, 1881-03-06

East.
Still have so much to tell you Of this
IONS. that must defer part Of my lnf0rna-
tiDn to another letter. am persuaded. just
nj present. that the higher education, OF
which YOU talk so freely i'll the great Rcpub-
lie, must include visit to, anu an ac9ualht-
ance with, Tibet and the IibetanS.
ssTIIE NEW VERSION.''
A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIE ASGLo-AMERCAN
REVISION OF THE NEW TEsTMEST-riiE
CLAIMS AS TO IT'S VALUE AND THE NATURE
or. IT'S CI1ANGEs-wIIl IT'S PUBLICATION
WAS DEFERRED AND WHO ARE TO BLING
OUT TIE WORK.
The Rev, l. T. Chamberlain D. D., of the
Broadway Church in Norwich, Conn.,, has
written short history Of the AngloEAmeri-
can revision OF the New Testament, which,
in connection with the widespread and rest
less feeling of curiosity regarding the conf
ing volume forms a leading topic in this
section of New England just now. Indeed,
so general has the interest become that
articles concerning the work are already a1t
pcaring in the local press. The tone OF these
letters, in many cases, shows that almost
utter ignorapce ill relation to the " New
Version,' as It is popularlY called here, pre-
walls among the great majority OF the people,
aud the methods, nature Of its changes. and
value are likewise to them sealed book. Dr.
Cnamberl aims history will, in great meas
ure, satisfy tile demands Of the unintormed
in the search Of knowledge concerning it.
In the 27O years which have elapsed since
the former revision Of the Bible, known rs
the King James version, much additional
light has been gained i'll the Greek Ut the
New Testament Manuscript evidence has
been multiplied many fold. The great labofs
of such scholars as Mill, Bengel, Wetstcin,
Griesbach, Lachmann, Tischendorf, and Ire
gelles have yielded great results. There
have been discovered one nlanuscript-the
Sinaitic-containing the entire New Testa-
nlent, and another-the Vatican-contairin in1
the larger portion, and these probably writ
ten as early as the middle Of the fourth cell-
tury: two others, the Aleyarlrlne and the
Ephraem, belonging to middle of the fifth
century, and the Cambridge manuscript OF
the Gospels ard Acts, of the century ollow-
ing, In all there are now extant twenty
seven ancient and authentic manuscripts OF
the Gospels, ten of the Acts and General
Epfstlcs, eleven Of the Pauline Epistles. anil
five of Revelation. On the other hand, the
editors Of the King James version possessed
only small number Of inferior and conf
paratiycly modern manuscripts, and those
imperfectly collated. 1t is BY reason of this
Increased knowledge that the revision
i',, I,an u,,o and consenuently. on
, ,o rs." ~, ,.4'|uI' w.. 1s-o tho f-,nvoco-
the o''l u -h"e' loo, ,,'';,ta',
ton or Canterbury appointed comn'ia'ee
of biblical scholars Of the Church Of England
to revise, for public Use, tue authorized YER
sion OF the Bible, giving the Committee
power to associate with themselves repre-
sentative scholars of other dcnoln'natlolls
In lS71, BY invitation of the English re'isels,
a similar American Committee WAS formed.
composed ot distinguishc scholars IT Ill the
eya1igcnical denominations, and divided, like
the English Committee, into two companies.
one for the Old Testament and one for the
New,
Among the more widely known OF the
names OF, the English side are the Rt.-Rcv.
Dr.. Browne, Bishop Of Winchester tClair-
man O. T}; Archbishop Trench, Bishops;
Thir1wall, Ellicott (Chairlnan y. F.), Light
foot, and Wilbcrforcc; Deans Afford. Scott,
and Stanley. tie I,cy. Prof. Lcaties Canon
Wtstrutt and 1'rcDeudary SErlVeN*r.. On tile
American side are such men as Philip Scllaif,
u. d., LII. d. president of Commit1ec},
Prof. William Henry Green; D. / p, Ii: 4 ~ y.
sey, u. D., LII. u. Chairman y. u; Cham
ce}ior Howard crosby, D. d., LII. D.; Prof.
| Timothy Dwight, u. D.; Prof. Matthew 3.
Riddle, D. D.; Prof. Thomas J: Conant, D.
D.; Prof. II. 3. uackett. d. D., LII. d. =;
Abhott, l1l; t, j. l''i D., Ii. D. ~ 4
| The two International Committees have
| been engaged in one ann the same work.
| Tile labors of the English Committee have
| been submitted to the American Committee
| and vice versa No changes have heen made
| except by two-thirds vote, and aftcr exan-
ination BY each member, as we'll MS consIllta-
tiou in committee. Each company has gone
over the ground twice, and in difficult p"'-