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ARTICLE V.*

An Apology for the Common English Bible; and a Review of the extraordinary Changes made in it by the Managers of the American Bible Society. Baltimore. 1857.

The Overture and Speech of the Rev. R. J. Breckinridge, D.D., in the General Assembly, at Lexington, concerning the American Bible Society; as reported in the Presbyterian Herald. Louisville. 1857.

Report on the History and recent Collation of the English Version of the Bible; presented by the Committee on Versions to the Managers of the American Bible Society. New York. 1851.

These productions are alike in one particular. They all relate to the same subject, though they differ widely from each other in their character and ultimate object. The parentage of the Apology appears only at the close of the Preface, in the initials, A. C. C., which we interpret to mean Arthur Cleveland Coxe, -the Rector, we believe, of an Episcopalian Church in Baltimore. It is a pamphlet of some sixty-eight pages, is printed in beautiful type, and u-~~which is about all the most fully sympathise in nently, in praise of our

good there is in it.

all the author,

common Eng

and in the conate.

eper

et for which he utters it,

homely but most expressive pronds, it seems to us, in the

of Solomon, like the beau

ty of a woman who has departed from the ways of discretiona jewel of gold in a swine's snout. We would not plant a rose on the verge of a yawning chasm, or tinge the brim of a cup

*The subject of the Revision of the English Bible is one of the last importance. The Article now inserted, is not to be understood as the opinion of the Editors of this Review. They are not in any way responsible for it. But they wish the subject to be thoroughly discussed, and have, therefore, very cheerfully given room to this Article. No one can possibly be so well acquainted with all the facts connected with the action of the American Bible Society in the premises, as the author of this Article. It is, therefore, an exposition of the views of the revisers as he understands them. In this point of view, it is very interesting, and the Editors offer it to the public as part of the material which will enable them to make up their mind upon the whole matter. EDITORS.

of bitterness with juices sweet. Nor can we be tempted into the admiration of anything, however excellent in itself, which tends to blind the eye and hide from view the deformity connected with it. We dislike the habit of dilating upon what is beautiful and true, for the purpose of giving greater effect to that which is hateful and false.

We cannot, therefore, commend even the little that is good in this pamphlet.

The Overture of Dr. Breckinridge is badly drawn. It is very deficient in clear and logical distinctions, and utterly fails to meet the facts in the case. Some of its positions are entirely indefensible-are contrary to the uniform course pursued, both in England and in this country, in the publication of the Holy Scriptures. The character of the Speech, made in support of the Overture, is very much like it. The sermon conforms to the text. Both are based upon an entire misapprehension of the facts in the matter. Through both there is very apparent a fear that something wrong has been done. But what it is he hardly knows. The cry from Baltimore has reached his ear. He has read the Apology and is startled. He sees the work of the Committee on Versions in the obscurity and perversions of that mischievous pamphlet, and his fears furnish him with his arguments. We hope-confidently hope—to find him ultimately arrayed on the right side in this mad conflict of high church exclusiveness with the friends of co-operative Christianity and of that freedom, in reference to the Bible, wherewith they are invested by the Bible.

The Report of the Committee on Versions needs no comment from us. It speaks for itself. It is a plain, full, and frank statement of what they found as the result of the collation made under their direction, and of what they did in each case. There is no concealment. Their whole work lies spread out before the reader in this Report. He sees what they have done, and why they have done it. He sees that the work they did was that of restoration not of amendment, as some would represent it. He finds here proof enough that the only object the Committee have before them, is to present to their fellow men the word of God, in the English version, as pure and perfect as possible. And, while they claim no special freedom from

error, their work will abide any examination there may be made of it, and will in the end be found to be the most important service, which has been performed for the English Bible, since the revision of it by Dr. Blaney, nearly a century ago.

to us.

There is one pleasant thought connected with the excitement on this subject. The interest manifested shows the deep hold which our common English Bible has upon the affections of the Christian community. We rejoice in the existence of this feeling. We yield to no one in our admiration of this version of the Bible. It is indeed a glorious, priceless treasure, both in the truth it contains, and in the words which convey that truth We prize the jewel, and we love the casket which holds it. No consideration would tempt us to lay it aside, or adopt another in its place. We have no fear that the time will ever come, when this will be either wise or possible. But while we say this, we say with equal frankness that, in our judgment, the time has come, when this version of the Bible should receive a thorough revision. We would indeed hold fast all that is plain, and true, and good; but we would not retain that which is otherwise simply because it is old. We cannot thus bow to the past, or be classed with those who are forever singing" as it was in the beginning." We believe in progress. The seraph in prophetic vision had other wings than those with which he covered his face-wings with which he flew. We revere what is clear and good in the past, and believe that in that good we have the elevation of the present. But conservatism with us is the means of advancement, and our hopes are in the future.

While, therefore, we do not forget the rock on which we stand, we would reach higher. We labor and pray to see more of the truth; to understand it better, and we cannot consent to cover up a ray of the incoming light, or to allow it no easier or plainer medium of access to the minds of men than it had two centuries ago. If the providence of God is pouring light upon the pages of his Word; is enabling men to see further. into its meaning and to bring it out more clearly, why not give men the benefit of this clearer and more direct insight into the truth? Why not make the words of the Bible plainer and better, where that can be done? If circumstances have changed, VOL. VI.-17

and certain words are now obsolete, or convey a wrong meaning, why retain them? If the Bible has refined the tastes and feelings of men, and there are terms here, which offend the delicate ear, and cannot be read in a family circle or in the sanctuary, why hold fast to them, when the meaning can be given without any such offence? To hesitate here is weakness. To talk of innovation, or novelties, under such circumstances, is to talk nonsense. There are no evils connected with such changes, which can for one moment be compared with that which obscures, hides, or makes offensive, any part of God's word. The man who draws back here, has not a particle of that Protestant spirit in him, which, in the days of Luther and Calvin, dashed down to the earth, and broke in pieces, all that obscured or perverted the teaching of the Scriptures of that Protestant spirit which opened the dead house, in which the Bible had been locked up during the Middle Ages, and brought it out, and gave it to men in a living form; and which in England went on improving its version of the Bible, until it was made as plain and as perfect as the learning and facilities of those days could make it.

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The history of this version shows the policy that has been pursued in reference to it. It has moved forward with the impulse which it has given to the minds of men. It has never lagged behind, or been out of fashion in its language to men. While it has never been with the innovator, it has kept with equal distance from the worshipper of that, which has dropped from the toiling shoulders of time." It has changed as the language has changed, and grown with its growth. It has from time to time laid aside what was quaint in its costume or obsolete in its phraseology, and spoken to men, in each age, and in their own words, the wonderful things of God. This is its glory. It had its beginning in the labors of Wiclif. Tyndale greatly improved what he began. Coverdale's Bible showed a further advance. In the Geneva version progress was still more visible. This was much improved in what is known as the Bishops' Bible. Then came our present version, but not as a new and independent work. It can hardly be regarded as anything else, than a revision of the Bishops' Bible, which had grown out of Tyndale's work, collated with the ori

ginal, and compared with the previous translations. It is a combination of all the previous excellences, together with additional ones by the translators, and far surpasses all that preceded it. But it was not a new translation. The translators themselves disavow any such intention even. "Truly," say those men, "we never thought from the beginning that we should need to make a new translation, nor yet to make a bad one a good one, for then the imputation of Sixtus had been true in some sort, that our people had been fed with gall of dragons instead of wine, and whey instead of milk; but to make a good one better, or out of many good ones, one principal good one not justly to be excepted against; that hath been. our endeavor, that our mark." And well they did what they designed to do, as well, we may say, as it could have been done in their day.

But their work is not now, in all respects, exactly as they left it. It has been revised again and again,-has been improved from age to age, and in many particulars. In its orthography, especially, it is very different. It has passed out from the chrysalis state, in which the English language, in this particular, then was, and has kept up with the advance of improvement. Dr. Blaney did a good service for the English Bible in his day. Many changes were made by him, and the orthography of the version was greatly improved. His work was contemporaneous with the efforts of the great English lexicographer to fix the external form of the language, and brought the version, therefore, in a great measure, in conformity to the improvements, secured by those herculean efforts. There were certain things, however, which Johnson called "spots of barbarity," and which he was unable to remove, but which time has since sloughed off from the language. Some proof of this may even be found in the Bible. More, we are sure, ought to be found there. But all such changes do not touch the identity of the version. What is quaint, or obsolete, or ungrammatical, can be changed without at all affecting the sense. A word may be spelt differently, and yet have the same meaning. The outward form may vary, and yet the inward, living spirit may remain the same. We must learn to distinguish these things. Clothing is not the man. Sound is

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