The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1885-03-11


Christian era, as, for instance, in the
maxims of the pseudo Phocylides and the
predictions OF the pseudo.Sibylli lines. The
early date which l venture to assign to
the Doctrine OF the APOSTLES agrees well
with its general character. There is an
archaic SIMPLICITY had almost said a
chlldishness-in its practical directions.
which is only consistent with the early
infancy of Church. Such, for instance,
Is the test which 1T suggests of truth and
taIsehood. a true apostle, says the
writer, will only remain in place a sim
gle day or two at most; if man who
sets up for an apostle stays a third, he is
false prophet. Of the genuineness of
this document there can be no shadow of
doubt. No one could or would have
forged it. 1t serves no party interests;
it pleases nobody; it is neither sacra-
mentarlan nor anti-sacramentarian Meth
er sacerdotal nor anti sacerdotal, but
both Cat least in appearance) by turns.
We may therefore safely use it as wit
ness; but, while doing so, we must be
careful not to attribute to it an authority
to which it lays no claim. 1t pleads no
OH ;lal sanction. It's title is not intend
ed to suggest its authorship. We NAV
accept 1T as the private venture of some
one who desires to set forth his views on
moral CO nduct and Church order, believ-
ing them to represent the mind of the
Apostles. But at the same time such
document cannot but reflect fairly we'll
the beliefs and usages of the writer's age
and country. A further caution is like
wise needed. 1t does not profess to be
complete. Its desultory character is ap-
parent, for instance, in the description of
the Eucharistic service, which is plainly
tragmenuary. We cannot therefore safe
ly draw differences froll its silence. This
remark applies especially to doctrine, of
which 1t says next to nothing. Observ-
ing these cautions, we interrogate it with
regard to the New Testament writings
And here the answer is unexpectedly full.
The writer quotes large portions of st.
Matthew. The Lords Prayer is given
at length; numerous sayings from the
Sermon on the Mount and elsewhere are
introduced; the baptismal formula is
quoted. Occasionally also we come
across echoes of the characteristic Ian
guage OF st. Luke, as for instance What
thank have ye, i, ye love them that love
you" &c. u, and again " Let not your
lamps be quenched nor your loins un-
grit, but be ready, for ye know not the
hour in which our Lord cometh" &c. 16).
On the other hand the condolences with
St John are less close. The writer
speaks of the holy vine of David; he
uses the expression perfect in love-;
and in third passage his language is
the echo of an injunction in st. Johns
Second Epistle. These however, though
indicating sympathy with st. John s
modes of thought, are not decisive as to
a knowledge of his writings. Nor indeed
it we are right in assigning very early
date to this document, are we justified in
expecting such knowledge With st.
Paul's Epistles again the writer shows an
Condolences with four of
these-Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians,
and 2 Observation-Disclosures a free use
of the Apostles writings We likewise
meet with the precept, Abstain from
tieshly and bodily lusts, which seems to
be taken from l Peter il II, but may
possibly be independent