Litchfield enquirer., 1870-07-14
A New Version of the Scriptures.

ASA 1P0uAcss 4u6 OIu tfanSldLl0n IS nOt merely incorrect in many instances, but the discoveries of older manuscripts than were accessible at the time of the King James version, show that the text then used was not altogether reliable A pub lication of the authorized version, with notes showing the variations from the old est manuscripts. by Copstantine Tischen- dorf, discloses many changes from the re- ceived text, mostly of small importance, but some of considerable moment.
 The received translation was made, as appears from Tischendorf's Preface, from 8 text formed from manuscripts of later date than the tenth century. Since that time three very old manuscripts have been discovered by, or have become acces- sible to, scholars. The oldest appears to be the Sinaitic, discovered by Tischen- dorf at the Convent of St. Catharine, on Mount Sinai, and which he assigns to 331, A. D. The Vatican manuscript comes next in order, dating back, probably, to about $50, A. D. The third of these man. uscripts, the Alexandrine, was probably written about 450 A. D. The changes which have been made in later manu- scripts consist chiefly of words added to make the sense clearer. Nevertheless, inn portant interpolations have also occurred, of which we give few instances:
 The first eleven verses of the eighth chapter of St. John, about the woman ta- ken in adultery, are to be found in neither of the three manuscripts -E ru -
 The last twelve verses of the last chap ter of Mark appear in neither of the two oldest manuscripts. ..I .... ... =.
 At the end of the account of the failure of the disciples to cast devil out of g possessed child (Mat. XVII, 14-22, Mark Tx, 1N the following verse occurs in Matthew: Howbeit, th1s kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting;'' and in Mark, 'sAnd he saith unto them, this kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting." In the two oldest manuscripts, the verse of St. Matthew is entirely wanting, and in St. Mark, the words "and fasting" at the close of the verse, are wanting. This commendation of fasting is evidently the interpolation of the ascetics of later times. ...
 The following verse, regarding the mira cIe at the pool of Bethesda John V, Al, does not appear in either of the oldest manuscripts: "For an angel went down at 8 certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whoever then first af- ter the troubling of the water stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had" a.- ,-' .5rst
 There seems to be doubt of the authen- ticity of what is naturally considered the crowning utterance of Christ on the cross Huke XXIII, 34), ''Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." These words do not ap- pear in the Vatican manuscript, and were erased from the Sinaitic. The following verses in the preceding chapter (43 and Al are omitted in the Vatican and Alexandrine, and erased from the Sinaitic:
 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him."
 And being in agony, he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground" <-.H. .s-
 It appears from Tischendorf's preface that there was originally mis-citation in Matthew XIII, 35, that evangelist having attributed the saying, "I will open my mouth in parables." &c.,, to Isaiah, instead of to Asaph (Ps. LXXVIII, 2). This mis- take was recti6ed in later copies, but ap- pears in the oldest of the manuscripts, the Sinaitic. A similar correction appears in the opening of Mark: The second verse commences in the two oldest manuscripts land in most of the latter), " As it is writ ten in the prophet Isaiah" There are. in fact, two citations; the first from Malachi, and the second from Isaiah. Later transcribers corrected the text. making it, "As it is written in Me prophets."
 The foregoing instances prove the great necessity of new version, or at least of a correction of the authorized version of the Scriptures. It is to be hoped that the work begun under the auspices of the En- glish church may prove satisfactory to all English-speaking Protestants. From the variations which have occurred in the text of the New Testament since Christianity became supreme in the Roman Empire, and since the first General Council "A. D. 325), reasonable persons will be lead to suspect that greater changes still may have taken place during the troubled centuries that preceded Oonstantine's accession to the throne. Dogmas. therefore, which rest on detached texts (such as that on which Catholics base Peters supremacy will hardly have the support of the un- preiudiced; and we hope. that Christians will see the necessity of placing less reli- ance on the letter, and more on the gener- al spirit, of the New Testament teaching.
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