The next scholar who is pre-eminently distin guished in the history of the N. T. criticism is Dr. John James-Griesbach. He enriched the materials collected by Wetstein with new and important additions, by collating MSS., versions, and early ecclesiastical writers, particularly Origen, with great labour. The idea of recensions, recommended by Bengel and Semler, he adopted, and carried out with much acuteness and sagacity. His first edi tion appeared at Halle in 2 vols., 1774-75. The first three gospels were synoptically arranged ; but in 1777 he published them in their natural order. The text is founded on a comparison of the copious materials which he possessed. Nothing was adopted from conjecture, and nothing received which had not the sanction of codices as well as versions. A select number of readings is placed beneath the text. In his Symboke Criticce (1785, 1793) he gave a full account of his collations. Such was the commencement of Griesbach's literary labours.
Between the years 1782-88, C. F. Matthcei pub lished a new edition of the Greek Testament in 12 parts or vols. His text was founded on a collation of more than zoo Moscow MSS., which he first examined. It is accompanied With the Vulgate, scholia, and excursus. He avowed himself an enemy to the idea of recensions, despised the an cient MSS. (especially cod. Bezze), and quotations in the Fathers, while he unduly exalted his Moscow MSS. His chief merit lies in the careful collation he made of a number of MSS. before unknown. A second edition appeared in Germany in 3 vols. Svo, 1803-1807. Several MSS. in Germany were examined by the editor previously to this edition.
Before the completion of Matthaei's first edition, appeared that of Alter, 1786-S7, 2 vols. The text is that of the Vienna MS. (Griesbach, 218), with which he collated 22 others in the Imperial library. To these he added readings from the Coptic, Slavonian, and Latin versions.
In 17S8, Professor Birch of Copenhagen en I larged the province of sacred criticism by his splendid edition of the four Gospels in folio and 4to. The text is a reprint of Stephens' third ; but the materials appended to it are highly valuable. They consist of extracts made by himself and Mob denhauer, in their travels, from many MSS. not examined by Wetstein ; and of Adler's selections from the Jerusalem-Syriac version discovered in the Vatican. Birch was the first who carefully col lated the Codex Vaticanus, except in Luke and John, where he used a collation formerly made for Bentley. The publication of the second volume was prevented by a fire that destroyed many of the materials. In 1798 he published his various readings on the remainder of the N. T., except the Apocalypse. In 1800 he published those relating to this book also.
In 1796 appeared the first volume of a new and greatly-improved edition of Griesbach's New Tes tament ; for which he made extracts from the Ar menian, Slavonic, Latin, Sahidic, Coptic, and other versions, besides incorporating into his collection the results of the labours of Matthaei, Alter, and Birch. The second volume appeared in 1806, both pub lished at Halle. At the end of the second volume is a dissertation on I John v. 7. The work was
reprinted at London in 18og, ISio ; and again in 1818. The prolegomena are exceedingly valuable. This edition is indispensable to every critic and intelligent theologian. In 1805, Griesbach pub lished a manual edition, with a selection of read ings from the larger one. The text of this does not always agree with the other. It presents the learned critic's latest judgments, and is therefore of pecu liar worth. It was reprinted, but inaccurately, in 1825.
In 1827 many new materials having been pro cured since the date of Griesbach's last edition, it was thought necessary to publish a third. It ap peared, accordingly, under the superintendence of Dr. Schulz. The first volume contains the pro legomena and Gospels. It exhibits various read ings from about 20 new sources, many corrections of Griesbach's references and citations, besides con siderable improvements in other respects. The second volume has not been published.
The editions of Knapp, Schott, Tittmann, Vater, etc., etc., are chiefly based on that of Griesbach. Of these the most esteemed is that of Knapp, which has passed through five editions, and is characterised by sound judgment, especially in the punctuation and accents.
In 1830 appeared the first volume of a large critical edition, superintended by Dr. J. Martin Augustus Scholz, professor at Bonn, containing the Gospels. The second volume in 1836, com pleted the work. Both are in 4to. The editor spent 12 years of incessant labour in collecting materials for the work ; and travelled into many countries for the purpose of collating MSS. The prolegomena prefixed to the first volume occupy 172 pages, and contain ample information respect ing all the codices, versions, fathers, acts of coon- I cils, etc., etc., which are used as authorities, together with a history of the text, and an exposition of his classification system. In the inner margin are given the general readings characteristic of the three great families. The total number of MSS. which he described and used is 674, of which 343 had been collated by others, so that 331 were first examined by himself, i.e., 210 of parts of the N. T., and 121 Evangelistaria. Little reliance can be placed on the accuracy of the extracts which he has given for the first time. His re searches raised the textus receltits higher than Gries bach placed it. In consequence of his preferring the Constantinopolitan family, his text comes nearer the Elzevir edition than that of Griesbach. The merits of this laborious editor are considerable. He greatly enlarged our critical apparatus. But in acuteness, sagacity, and scholarship, he is far in ferior to Griesbach. His collations appear to have been superficial. They are not to be depended on. Hence the text cannot command the confidence of Protestant critics. We cannot believe, with the editor, that the Byzantine family is equal in value or authority to the Alexandrine which is confes sedly more ancient ; nor can we put his junior codices on a level with the very valuable documents of the Oriental recension. His text is inferior to that of Griesbach.