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Waters Revival Books... have released an incredible array of... compact disks which
contain over 2,000 titles of some of the best Reformation and Calvinistic books
ever written. It is by far the best and widest collection of Reformed
literature ever assembled"
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Edition, Updated and Expanded [p. 76, 2004, Presbyterian and Reformed
Publishing Company] by David N. Steele, Curtis C. Thomas, and S. Lance Quinn,
Foreword by Roger Nicole, Afterword by John MacArthur, emphases added).
"I
have been systematically working through reading the Puritan and Reformed CDs I
purchased... I must say, there is nothing like them available anywhere. It is
the most amazing collection of works I know of in one package to date... You
have done an immeasurable service for the Kingdom of Christ in making these CDs
available, and every pastor and theologian should own them without question
(they would be foolhardy to pass them by)" (Dr. C. Matthew McMahon, A Puritan's Mind Ministries).
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most extensive classic Christian CD library ever (on 90 CDs)!
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of the Puritans, Covenanters, Reformers, Baptists, Presbyterians, et al.)
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Now, for the first time ever, ordinary Christians can have direct and near
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of 16th and 17th century Calvinistic literature.).
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Scriptura, etc.) and about those who have
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Select Customer Comments on the
Reformation Bookshelf CD set.
"Still Waters Revival Books... have
released an incredible array of... compact disks which contain over 2,000
titles of some of the best Reformation and Calvinistic books ever written.
It is by far the best and widest collection of Reformed literature ever
assembled...
more"
- The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended,
and Documented,
Second (Special 40th Anniversary) Edition, Updated and Expanded (p. 76, 2004,
Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company) by David N. Steele, Curtis C.
Thomas, and S. Lance Quinn, Foreword by Roger Nicole, Afterword by John MacArthur
(emphases added).
______________
"I have been systematically working through
reading the... Reformed CDs I purchased. I must say, there is nothing like
them available anywhere. It is the most amazing collection of works I know of
in one package to date... The Puritan and Reformed material presented on these CDs
is exceptional. I am continually amazed at the depth and breadth of information
in both collections, and the rarity of works that I now have at my fingertips.
You have done an immeasurable service for the Kingdom of Christ in making these
CDs available, and every pastor and theologian should own them without question
(they would be foolhardy to pass them by) ... more"
- For Christ's Crown and Covenant,
Dr. C. Matthew
McMahon, A Puritan's Mind Ministries
______________
"This collection of 62 CDs is a truly
astounding accomplishment. There is nothing like this available to the ordinary
Christian on the whole face of the earth.
"Now, for the first time ever, ordinary
Christians can have direct and near effortless access to the very cream
of Puritan and Reformed, as well as Covenanter, literature... What they used
to say of the Puritan John Flavel's preaching, can be said of these CDs: they
are 'hissing hot'! ... more" (emphases added).
- Dr Jonathan D. Moore, Cambridge, UK.
(Scholar of 16th
and 17th century Calvinistic literature.)
______________
"Your... CD's of Reformation and Puritan
authors are a great boon to studies in the Reformed-Puritan experiential
tradition. Receive our hearty thanks for your invaluable work in making so many
rare gems accessible to thousands."
- Dr. Joel R. Beeke, President of Puritan
Reformed Theological Seminary
______________
Many more comments on the Reformation
Bookshelf CD set of 30 CDs (by the Banner of Truth magazine, Calvin Beisner
[Professor of Historical Theology and Social Ethics at Knox Theological
Seminary], Dr. E.P. Elliott [Christian Observer magazine], and many
others.)
can be found at the end of the page at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
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All prices are listed in US funds.
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NEW ULTRA LOW PRICE!!!
The following Bible is also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD volume 2 (CD
SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
THE ENGLISH
HEXAPLA EXHIBITING THE SIX IMPORTANT ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE
NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES, WICLIF, TYNDALE, CRANMER, GENEVAN, ANGLO-RHEMISH,
AUTHORIZED OR KING JAMES VERSION (1841)
I absolutely love it! I am an English medievalist who searched
for over five years trying to find... Wyclif Bible. -- Editor/Third Millennium
Ministries, June 13, 2001
I'm so thankful that Still Waters Revival Books (swrb.com) has
done such wonderful work preserving... otherwise unavailable book! --
Editor/Third Millennium Ministries, June 13, 2001
I cannot tell you what a treasure
this book is... I could get lost in it for hours. -- Rev. David A. Dawn, Nov.
17, 1999
"Hexapla," of course, means
"six-fold" or "six-columned" As the section of this book
explaining the "Plan of the English Hexapla" notes, "the term
'Hexapla' was originally applied to the work executed by Origen in the 3rd
century; in which the first column contained the Hebrew Text of the Old
Testament; the second, the Hebrew text in Greek letters; the third, Aquila's
Greek version; the fourth, the translation of Symmachus; the fifth, the LXX
version (i.e. the Septuagint--RB); the sixth, Theodotion's version."
The
English Hexapla offered here contains the six English translations noted in the
title, arranged side by side for easy comparison and reference. Dates for each version used are as follows: Wiclif
(1380, the first English New Testament,
Purvey's revision), Tyndal (1534, a version of the first English-printed New Testament of
1525), Cranmer's Great Bible (1539, the first authorized English Bible), Geneva (1557, the
first Bible with numbered verses),
Rheims (1582, the first Roman Catholic
version), King James Version (1611, first edition).
Of special interest may be the Geneva 1557
version (from a copy of the first edition), as both Geneva Bible's presently in
print contain later versions (1599 and 1602) of this text. It should also be
noted that the notes to the Geneva Bible are not included in the English
Hexapla, just the text.
The 1611 edition of the KJV will also be of
value to those who would like to compare it with the more modern version of
this translation.
"The notation of the verses has been
inserted in all the translations, for convenience of reference... In
illustration of the utility of the comparison of the various translations, much
that is interesting might be advanced, but which the use of the volume will at
once afford. The varied, although ordinarily equivalent manner in which the
different translators render the same phrase, often throws much light upon the
exact meaning; and when the versions vary in sense, the enquiry suggested with
reference to the Original cannot fail to afford profit while it interests"
("Plan of the English Hexapla," pp. 161-162).
Additionally this English Hexapla also includes
"The original Greek text after Scholz with the various readings of the
Textus Receptus and the principal Constantinopolitan and Alexanderine
manuscripts, and a complete collation of Scholz's text with Griesbach's edition
of 1805...
The Greek text has been placed in the upper part of each page, for the purpose
of facilitating the comparison of the versions with the Original, so desirable
when they vary in rendering any passage."
R.L.
Dabney, in "The Doctrinal Various Readings of the New Testament Greek,"
also notes,
"The system afterwards adopted (1836) in
Scholz' New Testament was substantially similar. He found two prevalent
recensions or families of manuscripts, the Alexandrine and the Byzantine. The
latter contains many MSS., the former few. He gives many strong arguments to
show, from the scenes of the apostles' and evangelists' labors, from the
ascendency of the Patriarch of Constantinople, and from the early conquest of
Palestine and Egypt by the Saracens, that the most numerous and the most
correct MSS. would be preserved in the Constantinopolitan churches and
monasteries. He also argues from internal marks, that the few codices of the
Alexandrine family were not copied for the purposes of church use, and did not,
at the early date when they were transcribed, represent the κοινη εκδοσις. Dr.
Scholz devoted the best years of his life exclusively to travels, collation of
MSS., and similar critical labors, in the course of which he examined and
compared six hundred and thirty MSS. The result of this immense labor was to
reinstate the credit of the received text in a multitude of places where
Griesbach had assailed it, and to show that it presents the most trustworthy
text extant... after all, the weight of that probability brings back the
critical conclusions to the theory of Nolan and Scholz, restoring the claims of
the Κοινη Εκδοσις, or received text, to be a faithful one, and invalidating the
claims of exclusive accuracy made by our recent critics in favor of the
so-called oldest codices" (from
http://www.truecovenanter.com/scripture/dabney_doctrinal_various_readings_of_nt_greek.html).
This is all preceded by a
detailed and annotated 160 page historical account of the English translations.
1,080 pages.
ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE
UP TO AND INCLUDING September 13, 2010
(Bound photocopy) ONLY $79.99 (US funds) [$100 off!]
(Hardcover photocopy) ONLY $99.00 (US funds) [$200 off!]
(Hardcover, non-photocopy) $399.95 (US funds)
[$30 off!]
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(Bound photocopy) $179.99 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $299.00 (US funds)
(Hardcover, non-photocopy) $429.95 (US funds)
The following Bible is also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD volume 2 (CD
SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
BACK IN PRINT AFTER MORE THAN
300 YEARS!
KING JAMES BIBLE WITH THE
GENEVA BIBLE NOTES (1672)
The best
Reformation translation (King James Version) combined with the best Bible notes of the first Reformation
(the Geneva Bible notes [from the 1599 edition])! A great tool for public,
family and private worship and study. Printed from a marvelously clean original
copy, surpassing the quality of all other printings (of the Geneva Bible notes
in particular) we have seen. Contains almost 1000 (8.5 X 11 inch) pages with
notes on the complete Bible (Old & New Testaments) -- making this a veritable library of study and classic Protestant commentary in just one book!
ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE
UP TO AND INCLUDING September 13, 2010
(Bound photocopy, 2 volumes) $54.99 (US
funds) [$45 off!]
(Hardcover photocopy, 2 volumes) $79.00 (US
funds) [$50 off!]
AFTER September 13, 2010, OUR REGULAR
DISCOUNTED PRICE BELOW APPLIES
(Bound photocopy, 2 volumes)
$499.95-80%=$99.99 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy, 2 volumes) $129.00 (US
funds)
This Bible is also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD volume 2 (CD
SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
HOW TO GET 60 PURITAN CDs FOR FREE (FOR A LIMITED TIME)
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"I will punish them that serve me otherwise than I have
commanded, not sparing the chief that the people may fear and praise my
judgements." (Note from the Geneva Bible on Lev. 10:3, after
"fire went out from the Lord" and killed Nadab and Abihu for violating
the regulative principle of worship).
The following Bible is also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD volume 3 (CD
SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
BROWN, JOHN (of Haddington)
The Self-Interpreting Bible:
With Commentaries, References, Harmony of the Gospels and Many Other Helps
Needed to Understand and Teach the Text (4 volumes, 1914
edition)
Brown's
renown rests chiefly on The Self-Interpreting Bible
... and to a
lesser extent on A Dictionary of the Holy
Bible ($29.95 P; $39.00 HP). 'Brown's Bible' was repeatedly
reprinted
(in America as well as Britain, as were all his more popular works), with
improvements by later editors, even into the twentieth century (and now into
the 21st century!--RB). Its numerous aids... included a system of marginal
cross-references novel in its extensiveness. This
'library in one volume' became as common as Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress ($14.98 P; $29.00 HP; $47.96 H) and Thomas Boston's Fourfold State ($9.99 P; $18.00 HP; $39.00 H). It incorporated material
from the Dictionary, which
unlike modern counterparts, explained basic English vocabulary and grammar (making
it useful for homeschooling--RB), and often went beyond making the Bible
intelligible (to interpreting it, for example the entry on--RB)... 'Antichrist'
surveys papal history... (the complete work--RB) is exemplary in its directness
and accuracy (DSCHT, p. 99).
In Mackenzie's
book, John Brown of Haddington, a whole chapter is
devoted to just the Self-Interpreting Bible.
Here is a glimpse at what Mackenzie has to say,
No work carried
the reputation of the author so far afield as his Self-Interpreting
Bible... Its success from the first was extraordinary... It will be evident that an extraordinary amount of
valuable material was thus placed at the command of the ordinary reader. It
was the information that a student of the Scriptures hungered for, who had not
access to the learned works dealing with such subjects... Brown states that his
avowed aim in his publication is not to depreciate the valuable commentaries of
these writers (referring to some of the most famous Reformed commentators of
the past--RB), but 'to exhibit their principal substance with all possible
advantage... and in referring particularly to the New Testament, he adds that
'there the explication is peculiarly extensive, and attempts to exhibit the
substance of many learned and expensive commentaries.' ...The last edition of
Brown's Bible is undoubtedly the best (which is the same as the edition we have
used--RB) (pp. 177, 178, 185, 186).
The issue of
this Bible Commentary brought Brown into correspondence with many notable
persons, among them the saintly Charles Simeon of Cambridge... It was Simeon's
habit... to rise every morning at 4AM... after lighting a fire, he devoted the
first four hours of the day to private prayer and the devotional study of the
Scriptures. The favorite companion of these devotional hours was Brown's Self-Interpreting Bible... Simeon
prized the Self-Interpreting Bible above
all others, and made acknowledgment of the spiritual enlightenment and
quickening which he received from its daily perusal... (writing) "Your Self-Interpreting Bible seems to
stand in lieu of all other commentaries; and I am daily receiving so much
edification and instruction from it, that I would wish it in the hands of all
serious ministers" (pp. 187-188).
Brown's Bible
was treasured in the homes of the people with all the reverence and care
enjoyed by Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress
and Boston's Fourfold State. It supplied what was lacking in these great soul classics,
providing a clear path to the fount from which they derived their vitality and
strength. The three were considered the necessary literary and
religious equipment of the household. They furnished pabulum for serious
reading; and they produced strong men (p. 190).
Over 2200
(8.5" X 11") pages in the complete set -- this Bible contains more
features and additions (from sections on prophecy fulfillment and hermeneutics
to a chronological index to Scripture history, Jewish festivals and the
significations of obsolete words [and much more!]-- with 448 photographs
showing places of Bible events) than we have space to note here!
ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE
UP TO & INCLUDING September 13, 2010
(Rare bound photocopy, 4 volumes) $99.80 (US
funds) [$300 off!]
(Hardcover photocopy, 4 volumes) $149.00 (US funds) [$447
off!]
LESS ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT ON INDIVIDUAL VOLUMES
(Bound
photocopy, vol. 1, Genesis to Joshua [& Helps]) $34.95
(Bound
photocopy, vol. 2, Judges to Song of Solomon) $34.95
(Bound
photocopy, vol. 3, Isaiah to Malachi) $34.95
(Bound
photocopy, vol. 4, New Testament [& Helps]) $44.95
(Hardcover
photocopy, vol. 1, Genesis to Joshua [& Helps]) $59.00
(Hardcover
photocopy, vol. 2, Judges to Song of Solomon) $59.00
(Hardcover
photocopy, vol. 3, Isaiah to Malachi) $59.00
(Hardcover
photocopy, vol. 4, New Testament [& Helps]) $69.00
AFTER September 13, 2010, OUR REGULAR
DISCOUNTED PRICE BELOW APPLIES
(Bound photocopy, 4 volumes) $399.80 (US
funds)
(Hardcover photocopy, 4 volumes) $596.00 (US
funds)
ALSO AVAILABLE AS INDIVIDUAL VOLUMES
(Bound
photocopy, vol. 1, Genesis to Joshua [& Helps]) $99.95
(Bound
photocopy, vol. 2, Judges to Song of Solomon) $99.95
(Bound
photocopy, vol. 3, Isaiah to Malachi) $99.95
(Bound
photocopy, vol. 4, New Testament [& Helps]) $99.95
(Hardcover
photocopy, vol. 1, Genesis to Joshua [& Helps]) $149.00
(Hardcover
photocopy, vol. 2, Judges to Song of Solomon) $149.00
(Hardcover
photocopy, vol. 3, Isaiah to Malachi) $149.00
(Hardcover
photocopy, vol. 4, New Testament [& Helps]) $149.00
This
Bible is also available on Reformation
Bookshelf CD volume 3 (CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
HOW TO GET 60 PURITAN CDs FOR FREE (FOR A LIMITED TIME)
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THE
COMPLETE 1599 GENEVA BIBLE (retype set and fully
searchable on Calvinism
Bookshelf CD #1 or in printed formats with various binding options from Tolle Lege Press)
********
Tolle
Lege Press has given SWRB permission to provide a PDF copy of their retype
set and fully searchable edition of the 1599 Geneva Bible (Copyright 2006-2008,
Tolle Lege Press) on Calvinism
Bookshelf CD #1 (in the "FREE
BOOKS" file of CBCD #1 only
-- click here
to view this CD). We thank God
for their zeal, vision and faithfulness in making one of the most important (if
not the most important) works of the first Reformation readily available
and much more accessible to modern readers. If you would like a beautifully
retype set print edition of the 1599 Geneva Bible please
purchase it directly from Tolle Lege Press.
A PDF edition can be obtained from SWRB at Calvinism
Bookshelf CD #1.
********
The Geneva
Bible is the Puritan Bible with Reformation promoting marginal notes authored
by prominent leaders of the Reformation (during the time of John Calvin and
John Knox). The New
Testament was translated out of the Greek by Theodore Beza. The Geneva Bible was the predominant English translation
during the period in which the English and Scottish Reformations gained great
impetus.
Iain Murray, in his classic work on revival and the interpretation of prophecy,
The Puritan Hope
(http://www.swrb.com/catalog/M.htm), notes,
...the two groups in England and Scotland developed along
parallel lines, like two streams originating at one fountain. The fountain was
not so much Geneva, as the Bible which the exiles newly translated and issued
with many marginal notes... it was
read in every Presbyterian and Puritan home in both realms (p. 7).
This time also
saw the rise of the forces for covenanted Reformation against the corruption
and abuses of prelacy and the royal factions. Darkness was dispelled as people
read this Bible and saw for themselves that there is no authority above the
Holy Scriptures. Discerning this truth, it became
apparent that the civil tyranny and the heretical superstitions imposed by
Pope, King and Bishops were to be resisted unto death, if necessary (i.e.
because these innovations in church and state were opposed to the Kingship of
Christ and the law of His kingdom, as set forth in Holy Scripture).
Moreover, this
is the Bible that led to the King James edition. James
(a flaming homosexual, megalomaniac, and tyrant) did not want the Calvinistic
marginal notes of the Geneva Bible getting into the hands of the people because
he considered them "seditious;" hence, he authorized the King James
Version as a substitute (though the KJV far surpasses modern translations).
Although most
people today have never heard of the Geneva Bible, it
was so popular from 1560 to 1644 that it went through 140+ printings.
The reason for its popularity among the faithful is obvious: the marginal notes
promoted a full-orbed, nation-changing Protestantism! Taking
a modern work, such as the Scofield Reference Bible, and comparing the notes to
those of the Geneva Bible, it will readily be seen that the religion of the
Protestant Reformation bears no resemblance to much of the nonsense being
prattled today!
Additionally,
the later editions of the Geneva Bible (like this 1599 edition) are more
strongly Calvinistic and anti-Papal. Eason notes in The Genevan Bible, Notes on
its Production and Distribution (see below),
The notes of
Tomson's New Testament of 1576, which took the place of the New Testament of
the Bible of 1560 in many editions from 1587 onward, are entirely different from
those in the Geneva Bible. They are taken from
Beza's Latin Testament, and are controversial and strongly Calvinistic.
Furthermore,
Eason cites Pocock (a rabid anti-Calvinist) in the same book,
The
changes adopted in the Geneva Bible and New Testament synchronise with the
gradual spread of the Calvinistic heresy and the contemporaneous development of
hatred of the whole Papal system of doctrine. The notes attacked the
Sacramental teaching of the Church, substituting for it the Calvinistic
doctrines of election and reprobation. They taught that Sacraments are nothing
more than signs and seals of grace previously given to the elect. All passages
about the Sacraments are explained away. (We cite this quote, though it is full of a good deal of
devilish nonsense, to demonstrate that even the enemies of biblical truth
recognized the powerful impact that the Geneva Bible was having in furthering
the Protestant Reformation, as well as to show that the notes in the later
versions of the Geneva Bible were moving in the direction of a more distinct
testimony against error and for the truth--RB).
"There
were three primary editions of the Geneva Bible:
(1) The editions that
follow the first edition of 1560.
(2) The editions in which
Tomson's New Testament of 1576 is substituted for the 1560 New Testament.
(3) The Bibles from 1598
that contain the Notes on Revelation of Francis Junius." (The Genevan
Bible, Notes on its Production and Distribution).
In
our opinion, the notes in the 1599 edition were the most faithful to Scripture.
FEATURES (Tolle Lege 1599 Geneva Bible):
* Word-for-word accuracy with the 1599 Geneva
Bible
* Original cross references
* Modern spelling
* Original study notes by Reformers
* Old English Glossary
* 2-page Family Tree Chart
* Presentation Page with several family registry
pages
* Easy-to-read print
* Size: 8.75" x 11.5"
* Approx: 1,400 pages
Download the
Book of Romans PDF by clicking here.
The
facsimile edition of the 1599 edition of the Geneva Bible, which is much larger
and much harder to read then the new Tolle Lege edition (because of the old
type style in the facsimile, and the notes which are very small and
particularly hard to read at times) can still be purchased from SWRB at the
price listed below. But we would strongly suggest that you get the Tolle Lege Press
retype set edition instead, if you are concerned about ease-of-use and
readability. Furthermore, prices for the Tolle Lege editions start out at a
lower level than the facsimile edition.
For the Tolle
Lege Press retype set edition of the printed 1599 Geneva Bible please click here to visit their site.
For a fully searchable PDF edition of the
printed 1599 Geneva Bible on SWRB's Calvinism
Bookshelf CD #1 please click here.
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ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE
UP TO AND INCLUDING September 13, 2010
(Hardcover FACSIMILE edition) $299.00 (US
funds) [$100.00 off!]
AFTER September 13, 2010, OUR REGULAR
PRICE BELOW APPLIES
(Hardcover FACSIMILE edition) $399.00 (US
funds)
The Geneva Bible notes are also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD volume 2 (CD
SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
Below
are some large, informative excerpts from articles on the 1599 Geneva Bible.
The first excerpt is by Gary DeMar and the second by Dr. Marshall Foster.
The
Forgotten Translation
By Gary DeMar, President of American Vision
&
Honorary Member of the 1599 Geneva Bible
Advisory Board
When Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary) became queen of
England in 1553, she was determined to roll back the Reformation and reinstate
Roman Catholicism. Mary had strong ties to Catholic Spain. She married Philip
II of Spain and induced the English Parliament to recognize the authority of
papal Rome. Mary met with a great deal of resistance from Protestant reformers
in her own country. Mary showed no signs of compromise. The persecution of
Protestants followed.
The era known as the Marian Exile drove
hundreds of English scholars to the Continent with little hope of ever seeing
their home and friends again. God used this exodus experience to advance the
Reformation. A number of English Protestant divines settled in Calvin's Geneva:
Miles Coverdale, John Foxe, Thomas Sampson, and William Whittingham. With the
protection of the Genevan civil authorities and the support of John Calvin and
the Scottish Reformer John Knox, the Church of Geneva determined to produce an
English Bible without the need for the imprimatur of either England or Rome -
the Geneva Bible.
Translation Work Begins In 1557
The Geneva translators produced a revised New
Testament in English in 1557 that was essentially a revision of Tyndale's
revised and corrected 1534 edition. Much of the work was done by William
Whittingham, the brother-in-law of John Calvin. The Geneva New Testament was
barely off the press when work began on a revision of the entire Bible, a
process that took more than two years. The new translation was checked with
Theodore Beza's earlier work and the Greek text. In 1560 a complete revised
Bible was published, translated according to the Hebrew and Greek, and
conferred with the best translations in divers languages, and dedicated to Queen
Elizabeth I. After the death of Mary, Elizabeth was crowned queen in 1558, once
again moving England toward Protestantism. The Geneva Bible was finally printed
in England in 1575 only after the death of Archbishop Matthew Parker, editor of
the Bishop's Bible.
England's Most Popular Bible
While other English translations failed to
capture the hearts of the reading public, the Geneva Bible was instantly
popular. Between 1560 and 1644 at least 144 editions appeared. For forty years
after the publication of the King James Bible, the Geneva Bible continued to be
the Bible of the home. Oliver Cromwell used extracts from the Geneva Bible for
his Soldier's Pocket Bible which….
A Threat to King James
In 1620 the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth with
their Bibles and a conviction derived from those Bibles of establishing a new
nation. The Bible was not the King James Version. When James I became king of
England in 1603, there were two translations of the Bible in use; the Geneva
Bible was the most popular, and the Bishops' Bible was used for reading in
churches.
King James disapproved of the Geneva Bible
because of its Calvinistic leanings. He also frowned on what he considered to
be seditious marginal notes on key political texts. A marginal note for Exodus
1:9 indicated that the Hebrew midwives were correct in disobeying the Egyptian
king's orders, and a note for 2 Chronicles 15:16 said that King Asa should have
had his mother executed and not merely deposed for the crime of worshipping an
idol. The King James Version of the Bible grew out of the king's distaste for
these brief but potent doctrinal commentaries. He considered the marginal notes
to be a political threat to his kingdom.
At a conference at Hampton Court in 1604 with
bishops and theologians, the king listened to a suggestion by the Puritan
scholar John Reynolds that a new translation of the Bible was needed. Because
of his distaste for the Geneva Bible, James was eager for a new translation….
A Threat to Rome
In addition to being a threat to the king of
England, the Geneva Bible was outspokenly anti-Roman Catholic, as one might
expect. Rome was still persecuting Protestants in the sixteenth century. Keep
in mind that the English translators were exiles from a nation that was
returning to the Catholic faith under a queen who was burning Protestants at
the stake. The anti-Roman Catholic sentiment is most evident in the Book of
Revelation: "The beast that cometh out of the bottomless pit (Rev. 11:7)
is the Pope, which hath his power out of hell and cometh thence." In the
end, the Geneva Bible was replaced by the King James Version, but not before it
helped to settle America.
Back in Geneva
Calvin knew that the job of reforming a city
seemingly bent on destruction would not be easy. "There is no place in the
world that I fear more," he confessed. Immorality was at an all-time high,
with gambling, street brawls, drunkenness, adultery, and public indecency
common everywhere. But not all was dark. When he arrived on September 13, 1541,
a change had come over the city. The people actually wanted him to return. The
city officials bestowed honors on him and apologized for the way he had been
treated. The Council members assured Calvin that they would cooperate with him
to restore the Gospel and moral order. The businessmen were equally relieved to
learn that Calvin might return. Calvin was overwhelmed by the outward display
of affection and decided to return to Geneva. On September 16th he wrote to
Farel: "Your wish is granted. I am held fast here. May God give His blessing."
Calvin's Contributions
Calvin continued his work of reformation, not
by a heavy-handed use of the civil magistrate, but with the preaching of God's
Word and the building of the Church. Church government was lacking, not only in
Geneva, but all over Protestant Europe. Calvin understood that only the Church,
not the State, could define orthodox theology and bring about true long-term
reform. According to the Bible, the State and the Church were jurisdictionally
separate. Each had its God-ordained area of jurisdiction and authority - one
civil (the State) and one ecclesiastical (the Church). Even so, Calvin
insisted, both Church and State were ordained by God and obligated to follow
His laws as they applied to their specific appointed jurisdictions.
Calvin's view that God reigns everywhere and
over all things led him to develop the biblical idea that man can serve God in
every area of life - church, civil government, education, art, music, business,
law, journalism. There was no need to be a priest, a monk, or a nun to get
closer to God. God is glorified in everyday work and family life. Calvin's
teaching led directly to what has become known as the "Protestant work
ethic." Individual initiative leads to economic productivity as Christians
work out their faith in their callings before God.
Stricken with tuberculosis, Calvin preached
his last sermon on February 6, 1564. Although bedridden until his death on May
27, 1564, Calvin continued to work, extending his legacy in the lives of those
who sat under his teaching.
Thanks to the Institutes of the Christian
Religion, his printed sermons, the
Academy, his commentaries on nearly every book of the Bible (except the Song of
Solomon and the Book of Revelation), and his pattern of Church and Civil
government, Calvin shaped the thought and motivated the ideals of Protestantism
in France, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungry, Scotland, and the English Puritans;
many of whom settled in America. The great American historian George Bancroft
stated, "He that will not honor the memory, and respect the influence of
Calvin, knows but little of the origin of American liberty." The famous
German historian, Leopold von Ranke, wrote, "John Calvin was the virtual
founder of America." John Adams, the second president of the United
States, wrote: "Let not Geneva be forgotten or despised. Religious liberty
owes it most respect."
© 2006 Tolle Lege Press & The Geneva
Bible Restoration Project
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Introduction
to the 1599 Geneva Bible
By Dr. Marshall Foster, President
of the Mayflower Institute &
Member of the 1599 Geneva Bible Advisory
Board
The Geneva Bible has been the lost treasure
of Christendom for almost 400 years.
Nearly forgotten by the modern world, this version of the Holy
Scriptures was translated and compiled by exiled reformers in Geneva
(1557-1560) and stands alone in history as the force that transformed the
English speaking world from the backwater of history to the center of
civilization.
The 2006 edition is the first completely new
publication of the Geneva Bible available in modern times….
Setting the Stage
Barbarous England in 1557 was less than
civilized. Over 300 men were
burned at the stake by the Catholic tyrant, "Bloody Mary Tudor, merely for
promoting the English Reformation.
Most of the semi-illiterate clergy (both Catholic and Protestant) in the
established church compounded the problem, since most received their parish
jobs as pay offs and often were incapable or unwilling to preach. The impoverished and spiritually
starved masses frequently found solace in the bottle, while the Gentry class
compromised their conscience and virtue to cater to the intrigues of the royal
court.
Into this "trough of despair" the
light of God's written Word began to liberate the English speaking nations as
it penetrated the hearts and transformed the minds of the population. It is no exaggeration to say that the
Geneva Bible was the central catalyst that catapulted England, Scotland and
America out of slavish feudalism to the heights of Christian civilization.
As the first Bible to be read by the common
people in English, the Geneva Bible spread self-government, free enterprise,
education, virtue, protection of women and children and godly culture. John Knox used the Geneva Bible
as he preached with power at St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh and brought
Scotland back from clan dominated, semi-pagan barbarity to Christian faith and
liberty….
As the following history illustrates the
providential invention of movable type, coupled with the Geneva Bible, brought
His Book into the lives and homes of the English speaking world.
History of the Geneva Bible
It is hard for us in our day to realize that
the Bible has only been available to the common Christian in his own language
for 400 years. Before the printing
of Luther's German Bible in 1534 and the Geneva Bible in English, laymen,
regardless of nationality, for 1500 years had never had a Bible of their
own. The Church and kings kept all
but clergy and Latin scholars from reading the Scripture. Since 1401, in England, it had been a
capital crime to read the Bible in what a royal edict called the "vulgar
tongue" or the English language.
In 1526, one young English scholar, William Tyndale, attempted to
translate the Bible into English.
He escaped to Germany and then to Belgium to fulfill a commitment made
shortly after his conversion.
Speaking to a Dublin cleric, Tyndale declared:
"If God spare my life, ere many years pass, I will cause
a boy that draggeth the plow shall know more of the Scriptures than thou
dost."
Fulfilling his promise in that year, he
translated and published the first-ever mechanically printed New Testament in
the English language. Six thousand
first-edition copies were smuggled back into England and lit a fire that could
not be put out.
As a fugitive from King Henry VIII, Tyndale
was captured and imprisoned in the Belgium castle of Vulroode. On March 6, 1536, Tyndale was strangled
and burned at the stake as he proclaimed, "Lord, open the King of
England's eyes." His prayers were answered, as several translations based
on Tyndale's monumental work made their way to English pulpits, one of them
paid for by this same king, in the years after Tyndale's martyrdom. But these were pulpit Bibles for the
clergy and still the people had no Bible they could afford and, for the most
part, they could not read.
In 1553, at the death of Henry VIII's
Protestant son, Edward, at 16 years old, Mary Tudor ascended the throne and
immediately married the Catholic King of Spain. She tried violently to stamp out the Reformation and force
the people of England back to Roman Catholicism. She tried to burn all copies of the Bible in English and
burned at the stake over 300 of the reformers, pastors and Bible
translators. Thus she earned the well
-deserved nickname -- Bloody Mary.
Queen Mary's madness caused the Marian Exile
which drove approximately 800 English scholars to the Continent. But God used this exodus to gather, in
Geneva, a number of the finest biblical thinkers in history. Here, under the protection of John
Calvin's "little republic", a team of scholars led by William
Whittingham, and assisted by Miles Coverdale, Christopher Goodman, Anthony
Gilby, John Knox, and Thomas Sampson, was free to collaborate. They produced a
new English Bible that was not be beholden to any king or prelate -- The Geneva
Bible.
William Whittingham, John Calvin's
brother-in-law and an excellent scholar, led this impressive group as they
produced the first English Translation from the original languages since
William Tyndale's revised New Testament of 1534. The reformers wanted a Bible for the English people that was
not based on the less authentic Latin Vulgate which Queen Mary was sure to
promote. They researched the most
recently collected Greek and Hebrew manuscripts and translated directly into
English. Whitingham's
completed revision of William
Tyndale's New Testament, including many annotations and commentaries, was
published in 1557.
Almost immediately, work began on a revision
of the whole Bible. The
translation took over two years of toil night and day. They drew upon painstaking translation
from the original languages, Theodore Beza's work and other continental
translations, such as Luther's.
The undertaking had the overseen and supported by reformers like John
Knox and John Calvin. It was the
first biblical translation produced by a committee rather than by one
individual.
The completed Geneva Bible was published in
1560 and dedicated to Queen Elizabeth, who had succeeded her half sister,
"Bloody Mary", to the throne and, at least for political reasons,
supported the break with the Church of Rome. The Bible was an instant success that captured the hearts of
the people with its powerful, uncompromising prose and over 300,000 words of
annotations in the margins to aid in personal study and understanding.
This unique 2006 edition of the 1599 version
of the Geneva Bible uses Tomson's revised New Testament (a later revision of
Whitingham's New Testament of 1557) and Junius's annotated notes on
"Revelation." The 1599
version has the most complete compilation of annotations of any of the Geneva
editions. It also has a table of
interpretations of proper names, which are chiefly found in the Old Testament,
and a table of principle subjects contained in the Bible. The Books of Psalms are collected into
English meters by Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins and others as they were sung
in the early churches….
For generations after its first printing, the
Geneva Bible remained the Bible of hearth and personal study in England,
Scotland and then in America. A
1579 Scottish edition of the Geneva version was the first Bible printed in
Scotland and soon became the standard of the Scottish Kirk. The Scottish Parliament passed an act
soon after the publication of the Geneva Bible in Scotland making it mandatory
for every householder worth 300 marks and every yeoman and burgess worth 500
pounds to have a Bible in the "vulgar tongue" in their homes, under a
penalty of 10 pounds.
The Geneva Bible came to be called
affectionately the "Breeches Bible." The term derives from the reference in Genesis 3:7 to Adam
and Eve clothing themselves in "breeches" made from fig leaves, a
decidedly English term for God's choice of clothes.
So popularity was the Geneva Bible that
between 1560 and 1644 there were at least 144 editions were published, versus
only 5 editions of the far inferior Bishops Bible. The Geneva Bible was driven from prominence only after the
King James Authorized Version of 1611 was widely promoted by the King and the
king's Bishop Laud outlawed the printing of the Geneva Bible in the realm. When this version disappeared, the
people complained that they "Could not see into the sense of Scripture for
lack of the spectacles of those Genevan annotations."
The Uniqueness of the Geneva Bible
The Geneva Bible stands as one of the great
achievements of Biblical scholarship.
It is the Bible of "firsts".
* It was the first English Bible to be fully translated from the
original languages. The fall of
Constantinople (1453) had a providential benefit in the discovery of unknown
Greek and Hebrew manuscripts of the Scriptures that were then brought to the
West by Christians fleeing the Islamic onslaught. The obsession with antiquity during the Renaissance also
brought other authentic documents and history to light by the time of the
Geneva translation. The scholars
in Geneva made full use of all the most accurate manuscripts to produce a Bible
that can be trusted for its authenticity.
* It was the first Bible translation to be printed in the easy to read
Roman Type, rather than the older "Black Face" Script. This new 2006 edition of the 1599
Geneva version takes the next step in re-typesetting the text in an
easy-to-read form, rather than just offering a facsimile reproduction of a 16th
Century edition. (Check with
publisher on details of the layout changes.)
* It was the first Bible to qualify as a study Bible with full notes,
annotations and commentary from the foremost scholars of the era. The translators used these annotations
to inform the reader about the original script, to clarify ambiguous meanings
and for cross-referencing. It is a
tribute to the intellectual integrity of the translators that they also used
italics for the interpolated words that were not in the original language, but
helpful for the English vernacular.
This was also a first.
* It was the first Bible ever to mark not only chapters, but to add
verse numbers to each of the chapters.
Imagine the ease this created in finding passages, memorization and
recitation. This created a nation
of Bible readers.
* It was the first Bible to be printed in a small quarto edition,
portable and affordable. This made
it suitable for family use without expensive folios. Every Pilgrim family, for example, would have a Geneva Bible
as the center of daily life.
Impact of the Geneva Bible
The Geneva Bible literally helped create the
modern English language which is the preaching and political language of the
world today. With much credit to
William Tyndale's linguistic genius and the poetic mastery of Miles Coverdale
with his earlier translation of the Poetic Books, the Geneva Bible became the
central tool that sparked the literary excellence of the 17th and 18th
Centuries in the English speaking world.
The Geneva Bible was the Bible of William Shakespeare… , John Bunyan,
the Puritans, who were considered history's greatest expositors, and the
Pilgrims as they came to America.
It was the Bible that John Rolfe would have likely used in the
conversion of Pocahontas at Jamestown in 1611.
The impact of the annotations and commentary
in the Geneva Bible cannot be underestimated. It was the Calvinist notes of the Geneva Bible that
infuriated King James I at Hampton Court in 1604 and caused him to authorize a
group of Puritan scholars to produce a non-annotated version of the Bible for
him. The excellent
Authorized Version probably would never have been written had it not been for
King James's anger toward the Geneva Bible.
The marginal notes of the Geneva Bible
presented a systematic biblical worldview that centered on the Sovereignty of God
over all of His creation, including the church and the king. This unique Biblical emphasis, though
politically dangerous, was one of the great contributions of John Calvin's
influence on the English Reformers.
For example, the marginal note in the Geneva Bible for Exodus 1:9
indicated that the Hebrew midwives were correct in disobeying the orders of the
Egyptian King. King James railed
against such interpretation, calling it "seditious." The tyrant knew that if the people
could hold him accountable to God's Word, his days as a "Divine
Right" king were numbered.
Calvin and the reformers were not going to change the clear meaning of
Scripture to cater to the whims of king or Pope. The Geneva Bible began the unstoppable march to liberty in
England, Scotland and America.
The marginal notes of the Geneva Bible, along
with all of its other unique qualities, led the whole English speaking world
away from the ignorance, heresy and tyranny of the Middle Ages into a full
understanding of God's Kingdom ruling over all. Calvin and the English reformers who followed in his
footsteps and who wrote the Geneva Bible, expounded the whole council of God
concerning the liberating doctrines of sola scriptura- the Word of God alone as
inspired and directional for our lives and culture, sola fide -- faith alone as
our only means of justification before God, sola christus -- Christ alone as our only mediator, lord and king,
sola gratia -- grace alone as our only hope of salvation and sanctification,
and soli deo Gloria -- God alone receiving the glory He is due in heaven and on
earth, not king or pope.
These theological articles listed above may
seem rudimentary or innocuous when merely listed. But when they were systematically taught from Scripture and
applied to life, as was done in the commentary in the Geneva Bible, whole
nations were transformed.
The knowledge of and obedience to God's written Word led to
constitutional, limited government, the end of slavery and the caste system,
free enterprise and private property, the Puritan work-ethic which inspired the
scientific and industrial revolutions, wholesome, uplifting literature along
with cultural optimism and development.
The bold innovations of the Geneva Bible
impact our world even today.
Because of its readable type, cross references, verse divisions, and
commentary, the Geneva Bible became the foundation for what we call group Bible
study. It became the catalyst for
individuals to learn to read and study God's Word as they understood the
liberating doctrine of the "priesthood of all believers." It became common in Puritan England for
lay leaders to expound the Word and for others to make commentary and discuss
its meaning. This may be taken for
granted in our time, but such discussion was forbidden in the organized
medieval church before this time and was also limited because the people had no
Bible and could not read.
The Geneva Bible's Application for Today
The Geneva Bible was providentially unleashed
upon a dark, discouraged, downtrodden English speaking world. Just when it looked as if the
Machiavellian, Divine Right kings, such as the Tudors of England, were about to
drive Christendom back to the days of Caesar worship, a Bible appeared that set the stage for a Christian
Reformation of life and culture the likes of which the world had never
seen. By the time of the defeat of
the Spanish Armada in 1588, just 28 years after the first printing of the
Geneva Bible, it was already being said of the English that they were becoming
a "people of the Book."
The results of a people reading and obeying the Word of God were the
explosion of faith, character, the first missionary movement in history,
literature, economic blessing, and political and religious freedom.
Almost 500 years later, our culture is once
again desperate for the Truth.
Most have forgotten the great lessons of the Reformation and the
Biblical theology that buttressed the greatest accomplishments of Western
Civilization. We fervently pray
that the re-introduction of this powerful tool of godly dominion, the Geneva
Bible, will, with God's favor, light the fires for another powerful
reformation. As we read this
sacred volume, let us remember the sacrifice of the persecuted scholars on the
shores of Lake Geneva.
John Calvin, in exile in Geneva, surrounded
by pagan kings, wars, and a corrupt Roman church, said these optimistic words
about the spread of God's Word.
"Whatever resistance we see today offered by almost all
the world to the progress of the truth, we must not doubt that our Lord will
come at last to break through all the undertakings of men and make a passage
for His Word. Let us hope boldly,
then, more than we can understand; He will still surpass our opinion and our
hope."
May we be inspired from His Word, as our
spiritual forbears were, to be fearlessly optimistic about the power of His
Gospel and the furtherance of His Kingdom on earth.
"For unto us a Childe is borne, and unto
us a sonne is given: and the government and peace shal have none end: he shall
sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdome, to order it, and to
establish it with judgement and with justice, from hence forthe, and for ever:
the zeale of the Lorde of hostes wil performe this." (Isaiah 9:6-7) --
1599 Geneva Bible
Marshall Foster, D.D.
© 2006 Tolle Lege Press & The Geneva
Bible Restoration Project
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NAVE'S TOPICAL BIBLE
"Nave's Topical Bible, the best known of
all topical bibles, has been a valuable Bible-study reference and a best-seller
for more than 75 years. It is a comprehensive digest
of over 20,000 topics and sub-topics with more than 100,000 associated
Scripture references. The most
significant references for each topic actually include the full text of the
verse cited (and all verses are from the King James Version of the Bible--RB)
-- saving the need to separately look up each verse. Because Nave's
groups verses by 'idea' (or 'topic'), it offers a better overview of
relevant Scriptures than a concordance, which only lists or indexes verses according
to specific words. This edition also includes the
helpful Scripture index (left out of some other editions), which
makes it possible for the reader studying a particular biblical text to locate
every topic and grouping of Scripture in Nave's whenever a particular verse is
included. That way, it is possible for the reader to study either all the
verses related to a particular topic or all the topics related to a particular
verse -- it works both ways. For the pastor or teacher interested in saving
hours of time but not willing to give their second best, and for anyone wanting
to be challenged by what God has to say about a given subject, Nave's Topical
Bible is the passport that will allow immediate and successful entry to the
many points of interest" (back cover). 1615 pages, indexed.
ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE
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(Hardcover) $39.95 (US funds) [$10 off!]
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(Hardcover) $49.95 (US funds)
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Martin Luther Bible of 1534
Complete Facsimile Edition
(in German)
Martin Luther's Bible, first
printed in 1534, was not only the first complete German publication of the
Bible but also a major event in the history of Christianity. Luther's revolutionary
translation, very modern in vernacular and interpretation, made the Bible
accessible to laypeople for the first time in history and gave new life to
Protestantism (the religion of the Bible).
The Luther Bible remains the most widely used
version in the Germanic world today. This sumptuous reprint of this seminal
book includes both the Old and New Testaments, separated into two volumes
totaling over 1800 pages. The complete Luther Bible
has been meticulously reproduced from a rare colored copy of the original.
Careful attention has been paid to Lucas
Cranach's woodcuts and elaborate ornaments, which are printed in color and gold
so as to be perfectly faithful to the original.
Contained in a third volume is Stephan Fuessel's
introduction, providing an English overview of
Luther's life, a discussion of the significance of his Bible, and detailed
descriptions of the illustrations.
ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE
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(Hardcover) $199.00 (US funds) [$100.00 off!]
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Books by and about Luther at:
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Martin Luther's New Testament
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Concord Wide Margin KJV
Reference Bible (Black Calfskin)
Manufactured by Cambridge
University Press
Physical
Info: 4.29 cms H x 26.09 cms L x 21.21 cms W (1.55 kgs) 1406 pages Font Size:
8pt
An exquisite
new edition of the widely admired, top-of-the-line (Calfskin) King James
(Authorized) Version, with plenty of inter-line
spacing to make it easy to read.
There are
comprehensive centre column cross references, a useful Glossary and a 136-page
Concordance.
The page size
is generous, with wide clean margins all around the
text making it ideal for note making and note taking, as well as
beautiful to read and study.
Notably,
this edition includes the fascinating Preface to the original 1611 King James
Version, the 'Translators to the Reader," rarely found in modern
printings.
Finally, there are
56 extra ruled pages of heavier paper at the back of this Bible for note
taking, and 15 comprehensive color maps with full gazetteer.
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KING JAMES BIBLE (1611)
(Black leather hardcover with
gold foil stamping)
"The Protestant clergy approached the new
King (James I of England) in 1604 and announced their desire for a new
translation to replace the Bishop's Bible... the leaders of the church desired
a Bible for the people, with scriptural references only for word clarification.
This "translation to end all translations"
became the most printed book in the history of
the world. Own a piece of original Bible history. 8 3/8 x 10
3/4, 1,520 pages" (adapted from GP flyer).
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(Audio) King James Bible on CD
(Read by Alexander Scourby)
Digitally mastered stereo compact discs
with no musical background.
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King James Bible (Cassettes)
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OT and NT on 48 Cassettes
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GREEK NEW TESTAMENT
The "Textus Receptus"
(Received Text), following Beza's 1598 edition, underlying the 1611 King James
Version.
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KJV BIBLES (Black)
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ROYAL RUBY TEXT BIBLE
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EMERALD TEXT BIBLE
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NEW BREVIER REFERENCE BIBLE
Page Size: 6.75"x 4.75
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PITT MINION REFERENCE BIBLE
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CONCORD REFERENCE BIBLE
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The Interlinear Hebrew - Greek
- English Bible (in One Volume)
"The only
Bible to display all the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words, with the literal,
accurate English translation placed directly under each original Hebrew and
Greek word in interlineary form -- with the added feature of a Strong's cross
reference number above the Hebrew and Greek words." (CLW) The
Old Testament uses the Masoretic text and the New Testament uses the Received
Text (Textus Receptus) in this Bible. 976 pages.
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The Interlinear Greek - English
New Testament
"Displays the
Greek words, with the literal, accurate English translation and the King James
Version translation -- along with the (corrected) Strong's cross reference
numbers above the Greek words." (CLW) 976 pages.
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(On
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BURGON, JOHN W.
Unholy Hands on the Bible
(Volume One)
"The complete
works on textual criticism done by John W. Burgon in the end of the
last century. This book pinpoints hundreds of
corruptions that are found in the modern versions and is crammed
full of useful information" (CLW). 672 pages.
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GREEN, JAY, Sr. (editor)
Unholy Hands on the Bible
(Volume Two)
"A critique of
the six major new versions (NIV, NASB, NRSV, REB, NAB, GNB) by Jay
Green, Sr., Peter Johnson, Wilbur Pickering, Jakob van Bruggen, and Luther
Martin" (CLW). 654 pages.
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BURGON, JOHN W.
The Revision Revised: A
Refutation of Westcott and Hort's False Greek Text and Theory (and a Defense of
the Authorized Version) (1883)
"There is no one book that exposes Westcott
and Hort's false Greek text and false Greek theory behind the text any more
thoroughly and convincingly than The Revision Revised. Dean Burgon defends
the traditional text of the New Testament. He also shows clearly the defects in
both manuscript "B" (Vatican) and manuscript "Aleph"
(Sinai). This present book, The Revision Revised, is another of Dean
John William Burgon's masterpieces. It contains, as
do all of his books, overwhelming evidence from manuscripts, lectionaries,
ancient versions, and church fathers showing clearly three deficiencies: (1)
The deficient Greek Text of Westcott and Hort; (2) The deficient English
translation based upon it; and (3) The deficient theory underlying the Greek
text. His arguments are powerful and convincing. The appendix of
this edition shows conclusively that the false revised Greek text and theory of
Westcott and Hort are virtually identical to the false revised Greek text and
theory of Nestle-Aland and the United Bible Society. Therefore, The Revision Revised forms a strong basis for a refutation of the false Greek
texts and theories rampant today which form the basis for the modern English
versions. The way Burgon repudiates the English Revised Version of 1881 and defends the authorized King James Bible will
also form a strong basis for defending the King James Bible against the modern
versions such as the NASV, NIV, RSV, NRSV, NEB, TEV, CEV, and the others"
(Foreword and back cover). 626 pages.
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HILLS, EDWARD
The King James Version
Defended (1956, 1988)
"Edward F. Hills in his work The King
James Version Defended represents a sober and compelling argument for the
'old tradition.'
As a well trained classicist and an internationally recognized New Testament
text critic, he analyses the problems of both
modern language translations and current New Testament text criticism
methodology. With the sometimes widespread and uncritical acceptance
of such translations as the New International Version by pastors as well as
laymen, this defense of the historic, English
Protestant Bible should be read by all who share an interest in these areas"
(back cover). 280 pages, indexed.
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BURGON, JOHN W.
The Causes of Corruption of the
New Testament Text
"Fourteen
different classes of corruption explained and exposed, whether
doctrinal corruption, accidental, intentional, etc. Makes a great giveaway
volume in defense of the Majority and Received Texts" (CLW). 144 pages.
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BURGON, JOHN W.
The Last Twelve Verses of Mark
Vindicated Against Recent Critical Objectors and Established (The Fatal Blow to
Manuscripts "B" and "Aleph") (1871)
"Burgon has
amassed overwhelming evidence from manuscripts, lectionaries, ancient versions,
and church fathers proving the genuineness of the last twelve verses of Mark! ...A thorough grasp of
Burgon's methodology of textual criticism such as is exhibited in these pages
will convince the honest reader to reject the false conclusions regarding these
twelve verses (and other verses as well) which have been accepted by the NASV,
the NIV, the RSV, the NRSV, the NEB, TEV, CEV and the other modern versions!
If indeed, as Dean Burgon shows clearly, "B" (Vaticanus) and
"Aleph" (Sinaiticus) are in serious error here, they cannot be
trusted elsewhere either. The manuscripts, the lectionaries, the ancient versions,
and the quotations from the church fathers all unite to show that Mark 16:9-20
was in Mark's Gospel from the very beginning" (back cover). 370 pages.
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VAN BRUGGEN, JAKOB
The Ancient Text of the New
Testament (1976)
In his The Ancient Text of the New Testament, Professor Van Bruggen deals
with the confusion surrounding the text of the New Testament. Since 1881
(Revised Version), most new translations follow another type of Greek text than
was followed in the older Bible translations (e.g. King James Version).
However, this does not mean that there is unanimity regarding the correct text.
On the contrary. In the newer translations, many changes occur because the
science of New Testament textual criticism continually arrives at different
conclusions. The Greek New Testament of the United Bible Societies (1966) in many
points was established by a majority vote. Is the majority vote of a few modern
scholars worth more than the majority vote of the old manuscripts? Does the
division of opinions that exists today not indicate that there is reason enough
to return to the ancient ecclesiastical text? Van Bruggen challenges the
arguments raised against this ancient text by Hort and others after him.
Briefly he surveys the field of textual criticism from Hort to Aland and
Metzger. In footnotes, he refers to much literature on the topic. His
conclusion is that the arguments against the text found in most manuscripts,
nowadays are even less convincing than in the past. For exegesis, as well as
for Bible translating, it is of significance which manuscripts are used.
Whoever wants to make his own judgment about this matter will find a scientific
and succinct survey of the arguments in this book of Van Bruggen (from the back
cover).
(Softcover) $12.95 (US funds)
GREEN, J., SR.
The Gnostics, the New Versions,
and the Deity of Christ (1994)
"This book will
reveal to you that most of the new Bible versions have drastically changed the
Bible's witness to the eternal Godhood of Jesus Christ" (back cover). Using 110
verses, it compares five versions (including the KJV) based on the Received
Text with the following seven modern versions: Easy Reading Version (ERV), New American
Standard Version
(NASB), New International Version (NIV), New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), Revised
English Bible
(REB), Good News Bible (GNB), New American Bible (NAB), Contemporary
English Version
(CEV). It demonstrates how these seven latter
versions seldom give a firm witness to the deity of Christ. Also
included is the Interlinear Bible with the Greek of the Received Text and the literal English
translation for each of the verses that are the subject of this study"
(CLW). 103 pages.
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The Dutch Annotations upon the
Whole Bible (1657)
Theodore Haak (1605-1690), at the instigation of the Westminster Assembly,
translated the famous Dutch Bible and its Annotations into the English
language, culminating in the 1657 folio edition(s).
Having a long reputation in the Netherlands, and
there quoted with great authority, we are grateful to have this reprint
edition available for a new generation of English readers.
This book is a massive folio volume -- almost 10
inches wide and just a little over 13 inches tall.
On the antiquarian market, the
Haak-Bible, as it is called, has sold for over $US1,000.00 (or about $1500.00
US funds).
Smyth-sewn for added durability, this facsimile
reprint of the 1657 printing will provide a new avenue for personal study,
sermon preparation, and scholarly interest.
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EASON, CHARLES
The Genevan Bible, Notes on
its Production and Distribution (1937, reprinted 1998)
"The Genevan
Bible Notes contain the fascinating account of the origins and revisions of the
Geneva Bible originally published in 1560. The
Genevan Bible was the most popular Bible of the English people from 1560 until
the late 1600's. There were three primary editions: (1) the editions
that follow the first edition of 1560; (2) the editions in which Tomson's New
Testament of 1576 is substituted for the 1560 New Testament; and (3) the Bibles
from 1598 that contain the Notes on Revelation of Francis Junius. 56
pages'" (GP fyler).
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WHITAKER, WILLIAM
A Disputation on Holy
Scripture, Against the Papists, Especially Bellarmine and Stapleton
(Originally written in 1588;
1610 [Latin], 1849 English edition translated by Fitzgerald)
The
apostate (now) Roman Catholic apologist, Scott Hahn, in his book Rome Sweet
Home: Our Journey to Catholicism, speaks of the extensive reading of pro- and
anti-Romanist literature he had done as he was led down the road to Rome from
modern Calvinism. Among other reasons he lists for his declension, one major
factor was what he saw to be the lack of cogent reply from modern
"Protestants," including Dr. John Gerstner, to the arguments of the
Roman Catholic Church. Notwithstanding that their are serious reasons to doubt Hahn's
credibility and integrity (for example, he paints out Luther and Calvin to
teach only a formal, "courtroom language" view of justification:
"Luther and Calvin explained this [justification] exclusively in terms of
courtroom language. But I was beginning to see that, far more than simply being
a judge, God was our Farther. Far more than simply being criminals, we were
runaways. Far more than the New Covenant being made in a courtroom, it was
fashioned by God in a family room." -- p. 30; for refutation of this
ridiculous, slanderous caricature, see Luther's Small Catechism, question on "Our
Father who art in heaven;" Calvin's Institutes, Book III, 20.36ff;
Robert Dabney's Systematic Theology, p. 627; Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 12; etc.,
etc.), had he read this work by William Whitaker (and it is our prayer that he
may still perhaps do so), he would have found more
than a lifetime of Romanist readings and reasonings could overcome.
Whitaker's
design (prosecuted throughout his lifetime) was to deal systematically with the
major points of controversy between the Protestants and the Roman Catholics; his Disputation on
Holy Scripture
was the first in this series, and the only one translated from Latin into
English (of which we are aware). In his dedicatory epistle to William Cecil and
his preface to his Cambridge audience, he describes his opponents, especially
the Jesuits, and then his confidence in Christ and His truth to overcome them:
"Amongst
these locusts [Rev. 9:3], -- that is, as very learned men justly deem, amongst
the innumerable troops of monks -- none, as we before said, have ever appeared,
more keen, or better prepared and equipped for doing mischief, than are the
Jesuits at this present day; who in a short space have surpassed all other
societies of that kind in numbers, in credit, and in audacity. Other monks,
following the rule and practice of former times, lived in general a life of
leisure and inactivity, and spent their time, not in reading and the study of
the sciences, but in repeating by the [hour]glass certain offices for the
canonical hours, which contributed nothing to the advancement of either
learning or religion. But the Jesuits have pursued a far different course. They
have left the shade of ancient sloth and inactivity, in which the other monks
had grown grey, and have come forth to engage in toils, to treat of arts and
sciences, to undertake and carry through an earnest struggle for the safety of
the common interest. It hath come to be understood, that the cause of Rome,
which, shaken by the perilous blows dealt on every side by men of ability and
learning, had begun in many parts to totter and give way, could never be
defended or maintained, except by learned and diligent and active champions....
Among these Jesuits, Robert Bellarmine, a native of Italy, hath now for several
years obtained a great and celebrated name.... Now, therefore, Bellarmine is
cried up by his party as an invincible champion, as one with whom none of our
men would dare to engage, whom nobody can answer, and whom if any one should
hope to conquer, they would regard him as an utter madman.
When you,
honoured sir, demanded my opinion of this writer, I answered, as indeed I
thought, that I deemed him to be a man unquestionably learned, possessed of a
happy genius, a penetrating judgment, and multifarious reading; -- one,
moreover, who was wont to deal more plainly and honestly than is the custom of
other papists, to press his arguments more home, and to stick more closely to
the question....
[N]ow that
Bellarmine hath been published, we shall know better and more certainly what it
is they [the Papists] hold upon every subject, the arguments on which they
specially rely, and what is (so to speak) the very marrow of popery, which is
thought to be as much in the Jesuits as in the pope himself....
Our
arms shall be the sacred scriptures, that sword and shield of the word, that
tower of David, upon which a thousand bucklers hang, and all the armour of the
mighty, the sling and the pebbles of the brook wherewith David stretched upon
the ground that gigantic and haughty Philistine. Human reasonings and
testimonies, if one use them too much or out of place, are like the armour of
Saul, which was so far from helping David that it rather unfitted him for the
conflict.... However, since we have to deal with adversaries who, not content
with these arms, use others with more readiness and pleasure, such as the
decrees of councils, judgments of the fathers, tradition, and the practice of
the church; lest perchance we should appear to shrink from the battle, we have
determined to make use of that sort of weapons also. And,
indeed, I hope to make it plain to you, that all our tenets are not only
founded upon scriptural authority, which is enough to ensure victory, but
command the additional suffrage of the testimonies of the fathers, councils,
and, I will add, even of many of the papists, which is a distinguished and
splendid ornament of our triumph.... Thus
it will be clear, that what Jerome, Epist. 139, applies out of Isaiah to the
heretics, that 'they weave the spider's thread,' is pertinently applied to the
papists. For, as Jerome says, they weave a web 'which can catch small and light
animals, as flies and gnats, but is broken by the stronger ones.' Just thus
many stick fast in the subtleties of the papists, as flies do in the spider's
web, from which they are unable to extricate themselves, though nothing can
possibly be frailer than those threads. Such are the reasonings of the papist,
even the Jesuits themselves; who, although they seem to spin their threads with
greater skill and artfulness, yet fabricate nothing but such cobwebs as may
easily be broken by any vigorous effort. Be ye, therefore, of good
cheer. We have a cause, believe me, good, firm, invincible. We fight against men, and we have Christ on our side; nor can
we possibly be vanquished, unless we are the most slothful and dastardly of all
cowards. Once wrest from the papists what they adduce beside the scripture, and
you will presently see them wavering, turning pale, and unable to keep their
ground."
Bellarmine was
regarded by the Romanists as a scholarly and theological Goliath, and as
Whitaker notes above, he was indeed a greatly gifted and learned man. It is
most noteworthy, then, to read of Bellarmine's description of Whitaker:
"[a man]
whom Cardinal Bellarmine is said to have pronounced 'the
most learned heretic he had ever read,' and of whom Bishop Hall
says, 'Who ever saw him without reverence, or
heard him without wonder?...." "'I have,' says the writer
of his life, in Lupton's Protestant Divines, 'I have heard it confessed of
English Papists themselves, which have been in Italy with Bellarmine himself,
that he [Bellarmine] procured the true portraiture and effigies of this
Whitaker to be brought to him, which he kept in his study. For he privately
admired this man for his singular learning and ingenuity; and being asked of
some of his friends, Jesuits, why he would have the picture of that heretic in
his presence? He would answer, Quod quamvis haereticus erat et adversarius,
erat tamen doctus adversarius: that, 'although he was an heretic, and his
adversary, yet he was a learned adversary'" ("Preface of the
Editor" in the 1857 edition of Nathanael Culverwell's Of the Light of
Nature;
and from the editor's preface of Whitaker's work).
In this book
we find the following six main chapters: "Of the number of the Canonical
Books of Scripture," "Of the Authentic Edition and Versions of the
Scriptures," "Of the Authority of Scripture," "Of the
Perspicuity of Scripture," "Of the Interpretation of Scripture,"
"Of the Perfection of Scripture, against Unwritten Traditions," as well as Whitaker's "Preface to the Controversies, Delivered to the
Audience at Cambridge."
Whitaker's
masterwork, refuting some of the best the Jesuits had to offer (in upholding
their Romish heresies attacking the Word of God), may even be more valuable in
our day than when it was first written -- as many Protestants are unaware of the
historic Protestant position on Scripture (witness the lack of response
described by Scott Hahn), or worse, are already on the way back to Rome (on
this and other vital points). Furthermore, Larry Birger comments, "...it's wonderful. He is absolutely thrashing the Papists,
tying them in knots with not only the Scriptures, but the writings of the
Church fathers (Jerome is devastating on the issue of the Apocrypha) and the
Papists themselves (e.g., Cajetan, John Driedo, Melchior Canus, Sixtus
Senensis)." This is a first-rate classic on some of the most
foundational teaching of the Faith, not to be missed by the serious Christian,
the scholar or anyone (including those presently trapped in Mystery Babylon the
great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the Earth [i.e. Roman Catholic
Church], Rev. 17:5) seeking ultimate truth. Study
for yourself what Hahn missed, as the Christ-empowered Whitaker sinks his
stones into Goliath's forehead, and then decapitates him with the sword of
truth and the skill of one exceedingly learned in the very areas the Papists
rely on the most! 718 pages, indexed; crystal-clear print.
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THE GENEVA
BIBLE NOTES UPDATED BY SOME OF THE WESTMINSTER DIVINES and OTHER
ENGLISH PURITANS!
The Westminster Annotations
and Commentary on the Whole Bible (6 volumes, 1657)
The original title read: "Annotations Upon
all the Books of the Old and New Testament: This Third, above the First and
Second, Edition so enlarged, As they make an entire Commentary on the Sacred
Scriptures: The like never before published in English. Wherein the Text is
Explained, Doubts Resolved, Scripture Parallel'd, and Various Readings
observed; By the Labour of certain Learned Divines thereunto appointed, and
therein employed, As is expressed in the Preface." The preface (found in
the first volume) recounts not only a short history
of the English Bible, but sets forth the great advantage to true Religion which
accrues (contrary to the mysticism of the Anabaptists and the
anti-intellectualism of the modern backsliding church) when faithful notes are
"bound in" with the Scripture text -- this bringing forth
nothing different than the effect generated (through God's grace) by faithful
preaching, faithful commentaries, faithful creeds, faithful covenants, faithful
confessions, etc. Pointing out that this blessing from God was never more
obvious than in the case of the Geneva Bible ($299.00, leather hardcover)
and its marginal notes (and that the people knew it to be so when they were
left with Bibles without annotations honoring to God), the preface further
states, "hence were divers of the Stationers and Printers of London
induced (by the people--RB) to petition the committee of the Honourable House
of Commons, for licence to print the Geneva notes upon the Bible, or that
some notes might be fitted to the new translation: which was accordingly
granted, with an order for review and correction of those of the Geneva
edition, by leaving out such of them as there was cause to dislike, by clearing
those that were doubtful, and by supplying such as were defective. For which purpose
letters were directed to some of us from the Chair of the Committee for
Religion (in 1648--RB), and personal invitations to others, to undertake and
divide the task among us, and so cometh in our part, whereof we shall give the
world a true and just account in that which followeth." The detailed
account which follows in the preface is fascinating, mentioning, among many
other things, the divines' "use of... the Dutch Bibles... set forth
at... Holland, by order of the States."
The diligence given, the energy expended, the
obvious humility, and the fearful trembling before God's Word which is evident
in these commentators makes this truly a classic Puritan work -- a work of great
value! Just knowing, as Barker points out, that this commentary was "prepared mostly by Westminster divines, by order of
Parliament, at the time of the Assembly" (Puritan Profiles, p. 37), certainly
bodes well for the level of scholarship it contains. Moreover, with Gouge, one
of the most respected English Covenanters at the Assembly playing a major role,
the thoughtful student of Scripture and history ought to take note: for a theological feast of mature Puritan thought surely
awaits those that sup at this table. Esteemed, by the mid-1640's,
"as the father of the London Ministers," Gouge was elected as
Assessor for the Westminster Assembly on Nov. 25, 1647. His detractors
sometimes called him an "arch Puritan" (cf. Ibid., p. 35). Dr. Gouge's
"share of the useful work consisted of Kings, and the subsequent books
down to Esther, inclusive" (Smith, Select Memoirs of English and
Scottish Divines,
p. 534). Most of the others chosen to this work had similar credentials, though
not all exhibit equal proficiency and some later backslid from attainments
reached at this point. Nevertheless, when the commentators were first chosen,
these Annotations were produced by some of the most
qualified English Puritans -- as a historical high water mark for Puritan
scholarship was beginning to crest. Furthermore, in prosecuting this
work the divines note, "therefore we have put ourselves to much more pains
(for many months) in consulting with many more authors, in several languages,
than at first we thought of, that (for the propriety of the original text, for
pertinent and profitable variety of versions, for consonancy of parallel
Scriptures, and for perspicuity in clearing of the darkest places) we might
bring in such observations, as might not only serve to edify the ordinary
reader, but might likewise gratify our brethren of the ministry, at least such
among them, as have not the means to purchase, or leisure to pursue, so many
books, as (by order of the Committee) we were furnished with all, for the
finishing of the work, committed to our hands" (preface). As the work wore
on, however, it became apparent that the original intention (of printing these
annotations as marginal notes in the Bible) would no longer fit the scope and
length of commentary that had been produced. Thus, the notes were not added to
the Scriptures directly, but rather published as a separate commentary (which
we are offering here) -- except that we have divided the work into six volumes
rather than the original two, because of logistics.
Brook calls this a "useful work" and says
of its authors that "several of them were celebrated puritans" (Lives
of the Puritans,
vol. 3, p. 221n). Spurgeon comments that it "contains valuable
remarks" and that "the work is probably less esteemed than it should
be" (Commenting and Commentaries). In "A Narrative of His Life and
Death" prefixed to volume one of Gouge's three volume commentary on
Hebrews ($99.00 HP, $59.99 P), we also find this note, "He was likewise
chosen by a Committee of Parliament, among others, to make Annotations upon the
Bible, being well-known to be a judicious interpreter of Scripture. How well he
hath performed his trust is evident to all that read the annotations from the
beginning of the first book of Kings unto Job, which was his part."
Furthermore, Neal,
in his history, furnishes us with a helpful (though partial) list of each of
the specific authors and books of the Bible they worked on in the Annotations.
He writes, "Those with asterisks were not of the assembly. Rev. Mr. Ley,
subdean of Chester (The commentary on the five books of Moses), Dr. Gouge (1
& 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther), *Mr. Meric Casaubon
(The Psalms), Mr Francis Taylor (Proverbs), Dr. Reynolds (Ecclesiastes), *Mr
Smallwood, recommended by archbishop Usher (Solomon's Song), Mr. Gataker
(Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations), *Mr. Pemberton in the first edition and
*Bishop Richardson in the second (Ezekiel, Daniel, and the smaller Prophets),
Mr. Ley (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), Dr. D. Featly... (St. Paul's Epistles).
There were two other persons concerned in this work, who might probably have
the other parts of Scripture allotted them, not here mentioned, viz. Mr.
Downham and Mr. Reading" (pp. 504-505).
Additionally, as should be evident, the
Annotations were not, strictly speaking, a work of the Westminster Assembly per
se, but rather a work primarily by men who attended the Westminster Assembly -- including a few
others chosen to this task by Parliament. Notwithstanding, we thought it
prudent to title this work in accord with one of the primary names by which it
has come to be commonly known (i.e "The Westminster Annotations"). As
with much of the literature that was produced by those attending the
Westminster Assembly, or by those sympathetic to their work, the modern reader has much to gain by carefully
considering the words of these spiritual giants. This work is no
exception and we pray that this newly published edition will strengthen and
unite the church, turn individuals to righteousness, uplift the family, and
help direct the nations to the covenanting love that surrounded the work at the
Westminster Assembly in the seventeenth century -- and in all this bring glory
to God!
2383 (8.5" X 11") pages.
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DIODATI, JOHN
Pious and Learned Annotations
Upon the Holy Bible Plainly Expounding the Most Difficult Places Thereof By
that Godly and Famous Divine, Mr. John Diodati, Late Minister of the Gospel in
Geneva (third edition [in two volumes], 1651)
The title continues: "Corrected and much
augmented, with additional notes of the same author, throughout the whole work.
And the analysis upon each several book of the Old and New Testament, setting
down the chief heads contained therein, being very much enlarged, is now fully
completed in this third edition." "These Annotations were first
written in Italian, by a reverend Protestant Divine
of the Church of Geneva, the most reformed in all France, and famous for the great
lights of it, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and this renowned John Diodati, their
successor both in place and eminent erudition.... In fine, here are
choice Meditations, and sound expositions, more to be valued then refined
gold... and the choicest subject the world ever afforded, being Jesus Christ
and him crucified, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (Translator
from "To the Reader"). Concerning Diodati, Darling (Cyclopaedia
Bibliographica,
p. 918) writes, "Born at Geneva 1576; died 1640. This celebrated Italian
Protestant divine, belonging to a noble family from Lucca in Italy, is known
chiefly by his biblical works, and by his translation of Father Paul's
History of the Council of Trent into French. He was
sent in 1618 by the Church of Geneva to the Synod of Dort. His
translation of the Bible into Italian is still considered one of the
best." Regarding these Annotations in particular Darling further notes,
"Short, but comprehensive practical annotations; many of them were
introduced into the (Westminster--RB) Assembly's Annotations. The above (i.e.
the third edition--RB) is the best edition." Richard
Baxter, in compiling a list of the most essential books for Christian
edification, after listing the Bible and a Concordance, counseled Christians to
obtain "a sound Commentary or Annotations, either Diodati's, the English
(or Westminster--RB) Annotations, or the Dutch (A Christian Directory, p. 732). 1104 pages.
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FULKE, WILLIAM
A Defense of the Sincere and
True Translations of the Holy Scriptures in the English Tongue, Against the
Manifold Cavils, Frivolous Quarrels, and Impudent Slanders of Gregory Martin,
One of the Readers of Popish Divinity in the Traitorous Seminary of Rhemes (1583,
1843 edition)
"Whereunto is added a brief
confutation of all such quarrels and cavils, as have been of late uttered by
diverse Papists in the English Pamphlets, against the writings of the said
William Fulke."
Fulke was refuting, "A Discovery of the Manifold Corruption of the Holy
Scriptures by the Heretics of our Days, Specially the English Sectaries, and of
Their Foul Dealing Herein, By Partial and False Translations to the Advantage
of Their Heresies, in Their English Bibles Used and Authorized Since the Time
of Schism" (1582)
by Martin. 621 pages.
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The Classic Bible Dictionary
A Bible dictionary with Reformed
leanings containing articles by Warfield, Fairbairn, Bonar and others. 1,120 pages.
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