study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第9节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
some one has said； 〃You could love him； you could despise him； you
could not hate him。〃 He could say some witty and striking things。 For
example； when he was urging the formal union of Scotland and England；
and it was opposed； he said： 〃But I am the husband； and the whole island
is my wife。 I hope no one will be so unreasonable as to suppose that I； that
am a Christian king under the Gospel； should be a polygamist and husband
to two wives。〃＇2＇ After the conference of which we have been speaking；
he wrote to a friend in Scotland： 〃I have had a revel with the Puritans and
have peppered them soundly。〃 As indeed he had。 Then； in some sense at
least； 〃James was a born theologian。〃 He had studied the Bible in some
form from childhood； one of the first things we hear of his doing is the
writing of a paraphrase on the book of the Revelation。 In his talk he made
easy and free use of Scripture quotations。 To be sure； his knowledge； on
which he prided himself unconscionably； was shallow and pedantic。 Henry
IV。 of France； one of his contemporaries； said that he was 〃the wisest fool
in Christendom。〃
＇2＇ Trevelyan； England Under the Stuarts； p。 107。
Now； it was this man who was making his royal progress from
Edinburgh to London in March； 1603； nearly a year before the gathering
of men which we were observing at the opening of this study。 Many things
happened on the journey besides his falling off his horse several times； but
one of the most significant was the halting of the progress to receive what
was called the Miliary Petition； whose name implies that it was signed by
a thousand menactually somewhat less than that numbermostly
ministers of the Church。 The Petition made no mention of any Bible
version； yet it was the beginning of the events which led to it。 Back of it
was the Puritan influence。 It asked for reforms in the English Church； for
the correction of abuses which had grown under Elizabeth's increasing
28
… Page 29…
Study of the King James Bible
favor of ritual and ceremony。 It asked for a better…trained ministry； for
better discipline in the Church； for the omission of so many detailed
requirements of rites and ceremonies； and for that perennially desired
reform； shorter church services！
Very naturally the new King replied that he would take it up later； and
promised to call a conference to consider it。 And this he did。 The
conference met at Hampton Court in January； 1604； and it was for this that
the men were coming from many parts of England。 The gathering was
held on the 14th； 16th； and 18th of the month。 Its sole purpose was to
consider that Miliary Petition； but the King called to it not only those who
had signed the Petition； but those who had opposed it。 He had no notion of
granting any favor to it； and from the first he gave the Puritans rough
treatment。 He told them he would have none of their non… conformity； he
would 〃make them conform or harry them out of the land。〃 Someone
suggested that since this was a Church matter there be called a Synod； or
some general gathering fitted to discuss and determine such things； rather
than leave it to a few Church dignitaries。 For the purposes of the
petitioners it was a most unfortunate expression。 James had just come
from Scotland； where the Presbyterians were with their Synod； and where
Calvinism was in full swing。 He was much in favor of some elements of
Calvinism； but he could not see how all the elements held together。
Predestination； for example； which offends so many people to…day； was a
precious doctrine to King James； and he insisted that his subjects ought to
see how clearly God had predestined him to rule over them！ But he could
not tolerate the necessary logical inference of Calvinism that all men must
be equal before God； and so men can make and unmake kings as they need
to do so； the matter of king or subject being purely an incidental one。 He
remembered the time when Andrew Melville； one of the Scotch ministers；
had plucked him by his royal sleeve and called him 〃God's silly vassal〃
right to his face。 So； when some one said 〃Synod〃 it brought the King up
standing。 He burst out： 〃If that is what you mean； if you want what the
Scotch mean by their Synod and their Presbytery； then I tell you at once
that I will have none of it。 Presbytery agrees with monarchy very much as
God agrees with the devil。 If you have no bishop； you will soon have no
29
… Page 30…
Study of the King James Bible
king。〃 He was perfectly right； with reference to the kind of king he meant。
These things were to be settled； he meant； by authority； and not by
conference。 That is the point to which Gardiner refers when he says that
〃in two minutes James sealed his own fate and that of England forever。〃＇1＇
＇1＇ History of England； 1603…42。
After that there was only a losing fight for the petitioners。 They had
touched a sore spot in James's history。 But it was when they touched that
sore spot again that they started the movement for a new version of the
Bible。 It was on the second day of the conference； January 16th； that Dr。
Reynolds； president of Corpus Christi College； Oxford； who represented
the moderate Puritan position； and； like many moderate men； was rather
suspected by both extreme wings； instanced as one of the hardships of the
Puritans that they were compelled to use the prayer…book of the time； and
that it contained many mistranslations of Scripture； some of which he
quoted。 Now； it so happens that the errors to which he referred occur in the
Bishops' and the Great Bible； which were the two authorized versions of
the time； but are all corrected in the Genevan version。 We do not know
what point he was trying to make； whether he was urging that the Genevan
version should supplant these others； or whether he was calling for a new
translation。 Indeed； we are not sure that he even mentioned the Genevan
version。 But James spoke up to say that he had never yet seen a Bible well
translated into English； but the worst of all he thought the Genevan to be。
He spoke as though he had just had a copy given him by an English lady；
and had already noted what he called its errors。 That was at the very least a
royal evasion； for if there was any Book he did know it was the Genevan
version。 He had been fairly raised on it； he had lived in the country where
it was commonly used。 It had been preached at him many and many a time。
Indeed； he had used it as the text for that paraphrase of the Revelation of
which we spoke a moment ago。 And he knew its noteswell he knew
them knew that they were from republican Geneva； and that kingly
pretensions had short shrift with them。 James told the conference that
these notes were 〃very partial； untrue； seditious； savoring too much of
traitorous and dangerous conceits；〃 supporting his opinion by two
instances which seemed disrespectful to royalty。 One of these instances
30
… Page 31…
Study of the King James Bible
was the note on Exodus 1：17； where the Egyptian midwives are said to
have disobeyed the king in the matter of destroying the children。 The note
says： 〃Their disobedience to the king was lawful； though their dissembling
was not。〃 James quoted that； and said： 〃It is false； to disobey the king is
not lawful； and traitorous conceits should not go forth among the people。〃
Some of the High Church party objected that there were translations
enough already； but it struck James's fancy to set them all aside by another
version； which he at once said he would order。 It was to be made by the
most learned of both universities； then to be revised by the bishops and
other Church dignitaries； then presented to the Privy Council； and finally
to be passed upon by himself。 There is the echo of some sharp Scotch
experiences in his declaration that there were to be no marginal notes in
that new version。
