The question of the writer's veracity is the most important one as regards the miraculous origin of Christianity, but years to Christ's life, and the last alone to his ministry, affirmed that Christ was fifty years old at least at the time of his death; for which he alleges the unanimous testimony of all the old men who had lived with St. John in Asia, some of whom had also heard the same account from the other apostles. "Quidam autem eorum non solum Joannem, sed et alios apostolos viderunt, et hæc eadem ab ipsis audierunt, et testantur de hujusmodi relatione." L. 2, c. 39. This approaches very nearly to apostolic testimony; yet it is at variance with many important parts of the New Testament history. The same Father also asserted, that in the church in his time some had been raised from the dead, and lived afterwards several years, " Jam etiam, quemadmodum diximus et mortui resurrexerunt, et perseveraverunt nobiscum annis multis." L. 2, c. 22, 4. Speaking of the millennium, he says, "The elders who saw John, the disciple of the Lord, relate that they had heard from him, how that the Lord taught concerning those times, and said, The days will come in which there shall grow vineyards having each 10,000 vine stocks, and each stock 10,000 branches, each branch 10,000 shoots, each shoot 10,000 bunches, each bunch 10,000 grapes; and each grape squeezed shall yield twentyfive measures of wine; and when any of the saints shall go to pluck a bunch, another bunch will cry out, I am better; take me, and bless the Lord through me. In like manner a grain of wheat sown, shall bear 10,000 stalks, each stalk 10,000 grains, and each grain 10,000 pounds of the finest flour; and so all other fruits, seeds and herbs, in the same proportion, &c. These words Papias, a disciple of St. John, and companion of Polycarp, an ancient man, testifies in writing in his fourth book, and adds, that they are credible to those who believe." Iren. 1. 2, c. 33. Irenæus thus gives the credit of this story to Papias, who was said by Eusebius to be a weak man, and of a very shallow understanding. But Papias speaks for himself thus: "As oft as I met with any one who had conversed with the ancients, I always inquired very diligently after their sayings and doctrines; what Andrew, Peter, Philip, John and the rest of the Lord's apostles used to teach. For I was persuaded I could not profit so much by books as by the voice of living witnesses." Euseb. H. E. 1. 3, c. 39. Justin Martyr, speaking of the seventy elders who were shut up in cells without communication with each other, and whose translations of the Scriptures were found to agree verbatim from beginning to end, says, "that he is not telling a fable or forged tale, but that he himself had seen at Alexandria the remains of those very cells in which the translators had been shut up." Cohort. ad Græcos, p. 14. Tertullian, writing against theatres, says, "An example happened, as the Lord is witness, of a woman who went to the theatre, and came back whilst occupied chiefly with this, we might be led to form an undeservedly low estimate of his book. This memorable record comes to us as the principal and earliest history extant of the founder of the Christian church, and we find in it merit not altogether incommensurate with the influence which it has exercised. The rude poetry of warm and unrestrained imagination prevails throughout; the zealous Jewish Christian endeavouring to commemorate his master, thinks not of future theologians and critics, but recklessly invests Jesus with all the dignity which fulfilled prophecy, visions, and convulsions of nature, could suggest to an uncultivated reader of the Hebrew legends. The position of the church and of Judea imparts solemnity to his story even in its wildest romance. We seem to distinguish the sword in the sky hanging over Jerusalem in its last days, and the portentous voice of woe which resounded in her streets; we behold the perplexity of the people fearing the things which were coming to pass, and share the anxiety of the band of elect looking for the long-deferred sign of the Son of Man from Heaven. Amidst the tokens of impending ruin to with a devil in her; whereupon, when the unclean spirit was urged and threatened for having dared to attack one of the faithful, he replied, I have done nothing but what is very fair, for I found her on my own ground." De Spectac. 26. On which Middleton remarks, that although it might be true that terrors of conscience threw the woman into some disorder, we cannot but suspect that the smart answer of the devil was contrived by Tertullian himself, to enforce his doctrine of the sin and danger of frequenting theatres. Epiphanius said, that, "in imitation of the miracle at Cana in Galilee, several fountains and rivers in his days were annually turned into wine. A fountain of Cibyra, a city of Caria," says he, " and another at Gerasa in Arabia, prove the truth of this. I myself have drunk out of the fountain of Cibyra, and my brethren out of the other at Gerasa; and many testify the same thing of the river Nile." Adv. Hær. 1. 2, c. 30. For more evidence of the credulity and want of veracity of many of the Fathers, see Middleton's Inquiry concerning the Miraculous Powers of the Early Church. Israel, we feel with him the deep interest of every apostolic (14 Noviny Genuineness se y Dr. J. 2, alasidons ditre uchin dr. J. onmouss the wondence extremely well. (34 Alford, Dr. Test. Voc ]. Protes. ch.p24 29. Gwis the his him any for & against chratt's Suppel bir, orijinall Ужи I decides gained, carlier pergament), Fout it was in freek thentis quoted there M: 25-27- (4) Hery Einleitung འ་ see thing CHAPTER IV. ON THE DATE AND CREDIBILITY OF THE GOSPEL OF ST. MARK. JOHN, whose surname was Mark, sometimes called simply Mark (Col. iv. 10), nephew of Barnabas, was an early convert who took a zealous part in the missionary proceedings of the church, and was frequently the companion of Paul. Acts xii. 12, 25; xiii. 5, 13; xv. 37. Col. iv. 10. Philem. 24. The writer of the Gospel was, according to the unanimous testimony of the church, a follower of Peter, and therefore not improbably the person whom Peter calls his son, perhaps in a spiritual sense. 1 Peter v. 13. He wrote his Gospel at Rome. Afterwards, according to Eusebius, Epiphanius, and Jerome, he preached the gospel in Egypt, and was first bishop of the church at Alexandria. That John Mark, or Mark, nephew of Barnabas, and sometimes follower of Paul, is the same as Mark the disciple of Peter, does not therefore appear certain, but very probable. His Gospel appears to be quoted by Clemens Romanus, A.D. 96. The first who names him is Papias, A.D. 116, who says, "And this, the presbyter (John) said: Mark being the interpreter of Peter, wrote exactly whatever he remembered, but not in the order in which things were spoken or done by Christ. For he was neither a hearer nor follower of the Lord; but, as I said, afterwards followed Peter, who made his discourses for the profit of those that heard him, but not in the way of a regular history of our Lord's words. Mark, however, committed no mistake in writing some things as they occurred to his memory. For this one thing he made his care, to omit nothing which he had heard, and to say nothing false in what he related." A.D. 178. Irenæus. "After the death or departure (εodov) of Peter and Paul, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, delivered to us in writing the things that had been preached by Peter." A.D. 194. Clement of Alexandria, as cited by Eusebius. "Clement informs us that the occasion of writing the Gospel according to Mark was this: Peter, having publicly preached the word at Rome, and having spoken the Gospel by the Spirit, many who were there entreated Mark to write the things that had been spoken, he having long accompanied Peter, and retaining what he had said: and that when he had composed the Gospel, he delivered it to them, who had asked it of him: which when Peter knew, he neither forbade it, nor encouraged it." In another place, Eusebius gives the following as Clement's account: "Peter's hearers at Rome, not content with a single hearing, nor with an unwritten instruction in the divine doctrine, entreated Mark, the follower of Peter, that he would leave with them, in writing, a memorial of the doctrine which had been delivered to them by word of mouth; nor did they desist until they had prevailed with him. Thus they were the means of writing the Gospel which is called according to St. Mark. It is said, that when the Apostle knew it, he was pleased with the zeal of the men, and authorized that scripture to be read in the churches." A.D. 230. Origen. "The second Gospel is that according to Mark, who wrote it as Peter dictated it to him." A.D. 315. Eusebius. "Peter out of an abundance of K |