The Indianapolis journal., 1885-04-05
THE NEW-vERsION BIBLE.

Testament was put out, revised edition of the
Old Testament will be offered for SALE Desir-
ing information in regard to this nsw Bible
from headquarters, an interview was had with
the honored chairman Of the American Revision
COMMITTEE, Rev. Dr. Schaff. The distinguished
scholar was found in his rooms at the Bible
House. the identical apartments in which the
committee have held regular meetings for
fifteen years past, and was arranging with an
express company for the prompt delivery of the
memorial volumes, which are to be presented as
souvenirs TO persons who subscribed $c0 and
over to the expenses. The Doctor said
there were about 900 of these to be
Gent out. In this city they would be
delivered, he observed, upon the day OF issue.
and to provincial subscribers they would be
sent earlier, according to the distance they may
have to 60. AS to changes of text, there would
be larger number in this than in the New
Testament, the Doctor remarked, but they would
Goe less important. In the other case new manu-
scripts had been discovered, whereas, in this
case the work required was merely a corrected
translation Of the version now in use. In re-
sponse to an inquiry as to how the English and
American revisers had got along together.
the Doctor smiled, and said '.About as well AZ
in revising the New Testament and quite as
well as could have been expected. The points
of disagreement would be published he added.
sin an Appendix to the work, as was done in
the other case
"Well, Doctor" said the writer what do you
think of this new Bible, now the work is COM
plete2"
Doctor Schaf; ut is very much more cor
rect than the one we have, and think all must
present"
"Is re-revision probable soonin
mot probable and scarcely possible in the
present century
''What about the final adoption Of the new
work by churches and peoplelH
'.Ah, that will take a long time The Bible is
imhedded in the hearts of the people. 1t was
fifty years before our present edition gained the
ascendency over the Geneva translation, and it
will take at least generation to crowd out the
present one. Still, by most scholars and preach
ers the new version will be adopted Immediately;
that is, they will adapt their expositions to it,
and many preachers will use it in the pulpit.
The first sermon heard in England after the
New Testame mt appeared, was by canon of
Chester Cathedral, who, in announcing his text,
first read from the old version, and then cav
The correct rendering from the new.
The Oxford edition comes out in this country
through the Publishing house of Thomas Nelson
e. Sons. this city, while the Cambridge issue will
be handled by the Lippncotts, of Philadelphia
Mr. Houghton, of the former Arm, who was
called upon yesterday, reports orders as being
very light. and the general interest nothing like
<laf< Oh f,ar Na,. To- efavp
looks now, he said "as ii the total sales of the
work would reach abont 200 900 for the first few
months There are $4,000 elergymen in the
ccantry who. of course, will all require q copy.
Then we calculate upon about the same number
of church members who will feel that they must
have one, and perhaps an equal number outside
the churches
This is very different from the condition of
things four years ago. million Oxford copies
were then ordered in advance, and the total
sales and shipments in London reached 2000,0 600
in about FIVE days. In this country, before the
close OF the year, $685. GOO copies of the Oxford
had been sold. and about 100000 of the Cam
bridge. In addition to this there were about
thirty reprints put on the market, one firm alone
selling 100 600 copies of one of these during the
summer. Altogether, during the year 1881, the
revised New Testament found about 100000
purchasers.
In this connection little history of former
transati3ns may be in place.
The first translation of the entire Scriptures
into the English language was accomplished by
John Wycliffe. His translation of the New
Testament was completed in 1880; his version of
the Old two years later. These, of course, were
in manuscript form, and, the art OF printing be-
ing then unknown, it was only by the slow
process of writing that copies could be multi
piled. This made the Scriptures at once scarce
and costly. The price usually paid at that time
for copy IF Wycliffe's Bible was five marks,
equal to over $500 of our money. Nor was this
the only obstacle to Scripture reading in those
IAt.. T. A.
their lives, Parliament, in 14l4, having passed a
law prohibiting every one from reading the
Scriptures in English under penalty of forfeiting
'land, catel, lif and goods from theyr heyres for
ever
For century and half the people of Eng
land were almost wholly dependent for their
knowledge of the Scriptures upon these con-
demned manuscript copies of the Bible left them
by Wyc(iffe. Then appeared. in 1926. Tyndale's
translation of the New Testament This was
secretly printed in part at Cologne, but, the
secret becoming known, Tyndale few up the
Rhine to Worms, and there completed his work.
Six thousand copies were printed. These were
stealthily conveyed to London, concealed in
merchandise consigned to pious merchants of
that port, and were as stealthily sold. The
people received them gladly, but by the
King and bishops the ''pernieious books
as they were styled, were interdicted.
Again, too, Parliament interfered, decreeing
that these books should be by authority Of this
act clearly and utterly abolished, extinguished
and forbidden to be kept and used in this realm,
or else where in anie the Kings domnions.' In
1885 Tyndae was arrested on charge of heresy,
and confined in castle near Brussels. Here,
in the following year, he was strangled to death.
The next English translation to appear was
what was known as "Coverdale's Bible This
was printed in Antwerp in 1885 1t was not
translated out of the original languages, hut, as
the author confesses in his preface, "out Of
Douche and Latyn." Two years later MAT
thews's Bible" was published This was revis-
ion of the two works last named, rather than
translation. It's editor, John Rogers, who for
some inexplicable reason adopted the nom de
plume of .'rhomas Matthew'S was treated with
great consideration by Edward vi, but on the
accession of Mary he was arrested, and, after an
imprisonment of two years, was burned at
Smithfeld This Bible became the foundation
of the Authorized Version of 1Gl1. The next to
appear was an edition in 1880 by Richard Taver-
nar This also WAS a revision of former issues