New-York tribune., 1880-02-08
BIBLE REVISION.
rTTER FROM BISHOP CONE.


WORK TO MAKE THE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY
THE LEADING INSTRUMENT IN SUCH AN AIIEMfi
THE NECESSITY OF CAREFUL EXAMINATION
AND MATURE CRITICISM.
TO the Editor Of The Trfbhnei
SIR: IL is now very nearly year since by your
courtesy. was permitted through your pages 10
invite the attention of :" The American Biole oo-
oiety to the pressure which was likely 10 oc
brought TO bear upon them to alter ono OF the nos'
sacred and fundamental provisions OF thelr con'''
tuition. As always, in the progress OF th's e,e"V
move for revising the common Englsh Dioie, ~"
friends Of the revision prompt IN aiiayi"s
anxieies upon this point by professions douoties0
sincerely made by them as individuals, but binding
on nobodv but themselves. Unchecked by any coz
sideration for the minds and conscerces OF Others
certain persons have gone on, therefore, manuiactu
ing public opinon in favor of the revision ana III
general treating its acceptance as ioregohc oo"-
clusion ali attempts. on the other manu. "
monsirate, to suggest the necessity oi 'lii'o anu
careful examination Of the completed WORK. Vi W
caution the public as to the necessity OF ho"i"s
the other side, have been met with deprecd"o"'
and denounced as premature III has hoi peeh P'
nature to publish pages of laudation oil "o'N
| incomplete and kept sacredy secret from
scholars and dIvines and millions OF H'c'-
liqent Bible-students, whose comments and sugses,
the sheets of the work as progressively compieteu
been sent TO universities and divinity schools WIN
peuerous appreciation of common rights ana inter
e2ts But il has been premature for any studeh'
| or theolopian to call attention even to tentative
pages issued by quasi authority and to the eAIaoi-
dlnary proposals therein made, apparently 10 pre-
pare the popular mind for changes far beyond 'hose
contemplated in the original scheme. For ten years
the great body of Scripture students ana Dcne'eIs
have been treated like mere babes IN Christ anu
bidden to wait for what doing for them by tne
| Revision Committee SO like the nurse that
elbows the infants bread"
| Meanwhile wo have been treated with the
assurance that the great work once submitted 10
the world might then be discussed" ETC., etc., e'c
1t was foreseen that combinations were at WORK
which would, at all events, minimize any lar OPP
portunity thus presented for the sober mature ana
| profound criticism Of all Engsh-speaking Chris
tian scholars. A year ago ii was not premature TO
suggest that the American Bible Society must
change its constitutions in order to circulate the rev
! version bat when venturcd to call attention 10
this astounding proposal in favor OF WORK oi
which nobody except its authors. as yet knows the
merits or the faults, oh then " the whole discus
| sion is premature"
Let me now ask attention to the next step which
is not premature" OF course, though 1t boldly ac-
cepts the whole work, before it exists as pubica-
ton. and calls on the American Bible Society to
seek immediate power to circulate IT, quote from
the most candid and fair of all the periodicals. OF
the day which have committed themselves to the
expected prodigy before its birth. The writer
suspect is an esteemed personal friend of mine, and
he never writes what he does not mean or is ready
TO disclaim. This honorable and hence formidable
friend of the revision thus expresses himself;
The revised New Testament will 80 soon be ready for
the press that 1t is time TO aCitatc The question OF iis
publication by the Bible Society Uuder It's present con-
sttuoD. that society cannot issuc any English verson
bn that OF King james. which ought 20 be obsolete just
as soon as the ne j. ready 1t shoud immediately seek
an amendment its charter for this purpose We are
glad 10 see chat OF It's oldest auXiaros the Berk
shire Bible Society at the motion OF Professor Perry OF
Williams College recommends this change In the con-
.tutcn Of the parent society. an pledges itself 20 pur
chase and circulate the revised version soon Us IL can
be obtained. We commend this action TO other auxlli
aries OF the Bible Society. Certainly, when buying
Bible VIC should get the best
But why Immediately "No man having
drunk old wine stTaightway dcsircth new Surely
the old may be better But here we find that t1l the
superiority # not the iufalliblty Of the expected
version Is a foregonc conclusion. t2 II Is the best
version 3 Tie Bible Of our fathers is to be counted
obsolete as soon as it appears. a. An auxiliary
Bible Society pledges itself TO purchase and circu-
late il as soon as it can be obtained All which IS
| matter for individual cOnsccEces. aud need
not here be Qainsaid. But now % lit is
time to agitate" for the patronage OF
the American Bible Society; (6l the soc-
ety should Immediately" scck an amendment
TO it's charter for this purpose (7l auxiliary Bible
| Societies a-e prompted to copy the example OF one
which pledges itself TO purchase ana circulate the
| new version as il appears In n word. the
American Bible Society is to commit itself in adj
vance TO an experiment the most moinent0us that
mas ever been attempted in the history of liter
ature aud changed from it, constitutional chaTac-
ter as the distributor of the common English Bible
into the instrument of n voluntary association OF
scholars who are laborng make 1t obsolete" aud
| to push their own work into its place.
| Excuse me. for such is by no means the design
desire of the nobcst and tho greatest
names in this venerable association. They
would never ask for their work any other
reception than that to which it is so tmi-
nently entitled and which it is TO meet with
They ask for IT only the fair st and most prolonged
| investigation by scholars and students, and such
ultimate place in the Biblical literature of the Eng
disappearing world as its merits may finally secnre
for it, But just as fcrcsecn it is not this class
| Of revisers who control the movement Always
your fussy and clever manager Is TO take such
things into practical development, leavng-like
Napoleon at the Pyramids-loS saUdnts arcc les GRes
| en- arriere.
| Now, as an admirer OF the course which the
| American Bible Society pursued IN 1858, when 1t
dared to confess itself in the wrong aud to revert
| to its original and constitutional position.
ture to appeal to it now. and enreat it to preserve
the high claim on public confidence which it then
won at great cost. Its purp0se-ten thousand
| times asserted and made the consideration for
| gifts and bequests from the most munificcnt bene-
factors-ts one purpose is to circulate the common
English Bible. 90 far, that is, the Bible
in English is concerned. But here one of
| its auxiliaries calls il TO lend itself. in