The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-09-09
THE HOLY BIBLE.
The New English Translation of
the New Observation-Disclosures
That Are Startling.
Chicago Times.

LONDON, July 2l.-The Queens prin-
ter, who alone by ancient statute law
is permitted 70 publish Bibles within
the realm, has put his signature upon
the last sheet proof IF the new revision
of the New Testament, and within a
week the first shipment of the bound
volumes will be made to America, Cam
ada, Australia, and wherever the Eng
lish tongue is spoken by Protestants.
For many reasons that will readily oc-
cur and need not be enumerated the
new revision is an epoch in Protestant
ism and a red letter day in all christian
churches the world over. Its advent,
looked forward to for over a decade,
and the hope of thousands of christian
minds, will be subject of absorbing
interest.
The revision is catholic in its nature
cathedral in its form. 1t is the Joint
work of the new and old worlds, or oil
branches of the protestant church of
learning and piety Joined hand in hand /;
priest and layman, prelate and scholar,
working together. Its origin was in
that ''cradle of Anglo-SaXon Christen-
dom, the Convocation of Canterbury,
presided over by the primate of Eng
land" The necessity for a revision of
the present text has become imperative
how imperative clergymen and schol-
ars alone know-and for many years
previously there had been careful inqui-
ry and discussion among the Bishops,
Clergy and Theological Professors, as
well as laymen, in regard to the best
means by which it ought to be brought
about. The plan that has been slowly
maturing under the advice of the most
eminent minds in this country and
America was presented to the convo-
cation May 6, 1870, by the committee
having it in charge. The plan was so
well digested, so broad in its catholicity,
yet so conservative in its aims, that it
met with prompt approval, and the
work now completed was begun without
delay. The scheme could never have
had any hopes of success had it been
confined to the Established Church,
and it 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 all denominations :;
that would produce a text to be accep-
ted in all lands and among all people
as an "authorized version" and a cor
rect rendering of the original text so
far as the original text could be agreed
upon by scholars.
The English committee appointed by
the convocation comprised the venera-
BILE Archbishop French, of Dublin; the
bishops of Lincoln, Winchester, st.
David's, Durham, Salisbury, Bath and
Wells, Llandaff, Gloucester and Bris-
tOl, and st, Andrews, the deans OF
Westminster, Ely, Litchfield, Roches-
ter, Lincoln, Canterbury, and Peterbo-
rough the archdeacons of Dublin, Can
terbury, Bedford, and Maidstone; the
pro iessors of Hebrew, Greek, Arabic,
and special theological branches in the
universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Ed
inburgh, London, Glasgow, and of the
Wesleyan college at DedSbury the Bap-
tist colleges at London and Bristol, the
congregational college at Glasgow, and
the Free Kirk (Presbyterian) colleges
at Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh.
To these were added eminent laymen
adapted to the work.
The American committee was organ
lied in 1871, chiefly from professors in
the leading theological seminaries OF
the different denominations; ;the divinity
schools of Harvard, Yale, Princeton,
New Brunswick, Andover, Rochester,
New York, Philadelphia, Trenton,
Hartford, Alexandria, and other cities
furnishing their ablest scholars. Bishop
Lee was the only cis-Atlantic Episco-
palian, but such names as Woolsey,
Dwight, Sehaff, Conant, Dewitt, Strong,
Van Dyke, Green, Day, Acken, Osgood,
Thayer, and Abbott-names familiar
and revered not alone here, out in crit
ical Holland and erudite Germany
were hailed as an earnest of the
hearty acceptance of the scheme by all
American denominations, and also their
intention to fully deserve half the credit
OF the work, if not more.
In addition to these committees, Fis-
chendorf, Kennen, Ewald, and nearly a
hundred other eminent Bible scholars
of the continent (including several
Catholic prelates) placed their special
knowledge, their time, and their manu-
script treasures at the disposal of the
committee, and, as corresponding MEM
bers, have rendered assistance of very
highest value.
The principles of the revision were
markedly conservative. GAS few alter
ations in the present text as faithfulness
to the original would permit was the
first and great commandment; but it
was understood that "faithfulness to the
original required great many
changes. No change was retained
without two-thirds vote in each COM
mittee. The "original text" was Sc
lected in the same manner from the old
est and best uncial manuscript.
In America and here, following in
part the plan of the King James trans
lators, the committee divided, the He
braists taking the Old Testament, the
Helienists the New Testament. These
did not su bdivide the work, however,
and each member of the New Testament
committee became responsible for the
correctness of the entire work.
The method of labor was this: Both
committees took up, let us say the first
synoptic. The Americans revised it.
The English revised it. The work was
then exchanged, and each committee
compared the revision with its own.
Where they agreed the work was ac-
cepted. Where they disagreed the work
was again gone over, explained and ex-
changed, this being continued until
agreement was had. There was very
little disagreement, however, and the
precaution provided for of final dis
agreement was not necessary.
The progress of the work has been
kept secret by special arrangement.
Alarming reports of sweeping changes
have from time to time appeared, fright
ening the timid and the letter-inCpira-
tionists but nothing was given out by
authority until row, when the whole
work, approved unanimously by the
committee, is presented to Christendom
for a verdict. In considering the
changes that have been made il may be
proper to insist upon the fact being
kept in view that Ilo more cautious and
conservative body of christian scholars,
enjoying so wide reputation and such
high respect throughout the world,
could possibly be gathered together;
that no change has been made in the
present English version except by a
two-thirds vote of both bodies; that the
doubt has always been exercised in be-
half of the present version, the necessity
for each change having to be proven
clearly and unmistakably, and that the
only danger has been from the first that
the revisers would exercise undue eau
ton and refuse to accept corrections
that should be made in the interests OF
trIth because the evidence against them
lacked some technicality, producing a
work that the non-christian would not
and ought not TO be asked to accept as
correct version of the original.
WHY THE REVISION WAS NEEDED.
Great as has been the bulk OF infor-
nation disseminated concerning the
Scriptures, some facts OF the first inn
portance are little known. One of
them is that there never has been
standard text. The editions printed by