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inhabitants of this benighted province, their contributions will be most thankfully received and acknowledged and transmitted to the Home Committee by any of the Orissa Missionaries. It appears measures are being taken for the abolition of that iniquitous impost the pilgrim tax. Surely Government does not intend again mocking our expectations on this subject, but effect an everlasting and satisfactory abolition, and wash its hands from all the filth of idolatry whether in countenance, interference or support*.

Berhampore viâ Ganjam, March 17, 1840."

III.-On the Urdu New Testament, translated by the Missionaries of the London Society at Banáras.

SIRS,

To the Editors of the Calcutta Christian Observer.

In your last number you have given us some faithful, intelligent, and well-timed remarks on the omission of some passages of the New Testament in the translation made by the Missionaries of the London Society at Banáras. The writer, however, seems not to have been aware, that scores of other passages are similarly omitted, and not a few altered in their readings. I believe the most of those omitted and altered, have the authority of Griesbach, an authority now very generally disputed by the most eminent orthodox Biblical critics, and an authority which your correspondent has shewn is not to be depended on. Knowing, as I do, the independentmindedness of the Banáras translators, I have been astonished at their slavish-mindedness in reference to Griesbach.

The following list contains some of the omitted and altered passages, but by no means all of them, as observed by me. As there are other translations of the New Testament in circulation among the natives, containing all the omitted passages, it is for every one to conceive what must be the effect upon the native mind of this sad diversity. How long is such a state of things to continue? And can no remedial measure be adopted? When I look at the various translations, I am filled with wonder. We have in the Banáras translation the Greek words presbyter, deacon, episcopus, baptism, &c. left untranslated, and we have in Mr. Bowley's bará pádrí for high-priest, and ghusal for baptism!!!-translations issued from the Bible Society's Depository, a Society which maintains it as a principle to issue no translation which does not

Our correspondent's letter reached us before the intentions of the Supreme Government were made officially known.-ED.

conform to the English. I wish some of your able writers in the Observer would take up the subject, and endeavour to bring the translators to something like unanimity; a hard task, you will perhaps say.

The italic words in the following list exhibit the omitted and altered passages. Those who peruse it, will see that some not very unimportant sentences are not forthcoming. As the Banaras Missionaries are now engaged in a translation of the Old Testament, it will behove the public of the Bible Society (who, I believe, stand engaged by the Committee to support the translators,*) to see that such another book of gaps and alterations is not palmed upon the world from their depository.

Matthew v. 47.

"Do not even the tribes the same," instead of "the
publicans."

vi. 1. “Take heed that ye do not your religiousness before
men," instead of " your
alms."
"I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to

ix. 13.

xii. 35.

XV. 8.

repentance."

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart.” "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth.” xviii. 35. "If ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."

xix. 17.

“He gave answer, Why dost thou ask me concerning right. eousness? One indeed is righteous," instead of “And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God." xx. 22, 23. "Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, we are able. And he saith unto them, ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with."

xxv. 13. xxvii. 35.

Mark i. 2.

iii. 5.

iv.

5.

"Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor
the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."
"And they crucified him, and parted his garments,
casting lots: that it might be fulfilled, which was
spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments
among them, and upon my vesture they cast lots."
"As it is written in Isaiah the prophet," instead of "in
the prophets."

"His hand was restored whole as the other."

"And the fowls of the air came and devoured it up." iv. 25. "And unto you that hear, shall more be given."

* The translation referred to by our correspondent is not in the hands of the translators of the edition on which he has felt it his duty to animadvert. The Banaras Auxiliary Bible Society are the parties to whom it is entrusted, and every precaution has and will be taken to render it as perfect and faithful a translation of the whole Bible as possible. The Calcutta Bible Society have not, we believe, sanctioned the translation of some of the London Missionary Society's Missionaries at Banaras.—ED.

vi. 11.

xi. 10.

xiii. 14.

Luke iv. 18. ix. 56.

xi. 2.

xvii. 36.

John i. 27. vi. 22.

vii. 53. viii. 1-12.

59.

ix. 8.

"Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city."

"Blessed be the kingdom of our father David that cometh in the name of the Lord."

"But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet."

"He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted."
"For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but
to save them."

"When ye pray, say, Our Father, who art in heaven.”
Verse 4. "But deliver us from evil." Verse 29.
"But the sign of Jonas the prophet." Verse 44.
"And he said, Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees,
hypocrites."

"Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left."

"He it is, who coming after me, is preferred before me." When they saw "that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered.' Verse 69. "Thou art the holy one of God," instead of "Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God." "And every man went unto his own house."

The whole of this is omitted.

"Going through the midst of them, and so passed by.” "That he was a beggar," instead of "that he was blind." xi. 41. "Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid."

Acts i. 14.

ii. 30.

vi. 8. viii. 37.

"In prayer and supplication.”

66

Verse

According to the flesh he would raise up Christ." 31. "His soul was not left in hell." "And Stephen, full of grace," instead of "full of faith." "And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

ix. 5, 6. "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said to him."

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"He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do." Verse 21. "Then Peter went down to the men who were sent unto him from Cornelius."

"As it is written in the first Psalm," instead of "the second Psalm." Verse 42.

"When they were gone

out, all the people besought them," instead of "And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought them."

"From eternity all has become known to him,” instead of "known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world."

"But the Jews took some of the people of the bazars,” instead of "But the Jews who believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort."

"Paul was employed in the word,” instead of " was pressed' in spirit."

"When we came together to break bread" instead of

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"when the disciples came together." Verse 26.
"To feed the Church of the Lord which he hath
purchased with his own blood," instead of "the
Church of God."

"We that were of Paul's company departed.”
"Let us not fight against God."

"That

"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ."
"Through Jesus Christ our Lord." Verse 12.
ye should obey it in the lusts thereof."
"Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
"But if it be of works, then it is no more of grace; other-
wise work is no more work."

"Thou shalt not bear false witness."

"Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come

to you." Verse 29. “I shall come to you in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ." "And in your spirit, which are God's."

"That ye may give yourselves to fasting."

"For the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof."
"He brake it, and said, Take, cat."

"In this same confident boasting."

"That ye should not obey the truth."

"Who created all things by Jesus Christ.”
"Let us mind the same thing."

"The mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ."
“The only wise God.'

"I say the truth in Christ."

"Not greedy of filthy lucre."

"For this is good and acceptable."

"And didst set him over the works of thy hands."

"Or thrust him through with a dart.”

three are one.

"The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these
And there are three that bear witness
in the earth." Verse 13. "Who believe on the name
of the Son of God."
"To the only wise God."

"The beginning and the ending." Verse 11. "I am Alpha
and Omega, the first and the last,

are in Asia."

"Him that liveth for ever and ever."

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IV. The Theological Library.

We are anxious under this title to present our readers with a catalogue of the principal writers, who have in different ages of the Church devoted their labours to the defence or elucidation of the truth as it is in Jesus, accompanied with such extracts from their works as may tend to give a tolerable idea of their mode of thinking and writing, and induce our readers to extend their acquaintance with the works of such of them as are really excellent.

While it is true that of making many books there is no end, it is equally true that the reading of too many books is endless and unprofitable. Not only is much study a weariness to the flesh, but overmuch reading is hurtful also to the mind. Whatever is merely read, without being made the subject of serious meditation, is not profitable, but the reverse. Yet we may be assured that God would not have preserved to his Church so vast a store of sacred literature, unless He had designed it, when properly used, to be a great boon: and so we find that the judicious student, who is directed by the Spirit of God to the right use of the works of the pious of former times, does not fail to derive from them much mental and spiritual advantage. We therefore hope to perform a useful service by presenting our readers with such short notices of the principal writers, and such short extracts from their best works as may supply some hints for their guidance in Theological reading. We are not without hopes also that if kindly assisted and supported in the undertaking by our friends, our notes may serve as the basis of what we believe does not exist in any language, and what has been often declared to be a desideratum," A HISTORY OF THEOLOGICAL LITERATURE."

For the task which we thus undertake we are free to confess ourselves very inadequate, but we trust to receive such assistance from numerous friends as shall make that work comparatively easy, which would be quite impracticable for any one individual, how well qualified soever.

Various modes of arrangement suggest themselves to us as severally possessing various advantages and disadvantages. We might divide the authors according to the times in which they lived, the countries in which their works were published, or the subjects on which they chiefly wrote. It is unnecessary to enter upon the advantages and disadvantages of these several methods. We shall endeavour to combine the advantages of them all, by taking the chronological order as our basis, deviating however occasionally from its strictness in favour of the geographical mode, and inserting sometimes a supplementary paper as to the different modes of treating theological questions at different eras. Thus for example we may mention a dozen English writers side by side, although there may have flourished many Dutch and French writers at the same time; and again we may mention such writers as Clarke and Abernethy alongside of such as Paley in order to contrast their modes of treating the questions which form the subjects of their principal writings. Still we shall never deviate very far from chronologial order, one of whose chief recommendations is that it will be the easiest for ourselves. We begin then with the

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