1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,



Ver. 1. Of all that Jesus began, &c.] If Hen. Stephanus could say of Laertius, that he wrote the lives of the philosophers aureo libello illo in that golden book of his; and (as another hath it) opere utilissimo, et auro contra non charo; {a} how much better may the same be said of the holy evangelists setting forth the oracles and miracles of Christ and his apostles! If Julius Scaliger thought twelve verses in Lucan better than the whole German empire, what high thoughts ought we to have of these divine records! In the monastery at Ratisbon is a New Testament written all in letters of gold, saith Melancthon, who saw it. (Joh. Manl. loc. com.) Gold was not good enough for such a purpose.



{a} Vos. de Hist. Graec. ii. 13.