PREFACE TO VOL II. WHO S. Mark was, and when he wrote his Gospel are questions scarcely satisfactorily answered. The general opinion is that he was no other than John Mark, the cousin of S. Barnabas. In L Peter, v. 13, mention is made of Mark, whom S. Peter calls his son. He was his assistant and secretary in Rome. Some imagine S. Mark an abridgment of S. Matthew; but it is not. Mark is more particular in small things, omits a great many of Our Lord's sayings, and supplies many omissions. This Gospel is supposed to have been written from S. Peter's dictation, or to have been taken down from his preaching in Rome. It was written in Greek, but a translation into Latin was made in the Evangelist's lifetime. S. Mark was the first Archbishop of Alexandria in Egypt, where he received the martyr's Little more is known concerning him. crown. Seeing that this Gospel is quite distinct from S. Matthew, we shall continue the Gloss upon passages which were noted in S. Matthew; because it is not pleasant to be referred from one volume to another, especially if the reader does not happen to have the other. The notes on S. Mark and S. Luke will make one volume and as they are so diverse in a great deal of their matter, we consider it prudent, even though incurring the blame of repetition, to make our notes on both fuller than is usually done. It is believed that Mark knew Matthew's Gospel, but had the Syro-Chaldaic copy only. That Mark wrote for others rather than the Jews is evident from his omission of parables which suited them only. He neither upbraids the Pharisees nor mentions the Law. He is said to have been of the tribe of Levi and a Priest of the Old Law. |