manuferipts, which we produce as evidences for the authenticity of the New Teftament, prove nothing. He ought to have quoted oppofite evidences and manufcripts, different from those which existed among the Chriftians. He ought to have fhewn from hiftory, when and where these corruptions were made. Had the doctrines of Christianity been really uncertain, this learned writer, who lived in the latter part of the fourth century, might without much trouble have produced thefe proofs. But on all thefe fubjects he is perfectly filent; and every thing which he is able to produce, confifts entirely in felf-formed conclufions and charges, which are as groundless as the principal accufation.-His adverfary, Auguftine, challenges him to produce this proof, and appeals with perfect confidence to the unanimous teftimony of all the teachers, and manuscripts of antitiquity. 5 quity. "What writings (fays he ") can you receive as genuine, if you reject thofe of the Evangelifts and Apoftles? We are convinced of the genuineness of the apoftolical writings in the fame manner, as we know that the works of Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, or Varro, were derived from thofe whofe names they bear. Who can be fo abfurd as to reject our Scriptures, for whose genuineness, from the time of the Apoftles, the Church has depofed fuch numerous and concordant teftimonies?"-This very accufation, therefore, of itself proves, that the arguments for the authenticity of the evangelical and apoftolical writings are incontrovertible. Contra Fauftum, Lib. XXXIII. cap. vi. p. 330, 331. edit. Benedictin. III. III. From the Agreement of all THE manufcripts of the Scriptures of the New Teftament, which are still extant, are far more numerous than thofe of any other book in the world. Above two hundred and fifty have been already collated by critics in their different editions. Of thefe, it is true, all do not contain the whole of the New Teftament: the greater part have only the Gospels; others contain alfo the Acts and the Epiftles of the Apoftles; and a very fmall number the Revelation of St. John*. All these Befides thefe, a great number are preferved in the libraries of Germany, Italy, and other countries, which have not yet been confulted. The most perfect and accurate information concerning the MSS. which have been used in editions of the Greek Teft. is to be found in the Prologomena to Mill's and Küfter's edition of the N. T. in the Prologomena to Wetstein's N. T. and in Michaelis' Intr. to the N. T. vol. iii. p. 185–351. of the learned and accurate Mr. Marth's Tranflation. manu manufcripts, which were written in very different parts of the world, and of which fome are above twelve hundred years old, give us the books of the New Teftament in all effential matters perfectly accordant with each other, as any one may eafily convince himself by examining the editions published by Mill, Küfter, Bengel, Wetftein, or Griefbach. The thirty thousand Va rious Readings, which are faid to be found even in the manufcripts collated by Mill, consist almost entirely in nothing but palpable errors in tranfcription, or trifling grammatical and verbal differences which by no means make any alteration in the fenfe of the fubject". Some indeed change the ---- y As-Mark iv. 32, instead of, ivar σπαρης when it is fown; orar Qun, when it is grown up :—Chap, v. 9, απεκρίθη λεγων, he anfwered, faying; λίγο αυτής he fays unto him or infead of εισελθόντες, ελθοντες inftead of ἑλληνισας, ἑλληνας; infead of προετεινα προετινεν ; infead of φαρισαίου, φαρισαίων ; inhead of εβάπτισα, εβαπτίσθητ fenfe, fenfe, yet only in paffages which relate unimportant historical and geographical circumftances, or other collateral matters. And the few which make any alteration in things of confequence, do not on that account place us in abfolute uncertainty. For either we can difcover the true reading by collating the other manufcripts, verfions, and quotations found in the works of the ancients; or, should this not be the cafe, yet we can even then explain with certainty the doctrine from other paffages of the facred books.-Thefe numerous variations, z For inftance; yadapniwv, for γεργεσηνών: βγή Dalapa, for Babava: or Luke xxiv. 43, the addition, εφαγε, και τα επίλοιπα εδωκεν αυτοις ; Alts of the Apoft. viii. 39, πνευμα άγιον επεσεν έπι τον ευνεκον. a As 1 Tim. iii. 16; where we find the different readings, ɛos os, and 8. b For instance, Acts of the Apoft. xx. 28, fome MSS. instead of 8 have Kugis. Let us fuppofe that we could not here make out which is the true reading, yet the matter may be determined from many other passages. |