The Causes of the Corruption of the Traditional Text of the Holy Gospels: Being the Sequel to The Traditional Text of the Holy GospelsBurgon, John William
Religion
The Causes of the Corruption of the Traditional Text of the Holy Gospels: Being the Sequel to The Traditional Text of the Holy Gospels
Burgon, John William
Bible. Gospels -- Criticism, Textual
Another and a far graver case of 'Attraction' is found in Acts xx. 24.
St. Paul, in his address to the elders of Ephesus, refers to the
discouragements he has had to encounter. 'But none of these things move
me,' he grandly exclaims, 'neither count I my life dear unto myself, so
that I might finish my course with joy.' The Greek for this begins
[Greek: all' oudenos logon poioumai]: where some second or third century
copyist (misled by the preceding genitive) in place of [Greek: logoN]
writes [Greek: logoU]; with what calamitous consequence, has been found
largely explained elsewhere[229]. Happily, the error survives only in
Codd. B and C: and their character is already known by the readers of
this book and the Companion Volume. So much has been elsewhere offered
on this subject that I shall say no more about it here: but proceed to
present my reader with another and more famous instance of attraction.
St. Paul in a certain place (2 Cor. iii. 3) tells the Corinthians, in
allusion to the language of Exodus xxxi. 12, xxxiv. 1, that they are an
epistle not written on '_stony tables_ ([Greek: en plaxi lithinais]),'
but on '_fleshy tables_ of the heart ([Greek: en plaxi kardias
sarkinais]).' The one proper proof that this is what St. Paul actually
wrote, is not only (1) That the Copies largely preponderate in favour of
so exhibiting the place: but (2) That the Versions, with the single
exception of 'that abject slave of manuscripts the Philoxenian [or
Harkleian] Syriac,' are all on the same side: and lastly (3) That the
Fathers are as nearly as possible unanimous. Let the evidence for
[Greek: kardias] (unknown to Tischendorf and the rest) be produced in
detail:--
In the second century, Irenaeus[230],--the Old Latin,--the Peshitto.
In the third century, Origen seven times[231],--the Coptic version.
In the fourth century, the
Dialogus[232],--Didymus[233],--Basil[234],--Gregory Nyss.[235],--Marcus
the Monk[236],--Chrysostom in two places[237],--Nilus[238],--the
Vulgate,--and the Gothic versions.
In the fifth century, Cyril[239],--Isidorus[240],--Theodoret[241],--the
Armenian--and the Ethiopic versions.
In the seventh century, Victor, Bp. of Carthage addressing Theodorus
P.[242]
In the eighth century, J. Damascene[243] ... Besides, of the Latins,
Hilary[244],--Ambrose[245],--Optatus[246],--Jerome[247],--
Tichonius[248],--Augustine thirteen times[249],--Fulgentius[250], and
others[251] ... If this be not overwhelming evidence, may I be told what
_is_[252]?
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