e that it fared with the Gospel at this
instant as it had fared with the original Copy of the Law for many years
until the days of King Josiah[10].

Yielding to no one in my desire to see the Greek of the New Testament
judiciously revised, I freely avow that recent events have convinced me,
and I suppose they have convinced the public also, that we have not
among us the men to conduct such an undertaking. Better a thousand times
in my judgement to leave things as they are, than to risk having the
stamp of authority set upon such an unfortunate production as that which
appeared on the 17th May, 1881, and which claims at this instant to
represent the combined learning of the Church, the chief Sects, and the
Socinian[11] body.

Now if the meaning of those who desire to see the commonly received text
of the New Testament made absolutely faultless, were something of this
kind:--That they are impatient for the collation of the copies which
have become known to us within the last two centuries, and which amount
already in all to upwards of three thousand: that they are bent on
procuring that the ancient Versions shall be re-edited;--and would hail
with delight the announcement that a band of scholars had combined to
index every place of Scripture quoted by any of the Fathers:--if this
were meant, we should all be entirely at one; especially if we could
further gather from the programme that a fixed intention was cherished
of abiding by the result of such an appeal to ancient evidence. But
unfortunately something entirely different is in contemplation.

Now I am bent on calling attention to certain features of the problem
which have very generally escaped attention. It does not seem to be
understood that the Scriptures of the New Testament stand on an entirely
different footing from every other ancient writing which can be named. A
few plain remarks ought to bring this fact, for a fact it is, home to
every thoughtful person. And the result will be that men will approach
the subject with more caution,--with doubts and misgivings,--with a
fixed determination to be on their guard against any form of plausible
influence. Their prejudices they will scatter to the winds. At every
step they will insist on proof.

In the first place, then, let it be observed that the New Testament
Scriptures are wholly without a parallel in respect of their having been
so frequently multiplied from the very first. They are by consequence
contained