New-York tribune., 1880-01-06
MR.. BEEcHER AND THE BIBLE SOCIETY

AIRTTER PROM THE REV. DE. ELBERr s. PoRrkR-
ur Is WILLING TO WELCOME Mr.. BEECHER TO
HIS BOSOM OS CERTAIN O"NDIuoNs
To the Edftor or The frfbuwe.
SIR; At the time when the revision of the
common text OF the sacred SCRIPTURES being made.
and AFTER Il had been printed and published by the
American Bible Society Dr. Brigham Senior secretary.
was member OF my congrega alton and my personal
end Dr. Jane. McLane the chief cola aborator IN the
revision was my Deighbor. From both learned mnny
Of thr details OF the work done Moreover as Life d.
rector OF the Society shared with them and with 9TH
era great satisfaction In noting certain improvements
m the heading Of chapters marginal readings and other
matters when the Society 40 length driven by
Drs Breckenridge Pumcr and others to back to the
otginal forms shared with Drs Brigham and McLanc
IN certain feelings OF disappointment, regret and indg
nation But what could be donei The Society had boon
Ged and tered to print and circulate the CON-
mon version then In No objection OF course could
be made or made TO the correction Of typographical
errors but 1t was claimed by the ob1ectors that the
Society had neither legal ecclesiastical nor moral right
20 make any change titular. marginal verbal for
thereby might come. In the end, sssump-
tions Of power which voluntary ASSOCIATION
could not be safely trusted TO Such was the
argument aud rather than go to law before the unbe
ievers and perhaps rsk s charter the American Bible
socety re,reated TO the authorized and standard YER
sion And what Is that II Is the same as the OXFORD
text-the accepted OF the English Church and peo
pie The In progress by tho international
Committee will not change q word sentence or para
graph that will teach anything other or
different is Taught now by our common current
version Obsolete words be suppressed, and IN
tam loser translatons may be given. But II
will be Gods Word IN the English tongue conformed to
the version now use, In subordinate matters,
which the scholarship OF the can properly revise
These fncts briefly stated they here have had
wide publicity for years past; Mr. Beecher could not
have been Ignorant OF them. Yet he allows himself TO
be reported all over land having said. The Amer
lean Bible Society prints Bible notoriouslY false ID
some parts. aud which the Society knows 10 be false"
read that sentence daily papers with surprise and
sorrow soon however. concluding that after all 1t could
when ionnd the enemies OF the Bible oxnlting over
the oandor of Mr. Beecher In confessng hsi our yer
nacuar version OF the Scriptures Il notorOusy raise
in some parta aud that IL IA published by set Of inl
posters. was constrained to speak II e9ndemnat1pa
ana gave my words TO the general pubic, hnu
Mr. Beecher. big as he ls iI1es " grt mo my
BOSOM read 10 mo out OF me OhtsHdh O'0n
his beautiful little summary OF he trouble the American
Bbie Society once had over twenty years ago Win 10
certain eminent sats, most OF "noh , @ n,o ny" IL, ~
Heavenl Wen. I will shake hands with nm ana tolI
SPECIFY way to undo the mischief he has Already done
by his very rasn. reckless and false charges.
From, wla yersion of the Bible preaching
forty yeara what version has re used sst IN n, hS
menhers of mis- vast congregational Has he not been
priHceps erintnis as public teacher IN asking hls
many thousands of and readers ali through
his ministry trust book noiOrlousy ihlso IN some
pats" aud which s palmed of upon crcdulous public
by men who know themselves to be uttorng lasehoOd
What version Of the Bible Is my distinguished inenu
ABOUT o adopt and recommend place Ot the now
IN common use wnatparts Of this version are the peo-
ple 10 throw out n0tOrouzy false what Is the BlDe
worth anyhow 10 reader who Is left IA the dtch 10
winch Mr. Boecner has led him
have found II necessary to be very serious ana SOL
ern In dealing ths subject with my Brooklyn nelgn-
hor still ain indebted 90 him Tor very DoartY HnI
whole ON. laugh Wien opened IHE IkBuhE thls
Nev-Years morning and therein long e. ractfr0n
The Christiun Union. % attention wa sy II oIlh-
with enjoyed it's ingenious viii but failed 10 ma any
at,n fnr OF words that are WoiAhg Ike
The poison OF asps. Yours respectfully.
Brooklyn, Jan. j, 1850. ELbEil . foRIEh'