De canonibus evangeliorum.
The Origin of the Gospel Canons
Ammonius first devised the Gospel canons, and Eusebius later expanded them so readers could see where evangelists agree or differ.
Ammonius of Alexandria first devised the canons of the Gospels, which Eusebius of Caesarea later followed and composed more fully. They were made for this purpose: so that through them we can find out and know which of the remaining evangelists said similar things, or what was distinctive to each.
The Ten Canons Described
The ten canons are listed according to which evangelists share material, from all four down to each evangelist's unique passages.
There are ten in number. The first contains the passages in which all four — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — said the same things. The second contains those in which three did: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The third has three: Matthew, Luke, and John. The fourth has three: Matthew, Mark, and John. The fifth has two: Mark and Luke. The sixth has two: Matthew and Mark. The seventh has two: Matthew and John. The eighth has two: Luke and Mark. The ninth has two: Luke and John. The tenth contains passages in which each of them said certain things of their own. Their explanation is this.
How to Use the Canons
Each Gospel chapter carries a number and a red column indicating its canon, so a reader can look up parallel passages across the evangelists.
For next to each individual evangelist, a certain number is attached to the chapter headings. Subjoined to those numbers is a column marked in red, which indicates in which canon the number to which the column belongs is placed. For example: if the column is first, it belongs to the first canon; if second, to the second; if third, to the third — and so on in order up to the tenth. So if you open any Gospel and want to know which of the other evangelists said similar things, take the number next to the chapter, and look for that same number in its own canon, the one the column points to. There you will find who said what. And so, once you've searched through the whole text, the passages indicated by those numbers will show you, across each of the Gospels, who said the same things on the same subjects.
Read the original Latin
Canones evangeliorum Ammonius Alexandriae primus excogitavit, quem postea Eusebius Caesariensis secutus plenius composuit. qui ideo facti sunt, ut per eos invenire et scire possimus qui reliquorum evangelistarum similia aut propria dixerunt. sunt autem numero decem, quorum primus continet numeros in quibus quattuor eadem dixerunt, Matthaeus, Marcus, Lucas, Ioannes; secundus, in quibus tres, Matthaeus, Marcus, Lucas; tertius, in quibus tres, Matthaeus, Lucas, Ioannes; quartus, in quibus tres, Matthaeus, Marcus, Ioannes; quintus, in quibus duo; Marcus, Lucas; sextus, in quibus duo; Matthaeus, Marcus; septimus, in quibus duo, Matthaeus, Ioannes; octavus, in quibus duo, Lucas, Marcus; nonus, in quibus duo, Lucas, Ioannes; decimus, in quibus singuli eorum propria quaedam dixerunt. quorum expositio haec est. per singulos enim evangelistas numerus quidam capitulis affixus adiacet, quibus numeris subdita est area quaedam minio notata, quae indicat in quoto canone positus sit numerus, cui subiecta est area. verbi gratia, si est area prima, in primo canone, si secunda, in secundo, si tertia, in tertio, et sic per ordinem usque ad decimum pervenies. si igitur aperto quolibet evangelio placuerit scire, qui reliquorum evangelistarum similia dixerint, assumes adiacentem numerum capituli, et requires ipsum numerum in suo canone quem indicat, ibique invenies qui et quid dixerint. et ita demum in corpore, inquisita loca, quae ex ipsis numeris indicantur, per singula evangelia de eisdem dixisse invenies.
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