or the necessity of obtaining a more correct version of the Sacred Scriptures than our country yet enjoys, (for that may now be taken for granted,) as to point out to the learned members of the Christian community the serious duty which lies upon them, to provide for their brethren that inestimable benefit. Hitherto, they have done no more than to make the darkness visible; uttering the cry of lamentation, whilst they ought to have roused themselves to exertion. The efforts which, on any other subject, a feeling far less powerful than theirs would have roused, have been strangely paralyzed by a tacit assumption, that the evil could only be remedied by the constituted authorities in church and state; and that it must be endured, till their attention could be excited to it. Thus have the friends of divine Revelation successively imitated the example of the countryman in the fable, who lost his time in supplicating "Jupiter," while he should have been vigorously putting his own shoulder to the wheel of his embogged waggon.

How little, in this case, is to be expected, (were it even desirable that the work should be so performed) from our ecclesiastical dignitaries, is evident from the torpor with which they have suffered the Established Church, during so many ages, to moan under the disadvantages of the still more defective version of the Psalms, used from day to day in her public services, while the adoption of the authorized translation of that book, (which is not at all used in its worship,) was all that their influence was required to effect. On the one hand, therefore, the futility of all hope of early remedy from that quarter must be apparent; and on the other, were it

N. S. No. 64.

promised, it is to be feared, that it would excite in the intelligent friends of the Redeemer's kingdom, more of apprehension than of confidence.

The obligation appears to me indubitable, that it is the province of the learned members of the spiritual church of the Redeemer, (in whatever external communion they are found,) to provide a version of those records which he has given for the rule of its faith, and morals, and charter of its privileges, while time shall last; and it is my conviction, that it would be as hurtful to the best interests of that church, as it would be disloyal to its head, to transfer the office to other hands than their own. It is true, they could not give to their version, were it as faithful as the original text is authentic, that stamp of authority which would be requisite for its admission into the services of the Established Church; but there the disadvantages would end; to all other departments of public, domestic, and private worship and instruction, it would be as available, without, as with that sanction. That, in many other respects, it would have the superiority over any translation, executed under the eye of the existing authorities in the realm, can scarcely admit of a doubt. The faithful translator of God's word must, in that work, call no man on earth his master. Presuming that enough has been said to awaken the attention of those, to whom alone these observations are addressed, I shall proceed to offer some suggestions, as to the means of effecting the desired object.

As the Scriptures are the common patrimony of the universal church of Christ, and as all its members have an equal interest in maintaining their purity, I pro2 A

pose that the desired improvement of the current version be committed to the care of a select number of the best qualified of that body, without regard to the denomination to which they belong. After the examples of union which present times afford, in promoting the circulation of the text of the Scriptures, throughout the world, I cannot permit myself to doubt, that members of the Establishment will be found ready to blend their endeavours with those of their other Christian brethren, in purifying the translation of the word of God, by means of which, the knowledge of its contents must be derived by far the greatest portion of those, who use the English language. But as the most perfect confidence ought to subsist amongst the associated labourers, a more explicit bond of union should be found, in a full and unequivocal admission, by some agreed mode, of those doctrines derived from the Scriptures, which are held in common, as essential to salvation, by the body of evangelical Christians at large.

If, however, the pleasing hope of such a joint effort shall, from any cause whatever, be disappointed, I shall not be dismayed; for I am happy in the belief, that all the necessary stores of biblical learning are as amply to be found amongst the other evangelical denominations, as within the pale of the Establishment itself.

A greater difficulty will present itself, I presume, in collecting the general sentiment, and arranging the means of forming a combined effort, to accomplish the object.

As a humble contribution to that end, I would offer the following suggestions.

1. That those ministers and literate laymen, under whose ob

servation these suggestions may fall, (presuming that they meet their concurrence,) do communicate them to their friends, in their respective circles, so as to excite a general attention to the subject.

2. That such individuals as approve of the proposal, and are able to support it, by their attainments or contributions, communicate their sentiments as early in the month of April as possible, by a letter (post paid) addressed to the Editors of this Magazine, at their publishers.

3. That if any considerable measure of general approbation be so testified, means be taken for convening in London such a meeting of the friends of the undertaking, in the month of May next, as shall be sufficient to sanction further proceedings, a plan of which will then be presented for consideration.

In conclusion, I would say to my fellow Christians, of every communion, God hath highly honoured the generation of which we form a part, by having enabled it to devise and commence measures of great efficiency, for the diffusion of his holy word throughout the world. But a great part of that generation has passed away, and the shadows of evening are fast coming over those of us who remain.

Ought the purification of that translation, which is to so large a portion of our fellow men, the only medium through which they can attain a knowledge of the contents of the word of God, to be esteemed less our duty than the multiplication of the copies of it is admitted to be? Should not the same principles which stimulate to the one, excite to the other also? Why should the undertaking, acknowledged to be so necessary, be deferred? Why

should the eminent attainments, in all the requisites for the work, possessed by many of the existing servants of the Redeemer, sink with their possessors into the grave, and be lost to the cause?

Addressing myself, then, to my Christian brethren of every evangelical denomination, who have taken a part in the operations of the church, for the last thirty or thirty-five years, I would say, let us stir up our hearts to this crowning service of our day and generation, before the night come in which we cannot work. Can we doubt, that God will be with his servants in this, as he hath been in former efforts for his glory? and may it not be hoped, that his truth, shining more purely through the glass of the written word, when the surface of that medium is less sullied by the dust of human imperfection, will become more and more efficacious, in accomplishing the great ends for which it was revealed?

Ερμηνεύς.

To the Editors.-In common with many students of sacred Scripture, I have at times felt the necessity of a new translation; but there are not a few difficulties in the way and there are not a few who dread the alteration, lest we should have an exchange of new errors for old. The present phraseology is familiar to us; but, if we had a new version, it would be otherwise, and those who have turned the meridian of life, could never become habituated to it. Again we know, that the whole population are not yet supplied with Bibles; notwithstanding the great efforts of the British and Foreign Bible Society. How long should we have to wait, before a new version would displace the old. While the pulpits might be early

supplied, the pews would for a long time retain the old, and it would be painful to a pious minister to read his new and improved version, while many a pious worshipper might be wondering in what book he was reading.

Let a person try to read in a country congregation, (say a Scotch one,) a chapter of Lowth's Isaiah, or Blaney's Jeremiah, and he would soon perceive how the audience would " gape and stare."

Yet again, Gentlemen, the maxim in medio tutissimus ibis, is often disregarded, and instead of our simple version, we might have one as widely different, as Arius Montanus' Latin is from that of Castalio's a version which would require illiterate men to carry a pocket dictionary.

I am led into these remarks, partly by reading Philalethes' Essay in your February Number. While I find much to praise, I think there are some things which would deter me from voting for that gentleman being one of the New Translators.

I do not defend the translators for using different words for the same original, although I think the practice has the sanction of Dr. George Campbell, who ranks high as a modern translator; it certainly was much more used by Castalio than any. Under the head, "Instances of defective translation, and from ignorance of eastern customs," is given, "I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord," which it is proposed to render "I have sworn:" he must be a tyro in eastern customs indeed who would be ignorant that the lifting up of the hand, in this connection, means an oath. But the change from "Elisha, which poured water on the hands of Elijah," to "who was the domestic servant of Elijah," seems to me erroneous. Elisha

was no menial, he was the voluntary attendant of his honoured master. I would as soon read it, livery servant!

In the list of words not at all or imperfectly translated, I object to Grecizers or Helenists, for Grecians; it is equally beyond the reach of the unlearned, and I do not admire the new word Grecizers.

Nor am I sure that Eph. iv. 27. means a slanderer. Paul says, in another place, which I suppose the writer will not translate otherwise, Lest Satan get the advantage over you. I hasten on, and therefore pass over several things, but I would object to the changing the Hebraisms. I would do so, because in most places, when you change the idiomatic expression, you use a paraphrastic, and consequently a feeble one.

I would be far from thinking that we should not avail ourselves of all the light that versions and critics have elicited; but I am also aware that there have been critics whose boldness has carried them unwarrantable lengths, and who have not been very careful to guard their rash hands from innovation. Conjectural emendations are always to be dreaded.

I followed your correspondent to the end, and I grieve to say, that I found, towards the close, a sentence that has not a little puzzled me and others: he speaks of some who "sink into a blind veneration of the supposed sacred words, as something cabalistic, and not to be understood without

divine illumination; by which he understands, not a disposition to study, believe, and obey the truth, but knowledge imparted immediately from "heaven to the mind,” pp. 85, 86. Now I have no hesitation in professing to differ from this writer's assertions. I do seriously and sincerely believe that "divine illumination" is necessary. And I do as decidedly believe that illumination is "knowledge immediately from heaven to the mind." Let it be in the form of a disposition to believe and obey the truth; it is the work of that Spirit which takes of the things that are of Jesus, and shows them to the people; and he who supposes that a disposition to believe and obey the truth is not a gift from above, is into a tract in which I trust never to be found walking. I venerate the words of Scripture as sacred, but they cannot be at all understood without the illumination of that Spirit whose office it is to enlighten the minds of men.

If I have mistaken the writer's meaning, I am not alone, and it is to be regretted that a sentence so hard to be understood, has escaped him. If he has heard whether there be a Holy Ghost, (he will, perhaps, place this reading to account of my ignorance,) he ought, I think, to explain this mistaken sentence.

I am, Gentlemen,
Yours,

Glasgow, 17th Feb. 1830.

A.

MAN was formed to be the lord, not the tyrant of this lower world. The different classes of living sentient creatures, placed under his

government and controul, receive their existence and all their instincts and powers from the original Author and Parent of uni