conjectured or inferred_ ... We propose, therefore, as exhaustively
as possible, to search all the writings of the early Church for
information regarding the Gospels, and to examine even the alleged
indications of their use ... It is still more important that we
should constantly bear in mind that a great number of Gospels
existed in the early Church which are no longer extant, and of most
of which even the names are lost. We need not here do more than
refer, in corroboration of this fact, to the preliminary statement
of the author of the third Gospel: 'Forasmuch as many ([Greek:
polloi]) took in hand to set forth in order a declaration of the
things which have been accomplish among us,' &c. It is, therefore,
evident that before our third synoptic was written many similar
works were already in circulation. Looking at the close similarity
of large portions of the three synoptics, it is almost certain that
many of the writings here mentioned bore a close analogy to each
other and to our Gospels, and this is known to have been the case,
for instance, amongst the various forms of the 'Gospel according to
the Hebrews.' When, therefore, in early writings, we meet with
quotations closely resembling, or, we may add, even identical, with
passages which are found in our Gospels, the source of which,
however, is not mentioned, nor is any author's name indicated, _the
similarity or even identity cannot by any means be admitted as proof
that the quotation is necessarily from our Gospels, and not from
some other similar work now no longer extant_, and more especially
not when, in the same writings, there are other quotations from
sources different from our Gospels.... But whilst similarity to our
Gospels in passages quoted by early writers from unnamed sources
cannot _prove_ the use of our Gospels, variation from them would
suggest or prove a different origin, _and at least it is obvious
that anonymous quotations which do not agree with our Gospels cannot