apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

THE CURETONIAN LETTERS. 295
would have cost much less time and trouble to have translated the
whole three letters direct from the Vossian Greek, than to have undertaken
this elaborate piecing of the Curetonian Syriac. Moreover there
is, I believe, no appreciable difference in style (so
far as it can be
inferred from the remaining fragments and from the Armenian translation)
between the portions taken on this hypothesis from the preexisting
Curetonian Syriac and the portions
— whether isolated passages or whole
letters— supposed to have been supplied by this second translator
some centuries after. Yet it is not the uniformity of Uteralness ;
for
this version has a rough freedom characteristic of itself. It would
perhaps be too much to say that no Syrian could have been found in
those ages capable of such a work. But who would have been likely
to undertake it And what sufficient motive would he have had to
stimulate and sustain him
2. Internal Evidence.
This branch of the subject also may be conveniently considered
under three heads : The diction and
(i) style ; (ii)
The connexion of
thought; (iii)
The topics, whether theological, ecclesiastical, or personal.
I. The value of diction as a criterion of authorship will vary
materially in different cases. In the Ignatian letters, which (whatever
other faults they may have) are not deficient in character, its value will
be high. As the subject has never been thoroughly investigated before,
I offer no apology for the length and minuteness of the treatment,
trusting
that the result will be considered its best vindication. In the
following table the first column contains words and expressions which
occur in the Curetonian letters ;
while in the second parallels are given
from those portions which are absent from the Curetonian Recension
and appear only in the Vossian.
AfAn^N of outward demonstrations of affection (see 11. p. 341);
Polyc. 2 TO. dea^id fiov a i^yanija-as Snijm. 9 dnovra fxe Kal napopra r/yan^crare
Ari^TTH joined with Trto-ns (see the note 11. p. 29) ;
Ephes. I KaTO. iriaTiv Kcii dyaTrr)v Ephcs. 1 4 Tr]v niaTiv kcu tijv ayam^v.
For Other instances see Ephcs. 20,
Magn. I, \i.,PJiilad. ii,Sinyrn. inscr.
6, 13