The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-03-05
TIL e BIBLE
HOW THE REVISION HAS
BEEN MADE.
PROMINENT CLERGYMEN EN-
Gagged IN THE WoRK.

10 the 40 year which have elapsed
since the former revision Of the Bible
known as the King James version, MUCK
additional light has been gained in the
| Greek of the New Testament. Manu-
script evidence has been multiplied MANY
fold, The great labors of such scholar,
as Mill, Bsngel. Wetstein. Griesbaoh
Lachmann, Tischendorf and Tresalle.
have yielded great results. There have
been discovered one manuscript-,he ST.
naitic-containing the entire Nsw Tesla
ment. and auother-the Vstican-eon.
tanning the larger portion, and these
probably written as early as the middle Of
the fourth century; two others, the
AlexaDdrins and the Ephraem, lbelongins
to the middle of the fifth century, and the
Cambridge manuscript of the gospels and
Acts, of the century following 10 al
there are now extant twenty seven ancient
and authentic manuscripts of the gospels,
eleven OF the Pauline EpistIes and FIVE oil
Revelation. On the other hand. the
editors of the King James version pos
sessed emily a small pumber of inferior
and comparatively modern manuscripts,
and those imperfecty collated.
1t is by reason Of this increased knoTl-
edge that the revision has been made, and,
consequently, on the 9th Of May, 1870,
the ConvocatIon of Canterbury appointed
a committee of biblical scholars of the
Church OF England to revise, for public use,
the authorized version of the Bible, civ
ing the committee power to associate with
themselves representative scholars of
other denominations. In 1871, by INVITA-
ton of the English revisers. q similar
American COMMITTEES vRs formed, com.
posed of distinguished scholars of all the
evangelical denominations, and divided,
like the English Committee. int two COM
panies, one for the Old Testament and
OBS for the New.
Among the mere widely known OF ths
names on the English side are Right Rev.
DR.. Browne, Bishop of Winchester. Chair
man 0. T.; Archbishop Trench. Bishops
ThirlWall, Ellicott, Chairman N. T.;
Lightfoot and Wilbsrforce, Deans Afford,
Scott and Stanley. Rev Professor Lsathss.
Canon Wsstectt and Prebendary Scriv-
ener. Ga the American side are sHch
men as Phillip Setaf. D, D.; LII D.
President of the Committee; Professor
William Henry Green, D. D.. LII D,
Chairman Q. T.; ex president 7. D.
Chancellor Howard Crosby. D D.. LII D.
l. LO+GSsCA ARA1OtRy bWIkAt4 ~. y. IO~
lessor Matthew B. Riddle, D. D.; Profes
,or Thomas J. Coaant, D. D; Professor
Il B. Haekstt, D, D.. LII. D.; Professor
j Henry Thayer, D. D.. and Professor
Ezra Abbott. D. D. LII. D.
The two internal com nittees have been
engaged il one aBd the same work TIE
labors of the English Committee have
been submitted 40 the Americas Commit
tee and vice versa. No changes have been
made except by two-thirds vote, and
after examination by each member, as
we'll as consultation in committee Each
company has CONS over The ground twice,
and 10 difficult portions three times.
Reference has been made to diviues,
scholars and library men, not members #
either committee. Ia cases Of unadjusted
diff rerces, The opinions are to be submit
ted in the work itself. Their york is
believed to be entirely undenemination2l
The active members Of the English CON-
mittee have nun bered ifty-two; of the
American Committee, twenty seven.
Their service has been continued for len
years on The other side Of the ocean RDd
FOR nine years on this, aud it is claimed |
that TO say nothing Of an improved Greek |
scholarship, they have access to such |
original manuscript authority as was
beyond the reach or knowledge of their |
predecessors