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For it contains only those books, which were acknowledged by all in the time of Eufebe, and from the beginning, and feven other, which were then well known, and were next in esteem to those before mentioned, as univerfally acknowledged; and were more generally received as of authority, than any other controverted writings. Nor is there in them any thing inconfiftent with the facts, or principles, delivered in the univerfally acknowledged books. And moreover, there may be a great deal of reafon to think, that they are the genuine writings of thofe, to whom they are afcribed, and that the writers were apoftles. This evidence will be carefully examined, and diftinctly confidered, as we proceed.

In this canon likewife the above-mentioned rule is regarded. It is a fhort canon. For out of it are excluded many books, which might feem to make a claim to be ranked among facred and canonical fcriptures.

VI. There are not any books, befide thofe now generally received by us, that ought to be esteemed canonical, or books of authority.

I fuppofe this to be evident to all, who have carefully attended to the hiftorie in the feveral volumes of this work; and that there is no reason to receive, as a part of facred fcripture, the epiftle of Barnabas, the epiftle of Clement, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Recognitions, the Clementin Homibes, the Doctrine of the Apostles, the Apoftolical Conftitutions, the Gospel of Peter, or Matthias, or Thomas, the Preaching of Peter, the Acts of Peter and Paul, of Andrew and John and other Apoftles, the Revelation of Peter, and Paul, their Travels or Circuits. That thefe books were not received, as facred fcripture, or a part of the rule of faith, by Chriftians in former times, has been fhewn. Nor can they therefore be reasonably received by us as fuch.

The only writing of all thefe, that feems to make a fair claim to be a part of facred fcripture, is the epiftle of St. Barnabas, if genuine, as I(s) have fuppofed it to be. Nevertheless, I think, it ought not to be received as facred fcripture, or admitted into the canon, for these reafons.

I. It was not reckoned a book of authority, or a part of the rule of faith, by thofe ancient Chriftians, who have quoted it, and taken the greatest

notice of it.

Clement of Alexandria has (t) quoted this epiftle feveral times, but not as decifive, and by way of full proof, as we thewed. Nor is it fo quoted by (u) Origen. Nor is the epiftle of Barnabas in any of (x) Origen's catalogues of the books of Scripture, which we ftill find in his works, or are taken notice of by Eufebe. By that Ecclefiaftical Historian, in one place it is reckoned (y) among spurious writings, that is, fuch as were generally rejected and fuppofed not to be part of the New Teftament. At other times it is called by him (z) a contradicted book, that is, not received by all.

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to the Egyptians, fays with indignation: "But (1) they who choose to "follow any thing, rather than the true Evangelical Canon [or the ca"non of the Gospel] infift upon what follows there as faid to Salome." In another place he fays: "The (m) ecclefiaftical canon is the confent "and agreement of the Law and the Prophets with the teftament deli"vered by the Lord."

Eufebe, as (n) formerly quoted, fays of Origen: " But in the first book "of his Commentaries upon the Gospel of Matthew, obferving (o) the "ecclefiaftical canon, he declares, that he knew of four Gofpels only."

I shall add a few more pafiages from later writers, chiefly fuch as have been already quoted in the foregoing volumes: to which paffages therefore the reader may easily have recourse.

Athanafius (p) in his Feftal Epiftles fpeaks of three forts of books, the canonical, the fame which are now received by us, fuch as were allowed to be read, and then of fuch as are apocryphal : by which he means books forged by heretics.

In the Synopfis of Scripture, afcribed to him, but probably not writ till above a hundred years after his time, near the end of the fifth centurie, is frequent mention (q) of canonical and uncanonical books.

The council of Laodicea, about 363, ordains, that (q)" no books, not "canonical, fhould be read in the church, but only the canonical books " of the Old and New Teftament."

Rufin, enumerating the fcriptures of the Old and New Testament, makes (r) three forts of books, fuch (s) as are included in the canon, fuch as are not canonical, but ecclefiaftical, allowed to be read, but not to be alleged for proof of any doctrine, and lastly, apocryphal books, which were not to be publicly read.

Jerome likewife often fpeaks of the canon of Scripture, as we saw in his chapter, where he fays: "Ecclefiafticus, (t) Judith, Tobit, and the "Shepherd, are not in the canon:" and " that (u) the Church reads, or "allows to be read, Judith, Tobit, and the Maccabees, but does not re"ceive them among the canonical fcriptures: and that they, and the "books of Wisdom and Ecclefiafticus, may be read for the edification of "the people, but not as of authority, for proving any doctrines." And for the Old Teftament he recommends (x) the true Jewish canon, or Hebrew

(1) See Vol.ii. p. 529. or 527.

(η) Κανὼν δὲ ἐκκλησιαςικὸς ἡ συνωδία καὶ ἡ συμφωνία νόμε τε και προφητῶν τῆ καλὰ τὴν τῶ κυρία παρεσίαν παραδιδομένη διαθήκη. Cl. Strom. l. 6. p. 676. C. (n) Ch. 38. Vol. iii. p. 235.

(α) . . . τὸν ἐκκλησιαςικὸν φυλάτων κανόνα. Ap. Eufeb. 1. 6. c. 25. p. 226. Β. (p) See Vol. iii. p. 228. 229. (g) The fame. p. 243. 245. (g) The fame. p. 291. (r) See Vol. x. p. 187. 188.

..

) Hæc funt, quæ patres intra canonem concluferunt, & ex quibus fidei noftræ affertiones conftare voluerunt. . . . Sciendum tamen eft, quod alii libri funt, qui non funt canonici, fed ecclefiaftici a majoribus appellati funt... Quæ omnia legi quidem in ecclefiis voluerunt, non tamen proferri ad auctoritatem ex his fidei confirmandam. Ceteras vero fcripturas apocryphas no minarunt, quas in ecclefiis legi noluerunt. Rufin. citat. ubi fupra p. 185. not. (g) (x)... 52.

(t) Vol. x. p. 41.

(u)...p. 43.

Hebrew verity. I refer below (y) to another place relating to the books of the New Testament.

The third Council of Carthage, about 397. ordains, "that (z) nothing " befide the canonical scriptures be read in the Church under the name "Divine Scriptures."

Auguftin, in 395. and afterwards, often (a) fpeaks of canonical fcriptures, and the (b) whole canon of fcripture, that is, all the facred books of the Old and New Teftament. We "(c) read of fome, fays he, that they "fearched the fcriptures daily, whether thofe things were fo. Acts xvii. II. "What fcriptures, I pray, except the canonical fcriptures of the Law and "the Prophets? To them have been fince added the Gospels, the Epiftles "of Apoftles, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Revelation of John." Of the fuperior authority of the canonical fcriptures to all others, he speaks frequently in paffages afterwards alledged (d) in the fame chapter.

Chryfoftom in a place already cited (e) fays: "They (f) fall into great abfurdities, who will not follow the rule [or canon] of the divine "fcripture, but truft entirely to their own reafoning." I refer to another place (g) to the like purpose.

Says Ifidore of Pelufium, about 412. "That (i) thefe things are fo, we "fhall perceive, if we attend to the rule [canon] of truth, the divine "fcriptures."

And Leontius, of Conftantinople, about 610. having cited the whole catalogue of the books of fcripture from Genefis to the Revelation (k) concludes: "Thefe (1) are the ancient and new books, which are re"ceived in the Church as canonical."

By all which we difcern, how much the use of these words, canon and canonical, has obtained among Chriftians, denoting those books, which are of the highest authority, and the rule of faith: as opposed to all other whatever, particularly to ecclefiaftical, or the writings of orthodox and learned catholics, and to apocryphal, the productions, chiefly, of heretics, which by a fpecious name and title made a pretenfion to be accounted among facred books.

IV. The most common and general divifion of the canonical books, is that of ancient and new, or the Old and New Teftament. The Hebrew word, berith, from which

(v) Vol. x. p. 86.

Old and New

(z)...p. 193. (a)... p. 207.

Teftament.

it

(6) Totus autem canon fcripturarum . his libris continetur. Ib. not. (r)

p. 208.

(c)...p.252.

(e) Vol. xii. p. 126.

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(d) See p. 253.256, 259... 268.

(5) Ορᾶς, εἰς ὅσιν ατοπίαν ἐκπίπλωσιν οἱ μὴ βαλόμενοι τῷ τῆς θείας γραφῆς και τακολυθείν κανόνι. και λο In Gen. cap. 33. bom. 58. T. 4. p. 566, B.

(g) Vid. hom. 33. in A&. Ap. fub fin.

(1) Οτι δὲ ταῦτα ἔτως ἔχει, τὸν κανόνα τῆς ἀληθείας, τας θείας φημὶ γραφάς,

καπλεύσομεν. Ifid. ep. 114. 1. 4.

(k) See Vol. xi. p. 381.

(1) Ταῦτά ἐσι τὰ κανονιζόμενα βιβλία ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, καὶ παλαιά καὶ νέα,

tat. ibid. p. 380. not. (e)

Ci

it is tranflated, properly fignifies (m) covenant. St. Paul, 2 Cor. iii. 16. .... 18. fhewing the fuperior excellence of the gofpel-covenant, or the difpenfation by Christ, above the legal covenant, or the difpenfation by Mofes, ufeth the word teftament, not only for the covenant itself, but likewife for the books, in which it is contained. At least he does fo, in fpeaking of the legal covenant. For, reprefenting the cafe of the unbelieving part of the Jewish People, he fays, v. 14. Until this day remaineth the fame vail untaken away in reading the Old Teftament.

It is no wonder therefore, that this way of fpeaking has much prevailed among Chriftians. Melito, Bishop of Sardis, about the year 177. went into the Eaft, to get an exact account of the books of the Law and the Prophets. In his letter to his friend Onefimus, giving an account of his journey, and reckoning up the books in their order, he calls them (2) the ancient books, and (0) the books of the Old Testament. Eufebe calls it (p) "a catalogue of the acknowledged fcriptures of the Old Teftament." Our Ecclefiaftical Hiftorian elfewhere (9) fpeaks of the feriptures of the New Teftament. I fhall remind my readers of but one inftance more. Cyril of Jerufalem, introducing his catalogue of fcriptures received by the Chriftian Church, fays: "Thefe (r) things we are taught by the di"vinely inspired fcriptures of the Old and New Teftament." Many other like examples occur in the preceding volumes of this work.

V. Inftead of teftament Latin writers fometimes use the Inftrument. word inftrument, denoting writing, charter, record. We find it feveral times in Tertullian, reckoned the most ancient Latin writer of the Church now remaining. In a paffage already (s) cited he calls the Gospels, or the New Teftament in general, the Evangelic Inftrument. And fays, "How (t) large chafms Marcion has made in the "epiftle to the Romans, by leaving out what he pleafes, may appear from "our entire Inftrument:" or our unaltered copies of the New Teftament, particularly of that epiftle. Speaking of the Shepherd of Hermas, he fays, it (u) was not reckoned a part of the Divine Inftrument: thereby meaning, as it fecms, the New Teftament. Which paffage was quoted (*)

by

(m) Notandum, quod Brith, verbum Hebraicum, Aquila ouny, id eft, padum, interpretatur: Lxx femper dadin, id eft, teftamentum: et in plerifque fcripturarum locis teftamentum non voluntatem defunctorum fonare, fed pactum viventium. Hieron. in Malach. cap. ii, T. 3. p. 1816.

(π) Ετι δὲ καὶ μαθεῖν τὴν τῶν παλαιῶν βιβλίων ἐβε ήθης ακριβειαν. κ. λ. Αρ. Eufeb. 1. 4. c. 27. p. 148. D.

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(s) See Vol. i. p. 577.

() Quantas autem foveas in ifta vel maxime epiftola [ad Romanos] Mar'cion fecerit, auferendo quæ voluit, de noftri inftrumenti integritate patebit. Adv. Marcion. 1. 5. cap. 13. p. 6c1.

(a) Sed cederem tibi, fi fcriptura Paftoris-divino inftrumento meruiffet incidi... De Pudicit. cap. 10. p. 727. A.

(x) See Vol. ii. p. 638.

by us formerly. He calls (y) the Law and the Prophets the Jewish Inftruments; that is, writings, or fcriptures. He fpeaks of the antiquity (z) of the Jewish Inftruments, or Scriptures. He (a) feems in one place to use the word inftrument, as equivalent to fcriptures, containing the doctrine of revelation, or the revealed will of God.

VI. Digeft is another word used by Tertullian in speaking of Digeft. the fcriptures. "Luke's (b) Digeft, he fays, is often afcribed to Paul." He calls (c) the Gofpels, or the whole New Teftament, sur Digeft, in allufion, as it feems, to fome collection of the Roman Laws digefted into order. Those two paffages were cited in the chapter of Tertullian. I now tranfcribe the latter below (d) more at large, it having also the word inftrument, as equivalent to the New Testament. He likewife calls the Jewish Scriptures (e) Sacred Digefts. He seems to use the word digeft (f) elfewhere, as equivalent to writing, or work, in general,

I fhall not take notice of any other general denominations of the facred fcriptures.

VII. My chief concern is with the New Teftament, which, as is well known, confifts of Gofpels, the Acts, and Epiftles. The only word, that needs explanation, is the first.

Gospel.

Gospel is a tranflation of the Greek word sayyyy, the Latin word evangelium, which fignifies any good meffage or tidings. In the New Teftament the word denotes the doctrine of falvation, taught by Jefus Chrift, and his Apoftles. Which indeed is gospel by way of eminence, as it is the best tidings that ever were publifhed in this world. Says Theodoret upon Rom. i. 1. "He (g) calls it gospel, as it contains af

"furance

(y) Aut nunquid non jufti Judæi, & quibus pœnitentia non opus effet, habentes gubernacula difciplinæ, & timoris inftrumenta, Legem & Prophetas. De Pudicitia. cap. 7. p. 722. B.

(z) Primam inftrumentis iftis auctoritatem fumma antiquitas vindicat. Apol. cap. 19. p. 19. B.

Sed quoniam edidimus, antiquiffimis Judæorum inftrumentis fectam iftam effe fuffultam. Apol. cap. 21. in p. 20.

(a) Sed quo plenius & impreffius tam ipfum, quam difpofitiones ejus & voluntates adiremus, inftrumentum adjecit literaturæ, fi quis velit de Deo inqui rere. Apol. cap. 18. p. 18. C.

(c) The fame. p. 629. or 630.

(b) See Vol. i. p. 581, or 579. (d) Si vero Apoftoli quidam integrum evangelium contulerunt, de fola convictus inæqualitate reprehenfi, Pfeudapoftoli autem veritatem eorum interpolarunt, et inde funt noftra digefta: quod erit germanum illud Apoftolorum inftrumentum, quod adulteros paffum eft? Adver. Marc. 1. 4. cap. 3. p. 504. B.

(e) Sed homines gloriæ, ut diximus, et eloquentiæ folius libidinofi, fi quid in fanctis offenderunt digeftis, exinde regeftum pro inftituto curiofitatis ad propria verterunt. Apol. cap. 47. p. 41. B.

(f) Elegi ad compendium Varronis opera, qui rerum divinarum ex omnibus retro digeftis commentatus, idoneum fe nobis fcopum expofuit. Ad Nation. 1. 2. cap. i. p. 64. C.

(8) Ευαγγελιον δὲ τὸ κήρυγμα προσηγόρευσεν, ὥς πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν ὑπισχνόμενον χορηγίαν. Ευαγγελίζεται γὰρ τὰς τὰ δεῖ καὶ αλλαγὰς, τὴν τὸ διαβόλα καλάλυσιν, τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὴν ἄφεσιν, τῷ θανάτε τὴν παύλαν, τῶν νεκρῶν τὴν ἀνάγασιν, τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον, την Broshlar Tür égaray. In ep. ad Rom. T. 3. p. 10. B.

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