16. Parker's or the Bishops' Bible

From that time, almost all the Bibles, for more than thirty-five years, were issued from the press of the Barkers, father and son; whereas previously it had afforded employment to a large number of different printers. While Elizabeth, "the throned vestal," was in all her glory, not less than one hundred and thirty different editions of the Bible and Testament were issued; eighty-five of them being of the Bible, and forty-five of the Testament. Of these editions ninety, or more than two-thirds, were of the Geneva version. Of the eighty-five issues of the entire Bible, sixty were of this latter version. The sale of so many copies, and at tenfold higher prices than are paid now, was a "sign of the times," and evinced the growing eagerness of the nation for the precious Book of God.

When James I. succeeded to the kingdom in 1603, they who desired a thorough reformation in the Church of England, and against whom the terrible Elizabeth had ever "erected her lion-port," then indulged high hopes of obtaining their desires. His Presbyterian education, and the hypocritical professions he had made with real Stuart perfidy, had raised their hopes only to dash them more cruelly to the dust. He soon gave them to understand, that, in his view, "presbytery and monarchy agreed together as well as God and the devil:" and loudly proclaimed his famous maxim of king-craft,—"No bishop, no king!" As he entered his new realm of England, he received what was called the "millenary petition," because it purported to bear the names of about a thousand ministers, though the exact number of signers is not known. The petition craved reformation of sundry abuses in the worship, ministry, revenues, and discipline of the national Church. The Universities uttered their remonstrances against this petition. The king, who was eminently qualified to perform the leading part in "the royal game of Goose," undertook to settle the business at a conference between the parties, at which he was to moderate and decide. He sent out a proclamation, "touching a meeting for the hearing, and for the determining, things pretended to be amiss in the Church.