This article examines A Chronology of the English Bible in the 17th Century from 1602-1697 and Lists the Events in the History of the English Versions of Scripture.
1602. Last edition of Bishops’ Bible.
1603. James I made king of England.
1604. English bishops and Puritan leaders meet with King James in the Hampton Court Conference. Revision of Bishops’ Bible proposed. King James nominates revision committee of 54 scholars. • First English dictionary published by Robert Cawdry.
1605. English Romanists attempt to blow up Parliament in the “Gunpowder plot,” arousing great and lasting public indignation against Rome. • Death of Theodore Beza.
1607. Work on King James Bible begun.
1608. Pilgrim Fathers leave England for Holland.
1609. Douay Old Testament (translated from the Latin) published by English Roman Catholics living in France.
1611. King James Bible (dedicated to James) published and authorized in England.
1615. Archbishop Abbot forbids printing of the Bible without Apocrypha.
1616. Birth of John Owen. • Death of Shakespeare.
1618. Beginning of Thirty Years War on Continent.
1619. Synod of Dort condemns Arminianism as heresy, propounds five points of orthodox Calvinism.
1620. Pilgrims land at Plymouth.
1624. Elzevir’s first Greek New Testament • Louis Cappel publishes his opinion that the vowel points of the Hebrew text were added by rabbis in the fifth century.
1625. Charles I (Romanist) made king of England.
1627. William Ames’ Marrow of Theology spreads knowledge of Dutch Covenant Theology in England.
1633. Elzevir’s 2nd Greek New Testament • William Laud (Romanist) is made Archbishop of Canterbury, begins to persecute Puritans. Forbids importation of the Geneva Bible.
1643. Puritan Solemn League and Covenant for Reformation and Defense of Religion sworn throughout Scotland and England.
1642. Parliament raises an army and makes war against the despotic king Charles and his Romanizing bishops. • Brian Walton (Romanist) deprived of office. • Parliament closes theaters of England.
1643. Westminster Assembly convened.
1645. Archbishop Laud put to death.
1647. Westminster Confession published.
1648. Parliament adopts the Westminster Confession of Faith, establishing Calvinistic doctrine and presbyterianism in England. • Buxtorf assails Cappel’s view of the Hebrew vowel points. • Peace of Westphalia ends the Thirty Years War on the continent, legitimizes Calvinism.
1649. King Charles I put to death. Cromwell rules as “Protector of the Commonwealth.” • John Owen (Puritan) preferred to offices. • George Fox disrupts church service in Nottingham, begins preaching Quakerism.
1650. Louis Cappel’s book advocating critical reconstruction of the Hebrew text is published in Paris by his son Jean, after turning Roman Catholic. Publication of the work had been prevented by Cappel’s opponents in Protestant lands.
1651. Thomas Hobbes’ The Leviathon.
1657. Brian Walton publishes the London Polyglot with revision of Hebrew vowel points, several ancient versions, and appendix of various readings of the Greek manuscripts.
1658. Death of Cromwell. • John Owen deprived of office.
1659. Walton’s Polyglot assailed by John Owen.
1660. Monarchy restored with king Charles II. • Walton made a bishop.
1662. New England churches begin to admit unconverted members under the “Half-Way Covenant.”
1665. Great Plague of London kills over 68,000.
1666. Great Fire of London.
1667. Milton writes Paradise Lost.
1675. John Fell’s Greek New Testament with critical annotations. • Helvetic Consensus Formula maintains verbal inerrancy of Scripture, inspiration of vowel points in the traditional Hebrew text (against Cappel and Walton).
1678. Bunyan writes Pilgrim’s Progress.
1679. Publication of the first volume of Francis Turretin’s Institutio Theologiae Elencticae.
1683. Death of John Owen.
1685. Death of Charles II. He is succeeded by a Roman Catholic king, James II.
1688. James II deposed by Parliament, and replaced by William of Orange, with regulation for Protestant succession and greatly enlarged powers of Parliament. Threat of Romanism forever ended in England.
1689. Toleration Act of parliament grants freedom of worship to all Protestants except Unitarians. • Richard Simon (French Roman Catholic) publishes first treatise on textual criticism in Paris.
1690. John Locke’s Essay concerning Human Understanding.
1695. Abolition of censorship in England.
1697. Blasphemy Act of Parliament bars Unitarians, Deists and atheists from public office. A Chronology of the English Bible in the 17th Century from 1602-1697 as explained in this article shows the events that took place during the period in chronological order.
