Gospel Difficulties. By J. J. Holcombe, M.A. (Kegan Paul, Trench,
and Co.)—Mr. Halcombe has found, he thinks, a key to unlock the difficulties which have puzzled the Harmonists ever since they began their labours. A section of St. Luke's Gospel has been displaced. Put that back into its proper position, follow the restored St. Luke implicitly, and you will find a perfectly orderly narrative. Such an orderly narrative is, Mr. Halcombe maintains, what St. Luke, in his introduction, professes to give. (We cannot agree with him in thinking that this introduction indicates that he had seen the other Gospels as we have them now.) The displaced portion is xi., 14—xiii., 21. We must leave the reader to find out from Mr. Halcombe's volume the effect that this change has on the narrative. But we may remark, firstly, that of all the restorative action of criticism, the change of order is the most doubtful ; and secondly, that when he contends that "the inspiration of Holy Scripture must extend even to the very tone of every phrase," he is making a difficulty for Christian apologists in comparison to which all the difficulties of harmonising are as nothing. Mr. Halcombe's book has reached, we ought to say, a secend edition.
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