correction, is generally suspicious, and to be rejected. Wetstein, prol. c. 16. can. 9. Ken. Diss. Gen. § 18, 3. Mat. vi. 33. There is added in some copies TEITE TA μɛyaλa, και τα μικρα ύμιν προστεθησεται· και αιτείτε τα επερανία, και τα ETIYEIA ÙμIV πρOTTONσera, and in Orig. contra Cels. 1. 7. et de Orat. Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. but it is a gloss. (Mill. in loc. et Prol. 695. Whitby, Exam. I. 2. s. 1. § 3. Griesb. in loc.) Mark. i. 16. adeλÇor wut8—78 Eiavos is added in all Stephens's, in 32 others, and R. Steph. Edit.—adeλpov Eμavos in 1 MS. 8 Zμavos in 1 MS.—avey Ziμaves in 1 MS.-it is a gloss for removing the ambiguity. (Mill. Kust. et Griesb. in loc.) Luke vii. 16. λaov avrɣ.—els ayatov is added in 11 MSS. Arab. Arm.-it is a gloss. (Mill. et Griesb. in loc.) Δολοι 1 Cor. v. 6. and Gal. v. 9. μ is the reading in almost all copies; yet perhaps it is a gloss. Aoλo "corrupteth," is found in Clerm. gr. et lat. Germ. lat. Vulg. Iren. and other quotations. In Gal. door Zuμor are both found in Clerm. gr. The former word is used by the apostle in 2 Cor. iv. 2. but in the above places was, perhaps, not understood, or thought improper. 739. Persons have sometimes made alterations in the copies of Scripture, with a wilful intention of corrupting them, in order to answer some particular purpose. Marsh's Michael. ch. 6. § 12. 740. It has been a question, Whether the Jews have, in any instance, wilfully corrupted the Old Testament? It is denied, because of their veneration for the Scriptures, their not being accused of it by Christ, the impossibility of their doing it afterwards without detection, and their having left so many predictions favourable to Christianity. But, it is answered, that their veneration for the Scriptures gives no absolute security; that there are good reasons for Christ's not accusing them, though guilty; that they might hope to avoid detection by the ignorance of Hebrew among the first Christians; that the earliest who understood it do charge them with wilful corruptions; that their not going all lengths, is no proof that they have attempted none; that evidence of a single instance, would outweigh all general arguments; and that, though the charge against them has sometimes been carried too far, yet, there is sufficient evidence that, for the honour of their own nation, or from hatred to Christianity, they have wilfully corrupted some texts, and, in others, given the preference to false readings, which had at first arisen from other causes. Ken. Diss. 1. p. 275. Diss. 2. p. 349. Diss. Gen. § 21, 24, 66, 67, 68, 76, 84. Judg. xviii. 30. "the son of (D) Manasseh." Heb. 70. but wilfully corrupted from , for the honour of Moses. This is confessed by R. Solomon Jarchi, and confirmed by the several irregular ways of writing the 1, and by the agreement in time. Vulg. MSS. of 70. (Ken. Diss. 2. p. 51. Diss. Gen. § 21. cod. 490, 614. et in loc.) Deut. xxvii. 26. " that confirmeth not the words;" but it is quoted, Gal. iii. 10. " all the words," which is necessary for the argument, and is found in 4 Heb. MSS. 6 Chald. MSS. Samar, and its version, and 70. It has been omitted, that the Jews might not seem to be under the curse, or in opposition to Paul. (Ken. in loc. et Diss. 2. p. 47. Diss. Gen. § 81, 84, 85.) Josh. xv. 59. Eleven cities are here mentioned in 70, one of which is Εφραθα, άυτη εστι Βαιθλεεμ. They were probably at first omitted in the Hebrew, by means of the last word being also before this clause; but the omission has been continued, because Bethlehem (the birth-place of the Messiah, Mic. v. 2.) is no where else called Ephrathah. (Ken. Diss. 2. p. 57. Diss. Gen. § 84. Isa. lii. 14. Ty, "at thee." This reading confounds the prediction, by the change of person; but thy is found in 2 MSS. Syr. Chald. Vulg. MSS. Aqu. it is so translated in the Eng. of Coverdale, and in Edit. 1537, 1540, 1566, and is right. It might have been altered by chance, but probably by design, as the alteration is also made in the 70. (Ken. Diss. Gen. § 79. p. 35. n. 45. n. Lowth in loc. Ch. Ixiv. 4. the present Hebrew is unintelligible; it has been corrupted, in opposition to Paul's quotation, 1 Cor. ii. 9. (Ken. Diss. Gen. § 84, 6, 7. Lowth in loc.) 741. Some false readings, though not so many as have been imputed to them by the Fathers, and by others on their authority, were introduced, or attempted, by the ancient heretics, purposely in favour of their errors; but such were easily detected, and soon rejected. Michael. § 15. Pfaff. c. 11 § 2. Mill. Prol. passim. 742. The prevailing party in the church, who have always called themselves the orthodox, had it much more in their power to introduce and transmit false readings; and they have sometimes introduced them, and oftener given them the preference after their being accidentally made, on purpose to favour some received opinion, or to preclude an objection against it. Michael. Pfaff. ib. Mat. i. 18. πριν η συνελθειν αυτός, and v. 25. αυτης τον πρωτοτόκον, are omitted in some MSS purposely, but unnecessarily, in favour of the perpetual virginity. (Mill. et Griesb. in loc.) Mar. viii. 31. Instead of Mera тpeis nμepas, 4. MSS. have ε TY pupa,-for the fact. (Erasm. Mill. et Griesb. in loc.) ἡμερα,for Ch. xiii 32. ovde i vios-omitted in some copies, and rejected by some Fathers, as favouring the Arians. (Mill. in loc. et Prol. 826. Griesb. in loc.) Luke i. 35. yevvæμLevov,—EK ZOY is added in 3 MSS. Vulg. Syr. Pers. Arab. several quotations, and Eng.-against the Eutychians. (lid. in loc. et ib.) 1 John iv. 3. After ὁ μη όμολογει τον Ιησεν Χριστον εν σαρκί εληλυ Oora, is added, ¿ avei (or xataλver) rav Inov, in 1 MS. Vulg. and almost all quotations. It was perhaps, at first, a gloss, and afterwards taken into the text, in opposition to Cerinthus and Ebion. Mill. in loc. et Prol. 286, 501, 615, 846, 927, 928, 1320. 743. Mistaken zeal is forward to impute false readings to design in those whom it opposes; but we ought not to ascribe them to this principle rashly, where they might have naturally arisen from chance, or where there is no positive presumption or evidence of design. Mill. Prol. passim. SECT. III. Of the Kinds of False Readings. 744. FALSE readings are of four kinds,-Omissions, Additions, Transpositions, and Alterations; and each of them may be either of letters, of words, or of clauses. 745. It will be useful to take notice of some of the most remarkable of each kind; especially such as are found either in several MSS., in received versions, or in printed editions; pointing out how they have arisen, and how they are corrected. 746. I. Omissions easily happen through carelessness, and sometimes have been made by design; but always alter, pervert, or destroy the sense, which will be restored by supplying them. 747. 1. The omission of a single letter may happen very readily, and from many different causes, and has happened very frequently; but is often of great importance. עמון But Num. xxii. 5. "The land of the children (y) of his people;" this is unmeaning. "Ammon," is found in 12 MSS. Sam. Syr. Vulg. and is right. (Ken. in loc. et Diss. Gen. p. 77. note.) Ezek. xxxiii. 21. n "in the twelfth year;" but nya "eleventh," is found in 8 MSS. and in Syr. which is evidently right. See 2 Kings xxv. 8. Ken. in loc. et ib. § 105, 179. p. 85. n.) 748. Sometimes by accident, and sometimes designedly, when the introduction of the vowel points was thought to render them unnecessary, the vowel letters, in particular, have been improperly omitted, especially and ', on account of their smallness; and the omission has produced improper, and even absurd readings. Job. i. 16, 17. ; but v. 18. y. (Ken. in loc. et Diss. Gen. § 167. Ch. ii. 11. xx. 1. 7918; but xi. 1. xlii. 9. y. (lid. ib.) .once ובנתיה (.lid, ib) יהושוע יהושע .7 .Judg. ii |