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prolix, I will mention only the paffages below. From thefe paffages alone,

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we cannot indeed conclude, that he has taken them from the undermentioned books of the New Testament": but when joined with the numerous and clear evidences which will be produced in the following pages, they greatly corroborate the proof of the Authenticity of the New Teftament.

SECT. III.

Teftimonies from Works of the first Century, which are now loft.

TO these evidences of the apoftolical fathers, we are enabled to add

καρπος εν τη δηλωθείση προς φιλιππησίους αυτου γραφῇ Φερομένη εις δεύρο, κέχρηται τισι μαρτυρίοις άπο της Πετρου προτέρας επισολής.

y Compare §. i. p. 144. with 1 Pet. i. 8.-§. ii. P. 145. with 1 Pet. i. 21.-§. ii. latter part, with Pet. iii. 9.-And, §. v. p. 149. with 1 Pet. ii. 11. * See above, p. 38.

yet fome others from the first century. The writings themfelves are indeed, to the great lofs of Chriftianity, no longer extant; but the following evidences from them have been preferved in part by Eufebius.

Papias, Bishop of Hierapolis, was, according to Eufebius, a man of very moderate understanding, but who employed fo much the greater care in examining into the doctrines and hiftory of Jefus and of his Apoftles, from their immediate acquaintance and difciples. He had collected confiderable information, particularly from Aristion, and John the Prefbyter, [whom fome

a Hift. Ecclef. III. cap. xxxix. p. 135. 38. In this place, Eufebius treats amply of the history and writings of Papias. The decifion which he makes in P. 137, σφοδρα - σμικρός ων τον νουν, ὡς αν εκ των αυτού λόγων τεκμηραμένον ειπειν φαίνεται, muf not be confidered as a contradiction of the paffage in Lib. III. cap. xxxvi. p. 130. For the opinion which is found there, Παπιας, --- ανης τα πάντα ότι μάλιςα λογιωτατος και της γραφης ειδήμων, is the interpolation of a Scholiaft. See Valefius in loc.

conceived

conceived to be the author of the Apocalypfe] which information he delivered to pofterity, under the title, λογων κυριακων εξηγησις, An Explication of the words of the Lord. But of this work nothing now remains, except the extracts which are preserved in Eufebius.

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The information, properly belonging to the New Teftament, which was contained in that book, is given us by Eufebius, in the following words:"Mark, the interpreter of Peter, faithfully wrote what the latter had taught. 'He has not indeed placed the difcourfes and actions of Chrift in their proper chronological order; for he ' was neither a hearer of the Lord himfelf, nor one of his immediate fol'lowers; but, as I have already men'tioned, became after wards acquainted 'with Peter, who taught according to 'the wants of his hearers, but without

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any view of giving a hiftory of our 'Lord's difcourfes. Mark however ' committed no mistake in writing fome

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things as they occurred to his memory. For he was anxious to omit nothing which he had heard, and to add nothing falfe to his account.' "This is Papias' information concerning St. Mark. And of St. Matthew he writes,

Matthew wrote his Gofpel in the 'Hebrew language, and every one interpreted it as well as he could.' "The fame Papias makes ufe alfo of certain evidences from the firft Epiftle of St. John, and the firft Epiftle of St. -Peter. He relates likewife another ftory of a woman, accufed before the Lord of many crimes; which hiftory is found in the Gofpel according to the Hebrews."This paffage depofes an irrefragable

• Μάρκος μεν έρμηνευτης Πετρου γενόμενος, όσα, εμνησ μονευσεν, ακριβως εγραψεν, 8 μεντοι ταξει τα υπο του Άξισου η λεχθεντα, η πραχθέντα τε γαρ ήκουσε τον

κυρίου,

irrefragable evidence for the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark, the firft Epistle of St. Peter and the first Epiftle of St. John. But if St. Mathew wrote his Gospel in Hebrew, (or as we call it, Chaldee) which hence appears to be manifeft, yet it is equally certain from other grounds that he composed it likewife in Greek. The Chriftians in Palestine used the Hebrew original; added to it many things taken from other gofpels, genuine and fpurious ; and this is that anciently celebrated

εν αυτοίς

κυριού, ούτε παρηκολούθησεν αὐτῷ· ύσερον δε ὡς ἔφην, διδασκαλίας, Πετρῳ, ὃς προς τας χρειας εποιειτο τας ἀλλ' ουχ ώσπερ σύνταξιν των Κυριακων ποιουμενος λόγων ὡσε ουδεν ήμαρτε Μάρκος, όντως ενια γράψας ὡς απεμνημονευσεν· ἑνος γαρ εποιησατο προνοιαν, του μηδεν ὧν ήκουσε παραλιπειν η ψευσασθαι τι ταυτα μεν ουν ισορηται τῷ Παπιᾳ περι του Μαρκου" περι δε του Ματθαίου ταυτ' ειρηται· Ματθαίος μεν ουν Εβραϊδι διαλέκτῳ τα λογια συνεγραψατο ήρμήνευσε δ' αυτα ὡς εδυνατο έκαςος· κεκρηται δ' αυτος μαρα τυρίαις απο της Ιωαννου προτέρας επιτολής, και της Πετρου ὁμοίως εκτεθειται δε και αλλην ίσοριαν περι γυναικός, επι πολλαις ἁμαρτίαις διαβληθείσης επι του κυριου, ἦν το καθ ̓ Ἑβραίους Ευαγγελιον περιέχει.

G4

Gofpel

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