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and saw how Peter denied Christ, have told the same truth, but again in different words; and one adds what the others omitted, — that when the time arrived, 'the Lord turned and looked upon Peter.' Now I fully believe that no word of this tale has been lost since it was first written down; but if I were told that some few words had been changed, I should know that the truth remained, because the same story is told by four persons.
But, replied Havilah, there are some things in your Scriptures which are told by only one writer: how are they known to be faithful?
Because the truth of some parts is confirmed by that which is known to be truth in other parts. That Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, and that Jesus talked with him of his Gospel; also that he told the woman of Samaria who he was, and wherefore he came, are related by John alone: but no one has ever doubted the truth of these things, both because the Book of John as a whole has been carefully preserved, and because the truth of these portions agrees with the truth of other portions; so that the change or loss of a few words would not prevent our understanding or believing the stories themselves. This is yet
