ue, but it assumes a higher
importance when we find that a writer who was a younger contemporary of
Papias speaks of St Mark's Gospel in this same way and with this same
motive.

The extract from the Muratorian fragment relating to the Gospels has
been given above [205:3]. The writer is obviously desirous of accounting
for the differences in the four Evangelists. As the fragment is
mutilated at the beginning, we cannot say what he wrote about the First
Gospel. But the half sentence which alone survives of his account of the
Second Gospel tells its own tale; 'Quibus interfuit et ita tamen
posuit.' It is evident that he, like Papias, describes St Mark as
dependent on the oral preaching of St Peter for his information
respecting Christ's life. He 'set down' such facts as he knew from
having been 'present' when the Apostle related them to his hearers. If
the words themselves had left any room for doubt, it would be cleared up
by his account of the Third Gospel, which follows immediately. St Luke,
he tells us, was a follower of St Paul, and so wrote his Gospel; 'but
_neither_ did _he_ ([Greek: all' oud' autos]) see the Lord in the
flesh,' and so he gave such information as came within his reach. On the
other hand, he declares that the Fourth Gospel was written by John, a
personal _disciple_ of Christ, at the instance and with the sanction of
other personal disciples like himself. Hence, he argues, though there
must necessarily be differences in detail, yet this does not affect the
faith of believers, since there is perfect accordance on the main
points, and all the Gospels alike are inspired by the same Spirit. At
the same time, the authority of the Fourth Gospel is paramount, as the
record of an immediate eye-witness; and this claim John asserts for
himself in the opening of his Epistle, when he declares that he has
written what he himself had seen and heard.

Probably, if the notice of St Mark had not been mutilated, the
coincidence would have been found to be still greater. Even as it
stands, this account throws great light on the notice of Papias. The
Muratorian writer lays stress on the secondary character of St Mark's
account; so does Papias. The Muratorian writer quotes from the First
Epistle of St John in evidence; so did Papias. We are not told with what
object Papias adduced this testimony from the Epistle; but it is at
least a plausible hypothesis that he had the same end in view as the
Muratorian writer. It sho