Matthew. In matters less important they might of course
have omitted here and there points that seemed to them su-
perfluous; but this privilege of absolute divorce could hardly
appear to them too insignificant a thing to be neglected. Be-
sides, all the verses preceding and following the disputed
verse in St. Matthew leave no room for the exception in favor
of adultery read into Scripture by Protestantism. Such an
exception is justifiable only when the passage in question ad-
mits of no other possible meaning. We have already seen
seven different meanings, each of which admirably fits the
words and admits of defense. Last of all, everybody admits
that St. Matthew in these particular passages is obscure and
hard to understand. St. Mark find St. Luke are on the con-
trary clear as crystal, and impress the mind with their sim-
plicity. It is against all rules of interpretation to endeavor



RIGHT INTERPRETATION 335

to fix the meaning of simple and straightforward statements
by reference to statements that are intricate and involved.
St. Matthew should, therefore, be elucidated with light bor-
rowed from St. Mark and St. Luke ; and any contrary method
merits the contempt of scholars.
