Introduction
This piece was incited by charges that David Otis Fuller plagiarized Benjamin Wilkinson’s book Our Authorized Bible Vindicated – that it is a “well-known fact” that David O. Fuller “lifted it word for word with no citation.”[i] Is that true? I think not.
Over the years I have heard complaints about Fuller, a Regular Baptist pastor, including the writings of a Seventh-Day Adventist in his book Which Bible. It is true that the author of Our Authorized Bible Vindicated, Benjamin George Wilkinson, was a Seventh-Day Adventist. Additionally, his material makes up close to half of the material in Which Bible? In my opinion, regardless of the worth of Wilkinson’s writing, Fuller made a mistake by including it. It has given his opponents a frayed thread to pull – and pull and pull and pull! But did Fuller plagiarize Wilkinson’s work? No!
What Kutilek wrote
J. J. Ray used Wilkinson’s material, without attribution, in his book God Wrote Only One Bible. Doug Kutilek (no friend of either Wilkinson or Fuller) wrote “The Unlearned Men: The True Genealogy and Genesis of King-James-Version-Onlyism” to excoriate Wilkinson, Ray, and Fuller. He stated that J. J. Ray “heavily plagiarized, without note or acknowledgement, Wilkinson’s book.” On the other hand, he only complained that Fuller in 1970 issued Which Bible? and included Wilkinson’s work “with some editing, first to conceal from view Wilkinson’s cult affiliation, and second, to correct some of the worst of his errors.” If Fuller had plagiarized Wilkinson, that would have made great fodder for Kutilek’s article. He would have left no stone unturned.Yet, he never mentioned it.
What the editions say
My copy of Which Bible is a 1984 reprint of the 1975 Fifth Edition. It attributes “Our Authorized Bible Vindicated” to Benjamin G. Wilkinson – both in the “Contents” and on pages 174-175. Since I had not access to earlier editions, the indicter of Fuller refuged in the claim that it “may have been corrected in reprints, but the fact remains” it was originally unattributed to Wilkinson by Fuller.
In the absence of having earlier editions – particularly the original 1970 book -- I hit on the idea of checking WorldCat library catalog. If the records on WorldCat are accurate, when Fuller originally compiled and printed Which Bible in 1970, he verily credited Our Authorized Bible Vindicated to Benjamin Wilkinson. No plagiarism. Here are the records on editions 1, 2, and 3 based on WorldCat. I have the 5th edition, so that is based on my own research. The 4th edition is not presently represented on WorldCat.[ii]
According to these records, the 1970 book has 231 pages, 1971 (2nd) has 282 pages, and 1972 (3rd) has 318 pages. The 1975 (5th) has 350 pages. This expansion is the addition of three indices after page 318. Regarding the page numbers, there are also 7 unnumbered pages in the 1975 5th edition books that I checked, one a 1978 printing and on a 1984 printing.
First Edition, 1970
Which Bible? David Otis Fuller, editor. Grand Rapids MI: Institute for Biblical Textual Studies, Grand Rapids MI, ©1970
viii, 231 pages 21 cm
Contents:
The “why?” of this book, by D.O. Fuller. -- The Greek text of the King James version, by Z.C. Hodges. -- The learned men, by T.H. Brown. -- The magnificent Burgon, doughty champion and defender of the Byzantine text, by E.F. Hills. -- In defense of the textus receptus, selections by D.O. Fuller. -- The Codex Vaticanus and its allies, by H.C. Hoskier. -- The incomparable Wilson: the man who mastered forty-five languages and dialects, by H.W. Coray. -- About the author of Our authorized Bible vindicated, by D.O. Fuller. -- Our authorized Bible vindicated, by B.G. Wilkinson (p. 87-231).
Ouachita Baptist University Riley-Hickingbotham Library
(According WorldCat.org, there is also a 1970 printing of this book credited to Grand Rapids International Publications, Grand Rapids, Michigan.)
Second Edition, 1971
Which Bible? 2nd Edition, revised and enlarged, David Otis Fuller, editor. Grand Rapids, MI: Grand Rapids International Publications, ©1971.
viii, 282 pages 21 cm
Contents:
Why this book? / David Otis Fuller -- The learned men / Terence H. Brown -- The Greek text of the King James Version / Zane C. Hodges -- The incomparable Wilson : the man who mastered forty-five languages and dialects / Henry W. Coray -- The magnificent Burgon, Doughty champion and defender of the Byzantine text / Edward F. Hills -- In defense of the Textus Receptus / David Otis Fuller -- The Codex Vaticanus and its allies / Herman C. Hoskier -- About the author of “Our Authorized Bible Vindicated” / David Otis Fuller -- Our Authorized Bible vindicated / Benjamin C. Wilkinson -- The principle and tendency of the revision examined / George Sayles Bishop -- The Bible and modern criticism / Sir Robert Anderson -- A critical examination of the Westcott-Hort textual theory / Alfred Martin.
Third Edition, 1972
Which Bible? 3rd Edition, revised and enlarged, David Otis Fuller, editor. Grand Rapids, MI: Grand Rapids International Publications, ©1972.
viii, 318 pages 21 cm
Contents:
The “why?” of this book / by D.O. Fuller -- The Greek text of the King James version / by Z.C. Hodges -- The learned men / by T.H. Brown -- The magnificent Burgon, doughty champion and defender of the Byzantine text / by E.F. Hills -- In defense of the textus receptus, selections / by D.O. Fuller -- The Codex Vaticanus and its allies / by H.C. Hoskier -- The incomparable Wilson : the man who mastered forty-five languages and dialects / by H.W. Coray -- About the author of Our authorized Bible vindicated / by D.O. Fuller -- Our authorized Bible vindicated / by B.G. Wilkinson.
Fourth Edition, 1974
Which Bible? Fourth Edition, David Otis Fuller, editor. 1974
No information
Fifth Edition, 1975
Which Bible? Fifth Edition, David Otis Fuller, editor. Grand Rapids MI: Grand Rapids International Publications, ©1970 (with alphabetical, scriptural, and chronological indexes by Thomas R. Steinbach)
[vii] 350 pages 21 cm
Contents:
Books by David Otis Fuller [unpaged 1] Cover page [unpaged 2] Copyright and catalog information [unpaged 3] Dedication [unpaged 4] Acknowledgements [unpaged 5] Contents [unpaged 6-7] Why This Book, David Otis Fuller [1-12] -- The Learned Men, Terence H. Brown [13-24] -- The Greek Text of the King James Version, Zane C. Hodges [25-38] -- The Incomparable Wilson: the Man Who Mastered Forty-Five Languages and Dialects, Henry W. Coray [39-48] -- Is Higher Criticism Scholarly? Robert Dick Wilson [49-85] -- The Magnificent Burgon, Doughty Champion and Defender of the Byzantine Text, Edward F. Hills [86-105] -- The Principle and Tendency of the Revision Examined, George Sayles Bishop [106-117] -- The Bible and Modern Criticism, Sir Robert Anderson [118-122] -- In Defense of the Textus Receptus, selections by David Otis Fuller [123-133] -- The Codex Vaticanus and Its Allies, Herman C. Hoskier [134-143] -- A Critical Examination of the Westcott-Hort Textual Theory, Alfred Martin [144-173] -- About the Author of “Our Authorized Bible Vindicated,” David Otis Fuller [174-175] -- Our Authorized Bible Vindicated, Benjamin C. (sic) Wilkinson [176-318] – Appendix [319]: Alphabetical Index [321-341] Scripture Index [342] Chronological Index [343-350]
Robert Vaughn, Personal Library
Conclusion
However widespread or confined this “well-known fact” may be, I hope this article will help bust it as a “Christian Urban Myth.”[iii]
[ii] Or if it is, I missed it. I suspect the 1974 4th edition might just be a “printing” (i.e., without any substantial changed) rather than an “edition.” The copyrights page does not list a copyright for the year 1974.
[iii] Interestingly, this bit of information about Fuller’s book floats around the internet. “‘Note: Robert Kregel of Kregel Publications personally told me that Fuller begged him to publish his book but did not inform Kregel that it contained the writings of an Adventist.’ - Bob L. Ross, Director, Pilgrim Publications.” I don’t think Kregel or Ross are lying, but there is something off about this. Perhaps some kind of misunderstanding? So far, I have found no editions of Which Bible that claim or list Kregel Publications as the publisher. Perhaps they printed the book for Fuller, but, if so, worked only as hired to print rather than as a publisher.
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