WE have not noticed any typographical error of consequence in the whole impression. The words to and the are doubled or repeated in one or two places; an n inverted, or a u instead of an n, and a c instead of an e, and the omission of the word him before the word "hear," Rev. iii.13. are the chief erors in the work; but the sense is in no passage in jured or affected by any mistake of this kind. The London copy was that placed before the compositor, which, as already observed, departed in some instances from the oroginal works. Some of these alterations affected the sense; others, merely the style, such as hath, instead of has; liveth, instead of lives, &c. The former we brought back to the original works; the latter we retained.
After the Appendix was completed and worked off, we made the following alterations;:--2 tim. 3:13. "Sorcerers;" Macknight. "Imposters;" Doddridge.--Titus 2:15. "Unfaithful;" Mack. "Unbelieving;" Dodd.--Heb. 13:23. "I have written to you briefly;" Mack. "I have sent to you in brief:" Thompson.--I Pet. 4:13. "Burning;" Macknight. "Fiery trial;" Dodd.--Rev. 7:16. "Upon them;" "Over them;" Thomp. 13:10. 14:12. "Patience;" Dodd. "Perseverance;" Thomp.
The fact of its having been written by Matthew is one thing; but the title given to the narrative is another. Many witnesses may concur in avouching a fact, whose opinions of the name or title of the fact, and of the import of it, may differ. Their opinions we may receive or reject, when we dare not reject their testimony. But not merely the congruity of things, but the apostolic writings themselves, authorize us in calling this narrative, The Testimony of Matthew Levi. Luke 24:48, the Saviour addresses the apostles thus; "Ye are my witnesses:" just equivalent to--Ye shall give trestimony of me. Acts 1:8, he tells them, Ye shall give testimony, or ye shall be witnesses for me from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. In Acts 5:32; 10:39, the apostles assume this title--"We give testimony of him," or "we are his witnesses." What they told, viva voce, and what they wrote concerning Jesus, was equally their testimony. Whether verbal or written, the testimony is the same. We have the highest authhority, then, for the title we have affixed to these writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; and there is neither propriety in, nor authority for, the common titles which they bear. All these historians testify thousands of items, which, though subservient to their main design, are different from, and not the gospel of Jesus Christ, properly so called.
The Greek terms marturion, marturia, are indiscriminately translated testimony, record, and witness by King James' translators. They supposed any of these Enlgish words equivalent to the original. In our times the term testimony is most approved, and most in use; and the Testimony of John is more according to our standards, than the Record or Witness of John. There is, indeed, every kind of propriety in the title we have adopted out of the text itself. The student of these writings need not be informed that Levi and Matthew are, like Simon and Peter, names of one and the same apostle.
Some suppose the preface to belong to the first chapter only; others more rationally suppose it to belong to the whole narrative. Those who appropriate it to the first chapter translate the phrase, bibloV genese, "the lineage," as Dr. C has done. Those who extend it to the whole of Matthew's writings translate it, "The History." Dr. C says, this phrase is found where it cannot signify "either genealogy, or list of descendants, as Gen. 2:4, bibloV genesewV ouranou kai ghV. The account of the origin and gradual production of the universe."
The Syriac, according to Whitby, renders it thus: "The Narrative or Rehearsal of the Generation or Birth of Jesus." Whitby, on this passage, observes, that "the word is used elsewhere with a latitude to comprise also the history of our Lord's life, death, and resurrection," although he confines it to the first chapter. D and Thompson translate it, "the Genealogy of Jesus." The former, however, observes, that genesiV corresponds with the Hebrew Teledeth, which sometimes signifies the history of a person's life." Simon, the Jesuit, translates the Vulgate into French, as D and Thompson have the Greek into English. Beza has it "liber generationis," and James' translators follow him--"The Book of the Generation." Vitringa contends that it should be translated history in this place, and Dr., Adam Clarke is of the same opinion. We find the phrase occurring frequently in the Septuagint as equivalent to the term History; and have, accordingly, given it in the text. But with these documents before him, let the reader judge.