BOOK III.

SECT I.

Feb. 7, 182 of the Authority of the Books of the New Testament. HE, who is persuaded of the Truth and Ex

cellency of that Religion which Christians profess, having been convinced either by the Arguments before offered, or by any other besides them, in order to understand all the several Parts of it, he must go to the ancient Books, which contain this Religion; and they are what we call the Books of the New Testament, or rather Covenant: For it is unreasonable for any one to deny, that Religion is contained in those Books, as all Christians affirm; since it is fit that every Sect, good or bad, should be believed in this Assertion, that their Opinions are contained in this or that Book; as we believe the Mahometans, that the Religion of Mahomet is contained in the Alcoran: Wherefore, since the Truth of the Christian Religion has been proved before, and at the same Time it is evident, that it was contained in these Books; the Authority of these Books is sufficiently established by this single Thing: However, if any one desire to have it more particularly made appear to him, he must first lay down that common Rule amongst all fair Judges, (a) That he who would disprove any Writing, which has been received for many Ages, is obliged to bring Argu

(a) That he who would, &c.] See Baldus in his Rubric concerning the Credibility of Writings; and Gailus, Book II. Obs. CXLIX. Numb. 6 and 7, and those he there cites.

A.

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may diminish the Credibility of such a Writing; which, if he cannot, the Book is to be defended, as in Possession of its own Authority.

SECT. II.

The Books that have any Names affixed to them, were writ by those Persons whose Names they bear.

WE say then, that the Writings, about which there is no Dispute amongst Christians, and which have any particular Person's Name affixed to them, are that Author's, whose Title they are marked with; because the first Writers, such as Justin, Irenæus, (a) Clemens, and others after them, quote these Books under those Names: And besides (b) Tertullian says, that in his Time some of the original Copies of those Books were extant. And be

cause all the Churches received them as such, before there were any public Councils held: Neither did any Heathens or Jews raise any Controversy, as if they were not the Works of those whose they were said to be. And (c) Julian

(a) Clemens, &c.] There is only Clemens's Epistle to the Corinthians extant, in which he quotes Places of the New Testament, but does not name the Writers; wherefore Clemens's Name might have been omitted; and so might Justin's who is not used to add the Names. Le Clerc.

(b) Tertullian says, &c.] In his Prescription against the Heretics. "Let any one who would exercise his Curiosity principally in the Affair of his Salvation, let him run over "the Apostolical Churches, over which the Seats of the Apo"stles have now the Rule, in their respective Places; in "which the authentic Letters themselves are recited." And why might not the Hand of the Apostles be then extant, when Quintillian says, that in his Time Cicero's Hand was extant and Gellius says the same of Virgil's in his ?

(b) Julian openly confesses, &c.] The Place is to be seen in Cyril's Tenth Book. (See also our Annotations, in the Dissertation on the Four Evangelists, added to the Harmony of the Gospels. Le Clerc.)

openly

openly confesses, that those were Peter's, Paul's, Matthew's, Mark's, and Luke's, which were read by the Christians, under those Names. Nobody in his Senses makes any Doubt of Homer's or Virgil's Works being theirs, by Reason of the constant Testimony of the Greeks concerning the one, and of the Latins concerning the other; how much more then ought we to stand by the Testimony of almost all the Nations in the World, for the Authors of these Books?

SECT. III.

The Doubt of those Books that were formerly doubtful, taken away.

THERE are indeed in the Volume we now use, some Books which were not equally received from the Beginning; (a) as the Second of Peter, that of James and Jude, two under the Name of John the Presbyter, the Revelations, and the Epistle to the Hebrews: However, they were acknowledged by many Churches, as is evident from the ancient Christians, who use their Testimony as sacred; which makes it credible, that those Churches, which had not those Books from the Beginning, did not know of them at that Time, or else were doubtful concerning them; but having afterwards learned the Truth of the Thing, they began to use those Books after the Example of the Rest; as we now see done in almost all Places: Nor can there be a sufficient Reason imagined, why any one should counterfeit those Books, when nothing can

(a) As the second of Peter, &c.] However, Grotius himself doubted of this; the Reasons of which Doubt, he himself gives us, in the Beginning of his Annotations upon this Epistle. But though one or two Epistles could be called in Question, this would not render the rest doubtful; nor would any Part of the Christian Faith be defective, because it is abundantly delivered in other Places. Le Clerc.

be

be gathered from them, but what is abundantly contained in the other Books that are undoubted.

SECT. IV.

The Authority of those Books which have no Name to them, evident from the Nature of the Writings.

THERE is no Reason why any one should detract from the Credibility of the Epistle to the Hebrews, upon this Account only, because we do not know who wrote it; and so likewise of the two Epistles of John, and the Revelation, because some have doubted whether John the Apostle wrote them, or another of the same Name. (a) For in Writers, the Nature of the Writings is more to be. regarded than the Name. Wherefore we receiver many historical Books, whose Authors we are ignorant of, as that of Caesar's Alexandrian War, viz. because we see, that whoever the Author was, helived in those Times, and was present at thoseMatters: So likewise ought we to be satisfied, when those who wrote the Books we are now speaking of, testify that they lived in the first Age, and were endued with the Apostolical Gifts. Andif any one should object against this, that these Qualities may be feigned, as may the Names inother Writings, he would say a Thing that is by noMeans credible, viz. that they, who every where~ press the Study of Truth and Piety, should withoutany Reason bring themselves under the Guilt of aLie, which is not only abhorred by all good Men~ (b) but was punished with Death by the Roman Laws.

(a) For in Writers, &c.] It had been more proper to say in Writings, or Books, which is the Meaning of Grotius, as appears from what follows.

(b) But was punished with Death, &c.] See L. Falsi Nominis. D. de Lege Cornelia; and Paul, Book V. Sent. Tit. XXV. Sect. 10 and 11. See Examples of this Punishment, at the End of the Books of Valerius Maximus, and in Capitolinus in Pertinax.

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SECT.

SECT. V.

That these Authors wrote what was true, because they knew the Things they wrote about.

IT is certain, therefore, that the Books of the New Testament were wrote by those whose Names they bear, or by such Persons as they profess themselves to be; and it is moreover evident that they had a Knowledge of the Things they wrote about and had no Desire to say what was false; whence it follows, that what they wrote must be true, because every Falsity proceeds either from Ignorance, or from an ill Intention. Matthew, John, Peter, and Jude, were of the Company of those Twelve, which Jesus chose to be Witnesses of his Life and Doctrines: (a) So that they could not want the Knowledge of those Things they relate: The same may be said of James, who either was an Apostle, or as others would have it, (b) a near Relation of Jesus, and made Bishop of Jerusalem by the Apostles. Neither could Paul be deceived through Ignorance, concerning those Doctrines which he professes were revealed to him by Jesus himself reigning in Heaven; neither could he be deceived in the Things which he performed himself; no more could Luke, who was his (c) inseparable Companion in his Travels. This same Luke could easily know what he wrote, concerning the Life and Death of Jesus; because he was born in a neighbouring Flace, and had travelled through Palestine,

(a) So that they could not want the Knowledge, &c.] John xv. 27. also i Epist. i. Acts i. 21, 22.

(b) A near relation of Jesus, &c.] So others, and they not a few, think; and St. Chrysostom every where. See Josephus also. (Add to these Eusebius, H. E. Book II. Ch. 1. and 23.)

(c) Inseparable Companion, &c.] See Acts xx, and the following; Colossians iv. 14. 2 Tim. iv. 11. Philem. 24.

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