24. M. But your ancient MSS. and versions differ from one another so much that
you have thousands of different readings in your Bibles. How can you be sure which is
correct?
C. That shows how carefully we have collated MS. with MS. and version with version,
noting even the varied spelling 1 of the same word in different MSS. But the
result of all our investigations is that all the varied readings put together do not alter
or render doubtful one single article in our creed.
25. M. How do you account for these various readings? Do they not prove that
attempts were made to corrupt the text of the Bible?
C. Not at all; for, as I have said, they have not altered one single doctrine
taught or one single precept given in the Bible. The variety of readings arose in
different ways. The most usual cause was a mistake of the copyist, who often wrote from
dictation. Another reason was that certain words were sometimes written and spelled in one
way, sometimes in another. Occasionally also, when a note was written in the margin of a
MS., a later scribe in one or two instances mistook it for a passage that had been omitted
by mistake, and hence inserted it in the text of the copy he made. But we have so many
copies that we are easily