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Paul's. He also quotes expressly the book of the Revelation; which shows, that he had no doubts about the genuineness, or authority of either. I scarce need to add, that he quotes the epistle to the Ephesians with that title.

2. This catalogue plainly shows what books of the Old and New Testament were of authority with christians; and that, when other books were quoted by them, it was for illustration only, and not as decisive in matters of controversy, or by way of authority. And with this particular enumeration of the several books or volumes of inspired, and canonical scripture, agree his general titles and divisions. One of these we saw at the beginning of the catalogue just transcribed: In the Old Testament the law and the prophets in the New the gospels and apostles.' In another place his expression is the prophets, gospels, and apostles ; and the testimony of Rufinus is very valuable. He was a learned man, well acquainted both with the Greek and the Latin writers of the church: and he had travelled. He was born in the western part of the empire: but he was also acquainted with the churches in Egypt, and Palestine, where he had resided a good while.

m

3. Where Rufinus speaks of the Shepherd,' and Hermas,' and the Two Ways,' and the Judgment of Peter,' his meaning is not very obvious. I imagine, that we have not the true reading of the place. I have translated, agreeably to the edition at the end of bishop Fell's St. Cyprian; from which the copy in the Appendix to St. Jerom's works is very little" different. Fabricius thought, that when Rufinus speaks of the Two Ways,' he might intend the latter part of the epistle of Barnabas. Grabe's conjecture is, that by the Judgment of Peter,' mentioned by no ecUt in Apocalypsi Joannis de Seraphim scriptum est. Ib. p. 19. in. Sed et Paulus, ad Ephesios scribens. Ap. Cypr. p. 25. in ap. Hieron. p. 140. in.

m Propterea ergo propheticis, et evangelicis, atque apostolicis vocibus nobis prænunciatur hic error. Ib. p. 26. in.

In Novo autem Testamento libellus, qui dicitur Pastoris sive Hermatis, qui appellatur Duæ Viæ, vel Judicium Petri. T. v. p. 142. in.

• At memorat etiam Rufinus in Symbolum Judicium Petri de duabus viis :' fortasse intelligens ea quæ de duabus viis leguntur in appendice epistolæ, quæ ad S. Barnabam apostolum referri solet. Fabr. in Hieron. de V. I. cap. 1. ap. Bib. Eccl.

P Quod enim attinet • Judicium Petri,' cujus mentionem injicit Rufinus in Symbolum Apostolorum, quodque quatuor ante recensitis addit Hieronymus in Catalogo Scr. Ec. cap. i. de Petro, vereor sane, ne Rufinus novyμa Petri, in Græcis libris contracte scriptum xoμa, legerit кoya, idque Latine reddiderit 'Judicium,' Petri, neve Rufinum secutus Hieronymus, re minus consideratâ, tanquam diversum a Prædicatione' enumeraverit, cum tamen idem fuerit opusculum. Atque licet hæc mea conjectura haud parum inde confirmetur,

clesiastical writers, beside Rufinus and Jerom, is meant the preaching or doctrine of Peter; which seems not improbable; and, possibly, in Rafinus's original there were three books mentioned, the Shepherd of Hermas,' the Two Ways,' and the Judgment of Peter.' But we need not be very solicitous about the titles of books, which were not reckoned canonical, or of authority.

CHAP. CXVI.

THE THIRD COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE.

a

1. IN 397 assembled the third, otherwise called the sixth council of Carthage; where were present Aurelius bishop of Carthage, president, and Augustine then bishop of Hippo Regius, and others, in all forty-four.

2. The forty-seventh canon is to this purpose.

· More' over it is ordained, that nothing beside the canonical scriptures be read in the church under the name of divine 'scriptures; and the canonical scriptures are these: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua the Son of Nun, Judges, Ruth, four books of the Kingdoms, 'two books of the Remains, Job, David's Psalter, five books ' of Solomon, the books of the twelve prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Tobit, Judith, Esther, two books of Ezra, two books of the Maccabees. The books of the New

quod non modo Eusebius, dubia et apocrypha Petri scripta diligenter recensens, de isto libro ne verbum dixerit, sed et nullus alius Patrum Græcorum aut Latinorum, exceptis duobus modo dictis, illum nominaverit, vel citaverit; nolim tamen hac in re quidquam velut certum definire. &c. Grab. Spic. T. i. p. 56.

a Vid. Cav. H. L. T. i. p. 368, 369. Pagi ann. 397. n. xxiii-xxxiv. S. Basnag. an. 397. n. vii-ix.

Et subscripserunt Aurelius episcopus ecclesiæ Carthaginensis-Epigonius episcopus Bullensis Regionis-Augustinus episcopus plebis Hippona Regiensis. Similiter et omnes episcopi, quadraginta quatuor numero, subscripserunt. Can. L. Ap. Labb. Concil. T. ii. p. 1178.

• Item placuit, ut præter scripturas canonicas nihil in ecclesiâ legatur sub nomine divinarum scripturarum. Sunt autem canonicæ scripturæ: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numeri, Deuteronomium, Jesus Nave, Judicum, Ruth, Regnorum libri quatuor, Paralipomenôn libri duo, Job, Psalterium Davidicum, Salomonis libri quinque, libri duodecim prophetarum, Isaïas, Jeremias, Ezechiel, Daniel, Tobias, Judith, Esther, Esdræ libri duo, Machabæorum libri

'Testament are these: The four books of the gospels, one book of the Acts of the Apostles, thirteen epistles of the apostle Paul, the epistle of the same to the Hebrews, two epistles of the apostle Peter, three of the apostle John, one ' of the apostle Jude, and one of James, the Revelation of 'John one book.'

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e

3. There is a like canon in the decrees of the sixth, otherwise fifteenth council of Carthage, held in 418; or, as others, in 419. It is reckoned the twenty-seventh canon of that council; and may be seen in the authors to whom I refer. It differs little from the canon just transcribed at length, except that there are roundly mentioned, without hesitation, fourteen epistles of the apostle Paul; and the epistle of James is placed just before that of Jude, which is the last.

4. Upon the canon above transcribed, remarks may be seen in divers modern writers. I shall make only these following: (1.) This was a provincial or national council only, not general. (2.) The bishops of this council do not show much learning or judgment, when they reckon five books of Solomon. (3.) This council, as S. Basnage observes,' placeth among canonical scriptures Tobit, Judith, and the two books of the Maccabees: which decree either 'contradicts antiquity, or, as we rather think, ought to be explained with a distinction. What was the opinion of 'the ancients concerning the canon of the Old Testament, may be learned from Melito in Eusebius, the Festal Epistle ' of Athanasius, from Epiphanius, and Cyril of Jerusalem; ' according to whom the books above named were not canoni'cal. The word 'canonical' therefore may be supposed to be 'used here loosely, so as to comprehend not only those duo. Novi autem Testamenti: Evangeliorum libri quatuor, Actuum Apostolorum liber unus, Pauli apostoli epistolæ tredecim ejusdem ad Hebræos una, Petri apostoli duæ, Joannis apostoli tres, Judæ apostoli una, et Jacobi una, Apocalypsis Joannis liber unus. Can. 47. Ap. Labb. ibid. p. 1177.

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d Vid. Cav. H. L. T. i. p. 472. &c. Pagi ann. 419. n. xxiv.

Ap. Bevereg. Cod. Can. T. i. p. 549. Hod. de Bibl. Text. Orig. p. 652. Col. 53. Labb. ubi supr. p. 1062.

Vid. S. Basnag. ann. 397. n. ix. Ja. Basnag. Hist. de l'Eglise, I. viii. ch. 83. n. iv. v.

8 Quibus Carthaginenses inserunt Tobiam, Judith, Maccabæorum libros duos. Quod decretum vel antiquitati pugnat, vel, quod verius esse putamus, distinctione est aliquâ explicandum. De libris canonicis quænam veterum opinio fuit, abunde testantur Melito ap. Eusebium, l. iv. c. 26. Epistola Festalis Athanasii, Epiphanius de Pond. et Mensuris, Cyrillus.-Itaque distinctione opus est, ut cum Antiquitate Carthaginenses ineant concordiam: nempe, vox 'canonica' latius patet, et libros significat, non qui certam, fixamque morum fideique regulam constituunt, sed qui ædificandæ plebi leguntur in ecclesiâ, &c. Basn. ann. 397. n. ix.

books which are admitted as the rule of faith, but those also which are esteemed useful, and may be publicly read 'for the edification of the people.' (4.) This council mentions but two books only of Ezra, meaning, I suppose, the book of Ezra, properly so called, and the book of Nehemiah. They say nothing of the other two, sometimes called the third and fourth books of Ezra: it is the same in the other council of Carthage, before referred to. There is not any notice taken of these two books. (5.) This council's canon of the New Testament is the same as that now received, without any other later writings as canonical. But the manner in which the epistle to the Hebrews is mentioned affords some reason to suspect it was not so generally received as the other thirteen epistles of Paul.

5. I add nothing farther: as it will be needful to show largely the testimony of Augustine to the scriptures, who was one of the principal bishops present at this council; it is likely that all necessary remarks may then offer themselves to our minds.

CHAP. CXVII.

AUGUSTINE, BISHOP OF HIPPO REGIUS IN AFRICA.

I. His time, and character. II. A catalogue of the books of the Old and New Testament, with remarks. III. Books of the Old Testament received by him. IV. Apocryphal books cited by him. V. Books of the New Testament received by him, particularly the four gospels. VI. The Acts of the Apostles. VII. St. Paul's epistles. VIII. The catholic epistles. IX. The Revelation. X. General titles and divisions of the books of scripture. XI. Respect for them and their high authority. XII. Were publicly read in the assemblies of christians. XIII. The integrity of the scriptures. XIV. Various readings. XV. Versions of the scriptures. XVI. Interpretations of texts. XVII. Select passages. 1. Concerning the scriptures. 2. The truth of the christian religion. 3. The

sistence and dispersion of the Jewish people. 4. The ends of Christ's ministry and death. 5. Divers other matters.

I. AURELIUS AUGUSTINUS, or St. AUGUSTINE, son of Patricius and Monnica, was born at Tagasta, a small town of Africa, in the inland part of Numidia, in the year 354. He was ordained presbyter at Hippo Regius, a sea-port in the same country, about a hundred miles distant from Cirta the metropolis of Numidia, and more than two hundred miles from Carthage, in the year 391; and bishop of the same city in 395: he died in the year 430, in the thirty-fifth year of his episcopate, and the seventy-sixth of his age. I formerly took some notice of the time, history, and character of Augustine.

As I have not room for the history of Augustine, it is not easy to attempt his character. It is likely that many may be led to make a comparison between him and Jerom, both eminent Latin writers, and contemporaries. Such a comparison may be seen in Erasmus, who prefers Jerom in several respects: he says, he had a better education, and 'better masters; be understood both Greek and Hebrew; 'he applied himself early to the study of the scriptures, and had read the Greek commentators, of whom Augustine had little knowledge.' Nevertheless, I think, that though Jerom was superior in learning, Augustine was not inferior to him in good sense; and, in points that depended upon reasoning, he was as able to form a right judgment, as Jerom. As much is acknowledged by Le Clerc, who Vid. Cav. H. L. T. i. p. 290, &c. Du Pin, Bib. Ec. T. iii. p. 158, &c. Augustin. Vit. a Benedictin. conscript. Pagi ann. A. 395. xvii. 430. n. xxviii. S. Basn. ann. 384. n. vi. 430. n. iv. et alibi. Tillem. Mem. Ec. T. xiii.

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b See vol. iii. p. 277, 278.

d

Nemo negabit, plurimum esse momenti situm in patriâ et educatione. Hieronymus Stridone natus; quod oppidum sic Italiæ vicinum est, ut Itali sibi vindicent; Romæ educatus, in Italiâ, sub eruditissimis viris. Augustinus in Africa, regione barbarâ, in quâ studia literarum mire frigebant; quod ipse non dissimulat in suis epistolis Augustinus. Hieronymus, christianus a christianis, una cum ipso lacte Christi philosophiam imbibit. Augustinus, pene triginti natus annos, nullo præceptore, Paulinas epistolas legere cœpit. Hieronymus, tali ingenio præditus, triginta quinque annos impendit studio sanctarum scripturarum. Augustinus statim ad episcopale munus pertractus est, et coactus docere quod ipse nondum didicerat- -Jam fac, si libet, patriæ,

ingeniorum, præceptorum, educationis, pares esse calculos: expendamus, quanto instructior Hieronymus ad hoc negotium accesserit. Nisi forte leve momentum esse putas Græcarum et Hebraïcarum literarum peritiam. Tota philosophia, tota theologia tum temporis Græcorum erat. Augustinus Græce nescit, aut, si quid attigit, non magnopere fuit usui, ad Græcorum commentarios evolvendos- -Quid aliis usu veniat, nescio. In me certe comperio, quod dicam Plus me docet christianæ philosophiæ unica Origenis pagina, quam decem Augustini. Ad Joan. Eck. lib. ii. ep. 26.

d Cæteroqui, cum in iis, quæ ex merâ ratiocinatione pendent, Hieronymo