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Did you ever see Jesus, the son of Jo- seph, the carpenter: and, if so, where? Answer. Yes, sir ; I saw him while I was collecting taxes, by the sea of Galilee. (5) Question. Did you afterwards make Jesus a great feast where a large company of publicans and sinners sat down with him, at the table? (6) Answer. That is so written. Question. You gave Jesus a feast after he had ap- pointed you a disciple? Answer. That is so written. Question. Did you write that document called "Matthew" in the New Testament ? Answer. Tradition says that I wrote it. (7) Question. Is it true, as you say in chapter 28, verses 5 to 7, that the angel told Magdalen that Jesus had risen from the dead, and had gone into Galilee? Answer. That was the tradition when I wrote. Question. Did you see that angel? Answer. No, I did not see the angel. (5) Matt. 9, V. 9. (6) Luke 5, v. 29. (7) There is no certain proof that Matthew wrote the Gospel which bears his name, but I have here given him the benefit of a doubt. 312 A QUESTION OF MIRACLES Question. Tlien how did you know that tlic angel told Magdalen those things? Answer. Well, that was the rumor and tradition among the people. Question, Matthew, you say that Jesus himself met Magdalen and others near the tomb; and that he told them to have his brethren go into Galilee, where they would see him. (8) Is that true? Answer. That was the rumor and the report there in Palestine. Question. Do you mean to tell me, sir, that you wrote your Gospel on rumor and report ? Answer. There were a great many curious stories flying about, and I wrote down such things as I heard. Question. Did you write your Gospel on rumor? Answer. I wrote down what I heard. Question, Matthew, you say that the eleven dis- ciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had appointed, and when they saw him, some doubted. (9) Why did they doubt ? Answer. Well, they did not believe it was Jesus whom they saw. Else why should they doubt? Question, Matthew, you say (10) an angel de- scended from heaven and rolled the stone from the door of the sepulcher. Is that true? Answer. Well, that was a saying among the peo- ple. (8) Matt. 28, V. 9 and 10. (9) Matt. 28, V. 16 and 17, (10) Matt., ch. 28, v. 2, A QUESTION OF MIRACLES 313 Question. Did you, Matthew, see that angel de- scend from heaven which you say rolled the stone from the tomb? Answer. I did not see him. Question. Who told you about that angel? Answer. I heard that Mary Magdalen said she saw and talked to the angel. (11) Question. Did you see Jesus put into that tomb? Answer. I did not see him put there. Question. Did you see Jesus get out of the tomb ? Answer. I did not see him get out of the tomb. Question. Were you among the disciples when "the doors being shut," Jesus came through those doors and stood in the midst of them? (12) Answer. I never heard of that or I should have written about it. I know nothing about that. Question. Matthew, why did you not write some- thing about the ascension of Jesus into heaven ? Answer. Such a thing was not an article of faith when I wrote. I had never heard of it when I wrote. Question. But, sir, that was and is a very impor- tant matter. Why were you silent about it ? Answer. Some people possibly might have heard of it, but I had not. I should have written about it if I had heard of it. Question. Matthew, do you claim that you were inspired from heaven to write your Gospel? Answer. / never claimed that I was inspired. I (11) Matt. 28, V. 1 to 7. (12) John 20, V. 19, 314 A QUESTION OF MIRACLES sinij)])- wrote clown what was told me. There was no such thing as inspiration when I wrote. Question. Please state what you know about Jesus' ascension into heaven? Answer. I did not witness his ascension, and I know nothing about it, or I should have written about it. Question. Do you, Alatthew, know whether Jesus' ascension took place in Galilee or in Bethany, a little village about two miles from Jerusalem? Answer. I know nothing whatever about Jesus' as- cension or I should have written about it. Question. Were you, Matthew, present in Gethse- mane when Simon Peter cut off Malchus' ear? (13) Answer. I was not there. Question. In your Gospel you say : "Then all the disciples forsook Jesus and fled." (14) What made them run away. Why forsake him? Answer. There was a multitude against him. (15) Question. Did Jesus run away? Answer. No; but he might have escaped. Now, Matthew, I brand that as a base, cowardly act, that all the disciples fled and left Jesus in the hands of that murderous mob. Had they stood firm they might have saved him. (13) John 18, V. 10; Mark 14, v. 47. (14) Matt. 26, V. 56. (15) Matt. 26, V. 47. A QUESTION OF MIRACLES 315 Mr. Mark, please take the stand. Question. You wrote a Gospel, did you not? Answer. Yes, I wrote one, sir. Question. Matthew says there was an angel at the tomb; and that the angel talked to Magdalen and others. Now, Mark, please tell us all you know about that matter. Answer. Well, Matthew is wrong. It was not an angel at all. It was that young man (16) clothed in a white garment. Question. Matthew says an angel came, rolled back the stone from the door of the sepulcher ; Mark, please give us your version of that matter. Answer. I think it was that young man clothed in white that rolled the stone away. (17) Question. Mark, please tell us if you know abso- lutely that it was that young man, and not the angel, who rolled the stone away. Answer. What would be the use of sending an angel way down from the skies to do such a little thing as that? Could not that young man roll away the stone? A man rolled it there; and that young man no doubt rolled it away. (18) Question. You are sure, are you, Mark, that there was only one young man at the tomb when Magdalen came there that Sunday morning? Answer. I never heard of but one, and I am sure I am right. (19) (16) Mark 16, v. 5. (18) Mark 16, v. 5. (17) Mark 16, v. 5. (19) Mark 16, v. 5 to 8. 3i6 A QUESTION OF MIRACLES Question. But Luke says (20) there were two men in ^A/;/;//^' garments at the sepulcher; how is that? Answer. I say, as I said before, there was only one man at the tomb when Magdalen and those other women came. Question. How is this, IMark, that you are contra- dicted by John (21), who states that there were two angels in white at the tomb when Magdalen came? Answer. John is always extreme. He says Jesus made the world (22), and it is a wonder that he had not said ten angels instead of two, that were at the tomb. Question. Mark, you say ]\Iagdalen and Mary fled from the sepulcher, trembling and amazed; neither said they anything to any man; for they were afraid. (27,) Matthew contradicts you there, for he says those women "did run to bring the disciples zvord." (24) And Luke (25) also contradicts you, and John (26) is against you; for he says there were two angels in white and the angels talked to the women. Answer. They w-rote after I wrote, and while they don't agree with me, they do not agree with each other; for John {2y) says there were two angels, and Luke (28) insists there were two men at the tomb, and (20) Ch. 24, V. 4. (21) Ch. 20, V. 12. (22) John 1, V. 10. (23) Mark 16, v. 8. (24) Matt. 28, v. 7 and 8. (25) Ch. 24, V. 22 to 25. (26) Ch. 20, V. 12. (27) Ch. 20, V. 12. (28) Ch. 24, V. 4. A QUESTION OF MIRACLES 317 Matthew (29) says there was one angel, and an earth- quake ; and there was neither angel nor earthquake. Question. Do you, Mark, claim that you were in- spired to write your Gospel? Answer. No, I never claimed any inspiration; there was no such thing in my day. That is all, Mr. Mark, for the present. Mr. Luke, please take the stand. Question. Did you write a history of Jesus' min- istry and crucifixion, and the placing of his body in the sepulcher, and its disappearance therefrom ? Answer. Tradition has it that I did. Question. Now, Luke, you have stated in chapter 24 that on Sunday morning, when those women came bringing their spices, they found the stone already rolled away from the sepulcher ; and Matthew says an angel descended from heaven and rolled that stone back and sat upon it. Please tell us all you know about that interesting matter. Answer.