New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-07-29

xsntsees' and thought that, IL IL coulh DO faithfully
carried out should secure an Ennlish version far
always advocated the revi ion enterprise on the pm:
cipes Of translation, and the rules OF procedure laid
down in the official documents Of the Bible Union.
Ops Of these rules resds ~ follows:
"'As room az the reviion Of any one book OF the
New Testsment ia fnrhed, t shall be sent 70 the s-c
Rotary of the Bible Union to sucb Other person a.
shall be designated by the Committee on Verions, In
order that copies may be TAX and furnished TO the
revsee Of the other DO ks to be returned With their
suggestions to the Ieviaer or revisers OF that book
After being re revised with the aid Of their sugges
dons, carefully prepared copy shall be forwarded TO
the Secretary.
Notwithstanding the plain provisions Of this rule,
Il wss found that poi ons Of the revised version
bad been stereotyped more than year without being
submitted TO any other Ievser for examination, aud
that number of revisions in minu-cript, made by
come Of the most distinguished scholars emohyed on
the work 10 this coun had been loog since received
ard laid aside rot worthy Of the examination pro-
vded for in the above rule 1t then appeared thai the
Committ,e Cd Version- composed of Messrs Wyckof,
Armitage, Baker, Sarles, AID L Smith, claimed the
prerogative Of passing Judgment upon the mer's OF
eveIy revsers work sele ting such as they considered
fit TO be printed ana subjected to the criticism OF the
Other revs.rs as the basic OF the 6pal examination
ay aide Others to be submitted without such crt
cism OF revision, in manuscript, to the hna BODY OF
Judges and Getting apart Others To be used merely "a
laid TO otbers who will do the work more thoroughly
W
wide world whatever revision tbey might approve for
the purpose without the previous inspection of any
one tlse but themselves and the author"
After reviewing the grounds on which Secretary
Wyckcf defends this Interpretation Of tue rule, which
has at length been formally adopted by the action of
the Board DR. Maclay further complains that revsers
have introduced dOctrinal notes where, according to
tie rules of the Union they should have only cited au.
thortes and also that in number of cases three or
four scholars have been employed to revise the same
portion of Scripture thus entaiDg on the SDcietys
large additional expense with out any prOportionste adj
vaniaees.
In relation to the final revision, he says:
at has been raid that whatever is wanting now in
the revision department, will be supplied when the
final cole of revisers come together; and that what
ever is wrong now will then be rectfed But,
however, others may think of this fatterng promise,
cannot but look upon it altogether delusive. If
it were in the power OF such d college to provide
remedy, that remedy would come too late to obvate
or couIterac' many OF the evils which now exist It
10 no. possible in the nature Of the for any such
college to make up the deficiencies and damages
consequent upon the present Encouragement of the
Institution; especially when constituted as THE is
likely 70 be. had always understood that the final
college of Tevlsers were to DO appointed by the
Union and that, in the absence OF any special pro-
vision Tor nomination, the privilege of nomination
belonged in all cases to the appointing power; but
in tbs case l Ill derstand the Committee on Yer
tiOI has taken up the matter, asked the Board for
power TO nominate the m. mbers Of that final college,
and to III ep8re the plan of iS operations and that the
request being granted that Committee has referred
the whole bueiD.s to the Secretary, with only
other member thus enabling man, with all the
peculiar advantages of hir official portion, and ua-
psraeled concentrate Of power to cont oil the ap-
pCiDtment and proceedings Of the fosl college of re-
yisers, ding to any personal predit cton or preu
dice, TO which in the weakness of human na,are, he
may be subject; leaving little goOund to hope that
WI have
by the Committee Version, will ever be corrected
by college of revfers constituted under their direc
ton. Considering, then, the past and the present,
saw nothing in the prospect of such final college, to
relieve my despsir."
After inveighng against the publication of perodi-
cals and similar matter, under the direction Of the
Secretary, thus needlessy ncuubenng the asnoes Of
the Union, Dr. Macay substantially concludes az fol-
lows:
being thus compelled to relinquish all hope of re-
fo,m and nay honest epdeavOr being 20 treated, was
constrained ome time ago to withdra from the meet
ngs of the BOsrd. II only remains for me, therefore,
to take care that be not party to wrongs which
have in vain sought to remedy. And being fully sat
ifed, from personal examination, that the funds
which / have done so much ~ collect, and which
I know have been most sscredly devoted, by the
rich and the poor, to one of the holes. purposes
Of Christian charity, are beng squdndered that a
vast amount is expended for operations remote
from the one great object Of the Insttu,,oni that
men are employed to translate the word Of God who
are not qualified for the pork that unwsrrantsble
tIansati0Ds have been made, witch, if published,
must bring into discredt the most precious doctrines of
my 9Th sap the fundamental truths of Christianity
az inc ubia ably revealed in the Hoy Scriptures and
shake the confidence of the people in the Of the
sacred writings that such revirions are likely to be
published for iudscriminste circulation, without the
previous precautionary examination provided for and
required by the pab and rules of revision origin Ally
adopted by the Board; that the controlling power Of
the Ii stitpOn has become completely centratized IN
andf
only ucb to forbid the hope Of REFORM but also to
blstt the name and influence OF every one who advo
Gates refUrm-feeling perfectly assured OF all this,
am compelled, by q stem sense of DUTY, TO abandon
the enterprise and to free myself, far possible,
from all further responsibility. And canpOt doubt
that my friends when rightly informed, will justify me
in so dong"
REPLY OF THE AMERICAN BIBLE UNION TO DIR.
MACLAY.
The reply, which is addressed IN the "PAtrons OF
the American Bible Union" commences with express
ing the kndest elpgs toward DR.. Maclay, and re-
gret that he shoud have felt constrained to resign his
post ard withdraw from the Society. Complaint is
made that at time previous to his resignation did
lie avail himself Of opportunity to propose to the
Board any charge in its policy por was hs letter of
resignation accompanied with the statement of
single reason for that step.
The reply goes on to say that the authorship OF the
letter is equally important with the subject itself and
cites number of strong circumstances tending to the
conclusion that DR.. Maclsy himself was not the real
author, and adds:
ain reviewing this pamphlet, then, we have every
reason 70 spare the venerable Dr. Mscay IN his rpe
age ard iDfrmifies, and to reply to the real aatoor
who in such an Objectionable manner, copceas HIM
self behind a venerable name. BY the expression
I" the real auth or" DO not mean 10 imply taa. the
p, mon referred to actually wrote every word 10 tols