and that if near the period of life, they could by presents and legacies, or somehow or other procure friends to pray for them after their death, they might escape the just punishment of their sins. They likewise denied the obligation of set fasts and feasts. The keeping of Easter, they said, was unnecessary: for" Christ our passover had been sacrificed for us," 1 Cor. v. 7. To keep Easter [or passover] now, was "to give heed to Jewish fables," Tit. i. 14, and 1 Tim. i. 4. Seth fasts too, they said, were Jewish ordinances. If I have a mind to fast, I will take the time that best suits me. Not but that they would sometimes fast on the fourth day of the week, as others do: however, they said, they did it not as bound thereto, but only of their free-will: which last particular is sufficient to show, that what Epiphanius also says of their choosing to fast on the Lord's-day is a calumny, and an unrighteous aggravation of their principle.

2. These then are the sentiments of the people: this is the institution of Aerius and his followers. But how came they to differ so much from the rest of the world? from most of the Arians, as well as the Homoüsians? A necessary inquiry for all heresy is supposed to spring from some evil root. Well, what was it? Let us attend. It is said that Aerius was a friend of Eustathius, a man of Arian principles too: and that when Eustathius was made bishop of Sebaste in Lesser Armenia, about the year 355, Aërius was much concerned that he was not bishop likewise. Eustathius endeavoured to oblige him. He ordained Aerius

1 Τινι τῳ λόγῳ μετα θανατον ονομάζετε, φησι, ονοματα τεθνεώτων ; Ευχεται γαρ ὁ ζων, η οικονομίαν εποίησε, τι ωφεληθήσεται ὁ τεθνεώς; Ει δε όλως ευχη των ενταυθα τως εκείσε ωνησεν, αρα γεν μηδεις ευσεβειτω, μηδε αγαθοποιείτω, αλλα κτησάσθω φιλες, δι' 8 βέλεται τροπε, ητοι χρημασι πεισας, ήτοι φίλες αξίωσας εν τη τελευτη, και ευχεσθωσαν περι αυτω, ίνα μη τι εκει παθη, μηδε τα υπ' αυτό γενομενα των ανηκεςων αμαρτημάτων εκζητηθη. Η. 75. n. 3. p. 907.

A. B..

8. Τι επι το πασχα, όπερ παρ' ὑμιν επιτελείται; Ιεδαϊκοις παλιν μυθοις προ· σανέχετε. Ου γαρ χρη, φησι, το πασχα επιτελειν. κ. λ. Ib. p. 907. Α.

h Ει δε τις των αυτε βελοιτο νηςεύειν, μη εν ήμεραις τεταγμέναις, φησι, αλλ' ότε βέλεται. Synops. p. 309. C.

Αλλ' εδε νησεία, φησι, επι τεταγμενη ταυτα γαρ Ιεδαϊκα ετι, και ύπο ζυγον δελειας- Ει γαρ όλως βελομαι νηςεύειν, οίαν δ' αν αἱρησομαι ἡμέραν απ' εμαυτε νηςεύω δια την ελευθερίαν. Οθεν παρ' αυτοις πεφιλοτιμηται μαλλον εν κυριακή νηςεύειν, τετραδι δε, και προσαββατῳ εσθίειν. Πολλακις δε και την τετράδα νηςεύεσιν, εχι θεσμῳ, αλλ' ίδια προαιρέσει φησι. Η. 75. n. 3. p. 907. Β. Ε. • Πασαν γαρ. αίρεσιν κακοβέλια των γενομενων απ' αρχής αχρι τέλος η κενοδοξίας, η επαρσεως, ταυτα ειργασατο, η επιθυμιας ορεξις, η ζηλος προς τις πελας, η παροξυσμός, η προπετεία. Εpiph. H. 75. n. 1. p. 904, 905.

k Αυτικά ύτερον καθιτα τετον πρεσβυτερον, τοτε ξενοδοχείον αυτῳ εμπισεύει, όπερ εν τῳ ποντῳ καλείται πτωχοτροφειον. κ. λ. Ibid. p. 905. C.

presbyter, and appointed him governor of the hospital in the city but Aerius was still uneasy, and therefore set up a new discipline: a story that does not seem to me to have the appearance of probability: now are his principles so unreasonable, but that, without being under the bias of any prejudice, he might think them founded in scripture.

3. These people, as we learn from Epiphanius, met with great difficulties. Aerius' and his followers were excluded from churches, and cities, and villages: and being obliged to wander abroad, they suffered great hardships, especially in the winter and cold weather.

4. From Augustine's manner of speaking we may be apt to think, that he knew of some such people at the time of writing his book of Heresies in the year 428. I have placed a large part of his article at the bottom of the page. They are also in" Philaster: but he does not seem to have been well informed concerning them: however, he says, there were then many of them in Pamphylia.

5. Tillemont considers these people as P Calvinists. For certain, they went much upon the presbyterian plan: and they may induce us to think, that in most times there have been some who opposed growing superstition in the church, and asserted the freedom of the gospel: but being generally opposed, and with much violence, they could not increase to any great number, and in time they were reduced to nothing. We formerly saw another like instance in the people of Neocæsarea, disciples of Gregory, generally called Thaumaturgus.

Απελαύνετο δε αυτος μετα των αυτό απο των εκκλησιων, και αγρων, και κωμων, και των αλλων πολεων. Πολλακις δε μετα πολλες οχλε το ίδιο νιφομενοι, αγρόθεν διετελεν, ὑπαιθροι τε, και ύπο πετρας αυλιζομενοι, εν ύλαις καταφεύγοντες, H. 75. n. 3. p. 906.

m Aeriani ab Aerio quodam sunt, qui cum esset presbyter, doluisse fertur, quod episcopus non potuit ordinari; et in Arianorum hæresin lapsus, propria quoque dogmata addidisse nonnulla, dicens, offerri pro dormientibus non oportere: nec statuta solemniter celebranda esse jejunia, sed, cum quisque voluerit, jejunandum, ne videatur esse sub lege. Dicebat etiam presbyterum ab episcopo nullâ differentià debere discerni. August. Hær. 53. -et in provinciâ Pamphyliâ quain plurimi commorantur.

P S. Basile, n. 39. Mem. T. ix.

H. 72.

Ibid.

4 See Vol. ii. ch. xlii. num. ii.

CHAP. LXXXIII.

THE COUNCIL OF LAODICEA.

I. A Catalogue of the books of the Old and New Testament. II. Remarks.

I. THE 59th and 60th, or, according to another computation, the 58th and 59th, that is, the two last canons of the council of Laodicea in Lydia, or Phrygia Pacatiana, are to this purpose.

That private Psalms ought not to be read [or said] in the church, nor any books, not canonical, but only the canonical books of the Old and New Testament.'

'The books of the Old Testament, which ought to be read, are these: 1. The Genesis [generation] of the world. 2. The Exodus out of Egypt. 3. Leviticus. 4. Numbers. 5. Deuteronomy. 6. Joshua the son of Nun. 7. Judges, with Ruth. 8. Esther. 9. The first and second book of the Kingdoms. 10. The third and fourth book of the Kingdoms. 11. The first and second book of the Remains [or Chronicles]. 12. The first and second book of Esdras. 13. The book of 150 Psalms. 14. The Proverbs of Solomon. 15. The Ecclesiastes. 16. The Song of Songs. 17. Job. 18. The Twelve Prophets. 19. Isaiah. 20. Jeremiah and Baruch, the Lamentations and the Epistles. 21. Ezekiel. 22. Daniel. The books of the New Testament are these: the four gospels, according to Matthew, according to Mark, according to Luke, according to John: the Acts of the Apostles: the seven catholic epistles: of James one, of Peter two, of John three, of Jude one, the fourteen epistles of Paul: to the Romans one, to the Corinthians two, to the Galatians one, to the Ephesians one, to the Philippians one, to the Colossians one, to the Thessalonians two, to the Hebrews one, to Timothy two, to Titus one, to Philemon one.'

II. I shall now propose some observations upon this catalogue, and the council to which it is ascribed.

a Ap. Labbé Concil. T. ii. Bevereg. Cod. T. i.

• Ότι 8 δει ιδιωτικός ψαλμός λεγεσθαι εν εκκλησια, εδε ακανονικα βιβλια, αλλα μόνα τα κανονικά της καινης και παλαιας διαθηκης. Can. 59. • Γενεσις κοσμε• Εξοδος εξ Αιγυπτε.

1. In this catalogue are omitted, for the Old Testament, the books of Judith, Tobit, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, the Maccabees: and in the New the Revelation; either not reckoning it a work of John the apostle and evangelist, or not esteeming it proper to be publicly read in the church.

2. The time of this council is not certain: some have placed it before the council of Nice; others between the council of Antioch held in 341, and the council of Constantinople in 381: some in 365, others in 363, which seems as likely as any.

e

3. Though the time of this council cannot be exactly settled, I think it cannot be denied, that there was a council held at Laodicea in the fourth century, which made many regulations concerning ecclesiastical discipline. This may be reckoned evident from the notice taken of it in the sixth general council at Constantinople, and other councils: and from its being particularly mentioned by Theodoret, who wrote within sixty or seventy years after the supposed time of it.

4. The chief design of that council appears to have been to deliver rules of church discipline. Nevertheless, the bishops there assembled may have been induced, for some rea sons, to publish a catalogue of sacred books, to be publicly read in the churches. Accordingly, the last canon about scripture, is generally received as genuine, though it may not be quite so unquestioned as the other preceding canons, Some have observed, that this canon is omitted by Dionysius Exiguus, and that it is wanting in some ancient manuscripts. In answer to which I would say, that perhaps the omission by Dionysiush may be accounted for: or it may be an accidental thing, of which no account can be easily given and his omitting it, however it came to pass, may have been an occasion of its being wanting in some manuscripts.

5. Some are of opinion, that this council consisted of

That was the opinion of Marca. See Tillem. Mem. E. T. vi. Les Ariens, Art. 129. et Pagi Ann. 314. n. 25.

Pagi ubi supr. Basn. Ann. 363. n. 19.

• Ου δε χαριν και συνελθεσα σύνοδος εν Λαοδικεία της Φρυγίας νομῳ κεκω AUKE TO TOLÇ AYYEλois πрoσενxεσÐαι. Theod. in Coloss. cap. iii. 18. T. 3. p. 355. I may add, that the canon of scripture, which we go by, groundeth 'much upon that enumeration subjoined to the last canon of the council of 'Laodicea, which yet is not found in the very ancient manuscripts. Gretser ⚫ mentioneth one, and I meet with another here at home.' John Gregory's Posthuma, p. 85.

h Daillé [Use of the Fathers, p. 45, 46. Lond. 1675.] endeavours to account for that omission of Dionysius. i Pagi Ann. 314. n. 25.

Arian bishops, and that it was conducted by Theodosius, bishop of Philadelphia in Lydia, a man of the Arian party: though some dispute this, it may be reckoned no improbable supposition. Tillemont indeed imagines, that' this is a disparagement of this council not to be admitted: and that it would be melancholy to think, that a council, the canons of which have been always received by the church, should have been only a council of men, enemies of the faith, and separated from the catholic communion. But Pagim thinks this no just ground of offence.

6. This council has not been equally" esteemed by all. Possibly learned men, according to the different notions of the party they have been engaged in, have been led to disregard the last canon: some, because of its omitting the apocryphal books of the Old Testament, and others, because it has not the book of the Revelation. Basnage, in his history of the church, observes, that protestants and catholics have equally disparaged this synod.

7. Finally, it ought to be observed, that this was a particular council only, consisting of thirty or forty bishops of Lydia, and neighbouring countries. Indeed it is said, that the canons of this council were received and adopted by some general councils in aftertimes. Nevertheless, perhaps it would be difficult to show, that those general councils received the last canon, and exactly approved the catalogue of sacred books therein contained, without any addition or diminution, as we now have it.

8. I have thought it not improper to put down these several observations concerning this famous canon of the council of Laodicea, which are referred to the consideration of the candid and attentive reader.

Basnag. Hist. de l'Eglise, liv. viii. c. 8. n. ii. p. 437.

Les Ariens, Art. 139.

m Nec mirum, concilium ab hæreticis habitum codicis canonum ecclesiæ universæ partem facere, cum ab ecclesiâ receptum fuerit, et nihil ejus moribus contrarium contineat. Pagi Ann. 314. n. 25.

" Concilii Laodiceni canon ultimus, qui catalogum exhibit librorum scripturæ, apud Dionysium Exiguum non invenitur. Et præterea, si vel admittatur, synodus tamen ipsa exiguæ auctoritatis est, neque censeri potest vocem ecclesiæ Græcæ illius temporis exhibere; tum quod particularis tantum fuit quorundam in Lydiâ episcoporum, tum quod auctor canonum prædicatur fuisse quidam Theodosius- -partibus Arianorum favens. Lampe, Proleg. in Joann. 1. i.

c. 7. n. 24.

• As before, n. iii. p. 438.