S7: Saints, Martyrs, and Unsung Heroes

E1: The Wisest Fool

Loud, rude, conceited, egotistic, hot tempered, hard drinking, foul mouthed and bisexual. These are just some of the words that historians have assigned to King James I. Yes, that King James who commissioned a Bible translation we know as the Authorized Version. I cannot help thinking that Sir Anthony Weldon (1583-1648) was correct when he called King James “the wisest fool in Christendom.”

Who was this King? 

James was the son of Mary, Queen of Scotland who was a staunch Roman Catholic herself. James was also the great-great grandson of Henry VII who ruled Ireland. So, after Queen Elizabeth of England died leaving no heir in the House of Tudor, James came down from Scotland and did the unthinkable. He united the crowns of England, Ireland, and Scotland disposing the House of Tudor and inaugurating the House of Stuart.

Why was King James called wise?

Uniting the three crowns was no mean feat, but a greater task lay before him. The Puritans met James on his journey from Scotland to London with something called the Millenary Petition. It contained over 1000 signatures of Protestant ministers requesting religious reform and renewal in England. Fueled by Foxe’s Book of Martyrs the Puritans outrightly rejected the Catholic way of life that had become a significant influence in the country.

James did not like the Puritans one bit saying, “I shall make them conform or I will harry them out of this land or do worse.”[1] Ultimately, he did “harry them out” with many leaving on the Mayflower in 1620. Prior to this on January 12, 1604 James called a conference with the Puritans. He ferociously opposed them on everything in their petition except one item – a translation of the Bible that was accessible to the English-speaking world. James said, “I have never yet seen a Bible well translated. But I think the Geneva is the worst.”[2]

So, in 1604 James commissioned the Authorized Bible which was completed in 1611.[3] It is this commission that Sir Anthony Weldon called “wise”. The King James Version of the Bible was produced in a cultural era of exquisite writing from the likes of Shakespeare, Donne, Jonson, and Bacon. They wrote some of the finest and enduring poetry and drama. It was also the time of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 led by Robert Catesby and the provincial Catholics in their failed attempt to assassinate James and blow-up Parliament.

What convinced King James that the Puritans were correct?

He was highly religious and trained in theology attending church every day. Though he was baptized a Catholic in Scotland, he was raised in Presbyterian tradition learning the Anglican way of life during his reign from London. His devotion to learning and adventure are etched into history. However, this observation begs an obvious question.

Why was King James called foolish?

He was a living paradigm: a grasp of theology and devotion to the church but lived a contemptuous and lascivious life. Though James loved his wife Anna and the children they conceived together,[4] historians strongly suggest his friendship with the Duke of Buckingham, the Duke of Lennox, and the Earl of Somerset was sexual. At this point, I would wage that you are reaching for a King James Version of the Bible to read the Preface in order to validate such a claim. Well, you certainly won’t find it in the Preface, but you will find it in good research material.[5] 

Now, I am not condoning a lascivious bisexual lifestyle any more than I am trying to slam dunk the Catholic Church, condone murder, adultery, covetousness, or promote the Crown of England.

Nevertheless, I do want to highlight some thought.

Though King James was well-versed in Scripture, a robust grasp of theology does not, in itself, produce a Christian life. When it comes to theology, the influence of agnostic theism[6] in universities and colleges, largely propagated by professors, completely divorces personal redemption from the existence of God. Also, though the church has always believed in the biblical narrative as historical fact, many theological professors view them as myth.

Sometimes, pastors tend to elevate the historical into the ideal, which inevitably fails because culture in itself is fluid: what is in today is out tomorrow, and what cannot be upgraded is thrown away. Think about that in terms of core beliefs. Others simply bend to the current beliefs of the people that could be termed as “woke theology”.

Considering all this, within my lifetime core beliefs found in the biblical narrative have been undermined: Incarnation, Virgin Birth, Christ as the Son of God, and the Resurrection. Drop into a lecture in most prestigious universities and colleges and you will find these aspects of theology are discussed, debated, taught, and presented as myth. Consequently, we can no longer say the church as a whole currently believes in the biblical narrative as historical fact. If anything, it is drifting towards myth. 

So, while I salute King James I for accomplishing the wise task of commissioning the Authorized Version of the Bible, I wholeheartedly honor the unsung pastor, professor, and teacher, who “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he [Christ] who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).  

[1] Miller, Rev. Marmaduke and Rev. G. G. Lawrence. Union of the Church and State: Origin of Church Property. London: William Macintosh. 1869, 23.

[2] Schaff, Philip. The Creeds of Christendom: History of the Creeds Vol. 1 Pt. 2. NY, New York, Cosimo Classics. 2007, 709.

[3] I have an original page from a 1611 King James Bible framed in my office next to a portrait of this vice-ridden king.

[4] Three lived to adult life.

[5] Young, B. Michael. King James and the History of Homosexuality. Stroud, UK: Fonthill Media. 2016.

[6] An agnostic theist believes in the existence of a God or gods but regards the basis of this proposition as unknown or inherently unknowable.