' of things to be hereafter fulfilled, and therefore of a different 'kind from the reft: and having alfo near the end that remarkable claufe, ch. xxii. 18, 19. containing a caution against adding to, or taking from it: which may be applied to all the books of fcripture.' To which might be added, that there are not wanting divers reasons to think it is the last written of all the books of the New Teftament.

That the Books of the New Teftament, confifting of a Collection of facred Writings, in two Parts, one called Gospel, or Gospels, or Evangelicon, the other Epistles, or Apofile, or Apostles, or Apoftolicon, were early known, read, and made ufe of by Chriftians.

THAT the gospels, the Acts, and the epiftles of the New Teftament, or divers of thofe epiftles, were foon well known, much read, and collected together, may be argued from internal marks and characters, and from teftimony.

I. Internal marks and characters are fuch as thefe.

1. It is obvious from the nature of the thing. Who composes and publishes any works, without defiring to have them perused? It is very likely therefore, that the authors of the books of the New Teftament, who were at the pains of writing hiftories, or epiftles, would take care, that they should be known. The fame zeal that prompted any man to write, would induce him to provide for the publication. The importance of the fubject would juftify a concern to fpread the work. All must allow, that there never were, and that there cannot be, any writings, containing more important facts and principles. To fuppofe, that any of thefe writers were indifferent about the fuccefs and acceptance of what they had compofed, is very abfurd and unreasonable.

2. All the writings, of which the New Teftament confifts, were addreffed to fome, who would fet a great value on them, and would willingly recommend them to others. All the epiftles, and the Revelation, as is manifeft, are fent to chriftian focieties, or particular perfons. St. Luke's gofpel, and the Acts, were fent to the moft excellent, or moft noble Theophilus. St. John intended his gofpel for fome, whom he had in his eye. As appears from ch. xx. 30, 31. and from ch. xxi. 24, 25.

24, 25. And it is very likely, that St. Matthew, and St. Mark alfo wrote for fome, who would gladly receive, and highly value their books, and get them copied for the use and fatisfaction of others.

3. In feveral of the books of the New Teftament directions are given, which would tend to make them well known. St. Paul at the end of his firft epiftle to the Theffalonians, one of his first written epiftles, enjoins, that it should be read to all the holy brethren, 1 Theff. v. 27. The fame method, undoubtedly, was obferved with regard to the fecond epistle, fent to the fame Theffalonians, and written not long after. Probably, the fame practice obtained in all the chriftian churches, to which St. Paul afterwards fent any epiftle. And the christian people of other churches, befide those who had letters fent to them, would be defirous to fee the epiftles of their great apoftle, by whom they had been converted, and would therefore get them transcribed for their own use. At the end of the epiftle to the Coloffians, ch. iv. 16. he directs: And when this epiftle is read among you, cause that it be read in the church of the Laodiceans, and that ye read the epistle from Laodicea: meaning, probably, the epiftle to the Ephefians, which was to come round to Coloffe from Ephefus, by the way of Laodicea. The apoftle therefore was willing, and even defirous, that his epiftles fhould be read by others, befide thofe to whom they were fent, for the fake of general edification. And can it be queftioned, whether other gentile churches in thefe parts, all which were of his own planting, would not thankfully embrace the encouragement hereby given them to look into his epiftles, and to get them tranfcribed, and read in their affemblies alfo?

4. St. Peter writes to this purpofe in his fecond epistle, which we may fuppofe to have been written in the year 64. And account, that the long-fuffering of the Lord is falvation, even as our beloved brother Paul alfo, according to the wisdom given to him, has written unto you. As alfo in all his epifles, Speaking of these things, in which there are some things hard to be undertood. Which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do the other fcriptures, unto their own deftruction. 2 Pet. iii. 15, 16.

Here are feveral things to be obferved. First, Peter fpeaks of epiftles of Paul fent to the fame Chriftians, to whom himself was writing. Secondly, he speaks of other epiftles of Paul: as alfo in all his epiftles. Thirdly, Peter therefore had a know

ledge

ledge of feveral epiftles of Paul, fent to the Chriftians of thofe countries, and likewife of divers others, which he intends in the phrafe, all his epiftles. Fourthly, the Chriftians, to whom Peter writes, were well acquainted with the epiftles, which Paul had written to them, and with the rest of his epiftles, or divers of them. Fifthly, it is fuppofed, and implied, that all, or at least many of Paul's epiftles, were well known, and much read. For Peter fpeaks of fome, whom he calls, unlearned, and unftable, who wrefted Paul's epiftles, or fome things in them, to their own deftruction. And very probably there were other readers of the fame epiftles, who improved them to their edification, and falvation.

It seems to me, that what Peter fays here, affords reafon to think, that at the time of writing this epiftle, Paul's epiftles (moft, or all of them) were well known among Chriftians, and that Peter had good evidence of it.

When Peter fays, as our beloved brother Paul has written unte you: fome learned men, Mill in particular, have fuppofed, that thereby Peter intended the epiftie to the Hebrews. But I think without reafon, as Mr. Hallett has largely fhown. St. Peter's epiftles are addreffed to the frangers fcattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Afia, and Bithynia. It is not unlikely therefore, that St. Peter intends Paul's epiftles to the Galatians, and the Ephefians, and the Coloffians, all fituated in thofe countries: and likewife the two epiftles to Timothy, who refided much at Ephefus, and must have received the epiftles written to him, when in that city, and the epiftle to Philemon, who was of Coloffe. And in the expreffion, all his epifiles, fome others must be intended, and included: fuch as the epiftles to the Theffalonians, the Corinthians, Romans, Philippians, Titus: fo many, however, as the apoftle Peter was then acquainted with. Mill has obferved paffages in the first epiftle to the Theffalonians, and in the epiftle to the Romans, and in that to the Philippians: in which are some of those things hard to be understood, to which St. Peter may be fuppofed to have an eye.

C

Thefe marks and characters there are in the books of the New Teftament, which may induce us to believe, that they were foon difperfed among Chriftians, and well known to them.

Prolegom. num. 86.

b See his introduction to the epifle to the Hebrews, p. 21. &c.

с

Proleg. num. 5. 4 lb. num. 28.

• Ib. num. 70.

II. This

II. This is alfo manifeft from teftimony.

1. The accounts, which we find in the ancients, concerning the occafions of the feveral gofpels, lead us to think, that they were foon fpread abroad after they were written. Matthew is faid to have written his gofpel at the requeft of the believers in Judea and Mark his, at the defire of the Chriftians at Rome, for the affiftance of their memories. When therefore thofe gofpels had been written, divers copies would be foon taken, that the ends, for which they had been written, might be answered. The feveral defective and imperfect accounts, which had been published of our Lord's words and works, induced St. Luke to write. And when his fuller and exacter account was published, it must have been attended to, and would be tranfcribed, and communicated to many. Before St. John wrote, he had feen the other three gofpels. And the Chriftians in Afia, where he refided, were acquainted with them. Therefore they were well known, and joined together. And when his gofpel was written, undoubtedly it was added to them, and they were all joined together in one volume, for general use.

That the first three gofpels were well known in the world, before St. John wrote, is fuppofed by Eufebius of Cæfarea, who was well acquainted with the writings of Chriftians before his time. These are the words of that eminent man. Having fpoken of St. Matthew's gofpel, he goes on: And when Mark and Luke had publifhed the golpels according to them, it is faid, that John, who all this while had preached by word of mouth, was induced to write for this reafon. The <three firft written gofpels being now delivered to all men, and to John himfelf, it is faid, that he approved them.' And what follows. Before this laft evangelift wrote, the other three gospels had been delivered unto all men, and to John. He therefore had feen them before, and they were in the hands. of many people.

What has been now faid of the gofpels, is applicable, in a great measure, to the Acts, and the epiftles of the New Teftament: as may be perceived by all, without my enlarging any farther.

2. Ignatius, who was honoured with the crown of martyrdom about the year 107, does, in his epiftles, ufe expreffions, denoting two codes, or collections, one of gofpels, the other

f See vol. IV. p. 225.

See vol. II. p. 81, 82, 85, and vol. V. p. 355, 356, 358.

of

of epiftles of apoftles. Such volumes there were then, and may have been fome good while before.

I fhall here remind my readers of a few other like inftances. In the epiftle to Diognetus, certainly very ancient, and by fome afcribed to Juftin Martyr, are thefe expreffions: The fear of the Lord h is celebrated, and the grace of the prophets is known, the faith of the gospel is established, and the tradition of the apoftles is kept.' By these last expreffions denoting, as is reasonable to think, a volume of the gofpels, and another of epiftles of apoftles. Irenæus fpeaks of the evangelic and apoftolic writings in a paffage, which will be alleged prefently. Tertullian speaks of the fayings of the prophets, the gofpels, and the apoftles.' And in another place fays: This I perceive both in the gospels, and the apoftles.' I go no lower, my intention at prefent being only to allege a few writers of the earliest times.

3. As before shown from Eufebius, they who in the reign of Trajan, about the year 112, travelled abroad to teach the chriftian religion in remote countries, took with them the fcriptures of the divine gofpels.' Nor can there be any reason to doubt, that our ecclefiaftical hiftorian here speaks of the four gofpels, fo well known in his own time.

4. By Juftin Martyr, about the year 140, in his account of the chriftian worship, which is in his apology to the emperor and fenate of Rome, the whole world was affured, that the gofpels, which he calls Memoirs of the apoftles, and their companions, were publicly read in the affemblies of Chriftians every Lord's day.

Certainly, the gofpels were then well known, and had been fo for fome while before.

5. Tatian, who flourished fome time before and after the year 170, compofed a harmony of the four gofpels. We have full affurance of it. Is not this fufficient evidence, that the gofpels were then, and had been for a good while, generally known, and in common ufe? And does it not alfo afford reafon to believe, that it was then, and had been for fome while, an established, or generally received opinion among