Gospel of the Hebrews, or as it is likewife named, of the Nazarines".

In cafe Papias had advanced in his book ftill further evidences of a fimilar nature, and we have reafon to fuppofe that he did fo, Eufebius would have rendered great fervice to pofterity if he had extracted them. But it is much to be lamented that he often excerpts the old writers not fo completely as scholars must defire. In the Thirtyfixth Chapter of the Third Book of his Eccl. Hift. (p. 133,) in which he continues his account of the Chriftian teachers in the reign of Trajan, he fays that many of them left their na-. tive country, and exercised the office of Evangelifts, zealously announcing Chrift to thofe who had yet heard nothing of the preaching of faith, and delivering to them the fcripture of the

See Fabricii Cod, apocr. N. T. I. 355

divinę

divine Gofpels.

Eufebius, a man of an integrity univerfally acknowledged, affures us, that he drew his information from the documents of antiquity which he found in the library at Cæfarea. We are therefore certain, that as early as the beginning of the fecond century, the four Gospels, which were received in Eufebius's time, i. e. the Gospels of St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke and St. John, were univerfally known among the Chriftians; and not only esteemed as genuine writings of the men above-mentioned; but also as of divine inspiration.

CHAP. II.

Witnesses in the Second Century. IN the fecond century the evidences for the Scriptures of the New Testa

ment

* Και γαρ δη πλειςοι των τοτε μαθητων, σφοδροτέρω Φιλοσοφίας ερωτι προς τον θείου λόγου την ψυχην πληττομένοι,

ment are far more numerous, determinate, and ample, becaufe we ftill poffefs more and larger works of the teachers of this period. I fhall not therefore ftop to quote the paffages themfelves, but only name the witneffes, and point out thofe parts of their writings, where their evidence is to be found. But I will firft defcribe the ftate of Chriftianity in the fecond and third centuries.

SECT. I.

State of Christianity in the Second and Third Centuries.

IN the Eaft, (namely, in Palestine, Chaldea, and Perfia,) where Chrif

πληττομένοις την Σωτηρίον πρότερον απεπλήρουν παρα κελεύσιν, ενδεεσι νέμοντες τας ουσίας. επειτα δε απο δημίας σελλόμενοι, ἔργον ἐπετέλουν ευαγγελίσων, τους ότι πάμπαν ανήκεις του της πίςεως λογου κηρυττειν τον Χρισον φιλοτιμούμενοι, και την των θείων ευαγγελίων παραδίδοται γραφηνα

tianity

tianity received its origin, at that time prevailed a mixture of opinions, for the moft part falfe, but which bore the venerable name of Philofophy, and had been for a long time embraced by many even at Alexandria, which city, fince the Ptolomies, was become the chief feat of learning. This Oriental Philosophy (we will admit the honourable appellation for the fake of brevity) was diftinguished from the Grecian, principally in three points, viz. in the doctrine of fpirits; the maintaining of two original-beings; and in morality. In the doctrine of fpirits thefe philofophers had not only regular genealogies of fpirits, which they called Eons; but had alfo invented a particular science, Theurgy, or a collection of rules, to call up fpirits and compel them to fatisfy the defires of men. Again, in order to folve that great problem of the understanding, The origin of evil, they adopted two equally

eternal

eternal and powerful original-beings, one good, the other bad. From the bad was derived all matter, confequently the bodies of men, which were therefore the feat of every fin. And from this principle flowed the whole of that gloomy, morofe, melancholy system of morals adopted by the philofophers of the Eaft; which placed true virtue in the rejection of all the pleasures of fenfe, and in the fevere treatment, mortification, and torture of the body.

Thefe

f See-r. The information contained in Xenophon, Plato, Ariftotle, and Diogenes Laertius Proœm. vitar. philof. §. viii.-2. The fragments of Zoroafter in Eufebii Præparat, evangel.-3. The doctrines of the Bramins.-4. The refutations in St. Paul.-And 5. The doctrines of the Gnoftics and Manicheans. Compare Mofhemii Inftit. H. E. majores, fec. i, 136. 339. with Differt. de caufis fuppofitorum librorum inter Chriftian. fec. i. et ii. vol. i. differt. in H. E. p.zz3 feq. But the learned and ingenious man, who every where perceived fyftems, which his philofophical head had created, appears abfolutely to err, when he fuppofes, that in the Eaft exifted a peculiar fect, which had brought all thofe tenets into a regular fyftem. It

is