be supposed to constitute the qualities of an excellent version, this of all versions must, in general, be accounted the most excellent. Every sentence, every word, every syllable, every letter and point seem to have been weighed with the nicest exactitude, and expressed, either in the text or margin, with the greatest precision. Pagninus himself is hardly more literal, and it was well remarked by Robertson, above a hundred years ago, that it may serve for a lexicon of the hebrew language, as well as for a translation."** Of the great learning and critical acumen of Dr. Adam Clarke, it is not necessary that I should speak. Notwithstanding his eccentricities of opinion, upon a few subjects, he is allowed to be one of the first biblicists of the age, and to have largely contributed, by his indefatigable labours on the Holy Scriptures, to the advancement of divine truth. After having himself translated every word from the originals, which he has made his constant study for more than half a century, and diligently collated the common printed text of the English bible with all the manuscripts and collections from manu * Prospectus of a New Translation, p. 92. scripts to which he could obtain access, he thus speaks of this version : "Those who have compared most of the European translations with the original, have not scrupled to say, that the English translation of the Bible, made under the direction of King James I., is the most accurate and faithful of the whole. Nor is this its only praise; the translators have seized the very spirit and soul of the original, and expressed this almost every where, with pathos and energy. The original, from which it was taken, is, alone, superior to the bible which was transtated by the authority of King James.... This is an opinion, in which my heart, my judgment, and my conscience coincide."* To these testimonies I will add but one more, that of the Rev. William Orme, whose learning and judgment have secured for him a high rank among contemporary writers. Speaking of the English version of the Scriptures, he says: "Like every thing human, it is no doubt imperfect; but as a translation of the Bible, it has few rivals, and as a whole, no superior. It is in general faithful, simple, and perspicuous. It has seized the spirit, and copied the man * Preface to Commentary, p. xxi. ner of the divine originals. It seldom descends to meanness or vulgarity; but often rises to elegance and sublimity. It is level to the understanding of the cottager, and fit to meet the eye of the critic, the poet, and the philosopher.” "It has been the com - panion of our princes and our nobles, and prized by many of them as their most invaluable treasure. It is the birthright of our numerous population, and has proved the means of knowledge, holiness, and joy to millions; and we trust it is destined for ages yet to come, to be the glory of the rich, and the inheritance of the poor; the guide to the wayworn pilgrim, and the messenger of peace to many a dying sinner."* I will not encounter the hazard of effacing the impression which these testimonies must have made on the reader, by subjoining any remarks of my own. The humble Christian, whose knowledge of the divine mind is derived only through our vernacular translation of the sacred volume, will unite with me in thanksgivings to its Divine Author, for having preserved the purity of his word in our own lan guage, and secured to us, in the main, under all the disadvantages and imperfections necessarily incident to a translation, the genuine revelation of his will. CHAP. IV. DEFECTS IN THE AUTHORISED ENGLISH VERSION OF THE BIBLE. "I assure my serious readers, that in all their Scripture researches, they will obtain eminent elucidation and satisfaction, by the comparison of translations, whether the ancient versions, or those made at the period of the reformation, or those which have been produced by the learning and piety of more recent biblical scholars. Even translations which may, as a whole, be inferior, will often exhibit instances of successful expression, in single words and clauses, most remarkably bringing out the beauty and genuine force of the original."--- Dr. John Pye Smith. I HAVE endeavoured, in two of the preceding chapters, to assist the mere English scholar in forming a judgment of the general fidelity which characterises the authorised version of the Bible. The result of those enquiries which have been instituted, will, if I be not much deceived, be considered as generally satisfactory to the ends for which they were undertaken, and thus tend to increase the confidence and augment the |