The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-10-07

The Albany Evening Journal gives his
toric sketch OF the Bible, which we think will
be interesting to our readers, and we quote
itin full:
The books that compose the Bible, were
first collected under the name by John Chry-
session, at Constantinope, in the fifth cen:
tury. For several centuries after it was
translated only into Latin. There vas no
English version OF it at all in print at the
time of the Reformation, nor until some
years after the establishment Of the Presby-
teran, the Anglican, and the Lutheran
churches. Whatever doctrines the early
Reformers promulgated. they drew from the
Latin version, thsns as now published and
sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church.
In 1899 the first English translation was
printed, made by John Wyclffe.
| Others were soon put forth by Tyndal,
Coverdales and Mathew. If those good men
had been as learned as they were pious, their
versions would not have abounded, as they
do, in emissions and plumbers in grammar
and spelling. 1t was to correct these defects,
and to supply the people OF Great Britain
with an authentic and carefully made yer.
sion, that the two new translations were
commence in the latter part of the same
century; the one at London, by a convoca-
tiUn Of English diyines and lingUists, and the
other BY q similar conyocation, about the
same time, at Dcuay, snail town in the
North OF France. These came Immediately
into nee in England, the one by the Protes.
tanis, The other by the Catholics. Both were
made from the Greek taxi, and both follow
| it, as nearly as possible, word for word. Both
like all translatioDs, doubtless have imper-
fectons. But they resemble each other..so
closely that not Que man in hundred could
tell the difference, except by looking at the
title page.
Put the London version, of which he has
such dread, into the hands of Catholic,
and even with priest to help him, he " ould
be puzzled 10 find single sentence that con.
fics with the doctrines Of his church. Put
the Douay version into the hands uf tie
Protestants, who are So much afraid of it,
and if they can find doctrine therein that is
not preached from Protestant pulpits, they
are wise beyond their generation.
Yet from the quarrel they have got into,
one would suppose they were two different
Bibles, with two different creeds, instead
of two traEslatiops Of one and the same
thing.
+ A bout the only point of difference be.
tween the two versions, tina: has ever been
made the occasion OF doctrinal dispute, is the
translation Of the Greek word metanoia. In
our version it is rendered repentance. In
the Douay version it is re ndered "pe nitance,"
and in later editions, with a note at the bot
tom OF the page, saying the reader may
translate it repentance" if he prefers.
The Baptist, who takes exec ptions to both
versions, for their rendering of the Greek
word bapti,o. and the Unitarian who dsp uies
their CORE ctness in passages relating TO The
Trinity, might, with much more consistency,
refuse to read either one at school than the
Catholic refuses to read the London version,
or the Protestant refuses to let him use the
Douay.
With the Interpretation put upon the text
by the different churches we have nothing To
do. / he text itself is the subject Of quar-
rel; and that is in both substantially she
same.
We know there is sort Of superstition
among uncducated Catholics, tn The Eng
lsh Bible makes divers furious attacks upon
the Pope; know that many uneduc Gated
Protestants firmly believe the Catholic Bible
cunmands fish To be eaten OH Friday, and the
like. And perhaps in US laymen, who do
not read any version as often as we ought to,
such childish notions nay be excusable.-
But Protestant cergymen and Catholic
know better, and they are much to blame if
they encourage disputes which can have orr.
gin only in Ignorance on enc side, and petty
sectarian bigutry on the other.
For our part we have never seen vet the
copy Of the Scriptures, well translated or i'll,
that it would harm children, or grown folks
either. to rend. In the good time coming,
when Christian charity shall bear some sort
Of proportion TO sectarian zeal, we hope and
and believe it will beso thought. The Bible
is older than the sects, and we trust, is des-
tined to outlive all their controversies.
We have rarely seen this question ham
died in nobler, better spirit than that which
guides the remarks of the Evening Journal
II that spirit prevailed universally, there
would be more Bible reading, and its influ.
ence would be more generally diffused. And
we pray the rejecting and thoughtful to bear
in mind, that those who study various trans.
latons of the Bible, are less apt to incline to
evil than those who read none.