(_e_) It will be seen in the next chapter that it was from a very remote period the practice of the Eastern Church to introduce into the lesson for Thursday in Holy-week, S. Luke’s account (ch. xxii. 43, 44) of our LORD’S “Agony and bloody Sweat,” _immediately after S. Matth._ xxvi. 39. _That_ is, no doubt, the reason why Chrysostom,—who has been suspected, (I think unreasonably,) of employing an Evangelistarium instead of a copy of the Gospels in the preparation of his Homilies, is observed to quote those same two verses in that very place in his Homily on S. Matthew;(359) which shews that the Lectionary system of the Eastern Church in this respect is at least as old as the ivth century. (_f_) The same two verses used to be _left out_ on the Tuesday after Sexagesima (τῇ γ᾽ τῆς τυροφάγου) for which day S. Luke xxii. 39-xxiii. 1, is the appointed lection. And _this_ explains why Cyril (A.D. 425) in his Homilies on S. Luke, passes them by in silence.(360) But we can carry back the witness to the Lectionary practice of omitting these verses, at least a hundred years; for Cod. B, (evidently for that same reason,) _also_ omits them, as was stated above, in p. 79. They are wanting also in the Thebaic version, which is of the iiird century. (_g_) It will be found suggested in the next chapter (page 218) that the piercing of our LORD’S side, (S. John xix. 34),—thrust into Codd. B and א immediately after S. Matth. xxvii. 49,—is probably indebted for its place in those two MSS. to the Eastern Lectionary practice. If this suggestion be well founded, a fresh proof is obtained that the Lectionary of the East was fully established in the beginning of the ivth century. But see Appendix (H). (_h_) It is a remarkable note of the antiquity of that Oriental Lectionary system with which we are acquainted, that S. Matthew’s account of the Passion (ch. xxvii. 1-61,) should be there appointed to be read _alone_ on the evening of Good Friday. Chrysostom clearly alludes to this practice;(361) which Augustine expressly states was also the practice in his own day.(362) Traces of the same method are discoverable in the old Gallican Lectionary.(363) (_i_) Epiphanius, (or the namesake of his who was the author of a well-known Homily on Palm Sunday,) remarks that “yesterday” had been read the history of the rising of Lazarus.(364) Now S. John xi. 1-45 is the lection for the antecedent Sabbath, in all the Lectionaries.