taken by some of adding or leaving out some things by the way of correction and emendation, as they apprehend.' Here seem to be hinted three several causes of various readings, or differences, in the copies of the gospels. The first is the negligence of transcribers, which is very likely to happen, or rather is impossible to be entirely prevented. The second is the wicked rashness of some men, who designedly altered the gospels, to make them agreeable to their own particular sentiments. This, we may suppose, was the fault of a few only: for in the foregoing passage Origen assured us, that he did not know of any who had so altered the gospels, except some of the heretics. In the third place, some differences in the copies of the scriptures might be owing to the critics, who took a liberty of leaving out some things, or adding others, and thus to correct or amend some readings in their copies, which they thought to be wrong. And I think that Origen himself here acts the part of a critic, though perhaps he did not easily take the liberty to alter his copies. We cannot deny the truth of what Origen says here so positively, that there were then many various readings in the copies of the New Testament. But perhaps he aggravates a little to carry a point, and support a bold conjecture. However, we may hence infer, that these books were much esteemed, and had been often transcribed before Origen's time; otherwise there had not been so many differences in the copies of them; and as it is a thing in itself highly probable, that differences should happen in the copies of books frequently transcribed, so it is no small satisfaction to find that such differences were taken notice of. This would increase the care and concern for the exactness of the copies of books so much valued and reverenced as those of the New Testament. S 3. We may place here, as a general observation of Origen relating to this matter, what he says of the names of places that there were frequent errors of that sort in the copies of the gospels, which were owing to the ignorance of the Gentiles in the geography of the land of Judea. He gives two instances. John i. 28," These things were done in Bethabara, beyond Jordan." In most copies in his time * Το μεντοιγε ήμαρτησθαι εν τοις Ελληνικος αντιγράφοις τα περι των ονομάτων πολλαχε, και απο τετων αν τις πεισθείη εν τοις ευαγγελίοις. Com. in Joh. p. 131. B. Huet. · Ότι μεν σχεδον εν πασι τοις αντιγράφοις κειται ταυτα εν Βηθανία εγενετο, εκ αγνοεμεν και εοικε τετο και ετι προτερον γεγονεναι και παρα Ηρακλεωνι γεν Βηθανίαν ανεγνωμεν. Επεισθημεν δε μη δειν, Βηθανία, αναγινωσκειν, αλλα Βηθαβαρα. Ibid. p. 130. D. E. here was Bethany. He observes likewise that this was an ancient reading; nevertheless he prefers Bethabara, for divers reasons which he there mentions. V 4. He says likewise, that of the swine" which ran violently down a steep place, and were choked in the sea, it was written in some copies, that this was done in the country of the Gerasenes: in a few copies, in the country of the Gadarenes; but Origen is persuaded that the right name is Gergesenes. He adds, that there were like errors in the Greek copies of the Old Testament. But notwithstanding what Origen says, there does not appear sufficient reason for rejecting Gadarenes, whatever becomes of Gerasenes, as has been shown by divers critics. Therefore the readings in our present copies may be all right; Gergesenes in Matthew, and Gadarenes in Mark and Luke. W are 5. Matt. vi. 33, “ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Origen in his Treatise of Prayer, discoursing of the proper matter of our petitions, says: • These x things we ought to pray for: "Ask great things, and small things shall be added unto you." And," Ask heavenly things, and earthly things shall be added unto you.” And, "Pray for them which despitefully use you," Matt. v. 44. And," Pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest,” Matt. ix. 38. The same direction concerning great and small things, heavenly and earthly things, is alluded to again in the Treatise of Prayer, and called an evangelical word; as also in the books against Celsus. It is expressly put again in the fragments ofa Origen's Commentaries upon the Psalms: It is a small "See Matt. viii. 28; Mark v. 1; Luke viii. 26. V Αναγεγραπται γεγονεναι εν τη χωρα των Γερασηνων-επει δε εν ολιγοις εύρομεν εις την χωραν των Γαδαρηνών, και προς τετο λεκτεον.Αλλά Γεργεσα, αφ' ἧς οἱ Γεργεσαιοι, πολις αρχαια περι την νυν καλεμενην Τιβεριάδα λιμνην, περι ἡν κρημνος παρακείμενος τη λιμνη αφ' οὗ δεικνυται τες κοιρες ὑπο των δαιμονων καταβεβλησθαι. Ibid. p. 131. C. b. * Vid. Adr. Reland. Palaest. III. p. 774, 806, 807. Wolf. Cur. Whitb. Wall in Marc. v. 1. X Το μεν ὁ δει, αιτειτε τα μεγαλα, και τα μικρα ὑμιν προςεθησεται και αιτειτε τα επερανία, και τα επιγεια ὑμῖν προσεθήσεται Και προσευχεσθε ύπερ των επηρεαζοντων υμας. κ. λ. De Orat. p. 197. F. 198. A. Tom. i. Bened. * Ρ. 219. F. 220. Α. Πας τοιγαρεν ὁ τα επιγεια και μικρα αιτων απο Θε8, παρακύει το εντειλάμενε επερανία και μεγαλα αιτειν.—εαν δε τις ανθυποφέρη τα κατα σωματικον εκ προσευχης τοις ἁγιοις δωρηθεντα, αλλα και την τε ευαγγελια φωνην διδασκοντος τα επιγεια προςιθεσθαι και μικρα. P. 224. B. C. ibid. Εμαθε γαρ απο τε Ιησε μηδεν μικρον, τετ' εςιν αισθητον, ζητειν, αλλα μονα τα μεγαλα και αληθως θεια. κ. λ. Con. Cels. 1. vii. p. 726. F. ibid. Βραχεια δε πασα φωνη ἡ περι των επιγείων και μικρων, και ταπεινων διεξοδος, και αιτησις απο θεδ' ήν a matter to ask of God earthly things. Such a petition our Saviour forbids to be offered to the Father, saying: "Ask great things, and small things shall be added unto you: ask heavenly things, and earthly things shall be added unto you." b 6 These words are found cited in part by Clement of Alexandria, as was observed formerly: Ask,' says he,' great things, and small things shall be added unto you.' e Grabe supposed this citation might be made out of the gospel according to the Hebrews. Milld thinks these words were in Origen's copies, added to Matt. vi. 33, and taken possibly from the gospel according to the Hebrews, or some other apocryphal gospel. Fabricius is unwilling to allow, that Origen made this citation out of the gospel according to the Hebrews: he is rather inclined to think that these words were in Origen's copies, having been inserted there by interpolation. Dr. Wall says, that passage f seems to have been in some old copies, though it is in none now. Mr. Jones & says, that Clement, in the passage under consideration, respected the sense of Christ's words, without precisely transcribing them: that is, he rather chose to expound the words, than literally cite them. Hence also Origen, says he, who was one of Clement's scholars, does more than once in his works paraphrase these words of Christ in the same manner. Such are the sentiments of these learned writers. It is not fit to be positive in a thing of this nature: but I do not see but Mr. Jones's opinion may be reckoned as probable, and as near the truth, as any. Then this passage is no various reading: however I thought fit to take notice of it in this place, and give such an account of the use Origen has made of it, that every one may judge for himself. 6 6. Matt. x. 29, "And one of them shall not fall to the ground." Origen read, Fall into the snare.' So likewise Chrysostom: and, as Dr. Mill says, the Clementine Homilies; but I cannot find the place. That learned man απογορεύων ὁ Σωτηρ προσφερειν τῷ Πατρι φησιν· Αιτειτε τα μεγαλα, και τα μικρα ύμιν προςεθησεται αιτείτε τα επερανία, και τα επιγεια προςεθησεται ύμιν. Select. in Psalmos, p. 560. E. Tom. ii. Bened. b Chap. xxii. p. 257. d Mill, in loc. Matth. et Prolegom. n. 695. c Spicileg. T. i. p. 44. e Cod. Apocr. N. T. Tom. i. p. 329. De Dictis Christi, sect. 8. ἑν εις παγιδα 8 πιπτει ανευ τε εν ερανοις Πατρος. k Mill, Prol. num. 670, h Και γαρ δυο ερεθιων Con. Cels. l. viii. p. 794. i In Matt. x. Hom. xxxv. 6 however thinks, that the ground,' or the earth,' is the true reading, and snare' an interpretation. I take this to be a kind of proverbial expression. It might be sometimes said to the ground,' at other times into the snare,' Possibly the true reading is as Mill supposes: nevertheless it was very natural for some, in citing this text, to express it after the other form, into the snare.' There are frequent comparisons in scripture to this ordinary event, of catching a bird in a snare: as Psal. cxxiv. 7; Prov. vii. 23; Eccl. ix. 12. I put down one place, where both the snare and the earth are mentioned. Amos iii. 5, "Can a bird fall in a snare on the earth, where no gin is for him." the 7. Matt. xix. 24, " It is easier for a camel to go through eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." See also Mark x. 25; Luke xviii. 26. Some have thought, that instead of' camel' we should read 'cable.' Origen plainly read camel,' speaking of the animal so called, and describing it. 8. Matt. xxv. 23," Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Compare Luke xix. 17. Origen, in his books against Celsus, has these words: To whom it may be said, "Thou hast been faithful in a small city: enter thou into a great one." I apprehend here is no proof that this was in any gospel; it may be only an expression representing the sense of several places in the gospels. 6 9. Mark vi. 3, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary-?" Celsus had reflected upon our Saviour, calling him a carpenter by trade.' Origen says, That P nevertheless Jesus himself is never called a carpenter in any of the gospels used in the churches.' It is not easy to determine what was the reason of Origen's saying this; whether his memory failed him, or whether in his copies of St. Mark's gospel this place was, "Is not this the carpenter's son?" as in Matt. xiii. 55; which possibly might be only 1 m Ευκοπώτερον εςι καμηλον δια τρυπης ῥαφιδος διελθειν, η πλέσιον εισελθειν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν των εράνων. Εν η παραβολῃ ὁ μὲν πλέσιος παραβαλλεται καμηλῳ, 8 δια το ακαθάρτον τε ζως μόνον, ὡς ὁ νομος εδίδαξεν, αλλα και την ANY AνTY OKOMOTηrа. Comm. in Matt. p. 387. É. 388. A. Huet. Vid. et Con. Cels. 1. vi. p. 642. A. B. Bened. Προς οὓς λεγοιτο αν Εν ελαχιση πολει πιςος εγενε, ήκε και επι την μεγάλην. Con. Cels. l. viii. p. 798. B. Utcunque vid. Mill, Proleg. n. 695, 696. • Η επει τεκτων ην την τέχνην. Con. Cels. 1. vi. p. 299. Cant. p. 659. . Αλλα και 8 βλεπων, ότι εδαμε των εν ταις εκκλησίαις φερομένων ευαγγελιων τεκτων αυτος ο Ιησες αναγεγραπται. Ibid. D. Bened. n Vid. Grot. Anñot. ad Matt. xiii. 55. Spencer, in locum Origenis. Mill, Prol. 698. an alteration made in St. Mark's gospel by some person out of respect to Christ. 10. The most considerable variation from our copies of the New Testament which I have observed in Origen, is in the Lord's Prayer, as recorded in St. Luke's gospel. In his Treatise of Prayer he has given us distinctly this prayer from Matthew and Luke. The prayer in Matthew is very little different from our present copies; therefore I need not put it down. That in Luke being very different, I shall transcribe it here at length. Says Origen, The words in Luke are thus: " Father, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come: give us day by day our daily bread ; and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive every one that is indebted unto us; and lead us not into temptation." 1 6 S r Here Origen omits our,' and who art in heaven;' and from his particular explication of that part of the prayer afterwards, it appears again that Father' only was in Luke; nevertheless Mill supposed that those words, our,' and who art in heaven,' were in Origen's copies of St. Luke's gospel. This mistake has been already observed by " " the learned author of the Notes upon Origen's Treatise of Prayer, published by Mr. Reading, which ought to be consulted. 6 Origen afterwards says expressly that St. Luke omits these words, thy will be done, as in heaven so on earth.” He observes the difference between the two evangelists in that which is generally called the fourth petition; and says likewise, that deliver us from evil is omitted by Št. Luke. So that we have from Origen a most distinct account how this prayer was read in his time, in both evangelists, The text of St. Luke in the Latin vulgate, agrees with Origen throughout: and St. Augustine has informed us, r Τα δε Λεκα ούτως ̇ Πατερ, ἁγιασθητω το ονομα σε, ελθέτω ἡ βασιλεια σε' τον αρτον ἡμων τον επιεσιον διδε ̓ ἡμιν, καθ ̓ ἡμέραν και αφες ημιν τας ἁμαρτίας ἡμων, και γαρ αυτοι αφίεμεν παντι τῳ οφείλοντι ἡμῖν· και μη εισενεγkny nμas is traoμov Orig. de Orat. p. 227. A. Tom. i. Bened. S Ει μεντοι νοησαιμεν τι επι το, όταν προσευχησθε, λεγετε, Πατερ, ὁπερ παρα τη Λεκα γεγραπται. Ibid. p. 232. A. Vid. Mill, in Lucæ locum, et Proleg. n. 419, " Vid. Orig. de Oratione, p. 95. not. 4. p. 108. not. 4. ex edit. Gul. Reading, et p. 919. D. E. 920. C. Tom. i. Bened. Γενηθήτω το θέλημα σε, ὡς εν έρανοις και επι γης, Ο Αγκας μετα το, Ελθέτω ἡ βασιλεια σε, ταυτα παρασιώπησας, έταξε τον αρτον. κ. λ. p. 240. C. Bened. * Το δε, αλλα ῥυσαι ήμας απο w P. 243. C. το πονηρε, παρα τῳ Δεκα σεσιωπηται. p. 256. C. Vid. et p. 265. Α. Evangelista vero Lucas in Oratione Dominicâ petitiones non septem, |