In a previous post, I focused on the secondary (with a nod to the tertiary) literature on the relationship of Stunica's alleged testimony to the Johannine Comma. However, upon reading his annotations (which can be found here), it seems that Stunica agrees that the Complutensian Polyglot reading was not following a Greek codex, but was correcting the Greek based on the Latin, as my first post in this series had already suggested. Stunica argues, "in this place the Greek codices are most clearly corrupted," but argues for the originality of a longer reading from a ps-Jerome prologue to the Catholic epistles. The Rhodian Codex (Codex Rhodiensis).
Interestingly enough, I find myself in the company of Isaac Newton, who wrote (Two Notable Corruptions ...):
A third reason why I conceive the Complutensian Greek to have been in this place a translation from the Latin is because Stunica, who, as I told you, was one of the Divines employed by the Cardinal in this Edition & at that very time wrote against Erasmus, when in his Objections he comes to this text of the testimony of the three in heaven, he cites not one Greek Manuscript for it against Erasmus, but argues wholly from the authority of the Latin. On the contrary he sets down by way of concession, the common reading of the Greek Manuscripts (his own & others,) in these words Ὅτι τρεις ἐισιν ὁι μαρτυρουντες τὸ πνευμα καὶ τὸ ὑδωρ καὶ τὸ ἁιμα καὶ ὁι τρεις ἐις τὸ ἕν ἐισι, & then he condemns them all together without exception & justifies the Latin against them by the [] authority of Jerome. Be it known, saith he, that in this place the Greek Manuscripts are most evidently corrupted, but ours (that is the Latin ones) contain the truth itself as they are translated from the first original. Which is manifest by the Prologue of S. Jerome upon the Epistles, &c And this Prologue ... is all he urges in favor of the testimony of the three in heaven. In other places of scripture where he had Greek Manuscripts on his side, he produces them readily. ... After this manner does Stunica produce the manuscripts used in the Complutensian edition when they make for him & here he produces them too but 'tis for Erasmus against himself. Know, saith he, that in this place the Greek manuscripts are most evidently corrupted. In other places if he hath but one manuscrip {sic} on his side, he produces it magnificently enough, as the Codex Rhodiensis in his discourse upon 2 Cor. 2.3 James 1.22. 2 Pet. 2.2. & other texts: here he produces all the Manuscripts against himself without excepting so much as one.
For those interested, the following are all the annotations of Stunica on 1 John (first my halting translation and then the Latin).
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FROM THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN, CHAPTER I
Old translation. What has been (fuit) from the beginning.
John. ὃ ἦν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς.
Erasmus. What was (erat) from the beginning.
And in the annotations. What has been (fuit) ὃ ἦν, that is, what was (erat).
Stunica. It must be known that the word ἦν among the Greeks signifies both has been (fuit) and was (erat). For in the conjugation of the substantive verb, the παρατατικὸς and παρακειμένος, that is, the imperfect past and the perfect, are placed together, such that a single word—namely ἦν—serves for both: for there are not, as in Latin, distinct words for these tenses in the verb εἰμί, that is, I am. For which reason, this passage may be rendered in either way—namely, what has been (fuit) from the beginning or what was (erat) from the beginning.
[TF note: it's actually also similarly challenging to express "past imperfect" of "to be" in English in contrast to the perfect of "to be". The main nuance of meaning is that "fuit" implies completion, whereas "erat" does not necessarily imply completion. Normally, we would just translate either Latin word as "was", but the different translation above is to try to bring out Stunica's point.]
FROM CHAPTER III
Old translation. In this we have known the love of God.
Erasmus in the annotations. Of God is superfluous according to the Greek codex.
Stunica. In the Rhodian Greek codex of the apostolic epistles, which we have often cited, of God was read in this place: for it has ἐν τούτω ἐγνώκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ θεοῦ, and it is necessary that of God be added, because it follows: because he laid down his life for us.
FROM CHAPTER V
Old translation. For there are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three who bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three are one.
John. Ὅτι τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες, τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸ αἷμα καὶ οἱ τρεῖς εἰς τὸ ἕν εἰσιν.
Erasmus. For there are three who bear witness: the Spirit, and the water, and the blood, and these three are one.
And in the annotations. In the Greek codex I find only this concerning the threefold witness, etc.
Stunica. It must be known that in this place the Greek codices are most clearly corrupted, but our Latin ones contain the very truth as it was delivered from the beginning. This clearly appears from the prologue of blessed Jerome on the canonical epistles. For he says: If those things which were arranged by them had likewise been faithfully translated by the interpreters into Latin expression, they would cause no ambiguity for readers; nor would the variety of expressions contradict each other—especially in that place where, in the First Epistle of John, the unity of the Trinity is set forth. In which also we have found that the unbelieving translators erred much from the truth of the faith, since they placed in their edition only three words—namely, water, blood, and spirit—and omitted the testimony of the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, in which the Catholic faith is most strongly confirmed, and the one substance of divinity of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is established.
Old translation. That we may know the true God.
Erasmus in the annotations. God is not in the Greek, but τὸν ἀληθινόν, that is, him who is true.
Stunica. God is in the Greek. For indeed in the Rhodian codex, of which we spoke above, it is read in this place: ίνα γινώσκωμεν τὸν ἀληθινόν θεόν, that is, that we may know the true God. And thus also Ambrose reads it in the first book On the Vocation of All the Nations, chapter 6.
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EX EPISTOLA IOANNIS PRIMA. CAP. I.
Vetus translatio. Quod fuit ab initio.
Ioannes. ὃ ἦν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς.
Erasmus, Quod erat ab initio.
Et in annotationibus. Quod fuit ὃ ἐν, id est, quod erat.
Stunica. Sciendum est dictionem ἦν apud Graecos ἦν et fuit et erat significare. Siquidem in declinatione verbi substantivi παρατατικὸς καὶ παρακειμένος, imperfectum praeteritum et perfectum simul ponuntur, quod unica vox, id est, ἦν utrisque deserviat: necque enim distinctas in verbo εἰμί, id est sum quantum ad haec tempora ut Latini habent voces idest fuit et erat. Qua ex re utroque modo hic locus transferri potest, id est, quod fuit ab initio aut quod erat ab initio.
EX CAP. III.
Vetus translatio. In hoc cognovimus caritatem dei.
Erasmus in annotationibus. Dei redundat iuxta graecum codicem.
Stunica. In graeco codice Rhodiensi epistolarum apostolicarum quem saepe citavimus dei hoc loco legebatur: sic enim habet ἐν τούτω ἐγνώκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ θεοῦ et necesse est ut dei addatur quia sequitur quoniam ille animam suam pro nobis posuit.
EX CAP. V.
Vetus translatio. Quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium dant in caelo pater verbum et spiritus sanctus et hi tres unum sunt. Et tres sunt qui testimonium dant in terra spiritus aqua et sanguis et hi tres unum sunt.
Ioannes. Ὅτι τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες, τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸ αἷμα καὶ οἱ τρεῖς εἰς τὸ ἕν εἰσιν.
Erasmus. Quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium dant spiritus et aqua et sanguis et hi tres unum sunt.
Et in annotationibus. In graeco codice tantum hoc reperio de testimonium triplici etc.
Stunica. Sciendum est hoc loco graecorum codices apertissime esse corruptos: nostros vero veritatem ipsam vt a prima origine traducti sunt continere. Quod ex prologo beati Hieronymi super epistolas canonicas manifeste apparet. Ait enim: Quae si sic vt ab eis digestae sunt ita quoque ab interpretibus fideliter in Latinum verterentur eloquium: nec ambiguitatem legentibus facerent: nec sermonum sese varietas impugnaret illo praecipue loco ubi de unitate trinitatis in prima Ioannis epistola positum legimus. In qua etiam ab infidelibus translatoribus multum erratum esse a fidei veritate comperimus trium tantummodo vocabula hoc est aquae sanguinis et spiritus in ipsa sua editione ponentibus et patris verbiquum ac spiritus testimonio ommittentibus in quo maxime et fides catholica roboratur et patris et filii et spiritus sancti una divinitatis substantia comprobatur.
Vetus translatio. Ut cognoscamus deum verum.
Erasmus in annotationibus. Deum apud Graecos non est sed τὃν ἀληθινόν idest eum qui verus est.
Stunica. Deum apud Graecos esse. Siquidem in codice Rhodiensi de quo supra diximus sic hoc loco legitur: ίνα γινώσκωμεν τὸν ἀληθινόν θεόν idest ut cognoscamus verum deum. Atquum ita etiam legit Ambrosius libro primo de vocatione omnium gentium cap. 6.