-a gospel which,
as we have seen, Tatian quotes in his extant work. It was probably in
the main a fairly adequate digest of the evangelical narratives, for
otherwise it would not have maintained its grounds; but passages which
offended Tatian's Encratic and Gnostic views, such as the genealogies,
were excised; and this might easily be done without attracting notice
under cover of his general plan. All this is consistent and probable in
itself. Moreover the range of circulation attributed to it is just what
might have been expected; for Syria and Mesopotamia are especially
mentioned as the scene of Tatian's labours [284:1].

In this general convergence of testimony however, there are two
seemingly discordant voices, of which the author of _Supernatural
Religion_ makes much use. Let us see what they really mean.

1. Epiphanius was bishop of Constantia, in Cyprus, in the latter half of
the fourth century. In his book on _Heresies_, which he commenced A.D.
374, he writes of Tatian, 'The _Diatessaron_ Gospel is said to have been
composed by him; it is called by some _according to the Hebrews_'
[284:2].

Here then our author supposes that he has discerned the truth. This
_Diatessaron_ was not a digest of our Four Gospels, but a distinct
evangelical narrative, the _Gospel according to the Hebrews_. Of this
Gospel according to the Hebrews he says that 'at one time it was
exclusively used by the fathers.' I challenge him to prove this
assertion in the case of one single father, Greek or Latin or Syrian.
But this by the way. If indeed this Hebrew Gospel had been in its
contents anything like what our author imagines it, it would have borne
some resemblance at all events to the _Diatessaron_; for, wherever he
meets with any evangelical passage in any early writer, which is found
literally or substantially in any one of our Four Gospels (whether
characteristic of St Matthew, or of St Luke, or of St John, it matters
not) he assigns it without misgiving to this Hebrew Gospel. But his
Hebrew Gospel is a pure effort of the imagination. The only 'Gospel
according to the Hebrews' known to antiquity was a very different
document. It was not co-extensive with our Four Gospels; but was
constructed on the lines of the first alone. Indeed so closely did it
resemble the canonical St Matthew--though with variations, omissions,
and additions--that Jerome, who translated it, supposed it to be the
Hebrew original [285:1], of which Papias speaks