18th Century English Versions

1729. [Daniel Mace], The New Testament in Greek and English, Containing the Original Text Corrected from the Authority of the most Authentic Manuscripts: And a New Version Form'd agreeably to the Illustrations of the Most Learned Commentators and Critics: with Notes and Various Readings, and a Copious Alphabetical Index. 2 vols. London: for J. Roberts, 1729. Daniel Mace, a Presbyterian minister in Newbury, England, published this edition anonymously for good reasons. Although some of his alterations to the Received Text anticipated the results of later editors, many were ill-founded, being capriciously chosen from the apparatus of Mill 1707 or made simply upon conjecture. Worse yet, his English translation clearly displayed Unitarian tendencies. Mace's edition was castigated by prominent scholars (Michaelis among them), and generally brought text-critical studies in England into disrepute. For an account of Mace, see H. McLachlan, "An Almost Forgotten Pioneer in New Testament Criticism," Hibbert Journal, xxxvii (1938-9), pp. 617-25.

1745. William Whiston, The Primitive New Testament. Stamford and London, 1745. In this revision of the KJV Whiston adopts the readings of the three earliest ("primitive") manuscripts which were then known to scholars. The Gospels and Acts are revised according to the Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis, the Pauline epistles according to Codex Claromontanus, and the rest according to Codex Alexandrinus. Whiston's source of information for the readings of these manuscripts was the apparatus of Mill 1707.

1750. Richard Challoner, The Holy Bible, translated from the Latin Vulgat: diligently compared with the Hebrew, Greek, and other editions in divers languages, and first published by the English College at Doway, Anno 1609 : newly revised, and corrected, according to the Clementin edition of the scriptures : with annotations for clearing up the principal difficulties of Holy Writ. [Dublin?], 1750. Further information.

1755. John Wesley, Explanatory notes upon the New Testament. London: William Boyer, 1755. Reprinted 1757, with further editions in 1760, 1790 (abridged), and 1837. The 1790 reprint was published under the title, The New Testament, with an Analysis of the several Books and Chapters (London: at the New Chapel, 1790). One printing appeared under the title, The New Testament with Notes, for Plain Unlettered Men who know only their Mother Tongue. Further information.

1764. Anthony Purver, A new and literal translation of all the books of the Old and New Testament; with notes critical and explanatory. 2 Vols. London: W. Richardson and S. Clark, 1764. Often called "The Quaker Bible," because Purver was a Quaker.

1768. Edward Harwood, A Liberal Translation of the New Testament; being An Attempt to translate the Sacred Writings with the same Freedom, Spirit, and Elegance, With which other English Translations from the Greek Classics have lately been executed ... with select Notes, Critical and Explanatory. 2 Vols. London: for T. Becket and Others, 1768. Harwood's "liberal translation" is a decidedly foppish paraphrase of the New Testament. For example, the first petition of the Lord's Prayer: "O Thou great governour and parent of universal nature - who manifestest thy glory to the blessed inhabitants of heaven - may all thy rational creatures in all the parts of thy boundless dominion be happy in the knowledge of thy existence and providence, and celebrate thy perfections in a manner most worthy of thy nature and perfective of their own!"

1790. William Gilpin, An Exposition of the New Testament; intended as an introduction to the study of the Scriptures, by pointing out the leading sense and connection of the sacred writers. London: for R. Blamire, 1790. 2nd edition, 1793. A paraphrastic modern speech version.

1791. Gilbert Wakefield, A Translation of the New Testament. 3 Vols. London: Philanthropic Press, 1791. 2nd edition, 1795. Reprinted 1820. Featured a paragraphed text with verse numbers in the margin. Wakefield was a prominent Unitarian minister.

1795. Thomas Haweis, A Translation of the New Testament from the original Greek. Humbly attempted with a view to assist the unlearned with clearer and more explicit views of the mind of the Spirit in the Scriptures of Truth. London: printed for T. Chapman, 1795. An original version by one of the founders of the London Missionary Society.

1796. William Newcome, An Attempt toward revising our English Translation of the Greek Scriptures, or the New Covenant of Jesus Christ; and toward illustrating the sense by philological and explanatory notes. 2 Vols. London: for J. Johnson; Dublin: John Exshaw, 1796. A revision of the KJV by Archbishop Newcome, based on the text of Griesbach 1774. This was the first English version to represent Griesbach's new critical text.

1798. Nathaniel Scarlett, ed., A Translation of the New Testament from the Original Greek, humbly attempted by Nathaniel Scarlett, assisted by men of piety and literature. London: Printed by T. Gillet; F. & C. Rivington, 1798. The collaborating "men of piety and literature" were all of Universalist convictions. They included James Creighton (Anglican), William Vidler (Universalist), and John Cue (Sandemanian).