HARMONY OF THE FOUR GOSPELS.

(Vol. viii., p. 316.)

In answer to Z. I may state that the first attempt of this kind is attributed to Tatian. Eusebius, in his Ecc. Hist. (quoted in Lardner's Works, vol. ii. p. 137. ed. 1788), says, he "composed I know not what—harmony and collection of the gospels, which he called δια τεσσων." Eusebius himself composed a celebrated harmony, of which, as of some others in the sixteenth and two following centuries, there is a short account in Michaelis's Introduction to the New Test., translated by Bishop Marsh, vol. iii. part I. p. 32. The few works of the same kind written in the early and middle ages are noticed in Horne's Introduct., vol. ii. p. 274. About the year 330, Juvencus, a Spaniard, wrote the evangelical history in heroic verse. Of far greater merit were the four books of Augustine, De Consensu Quatuor Evangeliorum. After a long interval, Ludolphus the Saxon, a Carthusian monk, published a work which passed through thirty editions in Germany, besides being translated into French and Italian. Some years ago I made out the following list of Harmonies, Diatessarons, and Synoptical tables, published since the Reformation, which may in some measure meet the wish of your correspondent. It is probably incomplete. The dates are those of the first editions.

Osiander, 1537. | Büsching, 1756.
Jansenius, 1549. | Macknight, 1756.
Chemnitz, 1593. | Bertlings, 1767.
Lightfoot, 1654. | Griesbach, 1776.
Cradock, 1668. | Priestley (Greek), 1777.
Richardson, 1654.| Priestley (Eng.), 1780.
Sandhagen, 1684. | Newcome (Greek), 1778.
Le Clerc, 1699. | Newcome (Eng.), 1802.
Whiston, 1702. | White, 1799.
Toinard, 1707. | De Wette, 1818.
Rein Rus, 1727. | Thompson, R. 1808.
Bengelius, 1736. | Chambers, 1813.
Hauber, 1737. | Thompson, C., 1815.
Doddridge, 1739. | Warner, 1819.
Pilkington, 1747.| Carpenter, 1835.
Michaelis, 1750. |

J. M.

Cranwell, near Bath.

Tatian wrote his Ευανγελιον δια τεσσων as early as the year 170. It is no longer extant, but we have some reason for believing that this Harmony had been compiled in an unfriendly spirit (Theodoret, Hæret. Fabul., lib. i. c. 20.). Tatian was followed by Ammonius, whose Ηαρμοια appeared about 230; and in the next century by Eusebius and St. Ambrose, the former entitling his production Περι τησ των Ευανγελιων διαπωιασ, the latter Concordia Evangelii Mattæi et Lucæ. But by far the ablest of the ancient writings on this subject is the De Consensu Evangelistarum of St. Augustine. Many authors, such as Porphyry, in his Κατα Χριστιανον λογοι, had pointed with an air of triumph to the seeming discrepancies in the Evangelic records as an argument subversive of their claim to paramount authority ("Hoc enim solent quasi palmare suæ vanitatis objicere, quod ipsi Evangelistæ inter seipsos dissentiant."—Lib. i. c. 7.). In writing these objections St. Augustine had to handle nearly all the difficulties which offend the microscopic critics of the present day. His work was urged afresh upon the notice of the biblical scholar by Gerson, chancellor of the University of Paris, who died in 1429. The Monotessaron, seu unum ex quatuor Evangeliis of that gifted writer will be found in Du Pin's edition of his Works, iv. 83. sq. Some additional information respecting Harmonies is supplied in Ebrard's Wissenschaftliche Kritik der evangelischen Geschichte, pp. 36. sq. Francfurt a. M., 1842.

C. Hardwick.

St. Catharine's Hall, Cambridge.

Seiler says (Bibl. Herm., part ii. c. 4. s. 4.) that "The greater part of the works on the harmony of the gospels are quite useless for our times, as their authors mostly proceed on incorrect principles." He refers only to the chief of them, namely:

Osiander, 1537. |Macknight,1756.
Jansen, 1549-72. | Bengel, 1766.
Chemnitz, 1593. | Büsching, 1766.
Lightfoot, 1644. | Bertlings, 1767.
Van Til, 1687. | Priestley, 1777.
Lamy, 1689. | Schutte, 1779.
Le Roux, 1699. | Stephan, 1779.
Le Clerc, 1700. | Michaelis in his New Test.
May, 1707. | Rullmann, 1790.
Von Canstein, 1718-27. | Griesbach, 1776-97.
Rus, 1727-30. | White, 1799.
Hauber. |De Wette, 1818.

For other Harmonies, see Mr. Horne's Bibliog. Index, p. 128. Heringa considers that the following writers "have brought the four Evangelists into an harmonious arrangement, namely:

Hesz, 1784. | Stronck, 1800.
Bergen 1804.| Townsend,1834.

And especially as to the sufferings and resurrection of Christ:

Voss, 1701.|Michaelis (translated by Duckett, 1827).
Iken, 1743.| Cremer, 1795.

T. J. Buckton.

Birmingham.

Ammonius, an Egyptian Christian nearly cotemporary with Origen (third century), wrote a Harmony of the four gospels, which is supposed to be one of those still extant in the Biblioth. Max. Patrum. But whether the larger Harmony in tom. ii. part 2., or the smaller in tom. iii., is the genuine work is doubted. See a note to p. 97. of Reid's Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History, 1 vol. edition: London, Simms and McIntyre, 1848.

Chris. Roberts.

Bradford, Yorkshire.