might be adduced upon this large subject. So far however from renewed examinations of our authorized version abating our confidence in it, they greatly augment it. We feel astonished that in so short a space of time, about three years, king James's translators, even with the aid of the previous English translations, and all other helps, and their own mature biblical attainments, should have been able to put forth this unequalled version. It was not commenced till the year 1607; it took three years in preparation, and it was published in 1611. The plan pursued of each divine's handing in, for careful scrutiny, a new or an "amended" translation of his own portion, though excellent for procuring faithfulness of rendering, inevitably produced variations which could not easily be brought to one standard. It is true that at the close of the business a committee of six was chosen, two by the Oxford divines, two by the Cambridge, and two by the Westminster, to take a survey of the whole work; and Dr. (afterwards Bishop) Smith and Dr. Benson undertook a final review; but this could not have extended to such general matters as we have noticed; for the Old Testament alone would have occupied more years than the committee or referees employed months, if the whole was to be revised word for word. For, be it remembered, that though the version was new, in the sense of every passage being newly conferred with the original, yet that it was copied for the most part from preceding versions, the rule laid down being, "The Bishop's Bible to be followed, and as little altered as the original will permit;" and preceding versions had grown up from time to time without any settled plan or concert; so that the Bishop's Bible had expressions from every pre

ceding version back to the time of Wickliffe. To what but to this can we attribute it, that the same word (γνωρίζω) should be rendered make known, declare, certify, give to understand, and do to wit? Abstractedly, and were a translation to be made de novo, this would neither be necessary nor advisable; nor even to have for διαγγελλω preach, signify, and declare; or for diakovεw, serve and minister; or for dvw, two and twain; or for ɛñiμEVW, continue, abide, and tarry; or for Evews, forthwith, straightway, and immediately; or for nλos, zeal, indignation, envy, fervent mind, jealousy, and emulations, (where two terms, the one of λog in its laudatory, the other in its culpatory sense, say zeal and envy,might suffice;) or for Oneavpils, lay up, treasure up, and keep in store; or for oxvc, strength, might, power; or for κοιμαμαι, 1 Cor. vii. 39, be dead, when in every other passage it is to sleep, and almost always in the sense of to be dead; or for xpeia, need, lack, and necessity; ayopasw, buy and redeem, (“ ye are bought with a price"; "the Lord that bought them "; why not then "These were bought from among men?" and "which were bought from the earth";) ȧyıaalw, hallowed, sanctified, holy; or for asOɛvns, sick, weak, impotent, feeble, without strength; with hundreds of other words, which, though they form a very good translation, and are not separately to be objected to, yet by their variety lead a reader to suppose there are various words in the original, where there is but one; and to look for difference of meaning where there is none.

Such is our view abstractedly; yet looking to all the circumstances under which king James's version was executed, and indeed as a general maxim, there was much wisdom in the rule that there should be no unnecessary

alteration; and where a word was good, and had been long in use, in any passage, there was doubtless great inconvenience in hastily changing it for the sake of uniformity of rendering; and we are far from imputing blame as to the course pursued. All that we say is, the final revision could not possibly have embraced the classification which we have spoken of. Indeed had such a plan been proposed, it should have been laid down as a preliminary arrangement, and not merely kept in mind in the final correction. If, for instance, there was no pre-arrangement as to whether a certain Greek word should be expressed in English in a defined manner (whether by one word, or by two or more, according to its supposed shades of sense, only keeping to the same word under the same circumstances) it would have been a work of much time and great labour to have reduced the whole volume, after it was finished, to this approach to uniformity; especially as from the circumstance of its being a new (or newly-modified) version, there were none of the facilities of English concordances, verbal references, or even mory, to aid the collation. When, for instance, the revisors, in turning to a few places where the word λoyisoμaι occurs, found that no classification, much less uniformity, of phrasing had been adpoted in regard to it; the word being translated reasoned,numbered, reckoned, despised, think, think on, counted, conclude, impute, accounted, esteem, lay to, and suppose; and these words being in turn given as the representatives of a great number of Greek words besides λογιζομαι ; it would be very laborious, with a new translation, even to find out all the passages in which all the words occur; and to attempt to classify them would be to go over the whole work anew; and the writer of the preface (Dr.

me

Smith, though it was adopted by the whole body) says that it was considered a useless operation. Yet it might have been done; and if well done, it would have been very useful. Professor Robinson gives four shades of meaning to this word λoyiloμai, namely, to reason; to conclude, having reasoned; to reckon, as, or for, a thing; and to reckon to any one. 'The English word "reckon " includes all these varieties; though its use in regard to some of them has become too quaint, or singular, or ambiguous, or ludicrous, to allow of its introduction in this latitude; but this was not the case when our translation was made. We will quote the English translation of all the passages in which λoyoμai occurs; which will save our readers some trouble of reference; for they cannot find them by running the eye down either a Greek or an English Concordance; but must either have both at hand and collate them, or else have the Greek Concordance and turn to every passage in the English Testament; or else find all the above thirteen words in the English Testament, and then find in the Greek Testament all the passages referred to, in order to glean out those in which λoyisopaι occurs; or else read through the whole Greek and English Testament side by side. We will copy all the passages, giving the word "reckon" in brackets, in all those places where some other word is given. We should prefer that this word were used in every text in which the sense is clearly and fully expressed by it; and that a classification were made of the other senses. Had it been used in all the passages in which "impute" is employed, (as it is in some of them) it would have rendered the meaning clearer to unlearned persons. "Count also (in its proper sense), and "account," might be superseded by it, and so on of others. To "reck"

honest end, of which there are very few) which does not open to the vernacular reader or hearer a clear knowledge of the divine will; and in the case of our own version, and in some others, such as Luther's, with a minute correctness which all but supersedes the use of the original; nay, for popular use, quite supersedes it; for it could not be the intention of Divine Providence, that intricate Greek and Hebrew philology should be essential to those who have it not in their power to addict themselves to it. And with regard to that divine unction and spiritual understanding, without which the bare text is but a dead letter, and the most profound learning but a beggarly element, He who was the inditer of holy writ can and will open the hearts of all who humbly seek his heavenly instruction, that they may receive the sacred word for their soul's health, taking of the things of Christ and revealing them to their souls; bestowing upon them faith, and holiness, and peace; being their Пlapakλntos, and leading them to Him who is also their Παράκλητος (we give the original word, because the distinction of "Comforter," as applied to the Holy Spirit, John xiv. 16, also 26; xv. 26; xvi. 7; and " Advocate," as applied to Christ, 1 John . 1, is the comment of translators; the Greek being the same, though the diversity of the rendering may be proper,) that they may have fellowship with the Father and the Son; and that being justified by faith, through the blood of Christ, they may constantly receive the cleansing*

We had no special reference in our minds to any particular text when we wrote as above," the cleansing of their souls;" but, as when one is thinking of a subject, illustrations spontaneously arise on all sides (as in the foregoing incidental allusion to the varied renderings of Παράκλητος) it occurs to us to notice a passage concerning this spiritual cleansing,

of their souls, to make them meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.

....

in which the English reader is disadvantaged by the same rendering being used for We read, John xiii. two distinct words. 5-10: "And he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet And Peter said unto Him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet....Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto Him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith unto him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit." Here the English reader inevitably supposes that the word "wash," which occurs so often in this passage, represents throughout the same word in the Greek; and he in consequence loses much of the force of our Lord's reply ;

"He that is washed needeth not save to

wash his feet, but is clean every whit." How can the only washing which had been mentioned, and which was but partial, whether applied to the feet, or even, as St. Peter asked, to the hands also and head, be said to cleanse the whole body? A person might have this local cleansing, But the difficulty does not occur in the and yet not be "clean every whit.' original; and it would not have arisen in the translation, if the reader had been apprised by a change of rendering that two Greek words are used; namely, the word νιπτεσθαι, which is employed throughout the passage, except in our Lord's last reply, and which means a partial ablution; and the word ous, used by our Lord in conclusion, and which expresses the ablution of the whole body. It may be intelligibly rendered by our English word "bathe;" though our customs being different to those of the orientals in hot climates, who practise constant immersion in pools or rivers, we have not any word the familiar associations of which are perfectly coincident.

He that is bathed

is perfectly cleansed; and needs only, in

fine, to wash from his feet the dust or sand which adheres from stepping_out from the bathing place. Or our Lord might perhaps allude to the immersion used by the Jews at the consecration of priests and the initiation of proselytes, which was not repeated; the subsequent daily purifications being only by pouring water, or dipping the hands or feet. Bishop Hall says: "In respect of the main business of regeneration washed from your sins; yet even in the best of men, there are some remains of worldly

THE question of questions which presses upon the anxious attention of every wisely-judging Christian man throughout her Majesty's dominions, is the religious instruction of the people; and this divides itself into two branches, the instruction of the adult and of the infant population.

With regard to the adult population, the urgent want is new churches and new ministers to supply them. We

have an ecclesiastical establishment, and blessings manifold has it been the instrument of conveying to the people; but it has been crippled and curtailed, instead of its operations being carried out to the full measure of its duties. Strange to say, while population was rapidly increasing, and mighty towns were springing up, where but recently there were only small parishes or a few scattered villages, the National Church was not allowed to lengthen its cords or strengthen its stakes, but was stinted to its ancient capabilities: nay, far more work was demanded, with diminished power; for the ecclesiastical apparatus was less adequate than it had been in the days of popery, before the Reformation; whereas the population was immeasurably increased; and what was worse, too many who professed themselves to be zealous churchmen, were so jealous of what they considered innovation, that they opposed the multiplication of churches and the division of overgrown parishes; so that property, and patronage, and ignorant jealousy, and even Conservative principles, were set in array against church extension.

-Happily this day has gone by; the legislature has afforded considerable facilities for church building, and though the strings of the national purse are kept closely drawn, private Christian zeal has not been wanting in erecting and partly endowing many sacred edifices. But this is not enough. We rejoice, indeed, to witness this voluntary agency; but it does not exempt the nation in its corporate capacity from addressing itself to the work. It is an excellent

affections, some worldly defilement, which must still be purged away." There may also be an allusion to baptism (in the mode of immersion) which does not require to be repeated, and the sanctifying influences of the Holy Ghost which must be perpetual. The drift of the passage is clear enough; we only mean that the vernacular reader has not the full advantage

addition to the labours of an Established Church, and a proper fruit of its exertions; but it is a very inadequate substitute for its rightful system. When Dissenters say, What has the Established Church effected? we reply, Much, and more perhaps than can be estimated; but we refuse to be tried by this test, for in too many places we have little more than the name, the shadow of an establishment; and in very few is its system fully carried out into full action. We remember seeing, more than five-and-twenty years ago, in Bristol, a steam-boat which was the ridicule of the multitude. To think of impelling vessels by steam, was pronounced to be preposterous. At length, however, the little boat was launched on its passage to Bath; but its engine was too small, and then truly the railers had an excellent triumph. Now it would be just as absurd to argue that the National Church principle is not efficient because in its present inadequate state it cannot effect its objects, as that a steam voyage down the Thames - to say nothing of one across the Atlantic

is a dream of enthusiasm because the worthy coroner of Bristol's boat was fitted up with too small an engine.

We rejoice to see that the necessity and duty of enlarging the agency of the National Church, by the aid of the legislature, so as to render it more adequate to its arduous duties, is beginning to be strongly felt among the sound-minded part of the nation; though we lament to say that no specific measure for the purpose has been laid before parliament. A most influential public meeting was lately held at Freemason's Hall, at which this duty was strongly urged. and a petition to Parliament has been prepared, enforcing the principle. The petitioners justly state that "the addition of more than six millions to the population of England and Wales, since the commencement of the present century, without any commensurate addition to the Church Establishment, renders it necessary that some adequate

of the original, as he might have by a distinctive rendering. Where this very word Xove is used thirteen times in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, for the ablution of the whole body by immersion, our translators have very properly given "bathe;" so that the word would not have been unfamiliar to the English Bible reader.