33. Eusebius has, in his Eccl. Hist. occasionally mentioned this Gospel: e. g. as apocryphal, Lib. iii. cap. xxv. [Greek]. " Sed et in eundem ordinem (i.e. apocr.) jam a quibusdam relatum est Evangelium secundum Hebraeos, quo maxime delectantur Hebraei illi qui Christi fidem susceperunt." Again, as retained by the Ebionites and their followers, ib. cap. xxvii. And again, as spoken of by Papias, and said by him to have been written by Matthew, and to have contained the history of the adulteress (John viii.) ib. cap. xxxix. And again, (Lib. iv. cap. xxii.) Hegesippus is said to have cited some things from the Gospel of the Hebrews, and also the Syriac one. This last however was, no doubt, one and the same with the Hebrew one, and so called because written in the Syro-Chaldaic dialect in Hebrew letters. It was by Jerome translated, into both the Greek and Latin languages : a copy of the original being, in his days, preserved in the Library of Caesarea, which had been formed by Pamphilus the Martyr and Friend of Eusebius. See Jerome on Isaiah, cap. xi. and Matt. xviii. And the note of Valesius, p. 47. See also Jones on the Canon of the New Testament, Vol. i. pt. 2. cap. xxv. seq. -- As this passage of the Gospel (so called) of the Hebrews, does not appear to have been cited by any ecclesiastical or other writer, 1 have thought it right to give it as it stands in the Syriac.
It may be remarked, that Eusebius does here cite this passage as worthy of credit, although he does not ascribe any divine authority directly to it. Mr Jones has, in his very excellent work on the Canon of the New Testament, affimed that Eusebius had never so cited this Gospel--which, indeed, had not appeared in the then known works of Eusebius. Still, this cannot be adduced, as in any way affecting the character of our acknowledged Gospels. I am very much disposed to think with Grotius, &c. that this was the original Gospel of St. Matthew, greatly interpolated by the heretical Jews who had received it. See Jones, l. c.
34. The passage differs here from the citation above, in the omission of [Syriac], these things; which might have been omitted as unnecessary to the argument.
35. Matt. xxi. 33. seq. This subject is prosecuted much at length on the predictions given from the Old Testament, in the Demonstr. Evang. Lib, ii. cap. iii. seq.
36. 1 Kings xix. 10-14. Rom. xi. 3.
37. Matt. xxi. 42. Mark xii. 10, 11. Luke xx. 17; comp. Acts iv. 11. 1 Pet. ii. 7.
38. Is. xxviii. 16. 1 Pet. ii. 6.
39. Ps. cxviii. 22, 23.
40. Matt. xxi. 45. seq. with a few unimportant varieties from the Peschito: and the same may be said generally of all these quotations from Scripture.
41. Matt. xxii. 1-10, with some unimportant varieties from the Peschito, as before.
42. Matt. x. 5, 6.
43. [Greek] Sophronius, as cited by Fabricius, Salut. Lux Evang. p. 101, who shews that it was Herod Agrippa who put him to death, in the 44th year of Claudius. Acts xii. 2.
44. The Syr. has [Syriac]. By ([Syriac]) "throne" is here necessarily meant the Episcopal chair of that Church: which agrees well with the judgment which James is said to have given, Acts xv. 19; and where Peter gives his opinion, not as a Judge, but as a mere individual concerned in the question at issue. See also Fabricii Salutaris Lux Evang. p. 47, &c.
45. Hist. Eccl. Euseb. Lib. ii. cap. xxiii.
46. So styled here perhaps, because written by Josephus after he had attached himself to the Romans, and had dedicated it to the Roman Emperor.
47. His History of the Jewish Wars.
48. Matt, xxii, 10-14.
49. Matt, xxiii. 33. seq. agreeing, with a few variations, with the Peschito.
50. Acts v. 41.
51. See sect. 10, above, note.
52. James the Less, called the " Brother of the Lord" in the Scripture. See Euseb. Hist. Eccles. Lib. ii. cap. xxiii.
53. According to some this was Simon Peter, others say that Simon the son of Cleopas was the person; and this is the account of Hegesippus, as preserved by Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. Lib. iv. cap. xxii. [...]
54. The meaning of our author is,--according to the principle formerly laid down,--that, as that prediction had been completely fulfilled, we can entertain no reasonable doubt as to other declarations then made.
55. Matt, xxiii. 37. Luke xiii. 34.
56. Syr. [Syriac], lit. and the. captivity and Temple they burnt.; which must, I suppose, mean the City.