The Last Twelve Verses of the Gospel According to S. MarkBurgon, John William
Religion
The Last Twelve Verses of the Gospel According to S. Mark
Burgon, John William
Bible. Mark XVI, 9-20 -- Criticism, Textual
157 He describes its structure minutely at vol. i. pp. 309-310, and from
pp. 312-7; 318-321. [Note, by the way, the gross blunder which has
crept into the printed text of Epiphanius at p. 321 D: pointed out
long since by Jones, _On the Canon_, ii. 38.] His plan is excellent.
Marcion had rejected every Gospel except S. Luke’s, and of S. Paul’s
Epistles had retained only ten,—viz. (1st) Galatians, (2nd and 3rd)
I and II Corinthians, (4th) Romans, (5th and 6th) I and II
Thessalonians, (7th) _Ephesians_, (8th) Colossians, (9th) Philemon,
(10th) Philippians. Even these he had mutilated and depraved. And
yet out of that one mutilated Gospel, Epiphanius selects 78
passages, (pp. 312-7), and out of those ten mutilated Epistles, 40
passages more (pp. 318-21); by means of which 118 texts he
undertakes to refute the heresy of Marcion. (pp. 322-50: 350-74.)
[It will be perceived that Tertullian goes over Marcion’s work in
much the same way.] Very beautiful, and well worthy of the student’s
attention, (though it comes before us in a somewhat incorrect form,)
is the remark of Epiphanius concerning the living energy of GOD’S
Word, even when dismembered and exhibited in a fragmentary shape.
“Ὅλου γὰρ τοῦ σώματος ζῶντος, ὡς εἰπεῖν, τῆς θείας γραφῆς, ποῖον
ηὕρισκε (sc. Marcion) μέλος νεκρὸν κατὰ τῆν αὐτοῦ γνώμην, ἵνα
παρεισαγάγη ψεῦδος κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας; ... παρέκοψε πολλὰ τῶν μελῶν,
κατέσχε δὲ ἔνιά τινα παρ᾽ ἑαυτῷ; καὶ αὐτὰ δὲ τὰ κατασχεθέντα ἔτι
ζῶντα οὐ δύναται νεκροῦσθαι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκεῖ μὲν τὸ ζωτικὸν τῆς ἐμφάσεως,
κᾴν τε μυρίως παρ᾽ αὐτῷ κατὰ λεπτὸν ἀποτμηθείν.” (p. 375 B.) He
seems to say of Marcion,—
Fool! to suppose thy shallow wits
Could quench a fire like that. Go, learn
That cut into ten thousand bits
Yet every bit would breathe and burn!
158 He quotes Ephes. ii. 11, 12, 13, 14: v. 14: v. 31. (See Epiphanius,
_Opp._ i. p. 318 and 371-2.)
_ 159 Ibid._ p. 318 C ( = 371 B), and 319 A ( = 374 A.)
_ 160 Ibid._ p. 319 and 374. But note, that through error in the copies,
or else through inadvertence in the Editor, the depravation
commented on at p. 374 B, C, is lost sight of at p. 319 B.
161 See below, at the end of the next note.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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