XX. The First Epistle of St. John IS declared genuine by Papias, 87; Irenæus, 112; Clement of Alexandria, 125; Tertullian, 132; Origen, 155; and by all the Ancients found in Eufebius, 169. XXI. XXII. The Second and Third Epiftles of St. John. ORIGEN, 155; and many of the Ancients, 169, doubted of the authenticity of the second and third Epiftles of St. John. But the majority of voices, 170, pronounced them genuine works of this Apostle *. XXIII. The Epiftle of St. Paul to the Hebrews HAS the exprefs teftimony of Clement of Alexandria, 125; Tertullian, a For the three Epiftles of St. John, fee Lardner's Supplement, vol. iii. p. 263–267. 1ft edit. And for the two laft, Michaelis' Introduc. to the N. T. vol. iv. P. 442-445. of Mr. Marfh's translation. 132; and of all the primitive writers, noticed by Eufebius, 169. To thefe may be added Clement of Rome, 51; and Juftin Martyr, 101. XXIV. The Epiftle of St. James IS attefted by the major part of the Ancients whom Eufebius quotes 170; to which the concordant teftimony of the old Syriac Verfion adds confiderable weight. XXV. The Epiftle of St. Jude IS afferted to be genuine by Clement of Alexandria, 125; Tertullian 132; Origen, 155; and by the greater part of the Ancients noticed by Eufebius, 170°. See Michaelis' Introduc. to the N. T. vol. iv. p. 308-314. of Mr. Marsh's tranflation; and Lardner's Supp. vol. iii. p. 85-91. 1ft edit. • Compare Lardner's Supplement, vol. iii. p. 327 -384. with Michaelis' Introduc., vol. iv. P. 374-395. of Mr. Marth's translation. CHAP. CHAP. V. Of the Revelation of St. John. THE Revelation of St. John, as it is called, is fo much diftinguished from all the other writings of the New Teftament, both by its contents and style, that we must separate it from them, and investigate its authenticity in a particular inquiry. SECT. 1. The Contents of this Book. THE whole book is entirely occupied with the defcription of three vifions which were fhewn to the author. Firft; there appears to him, whilst in a trance (εγενομην εν πνευματικά One, in human form, furrounded with seven Chap. i. 10. Comp. chap. iv. 2. candlesticks, This candlesticks, clad in a long robe, and girt with a golden girdle; his head and hair were white as wool, or as fnow, and his eyes like flames of fire; his feet like molten metal, and his voice like the noife of a rapid torrent; in his right hand he held feven ftars, from his mouth went a fharp two-edged fword, and his countenance fhone like the fun in its meridian fplendor. Being dictates to him Epiftles to the prefidents of the feven Chriftian communities in Afia. Thefe feven epiftles contain many forcible exhortations to zeal in virtue or brotherly-love, and powerful confolations, efpecially for the martyrs to this virtue. But they are compofed almoft entirely from paffages of the Old Teftament and the Gospels. e Afterwards, (fecond vifion) the author falls into another trance; and fees the Almighty on a majestic throne, Chap. iv-xix. holding hording in his hands a book with seven feals; and Chrift, in the form of a Lamb with feven horns and feven eyes, who is alone capable of taking this book from the hands of God, and of opening its feals'.-He opens the firft feal, and the Conqueror appears : he opens the fecond, and War comes on the earth: the third, and Famine difplays itfelf: the fourth is opened, and immediately come forth Death and the Grave*. After opening the fifth feal, thofe who had been innocently flain call for revenge': when the fixth is opened, frightful appearances are feen, and all things tremble ". But these plagues are only the forerunners of the terrible calamity which fucceeds on the opening of the seventh feal. f Chap. iv. v. Wherefore, be k Chap. vi. 7, 8. fore |