Roman　supremacy。　They　always　demanded　at　least　a　form　of　home　government。　That　made　England　a　congenial　home　for　the　Protestant　spirit；　which　claimed　the　right　to　independent　study　of　the　sources　of　religion　and　independent　judgment　regarding　them。　It　was　only　a　continuance　of　the　spirit　of　Wiclif　and　the　Lollards。　The　spirit　in　a　nation　lives　long；　especially　when　it　is　passed　down　by　tradition。　Those　were　not　the　days　of　newspapers。　They　were　instead　the　days　of　great　meetings；　more　important　still　of　small　family　gatherings；　where　the　memory　of　the　older　men　was　called　into　use；　and　where　boys　and　girls　drank　in　eagerly　the　traditions　of　their　own　country　as　expressed　in　the　great　events　of　their　history。　Newspapers　never　can　fully　take　the　place　of　those　gatherings；　for　they　do　not　bring　men　together　to　feel　the　thrill　of　the　story　that　is　told。　It　must　be　remembered　that　the　entire　population　of　England　at　that　time　was　only　about　three　millions。　And　that　old　spirit　of　independence　was　strongly　at　work　in　the　middle…class　villages　and　among　the　merchants；　and　they　were　a　ruling　and　dominant　class。　That　was　second；　that　in　those　ten　years　there　asserted　itself　the　age…long　unwillingness　of　the　English　people　to　be　ruled　from　without。

The　third　fact　which　must　be　taken　into　account　to　explain　this　remarkable　change　of　front　of　the　public　English　life　is　Henry　VIII。　himself。　There　is　much　about　him　that　no　country　would　willingly　claim。　He　was　the　most　habitual　bridegroom　in　English　history；　he　had　an　almost　confirmed　habit　of　beheading　his　wives　or　otherwise　ridding　himself　of　them。　Yet　many　traits　made　him　a　typical　outstanding　Englishman。　He　had　the　characteristic　spirit　of　independence；　the　resentment　of　foreign　control；　satisfaction　with　his　own　land；　the　feeling　that　of　course　it　is　the　best　land。　There　are　no　people　in　the　world　so　well　satisfied　with　their　own　country　as　the　people　of　England　or　the　British　Isles。　They　are　critical　of　many　things　in　their　own　government　until　they　begin　to　compare　it　with　other　countries；　they　must　make　their　changes　on　their　own　lines。　The　pamphlet　of　Henry　VIII。；　which　won　him　the　title　of　Defender　of　the　Faith；　praised　the　pope；　and；　though　Sir　Thomas　More　urged　him　to　change　his　expressions　lest　he　should　live　to　regret　them；　he　would　not　change　them。　But　that　was　while　the　pope　was　serving　his　wishes　and　what　he　felt　was　England's　good。

There　arose　presently　the　question；　or　the　several　questions；　about　his　marriage。　It　sheds　no　glory　on　Henry　VIII。　that　they　arose　as　they　did；　but　his　treatment　of　them　must　not　be　mistaken。　He　was　concerned　to　have　his　marriage　to　Anne　Boleyn　confirmed；　and　there　are　some　who　think　he　was　honest　in　believing　it　ought　to　be　confirmed；　though　we　need　not　believe　that。　What　happened　was　that　for　the　first　time　Henry　VIII。　found　that　as　sovereign　of　England　he　must　take　commands　from　a　foreign　power；　a　power　exercising　temporal　sovereignty　exactly　as　he　did；　but　adding　to　it　a　claim　to　spiritual　power；　a　claim　to　determine　his　conduct　for　him　and　to　absolve　his　people　from　loyalty　to　him　if　he　was　not　obedient。　It　arose　over　the　question　of　his　divorce；　but　it　might　have　arisen　over　anything　else。　It　was　limitation　on　his　sovereignty　in　England。　And　he　let　it　be　seen　that　all　questions　that　pertain　to　England　were　to　be　settled　in　England；　and　not　in　another　land。　He　would　rather　have　a　matter　settled　wrong　in　England　than　settled　right　elsewhere。　That　is　how　he　claimed　to　be　head　of　the　English　Church。　The　people　back　of　him　had　always　held　to　the　belief　that　they　were　governed　from　within；　though　they　were　linked　to　religion　from　without。　He　executed　their　theory。　That　assertion　of　English　sovereignty　came　during　the　eventful　years　of　which　we　are　speaking。

Here；　then；　are　our　great　facts。　First；　thoughtful　opinion　wanted　the　Bible　made　available；　and　at　a　convention　of　bishops　and　university　men　the　King　was　requested　to　secure　the　issuance　of　a　proper　translation。　Secondly；　the　people　wanted　it；　the　more　because　it　would　gratify　their　English　instinct　of　independent　judgment　in　matters　of　religion。　Thirdly；　the　King　granted　it　without　yielding　his　personal　religious　position；　in　assertion　of　his　human　sovereignty　within　his　own　realm。

So　England　awoke　one　morning　in　1537　to　discover　that　it　had　a　translation　of　the　Bible　two　of　them　actually；　open　to　its　use；　the　very　thing　that　had　been　forbidden　yesterday！　And　that；　one　year　after　Tindale　had　been　burned　in　loyal　France　for　issuing　an　English　translation！　Two　versions　were　now　authorized　and　made　available。　What　were　they？　That　of　Miles　Coverdale；　which　had　been　issued　secretly　two　years　before；　and　that　known　as　the　〃Matthew〃　Bible；　though　the　name　has　no　significance；　issued　within　a　year。　Details　are　not　to　our　purpose。　Neither　was　an　independent　work；　but　was　made　largely　from　the　Latin　and　the　German；　and　much　influenced　by　Tindale。　Coverdale　was　a　Yorkshire　man　like　Wiclif；　feminine　in　his　mental　cast　as　Tindale　was　masculine。　Coverdale　made　his　translation　because　he　loved　books；　Tindale　because　he　felt　driven　to　it。　But　now　the　way　was　clear；　and　other　editions　appeared。　It　is　natural　to　name　one　or　two　of　the　more　notable　ones。

There　appeared　what　is　known　as　the　Great　Bible　in　1539。　It　was　only　another　version　made　by　Coverdale　on　the　basis　of　the　Matthew　version；　but　corrected　by　more　accurate　knowledge。　There　is　an　interesting　romance　of　its　publication。　The　presses　of　England　were　not　adequate　for　the　great　work　planned；　it　was　to　be　a　marvel　of　typography。　So　the　consent　of　King　Francis　was　gained　to　have　it　printed　in　France；　and　Coverdale　was　sent　as　a　special　ambassador　to　oversee　it。　He　was　in　dread　of　the　Inquisition；　which　was　in　vogue　at　the　time；　and　sent　off　his　printed　sheets　to　England　as　rapidly　as　possible。　Suddenly　one　day　the　order　of　confiscation　came　from　the　Inquisitor…General。　Only　Coverdale's　official　position　as　representing　the　King　saved　his　own　life。　As　for　the　printed　sheets　on　which　so　much　depended；　they　seemed　doomed。　But　in　the　nick　of　time　a　dealer　appeared　at　the　printing…house　and　purchased　four　great　vats　full　of　waste　paper　which　he　shipped　to　Englandwhen　it　was　found　that　the　waste　paper　was　those　printed　sheets。　The　presses　and　the　printers　were　all　loyal　to　England；　and　the　edition　was　finally　completed。　The　Great　Bible　was　issued　to　meet　a　decree　that　each　church　should　make　available　in　some　convenient　place　the　largest　possible　copy　of　the　whole　Bible；　where　all　the　parishioners　could　have　access　to　it　and　read　it　at　their　will。　The　version　gets　its　name　solely　from　the　size　of　the　volume。　That　decree　dates　1538；　twelve　years　after　Tindale's　books　were　burned；　and　two　years　after　he　was　burned！　The　installation　of　these　great　books　caused　tremendous　excitementcrowds　gathered　everywhere。　Bishop　Bonner　caused　six　copies　of　the　great　volume　to　be　located　wisely　throughout　St。　Paul's。　He　found　it　difficult　to　make　people　leave　them　during　the　sermons。　He　was　so　often　interrupted　by　voices　reading　to　a　group；　and　by　the　discussions　that　ensued；　that　he　threatened　to　have　them　taken　out　during　the　service　if　people　would　not　be　quiet。　The　Great　Bible　appeared　in　seven　editions　in　two　years；　and　continued　in　recognized　power　for　thirty　years。　Much　of　the　present　English　prayer…book　is　taken　from　it。

But　this　liberty　was　so　sudden　that　the　people　naturally　abused　it。　Henry　became　vexed　because　the　sacred　words　〃were　disputed；　rimed；　sung；　and　jangled　in　every　ale…house。〃　There　had　grown　up　a　series　of　wild　ballads　and　ribald　songs　in　contempt　of　〃the　old　faith；〃　while　it　was　not　really　the　old　faith　which　was　in　dispute；　but　only　foreign　control　of　English　faith。　They　had　mistaken　Henry's　meaning。　So　Henry　began　to　put　restrictions　on　the　use　of　the　Bible。　There　were　to　be　no　notes　or　annotations　in　any　versions；　and　those　that　existed　were　to　be　blacked　out。　Only　the　upper　classes　we