sonable in him to leave his former employment, for the sake of the company of Jesus, and the advantages which in time he might receive from him. The pharisees made reflections: but our Lord vindicated himself. And all the three evangelists have recorded this instance of our Lord's amiable familiarity and condescension, which is one of the distinctions of his shining character. And it is a proof, that at the time of their writing, severally, their gospels, they were moulded into the temper and principles of him whose history they wrote. Jesus now called Matthew to be with him, to be a witness of his words and works, and he put him into the number of his apostles. Thenceforward he continued with the Lord Jesus; and after his ascension be was at Jerusalem, and partook of the gift of the Holy Ghost, with the other apostles. Together with them he bore testimony to the resurrection of Jesus: and, as may be supposed, preached for some while at Jerusalem, and in the several parts of Judea, confirming his doctrine with miracles, which God enabled him to perform in the name of Jesus. In his own catalogue of the twelve apostles, ch. x. he is the eighth in order. In St. Mark's, ch. iii. and St. Luke's, ch. vi. he is the seventh. He is also named in the eighth place, Acts i. 13. Nor is there any particular account in the gospels of the call of any of the apostles, except his and four others, Andrew and Peter, and the two sons of Zebedee, who were called before.f Clement of Alexandria says, that the apostle Matthew used a very sparing diet, eating no flesh, but only vegetables. But perhaps this is said upon the ground only of some uncertain tradition not well attested. Socrates, in the fifth century, says, that when the apostles went abroad to preach to the Gentiles, Thomas took Parthia for his lot, Matthew Ethiopia, and Bartholomew India. And it is now a common opinion, that Matthew died a martyr in Ethiopia, in a city called Nadabbar, or Naddaver; but by what kind of death is altogether uncer i St. John says, ch. i. 43, "The day following, Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him: Follow me." If Philip was then called by our Lord to be an apostle, he ought to be added to the others above named. 6 Ματθαιος μεν εν ὁ αποτολος σπερμάτων, και ακροδρύων, και λαχανων, ανευ κρέων, μετελαμβανεν. Clem. Paed. 1. 2. p. 148. D. * Ηνικα οἱ αποτολοι κληρῳ την εις τα έθνη πορείαν εποιέντο. Θωμας μεν την Πάρθων αποςολην υπεδέχετο Ματθαιος δε Αιθιοπίαν. κ. λ. Socr. H. E. 1. i. c. 19. See Cave's Lives of the Apostles, and his Hist. Lit. tain. However, some others speak of his preaching and dying in Parthia or Persia: and the diversity of those accounts seems to show, that they all are without good foundation. I think it may be of use to take here at length a passage of Eusebius, at the beginning of the third book of his Ecclesiastical History, after having in the preceding book spoken of the many calamities in Judea, when the war was just breaking out. 'This,' says he, was the state of things with the Jews. But the holy apostles and disciples of our Saviour, being dispersed abroad, preached in the whole world. Thomas, as we learn by tradition, had Parthia for his lot: Andrew, Scythia; John, Asia, who having lived there a long time died at Ephesus. Peter, as it seems, preached to the dispersed Jews in Pontus, and Galatia, Bithynia, Cappadocia, and Asia: at length coming to Rome, he was crucified, with his head downward, as he had desired. What need I to speak of Paul, who fully 'preached the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem to Illyri6 cum, and at last died a martyr at Rome, in the time of 'Nero? So says Origen expressly in the third tome of his 'expositions of the book of Genesis.' Thus writes our ecclesiastical historian. But, as Valesius observes, it is not easy to determine exactly where the quotation from Origen begins. However, from this passage, as it seems, we may conclude, that at the beginning of the fourth century, there were not any certain and well attested accounts of the places out of Judea, in which many of the apostles of Christ preached for if there had, Eusebius must have been ac- quainted with them. In particular, we may hence infer, as I apprehend, that there was no certain account, whither Matthew went when he left Judea; for there is no notice taken of him in this passage. Nor does Jerom in his article of St. Matthew, in his book of Illustrious Men, formerly 1 transcribed at large, take any notice of the countries in which he preached: nor do I recollect, that in any other of his genuine works he has said any thing of the travels of this apostle. 1 Heracleon, a learned Valentinian, in the second century, as cited by Clement of Alexandria, reckons m Matthew * Cum Eusebius hic dicat superiora ex libro tertio Explanationum Origenis in Genesim esse desumpta, dubitari merito potest, unde incipiant Origenis verba, &c. Vales. Annot. in 1. 3 cap. 1. 1 Vol. iv. ch. cxiv. num viii. 1. ὡμολόγησαν την δια της φωνης ὁμολογίαν, Φιλιππος, Θωμας, Λευις, και αλλοι πολλοι. 1. Ου γαρ παντες οἱ σωζομενοι και εξηλθον· ἐξ ὧν Ματθαιος, Clem. Stir. l. 4. p. 502. Β. among those apostles, who did not die by martyrdom; nor does Clement contradict him. It is also observable, that" Chrysostom has a commendation of Matthew, consisting of divers articles: his humility; mercifulness or liberality; piety; general benevolence; writing a gospel; finally, fortitude, inasmuch as "he came from the presence of the council rejoicing" referring, I suppose, to Acts v. 41: but says nothing of his martyrdom. Which may induce us to think, that there was not any tradition about it among christians at that time, or that it was not much regarded. II. Having thus given the history of this apostle, I proceed to the consideration of his gospel, one of the universally acknowledged books of the new Testament. Two things principally are to be the subjects of our inquiry, the time of writing it, and the language in which it was written. And I propose to recite here briefly all, or most of the authors, that have been largely quoted in the former volumes, so far as relates to those two particulars. Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, about A. D. 116, by some supposed to have been acquainted with John the apostle, by others with John the elder only, in his five books, entitled, Explications of the Oracles of the Lord, which seem to have been collections of ancient stories and traditions, makes express mention of Matthew's gospel, and says that he wrote the Divine Oracles in the Hebrew > tongue. Irenæus, bishop of Lyons, about the year 178, who was born in Asia, and in his youth was acquainted with Polycarp, disciple of St. John, says, Matthew, P then among 'the Jews, wrote a gospel in their own language, while 'Peter and Paul were preaching the gospel at Rome, and founding [or establishing] the church there. And after their exit, [that is, death, or departure,] Mark also, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, delivered to us in writing, the things that had been preached by Peter. And Luke, the companion of Paul, put down in a book the 'gospel preached by him. Afterwards John, the disciple of the Lord, who leaned upon his breast, likewise pub'lished a gospel, whilst he dwelt at Ephesus in Asia.” " In Matt. Hom. 48. [al. 49.] T. VII. p. 491. • See of this work, Vol. ii. p. 119. In - Ο μεν δε Ματθαιος εν τοις Εβραίοις τη αυτων διαλεκτῳ και γραφην εξενεγκεν ευαγγελια, το Πετρώ, και το Παύλο εν 'Ρωμη ευαγγελιζομενων και DeμESTOY TRY εkkλŋolav. K. λ. Adv. Hær. 1. 3. cap. i. Et ap. Euseb. 1. 5. c. 8. And in this work, Vol. ii. p. 170. another place he says, the gospel according to Matthew was delivered to the Jews.' 6 Origen, about 230, says, that' according to the tradition. ' received by him, the first gospel was written by Matthew, once a publican, afterwards a disciple of Jesus 'Christ: who delivered it to the Jewish believers, composed in the Hebrew language.' And in another place he says, 'that Matthew wrote for the Hebrews.' Says Eusebius, about 315, Matthew having first 'preached to the Hebrews, when he was about to go to 'other people, delivered to them in their own language the 'gospel according to him, by that writing supplying the want of his presence with those whom he was leav'ing.' Athanasius, in his Festal Epistle, " does not say where, or in what language Matthew wrote. But in the Synopsis ascribed to him, it is said, that▾ Matthew wrote his gos'pel in Hebrew, and published it at Jerusalem.’ 6 Cyril of Jerusalem says, that Matthew wrote in He'brew.' Epiphanius likewise says, that Matthew wrote in He'brew.' And afterwards. 'Matthew wrote first, and 'Mark soon after him, being a follower of Peter at Rome.' If Mark did not write till after Peter came to Rome, and Matthew but a little before him; it follows, that Matthew's gospel was not written so soon as many later writers have supposed. Gregory Nazianzen in his catalogue says, that Mat'thew wrote for the Hebrews.' 6 And Ebedjesu, that Matthew, the first evangelist, pub'lished his gospel in Palestine, written in Hebrew.' Theodore of Mopsuestia, says, that for a good while 'the apostles preached chiefly to Jews in Judea. After'wards Providence made way for conducting them to re'mote countries. Peter went to Rome, the rest elsewhere: 'John, in particular, took up his abode at Ephesus-About this time the other evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, 'published their gospels, which were soon spread all over the world.' This supposeth a late date of the gospels, as was argued, Vol. iv. ch. cxiii. num. iii. 2, that is, after the beginning 4 Vol. ii. p. 171. Vol. iv. p. 95, 133. ▾ P. 173. Ib. p. 494. u P. 155. * P. 188. P. 515. ▾ P. 165. * Ευθυς δε μετα τον Ματθαιον ακόλεθος γενόμενος ὁ Μαρκος τῳ ἁγίῳ Πετρῳ 'Pwμg. Citat. ib. p. 305. See Vol. iv. p. 287. • P. 321. b P. 398. of Nero's reign, when Peter went to Rome, and not long before the war in Judea, which broke out in 66, about which time John left that country, and settled at Ephesus. 6 Says Jerom in the prologue to his Commentary upon St. Matthew The first evangelist is Matthew, the publi can, surnamed Levi, who wrote his gospel in Judea, in the 'Hebrew language, chiefly for the sake of the Jews that believed in Jesus, and did not join the shadow of the law 'with the truth of the gospel. To the like purpose in the article of St. Matthew, in his book of Ecclesiastical Writers: Matthew, called also Levi, of a publican made an apostle, 'first of all wrote a gospel in Judea in the Hebrew lan'guage, for the sake of those of the circumcision, who believed. Who afterwards translated it into Greek, is un' certain.' 6 Chrysostom in the introduction to his homilies upon this gospel: Matthew is said to have written his gospel at the request of the Jewish believers, who desired him to put down in writing what he had taught them by word of 'mouth and he is said to have written in Hebrew.' He speaks with hesitation, and is not positive about the occasion of writing this gospel, or the language in which it was written. Afterwards he says: In what place each one of the evangelists wrote, cannot be said with certainty.' 6 Cosmas of Alexandria, about the year 535, says: 'Matthew is the first evangelist that wrote a gospel. There being a persecution, when Stephen was stoned, and he also being about to go from that place, the believers en'treated him to leave with them a written instruction, with 'which request he complied.' And what follows. The author of the Imperfect Work upon St. Matthew, in the sixth century, about the year 560, observes to this purpose: The occasion of Matthew's writing is said to be this. There being a great persecution in Palestine, so that there was danger, lest all the faithful should be dis'persed: that they might not be without teaching, though they should have no teachers, they requested Matthew to ' write for them a history of all Christ's words and works, that ⚫ wherever they should be, they should have with them the 'ground of their faith.' This writer does not say, that this was the persecution that arose about the time of the death of Stephen. He seems to speak of a later, and more 6 6 6 C P. 439. e P. 538. 5 Vol. v. p. 94. d P. 441. f P. 539. |