AMONG the Protestants, Godfry Olearius wrote eighty two Sacred Observations upon this Evangelist, in Latin; printed at Lipsick, in 1713, in 4to. In the first he examines the Title of the Gospels, and inclines to think that it was placed by the Evangelists themselves. In the two next he maintains, that we have the Gospel of St. Matthew in the same Order and Sequel with which it was composed. The other Seventynine are spent in explaining so many Passages of this Gospel. But the Author has affected to cite only Protestants, whom he does not fail to honour with magnificent Enco- miums. Besides, he has inserted Lutheran Doctrines in Places, where there was no thought of them: For example; we find the Ubiquity where he is speaking of the Transfiguration in the fifty seventh Observation, the Equality between St. John’s Baptism, and that of Jesus Christ, in the sixty-fourth, Justification by Imputation in the seventy-eighth, and so of the rest. He likewise put out other Observations on the Transfiguration, according to St. Matthew, and the Chapters 11, 12. at Lipsick, in 1709, in 4to. Upon the Lord’s Prayer, at Helmstadt, in 1710, in 4to. He was of Misnia, a Lutheran, Professor at Lipsick; and died in 1715.
Thomas James, or Jamesius, put out an Index of Passages in the Fathers upon every Verse of the fifth Chapter of St. Matthew. It was printed at London, in 1624, in 8vo. We speak of him elsewhere, on the score of his Bellum Papale. See his Title.
James Elsner has made an Observation on the ninth Verse of the third Chapter. It is in the Bibliotheca Philologica, Tom. 6. p. 186.
John George Altman has made a Philological Observation on the Cock’s crowing; wherein he produces what Authors have said of it, and believes that by it may be meant a Trumpet; in the same Collection, tom. 5. p. 451, 456.
Adrian Reland wrote likewise a Discourse in Latin on the Cock’s crowing; printed at Utrecht, in 1709, in 12mo. His whole design is to explain how it happen’d that St. Peter should hear the Voice of this Animal, since it was forbidden to have any of them in Jerusalem, as the Law imported; lest by scratching the Earth with their Feet, they should produce any unclean Creatures. He answers the Objections which seem to destroy this Prohibition; and his Replies shew abundance of Erudition. Afterwards he removes this Difficulty by saying, that the Cock, here in question, was perhaps without the City, and might easily be heard by St. Peter; or that the Cock might be in Pilate’s House, or in some Roman Soldier’s, who did not trouble himself about the Jewish Observances.