and doctrinal, that fhall be received by the churches, in that quality. This has been faid feveral times in the courfe of this work. And I ftill think it right.

a

Mark and Luke, apoftolical men, may write hiftories of our Lord's and his apoftles preaching, and doctrine, and miracles, which fhall be received as facred, and of authority. But no epiftles, or other writings, delivering doctrines and precepts, (except only in the way of historical narration) can be of authority, but thofe written by apoftles.

b

Says Jerom of St. John: He was at once apostle, evangelift, and prophet: apoftle, it he wrote letters to the churches as a mafter: evigt, as he wrote a book of the gofpel, which no other of the twelve apoftles did, except Matthew: prophet, as he faw the Revelation in the ifland Patmos, where he was banished by Domitian.' Frederic Spanheim, in his Differtation concerning the twelve apoftles, readily acknowledgeth this to be one prerogative of apoftles: That they may write epiftles, which fhall be received as canonical ard be of universal and 'perpetual authority in the church.'

3. Barnabas does not take upon him felf the character of an apostle, or a man of authority.

Near the beginning of the epiftle he fays: I therefore, not as a teacher, but as one of you, fhall lay before you a few things, that you may be joyful.' And fomewhat lower: again, I entreat you, as one of you.'

e

He writes as a man, who had gifts of the fpirit, but not that full measure, which was a prerogative of apoftles. He who put the engrafted gift of his doctrine in us, knows, that no man has received [or learned] from me a 'truer word. But I know, that you are worthy.'

I shall add a few more very modeft expreffions, not suitable to an apostle.

Thus as much as in me lies, I have written to you with great plainnefs. And I hope, that according to my ability, I have omitted nothing conducive to your falvation in the prefent circumftance.'

In the last chapter: I beseech you: I afk it as a favour of you, whilst you are in this beautiful veffel of the body, 'be wanting in none of these things.' And still nearer the conclufion. Wherefore I have endeavoured to write to you, according to my ability, that you might rejoice.'

Upon the whole, this epiftle well anfwers the character given of Barnabas in the Acts, particularly, ch. xi. 24. He was full of the Holy Ghoft. The writer of this epiftle had the gift of the spirit, though not that measure, which was peculiar to apoftles. He was full of faith. The writer of this epiftle had an earnest zeal for the truth and fimplicity of the gofpel. He was alfo a good man. In this epiftle we observe the mildnefs and gentlenefs, by which Barnabas feems to have been diftinguished: but we do not difcern. here the dignity and authority of an apostle.

Confequently, this epiftle may afford edification, and may be read with that view. But it ought not to be esteemed by us, as it was not by the ancients, a part of the rule of faith.

CHAP III.

Of the Method in which the Canon of the New Teftament has been formed.

THE canon of the New Teftament is a collection of books, written by feveral perfons, in feveral places, and at different times. It is therefore reasonable to think, that it was formed gradually. At the rife of the Chriftian Religion there were no written fyftems or records of it. It was firft taught and confirmed by Chrift himself in his most glorious

* Εφ' οσον ην εν δυνατῳ και απλοτητι δηλώσαι υμιν ελπίζει με η ψυχη τη επιθυμία με μη παραλελοιπεναι με ΤΙ των ανηκοντων υμιν εις σωτηρίαν, EVESOTOT. Cap. 17.

h

Η Ερωτω υμας, χαριν αιτεμενΘ. κ. λ. Cap. 21.

1 Διο μαλλον εσπέδασα γραψαι, αφ' ων ηδυνήθην, εις το εύφραναι υμας. Ibid.

miniftry;

ministry; and was ftill farther confirmed by his willing death, and his refurrection from the dead, and afcenfion to heaven afterwards it was taught by word of mouth, and propagated by the preaching of his apoftles and their companions. Nor was it fit, that any books fhould be written. about it, till there were converts to receive and keep them, and deliver them to others.

If St. Paul's two epiftles to the Theffalonians were the first written books of the New Teftament, and not written till the year 51, or 52, about twenty years after our Saviour's afcenfion, they would be for a while the only facred books of the new difpenfation.

As the Chriftians at Theffalonica had received the doctrine taught by Paul, not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, 1 Theff. ii. 13. they would receive his epiftles, as the written word of God. And himfelf taught them fo to do, requiring, that they fhould be folemnly read unto all the holy brethren, 1 Theff. v. 27. He gives a like direction, but more extensive, at the end of his epiftle to the Coloffians, iv. 16. requiring them, after they had read it amongst themselves, to cause it to be read also in the church of the Laodiceans: and that they likewife read the epiftle, that would come to them from Laodicea.

All the apostle Paul's epiftles, whether to churches or particular perfons, would be received with the like refpect by thofe to whom they were fent, even as the written word of God, or facred fcriptures: and in like manner the writings of all the apoftles and evangelifts.

They who received them would, as there were opportunities, convey them to others. They who received them, were fully affured of their genuineness by thofe who delivered them. And before the end of the first century, yea not very long after the middle of it, it is likely, there were collections made of the four gofpels, and most of the other books of the New Teftament, which were in the hands of a good number of churches and perfons.

From the quotations of Irenæus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and other writers of the fecond century, of Origen in the third, and of Eufebius in the fourth century, it appears, that the greateft part of the books, which are now received by us, and are called canonical, were univerfally acknowledged in their times, and had been fo acknowledged by the elders and churches of former times.

And

And the reft, now received by us, though they were then doubted of, or controverted by fome, were a well known, and approved by many. And Athanafius, who lived not long after Eufebius (having flourished from the year 326, and afterwards) received all the fame books, which are now received by us, and no other. Which has also been the prevailing fentiment ever fince.

This canon was not determined by the authority of councils but the books, of which it confifts, were known to be the genuine writings of the apostles and evangelifts, in the fame way and manner that we know the works of Cæfar, Cicero, Virgil, Horace, Tacitus, to be theirs. And the canon has been formed upon the ground of an unanimous, or generally concurring teftimony and tradition.

In the course of this long work we have had frequent occafion to obferve, that the canon of the New Teftament had not been settled by any authority univerfally acknowledged, particularly, not in the time of Eufebius, nor of Auguftine, nor of Cofmas, nor of 4 Caffiodorius: but that nevertheless there was a general agreement among Chriftians upon this head.

dd

That the number of books to be received as facred and canonical had not been determined by the authority of any council or councils, univerfally acknowledged, is apparent from the different judgments among Chriftians, in several parts of the world, concerning divers books, particularly, the epistle to the Hebrews, and the Revelation: which were received by fome, rejected, or doubted of by others : not now to mention any of the catholic epiftles. There was no catalogue of the books of fcripture in any canon of the council of Nice. Auguftine giving directions to inquifitive perfons, how they might determine what books are canonical, and what not, refers not to the decifions of any councils. Caffiodorius, in the fixth century, has f three catalogues, one called Jerom's, another Auguftine's, another that of the ancient verfion: but he refers not to the decree of any council, as decifive. And it seems to me, that in all times, Chriftian people and churches have had

e

a liberty to judge for themfelves according to evidence. And the evidence of the genuineness of moft of the books of the New Teftament has been fo clear and manifeft, that they have been univerfally received.

The genuineness of these books, as before faid, is known in the fame way with others, by teftimony or tradition. The firft teftimony is that of thofe who were cotemporary with the writers of them: which teftimony has been handed down to others.

That in this way the primitive Chriftians formed their judgment concerning the books propofed to be received as facred fcriptures, appears from their remaining works. Says Clement of Alexandria: This we not in the four gofpels, which have been delivered to us, but in that according to the Egyptians.' Tertullian may be feen largely to this purpose, vol. II. p. 256-259. I pafs on to Origen, who fays: As I have learned by tradition 'concerning the four gofpels, which alone are received without difpute by the whole church of God under 'heaven.' So Eufebius, in his Ecclefiaftical History, often obferves, what books of the New Teftament had been quoted by the ancients, and what not. And having rehearsed a catalogue of books univerfally received, and of others controverted, he fays: It was needful to put down thefe alfo; diftinguishing the fcriptures, which according to ecclefiaftical tradition are true, genuine, and univerfally acknowledged, from thofe which are controverted, and yet appear to have been known to many: that by this means. we may know them from fuch as have been published by heretics, under the names of apoftles. Which books none of the ecclefiaftical writers in the fucceffion from the times of the apostles have vouchfafed to mention in their writings.' I may not tranfcribe, but only refer to * Athanafius in his Feftal Epiftle, to Cyril of Jerufalem, Rufinus, and Augustine.

n

m

However, befide obferving the teftimony of writers in former times, they criticifed the books, which were propofed to them: examining their ftyle and contents, and