Fort Mill times. (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, January 27, 1910, Image 8
'f-. 1*.
JOHN WYCUFF-BIBLE TRANSLATOR.
The following puper was read in the
prayer meeting service at the Dunn
(N. C.) Baptist church some days ago
by Miss Bessie Faris, daughter of Mr.
S. C. Faris, of Fort Mill township:
The story of how our sacred Scriptures
have been oreserved and handed
down to us after 1900 years in their
pristine purity and without any admixture
of error or untruth? this story
of how God shielded it from the destroying
hand of persecution and
hoathern invasion, is indeed an interesting
one. We see how in the dark times
of persecution when it seemed that
every vestige of sacred writings would
be . destroyed, how God shielded his
truth and nid it away as it were until
the nations should become fitted for its
reception.
For a long period following the
Danish and Norman invasion in England
the native Saxons lay helpless at the :
feet of the invaders and saw with bitterness
their customs and their refigious
manuscripts thrown aside as relics of a ,
rude barbarism. The onnt.enrmf shewn
to the language of the defeated race
quite destroyed the impulse to English
translation of the Scriptures and as the
Norman clergy had no desire for spreading
the knowledge of the Bible among
the people for centuries those Scriptures
remained in darkness and oblivion. Yet
this time must not be considered ns
altogether lost for during those centuries
England was being fitted for an
English Bible. The future language of
the nation was being formed. The
Saxon and Norman French then struggling
side by side gradually blended and
formed the language of united England.
In 1378 John WyclifT, rector of Lutterworth
and lecturer at Oxford, boldly set
about to improve the religious corruptions
and weaknesses of his age.
The only Bible then in use in England
was the Latin version. The people
could not read a line of it and many
priests were almost as ignorant of its
contents. To bring the Bible to the
people he made the first translation of
the entire Bible into the English language.
There was no press at that
time to multiply editors of the book
but by means of manuscript copies it
was widely circulated and read. The
cost of such a book in manuscript was
so great that only the rich coula afford
to buy the complete volume. Many,
however, who had no money would give
load of farm produce for a few favorite
chapters or for permission to read it
for a certain period. In this way
Wycliff's translation was spread
throughout the country and its influence
among all classes was great.
It awakened an inquiring spirit and a
thirst after more of the divine truth.
So that men hid these nrerirmo r?or>i??n
and read them with locked doors at
night or met in the forest to hear them
expounded by preachers who went about
at thc^peril of their lives. So great
was tne effect of this revived study of i
the Bible that the priests began to be
displeased at their progress and complained
that common yen and women
who could barely read were better ac- 1
quainted with the Bible than the most J
learned of the clergy. This study was i
carried on at a terrible risk, for as the 1
rulers of the church became more and 1
more alarmed at the circulation of the 1
book they began a vigorous persecu- '
tion of all who dared to study or discuss
the bible. They knew that the best '
exposure of their corruption and selfish 1
policy Would be to exhibit the beautiful ;
and self-forgetting life of Jesus Christ ."
as recorded in the Gospels and that the [ i
knowledge of the Bible would lead men j
to see how they, as priests, were falling |
short of their duty.
This feeiing of Wycliff's opponents '
will be better understood if we notice
the position of the church in England
at that time. She had fallen into utter
subjccticn to Rome. Her people were j
neglected except for the money to be |
extorted by masses and pardons. This
state of things had gone on for centuries
ar.d the people like dumb driven
cattle h: d submitted, but a strong 1
spirit of independence was rising among J
tne people, and men were beginning to
think for themselves. The minds of
.
N
t| We solicit
|| ance of ABS(
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: THE PI
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the English people were greatly j
agitated and Wycliff felt that at suen ]
a time the firmest charter of the \
church would be the open Bible in her j
children's hands. He himself regarded j
this translation of the Bible as of far i
more importance than any of his other j
attempts to reform the English church j
and he vigorously pursued his object ij
against the most strenuous opposition. 1
Like all the earlier English transla- j
Upns WyclifT's bible was based on the
Eratin valgate of St. Jerome; and this i
is the great defeat in his work as com- :
Eared with the version that followed, j
[e was not capable of consulting the j
original Greek and Hebrew even if he ]
had had access to them and therefore, J
though he represents the Latin faithfully,
he of course hande i on its errors ;
as faithfully as its perfection. But it {
is a fine specimen of 14th centurv 11
English. He translated not for j
scholars, or for nobles, but for the {
plain people and his style wits such as j
suited those for whom he wrote?nlain, j
vigorous, homely, and yet v^th all its j
homeliness full of a solemn grace and j
dignity which made men feel that they j
were reading no ordinary book. His \
work was divided into chapters as in i
our own Bible but did not have verse j
divisions.
Scarcely had this brave Wycliff j
finished his work when death claimed
him. While bis enemies were pre- j
paring to strike more deadly blows of j
persecution, the old man was not, for ]
God took him. In him England lost one j
of her best and greatest sons, a patriot '
sternly resenting all dishonor to his '
country, a reformer who ventured . his
life for the purity of the church and ?
freedom of the Bible.
Patterson Bound Over.
Len S. Patterson, the young
white man who ran away about
ten days ago to escape service
of the warrant which had been
issued for his arrest by Magistrate
McElhaney charging him
with assault and battery^with
intent to kill, returned to Fort
Mill Monday and gave up. He
waived preliminary hearing in 1
the magistrate's court and was
bound over to the court of general i
sessions which meets in Yorkville
April 18. Bond was ar- )
ranged in the sum of, $200 with
W. L. Hall as bondsman. ,
Patterson is charged with assaulting
Clyde Kimbrell, another
young white man, with a rock in 1
an affray at the depot on Jan. 15.
Leroy Johnston, a Confederate
veteran well-known in this com- i
munity, died at his home in Mt.
Holly. N. C., Tuesday. \
Card of Thanks.
Wo wish to express our heartfelt
thanks to our friends and neighbors i
for their liberal contribution and help j
in sharing our los** which war. caused
ujr me <jaiiuury iu. we wisn also to i
thank the colored people who worked j
*o bravely to save our dwelling from
aurning.
J. P. Crowder and Family. '
FOR SALE Two Mules. 4 and 5 years
old. OSMOND BARBER. j
Lumber For Sale.
We have moved our mill .
across the river, 1-2 mile '
below the ferry. Ferriage
free to persons buying lumber.
Lumber on yard, $1.00
for ordinary bills, or deliv- )
ered on Fort Mill side of
river for $1.10.
Barber Lumber Co.,
Jim A. Barber, Mgr. ]
Thinking of Building? '
If so, let me figure with you. 1 can
lave you money. At any rate, let me I
Furnish you estimates. I use the best
jfrade of material at the lowest prices.
Mo jobs too large, none too small. ,
A. A. BRADFORD ,
Builder and Contractor, Ft Mill. S. C.
m e
S i5?33
Ki S
your business v
DLUTE SECUR]
IT
I A
LOPLES N
T. L. JOHNSTON, Prei
ttt ? i
I Building I
j1 Wood ? Cast]
We are prepared t
promptly for all kind
terial at very lowest pi
carried at all times,
happen to have in sto<
in our planing mill i
Write or Dhone us at T
m
or give your orders to
your local dealer, and 1
| Syleecau Mfe
i Rock Hill,
Why Not?!
??
Why not buy your Shoes j
5
here? We gurantee every |
pair that goes out of our ^
store to give perfect satis- ^
faction. No matter what |
the price may be, they cost ^
no more than others; then, ?
why not buy one that is $
guaranteed "good wear or a j
new pair''? ^
We also carry a full line of ^
Dry Goods, I
Notions, |
Gents' Furnishings, |
and other goods. I
Come to see us before j
buying. Our prices are right. |
We want to figure with||
you on that spring suit.
Respectfully, I
P. H. Stallings.
Why Pay Rent I
WHen $2.50 a week will |
Buy a Home? I
For Particulars see
L. A. HARRIS. %
*
MITCHELL HOTEL, ?
(Formerly Nicholson Hotel) f
CHESTER. - - S. C. $
Rates, $2 Per Day and Up. ?
S W. Mitchell, Proprietor. I
UCCES?
shth the assur- J
ITY and FAIR
:"jll
ATIONAL
sident.
4
Iron ? Steel f
o fill your orders ;o;
s of Building Ma- |gj(
rices. A large stock ||j|
and what we don't "
ck, we can get out
u once.
Mo. 115, Rock Hill,
V. B. Blankenship,
lie will send them in. fey;
j. Company, |j
IWe have just rec
Mules ever brought
sizes, from the ipid
on earth. .
Mules are high oa
jg| do, we give you a b<
1| you can possibly ge
| FORT IV
>FUL .
Money depoi
ment draws inte
if left three mon
MDVMailMMMMMHHHBHPaVI]
BANK oj
.
I
Of Interest I
To Working IVSen I
It's a mighty good thing to have money p
in the bafik when dull times come or I
when you are out of work fo* any reason.
Better lay aside a few dol' .rs every week ?
or month and be on ? safe side. You'll 5
receiv*3 4 went, interest on all your I
deposits in our Savings Department.
The Savings Bank of -Fort Mill jj
W. B. Meacham, Cashier ,
l i
eived a carload of the finest Western |||
; to Fort Mill. We have them in all ?jS
fill-* mill" ^ J GKW
v,v,vi>w.. nunc w? Hit: vun I1I1CSI *gg
rerywhere, but what we agree to do and |||
etter mule for the same money than |||
t elsewhere in this section. |||
1ILL MULE CO. I
.> <
E
--yr i. ,, '><>
"1? ^4 ?
>itea in our Savings Depart
? o +
rest at the rate of 4 oer cent, r?
??
ths or longer. tt
wwaMnRnamMWi '/<p??mo?im ?biii - nw?nr mmmmmki
f Rock Hill, S. C. 11
tt I
C. L. COBB, Cashier. I
si I