that Eusebius may always be trusted
in these notices relating to the use made of the Canonical Scriptures by
early writers.

2. But this is not the only reason which the fragments in Eusebius
supply for believing that Papias was acquainted with the Fourth Gospel.
The extract from the preface suggests points of coincidence, which are
all the more important because they are incidental. In the words, 'What
was said by Andrew, or by Peter, or by Philip, or by Thomas or James, or
by John or Matthew,' the first four names appear in the same order in
which they are introduced on the scene by this Evangelist. As this
order, which places Andrew before Peter, is anything but the natural
order, the coincidence has a real significance. Moreover, three of these
four hold a prominent place in the Fourth Gospel, which they do not hold
in the others--Philip and Thomas being never once named by the Synoptic
Evangelists, except in their lists of the Twelve. It has been said
indeed that the position assigned to the name of John by Papias in his
enumeration is inconsistent with the supposition that this Apostle wrote
a Gospel, or even that he resided and taught in Asia Minor, because so
important a personage must necessarily have been named earlier. But this
argument proves nothing because it proves too much. No rational account
can be given of the sequence, supposing that the names are arranged 'in
order of merit.' Peter, as the chief Apostle, must have stood first; and
John, as a pillar Apostle, would have been named next, or (if the James
here mentioned is the Lord's brother) at all events next but one. This
would have been the obvious order in any case; but, if Papias had any
Judaic sympathies, as he is supposed to have had, no other is
imaginable. This objection therefore is untenable. On the other hand, it
is a remarkable fact that the two names, which are kept to the last and
associated together, are just those two members of the Twelve to whom
alone the Church attributes written Gospels. As Evangelists, the name of
John and Matthew would naturally be connected. On any other hypothesis,
it is difficult to account for this juxtaposition.

Again, it should be noticed that when Papias speaks of incidents in our
Lord's life which are related by an eye-witness without any
intermediation between Christ and the reporter, he describes them as
'coming from the Truth's self' [193:1] ([Greek: ap' autes tes
aletheias]). This personification of