The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1878-03-14
FOR THE pIoKENs SENTINEL.

Dy Or. w. Il. Field, on the the trans
lation of the Bible into the English
language, which 1 would have noticed
at the time of its. publication but for
other engagements; but to some of
the features of which, with your per-
mission, now propose, briefly, to re-
fer.
lst. The writer refers to John
Wickliffe and William Tinsdale, the
first translators Of the Holy Script
ures sinto2the English language, as
Baptist. confess that I am at loss
TO derive the point designated to be
made by this statement. Does friend
f. wish to make the impression that
either of these eminent men, in their
translaticns, rendered baptizo i'm
mcrse. If so, why does ho not make
the statement plainly and unequivo~
cally? If this was not bis purpose,
why refer to them at all, rs Baptist,
in this connection?
I'd. He refers TO King James /,
choosing for his ministers mean and
protligate young men, and strangely
confounds these with the ffty-four
eminently wise and pious men, whom
that monarch selected as the transIa~
tors Of the Hebrew and Greek texts
into the English language. Now, the
! logical deduction from this statement
concerning King James ministers is
that they were all mean and profit
gate, which proposition we would like
f. to prove; and why confound tho
fifty-four translators, wise and pious,
with the weak and profigato young
ministers, we would like for him to
explain.
Sd. lie gives, as reason why he
| desires new translation, that the
reign of James l, and tho translation
Of the Bible under his direction, were
in dark age. Now, this is news to
us, for, in our own conception, based
upon history, intellectually and re-
ligiousIy, England never enjoyed a
much brighter age; it was that in
which Lord Bacun, Sir Edward Coke,
William Shakespeare, Ben. Johnson,
Spencer, the poet, and 2 host Of other
great and good men, along with the
translators Of the Scriptures, lived
and wrote, and whose lives and pro-
ductons have been transmitted to
postcrity, moulding, through their
influence: the phiIo<opy, literature and
religion of the civilized world.
4th. He states that no lcXicogra--
phcr, in the universe, gives the same
meaning to the word baptizo rs to that
OF baptize. From this sweeping do
cIaration, one would suppose friend
! f. to be familiar with all the lcXicons
and dictionaries Of every nation, pco>
pie, kindred and tongue that speaks
or writes, or by any means conveys
thought from mind to mind on tho
great and all absorbing subject of wa
ter baptism. Now, we have in our
library, although a very meager one,
two authors, to>wit: Rev. John
Graves Greek and English Dictionary
(Amcrican, Ed. 1846) and Webstcr's
'Unabl idged Dictionary, each OF which
gives these two words about the same
meaning Now, wo have not consult.
ed oil the lexocograpbers in the uni
verse; but, as these are standard aus
thors, we suppose they are not singu~
lar in their definition of these words
AS to the manner in which the trans
lation was accomplished and approved
by the iorty>seven, historians inform
rs that the original fifty-four were
divided into six classes, to each of
which was assign ed portion of the
original Scripture for translation; but
seven Of them died, leaving tho work
to be completed by the remaining
forty seven, under certain rules laid
down by his Majesty Kipg James,
the 4Lh Of which reads thus: "When
any word hath divers signifcations,
that to be kept which hath been
most commonly used by the most
eminent Stathers, being agreeable to