New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-05

the two Companies are directed respectively by
the Bishop Of Winchester and the Bishop OF
Gloucester The work has made slow progress
ON account of the great care taken TO secure
accuracy aud to obtain for every important
change the assent al two thirds of a Committee
numbering in all no fever than eighty-two per-
sons. The text of King James's version is
taken as the basis, and the rule governing
alterations is that eacn Company shall go over
the text twice on the first revision majority
vote to be sufficient to make change, nut
on the second revision all changes 10 be- ap-
proved w twO-thirds vote before being adopted
as final The Committee does not seek TO make
changes for the sake OF change. The language
of the received version will not he altered except
when its meaning can be made more clear, or
IN cases where there are manifest errors. No al
tcmpt is made to modernize the forms of express
SION. The Committee wisely rec0gnz" the Tact
that the simple and dignliicd language oil hlhg
James's Bible, though rendered somewhat quaint
and antiquated by the notifications which have
taken place in English speech in the course OF
more than Two centuries and half, Is so ass0-
ciated i'm the minds OF En- speaking people
all over the world wi h the thoughts 1t conveys
and the moral and religious truths II teaches,
that any alteration made with n view OF asSlnn-
lating it TO the forms of expression OF the PIES
ent day would rob the Scriptures OF much OF
their force ana he iuty.
The English of King Jamcs's translation was
undoubtedly the ENGLISH spoken and written by
educated people III King Jamcs's time. 1t is
somewhat archaic now, but 1t Is terse, strong
and expressive. and it, constant use il religious
discourse has kept it from losing It's or glnai
significance except in comparatively ftW pas
sages. ANY attempt TO supDlant 1t by the col
loqu,al English of the neecnth century would
be resented 10y all Bib'e readers.
The revised Bible will Lave miny strong
points to recommend it to the ChulcAes en- both
sides OF the Atlantic, and il II iuils the hopes
of the friends of the revision movement VIII
soon take the place of the version so long ac-
cepted by all gish-speaking Ploiestants. ii
will have no new readings made III support OF
the Chains of any particular denomination; for
all the principal denominations are represented
on the Committee Ii will have the adval tage
of the great progress made during the past 20
years ID knowledge OF the Hebrew, Syriac and
Greek tongues, aad of the geogra by, mOnu-
mcnts and his ory Of the people inhabiting the
BlDic IantiS III IL inc calm, NdiCiui; hNlbNi'A'S
work OF a large group OF en- nent scholars and
divineS of recognized influence Ill the various
branches of the Protestant faith. Probably 1t
will have nothing TO contend with except the
force of habit, which Will favor the continued
Use OF the old version. Ii must make Its way
by ts own merits but King Jamess Bbe had
no better chance at the start The King APP
proved of the plan for new translation, and
asked the Bishops to let him know when Nv
"ings of twenty pounds" became vacant, IN
order that lie might fill them from among the
forty seven persons engaged In tho work OF
translation. The expenses were mainly borne,
however, by printer named Barker, who was
given copyright on the book. The translation
was generally accepted at once, AMI has ever
since been univ ersally recognized as Che English
Bible, not from any force of anthor y, eccleSi-
astica or civil but solely because Of its evident
intrinsic merits