Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

thofe words of Paul, 2 Tim. iv. 13. The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comeft, bring with thee, and the books, rà Bienia. For he believed, that thereby the ancient Chriftians understood the facred code. But he afterwards acknowledgeth, that he had not found any inftance of that interpretation in ancient writers. It feems to me therefore, that this conjecture fhould be dropt, as deftitute of foundation: and that it fhould be better for us to adhere to the forementioned origin of this name, which appears to have in it a good deal of probability., III. Canon is originally a Greek word, fignifying a rule or ftandard, by which other things are to be examined and judged.

Canon.

As the writings of the Prophets and Apoftles and Evangelifts contain an authentic account of the revealed will of God, they are the rule of the belief and practice of those who receive them..

Sometimes canon feems equivalent to a lift or catalogue, in which are, inferted those books, which contain the rule of faith.

Du Pin fays, "This (b) word fignifies not only a law or rule, but "likewise a table, catalogue, lift. Some have fuppofed, that the cano"nical books were fo called, because they are the rule of the faith. But "though it be true, that they are the rule of our faith; yet the reason of "their being called canonical, is, because they are placed in the cata"logue of facred books."

Perhaps, there is no need to difpute about this. For there is no great difference in thofe two fenfes. And there may be paffages of ancient writers, where it would be difficult to determine, which of them is intended.

St. Paul has twice used, the word canon, or rule, Gal. vi. 16. As many as walk according to this rule. Upon which yerfe Theodoret's comment is to this purpose: " He (i) calls the forementioned doctrine a rule, "as being strait, and having nothing wanting, nor fuperfluous." Again, fays St. Paul, Philip. iii. 16. Whereunto we have already attained, let us walk according to the fame rule. Where he speaks of the doctrine of the gospel in general, or of fome particular maxim of it; not of any books, containing the rule of faith. However, his ufe of the word may have been an occafion of affixing that denomination to the books of scripture. For it is of great antiquity among Chriftians.

Iraneus, fpeaking of the fcriptures, as the words of God, calls (k) them. the rule, or canon of truth. Here canon is not a catalogue, but the books, or the doctrine contained in the books of fcripture.

Clement of Alexandria, referring to a quotation of the Gospel according

to

(b) Le mot fignifie non feulement une loi, une regle, mais auffi une table, un catalogue, une lifte.... Quelques-uns ont cru, que les livres canoniques étoient ainfi appellez, parcequ'ils font la regle de la foi. Mais quoique cela foit vrai, ce n'eft pas ce qui leur a fait donner le nom de canoniques, qu'ils n'ont que parceque l'on a nommé canon le catalogue des livres facrez. Di Prelim. l. 1. ch. 1. § ii.

(1) Κανίνα ἐκάλεσε την προκειμένην διδασκαλίαν, ὡς εὐθύτης κοσμεμένην, και μήτε ἐλλείπων τὶ μήτε περιτιὸν ἔχεισαν. Theod. in loc.

(k) Nos autem unum et folum verum Deum doctorem fequentes, et regulam veritatis habentes ejus fermones, de iifdem femper eadem dicimus omnes. Iren. L. 4. c. 35. al. 69. f. p. 277.

to the Egyptians, fays with indignation: " But (1) they who choose to "follow any thing, rather than the true Evangelical Canon [or the ca"non of the Gofpel] infift upon what follows there as faid to Salome." In another place he fays: "The (m) ecclefiaftical canon is the consent "and agreement of the Law and the Prophets with the teftament deli"vered by the Lord."

Eufebe, as (n) formerly quoted, fays of Origen: "But in the first book "of his Commentaries upon the Gofpel of Matthew, obferving (o) the "ecclefiaftical canon, he declares, that he knew of four Gofpels only." I fhall add a few more paffages from later writers, chiefly fuch as have been already quoted in the foregoing volumes: to which paffages therefore the reader may eafily have recourse.

Athanafius (p) in his Feftal Epiftles fpeaks of three forts of books, the canonical, the fame which are now received by us, fuch as were allowed to be read, and then of such as are apocryphal : by which he means books forged by heretics.

In the Synopfis of Scripture, afcribed to him, but probably not writ till above a hundred years after his time, near the end of the fifth centurie, is frequent mention (q) of canonical and uncanonical books.

The council of Laodicea, about 363, ordains, that (9) "no books, not "canonical, fhould be read in the church, but only the canonical books "of the Old and New Teftament."

Rufin, enumerating the fcriptures of the Old and New Teftament, makes (r) three forts of books, fuch (s) as are included in the canon, fuch as are not canonical, but ecclefiaftical, allowed to be read, but not to be alleged for proof of any doctrine, and lastly, apocryphal books, which were not to be publicly read.

Jerome likewife often speaks of the canon of Scripture, as we saw in his chapter, where he fays: "Ecclefiafticus, (t) Judith, Tobit, and the Shepherd, are not in the canon:" and "that (u) the Church reads, or "allows to be read, Judith, Tobit, and the Maccabees, but does not re❝ceive them among the canonical fcriptures: and that they, and the "books of Wisdom and Ecclefiafticus, may be read for the edification of "the people, but not as of authority, for proving any doctrines." And for the Old Teftament he recommends (x) the true Jewish canon, or Hebrew

(1) See Vol. ii. p. 529. or 527.

(π) Κανὼν δὲ ἐκκλησιασικὸς ἡ συνωδία και η συμφωνία νόμω τε καὶ προφητῶν τῆ κατὰ τὴν τῶ κυρία παρεσίαν παραδιδομένη διαθήκη. Cl. Strom. l. 6. p. 676. C. (n) Ch. 38. Vol. iii. p. 235.

(α) . . . Τὸν ἐκκλησιασικὸν φυλάτίων κανόνα. Ap. Εufeb. l. 6. c. 25. p. 226. Β. (p) See Vol. iii. p. 228. 229. (9) The fame. p. 291.

(9) The fame. p. 243... 245.
(r) See Vol. x. p. 187. 188.

(s) Hæc funt, quæ patres intra canonem concluferunt, & ex quibus fidei noftræ affertiones conftare voluerunt. . . . Sciendum tamen eft, quod alii libri funt, qui non funt canonici, fed ecclefiaftici a majoribus appellati funt... Quæ omnia legi quidem in ecclefiis voluerunt, non tamen proferri ad auctoritatem ex his fidei confirmandam. Ceteras vero fcripturas apocryphas nominarunt, quas in ecclefiis legi noluerunt. Rufin. citat. ubi fupra p. 185. not. (g) (x) . . . 52.

(t) Vol. x. p. 41.

(u)...p. 43.

Hebrew verity. I refer below (y) to another place relating to the books of the New Testament.

The third Council of Carthage, about 397. ordains, "that (z) nothing " befide the canonical fcriptures be read in the Church under the name "Divine Scriptures."

Auguftin, in 395. and afterwards, often (a) fpeaks of canonical fcriptures, and the (b) whole canon of fcripture, that is, all the facred books of the Old and New Teftament. We "(c) read of fome, fays he, that they "fearched the fcriptures daily, whether thofe things were fo. Acts xvii. 11. "What fcriptures, I pray, except the canonical fcriptures of the Law and "the Prophets? To them have been fince added the Gospels, the Epiftles "of Apoftles, the Acts of the Apoftles, and the Revelation of John." Of the fuperior authority of the canonical fcriptures to all others, he speaks frequently in paffages afterwards alledged (d) in the fame chapter.

Chryfoftom in a place already cited (e) fays: "They (f) fall into "great abfurdities, who will not follow the rule [or canon] of the divine "fcripture, but truft entirely to their own reasoning." I refer to another place (g) to the like purpose.

Says Ifidore of Pelufium, about 412. "That (i) these things are fo, we "fhall perceive, if we attend to the rule [canon] of truth, the divine "fcriptures."

And Leontius, of Conftantinople, about 610. having cited the whole catalogue of the books of fcripture from Genefis to the Revelation (k) concludes: "Thefe (1) are the ancient and new books, which are re❝ceived in the Church as canonical."

By all which we difcern, how much the use of these words, canon and canonical, has obtained among Chriftians, denoting those books, which are of the highest authority, and the rule of faith: as opposed to all other whatever, particularly to ecclefiaftical, or the writings of orthodox and learned catholics, and to apocryphal, the productions, chiefly, of heretics, which by a fpecious name and title made a pretenfion to be accounted among facred books.

IV. The most common and general divifion of the canonical books, is that of ancient and new, or the Old and New Teftament. The Hebrew word, berith, from which

() Vol. x. p. 86.

(x)... p. 193.

Old and New

Teftament.

(a)... p. 207.

it

(b) Totus autem canon fcripturarum his libris continetur. Ib. not. (r)

.208.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

(e) Vol. xii. p. 126.

[ocr errors]

(d) See p. 253. 256, 259... 268.

() Ορᾶς, εἰς ὅσιν ατοπίαν ἐκπίπλωσιν οἱ μὴ βελόμενοι τῷ τῆς θείας γραφῆς και ταπολυθείν κανόνι. κ. λο In Gen. cap. 33. bom, 58. T. 4. p. 566. B.

(g) Vid. bom. 33. in Aa. Ap. fub fin.

(1) Οτι δὲ ταῦτα ἔτως ἔχει, τὸν κανόνα τῆς ἀληθείας, τας θείας φημί γραφάς, καταπλεύσομεν. Ifid. ep. 114. 1. 4.

(k) See Vol. xi. p. 381.

(1) Ταῦτά ἐςι τὰ κανονιζόμενα βιβλία ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησία, και παλαιοί και νίκ

tat. ibid. p. 380. not, (e)

Ci

it is tranflated, properly fignifies (m) covenant. St. Paul, 2 Cor. iii. 16. .... 18. fhewing the fuperior excellence of the gofpel-covenant, or the difpenfation by Chrift, above the legal covenant, or the difpenfation by Mofes, ufeth the word teftament, not only for the covenant itself, but likewife for the books, in which it is contained. At least he does fo, in fpeaking of the legal covenant. For, representing the cafe of the unbelieving part of the Jewish People, he fays, v. 14. Until this day remaineth the fame vail untaken away in reading the Old Teftament.

It is no wonder therefore, that this way of fpeaking has much prevailed among Chriftians. Melito, Bishop of Sardis, about the year 177went into the East, to get an exact account of the books of the Law and the Prophets. In his letter to his friend Onefimus, giving an account of his journey, and reckoning up the books in their order, he calls them (x) the ancient books, and (0) the books of the Old Teftament. Eufebe calls it (p) "a catalogue of the acknowledged fcriptures of the Old Teftament." Our Ecclefiaftical Hiftorian elfewhere (9) fpeaks of the fcriptures of the New Teftament. I fhall remind my readers of but one instance more. Cyril of Jerusalem, introducing his catalogue of fcriptures received by the Chriftian Church, fays: "Thefe (r) things we are taught by the di"vinely inspired fcriptures of the Old and New Teftament." Many other like examples occur in the preceding volumes of this work.

V. Inftead of teftament Latin writers fometimes ufe the

Inftrument. word inftrument, denoting writing, charter, record. We

find it feveral times in Tertullian, reckoned the moft ancient Latin writer of the Church now remaining. In a paffage already (s) cited he calls the Gofpels, or the New Teftament in general, the Evangelic Inftrument. And fays, "How (t) large chafms Marcion has made in the "epiftle to the Romans, by leaving out what he pleafes, may appear from "our entire Inftrument:" or our unaltered copies of the New Teftament, particularly of that epiftle. Speaking of the Shepherd of Hermas, he fays, it (u) was not reckoned a part of the Divine Inftrument: thereby meaning, as it seems, the New Teftament. Which paffage was quoted (x)

by

(m) Notandum, quod Brith, verbum Hebraicum, Aquila udany, id eft, pactum, interpretatur: Lxx femper adnun, id eft, teftamentum: et in plerifque fcripturarum locis teftamentum non voluntatem defunctorum fonare, fed pactum viventium. Hieron. in Malach. cap. ii. T. 3. p. 1816.

(η) Ετι δὲ καὶ μαθεῖν τὴν τῶν παλαιῶν βιβλίων εβε ήθης ακρίβειαν. κ. λ. Α. Eufeb. 1. 4. a. 27. p. 148. D.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

Καὶ ἀκριβῶς μαθὼν τὰ τῆς παλαΐας διαθήκης βιβλία. . I. ρ.

(p) Ibid. p. 148. D.

(r) The fame. p. 267.

(q) See Vol. viii. p. 197.

(s) See Vol. ii. p. 577

() Quantas autem foveas in ifta vel maxime epiftola [ad Romanos] Marcion fecerit, auferendo quæ voluit, de noftri inftrumenti integritate patebit. Adv. Marcion. 1. 5. cap. 13. p. 6c1.

() Sed cederem tibi, fi fcriptura Paftoris-divino inftrumento meruiffet incidi... De Pudicit. cap. 10. p. 727. A.

(x) See Vol. ii. p. 638.

[ocr errors]

by us formerly. He calls (y) the Law and the Prophets the Jewith Inftruments; that is, writings, or fcriptures. He fpeaks of the antiquity (z) of the Jewish Inftruments, or Scriptures. He (a) feems' in one place to use the word inftrument, as equivalent to fcriptures, containing the doctrine of revelation, or the revealed will of God.

VI. Digeft is another word ufed by Tertullian in fpeaking of Digef the fcriptures. "Luke's (b) Digeft, he fays, is often afcribed" to Paul." He calls (c) the Gofpels, or the whole New Teftament, our Digeft, in allufion, as it feems, to fome collection of the Roman Laws digefted into order. Thofe two paffages were cited in the chapter of Tertullian. I now tranfcribe the latter below (d) more at large, it having alfo the word inftrument, as equivalent to the New TeftaHe likewife calls the Jewith Scriptures (e) Sacred Digefts. He seems to use the word digeft (ƒ) elsewhere, as equivalent to writing, or work, in general.

ment.

I fhall not take notice of any other general denominations of the facred fcriptures.

VII. My chief concern is with the New Teftament, which, as is well known, confifts of Gospels, the Acts, and Epiftles. The only word, that needs explanation, is the first.

Gospel.

Gofpel is a tranflation of the Greek word wayyyy, the Latin word evangelium, which fignifies any good meffage or tidings. In the New Teftament the word denotes the doctrine of falvation, taught by Jefus Chrift, and his Apoftles. Which indeed is gofpel by way of eminence, as it is the beft tidings that ever were published in this world. Says Theodoret upon Rom. i. 1. “He (g) calls it gofpel, as it contains afi furance

() Aut nunquid non jufti Judæi, & quibus poenitentia non opus effet, habentes gubernacula difciplinæ, & timoris inftrumenta, Legem & Prophetas. De Pudicitia. cap. 7. p. 722. B.

(z) Primam inftrumentis iftis auctoritatem fumma antiquitas vindicat. Apol. cap. 19. p. 19. B.

Sed quoniam edidimus, antiquiffimis Judæorum inftrumentis fectam iftam effe fuffultam. Apol, cap. 21. in p. 20.

(a) Sed quo plenius & impreffius tam ipfum, quam difpofitiones ejus & vo luntates adiremus, inftrumentum adjecit literaturæ, fi quis velit de Deo inqui rere. Apol. cap. 18. p. 18. C.

(b) See Vol. ii. p. 581. or 579. (c) The fame. p. 629. or 630.

(d) Si vero Apoftoli quidam integrum evangelium contulerunt, de fola convictus inæqualitate reprehenfi, Pfeudapoftoli autem veritatem corum interpolárunt, et inde funt noftra digefta: quod erit germanum illud Apoftolorum inftrumentum, quod adulteros paffum eft? Adver. Marc.. 1. 4. cap. 3. p. 504. B.

(e) Sed homines gloriæ, ut diximus, et eloquentiæ folius libidinofi, fi quid in fanctis offenderunt digeftis, exinde regeftum pro inftituto curiofitatis ad propria verterunt. Apol. cap. 47. p. 41. B.

(f) Elegi ad compendium Varronis opera, qui rerum divinarum ex omnibus retro digeftis commentatus, idoneum fe nobis fcopum expofuit, Ad Nation. 1. 2. cap. i. p. 64. C.

(8) Ευαγίελιον δὲ τὸ κήρυγμα προσηγόρευσεν, ὥς πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν ὑπισχνόν των χορηγίαν. Ευαγγελίζεται γὰρ τὰς τῶ δεῖ καὶ αλλαγὰς, τὴν τὸ διαβόλει κατάλυσιν, τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὴν ἄφεσιν, το θανάτε την παῦλαν, τῶν νεκρῶν τὴν ἀνάςασιν, τὴν ζωὴν τὴν ἄσωτον, τὴν Beauíix tŵn égavāv, In ep, ad Rom. T. 3. p. 10. B.

« AnteriorContinuar »