of great importance; and for myself, I dare not be sure that the fourth Gospel has been entirely written by the pen of a Galilean fisherman.  But that, as a whole, this Gospel may have originated toward the end of the first century, from the great school of Asia Minor, which was connected with John, that it represents to us a version of the life of the Master, worthy of high esteem, and often to be preferred, is demonstrated, in a manner which leaves us nothing to be desired, both by exterior evidences and by examination of the document itself.

And, firstly, no one doubts that, toward the year 150, the fourth Gospel did exist, and was attributed to John.  Explicit texts from St. Justin,[1] from Athenagorus,[2] from Tatian,[3] from Theophilus of Antioch,[4] from Irenaeus,[5] show that thenceforth this Gospel mixed in every controversy, and served as corner-stone for the development of the faith.  Irenaeus is explicit; now, Irenaeus came from the school of John, and between him and the apostle there was only Polycarp.  The part played by this Gospel in Gnosticism, and especially in the system of Valentinus,[6] in Montanism,[7] and in the quarrel of the Quartodecimans,[8] is not less decisive.  The school of John was the most influential one during the second century; and it is only by regarding the origin of the Gospel as coincident with the rise of the school, that the existence of the latter can be understood at all.  Let us add that the first epistle attributed to St. John is certainly by the same author as the fourth Gospel,[9] now, this epistle is recognized as from John by Polycarp,[10] Papias,[11] and Irenaeus.[12]

[Footnote 1:  Apol., 32, 61; Dial. cum Tryph., 88.]

[Footnote 2:  Legatio pro Christ, 10.]

[Footnote 3:  Adv.  Graec., 5, 7; Cf.  Eusebius, H.E., iv. 29; Theodoret, Haeretic.  Fabul., i. 20.]

[Footnote 4:  Ad Autolycum, ii. 22.]

[Footnote 5:  Adv.  Haer., II. xxii. 5, III. 1.  Cf.  Eus., H.E., v. 8.]

[Footnote 6:  Irenaeus, Adv.  Haer., I. iii. 6; III. xi. 7; St. Hippolytus, Philosophumena VI. ii. 29, and following.]

[Footnote 7:  Irenaeus, Adv.  Haer., III. xi. 9.]

[Footnote 8:  Eusebius, Hist.  Eccl., v. 24.]

[Footnote 9:  John, i. 3, 5.  The two writings present the most complete identity of style, the same peculiarities, the same favorite expressions.]

[Footnote 10:  Epist. ad Philipp., 7.]

[Footnote 11:  In Eusebius, Hist.  Eccl., III. 39.]

[Footnote 12:  Adv.  Haer., III. xvi. 5, 8; Cf.  Eusebius, Hist.  Eccl., v. 8.]