As we go back from the fourth century we have not so
many kinds of proof. As to manuscripts they are few, frag-
mentary, and there is sometimes uncertainty in their identifi-
cation, but we have left us the quotations and references made
by the Christian Fathers, in their pubHshed writings from the
originals of which numerous copies were made in the succeed-
ing centuries. We do not claim any Divine authority for the
patristic writings. We do not indorse all their theology or
philosophy, nor approve everything in their lives. We shall
expect that they will sometimes be found quoting the Gospels
in defense of erroneous theories. For the purpose of our
investigation it matters not; the quotation proves the form of
the Gospel story which was in existence and accessible to the
writers at the time of their writing. The authors to whom we
call attention are among those whose work is unquestioned.
