Part 35 (2/2)

The issue of this prolonged contention I now commend, with deep humility, to ALMIGHTY G.o.d. The SPIRIT OF TRUTH will, (I know,) take good care of His own masterpiece,-the Written Word. May He have compa.s.sion on my ignorance, and graciously forgive me, if, (intending nothing less,) I shall prove to have anywhere erred in my strenuous endeavour to maintain the integrity of Scripture against the rashness of an impatient and unlearned generation.

But if, (as I humbly believe and confidently hope,) my conclusions are sound throughout, then may He enable men freely to recognize the Truth; and thus, effectually avert from our Church the supreme calamity with which, for a few months in 1881, it seemed threatened; namely, of having an utterly depraved Recension of the Greek Text of the New Testament thrust upon it, as the basis of a very questionable 'Revision' of the English.

My lord Bishop,-I have the honour to wish you respectfully farewell.

J. W. B.

DEANERY, CHICHESTER, _July, 1883_.

THE GRa.s.s WITHERETH: THE FLOWER FADETH: BUT THE WORD OF OUR G.o.d SHALL STAND FOR EVER.

APPENDIX OF SACRED CODICES.

The inquiries into which I was led (January to June 1883) by my DISSERTATION in vindication of the Traditional Reading of 1 Tim. iii. 16, have resulted in my being made aware of the existence of a vast number of Sacred Codices which had eluded the vigilance of previous Critics.

I had already a.s.sisted my friend Prebendary Scrivener in greatly enlarging Scholz's list. We had in fact raised the enumeration of ”_Evangelia_” to 621: of ”_Acts and Catholic Epistles_” to 239: of ”_Paul_” to 281: of ”_Apocalypse_” to 108: of ”_Evangelistaria_” to 299: of the book called ”_Apostolus_” to 81:-making a total of 1629.-But at the end of a protracted and somewhat laborious correspondence with the custodians of not a few great Continental Libraries, I am able to state that our available ”_Evangelia_” amount to at least 739(1154): our ”_Acts and Cath.

Epp._” to 261: our ”_Paul_” to 338: our ”_Apoc._” to 122: our ”_Evstt._”

to 415(1155): our copies of the ”_Apostolus_” to 128(1156): making a total of 2003. This shows an increase of _three hundred and seventy-four_.

My original intention had been to publish this enumeration of Sacred Codices in its entirety as an APPENDIX to the present volume: but finding that the third edition of Dr. Scrivener's ”Introduction” would appear some months before my own pages could possibly see the light, I eagerly communicated my discoveries to my friend. I have indeed proposed to myself no other object throughout but the advancement of the study of Textual Criticism: and it was reasonable to hope that by means of his widely circulated volume, the great enlargement which our previously ascertained stores have suddenly experienced would become more generally known to scholars. I should of course still have it in my power to reproduce here the same enumeration of Sacred Codices.

The great bulk however which the present volume has acquired, induces me to limit myself in this place to some account of those Codices which have been expressly announced and discoursed about in my Text (as at pp. 474 and 492-5). Some other occasion must be found for enlarging on the rest of my budget.

It only remains to state that for most of my recent discoveries I am indebted to the Abbate Cozza-Luzi, Prefect of the Vatican; who on being informed of the object of my solicitude, with extraordinary liberality and consideration at once set three competent young men to work in the princ.i.p.al libraries of Rome. To him I am further indebted for my introduction to the MS. treasures belonging to the Basilian monks of Crypta-Ferrata, the ancient Tusculum. Concerning the precious library of that monastery so much has been offered already (viz. at pp. 446-448, and again at pp. 473-4), as well as concerning its learned chief, the Hieromonachus Antonio Rocchi, that I must be content to refer my readers to those earlier parts of the present volume. I cannot however sufficiently acknowledge the patient help which the librarian of Crypta Ferrata has rendered me in the course of these researches.

For my knowledge of the sacred Codices preserved at Messina, I am indebted to the good offices and learning of Papas Filippo Matranga. In respect of those at Milan, my learned friend Dr. Ceriani has (not for the first time) been my efficient helper. M. Wescher has kindly a.s.sisted me at Paris; and Dr. C. de Boor at Berlin. It must suffice, for the rest, to refer to the Notes at foot of pp. 491-2 and 477-8.

ADDITIONAL CODICES OF S. PAUL'S EPISTLES.

282. ( = Act. 240. Apoc. 109). Paris, ”Armenien 9” (_olim_ Reg. 2247).

_membr._ foll. 323. This bilingual codex (Greek and Armenian) is described by the Abbe Martin in his _Introduction a la Critique Textuelle du N. T._ (1883), p. 660-1. See above, p. 474, note 1. An Italian version is added from the Cath. Epp. onwards. _Mut._ at beginning (Acts iv. 14) and end.

(For its extraordinary reading at 1 Tim. iii. 16, see above, p. 473-4.)

283. ( = Act. 241). Messina P K Z (_i.e._ 127) [xii.], _chart._ foll. 224.

_Mut._ begins at Acts viii. 2,-ends at Hebr. viii. 2; also a leaf is lost between foll. 90 and 91. Has ?p???. and Commentary of an unknown author.

284. ( = Act. 195). Modena, ii. A. 13 [xiii.?], _Mut._ at the end.

285. ( = Act. 196), Modena, ii. Cf. 4 [xi. or xii.]. Sig. Ant. Cappelli (sub-librarian) sends me a tracing of 1 Tim. iii. 16.

286. Ambrosian library, E. 2, _inf._the Catena of Nicetas. ”Textus particulatim praemitt.i.t Commentariis.”

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