James Rendel Harris
Published: 2013-09
Total Pages: 18
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1893 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER V. ON THE SOURCES OF THE NEW GOSPEL. We come now to the interesting question of the sources from which the person who disguises himself as Peter has drawn in compiling his Gospel. The question is a peculiarly interesting one, because every student of the canonical Gospels knows that, behind the extant texts, there lies an amount of common matter, which might conceivably be traditional, but is almost certain to be some one or more books which have disappeared, but which are to some extent capable of restoration by critical processes. Moreover, there are many suggestions in the study of the early manuscripts, versions, and quotations of the canonical Gospels which lead us to believe that some collateral matter has occasionally influenced the tradition of the text: for example, when we find in one of the most famous copies of the Gospels a story about our Lord's reproving a man who was working on the Sabbath with the striking words, "Man, if thou knowest what thou doest, blessed art thou; but if thou knowest not, thou art accursed, and a transgressor of law"; it is not unnatural to suppose (of course, it is only a supposition) that some collateral account has been utilised to expand the narrative in the Gospel of Luke. But none of these extra-canonical gospels, or sources of gospels, have as yet come to light. When, therefore, we do succeed in finding a large portion of an extra-canonical gospel of early date, the first question that arises relates to its affinities with the canonical Gospels. So we must try, as far as the matter lies on the surface, to determine how the Gospel of Peter is related to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Now, I suppose that a person who merely read the new Gospel over in English could come to certain...