[Steven Avery]

Hi Folks,

And one of the earlier quoters, from before the time of the King James Bible translation, is more fully available. (Incidentally, more than one of those earlier quotes was connected with men involved in the King James Bible, although perhaps only one was directly a translator, as indicated.)

On post 30 we had:

John Whitgift
A godlie sermon preched before the Queenes Maiestie... (1574)
"...ye straine at a Gnat, & swallow..."

These next are from around 1575-1590.

http://books.google.com/books?id=a6ANAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA80
The life and acts of John Whitgift D. D the Third and Last Lord Archbishop of Canterbury in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth Vol III by John Strype (orig 1718)

Ob modicas causas scindunt pacem Ecclesiae, et corpus In' Christi :

e. For slight causes they break the peace of the Church, and the body of Christ; saith one, of his time. Another saith, Loquuntur pacem, fyc. i. e. Peace is in their mouth, but contention in their actions. These be they, of whom Christ speaketh, They straine at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

Also in another book, we see Whitgift using the phrase both ways, and being accused of being a Pharisee who strains at gnats .

http://books.google.com/books?id=WDMJAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA522
The Works of John Whitgift

and these, walking in the streets, bang down their heads, look austerely, and in company sigh much, and seldom or never laugh : the Pharisees strained out a gnat, and swallowed down a camel.

Whereas M. Doctor compareth us with the Pharisees, and saith we do all to be seen of men, and that we hold down our heads in the streets, and strain at a gnat swallowing down a camel; because they are in all men's knowledge, I will leave it to them to judge of the truth of those things.

Shalom,
Steven