Battle of the Bibles - Present Truth

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Chapter Eight Battle of the Bibles BATTLE OF THE BIBLES H. H. MEYERS It was not until 1582 that the long-expected Rheims version of the New Testament arrived in England. It caused no little apprehension among the Protestant clergy. Although the text did not appear to be much different from the Protestant Bible, yet the copious notes and explanations accompanying the text were glaringly obvious. The Jesuits were virtually interpreting the Bible to their church's own ends. However, upon close examination, it became evident that the Scripture itself had in places been corrupted, mostly to support Roman dogma. Of particular offence to Protestants was the way in which the Bible had been changed in order to support the confessional practice of dealing out penance for sins. Practically every time the word "repent" occurred in the Protestant New Testament, the Jesuits had rendered it, "do penance". For instance, in Matthew 3:2, John the Baptist is made to say, "Do penance for the kingdom of heaven is at hand ". Again in Acts 2:38, Peter is made to say, "Do penance and be baptised", and so on wherever we are exhorted in Protestant Bibles to repent - meaning to be sufficiently sorry for sin to turn about from our wicked ways. It is very obvious that Rome's translation is intended to uphold her concept of salvation through suffering or works, or even by atoning contributions of money. The same rendering is found in the Douay Bible used presently by Roman Catholics. Rome's real purpose in translating the Latin Vulgate into English was a dual one: "The principal object of the Rheimish translators was not only to circulate their doctrines through the country but also to depreciate as much as possible the English translations". ("Brooke's Cartwright", p 256). By depreciating the Protestant Bible and destroying it as an authority, Rome could expect to restore papal and priestly power. And that authority not only extends over religious matters but also includes political and civil authority. The importance of the Protestant Bibles in the overall development of the Reformation and the emergence of the British Empire is recognised by Warner and Martin in their book "The Groundwork of British History": "The translation of the Bible, for one thing, had worked on the side of Protestants, for though the Bible itself is on no side, yet the more the Bible was in man's hands, the more they inclined to judge in religious matters for themselves; and this habit of `private judgment', in place of accepting private `authority', is the basis of Protestantism. " (ibid p 278). Such a statement is indicative of many made by chroniclers of the development of the Reformation, yet they are simply stating a great Biblical truth as enunciated by the Founder of the Christian faith: "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). But at the Council of Trent, Rome had said: • That the Latin Vulgate was the true Bible. 1
• That Scripture can only be interpreted by the church. • That (Roman Catholic) tradition was of equal authority with Scripture. It soon became evident that the Jesuit New Testament was not capturing the minds and hearts of England and that the people were becoming even less disposed towards Catholicism. Increasingly, Allen and his Jesuit friends were turning to intrigue and murder. In the year 1586, there came yet another plot known as the Babington Conspiracy - so named after one of the chief conspirators. It had been conceived by an English traitor named John Ballard, a product and a fair sample of the priestly training at Rheims. There he had been taught that a sure way to earn a crown in Paradise through acceptable service to God, was to deprive Elizabeth of life and throne. Albert Close outlines the plan of action: "The affair was to commence with the assassination of Elizabeth, then the Romanists in England were to be summoned to arms; and while the flames of insurrection should be raging within the kingdom, a foreign army was to land upon the coast, besiege and sack the cities that opposed them; raise Mary Stuart of Scotland to the throne, and establish the popish religion in England. ("The Defeat of the Spanish Armada", pp 33, 34). Although the plan seemed quite feasible, it happened to be contrary to the plans of divine providence. Sir Frances Walsingham, a brilliant statesman and loyalist, early learned of the plot. He shrewdly allowed it to mature until he had identified the conspirators. One of the letters intercepted by Walsingham was written by Mary, Queen of Scots, giving instructions to the conspirators. It was used at the ensuing trial to convict her and she forfeited not only any chance to occupy the throne of England, but also her head. There is an interesting anecdote in connection with Mary's trial that relates to the attitude of the Court toward the Rheims Catholic Bible. When she was required to swear upon the Scriptures that she had not plotted against the life of Queen Elizabeth, the Earl of Kent declined to allow her to take the oath on the Rheims Version on the ground that, being "a popish Testament", it was of "no value" in taking such an oath. (Geddes MacGregor, "A Literary History of the Bible", 1968, p 161). Chapter Nine Invasion Preparations The failed Babington Plot climaxed a series of botched conspiracies against Queen Elizabeth and her government. The success of John Knox in favour of the Protestant cause and the imprisonment of Scotland's Queen Mary had brought King Philip to the realisation that Scotland could no longer be used as a springboard for an assault on England. And now that Allen's plans to win the hearts of wavering Englishmen through the acceptance of the Jesuit Bible had failed, England had become indisputably the leader of the Reformation. The hopes of a popular uprising by Roman Catholics and their supporters had now faded. King Philip's plans to increase the size of his fleet for an invasion of England were progressing slowly. Finance was his problem. But when in 1585, Sixtus V succeeded Gregory as pope, Philip saw a way out of his dilemma. Quickly, and with great gusto, Sixtus had taken up the Vatican's plan to crush England. Philip would put 2
Page 1 and 2: Table of Contents By way of introdu
Page 3 and 4: Section One Chapters One to Eleven
Page 5 and 6: Wycliffe's unpretentious priests gl
Page 7 and 8: Chapter Two Colet and Erasmus Desid
Page 9 and 10: friends rallied around him and with
Page 11 and 12: day but they have taken on a more v
Page 13 and 14: With Erasmus's translation, Tyndale
Page 15 and 16: Jane Seymour, the third of Henry's
Page 17 and 18: On March 27, 1555, at the tender ag
Page 19 and 20: attacked and destroyed monasteries
Page 21 and 22: convenient to quit his position as
Page 23: This was the apogee of Philip's rei
Page 27 and 28: Finisterre in North Western Spain t
Page 29 and 30: negotiated with winds not always fa
Page 31 and 32: for Protestantism to bring forth a
Page 33 and 34: Section Two Chapters Twelve to Fift
Page 35 and 36: which they themselves have shortene
Page 37 and 38: Perhaps more importantly, it had, b
Page 39 and 40: Wilkinson sees this as proof that e
Page 41 and 42: "Having continued his labours in Sc
Page 43 and 44: John, in his final years, assisted
Page 45 and 46: (By the late nineteenth century, th
Page 47 and 48: they not the fathers of the Roman C
Page 49 and 50: It is very important that the signi
Page 51 and 52: Hort's friend, Westcott, had no pro
Page 53 and 54: family, the original of which is re
Page 55 and 56: A relatively small minority, repres
Page 57 and 58: sales were very good, this was enti
Page 59 and 60: 17 Dr Schaff's attitude to Matthew
Page 61 and 62: was formed, known as the Trinitaria
Page 63 and 64: BATTLE OF THE BIBLES 2C H. H. MEYER
Page 65 and 66: So, the leaders of the SDA Church t
Page 67 and 68: It was not long before wishful-thin
Page 69 and 70: "One of the important advancements
Page 71 and 72: BATTLE OF THE BIBLES 2D H. H. MEYER
Page 73 and 74: the Bible and the Bible only. Inexp
Page 75 and 76:
"When the Western world was flounde
Page 77 and 78:
The following year an editorial in
Page 79 and 80:
many young seminarians trained by t
Page 81 and 82:
The laity were still not impressed.
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BATTLE OF THE BIBLES 2E Chapter Twe
Page 85 and 86:
Isaiah 7:14 "Behold a virgin shall
Page 87 and 88:
"A son of God" does not equate with
Page 89 and 90:
him". Luke 2:33 "And Joseph and his
Page 91 and 92:
Here we have further evidence of Ro
Page 93 and 94:
JB "Christ, our, passover, has been
Page 95 and 96:
Here, and in most other passages of
Page 97 and 98:
handed to the revisers stipulated t
Page 99 and 100:
the Protestant Bible. Having achiev
Page 101 and 102:
So, once more, as in the days of Co
Page 103 and 104:
while making a futile attempt to ga
Page 105 and 106:
1560. Goa (Indian) Inquisition esta
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