Appendix IV. St. Mark i. 1.
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St. Mark's Gospel opens as follows:—“The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, THE SON OF GOD.” The significancy of the announcement is apparent when the opening of St. Matthew's Gospel is considered,—“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David.” Surely if there be a clause in the Gospel which carries on its front the evidence of its genuineness, it is this606 . But in fact the words are found in every known copy but three ( , 28, 255); in all the Versions; in many Fathers. The evidence in its favour is therefore overwhelming. Yet it has of late become the fashion to call in question the clause—¥1¿æ Ä¿æ ˜µ¿æ. Westcott and Hort shut up the words in brackets. Tischendorf ejects them from the text. The Revisers brand them with suspicion. High time is it to ascertain how much of doubt really attaches to the clause which has been thus assailed. Tischendorf relies on the testimony of ten ancient Fathers, whom he quotes in the following order,—Irenaeus, Epiphanius, Origen, Basil, Titus, Serapion, Cyril of Jerusalem, Severianus, Victorinus, Jerome. But the learned critic has to be reminded (1) that pro hac vice, Origen, Serapion, Titus, Basil, Victorinus and Cyril of Jerusalem are not six fathers, but only one. Next (2), that Epiphanius delivers no testimony whatever on the point in dispute. Next (3), that Jerome607 is rather to be reckoned with 606 It is right to state that Tischendorf thought differently. “Videtur illud huic quidem loco parum apte illatum.” He can only bring himself to admit that the text had been “jam Irenaei tempore nobili additamento auctum.” He insists that it is absurd, as well as at variance with the entire history of the sacred text, to suppose that the title “SON OF GOD{FNS” has here been removed by unscrupulous Unbelief, rather than thrust in by officious Piety. 607 v. 10; vii. 17; and in the Vulgate. Twice however (viz. i. 311 and vi. 969) Jerome omits the clause.
