(Transcriber's Note: This table of contents is added for readers' convenience, it does not appear in original book)

[PREFACE TO VOLUME IV.]
[PART I.]
[Chapter I.]JOHN THE BAPTIST BORN.
[Chapter II.]BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.
[Chapter III.]FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.
[Chapter IV.]THE INNOCENTS.
[Chapter V.]BAPTISM OF JESUS.
[Chapter VI.]JESUS TEMPTED OF THE DEVIL
[Chapter VII.]THE FIRST MIRACLE.
[Chapter VIII.]NICODEMUS COMES BY NIGHT TO JESUS.
[Chapter IX.]JOHN PUT INTO PRISON.
[Chapter X.]CALLING OF SIMON AND OTHERS.
[Chapter XI.]THE LEPER HEALED.
[Chapter XII.]CALLING OF MATTHEW.
[Chapter XIII.]THE PHARISEES' PRETENDED ZEAL FOR THE SABBATH.
[Chapter XIV.]THE APOSTLES CHOSEN.
[Chapter XV.]JESUS IN SIMON'S HOUSE.
[Chapter XVI.]STILLING THE TEMPEST, ETC.
[Chapter XVII.]DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.
[Chapter XVIII.]THE WOMAN OF TYRE.
[Chapter XIX.]THE TRANSFIGURATION.
[Chapter XX.]JESUS GOES TO THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES.
[Chapter XXI.]RETURN OF THE SEVENTY.
[Chapter XXII.]THE LORD'S PRAYER.
[Chapter XXIII.]HEALING OF THE MAN BORN BLIND.
[Chapter XXIV.]JESUS'S LAST JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM.
[Chapter XXV.]ZACCHÆUS AND LAZARUS.
[Chapter XXVI.]JESUS IN THE HOUSE OF SIMON THE LEPER
[Chapter XXVII.]CHRIST'S ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM.
[Chapter XXVIII.]THE VOICE FROM HEAVEN.
[Chapter XXIX.]DISCOURSES ON THE TUESDAY.
[Chapter XXX.]WEDNESDAY—JUDAS COVENANTS TO BETRAY JESUS.
[Chapter XXXI.]MODE OF CELEBRATING THE PASSOVER.
[Chapter XXXII.]THE LAST SUPPER.
[Chapter XXXIII.]JESUS IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.
[Chapter XXXIV.]JESUS BETRAYED.
[Chapter XXXV.]JESUS TAKEN BEFORE ANNAS AND CAIAPHAS.
[Chapter XXXVI.]JESUS CONDEMNED BY CAIAPHAS.
[Chapter XXXVII.]PETER'S THIRD DENIAL.
[Chapter XXXVIII.]JESUS SENT BY PILATE TO HEROD.
[Chapter XXXIX.]JESUS CONDEMNED.
[Chapter XL.]JESUS CONDEMNED BY PILATE.
[Chapter XLI.]JESUS CRUCIFIED.
[Chapter XLII.]CHRIST ON THE CROSS.
[Chapter XLIII.]JESUS DIES.
[Chapter XLIV.]JESUS RISES FROM THE SEPULCHRE.
[Chapter XLV.]CHRIST APPEARS TO MARY MAGDALENE.
[Chapter XLVI.]JESUS APPEARS TO THE DISCIPLES.
[Chapter XLVII.]UNBELIEF OF THOMAS.
[Chapter XLVIII.]JESUS TAKEN INTO HEAVEN.
[PART II.]
[Chapter I.]THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST.
[Chapter II.]THE LAME MAN HEALED BY PETER AND JOHN.
[Chapter III.]ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA.
[Chapter IV.]APPOINTMENT OF DEACONS.
[Chapter V.]THE FIRST MARTYR, STEPHEN.
[Chapter VI.]CONVERSION OF SAUL.
[Chapter VII.]SAUL JOINS THE CHURCH AT JERUSALEM.
[Chapter VIII.]PETER AND CORNELIUS.
[Chapter IX.]PETER DELIVERED FROM PRISON.
[Chapter X.]SAUL AND BARNABAS CALLED TO PREACH TO THE GENTILES.
[Chapter XI.]SAUL'S NAME CHANGED TO PAUL.
[Chapter XII.]ST. PAUL'S FIRST APOSTOLIC JOURNEY.
[Chapter XIII.]DECISION OF THE CHURCH AS TO OBSERVING THE MOSAICAL LAW.
[Chapter XIV.]PAUL AND SILAS AT PHILIPPI.
[Chapter XV.]ST. PAUL LEAVES PHILIPPI.
[Chapter XVI.]ST. PAUL BEFORE THE AREOPAGUS.
[Chapter XVII.]ST. PAUL FINISHES HIS SECOND APOSTOLIC JOURNEY.
[Chapter XVIII.]ST. PAUL AND THE SONS OF SCEVA.
[Chapter XIX.]ST. PAUL AT EPHESUS.
[Chapter XX.]ST. PAUL'S JOURNEY TO MILETUS.
[Chapter XXI.]ST. PAUL GOES UP TO JERUSALEM.
[Chapter XXII.]TUMULT AT JERUSALEM.
[Chapter XXIII.]ST. PAUL BROUGHT BEFORE THE SANHEDRIM.
[Chapter XXIV.]ST. PAUL SENT TO CÆSAREA.
[Chapter XXV.]ST. PAUL ACCUSED BEFORE FELIX.
[Chapter XXVI.]ST. PAUL BEFORE FESTUS.
[Chapter XXVII.]ST. PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA.
[Chapter XXVIII.]ST. PAUL BEGINS HIS FOURTH VOYAGE.
[Chapter XXIX.]THE SHIP RUNS AGROUND.
[Chapter XXX.]THE SHIP'S COMPANY SAVED.
[Chapter XXXI.]ST. PAUL A PRISONER AT ROME.
[Chapter XXXII.]ST. PAUL SET AT LIBERTY.
[Chapter XXXIII.]MARTYRDOM OF ST. PAUL AND ST. PETER.
[Chapter XXXIV.]VESPASIAN SENT INTO JUDAEA.
[Chapter XXXV.]DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.
[Chapter XXXVI.]ST. JOHN'S WRITINGS.
[Chapter XXXVII.]THE DEATH OF ST. JOHN.
[Chapter XXXVIII.]THE APOSTLES.
[PART III.]
[Chapter I.]THE JEWS TO THE TIME OF THE EMPEROR ADRIAN.
[Chapter II.]STATE OF THE JEWS TO THE END OF THE THIRD CENTURY.
[Chapter III.]JEWS IN THE FOURTH CENTURY.
[Chapter IV.]FIFTH AND SIXTH CENTURIES.
[Chapter V.]RISE OF MAHOMETANISM.
[Chapter VI.]TENTH AND ELEVENTH CENTURIES.
[Chapter VII.]TWELFTH CENTURY.
[Chapter VIII.]IMPOSTORS IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY.
[Chapter IX.]THIRTEENTH CENTURY IN ENGLAND AND FRANCE.
[Chapter X.]THIRTEENTH CENTURY CONCLUDED.
[Chapter XI.]END OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.
[Chapter XII.]THE JEWS AND THE INQUISITION.
[Chapter XIII.]TREATMENT OF THE JEWS BY FERDINAND.
[Chapter XIV.]SEPARATION IN THE CHURCH.
[Chapter XV.]SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.
[Chapter XVI.]CONCLUSION.

PART I.

Chapter I.—JOHN THE BAPTIST BORN.

We have now seen that the Sceptre had departed from Judah. The whole country was subject to the Romans, who had appointed Herod to govern it for them; and the time was now come when the blessed promises, that "the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head," and that "in the seed of Abraham all nations of the earth should be blessed," were to be fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer; born of a woman, that thus being as Man upon the earth, He might suffer for man, and make that atonement for man, which He could only make because He was the Son of God. Unless the Messiah had been at once God and Man, He could have been no Saviour for man; no mediator between a holy God and His sinful creatures.

Very soon after the death of Herod's sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, the last princes of the Asmonean family, the wonderful events related in the New Testament began to take place. No doubt we are all well acquainted with the story of the priest Zacharias, a good and holy man, who, whilst performing his duty in the house of God, saw an Angel standing on the right side of the altar of incense. Zacharias was an old man, and his wife Elisabeth was also an old woman, and therefore when the Angel told him that the Lord would work as great a miracle as He had done in Abraham's case, and give a son to Elisabeth, as He had given Isaac to Sarah, Zacharias must indeed have been greatly astonished.

The Angel moreover told Zacharias, that this child, whom God would give him, was to be named John; and that he should be in an especial manner guided and protected by the Holy Spirit, for that he was to be the messenger spoken of by prophets, as sent to prepare the way for the Messiah, and give notice of His coming. Such particulars should have overcome any doubts which Zacharias might at the first moment have felt; but his faith failed him, and therefore, considering only the impossibility of such an event happening without the special interposition of the Lord, he, guided by sight and not by faith, presumed to ask for some sign, to assure him that what the Angel spake would really come to pass.

This sinful unbelief was punished, even whilst his faithless request was granted; for Zacharias immediately lost the power of speaking, and remained speechless for many months: but his unbelief was gone, and he certainly made his wife Elisabeth acquainted with the promises and directions spoken by the Angel.