Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-08-28

Prof. Fisher notes some Of the attempts
at Bible Revision that have been made in
this country, and which do not need to be
pronounced failures, for they have pronounc.
ed themselves TO be such. lie charitably
passes over the enterprise Of the Bible Union,
which has been so immersed in violations of
the taste that clings to the accepted version
that If It ever reappears on the surface Of
our literature, 1t will be simply as curl
osity.
Still Notwithstanding past failures, a re-
vison is necessity. The reasons given for
this are that the authorized version,
Being itself revision, the English that
enters into it is older aud more antiquated
than the English that was curren, ut the
same date. There are words which have
changed their meaning, aud other words
whose meaning is forgotten. There are vio-
lations Of grammar which strike awkwardly
on modern ear. The translation of the
New Testament was very faulty text
Textual criticism has arisen and become a SCI
enco since that day. The critical helps in this
province have been richly multiplied. Greek
philology has made an immense progress, 50
that numerous mistranslations, growing out
Of the comparative inaccuracy Of Greek
learning in the seventeenth century, may DO
rectihed. ObScurites and infelicities. great
err in some books Of the Bible than in others,
are capable, IN many cases, of being removed
by more exact aud more happy rendering.
The authorized version taken as A whole. is
like many Of the old English trauslations
from the classic. They are often ldiomatie.
racy, full OF the sap aud flavor which are SO
attractive to scholars Of taste, and so CRATE.
lul, also, 70 common people, but they fail
IN correctness Their authors did not dis.
crimlnate between Greek lenses, moods md
voices, and thereby lost sight of shades of
meaning which n translation ought to pre-.
serve. Dr. they treat as synonyms terms
which Greek thought knew how to dstin.
gulsh Or, again, they overlook the force
oil the article, or coniound the force of par
tlclrs each OF which has its own precise sig.
nllcance. 1t is easy to exaggerate the
blemlshes and faults Of the authorized yer.
sion OF the Scriptures. 1t is possible, also,
to underestimate their Importance, and to
treat them as Of no account. That they Sc
riously impair the value and usefulness of
the English Scriptures, is fact which none
but the Ignorant or prejudiced will deny
But what is the remedy for this Prof
Fisher answers, not to abandon the old yer.
sion, but to mend it. lie illustrates his view
by saying,
1t an EnglIshmau has inherited fine old
mansion OF the ElIzabethan age, built of the
best, most solid materials in proportions
pleasing to the eye, aud with ample apart-
ments, but finds that time has made crevices
in the walls, through winch are admitted
drafts Of winter air, while here and there
stones are loosened from the foundation, he
knows, it he be man Of sense and taste,
what to do. He does not pull down the
ediice, which is, on the whole, better than
any architect will contrive for him now, aud
which is endeared to him us being his home
from childhood, and the home OF his fathers
lie repairs it, bringing in modern improve.
ments with II careful hand, so that he may not
violate the identity Of the old structure, MOI
jar unnecessarily the associations that linger
about it. He makes, not such restora.
tion as was undertaken some years ago
upon many of the old Gothic churches in
England aud which eifaced their character.
istic beauties; but such Il renovation as will
leave anything that is fair and good ir the
old dwelling intact
This is just what bodies of competent
scholars are now engaged in doing with the
authorized version. The movement was be.
qua by the convocaton of the Province OF
Canterbury; and the English committee.
on the Old Testament and the New were
constituted by that body. These committee.
are well composed Ia the New Testament
company are the names of Lightloot, Trench,
EIlcott, Westcott, and other scholars of the
Established Church with whom are asso.
ciated scholars from Scotland, as DR.. Alex
andcr, Prof. Milligan, Prof. Eddie and one
Unitarian, Rev. &. Vance Smith. In co0p.
GRAFTON with these English companies mad,
up from the different religious denomination,
among us, are diligently at work. At the
head Of the New Testament company here
is ex.president Woolsey; and it include,
among other distinguished scholars, Prof.
Abbot of the Cambridge Divinity School
one Of the most accomplished OF textual crit
les now living. Under these promising au.
spices, the revision Of the translation is slowl
proceeding. 1t is supposed that about sew
en- years will be required to complete tn,
labor.