The difference between Biblical and classical textual criticism. In classical textual criticism, the archetype of all the extant MSS. is often obtainable with comparatively little work, but often is very corrupt. There is therefore scope for much conjectural emendation. In Biblical textual criticism, on the other hand, it is still doubtful what is the archetype of the existing manuscripts. But at least we may be sure that it is an exceedingly early one, with very few corruptions, and therefore the work of the conjectural emendations is very light, and scarcely ever necessary.

KIRSOPP LAKE, THE TEXT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, 4TH ED., REV., (NEW YORK: EDWIN S. GORHAM, 1908), 9.