Matthews, Henry, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was liorn in Prince George County, ]Md. Blessed with pious and good parents, he was early led to Christ, and connected himself with Asbur}' Cluu-ch, in Howard Count}'. In 1849 he moved to Baltimore, and joined the Sharp Street Church. In 1852 he was li- censed to preach, and in 1857 was ordained a local dea- con. In 1864 he joined the Washington Conference, just then organizing, and was appomted to Gunpowder Circuit, where he labored with great zeal for three years; was then appointed to West River Circuit, and in 1870 was stationed at Monocacy; but his health suddenly failed, and he was compelled to relinquish his arduous labors. He died Dec. 31, 1870. " Brother Matthews was a faithfid, plodding, deeply conscientious minister. Wherever he went his soliility of character was ac- knowledged ; and the firm faith which he himself re- posed in the doctrines he preached, and his prayerfiU reliance on (iod, stamped on his efforts unvaried suc- cess." See Conf. Minutes, 1871, p. 28.
Matthews, John, a Presbyterian minister, was born in Beaver Co., Pa., Feb. 7, 1778. He enjoyed the advantages of a good parental training, graduated at Jefferson College, Canonsburg, Pa., in 1807, and studied theology under Rev. Dr. John Mc^Millan. He was li- censed in 1809, and in 1810 ordained pastor of Gravel Run and Waterford churches; in 1817 he became an itinerating missionary, and took charge of the Church at Louisiana, Pike Co., Mo., where he continued itinera- ting, especially among the destitute of that vicinity, until 1825, when he settled at Apple Creek Church, in Cape Girardeau Co.,]Mo.; in 1827 he took charge of the Church at Kaskaskia. 111., thence went to IMissouri, where he la- bored till his health failed, and then removed to George- town, 111., where he died. Jlay 12, 1861. Jlr. Matthews was characterized by a cheerful and warm-hearted dis- position. As a pastor he was faithful and zealous ; as a friend, kind and affectionate. See Wilson, Presb. Hist, A Imanac, 1862, p. 102. (J. L. S.)
MATTHEWS
899
MATTHIAS
Matthews, William, a Quaker preacher, was born in Stafford Co., Va., in 1732. His parents died when he was quite young. He entered the ministry at twenty-three years of ago, and gave convincmg evi- dence of a heavenly caU. Matthews was a man of sound judgment and great Christian piety. He spent several j-ears in ministerial work in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The exact date of his death is not known. See Janney, Hist, of Friends, iii, 398.
Matthew's (St.) Day, a festal daj- observed in the Koman Catholic and the Anglican churches on Sept. 21, and in the Greek churches on Nov. 16, is mentioned in St. Jerome's Comes, and was tirst generally observed in the 11th century. — Walcott, Sac, Archcuol. s. v.
Matthia, Johann, a noted Swedish prelate, was born in Ostrogothia in 1592, and after enjoying the best educational advantages of his country, entered the min- istry. After tilling several important positions, he be- came court preacher and almoner to Gustavus Adol- phus. He was next appointed preceptor to Christina, the daughter of that monarch, and was created bishop of StrengnLis in 1643. He died in 1670. Matthia wrote several moral and theological v/orks, the most important of which are, Opuscula Theolor/ira (Strengniis, 1661, 8vo) : — Sacrce Disquisitvmes ad refutandos Epicureos, atheos et fanaticos (Stockholm, 1G69, 4to). See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gen. vol. xxxiii, s. v.
Matthi'as (MarS/ac, a contraction of Matithiah or Matthew, a form frequently met with in Josephus [see below]), one of the constant attendants from the tirst upon our Lord's ministry, who was chosen by lot, in preference to Joseph Barsabas, into the number of the apostles, to supply the vacancy caused by the treachery and suicide of Judas (Acts i, 23-26). A.D. 29. We may accept as probable the opinion which is shared by Eusebius (//. E. lib. i, 12) and Epiphanius (i, 20) that he was one of the seventy disciples. He is said to have preached the Gospel in /Ethiopia (Niceph. ii, 40 ; ac- cording to Sophronius, " in altera /Ethiopia," i. e. Col- chis ; comp. Cellar. Xotit. ii, 309), or Cappadocia accord- ing to Cave, and to have at last suffered martyrdom (comp. Menalofj. Gnec. iii, 198). According to another tradition, he preached in Jud;ua, and was stoned to death by the Jews (see Prionii Vitie Apostol, p. 178; Acta Sanctorum, Feb. 24; comp. Augusti, Denkwurdirjk. iii, 241). There was early an apocryphal gospel bearing his name (Eusebius, //. E. iii, 25, 3; Clemens Alex. Strom., ii, 163; vii, 318; Grabii Spicileg. patr. ii, 1, p. 117 ; Fabric. Cod. apocr. N. T. i, 782 sq.).
" Different opinions have prevailed as to the manner of the election of Matthias. The most natural con- struction of the words of Scripture seems to be this: After the address of Peter, the whole assembled body of the brethren, amounting in number to about 120 (Acts i, 15), proceeded to nominate two, namely, Joseph, sur- named Barsabas, and ^Matthias, who answered the re- quirements of an apostle : the subsequent selection be- tween the two was referred in prayer to him who, luiow- ing the hearts of men, knew which of them was the fitter to be his witness and apostle. The brethren then, un- der the heavenly guidance which they had invoked, proceeded to give forth their lots, probably by each writing the name of one of the candidates on a talilet, and casting it into the urn. The urn was then shaken, and the name that first came out decided the election. Lightfoot {ITor. Heb. Luc. i, 9) describes another way of casting lots which was used in assigning to the priests their several parts in the service of the Temple. The apostles, it will be remembered, had not yet received the gift of the Holy Ghost, and this solemn mode of casting the lots, in accordance with a practice enjoined in the Levitical law (Lev. xvi, 8), is to be regarded as a way of referring the decision to God (comp. Prov. xvi, 33). Chrysostom remarks that it was never repeated after the descent of the Holy Spirit, The election of Mat- thias is discussed by bishop Beveridge {\Vorks,\o\.\,