once

cepted, that they are never mentioned.-But this witnefs had depofed fo much the more in favour of their authenticity in his other writings, which are now loft, except a few fragments preferved by different authors. -I fhall produce him again, at the conclufion of this century, among the remaining witneffes, whofe teftimonies are known to us only through the information of others.

3. Irenæus.

IRENÆUS, Bishop of Lyons, had not only lived very near the times of the Apoftles, but had enjoyed familiar intercourfe with one of their imme

Cap. xiii. p. 255. and cap. xix. P. 261. In the firft paffage he afferts, that the foul is na' iauTny σκοτος, και ουδεν εν αυτη φοτεινον; (how this is to be understood is explained by the editor, in the Preface, Part. II. cap. xi. §. iii. p. 49.-51.)—and then adds, και τουτο εσιν άρα το ειρημένον· ἡ σκοτία το Ows ov naraλaußavei (John i. 5).-In the other paffage he quotes John i. 3. with these words, TavTa ὑπ' αυτού, και χωρις αυτου γεγονεν ουδε έν·

diate

diate difciples and friends. In his five books Against Herefies, he delivers very ample and clear teftimonies for the hiftorical truth of the Scriptures of the New Teftament.-He quotes all the Evangelifts often, and by name; relates the cause and defign of their writings; and declares that there were only four Gofpels, viz. thofe of St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John, which were ac counted genuine and divine books.

In

In the above-mentioned edition of his Works by Maffuet, very copious information is given concerning his life, opinions, and writings, in the prefixed Differtationes præv. ad Irenæum.-He left many works, which are named by Eufebius and Jerom. But of these, if we except a few fragments, nothing is now remaining befides his Libri quinque adverfus hærefes. Even these have not come down to us in the Greek original, but are extant only in an ancient Latin verfion. The authenticity of this work has been amply proved by C. R. Walch; fee Röfler's Ecclefiaftical Fathers, v. 264-270.

The most particular paffages are, p. 174. and cap. ii. p. 190-192.

Lib. III. cap. i.

That he makes

ufe

In oppofition to the Valentinians, he proves by many paffages from the Gofpels of St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John, and alfo from the Acts of the Apoftles by St. Luke", that there is but one God the creator and preferver of all things.-To the writings of St. Paul he appeals yet more frequently. He proves his tenets against the heretics most commonly from St. Paul's Epiftle to the Romans, the two Epiftles to the Corinthians, the Epiftles to the Galatians, Ephefians, Philippians, and Coloffians, the two Epiftles to the Theffalonians, those

ufe of fuch strange arguments, from the four winds, &c. by way of proof, is of no confequence to us in the prefent inquiry. It is fufficient, that he exprefsly afferts that in his time no other Gospels, but the four above-mentioned, were received among

In his time collections of the evangelical and apoftolical writings were already in the hands of many Chriftians. They were diligently ftudied; and in order that thofe who were not opulent might not be deceived by any corrupted copies, he advised them to apply to the teachers of the church."All the divine fcriptures," fays he', "both prophecies and gofpels are open and clear, and may be confulted by all." --And in another place', "That man will eafily convince himself of this,

See Lib. I. cap. iii. p. 17. and Lardner, 1. cit. P. 170, 171.

Lib. II. cap. xxvii. P. 155.

• Lib. IV. cap. xxxii. p. 270. From the firft view it would appear to follow from this paffage, that the copies of the facred books were at that time exclufively in the hands of the teachers. In fact it afferts only thus much, that they poffeffed the copies most to be depended on; for the paffage referred to in the note immediately preceding, together with many other reafons, will not permit us to doubt, that the generality of Chriftians alfo, poffeffed them in abundance. See Walch On the Ufe of the Holy Scriptures.

(viz. that the Old and New Teftaments came from one and the fame God) who diligently ftudies the divine fcriptures which are in the poffeffion of the prefbyters of the church."

Befides the evangelical and apoftolical works above mentioned, Irenæus acknowledges no other to be divine. He appeals indeed often, and with high panegyric, to the writings of Clement of Rome, Polycarp, Papias, Hermas, and Juftin Martyr, but he never betrays any fuch veneration for them, as he shews for the writings of the Evangelifts and Apostles'.

Here then we have an extraordinarily important evidence for the hiftorical truth of the greateft part of the books of the New Teftament:-it is the evidence of a man who lived fo near the times of the Apoftles, who

See Lardner, Credibility, vol. ii. p. 173-178; who has examined with much folidity the paffages in which these writings are quoted.