ment long remained (and as far as England is concerned may be said still to remain) (1852), almost unimproved." Great improvements have, however, been made since then, by Bloomfield, Tregelles, Alford, Wordsworth, but especially by Tischendorf.

In his narrative of the discovery of the Sinaitic manuscript, Tischendorf says on the subject of the Greek text, "It has been placed beyond doubt that the original text of the Apostles' writings, copied, recopied, and multiplied during fifteen centuries, whether in Greek or Latin, or in other languages, had in many passages undergone such serious modifications of meaning, as to leave us in painful uncertainty as to what the Apostles had actually written. Learned men have again and again attempted to clear the sacred text from these extraneous elements. But we have at last hit upon a better plan even than this, which is to set aside this textus receptus altogether, and to construct a fresh text derived immediately from the most ancient and authoritative sources."

"In

And the Dean of Canterbury (Alford) has made what to some must have been a startling statement. this matter," he says, "let me speak plainly, and say that the Church of Christ in this land has not acted faithfully by her members. A formidable list of passages might be given in which our version either has confessedly misrendered the original, or has followed a form of the text now well known not to have been the original form. These might be corrected at any time: and it is a grievous thing that this has not been done, or is not now in doing. For as matters now stand, we are printing for reading in our churches, we are sending forth into the cottage and the mansion, books containing passages and phrases which pretend to be the Word of God and are not: and that, when

the remedy is most easy and lies at any time in our own power.'

TEXT.

-

THE TRANSLATION OF TISCHENDORF'S Shortly after my ordination, December 31, 1823, by "the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery,” I deeply felt the want of a correct Greek text, and of a translation that could be relied on for an accurate knowledge of Christianity. For my own instruction and benefit I went to work with Mills' text, and translated all the most difficult books and parts of the New Testament, and carefully wrote out the translation. Of the Epistle to the Hebrews I prepared an interlinear translation and in my public teaching of Christianity confined myself to the contents of the New Testament. I had at that time, besides Mills' and some other texts, only the Codex Bezæ, but have since, as they were published, obtained the Codex Alexandrinus, the Codex Sinaiticus, and the Codex Vaticanus. I have also collected the principal Greek texts before enumerated. But the one published in 1865 by such an eminent scholar and textual critic as Tischendorf, I especially prize. Amidst many engagements and much labour for my pulpit, I have endeavoured for the benefit of English readers to put them in possession of this valuable boon. In Tischendorf's Testament we have an important revision of the Greek text, not by conjecture, but on the authority of the oldest MSS., not neglecting the editions of the Greek text by Erasmus, 1516, and Stephens, 1550. These texts were founded on MSS. of a later date than the 10th century. With the great advantage of the discovery of the Codex Sinaiticus, we must not however conclude that we have the text precisely as it came from the Evangelists and Apostles: • Sunday Magazine, October, 1864: and "How to study the New Testament," p. 22, 1866.

but as it was presented by the ecclesiastical mind and theology at the beginning of the 4th century. No responsibility rests upon me as to the accuracy of the Greek text, but I deeply feel my responsibility for the accuracy, impartiality, and integrity of the translation. All who feel interested in the New Testament, and do not read Greek, will become acquainted with the peculiarities of Tischendorf's text by this translation. I have done for the rising generation of English Biblical students to the best of my ability. AS A TRANSLATOR, I KNOW NOTHING OF THEOLOGY. I have no theological system to uphold: but I am desirous that DIVINE TRUTH as it was taught by Christ and the Apostles, should, as far as we can recover it, be taught now and in all future time.

A correct text is invaluable for the formation of an accurate judgment of the contents of the New Testament: and for the enlightened edification of the Christian. It also renders a commentary less necessary. In Tischendorf's text, we know that whatever may have been. lost belonging to the first, second, and third centuries, we have the oldest text-book of christianity now known to exist. I refer to that published in 8vo., 1865, by F. A. Brockhaus. The accuracy of the TRANSLATION cannot be tested by any one of the 7 editions published by Tischendorf before the discovery of the Codex Sinaiticus: nor by the textus receptus.

I have in the outward form, and in the order of the books followed Tischendorf's arrangement, which is that of the Codex Sinaiticus. The titles, the paragraphs, the manner of numbering the chapters and verses are according to Tischendorf. The chapters and verses are not marked in the Codex Sinaiticus.

It is now nearly twelve months since I announced the translation as "In the press," and it has been a

work of great labour to read, and re-read such a mass of important matter during the year. From announcements I have lately seen I am happy to find that my humble attempt will soon be followed by a cheap edition of a revised translation by the learned and Catholic Dean of Canterbury, of his own revised Greek text: and that "the authorised version" is to have the benefit of Tischendorf's corrections as made by himself, assisted in the editorship by the accomplished editor of the Codex Alexandrinus, B. Harris Cowper. Most earnestly do I pray that all these labors may tend, by God's blessing, to the spread of pure Christianity: enlarged Church fellowship and Christian love and the increase of the practical power of a holy life, both in the Church, and in the world.

Round Hill Crescent, Brighton.

April 5th., 1869.

THE TRANSLATOR.

TO THE TRANSLATION.

The principal omissions in Tischendorf's Greek text as compared with the authorized version: and how far they are sanctioned by other MSS. and texts.

Matt. vi. 13, Doxology, om. in S. V. B. G. L. Sch. Tr. Al.

There are many minor changes, omissions, additions, and differences of reading, but they will be found in the translation. There are, however, two extraordinary readings I must refer to: John i, 18. "The only begotten GoD," instead of SoN. This reading occurs in S. and V. In Luke viii, 40, the Authorized Version reads, "And it came to pass that when Jesus was returned the people gladly received him, for they were all waiting for him. In Tischendorf we read, "prosdokontes ton theon” instead of "auton : that is, for all were looking for, or waiting for, or expecting the God. The only authority for the change is the Codex Sinaiticus. And there is one passage, James iii, 6, "ton trochon tēs geneseōs hēmōn," I have translated differently