4. Censuring the multitude of Arian synods, he says, The divine scripture is sufficient. above all: but if upon this occasion a synod be needful, let them observe the determinations of the fathers at the council of Nice.' 5. Let these be hearkened to, the determination of the gospel, the preaching of the apostles, the testimonies of the prophets.' с 6. Having quoted several passages out of the Old Testament, But do you also, says he, search the gospels, and what the apostles have written.' d 7. Let us inquire after the ancient tradition, and doctrine, and faith of the catholic church which the Lord delivered, which the apostles preached, which the fathers kept: for on this the church is founded.' IX. This testimony of Athanasius to the scriptures is very valuable: it appears from the Festal Epistle, and from his other works, that he received all the books of the New Testament that we do, and no other, as of authority. And, considering the time in which he lived, the acquaintance he had with the several parts of the Christian church at that time, and the bishops of it, in Egypt, and its neighbourhood, in Europe, and Asia, and the knowledge he had of ancient Christian writings; it must be reckoned of great use to satisfy us, that notwithstanding the frequent quotations of other books, in the writings of divers ancient Christians, they did always make a distinction, and did not design to allege as of authority, and a part of the rule of faith, any books, but those which were in the highest sense sacred and divine. f X. It yet remains, that we take notice of the Synopsis of Sacred Scripture, usually joined with the works of Athanasius. By some it has been reckoned genuine; but for the most part, it is supposed by learned men to be falsely ascribed to him. On this side of the question, the late learned editors of Athanasius's works have freely declared themselves; and certainly they must be good judges. One reason of their rejecting it is, that it is not mentioned by any ancient writer, as a work of our Athanasius: which must be reckoned an argument of no small weight, considering how large a work it is. Some ascribe it to another Athanasius, who flourished near the end of the fifth century. Mr. Wetstein " expresseth himself very positively: Mill is 1 inclined to the same opinion, without being certain; which I think is best, as there is no very clear ev dence who is the author. h 1. In this Synopsis, in the first place, is a list or catalogue of the books of the Old and New Testament, with their several names, and the first sentence of each book. After that follow particular contents, or an abridgment of every book. k 2. It seems to me, that there is some reason to suspect this to be a patched work; not all written by the same author, or at the same time: for after the names of the canonical books of the Old Testament, those not in the canon are said to be the Wisdom of Solomon, the Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach, Esther, Judith, and Tobit. But after having given the contents of the books of each Testament, he mentions four books of Maccabees, and other writings, as contradicted, or apocryphal: but if one and the same person had been the author of the whole, why did he not mention these at first in the proper place? I omit some other things, that might be mentioned in favour of the same supposition. 1 3. This synopsis has a great agreement with the Festal Epistle: the canonical and uncanonical books of the Old Testament, in the first instance, (as before observed), are much the same in both. And the canonical books of the New Testament are mentioned in the same order. * Έσι μεν γαρ ἱκανωτερα πανίων ἡ θεια γραφη. Ει δε και συνοδε χρεια περι τείε, εσι τα των πατέρων και τείς γαρ εκ ημελησαν οἱ εν Νικαια συνελθονίες. De Synod. n. 6. p. 720. Β. • Προκείσθω τοινυν και της ημετέρας πίςεως ὁ λόγος, και ευαγγελια ὁ ὅρος, και των αποστόλων το κήρυγμα, και των προφη Twv y μxplopia.-Contr. Apoll. 1. ii. n. 4. p. 949. C. • Ερωτησαίε δε και ύμεις περί των εν ευαγγελίοις, και ὧν έγραψαν οι αποςολοι. Εp. i. ad Serap. n. 6. p. 653. Α. 4 Ιδωμεν δε και - αυτην την εξ αρχης παραδοσιν και διδασκαλίαν και πισιν της καθολικής εκκλησίας, ἣν ὁ μεν κυριος εδωκεν, οἱ δε αποςολοι εκήρυξαν, και οι πατέρες εφύλαξαν εν ταυλη γαρ ή εκκλησία τεθεμελιωίαι. Ep. i. ad Serap. n. 28. p. 676. D. e Synopsis Scripturæ Sacræ. Ap. Ath. T. ii. p. 126-204. f Nam Synopsis ista non est Athanasii. Petav. Dogm. Th. T. ii. p. 28. -ab hodiernis criticis unanimi fere consensu Athanasio abjudicata. Cav. H. L. See Tillem. sur S. Athanase note 45. Mem. Ec. T. viii. & sur S. Lucian note 1. m. note 2. f. T. 5. * Primo namque a nemine antiquorum memoratur opus simile ab Athanasio adornatum. At cerfe vix potuit ab Hieronymo, aliisque patribus, iis maxime qui scripturas explanârunt, & a Photio ipso, tam insigne opus Athanasianum prætermitti. In Synops. Monit. p. 124, 125. Vid. Montfauç. Prælim. ad Nov. Coll. PP. T. ii. p. 38, 39. h Athanasius scripsit Synopsin sacræ scripturæ, operibus S. Athanasii episcopi insertam. Proleg. ad Ñ. T. edit. accurat. i Vid. Mill. Proleg. n. 993, 994. k P. 128, 129. P. 201. D.E. a 4. Mill thinks, it may be inferred from this Synopsis, that at this time by the Christians of Alexandria the whole New Testament was divided into eight books: the first four were the four gospels, each being reckoned a distinct book; the fifth was the Acts, the sixth the seven catholic epistles, the seventh the fourteen epistles of Paul, the eighth the Revelation. 5. To be now a little more particular, for the sake of those who may expect it. (1.) The author begins his Synopsis, saying, All the scripture of us Christians is divinely inspired; and it contains not an indefinite, but rather a determined number of canonical books: those of the Old Testament are these.' Having mentioned their names, and put down the first sentence in each book, he says: The canonical books of the Old Testament, altogether, are 22, according to the number of the Hebrew letters: but beside these, there are other books of the same Old Testament, not canonical, but read only [and that especially] by, or to, cate'chumens.' The books here mentioned are the Wisdom of Solomon, the Wisdom of Jesus, the son of Sirach, Esther, Judith, Tobit. But presently after he adds, Some say, that Esther is ⚫ reckoned canonical by the Hebrews, as also Ruth, being joined with the book of the Judges. • But Esther is a distinct book. However, in this way likewise they compute the full number of 'canonical books to be two and twenty.' e d (2.) These then are the canonical, and the uncanonical books of the Old Testament. (3.) Then he proceeds: The determined and canonical books of the New Testament are these:' where he mentions all the books of the New Testament in the same order as in the Festal Epistle, with the first sentence in each book. The last is the Revelation of John the *Divine, which has been received with the rest by the ancient holy fathers having the Spirit." (4.) After which he gives somewhat largely the contents of the twenty-two canonical books of the Old Testament, ending with Daniel, from p. 131 to p. 168. Then he says, but it is proper to observe the others also, which are not canonical, but only read.' Here he abridges Esther, Judith, Tobit, the Wisdom of Solomon, and the Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach; from p. 168, to p. 177. (5.) Then he proceeds to the New Testament, and gives particularly the contents of each book, from p. 177 to 201. The first book with him is the gospel according to Matthew, the second book the gospel according to Mark, the third according to Luke, the fourth according to John: the fifth book is the Acts of the apostles, written,' he says, by Luke, who travelled with other apostles, but more especially with Paul, and wrote what he knew with certainty.' The sixth book contains the seven catholic epistles, written by several; the seventh book contains Paul's fourteen epistles; the eighth is the Revelation, seen by John the evangelist and divine in Patmos. k (6.) After which he adds: There are also divers other books, both of the Old and the New Testament, some contradicted, others apocryphal. The contradicted books of the Old Testament, spoken of before, are the Wisdom of Solomon, the Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach, and Esther, and Judith, and Tobit: with which also are reckoned four books of the Maccabees, the history of the Ptolemies, the Psalms and the Ode of Solomon and Susanna: 'these are the contradicted books of the Old Testament. The apocryphal books of the Old Testament are these; Enoch, the Patriarchs, the Prayer of Joseph, the Testament of Moses, the Assumption of Moses, Abraham, Eldad, and Modad, and the pseudepigraphal books of Elias the Prophet, Zephaniah the Prophet, Zachariah the father of John, Baruch, Ambacum, Ezekiel and Daniel. The contradicted [or apocryphal] of the New Testament are these, The Travels [or Circuits] of Peter, the Travels of John, the Travels of Thomas, the Gospel according to * Τα δε της καινῆς διαθήκης παλιν ώρισμένα τε και κεκανονιζε μενα βιβλια ταυία. p. 129. Β. ε Επι τείοις εςι και Αποκαλυψις Ιωάνve τα θεολογε, δεχθείσα ώς εκείνα, και εγκριθεισα ύπο των παλαι άξιων και πνευματοφόρων walɛpwv. p. 131. A. Η Ρήλεον δε ὁμοιως και περι των ἕτερων της παλαιας βιβλων, των μη κανονιζόμενων μεν, αναδίνωσκομένων δε, ώς προδεδηλώ 12. P. 168. C. 1 Ο δε διηδεμενος ταυίας εςι Λεκας ὁ ευαγίελισης, ὁ και τεῖο το βιβλίον συγγραφων συναπεδήμει γαρ τοις άλλοις αποςόλοις, και μάλιςα τω Παύλω, και είδως ακριβως γράφει. p. 187. Α. * P. 200. A. k I P. 201, 202. • Thomas, the Doctrine of the Apostles, the Clementines, out of which those things have been selected, which are true and divinely inspired. And these are read. All these are thus set down for the instruction of men; but they are perversely written, and spurious, and to be rejected. And none of these are to be received with the rest, or reckoned useful, especially the apocryphal books of the New Testament: in particular, no other writings, called gospels, are to be received, beside those four which have been delivered to us; even the gospels of Matthew, • Mark, Luke, and John.' b After all this is added a brief account of the several Greek versions of the Old Testament, as that of the Seventy, Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, and some other, which were later. All these things are referred to the reader's consideration. It is very fit to observe in what class the Doctrine of the Apostles is placed by this writer, and with what books it is numbered. I have spoken of it distinctly in the chapter of Eusebius. The Clementines likewise have been already described sufficiently. d (7.) In this work, particularly in the abridgment of the books of the New Testament, are several observations, which will not be approved by all. The author says, the epistle to the Galatians was written by Paul at Rome; that' to the Ephesians likewise at Rome, before the apostle was personally acquainted with those Christians. The same is said more than once by Euthalius, contemporary with that Athanasius, whom some suppose author of the Synopsis. This author likewise, as many others do, says, that St. Peter's epistles were written to Jewish Christians. i (8.) I add here some other things, which are in the latter part of this Synopsis. It is there said, that Matthew wrote his gospel in Hebrew, and published it at Jerusalem; and that it was translated [into Greek] by James the Lord's brother according to the flesh, who was • ordained by the holy apostles the first bishop of Jerusalem: that the gospel according to Mark was dictated by Peter at Rome, and published by the blessed apostle Mark, and preached by • him in Alexandria and Egypt, and Pentapolis, and Libya: that the gospel of Luke was dictated by the apostle Paul, and written and published by the blessed apostle and physician Luke: as ⚫ also * in like manner the apostle Peter dictated the Acts of the apostles, but Luke the evangelist wrote them: that the gospel according to John was dictated by the holy and beloved apostle John, when he was an exile in the island of Patmos, and was published by him at Ephesus, under the care of Gaius his host, and of the other apostles.' But why were not these things mentioned before? They might have been as well taken notice of at the beginning of the abridgments of the several books here spoken of. Moreover, some things here said seem contrary to what was before observed: every one must perceive, that what is here said of the Acts of the apostles, is quite different from what was said at the beginning of the contents or abridgment of that book. m (9.) Here likewise, I mean in the latter part of this Synopsis, are the symbols of the four evangelists. Matthew's gospel is supposed to be signified by the face of a man, Mark's by that of a calf, Luke's by that of a lion, and John's by that of an eagle. (10.) Thus I have now given a large Account of this Synopsis, much fuller than at first I intended. It is a long and laboured work, for which the author is intitled to commendation, though there are in it some inaccuracies. This Synopsis might be compared with the Stichometry of Nicephorus, published by " several, and with the observations of Euthalius upon,the books of the New Testament, of which I shall speak more distinctly hereafter. о (11.) Upon the whole, I think, this writer, whoever he is, probably of Alexandria, or near it, received no books of the Old Testament, as of authority, beside those of the Jewish canon. And for the New Testament, he received all those which we now receive, and no other. (12.) Finally, it deserves our particular notice, that this writer, as well as other ancient Christian writers in general, professeth the highest respect for the books of sacred scripture. For having put down the catalogue of the canonical and uncanonical books of the Old Testament, and then the canonical books of the New, he adds: So many, even these, are the canoni'cal books of the New Testament, and as it were the first-fruits of our faith, or anchors and ¿ fastenings: having been written and published by the apostles of Christ, who conversed with him, and were taught by him. But innumerable other books have been since composed by great, and wise, and holy men, by way of testimony to them, and for explaining and illustrating them, of which I need not now speak particularly.' 6 CHAP. LXXVI. A DIALOGUE AGAINST THE MARCIONITES. 1. I THINK it not best to overlook entirely a book, intitled, Of the right Faith in God, or a Dialogue against the Marcionites, in five parts or sections, ascribed to Adamantius, by some supposed to be the same as Origen. I formerly took some notice of it in the general account of Origen's works, and may have occasion to quote it often hereafter in the history of the heretics of the two first centuries. It is fit therefore, that we should observe briefly the author's testi mony to the books of the New Testament. But he is not the famous Origen. It appears manifest, from expressions in the first section of the work, that it was written in the time of a Christian emperor. And from the confession made near the beginning of the same section by Adamantius the orthodox disputant, it is probable, that it was not composed until after the council of Nice: accordingly, it is the general opinion of learned men, that the author of this Dialogue is different from Origen, and that it may be placed about the year 330. f с d 2. The author owns four gospels, and no more, written by John, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, disciples of Christ. 3. He calls them all disciples of Christ: for he says, that Mark and Luke were of the number of the seventy or seventy-two disciples. h 4. Though there are four evangelists, he says, there is but one gospel. 5. Adamantius, the orthodox disputant, receives also the Acts of the Apostles. 6. In this work the four gospels are often quoted, and most of St. Paul's epistles, particularly the epistle to the Ephesians, by that title, and the epistle to the Hebrews. a k 7. The second epistle of Peter is here TM quoted. - Τοσαυία και τα της καινης διαθηκης βιβλια, τα γε κανονιζο μενα, και της πιςεως ἡμων οίονει ακροθινια, η αίκυραι και ερεισ μαία· ὡς παρ' αυίων των αποςόλων το Χρισε, των και συγΓενομενων εκείνῳ, και ὑπ' αυτε μαθητευθενίων, γραφενία και εκτεθενια επείοιδε ύσερον κατα την εκεινων ακολυθίαν και συμφωνίαν, αλλα μύρια και αναρίθμητα βιβλια εξεπονήθησαν ύπο των καλα καιρος μεγαλων και σοφωτατων θεοφόρων πατέρων, εις μαρίν ριαν των προλαβονίων, και διαφωτισιν. κ. λ. p. 131. Α. Β. ↳ See Vol. i. p. 526. c Vid. Dialog. p. 30. Basil. 1674. p. 816. Bened. d P. 3. Bas. p. 804. Bened. * Vid. Huet. Origenian. 1. iii. Sect. 1. n. v. & in App. n. ix. Tillem. Origene. Art. 86. et note 13. Mem. T. iii. & Benedictinor. Monitum ap. Origen. Opp. T. i. p. 800. Beausob. Hist. Manich. T. ii. p. 84, 85. * Οι μαθηται το Χρισε γεγραφηκασιν, Ιωάννης και Ματθαίος, nai Mapnos naι Asxas. Dialog. sect. i. p. 7. Bas. 806. B. Bened. 1 a 8. The words of 2 Pet. ii. 19, " Of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage," are quoted by Adamantius, not as the words of Peter, but as a saying or maxim of some wise man not a Christian. CHAP. LXXVII. b JUVENCUS.. 1. As Jerom has an article for Juvencus in his Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers, I shall transcribe it at the bottom of the page. His name at length was C. Vettius Aquilinus Juvencus: he was a native of Spain, and a man of a good family. Jerom mentions a work in four books containing the history of our Lord, as recorded in the four gospels, and another work: the former is still extant. Jerom says, he lived in the time of Constantine: which also appears from the conclusion of the fore-mentioned poem. Juvencus is in Trithemius: who takes particular notice of the two works, mentioned by Jerom; and supposeth, that Juvencus had written others, though he had not seen them. d с e 2. Jerom seems to have been much pleased with Juvencus; for he has made honourable mention of him in his letter to Magnus, and placed him in his Chronicle, and quoted him in his Commentary upon St. Matthew. That quotation relates to the presents made by the wise men to our Saviour at his nativity, and the design of them: and may deserve to be compared with the verses of Sedulius, another Latin poet, in the fifth century, upon the same subject, 3. Juvencus is, certainly, a good witness to our four gospels, and the things contained in them; but I do not think it needful to make many extracts. I only observe that Juvencus seems to understand Matt. xxviii. 17, as if the evangelists said, some of Christ's disciples "still doubted;" but Grotius, and some others, think, he means only, that "some had doubted before," but were now all satisfied. Theophylact1 well deserves to be consulted upon this text. k Conf. Juvenci Historiam Evangel. p. 57. F. ap Bib. Patr. • Aurea nascenti fuderunt munera Regi, Thura dedere Deo, myrrham tribuere sepulcro. C. Sedulii Carm. Pasch. 1. ii. p. 30. ver. 95, 96. edit. Cellar.- Jamque Galilæos conscenderat anxia montes Juvenc. Hist. Ev. 1. iv. Ib. p. 77. B.. › Vid. Grot. ad Matt. xxviii. 17. *See Dr. Benson's Reasonableness of the Christian Religion,. p. 53, 54. 1 In evangelia, p. 183. |