It is satisfactory to feel assured that what has mony of some other person, who may have seen been done in the way of Church-education, how

him there in the course of the day.

With respect to events which happened long ever inadequate to the great purpose aimed at, yet

ago, we can know them only upon the testimony has all tended in the right direction; and it has

of those who have been dead long ago. This is been so done that it cannot now be undone. Only

what is called historical testimony. We account let the government follow out this most salutary that to be certain historical truth which we find movement, using the Church as its willing agent recorded by contemporary historians; and which in the education of the nation, not interfering with

has been received, on their authority, as undoubted

matter of fact in each succeeding age. For inher function, but co-operating with her in her most

stance, we find it recorded in contemporary writzealous and painful endeavours to train the people

ings that King John signed a certain document in the knowledge and practice of true religion, and called Magna Charta ; we know that this has been a work may be done, by the joint operation of the received as an undoubted matter of fact in each two powers, which each by itself is unable to ac

succeeding age, and therefore we account it to be

certain historical truth. complish. And the groundwork is already so laid,

Thus do we arrive at the certain knowledge of that a comparatively moderate sacrifice on the part

| an event which happened many years ago. That of the state would be sufficient.

event may be of great importance to us, or it may The only great effort which the government has be of none at all: the certainty of the truth does to make, is, to cast off the trammels of an un

not at all depend upon the importance of it. It

is just as certainly true that William Rufus was worthy liberalism, and take for its advisers, and

killed out hunting, as it is that King John signed place itself in cordial co-operation with, those

Magna Charta ; though the one event is of no conwhom God himself has ordained to rule his Church, sequence to us, the other is the charter of English and “teach" his people.

liberty.

To apply these observations to the immediate

subject before us: Divine truths are of infinitely ON PRIVATE JUDGMENT.

higher importance to us than any human truths

possibly can be; but since we may be convinced of In treating of private judgment we shall not || truths which are of the highest importance to us attempt to lay down a theory. Our object will be || by the same means by which we may be convinced rather to recall to recollection the plain, simple, l of truths of very little moment, we may arrive at historical narrative of the manner in which the l a certain knowledge of the fact, that any given truths of the Gospel were at first communicated to || doctrine or institution had the authority of Christ, the world, and have been since preserved in the | by the same means by which we come to a knowChurch.

| ledge of the fact that Magna Charta had the sanc. In contemplating this narrative it will appear, || tion of King John. first, that the office of the Church, in matters of Jesus CHRIST hath quitted this earth for more faith, has been to declare, as God's appointed wit- || than 1800 years; therefore our only means of ness, what are the truths which have been revealed knowing whether any doctrine or institution origifrom heaven; and, secondly, that the office of pri- | nated with him is by historical testimony. vate judgment has been to investigate facts, and by | We shall have occasion to shew presently that the that means to ascertain that the testimony of the | Scriptures of the New Testament are of a character Church is true.

distinct from all other historical testimony ; but There is nothing more delightful to an intelli for the present we will regard them merely as an gent mind than the discovery of truth. Truths are authentic historical narrative. Now from these of two kinds, divine and human. By divine truths, Scriptures it appears, that Jesus Christ, before he we mean those which are derived from God. By called upon his hearers to believe any of the divine human truths, those which man has the power of || truths which he taught, invited them to consider discovering for himself.

and decide for themselves, according to the evidence · Though these two kinds of truth are essentially | which was before them, whether that were not true distinct in themselves, the means by which men in Il which he asserted to be a fact, viz. that “he came general (that is, all men who are not immediately | forth from God, and that God was his Father." inspired by God) attain the knowledge of them is The evidence by which they were to judge of the the same.

truth of this fact was of three kinds, inasmuch as If we direct our attention to the mode by which it was derived from three different sources.. we attain to the knowledge of those truths which These three different sources were, Ist, testiwe have called “human," it will help to shew how mony; 2d, miracles ; 3d, the fulfilment of types we attain to the knowledge of divine truths. and prophecies recorded in the Jewish Scriptures.

There are some human truths which we learn by Besides that testimony which was of a more priour own personal observation and experience, vate character (as that of the angel to Mary, and as, for instance, we know from our own experience that of the angel to Joseph), the public testimony that "fire emits heat;" but there are other human to the fact that Jesus Christ came from God, and truths which we believe on the testimony of others, ll that God was his Father, was from two sources : -as, for instance, our friend speaks the truth when I first, from John the Baptist; and secondly, from God he says he came from London this evening; but, if | the Father, declared by a voice from heaven. we did not see him there ourselves, we believe it " John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, either because he says so, or else upon the testi- || This is be of whom I spake; he that cometh after me is preferred before me; for he was before me” | me; he gave me commandment what I should say (John i. 15). That is, though Christ was born into and what I should speak.” this world after John, Christ was, or existed, be We are now to trace the manner in which the fore John was born; as he said of himself, “ Before doctrine, which was thus brought down from heaAbraham was I am.” “But I have greater wit ven, was communicated to man; and what was the ness than that of John," said Christ, “the Father | legitimate exercise of private judgment, with rehimself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness spect to the doctrine thus communicated. of me" (John v. 36). And what was that witness ? || We read that after Jesus Christ had received was it not that of an audible voice from heaven, | testimony from heaven at his baptism, he began which said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom am well pleased ?” (Matt. iii. 17.) Add to this our of heaven is at hand.” From this and numerous Lord's own express declaration, “I proceeded other passages it is quite clear that Jesus Christ forth and came from God” (John viii. 42); and did not confine his instructions to his disciples. his admission that he was the Son of God, when But though he did not abstain from communicathe was adjured in the most solemn manner by the ing divine truth to all, he did, in a more especial high priest to speak the truth” (Matt. xxvi. 63). manner, communicate it to his disciples." He

Such was the evidence from testimony : this evi- | spoke to the multitude in parables; but when they dence from testimony was corroborated, first, by were alone, he expounded all things to his discimiracles; and secondly, by the fulfilment of types | ples.” and prophecy. Christ himself appeals to the evi Among the earliest acts of his ministry he chose dence from miracles: “If ye believe not me, be- || twelve from among his disciples, whom also be lieve the works." "The works that I do in my Fa- || named apostles; and it is to be observed that ther's name, they bear witness of me” (John x. 25). || these twelve were chosen from among those who And with reference to the evidence derived from || had been with him from the beginning; and were the fulfilment of types and prophecy, Jesus said to || witnesses of all that he did and said. the Jews, “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye | Thus was the Christian jury constituted; these think ye have eternal life, and they are they which || twelve men were to be the more especial witnesses testify of me" (John v. 39). “All things must be || of all that Jesus Christ did and said. It was their fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses, and office, in the first place, to exercise their private in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning | judgment upon the evidence which should be laid me" (Luke xxiv. 44). And as it were to leave | before them, and to decide for themselves whether every unbeliever without excuse, he added this | Jesus Christ were indeed what he had been defarther test of the truth of his word: He himself || clared to be, the Son of God, the Saviour that prophesied that he should die a violent death, and || should come into the world. that on the third day he should come to life again | When they had been themselves convinced of (Matt. xvi. 21); and the fact confirmed the truth this one all-important truth, they were competent, of the prediction.

first, to declare their conviction to others; and Now this evidence was all within the province || secondly, to make known the grounds on which of the Jews to investigate ; it presented itself to || they themselves had arrived at that conviction. the observation, the reason, the senses, and the || But this was not the whole of their office-they judgment of those to whom it was addressed; and were, moreover, to communicate to the world all it was offered in attestation of these facts, that those divine truths which came down from heaven, Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and that he pro- and which were, as we shall now see, communiceeded and came forth from God. And why was cated to them in their fulness. it that such overpowering and extraordinary evi- | In order to render them fitting for this part of dence was afforded in attestation of these facts ? || the work assigned them, they had enjoyed a larger The reason was this : because God is the source || share of their Master's instructions while he was and origin of all divine truth; and the claim which with them. any truth has upon us to be received as divine de But the time came when he was taken from them, pends upon this, whether it came from God or no. | and consequently was no longer able to instruct Jesus Christ brought down a revelation of divine | them personally. Were they then left to their own truth from heaven and delivered it to man. John| unaided natural abilities to remember what he had Baptist argues thus : "he that cometh from hea- || | said to them-were they left to themselves to judge ven is above all; and what he hath seen and heard, || what was the most expedient method for evangethat he testifieth ; for he whom God hath sent || lising the world ? No: they had received this proknoweth the word of God” (John iii. 32); and in 1 mise from their divine Instructor before he was like manner, as Christ had asserted the fact, that || taken away from them: “ These things have I he himself was come from God, and had appealed || spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But to the private judgment of his hearers to satisfy || the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, 'whom the them that his assertion was founded in truth, so Father will send in my name, he shall teach you does he also assert that his doctrine came from all things, and bring all things to your remembrance God, and silenced his opponents by appeals to the whatsoever I have said unto you" (John xiv. 25). Jewish Scriptures, in corroboration of that asser

Did the Comforter, then, do nothing more than tion also. Jesus Christ continually insists upon it || bring to the recollection of the apostles whatsoever that his doctrine was derived from the Father : || Christ had said to them ? Yes, there was another “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me" || promise ; “I have yet many things to say unto -"I do nothing of myself, but as the Father | you, but ye cannot bear them now" (John xvi. 12). hath taught me, I speak these things"-"I have || “ Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth, is comé, not spoken of myself, but the Father which sent he will guide you into all truth" (John xvi. 13).

Thus were the apostles thoroughly furnished with || doctrine had been taught by the apostles, such an the knowledge of all truth to be revealed to man. inquiry would fall legitimately within the province They received it, indeed, through two channels: first, of private judgment; and, so long as the apostles by personal conversation with Jesus Christ; and were alive, it might be made the subject of personal secondly, by immediate inspiration from the Holy | reference. Spirit. But it was all derived from the same source; But we are now coming to that period of our hisfor as Christ had before said of himself, “Whatso- || tory when the apostles were dead, and we wish to ever I speak, even as the Father said unto me, so I || ascertain what were the means which they provided speak” (John xii. 50); so does he here speak of | to supply the place of such a personal reference the Spirit of truth, “He shall not speak of him to themselves after their death. This will introself; but whatsoever he shall hear, ihat shall he duce us to the Scriptures of the New Testament. speak,” (John xvi. 13.) ..

Hitherto we have regarded these Scriptures simply The fact was notorious, that the apostles had as historical testimony; we shall henceforth have to been the constant witnesses of all that Jesus Christ regard them as inspired wecords of divine truth. did and said ; nor could it be denied that his pro We have already seen that the apostles were mise to send the Holy Ghost, which should give | under a special promise of divine inspiration; it is them power to preach the Gospel to all the world, clear, then, that, if the Scriptures of the New Teswas fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, for they were tament have the apostolic sanction, they would, to a able to speak languages they had never learned. certain extent, supply to the Church that infallible It was competent to all men to exercise their pri tribunal of reference which she before possessed in vate judgment on these facts.

the apostles themselves while they were alive. But We are next to examine how the divine truths, it may be asked, how did the primitive Church which we have traced to have been thus communi. know what writings were, and what were not, of cated in all their fulness to the apostles, were com apostolic origin? for if those writings only which municated by them to the world : and this inquiry is had the sanction of the apostles were of divine auof the more importance, because it is evident that thority, it became a question of the very last imthey were acting under the influence of immediate | portance to determine what writings had, and what inspiration, not only in preaching these truths to the had not, the sanction of the apostles. then existing generation of men, but also in the This distinction was very carefully maintained in manner in which they provided for the perpetual || the primitive Church. Those writings which had knowledge of them among succeeding generations || the sanction of the apostles were termed the canoto the end of the world.

nical books of holy Scripture. Those which had To this end they established the Christian not the apostolic sanction were not admitted into Church; and as Christ had transmitted to them the sacred canon. And how it may be asked) that divine authority which he had received from was this question decided ? Precisely in the same the Father, so did they transmit a like divine au way in which every other matter of fact is dethority to the pastors of the Church : they appointed | cided, -by evidence and testimony. deacons, they ordained elders or priests, and they | Supposing we had any doubt whether any book consecrated bishops to succeed themselves in the purporting to be written by any living person were chief government of it. It was to these pastors and really of his writing, how should we satisfy ourteachers that the apostles committed those hea. selves ? should we not inquire of him whether he venly truths which had been communicated to them were the author of it? So, in like manner, while in the manner above mentioned. These, again, are St. Matthew was alive, it was easy to ascertain whefucts which were open to all the world at the time; ther the gospel which bears his name was really and are now recorded as a matter of history, which written by him: and so of all the other books of the any one may investigate who doubts the truth of || New Testament. St. Paul, indeed, gives this adthem.

ditional mark by which the original manuscript of They who succeeded the apostles were no more his epistles might be distinguished. “ The salutaat liberty to teach any thing as divine truth but that tion of me, Paul, with mine own hand, which is the which they had been taught by the apostles, than the mark in every epistle, so I write."1 apostles were to teach anything but that which | It was a legitimate office of private judgment to they had received from above. “Õ Timothy," saith ascertain the fact whether any particular writing the apostle Paul, “ keep that which is committed could be traced back, so as to make it certain wheto thy trust;" again, "Hold fast the form of soundther it were of apostolic origin, or had the sanction words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love of an apostle. We are indebted to Jerome and which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. i. 13). Nor was | Origen in ancient times, to Tomline and to Palev this principle to cease with Timothy. St. Paul and others in modern days, for this exercise of gives him this farther charge : “ The things which private judgment, and for the demonstration which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the they have thus afforded, that the testimony of the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be Church is true. From such labours as theirs we able to teach others also.” And, again, St. Jude learn, that the books of the New Testament were in his Epistle extends this precept to the whole | not originally comprised in one little volume as we Church, whether laymen or clergy. “ Beloved, || now have them. They were written at different when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the times, and in different parts of the world. The common salvation, it was needful for me to write |date at which St. Matthew's gospel was written is unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly ll uncertain, though probably the earliest; it was incontend for the faith once (i. e. once for all) de- || tended principally for the use of the Jewish conlivered to the saints."

1 This mark, however, for a very obvious reason, was Did any question arise whether any particular | omitted in the Epistle to the Hebrews.

St.

verts. The gospel of St. Mark was written about | There may have been some objections raised, the year 65, for the use of the Christians at Rome. | from time to time, against the genuineness of one St. Luke's gospel, designed for the use of the Gentile or other of these books by individuals; but all converts in Greece, was written a little earlier, about || these objections are at once overwhelmed in the the year 63; and the Acts of the Apostles (which || fact, that all Christians are now agreed in acknow. is a continuation of St. Luke's gospel) was written || ledging the books of the New Testament, as we about the year 64. St. John's gospel was not writ. || now receive them, to be the inspired books, and ten till many years after the other gospels, and was the only inspired books extant of apostolical auintended principally for the Christians in Asia. St. || thority. Paul's epistles vary in their dates from the year 52 Dissenters from the Church agree in this, and to 64. The Epistles of St. James, St. Peter, and || herein bear their testimony to the authority of the

range from the year 60 to 70, St. John's || Church; for they read in Scripture that the Church

Prom the vear 60 to 70, St. John's Church; for they read the Scriptures of the New epistles about the year 69. The Revelation (which was in existence before the Scriptures of the New is the last of all the books of the New Testament) | Testament were written. Though the dissenter was not written before the year 95 or 96.

pretends to found his religion upon Scripture, and St. Mark was the attendant of St. Peter, and || to reject Church-authority altogether; if he would wrote his gospel under the sanction and supervision employ his private judgment in investigating facts, of that apostle, St. Luke was the companion of he would find that the Church existed before any St. Paul, and consequently St. Luke's gospel and part of the New Testament was written : that he the Acts of the Apostles have the sanction and must go to the Church to learn what Scripture is, approval of St. Paul. The other writers of the and must condescend to thank the Church for havNew Testament were all apostles.

ing preserved the Scriptures for him for 1500 years The several books of the New Testament having before his sect had either name or existence. thus been written at different dates, and for the 1 Thus have we traced the books of the New Tesmore especial use of different churches, it is easy ||tament to their divine original, and consequently to understand how the collecting them into one | know that they are of divine authority ; but in so volume should have been delayed. Each particu doing we have indirectly established the divine lar Church knew, and was well assured, that those || authority of the Old Testament also. We find books which had been specially written for their own | frequent reference in the New Testament to the more peculiar use, were of apostolic origin or sanc. Scriptures of the Old Testament; as, for instance, tion. Accordingly, the ancient fathers continually when St. Paul writes to Timothy—“From a child quote the several books of the New Testament as thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are of divine authority before the canon of Scripture || able to make thee wise unto salvation." Again, was settled by any public decision of the Church. where our Saviour says to the Jews, “ Search the

It was not till the year 364, in the canons of the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal council of Laodicea, that any catalogue of the ca life; and they are they which testify of me" (Luke nonical books of the New Testament was stamped xxiv, 44): and again, yet more particularly, where with the public authority of the Church.

our Saviour says, “All things must be fulfilled This list, it should be observed, did not originate which are written in the law, and in the prophets, in any dispute or question as to what were, or what and in the psalms concerning me. Then opened were not, canonical books : that point appears to he their understanding, that they might underhave been previously acknowledged and ascer stand the Scriptures" (Luke xxiv. 45). tained. The circumstance which led to the fram In the last of these passages our blessed Saviour ing this celebrated canon was this : it had become identifies the law, the prophets, and the psalms, a custom to read passages out of the writings of with the Jewish Scriptures, i. e. the Scriptures of private persons in the churches, instead of reading the Old Testament, and stamps them with his dithe inspired word of God. The canon of Laodicea vine sanction. If, therefore, we would know which was made to put a stop to this practice, and to con are the books of the Old Testament which are acfine such readings to the canonical books of the Old knowledged by Jesus Christ to be of divine autho. and New Testaments.

rity, we must direct our attention to the inquiry, It is important to bear in mind, that this was the what were the books contained in the Jewish Scripcause of the framing this canon of the council of tures; or, in other words, what are the books conLaodicea, and that for two reasons :-first, because | tained under the three terms the law, the pro. it shews that there was no doubt in the minds of phets, and the psalms ? the fathers there assembled that the books enu This inquiry is, again, an inquiry on a matter of merated in that catalogue were canonical; and, | fact, and must be decided by reference to competent secondly, because it affords a satisfactory reason authority ; nor need we be at any loss in discovering why the book of Revelation is not included in such an authority. To whoin shall we refer rather that list. Had the question been, what are the than to the Jewish historian ? Josephus, the Jewcanonical books ? the omission of the book of Re ish historian, was born about 37 years after Christ, velation from the list might have raised a doubt and his authority is unquestionable ; besides his whether it was then regarded as of apostolic ori history, he wrote a treatise against Appion. In gin; but the question being, what books were to that treatise occurs the following passage : “We be read publicly in church for the edification of have not thousands of books discordant and conthe people ? we may reasonably suppose that the tradictory to each other; but we have only 22, which same reason which has since prevailed, prevailed comprehend the history of all former ages, and are also at that time against the ordinary reading of justly regarded as divine. Five of them proceed this exceedingly obscure and deeply mysterious | from Moses, they include as well the laws as an book in the public service of the Church,

account of the creation of man, extending to the

time of Moses's death. This period comprehends all things must be fulfilled which are written in the nearly 3000 years. From the death of Moses to law, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning him. that of Artaxerxes, who was king of Persia after Here, again, is an exercise of private judgment in Xerxes, the prophets who succeeded Moses com investigating a matter of fact. If our readers mitted to writing in 13 books what was done in should desire a more complete investigation of their days. The remaining four books contain the subject, they may refer to Bishop Cosins' hymns to God, and instructions of life for man" “ History of the Canon of Sacred Scriptures." (lib. i. c. 8).

Thus have we been enabled to trace back all divine In this passage of Josephus there is a most ex truth up to one and the same original : it all came press reference to the threefold division mentioned from God the Father. The office which we have seen by our Saviour-" The law, the prophets, and the assigned to private judgment by our Lord was, that psalms." His first division of the five books which his disciples should convince themselves of these proceed from Moses can be none other than the facts: first, that he was come from God, and was Pentateuch, which is but another word for the five indeed the Son of God ; and, secondly, that the books of Moses; and these five books which Jo. doctrine which he taught was in perfect harmony sephus says include the laws are frequently called with that contained in the Old Testament. We have “the law." There can, therefore, be no question || seen how the doctrine which he taught was comthat by the law our Saviour meant the five books mitted to his apostles, first by conversation, and of Moses - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, afterwards by immediate inspiration; we have seen and Deuteronomy.

how it was again committed by them to other faithful Josephus says, there are four books which con men, and how they established a perpetual order tain hymns to God and instructions for life of man. in the ministry for communicating and dissemiWhat expressions can more clearly than these de nating this holy treasure to all nations of the earth; scribe the book of Psalms, the book of Proverbs, i we have seen how they bequeathed to the Church Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon ?

a written record of the truths which they had de. Josephus says that there are thirteen more | livered before by word of mouth; and, lastly, we books, written by the prophets who succeeded | have seen how the Church distinguished these inMoses, which carry on the history from the death spired books from any that were written by private of Moses to the death of Artaxerxes. The remain persons, and ordered them to be read publicly in ing books of the Old Testament exactly answer || the churches—thereby giving to the congregation to this description, so far as the contents of the an opportunity of judging for themselves whether books are concerned; but there is apparently a the doctrines delivered to them by their pastors difficulty with respect to their number; for if we | were indeed the doctrines contained in the holy count each book singly by itself as they stand in Scriptures. our Bible, we find that instead of thirteen there are

(To be concluded in next Number.) no less than thirty.

This apparent difficulty has, however, been happily cleared away by this circumstance, that Origen,

Poetry. who wrote about the year 230, and made the Scrip

THE ENGLISH YEOMAN; tures the study of his life, not only gives us a catalogue of the canonical books of the Old Testament I am an English yeoman ! exactly agreeing with our own, but adds this ob And my father's lands I hold; servation, that the Hebrews count them as 22

For a hundred years, and more than that, books: he then tells us how they count them. The five first books (as we have before seen) are the

They have never been bought or sold ! law. The Psalms (as we have before seen) are the

I sit by the same old hearth as they, Psalms, the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song I rest in the same old seat; of Solomon. The remaining 30 in our catalogue And storms, when they roar on a winter's day, are reduced to the 13 of Josephus, in the follow

On the same old gables beat. ing manner:-Joshua 1, Judges and Ruth 2, 1 and 2 Samuel 3, 1 and 2 Kings 4, 1 and 2 Chronicles 5, They never knew an empty house Ezra and Nehemiah 6, Esther 7, Job 8, Isaiah 9, When Christmas-tide drew near ; Jeremiah and the Lamentations 10, Ezekiel 11,

And they never knew an empty hand Daniel 12, and the 12 lesser prophets 13. And to make this still more plain and clear, Jerome, who

At any time o' th' year: wrote after Origen, about the year 380, gives an They kept up good old customs, other catalogue of the Jewish Scriptures, in which As every month came round; he still says, that the number of their books is 22; They paid their tithes at Easter; and then sums them up according to the same di.

And at Whitsun beat the bound. vision, though in a different order.

We cannot,: herefore, entertain any reasonable I am an English yeoman! doubt that the books of the Old Testament, as we And we yeomen know no change : now receive them (exclusive of the Apocrypha), are

Though anti-corn-law lecturers the very same books which the Jews have all along received, and do still receive, as their 22 sacred

About the country range; books; that these books are the same which Jesus

We laugh at them, and such-like rogues, Christ referred to under the name of “the Scrip. And let them have their way; tures ;" and that they are the same which he For we know the good old proverbspoke of when he declared to his disciples that || “Give every dog his day!"