The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-03-10
Revision of the English Bible.


ceased to be of any political or ecclesiastical
importance. According to the theory OF
Anglcanism, the Assembly of the Bishops,
and other clergy of the Church, has con-
current jurisdiction with Parliament. The
secular and ecclesiastical bodies meet at the
same time, divide into two houses, are or
ganized by the call or election Of their own
officers, have their appropriate ceremonies,
and expire together. The Convocation af-
fords curious example of an obsolete insti-
tuition, rigidly observing every old precedent
and cautious,- doing nothing for couple OF
centuries. Tue right to tax its members
was transferred to Parliament in the time OF
the Stuarts. The right to appoint bishop
is assigned to the Prime Minister, who nom-
mates him, and gives the Chapter 'leave to
"elect" the person nominated the latter, after
having prayed to the Holy Ghost for direc-
tion, always proceeds to elect the appointee
of the Crown. Thus the Convocation has
been curious ecclesiastical anomaly. 1t
has shown to the English people chow not
''to do it" after the approved od-fashion,
which Dickens describes.
But now this venerable body has taken
position which at once brings it into living
association with the ecclesiastical progress
OF the age. At the. February Convocation,
the House OF Bishops inaugurated move
ment for the revision OF the English transla-
ton OF the Scriptures. The Prelates Of the
Diocese of Canterbury unanimously provided
for report, by committee, "upon the desira-
''bleness of revision of the authorized YER
'sion Of the Old and New Testaments,
''whether by marginal notes or otherwise, in
sail those passages where plain and clear
'errors, whether in the Hebrew or Greek text,
''originally adopted by the translators, or in
''the translations made from the same, SHALL
con due investigation, be found to exist"
The resolution offered by the Bishop of Win
chester was successfully supported by the
bishops of St. Davids, of Llaudaff, Of Sails
bury, Of Exeter, and by other prelates.
or these prelates, the first, in offering the
resolution, said that Everybody who studied
s'the matter, knew that there were, in the
''present volume parts OF it which did not
'.belong to the inspired record. Therefore,
che believed it was the duty of the Church
''to remedy these errors" The latter con-
| fessed his fear that the resolution, if carried,
''would involve the necessity of constant re-
''vision of the Scriptures, and for this he was
''by no means prepared. He did not believe
''that any alteration in the grammatical or
s'verbal construction OF the New Testament
''woud in any way affect the doctrine which
''the Church Of England now held. He be-
'Hieved it would be great advantage, both
''to the public and private reading Of the
'tEnglish Church, if o judicious revision were
"made Such revision would, no doubt,
'alter in very material respects the face OF
'the Holy Scriptures, but that ought to be
''no reason why they should abstain from re-
'vision, if, by such revision, they could Sc
''cure more faithful representation OF Scrip
''ture than they had hitherto had" After
these speeches, the motion prevailed.
This action will awaken the deepest inter-
est in the whole English-Speaking world.
The received version was made from the
texts of Erasmus and Stephens, collated in
the Sixteenth Century from manuscripts in
use in the Tenth Century. Since that time,
older manuscripts, together with versions
dating from early ages, and quotations from
ecclesiastical writer's Of antiquity, have been
collected, multiplying the readings and
modifying the text in many particulars. Es-
pecially have three great manuscripts, pub
lished in modern times, given new impetus
to biblical criticism. These are the Vatican
Codex, the Alexandrine Codex and the Sinai
tic Codex, which were written, the first and
last in the Fourth, the second in the Fifth
Century. They were published in 1857, in
l7s6, and in 1862, respectively. Among
these the Sinatic Codex, discovered by
Tischeudorff in the Convent OF st. Cathe-
rine's on Mount Sinai, appears to be the
oldest of all, as it contains the unrevised
text prior to the time of Jerome. The read
ings of these old Mss differ in many par
ticulars from those upon which the received
version is founded. Baron Tauchnitz, in his
one thousandth volume of English Classics,
has published the new interpretations from
these three great MSS, q most important
contribution to biblical criticism. And now
the prelates of the English Church are about
to assume the work of revision.
The result, we have no doubt, will be of
advantage to our common Christianity. The
new versions that have already appeared,
and the revised texts that have been publish
ed, show the substantial integrity of the
sacred canon. We think that the recensions
of Jerome and others are worthy Of more
respectful consideration than Tischcndorff
would be inclined to give them. But in any
event, the preservation OF the Sacred Text is
one of the marvels OF history. It's rcproduc-
ton in perfect form will he the crowning
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