




        A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament

                     For the Use of Biblical Students

                               By The Late

                    Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener

                           M.A., D.C.L., LL.D.

                  Prebendary of Exeter, Vicar of Hendon

                        Fourth Edition, Edited by

                       The Rev. Edward Miller, M.A.

             Formerly Fellow and Tutor of New College, Oxford

                                 Vol. I.

              George Bell & Sons, York Street, Covent Garden

                      Londo, New York, and Cambridge

                                   1894





CONTENTS


Preface To Fourth Edition.
Description Of The Contents Of The Lithographed Plates.
Addenda Et Corrigenda.
Chapter I. Preliminary Considerations.
Chapter II. General Character Of The Greek Manuscripts Of The New
Testament.
Chapter III. Divisions Of The Text, And Other Particulars.
Appendix To Chapter III. Synaxarion And Eclogadion Of The Gospels And
Apostolic Writings Daily Throughout The Year.
Chapter IV. The Larger Uncial Manuscripts Of The Greek Testament.
Chapter V. Uncial Manuscripts Of The Gospels.
Chapter VI. Uncial Manuscripts Of The Acts And Catholic Epistles, Of St.
Paul's Epistles, And Of The Apocalypse.
Chapter VII. Cursive Manuscripts Of The Gospels. Part I.
Chapter VIII. Cursive Manuscripts Of The Gospels. Part II.
Chapter IX. Cursive Manuscripts Of The Gospels. Part III.
Chapter X. Cursive Manuscripts Of The Acts And Catholic Epistles.
Chapter XI. Cursive Manuscripts Of St. Paul's Epistles.
Chapter XII. Cursive Manuscripts Of The Apocalypse.
Chapter XIII. Evangelistaries, Or Manuscript Service-Books Of The Gospels.
Chapter XIV. Lectionaries Containing The Apostolos Or Praxapostolos.
Appendix A. Chief Authorities.
Appendix B. On Facsimiles.
Appendix C. On Dating By Indiction.
Appendix D. On The {~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO WITH DASIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER MU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}.
Appendix E. Table Of Differences Between The Fourth Edition Of Dr.
Scrivener's Plain Introduction And Dr. Gregory's Prolegomena.
Index I. Of Greek Manuscripts.
Index II. Of Writers, Past Owners, And Collators Of Mss.
Footnotes






                             [Illustration.]

                    Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener


In templo Dei offert unusquisque quod potest: alii aurum, argentum, et
lapides pretiosos: alii byssum et purpuram et coccum offerunt et
hyacinthum. Nobiscum bene agitur, si obtulerimus pelles et caprarum pilos.
Et tamen Apostolus contemtibiliora nostra magis necessaria judicat.

HIERONYMI _Prologus Galeatus_.





Dedication

[In The Third Edition]

_To His Grace_

_Edward, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury_.

MY LORD ARCHBISHOP,

Nearly forty years ago, under encouragement from your venerated
predecessor Archbishop Howley, and with the friendly help of his Librarian
Dr. Maitland, I entered upon the work of collating manuscripts of the
Greek New Testament by examining the copies brought from the East by
Professor Carlyle, and purchased for the Lambeth Library in 1805. I was
soon called away from this employment--{~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON WITH DASIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMEGA WITH VARIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~} {~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA WITH PSILI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON WITH OXIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH OXIA~} {~GREEK SMALL LETTER GAMMA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~} {~GREEK SMALL LETTER THETA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER MU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMEGA WITH PERISPOMENI AND YPOGEGRAMMENI~}--to less
congenial duties in that remote county, wherein long after it was your
Grace's happy privilege to refresh the spirits of Churchmen and
Churchwomen, by giving them pious work to do, and an example in the doing
of it. What I have since been able to accomplish in the pursuits of sacred
criticism, although very much less than I once anticipated, has proved, I
would fain hope, not without its use to those who love Holy Scripture, and
the studies which help to the understanding of the same.

Among the scholars whose sympathy cheered and aided my Biblical labours
from time to time, I have had the honour of including your Grace; yet it
would be at once unseemly and fallacious to assume from that circumstance,
that the principles of textual criticism which I have consistently
advocated have approved themselves to your judgement. All that I can look
for or desire in this respect is that I may seem to you to have stated my
case fairly and temperately, in earnest controversy with opponents far my
superiors in learning and dialectic power, and for whom, in spite of
literary differences, I entertain deep respect and true regard.

My Lord, you have been called by Divine Providence to the first place in
our Communion, and have entered upon your great office attended by the
applauses, the hopeful wishes, and the hearty prayers of the whole Church.
May it please God to endow you richly with the Christian gifts as well of
wisdom as of courage: for indeed the highest minister of the Church of
England, no less than the humblest, will need courage in the coming time,
now that faith is waxing cold and adversaries are many.

I am, my Lord Archbishop,

Your obliged and faithful servant,

F. H. A. Scrivener.

HENDON VICARAGE,

_Whitsuntide_, 1883.





PREFACE TO FOURTH EDITION.


At the time of the lamented death of Dr. Scrivener a new edition of his
standard work was called for, and it was supposed that the great Master of
Textual Criticism had himself made sufficient corrections and additions
for the purpose in the margin of his copy. When the publishers committed
to me the task of preparation, I was fully aware of the absolute necessity
of going far beyond the materials placed at my disposal, if the book were
to be really useful as being abreast of the very great progress
accomplished in the last ten years. But it was not till I had laboured
with absolute loyalty for some months that I discovered from my own
observation, and from the advice of some of the first textual critics, how
much alteration must at once be made.

Dr. Scrivener evidently prepared the Third Edition under great
disadvantage. He had a parish of more than 5,500 inhabitants upon his
hands, with the necessity of making provision for increase in the
population. The result was that after adding 125 pages to his book he had
an attack of paralysis, and so it is not surprising that his work was not
wholly conducted upon the high level of his previous publications. The
book has also laboured under another and greater disadvantage of too
rapid, though unavoidable, growth. The 506 pages of the First Edition have
been successively expanded into 626 pages in the Second, 751 in the Third,
and 874 in the Fourth; while the framework originally adopted, consisting
only of nine chapters, was manifestly inadequate to the mass of material
ultimately gathered. It has therefore been found necessary, as the work
proceeded, to do violence, amidst much delicate embarrassment, to feelings
of loyalty to the author forbidding alteration. The chief changes that
have been made are as follows:--

The first intention of keeping the materials within the compass of one
volume has been abandoned, and it has been divided into two volumes, with
an increase of chapters in each.

Instead of 2,094 manuscripts, as reckoned in the third edition under the
six classes, no less than 3,791 have been recorded in this edition, being
an increase of 236 beyond the 3,555 of Dr. Gregory, without counting the
numerous vacant places which have been filled up.

Most of the accounts of ancient versions have been rewritten by
distinguished scholars, who are leaders in their several departments.

The early part of Volume I has been enriched from the admirable book on
"Greek and Latin Palaeography," by Mr. E. Maunde Thompson, who with great
kindness placed the proof-sheets at my disposal before publication.

Changes have been made in the headlines, the indexes, and in the printing,
and sometimes in the arrangement, which will, I trust, enable the reader
to find his way more easily about the treatise.

And many corrections suggested by eminent scholars have been introduced in
different places all through the work.

A most pleasing duty now is to tender my best thanks to the Right Reverend
the Lord Bishop of Salisbury and the Rev. H. J. White, M.A., for the
rewriting of the chapter on Latin Versions by the latter under Dr. John
Wordsworth's supervision, with help from M. Samuel Berger; to the Rev. G.
H. Gwilliam, B.D., Fellow of Hertford College, now editing the Peshitto
for the University of Oxford, for the improvement of the passages upon the
Peshitto and the Curetonian; the Rev. H. Deane, B.D., for additions to the
treatment of the Harkleian; and the Rev. Dr. Walker, Principal of St.
John's Hall, Highbury, for the results of a collation of the Peshitto and
Curetonian; to the Rev. A. C. Headlam, M.A., Fellow of All Souls College,
for a revision of the long chapter upon Egyptian Versions; to F. C.
Conybeare, Esq., M.A., late Fellow of University College, for rewriting
the sections on the Armenian and Georgian Versions; to Professor
Margoliouth, M.A., Fellow of New College, for rewriting the sections on
the Arabic and Ethiopic Versions; to the Rev. Ll. J. M. Bebb, M.A., Fellow
of Brasenose College, for rewriting the section upon the Slavonic Version;
to Dr. James W. Bright, Assistant-Professor in the Johns Hopkins
University, for rewriting the section on the Anglo-Saxon Version, through
Mr. White's kind offices; to E. Maunde Thompson, Esq., D.C.L., LL.D.,
F.S.A., &c., for kindness already mentioned, and other help, and to G. F.
Warner, Esq., M.A., of the Manuscript Department of the British Museum,
for correction of some of the notices of cursive MSS. belonging to the
