of some books of the Old and New Testament; and Tertullian appeals, from a Latin version then in use, to the original Greek.

Q. What testimony does Eusebius afford?

A. In an anonymous author quoted by him, an appeal is made to the ancient copies of the Scriptures, in refutation of some corrupt readings. Eusebius also records the laudable industry of ancient men (i. e. ancient in 300), and of others whose names he could not learn, in interpretations of the Divine Scriptures.

Q. What are the testimonies of the 3rd century?

A. Those of Julius Africanus, who wrote on Matthew's and Luke's genealogies; of Ammonius, who, like Tatian, composed a Diatessaron; of Origen, who wrote commentaries on most of the books of the New Testament; of Dionysius of Alexandria, who compared the accounts of the resurrection; of Victorin of Pettaw, who wrote on Matthew; of Lucian of Antioch, and Hesychius, an Egyptian bishop, who published editions of the New Testament.

Q. How many commentators on the New Testament, whose works or names have come down to us, does the 4th century produce?

A. Fourteen, amongst whom for the present purpose it will suffice to mention, Eusebius, who wrote on the discrepancies of the Gospels; Damasus, bishop of Rome, who mentions the different interpretations of the word Hosanna by Greek and Latin commentators; Gregory Nyssen compares the accounts

of the resurrection; Ambrose, bishop of Milan, remarks various readings of the Latin Testament, and appeals to the Greek; Jerome, who published a Latin Testament corrected by Greek copies; and Chrysostom, who published homilies on the Gospels and Acts.

Q. Is there no example of Christian writers of the first three centuries, commenting on any other books except the New Testament?

A. One only, that of Clem. Alex. on a book called the Revelation of St. Peter.

Q. Which is the most valuable ancient version of the New Testament?

A. One is the Syriac, bearing internal marks of high antiquity, a copy of which, about 200 years since, was sent by the bishop of Antioch to Europe to be printed.

Q. What books does it contain ?

A. All our books, except the 2nd Epistle of Peter, the 2nd and 3rd of John; which books, however, have been since discovered in that language, in some ancient MSS. of Europe.

Q. Does it contain any book besides ours?

A. None; and it is worthy of observation that the text, though preserved in a remote country, without communication with ours, differs very little from ours, and in nothing that is important.

SECTION 7.

Q. State the seventh proposition?

A. Our Scriptures were received by ancient Christians of different sects and persuasions, by many heretics as well as Catholics, and were usually appealed to by both sides, in the controversies which arose in those days.

Q. What were the three most ancient topics of controversy among Christians?

A. The authority of the Jewish constitution, the origin of evil, and the nature of Christ.

Q. What satisfactory information is derived from these disputes?

A. In a vast plurality of instances we perceive all sides recurring to the same Scriptures.

Q. Mention some?

A. Basilides, about 120, rejected the Jewish institutions, not as spurious, but as proceeding from a being inferior to the true God. About the same time the Valentinians are stated by Irenæus to have argued from the evangelic and apostolic writings concerning angelic natures. The Carpocratians perhaps a little later, if at all, resembled the Socinians of the present day, and are charged with perverting a passage in Matthew. The Sethians, 150; Montanists, 156; Marcosians, 160; Hermogenes, 180; Praxias, 196; Artemon, 200; Theodotus, 200; all denominated heretics, received the New Testa

ment.

Q. Were not many opinions of Tatian extravagant?

A. Yes; and they were the origin of a sect called Encratites, yet Tatian composed a harmony of the Gospels.

Q. How does it appear that the heretics, about 200, who contended for the mere humanity of Christ, support the argument?

A. Because they are accused of altering the Scriptures to favour their opinions.

Q. Did not Origen's sentiments excite great controversies?

A. Certainly; but both his advocates and adversaries acknowledged the same Scripture.

Q. What were the opinions of Paul of Samosata? A. He disputed concerning the nature of Christ, and supported his sentiments by texts of Scripture.

Q. Were not the doctrines of the Noëtians or Sabellians diametrically opposite to those of Paul of Samosata ?

A. They seem to have been so, yet Sabellius is expressly said to have received all the Scrip

tures.

Q. Can you produce any general testimony in addition to these particulars?

A. Yes; that of one of the bishops of the council of Carthage, who said, that heretics who perverted the Scriptures should be execrated.

Q. Did the Millenarians, Novatians, and Donatists refer to the Scriptures ?

A. Undoubtedly, as appears from their adversaries; each side endeavouring to support itself by their common authority. The same may be observed of the Arian controversy, in which each accused the other of unscriptural expressions; of the Priscillianists, 378; and the Pelagians, 405.

Q. Is not the testimony of Chrysostom, 400, a positive affirmation of the proposition ?

A. So much so that it may form a proper conclusion to the argument; he observes, that heretics receive the Gospels either entire or in part.

Q. Would not the words, "entire, or in part," affect the miraculous origin of the religion?

A. Not in the smallest degree; e. g. Cerinthus is stated not to have received the Gospel of Matthew entire; but it is agreed that he acknowledges the descent of the Holy Ghost at the baptism of Jesus, and his miracles, and appearance after death, so that he retained the essential parts of the history.

Q. Who was the most extraordinary of all the ancient heretics ?

A. Marcion, 130. He rejected the Old Testament as proceeding from an inferior Deity, and erased from the new every passage that recognised the Jewish Scriptures. He said, that Matthew, Hebrews, the Epistles of Peter and James, and the Old Testament, generally, were writings, not for Christians but Jews, but there is no reason to believe that he charged Catholic Christians with forging these books,