The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-06-08


the great conservator, with its
clear, forcible, pure, simple Anglo
Saxon; Standing up ever like a
bulwark against the tide of inno-
vations which from time to time
has threatened to engulf our beau
tiful language-a silent but mighty
protest against every effort to mar
its beauty or weaken it's force.
This influence has been all the
moro strongly felt because it has
been the book of the people; and
30 the educator Of the masses.
For the larger part of the English
speaking world it has been the
only book. No wonder we rev.
erence it. Our very language is
a constant reminder of our obliga.
ton to reverence aud love it. But
more than every other considera-
tion is the fact that it has been
our Bible, our only Bible, and the
Biblo of our fathers. Hero and
there some few have been able TO
consult the original and get their
ideas Of Gods word from it,, but
the vast multitude have gathered
their religion from this book. All
they have known and believed
has come from it. 1t is associated
with all their experiences of the
past, all their hopes for the future.
The very words Of the book are
precious because they are entwln-
ed amid the sweetest memories of
our lives. In hours of exultation
and joy they have been the 7ehi.
cles for our jubilant thoughts; in
hours of need they have been the
armory from which we have drawn
our weapons to besiege the throne
Of the Eternal. With it's sweet
words we have cheerc9 and sooth
ed our dying, and comforted and
sustained our own hearts in hours
bereavement and trial. They may
bring q new candidate for our
favor and ask US to introduce it
into our homes and churches, and
| reckon we shall do it, but we
must not and will not surrender
our reverence for this dear old
book. Still, my Christian friends,
our. reverence ought to be intelli-
gent enough 60 back Of q mere
translation to the divine origi.
inal-tbat, I repeat, that only
is Gods word the translation is
only tho human vehicle which has
brought it to US; with the errors
and imperfections of all human
productions. In proportion to our
true reverence for that divine
original ought 10 be our desire to
eliminate all error from the trans
lation. And, after all, our reve-
renee will not | approhend be
severely taxed. The new version
is to be only a revision not new
translation; that it is really the
same version with it's imperfec-
tions corrected and it's errors re.
moved and surely none of US can
object to that. The familiar Bible
style is to be retained, and the
old expressions too, whenever
they convey a clear idea Of the
true meaning. So that it has
been asserted by some who are
engaged in this work that. the
new version might be read for
long time in many Of our pulpits
before the change would be dis
covered.
2. Is there need of such revi-
sion? admit that desirable as
it is to get at the true meaning,
yet frequently repeated revisions
are not to be desired, and none
ought to be- made unless there is
pronounced demand for it. In
this case it must be apparent to
every thoughtful person that
there is such demand. This will
be seen when we consider the ad-
vantages we possess over the
translators Of the authorized ver-
sion, in the material at our COM
mand and the skill to use it. At
The time this version was made
the world was just fairly emerg-
ing from the darkness of the mid
die ages, while we stand amidst
the blazing light Of al! the schol-
arship Of this wonderful 18th CEN
tury. Take, for instance, the mat
ter of the text, i. g.. the question
as to what constituted the true
original writings. The autograph
copies, you of course know, had
been long lost. q cannot but
hope-and it isn't a wild hope