The Criticism of the Fourth Gospel: Eight Lectures on the Morse Foundation, Delivered in the Union Seminary, New York in October and November, 1904

The criticism of the Fourth gospel – is a work which was published in 1905 and written by William Sanday, British Anglican priest and theologian. All our discussions are aimed not at creating round and symmetrical theories, but at establishing the truth. We have to take data as we find it. If they do not draw a clear conclusion in their present form, we will not be able to force them to do so. And it seems to the author that it is much better to frankly admit this fact than to strain the evidence in one way or another. We can present a case with such signs of inclination as we like, but always with the caveat that a small change in evidence, the discovery or extraction of one new fact, can turn the balance. The author thinks that this is the state of affairs in relation to some parts of the problem of the Fourth Gospel. One general finding seems to stand out from the evidence, both internal and external. The author of the Gospel was an eyewitness, an apostle - either in the broad sense of the word "apostle", or in a narrower one. William Sanday seems to have so much confidence; but around this general conclusion a group of questions arises, to which he cannot give a simple and categorical answer.