Nor has the use of the article been properly attended to, as is evident from Matthew x. 24, where the disciple and the servant should not be. In like manner, in Galatians iv. 4, 5, "the law" should be "law; the resurrection" in Acts xvii. 32 "a resurrection;""the church" in 1 Corinthians xiv. 4 "a church."

The omission of representatives of Greek words in the translation also mars its accuracy, as appears from John xvii. 25, “O righteous Father, the world knew thee not." Here the conjunction is neglected, "O righteous Father, and the world knew thee not!" The insertion of words having no representatives in Greek is equally prejudicial, as in Matthew xxvi. 26, "blessed it," which gives a wrong meaning.

While the author has contributed to uniformity of rendering, often translating the same word or phrase into the same English wherever it occurs, he has not carried out the principle far enough. Thus in Revelation ii. 14, 15, the same Greek word is teaching in one verse and doctrine in the next. And the same verb in 1 Corinthians xv. 1 and Galatians i. 11 is make known and certify, without reason. Again, in Romans ii. 18 and Philippians i. 10 the same words are differently rendered; "approvest the things that are more excellent" in the one place, and "discern the things that are more excellent" in the other. Why also should the same verb in the same verse be differently translated release and let go in John xix. 12? Conversely, it is wrong to render two different words in the same manner, unless there be a necessity, which does not exist, as in James i. 15, “bringeth forth;" in Revelation xvii. 17, where "fulfil" stands for different Greek verbs in the same verse.

The Dean's work, notwithstanding its many defects, has been useful in showing the need of a fresh revision of the English New Testament. Whatever may be thought of his capacity or knowledge in matters of textual criticism and Greek translation, his services deserve recognition. It is also creditable to him that he tried to be impartial, without allowing theological prepossessions to override the knowledge

of the scholar. In a very few cases perhaps his leanings may be detected; but it is almost impossible to be absolutely impartial. His judgment indeed was not of the highest order. That it lacked fineness of discernment is plain enough from the proposed version of Philippians ii. 6, where "deemed not his equality with God a thing to grasp at " introduces something like an absurdity. "He deemed not what he had a thing to grasp at!" The insertion of the little word his is totally unwarranted, and mars the right version of the words.

Another revision of the common English version was undertaken by a company called "The American Bible Union," and the result of their labour was published in 1872, in different forms.* Here a diplomatic text has been taken, but one much nearer the received than that of Dean Alford. We cannot praise it, for it is unsatisfactory, having good and bad readings in almost equal proportions. On the whole it does not incline to the most ancient with sufficient prominence. A few notes are given, both respecting other readings and renderings. Some are expository. So many important variations are unnoticed that the few given are of little use. As far as we can see, the editors followed no fixed principle in selecting various readings for notice. Thus at Matthew xxiv. 42 it is remarked that many ancient copies read "in what hour," for "in what day;" but the well-attested "only-begotten God" for "only-begotten Son" in John i. 18 is unnoticed. In 2 Peter iii. 9 a note states that some ancient copies have " toward you" for "toward us; but Mark xv. 28 stands in the text without remark, though undoubtedly spurious. In 2 Peter iii. 16 the various reading in the relative pronoun is unnoticed; and in Galatians iv. 25 the right reading is also unnoticed. So in Ephesians v. 30. In 1 Timothy iii. 16, "God was manifested in the flesh," etc., is the textual version; a note stating that ancient copies have" who was manifested, or which was manifested."

The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The common English version, corrected by the final committee of the American Bible Union. Second revision. New York, 1872.

The critical notes contain little information, and are sometimes misleading. Thus at Revelation v. 10 it is remarked that some ancient copies omit "unto our God; the fact being that only the Alexandrine omits the words. At Matthew xxvii. 34 the received reading is followed; a note saying that wine instead of vinegar is in some ancient copies. This does not fairly represent the case. The two oldest MSS., besides the Cambridge one, have it, and it is so well attested otherwise as to claim superiority to the common reading “vinegar.”

The translation possesses considerable merit. Much attention has been given to the tenses and the article, less to the prepositions. The editors have done good service in their revision labours, by bringing the English nearer the Greek. Their translation presents many improvements upon the received one. With all its excellencies, however, it is marred by serious defects, some of which will cause its rejection by the majority of readers. Thus the word baptize is always rendered immerse; and John the Baptist is "John the immerser." Good taste alone would counsel no change of this kind-a change which proclaims at once the peculiar views of the authors. It is undesirable to protrude Baptist views in this way into a translation of the New Testament.

There are many errors in the version. A few only can be here noticed. In John xi. 25 "though he be dead" is retained, instead of " though he die;" in Mark iv. 29, “when the fruit permits" is contrary to the Greek verb; Luke xiv. 1, "as he went into the house" should be " I when he had come into the house;" 2 Corinthians iv. 4, "that they should not discern the light of the gospel," etc., turns an intransitive verb into a transitive one, and gives it a meaning it has not; Romans vii. 2, "the husband while he lives" should be "the living husband;" Hebrews iii. 4, "He who built all things is God" stands for "It is God who built all things;" Luke xvii. 21, "the kingdom of God is within you" for "among you;" Ephesians ii. 1, “dead in trespasses and sins" for "by trespasses," etc.; 2 Corinthians

ii. 14, "causes us to triumph" instead of "leads us in triumph." Sometimes a wrong translation is in the text and the right in a note, as in 2 Timothy iii. 16, "All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable," etc.; 1 Peter i. 17, "call him Father," etc.

The tenses are occasionally mistranslated to the detriment of accuracy. Thus in Acts xxv. 22, "I would also hear the man," etc., for "I could have wished to hear the man;" Galatians iv. 20, "I could wish" for I could have wished;" John iii. 33, “has set his seal," for "set his seal," etc.; Ephesians ii. 5, 8, "By grace ye are saved" for "have been saved;" Matthew xxi. 23, "when he had come into the temple," instead of " came,” etc.

The article is sometimes neglected, producing an incorrect version, as in 1 Thessalonians iv. 6, "in any matter" instead of "the matter;" Revelation xvii. i, "upon many waters" for "the many waters;" Matthew xxi. 12, “sold doves" for "the doves;" John xii. 13, "took branches for "the branches."

The first feature which strikes a reader will be the use of immerse for baptize, which grates harshly at times on the ear, especially in such passages as Matthew xxviii. 19, "immersing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," where the preposition should be into. In addition to this, the text translated does not represent either the most ancient or the best one, and is inferior even to Alford's. A good basis should have been selected at first.

In the year 1869 there appeared at Boston, United States, a translation of the New Testament by Dr. Noyes, of Harvard University. Had this been taken from the eighth critical edition throughout, it might have superseded the necessity of another. But it does not represent the latest and final judgment of the German critic as to the text. It is merely a version of the eighth edition as far as Luke xvii. 9. From that verse to the end of John's

* The New Testament, translated from the Greek text of Tischendorf by George R. Noyes, D.D.

Gospel it was made from the second edition of the "Synopsis Evangelica;" the remainder from the seventh critical edition. We have therefore a patchwork which differs often and materially from the mature opinions of Von Tischendorf. No justice is done him by such a procedure, and he is presented unfairly to the English reader, since the eighth edition does not agree with the seventh, and is much better. This is evident from such a passage as Revelation i. 5, "washed us from our sins in his own blood; the last edition reading "loosed us from our sins in his own blood." Even the text professedly translated is not in Matthew viii. 26, "rebuked the winds and the waves;" it should be "the winds and the sea."

The translation of Dr. Noyes possesses much merit and reads well. It departs from the received version very often and is paraphrastic. Perhaps it is too free. Literality is sacrificed unnecessarily, as in Colossians iii. 15, "over all these things put on the robe of love;" in Philippians iii. 20, "the country of which we are citizens is heaven." And the author's knowledge of Greek seems not to have been accurate. He has made glaring mistakes. Thus in Matthew ix. 14 the word for "bride-chamber" is rendered. bridegroom;"" companions of the bridegroom" for sons of the bride-chamber." In Matthew x. 4, "Simon of Cana" is incorrect. The word has no reference to place, but is an Aramæan form or rendering for the Greek of “zealot;' Simon the Zealot. In Luke viii. 29, "he was about to command" cannot be the sense of the imperfect. It is rather, “he was commanding." In Matthew xxviii. 1, “the sabbath being over" does not express the original. In John viii. 25, the version, "In the first place, I am just that which I speak to you" is erroneous, though Erasmus sanctions it. John xiv. 19 is also wrong, "but ye will behold me, because I live, and ye will live." Romans iii. 8, and why do you not say, as some slanderously charge us with saying," etc., misapprehends the meaning of the apostle, as does also "in a manner somewhat bold on some subjects," Romans xv. 15. In 1 Corinthians xv. 1, I