inclined to doubt the truth of these observations, and who, though sensible of some defects in the present version, are not prepared to admit that they are either such in degree or number, as to call for remarks of this kind; and there are, perhaps, few persons except those who have taken diligent note of these matters, and obtained something like a collected view of them, who are exactly aware of the nature or extent of such objectionable passages. Scattered over a wide surface, or recurring only now and then or looked at in a very cursory manner, these faults are scarcely seen; or if seen, regarded only as a few harmless weeds amidst an overflowing crop. It is not until such are numbered and classified that they are found to deserve a closer observation. They are then discovered to have a noxious quality, or to occupy a place that might have been much better filled; that to reconcile ourselves to such things by custom, is only to excuse our own negligence, to delude ourselves by erroneous impressions, in many instances, and, upon the whole, to rest satisfied with an inferior acquisition; and this, too, where every portion of it is of the highest value. On these grounds, then, we are satisfied that the question of revising the English Bible, unnecessary as it may still seem in the eyes of the many, will be found ultimately, if not immediately, one of the highest importance. But to view it in the right light it must be made to rest on sufficient evidence; and as it would appear that this evidence does not seem of great weight to all who are interested in it, we shall make it our business in this article, by a multitude of examples, to show that there are a sufficient number of defects in the present authorised version of the Bible to justify, in the fullest sense, any reasonable attempt that may be made for its improvement. As a necessary preliminary, however, to our main argument, which is founded on the state of the existing text, it will be desirable to take a general view of the history of the present English Bible, and to offer some remarks upon the attempts which are now making to obtain a new, or more perfect, translation. The process by which our Bible arrived at its present stage of comparative excellence, should be well understood by all who take an interest in this question. By studying this process we shall discern that fresh attempts to improve it are only in harmony with its previous history. It was not by one but by successive steps, that it advanced to that high position which it has gained, and which it well deserves still to maintain. Very strong eulogiums have been pronounced upon it as a faithful translation,-as the best of translations, as a HISTORY OF THE PRESENT TRANSLATION. 5 standard of good Saxon English,—and one in all respects worthy of our nation and of our religion. Far be it from us to wish, or attempt to shake the faith of our readers on any of these points; or to abate in any degree their love or reverence for this volume. Our views of its excellence upon the whole, are perfectly in harmony with whatever has been written in its praise. In a general sense we do not dispute its claims to the veneration it has long enjoyed-to a veneration scarcely inferior, for the most part, to that which has been paid to the divine documents themselves, of which it professes still to be a living representative. We cannot but revere the ancient form, majestic, yet simple; beautiful, yet energetic, in which celestial Truth here long ago arrayed herself to speak to us in our own tongue of the wonderful works of God. We acknowledge the divinity that seems to have animated this form-to have breathed in her solemn tones-and marvellously caught up the melodies of the old prophetical lyre. Her notes of warning have stirred up multitudes as with the blast of a trumpet. To her gentler accents many have listened as to an angel's voice. Even by her stillest whispers men have been awed into silence, with a feeling akin to that of the expectant prophet upon Mount Horeb. There is in this general character of impressiveness which belongs to the Bible of every tongue, and of every age, something indescribable in words; or if in words they must be those of its own-words of one of the wisest of wise men, contemplating some allegorical embodiment of ineffable beauty and power-" Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?" And what if our national Bible be an old book? It has not grown old in the same degree as other books of its age. It does not wear much of the black-letter aspect, although it belongs entirely to the black-letter days; a fact significant of a peculiar character, exempting it from some if not all of the usual incidents of book mortality, and rendering it no less a wonder, in this period of its hoary antiquity, than it was in the freshness of its youth. Let it not be imagined, however, that these marvellous attributes pertaining to the English Bible, are the fruit of one particular period of its history. A great mistake is sometimes committed by those who forget that the last translation (as it is called) was in effect not a translation at all, but merely a careful and critical revision of what had long preceded it. Coverdale's Bible, first printed in 1535, gave birth to the one printed in 1539, under the special patronage of Cranmer; and in 1540 and 1541 editions of this Bible, with some slight revisions, were "appointed to be read in the churches," by successive mandates from Henry the Eighth. These Bibles, known commonly as Cranmer's Bibles, from having had (i. e. first in 1540 and 1541) his prologue prefixed to them, again gave birth to that Bible which, under the auspices of Queen Elizabeth and Archbishop Parker, came forth first in the year 1568; and this, from its revision having been principally conducted by bishops, took the name of the Bishops' Bible. Another intermediate publication of the sacred volume had appeared previously at Geneva, under the direction of the English refugees residing there; but this was founded also upon the older version, now known as Coverdale's and Cranmer's Bible, though the corrections in it were very numerous and important. This and the Bishops' Bible, formed the basis of our present authorized version, made in the reign of James I., who enjoined, in his first rule for carrying on this work, "that the ordinary Bible read in the church, commonly called the Bishops' Bible, should be followed, and as little altered as the original will permit." In numerous cases, however, the Geneva Bible seems to have been, for some reason preferred by the committee appointed for carrying out the king's design. In all these previous translations, as well as in the one that was the result of this particular revision, so much of the same structure as to style and language was preserved; so many of the same words were retained in each of them; that to assign the distinctive character of a new translation to either of them, after the days of Cranmer's or the Bishops' Bible, would be, in our opinion, entirely a misapplication of terms. tenor of the king's injunctions just cited would have been altogether disregarded, if any change amounting to this had in reality taken place. A new translation implies, according to our views, a complete change in the structure of the sentences throughout, in most of the words adopted to express the original sense, and in great part at least of the terms used to describe the same things or the same events. Our meaning will be understood by taking almost any two independent translations of any ancient author, which have been made in our own language. There will be found in all such cases so much difference, even if the sense is nearly the same, as to give the correct idea of a new translation.* As the simplest method of showing the close resemblance between the several Bibles referred to, we shall exhibit the two following specimens from the Old and New Testament:- The * There are various examples of what may be called new translations of the English Bible; for instance, that of Dr. Geddes, 1792. See Dr. Cotton's Editions of the Bible, passim. TRANSLATIONS COMPARED. COVERDALE'S BIBLE. In the begynnynge And God sayde: let was GENEVAN BIBLE. 1. In the beginning 2. And the earth was In the begynning 3. Then God sayd 5. And God called BISHOPS' BIBLE, 1568. 1. In the beginnyng 2. And the earth was waters. 3. And God sayde, 4. And God sawe the nes. 5. And God called BIBLE OF 1611. The authorised version. 1. In the beginning 2. And the earth was 3. And God said, 4. And God saw the ness. 5. And God called COVERDALE'S BIBLE. When Jesus was ST. MATTHEW CHAP. II. FIRST FOUR VERSES. CRANMER'S BIBLE, 1540. GENEVAN Bible. When Jesus was 1. When Jesus was When Herode And when he had gathered all the 2. Saying, where is 3. When king He- 4. And gathering to- When Jesus was 3. When Herode the 4. And when he BIBLE OF KING JAMES. 1. Now when Jesus of Judea in the days of 2. Saying, where is 3. When Herod the king had heard these 4. And when he had gathered all the chief |