doubtful. In like manner Severian, bishop of Gabala, in his book against the Jews, rejects them; forasmuch as most men say, they are not writings of apostles, but of some others, who were elders only. And, agreeably hereto, Eusebius Pamphili in his Ecclesiastical History says, that at Ephesus are two monuments, one of John the evangelist, and another of John an elder, who wrote two of the catholic epistles; even the second and third, inscribed after this manner: "the Elder to the elect Lady; and the Elder to the beloved Gaius:" and both he and Irenæus say, that but two are written by apostles, even the first of Peter, and the first of John and some say, that neither are they written by apostles, but by elders only. They argue in this manner: The epistles of John are numbered, the first, second, and third; as being all three written by one and the same person. Others receive the epistle of James, together with those two [that is, the first of Peter, and the first of John]. Among the Syrians are found only the three before mentioned; I mean, the epistle of James, the epistle of Peter, and the epistle of John: they have not the rest. Upon the whole, it does not become a perfect christian, to endeavour to confirm any thing by doubtful books; when the books in the Testament acknowledged by all, have sufficiently declared all things needful to be known, concerning the heavens, and the earth, and the elements, and the whole christian doctrine.' Upon this passage of Cosmas, many remarks might be made; I shall mention these following:

(1.) His expressions are in some places ambiguous, and therefore obscure it is not always certain, whether he intends to be understood of all the catholic epistles in general, or of some only.

(2.) Cosmas betrays an inclination to represent all the catholic epistles as doubtful, and to diminish their authority:

(3.) But that is unreasonable: all ancient christians, in general, received one epistle of Peter, and one epistle of John.

(4.) Cosmas says, that not one of the ancient commentators of sacred scripture had written a Commentary upon the catholic epistles: which, as Montfauçon observes, is not

• Ου χρη ουν τον τελειον χρισιανον εκ των αμφιβαλλομένων επιτηρίζεσθαι, των ενδιάθετων και κοινως ομολογεμένων γραφων ἱκανως παντα μηνυοντων περί τε των ερανων και της γης, και των τοιχείων, και παντος τα δόγματος των χρισιανων. Ibid. p. 292. Ε.

Hic sane Cosmas non accurate rem agit.-Didymus enim Alexandrinus

rightly said; for Didymus of Alexandria wrote Commen taries upon all the seven catholic epistles.

(5.) It is not needful for us now to consider the accounts here given of the sentiment of Irenæus, Eusebius, Athanasius, Amphilochius and others; or to examine whether these accounts be right or not: forasmuch as their testimony to the sacred scripture has been already observed, in their several chapters.

(6.) The seven catholic epistles were all well known in Egypt, where Cosmas lived, and were all received by many. So much is manifest from himself.

(7.) The christians in Syria received three only of the. catholic epistles. Of this Cosmas speaks positively it may be supposed, therefore, that it is a thing about which he was well assured, and for the truth of which he may be relied upon. So thoughts Montfaucon and Beausobre.

(8.) Though Cosmas was shy of quoting the catholic epistles, because, from the second epistle of Peter a strong objection was brought against one of his opinions; yet I think, he must have received three of them; the epistle of James, the first of Peter, and the first of John; for, to the epistle of James he has a respectful reference in the introduction to his work, which is to this purpose: Ink the name of the one God-from whom descends to us, from above, every good and perfect gift.' See James i. 17. And he quotes the conclusion of the first epistle of Peter, the church," which is at Babylon, saluteth you," as a proof of the early progress of the christian religion, without the bounds of the Roman empire; by which, therefore, we perceive, that by Babylon he did not understand Rome. He has also quoted m I Pet. i. 12.

(9.) We here see plainly expressed, that opinion of the ancient christians, that no book, doctrinal or epistolary, integros in septem illas epistolas Commentarios edidit, teste Hieronymo. Præf. in Cosm. Topogr. p. 17.

Secundam item Petri, et epistolam Judæ apostoli, perinde atque secundam et tertiam Joannis, a Syris, atque adeo ab Antiochenis, non admissas fuisse, diserte docet Cosmas Egyptius, qui tempore Justiniani Imperatoris scribebat. Sic autem habet, p. 292.-Hinc manifeste vides, etiam tempore Justiniani Imperatoris, ex catholicis illis epistolis non nisi tres apud Syros, atque adeo in ecclesià Antiochenâ, receptas fuisse. Montf. Diatrib. in Synops. S. S. ap. Chrys. T. 6. p. 309. h Cet auteur, qui étoit Egyptien, et

qui florissoit dans le vi. siècle, assure que les Syriens n'ont que la 1. epitre de S. Jean, la 1. de Pierre, et celle de Jaques: qu'à l'égard des quatre autres, elles ne se trouvent pas même dans leurs églises. Hist. de Manich. T. i. p. i Ομοιως και εν ταις καθολικαις το ειρημένον, εν η κρανοι πυρε μevol tudnovrai, K. λ. [2 Pet. iii. 12.] L. vii. p. 290. E. Conf. p. 291. E. * L. 113. A. L. ii. p. 147. E. m L. vii. p. 289. A.

295.

ought to be received as of authority, unless written by an apostle, and known to be so. All the catholic epistles bore the names of apostles: but whilst it was doubtful, with regard to several of them, whether they were written by apostles, so long they were of doubtful authority.

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(10.) Lastly, we cannot omit to observe what is said at the end of this passage: that no perfect' or well instructed christian, should endeavour to prove any thing, but by the canonical books of scripture, acknowledged by all; which books have sufficiently declared whatever is needful to be known concerning the doctrines of religion.' A very valuable testimony to the sufficiency of scripture; and agreeable to the sentiments of all ancient christiaus, in general, as we have seen!

10. Hitherto we have seen nothing concerning the book of the Revelation; nor do I remember that there is any notice taken of it in this remaining work of Cosmas; and as it is a work of some length, and much is there said about the scriptures of the Old and New Testament, the entire omission of this book must be an argument, that it was not received by him. But whether the Revelation was received by Cosmas, or not, it is very likely that it was received by many christians in Egypt.

11. These then, as at first said, are the books of the New Testament, received by Cosmas: the four gospels; the Acts of the Apostles; fourteen epistles of the apostle Paul, and three catholic epistles; the epistle of James; one epistle of the apostle Peter; and one epistle of the apostle John.

IV. I would willingly observe the general titles and divisions of the books of sacred scripture, and the tokens of high respect for them, manifest in this writer.

1. This is the design of all the divinely inspired scripture, both of the Old and the New Testament.'

2. Moses and the prophets, Christ and his disciples, the evangelists and apostles, say nothing else.'

3. You should observe the harmony of Moses, and all the prophets; and of the evangelists, and apostles.'

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4. Moses and the prophets said nothing of themselves, but only as inspired by divine revelation.' Some may think that our author had here an eye to 2 Pet. i. 21.

* Οὗτος ὁ σκοπός πάσης της θεοπνευσε γραφής, παλαιάς τε και καινης διαOnens. L. v. p. 208. B. • Ο κοσμογραφος τοινυν Μωύσης, και

οἱ λοιποι παντες προφηται-αλλα και ο κύριος παραγεγονως, και οἱ τότε μαθηται, ευαγγελισαι και αποτολοι, ουδέν έτερον ανεκήρυξαν. L. v. p. 243. Α. P L. v. p. 255. D. αλλ' εκ θείας αποκαλύψεως εμπνευσθεντες. L. i. p. 115. Β.

5. In some places already mentioned, and in many others, the whole of the New Testament is comprehended in the expression of evangelists and apostles.

6. He relies, he says, entirely, upon the truly divine scripture for what he advances.

t

7. Moses and the prophets, the Lord Christ, and the apostles.'

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8. Blessed" therefore are all they, who, by the divine scriptures of the Old and New Testament, know the one God, Creator of all.'

V. I would now mention two observations:

1. The canon of the New Testament had not been settled in the time of this writer, by any authority that was decisive and universally acknowledged. The long passage concerning the catholic epistles, which we have seen, seems to afford full proof of this: for determining the regard due to those epistles, he appeals to the testimony of the church in early times, the commentators upon scripture, and divers ancient writers; and, in the end, mentions different opinions about them in his own time, and speaks of those epistles, or several of them, as of doubtful authority, whilst other parts of scripture were universally acknowledged; all which tends to show, that the canon of the scriptures of the New Testament had not been settled, and decided by any authority in which all acquiesced. But christian people were at liberty to judge for themselves, concerning the genuineness of writings proposed to them as apostolical; and to determine according to evidence.

2. I think that the work of this learned man, who had travelled, and seen divers parts of the world, and had also read, and was acquainted with the writings of ancient christians, affords a good argument, there never were any books of authority with christians, beside those books of the Old and New Testament which are now received by us and as, in the Old Testament, the writers are prophets; so, in the New, the writers are apostles and evange lists. This appears from his quotations, and from the titles and divisions of scripture just transcribed: moreover, after having supported his opinions, as he was able, by the writings of the prophets and apostles, for farther satisfaction, he alleges passages of divers writers who had lived before him. Some, it seems, after publication of the former part of this work, in which are so many quotations of the L. v. 245. A. Vid. et p. 116. A. E. Χρισον και τις αποτολες. L. i. p. 117. A.

L. i. p. 115. E.
L. i. p. 115. E.

t

τον δε δεσποτην "L. vi. p. 271. E.

several parts of canonical scripture, said, that his interpretations of scripture were different from those of our fathers, who might be reasonably supposed to have understood the true meaning of scripture. Well, what authors does he now allege? Does he produce passages of Hermas, Clement, Ignatius, the Recognitions, the Clementines, the Constitutions, the Acts or Preaching of Paul, or Peter, or Matthias, or any other like writings? No: his first author is Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria; and, after that, Gregory Nazianzen, and some others; which, I think, must be allowed to be a good argument, that the writings of early christians, after the apostles, never were of authority. Cosmas alleges none of them; nor did they, who made exceptions to the first edition of his work, expect such citations from him; for he makes no apology for taking no notice of them; but immediately proceeds to writers of the fourth century, whose works never could make any pretensions to be a part of the rule of faith. So now in a like case, a writer of the present time, after proofs from the Old and the New Testament, might for the satisfaction of some objectors, quote Stillingfleet, and Tillotson, and Burnet, or Owen, and Baxter, and Manton.

VI. I shall add a few select passages:

1. He says, that all Christ's miracles were suited to his excellent and gracious doctrine, being healing and beneficial. If any should object the loss of the swine, and the fig-tree; those miracles were not wrought on men, but only on brutes and a vegetable plant. He afterwards considers also the action of Christ's driving the buyers and sellers out of the temple; and says, that even then Christ did not strike any man with the whip which he had in his hand, but the brute animals only.

2. Cosmas speaks very agreeably of the progress of the christian religion: he observes, that the gospel was first preached by the apostles with great success, in the Roman empire; soon after that it was preached in Persia, by the apostle Thaddeus. Accordingly, it is written in the catholic epistles: The church, which is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you.' In another place he enlarges upon the wonderful progress of the christian religion, as agreeable to what Chirist had foretold. [John xvi. 33; Matth. xvi. 18; xiii. 33; xxiv. 14.] For,' says he,

W

L. 10. p. 315. C. D. Παρίτω δε εις μέσον πρωτος ὁ μεγας Αθανάσιος, τα αυτα ήμιν κρυττων. Ibid. E. * L. iii. p. 164, 165. y L. ii. p. 147. E. 2 L. iii. p. 178. C. D. E. et p. 179.

148. A.