120 THE REV. PROFESSOR A. S. GEDEN, M.A., D.D., 



no doubt of its genuineness. Internal evidence, though never very 

 conclusive, does not, in the case of this passage, suggest any doubt 

 of its genuineness ; the style, in respect both of its qualities and 

 elements, is the same as that of the rest of the Gospel. The purity 

 of the Greek is sustained from beginning to end. But apart from all 

 this a caveat ought to be entered against the absurd assumptions of 

 critics " that an author may not change his style ; that diversity 

 of style implies diversity of authorship ; and that the critics can 

 partition ofi the sections and assign them to their imaginary writers. 

 Macaulay wrote history and poetry and delivered speeches, ex- 

 hibiting great diversity of style, yet no critic has invented three 

 Macaulays. Anyone who treated Ruskin's books as the books of 

 Scripture have been treated could discover by the same methods 

 half a dozen Ruskins. Now the " critics " some years ago had an 

 invitation from Professor Joyce to take up a composition written in 

 collaboration by Besant and Rice, or one by some other joint 

 authors, and assign to each author the portion contributed by him , 

 One would have thought that the " critics " wpuld have welcomed 

 the opportunity of exhibiting their literary acumen and justifying 

 their claims, or of being convicted of arrogant pretension. However, 

 they have as yet confined themselves to the safer course of dissecting 

 the compositions of authors with whom they can no longer be 

 confronted 



Mrs. A. C. Bill writes : I have always felt that the similes 

 and figurative expressions made use of by our Lord were intended 

 to convey lessons of vital import in relation to surrounding 

 circumstances. 



The fields awaiting the reapers pointed to the necessity for the 

 disbandment of religious organisations which have completed their 

 legitimate period of usefulness, after which the letter and spirit will 

 be found at variance. This was the case with the Jewish Church 

 of that period. The letter of the Levitical code had become a dead 

 letter owing to changed human circumstances. It was the authority 

 of the organised Church which caused Jesus to be crucified. 



The " shepherd " going before the flock points clearly to the func- 

 tions of the true leader in all periods, and teaches that an advanced 

 individual perception of truth added to ripe experience (not neces- 

 sarily old age) are the essential qualifications for the post of authority 



