standard of doctrine to which to appeal amid the growing
differences of opinion which disturbed the Church. Thus the
earlier gospels exhibit, though in different degrees, the
indications of a modifying, sometimes of an overruling dogmatic
purpose. There is, indeed, no conscious violation of historic
truth, but from the varied mass of material supplied by
tradition, such incidents are selected as are fit to support the
views of the writers concerning the personality of Jesus.
Accordingly, while the early gospels throw a strong light upon
the state of Christian opinion at the dates when they were
successively composed, the information which they give concerning
Jesus himself is, for that very reason, often vague, uncritical,
and contradictory. Still more is this true of the fourth gospel,
written late in the second century, in which historic tradition
is moulded in the interests of dogma until it becomes no longer
recognizable, and in the place of the human Messiah of the
earlier accounts, we have a semi-divine Logos or Aeon, detached
from God, and incarnate for a brief season in the likeness of
man.

[16] "Wer einmal vergottert worden ist, der hat seine Mensetheit
unwiederbringlich eingebusst."--Strauss, Der alte und der neue
Glaube, p. 76.

[17] "Roger was the attendant of Thomas [Becket] during his
sojourn at Pontigny. We might have expected him to be very full
on that part of his history; but, writing doubtless mainly for
the monks of Pontigny, he says that HE WILL NOT ENLARGE UPON WHAT
EVERY ONE KNOWS, and cuts that part very short."--Freeman,
Historical Essays, 1st series, p. 90.