Chapter XXII.—Of the Order of the Incidents Which are Recorded After This Section and of the Question Whether Matthew, Mark, and Luke are Consistent with Each Other in These.

53. Matthew, accordingly, continues his narration thus: “Now when the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed with devils; and He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all that were sick: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”385    Matt. viii. 16–18. That this belongs in date to the same day, he indicates with sufficient clearness by these words which he subjoins, “Now when the even was come.” In a similar manner, after concluding his account of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law with the sentence, “And she ministered unto them,” Mark has appended the following statement: “And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto Him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed of the devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And He healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew Him. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place.”386    Mark i. 31–35. Here Mark appears to have preserved the order in such wise, that after the statement conveyed in the words “And at even,” he gives this note of time: “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day.” And although there is no absolute necessity for supposing either that, when we have the words “And at even,” the reference must be to the evening of the very same day, or that when the phrase “In the morning” meets us, it must mean the morning 387    Diluculum, dawn. after the self-same night; still, however that may be, this order in the occurrences may fairly appear to have been preserved with a view to an orderly arrangement of the times. Moreover, Luke, too, after relating the story of Peter’s mother-in-law, while he does not indeed say expressly, “And at even,” has at least used a phrase which conveys the same sense. For he proceeds thus: “Now when the sun had set,388    Occidisset. all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them. And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And He, rebuking them, suffered them not to speak: for they knew that He was Christ. And when it was day, He departed and went into a desert place.”389    Luke iv. 40–42. Here, again, we see precisely the same order of times preserved as we discovered in Mark. But Matthew, who appears to have introduced the story of Peter’s mother-in-law not according to the order in which the incident itself took place, but simply in the succession in which he had it suggested to his mind after previous omission, has first recorded what happened on that same day, to wit, when even was come; and thereafter, instead of subjoining the notice of the morning, goes on with his account in these terms: “Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave commandment to depart unto the other side of the lake.”390    Matt. viii. 18. This, then, is something new, differing from what is given in the context by Mark and Luke, who, after the notice of the even, bring in the mention of the morning. Consequently, as regards this verse in Matthew, “Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave commandment to depart unto the other side of the lake,” we ought simply to understand that he has introduced here another fact which he has had brought to mind at this point,—namely, the fact that on a certain day, when Jesus had seen great multitudes about Him, He gave instructions to cross to the other side of the lake.

CAPUT XXII. De ordine rerum quas post hoc narrant utrum nil inter se dissentiant Matthaeus, Marcus et Lucas.

53. Sequitur ergo Matthaeus dicens: Vespere autem facto, obtulerunt ei multos daemonia habentes. et ejiciebat spiritus verbo, et omnes male habentes curavit; ut adimpleretur quod dictum est per Isaiam prophetam dicentem, Ipse infirmitates nostras accepit, et aegrotationes portavit (Matth. VIII, 16-18). Hoc ad ejusdem diei tempus pertinere satis indicat, cum conjungit, Vespere autem facto. Sic et Marcus cum de ipsa socru Petri sanata dixisset, Et ministrabat eis; hoc idem subjecit: Vespere autem facto cum occidisset sol, afferebant ad eum omnes male habentes, et daemonia habentes; et erat omnis civitas congregata ad januam: et curavit multos qui vexabantur variis languoribus; et daemonia multa ejiciebat; et non sinebat ea loqui, quoniam sciebant eum. Et diluculo valde surgens egressus est et abiit in desertum locum (Marc. I, 31-35). Videtur hic ordinem tenuisse Marcus, ut post illud quod dictum est, Vespere autem facto, deinde diceret, Et diluculo valde surgens. Quamvis nec illud necesse sit, ubi dicitur, Vespere autem facto, ejusdem diei vesperum accipere; 1103 nec ubi dicitur, diluculo, ejusdem noctis diluculum: tamen utcumque videri potest hic rerum gestarum ordo servatus, propter digestum ordinem temporum. Lucas quoque cum de socru Petri narrasset, non ait ipse, Vespere autem facto; sed tamen quod idem significaret adjunxit, dicens: Cum sol autem occidisset, omnes qui habebant infirmos variis languoribus, ducebant illos ad eum: at ille singulis manus imponens curabat eos. Exibant etiam daemonia a multis clamantia et dicentia, Quia tu es Filius Dei. Et increpans, non sinebat ea loqui, quia sciebant ipsum esse Christum. Facta autem die, egressus ibat in desertum locum (Luc IV, 40-42). Et hic videmus eumdem prorsus ordinem temporum custoditum, quem comperimus apud Marcum. Matthaeus autem qui videtur non ordine quo gestum est, sed quo praetermissum recolit, hoc de socru Petri commemorasse, posteaquam narravit quid ipso die, facto etiam vespere, gestum sit, jam non subjungit diluculum, sed ita narrat: Videns autem Jesus turbas multas circum se, jussit ire trans fretum. Jam hoc aliud est, non illud quod Marcus et Lucas contexunt, qui post vesperum diluculum ponunt. Quod ergo hic dictum est, Videns autem Jesus turbas multas circum se, jussit ire trans fretum, aliud eum recordatum interposuisse debemus accipere, quod die quodam cum vidisset Jesus turbas multas circum se, jussit ire trans fretum.