. Such a Gospel does not
answer in any single particular, unless it be the omission of the
genealogy (which however does not appear to have been absent from all
copies of this Gospel), to the notices of Tatian's _Diatessaron_. More
especially the omission of all reference to the Davidic descent of
Christ would be directly opposed to the fundamental principle of this
Gospel, which, addressing itself to the Jews, laid special stress on His
Messianic claims.

How then can we explain the statement of Epiphanius? It is a simple
blunder, not more egregious than scores of other blunders which deface
his pages. He had not seen the _Diatessaron_: this our author himself
says. But he had heard that it was in circulation in certain parts of
Syria; and he knew also that the Gospel of the Hebrews was current in
these same regions, there or thereabouts. Hence he jumped at the
identification. To a writer who can go astray so incredibly about the
broadest facts of history, as we have seen him do in the succession of
the Roman Emperors [285:2], such an error would be the easiest thing in
the world. Yet it was perfectly consistent on the part of our author,
who in another instance prefers John Malalas to the concurrent testimony
of all the preceding centuries [285:3], to set aside the direct evidence
of a Theodoret, and to accept without hesitation the hearsay of an
Epiphanius.

2. 'Tatian's Gospel,' writes the author of _Supernatural Religion_, 'was
not only called _Diatessaron_, but according to Victor of Capua, it was
also called _Diapente_ ([Greek: dia pente]) "by five," a complication
which shows the incorrectness of the ecclesiastical theory of its
composition.'

This is not a very accurate statement. If our author had referred to the
actual passage in Victor of Capua, he would have found that Victor does
not himself call it _Diapente_, but says that Eusebius called it
_Diapente_. This makes all the difference.

Victor, who flourished about A.D. 545, happened to stumble upon an
anonymous Harmony or Digest of the Gospels [286:1], and began in
consequence to investigate the authorship. He found two notices in
Eusebius of such Harmonies; one in the _Epistle to Carpianus_ prefixed
to the Canons, relating to the work of Ammonius; another in the
_Ecclesiastical History_, relating to that of Tatian. Assuming that the
work which he had discovered must be one or other, he decides in favour
of the latter, because it does not give St Mat