1. It was made by a joint committee, English and American scholars.

2. It is doubtless the most carefully prepared version that has yet been made. It was completed after eight years of faithful labor by scholarly men.

3. Mandarin approximates the easy Wen Li in style and expression, and if it be made the basis it will greatly facilitate the preparation of the new version.

4. If the two versions are made to correspond throughout, it will be a capital advantage on all hands. They can then be conveniently used together, and the Chinese will see that we have one Bible.

Those who made the Mandarin version, have to say the least a property in it which should be respected. Some of the committee of translators are absent from China, or are not now engaged in missionary work. Two are still so engaged-Messrs. Burdon and Blodgett and they are the legitimate heirs to the whole work. They, we are told in the August Recorder, began some time ago, and now have well in hand, an easy Wen Li version on the basis of the Mandarin version. The same number of the Recorder announces the completion of an easy Wen Li version by Rev. Griffith John. His version so far as I have examined it, seems to be largely a reproduction of the Mandarin in easy Wen Li. I have also heard the same opinion from others. Mr. John has not, I believe, spoken definitely to this point. If I am right in my surmise that Mr. John's version is largely based on the Mandarin version, there is no inherent reason why his work and that of the Mandarin translators should not be combined.

It is an unfortunate complication that two parties should have been doing the same work independently, each presumably ignorant of what the other was doing. Such is the fact however, and now what is to be done? Those who have the two versions in hand must come together, and agree to share in a common work—or a union version is impossible. Whoever makes the first advance will give illustration of the apostolic injunction, "In honor preferring one another." If a solution of the difficulty is to be effected somebody must be the first to move.

One writer in the Recorder says-Let all the local associations take up the question. This I fear will make confusion worse confounded. Another says-Let us have a committee of not less than twenty from all parts of China. This is too large a number to work together, and it is doubtful if there are so many men in China who are competent for the work; besides there is no com

petent appointing power. I see practically no way but for the parties already engaged in the work-Messers John, Blodgett, and Burdon to lay aside personal feelings, choose and associate with themselves several more brethren of known fitness for the work; so choosing as to give English and Americans-broad and narrow gauge-equal numbers; and then choose a level-headed German for an umpire, and so go forward and prepare one version, which will have the authority and endorsement of all. Such a work will, I am sure, be accepted by the Missionary Body in China. Unless something of this kind is done, we shall inevitably have two rival versions in Easy Wen Li.

MR. JOHN'S NEW TESTAMENT.*

BY RT. REV. G. E. MOULE, D.D.

THE Chapter which has furnished our exercise for this evening, whether successfully rendered into Chinese or not, was undoubtedly a difficult one to translate from St. Paul's Greek into Chinese, or, for that matter, into any other language. Accustomed as we are to the noble cadences of the English version, we easily overlook the extreme difficulty of several of the keywords of the great argument Such are "the flesh," "the carnal mind," "condemnation," "the creature," "the first-fruits of the Spirit." The perplexity occasioned by one of these is commemorated in the ninth Article of Religion of the Church of England, where we read concerning ppóvua oаркÒÇ that some do expound it the wisdom, some sensuality, some the affection, some the desire, of the flesh.' When in English, rich as it is in abstract terms, translators have found it so hard to decide absolutely in favour of one among many synonyms, we need not wonder if scholars who attempt the task in Chinese are at least equally at fault.

In effect, of the versions before us, we find the Delegates' rendering 'after the flesh' by, and 'to be carnally minded,'

, whilst Mr. John is divided between in the margin and, in the text for the former, and renders the latter by

I find the American version (Bridgman and Culbertson's) alone content to literalize oaps by without alternative; a rendering which has been condemned as misleading because of the usual meaning of butcher's meat,' if not 'pork,' which attaches to .

Read at a Meeting of the Hangchow Missionary Association, December 22nd, 1885, after discussion of an English rendering from the Delegates' Version, and Mr. John's Version respectively, of Romans viii; and sent to the Recorder by vote of the Association.

For ppovɛiv they write, again aiming at literality, with perhaps too limited a view of the scope of the Greek word. For condemn' (KATEKρívεIV) in v. 3, and for 'mortify' (Oavarovv) v. 13, both English versions write destroy; I know not why. B. and C. have in the former, but in the latter place. The creature, KTíos is perhaps rightly rendered, though this seems so suit. able to naoa KTίous that one cannot but wish that some alternative had been found for the simple noun. "We who have the first-fruits of the Spirit" (ànapx) is a hard phrase of course. The various renderings represent in fact various interpretations. And whether the just got the Holy Spirit' of the 7*2*, already got the

Delegates', Mr. John's

earliest fruits of the Holy Spirit,' or B. and C.'s rendering which differs from Mr. John's only in one word, neither alternative seems to me to convey St. Paul's meaning which is, if I mistake not, to view the Holy Spirit already imparted to Christians as the àπapy, first-fruits (earnest or pledge) of the ampler and all-pervading gift in the world-to-come. I have passed over several interesting terms, but there is just one more that seems to demand notice, namely ¿perλéraι in v.12. Both our versions paraphrase this by, slaves, or underlings; I confess I cannot see why; since by so doing a distinct element in St. Paul's argument seems to have been dropped out.*

This however must suffice by way of verbal criticism, though if leisure sufficed it would be very interesting to pursue the subject much further.

As to the general effect of the two versions respectively as seen in this chapter. I do not doubt that a Chinese reader, who had been able to follow the argument of the first seven chapters of this all-important but most difficult epistle, would succeed in getting at least the outline of its central and most precious paragraph,— from the Delegates', if he were scholar enough to taste their work;— certainly from Mr. John. Peih Hsien sheng, a mature old scholar, non-Christian, after reading aloud both versions of our Chapter, and construing them into the Colloquial with abundant comments, on

It may be objected that after all is practically equivalent to 'debtor' in the connexion, just as above in the context comes to the same thing as 'condemn' in v.3. and 'mortify' in v.13. Whether this be so or not, it seems to me that 'practical equivalents' may do in a paraphrase when they are inadmissible in a translation, where, in fact they ought not to be admitted unless they are found to be the nearest equivalents available. In the cases mentioned, I cannot but think that characteristic shades of the apostle's argument have been seriously blurred by the adoption of such practical equivalents.' In this same Epistle there are places in which I have regretted to find the great word doing duty for too many of the Greek synonyms or congeners of duaρтía.

my asking his opinion, affirmed that both were wanli, and that no fault was to be found with either for misplaced particles, though he did complain of these complicated phrases in vs.2, and 11, of the Hankow, as. He added that the Delegates' work was like old wine, stronger and of higher flavour, the Hankow version much easier but flatter to the taste.

All I see of Mr. John's version leads me to hope that it may after all become our-if not Authorized yet however-Common Version of the New Testament; always allowing our excellent Brother three or four years at least to perfect its rendering in communication with his brethren.

METHODS OF MISSION WORK.

LETTER IV.

BY REV. J. L. NEVIUS, D.D.

ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF STATIONS IN CENTRAL SHANTUNG.

PREACHING tours formed a prominent part of mission work from the first occupation of Shantung by Protestant missionaries in the year 1860. During the years that immediately followed, the whole of eastern Shantung was traversed by members of the American Baptist and Presbyterian Missions. In 1866, Rev. C. W. Mateer and Rev. H. Corbett made a tour in central Shantung for the purpose chiefly of distributing and selling books. This was the first visit paid to Ching-ch'ow fu and vicinity by Protestant missionaries. It was afterwards visited repeatedly by Dr. Williamson and other members of the U. P. Mission of Scotland, and Rev. J. MacIntyre, a member of that mission, resided two years in Wei Hien, the chief city of the adjacent district on the east. It was also visited from time to time by different members of the American Presbyterian mission, and in 1874, and 1875, was included in my regular itinerating tours, made twice a year.

Rev. Timothy Richard commenced regular work in Chingchow fu as a resident missionary in 1875. There were then in that region only two converts, and these were connected with Mr. Corbett.

Previous to the work of Famine Distribution in the spring of 1877, Mr. Richard had gathered about him a little company of enquirers, and I had also a few enquirers in the district of En-ch'ue about forty five miles S. E. of Ch'ing-chow fu.

In the spring of 1877, Mr. Richard and Rev. Alfred G. Jones gave all their time and energies to the work of Famine Relief. I took part in the same work in Kao-yai a market town in the western extremity of En-ch'ue, and near the borders of the two other hien Ling-ch'u and Chang-loh, and continued it about three months until the close of the famine, distributing aid to about 30,000 people, from more than 300 villages.

The famine relief presented us in a new and favorable light, and gave a fresh impulse to our work of evangelization. The establishment of stations may be said to have fairly begun after the famine, though a spirit of enquiry had been awakened before. In the spring of 1879, Mr. Corbett again visited this region, and from this time took part in mission work there.

There are now in the department of Ching-chow fu connected with the English Baptist mission, and with Mr. Corbett and myself about one hundred and fifty stations, and near 2,500 converts, about 1,000 of them belonging to the Baptist Mission. On the main points of mission policy we are happily nearly of one mind. All these stations provide their own houses of worship; none of them are cared for by a resident paid preacher; but in each of them is one or more of its own members who voluntarily conducts services on Sunday and attends to the general spiritual interests of the little company of believers with whom he is connected, under the superintendence of the foreign missionary in charge. In all these stations great prominence is given to catechetical teaching, and also to affording special instruction to the leaders, with the view of their teaching others. These form the distinguishing features of our work; and are our main points of agreement.

The Baptist stations have multiplied chiefly through the voluntary labours of unpaid Christians; and radiate from the centre at Ch'ing-chow fu. Their staff of Chinese labourers now consists of a Native Pastor who is a Nanking man and was baptized more than twenty years ago, and four evangelists paid by the mission; and two elders paid by the native Christians.

My work spread from the centre at Kao-yai, almost entirely so far as natives are concerned, through the voluntary labours of the Chinese Christians. My staff of paid labourers at present consists of two native helpers, supported hitherto partly by the natives and partly by myself. I have from the first used a few others occasionally.

Mr. Corbett commenced his work with the assistance of church members from older stations. He has used a much larger number of helpers, and his stations are more disconnected, being found in different districts to which his preachers and evangelists have been