A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament, Vol. I.Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose
Religion
A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament, Vol. I.
Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose
Bible. New Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
We have already intimated that Tischendorf has chosen to make no addition
to the numerical list of cursive manuscripts furnished by Scholz,
preferring to indicate the fresh materials which have since come to light
by another notation, derived from the names of the collators or the places
where they are deposited. As this plan has proved in practice very
inconvenient, it is no wonder that Dean Burgon, after casting away
Scholz’s numbers from 450 to 469, on account of their evident inaccuracy,
which has since then received definite proof, should have assigned
numerals to the cursives unknown to Scholz from 450 to 737, still
excluding, as far as was then possible, those whose location or character
was uncertain. Burgon’s method, as laid down in his Letters in the
_Guardian_ for July 5, 12, 19, 26, 1882, having the priority of
publication, and being arranged with regard to the places where the
manuscripts are deposited rather than to their actual collators, may as
well be adopted as any other that might be made. The only important point
to be secured is that all scholars should employ the SAME NUMBERS when
speaking of the SAME MANUSCRIPTS.
It is greatly to be regretted that Dr. C. R. Gregory, even upon advice
tendered by other critics, if such was the case, should have neglected the
important principle laid down in the preceding sentence, and in Part II of
his very valuable Prolegomena to Tischendorf’s eighth edition, published
seven years after the third edition of this work, should have helped to
make confusion worse confounded in this large and increasing field. But it
is not my object to assail one who has done this study very great service,
but only to point out an inconvenience which I shall endeavour to minimize
as far as I can. It is clear that Dr. Scrivener’s order, being the first
out, and having been followed since then in quotations in books, and
notably by the late learned Abbé Martin, cannot be allowed to drop. I have
therefore followed it in the succeeding pages. But it has been my object
to bring together the two lists as soon as possible after the close of Dr.
Scrivener’s, and the end of the supplementary lists of Dean Burgon and the
Abbé Martin, and to follow, as far as the case will admit, the lead of Dr.
Gregory, where he has every right to prescribe the series of numbers.
Unfortunately, this course is not always open, because when the time has
arrived it is found that some MSS. have been already forestalled, and
others are in arrear.
It should be added, that the number of the MSS. as standing in Dr.
Gregory’s list, where it varies from the present, is given at the end of
the account of each manuscript; and reversely a table is added at the end
of this volume of the varying numbers in this list which answer to the
numbers in Dr. Gregory’s list.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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