Mark--Luke.(1) II. Matthew--Luke--Mark.(3) III. Mark--Matthew--Luke.(3) IV. Mark--Luke--Matthew.(4) V. Luke--Matthew--Mark.(5) VI. All three out of common written sources.(6) Were we to state the various theories still more in detail, we might largely increase the variety of conclusions. These, however, suffice to show the uncertainty of results derived from internal evidence. It is always assumed that Marcion altered a Gospel to suit his own particular system, but as one of his most orthodox critics, while asserting that Luke's narrative lay at the basis of his Gospel, admits: "it is not equally clear that all the changes were due to Marcion himself;"(7) and, although he considers that "some of the omissions can be explained by his peculiar doctrines," he continues: "others are unlike arbitrary corrections, and must be considered as various readings of the greatest interest, dating as they do from a time anterior to all 1 Of course we only pretend to indicate a few of the critics who adopt each order. So Bengel, Bolton, Ebrard, Grotius, Hengstenberg, Hug, Hilgenfeld, Holtzmann, Mill, Seiler, Townson, Wetstein. 2 So Ammon, Baur, Bleek, Delitzsch, Fritzsche, Gfrorer, Griesbach, Kern, Eostlin, Neudecker, Saunier, Schwarz, Schwegler, Sieffert, Stroth, Theilo, Owon, Paulus, De Wette. 3 So Credner, Ewald, Hitzig, Lachmann, (?) Xteuss, Bitschl, Meyer, Storr, Thiersch. 4 B. Bauer, Hitzig (?) Schnockonburger, Volkmar, Weisse, Wilke. 5 Busching, Eyanson. 6 Bortholdt, Le Clerc, Corrodi, Eichhorn, Gratz, Hanlein, Koppe, Kuinoel, Leasing, Marsh, Michaelis, Niemeyer, Semler, Schleiermacher, Schmidt, Weber. This view was partly shared by many of those mentioned under other orders. {138} other authorities in our possession."(1) Now, undoubtedly, the more developed forms of the Gospel narrative were the result of additions, materially influenced by dogmatic and other reasons, made to earlier and more fragmentary works, but it is an argument contrary to general critical experience to affirm that a Gospel, the distinguishing characteristic of which is greater brevity, was produced by omissions in the interest of a system from a longer work.