New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-18
NEW TESTAMENT MANUSCRIPTS.
A VIEW OF THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY RESPECT
ING THE CANON

A VIEW OF THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY RESPECT.
ING THE CANON.
TO the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: In your issue of January Inquirer, says
" In conversation with friend recently concerning
the earliest evidences Of the Bible, remarked that
none were in existence OF date earlier than the
fourth century" referring 10 Notes the Bible En-
encyclopedia Britannica Volume III, pare 647. In "Thc
Evidences Of Christianity in their External or
Historical Division hy Charles Petit McIlvaine late
Bishop Of tho Protestant Episcopal Church OF Ohl1
ind the following items which may prove of interest
pages Is 10 81:
The books Of the New Testament are quoted Or
alluded to by series OF writer's WHO may be followed
up in unbroken succession from the present aga to
that Of the Apostles.
In proof of this, It IS unnecessary for The salts
tlcton OF any person of ordinary information to trace
the line Of testimony from Il present time or from
any point OF departure lower down than tho fourth
century. Whoever has the least Acquaintance with
the history OF the civilized work, far upward as the
fourth century. must know that the acknowledgment
Of the New Testament, composed OF authentic
writings, is interviewer with all the literature science
and political as well religious. institutions OF
every subsequent age. We begin, therefore, the chain
OF testimony at the fourth century
1t j. n very impressive evidence OF the high
estimate in which the New Testament was universally
held at this period, that besides mnumerab!c quota
lions in various writings, less than eleven distinct
formal catalogues Of its several books composed
Ut various times during the fourth century, 10y differ
ent hands; and two Of them ty large and solemn
councils OF the heads Of the Christian Church. All OF
these are eXtant and all agree in every particular i'm
porant To the present argument, win the list Of the
New Testament writings at present received. In
the year 800, National provincial council assembled
nj Cartilage. consisting OF fcry four bishops. Augustine
Bishop Of Hippo. wdS 4 member. The forty seventh
canon of that council Is thus written 1t is ordained
that nothing beside the canoncal scriptures be read
In the Church Under the name Of Divine
scriptures; and the canonical scriptures
these etc In the enumeration we find
precisely New Testament books, and no
more dapner's 'Crediby Of the Gospel History
II. 80 About the time Augustine wrote n
boo: entitled of the Christian Doctrine in which is
furnished catalogue OF wha: he considered the anthem
tie writings Of the evanEeliss and apostles, agreeing
entirely with ours. short time before this, Ruilnus
plcsbytcr OF Aqulcla, published an 'ENplcatiOn Of
The Apostles Creed I'm which lie includes catalogue
Of the Scriptures. II begins thus 1T will not be
improper to cnumcratc here the books of the New and
cd Tc,amcni, wm,h find by the monuments OF
the fathers, 10 have been delivered to the churches
prnd by the Holy spirit This list differs in moth
INK from our,. jerome. contcmpOancous writer.
uniycr ally allowed TO have been the most learned Of
TIE Latin fathers. in letter concerning the study OF
tho scriptures cnumcrites the books OF the New
In tho year $50 wrote Phlasrius. Bishop OF Drescia.
In book Concerning IIer,ics,' he gives catalogue
agreeing entirely with ours, except that IL omits the
Epstle 10 tho Hebrews and the Book Of Revelation.
But II does not follow that these not considered
canoncal Tho object Of his catalogue is 10 enum"ratc
the books appointed 70 be read In the churches.
About the year go hourished Gregory Nazlanzen
Bishop OF Constan,inopc. who in work On the True
and Genuine scriptures enumeratcs all the present
books Of the New Testament except that OF Revelation
This However. he has quoted I'm his other works. At
time wrote Epiphanins, Bishop OF Constantia,
in Cyprus, n man Of i've languages lie wrote
again, hcicslc, and gave list Of the New Testament
books which agrees exactly with ours. About the
year $50 another catalogue was published by the
Council of laodlcea. differing In nothing from ours
but in the omission of Revelation. The decrees Of
th, council were in a short time received into the
canons Of the universal church that as early as
about the middle of the fourth century find a
universal agreement in AL parts of the world In which
Christianity existed TO tho constituent parts Of
the New Re lament with the snsl, exception Of tie
Book OF Revelations That this generally received
and why any doubted lis authenticity will appear in
our sui ,clucnt progress Athana us and Cyril, the
latter bishop % Jerusalem little earlier in the
century have furnished cataOguc' that of the former
agreeing entirely with ours that Of the latter in every
thing but the omission OF the Revelation
OF Il. John. The lat catalogue 10 be men
toned In tho fourth century IS that OF
Eu,obius Bishop of Cacsalca who noashcd about the
year 30. In his Ecclesiastical History he menlon' as
belonging the OF scripture all our present books
In the third century about the year go. h"nrshed the
celebrated Orgcn. born ~ ID. ISL Jerome speaks Of
Linn rs the greatest doctor o. the churches since the
Apostles: that he had the scriptures bv heart, ana
labored day and night in studying and explaining them
Grca. numbers OF MI descriptions of men attended his
lectures. Heather philosophers dedlcaed thir VIII
ucs 10 him aud submitted them to hi, revi>al lie
wrote three fold exposition of the books OF scripture
on which he be flowed all lis learning. lie lived within
n hundred years Of the death Of ST. John, and there
fore 50 near the time OF publication of the books Of
the New Testament nat he could hardly avoid obtain
Ing the most accurate knowledge o! their origin and
authors His enumeration OF these writings contains
10 other books than those of our sacred volume. and
includes all that receive. except the Fpistles or
lanes and Jude which could not have been omitted
bv design and in other places he expressly aclhowl
edges them a, part Of the sacred canon. Besides
Oricen we have I'm the third century VicornuS. n
bishop in Germany; Cypran Bishop of Carthage; Greg
ry Of Nco Caesarea and DiOnyslIs OF Alexandria, in
hose writings found most coplous quotations. from
almost every book Of the New Testament. We proceed
To the second century. Here we meet with Tertnln
native Of Carthage, born about the year 49, within
Gfty year, OF the last Of the Apostles. and renowned in
his day as learned vigorous and volmlnous writer In
defence Of Christianity. His works abound In quota
lions OF the 1ost direct kind and with long extracts
from all the books OF the New Testament except four OF
the minor epstles which. as he nowhere processes To
give formal catalogue, he may easily be supposed to
hnye passed unquoted, without entertaining any opinion
unavorable 10 their authenticity. Tcithllnns quota
tons occupy nearly thirty folio pages There ale more
and larger quotations OF the small volume of the New
Testament I'm this Christian author thar, OF MI tho
works of Cicero, In The writers Of all characters for
several ages Gardncr) The name Is true with re
card 10 Irenaeus and Clement, OF Alexandria, both |
writer's OF the second century.
deserves 10 be specially noted that in this early
acc the Book OF Revelation is expressly ascrbed to
81 John The testimony OF 1renacus to this effect is
80 full and strong that it justly be considered as
putng its authenticity entirely beyond reasonable |
a spu;e There is good reason to believe that In tho
time OF Tertulian. the very autographs original let
tors Of the Apostles were In the sion OF those