805. All readings are probably wrong, which stand in opposition to such as are probably genuine; and these, too, have been already exemplified in many instances.

806. Readings which imply considerable irregularity, or impropriety, are probably false, though it be not clear what reading should be adopted instead of them.

807. Readings, certainly or very probably false, ought to be expunged from the editions of the Scriptures, and departed from in versions of them, however long and generally they have usurped a place there, as being manifest corruptions, which impair the purity of the sacred books.

808. Among texts, the true reading of which is controverted, the most remarkable in several respects is 1 John v. 7, 8. where the words, & тw ougave, o Tarng ὁ λογος, και το άγιον πνευμα, και οὗτοι οἱ τρεις ἓν εισι· και τρεις εισιν μαρτυρούντες εν τη γη, are by some held to be genuine, and by others to be spurious; and, all the kinds of evidence, both external and internal, having been urged on both sides, it is only by a fair comparison of them all, that it can be determined, in which of the four classes this reading out to be placed.

Mill. in loc. Wet
. ib.

Griesb. ib. Simon,

Bengel. ib. N. T. p. 1. 18. Marsh's Michael. Pappelbaum. External. MSS. For the text.-It is supposed to be in 8 of Steph. Vat. some seen by Simon, one mentioned by Erasmus, some by Cajetan, some by Valla, some by the Louvaine divines; it is in 2, the Dublin and Berlin MSS.-Against it.

It is not in any of Steph. nor in the Vat. nor in any seen by Simon. Erasmus says not that he saw one, nor has any person found it. Cajetan was misinformed, and Valla is misrepresented. The Louvaine divines mean Latin copies. The Dublin MS. is very modern; and the Berlin MS. has been carefully collated by Pappelbaum, and proved to be almost a mere transcript from the Complutensian.

Versions. For it. Vulg.; in all Edit. and most MSS.; all modern versions; supposed to be in Ital. and Armen.— Against it. Arab. Ethiop. Copt. Pers. Russ. Syr. in all MSS. and some Edit Armen. in all ancient copies. Vulg. in many MSS. and the most ancient; in others, differently placed; in Jerome's and Ital. Luther, in some editions. Zuingl. Bullinger. Eng. edit. till after 1556.

nas.

Quotations. For it. (Greek.) Dissertation placed in AthaLateran Council, as from some Greek copies of the 13th century. Calecas, 14th century. (Latin.) supposed in Tertull. and Cyprian, and Explan. fidei; it is in the Preface to the Catholic Epistles, Victor Vitens. Vigilius Tapsens. Fulgentius; and is positively rejected by none.Against it. (Greek.) No Antenicene writer, nor Nicene Council; no writer for above 700 years, though it might often have been for their purpose. (Latin.) No writer for above 800 years. Tertull. and Cypr. are misunderstood. The Preface to the Catholic Epistles is spurious and late; all the others are too late. The text could not be positively rejected, because it was not known.

Editions. For it. Compl. Erasm. 3d. &c. Steph. Beza, and all the common ones derived from these.-Against it. Erasm. 1st and 2. Alb. Haguenau Strasburg. Colinæus, and several derived from these. Griesb.

Internal. Connexion. For it. The connexion is imperfect, as there would be only witnesses on earth; it is referred to, v. 9. "the witness of God;" it is a proof of v. 5, 6. and properly beings with or, v. 7. and not with xai, V. 8.—— Against it. The connexion requires it not; three witnesses are sufficient, and the apostle says not that they are "on

earth." V. 4, refers not to this, but to what follows, and the proof does begin with 7. The connexion will not bear it; it disjoins v. 6. and v. 8. improperly; and the same witness would be unfairly reckoned twice.

Occasion. For it. The text has been omitted by the Arians or Gnostics, accidentally and easily; it could not be added from a gloss, because there is no such gloss in any Greek MS. Against it. It was a mystical interpretation of v. 8. written on the margin of some Latin copies; whence it was taken into the text, and translated into Greek; it could not easily be omitted accidentally, far less so, generally.

CHAP. II.

The Explication of Separate Words.

809. THE first and simplest object of explanatory or interpretative criticism, is, separate words.

810. The difficulties in these regard-the combination of letters into words-irregular forms and flexions -the general signification of words-their different kinds, as nouns, verbs, particles-and the determination of the kind to which they belong; and these several classes of difficulties suggest a natural distribution of this branch of criticism.

SECT. I.

The Combination of Letters into Words.

811. THE proper combination of letters into the different words which they were designed to form, naturally claims our first attention, both by its analogy to corrective criticism, and by its being fundamental to what is properly explanatory.

812. All ancient MSS. being written without any distances between words, they cannot show in what

manner the author meant that the words should be distinguished; and, in distinguishing them rightly, there is often difficulty; and mistakes may be, and have been committed.

Ken. Diss. Gen. § 28, 124.

813. One word may be, and has sometimes been, improperly divided into two.

Psalm. cvi. 7. "They provoked by "at the sea;" this is

עלים .superfluous

Ken. Diss. Gen. p. 13. n.

Mark vi. 25. 66 'Give me (εž aurns, literally, "out of her") "the head," &c. So most MSS.; gas to be supplied. (Beza); but this is an awkward phrase.-avrns "immediately," all Vers.

Mill. in loc.

814. Two words may be, and have been improperly united into one.

Psal. lxxiii. 4. "No bands (distresses) into their death," Omp; this is obscure.-On 1, "happen to them; perfect and firm is their strength." Merrick, addenda.

815. Letters, which belong to the end of one word, have been separated from it, and joined to the beginning of the subsequent word.

1 Chron. ii. 18 "Caleb begat Azubah (ny”¬ ♫ TUN) wife. and Jerroth;" this is absurd. The 70. Vulg and Eng. mistranslate.—iy'' as inux “begat Jerioth of Azubah hiṣ wife." Syr. Arab.

Ken. Diss. 1. p. 482.

816. Letters, which belong to the beginning of one word, have been added to the end of the preceding word.