The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-06-30
Bible Revision.

of the New Testament marks an i'm
portant era in the history of the Chris
tian Church. Its effect in stimulating
thought and arousing new interest in the
study of Gods Word will no doubt be
felt by Christians of every land and
tongue. It's influence will be to awaken
earnest inquiry after the pure text of
| Scripture and its true sense. For two
centuries and half the English Bible,
commonly known as King James Yer
| sion, has exerted mighty power on the
faith and conscience of Protestant
Christianity. SO great is the veneration
with which it is regarded by its many
readers, that any attempt at alteration or
emendation of the "ipissima verba' is
looked upon with suspicion-as deserv-
ing of the threatened doom described in
the Revelation. To essay revision OF
the English text is to cOncede imper-
fections in the present edition, which,
in the esteem of many pious but llllt-
crate readers, is no better than heresy,
bold and defiant, and is a step toward
intidelity to be resisted to the bitter end.
When it is remembered that of the 200
TRANSACTIONS of the Bible now IN use
amongst the various nations. not less
than three fourths of them have been
made on the basis of the English Bible,
it follows that revision of the author
lied version" as it is called, will demand
also revision OF all these TRANSACTIONS.
It is undeniable that much of the OPP
position to Bible revision is based on a
weak fallacy in attributing inspiration to
the translators aud copyists of the origi-
nal Scriptures, for nothing short of this
can give such sanctity to any present
or future version in the vernacular. 1t
should also be remembered that not
fragment of evidence is to be found en-
titlIng the present English Bible to be
exclusively designated as the authorized /
version" While it is true that King
James /. of England, in 1904, counselled
new version OF the Bible into the com
mon language Of the people and appoint
ed large body of learned men to con-
duct the work, and while it is matter
of history that their work was completed
and published by permission OF the
King, in 1911, i. is not true that this
version was ever publicly sanctioned by
the decree of any Convention OF the
clergy, or by Parliament or by the
Privy Council, or even by the King him
SELF Nor is this edition of the Scrip
lures in. the true sense of the word YER
sion ut all, since it is not an independent
translation into the vernacular from the
original Greek and Hebrew, but simply
q revision of Tyndale's translation, and
the fifth in order. 1t is also fact that
this revision at first encountered bitter
opposition, and for 30 years after its first
issuance was looked upon with grave
suspicion-just as all former revislons
were regarded, and as the present revls-
ion will no doubt for time be esteemed.
After all this, no stronger evidence Is
needed to show the thorougbness OF the
great work accomplished by the scholars
whom James selected for this duty, than
the fact that it has for two hundred
years been held in highest reverence and
affection by the entire body OF English
speaking Protestants throughout Christ
endom. No nobler tribute can be paid
to its excellency and faithfulness. II
the claim for revision OF the Scriptures
at this time is to be based chiefly on the
ground of it's quaintness and profuslon
of obsolete words; ii the plea put for
ward is that version into modern Eng
lish has became necessity, 1t IS certain
that multitudes of the conservative ele-
ment of Protestant Christianity will in
| dignantly protest against the stripping
Vi ulNIue VI lto S.otSiy
and dressing it up in the fippant, fash
ionable, polite language of modern
society Such plea would be greeted
with an outburst Of righteous indigna
ton, sweeping revisers and revision into
merited oblivion. In order to pave the
way for charitable and tolerant consid-
Grafton of this new version, a few mat
terri are deserving of careful thought. For
400 years after the completion OF the
Scriptures the only means of transmit
ting them were by copyists, slow and
toilsome process, and much more liable
to error than the present method OF
printing and proof-reading.
| AS early as the fourth century so MANY
and fragrant were errors found in the
text of Scripture, that the Bishop OF Da-
mascus felt constrained to demand a
thorough revision of the Bible. The
versions of Scripture in the Latin Ian
guage then in common use had become
so corrupt through the ignorance, illit-
eracy, predjudice or immortality of the
copyists, that the cause of Christianity
was sadly affected thereby. To Jerome,
a monk OF Jerusalem, eminent for his
great learning, and especially in exegeti..
cal studies, was committed the work OF
revision. This great scholar records
something of the difficulties encountered.
"a, c.ri,,f,,ras