Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-07-08
Revision of the Scrintures.

Revision of the Scriptures
In our issue of May 9th, Rev. E. T
Brown, Pastor of the Baptist Church,
reviewed our review of Deacon Colgate's
address before the Amer. Bible Union
Dir. B. took some exceptions Though ii
a very kind manner. TO our article, and
~Propounded some questions.
We also published, June I7rh. an able
answer, to Mr.. Brown, by Elder Norton,
OF the NJ. E. church. Although We now
also propose to answer some of Mr.
Browns queries, and arguments, it is
not because We suppose we are as capa-
BILE as Elder Norton, to do the subject
justice. We have no such idea; we
know We cannot; but we do it for thee
feasons;-frst, because our theory diff
fers slightly from Elder Norton; second,
Mr.. Brown propounded some questions
directly 10 us, and last. (but not least,
our bump of combatiVencss is large.
W. wish u position TO be fairly I'M
derstood. We, 1.-THE senior belonging
TO no church, had no sectarian feeling
70 CRAFTY, but, lin our first article sim
ply expressed our views on the subject OF
Revision Of the Scriptures. as those of
an outsider. having the same common
Interest in all that pertains to the Bible,
and mans future destiny, which every
descendant Of Adam must have.
So far az the vie rs Of the Baptist, or
any other denomination are concerned,
it is not Il province to argue their cor
RICHNESS or error; and We distinctly waive
the question whether a change in the
common version Of the Scriptures, is
right or not, as one which also does not
come within our province. But we beg
leave to doubt the capacity of any living
man, or men, to make any improvement
upon it. Although i: is true hat no all
the Baptist Church uniles in the revision
movement, and it may not be a denomi
national one, still we think il is none
the less true that the distinctive feature
Of the effort at revising the Scriptures,
and that which gives it its impetus
among its supporters, is the determine
lion to substitute the word immerse for
baptiSe, wherever il occurs in our Eng
fish version. We think all the published
reports OF the a B. o., the speeches de-
Iliyered at IFS meetings, and the letters
published by it as proof of the sympathy
OF the people with The work. show that
The movement is one which aims priaci
polly at this change Of the word bsptise
and its derivatives.
To justify this statement. we will quote
in brief from speeches. letters, &c., pub
lished by the Union itself. and bound up
in the pamphlet containing their consli-
tuition DC.
In an address BY c. J. Radford. at
their organization, occupying some sew
en- pages ofthe pamphlet, sig pages are
wholly devoted to necessity of substilu-
ling s'immerse" for .'baplizc".
Rev. S. II. Cone, President of the
association, in an address at the close of
the meeting said, speaking of the work
of revision, "'in doing which. one of the
first things must be to tear off hat Ro-
man Catholic seal. Jqptize, from all the
gersions where the influence of the Man
Of Sin has placed It. Christianity can
not triumph ill infant baptism (sprink-
)ing) be bIotted from the Earth"
In an address of Dea. Colgate in the
Same volume. and referred to as being
'plain truth in plain words" are thirty
one questions ~propounded to the Ameri
can & Foreign Bible Society with refer
-ence to revision. every one Of which ques-
lion has direct reference to the substiiu-
lion of ''immerse" for ''~baplize."
In a letter of Dr.. Maclay 10 the Pres
ident OF the Union. accepting the Office
of agent for the society, be speaks of the
revision as removing an objection here
sofore raised against Baptists, hat they
were guilty of great inconsistency in
maintaining and defending the principle
That . Lpiizo and its cognates ought TO be
faithfuily translated in all our versions
in heather lands, while we continued
TO circulate the common English version,
in Which the words relating 10 The ordi-
nance by baptism are transferred and not
translated"
From various letters Of support TO The
officers of the Union given in the appen
dix, We make a few brief extracts, Civ
ing merely the page where they are
found-Rev. T. King. p. 46. ut is i'm
material where Bqptize sprung from. orr
what it originally or once meant. II does
,sot nov express The mind Of The Hoy Spir-
II in the original, and that is enough; or