in the Preface, when he translated Christ's book
from the Hebrew tongue, and some from the Greek,
into the Latin speech, in which we learn.
He quoth that Luke said, even as it is very true,
that many men began to write the Gospel
without the direction of the Holy Ghost, and of the Saviour,
and according to their own will said even as it seemed to them,
and on them fell the curse which the prophet spake,
'Woe to them that prophesy out of their own heart,
and go after their own spirit, and say that God spake
that which they say, and God hath not sent them.'
Of such spake the Saviour also in a certain place,
'Carefully be ye ware of false prophets,
who came to you in sheeps' semblance,
and within they are ravening wolves.
But the orthodox church, which is established in Christ,
and fastened in Him, even as in a sure stone,
receiveth not the writings which such heretics
wrote of themselves without truth.
The first Evangelist, who was chosen by God,
[was] named Matthew, whom the Saviour chose
from being a worldly taxgatherer to be a spiritual Evangelist,
and he was one of the twelve servants of God;
he wrote the Gospel first in Hebrew,
which is set in order in the first book.
He wrote it in Hebrew for the Hebrew people
who in the land of Judea believed in Christ;
and desired, by that scripture whereon they were fed,
to confirm their faith, because he loved them;
