TEXT OF THE ENGLISH BIBLE AS NOW PRINTED BY THE UNIVERSITIES CONSIDERED WITH REFERENCE TO A REPORT BY A SUB-COMMITTEE SECOND EDITION, CORRECTED AND GREATLY ENLARGED. BY THOMAS TURTON, D.D. REGIUS PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, PRINTED, AT THE PITT PRESS, BY JOHN SMITH, PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY. LONDON: JOHN W. PARKER, CAMBRIDGE DEPOSITORY, WEST STRAND. SOLD ALSO BY RIVINGTONS, ST PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD ; DEIGHTONS, AND STEVENSON, CAMBRIDGE; AND PARKER, OXFORD. M.DCCC.XXXIII ADVERTISEMENT TO THE SECOND EDITION. BS530 1833 AT the suggestion of several friends, in whose judgment I have every reason to place confidence, I publish a second edition of my Essay on the Text of the English Bible. It has been thought that, by somewhat extending the plan of the work, an opportunity would be presented of introducing a series of useful illustrations of Scripture Language, in a form not unlikely to secure attention. To be engaged in elucidating the Sacred Volume cannot be unbecoming my situation; and I have felt great satisfaction in endeavouring to carry what has thus been suggested into effect. In the additions now made to the Work, the main object has been to communicate information respecting matters of permanent interest. It would be an act of great injustice, to the Members of the Sub-Committee mentioned in the title-page, if I were to omit to lay before the Readers of this Essay the following Letter, addressed by those Gentlemen 704 "TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. SIR, "In consequence of the publication of Mr Curtis's pamphlet upon the state of the Text in the current editions of the English Bible, and your remarks on that subject, the members of the sub-committee appointed to examine and report on the authorized version feel it their duty to make the following statements : 'In publishing the resolutions of the 13th of June, Mr Curtis has not only acted without our concurrence, but in direct opposition to the written injunction of one of the committee, the positive declaration made to him by another, who was also of the sub-committee, that such an act would be a gross breach of faith,—and the obvious design of that part of our fourth resolution in which it is declared 'expedient to wait till the reprint of the edition of 1611, now printing at Oxford, be before the public, ere any further correspondence be entered upon with the Universities.' "We do not consider ourselves responsible for any statements which Mr Curtis has made in his pamphlet, or which he may hereafter make; and he is no longer secretary to the committee by which we were appointed, or in any way connected with that body. “As our design was not to implicate character, but to secure the integrity of the text of the authorized version, we consider the reprint of the standard edition, now commenced at Oxford, as the first step towards the advancement of the object we had in view. "J. BENNETT. "F. A. COX. "E. HENDERSON. Though not of the sub-committee, I am happy to be permitted to add my signature. "March 26. "J. PYE SMITH." ADVERTISEMENT. In this republication of my Essay, I should have been glad to have withdrawn my remarks upon the Report of the Sub-Committee; but two circumstances have restrained me from doing so. One of those circumstances is, that while, in the foregoing Letter, the publication of the Report is condemned, the Sentiments contained in it do not appear to be disavowed:-the other is, that the Edition of the Authorized Version of the Bible, published in 1611, is described, in the Letter, as the Standard Edition. Let me take this opportunity to state, as my deliberate opinion, that the Text of 1611 is, in consequence of its incorrectness, quite unworthy to be considered as the Standard of the Bibles now printed; and to express my conscientious belief, that to revert to that Text, as the Standard, would be productive of serious evils. Some of the reasons for this decision are given in the following pages. Cambridge, November 1833. |