presbyters, including even evangelists, to whom the reference of
Irenaeus may with equal right be ascribed' [195:1]; in another, that
'the source of the quotation is quite indefinite, and may simply be the
exegesis of his own day' [195:2]. To the one hypothesis it is sufficient
to reply that no such explanation is found in the only four Evangelists
whom Irenaeus recognized; to the other, that when Irenaeus wrote there
were no 'disciples of the Apostles' living, so that he could have used
the present tense in speaking of them.

This reference to the tense leads to a distinction of real importance.
Critics have remarked that these reports of the opinions of the
presbyters in Irenaeus must be accepted with reserve; that the reporter
may unconsciously have infused his own thoughts and illustrations into
the account; and that therefore we cannot adduce with entire confidence
the quotations from the canonical writings which they contain. This
caution is not superfluous, but it must not be accepted without
limitation. The reports in Irenaeus are of two kinds. In some cases he
repeats the _conversations_ of his predecessors; in others he derives
his information from _published records_. The hesitation, which is
prudent in the one case, would be quite misplaced in the other. We shall
generally find no difficulty in drawing the line between the two. Though
there may be one or two doubtful instances, the language of Irenaeus is
most commonly decisive on this point. Thus, when he quotes the opinions
of the elder on the Two Testaments, he is obviously repeating oral
teaching; for he writes, 'The presbyter used to say,' 'The presbyter
would entertain us with his discourse,' 'The old man, the disciple of
the Apostles, used to dispute' [196:1]. On the other hand, when in the
passage before us he employs the present tense, 'As the elders say,'
'The presbyters, the disciples of the Apostles, say,' he is clearly
referring to some _document_. No one would write, 'Coleridge maintains,'
or 'Pitt declares,' unless he had in view some work or speech or
biographical notice of the person thus quoted.

We may therefore safely conclude that in the passage before us Irenaeus
is citing from some _book_. So far as regards the main question at
issue, the antiquity of the Fourth Gospel, it matters little whether
this book was the exegetical work of Papias or not. Indeed the
supposition that it was a different work is slightly more favourable to
my po