Q. How does Lardner sum up this head of evidence? A. Thus, Noëtus, Paul of Samosata, Sabellius, Marcellus, Photinus, the Novatians, Donatists, Manicheans, Priscillianists, besides Artemon, the Audians, the Arians, and others, received most or all the books of Catholic Christians, and, like them, respected them as written by the Apostles, their disciples or companions. SECTION 8. Q. State the eighth proposition? A. The four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, thirteen Epistles of Saint Paul, the First Epistle of John, and the First of Peter, were received without doubt by those who doubted concerning the other books which are included in our present Canon. Q. What does this proposition show, if made out? A. That the authenticity of the Scriptures was a subject of inquiry and consideration among Christians; and that where there was cause for doubt, they did doubt. Q. What books were acknowledged by Caius, who lived about 200 ? A. Jerome records of him, that reckoning 14 Epistles of Paul, he rejects the 15th, viz. that to the Hebrews; and then, adds Jerome, "with the Romans to this day it is not looked upon to be Paul's." Q. What books does Origen acknowledge? A. He speaks of Hebrews, as doubtful whether written by Paul or not; he says Peter has left one acknowledged, and that it should be granted that he wrote a second; he speaks of one Epistle of John as acknowledged genuine, and that the same should be granted of a 2nd and 3rd, though some doubt it. Of the four Gospels, he records that they are universally received without dispute. Q. Concerning what book did Dionysius of Alex-/ andria doubt, A. D. 247? A. Concerning Revelation, but he uses the four Gospels without the smallest doubt of their authority. Q. Mention two remarkable passages in Eusebius, on this subject? A. The first alludes to the "uncontradicted writings of John," among which he reckons the Gospel by him, as acknowledged of all." 66 Q. What is the second? A. It enumerates the Scriptures universally ac knowledged, among which are the four Gospels, the Acts, the Epistles of Paul, the 1st Epistle of John, and the Epistle of Peter. Q. How does he speak of our other books? A. He places the Revelation after the above, and alludes to different opinions about it. The Epistle of James, that of Jude, the 2nd of Peter, and the 2nd and 3rd of John, he calls controverted, but says that they are well known or approved by most. Q. What arguments arise from this? A. That the Gospels and Acts were acknowledged by those who doubted some other parts of the collection; and that this author was extremely conversant in the writings of Christians down to his own time. Q. When Eusebius places those among books universally acknowledged, in opposition to some that were doubted by some, though approved by others, what conclusion may be formed from it? A. That he represents, not only the sense of his own age, but the result of evidence, which writings from the Apostles time to his own, had furnished to his inquiries. Q. Do the works of the writers, quoted by Eusebius, support the distinction which he proposes ? A. Yes; the books which he calls "books universally acknowledged," are used and quoted in those writers, much more frequently, and in a different manner from those, whose authority he tells us was disputed. SECTION 9. Q. Recite the ninth proposition? A. Our historical Scriptures were attacked by the early adversaries of Christianity, as containing the accounts upon which the religion was founded. Q. Name the early adversaries here alluded to? middle of the 2nd century; Porphyry in the 3rd; and the Emperor Julian about a century after. Q. Who opposed the arguments of Celsus? A. Origen, and from his works we obtain the opinions of Celsus, whose writings are lost. Any notices of his are extremely important from their antiquity. Q. What proof arises from the expressions of Celsus ? A. That there were books containing a history of Jesus allowed to be written by his disciples; that as he accuses the Christians of having recourse to various readings, the Christian histories were of some standing. He quotes against Christians their own writings, which shows that the Christians confessed themselves bound by their authority. Q. How does it appear that the books referred to by Celsus were our present Gospels? A. Because allusions are made by Celsus to various passages in them; as to the genealogies, which fixes two of the Gospels; to the precepts, to the predictions, sayings, suffering, and death of Christ; the resurrection and other events, some of which are mentioned by John alone. It is also material to observe, that Celsus referred to no other accounts than those of the Gospels. Q. What proofs can be drawn from the works of Porphyry? A. His animadversions were directed against the contents of our present Gospels and the Acts, consi dering that to overthrow them was to overthrow the religion; and his objections to various expressions and circumstances recorded in Matthew, Mark, John, and Acts, prove that he had read the Gospels with the attention of one who thought them the depositaries of the religion he attacked. Q. Does not Porphyry designate the writers as Evangelists ? A. Yes; he calls Matthew your Evangelist, and also uses the term in the plural. Q. What information on this subject is gathered from the extracts of the Emperor Julian's work, made by Cyril and Jerome ? A. Julian noticed Matthew and Luke by name; he recited sayings of Christ, and various parts of his history, in the very words of the Evangelists; specified many particulars as recorded by some and not by others; the time of John's Gospel; the conversion of Cornelius and Sergius Paulus, and other events in the Acts. Q. What do these notices and allusions show? A. That the Gospels and Acts were the only books of authority among the Christians; and that Julian states the early date of the records, and calls them by the names they now bear. He all along supposes, and never attempts to question their genuineness. Q. Is not this argument, drawn from such early enemies of the religion, very important? A. In the highest degree; since it proves, from |