P057 The Authorized Version.

P057 The Authorized Version.

Several of the most important editions of the Authorized Version may properly claim a brief attention. In 1629 there was published at Cambridge an edition of great beauty, and revised with great care. In it some of the errors in the Italic words were rectified, and additions were for the first time made to the parallel texts, which were, also, greatly improved in accuracy. The editors did not append their names, and who they were is now unknown. In 1638 another Cambridge Bible was issued having still greater accuracy. The editors were Dr. Goad, of Hadley, Dr. Ward, Mr. Boyse, Mr. Mead, and other learned men, who are said to have performed their work at the command of King Charles I. Dr. Cotton(1) says this was, probably, the Bible concerning which the whole of Cambridge was challenged "to find any literal fault in it." Yet it was not perfect, as will be seen in a subsequent chapter.(2) In 1701 was issued the first Bible containing dates and chronological notes. These were taken from the Annales Veteris et Novi Testamenti, published in 1660-1664, by Archbishop Usher. Their introduction is due to Bishop Lloyd, who supervised this edition of the Bible. He increased the number of marginal references to 39,466. In 1762 a Cambridge Bible was published, edited by Dr. Paris. In this the marginal notes, and, also, the chronological notes, were greatly increased. This was the first Bible in which the apostrophe was used to denote the possessive case. In 1769 appeared at Oxford, under the editorial care of Dr. Blayney, an edition of the Bible in which the greatest care was taken to secure accuracy.

Errors of former editions were carefully corrected, and additional notes and references were made, the latter to the number of 64,983. Though not entirely free from errors, it was so much better than any of its predecessors that it was long regarded as a standard. In 1847 the American Bible Society appointed a committee of seven to prepare a collated edition of the Bible, which should be as nearly accurate as it could be made in every respect. They finished their work in 1851, and the Board of Managers adopted it, and began using it as their standard; but in 1852 they rescinded their action on the ground of want of constitutional authority.

------------ (FN1)"Editions of the Bible," etc., page 69.

(FN2)See page 65.

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