Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-02-25
The Interest in the New Bible.

ner for March we take these paragraphs
''We recently attended a parlor meeting
of the American revisers: at the house of
Hon. William E. Dodge in New York,
during which we became aware of what
seemed to us the ignorance of these re-
visers touching the tremendous public in
terest that gathers around the work they
have done, and are to do. 1t seemed to us
that they did not understand the feeling
of the public upon the matter at all that
they did not appreciate the interest with
which the result of the work is re-
garded, nor the perfect confidence with
which that result is awaited. 1t is
the mOdesty that naturally attends true
scholarship, we presume, which leads
them to suppose that their work will be
severely criticiscd-that it will disappoint
many by its changes, and many others by
its few and trivial alterations. And it may
as we'll be stated just here that they are
not to present the English world with
new version. 1t is simply to be the old
version revised, freed from its errors, and
possessing in every way the advantages of
all the study and discovery of two hundred
and seventy years that have passed since
161O-the date of the issue of King
James Bible The old form of language
WlllCI lCSCll DCCOilC SttClCu W tIlC CycS.
eaos and hearts of Bible-lOving people, is
to be preserved.
''We say that it seemed to us that the
revisers at this meeting failed to appre-
ciate the popular confidence with which
the result of their work is awaited. We
believe, from the feeling everywhere
around us, that the result of this revision
will be received with unquestioning con-
fidence. The public understand that the
revision will be the work of the best
scholarship of two countries, selected and
exercised upon broad and catholic basis,
and arriving at a result that is essentially
unanimous. 1t is believed that these men
know all there is known upon the subject
which engages their attention and the
new revision will be received, in our
opinion, without a question. Indeed, We
doubt whether there isany divine living, out
side of this circle of men, who can publicly
undertake to criticise their work without
danger to his own reputation. OF course,
there will be great curiosity to see what
kind of work the revised version will make
of accepted doctrines and various sects. It
is quite possible that certain proof-texts
that have been used to uphold precious old
dogmas, or instate any support sects, will
be riddled but we have no idea that the
essential facts and doctrines recorded in
the book will be changed. Indeed, we
already have this assurance from the re-
visers themselves. Love to God and man
will remain the beginning and end of reli-
gion, and obedience to law will be the whole
of morality. The record of the life and death
of Christ will be changed in no essen-
tial particular, and He will still remain,
what he has always been, the central fig
ure and informing and inspiring force of
the religion called by His name. If the
| men who have called themselves by other
names get tumble who cares? But the
great, undeniable fact that Biblc-reading
| Christians, of all names, are waiting for
the new revision with such interest that
there is not one of them between the At
| lantic and Pacific oceans who will not pur-
| chase one at the first opportunity, is full
of grateful significance, alike honorable to
themselves and to the selfsacriticing
workers who have sustained, without
money and without price. the long and az
duous task of preparing a perfect Bible in