Mi' ,1 ttw mt^hgknl ^ PRINCETOTT, N. J. Division .... Section ...«. Shelf. Number.... ^i V \ THE NEW TESTAMENT, IN AN y IMPROVED VERSION, UPON THE BASIS OF ARCHBISHOP NEWCOME'S NEW TRANSLATION WITH A CORRECTED TEXT, AND NOTES CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY. PUBLISHED BY A SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE AND THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE BY THE DISTRIBUTION OF BOOKS. No ofl;-nce can justly Ik- taken for tliis new labour; notliing prejiidieiiip any otlier man's judfffmcnt by this doing ; nor yu t pvof.ssing this so absolute a translation, as that hei-eafter mifjiit ibllow no other wlio nvghtsee that which as yet was not undi-rstootl. ArchhishoU Parker''s Preface to thr Bh/mfis' Bible. FROM THE LONDON EDIIIOX. BOSTON: I'RINTED BY THOMAS B. WAIT AND COMPANY. COl'RT-STRERT, FOR W. WELLS. 1809. BEC. APR 1882 INTRODUCTION. SECTION I. ORIGIN, PROGRESS, AND DESIGN OF tSe WORK. XN the year 1791, a Society was formed in London, the professed design of which was to promote religious knowledge and the practice of virtue by the distribution of books. Of this Society, from its first origin, it has always been a principal object to publish an Improved Version of the Holy Scriptures, and particularly of the New Testa- ment. With Uiis view, a deputation of the Society was commissioned about twelve years ago to wait upon the late pious and learned Gilbert Wakefield, to request his permission to republish and to circulate his new and accurate Translation of the New Testament at the expense of the Society ; to which that gentleman most readily expressed his assent, and at the same time promised to revise his translation with great care, and to give it to the Society in its most pei'fect state. It appeared, however, in the sequel, that the engagement, into which he had entered with his bookseller upon the publication of his second edi- tion, precluded him from fulfilling his promise to the Society till that edition was disposed of. In the mean time those unfortunate events took place, which are but too well known to the public ; and, to the great and irreparable loss of religion and literature, the life of that eminent scholar was closed in the midst of its career. After the decease of Mr. Wakefield, it being found impracticable to make use of his Translation, the design for some time lay dormant, till it was resumed by another Society in the West of England, which was formed upon the same principles with the Society in London. This effort proved abortive in consequence of the sudden and much lamented removal of that active, zealous, and persevering advocate of pure and uncorrupted Christianity, the late reverend and learned Timo- thy Kenrick of Exeter. The design, however, of publishing an Improved Version of the New Testament was never totally abandoned : and it was resumed with great unanimity and spirit at the annual meeting of the London iv INTRODUCTION. Society, in April 1806, wiicn :i Committee was appointed, consisting of all the niiiiistei's who were members of the Society, tnc;-ether with some gentlemen of the laity, to carry the intentions of the Society into effect with all convenient despatch. To this Committee it appeared, on many accounts, more eligible to adopt as the basis of their Work a known and approved translation already existing-, than to make a new and original \crsioii. And Mr. Wakefield's being unattainable, they fixed their choice upon the excellent Translation of the late most rev- erend Dr. William Newcome, Archbishop of Armagh, and Primate of all Ireland, a worthy successor of the venerable and learned Archbishop Usher. And to this choice tliey were induced, not only by the general accuracy, simplicity, and fidelity of the Primate's Translation, but prin- cipally because he professes to have followed the text of Griesbach''s edition, which, having been formed from a careful collation of many manuscripts and versions, exhibits a text by far tlie most correct of any, wliich have been published since the revival of learning in the fifteenth century. Having selected Archbishop Newcome's Translation as their basis, it became an object with the Committee to guard, as much as possible, against giving their improved Version a motley appearance, by depart- ing unnecessarily from the Primate's text. To this end they assumed it as a principle, that no alteration shovdd be made in the Primate's Ti'anslation, but where it appeared to be necessary to the correction of error or inaccuracy in the text, the language, the construction, or the sense And so closely have they adhered to this rule, that, in some instances, they have ratlier chosen to place, what ajjpcared to them the more eligible translation, at the foot of tlie page, than to alter the Primate's text where some judicious readers mieht think it unneces- sary. Injustice to the Archbishop, they have placed the words of his Translation at the bottom of the page, wherever they have deviated from it in the Improved Version ; and where it was thought necessary, a short note has been subjoined, assigning- the reasons for the altera- tion, wliich, to the candid and discerning, they flatter themselves will generally appear satisfactory. Also, in every instance, in which cither the Primate's Version or their own differs from the Received Text, they have placed the words of the Received Text at the foot of the page : and in all important cases they have cited the authorities by which the variation is supported. The Committee have also added Notes for the illustration of difficult and doubtful passages, wliich are chiefly collected from critics and commentators of the highest reputation. They cannot flatter them- INTRODUCTIOX. v selves with the expectation that these Notes will be equally acceptable to all readers : but they hope that they will be of use to the inquisitive, tlie liberal, and tlie judicious. These notes, having swelled to a g-reater number and magnitude than was originally expected, have considerably increased both the labour of the Committee, and the expense of the Work ; — but, it is lioped, not without a due equivalent. The encouragement wliich this Woi-k has received from the sub- scriptions, which liavc been raised to defray the expense of carrying it tlirougli the press, has far exceeded the most sanguine expectations. The exemplary liberality' and the active zeal of some generous indivi- duals would well deserve to be entered upon record. Rut they seek not honour from tlieir fellowcreatures. The consciousness of their own pious and benevolent views and feehngs, and the hope, that whatever they have contributed to this important object, may be a sacrifice of grateful odour to that Being, who is witness to all that passes within tlic temple of tlie lieart, is to them of far greater value than liuman applause. The design of the Committee, and indeed of the Society, in the pub- lication of this Improved Version, 'is to supply the English reader with a more correct text of the New Testament, than has yet appeared in the English language^, and to give him an opportunity of comparing it with the text in common use. Also, by divesting the sacred volume of the technical phrases of a systematic theology, which has no foundation in the Scriptures themselves, to render the New Testament more gen- erally intelligible, or at least to preclude many sources of error ; and, by the assistance of the Notes, to enable the judicious and attentive reader to understand scripture phraseolog\', and to form a just idea of true and uncorrupted Christianity, wliicii is a doctrine worthy of all acceptation, and is able to make us wise to everlasting life. In this Version verbal criticism has not been attended to in the degree that some might wish and expect. It lias not, however, been ■wholly neglected : but, in general, the judgement of the learned Primate has been adopted in diflicidties of this nature ; the design of the Com- mittee not being to exhibit a version critically correct in every minute particular, but generally perspicuous and intelligible. Their professed object was an improved, not a perfect Version. Rut, though they can- not e.xpect to satisfy the fastidious critic, they arc not without hope, that their labours may be acceptable to serious and inquisitive christi- ans, and particularly to those by whom their trust was delegated, and to the niunerous and liberal Subscribers by whom the work has been encouraged. And this, next to the approbation of conscience and of Heaven, is the only reward to which they aspire. vi INTRODUCTION. SECTION II. CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE DISPUTED AND THE UNDISPUTED BOOKS. THE Canon of the New Testament is a collection of books written by the apostles ; or by men who were companions of the apostles, and who wrote under their inspection. These books are called the Canon, from a Greek word which signi- fies a rule, because to a cliristian they constitute the only proper and sufficient rule of faith and practice. These books are also called The Scriptures, or The Writings, be- cause these Writings are held by christians in the highest estimation. They are the Scriptures of the New Testament, or, more properly speaking, of the New Covenant, because they contain a complete ac- count of the christian dispensation, which is described as a covenant, by which Almighty God engages to bestow eternal life upon the peni- tent and virtuous believer in Christ. For this reason the christian scriptures, and particularly the books which contain the history of Jesus Christ, are called the Gospel, or Good jieius, a literal translation of the word svctyytMov ,- as these sacred writings contain the best tidings which could be communicated to mankind. The Canon of Scripture is either the Received Canon or the True. The Received Canon comprehends the whole of that collection of books which is contained in the New Testament, and which are gen- erally received by christians as of apostolical authority. The True Canon consists of those books only, the genuineness of which is estab- lished upon satisfactoiy evidence. When, or by whom, the received Canon was formed is not certainly known. It has been commonly believed that it was fixed by the council of Laodicea A. D. 364, but this is certainly a mistake. The first cata- logue of canonical books, which is now extant, was drawn up by Origen A. D. 210. It leaves out the Epistles of James and Jude. The genuineness and authority of every book in the New Testament rests upon its own specific evidence. No person, nor any body of men, has any right authoritatively to determine concerning any book, that it is canonical and of apostolical authority. Every sincere and diligent inquirer lias a right to judge for himself, after due examination, wliat he is to receive as the rule of his faith and practice. The learned Jer- emiah Jones on the Canon, and Dr. Lardner's laborious work upon the Credibility of the Gospel History, contain the most accurate and copi- ous information upon tliis subject. INTRODUCTION. vii The most important distinction of the books of the New Testament, is that mentioned by Eusebius bishop of Cesarea, in the third book of his Ecclesiastical History. He distinguishes them into the books which were universally acknowledged, ofMMya/^evx, and those, which though generally received, were by some disputed, oivTiMyof4.evx. 4 The books universally acknowledged are, tlie four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, thirteen Epistles of Paul, tiie first Epistle of Peter, and the first Epistle of John. " These only," says Dr. Lardner*, "should be of the highest authority, from which doctrines of religion may be proved." The disputed books, «vT/A£yojt«v««, are the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Epistle of James, the second of Peter, the second and third of John, the Epistle of Jude, and the Revelation. " These," says Dr. Lardner, " should be allowed to be publicly read in christian assemblies, for the edification of the people, but not be alleged as affording alone sufficient proof of any doctrine I" These distinctions prove the great pains which were taken by the primitive christians in forming the Canon, and their solicitude, not to admit any book into tlie code of the New Testament, of the genuine- ness of which they had not the clearest evidence. It is a distinction of great importance to all, who desire to appreciate rightly the value and authority of the several books, which compose the received Canon. SECTION III. BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE RECEIVED TEXT. EDITION'S OF THE GREEK TESTAMENT BY CARDINAL XIMENES, BY ERASMUS, ROBERT STEPHENS, BEZ.A, AND ELTTEVIR. IF this Version of the Clu-istian Scriptures possesses any merit, it is that of being translated from the most correct Text of the Original which has hitherto been published. A text perfectly correct, that is, which shall in every particular ex- actly correspond with the autograph of the apostles and evangelists, is not to be expected. We must content ourselves with approximating as nearly as possible to the original. The utility of this is too obvious to need either proof or illustration. The Received Text of the New Testament is that which is in gen- eral use. The degree of credit which is due to the accuracy of the Received Text will appear from the following brief detail of facts. • Lanlner's Supplement, vol. i. p. 29 ; ch. ii. sec. 4, t Lanlner, ibid. p. 30, viii INTRODUCTrON. The New Testament was oiig-inally written in Greek : perhaps with the exception of the Gospel of ^Matthew, and the Epistle to the Hebrews ; of which books, however, the earliest copies extant are in the Greek language. Previously to the Reformation in the sixteenth century, the Greek copies were grown into disuse : the priests used an imperfect Latin translation in the public offices of religion, and all translations into the vulgar tongue for the use of the common people were prohibited or discouraged. In the beginning of the sixteenth century. Cardinal Ximenes printed, at Alcala in Spain, a magnificent edition of the whole Bible in several languages. In this edition was contained a copy of the New Testament in Greek ; which was made from a collation of various manuscripts, which were then thought to be of great authority, but which are now known to have been of little value. This edition, which is commonly call- ed the Complutensiun Polyglot, from Complutinn, the Roman name for Alcala, was not licensed for publication till A. D. 1522, though it had been printed many years before. The manuscripts from wliich it was published are now irrecoverably lost, having been sold by the librarian to a rocket-maker about the year 1750 *. A. D. 1516, Erasmus, residing at Basle in Switzerland, for the pur- pose of superintending the publication of the works of Jerome, was employed by Froben the printer, to publish an edition of the Greek Testament, from a few manuscripts which he found in the vicinity of that city, all of which were modern and comparatively of little value. Erasmus was not allowed time sufficient to revise the publication with that attention and care, wliich the importance of the work required : he complains that the persons whom he employed to correct the press, sometimes altered the copy without his permission, and he acknowl- edges that his first edition was very incorrect. He published a fourth edition A. D. 1527, in which, to obviate the clamour of bigots, he intro- duced many alterations to make it agree with the edition of Cardinal Ximenes. A. D. 1550, Robert Stephens, a learned printer at Paris, published a splendid edition of the New Testament in Greek ; in which he availed himself of the Complutensian Polyglot, and likewise of the permission granted by the king of France to collate fifteen manuscripts in the Royal Library. Most of these manuscri])ts are to this day in the National or Imperial Library at Paris, and are found to contain only parts of the New Testament : and few of them are either of great antiquity or of much value. They were collated and the various readings noted by * See Br. Marsh's edition oFMifhaelis's Introduction to New Testament, vo). ii. p. 441. INTRODUCTION. ix Henry Stephens, the son of Robert, a youth about cig-hteen years of age. Tliis book, being splendidly printed, witli great professions of accuracy by the editor, was long supposed to be a correct and immac- ulate work : but upon closer inspection it has been discovered to abound witli errors. The text, excepting tlie Revelation, in which he follows the Com])lutensian edition, is almost wholly copied from the fifth edition of H^rasmus, vvitli very few and inconsiderable variations*. A. D. 1589, Theodore Beza, professor of theology at Geneva, and suc- cessor to John Calvin, published a critical edition of the Greek Testa- ment, in which he made use of Robert Stephens's own copy, witli many additional various readings from the manuscripts collated by Henry Stephens. Heza was also in possession of two most ancient and most valuable manuscripts ; one of wliich, containing the (iospels and the Acts in (ireek and Latin, he afterwards gave to tlie University of Cam- bridge : and the otiier, called the Clermont manuscript, which contain- ed the Epistles of Paul, was transferred to the Royal Library at Paris. Beza took but little pains, and exercised but little judgement, in the cor- rection of tlie text and tlie selection of the best readings. Nevertlieless the text of Beza being esteemed the most accurate of those which had been then published, was selected as the standard of the English ver- sion publislied by authority. Beza's text, Iiovvever, appears in fact to be notliing more, than a republication of Robert Stephens's with some trifling variations. A. D. 1624, an edition of the Greek Testament was published at Ley- den, at the oflice of tlie Elzevirs, wiio were the most eminent printers of the time. The editor who superintended tlie publication is unknown. This edition difiers very little from the text of Robert Stephens. A few variations are admitted from the edition of Beza, and a very few more upon some unknown authority ; but it does not appear that the editor was in possession of any manuscript. Tliis edition however, being ele- gantly printed, and the Elzevirs being in high reputation for correct- ness of typography, it was unaccountably taken for granted that it exhib- ited a pure and jierfect text. This, therefore, became the standard of all succeeding editions, from which few editors till very lately have pre- sumed to vary : and tiiis constitutes the " Received Text." * Robert Stephens was the person who divided the Kew Testament info verses. He p< r- formifl this task while he was upon ii juiinn-y (roni Lyons to Paris, in orJer to adapt it to a Greelv Concorchnce which he was then preparing: for the press. He plaiud the fipnns in the inarpinofhis pai^. I'he first edition, hi which the verses were prnted separate witli the number pn-fived to eacli, was the EnijI'^sh N< w Testaiiu nt, printed at G<:ii( va. A. D. l.'iS?. The division into chapters had been in:ulc in the thirteenth oontnr^- by Cardinal Hngn. to adapt the New Testament to a Latin Concordanre. •A X INTIIODUCTION. Tims it ai)pears, that the Received Text stands upon tlie autliority of the unknown editor of tlie Elzevir edition, who copied the text of Rob- ert Stephens, introducing- a few variations from that of Beza. The edi- tion of Beza was also taken fronn that of Robert Stephens, with a few trifling and sometimes even arbitrary alterations. But Robert Ste- phens's famous edition of A. D. 1550 is a close copy of the fifih edition of Erasmus, with some alterations in the book of Revelation from the Complutensian Polyglot, and the addition of a few various readings, col- lected by a youth of eighteen, from fifteen manuscripts of little value. And, finally, Erasmus's edition itself, which is the prototype of them all, was formed hastily and negligently from a few manuscripts of little authority, which accidentally came into his possession at Basle, where he was engaged by Froben in editing the works of Jerome, and where he had no further assistance, than what he could derive from the Vul- gate Version, and from inaccurate editions of some of the early eccle- siastical writers. From the few advantages which were possessed, and from the little care which was taken, by the early editors, it may justly be concluded, not only that the Received Text is not a perfect copy of the apostolic originals, but that it is still capable of very considerable improvement, by the same means, which are adopted by men of learning and sagacity, for correcting and restoring the text of other ancient writers*. SECTION IV. MEANS OF IMPROVING THE RECEIVED TEXT. ANCIENT MANU- SCRIPTS. VATICAN, ALEXANDRINE, CAMBRIDGE, CLERMONT, EPHREM. THE books of the New Testament, having been more highly valued, more generally circulated, more attentively studied, more accurately transcribed, and more frequently cited, than the works of any other ancient author, the Text is consequently less corrupted, and the means of correcting and restoring it are far more abimdant, than of any other work of equal antiquity. 1. The first and best source of materials for improving the Text is the collation of Ancient Manuscripts. The early editors of the New Testament possessed but few manu- scripts ; and those of inferior value. Those of the Complutensian edi- tors are destroyed, but they were not numerous, nor of great account. Erasmus consulted only five or six ; and R. Stephens fifteen. Beza * See Griesbach's Prolegomena, sec. 1. ; Dr. Marsli's Michaelis, vol. ii. chap. xii. see. 1. .Al IXTRODUCTFON. xi indeed possessed two of the most ancient and valuable manuscripts now extant, the Caml)ridge and the Clermont ; but he made very little use of them. So tliat the Received Text rests upon the autliority of no more than twenty or thirty manuscripts, most of which are of little note. But since the Received Text was completed by the Elzevir edition of 1624, iiji wards of Tliree Hundred Manuscripts, either of tlie whole or of diflerent parts of the New Testament, have been collated by learned men, with much care, industry, and skill. Of these manuscripts some are of far fyrcater antiquity and authority, than any of those upon which the ReccivetlText is founded ; Bcza's manuscripts only excepted. From these manuscripts a vast number of various readings have been extract- ed, by the assistance of which the Received Text has been greatly im- proved. Ancient manuscripts are foimd to consist of tliree distinct classes, or editions; the copies of each edition agreeing-, in the main, in the read- ings peculiar to it. The Jirst is the Alexandrine edition, which agrees with tlie citations of Clement and Origen in the second and tliird cen- tury. To this edition l)clong the Vatican, Ephrem, and some other val- uable manuscripts ; also the Coptic, Ethiopic, and other ancient ver- sions. The second is the Western edition. It agrees with the citations of Tertullian and C\-prian, with the Vatican copy of tlie Gospel of Mat- thew, also wifli the Saiiidic and old Italian ver.sions, and was in use in Africa and Italy, and in llie western provinces of the Roman empire. The third is the edition of Constantinople, and is supported by tiie Alex- andrine and many other manuscripts : it agrees with the citations of the ecclesiastical writers in OJreece and Asia Minor in the fourtli and fii'tli centuries, and it is the edition which most nearly coincides with the modern Received Text*. Ancient manuscripts are commonly written upon parchment. The most ancient are written in what are called uncial or square capital let- ters. In some copies the ink has been effaced, and the works of some later author have been written upon the same jjarchment ; but the form of the original letters stiH remains distinguishable even under the more modern writing. Very few manuscripts contain the whole New Testa- ment ; and the most ancient are often mutilated and imperfect, and usu- ally contain many corrections : but whether these corrections are im- provements or otherwise, cannot easily be ascertained. Those manuscripts which are most ancient, and of the highest repu- tation, are 1. The 'V'atican manuscript, which was formerly preserved at Rome in the Vatican Library, but is now removed to the imperial Ia- • GricslMich Pi-olejj. sec. iii. p. 72. xii INTRODUCTION. brary at Paris. The earliest date assigned to this manuscript is the third century ; the latest is the fifth or si.\th. It is written in large uncial letters, and originally contained the wliole of tlie Old and New Testament. Some of tlie last leaves are wanting. The ink in some places is faded, and the letters have been retouched by a skilful and faitliful hand. The various readings of this manuscript were published at the latter end of the last century, after a very careful collation by Professor Birch of Copenhagen ; and form an inestimable addition to the treasure of sacred criticism. 2. The Alexandrine Manuscript was presented by Cyril, patri- arch of Alexandria, and afterwards of Constantinople, to Charles the First, king of England, and is now deposited in the British Museum. A fac-simile of this manuscript was published by Dr. Woide, A. D. 1786. It was probably written in Egypt : it consists of four volumes, contain- ing both the Old Testament and the New, in the large uncial character. Dr. Woide conjectures that it was written in the latter end of the fourth century ; but some critics bring it down as low as the sixth. 3. The Cambridge manuscript, or Codex Bez^e, contains the four Gospels, and the Acts of the Apostles. It is written very fair, and in ihe large uncial letters. This manuscript yields in antiquity to none but the Vatican, and is supposed to liave been used as a public copy for reading in the church. Theodore Beza made some use of it for his edi- tion of the New Testament, and afterwards gave it to the University of Cambridge, where it is now deposited in the public library. A splen- did fac-simile of this manuscript was published A. D. 1796, under the auspices of the University, by Dr. Kipling. 4. Tlie Ci.ERMONT Manuscript contains the Epistles of Paul; the Epistle to tlie Hebrews is written by a later hand. Tliis manuscript also belonged to Beza, who professed to have received it from Cler- mont in Beauvaisis, and who made use of it in his edition of the Greek Testament. It is now deposited in the Imperial Library at Paris. It was long supposed to be a second volume of tlie Cambi'idge manuscript, but this is discovered tn be a mistake. It is written in tlie large uncial letters ; and is assigned by critics to the seventh century. 5. Tiie EpHREM manuscript is in the Imperial Library at Paris. It was written upon vellum in large and elegant characters, the ink of which was effaced with great care to make room for the works of Ephrem the Syrian, a writer of some note in the sixth century. The original characters are, however, in many places legible under the writ- ing of Ephrem's Works. This, which Griesbach calls a most ancient and excellent manuscript, lay for many years unnoticed, and was first discovered by Dr. Allix- in the beginning of the eighteenth century ; INTRODUCTION. xiil Since which time it has been repeatedly and accurately examined by the learned, and particularly by Wetstein. The Ephrem manuscript is ofhig-h antiquity, at least of the seventli century, and probably much earlier. It orig-inally contained the whole Old and New Testament, but many leaves are lost ; the rest are tacked together in great dis- order, and many passages are totally illegible. Besides these, about twenty other manuscripts, in large letters, of different portions of the New Testament, have been collated, and some hundreds in small characters, many of which are in high estimation. But those described above are of the higliest antiquity and repute, and are the only manuscripts explicitly referred to in the Notes of this Edition*. SECTION V. MEANS OF CORRECTING THE RECEIVED TEXT CONTINUED. ANCIENT VERSIONS. — ECCLESIASTICAL WRITERS.— CRITICAL CONJECTURE. 2. THE Received Text is corrected by the assistance of the ancient Versions. The christian religion having been rapidly propagated through all nations, the writings of tlie Apostles and Evangelists were soon trans- lated into different languages, and many of these versions are still extant. Every new version became an additional security to the text. It is not to be imagined, whatever might be the inclinations of some indi- viduals, or of particular churches, to corrupt the Scriptures, that all churches of all nations would agree in the same interpolations or omis- sions. Some of the countries where Christianity was professed were beyond the limits of the Roman empire : and it is not to be believed that the christians of these countries would suffer their versions to be altered, to conform to the peculiarities of the church of Rome. The general agreement, therefore, of the ancient versions with the Greek copies which are now extant, forms a very strong presumption in favour of the genuineness of the books of the New Testament. Nevertheless, as the Received Text is not perfectly correct, the ancient versions are often of singular use in discovering the true reading of a doubtful pas- sage. They are sometimes preferable even to manuscripts tliemselves ; for some of these versions were made from manuscripts, whicli were more ancient and more correct than any which are now extant. They • blank's Michatlis vol. ii. chap. Tiii.sec. 6; Gri«bn«h's Stiiibole Critica;. toI. 1. xiv INTRODUCTION. are not all of equal value, some being of greater antiquity, and more correctly translated than others. Some indeed ai-e not original ver- sions, but are merely translations of preceding versions. Of all the ancient versions, the Syriac is reckoned to be of the most remote antiquity and of the highest authority. Tliere arc two Syriac versions. The most ancient and valuable, called the Feshito, was brought into Europe A. D. 1552, and printed at Vienna at the expense of the Emperor Maximilian. It contains only those books which ac- cording to Eusebius were universally acknowledged ; togctlier with tlie Epistle of James : and it is in general use among tlie Syrian chris- tians of every sect. These ai-e strong presumptive evidences of its great antiquity. A later Syriac version, more literal, but less elegant, was made in the sixth century under tlie inspection of Philoxenus, bishop of Hierapolis, from whom it is called the Philoxenian Version. An edition of this was published at Oxford by Professor White, A. D. 1778. Two very ancient versions of the New Testament, of high reputa- tion, in the old Eg3^ptian language, for the use of the christians who abounded in Egypt, are still extant. One is called the Coptic, the other, the Sahidic. The former is the dialect of the Lower, the latter of the Upper Egypt. The Sahidic version has never yet been published. Two valuable manuscripts of it are in the British Museum, from which some curious readings were extracted by the late Dr. Woide, who conjec- tures that this version was made in the second century. The Coptic version is still read in the churches of Lower Eg}qit, thougli it is not understood. It is accompanied with an Arabic translation which is more intelligible to the hearers. The Ethioplc version is used in Abyssinia. It contains the whole of the New Testament, and is supposed to have been made in the fourth century. It agrees with the Alexandrine edition. This version was first published at Rome, A. D. 1548, by three Ethiopian editors. They had a vei-y imperfect copy of the book of the Acts ; the chasms of which, (that is, as they acknowledge, the greater part of the book,) they sup- plied by translating from the Greek and Latin into the Ethiopic. Sim- ilar liberties have probably been taken with other books, which greatly impairs the credit of the version ; of which, if a genuine copy could be obtained, the authority would be very high. Mr. Bruce the celebrated traveller brought over a copy of the Old Testament, but he could not succeed in procuring the New*. Many Arabic versions are extant, but it is believed that none of them is of greater antiquity than the seventh century. The Armenian version * Marsh'.* Michaelis, vol. ii. cliap. vi'i. sec. 17. INTRODUCTION. xv was made in the fifth century : it would be of great value if genuine copies could be procured, but those which we have are notoriously corrupted from the Latin. There are many Latin versions of the New Testament, some of which are of great antiquity, and some are full of barbarisms By order of pope Benedict XiV. A. D. 1749, a magnificent edition of four of these versions was published at Rome in four folio volumes. These are sometimes called the Italic versions, to distinguish them from the Vulgate. The Latin Vulgate version was made by Jerome in the fourth cen- tury, by order of po])e Damasus. Jerome was well qualified for the office by his abilities, learning, and industry : he performed it with great care, and completed his undertaking A. D. 384. This translation was very generally received and read in tiie Latin churches. The Coun- cil of Trent pronounced it to be authentic, and ordered it to be used wherever the Bible was publicly read, and in all disputations, sermons, and expositions. In jjursuance of an order of tliis council a pompous edition of the Vulg-ate was printed at Louvain A. D. 1573. Sixtus V. published a new edition A. D. 1590, which he declared to be the au- thentic Vulgate, and that it was to continue for ever : notwithstanding which Ills successor Clement Vlll. published another edition very dif- ferent from, and in some passages contradictory to, that of Sixtus : this he asserted to be the only authentic copy : — a difference of judge- ment, which exposed the pretensions of the popes to infallibility, to the sai'castic animadversions of the protestant writers. The protestant divines of the sixteenth century underrated the value of the Vulgate version, from opposition to the papists, who were too blindly attached to it. The truth is, that the Vulgate is found, in its most important various reaflings, to agree with the most approved manuscripts, and with the ancient versions of the best avithority : so that the character of this version has risen greatly in tlie estimation of modern critics*. 3. The Received Text is corrected, by comparing it with quotations from the New Testament, which occur in tlie works of the ancient ecclesiastical writers. These quotations are very numerous in the writings of the Fathers, from the second century downwards ; and are of the greatest use in rectifying the text of the New Testament. It ought, however, to be remembered, that these writers sometimes quoted from memory, and sometimes merely by way of accommoda- » See AlJcbitelu on N. T. with Mai-sh's Notes, Tol, ii. c, rii. xvi INTRODUCTION. tion ; in which cases they often quote loosely and inaccurately, and their citations are of little use. These citations therefore are of the greatest value, when they profess to quote from manuscripts which lie before them, and especially if they criticize or comment upon the text itself. And in disputed passages this is sometimes the only criterion, by which we can judge how the text was read by the author who cites it. For the editors of the works of the Fathers have sometimes taken the lib- erty to alter the reading of the author whose works they publish, to malce it correspond with the Received Text. Thus, in the works of Gregory Nyssen, the printed text reads 1 Tim. iii. 16. " God manifest in the flesh :" whereas it is evident from his comment, that the word God was not in his copy ; nor is it found in any ecclesiastical writer till the sixth century*. With these limitations, quotations from the New Testament, which occur in the works of ancient ecclesiastical writers, are of the highest value and authority : for they quoted from manuscripts of more remote antiquity than any which are now extant : so that their authority in i'avour of a various reading is sometimes paramount to every other. The ecclesiastical writers sometimes cite as scripture, texts, which are not to be found in any manuscript or version now extant. On the other hand, their silence with respect to some disputed texts is a de- monstration that such texts were not in tlieir copies. That 1 Tim. iii. 16. " God manifest in the flesh," and 1 John v. 7. " There are three that bear record in heaven," &c. were never cited by any ecclesiastical writer before the fifth or the sixth century, notwithstanding the velie- mence with which the Arian controversy was conducted, is a full proof that these texts were not to be found in any manuscripts then existing, and therefore that they are certainly spurious. The works of those writers who are called heretics, such as Valen- tinian, Marcion, and others, are as useful in ascertaining the value of a reading as those of the fathers who are entitled orthodox : for the here- tics were often more learned and acute, and equally honest. Citations from scripture even in the works of the ancient enemies of Christianity, such as Celsus and Porphyry, also have their use. They show what was the common reading in their timef. 4. Attempts have been made to correct the Received Text by Criti- cal Conjecture. This is a remedy which ought never to be applied but with the ut- most caution ; especially as we are furnished with so many helps for correcting the text from manuscripts, versions, and ecclesiastical wri- ters. This caution is doubly necessary where the proposed emendation * Dr. Clarke on the Trinity, p. 76. t Muhailis, ibid. cli. ix. INTRODUCTION. xvji affects a text which is of great importance in tlieologlcal controversy ; as the judgement of the critic will naturally be biassed in favour of his own opinions. It oiiglit perhaps to be laid down as a general rule, that the Received Text is in no case to be idtered by critical, or at least by tlieological conjecture, how ingenious and plausible soever. Nevertlieless, there is no reason why critical conjecture should be entirely excluded from the New Testament, any more than from the works of any other ancient author ; and some very plausible conjec- tures, of no inconsiderable importance, have been suggested by men of great learning and sagacity, whicli, to say the least, merit very atten- tive consideration. See particularly John i. 1 ; vi. 4 ; and Romans ix. 5.* SECTION VI. CRITICAL EDITIONS OF THE CREEK TESTAMENT. — MILL, KUS- TER, BENGEL, WETSTEIN, MATTHAl, ALTER, BIRCH, GRIES- BACU. AFTER the publication of the beautiful Elzevir edition of the New- Testament in 1624, the learned world appeared to remain satisfied with the Received Text, as if it were absolutely perfect and incapable of improvement, till the commencement of the eigliteenth century, when the text of the New Testament again became the object of diligent and accurate revision. 1. The first thing which roused the attention of the learned to this interesting inquiry, was the appearance of the celebrated edition of Dr. John Mill, which was published at Oxford, A. D. 1707. It was the fruit of thirty years' laborious application ; and the author survived the publication but fourteen dajs. He was encouraged and assisted in the work by Dr. John Fell, Bisliop of Oxford. He took as his text the third edition of Stepliens ; and from ancient manuscripts, versions, and quotations, he has collected about thirty thousand various readings, which he has printed under the text. His collations are made with gi-eat diligence, sagacity, and fidelity. In his Prolegomena he intro- duces a description of the Canon of the New Testament, a history of the text, and an account of his own undertaking. He was the first writer who gave an accurate and clear account of the manuscripts and other autliorities which he used. He made no alteration in tlie text ; but his opinion on particular readings is contained in his Notes and Prolegomena. Michaelis says, tliat with Mill's edition commences {he t Marsh's Michaelis, ibid. ch. x. xyiii IXTRODUCTIOK. iTiaiihood of criticism, with respect to the New Testament ; and tliat this work is absohitely necessary to every critic*. 2. Ludolphus Kuster, A. D. 1710, published at Rotterdam a new and correct edition of Mill's Greek Testament ; enriched witli various readings from twelve manuscripts not collated by Mill, some of whicli were of considerable antiquity and value f . 3. John Albert Bengel published a critical edition of the Greek Tes- tament at Tubing-en, A. D. 1734. He was a man of great ability and learning, and of high character for integrity and piety. He made considerable improvements in the Received Text ; but, that he might not be charged with arbitrary innovation, he made it a rule to introduce no alteration whfch had not been sanctioned by some printed edition, excepting In the Apocalypse. Select various readings he placed at the bottom of the page ; distinguishing their various gradations of authority by the five first letters of the Greek alphabet — («) expressing- that the reading was, In his estimation, genuine, (/3) probable, (y) uncertain, ((5*) improbable, and (^A certainly spurious, tliough by some critics approved. The excellence of Bengel's character, and the orthodox^ of his sentiments, brought biblical criticism into repute among the German theologians. Bengel's various readings are chiefly taken from Mill, with the addition, however, of some valuable ones of his own, collected from manuscripts and other authorities. His " Introductio In Crisin" contains a clear, concise and correct account of manuscripts and edi- tions, together with some excellent critical rules +. 4. The celebrated edition of John James Wetstein was published at Amsterdam in two volumes folio, A. D. 1751, 1752. Of this edition Michaelis says, that " it Is of all editions of the Greek Testament the most important, and the most necessary for those who are engaged in sacred criticism." And his learned and acute translator and annotator. Dr. Herbert Marsh, speaks of it as " a kind of standard in sacred crit- icism ff." It was the original intention of Wetstein to have printed his text from the Alexandrian manuscript ; but the high estimation in which he at first held this manuscript being abated, he abandoned this design. He afterwards proposed to have published a new and improved.text ; but being dissuaded by his friends, lest it should excite the clamour of l)lgots, he at last determined to adhere to the Received Text, that is, to the Elzevir edition of 1624. Immediately below his text he has placed those readings which he regards as genuine, and which in his judgement ought to be introduced * See Mill's Pi-oU-G;omena. Mavsli's Michaelis, c. xii. sec. 1. t Kuster's Pi-a-f. Marsls's Micliaclis. ibid. i Btiigclii Appai-atiis Criticus. IMai-sh's Michaelis, vol. ii. c. Jili. SCC. 1. p. 46-1. •H" MicliUL-lis, ibid. p. 470. Marsh's Notes, p. 859. ■M\>.«A IXTRODUCTIOM. xlx into the text. Below these arc arranged liis collection of various read- ings with their respective autliorities. In tiiis respect, it is allowed tiiat he has done more than all liis predecessors together. He lias collected most of the readings which had been publislied before, and lias correct- ed many of tlie errors of Mill. To these he li.is added a great number of original readings from manuscripts and versions, collated cither by himself or by his friends. Me was the first who collated the Philoxenian Syriac version from the manuscript at Oxford, and he examined with the most persevering assiduity the Ephrem manuscript in tlie Imperial Library at Paris. He has also introduced into his various readings the critical conjectures of others, but has added none of his own. Some inaccuracies have been detected in these collations, whicii in a work of such great extent it was impossible to avoid. But upon tlie whole Wetstein is entitled to the character of a laborious, sagacious, and faithful critic. A. D. 1763, an edition of the Greek Testament in quarto was published in London by Bowyer, tlie learned printer, in wiiicli tliose alterations are introduced into tlie text, which were proposed by Wetstein as the true readings. Underneath the various readings in Wetstein's edition are printed his notes. Tliese are numerous and invaluable. They are philological, critical, and explanatory. They contain a great number of parallel passages from the classics, and of quotations from the Talmudists, which tend to elucidate the idioms of the language or the customs of the Jews. They are accompanied witli many judicious observations, and supply an inexhaustible fund of tlieological and critical information. It is computed that the quotations in Wcistein's volumes amount to upwards of a million. The Prolegomena are prefixed to the first volume. They are learned, copious, and judicious ; but they are deficient in urbanity, and discovei' too much of an angry and contemptuous spirit towards his opponents. He first gives an interesting account of ancient manuscripts in general, and of the condition in which they are commonly fiiund. After which he proceeds to describe briefly, but correctly, the manuscripts, which have been collated to correct the text of the New Testament, distin- guishing those which are written in uncial or capital letters, by the great letters of the alphabet, viz. A. for tlie Alcx.andrine, J!, for tlic Vatican manuscri)it, &.c. and marking the manuscripts whicli are in small letters by numeral characters. He then gives some accoinit of ancient versions, and of the ecclesiastical writers, of whose quotations from the New Testament critics have availed themselves. After which follows a detailed description of former editions of the New 'i'cstament ; and tlic whole concludes with an account of his own undertaking, and IJ^^ ^ XX. INTRODUCTION. a defence of his character. These Prolegomena have been republished by Dr. Semler in an octavo volume, augmented with Notes by the learned editor. 5. Between A. D. 1782 and A. D. 1788, Christian Frederic Matthai, formerly professor in Moscow, and afterwards in Wittenburg in Sax- ony, published an edition of tlie Greek Testament in twelve volumes octavo, with various readings from Moscow manuscripts, which had not been before collated : to which he has added critical remarks, and a copy of the Vulgate from a Demidovian manuscript. Some of these manuscripts ai'e of considerable antiquity ; they have been collated ■with great care, and contain some curious and important various read- ings *. 6. A. D. 1786-1787, Professor Alter of Vienna published a critical edition of the Greek Testament in two volumes octavo. The text of this edition is the Vienna manuscript, which is preserved in the Impe- rial Library : it contains the whole of the Old and New Testament, and is a manuscript of considerable reputation, though it is suspected of having been altered from the Latin copies. AVhere the text of this manuscript is evidently erroneous, the professor has corrected it from Stephens's edition of 1546. And four chasms in the Book of Revelations he has supplied from another manuscript. He has collated this with others in the Imperial Library, and has noted their various readings, together with those of the Coptic, Slavonian, and Latin versions f. 7. A. D. 1788, Professor Birch, of Copenhagen, published a splendid edition of the four Gospels, in Greek, in folio and quarto. The text of this edition is taken from the third of R. Stephens, A. D. 1550, and the various readings were collected from a considerable number of manu- scripts in France, Italy, Spain, and Germany, by Professors Birch, Adler, and Moldenhawer ; who travelled for this purpose at the expense of the king of Denmark. It is a truly magnificent work, and of the high- est importance to Scripture criticism. Its chief value consists in the copious extracts, which it contains, from the celebrated Vatican manu- script, which had never before been thoroughly examined, but which was now completely and very carefully collated by Professor Birch him- self Its value is likewise enhanced by many extracts from an ancient version, discovered by Professor Adler in the Vatican Library, to which he gives the name of the Jerusalem-Syriac, and the readings of which re- markably coincide with those of the Cambridge manuscript. The Vati- can copy of this version is dated in the eleventh century, but the version itself is computed to have been made not earlier than the fourth, nor later than the sixth century. The second volume of this princely edi- • Mai-sh's Michaelis, ibid. p. 493. t Marsh's Michaelis, vol. ii. not. p. 871. IXTRODUCTIOX. xxi lion, wliich was expected to appear soon after the publication of the first, was prevented by a dreadful fire at Copenhagen *, which put a stop to the work. But in the year 1798 Professor Birch published liis collection of various reading's in a separate volume without the text|. 8. The first edition of the Greek Testament by Dr. John James Gries- bach, in two volumes octavo, was published A. D. 1775 and 1777- Tlic second edition, very much enlai'ged and improved, appeared A. D. 1796 :uid 1806. This is an edition of unrivalled excellence and importance, the publi- cation of which will constitute a memorable xra in the history of Scrip- ture criticism. In the construction of tliis admirable work tlie learned editor had two objects in view. The first was to exhibit to the public a text of the Greek Testament, as correct, and as nearly approximating to its original puritj-, as it could be made by the assistance of tliat im- mense quantity of critical materials, which had been accumulating dur- ing the last century. And, secondly, to compress a great mass of criti- cal information into as narrow a compass as possible, in order to bring it witliin the reach of those, who could not afford either the time, the labour, or the expense, which would be necessary to collect it from those numerous and expensive volumes in which it was diffused. As the basis of his own edition. Dr. Griesbach has selected the Elze- vir text, 1624, every, the most minute, variation from wliich he care- fully noles. No alteration is admitted which is not fully warranted by the established laws of just and rational criticism. All conjectural emendations are excluded from the Text, though a few, by way of spe- cimen, are admitted into the Notes. If any of the words of the Received Text are omitted or changed, these words are inserted in a large type, in what he calls his inner margin, which in the printed page is immedi- ately below the text ; and the authorities for e%ery alteration are inserted in the. collection of various readings at the bottom of the page. Wiiere new words are introduced into the text, they are printed in a smaller tjTie : and to some passages, whicli arc not expunged from the text, he has prefixed marks expressive of their doubtful authenticity. Manv various readings, which, though probable in themselves, the learned author has not tliought fit to introduce into the text, he has inserted in his inner margin, with signs prefixed to denote their greater or less de- grees of probability. And he has noted wltli asterisks those passages in the text, in which a variation in the punctuation produces a consid- * Vortim ingeiui illo inccndio Hamicnsi, iloctis^inio ctiain Bireliio funcsto, impetliliis ftiit vir optimvis, ne opin afTectimi prrficin-t. Griisb;uli, vol. 2. Pr^f. Hie Pi-orc?sor protiably nlludt-s to the biiminc; ilowii of flu' rojal palaco or Copenlia^i'n, A. D. 1794. t Marsli's Midiatlis. ibid, not, p, S73, and Gritsbacli"'' Prsfat, ubi supra. xxii INTRODUCTION. crable change in the sense. After all, he does not presume to affirm tliat he has exhibited a perfect text ; he only professes to have made the best use in his power of the materials in his possession, for cor- recting' and improving the Received Text ; fairly stating the grounds of his own decisions, and leaving others to form tlieir own opinion. The various readings, and the authorities by which they are support- ed, are placed below the inner margin. They are collected from nearly four hundred manuscripts, besides ancient versions and ecclesi- astical writers. In the selection of these readings Dr. Griesbach has made use of the collections of all his learned predecessors, to which he has added a very considerable number extracted by himself from many of tlie most ancient manuscripts and versions, and from the early ecclesiastical writers, and particularly from the works of Origen. In his second edition he has greatly enlarged and improved his collection of readings and authorities from the valuable publications of Alter and Matthai, but especially from the splendid edition of Birch. The learned editor does not form his judgement of the probabihty of a read- ing", solely from the number, or even from the antiquity of manuscripts by which it is supported ; but he also takes into consideration the edition or fmnily to which a manuscript belongs, — a circumstance which is of indispensable necessity to a right decision of the question. The readings, exhibited by Griesbach, are avowedly a selection of those only which are of the greatest importance. But he has omitted none wliich could be of use either to ascertain the true reading, or to illustrate the sense or the phraseology of the sacred writer, or to settle the affinity of the manuscript. He adopts Wetstein's plan of distin- guishing uncial manuscripts by g-reat letters, and the rest by numeral characters ; and to save room, where a reading is supported by a great number of copies, he specifies particularly only a few of the principal, to which he annexes the total number of the remaining au- tliorities. By these methods, he has contrived to compress within the limits of two octavo volumes as much critical information as is often contained in as many folios. Griesbach's edition, however, though it contains in a narrow compass a vast body of useful instruction, does not entirely supersede the labours of former editors, and particularly of Wetstein, whose learned and incomparable Notes still retain all tlieir original value. To the first volume are prefixed the Prolegomena, in which the learned editor gives a clear and succinct history of the origin of the Received Text, and ably justifies the exertions of himself and others to correct and improve it ; justly alledging, tliat neither tlie Complu- tensian editors, nor Erasmus^ nor Robei't Stephens, nor Theodore INTRODUCTION. xxiii Beza, nor the unknown editor of the Elzevir edition, made any pre- tensions to inspiration or infallibility, and that modern editors enjoy advantages for correcting the text far beyond the reach of the original publishers. He then states at large tlie design which he had in view in his edition of the Greek Testament : viz. to exhibit an improved text accompanied with a copious selection of various readings, con- densed into as narrow a compass as could be done consistently with perspicuity, in order to furnish a manual for critical students of the sacred writings. He next lays down the rules to wliich critics by long experience have leai'ned to adhere, in forming a judgement concern- ing the probability or improbability of a various reading ; and here he introduces a brief, but perspicuous and curious account of the dis- tinction of ancient manuscripts into different editions, classes, and families, according to their affinity with the copies which were in use at Alexandria, at Constantinople, or in the West of Europe ; a careful attention to which distinction is an essential qualification in a Scripture critic. The learned Professor then proceeds to describe the metliod which he has pursued in compiling his edition of the Greek Testa- ment, to which he adds the particulars in wliich the second edition differs from, and excels the first, which was published twenty years before ; and that not merely by an improved arrangement, but chief- ly by a very considerable addition of important various readings from the celebrated Vatican, Vienna, and Moscow manuscripts, the Saliidic, the Jerusalem-Syriac, the Coptic, the Slavonic, and the old Latin versions, and likewise from tlie works of the Fathers, and pai"- ticularly of Orlgen, for which he is indebted to the learned labours of Alter, Matthai, Birch, Adler, Sabatier, Blanchinl, Dobrowski, and others, together with his own renewed and indefatigable attention to the subject. In consequence of which, he has been enabled to correct tlie errors of the former edition, to amend the text, and to enrich the notes. He concludes with a distinct enumeration of manuscripts and versions, accompanied with brief remarks. Li his preface tlie learned editor expresses his gratitude to his Grace the Duke of Grafton, for his liberal patronage of the work. This is one of the numerous obli- gations, under which sacred Uterature has been laid to the munificence of that illustrious nobleman ; and for which he is entitled to the cordial acknowledgements of every lover pf truth and enlightened friend of the Christian Religion. xxiv INTRODUCTION. SECTION VII. GREAT NLMBEU OF VARIOUS RE ADINGS.— INFERENCES.— PRO- PRIETY OF EDITING A CORRECT TEXT. GRIESBACH. NEW- COME. — THE PRESENT VERSION. CONCLUSION. THE number of various readings collected by Dr. Mill is computed at thirty tiiousand. And it is reasonable to believe that since the pub- lication of his celebrated edition, a hundred thousand at least have been added to the list, by the indefatigable industry of those learned critics who have succeeded to his labours, and by the great extention of the field of their operations, in consequence of the additional num- ber of manuscripts and versions, wliicli have been since discovered and collated. These various readings, though very numerous, do not in any degree aifcct the general credit and integrity of tlie text : the general uni- formity of wiiicli, in so many copies, scattered through almost all countries in the known world, and in so great a variety of languages, is truly astonishing, and demonstrates both the veneration in which the Scriptures were held, and the great care which was taken in transcribing them. Of the hundred and thirty thousand various read- ings which have been discovered by the sagacity and diligence of collators, not one tenth, nor one hundredth part, make any perceptible, or at least any material variation in the sense. This will appear credi- ble if we consider that every, the minutest deviation, from the Received Text has been carefully noted, so that the insertion or omission of an article, the substitution of a word for its equivalent, the transposition of a word or two in a sentence, and even variations in orthography, have been added to the catalogue of various readings. In those variations, which in some measure affect the sense, the true reading often shines forth with a lustre of evidence which is per- fectly satisfactory to the judicious inquirer. In other cases, where the true reading cannot be exactly ascertained, it is of little or no con- sequence which of the readings is adopted, c. g. whether we read " Pavd the servant^" or " Paul the prisoner" of Jesus Christ, Phllem. ver. 1. Also, where the various readings are of considerable impor- tance, consisting, for example, in the omission or addition of sentences or paragraphs, the authenticity of the rest of the book remains w-hoUy unaffected, whatever decision may be passed upon the passages in question. Thus the genuineness of the gospel of John continues vmimpeached, whatever may become of the account of the pool of Bethcsda, or of the narrative of the woman taken in adultery. INTRODUCTION. xxv The various readings which affect the doctrines of Christianity arc very few : yet some of these are of great importance ; viz. Acts xx. 28 ; 1 Tim. iii. i6 ; 1 John v. 7. Of those passages which can be .justly re- garded as viilful interpolations, the number is very small indeed : and of these, the last-mentioned text, I John v. 7. is by far the most notori- ous, and most universally acknowledged and reprobated. Upon the whole, we may remark, that the number and antiquity of the manuscripts which contain the whole or different parts of the New Testament, the variety of ancient versions, and the multitude of quota- tions from these sacred books in the early christian writers, from the second century downwards, constitute a body of evidence in favour of the genuineness and authenticity of tiie Christian Scriptures, far beyond that of any other book of equal antiquity. Nevertheless, the immense number of various readings in the text ol" the New Testament, many of wliich cannot be satisfactorily settled by tiie most unwearied assiduity or the acutest sagacity of critical investi- gation, demonstrates, that no superstitior.s regard is due to the mere language of the Received Text, which, like the works of other ancient authors, is open to rational and liberal criticism. Ignorant and injudi- cious persons are sometimes apprehensive that men's regard to the christian religion will be impaired, and their veneration for the Scrip- tures diminished, if the infallibility of the Received Text is called in question. But intelligent and well-informed readers are apprised, that the great practical truths of the christian religion do not rest upon ver- bal niceties, but consist in obvious conclusions from notorious and well- established facts. The apostolic summary of the christian faith is, " that God will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained, whereof lie hath given assurance to all men in that he hath raised him from the dead." This doctrine beams forth with unclouded splendour from every page of the New Testament, whatever becomes of the correctness and accuracy of the Received Text. And whether greater respect be shewn to the writers of the Christian Scrip- tures and to their works, by adopting, as infallible, the imperfect edi- tions of Erasmus and Stephens, of Beza and Elzevir, than by endea- vouring to approximate as nearly as possible to tiie apostolic originals, by a sober and judicious use of the ample materials, which the labours of the learned have supplied for the purpose of rational criticism, let candour and good sense determine. In some few instances the altera- tion of the Received Text is indispensably requisite, in order to correct the erroneous impression conveyed by a false reading : and in all cases a change is desirable, where the proposed alteration is suj)ported b)' cQnipet(jnt evidence. If it be justly regarded as a iisefid and an hon- xxvi INTRODUCTION. Durable office to publish a correct edition of the works of a classical author, it cannot siu-ely be reckoned less important, or less honoura- ble, to exhibit tiie text of the sacred writings in a form as nearly as possible approaching to the original standard. Upon these principles Professor Griesbach undertook, and notwith- standing tlie loud clamours and malignant opposition of many, he persevered in, and completed, his great work of publishing a corrected Text of the New Testament, with the various readings and authorities subjoined, for which he is entitled to the warmest thanks of the whole Ciiristian world. Upon the same principles, the late Dr. Newcome, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland, printed, what he modestly calls, " An Attempt toward revising our English Translation of the Greek Scriptures," in which he professes generally to follow the text of Griesbach : the publication of winch was, however, deferred till after the decease of tiiat venerable and learned prelate, in deference, as it has been rumoured, to the opinions of some persons high in au- thority and rank, who were fearfid of disturbing vulgar prejudices. It is upon the same principles that the present Improved Version offers itself to the public, with the additional advantage of the corrections .ind improvements of Dr. Grlesbach's Second Edition. To prevent, however, undue expectations, it is proper to state, that the alterations of the text in the learned Professor's second edition are comparatively very few ; much fewer, as he observes, than he had himself expected, from tlie great additional treasure of critical materials with which he was supplied. But he adds, that the experience of twenty years had only confirmed him in his adherence to those rules of criticism, by wlilch his judgement had been originally guided : and that the best autliorities which had occurred to him, since the publication of his first edition, had confirmed the testimony of those witnesses upon which he had from the beginning chiefly relied. To conclude, Tlie editors of the present work offer it to the public as exhibiting to the Eng-lish reader a text not indeed absolutely perfect, but approaching as nearly to the apostolical and evangelical originals, as the present state of sacred criticism will admit : neither do they hold It up as a faultless translation, but merely as an Improved Ver- sion, still no doubt susceptible of far greater Improvement, which they will rejoice to see undertaken and accomplished by abler hands. In the mean time, having to the best of their ability completed their pro- fessed design, they commend this volume, which is the result of their labours, to the candour of their readers and to the blessing of Al- mighty God : OTI EH AYTOY, KAI Al' ATTOY, KAI EIS ATTON TA nANTA, ATTO H AOEA EIS TOTS AIONAS. AMHN. INTRODUCTION. XXVI I APPENDIX. Dr. Lardner's Plan of the Times and Places of writing the Four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. Suj[ijile7ncnt to The Credibility^ isfc. vol. i. page iv. Gospels. Places. A.JJ. St. Matthew's. Judea, or near it. About 64 St. Mark's. Rome. 64 St. Luke's. Greece. 63 or 64 St. John's. Ephesus. 68 The Acts of the Apostles. Greece. 63 or 64 A Table of St. Paul's Epistles in the Order of Time ; with the Places where, and the Times when, they were writ- ten. From Lardner's Suji/ilement to The Credibilitii., iJfc. vol. ii. Jiage iv. Epistles. Places. A.n. 1 Thessalonlans. Corinth. 52 2 Thessalonlans. Corinth. 52 Galatjans. Corinth or Ephesus. Near the end of 52 or the beginning' of 5o 1 Corinthians. Ephesus. The beginning- of 56 1 Timothy. Macedonia. 56 Titus. Macedonia, or near it. Before the end of 56 2 Corinthians. Macedonia. About October 57 Romans. Corinth. About February 58 Ephesians. Rome. About April 61 2 Timotliy. Rome. About May 61 Philippians. Rome. Before the end of 62 Colossians. Rome. Before the end of 62 Philemon. Rome. Before the end of 62 Hebrews. Rome or Ital\-. In the spring of 60 XXVlli INTRODUCTION. A Table of the Seven Catholic Epistles, and the Revelation j with the Places where, and the Times when, they were written. From Lardner's Supjilement to The Credibility., isfc. vol. iii. page iv. Epistles, &c. Places. A.B. Tlie Eplstleof St. J.imes. Judea. 61, or the beginning of 62 The two Epistles of St. Peter. Rome. 64 St. John's first Epistle. Ephesus. About 80 His second and third Epistles. Ephesus. Between 80 and 90 The Epistle of St. Jude. Unknown. 64 or 65 The Revelation of St. John. Patmos or Ephesus. 95 or 96 A Scheme of the Times, Places, and Occasions of writing the Gospels. Subjoined to page 114 of Dr. Henry Owen^s Observations on the Four Gospels. London. T. Payne. 1764. Gospels. St. Matthew's. St. Luke's. St. Mark's. Places. Jerusalem. For the use of the Jewish converts. Corinth. For the use of the Gentile converts. Rome. For the use of Christians at large. St. John's. Ephesus. To confute the Corinthian and other heresies. A. D. About 38 About 5o About 63 About 69 Dr. Townson's Opinion concerning the Evangelists. From his Discourses on the Four Gospels. Ato. Oxford. 1778. That St. Matthew was tlie first writer of a Gospel ; that he com- posed it early for the instruction of the Jewish people, and published it in Judea ; and that he was not only anterior to St. Mark and St. liuke, but wrote several years before either of them. Pages Q3. 101. INTRODUCTION. xxi» Tliat St. Mark was the second Evangelist ; that his Gospel was re- vised or even dictated by St. Peter ; tliat it was compiled for a mixt society of Jewisli and Gentile converts, and according lo all appear- ;inces published at Rome or in Italy : and that it was published about the end of the year 56 or of 60. Pages 23. 168. That tlie next Evangelist, St. Luke, wrote with a more peculiar view to tlie converted Gentiles, and, as it seems likely, in Achaia. Page 24. That St. John had seen the three former Gospels, and bore testimo- ny to the truth of them ; and wrote his own, probably after the destruction of Jerusalem, in Asia Minor. Page 2^. THE MOST USEFUL EDITIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. I 1. Mill. Fol. Oxon. 1707. 2. Kuster's edition of Mill. Fol. 1710. Roterod. 3. Bengelius. 4to. Tubingse. 1734. 4. Wetstein. 2 vol. Fol. Amsterd. 1752. 5. Griesbach. 8vo. vol. 1. Halx. 1796. Vol. 2. Halx. 1806, with his Symbolx Critics. 6. Alter. 2 vol. 8vo. Viennse. 1787. 7. Matthxi. 12 vol. 8vo. Rigx. 1788. 8. Birch. Quatuor Evangelia. 4to. Havnix. 1788. 9. Griesbach. 8vo. Cum selecta lectionum varietate. Cantabrigiae, Nov-Anglorum, 1809. •REEK CONCORDANCES TO THE NEW TESTAMENT. 1. Rob Stephens. Fol. 1599. 2. Schmidius. Fol. Gothx. et Lipsiac. 1717, which is the most useful 3. Dr. Jolm Williams. 4to. Lond. 1767. USEFUL LEXICONS FOR THE NEW TESTAMENT. 1. Suicer. Thesaurus Ecclesiasticus. Amst. 1728. 2 vol. Fol, 2. Mintert. 4to. Francofurti. 1728. 3. Parkhurst. Greek and English. 4to London. 4. Schleusner. Nov: Lexicon in N. T. 6vo. 2 Tom : 1801 XXX INTRODUCTION. EXPLANATION of MARKS and ABBREVIATIONS. The words which, in the judgement of Griesbach, should probably, though not certainly, be expunged, are includdtl in brackets. R. T. signifies the received text : viz. that of the Elzevir edition 1624. N. t. the text of archbishop Newcome. N. m. the reading of the Primate's margin. W. Mr. Wakefield's translation. S. Professor Symonds's Observations on the Expediency of revising the present Version. CONTENTS. Matthew page 1 Mark 74 Luke 120 John 200 Acts 266 Romans 343 1 Corinthians 375 2 Corinthians 406 Galatians 427 Ephesians 439 Philippians 452 colossians 461 1 Thessalonians . . . 469 2 Thessalonians . . . 476 1 Timothy 480 2 Timothy 490 Titus 497 Philemon 501 Hebrews 503 James 532 1 Peter 540 2 Peter 549 1 John 556 2 John . .' 565 3 John 567 Jude 569 Revelation 573 A Table of the Books of the iVew Testament, as they are divided l>v Eusebitis into those, the Authenticity of which had never been called in question, and those, whose Genuineness had been disputed by the early Christian Writers^ Euseb. Hist. Eccl lib. iii. UNDISPUTED BOOKS. Matthew. Romans. Philippians. 2 Timothy. Mark. 1 Corinthians. Colossians. Titus. Luke. 2 Corinthians. 1 Thessalonians. Philemon. John. Galatians. 2 Thessalonians. 1 Peter. Acts. Ephesians. 1 Timothy. 1 John. CONTENTS. DISPUTED BOOKS ; C6ncerning' which Dr. Lardner says, " that they should be allowed to be publicly read in Christian Assemblies, for the Edification of the People, but not be alleged as affording alone sufficient Proof of any Doctrine." Lardner's Hist, of Apostles and Evang. -vol. i. p. oQ. Epistle to the Hebrews. 3 Johk. Epistle of James. Jude. 2 Peter. Revelatiok. 2 John. ST. MATTHEW. CHAP. I. 1 A TABLE of th'e birth of Jesus Christ, the son of Da- viD, the son of Abraham*. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob ; and 3 Jacob begat Judah and his brethren ; and Judah begat Phares and Zara, by Tamar ; and Phares begat Hezron ; 4 and Hezron begat Aram ; and Aram begat Aminudab ; and Aminadab begat Naashon ; and Naashon begat Sal- 5 mon ; and Salmon begat Boaz, by' Rahab ; and Boaz 6 begat Obed, by Ruth ; and Obed begat Jesse ; and Jesse begat king David ; and king David begat Solomon, by 7 her that had been the wife of Uriah ; and Solomon begat Rehoboam ; and Rehoboam begat Abijah ; and Abijah 8 begat Asa ; and Asa begat Jehoshaphat ; and Jehoshaphat begat Jehoram ; and Jehoram bei^-at Ahaziah ; and jiha- ziah begat Joa.sh ; and Joaah begat Amaziah ; and Ama- 9 ziah begat Uzziah ; and Uzziah begat Jotham ; and Jo- * Kpiplianiiis says, that Ccrinlluis and Cai-pocr.it^s, \\lio used the Rospc I of (hi; Kbionit;<, which was protKil)ly thi' ori'^iial po<|Ml iiP MatthLW, writleii in the- Hi-bivw langitigi- liir thi- use of tin- J'wisli lK'rKvois,:;rtjut-d li-oin the ^nealoin' at thi btfjinnin;? <>r thegoipi'l, that Chi-ist was the son of .Joseph and Maiy; but that the Ebiunites had Wken away even the fji'iii-alo^-, bif^inr.iii,^ their gfospi I with lluse woitls : '-And it tame to pass in the days of H.-rod the kinir, etc. See Ep-ph. Ha!res. 30. N. 13. Jones on the Canon, vol. i. pt. 2. ch. 25. It is pi-obable, thcrefori', that the fii-st six- teen vei-ses of this chapter are genuine : and tliat ibi y wnv found at l^ast in the copies of Cerlnthiis and C'avpocrates. .\*\\, ind,Afl, it can hardly be snppo>ed iliat an autlior writin« in llitaj)lis instructed that he was not to exert his miracidous powers for his own per- sonal advantage or aggi-.»ndizcmcnt, but solely in sid)servience to the great design of his mission and ministry. See Farmer on Christ's Temi)tation. Some have thought that the account of the temptation is a figurative description of the train of thoughts which passed through the mind of Jesus. See Cnppc's Dissert.itions. The introduction of the devil into this sc