The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-29

49,. ve~ Eussfsh TRANSLATION Of the
New Tessamcnt-The I've sers'o"s
romparea-Changes MADE Etc


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A correspondent Of the Chicago Ismes,
writing from London, says:
The oneen's printer, who alone 10y
arc;ent ssa,use law is permitted TO publish
Rlhle, within the realm, has put his sigma.
trre upon the last sheet proof OF the new
revision OF the New Testament, aud within
= week the first shipment Of the bound
volumes will be made TO America, canada,
Australia, and wherever the English tongue
4 snoken by Pfotestants. For many rea.
sors that will readily occur and need not be
cnumeratet the new revision is an epoch in
pr~sestsntism and a red-ietter day Ia all
CHRISTIAN churches the world over. Its adj
veot- looked forward 10 for over decade,
and the hope OF thousands OF Christian
minds, will be subject OF absorbing inter-
es,.
The revision is catholic In its nature, Ca
,hedral In its form. II Is the JOINT work
OF The new add old worlds; Of all branches
OF lie Protestant Church; Of learning and
ple,y ioiued hand IN hand; priests and lay
man, prelale aud scholar, working to-
eeiher. It's origin was In that cradle OF
Anslc- Saxon Cbristendom, the Convocation
OF Canterbury, presided over by the prl-
mate OF England" The necessity for re-
vision OF The present text has become Inn
perative--how imperative clergymen and
scholars alone know-and for many years
previously there had been careful inquiry
and discussion among the bishops, clergy,
ard theological professors, as we'll as lay
men, IN regard TO tao best means by which
II ought TO be brou sbt about. The plan
that las been slowly maturing, under The
advice OF the most eminent minds in this
country and America, was presented 10 the
Convocaiion May 6, 1870, by the committee
having IL In charge. The plan was so well
dlgested, so broad in its catholicity,
YET so conservative in its aims,
that 1t met with prompt approval,
and the work now completing was
begun without delay. The scheme could
never have had any hopes OF success
bad 1t been confined to the Established
Church, and 1t therefore contemplated a
union OF learning and special fitness for the
labor that would embrace the whole world;
that would unite all English-speaking races
and al denominations; that would produce
q text TO be accepted in all lands and among
all peoples as an "authorized version " and
a correct rendering OF The original text SO
far as the original text could be agreed upon
By scholars.
When The present translation was made
there bad been comparatively no COMPARE
son Of manuscripts for the elimination Of
erFors; there were very few manuscripts
available; no very old manuscripts were
known; the inaccurate Vulgate Natin
trzDslation) OF that day was the staff upon
which the forty leaned; and texts
known TO be corrupt bad TO be used for
want OF better. The Oldest copy Of man.
uscript that they consulted was OF the mid
die ages.
Within the present generation two copies
OF the Bible, made about $40 A. d., have
been brought to light, the pages photo
graphed, aud copies distributed among
scholars. These are the celebrated "Codex
S:naiticus." found by Tischendorf in con-
vent on Mount Sinai, and the "CodeX Vata-
canus," found in the Vatican library at
Rome, where for centuries 1t had reposed
unnoticed and uncared for. These two
alone have been OF priceless value in detect
Ing errors OF transcription and in harmo-
nizing discordant passages satisfactorily to
the skeptical as well as the credulous seeker
for truth. The present version OF the Bible
is based upon very few modern manu-
scripts, rot exceeding five in number. That
now before Us Is made from careful COM
parison of over twelve hundred, ninety
eight being ancient-from the fourth 10 the
tenth century. In addition, all the quota
lions by the patristic and early writers have
been collected, and the early TRANSACTIONS
into Syriac, Latin, Gothic, Egyptian, Celtic,
Arabic. and Slayonic.
Three centuries ago the translators OF
King James had few aids and little material
for the work. Those Of Victoria have the
accumulated treasure OF ten thousand able
workers and storehouses filed with mate
rial. AsioDisbment must be expressed that
they have found so little OF vital importance
10 Christianity to condemn in the work Of
their predecessors-not that they have mede
ten thousand trivial aud one thousand i'm
portant changes in the New Testament.
THE TWO VERSIONS COMPARED.
The translation OF King James was more
new revision than the ordered translation.
The revision Of Victoria is more new
translation than the ordered revision. III
each case the eXigencies Of the labor COM
PEELED departure from and compromise
with the instructions. In the latter case
there Is less reason than in the former, but
after the first excitement dies away il will
not be regretted.
The new revision OF the New Testament
issued from the University press will at first
shock the Protestant world. IL is not re-
cognizabe as a Bible. The chapters and
verses are gone; the running bead-liaes are
gone; verses are missing, changed, pared I;
familiar texts that have become craven on
the minds OF church people for generations
have disappeared, and in their place are
words foreign TO the eye and strange to the
ear. Verbal and grammatical changes may
be counted by the tens OF thousands.
The first general idea that will strike the
scholar, however, is the delightful faithful
ness with which the Greek text has been
reproduced for the English reader. The
narrative Is unbrOken by disagreement OF
chapter and verse, but the capitals, punctu.
alton, and paragraphs lacking In the origi.
nal are, Of course, supplied, and for conve.
niences OF reference TO the present version
the present divisions are marked paren.he,i.
cally. The misleading headlines disappear
finally, without a sign to denote their i'm
proper intrusion.
The effect Is striking and marked i'm
provement. The sequence OF the gospe
narratives, the logic Of ST. Paul, take on a
new appearance and force that Is not al
owing 10 the Improvement in grammatical
construction OF the text, although 10 first
reading it is difficult TO distinguish how
much - owing TO one and how much to the
other.
Take this illustration (Heb. w., 8-7l
which Is fair example OF this point.
OLD STYLE. NEW STYLE.
Seeing therefore Since, therefore. IL re
rena,Ieth that some one maineth that some enter
must inter therein, AND therein, and they who
they q whom II was nrsi formerly received tbt
preached enter not In glad promise entered mo-
teeause OF nnbeief: IN because OF disobed
Z. Again, he limiieth ence. he again axeth ;
certsin day, saying toctrtain cay, 10. day saw
David, To-cay. after soing so long time aft er
long ums As u Is said. ward In rayid las hail