The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-09-09
Dali Y .JOU RN AL.
The RibIp


toric sketch of the Bible, which we think
will be interesting to our readers, and we
quote it in full.
The books that compose the Bible were
first collected under that name by John
Chrysostom, at Coustantinople, in the fifth
century. For several centuries after il was
translated only into Latin. There was no
English version of it in print at all at the time
OF the Reformation, nor until some years al
ter the establishment of the Presbyterian,
the Anglican, aud the Lutheran churches.
w hatever doctrines the early Reformers
promulgated, they drew from the Latin ver-
sion, then as now, published and sanctioned
by the Roman Catholic Church. In 1889
the first English translation was printed,
made by John Wyeliife.
Others were soon after put forth by Tyndal
Coyerdale aud Mathew. Ii these good men
had been as learned they were ppus, their
versions would not have abounded, as they
do, i'm omiss ons and blunders in grammar
and spelling. II was 10 correct these de-
fects, and to supply the people Of Great Brit
ain with an AUTHENTIC and carefully made
version, that the two TRANSACTIONS were
commented in the latter part of he same
century; the one at Lundon, by a cohvocation
OF English divines aud nguists, and the 9th
err by convOration OF English divines nd
linguists, and the other by u similar convoca-
lion, of English divines and lnguists, and
the other by a similar convention, about th e
same time, at Douay, small town in the
north OF France. These came Immediately
into use in England; the one by the Protest
ants, the other by the Catholics. Both were
made from the Greek text, and both follow
1T. as nearly as possible, word Tor word.
Both, like all Transitions, doubtless have i'm.
projections. But th,y resemble each other
so closely that not one man in hundred
could tell the difference, excepted by looking
at the title pages.
Put the London version, of which he has
such dread, into the hands of Laurence
Donahoe, and even with the priest 10 help
him, he would be puzzled TO find q single
sentence that conflicts with the doctrines of
his church. Put tie Douay version into the
hands Of this School Committee, who are so
much afraid of il. and il they can find doc
trne therein that is not preached from Pro-
testant puIPits, they are wise beyond their
generation.
Yet from the quarrel they have got into
one world suppose there were two, difiere nj
Bibles, with Two different creeds, instead Of
two transatiOns OF one and the same thing.
About the only point OF difference be
tween the versions that have ever been made
the occasion at doc,riEal dispute, is the trans
lation OF the Greek would metaROid. In our
version il is redcred repentance" In the
Deuay version II is rendered" penance:" and
On later editions, with a note at the bottom
of the page, saying the reader may translate
it"repentance" it he prelersl
49, The Baptist, who takes exceptions To both
versions, for their rendering of the Greek
word bapti-o, and the Unitarian, who Disputes
their correctness in passages relating To the
Trinity, mi int, with much more consistency,
refuse to read either one at school, or the
Protestant refuse to let him the Douay.
with the Interpretation put upon the text
by the different churches we have nothing
TO do. The text Itself Is the subject OF this
quxrel, and that Is, in BOTH substantially the
.. We know there is sort of SUPERSTITION
among uneducated Catholics that the Eng
lish Bible makes divers furious attacks upon
the Pope; We know that many uneducateC
Pr testantS firmly believe the Catholic Bible
commands 4 IN 10 be eaten on Friday, and
the like. And perhaps in US Iaymen, WHO
do n 1t read any version as Often as we ought
to, such childish notions may be eXcusable
nut GfOttstdUt CIeTHVHdH anu CdtuOlit
priests know better, and they are much To
blame If they encourage disputes like thai
at the head Of this article, which can have
origin only in ignorance one side, aud pretty
sectarian bigoiy on the other.
For our part, we have never yet seen the
copy of the Scriptures, well translated or i'll
that it would harm children, or grow folk.
either, to read. In the good time coming
when Christian charity shall bear some sor
of proportion To sectarian zeal, we hope anC
believe it will be thought. The Bible j:
Older than the secis. and, we trust, is destn
ed TO outIive all their controversies.
We have rarely seen this question hand
led in nobler, better spirit than that which
guides there marks of the Erening Journal
and We cordially and cheeriully endorse il
II that spirit prevailed more universally Their
would be more Bible reading, and its infiuen
&c would be more generally diffused. An
we pray the rejecting aud the thoughtful t
bear in mind, that those who study variou
translation of the Bible are less apt TO il
cline to evil than those rho read none.
Douglas AT Home.
.s The Chicago TriJuns gives full accour
OF Douglas effort at vindicating himself an
subduing the dislike of the ChicanoaDs while