MARK'S GOSPEL, CANONICAL AND INSPIRED.

107

Peter, at the request of the brethren at Rome, which, when Peter knew, he approved and published it in our churches, commanding the reading of it by his own authority."

Besides these testimonies, which are very explicit and all go to show that Mark received his Gospel from the preaching of Peter-there are some internal evidences which look the same way. There are in the other Evangelists several circumstances and facts which make very much for the credit of Peter, not one of which is hinted at in this Gospel. Particular instances of this kind may be read in the third volume of Jones on the Canon.

Of the Canonical authority of this Gospel, no one of the ancients, I believe, ever entertained a doubt. Some of the moderns, however, have questioned whether we have any evidence, that Mark and Luke wrote by a plenary inspiration, since they were not Apostles. But that Mark's Gospel is Canonical, is established by all the rules applicable to the case. It was always contained in the early catalogues; was read as Scripture in the churches; was quoted as Scripture by the Fathers; was inserted in the earliest versions; and never doubted formerly by any Christian writer. But this subject will be resumed hereafter.

EUSEBIUS reports, "That Peter, out of the abundance of his modesty, did not think himself worthy to write a Gospel; but Mark, who was his friend and disciple, is said to have recorded Peter's relations, and the acts of Jesus." And again, "Peter testifies these things of himself, for all things recorded by Mark are said to be memoirs of Peter's discourses."

In the Synopsis ascribed to ATHANASIUS, it is said, "That the Gospel according to Mark was dictated by Peter, at Rome, and published by Mark; and preached by him in Alexandria, Pentapolis, and Lybia."

The testimony of EPIPHANIUS is, "That Matthew wrote first, and Mark soon after him, being a companion of Peter, at Rome; that Mark was one of the Seventy Disciples, and likewise one of those who were offended at the words of Christ, recorded in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John; that he then forsook the Saviour, but was afterwards reclaimed by Peter, and, being filled with the Spirit, wrote a Gospel."

GREGORY NAZIANZEN says, "That Mark wrote his Gospel for the Italians."

CHRYSOSTOM testifies, that "Mark wrote in Egypt, at the request of the believers there;" but in another place, he says

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was also called John, and a Gospel after Matthew; aal, and Barnabas his relahe joined Peter. When he requested by the brethren and of his heavenly doctrine; Ged.”

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at the Gospel according to vears after the ascension of e believers there; for, this name was John, and he panion of Paul."

this testimony. His words written about ten years after

t of the believers at Rome, Mark was, at first, much with it afterwards went with Peter red the whole history of his

of the twelve have left mewo of the seventy, Mark and Mark and Luke published their

er and Paul.”

Lexandria, has the following Peter, the prince of the Apose a Gospel at Rome, in the

SECTION VI.

GOSPEL OF LUKE-TESTIMONIES OF THE FATHERS RESPECTING IT.

ed as late ing Peter! oreign t opinion hich

, that in

Romaic

THE third Gospel is that of Luke. He is mentioned in Scripture as the companion of Paul in his travels; and when 'that Apostle was sent a prisoner to Rome, this evangelist accompanied him, and continued with him during his two years' confinement in that city, as may be gathered from Paul's Epistles, written during this period. Whether he was the same as the beloved physician, mentioned by Paul, is uncertain, but the general opinion is in favour of it. It is also disputed, whether or not he was one of the Seventy Disciples. Without undertaking to decide these points, I will proceed to lay before the reader the principal testimonies of the Fathers, respecting this Gospel and its author.

IRENEUS asserts, "That Luke, the companion of Paul, put down in a book the Gospel preached by him." Again, he says, "Luke was not only a companion, but a fellow-labourer of the Apostles, especially of Paul." He calls him "A disciple and fellow-labourer of the Apostles." Apostles," says he, "envying none, plainly delivered to all, the things which they had heard from the Lord. So likewise Luke, envying no man, has delivered to us what he learned from them, as he says, "Even as they delivered them unto us, who from the beginning were eye-witnesses and ministers of his word.""

"The

EUSEBIUS informs us, that CLEMENT of Alexandria bore a large testimony to this, as well as to the other Gospels; and he mentions a tradition concerning the order of the Gospels, which Clement had received from presbyters of more ancient times "That the Gospels containing the genealogies were written first."

TERTULLIAN speaks of Matthew and John as Disciples of Christ; of Mark and Luke as Disciples of the Apostles; however, he ascribes the same authority to the Gospels written by them as to the others. "The Gospel," says he," which Mark published, may be said to be Peter's, whose interpreter Mark

"It cannot be ascertained in what place each of the Evangelists wrote."

VICTOR informs us, "That Mark was also called John, and was the son of Mary; that he wrote a Gospel after Matthew; that for a while he accompanied Paul, and Barnabas his relation, but when he came to Rome he joined Peter. When he was obliged to quit Rome, he was requested by the brethren to write a history of his preaching, and of his heavenly doctrine; with which request he readily complied."

COSMAS of Alexandria, writes, "That Mark, the second Evangelist, wrote a Gospel at Rome, by the dictation of Peter."

ECUMENIUS says, "This John, who also is called Mark, nephew to Barnabas, wrote the Gospel which goes by his name, and was also the disciple of Peter.'

THEOPHYLACT informs us, "That the Gospel according to Mark, was written at Rome, ten years after the ascension of Jesus Christ, at the request of the believers there; for, this Mark was a disciple of Peter. His name was John, and he was nephew to Barnabas, the companion of Paul."

are,

EUTHYMIUS Concurs exactly in this testimony. His words "The Gospel of Mark was written about ten years after our Lord's ascension, at the request of the believers at Rome, or, as some say, in Egypt; that Mark was, at first, much with his uncle Barnabas, and Paul, but afterwards went with Peter to Rome, from whom he received the whole history of his Gospel."

NICEPHORUS says, 66 Only two of the twelve have left memoirs of our Lord's life, and two of the seventy, Mark and Luke." And a little after, "Mark and Luke published their Gospels, by the direction of Peter and Paul."

EUTYCHIUS, Patriarch of Alexandria, has the following words:"In the time of Nero, Peter, the prince of the Apostles, making use of Mark, wrote a Gospel at Rome, in the Roman language."

The reader will recollect, that this last writer lived as late as the tenth century, which will account for his calling Peter "the prince of the Apostles," a language entirely foreign to the early ecclesiastical writers. And Selden is of opinion, that by the Roman language, he meant the Greek, which was then in common use at Rome; and it is well known, that in our times, the modern Greek language is called Romaic. Jones and Lardner concur in the opinion of Selden.

SECTION VI.

GOSPEL OF LUKE-TESTIMONIES OF THE FATHERS RESPECTING IT.

THE third Gospel is that of Luke. He is mentioned in Scripture as the companion of Paul in his travels; and when 'that Apostle was sent a prisoner to Rome, this evangelist accompanied him, and continued with him during his two years' confinement in that city, as may be gathered from Paul's Epistles, written during this period. Whether he was the same as the beloved physician, mentioned by Paul, is uncertain, but the general opinion is in favour of it. It is also disputed, whether or not he was one of the Seventy Disciples. Without undertaking to decide these points, I will proceed to lay before the reader the principal testimonies of the Fathers, respecting this Gospel and its author.

IRENEUS asserts, "That Luke, the companion of Paul, put down in a book the Gospel preached by him." Again, he says, "Luke was not only a companion, but a fellow-labourer of the Apostles, especially of Paul." He calls him "A disciple and fellow-labourer of the Apostles." "The Apostles," says he, "envying none, plainly delivered to all, the things which they had heard from the Lord. So likewise Luke, envying no man, has delivered to us what he learned from them, as he says, Even as they delivered them unto us, who from the beginning were eye-witnesses and ministers of his word.''

EUSEBIUS informs us, that CLEMENT of Alexandria bore a large testimony to this, as well as to the other Gospels; and he mentions a tradition concerning the order of the Gospels, which Clement had received from presbyters of more ancient times "That the Gospels containing the genealogies were written first."

TERTULLIAN speaks of Matthew and John as Disciples of Christ; of Mark and Luke as Disciples of the Apostles; however, he ascribes the same authority to the Gospels written by them as to the others. "The Gospel," says he," which Mark published, may be said to be Peter's, whose interpreter Mark