The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1854-11-30
The nlblein schonIn.

Hroih an aDic arNcie IN the Albany leg
ister, We extract the following argument,
justifying the School Committee in Maine,
who decided that the Common Bible should
be retained and read in the schools:
"The translation Of the English Bible is
considered by Pro:estants, IN everything
material truly and accurately rendered. -
The contrary has not,and, we believe, can
not be shown; but the translation Of the
Douay Bible has many errors. At pres
cnt it Is only necessary to advert to two, in
order to vindlcate the Committee to-wi,,
iIhe substitution Of penance, in the place OF
repentance, and the worship of an mani
mate object instead Of the Creator So far
from being chargeable with error, in ex-
GLIDING this translation, the Committee de-
serve the thanks Of an intellizcn. commu-
nifty. Its introduction was calculated to
lead into dangerous errors, that numerous
class to be me. with in our public schools.
The Douay translationis palpably erroneous
IN the following instances. In Luke, chap
xiii, 4,5 Christ corrected the error, which
some entertained, that "the eighteen upon
whom the tower in Sloan fell, were sin
ners above all men who dwelt in Jerusa-
lem. and tell them nay: but except ye re-
pent, ye shall all likewise perish.
In the Douay translation of this passage,
Christ is made to say, except you DO pen
ance, ye shall all do penance." In the
original Greek the verb is ''me.anoete, &"
which signifies repcntance,as its appropri-
ate meaning. and means, as explained by
photographers, a change of mind or pur-
pose, on subsequent reflection or expert
ence; it is an operation Of the mind, filing
it with deep regretin view of the evil of
sin, and altogether distinct from what Is
signifed by the word penance, which
means infiction applied and suffered as an
expression of repentance. This may be ep-
piled bodily or otherwise, thus placing re-
pentanee toward God, one of the requisites
upon which salvation is promised, On erro-
neous ground. The Scriptures nowhere
countenance the doctrine that penance is a
ground of acceptance with God.
The exposition, without going farther,
Ijustlies the Committee in excluding the
Douay translation. Had they permitted its
introduction, their own expulsion from an
office they were not qualified to discharge,
would have been an act ofjus.ice.
There is another error in the Douay
translation, which will be noticed. In He
brews, chap. xi. 2l, tits said that Jacob,
when dying, blessed both the sons of Jo-
seph and worshiped, leaning on the top of his
staff" In the Greek the words are; "pro-
sekanesen, epi to akron tes ra5louautou. !"
The proposition cpl means on or upon; lit
orally, upon the top of his staff" the
word leaning" inserted by the translators
does not vary the sense. Jacob might be
leaning on his staff, or supporting himself
with his hands on it; either way is imma-
tera
The Douay translation aenders this ras-
sage thus: Jacob adored the top of his
staff" that is, he worshped the top of his
staff; for to adore is to worship; and thus
converts the old patriarch, in his last mo-
ment, into an idolater.
In all seriousness we asks there Greek
scholar anywhere willing to affirm thee cor
rec:ness of the Douay translation? We be-
lieve there are none The Committee de-
serve commendalion in rejecting this spu-
rious translation of one of the most inter-
estingdying scenes recorded in the Scrip
lures.
The timehas arrived whenthe arrogance
presented in the Maine case will receive,
and it deserves,a "a merited rebuke in this
community. It's evidently intended as an
entering wedge, and if not firmly resisted
and defeated, will ere long place our cher
ished religious and educational schools un-
der the control of Catholic influence, in its
nature hostile to the republican institutions
OF this country, under the control of for
eign despot, exercising absolute power in
all things spiritual over the souls and con-
sciences of his adherents, wherever dis
persed. While we offer to the Catholic all
the immunties of our free institutions, and
discountenance any attempt 10 interfere
with his religious tenets, other than by ar
gument and friendly persuasives to aban-
don what we deemto be his errors, let
him not attempt to break down institutions
by Protestant community.