Page:The New Testament in the original Greek - Introduction and Appendix (1882).pdf/209

Rh sions represent, the constituent texts of our better Greek MSS must be in the main of at least equal antiquity, and that the best of them are, even as they stand, more free from Western and Alexandrian peculiarities than any version in its present state. We learn next that Β very far exceeds all other documents in neutrality of text as measured by the above tests, being in fact always or nearly always neutral, with the exception of the Western element already mentioned (§ 204) as virtually confined to the Pauline Epistles. At a long interval after B, but hardly a less interval before all other MSS, stands. Then come, approximately in the following order, smaller fragments being neglected, Τ of St Luke and St John, of St Luke, L, 33,  (in St Mark), C, Ζ of St Matthew, R of St Luke, Q, and P. It may be said in general terms that those documents, Β and  excepted, which have most Alexandrian readings have usually also most neutral readings. Thus among versions by far the largest amount of attestation comes from the Memphitic and Thebaic; but much also from the Old and the Jerusalem Syriac, and from the African Latin; and more or less from every version. After the Gospels the number of documents shrinks greatly; but there is no marked change in the relations of the leading uncials to the neutral text, except that A now stands throughout near C. In Acts 61 comes not far below, 13 being also prominent, though in a much less degree, here and in the Catholic Epistles. The considerable Pre-Syrian element already noticed (§ 212) as distinguishing a proportionally large number of cursives in this group of books includes many neutral readings: for examples of these cursives it will suffice to refer to the two lists given above (§§ 228, 229), which include the more important MSS. In some of the