comparing them with thofe books, which had been already received as genuine upon the ground of an unanimous. teftimony, and undoubted tradition. Says honeft Serapion, bishop of Antioch, in an epiftle to fome, who had too much refpect for a writing, entitled the Gospel of Peter: We • 'brethren, receive Peter, and the other apoftles, as Chrift: but as fkilful men, we reject thofe writings, which are 'falfly afcribed to them: well knowing, that we have re'ceived no fuch.' And he adds, that upon perusing that work, he had found the main part of it agreeable to the right doctrine of our Saviour: but there were fome other things of a different kind. And Eufebius adds in the place transcribed above: The style alfo of these books is en'tirely different from that of the apoftles. Moreover the 'fentiments and doctrine of thefe writings differ from the 'true orthodox Chriftianity. All which things plainly 'fhow, that they are the forgeries of heretics.' It has been fometimes faid, that the council of Laodicea first fettled the canon of the New Teftament. But it may be juftly faid to have been fettled before. At least there had been long before a general agreement among Chriftians, what books were canonical, and what not: what were the genuine writings of apoftles and evangelifts, and what not. From the decree of the council itfelf it appears, that there were writings already known by the title of canonical. That council does nothing in their laft canon, but declare, That private pfalms ought not to be read in the church, nor any books not canonical, but only the canonical books of the Old and New Teftament.' After which follows a catalogue or enumeration of fuch books. The fame may be faid of the third council of Carthage, whofe forty-feventh canon is to this purpose: Moreover it is ordained, that 'nothing befide the canonical fcriptures be read in the 'church, under the name of divine fcriptures.' I fhall now tranfcribe below a long and fine paffage of Mr. Le Clerc, wherein he fays: We no where read of • Vol. II. p. 247. Vol. V. p. 78, 79. a council ullum Rectorum Ecclefiarum Chriftianarum coactum effe, qui pro auctoritate definierint hunc numerum Evangeliorum effe admittendum, non majorem, nec minorem. Sed nec opus fuit, cum omnibus con ftaret, a council of the apoftles, or of any affembly of the governors of christian churches, convened, to determine by their authority, that fuch a number of gospels, neither 'more nor fewer, fhould be received. Nor was there any need of it, fince it is well known to all from the concurring teftimony of cotemporaries, that these four gofpels are the genuine writings of thofe whofe names they bear: and fince it is alfo manifeft, that there is in them nothing unworthy of those, to whom they are afcribed, nor any thing at all contrary to the revelation of the Old Teftament, nor to right reafon. There was no need of a fynod of grammarians, to declare magifterially what are the works of Cicero, or Virgil.... In like manner the authority of the gofpels has been established by general and 'perpetual confent, without any decree of the governors of the church. We may fay the fame of the apoftolical epiftles, which owe all their authority, not to the decifions. of any ecclefiaftical affembly, but to the concurring testi'mony of all Chriftians, and the things themfelves, which ' are contained in them. < Mr. James Bafnage has feveral chapters, fhowing how the canon of the New Teftament was formed, without the authoritative decifions of councils. I likewife refer to Mr. Jones upon this fubject. I muft alfo remind my readers of Auguftine's excellent obfervations, in his arguments with the Manichees, concerning the genuineness and integrity of the books of the New Teftament. I fhall tranfcribe from him here a ftaret, ex teftimonio et confenfu æqualium, quatuor hæc Evangelia eorum vere fuiffe, quorum nomina præferunt: cumque nihil in iis legatur quod fcriptoribus dignum non fit, vel revelationi Veteris Teftamenti, rectæve rationi, vel minimum adverfetur aut quod inferius ævum, recentiorumque manus ullo modo refipiat. Non opus fuit fynodo Grammaticorum, qui, pro imperio, pronunciarent ea fcripta, verbi cauffa, Ciceronis et Virgilii, quæ eorum effe non dubitamus, re verâ tantorum ingeniorum foetus fuiffe, et pofteritati ea in re confulerent. Omnium confenfus, non quæfitus, non rogatus, fed fponte fignificatus, prout occafio tulit, refque ipfæ om nibus, qui poftea vixere, dubitationem omnem anteverterunt.... Sic et Evangeliorum auctoritas merito conftituta eft, et invaluit, perpetuo confenfu, fine ullo Rectorum Ecclefiæ decreto. Idem dixerimus de Epiftolis Apoftolicis, quæ nullius ecclefiaftici conventus judicio, fed contanti omnium chriftianorum teftimonio, rebufque ipfis, quas complectuntur. auctoritatem omnem fuam debent. Cleric. H. E. ann. 100. num. iii. iv. Vid. et ann. 29. num. xcii. Hift. de l'Eglife. 1. 8. ch. v. vi. vii. * See vol. III. p. 523–526. few few lines only, which are very much to the prefent purpose. We know the writings of the apoftles, fays he, as we 'know the works of Plato, Ariftotle, Cicero, Varro, and ' others; and as we know the writings of divers ecclefiaftical authors: forafmuch as they have the teftimony of co'temporaries, and of those who have lived in fucceeding ' ages.' Upon the whole, the writings of the apoftles and evangelifts are received, as the works of other eminent men of antiquity are, upon the ground of general confent and teftimony. Nor does the canon of the scriptures of the New Testament owe its establishment to the decifions of councils: but it is the judgment of chriftian people in general; and fo far as we are able to perceive, after a long and careful examination, it is a right and reasonable judgment. And it may induce us to believe, that if men were encouraged to think freely, in other matters alfo, and to judge for themselves, according to evidence, and proper affittances were afforded them, it would not be at all detrimental to the interefts either of truth or virtue. CHA P. IV. Of the Time of writing the Gospels, especially the first three. SECT. I. That the Gospels are not mentioned, nor referred to, in the Epistles of the New Teftament. EUSEBIUS intimates, that many before him fuppofed, that when Paul in his epiftle speaks of his own gospel, he intended the gofpel according to Luke. We will therefore confider thofe texts, and fome others of a like kind. I. St. Paul fays, Rom. ii. 16....in the day, when God fball judge the fecrets of men, according to my gospel. The fame phrafe occurs again, ch. xvi. 25. and 2 Tim. ii. 8. Remember, that Jefus Christ, of the feed of David, was raised from the dead, according to my gospel. In all which places, I apprehend, it muft be reasonable to understand, not any written gofpel, ▼ P. 525, 526. 2 Φασι δε, ως αρα το κατ' αυτόν BAYYING MITKOVEDEIV o mauños Elwbey, οπηνίκα ως περι 1918 τινος ευαγγελια γράφων έλεγε, κατα το ευαγγέλιον με. Euf. H. E. 1. 3. c. 4. p. 73. D. or or history of Jefus Chrift: but the doctrine of the gospel of Jefus Chrift, which had been preached by Paul. Which is alfo the opinion of learned modern interpreters in general. d II. 2 Cor. viii. 18. And we have fent with him the brother, whofe praife is in the gospel, throughout all the churches. Many have been of opinion, that St. Luke is the brother here intended, and that St. Paul refers to Luke's written gospel. This is faid to be Origen's interpretation; but I do not clearly perceive it. Origen fpeaking of the four gospels, fays: The third is that according to Luke, the gospel commended by Paul.' I fay, I do not perceive it to be clear, that Origen had an eye to 2 Cor. viii. 18. He might intend Rom. ii. 16. or xvi. 25. or 2 Tim. ii. 8. However, whether it be Origen's interpretation of that text or not, it is Jerom's: who writing the hiftory of St. Luke in his book of Illuftrious Men, fays: He wrote a gofpel, of which Paul makes ' mention, faying: And we have fent with him the brother, whofe praife is in the gospel. To the fame purpose alfo in the prologue to his Commentary upon St. Matthew; and likewife in s his Commentary upon the epiftle to Philemon. Chryfoftom upon the place speaks after this manner. And who is this brother? Some fay, Luke and think, that the apoftle refers to the hiftory written by him. Others fay, Barnabas. For by gofpel he intends unwritten preaching.' Theophylact fpeaks to the like purpose. Theodoret by the brother understood Barnabas: and therefore could not think of any written gofpel, no fuch work having been ascribed to him by the ancients. Ecumenius's note is to this purpose. Many fay, this brother is Luke, mentioned upon account of the gospel compofed by him. Many others fuppofe him 'to be Barnabas: for, as they fay, unwritten preaching is here called gofpel; which is the more likely for what 'follows is more fuitable to Barnabas: whofe praife is in the gofpel. As much as to fay, he not only preaches, but com'mendably.' And afterwards. The meaning is, he not only 'evangelizeth, and preacheth the gospel admirably, and com'mendably, but he has been chofen to travel with us, with 'this grace alfo.' Such are the fentiments of the ancients upon this text. Let us now observe the interpretations of fome judicious moderns. Grotius fays: hem does not diflike the opinion of thofe, 'who think Luke to be here intended: but he does not 'think, that St. Paul refers to his book of the gospel, 'which was not then published: but to the office of an 'evangelift, which Luke had difcharged in feveral places, 'or to his preaching the gofpel. And he fays, that in the 'gofpel may be the fame as by the gofpel. So in ch. x. 14. of the fame epiftle.' Eftius likewife fays, that by gospel is to be understood preaching: not St. Luke's gofpel, which we are not certain. was then publifhed. Le Clerc, in his French Teftament, tranflates in this manner: one of our brethren, who is praised on account of the gospel in all the churches. And in his notes fays, that generally St. Luke is here fuppofed to be intended: though 'St. Paul refers rather to his preaching the gofpel, than to 'the book of his gofpel.' Beaufobre tranflates after this manner: one of the brethren, who has made himself famous in all the churches by [preaching] the gospel. And fays in his notes: that though fome of. 'the ancients have hereby understood St. Luke, and his |