saying: "But these are written, that ye might believe, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name." [Ch. xx. 30.] Foreseeing these blasphemous notions that divide the 'Lord, so far as it is in their power.'

In the preceding passage Irenæus speaks, as if St. John's gospel was written after the rise of Cerinthus, and other heresies but here he seems to say, that it was written before them, and foreseeing them. In like manner afterwards, in the same chapter, he says of Paul; As he says: "It is ⚫ Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen, who is at the right ' hand of God," Rom. viii. 34. And again," Knowing that 'Christ being raised from the dead, dies no more," ch. vi. 9. For he also foreseeing by the spirit the divisions of evil 'teachers, and being desirous to cut off from them all occa'sion of dissension, says what has been just quoted.'

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Clement of Alexandria, speaking of the order of the gospels, according to what he had received from presbyters of more ancient times, says: Last of all, John observing, that in other gospels those things were related, which con'cern the humanity of Christ, and being persuaded by his 'friends, and also moved by the Spirit of God, he wrote a 'spiritual gospel.' Here it is supposed, not only that St. John wrote the last of the four, but likewise, that he had seen the gospels of the other three evangelists.

Origen speaks of all the four gospels in our present order, that is, Matthew's first, and John's last.

A long passage of Eusebius concerning St. John's gospel may be seen, Vol. iv. p. 94-96. It cannot be omitted here. But it shall be abridged. And that it has been justly 'placed by the ancients the fourth in order, and after the other three, may be made evident.For Matthew delivered his gospel to the Hebrews.And when Mark and Luke also had published the gospels according to 'them, it is said, that John, who all this while had preach'ed by word of mouth, was at length induced to write for this reason. The three first written gospels being now 'delivered to all men, and to John himself, it is said, that 'he approved them, and confirmed the truth of their narraquæ dividant Dominum quantum ex ipsis attinet, ex altera et alterâ substantiâ dicentes eum factum. Adv. Hær. 1. 3. cap. 16. n. 5. p. 206.

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- quemadmodum ipse ait: Simul autem Christus mortuus est, immo 'et resurrexit.Et iterum: Scientes quoniam Christus resurgens a mor'tuis, jam non moritur.' Prævidens enim et ipse per Spiritum subdivisiones malorum magistrorum, et omnem ipsorum occasionem dissensionis volens abscindere, ait quæ prædicta sunt. Ibid. n. 9. p. 207.

* See Vol. ii. p. 226.

" Ib. p. 494.

'tion by his own testimony, saying: There was only wanting a written account of the things done by Christ, in the former part, and near the beginning of his preachingAnd, certainly, that observation is true.

Epiphanius speaks of St. John's gospel as the last of the four. He also says, that St. John wrote it, after he had long declined so doing through humility, when he was ninety years of age, and when he had lived in Asia many years, after his return thither from Patmos, in the time of the emperor Claudius. He moreover says in several places, that this gospel was occasioned by the errors of the Ebionites, the Cerinthians, and other heretics.

According to the Syrian churches, St. John wrote his gospel at Ephesus.

My readers are again referred to the noble passage of Theodore, bishop of Mopsuestia, concerning the four gospels, and to the remarks upon it.

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Jerom, in his book of Illustrious Men, says: John the 'apostle wrote a gospel at the desire of the bishops of Asia, against Cerinthus, and other heretics, and especially the 'doctrine of the Ebionites, then springing up, who say, 'that Christ did not exist before his birth of Mary: for which reason he was obliged to declare bis divine nativity. 'Another reason of his writing is also mentioned; which is, 'that after having read the volumes of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, he expressed his approbation of their history as true: but observed, that they had recorded an account of 'but one year of our Lord's ministry, even the last, after the ' imprisonment of John, in which also he suffered. Omitting therefore [very much] that year, the history of which had 'been written by the other three, he related the acts of the preceding time, before John was shut up in prison; as 'may appear to those, who read the four evangelists: which may be of use to account for the seeming difference be'tween John and the rest.'

According to Augustine, St. John is the last of the four evangelists.

Chrysostom, assigning the reasons of St. John's writing his gospel, supposeth that he did not write till after the destruction of Jerusalem.

Paulinus says: It had been handed down by tradition, that John survived all the other apostles, and wrote the last of the four evangelists, and so as to confirm their most

'certain history.' And he observes, that in the beginning of St. John's gospel all heretics are confuted, particularly 'Arius, Sabellius, Marcion, and the Manichees."

Cosmas of Alexandria says, that when John dwelt at Ephesus, there were delivered to him by the faithful, the writings of the other three evangelists. Receiving them ⚫he said, that what they had written was well written: but some things were omitted by them, which were needful to be related. And being desired by the faithful, he also 'published his writing, as a kind of supplement to the rest, containing such things as these: the wedding at Cana; the history of Nicodemus; the woman of Samaria; the nobleman, [or courtier, John iv. 46-54.] the man blind from his birth; Lazarus; the indignation of Judas at the ' woman that anointed the Lord with ointment: the Greeks that came to Jesus; his washing the disciples' feet; and 'suitable instructions upon several occasions, and the pro'mise of the Comforter; and concerning the deity of Christ, expressly and clearly at the beginning, and premising that, 'as the foundation of his work: all which things had been ' omitted by the rest.'

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Isidore of Seville says, that John wrote the last, in Asia. Theophylact computed, that' St. John wrote about two and thirty years after Christ's ascension.

Euthymius, that it was not written until many years after the destruction of Jerusalem.

Nicephorus Callisti says, that John wrote last of all, about six and thirty years after the Lord's ascension to heaven.

VIII. Having seen these testimonies of the ancients to St. John's gospel, and the time of it, I would now observe the judgments of learned moderns.

According to Mill's computation St. John wrote his gospel at Ephesus, in the year of Christ 97, about one year before his death.

Fabricius speaks to the like purpose.

Le Clerc' likewise placeth the writing of this gospel in the year 97.

• Ibid. p. 88.

Ibid. p. 160.

Et quidem Ephesum ab exilio reversus Joannes uno ante mortem anno scripsit evangelium. Mil. Prol. num. 181.

Evangelium Græce edidit Ephesi, omnium postremus, jam nonagenario major, cum e Patmo reversus esset post Domitiani necem, quæ anno 96 contigit. Bib. Gr. 1. 4. cap. v. T. III. p. 139.

Hist. E. An. 97. num. i.

Mr. Jones argues that it was written about the year 98, and not before 97.

The late Mr. Wetstein thought, that" this gospel might be written about the year 32, after our Lord's ascension: and dislikes the supposition, that it was written by St. John in decrepit old age.

Basnage was inclined to think, that this gospel was written before the destruction of Jerusalem. His reasons will be alleged, and considered by and by.

Mr. Lampe was of opinion, that this gospel was written in the latter part of the reign of Nero, before the destruction of Jerusalem.

IX. I shall now propose an argument concerning the date of this gospel.

There are two considerations, principally, which lead me to think, that St. John's gospel was written before the destruction of Jerusalem, or about the time of that event: these I shall first mention, and then take notice of divers others, observable in learned moderns.

1. It is likely, that St. John wrote in a short time after the other evangelists. Their gospels were soon brought to him and if he thought fit to confirm them, or to write any thing by way of supplement, he would do it in a short time. The first three gospels, very probably, were written and published before the end of the year 64, or in 65, at the farthest. If they were brought to St. John in 65, or 66, he would not defer more, or not much more, than a year, or two, to publish his history of Jesus, and make the account complete.

I do not presume to say exactly the year in which this gospel was written: but I think it might be written and published in the year 68.

This argument offered itself to Mr. Whiston's thoughts, and is thus expressed by him: That occasion of John's 'writing his gospel, mentioned by the ancients, viz. the bringing the other three gospels to him, and his observing m New and Full Method, Vol. III. p. 139.

:

n Hinc etiam consequitur, evangelium Joannis non ab eo decrepito, et fere centenario, et post mortem Clementis, sed diu antea fuisse editum, adeoque inscriptionem Codicum Græcorum, qui illud evangelium anno tricesimo secundo post ascensionem Christi scriptum fuisse testantur, ad verum proprius accedere præcipue cum ratio nulla sit, cur Joannes scriptionem in tam longum tempus differre debuerit. Wetst. Proleg. ad duas Clement. Ep. sub fin. • Ann. 97. num. xii. P Putem ergo non contemnendas esse rationes, quæ ante excidium Hierosolymitanum evangelium nostrum sub extremis forte Neronis temporibus conscriptum esse persuadent. Proleg. 1. 2. cap. 2. num. ix. Essay on the Apostolical

Constitutions, p. 38, 39.

their deficiency, as to the acts of Christ before the Baptist's ' imprisonment, does much better agree with this time, just ' after the publication of those gospels, than with that above thirty years later, to which its writing is now ordinarily ' ascribed.'

And is it not a strange supposition, that all the other three gospels should have been written by the year 60, or thereabout, and St. John's not till the year 97, or 98, that is, more than thirty years after the others? When likewise he must have been of a very great age, and scarcely fit for such a work as this.

2. The second consideration is the suitableness of St. John's gospel to the circumstances of things before the overthrow of the Jews, or about that time.

Mr. Lampe has observed, that the great design of St. John in writing his gospel seems to have been, to show, how inexcusable the Jews were in not receiving Jesus as the Christ, and to vindicate the providence of God in the calamities already befallen, or now coming upon them. If that appear to be the design of St. John in writing his gospel, it will very much strengthen the supposition, that it was written before the destruction of Jerusalem was completed.

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St. John says, ch. xx. 31, " These things are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name." That is, This history has been written, that they 'who believe, may be confirmed in their faith, and that all others, who yet believe not, may believe in Jesus, as the Christ, the Son of God, and obtain that life, which he promiseth to those who believe in him, and obey him.'

That is the design of all the evangelists; and their histories are a sufficient ground and reason of this belief. But St. John's gospel contains an ample confirmation of all that they have said, with valuable additions, and more plain and frequent assurances, that Jesus is not only a prophet, and messenger of God, but the Christ, the Son of God, or that great prophet, that should come into the world: whereby all are rendered inexcusable in rejecting him, and especially

Totam porro œconomiam hujus evangelii ita esse digestam, ut ad convincendos ac avaroλoynres reddendos Judæos spectaret, capite sequenti ostendemus. Prolegom. in Joan. 1. 2. cap. 3. sect. ii.

Imminens etiam Judææ pernicies occasionem maxime opportunam conscribendo libro dabat, in quo Joannis animus erat hujus ipsius judicii imminentis æquitatem defendere, et tentare, an Judæi ex hoc Reipublicæ naufragio magno agmine in Asiam enatantes, ad recipiendum unicum mundi Salvatorem hoc medio permoveri possint. Ibid. 1. 2. cap. 2. sect. xv. Vid. et 1. 2. cap. 3. num. iii. not. (b).