perceptible resemblance of manner, in passages, and between discourses,
which are in themselves extremely distinct, and are delivered by
historians writing without any imitation of, or reference to, one
another, it affords a just presumption that these are what they profess
to be, the actions and the discourses of the same real person; that the
evangelists wrote from fact, and not from imagination.
The article in which I find this agreement most strong is in our
Saviour's mode of teaching, and in that particular property of it which
consists in his drawing of his doctrine from the occasion; or, which is
nearly the same thing, raising reflections from the objects and
incidents before him, or turning a particular discourse then passing
into an opportunity of general instruction.
It will be my business to point out this manner in the first three
evangelists; and then to inquire whether it do not appear also in several
examples of Christ's discourses preserved by Saint John.
The reader will observe in the following quotations that the Italic
letter contains the reflection; the common letter the incident or
occasion from which it springs.
Matt. xii. 47--50. "Then they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy
brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and
said unto him that told him, Who is my mother; and who are my brethren?
And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold
my mother and my brethren: for whosoever shall do the will of my Father
which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."
Matt. xvi. 5. "And when his disciples were come to the other side, they
had forgotten to take bread; then Jesus said unto them, Take heed, and
beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they
reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no
bread.--How is it that ye do not understand, that I speak it not to you
concerning bread, that ye shall beware of the leaven of the Pharisees
and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not
beware of the leaven of bread, but of the DOCTRINE of the Pharisees and
of the Sadducees."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account