A CLERGYMAN ON THE BIBLE.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 129, 12 October 1877, Page 5 (Supplement)

A CLERGYMAN ON THE BIBLE.

I + From an exchange we read that, the Rev. Mr Wollaston, an Episcopalian clergyman of Melbourne, says :— 1. There does not exist in the world a single manuscript of any portion of the Old or New Testament which is an original autograph, consequently we have only copies of translations of the original. 2. There is not a copy of the Bible existing which is transcibed from any one MS., but all the Bibles we possess are made up from many different MSS. 3. The most ancient MSS. from which our Modern Bibles are compiled are all imperfect, and most of them only fragments 4. No MS. extant of the Old or New Testaments (Greek) which we possess was writen earlier than the fourth century of the Christian era ; and no MS. of the Old Testament (Hebrew) was written, before the twelfth century after Christ. 5. No two MSS., either of the Greek or Hebrew Scriptures, verbally agree, and there is not one of them which cannot be demonstrated to be verbally incorrect. Compare 2 Samuel xxiv. with 1 Chron. xxi. as follows—l ver. with 1 ver,, 9 ver. with 5,13 ver. with 11, and 24 ver. with 25.

ENGLISH CLIPPINGS. o Speaking of Kars, the Times correspondent says that the shops are occupied mostly by Armenians, but a great many Russians and foreigners have come from Tiflis to make something. It is quite astonishing what you are able to buy here I expected to be half starved, but 1 find a have only to go into a restaurant and order what I please, from fresh caviare to a beefsteak, and from Russian vodki (whisky) to English porter. It puzzles one to see how all these things have been brought over the wreched and long road (200 miles nearly) that separates us from civilisation. There are cigars and papirgwe (cigarettes), clothing and beds ; hatters and sewing-mechines having turned up, and two first-rate watchmakers. All round are the f ourgons and carts, which have come laden with provisions, &c., and the place is filled with a heterogeneous mixture of races, Armenians, Turks, Circassians, Lesjians Tartars, and other races, which cannot be counted, all dressed in a picturesque fashion. I have just left a court-martial, in which an Armenian deserter from the Russian army has been sentenced to be shot. When the trial was concluded, the sentence was read, and translated by an interpreter to the prisoner. He piteously attemped to exonerate himi elf on the ground that he had been taken prisoner and was trying to get back to the Russian army. When he was led off he almost fell down. It was a sad spectacle ; but severity was absolutely necessary, as great leniency has hitherto been shown." Many of the Russians -journals seem seriously troubled as to what shall be done with the enormous number of prisoners whom the Russians intend to make in Europe, in Asia, and on the waters of the Black Sea. It appears from a further account of the report issued by the commission appointed to deliberate on the subject that the prisoners are in the first place to be divided into three principal categories are placed as above. In two minor categories are placed (1) "foreigners following the Turkish armies," among whom newspaper correspondents would.no doubt, be reckoned ; and (2) " Russians serving with the enemy." Every care will be taken of the former, and at the earliest opportunity their names will be sent to their ambassador or minister at St. Petersburg. The latter will travel third class, with gyves on their wrists, and will ultimately be shot. With regard to the three main categories, Christians are to be kept as much as possible apart from Turks; and every convoy of prisoners is to be accompained by an interpreter of the Turkish language. Captured pachas will travel first class. Superior officers will have second-class places assigned to them, while subalterns must put up with thirdclass accomodation, though all possible endeavours will be made not to put them in the same carriages with privates. On high roads prisoners will march in squads of a hundred, each squad under the command of an officer. This, however, applies only to privates. Captured officers will follow the squads in " chariots or country carts. Every Pasha will have a chariot to himself ; but the generality of Turkish officers will be expected to travel two and two together. Arrived at their place of destination, prisoners will be separated into groups of fifty, and each group will be required to elect an " elder," to whom will be entrusted the money intended for the support of the group, together with any money that the group may earn by working. This arrangement, by the way, is thoroughly Russian. Throughout Russia all workman form themselves into such " groups " or associations, with a view to a more economic purchase and distribution of food. Some Russian soldiers broke into a house in Tirnova by way of the cellar, in which repository the owner of the house had a number of bottles full of vitriol used for the purification of wool in the manufacture and dyeing of woollen stuffs. These bottles the Russian soldiers promptly annexed, and having extracted the corks began to drink the contents. The drink did not exactly meet their views ; on the contrary, they must have had cast-iron mouths and throats, and the vitriol must have been greatly diluted, or they would have paid with their lives the penalty of their lawless conduct. As it was, they fared pretty badly. Their lips and mouths were burnt black, their clothes, hands, and boots were burnt, and they were half mad with rage and pain. They had rushed to the conclusion that the house must be a Turkish house, and the cellar a Turkish cellar, that the proprietor had purposely stored a quantity of devil's drink in wine bottles, wherewithal to poison the Russian enemies, and that they were the victims. They insisted on regarding the servant of the special correspondent as the Turkish proprietor, and strove to revenge themselves by forcing him to drink, as they believed he had brewed. With wild cries and threats they forced bottles into his hands, and swore that he should drink, but he objected to the beverage in the most emphatic manner. He imitated the unwilling horse in that they could not make him drink, but in the struggle he got his hands and clothes very much burnt with the vitrol. The correspondent here interfered to protect the man, but they seized him also, and whirled him up to a solitary underofficer who was addressed as the " Patrol," and who appeared to be serenely superintending the operations. The patrol reccgnised the " Correspondent" badge on this person's arm, and ordered the soldiers to unhand him, whereupon the victims of vitrol retired, probably in search of a less fiery fluid as an alterative.