ST. MATTHIAS.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."]
have been much interested by the discussion in your columns touching the election of Matthias ; may I be permitted to suggest some reasons for differing from the view your corre- spondents take of the Apostles' conduct. We know that the number twelve had a special meaning to Jews, as representing the twelve tribes ; we find twelve representative stones in the high priest's breastplate, twelve stones of witness to mark the passage of Jordan, twelve spies sent to search the Promised Land. Did not our Lord's choice of twelve disciples point to the restoration of the twelve tribes, an object always dear to a Jewish heart? The loss of one apostle would be felt as in old time the destruction of the tribe of Benjamin was felt, Judges xxi. 6. St. Peter only expresses the general thought that their body was incomplete, and one must be chosen to fill up the significant number of witnesses to the resurrection.
As to the manner of the election, casting lots was a recognized method of seeking Divine guidance, before the sure guidance of the Holy Spirit was among them. For many ages it was a recognized custom that " the lot was cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof was of the Lord." They elected two, doubtless the most approved for piety ; and the election was con- ducted with great solemnity, preceded by prayer for Divine guidance. For those who remembered that not a sparrow would fall without their Father's knowledge," it was natural to believe that this important lot would not fall unguided. (The falling of the lots may be purely mechanical, but the action of the individual who impels them renders natural law subservient to spirit.) I freely grant the apostleship of St. Paul, who hardly took up his apostleship before the beheading of St. James, but the argu- ment against the apostleship of Matthias, on the ground of the silence of Scripture about him, tells with equal force against half the Apostolic body. What do we know of the work done by Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, or Simon Zelotes ? Apologizing for the length of this letter, I am, Sir, &c.,
P.S.—It is an interesting question, wherein Apostles differed from other Christians. Prominence in the Scripture narrative is certainly no mark of apostleship, else Paul, Barnabas, Apollos, and Silas might have places among apostles before some of those who are so ranked.
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