The Express.
London, England, 1856-12-18 00:00:00

REVISION OF THE BIBLE.

Last night Mr. Black delivered the third sad lut
of Ms Intense es the moist's of the Bible is Bt. Martto'ir
hall ; Mr. W TIADISON is the chair.

Oa the premise occasion Mr. Black diseased the °Nee-
Om against the proposed revision, sad pointed oat the
mans of accomplishing that object. The first objection
which he should soda was that which assured them that
the present edition of the Bible was sulkiest for all par-
poses—that was to say, that there war no necessity at all for
a revision. He wished It to be understood that he was not
'clematis/ • sew tnnalaticia, which was sot theasau ; but
• sew nation, which was smeary. Protestants, who
Minded their taigas on the Bible, ought to have that
book as pure and se correct as possible ; sad whoa it was
admitted, as protestants did admit, that there were errors
in the current editioa the whole case was given up. The
book on which a religion was [Goaded could not be too free
from error, because the more error was expunged the clearer
the truth would appear. Then it was said that the present
was not ea opportune time for the proposed revision.
This wee the ordinary objectioa made to every reform sad
proposed improvement. Bat in regard to the Bible Is par-
asite', its nada, It the book was faulty, could not be
carried out too sees. Now was the soesptable time for such
a work. Thee It was said that the new capable of enmities
such a task were not to be found. Thera never was a more
frivolous and futile objestioa. It was absurd to suppose
that thus were not an fa Oxford and Cambridge, and
other seats of leaning, who were peMetly capable of es.
eating sea • work. The works published in recent trees
on ballad criticism were both numereas and profound, and
showed that people felt a deep interest in the true reading
of the scriptures. Then objectioa was take to • "public'
maim, but the very use who urged this objection made
the of • Bible published by authority. There were, no
doubt, professional prejediess against, a avian; bat was so
important a work to be postponed because of the prejudices
of the pumas t The objestas to • public revision of the
scripture ware sot the profound scholars sad
de
thinkers of the day, bat the third sad fourthi
rate di
they vines, whets, though they might have 'biased
a areas amount of popularity, no body woold ever think of
ti2in to assist Is so
_great a work. Were to Isom
ticial lathers of Mamma and Calabash, and Lieb-
mann and Mill, and pin their faith to what was waking
bettor then a printer's edition ? He had no doubt that the
sometime made in the Greek toot of the Bible by Case
leased men must be admitted by say 0011MIlielli011 cc echo'
lase in this soma, appointed by the Clasen. Were they
to adhere to lupin of the Greek Testament which did not
go beck beyond the edition of the Elamite, when they had
the Alesaadrine 118. in the British Masan, which seri
taialy was sot later than the fifth or sloth watery ? Where
differences of opialmealsted as to the seamy of the teat
or the aiming cf • partlcular passage, that differenceor
opinion should be candidly stated la the amis. As an in-
states of this he referred to the words in the Lord's Prayer,
" Give ea this day our daily bread," where the Greek word
translated "daily"—namely, itharthr—commed for the
first time. No when else in the WM of Greek literature was
the void to b found. In the vulgate It was translated
"quotidiasum," sad In another ver.ies " sapereabstaatio
Ism." His own opinion was, that It meat " tomorrow's "
and sot " daily," sad 'that the pseesge should nu, Give
es
this day our tothorrthes ." Bat, at all events, the
diktat, shield be at before the reader. It was said it
we be Meadvsstegeoss to mettle sea's 'Wads. Bet
mes'e Wads were *seated long age by suet men as
Wisp Nowesube and Dr. Lewd, and other learned
ethelan mad Maass, who told shoat that the pusses trans-
lation was fall of sambesless MOM Mr. Black then advo-
cated Maims of a masaissica of Inquiry is the first place,
sad after that the appoithassat eta oommissioa of revisers.
He should be satisfied it such a riossisissios were comma
of the ratite professors of the different astvenities ; L.r la
the patent state of public °Mies, be felt coefideot that
such men mould sot Ignore the results of mast bibliesl
criticism. It would seat be to draw up the rules
which the eciataissimen were to follow, and for this par-
pees the rules of Bishop Newcombe would perhaps be
deemed sufficient, with some slight atodifissUms. The
Bible that proeeeded from the bands of such • oonamission
should be signed by the iambus who composed it, sad
these of them who differed from the judgment of the
majority should be essepelled to state their otkoticas,
sad give their owe readies or rendering in a body of toms,
or In some other form which would be accessible t. all
the world. The elisions of one =ma would be • Meek
on those of soother, and it seek was obliged to append
his name to the traulation or revision he thought best,
the pubic would have all the security it mid require
for a correct translation of the Bible. (Aiplaiise )
A vote of *asks wee gives to Mr. Black for his Motu*.