genuine fimplicity, will effectually fhew the futility of the cavils of infidels, which, for the moft part, are founded on wrong views of the doctrines of revelation.-Thefe certainly are objects, which all who have the interefts of chriftianity at heart. must wish to see obtained: objects of far greater importance to the welfare of the world than thofe which ingrofs the attention of a frivolous age.

The text of the Greek new teftament followed in this translation, is the one in common ufe; which, because it was settled according to the opinion of learned men in different countries, who compared a great number of MSS, and fixed on the readings which appeared to them best supported, the author hath not attempted to alter. Only because the oldeft MSS are written without any diftinction of the words by intervening Spaces, and of the fentences by commas and colons, and without the Spirits and accents*, the author hath altered the accenting and pointing of the common edition in a few inftances, in order to obtain a better and more perfpicuous fenfe of the paffages, than that which arifes from the common pointing.-Farther, although by the care with which other MSS and verfions have been collated, fince the text of the new teftament was fettled, more various readings have been procured, none of these readings are followed in this tranflation, except the few which our English bible hath adopted, and which shall be mentioned in the notes. The au

* Although the diftinction of words in MSS by fpaces, and of fentences by points, was known in Cicero's time, it was not much ufed, except by the Roman lawyers in public inftruments. (Clerici Ar. Crit. p. iii. fect. r. c. x. 7. 9.) In MS copies of the fcriptures, thefe diftinctions were not ufed at all, till Jerome first attempted them in his translations of the books of the old teftament. (Ibid. No. 5. 7.) The MSS of the fcriptures now remaining, the oldest of which are more than 300 years later than Jerome's time, fhew, that even then the feparation of the words by spaces, and the distinction of the fentences by points, were not commonly used. It is evident, therefore, that the transcribers, who first attempted to accent and point the Greek new teftament, having no ancient MSS to guide them, mutt have been directed merely by their own opinion of the meaning of the paffages. The editors also who published the first printed copies, must have followed the fame rule in accenting and pointing their editions. Wherefore, to alter the accents and points of the commonly received text, is not to alter the text of the Greek teftament, but rather to restore it to its primitive truth, and ought to be admitted, if thereby a better and more perfpicuous fense of the paffages is obtained. See examples, Rom. ii 8, 9. vii, 25. viii. 20, 21. 2 Cor. ix, 10, xii. 11. xiii, 2, 3. new tranflation.

thor's attachment to the common text hath not proceeded from an implicit acquiefcence in the opinion of the learned men who settled it, but from a perfuafion that the readings which they adopted are, for the most part, better supported by MSS, and agree better with the context, than either the readings which they rejected, or than those which have been obtained fince their time,*. Some of the rejected readings, indeed,

ftand

* On the revival of learning in Europe, fome of the most eminent men of the age employed themselves in collating all the MSS of the Greek new teftament which they could find, for the purpose of obtaining a correct text of these invaluable writings.'

Among those who applied themselves to that important work, Cardinal Francis Ximenes, archbishop of Toledo, and his three learned affiftants, whom he had made profeffors in the university of Alcala, for that very purpose, were most eminent, and deferve to be first mentioned; because they fet about the work early, though the fruit of their labours was not communicated to the public till a number of years after their edition was finished. The copy which they made their text was a MS fent to them from the Vatican library, by Pope Leo X. with orders not to depart from it in the least. Accordingly, excepting a few alterations, they tranfcribed the whole faithfully; namely, the feptuagint verfion of the old teftament, and the Greek new teftament, to the Revelation, which is wanting in the Vatican copy. This tranfcript they compared with a number of MSS, fome of them furnished by the pope, and others by the cardin 1 himself; particularly a very ancient MS of the epiftles, fent to Ximenes from Rhodes; and at the fame time they marked the readings of all these MSS which were different from the Vatican copy. The new teftament being finished, was printed in the year 1515. But Ximenes did not choose to publish it feparately from the rest of the bible, which was not completed tili the year 1517: and he dying, his bible was not given to the public till about the year 1524.

The next person of note who attempted to reftore the true readings of the Greek new teftament, was Erafmus, of Rotterdam. He, by collating five Greek MSS and fome Latin copies, amended both the Greek text and the vulgate verfion, and published both, with large notes, at Bafil, in the year 1516. This was the first copy of the Greek new teftament that was published from the prefs. Mill tells us, that, exclufive of typographical errors, it contains above 500 wrong readings, and about 100 genuine

ones.

But

In the year 1518, a Greek teftament was published at Venice, by Andreas Afulanus, Aldus's fon-in-law; Aldus himself having died about two years before. Certain learned men corrected this edition, by collating it with fome very ancient MSS. its text is fimilar to that of Erafmus, which was published a little before. Both edi tions have the fame apparatus, and, with a few exceptions, the fame errors. Yet on the authority of the above-mentioned MSS, the Aldin edition differs from the Erafmean in not a few places.

In the year 1519, Erafmus published his fecond edition, with a translation from the Greek, and the notes greatly enlarged printed by Froben. It has alfo an index of the folecifms, and other faults of the vulgate verfion, which expofed Erafmus to much

cenfure,

stand on an equal, or, perhaps, on a better authority than those in But as they make no imaterial alteration

the received text.

in

cenfure, and created him many enemies. Mill fays the text of this edition is much more correct than that of the former.

In the year 1521, a Greek new teftament was published at Hagenau, in which the editor profeffes to have followed the editions of Aldus and Froben. But Mill tells us, that, on examining it, he found the editor had followed Erafmus's first Greek teftament even in thofe readings which were corrected in the fecond publication.

In the year 1522, Erafmus's third edition came out, printed at Bafil, by Froben, in which he followed the text of his fecond Greek taftament, except in 118 readings, which he took from the Aldin edition, and fome new MSS, which he had collated, or examined. And on the margin he marked about 19 readings, taken from Aldus. The text in this is fomewhat more correct than that in his fecond edition. And the famous text, 1 John, ch. v. 7. concerning the testimony of the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, is inferted in it in Greek. Erafmus fays, he took it from a copy which he calls the British, and that he inferted it that there might be no handle for calumniating him.

At length, in the year 1524, the Complutenfian, or Ximenes's bible, was published in fix vols. folio: a noble work, every way worthy of the cardinal, at whole expence it was executed, and of pope Leo X. who patronised it. The old teftament confills of four vols. having three columns in each page. In the first is the LXX. tranflation, according to the Vatican copy, with an interlined Latin verfion. In the fecond column, is the vulgate, or Jerome's tranflation, corrected by the best MSS. In the third column, is the Hebrew text; and below, are placed, in two columns, a Chaldaic tranflation, and a Latin verfion of that tranflation.-The new teftament is in one volume ; the Greek text, according to the Vatican copy, in one column; and the vulgate, or Jerome's tranflation, in another. The fixth and laft volume contains a difti:nary of the Hebrew language.-There are alfo a variety of prologues interfperfed through the whole, of which it is needless to give an account.

After the publication of the Complutenfian bible, Erafmus, in the year 1527, fet forth his fourth Greek new teftament, in forming, which, he fays, he made ufe of the Complutenfian biblę. It has three columns in each page. In the first is the Greek text: in the fecond is Erafmus's orun tranflation; and, in the third, is the vulgate verfion. With respect to the Greek text of this edition, Erafmus profeffes to have followed that of the Complutenfian bible. Accordingly, although the text is, in general, agreeable to that of his third edition, Erafmus thought proper to depart from it in 106 inftances; and, instead of its readings, to fubstitute those of the Compluten fian bible.

In the year 1534, Simon Colinæus, a Parifian printer, published his Greek teftament, without any preface, informing the reader in what manner he had formed his text. So that it is uncertain whether he followed the text of any of the former printed editions, or any particular MS; or whether he chofe what he judged the best readings of all the manufcript and printed copies he had examined. Mill tells us, that he found in it more than 150 readings, in which it differs from all the former editions; and that most of them are authorised by MSS. At the fame time he obferves, that, from the love of novelty, or, to make the text more clear, Colinæus, upon the authority of one or two MSS only, had fometimes departed from the common readings,

notwith

in the fenfe of the paffages where they are found, to have adopted them, would have been to change the received text for no purpose.

notwithstanding they are much better fupported than thofe he hath adopted. Of this Mill gives many examples; and adds, that this new teftament abounds in various readings; and that, although a confiderable number of them are unfupported, yet he found 180, which, in his opizion, exhibit the genuine Greek text.

In the year 1535, Erafmus published his fifth and laft Greek teftament; the text of which is the fame with that in the former, except in four places, where Mill thinks It exhibits the genuine readings. In this, Erafmus apologises for the errors of his former editions.

In the year 1546, Robert Stephen, printer to the king of France, published his first Greek teftament in decimo fexto, with a preface, in which he tells us he had procured from the king's library fome MSS of admirable antiquity; that from them he had formed his text, in fuch a manner as not to have admitted a letter which was not fupported by the beft MSS; that, among other helps, he had ufed the Complutenfian bible, whofe readings he found to agree wonderfully with the king's MSS; in short, that having collated the text with the king's MSS, and with the Compluten fian bible, he had admitted thofe readings only which were fupported by the greatest number of the beft copies. But Mill thinks he esteemed thofe the best which agreed beft with the Complutenfian bible.-The MSS which Stephen collated were 15 in number. These he marked by the letters of the Greek alphabet. Mill hath given a full account of them all, in his Proleg No. 1159, &c.

In the year 1549, R. Stephen published his fecond Greek teftament, in the fame volume with the former, and with the fame types and preface. In this, the number of the pages, and even the lines in every page, are exactly the fame with those in his first edition. The text alfo is the fame, except 67 readings, of which Mill thinks four are dubious, and of the rest he fuppofes 26 to be genuine, which are taken, partly from the last editions, partly from MSS, and partly from the Complutenfian bible.

In the year 1550, Stephen published his third Greek teftament, printed in a large volume with great types. When he undertook this edition, he had 16 MSS, which, fome time before, he had collated with the Greek text twice, and did the fame now a third time. To the gofpels he prefixed that account of the lives of the evangelifts, which Erafmus had inferted in his Latin tranflations, and to the Acts of the Apoftles, fome excerpts from Euthalius's prologues to the epifties, concerning St. Paul's preaching and martyrdom. He alfo inferted the contents of each epiftle; and, on the margin, marked the principal various readings of the 16 MSS, which he had fo carefully collated.-Morinus tells us, that Beza, when forming his copy of the new teflament, borrowed thefe 16 MSS, and marked fome readings omitted in Stephen's edition as too minute, though in reality they are of ufe in afcertaining the text.-In this copy, Stephen hath departed from the text of both his former editions in 284 inftances; of which Mill thinks 71 are genuine. The reft are of doubtful authority, or confist of minutia, concerning which nothing certain can be determined. -Mill adds, that Stephen's regard for the Compluten fian bible had now become fo great, that he resumed in this edition 31 of its readings, which formerly he had rejected; and that he adopted 27 of them on its fingle authority, contrary to other MSS. Dr. Symonds, in his ufeful obfervations on the expediency of revifing our prefent English bible, page 136. tells us, that this is the text which king James's translators chiefly used.

purpose. The rejected readings, which alter the fenfe of the paffages, especially those which relate to controverted doctrines, the

In the year 1551, Stephen published his fourth Greek teftament in a (maller volume, with the vulgate verfion on the inward fide of the page, and Erafmus's tranflation on the outward. The text does not differ from that of his third copy, except in one word; but it is, for the first time, divided into thofe verfes which are now, commonly used. On the outward margin, the parallel places are marked, together with Ofiander's harẻ mony. From this edition, or rather from the preceding one, the Greek text of the new teftament now in common ufe feems to have been taken, and therefore Mill calls it, Stephanica noftra.

In the year 1564, Theodore Beza published his Greek teflament, with a Latin translation and notes. He tells us, that he compared the text, not only with the ancient Greek MSS, but with the Syriac verfion, and with the writings of the Greek and Latin fathers. In his dedication to queen Elizabeth, he fays, that while he was employed in this work, Henry Stephen, Robert's fon, gave him a copy of his father's noble edition, published in 1550, on which were marked the readings of about 25 MSS, and of almost all the printed copies. But Mill affirms, that the use which Beza made of thefe readings was not to afcertain the text, but chiefly to give fuch a turn to the fcriptures, as established his own tenets: and of this he gives various examples, (No. 1258.) He adds, that Beza, in his notes, adopts the expofitions of the Latin, preferably to thofe of the Greek fathers, because they accorded better with his fyftem of theology.

In the year 1569, Robert, the son of Robert Stephen, published a Greek new testament, in the fame volume, and with the fame kind of types, wherewith his father's first and fecond editions were printed, and added fuch of the readings of his father's third publication as feemed to the learned of greatest importance. The text is the fame with that in his father's first and fecond copies, except that he hath adopted feven readings of the third.

In the year 1584, Beza published another edition of his Greek teftament, in which he altered one or two of the erroneous readings which he had formerly adopted, and added some readings from two MSS of great antiquity; namely, a MS of the four gospels and of the As, with the Italic tranflation, before it was corrected by Jerome. The other is the Clermont MS of St. Paul's epifles in Greek and Latin. Of thefe MSS, Mill hath given a full account, in his Prolegomena. Le Clerc, in his Ars Crit. part iii. fect. x. c. 16. tells us, that in the place where Beza's MS of the goffels differs from others, the alterations are evidently made to render the ftyle more agreeable to the Greek idiom ; on which account its authority is the lefs. His MS of the gospels, Beza gifted to the university of Cambridge, where it now remains.

In the year 1622, Elzevir at Leyden, published a Greek new teftament in a small volume, in which the text is printed with great care, agreeably to the readings of the king's MSS, and of the MSS of the best authority. Two years after this, Elzevir published another Greek teftament, corrected, as Beza informs us, by not a few perfons, eminent for learning and piety. Mill fays it is elegantly printed, and very correct; and that, except in twelve inftances, the text is entirely formed on Stephen's edition of 1550. From this it appears, that the learned pious men above mentioned approved of the Stephanic text.

In the year 1658, Stephen Curcellæus, a learned unitarian, published his Greek new teftament. This induftrious perfon, obferving that most of the various readings found