Tis agreed that yethe Latines, after Ieromes Version Edition began to be received noted out of it his corrections of the Vulgar Latin in the margins of their books & these yethe transcribers afterwars inserted into yethe text. By this means yethe old Latin has been so generally corrected that it is no where to be found sincere. Tis Ierome that we now read & not yethe old vulgar Latin & what wonder if in Ierome we read the testimony of the three in heaven? For who that inserted yethe rest of Ierome into yethe text would easily leave out such a passage for the Trinity as this is now taken to be? And yet as yethe Latines of Ieromes age received it not but taxed him wthwith falsification of yethe scriptures for inserting it so those of yethe next ages were so averse to it that it was a long time before it crept into any competent number of their books & we may be recconed one of yethe last of his corrections wchwhich they received. Yet at length at length by the authority of his Preface it crept by degrees into yethe margins of their books as yethe rest of his corrections had done before & thence into yethe text where we now find it. Yet I cannot scarce think wthwith F. Simon that it had no other original but from that Preface. ffor the words in cælo & in terra are not in the Preface & therefore were not borrowed from thence but from Ieromes correction of yethe text or at least corrections wchwhich some ffalsary had made in one or more books to put about this reading. Lastly it is to be observed that the reading of this text in ancient MSS is very various and uncertain. For this is a most infallible signe that yethe text has been tampered wthwith & that those who first inserted this testimony knew of no certain authentick reading wchwhich they were to follow, but only some of them noted it first in yethe margins of their books in such various forms of words as they thought conformable either to Ieromes correction of yethe text or to his Preface or to such marginal notes as they had seen in other books & that sometimes wthwithout designing to make it part of yethe text & then others & then the transcribers by these marginal notes corrected the text some one way some another according to yethe best of their judgments. For as this testimony in some old MSS wchwhich still extant wchwhich in yethe tex want yethethis testimony of yethe three in heaven it in the text, is found noted in yethe margin in another ancient hand & so in others wchwhich have it not in yethe margin the various readings in yethe text are such as ought to result by transcribing it out of yethe margins into yethe text. I shall only mention yethe three or four following varieties. 1 Of yethe MSS wchwhich have not yethe testimony – – – – – – – – 3dly The testimony of the three in heaven in almost all yethe some of the old MSS wchwhich have it, iwas set after before ytthat of yethe three in earth, in some tis set before as we now read it, in others but in the far greatest part of them it was set after. The reason of wchwhich seems to be Which seems to have proceeded from hence that it was sometimes so noted in yethe margin that yethe reader or transcriber knew not whether it were to come before or after & that in Ieromes Preface it was set after. ffor this Preface being being in most of their books was always ready at hand to be consulted by both by thos by all those who wrote it either in the margin or in the text, & therefore would be apt to make them set it after.

Now that yethe MSS are such as we have here described will appear by yethe account wchwhich learned men have given of those they have consulted. Erasmus in describing five seven old ones besides ytthat followed in yethe Badian Edition tels us that this testimony was wanting in four five & in yethe Badian & set in yethe set after the spirit water & blood in yethe other two & that in one of yethe five it was noted in the margin in a newer hand. His words are: In codice qui mihi suppeditatus erat est e Bibliotheca Minoritarum Antuerpiensium in margine scholium erat ascriptum de testimonio patris verbi et spiritus sed manu recentiore ut consentaneum sit hoc adjectum ab erudito quopiam qui noluerit hanc particulam prætermitti, quandoquidem nec in æditione Badiana ulla sit mentio patris filij et spiritus sancti – Duos consului codices miræ vetustatis Latinos in Bibliotheca quæ Brugis est bimi Donatiani. Neuter habebat testimonium patris verbi et spiritus. Ac ne illud quidem in altero addebatur, In terra. Tantum erat, Et tres sunt qui testimonium dant spiritus aqua et sanguis. In exemplari Constantiensi utroqꝫque post testimonium aquæ sanguinis et spiritus adjectum erat testimonum patris verbi et spiritus, his verbis, sicut in cælo tres sunt pater verbum et spiritus et tres unum sunt. Nec erat additum testimonium dant nec pronomen hi. In codice quem exhibuit publica bibliotheca Scholæ Basiliensis non erat testimonium spiritus aquæ et sanguinis. Adhæc Paulus Bombasius vir doctus et integer meo rogatu locum hunc ad verbum descripsit ex Bibliothecæ Vaticanæ codice pervetusto in quo non habebatur, testimonium patris verbi et spiritus. Si movet authoritas vetustatis, liber erat antiquissimus, si Pontificis ex illius bibliotheca petitum est testimonium. Hac Thus far Erasmus in h. l. Peter Cholinus notes in the margin of his latin edition of yethe scriptures printed A.C. 1543 & 1544 that it was wanting in yethe most ancient MS of yethe Tigurine library Hessalius in his commentary on the first Epistle of Iohn tells us that yethe MS of St Peters Church in Lovane sets yethe testimony in heaven after that in earth reading the text thus Tres sunt qui testimonium dant in terra spiritus aqua et sanguis et tres sunt qui testimonium dant in cælo pater verbum et spiritus et tres unum sunt. And this reading he preferrs. Dr Gilbert Burnet tells us in the first letter of his travelles tells us that of those Bibles that have yethe other Prefaces in them tells us ytthat Ieromes Preface to yethe Canonical Epistles was in all yethe MSS ancient & modern of those Bibles in the that he ever saw & gives us an account how he in consulting eight very ancient MSS he found Ieromes Preface it in all of them but one & yethe testimony of yethe three in heaven was wanting in five of these eight MSS & set after that of yethe three in heaven spirit water & blood in the other three & in two of yethe five he found it noted in yethe margin in another hand. One of these was at Zurich & seemed to him to be about 800 years old because written written in a hand wchwhich began to be used in Charles the great's time. Another was at Basil of yethe same antiquity & in both these Ieromes Preface was extant but the testimony of father word & holy spirit was wanting. He found At Strasburg he saw 4 very ancient MSS of yethe new Testament in latin. Three of these seemed to be about yethe time of Charles yethe great & so above 800 years old but yethe 4th seemed to be much ancienter & might belong to yethe seventh century. In it neither the Prologue nor the place was extant but it was added at yethe foot of yethe page in another hand. In two of yethe other the Prologue is extant but yethe place is not: only in one of them it is added in the margin. In yethe fourth as the place Prologue is extant so is yethe place, but it comes after yethe verse of yethe other three & is joyned to it thus sicut tres sunt in cælo. In yethe old MS Bible of Geneva & in th which seemed to be above 700 years old & also in the a MS latin Bible in yethe Library of St Laurence of fflorence both St Ieromes Preface & yethe passage are extant, but yethe this passage comes after that other of the three in other three & w contrary to yethe received reading & in that of fflorence is pinned to it with a sicut with as in that at Strasburg, but sicut is not in the Geneva MS. These are yethe 8 old MSS consulted by Dr Burnet besides a 9th at Ven wchwhich he saw at Venice in St Marks library in Venice in three languages Greek Latin & Arabick that seemed not above 400 years old in wchwhich this passage was not in yethe Greek, but it was in the Latin set after that of yethe other three wthwith a sicut. as above in

M F. Simon who had seachedsearched divers old MSS tells us that yethe Ierome's Preface to yethe Canonical Epistles ascribed to Ierom is found wthwith other Prefaces & such Latin Copies as have been made not above six hundred years ago: but in those wchwhich were written above 7 or 800 years ago he saith it is extant only in some few only of such copies & instances in three such old copies wchwhich want it & instances in three yet he adds that the yethe most of addition of yethe testimony of yethe three in heaven is not in most of those old copies of Ieromes Bible to wchwhich nevertheless the Preface is prefixt & instances in two tells us of two copies of this kind one in yethe King's Library & yethe other in Mr Colbert's. He tells us of another MSS marked 3564 observes also that this addition is placed in yethe margin of most of those ancient copies in the body of wchwhich he found it wanting it is not extant. For in that copy of yethe Kings library marked 3584 in yethe margin over against these words, Tres sunt qui testimonium dant there are these other words added In cælo Pater Verbum et Spiritus & tres sunt qui testimonium dant in Terra & hi tres unum sunt: & the writing of this addition appears to be no less ancient then ytthat of yethe text. The like addition is to be seen in the copy in Monr ColbetsColberts library marked 158, where in the margin over against these words tres sunt qui testimonium dant, these are added in cælo pater Verbum et Spiritus. Et tres sunt qui testimonium dant in terra, sanguis aqua et caro: & to make the text & addition agreeable, there are some of yethe words of the text amended or put out. There There is nothing to be read of this Addition to be read copies of yethe library belonging to yethe Benedictines of the Abby of S. Germans erly it is placed in the margin of one of these copies & the Addition is as old as yethe text it self. Yet it is extant in a fourth copy in yethe same Library written eight hundred years ago in yethe time of Lotharius II but in an inverted order & strangely disfigured. ffor in that copy the reading was formerly thus Sunt tres qui testimonium dant (the words in terrà being interlined) spiritus aqua et sanguis; & tres unum sunt: & tres sunt qui de cælo testificantur pater verbum & spiritus et tres unum sunt. But some time afterwards yethe words de cælo testificantur were defaced to make room for these testimonium dicunt in cælo. And thus far F. Simon.

Lucas Brugensis tells us that in an ancient text book wchwhich he calls Corollarium & wchwhich he saith conteins an accurate & elaborate collation of yethe Scriptures wthwith ancient ancient MSS of yethe scriptures, this Addition is noted to be wanting in the greek MSS & in the ancient Latine ones. Lucas himself collating many Latine ones MSS notes it wanting in only five, that is in the few old ones he had: F for his MSS were almost all of them new ones. Luc. Brug in calce annot. ffor he praises the Codex Lobiensis written A.C. 1084 & the Codex Tornacensis written A.C. 1105 as most ancient & venerable for antiquity & used others much more new of wchwhich a great number was easily had such as was his Codex Buslidianus written A.C. 1432, that is but 8 years before yethe invention of printing. Lucas tells us also that such books & wri authors as want yethe testimony of yethe 3 in heaven usually want yethe particle in terra, thô not always & that others wchwhich have yethe testimony in yethe seventh verse & ytthat yethe of the words hi tres unum aa Matth. Paris. l. Hist. ann. 1179. sunt, were wanting in 15 MSS 15 of his MSS after yethe spirit water & blood tho they both in old Authors & MSS they are usually extant there. He mentions also a book wchwhich had one of his books which MSS wchwhich had yethe testimony of yethe three in heaven set after that of yethe other three, wchwhich he saith is all one as if it were wanting.

The Lateran Council collected under Innocent yethe third A.C. 1215 can. 2 mentions Ioachim the Abbot quoting the texts in these words: Quoniam in canonica Ioannis Epistola legitur, Quia tres sunt qui testimonium dant in cælo Pater & Verbum et Spiritus et hi tres unum sunt statimqꝫque subjungitur, et tres sunt qui testimonium dant in terra spiritus aqua et sanguis et tres unum sunt sicut in codicibus quibusdam invenitur. This was writ by Ioachim a in the Papacy of Alexander yethe 3d that is in or before the year 1180 & therefore this reading was then got but into some books. ffor the words sicut in codicibus quibusdam invenitur refer as well to yethe first words of Ioachim Quoniam in Canonica Ioannis Epistola legitur as to the next statimqꝫque subjungitur; & more to yethe first then to yethe next because the first part of the citation was then but in some books as appears by ancient MSS but the second part was in almost all the words tres unum sunt being in all the books wchwhich want the the testimony of the three in heaven & in most of those wchwhich have it, tho afterwards left out in many when branded by the Schoolmen for Arian. So then till Ioachim yethe Abbot set the schoolmen upon disputing about the Trinity this Addition crept but into some MSS & the most wanted it.

But to go to yethe original of the corruption, ✝✝ See Walton's Proleg. 10. § 5. Gregory the great writes that Ierome's Version was in use in his time & therefore no wonder if the testimony of the three in heaven began to be cited out of it before. Eugenius bishop of Carthage in yethe seventh year of Hunneric king of yethe Vandals began to cite it A.C. 484, in the summary of his faith exhibited to that king, cited it the first of any man so far as I can find: but whether he read yethe testimony of the three in heaven before or after that of yethe other three is uncertain. A while after ffulgentius another African bishop disputing against the same Vandals cited it again & backt it wthwith the forementioned place of Cyprian applied to yethe testimony of the three in heaven. And so its probable that by that abused text authority of Cyprian it began first in Afric in the disputes wthwith yethe ignorant Vandals to get some credit, & thence at length crept into Europe. It occurs also in Vigelius Tapsensis another African Bishop contemporary to Fuglentius. In its defense some allege earlier writers, namely the first Epistle of Pope Hyginus, the first Epistle of Pope Iohn II, the book of Idacius Clarus against Varimadus & the book de unita Deitate Trinitatis ascribed to Athanasius. But Chiffletius who published the works of Victor Vitensis & Vigilius Tapsensis together, sufficiently proves the book against Varimadus to be this Vigilius's & erroneously ascribed to Idacius. To the same Vigilius he asserts also the book de unita Deitate Trinitatis. Certainly Athanasius was not its Author. All the Epistle of Hyginus except the beginning & end, & the first part of the epistle of Pope Leo Iohn wherein the testimony of the three in heaven is cited are nothing else then fragments of the book against Varimadus, described word for word by some forger of Decretal Epistles, as may appear by comparing them. So then Eugenius is the first upon record that cites it.

But tho he set it on foot yet among the Africans yet yet its plain by the manuscripts above mentioned that it got became not of much authority in Europe before the revival of learning in the 12th & 13th centuries. When In yethe dark ages it crept into some MSS but the most by bBy yethe authority of Ieromes Preface but & of those authors who first cited it, or by inserted it into their bibles & noted it in the margin of their books it crept into some MSS in the dark ages, but wthwith such various & uncertain readings as make it plain that before the revival of learning there was no certain reading120 reading established. The reading wchwhich most prevailed was to set yethe three in heaven after the three in earth. Whether Eugenius & Fulgentius read the three in heaven before or after yethe other three is uncertain but Vigilius read them after & this reading being countenanced by Ierome's Preface was continued most in vogue during yethe dark ages as is plain by the old MSS, but about 500 or 600 years ago when learning began to revive S. Bernard, the Schoolmen Ioachim & the Lateran Council not only spread abroad that reading which obteins at has from that time gotten into books & is at present received.

So then Eugenius & his bishops in the are the first upon record who cite thise text Addition & they began first to cite it about 6 in their controversies wthwith yethe ignorant Vandals about 60 years after Ierome's death. From thence Afric it past into Europe & crept silently into M there crept silently & slowly into MSS during all the dark ages & wthwith so great a variety of that is for six hundred years together, there being in all that time no controversies about yethe Trinity to propagate it In all this time it crept into crept into turn mens eyes upon it & spread it faster. &But at length in the 12th & 13th Centuries when learning began to revive St Bernard, the Schoolmen Ioachim & his followers & the Lateran Council put by their by their preaching spread it abroad In all this time it crept not into one half of yethe MSS, & almost all those wchwhich had it read it much otherwise then we do now, & differed so much in their reading from one another that its plain there was then no certain reading est But at length when learning revived But at length in yethe 12th & 13th Centuries when learning began to revive, the S. Bernard, the Schoolmen Ioachim & the Lateran Council by their Sermons, disputes & definitions put it into all mens mouths & gave it so much cred that credit wchwhich made it known to all men & gave it credit. In yethe dark ages it crept not into one half of yethe MSS & in those wchwhich had it read it so various yethe reading is so various & uncertain that its plain there was then no certain authentick reading received. But when learning revived & new disputes about the Trinity were raised the reading wchwhich they followed in their new disputes b learned men followed in those disputes prevailed above the rest & became generally received. ffor this this is plain by their changieng then made in the order of yethe testimonies in heaven & earth. For the Africans in their sixt & 7th centur disputes wthwith yethe Vandals set the aAddition of the three in heaven after the testimony of yethe spirit water & blood as I gather out of Vigilius Tapsensis advo Varimadum c. 5 where it is set after: The & the same order was also followed in all almost all yethe dark ages in yethe European MSS the dark ages in almost all the MSS wchwhich have this Addition as is plain by the account we have given of those MSS above. But about 500 years ago the Schoolmen & Ioachim in their new disputes about the Trinity & the Lateran Council followed the contrary reading wchwhich sets the Addition before yethe spirit water & blood & this reading by the authority wchwhich it received from them & the Lateran Council has crept into all all the later MSS & is now become generally received as if it were of Apostolick authority. And thus much concerning the original of this Addition in the Latin

In the next place – – –