, 1881-02-27
DELAY IN THE PUBLICATION OF THE RE-
vISED NEW TESTAMENT.
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DELAY IN THE PUBLICATION OF THE RE-
V1SED NEW TESTAMENT.
Ntfv Iurs: Obstrrer.
There is a sudden pause i'll the progress of
the Revision. 1t was on the eve of appear
ing. The work is completed, printed, bound,
and copies were sent out to the press in En-
gland, and to the members Of the Revision
Committee in this country.
The cause of the unexpected delay is this:
The British Committee of Revision was APP
pointed by the Conyocation of Canterbury.
all ecclesiastical body composed of the Bish-
OPS and other clergy of the Province of Can
tcrbury We have before us the precise
terms Of the decree Of appointment. It was
understood that the Committee Of Revision
had final authority. and that their work when
completed would be at once given to the
world. But by some indscretion or mistake
few specimens Of the changes made by the
revscrs (Which We published in tho Observer
Jan. 27) appeared in the London Record, and
excited considerable attention. They were
speedily rcpublished in many religious and
secular papers. Tile parties who suppose
they hold 4 copyright III England of
the revision served legal notice on the
Record, in which the few EXTRACTS
COP copied the extracts, threatening lawsuit
tor the violation OF copyright! THIS un-
seetnly act has justly excited great indigna-
ton. It is considered monstrous that news
papers should be threatened with punish
inent for publishing extracts FROM the Bible,
and especially for doing tile very thing that
is most desirable and important to be done
for the purpose OF bringing tic value nf the
work distinctly before the public. II the
changes are discrertly na4s' the tle sooner
they are known the better. II they are not
discrcetly made, tile sooner they. are sup
pressed the better. It is very sail to know
that the men who have the legal control of
the Revision are nieA who threaten WIN
legal penalties newspapers which nave intlO-
Gently and at secondhand copied few texts
of the Bible, without note or comment, INTO
their pages. Our contemporaries IN Canada,
who thought they were dni,g EooS tlfs1lg
BIZ copying these texts. Will now 1Ind nelll-
selves exposed to the dangers of a lawsuit,
from which we are happily exempted by, the
war of 177G. we never knew before how
much we gained by. our independence OF
England. 1t seems that we could not have
cited text from tlle RsylSed ~ Dioie wlshont
mission from the Universities Of Oxford and
Canlbridgei That would be- very lncon-
yenie1t, especially i'll a discussion that IT.
Qulred some dispatch.
1t appears that the British COmmittee or
Revision, were not required by their appoint-
ueut to submit eirworl before publication
to the ConyOcatiun, but it is now lntlnlateu
that the Revised New Testament will be mus
submitted and referred 10 Il new c0H!llllLtec~
to repOrt upun it at the meeting OF the Coil-
vocation which is to be held i'll Nlay,-t'lree
months hence,-unto which time the publl-
cation has been postponed
The Couyocation - is 4 legal as we'll as
body. It formerly lad the
power of levying taxes, which it does not
now possess But it is 4 Parliament Of the |
Church in j State where Church and state
are united. 1t has two houses, ;,n upper anu
former composed Ut Az the BlSl-
ops III the Province, thu other Of tie inferior
clergy by representatives from the dlOceseS |
in the Province. This body has legal au-.
thor;ty to examine and ce,lsure '.booss,"
md from its decision an appeal may pc taken |
10 the Crown! 49,
Thus it comes to pass that, if the Convoca-
lion does not approve OF tile Revision, me |
ease may 20 up to the Government. and the
Queen and S1r. Gladstone may yet be called
III to decide whether the alterations OF the
Bic, version are right and wise. Mr. Glad
,tone is a splendid Greek scholar, and we I
would give as much for his opinion on dis
,utel aorist as for that Of any man in the |
Kingdom, 1t tile ConyOcation does not aF-
prove ut the Revision and the Crown does
ltfirm and .lopt II, then the new Revision
yi}l be the Queen Victoria Version, as the
I'D is that ii King james
So the end is not yet lie impression |
made BY the 'tspecimens already pnbllstl24
5 that Of literal fidelity in the rendering OF
lie reyisers We have carefully noted tie
cul27ks of many newspapers i0r the puI.
,ose Of seeing how the thing Is taking"
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