The Church of England makers of th
e KJV were persecutors.
KJV translators George Abbot and Lancelot Andrewes were two of the Church of England divines who urged the burning at the stake of Bartholomew Legate in March of 1611 (Paine,
Men Behind the KJV, p. 142). George Abbot even presided over the proceedings (
Ibid., p. 93).
The Dictionary of National Biography pointed out that Legate and Edward Wightman were brought before the court of George Abbot and that "Abbot was from the first resolved that no mercy should be shown them" (p. 11). This reference work also pointed out that "Abbot was constantly in attendance in the high commission court and tried to enforce conformity in the church with consistent love of order" (
Ibid., p. 18). Andrewes was also a member of the infamous Court of High Commission and the Court of Star Chamber (
Sermons, p. xxi). William Pierce maintained that Andrewes had been “one of the agents in carrying out of Whitgift’s oppressive system and especially as a press censor” (
Historical Introduction, p. 127). While he worked on the KJV, Thomas Ravis "was highly active as a hated scourge," harassing and persecuting those who would not fully submit to the Church of England (Paine,
Men Behind the KJV, p. 93). Alexander McClure also noted that the prelate Thomas Ravis was "a fierce persecutor of the Puritans" (
KJV Translators Revived, p. 150). Geddes MacGregor observed that Ravis “swore to oust those whose Puritan leanings made them reluctant to conform” (
Literary History, p. 200). Thomas Bilson, who helped edit and revise the final draft of the KJV, also "carried on the holy warfare" against the Puritans and insisted that they wear the surplice and hood (Paine,
Men Behind the KJV, p. 96). Thomas Smith also confirmed that Bilson "treated the Puritans with uncommon severity" (
Select Memoirs, p. 322). Along with KJV translators Lancelot Andrewes, George Abbot, Thomas Ravis, co-editor Thomas Bilson, and Archbishop Richard Bancroft, other KJV translators were also members of the High Commission Court and Star Chamber that persecuted professed believers. Roland Usher's list of the commissions in the province of Canterbury included KJV translators John Bois, Arthur Lake, John Layfield, Nicolas Love, James Montague, John Overall, Sir Henry Savile, Miles Smith, and Giles Thompson (
Rise and Fall of the High Commission, pp. 345-359).
In a treatise presented to King James in 1614, Leonard Busher, a Baptist, stated: "Those bishops which persuade the king and Parliament to burn, banish, and imprison for difference of religion are bloodsuckers and manslayers" (Goadby,
Bye-Paths, p. 57; Underhill,
Tracts, pp. 38-39). Leonard Busher also wrote: "They cannot be Christ's bishops and preachers that persuade princes and peoples to such antichristian tyranny and cruelty" (
Plea, p. 27; Cramp,
Baptist History, p. 293; Underhill,
Tracts, p. 60). Busher added that the bishops showed clearly by their persecutions that "their doctrine is not good, and that they want [lack] the word and Spirit of God" (Cramp, p. 293). Busher noted that "persecution for religion is to force the conscience; and to force and constrain men and women's consciences to a religion against their wills, is to tyrannize over the soul, as well as over the body" (
Tracts, p. 34). Busher maintained that "the bishops in forcing men and women's consciences do therein play the antichrist, as well as the popes" (
Ibid., p. 35). J. Newton Brown noted that during the reign of King James that "bishops were still found who determined to persecute the Baptists even to death" (
Memorials of Baptist Martyrs, p. 240). John Jeffcoat III confirmed that “the Church of England continued to persecute Protestants throughout the 1600’s” (
www.Greatsite.com). Even Peter Ruckman asserted that “one trait of popish persons” was that “they would burn people at the stake if they disagreed with them doctrinally” (
History of N. T. Church, II, p. 12). Should believers today follow the bad example of these saintly, "exemplary," and "spiritually qualified" translators?
Can believers completely trust these translators who were persecutors of believers?
D. A. Waite alleged that the fact of the involvement of several of the KJV translators in the persecution of separatists and believers “has not foundation in fact” and that “it is not” true (
Critical Answer to Michael Sproul’s, p. 86), but he is misinformed.
