OF THE

SECOND VOLUME.

A Hiftory of the Apofiles and Evangelifts, Writers of the
New Teftament. In three Volumes. Containing ge-
neral Obfervations upon the Canon of the New
Teftament, and a Hiftory of the four Evangelifts,
with the Evidences of the Genuinenefs of the four
Gofpels, and the Acts of the Apostles, the Times
when they were writ, and Remarks upon them. By
NATHANIEL LARDNER, D. D. Lond. 1760.

THIS book of Dr. Lardner, otherwife intitled the Supplement to the
Credibility of the Gofpel Hiftory, was published in 1756-7. It is fo full
and judicious on the Subject of the Canon of the New Testament, that
it may of itself be fufficient to give the Reader very fatisfactory in-
formation on that Point. Du Pin published a complete Hiftory of the
Canon and Writers of Books of the Old and New Teftament, which
was tranflated into English in 1699, 2 Vols. Fol. Bp. Cofin published
a Scholaftical History of the Canon of the Holy Scripture, in 1672,
4to. In Carpzovius's Introduction to the Canonical Books of the Old
Teftament, the Reader will find many learned Remarks on the Confti-
tution of the Canon of Scripture. He may alfo, if he thinks fit, con-
fult Jones's full Method of fettling the Canonical Authority of the New
Teftament; Mills' Prolegomena; Richardfon's Defence of the Canon
of the New Teftament, against Toland; Dr. Clarke's Reflexions on
Amyntor, &c. Dr. Owen published a fenfible Tract in 1764, intitled,
Obfervations on the four Gofpels, tending chiefly to afcertain the
Times of their Publication, and to illuftrate the Form and the Manner
of their Compofition; his Scheme of the Times, &c. is printed at the
End of this Volume. Much information on the fame fubject may be
had in Macknight's Preliminary Differtations; in Michaelis's Intro-
ductory Lectures; in Georgii Pritii Introductio in Lectionem Novi
Teftamenti, and in a variety of other Authors.

General Denominations of the Collection of facred Books, received by Christians. 1. Scripture. II. Bible. III. Canon. IV. Old and New Teftament. V. Inftrument. VI. Digeft. VII. Gospel.

"Ο

NE of the general denominations of facred books is Scripture, or Scriptures, literally, and primarily Scripture. fignifying writing. But by way of eminence and diftinction the books in the highest efteem are called Scripture, or the Scriptures.

This word occurs often in the New Teftament, in the Gofpels, the Acts, and the Fpiftles. Whereby we perceive, that in the time of our Saviour and his Apoftles this word was in common ufe, denoting the books received by the Jewish People, as the rule of their faith. To them have been fince added by Chriftians the writings of Apoftles and Evangelifts, completing the collection of books, received by them as facred

and divine.

Some of the places, where the word Scripture is ufed in the fingular number for the books of the Old Teftament, are thefe. 2 Tim. iii. 16. All feripture is given by the infpiration of God. And Luke iv. 21. John 1. 22. Acts i. 16. viii. 32. 35. Rom. iv. 3. Gal. iii. 8. James ii. 18. 23. Pet. ii. 6. 2 Pet. i. 20. Scriptures, in the plural number, in thefe following, and many other places. Matth. xxi. 42. xxii. 29. xxvi. 54. Luke xxiv. 27. 32. 45. John v. 39. Acts xvii. 2. 11. xviii. 24. 28. 2 Tim. iii. 15. 2 Pet. iii. 16.

VOL. II.

Α

St. Peter

St. Peter applies this word to the books of the New, as well as of the Old Teftament, to St. Paul's Epiftles, in particular. 2 Pet. iii. 16... as alfo in all his epiflles. . which they that are unlearned, wreft, as they do alfo the other feriptures, unto their own deftruction. Plainly denoting, that St. Paul's Epiftles are Scriptures in the highest fenfe of the word.

II. Bible is another word, which has now been long in use

Bible. among Chriftians, denoting, the whole collection of writings re

ceived by them, as of divine Authority.

The word, primarily, denotes book. But now is given to the writings of Prophets and Apoftles by way of eminence. This collection is the Book, or Bible, the book of books, as fuperior in excellence to all other books. The word feems to be used in this fenfe by Chryfoftom in a paffage already (a) cited," I therefore exhort all of you to procure to your"elves Bibles, Beata. If you have nothing elfe, take care to have the "New Teftament, particularly, the Acts of the Apoftles, and the Gofpels, for your conftant inftructors." And Jerome fays, "That (b) the "Scriptures being all writ by one Spirit, are called one book." We likewife faw, formerly a paflage of Auguftin, where he informs us, "That (c) "fome called all the canonical fcriptures one book, on account of their "wonderful harmonie, and unity of defign throughout." And I then faid: "It is likely, that this way of fpeaking gradually brought in the general ufe of the word Bible, for the whole collection of the fcriptures, or the books of the Old and New Teftament."

In fhort, the ancient Chriftians were continually speaking of the Di. vine Oracles, and the Divine Books, and were much employed in reading them, as Chryfoftom directs in a paffage, transcribed (d) below: where he recommends the reading the divine books daily, forenoon and afternoon. At length the whole collection was called the book, or the bible.

Dr. Heumann has an Epiftle, or fhort Differtation (e) concerning the origin of this name of our facred collection of books. And for fome while he was of opinion, that (ƒ) it was so called, as being the most excellent of all books: in like manner as the Jews had before called their collection the Scriptures, by way of eminence. So Acts xviii. 24. and 28. But (g) afterwards he fufpected, that the origin of this name was in

those

Hac parte (quod bene notandum eft) Petrus canonizat, ut ita loquar, id eft, in canonem facrarum fcripturarum afcribit, atque canonicas facit epiftolas Pauli. Dicens enim, ficut & ceteras fcripturas, utique fignificat, fe etiam illas in fcripturarum numero habere. De facris autem fcripturis eum loqui, in confeffo eft. Eft. in loc.

(a) Vol. X. p. 349. (b) The fame. p. 158. (c) The fame. p. 256. (α) Αλλὰ δεῖ παλα καιρὸν ἐπιτήδειον ἡγεῖσθαι πρὸς τὴν τῶν πνευματικῶν λόγων διάλεξινα απο Δυνησόμεθα καὶ ἐπὶ οἰκίας διατρίβολες, καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐσιάσιν, καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἐσιάσεως μετά χείρας λάβοντες τὰ θεῖα βιβλία τὴν ἐξ αὐτῶν καρπῶσθαι ὠφέλειαν In i. Gen. bom, x. T. 4.p. 81. C. Bened.

(e) De origine nominis Bibliorum. Heum. Poecile. Tom. i. p. 412... 415. (f) Sufpicari deinde cœpi, ideo Biblia dictum effe facrum codicem, quod tanquam liber omnium præftantifimus κατ' ἐξοχὴν di&tus fit τὰ βιβλία. Sup. petias conjecturæ huic ferre videbatur illa appellatio, qua idem divinum opus vocari folet a gapaí. c. gr. A&t. xviii. 24. 28. Id. ib. p. 413.

(g) Ib. p. 414.

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