Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-02-28
THE REVISED sIslt.
The Great Wsrk NsarisE Compls.
siea-OriEtn and Character sfshe
R~evisiou.
Nee York Sr,, Eco. Is.

dertaken by the Convention OF Canter-
bury. English, In 1870. has now SO far
proceeded that the revised New Tssta-
ment will be copyrighted this autumn.
In two or three years more the Old Tes-
lament will be completed, ard . few
years later the Apccrypha vii be ready
for the press. The revision is in the
hands Of q commission OF clsrgymen and
scholars, repres ,nting different Protest.
ant denominations, and this English
board submits its work as 1t progresses
to q similar commission in the United
States for criticism and suggestion.
On Sunday evening. the Rev. DR..
Schaff, Q member Of the American adj
visory commission. gave . history Of the
origin Of the movement for Q revision Of
the Bible. and explained the principles
on which the revision 10 conducted. It
10 not to be . new version Of the Scrip
lures. The idiom and vocabulary Of the
King James version. which We now use,
and the taxi Of which in the two GEN.
turies and q half. and more. Of its exist.
epce has come to have . sacred character
in the minds Of so many millions Of peo-
pie. will be carefully retained. The new
Bible will not DO . modern book in its
sarb Of language, but will retain the yer.
bal psculisritiss and tho forms Of express
sion Of 1911. when the present author.
lied version was made. Only such
changes will be allowed as seem neces-
sary in the view Of the r~svisers to bring
out more literally and dearly the mean
ing OF the original texts.
No board OF revision could expect the
couutenanes Of English speaking Christ.
ians II they failed to adopt such q con.
s~ervativs policy. and to carry 1t out
with tho greatest caution, and even
timidity. Our English Bible as 1t exists.
and Is IL has existed during the period
Of the development OF English literature,
has become an English book with an
individuality Of its own. . work whose
flavor would not be recognized II the
ancient texts were translated anew with
tho aid Of the vastly larger vocabulary
we now possess. This would give the
volume such o wrench from its place In
literature a. Shakespeare would suffer II
he were translated into the language OF
our essay and newspaper writer's OF to-
day. The English Bible is venerated by
Enelish.speaking Christians in its actual
form. and II that was essentially altered
II would be Q new and strange book,
howsosvsr great might be the improve
msnt in the accuracy and clearness Of
the translation.
Even this revision il anticipated with
fear. Though it was undertaken with
30 careful q regard for the prejudices OF
those who car recognize what they be-
lieve to be inspiration only in tho IA
| miliar language Of the existing version,
IL already fnds resolute opponents
among the devout readers Of the King
James Bible. Bishop Coke. Of western
| New York, is n OF these. and many
others resent the idea OF altering that
version, sven in the direction OF pslpabls
Improvement only, as little less than q
sacrilegs.
When . very partial revision OF the
standard Bible was made for the Amer.
lean Bible Society. years ago. 1t was
smothsred by its opponents. and now
both that Society and the British aud
Foreign Bible Society. the two greatest
organizations in the world for the dis
semination OF the Scriptures, arc lend.
ing no aid to the Canterbury revision.
DR.. Schaff says they take great interest
in 1t, however; and though they are
now limited by their constitutions to
the production and circulation Of the
King James Version, he hopes to see
their constitutions SO changed as to ena.
BILE them to distribute the amended
Bible along with the Authorized Version.
But such q change can never take place
without sharp and protracted contro-
vsrsy.
II il easy to forecast the arguments
which will be used against 1t, and. from
the point OF view Of those who will use
them and Of those to whom they may DO
addressed. they cannot fail to have force.
A new Bible, IL will be urged, with the
~provocation to criticism OF the old 1t will
produce, must tend to diminish the
sanctity OF that sacred volume. The
Bibls will como to be regarded and
weighed like any other book. az the
sksptics new wish II to be estimated,
and with competing and varying versions
the Scriptures will gradually lose that
| place in the veneration OF men to which
q standard and unaltsred edition has
helped to elevate them. The seven
leading Bible societies OF the world have
already circulated over 125, 000. 900
Bibles, and here will be put forth new
Bible which will cast doubt on the
accuracy Of all that vast supply OF the
Scriptures which has been scattered as
the unaltsrablo Word Of God.
Such arguments a. these will I'M
doubtedly be used. Yet the new revis-
ion is rapidly proceeding to completion.
and II IL 10 faithful to tho originals. and
honestly made with all the new light
modern philology and historical investi.
CATION have thrown on the sacred texts,
its variations from the rendering Of u
existing version must be many and i'm.
portant. IL must omit a. utterly spuri.
Gus passages which are held in loving
veneration and vindicats others about
whose authenticity there Is Q strong and
reasonable doubt. For not only has q
knowledge Of the original tongues in
which the Scriptures were written greatly
increased since the beginning OF the
seventeenth century, but We have also
purer texts, and . food Of light has been
poured during that time on the ancient
manuscripts.
Still. the revised Bible Is now an
experience OF Biblical criticism which
will do good.