The English Bible

The English Bible, as we have it to-day, did not spring into existence all at once. It is the result of a long and continuous growth, and to those who know its history bears traces of the many ages and the many hands which have combined in producing it. To sketch that history in what at best must be imperfect outline is the aim of this text-book. In commencing to do so the first thing that strikes us is a feeling of wonder that, long though the history of the English Bible has been, it has not been still longer. For it is a remarkable fact that Christianity and Christian ordinances had been introduced into our island for many hundreds of years before the people possessed the sacred Scriptures in a language which they could understand. To all but the priests, and the few learned men of those days, the Vulgate, or Latin version of the Bible, was necessarily a sealed book; and not till nearly the close of the fourteenth century do we find any deliberate attempt to give a complete translation of it in English. Previous to this, however, various attempts had been made by means of metrical versions or paraphrases in Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman to diffuse the knowledge of parts at least of the sacred writings; and it may be well now to recall briefly the most important of these as paving the way for future translations.