JUSTIN MARTYR'S WORK.

129

four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Irenaeus was bishop of Lyons in Gaul about A.D. 177, and died A.D. 202. He was a disciple of Polycarp, and is reputed to have been a convert of the apostle John. In his treatise against heretics, written about A.D. 180, he appeals to the four gospels as well known, and says that, after the resurrection of Christ, the apostles, having received the gift of the Holy Spirit, went to the ends of the earth, preaching the gospel; and that Matthew wrote his gospel for the Jews, Mark, the disciple of Peter, wrote the gospel of Mark, Luke, the companion of Paul, wrote his gospel, and later, John wrote his gospel in Ephesus. Irenaeus quoted nearly 200 times from Matthew and about 70 times from John.

Clement became Prof. of theology in the great school at Alexandria, and he writes about the end of the second century, "We received the gospels from the first Apostles." There is hardly a chapter in Matthew, Luke and John from which Tertullian does not quote. Von Herman Rönsch has collected direct and indirect quotations of Tertullian from the books of the New Testament, and they fill nearly five hundred pages. Justin Martyr wrote two apologies, not later than A.D. 150, and he quotes so much from the four gospels that a pretty full life of Christ could be compiled from his writings.

He

Origen,-185-254,- -was one of the most learned men of his time. Before he was twenty years old, he was invited to take the pulpit of the famous Clement of Alexandria, the capital of Egypt, and noted for learning throughout the world. So great was the fame of Origen, that the Roman emperor, Alexander Severus, although a pagan, sent a military escort to bring him to his court. Origen gave his life to the study of the Old and New Testaments. traveled through various countries, collecting all the ancient versions and manuscripts he could find of the Old and New Testaments. He wrote a commentary on the whole Bible. Seven rapid writers were at his side while he dictated. A great number of copyists were employed. Without mentioning his works on the Old Testament, we will mention a few of those on the New Testament, the whole, or parts of which remain to this day. On John's gospel, 22 vols. of commentaries; Matt. 25 vols. com.; Luke, 5 vols. com.; on Luke 39 sermons; on Acts, many sermons; on Romans, 20 vols. com.; on Gal., 5 vols. com., besides many vols. of commentaries on Cor., Eph, Col., Thes., Titus, Heb., and one on Revelation.

This man wrote all these works within 120 years of the

130

TESTIMONY OF HERETICS AND ENEMIES.

death of John, and he twice gives the catalogue of the books of the New Testament, which were then received and regarded as of divine authority, and in these catalogues he gives the names of the twenty seven books as we have them. Finally, Origen sealed his faith and his honesty with his death from the effects of torture, endured for the truth's sake.

Returning now to the testimony of heretics and enemies of Christianity to the early existence of the books of the New Testament, we find that these men, in denying some of the doctrines of the New Testament, admit the existence of the books themselves. Cerinthus who lived at the same time as the Apostle Paul, although much younger, adopted Judaic theories, and in his writings, says, that Paul cannot be a divine Apostle, because some of Paul's passages, quoting from Paul's epistles, conflict with Cerinthus's own doctrines. Marcion, born in Pontus, was excommunicated for his heretical opinions about A.D. 140. He was one of the founders of the gnostics who believed in four supernatural beings. He admits in his writings against Christianity, the existence of almost all the books of the New Testament, and he admits the truth of Paul's epistles, and the gospel by Luke, but he thought the others were colored by Jewish opinions, and he especially objected to Peter. Celsus, an epicurean philosopher, wrote a book against Christianity about A.D. 150, and Origen wrote eight books in reply to him. Celsus admits Christ's miracles and the resurrection, as recorded in the gospels, as true, but he calls attention to the fact that one of the evangelists speaks of one angel at the sepulchre, and another one speaks of two; he carps at providence feeding the ravens, and at the genealogy of Christ going back to Adam, etc., and he says, "These things are all taken from your own scriptures. Porphyry, born in Syria A.D. 233, wrote 15 books against Christianity. He would gladly have overthrown the genuineness of the New Testament, but he could only attack its credibility.

Again, when we examine the ancient versions of the New Testament, we find strong evidence of its genuineness. The New Testament was translated into Syriac about A.D. 170, and this celebrated Peshito version contains all the books of the New Testament, except Jude, 2-Pet., 2-and 3-John and Rev.; thus showing that it was made before these books came into general use; for the Syriac churches regarded Revelation as a divine book, when it appeared, and quoted from it. Thus, less than 100 years after the death of the Apostles, we find this version was in existence, for Eusebius who

ARGUMENT FROM LATER DISCUSSIONS.

131

lived about 200 years after Christ, says that Hegesippus who was born A.D. 103, or about the time of John's death, always read and quoted the Old and New Testaments, either in the Syriac or the Hebrew. The old fathers all say, that from the days of the Apostles, in Syria, on the Euphrates and Tigris, and wherever the Aramaic language was spoken, translations of these books were in use.

Once more, when we examine the Acts and the Epistles, we see that fierce discussions arose in the church about the binding force of the Mosaic ritual service upon christians, circumcision, the keeping of the Jewish sabbath, etc. See Acts xi. 5; xv. 7; xxi. 20-24; 1-Cor. viii. 1-11; x. 25-28; Rom. xiv. 3, 14, 23; Gal. ii. 1-5, 11-15; v. 6; vi. 15. The fact that neither these, nor any other of the later discussions are to be found in the gospels, is proof that they were not written later than they purport to have been written. Again, we find many words which had come into common use when the epistles were written, which are not found at all in the gospels, which would not have been the case, if the gospels were the production of a later age. As, for example, Rom. iv. 5, asebes, ungodly; 1-Tim. ii. 2; 2-Pet. i. 3, 7, eusebeia, godliness. Just so, when we look at the fierce discussions which raged during the second century, nothing of which is found in the gospels, or the epistles, it is inconceivable that they were not written before the opening of the second century. The internal and external evidences of the genuineness of the New Testament are very strong when taken separately; but taken together, they are overwhelming. There is not another book in existence, which was written one thousand years ago, which has one tenth the evidence in favor of its genuineness which the New Testament has.

"For if

CHAPTER FIFTH.

ye believed Moses, ye would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? [Christ. John v. 46, 47.]

Genuineness of the Old Testament.

The four gospels,—the words of Christ as recorded by the four evangelists,-are the most important part of Scripture. They are the key-stone of the arch. Without this key-stone, neither the Old Testament on the one side, nor the Acts or Epistles on the other, could stand.

But we may vary the figure; the New Testament cannot stand without the Old Testament. The Old Testament is the foundation on which the New Testament stands. Deny the genuineness and credibility of the Old Testament, and the New Testament is weakened.

The internal evidence of the genuineness of the Old Testament is similar to that of the New Testament, so far as we can get at it. Much of the Old Testament being older than any other literature, we cannot as well compare its language and its descriptions of manners and customs, as we can those of the New Testament; although the oldest monuments of Egypt and the East furnish "Books in stone,' which enable us to compare many of the manners and customs of the Old Testament with those which are described on the monuments.

For convenience, we will consider the external and internal evidences of the genuineness of the Old Testament together.

There has been a persistent attempt made to disprove the genuineness of some parts of the Old Testament, as well as its credibility and Divine authority. These assaults have been made, especially, upon the Pentateuch, upon the last part of Isaiah, and upon Daniel. Let us first consider these assaults. Prof. Wellhausen of Germany has presented the

WELLHAUSEN'S THEORY; ITS PRIME DEFECг.

133

most radical view with reference to the Pentateuch, which is thus summarised by Prof. H. P. Smith, in the Pres. Review for April, 1882. "An analysis of the Pentateuch, then, shows us at least three distinct documents,—this is indeed common ground for all critics. A close examination enables us to trace their history. The earliest of all is the Jahvist, distinguished by the use of the divine name Jahve. Next to him in the order of time is the Elohist,-heretofore generally called the younger Elohist, his work was united with that of the Jahvist by a compiler whom we may call the Jehovist. The composite book which resulted, -(we may designate it by the initials J. E.), was mainly historical. The only legislation it contained was Exodus XX-XXV. Decidedly later was the book of Deut.-D,-which was an independent work. Latest of all was the great body of laws making up the priest code, now contained in the latter part of Exodus,—— chap. xxvi-xl, the whole of Leviticus and the first ten chapters of Numbers. This was prefaced by a brief historical sketch founded on the materials contained in J. E., but reconstructed according to the theories of a later time. This is the work heretofore assumed to be the basis of the Pentateuch, and called the older Elohist. It is, however, younger than all, and was composed during the exile by a writer who was under the influence of Ezekiel. As its historical part lays great stress on the four covenants, it may be called the covenant book, and designated by-Q., Quatuor. These different elements, J., E., D., Q., were wrought up, with additions from other sources, into our present Pentateuch by a redactor,R,—or editor, who, if not Ezra himself, was some one who lived not far from his time. Brought to Jerusalem by Ezra, this work was solemnly adopted by the returned Jews, and became the constitution of the second commonwealth."

These critics begin by banishing the Divine factor from the Old Testament and from the early history of mankind. They do not admit that Jehovah had anything to do with writing the Old Testament, or with revealing what is written in it, or with the creation or development of the first men. They assume that the Israelites and all mankind came up gradually from a savage state to civilization and a literature; and hence, they say that it was impossible that they could have produced such a literature as that of the Pentateuch with its high moral code and ritual service, when they were just coming out of centuries of Egyptian slavery. Hence, all the parts of the Old Testament which presuppose, or imply