New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-15

tain Greek original and Syriac translation;
but the weight Of critical opinion favors Syriac
original. The Diatessaron. though based on the
Gospel Of Matthew. worked In nearly the whole
Of the Gospel Of John. and the book was otter
used in the Syrian churches because of its more
convenient size
We have now the principal factors of the dis
cusson raised by Mrs. Lewis's discovery. What
IL the precise value OF this discovery to New
Testament criticism? This question cannot yet
be satisfactorily answered. There can be no
doubt that the Sinai manuscript Is a valuable
piece Of evidence. but. as one OF the greatest
OF modern textualists has remarked. Evidence
is valuable only so far as It can be securely In
terpreted." 1t Is a link. but its true value de-
ponds on other links which yet wanting
Our factors are: !. very early Syrac version
Of the Gospels represented by the Cureton frag-
ment. But how early? High authorities. such
as westcott and Hort, Payne Smith. Tregees
Ewald. Cureton himself. and DR.. Isaac Hall re-
gard It as the Oldest form Of the syriac version
yet there may be earlier. All that we are
practically sure Of is that II Is earlier than the
Peshitto Q. That the Peshitto Is revision OF
an earlier version may be regarded as estab-
lished. Is that earlieh version the Curetonian?
g. Assuming that Tatian's Datessaron was COM
posed about A. d. 1s0 was the Diatessaron
written originally in Syriac? Was 1t older than
the Curetonian? To quote Mrs. Lewis's words:
WAS the Datessaron compiled In the second
century from the version contained In the Cure
tonian and In the Sinai codices. or did that YER
sion come into existence only In the fourth
century when the use Of the Diatessaron was
discontinued?" l. We have the newly discov-
cred manuscript. All that we can say with any
approach to certainty is that 1t is earlier than
otAo ,, tha Ci1re-
tonian is still oper question. 1t does not per-
fecty coincide with the Curetonian. Two au-
thorities. Nestle. Of Ulm. and J. Rendel Harris.
who Is not given to hasty conclusions in ques-
lions OF criticism think that this is not dup-
cate Of the Curetonan but the very first at
tempt at rendering the Gospel into Syrac. OF
which both the Diatessaron and the Curetonian
are revisions. The new discovery adds TO, the
evidence that the Peshitto is revision. 1t ap-
pears to furnish the practical completion OF the
earlier Syriac text
IT, as Is most probable this manuscript carries
us back to the middle Of the second century, II
braces the conclusion which, even before its dis
covery 1t was difficult to resist. and which was
powerfully supported by the testimony OF the
Diatessaron that our four Gospels were In wide
circulation in Syria by the middle OF the sec
ond century; that Harnack observes they
had already taken a place OF prominence IN the
Church, and that others had done so; and
that. In particular. the fourth Gospel had taken
a fixed place alongside Of the Synoptic Gospels /
In that case their composition must be assigned
to date closely approaching, II not identical
with that to which the Church has commonly /
referred them-the latter part Of the first cent
Try When the conditions are considered under /
which DOCUMENTS acquired recognition and cur I
In hat he
ton and the consequent scarcity OF copies. the /
imperfect and precarious means Of communica- /
ton between distant regions. the Oriental habit /
Of relying upon oral tradition-ffty years Is not |
an excessive allowance for the attainment OF
a circulation and influence such as should lead |
to translation into a foreign tongue and working !
up into combined Gospel
The text OF the Sinai manuscript presents a ,
number of variations from the standard Greek.
texts, but most Of them are curious and interest
ing, rather than important. There are some
transpositons the principal OF which Is In John !
xviii. In the ordinary Greek text the statement
that Christ was led TO Annas Is Immediately /
followed by the first denial of Peter. Then comes
the questioning CT Jesus by the High Priest. and |
then the second and third denias Of Peter In
the Syriac the questioning by the High Priest
follows Immediately upon Christ's being led TO
him. and Peters three dcnals grouped In /
consecutive narrative In the succeeding verses.
The whole section gains in clearness and vivid
ness by this arrangement. according TO which,
moreover the examination Of Jesus Is conducted
by Caiaphas and not by Annas. In Luke xxi
there is a fresh arrangement of the narrative !
from verse II to verse a. by which II IL made
more compact and orderly. IT is noteworthy that
"our Lord" is substituted for jesus In numer-
Gus passages in all the four Gospels. In Luke
II, IA. the familiar rendering peace on earth.
good will to men" appears instead OF that adopt
ed by the latest Greek texts ana by the revisers
OF 1881. The most remarkable Interpolation Is at
Luke KILL As: Woe unto u.s. what hath befallen
us? Woe unto for our sins" This occurs only
In the Codex Bezae CD OF the sixth century,
which Is distinguished by its bold and extensive
interpretations. and which Is pervaded with
strong Syriac element and which. according 70
Westcott and Hort. presents truer image Of
the form In which the Gospels and Acts were
most widely read IN the third. and probably
great part Of the second century, than any other
Greek manuscript.
Two variations require special notice. The first
Is that which asserts the purely human gener-
alton OF Christ. Matthew t. l6. reads: Joseph
begat Jesus. who Is called Christ" In verse %
the words land knew her not until are omitted.
In verse Il, where the Greek reads she snail
bear a son." ito thee" is added and in verse 25
ito him" Is inserted after brought forth SON"
This document stands alone In its readings Of
these verses. and II Is well-nigh impossible that
the changes should have been the result Of care
lessness. 1t has been suggested that they may
have proceeded from a heretcai transcriber or
translator and some plausibility attaches to this
conjecture from the fact that heresy very early
found Its way into Syria By the end Of the sec
ond century the Views Of the Gnostic Bardesanes.
Of the school OF Valentinus. had obtained cur
rency and his 80 hymns had become so popular
that when Father Ephraem wrote his hymns In
order to supplant them he had to use Bar
desaness tunes. Tat!an vas Gnostic Of the