| | | 15.17.

| On the whole these quotations of Irenaeus seem fairly to deserve the praise given to them by Dr.Tregelles.Most of the free quotations, it will be seen, belong not so much to Irenaeus himself, as to the writers he is criticising.

In some places (e.g.
iv.6.1, which is found in the Latin only) he expressly notes a difference of text.

In this very place, however, he shows that he is quoting from memory, as he speaks of a parallel passage in St.
Mark which does not exist.

Elsewhere there can be little doubt that either he or the writer before him quoted loosely from memory.