The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-03-08
Tischendo-ns Great Discovery.


The London Daily 2siegroph's ST.
Petersburgh correspondent, WHO has
seen at the imperial public library OF that
city, where they are or exhibition, the
interesting and valuable Biblical manu-
scripts discovered By Ptof. Tischendorf,
speaks OF them thus -
The most interesting feature in the
exhibition, is the very Oldest Greek man
uscript OF tGe Bible eAtant, document
Of the utmost moment, and bespeaking
the gravest attention Of the whole Chris
iian Church. Besides the important and
valuable contents of Tie Old Testament,
of TIE same text as that used by the
apostles in their quotations, the manu-
script contains The whole Of the New
Testament The various European Ii
hrarics I'll possess many manuscript
copies Of The Bible, but not a single one
of the few written before the tenth cen
lury, that contains al the New Tesla
mcnt. The Two hitherto regarded as the
Oldest and most complete, and held in
tie highest estimation, are those in the
libraries held at Rome and London. But
the former wants four entire epistles OF
ST. Paul, and the half of another, as also
the Book of Revelations while in the
latter the whole Of the Gospel Of st.
Matthew is missing, as well as some
parts Of ST. John, and the Pauline epis-
Ties.
,laa r.,a.,.,a~.;;~ sJs. etarsoufg, Is
not detective even in the smallest degree
on the contrary, it contains two works
even IN addition one complete, the 9th
er but partially SO. In the second and
ihird centuries, these latter were inclu-
dod in the canon Of Holy Writ, and al
ways received the deepest reverence as
precious heir looms of the earliest inspi-
ration Of the Church Of Christ. Of one
Of them, the Epstle Of Barnabas, nearly
the whole Of the first half has been wan
ting until now in the original Greek text
while 0! another, only one very imper-
feet copy was known 10 exist up to three
years ago. The date of the manuscript
has been fixed by Prof. Tischendorf,
(who is perhaps the greatest authority Of
the present time i'll this peculiar province
Of learning,) at the beginning of the
fourth century -consequen1y, in the
times of Constantine the Great, and the
first Economical Council. No otLes
copy Of the Bible is of higher antiquity
than tl,is; indeed. The far famed CodeX
Naicanus is the only one that can at all
put in any claims of competition. These
writings, drawn from the grave of ages
as living Witnesses TO the present gener-
atoms of tie inspired authority Of The
apostolical Scriptures, have, at the in
stance OF Prof. Tischendolf, been destined
By the reverend brotherhood Of Sinaites,
as offering TO the Imperial persons who
is the acknowledged head and defender
of tie orthodox Church.
BY the recovery and acquisition o.
these precious heirlooms of the distant
times Of Christian faith, St. Petersburg
enjoys Il bloodless victory over the hith
erto more favored cities Of London and
Rome. The great capital Of the North
nov offers a resting place for the earli
est records Of Holy Writ, sacred treas.
ures which in secure repose at the foo
of The Mount of Moses--lhe holy noun
hallowed by the far-off memories o.
thousands of years-haye survived, as
by a miricle of Providence, through al
the storms OF the tumul.uoas centuries
Of lie past.