chett, who betook himself, in the first place, to the trans- lation of the New Test. In 1819 Mr. Pritchett's New Test, was issued by the jMadras Bible Societ}'. He now commenced the translation of the Old Test., but in 1820 he was stopped, in the midst of his work, by death.
In 1823 another version of the Scriptures was offered to the Calcutta Bible Society by the Rev. J. Gordon, also of tlie London INIissionary Society. It was very difficult to decide upon the relative merits of INIr. Prit- chett's and Mr. Gordon's translation; but finally Mr. Gordon's prevailed, and the committee of the Madras Society resolved upon adopting his version, requesting him, before he sent it to the press, to compare it care- fully with Mr. Pritchett's translation. l\Ir. Gordon's important labors were closed by death in 1827. After his decease, it was found that Mr. Pritchett's version was, after all, more correct than had been expected, and, after introducing certain emendations, an edition of two thousand copies of the New Test, was printed in 1828, accompanied by two thousand copies of Mr. Gor- don's version of Luke. An edition of three thousand copies of the Old Test., based upon the versions of Prit- chett and Gordon, was issued from the Madras press in 1855, together with large editions of particular portions of the Teloogoo Scriptures both of the Old and of the New Testament. From the different reports we learn the following facts. The report for 1856 states that "an entirely new translation of the whole Bible, executed by
C. P. Brown, Esq., has been deposited by that gentleman with this auxiliary with a view to future publication; and extracts from Genesis, Proverbs, Psalms, Malachi, IMark, and Ephesians are in press, and will be circu- lated for the opinions and criticism, of the Teloogoo scholars." That for the year 1858 states that the Te- loogoo revision committee appointed in 1857 had com- pleted a new translation of Paul's epistles to the Ro- mans, Colossians, and Philemon, and of the general epis- tles of James, John, and Jude, together with the four gospels and Acts, all of which were ready for the press. In 1863 we read: "The Old Test, has been published for the first time, the New Test, newly translated and a revised edition recently published." In 1806 the report states that the "INIadras auxiliary has taken up the question of a revision of the Teloogoo Old Test., and has appointed a committee for that purpose, on the same plan as that of the Tamil revision committee. The version of the Teloogoo New Test, now in use was adopted in 1858, and, after revision by a committee ap- pointed for the purpose of bringing the Rev. Messrs. Hay and Wardlaw's translation into accordance with the texlus receptus and the rules of the society, was pub- lished in 1800." As to the revision of the Old Test., we learn from the report for 1807 that "a committee has been formed by the Rev. John Hay, who has already revised the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Num- bers, Deuteronomy, and .Joshua. The remainder of the work is in progress." At present, according to the last report for 1879, the following parts are printed and cir- culated; the entire Bible according to the Vizagapatam version, the book of Genesis according to the revised version, and the Pentateuch and New Test, published in 1858. See The Bible in Every Land, and the A nnual Re- pn}-fg of the British and Foreign Bible Societj'. (B. P.)
Teller, Romanus, a Lutheran divine, was born Feb. 21, 1703, at Leipsic, where he also died, April 5, 1750, as doctor and professor of theology and pastor of St. Thomas's. He wrote, Dissertation. Sucrar. ad Caussas Hermeneut. Spectantium Decas (Lips. 1740) : —
D. HoUaz : Examen Theol. A croam. denuo edidit et A n- iiwidverss. auxit; Demonstratt. Homilel.-theologicm (ibid. 1728) ; new edition, Institutt. Theologim Homilet. Metho- do Scientiis Sacris Dujna Adornutce (ibid. 1741). In connection with Bauragarten, Brucker, and Dietelraaier, he published, Bibel, d. i. voUstdmlige Erkidrung der heili- gen Schrift aits dem Englischen (ibid. 1748, 19 vols). See Winer, Handbuch der theol, Literatur, i, 107, 186, 297; ii, 59, 798 ; Fiirst, Bibl. Jiid. iii, 413. (B. P.)
TELLER
242
TEMA
Teller, Wilhelm Abraham, a leading theolo- gian of the "enliiiliteiimenl" jiarty of Germany in the Fast century, was born in 1734 at Leipsic, where his father was then professor and pastor. In 1755 he was made catechist and bachelor of theology, and began with his earliest literary production to disjilay his sym- pathy with the liberal school of theologians. He turn- ed his attention more innnediately to the criticism of the text of the Old Test, after the manner of IMichaelis. In ]75() he published a Latin translation of Kcnni- cott's dissertation on Hebrew text-criticism. In 1761 he was made general superintendent and professor at Helmstedt. In 17l!4 he issued his Lchrhuch dcs clirist- lichen Gldiibens. which revealed the advanced theolog- ical views to which he had attained, and alarmed the faculties and consistories. Its position was that of the rirst stage of rationalistic "enlightenment," and its most noticeable trait a revulsion against the authority of tra- ditional beliefs. The excitement occasioned by its ap- pearance was such that the whole edition was confis- cated in Electoral Saxony, and that he retained his po- sition at Helmstedt with serious difficulty. From this unpleasant situation he was extricated by an appoint- ment to Cologne on the Spree as provost anil member of the high consistory, where was the very heart of the party of progress, and where he felt free to publish to the world his views without reserve. He did this in a WOrterbuch d. Neuen Testaments (1772, and afterwards in six editions), whose preface contained an appeal to preachers tlint they should expound not only the words, but also, and much more, the ideas, of Scripture, because the latter contains not only Hebrew and Greek forms of expression, but also Hebrew and Greek forms of thought. A further opportunity of showing his inde- pendence occurred in 1792 in connection with the trial of a preacher named Schulz, of Gielsdorf, for departure from the standards of the Lutheran Church. The opin- ion of the high consistory having been required. Tel- ler voted for acquittal on the grounds that under the Lutheran form of Church government every person is constituted his own judge in matters pertaining to the faith, and that all such matters must be determined by Scripture. Schulz was acquitted, but the members of the chamber were afterwards lined and provost Tel- ler was suspended for three months because of this ac- tion. The latter nevertheless proceeded, in the same year, to publish a more complete statement of his views in the work Die Relt()ion der Vollkommeneren, whose theme vt'as the pei'fectibiliti/ of Christianity. In 1798 he received an address from Jews resident in Berlin de- manding admission into the Christian Church without the im|)Osition on them of a Christian creed; but the high consistory negatived the request, though with re- gret, and with a promise to impose on the petitioners no new disabilities. Teller died Dec. 9, 1804, His more important works have been mentioned above. He was not popular as a preacher, but his sermons were printed in a third edition as early as 1792. He pub- lished the Ncues M(if/(izin Jlir Predv/cr, whose tenth volume appeared in 1801. which was also well received, even among IJoman Catholic clergyman. In addition to original work, he edited Turretin's Tract, de Script. Sacr. Interpretatione ; and he was an important contrib- utor to the Allffem. deutsche Bibliothek. See Nicolai, Geddchtnissschrift avf Teller (1807); Sitmmarische Le- bensnachr., appended to Troschel's memorial discourse; Herzog, Rial- /\iici/klop. s. v.; Ilagenbach, J/ist. of Church in Wh and Idth Cent, i, 347, 36G, 371, 499.