must not be considered as a various reading, nor is the text to be altered on such a ground.
When equivalent phrases occur, this observation does not en able us to determine, which is that of the original autograph, which that of the Greek copyist or paraphrast, nor does it dis tinguish an omission from an addition.
6. Transcribers have often been guilty of changing or omitting single letters, especially those consisting of only one member ; ' also of interchanging syllables, which resembled each other in sound (an alteration which frequently occurs in transferring proper names from one language to another) ; and as these changes frequently left the sense intact, they were unwilling to correct them for fear of marring the neatness of the copy. This again ought not to be considered as a Various Reading, but as a neglect of the transcriber. Such must also be our decision, when changes have occurred in the instance of tenses, moods, verbs, cases, genders, etc.
This observation touches indeed the origin of the variation, but not so as to arrive at a solution of it.
7. Transcribers have often been guilty of omitting, adding, or varying particles, pronouns, adverbs, prepositions, etc, — a mal practice which has frequently occurred also in the case of com pound verbs. — This, however, does not constitute, nor ought it to be considered, a various reading : A thousand, and a thousand times has this error been committed.
The same remarks apply to this, as to the Canon immediately preceding.
8. That reading which, whether by addition, subtraction, or mutation of words, or even by variety of construction, does not alter the sense of the passage, is not (even though it be found in three or four MSS.), to be considered as a various reading, nor even allowed a hearing, in opposition to the very many other MSS. of good or better mark. For we are not bound, in such a case, to prefer the various reading to the received text.
When you have once exceeded the number of three or four MSS. (which we shall consider when examining Canon 11),
1 Such for example as /. — (I. B.)