stance clearly exhibit the genuine reading, and leave not a single passage in dispute. The present age, however, cannot accomplish this ; and the more nearly any one of us has ap proached to primitive genuineness, so much the less does he obtain the assent of the generality.
22. I have determined, therefore, in the meanwhile (until a fuller measure of light be vouchsafed to the Church), to construct as genuine a text as possible, by a judicious selection from approved editions. In the Apocalypse alone?' I have introduced some readings here and there from MSS. [as opposed to printed editions], the reason of which I have fre quently stated.
23. Some very few passages, however, of the Textus Receptus, I have separated by brackets from the rest of the text, as being either doubtful or corrupt ; and thus they are noticed as such in the text itself, without any injury to truth.
24. These passages being excepted, and only for a while, as it were, sequestrated, even the unlearned may rely firmly on, and use for his salvation, the whole of the rest of the text.
25. On the other hand, some most precious readings, drawn out from their previous obscurity, are recognised as genuine, to the advantage and increase of truth.
26. Readings which are not to be found in the Textus Re- ceptus, whether equally probable or evidently genuine, should not be introduced immediately into the text itselfj but indicated in the margin, especially if they are not supported by many codices.
27. This [marginal] indication of readings may be accurately exhibited, if the various marginal readings be divided into classes. For every various reading (so far as the question can be decided at any particular time) must have claims, which are either equal, superior, or inferior to those of its rivals, and this again, with either a greater or less amount of marked difference. All readings, therefore, firm, plausible, or doubtful, — whether placed in the text or the margin, may be reduced analytically to five degrees, though I consider it an ascertained fact, that other wise [if minutely defined, just as in the relative magnitude of the
1 See Section X.