West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-02-18

the Reformation forget that they themselves
are its offspring. aud that but for It's in.
duence they would be NJ this hour halt
educated children sehjec, to the tyranieal
power OF the clergy. Melancihon said.
'Trhey ~ho despise general literature. make
no more aecoant of sacred theology. Their
affected contempt Is but a psetext TO conceal
their Incidence The Reformation appeals
TO the whole man.
In the year 1904 forty-seven learned men
were appointed to revise the translation OF
the Bible then In use. and In i6rt the
authorized version was Published. Since
which there have been published Bibles and
parts of the Bible by maay translators and
into all languages. The FIRST Bihle printed
in America was translation into an Iudian
dialect by John Eliot. Early In the nine.
teensh century the Bible Societies we're
founded that placed the heritage within the
reach Of the poorest in Chris,endom. Mil
lions OF copies were given away. The
revised version Is the work Of two companies
Of English scholars and two committees OF
American scholars, cooperating on the
basis of the Principles aud Rules drawn up
by Commlstee Of conyoca,ion In the
province of Canterbery in May 1870. The
American Committee was employed on the
''varioum Bible for Bible teachers before
their corporation in the present Revision.
This latter was published in 1880 and the
CO. operation work in 1881 aud 1884
The basis Of the tex, Is the same old
Latin vulgale of Jerome that has come dow n
TO us through the baptism of hire, with the
same glad message OF Gods Christmas eii,
to man The value of the gift can be
appreciated only in proportion To the
knowledge of the greatness Of the Giver,
whose character the book reveals. The
work of these last scholars is complete.
They were well equipped for re-,ransIa,ion
had such been their work instead Of revision.
Every inaeeuracy can now be detected and
the bias of Seciism can no longer veil the
original from the anprejadleed sssrcher of
the Scriptures. The azymes, tunlke. holo-
eausi, prepnce, pasehe, sacrament. etc,
need no longer darken the sense. nor the
symbol, the thing signiiied. All biases that
led TO different construction are as readily
diseerned as are those 10 the Jewish trans
lasions 70 avoid the New Testament Greek
Although they do not much diaturb the text,
their comments are pointed. Instance, 7:r4
Isaiah, "Behold, A virgin shall concelvs
and bear son." This the Jewish scholar
gives thus; Behold this young woman
shall conceive and bear son. Their con
tention is that the word ''bethaIah" means
a young unmarried woman, but the Hebrew
has no other word for ''virgin'' in the Bible
literature. The word ''aImah'' means a
young maiden, bu, "be,hulah" is specific.
and designates the distinction between the
two words.
Thus IL is with regard TO ali the variations
Of the work Of many hands through many
years. The world IS witness to the mighty
changes free Bible has wrought In the
earth and the scholars have made il possible
10 be read undersiandiugly. Although the
great Universities which II has enlightened
are turned away from It into 'smany inyen-
tlons." ], viii ye, be a most potent agency
in filing the earth with the knowledge OF
the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
s'rhe flush of morn is on the mountains.
And onward steals to farthest plain.
Awake. o earth the day is dawning
lie comes whose right il is 10 reign"
lTHK END