it contains any matters historically true, or whether the whole is a fiction. The principal subject of the book is an epistle, pretended to be sent by Jehoiakim and the captive Jews in Babylon, to their brethren in Judah and Jerusalem. The last chapter contains an epistle which falsely bears the name of Jeremiah.

IX. "THE SONG OF THE THREE CHILDREN" is placed in the Greek version of Daniel, and also in the Vulgate Latin version, between the twenty-third and twenty-fourth verses of the third chapter. It does not appear to have ever been extant in Hebrew, and although it has always been admired for the piety of its sentiments, it was never admitted to be canonical, until it was recognised by the council of Trent.

X. THE HISTORY OF SUSANNA is evidently the work of some Hellenistic Jew; and in the Vulgate version it forms the thirteenth chapter of the book of Daniel. Some modern critics consider it to be both spurious and fabulous.

XI. "The History of the Destruction of BEL AND THE DRAGON" was always rejected by the Jewish church; it is not extant either in the Hebrew or the Chaldee language. Jerome gives it no better title than that of the Fable of Bel and the Dragon; nor has it obtained more credit with posterity, except with the Romish clergy present at the council of Trent, who determined it to be a part of the canonical Scriptures. The design of this fiction is to render idolatry ridiculous, and to exalt the true God; but the author has destroyed the illusion of his fiction by transporting to Babylon the worship of animals, which was never practised in that country.

XII. "THE PRAYER OF MANASSES, king of Judah, when he was holden captive in Babylon," though not unworthy of the occasion on which it is pretended to

have been composed, was never recognised as canon. ical. It is rejected as spurious even by the church of Rome.

XIII. The two books of MACCABEES are thus denominated, because they relate the patriotic and gallant exploits of Judas Maccabeus and his brethren: they are both admitted into the canon of Scripture by the church of Rome.

1. The FIRST BOOK contains the history of the Jews, from the beginning of the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes to the death of Simon, a period of about thirty-four years. It was originally written in the Syro-Chaldaic language, and was most probably composed in the time. of John Hyrcanus, when the wars of the Maccabees were terminated, either by Hyrcanus himself, or by some persons employed by him. From the Syro-Chaldaic it was translated into Greek, and thence into Latin. Our English version is made from the Greek. The first book of Maccabees is a most valuable historical monument.

2. The SECOND BOOK of Maccabees is very inferior to the preceding, and consists of several pieces compiled by an unknown author; it must therefore be read with great caution. It contains the history of about fifteen years, from the execution of the commission of Heliodorus, who was sent by Seleucus to bring away the treasures of the temple, to the victory obtained by Judas Maccabeus over Nicanor, that is, from the year of the world 3828 to 3843. Two antient translations of this book are extant, one in Syriac, the other in Latin: the version in our Bibles was executed from the Greek.

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BOOK II.-ANALYSIS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

CHAPTER I.

ON THE HISTORICAL BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

SECTION I.-On the Name and Number of the Canonical Gospels, THE word ETAFTEAION (Euangelion), which we translate Gospel, among Greek profane writers signifies any good tidings, and corresponds exactly with our English word Gospel, which is derived from the Saxon words zob, God or good, and rpel, word or tiding, and denotes God's word or good tidings. In the New Testament this term is confined to the glad tidings of the actual coming of the Messiah, and is even opposed to the prophecies concerning Christ. (Matt. xi. 5. Rom. i. 1, 2.) Hence ecclesiastical writers gave the appellation of Gospels to the lives of Christ - that is, to those sacred histories in which are recorded the "good tidings of great joy to all people," of the advent of the Messiah, together with all its joyful circumstances; and hence the authors of those histories have acquired the title of EVANGELISTS. Besides this general title, the sacred writers use the term Gospel, with a variety of epithets, derived from the nature of its contents. See instances in Eph. i. 13. vi. 15. Rom. i. 1. 3. and 2 Cor. v. 19.

The Gospels which have been transmitted to us are four in number: and we learn from ecclesiastical

* From ev (eu) good, and ayyeλia (angelia) a message or tidings.

history, that four, and four only, were ever received by the Christian church as the genuine and inspired writings of the evangelists. And it is a considerable advantage, that a history, of such importance as that of Jesus Christ, has been recorded by the pens of separate and independent writers; for, by the contradictions, whether real or apparent, which are visible in these accounts, (but which admit of easy solution by any attentive reader,) they have incontestably proved that they did not unite with a view of imposing a fabulous narrative on mankind. And in all matters of consequence, whether doctrinal or historical, there is such a manifest agreement between them as is to be found in no other writings whatever.

SECTION II..

On the Gospel by Saint Matthew.

Matthew, surnamed Levi, was the son of Alpheus, but not of that Alpheus or Cleopas who was the father of James mentioned in Matt. x. 3. He was a native of Galilee, but of what city in that country, or of what tribe of the people of Israel, we are not informed. Before his conversion to Christianity, he was a publican or tax-gatherer, under the Romans, and collected the customs of all goods exported or imported at Capernaum, a maritime town on the sea of Galilee, and also received the tribute paid by all passengers who went by water. While employed "at the receipt of custom," Jesus called him to be a witness of his words and works, thus conferring upon him the honourable office of an apostle. From that time he continued with Jesus Christ, a familiar attendant on his person, a spectator of his public and private conduct, a hearer of his discourses, a witness of his miracles, and an evidence of

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his resurrection. After our Saviour's ascension, Matthew continued at Jerusalem with the other apostles, and with them, on the day of Pentecost, was endued with the gift of the Holy Spirit. How long he remained in Judæa after that event, or where he died, we have no authentic accounts. He is generally allowed to have written first of all the evangelists, though a considerable difference of opinion exists as to the language in which and the time when his Gospel was composed. Some critics think that its original language was Hebrew; others, Greek; while a third class decide in favour of a Hebrew and Greek original. The reasons on which these several opinions are founded are detailed in the author's larger Introduction, which do not admit of abridgment: the most probable is that, which determines that Matthew wrote a Hebrew Gospel for the Hebrew Christians, about the year 37, and afterwards a Greek Gospel about the year 61. The present Greek Gospel has every internal mark of being an original writing: and the disappearance of the Hebrew Gospel is sufficiently accounted for, not only by the prevalence of the Greek language, but also by the fact that it was so corrupted by the Ebionites (a sect contemporary with St. Join), as to lose all its authority in the church. The authenticity of his Gospel was never doubted.

The voice of antiquity accords in testifying that St. Matthew wrote his Gospel in Judæa for the Jewish nation, while the church consisted wholly of the circumcision, that is, of Jewish and Samaritan believers, but principally Jewish and, that he wrote it primarily for their use, with a view to confirm those who believed, and to convert those who believed not, we have, besides historical facts, very strong presumptions from the book itself. Every circumstance is carefully pointed out, which might conciliate the faith of that nation;