*X PREFACE 



which involves the denial, by implication, of the 

 truth of the Synoptic story to mention only a 

 few particulars the " Joharmine" Gospel presents 

 a wide divergence from the other three. 



IV. If bhe mutual resemblances and differences 

 of the Synoptic Gospels are closely considered, a 

 curious result comes out ; namely, that each may 

 be analyzed into four components. The first of 

 these consists of passages, to a greater or less 

 extent verbally identical, which occur in all three 

 Gospels. If this triple tradition is separated 

 from the rest it will be found to comprise : 



a. A narrative, of a somewhat broken and 

 anecdotic aspect, which covers the period from the 

 appearance of John the Baptist to the discovery 

 of the emptiness of the tomb, on the first day 

 of the week, some six-and-thirty hours after 

 the crucifixion. 



I. An apocalyptic address. 



c. Parables and brief discourses, or rather, 

 centos of religious and ethical exhortations and 

 injunctions. 



The second and the third set of components of 

 each Gospel present equally close resemblances to 

 passages, which are found in only one of the other 

 Gospels ; therefore it may be said that, for them, 

 the tradition is double. The foiwtli component 

 is peculiar to each Gospel ; it is a single tradition 

 and has no representative in the others. 



To put the facts in another way : each Gospel 



