EARLIER EDITIONS. | LAST EDITION. | Eusebius, who never fails to | Eusebius, who never fails to _enumerate the works of the New | state what the Fathers say about Testament to which the Fathers | the works of the New Testament, refer_, does not pretend that | does not mention that Papias Papias knew either the Third or | knew either the Third or Fourth Fourth Gospels. | Gospels.
These alterations tell their own tale. One meaning of the expression, 'say about,' is suggested to the reader by the context and required by the author's argument, while another is alone consistent with the facts.
Elsewhere however the distinction is not juggled away, but boldly ignored. Thus he still writes—
The presumption therefore naturally is that, as Eusebius did not mention the fact, he did not find any reference to the Fourth Gospel in the work of Papias [185:1].
I have shown that there is not any presumption—even the slightest—on this side.
Elsewhere he affirms still more boldly of Hegesippus—
It is certain that had he mentioned our Gospels, and we may say particularly the Fourth, the fact would have been recorded by Eusebius [185:2].
I have proved that, so far from this being certain, the probability is all the other way.
I confess that I cannot understand this treatment of the subject. It may indeed serve an immediate purpose. It may take in an unwary reader, or even a stray reviewer. I must suppose that it has even deceived the writer himself. But magna est veritas. My paper on the Silence of Eusebius was founded on an induction of facts; and therefore I feel confident that, unwelcome as these results are to the author of Supernatural Religion, and unexpected as they may be to many others, they must be ultimately accepted in the main.
The absence therefore of any direct mention by Eusebius respecting the use of the Third and Fourth Gospels by Papias affords no presumption one way or the other; and we must look elsewhere for light on the subject.