The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1889-02-27
For the Central Presbyterian,
Those Textualists.
BY REV. R. R. HoWIsoN.

Our good brother, Rev. J. A. Vance,
appears again in print in the Central OF
February 18th, on the grave and affect
ing subject which has been under discus
sion for some months past. 1t is not
easy to understand why he should con-
tinue to write under the title, "This is
my Body" He has already informed us
that in these words he recognizes no pur-
pose of Christ our Saviour to symbolic
His breaking of the bread of which His
disciples were to partake And he adj
heres to his contention that TIE word
nearing "broken" as applicable to our
Lords body, was not given by inspirs-
ton in Cor. xi: "a.
Surely it might have been expected
that in commenting on the article in OPP
position to his view, which appeared in
the Central of January 10th, he would
make some attempt TO meet and repel
the evidence presented and the argu-
ments urged in that article. But be
does nothing of the kind.
When the evidence of the ancient YER
sions ia presented-of the old Syriac YER
sion known as the Pe,chito, which is
older than the oldest manuscript Of the
New Testament now existing-and OF
the ancient Gothic version, which is
older than any such manuscript, with
the possible exception of one; and of the
most reliable edition of the Latin Vul-
gate, he makes no answer, save solemn
repetition of his creed: II believe in Laoh-
mann, Tischendorf, and Westcott and
Hort And when the evidence of q
Il
manuscripts is presented, and the
united evidence of more than two
hundred cursiVe manuscripts is pre-.
eented--all testifyiDg to the presence
of the word kl5menon Ia l Cor. XII "a,
as applied TO the body of Christ, he still
makes no answer, save by repeating his
creed aforesaid. And when evidence
and arguments are fairly presented tend.
ing to prove that the evidence he had
himself brought forward, viz: the uncial
Greek manuscripts A, B, @, and the
Sinaitic, are very far from being unim
peached and trustworthy witnesses to
negative the existence of the word
kl6menon in the text in question, still he
makes no answer save to repeat his creed
aforesaid His creed has certainly one
quality in perfection, to-wit: It's sim
plioity.
Therefore, as he has refused to Join in
the issue offered has traversed nothing,
denied nothing, answered nothing of the
evidence and arguments offered no in
clination would be felt to say anything
more on the subject, but for part of his
last article and the influence it may pos.
siblv have on soma minds
He has given US very pleasant and
readable little seminary essay on the
origin and progress of the science Of
teut1lnh8n1 and of his estimate of the
labora and success Of the great minds
that have built up this science. And he
has taken special pains to inform US that
this part Of HE article is not intended
for those who have made study OF
textual criticism, but for the more igno-
rant and inexperienced readers of the
paper and he intimates quite distinctly
his belief that most of those who read
those articles may not even 80 much az
know what textual criticism is, and
therefore it ia for the benefit Of those
beniQhted souls that he writes bic little
essay.
Now ] have strong conviction that
the ha bitual readers Of the Central even
if they be not ministers, nor seminary
professors, nor students, knew before.
hand everything related in our brothers
little essay which pertains to the origin
and copying Of the inspired text OF the
Holy Scriptures People in our day
and especially readers OF well-conducted
Christian paper, are not ignorant of the
fact that God never works q miracle, and
never has wrought continuous miracle