JHE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY AND THE BAPTISTS; OR, THE QUESTION DISCUSSED, SHALL THE WHOLE WORD OF GOD BE GIVEN TO THE HEATHKN ! CONSISTING OF FOUR PARTS, With a Preface, by Rev. R. Babcock, Jr., D.D. I. The Proceedings of tho American Bible Society in relation to the Baptists, drawn from Official Documents by one of the Corres- ponding 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 fiaTrrtfui and it» Cognates. IT W. II. WYCKOFF, A. M. NEW- YORK: JOHN BARKER, 122 NASSAU-STREET, BENNETT, BACKUS & HAWLEY, UTICA : GOULD, KEN- DALL tt LINCOLN, BOSTON. 1841. PREFACE. Ii another publication needed on thin vexed question, — the controversy between the American Bible Society and the Baptists ? Thin will naturally enough be the inquiry, of friends and enemies — and we proceed very briefly to answer it. For three distinct classes of the community, namely — the advocates of the Bible Society as now con- ducted, — the impartial public, — and the Baptists them- selves, some farther exhibition of the principal points of this controversy is needful. When the moments of excitement incident to the par- tisan nature of this movement have passed away and cool retrospection hag exerted its purifying influence, it can scarce fail to occasion regret at least, that a large deno- mination of Christians — the early and steadfast 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 im- perative and most important duty, or cut them oft' from accustomed participation in the benefits of the Associa- tion. If there be a tithe of the genuine liberality and real brotherliness among Pedo-baptists which is professed, 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 time when those who have done this thing, and those who are responsible for its continuance, IV PREFACE. will feel constrained with anxious solicitude 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 domi- nant 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 confided. Our great bene- volent institutions are deservedly attracting a lai-ge share of public attention, and they require to be watched, if not with suspicion, at least with sleepless vigilance. But they cannot be watched without light. The amplest in- formation is requisite. That colossal form of religious perversion and despotism, the pontifical power of the Ro- mish church, grew up gradually, and from small begin- nings. The first wrong step may have been regarded as insignificant, certainly not more alarming, than forbidding to translate 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 practical 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, unselfish spirit, which the founders of the American Bible Society exulted in contemplating ns its sure result. Whether in its management, all practical mea- sures have been resorted to, for preventing a rupture in au enterprise which ought to concentrate upon itself the Love and activity of all who prize the Bible. They will wish to hear the Managers' defence of a course of pro- ceedings so untoward in its influence, and they will also, PREFACE. V it if hoped, evince the commendable candour to examine that defence, and adjust its merits by the scale of facts and sound arguments. But a work like this ia certainly needed among the Baptists th< They have" a right and claim to be put in possession of all the facts which have a bearing so direct and aattensive on their own vital interests. To a very wide extent they yet remain uninformed on this subject. This may Been a direct contradiction of the implication by the Managers in their sneer at us, as "the professed sons of peace/' while in reality engaged in raising an un- common amount of opposition to them and their institu- So far is this from being true, that instances aio constantly occurring, where decided Baptists, unconscious of the obnoxious resolutions which cut us off from an r-pial participation in the societies' appropriations, are still giving large sums to its treasury.* Under these circumstances, Baptist pastors, not defi- cient in zeal for their own institutions, have been so truly as well as " professedly sons of peace," as to have entire- ly abstained from all public exhibition or discussion of what they regard as the flagrant wrong inflicted on them by the American Bible Society. This volume will there- * One case of this kind recently occurred not a hundred miles from New-Y r ork city, where a venerable and generous Baptist bro- ther ga\e $1000 dollars tojthe American Bible Society, fully sup- posing that bia 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 tins >um with another <>f twice the amount. Whether the Managers' circular haiyet reached him, and opened his eyes, is uncertain; but assured]] this volume ought to he put into his hands. Can Baptists ho blamed for thus protecting their owii interests? VI PREFACE. fore be to them a desideratum, and ought to be circulated so widely as to reach every intelligent family and indivi- dual among the millions of Baptists in this country. Another important service will be indirectly accom- plished by it, in assisting to disabuse the minds of our neighbours with respect to the real intention and opera- tion of the American and Foreign Bible Society. With almost unprecedented unanimity the voice of the denomi- nation called for the formation of this institution, when the American Bible Society made itself sectarian by changing its original policy. In every part of the country they have responded to the call made upon them to aid the Ameri- can and Foreign Bible Society, to give the Bible translat- ed to the world. In four or five years they have thus accomplished four times as much for this great enterprise, as they had re- ceived from the American Bible Society, during the whole period of their connexion with it. But while thus lauda- bly and with singleness of purpose, engaged in this great work, (in order to accomplish which, be it remembered, 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 Scriptures. Thousands of the less intel- ligent among our neighbours, the Pedo-baptists, seem to believe, (it is presumed, as they have been taught by those who ought to know better) that the Baptists are endea- vouring to introduce anew Bible, and to corrupt the word of God. This volume will help to undeceive them, by showing the necessity laid upon us for originating another society. Having shown the desirableness of the present publica- tion, it only remains to consider the manner in which the PREFACE. Vll service of preparing it has been porformed. This volume will be found to combine the following excellencies : 1. It presents in a convenient and cheap form for easy r.frrince and wide distribution, all the material facts and arguments in this controversy; not garbled and misrepre- sented, but otlicial 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 happy effect on the reader. In this respect it may be regarded as an uncommonly faultless specimen of the pro- per manner of conducting a religious controversy. 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 im- bodied been present to the minds of the Managers, could they in 1S36 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 contro- ls concerned, this volume will be final. The Mana- gers 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, accom- panied with such a rejoinder as will probably satisfy those whom it defends. May it not be reasonably hoped that strife and contention will henceforth cease ? That buth Vlll PREFACE. parties in this controversy will turn their thoughts to some feasible plan of adjusting this painful difficulty ? Or if that cannot be secured, that like Abraham and Lot, with their respective servants, the two institutions may hence- forth choose their respective spheres, and prosecute their high purposes with no strife between them. R. B. Poughkeepsie, 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 circumstance is mentioned to account for peculiari- ties of phraseology, which may be deemed more suitable to a pe- riodical than to a book. We would also mention that we are in- debted to Mr. John F. Trow, Printer, of this city, for the Syriac, Arabic, Persic aDd Ethiopic type used in the Appendix. AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY THE BAPTISTS. The following brief sketch of the proceedings of tho Board of Managers of the American Bible Society, rela- tive to the Baptist versions of the Scriptures in Asia, may be regarded as official. It was prepared by the Rev. Spencer H. Cone, who at the time was one of the Cor- responding Secretaries of the institution, and the docu- ments which it embraces were copied from the records of the Society. PROCEEDINGS, dec. Am. Bib. Society's House, New-York, Aug. Gth, 1835. At the regular meeting of the Board of Managers, Mr. Brigham presented a letter from F. A. Packard, dated Philadelphia, July 28, 1835, sending an extract from a letter addressed to him by Mr. Pearce, of Calcutta, Bap- tist Missionary, asking whether aid could be had from the American Bible Society, in printing the Bengalee Scrip- tures, translated on the principle adopted by the Ameri- can Baptist Missionaries in Burmah. The letter was referred to the Committee on distribution. 1 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY Bible Society's House, September 3, 1£3j. The Committee on distribution reported the following 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 expe- dient 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 Mana- gers, viz : THOMAS MACAULEY, Chairman. Spencer 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 Re- jKirt : 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 important subject commit- ted to them, and that in the investigation of it, the follow- ing facts have come before them. 1. The Rev. -Messrs. Pcarcc and Yates, Baptist. Mis- sionaries in or near Calcutta, have made application to this Board, for aid in publishing the New Testament in the : which version the Greek words AND Tin: BAPTISTS. •> JBaptizo, Baptisma, and their cognates, arc translated by word-; signifying immt 2. In the Burmese version of the New Testament, and in oti. - and dialects of India, these words are translated in like manner. r;. Application has been made to the Calcutta Bible Society. ;iad to the British and Foreign Bible Society, for aid to print and circulate the Bengalee New Testament, trans! resaid, which aid has been refused on the ground of its containing said translations; and 4. Your Committee were not aware until now, that such translations were made and approved by any deno- mination of Christians i:i India, or other heathen countries. .!• Committee would therefore most respectful mit, whether it is not highly inexpedient to aid in pri or ( irculating any version of the Scriptures containing the above or any similar translations, differing from the of the authorized versions, for the following reasons : 1. The words Baptizo and Baptisma, and the':: nates, being left untranslated, as in the English and I other excellent versions, imposes no difficulty on any de- nomination of Christians, as it leaves every minister, or missionary, at perfect liberty to explain them according to the peculiar views of his particular denomination. 2. The words Bajidzo, Baptisma, &c., being translated immci •will rily embarrass, it' not wholly exclude the operations of .Missionaries of [be Methodist, Moravian, Reformed Dutch, Episcopalian, l'rcsb; itional, or other Christian denomi- nations, who maj jpej in India, or where the saiil translation may obtain. And '.). It i- nol competent for the American Bible S Larian attitude by favouring the deoomi- 4 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY national views of any particular church either at home or abroad. With these views of the subject, your Committee most respectfully submit tbe following- resolutions : 1. Resolved, That the Board of Managers deem it in- expedient to appropriate any funds belonging to the So- ciety, in aid of translating or distributing tbe aforesaid Bengalee New Testament, or any other version containing the aforesaid translations, or any similar translations. 2. Resolved, That the Board of Managers on receiving satisfactory evidence of such corrections having been made in the aforesaid translation of the Bengalee New Testa- ment, or other versions in other languages, or dialects, as will comport with the known views of other Christian de- nominations ; or, in other words, with the obvious inten- tion of the authorized English version, will most cheer- fully aid in the printing and circulation of said version or versions as heretofore. 3. Resolved, That all persons interested in the fore- going resolutions be informed of their purport forthwith. All which is most respectfully submitted. THOMAS MACAULEY, Chairman. James Milnor, Thomas Dewitt, Thomas Cock, Francis Hall, Wm. H. Van Vleck. COUNTER RErORT. The Committee to whom was referred the application of Messrs. Pearce and Yates, of Calcutta, for aid to print and circulate the New Testament in the Bengalee lan- guage, have not been so happy as to unite in their views AXD THE BAPTISTS. upon the subject; and the subscriber deems it a duty he owes both to the American Bible Society, and to the Bap- tist denomination, briefly to state some of the considera- tions which have constrained him to dissent from the re- port presented by the majority of the Committee. At the anniversary in May, 1834, the American Bible Society resolved to distribute the Bible among all the ac- rte population of the globe, within the shortest prac- ticable period ; and by direction of the Board of Mana- gers, a circular was addressed to missionaries and mis- sionary societies of different religious denominations, en- iging them to expect, that whenever the Old Testa- ment or the New, or any one entire Gospel or other book of the Bible, should be correctly translated and ready (with- out note or comment) for the press, they should receive the aid requisite for the publication of the same. The application of Messrs. 1'earce and Yates is but a response to this circular, and it is manifestly unjust to refuse their request, on the ground of their having rendered the words -o, Baptism a, and their cognates, by words signi- fying Immerse, Immersion, <$-c, until it is first proved thai the translations are unfaithful and inaccurate ; and this it is confidently believed never can be "When missionaries are sent among the heathen, it is that they may make themselves thoroughly acquainted with their I . 1 with as little delay as possible, give them the Bible in appropriate vernacular terms, thai they may read in their own tongue wherein they were bom, the wonderful works of God. They must neither obscure, nor bike from, nor add to, the words of the Holy Book. The question, therefore, is most respectfully sub- mitted, whether it is competent for the American Bible Society to control the consciences of well qualified evan 1* G AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY gelical missionaries in this matter, and decide tchat words they shall transfer, and what words they may translate. It is conceived that the principle reported by the ma- jority of the Committee on this point, is radically wrong ; if so, the Board of Managers have no right to forbid the translation of Baptizo, or of any other word, the meaning of which is satisfactorily ascertained ; 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 tbe views and wishes of earthly patrons. It is a source of deep regret that the pervading senti- ment of the report of the majority, appears to be so entirely inconsistent with the spirit of benevolence and brotherly kindness which first called into existence the American Bible Society. Seven or eight different denominations of Christians associated themselves together for the pur- pose of supplying not only their own land with the Scrip- tures, but of extending their influence to other countries whether Christian, Mahommedan or Pagan. In the prose- cution of their common object, no one of the constituent members was either required or expected to abandon his own peculiar tenets. Baptists were received as Baptists, and as such 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 hicxpc' dicnt to appropriate any funds belonging to the Society in aid of translating or distributing any versions of the Sacred Scriptures as now made by the Baptist Missiona- ries." Arc we by this single vote to be cut off for ever AND THE IUPTISTS. 7 from all participation in your funds, a largo portion of which haa accrued from the subscriptions and liberal be- - of our denomination ? And are Baptist missiona- ries of all others to he singled out as unworthy to share in the labours and successes of the American Bible Society in her noble enterprise to szipply the world with Dibles 7 to he told in so many words, that the only condition upon which you can countenance our eflbrts is the preparation of such versions as will comport with the known views of other Christian denominations 7 a condi- tion which involves in it the impracticable 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, 11 is most strange. We have been taught to believe that the sense of the Holy Ghost is to be inva- 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, ■! principle applicable to Biblical translations. The man who should translate mcta to pascha, Acts xii. •1. by a phrase signifying after Easter, would give the I gljsh version! but, ala-; ! he would not convey the sense of the Spirit o&inspiration. The words Baptizo, Sac,, h i ndered by words signifying to Imn . i ., :, i the Syriac, Arabic, Abyssi- nian, Egyptian, Ethiopic, Coptic, German, Dutch, Danish, and many other languages. Is it just, is it fair then, to stigmatize, our translations as sectarian, when similar translations have been long in use in almost all the churches of tin' Eastern world, and in most of the churches of Northern Europe ? The American Bible Society has 8 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY circulated many copies of the Bible " containing the afore- said translations ;" she has circulated many more in the versions of Roman Catholic Priests. She has voted within two years pa3t a larger sum for the Chinese Scrip- tures, than for any other foreign object, and yet Dr. Mor- rison has neither transferred Baptizo nor translated it, but has introduced into his Chinese version a paraphrase signifying " a water Ceremony."* In connexion with these facts let it be remembered, that the American Christian public 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 ma- nagers are at a loss to know how their surplus funds may be wisely and beneficially expended; that the Baptist mis- sionaries have translated the Scriptures into the languages -of India, as well as of other Asiatic nations ; that to re- fuse them aid, will at least be greatly to retard, if not to render impracticable for a long time to come, the supply of the reading population of the Globe with the written word? and, oh! let it not be forgotten, that millions of our fellow men arc 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 their rejection of the application of those men of who for more than twenty years under the burning 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. Morrison has rendered Baptizo l>y a word signifying to 7cet, to rpoisU >< . " AND THE BAPTISTS. 9 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 resolutions, viz: 1. Resolved, That this Board is impressed with feel- ings of devout gratitude to Almighty God, for the signal protection he has afforded to Baptist missionaries in hea- then lands, and for the ability given them to translate tho Bible into the living languages of so large a portion of the human family. 2. As satisfactory evidence has been furnished from tho principal professors in the College of Fort William, India, and from the mo>t learned Pundits and Teachers in Cal- cutta and its vicinity, that the improved version of the Bengalee New Testament by Messrs. Pearce and Yates, Baptist missionaries, is by far the most intelligible, idio- matic, and perfect translation, which has yet appeared in that dialect; therefore, Resolved, That the sum of $ be appropriated and paid to the Baptist General Convention of the United for Foreign Missions, to aid in printing and circu- lating the Sacred Scriptures in the Bengalee language. Respectfully submitted, SPENCER II. CONE. Society's House, November 5, 1S35. The Board proceeded to consider the reports of tho Committee presented at the last meeting. Mr. Brigham read a letter from Dr. Wayland, dated Providence, October 2G, 1835, submitting a resolution? Dr. Milnor also presented a series of resolutions. After some discussion, the letter of Dr. Wayland, the resolutions 10 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY 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 pre- sented : The Committee to whom was recommitted the deter- mining of a principle upon which the American Bible So- ciety will aid in printing and distributing 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 particular case, and to present the following one on the general principle. By the constitution of the American Bible Society, its Managers are, in the circulating of the Holy 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 simplify and mark out the duties of the So- ciety; so that all the religious denominations, of which it is composed, might harmoniously unite in performing those duties. As the Managers are now called to aid extensively 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 appropri- ations for the circulation of the Scriptures in all foreign tongut 1. Resolved, That in appropriating money for the translating, printing, or distributing, of the Sacred Scrip- ture-; in foreign languages, the Managers feel at liberty to THE BAPTI8T8. 1 I irage only such versions as conform in the prii of their tran common English version ; at least so far as that all I itions repre- sented in this Socii ty, t< atly use and cir . schools rind communil 2. /', ve preamble unci resolution ; the Missionary Boards ac- I So iiety, with a request that the same may be transmitted to their . where the Scriptures arc in i •on; and also that the said several Mis- i that their application i'ur aid must ompanied with a declaration that the versions which ircolate, arc executed in accordance with the above resolution. THOS. MACAULEY, Chairman. J oiks MrXMOB, Wm. II. Van Vleck, Thos. Dewitt, Francis. Hall, Tugs. Cock. COUNTER REPORT. The subscriber as a member of the Committ- ipplicatJon of Messrs. Pearce and for aid in the circulation of the Bei tnent, iwing consid 1. The Baptist Board <>f Foreign Mis-ions have not been under the impression that tl ciety was organizi d upon the neutral principle that Bup- lizo and it were never to be translated, but always transferred, in of the Scriptures pa- tronised by them. Had this principle been candidly stated 12 AMERICAN BIELE SOCIETY and uniformly acted upon by the Society in the appropria- tion 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. 2. As there is now a large balance in the treasury of the American Bible Society, as many liberal bequests and donations have been made by Baptists, and as these were made in the full confidence that the Society could consti- tutionally assist their own denomination, as well as the other evangelical denominations 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 Fo- reign 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 subject was postponed to the next regular meeting of the Board. Society's House, December 3, 1S35. The Board proceeded to consider the first resolution reported by the Committee ; a motion to lay the resolution on the table having prevailed, the Hon. William Jay sub- mitted 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, February 4, 1836, The Report of the Committee presented November 19, 1335, was taken up, and after debating the first resolu- AND TIIK BAPTISTS. 13 tion, the Board adjourned to February 17, 183G, at four o'clock, P. M. Society's House, February 17, 183G. The Bo:\rd met pursuant to adjournment. The Report of the Committee, submitted to the Board November 19, 1C35, 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 EY A VOTE OF THIRTY to fourteen ; and the Board adjourned. 14 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY BIBLE TRANSLATION. A Brief Statement as to the Principles and Practice of the American Bible Society in relation to versions of the Scriptures patronized by it, together with a Reply to certain complaints against the course pursued. Pub- lished by the Managers. (1.) The Society above named was organized in 1816, by delegates of several denominations from various sec- tions of the country. It was a novel spectacle to see so many ministers and laymen of different creeds uniting for a common religious object, and that so noble as the cir- culation of the revealed 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, subdue opposition, and command ex- ertion, 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 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 — addresses to the un- derstanding an argument which cannot be encountered, and to the heart an appeal which its holiest emotions rise up to second." AND THE BAPTISTS. 15 " Under such impressions, and with such views, fathers, brethren and ftdlow-citizens, the American Bible Society has been formed. Local feelings, party prejudices, secta- rian jealousies are excluded by its very nature. Its mem- bers are leagued in that, and that alone, which calls up every hallowed, and puts down every unhallowed princi- ple — the dissemination of the Scriptures in the received versions, where they exist, and in the most faithful where they may be required. In such a work, whatever is dig- nified, kind, venerable, true, has ample scope, while sec- tarian littleness and virulence can find no avenues of ad- mission." Such was the frank, impartial, catholic spirit which called this sacred Association into being. (2.) In preparing the present statement 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 Scrip- tures which were to be circulated ? In obtaining the an- swer to this inquiry, 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 connex- ion 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 rela- ion to the Society, that it was to have no sectarian cha- racter, and could perform no sectarian work. Whatever was to be done by it was evidently that, and that alone, which all could unite in doing.* Whatever was denomi- * Is it the practice in any Society, where different denomina- tions unite, to allow one part of the union to make sectarian books ] How is it with the Sunday School or the Tract Society 1 Are any 16 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY national, 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 deno- minations brought together could unite in circulating, while they could never hope to agree as to the character of any explanatory appendages. Those distributed in the English tongue were to be of the " version in common use." This version all the members of the compact used and appealed to as authority. All, therefore, could unite in its distribution. The motive of this is apparent, name- ly, to perpetuate harmony, and while doing a great united work, to avoid the possibility of denominational collision. Thus far the wants of our own country are contemplated. (3.) But the founders of the Society, after providing 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, &c, where they saw the great mass of the popula- tion without the Scriptures, yet possessing in their churches and among their priesthood ancient versions in their respective tongues, long since translated, many of them from the Latin vulgate. These ancient versions 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 at- tempts to extend their distributions ? Their address to the public, already referred to, shows beyond doubt that this was a matter of distinct contemplation and provision by that venerable body. Distributions were in such cases to be made in the "received version." There was no of their common funds used to make such books, at home or abroad, as only one sect can use ? We believe uo such privilege is ask*d or thought of. AND THE BAPTISTS. 17 hope that those old, venerated translations could at once be laid aside, and new ones introduced by foreigners. 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 de- fects are not numerous, (not more so, probably, 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 predecessors, have felt it their duty (the Apo- crypha and all notes being excluded) to circulate them, fully assured that in so doing they carry out the well-stu- died 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 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 sup- plied with the Scriptures, namely, to the pagan nations. Here new versions were to be prepared, for none existed. P>nt un what principles were they to be made? The ad- dress referred to, in 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, composed of six or eight denominations, can be viewed as "most faithful?" They are mainly to be prepared by protestant missiona- ries, whose patrons are a part of the Bible compact, and the churches to be gathered are to become, in a sense, Q * 5.8 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY branches of churches here at home. Frequently the trans- lations are made at the sole expens . of the Bible Society, The terms "most faithful," in these circumstances ob- viously signify those versions which convey the inspired meaning of the originals, in view of those who support and direct the great Bible cause. But what is the in- spired 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 consider faithful •*-such as convey, in view of all, the true Divine meaning. In the English 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 Managers have always understood as belonging to this Society. Nor were they aware that any of their fellow labourers could entertain different views until 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. William H. Pearce, an English Baptist missionary at Bengal, in India. In this letter information was given that the Writer, together with the Rev. Mr. Vates, a brother missionary, had pre- pared 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 trans- lated the Greek terms baptize and baptism by words AND THE BAPTISTS. 19 which signify immerge and immersion, and that the Bible Society at Calcutta had, on this account, refused to pa- tronize it. Had this letter contained nothing- further, the Board could easily have dismissed the whole matter, as they had no responsibilities connected with that version. But it was further stated that this new Bengalee transla- tion was made on the same principles as those which ob- tained in the Burmese translation, which it was under- stood the American 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 version, but with- out information from any quarter, or the least suspicion that it was of the character described 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 a faithful ver- sion, i. e. one which conveyed the inspired meaning — the only point to which they thought of directing attention—* presuming every friend of the Bible Society to be aware that its Board could not appropriate moneys for any version of a marked denominational character. On inquiring of the Rev. S. H. Cone, (one of the Standing Committee on Distribution,) who had repeatedly solicited funds for the Burmese version, whether that version was prepared as described by Mr. Pearce, he for the first time informed them that such was the fact. Although this letter from India had o Committee on Distribution, the Hoard at its meeting in August referred it to the same again for further consideration. The Committee, after frequent meetings, were unable to recommend any course which would satisfy all concerned. In order to give this subject the most full and impartial investigation, the 20 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETV Board now appointed a Special Committee of seven, a Presbyterian, an Episcopalian, 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 R.ev. 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 Managers were not yet disposed to adopt the resolutions submitted, as they hoped, by a pru- dent 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 September, several letters were received from Baptist clergymen, in whose judgment they had great regard, expressing the hope that no hasty measures would be adopted, and sug- gested some changes and additions in relation to the pend- ing resolutions which they had seen in a Baptist paper. These letters were laid before the Board, and the pro- posed changes were made. After frequent postponements and much deliberation, (more, probably, than they ever before bestowed on any one topic,) at a special meeting in February, 1836, they adopted the following preamble and resolutions which had been prepared, or modified, and approved of by some of the most intelligent worthy Bap- tist clergymen in America : By the Constitution of the American Bible Society, its Managers are, in the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, restricted to such copies as are "without note or com- ment;" and in the English language, to the "version in common use." The design of these restrictions clearly seems to have been to simplify and mark out the duties of AND THE BAPTISTS. 21 the Society, so that all religious denominations of which it is composed might harmoniously unite in performing these duties. As the Managers are now called to aid extensively in circulating the Sacred Scriptures in languages other than the English, they deem it their duty, in conformity with the ohvious spirit of their compact, to adopt the following resolutions as the rule of their conduct in making appro- priations for the circulation of the Scriptures in all foreign tongxies. Resolved, That in appropriating money for the trans- lating, printing, or distributing the Sacred Scriptures in fo- reign languages, the Managers feel at liberty to encourage only such versions as conform in the principles of their translations to the common English version, at least so far as that all the religious denominations represented in this Society can consistently use and circulate said versions in their several schools and communities. Resolved, That a copy of the above preamble and reso- lutions be sent to each of the missionary boards accustomed lo receive pecuniary grants from this Society, with a re- quest that the same may be transmitted to their respec- tive mission stations where the Scriptures are in process of translation, and also that the said several missionary boards be informed that their applications for aid be ac- companied with a declaration that the versions which they propose to circulate are executed in accordance with the above resolution. (6.) Such was the course adopted by the Managers after more than six months of candid deliberation. No resolu- tions, it is believed, were ever adopted with a more con- scientious conviction of duty, or with more kind feelings towards those who dissented. It was the aim in preparing 22 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY these rules to be impartial, to withhold patronage from all versions 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 believe to have been the purpose of the founders in relation to ver- sions, and also what has been the intentional practice of those who have since conducted its affairs. They have furthermore given a concise history of their doings in re- gard to a denominational 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 not- withstanding the resolutions in question were prepared in their present shape, by wise, conscientious Baptists, who viewed and still view them as coincident with the consti- tution ; notwithstanding they received the full 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 denomination, 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 icith having changed their policy, noxo objecting to and withholding aid from versions of such a character as they once 'patronized ivithout hesitation. The reply of the Board here is, that they never, in a AND THE BAPTISTS. 23 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 ignorance. It appears that a small edition of an Indian Gospel was once printed by them, where baptizo 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 signi- fying immerse. Had the peculiarity of these translations in either case been known at the time, they would by no means have been encouraged. Secondly. — The Managers arc charged with partiality, by allowing other denominations to make such foreign ver- sions as they choose, while Baptists have not this privi- lege. This charge can have no foundation, unless other deno- minations 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 denomi- nation alone can consistently use. The Managers can have no motive to partiality towards any of their associates, and are conscious 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 down rules in regard to versions which Baptist translators cannot conscientiously follow. The reply is, that the Managers lay down no rules 24 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY 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 sentiment may prepare such foreign versions as they please, with the expectation that they will be published out of the common Bible fund ! At present such license would be deemed a violation of what the constitution requires. But the Board (while they would not judge for others) are unable to see why these rules, which the complainants themselves cheerfully observe in relation to the English, French, and other old versions, cannot be also followed in preparing new ver- sions; that is, by domesticating- in them the Greek word baptizo and baptisma, so that other missionaries can use them as well as Baptist.* It cannot be affirmed that errors will be taught by these transferred 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 * The Rev. Joseph Hughes, a Baptist, and long a Secretary of the British and Foreigu Bible Society, had no scruple against transferring baptizo ; nor has Rev. Mr. Sutton, now a missionary in India. Two able pamphlets, by Baptists in Enjdand, have just been published in favour of such a course. The Chippewa New Testament, prepared by Dr. James, a Baptist, and printed in 1833 at Albany, has the word baptizo transferred. AND THE BAPTISTS. 25 in the English Bible, and in every other, which the illite- rate reader does not comprehend until instructed by some foreign aid ? Where is there a modern tongue which does not abound in transferred words 1 The very name of most religious denominations is derived from the Greek. Fourthly. — The Managers are charged with the inconsis- tency of patronizing German and, Dutch Bibles, where baptizo is translated by words which signify immerse, and yet withholding aid from the Bengalee and Bur- mese Bibles translated in the same way. The reply is, in the first place, that the former versions 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 signi- fied 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 continu- ally 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 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 English 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 mo- ment whether this is effected through one tongue or another, or through a combination of several. 3 26 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY Fifthly. — Another charge is, that the Managers have set up the English Bible as a sta?idard to which all trans- lations must be conformed, thus abridging the liberty of the translator. This is a mistake, as any reader of the foregoing reso- lutions 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 hy transferring a few words, which either cannot be translated or are of disputed mean- ing; 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 certainly is im- posing no severe restraint on the conscience of the trans- lator, far less, it is apprehended, than the complainants (who have taken the English Bible, and appended to it a glossary, 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 ? Sixthly. — Another grave charge is, that the American Bible Society has received a large amount of money from Baptists ; particularly 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 Bible Society and AXD THE BAPTISTS'. 27 formed one under denominational control, (its Managers being necessarily Baptists,) yet a highly respected and valuable portion are still coadjutors with the National In- stitution. 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 im- proper, 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. But the charge as to the amount is not correct. 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 East Chester, New-York, $10,000 ; from? that of John Withington, 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 1S31, the very year when the Managers 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 complainants. 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 expended at home for a common object, the Baptist Foreign Mission Society has 28 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY since been furnished (that is, between the years 1831 and 1338) with no less than $27,000 for the exclusive use of that denomination in preparing and circulating the Scrip- tures in France, Germany, Bengal and Burmah. In ad- dition 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 1833 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 $5,000. It appears, then, that more than $30,000, in money and books, have been furnished by the Board to aid Baptist missionaries in circulating the Scriptures, while little more than half of 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 furnished 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 this quar- ter will be seen after reading the following letter from the executor. This letter was procured in consequence of a statement in the Baptist Advocate in relation to this resi- duum, 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." AXD THE BAPTISTS. 20 Hackensack, ISth December, 1840. Dear Sir, — In reply to your letter of the 15th instant, respecting information of the present condition of the legacy lefl by the late Mr, Marsh, the Society, in addition to the legacy of $10,000 which has been paid, are resi- duary legatees in common with the grand children and their children of the eight uncles of the testator, the So- ciety to receive one-third — the aforesaid children the other two-thirds. These residuary legatees are very numerous, and scattered throughout England. We have ascertained about one hundred, and, from information 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 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 settle- ment of the estate. Very respectfully, yours, &c, James Hague. It is obvious that a long period must 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 $10,000 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 legacies in question, a large amount has been furnished by Baptists in the way of Life Directorships, Life Memberships, &c 3* 30 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY Some have placed the amount of payments of this kind at $40,000 or $50,000, equal to that of the legacies received and prospective. Now, while the Managers are greatly averse to compa- risons as to the contributions of different denominations, 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 thir- teen, two were constituted Directors on account of having been members of the Convention which formed the So- ciety. Four others were made Directors in consequence of having been executors where legacies were left it. Two others were made Directors by contributions furnished by men of other denominations, and one of the remainder is still a friend of the American Bible Society. It does not appear, then, that there are, in any view of the matter, more than the value of four Directorships to be returned. In relation to Life Members, it is not easy to determine 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 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 contributed $30, the total would amount to no more than $4,500, to be added to the $600 for Life Directorships. The Board have next looked over the names of the 120 citizens in New-York who aided the erection of the So- ciety's House, at an expense of more than 22,000 dollars. While they find subscriptions from almost every other de- nomination, they find but one (Dr. Luke Barker's) be- AND THE BAPTISTS. 31 longing 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 contributions made through Auxilia- ries, there are no means for determining definitely what amount has been thus received. From the large Auxilia- ries in New-England, New-York, and a few at the South, 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 Di- rectorships, 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 denomination 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 gra- tuitous supplies in addition. Not a few of their number continue still to aid in these domestic distributions, both to the gratification of the Auxiliaries and the Farent So- ciety. 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 accu- racy what amount of money has been furnished by Bap- tists gratuitously, or so that it can be used by other deno- * Let any one inquire of the large Societies what portion of their free contribution ever came from Baptists who arc not ail! with them. 32 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY minations, 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 the treasury one half the amount which they have received from it. Under such circumstances, the Managers cannot, of course, feel the obligation of making further returns to those who have chosen to leave the Society, and to assert in so many ways its wrong doings. AND THE BAPTISTS. 33 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY. "Such reasoning falls, like an inverted cone, Wanting its proper base to stand upon." The foregoing document was published anonymously sometime in the early part of February of the present year. It was republished in the " Extracts from Corres- pondence" 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 institution, 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 vindi- cate 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 intelligence in a state of extreme doubt, if not of total ignorance, even of what had been done, aside from the arguments in favour of the acts of the Board. Mr. Brigham's letter was a private affair, and was never acknowledged as official. Four years were per- mitted to glide away before the Board were prepared to justify a course of conduct which has separated from con- nexion with them more than half a million of communi- cants, with adherents numbering several millions. Under such circumstances, the document preceding must be re- garded as exhibiting the calm, well weighed, and penna- 34 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY nently decided opinions of men, -who have not needed time for deliberation, or opportunity for acquiring informa- tion. To treat such a document with disi'espect — to answer argument with ridicule, or statements of fact with conjec- ture 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 public 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 state- ment of fact, we wish not to be understood to imply that the Board meant to deceive. If we attempt 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 ridi- cule 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 cer- tain sections, and shall discuss them in the order in which they appear. 1. The first is a narrative of historical fact, and de- serves to be read and pondered with deep attention. The extract from the Address of the Convention which it con- tains, is justly entitled to the encomium 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 particulars are necessary. These we will endeavour to supply. AND THE BAPTISTS. 35 The Baptist Missions were commenced in 1793, and the translation of |3airn£a> and its cognates immediately followed. The British and Foreign Bible Society was founded in 1804, and the Calcutta Auxiliary was organized in 1807. The Baptist missionaries were invited to co-ope- rate, and their versions of the Scriptures, with l3airTi^u) and its cognates translated, were taken under the pa- tronage 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 offi- cial letter to the Corresponding Secretary of the English Baptist Missionary Society, to inquire whether fia-KTi& 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 So- ciety, but it continued 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 dis- semination of the Scriptures in the received versions where they exist, and in the most faithful where they may be re- quired." Some of the Baptist versions had been in ex- istence sixteen years, and many thousand copies had been received by the benighted heathen. These versions had received aid from the British and Foreign Bible Society with the full knowledge that j3airrL^cj and its cognates were translated. These facts were matters of public record, and although now in 1841, a Board of Managers may * Hinton's Letter to Lord Bexlcy, President of the British and Foreign Bible Society. 36 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY declare, that they did not know 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 igno- rant. The question is not what Mr. Brigham and his co- managers in 1839 or in 1341 knew. Suppose that they should declare themselves ignorant that there were any Baptists in the world, that there were any Baptist mission in India, or even that there was such an institution as the British and Foreign Bible Society which assisted the Bap- tist 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 po- sition of the Baptists, and their relation to other denomi- nations in forming the American Bible Society? Or would the plea recoil against a body of men, who were intrusted with the interests of such an institution, and when their professions and actions had led into error a large denomi- nation of Christians, excuse themselves on account of their ignorance of recorded and well known facts ? 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 requisite information possessed by the Board of Managers. We will not then detract from the reputation of the in- telligent 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 Foreign Bible Society, and of the his- tory of the Baptist translations in India. But supposing them so culpably ignorant, still their professions were per- fectly "frank, impartial and catholic." They supposed AND THE BAPTISTS. 37 that in the work which they commenced, " sectarian little- ness 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 cannot pro- perly be considered by itself. It has a most intimate con- nexion with two or three sentences in a subsequent sec- tion. We will place them in juxtaposition. In preparing the present statement in relation to ver- sions, the Managers have not attempted to settle or touch any question as to philology or religious ordi- nances, but simply to in- quire what was the design of those who founded the Institution, as to the charac- ter of tbe Scriptures which were to be circulated ? The terms " most faith- ful," in these circumstances obviously signify those ver- sions which convey the in- spired meaning of the ori- ginals, in view of those who support and direct the great Bible cause. But what is the inspired meaning in their view ? Not that cer- tainly which couveys 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 consider faith- ful — such as convey, in view of all, the true Divizie mean- ing. In the English Bible adopted by the Society, the Divine meaning is thus con- veyed. It is a faithful ver- sion, as all admit; and others should be equally faithful when put forth by those con- nected with this Association and solemnly bound by its pledges. 38 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY The Managers " have not attempted to settle or touch any question as to philology or religious ordinances, " and yet decide that the Baptist translations are " in their judg- ment unfaithful." The discrepancies between deciding that the transla- tion of fiaTTTL^oj is unfaithful, and not settling any question as to philology; between determining that immersion is wrong and not touching any question as to religious ordi- nances ; are too glaring to escape the observation of any reader. The full consideration of these extracts would lead us directly 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 ex- tract 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 occurrence we acquit them, so far as the present question is concerned, of any such charge. 3. The third section relates to the ancient versions of the Scriptures in Europe founded on the Latin Vulgate. These the Managers acknowledge that they have pa- tronized 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 introduced by foreigners. Nor could new ones be prepared until many years should pass away." With the propriety of this course we are not at present concerned. As an individual, we approve it, although we AND THE BAPTISTS. 39 know that in this \vc differ from many excellent men, and we Jo not form our opinion altogether upon the reasons advanced by the Managers of the American Bible Society. But we would have been better pleased had the Managers alluded more distinctly and more accurately to the cha- racter of the defects of which they speak. The Spanish Bible, for instance, employs " Hacer penitencia" to ex- press the meaning of those passages in which repentance is enjoined. The words signify " to do penance," and aro so understood by Spaniards themselves. When they wish to express our idea of " repent," they use the verb " arre- pentirse." So commonly is the idea of doing penance attached to " hacer penitencia," that they employ the phrase when 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 con- tent with whatever we happen to have." Similar defects exist in other versions founded on the Latin Vulgate, and therefore the Papal See permits 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 ver- sions where they do exist," theirs had existed and had been extensively received by heathen, and approved by Christians generally, for a considerable number of years. With some of them no other version did exist to compete. The American Bible Society began to extend its benefac- tions to foreign versions, and commenced with those founded on the Vuljatc. Could Baptists suppose that tho most bigoted Paedo-baptist would find in the translation of PaiTTifa a greater defect than those acknowledged to exist AO AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY 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 passed away." And did the Board then suppose the the Baptists would lay aside their versions and adopt those ^prepared by Pcedo-haptists ? And did they suppose that "new ones could be prepared" before " many years should pass away 1" Either supposition indicates far less intelli- gence and less judgment than we are ready to accord to the Managers of the American Bible Society. But " the Managers [first resolution] feel at liberty to encou- rage only such versions as conform to the common En- glish version, at least so far that all the religious denomi- nations represented in this Society can consistently use and circulate said versions in their several schools and communities." Connecting this resolution with the history of the Ro- manist versions, and with the fact that the Baptist ver- sions are excluded under this resolution because they translate Par-m^u , it becomes an indisputable 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 translating Scripture, to translate the word PanTifa and its cognates. To obtain a complete view of the case in this light, it will be necessary to add, that the Baptists were large contributors to the funds of the American 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, AND THE BAPTISTS. 41 preaching and lecturing in behalf of foreign distribution, frequently referred to Carey, and Judson and Yates, and others of our translators, and wrought upon the sympa- ties of their audiences by the necessity of assisting such men in such undertakings. These, with other circum- stances which we will hereafter develop, will conduce to show the true position of the Board in relation to foreign versions. The Managers have softened the character of the Po- pish superstitions and will-worship inculcated in the Ro- manist versions, by calling them " defects." We have mentioned one of these defects that prevail throughout them. Our readers will perhaps be gratified to see ano- ther to enable them to judge of the meaning of the word defect, when applied to a translation of Holy Scripture, and also to understand what the Managers of the Ameri- can Bible Society believe " all the religious denominations represented in this Society can consistently use and circu- late in their several schools and communities," while they recoil with horror from the idea that a version which trans- lates (iavTL^oi should be circulated, though in every other respect, even to them, unexceptionable. In the same Spanish version of which we spoke, printed and circulated by the American Bible Society, the twenty-first verse of the eleventh chapter of Hebrews reads thus : For fe Jacob, Estando para morir, rendijo a cada uno de los hij0s de joseph : y adoro la al- tura de su vara. " By faith, Jacob being about to die, blessed each one of the sons of Joseph: and worshipped the top of his staffs The worship of an image on the top of a staff, which is the. idea that a common Romanist attaches to such a 4* 42 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY 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, ac- cording' to the example of Christ and his apostles, is an unpardonable crime, and the version of Scripture that in- culcates it, is unfaithful. Before leaving the third section we must express our regret that the Managers have net been more particular in this to date their transactions. This defect we shall en- deavour to supply. From the circular alone, the most of readers would draw the inferences, that the Society laboured for some time in the distribution of the English Scriptures before they turned their attention to existing versions in foreign tongues, and that at a more distant period they considered the question of assisting in translating into heathen languages. We do not say that it was designed to convey erroneous ideas in these matters, but we assert that the circular would not give the 'impression that, as was really the case, in the very first year of the Society's operations, the Managers who then had charge of its interests, " directed their attention to the translation of the Scriptures into the Indian languages of our country, and the publication of the Spanish New Tes- tament, and of the Scriptures in the French." First Report, page 18. The next year we find them ordering an edition of the Bible in the language of the Delaware Indians, andano- her in that of the Mohawks. Second Report, pages IS and 19. From that time to the present they have been engaged in the distribution of foreign versions and the en- couragement of new translations, so that from the com- mencement of their operations, either their principles in relation to such matters were established, or they were proceeding in affairs of the utmost importance, and zeal- AND THE BAPTISTS. 43 ously employing tho aid of our denomination, without fixed principles. This maiter of dates we mention now because particularly connected with the second and third sections, but the application of tho argument derived from them will be felt most forcibly under the fifth. 4. The Bubstance of the fourth section is, that where us did not exist, but were to be made, the most faithful were to be patronized, and that a version which expressed views in which all the denominations reprc- 1 in the Society did not coincide, is therefore in tho ent of its Managers unfaithful. Should these statements be admitted, they do not apply to the case of the Bengali version. Although since im~ . it existed many years before Hie Ame- rican Bible Society, and has undergone no change in the particular objected to. It was therefore not a version about to be made. We should think that a judicious body of men like the Managers of the American Bible Society would see this discrepancy in their argument. But leaving this, we discover other important points deserving of no- tice in these statements. In the first place, the Managers have never b fore charged that the Bengali version is unfaithful. A re- solution to thru effect was once started in committee, but the Rev. Dr. De Witt most solemnly abjured the idea of ssing such an opinion, and the resolution was with- drawn. In the Board, the Baptist. Managers frequently dial- lenged any assertion of unfaithfulness, but that point was never •/ of debate. Now, when the Bap- tists have left the Society, when they have formed another Institution, and have continued their separate organization for four years ; when there is no one to vindicate their 44 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY cause in the Board of the American Bible Society,, or to expose the inconsistency of 6uch a procedure, the Ma- nagers gravely conclude that they did not patronize the Bengali version because it zoas 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, because it expresses views con- trary to those entertained by a portion of the Society. It must be evident 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 Baptists 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 re- garded by those who differ from them as Pelagian, and others as Antinomian. Of course each translates certain disputed 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 ? If the prin- ciple 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 convey, in view of all, the true Divine meaning. In the English Bible adopted by the Society, the Divine meaning is thus con. veyed. It is a faithful version, as all admit ; and others AXD THE TUPTTSTS. 45 should bo equally faithful when put forth by those con- nected with this Association and solemnly bound by its pledgi In order fully to understand the meaning of these sen- borne in mind, that the Bengali version ected, became in a Bingieword and its cognates, it did not confoftn to the English version : m oth its faithfulness i-; not disputed. The Board of Manager* not attt'in] ted to settle or touch any question as to philology," and yet decide that if a conscientiovs philolo- gist translates a word which is not translated in the glisfa version, his whole book, though unexceptionable in other particular, /, and cannot be pa- tronized. Thus the English version is made a Procustean bed, to the Length and breadth of which the consciem lator must be stretched or contracted as the case may require. " It is a faithful version, as all admit." Gratuito7is as- sumption is not argument or matter of fact. T) 'e do admit it to be faithful in the sense which the Managers imply by their reasoning'. Nay, we doubt whether in this D ten thousand of our countrymen, exclusi opalians, will venture, upon deliberation, to declare it faithful. We will adduce one instance. In Acts xii. 4, the ' Ireek word [Lurga is translated, contrary to all rules of pl.il"'. y, " Easter." No scholar doubts that it should be, as everywhere else in the Testament, translated • !' Do the Board of Managers mean to it that the E a is faithful in respect to this? I t if it be not. what I •• at / It will not do for them to say, that they meant not to assert its faithfulness in every single word. The Bengali version i not charged with unfaithfulness, ' xcept in one word and 46 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY its cognates. Nay, the testimonials to its faithfulness are of the most indisputable character, and many of them from Peedo-baptists. They have never been disputed by the Board, and therefore it would only encumber our argu- ment here to introduce 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 Pa-rcTifa, instead of transferring it. Thisis the true issue, and to this we shall hereafter lend our atten- tion more closely. At present we cannot pass by a ques- tion 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, Hacr^a " Passover," or by a word of similar im- port ? This is an important question. Have our Epis- copal 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, to- wards his Presbyterian friends ? Shall we question our Congregational friends about the word "bishop?" "We wish not to annoy, we desire only to convince. If the Managers will proceed to apply their reasoning, they can- not fail to discover its fallaciousness. Since, in their opinion, faithfulness requires that every word, in the translation of which denominations differ, should be conformed to the English version, they certainly decide that in these words the English Bible is faithful. They cannot, therefore, avoid the conclusion that " Easter," and " Bishop," and similar words, are faithful transla- tions, and that every version which does not copy them, is unfaithful and undeserving of patronage. On this subject, AXD THE BAPTISTS. 47 thon. we appeal to them as honest, impartial men, and ask them whether the; ! ■ due inquiries in these re- 8 P ect - ds which they patronize. If they have 9 acquit them ? The Episcopal denomination seldom ohject to immer- MOn. In : . Church it is specially prescribed, and in this country it is sometimes practised by them. 1 •'■-' writer in the Churchman spoke in favour of it, and denounced sprinkling 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 . as the universal practice of the Church. But the ilians all reverence " Easter," and prefer the term " Bishop" to" Overseer." They have not, itis true, a majority in the Board of Managers, butif they had, would other denominations submit to have every version stigmatized as unfaithful, which in these and similar words does not conform to the English ? Surely the Managers will not pretend that numbers decide principle : in other words, that only that is faithful for which a majority of votes can be procured. Tlii- subject still presents itself in another aspect. If : version convey " the true Divine meaning," and if it be " faithful," have the Managers any right to h praise has been of late bestowed upon the Engli American Biblo Society has adopted it as the standard by which to deter- mine 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 4< tho true Divine meaning." We might point them to .'.thousand instances in which they have varied 48 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY the authorized editions of the English Scriptures, but we prefer showing how they disagree even with themselves. The length of this article will permit us to adduce only on L 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 : " And 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 them me, is greater than all ; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." . The duodecimo edition of the same year, gives the passage thus: "And 1 give unto them eternal life'; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. " My Father, which gave them me, is greater THAN ALL J AND NONE IS ABLE TO PLUCK them OUT OF my Father's hand." The octavo edition of the New Testament for 1831, is altered from the octavo edition of the Bible for 1829, and follows the duodecimo edition of the latter year. But the octavo edition of 1839 varies from both, and presents the passage thus, placing the word " man" in roman characters, as though it were in the original. " And I give unto them eternal life ; and they SHALL NEVER PERISH, NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN PLUCK THEM OUT CF MY HAND. "Mi Father, which gave them me, is greater THAN ALL J AND NO MAN IS ABLE TO PLUCK them OUT OF mi Father's hand." AND THE BAPTISTS. 49 Such then is the mode in which the Managers 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, con- vey different meanings as they have been varied by the Managers. A man who cherished warmly the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, might allege, that when "man" is inserted as though in the original, it leaves a doubt whether other beings might not pluck the saints from the Father's hand. But this is not the question with us. Our inquiry is, where is the consistency of thus va- rying 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 be- tween the American Bible Society and the Baptists. We say the real issue, for we have already shown that the un- fortunate course of the American Bible Society has in- volved them in several collateral issues, upon each of which a simple statement of facts furnishes an unques- tionable 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 wa- not in existence when the British and Foreign Bible Society commenced ; that it was not patronized by that institution; that the Secretary of that Institution was not officially re- quired to interrogate tho Baptist Missionary Society in 1813, whether in that version PcurTtfa was translated ; that the Missionary Society did not reply that it was ; that the British and Foreign Bible Society did not continue to pa- tronize the version; that the American Bible Society, when it was formed in 1816, did not know of the existence of that version ; that this Society diJ not commence patron- 5 50 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY izing foreign versions in the first years of its existence ; that it does not patronize Catholic versions, inculcating the doing of penance and the worshipping of the top of a staff; that it does not change the English version in thousands of instances and sometimes in very important 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 be- tween the American Bible Society and the Baptists. We suppose, then, that the Bengali version was about to be prepared, and the Managers of the American Bible Society were about to determine the principles on which they would commence the patronage of new versions. We will suppose further, that other versions were being pre- pared in the same language, and that the latter transferred panTifa, 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 language, to transfer fiavTifa or to translate it. The Managers assume the po- sition that it is more faithful to transfer the word ; the Baptists believe that it is more faithful to translate it. It will be evident upon a little consideration, that the question of the English version is not necessarily connected with this issue. This version has been in existence about two hundred years. It is generally used and is esteemed classic in the vernacular tongue. Ideas more or less defi- nite are attached to the word '* baptize," which has been transferred in it from the Greek. The facilities furnished in this country for the study of the original, and the general and rapidly increasing diffusion of knowledge, diminish, to \\d THE BAPTISTS. 51 say the least, the necessity of translating the word. But with a heathen nation the case is different. A missionary of the cross, imbued with love to God mul man, his visited a foreign land to communicate the will of Heaven to the ignorant. He bears with bim the precious ;b reveal that will, and he makes himself ac- quainted with the language of the people whom he desires to benefit. immences the work of translation. A word occurs which expresses a distinct duty. Of tho meaning of that word, or the import of that duty, he ha3 no doubt. To enjoin that anion:: other duties, he has left his bome and devoted his life to hardship ami peril. The Scripture which he is translating, will be scattered among millions of the human race, many of whom may never sco a missionary of the Cross. None of the natives of the country possess the originals, nor could any of them read or understand them if possessed. If he transfers the word, no native can understand its meaning without personal in- tion; if he translates it, the duty enjoined becomes perfectly intelligible.* There is, it is true, in his own land a diversity of practice, and some variety of views, regard- ing the duty and the word which enjoins it. But the lead- ing reformers translated it; the greater part of tin- lan- • of Europe, and the ancient versions in the Asiatic tongues have it translated. With regard to many other part- of Scripture, in his own native laud, there is great * F.oth in India and Burmah, many conversions have taken place from the rcadinp of tin- Bcripturea ; aud tin- first intelligence ofsucli facta baa lometimoa been communicated to our misaiona- riea by the applii ation for baptism on tin- part of naiivea who had come from a distance and introduced themselves for that special purpose. Had the comiir.nd to be baptised been concealed in an unknown tongue, what obligation would it have imposed? 52 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY diversity of views. Contests concerning' them at times run so high, that the terms Pelagian, Antinomian, and even heretic, are freely bandied about among the parties who attach different meanings to different passages. Yet he has not transferred these. He has conscientiously, in the fear of God, expressed what he believes to be, the meaning of the inspired volume. He again examines the word with the most scrupulous and prayerful anxiety, and finding not the least reason to doubt its meaning, he trans- lates it. Another missionary is similarly situated, but his delibe- rations come to a similar result. A society offers him five or ten thousand dollars, as the case may be, to be expended in publishing his translation, if he will transfer, rather than translate the word concerned. He has no more doubt than the other of its meaning. He sees that to transfer it, would be to conceal that meaning from the heathen. He feels that he stands between God and the soul of each native who reads his book, and that he is professing to commu- nicate to the latter, to the best of his ability, the whole revealed will of heaven. If he translates the word, and communicates the will of God in this matter, the money will not be given ; if he transfers the word, and conceals that will, the boon will be forthcoming. It has been already voted on that express condition* His brother * At the annual meeting- of the Baptist Board of Foreign Mis- sions, in Hartford, April 27th, 1836, a letter was presented from Rev. John C. Krigham, Corresponding Secretary of the American Bible Society, notifying the Board that, " on the 17th instant, at a meeting of the Managers, the sum of five thousand dollars was ap- propriated to the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, to promote the circulation of the Scriptures in foreign tongues," which money AND THE BAFTISTS. 53 missionary has had the same proposition before him, but has thrown himself upon the protection of the Author of the book, and thus communicated the will of the Author. The second missionary remembers that the word in ques- tion contains an express command of his beloved Lord. He reflects upon all that his Lord did and suffered for him, and considers that he is now communicating the will of Jehovah Jesus to fallen, sinful man. He trembles under the terrible threat accompanying the Apocalypse, " if any man shall add," or, " if any man shall take away from the words of the prophecy of this book;" and he fully believes that what is applicable to a portion of the will of God, because it is from God, must be in some sense applicable to the whole. He sees that purposely to conceal a part from the heathen, while professing to give them the whole, is almost identical with taking away would be paid over, if our foreign versions were conformed " in the principles of tbeir translation to the common English version, &c," on which condition the appropriation had been made. The grant was conscientiously declined. Similar attempts were made by the British and Foreign Bible Society to procure ihe transfer of the words in ihe Bengali version. The manner in which the En- glish Baptist missionaries reason upon the subject, evinces the deep anxiety and perplexity to which propositions of this kind sub- jected them. On the one hand was pressing pecuniary necessity ; on the other, the utmost facility for the publication and circulation of their translations : but witli the former was tho fear of God ; with the latter, the patronage of man. We do not mean to intimate that the Managers of the American Bible Society designed to bribe or tempt the Baptists from their integrity. They acted consistently with the erroneous policy which they adopted in ]836, and have since continued. But had the Bap- tists yielded, and transferred the words in question under such circumstances, could the Managers of the American Bible Society have regarded the Baptist versions as faithful ? 5* 54 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY a part. He feels deeply upon the subject, but the will of the Society is imperious. The five thousand dollars are needed for the publication of the book. He yields and transfers the word. In all this comparison, we have not started the question whether the first or the second missionary is a Baptist or a Pa?do~baptist. The only question to be kept in view in the comparison, is, whether it is dealing faithfully with God's word, when making- a version in a foreign tongue, to transfer an important part, which a conscientious mis- sionai-y believes himself capable of translating. The board of Managers are now to consider which of these two versions is the most faithful. The one has, in the fear of God, communicated the truth according to the conscientious convictions of the translator; the other has, from the fear of man, concealed a portion of that truth. "Which is the more faithful version of the two ? We leave each manager to decide this question between himself and his God. Still we are apprehensive that the Managers do not duly consider the difference between a version in the language of an intelligent, literary people like ours, and one among a comparatively ignorant and heathen nation. Here we abound with living teachers as well as written comments on every thing which might otherwise be obscure in the text of the Scriptures. But to make the case of the hea- then our own ; we may fancy a being from another planet, who has brought us the oracles of God in his own lan- guage, and translated them into ours. Should he leave in his vernacular tongue the words directing us wfcat to do when we believed, when he had been sent to communi cate to us the whole truth, what would we judge of the faithfulness of his translation ? And should another, sent AND THE BAPTISTS. 55 on a similar errand, to the best of his ability, in the fear God, translate the whole, who would doubt which version was the more faithful of the two 1 We may here observe that in our opinion the Managers have acted decidedly wrong in arguing upon this as a mere denominational question. Previously to the action of the Bible Societies upon the subject, more Paxlo-baptist versions translated the word/? THE BAPTISTS. 59 of the long and successful exertions of these servants of God, in translating and diffusing the Holy Scriptures." On the 6th page of the Ninth Report (1825) appears this memorandum : " The Society's Library has been enriched by a copy of the Bible in the Chinese language (Dr. Marshman's Trans- lation) presented by Messrs. Carey, Marshman and Ward, of Serampore." In the Fourteenth Report (1830) page 53, the Mana- gers remark : " In ihe last Report it was mentioned that an appro- priation of $1200 had been made to the American Board of Baptist Missions, for the purpose of publishing the Scriptures in the Burman Empire, where this body have a promising Mission. This money has been remitted, and with fervent prayers to the Author of the Bible that he will open a wide and .effectual door for the reception of his truth. A far greater sum than the present might be advantogeously sent to the same field, were it in the power of the Board to furnish it." On pages 42 and 43 of the Seventeenth Report (1833) they state : " From the Baptist Mission stations in Burmah pleas- ing evidence continues to be received as to the facilities they afford for circulating the Sacred Scriptures. The New Testament ha3 there been translated by the Rev. Mr. Judson, and also different portions of the Old." These are only a portion of the notices of our versions by the American Board before 1835. Now, we ask whether it is probable, that while such favourable notices were published, the Managers never thought of making themselves acquainted with the fact, that Pairri^o) was translated ? Having their word to the contrary, we do not 60 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY here assert that the fact was officially communicated to them. But were they destitute of any of the ordinary means of obtaining the information if they wished it ? Were there not Baptist members of their Board ? Had they not personal intercourse with Mr. Ward, one of the translators ? Were they not in constant official inter- course with the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, who were officially informed of the fact ? Had they not direct communication with the English and American Baptist missionaries who were themselves the translators ? The question will hardly be asked, " Was it probable that the Baptist missionaries would translate pcnrTi^io ?" No man who claims a tithe of the intelligence of any Ma- nager of the American Bible Society would suppose, upon the least reflection, that Baptist missionaries, in translat- ing the Holy Scriptures into a heathen tongue, would leave in an unknown language all the words relating to the ordinance of baptism. That such an anomaly should take place, and that all our translators and our missionary boards should agree to it, and that the denomination in England and America should quietly acquiesce, is an ima- gination too gross for any as much acquainted as the Board of Managers must be with Baptist pi'inciples, to dwell upon for a moment even as a hypothesis. But the Managers of the American Bible Society were not in this matter left to inference, however obvious, how- ever unavoidable. In April, 1833, the American Baptist Board of Foreign Missions unanimously passed the fol- lowing resolutions : " 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 AND THE BAPTISTS. 61 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, That all the missionaries of the Board, who are, or who shall be, engaged in translating the Scrip- tures, 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." ['.very proper degree of publicity was immediately given to these resolutions. They were printed in our Mis- sionary Magazine for the following month, copies of which were laid on the table of the Board of the Ameri- can Bible Society by S. H. Cone, at that time one of the Corresponding Secretaries of the Institution, and were furnished to anyone, who wished, of the individual Mana- gers. After the publication of these resolutions, how can the Managers consistently profess their ignorance that the Baptists translated, and did not transfer the words con- cerning baptism? Yet at the anniversary in May, 1831, the 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 Ma- nager?, a circular was addressed to missionaries and mis- sionary societies of different religious denominations, en- couraging them to expect, that whenever the Old Testa- ment or the New, or other book of the Bible, should bo correctly translated and ready (without note or comment) for the press, they should receive the aid requisite for the publication of the same. In consequence of this circular, the American Baptist Board of Foreign Missions applied 6 62 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY for aid in behalf of the Burman Scriptures, and in 1835, two years after the passage of the resolutions by the Baptist Board, seven thousand dollars were granted for those Bapiist versions. Nineteenth Report of the Ameri- can Bible Society, (1835) pages 52 and 53. We do not desire to deduce the slightest inference which the facts before us do not most unquestionably war- rant. The Managers of the American Bible Society have more than once plead ignorance in excuse for their mea- sures; but ignorance under the circumstances which we have developed, is inexcusable. Shall it be said that a body of forty or fifty men, having charge of an institution which at the time was second to none in America, re- mained twenty years ignorant of -the character of versions on what they now regard as a most vital point, and yet were from time to time commending them, and sometimes making donations to them ? Shall it be said that all this time they had every opportunity of informing themselves in that of which they were ignorant, and neglected to do it ? Shall it be said that every thing in the character, the preaching, the writing and the conversation of our denomi- nation, was calculated to enlighten them, and they knew us not while associated with us ? Shall it be said that they grant money from time to time to a Missionary Board, and not one among them makes himself acquainted with the doings of that Board ? Do the Managers of the American Bible Society so conduct their business that they do not esteem it necessary to read the reports of mission- ary societies, or their religious magazines ? And then shall they insinuate that the Baptists have deceived them all along, and especially select the President of the American and Foreign Bible Society against whom to direct such a shaft ? AND THE BAPTISTS. 63 Hero it may be asked, why did Messrs. Pearce and Yates mention that (3airTL^u was translated 1 The reply is obvious. The Bengali version, after having been patronized by the British and Foreign Bible Society and the Calcutta Auxiliary from the commencement of their existence with a knowledge of the fact that /3a7rn£u was translated, was eventually rejected, not because any new information was communicated concerning it, but because some of the missionaries of the Independents found Bap- tist views rapidly spreading in India, and wished to check them. The influence of the Independents and Churchmen caused those Bible Societies to refuse any further support to versions that translated /?a7rr«|w. It was very proper therefore for the missionaries, in applying to the Ameri- can Bible Society to mention on what ground aid was withheld by the others. But it was exceedingly hazardous for the Managers of the American Bible Society to follow a sectarian example, and then to profess that they had been nearly twenty years acting in utter ignorance of matters which it behooved them to know, and which it required scarcely the semblance of exertion to learn. To make this subject clear to the most obtuse mind, let us take a case strictly analogous. The American Sunday School Union is an institution embracing all evangelical denominations. The Baptists have co-operated in it with- out difficulty, from the period of its organization. Thou- sands of Sabbath schools have been established and sus- tained by it, and a very fair proportion among our deno- mination. In the latter it is constantly taught that there is only one faith, one Lord, one baptism, that is, as we understand it, that immersion, and only immersion, is baptism. No official communication of this fact has ever, to our knowledge, been made to the Managers of the 64 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY American Sunday School Union. Yet have we no appre- hensions that when that institution is sufficiently strong to do without the Baptists, the Managers will decline either to establish or sustain any schools, in which the doctrine is taught that immersion alone is baptism, because that doctrine is not received by all the denominations repre- sented in the Union. Least of all do we fear, that if such an untoward event should take place, the Managers would pretend that we had all along deceived them, or kept them in ignorance upon this subject. We are informed in this section that, when the Com- mittee on Distribution were unable to recommend any course to the Board, a Special Committee was appointed, consisting of seven members, " a Presbyterian, an Episco- palian, a Baptist, a Methodist, a Moravian, one of the Re- formed Dutch Church, and one from the Society of Friends." It is customary, we believe, in deliberative bodies, when a question occurs, on which there is a difference of opi- nion, and a special committee is appointed to discuss it and report thereon, to constitute that committee so as to represent as fairly as possible both sides of the question. Thus in Congress when a committee is appointed on a matter affecting the Administration, it is usually repro- bated as violent party action, if more than four out of seven, or five out of nine, be selected from one side. By nearly equalizing the representation of interests in the committee, a full and free discussion of the point at issue is secured, and the nearest approach possible to impar- tiality is attained. In the case before us, six Anti-bap- tists* were put on committee with one Baptist, and such * We use the term " Anti-baptist," not in disrespect or reproach. " Pasdo-baptist" is not so appropriate in the present instance, be- AND THE BAPTISTS. 69 a selection of member.-; made for that committee as to give the whole a denominational aspect. We have before said that we considered the Board as decidedly wrong in mak- ing a denominational affair of the matter. In the Board of a general Bible Society, every thing which is likely to awaken denominational jealousy ought to be studiously avoided. The general question before the Society grow- ing out of the case of the Bengali version, was this. On points of Philology, involving doctrines or practice, in which evangelical Christians, supporting the American Bible Society, differ from each other, what course should be followed in the translation of Scripture? Should the word-, on the supposed meaning of which the difference depends, be translated from the original Scriptures or transferred from the English version? The committee to examine and report upon the principles involved in such a question as the latter, ought, in our apprehension, to have numbered at least three out of seven in favour of transla- tion, no matter to what denomination they belonged. But to appoint six Anti-baptists out of seven, to consider the claims of a Baptist version upon the patronage of the So- ciety, and to select one from each denomination, as a sort cause the Friends or Quakers, represented in the committee, do not properly come under that appellation, and the question at issue did not n . tptism or the baptism of children. But six of the committee represented bodies, whose genera] practice, as re- gards the ordinance of baptism is opposed to that of the Baptists. In respect to the Frii nd. the selection w;i> peculiarly unfortunate. llr represented ;i bod) who denj the present obligation of the or- din inces, and of course it might have bei n expected that he would. prefer to conceal the injunction relative to oue of them nnder an unknown tongue. Wen' the Same CObrse pursued with the ob- servance of the Lord's Supper, he could scarcely oppose it from couscientious motives. 6- GG AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY of representative, who was to feel, not that he sat upon committee as an individual to judge of a general principle of abstract right, but that he acted in behalf of the sect or body of men to which he belonged, was, in our apprehen- sion, the most direct method of arousing a sectarian spirit in the minds of all concerned. An illustration from common life may conduce to ren- der this principle clear to every understanding. In ordinary circumstances two men in private conversa- tion have no hesitation in expressing their respective views of a matter on which they differ, and, if both are candid, the one who has truth on his side, has some prospect of convincing the other. But let the latter have two coadju- tors to assist him in argument, is it not likely that they will keep each other in countenance, and overpower the former by the multiplicity, if not by the force of their arguments ? If, then, instead of three, there are six on one side, while the man who is opposed to them is left without an assist- ant in word or counsel, and without the presence even of a spectator to express assent to truth and dissent from error, is it not in the very nature of the human mind, that the six will strengthen each other in their original opinions, rather than yield to an individual who is opposed to them ? We grant, indeed, that when the six Anti-baptists were appointed on committee with one Baptist on a question involving the rights of the latter, the former were selected as men of surpassing intellect. But the greater the in- tellect, the more danger to be apprehended from it when swayed by interest or prejudice. In the present case both combined their influence. The six acting in behalf of their respective denominations, were interested to check the propagation of Baptist sentiments, and influenced by the manner in which Pa?do-baptists generally allow them- AND THE BAPTISTS. a to talk of Baptists as b people «»f little intelligence and easily led, were prejudiced against the hotly of the denomination. Having therefore secured the assent of two or three intelligent men among us, they felt little ap- prehension of any Berions Consequences from their deci- sion. Under these circumstances they recommended the. ifterwards adopted by the Board, noble Btand of t ra of an American Bi- . should have be< n: " We know no denomina- tion in our constitution, and we are determined not to By in <>ur pi All who contribute a certain amount of funds members of our Society, and v. ways to dispense those funds in strict accordance with our views of the constitution, and with- out any regard to the practices or prejudices of this or that denomination." The course which the Managers did pursue, produced the i i It which might have been anticipated. The representatives of the different denominations adopt- ed such views as might have been expected to please the majority of those whom they respectively represented. General principles could no longer be seen. When the Committee on Distribution had the matter before them, they "were unable to recommend any course which would but when a Presbyterian as such was appoio scopalian at I a Baptist, u tuck, the inability vanished. The six Anti-bap- tists brought in an Anti-baptist report, and the Baptist ted a minority report. The unfortunate position assumed by the Board, is that of an ecclesiastical council representing different sects and legislating on the points of difference. We have seen that the question f a general nature, and might with 08 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY as great propriety be applied to differences of opinion re- garding any other portion of Scripture as to the passages relating to baptism. It would have been well to have taken it in its general aspect rather than to huve seized upon a particular feature, in which six denominations could have been arrayed against one. On the abstract question of translating or transferring all disputed pas- sages, the merits of the controversy properly depended, and had they been thus examined; we think the decision would have been unanimous in favour of translation. But now, the Managers have opened a wide door for contro- versy. The Presbyterians of the Old and New school have separated, and their differences of opinion, and of practice, are already greater than those of the Presbyte- rians and Dutch Reformed. According to the principles of action adopted by the Board, each of the General As- semblies will henceforth be entitled to a representation on a committee upon translation. We know that there are many passages in the Old and New Testaments, espe- cially in the Epistle to the Romans, which an Old School man understands and must translate, if he translates them at all, differently from a New School man. Suppose that a missionary connected with one Assembly finds fault with the translations made by those connected with the other, and insists that his people cannot use them. He is now entitled to demand, according to precedent, a committee representing denominations. Denominational strife \s again excited. The Methodist representative, the Mora- vian represent n live, the Quaker representative, and the Episcopalian representative, peradventure array them- selves with the New School, and insist that the Old School shall transfer all the disputed passages, or the patronage of the Society will be withdrawn from their versions. The AND TH] PS. latter refuse, nnd they are cat off, as the Baptists have been, without a penny. The Board have then to go they have in thi that oil the translations which they patronize, BhaU transfer the dis- puted passages. But, if the principle be fully carried out, the case cannot Bl Brian repre- sentative and dfe - tive dispute with thi- Episcopalian upon other | 1 individual words - ime rule thei I. The r disputes upon Btill more. They musi ferred. We need not pursue the history. If each cs which translators conscientiously differ, were with tin- Borne denominational jealousy, which commenced in India the Opposition to the Baptist \ no hesitation in affirming, that the principle which de- mantis the \< > and its cO{ lid re- quire the transfer of so large a portion of the New Testa- ment as to render it almost useless to the heathen. Who, with such considerations before him, does not see that the principle itself is wrong. We here copy from the Cir- cular: "The whole subject was now postponed for a further and can fnl ire not yet disposed to adopt tlio resolutions submitted, as tbey hoped, by ■ prudent delay, for tliu adjustment of the difficulty which bad arisen, in a waj Batisfa< tory to all who were intei •• Before tl men, in whose judgment they had great regard, expressing the hope that no hasty measures would l>" adopted, i 9 and additions in relation to the list paper. " Tin ■', and the propo 1 ,465, and in 18 10, $10,549. 72 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY " Resolved, That in appropriating money for ilie translating, printing, or distributing the Sacred Scriptures in foreign lan- guages, the Managers feel at liberty to encourage only such ver- sions as conform in the principles of their translation to the com- mon English version, at least so far as that all the religious deno- minations represented in this Society can consistently use and circulate said versions in their several schools and communities. "Resolved, That a copy of the above preamble and resolutions be sent to each of the missionary boards accustomed to receive pecuniary grants from this Society, with a request that the same may be transmitted to their respective mission stations where the Scriptures are in process of translation, and also that the said se- veral missionary boards be informed that their applications for aid be accompanied with a declaration that the versions which they propose to circulate are executed in accordance with the above resolutions." The first consideration that strikes a reader, when pe- rusing these resolutions, is their indefiniteness. They resemble fta-imfa, transferred into a heathen tongue, and require that some one should go with them and explain their meaning to those who receive them. It must be re- membered, that the Managers permitted precisely four years to escape after their passage, before issuing the pre- sent circular, which in part explains the circumstances that called them forth, and thus gives some idea of their meaning. Without some accompanying explanation, who would suspect that the design, and the sole design, of the first resolution was, to compel the translators of the Holy Scriptures to transfer ,Ga-Tt$u and its cognates? Of course when "a copy" was sent to a Missionary Board, the Se- cretary was obliged to accompany it with information to that effect: otherwise it would lead to a world of conjec- ture. Thus the American Bible Society and the Pfedo- baptist jjicblic were kept in ignorance of the doings of the Board of Managers, and so great was this ignorance, that AND THE BAPTISTS. 73 multitudes who voted for tho resolutions and their pre- amble, never knew till they learned from Baptist publica- tions that the subject had any tiling to do with our versions of the Word of God. But when the Managers, on the ground of these reso- lutions, reject the Baptist versions, they subject them- selves to other charges. They assume to judge of the consistency of many Pet do-baptists Nearly one half of Protestant Predo-baptists now living, use Scriptures in which joann^a) is translated by words signifying immerse. They have so done from the commencement of Protest- antism. The Managers of the American Bible Society, now voluntarily occupy the seats of umpires between the sentiments and practices of such men, and gravely deter- mine that a large portion of their Predo-baptist constituents are inconsistent. We are not called upon to defend the consistency of our Piedo-baptist friends, but we are at liberty to inquire, who made the Managers of the Ameri- can Bible Society judges of such matters ? Would it not be more in unison with the business for which they were appointed, to examine into their own consistency ? A large majority of Pasdo-baptist scholars of all denomina- tions who have written upon the subject, and of course all Baptists, have expressed the opinion that the proper meaning of fiavri^u is immerse. The Managers of the American Bible Society have not pretended to advance one argument to prove the contrary, and yet have decided that such a translation is unfaithful. Is there no incon- sistency in I " Such was the course adopted by the managers after more thaa «ix months of candid deliberation. No resolutions, it is believed, •were ever adopted with a more conscientious conviction of duty, •ir with mors kind feelings towards those who dissented. It wai 7 74 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY the aim in preparing these rules to be impartial, to withhold pa- tronage from all versions of a sectarian nature, and to encourage all which are faithfully translated, and yet in such a way that the dif- ferent branches of this compact can unite in using them as they so cordially unite in using the English version. " The Managers have now stated what they believe to have been the purpose of the founders in relation to versious, and also what has been the intentional practice of those who have since conducted its affairs. They have furthermore given a concise history of their doings in regard to a denominational version in India which they were requested to patronize. These statements, it is believed, 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 reso- lutions m question were prepared in their present shape, by wise, conscientious Baptists, who viewed, and still view them as coinci- dent with the constitution, notwithstanding they received the full 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 denomination, and have called forth an amount and style 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." We regret that we are compelled, in examining' this ex- tract, to express a degree of disapprobation, which may seem to ainount to direct censure. The first sentence as- sures us that the "course" before described was "adopted after more than six months of candid deliberation..'''' The whole course of the reasoning, set forth in the present circular to justify the Managers in rejecting the Baptist versions, is based upon the assumption, that these versions are " in their judgment unfaithful." We have before alluded to the fact that during the " six months" of deli- AXD THE BAPTISTS. 75 beration this ground was not, even professedly, maintained by the Managers. It was once assumed, and almost im- mediately abandoned upon the expressed conviction of a Paedo-baptist divine, a distinguished member of the Board, that it could not be maintained. The Baptist members of the Board often challenged their Piedo-baptist friends, to take this ground, and discuss the faithfulness of the ver- sions in question. This was uniformly declined. The ground assumed was, that, because they were confined to the commonly received version in our language, therefore, in foreign tongues they should confine themselves to simi- lar versions. The question of faithfulness, we repeat, was not discussed, and the " course" of the Board was not professedly " adopted" in reference to this principle. Yet we are now told that our versions were rejected because the Managers considered them " unfaithful. " Was tho deliberation then "candid?" Did the Managers speak freely their real sentiments ? Two men, connected in business, differ in their views of a certain transaction. The one disapproves of it on the score of expediency : the other endeavours to show that the ultimate results will be beneficial. They discuss the subject for six months, and at last, being unable to agree, separate. Four years after, the former of the two, pub- lishes a document to show that he all along believed tho measure approved by the latter was dishonest, and that was his reason for dissenting from it, although he did not give that reason at the time. Had he given it, the other might easily have proved the honesty of the measure, and thus have prevented a separation. Shall we call tho former a candid man, and say that ho conducted for six months a candid deliberation ? 76 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY The remainder of this paragraph concerns only the mo- tives by which the Managers profess to have been actuated- On these we have no comment to make. Motives are be- tween men and their Maker ; words and actions are pro- per subjects of discussion for the public. We have shown that the rules are not impartially applied, otherwise they would extend to many other points of difference in trans- lation, besides fta-ari^o ; and we now design to show that they extend patronage to " versions of a sectarian na- fure," while they do not " encourage all which are faith- fully translated." The difference between the great body of Pa?do-bap- lists and the Baptists in this country on the m-dinance of baptism is fully understood. The Pa?do-baptists profess that sprinkling, pouring and immersion, equally constitute the act indicated by ffmeri^a ; the Baptists profess that immersion is alicays implied by the word. To transfer ficnrTifa into a foreign tongue, is a virtual acknowledgment that it has not the fixed meaning, immerse. To insist upon such a transfer, is directly and openly to favour the Pasdo- baptist side of the question. To patronize only such ver- sions as make the transfer, is to patronize only Pa?do-bap- tist versions. Unless, therefore, the Managers assume that the Pscdo-baptists are so indisputably right, that to hold their views is not to be sectarian, they must acknow- ledge that they extend patronage to sectarian versions. If they do insist that Psedo-baptists only are right, and so in- disputably right that their views are in no sense sectarian,, then the American Bible Society becomes to all intents and purposes, Pa?do-baptist. When the contest comes upon Yxicko'Koc, which, if the Managers impartially carry out their resolutions, must occur with the first version that AND THE BAPTISTS. 77 translates the word, they will be obliged to take either Episcopal or Presbyterian ground, and thus the sectarian character of their new position will be more and more developed. The tendency of this new order of things is to direct the attention of translators to the views of the majority, and not to the meaning of the sacred oracles. They must now regard " the principles of the English version," and not the indisputable design of the Holy Spirit. They must see that other denominations do not find some occasion to cavil, or that the representative of one of those denomi- nations does not assert that his people cannot consistently use the new version. These considerations, no intelligent man can suppose, conduce to " encourage faithful transla- tions." In the next paragraph the Managers assert that the his- tory which they have given " 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" " without putting the very existence of the Society in danger." We speak in perfect candour and kindness when we assert, that we cannot discover the least shadow of fact or argument on which this assump- tion is predicated. Who or what had threatened the " ex- istence of the Society?" Had any body of men or any individual intimated any intention to separate from it 1 The Edinburgh Bible Society has not adopted any resolu- tions similar to those of the American. It still continues to aid the Baptist versions. Is its " very existence in jeopardy V But the Managers say that they have given a history which will satisfy most of their constituents of this point with regard to their own Society. In w hat part 7* 78 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY of their circular is it mentioned ? By what course of rea- soning is it sustained ? "Where are the facts adduced to show the extent of the apprehended danger ? What are the illustrations employed to set it forth in all its fearful vividness ? We look in vain through every paragraph for a reply. This sentence alone informs of the danger, and assures the reader, ickose attention had never before been called to the matter, that enough has already been said to satisfy him, that, had not the Managers at the critical moment adopted the measure of cutting oft" the Baptists from any participation in their funds, so far as respected foreign distribution, the " very existence of the Society" would have been put " in jeopardy." But since the Managers have themselves omitted to do what in this sentence they profess to have done, we will endeavour to supply the deficiency. There was danger, we admit, — -not in declining, but in adopting the course which they have pursued. The immediate and obvious result was to separate from them a denomination number- ing in this country more than half a million of communi- cants, and three or four millions of adherents. The ulti- mate results are in futurity. We have seen that the reso- lutions adopted, if invariably carried into operation, must produce unnumbered difficulties, and possibly divisions more extensive than that effected by cutting off the Baptists. In addition we may justly lament the occasion given to the world to triumph over the dissensions of Christian?, the harsh language employed against our denomination, and the dishonourable insinuations thrown out from the pulpit and the press, that we had for many years deceived our coadjutors, but at last had been detected and exposed. It cannot be denied that harsh retorts have sometimes beeu AND THE BAPTISTS. 79 given by our friends. We do not justify them. The points in which we think the Managers have erred, can be dis- cussed without the imputation of any unholy motives. But the immediate cause of all these subjects of regret, has been " the coarse" adopted by the Managers. Should the feelings excited and the prejudices cherished by it, result in other and worse consequences, we must refer them to their proper origin. We now come to the replies which the Managers have endeavoured to make to six charges which they have enu- merated as brought against their proceedings. Should all these charges have been irrefutably answered by the Ma- nagers, any one who has read our articles must be con- vinced, that a tithe of the difficulties would not have been removed. Incontrovertible facts have been here adduced to prove many of the statements of this circular incorrect, and to exhibit the fallacy of the arguments on which the course of the American Bible Society is founded. These we shall not now repeat, but proceed to examine the mode in which the managers attempt to reply to six out of the hundred charges brought against them. " First. — The Managers are charged with having changed their policy, noic objecting to and withholding aid from versions of such chat acter as they once patronized without hesitation. " The reply of the Board here is, that they never in a single in- stance 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 consist- ently use it. Taking it for granted that none would ask them to aid denominational versions, they now find that in two instances they have aided such, though in honest ignorance. It appears that a small edition of an Indian Gospel was once printed by them, where baptizo was translated by a word which signifies to sprinkle 80 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY or pour ; that in one version India has been aided where the same Greek word has been translated by a term signifying immerse. Had the peculiarities of these translations in either case been known at the time, they would by no means have been encouraged." Any one who carefully examines our articles will see that the ground of the charge which we have really brought, has been avoided by the Managers, and another substituted in its stead. We charge that " the Managers have changed their po- licy." They originally professed that they would dissemi- nate the Scriptures " in the received versions where they exist." The Bengali then existed, and had existed for many years, was extensively received, and was the only version in the language. The British and Foreign Bible Society patronized it, the American Bible Society praised it. It underwent no change in respect to /?a7rrt£w, but in 183G, twenty years after the Managers professed their design to disseminate the Scriptures "in the received ver- sions where they exist," they added a condition before unknown, viz : that said version should transfer Panned). Was not this a change of policy ? That they had in the meanwhile for a number of years patronized the Burman Scriptures which translate pcnTTifa ; that they had highly commended all the Seram- pore translations ; and other similar facts which we have adduced, are collateral evidences, but do not constitute the strong ground of proof that the former policy of the Society was different from that which it now pursues. It is a plausible, but not a sound mode of argument to attack a collateral evidence as though it was the real and sole ground of proof. " Had the peculiarity of these translations in either case AND THE BAPTISTS. 81 been known at the time, they would by no means have been encouraged." On this sentence the Managers will permit us to ex- press strong doubts. We have before shown that they had the most abundant means of knowledge with regard to the Baptist versions, and that if they were ignorant, their ignorance was wilful and inexcusable- The whole course of the American Bible Society, from its foundation till the adoption of the present line of policy, indicates a strict adherence to the modes of procedure pursued by the institution which delights to regard it as a daughter, the British and Foreign Bible Society. It would unnecessa- rily protract these articles to explain the reasons that in- fluenced the latter, in its rejection of the versions which it had for many long years patronized, and to show tho difference in the position of the two institutions. We do not justify the course of the British Society, nor would we plead its apology ; but we can discover, in the division of parties and die dissensions in it3 midst, the semblance of an excuse which is not discernible in the condition or previous history of the American Society. " Secondly. — The Managers are charged with partiality, by al- lowing other denominations to make such foreign versions as they choose, while JBaj)tisis 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 partiality towards any of their associates, and are conscious of none, provided all lay aside denominational work, and adhere alike to the spirit and rules of this association when co-operutirig with it.'' 82 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY It is difficult for us to discover in the course of reason- ing adopted by the Managers that careful regard to mat- ters of fact which we firmly believe they would not pur- posely neglect to maintain. We have never seen it stated by Baptists that they "allow other denominations to make such foreign versions as they choose." In fact a doubt has never entered our mind, that the American Bible Society should reject any version which was proved to be unfaithful , provided that unfaithfulness was so great that the version could not be regarded as evangelical. We insert this pro- vision, because bad as some of the Catholic versions are> they still communicate the essential truths of the gospel, and therefore the Society has, with great reason, circu- lated them in countries where they could not disseminate more faithful versions. We may still go farther. Where new versions were required, the Society* was bound by its original pledge to disseminate " the most faithful." Had the Bengali been an entirely new version, and had other new versions in the same language been presented for the patronage of the Society at the same time, if the Baptist could have been proved to be less faithful than one of the other, we would not have denied that the Society acted in consistency with its original pledge in prefer- ring to disseminate the most faithful. But this would have required no new course of policy, or new princi- ple of action. No resolutions, imbodying principles never before heard of, and incapable of being carried to their full result without ruin, would have been needed* In a word, no additional condition would have been in- vented to mar the peace and destroy the union of those who were labouring for the same Lord on common ground. AND THE BAPTISTS. 83 " This charge can have 110 foundation, unless ether denomina- tions choose to make versions of such a character that all the members of the Bible Society can use them, while those who com- plain make such versions as their denomiuation alone can con- sistently use." We have already shown that Paedo-baptists of all evan- gelical denominations, while professing to be consistent, do use versions similar to those prepared by the Baptists, although at the same time we object to any such neio condition being imposed on translators, that they should be required to prove that other denominations can use their versions. It is not in the constitution, it is not in the ad- dress of the convention. It is a novel invention and im- practicable in its operation. Suppose that there are Hicksites among the supporters of the Bible Society. Must each translator ascertain whether they can con- sistently use his version ? Suppose that some are Cal- vinists and some Arminians. Must each translator ascer- tain whether both can consistently use his version ? Who has fixed the number of the denominations supporting the Bible Society at seven ? We can easily count twenty, and believe that there are, or rather were, more. Must every translator ascertain whether each of these can con- sistently use his translation ? " The managers can have no motive to partiality towards any of their associates, and are conscious of none, provided all la}' aside denominational work, and adhere alike to the spirit and rules of this Association, when co-operating with it." We wish this sentence to be read with care. If it has any application to the case in hand, it is this : The mana- gers believe the Baptists to be sectarians : and while our missionaries are engaged in Baptist missions, the mana- 84 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY gers must of course regard them as doing denominational work. When we translate tha Scriptures and express our views of its meaning, this they regard as denominational. But if we took Pnedo-baptist ground, and asserted that fiaxTifa had no fixed meaning, and in accordance with such views transferred the word, then they would at once admit that we had laid aside denominational work. In other words, to carry out the views of Ptrdo-baptists, is not denominational — to carry out those of Baptists, is. Should we do the former, the managers could have no motive of partiality and would be conscious of none : Let us do the latter, and then their partiality is not denied. Now who can be so blind, with such facts and such state- ments before him, as not to see that the managers in this matter stand solely on Predo-baptist ground ? " Thirdly— The Managers are charged with laying down rules in regard to versions which Baptist translators cannot conscien- tiously 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 fraraers of the society. If these rules bear with un- due pressure on any portion of the compact, it is for those who ap- point the Board, and who have control of the constitution, to alter that instrument so that men of every creed and sentiment may prepare such foreign versions as they please, with the expectation that they will be published out of the common Bible f mid ! At present such license would be deemed a violation of what the con- stitution requires. But the Board (while they would not judge for others,) are unable to see why these rules which the complainants themselves cheerfully observe in relation to the English, French, and other old versions, cannot be also followed in preparing new versions ; that is, by domesticating in them the Greek words bapiizo and baptisma, so that other missionaries can use them as well as Baptists. It cannot be affirmed that errors will be taught AND THE BAPTISTS. 85 by these transferred words, nor can they be more unintelligible to the heathen than many other words which it is well known are transferred from the original into the Bengalee and Burmese ver- sions, and must be into all versions made in limited pagan tongues. Some of the 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, w there is no longer any measure to the enormity — the cup of error is' filled to overflowing — " men of every creed and sentiment" then have ample au- thority to do as they please. We have no charity for such reasoning. It is hard enough to have our versions called unfaithful ; it is hard enough to have those of Roman Catholic preferred to them; it is hard enough to be stigmatized as deceivers', it is hard enough to have our motives misrepresented, our reasoning perverted, the facts that sustain our position omitted, and others published as constituting the whole 88 AMERICAN BIELE SOCIETY 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 /?a:rr<£w, is to admit the quint- essence of latitudinarianism, the sum and substance of the errors of "men of every creed and sentiment," this is in- supportable. 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 individual always hostile to the Baptists, and the prime mover of the measures which separated them from the American Bible Society. As the circular first appeared anony- mously, and was extensively distributed long before it was acknowledged by the managers, we prefer, when we come to reasoning like this before us, to presume that the docu- ment was not prepared by the managers, but was after- wards adopted by them to shield an efficient but imprudent officer of the Society. Under such a presumption, 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 others,) are unable to see why these rules, which the complainants themselves cheerfully observe in relation to the English, French, and other old versions, cannot be also followed in preparing new versions ; that is, by domesticating in them the Greek words bnplizo and baptisjna, so that other missionaries can use them as well as Bap- tists." Were the phraseology of this document to be judged by the rules of logical accuracy, the foregoing extract would imply that the Baptists had translated the Scriptures into English, French, &c, and that in these languages they had transferred flarrri^w, Sec, Ridiculous as 6uch AND THE BAPTISTS. 89 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 cir- culated the report, that we, as a denomination, have pub- lished versions of the Scriptures in English made by our- selves. The English Scriptures issued by the American and Foreign Bible Society, although a literal transcript of King James' version of 1611, have been frequently stigma- tized from the press and the pulpit as " the Baptist Bible." Such has been the popular cry, and numbers of Predo- baptists have believed it. Let such read the foregoing sentence, and how can they avoid supposing that th<; Bap- tists have an English version of their own, and have been guilty of the inconsistency of translating Pairn^co in other languages and transferring 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 knoto not what they mean. Luther's version and other European continental versions which we have circu- lated, translate Putting). 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 accomplished, we do not trouble ourselves even to conjecture. When the Baptists profess to translate the Scriptures into any language, and transfer "words which are capable of being literally translated," then it will be sufficiently early to inquire why they can- not do the same with the Bengali and other new versions. But it seems that individuals have been guilty of inconsis- tency in such matters. 8* 90 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY " 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 Ilcv. 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 Chippewa New- Testament, prepared by Dr. James, a Papist, and printed in 1833, at Albany, hab the word baptizo transferred." The managers, in our estimation, lose their dignity in thus arguing about the opinions and actions of two or three individuals. If they count a hundred men, professedly Baptist, who thought that, to secure the continuance of the patronage of certain Societies, it might be admissible to yield a conscientious 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 principle of the matter? If so, then all the Baptists on the other side of the question would present an overwhelming body of incontrovertible and indisputable argument against the managers. Here wo cannot avoid mentioning what has forcibly struck us, not only in this, but in another part of the cir- cular which we have examined. The managers do not appear to rely upon the inherent strength of their argu- ment, but if they can only assert that this or that Baptist thought so, or did so, no matter how completely he has since become convinced 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 mustbe right. If Baptist authority, then, be so excellent, why not give it its due weight and yield to that side of the argument which has such an im- mense preponderance in its favour. AND THE BAPTISTS. 91 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 transferring /3anTi$oj. A brief illustration will show the nature of this argument. There are no words in the Bengali corresponding to Gog and Magog. Therefore these names must be transferred. Therefore the word "murder" in the commandment, " Thou shall not murder," may with propriety be transfer- red into Bengali. " But," says an objector, " the natives have a word which means ' murder,' and they will not understand the word transferred from the English or the Hebrew." No matter. Why, they have no word in their language into which we can translate" Calvinist," or "Quaker." What impropriety then in transferring the word " murder ?" "Pagan tongues" are " limited." They must use "dic- tionaries," 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 prohibi- tions, must be transferred, therefore a conscientious trans- lator is at liberty to conceal under a transferred term, a command which he believes himself capable of translating intelligibly ; then any other command, injunction or pro- hibition of Scripture may upon the same principle, be concealed. If the principle be correct, it cannot be con- fined to j£fairri£&> ; if it be not correct, the managers of the 92 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY American Bible Society have erred in endeavouring to vin- dicate it. " Fourthly — „The Managers are charged with the inconsistency of patronizing German and Dutch Bibles, where baplizo is trans- lated by words which signify immerse, and yet witholding aid from the Bengalee and Burmese Bibles translated in the same way. " The reply is, in tbe first place, that the former versions are an- cient ' 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 Eflglish Bible, lost their first meaning, and are now of as general import as the English word baptize. They ore versions which both Baptists and Predo-baptists can and do use continually Without objection. Should the versions referred to in India, as tlrey are in the main good, undergo a similar change as to the im- port of a few words, so that different 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 tbey convey to all the component parts of the So- ciety, like the English and German Bibles, the mind of the Spirit. Let the Divine meaning be actually conveyed to the various read- ers, and it seems to the Board a matter of little moment whether this is effected through one tongue or another, or through a com- bination of several. n The first sentence of this paragraph arrests the atten- tion, as furnishing an additional illustration of the peculiar 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. AXD THE BAPTISTS. 93 The founders of the Society promised to patronize " the received versions where they exist, and the most faith- ful where they may be required." The first clause in- cluded the Bengali which existed at the time. This fact could not be denied by the managers, but its admis- sion would at once expose the impropriety of their course. Therefore in that part of the circular which refers directly to the Bengali version, they omit any allusion 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 contradiction from a direct statement, the word " ancient" is prefixed to the phra- seology of the founders, and the impression is given that they agreed to patronize only the ancient received ver- sions. A strict construction of the language would involve the managers in the charge of a positive misstate- ment 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 qualification, no man has a right to prefix to their words, and when the case in- volves such grave considerations, 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. 1 '' We have already, to some extent, expressed our views on this reasoning, and shall therefore only add a few sug- gestions. The parenthesis furnishes information, which, connected with other parts of the circular, may be regard- 94 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY ed by some readers as no less strange than new. " The English Bible," the managers assure us, is " a faithful version," and it conveys " in view of all, the true Divine meaning." 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 be- come a faithful version. And yet to the principles of this translation, which has thus strangely become faithful by influences, over which the translators had no control, 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 versions, 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 Tope in endeavouring to extinguish it. No matter though the translation of the Scriptures 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 been able to make head; no matter how good, how useful, or faithful was the version ; it translated 0airri£(o f and therefore could not be patronized ? AND THE BAPTISTS. 95 Thus the Managers of the American Bible Soci- ety ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ON THE PRINCIPLE ON WHICH THEY OPPOSE THE BAPTISTS, THEY MUST HAVE OPPOSED the REFORMATION. We might dwell upon this singular position of the American Bible Society, but our space forbids us to detail the fearful inferences which every reflecting mind will it- self conceive. One idea only we cannot forbear to insert. The managers, according to their circular, must have re- plied to an application from the great Reformer for aid in publishing his version, " We cannot conscientiously aid a version which is so unfaithful as to translate j3aTCTL^(o im- merse, but if you will publish a version founded on the Latin Vulgate, although it may inculcate 'penance, 1 in- stead of ' repentance,'' and the worship of an image on the top of a staff, we will freely communicate of our means to circulate a version which has such mere ' defects.' " But the inconsistencies of this statement of the mana- gers appear in other respects. They assert that the Ger- man and Dutch tongues have undergone 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 disputed words in German and Dutch writers, and from the letters of Mr. Oncken, whose ac- quaintance with the language of the common people, and whose uncorrupt integrity have never been disputed, that the assertion of the managers is totally incorrect and unfounded. We acquit them however of any design to misstate. They have probably taken the word of the in^ dividual who wrote the circular for a fact, of which they have neglected to obtain the proofs. 96 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY For other inconsistencies of this statement, and the un- pleasant 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 managers will pa- tronize them." This is another most important admission. Our ver- sions are in the main good — that is, with the exception of these few words, (3airTi& 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 Ka- rens, and the Bengalese as important in the eye of Jeho- vah as the inhabitants of Europe? Can the Managers conscientiously bestow as high commendations upon the Romanist versions as they can on the Baptist ? Then where is the consistency of circulating the former among the inhabitants of Europe and withholding the latter from the natives of India ? Is the immersion of a believer in Jesus a more fearful crime with the Managers of the Ame- rican 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 swal- low a camel." But the Managers assure us that the objectionable words in the German and Dutch tongues have lost their peculiar, and acquired a general meaning, and they seem to antici- pate that the same may eventually be the case with our In- dian versions. If the statement were really true, and the * Bee pages 55, 56= AND THE BAPTISTS. 97 anticipation g well founded, must the poor heathen die by millions in the meanwhile without the word of God, anti- cipating' that some distant generation may receive it from the patronage of the American Bible Society? If the words are to undergo such a change of meaning, why not circulate the Scriptures generally, as is the case with Lu- ther's version in Germany, and bring about the result as soon as possible ? If those who sprinkle, could use Lu- ther's version in Germany when, even according to the Managers, it did inculcate immersion, cannot Baptists be permitted to use a similar version in India ? In closing our remarks upon this paragraph, we cannot forbear to remark the apparently light manner in which the Managers speak of withholding the Scriptures from the heathen. No other versions existed in the languages of some of the many millions 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 circu- late our versions. Nay, for the sake of these few words they effectually break the bands of union, and give occa- sion to bitter feelings and unchristian remarks to hundreds of thousands of professing christians whom they have ar- rayed against each other. They were not impelled to their cuurse by conscientious scruples, for if expediency prompted them to circulate the Romanist versions, con- science 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. 9 98 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY " Fifthly— Another charge is, that the Managers have, set vp the English Bible as a standard to which all translations must be conformed, thus abridging the liberty of the translator. "This is a mistake, as any reader of the foregoing resolution wil' 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 transfer- ring a few words, which either cannot be translated or are of dis- puted meaning; and even these transfers aie not required, provided the various members of the Society can unite in using the \ crsions as they use the English. This certainly is imposing no severe restraint on the conscience of the translator, far less, it is appre- hended, than the complainants (who have taken the English Bible, and appended to it a glossary, telling us precisely what cer- tain Greek words signify) will require of their translators. How much liberty will the latter have to prepare versions which are not thoroughly denominational V The legitimate application of a general rule is not con- fined to the particular case which called it into existence. In their anxiety to avoid any expression that might give the Christian public an explicit 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 super- structure. " Resolved, That in appropriating money for the trans- lating, printing or distributing the sacred Scriptures in fo- reign languages, the Managers feel at liberty to encourage only such versions as conform in the principles of their translations to the common English version, at least so far AND THE BAPTISTS. 99 a9 that all the religious denominations represented in this Society can consistently use and circulate said versions in their several schools and communities." The versions here explicitly described as henceforth en- titled to the patronage of the Society, are, "only such a3 conform to the principles of the English 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 leniency with regard to certain translations. " At least" these will bo excluded from any hopes of patronage. Conformity to " the common English versions," is thus made the general rule, to which the Managers 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 version we will unceremoniously reject. Still as we shall " AT LEAST" do this, we may reject for any want of con- formity to the English Bible. If then you wish to be safe, you will in all your versions conform entirely to the stand- ard which we have given you." This is, we conceive, the only legitimate construction of 100 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY 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 resolu- tion that expressed their design, would be an imputation on their wisdom, of which we shall not be guilty. The language employed by them is not recondite. Tbe ex- pression " at least" is common, and has a definite and fixed meaning. It implies that some proposition has been stated which is general in its nature, and that a particular proposition follows embracing a portion of the ground covered by the general one, and assuring us that, to this portion there is no exception. Still the minor proposition does not in the least invalidate the general one, although it implies a possibility 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 conformed, thus abridg- ing 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 mis- take," but until some evidence or argument is advanced to prove 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 transfer- ring a few words, which either cannot be translated or are of disput- AND THE BAPTISTS. 101 ed 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." That such expectation is asserted or implied in the re- solutions 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?" a few words." Tf the Board of Managers have really enforced or im- plied any requisitions of the kind, why not quote the words in which they are couched? When a law is issued, "it is expected" that those whom it concerns will regard it. The law issued to translators is, to "conform in the prin- ciples of their translations to the common English ver- sions ;" 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 adapt- ed to encourage such expectations. They are also " expected" to imitate " the English no farther than by transferring a few words," &c. Either then the " missionaries or others who prepare new ver- sions" are not " expected" to comply with the wishes of the Board, or else, to " conform in the principles of trans- lation to the English version," is in the opinion of the Ma- nagers, only M to transfer a few words which either cannot be translated, 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 expect to be observed, and we are, therefore, obliged however reluc- 9* 102 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY tantly, to adopt the latter proposition. We say " reluc- tantly," for we are reluctant to admit, 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 Mana- gers on their own resolution. There can be no dispute re- garding 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 below 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, notwithstanding their own com- mentary, that the Managers never intended any such tri- fling, as to resolve that a man should do that which he could not avoid. The commentary must then be abbreviated. To con- form in the principles of translation to the common En- glish version, is, in the opinion of the Managers, to trans- fer a few words of disputed meaning. A version founded on no other principle (we cannot find a plural in the idea) than the transfer of 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 ex- cellence as to be justly called " the principles" of its trans- lation, yet it may possibly constitute a most material de- AND THE BAPTISTS. 103 feet. If a chapter of the Bible were left untranslated, and printed in a modern version as it appears in the origi- nal 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 conscientiously desired to give the whole of divine truth to the people that received that version a most lamentable and unpardonable blemish in the work. But the Managers are sincerely desirous, a3 appears by this and the foregoing paragraph, to convince the readers of their circular that they require very little of the Bap- tists. We as sincerely believe their professions. They require what to them appears a very small matter. They have always assured us that they regard it as of little im- portance 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 mat- ter 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 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 light and small, to press their views to the cutting off of those who attach to it the highest importance ? 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 Ameri- can and Foreign Bible Society, and from that infer posi- tively and explicitly the course which that Society " will 104 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY 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 unbiassed mind. Let us for a moment ima- gine that the inference of the Managers is well founded ; to what will it amount ? A Board to whom are intrusted the interests of a large and respectable Society, is ex- plaining to its constituents its reasons for adopting a line of policy which involves numerous inconsistencies, and re- pelling certain charges in relation to that policy. Instead reasoning ; • of disproving these charges by a manly course of the Board infers, or imagines that another society will dp as badly or worse in similar matters. And then to bind this strange reasoning to the case in hand, the Board al- leges, that this Society, of which it has not even given the name, constitutes " the complainants." To such reasoning we are almost at a loss for an an- swer. What in the name of logic has the American 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 ex- istence. Again, to call the latter " the complainants," when the " charges" which the Managers are endeavouring to re 1 * buke, have been put forth in almost every case by indi- viduals and on their private authority, is ungenerous as it is unjust. But the inference or surmise of the Managers, which Ave have hitherto treated as well founded, is in reality totally destitute of foundation. The English Bibles and AND THE BAPTISTS. 105 Testaments issued by the American and Foreign Bible Society,, are, as nearly as practicable, an accurate reprint of the original edition 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 En- glish synonyme. The whole if formed into a sentence, would make about the length of a common verse of Scrip- ture. 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 be- lief that they have acted in this matter without due con- sideration, we would hardly have condescended to notico 6uch an attack. But what shall we say of the inference deduced from this glossary — that the American and Fo- reign Bible Society will impose far more severe " restraint on the conscience of the translator" than has been imposed by the Managers of the American! Those who can dis- cern the connexion between the fact and the inference, may also discover the proper method of rebutting the lat- ter. As we have, after the closest study, found ourself incapable of effecting the former we shall not attempt the latter enterprise. We have now reached the last matter treated in the circular of the Managers — the amount of moneys contribut- ed 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 repugnance with which we enter upon the discussion of such a subject. The questions connected with it do not properly affect the merits of the controversy 106 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY arising out of the stand taken by the American Bible So- ciety relative to Baptist 'versions of the Holy Scriptures. If it could be sustained by the Board of Managers, that they had pursued an invariable policy regarding foreign translations from the foundation of the Society, and that this policy is required by their Constitution and the ad- dress of the Convention that formed the Society, they would not be bound by any principle of law or equity to dispose of funds contributed without condition, otherwise than as their Constitution prescribed ; of course, not to re- turn them to the donors or give them to another Society* On the other hand, if the Managers have adopted a new line of policy, not required by the Constitution or address, but antagonist 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, abandon their new line of policy, and resume harmonious action with those whom they have disaffected. If indeed insuperable obstacles to the professed a.nd esta- blished 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 discovered, 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 the pre- sent occasion allude to the amount of funds contributed by Baptists to the American Bible Society, had not more AND THE BAPTISTS. 107 than one quarter of the circular of the Managers been de- voted to an earnest endeavour to show how small a sum had really been received from our denomination. We do not mean to censure them for this attempt, although we do not admire the manner in which it has been prose- cuted. Where a difference of opinion exists regarding mone- tary calculations, we believe that it is not customary for one party alone to examine the books, and publish a state- ment founded upon them, without extending an invitation for some person or persons 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 knowledge of numerous names and persons with whom the second party can alone be believed to be acquainted. 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 thon 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 So- ciety. 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 $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 published, had from personal examination of the Reports from 1329 to 1336, ascertained that there were " at least" " 46 lay- men and female Life Members, by tho payment of $1665 ; 208 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY and 140 clerical Life Members, by the payment of $52G0 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 op- portunity of testing its accuracy, nor that of their own, by inviting the aid of persons extensively acquainted with th© names and doings of Baptists, while preparing their state- ment. We may add, that the list of names of Life Members marked by Mr. Hill as Baptists, has been examined by several of the oldest and most intelligent Baptist minis- ters in the United States, and by them is regarded as cor- rect so far as it extends. It would be improper not to add, that the apprehended deficiency consists in the omis- sion of names of persons, who, from lapse of time and other circumstances, cannot be with certainly designated as Baptists. A perfect list would probably much increase the number 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 incorrectness 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 Presbyterian elder subsequently made a large donation to the Society, and availed himself of the constitutional privilege of nominating a number of hi3 personal friends as Life Directors and Members \ of this number the minis- JLND THE BAPTISTS. 109 ter in question was one, by the addition of $120 to the previous subscription. Here, also, I think proper to no- tice an assertion that one person, at least, has been very forward to use as an argument to prove the unprofitable- ness of the Baptists as ' partners in the joint concern' of the American Bible Society, that is, that they have but few names on the list of 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 sub- scriptions, .but of large donations or legacies of other indi- viduals. One instance of which I have named, and I could name others. Indeed, but few such donations have been made by Pa^do-baptists 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 readily, without seeking any other benefit by it than that of blessing the world with the word of God. I know of nearly $20,000 being contribut- ed by Baptists in heavy sums, who so far as J Gan learn, did not confer the privilege of directorship or membership upon a single person. And the church of which the minis- ter just alluded to, is pastor,* has contributed to the funds * S. II. Cone, Pastor of the Oliver-street Baptist church, New- York, is the individual thus distinguished; and the $120 were paid by Arthur Tappau, Esq. As the mild and candid correspond- ent of the Troy 3Iorning Mail has thought proper to bring this subject before the public, we have deemed it due to truth and jus- tice to state the following facts : In 1830, a legacy of $7,000, left by John Withiugton, a Deacon of Oliver-street church, was paid to the treasurer of the American Bible Society. In 1S33, a legacy of $300 to tho same Society, was bequeathed by Mrs. Abijob 10 110 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY 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 respect- able number of names whom I recognise as enjoying the privilege spoken of, (and I presume thero are many more whose names I never heard,) yet, had the liberal benefac- tors 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 correspondence on the sub- ject since the commencement of these articles, we arc con- vinced that in placing the sum total of Baptist contribu- tions at $100,000, he has confined himself very far within the true amount. A strong argument against Baptist li- berality has been constructed by the Managers from the fact, that only one of our denomination contributed for the Marshall, a member of the same church. From 1830 to 1835 in- clusive, the Oliver-street Female Bible Society, being a branch of l he New -York Female Bible Society, auxiliary to the American Bi- ble Society, paid in like manner $786 72. This sum was of cours e credited to the New-York Female Bible Society, and Poedo bap- tists, at a distance, would never dream that the money had been given by Baptists. Tbis is a single instance of Baptist co-opera- tion 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 question 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 con- cern," are too vague and unfounded to be safely reiterated. AND THE BAPTISTS. Ill cuilding erected by the Bible Society. No allusion is made, however, to a fact equally important to this view of the case, that Baptists are almost universally opposed to this kind of endowment of voluntary societies. Our Fo- reign Mission, Home Mission, American and Foreign Bi- ble, and our Publication Societies are all destitute of such endowments. 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 conduct their most efficient Societies without the possession of buildings, and tha't they entertain strong objections against the endowment of voluntary institutions by the possession of any kind of permanent funds. While, as we have stated, there is sufficient evidence 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 sup- porters of the American Bible Society ; yet it was a prin- ciple invariably observed by them, to denominate no aux- iliary 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 con- tributed to the American Bible Society, there would be a manifest impropriety in requesting Baptists alone to point out who among the contributors were Presbyterians, and what proportion they gave in certain districts, and then 112 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY to publish the result to the world as the sum of Pre Eq terian 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 bave been procured from Pa?do-baptists. Of the $100,000 supposed by Mr. Hill to have beer, contributed by Baptists, from forty to fifty thousand were included in legacies. The Managers admit $18,000 in the following words : " The aggregate of legacies received from Baptists, m I known to the Board, is no more than $18,000; namely, from the estate of John Fleetwood Marsh, deceased, of Eastcliester, 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 over, still that sum will be paidfrom the residuum of the estate of Mr. Marsh, according to the provisions of his will. The Ameri- can 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 quarter will be seen after reading the following letter from the ex- ecutor. This letter was procured in consequence of a statement hi the Baptist Advocate in relation to this residuum, that "a simple le- gal process is alone necessary to transfer it to their (American Bi- ble Society's) coffers— a process which the Board can at its own option pursue.' 8 " Hackensack, 18th Jan. 1840; " Dear Sip.,— In reply to your letter of the 15th instant, re- specting information of the present condition of the legacy left by the late Mr- Marsh to the American Bible Society, I bave to state that by the will of Mr. Marsh, the Society, in addition to the lega- AND THE BAPTISTS. 113 ey of $10,000 which has been paid, are residuary legatees in com- mon 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 ascer- tained about one hundred, and, from information 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 Chan- cery to have the estate settled, but from various causes it has not been brought to a close, and when it wdl be, it is impossible for me to say. I am advised that I canuot safely pay any of the resi- duary legatees without having tliem 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 indi- viduals, 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 in- terest which by skilful management it draws, the present amount is more than $30,000. Here, so far as it can affect the argument, the matter might be left, since the legacy is as much a bequest of a Baptist to the American Bible Society 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 residuum of the property is to be paid to the Society. The specific legacies have been paid and the residuum is in the executor's hands. No clause in the will prevents him from paying the residuary lega- 10* 114 AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY tees so soon as he can ascertain the amount to which thej 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 residuary 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 Withington 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 ter- minate our remarks upon the cicular. It was our original design to sum up the facts and ar- guments which we have adduced to disprove the state- ments and confute the reasoning of the Managers, but we fear to trespass so much on the patience 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 rea- soning by which the Managers have endeavoured to sus- tain 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 cor- dially co-operated with other evangelical denominations in the dissemination of the lively oracles of God. They wished no separation ; they sought it iv>t. They adopted AND THE BAPTISTS. 115 no new line of policy ; they propagated no novel doctrine ; they changed no existing relation. Yet in the midst of ap- parent prosperity, when the coffers of the American Bible Society were overflowing, and new fields of usefulness 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, evangeli- cal denominations in this country were united in benevo- lent action. It was adopted, not only without provocation on our part, but against our most earnest protestations. It was adopted in view of the heathen perishing for lack of knowledge, and in the face of an infidel world ready to rejoice at dissension among professing christiansi The American Bible Society is no longer what it was. It once towered majestically, a pyramid of christian benevo- lence. Firm in the strength of its impartiality and its dis- interestedness, it bid fair to withstand for centuries the varying winds of denominational 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 with its defence, have loosed and thrown out from the base one of the massive stones that sustained the immense superstructure ; 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 0anTi<;u) in ancient and modern versions of the Scriptures, and had secured the promise of friends to assist in the un- dertaking. In the mean while the pamphlet, the title page of which is given below has made its appearance, and covers nearly the whole ground. It is written by an Episcopalian, and therefore cannot be suspected of an un- due bias towards Baptist views. A Critical examination of the rendering of the word Pclitti^w in the ancient and many of the modern ver. sions of the New Testament, with especial reference to Dr. Henderso?i , s animadversions upon Mr. Green' field's statements on the subject. By F. W. Gotch, A. B., Trinity College, Dublin. London: Thomas Ward fy Co. Paternoster Row. PREFACE. In laying before the Public this little work, the author is well aware that he exposes himself to the charge of having spent more labour upon a matter of verbal criti- cism, and that too relating to a ritual observance, than was warranted by the importance of the subject. To anticipate such a charge may not prevent its being made : yet, as it is not likely that the writer will have any other opportunity of justifying himself, he maybe allowed APPENDIX. 117 to observe, that whilst fully admitting the small import-* ance of his subject, compared with those which involve the very spirit and life of the gospel, he yet cannot regard it an unimportant thing to ascertain the truth in any mat- ter connected with the standing laws of Christ's kingdom. The translations of the New Testament now made for infant churches will probably exercise a powerful and en- during influence on the future developement of Christianity in heathen lands. No effort, therefore, to render these versions as perfect as the limits of human knowledge will permit, even in respect to subjects of secondary import- ance, can properly be looked upon as superfluous labour. Those who are most aware of the difficulty of attaining perfect accuracy where various languages are used, will, he feels assured, not only be most ready to pai'don ble* mishes, but to give credit to the printer for the beauty of the foreign type, and the correctness with which it is em- ployed. Boxmoor, Herts, January, 1341. CRITICAL EXAMINATION. In the course of the controversy which has for the last few years been carried on respecting the mode of trans- lating the words which designate the ordinance of Christian Baptism, appeals have been confidently made, by both parties, to the general practice of former, and especially of ancient translators. It has been affirmed, on the one hand, that the method adopted by the Baptist Missionaries is altogether an innovation ; and, on the other, that it is sanctioned by a great majority of the ancient, and by many of the modern versions. In order to ascertain the truth between these conflict- ing statements, it seems desirable that the question should be taken up simply as one of criticism, and that we should examine de novo the versions which have been appealed to. The following pages contain an attempt at such an 118 APPENDIX- examination. It has been undertaken from no love of con- troversy, nor from any desire to support or vindicate, by an ex-parte statement, the movements of any particular sectjpn of the Christian church. It has originated in the de'sire of the author, first of all to ascertain for himself the truth ; and then, as far as he is able, to give to others the means of farming a correct judgment on a subject of no small importance in itself; but of much more in its conse- quence's, as it bears upon the general question of the man- ner in which translations should be made It should be distinctly understood, that it forms no part of the present design to inquire into the meaning of the Greek word Pa-imfa : the only point to which the au- thor's attention is directed, is, How is this word rendered by translators. The results to which this investigation leads will be more properly stated at the close of it. To refer to them now, would only be 'to prejudice the minds of readers for or against the statements made, according to their previ- ous predilections. It seems desirable, however, before we enter on the examination of particular versions, that we should glance at the critical inquiries which have »been al- ready made on the subject. Robinson, in his History of Baptism, appeals frequently to the authority of versions. His notices, however, are not only scattered, but, in general, very cursory. The first occasion of any thing like a critical examination of the words employed in the versions appears to have been the attack made upon the Serampore Mahratta Version of the New Testament, in the Asiatic Journal for September, 1329. It was there brought as a charge against Dr. Ca- rey and his colleagues, that they had " rendered to ' bap- tize' by a phrase compounded contrary to the idiom of the APPENDIX. 119 language, but which can signify nothing else than to give a dipping or immersion. 1 '' The late amiable and la- mented Mr. Greenfield, in his defence of that version, met this charge on the grounds that the phrase was idiomatic ; that it was a correct rendering of the word (iaiin^w ; and that to render it by a term signifying immerse, was in ac- cordance with established usage. It is to this last point only that our attention is now directed. " It may be safely affirmed," says Mr. Greenfield, " that many of the most accurate and valuable versions, both ancient and modern, are involved in the same accusation, and that there is no one which is directly hostile to that interpretation." (p. 40.) And he adds : " In consistency, if that aid" {i. e. of the British and Foreign Bible Society) " be withdrawn from the Serampore Missionaries because they have rendered Pcnrrifa to immerse, then must it also be withdrawn from the Churches of Syria, of Arabia, of Abyssinia, of Egypt, of Germany, of Holland, of Denmark, &c. ; and the ve- nerable PeshitoSyriac Version, the Arabic Versions of tho Propaganda, of Sabat, &c, the Ethiopian, the Coptic, and other versions must all be suppressed" (p. 44). These statements were supported by an examination of the terms employed in the versions referred to. The account Mr. Greenfield gave of the versions met an immediate denial, in a critique originally published in the Congregational Magazine for March, 1830. This critique has, owing to recent controversy, been acknowledged, and the part relating to this question reprinted, by Dr. Hen- derson, in" a Letter to the Rev. A. Brandram, M. A., on the meaning of the word (la-xTi^u, and the manner in which it has been rendered in versions sanctioned by the Bible Society." Dr. Henderson undertakes to prove, that in none of the versions mentioned by Mr. Greenfield, except 120 A P P E N D I X . perhaps the Gothic, does the term used for fiazTifa signify to immerse. "In his appeal to the versions," says Dr. Henderson, " we cannot but deem Mr Greenfield pecu- liarly unfortunate" (p. 10;) and he proceeds to support his view by a re-examination of several of the versions un- der consideration. An examination of three of the Eastern Versions (viz. Syiiac, Ethiopian, and Coptic) is also contained in a pamphlet relating to the present discussion, entitled " The Bible Translation Society of the Baptists uncalled for and injurious. By a Baptist. London, 1840." The only other work in English,* bearing upon the sub- ject, with which the author is acquainted, is, "A Review of Professor Stuart on Christian Baptism, by the Rev. Wil- lard Judd : New-York, 1836;" where, in an Appendix of sixteen closely-printed pages, the results of an examination of a very extensive list of versions, ancient and modern, are given. None of these examinations appear to the author satis- factory. The last mentioned is the most extensive ; but Mr. Judd's statements are very brief, and not always cor- rect as to the facts. Mr. Greenfield's examination was undertaken with a particular object in view, to which he has closely confined himself; and he therefore is altogether silent respecting several of the ancient versions. The same remark applies to Dr. Henderson, who wrote in an- swer merely to Greenfield. The authorities adduced by both Greenfield and Judd are almost entirely the Lexi- cons: in quoting from which, it should be remarked, how- ever, the former gives many passages in which the words * Augusti has some remarks on the versions of Pazri^co, i" h' 3 " Handbuch dtr ckristlicken Archvologie," to which subsequent reference will be made. APPENDIX. 121 occur. Dr. Henderson, on the other hand, distrusts the authority of the Lexicons; but he seldom gives other au- thority, by distinctly quoting- the passages in which the words occur in the senses which he affixes to them. It will be seen, in the course of the ensuing pages, that the author refers to Dr. Henderson's pamphlet more fre- quently than to any other of those mentioned, and that he ha"s the misfortune to differ from him in many of his state- ments ; yet he has not thought it needful directly to reply to all that he conceives to be erroneous in Dr. Henderson's remarks, much less to confine himself to those versions which have been the subject of controversy between him and Mr. Greenfield. His object is, throughout, a general and, if possible, and impartial examination of the question ; assuming as little the air of controversy as is practicable on a subject that has been so long a matter of debate. The New Testament was very early translated into the Syriac language. The Peshito Syriac Version is generally referred to the beginning of the second century : by some critics, even to the close of the first. The Philoxenian Version, made under the authority of Philoxenus, orXena- yas, bishop of Hierapolis, is to be referred to the beginning of the sixth century. Fragments of another version, which has been called Pahestino-Syriac, have been discovered in the Library of the Vatican ; and the manuscript containing them has been partially collated, but not printed. Our examination properly commences with the venera- ble Peshito Version. It is considered to be the earliest version extant : the lamnjuge differs, probably, very little 11 122 A P P E X D I X . from that spoken by our Lord and his disciples ;* and be- sides, with regard to the particular point in question, it may be considered the parent of many other Eastern Ver- sions. The root which it employs to translate Pairrtfa and its " v derivatives is uniformly | V?S {amad.) Now, in order to ascertain the meaning- of this term, which has been the subject of much discussion, we have to consider, in the first place, its etymology, and then its use. It is almost super- fluous to say that etymology alone will not suffice. In every language we may find innumerable examples of an entire departure from etymological meaning; and in lan- guages where we have but few works to refer to, we shall find it difficult, frequently impossible, to trace the grad<> tions of meaning, or form any probable conjecture of the process by which the secondary signification was pro- duced. v The word .-^ has been generally, and perhaps cor- rectly referred to the same root as the Hebrew '"J^^ (found also in the Arabic and Ethiopic;) the general * Dr. Henderson, with singular infelicity, refers, in a note, to this fact; — "When our Lord," lie says, "gave the commission to his disciples to baptize all nations, there is every reason to believe that he employed the identical word found in the Peshito Syriac Version" (p. 11 ;) the meaning of which he affirms to be, ' to stand up,' ' stand erect.' Yet this word is translated (for it must be deemed translation, if the Syriac be the original term) intoGr&ek °y PaTTTifa. Does the Greek term, then, ever mean ' to stand up,' or 'stand erect ?' or, were the writers of the New Testament so little acquainted with Greek as uniformly to substitute ficnrTitcj for a word with this signification? Unless Dr. Henderson is willing to acknowledge a mistranslation, in this instance, on the part of inspired men, he must acknowledge that the meaning he has given to the word is not its true one. It is not that which they gave it. A P P E N D I X . 123 meaning of which is, undoubtedly, ' to stand,." 1 In the Sy- riac, however, I am not aware of any instance in which the verb has such a meaning, or any of the words which are apparently derived from it, except J9P V?,^* a pillar or column* Dr. Henderson indeed asserts, that the verb, "like its cognate ^^^ * n Hebrew, signifies, l to stand up? ' stand erect ;'t but he gives no quotation to authorize such a meaning ; and Michaelisf expressly states that he does not find in the Syriac the signification of standing which is common to the other Oriental languages, unless it be in the derivative above mentioned. Another derivation therefore, as is well known, has been proposed by Michaelis, and certainly not without plausibility. He derived the Syriac word from the Arabic '£ ( ghamata,) which signifies to immerse, instead of /VTX {amada. ) The changes of the letters would furnish but little difficulty. The Arabic alphabet is so much more * The writer of the Letters on the "Bible Translation Society of the Baptists" speaks of " derivatives of the Syriac |.V?\ occurring "in two places, 1 Tim. iii. 15. and Gal. ii. 9., both mean- ing columns or pillars." It is somewhat unusual to speak of the singular and plural of a noun (as is the case here) as two deriva- tives of the same root. This noun also occurs in Rev. iii. 12. and x. 1. t P. 10. The signification of the Hebrew is not emphatically stand up or erect, as Dr. Henderson's statement implies. That it may occasionally be so rendered with propriety, is not denied ; but it cannot be always, nor indeed frequently. A reference to any Lexicon will show that the idea of erectness of posture is no part of the radical meaning of the word. See 2 Chron. vi. 13, where it is said that Solomon " stood, and kneeled down upon his knees." | Lexicon Syriac um sub voce. }24 APPENDIX. copious than the Hebrew or the Syriac, that roots which in that language are distinct arc frequently confounded in the others. As an example of this amalgamation of two root?, in respect to the letters £ ( Ain) and £ (Ghain,) the root WjQ^r Heb.,^>-0. Syr-, maybe mentioned. The verb \\,^ i mpiinsto immerse: thenoun^S. (Heb. 3/^1j£5^) a finger, especially the first or index finger. Where is the connexion between the two 1 The Arabic makes it clear, by referring the two words to different roots «-y0 (tsabaa) " intendit digitum," whence * v purpose of deducing from the verb the noun fcriVnV columna. With this exception, the authority of the Lexi- cons referred to is altogether against any such meaning as " to stand." Schaaf compares the word with the Hebrew *]*ft$ stetit, and the Arabic iV f.C- Re alliore, col- timna,palo, sustimrit, fulsit, stabilavit, erexit, &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 the word. We therefore proceed to an examination of the Syriac Version, and Syrian Authors, on the point in question. v In the Syriac New Testament, the verb . V^V occurs eighty times, answering in seventy-nine instances to the verb Pa-rrri^w, in one (Matt. iii. 7) to the noun tSaTTTiajia ' the noun f ^ V^ Wa occurs fifteen times, answering in fourteen instances to fiaimarlii and in one to the partici- c > =r > y pie PcurTifav : the noun | A A.«n Vo Wo occurs thirty- one times, answering to /?a7rr«cr^a in twenty-one instances, to PaxTicuds in four, to (poriaOivres in two (Heb. vi. 4. and x. 32. where 'being enlightened/ is manifestly taken by the translator as a figurative expression for having been baptized in accordance with the well-known usage of the APPENDIX. 129 Fathers;*) and to Ko^v^Bfidpa in four, viz. John v. 2, 4,7. and ix. 7. The root thus is used, in all, in 126 instances. The Greek verb /Janri^o occurs eighty times, the noun fiaizTiGTns fourteen, Panna/to. twenty-two, and ffairricudi four; in all, 120. From this comparison it will be seen, that in every instance where the word fiairrtfa or any of its derivatives, is employed in the Greek, some form of v the root . Vn V j s used in the Syriac, and that the noun J A a ^VnX^n (wVnVb signifies both baptism and bap- tistery) is used where no derivative of 0 is em- ployed ; twice as a figurative designation of ' baptism,' and four times in a sense connected with the meaning ' bap- tistery,' as the translation of Ko\vfxPfidpa, a pool or bathing place; a use which the noun, signifying the place where, baptism was perform d, could scarcely have acquired, un- less the verb designating the act of baptism had been un- derstood to mean bathe or immerse. We are, moreover, warranted in concluding, that though the term was pecu- liarly approp iated to th - ri e of Christian baptism, as is manifest from its being used as the translation of (pcjTiadeureg, it was nevertheless regarded by the Syriac translator as synonymous with 0aim(w in all the senses in which that word is used in the New Testament, and not as simply ex- pressive of the Christian rite: see, e. g., Mark vii. 4. Luke xi. 38. where the word is used in reference to Jewish ablutions. These examples preclude the idea of taking * Vid. Fuiceri Thesaurus Eccles. sub. voce c.m£a). To obviate the possible objection, which this interpretation may be supposed to furnish to the antiquity of the Syriac Version, it may be re- marked, that Michaelis on other grounds supposes that the transla- tion of the Epistle to the Hebrews is of later date than the other parts of the Peshito Version. 130 APPENDIX. one's station at or in the water, which, according to Dr Henderson, is its meaning; and that of confirming, which Augusti and Dr. Lee maintain. The meaning which the translator designed to convey in these passages, was neither of these, but ablution. Dr. Henderson's view, or Augus- tus may explain how the word came to have this meaning; and many other hypotheses may do the same ; but the fact seems clear, that it had acquired in the time of the Syriac translator the meaning which the Lexicons give, " abluit 56." In the Syriac Translation of the Old Testament, which was made about the same time as that of the New, the v word flfl.^ is used in one instance, and signifies 'im- mersion,' or 'passing through water' (Num. xxxi. 23.) " All that abideth not the fire, ye shall make go through the water." . ^^VnV] |i^^ "Ye shall im- merse in water." Ephraim Syrus, who lived in the fourth century, uses the word frequently, and, as far as I have been able to discover, always in reference to Christian baptism. In many cases, the connexion in which it stands, implies that he understood by it 'immersion;' as, for example, in a hymn in which he speaks of the spirit and fire visible in different parts of the life of Christ: " Behold the fire and the spirit (7L ^^ jjoLiS A ^ffi^V in the ri- ver in which thou wast baptized * !" This however might be explained, according to Dr. Henderson's hypothesis, of a "person's taking his station at or in the water." The following instance, however, is explicit, and seems liable to no such exception. Speaking again of Christ, he says, * Assomanni Bibliotheca Orientalie, T. I. p. 101. APPENDIX. 131 " How wonderful is it that thy footsteps were planted on the waters; that the great sea should subject itself _*"* t S ""^ *■■ ) to thy feet; and that yet at a small river that same head of thine should be subjected to be bowed dozen and baptized xnitV > y A O Offl wS| )i^| |? \A a. J .* In this example, not only is the manner of the baptism expressed by the word ■!-.'">? (which is found in John xix. 20. "he bowed his head,") united with B.Lfl-^ but there is a contrast drawn between the sea be- ing 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 recorded to have been compiled by Jesujabus Adjabenus,t Patriarch of this section of the Syriac Church from the year 650 to 660. + there occur the following directions, respecting the administration of baptism : — " The deacons, properly at- tired, 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 font or baptistery] turns the face of the child to the * Ephraim Syri Opera Gr. Syr. et Lat. studio Assemanni. Rom. 1732—4G. T. III. p. 24 It is much to be lamented that there is no index to this splendid edition of the works of Ephraim ; doubt- less, 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 Bibliothcca Orientalis, T. III. Pt. 2. p, ccxli. + Ibid. T. III.Pt.1. p. 113. 132 a P P B n nix. east, and dips him in water, JaJsCLO 01^ \j£i^t±£> and lays his hand upon his head and says, Such a on A- O baptized ^ r IsO^ in the name of the Father, V &c." * Here . V) V is evidently considered to be syno- v nymous with ^ *-» I t ne meaning of which is T unques- tionably, to be immersed. This examination leads us to a very different conclusion from that of Dr. Henderson, who asserts that " - 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 Testament" (p. 10;) and after- wards, that the reader of the Syriac New Testament hai only to consult the passages in which baptism is 9] of, and he will find that this ancient, and venerable ver- sion, so far from yielding any support to the hypotl that immersion of the body in water is th<- mode in which John and our Lord's disciples performed that rite, goes, on the contrary, to establish the opinion that it was per- formed by the application of waier to the body in a stand- ing posture, such as we lind in the ancient reprei tions" (p. 11.) Now, with regard to the etymolo the word, it is readily conceded, that from that, im cannot be proved 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 li standing ;" and that the meaning which actually is given in the version of the Bible, as well as by Syriac writers, is immersion or ablu- tion. It is no answer to this statement, to say, with Dr. lien- * Aseeraanni Bibliotheca Orientalis, It. III. Ft 2. p ccxliii. APPENDIX. 133 derson, that "where a word signifying 'to dip 1 is requir- v ed, the verb employed is not g^fl^ the verb uniformly v used in reference to baptism, but"\^ .," if it has been shown that the meaning of the former word is immerse. v No one doubts that ^>£>» has that meaning, but it does not therefore follow that VqV^ has not. The PhilOxenian Syriac Version does not require 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 authority, but be- cause they are, particularly as regards the question under consideration, connected with the Syriac. The history of the early Arabian Versions 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 1C19. 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 Arabic Version, however, it is generally supposed, can be .referred to an earlier pei'iod than the seventh century. • From this edition, the Arabic Gospels in the Paris Polyglott (1645,) and the London Polyglott (1657,) were, with some alteration, taken. Erpenius published the New Testament in Arabic at Ley- den in 1616, from a manuscript of the thirteenth or four- teenth century. His edition is very much esteemed, but, 12 134 APPENDIX. unfortunately, very rare. With regard to the Gospel?, it is said to present the same version substantially as the edition at Rome. The remaining books of the New Tes- tament in the Paris Polyglott were printed from a manu- script of the fourteenth century, and from it reprinted in the London Polyglott.* Besides these ancient versions, there are, the Version of the Propaganda^ 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 respec- tive editors ; the one to accord with the Vulgate, 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 convert from the Mohammedan religion; and his version of the New Testament was published at Calcutta inl816, at the expense of the British and Foreign Bible Society. From this sketch, it will be seen that the ancient Ara- bic Versions are not to be considered as independent wit- nesses ; 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 different words to designate Christian baptism, ATf (amada) and Aj^jq (tsabagha:) the former of these verbs oc- curs, as the translation of (3a7rri^u, forty-seven times; the latter, thirty-one. The meaning of the first may be fairly considered to be determined from its use in the Sy- riac, on account of the priority of the Syriac translation. * A splendid reprint of the Arabic Bible of the London Poly- glott was executed at Newcastle, 1811, under the superintendence of the late Professor of Arabic, the Rev. J. D. Carlyle, B. D., APPENDIX. 135 The usual meaning of X/& 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 examination of the pas- sages in which it might be expected to occur, I have not been able to find it. The noun ,\ & (amudon) occurs, in the sense of 'pillar,' in the passages in which the cor- responding 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, ZjJg which is not noticed at all by Dr. Henderson, is thus given by Golius : " I. Tinxit pannum. Imbuit. Im- mersit manum in aqua. Baptizavit. Indicium fecit oculi nutu. VII. et VIII. Pass .rfc Conj. I.": and by Freytag, "Tinxit pannum; immersit 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 ftot only do we thus find a word the acknowledged meaning of which is ' immerse' used fre- quently in the Arabic to designate the ordinance of bap- tism, but it is so used as to show in what sense the other word employed \^1 was understood by the translator. The two words occur, in many instances interchangeably. The effect of this interchange will perhaps be best seen * The quotation is from his smaller Lexicon ; the other mean- ings which he gives have no relation to the subject, and it is there- fore needless to insert them. 136 APPENDIX. by giving two o three of the passages in English, retain- ing the word baptize as the representative of A Tpy and rendering 'J^Jq by immerse. Thus Acts viii. 12 & 13 : " When they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were immersed, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also; and when he ua< bap ■ &c." Acts viii. 36 & 38 : " The eunuch said, See here is water; what doth hinder me to be immersed? — And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him."' Acts xix. 3, 4,5: "He said, With what baptism were ye immersed ? And they said, With John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized the people with the baptism of repontance, say- ing unto them that they should believe on Him who should come after him, that is on Christ Jesus When they heard this, they were immersed in the name of the Lord Jesus." Compare also Mark i. 8 & 9 ;* Acts x. 47 & 48; 1 Cor. i. 13 & 14. This use of the word j^ in Arabic confirms what has been already said of its mean- ing in the Syriac ; although., from the long interval be* tween the two versions, no argument could rest solely on this later use of the word. Another word, A^£. (ghasala,) is used to translate PuTtTifa in two instances, and its corresponding noun, G o^ Ljuui twice for /?a7rrj<7/*6s : but it is not used in the Polyglott with the meaning Dr. Henderson gives it; viz. * The Roman edition of the Arabic Gospels, 1619, accords with the Polyglott in this instance, and probably in the others. APPENDIX. IS? " to deiiote the performance of the act of Baptism," but to denote Jewish purifications: Mark vii. 4. 8. Lukexi, 38. The meanings which Golius gives are in accordance with this use: "I. Lavit, abluit. V. Diligenter lavit per- luitque membra. VII. Ablutus fuit. VIII. Semet lavit et abluit aqua. Sudore maduit ac perfusus fuit eqlius."* Dr. Hendprson partially quotes the se definitions: " Lavit; abluit. VII. Ablutus fuit. VIII. Sudor [sudore] per* fusus fuit." It is difficuit to discover for what purpose thi* last meaning, Conj. VIII., is given, except it be to indicate by the word perfusus that there may be some* thing like sprinkling intended: but the Lexicons only re* fer this meaning to a horse bathed in sweat ; and give as the general signification of Conj. VIII. " Semet lavit et abluit aqua," which Dr. Henderson omits. As regards modern versions, there is the same diversity as in the ancient. In Sabat*s Version,, jujq (tsabag- ha,) the word not noticed by Dr. Henderson, (nor indeed referred to by Greenfield,) the meaning of which has been already shown to be immerse, is used quite as frequently as it is in the Polyglot** — See, e. g., Matt. iii. 13, 14, 16* Mark vi. 14. &c. The Version of the Propaganda, like* wise, which has been reprinted, and is now circulated by the Bible Society in England, uses the word ^T^ in almost every instance where it is employed in the Poly- glott. In neither of these versions does the verb l ** < ' occur, to denote the act of Christian baptism. It is used in the same instances as in the Polyglott ; and the noun * Golius gives two or three other meanings, which have no re- ference to the matter in hand. 12* 138 APPENDIX. occurs in one additional passage, Heb. ix. 10, as the translation of (la-ana fide. PERSIC. Of the age of the Persic Versions of the Gospels (for there is no ancient version extant of the other parts of the New Testament) little is known. The Version of the Polyglott, which is considered to be the most ancient, is taken from the Syriac ; and, according to Hug, bears evi- dent traces of the influence of Mohammedanism. It can- not therefore be referred to an earlier period than the 8th century. Several words are employed in the Polyglott Version to translate /?arrrt£aj. The most frequent is ^jwX^wwCw (shustan,) the meaning of which, according to Golius* and Richardson, Ms, to wash: ^«lXaJ»-w (shuyidan,) a verb of the same signification, is used not unfrequently. Some form of the Syriac word ., V^ , \ is occasionally employed, or rather untranslated; one of the two preceding words being generally appended by way of explanation, as Matt. xxi. 25. John i. 33. &c. In Matt, xxviii. 19- ***" r?. (tarsa,) a Christian, is given as the explanation of joL*£. (amadeh;) and in Mark xvi. 16. the same word is employed to designate one bap- tized. The meaning of the two words »Juw*Cw an d ..♦tX'Ofc.w i 3 clear, from the use of them both in the account of Jesus washing the disciples' feet, John xiii. * Oostelli Lexicon HoptaglottoD. APPENDIX. 139 5 — 12-, The former is used to translate (3anTi^u, Mark vii. 4. Luke xi. 38. where Jewish ablutions are intend- ed, and where the word AJ^£ is used in the Arabic as has been already stated. This word (J^ww-C- is not used at all in the Polyglott Persic : it is however employed in the modern Persian of Martyn. ETHIOFIC, The Ethiopic Version of the whole Bible is generally attributed to Frumentius, who, about the year 330, intro- duced Christianity into Abyssinia, and became Bishop of Axum. In the New Testament, the root £f\.(P*fe \ (tamaka) is uniformly employed as the translation of 0aTTTi$a> and its derivatives ; except in one instance, Luke xi. 33, where ablution before dinner is rendered by the phrase washing the hands ; the word employed on this occasion being the same as is used in the account of Jesus washing the disciples' feet, John xiii. 5 — 12. and in other places. In respect to this version, as well as the Coptic (which will next come under our consideration,) Dr. Henderson disputes the authority of the Lexicons. " The definitions," he says, "produced from the Lexicons of Ludolf and Woide are altogether insufficient to prove that in the Ethiopic and Coptic Versions the words em- ployed for (SazTTi^u signify to 'immerse.' It does not ap- pear that, in application to Christian baptism, they ever have this signification" (p. 12.) Now, with regard to the Ethiopic, not only does Ludolf distinctly state that the word employed is equivalent with (3 " were dipped in the brim of the water." Though Dr. Henderson professes to quote Ludolf's definition of the word, he omits any reference to that form of the word which occurs in this passage. This is the more surpris- ing, as Greenfield had already given a passage including this form, and even the passage cited, though without the verse being named, from Ludolf's first edition. The fol- lowing is Ludolf's statement in the second edition, a few lin?s below the part which Dr. H. quotes:—* " 'FiM^ '. Mark xvi. 16. In genere, tinctus, in- tinctus, immersus fuit, et sic convenit cum r t , iIl C PU ' ut, Dum pedes sacerdotum *£($),<$?$> \ tingerentur in parte aqua, Jos. iii. 15. (2.) In specie baptizatus sive immersus fuit in aquarn, Luc. iii. 21. &c." Dr. Henderson also omits all reference to the noun ^PI^cJ* ," (metemake,) which is used in John v. 2, 4. and ix. 7. in the sense of a pool or bathing-place* The meaning is thus given by Ludolf : — " TT i "T*P ■ Bapti^terium sive stagnum aut pis- cina, ubi homines baptizari vtl scsr, immergere solent. Vit .Barb. — P/Mr.^P^^tp^ ' Baptisteria, qv.v olim foris extra templa in vestibulis constiluta erant, quia non- baplizatis templa ingredi non liccbat. Forma hac plu- ralis singulariter accipitur pro Piscina Joh. v. 2. et ix. 7." It may further be observed, that the word is used Mark vii. 4. in reference to Jewish purifications, which undoubt- edly were ablution*. APPENDIX. 141 Surely here is sufficient to justify Ludolf's definition of the word, and to prove that it has the meaning immerse. Besides being used to express ablution, the verb, as we have seen, is employed to express the dipping of the feet of the priests in the Jordan, and the noun for a bathing- place. The general meaning of the word being thus shown, it is for Dr. H. to prove that "it does not appear that in application to Christian baptism it ever has this significa- tion." To affirm this without proof is simply begging the question, by precluding the production of the most availa- ble evidence. What other method is there of determin- ing the signification in disputed passages, than by refer- ence to passages not in dispute ? If the meaning in the latter is ' immerse,' some reason surely must be given why that meaning should be denied in the former ? None, however- is offered by Dr. Henderson ; nor is there, either by Dr. Henderson or any one else, as far as I am aware, any evidence adduced to show that in instances not rela- ting to Christian baptism any other meaning than ' im- merse' or ' wash' is attached to the word. There is, therefore, no balancing of conflicting evidence ; the whole force of what has been broughi forward is applicable to the determination of the question. The word clearly had some meaning before it was used as the designation of the Christian rite ; the only meanings, of which there is evi- dence, are, immersion and ablution : what further proof can be required that such is its meaning in reference to Christian baptism ? We might, then, fairly consider the matter to be determined already. It will be satisfactory, however, to add to what has been said, the evidence of the Abyssinian Ritual, which was published in Latin at Rome in 1549, from a translation by Peter Abbot of that Church. The directions for baptism, as far as they are applicable 142 APPENDIX. to our present purpose, are as follows ; the formula ad- dressed to those who are baptized being given in the ori- ginal Ethiopic as well as the Latin ; — " Sacerdos autem eos suscipit et ter mergit, dicens ; ^Xll^P^ 1 !! I Ego baptizo te &c. ;*" plainly showing that the term used to express the rite performed (which is the same as that employed in the Ethiopic Version) was esteemed to be equivalent with mergo, ' immerse. The modern Am- karic Version, executed under the superintendence of M. Asselin, French Consul at Cairo, by Abu-Rumi, a native of Abyssinia, employs the same term as the Ethiopic. This version into the vernacular language of Abyssinia, as well as the ancient Ethiopic, has been beautifully printed in London, under the editorial care of T. P. Piatt, Esq., at the expense of the British and Foreign Bible Society. EGYPTIAN. There are three different dialects of the Egyptian lan- guage, in all of which versions of the New Testament have been made. They are, the dialect of Lower Egypt, called the Coptic or Memphitic; that of Upper Egypt, the Sa- hidic or Thebaic ; and the Basmuric, the seat of which is generally placed in the Delta, though Hug conjectures that it is a dialect of Middle Egypt ; it differs little from the Sahidic. The first of these is most generally known, and the term Coptic has therefore been sometimes applied to them all indiscriminately. The whole of the New Testa- * Modus Baptizandi, &c. quibus Ecclesia Ethiopum utitur. Rom. 1549. p. xix.— Peter, the translator of this Ritual, is ho doubt the same person as edited the first printed Ethiopic New Testa- ment, published at Rome in 1543 ; which is reprinted in Walton's Polyglott. APPENDIX. 143 ment in this dialect was published at Oxford, with atrans- latian by Wilkins, in 1716. Of the other two dialects, fragments only have been printed. The Sahidic is gene- rally esteemed the most ancient. of the three, and is refer- red to the second century ; the Coptic, and the fragments of the Basmuric, are supposed to belong to the third. The word generally employed in the Coptic is (JDJULC. Two other forms, which are plainly referable to the same root, Oj?JLC and £JLfLC 9 are occasionally used The word seems to be the same as the Arabic iy*jQ£- " demersit rem, submersit in aquam rem, intinxit."* Tattam,t after LaCroze and Woide, defines the word thus '• (JJ&j^C? Y15> KaTa-KovTiafids, Vulg. pnecipitatio, Ps. li. 4. fiaTTTHTjids, bap- tismus, Matt. iii. 7. kcltciwovti^eiv, submergere, Ps. liv. 9. KaraSijvciv, descendere in profundum. Exod. xv. 5. Kara- ■KLveaQai, devorari, Ps. cvi. 27. fiaxTityaQai,* submergi, Lev. xi. 32. Panri^siv, baptizare, Matt iii. 11. KaraXveiv, dissolvere, 2 Pet. iii. 6. Sah.§ cum £(^}0*, to go under, sink, dive: hence svSvpo), to enter into. The Coptic is a literal translation of this. APPENDIX. 145 translate Karavivw, Heb. xi. 29. — This last is a remark- able instance : it relates to the Egyptians being drowned in the Red Sea.* The word is never used as the trans- lation of any term signifying wash, nor even of P&ttto) or c/j/Jdrrcd. Could any evidence more conclusively prove that the word means to ' immerse,' ' plunge/ and even ' sink V Fragments of the Sahidic Version have been published by several critics. The largest collection is that under- taken by Woide, and published after his death, at Oxford, in 1799. The only fragments which have been discovered of the Basmuric Version were published, together with some additional ones of the Sahidic and the corresponding pas- sages of the Coptic, by Engelbreth, in 1811. t As the two versions are nearly identical, they may be treated of to- * In two other of the instances quoted, Matt, xviii. 6. and 1 Tim. vi.9. our translation has drown ; but the sense does not necessarily require a stronger meaning thau sink; though drowning is implied in the first case, since there could be no emersion. This use of the Coptic word may suggest an answer to a remark of Dr. Henderson's (which, however, does not fall within the design of the present pamphlet,) that fta-nnfa, when it signifies the submersion of the whole body, conveys the idea " tbat the body thus submerged sunk to rise no more." Ba^r^w when applied to ships sinking, un- doubtedly gives this idea : so does COJULC when applied to the sinking of a person in the sea with a millstone about his neck ; or t° Pharaoh and his host being submerged in the Red Sea ; but neither of the words mean more than sink ; the rising again not being part of the idea, in either case. Whether it is drowning, or dipping merely, must depend upon the context. t Fragmenta Basmurico-Coptica Vetcris et Novi Testamenti, quae in MusscoBorgiano Velitris asservantur, cum reliquis versioni- .bus jEgyptiis contulit, latine vertit, necnon criticis et philologicis adnotationibus illu^travit W. F. Engelbreth. Haunia, 1811. 13 146 APPENDIX. gether. In the Sahidic fragments edited by Woide, there* are about thirty passages containing the verb /?anr<£a>. In the fragments edited by Engelbreth, the only instances in which baptism is mentioned, are 1 Cor. xv. 29. where the verb twice occurs ; and Heb. vi. 2. (not in the Sahidic.) ix. 10; in both of which the noun fiajmcrnds is found in the Greek. The words employed in all these passages, in both dialects, are from the Greek ; the verb being fidJVf^e, and the noun .SAITfCJUA. Itwill not appear surprising that the Greek words are used in these versions, when we remember that the Greek influence in Egypt, under the rule of the Ptolemies, had introduced multitudes of Greek words into the language ; so that in the Coptic Version one cannot open a page without meet- ing with several. In rive pages of Wilkins's edition, taken at random, in the Gospels, Acts, and Epistles, containing altogether fifty-nine verses, I have counted forty-eight Greek words, thirty-three of them different (exclusive of particles, such as XIGH, V^Jp, &*^J &C, which are found continually ;) thus giving, on an average, four Greek words to every five vfcrses. These words do not seem to have been retained, as was done in the Latin, from any supposed sacredness in the terms, but merely because they expressed to the Egyptian reader the idea to be conveyed. The following is the list of words in the last page of the five which were examined : 1 Thess. v. 1 — 13: yer. 1. XP°«OC, KGpOC, XP*&- v. 2. ijqpiflujc. v. 9. aipHitn. e£jan,) which, it is 13* 150 APPENDIX. on all hands agreed, signifies immerse. 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. S. IK & fcTWlQ /V 1XV 1 - " l ' M VATIN", 'I baptize you f»wa- ter.' Dr. Henderson admits that the word means to im- merse, but seems to concede this meaning somewhat un- willingly. "That the Gothic daupjan" he says, " may signify to immerse, is not denied ; though this action is more properly expressed in that language by uj 'daupjan ." It will be immediately seen that this latter word is a com- pound of the former, with the preposition T\\Z v f> wm °k signifies under; and it seems quite clear, that if vf daup- jan means to dip under, daupjan must mean dip : it is just the difference between mcrgo and submergo. There need, however, be no hesitation as to the meaning Ulphilas attached to daupjan, or at least none as to the mode in which he translated (SairTL^o : for in two instances he employs the very word by which immersion is, ac- cording to Dr. Henderson, "more properly expressed," Tl'tcX.nilG AlT as tlic translation of ^?ot7rrt^oj, Luke iH.2i: lAisn n^&Anni&AMMA, " Jesus being immersed; 1 ' and vii. 29 : n£a.Anni&.Ai aMineiN^i 'LClliVNl'TtS) " being immersed with the baptism of John." In this last instance it will be seen that both words occur together; and no doubt can remain that Ul- philas understood by John's baptism, immersion. A P P F. V D I X . 151 We qi i i nut thou inquire further respecting the Gothic Version; hut it is of great importance to ascertain the con nexionofthis word with the terms of similar application in other Teutonic dialects. On this subject, Dr. Hendi •lie dialects, which have ro- ily been appealed to with great confidence <>n this ttled point, with all those who are ac- quainted with them, that the reference ia totally irrelevant. That the M laupian, the Anglo-Saxon iyppen, the Dutch doopen, the Swedish dopa, the Danish dobc, and the German taufen, all correspond in sound toour En- glish word dip, does not admit of dispute, any more than the fact, that daft, f meaning ; nor am I awan: that, with : to tli- se particular words, such an assertion has '•:i made; but this correspondence affords evidence of etymological identity, whatever diversity of meaning the words may at present bave. Now, that all these word.? tymologically connected, and are, in (act, hut varied forms of the same original word, admits of as little dispute as th lir trrespondence in sound; and it cannot be neces- sary to inform Dr. Henderson that this is " a settled point with all who are acquainted with these dialects." Every philologist knows that tin- rootdavpjan (taking th£ Gothic as the most ancient form) is to he traced in almost all the Teutonic dialects. It would be tedious to produce numer- ous authorities in proof of this assertion. It will he sutli- 152 APPENDIX. cient to quote the etymological dictionary of Mcidinger : and the reader who wishes lor further confirmation of the fact may consult the works mentioned in the note, where he will find similar lists, more or less extensive : — " Dippen, cintauchen, enj . Aug. S. dippan. dyppan, : dyfan, dufian, gedu fian, plonger. Eng. to dip, to dive, plonger. Holl. ::. Swed. doepa. Dan. dyppe. It. tufiare. •• Tauten. bapHser. Ang. S. dyppan, dippan, depan, dyfan. Swed. doepa. Dan. doebe. Holl. doopen. Alt. D. doufau. Alt. G. daupian, plonger, se laver. " Taufe. I Alt. D. tauii. toufe, toufa, daufi, doufa, touft. Alt. G. daupein(s). Holl. doop, dooping, doopsel. Swed. dop. doepelse. Dan. daab. It. tuflfo 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 irrele- vant, he meant to deny the etymological identity of the words ; though his remark, ' that they correspond in sound,' naturally suggests to the mind of the reader the ' Mcidinger Dictionuaire Etymologique et comparatif des Lea- gues Teutogothiques. Framkfart, ls33, p. -100. It will be seen, that the first list of verbs contains those whose ordinary significa- tion is dip : whilst the second gives such as are more immediately connected with Urn/en in the sense baptize. A comparison of the two lists, however, will show that the same words of the Anglo- Sazon, Dutch, and Swedish, are included in both. It therefore seemed proper to insert the whole : though the second sufficiently establishes the etymological connexion of all the words mentioned by Dr. Henderson as the translation of penm^a. See also Junius Gothicum Glossarium and his Etymologicum Anglicanum, Spell- man, Wachter Glossarium Germanicum, Hire Glossarium Suio- Gethicuiu (quoted below,) and Adelung's Worterbucb. APPENDIX'. Heathat th-'-ir etymology was the point he had in • It must surely have been, rather, that he might not puzzle the u: .ler with questions of philology, that be i.parison of them with the remark that >tb, and daub have the sanv I -nee. Had • at, though similar, not in sound •nology, n<>- . be more errone- ous than to cone! I dl must have the same signification, every one at all acquainted with t:. - must immediately hare admitted the truth of the remark. Their etymology proves nothing as 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 tbis case to enter on a more extended examination of the separate versions than we have hitherto bestowed on modern trans- lations. German. — The Germans trans! . by taufen. It is certain, that not this word, but tauchen, eintauchen, are now in use to express dip or immerse ; and that tau- fen 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 morere- 1 one which it at present generally bears; unless. indeed, it had been a word coined f<>r the so'e purpose of expressing the Christian rite. Now, we have shown that y connected with the Gothic daupjan. which means to immerse ; and which is employed in the -^>n, as taufen is in the German, to designate Christian baptism. Moreover, the word is found in the German language, with but slight variation of form, as early as the ninth century. In the metrical Version of the 154 APPENDIX. Gospels by Ottfried, about the year 870, the word is dou- fan ;* and in the Version of Tatian'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 Serviced Thus the word is clearly traced from the Gothic of the fourth century to the time of Luther. The question then seems to re- solve 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 German word ? To answer this question, we need go no further back than the age of Luther. We find indisputable evi- dence that at that time it had another meaning than the technical one, and that that meaning was its etymological one, immerse or dip. Luther translates the Hebrew jitD (immergo) by this word, 2 Kings v. 14: " Naa- man went down and (taufie) dipped himself seven times in the Jordan." Besides this, Luther, in his sermon on the sacrament 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 (Tmife,) be sunk and dipped (taufte) all over in the water, and again raised up.§ In this passage, * Adelung's Worterbuch. | Das Evangelium des h. Matlhseus im Hocbfleutsch des neunten Jahrhunderts aus dem St. Galler Codex der Tatianischen Evan-- gelienharnionie von J. A. Schmeller. Stuttg. 1827. % Ewangelia und cpistel init der gloss auch anfang der iness Sec. durch Thoma Annshelm von Bade Getruckt. und vollendet zu Strassburg, 14S8. § " So sollt' es doch so seyn und ware recht, dass man nach APPENDIX. 155 Luther not only assorts that the meaning of the word is p rop er l y dip, bat himself iimi it in this sense; for what othei meaning can be affixed to it herel Knapp, speaking of the meanin r of the word (?«rrf£ven times,' 2 Kin^s v. 11. where Lant ilus Wortleim (Taufe) das Kind, oder jcglichen, der getauft wir.l, L'an/. Iiiii.iii in lite and taufte, und wieder he- J8." — l.uihtr's If'crkc von If'aleh, T. x. p. 2j93; quoted from AofOSti'a -lrrhao!ogie,T. ii. p. 399. ■ Usungrn uher die rhristliehe Glavhenshhre, T. ii. p. 1 17. ' llandbuck der ckriltlichen Archaolo^ it, T. i;. p. 312. 156 APPENDIX. it is used for bathe. ' The Strymon, in which the host of cranes dip (tauft) their crumpled feathers :' Opitz. In German, this meaning is antiquated ; 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. Hen- derson's bold assertion is not warranted in respect to the meaning of the German word, any more than it is in re- spect to its etymology. dutch. — The word employed for (Sa-n^oi 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 difference being merely the addition to the latter of the preposition in. This prepo- sition, however, is not always prefixed when the meaning is to dip; and it is most surprising thai Dr. Henderson should venture the assertion, that ' no Dutchman, &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 ex- pressed by this very word, " That he may dip the tip of his finger in water (in het water doope." ) If it be said, * " Taufen, verb, regul. act. 1. Eigentlich, in das Wasser tauchen, wo es mit tauchen gleich bedeutend und von demselben nur im Suffixo verschbden ist. Eine holzerne Feuerkugel in Bech und Harz gctauj "t, Fronsb, Kestel, das Feuerwerk dareinzu taufen, eben ders. Naeman taufte sich im Jordan sieben Maid, 2 Kon. v. 14. wo es fur hadcn stehet. Der Strymon, In den der Kranchc Hecr die krummen Federn tauft. Opitz. I in Hochdeutschen ist es in dieser Bedeutung veraltet ; wo man es, 2. nur im cngern Verstande braucht, auf eine gottesdienstliche Art in das Wasser tauchen, &.c." Adelung's " orterbuch, T. iv. p. 924. APPENDIX. 157 the prcpositson being- expressed before the noun, there was no nerd 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. xwi. 23: '■ He that dippeth his hand in the dish with me (in de schotel nuloopt:") and the argument would prove too much, since it would include such a pas- aa the following, Matt. iii. 6: " And were baptized by him in the Jordan (gedoopt mdc Jordaen.") In addition to this, the following examples of the use of the word doopen for dip may be quoted from Sewel's Dutch and English Dictionary enlarged by Buys, Amst. 1766 : " Brood in wijn doopen, to dip bread into wine. Zyn brood in de sans 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 indoopen is used for dip, but the form is varied to doppen and indop- pcn. The latter word, however, is used, as far as I have been ahle to ascertain, in only thi'ee 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; c. g. Lev. iv. G. xiv. G, 51. 2 Kings v. 14. Sec. It is thus clearly shown that the radical meaning of the word doopen or doppen is not to apply water in any way, and the preposition in therefore necessary to restrict the signification to dipping ; but the primary meaning is dip, and the preposition is merely intensive. SWEDISH and Danish. — After this extended examina- tion of the German and Dutch, it will not be necessary to in the rcadi jthened account of the other 158 APPENDIX. Danish are almost identical ; the former being dopa, the latter dobc. Of the Swedish, Ihre gives the following account: '•' Dopa, mergere, Ulph. daupjan. A. S. dufian, depart, dyppan, dopettan. Al. toufen. Belg. dippen, doppen. Est vere propria vocis dopa significatio, uti dixi, aquis submergere. Inde Uplandi, ubi puteis parum aqua? inest, dicunt, ' Ther war ej sa mycket wattn at man kunde dopa rembaret.' (There was not so much water that one could dip a bucket.) II. Aquae lustrali immergere, bap- tizare. Veteres tamen hujus loco ssepe christna aut shir a usurparunt ; unde skim baptismus, skirdur baptizatus, skimarbrun baptisterium, fons sacer Doppa : frequentivum ejusdem radicis. A. S. dyppan. Germ, doppen, duppen. Ital. tuffare. Angl. dipp. Gr. CV1TTSIV."* The word skira, noticed by Hire in the preceding quo- tation, is that which Dr. Henderson mentions as employed in the Icelandic Version ; and is synonymous with the fullian of the Anglo-Saxon Version, which will next come under our notice. It will be seen that Ihre distinctly re- fers doppa, the ordinary Swedish word for dip, to the same root as dopa (baptize,) and calls it a frequentative ; whilst he not only gives the meaning immerse to do pa, but cites an example of its use in this sense. A refer- ence to the quotation from Meidinger already given will show that he also affirms the same thing, by mentioning this form of the word in both his lists. I have not ascer- tained how far the meaning dip belonged to the Danish word dole ; the ordinary term in that language to express this idea being dyppe. The close approximation of the Danish word to that employed by the Swedes sufficiently * Ihre Glossarium Suio Gothicum. Ups. 1769. APPENDIX. 159 shows that its radical meaning is the same ; and it seem- ed unnecessary to trouble the reader with any further in- vestigation. One general observation with regard to all these ver- sions must be made. Dr. Henderson lays great stress on the (act, thai the prepositions employed with all these words correspond with the English with, not in; as the German mit wasser taufen, &c. : and he hence concludes that " neither Luther, nor the authors of the Dutch, Da- nish, and Swedish Versions, had any intention of convey- ing tha idea of immersion as applied in ffairTifa." It might be deemed a sufficient answer, to adduce instances of these same versions using the verb in connexion with the preposition in, as Matt. iii. 6. Germ. Und liessen sich taufen von ihm im Jordan. Dutch, Ende wierden van hem gedoopt in de Jordaen. So also Mark i. 9. The people could scarcely be getavft or gedoopt in the Jordan without immersion : and if the authors did not in- tend immersion, why did they not say zum Jordan, or tot de Jordaen, at the Jordan, instead of in it ? Still, this does not explain the use of the preposition mit or met, where it is employed. The passage already quoted from Luther seems directly applicable to the point. The gene- ral practice at the time when these versions were made was not immersion, but the application of water to the body of the person. In accordance with this practice the translators join the verb with a preposition not appli- cable to immersion; still, however, in the case of Luther protesting that taufen is properly to dip, and in the other - not in the least interfering with the original mean- ing of the word. All that can be said, is, that the word being retained, though the form of administering the or- dinance was changed, was in some measure accommodated 160 APPENDIX. to this change by means of the preposition with which it was connected. In concluding these remarks on the Gothic dialects, the author begs to observe, that he has not the presumption to place his knowledge of them on an equality with that of Dr. Henderson ; who informs us, in a note, that what he has stated is " founded nn a familiar acquaintance with these languages, which he has been in the habit of speak- ing or reading for upwards of thirty years." But surely Dr. Henderson's authority, high as it may be in these matters, is not to be placed above that of the most emi- nent German scholars and philologists, in respect to their own language, and the others closely connected with it. Their testimony has been cited ; and, did it not seem un- necessary to accumulate evidence, much more might have been adduced to the same effect. Examples, moreover, as far as my acquaintance with the languages would per- mit, have been produced, of the actual use of the words in the sense which Dr. Henderson disputes ; and these plainly cannot be overset by the negative evidence even of thirty years' acquaintance with the languages. The fact seems to be, that Dr. Henderson has treated the question as though it were asserted that the words for baptize were used in the language of ordinary life for immerse or dip ; whereas it is acknowledged by all who have any acquaint- ance with the subject, that this is not the case : and he has overlooked the gist of the argument, which is, that the words not only are etymologically connected with dip, but in the languages themselves were originally used with this meaning, — a meaning which they still retain, though this use of them has become antiquated, in consequence of their special application to a religious ordinance, and their being thereby taken from the language of familiar AND THE BAPTISTS. 1G1 Intercourse. That this iathe case, especially with regard to the ( rerman and Dutch, the author cannot but think has been abundantly proved l»y the evidence adduced. A N Q L O - 3 A X O N . The '•! Version of the Now Testament i- t" : rred to about the eighth century. It is not of much authority in general rritiei-m, having hern made from the Latin. The Gospels only have been printed. The edi- hich I have examined is that of Marshall; printed, ler with the Gothic Gospels by Junius, Dord. i and Amst. 1684. The verb usually employed to translate { is pulliail <>i')!ulll5nn.aiisweringtoourEngIish word " full," in the sense of ' cleanse :' pulltthc is used for " baptism," except in one instance, Lukeiii. 12, where a }>pe5 ene, " washing" is employed ; and Fulluliuei* e Lceptin Lukeix. ID, where the Latin word Baptittam is retained. In Mark vii. 4, and Lukeix. 38, tin- \ . • used in reference to Jewish ablutions, is translated by " to wash," the same root as the noun already quoted, a]?pe3ene. With regard to this in, Dr. Henderson says: "In giving dyppan as the i word for dip, Junius, as quoted by Mr. Green- field. U perfectly correct; but the reader must not suffer himself to be misled into the belief that it is used in refer- ence to baptism. It is never thus used in the New Testa- ment." Dr. Henderson's desire to make a strong asser- tion seems to have led him into an error in this instance, which a reference to Lye's Anglo-Saxon Dictionary might have prevented. The statement is certainly true in respect to Marshall's edition; and may probably be correct as re- 14* ] G2 APPENDIX. gards those of Parker and Lisle, the only other editors of ihe Anglo-Saxon Gospels. But it is not to be received in the unqualified manner in which Dr. Henderson makes it. The verb dyppan, as well as depan, a varied form of the same word, is used in reference to baptism in Anglo-Saxon MSS of the Gospels ; as the following extracts from Lye's Dictionary* will show : — " Depan, To dip, Baptizare ; R. Matt. iii. 11. C. Luc. xvi. 24. Vid. Dyppan." " Dyppan, To dip. Immergere, baptizare ; R. Matt, iii. 11. xxviii. 19. Tingere; Lev. iv. 19." The letters R. and C. refer to the MSS from which the quotations are made : the first being a manuscript copy of the Gospels preserved in the Bodleian Library, " exemplar Rushworthianum ;" the other, one in the Public Library at Cambridge, " exemplar Cantab ligiense." We find, then, that the word dyppan was used in the Anglo-Saxon translation of the New Testament : and we need not inquire further respecting the meaning of the word, since it is on all hands admitted that it is the same word as our modern English dip, and bore the same mean- ing. Even Dr. Henderson agrees that to give dyppan, as the Anglo-Saxon word for dip, is " perfectly correct.'' We have evidence of the existence of Latin translations of the New Testament as early as the close of the second century, from the fact that Tertullian speaks of such ver- sions in a manner which shows that they were in common * Dictionarium Saxonico et Gothico-Latinum ; auctorc Ed. Lye, A. M. Edidit Owen Manning, 2 torn. fol. Loud. 1772. A P P F. N D I X . Vfarcion (A. D. 207 ). ' Tt ha ! moreover been proved by Semlert, thai Tertullian q not from the Greek, l>ui from :i Latin translation. No La- tin V' t, however, can be traced to so early o !; and with regard t<> the point in question, there is a remarkable difference between the versions employed by early Fathers and nil which are ;it present known, inly the authorised Vulgate, but nil the Lain MSS which have been published, unit. irmly, as rar as I have been able to ascertain, employ the latinised Greek word li all the passages, however, quoted by Tertul- ihevorb tin go i- used as the translation xception is 1 Cor. xv. 29; which i-; occasion,} nn-1 distinctly quoted on ano- ther$, with the word baptizo. Tertullian wrol iptism wait the title De Baplismof but it is remark- able that the verb baptizo does not once occur in it : tin go is the verb constantly employed; and not only in this it throughout his writings, tingo, occnsionnlly tnera verbs generally used: the common designations of baptism, on the other hand, ore ind bapdsma, occasionally intinctio;\\ and the Izator. The treatises in which the mtaining the word baptizo occurs are probably . iter date than that Dc Baptismo. These farm Adv. Mar sioo. Iil». iL c.9. ".quidam de Gresco imterprt t antes.'' Lib. v. c. 4. " -i' nt invenimus interpretation." Munog c 1 1, and Adi . P -fcmenu, quoted by Marsh; and the Dissertation in hit nln.nr Terwlian, Hal 1773 I". 5. p. 230, ■eqq. . D r Bsrais, C. 43. § Adv. Man ion. lib. v.c. 10. II Dejxi aitentia, c . 164 APPENDIX. show that the nouns were in use, as Latin words, through- out the period of Tertullian's writings, whilst it was only during the course of that time that the verb was latinized. It is to a later period still that we must refer the general acceptance of this verb as the recognised equivalent for the Greek word. Cyprian wrote about forty years after Tertullian : in his quotations, the word generally employed is baptizo : tingo is used four or five times in quoting two passages, Matt, xxviii. 19,* and Gal. iii. 27. t Inhisown writing, the verb baptizo is of very frequent occurrence. From this period (about A. D. 250) down to the present, the latinized word, which thus gradually supplanted the native term, has continued to be the recognised ecclesias- tical verb to express the Christian rite; and has not only been employed in all Church translations into the Latin, but is the word most frequently found in the writings of the Latin Fathers. Still, such words as tingo, mergo, mcrgito, demergo occur as synonyms of baptizo, as late, at least, as the fifth century. f. We see, then, that the nouns became Latin words at a considerably earlier period than the verb did ; but that, still, no very long time elapsed before the verb also was transplanted in the Latin language, as the peculiar desig- nation of the Christian rite, in conformity with the con- stant tendency of the Roman Church to regard as sacred * Ep. xxvii. 3. and xxviii. 2. Adv. Jud. lib. ii. c. 27: baptizo ia used in quoting the same passage. Ep. lxxiii. 5 (var. led. tingo ,) lxxiii. 15. lxxiv. 2. t Ep. lxxv. 11 ; baptizo lxii. 2. I Suiceri Thesaurus Eccles. sub voce, dvacvw et pa-n^co- He gives quotations from Tertullian (adv. Prax. c. 20. tingo ;) Ambrose (De Sacramcntis, lib. ii. c. 7. mergo ;) Jerome (adv. Lucif. mcrgito p Augustine (as cited by Gratianus in the 12th century, demergo.) A PPENDIZ. 165 arms i>> wh lesignated. ng of tin- ■• ■ - " • "■ :i ' ' well lin. 1. r ti ymoua with the words inei re, which unquestionably mean bow inquiring, let if be remembered, whether thi word to the Christian ordinance, but merely lin p hat ia the meaning firom the Greek; and we find, if the Latin Fathers are to be 1 that tins meaning was • 1 ; "- Latin Version •i all fairness, be added to the number of those ri£ > by a word signifying imm«r»e It will be quite apparent, firom what has been already that tin- employment of tin- word baptizo, translation, is ;i very different thing from what has <>f late been culled transference. — Transference, accord- use of the term, as distinguished from :i.ni, is giving tin' sound of the original word, iu- coaveyed by It. Instead of giving a rs, in the one language, cor- <:a with a. certain combination ii ether, the identical combination, with Borne terminal or other modification to -suit th • genius of the new lang i < d into it, hut without conveying amy ■ ■ . he who t: the w ord. If tin- woi i in both languages, and convey tu the mind of the reader the same idea, tin- use of the word is to i as translation, not transference. ■ ir> I i- common to both languages; ami it is plainly of no importance to inquire how it rune t.> be so, if only such i> tii'' fact when the translation is made. Thus wu should mslation uf the invk words J-. 16G APPENDIX. iiyyeXog, eiri(TTo\fi f by the corresponding Latin words apostolus, angelus, epistola; and so of innumerable others. If, however, we were to render JfLvpiaKov Stixvov } the phrase by which Paul designates " the Lord's Sup- per," by Cyriacum deipnum, we should transfer, not translate. In this way, baptizo was a translation of the Greek word when used in the Latin translation, having at that time acquired a definite meaning, and conveying an idea to the mind of the Latin reader. Whether it were the correct idea or not, is a point with which we have at present no concern. It is true, this may still be termed transference, the word having been originally Greek ; but it is not transference in the sense in which that word has of late been employed, where the very object proposed is to convey no idea. We should fully expect to find the Latin word baptizo in the languages which were derived from the Latin ; and, accordingly, the French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and other modern versions in the languages of Europe, employ this term. There is not precisely the same reason to expect the employment of the word in English, because the language is but in part derived from this source. And in point of fact, we find, that though the word baptize has now be- come as completely the English word for the Christian rite as baptizo is the Latin term, yet in the earliest trans- lations it was not so. In the Anglo-Saxon period we have seen that the words fullian and dyppan were used. Wicklif, three or four centuries later, translates /?ajrn£w, in several instances, by wash*, once by christen]. The following example will moreover show, that he uses the * Matt. iii. 6, 11 ; Mark vii. 4. x. 38, 39 ; Luke xi. 33. I Actsxviii.." 3 . A P P E N IUX. 167 two words, wash and baptize, in such n way as to show that he considered then t<> be synonymous ; — Mark x. 38, i ye drinke the cuppe whiche I scnal dryinke hen with the baptym in which I am ha] and • to him we moon: and Jhesus seide to • o schslea drinke the cuppe that I drinke and yc ben with the baptym in which I am bap- tisid. n This us.- of the word by Wicklif is valuable for our inasmuch as it furnishes, with respect to word, the same kind ut' evidence which has already a. hi ird to the Latin, of its being, when it was used in a translation, a recognised English word with a known definite meaning. It cannot then fairly bo accounted a transferred term when it was thus Though derived in English from the Latin and primarily from the Greek, it clearly was an English word equivalent to tcash. Since the time of Wicklif it has as fat as I am aware, the only term employed for < iiristian rite in authorised translations of the New ;ent. The versions in other languages of the British Isles de- .i few words; though no satisfactory result can per- haps be attained from an examination of them. The bedyddio, the Irish by bait- dim, and t i branch of the Gaelic by a word similar to the Iri.-h. The words are now used Bolely for baptism. We might imagine that all the words had been formed from the Greek; though the resemblance certainly i- not such as to lead to more than a very uncertain con- e, should anj one be disposed to adopt it. The Webb seems, however, to be connected with the word 168 APPENDIX. Bad, " a bath." Bullet gives the following account off the word, which I translate from the French :* — " Bedydd, Baptism. We see from the following article that it signifies ' bath' in general. See Bad. " Bedyddfa, Bath, place where persons wash them- selves. " Bedyddio, to Baptize. " Bad, Bath, pi. ha don. itad Teuton. Iceland. Ru- nic, Flemish. Bath. Eng. Baeth A. S. Baden Germ. Bata Chald. bath. Baa, bath in Iceland and Swed. ac- cording to Rudbeck. See Bad water. It is the same word as Bodd ; a and o being interchangeable." In Irish there seems to be the same connexion as in the Welsh between the word for ' baptism' and the noun sig- nifying ' water :' — " Bais, River-water. '* Baisde, Baptism, to baptize. "t Shaw, in his Gaelic Dictionary, gives, " Baisdadh, Baptism, rain. " Baisdeam, to baptize, to dip." We have now gone through all the ancient versions which have been published ; and noticed many modern ones in the course of our examination. The conclusions to which the investigation leads us, are, 1. With regard to the ancient version?, in all of them, with three exceptions (viz. the Latin from the third cen- * Bullet Memoires sur la Langue Celtique, 3 toiu. fol. 1759. Die - tionnaire Celtique, sub voce. APT B N D I X . 169 ind Basrauric,) the word fiamifa is tied bywords purely native j and the three excepted as adopted the Greek word, not l>y way of transfer- but in consequence of the term having become cur- rent in the I Of native words employed, the Syriac, Arabic, Ethi- Gothic, and earliest Latin, all sig- nify to immertt ; the Anglo-Saxon, both to immerse and P rsic, to wash; and the Slavonic to cross. The meaning of the word adopted from the (ireek, ;ric, and Latin, being also to immerse. I to the modern versiona examined, the .11 generally adhere to the ancient Eastern Versions, and translate by words signifying to immerse. Most of the Gothic dialects, viz. the German, Swedish, Dutch, . Sue., employ altered forms of the Gothic word sig- nifying to dip. The Icelandic uses a word meaning cleanse Slavic dialects follow the ancient .Slavonic ; and the irmed from the Latin, including the English, adopt the word baptizo; though, with respect to the En- glish, the words wash and christen were formerly used, as will as baptize. It may perhaps be acceptable to place these results to- r in a tabular form, as follows : — 170 VERSION. DATE. WORD EMPLOYED. MEANING. syriac: Peshito Philoxenian 2d cent. 6th ceut. 7. immerse. ARABIC: Polyglott: Propaganda Sabat" 7th cent.(?) 1671 1816 S+£) i*-** immerse. PERSIC : Modern (Martyn) 8thcent.(?) 185 tcash. ablution. ethiopic ; 4th cent. hi