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 differ ent revisions by the most learned men in the kingdom.

19. The result of their labors was firs pub. ished 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.

20. A distinguished Biblical critic of the last century, (Dr. Geddes,) in a work written with the express design of impugning the established version, and stating the reasons which had induced him to undertake a new one, is still constrained to acknowledge, that "if accuracy, fidelity, and the strictest attention to the letter of the text, be supposed to constitute the quali ties of an excellent version, this, of all versions, must be accounted the most excellent. Every sentence, every word, every syllable, every letter and point seem to have been weighed with the nicest exactitude, and expressed, either in the text or margin, with the greatest precision. It was well remarked of it by Robertson, above

a hundred years ago, that it may serve for a lexicon of the Hebrew language, as well as for a translation."

21. Of our present English Bible the learned and critical Dr. Clarke remarks: "Those who have compared most of the European transla tions with the original have not scrupled to say, that the English translation of the Bible, made under the direction of King James I., is the most accurate and faithful of the whole. Nor is this its only praise; the translators have seized the very spirit and soul of the original, and expressed this almost everywhere with pathos and energy.

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22. " Besides, our translators have not only made a standard translation, but they have made their translation the standard of our language; the English tongue, in their day, was not equal to such a work, but God enabled them to stand upon Mount Sinai,' to use the expression of a learned friend, and crane up their country's language to the dignity of the originals, so that after the lapse of two hundred years the English Bible is, with very few exceptions, the standard of the purity and excellence of the English tongue. The original from which it was taken is, alone, superior to the Bible translated by the authority of King James.' This is an opinion in which my heart, my judgment, and my conscience, coincide."

CHAPTER III.

PENTATEUCH.

1. MOSES is, without doubt, the author of the first five books of the Bible, called the Penta teuch, from two Greek words, pente, five, and teuchos, volume.

2. The BOOK OF GENESIS, which may be considered as an introduction to the rest of the Pentateuch, contains the history of 2,369 years, according to the common chronology. It commences with the creation of the world, and ends with the death of Joseph. It has received the name of Genesis because it escribes the creation of the world, the generation of man, and of all other creatures.

3. The BOOK OF EXODUS (or of the departure, so called, as recounting the deliverance of Israel from Egypt) relates the tyranny of Pharaoh, the bondage of the Israelites under him in Egypt, and their miraculous escape under Moses. It describes also the entrance of the Israelites into the wilderness of Sinai, the promulgation of the law, and the building of the tabernacle. It comprehends a period of about one hundred and forty-five years.

4. The Book OF LEVITICUS has its name from its giving an account of the Jewish service and worship, the offices of the Levites, and the whole Levitical order. It embraces only the space of a month.

5. The Book OF NUMBERS relates several remarkable incidents in the passage of the Israelites through the wilderness. It has its denomi. nation from the numbering of the tribes by Moses, according to the command of God. It records the events of about thirty-eight years.

6. The BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY, which signi fies a second law, contains a summary repetition of the moral, ceremonial, and judicial laws, which had been before delivered by Moses, accompanied by certain additions and explanations. It contains many admonitions, exhortations, and warnings addressed to the Israelites, with a view of inciting them to obedience. The period comprised in this book is, according to some, five lunar weeks, and according to others about two months.

7. "The Book of Deuteronomy and the Epistle to the Hebrews contain the best comment on the nature, design, and use of the law: the former may be considered as an evangelical commentary on the four preceding books, in which the spiritual reference and 'signification of the different parts of the law are given, and given in such a manner as none could give who had not a clear discovery of the glory which was to be revealed. It may be safely asserted that very few parts of the Old Testament scriptures can be read with greater profit by the genuine Christian than the Book of Deuteronomy."

8. Moses derived his name from the circumstances attending his infancy, being composed of two words signifying delivered from the water,