Bibles

[PhotoFamily]

I have a scan of a Bible page. It says
The Self-Interpreting Bible
containing the
S A C R E D T E X T
of the
OLD AND NEW
TESTAMENTS

It was printed no later than 1778.

Would it have been used by Church of England members or Protestant Dissenters? If the latter, any way of knowing what denomination?

thanks
sarah

[JudithM]

Google found references to this bible originally being produced by John Brown who was a minister in what was the forerunner of the Presbyterian church in Scotland in the 1750s. So he was a protestant dissenter but it looks like it was widely used. Here's what it says in Wikipedia:
A General History of the Christian Church was issued in two volumes in 1771.The Self Interpreting Bible was Brown's most significant work, and it remained in print (edited by others), until well into the twentieth century. The objective of providing a commentary for ordinary people was very successful. The idea that the Bible was "self-interpreting" involved copious marginal references, especially comparing one scriptural statement with another. Brown also provided a substantial introduction to the Bible, and added an explication and "reflections" for each chapter.
A measure of its popularity is that it was translated into Welsh, and its appearance in Robert Burns's "Epistle to James Tennant",
My shins, my lane, I sit here roastin'
Perusing Bunyan, Brown and Boston,

[PhotoFamily]

Did the Church of England at the time use just one particular translation of the Bible - probably the King James? Altho I suppose a member could have used a companion Bible as well.

Thanks for the research, Judith!

[Olde Crone Holden]

As far as I know, the established church used only the King James bible. It was not the done thing for members of the C of E to attempt to interpret the bible for themselves, that was supposed to be left to their betters, that is, the officers of the church, who would pass downwards what the various verses meant.

OC

[PhotoFamily]

Thanks, OC.
The family that owned the Bible initially is not related to me, but it was passed into my line.

[JudithM]

I don't think this was a different translation, just that he had included his commentary/notes alongside the text.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Yes, sorry, I meant that the C of E would not use a version which had a commentary, they would use the King James version without any added extras!

OC

[clematised]

This reminded me of the one at Lyme Park went to visit last year, but it was the Catholic Church. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_Caxton_Missal
It was a very interesting read (copies of course) were in the Library.
The Missal was in the Legh family for hundreds of years. http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/manchest...00/9089405.stm

Edna

[PhotoFamily]

So, Edna, you mean it was one of the same types of Bibles (A Self Interpreting Bible) and it was in a Catholic Church?



So, OC & Judith, this Bible is a King James Version, just with the commentary with it?

[Olde Crone Holden]

I would imagine so, as there really were not any other versions of the bible available to the public in general - the Latin Vulgate had long been superceded and only scholars of Greek would have read the original (4th century) version of the bible.

OC