صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

6. Upon Rev. iv. 7, he mentions' the symbols of the four evangelists. The lion represents John; the calf, Luke; the eagle, Mark; the man, Matthew.

7. It is almost needless to observe, that he elsewhere also speaks of four gospels only.

8. The Acts of the Apostles are distinctly quoted by him.

9. The epistle ofm James, and the" first and second of Peter, are expressly quoted by him. And from the quotation of the first epistle, it appears, that Andrew supposed Peter, by Babylon, at the end of that epistle, to mean Rome.

10. There can be no question made, but he received all the books of the New Testament which we do.

11. There are, in this work, traces of the ancient interpretations of divers texts of the Revelation.

12. The explications of the seals, in the sixth chapter, deserve to be taken notice of.

13. Of the sixth seal, ch. vi. 12, 13, he says: Somes understood all those things to be said figuratively of the siege of Jerusalem, by Vespasian.

14. Upon ch. vii. 1, he says: Somer understood those expressions of the calamities brought upon the Jewish people by the Romans; and said, that by * the “ four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth," is intiinated that the Jewish people should find no way to escape the divine vengeance, either by sea, or land, or any other way.

66

15. Upon ch. vii. 3, Saying, “ Hurt not the earth, — till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads," and what follows, he says: Somes have understood that section,

- είτε τας αρετας τας τεσσαρας, και τα τεσσαρα ευαγγελια ὡς ἑτεροις καλως έχειν λελογισται το μεν λεοντος δηλοντος την ανδρείαν, και το κατα Ιωαννην ευαγγελιον, κ. λ. p. 25. Β. C.

k

και την των τεσσαρων ευαγγελιων εκπομπην εις τα τέσσαρα της γης περατα. ρ. 131. Β. εν δε τη δημηγορία το

Παυλο, τη εν ταις Πραξεσιν. p. 7. Α.

m

ὡ δι' εργων ἡττηθησαν, τετῳ δελεμενοι, ως φησιν ὁ μεγας Ιακωβος. Ρ. 73. Α. * Και ἡ πρεσβυτερα δε Ρωμη Βαβυλων

εν τη επιτολή Πετρα προσαγορευεται. p. 98. Ε.

Ο

ἡ τον υπο τε μακαρις Πετρε λεχθεντα Φωσφορον, εν ταις καρδίαις των πιςων ανατέλλοντα, τον Χρισε φωτισμον δηλαδη. p. 17. Α.

P P. 29, 30. 4 Και ταυτα τινες εις την επι Ουεσπασιανε βασιλεως πολιορχίαν εξέλαβον ἅπαντα, των ειρημένων έκατον τροπολογησαντες. p. 34. C. D. * Ει και ταυτα τισιν υπο 'Ρωμαιων παλαι τοις Ιεδαίοις γεγενησθαι εξειληπται, των τεσσαρων αγγελων δηλον αυτοις νομισθέντων το επι τε γης, επι τε θαλασσης, των την οργην πειρωμενων διαδιδράσκειν αφυκτον. p. 37. Β. • Τέτο δε ει και μερικώς παλαί γεγενηται, των τῷ Χρισῳ πεπιτευκότων την της Ιερεσαλημ υπο 'Ρωμαίων

as relating to the wonderful escape and preservation of the Jewish believers, when Jerusalem was besieged by the Romans. And they were confirmed in that interpretation, by what James said to Paul, Acts xxi. 20, "Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe."

[ocr errors]

16. Upon ch. xx. 1, 2, 3. Here Andrew describes the weakening of the power of the devil by means of our Lord's death. 6 Hereby, as by a stronger, he who seemed to be strong was despoiled: we, who were his prey, were delivered, and he was" cast into the bottomless pit.'" That he was bound, and his power weakened, is apparent, from the overthrow of idolatry, and the demolition of idolatrous temples, and the ceasing of sacrifices, which were wont to be offered to dæmons. The "great chain," in the angel's hand, is an expression, accommodated to our apprehensions, denoting a restraint of the devil's power and wickedness. Whether the" thousand years," here spoken of, denote exactly that term, or only a long duration, God only knows. But it would be requisite, that the gospel should be preached for many years, before the seeds of religion and virtue could be sown, and take firm root throughout the whole world.'

17. Afterwards upon ch. xx. 7. 'Some" confine the above-mentioned "thousand years" to the short period of our Lord's ministry; from his baptism to his ascension to heaven; being no more than three years or three years and a half. Others think that, after the completion of six thousand years, shall be the first resurrection from the dead, which is to be peculiar to the saints alone; who are to be raised up, that they may dwell again on this earth, where they had given proofs of patience and fortitude; and that they may live here a "thousand years," in honour and plenty after which will be the general resurrection, of good and bad. But the church receives neither of those interpretations: for we remember what our Lord said to the Sadducees, That the righteous shall be as the "angels which are in heaven" [Mark xii. 25]: as also the words of Paul, who says: "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink." [Rom. xiv. 17.] By the "thousand years," therefore, we understand, the time of the preaching the gospel ;' or the time of the gospel dispensation.

V

εκπεφευγότων πορθησιν, εις πολλας τελεντων μυριάδας, κατα τον μεγαν Ιακωβον, τον τῳ μακαριῳ Παυλῳ το πλήθος αυτων εμφαινοντα· αλλ' εν, κ. λ. p. 37, 38. " P. 120. E. 121. A.

P. 117.

[ocr errors]

ευαγγελικό κηρυγματος χρονον την χιλιετιαν εξελαβομεν. p. 121. Α. Β.

ΤΟΥ ΤΗ

CHAP. CXLVII.

THE ALEXANDRIAN MANUSCRIPT, AND DIVERS
STICHOMETRIES.

1. The Alexandrian Manuscript. II. The Stichometry of Nicephorus. III. A Stichometry from Cotelerius. IV. Another Stichometry from the same.

C

I. I NEED not here give a particular account of the celebrated Alexandrian Manuscript, preserved in the king's library; that having been already done by several, especially by Dr. Grabe. It consists of four volumes in quarto: three of which contain the scriptures of the Old Testament, in the Greek version of the Seventy; and the fourth, the scriptures of the New Testament, but not quite complete.

The contents of the several volumes are prefixed to the first volume, and written with the same hand that wrote the rest these contents of the Alexandrian Manuscript were published long ago, by Bp. Beveridge. I shall transcribe them, as they are published by Dr. Grabe, in his Prolegomena to the first volume of his edition of the Seventy; referring also to Mr. Casley's Catalogue of the manuscripts of the king's library.

• Vid. Mill. Prolegom. in N. T. n. 1338-1340. Wetsten. Prolegom. ad accurat. N. T. edition. p. 9-11. et Prolegom. ad N. T. p. 8, &c.

I. E. Grab. Prolegom. ad Septuagint. Interpr. T. i. cap. 1.

Mr. Wetstein says, in folio. Codex est Veteris Novique Testamenti Græcus membranaceus in folio. Singulæ paginæ duas exhibent columnas, quarum singulæ quinquagenis circiter constant lineis. Wetsten. Prolegom. ad N. T. p. 8. Most others say, in quarto. Biblia Græca, literis majusculis exarata, 4 tomis qto. scripto seculo iv. vel v. Casl. Catal. MSS. Bib. Reg. p. 5. If it be reckoned a quarto, it is of a large form: but the volumes are not very thick.

See below, note'.

• Codex Canon. Ecc. Prim. Vindicat. 1. ji. c. 9. n. 12. ap. Patr. Apostol. T. ii. f Appellat [Cyrillus Patriarcha] Codicem istum scrip⚫turæ Novi et Veteris Testamenti, quoniam utriusque Libri Canonici, ac hujus Apocryphi quoque eo continentur; uti patet ex Indice, quem ipsa librarii manus eidem codici præfixit, quemque hic verbatim, additis solum accentibus et spiritibus, quibus ille caret, describam. I. E. Grabe, Prolegom. cap. 1. n, 2. Notitia Codicis Alexandrini.

[blocks in formation]

8 Γενεσις κοσμα.

* Βασιλείων ά".

The first book of Ezra' the priest.P
The second book of Ezra the priest.

Η Έξοδος Αιγυπτε.
Όμε βιβλία ς'.

" Huic subnectuntur, licet in Indice haud nominentur, Emison Iepes, quæ est 6. caput Baruchi. Grabe, ibid.

Εσζρας ὁ ἱερευς.

P Eolpaç ά" est liber 1.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

Προφηται ις'. Bapex Opηvoi, et

Esdræ Apocryphus.

Eolpas B" est liber 1. Esdræ Canonicus. Atque huic subnexi sunt, quamvis in Indice non designati, Aoyoɩ Neiμua. Grabe, ibid.

[blocks in formation]

The first book of Maccabees.
The second book of Maccabees.
The third book of Maccabees.
The fourth book of Maccabees.
The Psalter with Odes [or hymns].'
Job.

The Proverbs.

The Ecclesiastes.

The Canticles."
Wisdom.t

The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach."

The New Testament.

Four Gospels:

According to Matthew ;'

According to Mark ;
According to Luke;
According to John.

The Acts of the Apostles.
Seven catholic" epistles.*
Fourteen epistles of Paul."
The Revelation of John.
The first epistle of Clement.
The second epistle of Clement.
Together Books.

a

Psalms of Solomon."

Let us now make some observations:

1. This manuscript, as is allowed by all, is of great value, and high antiquity; though there is some difference among learned men, in their computations of its age. Grabe thinks it might be written before the end of the fourth cen

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

Ψαλτηριον μετ' φδων.

Σοφία, η παναρετος.

▾ Amissis viginti quinque

circiter foliis, vigesimum sextum ab istis incipit verbis. Matth. xxv. 6. Ežεpχεσθε εις απαντησιν αυτ8.

X

Grabe, ibid.

* Καθολικαι ζ.

Ibi incipit Epistola Jacobi, quam sequuntur duæ Petri, tres Joannis, et una Judæ. Grabe. * Επιτολαι Παύλε ιδ'.

Epistolæ Pauli eodem locutæ sunt ordine, quo in nostris Bibliorum editionibus nisi quod Epistola ad Hebræos proxime sequatur duas ad Thessalonicenses. Grabe.

a The figures are wanting in the manuscript.

b Hos adversariis sacris de La Cerda subnexos legere est; quippe a codice nostro abscissi vel deperditi sunt. Grabe.

Haud diu igitur ante annum 396 exaratus videtur codex Alexandrinus, aut saltem paulo post, cum facta epistolarum Paulinarum divisio in кepaλaia nondum in publicum prodiisset, aut satis innotuisset. Cum igitur et codicis nostri et Theclæ ætas in eamdem exeuntus seculi iv. periodum incidant, traditio ante dicta vero videtur simillima. Grabe, ib. sect. 5.

« السابقةمتابعة »