he Canon,' pp. 112-139.
Dr. Westcott does not attempt to deny the fact that Justin's quotations
are different from the text of our Gospels, but he accounts for his
variations on grounds which are purely imaginary. _It is evident that
so long as there are such variations to be explained away, at least no
proof of identity is possible_." [24:5] It will be observed that
although I do not discuss Dr. Westcott's views, I pointedly refer those
who desire to know what the arguments on the other side are to his
work. Let me repeat, once for all, that my object in examining the
writings of the Fathers is not to form theories and conjectures as to
what documents they may possibly have used, but to ascertain whether
they afford any positive evidence regarding our existing Gospels, which
can warrant our believing, upon their authority, the miraculous
contents of Christianity. Any argument that, although Justin, for
instance, never once names any of our Gospels, and out of very numerous
quotations of sayings of Jesus very rarely indeed quotes anything which
has an exact parallel in those Gospels, yet he may have made use of our
Gospels, because he also frequently misquotes passages from the Old
Testament, is worthless for the purpose of establishing the reality of
Divine Revelation. From the point of view of such an enquiry, I
probably go much further into the examination of Justin's "Memoirs"
than was at all necessary.

Space, however, forbids my further dwelling on these instances,
regarding which Dr. Lightfoot says: "In every instance which I have
selected"--and to which I have replied--"these omitted considerations
vitally affect the main question at issue." [25:1] If Dr. Lightfoot had
devoted half the time to mastering what "the main question at issue"
really is, which he has wasted in finding minute faults in me, he might
have spared himself the trouble of giving these instances at all. If
such considerations have vital importance, the position of the question
may easily be understood. Dr. Lightfoot, however, evidently seems to
suppose that I can be charged with want of candour and of fulness,
because I do not reproduce every shred and tatter of apologetic
reasoning which divines continue to flaunt about after others have
rejected them as useless. He again accuses me, in connection with the
fourth Gospel, of systematically ignoring the arguments of "apologetic"
writers, and he represents my work as "the very reverse of full an