The following are biographical sketches of the actual translators:

JOHN BOGERMAN, or BOYGERMAN, D. D. the president of the synod of Dort, was professor of divinity in the university of Franeker, after having been pastor of the church of Leuwarden. He was violent in his adherence to the doctrines of Calvinism, and is said to have maintained, that heretics ought to be put to death. He died in 1640.49

WILLIAM BAUDART was born at Deinse, in Flanders, in 1565. His parents being obliged to quit their country on account of religion, removed first to Cologne, and afterwards to Embden, where he studied the languages with diligence and success. On his admittance into

holy orders, he was invited to become the pastor of the church of Sueek, in Friezland, and subsequently to that of Zutphen. He was a man of uncommon industry, and so fond of literary employment, that he chose for his motto, "Labor mihi quies," "Labour to me is rest.” He died at Zutphen, in 1640.50

51

GERSON BUCER was pastor of the church of Veriana, in Zealand, and died in 1632, before the Dutch translation of the Bible was completed; and was succeeded as translator by ANTHONY THYSIUS, D. D. who was born at Harderwyck, about A. D. 1603; and became professor of theology, and also of poetry and eloquence, at Leyden, where he was librarian to the university. He was celebrated as a philologer, and published several learned works, besides editions of many classic authors. He died in 1670.5

JACOBUS ROLAND was pastor of the church of Amster

(49) Le Long, I. Index Auctor. p. 546.

Brandt's Hist. of the Reformation, ut sup.

(50) Chalmers, IV. p. 167.

(51) Le Long, I. Index Auctor. p. 547.

(52) Chalmers, XXIX. p. 358.

Leusdeni Heb.-Mixt. p. 80.

{

dam, and assessor of the synod of Dort. He died when the translation of the New Testament had advanced to the "Acts of the Apostles."

ANTHONY WALEUS, D. D. was a native of Ghent, where he was born October 3rd, 1573, of an ancient and distinguished family. After receiving a liberal education, he travelled for improvement, and studied at different universities, under the most celebrated professors. Having assumed the pastoral character, he officiated at various places, latterly at Leyden, where he was also professor of divinity. He died July 9th, 1639.**

FESTUS HOMMIUS was a native of Friezland, born in 1576. He was pastor of the church of Leyden; and doctor and professor of divinity. At the synod of Dort he acted as secretary, and distinguished himself by his opposition to the Arminians, or Remonstrants. He assisted Walæus in the translation of the Apocrypha ; and added the "Index," and "Parallel Passages," to the New Testament. Le Long places his death in 1632.55

After the publication of the authorized Belgic, or Dutch Bible, editions of it were rapidly multiplied, and extensively circulated. Numerous editions of the Louvain, or Catholic version, as well as of the other former translations, were also printed and disseminated throughout the Netherlands. Nor were there wantiug laborious and learned men, who attempted to form and publish versions which might correct the imperfections of preceding ones. Of this number were Henry Leempute, and Andreas Vander Schuren, among the Catholics; and Christian Hartsoeker, and Adam Boreel, among the Reformed. HENRY LEEMPUTE, or LEMPUT, a Dutchman, revised

(53) Le Long, I. p. 413.

Leusden, ut sup.

(54) Batesii Vitæ Select. Viror. in Vit. Walai, p. 600, Lond. 1681, 4to. Chalmers, XXX. p. 487.

(55) Moreri, Grand Dict. Historique, III. p. 169. Amstel. 1724, fol. Le Long, I. p. 413; et Index Auctor. p. 562.

and published two editions of the Belgic, or Dutch New TESTAMENT, in folio, at Antwerp, the first without date; the second in 1646.

ANDREAS VANDER SCHUREN, who was also a native of the Belgic provinces, translated the NEW TESTAMENT of the French version of Mons, into the vernacular tongue of his countrymen, in 1689-90, of which several editions were printed. He died A. D. 1718.

CHRISTIAN HARTSOEKER, a German minister of the Arminian church at Rotterdam, translated the NEW TESTAMENT from the Greek, and published his translation with short notes, Amsterdam, 1680, 12mo.

ADAM BOREEL, a learned Mennonite, born in the province of Zealand, translated the GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW, and the EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS, into Dutch. After his death, which happened in 1666, these translations were printed with the Greek, Amsterdam, 1693, 4to.56

The Reformation being established in the United Provinces, Biblical literature was cultivated and encouraged by the leading characters in the different States; and the press enjoying a liberty unknown in Catholic countries, numerous editions of the Scriptures issued from it, so that Le Long enumerates 210 editions of the whole, or of separate portions, of the Bible, printed at Amsterdam alone, during this century. The eminent divines and Biblical critics of the reformed church were numerous, and the names of DRUSIUS, AMAMA, GROTIUS, and CocCEIUS, are still pronounced with veneration.

The inhabitants of the United Provinces having at the beginning of the seventeenth century thrown off the Spanish yoke, and carried their victorious arms into the East, where they gained possession of some of the most valuable colonies belonging to the crown of Portugal, adopted measures for the diffusion of the reformed (56) Le Long, I. pp. 414, 415; et Index Auctor.

religion in their newly acquired territories. Clergymen and schoolmasters were appointed in Ceylon, Java, and other places in the East, under the protection of the Dutch governors; and care was taken to translate portions of the Scriptures, into the MALAYAN, FORMOSAN, and PORTUGUESE tongues.

The first who attempted to translate the Sacred Scriptures into the MALAYAN tongue, was JOHN VAN HASEL, one of the directors of the Dutch East India Company, who had acquired the language during his residence in the East Indies. Having translated the GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW, he presented it, about the year 1612, to the governor of the company; and afterwards translated the other Gospels, of ST. MARK, ST. LUKE, and ST. JOHN. Nearly at the same time, ALBERT, son of CORNELIUS RUYL, presented to the governor, another translation of the GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW, which being deemed superior to the other, was ordered to be printed, but was delayed a considerable time, and at length published at Enchusa, in 1629, 4to. with a version of the GOSPEL OF ST. MARK, by the same translator, and the Dutch translation of both Evangelists. A second edition was printed at Amsterdam, in 1638. In 1646, the GOSPELS OF ST. LUKE, and ST. JOHN, were published at Amsterdam, from the version of VAN HASEL, in 4to. In 1648, the FIRST FIFTY PSALMS, in Malay and Dutch, were published at Amsterdam, in 4to. by J. VAN HASEL, and JusTUS HEURN. In 1651, the FOUR GOSPELS were republished, more correctly, with a version of the ACTS OF THE APOSTLES by JUST. HEURN, at Amsterdam, in 4to.— JUSTUS HEURN was pastor of the Dutch church in the East Indies fifteen years. He revised the version of the Four Gospels by Ruyl and Van Hasel, by collating it with the Greek text, and the Belgic, or Dutch translation of 1637; and added a new version of the Acts of the Apostles. This edition was accompanied with the autho

rized Dutch version; and was undertaken by order, and at the expense, of the Dutch East India Company. In 1662, DANIEL BROWER, a Dutch minister, published the book of GENESIS in the Malay tongue, with the Dutch authorized version, at Amsterdam, 4to.; and in 1668, the same author, who had first officiated as a minister of the Gospel at home, and then gone to the East in the same capacity, translated and published the whole NEW TESTAMENT in MALAY, at Amsterdam, in large 8vo., or 4to. by order, and at the charge of the Dutch East India Company. The PSALMS translated by VAN HASEL and HEURNIUS, were published at Amsterdam, in Malay and Dutch, 1689, 4to. A second edition of GENESIS, in Malay, was published in 1687, 4to.7

The Dutch having formed a settlement on the western part of FORMOSA, Mr. Robert Junius, of Delft, was sent by the senate of the United Provinces to introduce Christianity among the Pagan inhabitants. Such was his success, that he is said to have baptized 5900 converts, and planted 23 churches, beside appointing schoolmasters in different places, by whom about 600 children were taught to read. He is also said to have composed certain prayers, collected the chief articles of religion, and translated various PSALMS into the Formosan language. He afterwards returned to his native country. Several other

ministers from Holland also laboured in this island, particularly DANIEL GRAVIUS, who translated the GOSPELS OF ST. MATTHEW and ST. JOHN into the Formosan tongue, printed at Amsterdam, 1661, 4to. The translation of these Gospels was followed, the next year, by a Catechism in Formosan and Dutch, by Simon Vanbreen and John Happart, printed at Amsterdam, 1662, 4to. But it is probable these works never reached Formosa, or were but of little use to the inhabitants, as the Dutch were

(57) Le Long, pt, ii. vol. I. sec. 11, pp. 194-196. edit. Masch,

Asiatic Researches, X. Essay iii. p. 187. Lond. 1811, 8vo.