The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-07-03

Variations are found in all ancient
manuscrips whether OF the New Tesla.
ment or any other work. DIR, John
Mills, an eminent Christian scholar, In
A. d. 1707 estimated the variations In
the manuscript OF the New Testament
at so, 600. Half n dozen years alterward
a deist named Anthony Collins de
clared that the $4,000 variations were
fatal to the authority Of the New Tes
lament" In A. ID. 1874 according to
DR.. Scrivener the number OF varletions
had increased four-fold by the discov
cry OF more manuscripts. DIR. Schafl
informs us that now the number oil
variations Cannot fall much short oil
10000. What would Anthony Collins
say concerning that statement if he
were living to-day? Probably he
would say that there are $50. 600
good reasons for rejecting the New
Testament as an authoritative book
Many Of his successors say as much
An important question this: Who dis
covered and reported these variations
No Intelligent skeptic will dare answer
that learned intldels were the discover.
ers and reporters. Learned Christian
scholars Gavo the facts TO the Church
and the world, for they were the inves
tigators and discoveries. This circum.
stance proves that these scholars were
able, Industrious, and conscientious
men. Their discoveries, however, did
not disturb their confidence In the au.
thority of the New Testament, and all
who have died were supported by its
teachings and comfortad by its truths
to the end of their lives; while those
who ''are alive and remain" are stauncl
defenders OF the authority Of the New
Testament.
But how many manuscripts of the
New Testament have been discovered
And whom were they wrltten2 100
manuscripts have come into the hands
of Christian scholars. The Original
manuscripts OF the New Testament,
twenty-seyen In all, are not known to
be in existence. All the manuscripts
TINT have been collected are copies
None are older than the fourth cen.
tury. There Is no reason to believe
that any of the copyists were dlvlnely
inspired men.
In what do the variations consist.
This question docs not interest reiec.
ters OF the New Testament. The fact
that there are l50,000 variations in 1900
copied manuscripts that were written
In a period Of thousand years OF
more by hundreds of believers In
Christ who lived In various parts OF
the world, settles the matter of the
authority OF the Book in these reiec
ters' minds. They do not believe In
the Book. But there are others who
are willing to make further inquiries
They wantinformation concerning the
nature and extent of these variations
and the information is easily obtaina
BILE. These manuscripts have been ex'
amined and compared with wonderful
patience and thoroughness.
Every error IN spelling-and they
are numerous-ls called q variation
The omissions OF letters, words, sen
fences or paragraphs are variations
hen there are additions, wrong di
visions, glosSos, alterations. etc. Lei
1900 men make 1900 manuscript copies
OF the English New Testament. Lei
these men be selected from Christians
in various parts of Europe, Asia,
Africa and America. and the isles OF
the sea, and pursue their work indie
pendently. When their work is done
let 100 scholars compare their manu-.
scripts with each other, and make O
note ef every mispelled word; OF every
omitted letter, word, sentence, and
paragraph; OF additions to the text. OF
the omissions of the dot from the let
ter |, and the cross from the letter t
OF the erroneous division Of words
etc, and they would discover scores
OF thousands ofvariations; and yet tht
integrity of the Book would remain.
DR.. Schaif says, This multitude oil
various readings of the Greek text
need not puzzle or alarm any Christian
1t is the natural result OF the great
wealth of our documentary resources
| Ia 10
portance OF The New Testament; II
does not affect, but rather insures, the
integrity OF the text, and 1t is useful
stimulus to study. Only about 400
of the 100000 or 10000 variations
materially affect the sense. OF these
again, not more than about fifty are
really important for come reason Oh
other; and even OF these fifty not one
affects an article of faith or precept OIL
duty which Is not abundantly sus
tanned by other and undoubted pas
sages, or by the whole tenor of Scrip
ture teaching. DR.. Ezra Abbott
who ranks among the first textua
critics, and is not hampered by ortho
dox bias (being a Unitarlan), asserts
that no Christian doctrine or duty
rests on those portions of the text
which are affected in the manuscripts
/ SUN leSS Ill HllyluluP essential IL
Christianity touched by the various
readlngs.in
Only fifty out'of 10000 variations II
100 manuscripts that are really i'm
portantr-or an average of ono impor
tant variation in ono manuscript
out of thirty-four! And not a single
doctrine or precept is in any way
affected! or course the skoptic who be.
lieves that there are $50, 900 variations
in 1900 manuscript copies of the New
Testament, must also believe that
there are but fifty really important
variations, because the latter state
ment is as credible as the former, for
both statements originated with emf
nent christian scholars, and the SAINT
scholars. Therefore all the Anthony
Collinses of the present day will do
well to recognize tho New Testament
and accept Jesus the Christ as botl
Saviour and Lord. L. Ii. b.
We have speedy ana positive cur
for catagrh, diphtheria, canker moutl
and headache, in SHlLOH'S CATARHt