The Bible-scholar's manual ...

Front matter

a

J LIBRARY OF CONGRESS;?

# J -AtC i

Preface

Next to the salvation of the soul, the object of sabbath-school instruction is to give the pupil a perfect acquaintance with the Scriptures. In order to secure this, the study of Scripture history, geography, and the customs and manners of eastern nations, becomes very important, and may not only be properly admitted into a course of sabbath-school instruction, but should even be insisted upon.

In the succeeding pages, an attempt has been made to give a summary of such geographical, historical, and local references, and such customs and manners, as are most important to be understood before entering upon the critical study of the word of God.

Of course one of the principal objects of the work, when used as a text-book, will be lost, unless the lessons are committed, since many of the benefits to be derived from the volume are to be realized when it is laid aside and another used.

We esteem it a great misfortune that in many of our schools the custom of committing the lesson is abolished. To impress ineffaceably upon the mind important truths, and, above all, to thoroughly imbue young minds with Bible precepts and promises, the lessons should be carefully prepared and clearly imprinted upon the memory.

The blessing of Him whose Spirit inspired the Holy Bible is earnestly asked upon this humble effort to elucidate and explain its heavenly pages !

Part I

GENERAL VIEW OF THE BIBLE : BOOKS AND WRITERS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

Chapter I. — Names And Character Of The Bible

Titles of the inspired volume— Sacred Scriptures — Canonical Scriptures — Apocryphal Scriptures — The Bible — Remark by Bishop Home — Preservation and circulation of Scriptures.

CHAPTER H. — DIVISIONS AND HISTORY OF THE BIBLE. Divisions of the Scriptures, Old and New Testament— Explanation of the term Testament — Subdivision of the Old Testament — Law— Prophets — Hagiography — Division into chapters — Paragraph Bible — Collection of the books of the Old Testament — Books of the New Testament — Catalogue of Origen — Translations — English version— King James's Bible — Manner of its execution — Opinions of its character — Dr. Geddes— Dr. Clarke . 13

Chapter III. — Pentateuch

Author of Pentateuch — Meaning of term— Book of Genesis — Book of Exodus — Leviticus— Numbers — Deuteronomy — Remarks upon Deuteronomy, in connection with the Epistle to the Hebrews — Origin of term Moses— Early life and education— Journey to Canaan — Reasons for his not entering the promised land- Death 21

Chapter IV. — Historical Books

Historical books — Period comprehended — Authorship of these books — Book of Joshua— Book of Judges — Ruth— Two Books of Samuel— Kings, First Book, Second Book— Two Books of Chronicles — Author — Design — Book of Ezra — Author — Sketch of Ezra's life — Labor upon the sacred writings — Book of Nehemiah — Sketch of life— Character — Book of Esther — Objections to the inspiration of this book answered — Feast of Purim — Modern celebration 25

Chapter V. — Poetical Books

Names of poetical books — Job— Opinions of this book— Reasons for the belief that Job was a real personage — Author of book — Character of book— Book of Psalms— Author— Singing of Psalms

— Remarks of Athanasius — Basil — Luther — Melancthon — Book of Proverbs— Scope of this book — Book of Ecclesiastes — Tendency and plan — Song of Solomon — Remarks . . Page 39

Chapter Vi.— Prophetical Books

Prophetical books — Why so called — Book of Jonah — Author — Time— Jonah in the belly of the whale— Incident in the Mediterranean—Style of Jonah — Book of Amos — Sketch and time of prophesying — Burden of his book — Bishop Lowth's remark upon Amos — Hosea — Character of his prophecies — Style — Book of Isaiah— Life and times— Jewish tradition— Name— Remarks upon this book — Bishop Lowth's opinion— Jerome ... 49

CHAPTER VII. — PROPHETICAL BOOKS CONTINUED. Joel — Life and times — Prophecies — Style — Micah— Prophecy of Messiah — Bishop Lowth's remarks — Nahum — His prophecy — Style — Zephaniah — Style— Jeremiah— Age of his entrance upon prophetic office— Carried to Egypt — Tradition as to his death — Style of Jeremiah — Habakkuk — Subject of prophecies — Style — Daniel— Sketch of life and general reputation — Death — Josephus's remarks in reference to him— Reason of his not appearing among the prophets in the Hebrew Bible — Obadiah — Ezekiel — Signification of name — Residence— Tradition concerning his death— Correspondence with Jeremiah— Style — Book of Haggai — Sketch of life— Style — Zechariah — Object of prophecy — Style — Malachi — Signification of name— Authorship of book — Style . . 57

Chapter I. — Division Of Palestine Among- The Twelve Tribes

Division of Canaan— Names of tribes — Levi and Joseph — Reuben's possession — Principal towns — Territory of Gad— Noted places — Half tribe of Manasseh — Principal towns — Asher, town of note— Naphtali — Towns — Zebulon — Towns— Is sachar— Celebrated places— Manasseh — Towns — Ephraim — Places of note — Dan — Towns — Simeon — Towns of eminence — Benjamin — Towns — Judah — Towns 71

CHAPTER IL— GENERAL VIEW OF PALESTINE.

Its. names — Boundaries— Interest connected with its history —

First settlement— Original fertility— Jordan — Lake Gennesareth —

Population around — Connection with our Saviour — Storms of

wind — Present appearance 76

Chapter III. — Lakes And Mountains Of Palestine

Lake Asphaltites — Its situation— Size — Appearance— History — Peculiarities of its water— The surrounding desolations — Certain mistaken reports noticed— Manner of its discharge— Mountains of Palestine — Distinguishing this country from Egypt— Mount Lebanon — The fragrance of its vineyards and cedars — Cedars of Lebanon, noticed by Rev. H. Maundrell — Peaks of Lebanon — Hermon — Mountains of Abarim— Nebo and Pisgah— Mount Seir— Gilboa— Carmel— Tabor— Mount of Beatitudes . . Page 82

Chapter IV. — Jerusalem

Early history — Situation— Soil— Taken by David— Mount Zion — Moriah — Olives — Valley of Jehoshaphat — Gethsemane — Calvary — Valley of Hinnom — Walls — The first temple — Destroyed and rebuilt — Enlarged and beautified by Herod — Destruction of Jerusalem and the Jews— History until present time— Present appearance of city — Inhabitants 89

CHAPTER V. — GENERAL DIVISIONS — GALILEE. Palestine divided into five provinces— Galilee — Its situation and soil — Productions— Extent of Upper Galilee — Cesarea Philippi — Its chief town — Lower Galilee — Former flourishing state — Residence of Christ — Principal cities — Tiberias — Its history — Rabbinical school— Present state — Chorazin and Bethsaida — No traces of them left — Nazareth— Cana — Capernaum — Entirely disappeared — Nain — Cesarea, a seaport on the Mediterranean, where Herod Agrippa died 95

Chapter VI. — Samaria

Second general division — Samaria — Its situation and fertility — Its capital — Samaria— Events transpiring here as narrated in the Scriptures — Inhabitants after the captivity — Succeeding history — Present state — Sichem or Shechem — Early history — Situation — Mount Ebal and Gerizim — Joshua's valedictory— Royal city — Became chief city of the Samaritans— Their worship — Sychar in the days of Christ — Jacob's well — Present appearance — Clarke . 99

Chapter VII. — Judea

The third general division — Judea — Boundaries and extent — Soil — Interest of its history — Principal cities— Bethlehem — Early history — Rachel died, and was buried near this town — David's birthplace — Boaz — Birthplace of Christ — Present situation and appearance — Convent over the reputed place of our Lord's birth — Hebron — Old city — Country round — Abraham— David — Zacharias and Elizabeth— John the Baptist — Situation and present appearance—Inhabitants — Harem over the tomb of the patriarchs— Incident related by Dr. Robinson — Jericho — Its present appearance — Situation— Inhabitants — Ancient Jericho — Bible history — Herod— Zaccheus — Good Samaritan— Temptation of Christ — Joppa— Lydda— Bethany— Rama— Arimathea— Emmaus . . .104

CHAPTER Vin. — REMAINING DIVISIONS. Not often mentioned in the New Testament— Peraea— Abilene — Trachonitis— Itureea— Herod Philip — Gaulonitis and Batanaea— Fortress of Machaeras— Decapolis — Idumaea— Sidon— Tyre —Prophecy fulfilled 114

Chapter I.— The Jews To The Captivity

The various names of the Jews — Abraham— His call— Journey to Canaan— Ishmael — Isaac — Esau— Jacob— Joseph — Jacob's family in Egypt — Hebrews enslaved — Moses — Wanderings in the wilderness — Land of Canaan — Judges — Saul appointed king — David — Solomon — Separation of ten tribes— Their fate — Jerusalem taken by Nebuchadnezzar Page 119

CHAPTER H. — HISTORY OF THE JEWS FROM THE CAPTIVITY UNTIL THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.

Captivity— Cyrus conquers Babylon— Exiles go up to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel and Ezra — Second temple — Nehemiah — Alexander enraged at the Jews— Conciliated by a remarkable occurrence — Judea after Alexander's death — Antiochus Epiphanes — The Maccabees— Hircanus and Aristobulus — Pompey — Herod the Great — The Saviour — The temple beautified — Prophecy of Christ . . . . . . . . . . .124

CHAPTER m.~ RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL SECTS AMONG THE JEWS.

Pharisees — Origin — Professed sanctity — Religious peculiarities — Sadducees — Early history — Character — Religious views — Essenes — Manners and habits — Religious belief— Scribes and lawyers—Employment — Distinction between them — Samaritans — Origin — Religious views — Place of worship — Enmity to Jews — Holy writings— Present state— Herodians— Galileans . . 130

CHAPTER IV. — SACRED AND CIVIL OFFICERS.

Levites — Their introduction among the Jews — Their duties in the tabernacle — In the temple— Out of the temple — Courses — Support — Priests — First institution — Specific duties — Classes arranged by David — Lots — Different offices — Morning offering of incense beautifully symbolical of prayer — Support— High priest- Office — Rank — Succession — Dress of ordinary priest — Dress of high priest — High priest symbolical of Christ . . . 136

CHAPTER V. — SACRED PLACES.

The temple — Its size — Form — Arrangements — Rites — Holy of holies — Its dazzling beauty — Morning service at length — Synagogues — Their origin — Object— Officers — Exercises . . 141

CHAPTER VI.— SACRED SEASONS.

Sabbath — Its institution and observance — The day observed by the Jews, and its change— Its exercises— The passover— When instituted— Description of its rites— Of what typical— The feast of pentecost— Origin of its name and institution — Manner of celebration—Preaching of Peter — The feast of tabernacles — Different names— Custom of Jews — Allusion of our Lord . Page 148

CHAPTER VII. — MARRIAGE AND FUNERAL RITES. Marriage rites — Early customs — Betrothing — Marriage ceremony—Marriage feast and attendant customs — Incident— Funeral rites — Treatment of body — Embalming by Egyptians — Jewish manner— Mourning — Tombs — Allusion of our Lord . . 152

CHAPTER VIII. — SANHEDRIM— INNS — BOOKS.

Sanhedrim — Origin — Numbers — Qualification of members — Place of meeting — Supreme court — Christ — Stephen — Saul — Peter — Smaller councils — Inns — Lodgings in the East — Appearance of khans — Description — Recesses — Birth of Christ — Books on stone — Parchment — Tablets — Wax— Stands . . 158

CHAPTER IX. — LEPROSY — DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS.

Leprosy— First appearance— Progress— Different species — Mosaic precepts — Habitation, dress, &c, of leprous men — Demoniacal possessions— Opposite views — Opinions of best Bible students — Practical remarks . . IM

CHAPTER X. — DRESS — FLOCKS.

Stationary character of the East— Substances of dress — Cha racter — Tunic — Vest— Girdle — Scripture allusions— Veil— Hair braided with jewels— Oils— Sandals — Sheep — Large tails — Wealth of eastern men— Jacob— David — Birth of our Saviour — Affection of flocks for the shepherd — Incident on Mount Lebanon— Language of our Saviour illustrated — Scripture figure . . 170

CHAPTER XI. — HOUSES — TIME.

Houses — Material — Construction — Open space in centre — Roofs — Reference to Peter praying — Bed— Couch — Position at meals — Reference to John, and to Mary, who anointed our Lord's feet — Culinary instruments— Hand-mills — Scripture illustrations— Ovens — Water jars — Leathern bottles — Manner of computing time — Hours not known in Moses' time — First noticed in Daniel's writings — Jewish day — Manner of reckoning hours — Watches — Division of the year— Additional month— Its commencement 175

CHAPTER XII.— TREES MENTIONED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

Fig-tree — Fruit — The fig-tree cursed by our Lord — Olive-tree — Description — Age — Attention paid it by the Jews — Scripture allusions — Olive oil — Emblem of peace — Rom. xi — Sycamore-tree — Fruit— Its root an illustration of Scripture — Mustard-tree — The vine — Great size of fruit — Abundance — Expressing the juice — Allusions in Scripture to this— Treading out grapes— Vine.over the temple gate— Stalks used for fuel .' . . . ".. 182

CHAPTER XIH. — JERUSALEM AND THE JEWS FROM THE CRUCI- FIXION UNTIL THE PRESENT TIME.

Roman officers— Nero and Florus — War in Galilee — Situation of country — Titus— The siege of Jerusalem — Destruction of temple— Barcochab— Fulfillment of prophecy — Adrian— The church at Jerusalem— Constantine — Jews attempt to rebuild Jerusalem — Pilgrims— Chozroes, the Persian — Omar, the Mohammedan — Turks — Persecutions of pilgrims — Peter the Hermit — The crusaders — Palestine becomes a portion of the Ottoman empire— Present state Page 190

CHAPTER XIV.— SUFFERING- OF THE JEWS SINCE THE DEATH OF CHRIST.

Imprecation in Pilate's judgment hall— Fulfillment — Butchery by the crusaders — Events at Berne — At the time of the black death— In Strasburg — In Spain and Portugal— France and England — Scripture fulfilled in their sufferings— Their extraordinary preservation as a distinct nation — Problem solved by the word of God — Prospects in the future— Our obligation to the Jews 197

Part IV. Books And Writers Of The New Testament

CHAPTER I. — THE EVANGELISTS — MATTHEW — MARK.

Necessity of inspiration — The Saviour's promise — Different writers — Proof of authenticity — Names of writers — St. Matthew — Birth — Business— Call by Christ— Qualifications for historian — Mission to Ethiopia and Parthia--Martyrdom— Distinguishing traits —Mark— Mother — Convert of Peter, and amanuensis — Authority of his Gospel — Residence at Egypt and Alexandria — Martyrdom — Style of his writings . 204

Chapter II. — Luke And John

Luke's native city — Education — Conversion — Connection with St. Paul — The books he wrote — Authority of these— Characteristics of his writings— St. John — His residence — Mother— Disciple of John the Baptist — Age — Disposition — Regard of our Saviour — Residence at Jerusalem — Ephesus — Persecution under Domitian — Banished to Patmos — The Revelation — His Gospel — Origin and call for it— Characteristics ..*.... 209

CHAPTER in.— ACTS OF THE APOSTLES— ST. PAUL.

Author — Theophilus — St. Luke — When written — Objects — Style and execution of the work — Evidence of the divine origin of the Christian religion — St. Paul— Names— Descent — Birthplace — Citizenship — Education — Removal to Jerusalem — Characteristics — Trade — The persecutor— Conversion — His last days and martyrdom — Remarks upon his writings . . . 214

Chapter Iv.— Romans— Corinthians— Galatians-— Ephesians

Paul's interest in the churches— Epistle to the Romans— Reason for its position — Establishment of church at Rome — Occasion of its being written — Its object — Date — M'Knight's remarks — Corinthians — Founding of church in Corinth — Difficulties — Information received at Ephesus from Corinth — Date — Occasion of second letter— Object— Characteristics— Galatians — Establishment of church in Galatia — Judaizing teachers — Object of epistle — Ephesians— Establishment of church at Ephesus— Paul taking leave of this church — Time when this epistle was written— Occasion and object— Style . • . . . . . Page 223

Chapter V. — Philippians— Colossians — Thessalonians — Timothy

Epistle to the Philippians — When written— Character — Home's remark—Occasion — Colossians — Similarity of this epistle to that to the Ephesians— Time of writing — Occasion — Thessalonians — Establishment of church — Composition of church — Occasion of first epistle — Of the second — General scope — Epistle to Timothy — Early history— Becomes companion of Paul— Character — Timothy at Ephesus — Date of first epistle — Occasion — Time of writing second epistle— Object— Remarks upon it 231

CHAPTER VI. — TITUS — PHILEMON — HEBREWS. Epistle to Titus — Early history — Journeys with St. Paul— Sent to Ephesus — At Crete — With St. Paul at Rome — Returns to Crete— Dies there — Time of writing this epistle— Object — Philemon — History of him — Date of this letter— Remarks— Hebrews — Subject of controversy— Original language — Author — Time of its writing — To whom — Object — Dr. Hale's remarks . . 240

CHAPTER VII. — ST. JAMES AND HIS EPISTLES. r James— Family — Apostleship — Residence — Office, and reason for it — Presided at council at Jerusalem— Martyrdom— Time of writing epistle— Design— Source of the errors calling it forth — Remarks upon it • 246

CHAPTER VIII. — ST. PETER AND HIS EPISTLES. Peter — Names — Conversion — Intimacy with our Saviour — Re • sidence — Remarks upon Peter's answer to Christ's question as to his opinion of him — Error of Romanists — His character as exhibited by the evangelists — Peter's denial — Recovery — Character afterward— Final labors — Martyrdom — Epistles of Peter — To whom written— From whence— Time of first epistle— Design — The second, when written — Occasion and design . . 249

CHAPTER IX.— JOHN— REVELATION— JUDE. Epistles of John— Name wanting — Time when written— First epistle— Character of it — Design — Second epistle — The matter of it— Third letter — To whom— Scope— Revelation — When written — Where — Occasion— Design — Daubez's remarks — Jude — Date of this epistle — Design 255

BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL.

Part I. General View Of The Bible— Books And Writers Of The Old Testament

CHAPTER L

NAMES AND CHARACTER OF THE BIBLE.

1. The sacred volume, to which all Christians look as the rule and guide of their faith and practice, is known by various and significant titles. It is frequently styled the Scriptures, which means the writings ; and is thus called as being the most important of all writings. It is also termed the sacred Scriptures, because the books composing it were written by persons divinely inspired, being " moved by the Holy Ghost."

2. It is sometimes called the canonical Scriptures, both because it is the divine rule of faith and practice to those who receive it, and also to distinguish it from a collection of books by different authors sometimes published with the canonical Scriptures, and called apocryphal.

3. The term canon, which is a Greek word, signifies, primarily, a measuring rod, a rule, and being first applied figuratively to the inspired

Scriptures, as being the measure or model of religious conduct and belief, it afterward came to signify merely a list, or catalogue. When the number and authenticity of the different books of the Bible were ascertained, lists or catalogues were made out, which were called the Scripture canon, or the measure and limit of the inspired books.

4. The term apocryphal signifies hidden, concealed, and was given to the books that bear this title on account of their being of uncertain authority, and evidently not of divine origin. Some of them, however, particularly the two Books of Maccabees, are valuable as historical records, helping to fill up the space that elapsed between the closing up of the Old Testament canon and the coming of Christ, and are also serviceable as illustrations of Jewish manners and customs.

5. The most common name by which it is known, however, is, The Bible, a term derived from the Greek word biblos, which signifies simply a book, but is applied to the writings of the inspired authors by way of eminence, as being the book of books, infinitely surpassing in importance and excellence all other productions of the human mind.

6. " The Scriptures," says Bishop Home, " are the appointed means of enlightening the mind with true and saving knowledge. They show us what we were, what we are, and what we shall be ; they show us what God hath done for us, and what he expects us to do for him ; they show us the adversaries we have to encounter, and how to encounter them with success ; they show us the mercy and the justice of God, the joys of heaven and the pains of hell. Thus will they give to the simple an understanding of such matters as philosophy for whole centuries sought in vain."

7. By a wonderful and mysterious providence, almighty God has preserved to us, living as we do so many years after the Scriptures were written — through all the changes, overthrows of nations and cities, institutions and governments — these precious and divine records pure and uncorrupted, and they have become now the groundwork of the religious faith of all the civilized nations of the earth. The Bible has been translated into nearly all the languages now spoken, and is being rapidly diffused among all people inhabiting our earth ; wherever it goes, carrying with it the same pure principles, and securing a greater amount of freedom, knowledge, and domestic and social happiness, than could have been secured by any human instruction or institution.

CHAPTER II.

DIVISIONS AND HISTORY OF THE BIBLE.

1. The most common and simple division of the Scriptures is into the Old and New Testaments ; the former containing the revelations made to the Hebrews, (afterward styled Israelites and Jews,) and the latter comprising the inspired writings of the apostles and evangelists.

2. The term Testament, as applied to the Scriptures, is derived from 2 Cor. iii, 6, 14, and like passages, where the Greek terms signifying equally Old and New Covenant or Testament, but always, in the Scripture sense of the term, signifying rather a covenant, are translated in the ancient Latin versions by the term testament. This being true, " there would be no impropriety in terming the two main portions of the Scriptures the Old and New Covenant ; implying thereby not two distinct and unrelated covenants, but merely the former and the latter dispensations of the one grand covenant of mercy, of which the prophet Jeremiah, (chap. xxxi, 3 1-34,) as expounded by the apostle, (Heb. viii, 6-13,) gives so ample a description."

3. The Old Testament Scriptures are still further subdivided by the Jews into the Law, the Prophets, and the H agio graph a, or Holy Writings. To this division our Lord refers in Luke xxiv, 44 : " These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which are written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me ;" by the term Psalms being meant, not only the book now bearing the title, but all the sacred writings not included in the other divisions, and called the Hagiographa.

4. In this division the Law embraced the five books of Moses, called the Pentateuch, which were originally written in one volume, as are all the manuscripts of it to this day which are read in the synagogues.

5. The Prophets were divided into the former and latter; the first class comprising the Books of Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings ; the last two being each considered as one book. The latter Prophets embraced Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve minor prophets, (so called from the brevity of their books,) w T hich were reckoned as one book.

6. The Hagiographa, or Holy Writings, consisted of the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, reckoned as one, and the two Books of Chronicles, also reckoned as one.

7. The division of the Bible into chapters and verses is of modern date. The division into chapters was made by Hugo, a Roman Catholic cardinal, in A. D. 1240. The Old Testament was separated into verses by a noted Jewish teacher, named Rabbi Mordecai Nathan, in 1445 ; the New Testament, by that noted printer of Paris, Robert Stephens, who lived in the sixteenth century.

8. These divisions are of course arbitrary, and not inspired, and oftentimes interrupt and even change the sense of the Scripture relations, and should therefore not be regarded in seeking the true^meaning of the sacred record. But as it offers peculiar facilities for referring to different parts of the Scriptures, and in preparing Concordances, the benefits may be considered as counterbalancing the evils. The Paragraph Bible, however, combines the favorable features of this division, without its imperfections ; for, like the New Testament of Mr. Wesley, the sacred writings are divided into paragraphs according to the sense, while, in the margin, the old division of chapter and verse is retained for reference.

9. The commonly received opinion among both the Jews and Christians is, that all the books of the Old Testament were collected and arranged, and such additions as were necessary — such as the deaths of the writers, the more modern names of the places — were made, by Ezra, under the guidance of the divine Spirit ; with the exception of his own writings, the Book of Nehemiah, and Malachi, which were subsequently added by Simon the Just, who also made a few additions to the genealogies of the preceding books.

10. The books of the New Testament were considered of divine authority, as soon as they were written, by the churches to whom they were directed. The time and labor necessary to multiply copies would prevent their rapid circulation, but before the death of the apostles they had undoubtedly become well known to most of the Christian churches, as St. Peter speaks of St. Paul's Epistles as if they had been extensively circulated.

11. The first formal catalogue of the books of the New Testament, which is now extant, is that by Origen, who lived about one hundred years after the death of the apostle John, and whose extensive Biblical knowledge fully qualified him to form a correct judgment of the authority of these writings.

12. His canon contains all the books now found in our copies of the New Testament, with the exception of James and Jude ; but this omission was unintentional, for in other parts of his writings they are acknowledged as a part of the sacred canon. Besides these he mentions no other books, showing that in his day the canon of the New Testament was settled among the Christian churches. After his day, these catalogues were multiplied and confirmed by the most learned Bible students and critics of succeeding ages.

13. Translations of the Scriptures were made at an early date into the Syriac, Greek, and Latin, (called the Vulgate edition,) and from these sources, and the Hebrew Scriptures, the modern versions have been made. The discovery of the art of printing in the fifteenth century greatly facilitated the circulation of the Scriptures.

14. The first English version of the Bible was made in 1380, by Wiclif, but was never printed, through the opposition and persecution of the bishops, who feared to have the sacred Scriptures thus opened to the understandings of the unlearned in their own mother tongue.

15. The first printed English Bible was made by William Tyndale in 1526, and was printed either at Hamburgh or Antwerp. Myles Coverdale made and printed another translation of the entire Bible in 1535, and dedicated it to Henry VIII.

16. Other versions followed until 1603, when King James I. determined upon a new, entire, and thorough translation of the Scriptures, as many objections were, with reason, made against the Bishops' Bible, so called, then in use.

17. In pursuance of this resolution, the following year the king gave orders that a new translation should be undertaken, and fifty-four men, pre-eminently distinguished for piety and learning, were appointed to execute this great work. Before it was commenced, seven of these persons dying, only forty-seven entered upon it.

18. These were divided into six classes, and each individual translated every book allotted to his division. The whole division then met and agreed upon the renderings which they would adopt. Their part, thus finished, was sent to each of the other companies to be again examined ; and here the method was for one to read the translation aloud, while the others, holding each in his hand some other Bible, either in the original tongue or in some modern version, diligently compared what they heard with what was before their eyes, interrupting the reader by remarks whenever they deemed it necessary. In this way every precaution was taken to secure a faithful translation, as the whole Bible underwent at least six different revisions by the most learned men in the kingdom.

19. The result of their labors was first published A. D. 1611. It has, subsequently, been frequently revised with great care, and many marginal additions made, but no changes attempted in the body of the work. It still remains not only the standard version, but, by the unanimous voice of the most competent judges, it is ranked among the very best translations of this or any other book in the world. In point of fidelity, perspicuity, simplicity, energy, and dignity, it doubtless stands unrivaled. It cannot indeed be considered immaculate ; but it may be doubted whether, taken as a whole, it could be surpassed by any translation which should now be attempted.