brings in Celsus a Heathen p. 60. as a Witness against the Christians Who exclaims against the too great Liberty they took as if they were drunk of changing the first Writings of the Gospel three or four or more times that so they might deny whatever was urg'd against them as retracted before 7. To Celsus in the same Page he joyns the Manicheans fitly enough I confess who shew'd other Scriptures and deny'd the Genuineness of the whole new Testament 8. We are told p. 64. that the Ebionites or Nazarens who were the oldest Christians had a different Copy of St. Matthews Gospel the Marcionites had a very different one of St. Luke's St. John's was attributed to Cerinthus and all the Epistles of St. Paul were deny'd by some and a different Copy of them shew'd by others 9. He urges p. 53 54. that Eusebius rejects the Acts Gospel Preaching and Revelation of Peter from being Authentick for no other reason but because no Ancient or Modern VVriter says he has quoted proofs out of them But herein Eusebius was mistaken for the contrary appears by the Testimonies mark'd in the Catalogue which any Body may compare with the Originals In another place be says that the Gospels of Peter Thomas Matthias and such-like with the Acts of John and the other Apostles are Spurious because no Ecclesiastick VVriter from the Times of the Apostles down to his own has vouchsaf'd to quote them which is absolutely false of some of them as we have already shewn Had Eusebius found any of these Pieces cited by the precedent Orthodox Writers he would have own'd them as Genuine Productions of the Apostles and admitted them as we say into the Canon But having met no such Citations he presently concluded there were none which made him reject those Books And I say what I have already demonstrated that Proofs were quoted out of some of them long before so that they might still belong to the Canon for all Eusebius 10. He Produces p. 69 c. a long Passage out of Mr. Dodwell which if we 'll believe him Reflects more upon the Canon of the New Testament as to the certainty and Authority of it then any thing which had been before excepted against in the Life of Milton Now let any one lay all these Passages together and I fancy he 'll be of my mind and easily believe that our Author's Vindication of himself against Mr. Blackall was impertinent and such a presuming on the weakness of his Readers as is not usual since he presently after commits that fault though I doubt he 'll not call it so from which just before he attempted to clear himself and makes no scruple at all of exposing the Writings of the New Testament which we believe to be Canonical as doubtful and uncertain II. I suppose it will not be thought sufficient for me only to have proceeded thus far and in our Authors Language p. 8. to have shown the Enemy and given an account of his Forces except I endeavour to weaken them too and thereby hinder them from doing such Execution as they seem to threaten But because the Particulars above-alleg'd are Objections against the general Doctrin of the Church in the matter now before us I think it will be proper before I examine them to lay down the Grounds upon which the Canon of the New Testament has been fix'd and determin'd Which I shall do with all the Brevity the Subject will admit of as designing to enlarge upon and confirm several Particulars in the sequel of this Discourse where fit occasion will be offer'd The Word Canon is Originally Greek and in the Ordinary acceptation signifies a Rule and therefore when made use of in Divinity we understand by the Canon and Canonical Books those Books which were design'd by God to be the Rule of our Faith and Practice I shall not discourse any thing now concerning the Books of the Old Testament because they are no part of the present controversy †I think it pertain'd to the Apostles to approve the Sacred Books Neither have we any Canonical Books either of the Old or New Testament but those which the Apostles approv'd and deliver'd to the Church Melchior Canus in his Common Places l. 2. c. 7. p. 43. Edit Lov. 1569. Octavo The Church like a faithful Guardian hath preserved and conveyed to her Children as Writings received from the Apostles not only what they Penned themselves but also those Pieces too which being Wrote by Persons who were not Apostles yet were by the Apostles confirmed Publickly Approved and recommended to the Church Arch Bishop of Spalato in his Christian Common-Wealth l. 7. c. 1. S. 15. Edit Hanov. 1622. No other Books properly belonging to the Holy Scriptures but such as the Apostles of Christ left behind them Bp. Cosins Hist of the Canon of the Old Testament Sect. 73. p. 80. So likewise Episcopius in his Institutions l. 4. Sect. 1. c. 5. Remarks that those Books make up the Canon of the New Testament which were either Wrote by the Apostles or with their Approbation And again in his Treatise of the Rule of Faith c. 7. Whatever was Wrote or Approv'd by the Aposiles was without Controversy dictated by the Holy Ghost But in the New Testament those Books only are accounted Canonical which were Writ or however Authoriz'd by the Apostles For they being the Immediate Disciples of and Attendants upon our Lord and being Commission'd by him to instruct the World in the Doctrin which he taught them were without doubt * It is not my Business here to prove that the Apostles were Infallible but only to show the Necessity that they should be so infallible for else they might have led the World into Error and therefore their Teaching their Writings their Judgment ought to be receiv'd with all Veneration and Submission St. Paul is reckon'd justly of the same Authority with the rest because our Saviour was pleas'd to appear to him from Heaven reveal his Gospel to him in his own Person and appoint him an Apostle after an extraordinary manner for he Receiv'd his Commission not from Men as himself tells us Gal. 1.1 12. but from Jesus Christ and God the Father What the Apostles Wrote and what they Authoriz'd can be known no other way then by the Testimonies of those who liv'd at the same time with them and the Tradition of those who succeeded them And therefore whenever any Churches receiv'd any Writings to Instruct them in Religion from the Apostles they look'd upon those Writings as Canonical or a Rule of their Faith and Manners in the Particulars whereof they Treated And whenever any other Churches were assur'd either by the Testimony of those who knew it themselves or by certain Tradition that such and such were Apostolical Writings they too esteem'd them Canonical preserv'd them as such themselves and as such transmitted them to others III. Hence it appears that the Written Canon encreas'd gradually in
us of an Argument we draw from their Integrity and Simplicity against Infidels Would it so indeed Methinks now this is very strange and does not conclude so well as the Argument of Ireneus from the four Winds with which we see what a stir our Author made a little before For may not a Wicked Man prove good and may he not give us such Evidences of the Sincerity of his Reformation that we are bound in Justice to believe him Let us examine the case a little and see what Arguments can be produc'd for the unrightness and integrity of the Apostles after their Conversion They Preach'd a most Excellent and Holy Religion over all the World and endeavour'd to bring People every where to the Belief and Practice of it And that they were in good earnest in all their undertakings and did not act a part for carrying on any Worldly design is apparent from hence that they knowingly and willingly expos'd themselves to Pains to Troubles to Losses to Contempt to Persecutions to Torments to Death it self This I think is sufficient to show that they really believ'd what they affirm'd concerning the Doctrine Works and Resurrection of our Saviour that they did not design to put a Trick upon Mankind in the Relations they gave thereof since they readily expos'd themselves to such Sufferings for the asserting of it And that they asserted nothing but what was true God himself did also further attest by the Miracles he enabled them to work of which we have uncontroulable proof as has been so often observ'd by others that I need not to insist upon it here So that though we do suppose the Epistle of St. Barnabas to be Genuine and the Passage quoted from it to be really true yet it is plain nothing can be thence inferr'd to prove our Religion false or ill grounded Since the finishing this * I was perswaded by a Friend to add the ensuing Catalogue from Ireneus and Tertullian to which I easily agreed as having made the Collection many years ago when I Read those Fathers for my own Satisfaction The Edition of Tertullian that I us'd was Printed at Paris 1669 and that of Ireneus is pretended in the Title Page to be Printed there too 1675. I thought it advisable for the preventing Doubts or Cavils to subjoyn the Testimonies of Ireneus and Tertullian for those Books of Scripture which belong to that we above call'd the first Canon I begin with Ireneus In his Third Book and (h) p. 229. first Chapter he expresly asserts the four Evangelists by Name to be the Authors of the four Gospels And particularly he attributes that which goes under his Name to St. Matthew (i) p. 275. l. 3. c. 18. St. Mark 's to him (k) p. 276. l. 3. c. 18. that of St. Luke to him (l) p. 254. l. 3. c. 11. and St. John's to that Apostle (m) p. 257. l. 3. c. 11. He asserts the Acts of the Apostles to have been Wrote by St. Luke the (n) p. 271.273 Evangelist l. 3. c. 14 15. and attributes all the following Epistles to St. Paul in the following Places The Epistle to the Romans l. 2. c. 38. p. 190 The first to the Corinthians l. 1. c. 1. p. 33 Second to the Corinth l. 3. c 7. p. 248 The Epistle to the Galatians l. 3. c. 7. ibid. to the Ephesians l. 5. c. 14. p. 455 to the Philippians l. 4. c. 34. p. 363 to the Colossians l. 3. c. 14. p. 267 The first to the Thessalonians l. 5. c. 6. p. 442 Second to the Thessal l. 3. c. 7. p. 249 The first to Timothy l. 2. c. 19. p. 172 and Pref. p. 3 Second to Timothy l. 3. c. 14. p. 267 The Epistle to Titus l. 3. c. 3. p. 233 To St. Peter he ascribes the first Epistle which goes under his Name l. 4. c. 22. (o) p. 338. to St. John the Apostle his first Epistle l. 3. c. 18. (p) p. 277. There are several other Places I may say numerous for most of them where these Books are ascrib'd to those Writers whose Names they now bear but I thought one Testimony sufficient to Evince what Opinion Ireneus had of each Book And I shall use the same method as to Tertullian He assigns the four Gospels to the four Evangelists by whose Names they are call'd l. 4. against Marcion c. 2. and 5. p. 414. and 416. The Acts of the Apost to St. Luke Treatise of Fasting c. 10. p. 549 The following Epistles are attributed to St. Paul in the following Places The Epist to the Romans Scorpiace c. 13. p. 498 The first and second Epist to the Corinth Of Chastity c. 13 14. p. 564 565 The Epist to the Galatians l. 5. against Marcion c. 2. p. 462 to the Ephesians Of the Resur of the Flesh c. 40. p. 349 to the Philippians ib. c. 23. p. 339 to the Colossians ib. p. 338 The first and second Epistles to the Thessalonians ib. c. 24. p. 339 The first to Tim. against Praxeas c. 15. p. 509 The second to Tim. Of the Resur of the Flesh c. 23 p. 339 The Epist to Titus Of Prescription c. 6. p. 204 The first of St. Peter is quoted as his Scorpiace c. 12. p. 497. And so likewise the first of St. John against Praxeas c. 15. p. 50◠Those of the Seven Controverted Pieces which are quoted by either of these Fathers don't properly belong to this place and are mention'd above Sect. XI What ground we have to insert the Epistle of St. Paul to Philemon in the number of those Writings which were never disputed see before Sect. IV. From what has been here produc'd it is evident that these two Fathers attributed all the Books above-mention'd to those Persons by whom we now think they were Wrote and (q) See Sect. II. consequently esteem'd them Canonical And that the whole Catholick Church in their days was of the same Opinion is evident from the Testimonies of (r) l. 3. c. 25. Eusebius and (s) In the places cited above Sect. IV. Gregory Nazianzen who reckon these Books as those which were never question'd And so much may we learn likewise from these two Fathers now under consideration in the passages refer'd to above p. 36. and 72. part of which it may not be impertinent to set down here at large Ireneus tells us (t) l. 4. c. 63. that true Knowledge consists in understanding the Doctrine of the Apostles and the Ancient state of the Church in the whole World according to the Succession of the Bishops to whom they consign'd the care of the Church in every Place which has been continued down to our times †I render tractatione plenissim a complete Body or Treatise because it can signify nothing else here though the Expression in the Latine is not very proper But he that Translated this Work of Ireneus out of Greek did not understand the Latin Tongue
with Caution as well as any other Writing of that Nature It follows the Marcionites had a very different Copy of St. Luke No doubt of it He might have added too that these were the Men (n) Jren. l. 1. c. 29. Epiphan Here. 42. n. 9. who show'd a different Copy of most of St. Paul's Epistles that is of such as they allow'd †Epiphanius also tells us that Marcion rejected the Epistle to the Hebrews but he ought not to be charg'd with that as a Crime because it was not then generally admitted by all the Catholicks and therefore Tertullian remarks only that he did not receive the two Epistles to Timothy and that to Titus What Opinion this Heretick had of the other three Gospels and of the Canonical Epistles does not belong to my present business which is only to follow my Author whether he leads me (o) Io. and Tertull. a. gainst Marcion l. 5. c. 21. for they rejected those to Timothy and Titus And there was good Reason for what they did Since they held that there were two Gods one of the Old Testament and another of the New that the former made the World and was the cause of all Wars and Contentions that Jesus Christ was the Son of the other and sent by his Father to overthrow and destroy all the Works of the Old-Testament-God with more such stuff as we may Read in (p) l. 1. c. 29. Jreneus (q) Against Marcion Tertullian and (r) Heres 42. Epiphanius Now what should these Men do with our Gospels and Epistles at least till they had chang'd and alter'd them Since there is nothing in them which Establishes but many Passages which overthrow their fond and lewd Opinions Jreneus and Tertullian therefore proceeded rationally in appealing to all the Churches in the World against them The former urges that the Disciples of our Lord taught no such Doctrines (s) l. 3. c. 4. either in the Churches which they founded or (t) l. 3. c. 5 6. yet in those Writings which they left behind them and (u) l. 4. c. 63. which were preserv'd entire in all the World by the whole Body of Christians The latter presses them to consult (x) l. 4. against Marcion c. 4 5. Of Prescript c. 32 33 36. See this prosecuted more at large hereafter Sect. XXXIV the Apostolick Churches and those that held Communion with them and then tell him in which of them those Heresies that Marcion maintain'd or those Scriptures that he had alter'd and corrupted were embrac'd The contrary to all this was evident The Catholicks Copies were all the same as to the Books the Heretick rejected as well as to the Places he had corrupted the Catholick Doctrins were all the same and none agreed with Marcion and therefore these Fathers concluded as justly they might especially being no farther remov'd from the Apostles themselves then the Second Century that the Cheat and Imposture lay on the side of Marcion and his Followers Our Author proceeds St. Johns Gospel was attributed to Cerinthus This we confess is very true and it was done as we find in (y) Heres 51. n. 3. Epiphanius by some who upon that account were call'd Alogi They rejected the Logos or Word and would not allow what St. John Writes in the beginning of his Gospel to be true concerning our Saviour And because they had not the face openly to appear against what was taught by an Apostle they bring several Objections to show that it was none of his which Epiphanius answers at large and after all would have it fix'd on the Heretick Cerinthus But they were very absurd in so doing as the same Father observes in the following Section (z) Ib. n. 4. For how could those things be Wrote by Cerinthus which do in direct terms contradict his Doctrine He asserted Jesus Christ to be a mere Man whereas the Author of this Gospel asserts him to be the Word which was from Eternity which came down from Heaven and was made flesh for our sakes Cerinthus therefore was not could not be the Author unless we 'll suppose that he forg'd a Gospel under the Name of an Apostle on purpose to overthrow what himself taught and maintain'd every where We see then that St. John's Title notwithstanding what has been say'd remains firm and unshaken and it will be further strengthned if we consider that Ireneus l. 3. c. 11. (a) p. 257. makes it his business to prove that the beginning of this Gospel was Wrote expresly by the Apostle to oppose the Heresies and Errors of Cerinthus IX Our Author further urges p. 53 c. that (b) Eccl. Hist l. 3. c. 3. Eusebius rejects the Acts Gospel Preaching and Revelation of Peter from being Authentick for no other Reason but because no Ancient or Modern Writer says he has quoted proofs out of them But herein Eusebius was mistaken for the contrary appears by the Testimonies mark'd in the Catalogue which any body may compare with the Originals In (c) l. 3. c. 25. another place he says that the Gospel of Peter Thomas Matthias and such like with the Acts of Andrew John and the other Apostles are Spurious because no Ecclesiastick Writer from the time of the Apostles down to his own has vouchsaf'd to quote them which is absolutely false of some as we have already seen Had Eusebius found any of these Pieces cited by the precedent Orthodox Writers he would have own'd them as genuine Productions of the Apostles and admitted them as we say into the Canon But having met with no such Citations he presently concluded there were none which made him reject these Books And I say what I have already demonstrated that proofs were quoted out of some of them long before so that they might still belong to the Canon for all Eusebius This is a long-winded Objection but we shall better understand what strength there is in it if it be divided into the three following Propositions 1. That Eusebius rejects the aforesay'd Books only because he thought that none of them had been quoted and mention'd by the Ancients when yet some of them really were 2. That if he had known they had been so quoted he would have look'd upon them as Canonical 3. It being evident therefore that they were so quoted by the Ancients they ought according to Eusebius his Principles to be esteem'd Canonical This is the force of the Objection and to this there are two Answers drawn up which it is pretended we are like to make But of all People in the World I shall not trust our Author to give in any Answers in my Name If they be good for any thing he 'll certainly leave them behind him Thus he did in the case of Origen and St. Augustine who had furnish'd him with very good ones to the Objections of Celsus and Faustus but he fairly dropt them by the way and so left the Heathen and the
Christianity entertain'd concerning them This we may easily learn from what he Wrote and Publish'd against our Holy Religion which may be seen in Mr. Spanheim's Edition of his Works wherein St. Cyril's Answer to the Books of that Emperour with what remains of the Books themselves against the Christians is Printed as it is also in Cyril's own Works There we shall find that Julian expresly mentions the Writings of (h) l. 10. p. 327. the Four Evangelists by Name of St. Paul and St. Peter as their own proper and undoubted Works that he speaks (i) l. 8. p. 253. of the Genealogy of our Saviour as Recorded by St. Matthew and St. Luke that he quotes Passages (k) l. 9. p. 291. l. 10. p. 335. out of St. Matthew (l) l. 8. p. 261 262. l. 10. p. 335. out of St. John (m) l. 9. p. 314. out of the Acts of the Apostles (n) l. 9. p. 320. l. 10. p. 351. out of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans and (o) l. 7. p. 245. out of the First to the Corinthians and disputes against them To which may be added that he speaks of the Writings of St. Matthew and St. Luke (p) Ep. 42. p. 423. also in his Epistles The Inferences which naturally arise from hence are these two First that it was well known among the Heathens that the Books of the New Testament as embrac'd by the Catholicks were the Records upon which the Christian Religion was founded and accordingly Julian sets himself directly to oppose what was delivered in them as the most ready way to overthrow and ruin Christianity Secondly That there was then no Reason known why the Books should be suspected as not really Wrote by those Persons to whom we ascribe them or why they should be judg'd to have been chang'd and alter'd by the Catholicks For if there had been the least probable ground for such an accusation we may be sure this Learned and keen Adversary of theirs would not have forgot to lay it to their charge he would never have cited the Books as the Genuine Works of St. John St. Paul c. but affirm'd plainly they were the Forgeries and Contrivances of later times drawn up by he knew not whom to advance the Credit and Reputation of their Master Since therefore he does nothing of this but the quite contrary since he quotes these Pieces as the Writings of the Apostles and Apostolick Men and never accuses the Christians of Falsifications or Corruptions we may be certain that he knew of nothing which could be justly objected against them as to this Particular I would offer the serious consideration of this Instance to the mighty discoverers of the present Age. 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