one book but a collection of books; how | through. The canon of Scripture must be else, indeed, could it have fitted into settled; the text must be ascertained; and every part of human life, every corner of that text must be translated. Of these the human heart? "Bibliotheca sacra," processes the first has hitherto received Jerome calls it, the holy library; and the comparatively little attention in this counearly English form of it was bibliothece. try. Even the valuable labors of Canon It was through the Normans that "Bible Westcott have awakened but a faint intercame to us; the neuter plural biblia hav-est in the subject. The vast majority of ing been, according to a well-known law, students of the Bible are quite content to changed into the feminine singular. There is, however, a very real and important sense in which the Scriptures are one; and there is some advantage in a title which brings this prominently forward. Only it is the more necessary constantly to remind ourselves that their unity is that of a literature and not of a boo, and can never be fully realized but by those who appreciate their diversity.

take it, in this respect, as it is; putting aside, as to them of no moment, any doubts which they may hear expressed as to the canonicity, for instance, of the Song of Solomon, or of the 2nd Epistle of St. Peter. Nor is there anything surprising in this indifference. Extremes meet; and as in the early days of Christianity, with the sound of the Apostolic voices still ringing in their ears, men felt no need of a canon, and none was formed until the persecution of Diocletian, acting as a re-agent, threw it into shape, so the solvent of the modern spirit has taken something both from the definiteness of the canon then formed, and from its authority. Men feel that the question whether a certain book was or was not included in the Carthaginian Catalogue, or quoted by Origen as Scripture, is to them of little importance compared with the question whether its contents are good to the use of edifying.

The title of "New Testament" for the Christian Scriptures is happily as appropriate, as it was inevitable from the moment when St. Paul, in writing to the Corinthians,* spoke of the Hebrew Scriptures (or at least the earlier portion of them) as the "Old Testament;" and it seems hardly credible that the Christian Church should at one time have hesitated between it and the "New Instrument." The Greek word represented here by Testament means properly a "disposition or "arrangement;" but it is often used in a special sense, to mean an arrangement made by one who is leaving the world, for the benefit of his friends. In the phrase "New Testament" is re-ness of the passage about the three wit produced and perpetuated that inextricable confusion of the general with the special sense which is found in more than one passage of the gospels and epistles. And carrying thus with it a meaning which hovers between "a merciful arrangement" and a "loving friend's bequest," what name could be more happy for the written record of our Saviour's utterances respecting the relations between God and man?

But what is this English Bible of which we speak, and how have its contents come to be what they are? It is clear that before such a book can be produced at least three distinct processes must be gone

* 2 Cor. iii. 14.

It is not very many years since the same, or nearly the same, might have been said of the text. If the spurious

nesses * was too patent to be denied, this was treated as an isolated and exceptional accident. Or if the subject of various readings generally was brought forward, it was set aside by a reference to the remark of a celebrated critic, that all the various readings that had ever been suggested, however ingeniously they might be twisted, "could not so disguise Christianity but that every feature of it will still be the same." But, so far as the New Testament is concerned, a succession of Biblical scholars - notably, Lachmann and Tischendorf, with their rare mastery of diplomatic lore, and Dean Alford, with his unrivalled industry and

thorities; for the mere multiplication of them, when they are clearly derived from each other or from a common source, adds nothing to their weight. That reading is to be preferred which gives a sense most

and expression which characterize the particular writer. A peculiar or difficult reading is deserving of attention in proportion to its singularity or difficulty, unless it can be traced to some probable working of the mind of the copyist, or some natural tendency of his pen.

candor in collecting, and sifting, and pop- and original text has to be picked out. ularizing the results of more original The broad principles on which this is to laborers - have changed all this; and be done are in themselves sufficiently readers who do not know a word of Greek obvious. Ceteris paribus, that reading is have been put in possession of all the to be preferred, as most likely to reprefacts, and called in, so to speak, to assist sent the words actually used by the evanin the formation of an improved text. gelist or the apostle, which is found in Few of us, it may be, have ever handled the earliest MSS., the earliest versions, a Greek MS. of the New Testament, but the earliest quotations. That reading is "every schoolboy" now knows that there to be preferred which has the support of are three such MSS. of primary author- the greatest number of independent auity; one of the fourth century, discovered in our time by Tischendorf at Mount Sinai, and now at St. Petersburg; another, also of the fourth century, which lay perdu in the Vatican for three hundred years, and has only recently been fully in conformity with the modes of thought published; the third, of the fifth century, presented to Charles I. by a patriarch of Constantinople, and now one of the treasures of the British Museum. Next to these, if not quite in the same line, are to be placed the Paris MS., probably of the fifth century, which was brought to France by Catherine de' Medicis; and the one which, just three hundred years ago, was presented by Beza to the University of Cambridge, containing only the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. After these, but at a great distance from them in value, come about thirty MSS., or fragments of MSS., reaching down to the eleventh century. All those that have been mentioned are written in the great uncial or capital character. There is a much larger number of others, of much later date, in the small character called cursive, or running. In addition to these MSS. of the Greek text, there are a great many versions - Alford refers to as many as fifty-in various languages, and of very various ages, the oldest being the Syriac Peshito, supposed to be of the second century. Lastly there has been collected from a long succession of the fathers of the Church, several of whom wrote as early as the second century, a vast number of passages in which the words of the New Testament are either expressly quoted or distinctly referred to.

Amid this great variety of authorities there exists, as might be expected, a great diversity of texts, from which the true

But if the rules are easy to state, they are often very difficult to apply. Provoking conflicts of evidence arise. The witnesses who ought to know best disagree among themselves, or are contradicted by a host of others nearly as well informed; or their story is inconsistent with itself, or with known facts; nor is it always easy even to make out what they say. It needs the skill and patience of a trained judge to get at the truth. Happily for us, judicial intellects of no mean order have been employed upon the task, and the results have been for some time before the general public. By the aid of such books as Alford's "New Testament for English Readers," Bagster's "Critical New Testament," and the Tauchnitz edition of the same, the least learned among us are in a position to form some idea how far the text from which the Authorized Version was made, a text based on MSS. of which none is older than the tenth century, is susceptible of amendment.

Subsequent, in theory, to the settlement of the text, but generally in fact pari passu with it, comes the work of translating it. This is not the place for more than the briefest notice of the chief English translations of the New Testa

ment. Three of them stand out promi- | Mary's reign; an exception which furnently from among the others: Wycliffe's, nishes an interesting and instructive epipublished in 1381: Tyndale's in 1526; and sode in the history of the subject. For the Authorized Version in 1611. What in that dark time a number of English the dawn is to the sunrise, Wycliffe's scholars, finding themselves debarred at work was to Tyndale's. It would be dif- home from the free use of the Scriptures, ficult to exaggerate its historical impor- congregated at Geneva, and there in the tance, or its interest in connection with city of Calvin, and under the influence of the character of the man, and the enlight- his teaching, produced a translation comened patriotism of his aims. But it was monly known as the Geneva Bible, but one of those dawns which are soon over- sometimes called, owing to a peculiar renclouded with a darkness that has to be dering of Genesis iii. 21, the "Breeches " dispelled afresh when the sun reaches the Bible. Of course it could not be kept out horizon. Before Tyndale's version came of England, or from passing on to Scotforth Wycliffe's had almost entirely dis- land; but having to be introduced surrepappeared out of the land; owing chiefly, titiously and under difficulties, it obtained no doubt, to the cruel vigor employed in all the firmer hold on the minds and affecsuppressing it, but partly also to the great tions of the people; so strong a hold that change which, in the interval, had passed the Bishops' Bible, published in 1568, over the English language. Tyndale was quite failed to displace it, and its use only born about 1480, and therefore had the died out in the time of Charles I., after benefit of the general revival of learning the appearance of the Authorized Version. which followed upon the taking of Con- Its effects survived, first in the bias of stantinople in 1453, and the consequent British theology towards Puritanism and dispersion of Greek scholars and Greek Independence, and secondly in the fusion books throughout the West. He had of the English and Scottish forms of also, as compared with his great prede- speech, which have never since been so cessor, the inestimable advantages of a distinct as they were before the Genevan formed language in which to write, and a New Testament was published in Edinprinting-press to give at once currency burgh in 1576. and stability to his writings. With these aids, and "giving his life royally," if ever man did, to his self-imposed task, he produced a work which is for all time. His translation of the New Testament, the first ever made into English direct from the original Greek, though it has been often altered and revised, not always for the better, is still "substantially the Bible with which we are familiar," with the "peculiar genius, if such a word may be permitted, which breathes through it, its mingled tenderness and majesty, its Saxon simplicity, its preternatural grandeur." * It is painful to think how this noble gift and its donor were treated during his lifetime, not indeed by the English people, but by its rulers; how he lived an exile, and died at the stake, praying with his last breath, "Lord, open the king of England's eyes." A few months more, and the prayer would have been a thanksgiving; for in 1537, the year following his martyrdom, Coverdale's complete Bible, containing a New Testament based mainly on Tyndale's, was published in England, "set forth with the kynge's most gracious license."

From that date the license has never been withdrawn, except during Queen

*Froude's History of England, iii. 84.

It was partly with a view to getting rid of this Bible, and its notes, "savoring too much of dangerous and traitorous conceit," that James I. was induced to issue his fiat, in 1604, for "one uniform translation," without comments. A committee of about fifty translators was at once appointed the most learned that could be found in Oxford and Cambridge

and after about seven years they issued a translation which before long superseded all others, and has been known for two hundred and seventy years as the Authorized Version.

It is no light thing to touch an heirloom of so many generations; and no one can wonder that when the question of a fresh revision was first mooted about a quarter of a century ago, many heads were shaken, and faint hearts shrank from the possible consequences of publicly admitting that our Bible fell short of absolute perfection. Some reassurance came with the reflection that the contemporaneous existence of two different versions of the Psalms - one in the Bible, the other in the Prayer-Book- had not prevented their being an unfailing fountain of comfort to devout hearts; nay, that the double translation, acting like a stereoscope, often made the meaning stand out in greater clearness and fulness to the

mental eye. And it was soon observed | every verse, one-tenth of them being due that the numerous specimens of retrans- to changes of text. Let us consider lation which issued in various shapes first those which belong to this smaller from the press the most important of class.

them the work of one whose labors in "A revision of the Greek text," say the connection with the text have been revisers in their preface, "was the necesalready mentioned, Dean Alford — while sary foundation of our work; but it did almost demonstrating the necessity of not fall within our province to construct a some alteration, showed at the same time continuous and complete Greek text." A within how narrow limits it would, in complete edition, however, of the text competent hands, be confined. Thus the which underlies their version has been world heard with great equanimity, if not published by one of their number, Archwith cordial satisfaction, in February, deacon Palmer, with all the displaced read1870, that it had been formally resolved ings set out at the foot of the page.* A in the Upper House of Convocation to large proportion of these displacements appoint a revision committee. It was cannot be said to be of any great imporamong the last of the many excellent tance. It is well known that the text movements set on foot or headed by the from which the old version was made inexhaustibly versatile energy of Bishop contained a multitude of words and Wilberforce; who, having once started it, phrases and even sentences not found in wisely left it to be conducted by others of the old MSS., and introduced apparently more solid learning and more specially into the later copies, in the long course of devoted to the cause than himself. Two successive transcriptions, either by mere companies were formed-one to revise inadvertence, or with the object of pointthe Old, the other the New, Testament; ing or explaining the acknowledged meanthe latter (with which alone we are ing. Connecting particles like "and" and now concerned) consisting of twenty-five "but" were freely inserted; "he said" specialists in Biblical criticism, represent- was expanded into "he answered and ing almost every section of British Christians with the exception of the Romanists, and aided by a secretary worthy of such a board. Within a few months the work was taken in hand, and pursued with a steady perseverance beyond all praise. Before long, however, there arose the question, how were the inevitable expenses to be borne? Private subscriptions could not be counted upon; still less a subsidy from government. The great printing-presses of Oxford and Cambridge stepped into the breach, and by purchasing the copyright supplied the necessary funds. Non homines, non Di, sed concessere columnæ.

And now, within the last few days, the results of their ten years' labors have been given to the world. What is the character of this Revised Version, and how far is it fitted to fill the place to which it aspires?

It would obviously be impossible, on so short acquaintance, and in a limited space, to give an adequate answer to these questions. All that can be attempted here is to notice a few of the features which sautent aux yeux.

To the eye or ear familiar with the old version it will be at once apparent that the number of alterations is very great. By the chairman himself, in his address to convocation, it was stated to amount, in some parts, to an average of three for

said; "the name of the speaker was substituted for the pronoun "he." Often a few words which helped to bring out the meaning more fully were brought in from a parallel passage; or a note which had been written on the margin of an old MS. was incorporated by a copyist into the text of his copy.

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It was inevitable that these interpolations should be discarded, and their omission is in most cases quite unimportant. A few of them, however, will be missed. Thus, St. Luke's version of the Lord's Prayer suffers greatly by losing the words "which art in Heaven," Thy will be done as in Heaven so in earth," "but deliver us from temptation." It will be observed, however, that these words are retained in the parallel passage in St. Matthew's Gospel, from which they appear to have been imported into St. Luke's. Similar omissions will be noticed in some of the accounts of the Last Sup

Simultaneously with this, but quite independently of it, has come forth the long-expected edition of the Greek text, by two other revisers, Canon Westcott and Dr. Hort, -the fruit, we believe, of a quarter of a century's labors- to which is appended an extremely valuable summary of the contents of an Introduction which is to follow, on "the true principles of textual criticism generally, and the leading results which follow from their application to the New Testament." (The New Testament in the Original Greek. The text revised by B. F. Westcott, D.D., and F. J. Hort, D.D. Crown 8vo. Macmillan and Co., 1881.) Truly this is a jubilee year for English Biblical students.

written by St. John and suppressed from an idea that it might lead to making light of sin, or, as others somewhat strangely suppose, a fragment that has got loose from the end of Luke xxi. and strayed into this place. There is even a doubt, which one would fain treat, with Alford, as of no moment, regarding the authentic

of Luke xxiii. 34, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do;" words, says Renan, which if they were not on the lips of Jesus, were certainly in his heart.

per; but here also the combined result of all the accounts remains unaltered. A marked instance of a note improperly embodied in the text is the fourth verse of John v., containing an unauthorized, though probably early explanation, from the writer's point of view, of the flocking of the sick, blind, halt, and withered to the pool of Bethesda. This is now re-ity of the words recorded in our version stored to its proper place in the margin. The thirty-seventh verse of Acts viii. is not found in the best MSS., but was apparently added in perfect good faith as expressing what was necessarily implied in the narrative of the eunuch's baptism by Philip. It is relegated to the margin in the new version. The same fate has befallen the so-called doxology, in Matthew vi. 13. It has happened also to words which, in some respects, cannot so well be spared; those in which (Luke ix. 55, 56) our Lord rebukes his disciples for proposing to call down fire from heaven on the Samaritans, saying, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of: for the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives but to save them;" words which are less likely to have been put into our Lord's mouth without authority, than to have been omitted from the original Gospel records along with those many sayings and doings which would have filled more books than the world could have contained.

To one passage of importance in the old version the revisers accord no place in text or margin, viz., the verse, already referred to, in Ist John v. 7, 8, concerning the three witnesses, which has no sup port either from ancient Greek MSS. or ancient versions. Nor have they, apparently, seen sufficient ground for bestowing any notice on the words which in one MS. of great authority, and one only, are found after the fourth verse of Luke vi., words pregnant with the highest wisdom

"On the same day having seen a certain man working on the Sabbath, he said unto him, Man, if thou knowest what thou doest, blessed art thou; but if thou knowest not, thou art cursed, and a transgressor of the law." It seems almost as if they must have been in St. Paul's mind when he wrote to the Romans (xiv. 22, 23), " Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is condemned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith; for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

Some passages of considerable interest and importance are retained in the text, but with a note to show that their authenticity is doubted. Prominent among these is the last part of the last chapter of St. One large class of textual alterations Mark, which does not occur in the best consists of cases in which errors had MSS., and which, consisting of little more crept into the received text by the subthan an epitome of facts already recorded stitution of one word for another, generelsewhere, and differing widely in point ally owing to similarity between them of language from the rest of the book, is either in shape or in sound; for it appears not likely, whatever may be its origin, to probable that the copying was often done be the writing of St. Mark. This may be by dictation. For instance, it is remarka relief to some on whose ears the six-able how often, especially in the Epistles, teenth verse of that chapter, as given in "you," and "your" have been substituted the old version, has grated harshly. On for "we" "us" and "our,” or vice versâ, the other hand many will regret to find and perhaps still more remarkable how the note of spuriousness attached to that seldom the sense of the passage is mastriking passage at the beginning of the terially affected by the substitution. The eighth chapter of St. John-the story of restoration of the true reading in these the woman taken in adultery which, as cases is almost always a gain to the has been truly said, of all the incidents in reader. A few instances may here be the New Testament, "most clearly em-given, not as by any means the most bodies the justice, mercy, and tenderness important, but as fair specimens of a large of Christ, and supplies us with the most class.

precious traits of his personal manners." In the opening words of the sixth chapIt seems hardly possible to doubt that it ter of St. Matthew it is a decided imis a contemporary record of a real inci-provement to have the general term rightdent: whether, as some maintain, really eousness. "Take heed that ye do not