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be seen only through the misty and delusive light of tradition. And 

 if we go back to the period when writing itself was little practised, how 

 very scanty is our information respecting the mighty nations who occu- 

 pied 80 large a space in the world before the settlement of the Greeks in 

 Europe ! How little do we know of the men who distinguished them- 

 selves among those nations ! 



"Vixere fortes aute Agamemnona 

 Multi; sed omnes illaohrymabiles 

 Urgentur, ignotique longa 

 Nocte." 



Almost all our knowledge of them is derived from the brief and inci- 

 dental notices given in the Old Testament. 



The importance of Paleographical science is evinced more especially 

 in biblical research. Since it is agreed on all hands that the truths of 

 our holy religion are contained in certain books called The Scriptures, it 

 is of the liighest moment that the most correct and authentic copies of 

 these books should be consulted in order to ascertain with precision the 

 transactions and the precepts intended to be communicated. Nay, even 

 the very evidences of our belief consist of a chain of testimony which, 

 by the aid of manuscripts, we are happily enabled to establish by deduc- 

 tion from the earliest periods. Is it desired to ascertain the true nature 

 and scope of the injunctions put forward by Christ or his apostles, we 

 must have reference to the most antient and best authenticated copies 

 of the Gospels and other books of the New Testament. It is true that 

 the original autographs have been lost or worn out long ago. In the 

 successive transcripts made from them, errors would of course be multi- 

 plied—omissions would be made — and interpolations would in some 

 cases be inserted to suit the views of dififerent parties. It is therefore 

 the office of the bibhcal student, after possessing himself of the earliest 

 exemplars, to collate copies, and apply all those tests which modem 

 criticism well understands. The design of our great Master was, to 

 found a Catholic Church, which, resting its claims upon his plain 

 precepts, should draw into it the rich and the poor, the wise and the 

 unlearned. When, therefore, we look on the one hand at the " Word 

 of God," which he that runs may understand, and on the other hand at 

 the lamentable way in which it has been perverted and misinterpreted, 

 so as to generate feelings and acts whoUy at variance with Christianity, 

 we are struck with horror. Surely then it is of the last importance to 

 ascertain, as nearly as possible, the exact words used by our Saviour, 

 and by such of his immediate followers as were empowered by the Holy 

 Spirit to place those words on record, or to enlighten after times by their 

 own exposition of the divine mission and its objects. 



