S. Lukes Ghospel may be deuided into fiue partes.
The first part is, of the Infancie both of the Precursour, and of Christ himselfe: chap. 1.
and 2.
The second, of the Preparation that was made to the manifestation of Christ: chap. 3. and a
piece of the 4.
The third, of Christs manifestating himselfe, by preaching and miracles specially in Galilee:
the other piece of the 4. chap. vnto the middes of the 17.
The fourth of his comming into Iurie towards his Passion: the other piece of the 17. hap. vnto
the middes of the 19.
The fifth, of the Holy weeke of this Passion in Hierusalem: the other part of the 19. chap.
vnto the end of the booke.
S. Luke was Sectatour (saith S. Hierome
✟
Hier. in Catalogo.
) that is, a Disciple of the Apostle Paul, and
a companion of al his peregrination. And the same we see in the Actes of the Apostles: Where,
from the 16. chap. S. Luke putteth himself in the traine of S. Paul, writing thus in the storie.
Forthwith we sought goe into Macedonia. And in like manner, in the first person, commonly
through the rest of that booke. Of him and his Ghospel, S. Hierom vnderstandeth this saying of S.
Paul:
*
2. Cor. 8,18.
We haue sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the Ghospel through al Churches.
Where also he addeth: Some suppose, so often as Paul in his Epistles saith, according
to my Ghospel, that he meaneth of Lukes booke. And againe: Luke learned the Ghospel
not only of the Apostle Paul, who had not been with our Lord in flesh, but of other
Apostles; which himself also in the beginning of his booke declareth, saying: As they deliuered
to vs who them selues from the beginning saw, & were
*
Luc. 1,2.
Ministers of the Word. It foloweth
in S. Hierome: Therfore he wrote the Ghospel, as he had heard; but the Actes of the Apostles
he compiled as he had seen. S. Paul writeth of him by name to the Colossians:
*
Col. 4,14.
Luke the
Phisicion saluteth you. And to Timothie:
*
2, Tim. 4,11.
Luke alone is with me. Finally of his end
thus doth S. Hierom write:
✟
Hier. in Catalogo.
He liued fourescore and foure yeares, hauing no wife. He is
buried at Constantinople; to which citie his bones with the Relikes of Andrew the Apostle were
translated out of Achaia the twentith yeare of
✟
'Constantius
Constantinus: And of the same Translation
also in an other place against Vigilantius the Heretikes:
✟
Hier. con. Vigil. c. 2.
It grieueth him that the Relikes
of the Martyrs are couered with pretious couerings, and that they are not either tied in cloutes
or throwen to the dunghil. Why, are we then sacrilegious, when we enter the Churches of the
Apostles? Was
✟
'Constantius
Constantinus the Emperour
✟
The Heretike so counted the Catholikes for their honouring of Saints and Relikes.
sacrilegious, who translated to Constantinople the
holy Relikes of Andrew, Luke, and Timothie at which the Diuels rore, and the inhabiters of
Vigilantius confesse that they feele their presence?
His sacred body is now at Padua in Italie; Whither is was againe translated from
Constantinople.