hat I shall say no more about it here: but proceed to
present my reader with another and more famous instance of attraction.

St. Paul in a certain place (2 Cor. iii. 3) tells the Corinthians, in
allusion to the language of Exodus xxxi. 12, xxxiv. 1, that they are an
epistle not written on '_stony tables_ ([Greek: en plaxi lithinais]),'
but on '_fleshy tables_ of the heart ([Greek: en plaxi kardias
sarkinais]).' The one proper proof that this is what St. Paul actually
wrote, is not only (1) That the Copies largely preponderate in favour of
so exhibiting the place: but (2) That the Versions, with the single
exception of 'that abject slave of manuscripts the Philoxenian [or
Harkleian] Syriac,' are all on the same side: and lastly (3) That the
Fathers are as nearly as possible unanimous. Let the evidence for
[Greek: kardias] (unknown to Tischendorf and the rest) be produced in
detail:--

In the second century, Irenaeus[230],--the Old Latin,--the Peshitto.

In the third century, Origen seven times[231],--the Coptic version.

In the fourth century, the
Dialogus[232],--Didymus[233],--Basil[234],--Gregory Nyss.[235],--Marcus
the Monk[236],--Chrysostom in two places[237],--Nilus[238],--the
Vulgate,--and the Gothic versions.

In the fifth century, Cyril[239],--Isidorus[240],--Theodoret[241],--the
Armenian--and the Ethiopic versions.

In the seventh century, Victor, Bp. of Carthage addressing Theodorus
P.[242]

In the eighth century, J. Damascene[243] ... Besides, of the Latins,
Hilary[244],--Ambrose[245],--Optatus[246],--Jerome[247],--
Tichonius[248],--Augustine thirteen times[249],--Fulgentius[250], and
others[251] ... If this be not overwhelming evidence, may I be told what
_is_[252]?

But then it so happens that--attracted by the two datives between which
[Greek: kardias] stands, and tempted by the consequent jingle, a
surprising number of copies are found to exhibit the 'perfectly absurd'
and 'wholly unnatural reading[253],' [Greek: plaxi kardiAIS sarkinAIS].
And because (as might have been expected from their character)
A[254]B[Symbol: Aleph]CD[255] are all five of the number,--Lachmann,
Tischendorf, Tregelles, Alford, Westcott and Hort, one and all adopt and
advocate the awkward blunder[256]. [Greek: Kardiais] is also adopted by
the Revisers of 1881 without so much as a hint let fall in the margin
that the evidence is overwhelmingly against themselves and in favour of
the traditional Text of the Authorized Versio