V. St. Matthew's gospel is quoted by Theophilus, bishop of Antioch, contempo rary with Irenæus, under the title of the

evangelic voice *;" and the copious works of Clement of Alexandria, published within fifteen years of the fame time, ascribe to the books of the New Teftament the various titles of "facred books,"" divine fcriptures, "-"divinely inspired feriptures,"fcriptures of the Lord,"- "the true evangelical canon t."

VI. Tertullian, who joins on with Clement, befide adopting most of the names and epithets above noticed, calls the gospels 66 our Digefta," in allufion, as it should feem, to fome collection of Roman laws t

then extant,

VII. By Origen, who came thirty years after Tertullian, the fame, and others no less ftrong titles, are applied to the Christian fcriptures; and, in addition thereunto, this

Ib. vol. i. p. 427. Ib, vol, ii. p. 515. ‡ Ib. p. 630,

writer frequently fpeaks of the "Old and New Testament," " the ancient and new fcriptures,"" the ancient and new oracles * "

1

VIII. In Cyprian, who was not twenty years later, they are "books of the spirit," હતું divine fountains,"-" fountains of the divine fulness t."

centuries from

The expreffions we have thus quoted are évidences of high and peculiar respect. They all occur within two the publication of the books. Some of them commence with the companions of the ароftles; and they increase in number and variety, through a series of writers, touching upon one another, and deduced from the firft age of the religion.

Ib. vol. ii. p. 280.

+ Ib. vol. iv. p. 844.

SECT.

SECT. V.

Our Scriptures were publicly read and expounded in the religious affemblies of the early Chriftians.

JUSTIN MARTYR, who wrote in the

year 149, which was feventy or eighty years after fome, and lefs, probably, after others of the gofpels were published, giving, in his firft apology, an account, to the Emperor, of the Christian worship, has this remarkable -paffage:

"The memoirs of the apofiles, or the writings of the prophets, are read according as the time allows; and, when the reader has ended, the president makes a discourse, exhorting to the imitation of fo excellent things*."

*Lard. Cred, vol. i. p. 273.

A few

A few fhort obfervations will shew the value of this teftimony.

1. The "memoirs of the apoftles," Juftin in another place exprefsly tells us, are what are called "gofpels;" and that they were the gofpels, which we now ufe, is made certain by Juftin's numerous quotations of them, and his filence about any others.

2. Justin describes the general ufage of the Christian church.

3. Juftin does not speak of it as recent or newly instituted, but in the terms in which men speak of established cuftoms.

II. Tertullian, who followed Juftin at the distance of about fifty years, in his account of the religious affemblies of Christians as they were conducted in his time, fays, " We come together to recollect the divine fcriptures; we nourish our faith, raise our hope, confirm our trust, by the facred word* "

* Ib. vol. ii. p. 628.

III. Eu

III. Eufebius records of Origen, and cites for his authority the letters of Bishops contemporary with Origen, that, when he went into Palestine about the year 216, which was only 16 years after the date of Tertullian's teftimony, he was defired by the bishops of that country to difcourfe and expound the fcriptures publicly in the church, though he was not yet ordained a prefbyter*. This anecdote recognizes the ufage, not only of reading, but of expounding, the scrip tures; and both as fubfifting in full force. Origen also himself bears witness to the fame practice: "This (fays he) we do, when the fcriptures are read in the church, and when the discourse for explication is delivered to the people t." And, what is a ftill more ample testimony, many homilies of his upon the fcriptures of the New Teftament, delivered by him in the affemblies of the church, are ftill extant.

IV. Cyprian, whofe age was not twenty

* Ib. vol. iii. p. 68.

+ Ib. p. 302.

years