ed to show what bearing
the epistle has upon the evidence for the existence of the Gospels and
their sufficiency as testimony for the miracles which those Gospels
record. He has not done so, however, for he is in such haste to find
small faults with my statements, and disparage my work, that, having
arrived at this point, he at once rushes off upon this side issue, and
does not say one word that I can discover regarding any supposed use of
Gospels in the Epistle. For a complete discussion of analogies which
other apologists have pointed out I must refer to _Supernatural
Religion_ itself; [116:1] but I may here state the case in the strongest
form for them. It is asserted that Polycarp in this Epistle uses
expressions which correspond more or less closely with some of those in
our Gospels. It is not in the least pretended that the Gospels are
referred to by name, or that any information is given regarding their
authorship or composition. If, therefore, the use of the Gospels could
be established, and the absolute authenticity of the Epistle, what could
this do towards proving the actual performance of miracles or the
reality of Divine Revelation? The mere existence of anonymous Gospels
would be indicated, and though this might be considered a good deal in
the actual evidential destitution, it would leave the chief difficulty
quite untouched.

IV.

_PAPIAS OF HIERAPOLIS._

Dr. Lightfoot has devoted two long chapters to the evidence of Papias,
although with a good deal of divergence to other topics in the second.
I need not follow him minutely here, for I have treated the subject
fully in _Supernatural Religion_, [117:1] to which I beg leave to
refer any reader who is interested in the discussion; and this is
merely Dr. Lightfoot's reply. I will confine myself here to a few
words on the fundamental question at issue.

Papias, in the absence of other testimony, is an important witness of
whom theologians are naturally very tenacious, inasmuch as he is the
first writer who mentions the name of anyone who was believed to have
written a Gospel. It is true that what he says is of very little
weight, but, since no one else had said anything at all on the point,
his remarks merit attention which they would not otherwise receive.

Eusebius states that, in his last work [117:2], "Exposition of the Lord's
Oracles" ([Greek: Logion kuriakon exegesis]), Papias wrote as follows:

"And the elder said this also: 'Mark