THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For MARCH, 1795.

ART. I. An Hiftorical View of the English Biblical Tranflations: the Expediency of revifing by Authority our prefent Translation: and the Means of executing fuch a Revifion. By William Newcome, D.D. Bishop of Waterford*, and Member of the Royal Irish Academy. 8vo. pp. 438. 6s. Boards. Johnson.

WE have frequently had occafion to review the works, and to applaud the genius, learning, and indefatigahle induftry of this very refpectable critic. The work before us is not likely to diminish his high reputation; for that cautious modefty, and that honeft impartiality, which ought to accompany every species of criticism, but, above all, Biblical criticism, are here eminently confpicuous.

The author's original plan (he fays) extended no further than to folve every objection which has been urged against adopting fuch a meafure, and to ftate the principal arguments ufually alleged in fupport of it. But his thoughts foon led him to take an hiftorical furvey of the fubject: and as Lewis's account of our several English translations, though a very useful book to confult, is too minute, and fometimes too indiftinct, to invite a perufal, he conceived that it might neither be unprofitable nor unpleafing to biblical scholars, if he extracted from that work a general hiftory of the chief editions, and fupplied from a few other books, and especially from fome of the prefaces to our early bibles, whatever feemed interefting both with refpect to our vernacular tranflations of the scriptures, and alfo to the ftate of clerical literature during the period treated of. But as the fituation which afforded him leifure for profecuting his defign precluded him from accefs to any library, fome quotations must have been too implicitly followed, and many weighty authorities and curious facts must have been omitted.

In matters of fact it is indifpenfable to quote authorities. He has also largely produced them in matters of opinion; because the writers referred to expreffed his fentiments much better than he was able to represent them, because he thus points out fources whence the reader may derive further information, and because the weight of eminent names arrefts attention to what is advanced.

The rules for biblical tranflators, prefixed to the author's expofition of the Minor Prophets, have been much enlarged in the concluding

Dr. N. has lately been elected Archbishop of Armagh, and Primate of Ireland.

VOL. XVI.

chapter:

chapter: and he hopes that they are fomewhat improved, if not from his own reflections, yet from the later publications of fuch able critics as Dr. Geddes, Dr. Campbell, Dr. Symonds, and Mr. Wakefield.'

The work is divided into five chapters.-The firft, confifting of eight fections, gives an abridged hiftory of English verfions of the Bible, from Wiclif down to James I. The account is chiefly taken from Lewis, but is interfperfed with anecdotes which were unknown to that confufed writer. The Bishop's narrative is alfo enlivened with remarks and quotations from modern critics, and with their respective opinions of the value of the different tranflations. This part conflitutes almost a third of the volume.

In chap. ii. the author has collected a number of opinions concerning the prefent received verfion, from Selden, Johnson, Walton, Poole, Wells, Blackwall, Waterland, Doddridge, Lowth, Pilkington, Secker, Wynne, Purver, Worfley, Durell, White, Kennicott, Priestley, Green, Blayney, Geddes, Symonds, Bagot, Wakefield, Ormerod, the Monthly Review, and from two or three anonymous publications.-This we deem the most entertaining part of the work. We are naturally glad to fee the accumulated opinions of the learned on any fingle fubject, fairly reprefented and methodically arranged.The Bishop concludes the chapter in the following words:

The authors to whom I have referred are, in fome places, inconfiftent with each other; and in fome places they advance pofitions contrary to my own fentiments: but I have quoted writers of different characters and denominations largely and impartially. They will greatly afift the reader in fettling his judgment on that intereftingfubject, the expediency of an improved biblical verfion. They furnish many folid arguments in fupport of fuch a meafure: and they place the chief objections to it in varicus and ftrong points of view. Thefe objections they examine as diligently, as they reprefent them faithfully: and, as far as I can discern, they divelt them of their falfe glare, and destroy their force. But I go on to ftate and solve objections particularly and methodically.'

The third chapter is employed in anfwering the ordinary objections to an improved verfion of the Bible. It is introduced by a compliment to Dr. Geddes; which, we think, must be highly flattering to that gentleman, at a time when it appears that a fwarm of zealots, chiefly of his own communion, are attempting to thwart his endeavours, and to impede his progrefs.

The prefent age has feen a literary phenomenon of a curious nature; a Prieft of the Romish church, refident in England, tranflating the fcriptures into our native tongue, and publicly maintaining again two * Proteftants the great utility of a new English translation, in preference to that made a hundred and eighty years ago.'

The Rev. Dr. Vicefimus Knox, whom Dr. Geddes calls an ingenious and amiable writer; and the Author of the Monthly Review for Jan. 1787, whom Dr. Geddes calls a writer of no common abilities.'

The

The R. R. author then anfwers all the objections, one by one, partly with arguments of his own, and partly from the writers already mentioned.

OBJECTION I. "A new tranflation of the Bible is quite unneceffary." Knox's Effays.

This is rather a round affertion than a folid objection: yet our good Bishop gives it a ferious and full anfwer:

In common language, a measure is faid to be neceffary when it is highly expedient. Now let any competent fcholar ftudy the Bible in the original tongues; and then pronounce whether our authorized verfion is not capable of amendment and improvement in numberless places, many of which must be confidered as very important. At the fame time, the fundamental articles of faith, and the leading rules of practice, fo pervade the Bible, that various paffages in which they occur either remain uncorrupt, or can be eafily restored to integrity by rules of criticifm in which all acquiefce. Whence we fee how wifely God has given the fcriptures their prefent form: whereas if his revealed will had been delivered in the way of rigorous method and fyftem, like fome treatifes on natural religion, truths of the greatest moment might have occurred in a fingle paffage liable to corruption or perverlion.' OBJECTION II. "A new tranflation is a dangerous attempt. It tends to fhake the bafis of the establishment-it might be attended with the most violent concuffions--it would tend to fhake the faith of thoufands, &c."-See Knox's Effays, and Monthly Review for January 1787, p. 44.

ANSWER. This mode of objection does not immediately affect the merits of the queftion, by maintaining that there are not numerous and important errors in our tranflation of the Bible, and that it is incapable of admitting many emendations and much pofitive excel-, lence; but it arraigns the prudence of introducing a corrected verfion, as a measure from which dangerous effects, and not folid advantages, will be apt to arife on the whole. It must therefore be confidered, whether the confequences apprehended are not exaggerated; and whether they may not be prevented in a great degree, if not entirely, by prudent fteps preparatory to fuch an undertaking, and by the most prudent manner of carrying it into execution.

It is my full perfuafion that whatever tends to the perfection of our establishment would not fake it, but give it fplendour, ftrength, and fecurity: and that a verfion of the fcriptures, as accurate as the united learning of the prefent age could make it, would reflect the highest honour on our national church; and holds a diftinguished place among those measures which would fix it on a bafis as firm as truth, virtue, and Chriftianity.'

It is hard to conceive how the faith of thousands can be shaken by removing ftumbling blocks inftead of retaining them. The arguments of the Deifts are either general fpeculative objections, or abfurdities imputed to the facred writings. Many difficulties of the latter clafs are fuperficial ones, arifing from an ignorance of the original languages; and would vanish from the text by judicious renderings. Look into the writings of Voltaire, and fee what wild conclufions he

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draws from inaccuracies in the Vulgate verfion; and how he leads himself, and endeavours to lead his readers, into the depths of fcepticifm, by affuming that there is a verbal correfpondence between the Hebrew and the Latin.'

Were a verfion of the Bible executed in a manner fuitable to the magnitude of the undertaking, fuch a measure would have a direct tendency to establish the faith of thousands, to open their understandings, to warm their hearts, to enliven their devotions, and to delight their imaginations. Abfurd belief and corrupt practice arife from an ignorance or perverfion of the fcriptures; and not from the beft human inducements and affistances to search and understand them. It is the nature of truth, and especially of divine truth, to captivate those who contemplate it, in proportion as the veil is withdrawn, and its genuine Creatures appear."

OBJECTION III. "The prefent verfion derives an advantage from its antiquity, greatly fuperior to any that could arife from a correction of its inaccuracies." Knox.

ANSWER. Hence it would follow, according to Dr. Geddes that the verfions of Tindall, Wiclif, and Jerom rife in excellence. But, as he justly remarks," no age or prefcription can authorize error and it is obftinacy to defend in any verfion, however antient or venerable, what cannot be rationally defended."

But perhaps the ingenious objector means that the antiquity of ftyle in our established verfion gives it an awful air, fuitable to a facred book. Now it is allowed, and infifted on, that the grave ancient caft fhould prevail in an English tranflation of the Bible: and it is manifeft that this recommendation may remain entire, after the removal of every real defect."

OBJECTION IV. The prefent translation ought to be retained in our churches, for its intrinfic excellence-The poetical paffages are peculiarly pleafing the language, though fimple, is natural, rich, and expreffive even where the sense is not clear, nor the connexion of ideas obvious at first fight, the mind is foothed, and the ear ravished with the powerful yet unaffected charms of the ftyle. See Knox, and " Reafons," &c.

ANSWER. The Bishop gives two anfwers to this objection, one from Dr. Geddes's Letter to the Bishop of London, and another from the author of Reafons for revifing by Authority our prefent Verfion. He adds:

I cannot agree with this author that language which deferves to be called faulty fhould be retained by the Revifers of our Bible even in a fingle inftance. In my opinion, they should ftudiously remove from it every minute defect: that, according to the extent of human abili- ' ties, they may prefent it to the Church, as the Church should prefent itfelf to Chrift, not only holy, but without spot and blemish.' OBJECTION V. "The correcting tranflators differ among themselves."

* Letter to the Bishop of London, p. 76.'

ANSWER.

ANSWER. In the midst of great difficulties, with different abilities, oppofite prejudices of education, and various degrees of induftry and of affiftance in their critical pursuits, it is neceffary that differences fhould arife among interpreters of the fcriptures. Undoubtedly, King James's tranflators often difagreed with individuals; and adopted in a body what feemed moft agreeable to the found rules of interpretation. Let a like number of able judges decide, on the fame principles, between the biblical critics of the prefent age.'

OBJECTION VI. But the new tranflators recede too far from the common verfion.'

ANSWER. They should depart from its mistakes and imperfections only; but fhould retain its general diction and manner. It may well be admitted as a rule, that they should never recede from it without a fatisfactory reason.'

OBJECTION VII. "Such as with for further information may have recourse to thofe authors who have explained obfcure and erroneous paffages."

"But have all Chriftians who meet with difficulties time and ability to confult thefe writers? Or if they had, is it in any respect decent or fit that the public fcriptures, confeffed to want affiftance, fhould be fuffered to depend for fupport on these extraneous props." OBJECTION VIII. But no tranflation, even of a fingle book, has yet appeared preferable on the whole to the received one.

A new tranflation of the Bible, which preferved the general tenour of the prefent, muft produce the fame general effect; and that with many important advantages, fuppofing it ably conducted by a number of scholars, with access to the most complete biblical apparatus, and under the most encouraging patronage. The attempts of individuals neceffarily labour under great comparative imperfection: and yet these fhould be promoted by the natural patrons of facred learning, and parts of the fcriptures fhould be affigned to fuch as are beft qualified for the honourable tafk of tranflating and explaining them; because these private verfions and expofitions will form a moft ufeful ground-work for a revifed verfion of the whole Bible by public authority. The lover of the scriptures fhould therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to fend more labourers into so plentiful a harvest.'

We will venture to deny the affertion contained in the objection; for we have no hesitation in faying that Bishop Newcome's own improved verfions of Ezekiel and the Minor Prophets are, on the whole, preferable to the vulgar tranflation.

OBJECTION IX. "The prefent is not a proper time for undertaking a new verfion.... we fhould wait till we can carry the work to a greater degree of perfection, and, if poffible, make future revifals unneceffary." See "Reasons," &c.

ANSWER. This argument will probably exist in as great force. 100 years hence... to defer a work of this kind till the nation poffefies a due knowledge of the Hebrew tongue to execute it properly, is a delay of expediency, or rather of neceffity: but to wait till men

Reasons for revifing by Authority our prefent Verfion, &c. p. 48.