The Causes of the Corruption of the Traditional Text of the Holy Gospels Part 29

[490] So Jerome, iv. 484: vii. 455. Strange, that neither Ambrose nor Augustine should quote the place.

[491] See Revision Revised, p. 220.

[492] Or Saturnilus--[Greek: to de gamein kai gennan apo tou Satana phesin einai]. p. 245, l. 38. So Marcion, 253.

[493] [The MS. breaks off here, with references to St. Mark x. 7, Eph.

v. 31-2 (on which the Dean had acc.u.mulated a large array of references), St. Mark x. 29-30, with a few references, but no more. I have not had yet time or strength to work out the subject.]

[494] Mai, iv. 221.

CHAPTER XIV.

CAUSES OF CORRUPTION CHIEFLY INTENTIONAL.

X. Corruption by the Orthodox.

-- 1.

Another cause why, in very early times, the Text of the Gospels underwent serious depravation, was mistaken solicitude on the part of the ancient orthodox for the purity of the Catholic faith. These persons, like certain of the moderns, Beza for example, evidently did not think it at all wrong to tamper with the inspired Text. If any expression seemed to them to have a dangerous tendency, they altered it, or transplanted it, or removed it bodily from the sacred page. About the uncritical nature of what they did, they entertained no suspicion: about the immorality of the proceeding, they evidently did not trouble themselves at all. On the contrary, the piety of the motive seems to have been held to const.i.tute a sufficient excuse for any amount of licence. The copies which had undergone this process of castigation were even styled 'corrected,'--and doubtless were popularly looked upon as 'the correct copies' [like our 'critical texts']. An ill.u.s.tration of this is afforded by a circ.u.mstance mentioned by Epiphanius.

He states (ii. 36) that the orthodox, out of jealousy for the Lord's Divinity, eliminated from St. Luke xix. 41 the record that our Saviour 'wept.' We will not pause to inquire what this statement may be worth.

But when the same Father adds,--'In the uncorrected copies ([Greek: en tois adiorthotois antigraphois]) is found "He wept,"' Epiphanius is instructive. Perfectly well aware that the expression is genuine, he goes on to state that 'Irenaeus quoted it in his work against Heresies, when he had to confute the error of the Docetae[495].' 'Nevertheless,'

Epiphanius adds, 'the orthodox through fear erased the record.'

So then, the process of 'correction' was a critical process conducted on utterly erroneous principles by men who knew nothing whatever about Textual Criticism. Such recensions of the Text proved simply fatal to the Deposit. To 'correct' was in this and such like cases simply to 'corrupt.'

Codexes B[Symbol: Aleph]D may be regarded as specimens of Codexes which have once and again pa.s.sed through the hands of such a corrector or [Greek: diorthotes].

St. Luke (ii. 40) records concerning the infant Saviour that 'the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit.' By repeating the selfsame expression which already,--viz. in chap. i. 80,--had been applied to the Childhood of the Forerunner[496], it was clearly the design of the Author of Scripture to teach that the Word 'made flesh' submitted to the same laws of growth and increase as every other Son of Adam. The body 'grew,'--the spiritual part 'waxed strong.' This statement was nevertheless laid hold of by the enemies of Christianity. How can it be pretended (they asked) that He was 'perfect G.o.d' ([Greek: teleios Theos]), of whom it is related in respect of His spirit that he 'waxed strong[497]'? The consequence might have been foreseen. Certain of the orthodox were ill-advised enough to erase the word [Greek: pneumati] from the copies of St. Luke ii. 40; and lo, at the end of 1,500 years, four 'corrected'

copies, two Versions, one Greek Father, survive to bear witness to the ancient fraud. No need to inquire which, what, and who these be.

But because it is [Symbol: Aleph]BDL, Origen[498], and the Latin, the Egyptian and Lewis which are without the word [Greek: pneumati], Lachmann, Tregelles, Tischendorf, and the Revisers jump to the conclusion that [Greek: pneumati] is a spurious accretion to the Text.

They ought to reverse their proceeding; and recognize in the evidence one more indication of the untrustworthiness of the witnesses. For,--how then is it supposed that the word ([Greek: pneumati]) ever obtained its footing in the Gospel? For all reply we are a.s.sured that it has been imported hither from St. Luke i. 80. But, we rejoin, How does the existence of the phrase [Greek: ekrataiouto pneumati] in i. 80 explain its existence in ii. 40, in every known copy of the Gospels except four, if in these 996 places, suppose, it be an interpolation? This is what has to be explained. Is it credible that all the remaining uncials, and every known cursive copy, besides all the lectionaries, should have been corrupted in this way: and that the truth should survive exclusively at this time only in the remaining four; viz. in B[Symbol: Aleph],--the sixth century Cod. D,--and the eighth century Cod. L?

When then, and where did the work of depravation take place? It must have been before the sixth century, because Leontius of Cyprus[499]

quotes it three times and discusses the expression at length:--before the fifth, because, besides Cod. A, Cyril[500] Theodoret[501] and ps.-Caesarius[502] recognize the word:--before the fourth, because Epiphanius[503], Theodore of Mopsuestia[504], and the Gothic version have it:--before the third, before nearly all of the second century, because it is found in the Pes.h.i.+tto. What more plain than that we have before us one other instance of the injudicious zeal of the orthodox?

one more sample of the infelicity of modern criticism?

-- 2.

Theodotus and his followers fastened on the first part of St. John viii.

40, when they pretended to shew from Scripture that Christ is mere Man[505]. I am persuaded that the reading 'of My Father[506],'--with which Origen[507], Epiphanius[508], Athanasius[509], Chrysostom[510], Cyril Alex.[511], and Theodoret[512] prove to have been acquainted,--was subst.i.tuted by some of the orthodox in this place, with the pious intention of providing a remedy for the heretical teaching of their opponents. At the present day only six cursive copies are known to retain this trace of a corruption of Scripture which must date from the second century.

We now reach a most remarkable instance. It will be remembered that St.

John in his grand preface does not rise to the full height of his sublime argument until he reaches the eighteenth verse. He had said (ver. 14) that 'the Word was made flesh,' &c.; a statement which Valentinus was willing to admit. But, as we have seen, the heresiarch and his followers denied that 'the Word' is also 'the Son' of G.o.d. As if in order to bar the door against this pretence, St. John announces (ver.

18) that 'the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him': thus establis.h.i.+ng the ident.i.ty of the Word and the Only begotten Son. What else could the Valentinians do with so plain a statement, but seek to deprave it? Accordingly, the very first time St.

John i. 18 is quoted by any of the ancients, it is accompanied by the statement that the Valentinians in order to prove that the 'only begotten' is 'the Beginning,' and is 'G.o.d,' appeal to the words,--'the only begotten G.o.d who is in the bosom of the Father[513],' &c. Inasmuch, said they, as the Father willed to become known to the worlds, the Spirit of Gnosis produced the 'only begotten' 'Gnosis,' and therefore gave birth to 'Gnosis,' that is to 'the Son': in order that by 'the Son'

'the Father' might be made known. While then that 'only begotten Son'

abode 'in the bosom of the Father,' He caused that here upon earth should be seen, alluding to ver. 14, one 'as the only begotten Son.' In which, by the way, the reader is requested to note that the author of the Excerpta Theodoti (a production of the second century) reads St.

John i. 18 as we do.

I have gone into all these strange details,--derived, let it be remembered, from doc.u.ments which carry us back to the former half of the second century,--because in no other way is the singular phenomenon which attends the text of St. John i. 18 to be explained and accounted for. Sufficiently plain and easy of transmission as it is, this verse of Scripture is observed to exhibit perturbations which are even extraordinary. Irenaeus once writes [Greek: ho] [?] [Greek: monogenes uios]: once, [Greek: ho] [?] [Greek: monogenes uios Theos]: once, [Greek: ho monogenes uios Theou][514]: Clemens Alex., [Greek: ho monogenes uios Theos monos][515]; which must be very nearly the reading of the Codex from which the text of the Vercelli Copy of the Old Latin was derived[516]. Eusebius four times writes [Greek: ho monogenes uios][517]: twice, [Greek: monogenes Theos][518]: and on one occasion gives his reader the choice of either expression, explaining why both may stand[519]. Gregory Nyss.[520] and Basil[521], though they recognize the usual reading of the place, are evidently vastly more familiar with the reading [Greek: ho monogenes Theos][522]: for Basil adopts the expression thrice[523], and Gregory nearly thirty-three times as often[524]. This was also the reading of Cyril Alex.[525], whose usual phrase however is [Greek: ho monogenes tou Theou logos][526]. Didymus has only [? cp. context] [Greek: ho monogenes Theos],--for which he once writes [Greek: ho monogenes Theos logos][527]. Cyril of Jer. seems to have read [Greek: ho monogenes monos][528].

[I have retained this valuable and suggestive pa.s.sage in the form in which the Dean left it. It evidently has not the perfection that attends some of his papers, and would have been amplified and improved if his life had been spared. More pa.s.sages than he noticed, though limited to the ante-Chrysostom period, are referred to in the companion volume[529]. The portentous number of mentions by Gregory of Nyssa escaped me, though I knew that there were several. Such repet.i.tions of a phrase could only be admitted into my calculation in a restricted and representative number. Indeed, I often quoted at least on our side less than the real number of such reiterations occurring in one pa.s.sage, because in course of repet.i.tion they came to a.s.sume for such a purpose a parrot-like value.

But the most important part of the Dean's paper is found in his account of the origin of the expression. This inference is strongly confirmed by the employment of it in the Arian controversy. Arius reads [Greek: Theos] (_ap._ Epiph. 73--Tischendorf), whilst his opponents read [Greek: Huios]. So Faustinus seven times (I noted him only thrice), and Victorinus Afer six (10) times in reply to the Arian Candidus[530]. Also Athanasius and Hilary of Poictiers four times each, and Ambrose eight (add Epp. I. xxii. 5). It is curious that with this history admirers of B and [Symbol: Aleph] should extol their reading over the Traditional reading on the score of orthodoxy. Heresy had and still retains a.s.sociations which cannot be ignored: in this instance some of the orthodox weakly played into the hands of heretics[531]. None may read Holy Scripture just as the idea strikes them.]

-- 3.

All are familiar with the received text of 1 Cor. xv. 47:--[Greek: ho protos anthropos ek ges choikos; ho deuteros anthropos ho Kyrios ex ouranou]. That this place was so read in the first age is certain: for so it stands in the Syriac. These early heretics however of whom St.

John speaks, who denied that 'Jesus Christ had come in the flesh[532]'

and who are known to have freely 'taken away from the words' of Scripture[533], are found to have made themselves busy here. If (they argued) 'the second man' was indeed 'the Lord-from-Heaven,' how can it be pretended that Christ took upon Himself human flesh[534]? And to bring out this contention of theirs more plainly, they did not hesitate to remove as superfluous the word 'man' in the second clause of the sentence. There resulted,--'The first man [was] of the earth, earthy: [Greek: ho deuteros Kyrios ex ouranou][535].' It is thus that Marcion[536] (A.D. 130) and his followers[537] read the place. But in this subject-matter extravagance in one direction is ever observed to beget extravagance in another. I suspect that it was in order to counteract the ejection by the heretics of [Greek: anthropos] in ver.

47, that, early in the second century, the orthodox retaining [Greek: anthropos], judged it expedient to leave out the expression [Greek: ho Kyrios], which had been so unfairly pressed against them; and were contented to read,--'the second man [was] from heaven.' A calamitous exchange, truly. For first, (I), The text thus maimed afforded countenance to another form of misbelief. And next, (II), It necessitated a further change in 1 Cor. xv. 47.

(I) It furnished a pretext to those heretics who maintained that Christ was 'Man' _before_ He came into the World. This heresy came to a head in the persons of Apolinarius[538] and Photinus; in contending with whom, Greg. Naz.[539] and Epiphanius[540] are observed to argue with disadvantage from the mutilated text. Tertullian[541], and Cyprian[542]

after him, knew no other reading but 'secundus h.o.m.o de Caelo,'--which is in fact the way this place stands in the Old Latin. And thus, from the second century downwards, two readings (for the Marcionite text was speedily forgotten) became current in the Church:--(1) The inspired language of the Apostle, cited at the outset,--which is retained by all the known copies, _except nine_; and is vouched for by Basil[543], Chrysostom[544], Theodotus[545], Eutherius[546], Theodorus Mops.[547], Damascene[548], Petrus Siculus[549], and Theophylact[550]: and (2) The corrected (i.e. the maimed) text of the orthodox;--[Greek: ho deuteros; anthropos ex ouranou]: with which, besides the two Gregories[551], Photinus[552] and Apolinarius the heretics were acquainted; but which at this day is only known to survive in [Symbol: Aleph]*BCD*EFG and two cursive copies. Origen[553], and (long after him) Cyril, employed _both_ readings[554].

(II) But then, (as all must see) such a maimed exhibition of the text was intolerable. The balance of the sentence had been destroyed. Against [Greek: ho protos anthropos], St. Paul had set [Greek: ho deuteros anthropos]: against [Greek: ek ges]--[Greek: ex ouranou]: against [Greek: choikos]--[Greek: ho Kyrios]. Remove [Greek: ho Kyrios], and some subst.i.tute for it must be invented as a counterpoise to [Greek: choikos]. Taking a hint from what is found in ver. 48, some one (plausibly enough,) suggested [Greek: epouranios]: and this gloss so effectually recommended itself to Western Christendom, that having been adopted by Ambrose[555], by Jerome[556] (and later by Augustine[557],) it established itself in the Vulgate[558], and is found in all the later Latin writers[559]. Thus then, _a third_ rival reading enters the field,--which because it has well-nigh disappeared from Greek MSS., no longer finds an advocate. Our choice lies therefore between the two former:--viz. (a) the received, which is the only well-attested reading of the place: and (b) the maimed text of the Old Latin, which Jerome deliberately rejected (A.D. 380), and for which he subst.i.tuted another even worse attested reading. (Note, that these two Western fabrications effectually dispose of one another.) It should be added that Athanasius[560] lends his countenance to all the three readings.

But now, let me ask,--Will any one be disposed, after a careful survey of the premisses, to accept the verdict of Tischendorf, Tregelles and the rest, who are for bringing the Church back to the maimed text of which I began by giving the history and explaining the origin? Let it be noted that the one question is,--shall [Greek: ho Kyrios] be retained in the second clause, or not? But there it stood within thirty years of the death of St. John: and there it stands, at the end of eighteen centuries in every extant copy (including AKLP) except nine. It has been excellently witnessed to all down the ages,--viz. By Origen, Hippolytus, Athanasius, Basil, Chrysostom, Cyril, Theodotus, Eutherius, Theodore Mops., Damascene and others. On what principle would you now reject it?... With critics who a.s.sume that a reading found in [Symbol: Aleph]BCDEFG must needs be genuine,--it is vain to argue. And yet the most robust faith ought to be effectually shaken by the discovery that four, if not five ([Symbol: Aleph]ACFG) of these same MSS., by reading 'we shall all sleep; but we shall not all be changed,' contradict St.

Paul's solemn announcement in ver. 51: while a sixth (D) stands alone in subst.i.tuting 'we shall all rise; but we shall not all be changed.'--In this very verse, C is for introducing [Greek: Adam] into the first clause of the sentence: FG, for subjoining [Greek: ho ouranios]. When will men believe that guides like these are to be entertained with habitual distrust? to be listened to with the greatest caution? to be followed, for their own sakes,--never?

I have been the fuller on this place, because it affords an instructive example of what has occasionally befallen the words of Scripture. Very seldom indeed are we able to handle a text in this way. Only when the heretics a.s.sailed, did the orthodox defend: whereby it came to pa.s.s that a record was preserved of how the text was read by the ancient Father.

The attentive reader will note (_a_) That all the changes which we have been considering belong to the earliest age of all:--(_b_) That the corrupt reading is retained by [Symbol: Aleph]BC and their following: the genuine text, in the great bulk of the copies:--(_c_) That the first mention of the text is found in the writings of an early heretic:--(_d_) That [the orthodox introduced a change in the interests, as they fancied, of truth, but from utter misapprehension of the nature and authority of the Word of G.o.d:--and (_e_) that under the Divine Providence that change was so effectually thrown out, that decisive witness is found on the other side].

-- 4.

Closely allied to the foregoing, and constantly referred to in connexion with it by those Fathers who undertook to refute the heresy of Apolinarius, is our Lord's declaration to Nicodemus,--'No man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven' (St. John iii. 13). Christ 'came down from heaven' when He became incarnate: and having become incarnate, is said to have 'ascended up to Heaven,' and 'to be in Heaven,' because 'the Son of Man,' who was not in heaven before, by virtue of the hypostatical union was thenceforward evermore 'in heaven.' But the Evangelist's language was very differently taken by those heretics who systematically 'maimed and misinterpreted that which belongeth to the human nature of Christ.' Apolinarius, who relied on the present place, is found to have read it without the final clause ([Greek: ho on en to ourano]); and certain of the orthodox (as Greg. Naz., Greg. Nyssa, Epiphanius, while contending with him,) shew themselves not unwilling to argue from the text so mutilated. Origen and the author of the Dialogus once, Eusebius twice, Cyril not fewer than nineteen times, also leave off at the words 'even the Son of Man': from which it is insecurely gathered that those Fathers disallowed the clause which follows. On the other hand, thirty-eight Fathers and ten Versions maintain the genuineness of the words [Greek: ho on en to ourano][561]. But the decisive circ.u.mstance is that,--besides the Syriac and the Latin copies which all witness to the existence of the clause,--the whole body of the uncials, four only excepted ([Symbol: Aleph]BLT^{b}), and every known cursive but one (33)--are for retaining it.

No thoughtful reader will rise from a discussion like the foregoing without inferring from the facts which have emerged in the course of it the exceeding antiquity of depravations of the inspired verity. For let me not be supposed to have a.s.serted that the present depravation was the work of Apolinarius. Like the rest, it is probably older by at least 150 years. Apolinarius, in whose person the heresy which bears his name came to a head, did but inherit the tenets of his predecessors in error; and these had already in various ways resulted in the corruption of the deposit.

-- 5[562].

The matter in hand will be conveniently ill.u.s.trated by inviting the reader's attention to another famous place. There is a singular consent among the Critics for eliminating from St. Luke ix. 54-6, twenty-four words which embody two memorable sayings of the Son of Man. The entire context is as follows:--'Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, (as Elias did)? But he turned, and rebuked them, (and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.) (For the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.) And they went to another village.' The three bracketed clauses contain the twenty-four words in dispute.

The first of these clauses ([Greek: hos kai Helias epoiese]), which claims to be part of the inquiry of St. John and St. James, Mill rejected as an obvious interpolation. 'Res ipsa clamat. Quis enim sa.n.u.s tam insignia deleverit[563]?' Griesbach retained it as probably genuine.--The second clause ([Greek: kai eipen, Ouk oidate hoiou pneumatos este hymeis]) he obelized as probably not genuine:--the third ([Greek: ho gar huios tou anthropou ouk elthe psychas anthropon apolesai, alla sosai]) he rejected entirely. Lachmann also retains the first clause, but rejects the other two. Alford, not without misgiving, does the same. Westcott and Hort, without any misgiving about the third clause, are 'morally certain' that the first and second clauses are a Western interpolation. Tischendorf and Tregelles are thorough. They agree, and the Revisers of 1881, in rejecting unceremoniously all the three clauses and exhibiting the place curtly, thus.--[Greek: Kyrie, theleis eipomen pyr katabenai apo tou ouranou, kai a.n.a.losai autous; strapheis de epetimesen autois. kai eporeuthesan desan eis heteran komen].

Now it may as well be declared at once that Codd. [Symbol: Aleph]BL[Symbol: Xi] l g^{1} Cyr^{luc}[564], two MSS. of the Bohairic (d 3, d 2), the Lewis, and two cursives (71, 157) are literally the only authority, ancient or modern, for so exhibiting the text [in all its bare crudeness]. Against them are arrayed the whole body of MSS. uncial and cursive, including ACD; every known lectionary; all the Latin, the Syriac (Cur. om. Clause 1), and indeed every other known version: besides seven good Greek Fathers beginning with Clemens Alex. (A.D.

190), and five Latin Fathers beginning with Tertullian (A.D. 190): Cyprian's testimony being in fact the voice of the Fourth Council of Carthage, A.D. 253. If on a survey of this body of evidence any one will gravely tell me that the preponderance of authority still seems to him to be in favour of the shorter reason, I can but suggest that the sooner he communicates to the world the grounds for his opinion, the better.