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God agrees with the devil。 If you have no bishop； you will soon have no
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king。〃 He was perfectly right； with reference to the kind of king he meant。
These things were to be settled； he meant； by authority； and not by
conference。 That is the point to which Gardiner refers when he says that
〃in two minutes James sealed his own fate and that of England forever。〃＇1＇
＇1＇ History of England； 1603…42。
After that there was only a losing fight for the petitioners。 They had
touched a sore spot in James's history。 But it was when they touched that
sore spot again that they started the movement for a new version of the
Bible。 It was on the second day of the conference； January 16th； that Dr。
Reynolds； president of Corpus Christi College； Oxford； who represented
the moderate Puritan position； and； like many moderate men； was rather
suspected by both extreme wings； instanced as one of the hardships of the
Puritans that they were compelled to use the prayer…book of the time； and
that it contained many mistranslations of Scripture； some of which he
quoted。 Now； it so happens that the errors to which he referred occur in the
Bishops' and the Great Bible； which were the two authorized versions of
the time； but are all corrected in the Genevan version。 We do not know
what point he was trying to make； whether he was urging that the Genevan
version should supplant these others； or whether he was calling for a new
translation。 Indeed； we are not sure that he even mentioned the Genevan
version。 But James spoke up to say that he had never yet seen a Bible well
translated into English； but the worst of all he thought the Genevan to be。
He spoke as though he had just had a copy given him by an English lady；
and had already noted what he called its errors。 That was at the very least a
royal evasion； for if there was any Book he did know it was the Genevan
version。 He had been fairly raised on it； he had lived in the country where
it was commonly used。 It had been preached at him many and many a time。
Indeed； he had used it as the text for that paraphrase of the Revelation of
which we spoke a moment ago。 And he knew its noteswell he knew
them knew that they were from republican Geneva； and that kingly
pretensions had short shrift with them。 James told the conference that
these notes were 〃very partial； untrue； seditious； savoring too much of
traitorous and dangerous conceits；〃 supporting his opinion by two
instances which seemed disrespectful to royalty。 One of these instances
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was the note on Exodus 1：17； where the Egyptian midwives are said to
have disobeyed the king in the matter of destroying the children。 The note
says： 〃Their disobedience to the king was lawful； though their dissembling
was not。〃 James quoted that； and said： 〃It is false； to disobey the king is
not lawful； and traitorous conceits should not go forth among the people。〃
Some of the High Church party objected that there were translations
enough already； but it struck James's fancy to set them all aside by another
version； which he at once said he would order。 It was to be made by the
most learned of both universities； then to be revised by the bishops and
other Church dignitaries； then presented to the Privy Council； and finally
to be passed upon by himself。 There is the echo of some sharp Scotch
experiences in his declaration that there were to be no marginal notes in
that new version。
When they looked back on the conference； the Puritans felt that they
had lost everything； and the High Church people that they had gained
everything。 One of the bishops； in a very servile way； and on his knee；
gave thanks to God for having given the country such a king； whose like
had never been seen since Christ was on earth。 Certainly hard times were
ahead for the Puritans。 The King harried them according to his word。
Within sixteen years some of them landed at Plymouth Rock； and things
began to happen on this side。 That settlement at Plymouth was the
outcome of the threat the King had made at the Hampton Court
conference。
But looking back one can see that the conference was worth while for
the beginning of the movement for the new version。 The King was true to
his word in this line also； and before the year was out had appointed the
fifty…four best Bible scholars of the realm to make the new version。 They
were to sit in six companies of nine each； two at Oxford； two at
Cambridge； and two at Westminster。 The names of only forty…seven of
them have come down to us； and it is not known whether the other seven
were ever appointed； or in what way their names have been lost。 It must be
said for the King that the only principle of selection was scholarship； and
when those six groups of men met they were men of the very first rank；
with no peers outside their own numberswith one exception； and that
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exception is of some passing interest。 Hugh Broughton was probably the
foremost Hebrew scholar of England； perhaps of the world； at the time；
and apparently he was not appointed on the committee。 Chiefly； it seems
to have been because he was a man of ungovernable temper and utterly
unfitted to work with others。 Failure to appoint him； however； bit and
rankled； and the only keen and sharp criticism that was passed on the
version in its own day was by Hugh Broughton。 He sent word to the King；
after it was completed； that as for himself he would rather be rent to pieces
by wild horses than have had any part in the urging of such a wretched
version of the Bible on the poor people。 That was so manifestly pique；
however； that it is only to be regretted that the translation did not have the
benefit of his great Hebrew knowledge。 John Selden； at his prime in that
day； voiced the feeling of most scholars of the times； that the new
translation was the best in the world and best gave the sense of the