to date back to the middle of
the fifth century, the Sinaitic, and the Vatican Codices, each
believed to have been executed about the middle of the fourth century.
The Sinaitic Codex was discovered by Professor Tischendorf, a German
scholar, at a monastery upon Mt. Sinai, in fragments, and at different
periods from 1848 to 1859, a period of eleven years elapsing from his
discovery of the first fragment until he secured the last one. The
Vatican Codex has been in the Vatican library since its foundation,
but it has been inaccessible to scholars until very recently. It is
not known from whence it came or by whom executed, but is deemed the
oldest and most authentic copy of the Bible extant. As these oldest
codices only date to the middle of the fourth century, we have no
record of the New Testament, in its present form, for the first three
hundred and fifty years of this era.

A commission of eminent scholars has been engaged for the past eleven
years upon a revision of the Bible. The New Testament portion is now
about ready for the public, but so great and so many are its
diversities from the old version, that it is prophesied the orthodox
church will be torn by disputes between adherents of the old and the
new, while those anxious for the truth, touch where it may, will be
honestly in doubt if either one is to be implicitly trusted. Various
comments and inquiries in regard to this revision have already
appeared in the press.[226] The oldest codices do not contain many
texts we have learned to look upon as especially holy. Portions of the
Sermon on the Mount are not in these old manuscripts, a proof of their
interpolation to serve the purpose of some one at a later date. In the
same way additions have been made to the Lord's Prayer. Neither of
these manuscripts contain the story of the woman taken in adultery, as
narrated John viii. 1-11, so often quoted as proof of the divine mercy
of Jesus. A letter upon this so long accepted story, from the eminent
scholar, Howard Crosby, D.D., LL.D., a member of the revisory
commission, will be read with interest:

MRS. M. J. GAGE:

DEAR MADAME:--The passage in John viii. 1-11, is _not_ in the
Alexandrian, nor is it in the Sinaitic, Vatican, and Ephraim
Codices. It is found in twelve uncials (though marked _doubtful_
in five of these) and in over 300 cursives.

Yours very truly,