The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-22
A LEAF OF THE BIBLE.
Manuscript of the Gospel OF st. Mate
thew Found.


Rev. Camden NJ. Cobern, Phi. D., in PhiIa-
delphia Press.
A leaf of the New Testament; the Oldest
leaf known to be in existence. The very
words hold us spelbound. 1t seems almost
incredible as / write 1t. but 1t is actually
true that in this discovery we now possess
a leaf from the New Testament between
LOO and 1850 years old.
Even more than this, 1 can state, on the.
authority of Sir Edward Mounde Thomp-
son.. of the British Museum, the great au-
thority on ancient manuscripts, that this
papyrus from ST. Matthews gospel con-
marks of age which he had previously no.
ticed in the ''Logia-" and, therefore, 1t must
be regarded as a leaf from a book which
had been in use at least fifty years at the
time when this. copy was made
Thus we are able to affirm, on the high
est authority, that we now possess lear
from the New Testament which was used in
Egypt within the limits of two generations
of the lifetime of st. John, and 1t proves
was in use in those ancient days was the
same we have to-day, for. on the au-
thority of DR.. W. NJ. Flinders Petrie, the
director of the expedition, l can state that
the text written upon tie leaf is the same
text as that which is written in our own
Greek TestamentS
DR.. Thompson says that as the papy-
rus shows the same contractions as the
"Logia," the same observations made con-
corning the "Logia" will also apply TO II.
But this gives us astonishing results, Tor
Ii practically puts in our hands leaf copied
from the New Testament that was used III
the days of Polycarp and by the noble body
of confessors and martyrs who themselves
may have listened to the preaching OF st.
John.
The Importance of this discovery can be
seen at once when i state that Dr. Thomp-
son declares that, while the manuscript was
evidently written about 200 A. d., yer, De
cause of the contractions used and because
of the form of the papyrus, lit would be
moderate computation to carry back the
date of the composition of the book tfty
years earlier and thus to fix the latest limit
in the middle of the second century"
What, then. is the appearance OF this ieafs
torn from New Testament 100 years ago,
and which, because OF its AUTHORIZATIONS
must come from a work which had been
well known for at least a half century!
Does it bear any resemblance to leaI torn
from our New Testament? This is an I'M
portant and far-reaching question and am
glad that l am in position to answer H.
for can say , on the aItnP psn3 ontains
the same Greek text as that with which we
are acquainted. That means that even the
slight variation noticed in the Syriac MOUNT
Sinai Gospels is not found in this the old
est Greek New Testament manuscript 1t
is only one leaf-the first leaf IN me
book-but it proves that the Christians who
lived within the lifetime of the apostoilc age
had in their possession the same gospel
which we have to-day
the new light which this discovery throws
upon the Logia. Professor Harnock anu
all the other critics who have written upoh
Of the Similarity of these Sayings to the
gospels, and this similarity has been ex-
planned in various ways. Some have Thought
they were mere echoes of the gospel sent
ences. and others have been equally sure
that they stood behind the gospels and
represented the lost literature OF which the
gospels were a later reduction" but by
his present discovery we know now that at
least st. Matthews gospel in book form,
and written in a style which testineo 70
long and common use. was In the hands
of these martyr Christians, who were also
cherishing these Sayings"
Does not this explain why all the say
ings are either new or striking variations
of the gospel words? The only saying,
which is exactly identical with any gospel
believe IL we ever find the lost fragment,
# also win vary from the gospel record.
Men who. had the gospel in their Libraries
avings which aged men remembered hear
ing reported as the words of Jesus. hut
which the evangelist had not mentioned.