Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-06-17
NIanusc ripts ON which the Bible ReVIs.
ion fs Hased

In sermon on the revision of the Bible,
Rev. DIR. Rylance, of St. Marks church, New
York, made the following interesting state
ment respecting the early manuscripts ofNhe
New Testament. The learned doctor speaks
also approvingly of the new version, remark
ing that the version was necessary in order
that the common people as well as the learn
ed might understand exactly on what ground
they stood. Hitherto it has been thought
that every word Of the English version of the
Bible was inspired this belief is passing
away as people become educated and know
that no work of translator can be absolute
ly perfect The autographs of the Apostles
have long since faded and disappeared. ALI
we have to depend upon for our translations
are copies. ancient versions, translations
and the quotations made by the Fathers of
the Church. The manuscripts of the New
Testament are of two kinds-the uncial, the
oldest class of manuscripts, written in cap
itals and without punctuation, and the 'cur-
sive" manuscripts, so called from their being
written in running hand that began to be
used in the tenth century. Those of the old
class were written between the fourth and
tenth centuries, the others after the tenth
century.
OF the old there are 1870 in existence; of
the new about l, 500. The very old and very
valuable manuscripts are only Eve. OF these
the Alexandrian Codex was originally discov-
cred at Alexandria, and was sent to King
Charles I. in 1923. 1t is now in the British
Museum. Nothing is known of the origin of
this, but it is usually assigned to the middle
Of the fifth century. It is much mutilated
twenty -four chapters of the first Gospel, two
of the fourth, and eight of one of the Epis-
ties being missing. The next is the Vatican
manuscript, supposed to have been written
in the fourth century. A copy of this was
never made till 1868, when fac Simile was
issued. The condition of this is much more
perfect. The third manuscript is that in the
national library at Paris, whittier it was
brought by Catharine de Medici This had
been overwritten-that is, the parchment
had been used for other writings but, spite
of that, the original has been deciphered 1t
is assigned to the early part of the fifth cent
ury The fourth manuscript is now at Cam
bridge This is the least valuable, as it is
much mutilated. 1t belongs TO the sixth
century. The manuscript found in 1874 in
the convent of st. Catharine on Mount Sinai
by Tischendorf, and copied by him in 1859,
is the most valuable of the five, as it contains
the New Testament complete. This is sup
posed to have been witten in the fourth cen
tury. None of these most valuable authori-
ties were consulted in any of the English
versions Of the Bible, even in making that of
King James time. The Latin Vulgate, the
plentiful cursiye manuscripts and the trans
lations were used. Errors like the doxology
at the end of the Lords prayer had crept in
to the translations, even into the Syrian,
which was as old as the second century. The
Latin Vulgate was probably an excellent
translation, as it must have been made with
in few years of the death of St. John. The
changes that have just been made have only
been made when the weight of authority left
no doubt of their necessity. The text is not
question of taste, of like and dislike, but of
historic testimony. The doctor expects to
see the corrected version win its way into the
confidence and respect of the English speak
ing people.