Two dissertations

Fenton John Anthony, Hort, 1828-1892

Description

• dissertation
• dissertation - matière potentielle : is

• arbitrary predilectionunder
• all lingering
• reserved ¶
• between earlier linesof
• internal evidence
• been formed
• familiar reading
• followan arbitrary
• single point

Sujets

• dissertation
• dissertations

Informations

• Publié par: ribul
• Nombre de lectures: 9
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

Extrait

1
Shelf.iTWO DISSEBTATIONS/(Eambrtoge
PRINTED BY C. J. CLAY M.A
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESSTWO DISSERTATIONS
MONOrENHI OEOXI ON
IN SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION
<II ON THE CONSTANTINOPOLITAN' CREED
AND OTHER EASTERN CREEDS OP THE
POURTH CENTURY
/
ANTHONYFENTON JOHN HORT D.D.
FELLOW AND DIVINITY LECTUBER OF EMMANUEL COLLEGE
FORMERLY FELLOW OF TRINITY COLLEGE
CAMBRIDGE
(ZDambrfoge an& UonUon
MACMILLAN AND CO.
1876
ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDACADEMIAE CANTABRIGIENSI
HAS PAENE GEMINAS DISSERTATIONES
GRADUS IN SACRA THEOLOGIA TTTRIUSQUE ADIPISCENDI CAUSA
ANTE BACCALAUREATUM ALTERAM
ALTERAM ANTE DOCTORATUM CONSCRIPTAS
GRATO ANIMO DICAT AUCTOR.;
PREFACE
The former of these Dissertations is an attempt examineto
singlein some detail a point of textual criticism, the true read-
ing of a phrase occurring in a cardinal verse of the New Testa-
ment. Once only has the evidence been discussed with
anything like adequate care and precision, namely in a valuable
article contributed by Professor Ezra Abbot to the American
Sacra of October long hadBibliotheca 1861. After having
study the matter closely, am unable tooccasion to pretty I
accept the conclusions drawn by this eminent biblical scholar
it seemed worth while to place on record theand accordingly
opinion hasresults of an independent investigation. My own
not been formed hastily. Some years passed before increasing
knowledge and clearness of view respecting the sources of the
of the incor-Greek text of the New Testament convinced me
rectness of the received reading in John i 18. This conviction
remove the sense of a certain strangeness indid not however
alternative phrase transmitted by the best authorities ; andthe
nofor a considerable time I saw better solution of the difficulty
than a conjecture that both readings alike were amplifications
simpler original. It was a more careful study of the wholeof a
all lingeringcontext that finally took away doubt as to the
intrinsic probability of the less familiar reading.
In all cases where the text of a single passage is dealt with
disadvantage liesseparately, a deceptive on those who have
H. bvi PREFACE
insecuritylearned the of trying to interpret complex textual
evidence without reference to previously ascertained relation-
ships, either between the documents or between earlier lines
of transmission attested by the documents. Their method pre-
supposes a wide induction, the evidence for which cannot be set
out within reasonable limits. Thus, so far as they are able to
go beyond that naked weighing of 'authorities' against each
other which commonly passes as textual criticism in the case
of the New Testament, they are in danger of seeming to follow
an arbitrary theory, when they are in fact using the only
safeguard against the consecration of arbitrary predilection
under the specious name of internal evidence.
The exhibition of the documentary evidence itself needs
hardly any further preface. It will, I trust, be found more
completely and more exactly given than elsewhere : but the
additions and rectifications, though not perhaps without in-
terest, make no extensive change in the elementary data which
have to be interpreted, unless it be in some of the patristic
quotations. evidence wouldThe decisiveness of the external
not be materially less if it were taken as it is presented in any
good recent apparatus : in other words, the legitimacy of an
appeal clearestto internal evidence on less than the and
strongest grounds would hardly be increased.
It is however in internal evidence that the supposed strength
of the case against the less familiar reading undoubtedly con-
sists : and throughout this part of the discussion I have had to
break fresh ground. What is said about the relation of the
eighteenth verse of John'sSt Prologue to preceding verses is
intended to meet the more serious of the two apparent difficul-
ties, that arising from supposed incongruity with the context
and supposed want of harmony with the language of Scripture
elsewhere, and is addressed equally to upholders of the received
reading and to those who distrust the originality of either