, 1870-05-23
The Proposed Revision OF the Eng.
1lAh EibIes

In the Lower House OF the Conrocation oil
I tue PROVINCE Of Canterbury, May 6, Canon
selwyn moved the concurrence Of the HOUSE
! In the resolution sent down from the Upper
House that revision Of the authorized version
! Of the Mblo should be made; that the re-
vision ehould be 50 conducted IS to comprise
10th marginal renderings md such emen-
datlons as it might be found Necessary to in
cert in the text OF the authorized
version that it was not contemplated to
make any new translation Of the Bible, or any
alteration Of Tie language, except where, IN
the judgment of the most competent scholars,
such Change vas necessary that in such
Necessary changes the style Of the language
employed in the existing version should bo
closely followed that it was desirable the conro-
70 nnder1ake the work Of revisiont and that
they should be at liberty to invita- the Coop
eratlon Ct any eminent for scholarship, 10
Ee1ong.
The Dean Of Canterbury (Alford) spoke
sEomst the suggestion Which had been made
y some, that the revision should take the
form Of being made in the shape of marginal
references, with m option given to the clergy
to use them or keep to the presant
text, The adoption Of such plan, ho said,
would altogether abolish cheap bibles, as mar.
EJECT to tbs ns,os s5s costly y wv re.
Of the Church, he said it must be- accepted
that such scholars must sit on an eouaiity
with churclmen, and he took it that it referred
TO the EnElsL-Epeaking races md not to tie
epeakers OF other hng7lagea. It was TO be-
noticed that the hblo was in no Historical
sense the Bible Of the English Church, for the
9nutch en- had never ruled tie Bible to be The
Eole Of the Church, but it waa the inhesitauce
o. Engish-speaking Cbristians. Moreover.
NE, ne ol9 Testament was mt the property
onis q Christians, but was tic book
also q the Jews. Now, it coald nnt
pc disputed that there were nun
ness OF eood divincs and good scholars, Ch1is-
~ lau laeu, As1nF among us, aud it was reasuua-
foetus @ tbat boop p n1a aassd to take psr in per-
tians GENERALLY. He thought that II tIils ~ work
should be committed to any BODY. that hndv
should decd ID fnalS-that is, that tho u1sosss ous
should not afterwards proceed to take ,hs ~
vision, line upon line and text upon teI? ,s
the new Lcctlonary had been discussed On fla
previous day, for, il that we're to be dono. La
should be inclined to say that the royis;on
should not be- undertaken at all.
The Dean OF Westminster (Stan1ey) said he
regarded tlis subject Us OF great Importance,
md he had pleasure in welcoming a proposal
for the reyisiou of tle authorized version,
c1nanating as il did from that Chamber The
Bible WAC acknowledged to be excellent. but
its excellence could be heightened BY scholars
IN TIC EngGshBpeakin 1ace being. invited to
join With the English Church in this revision.
That proposed continuation Of EngGsh
Chtlsti2na rendered it, to his mind, IN
anspicious and welcome task. he had
long considered it the bounden duty Of the COL
vocation to stir in the matter. With regard to
the position Of tho Bible a the accepted yex-
eaou Of the Christian body generally, he point I
cd out that the version oi IG11 was allowed to
1oAxe 1ta Own wsy, as the Dean OF St. Pulls :