The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-06-30
HANDS OFF OF GODS WORD
Talmage's Protest Against the Re-
vised Version.

congregation last Sunday morning.
Mr.. Talmage recited the Lord s
prayer to the doxology, and then
solemnly said: "There we are
compelled to stop" Taking up the
Bible he turned to the fifth chapter
of John, but passed it with the re-
mark: 81 will not read that, for it
has been abolished or made doubt
full by the new revision" He next
started On the eighth chapter of
John, but soon stopped reading,
saying, "that also has been abol-
ished, 50 will pass il" The fifth
chapter of the First Epistle OF
John was next announced, but was
quickly abandoned also Mr.. Tai
mage saying: 81 will progress no
further in that readir g. for that too
has been abolished" daughter }.
81 Think" continued the reverend
gentleman, "we will have to go to
the Old Testament, for the Old Tes-
lament committee has not yet re-
ported, and will not for the next
three years." He then read the
nineteenth psalm of David. When
the time for the sermon was reached,
Mr.. Talmage took ior his text
"And when they came to Nachon's S
threshing-foor, and Uzzah put
forth his hand to the ark of God,
and took hold of it; for the oxen
shook it. And che anger of the
Lord was klndled against Uzzah,
and God smote him there for his
error; and there he died by the ark
of God" second SamueI, VII, 6 and
Z. We have, he said, an ark of the
covenant, which is the Bible, and,
like the old one, is precious. Let
not the hands of worldly criticism,
pedautry, or useless disturbance
touch that ark! Remember the
fate of Uzzah! We are in the
midst 0: an agitation caused by the
revision of the New Testament, the
best of all that Is good; Interlocked
with all that is sacred in life; pro-
nounced by Webster and Washing
ton Irving to be the finest piece of
English prose in existence; word
blessing and revolutionizing tue
world for good, and satisfactory to
all Christendom, except few doc
tors of divinity. Two companies
were formed--the Old and New
Testament companies. They have
been at work ten years, and the
New Testament company has just
launched the result of its labors
upon the world. After great and
universal advertising of the book
and dramatic holding of it back to
a certain day, and postponing the
issue until a still further day, it
comes forth. The English press
es keep tight grip upon the copy
right, and American publishers who
offer thousands of dollars for the
privilege OF publishing itsImultane-
ously on this side have their offers
rejected cavalierly. Nor was this
to pay the expenses of revision,
which were paid by private sub
scription, $4,000 being given in
this country. In one day 100000
copies were sold-some say 2,000,-
600 copies in two days. A great
compliment to the Bible, you say !
Yes; but be not deceived. Have
you any idea that 100000 people
were seized with a sudden desire
for scriptural reading? Most of
these 100000 copies went into
homes where the Bible was already
enthroned. We who loved the Bi-
BILE were anxious to know what the
revisers had been doing for ten
years. Suppose in the New York
City Hall park there stood an ex
quisite statue, sculptured at vast ex-
pense, of which the people were
Justly proud, and thlrty-eight men
for ten years under cover should be
at work upon that same statue.
The morning that the cover was
dropped and the changes revealed
the streets and the avenues would
not hold those who would want to
be spectators. Ali the Christian
world wanted to know what had
been done. All denominations of
the church wanted to see how their
particular theories were affected.
We all rushed out to get a COPY.
That accounts for the 100000 or
100000. My only surprise is
that 100000 copies were not sold.
This famous work is now before
the church and the world, and we
are asked to render a verdict upon
it. Every ybody has a vote, even
the humblest individual in all the
earth,. The perpetual question is;
"How do you like it?'' Some an
swer Every much" others tsome-
what" while others say they will
have to wait and read 1t year be-
fore pronouncing an opinion. In
other words they want to wait and
hear what others say, so that they
may say the same thing. Laugh
ter. A number are afraid to
speak lest they may offend e~clesi-
astical rings, for each denomina.
ton has its ring. Bossism is as
prevalent in the church as it is in
the world, if it could rule religion
as it rules the money market or the
legislature. There are two voices
that have not yet been heard.
One is the quiet scholarship OF
England and the United States,
which has been hurt more than il
can express by the many changes
put forth. The other is the voice
of the great masses of the people,
999 of whom out of every 1000 re
greet from their very soul that any
revision was attempted, and look
upon it as desecration, proclamation
and religious outrage. Applause. J
propose to show the reasons why
l reject it. j am willing to put il
upon my shelf beside other com,
mentaries expressing human opin.
ions in regard to the word of God
but put it upon my study table
INTO my family room. or into my
pulpit as a substitute for the King
James translation, / never will
(Great applause. put my hand
upon the old book aad took an
oath of allegiance TO it, so help me
Godl l un stand that Lord
Shaftesbnry shi the Archbishop o.
York announce themselves IS an