PREFACE. In the present book we- -for as writers like kings may speak in the plural it is here used throughout-have taken upon ourselves to add yet another to the already great array of commentaries on the Christian Scriptures. Some special reason for such an addition may well be asked for and we proceed to give it. All the many commentaries on the Christian Gospels known to us are the work of Christian believers; believers, it is true, of very varying types, but still believers of some type or other. The present work is not. It is the work of a non-believer in Christianity. The subject therefore is here approached from a standpoint entirely different from that of Christian commentators. The one sole object of the present work is to give to readers a faithful record of the impressions, favorable or unfavorable, which have been left upon us by a long study of this Gospel narrative. Our one purpose in this book has been to write down our plain thoughts, unexaggerated and untoned down, upon each section of this Gospel matter. And it cannot, we think, be without some service even to Christians themselves to read the thoughts and impressions produced in the mind of a non-believer by a detailed study of the Gospel narrative. 109289 CHAPTER I. 1 The genealogy of Christ from Abraham to Joseph. 18 He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary when she was espoused to Joseph. 19 The angel satisfieth the mis To trace the descent of Jesus through a person expressly declared to be not his father is a curious proceeding. To set before us a long list of ostensible ancestors, and then, when we have reached the final name in that deeming thoughts of list, to be told that Jesus was not his son, feels a highly eccentric procedure. Whatever else this genealogical record may be, it is eminently and decidedly not "the book of the generation of Jesus Christ," author, singularly enough, at once proceeds to show us. Joseph, and interpreteth the names of Christ. 1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; 3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram: 4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; 7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; 8 And Asa begat Josa as our On what ground a genealogy of Joseph is thought to possess any interest or any importance we have never been able to discern. The pedigree of Mary might conceivably have a value of its own; but what real bearing of any kind the table here placed before us is supposed to contain is not discoverable. Seeing then that this is not a pedigree of Jesus himself at all, we shall not dwell upon it. We may just observe that it is a genealogy that would reflect honour neither Jesus nor upon upon anyone else. The catalogue of fore |