The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-28
LAYER Of the New Testament canon was only

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ccived the name Of the Catholic Epistles. OF
these |. Peter and |. John we're recognized by
common consent In the second century; but
all the others. James. II. Peter. Jude. ii.
and III. John. were disputed. The Revelation
was also doubted or denied. All Of these except
James were lacking In the earliest Syriac New
Testament. and there is not a trace Of any
Of them In Syriac Christian literature be-
fore $50 A. n. There was n large number Of
other writings. such as the Apocalypse OF Peter.
tho Shepherd Of Hermas. the Epistles Of
Clement. that were accepted by aome as
| canonical, and by others rejected. Early In
the third century tho New Testament
writings were critically examined by ORR
gen. who divided them into three classes:
First. those universally accepted, including
the four Gospels. Acts. the thirteen Pauline
Epistles. Hebrews. I. Peter. I. John and Revcla-
ton secondly. doubtful writings. James, Jude.
II. Peter. III. and III. John thirdly. writings
that were to be rejected. There was. in fact, the
same fuctuation Of opinion with reference to
the third layer OF the New Testament canon
that had occurred with regard to the third
layer Of the canon OF the Old Testament. Here
attention should be directed to the highly inn
portant fact TINT at none Of the great ecumen-
ical councils did the Christian Church make an
official determination Of the canon OF Holy
Scripture. The only definitions OF the canon
that were officially made we're 10y a provincial
council at Laodicea In the East. by provincial
synods in the West at Hippo and Carthage. and
by the Greek Trullan Council in 800 A. d.
These varying definitions represent a differ
ence OF opinion In the Catholic Church OF the
fourth century. which persisted until the
Reformation.
The Protestant reformers OF the sixteenth
century appealed from the traditions OF the
Ch,rnL md To onafpppa md tho anfboritv ~
the prelates and the Pope to Christ and the
Holy Scriptures. This raised necessarily the
question. Which are the Holy Scriptures ?
What writings are to be regarded as canonical?
The Roman hierarchy maintained that 1t was
the province Of the Church to determine by its
authority. as expressed through the Papal ad-
ministration. not only the Interpretation Of
Holy Scripture. but also the limits OF Holy
Scripture. and 40 forced. for the first time in
Christian history. an official determination
OF the extent and limits OF the canon
by the authority Of the Church. Conse-
q~uently. at the Council OF Trent. the
Church Of Rome. in accordance with its prin-
oiple Of Church authority and tradition.
defined officially the extent and limits
OF the canon. declared the so-called apoc-
ryphal books to be canonical. and excluded
all doubts and QuestioninRs on the canon from
the realm OF orthodoxy. The Protestant re-
formers refused to recognize the authority Of
the Church OF Rome for such n purpose. main
tanning that the decisive test OF the canonicity.
as well as ofthe Interpretation fthe Scriptures.
Is God Himself. speaking in and through them.
TO His people. This ia the so-called formal
principle Of the reformation no less impor-
tant than the so-called material principle Of
justification by faith. The reformers applied
this critical test to the traditional theories Of
the Bible. and eliminated the apocryphal
books from the canon. They also revived the
ancient doubts as to Esther. Ecclesiastes,
Song Of Songs. Epistle Of James. II. Peter.
Jude and Revelation. 1t appears. then, that
at the Reformation. the Roman Catholic Coun-
ell OF Trent decided for one canon. the Profess
tant Synods for another. We must wait for a
reunited Christendom before the Church
can give its authority to fix the canon.
even If it has itself the divine authority
to do 80. The Protestant Confessions deny the
right OF the Church so to do. 1t remains to be
seen whether Professionalism will ever consent
to an ultimate definition Of the canon, even by
the reunited Church. The teaching OF some
modern Presbyterians that the canon is fixed
by the authority OF the Prophets who wrote the
books Is refuted by the fact that the canonical
compositions do not. as a rule. give the names
OF their prophetic authors. The only reference
to authors In connection with most OF the
books OF the Old Testament IL in traditions
which are not found in the earliest Hebrew
manuscripts and authorities. The five books
OF the law. comprising the entire first canon.
and the four prophetic histories. comprising
the whole OF the first division Of the second
canon. are anonymous in the original Hebrew
text. 1t is manifest that certainty cannot be
built upon uncertainty. Divine authority can
not be found amid iuctuating human tradi-
lions.