Rev A Brandram
Edinburgh 17th May 1845
My Dear Friend
Your letter of the 13th came duly to hand, and afforded me comfort by your condolence with me in the midst of Thistles, and which seem sharper and stronger than usual. I do not know whether to consider it a compliment to me or the reverse this extraordinary bristle up, but I know I should have been better pleased without it. And now every day the storm rises. The warning is in new papers this week in which it was not before, and it is issued moreover in a circular.
I thank you much for your letter of the 15th received this morning, and containing information I wished much to have, but which I was afraid to ask.
On comparing the accusations made with Pereira's Bible of 1828, and his Test. of 1823, we found our anti-friends exceedingly, but fortunately, inaccurate; but we were afraid there might be other editions of the Portuguese B. or T. in which their cited passages might be found verbatim. Your note however frees us of that danger, as I suppose you have looked into all your Port. B. or T.
Pray, try to ascertain whence they have quoted, for surely they cannot have quoted from their own heads. Shortly before the warning appeared I learned that a printed note had been sent here from London per post, anonymous, containing these translation accusations. From whence they came I have little doubt, and I suppose you can guess also. Our friends here will presently learn that they have rested on a broken reed which will run into their hand.
When the warning first appeared our Committee met to consider it, and resolved to make no reply. Now however they have summoned another meeting with a different intention, and a reply is most likely to be given, and I think it is required.
I see in Almeida's Bible you give no headings, and rather wonder you should have left them out there where there was no danger, and kept them in in Pereira's where there is much danger, and now rather immediate as you see. Besides whoever was Editor should have brought these objectionable headings before you. My advice would be, to cut off with one fell sweep of the guillotine all these Roman Catholic heads together, I mean, of the chapters. As to changes of the text itself I think they shd. never be made without acknowledgement. And in this way you might perhaps remove all that is objectionable which is little, correcting one R.C. version by another.
I have read over since I came here, not having it before, Mr. Radley's Pamphlet, and like it very much. I think some hundreds of these for circulation here would be very useful. Should a new edition be needed, perhaps he could embrace in it these present accusations.
You have not observed, I think, the heading of Luke xx 11 in the Port. B. & T. There unfortunately is to be found the objectionable passage "Consecrates the bread & wine into his body and blood." We shall let the Ed. people find out this passage, and if they do, we will make due use of consecrates instead of transmutes. I trust you will take the headings of chapters into early consideration in the Committee, and by a Resolution on the subject enable us at once to say, that all these headings in every reprint will be omitted.
I am glad to say that Dr. Wilson is very cordially with us, and is using his knowledge and his influence in our favour with the three names appended to the warning and connected with the Free Church, namely Candlish, Clason and Spiers.
In the Edin. Committee itself we have at least two who are thoroughly on our side, besides some borders.
I am, My Dear Friend,
Very Truly Yours,
Jas. Thomson.