task, for the list, as given in Fuller's Church History, comprises only forty-seven names. They were divided into six classes: ten were to meet at Westminster, and translate from Genesis to the second Book of Kings inclusive. Eight at Cambridge undertook the other Historical Books and the Hagiographa. Seven at Oxford, were to translate the Prophets. The Gospels, Acts, and Apocalypse were assigned to another company at Oxford, of eight. The Epistles were translated at Westminster, and the Apocrypha at Cambridge. Properly speaking, it is not so much a new translation, as a revision of the preceding one; as any one may convince himself of, who will compare it with Tindale's, the source of them all. *And in so doing, they were faithful to their commission, for they were instructed to alter the Bishops' Bible as little as the original would permit, and to use the other translations when they agreed better with it. It was begun in 1607, and published in 1611. After this publication the former versions fell gradually into disuse, only the Psalms in the Prayer-Book, from Cranmer's Bible, 1539, are still retained.

No translation bears a higher character; but though substantially correct, it must, as an uninspired work, have its defects. Its actual mistakes are few, but in many instances the full energy of an expression, and the precise shade of meaning has not been conveyed. This cannot always be transfused into a version: in other cases it is resolvable into the imperfect knowledge of the translator; for the two centuries which have passed since, have contributed much to a more critical understanding of the original tongue. These blemishes are not in essential points, but they injure the effect. Campbell has happily transferred to such corrections as modern criticism supplies, Spence's remarks upon the utility of his inquiries into the remains of ancient art for throwing light upon the classics. "The chief use I have found in this sort of study, has not been so much in discovering what was wholly unknown, as in strengthening and beautifying what was known before. When the day was so much overcast just now, you saw all the same objects that you do at present; these trees, that river, the forest on the left hand, and those spreading vales to the right; but now the sun is broke out, you see all of them more clearly, and with more pleasure. It shews scarce any thing you did not see before, but it gives new life and lustre to every thing you did see."

The fluctuations to which language is liable, has rendered

*Polymetis, Dialogue vi.

our version, in some words,* unintelligible to the unlearned reader, and in certain passages has affected the meaning, but for this the translators are of course not accountable. Their principal fault is the arbitrary rendering the same Greek word by different English ones. They avow in their preface, that they have not tied themselves to an uniformity of phrasing, or to an identity of words, which was in their opinion to savour more of curiosity than wisdom; and would have been, if they had only taken the liberty in such words as they specify, as pain for ache, joy for gladness. Their inaccuracy in this respect has produced a greater diversity in the translation, than exists in the original; and quite prevents the English reader from observing the differences in style; thus for example, Mark ix. 40. and Luke ix. 50. Matt. xxvi. 41. and Mark xiv. 38. are respectively identical in Greek, but not in English; and in the fourth chapter of Romans, where the word soon so often occurs, it is rendered reckoned, imputed, and counted. In consequence, many passages lose much of their beauty, when the meaning is not impaired,† in others the sense is affected.‡

Archbishop Newcome has entered fully into the subject in his Historical View of English Biblical Translations, Dublin, 1792. The following words may serve as specimens of the obsolete:-"leasing," for lies; "daysman," for umpire; "carriage," for baggage, Acts xxi. 15. 1 Sam. xvii. 22. "oweth," for owneth. "to eschew," to avoid. In the following the meaning is affected;" Take no thought,” (μrgiva) for be not anxious. Avaorgo¶n, conversatio; conversation is now limited to discourse, but originally included conduct. This has enfeebled several moral exhortations, as these; "Be an example of the believers in word, in conversation;" εv λoyw ev avαorgo¶n, 1 Tim. iv. 12. They "falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ,” xaλŋv avaσrgo@nv, 1 Pet. iii. 16. Lust and lewdness are now restricted to one particular vice, and usury is applied no longer to what is considered as the proper interest of money; meat and food, quick and living, faithless and unbelieving, have also ceased to be synonymous. And it is generally known, that to let, (Rom. i. 13. 2 Thess. ii. 7.) and to prevent, have changed meanings. The use of of, for by and from, produces occasionally ambiguity, as, (John viii. 40.) " A man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God.” † Take the following instances out of many, Διοτι το γνωστον του Θεου φανερον εστιν εν αυτοις ο γαρ Θεος αυτοις εφανέρωσε, Rom. i. 19. Ινα δια της υπομονης και της παρακλήσεως των γραφων την ελπίδα εχωμεν, ο δε Θεος της υπόμενης και της παρακλήσεως δωη υμιν το αυτο φρονειν, κν. 4, 5. Επ' αυτο εθνη ελε πιουσιν ο δε Θεος της ελπίδος πληρωσαι ὑμᾶς πασης χαρας και ειρηνης, 12, 13. Ουκ οτι ικανοι εσμεν αφ εαυτων λογισασθαι τι ως εξ εαυτων αλλ' η ικανοτης ήμων εκ του Θεου, 2 Cor. iii. 5, 6. Ος και ικανω σεν ημας διακόνους καινης быь Dans. It need hardly be pointed out how much more emphatic a more literal translation would have been, as, "In him shall the nations hope:" "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing."

દ

Thus a passage in the Acts viii. 9, 13. is so translated as to countenance a belief in witchcraft, "bewitched;" but it only means astonished and is rendered wondered when applied, in the same chapter to Philip. They take pleasure in, ovveudoxovci, (Rom. i. 32.) is softened down to, "He was consenting to his death;" from the consentiens of the Vulgate when used of Paul, though faith

But although our translators have not made what use they might of our various synonymes, the variety of the original language can never be fully communicated to our

fully rendered by Tindale. Kλπtys and Anorns, thief and robber, are confounded in our version; thus, the persons who attacked the traveller to Jericho, were not thieves, at least in the present sense of the word; and the malefactors between whom our Lord was crucified, were robbers; for theft was not among the Jews a capital offence. A harshness and severity, not in the original, is given by the frequent use of the word fool, which is made to stand not for pagos only, but for terms of a much milder import, as apgwv, avontos, aroQos. Many instructive distinctions, in the meaning of words nearly synonymous, will be observed, by examining Stephens's or Williams's Greek concordance; and much valuable information on the subject, will be collected from a perusal of Campbell's Introductory Dissertations. He observes the distinction between the outer and inner garment, ¿atlov and T, rendering the first, coat, the latter, cloak. He translates, ɛvayyiλiev, to declare good news, and xngvoσew, not " to preach," but to proclaim the Gospel, and quoiomades, (Acts xiv. 15. James v. 17.) not "of like passions," but of like nature. Murrnglov, means "what is secret, not yet revealed,” but mystery, what cannot be comprehended. Exλngoxagdia, literally hardness of heart, does not mean inhumanity, but perverseness. With us the heart is made the seat of the feelings, but the ancients placed in it the intellect. Hence "reasoning," Mark ii. 6. "thought," Acts viii. 22. "comparison," Rom. x. 10. and "reflection," Luke ii. 19. are referred to it, and cordatus in Latin, means intelligent. We may here observe, by the way, the difference on this subject of figurative language in ancient and modern times. "Physici dicunt homines splene ridere, felle irasci jecore amare corde sapere et pulmone jactari;" is the remark of Cornutus upon Perseus; and to the same purport, it is said in the Testament of the twelve patriarchs, (supposed to be the work of a Christian of the first century,) that God made the heart, εις Φρόνησιν ηπας προς θυμον χολήν προς πικρίαν εις γελοτα σπληνη νεφρούς εις πανουργίαν.

Blasphemy is confined to an offence against the Deity, but ßraonic means reviling any one, even the evil spirit, Jude 9.; our translators, therefore, have often rendered it defaming or reviling; it would have been better if they had so done in Matt. xii. 31. "all manner of blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost," &c. and (1 Tim. i. 13.) where Paul says he had been a blasphemer. Adns, the place of departed spirits, and yeevva, the place of future punishment, are confounded under the common name of "hell," except in 1 Cor. xv. 55; although almost all the foreign translators, except Luther, have preserved the distinction. But the most important words of this class, are μεταμέλομαι and μετανοεω, and their derivatives, which are both rendered to "repent;" but the first, as the etymology shews, means to repent or grieve, the second, to change the purpose or reform. In conformity with this statement, Phavorinus defines μstaμɛλɛia, [the noun does not occur in the New Testament,] “dissatisfaction with oneself for what one has done;" and μɛTavola, "a change from worse to better." The first accordingly, if genuine, will terminate in the latter. In some passages either translation would equally answer the purpose, in others the difference is essential, in none more than in 2 Cor. vii. 10. the Apostle's declaration, Η κατα θεον λυπη μετανοιαν εις σωτηρίαν αμεταμέλητον κατεργάζεται, which in the English version not only introduces an unsuitable play upon words, but makes him state an identical proposition; whereas if rendered as suggested, it contains an accurate definition of genuine repentance: Godly sorrow produceth a reformation to salvation not to be repented of. However, it must be owned, that these words are used promiscuously in the Septuagint, but the distinction is observed in the Syriac, and by Beza and Castalio, though not by Jerome.

είρω, ερέω,

poorer tongue. For example, xw, exw, Onus, Qœoxu, Ogaza, gow, all answer to the English word, say; and yet an attentive perusal will shew that they are not strictly synonymous. Thus our Lord says, in his sermon on the mount: Ηκουσατε ότι Εῤῥεθη τοις αρχαίοις ου φονεύσεις Εγω δε λεγω υμιν οτι οσ αν SITH TW adenow autov. Throughout his discourse, what he authoritatively delivers from himself, is signified by yw; whatever is mentioned as standing upon the authority of tradition, is expressed by gs; and whatever is mentioned incidentally, by επω. Of this verb we may observe, that it is used several times by Matthew, once by Mark, but never by the other evangelists: ug, is used by all except John; and sgt, by all except Mark. Thus Luke calls our Lord six times ETIσTUTA, a word peculiar to himself: Kanyarns, is once employed by Matthew, and rendered by Muster, the common translation both of Kugios and Aidacoλos, an ambiguity which has misled many English readers of St. James's Epistle, who are not aware that masters, in the first verse of his third chapter, mean teachers. Astorns, which implies Sovereignty, and is applied to Christ, by Peter, (2 Epis. ii. 1.) by Jude, and in the Revelation, (vi. 10.) is as well as Kugios rendered Lord.

p,

The Greek affords four words, βρωσκω, εσθίω, τρώγω, φαγω, answering to the verb to eat, and no less than ten for the act of seeing. The same remark may be exemplified in nouns; we have for a net, dixrvov, aμQißanorgov, and σay”; and xoQives and σugis, for a basket; evidently of different dimenκόφινος σπυρίς, sions, as the latter was capable of holding a man, (Acts ix. 25.) we have παιδια and τεκνα, for children ; and ο πλησίον, γείτων, and περιοικος, for neighbour: φιλος and εταιρος, are both rendered friend, which in the proper sense belongs only to the first; the latter being merely a term of civility, which is addressed to the dissatisfied labourer in the vineyard, (Matt. xx. 13.) to the guest without a wedding garment, (xxii. 12.) and to Judas, (xxvi. 50.) when betraying his master. It is granted that it is not always practicable to mark these shades of meaning, but it may be done frequently as Campbell has shewn, and when done, the sense is more perfectly exhibited. Thus wpsy has clearly a more extensive meaning thand. The enemies of our Lord saw him as distinctly as his disciples; it cannot be that whoever seeth the Son with his bodily eyes has eternal life; it is he that contemplateth or observeth the Son, that is, sees him as the Son, acknowledging his nature, character, and offices.

Another defect in our translators is, their frequent omission of the definite article; for a most interesting and important examination of which, I refer to Bishop Middleton's Treatise. This neglect has lowered the emphasis of several

passages, as this, "You call me Master and Lord, and you say well, for so I am," is not equivalent to, you call me the Master, and the Lord; the former might be said of any teacher, the latter with propriety of one alone, Him who teacheth not as man does. It has also occasioned far greater injury, for it has obscured some plain and positive declarations of our Lord's divinity: Ev dixalooven Tov Orov nav not Ewingos InGov Xgirov, in the opening of Peter's second Epistle, is mistranslated," through the righteousness of God and our Saviour," making two persons where the original speaks but of one: and in that in Ephesians; Εν τη βασιλεια του Χριστου και Θεού, the omission of the article before the second noun, shews that Christ is here called God.* "Looking for the happy hope and glorious manifestation of the Great God our Saviour Jesus Christ,” (Επιφανειαν της δόξης του μεγάλου Θεου και Σωτηρος neay, Tit. ii. 13.) is a similar construction, confirmed by the allusion to his appearance, which never is said of the Father, whom no one has seen or can see.to so na Пaτng, (James i. 27.) a phrase precisely similar, has always been rightly supposed to apply to the Father, though rendered "God and the Father." This error is the more remarkable, since the true translation was given by Tindale, and also in the Rhemish Testament.

At a period when the imperfections of this version have been grossly exaggerated, as I have myself taken the liberty of stating some, it seems proper to close these remarks with observing, that its general merit and equality, at least, with those of other countries, has been strenuously maintained by those whose knowledge makes them competent to decide, from its first appearance down to our own times. "It is incomparably superior to any thing which might be expected in the present age," says Bishop Middleton; "as to composition, it is simple, it is harmonious, it is energetic, and which is of no small importance, use has made it familiar, and time has rendered it sacred." The best proof of its excellence, as observed by Whittaker, in his critical examination of Mr. Bellamy's hardy and arrogant assertions, is," that it has been used, since its first appearance by the Dissenters as well as by the Church, and has been esteemed by all for its general faithfulness, and the severe beauty of its language. To conclude, in the words of

* Demosthenes in his oration concerning the crown, uses a similar construction, when speaking of one individual, Ο συμβουλος και ζητως.

St. Chrysostom expressly applies the phrase "Great God," to Christ, and this use of the article was known to the Greek Fathers, though Grotius endeavours to explain it away.