THE ENGLISH BIBLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 145, 22 June 1938, Page 9

THE ENGLISH BIBLE

CELEBRATION AT ST.

MICHAEL'S

Very interesting aspects of the work of the greati men. who were responsible for the translations of the Bible into the "vulgar", tongue of England, 4 the culmination of which was the giving to. the common people of the open Bible.by King Henry VIII, formed the subject of addresses at St. Michael's Church, Kejburn, by the vicar, the Rev. G. M. McKenzie, on Sunday. . In his two sermons Mr. McKenzie stressed the wonderful work of the monk Caedmon, the Venerable Bede Erasmus,, distinguished scholar of Holland, John Wyclif and William Tyndale; Then, he said, came the inventors of the great printing art, through whose wonderful invention it was possible through the past centuries to make the Bible the most widely-circu-lated book in the world. Then, in addition, there was the remarkable work of the band of English scholars who were responsible for the authorised! and revised versions of the Bible. A wonderful tribute to the translators lay in the fact that so few changes had been made up to the present day and also in the marvellous.simplicity and beauty of the diction, v Mr. McKenzie referred to the little knowledge of the Bible. in the home and said that if a feague could be formed of people who would regularly and carefully read and study the Bible, an enormous result would follow for the good of the word. He made an earnest appeal for help from people of the parish in this direction. At the conclusion prayers were offered for all who through the centuries since the days of Anglo-Saxon England had taken a part in the work which, eventually gave the Bible to the world. Hymns and psalms appropriate to the occasion were sung by choir and congregation and the anthem y>as a very effective and striking setting of the words, "Holiest, Breathe an Evening Blessing."