Rev A Brandram - No.119
New York, 16th June 1842
My Dear Friend,
In accordance with what I stated to you in my two last letters in regard to my movements, I arrived in this city about a week ago. I am now waiting for your instructions as to what place I should first go to. Your letter may be expected here, say on the 20th instant. Should you say Mexico, I shall set out for that place by one of the West India steamers, should there be one in proper time. But these vessels have hitherto been very irregular in this quarter, and little dependence can be placed on them. Failing one of these I shall take a passage in a sailing vessel, but these also are irregular and few in number between this port and Vera Cruz.
I should have mentioned, previous to leaving Montreal, that I formerly gave up the General Depot there to the Committee of the Montreal Auxiliary, of which I have held the direction from its commencement. I should think it will be well managed by that body, but you can confirm or annul the arrangement as you may, on consideration, judge best.
By the last monthly paper of the American Bible Society you will perceive that at that last annual meeting they came to the resolution not to print in future any version of the Scriptures made from the Vulgate. This seems to be a sudden movement, but preparations for it has been going on for a good while. A party which has been increasing for some time past, and connected in some degree with the northern portion of your Island[1], has brought this subject again and again before the Committee, until it was judged advisable to pass the resolution in question. They were the more easily led into this measure by the circumstance that they have but little work in connexion with such versions. The only three languages in which they have printed from the Vulgate translations are the Spanish, French, and Portuguese, the whole Bible in the first and the New Testament only in the other two.
I am sorry our friends have been forced into this measure, as I certainly think it a harmful one to the cause, as well as uncalled for on the score of duty. If our Lord and the Apostles used the Septuagint, surely we may avail ourselves of the Vulgate, or any good version from it. The adoption of such a measure by you, would I conceive be extremely hurtful, because you have extensive work in this way. Nevertheless, from a combination of circumstances, I think it would be well, in each case, to have a version from the original, in addition to the ones you have from the Vulgate. So far as the New Testament is concerned, God is visibly preparing the way for us. I have lately seen the notice dated in Rome the 14th March of the present year, to this effect: – "Cardinal Angelo Mai has just completed a work which he has been occupied for upwards of ten years. It is an edition of the New Testament with the variations of all the manuscripts existing in the principal libraries of Rome and other parts of Italy, and with numerous notes full of philological research. The text adopted by Cardinal Mai as the basis of his edition is that of the celebrated manuscript No. 1209 in the library of the Vatican, which dates from the sixth century."
Now the publication of this Greek New Testament from such a quarter will incline Roman Catholics towards the Greek original and will lessen their predilection for the Vulgate. We may therefore avail ourselves of the circumstance in favour of getting translations from the original of the New Testament. In regard to Mexico and South America generally the event is important, not only as bearing on the Spanish, but also as concerned the native or Indian languages. Probably I may find someone in those parts capable of translating from the Greek into the Spanish, and it would be a great inducement to the undertaking to have hand a copy of this Greek New Testament edited by Cardinal Mai. I should therefore be glad if you could procure and send me a copy of it, and if it is not very dear, you might send two or three or more copies, as they could be turned to good account in favour of our cause. This same Greek edition of the New Testament might also perhaps be adopted as the text of our Indian versions, and this would be very desirable. Be so good as consider the subject well, and let me know in due time what you think of it.
I remain, My Dear Friend, Very Truly Yours, James Thomson.
[1] i.e. Edinburgh Bible Society. (BM)
