sections
(_pericopae_). Collections of these lessons were called by the
general name of _lectionaries_ (lectionaria). Those from the
gospels or Acts and epistles received special names indicative
of their contents. See Bleek, Sec. 265; Horne's Introduction, vol.
4, chap. 4, end.

11. From the above brief survey, it is manifest that none of the
external divisions of the sacred text rest on any divine authority. They
are the work of uninspired men, and are to be treated accordingly. For
_convenience of reference_, a division of the Scriptures into chapters
and verses is indispensable; and we may well rest contented with that
which now prevails, though it cannot claim perfection. But in the
_interpretation_ of the inspired word we must go behind human divisions,
carefully inquiring after the true connection of thought, according to
the acknowledged laws of interpretation. To give one example out of
many, we must not infer that the last verse of the eleventh chapter of
the book of Revelation belongs to the _preceding_ and not the
_following_ context, because of its separation from the latter in the
division of chapters; but we must determine its true connection
independently of this division.

A very good arrangement is that of _Paragraph Bibles_, in which
the distinctions of chapter and verse are thrown into the
margin, the text being broken into longer or shorter sections
according to the true course of thought. Yet this mode of
division also is human, and cannot be infallible.

12. The _titles_ of the several books of the New Testament did not
proceed immediately from the authors themselves. In form they present
some diversity; for example: _The Gospel according to Matthew_;
_according to Matthew_; _the holy Gospel according to Matthew_, etc.,
the shorter and simpler titles being, as a rule, the more ancient. For
substance, however, the different forms are the same. They represent the
ancient church tradition, and are of very high authority. The
_subscriptions_, on the other hand, which stand at the end of the
epistles of Paul, that to the Hebrews included--are confessedly the work
of later copyists. They are of no authority, and are sometimes
manifestly incorrect.

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE NEW TESTAMENT TEXT AND ITS HISTORY.

The history of the New Testament text naturally falls into two main
divisions, that of the _manuscript_ text, and that of the _printed_
text. A fe