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2 THE PRESBYTERIA*
"COPYRIGHTING THE BIBLE."
An esteemed friend has commented on our editorial
on this subject. He says: "I can not see in either acrnnnt
nf tlia "1 ? - c *1
? w.v. vitalising or tne i empie any criticism of
what was done 'per se.' How else could the multitude
who came from a distance, secure lambs and Jewish
coin, but from people in Jerusalem? And if so, I can
see no reason why they should not have paid a reasonable
profit.''
Neither do we. It was well understood among the
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i icurcws mat tnc non-resident might buy his lamb at
Jerusalem. Of course the seller made a reasonable
profit. But that is far different from a monopoly on
the business. Suppose that the priesjts had refused to
sacrifice the lamb that was bought elsewhere! We
suppose that all those who now print Bibles for sale
make a profit, and rightly. But they leave to others
the privilege of competition. This is what the present
publishers refuse to do.
Our correspondent adds: "In the account of the
first cleansing, Jesus rebuked the traffickers for carrying
on their business in God's temple." He is right.
That is the point of Christ's censure. Today we see a
nnhlisll''1"' 1
, ..6 vwuipdn.v proclaiming to the world, that
this Revised Version is the only perfect translation of
the Bible?the only one that ought to be used in the
church?but yet putting an assessment upon every
man who would worship God with this version. It is
not quite the same as the act of the noted evangelist
who charged an admission fee to the church services
on the Sabbath day.
CHANGING THE PROOFTEXTS.
On another page we print a letter from our esteemed
friend. Dr. E. C. Gordon, chairman of the Assembly's
Committee on Proof Texts, conrernina tVi<?
, w>IV UVIL/UIIOOIUII
of its work to the Presbyteries for approval. It will
be read with interest.
We note with pleasure that the Committee does not
propose to change the phraseology, or to introduce
the language of the Revised Version.
With pleasure we note the fact that the Committee
proposes to issue the proposed revision proof texts
with each of the new texts under the text of the Confession
or Catechism, in such a way that its relation
may be perceived at once. This will greatly facilitate
an examination of the work.
The Committee of Publication ha<s in liu?H tii?
lication of this work for submission to the presbyteries.
We have not yet seen a copy of it. The delay
will embarrass many in their voting on the subject.
It is very easy to refer a matter in a "pro forma" way
to an ad interim committee, but that does not convince
the voter that its changes are the best that can be
found. We greatly wish that all our presbyters had
been able to examine it before going to presbytery.
From the letter of Dr. Gordon, we understand that
the Publication Committee is arranging to print not
sucn a number ot copies as will supply every minister
and session in our Church, but only enough to supply
the chairmen and members of the ad interim committees,
Suffer an expression of the hope that in this plan
a change will be made and that every minister and
every session will be supplied with a copy of the
I
J OF THE SOUTH. Sept. 22, igog.
changes proposed. True, this will cost considerable,
but the cost will be small in comparison with the satisfaction
and contentment that will follow when each
presbyter shall feel that he has had a fair opportunity
of conference and a full voice in the adoption of the
book. Any suppression or repression will have a
* ,,<v
i<j pruuuce inairrerence to the book that may
be adopted.
From the circulation in advance of copies of the
proposed changes another great good would result. We
apprehend that there are many of our elders?are
there not some ministers also??who have not made
themselves thoroughly familiar with the proof texts
as well as the text of the Confession. Possibly we
could not induce them to take it up as a mere matter
of duty. But now, if it comes as a matter of questioning.
it may serve?as did the advent of a new preacher
in a certain pulpit?to make some of the sleepy ones
awake to see whether it is all sound or not. Possibly
some may read it who never did before. We have a
splendid Confession, but the proof texts are far better
than the Confession. We would gladly promote the
study of them.
The Church, as we apprehend, does not want to
adopt changes in these proof texts on the opinion of a
Committee. It would adopt them upon the personal
conviction of each voter that he knows for himself
il * i
inai tnev are an improvement. Therefore, we hope
that every presbyter will have a copy of the changes
before him for study.
THAT THEY GO FORWARD.
This is the command and the expectation of our
Lord that His Church go forward. An army with
banners, "bannered hosts," as the margin reads, is
the Church of God; and it is marshalled, equipped and
supplied for the conquest of the world for Christ,
its Redeemer and its King. Is our own division of
the "bannered host" with it* nw? Kino Km^o- ?
V***t uiuv I y a 11 11 v_ I 111 cl !S. I 11
any progress? We have a great field in the States of
the South and Southwest, and a greater territory
across the seas for which we have a solemn responsibility.
Are we out in the field, advancing gladly
and with confidence?
Two hundred and eighty thousand are enrolled in
our churches. In the last church year, sixteen thousand
were added to our rolls, confessing Christ and
enlisting under his banner, nearly two thousand
more than in the previous year. That is evidence of
much spiritual life and activity. Our army of young
in the Sunday-schools numbers about two hundred
thousand; an increase of about ten thnneanH wi-iiMi
is encouraging, seeing that some of the large denominations
report a decrease in Sunday-school enrollment.
The number of ministers was increased by sixty
ordinations, and the number of candidates grew from
three hundred and seventy-five to four hundred and
thirty-one, an increase of fifty-six, after a period
of decline in the number of candidates in nearly all
the churches, at home and abroad
A total increase of $100,CXX) is reported contributed
for all causes. Over a million dollars was given for
the gFeat benevolent objects of which about $450,000