IV. In fine, nothing doubting the high antiquity of both Codices, (B and א,) I am nevertheless fully persuaded that an interval of at least half a century,—if not of a far greater span of years,—is absolutely required to account for the marked dissimilarity between them.
APPENDIX (G).
On the so-called “Ammonian Sections” and “Eusebian Canons.”
(Referred to at p. [130].)
I. That the Sections (popularly miscalled “Ammonian”) with which Eusebius [A.D. 320] has made the world thoroughly familiar, and of which some account was given above (pp. [127-8]), cannot be the same which Ammonius of Alexandria [A.D. 220] employed,—but must needs be the invention of Eusebius himself,—admits of demonstration. On this subject, external testimony is altogether insecure.[542] The only safe appeal is to the Sections themselves.
1. The Call of the Four Apostles is described by the first three Evangelists, within the following limits of their respective Gospels:—S. Matthew iv. 18-22: S. Mark i. 16-20: S. Luke (with the attendant miraculous draught of fishes,) v. 1-11. Now, these three portions of narrative are observed to be dealt with in the sectional system of Eusebius after the following extraordinary fashion: (the fourth column represents the Gospel according to S. John):—
| (1.) | § 29, (v. 1-3) | ||
| (2.) § 20, (iv. 17, 18) | § 9, (i. 14-1/2-16) | ||
| (3.) | § 30, (v. 4-7) | § 219, (xxi. 1-6) | |
| (4.) | § 30 (v. 4-7) | § 222, (xxi. 11) | |
| (5.) | § 31, (v. 8-10-1/2) | ||
| (6.) § 21, (iv. 19, 20) | § 10, (i. 17, 18) | § 32, (v. 10-1/2, 11) | |
| (7.) § 22, (iv. 21, 22) | § 11, (i. 19, 20) |
It will be perceived from this, that Eusebius subdivides these three portions of the sacred Narrative into ten Sections (“§§;”)—of which three belong to S. Matthew, viz. §§ 20, 21, 22:—three to S. Mark, viz. §§ 9, 10, 11:—four to S. Luke, viz. §§ 29, 30, 31, 32: which ten Sections, Eusebius distributed over four of his Canons: referring three of there to his IInd Canon, (which exhibits what S. Matthew, S. Mark, and S. Luke have in common); four of them to his VIth Canon, (which shews what S. Matthew and S. Mark have in common); one, to his IXth, (which contains what is common to S. Luke and S. John); two, to his Xth, (in which is found what is peculiar to each Evangelist.)
Now, the design which Eusebius had in breaking up this portion of the sacred Text, (S. Matth. iv. 18-22, S. Mark i. 16-20, S. Luke v. 1-11,) after so arbitrary a fashion, into ten portions; divorcing three of those Sections from S. Matthew's Gospel, (viz. S. Luke's §§ 29, 30, 31); and connecting one of these last three (§ 30) with two Sections (§§ 219, 222) of S. John;—is perfectly plain. His object was, (as he himself explains,) to shew—not only (a) what S. Matthew has in common with S. Mark and S. Luke; but also (b) what S. Luke has in common with S. John;—as well as (c) what S. Luke has peculiar to himself. But, in the work of Ammonius, as far as we know anything about that work, all this would have been simply impossible. (I have already described his “Diatessaron,” at pp. [126-7].) Intent on exhibiting the Sections of the other Gospels which correspond with the Sections of S. Matthew, Ammonius would not if he could,—(and he could not if he would,)—have dissociated from its context S. Luke's account of the first miraculous draught of fishes in the beginning of our Lord's Ministry, for the purpose of establishing its resemblance to S. John's account of the second miraculous draught of fishes which took place after the Resurrection, and is only found in S. John's Gospel. These Sections therefore are “Eusebian,” not Ammonian. They are necessary, according to the scheme of Eusebius. They are not only unnecessary and even meaningless, but actually impossible, in the Ammonian scheme.