The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-07-05
For the Central Presbyterian.
Did the Holy Spirit Suggest the
Word Bebammenon" or
Rerantismenon"?

1ulS question: ARISES DIS W OreeR WOru
in the 18th verse of the 10th chapter of
the Book of Revelation. 1t is important,
not merely because it forms part of the
sublime description of the Divine Con
queror on the white horse who is King
of kings and Lord of lords, but because
it bears indirectly upon the question of
the mode of Christian baptism.
From the time when the Greek of the
New Testament was published to the
world Gust one year before the opening
glories of the Reformation in the edition
prepared by Erasmus and soon followed
by other editions more carefully prepared
by Robert Stephens, Beza and the Elze-
virs, the Greek text known as the Tert,ts
receptu8 was substantially acquiesced in
and followed, up to the time when the
Revised Version of 1881 aud the new
Greek edition of the learned English
Doctors Westcott and Hort made their
appearance simultaneously on the 18th
day of May, 1881. 1t is true that during
that period, much hard work had been
done by textual critics-many hundreds
of Greek manuscripts had been examined,
and at least one very important discovery
had been made, L. e., that of the cele-
brated Sinaitic MS in U3aciaL or square
characters, found by Constantin Won
Tischendorf in 1859 in the convent on
Mount Sinai. These successive labors
had resulted in critical editions of the
Greek testament, all differing more or
less from the tert1tS receptatS, and all Civ
ing great help to preachers and other
students of the holy Scriptures. But no
continuous English translations had ever
been founded on these critical editions so
as to reach the common English-speaking
and reading public until this work OF
Westcott and Hort made its appearance
under the circumstances stated above
1t was commenced in 1858 and constantly
prosecuted for twenty-eight years And
although the revisers of 1881 have never
officially acknowledged it as the basis OF
their version, any more than they have
recognized the new Greek testaments put
forth by Doctors Scrivener and Palmer,
yet all the evidence, external and inter
nal tends irresistibly to prove that this
great work of Westcott and Hort has
given the Greek text which the revisers,
both in Great Britain and America, have
united in adopting as the best represen-
tative of the work of the Holy Spirit in
the writings known as the New Tesla
ment.
1t would not be possible, in brief
article, to give any adequate sketch o:
the principles adopted, the methods pur-
sued, or the patient and huge labor per
formed by these learned and devout
critics (who modestly style themselves
edltor8) in producing this edition Of the
Greek testament and the accompanying
volume embracing the introduction and
appendix. The article written by Pro
lessor Salmond, Of Aberdeen, in the June
number, 1882, OF the Catholic Pres6gte
rjan, Just published, sums up its conclu
sions, onthis work, as follows I'VE mus
content ourselves with saying that in re
spect Of method, our editors position
seems practically impregnable, and thai
the theory which they apply to the text
ual criticism of the New Testament EN-
braces vastly more of the elements of the
question than any hitherto constructed.
While all this may be true, and their
general work may be of great value, yet
in carrying out their methods, it is not to
be denied that these learned editors have
in some instances, run themselves or their
work into dismal abysses, amounting al
most to the red11ctlo al ab8wdun. In
deed it seems hard sometimes to divine
how it was possible that principles so
sound and sensible would have led to
such conclusions, or that methods so prac
teal and effective could have produced
such abortions One of these unhappy
critical judgments appears in their decis-
ion as to the preferable Greek participle
in the text in Revelation before alluded
TO-
Soon after the Revised Version of 1881
appeared, plain English-reading Chris
tians discovered, with feelings Of compla-
cency or regret according to their views
of the proper mode of baptism, that this
Version rendered the verse in question
very differently from the King James
Version. 1t rendered it thus: "And he
is arraYed in a garment sp1inkLed lQith
blood while the King James gives us,
dipped IN blood" But by way Of check
ing any inordinate Joy Of af1sionists at
this discovery, the Examiner, newspa-