1995. “1. Though, in that age, there was no established canon or authoritative declaration that such and none other than those which have come down to us were the books which contained the Christian rule of faith.
1996. “2. And though ‘no manuscript of these writings now in existence is prior to the sixth century, and various readings which, as appears from the quotations of the Fathers, were in the text of the Greek Testament are to be found in none of the manuscripts which are at present remaining.’—Michaelis, vol. ii. p. 160.
1997. “3. And though many passages which are now found in these Scriptures were not contained in any ancient copies whatever.
1998. “4. And though ‘in our common editions of the Greek Testament are MANY readings which exist not in a single manuscript, but are founded on MERE CONJECTURE.’ —Marsh’s Michaelis, vol. ii. p. 496.
1999. “5. And though ‘it is notorious, that the orthodox charge the heretics with corrupting the text, and that the heretics recriminate upon the orthodox.’—Unitarian New Version, p. 121.
2000. “6. And though ‘it is an undoubted fact that the heretics were in the right in many points of criticism where the Fathers accused them of wilful corruption.’—Bp. Marsh, vol. ii. p. 362.
2001. “7. And though ‘it is notorious that forged writings under the names of the apostles were in circulation almost from the apostolic age.’—See 2 Thess. ii. 2, quoted in Unitarian New Version.[49]
2002. “8. And though, ‘not long after Christ’s ascension into heaven, several histories of his life and doctrines, full of pious frauds and fabulous wonders, were composed by persons whose intentions, perhaps, were not bad, but whose writings discovered the greatest superstition and ignorance.’—Mosheim, vol. i. p. 109.
2003. “9. And though, says the great Scaliger, ‘They put into their Scriptures whatever they thought would serve their purpose.’[50]