Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-11-05
The New Bible.
Cincinnati Commercial,

Cincinnati Commercial.
For some years the Biblical schol-
ars felt that a new translation was
needed. Not only had some words
in the English version acquired =
different meaning than they had in
King James day, and Greek and
Hebrew scholars become more thor
oughly acquainted with those Ian
guages. but manuscript copies OF the
Bible antedating by centuries that
from which the King James version
was translated had been found, aud
there was no longer any good reason
Why the work should not be done.
In 1870 a plan was devised, and .
committee appointed to undertake.
the responsible task. That commit
tee represented the Churches Of
England, and was composed Of Arch
bishop Trench, of Dublin; the Bish-
ops Of Lincoln, Winchester, st.
David's, Durham, Sai1bury, Bath
and Wells, Llandaff, 0}0pcester and
Bristol, and st. Andrews; the Deans
of Westminster, Ely, Litchfeld,
Rochester, Lincoln, Canterbury and
Peterborough; the Archdeacons Of
Dublin. Canterbury, Bedford and
Maidstone; the Professors of Hebrew,
Greek, Arabic, and special theolog-
ical branches in the Universities Of
Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh,
London, Glasgow, and OF tbs Wss-
leyan College at Dedshary; the Bau-
tist Colleges at London and Bristol,
the Congregational Colleae n Glas-
gov, and the Free Kirk Q 4fssbyte-
rian) Colleges at Glasgow, Aberdesn
and Edinburgh. To these were add
ed eminent laymen adapted to the
work.
A year later the American commit
tee was organized. It was composed
in large part of professors from the
leading theological schools Of the
various denominations, and among
them were such widely known men
as Woolsey, Dwight, Schaf. Conant.
Dewitt, Strong. Van Dyke, Green,
Day, Achen. Osgood Thaysr, Abbott
and Bishop Lee. These two commit
tees acted together, and Ia their In
bors were assisted BY Tlschendcrf,
Ewald, Kenuan and several soore n
other distinguished Biblical sohol ol1kl
The plan upon wbiuh III xGyIi = ~ 4
has been in6ds was allnt 6tp l
to be as few alterations il The px61-
ent text as faithfnlnsss to the origi-
nal would permit; but at the same
time it was known that faithfulness
of the original would require good
many changes. The original text
was selected from the Oldest and best
manuscript copies OF the Bible, and
no change of the received text was
made except upon q two-thirds vote
of each committee.
Each committee, English and
American, divided, the Hebrew
scholars taking the Old Testament,
the Greek scholars the New Testa-
ment. In pursuing their labors,
both committees would take up .
chapter, or more or less, and after
revising it would exchange work.
which they would then compare
with their own. That upon which
they finally agree will be accepted:
that upon which they disagreed was
returned, revised and exchanged
and revised again and again until
agreement was had.
The New Testament is now COM
pleted, and before long we shall SEQ
the new translation on sale in this
country. Some religious people have
become much concerned over the
prospect, as it appears to them. Of
having Bible with 80 many changes
that it will be virtually new book.
To quiet the fears Of that classs,
those who know what changes have
really been made say they are 30 light
that the ordinary reader would scaroe-
ly detect them. And yet they are in
nearly every case important. Assur-
ances have been given that nothing
has been introduced that will be
calculated to unsettle anybody's faith
or to put weapons in the hands OF
irreligionists. The work has been
done by men who have no doctrinal
hobbies to ride or special theories to
advance. Their only object has
been to give true translation of the
Bible.
JUDGE Nathan Clifford is the old
est member of the Supreme Bench.
He is in the 18th year Of his age,
and the twenty-third year Of his SER
vice, baving been appointed by Mr..