Introduction to the New Testament Author:John, Hebert Marsh Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: INTRODUCTION TO THE SACRED WRITINGS Q F THE NEW COVENANT. CHAPTER VII. CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE ANCIENT VERSIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. SECT. I... more ». Of the Ancient Verjions, cmjldered as evidence for the genuine readings of the New Tsftament. HAVING inquired into the origin of the various readings, and their internal marks of probability, I have now to examine the external evidence, that may be adduced in their favour, which confifls either in ancient verfions, ancient manufcripts, or quotations from the New Teftament, in the works of ecclefiaftical writers'. As a knowledge of the ancient verfions is requifite, before a proper judgement can be formed of the value of the Greek manufcripts, many of the latter having been fufpe5ted, though I believe unjuftly, of being interpolated from the former, our firft attention muft be di- rcfted to the different tranflations that were made from the Greek Teflament in the early ages of Chriftianity. A critical inquiry therefore into thefe tranflations fhalft Vol. II. A form form the fubjeft of the prefent chapter; but I will pre- mife forne general ohfervations on the nature of their evidence, in regard to the various readings of the New Teftament. In calcs where the fenfe is not affected by different readings, or the tranflator might have taken them for fynonimous, the evidence of the Greek manufcripts is to be preferred to that of an ancient verfion. The fame preference is due to the manufcripts, wherever the tranflator has omitted words, that appeared of little importance, or a paffage in the Greek original is attended with a difficulty, which the tranflator was unable to folve, and therefore either omitted or altered, according to the arbitrary dictates of his own judgement. On the other hand, there are cafes, i...« less