[ 304 1 SECT. X. Formal catalogues of authentic fcriptures were publifhed, in all which our prefent facred biftories were included. THIS fpecies of evidence comes later than the reft; as it was not natural that catalogues of any particular class of books should be put forth, until Chriftian writings became numerous; or until fome writings fhewed themselves, claiming titles which did not belong to them, and thereby rendering it neceffary to separate books of authority from others. But, when it does appear, it is extremely fatisfactory; the catalogues, though numerous, and made in countries at a wide distance from one another, differing very little, differing in nothing which is material, and all containing the four Gofpels. To this last article there is no exception. I. In the writings of Origen which remain, and in fome extracts preserved by Eufebius, from works of his which are now loft, there are enumerations of the books of fcripture, in which the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apoftles are diftinctly and honourably specified, and in which no books appear befide what are now received. The reader, by this time, will eafily recollect that the date of Origen's works is A. D. 230. II. Athanafius, about a century afterwards, delivered a catalogue of the books of the New Teftament in form, containing our fcriptures and no others; of which he fays, "In these alone the doctrine of religion is taught; let no man add to them, or take any thing from them t." III. About 20 years after Athanafius, Cyril, bishop of Jerufalem, fet forth a catalogue of the books of fcripture, publicly *Lardner's Cred. vol. iii. p. 234, et feq. vol. viii. P. 196. + Ib. vol. viii. p. 223. VOL. I. X read read at that time in the church of Jerufalem, exactly the fame as ours, except that the "Revelation" is omitted *. IV. And, fifteen years after Cyril, the Council of Laodicea delivered an authoritative catalogue of canonical fcripture, like Cyril's, the fame as ours, with the omiffion of the "Revelation." V. Catalogues now become frequent. Within thirty years after the laft date, that is, from the year 363 to near the conclufion of the fourth century, we have catalogues by Epiphanius †, by Gregory Nazienzen ‡, by Philafter bishop of Brescia in Italy §, by Amphilochius bishop of Iconium, all, as they are sometimes called, clean catalogues (that is, they admit no books into the number beside what we now receive), and all, for every purpose of hiftoric evidence, the fame || Epiphanius omits the Acts of the Apostles. This muft VI. Within the fame period, Jerome, the moft learned Chriftian writer of his age, delivered a catalogue of the books of the New Teftament, recognizing every book now received, with the intimation of a doubt concerning the Epistle to the Hebrews alone, and taking not the leaft notice of any book which is not now received *. VII. Contemporary with Jerome, who lived in Palestine, was St. Auguftine in Africa, who published likewise a catalogue, without joining to the scriptures, as books of authority, any other ecclefiaftical writing whatever, and without omitting one which we at this day acknowledge t. VIII. And with thefe concurs another contemporary writer, Rufen, presbyter of Aquileia, whofe catalogue, like theirs, is perfect and unmixed, and concludes with must have been an accidental mistake, either in him, or in some copyist of his work; for he elsewhere exprefsly refers to this book, and afcribes it to Luke. * Ib. vol. x. p. 77. † Ib. p. 213. |