on the Second Sunday after Easter, was closed with the
Liturgical note 'The End,' or [Greek: TO TELOS], occurring after the
eighth verse. What more probable, nay, more certain result could there
be, than that some scribe should mistake the end of the Lection for the
end of St. Mark's Gospel, if the last leaf should chance to have been
torn off, and should then transcribe no more[159]? How natural that St.
Mark should express himself in a more condensed and abrupt style than
usual. This of course is only put forward as an explanation, which
leaves the notion of another writer and a later date unnecessary. If it
can be improved upon, so much the better. Candid critics ought to study
Dean Burgon's elaborate chapter already referred to before rejecting
it.]

Sec. 3.

And there probably does not exist, in the whole compass of the Gospel, a
more interesting instance of this than is furnished by the words [Greek:
eipe de ho Kyrios], in St. Luke vii. 31. This is certainly derived from
the Lectionaries; being nothing else but the formula with which it was
customary to introduce the lection that begins at this place.
Accordingly, only one out of forty copies which have been consulted for
the purpose contains them. But the circumstance of interest remains to
be stated. When these four unauthorized words have been thus got rid of,
the important discovery is made that the two preceding verses (verses 28
and 29) must needs form a part of our Lord's discourse,--which it is
perceived flows on unbroken from v. 24 to v. 35. This has been seen
already by some[160], though denied by others. But the fact does not
admit of rational doubt; though it is certainly not as yet generally
known. It is not generally known, I mean, that the Church has recovered
a piece of knowledge with which she was once familiar[161], but which
for many centuries she has forgotten, viz. that thirty-two words which
she supposed to be those of the Evangelist are in reality those of her
Lord.

Indeed, when the expressions are considered, it is perceived that this
account of them must needs be the true one. Thus, we learn from the 24th
verse that our Saviour was at this time addressing 'the crowds' or
'multitudes.' But the four classes specified in verses 29, 30, cannot
reasonably be thought to be the Evangelist's analysis of those crowds.
In fact what is said of 'the Pharisees and Lawyers' in ver. 30 is
clearly not a remark made by the Evangelist on the reception