DISSERTATION ON THE ORIGIN OF OUR THREE FIRST CANONICAL GOSPELS. T CHAP. I. GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE QUESTION, HAT our three firft canonical Gospels, or the Gofpels of St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke have a remarkable fimilarity to each other, and that these three Evangelifts frequently agree, not only in relating the fame things in the fame manner, but likewife in the fame words, is a fact, of which every one must be convinced, who has read a Greek Harmony of the Gofpels. To mention at prefent only a few inftances. The parable of the fower, Matth. xiii. 3-9. Mark iv. 3-9.: Chrift's prophecy of the deftruction of Jerufalem, Matth. xxiv. 3-36. Mark xiii. 5-32.: the defcription of Chrift's celebration of the laft paffover, and of the treachery of Judas, Matth. xxvi. 20-48. Mark xiv. 17-44. Further, Chrift's difcourfe on the meffage of John the Baptift, Matth. xi. 3-19. Luke VII. 19-35.: the woe denounced to Chorazin, Bethfaida, and Capernaum, Matth. xi. 21-27. Luke x. 13 VOL. III. A -15. -15. 22. 24. Chrift's cenfure of certain perfons, who required of him a fign, Matth. xii. 41-45. Luke xi. 24-26. Again, the benediction of children, who were brought to Chrift, with Chrift's anfwer to the queftion, by what means falvation was to be obtained, Mark x. 14-25. Luke xviii. 16-25.: Chrift's cenfure of certain Pharifees, Mark xii. 38-40. Luke xx. 46, 47. From these examples, fome of which are very long, it appears, that fometimes St. Matthew and St. Mark, at other times St. Matthew and St. Luke, at other times again St. Mark and St. Luke agree in relating the fame things in the fame manner, and, with a very few exceptions, in the fame words. In fome cafes likewife all the three Evangelifts agree word for word, of which the most remarkable inftance is, Matth. xxiv. 33-35. Mark xiii. 29-31. Luke xxi. 31-33. These phænomena are inexplicable on any other, than one of the two following fuppofitions: either, that St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke, copied the one from the other: or that all three drew from a common fource. For it is wholly impoffible, that three hiftorians, who have no connexion, either mediate or immediate with each other, fhould harmonize as St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke do. Even eye-witneffes to the fame facts, if they make their feports independently of each other, will never relate them in the fame manner, and ftill lefs in the fame words. Different obfervers regard the fame facts from different points of view, the one pays attention to one circumftance, the other to another circumstance; and even the circumftances, which they observe in common, they will arrange and combine in their own minds in fuch a manner, as to produce two reprefentations, which, though upon the whole the fame, widely differ in the choice and the pofition of the refpective parts This cafe is parallel to that of different hiftorical painters, who reprefent on canvas the fame fubject : and whoever has compared, for inftance, Chrift's de scent |