The Northern star, and constitutionalist. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1834-1837, 1835-11-28

: IRANsLATIoN OF THE SCRIPTURES. II
scene occurred in The city OF Exeter
England, on the 18th Of February last
which will pretty clearly show the sort o
spirit that is reyiving in the minds Of tn,
British nation.
The clergy Of the diocess of Exeter hat
met at the Cathedral of that city for the
purpose OF electing fit and proper repre-.
sentatives OF their body in the general
convection which was about to be held
Amongst others the Rev. Prehendury
Dennis was proposed as suitable repre-
sentative, and in bis address to the clergy
: on that occasion, he made the speech
J from which we make the following ex-
tract :.
Il The information contained in il relative
to the received translation OF the script
ures is highly interesting and important
DIR. Dennis is known in the church OF
England as a scholar, the most extensive
and profound in oriental literature, and
his assertions are entitled 10 the most i'm
pIcit credit. The subject has been much
spoken Of before by learned men, and
ought to end in new translation by a
general congress of learned men, from ev-
cry country ,shere the English language is
spoken One, by single individual, no
matter how high is qualifications, would
oser possess the weight and authority
which such a work ought to possess, above
every thing mex. to accuracy.
Georgetown Nd
The laiiy," he says, had right to
know what was doing in all matters rela-
tive to the church, since they were rem
dered liable to taxation 10 te rife ex-
tent, in the shape Of church ices. Since
the convocation has ceased 10 assemble,
and particularly within the last few years,
the taxes had not only much increased,
but new ones had been created. Among
these he instanced the banns for mar
riase than which nothing could be NOR c
illegal. He had resided in many diocess-
es, and he fearlessly asserted, that in no
country on the face ofthe earth, oriental
or otherwise, was dcspotic power exer-
cised. exceeding that by the bishops OF
this country. When he saw such occur
rences as had recently taken place in the
city Of Exeter, then did he say that the
ecclesiastical government of the country
by prelates required some check. For
this conduct, for standing up as the advo-
cate for the correction of the abuses of
church, he might be called " a seditious
and pestilent fellow )" as a greater than
he had been called long ago but the
Great Searcher Of hearts knew the purity
of his intentions, and that he had spoken
the truth. Moreover, he was prepared
to show that manv, and those important
passages in the old and new Testaments,
as standing in the received version, we're
not translated according to the granmat-
ical rules of the original tongues, but,
contrarywise, seriously affecting points Of
doctrine in concurrence with the pervert-
ed views of Luther, and Of Coverdale, the
friend Of Calvin.
He had been for some years employed
upon a new translation of the scriptures, |
and his earnest prayer was, that he may
live to complete his labors. Neither the !
doctrines of grace according to the views
of Luther, nor those Of predestination ac-
cording to the opinions OF Calvin, and
which we're to be found sprinkled about
our present version, were any where to
be met with in the original or the early
Iranslations. Certainly not in the Syriac,
The Cop,ic, the cthiopic, Arabic, or Goth
ic, or in any version Of the scriptures pr-
or 10 the time OF Luther and Calvin. lie
knew we'll that for assertions like these
ho should, by many be dscountenanced,
and probably stigmatised by those in pow
er but he was too much Of an honest
nan, he hoped, to shrink from the pro-
mitigation Of truth, that sacred thing
which as it had ever been his aim, SO
would he boldly espouse it to the day of
his doalh."
Just The thing for The Gris.-Arthur Ad-
ington, of Providence, adverlises in the
Journal Of that city that he has invented
a machine which he calls "spark caich-
A. tlxa I