much, that the Gospel of St. Matthew was already known in the earliest ages. -According to Jerom's relation, he compofed alfo certain commentaries on the Bible.

9. The work of Clement of Alexandria, in which he principally confidered the Holy Scriptures of the Chriftians, his Hypotupofes, is alfo loft, except a few fragments. It contained explications of many books both of the Old and New Teftament, efpecially of the Epiftles of St. Paul, and of the Catholic Epiftles -Eufebius has preferved the following information from it'-That the Epiftle to the Hebrews was written by St. Paul in the Hebrew language, and tranflated into Greek by St. Luke his companion; that the Gof

P Hujus multi -in fanctam fcripturam extant Commentarii. De vir. illuftr. cap. xxxvi.

q Eufebius. Hift. Ecclef. Lib. VI. cap. xiv. p. 273. et Photius, Biblioth. Codice cix. p. 287. edit. Andr. Schotti. Rothomagi, 1653. folio.

r Loc. eit.

L

pels

pels which contain the Genealogies (viz. of St. Matthew and St. Luke) were compofed before the others; that St. Mark wrote his Gofpel at the requeft of St. Peter's difciples at Rome, and that St. Peter was fo far from rejecting it, that, at the inftigation of the Holy Ghoft, he imparted a divine confequence to it'; and that St. John

had

Loc. cit. Comp. Lib. II. cap. xv. pag. 64. TVOUTA SE TO пgaxes (viz. that St. Mark had compofed in writing the fpeeches of St. Peter, at the requeft of the Romans) φασι τον Αποςολον (St. Peter) αποκαλύψαντος αυτῷ του Πνεύματος ήσθηναι τη των ανδρων προθυμία, κυρώσαι τε την γραφήν (the Gofpel of St. Mark) εις εντευξιν ταις εκκλησιαις.-The fentence αποκαλυψαντος αυτῷ του Πνεύματος has been always referred by tranflators to the preceding words; but if it be construed with those which follow, every difficulty will vanish.-" Peter, having discovered what had been done, and being instigated by the Holy Ghost, granted the defire of thofe men, (the Romans) and gave his fanction to the Gospel of St. Mark, that it fhould be read in the Christian communities." Lardner torments himself with the difficulty of this paf. fage; Credibility, vol. ii. p. 215. But amidst all his obfervations he has not reflected that the structure of the

words

8

had written πνευματικόν ευαγγέλιον, a Gof pel which treated especially of the divine nature of Chrift, the others being principally employed on his human. Τον ... Ιωάννην εσκαίον συνιδοντα, ότι τα σωματικα εν τοις ευαγίελίοις δεδηλωται, προτραπέντα υπό των των γνωριμων πνευματι Θεοφορηθεντα πνευματικον ποιησαι ευαγίελιον.

Eufebius and Jerom would have performed ftill greater fervice to pofterity, had they made longer and more complete extracts from thofe writings of confiderable teachers which exifted in their times. Both of them notice various teachers of the fecond century who had written commentaries on the

fcriptural books. But as they are filent on their contents, we can neither determine what information these

words in Eufebius does not by any means neceffitate the conneftion of αποκαλυψ. κ. τ. λ. with γνοντα Aπosoλov: as if the Holy Ghost had revealed to St. Peter, that the Romans had petitioned St. Mark to compofe his Gospel, and that he had granted their request.

writers gave, nor on what books of the Bible they had employed their labours'.

CHAP.

We can make no ufe of the spurious writings of this century for our present purpose.-r. The Acts of Paul and of Thecla attribute indeed many of the same sentiments to the Apostle St. Paul, as exift in the books of our New Teftament. But it is uncertain whether this be the fame work which is mentioned by the Ecclefiaftical Fathers. (Lardner's Credibility, vol. ii. p. 310).-2. The Sibylline Oracles were forged in all probability about the second century. They alfo relate (in prophecy, as they pretend) almost every fingle event of the evangelical history. But they do not mention either exprefsly, or by name, any of the writings of the New Teftament. Lardner, I. cit. p. 313. feq.-3. The Teftaments of the Twelve Patriarchs speak often in the language of the New Teltament. But it is most uncertain, whether this writing be of that early antiquity which many fcholars imagine. Origen quotes a work under this title. But how can it be proved that the work, which we still poffefs, is the very fame? Lardner, l. cit. p. 324. feq.-4. The Recognitions of Clement, (fee Cotelerii Patres Apoftol. vol. i. p. 483. feq.) which contain Difputations of the Apostle St. Peter with Simon Magus, and mention other difcourfes, and a variety of miracles by the fame Apostle;-5. The Clementine Homilies, which are almoft of the very fame

tenour,

CHAP. III.

Witneffes in the Third Century.

SECT. I.

Evidences of Witnesses in the Third Century.

BEFORE I introduce the complete catalogues, which Origen and Eufebius have left us, of those writings which the Chriftians of the firft century held as genuine works of the Evangelifts and Apoftles, and venerated as divine

tenour, and in all probability are the ground-work from which, after many additions and improvements, arofe the work mentioned above, in No. 4. (Cotelerius, 1. cit. p. 603. feq.);—And, 6. The Clementine Epitome, a compilation out of the Recognitions and Homilies, (Cotelerius, 1. cit. p. 755. feq.)--: these three works, to which the venerable name of Clement has been forged, contain merely fimilar expreffions and fentiments, but not a fingle quotation, either expressly, or by name, from the books of our New Teftament. Extracts from the above-mentioned writings may be feen in Lardner, l. cit. p. 342. feq.