lowed. He gives us this account of the four Gospels: "Matthew published his Gospel among the "Hebrews in their own language at the time that "Peter and Paul preached at Rome, and founded a "church there. After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, delivered to us "in writing the things which were preached by "Peter. And Luke the follower of Paul wrote in a "book the Gospel preached by him. Afterwards, "John, the disciple of the Lord, who leaned upon "his breast, published also a Gospel, while he lived "at Ephesus in Asia 9." A few pages after this, having observed that Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians, and Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, agree in the narration of the same fact ", he adds, " that "this Luke was inseparable from Paul, and his fel"low-labourer in the Gospel, he himself shews, not "boasting, but compelled by the truths." He then relates from the Acts of the Apostles a brief account of Luke's travels with St. Paul, and concludes thus: "But if Luke, who always preached with Paul, and "is called beloved by him, and performed the office "of an evangelist with him, and was intrusted to "relate to us the Gospel, learnt nothing else from "him, as we have proved from his words; how "comes it to pass that these men, who never were "in Paul's company, or joined to him by any degree "of friendship, boast that they have learnt hidden "and ineffable mysteries?" A little after, he says, "But if any reject Luke, as not knowing the truth, "he will be convicted of rejecting the Gospel, of 9 L. 3. c. I. §. I. s Ibid. c. 14, pr. L. 3. c. 13, fin. t Ibid. §. I, "which he vouchsafes to be a disciple ";" because the heretics he is here speaking of received no other Gospel than that of St. Luke. He proceeds in the next words to shew, that Luke relates many particulars which are not found in the other Gospels; which particulars were owned and received by the heretics he is speaking of. He then adds, "It is "necessary that they receive also the other things "said by him, or reject these. For it will not be "permitted them by persons of 66 66 sense to receive some of those things which are related by Luke "as though they were true, and to reject others as though he knew not the truth *." This he says, because the Marcionites cut off some things from Luke's Gospel, and rejected the Acts of the Apostles. A little after, he goes on thus: "We say the same 66 66 66 thing also to those who acknowledge not the apo"stle Paul, that either they ought to reject, or not "make use of, the other particulars of the Gospel, "which are come to our knowledge by Luke only; or if they receive all those particulars, it is necessary they receive also that testimony of his con"cerning Paul." And then quotes two passages from the Acts of the Apostles relating to St. Pauly. And a few lines after, proceeds thus: " Perhaps for "this reason God has caused that very many parti"culars of the Gospel history, which all are obliged "to use, should be related by Luke, that all, receiving the subsequent narration which he gives of "the acts and doctrine of the apostles, and so hav 66 66 ing the rule of faith uncorrupted, might be saved.” Irenæus, speaking of the revelation made by St. L. 3. c. 14. §. 3, pr. * Ibid. §. 4, pr. y C. 15. §. 1. John, says, "It was seen not long ago, and almost " in our own age, at the end of the reign of Domi"tian" and more than once informs us, that the apostle John lived to the times of the emperor Trajan. And in agreement herewith, Clemens Alexandrinus has given us a brief account of this apostle's conduct at Ephesus, and the neighbouring countries, after his return from the isle of Patmos, in the reigns of Nerva and Trajan". Irenæus also tells us that Polycarp was ordained bishop of Smyrna by the apostles and in his letter to Victor bishop of Rome says, that Polycarp had lived familiarly, not only with the apostle John, but with others also of the apostles d. Eusebius expressly tells us, that before John wrote his Gospel, the other three Gospels were in the hands of all, and that the apostle John confirmed the truth of them by his testimony e. Had not Polycarp then the means of knowing exactly who was the author of each of the four Gospels and of the History of the Acts? Must he not have been fully informed of these facts by the apostle John, and those other apostles with whom he conversed? Irenæus was in his younger days acquainted with Polycarp; and though very young at that time, yet says, "he had a more perfect remembrance of "the things which then happened, than of things "which fell out much later; so that he could give an account of Polycarp's manner of life, and the "discourses which he made to the people, and how 66 z L. 5. c. 30. §. 3, fin. a L. 2. c. 22. §. 5. et l. 3. c. 3. §. 4, fin. b Quis Dives Salvetur? p. 959, pr. CL. 3. c. 3. §. 4, pr. f L. 3. c. 3. §. 4, pr. "he related the conversation which he had had with "John and others, who had seen our Lord, and how "he mentioned their sayings 5." Can it be imagined that among the things which Irenæus learnt from this great man, he received not information from him concerning the authors of the four Gospels and the History of the Acts? St. Jerom tells us, that after Polycarp's death Irenæus was under the instruction of Papias bishop of Hierapolish. This Papias wrote five books, some remains of which are still preserved in Eusebius, wherein he tells us, "That he diligently inquired "after the sayings of the apostles, and other disci 66 ples of our Lord, what Andrew, what Peter, what "Philip, what Thomas, what James, what John, "what Matthew and the other disciples of our Lord "said." He had been a hearer of Aristion and John the presbyter, two of our Lord's disciples *. Irenæus himself mentions these books of Papias, and adds, moreover, that he was Polycarp's friend 1. Might not Irenæus learn from this bishop who were the authors of the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles? That Papias had received information concerning the Gospels is sufficiently plain from a little fragment of his preserved by Eusebius, containing a relation of what John the presbyter said of the Gospels according to St. Matthew and St. Mark m. & Euseb. E. H. l. 5. c. 20. p. 152, fin. b In Catalog. et ep. 55. al. 29. ad Theod. i Euseb. E. H. 1. 3. c. 39. p. 89. L. 5. c. 33. n. 4. k Ibid. p. 90, pr. m E. H. l. 3. c. 39. p. 90, tin. et 91. The title of Papias's books was, An Exposition of the Oracles of our Lord. Irenæus not only mentions Polycarp and Papias by name, but speaks frequently of elders or aged men, who had seen both John and others of the apostles, as persons who had given him information". But, had he been acquainted with no other than Pothinus bishop of Lyons, how easy was it for him to have obtained a certain account of the authors of the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles? Pothinus suffered martyrdom at Lyons in the year of Christ 177°, when he was above ninety years of age P. He was more than thirteen years old therefore when the apostle John died. Might not he easily learn from many, who had conversed with John and several other apostles, who were the authors of the four Gospels and the Acts? Irenæus was a presbyter of the church of Lyons under this bishop, and succeeded him in the bishopric . If therefore he had not received a full account of this matter before, which, I think, no reasonable man can doubt but he must have done, most certainly he could not fail of having it from him. But supposing we had been wholly ignorant of the great advantages which Irenæus had from his acquaintance with Polycarp, Papias, and Pothinus, and the other ancient men mentioned by him; we might easily conceive that at the time he lived there could be no difficulty in learning who were the au D L. 2. c. 22. §. 5. l. 4. c. 27. §. 1. c. 30. §. 1. c. 31. §. 1. et 32. §. 1. l. 5. c. 5. §. 1. c. 17. §. 4, fin. c. 33. §. 3. et 36. §. 1, 2. • Vid. Dodwell, Dissert. in Iren. 4. §. 3. p. 294. Fabr. Biblioth. in Iren. Massuet. Vit. Iren. p. 80. P Euseb. E. H. 1. 5. c. 1. p. 129, D. 9 Ibid. c. 4, pr. et c. 5. p. 138, B. et Hieron. in Catal. |