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    of Tiberius . It is probable that this was with iWm the titne of the comiag of the Son oC God into the world ; then Jesus was eonsiecrated by baptism ; tlieii | h ^ Christ or Spirit descended and took up its abode in

    Jesus , filled hirnnvitJh abundance of gifts , and 4 * i aUfied hi in , for teaching his doctrine and working miracles . " Lardner QifciHerefk's , p . 271 ; who remarks tkat '•* Basi&cles certainly received the Gospel of St . Matthew / ' and his

    dating the advent of Jesus in the fifteenth year of Tiberius , was probably taken from his copy of Luke ' s Gospel ; which must therefore have commenced at that period . That Basilides made use of a copy of Luke ' s Gospel , appears likely from the mention , in

    Origen ' s Commentary upon it , of the Gospel of Basilides , by which , I apprehend , is meant no other than his copy of Luke * Lardner observes , that " it doth not appear but Basilides reeeivfed the whole or the greater part of the New Testament : " consistently

    with the above account of his opinion , however , he could not have acknowledged any part of the passages in question either in Matthew ' Luke ' s Gospel . Irenaeus , Epiphanius and Theodoret agree , that Carpocrates , who nourished A . D . 120 to 140 .

    believed that " Jesus was born of Joseph and Mary , like other men , but that he excelled in virtue , was of great capacity and understanding , and wrought miracles . " * In common with Ceriuthus , he endeavoured to prove from the beginning of

    Matthew ' s Gospel that Jesus was the son of Joseph and Mary . " I apprehend , " says Lardner , " that they" ( Cerinthus and Oarpocrates ; " received not that Gospel only , but the other Gospels likewise , and ail the other books of

    the New Testament , as they were received 6 y other Christians in their time . " Lardner on Heretics , p . 318 out if so , the disputed passages could have formed no part of the Gospels as they were then received , since none , * apprehend , would be so inconsistent

    as to admit the genuineness of the accounts of the miraculous conception , yet deny the facts . The circu mstance of these heretics , as they arc termed , arguing against the miraculous conception from the beginning

    * See Lai drier ' s Heretics , p . 311 .

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    of that Gospel which in our present Gopieai declares it so expressly , deserves notice . It should appear from this circumstance that the story in Matthew was not then in existence ; and on comparing its particulars with

    those in Luke , they - have , many of them , much the appearance of after thoughts contrived to account in some measure for the privacy of Jesus for so many years subsequent to his sup * posed miraculous origin , and the many circumstances of publicity with winch it is represented in both accounts as

    having been attended . Cerdon , and Marcion ^ his successor , also disbelieved in the miraculous conception ; they both rejected that part of Luke ' s Gospel which relates to the birth and early life of Jesus , making use , however , of the book in general as the voucher of their Christian faith .

    Marcion said , that " Jesus came into Judea in the time of Pontius Pilate , under Tiberius Csesar . " The adversaries of these " heretics" asserted that they " received only the Gospel of Luke , and that , not entire / ' Mr . Lampe , on the other hand , says that

    JVlarcion " did not reject the other Gospels , though he preferred St . Luke ' having been guided by Paul . " It seems , indeed , probable that the Gospel which was penned by the companion of Paul would fee preferred by some Gentile Christians , for whose

    particular use it was originally written , who would regard it as a sufficient authority , in circumstances in which authentic copies of the other Evangelists could not be so easily procured ;

    but as both Marcion and his predecessor adhered to the sole use of this Gospel , maintaining , however , that its narration commenced from what now forms the third chapter , is there not reason to believe their conclusions

    upon this point are entitled to particular attention ? On this book they and their followers , who were very numerous , principally reposed their confidence in the facts of the Gospel , for which they frequently sacrificed their lives . They must have had veity good reasons for this confidence , anxl these reasons would enable and

    furnish them with the strong ^ inducements to determine what really Were the original con tents off tfe , t ; . book ; and as they unanimously . a ^ r ^ a iaj rejecting the account which it now cbn-

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    On the Passages ascribed to Matthew and Luke . 401

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1826, page 401, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2550/page/21/