The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-14
THE ~APOCRYPHA.
Authorities for lts Right to a Place
In the Protestant Bible.

To ~ EDITOR or THE SuN-Sir. \
question Of great interest 30 students of
the Bible has been rIised by the Rev.
DIR. Milo II. Gates. who says 1t IL time
for Professionals 10 demand from the
Bible societies, which are the chief pub
fishers OF the Protestant version of the
Holy Scriptures. the whole Bible. not
a Bible mutilated by the omission OF the
a~pocryphal Ooks. He said
One Of the greatest libraries Of sacred
writings Is contsineL In what il known as
"Ths A~pocryphs" In that are contained
such wonderful books as "The Wisdom Of
Solomon 'Ecclesiasticus' and 1.-The Song
Of the Three children" from which comes
that hymn called The Benedici;",'' sung
each sunday by millions OF Christians.
In reply to this the president Of the
American Bible Society defended the ac-
ton OF the society In emitting the
Apocrypha ms being 'in historic accord
with the principles OF Professionalism
and in harmony with Protestant belief
In the Inspiration Of the Scriptures"
II is stated that over $50. 900, 600
Bibles and portions OF the Bible have
beer issued by the Rible Society in $40
languages aud dialects. The omission
OF the .Apocrypha from these millions of
volumes is important. whether from n
literary and historic point of view or
the purely religious.
The apocryphal books, Until at least
within a comparatively recent period.
have generally been included In Protcs-
tant Bibles. In the Bible as published
by the London Society for Promoting
Christian knowledge and FOR the use
Of families" In 1856. the Apocrypha
was included. The notes and intro
ductions to he A~pocrypha In this
edition clearly indicate hat the books
SO given were not received as OF equal
authority with that ~ the canonical
books 1t also quotes Wheatley, whose
works are standard authority IN the
Church of England. as follows:
In conformity 10 the genera. PRACTICE o.
thu early Christian churches. the church Of
England san continues tho use OF the
a%pocryphal hooks IN her public s~r1c~
though not with any design to lessen the
authority % canonical Scripture, which
she expressly affirm. 70 he the only rule
Of faith, declaring tha: "the church doth
read the other books for an eVamp'A 81
life and instructing manners. hu' yot doth
not apply them 20 establish any doctrine"
That seems to decide very definitely
the historical Sround OF which the
Church OF England stood as regards
the inclusion of the apocryphal books In
the Protestant Bible.
In the Bible Dictionary published by
Ca ssell, Peter 4 Galpin. London aud
New York. date not given. TO whlch
most OF the leading divines and pro-
fessors OF the Church Of England con-
tributed. this statement Il made under
the word "Apocrypha'
All tho copies Of the Scriptures which
Christians had access 70 during the nrs.
three centuries embraced our "apocryphal'
books. without the sliEhtest inttmntion
that they differed. either In character or
authority. from our canon!cal books. just
a. 10 the case ut present with TIN Old
Testament. nrst published by the English
College at Douay, A. d. 1909"
These citations seem TO prove mat
at least until recent year, what was
called the Bsbse. ever In Protestant edi-
tions, contained the apocryphal books
They give weight to the charge that
the people arc being robbed OF a part
Of what through the centuries has been
called the Holy Bible. =.
NEW YORK. December IL.