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AUCKLAND YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

MANUSCRIPTS OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.

The Right Rev, the Bishop of Auckland (Dr Oowie) delivered a lecture recently upon "The Oldest Greek Manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures." His Lordship, in commencing his address, said it would be impossible to give all the information upon this subject that the interest in it might require, within the time that was ordinarily allowed for a lecture. The subject was one which had engaged the--atten-tion of scholars of world-wide reputation. Such a subject could not fail to be interesting to Christians of every nation and form of worship, and it was with a view to make his auditors better acquainted with those ancient depositoiies of the truths of the Holy Scriptures that he undertook to give this lecture. • His address was divided into three parts, the first giving an account of the three oldest manuscripts extant. These ancient records undoubtedly contained the great truths of the Christian religion, and were invaluable no less for the truths of the Christian religion to which they bore witness, but uf on account of their authenticity, to which the greatest scholars bore testimony. There were many M.S.S. of the Holy Scriptures besides those to which his lecture would refer, and many which, though of more recent dfite, were yet full of interest to the Christian student. These ancient manuscripts were (1) The Alexandrine, (2) Vatican, and (3) The Sinaitic. It was probable all three were written before 425, and none of them before 309. They were called uncials, being derived from inch. The Alexandrine lies in the British Museum, where it can be seen in a glass case. It was brought to Constantinople, and was ultimately, after various journeyings, presented to Charles 1., of England. The Vatican manuscript was so called from the Pope's library. Its date was 475, and is undoubtedly the most coi'rect copy of the Greek Testament. The Sinaitie codex is at present in the possession of the Emperor of Russia. It is written on very beautiful vellum, being probably made from the skins of antelopes or wild asses. It contains 345£ leaves; each leaf is 13£ inches by 14^ inches. He was indebted for a very beautiful Jac &imil& of one leaf to Mr Adams, head master of the Pavnell Grammar School. The date of this manuscript was probably not later than the year 331. [His Lordship exhibited a fac simile of the leaf and text.] As an instance of the immense value of this Sinaitic manuscript, he pointed out an instance where, in a. passage having the words " Son of Barrachias," upon comparison with the Sinaitic codex, it was found that the words were not in the original at all. It was an emendation by some more recenLwritox. One of the eari; Qa f. ™<>. nuscripts which connect the early Christian Church with the Apostles, was the letter of Clement of Rome. Clement of Rome was, according to learned authorities, an immediate disciple of the Apostles. The verbal coincidences in this letter with the language of St. Paul were very remarkable. The date of this letter was ad, 95. The allusions of Clement to the Epistle to the Hebrews were so frequent that this famous document seemed to have been transfused throughout Ms mmcL The next remarkable manuscript was a letter of Ignatius, who was martyred in the reign of Trajan. This was stamped with an image of Trajan, and its date was about the year 107. The coincidences of this document with the Gospel of St. John were very striking. The phraseology is frequently alike. Next to Ignatius came the manuscript of Polyoarp. 0f other old manuscript versions of the Gospels the oldest was probably the Syriac, which was dated about the year 150. The old Latin, dated from about twenty years before Tertullian, who was in his prime about the year 190. Professor Westcott says the voices of these two ancient manuscript versions cannot be doubted. They aye the voices of Churches, not of individuals. They contain the New Testament as it was rend in the first Christian churches. His Lordship explained the meaning of the word " canon " as compared with that which modern use applies to the word. In those ancient times the word " canon" meant the test by which the proof of the authenticity was made apparent. The " Muratorian Fragment" was also a very remarkable document. It was a list of books recognised as containing the Holy Scriptures. Some of the manuscripts were written in colored material, and these colors had a particular significance. Thus the language of the Holy Evangelists was ■written in ver million ; tbe words which had reference to some collateral testimony by the Apostles in lake : the words of disciples or other authority in blue. Some words, as those of Herod, for instance, wero written in black. His Lordship gave a description of several beautiful ancient manuscripts, and concluded his lecture with an eloquent extract upon the concurrent value of these most ancient monuments to the truth, and integrity of the Christian religion.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TT18740916.2.35

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 391, 16 September 1874, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
842

AUCKLAND YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 391, 16 September 1874, Page 6

AUCKLAND YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 391, 16 September 1874, Page 6

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