f the common harmonies, those of
Anger and Tischendorf for instance, he will see that constant
transpositions are necessary in one or other of the Synoptic Gospels to
bring them into accordance, and will be able to judge for himself how
far this statement is true. 'Orderly arrangement' of some sort, no
doubt, there is; but it is just such as lay within the reach of a person
obtaining his knowledge at second-hand in this way. Our author himself
describes it lower down as 'artistic and orderly arrangement.' I shall
not quarrel with the phrase, though somewhat exaggerated. Any amount of
'artistic arrangement' is compatible with the notice of Papias, which
refers only to historical sequence. 'Artistic arrangement' does not
require the direct knowledge of an eye-witness. It will be observed
however, that our author speaks of a comparison with 'the order of the
other two Synoptics.' But what, if the comparison which Papias had in
view was wholly different? What, if he adduced this testimony of the
Presbyter to explain how St Mark's Gospel differed not from another
Synoptic narrative, but _from St John_? I shall return to this question
at a later point in these investigations.

Our author is no stranger to the use of strong words: 'If our present
Gospel,' he writes, 'cannot be proved to be the very work referred to by
the Presbyter John, as most certainly it cannot, the evidence of Papias
becomes fatal to the claims of the second Canonical Gospel' [165:2]. The
novelty of the logic in this sentence rivals the boldness of the
assumption.

Yet so entirely satisfied is he with the result of his arguments, that
he does not consider it 'necessary to account for the manner in which
the work to which the Presbyter John referred disappeared, and the
present Gospel according to Mark became substituted for it' [166:1]. But
others are of a more inquiring turn of mind. They will be haunted with
this difficulty, and will not be able thus to shelve the question. They
will venture to ask how it is that not any, even the faintest,
indication of the existence of this other Mark can be traced in all the
remains of Christian antiquity. They will observe too, that if the date
which our author himself adopts be correct, Irenaeus was already grown
up to manhood when Papias wrote his work. They will remember that
Irenaeus received his earliest Christian education from a friend of
Papias, and that his great authorities in everything which relates to