FROM THE LATIN VULGATE; DILIGENTLY COMPARED WITHI WITH ANNOTATIONS, A CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX, TABLE OF REFERENCES, The following Letter of his Holiness PIUS THE SIXTH to the Most Rev. ANTHONY MARTINI, Archbishop of Florence, on his translation of the Holy Bible into Italian, shews the benefit which the faithful may reap from their having the Holy Scriptures in the Vulgar Tongue. POPE PIUS THE SIXTH. BELOVED SON, Health and Apostolical Benediction! At a time that a vast number of bad books, which grossly attack the Catholic religion, are circulated even among the unlearned, to the great destruction of souls, you judge exceedingly well, that the faithful should be excited to the reading of the Holy Scriptures; for these are the most abundant sources, which ought to be left open to every one, to draw from them purity of morals and of doctrine, to eradicate the errors which are so widely dissen.inated in those corrupt times: This you have seasonably effected, as you declare, by publishing the Sacred Writings in the language of your country, suitable to every one's capacity; especially when you shew and set forth, that you have added explanatory notes, which, being_extracted from the Holy Fathers, preclude every Possible danger of abuse. Thus you have not swerved either from the laws of the Congregation of the Index, or from the Constitution published on this subject by BENEDICT XIV., that immortal Pope, our predecessor in the Pontificate, and formerly, when We held a place near his person, our excellent Master in ecclesiastical learning,-circumstances which we mention as honourable to Us. We therefore applaud your eminent learning, joined with your extraordinary piety, and We return you our due acknowledgments for the books which you have transmitted to Us, and which, when convenient, We will read over. In the mean time, as a token of our Pontifical benevolence, receive our Apostolical Benediction, which to you, beloved Son, We very affectionately impart. Given at Rome, on the Calends of April, 1778, the fourth year of our Pontificace. PHILIP BUONAMICI, Latin Secretary. To our beloved Son, Anthony Martini, at Turin. (A Translation from the Latin Original.) TO THIS NEW EDITION OF THE DOUAY TESTAMENT, PUBLISHED BY MESSRS. ROBERT AND DANIEL READ, After being carefully collated with the most approved versions in the English language, I feel happy in giving my sanction and approbation. GIVEN AT BELFAST, This 18th day of March, 1846. } C. DENVIR. THE HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. ST. MATTHEW, one of the twelve Apostles, who from being a publican, that is, a tax-gatherer, was called by our Saviour to the Apostleship: in that profession, his name was LEVI: (Luke v. 27, and Mark ii, 14.) He was the first of the Evangelists that wrote the Gospel, and that in Hebrew, or Syro-Chaldaic, which the Jews in Palestine spoke at that time. The original is not now extant; but as it was translated in the time of the Apostles into Greek, that version was of equal authority. He wrote about six years after our Lord's Ascension. CHAP. I. The genealogy of Christ: he is conceiv ed and born of a virgin. THE book of the generation of JESUS CHRIST, the Son of David, the son of Abraham: 2 Abraham begot Isaac. And Isaac begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Judas and his brethren. 3 And Judas begot Phares and Zara of Thamar. And Phares begot Esron. And Esron begot Aram. 4 And Aram begot Aminadab. And Aminadab begot Naasson. And Naasson begot Salmon. 5 And Salmon begot Booz of Rahab. And Booz begot Obed of Ruth. And Obed begot Jesse. 6 And Jesse begot David the king And David the king begot Solomon, of her that had been the wife of Urias. 7 And Solomon begot Roboam. And Roboam begot Abia. And Abia begot Asa. 8 And Asa begot Josaphat. And Josaphat begot Joram. And Joram begot Ozias. 9 And Ozias begot Joatham. And Joatham begot Achaz. And Achaz begot Ezechias. 10 And Ezechias begot Manasses. And Manasses begot Amon. And Amon begot Josias. 11 And Josias begot Jechonias and his brethren in the transmigration of Babylon. 12 And after the transmigra tion of Babylon, Jechonias begot Salathiel. And Salathiel begot Zorobabel. 13 And Zorobabel begot Abiud. And Abiud begot Eliacim. And Eliacim begot Azor. 14 And Azor begot Sadoc. And Sadoc begot Achim. And Achim begot Eliud. 15 And Eliud begot Eleazar. And Eleazar begot Mathan. And Mathan begot Jacob. 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born JESUS, who is called CHRIST. 17 So all the generations, from Abraham to David, are fourteen generations. And from David to the transmigration of Babylon, are fourteen generations: and from the transmigration of Babylon to Christ are fourteen generations. 18 Now the generation of CHRIST was in this wise. When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Whereupon Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not Mary. The evangelist gives us rather |