The sun., 1882-08-20
A Revised Greek English Testament.

The MeSsrs Harper have rendered an i'm
portant service To younG students of the Greek
Testament by placing the original text, rs cor
rectcd by DR. W estcott and Dr. Hort. face to face
in tho sume volume with the new translation Of
the English revisers To tho general rcader
the IN mpst interesting feature Of the book is the
Introduction, written by DR.. Philip Schafr. who
has acted a the President OF. tho American
Bible Revision COMMITTEES.
DR.. SchaG, being personally acquainted
with the editors Of the Greek tcXt is ablc
to furnish good many particulars re-
lating to their special qualifications for the
task they undertook. DR.. Hort was cd
ucatcd it seems. ut Rugby school and Trinity
College Cambridge, and, since 1873. has filed
the chair Of Huisean Professor OF Divinity in the
University. Since the death of T ischendorf he
has been generally looked upon as more
familiar with the tcNtual history of the Greek
Testament than any other man living. Some
dissertations which he published in 1876
evincod rare degree Of pltrstic learning and
critical acumen. and he IS known 10 have ex-
erted great influence in the Revision Company
on all questions of disputed reading. DR.. Vest
colt also graduated at Trinity College, Cam
bridge. and is now Regius Professor Of Divinity
in the University rs well as Canon of Peter
borough. He is tho author of several striking
and useful works. iuc.u ling n History oi the
English Biblc. Il History Of the Canon Of the
New Testament. and II Commentary on the
Gospel of John. which Is perhaps the best
executed part of the Speakers Commentary.
1t appears that these two scholars wore
in constant correspondence with each other
during the preparation Of tholr edition of
the Greek text and kept n journal Of their
discussions of all the important tnNtunl
questions. DR.. Schaff. who has been pormtted
to use proof sheets OF their text since 1870, Is
of opinion that few works have been constructed
with so much labor. care, and devotion as this
edition of tho Greek Testament, begun in 1888,
and finished in 1851. His own preliminary
essay was written before the appearance Of the
Introduction and Appendix. which DR.. West
colt anl DR.. Hort published in u separate vol
ume, and in which, H. we pointed out AT the time.
they gave u full exposition oil the principles
and results Of teNtual criticism. The Amerl-
can scholar makes no attempt to discuss the
subject 50 eXhaustively. but simply provides
the crwith such elementary information rs
is necessary for the Intelligent u,c of this orany
other critical edition Of the Greek Testament,
After enumorating the rules which are COM
monty regarded as sound by the most author
itativc cXpoundars Of the laws of tcXtual emen-
dation he shows that the application IT these
critical canOus must decide the candid student
against tho I,rinS HcrGp'uS. SO called, from
which the Protestant versions We're made. and
in favor Of an uurlal toyt. The YrriuS RerepitS
rests on u few and late manuscripts. mostly cur
sive, which have very little or no authority when
compared with much older codlces which have
since been brought to light II ahounds in
relatively modern additions. aul arose rs il
were by accident before tho materials ior tho
science OF criticism wore accumulated and
digescd Erasmus. Stephens and Boza were
good scholars for their time but could ac-
complsh little with tho scnnty resources
at their command Grieshach. Lnchmunn.
Trrgcllos, and Tischend4rf have an al
/ vantage over them in the possession of an
| immense critical apparatus which has been IN
| process of collection for three hundred years.
| We are now able to 60 back from tho cursive
] text of the fifteenth century to Il text ut least