Quite plain is it, by the very hypothesis, that one of two courses alone remains open to them in editing the text: either (1) _To leave a blank space_ after τοῖς οὔσιν: or else, (2) _To let the words_ ἐν Ἐφέσῳ _stand_,—which I respectfully suggest is the wisest thing they can do. [For with Conybeare and Howson (_Life and Letters of S. Paul_, ii. 491), to eject the words “at Ephesus” from the text of Ephes. i. 1, and actually to substitute in their room the words “in Laodicea,”—is plainly abhorrent to every principle of rational criticism. The remarks of C. and H. on this subject (pp. 486 ff) have been faithfully met and sufficiently disposed of by Dean Alford (vol. iii. _Prolegg._ pp. 13-8); who infers, “in accordance with the prevalent belief of the Church in all ages, that this Epistle was _veritably addressed to the Saints in Ephesus_, and _to no other Church_.”] In the former case, they will be exhibiting a curiosity; viz. they will be shewing us how (they think) a duplicate (“carta bianca”) copy of the Epistle looked with “the space after τοῖς οὔσι left utterly void:” in the latter, they will be representing the archetypal copy which was sent to the Metropolitan see of Ephesus. But by printing the text thus,—τοῖς ἁγίοις τοῖς οὔσιν [ἐν Ἐφέσω] καὶ πιστοῖς κ.τ.λ., they are acting on an entirely different theory. They are merely testifying their mistrust of the text of every MS. in the world except Codd. B and א. This is clearly to forsake the “Encyclical” hypothesis altogether, and to put Ephes. i. 1 on the same footing as any other disputed text of Scripture which can be named. 179 Ἐγκύκλιον ἐπιστολήν, vel ἐγκύκλια γράμματα Christophorsonus et alii interpretantur _literas circulares_: ego cum viris doctis malim _Epistolas_ vel _literas publicas_, ad omnes fideles pertinentes, quas Græci aliàs vocant ἐπιστολὰς καθολικάς.—Suicer _in voce_. 180 Καθολικαὶ λέγονται αὕται, οἰονεὶ ἐγκύκλιοι—See Suicer _in voce_, Ἐγκύκλιος. 181 Routh’s _Reliquiæ_, vol. iii. p. 266.—“Tum ex Conciliis, tum ex aliis Patrum scriptis notum est, consuevisse primos Ecclesiao Patres acta et decreta Conciliorum passim ad omnes Dei Ecclesias mittere per epistolas, quas non uni privatim dicârunt, sed publice describi ab omnibus, dividi passim et pervulgari, atque cum omnibus populis communicari voluerunt. Hac igitur epistolae ἐγκύκλιοι vocatae sunt, quia κυκλόσε, quoquò versum et in omnem partem mittebantur.”—Suicer _in voc._