or Gospel of St MATTHEW, a canonical book of the New Testament.

St MATTHEW wrote his gospel in Judea, at the request of those he had converted; and it is thought he began in the year 41, eight years after Christ's resurrection. It was written, according to the testimony of all the ancients, in the Hebrew or Syriac language; but the Greek version, which now passes for the original, is as old as the apostolical times.

St MATTHEW the Evangelist's Day, a festival of the Christian church, observed on September 21st.

St MATTHEW, the son of Alpheus, was also called Levi. He was of a Jewish original, as both his names discover, and probably Galilean. Before his call to the apostolate, he was a publican or toll-gatherer to the Romans; an office of bad repute among the Jews, on account of the covetousness and exaction of Matthew, those who managed it; St Matthew's office particularly consisting in gathering the customs of all merchandise that came by the sea of Galilee, and the tribute that passengers were to pay who went by water. And here it was that Matthew sat at the receipt of customs, when our Saviour called him to be a disciple. It is probable, that, living at Capernaum, the place of Christ's usual residence, he might have some knowledge of him before he was called. Matthew immediately expressed his satisfaction in being called, to this high dignity, by entertaining our Saviour and his disciples at a great dinner at his own house, whither he invited all his friends, especially those of his own profession, hoping, probably, that they might be influenced by the company and conversation of Christ. St Matthew continued with the rest of the apostles till after our Lord's ascension. For the first eight years afterwards, he preached in Judea. Then he betook himself to propagating the gospel among the Gentiles, and chose Ethiopia as the scene of his apostolical ministry; where it is said he suffered martyrdom, but by what kind of death is altogether uncertain. It is pretended, but without any foundation, that Hyrcacus, king of Ethiopia, desiring to marry Iphigenia, the daughter of his brother and predecessor Agrippus, and the apostle having represented to him that he could not lawfully do it, the enraged prince ordered his head immediately to be cut off. Baronius tells us, the body of St Matthew was transported from Ethiopia to Bithynia, and from thence was carried to Salernum in the kingdom of Naples in the year 954, where it was found in 1880, and where Duke Robert built a church bearing his name.

St MATTHEW, a town of Spain, in the kingdom of Arragon, seated in a pleasant plain, and in a very fertile country watered with many springs. W. Long. o. 15. N. Lat. 40. 22.

MATTHEW of Paris. See PARIS.

MATTHEW of Westminster, a Benedictine monk and accomplished scholar, who wrote a history from the beginning of the world to the end of the reign of Edward I. under the title of Flores Historiarum; which was afterwards continued by other hands. He died in 1380.

St MATTHIAS, an apostle, was chosen instead of Judas. He preached in Judea and part of Ethiopia, and suffered martyrdom. See the Acts of the Apostles, chap. i. There was a gospel published under Matthias's name, but rejected as spurious; as likewise some traditions, which met with the same fate.

St MATTHIAS'S Day, a festival of the Christian church, observed on the 24th of February. St Matthias was an apostle of Jesus Christ, but not of the number of the twelve chosen by Christ himself. He obtained this high honour upon a vacancy made in the college of the apostles by the treason and death of Judas Iscariot. The choice fell on Matthias by lot; his competitor being Joseph called Barjafas, and surname Jusfas. Matthias was qualified for the apostleship, by having been a constant attendant upon our Saviour all the time of his ministry. He was, probably, one of the 70 disciples. After our Lord's resurrection, he preached the gospel first in Judea. Afterwards Afterwards it is probable he travelled eastwards, his residence being principally near the irruption of the river Aplarus and the haven Ilyius. The barbarous people treated him with great rudeness and inhumanity; and, after many labours and sufferings in converting great numbers to Christianity, he obtained the crown of martyrdom; but by what kind of death, is uncertain.—They pretend to show the relics of St Matthias at Rome; and the famous abbey of St Matthias near Treves boasts of the same advantage: but doubtless both without any foundation. There was a gospel ascribed to St Matthias; but it was universally rejected as spurious.