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appear more natural, and will afford more satisfaction, Sc than that which has been usually adopted.

Scripture. against the testimony of a whole nation? Would the inhabitants of Palestine have received the gospels, if they had not had sufficient evidence that Jesus Christ really appeared among them, and performed the miracles ascribed to him? Or would the churches of Rome or of Corinth have acknowledged the epistles addressed to them as the genuine works of Paul, if Paul had never preached among them? We might as well think to prove, that the history of the Reformation is the invention of historians; and that no revolution happened in Great Britain during the last century.

91

From testimony.

2. The second kind of evidence which we produce to prove the authenticity of the New Testament, is the testimony of ancient writers, Christians, Jews, and Heathens.

In reviewing the evidence of testimony, it will not be expected that we should begin at the present age, and trace backwards the authors who have written on this subject to the first ages of Christianity. This indeed, though a laborious task, could be performed in the most complete manner; the whole series of authors, numerous in every age, who have quoted from the books of the New Testament, written commentaries upon them, translated them into different languages, or who have drawn up a list of them, could be exhibited so as to form such a perfect body of evidence, that we imagine even a jury of deists would find it impossible, upon a deliberate and candid examination, to reject or disbelieve it. We do not, however, suppose that scepticism has yet arrived at so great a height as to render such a tedious and circumstantial evidence necessary. Passing over the intermediate space, therefore, we shall ascend at once to the fourth century, when the evidence for the authenticity of the New Testament was fully established, and trace it back from that period to the age of the apostles. We hope that this method of stating the evidence will

Athanasius bishop of A

Times in

It is surely more natural, when we investigate the truth of any fact which depends on a series of testimony, to begin with those witnesses who lived nearest the present age, and whose characters are best established. In this way we shall learn from themselves the foundation of their belief, and the characters of those from whom they derived it; and thus we ascend till we arrive at its origin. This mode of investigation will give more satisfaction to the deist than the usual way; and we believe no Christian, who is confident of the goodness of his cause, will be unwilling to grant any proper concessions. The deist will thus have an opportunity of examining, separately, what he will consider as the weakest parts of the evidence, those which are exhibited by the earliest Christian writers, consisting of expressions, and not quotations, taken from the New Testament. The Christian, on the other hand, ought to wish, that these apparently weak parts of the evidence were distinctly examined, for they will afford an irrefragable proof that the New Testament was not forged: and should the deist reject the evidence of those early writers, it will be incumbent on him to account for the origin of the Christian religion, which he will find more difficult than to admit the common hypothesis.

In the fourth century we could produce the testimonies of numerous witnesses to prove that the books of the New Testament existed at that time; but it will be sufficient to mention their names, the time in which they wrote, and the substance of their evidence. This we shall present in a concise form in the following table, which is taken from Jones's New and Full Method of establishing the canon of the New Testament.

The variation or agreement which they of their catalogues with ours now lived.

A. C.

315.

received.

The books in which these catalogues

are.

The same perfectly with ours now Fragment. Epist. Testal, tom. ii. in
received.
Synops. tom. i.

The names of the Writers.

I.

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The Revelation is omitted.

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The same with ours, only the Re- Catech. IV. § ult. p. 101.
velation is omitted.

Canon LIX.

N. B. The Canons of this council were not long afterwards received into the body of the canons of the universal church.

The same with ours now received. Hæres. 76. cont. Anom. p. 399.

375.

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92 Testimo

ancient Christians.

The XLIV bishops assembled in the third council of Carthage.

was present at it.

We now go back to Eusebius, who wrote about the nies of the year 315, and whose catalogue of the books of the New Testament we shall mention at more length. "Let us observe (says he) the writings of the apostle John, which are uncontradicted; and, first of all, must be mentioned, as acknowledged of all, the gospel, according to him, well known to all the churches under heaven." Paley's E- The author then proceeds to relate the occasions of vidences of writing the gospels, and the reasons for placing St John's

Christia

nity.

bius.

93

the last, manifestly speaking of all the four as equal in their authority, and in the certainty of their original. The second passage is taken from a chapter, the title of which is, " Of the Scriptures universally acknowledged, Of Euse and of those that are not such." Eusebius begins his enumeration in the following manner: "In the first place, are to be ranked the sacred four Gospels, then the book of the Acts of the Apostles; after that are to be reckoned the epistles of Paul: in the next place, that called the first Epistle of John and the Epistle of Peter are to be esteemed authentic: after this is to be placed, if it be thought fit, the Revelation of John; about which we shall observe the different opinions at proper seasons. Of the controverted, but yet well known or approved by the most, are that called the Epistle of James and that of Jude, the second of Peter, and the second and third of John, whether they were written by the evangelist or by another of the same name." He then pro

ceeds to reckon up five others, not in our canon, which he calls in one place spurious, in another controverted; evidently meaning the same thing by these two words (s).

94

A. D. 290, Victorin bishop of Pettaw in Germany, Of Victoin a commentary upon this text of the Revelation, rin. "The first was like a lion, the second was like a calf, the third like a man, and the fourth like a flying eagle," makes out, that by the four creatures are intended the four gospels; and to show the propriety of the symbols, he recites the subject with which each evangelist opens his history. The explication is fanciful,, but the testimony positive. He also expressly cites the Acts of the Apostles.

95

A. D. 230, Cyprian bishop of Carthage gives the Of Cyprifollowing testimony: "The church (says this father) an. is watered like Paradise by four rivers, that is, by four gospels." The Acts of the Apostles are also frequently quoted by Cyprian under that name, and under the name of the Divine Scriptures." In his various writings are such frequent and copious citations of Scripture, as to place this part of the testimony beyond controversy. Nor is there, in the works of this eminent African bishop, one quotation of a spurious or apocryphal Christian writing."

96

A. D. 210, Origen is a most important evidence. Of Origen. Nothing can be more peremptory upon the subject now B 2 under

(s) That Eusebius could not intend, by the word rendered spurious, what we at present mean by it, is evident from a clause in this very chapter, where, speaking of the Gospels of Peter and Thomas, and Matthias and some others, he says. "They are not so much as to be reckoned among the spurious, but are to be rejected as altogether absurd and impious." Lard. Cred. vol. viii. p. 98.

Scripture under consideration, and, from a writer of his learning and information, nothing more satisfactory, than the declaration of Origen, preserved in an extract of his works by Eusebius: "That the four gospels alone are received without dispute by the whole church of God under heaven" to which declaration is immediately subjoined a brief history of the respective authors, to whom they were then, as they are now, ascribed. The sentiments expressed concerning the gospels in all the works of Origen which remain, entirely correspond with the testimony here cited. His attestation to the Acts of the Apostles is no less positive: "And Luke also once more sounds the trumpet, relating the Acts of the Apo-tles." That the scriptures were then universally read, is plainly affirmed by this writer in a passage in which he is repelling the objections of Celsus, "That it is not in private books, or such as are read by few only, and those studious persons, but in books read by every body, that it is written, The invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by things that are made." It is to no purpose to single out quotations of Scripture from such a writer as this. We might as well make a selection of the quotations of Scripture in Dr Clark-'s sermons. They are so thickly sown in the works of Origen, that Dr Mill says, "if we had all his works remaining, we should have before us almost the whole text of the Bible."

97

Of Tertullian.

98

Of Irenæus.

66

A. D. 194, Tertullian exhibits the number of the gospels then received, the names of the evangelists, and their proper designations, in one short sentence.Among the apostles, John and Matthew teach us the faith; among apostolical men, Luke and Mark refresh it." The next passage to be taken from Tertullian affords as complete an attestation to the authenticity of the gospels as can be well imagined. After enumerating the churches which had been founded by Paul at Corinth, in Galatia, at Philippi, Thessalonica, and Ephesus, the church of Rome established by Peter and Paul, and other churches derived from John, he proceeds thus: "I say then, that with them, but not with them only which are apostolical, but with all who have fellowship with them in the same faith, is that gospel of Luke received from its first publication, which we so zealously maintain;" and presently afterwards adds, "The same authority of the apostolical churches will support the other gospels, which we have from them, and according to them, I mean John's and Matthew's, although that likewise which Mark published may be said to be Peter's, whose interpreter Mark was." In another place Tertullian affirms, that the three other gospels, as well as St Luke's, were in the hands of the churches from the beginning. This noble testimony proves incontestably the antiquity of the gospels, and that they were universally received; that they were in the hands of all, and had been so from the first. And this evidence appears not more than 150 years after the publication of the books. Dr Lardner observes," that there are more and larger quotations of the small volume of the New Testament in this one Christian author, than there are of all the works of Cicero, in writers of all characters, for several ages.' A. D. 178, Irenæus was bishop of Lyons, and is mentioned by Tertullian, Eusebius, Jerome, and Photius. In his youth he had been a disciple of Polycarp,

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who was a disciple of John. He asserts of himself and Scri his contemporaries, that they were able to reckon up in all the principal churches the succession of bishops to their first institution. His testimony to the four gospels and Acts of the Apostles is express and positive." We have not received," says Irenæus, "the knowledge of the way of our salvation by any others than those by whom the gospel has been brought to us. Which gospel they first preached, and afterwards by the will of God, committed to writing, that it might be for time. to come the foundation and pillar of our faith. For after that our Lord rose from the dead, and they (the apostles) were endowed from above with the power of the Holy Ghost coming down upon them, they received a perfect knowledge of all things. They then went forth to all the ends of the earth, declaring to men the blessing of heavenly peace, having all of them, and every one alike, the gospel of God. Matthew then, among the Jews, wrote a gospel in their own language, while Peter and Paul were preaching the gospel at Rome, and founding a church there. And after their exit, Mark also, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, delivered to us in writing the things that had been preached by Peter. And Luke, the companion of Paul, put down in a book the gospel preached by him (Paul). Afterwards John, the disciple of the Lord, who also leaned upon his breast, likewise published a gospel while he dwelt at Ephesus in Asia." Irenæus then relates how Matthew begins his gospel, how Mark begins and ends his, and gives the supposed reasons for doing so. He enumerates at length all the passages of Christ's history in Luke, which are not found in any of the other evangelists. He states the particular design with which St John composed his gospel, and accounts for the doctrinal declarations which precede the narrative. If any modern divine should write a book upon the genuineness of the gospels, he could not assert it more expressly, or state their original more distinctly, than Irenæus hath done within little more than 100 years after they were published.

Respecting the book of the Acts of the Apostles, and its author, the testimony of Irenæus is no less explicit. Referring to the account of St Paul's conversion and vocation, in the ninth chapter of that book, "Nor can they (says he, meaning the parties with whom he argues) show that he is not to be credited, who has related to us the truth with the greatest exactness." In another place, he has actually collected the several texts, in which the writer of the history is represented as accompanying St Paul, which led him to exhibit a summary of almost the whole of the last twelve chapters of the book.

According to Lardner, Irenæus quotes twelve of Paul's epistles, naming their author; also the first epistle of Peter, the two first epistles of John, and the Revelation. The epistles of Paul which he omits are those addressed to Philemon and the Hebrews. Eusebius says, that he quotes the epistle to the Hebrews, though he does not ascribe it to Paul. The work, however, is lost.

99

A. D. 172, Tatian, who is spoken of by Clemens Of Tatian. Alexandrinus, Origen, Eusebius, and Jerome, composed a harmony of the four gospels, which he called Diatessa ron of the four. This title, as well as the work, is remarkable,

Siptare. markable, because it shows that then as well as now there were four, and only four, gospels in general use among Christians.

Joha

IVL 2.

100

Of Justin Martyr.

A. D. 170, the churches of Lyons and Vienne in France sent an account of the sufferings of their martyrs to the churches of Asia and Phrygia, which has been preserved entire by Eusebius. And what carries in some measure the testimony of these churches to a higher age is, that they had now for their bishop Pothinus, who was 9 years old, and whose early life consequently must have immediately followed the times of the apostles. In this epistle are exact references to the gospels of Lake and John, and to the Acts of the Apostles. The form of reference is the same as in all the preceding articles. That from St John is in these wards: "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the Lord, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doth God service *."

Distinct references are also made to other books, viz. Acts, Romans, Ephesians, Philippians, 1 Timothy, 1 Peter, 1 John, Revelation.

A. D. 140, Justin Martyr composed several books, which are mentioned by his disciple Tatian, by Tertullian, Methodius, Eusebius, Jerome, Epiphanius, and Photius. In his writings between 20 and 30 quotations from the gospels and Acts of the Apostles are reckoned up, which are clear, distinct, and copious; if each verse be counted separately, a much greater number; if each expression, still more. Jones, in his book on the Canon of the New Testament, ventures to affirm that he cites the books of which it consists, particularly the four gospels, above 200 times.

We meet with quotations of three of the gospels within the compass of half a page; "and in other words, he says, Depart from me into outer darkness, which the Father hath prepared for Satan and his Angels," (which is from Matthew xxv. 41.). "And again he said in other words, I give unto you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and venomous beasts, and upon all the power of the enemy." (This from Luke X. 19.). "And, before he was crucified, he said, The son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the Scribes and Pharisees, and be crucified, and rise again the third day." (This from Mark viii. 31.).

All the references in Justin are made without mentioning the author; which proves that these books were perfectly well known, and that there were no other accounts of Christ then extant, or, at least, no others so received and credited as to make it necessary to add any marks of distinction. But although Justin mentions not the authors names, he calls the books Memoirs composed by the Apostles: Memoirs composed by the Apostles and their Companions; which descriptions the latter especially, exactly suit the titles which the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles now bear.

He inform us, in his first apology, that the Memoirs of the Apostles, or the writings of the prophets, are read according as the time allows; and, when the reader has ended, the president makes a discourse, exhorting to the imitation of such excellent things.

A few short observations will show the value of this testimony. 1. The Memoirs of the Apostles, Justin in another place expressly tells us are what are called gospels. And that they were the gospels which we now

use is made certain by Justin's numerous quotations of Scripture. them, and his silence about any others. 2. He de- og scribes the general usage of the Christian church. 3. He does not speak of it as recent or newly instituted, but in the terms in which men speak of established

customs.

Justin also makes such allusions to the following books as shews that he had read them: Romans, 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, Hebrews, 2 Peter; and he ascribes the Revelation to John the Apostle of Christ.

ΤΟΥ

A. D. 116, Papias, a hearer of John, and companion Of Papias, of Polycarp, as Irenæus attests, and of the apostolical age as all agree, in a passage quoted by Eusebius, from a work now lost, expressly ascribes the two first gospels to Matthew and Mark; and in a manner which proves that these gospels must have publicly borne the names of these authors at that time, and probably long before; for Papias does not say, that one gospel was written by Matthew, and another by Mark; but, assuming this as perfectly well known, he tells us from what materials Mark collected his account, viz. from Peter's preaching. and in what language Matthew wrote, viz. in Hebrew. Whether Papias was well informed in this statement or not, to the point for which this testimony is produced, namely, that these books bore these names at this time, his authority is complete.

Papias himself declares that he received his accounts of Christianity from those who were acquainted with the apostles, and that those accounts which he thus received from the older Christians, and had committed to memory, * Præfat. he inserted in his books. He farther adds, that he was in Op. very solicitous to obtain every possible information, espe- apud. Eucially to learn what the apostles said and preached, va- seb. Hist. luing such information more than what was written in books *.

Fcel.lib.iii,

c. 39. 102

A. D. 108, Polycarp was the bishop of Smyrna, and of Polydisciple of John the Apostle. This testimony concern-carp. ing Polycarp is given by Irenæus, who in his youth had seen him. "I can tell the place." saith Irenæus, "in which the blessed Polycarp sat and taught, and his going ont and coming in, and the manner of his life, and the form of his person, and the discourses he made to the people, and how he related his conversation with John and others who had seen the Lord, and how he related their sayings, and what he had heard concerning the Lord, both concerning his miracles and his doctrine, as he had received them from the eye-witnesses of the word of life, all which Polycarp related agreeable to the scriptures."

Of Polycarp, whose proximity to the age and country and persons of the apostles is thus attested, we have one undoubted epistle remaining; which, though a short performance, contains nearly 40 clear allusions to the books of the New Testament. This is strong evidence of the respect which was paid to them by Christians of that age. Amongst these, although the writings of St Paul are more frequently used by Polycarp than other parts of scripture, there are copious allusions to the gospel of St Matthew, some to passages found in the gospels both of Matthew and Luke, and some which more nearly resemble the words in Luke.

He thus fixes the authority of the Lord's Prayer, and the use of it among Christians. If, therefore, we pray

the

Scripture. the Lord to forgive us, we ought also to forgive. And again, With supplication beseeching the all-seeing God not to lead us into temptation.

In another place, he quotes the words of our Lord : "But remembering what the Lord said, teaching, Judge not, that ye be not judged. Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; be ye merciful, that ye may obtain mercy; with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." Supposing Polycarp to have viii. 1. i. 2. had these words from the books in which we now find them, it is manifest that these books were considered by him, and by his readers, as he thought, as authentic accounts of Christ's discourses; and that this point was incontestable.

* Matt.

v. 7.

103

He quotes also the following books, the first of which he ascribes to St Paul: 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians; and makes evident references to others, particularly to Acts, Romans, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, 1 Peter, 1 John. Of Ignatius. Ignatius, as it is testified by ancient Christian writers, became bishop of Antioch about 37 years after Christ's ascension; and therefore, from his time, and place, and station, it is probable that he had known and conversed with many of the apostles. Epistles of Ignatius are referred to by Polycarp his contemporary. Passages, found in the epistles now extant under his name, are quoted by Irenæus, A. D. 187, by Origen, A. D. 230; and the occasion of writing them is fully explained by Eusebius and Jerome. What are called the smaller epistles of Ignatius are generally reckoned the same which were read by Irenæus, Origen, and Eusebius.

104

Of Hermas.

They are admitted as genuine by Vossius, and have been proved to be so by Bishop Pearson with a force of argument which seems to admit of no reply. In these epistles are undoubted allusions to Matt. iii. 15. xi. 16. to John iii. 8; and their venerable author, who often speaks of St Paul in terms of the highest respect, once quotes his epistle to the Ephesians by name.

Of

Near the conclusion of the epistle to the Romans, St Paul, amongst others, sends the following salutation: -Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobus, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them." Hermas, who appears in this catalogue of Roman Christians as contemporary with St Paul, there is a book still remaining, the authenticity of which cannot be disputed. It is called the Shepherd, or Pastor of Hermas. Its antiquity is incontestable, from the quotations of it in Irenæus, A. D. 178, Clement of Alexandria, A. D. 194, Tertullian, A. D. 200, Origen, A. D. 230. The notes of time extant in the epistle itself agree with its title, and with the testimonies concerning it, which intimate that it was written during the lifetime of Clement. In this piece are tacit allusions to St Matthew's, St Luke's, and St John's gospels; that is to say, there are applications of thoughts and expres

L 8,

sions found in these gospels, without citing the place or writers from which they were taken. In this form appear in Hermas the confessing and denying of Christ +; † the parable of the seed sown ; the comparison of 33 Christ's disciples to little children; the saying, "he that putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, com-‡ mitteth adultery §;" the singular expression, "having xii received all power from his Father," is probably an allu- Lu sion to Matt. xxviii. 18. and Christ being the " gate," I or only way of coming "to God," is a plain allusion to is. John xiv. 6. x. 7. 9. There is also a probable allusion to Acts v. 32.

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The Shepherd of Hermas has been considered as a fanciful performance. This, however, is of no importance in the present case. We only adduce it as evidence that the books to which it frequently alludes existed in the first century; and for this purpose it is satisfactory, as its authenticity has never been questioned. However absurd opinions a man may entertain, while he retains his understanding his testimony to a matter of fact will still be received in any court of justice.

A. D. 96, we are in possession of an epistle written of C by Clement bishop of Rome, whom ancient writers, with- Roma out any scruple, assert to have been the Clement whom St Paul mentions Philippians iv. 3. "with Clement also, and other my fellow labourers, whose names are in the book of life." This epistle is spoken of by the ancients as an epistle acknowledged by all; and, as Irenæus well represents its value, "written by Clement, who had seen the blessed apostles and conversed with them, who had the preaching of the apostles still sounding in his ears, and their traditions before his eyes." It is addressed to the church of Corinth; and what alone may seem a decisive proof of its authenticity, Dionysius bishop of Corinth, about the year 170, i. e. about 80 or 90 years after the epistle was written, bears witness,

that it had been usually read in that church from ancient times." This epistle affords amongst others, the following valuable passages: "Especially remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, which he spake, teaching gentleness and long-suffering; for thus he said (T), Be ye merciful, that ye may obtain mercy; forgive, that it may be forgiven unto you; as you do, so shall it be done unto you; as you give, so shall it be given unto you; as ye judge, so shall ye be judged; as ye shew kindness, so shall kindness be shown unto you; with what measure ye mete, with the same it shall be measured to you. By this command, and by these rules, let us establish ourselves, that we may always walk obediently to his holy words."

Again, "Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, for he said, Wo to that man by whom offences come; it were better for him that he had not been born, than that he should offend one of my elect; it were better for him that a millstone should be tied about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the sea, than that he should offend one of my little ones (U)." He

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(T)" Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy," Matt. v. 7. Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given unto you," Luke vi. 37, 38. "Judge not, that ye be not judged; for with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged, and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again," Matt. vii. 2. (U) Matt. xviii. 6. "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were cast into the sea." The latter part of the passage

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