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

pels in Latin, almost twelve centuries
old. Its chief value consists in an inter-
linear translation into Anglo-Saxon,
made by priest about A. d. $50. 1t is
now known as the Book of st. Cuth-
bert" There is also similar manu-
script in the library at Oxford. While
the piety of the translators of these man
uscripts is undisputed, their scholarship
is not above question, particularly in
their knowledge of Latin. Let a single
instance suffice: In John Ala, we read
"a well of water springing up into ever
lasting llfe." In the Latin lions aquae
salientis in vitam aeternam trans
lator not knowing the meaning OF SALEM
tbs, and snpposing it meant something
about salt, from the first syllable, gravely
renders it "a we'll of salt water
In 1880 John Wycklitfe was induced
through love of the Scripture to place it
in the hands of the common people. AT
that time the learned used Latin in all
their writings and the great spoke Nor
man French. Wyckliffe translated the
Vulgate of Jerome, as ha was unacquaint
ed with Greek or Hebrew, into
Anglo Saxon. In 1924 William Tyn-
dale, OF Worcestershire, began the
work of translation, but experienced sore
difficulties from the scarcity of manu-
script copies of the Scripture, none of
those within his reach dating earlier
than the fifteenth century. He was also
driven from home. pursued by spies and
bitterly opposed in his work by King,
Cardinals and Bishops. All copies COM
ing within their reach were instantly de-
stroyed, and finally he himself strangled
and burned. Soon after his death Miles
Coverdale attempted a new version,
which was approved by the Bishops, to
whom it was submitted by Henry VIII.
Cranmers Bible followed in 1889; as fin
ally published it was the work Of several
hands, and is the text used in the Book
of Common Prayer of the Church of
England. Miles Coverdale confessed
that he was not allowed to translate the
Scripture accurately on account of the
opposition of the Church.
When King James Bible was under
taken the only manuscripts, accessible
were not older than the fifteenth century,
manuscripts which are now regarded as
of no value by Bible scholars. To-day
access can be had to more than 2OOO
manuscripts and fragments of an earlier
date The Sinaitic and Vatican Codes
belong to the fourth century. The
Alexandrian to the fifth century. The
Codex Beza, in Greek and Latin to the
sixth century.
After James version had been pub
lished there was an attempt made to
further improve it by adding notes and
explanations. The King soon pat a stop
to such work. A commentator ex-
planned the text, Fear God and honor
the King" with this note: THAT depends
upon circumstances. If the word OF the
King is in harmony with the word of
God, obey the King, but if it is contrary
to the word of God, obey God rather
than the King" James pronounced this
heretical and republican, and hence
forth forbade all Bible annotations.
The fate of the present revision
greatly depends upon its faithfulness in
reproducing the original Scriptures.
The advanced scholarship of the present
day over that of the times of James L.;
the greatly increased facilities for
determining the true meaning of the
original Greek and Hebrew, are enough
to inspire the confident hope that the
New Version will far surpass all former
versions in perspicuity, accuracy and
truthfulness to the Scriptures AS they
came from the hands of the inspired pen
men. This much is expected an no less
is demanded in order to its cordial ac-
ceptance. The Christian Church will
have good reason to rejoice if such de.
fects as broken chapters, verses and
sentences, obsolete words, misleading
headlines. the useless intrusion of itali
cised words-by all of which the truth is
obsured, the sequence of the narrative
interrupted, and the logic of the sacred
writers sadly mutilatel-shallf forever be
banished, and the truth, pure and sim
pie, be preserved as a precious legacy to
the generations to come. and monu'
ment of the scholarship and piety OF the
present age.