To illustrate our method of combination, let us take Section 36, which is a fitting together of the following passages, namely:

9 And as Jesus passed by from thence, he saw a man, called Matthew, sitting at the place of toll: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. -- Matt. ix.9.

13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphæus sitting at the place of toll, and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. -- Mark ii.13, 14.

27 And after these things he went forth, and beheld a publican named Levi, sitting at the place of toll, and said unto him, Follow me.28 And he forsook all, and rose up and followed him. -- Luke v.27, 28.

Which three passages are combined as follows:

^c 27 And after these things he went forth, again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.14 And as he ^a Jesus passed by from thence, he saw ^c and beheld ^a a man, ^c a publican, named { ^a called} Matthew, ^c Levi, ^b the son of Alphæus sitting at the place of toll, and he saith { ^c said} unto him, Follow me.28 And he forsook all, ^b and he arose { ^c rose up} and followed him.

Now, in this passage we have retained the redundant pronoun "he" in the phrase he Jesus. Where Luke has the phrase named Matthew, Matthew has the variant reading called Matthew. Where Mark says saith, Luke gives the variant said, and where Mark says arose, Luke says rose up. By variant reading we mean one which can not be combined with the other texts so that the combined text will read smoothly.