e N. T.: while between A.D. 300 and A.D. 600,
(within which limits our five oldest MSS. may be considered certainly to
fall,) there exist about two hundred Fathers more. True, that many of
these have left wondrous little behind them; and that the quotations from
Holy Scripture of the greater part may justly be described as rare and
unsatisfactory. But what then? From the three hundred, make a liberal
reduction; and an hundred writers will remain who _frequently_ quote the
New Testament, and who, when they do quote it, are probably as trustworthy
witnesses to the Truth of Scripture as either Cod. {~HEBREW LETTER ALEF~} or Cod. B. We have
indeed heard a great deal too much of the precariousness of this class of
evidence: not nearly enough of the gross inaccuracies which disfigure the
text of those two Codices. Quite surprising is it to discover to what an
extent Patristic quotations from the New Testament have evidently retained
their exact original form. What we chiefly desiderate at this time is a
more careful revision of the text of the Fathers, and more skilfully
elaborated indices of the works of each: _not one_ of them having been
hitherto satisfactorily indexed. It would be easy to demonstrate the
importance of bestowing far more attention on this subject than it seems
to have hitherto enjoyed: but I shall content myself with citing a single
instance; and for this, (in order not to distract the reader's attention),
I shall refer him to the Appendix.(30) What is at least beyond the limits
of controversy, whenever _the genuineness of a considerable passage of
Scripture_ is the point in dispute, the testimony of Fathers who
undoubtedly recognise that passage, is beyond comparison the most valuable
testimony we can enjoy.

6. For let it be only considered what is implied by a Patristic appeal to
the Gospel. It amounts to this:--that a conspicuous personage, probably a
Bishop of the Church,--one, therefore, whose history, date, place, are all
more or less matter of notoriety,--gives us his written assurance that the
passage in question was found in that copy of the Gospels which he was
accustomed himself to employ; _the uncial codex_, (it has long since
perished) _which belonged to himself_ or to the Church which he served. It
is evident, in short, that any objection to quotations from Scripture in
the writings of the ancient Fathers can only apply to the form of those
quotations; not to their _substance_. It is just as c