fideration. Tertullian, after he had turn'd Montanift, rejecting the Authority of Hermas's Paftor, as not being receiv'd into the Canon of Scripture, fays, that it was reckon'd amongst the Apocryphal Books, by all the Councils of his Adverfaries, the Orthodox. From whence it is evident, that in Tertullian's time divers Councils had past their Cenfure upon the Apocryphal Books, and that the Canon of Scripture had been fixt long before. So that the time, in which fome of these Councils were held, must probably be, whilst St. Polycarp, a Difciple of St. John, was yet living, whofe Martyrdom, by the earliest Computation, was not till A. D. CXLVII. at least they must be held in Irenaus's Life-time, who convers'd with St.Polycarp, and liv'd at the fame time with Tertullian, and † makes express Distinction between Genuine and Apocryphal Books. Thus was the Canon of Scripture vouch'd by thofe, who had receiv'd it from St. John, and Councils upon occafion were call'd (which || Tertullian elsewhere mentions as very numerous and frequent in Greece) to give Testimony to the Genuine Ĉanon, and cenfure Apocryphal Books.

It is manifeft, that the Canon of Scripture was fettled before the Council of Laodicea, which in the Fifty ninth Canon appoints that no Books, which are extra Canonem, but only Canonical Books should be

a

-Sed cederem tibi, fi Scriptura Paftoris, quæ fola mochos amat, divino inftrumento meruiffet incidi; fi non ab omni Concilio Ecclefiarum etiam veftrarum inter Apocrypha & falfa judicaretur. Tertull. de Pudicit. c. 10.

+ Iren. 1. i. c. 1. §. 15. Ib. c. 17.

Aguntur præcepta per Græcias illas certis in focis Concilia ex univerfis Ecclefiis, per quæ & altiora quæque in commune tractantur, & ipfa repræfentatio totius nominis Chriftiani magna veneratione celebratur. Et hoc quidem dignum fide aufpicante congregari undique ad Chriftum. Tertull. de Jejun. c. 13.

• Οὐ δὲ ἰδιωτικές δημὸς λέξεις, ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἐδὲ ἀκανός γιςα βιβλία, τα μόνα τα κανονικά το πλαιᾶς καὶ καινῆς διαθήκες. Conc. Laod. can. lix.

'read

read in the Chriftian Affemblies, and then fubjoins the Titles of the Canonical Books, which Denomination they had, as Zonaras and Balfamon obferve, becaufe they were inferted into the Apostles Canons, and all others were styl'd Uncanonical. And it is concluded, after the strictest Examination, by the best Criticks, that those which go under the Name of the Apostles Canons, are the Canons of Councils affembled before the Council of Nice, inafmuch as they are referr'd to by that Council; and that they are styled Apoftolical, because they were made by Apoftolical Men, or fuch as liv'd next to the Apostles times, and deliver❜d in these Canons what they had receiv'd from the Apostles. Dr. Beverege thinks they were collected into one Body by Clemens Alexandrinus, and Dr. Cave feems inclin'd to be of the fame Judgment. As to the Authority of the particular Apoftolical Canon, which contains the Canon of Scripture, the Council of Laodicea gives a fufficient Testimony to it, fo far as it concerns the Books of the New Teftament; and shews wherein it has been corrupted fince. All which very well agrees with that which I obferv'd from Tertullian, that frequent Councils were call'd in the first Ages, and that they had the Canon of Scripture among other things under confideration, which we find fet down in the last of the Apostles Canons and from thence, in the Canons of the Council of Laodicea; no Book being omitted but the Revelation of St. John, which yet had been acknowledg'd and receiv'd as Authentick, from the beginning, by thofe who had most reafon to know of what Authority it was; but none were inferted into the Canon, but fuch Books as were appointed to be constantly read in the Affemblies of Christians.

b Bever. Annot. ad Pandect. Can. & Cod. Can. Eccl. Primit. vind. Cave Hiftor. Liter. in Clem. Roman.

It appears then, that the Canon of Scripture was finish'd by St. John, and that fuch Books as were not of Divine Authority were rejected, by Councils held, when there were living Witneffes to certify St. John's Approbation of the Canon, or at least thofe, who had receiv'd it from fuch Witneffes; the Gofpels of the other Evangelifts were tranflated into divers Languages in St. John's Life-time, and we must in reafon fuppofe the fame of the other Books of Scripture; this is certain, that they were all very early tranflated into many Tongues, and difpers'd into fo many Hands, in fo many Countries, that it was impoffible they should be either loft or falfify'd, efpecially fince the feveral Sects of Chriftians were never more jea- .. lous and watchful over each other in any thing, than in this Particular, the different Interefts and Pretenfions of all Parties being chiefly concern'd in it, and no Catalogue of Books could have been receiv'd exclufively to all others, but upon the clearest Evidence.

XIII. When it once appear'd, that the Books which had been doubted of, belong'd to the Canon of Scripture, they were afterwards generally acknowledg'd, and conftantly receiv'd in all Churches: Every Sect has fince us'd all Arts and Endeavours to reconcile the Scriptures to their own Doctrines; few or none prefuming to reject the Authority of any of thefe Books, which they would never fcruple to do, if they fuppos'd they could make out any plausible Pretence for it. Proteftants have refus'd to admit of the Apocryphal Books, as infpir'd; but whoever have gone about to reject any part of the Canonical Scriptures, have been univerfally declar'd against for it: whereof no other Reafon can be given, but the Evidence, that is for the Authority of the Canonical Books of Scripture, which is wanting for the Authority of the Apocryphal Books. Papifts own the Authority of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, and of the fourteenth Chapter of that Epiftle, which is di

rectly

rectly against praying in an unknown Tongue; and they acknowledge the Epistle to the Galatians to be genuine, tho' the fecond Chapter be fo clearly against the Pretenfions of the Church of Rome. These Epiftles indeed were never controverted but the Epistle to the Hebrews likewife is not rejected by the Socinians, tho' the Divine Nature of Chrift, and the Merit and Satisfaction of his Sufferings, are fo plainly afferted in it; and they dare not deny the Authority of the Gofpel and Epiftles of St. John, though they are fo hard put to it, to expound them to their own Senfe, that Socinus was forc'd to pretend to I know not what Revelation, to help out one of his Explications, which he would not have done, if he could have found out any colour for not admitting the Authority of a Text fo directly contrary to his own Tenents, that he could not expect, that any thing less than a Revelation fhould procure any Credit to his Interpretation. And generally the Cafe is the fame with other Sects: those that differ never fo much one from another in the Interpretation of particular Texts, yet agree in the Acknowledgment of the Authority of the Canon of Scripture it felf, or can find out no fufficient Pretence to difown it.

But because the Account I have here given of the Canon of Scripture, is thought new and liable to Exceptions; I fhall, in Defence and Explication of it prove thefe Four things, which will take in all, that is material, which has been objected against it.

I. That by the Canon of Scripture is to be understood, a fet Number or Catalogue of Books of Scripture. II. That there is fufficient Evidence to believe, that St. John did both perfect and fettle the Canon of Scripture. III. That tho' the Councils mention'd by Tertullian, as having confirm'd and attested the Canon of Scripture, be omitted by other Authors, yet this is no Proof, that the Canon of Scripture was not confirm'd and attested by fuch Councils. IV. That tho'

uncano

uncanonical Books were read in Churches, and the Authority of fome Books, which had been received into the Canon, was afterwards difputed; this doth not prove, that these Books were not inferted by St. John into the Canon, which was confirmed and attested by thofe Councils as fix'd and established by

him.

d

с

e

I. That by the Canon of Scripture, is to be underftood a fet Number or Catalogue of Books of Scripture. The word Canon, both in Ecclefiaftical and Prophane Authors, fignifies a Roll or Catalogue. Thus a Matricula, or Register, and Roll of Names, was called Canon. Κανών βασιλέων is the Infcription of a Ptolomy's Lift of the Kings of the Four Monarchies, with the Years of their feveral Reigns annex'd. Such were the Chronological Canons which Plutarch mentions; fuch were alfo the Chronological Canons of Eufebius, who likewife ftyles his Tables, containing the Parallel Places in the Gospels, Evangelical Canons; and fpeaking of the Books of Scripture, hef ufes the Word Canon and Catalogue promifcuously. Tertullian defines the genuine Books of Scripture to be those, which were worthy to be inferted into the Divine Code; and Origen calls them the Ecclefiaftical Canou. This is evidently the true fignification of the word Canon, as it is used in relation to the Scriptures, and I know of no ancient Author that has underftood it otherwife. But the Books of Scripture are ftyled Canonical, sometimes as belonging to the Canon of Scripture, and at other times, because they were

• Socrat. Hift. l. 1. c. 17. Καθαιρεθήσες κλήρο, καὶ ἀλλό Telor F navor Esau. Conc. Nicen. Can. 17. vid. Albalpin. ad Conc. Antioch. Can. 2.

d Apud Petav. Ration. Temp. Par. 2.

• In vit. Solon.

f Hift. 1. 4. c. 26. I. 6. c.25.

Qui divino inftrumento meruiffent incidi. De Pudicit. c. 7. h Apud Eufeb. Hift. 1. §. c. 25.

confirmed