ion for October 8, which has never yet
been sufficiently attended to: and which I defy the Critics to account
for on any hypothesis but one: viz. that the pericope was recognized by
the ancient Eastern Church as an integral part of the Gospel.

Now when to this has been added what is implied in the rubrical
direction that a ceremonious respect should be shewn to the Festival of
Pentecost by dropping the twelve verses, I submit that I have fully
established my second position, viz. That by the very construction of
her Lectionary the Church in her corporate capacity and official
character has solemnly recognized the narrative in question, as an
integral part of St. John's Gospel, and as standing in its traditional
place, from an exceedingly remote time.

For,--(I entreat the candid reader's sustained attention),--the
circumstances of the present problem altogether refuse to accommodate
themselves to any hypothesis of a spurious original for these verses; as
I proceed to shew.

Repair in thought to any collection of MSS. you please; suppose to the
British Museum. Request to be shewn their seventy-three copies of St.
John's Gospel, and turn to the close of his seventh chapter. At that
particular place you will find, in sixty-one of these copies, these
twelve verses: and in thirty-five of them you will discover, after the
words [Greek: Prophetes ek tes Galilaias ouk eg.] a rubrical note to the
effect that 'on Whitsunday, these twelve verses are to be dropped; and
the reader is to go on at ch. viii. 12.' What can be the meaning of this
respectful treatment of the Pericope in question? How can it ever have
come to pass that it has been thus ceremoniously handled all down the
ages? Surely on no possible view of the matter but one can the
phenomenon just now described be accounted for. Else, will any one
gravely pretend to tell me that at some indefinitely remote period, (1)
These verses were fabricated: (2) Were thrust into the place they at
present occupy in the sacred text: (3) Were unsuspectingly believed to
be genuine by the Church; and in consequence of which they were at once
passed over by her direction on Whitsunday as incongruous, and appointed
by the Church to be read on October 8, as appropriate to the occasion?

(3) But further. How is it proposed to explain why _one_ of St. John's
after-thoughts should have fared so badly at the Church's
hands;--another, so well? I find it suggested that perhaps the
subject-mat