SECT. XV. An answer to the objection of the Scripture being altered.

I SEE no other objection can be made against these books, unless it be that they have not continued to be the same as they were at the beginning. It must be owned, that, as in other books, so in these it might happen, and has happened, that, through carelessness or perverseness in the transcribers, some letters, syllables, or words, may be changed, omitted, or added. But it is very unreasonable, that, because of such a difference of copies,⁴⁴²⁴⁴²   This is now very manifest, from the most accurate collection of the various readings of the New Testament, and especially from the edition of dr. Mills. Though there is a great variety, yet no new doctrine can be raised from thence, nor no received one confuted; no history of any moment, in regard to the truth of the Christian religion, which was before believed from the books of the New Testament, is on that account to be rejected; nor any that was before unknown, to be collected from the various readings. And what is said of the books of the New Testament, the same we are to conceive said of the Old Testament. Le Clerc. which could not but happen in so long time, there should arise any controversy about the Testament or book itself; because both custom and reason require that that should be preferred before the rest which is to be found in the most ancient copies. But it can never be proved that all the copies are corrupted by fraud, or any other way, especially in those places which contain any doctrine, or remarkable point of history; for there are no records that tell us that they were so, nor any witnesses in those times: and if, as we before 142observed, any thing be alleged by those who lived a long time after, and who shew the most cruel hatred against those who were defenders of these books; this is to be looked upon as reproach, and not testimony. And this which we have now said may suffice in answer to those who object that the scripture may have been altered: because he that affirms this, especially against a writing which has been received so long and in so many places, ought himself to prove that which he presumes.⁴⁴³⁴⁴³   L. ult. C. de Edicto Divi Adriani tollendo. But, that the folly of this objection may more plainly appear, we will shew that that which they imagine to be, neither is, nor can be done. We have before proved these books to have been wrote by those whose names they bear; which being granted, it follows that one book is not forged for the sake of another. Neither is any remarkable passage altered; for such an alteration must have something designed by it, and then that part would plainly differ from those other parts and books which are not altered, which is no where to be seen; nay, as we observed, there is a wonderful harmony in the sense every where. Moreover, as soon as any of the apostles, or apostolical men, published any thing, doubtless the Christians took great care to have many copies of it, as became pious persons, and such as were desirous of preserving and propagating the truth to posterity; and these were therefore dispersed as far as the name of Christ extended itself, through Europe, Asia, and Egypt, in which places the Greek language flourished; and, as we before observed, some of the original copies were preserved for two hundred years. Now, no book, of which so many copies had been taken, that were kept, not by some few private persons, but by the care of whole churches, can be corrupted.⁴⁴⁴⁴⁴⁴   That is, so as that it should run through all the copies, and corrupt all the versions: for otherwise wicked men, who are obstinately bent on their own opinions, may here and there corrupt their own copies; as not only Marcion did, but also some library-keepers, who had a better judgment; as we have shewn in our Ars Critica, part iii. sect. i. ch. 14. Le Clerc. To which we may add, that in the very next ages these 143books were translated into the Syriac, Ethiopic, and Latin tongues: which versions are now extant, and do not any where differ from the Greek books in any thing of moment. And we have the writings of those who were taught by the apostles themselves, or their disciples, who quote a great many places of these books, in that sense which we now understand them. Nor was there at that time any one in the church of so great authority as to have been obeyed, if he had designed to alter any thing; as is sufficiently manifest from the liberty taken by Irenæus, Tertullian, and Cyprian, to differ from those who were of the highest rank in the church. And, after the times now mentioned, many others followed, who were men of great learning and as great judgment, who, after a diligent inquiry, received those books, as retaining their original purity. And further, what we now said concerning the different sects of Christians may be applied here also; that all of them, at least all that own God to be the Creator of the world, and Christ to be a new lawgiver, make use of these books as we now have them. If any attempted to put in any thing, they were accused of forgery by the rest. And that no sect was allowed the liberty to alter these books according to their own pleasure, is sufficiently evident from hence, that all sects fetched their arguments against the rest from hence. And what we hinted concerning the Divine Providence, relates as much to the principal parts as to the whole books; that it is not agreeable thereto that God should suffer so many thousand men, who were regardful of piety, and sought after eternal life with a sincere intention, to fall into an error that they could not possibly avoid. And thus much may suffice for the books of the New Testament, which, if they were alone extant, were sufficient to teach us the true religion.