pels, which are, as it were, the elements of the faith of the Church, of which elements the whole world that is reconciled to God by Christ, consists." * I have before had occasion to quote a passage, in which Origen speaks of the scriptures, as "books in the most common use."+

Origen, then, speaks of the Gospels as "received without controversy," and as "believed by all the churches of God." If these expressions were to be interpreted, with the narrowest limitation, as relating only to the state of things at the precise time when he wrote, we might still infer that the Gospels had been received as of equal authority in the last quarter of the second century; since nothing had occurred during the short intervening period to produce a unanimity which did not then exist. If there had been any dissension or difference of opinion then, it is impossible that unanimity should have been afterwards produced, without some controversy or discussion, without some trace remaining of the change from one state of opinion to another; but nothing of this sort appears. Origen, however, in the expressions which he uses, does not refer to his own

time alone. His language is meant to include all Christians from the first promulgation of the Gospels. It appears from the writings of the fathers, generally, that the books, which Christians received as sacred books of the highest authority,* were, as they believed, distinguished from all others pretending to the same character, by the circumstance, that they had been unanimously so received, from the apostolic age through every successive generation of catholic Christians.

In estimating the weight of evidence, which has thus far been adduced, for the genuineness of the Gospels, it is important to keep in mind, what has not always been sufficiently attended to; that it is not the testimony of certain individual writers alone, on which we rely, important as their testimony might be. These writers speak for a whole community, every member of which had the strongest reasons for ascertaining the correctness of his faith respecting the authenticity, and, consequently, the genuineness of the Gospels. We quote the Christian fathers, not chiefly to prove their individual belief; but in evidence of the belief of the community to which they belonged. It is

* Τὰ ὁμολογούμενα.

not, therefore, the simple testimony of Irenæus, and Theophilus, and Tertullian, and Clement, and Origen, which we bring forward; it is the testimony of thousands and tens of thousands of believers, many of whom were as well informed as they were, on this particular subject, and as capable of making a right judgment. All these believers were equally ready with the writers who have been quoted, to affirm the authority and genuineness of the Gospels. The most distinguished Christians of the age, men held in high esteem by their contemporaries and successors, assert that the Gospels were received as genuine throughout the community of which they were members, and for which they were writing. That the assertion was made by such men, under such circumstances, is sufficient evidence of its truth. But the proof of the general reception of the Gospels does not rest upon their assertions only, though these cannot be doubted. It is necessarily implied in their statements and reasonings respecting their religion. It is impossible that they should have so abundantly quoted the Gospels, as conclusive authority for their own faith, and that of their fellow Christians, if these books had not been regarded by Christians as conclusive authority. We cannot infer more confidently from

the sermons of Tillotson and Clarke, the estimation in which the Gospels were held in their day, than we may infer from the writers before mentioned, that they were held in similar estimation during the period when they lived.

The testimony to the genuineness of the Gospels is, therefore, distinct in its character from that which may be adduced to prove the genuineness of ancient profane writings. As testimony to this, we are able, perhaps, to collect from different authors a few passages, in which the writing in question is quoted as the work of the individual to whom it is ascribed; or in which it is expressly affirmed that he composed such a work. We may even find it mentioned as his work in some other composition, ascribed to the same individual; but this alone does not affect the nature of the evidence; since the genuineness of the last mentioned writing remains to be proved, and as far as testimony is concerned, can be proved only by the testimony of individual writers. But these writers do not speak in the name and with the sanction of a whole community, every member of which was deeply and personally concerned in the question, whether the book were genuine or not. They give their testimony simply as individuals; and they were, for the most part. individuals, who had no

interest in ascertaining the truth, and, perhaps, little curiosity about it. We have commonly no ground for supposing, that any circumstance had led them to a scrupulous examination of the claims of the work. We have no certainty that its genuineness was not doubted by others, equally well informed with the authors whom we quote. Whatever aspect the testimony to the genuineness of any ancient profane work at first view assumes, it may ordinarily, if not always, be resolved into the testimony of individual writers, under circumstances such as have been mentioned. Yet this evidence, when not invalidated by other considerations, is sufficient to satisfy us. But it is not such evidence as we produce for the genuineness of the Gospels. We bring a whole community to testify their belief respecting a subject which deeply interested them; and about which, as we shall now proceed to observe, they were in circumstances to be fully informed.

That Christians during the latter part of the second century, had sufficient means of determining whether the Gospels were genuine or not, may appear from the consideration, that they must have been acquainted with the history of the promulgation of these books. If the Gospels were the works of those to whom they are