A compleat history of the canon and writers, of the books of the Old and New Testament, by way of dissertation, with useful remarks on that subject ... by L.E. Du Pin ... ; done into English from the French original.

SECT. I. How the Greek Text of the New Testament was preserved in the Church without any Falsification: Of the Variations which might have crept into it: Of the Editions of this Text; and of the Differences that are in the Manuscripts.

WE have already prov'd that the Books of the New Testament could not have been corrupted or falsified in any Essential Points; for this Falsification must have been made either in the Life time of the Apostles and those who penn'd them, or a little after their Death, or in the following Cen∣turies. But neither of these Hypotheses can be granted. For (1.) It cannot be said, that during their Life time, any other Gospels or Works were father'd upon them than those which they wrote; or that they were falsified or alter'd. If any should have dared to have done it, he would have been im∣mediately convicted of his Falshood by the Evidence of the Authors themselves, and by collating those falsified Copies with the Originals. The Churches would have been very cautious how they Credited or Authoriz'd such Pieces as were spurious or falsified. The Primitive Christians would have rejected them, and never have suffer'd them by an unanimous Consent to have passed as Genuine and Sacred. (2.) Upon the same Reasons 'tis apparent, that those Writings were not alter'd a little after the Death of the Apostles and Evangelists. There were several Copies of them spread over the face of the whole Earth; which were preserved and read in all the Churches of Christendom. It was impossible that all Christians should enter into a Combination to make or admit of such Falsifications. (3.) Lastly, it cannot be said that they were falsified in the suc∣ceeding Centuries; since it plainly appears by the Citations of Authors from one Century to another, that those Books were always the same. The Disci∣ples of the Apostles had certainly the Genuine Writings of the Apostles and E∣vangelists in their Purity: and the Fathers of the three first Centuries had the same Books by them. 'Tis manifest, that in the following Ages they had no other, and that they are the same which we still have. There can then no question be made of their Genuineness and Sincerity. Celsus having upbraided the Christians with giving themselves the Liberty of altering the Gospel, and of reading it different ways, in order to deny the Passages that were objected to them; Origen returns this Answer, That none but the Disciples of Marcion and Valentinus had made those Alterations. Now the Changes which the He∣reticks made, were never approv'd of by the Church; on the contrary their Falsifications were discovered by the Ancient Copies that were dis∣pers'd over the whole Earth, and by the Testimony of all the Churches, who preserv'd and read the true Copies publickly. It was to no purpose that the E∣bionites corrupted the Gospel of Saint Matthew, and the Marcionites, that of Saint Luke with the Epistles of Saint Paul, the Alterations which they made in those sacred Writings, were not admitted into the Copies of the Church. The Manichees took the Liberty to retrench out of the Books of the New Testament what contradicted their Errors, and boldly gave out, that those Books were corrupted by the Judaizing Christians, who had added thereto all that favoured

the Ancient Law. St. Augustine demonstrated to them, that there was as much certainty that those Books were Theirs, under whose Names they went, and had not been corrupted, as there was for the Books of Plato, Aristotle, and other prophane Authors; and this Truth he forces them to acknowledge with respect to those passages of the Gospel which they themselves approve of. For he asks them what Reply they would make to the Person that should accuse the Authors of their Sect of having added a passage which they cited.

What could you do (says he to them) but only assert that it was impossible to falfi∣fie those Books which were in the Hands of all Christians? Because as soon as ever any such attempt should have been made, the falsity of it would have been discover'd by the Evidence of the most ancient Copies. Now the very same Reason which proves that you have not corrupted those Books, is a ma∣nifest Demonstration that no body else could have corrupted them, because whoever had ventur'd to do it, would have been immediately refuted by the great number of ancient Copies; and especially since these very Books were already written in several different Languages. And the correcting of seve∣ral Errata's in them, by collating them, either with the most ancient Copies, or with the Original out of which they were translated, is what is practis'd every day.

'Tis thus, that this Father proves that the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament being dispers'd so much as they were in the first Ages of the Church, could not have been corrupted by any Forgerers, without being per∣ceiv'd.

This being granted, for a more particular view of the Method, how the Text of the Books of the New Testament came to be preserved, it is most cer∣tain, that the Evangelists wrote their Gospels with an intention of publishing them, and that every Christian might read them: That Saint Luke had the same design in composing the Acts of the Apostles; that the Apostles did not direct their Epistles to one or more Churches, but only that they might be read by all the Faithful, or at least to all the Faithful of those and the Neigh∣bouring Churches. 'Tis likewise farther manifest, that these Writings were received with respect, and read by the Primitive Christians both in publick and private: That they were soon dispersed in all the Churches by means of the Copies that were made of them, some from the Originals, and others from other Genuine Copies. These Copies were increas'd and renew'd as often as there was occasion for them. But tho' it could never happen that all these Co∣pies were falsifyed and alter'd by any premeditated Malice and Design in those Points that are Essential, yet it cannot be said that no Fault has crept into any of these Copies by the negligence or inadvertency of the Transcribers, or even by the boldness of those who have ventur'd to strike out, add, or change some Words which they thought necessary to be omitted, added or changed. This is the common Fate of all Books, from which God has not thought fit to exempt even those sacred Writings. From hence have proceeded those various and dif∣ferent Lections between the Greek Copies of the Books of the New Testament, which began to appear in the first Ages of the Church, and are still continu∣ed. All these varieties have alter'd nothing as to the Essential parts of the Hi∣story and Doctrine of Jesus Christ and his Apostles; and some Persons of clear∣er Heads than others have from time to time appeared in the World, who have corrected the Errata of their Copies, and re-establish'd as far as possible the Purity of the Greek Text.

Origen, in the Fifteenth Tome of his Commentary on St. Matthew, observes, That there were even in his Time a great many Various Lections in the Co∣pies of the H. Scriptures, which he attributes partly to the Carelessness of the Co∣piers, and partly to the Boldness of those who would correct the Text; and took the Liberty by this Correction, to add or strike out what they thought fit. He adds, That he had accommodated the Difference of the Greek Copies of the Septuagint, according to the Method above-mention'd; but says nothing

in this Place of any thing he had done upon the New Testament: However, 'tis certain that he had revised and corrected the Copies of that too: for Saint Jerome sometimes cites the Copies of Origen and Pierius, as being more exact than any other Copies of the New Testament. For Instance, In examining a Passage in the 24th Chapter of Saint Matthew, where at the 36th Verse some Latin Copies have, Neque Filius; he observes, That This Clause was not in the Greck Co∣pies, and especially in those of Origen and Pierius. He likewise cites the Co∣pies of Origen, in the Third Chapter of the Epistle to the Galatians, and says, That he does not explain these Words, Quis vos fascinavit credere veritati? be∣cause they are not in the Copies of Origen. This shews that these two Au∣thors had taken Copies of the New Testament, and that they were look'd upon as the most correct of any others. The same Father, in his Preface to Da∣masus, makes mention likewise of Copies of the New Testament corrected by Lucian and Hesychius, but does by no means approve of their Work; be∣cause they had made such Additions as were convicted of Falsity by the An∣cient Versions. Tatian and Ammonius in compiling the Harmonies or Concor∣dances of the Four Evangelists, did doubtless follow that Greek Text, which they thought to be the most correct. The Canons and Heads of Eusebius have been likewise of great use, to prevent any Confusion in the Evangelists: 'Tis like∣wise very probable, that Eusebius took care not only to distinguish, but also to correct the Text of the Gospels. Saint Jerome apply'd himself not so much to correct the Faults, which might have crept into the Greek Copies, as to reform the Latin Version by the Greek Text, according to the best and most ancient Copies of his Time, which he look'd upon as Faithful and Correct, and which he there∣fore styles, The Greek Truth, the Greek Fidelity; The most clear Water of the Fountain it self: whereas the Latin Versions were very Defective in a great many places. See how he explains himself in his Preface before the Four Gospels, di∣rected to Pope Damasus.

You injoyn me (says he) to make a New Work out of an Old One, and to be as it were Judge between the Copies of the Holy Scriptures dispers'd through all the Earth; and since they differ from one an∣other, to determine which of 'em agree with the Greek Verity. 'Tis a Re∣ligious Task, but withall a dangerous Undertaking to change the Language of the World, which is in its Old Age, and to recall it, when it begins to turn grey, to those very Principles and Rudiments that we teach Children. For who is there, whether Learned or Unlearned, who upon taking the Bible into his Hands, and seeing that what he reads is different from what he has been always us'd to, would not immediately cry out that I was a Forgerer and a Sa∣crilegious Person, who had the Boldness to make such Additions, Altera∣tions and Corrections in those Ancient Books? Two things are my Comfort under such a Reproach: First, That 'tis You, the Supreme Pontif, that have put me upon the Task: and Secondly, That by the Confession even of the most Envious, there must needs be some Falsity where there is so much Va∣riety. If they say, That the Latin Copies are to be credited; let them tell me Which? For there are almost as many different Copies, as there are Ma∣nuscripts; and if the Truth must be search'd for among so many, why should not we rather have recourse to the Greek Original, in Order to correct the Faults that have proceeded, either from the Bad Translation of the Interpre∣ters, or from the unreasonable Corrections that have been made by unskilful Criticks, or from the Additions and Alterations that have happen'd through the carelessness of the Copiers? At present, I say nothing of the Old Testa∣ment, but am only speaking of the New, which is doubtless all Greek, except Saint Matthew's Gospel, which at first was publish'd in Judaea in Hebrew. The New Testament, I say, being full of Varieties in the Latin Versions, which are as so many small Streams, 'tis necessary to have recourse to the Fountain-head, which is but only One. I pass over in Silence the Copies that go under the Name of Lucian and Hesychius, which some Persons condemn, because they

were not allow'd to correct the Old Testament after the Septuagint; and be∣cause they have not been successful in the Corrections which they have made of the New. The Versions which were made of it into several Languages before they corrected it, prove that what they added is Spurious. In this Preface therefore I promise to give you the Four Gospels, corrected by the ancient Greek Copies, with which they have been collated: But that the Latin of the New Testament may not differ too much from the Vulgar Trans∣lation, we have kept a Medium, which is, to correct only such things as make an Alteration in the Sense, and to leave the rest in the same state wherein it was before... It must be own'd, that there is a great deal of Confusion in our Copies of the Gospels, because our Intepreters have often added what one Evangelist had said over and above to another Gospel, where they thought it was wan∣ting, and have often corrected the Expressions of One by those of another E∣vangelist. Hence has arisen that Confusion, and is the reason why in Saint Mark we meet with a great many Passages taken out of Saint Luke and Saint Matthew, and in Saint Matthew, a great many Passages taken out of Saint Mark and Saint John, and so of the rest.

From this Preface of St. Jerome we may draw these following Conclusions: (1.) That in his time the Latin Copies of the New Testament were most of 'em defective. (2.) That in order to cor∣rect them recourse was to be had to the Greek Text as to the Fountain-Head. (3.) That there were several Greek Copies, which were likewise faulty, parti∣cularly those of Hesychius and Lucian. (4.) That there were others more anci∣ent and more correct. (5.) That Saint Jerome has corrected the Latin Version from those ancient and correct Greek Copies. (6.) That he has only corrected such places as made a considerable difference in the Text, and has left the rest just as it was.

This Reform made by Saint Jerome met with its Adversaries, as he had for∣seen. There were those ill-designing Persons who accused him of having al∣ter'd the Gospels contrary to the Authority of the Ancients and the Opinion of all Men. He returns them this Answer,

That he was not so stupid or ig∣norant, as to believe that one could correct any thing in the words of our Saviour, or that all the Gospel was not divinely inspir'd; but that all he aim'd at was, according to the Greek Original (from which it was agreed on all Hands, that the Versions were made) to correct the faults of the La∣tin Version, which are sufficiently apparent by that Variety which is to be met with in the Latin Copies. Let those Men, says he, who are not for the pure Water of the Fountain-Head, drink as much as they please of the Wa∣ter of those disturbed Streams.

Thus you see how far Saint Jerome prefers the Greek Text of his Time before the Latin Versions, and the Judgment that he passes on the fidelity of the Greek Text.

St. Augustine was of the same Mind with respect to the Authority of the Greek Text of the Books of the New Testament. He requires that when there are any differences between the Text and the Versions, The Text should be credited more than the Versions; and that the Greek Text should always be made use of to correct the Latin: Latinis (says he) quibuslibet emendandis Graeci adhibeantur. He declares in particular with respect to the Books of the New Testament, Lib. 2. Cap. 15. de Doct. Christ. Libros autem Novi Testamenti, si quid in Latinis va∣rietatibus titubat, Graecis cedere oportere non dubium est, & maximè qui apud Ecclesias doctiores & diligentiores reperiuntur: i. e. That if there be any differences between the Greek and the Latin Versions, the Latin ought doubtless to submit to the Greek, and especially to those Copies that the Church owns to be the most learn∣ed and exact. Lastly, he observes that even in his time there were such cor∣rect Copies. For he adds, Adjuvante etiam codicum veritate, quam solers emenda∣tionis diligentia procuravit.

Since the days of Saint Jerome and Saint Augustine, the Greek Churches have been very careful in preserving their Original Text of the New Testament. It is not to be suppos'd, but that the Greek Fathers, who apply'd themselves in an eminent manner to the study of the Holy Scriptures; It is not, I say, to be suppos'd but that they were very exact in consulting the most Faithful and most correct Co∣pies they could possibly light on, and that they took care that the new Copies which were drawn were as correct, and made from the best Exemplars. The Copies corrected by Origen, Pierius and Eusebius were preserv'd for a long time together in the Caesarean and Alexandrian Libraries. There were some such in the Greek Churches which were read publickly. Was it possible that so many Learned Commentators should make choice, among so many Copies, of those that were the most faulty, since they might have had those that were correct? This is what cannot be suppos'd with any colour of Reason; on the contrary, 'tis morally certain that they made use of the purest Greek Text they could get, and consequently that the New Testament, which is annex'd to the Commentaries of the Greek Fathers upon almost all the Books of the New Testament, such as those of Saint Chrysostome, Theodoret, Theophylact, Oecumenius, &c. is an Authen∣tic Testimony whereby to discover the Sincerity of the Greek Text from one Age to another. In short, it cannot be said, that since Saint Jerome's time the Greek Text has suffer'd any considerable Falsification, or that the whole Greek Church has made use of a corrupted Text of the New Testament.

However it may be objected, That Saint Jerome having reform'd the Latin Version by the best Greek Manuscripts of his Time, it necessarily follows that it should be entirely conformable to the Greek Text; and that if the Greek Text is found to differ from that reformed Version, it is not conformable to the most ancient and most correct Manuscripts, which he made use of, and consequently has since been adulterated and alter'd. Now 'tis plain, that there are a great many differences between the Greek Text and our vulgar Latin: but 'tis as certain that in a great many of those places where these differences occur, the Greek Text at present is conformable to that of the Ancient Greek Fathers, which it is hard to think has been alter'd. It must therefore be said that Saint Jerome has not corrected all the places of the Latin Version that differ from the Greek Text, but only the most considerable, and such as made an Alteration in the Sense, as he owns himself in his Preface. Besides, since the Version reform'd by Saint Jerome might have suffer'd some change by the carelessness of the Transcribers, or by the mixture of other Versions, or by the boldness of some Criticks; it is no proof that the Greek Text which Saint Jerome made use of was different from the present Vulgar Greek Text, because the Latin Version which we have at present differs from the Greek Text. Bede was so far con∣vinc'd of the Truth of this, that having found some difference betwixt. S. Jerome's Version and the Greek Copy, he declares that he durst not suppose the Greek to have been corrupted, but that it could not be said whether the Various Lecti∣on ought to be ascrib'd to the fault of the Interpreter or of the Copier. Quae∣dam (says he) quae in Graeco sive aliter, sive plus aut minus posita vidimus, breviter commemorare curavimus: quae utrum negligentiâ Interpretis omissa, vel aliter dicta, an incuriâ Librariorum sive depravata, sive relicta, nondum scire potuimus: nam{que} Graecum Exemplar falsatum fuisse suspicari non audeo.

However it must be acknowledg'd, that even from the very first there were a great many differences between the Greek Copies of the New Testament, as Origen, Saint Jerome, the Author of the Commentary on the Epistle to the Ro∣mans, and several other Fathers have own'd, and as may be made appear by the different ways whereby several Greek Fathers have read one and the Self same passage: That these Varieties have been very much increas'd since, by that great number of Copies that have been made of the Greek Testament, both in the East and West, as those many Differences to be met with in the Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament which we have at present do abun∣dantly

testifie: Lastly, That since there are so many differences between the Manuscripts, it necessarily follows that there must be some faults and defects both in the Greek and Latin, so that it cannot be absolutely said that the Greek is free from Faults, unless we could be assur'd, which of the various Lections is the true One,

For this Reason they who have taken care of printing the Greek Text of the New Testament, took likewise care to have it revis'd from several MSS, to put in the Text that Lection which they thought the most Genuine, and to set down either at the End, or in the Margent the various Lections of other Manuscripts. Valla was the first who searched into and collated the Greek Copies of the New Testament. He cites several of them in his Notes printed at Basil. After his Example Erasmus likewise consulted a great many Manuscripts, which he made use of to good purpose in the Editions of his New Testament, and sets down in his Notes the Various Lections taken out of these Copies. Cardinal Ximenes had even before Erasmus, caus'd the Text of the New Testament to be revis'd from several Greek Manuscripts, and printed in his Polyglot in the Year 1515. the Text entire, according to that Reading which he thought the most exact and correct, yet without taking notice of the Differences of the Manuscripts. The same Text has been follow'd in the Polyglotts of Philip III. and of le Jay. Robert Stephens's Edition of the New Testament in Greek was done with a great deal of Accuracy; his Text agrees with that of the Bible of Cardinal Ximenes, and he has set in the Margent the Various Readings of his Manu∣script Copies. This Edition was publish'd first at Paris in the Year 1550. There have been several Impressions of it made since, and 'tis this Text which Mr. Walton has put in his Polyglotts. Theodore Beza having likewise collated a greater Number of Copies, has set down a great many more various Lections in his Notes. Walton in the sixth Edition of his Polyglott has made a Collection of the various Lections taken notice of by others, and some new Ones taken from the Manuscripts in England. All these various Lections are set down at the bottom of the Page of the Greek Testament, printed at Oxford in the Year 1675.

Besides these Editions, we have likewise several particular Collations of the Greek Copies of the New Testament, wherein the Differences of the several Manuscripts are taken notice of. Under the Popedom of Ʋrban VIII. Matthew Ca∣ryophila and several other Learned persons of Rome, collated the Greek Text of the New Testament of Cardinal Ximenes's Edition, with two and twenty Manuscripts of the Libraries of Rome; viz. Ten on the Gospels, Eight on the Acts of the Apostles and Epistles, and Four on the Apocalypse. They mark'd down in the Collation what they thought necessary to be added to, or retrench'd from the Text, by setting down the Number of the Manuscripts that were conformable thereto. In the Preface they have explain'd the Rules which they follow in this Determination. First, That if most of the Greek Manuscripts agree with the Vulgar Latin; The Text shall be reform'd according to the Reading in the Vulgar Version. Secondly, That if all the Greek Manuscripts differ from the Vulgar Latin and from the Greek Text, the Text shall be reform'd by those Manuscripts, setting down the ancient Lection at the end of the Chapters. Thirdly, That if most the Manuscripts differ from the Text, and this diffe∣rence does not affect the Vulgar Latin, then the Text shall be corrected by the plurality of the MSS. Setting down at the end of the Chapters the place that has been corrected. Fourthly, That if the Reading of the Vulgar Latin be authoriz'd only by one single Manuscript, it shall not fail to be taken notice of. Fifthly and Lastly, that such Words shall be omitted as do manifestly appear to have been taken out of one Gospel to be inserted into another.

Some time before this, Peter Faxard a Spaniard, Marquis de Los-Velez, had collated the Text of our Vulgar Latin with Sixteen Greek Manuscripts of the King of Spain's Library, and in the Margent of a New Testament in Greek had set down the various Lections of those Manuscripts, upon which the Rea∣ding of the Vulgar Latin was establish'd. But forasmuch as he has not taken no∣tice in how many MSS. each of these Differences is to be found, his Work is not of any great use, because each Difference may only be in one Manuscript, which in that case ought not to be preferred before the rest. Mariana the Je∣suit having copied out those various Lections remark'd by the Marquis de Los-Velez, communicated them to Lewis de la Cerda of the same Society, who pub∣lish'd them in his Book, Intituled, Adversaria Sacra, printed in the Year 1626. There is scarce a passage wherein the Vulgar Latin differs from the Greek Text, but the Variety is authoriz'd by some Manuscript of the Marquiss de Los-Velez. But, as was said just now, 'tis not known by how many, or what quality the Manuscript is, upon which it is founded, nor whether it has not been reform'd from the Vulgar, as Mariana has groundlesly suppos'd. Father Morin of the Oratory has likewise collected in his Exercitations upon the Bible, the differen∣ces of several Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament, and particularly of the Cambridge Manuscript of the Gospels, and of another Manuscript of the same Antiquity belonging to the Messieurs du Puy. To conclude, Father Amelotte, of the same Congregation has in his French Version of the New Testament collected the various Lections which agree with the ancient Version, reckoning likewise among those differences and the Manuscripts which authorize them, the Dif∣ferences of the Ancient Latin Version, of Saint Jerome's Version, and of the Oriental Versions; wherein he is not exact. For tho' it were well to take no∣tice of these Differences, yet they ought not to have pass'd for Differences in the Greek Copies: because they might as well have proceeded from the Tran∣slator, as from the Copy that he made use of, and the Version might likewise have underwent some Alteration since it was made.