f # cS •5^ .2 j^ ^ J5 , ; ♦.^ 15 '- ^ ^ Q. ■ X^ 'B ^ "o & $ « S (U c w O bfl rs < "a> 3 _ s E .«0 *» w <\j •s: ^ (4 C/) ^ ♦* PH ^ IE % c 8 ^ 1 '^ d: 1 ^w THE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY AND THE BAPTISTS; OR, THE QUESTION DISCUSSED, SHALL THE WHOLE WORD OF GOD BE GIVEN TO THE HEATHEN ? CONSISTING OF FOUR PARTS, WITH A PREFACE. BY REV. RUFUS BABCOCK. JR. D.D. I. The Proceedings of the American Bible Society in relation to the Baptists, drawn from Otficial Documents by one of the Corresponding Secretaries. II. The Circular of the American Bible Society, giving their reasons for rejecting the Baptist versions of the Scriptures in India. III. An Examination of the Circular. IV. Appendix — A Summary account of Ancient and Modern Versions of Scripture, with reference to their treatment of pa-rito} and its Cognates. BY W. H. WYCKOFF, A.M. SECOND EDITION, WITH ADDITIONS. N E W - Y R K ; PUBLISHED BY JOHN R. BIGELOW, Barker & Thompson, 122 N^ssau-et. ; American Baptist Puelication SociEiy, Philadelphia: Gould, Kendall & Lincoln, Boston; Bennett, Backls &. Hawley, Utica, 1842. PREFACE . Is another publication needed on this vexed question, — the con^ troversy between the American Bible Society and the Baptists ? This will naturally enough be the inquiry of friends and enemies — and we proceed very briefly to answer it. For three distinct classes of the com.munity, namely — the advocates of the Bible Society as now conducted, — the impartial public, — and the Baptists them- selves, some farther exliibition of the principal points of this contro- versy is needful. When the moments of excitement incident to the partizan nature of this movement have passed away and cool retrospection has ex- erted its purifying influence, it can scarce fail to occasion regret at least, that a large denomination of Christians — the early and stead- fast friends of the Bible cause — have been driven from the Society by a new and unexpected measure, adapted and intended to restrain them from the conscientious discharge of an imperative and most im- portant duty, or cut them off from accustomed participation in the benefits of the Association. If there be a tithe of the genuine liberality and real brotherliness among Paedo-baptists which is pro- fessed, if "exclusiveness," and '' barriers to a more perfect union," be aught with them but party watch-words, used against others for a sectarian and sinister purpose, then assuredly there will come a 3V PREFACE. sponsible for its continuance, will feel constrained with anxious soli' citude to review the whole ground of this procedure. Then at least will all the material facts in the case, and the arguments on both sides of the question be in requisition by the present dominant party. The disinterested public will also be disposed to learn something of the manner in which important trusts of a very delicate and sacred character are discharged by those to whose hands they had been con- fided. Our great benevolent institutions are deservedly attracting a large share of public attention, and they require to be watched, if not with suspicion, at least with sleepless vigilance. But they can- not be watched without light. The amplest information is requisite. That colossal form of religious perversion and despotism, the pon- tifical power of the Romish church, grew up gradually, and from small beginnings. The first wrong step may have been regarded as insignificant, certainly not more alarming, than forbidding to trans- late a few words of the Bible into the language of the people. But it went on — and why should it not by the same principle— to a prac- tical denial of the whole word of God to the people. The only safe course is, to resist evil in the beginning — at the very threshold. Furthermore, the public will naturally inquire whether engaging in this holy work has been productive of the pure, expansive, unself. ish spirit, which the founders of the American Bible Society exulted in contemplating as its sure result. Whether in its management, all practical measures have been resorted to, for prventing a rupture in an enterprise which ought to concentrate upon itself the love and activity of all who prize the Bible. They will wish to hear the Ma- nagers' defence of a course of proceedings so untoward in its influ- ence, and they will also, it is hoped, evince the commendable can- dour to examine that defence, and adjust its merits by the scale of facts and sound arguments. But a work like this is certainly needed among the Baptists them- PREFACEo V selves. They have a right and claim to be put in possession of all the facts which have a bearing s:) direct and extensive on their own vital interests. To a very wide extent they yet remain uninformed on this subject. This may seem a direct contradiction of the impli- cation by the Managers in their sneer at us, as " the professed sons of peace," while in reality engaged in raising an uncommon amount of opposition to them and their institution. So far is this from be- ing true, that instances are constantly occurring, where decided Bap- tists, unconscious of the obnoxious resolutions which cut us off from an equal participation in the society's appropriations, are still giving large sums to its treasur}'.* Under these circumstances, Baptist pastors, not deficient in zeal for their own institutions, have been so truly as well as '"professedly sons of peace," as to have entirely abstained from all public exhibi- tion or discussion of what they regard as the flagrant wrong inflicted on them by the American Bible Society. This volume will therefore be to them a desideratum, and ought to be circulated so widely as to reach every intelligent family and individual among the millions of Baptists in this country. Another important service will be .indirectly accomplished by it, in assisting to disabuse the minds of our neighbours with respect to the real intention and operation of the American and Foreign Bible Society. With almost unprecedented unanimity the voice of the de- nomination called for the formation of this institution, when the * One case of this kind recently occurred not a hundred miles from New- York city, where a venerable and generous Baptist brother gave 1000 dollars to the American Bible Society, fully supposing that his own brethren were allowed to share, as formerly, its appropriations in aid of their endeavours to give the Bible fully and faithfully translated to heathen nations. He intended to follow this sura with another of twice the amount Whether the 3Ianagers* circular has yet reached him, and opened his eyes, is uncertain ; but aesuredly this volume ought to be put into his hands. Can Baptists be blamed for thus protecting their own interests 1 VI PREFACE. American Bible Society made itself sectarian by changing its ori- ginal policy. In every part of the country they have responded to the call made upon them to aid the American and Foreign Bible So- ciety, to give the Bible translated to the world. In four or five years they have thus accomplished four times as much for this great enterprise, as they had received from the Ame- rican Bible Society, during the whole period of their connexion with It. But while thus laudably and with singleness of purpose, engag- ed in this great work, (in order to accomplish which, be it remem- bered, they had been driven into this separate organization) they have been constantly assailed and grossly misrepresented, as having entered into some foul conspiracy against the integrity of the Scrip- tures. Thousands of the less intelligent among our neighbours, the Psedo-baptists, seem to believe, (it is presumed, as they have been taught by those who ought to know better) that the Baptists are en- deavouring to introduce a new Bible, and to corrupt the word of God. This volume will help to undeceive them, by showing the ne- cessity laid upon us for originating another society. Having shown the desirableness of the present publication, it only remains to consider the manner in which the service of preparing it has been performed. This volume will be found to combine the fol- lowing excellencies : 1. It presents in a convenient and cheap form for easy reference and wide distribution, all the material facts and arguments in this contro- versy ; not garbled and misrepresented, but official and unmutilated. The commendable candour of furnishing entire the defence put forth by the American Bible Society's Managers, furnishes an example which ought to be imitated on the other side. 2. The examination of this defence, while thorough, searching and conclusive, is throughout conducted with a decorum and Christian urbanity that cannot fail to produce a hapj»y effect on the reader. In this respect it may be regarded as an uncommonly faultless PREFACE. Vll specimen of the proper manner of conducting a religious contro- versy. 3. The learned reader will find in the Appendix an array of facts from unquestionable sources which will greatly facilitate the wise, faithful, and we hope, speedy adjustment of this controversy. Had the facts there imbodied been present to the minds of the Managers, could they in 183G have passed these restrictive resolutions, and in 1841, attempted to defend them? We commend the Appendix as well as the examination of their defence, to the special consideration of the Managers. 4. It may be reasonably hoped, that so far as controversy is con- cerned, this volume will be final. The Managers have chosen their own ground, after a long time for preparation ; and their full defence is here given to those who have not before had opportunity to read it, acconipanied with such a rejoinder as will probably satisfy those whom it defends. May it not be reasonably hoped that strife and contention v/ill henceforth cease ? That both parties in this contro- versy will turn their thoughts to some feasible plan of adjusting this painful difiiculty ? Or if that cannot be secured, that like Abraham and Lot, with their respective servants, the two institutions may henceforth choose their respective spheres, and prosecute their high purposes with no strife between them. R. B. Potighlceepsie, 2d October, 1841. Note. — A portion of the Third Part of this volume has been published in consecutive numbers of the periodical edited by the author. This circum- stance is mentioned to account for peculiarities of phraseology, which may be deemed more suitable to a periodical than to a book. We would also mention thai we are indebted to Jlr. John F. Trow, Printer, of this ci;y, for the Syrir.c' Arabic, Persic and Ethiopic type used in the Appendix. *.^ THE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY AND THE BAPTISTS. The following brief sketch of the proceedings of the Board of Managers of the American Bible Society, relative to the Baptist versions of the Scrip- tures in Asia, may be regarded as official. It was prepared by the Rev. Spencer H. Cone, who at the time was one of the Corresponding Secretaries of the Institution, and the documents which it em- braces were copied from the records of the Society. PROCEEDINGS, &c. Am. Bib. Society's House, New-York, Aug. 6tli, 1835, At the regular meeting of the Board of Mana- gers, Mr. Brighara presented a letter from F. A. Packard, dated Philadelphia, July 28, 1835, send- ing an extract from a letter addressed to him by Mr. Pearce, of Calcutta, Baptist Missionary, asking whether aid could be had from the American Bible Society, in printing the Bengalee Scriptures, trans- 10 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETT lated on the principle adopted by the American Baptist Missionaries in Burmah. The letter was referred to the Committee on dis- tribution. Bible Society's House, September 3, 1835. The Committee on distribution reported the fol- lowing resolution, as the result of their deliberations upon the subject referred to them at the last meeting of the Board, viz : " Resolved^ That the Committee do not deem it expedient to recommend an appropriation, until the Board settle a principle in relation to the translation of the Greek word Baptizo^ After discussion, the resolution was passed, and the subject referred to a special committee of seven, one from each denomination represented in the Board of Managers, viz : THOMAS MACAULEY, Chairman. Spekcer H. Cone, Francis Hall, James Milnor, Wm. H. Van Vleck, Thos. Dewitt, Thomas Cock. Bible Society's House, October 1, 1835. The Special Committee presented the following Report : The Committee to whom was referred the report of the Distributing Committee on the application of Messrs. Pearce and Yates, of Calcutta, for aid to print the New Testament in the Bengalee language, beg leave to report, that they have attended to the AND THE BAPTISTS. U important subject committed to them, and tliat in the investigation of it, the following facts have come before them. 1. The Rev. Messrs. Pearce and Yates, Baptist Missionaries in or near Calcutta, have made appli- cation to this Board, for aid in publishing the New Testament in the Bengalee language, in which ver- sion the Greek words BajJtizo, Baptisma^ and their cognates, are translated by words signifying im- merse^ bnmersion, 6cc. 2. In the Burmese version of the New Testament, and in other versions in the lano^uao^es and dialects of India, these words are translated in like man- ner. 3. Application has been made to the Calcutta Bible Society, and to the British and Foreign Bible Society, for aid to print and circulate the Bengalee New Testament, translated as aforesaid, which aid has been refused on the ground of its containino- said translations ; and 4. Your Committee were not aware until now, that such translations were made and appro ^^ed by any denomination of Christians in India, or other heathen countries. Your Committee would therefore most respect- fully submit, whether it is not highly inexpedient to aid in printing or circulating any version of the Scriptures containing the above or any similar translations, differing from the sense of the autho- rized versions, for the following reasons : h The words Baptizo and Baptisma, and their 12 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETr cognates, being left untranslated, as in the English and many other excellent versions, imposes no dif- ficulty on any denomination of Christians, as it leaves every minister, or missionary, at perfect li- berty to explain them according to the peculiar views of his particular denommation. 2. The words Bajjtizo, Baj^tisrna^ (fee, being translated immerse^ immersion^ &c., will necessa- rily embarrass, if not wholly exclude the operations of Missionaries of the Methodist, Moravian, Re- formed Dutch, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Congre- gational, or other Christian denominations, who may endeavour to propagate the gospel in India, or where the said translation may obtain. And 3. It is not competent for the American Bible So- ciety to assume any sectarian attitude by favouring the denominational views of any particular church either at home or abroad. With these views of the subject, your Committee most respectfully submit the following resolutions : 1. Resolved^ That the Board of Managers deem it inexpedient to appropriate any funds belonging to the Society, in aid of translating or distributing the aforesaid Bengalee New Testament, or any other version containing the aforesaid translations, or any similar translations. 2. Resolved^ That the Board of Managers on re- ceiving satisfactory evidence of such corrections having been made in the aforesaid translation of the Bengalee New Testament, or other versions in other languages, or dialects, as will comport with the AND THE BAPTISTS. 13 known views of other Christian denominations ; or, in other words, with the obvious intention of the au- thorized English version, will most cheerfully aid in the printing and circulation of said version or versions as heretofore. 3. Resolved^ That all persons interested in the foregoing resolutions be informed of their purport forthwith. All which is most respectfully submitted. THOMAS MACAULEY, Chairman. James Milnor, Thomas Dewitt, Thomas Cock, Francis Hall. W. H. Ya^n Vleck. COUNTER REPORT. The Committee to whom, was referred the appli- cation of Messrs. Pearce and Yates, of Calcutta, for aid to print and circulate the New Testament in the Bengalee language, have not been so happy as to unite in their views upon the subject ; and the sub- scriber deems it a duty he owes both to the Ameri- can Bible Society, and to the Baptist denomination, briefly to state some of the considerations which have constrained him to dissent from the report pre- sented by the majority of the Committee. At the anniversary in May, 1834, the American Bible Society resolved to distribute the Bible among all the accessible population of the globe, within the shortest practicable period ; and by direction of the Board of Managers, a circular was addressed to 14 AMERICAX BIBLE SOCIETY missionaries and missionary societies of different re- ligious denominations, encouraging them to expect, that whenever the Old Testament or the New. or any one entire Gospel or other hoolc of the Bible, should be correctly translated and ready (without note or comment) for the press, they should receive the aid requisite for the publication of the same. The application of Messrs. Pearce and Yates is but a response to this circular, and it is manifestly un- just to refuse their request, on the ground of their having rendered the words Baptizo, Baptisma, and their cognates, by words signifying Immerse^ Immersion, d^^c, until it is frst proved that the translations are unfaithful and inaccurate; and this it is confidently believed never can be done. When missionaries are sent among the heathen^ It is that they may make themselves thoroughly ac- quainted with their language, and with as little de- lay as possible, give them the Bible in appropriate vernacular terms, that they may read in their own toyigue icherein they icere horn^ the iconderful works of God. They must neither obscure, nor take from, nor add to, the words of the Holy Book. The question, therefore, is most respectfully submitted, whether it is competent for the American Bible So- ciety to control the consciences of well qualified evangelical missionaries in this matter, and decide v)hat words they shall transfer^ and what words they may translate. It is conceived that the p>rincij)le reported by the majority of the Committee on this point, is radically AND THE BAPTISTS. 15 wrong ; if so, the Board of Managers have no right to forbid the translation of Baptizo, or of any other loordj the meaning of which is satisfactorily ascer- tained ; but if the principle objected to be correct, then their authoritative dictation may embrace whatever words to them shall seem good ; and the missionary hereafter in the work of translation, instead of making it his single aim to please God, must consult primarily the views and wishes of earthly patrons. It is a source of deep regret that the pervading sentiment of the report of the majority, appears to be so entirely inconsistent with the .spirit of bene- volence and brotherly kindness which first called into existence the American Bible Society. Seven or eight different denominations of Christians asso- ciated themselves together for the purpose of supply- ing not only their own land with the Scriptures, but of extending their influence to other countries whether Christian, Mahommedan or Pagan. In the prosecution of their common object, no one of the constituent members was either required or ex- pected to abandon his own peculiar tenets. Bap- tists were received as Baptists, and as sach have laboured with you from the beginning. Must it not occasion surprise as well as grief that now, after an harmonious co-operation in the Bible cause of more than eighteen years, it is proposed to pass the sweeping uncompromising resolution, '• that it is inexpedient to appropriate any funds belong- ing to the Sooiety in aid of translating or distri- 16 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY biiting any versions of the Sacred Scriptures as now made by the Baptist Missionaries.^^ Are we by this single vote to be cut off for ever from all participation in your funds, a large portion of which has accrued from the subscriptions and li- beral bequests of our denomination ? And are Baptist missionaries of all others to be singled out as unworthy to share in the labours and successes of the American Bible Society in her noble enter- prise to supply the world with Bibles ? And are we to be told in so many words, that the only con- dition upon which you can countenance our efforts is the preparation of such versions as w411 comport with the known views of other Christian denomi- nations ? a condition which involves in it the im- practicable alternative of forbearing to do that which in our hearts we believe God has required at our hands. The idea suggested that versions to be approved must not materially differ from the ^^ sense of the authorized English version^'' is most strange. We have been taught to believe that the sense of the Holy Ghost is to be invariably and most critically preserved. The sentiment may be very gratifying in its adaptation to a special case, but the majority of the Committee would scarcely advocate it, as a general principle applicable to Biblical translations. The man who should translate meta to pascha. Acts xii. 4, by a phrase signifying after Easter, would give the sense of the English version ; but, alas ! he would not convey the sense of the Spirit of inspiration. AND THE BAPTISTS. 17 The words Baptizo^ (fcc, have been rendered by words signifying to Immerse^ (fcc, in the Syriac. Arabic, Abyssinian, Egyptian. Ethiopic, Coptic, German, Dutch, Danish, and many other languages. Is it just, is it fair then, to stigmatize our transla- tions as sectarian^ when similar translations have been long in use in almost all the churches of the Eastern world, and in most of the churches of Northern Europe ? The American Bible Society has circulated many copies of the Bible " containing the aforesaid translations ;" she has circulated many more in the versions of Roman Catholic Priests. She has voted within two years past a larger sum for the Chinese Scriptures, than for any other fo- reign object, and yet Dr. Morrison has neither transferred BajHizo nor translated it, but has in- troduced into his Chinese version a paraphrase sig- nifying " a water Ceremony.' * In connexion with these facts let it be remember- ed, that the American Christian pubUc expect us speedily to send the Bible throughout the earth ; that they are generously furnishing us with the means to accomplish this desirable object ! that our Treasury is overflowing, and the managers are at a loss to know how their surplus funds may be wisely and beneficially expended ; that the Baptist mission- aries have translated the Scriptures into the lan- * In a letter, received since the presentation of this Counter Re- port, from Mr. Dyer, Corresponding Secretary of the English Bap- tist Missionary Society, he says, " I have understood that Dr. Mor- rison has rendered ^a^^i;::*? by a word signifying to tvet, to moisten,^'' 18 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY giiages of India, as well as of other Asiatic nations ; that to refuse them aid, will at least be greatly to retard, if not to render inipracticahle for a long time to come, the supply of the reading popidation of the Globe with the loritten word! and, oh ! let it not be forgotten, that millions of our fellow men are perishing for the bread of life, and stretching out their hands, are crying, " Come over and help us !" In view of these facts let it be asked, is this the time, and are these the circumstances, which the Board will choose, to announce to the Saints of the Most High their rejection of the application of those men of God, who for more than twenty years under the burning rays of an Indian sun, have been praying, and toiling, and agonizing, for the souls of men? we hope not; and under the influence of this hope, venture to propose the following resolu- tions, viz : 1. Resolved, That this Board is impressed with feelings of devout gratitude to Almighty God, for the signal protection he has aftbrded to Baptist mission- aries in heathen lands, and for the ability given them to translate the Bible into the living languages of so large a portion of the human family 2. As satisfactory evidence has been furnished from the principal professors in the College of Fort William, India, and from the most learned Pundits and Teachers in Calcutta and its vicinity, that the improved version of the Bengalee New Testament by Messrs. Pearce and Yates, Baptist missionaries, is by far the most inteUigible, idiomatic, and perfect AND THE BAPTISTS. 19 translatioiij which has yet appeared in that dialect; therfore, Resolved^ That the sum of § be appropri- ated and paid to the Baptist Genera] Convention of the United States for Foreign Missions, to aid in printing and circulating the Sacred Scriptures in the Bengalee language. Respectfully submitted, Spencer H. Cone. Society's House, November 5, 1835. The Board proceeded to consider the reports of the Committee presented at the last meeting. Mr. Brigham read a letter from Dr. Wayland, dated Providence, October 26, 1835, submitting a resolution ; Dr. Milnor also presented a series of resolutions. After some discussion, the letter of Dr. Wayland, the resolutions of Dr. Milnor, and the original reports, were all referred back to the same Committee for further consideration and report. Society's House, November 19, 1835. The following Report and Counter Report were presented : The Committee to whom was recommitted the determining of a principle upon which the Ameri- can Bible Society will aid in printing and distri- buting the Bible in foreign languages, beg leave to report : That they are of the opinion, that it is expedient to withdraw their former report on the i)articidar 20 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY case^ and to present the following one on the gene- ral principle. By the constitution of the American Bible So- ciety, its Managers are, in the circulating: of the Holy Scriptures, restricted to such copies as are without note or comment, and in the English lan- guage, to the version in common use. The design of these restrictions clearly seems to have been to simplify and mark out the duties of the Society ; so that all the religious denominations, of w^hich it is composed, might harmoniously unite in perform- ing those duties. As the Managers are now called to aid extensive- ly in circulating the Sacred Scriptures in languages other than the English, they deem it their duty, in conformity with the obvious spirit of their compact, to adopt the following resolution as the rule of their conduct in making appropriations for the circula- tion of the Scriptures in all foreign tongues. 1. Resolved^ That in appropriating money for the translating, printing, or distributing, of the Sa- cred Scriptures in foreign languages, the Managers feel at liberty to encourage only such versions as conform in the principle of their translation to the conwnon English version ; at least so far as that all the religious denominations represented in this Society, can consistently use and circulate said ver- sions in their several schools and communities. 2. Resolved^ That a copy of the above preamble and resolution be sent to each of the Missionary Boards accustomed to receive pecuniary grants from AND THE BAPTISTS. 21 the Society, with a request that the same may be transmitted to their respective Mission stations, where the Scriptures are in process of translation ; and also that the said several Mission Boards be in- formed that their application for aid must be ac- companied with a declaration that the versions which they propose to circulate, are executed in ac- cordance with the above resolution. THOMAS MACAULEY, Chairman. James Milnor, Wm. H. Van Vlecx?, Thomas Dewitt, Fuaxcis Hall, Thomas Cock. COUNTER REPORT. The subscriber as a member of the Committee to whom was referred the application of Messrs. Pearce and Yates for aid in the circulation of the Bengalee New Testament, begs leave to submit the following considerations : 1. The Baptist Board of Foreign Missions have not been under the impression that the American Bible Society was organized upon the neutral prin- ciple that Bapiizo and its cognates were never to be translated, but always transferred, in all versions of the Scriptures patronized by them. Had this prin- ciple been candidly stated and unifoniily acted upon by the Society in the appropriation of its funds for foreign distribution, the Baptists never could have been guilty of the folly or duplicity of soliciting aid for translations made by their missionaries* 3 22 AMERICAN BIBLE S0C7ETT 2. As there is now a large balance in the treasnry of the American Bible Society, as many liberal be- quests and donations have been made by Baptists, and as these were made in the full confidence that the Society could constitutionally assist their own denomination, as well as the other evangelical deno- minations composing the National Institution, in giving the Bible to the heathen world ; therefore, Resolved, That $ be appropriated and paid to the Baptist General Convention of the United States for Foreign Missions, to aid them in the work of supplying the perishing millions of the East with the Sacred Scriptures. Spencer H. Cone. After debate, the further consideration of the sub- ject was postponed to the next regular meeting of the Board. Society's House, December 3, 1835. The Board proceeded to consider the first resolu- tion reported by the Committee ; a motion to lay the resolution on the table having prevailed, the Hon. William Jay submitted resolutions proposing to give the subject to a new Committee. After a long and animated discussion, the whole subject was laid upon the table. Society's House, Febniary 4, 1836. The Report of the Committee presented Novem- ber 19, 1835, was taken up, and after debating the first resolution, the Board adjourned to February 17, 1836. at four o'clock, P.M. XND THE BAPTISTS. 23 Society's House, February 17, 183G. The Board met pursuant to adjournment. The Report of the Committee, submitted to the Board November 19, 1835, was again discussed at great length. Motions to lay it upon the table, to raise a new committee, and to postpone indefinitely, having been successively lost, the report was FINALLY PASSED BY A VOTE OF THIRTY TO FOURTEEN ; and the Board adjourned. The following address was designed not only to present the leading arguments employed by the writer, during the discussion of the Bihle Question in the Board of the American Bible Society; but also to elicit the views of distinguished brethren in differ- ent parts of the United States, as to the course we ought to pursue, should the American Bible Society, at its approaching anniversary, confirm the vote of the Board of Managers of Feb. 17th, 1S36. The latter object was eminently attained, and conduced not a little to the incipient organization of the Ame- rican AND Foreign Bible Society on the 13th of May, 1836. To the General Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States for Foreign Missions. Dear Brethren, The deep interest so generally felt in the be- nevolent design of giving to the destitute families of the earth, in the shortest jnacticahle j^eriod, the pure and unadulterated word of God, and the official 24 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY relationship I have the honour to sustain to the Convention, have rendered the present address in- dispensable. Since our meeting in Richmond, the Board of Ma- nagers of the American Bible Society have settled a 'principle by which to be governed in all future ap- propriations for Scriptures in Foreign Tongues, and the historical sketch given of the proceedings of the Board in reference to this subject, clearly evinces its difficulty and importance. It was fully, freely, and repeatedly discussed, and was finally carried by a large majority. This decision therefore is to be considered as of no doubtful character, but as most deliberate and determinate ; and its practical effect will be to deprive the Baptists of all participation in the funds of the National Institution, so far as the printing and distribution of the versions of our Missionaries are concerned. The Baptist members of the Board of the Ameri- can Bible Society, are not chargeable with having provoked this painful result ; but on the contrary, are conscious of having done every thing in their power to prevent it. They deprecated the adoption of the principle in question, and strenuously oppo- posed it as unconstitutional, unscriptural, impracti- cable, and unjust. The Constitidion does indeed restrict the circu- lation of the Scriptures in the English Language to the version now in common use, but at the same time proposes to extend its influence to Foreign Lands, without any such restriction. That this is the true construction, is proved by the letter and spi- AND THE BAPTISTS. 25 rit of the original address to tiie people of the United States, presented by the Convention which formed the American Bible Society. Speaking of the So- ciety, they say — " Its members are leagued in that, and in that alone, which calls up every hallowed, and puts down every unhallowed, principle — the dissemination of the ^'criptiires in the received ver- sions where they exists and in the most faithful where they are required. They will embrace with thankfulness and pleasure every opportunity of ray- ing out, by the means of the Bible, according to their ability, the light of life and immortality, to such parts of the world as are destitute of the blessing, and are v/ithin their reach. In this high vocation their am- bition is to be fellow- v.^orkers with them who are fellow- workers with God." Before {his address was published, the Bengalee New Testament had passed through five editions, and v/as in the hands of thou- sands of the inhabitants of India ; it was the re- ceived version. And as to the Burmans ; have they not required the Bible 7 And where can a more faithful translation be found, than the one made bV" brother Judson ? Can it be a mistake tlien to call that Resolution unconstitutional^ which withholds the aid of the American Bible Society from the print- ing and distributing of these versions? The Rule imposed upon Missionaries in the solemn and arduous work of translation, has been designated as unsound and iinscriptural. It con- fines the patronage of the Society to such versions only as conform in the principle of their transla- 3* 26 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY Hon to the common English version ; a version made by Psedobaptists. and which, in many particu- lars, has been shown to be inaccurate. Your Board of Missions, at the annual meeting held in Salem, April, 1833, unanimously passed the following Resolutions, viz. " Resolved, That the Board feel it to be their duty to adopt all prudent measures to give to the Heathen the pure word of God in their own languages ; and to furnish their Missionaries with all the means in their power, to make their translations as exact a representation of the mind of the Holy Spirit, as may be possible. " Resolved J That all the Missionaries of the Board; who are, or who shall be, engaged in trans- lating the Scriptures, be instructed to endeavour, by earnest prayer and diligent study, to ascertain the precise meaning of the original text ; to express that meaning as exactly as the nature of the languages, into which they shall translate the Bible, will permit, and to transfer no words, which are capable of being literally translated^ These Resolutions express the sentiments of our denomination, and are strictly conformed to the prin- ciples of sound criticism and Christian duty. They direct the translator of God's Word to search dili- gently after the mind of the Spirit, untrammelled by the will of man ; and any Rule which prescribes a contrary principle, is certainly unscriptural. For many years I have laboured with great plea- sure in connexion with the American Bible Society, AND THE BAPTISTS. 27 and will yield to none in the honest and ardent at- tachment uniformly felt for its interests. A kindred sentiment has been cherished by the denomination ; and while the Friends, the Methodists, and the Epis- copalians, have organized Bible Societies of their own, the Baptists have adhered to the National In- stitution. We loved it because, in the eloquent lan- guage of its founders, " all voices, and affections, and hands, were joined in the grand design, of pro- moting peace on earth and good will towards men — of resisting the advance of misery — of carrying the light of instruction into the dominions of igno- rance, and the balm of joy to the soul of anguish ; and all this by diffusing the oracles of God !" We have seen that in this work " whatever is dignified, kind, venerable, true, has had ample scope ; while sectarian littleness and rivalries could find no ave- nue of admission." Such language once appropriately described the operations of the American Bible Society. To the Baptists, liberal and impartial aid, in that field of foreign distribution which Divine providence had so evidently assigned them, was cheerfully awarded ; patronage was promptly afforded to received ver- sions where they existed^ and to the most faithful where they were required ; and all responsibility touching the accuracy of translations was left, where it ought to he left^ with the Translator and the Denomination sustaining him. Whether it was so understood, or not, it is nevertheless a fact, that in all the appropriations hitherto made for the printing 28 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY and circulation of the Scriptures among the Hea- then, the Board of the American Bible Society has acted upon this jjriiiciple ; and harmony, and use- fulness, and still increasing success, have been its precious fruits. A different principle has now been adopted, and the possibility of conducting the affairs of the Society in accordance with its requirements, has been denied. This appears to be so obvious as to require little proof Many of the Bibles now daily distributed, are not conformed^ in the principle of their translation, to the English version ; a certifi- cate of the conformity of others cannot be furnished for a great while to come ; and to the Chinese ver- sion, as at present advised, the Baptists must object; it cannot he consistently used in their schools and communities. The Rule therefore, is utterly im- jtracticahle^ and it will soon be seen that both in its letter and spirit, it must of necessity be frequently violated. The injustice of the measure, is one of its most objectionable features. The Resolution professes to be founded upon the general j)rinciple ; but in prac- tice we think, it will affect only the particular case. Roman Catholic versions will continue to be circu- lated, although they contain the perversions which distinguish that sect from all evangelical Christians ; and in modern translations, no matter how strong the denominational spirit with which they may be imbued, the Board, not possessing the miraculous gift of tongues, can take no cognizance of their pe- culiarities. Under this new Rule then, it is appre- AND THE BAPTISTS. 29 hended, one only question icill ever he asked, and this will be the sine qua non — " Is Baptizo trans- lated?"' To illustrate the charge of injustice, the instance of the German Scriptures was adduced ; and it was proved by the irrefragable testimony of Luther him- self, the Translator, that he had rendered Baptizo, to Immerse. It was then asked, — is it just, is it equitable, is it consistent, for the American Bible So- ciety to own stereotype plates of Luther's version ; to print and distribute copies of it continually ; and at the same time absolutely refuse further aid to Judson's Burman Bible ? But it is not necessary longer to dwell upon this subject. We have endeavoured to look at it with calmness, under the influence of the Saviour's Golden Rule, '• as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." And yet, when we remember the silence, at least, of the Constitu- tion of the American Bible Society, on the point concerning which the managers have assumed the prerogative of legislating; when we consider the position which our denomination has long occupied in relation to the Bible cause ; our subscriptions, donations, and bequests ; the commendatory Reso- lutions annually passed by our Missionary Socie- ties, Associations, and State Conventions, in favour of the National Institution ; and the faciUties we now enjoy of circulating the Oracles of Truth among the perishing millions of immortal fellow- creatures ; is it too much to say that the Resolution 30 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY we have so decidedly opposed is, in its bearing upon the Baptists, unkind, ungenerous, and ttn- just ? Your Board of Missions will hold their anniver- sary, by appointment, at Hartford, Connecticut, the last Wednesday of April next, and such members as cannot make it convenient to attend the meeting, will not fail I hope, to communicate their sentiments upon the important facts now submitted to your profound consideration. We have fallen upon event- ful times. Many Nations must receive from us the Bible ; and to accomplish this, our energies and re- sources must be increased, concentrated, and wisely directed. Under existing circumstances, it becomes us as a people with devout solicitude to inquire, Lord ! what wilt thou have us to do? That we may be directed to pursue that course. and that only, which shall be well pleasing in the sight of the God of the Bible, is the fervent prayer of your fellow-labourer in the Kingdom and pa- tience of Jesus Christ. Spencer H. Cone, President of Gen. Conveniio7i. AND TH£ BAPTISTS. 81 BIBLE TRANSLATION. A brief Statement as to the Principles and Practice of the Ameri- can Bible Society in relation to versions of the Scriptures pa- tronized by it, together ivith a Reply to certain complaints against the course pursued. Published by the Managers. (L) The Society above named was organized in 1816, by delegates of several denominations from various sections of the country. It was a novel spectacle to see so many ministers and laymen of different creeds uniting for a common religious ob- ject, and that so noble as the circulation of the re- vealed Word of God. The occasion was evidently one of uncommon satisfaction to all concerned. The Address of the Convention to the People of the United States (drawn up by the late Rev. Dr. John M. Mason) is replete with joyful expectation, and breathes throughout a spirit of fraternal concord and charity. " If." says the Address, " there be a single measure which can overrule objection, sub- due opposition, and command exertion, this is the measure. That all our voices, all our affections, all our hands should be joined in the grand design of promoting peace on earth and good will to man — that they should resist the advance of misery, should carry the hght of instruction into the domin- ions of ignorance, and the balm of joy to the soul of anguish, and all this by diffusing the oracles of God — addresses to the understanding an argument 32 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY which cannot be encountered, and to the heart an appeal which its hoHest emotions rise up to second." " Under such impressions, and with such views, fathers, brethren and fellow-citizens, the American Bible Society has been formed. Local feelings? party prejudices, sectarian jealousies are excluded by its very nature. Its members are leagued in that, and that alone, which calls up every hallow- ed, and puts down every unhallowed principle — the dissemination of the Scriptures in the received ver- sions, where they exist, and in the most faithful where they may be required. In such a work, whatever is dignified, kind, venerable, true, has ample scope, while sectarian littleness and virulence can find no avenues of admission." Such was the frank, impartial, catholic spirit which called this sacred Association into being. (2.) In preparing the present statement in rela- tion to versions, the Managers have not attempted to settle or touch any question as to philology or religious ordinances, but simply to inquire what was the design of those who founded the Institution as to the character of the Scriptures which were to be circulated ? In obtaining the answer to this in- quiry, they have the verbal opinions of some who were a part of the first Convention ; they have the constitution then prepared, the address issued in connexion with it, and the uniform policy of the Board from the beginning down to the present time. From all these sources it appears as one of the clearest of truths in relation to the Society, that it AND THE BAPTISTS. 33 was to have no sectarian character, and could per- form no sectarian work. Whatever was to be done by it was evidently that, and that alone, which all could unite in doing.* Whatever was denomina- tional, however important in other circumstances, was here to be excluded. The Scriptures to be circulated were to be " without note or comment." These all the denominations brought together could unite in circulating, while they could never hope to agree as to the character of any explanatory append- ages. Those distributed in the English tongue were to be of the " version in common use." This version all the members of the compact usedand appealed to as authority. All, therefore, could unite in its dis- tribution. The motive of this is apparent, namely, to perpetuate harmony, and while doing a great united work, to avoid the possibility of denomina- tional collision. Thus far the wants of our own country are contemplated. (3.) But the founders of the Society, after pro- viding for these domestic wants, looked abroad to the destitute in other countries. They looked first to nominally Christian nations, such as France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Syria, (fee, where they saw the great mass of the population without * Is it the practice in any Society, where different denominations unite, to allow one part of the union to make sectarian books 1 How is it with the Sunday School or the Tract Society ? Are any of their common funds used to make such books, at home or abroad, as only one sect can use ? We believe no such privilege is asked or thought of. 34 AMERICAN BIBLE SQCIETY the Scriptures, yet possessing in their churches and among their priesthood ancient versions in their re- spective tongues, long since translated, many of them from the Latin vulgate. These ancient ver- sions were held in high repute, while new versions would be viewed with suspicion and rejected. What was to be done in such circumstances by the founders in their attempts to extend their distribu- tions ? Their address to the public, already refer- red to, shows beyond doubt that this was a matter of distinct contemplation and provision by that vene- rable body. Distributions were in such cases to be made in the " received version." There was no hope that those old, venerated translations could at once be laid aside, and new ones introduced by fo- reigners. Nor could new ones be prepared until many years should pass away. As these " received versions" even now can alone be circulated in those old Christian communities, as their defects are not numerous, (not more so, pro- bably, than were those of the septuagint translation which the apostles used,) as they are of the same character as those which opened the eyes of Luther and other reformers, as they are still useful in papal countries, the present Managers, like their predeces- sors, have felt it their duty (the Apocrypha and all notes being excluded) to circulate them, fully assur- ed that in so doing they carry out the well-studied designs of those who gave the Society its existence, and marked out its course of action. They would, at the same time, add, that while fully authorized to AND THE BAPTISTS. 35 circulate these versions, they would gladly exchange them for those of a more perfect character, and shall so exchange them as fast and as far as this is found practicable. (4.) But the framers of the Society looked further still, to a third class of their fellow-men who were to be suppUed with the Scriptures, namely, to the pagan nations. Here new versions were to be pre- pared, for none existed. But on what principles were they to be made ? The address referred to, hi treating of this class of versions which '* may be required," — which are yet to be made — modern versions, says that they must be " the most faithful.'' Now, what versions, in view of such a body, com- posed of six or eight denominations, can be viewed as " most faithful ?" They are mainly to be pre- pared by Protestant missionaries, whose patrons are a part of the Bible compact, and the churches to be gathered are to become, in a sense, branches of churches here at home. Frequently the trans- lations are made at the sole expense of the Bible Society. The terms '•' most faithful,"' in these cir- cumstances obviously signify those versions which convey the inspirpd nieanins; of the originals, in view of those who support and direct the great Bi- ble cause. But what is the inspired meaning in their view ? Not that certainly which conveys the peculiar tenets of this or that denomination, while it misstates the views of others interested, and is in their judgment unfaithful. Faithful versions, in view of a Bible Association, must be such as all 36 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY consider faithful — such as convey, in view of all, the true Divine meaning. In the EngUsh Bible adopted by the Society, the Divine meaning is thus conveyed. It is a faithful version, as all admit ; and others should be equally faithful when put forth by those connected with this Association, and so- lemnly bound by its pledges. These are views and principles which the Mana- gers have always understood as belonging to this Society. Nor were they aware that any of their fellow labourers could entertain different views un- til the year 1835. In the course of that year was an occurrence which has caused no little perplexity, and which will now be presented in detail. (5.) In July, 1835, a letter was received, through a friend in Philadelphia, from the Rev. Wilham H. Pearce, an English Baptist missionary at Bengal, in India. In this letter information was given that the writer, together with the Rev. Mr. Yates, a bro- ther missionary, had prepared a new version of the Bengalee Scriptures, which they were desirous of having published. With Christian frankness it was stated that in this version they had translated the Greek terms baptize and baptism by words which signify immerse and i7nme7'sion, and that the Bible Society at Calcutta had, on this account, refused to patronize it. Had this letter contained nothing fur- ther, the Board could easily have dismissed the whole matter, as they had no responsibilities con- nected with that version. But it was further stated that this new Bengalee translation was made on the J».ND THE BAPTISTS. 37 same principles as those which obtained in the Bur- mese translation, which it was understood the Ame- rican Bible Society patronized. Here was a new and startling announcement. The Board had, in- deed, granted, at different times, many thousand dollars towards the publication of this Burmese ver- sion, but without information from any quarter, or the least suspicion that it was of the character de- scribed by Mr. Pearce. They knew the Rev. Dr. Judson, the translator, to be a learned and pious man, and therefore felt a confidence that he had made what they considered 3. faithful version, i. e. one which conveyed the inspired meaning — the only point to which they thought of directing at- tention — presuming every friend of the Bible So- ciety to be aware that its Board could not appro- priate moneys for any version of a marked deno- minational character. On inquiring of the Rev. S. H. Cone, (one of, the Standing Committee on Dis- tribution,) who had repeatedly solicited funds for the Burmese version, whether that version was pre- pared as described by Mr. Pearce, he for the first time informed them that such was the fact. Al- though this letter from India had once been before the Committee on Distribution, the Board at its meeting in August referred it to the same again for further consideration. The Committee, after fre- quent meetings, were unable to recommend any course which would satisfy all concerned. In order to give this subject the most full and impartial in- vestigation, the Board now appointed a Special 4* 38 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY Committee of seven, a Presbyterian, an Episcopa- lian, a Baptist, a Methodist, a Moravian, one of the Reformed Dutch Church, and one from the Society of Friends. After repeated meetings of this Select Committee, and much inquiry, they brought in a Report with sundry Resolutions. The Rev. S. H. Cone, one of the number, also presented a minority Report. The whole subject was now postponed for a further and careful consideration. The Mana- gers were not yet disposed to adopt the resolutions submitted, as they hoped, by a prudent delay, for the adjustment of the difficulty which had arisen, in a way satisfactory to all who were interested. Before the next meeting of the Board, in Septem- ber, several letters were received from Baptist cler- gymen, in whose judgment they had great regard, expressing the hope that no hasty measures would be adopted, and suggested some changes and addi- tions in relation to the pending resolutions, which they had seen in a Baptist paper. These letters were laid before the Board, arid the proposed changes were made. After frequent post- ponements and much deliberation, (more, probably, than they ever before bestowed on any one topic,) at a special meeting in February, 1836, they adopt- ed the following preamble and resolutions which had been prepared, or modified, and approved of by some of the most intelligent worthy Baptist clergy- men in America : By the Constitution of the American Bible Socie- ty, its Managers are, in the circulation of the Holy AND THE BAPTISTS. 39 Scriptures, restricted to such copies as are " without note or comment ;" and in the English language, to the '' version in common use." The design of these restrictions clearly seems to have been to sim- plify and mark out the duties of the Society, so that all religious denominations of which it is composed might harmoniously unite in performing these du- ties. As the Managers are now called to aid exten- sively in circulating the Sacred Scriptures in lan- guages other than the English, they deem it their duty, in conformity with the obvious spirit of their compact, to adopt the following resolutions as the rule of their conduct in making appropriations for the circulation of the Scriptures in all foreign tongues. Resolved^ That in appropriating money for the translating, printing, or distributing the Sacred Scriptures in foreign languages, the Managers feel at liberty to encourage only such versions as con- form in the principles of their translations to the common English version, at least so far as that all the religious denominations represented in this So- ciety can consistently use and circulate said ver- sions in their several schools and communities. Resolved^ That a copy of the above preamble and resolutions be sent to each of the missionary boards accustomed to receive pecuniary grants from this Society, with a request that the same may be transmitted to their respective mission stations where the Scriptures are in process of translation. 40 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY and also that the said several missionary boards be informed that their applications for aid be accom- panied with a declaration that the versions which they propose to circulate are executed in accord- ance with the above resolution. (6.) Such was the course adopted by the Mana- gers after more than six months of candid delibera- tion. No resolutions, it is believed, were ever adopt- ed with a more conscientious conviction of duty, or with more kind feelings towards those who dis- sented. It was the aim in preparing these rules to be impartial, to withhold patronage from all ver- sions of a sectarian nature, and to encourage all which are faithfully translated, and yet in such a way that the different branches of the compact can unite in using them as they so cordially unite in using the English version. The Managers have now stated what they be- lieve to have been the purpose of the founders in relation to versions, and also what has been the in- tentional practice of those who have since conducted its affairs. They have furthermore given a con- cise history of their doings in regard to a denomi- national version in India which will satisfy most of those connected with the Society, that a just and constitutional course has been pursued, and that no other course could have been adopted, particularly in relation to the latter topic, without putting the very existence of the Society in jeopardy. But the managers regret that notwithstanding the resolutions in question were prepared in their present shape, by AND THE BAPTISTS. 41 wise, conscientious Baptists, who viewed and still view them as coincident with the constitution ; not- withstanding they received the lull sanction of the Society in May, 1836, and have been approved of by all the Auxiliaries, so far as known, they have yet failed to satisfy many of the Baptist denomina- tion, and have called forth an amount of opposition not very common among the professed sons of peace. Charges in various forms have been made against the doings of the Board, some of which demand a brief reply. First. — The Managers are charged with having changed their poli- cy, now objecting to and withholding aid from versions of such a character as they once patronized without hesitation. The reply of the Board here is, that they never, in a single case, granted aid to a version which they knew at the time to be of such a character that only a part of their associates could consistently use it. Taking it for granted that none would ask them to aid denominational versions, they now find that in two instances they aided such, though in honest ig- norance. It appears that a small edition of an In- dian Gospel was once printed by them, where bap- tizo was translated by a word which signifies to sprinkle^ or pour ; and that one version in India had been aided where the same Greek word has been translated by a term sinifying immerse. Had the peculiarity of these translations in either case been known at the time, they would by no means have been encouraged. 42 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY Secondly. — The Managers are charged with partialily, hy allowing other denominations to make such foreign versions as they choosci while Baptists have not this privilege. This charge can have no foundation, unless other denominations choose to make versions of such a character that all the members of the Bible Society- can use them, while those who complain make such versions as their denomination alone can consistently use. The Managers can have no motive to par- tiality towards any of their associates, and are con- scious of none, provided all lay aside denomina- tional work, and adhere alike to the spirit and rules of this Association, when co-operating with it. Thirdly — The Managers are charged with laying dowm rules in re- gard to versions which Baptist translators cannot conscientiously follow. The reply is, that the Managers lay down no rules which they do not consider as enjoined on them by the conditions of their union, by the framers of the Society. If these rules bear with undue pressure on any portion of the compact, it is for those who appoint the Board, and who have control of the constitution, to alter that instrument so that men of every creed and sentbnent may 'prepare such foreign versions as they please.^ with the ex- pectation that they will he published out of the com- mon Bible fund ! At present such license would be deemed a violation of what the constitution re- quires. But the Board (while they would not judge AND THE BAPTISTS, 43 for Others) are unable to see why these rules, which the complainauts themselves cheerfully observe in relation to the English, French, and other old ver- sions, cannot be also followed in preparing nevv^ ver- sions ; that is, by domesticating in them the Greek word haptizo and baptismuj so that other mission- aries can use them as well as Baptist.* It cannot be affirmed that errors will be taught by these trans- ferred words, nor can they be more unintelligible to the heathen than any other words which it is well known are transferred from the originals into the Bengalee and Burmese versions, and must be into all versions made in limited pagan tongues. Some of these words, it is true, must be explained by the dictionary, or the living teacher, before the common reader will understand them, So must many, very many words in the English Bible, and in every other, which the illiterate reader does not comprehend until instructed by some foreign aid. Where is there a modern tongue which does not abound in trans- ferred words? The very name of most religious denominations is derived from the Greek. * The Rev. Joseph Hughes, a Bapdst, and long a Secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, had no scruple against transferring baptizo ; nor has Rev. Mr. Sutton, now a missionary in India. Two able pamphlets, by Baptists in England, have just been published in favour of such a course. The Chip]iewa New Testament, prepared by Dr. James, a Baptist, and printed in 1833, at Albany, has the word baptizo transferred. 44 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY Fourthly — The Managers are charged with the inconsistency of pa" tronizing German and Dutch Bibles, uhere baptize is translated by words which signify immerse, and yet withholding aid from thi Bengalee and Burmese Bibles translated in the same way. The reply is, in the first place, that the former ver- sions are ancient " received versions," such as the founders of the Society promised to patronize. In the next place, those translated words alluded to, though they once signified immerse, have (like many words in the English Bible) lost their first meaning, and are now of as general import as the English word Baptize. They are versions which both Baptists and Psedo-baptists can and do use continually without objection. Should the versions referred to in India, as they are in the main good, undergo a similar change as to the import of a few words, so that difierent denominations can use them, the Managers will feel no scruple in granting them patronage. They will be viewed and treated as faithful versions when there is evidence that they convey to all the component parts of this Society, like the Enghsh and German Bibles, the mind of the Spirit. Let the Divine meaning be actually con- veyed to the various readers, and it seems to the Board a matter of little moment whether this is ef- fected through one tongue or another, or through a combination of several. AND THE BAPTISTS. 45 Fifthly. — Another charge is, that the Managers have set up the English Bible as a standard to which all translations must be con- formed, thus abridging the liberty of the translator. This is a mistake, as any reader of the foregoing resohuions will see. It is expected that missionaries, or others, who prepare new versions, will trans- late, as they do in fact, from the original tongues with great care, imitating the English no farther than by transferring a few words, which either can- not be translated or are of disputed meaning ; and even these transfers are not required, provided the various members of the Society can unite in using the versions as they use the English. This cer- tainly is imposing no severe restraint on the con- science of the translator, far less, it is apprehended, than the complainants (who have taken the English Bible, and appended to it a glossary, telling us^;?'e- cisel)/ what certain Greek words signify) will re- quire of their translators. How much liberty will the latter have to prepare versions which are not thoroughly denominational ? Sixthly. — Another grave charge is, that the American Bible Society has received a large amount of money from Baptists; particu- larly that it has received forty or fifty thousand dollars in the way of legacies, while it has made to the denomination, as such, but very partial appropriations, and now refuse to refund what is still due. The reply here is, that while a part, perhaps a large part, of the denomination who aid the Bible cause in any form, have seceded from the American 5 46 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY Bible Society and formed one under denominational control, (its Managers being necessarily Baptists,) yet a highly respected and valuable portion are still co-adJLitors with the National Institution, More or less of the latter class are still found in the eastern^ middle, southern and western states, co-operating with the local Auxiliaries. It would be improper, then, by returning Baptist funds, even if the alleged amount were correct, to treat the denomination as if it were no longer a part of the Bible compact. Bat the charge as to the amount is not correct. The aggreo^ate of legacies received from Baptists, so far as known to the Board, is no more than $18,000 : namely^ from the estate of John Fleetwood Marsh, deceased, of East Chester, New-York, $10,00 ; from that of John Within gton, of New- York, $7,000; and from that of Josiah Penfield, of Georgia, $1 ,000- And how were these legacies expended ? The two first were received into the treasury in 1830, the latter in 1831, the very year when the Mana- gers were endeavouring to supply the entire United States with the Bible, and which funds were wholly expended in that enterprise. Yes, they were all used in preparing and circulating English, German and French Bibles for the good of our own common country ; and a large debt remained after they were expended. No portion went to aid the missions of other denominations in preparing the Scriptures in any form. It cannot be asked, then, of course, that these funds should be paid back to the com- plainants. AND THE BAPTISTS. 47 It appears, on examining the Society's books, that while no more than $18,000 have been received from Baptist legacies, and that these were all ex- pended at home for a common object, the Baptist Foreign Mission Society has since been furnished (that is, between the years 1831 and 1838) with no less than $27,000 for the exclusive use of that de- nomination in preparing and circulating the Scrip- tures in France, Germany, Bengal and Burmah. In addition to these grants of money, the Managers have made numerous donations of English and other Scriptures for the exclusive use of Baptist missions. During the years 1838 and 1839, Messrs. Pasco and Love, Baptist missionaries in Greece, were furnished by the Society's agent in the Levant (and with great pleasure) with no less than 12,933 portions of the Scriptures, amounting in value to some So, 000. It appears, then, that more than $30,000, in money and books, have been furnished by the Board to aid Baptist missionaries in circulat- ing the Scriptures, while little more than halfot that sum has been received from Baptist legacies, and these were received under such circumstances as to pay no part of such grants. But it is said that although the §40,000 or $50,000 of legacies spoken of as furnisJied to the Society may not as yet be actually paid over, still that sum will be paid from the residuum of the estate of Mr. Marsh, according to the provisions of his will. The American Bible Society, it is true, is one of the residuary legatees of said estate. How far there is a prospect of any speedy avails from 48 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY this quarter will be seen after reading the following letter from the executor. This letter was procured in consequence of a statement in the Baptist Advo- cate in relation to this residuum, that " a simple legal process is alone necessary to transfer it to their (American Bible Society's) coffers — a process which the Board can at its own option pursue/' Hackensack, 18th December, 1840. Dear Sii\ — In reply to your letter of the 15th instant, respecting information of the present con- dition of the legacy left by the late Mr. Marsh, the Society, in addition to the legacy of $10,000 which has been paid, are residuary legatees in common with the grand children and their children of the eight uncles of the testator, the Society to receive one-third — the aforesaid children the other two- thirds. These residuary legatees are very numer- ous, and scattered throughout England. We have ascertained about one hundred, and, from informa- tion received, there are at least as many more, whose names we have not been able to ascertain. Proceedings have been instituted in the Court of Chancery to have the estate settled, but from vari- ous causes it has not been brought to a close, and when it will be, it is impossible for me to say. I am advised that I cannot safely pay any of the re- siduary legatees without having them all brought, in some way, into court, so as to be bound by a de- cree, in order to a final settlement of the estate. Very respectfully, yours, &c. James Hague. AND THE BAPTISTS. 49 It is obvious that a long period mast intervene before this residuum (if it ever comes) will reach the treasury. Should it ere long be received, it can with every propriety be employed as was the §iOjOOO already realized from the same estate, in furnishing English, German, and French Bibles to the mixed population of our own country. But it is contended, that in addition to the lega- cies in question, a large amount has been furnished by Baptists in the way of Life Directorships, Life Memberships, dec. Some have placed the amount of payments of this kind at $40,000 or S50;000, equal to that of the legacies received and prospec- tive. Now, while the Managers are g^reatly averse to comparisons as to the contributions of diflerent de- nominations, they have been led, by the repeated charges referred to, to examine with some care as to their accuracy. They find, in the first place, in relation to Life Directors, that out of a list of more than 400 belonging to the Society, only 13 were of the Baptist denomination. Of these thirteen, two were constituted Directors on account of having been members of the Convention which formed the Society. Four others were made Directors in con- sequence of having been executors where legacies were left it. Two others were made Directors by contributions furnished by men of other denomina- tions, and one of the remainder is still a friend of the American Bible Society. It does not appear, 5* 50 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY then, that there are, in any view of the matter, more than the value of four Directorships to be re- turned. In relation to Life Members, it is not easy to de- termine the precise number belonging to the Baptist persuasion. In looking over a list of more than 4,000 names, not more than about 100 can be thus identified, while several of these were consti- tuted members by those of other creeds, and several more are still friendly to the Society. But allowing there were 150 Life Members, each of which has contributed $30, the total would amount to no more than $4,500, to be added to the $600 for Life Di- rectorships. The Board have next looked over the names of the 120 citizens in New- York who aided the erec- tion of the Society's House, at an expense of more than 22,000 dollars. While they find subscriptions from almost every other denomination, they find but one (Dr. Luke Barker's) belonging to that from which these charges now come. This contribution was $30, to be added to the $5,100 above named. They look then at donations made specifically to aid distributions in Burmah. Presuming these to have been made by Baptists, they find them to amount in all to less than $1,000. As to contribu- tions made through Auxiliaries, there are no means for determining definitely what amount has been thus received. From the large Auxiliaries in New- England, New- York, and a few at the South, AXD THE BAPTISTS. 51 whence most of the free donations come, it is clear to the Board, from inquiries and statements of agents, that a small amount, comparatively^ (as in the case of Life Directorships, Memberships, and the Building Fund,) has ever been furnished by the Baptists — particularly by those who have seceded.* In the newly settled states, those of that denomi- nation have often united with others in procuring and distributing Bibles in their respective counties. But here the value was returned in books, and in many instances large gratuitous supplies in addi- tion. Not a few of their number continue still to aid in these domestic distributions, both to the gra- tification of the Auxiliaries and the Parent Society. Funds thus paid in for books, however, add nothing to the capital of the Institution, and can furnish no ground for a demand on those which come as free donations. While, then, it cannot be determined with minute accuracy what amount of money has been furnished by Baptists gratuitously, or so that it can be used by other denominations, the Board have no belief that it can surpass or equal the more than §30,000 which they as a sect have received from the Institution. Aside from the $18,000 of legacies, (used at home and not to be counted,) there is no evidence of their having contributed to * Let any one inquire of the large Societies what portion of their free contribution ever came from Baptists who are not still with them. 52 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY the treasury one half the amount which they have received from it. Under such circumstances, the Managers cannot, of course, feel the obhgation of making /wr^Aer returns to those who have chosen to leave the Society, and to assert in so many ways its wrong doings. AND THE BAPTISTS. 53 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY. " Such reasoning falls, like an inverted cone, Wanting its proper base to stand upon." The foregoing document was published anony- mously sometime in the early part of February of the present year. It was republished in the '= Ex- tracts from Correspondence" of the American Bible Society for March, and acknowledged as issued by the authority of the Board. It has thus become the duly accredited publication of an honoured In- stitution; and both in that character and on other important accounts, is to be regarded as deserving a careful perusal and a most critical examination. This is the first public attempt of the American Board to vindicate their conduct towards the Baptist denomination. Their annual reports have alluded in such guarded terms to the points at issue, as left those who had no other means of intelliorence in a state of extreme doubt, if not of total ignorance, even of what had been done, aside from the argu- ments in favour of the acts of the Board. Mr. Brigham's letter was a private aflfair, and was never acknowledged as official. Four years were permitted to glide away before the Board were pre- pared to justify a course of conduct which has se- 54 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY parated from connexion with them more than half a railUon of communicants, with adherents num- bering several millions. Under such circumstances, the document preceding must be regarded as exhi- biting the calm, well weighed, and permanently de- cided opinions of men, who have not needed time for deliberation, or opportunity for acquiring infor- mation. To treat such a document with disrespect — to answer argument with ridicule, or statements of fact with conjecture and surmise, is as far removed from our duty as a Christian, as it would be opposed to the character which we have ever endeavoured to maintain as the conductor of a respectable pub- lic journal. Before entering upon the examination, we wish to state one or two principles which shall guide us. If we should be under the necessity of disproving a statement of fact, we wish not to be understood to imply that the Board meant to deceive. If we at- tempt to refute an argument, we attribute no evil purpose to those who have advanced it. Should we ever employ the legitimate mode of reasoning^, called by the schools reductio ad absurdum, we here, once for all, abjure every intention to cast ri- dicule upon the American Bible Society, and declare our purpose merely to expose the weakness of the weapons which it has employed in its defence. We have, for convenience of reference, numbered certain sections, and shall discuss them in the order in which they appear. AND THE BAPTISTS. 55 1. The first is a narrative of historical fact, and deserves to be read and pondered with deep atten- tion. The extract from the Address of the Conven- tion which it contains, is justly entitled to the enco- mium bestowed upon it, as all must admit that it breathes a '•' frank, impartial, catholic spirit." In order to connect this history with the proceedings regarding our denomination, a few additional par- ticulars are necessary. These we will endeavour to supply. The Baptist Missions were commenced in 1793, and the translation of (iaTTTiZco and its cognates im- mediately followed. The British and Foreign Bi- ble Society was founded in IS04, and the Calcutta Auxiliary was organized in 1807. The Baptist mis- sionaries were invited to co-operate, and their ver- sions of the Scriptures, icith ^amii^(o and its cog- nates translated, were taken under the patronage of the Auxiliary and of the Parent Institution. The latter aided the versions without the intimation of any objection. In 1813 its Corresponding Secretary addressed an official letter to the Corresponding Secretary of the English Baptist Missionary Society, to inquire whe- ther ^a7Z7i^(o and its cognates were transferred or translated. The official reply was that they were translated.* No action was taken thereupon by the British and Foreign Bible Society, but it con- * Hinton's Letter to Lord Bexley, President of the British and Fo- reign Bible Society. 66 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY tinued to aid the Baptist translations. Under these circumstances, the American Bible Society was formed in 1816; and Baptists were invited to co-ope- rate with the assurance that its only object was, " the dissemination of the Scriptures in the received versions where they exist, and in the most faithful where they may be required." Some of the Baptist versions had been in existence sixteen years^ and many thousand copies had been received by the be- nighted heathen. These versions had received aid from the British and Foreign Bible Society with the full knowledge that ^a^rz/fw and its cognates were translated. These facts were matters of public re- cord, and although now in 1841, a Board of Mana- gers may declare, that they did not knmo them^ it will require more than their conjecture to convince posterity that a man of such intelligence as the Rev. Dr. John M. Mason, who drew up the Address of the Convention, was equally ignorant. The ques- tion is not what Mr. Brigham and his co-managers in 1839 or in 1841 knew. Suppose that ^/iey should declare themselves ignorant that there were any Baptists in the world, that there were any Baptist missions in India, or even that there was such an institution as the British and Foreign Bible Society which assisted the Baptist translations. We appeal to any court of law, or of equity, or to any man of plain, unsophisticated sense, what would be the effect of such a plea of ignorance ? Would it affect the facts of the case, or alter in the least the position of the Baptists, and their relation to other denomi- AND THE BAPTISTS. 57 nations in forming the American Bible Society ? Or would the plea recoil against a body of men, who were intrusted witli the interests of such an institu- tion, and when their professions and actions had led. into error a large denomination of Christians, excuse themselves on account of their ignorance of recorded and icell known facts 7 This point is one of great importance, and will be examined at length when we come to the fifth section. We will there endeavour to show the means of acquiring the re- quisite information possessed by the Board of Ma- nagers. We will not then detract from the reputation of the inteUigent and noble-minded men, who, with Dr. Mason at their head, prepared and published the Address of the Convention, by believing them ignorant of the proceedings of the British and Fo- reign Bible Society, and of the history of the Bap- tist translations of India. But supposing them so culpably ignorant, still their professions were per- fectly " frank, impartial and catholic."' They sup- posed that in the work which they commenced, "sectarian littleness and virulence" could ^- find no avenue of admission." It will be our business to ascertain how unflinchingly their successors have maintained these sentiments. 2. The first sentence of the second section can- not properly be considered by itself. It has a most intimate connexion with two or three sentences in a subsequent section. We will place them in juxta- position. 6 58 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY In preparing the present state- ment in relation to versions, the Managers have not attempted to settle or touch any question as to philology or religious ordinances, but simply to inquire what was the design of those who founded the Institution, as to the character of the Scriptures which were to be circulated ? The terms " most faithful," in these circumstances obviously sig- nify those versions which convey the inspired meaning of the ori- ginals, in view of those who sup- port and direct the great Bible cause. But what is the inspired meaning in their view ? Not that certainly which conveys the pecu- liar tenets of this or that denomi- nation, 'while it misstates the views of others interested, and is in their judgment unfaithful. Faithful versions, in view of a Bi- ble Association, must be such as all consider faithful — such as con- vey, in view of all, the true Di- vine meanii.g. In the English Bible adopted by the Society, tb-e Divine meaning is thus conveyed. It is a faithful version, as all ad- mit ; and others should be equally faithful when put forth by those connected with this Association and solemnly bound by its pledges - The Managers -have not attempted to settle or touch any question as to philology or religious ordi- nances," and yet decide that the Baptist translations are "in their judgment unfaithful.'' The discrepancies between deciding that the translation oi ^amiL,w \s unfaithful^ and not settling any question as to philology ; between determining that immersion is wrong and not touching any question as to religious ordinances ; are too glaring to escape the observation of any reader. The full AND THE BAPTISTS. 59 consideration of these extracts would lead us di- rectly to the true issue between the American Bible Society and the Baptists. This we prefer to post- pone till we reach the section from which the second extract was made. The remainder of the present section is designed to show that the Society were bound to avoid every thing sectarian in its aspect. This we most readily and heartily admit, and our object under the '• true issue" will be to show that their course has been sectarian, since they adopted the resolutions of 1836. Previously to that occur- rence we acquit them, so far as the present <:{uestion is concerned, of any such charge. 3. The third section relates to the ancient ver- sions of the Scriptures in Europe founded on the Latin Yulgate. These the Managers acknowledge that they have patronized from their commencement of the work of foreign distribution. They justify this procedure on the ground that the "defects'' of these versions " were not numerous, and there was no hope that those old, venerated versions could at once be laid aside, and new ones be intro- duced by foreigners. Nor could new ones be pre- pared until many years should pass away." With the propriety of this course we are not at present concerned. As an individual, we approve it, althouo:h we know that in this we differ from many excellent men, and we do not form our opi- nion altogether upon the reasons advanced by the Managers of the American Bible Society. But we would have been better pleased had the Managers 60 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY alluded more distinctly and more accurately to the character of the defects of which they speak. The Spanish Bible, for instance, employs " Hacer peni- tencia" to express the meaning of those passages in which repentance is enjoyed. The words si2:nify " to do penance,'' and are so understood by Span- iards themselves. When they wish to express our idea of " repent," they use the verb " arrepentirse."' So commonly is the idea of doing penance attached to " hacer penitencia," that they employ the phrase Vx^hen they invite a friend to dine with them, and to submit to meagre diet : " Come and do penance with me to day," that is, " Do not expect rich fare, but be content with whatever we happen to have." Similar defects exist in other versions founded on the Latin Vulgate, and therefore the Papal See per- mits them to be used, while it is mortally opposed to Protestant versions of the Holy Scriptures. When Baptists were in 1816 invited to co-operate in forming the American Bible Society, with the assurance that it would aid " in the dissemination of received versions where they do exist," theirs had existed and had been extensively received by hea- then, and approved by Christians generally, for a considerable number of years. With some of them Qio other version did exist to compete. The Ameri- can Bible Society began to extend its benefactions to foreign versions, and commenced with those founded on the Vulgate. Could Baptists suppose that the most bigoted Paedo-baptist would find in the translation of §anxi^(a a greater defect than those ac- AND THE BAPTISTS. 61 knowledged to exist in the Romanist versions ? But, say the Managers, " There was no hope that those old, venerated translations could at once be laid aside, and new ones be introduced by foreigners.. Nor could one be prepared till many years had pass- ed away." And did the Board then suppose that the Baptists imuld lay aside their versions and adopt those ijrepared hy Pcedo-haptists 7 And did they suppose that " new ones could be prepared'" before " many years should pass away ?"' Either supposition indicates far less intelligence and less judgment than vve are ready to accord to the Ma- nagers of the American Bible Society. But " the Managers [first resolution] feel at liberty to en- courage only such versions as conform to the com- mon English version, at least so far that all the re- ligious denominations represented in this Society <3an consistently use and circulate said versions in their several schools and communities,^' Connecting this resolution with the history of the Romanist versions, and with the fact that the Bap- tist versions are excluded under this resolution be- cause they translate §a7TTiXco it becomes an indisputa- ble fact that the Managers can ^- use and circulate'" Romanist versions in preference to Baptist, can sanction the ''doing of penance," for repentance, rather than allow a conscientious body of Christians, who in no other respects differ from them in trans- lating Scripture, to translate the word ^aizTiXco and its ^cognates. To obtain a complete view of the case in this 6* 62 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY light, it will be necessary to add, that the Baptists were large contributors to the funds of the Ameri- can Bible Society, and zealous co-operators in its cause : that Romanists had no connexion with it : that the agents of the American Bible Society, when travelling through the country, preaching and lecturing in behalf of foreign distribution, fre- quently referred to Carey, and Judson, and YateS; and others of our translators, and wrought upon the sympathies of their audiences by the necessity of assisting such men in such undertakings. These, with other circumstances which we will hereafter develope, will conduce to show the true position of the Board in relation to foreign versions. The Managers have softened the character of the Popish superstitions and will- worship inculcated in the Romanist versions, by calling them " defects.'' We have mentioned one of these defects that pre- vail throughout them. Our readers will perhaps be gratified to see another to enable them to judge of the meaning of the word defect^ when applied to a translation of Holy Scripture, and also to under- stand what the Managers of the American Bible Society believe " all the religious denominations represented in this Society can consistently use and circulate in their several schools and communities," while they recoil with horror from the idea that a version which translates ^antit^oa should be circulated, though in every other respect, even to them, unex- ceptionable. In the same Spanish version of which we spoke, printed and circulated by the American AND THE BAPTISTS. 63 Bible Society, the twenty-first verse of the eleventh chapter of Hebrews reads thus : For fe Jacob, Estaxdo para morir, rendijo a cada r.vo Dfi L03 HIJ03 DE JoSEPH : Y ADORO LA ALTUKA DE SU VARA. " By faith Jacob about to die, blessed each one of the sons of Jo- seph : and worshipped the top of his staff/' The worship of an image on the top of a staff, which is the idea that a common Romanist attaches to such a passage, is a venial fault, a mere defect in the view of this circular ; but the immersion of a believer in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, according to the example of Christ and his apostles, is an unpardonable crime, and the version of Scripture that inculcates it, is unfaithful. Before leaving the third section we must express our regret that the Managers have not been more particular in this to date their transactions. This defect we shall endeavour to supply. From the circular alone, the most of readers would draw the inferences, that the Society labour- ed for some time in the distribution of the English Scriptures before they turned their attention to ex- isting versions in foreign tongues, and that at a more distant period they considered the question of assistins: in translatinof into heathen lanQfuagres. AVe do not say that it was designed to convey erroneous ideas in these matters, but we assert that the circu- lar would not give the impression that, as was real- 64 AMERICAN BIBLE SOClETi'' ly the case, in the very first year of the ^^ociety's operations^ the Managers who then had charge of its interests, " directed their attention to the transla- tion of the Scriptures into the Indian languages of our country, and the publication of the Spanish New Testament, and of the Scriptures in the French." First Report, p. 18. The next year we find them ordering an edition of the Bible in the language of the Delaware Indians, and another in that of the Mohawks. Second Report, pages 18, 19. From that time to the present they have been enga2:ed in the distribution of foreign versions and the encou- ragement of new translations, so that from the com- mencement of their operations, either their princi- ples in relation to such matters were established, or they were proceeding in aflairs of the utmost im- portance, and zealously employing the aid of our de- nomination, without fixed principles. This matter of dates we mention now because particularly con- nected with the second and third sections, but the application of the argument derived from them will be felt most forcibly under the fifth. 4. The substance of the fourth section is, that where versions did not exists hut were to he made, the most faithful were to he patronized^ and that a version which expressed views in which all the de- nominations represented in the Society did not co- incide, is therefore in the judgment of its Managers unfaithful. Should these statements be admitted, they do not apply to the case of the Bengali version. Although AND THE BAPTISTS. 65 since improved by Yates, it existed many years before the American Bible Society, and has under- gone no change in the j)articiilar objected to. It was therefore not a version about to be made. We should think that a judicious bod}^ of men hke the Managers of the American Bible Society would see this discrepancy in their argument. But leaving this, we discover other important points deserving of notice in these statements. In the first place, the Managers have never before charged that the Bengcdi version is vnfaithfid. A resolution to that eifect was once started in com- mittee, but the Rev. Dr. De Witt most solemnly ab- jured the idea of expressing such an opinion, and the resolution was withdrawn. In the Board, the Baptist Managers frequently challenged any assertion oi unfaithfulness, but that point was never made the subject of debate. Now. when the Baptists have left the Society, when they have formed another Institution, and have continu- ed their separate organization for four years : v»^hen there is no one to vindicate their cause in the Board of the American Bible Society, or to expose the in- consistency of such a procedure, the Managers gravely conclude that they did not patronize the Bengali version because it icas unfaithful ! We will acknowledge that there is a boldness about this plea, which, had it been assumed in an earlier part of the controversy, would have implied to many minds a greater degree of consistency than any before advanced. A version is unfaithful, be- 66 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY cause it expresses views contrary to those enter- tained by a portion of the Society. It must be evi- dent that the question of numbers in such a matter cannot be considered. If the principle be correct, it would have been equally applicable, had the Bap- tists constituted the larger, and the Paedo-baptists the smaller portion of the Society. Let us apply the principle and see how it will work. A portion of the Society belong to the Old School in doctrine, and another to the New School. The missionaries are similarly divided. Some are regarded by those who differ from them as Pelagian, and others as An- tinomian. Of course each translates certain disput- ed passages of Scripture bearing upon doctrine ac- cording to his peculiar views of their meaning, and in these expresses views differing from those of many others equally interested in the Society, Will the Managers therefore deem such translations unfaithful 7 If the principle be correct, surely men of honourable minds will not think of restricting its application to Baptists. The latter portion of this section thus proceeds : " Faithful versions in view of a Bible Association? must be such as all consider faithful — such as con- vey, in view of all, the true Divine meaning. In the English Bible adopted by the Society, the Di- vine meaning is thus conveyed. It is a faithful version, as all admit ; and others should be equally faithful when put forth by those connected with this Association and solemnly bound by its pledges.*' la order fully to understand the meaning of these AND THE BAPTISTS, 67 sentences, it must be borne in mind, that the Ben- gaU version was rejected, because in a single word and its cognates, it did not conform to the English version ; in other respects its faithfulness is not dis- puted. The Board of Managers '• have not at- tempted to settle or touch any question as to philo- logy," and yet decide that if a conscientious philo- logist translates a word which is 7iot translated in the English version, his whole book, though unex- ceptionable in every other particular, is iinfaithfiil^ and cannot be patronized. Thus the English ver- sion is made a Procrustean bed, to the length and breadth of which the conscience of every trans- lator must be stretched or contracted as the case may require. •• It is a faithful version, as all admit." Gra- tuitous assumption is not argument or matter of fact. We do not admit it to be faithful in the sense which the Managers imply by their reasoning. Nay, we doubt whether in this sense, one in ten thousand of our countrymen, exclusive of Episco- palians, will venture, upon deliberation, to declare it faitliful. We will adduce one instance. In Acts xii. 4, the Greek word 77«(t/« is translated, con- trary to all rules of philology, " Easter." No scho- lar doubts that it should be, as everywhere else in the Testament, translated '• Passover." Do the Board of Managers mean to insist, that the English version is faithful in respect to this word ? Yet if it be not, what becomes of their argument ? It will not do for them to say, that they meant not to as- 68 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY sert its faithfulness in every single word, The Bengali version is not charged with unfaithfulness, except in one word and its cognates. Nay, the testimonials to its faithfulness are of the most in- disputable character, and many of them from Psedo- baptists. They have never been disputed by the Board, and therefore it would only encumber our argument here to introdu'ce them. The only fault ever found with the version, is that it has followed the version of Martin Luther, and almost every other Protestant version of inland Europe and all the ancient Eastern versions, in translating jSa^rr/fw, instead of transferring it. This is the true issue^ and to this we shall hereafter lend our attention more closely. At present we cannot pass by a question or two suggested by what we have said. The word " Easter" — do our Presbyterian and Congregational friends preserve it in their versions^ or do they dare to translate UaGia^ " Passover." or by a word of similar import ? This is an import- ant question. Have our Episcopal friends given it due consideration ? Dr. Milnor was exceedingly strenuous against the Baptists^ because they varied in one word from the English version. Is he equally scrupulous, we will not say, conscientious, towards his Presbyterian friends ? Shall we ques- tion our Congregational friends about the word '• bishop ?" We wish not to annoy, we desire only to convince. If the Managers will proceed to ap- ply their reasoning, they cannot fail to discover its fallaciousness. AND THE BAPTISTS. 69 Since, in their opinion, faithfulness requires that every worcl^ in the translation of which denomina- tions differ, should be conformed to the English version, they certainly decide that in these words the English Bible is faithful. They cannot, there- fore, avoid the conclusion that " Easter," and " Bi- shop," and similar v/ords, are faithful translations, and that every version which does not copy them, is unfaithful and undeserving of patronage. On this subject, then, we appeal to them as honest, im- partial men, and ask them whether they have made due inquiries in these respects regarding the ver- sions which they patronize ? If they have not, do their consciences acquit them? The Episcopal denomination seldom object to immersion. In the English Church it is specially prescribed, and in this country it is sometimes prac- tised by them. Last year a writer in the Church- man spoke in favour of it, and denounced sprink- ling as unscriptural. Bishop Smith, of Kentucky, declares immersion to be the only Scriptural mode of baptism. The British Critic, the Church organ in Great Britain, regards it in the same light, and wishes to see it restored as the universal practice of the Church. But the Episcopalians all reverence '• Easter," and prefer the term " Bishop," to " Over- seer." They have not, it is true, a majority in the Board of Managers, but if they had, would other denominations submit to have every version stig- matized as unfaithful, which in these and similar words does not conform to the English ? Surely 7 70 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY the Managers will not pretend that numbers deeitie principle : in other words, that only that is faithful for which a majority of votes can be procured. This subject still presents itself in another aspect. If the English version convey " the true Divine meaning," and if it be " faithful," have the Mana- gers any right to alter it ? So much praise has been of late bestowed upon the English version,, especially since the American Bible Society has adopted it as the standard by which to determine the faithfulness of other versions, that the patrons of that Institution are probably little prepared to learn what liberties its Managers are taking with that which conveys " the true Divine meaning.'^ We might point them to several thousand instances in which they have varied from the authorized edi- tions of the English Scriptures, but we prefer showing how they disagree even with themselves. The length oi this article will permit us to adduce only one instance, but it shall be one of no little importance. We have before us four editions of the American Bible Society, two of the same year. In the octavo edition of the Bible for 1829, John x„ 28, 29, is thus translated : "■ ANt) I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE ; AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH, NEITHER SHALL ANY man PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY HAND. "My Father WHICH gave tkem me, is greater than all» AND NO man is able to pluck them out of my Father's HAND." AND THE BAPTISTS. 71 The duodecimo edition of the same year, gives the passage thus : ''And I GIVE UNTO them etehna-i, life; and thet shall «EVER perish, neither SHALL A>"Y PLUCK THEM OUT OF MT HAND. ■''My Father, which gave them me, is greater thak all; AND none is able TO PLUCK them OCT OF MY Father's hasd." The octavo edition of the New Testament for 1531, is altered from the octavo edition of the Bible for 1829, and follows the duodecimo edition of the latter yean But the octavo edition of 1839 varies from both, and presents the passage thus, placing the word *' man'' in roman characterSj as though it were in the original. "And I GITE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE; AND THET SHALL KETER perish, NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY HAKD. " My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all ; AND NO MAN 13 ABLE TO PLUCK them OUT OF MY Fa-THEr's HAND." Such then is the mode hi which the Manaffers treat a version which they believe to convey '• the true Divine meaning," and to be '-'faithful" even to individual words. To some readers, the verses which we have quoted, convey different meanings as they have been varied by the Managers. A man who cherished warmly the doctrine of the perse- verance of the saints, might allege, that when -' man" is inserted as though in the original, it 72 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY leaves a doubt whether other bemgs might not pkick the sainls from the Father's hand. But this is not the question with us. Our inquiry is, where is the consistency of thus varying a version, and then insisting that it conveys "the true Divine meaning," and cashiering every version that does not conform to it ? We shall here endeavour to show the real issue between the American Bible Society and the Bap- tists. We say the real issue, for we have already shown that the unfortunate course of the American Bible Society has involved them in several colla- teral issues, upon each of which a simple statement of facts furnishes an unquestionable verdict against them. In order to come at the real issue, we must suppose all these facts to be changed. We will then imagine that the Bengali version was not in existence when the British and Foreign Bible So- ciety commenced ; that it was 7iot patronized by that Institution ; that the Secretary of that Institu- tion was not officially required to interrogate the Baptist Missionary Society in 1813, whether in that version ^ami^ca was translated ; that the Mission- ary Society did not reply that it was ; that the Bri- tish and Foreign Bible Society did not continue to patronize the version ; that the xlmerican Bible So- ciety, when it was formed in 1816, did not know of the existence of that version ; that this Society did not commence patronizing foreign versions in the first years of its existence ; that it does 7iot pa- tronize Catholic versions, inculcating the doing of AND THE BAPTISTS. 73 penance and the worshipping of the top of a staff ; that it does not change the EngUsh version in thousands of instances and sometimes in very im- portant cases. These and many other circumstances must be imagined to be changed^ before we can fairly try the real issue, the point, which, though concealed by many other matters less important, is the true point of difference between the American Bible Society and the Baptists. We suppose, then, that the Bengali version was about to be prepared, and the iManagers of the Ame- rican Bible Society were about to determine the principles on which they would commence the pa- tronage of new versions. We will suppose farther, that other versions were being prepared in the same language, and that the latter transferred ^w^rr/Cw, while the Baptist version translated the word. The question then comes legitimately before the Mana- gers, which is the more faithful course in making a version of the Holy Scriptures into a heathen lan- guage, to transfer ^a7ZTtXlease. We have no charity for such reasoning. It is hard enough to have our versions called unfaithful ; AND THE BAPTISTS. 117 it is hard enough to have those of Roman Catholic preferred to them ; it is hard enough to be stigma- tized as deceivers ; it is hard enough to have our motives misrepresented, our reasoning perverted, the facts that sustain our position omitted, and others pubUshed as constituting the luhole history of the case : these and many other matters on the face of this circular are hard to be borne ; but to have it represented that to translate [ianrit^tti^ is to admit the quintessence of latitudinarianism. the sum and substance of the errors of " mien of every creed and sentiment,'* this is insupportable. We will not believe that the managers of the American Bible Society weighed the language which they employed. We prefer in charity to suppose, that this circular is the production of one man, an indi- vidual alicays hostile to the Baptists, and the prime mover of the measures which separated them frcm the American Bible Society. As the circular first appeared anonymously, and was extensively distri- buted long before it was acknowledged by the ma- nagers, we prefer, when we come to reasoning like this before us, to presume that the document was not prepared by the managers, but was afterwards adopted by them to shield an efficient but impru- dent officer of the Society. Under such a presump- tion, we will dwell no longer on language, which, we are convinced, no real friend of the managers will attempt to justify. " But the Board (while they would not judge for other?,) are un- able to see why these rules, which the complainants themselves cheer- 11 118 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY fully observe in relation to the English, French, and other old ver- sions, cannot be also followed in preparing new versions ; that is, by domesticating in them the Greek words baptizo and baptisma, so that other missionaries can use them as well as Baptists." Were the phraseology of this document to be judged by the rules of logical accuracy, the fore- going extract would imply that the Baptists had translated the Scriptures into English, French, &c., and that in these languages they had transferred ^a7ZTi'C(^, (fcc. Ridiculous as such a statement would appear to any one versed in the history of the Bible, it must be remembered that many of the friends of the American Bible Society have studiously circu- lated the report, that we, as a denomination, have published versions of the Scriptures in English made by ourselves. The English Scriptures issued by the American and Foreign Bible Society, al- though a literal transcript of King James' version of 1611, have been frequently stigmatized from the press and the pulpit as " the Baptist Bible.^^ Such has been the popular cry, and numbers of Peedo- baptists have believed it. Let such read the fore- going sentence, and how can they avoid supposing that the Baptists have an English version of their own, and have been guilty of the inconsistency of translating ^uTiti^co in other languages and trans- ferring it in our own ? Yet the simple facts are these. We have as yet had nothing to do with the " French" version, and with regard to the " other old versions" of which the managers speak, we knoio not what they mean. AND THE BAPTISTS. 119 Luther's version and other European continental versions which we have circulated, translate ^aTZTi^co. We have not yet seen it to be our duty to commence a new translation of the Scriptures in English. Such a work, if ever undertaken, will require great concentration of talents and piety, and many years of labour. When it will be accom- plished, we do not trouble ourselves even to conjec- ture. When the Baptists profess to translate the Scriptures into any language, and transfer '•' words which are capable of being literally translated," then it vnW be sufficiently early to inquire why they cannot do the same with the Bengali and other new versions. But it seems that individuals have been guilty of inconsistency in such matters. " The Rev. Joseph Hughes, a Baptist, and long a Secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, had no scruple against transferring baptizo; nor has Rev. Mr. Sutton, now a missionary in India. Two able pamphlets, by Baptists in England, have just been published in favour of such a course. The Chip])ewa New Testament, prepared by Dr. James, a Baptist, and printed in 1833, at Albany, has the w'ovA bapiizo transferred,^^ The managers, in our estimation, lose their dig- nity in thus arguing about the opinions and actions of two or three individuals. If they count a hun- dred men, professedly Baptist, who thought that, to secure the continuance of the patronage of cer- tain Societies, it might be admissible to yield a con- scientious scruple and conceal a portion of God's truth from those to whom we profess to communi- cate the whole, would their opinion affect the prin- 120 AMERICAN BIBLE SOClETV ciple of the matter ? If so, then all the Baptists on the other side of the question would present an overwhehiiing body of incontrovertible and indis- putable argument against the managers. Here we cannot avoid mentioning what has forcibly struck us, not only in this, but in another part of the circular which we have examined. The managers do not appear to rely upon the inherent strength of their argument, but if they can only as- sert that this or that Baptist thought so, or did so, no matter how completely he has since become con- vinced of his error and has abandoned it, the fact that a Baptist once happened in part to agree with them, is seized upon and held up to the world as proof that the board must he right. If Baptist au- thority, theUj be so excellent, why not give it its due weight and yield to that side of the argument which has such an immense preponderance in its favour. The fact that some words (such as proper names) must be transferred from one language to another, is next alleged to prove the propriety of transfer- ring §a7tti^(o. A brief illustration will show the na- ture of this argument. There are no words in the Bengali corresponding to Gog and Magog. Therefore these names must be transferred. There- fore the word " murder" in the commandment, " Thou shalt not murder," may with propriety be transferred into Bengali. '•' But," says an objector. " the natives have a word which means ^murder,' and they will not un- AND THE BAPTISTS. 121 derstaiid the word transferred from the Enghsh or the Hebrew." No matter. Why, they have no word in their lansfuaofe into which we can translate " Calvinist," or " Q,uaker." What impropriety then, in transferring the word " murder V " Pagan tongues'' are " hmited." They must use '•' dictiona- ries." or be always taught by " the living teacher." *' It cannot be affirmed that error will be taught by these transferred words." The analogy between the hypothetical and the real case, is perfect. The command in relation to the ordinance of baptism, is not less explicit than the prohibition in regard to murder. If, because some proper names and other words, not inculcating important commands or prohibitions, must be trans- ferred, therefore a conscientious translator is at li- berty to conceal under a transferred term, a com- mand which he believes himself capable of trans- lating intelligibly ; then any other command, in- junction or prohibition of Scripture may upon the same principle, be concealed. If the principle be correct, it cannot be confined to ^uttti^co ; if it be not correct, the managers of the American Bible Society have erred in endeavouring to vindicate it. *' Fourthly. — The Managers are charged with the inconsistency of patronizing German and Dutch Bihlesy where baptizo is trans- lated hy words which signify immcTse, and yet withholding aid from the Bengalee and Burmese Bibles translated in the same way. " The reply is, in the first place, that the former versions are an- cient ' received versions,' such as the founders of the Society pro^ 11* 122 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY mised to patronize. In the next place those translated words al- luded to, though they once signified immerse, have, like many words in the English Bible, lost their first meaning, and are now of as general import as the English word baptize. They are versions •which both Baptists and Paedo-baptists can and do use continually without objection. Should the versions referred to in India, as they are in the main good, undergo a similar change as to the import of a few words, so that different denominations can use them, the mana- gers will feel no scruple in granting them patronage. They will be viewed and treated as faithful versions when there is evidence that they convey to all the component parts of the Society, like the En- glish and German Bibles, the mind of the Spirit. Let the Divine meaning be actually conveyed to the various readers, and it seems to the Board a matter of little moment whether this is effected through one tongue or another, or through a combination of several." The first sentence of this paragraph arrests the attention as furnishing an additional ilUistration of the pecuhar mode of reasoning that prevails throughout the circular. A document setting forth the reasons of a certain course of conduct by a public body, should be plain, perspicuous and direct in all its statements and arguments. Nothing should be left to allusion or implication. Yet here, as elsewhere, the phraseology implies an argument involving a matter of fact which is not presented in direct terms. The founders of the Society pro- mised to patronize " the received versions where they exist, and the most faithful where they may be required." The first clause included the Bengali which existed at the time. This fact could not be denied by the managers, but its admission would at once expose the impropriety of their course. There- fore in that part of the circular which refers directly A.ND THE BAPTISTS. 123 to the Bengali version, they omit any alkision to this matter of fact. In the part before us, however, where the allusion might make its impression upon the common reader, without the liability of contra- diction from a direct statement, the word " ancient^' is prefixed to the phraseology of the founders, and the impression is given that they agreed to patro- nize only the ancient received versions. A strict construction of the language would involve the managers in the charge of a positive misstatement of fact ; " ancient 'received versions' such as the founders of the Society promised to patronize." The founders did not promise to patronize " such."' They promised to patronize '' received versions" — not " ancient received versions." The restrictive quali- fication, no man has a right to prefix to their words, and when the case involves such grave considera- tions, the prefixion is justly liable to the severest censure. ■"In the next place, those translated words alluded to, though they once signified immerse, have (like many words in the English Bible) lost their first meaning, and are now of as general import as the English word baptize. We have already, to some extent, expressed our views on this reasoning, and shall therefore only add a few suggestions. The parenthesis furnishes information, which, connected with other parts of the circular, may be regarded by some readers as no less strange than new. " The English Bible," tlie managers assure us, is " a faithful version," and 124 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY it conveys '■ in view of all, the true Divine mean- ing." But here they inform us that '• many of its words have lost their first meaning." If language have any significancy, we are here informed that the English Bible was originally an unfaithful translation, but that many of its words, having lost their original meaning, it now conveys the true Divine meaning, and has thus become a faithful version. And yet to the principles of this transla- tion, which has thus strangely become faithful by influences, over which the translators had no con- trol, all modern translators are required to conform their versions. Criticism on such argument would be supererogatory. The managers admit that the German and Dutch Bibles are translated as our Bengali ; but the words in question have since undergone a change of meaning, therefore they can patronize such ver- sions, and otherwise they could not have patronized them. What an admission ! Had the American Bible Society existed in the time of Luther, it could not have patronized his version of the Holy Scrip- tures. No, against the torch that set Europe on fire and has since illumined the world, the Society must have closed its eyes or joined the Pope in endea- vouring to extinguish it. No matter though the translation of the Scrip- tures into the vernacular tongues of Germany, broke down the strong holds of superstition and ignorance, and raised on the other hand a bulwark, against which all the powers of papacy have never AND THE BAP3ISTS. 125 been able to make head ; no matter how good, how useful, or faithful was the version ; it translated ^anrit,^ and therefore could not be patronized ! Thus the Managers of the A.merican Bi- ble Society acknowledge that on the prin- ciple ON WHICH THEY OPPOSE THE BaPTISTSj THEY MUST HAVE OPPOSED THE REFORMA- TION. We might dwell upon this singular position of the American Bible Society, but our space forbids us to detail the fearful inferences which every re- flecting mind will itself conceive. One idea only \ve cannot forbear to insert. The Managers, ac- cording to their circular, must have replied to an application from the great Reformer for aid in pub- lishing his version, " We cannot conscientiously aid a version which is so unfaithful as to translate ^anzLLco immerse, but if you will publish a version founded on the Latin Vulgate, although it may in- culcate '^;e?zance,' insteccd of '■repentance^' and the v: or ship of an image on the top of a staffs we will freely communicate of our means to circulate a version which has such mere ' defects.' "' But the inconsistencies of this statement of the Managers appear in other respects. They assert that the German and Dutch tongues have under- gone an important change, while they furnish no account of the mode by which it has been effected, or any authority on which their assertion is founded. It would be easy to show from the use of the dis- puted words in German and Dutch writers, and from 126 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY the letters of Mr. Oncken, whose acquaintance with the language of the common people, and whose un- corrupt integrity have never been disputed, that the assertion of the Managers is totally incorrect and unfounded. We acquit them however of any de- sign to misstate. They have probably taken the word of the individual who wrote the circular for a fact, of which they have neglected to obtain the proofs. For other inconsistencies of this statement, and the unpleasant dilemma in which it involves the Managers, we refer the reader to a former part of this argument in which the subject was partially examined.* The versions in India are admitted to be " in the main good," and if they should " undergo a similar change as to the import of a few words," " the Ma- nagers will patronize them." This is another most important admission. Our versions are in the main good — that is, with the ex- ception of these few words, ^anri^co and its cognates, they are good. Alas ! can Christians confess this and yet refuse them to the perishing heathen ? Are not the Burmans and the Karens, and the Ben- galese as important in the eye of Jehovah as the in- habitants of Europe ? Can the Managers conscien- tiously bestow as high commendations upon the Romanist versions as they can on the Baptist? Then where is the consistency of circulating the * See page* 79, 80. AND THE BAPTISTS, 127 former among the inhabitants of Europe and with- holding the latter from the natives of India ? Is the immersion of a believer in Jesus a more fear- ful crime with the Managers of the American Bible Society than the worship of an image ? We know no illustration of such conduct more striking than the expression of Scripture, '• to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel." But the Managers assure us that the objectiona- ble words in the German and Dutch tongues have lost their peculiar, and acquired a general meaning, and they seem to anticipate that the same may eventually be the case with our Indian versions. If the statement were really true, and the anticipa- tions well founded, must the poor heathen die by millions in the meanwhile without the word of God, anticipating that some distant generation may re- ceive it from the patronage of the American Bible Society ? If the words are to undergo such a change of meaning, why not circulate the Scrip- tures generally, as is the case with Luther's version in Germany, and bring about the result as soon as possible ? If those who sprinkle, could use Luther's version in Germany when, even according to the Managers, it did inculcate immersion, cannot Bap- tists be permitted to use a similar version in India ? In closing our remarks upon this paragraph, we cannot forbear to remark the apparently light man- ner in which the Managers speak of withholding the Scriptures from the heathen. No other versions existed in the languages of some of the many mil- 128 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY lions who were ready to receive the versions in question. Yet for the sake of " a few words," as the Managers inform us, they refuse to circulate our versions. Nay, for the sake of these feio icords they effectually break the bands of union, and give occasion to bitter feelings and unchristian remarks to hundreds of thousands of professing christians whom they have arrayed against each other. They were not impelled to their course by conscientious scruples, for if expediency prompted them to circu- late the Romanist versions, conscience could not have prevented them from circulating the Baptist. For " a few words," then, a light matter with them not involving conscience, they have adopted a line of policy, which, we candidly believe, will be more disastrous to them in its ultimate results than any other course, which, under the circumstances of the case, they could possibly have followed. " Fifthly. — Another charge is, that the Managers have set up the English Bible as a standard to which all translations must be con- formed, thus abridging the liberty of the translator. '•' This is a mistake, as any reader of the foregoing- resolution will see. It is expected that missionaries, or others, who prepare new versions, will translate as they do in fact, from the original tongues with great care, imitating the English no farther than by transferring a few words, which either cannot be translated or are of disj^uted meaning; and even these transfers are not requii-ed, provided the va- rious members of the Society can unite in using the versions as they use the English. This certainly is imposing no severe restraint on the conscience of the translator, far less, it is apprehended, than the complainants, (who have taken the English Bible, and appended to AND THE BAPTISTS. 129 it a glossar}', telling us precisely what certain Greek words signify) will require of their translators. How much liberty will the latter have to prepare versions which are not thoroughly denominational?" The legitimate application of a general rule is not confined to the particular case which called it into existence. In their anxiety to avoid any ex- pression that might give the Christian public an ex- plicit idea of the nature of the controversy which they had started with the Baptists, the Managers of the American Bible Society have adopted a rule as general in its extent, as it is perpetual in its opera- tion. We admit that their original design was only to coerce the Baptist translators, but the foundation which they have laid, is far too broad for so narrow a superstructure. " Resolved, That in appropriating money for the translating, printing or distributing the sacred Scriptures in foreign languages, the Managers feel at liberty to encourage only such versions as con- form in the principles of their translations to the common English version, at least so far as that all the religious denominations repre- sented in this Society can consistently use and circulate said versions in their several schools and communities." The versions here explicitly described as hence- forth entitled to the patronage of the Society, are, *' only such as conform to the principles of the Enoflish version." This is the general rule by which the Managers design to be guided. But as almost every general rule is expected to have individual exceptions, the most particular care is taken to guard against any expectations of ^ 12 ISO AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY leniency with regard to certain translations. " At least" these will be excluded from any hopes of patronage. Conformity to "the common English versions," is thus made the general rule, to which the Mana- gers seem to intimate that some exceptions may possibly be allowed. The exceptions, however, they do not specify while they establish the rule. Such conformity to this version as to meet the views of " all the religious denominations repre- sented in the Society," is the universal rule, to which no exception under any circumstances is to be admitted. " At least" this will be enforced. As though the Managers had said, " We are not yet prepared to say how far we shall enforce the general rule of conformity to the English version, but on this we are decided. If the representative of any denomination takes exception to any version which is not perfectly conformed to the English, that ver- sion we will unceremoniously reject. Still as we shall " AT least" do this, we may reject for any want of conformity to the English Bible. If then you wish to be safe, you will in all your ver- sions conform entirely to the standard which we have given you." This is, we conceive, the only legitimate construc- tion of the resolution which was adopted " after more than six months of candid deliberation." To surmise that a body of intelligent men could not in six months mature a resolution that expressed their design, would be an imputation on their wisdom, of AND TUB BAPTISTS. 131 which we shall not be guilty. The language em- ployed by them is not recondite. The expression <' at least" is common, and has a definite and fixed raeaninor. It implies that some proposition has been stated which is general in its nature, and that a par- ticular proposition follows embracing a portion of the ground covered by the general one, and assur- ing us that, to this portion there is no ^exception. Still the minor proposition does not in the least in- validate the general one, although it implies a possi- bility of exceptions to it. We, therefore, assert that the general rule adopted by the Managers of the American Bible Society is, " To encourage only such versions as conform in the principles of their translations to the common English version.'' If this is not to "set up the English Bible as a standard to which all translations must be con- formed, thus abridging the liberty of the translator," we would be gratified to have the difference of the propositions distinctly explained. It may answer a temporary purpose to assert that the identity of the purport of these propositions, " is a mistake," but until some evidence or argument is advanced to j)rove such mistake, reasonable men will probably be unable to discriminate between them. " It is expected that missionaries, or others, who prepare new ver- sions, will translate, as they do in fact, from the original tongues with great care, imitating the English no farther than by transferring a few words, which either cannot be translated or are of disputed 132 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY meaning ; and even these transfers are not required, provided the va- rious members of the Society can unite in using the versions as they use the English." That such expectation is asserted or implied in the resolutions 'of the Board, we positively deny. No allusion is made to the " original tongues ;" no encouragement is given to "great care" concerning them; nothing is said about "transferrin or a few words." If the Board of Managers have really enforced or implied any requisitions of the kind, why not quote the words in which they are couched ? AVhen a law is issued, '• it is expected" that those whom it concerns will regard it. The law issued to trans- lators is, to "conform in the principles of their trans- lations to the common English version ;" and now after it has been four years in force, the Managers inform us that " it is expected, that missionaries, or others, who prepare new versions, will translate, as they do in fact, from the original tongues with great care." Surely the law issued regarding the matter. is little adapted to encourage such expectations. They are also " expected" to imitate " the Ens^lish no farther than by transferring a few words," &c. Either then the " missionaries or others who pre- pare new versions" are not " expected" to comply with the wishes of the Board, or else, to "conform in the principles of translation to the English ver- sion," is in the opinion of the Managers, only " to transfer a few words which either cannot be trans- AND THE BAPTISTS, 133 lated, or are of a doubtful meaning." We will not believe that the Managers after six months delibera- tion, adopted a resolution which they did not ex- pect to be observed, and we are, therefore, obliged however reluctantly, to adopt the latter proposition. We say " reluctantly," for we are reluctant to ad- mit, that wise men, after mature deliberation, should, to express such a simple idea, employ phraseology which does not convey it, but, instead of it, conveys ideas of the utmost magnitude and fearfulness. But now let us examine the commentary of the Managers on their own resolution. There can be no dispute regarding words, such as proper names, &c., which cannot be translated. To deliberate six months before preparing a resolution to require translators " to imitate the English by transferring a few words which cannot be translated," would be belov/ the dignity of the Board of Managers. A translator would naturally inquire, '• What else did you imagine that I would do with such words ? If I could not translate them, did you fear that I would omit them?" It is perfectly evident, notwith- standing their own commentary, that the Managers never intended any such trifling, as to resolve that a man should do that which he could not avoid. The commentary must then be abbreviated. To conform in the principles of translation to the com- mon English version, is, in the opinion of the Ma- nagers, to transfer a few words of disputed mean- ing. A version founded on no other principle (we cannot find a plural in the idea) than the transfer of 12* 134 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY a few words of disputed meaning, is certainly not entitled to much commendation, and least of all deserves to be made a standard. Still those " few words" may be of so great importance, that although the transfer of them may not constitute such a prominent excellence as to be justly called " the principles" of its translation, yet it may possibly constitute a most material defect. If a chapter of the Bible were left untranslated, and printed in a modern version as it appears in the original Hebrew or Greek, this would not properly be regarded as " the principles" of the translation of the book, but it would constitute in the eyes of a man who con- scientiously desired to give the whole of divine truth to the people that received that version a most la- mentable and unpardonable blemish in the work. But the Managers are sincerely desirous, as ap- pears by this and the foregoing paragraph, to con- vince the readers of their circular that they require very little of the Baptists. We as sincerely believe their professions. They require what to them ap- pears a very small matter. They have always assured us that they regard it as of little importance whether a man be immersed or sprinkled. On the other hand we make of it a matter of conscience. They speak of the transfer of a few words as a mere matter of expediency. We again regard this as a matter of conscience. We cannot question whether we shall or shall not give the whole word of God to the heathen so far as human ability will permit. Money, union, expediency and all other AND THE BAPTISTS. 135 considerations must bow before conscience. Such being the state of the question, is it right, is it Christian, is it expedient, for those who regard the matter as hght and small, to press their views to the cutting off of those who attach to it the highest im- portance I This view of the subject opens a field of inferences, to which, without too far extending this examination, we cannot even allude. In justification of their conduct, the Managers at the close of this paragraph allude to a measure of the American and Foreign Bible Society, and from that infer positively and explicitly the course which that Society '' will require of their translators." They further assume that the Society alluded to, are the " complainants." In all this there is a want of dignity and propriety which must strike every un- biassed mind. Let us for a moment imagine that the inference of the Managers is well founded ; to what will it amount ) A Board to whom are in- trusted the interests of a large and respectable So- ciety, is explaining to its constituents its reasons for adopting a line of policy which involves numerous inconsistencies, and repelling certain charges in relation to that policy. Instead of disproving these charges by a manly course of reasoning, the Board infers, or imagines that another society will do as badly or worse in similar matters. And then to bind this strange reasoning to the case in hand, the Board alleges, that this Society, of which it has not even given the name, constitutes " the complain- ants." 136 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY To such reasoning we are almost at a loss for an answer. What in the name of logic has the Ame- rican and Foreign Bible Society to do with the question whether the American Bible Society has done right or wrong ? The Managers of the American cannot have founded their action on that of the American and Foreign, as the former had acted before the latter was called into existence. Again, to call the latter '' the complainants," when the " charges" which the Managers are endeavour- ing to rebuke, have been put forth in almost every case by individuals and on their private authority, is ungenerous as it is unjust. But the inference or surmise of the Managers, which we have hitherto treated as well founded, is in reality totally destitute of foundation. The En- ghsh Bibles and Testaments issued by the Ameri- can and Foreign Bible Society, are, as nearly as practicable, an accurate reprint of the original edi- tion of the present English version. — On a fly leaf preceding the New Testament, seven words are printed with the Greek corresponding to them, and the proper meaning of those words given by a single English synonyme. The whole if formed into a sentence, would make about the length of a common verse of Scripture. This is the important matter which is magnified by the Managers of the American Bible Society into a Glossary ! Were it not for the great respect which we really entertain towards these gentlemen, and the belief that the)'' AND THE BAPTISTS. 137 have acted in this matter without due consideration; we would hardly have condescended to notice such an attack. But what shall we say of the inference deduced from this glossary — that the American and Foreign Bible Society will impose far more severe " restraint on the conscience of the transla- tor" than has been imposed by the Managers of the American ! Those who can discern the connexion between the fact and the inference^ may also dis- cover the proper method of rebutting the latter. As we have, after the closest study, found ourself incapable of effecting the former we shall not at- tempt the latter enterprise. We have now reached the last matter treated in the circular of the Managers — the amount of mo- neys contributed by the Baptists to the American Bible Society, and the disposition which ought to have been made of such funds. It would be in vain for us to attempt to disguise the feelings of re- pugnance with which we enter upon the discussion of such a subject. The questions connected with it do not properly affect the merits of the contro- versy arising out of the stand taken by the Ameri- can Bible Society relative to Baptist versions of the Holy Scriptures. If it could be sustained by the Board of Managers, that they had pursued an in- variable policy regarding foreign translations from the foundation of the Society, and that this policy is required by their Constitution and the Address of the Convention that formed the Society, they would not be bound by any principle of law or equity to 138 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY dispose of funds contributed without condition, otherwise than as their Constitution prescribed ; of course, not to return them to the donors or give th^m to another Society. On the other hand, if the Ma- nagers have adopted a new line of poUcy, not re- quired by the Constitution or Address, but antago- nist to principles contained in one of those docu- ments, and contrary to their previous course of action — a policy which excludes a portion of the donors from the justly expected benefits of their donations — the duty of the Managers is evidently to retrace their steps, rescind their resolutions, aban- don their new line of policy, and resume harmo- nious action with those whom they have disaffected- If indeed insuperable obstacles to the professed and established constitutional action of a Society occur, it may then be proper to disorganize and divide the funds, and reorganize upon different principles. Such an emergency no one professes to have disco- vered, and we think that we have proved in the preceding articles that the true state of the case is one which requires the Managers to return to the policy which for twenty years they pursued with satisfaction to all their constituents. Under these circumstances we should not on tlie present occasion allude to the amount of funds contributed by Baptists to the American Bible So- ciety, had not more than one quarter oi the circular of the Managers been devoted to an earnest endea- vour to show how small a sum had really been re- ceived from our denomination. We do not mean AND THE BAPTISTS. 139 to censure tliem for this attempt, although we do not admire the manner in which it has been pro- secuted. Where a difference of opinion exists regarding monetary calculations, we believe that it is not cus- tomary for one party alone to examine the books, and publish a statement founded upon them, with- out extending an invitation for some person or per- sons interested for the other party to be present. The propriety of such an invitation we imagine to be most manifest, especially when the accuracy of the supposed calculations depends upon a know- ledge of numerous names and persons with whom the second party can alone be believed to be ac- quainted. In the present instance, the difficulties attending a contrary course of procedure, appear to have been felt by the Managers. " In relation to Life Members, it is not easy to determine the pre- cise number belonging to the Baptist persuasion. In looking over a list of more than 4,000 names, not more than about 100 can be thus identified, while several of these were constituted members by those of other creeds, and several more are still friendly to the Society. But allowing there were 150 Life Members, each of which has con- tributed $30, the total would amount to no more than $4,500, to be added to $600 for Life Directorships." On the other hand the Rev. B. M. Hill, a resident of this city when the circular of the Managers was pubhshed, had from personal examination of the Reports from 1829 to 1836, ascertained that there were " at least" " 46 laymen and female Life Mem- bers, by the payment of $1665 ; and 140 clerical 140 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY Life Members, by the payment of $5260, all of whom are Baptists." This information has been frequently published and was in the possession of the Managers when they issued the circular ; yet they have not availed themselves of any opportunity of testing its accu- racy, nor that of their own, by inviting the aid of persons extensively acquainted with the names and doings of Baptists, while preparing their statement. We may add, that the list of names of Life Mem- bers marked by Mr. Hill as Baptists, has been exa- mined by several of the oldest and most intelligent Baptist ministers in the United States, and by them is regarded as correct so far as it extends. It would be improper not to add, that the apprehended defi- ciency consists in the omission of names of persons, who, from lapse of time and other circumstances, cannot be loit/i certainty designated as Baptists. A perfect list would probably much increase the num- ber of Baptist Life Members. The same reasoning applies to Life Directors. The Managers can out of 400 find only four from contributions by Baptists. Mr. Hill has found at least ten, and adds — <' While upon this subject it may not be amiss for me to remark that, while the above proves the in- correctness of the assertion that ^ there is only one Baptist minister a Life Director,' it is only true in part that the one alluded to, was constituted such by a Presbyterian elder. That minister was a Life Member by the payment of $30, but the Presby- AND THE BAPTISTS. 141 terian elder subsequently made a large donation to the Society, and availed himself of the constitu- tional privilege of nominating a number of his per- sonal friends as Life Directors and Members ; of this number the minister in question was one, by the addition of $120 to the previous subscription* Here, also, I think proper to notice an assertion that one person, at least, has been very forward to use as an argument to prove the unprofitableness of the Baptists as ' partners in the joint concern' of the American Bible Society, that is, that they ha^^e but few names on the list ot directors and members. Now, those lists are swelled to a great length with names which appear there, not always upon the credit of their own subscriptions, but of large dona- tions or legacies of other individuals. One instance of which I have named, and I could name others. Indeed, but few such donations have been made by Paedo-bapti'sts without claiming the utmost privi- lege of that sort to which they were entitled : while on the other hand, the Baptists, who either did not understand the advantage of such things, or were entirely indifferent to them, gave their money rea- dily, without seeking any other benefit by it than that of blessing the world with the word of God. I know of nearly §20,000 beiug contributed by Baptists in heavy sums, who so far as I can learn, did not confer the privilege of directorship or mem- bership upon a single person. And the church of which the minister just alluded to, is pastor,* has * S. H. Cone, Pastor of the Oliver-street Baptist church, New- York, is the indindual thus distinguished ; and the $120 -were paid 13 142 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY contributed to the funds of the Society enough to constitute him and many others, Life Directors, if they had chosen to do so. Therefore, although I have shown that the Baptists present a respectable number of names whom I recognise as enjoying the privilege spoken of, (and I presume there are many more whose names I never heard,) yet, had the liberal benefactors to whom I have alluded? chosen to avail themselves of the constitutional right of nominating, the Baptist list of directors and members would have outnumbered those of any other denomination." We shall not go through with the estimates made by Mr. Hill, although from extensive correspond- by Arthur Tappan, Esq. As the mild and candid correspondent of the Troy Morning Mail has thought proper to bring this subject be- fore the public, we have deemed it due to truth and justice to state the following facts: In 1830, a legacy of $7,000, left by John With' ington, a Deacon of Oliver-street church, was paid to the treasurer of the American Bible Society. In 1833, a legacy of $300 to the game Society, was bequeathed by Mrs. Abijah Marshall, a member of the same church. From 1830 to 1835 inclusive, the Oliver-street Female Bible Society, being a branch of the New-York Female Bible Society, auxiliary to the American Bible Society, paid in like manner $786 72. This sum was of course credited to the New-York Fe- male Bible Society, and Pgedo-baptists, at a distance, would never dream that the money had been given by Baptists. This is a single instance of Baptist co-operation with the American Bible Society in former years. How many similar cases exist, we have not the means of ascertaining ; but enough is certainly known to convince every unprejudiced mind, that the single Baptist minister in ques- tion might have enjoyed the honour of being Life Director of the American Bible Society, without the intervention of foreign aid ; and that all insinuations about Baptists being "unprofitable partners in the joint concern," are too vague and unfounded to be safely re- iterated. AND THE BAPTISTS. 143 ence on the subject since the commencement of these articles, we are convinced that in placing the sum total of Baptist contributions at $100,000, he has confined himself very far within the true amount. A strong argument against Baptist liberal- ity has been constructed by the Managers from the fact, that only one of our denomination contributed for the building erected by the Bible Society. No allusion is made, however, to a fact equally import- ant to this view of the case, that Baptists are al- most universally opposed to this kind of endowment of voluntary societies. Our Foreign Mission, Home Mission, American and Foreign Bible, and our Pub- lication Societies are all destitute of such endow- ments. We design to express no opinion upon the propriety or expediency of such views, but we state well known facts, that Baptists in this country con- duct their most efficient Societies without the pos- session of buildings, and that they entertain strong objections against the endowment of voluntary in- stitutions by the possession of any kind of perma- nent funds. While, as we have stated, there is sufficient evi- dence that the contributions of Baptists have amounted to more than $100,000, it must be borne in mind that in many parts of the country, the Baptists constituted one-third, and in some, as in Chenango county, of this state, and in Beaufort District, S. C, more than one half of the supporters of the American Bible Society ; yet it was a prin- ciple invariably observed by them, to denominate 144 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY no auxiliary even when, as in some instances, composed wholly of Baptists, by a denominational title. It must be obvious to all who reflect upon the matter, that sufficient information concerning the contributions of Baptists, to enable a person to form correct estimates, could not be procured from Psedo- baptists alone. If the question were asked, how much have Presbyterians contributed to the Ame- rican Bible Society, there would be a manifest im- propriety in requesting Baptists alone to point out who among the contributors were Presbyterians, and what proportion they gave in certain districts, and then to publish the result to the world as the sum of Presbyterian benefactions. Yet in the present instance, from all our inquiries upon the subject, we cannot ascertain that a single Baptist has been applied to for information which never could have been procured from Paedo-baptists. Of the $100,000 supposed by Mr. Hill to have been contributed by Baptists, from forty to fifty thousand were included in legacies. The Mana- gers admit 318,000 in the following words : " The aggregate of legacies received from Baptists, so far as known to the Board, is no more than $18,000 ; namely, from the estate of John Fleetwood Marsh, deceased, of Eastchester, New- York, $10,000 ; from that of John Withington, of New- York, $7,000; and from that of Josiah Penfield, of Georgia, $1,000." Of the rest of the sum they thus dispose : «' But it is said that although the $40,000 or 50,000 of legacies spoken of as furnished to the Society may not as yet be actually paid AND THE BAPTISTS. 145 over, still that sum will be paid from the residuum of the estate of Mr. Marsh, according to the provisions of his will. The American Bible Society, it is true, is one of the residuary legatees of said estate. How far there is a prospect of any speedy avails from this qiiarter will be seen after reading the following letter from the executor. This letter was procured in consequence of a statement in the Bap- tist Advocate in relation to this residuum, that * a simple legal pro- cess is alone necessary to transfer it to their (American Bible So- ciety's) coffers — a process which the Board can at its own option pursue.' "Hackensack, 18th Jan. 1840. " Dear Sir, — In reply to your letter of the loth instant, respect- ing information of the present condition of the legacy left by the late Mr. Marsh to the American Bible Society, I have to state that by the will of Mr. Marsh, the Society, in addition to the legacy of $10,000 which has been paid, are residuary legatees in common with the grand- children and their children of the eight uncles of the testator, the Society to receive one-third — the aforesaid children the other two- thirds. The residuary legatees are very numerous, and scattered throughout England. We have ascertaihed about one hundred, and, from information received, there are at least as many more whoso names we have not been able to ascertain. Proceedings have been instituted in the Court of Chancery to have the estate settled, but from various causes it has not been brought to a close, and when it will be, it is impossible for me to say. I am advised that I cannot safely pay any of the residuary legatees without having them all brought, in some way, into court, so as to be bound by a decree, in order to a final settlement of the estate. Very respectfully, yours, &c. James Hague." We have the testimony of Mr. Hague to different individuals, that the portion of the residuum thus coming to the American Bible Society was, several years ago, not less than §25,000, and we know that at the compound interest which by skilful manage- ment it draws, the present amount is more than 13* 146 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY $30,000. Here, so far as it can affect the argumentj the matter might be left, since the legacy is as much a bequest of a Baptist to the American Bible So- ciety as though the money had been actually re- ceived and were already expended. But as the Managers make an important point of the fact that the money has not yet been paid over, it becomes us to look at Mr. Hague's note. The first part of it is founded upon the will. One third of the resi- duum of the property is to be paid to the Society. The specific legacies have been paid and the resi- duum is in the executor's hands. No clause in the will prevents him from paying the residuary lega- tees so soon as he can ascertain the amount to which they are legally entitled. It must be evident at a glance that the share of the Society is not in the least affected by the number of the other resi- duary legatees. There may be one or there may be ten thousand of the latter, and still the Society's share would be in either case precisely one third of the whole amount now in the executor's hands. It is true that he may require a bond of indemnity from the Society before paying over the money, but it is equally true that in the case of John Withing- ton a similar bond was demanded and freely given. It is also true that Mr. Hague has said on more than one occasion, as we have been informed, that he is prepared to pay over the money whenever such bond is given. We here leave this painful subject, and with it we terminate our remarks upon the circular. AND THE BAPTISTS. 147 It was our original design to sum up the facts and arguments which we have adduced to disprove the statements and confute the reasoning of the Ma- nagers, but we fear to trespass so much on the pa- tience of our readers. Enough has been said to convince every candid person that the late policy of the American Bible Society towards the Baptists is unjustifiable, and that the course of reasoning by which the Managers have endeavoured to sustain it, is unsound in argument and incorrect in matters of fact. Such is the history of the events which produced the separation between the American Bible Society and the Baptists. The latter had for nearly twenty years cordially co-operated with other evangelical denominations in the dissemination of the lively oracles of God. They wished no separation ; they sought it not. They adopted no new line of policy ; they propagated no novel doctrine ; they changed no existing relation. Yet in the midst of apparent prosperity, when the coffers of the American Bible Society were overflowing, and new fields of useful- ness were eagerly sought for the disbursement of rapidly increasing means, the Baptists were cut off from participation in the funds. The measure was adopted in a season of profound peace, when, more than at any preceding period, evangelical denomi- nations in this country were united in benevolent action. It was adopted, not only without provoca- tion on our part, but against our most earnest pro- testations. It was adopted in view of the heathen 148 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY perishing for lack of knowledge, and in the face of an infidel world ready to rejoice at dissension among professing christians. The American Bible Society is no longer what it was. It once towered majestically, a pyramid of christian benevolence. Firm in the strength of its impartiality and its disinterestedness, it bid fair to withstand for centuries the varying winds of de- nominational feeling, or even the fierce storms of sectarian persecution. It feared no danger from enemies. But in a moment of profound calm, its professed friends, the very guard entrusted ivith its defence^ have loosed and thrown out from the base one of the massive stones that sustained the immense su- perstructure ; and it now stands — a still towering fabric — but mutilated, disfigured, and weakened. APPENDIX. Ik preparing the present volume for the press, we had designed to Compile a tabular view of the rendering of /^arrrt^w in ancient and modern versions of the Scriptures, and had secured the promise of friends to assist in the undertaking. In the mean while the pam- phlet, the title page of which is given below has made its appear- ance, and covers nearly the whole ground. A Critical examination of the rendering of the xcord ^a-zvi^ij) tn the ancient and many of the modern versions of the New Testament, ivith especial reference to Dr. Henderson' s animadversions upon Mr. Greenfield's statements on the suhjcct. By F. W. Gotch, A. R , Trinity College, Dublin. London: Thomas Ward , (Heb. ^I^^i^) « finger ^ especially the first or index finger. Where is the connexion between the two? The Arabic makes it clear, by referring the two words to different roots -^ {tsabaa) "intendit digitum," whence ^r^^ {atsha) " digitus ;" and "^ {tsahagha) " tinxit, immersit.'"* Indeed, there could be no distinction in Syriac between c and a. The change of the v;i> into the Syriac ? is not so easy ; yet we know that letters of the same organ are interchangeable ; and it seems to have been on this general principle that Michaelis rested, since he gives no example of such a change. Hoifman, in his Syriac Grammar, gives an instance of a precisely similar change in a proper name, " Ariageram j-i-4.5?] , ^^55H^*, (Sale's Koran, Prelim, Diss. p. 20.) But it would seem that different sects were confounded, owing to the similarity of their designations : and all recent authorities agree in deriving the desig- V nation of the Mendai Jahia from the Syriac word xh-O. ; the meaning of which Dr. Henderson gives, " to sink, dip, or put under water." See, in addition to the authors already referred to, Mi- s' chaelis Lex. Syr. sub voce '^j^.d.. 162 APPENDIX. different origin ; and, secondly, if there were such a connexion, it is plain that it is not in that sense that it could be employed as an equivalent for ^aTiTi^co, and consequently must have acquired a secondary meaning. We must therefore appeal to the use of the word. On this point the Lexicons are decided. Castel and his editor Michaelis, Buxtorf, and Schaaf, are all unanimous. The first gives the following mean- ings : " Ablutus est, baptizatus est. Aj^hel, immer- sit, baptizavit." Buxtorf gives, " Baptizari, intingi. ablui, abluere se. Ethp. Idem. Aphel^ baptizare." Schaaf: " Abkiit se, ablutus, intinctus, immersus in aquam, baptizatus est. Ethpeel^ Idem, quod Peal. Aphelj immersit, baptizavit." Gutbier, in the small Lexicon afiixed to his edition of the Syriac Testa- ment, gives the meanings, "Baptizavit, baptizatus est. It. sustentavit ;" but without any reference to support the last meaning, and it is apparently intro- duced simply for the purpose of deducing from the verb the noun j^nViS columna. With this excep- tion, the authority of the Lexicons referred to is altogether against any such meaning as " to stand." Schaaf compares the word with the Hebrew ^^3^ stetit. and the Arabic ^y^^ Re altlore, columna^ Paloj sustinuit. fulsit^ stabilavit, ercxit, &c., but does not give the slightest hint that any of these meanings are extant in the Syriac verb. The authority of Lexicons, however, is of small account, unless it can be confirmed by the use of APPENDIX, 163 the word. We therefore proceed to an examina- tion of the Syriac Version, and Syrian Authors, on the point in question. In the Syriac New Testament, the verb ,-1^ occurs eighty times, answering in seventy-nine in- stances to the verb puTTri^co, in one (Matt. iii. 7) to the noun §d7TT(CfJia : the noun JJ, Vi SV^ occurs fif- teen times, answering in fourteen instances to pannazrig, and in one to the participle ^a7iti<^(ov : ,0 3: > y the noun jA A^nV^Wn occurs thirty-one times, an- swering to ^dnriGua in twenty-one instances, to ^anriaiiog in four, to q)(oziG&8vt£g in two (Heb. vi. 4. and X. 32. where ' bein/jr enlightened' is manifestly taken by the translator as a figurative expression for having been baptized in accordance with the well-known usage of the Fathers ;*) and to y.olvfi^r^d-Qa in four, viz. John v. 2, 4, 7. and ix. 7. The root thus is used, in all, in 126 instances. The Greek verb ^anri^oj occurs eighty times, the noun ^anriarrig fourteen, ^aTTtiafia twenty-two, and ^anTiaiiog four ; in all, 120. From this comparison it will be seen, that in every instance where the word ^aTTti^co, or any of its derivatives, is employed in the Greek, some form of the root v p \ is used in * Vid. Suiceri Thesaurus EccleS. sub. voce (^wri^ to thy feet ; and that yet at a small river that same • Assemanni Bibliotheca Orientalis, T. I. p. 101. 15 166 APPENDIX. head of thine should be subjected to he bowed dowfi and baptized in it f^^ y-i^9 ooi >_£] j^oJ^I ]?aii^ OLS ji^o ^?5 . io^oi f.s>^Lk,]* In this exam- ple, not only is the manner of the baptism express- ed by the word ^5 (which is found in John xix. 30. " he bowed his head,") united with ,IaL., but there is a contrast drawn between the sea being subjected to the feet of Christ, and his head being subjected to a small river ; which seems to admit of no other sense, than that, as the sea was placed under his feet, so his head was placed under the river. In the Ritual of the Nestorians, which is record- ed to have been compiled by Jesujabus Adjabenus.f Patriarch of this section of the Syriac Church from the year 650 to 660,+ there occur the following di- rections, respecting the administration of baptism : — " The deacons, properly attired, lead the children covered with a veil, lest the holy oil should touch their garments ; and bring them to the priest, who^ standing on the western side of Jordan, [i. e. the iont or baptistery] turns the face of the child to the east, and dips him in water ^ \ *Vio ci^ ^ ^i^ LSp * Ephraim Syri Opera Gr. Syr. et Lat. studio Assemanni. Rom, 17o2 — 46 T. III. p. 24. It is much to be lamented that there is no index to this splendid edition of the works of Ephraim; doubtless, with such aid, other passages might be found. As it is, this, which is the fruit of a somewhat laborious search, must suffice. t Assemanni Bibliotheca Orientalis, T. III. Pt. 2. p. ccxli. ^Ibid. T. Ill.Pt. l.p. 113. APPENDIX. 167 and lays his hand upon his head and says, Such a one is baptized ^-^ r^^ i^ ^^^ name of the Father, dec."* Here ^^"^ is evidently consi- dered to be synonymous with \^^, the meaning of which isj unqestionably, to be immersed. This examination leads us to a very different conclusion from that of Dr. Henderson, who asserts that ''such a sense (viz. of immersing) cannot be proved to attach either to the etymology of the word or to its actual use in any part of the New Testa- ment" (p. 10 ;) and afterwards, that the reader of the Syriac New Testament has only to consult the passages in which baptism is spoken of, and he will find that this ancient and venerable version, so far from yielding any support to the hypothesis that immersion of the body in water is the mode in which John and our Lord's disciples performed that rite, goes, on the contrary, to establish the opinion that it was performed by the application of water to the body in a standing posture, such as we find in the ancient representations" (p. 11.) Now, with regard to the etymology of the word, it is readily conceded, that from that, immerse cannot be prov- ed to be its meaning. But as respects its use, it has been shown to be absolutely necessary to give some other meaning than that of " standing ;" and that the meaning which actually is given in the version of the Bible, as well as by Syriac writers, is iininer- sion or ablution. * Asaemanni Bibliotheca Orientalis, T. III. Pt. 2. p. ccxliii. 16y APPENDIX. It is no answer to this statement to say, with Dr. Henderson, that " where a word signifying * to dipj' is required, the verb employed is not ^^^^ the verb uniformly used in reference to baptism, but ^^^-». ," if it has been shown that the meaning of the former word is immerse. No one doubts that ^^b-o, has that meaning, but it does not therefore follow that j^^ has not. The Philoxenian Syriac Version does not re- quire a special examination. The same word is used there as in the Peshito, and of course with the same meaning. ARABIC. The Arabic Versions next claim our attention, not on account of their antiquity or critical autho- rity, but because they are, particularly as regards the question under consideration, connected with the Syriac. The history of the early Arabian Ver- sions is very obscure. The first printed edition of the Gospels is that published at Rome in 1590 ; and the same impression, with another title-page, bearing the date 1619. Michaelis considers that this version must have been long and generally known in Asia ; and Marsh refers it to a period not later than the eleventh century. How much earlier it may be, there is no evidence to decide. No Ara- bic Version, however, it is generally supposed, can be referred to an earlier period than the seventh APPENDIX. 1 69 century. From this edition, the Arabic Gospels in the Paris Polyglott (1645,) and the London Poly- glott (1657,) were, with some alteration, taken. Erpenius published the New Testament in Arabic at Leyden, in 1616, from a manuscript of the thir- teenth or fourteenth century. His edition is very much esteemed, but, unfortunately, very rare. With regard to the Gospels, it is said to present the same version substantially as the edition at Rome. The remaining books of the New Testament in the Paris Polyglott were printed from a manuscript of the fourteenth century, and from it reprinted in the London Polyglott.* Besides these ancient versions there are, the Version of the Propaganda at Rome (1671,) and of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London, 1727 ; both of which have for their basis the Polyglott Version, but have been altered by their respective editors ; the one to ac- cord w^ith the Yulgate, the other with the Greek Text. A new translation of the whole Bible in Arabic was undertaken about thirty years ago, by Sabat, then an apparently sincere and zealous con- vert from the Mohammedan religion ; and his ver- sion of the New Testament was published at Cal- cutta in 1816, at the expense of the British and Foreign Bible Society. From this sketch, it will be seen that the ancient * A splendid reprint of the Arabic Bible of the London Polyglott was executed at Newcastle, 1811, under the superintendence of llie late Professor of Arabic, the Rev. J. D. Cariyle, B, D. 15* 170 APPENDIX. Arabic Versions are not to be considered as inde- pendent witnesses ; and it will suffice to examine at length the Arabic of Walton's Polyglott, which is most accessible. The Arabic of the Polyglott employs two differ- ent words to designate Christian baptism, jj^ {amada) and '^. {tsahagha ;) the former of these verbs occurs, as the translation of ^annZoo, forty-seven times; the latter, thirty-one. The meaning of the first may be fairly considered to be determined from its use in the Syriac, on account of the priority of the Syriac translation. The tisual meaning ol J^ is, undoubtedly, " to make to stand, support, establish, purpose," &;c. ; and it is possible that it may be used in one of these senses in the New Testament : but in a careful examina- tion of the passages in which it might be expected to occur, I have not been able to find it. The noun %f^ {mnudon) occurs, in the sense of * pillar,' in the passages in which the corresponding Syriac word is found. It has already been noticed, that Freytag refers the meaning ' baptize' to the Syriac, as its source. The meaning of the other word, ^, which is not noticed at all hy Dr. Hender- son^ is thus given by Golius : " I. Tinxit. pannmn. Imbuit. Immersit manum in aqua, Baptizavit. Indicium fecit oculi nutu. VII. et Vltl. Pass t^? Conj. I." ; and by Freytag, " Tinxit pannum ; im- APPENDIX. 171 mersit manum in aqua^ &c."* It is the same root as the Syriac word, which is considered by Dr. Henderson decisive as to the meaning of the Syriac, and which he says signifies " to sink, dip, or put into water for the purpose of wetting." There seems, therefore, to be no room for controversy, as to its signification. But not only do we thus find a word the acknowledged meaning of which is ' im^merse^ used frequently in the Arabic to desig- nate the ordinance of baptism, but it is so used as to show in what sense the other word employed j^ was understood by the translator. The two words occur, in many instances interchangeably. The effect of this interchange will perhaps be best seen by giving two or three of the passages in English, retaining the word baptize as the representative of J^ and rendering "^ by immerse. Thus Acts viii. 12 & 13 ; " When they believed Philip preach- ing the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were immersed both men and women. Then Simon himself be- lieved also; and when he was baptized, &c." Acts viii. 36 g^xpwiH, in the Sa- hidic dialect Greek words are far more numerous than they are in the Coptic. In twenty-five verses which I have examined in Woide's Sahidic frag- ments (Acts viii. 1 — 25) there are thirty-eight Greek words (exclusive of particles,) twenty-five of them 184 APPENDIX. different ; giving, on an average, three Greek words to every two verses. ARMENIAN. The Armenian Version of the whole Bible was made about the beginning or middle of the fifth century, by Miesrob, the inventor of the Armenian Alphabet, assisted by other learned men ; and amongst them, Moses Chorenensis, who wrote a History of Armenia which has come down to us, in which he gives an account of the translation. The word which it employs for the translation of ^a7zri^(o is J^pmB-jf^ (mogredil ;) except in one in- stance, 1 Cor. i. 16. where the phrase dal gnikj ' to give a seal,' occurs. The meaning of the word is thus given in the Armenian Lexicon of Brand and Aucher, the most recent Lexicon that has been published : " mogredil ; v. a, to baptize, to wash by plunging into water." No examples are given to this or any other word throughout the Dictionary. In a language so little known to English scholars, it might be deemed sufficient to rest on the authority of the learned Father Paschal Aucher, of the Ar- menian Academy of St. Lazarus at Yenice, who is acquainted with the English language ; but it will be more satisfactory to find other instances of the use of the word. The word is used in the New Testament to translate ^a/rz/foj, where the reference is to Jewish ablutions, Mark vii. 4. Luke xi. 38. It is also APPENDIX, 185 used ill the Old Testament (where ^anrit,^ is used in the Lxx.) 2 Kings v. 14 : Naaman " dipped himself in the Jordan seven limes ;" and in the Apocrypha, Judith xii. 7.* and Ecclus. xxxiv. 30. in both of which passages ^a7iriX(o occurs. Thus we see that it is a word applicable to all the mean- ings of^aTTTiXco ; and undoubtedly signifies, in one instance, c^ip ; inothers, at least, bathe, ox perform ablution. The modern Armenian Version employs the same term : and it is still the current word in the lan- guage to designate baptism. SLAVONIC. The Slavonic Version of the New Testament, and of parts at least of the Old, was made by Cyril, the inventor of the Slavonic Alphabet, and Metho- dius, his brother, who, about the middle of the ninth century, introduced Christianity amongst several of the Slavic tribes. It is not certain for what par- ticular district the translation was made ; but the language " has long since become the common pro- perty of all the Slavic nations."! The term by which it uniformly renders ^«;rrtfca, when that word is applied to the Christian rite, is krestiti ; the meaning of which is " to crossj^ a * It is used also in the following verse, where the Greek has avefSri. \ See an elaborate article on the Slavic Languages and Literature, by Dr. E. Robinson, in the Biblical Repository, Vol. IV. Nos. 14 &nd 15. 186 APPENDIX. term which has manifestly been derived from the use of the sign of the cross in baptism. The word is thus, in strictness, inapphcable to any other than the technical meaning of ^ami^m : yet it is curious to notice, both as showing how little dependence can be placed on etymology alone in deciding the actual meaning of a word, and as indicating the manner in which they practised baptism, that so completely had the word, at the time when the translation was made, lost its etymological meaning when applied to baptism, and obtained the signifi- cation of ablution, as to be employed for Jewish purifications. Thus in Luke xi. 38. we meet with the following translation : " The Pharisee wonder- ed that he had not, krestisia, crossed himself before dinner ;" where the margin reads, y?nusia, washed : and in like manner the noun, krestshenia^ is used Mark vii. 8. " the crossing of pots and cups ;" — omovenia is found in the margin, the same word as is used to translate ^anzianog^ Heb. ix. 10. Many modern versions in languages belonging to the Slavic family adopt the same term as the Slavonic employs. Amongst these, are the Russian, Polish, Bohemian, Lithuanian, and Lettish or Li- vonian. GOTHIC. The whole of the Scriptures was translated into that dialect of the Gothic which was spoken by the inhabitants of Moesia, by Ulphilas, Bishop of the Moesians, in the fourth century. The greater part APPENDIX. 187 of this version has been lost ; and the only remain- ing portion of any considerable extent is preserved in the Cordex Argenteus, now deposited in the Uni- versity of Upsal. From this manuscript the Gos- pels (as far as they are extant) have been several times printed. The edition most accessible in this country is that published at Oxford, in 1750, by Lye, with a Latin translation and notes by Benzel. The word usually employed in this version to translate ^aTtu^co is AAtllig)VN' (dcmpjayi,) which, it is on all hands agreed, signifies iminerse. If proof were wanting, the meaning would seem to be determined by the preposition with which the word is used, where a preposition is employed ; e. g. Mark i. 8. iK A>\tinQA l2;VlS IN y^TIN, ' I baptize you in water.' Dr. Hender- son admits that the word means to immerse^ but seems to concede this meaning somewhat unwill- ingly. '•' That the Gothic daiipjan^'^ he says, '• may signify to immerse, is not denied ; though this action is more properly expressed in that lan- guage by ufdauj)jan^^ It will be immediately seen that this latter word is a compound of the former, with the preposition X\\z w/, which signifies under y and it seems quite clear, that if iifdaupjan means to dip under, daupjan must mean to dip ; it is just the difference between mergo and suhmergo. There need, however, be no hesitation as to the meaning Ulphilas attached to dmipjan, or at least none as to the mode in which he translated 188 APPENDIX. ^aTtnico ; for in two instances he employs the very word by which immersion is, according to Dr. Henderson, "more properly expressed," TII^cLIIIIQA^/ ^^ ^^® translation of §a7tTiX found two very distinct questions — the etymology of the words, and their signification. Their cor- respondence in sound will certainly prove nothing of itself, as to sameness 'of meaning ; nor am I aware that, with regard to these particular words, such an assertion has ever been made ; but this correspondence afi'ords evidence of etymological identity, whatever diversity of meaning the words may at present have. Now, that all these words are etymologically connected, and are, in fact, but varied forms of the same original word, admits of as litde dispute as their correspondence in sound ; and it cannot be necessary to inform Dr. Henderson that this is '• a settled point with all who are ac- quainted with these dialects." Every philologist knows that the root daiipjan (taking the Gothic as the most ancient form) is to be traced in almost all the Teutonic dialects. It would be tedious to pro- duce numerous authorities in proof of this assertion. It will be sufficient to quote the etymological dic- tionary of Meidinger : and the reader who wishes for farther confirmation of the fact may consult the works mentioned in the note, vv^icre he will find similar lists, more or less extensive : — "Dippen, eintauchen, enf oncer ^ jtlonger. Ang. S. dippan, dyppan, j)longer^ haptiser : dyfan, du- fian, gedufian, plonger. Eng. to dip, to dive, plonger. HoU. doopen. Swed. doepa. Dan. dyppe. It. tuflfare. 17 190 APPENDIX. " Taufen, haptiser. Ang. S. dyppan, dippan, depan, dyfan. Swed. doepa. Dan. doebe. Holl. doopen. Alt. D. doufan. Alt. G. daupian, pZo??^- er, se laver. " Taufe, hapteme. Alt. D. taufi, toufe, toufa, daufi, doufa, touft. Alt. G. daupein(s.) Holl. doop, doopingj doopsel. Swed. dop, doepelse. Dan. daab. It. tuffo, V action de plonger.^^* It cannot then for a moment be supposed, that when Dr. Henderson asserted that it was a settled point that the reference to the Teutonic dialects was altogether irrelevant, he meant to deny the ety- mological identity of the words ; though his re- mark, ' that they correspond in sound,* naturally suggests to the mind of the reader the idea that their etymology was the point he had in view. It must surely have been, rather, that he might not puzzle the unlearned reader with questions of phi- lology, that he dismissed the comparison of them with the remark that dah^ dub, and daub have the * Meidinger Dictionnaire Etymologique et compai-atif des Langues Teutogothiques. Frankfort, 1833, p. 400. It will be seen, that the first list of verbs contains those whose ordinary signification is dip ; whilst the second gives such as are more immediately connect- ed with taufen in the sense baptize. A comparison of the two lists, however, will show that the same words of the Anglo-Saxon, Dutch, and Swedish, are included in both. It therefr re seemed proper to insert the whole ; though the second sufficiently establishes the ety- mological connexion of all the words mentioned by Dr. Henderson as the translation of (iaitri^w. See also Junius Gothicum Glossa- rium and his Etymologicum Anglicanum, Spellman, Wachter Glos- sarium Germanicum, Ihre Glossarium Suio-Gothicum (quoted below,) and Adelung's Worterbuch. APPENDIX. 191 same correspondence. Had he explicitly stated, that, though similar, not in sound merely, but in etymo- logy, nothing would be more erroneous than to con- clude that therefore they all must have the same signification, every one at all acquainted with the history of languages must immediately have ad- mitted the truth of the remark. Their etymology proves nothing as to their signification ; yet it must be allowed, on the other hand, that whilst it does not by any means determine the matter, it is to be regarded as prima-facie evidence of their meaning. It will, however, be needful in this case to enter on a more extended examination of the separate ver- sions than we have hitherto bestowed on modern translations. GERMAN. — The Germans translate ^aTZTi^ca by taufen. It is certain, that not this word, but tauchen, elntauchen^ are now in use to express dip or immerse ; and that taiifen is, in its ordinary use, confined to the ecclesiastical meaning, baptize. But it is plain, that it must have had, if it does not now retain, some meaning besides the more restrict- ed one which it at present generally bears ; unless, indeed, it had been a word coined for the sole pur- pose of expressing the Christian rite. Now, we have shown that it is etymologically connected with the Gothic daupjafi, which means to immerse ; and which is employed in the Gothic Version, as taufen is in the German, to designate Christian baptism. Moreover, the word is found in the Ger- man language, with but slight variation of form, as 192 APPENDIX. early as the ninth century. In the metrical Ver- sion of the Gospels by Ottfried, about the year 870, the word is doufan ;* and in the Version of Ta- tian's Harmony, also in the German of the ninth century, toufan.\ In the fifteenth century, thirty- four years before Luther's Version appeared, the word taufen^ precisely in the same form in which he employed it, is used in a German Version of the Gospels and Epistles of the Roman Catholic Ser- vice. t Thus the word is clearly traced from the Gothic of the fourth century to the time of Luther. The question then seems to resolve itself into this ; Was the meaning immerse^ which belonged to the Gothic, retained in the later German ; or had it wholly lost that meaning when it became a Ger- man word ? To answer this question, we need go no further back than the age of Luther. We find indisputable evidence that at that time it had ano- ther meaning than the technical one, and that that meaning was its etymological one, immerse or dip. Luther translates the ^^q^ {immerg6)hy this word, 2 Kings V. 14 : " Naaman went down and {taufte) dipped himself seven times in the Jordan." Be- sides this, Luther, in his sermon on the sacrament * Adelang's Worterbuch. t Das Evangelium des h. Mattheeus im Hochdeutsch des neunten Jahrhunderts aus dem St. Galler Codex der Tatianischen Evange- lienharmonie von J. A. Schmeller. Siuitg. 1827. X Ewangelia und epistel mit der gloss auch anfang der mess, &c. dtirch Thoma Ansshelm von Bade Getruckt, und vollendet zu Strass- burg, 1483. APPENDIX of Baptism, expressly declares, that though it is no longer the general practice to immerse children in baptism, it is nevertheless right that the child, or other person to be baptized, should according to the meaning of the word ( Taufe^) be sunk and dipped [taufte) all over in the water, and again raised up.* In this passage, Luther not only asserts that the meaning of the word is properly c?ip, but himself uses it in this sense; for what other meaning can be affixed to it here ? Knapp, speaking of the meaning of the word ^anri^eiv, says it " properly signifies to dip {like the German taufen.) to im- merse, to wash by immersion.''! Augustit says, '' the German name Taufe is unquestionably derived from Tiefe (depth ;") and refers to Luther's sermon, quoted above. It will be immediately seen that this derivation is the same as that which we have esta- blished above : the noun Tiefe^ as well as our English words ' depth,' and ' deep,' being all refera- ble to the verb ' dip,' daupjaii. Augusti adds, '• It is altogether an extraordinary thing [Bios eineson- derbarlceit ist es,) that many would derive it from the Hebrew letter Tau, or from Tav or Taf -\j^ sig- 7iu7n, and so compare it with the Greek term * " So sollt' es doch so seyn und ware recht, dass man nach Laut des Wortleins (Taufe) das Kind, oder jeglichen, der getauft wird, ganz hinein in's Wasser senkte und taufte, und wieder herauszoge." — -Luther^ s Werke von Walch, T. x. p. 2593 ; quoted from Augus- ti's Arckaologie, T. ii. p. 399. t G. C. Knapp's Vorlesungen uber die christliche Glauhcnslehre, T. ii. p. 447. I Handbuch der christlichen Arckaologie, T. ii. p. 312. 17* 194 APPENDIX. 6(pQayig. See He?ir. Alsted Lexic. Theol. c. 12. p. 315. According to others, it must be derived from niPln'D cinnulus ohsignatoriiis : Gerhard^ T. ix. p. 69." — Lastly, Adelung, the highest philologi- cal authority, thus gives the meaning of the word, and examples of its use, in his Dictionary : — "Taufen, verb, regul. act. 1. Properly to dip [tauchen) in water, where it has the same meaning as tauchen^ and differs from it only in the suiRx. ^ A wooden fire-ball dipj}ed {getaiift) in pitch and rosin,' Fronsh. * A caldron in which to dip {tau- fen) the fire-work,' Id. ' Naaman dipped {taufte) himself in the Jordan seven times,' 2 Kings v. 14. where it is used for bathe. ' The Strymon, in which the host of cranes dip {tauft) their crumpled feathers ;' Opitz. In German, this meaning is an- tiquated ; and it is, 2. only used in a special sense, to dip {tauchen) in water, in a religious manner, &c."* The evidence now adduced, amply shows that Dr. Henderson's bold assertion is not warranted in * " Taufen, verb. re^l. act. 1. Eigentlich, in das Wasser tauchen, wo es mit tauchen gleich bedeutend und von demselben nur im Suffixo verschieden ist. Eine holzerne Feuerkugel in Bech und Harz getauft, Fronsb. Kessel, das Feuerwerk darein zu taufen, eben ders. Naeman taufte sich im Jordan sieben Mahl, 2 Kon. v. 14. uro es fur haden stehet. Der Strymon, In den der Kranche Heer die krummen Federn tauft. Opitz. Im Hochdeutscben ist es in dieser Bedeutung veraltet ; wo man es, 2. nur im engern Verstande braucht, auf eine gottesdienstliche Art in das Wa3ser tauchen, &c." Adelung^s Worterbuch, T. iv. p. 924. APPENDIX. 1 95 respect to the meaning of the German word, any more than it is in respect to its etymology. DUTCH. — The word employed for §u7zzi^co in the Dutch Version is doopen: the word generally used for dip is indoopen. No one can doubt that the radical meaning of both words is the same, the dif- ference being merely the addition to the latter of the preposition in. This preposition, however, is not always prefixed when the meaning is to dip ; and it is most surprising that Dr. Henderson should venture the assertion, that 'no Diitclunan, &c. would for a moment suppose the word meant any thing else than baptism, by the application of water to the body of the person baptized ;' when, if we turn to Luke xvi. 24. we find that Lazarus' dipping his finger in water is expressed by this very word, '' That he may dip the tip of his finger in water {in het water doopen) If it be said, the preposi- tion being expressed before the noun, there was no need to repeat it with the verb, but that neverthe- less it is to be understood with it. reference may be made to other passages in which the compound verb is used notwithstanding the preposition in before the noun ; e. g. Matt. xxvi. 23 : " He that dippeth his hand in the dish with me [in de schotel in- doopt :") and the argument would prove too much, since it would include such a passage as the follow- ing. Matt. iii. 6 : " And were baptized by him in the Jordan (gedoopt in de Jordaen.") In addition to this, the following examples of the use of the word doopen for dip may be quoted from 196 A P P E N D I X i Sewel's Dutch and English Dictionary enlarged by Buys, Amst. 1766 : " Brood in wi/?i doojjen, to dip bread into wine. ^i/?i brood in de saus doopen^ to dip one's bread into the sauce." The meanings which he gives to the word are, " To dip, plunge^ baptize, christen.^' In the Old Testament, neither doopen nor indoo- jten is used for dip, but the form is varied to dop- pen and indoppen. The latter word, however, is used, as far as I have been able to ascertain, in only three instances ; viz. Lev. iv. 17. xiv. 16. Josh. iii. 15 : whilst the simple word doppen, without the preposition, is used in four times as many ; e. g. Lev. iv. 6. xiv. 6, 51. 2 Kings v. 14. .^tX-o;-^ wash. Modem (JIartyn) 1S5 i^^M^ ablution. ETHIOPIC ; Amharic 4th cent. 1822 Si