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Le Clerc, in his French Testament, tranflates in this manner: one of our brethren, who is praised on account of the gospel in all the churches. And in his notes fays, "that generally St. Luke is here fuppofed to be intend"ed: though St. Paul refers rather to his preaching the gospel, than to "the book of his Gofpel."

Beaufobre tranflates after this manner: one of the brethren, who has made himself famous in all the churches by [preaching] the gospel. And fays in his notes: "that though some of the ancients have hereby un"derstood St. Luke and his Gofpel; he thinks, that by the gospel is here "intended the preaching of the gofpel. Befides, there is no proof, that "St. Luke had as yet writ his Gofpel. It is rather reasonable to think, "he had not."

Upon the whole, though we cannot certainly fay, who is the brother, whofe praife was in the gospel: whether (0) Luke, or Barnabas, or Silas, or Apollos: I prefume we are fufficiently warranted to fay, that by gospel is here intended neither the gospel according to Luke, nor any other written Gospel whatever.

III. i Tim. vi. 20. O Timothie, keep that which is committed to thy truft.

Hereby fome have been difpofed to understand a written Gospel. But they are not favored by the beft interpreters. Grotius fays, that (p) this depofit, or thing committed to Timothie's truft, is the facred doctrine of the gofpel. Eftius (q) fays the fame. I place below likewise (r) a part of Beza's note upon this text. Le Clerc in his notes explains it thus: "the doctrine of the gospel, which was a facred depofit, committed by "the Apoftles to their difciples." And Beaufobre thus: "the doctrine, "which had been committed to, or entrusted with Timothie." See alfo, fays he, 1 Tim. i. 18. and 2. Tim. ii, 2. I fay no more to this text.

IV. 2. Tim. i. 13. 14. Hold faft the form of found words, which thou haft heard of me.... That good thing, which was committed unto thee, keep by the Holy Ghoft, which dwelleth in us.

Hereby fome may understand a written Gofpel, or hiftorie of Jesus Chrift. Nevertheless, I think, I need not add much here to what has been already said of the preceding text, it being nearly parallel. The meaning of both is much the fame. Timothie is here again exhorted, and required, to retain with all fidelity thofe found words, that pure doctrine of the gofpel, which he had been taught by the Apostle, and had often heard from him.

It

alibi, de evangelio prædicato. Deinde, nec fatis conftat, Evangelium Lucæ tum editum fuiffe, quando Paulus hanc Epiftolam fcripfit. Eft. in boc. (0) Vid. Eft. in 2. Cor. viii. 18. et Beaufobr. in ver. 18. et 23.

(p) Vocat autem depofitum facram doctrinam evangelii, quia et res eft alterius, nempe Chrifti, et paftoribus fida ejus cuftodia incumbit. Grot, ad Tim. vi. 20.

(9) Iterum ferio et graviter admonet, ut acceptam fidei doctrinam confervet, ne locum relinquat ulli peregrino dogmati. Nomine depofiti metaphorice fignificatur doctrina fucceffori credita, ac per manus tradita. Eft. in loc.

(r) Depofitum proculdubio vocat fanam evangelii doctrinam, et dona quæcunque ad Ecclefiæ ædificationem, veluti depofitum, Deus commiferat Timotheo. Bez. in loc.

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It does not appear, then, that there are in the apoftolical epiftles of the New Teftament any references to written Gofpels, or hiftories of Jefus Chrift. I no not fay, this is a proof, that no fuck hiftories were then written. Nevertheless, I have thought it not improper to fhew, that there is no notice taken of any fuch hiftories in thefe epiftles: and therefore they cannot afford any evidence of their being then writ and publifhed, I think likewife, that it was not amifs to embrace this occafion to fhew the true meaning of fome texts, which have been often mifinterpreted.

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Obfervations of ancient Chriftian Writers, leading to the true time, when the Gofpels were writ.

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1. ****AYS Irenaeus, as formerly (s) quoted, For (t) we have not "received the knowledge of the way of our falvation from ****"any others, than thofe, by whom the gospel has been brought "to us. Which gospel they first preached, and afterwards by the will of "God committed to writing, that for time to come it might be the "foundation and pillar of our faith. Nor may any fay, that they preach"ed, before they had a compleat knowledge of the doctrine of the gof"pel. For after that our Lord rofe from the dead, and they [the Apo"ftles] were endowed from above with the power of the Holy Ghost coming down upon them, they received a perfect knowledge of all things. They then went forth to all the ends of the earth, declaring to men the bleffing of heavenly peace, having all of them, and every one "alike, the gospel of God."

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He then proceeds to speak of the Gofpels of the four Evangelifts feverally, and the times and occafions of writing them. All which will be taken down by us hereafter in proper places. Here is fufficient to induce us to think, that the written Gofpels, or hiftories of Jefus Chrift, were not published, till fome good while after our Lord's afcenfion. For the Apostles firft preached, he fays, before they

wrote.

2. Says Eufebe in a long paffage formerly quoted: "Thofe (u) admi"rable and truly divine men, the Apostles of Chrift, -neither knew, "nor attempted, to deliver the doctrine of their master with the artifice

(s) See Vol. i. p. 353:

"and

Non enim per alios difpofitionem falutis noftræ cognovimus, quam per cos, per quos evangelium pervenit ad nos: quod quidem tunc præconaverunt, poftea vero per Dei voluntatem in fcripturis nobis tradiderunt, fundamentum & columnam fidei noftræ futurum. Nec enim fas eft dicere, quoniam ante prædicaverunt, quam perfectam haberent agnitionem, ficut quidam audent dicere, gloriantes, emendatores fe effe Apoftolorum. Poftea enim quam furrexit Dominus nofter a mortuis, & induti funt fupervenientis Spiritus Sancti virtutem ex alto, de omnibus adimpleti funt, & habuerant perfectam agnitionem, exierunt in fines terræ, ea quæ a Deo nobis bona funt evangelizantes, & cœleftem pacem hominibus annunciantes: qui quidem & omnes pariter & finguli eorum habentes evangelium Dei. Iren. adv. Har. l. 3. cap. i. (u) Vol. viii. p. 90, · · 92• ́

u

"and eloquence of words... Nor were they greatly concerned about "the writing of books, being engaged in a more excellent ministrie, "which is above all human power. Infomuch that Paul, the most able ❝ of all in the furniture both of words and thoughts, has left nothing in ❝ writing, beside a few epiftles.... Nor were the reft of our Saviour's "followers unacquainted with thefe things, as the feventy difciples, and

many others, befide the twelve Apostles. Nevertheless of all the dif"ciples of our Lord, Matthew, and John only have left us any memoirs; "who too, as we have been informed, were compelled to write by a kind "of neceffity." And what follows.

3. This paffage fhould be compared with another of (x) Origen. And they who please may alfo confult our remarks (*) upon what has been now transcribed from Eufebe. Which may be of ufe to caution us, not to be too precipitate in giving a very early date to the Gospels, as if they were writ immediately after our Lord's afcenfion: when there is reafon to think, they were not writ, till after numerous converts had been made, who expreffed their defires to have written histories of what they had heard, for refreshing their memories.

4 Says Theodore, Bishop of Mopfueftia, in the later part of the fourth centurie, about the year 394. "After (y) the Lord's afcenfion to hea "ven the difciples ftaid a good while at Jerufalem, vifiting the cities in "it's neighbourhood, preaching chiefly to the Jews: until the great Paul, "called by the divine grace, was appointed to preach the gospel to Gentiles openly. And in proceffe of time Divine Providence, not allowing "them to be confined to any one part of the earth, made way for con"ducting them to remote countreys. Peter went to Rome, the others "elsewhere. John, in particular, took up his abode at Ephesus, vifiting "however at seasons the feveral parts of Afia..... About this time the "other Evangelifts, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, published their Gofpels, "which were soon spread all over the world, and were received by all the "faithful in general with great regard." He proceeds to fay,

"that nevertheless, the Chriftians in Afia, having brought those Gospels "to him, earnestly entreated him to write a farther account of such "things, as were needful to be known, and had been omitted by the rest, "With which request he complied."

This remarkable paffage, upon which divers obfervations were made, when it was firft quoted, may difpofe us to think, that all the four Gospels were writ about the fame time, and that none of them, were published till after, or about the fixtieth year of our Lord's Nativity.

5. By divers ancient Chriftian writers it is faid, that (z) Mark, the difciple and interpreter of Peter, at the defire of the brethren of Rome, wrote a fhort Gofpel, according to what he had heard related by Peter. So Jerome (a) befide others, as before quoted, in his book of IIluftrious Men.

(x) See Vol. p. 236.

) See Vol. ix. p. 403. 404.

(*) Vol. viii. p. 124... 137.

St.

(x) See Vol. i. p. 247... 249. ii. 472..489. viii. 305... 306. xi. p. 31. (a) Vol. x. p. 92.

St. Peter, I reckon, did not come to Rome before the reign of Nero, probably, not till the fecond time that Paul was in that city, in the year 63. or 64. And yet, at this time, the Chriftians at Rome defired Mark to give them in writing an account of Peter's preaching, for refreshing their memories concerning what the Apostle had faid of Chrift, and his doctrine. The confequence is manifeft. They had not then any written Gospel in their hands. Nor did they know, that there was one. "The truth is, fays Mr. Jones (b), if St. Mark, or any one else, had had "St. Matthew's Gospel, at Rome, there would have been no need of St. "Mark's writing."

These are general obfervations in the ancients, or deduced from them, which may be of no small use to lead us to the true time of writing the first three Gofpels.

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That the firft three Gofpels were published before the deftruction of Jerufalem, which happened in the year of the Chriftian epoch LXX

***ONCERNING this I tranfcribe below (c) a very good arCgument of Le Clerc from his Differtation upon the four Evange***** lifts.

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The Jewish war began, according (d) to Jofephus, in the Month of May, in the 66. year of the Chriftian epoch, and ended in September, in the year 70, in the defolation of the city of Jerufalem and the temple. And I think, it may be fhewn to be very probable, that the first three Gofpels were writ before the year 66. when the final troubles and calamities of the Jewish People were coming on.

This muft appear to have a great deal of probability from the predic tions therein recorded concerning the deftruction of the temple, the overthrow of the city of Jerufalem, the ruin of the Jewish State and Peo ple in Judea, together with divers circumftances of these events, and many troubles and calamities preceding them. These predictions are recorded in the hiftories of our Saviour's ministrie, which we call Gof

pels,

(b) Vindication of the former part of St. Matthew's Gospel p. 54. chap. vi. (c) Quinetiam, fi ex Veterum nonnullorum teftimoniis antea adductis, de re judicemus, affirmabimus, Matthæum, Marcum, et Lucam, ante ultima Neronis tempora, quibus occifi funt Petrus et Paulus, Evangelia fcripfiffe. Quod non levi argumento confirmari poteft, ducto ex Matth. cap. xxiv. Marc. xiii. Luc. xxi. ubi narratur Jerofolymæ excidii prædi&tio, quali rei etiamnum fųturæ, eo tempore, quo Evangelia ab iis fcribebantur. Si enim eam prædicationem poft eventum fcripfiffent Evangeliftæ memorati, verbulo faltem monuiffent, prædictionem fuiffe eventu confirmatam. Quod tantum abest ut faciant, ut Matthæus et Marcus hac admonitione, i dvaynoxar vosita, qui legit, intelligat, quam fubjiciunt præfagiis Jerofolymitana cladis, admonere videantur Chriftianos in Judæa viventes, ut diligenter futura illa præfagia attendant, quo poffint vitæ fuæ confulere. Vide Matth. xxiv. 15. Marc. xiii. 14. et ad ea loca interpretes. Cleric. Diff. iii. de quatuor Evangeliis. num, viį. p. 541.

(d) Vid. Jofeph. Antiq. Jud. 1. 20. cap. xi. n. c. Sc. B. I. 1, 6. cap. x.

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pels, without any the left hint, either exprefs and defigned, or accidentally dropping from the writers, that thofe predictions had been fulfilled and verified, or that the things fpoken of had happened. Thofe prophe cies are recorded in Matth. xxiii. 34... 39. and xxiv. Mark xiii. Luke xxi. St. Luke has alfo elsewhere recorded the affectionate concern, which our Lord expreffed in the view and profpect of thofe impending evils. ch. xiii. 34. 35. and xix. 41... 44. These things are alfo referred to, and fpoken of, in divers other difcourfes, fome plain, fome parabolical, or otherwise figurative: as Matth. xxi. 33... 46. xxii. 1... 7 Mark xii. I... 12. Luke xiii. 1... 9. xx. 9.. 20. xxi. 5. 13. In none of all which places does there appear any intimation, that the things fpoken of were come to pafs. And in recording the prefages of this final and total overthrow of the Jewish nation the hiftorians have inferted warnings and admonitions, proper to excite the attention of readers, and induce those who lived in Judea, to take care of their own fafety, without delay. Matt. xxiv. 15.... 18 When ye therefore fhall fee the abomination of defolation, fpoken of by Daniel the Prophet, ftand in the holy place, (whofo readeth, let him underftand:) then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains. Let him which is on the house-top not come down to take any thing out of his houfe. Neither let him which is in the field, return back to take bis clothes. And what follows. And to the like purpose in Mark xiii. 14. 16. When these discourses were recorded, the things spoken of had not yet come to pafs. There were men living, to whom these admonitions might be useful for fecuring their fafety.

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Moreover, though these predictions must have been recorded, before they were accomplished; I think, the fulfilment was then near at hand, and not far off. This feems to be implied in that expreffion: Let him that readeth, understand. And indeed it must have been difficult and hazardous to publish fuch things in writing. How offenfive these sayings must have been to the Jewish People, and perhaps to fome others likewife, is eafie to conceive from the nature of the things fpoken of. And it may be confirmed by divers inftances. When our Lord had spoken the parable of the vineyard, let out to husbandmen, recorded in Luke xx. 9... 18. it is added by the Evangelift. ver. 19. 20. And the Chief Priefts, and the Scribes, the fame hour fought to lay hands on him. But they feared the people. For they perceived, that he had spoken this parable against them. And they watched him, and fent forth fpies, which should feign themfelves juft men, that they might take hold of his words, that fo they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the Governor. And among the odious charges brought against our Saviour by falfe witneffes, this was one, that he faid: I am able to deftroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. Matth. xxvi. 61. With this he was reproached likewife, when hanging on the crofs. xxvii. 40. The like offenfive charges were brought against Stephen. Acts vi. 14. We have heard him fay, that this Jefus of Nazareth fhall deftroy this place, and shall change the customs, which Mofes delivered to us. And, poffibly, he did fay fomewhat not very different. So likewife St. Matthew, and the other Apoftles, might repeat in the hearing of many what Chrift had faid to them, and in part to others alfo, concerning the overthrow of the temple, and the Jewish state. Yea, very probably, they had often repeated thefe things to attentive

hearers.

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