to mental independence, and requiring them to compromise the truth, in accommodation to expediency.

The adoption of resolutions which exclude from their patronage all versions in which the Greek word baptizo is translated, is, in our opinion, at least so far as the Board of the American Bible Society can control the subject, a determination that the heathen shall remain ignorant of the ordinance of baptism, or derive their knowledge of it from the lips of a missionary, rather than from the oracles of divine truth. That Baptists never can consent either to abandon their scriptural and well founded principles, or to involve any part of the Bible in the obscurity of untranslated words, was, it is believed, perfectly understood by the pædobaptist members of the Board; the natural effect of their act, therefore was, either to compel us to sacrifice our conscientious convictions on the altar of secular interest, or to exclude us from all further participation in the funds of the American Bible Society, at least so far as our foreign translations are concerned.

Against these proceedings the dissenting members of the Board appointed a committee to prepare a solemn Protest, which was presented on the 7th of April, 1836. After much discussion, and earnest entreaty on our part, during this, and also at a subsequent meeting, it was, contrary to the usages of deliberative bodies, not only rejected, but absolutely refused even a reading, and the meeting adjourned, leaving us without a ray of hope, save that which beams from the Book, for guarding the purity of which we had now become outcasts from our brethren.

Very painful were the emotions which oppressed our hearts as we retired from that ever memorable meeting. Some, at least, could call to mind years of delightful toil in the service of the American Bible Society, and many joyful anniversaries, never, we fear, to be repeated. The thought, also, that Baptists, numerically the largest denomination in the United States, and hitherto among the most efficient auxiliaries, having contributed nearly $45,000 in legacies, and probably a much larger amount by auxiliaries, and to constitute life directors and members, and by public collections, &c.*-that after all this, we were now cut

* The whole amount appropriated by the American Bible Society to aid the Baptist denomination is $27,233 75 in money, and about $1217 in bibles, making a total of $28,450 75.

off from further co-operation, unless we would consent to abandon our principles, was to us an event truly afflicting, and over which we could have no control, but at the expense of our conscientious convictions of truth, and duty to God.

Impressed with the belief that it is not only due to the subject, but that we owe it to ourselves to record the opinions which influenced the Baptist members of the Board who were in the minority, we submit to the consideration of the world the following transcript of their Protest.

The Board of Managers of the American Bible Society, on the 17th of February, 1836, passed the following resolution :

"Resolved, That in appropriating money for the translating, printing, or distributing of the sacred Scriptures in foreign languages, the Managers feel at liberty to encourage only such versions as conform in the principle of their translation to the common English version; at least so far as that all the religious denominations represented in this Society, can consistently use and circulate said versions in their several schools and communities."

The undersigned, members of the said Board, and voting in the minority, request that the following may be recorded, as their solemn Protest against the proceedings of the majority of the Board in the adoption of that resolution.

Conscientiously believing, that every translator of the Bible is under a sacred obligation to regard the original Hebrew and Greek as the only standard, and neither to misrepresent nor conceal the least portion of divine truth, but to transmit into his version, with all possible fidelity, the precise meaning of the inspired text; believing, too, that while the constitution of the American Bible Society proposes to aid in the circulation of the Scriptures "in other countries, whether Christian, Mahommedan, or Pagan," it nowhere expresses any purpose of requiring, that the translations into foreign tongues shall be conformed in principle to the English version;

And, further believing, that the Baptist denomination, as a constituent member of the Society, and upon the principle of a fair co-partnership, to which it has brought its full share of capital and of labour, is entitled to a proportion of the appropriations made for distributing the Bible at home and abroad; and that the adoption by the Board of any rule of action not recognised in the constitution, and tending to exclude the said denomination from these advantages, is a violation of the constitutional compact, a virtual dissolution of the original firm, and on principles both of law and equity would oblige the American Bible Society to refund a proper share of the capital now in their possession;

And also believing, that the resolution in question, which was substituted for one previously reported, embracing only baptizo and its cognates, and which, although of a less objectionable character than the former, as being professedly founded upon the general principle, will, nevertheless, be found in its practical bearing to affect exclusively the particular case—

Therefore, the undersigned members, as aforesaid, of the Board of Managers, do hereby protest against the principle and bearing of the said resolution, and in vindication of their conduct assign the following reasons:

1. Because, though all the denominations represented in the American Bible So

ciety agreed in the use of the English version, they did not agree to adopt it as the standard for translations into other languages.

2. Because the first article of the constitution, which states, that "The only copies in the English language to be circulated by the Society shall be of the version now in common use," impliedly disavows the idea of considering that version as the standard in other languages.

3. Because the framers of the constitution, in their address to the people of the United States, having declared the great object of the Society to be the dissemination of the Scriptures "in the received versions where they exist, and in the most faithful where they may be required," in the work of foreign distribution, they evidently contemplated a very different rule from that adopted recently by the Board of Managers.

4. Because the translations made by the Baptist missionaries into the languages of different heathen nations, and against which this resolution is especially directed, are in all instances correctly made; and are, therefore, not only "the most faithful," but in some instances the only versions in those languages.

5. Because the said resolution, prescribing as it does a human standard as the rule of translation, requires a sacrifice of moral principle in the execution of his important trust, to which no translator can consent, without failing in his duty to God, and in fidelity to the souls of men.

6. Because either to transfer the Greek word Baptizo, to which the reader can attach no meaning, or to render it ambiguously, would as effectually conceal from the heathen the mind of God in relation to the ordinance of baptism, as though the word were in every instance entirely omitted.

7. Because the said resolution implies, that the versions made by Baptist missionaries are of a denominational or sectarian cast, and such as Baptists only could consistently use; whereas, it is well known, that all the important ancient oriental versions, and many of the most valuable modern ones, render baptizo in the same manner, and that, exclusive of those made by the Baptist missionaries, the versions of more than one half of Protestant Christendom at the present day are of a precisely similar character. Among these are the Syriac, the oldest existing translation from the original Greek, the Armenian, Georgian, Coptic, Sahidic, Arabic, Ethiopic, Amharic, Gothic, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, and others.

8. Because the resolution is partial and unequal in its practical bearing. It requires that the versions circulated by the Society shall be conformed, in the principle of their translation, to the common English version, and yet provides for the circulation of versions not conformed to the standard, in case that all the denominations represented in the Society can consistently use them, and of this consistency the several denominations will be of course their own interpreters. If, therefore, the Pedobaptists think they can consistently use the German, Dutch, and other similar versions, there will remain no impediment to their distribution. The Board, then, are empowered by the resolution to discard every translation made by the Baptists, while, on the strength of the provisionary clause, they may continue to patronize as many others of a precisely similar character as either necessity or interest may prompt them to circulate.

9. Because the rule prescribed in the said resolution is impracticable. If, as it professes, it is designed for general application, every one must see, that it would not only be an exceedingly difficult task to re-translate existing versions, and conform them all to the English standard, but that it would be utterly impossible to construct a version, which shall in every part and in all respects be consistent with the discordant views of the various denominations composing the Society; and if its application is intended to be limited to the particular case of baptizo and its cognates, it is with equal precision

declared, that the versions patronized shall be such that all the denominations represented in the Society can consistently use and circulate them. But the Baptists cannot, consistently.with their religious principles, in any case where they are permitted to choose, consent to use or circulate any version in which an important portion of divine truth is concealed or obscured, either by non-translation or by ambiguity of expression. The resolution, therefore, while it prescribes a rule of action, presents at the same time an insuperable obstacle to its practical operation. Nor is this argument affected by the fact, that Baptists use the common English version. Our circumstances and those of the heathen are essentially different. They are not philologists, we are; they have not the Greek and Hebrew commentators and lexicographers to refer to, we have; and if some in our language make baptizo mean to sprinkle, to pour, or to christen, we define it to immerse, and our definition, among the learned and unlearned, the bond and the free, extensively prevails.

10. Because the resolution not only bears an unkind aspect towards a denomination, who, with a commendable zeal, have already translated the Scriptures into the living languages of more than one half the entire population of the globe, but it is in fact a virtual repeal of the noble resolutions of May, 1834, which contemplate giving to all the destitute families of the earth, within the shortest practicable period, the unadulterated word of God. For if the labours of the Baptist denomination are to be discarded, we hesitate not to say, that this benevolent design cannot be accomplished within the shortest practicable period; nay, more—it can never be accomplished at all!

11. Because this resolution exposes the Society almost unavoidably to the charge or suspicion of sectarian motives. For, without pretending in the least to impeach the accuracy of the versions against which it is directed, the principal reason offered by its advocates when urging its adoption, was, "That Pedobaptists might have an opportunity of prosecuting their missionary operations without let or hindrance, where the translations of the Baptists are in circulation." And surely a version that purposely withholds the truth, either by non-translation or ambiguity of expression, for the sake of accommodating Pedobaptists, is as really sectarian as one that adds to the truth from the same motive; and consequently, all such versions, with the exception of the English, which is expressly agreed to by the constituent members of the Society, are as decidedly hostile to the constitution, as those that have "note and comment."

12. Because, the consentaneous action of the two most powerful Bible Institutions in existence, in reference to the subject of affording aid to versions of the Scriptures made by Baptist missionaries, constrains us to regard this resolution as tending to blot out of every Bible in the world, the testimony of the Holy Spirit in relation to a distinguishing ordinance of Christianity, and the first duty of a believer.

13. Because the imperfection and injustice of the resolution are strikingly manifested in the continued circulation of Roman Catholic versions, which are neither conformed in the principle of their translation to the common English version, nor can they be consistently used by the different denominations represented in the American Bible Society. They are characterized by the numerous absurd and heretical dogmas of the Catholic sect, and yet the rule in question cordially approves of their extensive distribution, while the translations of pious, learned, and faithful Baptist missionaries are rejected!

14. Because a measure which withholds from the heathen, the Word of Life, and suffers them to hasten to the retributions of eternity without the knowledge of God and the way of salvation, simply because the volume it is proposed to give contains the translation of a single term, to which only Pedobaptists object, but which, by the admis

sion of all, cannot lead to any fundamental error, nor to a single invalid administration of a Christian ordinance, is obviously inconsistent with the benevolent character of the American Bible Society, and with the spirit of Christianity.

The undersigned would conclude this their protest, with a single-hearted prayer to the Great Author of the Bible, who best knows how to guard and extend his own truth, that we may all be guided by Him in the further progress of this most responsiblo and momentous affair.

I join in protesting against the above-mentioned resolution, and subscribe to the first four, the seventh and fourteenth reasons assigned in the foregoing instrument, and would add the following:

Because, In the "Address" accompanying and explaining the constitution, the object of the Society is stated to be “the dissemination of the Scriptures in the received versions where they exist, and in the most faithful where they are required," thereby showing, that the English version was not adopted as the standard of translations into other languages—inasmuch as none of the received versions then existing in other tongues conformed thereto, and presenting the more catholic principle of disseminating the Scriptures in the best versions which could be found, irrespective of their conformity to the English version, which was itself, in pursuance of this very principle, adopted for the English language—and that only.

Because, The uniform practice of the Society in circulating versions in foreign languages, which contained great errors, and widely differed from the English, but were the best which could be found in those languages, has recognised the same principle. And such practices, repeatedly sanctioned at the annual meetings of the Society, amount to a construction of the constitution, which it is not competent for the Board of Managers to contravene by this resolution.

And because, There being no constitutional obstacle to the encouragement of the translations made by the Baptist missionaries, Christian courtesy-the rights of one of the denominations associated in the Society-and the claims of the heathen, would require at least the ordinary appropriation to this object, especially at a time when the treasury of the Society is full to overflowing.

April 18, 1836.

TIMO. R. GREEN.

After the foregoing protest had been utterly rejected, it is not a matter of surprise, that the voice of our denomination in different parts of the land, became loud and unequivocal in reference to the conduct of the Board of the American Bible Society; and that a determination to sustain our own literal translations of the whole Bible, became almost universally evident. As far as the views of the American Baptists could be ascertained from correspondence, and from the decided tone of the public press, few were disposed