justly placed by the ancients the fourth in order, and after the other three, may be made evident in this manner." Eufebius then proceeds to fhew that John wrote the laft of the four, and that his gospel was intended to supply the omiffions of the others; especially in the part of our Lord's ministry, which took place before the imprisonment of John the Baptift. He obferves, "that the apostles of Chrift were not studious of the ornaments of compofition, nor indeed forward to write at all, being wholly occupied with their ministry.”

This learned author makes no use at all of Christian writings, forged with the names of Christ's apoftles, or their companions.

We close this branch of our evidence here; because, after Eufebius, there is no room for any question upon the fubject; the works of Chriftian writers being as full of texts of fcripture, and of references to fcripture, as the difcourfes of modern divines. Future teftimonies to the books of fcripture could only prove

that they never loft their character or authority. SECT.

Q3

SECT. II.

When the fcriptures are quoted, or alluded to they are quoted with peculiar refpect, as books fui generis; as poffeffing an authority which belonged to no other books, and as conclufive in all queftions and controverfies amongft Chriftians.

BESIDE the general strain of reference and quotation, which uniformly and ftrongly indicates this diftinction, the following may be regarded as specific teftimonies.

I. Theophilus, bifhop of Antioch, the fixth in fucceffion from the apoftles, and who flourished little more than a century after the books of the New Teftament were written, having occafion to quote one of our gofpels, writes thus: "These things the holy fcriptures teach us, and all who were moved by the holy fpirit, among whom John

*Lard. Cred. pt. ii. vol. i. p. 429.

fays,

Lays, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God." Again: "Concerning the righteoufnefs which the law teaches, the like things are to be found in the prophets and the gospels, because that all being inspired, fpoke by one and the fame Spirit of God" No words can testify more ftrongly than these do, the high and peculiar respect in which these books were holden,

II. A writer against Artemon †, who may be supposed to come about one hundred and fifty-eight years after the publication of the fcriptures, in a paffage quoted by Eufebius, ufes thefe expreffions: "Poffibly what they (our adverfaries) fay, might have been credited, if firft of all the divine fcriptures did not contradict them; and then the writings of certain brethren, more ancient than the times of Victor." The brethren mentioned by name, are Juftin, Miltiades, Tatian, Clement, Irenæus, Melito, with a general ap

peal to many more not named. This paffage proves, firft, that there was at that time a collection called divine fcriptures; fecondly, that these scriptures were esteemed of higher authority than the writings of the most early and celebrated Chriftians,

III. In a piece afcribed to Hippolitus * who lived near the fame time, the author profeffes, in giving his correspondent instruction in the things about which he enquires, "to draw out of the facred fountain, and to fet before him from the facred fcriptures, what may afford him fatisfaction. He then quotes immediately Paul's epiftles to Timothy, and afterwards many books of the New Teftament. This preface to the quotations, carries in it a marked distinction between the scriptures and other books,

IV. "Our affertions and discourses," faith Origen †, "are unworthy of credit; we must receive the fcriptures as witnesses.”

Ib. vol. iii. p. 112.

+Ib. p. 287, 288, 289. After

After treating of the duty of prayer, he proceeds with his argument thus: "What we have faid may be proved from the divine fcriptures." In his books against Celfus, we find this paffage: "That our religion teaches us to seek after wisdom, fhall be fhewn, both out of the ancient Jewish fcriptures, which. we also use, and out of thofe written fince Jefus, which are believed in the churches to be divine." Thefe expreffions afford abun dant evidence of the peculiar and exclufive authority which the fcriptures poffeffed.

V. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage *, whose lies close to that of Origen, earnestly exage horts Chriftian teachers, in all doubtful cafes, "to go back to the fountain; and if the truth has in any cafe been fhaken, to recur to the gofpels and apoftolic writings."" The pre cepts of the gofpels," fays he in another place, are nothing less than authoritative divine leffons, the foundations of our hope, the fupports of our faith, the guides of

σε

Ib. vol. iv. p. 840.

our