Chapter XIX: Appendix: V. the Sceptical Character of B and א

The sceptical character of the Vatican and Sinaitic MSS. affords a strong proof of the alliance between them and the Origenistic school. Instances found in these Codexes may be classed thus:—

Note 1. The following instances are professedly taken from the
Gospels. Only a few are added from elsewhere.

Note 2. Other Uncials are also added, to indicate by specimens how
far these two MSS. receive countenance or not from other sources,
and also in part how far the same influence enter them.

I. Passages detracting from the Scriptural acknowledgement of the Divinity of our Lord:—

Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ omitted—St. Mark i. 1 (א*). Ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς ... τοῦ ζῶντος omitted—St. John vi. 69 (אBC*DL). Κύριε omitted—St. Mark ix. 24 (אABC*DL). Τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ omitted—St. Luke xxiv. 3 (D). Θεοῦ changed into Κυρίου—Acts xx. 28 (AC*DES). Omission of faith in CHRIST. εἰς ἐμέ—St. John vi. 47 (אBLΓ). Slur on efficacy of prayer through CHRIST: Insert μέ—St. John xiv. 14 (אBEHUΓΔ). Transfer ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου—St. John xxi. 23 (אBC*LXVΔ). Omission of εὐθέως in the cure—St. Mark vii. 35 (אBDLWdΔ) Cf. St. Mark ii. 12. Judgement-seat of GOD instead of CHRIST—Rom. xiv. 10 (א*ABC*D &c.). Ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ omitted—St. John iii. 13 (אBLΓb). Omission of Κύριε in penitent thief’s prayer—St. Luke xxiii. 42 (אBC*DLM*). " " the Ascension in St. Luke, ἀνεφέρετο εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν—St. Luke xxiv. 51 (א*D). Insertion of οὐδὲ ὁ Υἱός from St. Mark xiii. 32 in St. Matt. xxiv. 36. Cf. Basil to Amphilochius, iii. 360-2 (Revision Revised, p. 210, note). Omission of Θεός in reference to the creation of man—St. Mark x. 6 (אBCIΔ). Cf. St. Matt. xii. 30 (BD). " " ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστίν—St. John iii. 31 (א*D). " " ὁ Υἱός μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα—St. John viii. 35 (אXΓ). " " διελθὼν διὰ μέσον αὐτῶν, καὶ παρῆγεν οὕτως—St. John viii. 59 (אBD). τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου for τ. Υ. τ. Θεοῦ—St. John ix. 35 (אBD). Κυρίου for Θεοῦ—2 Pet. i. 1 (א). Omission of ὅτι ἐγὼ ὑπάγω πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα—St. John xvi. 6 (אBD). " " Κύριος—1 Cor. xv. 47 (א*BCD*EFG). Ὅς for Θσς—1 Tim. iii. 16 (א, Revision Revised, pp. 431-43). Ὅ for Ὅς—Col. ii. 10, making the Fulness of the GODHEAD the head of all principality and power (BDEFG).

II. Generally sceptical tendency:—

N.B.—Omission is in itself sceptical.

Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ instead of τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ—Matt. iii. 16 (אB). Cf. Acts xvi. 7, τὸ Πνεῦμα Ιησοῦ for τὸ Πνεῦμα—אABC2DE2(627). Γένεσις for γέννησις, slurring the Divine Birth—Matt. i. 18 (אBCPSZΔ). Omission of the title of “good” applied to our LORD—Matt. xix. 16, 17 (אBDL). " " the necessity of our LORD to suffer. καὶ οὕτως ἔδει—St. Luke xxiv. 46 (אBC*DL). " " last Twelve Verses of St. Mark (אB). Omission of passages relating to Everlasting Punishment (closely Origenistic): αἰωνίου ἁμαρτήματος for αἰων. κρίσεως—St. Mark iii. 29 (אBLΔ). ἁμαρτίας (D)—ibid. ὅπου ὁ σκώληξ αὐτῶν οὐ τελευτᾷ, καὶ τὸ πῦρ οὐ σβέννυται—St. Mark ix. 44, 46 (אBCLΔ). " " the danger of rejecting our Lord—St. Matt. xxi. 44 (D). " " καὶ πᾶσα θυσία ἁλὶ ἁλισθήσεται—St. Mark ix. 49 (אBLΔ). " " the condemnation of Pharisaic treatment of widows—St. Matt. xxiii. 14 (אBDLZ). " " καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ὂ ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι βαπτισθῆναι—St. Matt. xx. 22, 23 (אBDLZ). " " αὐτῆς τὸν πρωτότοκον—St. Matt. i. 25 (אBZ). " " the verse about prayer and fasting—St. Matt. xvii. 21 (א*B). " " the words giving authority to the Apostles to heal diseases—St. Mark iii. 15 (אBC*). " " the forgiveness of sins to those who turn—St. Mark iv. 12 (אBCL). " " condemnation of cities and mention of the Day of Judgement—St. Mark vi. 11 (אBCDLΔ). " " fasting—St. Mark ix. 29 (א*B). " " taking up the Cross—St. Mark x. 21 (אBCDΔ). " " the danger of riches—St. Mark x. 24 (אBΔ). " " the danger of not forgiving others—St. Mark xi. 26 (אBLSΔ). " " εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξίν—St. Luke i. 28 (אBL). " " ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι Θεοῦ—St. Luke iv. 4 (אBL). " " ὁ διάβολος εἰς ὄπος ὑψηλόν—St. Luke iv. 5 (אBL). " " ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ—St. Luke iv. 8 (אBDLΞ). " " reference to Elijah’s punishment, and the manner of spirit—St. Luke ix. 55, 56. " " the saving effect of faith—St. Luke xvii. 19 (B). " " the day of the Son of Man—St. Luke xvii. 24 (BD). " " the descent of the Angel into Bethesda—St. John v. 3, 4 (אBC*D). " " ἢν ἐγὼ δώσω—St. John vi. 51 (אBCLΔ).

III. Evincing a “philosophical” obtuseness to tender passages:—

Omissions in the records of the Institution of the Holy Sacrament: thus— Φάγετε ... τὸ ... καινῆς—St. Mark xiv. 22-24 (אBCD). καινῆς—St. Matt. xxvi. 27 (אB). λάβετε, φάγετε ... κλώμενον—1 Cor. xi. 2-4 (אABC*). Omission of Agony in the Garden and strengthening Angel—St. Luke xxii. 43, 44 (ABRT, first corrector). " " First Word from the Cross—St. Luke xxiii. 34 (אaBD*). Mutilation of the LORD’S Prayer—St. Luke xi. 2-4: i.e. Omission of ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς (אBL). " " γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου, ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς (BL). " " ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ (א*BL). Omission of εἰκῆ—Matt. v. 22 (אB). " " the verse telling of our LORD’S coming to save what was lost—St. Matt. xviii. 11 (אBL*). " " εὐλογεῖτε τοὺς καταρωμένους ὑμᾶς καλῶς ποιεῖτε τοὺς μισοῦντας ὑμᾶς—St. Matt. v. 44 (אB). " " the prophecy of being numbered with the transgressors—St. Mark xv. 28 (אABCet 3DX). " " ἐν τῷ φανερῷ—St. Matt. vi. 6 (אBDZ). " " reference to the last cry—St. Mark xv. 39 (אBL). " " striking on the face—St. Luke xxii. 64 (אBLMTΦ). " " triple superscription (γράμμ. Ἑλλην. κ. Ῥωμ. κ. Ἑβραϊκ.)—St. Luke xxiii. 38 (BCL). So א* in St. John xix. 20-21. " " καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ μελισσίου κηρίου—St. Luke xxiv. 42 (אABDLΦ). " " καὶ ἐζήτουν αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι—St. John v. 15 (אBCDL). λύσαντι for λούσαντι—Rev. i. 5 (אAC). δικαιοσύνην for ἐλεημοσύνην—Matt. vi. 1 (א*et bBD).

IV. Shewing attempts to classicize New Testament Greek.

These attempts have left their traces, conspicuous especially for omissions, all over B and א in a multiplicity of passages too numerous to quote. Their general character may be gathered in a perusal of Dr. Hort’s Introduction, pp. 223-227, from which passage we may understand how these MSS. may have commended themselves at periods of general advancement in learning to eminent scholars like Origen and Dr. Hort. But unfortunately a Thucydidean compactness, condensed and well-pruned according to the fastidious taste of the study, is exactly that which does not in the long run take with people who are versed in the habits of ordinary life, or with scholars who have been exercised in many fields, as was shewn by the falling into disuse of Origen’s critical manuscripts. The echoes of the fourth century have surely been heard in the nineteenth.