Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-06-18
THE BIBLE.
History of the Manuscripts Upon which
Is Founded.

History of the Manuscripts Upon which It
Is Founded.
The appearance of the seventh revis-
ion of William Tyndales translation of
the New Testament, made three hun
Il dred and fifty years ago, is the most
noteworthy literary event of the day.
The vast and increasing popularity of
this book is significant. During the
present century about 122, 100000 copies
have been issued by the three leading
publication societies of England, Scot
land, and America. The demand in
creases each year, for these societies now
print over 3,950,000 copies annually.
Even this number is inadequate to sup
ply,the popular demand, as is shown
from the supplementary issue of several
q hundred thousand copies more by scores
. I, of4afge publishing houses in these three
countries.
Various schemes toward revision or
retranslation of the New Testament have
been put forward during the last hun
drsd years. In 1764 Anthony Puryer, a
Quaker, issued new translation, design
ed to remove the "obsolete, uncouth and
o. clownish" expressions of the authorized
version; and his work had some merit
translation, made, as he announced,
ss-sg-.'with freedom, spirit, and elegance"
the bathos of which is indicated by a
single sample, Luke XVI, IL: ga certain
man had two sons, is spread into, ga
gentleman of splendid family and opu-
lent fortune had two sons" Three re-
vised versions were issued in the last
decade of the eighteenth century, but
n failed to secure more than transient pub
lie notice. DR.. John Be'lamy issued a
mediocre translation in 1918, and DR..
y tConquest's Bible, with its many thou
sand corrections, followed it in 1S41.
Since then the discussion has grown in
interest and vigor. A number of revis-
ions of single portions have been put
forth, and a few of the whole New Tes-
lament, the most ambitious of which was
that of the American Bible Union in
1862.
Since 1856 efforts have been made at
different times to have the work of re-
vision taken in hand by representatives
of the English Church; but the motions
to this effect, whether in ecclesiastical
conversations or in the House of Com
mons, came to naughL. But the public
demand grew apace.
s@ While the general current of discus
sion is turned upon these, it is also inter
esting to notice the explorations and dis
coveries by paleographsts which have
furnished to the great libraries of Europ,
the ancient. copies that are appealed t.
as authorities for the changes now made
and to sketch the changes in the bool
world during the fifteen centuries sine
these antique manuscripts were frs
written. The revolution in the bushes
of book-making in general and tn
changes of form and material in tn
Christian scriptures are brought int
prominence with the publication of
volume which appeals for the authorit
to make its corrections to the times ant
.t''the books so long antecedent to the dis
covery and the use of printing.
There is little probability that tn
identical leaves on which the apostle
and evangelists wrote were long in eN
istence.h They were doubtless in activ
use while they remained in the hands G
the Christians who first received them
and were soon worn out. The materia
on,which the Gospels and epistes wer
written was undoubtedly the papyrus-
paper which is alluded to in the twelft
verse of the second letter of John, whic
we have already seen to be very fragil
and perishable. OF course it is With
range of possibility that veritable page
once traced by the hand of an apostl
may still remain, decaying undi,covere
in some obscure spot; for we have man
papyrus pages, from buried cities an
ancient tombs, of greater age than thes
---e%r-'lsarceTrrcrc, ff,frr 4 ffew gerGrTri0n'
Jerome remarks of a library ip CGsare
thatit papyrus manuscripts had partl
3, persisted in less than single century
A' If this was true of books carefully pr
served in library, it would be niue
more likely to be the case with autC
graph letters passing from hand to han
and from church to church.
The most ancient Scripture mani
scripts now in existence are not on
copies, but copies of copies at the thin
or fourth remove,
t. In ancient times copying was di
q tinct profession or business, as printir
4. now is. There were great centers of Il
adcopying business, and books were muC
more largely multiplied than many ha'
supposed in modern times. The fa
that the pursuit was a business followt
by many for q livelihood conduced
accuracy in the work. For men wer
of course, paid in proportion TO the nea
ness and faithfulness of their book
This made powerful motive to fidelit
But there were also many amateu
in the work. Mobiles, persons of ran
others of retiring literary dispositio
gave much time to the transcription
books.
In the case of the Christian Scriptur
another very effective motive was adde
Is was long esteemed a meritorious I
ligious act to transcribe a part or {
whole of the Bible Bishops, mobiles al
princes often employed themselves
the Scriptures as a religious duty, Al
esteemed themselves happyin aiding t
good work of multiplying the sacr
books.
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