The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-06-08

tors have any. They were de-
pendent, as we are, in copies more
or less ancient. Of these they
had only sixteen and now there
are nearly sixteen hundred. So
that on any disputed point we
have i hundred witnesses where
they had one-and some of ours
nearly 1000 years older than any
they bad. This is not an unim-
portant fact because there are
many tens Of thousands of various
readings-many Of them unim-
portant it is true, but many others
in which we want all the testi
mony we can get to weigh and
sift and decide. l may say in
passing, to Alay any uncasiness
that may be felt, that with all the
various readings discovered, no
fundamental doctrine Of the New
Testament has been touched. In
addition to the large number OF
manuscript copies at our CON-
mand the writings of the fathers
have been printed since our YER
sion was made, and their testi-
mony with reference TO the text
is highly important. They quoted
80 freely from the New Testament,
it is asserted, that if all the MSS.
had been lost the entira text
could be reproduced from their
writings. Then there is the less
important testimony Of the old
versions in other languages which
have been printed since our ver-
sion was made and are at our
command. So then as to the
question Of getting at the thing
to be translated, we have an i'm
mencnce advantage over the
trans.ators of the Authorized
Version. We cannot of course
speak with confidence as to what
has been done by the revisers in
any given case, as to admitting or
rejecting parts OF the text, but
doubtless some passages Of in
terest to Us and some we have
learned to love and value will have
to 90, but if they are no part Of
the true word Of God, We shall
all join in hearty approval of
their departure.
And now as to the translation
of the text decided upon. In this
respect we enjoy perhaps as great
advantage over the translators Of
our present version, as in deter
mining the text itself: The first
thought might suggest that those
who lived nearer to the age of the
Bible writer's than we do would
be able better to understand the
language in which they write,
but these we're not near enough
for that to amount to anything,
and in facilities for understanding
the original they were immensely
behind US. The development of
the art Of printing has quickened
learning Of all sorls, but more
especially linguistic scholarship.
Look at the Philology of to-day
for example, especially compare
tive Philology. While the scholar
sometimes errs as to the relation
ship and influence OF different lam
guages, nothing has done so much
to unravdl the mysteries of the
dead tongues as comparative Phil
ology, and it was at the time our
present version was made almost
an unknown science. Besides,
the scholarship Of our times Of
another kind has greatly aided,
though indirectly, in leading us
to the true meaning of the orig
inal. The researches in archacol-
ogy while bearing more directly
on questions Of Interpretation
have also helped to the under
standing of the meaning Of words
and pharases in the Bible. 10
know the manners and customs,
the conditions and circumstances
of the author helps greatly some
times not only to interpret but to
traoslate; and even our Own cen.
tury. to say nothing OF the two pre-
ceding has been rich in it's dis
coveries Of this kind. l might
give illustrations of the many
mistranslations into which the
translators of our version were led
from lack Of the light which these
advantages give US. Added to all
this there is good reason to be-
lieve, as DR.. Scbaff points out
that the translators ofour present
Bible did not use always even