Page:The New Testament in the original Greek - Introduction and Appendix (1882).pdf/232

194 these also, when tried by internal evidence, are found not less constantly to bear the marks of incorrupt transmission. Thus far we have been dealing with essentially the same distributions as in former pages, though from a different point of view: the last result is nearly equivalent to the former conclusion that, certain peculiar omissions excepted, the Western text is probably always corrupt as compared with the Non-Western text.

C.&ensp;265—267.&emsp;Relation of Primary Greek MSS to other documentary evidence

265. Before we proceed to examine the character of the more narrowly limited groups, it is necessary to consider in some little detail the bearing of the evidence of Greek MSS not singled out for primary authority, and of all versions and patristic quotations. Texts in all the languages supply a greater or less amount of various Pre-Syrian evidence having a strong prima facie claim to authority, the true force of which manifestly cannot be left undetermined. It is needless to discuss variations in which the secondary Pre-Syrian evidence (the Syrian evidence may be passed over here and elsewhere) is predominantly on the side of the primary group, or in which it divides itself with anything like equality: the apparent difficulty begins with the numerous cases in which the reduced band of primary MSS is sustained by only a small proportion of the secondary evidence; and then the question arises whether any and if so what amount or weight of secondary evidence, in conjunction with outlying primary MSS, ought to balance or outweigh the strong antecedent authority of the primary band of primary MSS. The question here is not, as it was above