The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1880-04-21

sons, who, lest no credit should be
given to the stories they told, did
prefix to their writings partly the
names Of the Apostles, and partly Of
those who succeeded the Apostles
affirming that what they wrote them
selves was written by these, where
so they seem to have been more in
furious to the disciples of Christ, by
attributing TO them what they wrote
themselves, -dissonant and repug-
nant, pretending to write those Cos
pels under their names, which are
SO full Of mistakes and of contradic-
tory relations and opinions, that
they are neither coherent with them.
selves, nor consistent with one an
other" (Augustin con. Faust lib.
XXXy, G. 2, and XXXyI, c. g.
Again the same bishop says; @Many
things were foisted by your ances.
tors into the Scriptures of our Lord,
which, although marked with his
name, agree not with his faith. The
learned Doctor Mills gives an ac-
count Of general alteration Of the
Gospels, aslste as.the sixth century.
(Milrs Prolegom, p. 9S.) He like
wise, with great labor, published all
the readings Of the New Testament.
which are so numerous and so differ
ent, that the learned Doctor Whitby
declares that the "vast quantity of
various readings collected must, Of
course, make the mind doubtful or
suspicious, that nothing certain can
be expected from books where there
are various readings in every verse,
and almost in every part of every
verse;" (Wbilby's Ex, bar Sect Mil.
| Ii, p. 8, ~ Mr.. Gregory, Of Christ
Church, in Oxford, England, declares
that "there is no profane author
whatever, other things being equal,
that has suffered so much by the
hand Of time as the New Testament
has DONE" Pref. to his postum.
works.) How willing and ready the
priests have been at all times to en-
courage pious frauds need not be
mentioned. One fact, however,
can not pass in silence, and that is a
letter of Cardinal Belarmine, who,
with the other divines, attended the
correction Of the vulgate, in which
he acknowledges that there are still
several faults which for good reasons
the correctors did not think proper
to remove. (Calmet on the word
vulgate.) ! shall make no remark
on this passage, but shall proceed to
a short account of the rest of the
writings Of the New Testament. The
book of Acts, which is said to be the
work of St. Luke, was rejected by
sects. St. Chrysostom complains that
this book was little known, and that
it was little read, which shows that
even in his time it was not held in
any degree Of authority. In this
book Paul is said to have gone to Je.
rusalem from Damascus, and to have
seen the other Apostles ok, 26.30,
while ,he ssplemnly. declares in. the
Epistle to the Galatians that after
his conversion he did not confer with
anybody, but went to Arabia, where
he remained three years, (Galat. !, |
1929 But there have always been
many debates concerning the anthem
ITCHY of the Epistles, particularly
St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews,
the Epistle Of st. James, the second
Epistle of Peter, the second and third
Epistles of John, and the Epistle of
Jude. AS to the authority of the |
Apocalypse, or Revelations, since its
author cannot be ascertained, how is
impossible that its inspiration should2
For "Cajus, priest OF the church at
Rome, who lived at the end Of the
second age seems to assure us that
the Apocalypse, or Book of Revela-
tions, was written by the arch hereto
Cerinthus; and Deonylas, bishop of
Alexandria, says that some, indeed,
thought Cerinthus to be the author
Of it, but that for his own part, he
believed it to be written by a holy |
man named John, but he would not
take it upon himself to affirm that il
was really the work of the apostle or
evangelist Of that name. The Apo
calypso has not at all times been
owned to be cauonical. Jerome, Am.
philocus, and Sulpitins Severus, re-
mark that in their time there were
many churches in Greece that did
not receive this book" (Calmet on
the word Apocalypse.) The Protest.
ants retained it because they turned
its prophecies against the church Of
Rome, and did not want to lose SO
good and Useful a weapon. Thus, on
investigation, the writings of the
New Testament appear to me to be
far from being infallible; being even
destitute Of proof that they were
written by the persons whose names
they bear. The uncertainty of their
authorship, together with the con-
tinual alterations they have under.
oo.o ,~.,t,o, - ;,,x.s,.l1. A. az