It must be borne in mind, that for Conflation two differently-attested phrases or words must be produced which are found in combination in some passage of the Traditional Text. If there is only one which is omitted, it is clear that there can be no Conflation because there must be at least two elements to conflate: accordingly our instances must be cases, not of single omission, but of double or alternative omission. If again there is no Western reading, it is not a Conflation in Dr. Hort's sense. And finally, if the remaining reading is not a 'Neutral' one, it is not to Dr. Hort's liking. I do not say that my instances will conform with these conditions. Indeed, after making a list of all the omissions in the Gospels, except those which are of too petty a character such as leaving out a pronoun, and having searched the list with all the care that I can command, I do not think that such instances can be found. Nevertheless, I shall take eight, starting from the beginning of St. Matthew, and choosing the most salient examples, being such also that, if Dr. Hort's theory be sound, they ought to conform to his requirements. Similarly, there will come then four from either of St. Mark and St. Luke, and eight from St. John. This course of proceeding will extend operations from the eight which form Dr. Hort's total to thirty-two.
A. In St. Matthew we have (1) i. 25, αυτης τον πρωτοτοκον and τον 'Υιον; (2) v. 22, εικη and τω αδελφω αυτου; (3) ix. 13, εις μετανοιαν; (4) x. 3, Λεββαιος and Θαδδαιος; (5) xii. 22, τυφλον και and κωφον; (6) xv. 5, τον πατερα αυτου and ('η) την μητερα αυτου, (7) xviii. 35, απο των καρδιων 'υμων and τα παραπτωματα αυτων; and (8) xxvi. 3, 'οι πρεσβυτεροι (και) 'οι Γραμματεις. I have had some difficulty in making up the number. Of those selected as well as I could, seven are cases of single omission or of one pure omission apiece, though their structure presents a possibility of two members for Conflation; whilst the Western element comes in sparsely or appears in favour of both the omission and the retention; and, thirdly, in some cases, as in (2) and (3), the support is not only Western, but universal. Consequently, all but (4) are excluded. Of (4) Dr. Hort remarks, (Notes on Select Readings, p. 11) that it is 'a case of Conflation of the true and the chief Western Texts,' and accordingly it does not come within the charmed circle.
B. From St. Mark we get, (1) i. 1, 'Υιου του Θεου and Ιησου Χριστου; (2) i. 2, εμπροσθεν σου and προ προσωπου σου (cp. ix. 38); (3) iii. 15, θεραπευειν τας νοσους (και) and εκβαλλειν τα δαιμονια; (4) xiii. 33, αγρυπνειτε and (και) προσευχεσθε. All these instances turn out to be cases of the omission of only one of the parallel expressions. The omission in the first is due mainly to Origen (see Traditional Text, Appendix IV): in the three last there is Western evidence on both sides.
C. St. Luke yields us, (1) ii. 5, γυναικι and μεμνηστευμενη; (2) iv. 4, επι παντι 'ρηματι Θεου, or επ' αρτω μονω; (3) viii. 54, εκβαλων εξω παντας (και), or κρατησας της χειρος αυτης; xi. 4, (αλλα) 'ρυσαι 'ημας απο του πονηρου, or μη εισενενκης 'ημας εις πειρασμον. In all these cases, examination discloses that they are examples of pure omission of only one of the alternatives. The only evidence against this is the solitary rejection of μεμνηστευμενη by the Lewis Codex.
D. We now come to St. John. See (1) iii. 15, μη αποληται, or εχη ζωην αιωνιον; (2) iv. 14, ου μη διψηση εις τον αιωνα, or το 'υδωρ 'ο δωσω αυτω γενησεται εν αυτω πηγη 'υδατος, κ.τ.λ.; (3) iv. 42, 'ο Χριστος, or 'ο σωτηρ του κοσμου; (4) iv. 51, και απηνγειλαν and λεγοντες; (5) v. 16, και εζητουν αυτον αποκτειναι and εδιωκον αυτον; (6) vi. 51, 'ην εγω δωσω, or 'ου εγω δωσω; (7) ix. 1, 25, και ειπεν or απεκριθη; (8) xiii. 31, 32, ει 'ο Θεος εδοξασθη εν αυτω, and και 'ο Θεος εδοξασθη εν αυτω. All these instances turn out to be single omissions:—a fact which is the more remarkable, because St. John's style so readily lends itself to parallel or antithetical expressions involving the same result in meaning, that we should expect conflations to shew themselves constantly if the Traditional Text had so coalesced.
How surprising a result:—almost too surprising. Does it not immensely strengthen my contention that Dr. Hort took wrongly Conflation for the reverse process? That in the earliest ages, when the Church did not include in her ranks so much learning as it has possessed ever since, the wear and tear of time, aided by unfaith and carelessness, made itself felt in many an instance of destructiveness which involved a temporary chipping of the Sacred Text all through the Holy Gospels? And, in fact, that Conflation at least as an extensive process, if not altogether, did not really exist.
§ 2.
THE NEUTRAL TEXT.
Here we are brought face to face with the question respecting the Neutral Text. What in fact is it, and does it deserve the name which Dr. Hort and his followers have attempted to confer permanently upon it? What is the relation that it bears to other so-called Texts?
So much has been already advanced upon this subject in the companion volume and in the present, that great conciseness is here both possible and expedient. But it may be useful to bring the sum or substance of those discussions into one focus.