Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-02-15

AN AMERICAN BIBLE.
ANEW w 5sloN WILL Be ISSUED ilExT
YEAR. '
and English Scholars Spent Fourteca
Yours on Its Revision-This Work IL Ne.
ing Performed Grstuitously. "S5
The year 1890 will be q year of note. In
the history Of tho Biblo. Our familiar
phrase, 1.-The English Bible" will then
take on a now meaning. The publication
of a distinctivcly American Biblo will be
In limited way sort Of declaration OF
Independence. "
Yet our debt to the past is grout and
will not be forgotten. 70
Strictly speaking, tho new Bible will be
Anglo American, with emphasis on tho
American. 1t will represent the combined
scholarship Of the kindred peoples, dis.
tinctivcly marked by American improve.
ments.
Tho American Standard Bible will BE-
published In the latter half of 1909. It
will be what is now known as tho revised
version, hut with prominent differences
These differences will mainly be in the
points OF disagreement between tho British
and American oESnittecs Of revision. Az
to these The English Churchlnan has said:
1.-the transatlantic revisers, though fire.
auently placed in a minority, werO fire.
1ucntly much nearer accuracy than were
the English company"
At present tho American readings and
renderings to the extent Of two dozen
pages stand in appendices to tho revised
version. They will now be substituted In
the toxt for tho British readings and rom
deripss. A fow other changes will prob
ably be made in the correction Of occa-
sional "inadvertcncies'' in the revision.
This work is now being performed gratu.
ltously, as tho cntiro work OF revision bns
been. Its finished result will be q noble
gift Of self denying scholars to their coun.
trymen. Strict stipulations havo been
made with the publishers to maintain the
American version In it's integrity a. our
standard version Of the Bible.
1t is not too carly for tho American
churches to turn attention to this work.
There is a certain national interest In
whatever merits the American version of
the Bible may have as compared with the
British. More than this, there is a Chris.
tian interest in promoting the best version,
by whomsoeyer made. Yet the interest
now appealed to by tho American work is
not what it should be. There will be q
real improvement upon the revised version.
But the revised version during tho Is years
since it was published has not gained pop.
ularity. 1t is this fact that clouds the
prospect for the now American version.
Here curious fact meets the inquirer.
Tho revised version Is least used in
Churches which lay most stress upon the
authority of the Bible, and inconsistency
should favor tho translation which is most
true to tho original languages. On the
other hand, it is most used in churches
which have broken with the doctrines that
Biblical statements arc infallible. That
tho revised version should be rarely found
in Presbyterian churches, but frequently
in Unitarian churches, is, to say the least,
an anomalous fact. Still, it is fact. 49,
Though exact figures cannot be OBJ
L.. the lead OF other churches in this mat
In the middle states and Canada, the re-
vised version Is used along with the Eau
thorized." Next come the Congregational
lists, in perhaps one-th1rd of their pulpits
cast of the Mississippi After them como
sued All edition Of the New Testament
with generous but theologically conserv.
alive use Of the revised version.
kI~1 <,is,1.@ ~ Srt %h1
Of the revised version is increasing. In
the other principal denominations it is
hardly apparent outside Of ministers
study. 1t is popularity supposed that tho
Episcopal church cannot use it till 1t has
been officially authorized. Bishop West
colt, on tho contrary, says that this Is not
so; that 1t rests with any congregation
to use 1t If they will.
A letter from Presbyterian pastor ex-
hibits the general state Of mind:
I'VE do not use the revised version In
the pulpit because we prefer the old YER
sion, not as more accurate, but as more
familiar, moro popular, dearer to tho peo.
pie and in style that is more pleasing.
We regard the revised version as the best
of all translations, so far as conveying tho
original meaning, and it Is capital CON-
mentary on the old version"
The revised version has gained to its
side tho great weight Of the scholarly
Judgment Of the country. It is also Ger
tain that this judgment Is not going to
favor any preferential substituting Of the
inferior version for popular use. 1t Is
now getting to be time for all concerned
to consider whether tho American stand
ard Bible Is to be used as becomes those
whose sole American professions bind
them to give the words Of life to | people
In the purest obtainable FORM. uurteeh
years Of unpaid labor by hu""rud COM
petent scholars would not ha,o been spent
on its revision but for the certainty that
Christian interest demanded It, That the
reception Of the result Of their labors has
thus far been oreditable to the intelligence
of the churches only the basty or the igno-
rant can believe. But for the future 1--WE
are persuaded of better things, and things
that accompany salvation, though we thus
speak. james NJ. Wilton, Phi. D., In St.
Louis Republic.