owning, or knowing, the second epistle of John. As for the third, there does not appear any the least notice of it in Tertullian's remaining works.

It is supposed by some learned men, that" Tertullian has alluded to the disputed text which we have in 1 John v. 7, 8. I have put his words in the margin.

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5. There is one plain quotation of the epistle of St. Jude, the only place in which it is mentioned: Hence it is,' says he, that Enoch is quoted by the apostle Jude;' referring to Jude, ver. 14.

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XII. The Revelation of John is often quoted. I put together two or three passages, which show his full persuasion it was written by the apostle and evangelist of that name. John P in his Apocalypse is commanded to correct those who “eat things sacrificed to idols, and commit fornication.” [Rev. ii. 20.] But in his epistle he especially calls them" antichrists, who deny that Christ is come in the flesh, and who did not think that Jesus is the Son of God,"' 1 John ii. 18, 22; iv. 2, 3; v. 5. In the place already referred to more than once, after the mention of the four who had seen Christ's glory, he takes a large quotation out of John's Revelation. Again: The apostle John in the Apocalypse describes a "sharp two-edged sword coming out of the mouth of God." Lastly, we have churches, disciples of John: for though Marcion rejects his Revelation, the succession of bishops traced to the original will assure us that John is the author.'

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XIII. There are then in Tertullian plain testimonies to all the books of the New Testament commonly received by christians at this time, except the epistle of James, the second of Peter, the second or third of John. The epistle to the Hebrews he supposed to have been written by Barnabas.

XIV. We have seen in the passages already transcribed

" Cæterum, de meo sumet, inquit, sicut ipse de Patris. Ita connexus Patris in Filio, et Filii in Paracleto, tres efficit cohærentes, alterum ex altero; qui tres unum sunt, non unus. Quomodo dictum est, Ego et Pater unum sumus: ad substantiæ unitatem, non ad numeri singularitatem. Adv. Prax. c. 25. p. 657. C. • Eo accedit quod Enoch apud Judam apostolum testimonium possidet. De Cultu Fem. l. i. c. 3. p. 172. A. P Joannes vero in Apocalypsi idolothyta edentes et stupra committentes jubetur castigare. At in epistolâ eos maxime antichristos vocat, &c. De Præscript. cap. 33. p. 244. A. B. q Nam et apostolus

Joannes in Apocalypsi ensem describit ex ore Dei prodeuntem, bis acutum, præacutum. Adv. Marc. lib. iii. cap. 14. p. 489. A.

Habemus et Joannis alumnas ecclesias. Nam etsi Apocalypsim ejus Marcion respuit, ordo tamen episcoporum ad originem recensus in Joannem stabit auctorem. Adv. Marc. lib. iv. cap. 5. p. 505. B.

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several testimonies to the integrity and sincerity of the gospels, and other books of the New Testament in his time, as well as to their genuineness. We will nevertheless take a few more to the like purpose. He affirms, thats the three other gospels were in the hands of the churches from the beginning, as well as Luke's: that Luke's gospel, as well as the rest, had been preserved entire,' till Marcion pretended to correct it. He says, he may" justly say (in the name of the christian church) to all heretics: Who are 'you? when and whence came you hither? what do you do in my ground since you belong not to me? by what right, O Marcion, do you cut down my woods? what authority ' have you, Valentinus, to turn the course of my fountains? 'who gave you power, Apelles, to overthrow my fences? what do you sowing and feeding here at your pleasures? The possession is mine. I have enjoyed it a long time. I first enjoyed it. I derive a certain original from the authors themselves, whose it was. I am the heir of the apostles. As they ordained in their testament, as they 'committed to my trust, as they adjured, so I still hold it.' A large part of this passage is translated by Mr. Richardson: I have taken his translation, as far as it goes. Tertullian soon after calls heretics foreigners, and enemies of the apostles.' They w who were resolved to teach other'wise, were under a necessity of new modelling the records of the doctrine, that they might have some ground to go upon. As they could not succeed in corrupting the doctrine without corrupting the records of it, so the true 'doctrine [of the apostles] could not have been with us, 'nor could it have been delivered by us to others, if we had not the records entire wherein it was taught. For 'what do we maintain contrary to them? what have we 'added of our own heads to the doctrine, that we should 'be obliged to alter any thing in the scriptures, by adding 'to them, or taking from them, or transposing any parts of them? What we are, that the scriptures were from the

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X

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Itaque et de his Marcion flagitandus, quid, omissis eis, Lucæ potius institerit; quasi non et hæc apud ecclesias a primordio fuerint, quemadmodum et Lucæ. Adv. Marc. lib. iv. cap. 5. p. 505. D.

t

Denique emendavit, quod corruptum existimavit. Sed nec hoc merito, quia non fuit corruptum. Si enim apostolica integra decucurrerunt; Lucæ autem quod est secundum nos, adeo congruit regulæ eorum, ut cum illis apud ecclesias maneat; jam et Lucæ constat integrum decucurrisse usque ad sacrilegium Marcionis. p. 506. A. " De Præscript. c. 37.

w Ibid. c. 38.

The Canon of the N. T. vindicated, p. 119. * Quod sumus, hoc sunt scripturæ ab initio suo: ex illis sumus, antequam aliter fuit; antequam a vobis interpolarentur. Ibid. p. 246. B.

beginning we agree with them, as they were before they 'were altered, before they were interpolated, by you.' Then he severely censures Marcion for altering the text of the scriptures,openly employing a knife,' as he says, not a style;' the better to render them agreeable to his erroneous opinions.

Ꮓ

XV. In many of the passages already transcribed we have seen the great authority of the books of the New Testament, and the respect which was showed to them: but it may be proper to observe a few more to this purpose. In his disputes with Praxeas, and others, he plainly supposes the scriptures to be the rule of the christian faith. He greatly commends the church of Rome, that she a joins the law and the prophets with the evangelical and apostolic scriptures, and thence takes her faith.' He plainly supposeth them written by divine inspiration, and calls them the words of God, in a passage to be transcribed presently at length.

b

'The Spirit of the Lord,' says he, has declared by the apostle, that covetousness is the root of all evil.' 1 Tim. vi. 10. This is an observation which might be made by the human understanding; nevertheless he says, The Spirit of the Lord has declared it by the apostle :' which seems to imply, that the apostles, in their epistles written for the direction and edification of the churches, were under a special direction of the Holy Spirit. Afterwards he says, in the same book: The apostle recommends charity with all the force of the Holy Spirit' referring to 1 Cor. xiii. which chapter he there quotes largely. Having mentioned Matthew under the character of the companion of the Lord, and the most faithful historian of the gospel, and referred particularly to his genealogy, he adds: And Paul likewise, as being both a disciple and a master, and

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y Marcion enim exerte et palam machærâ non stylo, usus est; quoniam ad materiam suam cædem scripturarum confecit. Ibid. p. 246. C.

b

a

z Probare autem tam aperte debebis ex scripturis, quam nos probamus illum sibi Filium fecisse sermonem suum.Aut exhibe probationem quam expostulo meæ similem; id est, sic scripturas eundem Filium et Patrem ostendere, quemadmodum apud nos distincte Pater et Filius demonstrantur. Adv. Prax. c. 11. p. 641. D. Legem et prophetas cum evangelicis et apostolicis literis miscet, et inde potat fidem. De Præscript. c. 36. p. 245. C. Cupiditatem omnium malorum radicem Spiritus Domini per apostolum pronuntiavit. De Patientiâ, c. 7. p. 163. D. Quam [dilectionem] apostolus totis viribus Sancti Spiritûs commendat. De Patientiâ, c. 12. p. 167. B. d Sed et Paulus, utpote ejusdem evangelii et discipulus, et magister, et testis, quâ ejusdem ipsius Christi apostolus, confirmat Christum ex semine David secundum carnem, utique ipsius. De Carne Christi, cap. 22. p. 376. C.

also a witness of the same gospel, inasmuch as he was an apostle of the same Christ, confirms the account that Christ was of the seed of David, according to the flesh.' And we may here recollect the passage before quoted, where he had equalled the apostle Paul with the chief of the apostles, those three who saw Christ's glory on the mount. Another proof of the high respect which these writings were in with christians, is the reading them in their religious assemblies. In his description of the christian worship, in his Apology, he says, among other things, We come together to recollect the divine scriptures. We nourish our faith, improve our hope, confirm our trust, by the sacred words.' XVI. We should next observe some forms of quotation, and general titles and divisions of the books of the New Testament.

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e

Justin Martyr often calls the gospels commentaries, or short histories of Christ. In like manner, and possibly in imitation of him, Tertullian calls the evangelists' commentators, or historians of the gospel; and theirs writings commentaries, or short histories.

k

i

For the Lord in the gospel admonishes Peter: "Behold," says he, "Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat," Luke xxii. 31. And in the gospel the wedding garment may signify the holiness of the flesh. He remembered the evangelical maxim: "Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake." But1 enough has been alleged from the prophets: I now appeal to the gospels.' He presently after speaks of them by the name of scripture: But m observe how the scripture relates this: "He spake also a parable unto them," Luke . v. 36.

e Coimus ad literarum divinarum commemorationem; si quid præsentium temporum qualitas aut præmonere cogit, aut recognoscere, certe fidem sanctis vocibus pascimus, spem erigimus, fiduciam figimus. Apol. c. 39. p. 34. D.

f Ipse in primis Matthæus, fidelissimus evangelii commentator. De Carne Christi, c. 22. p. 376. C. Aut a commentatore evangelii illuminatam. De Resurrect. Carn. p. 403. A. Nam ex iis commentatoribus quos habemus, Lucam videtur Marcion elegisse, quem cæderet. Adv. Marcion, 1. iv. c. 2. p. 503. B. 8 Porro, cum in eodem commentario Lucæ

[libro nempe Actuum apostolorum]. De Jejun. c. x. p. 708. B.

h Siquidem Dominus in evangelio ad Petrum: Ecce, inquit, postulavit vos Satanas, uti cerneret vos sicut frumentum. De Fuga in Persecu. c. 2. p. 690. C. i Et in evangelio indumentum nuptiale sanc

titas carnis agnosci potest. De Resurrect. Carnis, cap. 27. p. 398. D.

k Meminerat evangelicæ definitionis: Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter justitiam. De Resurrect. cap. 41. p. 409. C.

1 Satis hæc de prophetico instrumento: ad evangelia nunc provoco. De Resurr. c. 33. p. 402. C. m Sed quomodo referat scriptura,

considera: Dicebat autem et parabolam ad eos. Ibid. p. 402. D.

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The gospels are distinguished by the names of the writers, as we have already seen. One instance may not be amiss here. We have considered John's gospel ;and I shall not now,' says he, insist on the other gospels.' He calls the gospels our Digesta,' in allusion, as it seems, to some collection of the Roman laws digested into order; as in a passage before cited he called Luke's gospel his Digest.' Again: Justly the evangelist: "The law and the prophets were until John." He speaks at once of the sayings of the prophets, gospels, and apostles.' Here' apostles seems to stand for the collection of the epistles of the apostles. In another book: What' patriarch, what prophet, -what priest, or in later times what apostle, or evangelist, or bishop, is found crowned ?'

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q

V

'Let us be mindful of the predictions of the Lord, and the epistles of the apostles.' He says: We have one baptism according to the gospel of the Lord, and the cpistles of the apostle. Marcion,' he says, had two different Gods, one of each Instrument, or (which is more commonly said) Testament.' In another place: If I do not clear this point from all the difficulties of the ancient scripture, I will take the proof of our interpretation from the New Testament.For behold, I perceive, both in the gospels and the apostles, God to be visible and invisible.' This plainly shows, that the collection of the sacred christian books was called the New Testament; and that it was divided into two parts, one of which was called the ' gospels,' the other the apostles.'

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XVII. It is very likely that the Revelation was included in this latter part, and was joined with the epistles of the " Videmus Joannis evangelium decucurrissc.. -Cæterum ut alia evangelia non interponam. Adv. Prax. c. 26. p. 657. D. 658. A.

-et inde sunt nostra digesta. Adv. Marc. 1. iv. c. 3. p. 504. A.

P Et merito evangelista: Lex et prophetæ usque ad Joannem. Adv. Jud. c. 8. p. 215. B. 4 Compendiis paucorum verborum, quot attinguntur edicta prophetarum, evangeliorum, apostolorum? De Oratione, c. 9. p. 152. C. Quis denique patriarches, quis prophetes, aut sacerdos,-quis vel postea apostolus, aut evangelizator, aut episcopus, invenitur coronatus? De Coronâ, c. 9. p. 125. D.

s Quin potius memores simus tam dominicarum prænuntiationum, quam apostolicarum literarum. De Præscr. c. 4. p. 231. C.

Unus omnino baptismus est nobis, tam ex Domini evangelio, quam ex literis apostoli. De Baptismo, c. 15. p. 262. C.

" Alterum alterius Instrumenti, vel (quod magis usui est dicere) Testamenti. Adv. Marcion, l. iv. cap. 1. p. 501. B.

▾ Si hunc articulum quæstionibus veteris scripturæ non expediam, de Novo Testamento sumam confirmationem nostræ interpretationis. Ecce enim et in evangeliis et in apostolis visibilem et invisibilem Deum deprehendo. Adv. Praxeam, c. 10. p. 646. D.