The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-07-28

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~ METHOD OF N'EsfiGAfioN.-i have sought to
trace an the DOCKS or 50 many oil them as possible,
'hioneh each period Inc reader can now readily
S'e' Ut uo shoui" nave s'''i, wnat want OF space
prevents 'he writer doinS lake up each book sep
Ar",o's' an" ioiio" II 'hFongh 'he "hoie time COW
eF' ny inc argument urihsins INTO one line all the
"fi'ers h'''eu ''"' pear testimony 10 IL IN any way
.! naming IT, ns irot'tioh' OF "iusioh' thus;
"Ai h"'-h"Sto'us orisen, .Ielneh'' ier'niii-
an anu 'ie oSii' an" oiu I-al'h versions
justin 'iiHr anu the APostolc ra'hers' telther
oone'li'eS UT 'nui'iiu'i'9J Al VIII oe worth "liie
mere 10 group inc "i'''ehses 10 'hose DOCKS that
i"'e'"' uoes mot r.'iA "''ions inc acknowledged
'"o"si ss"s vi '"eii' 'i'! "re wei kho"h anu
approve" ny most
hEhRkws'--tSoine OF the writers dp not attempt
10 aeterhlne inc authorship though admitting the
oook as seflptnre') Eusepius' orgen' Clement,
lertniiil' ireh's' fesito version ana Clemens oil
AieAahurih.
JANEs--EuSeOins' origen' irenrus, Peshito YER
Sioil' Element OF Rome
III. PETER.-Ensehins' orgen, and Clement OF Al
exandria- No other Testament, or New Testament
book rests on sneh slender evidence let II is said
passages from element oi Rome Hermas, Justin
Aartyr' iheophlius OF Antioch anu irenaus, sng-
sest an acquaintance with TINS Epistie. 10 these
m hf I4fln N 1nrDl llu afara Thn MarfN-
dom OF lgnatius. and another in the Apology of
Miiito. lsmiths Dictionary OF the Bible, Art I'll.
Peter.D
H. AND III. JoiIS'-Enrebius orisen, the Muratori
Canon Clement, and lren1us
JupE.-Ensebins, orisen, Clement, Tertullian,
Murator Canon.
observation-disclosures, Clement, Tcrtullian. Mura-
torn Canon and Justin Martyr.
In this statement have mentioned no writer tsavc
IN the case OF L. Peterl not previously introduced
The argument could be much strengthened, in some
cases. if that were necessary by the introduction of
Witnesses that The space oi this article compels me to
exclude But the reader who may be in doubt, IN
any case Is referred to treatses on the canon, to
dictionary and eycopedla articles, and TO desserta
tons IN 'Introductions and commentaries Ii may
he sad II the twenty-seren books were all received
by tine church from the beginning, there would be
nnmiStakahle traces OF each at any and all times,
from the close OF the apostolic age onward This is
paipaply absurd. In the hrst place, the earlier
Christian literature Is very small in quantity. 1t
was not IN the ohnrrh' a literary period; nor has
time dean kindly with such as was produced In
the second place, the earliest wrings-the Epistles
oil the Apostolic tathers-were not controversial or
aPoiogeileaii but they were written for counsel,
warning ana encouragement. 1t does not come in
ther way 10 give lists oi books nor freely to qote
teAts' for the latter as we nave seen, they were
too near the oral gospel But when We reach the
age oil the APoiogls'S' or defenders of the faith
against external assaults stu more OF the contro-
versialists, when the Church was raeked by dissen
sion the books OF the New Testament stand ont in
nnmi'takabe prominence. And 1t may not be amiss
10 remark "hie writer mention oil book or his
quotation from IT, proves its existence in his time,
his failure to name 1t or quote it does not prove its
non-existenee
NJ The CANON SETTIED.-The Canon was sub
stantiay settled before the close of the second cen
tury Or1sen, therefore, speaks of the "Canonical
Books" carly in the third Some may think it
strange that the Canon was not settled earlier than
1t was but no one Is likely TO hold that opinion who
Is familiar with all the facts bearing on the
The more important Of them are these: The New
Testament Is made mp Of twenty-seven separate
writings these were scattered by their anthors over
n cohSidera"ie snare oil inc hol"h Empire; IN no
case were more than two or three sent to the same
place; some were sent TO ohurches some to partie-
nar districts, some To espeeia classes some to SIN
gle indrVidnaisi the collecting comparing and veri-
Tying OF all these books IN that time OF slow eommu
neatlon ana taruy muItpheation oil BOOKS, when the
relations oi distant communities OF Christians were
broken M, or never formed, owing TO persecution,
was necessarily work Of time. II is noteworthy,
too, though perfectly natural, that as rule, those
books were latest in receiving the approval of the
whole Church, that were sent originally to the OBJ
seurest persons or places On the completion of the
Canon, Tertullian gave the collection it's name,
SoruB IestdDieatnai-Ihe Noe Testament. 1t is con-
'tantly asserted, and very commonly believed, that
he carly councils played very important part in
'ettlins the Canon. The work was substantially
lone before the rst council sat- by the concurrent
7oice OF the Church 1t Is sometimes said that there
was no New Testament before the fourth century
hat 1t was made at tue Council OF Nice in 52o How
gnorant or dishonest those are who make these
'harSes the facts presented here already show. AT
Nice, the septurcs were appealed to in eontrover-