The points to which I am anxious rather to direct attention are (1) the extent to which the works of Origen were studied by the ancients: and (2) the curious [pg 166] discovery that Codexes ?B, and to some extent D, either belong to the same class as those with which Origen was chiefly familiar; or else have been anciently manipulated into conformity with Origen's teaching. The former seems to me the more natural supposition; but either inference equally satisfies my contention: viz. that Origen, and mainly B?D, are not to be regarded as wholly independent authorities, but constitute a class.

The proof of this position is to be found in various passages where the influence of Origen may be traced, such as in the omission of ???? t?? Te??—“The Son of God”—in Mark i. 1224; and of ?? ?f?s?—“at Ephesus”—in Eph. i. 1225; in the substitution of Bethabara (St. John i. 28) for Bethany226; in the omission of the second part of the last petition the Lord's Prayer in St. Luke227, of ?p??s??? ?? ?????e? in John i. 27228.

He is also the cause why the important qualification e??? (“without a cause”) is omitted by B? from St. Matt. v. 22; and hence, in opposition to the whole host of Copies, Versions229, Fathers, has been banished from the sacred Text by Lachmann, Tischendorf, W. Hort and the Revisers230. To the same influence, I am persuaded, is to be attributed the omission from a little handful of copies (viz. A, B-?, D*, F-G, and 17*) of the clause t? ????e?? ? pe??es?a? [pg 167] (“that you should not obey the truth”) Gal. iii. 1. Jerome duly acknowledges those words while commenting on St. Matthew's Gospel231; but when he comes to the place in Galatians232, he is observed, first to admit that the clause “is found in some copies,” and straightway to add that “inasmuch as it is not found in the copies of Adamantius233, he omits it.” The clue to his omission is supplied by his own statement that in writing on the Galatians he had made Origen his guide234. And yet the words stand in the Vulgate.

In a certain place Origen indulges in a mystical exposition of our Lord's two miracles of feeding235; drawing marvellous inferences, as his manner is, from the details of [pg 168] either miracle. We find that Hilary236, that Jerome237, that Chrysostom238, had Origen's remarks before them when they in turn commented on the miraculous feeding of the 4000. At the feeding of the 5000, Origen points out that our Lord “commands the multitude to sit down” (St. Matt. xiv. 19): but at the feeding of the 4000, He does not “command” but only “directs” them to sit down. (St. Matt. xv. 35239) ... From which it is plain that Origen did not read as we do in St. Matt. xv. 35, ?a? ????e?se t??? ??????—but pa????e??e t? ???? ??apese??; which is the reading of the parallel place in St. Mark (viii. 6). We should of course have assumed a slip of memory on Origen's part; but that ?BD are found to exhibit the text of St. Matt. xv. 35 in conformity with Origen240. He is reasoning therefore from a MS. which he has before him; and remarking, as his unfortunate manner is, on what proves to be really nothing else but a palpable depravation of the text.

Speaking of St. John xiii. 26, Origen remarks,—“It is not written ‘He it is to whom I shall give the sop’; but with the addition of ‘I shall dip’: for it says, ‘I shall dip the sop and give it.’ ” This is the reading of BCL and is adopted accordingly by some Editors. But surely it is a depravation of the text which may be ascribed with confidence to the officiousness of Origen himself. Who, at all events, on such precarious evidence would surrender the established reading of the place, witnessed to as it is by [pg 169] every other known MS. and by several of the Fathers? The grounds on which Tischendorf reads ??? t? ????? ?a? d?s? a?t?, are characteristic, and in their way a curiosity241.

Take another instance of the same phenomenon. It is plain, from the consent of (so to speak) all the copies, that our Saviour rejected the Temptation which stands second in St. Luke's Gospel with the words,—“Get thee behind Me, Satan242.” But Origen officiously points out that this (quoting the words) is precisely what our Lord did not say. He adds a reason,—“He said to Peter, ‘Get thee behind Me, Satan’; but to the Devil, ‘Get thee hence,’ without the addition ‘behind Me’; for to be behind Jesus is a good thing243.”