from Chryfoftom's teftimony, the words "entire or in part;" for, if all the parts, which were ever queftioned in our gofpels, were given up, it would not affect the miraculous origin of the religion in the fmalleft degree: e. g.

Cerinthus is said by Epiphanius to have received the gofpel of Matthew, but not entire. What the omiffions were does not appear. The common opinion, that he rejected the two firft chapters, feems to have been a mistake *. It is agreed, however, by all who have given any account of Cerinthus, that he taught that the Holy Ghost (whether he meant by that name a person or a power) defcended upon Jefus at his baptism; that Jefus from this time performed many miracles, and that he appeared after his death. He must have retained therefore the effential parts of the history.

Of all the ancient heretics, the most ex

Ib. vol. ix. ed. 1788, p. 322.

T4

traordinary

424

traordinary was Marcion. One of his tenets was the rejection of the Old Tefta ment, as proceeding from an inferior and imperfect deity; and in purfuance of this hypothefis, he erafed from the New, and that, as it should feem, without entering into any critical reasons, every paffage which recognized the Jewish fcriptures. He spared not a text which contradicted his opinion. It is reasonable to believe, that Marcion treated books as he treated texts: yet this. rafh and wild controverfialift published a recenfion, or chaftifed edition, of St. Luke's gofpel, containing the leading facts, and all which is neceffary to authenticate the religion. This example affords proof, that there were always fome points, and thofe the main points, which neither wildness nor rafhnefs, neither the fury of oppofition nor the intemperance of controverfy, would venture to call in queftion. There is no reafon to believe that Marcion, though full

*Ib. fect. ii. c. x. Alfo Michael. vol. i. c. I. fect.

xviii.

of refentment against the catholic Chriftians, ever charged them with forging their books.

The Gofpel of St. Matthew, the Epiftle to the Hebrews, with those of St. Peter and St. James, as well as the Old Testament in general, (he faid) were writings not for Chriftians but for Jews." This declaration fhews the ground upon which Marcion proceeded in his mutilation of the fcriptures, viz. his diflike of the paffages or the books. Marcion flourished about the year 130.

Dr. Lardner, in his General Review, fums up this head of evidence in the following words: "Noetus, Paul of Samofata, Sabellius, Marcellus, Photinus, the Novatians, Donatifts, Manicheans†, Prifcillianifts, befide Artemon, the Audians, the Arians, and divers others, all received moft or all

* I have transcribed this fentence from Michaelis (p. 38), who has not, however, referred to the authority upon which he attributes thefe words to Marcion.

This must be with an exception, however, of Fauftus, who lived fo late as the year 384.

the

the fame books of the New Teftament which the catholics received; and agreed in a like refpect for them as writ by apostles, or their disciples and companions *."

* Ib. vol. xii. p. 12.--Dr. Lardner's future enquiries supplied him with many other inftances.

SECT.

SECT. VIII.

The four Gofpels, the Acts of the Apoftles, thirteen Epiftles of St. Paul, the firft Epif tle of John, and the firft of Peter, were received without doubt by those who doubted concerning the other books, which are included in our prefent canon.

I

STATE this propofition, becaufe, if made out, it fhews that the authenticity of their books was a fubject amongst the early Chriftians of confideration and enquiry; and that, where there was cause of doubt, they did doubt; a circumftance which strengthens very much their teftimony to fuch books as were received by them with full acquiefcence.

I. Jerome, in his account of Caius, who was probably a prefbyter of Rome, and who flourished near the year 200, records of him, that, reckoning up only thirteen epiftles