"not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

"

great sinners, that he might show that he came may always walk obediently to his holy words.” We perceive also in Clement a total unconsciousness of doubt, whether these were the II. We are in possession of an epistle writ- real words of Christ, which are read as such in en by Clement, bishop of Rome,+ whom an- the Gospels. This observation indeed belongs tient writers, without any doubt or scruple, to the whole series of testimony, and especialassert to have been the Clement whom Saint ly to the most ancient part of it. Whenever Paul mentions, Phil. iv. 3; "with Clement any thing now read in the Gospels is met with also, and other my fellow-labourers, whose in an early Christian writing, it is always obnames are in the book of life." This epistle served to stand there as acknowledged truth, is spoken of by the ancients as an epistle ac-i. e. to be introduced without hesitation, doubt, knowledged by all; and, as Irenæus well re-or apology. It is to be observed also, that, as presents its value, "written by Clement, who this epistle was written in the name of the had seen the blessed apostles, and conversed church of Rome, and addressed to the church with them; who had the preaching of the of Corinth, it ought to be taken as exhibiting apostles still sounding in his ears, and their the judgment not only of Clement, who drew traditions before his eyes." It is addressed to up the letter, but of these churches themselves, the church of Corinth; and what alone may at least as to the authority of the books referseem almost decisive of its authenticity, Diony-red to.

sius, bishop of Corinth, about the year 170, It may be said, that, as Clement has not i. e. about eighty or ninety years after the epis-used words of quotation, it is not certain that tle was written, bears witness, "that it had he refers to any book whatever. The words been wont to be read in that church from an- of Christ, which he has put down, he might cient times." himself have heard from the apostles, or might This epistle affords, amongst others, the fol- have received through the ordinary medium lowing valuable passages :-" Especially re- of oral tradition. This has been said: but membering the words of the Lord Jesus which that no such inference can be drawn from the he spake, teaching gentleness and long-suffer-absence of words of quotation, is proved by the ing for thus he said : Be ye merciful, that three following considerations :-First, that ye may obtain mercy; forgive, that it may be Clement, in the very same manner, namely, forgiven unto you; as you do, so shall it be without any mark of reference, uses a passage done unto you; as you give, so shall it be now found in the epistle to the Romans; given unto you; as ye judge, so shall ye be which passage, from the peculiarity of the judged; as ye show kindness, so shall kind-words which compose it, and from their order, ness be shown unto you; with what measure it is manifest that he must have taken from ye mete, with the same shall it be measured to the book. The same remark may be repeated you.' By this command, and by these rules, of some very singular sentiments in the Epislet us establish ourselves, that we may always walk obediently to his holy words."

tle to the Hebrews. Secondly, that there are many sentences of Saint Paul's First Epistle Again; "Remember the words of the Lord to the Corinthians standing in Clement's episJesus, for he said, Wo to that man by whom tle without any sign of quotation, which yet offences come; it were better for him that he certainly are quotations; because it appears had not been born, than that he should offend that Clement had Saint Paul's epistle before one of my elect; it were better for him that a him, inasmuch as in one place he mentions it mill-stone should be tied about his neck, and in terms too express to leave us in any doubt:that he should be drowned in the sea, than" Take into your hands the epistle of the blessthat he should offend one of my little ones.""'§ed apostle Paul." Thirdly, that this method In both these passages, we perceive the high of adopting words of Scripture without referrespect paid to the words of Christ as recorded ence or acknowledgment, was, as will appear by the evangelists; "Remember the words of the Lord Jesus-by this command, and by these rules, let us establish ourselves, that we

* Matt. ix. 13.

+ Lardner, Cred. vol. 1. p. 62, et seq. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Matt. v. 7.-" Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given unto you." Luke vi. 37, 38. Judge not, that ye be not judged; for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." Matt.

vii. 1, 2.

in the sequel, a method in general use amongst the most ancient Christian writers.-These analogies not only repel the objection, but cast the presumption on the other side, and afford a considerable degree of positive proof, that the words in question have been borrowed from the places of Scripture in which we now find them.

But take it if you will the other way, that Clement had heard these words from the apostles or first teachers of Christianity; with respect to the precise point of our argument, viz. that the Scriptures contain what the apostles

Matt. xviii. 6. "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and that he were cast into the sea" The latter part of the sage in Clement agrees more exactly with Luke, xvii. 2: taught, this supposition may serve almost as "It were better for him that a mill-stone were hanged well. about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones **.

pas

Romans i 29

III. Near the conclusion of the epistle to those in the preceding articles, that, like them, the Romans, Saint Paul, amongst others, sends they are not accompanied with marks of quotathe following salutation: "Salute Asyncritus, tion. Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them."

Of these allusions the following are clear specimens:

Of Hermas, who appears in this catalogue of Roman Christians as contemporary with Saint Paul, a book bearing the name, and it is Mall." most probable rightly, is still remaining. It is called the Shepherd, or Pastor of Hermas. Its antiquity is incontestable, from the quotations of it in Irenæus, A. D. 178; Clement of Alexandria, A. D. 194; Tertullian, A. D. 200; Origen, A. D. 230. The notes of time John.† extant in the epistle itself, agree with its title, and with the testimonies concerning it, for it purports to have been written during the lifetime of Clement.

"Christ was baptised of John, that all righteousness might be fulfilled by him."

"Be ye as wise as serpents in all things, and harmless as a dove."

"Yet the Spirit is not deceived, being from God: for it knows whence it comes, and whither it goes.”

"He (Christ) is the door of the Father, by which enter in Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the apos tles and the church."

several other places, he borrows words and sentiments from the same epistle without mentioning it; which shows, that this was his general manner of using and applying writings then extant, and then of high authority.

In this piece are tacit allusions to Saint Mat- As to the manner of quotation, this is obthew's, Saint Luke's, and Saint John's Gos- servable ;-Ignatius, in one place, speaks of pels; that is to say, there are applications of Saint Paul in terms of high respect, and quotes thoughts and expressions found in these Gos-his Epistle to the Ephesians by name; yet, in pels, without citing the place or writer from which they were taken. In this form appear in Hermas, the confessing and denying of Christ; the parable of the seed sown; the comparison of Christ's disciples to little children; the saying, "he that putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery;" the singular expression "having received all power from his Father," in probable allusion to Matt. xxviii. 18; and Christ being the "gate," or only way of coming "to God," in plain allusion to John xiv. 6; x. 7. 3. There is also a probable allusion to Acts v. 32.

V. Polycarp had been taught by the apostles; had conversed with many who had seen Christ; was also, by the apostles, appointed bishop of Smyrnȧ. This testimony concerning Polycarp is given by Irenæus, who in his, youth had seen him :-"I can tell the place,' saith Irenæus," in which the blessed Polycarp sat and taught, and his going out and coming in, and the manner of his life, and the form This piece is the representation of a vision, and of his person, and the discourses he made to has by many been accounted a weak and fan- the people, and how he related his conversaciful performance. I therefore observe, that tion with John, and others who had seen the the character of the writing has little to do Lord, and how he had related their sayings, with the purpose for which we adduce it. It and what he had heard concerning the Lord, is the age in which it was composed, that gives both concerning his miracles and his doctrine. the value to its testimony. as he had received them from the eye-witnesses of the word of life: all which Polycarp related agreeable to the Scriptures."

IV. Ignatius, as it is testified by ancient Christian writers, became bishop of Antioch about thirty-seven years after Christ's ascen- Of Polycarp, whose proximity to the age sion; and, therefore, from his time, and place, and country and persons of the apostles is thus and station, it is probable that he had known attested, we have one undoubted epistle reand conversed with many of the apostles. Epis-maining. And this, though a short letter, tles of Ignatius are referred to by Polycarp, his contemporary. Passages found in the epistles now extant under his name, are quoted by Irenæus, A. D. 178; by Origen, A. D. 230: and the occasion of writing the epistles is given at large by Eusebius and Jerome. What are called the smaller epistles of Ignatius, are generally deemed to be those which were read by Irenæus, Origen, and Eusebius.||

contains nearly forty clear allusions to books of the New Testament; which is strong evidence of the respect which Christians of that age bore for these books.

Amongst these, although the writings of Saint Paul are more frequently used by Polycarp than any other parts of Scripture, there

Chap. iii. 15. "For thus it becometh us to fulfi In these epistles are various undoubted al-all righteousness." lusions to the Gospels of Saint Matthew and Chap. x. 16. "Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Saint John; yet so far of the same form with

Chap. iii. 8. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

Chap. x. 9. "I am the door; by me if any man en ter in, he shall be saved."

Lardner, Cred, vol. i p. 192

they are, but what contain sore important testimony to our historical Scriptures.*

are copious allusions to the Gospel of Saint Matthew, some to passages found in the Gospels both of Matthew and Luke, and some VII. Not long after these, that is, not much which more nearly resemble the words in Luke. more than twenty years after the last, follows I select the following, as fixing the autho- Justin Martyr. His remaining works are rity of the Lord's prayer, and the use of it much larger than any that have yet been noamongst the primitive Christians: "If there-ticed. Although the nature of his two prinfore we pray the Lord, that he will forgive us,cipal writings, one of which was addressed to we ought also to forgive." heathens, and the other was a conference with "With supplication beseeching the all-seeing a Jew, did not lead him to such frequent apGod not to lead us into temptation." peals to Christian books, as would have appear. And the following, for the sake of repeated in a discourse intended for Christian reading an observation already made, that words of our Lord found in our Gospels, were at this early day quoted as spoken by him; and not only so, but quoted with so little question or consciousness of doubt about their being really his words, as not even to mention, much less to canvass, the authority from which they were

ers; we nevertheless reckon up in them between twenty and thirty quotations of the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, certain, distinct, and copious: if each verse be counted separately, a much greater number; if each expres sion, a very great one.‡

We meet with quotations of three of the taken : Gospels within the compass of half a page: "But remembering what the Lord said," And in other words he says, Depart from teaching, Judge not, that ye be not judged; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; be ye merciful, that ye may obtain mercy; with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

me into outer darkness, which the Father hath prepared for Satan and his angels," (which is from Matthew xxv. 41.) "And again he said in other words, I give unto you power to tread upon serpents, and scorpions, and Supposing Polycarp to have had these words venomous beasts, and upon all the power of from the books in which we now find them, the enemy." (This from Luke x. 19.) “And it is manifest that these books were consider- before he was crucified, he said, The Son of ed by him, and, as he thought, considered by Man must suffer many things, and be rejecthis readers, as authentic accounts of Christ's ed of the Scribes and Pharisees, and be cruci discourses; and that that point was incontest-fied, and rise again the third day." (This able. from Mark viii. 31.)

In another place, Justin quotes a passage in the history of Christ's birth, as delivered by Matthew and John, and fortifies his quotation by this remarkable testimony: "As they have taught, who have written the history of all things concerning our Saviour Jesus Christ; and we believe them."

Quotations are also found from the Gospel of Saint John.

The following is a decisive, though what we call a tacit, reference to Saint Peter's speech in the Acts of the Apostles:-" whom God hath raised, having loosed the pains of death."+ VI. Papias, a hearer of John, and companion of Polycarp, as Irenæus attests, and of that age, as all agree, in a passage quoted by Eusebius, from a work now lost, expressly ascribes the respective Gospels to Matthew and Mark; and in a manner which proves that What, moreover, seems extremely material these Gospels must have publicly borne the to be observed is, that in all Justin's works, names of these authors at that time, and pro- from which might be extracted almost a combably long before; for Papias does not say that plete life of Christ, there are but two instanone Gospel was written by Matthew, and ano- | ces, in which he refers to any thing as said or ther by Mark; but, assuming this as perfect-done by Christ, which is not related concernly well known, he tells us from what materi- ing him in our present Gospels: which shows, als Mark collected his account, viz. from Peter's preaching, and in what language Matthew wrote, viz. in Hebrew. Whether Papias was well informed in this statement, or not; to the point for which I produce this testimony, namely, that these books bore these names at this time, his authority is complete.

The writers hitherto alleged, had all lived and conversed with some of the apostles. The works of theirs which remain, are in general very short pieces, yet rendered extremely valuable by their antiquity; and none, short as

Matt. vil. 1, 2. v. 7. Luke ví, 37, 38,
Acts it. 24.

↑ Lardner, Cred vol. 1. p. 239.

That the quotations are more thinly strown in these, is in a good measure accounted for by the observation, than in the writings of the next and of succeeding ages, that the Scriptures of the New Testament had not yet, nor by their recency hardly could have, become a gene ral part of Christian education; read as the Old Testa ment was by Jews and Christians from their childhood, and thereby intimately mixing, as that had long done, with all their religious ideas, and with their language upon religious subjects. In process of time, and as soon perhaps as could be expected, this came to be the case, greater frequency, as well as copiousness of allusion. And then we perceive the effect, in a proportionably † Lardner, Cred. vol. i. p. 258.

four Gospels, continually, I dare say, above two hundred times." Jones's New and Full Method. Append. vol i. p. 589, ed. 1726.

"He cites our present canon, and particularly our

Mich, Intred, e, i, sec1, VL

that these Gospels, and these, we may say, | verb " teacheth" in the present tense. Then, alone, were the authorities from which the that these writings were some or all of the books Christians of that day drew the information of the New Testament, is rendered probable upon which they depended. One of these in- from hence, that in the fragments of his works, stances is of a saying of Christ, not met with which are preserved in Eusebius, and in a wriin any book now extant. The other, of a ter of the ninth century, enough, though it be circumstance in Christ's baptism, namely, a little, is left to show, that Hegesippus expresfiery or luminous appearance upon the water, sed divers things in the style of the Gospels, which, according to Epiphanius, is noticed in and of the Acts of the Apostles; that he rethe Gospel of the Hebrews: and which might ferred to the history in the second chapter of be true: but which, whether true or false, is Matthew, and recited a text of that Gospel as mentioned by Justin, with a plain mark of di- spoken by our Lord. minution when compared with what he quotes as resting upon Scripture authority. The reader will advert to this distinction: "And then, when Jesus came to the river Jordan, where John was baptizing, as Jesus descended into the water, a fire also was kindled in Jordan; and when he came up out of the water, the apostles of this our Christ have written, that the Holy Ghost lighted upon him as a dove."

And

IX. At this time, viz. about the year 170, the churches of Lyons and Vienne, in France, sent a relation of the sufferings of their martyrs to the churches of Asia and Phrygia. The epistle is preserved entire by Eusebius. what carries in some measure the testimony of these churches to a higher age, is, that they had now for their bishop, Pothinus, who was ninety years old, and whose early life conse quently must have immediately joined on with the times of the apostles. In this epistle are exact references to the Gospels of Luke and John, and to the Acts of the Apostles; the form of reference the same as in all the preceding articles. That from Saint John is in these words: "Then was fulfilled that which was But although Justin mentions not the au- spoken by the Lord, that whosoever killeth thor's name, he calls the books, "Memoirs you, will think that he doeth God service."+ composed by the Apostles;" "Memoirs com- X. The evidence now opens upon us full posed by the Apostles and their Companions ;" and clear. Irenæust succeeded Pothinus as which descriptions, the latter especially, ex-bishop of Lyons. In his youth he had been a actly suit with the titles which the Gospels disciple of Polycarp, who was a disciple of John. and Acts of the Apostles now bear. In the time in which he lived, he was distant

All the references in Justin are made without mentioning the author; which proves that these books were perfectly notorious, and that there were no other accounts of Christ then extant, or, at least, no others so received and credited as to make it necessary to distinguish these from the rest.

VIII. Hegesippus+ came about thirty years not much more than a century from the pubafter Justin. His testimony is remarkable on-lication of the Gospels; in his instruction, only ly for this particular; that he relates of him- by one step separated from the persons of the self, that, travelling from Palestine to Rome, apostles. He asserts of himself and his conhe visited, on his journey, many bishops; and temporaries, that they were able to reckon up, that, "in every succession, and in every city, in all the principal churches, the succession of the same doctrine is taught, which the Law, bishops from the first.§ I remark these parand the Prophets, and the Lord teacheth."- ticulars concerning Irenæus with more formaThis is an important attestation, from good lity than usual; because the testimony which authority, and of high antiquity. It is gene- this writer affords to the historical books of rally understood, that by the word "Lord," the New Testament, to their authority, and Hegesippus intended some writing or writings, to the titles which they bear, is express, posicontaining the teaching of Christ, in which tive, and exclusive. One principal passage, in sense alone the term combines with the other which this testimony is contained, opens with terms "Law and Prophets," which denote writ- a precise assertion of the point which we have ings; and together with them admit of the laid down as the foundation of our argument, viz. that the story which the Gospels exhibit, "Wherefore also our Lord Jesus Christ has said, In is the story which the apostles told. whatsoever I shall find you, in the same I will also judge have not received," saith Irenæus," the knowyou." Possibly Justin designed not to quote any text, but to represent the sense of many of our Lord's sayings. ledge of the way of our salvation by any others Fabricius has observed, that this saying has been quoted than those by whom the Gospel has been by many writers, and that Justin is the only one who as cribes it to our Lord, and that perhaps by a slip of Lis brought to us. Which Gospel they first preachWords resembling these are read repeatedly in Ezeed, and afterwards, by the will of God, comkiel: "I will judge them according to their ways," mitted to writing, that it might be for time to (chap. vii. 3. xxxiii. 20.) It is remarkable that Justin come the foundation and pillar of our faith. had just before expressly quoted Ezekiel. Mr. Jones up- For after that our Lord rose from the dead, en this circumstance founded a conjecture, that Justin wrote only "the Lord hath said, "intending to quote the and they (the apostles) were endowed from words of God, or rather the sense of those words in Ezekiel; and that some transcriber, imagining these to be the words of Christ, inserted in his copy the addition "Jesus Christ." Vol. 1. p. 539.

memory.

Lardner, Cred, vol i p. 314

"We

Lardner, Cred, vol. i. p. 332. + John xvi. 2. t Lardner, vol. i. p. 314. Adv. Hæres. 1. iii, c. 3.

Above with the power of the Holy Ghost com- ter beside that which we have already alleged ing down upon them, they received a perfect He mentions how Matthew begins his Gospel, knowledge of all things. They then went forth how Mark begins and ends his, and their supto all the ends of the earth, declaring to men posed reasons for so doing. He enumerates at the blessing of heavenly peace, having all of length the several passages of Christ's history them, and every one, alike the Gospel of God. in Luke, which are not found in any of the Matthew then, among the Jews, wrote a Gos-other evangelists. He states the particular depel in their own language, while Peter and Paul sign with which Saint John composed his Gos were preaching the Gospel at Ronfe, and found- pel, and accounts for the doctrinal de larations ing a church there and after their exit, Mark which precede the narrative. also, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, de- To the book of the Acts of the Apostles, its livered to us in writing the things that had author, and credit, the testimony of Irenæus been preached by Peter; and Lake, the com- is no less explicit. Referring to the account panion of Paul, put down in a book the Gos-of Saint Paul's conversion and vocation, in the pel preached by him (Paul.) Afterwards John, ninth chapter of that book, "Nor can they," the disciple of the Lord, who also leaned upon says he, meaning the parties with whom he arhis breast, he likewise published a Gospel while gues, "show that he is not to be credited, who he dwelt at Ephesus in Asia." If any modern has related to us the truth with the greatest divine should write a book upon the genuine- exactness." In another place, he has actually ness of the Gospels, he could not assert it more collected the several texts, in which the writer expressly, or state their original more distinct- of the history is represented as accompanying ly, than Irenæus hath done within little more Saint Paul; which leads him to deliver a sumthan a hundred years after they were publish-mary of almost the whole of the last twelve chapters of the book.

ed.

The correspondency, in the days of Irenæus, In an author thus abounding with refer. of the oral and written tradition, and the de.ences and allusions to the Scriptures, there is duction of the oral tradition through various not one to any apocryphal Christian writing channels from the age of the apostles, which whatever. This is a broad line of distinction was then lately passed, and, by consequence, between our sacred books, and the pretensions the probability that the books truly delivered of all others. what the apostles taught, is inferred also with The force of the testimony of the period which strict regularity from another passage of his we have considered, is greatly strengthened by works. The tradition of the apostles," this the observation, that it is the testimony, and father saith," hath spread itself over the whole the concurring testimony, of writers who lived universe; and all they, who search after the in countries remote from one another. Cle sources of truth, will find this tradition to be ment flourished at Rome, Ignatius at Antioch, held sacred in every church. We might enu- Polycarp at Smyrna, Justin Martyr in Syria, merate all those who have been appointed bi- and Irenæus in France. shops to these churches by the apostles, and all XI. Omitting Athenagoras and Theophilus, their successors, up to our days. It is by this who lived about this time; in the remaining aninterrupted succession that we have receiv-works of the former of whom are clear refered the tradition which actually exists in the ences to Mark and Luke; and in the works church, as also the doctrines of truth, as it was of the latter, who was bishop of Antioch, the preached by the apostles," The reader will sixth in succession from the apostles, evident observe upon this, that the same Irenæus, who allusions to Matthew and John, and probable is now stating the strength and uniformity of the tradition, we have before seen recognising, in the fullest manner, the authority of the written records; from which we are entitled to conclude, that they were then conformable to each other.

allusions to Luke (which, considering the nature of the compositions, that they were addresed to heathen readers, is as much as could be expected; observing also, that the works of two learned Christian writers of the same age, Miltiades and Pantænus,+ are now lost; of I have said, that the testimony of Irenæus in which Miltiades, Eusebius records, that his favour of our Gospels is exclusive of all others. writings "were monuments of zeal for the I allude to a remarkable passage in his works, Divine Oracles;" and which Pantænus, as in which, for some reasons sufficiently fanci- Jerome testifies, was a man of prudence and ful, he endeavours to show, that there could learning, both in the Divine Scriptures and be neither more nor fewer Gospels than four. secular literature, and had left many commenWith his argument we have no concern. The taries upon the Holy Scriptures then extant; position itself, proves that four, and only four, Gospels were at that time publicly read and acknowledged. That these were our Gospels, and in the state in which we now have them, is shown, from many other places of this wri

Iron in Har. I. iii. c. 3

passing by these without further remark, we come to one of the most voluminous of ancient Christian writers, Clement of Alexandria.‡ Clement followed Irenæus at the distance of

Lardner, vol. i. p. 400.-Ib. 422. + Lardner, vol. i. p. 413, 450. Lardner, vol. ii. p. 469,