testimony of the Muratorian canon and the Syriac version, called the
Peshito, which belong to the last quarter of the second century, and the
still earlier testimony of the Old Latin version. In a word, the book is
placed by Eusebius among those that were universally acknowledged by the
churches.

The rejection of the book by certain heretical sects, as the
Ebionites, Marcionites, Manichaeans, etc., is of no weight, as
their objections rested not on historical, but on doctrinal
grounds. As to the statement of Photius that "some call Clement
of Rome the author, some Barnabas, and some Luke the
evangelist," it is to be remarked that he is giving not his own
judgment, for he expressly ascribes it to Luke, but the
arbitrary opinions of certain persons; and these are
contradicted by the obvious fact that the third gospel, which
proceeded from the same hand as the Acts of the Apostles, was
never ascribed to any other person than Luke.

3. The _internal testimony_ to Luke's authorship is decisive. The writer
himself, in dedicating it to the same Theophilus, expressly identifies
himself with the author of the third gospel: "The former treatise have I
made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach."
Acts 1:1. Then there is a remarkable agreement in style and diction
between the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, as any one may
learn who peruses them both together in the original Greek. Davidson,
Introduction to the New Testament, vol. 2, p. 8, has collected
forty-seven examples of "terms that occur in both, but nowhere else in
the New Testament." Luke, moreover, as the travelling companion of Paul,
had all needed facilities for composing such a work. With regard to the
latter portion of the book, this is denied by none. His use of the first
person plural, "we endeavored," "the Lord had called us," "we came,"
etc.--which first appears, chap. 16:10, and continues, with certain
interruptions, through the remainder of the book--admits of but one
natural and reasonable explanation, namely, that when he thus joins
himself with the apostle he was actually in his company. As it respects
the first part of the book, we notice that he visited Caesarea with
Paul's company, and "tarried there many days," chap. 21:8-10; afterwards
he went up with him to Jerusalem, chap. 21:15. We find him again with
Paul at Caesarea when he sets out for Rome. Chap. 27:1. Now at such