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One other work remains to be examined, but of this our limited space forbids us from giving more than a brief sketch. This, also, owes its origin to one of these prize organizations, which, both in England, Holland, and Germany, have been found so useful in drawing out and supporting theological talent. The Teyler Theological Society of Harlaem, gave out, in 1848, a prize question for an answer to the then recent attacks by the Tubingen school on the consistency and unity of the apostolical letters and teachings. The essay before us— the apostolic and post-apostolic period, considered in reference to distinction and unity of doctrine and life-received the prize, and has met with a popularity which is due not merely to the ability with which it defends the unity and the divine authority of the apostolical writings, but to its peculiar conciseness, elegance, and precision of style. The movement is most important, for it is the advance-guard of faith detached to meet and beat back the attack of the advance-guard of rationalism, on a point which, as being apparently least defended, was supposed by the assailants to be most open to a surprise. Dr. Baur's method of assault we have already noticed; it remains for us simply to say that Dr. Lechler is entitled to the credit of having, in the work before us, not only repelled the attack, but erected an impregnable rampart against future invasion.

* Das apostolische und das Nach-apostolische Zeitalter, mit Rücksicht auf Unterschied und Einheit in Lehre und Leben. Dargesellt von GOTTHARD VICTOR LECHLER, Doctor der Philosophie, Dekan zu Knittlingen, K. Wurttemburg, etc. Stuttgart, 1857.

ARTICLE IV.

On the Authorized Version of the New Testament, in connec tion with some recent Proposals for its Revision. By R. C. TRENCH, D.D. New-York. 1858.

SOME notice was taken of the work of Trench, whose title we give above, in our last number. It was then said, "that the question of a joint movement to be made in the direction of a general and dispassionate revision, under circumstances that would unite in the work the best scholarship and capacity of the entire Protestant Church, was commended to the grave consideration of our readers."

That question we now propose to discuss. After giving a brief history of the origin of our version, we shall give some. account of the various efforts that have been made towards a new version, and then give our views on the general subject of its necessity.

At the time when our present version was made, there were two rival versions in use in England, the Genevan, made by the English refugees in Geneva, in 1560, and the Bishops' Bible, a version published under the superintendence of Archbishop Parker, and other Bishops, and authorized to be read in churches in public service. The Genevan version was used by the Non-conformists, and the Bishops' Bible by the Established Church. This last version is specially interesting to us, as it was the basis of the present version."

The origin of King James' version seems to have been quite accidental. It proceeded from the Hampton Court Conference, held in Hampton Court, January 14th, 16th, and 18th, 1604, in cosequence of the "Millenary Petition," from near a thousand Non-conformist Clergymen, praying for reform in the Church. King James, always fond of meddling in such matters, issued a proclamation for a conference between the Nonconformists, on one side, and the Bishops and Lords of the Council, on the other. We have a full account of this conference in Fuller's Church History, vol. iii. p. 172. King James VOL. VI.-5

sat as Moderator. Walter Scott's picture of his character will never be forgotten. "He was deeply learned, without possessing useful knowledge; sagacious in many individual cases, without having real wisdom; fond of his power, and desirous to maintain and augment it, yet willing to resign the direction of that, and of himself, to the most unworthy favorites; a big and bold asserter of his rights in words, yet one who saw them tamely trampled on in deeds; a lover of negotiations, in which he was always outwitted; and a fearer of war where conquest might have been easy. He was fond of his dignity, while he was perpetually degrading it by undue familiarity; capable of much labor, yet often neglecting it for the meanest amusement; a wit, though a pedant; and a scholar, though fond of the conversation of the ignorant and uneducated. He was laborious in trifles, and a trifler where serious labor was required; devout in his sentiments, and yet too often profane in his language; he was penurious respecting money which he had to give from his own hand, yet inconsiderately and unboundedly profuse of that which he did not see. All these qualities entitled James to the character bestowed on him by Sully, that he was the wisest fool in Christendom." We may imagine what a moderator he made! "His notion of moderation," says another writer," was not altogether uncommon; to have all the talk to himself, and to abuse every one who ventured to hint a difference of opinion. Little did he allow the Doctors to say; and when he was exhausted with his own harangues, he exclaimed, that if they had disputed so lamely in a College, he would have had them up and flogged them for dunces; and that, if that was all they could say, he would have them all conform or do worse for them." After such a description, we are not surprised at what passed in the Conference. To a Non-conformist, who objected to the surplice as a kind of garment used by the priests of Isis, he answered: "I did not think, till of late, it had been borrowed from the heathen, because commonly called 'a rag of Popery." To Dr. Reynolds, who proposed an Episcopal synod: "If you aim at a Scottish presbytery, it agreeth as well with monarchy as God and the devil. Then Jack and Tom, and Will and Dick, shall meet and censure me and my Council." To a Non

conformist, who pleaded that the cross in baptism offended weak brethren: "How long will such brethren be weak? Are not forty-five years sufficient for them to grow strong in? Besides, who pretends this weakness, but ministers? Some of them are strong enough, if not headstrong."

On the second day Dr. Reynolds said: "May your Majesty be pleased that the Bible be new translated; such as are extant not answering the original? And he instanced in three particulars: Gal. 4: 25 is ill translated 'bordereth;' Psalm 105 : 28, in the original, 'They were not disobedient,' is ill translated, 'They were not obedient;' Psalm 106: 30, in the original, 'Phinehas executed judgment,' is ill translated, 'Phinehas prayed.'

"His Majesty: I profess I could never yet see a Bible well translated in English; but I think that of all, that of Geneva is the worst. I wish some special pains were taken for an uniform translation, which should be done by the best learned in both universities, then reviewed by the Bishops, presented to the Privy Council, lastly ratified by royal authority, to be read in the whole Church, and no other.

"Bishop of London: But it is fit that no marginal notes should be added thereunto.

"His Majesty: That caveat is well put in, for in the Geneva translation some notes are partial, untrue, seditious, and savoring of traitorous conceits; as when from Exodus 1: 19, disobedience to kings is allowed in a marginal note; where the non-compliance of the Hebrew midwives with the orders of Pharaoh is spoken of, they say: Their disobedience herein was lawful, but their dissembling evil;' and 2 Chron. 15 : 16, where King Asa is taxed in the note for only deposing his mother for idolatry, and not killing her, they say: 'Herein he showed that he lacked zeal, for she ought to have died, both by the covenant, as verse 13, and by the law of God; but he gave place to foolish pity, and would also seem after a sort to satisfy the law.'”

The King's plan of selecting translators was a judicious one. Fifty-four translators, thus nominated, were appointed. Fortyseven names are found in the list of those actually engaged in translation. The other seven were the Bishops who revised

the work. We doubt whether such a body could be found now in all England; for Biblical learning has fallen off, and men are not now as mighty in the Scriptures as they were then; their strength has been wasted in unprofitable controversies.

The Instructions, with which all are familiar, were also judicious. They were to meet in Oxford, Cambridge, and Westminster, in six companies, the Bishops' Bible to be the basis of the new version; proper names to be unchanged; ecclesiastical words to be retained, as baptism, Church; no marginal notes; references of one Scripture to another to be set down; all the companies to revise each part, so that every part should be examined fourteen times at least; early English versions to be used, when they agree better with the original than the Bishops' Bible.

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In 1611, the new version appeared in a black-letter folio, now before us, printed at London, by Robert Barker, with a Preface of the Translators, now very rarely re-printed. We give a brief synopsis of its contents. After an apology for the circulation of the Bible in the vernacular tongue, and an argument for a new version, several objections are answered; they then speak of their own labors, and explain the marginal readings which they inserted in doubtful passages, where they were unwilling to dogmatize, and also the variety of translations of the same word in different places. They also state that they have intended to steer clear between Popery and Puritanism. They thus conclude, and the conclusion shows what men of God were concerned in this translation: "It remaineth, that we commend thee to God, and to the spirit of His grace, which is able to build further than we can ask or think. He removeth the scales from our eyes-the vail from our hearts-opening our wits that we may understand His word, enlarging our hearts, yea, correcting our affections, that we may love it above gold and silver; yea, that we may love it to the end. Ye are brought unto fountains of living water which ye digged not; do not cast earth into them, with the Philistines, neither prefer broken pits before them, with the wicked Jews. Others have labored, and you may enter into their labors. Oh! receive not so great things in vain! Oh! despise not so great salvation!

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