Directory_and_Chronicle_1850 — Page 588

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Chinese Version of the Old and New Testaments.

OCT.

this version shall refrain from altering the text, as now given out by this Com- mittee, who reserve to a majority of their own body the right to make any alterations therein: this last restriction, however, not to extend to those who differ from us with respect to the rendering of the word Barliw, which is to be left open to various renderings, according to the Resolution of the General Committee passed in 1843.

"The vote of the members of the Committee of Delegates, being equally divided on the rendering of the words esis and IIvsuua, this version must either leave their hands with the blanks that have been left for these words, or be laid side as useless, unless an appeal be taken to some other parties to fill these blanks; to which appeal this Committee can not agree. Under those circumstances, being fully persuaded that several parties will issue on their own responsibility, versions that differ in the rendering of the words Gròs and Пvsữμ¤, and believing that said diversity of rendering will cause less injury if all parties use the same version, instead of having different versions as well as various renderings of these important words:

"The Committee of Delegates resolve, as before mentioned, to offer the version as it now stands, to the Bible Societies of Europe and Ainerica, and to all the other parties abovementioned, throwing upon said partios all the responsibility of any action with respect to the version thus offered to them, which they may severally deem it best to take for the spread of the Gospel in China, the Committee of Delegates feeling themselves released from any further responsibility with respect to the rendering of the words sog and IIvsupa by their inability to come to any decision in regard to it in their body.

“True Copy,

E. C. BRIDGMAN, Recording Secretary.”

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Shanghái, August 1st, 1850. "Present, Drs. Medhurst, Boone, and Bridgman, and the Rev. Messrs. Stro- nach, Milne, Shuck and Culbertson, the following was passed unanimously : "A paper, stating the grounds on which the Committee of Delegates for the version of the New Testament had agreed to offer to the Bible Societies of Europe and America, and to all the Protestant missionaries in China, their version of the New Testament in Chinese, with the words sòs and IIvsũμa untranslated, having been read, Dr. Boone proposed the following Preamble and Resolution, which being seconded by Mr. Stronach, was unanimously carried:

“ Whereas, a majority of the Committees at the local stations having deter- minded, that the rendering of the words El, Eloah, Elohim and Ruach, shall be excepted from the decision of the Committee of Delegates appointed for the revision of the translations of the Old Testament in Chinese, it is there- fore,

"Resolved, that this Committee, with a view to place the rendering of the words God and Spirit in the Old Testament on the same basis as they have been put in the New Testament, will offer each successive portions of the Old Testament, as it shall be completed by them, to the Bible Societies of Europe and America, and to all the Protestant missionaries in China, leaving the