which his testimony eads upon the other theory, — because they run on harmoniously with the fifteenth verse, — and because there is nothing in them which we might not reasonably expect John the Baptist to say.
This is the opinion of Origen, Athanasius, Basil, Cyprian, Augustine, Theophylact, Rupertus, Melancthon, Calvin, Zwingle, Erasmus, Chemnitins, Grualter, Musculus, Bucer, Flacius, Bul- linger, Pt^lican, Toletus, G-omarus, Nifanius, Rollock, Poole, Burkitt, Hutcheson, Bengel, and Cartwright.
(b.) Others think, that the three verses are the comment of John the Gospel-writer, arising out of John's testimony about Christ's pre-existence, and out of the expression, Grace and truth, in the fourteenth verse. — They regard the verses as an exposition of the expression, "Full of grace and truth." — They question whether the language is such as would have been used by John the Baptist, — whether he would have said " all we," after just saying " me," — whether he would have used the word "fulness," — whether he would, at so early a period, have contrasted the religion of Moses and of Christ, — and whether he would have so openly declared Christ to be the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father. — Finally, they think that if these were John the Baptist's words, the Gospel would not have begun again in the nineteenth verse, " This is the record of John."
This is the opinion of Cyril, Chrysostom, Euthymius, Beda, Lyranus, Brentius, Beza, Ft^rus, Grotius, Aretius, Barradius, Maldonatus, Cornelius a Lapide, Jansenius, Lightfoot, Arrow- smith. Gill, Doddri.lge, Lampe, Pearce, Henry, Tittman, A. Clarke, Barnes, OLshausen, Altord, and Wordsworth, — Baxter and Scott decline any decided opinion on the point, and Whitby says nothing about it.
The arguments on either side are so nicely balanced, and the names on either side are so weighty, that I venture an opinion with much difl&dence. But on the whole, I am inclined to think that the three verses are not the words of John the Baptist, but of John the Evangelist. — The remarkable style of the first eight- een verses of this chapter makes the abruptness and brevity of the testimony which John the Baptist bears, upon this theory, appear to me not strange. — And the connection between the three verses, and the words "full of grace and truth" in the fourteenth verse, appears to me much more marked and d'stinct, than the conned ion between John's testimony, and the words " of his fulness all we have received."
Happily the point is one which involves no serious question, and is therefore one on which Christians may be content to differ, if they cannot convince one another.