teristic of
Jesus, or did not believe it had been uttered.

Many years ago, I received an anonymous letter, which abused me heartily
for my want of moral courage in not speaking out. I thought that one of
the oddest charges an anonymous letter-writer could bring. But I am not
sure that the plentiful sowing of the pages of the article with which I
am dealing with accusations of evasion, may not seem odder to those who
consider that the main strength of the answers with which I have been
favoured (in this review and elsewhere) is devoted, not to anything in
the text of my first paper, but to a note which occurs at p. 84. In this
I say:

Dr. Wace tells us: "It may be asked how far we can rely on the
accounts we possess of our Lord's teaching on these subjects." And
he seems to think the question appropriately answered by the
assertion that it "ought to be regarded as settled by M. Renan's
practical surrender of the adverse case."

I requested Dr. Wace to point out the passages of M. Renan's works in
which, as he affirms, this "practical surrender" (not merely as to the
age and authorship of the Gospels, be it observed, but as to their
historical value) is made, and he has been so good as to do so. Now let
us consider the parts of Dr. Wace's citation from Renan which are
relevant to the issue:--

The author of this Gospel [Luke] is certainly the same as the
author of the Acts of the Apostles. Now the author of the Acts
seems to be a companion of St. Paul--a character which accords
completely with St. Luke. I know that more than one objection may
be opposed to this reasoning: but one thing, at all events, is
beyond doubt, namely, that the author of the third Gospel and of
the Acts is a man who belonged to the second apostolic generation;
and this suffices for our purpose.

This is a curious "practical surrender of the adverse case." M. Renan
thinks that there is no doubt that the author of the third Gospel is the
author of the Acts--a conclusion in which I suppose critics generally
agree. He goes on to remark that this person _seems_ to be a companion
of St. Paul, and adds that Luke was a companion of St. Paul. Then,
somewhat needlessly, M. Renan points out that there is more than one
objection to jumping, from such data as these, to the conclusion that
"Luke" is the writer of the third Gospel. And, finally, M. Renan is
content to reduce that which is "be