CHAP. III.

St. Matthew's Gospel further proved canonical by the citations out of it made by the fathers next the apostolic age. Thirtyfive places in Justin Martyr's works produced, where it is cited. It is cited four times in the small treatise of Athenagoras; five times by Theophilus Antiochenus; above two hundred and fifty times by Irenæus, in nine of which places he is named; seventy-three times in the works of Clemens Alexandrinus; and twenty-seven times in his small tract entitled, Quis Dives Salvetur? This Gospel proved canonical, because it was read in the Christian churches, and is in the Syriac version.

IT appearing thus, how particularly the apostolic fathers have cited St. Matthew, I proceed now to shew, how the fathers immediately succeeding the apostolic age have cited St. Matthew; not as above to produce all the several places at large, which would be almost to transcribe the Gospels, but only to lay down the several chapters and verses of the Gospel, with the particular places of those fathers' works where they are cited; nor shall I think it needful to do this with all the writers of the first four centuries, but such only as were the most early, and are the most considerable. It will be enough to shew instances in such as Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Theophilus Antiochenus, Irenæus, Clemens Alexandrinus, &c. who lived in the second century, and to observe concerning the fathers of the next centuries, such as Origen, Cyprian, Cyril, Austin, and others of and about their time, that they do in innumerable places cite this as well as our other Gospels; for the proof of which I would refer the reader, who will take no further pains in the matter, to the indexes of the texts of scripture, which are made and put at the end of their works by their editors. I proceed then to those early fathers above named, viz. Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Theophilus Antiochenus, Irenæus, and Clemens Alexandrinus, whose works I have with this view carefully examined, and find them very often to have cited or referred to this Gospel of St. Matthew.

I. As to JUSTIN MARTYR.

A Catalogue of several places which are cited out of St. Matthew's Gospel in the works of Justin Martyr.

II. ATHENAGORAS.

He was a writer of the second century, either coeval with, or not long after Justin Martyr; he wrote an excellent Apology for Christianity, which is inscribed to M. Aurelius Antoninus, and L. Aurelius Commodus, in which, though a short work, I have observed the following references to St. Matthew's Gospel.

III. THEOPHILUS ANTIOCHENUS.

He lived under the same emperors, and was contemporary with Athenagoras; he wrote three small treatises, inscribed to Autolycus, against the enemies of Christianity. He made use also of St. Matthew's Gospel, as appears from the following places.

I proposed here, as in the former instance, to have produced all the several places in Irenæus, where St. Matthew's Gospel is cited; but since that purpose, I find myself prevented herein by the care and industry of Feuardentius: at the end of his edition of Irenæus, there is an index already made with great exactness, of most of the citations which that father has made of this Gospel; I have been at the pains carefully to examine every one of them, and do not find above ten or twelve false references in the whole. It will be enough therefore to refer the reader to the index of Feuardentius, only adding two observations which I have made, viz.

(1.) That Irenæus has at least two hundred and fifty times cited or taken passages out of this Gospel.

(2.) That he does several times cite St. Matthew by name; viz. in the following places:

1. Lib. 3. adv. Hæres. c. 11. p. 259. citing those words, Matt. i. 1.

2 Lib. 3. c. 18. p. 277. citing ch. i. 1, 18-21.

3 Lib. 3. c. 26. in init. collat. cum 25. in fin. citing ch. i. 18.

There is indeed a large collection of the texts of this Gospel cited by Clemens, prefixed to his works; but upon inquiry, I find this collection in many respects so inaccurate, so false, and defective, that as I could not depend upon it myself, so neither can I refer the reader to it. I have therefore made the following collection, which, though perhaps it does not contain all the places of St. Matthew's Gospel cited by Clemens, yet, I dare say, contains the far greatest part, without any one reference which is not fairly and justly made.

A Catalogue of the places of St. Matthew's Gospel, cited or referred to by CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS.