world: the Message according to Matthew, the Message according to Mark, the Message according to Luke, the Message according to John. Other literary works may discuss religious doctrine or questions of religious history, or they may use oratorical force to bring the message home to the individual conscience: but the Four Gospels are the message itself.

On the question how these four gospels came into being a flood of light is poured by the Preface to one of them, the Gospel of Luke. Every line of it deserves careful study.

Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fully established among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word: it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus; that thou mightest know the certainty concerning the things which thou wast taught by word of mouth.

We thus see that between the departure of Jesus from the earth and the appearance in literature of the Four Gospels there had intervened a period of oral tradition concerning the Acts and Words of Jesus, and that this oral tradition had been made the foundation for the training of Christian converts. We see further that in this oral teaching the primitive Church had been careful to go to what historians call 'first hand evidence' - those who "from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word." It belongs to the nature of things that oral traditions of the same matter by different witnesses would present variations. Some witnesses would have seen one side of the ministry of Jesus, others another side. Moreover, reports of the same incident by different witnesses would reflect the different minds through which the recollection had passed. Variations of this kind testify to the genuineness of the tradition, that it is not a made up story or "cunningly devised fable." It appears that in this case the variations in oral tradition had proceeded to an extent which was causing some anxiety as to the "certainty" of the original incidents and discourses. Accordingly, several persons had undertaken to sift

the varying traditions, for the purpose of "fully establishing" what should be made the foundation for Christian instruction. Luke is one of those who has undertaken this task: he has set himself to "trace the course of all things accurately from the first," and to present his results in the order of chronological succession. The "most excellent Theophilus" to whom Luke addressed himself is understood by many historians to be a prominent individual. But Theophilus means God-lover: the address may be to "excellent Christians" in general, just as so many modern prefaces addressed themselves to the "gentle reader."

When in the light of what this Preface discloses we examine the Four Gospels, we are struck with the fact that one of the four seems to stand apart from the other three. This is the Gospel of Mark.

THE GOSPEL OF MARK

This gospel impresses the reader as a series of independent sections, each complete in itself, in contrast with the other three gospels, which are elaborate literary works, each with a plan extending from beginning to end. Among historians who have carefully investigated the origin of the four gospels a considerable body of thought recognizes the Gospel of Mark as actually used by Matthew and Luke in the compilation of their work. Some see suggestions of Peter, or one of Peter's immediate followers, as the author of this gospel of Mark. However these things may be, we are safe in connecting this book with one of the earlier stages in the process revealed by the Preface to Luke: we seem in Mark's gospel to have the notes of some evangelist made to be the basis of his oral instruction. Many explanations in Mark of terms which would be perfectly familiar to Jewish readers suggest that we have here instructions prepared for Gentile Christians. And we are thus, in Mark's gospel, brought one stage nearer to the original "eyewitnesses and ministers of the word": a succession of graphic touches, as from an eyewitness, seems to bring us into the immediate presence of the incidents narrated. We shall thus catch the spirit of this book best if we read it, not as a continuous narrative, but as so many vivid pictures of the ministry

of Jesus. We have in the gospel of Mark not so much a history as historic memoirs.

After an introductory section which, in the fewest possible words, disposes of all that precedes the opening of Jesus's ministry, we have a section which reads as a sample day in the life work of Jesus. In another section we catch the idea of the public sensation caused by the wonders of healing, and by the way in which Jesus breaks with the religious ideals of the age. The note of crowding multitudes runs through many sections: this leads to the formation of an inner circle of disciples, with parables for the multitude and interpretations for the inner circle. The growing crowds catch the attention of Herod; they bring a deputation from the religious leaders of Jerusalem; they give occasion for a miracle of feeding. Some of the sections are made distinctive by local color: we have incidents from the different sides of the Lake of Galilee; Jesus goes abroad, and we have the incident of the Syro-Phoenician woman. Some of the sections are notable works of healing; or, we have the incident of Jesus and the little children, of Jesus and the rich youth, of Jesus and the poor widow who casts her mite into the treasury. One section impressively draws together the woman who poured precious ointment upon the feet of Jesus and the beginning of treason in the mind of Judas Iscariot. Of course, many sections are constituted by what, in all the gospels, are the landmarks in the life of Christ: the recognition of the Messiah by Peter, and the announcement of his suffering; the Royal Entry into Jerusalem; the challenge of Christ's authority, and the test questions by which he is encountered; the arrest in Gethsemane and trial of Jesus before Pilate. Even in regard to the final stages what is here given seems to be incidents in the crucifixion, and a single incident of the resurrection. A concluding section supposed by some historical critics to be a substitute for a lost portion of the book- seems to be a summary of incidents in which Jesus manifests himself to his followers after the resurrection.

As has been already remarked, the narrative in this gospel is filled with touches of detail which bespeak the eyewitness of the incidents related. We are never allowed to forget the crowding of the multitudes, which drives Jesus into desert places to seek

privacy, while, if he enters a house, the whole city is gathered at the door. Other gospels bring out the exceeding difficulty with which the disciples receive the revelation of the Messiah's sufferings it is Mark who tells us how on the very mountain of the Transfiguration the disciples "wist not what to answer" and "became sore afraid"; how again "they understood not the saying and were afraid to ask him"; how, in the going up to Jerusalem, "Jesus was going before them, and they were amazed, and they that followed were afraid." Elsewhere, among the test questions addressed to Jesus, we have the scribe's inquiry as to the greatest commandment in the law: Mark has preserved the separateness of this from the other test questions, how the scribe did homage to the grandeur of Jesus's reply, and Jesus recognized the different spirit of this questioner. The notable works of healing which make independent sections for Mark do not in their essence differ from the ministry of healing which fills the whole life of Jesus; they are notable by reason of the fulness of detail remembered by the eyewitness. In the healing of the deaf man it is told how —

Jesus took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

Similarly in the healing of blind Bartimæus it is said that

Many rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and said, Call ye him. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good cheer: rise, he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, sprang up, and came to Jesus.

And the narrative of Mark alone preserves one detail of the arrest: the young man, roused from sleep, with a linen cloth cast hastily on his body, hanging curiously about the procession, until at the first touch of an officer he leaves his garment and flees away naked. The detail has no relevance to the sacred character of the events; but it gives a wonderful touch of vivid weirdness

to the picture of that moment of panic. The gospel of Mark is a treasure house of picturesque narrative.

GOSPELS OF LUKE AND MATTHEW

In contrast with the incidental narrative of Mark the other three gospels are all elaborate literary works with a connected scheme of thought running through each. One of the three, we shall see later, is highly individual in its matter and treatment. But in the gospels of Luke and Matthew the matter is the same that has been presented by Mark. Indeed, the three, Matthew, Mark and Luke, are often called the "synoptic gospels"; the aim of all three is to present a "comprehensive" view of Jesus and his ministry, special aspects of which are the theme of John. In the way, however, in which Luke and Matthew treat the common material there is a marked contrast, which enhances the interest of both. It may be convenient, first, to follow with some fulness of detail the gospel of Matthew; when this has been understood the simpler treatment of Luke can be more briefly indicated.

In Matthew the connection of thought is not chronological, but philosophical. Incidents and discourses are drawn from various parts of the life of Jesus, and are massed together at the points where they will be most effective. This philosophical arrangement of the matter is the easier to trace because of a peculiarity of Hebrew literature. In all languages there is a tendency for methodical thinking to reflect itself in methodical schemes of arrangement. Thus, it used to be said of Mr. Gladstone that he could never make a set speech without laying down that there were three courses to choose between. Hebrew writers when they are methodical tend, not to a threefold, but a sevenfold structure. This is often found in the Old Testament, and it becomes a marked feature of Matthew's style. The collection of Christ's teaching which we call the Sermon on the Mount is arranged by Matthew in seven natural divisions; the seventh of these is a series of seven separate sayings, and the first division is a beatitude expanded by a sevenfold illustration. Other evangelists show different expeditions of apostles sent out by Jesus, each with brief instructions: Matthew gathers all these instructions together into a single