by which the Seafons of that Year are very properly diftinguifht. See chap. 7. 2. chap. 10. 22. Nor is this to be admir'd in John, who propos'd to himself to fupply what was wanting in the other Gospels. Since therefore it is evident from Luke's own character of himself, and from matter of fact, that Luke and John were more exact in their Chronology than Matthew; I fuppofe no body can cenfure me for preferring before all others that method I have followed in making this Harmony, for which I am principally oblig'd to Bp Richardfon: And if there is nothing in Mark that can hinder his Narration being referr'd to thofe of Luke and John, I fee no reason why it may not be inferr'd that he has kept pretty ftrictly to Order, as may plainly appear from my Harmony. CANON II. In the Relations of the particular Actions and Sayings of Chrift, the Evangelifts for the most part contented themselves with a fummary account of the things themselves, without enumerating all the circumftances, or relating the Words in the very order in which they were fpoken. Fo LOR altho the Evangelifts almost always after the Eastern cuftom, and as the most an- be perceiv'd from a little attention to the Paraphrafe. I have therefore divided Mark's Relation, the better to collate it with Matthew's, otherwife it would be difficult to perceive where they agree, and where they differ. But 'tis fo taken into parts, as it may be readily known how it must be fet together again in Mark's own Gofpel, from the Figure of the Verfes, and Afterisks before and after, in all places that are tranfpos'd, and, as it were, out of joint. Now if we confider, that the Eaftern Writers kept not ftricter to the Words and Method in the direct forms of speaking, than in Difcourfes more obliquely coucht; and that the Apoftles chofe rather to give the meaning, than the very Expreffions and Series of the things related; we fhall have no reason to find fault with the variety that is to be met with in the feveral Evangelifts, as to what concerns Phrafe and Order, when they always keep to the Subftance. CANON III. Neither one particular Evangelift, nor all of them together, give us the whole Hiftory of our Saviour, nor yet all the Circumftances of those parts wherein they most enlarge. related by every particular Evangelift, any man that has eyes may be convinc'd, merely from dipping into this Book, where he may fee one proceeding in a Relation, when all the reft are filent. And that they have not together made a univerfal Collection, St. John exprefly tells us in the conclufion of his Gofpel: And there are alfo many other things which Jefus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I fuppofe that even the whole World could not contain the Books which fhould be written. Which words are hyperbolical, but give us to know, that all the Actions and Sayings of our Saviour were not comprehended in the Gofpels: For they do but trifle who will have o inínow, which be did, to be taken in a coercive fenfe, reftrained purely to his Miracles; for what he did refers to his Difcourfes as well as Actions. Buc HAT his entire History has not bin this I fay not, as if I thought that there is fomething not publifh'd by the Apoftles, or omitted in the Gospels, of a neceffary tendency to Salvation: for undoubtedly all proper Directions for this great end are to be had there; fince what is not, is the fame, in refpect of us, as if it had never bin revealed. For whatsoever carries not with it the evidence of Divine Revelation, can no more be impos'd upon us as an Article of Faith, than the ob fervation of a Law that never was promulg'd. But it ought to be well confidered, that the Story of our Saviour's Life is not entirely penn'd, that we may be the lefs furpriz'd at the great Gaps and Paufes in the account we have of the beginning of his Miniftry, and that certain periods of his Life are lefs furnish'd with memorable matters than others. If we had fuch Journals of our Saviour's Life, as were taken of every days Tranfactions in the Palaces of the Kings of Perfia or Egypt, we might find matter enough to fill all the void fpaces of his Miniftry, as they appear to us. So that they proceed on too light grounds, who contract our Saviour's Miniftry into two years, making but one of the two first, that there may appear the more Action in a lefs compals of time. Since therefore, upon comparing of the Evangelifts together, it is very plain that one or other hath flipt fome circumstances in his moft copious accounts, there are two confequences of great importance to be drawn from hence, extremely conducing to the reconcilement of feeming Difcords in the Evangelifts, and for the clearer understanding of the Expreffion on which this Agreement does very much depend. The first is,that the omiffion of any circumftamee, which either may be fupplied by us, or cannot be unknown by us, may not be fo far urg'd as to have any particular conclufion drawn from it. For if the Evangelifts now and then pass over matters, no body can deny but that in a broken Narrative, whatever is neceffary to make up the connexion, may eafily be understood; and that now and then fomething is omitted of what was fpoken or done within fuch a compafs or interval. Let any confult the 65, 66, and 67th Chapters of my History, together with the Gospels themselves, 'Tis moreover and he will be abundantly fatisfied that there are fome things in every Gospel which must neceffarily be understood. For inftance, in the Hiftory of the Refurrection, the defcription of it is wanting in its proper place, which I have inferted in a few words after my Paraphrafe upon the 2d Verfe of the 28th Chapter of Matthew. But 'tis made plain in the following Evangelifts, you will fay. I confefs as much; but this I infer, That there are fome things to be fupplied in every Evangelift, which are wanting in their Relations: As for example, (in John, fometning before the eleventh verfe of the 20th Chapter) the returning of Mary Magdalene to the Sepulchre with Peter and John, or prefently after; as alfo of the other Women, before the 9th Verse of the 28th of Matthew. manifeft from Luke 24. 34. that Jefus appear ed to Peter after he had bin feen by the Women; but this is not mention'd at all by the other Evangelifts, nor by Luke himfelt in its proper place. For which reafon I have fupplied this omiffion out of St. Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians, the 15th Chapter, v. 5. and inferted his words in the proper courfe of the Gofpel, the Apostle having refpect to that very place. And if Luke had not had occafion to mention this afterwards out of its course, it had bin entirely left out; and yet from his filence herein we should draw a falfe conclufion, if we afferted that he was. not acquainted with this particular. We cannot therefore deny but Matthew likewife, and John had information in matters which they have omitted. But this is not directed to thofe who are fatisfied of the Authority of the holy Evangelifts, but to thofe that may object, that Matthew and John have took no notice of the Lord's Afcenfion, only Mark and Luke. What has bin faid of one omiffion may be applied to all others of a like nature; for one example may ferve, without heaping up a Catalogue of parallel inftances. The other Corollary is, that from the bare want of a Relation it cannot be inferred, that thing was not done of which there is no mention. 'Tis therefore a grand mistake of theirs who fay that Chrift went out of the Sepulchre thro the Stone that was rolled before it, becaufe 'tis no where faid before his Refurrection, Ffff 2 and and quitting of the place, that the Stone at the mouth of it was removed; or that he entred thro the Wood of the Doors, upon his appearing to his Difciples, when the Doors were hut, becaufe they are not faid to be opened: For altho fuch a penetration were not repugnant to the nature of a real human Body, yet no one can infer fuch a great Miracle merely from the filence of the Evangelifts. CANON IV. more doubt, than of Matthew's own words, of which it is a neceffary confequence. Mat.3. 14. pag. 40. of the Harmony: P. 51. and he will judg it very reasonable. A Circumftance omitted in the beginning is tend very little to the Rules of Rhetorick, often made out from what follows. Have given an inftance of this in the foregoing Canon, to which I will now add one or two more, which will be of great importance in the prefent Affair. In the firft Chapter of Luke at the 20th verfe, Gabriel thus addreffes Zachary, who fcrupled believing him: Thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, till the day that these things be perform'd. Which words run thus in the Paraphrafe: Thou shalt be deaf and dumb from this hour, &c. A forward Cenfurer would perhaps carp at this Passage, if he went no farther, for making the Dumb to be deaf without any reason: but if he proceeds to the 62d verfe, he will find this circumstance fitly fupplied, and upon very good grounds: for had Zachary bin deaf, there had bin no need of making figns to him, to know what he would have his Son call'd, but they might have put the queftion to him in Words, and he have returned an answer, as he did," in writing. Mat. 1. 20. After he hath told us, that Jofeph was encouraged by a Dream from Heaven to take Mary to wife, he prefently fubjoins; and Jofeph being raised from his fleep, did as the Angel of the Lord had bidden him. But doubtless Jofeph had communicated his Dream to Mary, and fo learn'd from her the Divine Conception of Chrift: for no queftion but Fofeph knew, upon comparing his Dream with Mary's Anfwers, that this Order was from God. For which reafon I have thought it neceffary, for a fuller explanation of the Text, to infert that additional circumftance, of which we can fcarce any but even in the most elegant Treatifes in Greek and Latin, may be made the fame obfervations, as I have shown in my Ars Critica, Par. 3. §. 3. c. v. CANON V.. From the thing it felf may be often infer'd Several circumftances which are omitted, but which are requifite to make the connexion evident. then fome omiffions to be supplied by the understanding and attentive Reader, to make the tenor of the Story clear. This is frequent with the facred Penmen, whom I have digefted into a Harmony: For which reafon I have made fome Additions, that their Relations might not appear broken; and perhaps a larger Supplement is still wanting. But I shall inftance in what I have done, that no body may cenfure me for having inferted Conjectures of my own into the Gofpel Story, without due grounds for it. 'HE most exact Hiftorian hath now and Pag. 27. before my Paraphrafe upon the 22d Verfe of the 2d Chapter of Luke, after an account that the Wife men were departed, is fubjoin'd, at the fame time were expir'd the forty Days, during which a Woman after her Delivery is excluded from publick Worship. Which I have thus infer'd from the things themselves. lehem, not with any defign to live there, bue 1. Jofeph and Mary came to Beth purely to be tax'd, as St. Luke declares in his 2d Chapter, and 4th Verfe; that they took up up in an Inn, a very improper place for any long continuance. 2. But Mary being deliver'd, there was a neceffity for them of staying there 40 days at the leaft, tho they were under no obligation of waiting fo long to be tax'd. 3. During their abode at Bethlehem, the Wife men came thither; not before, as Matthew is exprefs; nor after, for 'tis not credible that perfons who made it their bufinefs to go to Bethlehem only to be taxed, return'd thither again after they were removed to Jerufalem. 4. The Magi then having bin at Bethlehem, within the compafs of thefe 40 days, and, as 'tis likely, towards the latter end of that Interval, for a reafon I will fhew afterwards, went back into their own Country, without ever taking leave of Herod. 5. He having lookt for their return a few days (for it did not require many to go from Jerufalem to Bethlehem to fee Jefus, and come back from thence to Jerufalem, Bethlehem being but fix miles diftant; and befides, Herod being difcompos'd in health, and difturbed in mind, was impatient of long delay) and being difappointed, gave orders to his Soldiers to maffacre the Infants. 6. But at that time Jo feph and Mary had left Bethlehem, and confequently the Slaughter begun after the expiration of the 40 days, and the Wife men came to that Town towards the latter end of them. 7. After this bloody Tragedy, or whilft it was acting, it is not credible that Jofeph and Mary went to Jerufalem, or made any ftay there, whilft Herod lived. I am therefore of opinion, that, being warned by an Angel, they made their efcape fome little space before Herod had put his defign in execution, agreeably to Mat. 2. 13. For this barbarous Maffacre is related afterward in Matthew's Hi ftory. From which may be drawn this farsher inference, That Jofeph was warn'd ac Jerufalem, and never return'd to Nazareth, but in his way back from Egypt: for certainly had he bin at Nazareth, when he received that warning, he had bin more properly commanded to retreat into the neighbouring Province of Syria, than into Egypt, at much greater diftance. These things carefully confider'd, the Reader, I hope, will be convinc'd, that the circumftance of Time beforementioned, was an addition very pertinent to the Story. In the Conference betwixt Jefus and Nathanael, defcrib'd by John in his 4th Chapter, v. 48. and Chap. 5. there is fupplied: From whence he might perceive that Jefus was a Prophet, fince he was acquainted with what it was impoffible for a simple man to know. And the following exclamation of Nathanael requires it, otherwife it had bin groundlefs. Likewife our Saviour's reply to him plainly fuppofes that it must be thus fupplied. In the History afterwards of the Marriage at Cana in Galilee, there was a neceffity of fome Additions; which I did not make to gratify a vain humour of putting in my own Conjectures, but as they were requifite to the making out the connexion which was wanting in the Story. After it is mentioned that Mary obferved there was no Wine, 'tis fubjoined: Who had feen her Son perform fome Miracles upon other occafions, which are not recorded. Otherwife he would never have ask'd him to fupply this want of Wine. A little farther in the Paraphrafe, when the Anfwer of Jefus is fet down, which is in John 2. 4. I thought it requifite to add : Nevertheless, he flow'd that he was ready to comply with her request in this particular: for what Mary ordered implies, that he had already fignified to her as much. I will not multiply inftances, these being fufficient to fatisfy thole that may perhaps cenfure my Paraphrafe as larger than it needed to have bin: For if they examin it, I hope they will eafily difcern that there is nothing fupplied, but what the Series of the Relation feemed neceffarily to require. CANON VI. We may frequently collect from the Answer, that fomething was omitted in the Que Ation, or fupprefs'd in the Hiftory. Sver. p. 99. of the Harmony) addreft O when Nicodemus (in the 3d of John our Saviour in these words: Rabbi, we know that thou art a Teacher come from God: for no man can do thefe miracles that thou doeft, except God be with him. Jefus is introduc'd, anfwering, Verily verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the King dom dom of God. Which words refer not to Nicodemus's Preface; but without doubt refolve the queftion he was going to propound, which I have infinuated thus: After this Preface, he was about to ask Jefus what he was to do in order to participate of the Happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven, which he heard was now at hand. This is the 70 μevov, the matter concealed, to which Chrift alludes in his answer. In the fame Conference, after Jefus had fhewed the neceffity of being born again, to all that would be partakers of the Bleffings of his Kingdom, which Nicodemus not apprehending, faith, How can these things be? Jejus makes anfwer, Art thou a Master in Ifrael, and knoweft not these things? and immediatly fubjoins, Verily verily I fay unto thee, We speak that we do know. Which laft expreffions difcover this to have been latent in the queftion, But if these things cannot be, wherefore doft thou exact the belief of them? which I have fet down, not in the Paraphrafe upon the Queftion, but the Anfwer, as futing better in that place. In the 16th Chapter of Luke, after a very fevere invective of Christ against Pride and Avarice, and a pathetical Eulogy upon the contrary Virtues, Liberality and Humility, the Evangelift reflects, v. 14. That the Pharisees, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him. To which prefently he fubjoins a very fhort but weighty Reprimand of our Lord upon this, fhewing that this Scorn of the Pharifees arofe from their haughty as well as covetous Tempers: for he very Imartly reproves their Pride, which lurked under a falfe umbrage of Religion. After wards he touches upon the Laws of the Kingdom of Heaven, and juftifies them against their prejudice, who prefer'd the obfervation of the Mofaick Rites to intrinfick Goodnefs, declaring that a higher degree of Sanctity is required by him from his Apoftles, than what the Jews were formerly obliged to by Mofes, In all which undoubtedly he confutes the Scoffs or inward Thoughts of the Pharifees, tho neither thofe Scoffs nor fecret Redections of the Pharifees are exprefly laid down by Luke. But there is a memorable inftance of an Anfwer, rather referring to a fecret thought, than any thing spoken in the Gofpel, is in John 11. 21, 22, 23, 24. where Martha meeting Jefus in his way to Bethany, after the death of her Brother Lazarus, thus accofts him: Lord, if thou hadst bin here my Brother had not died; but I know that even now whatfoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jefus faith unto her, Thy Brother shall rife again. At first view Martha feems to petition of Jefus to raise her Brother, and co have fome affarance of it; but mind her reply to this Promife of Jefus: I know that he shall rise again at the Resurrection in the last day and from thefe words it is apparent The neither conceived hopes of it, nor petitioned Chrift to raife her Brother. But the alludes to a thought fhe then had upon this occafion, which we have thus expreft in the Harmony: She was afraid to add that Jefus would in no wife petition God to restore a man to life that had bin dead four days, because God was not wont to grant such signal favors. CANON VII. A few differing circumftances are no Argument that Relations, which thus vary, but agree in the main, are diftinct Hiftories, and contain different matters of Fact. Hiftorians generally, that account not for every minute circumftance, but felect their matter, almost by a kind of necef fity differ in their choice, or feem to differ, efpecially if they aim at concifenefs: For 'tis fcarce poffible that they should all hit upon the fame circumstances throughout, or that a Hiftory fhould be abridg'd by every man in one method. No wonder then that in a point fo evident as this is, we take it for granted: And therefore, in the Relation of the Centurion's Servant of Capernaum being cur'd, which we meet in Mat. 8. and Lake 9. pag. 14 of the Harmony, altho there be fome variation in a circumftance or two, we muft not prefently conclude them to be two diffe rent Stories, fince they both agree in the main. 1. There is in both places mention of a Centurion's Servant that was cur'd. 2. la both we find the very fame Expreffions, which ? |