tament were collected into one body at the same time?

15. Among the Christian teachers and ecclesiastical writers, the first rank is most clearly due to the apostles themselves, and 17. There were various causes requiring to certain of their disciples whom God had this to be done at an early period, and parmoved to write histories of the transactions ticularly this, that, not long after the Saof Christ and his apostles. The writings viour's ascension, various histories of his life of these men are collected into one vo- and doctrines full of impositions and fables, lume, and are in the hands of all who pro- were composed by persons of no bad intenfess to be Christians. In regard to the tions perhaps, but who were superstitious, history of these sacred books, and the simple, and addicted to pious frauds; and arguments by which their divine authority afterwards various spurious writings were and their genuineness are evinced, those palmed upon the world, inscribed with the authors are to be consulted who have writ-names of the holy apostles. These worthten professedly on these subjects. less productions would have wrought great

6

carefully collected by Fabricius, Codex Apocryphus N. T. 2 vols. 12mo. Hamb. second ed. 1719. Many learned remarks on them occur in Beausobre, Histoire critique des dogmes de Manichée, livr. ii. p. 337, &c. [No one of all the books contained in the Codex Apocry phus N. T. of Fabricius speaks disrespectfully of the canonical books of the N. T. They were evidently Christ, of his religion, his apostles and followers, or of

6 Such as remain of these spurious works have been

16. As to the time when, and the persons confusion, and would have rendered both by whom, the books of the New Testament the history and the religion of Christ uncerwere collected into one volume, there are tain, had not the rulers of churches seasonvarious opinions, or rather conjectures, of ably interposed, and caused the books the learned; for the subject is attended which were truly divine and which came with great and almost inexplicable difficul- from apostolic hands, to be speedily sepaties to us of these latter times.3 It must rated from that mass of trash into a vosuffice to know, that before the middle of lume by themselves. the second century, most of the books composing the New Testament were in every Christian Church throughout the known world, and were read and regarded as the divine rule of faith and practice. And hence it may be concluded, that it was wh le some of the apostles were still living, and certainly while their disciples and im-composed with a design to subserve the cause of Chrismediate successors were everywhere to be tianity. The following account of the contents of the met with, that these books were separated on opening the first volume, we meet with, 1. "The Codex Apocryphus N. T. may not be unacceptable:and distinguished from all human compo- Gospel of the Nativity of Mary," Latin. 2. "The Previsitions. That the four Gospels were com- Just, the brother of our Lord," Gr. and Lat. 3. "The ous Gospel (Prot-evangelium), ascribed to James the bined during the life-time of the apostle Gospel of the Infancy of Christ, ascribed to Thomas John, and that the first three Gospels re- the Apostle," Gr. and Lat. 4. "The Gospel of the Infancy, translated from the Arabic, by Henry Sikes," ceived the approbation of this inspired Lat. It is the aim of all these to supply deficiencies in man, we learn expressly from the testimony the beginning of the true Gospels, by acquainting us of Eusebius. And why may we not sup- Elizabeth, &c. and with the birth, infancy, and childmore fully with the history of the Virgin Mary, Joseph, pose that the other books of the New Tes-hood of Christ. Next follow, 5. "The Gospel of

by many, may be seen most succinctly stated by Rutherford, in his Due right of Presbyteries. Lond. 1644, pages 355-377-R.

See, on this subject, Fabricius, Bibliotheca Græca, lib. iv. cap. v. pages 122-227; [and Jones, Method of settling the canonical authority of the N. T. 3 vols. 8vo.; and the modern Introductions to the books of the N. T. in English, by Horne, and Michaëlis, ed. Marsh; and in German, by Haenlin, Krug, Bertholdt, Eichhorn, &c.-Mur.

2 The early writers in defence of the divine authority of the N. T. are enumerated by Fabricius, Delectus argumentorum et syllabus scriptor. pro verit. relig. Christiana, cap. xxvi. p. 502. [On the subject itself, the modern writers are numerous, and generally known. Lardner and Paley still hold the first rank among the English.-Mur.

3 See Ens, Biblioth. sacra, seu diatriba de libror. N. T. canone. Amster. 1710, 8vo; and Mills, Prolegom. ad N. T. sec. 1, p. 23, &c. [On this "inexhaustible question," see the account given by Bishop Thirlwall, in the preface to his translation of Schleiermacher's Critical Essay on the Gospel of Luke. Lond. 1825, of which account Milman says, "It would be difficult to point out a clearer and more satisfactory exposition of any controversy." ."-- Hist. of Christ. chap. 1.p. 144.—R. 4 See. Frick, De Cura veteris ecclesiæ circa canon. cap. iii. p. 86, &c.

Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. iii. cap. xxiv.

Nicodemus,' or, as it is sometimes called, "The Acts
of Pilate," relating to the crucifixion and resurrection
of Christ, Latin. 6. Three "Epistles of Pilate to Ti-
berius the Emperor," giving an account of the con-
demnation, death, and resurrection of Christ, Latin.
7. "The Epistle of Lentulus to the Roman senate,"
describing the person and manners of Christ, Latin.
The last three (Nos. 5, 6, 7) were intended to be valu-
able appendages to the true Gospels, and to contain ir-
refragable proofs that Jesus was the Messiah, and
clothed with divine authorithy. Then follow the writ-
ings ascribed to Christ himself; viz. his correspondence
with Abgarus, King of Edessa, which is to be found in
Eusebius, Ilist. Eccles. lib. i. cap. xiii. and in various
modern works. Fabricius next gives a catalogue of
about forty apocryphal Gospels, or of all the spurious
Gospels of which the slightest notice can be found in
antiquity. These are all, of course, now lost, except
the few which are contained in the previous list.
i. part ii. begins with "The Apocryphal Acts of the
Apostles, or the history of their conflicts, ascribed to
Abdias, the first Bishop of Babylonia," Latin. This
history summarily recounts what the canonical books
relate of each of the twelve apostles, and then traces
them severally through their various travels and la-
bours, till their death or martyrdom. Then follows a
catalogue of all the ancient biographies of individual
apostles and apostolic men, which Fabricius could hear
of; in all, thirty-six in number. Most of those which
have been published are to be met with in Martyrolo-
gies and in the Acta Sanctorum. Fabricius nort

Vol.

sorry to see so little erudition and genius in a production of so great a man.

3

18. Next after the apostles, Clement, the Bishop of Rome, obtained very high reputation as one of the writers of this century. 19. The other works which bear the name The accounts we have at this day of his of Clement, namely, the apostolic Canons, life, actions, and death, are for the most the apostolic Constitutions, the Recognipart uncertain.1 There are still extant tions of Clement, and the Clementina, were two epistles to the Corinthians, bearing his fraudulently ascribed to this eminent father, name and written in Greek: of these, it is by some deceiver, for the purpose of progenerally supposed that the first is genuine, curing them greater authority. This all and that the second is falsely palmed upon now concede. The apostolic Canons are the holy man by some deceiver. Yet even LXXXV ecclesiastical Laws, and exhibit the the first epistle seems to have been cor- principles of discipline received in the Greek rupted by some indiscreet person, who was and oriental churches, in the second and third centuries. The VIII Books of apostolical Constitutions, are the work of some austere and melancholy author, who designed to reform the worship and discipline of the church, which he thought were fallen from their original purity and sanctity, and who did not hesitate to prefix the names of the apostles to his regulations, in order to give them currency.5 The Recognitions of Clement, which differ but little from the Clementina, are ingenious fables, composed by

tolerable compilation from his genuine epistles. Then

gives us apocryphal Epistles, ascribed to the Virgin Mary, to Paul, and to Peter. Mary's letters are but three, and those very short. One is addressed to St. Ignatius, in nine lines; another, to the people of Marseilles, in eleven lines; and the third, to the people of Florence, in four lines. To St. Paul is attributed a short Epistle to the Laodiceans, Gr. and Lat. It is a follows a courteous but vapid correspondence in Latin, said to have passed between St. Paul and Seneca, the Roman philosopher. It comprises fourteen short letters, full of compliments and of very little else. Paul's third Epistle to the Corinthians has not had the honour to be published. There is one Epistle of the apostle Peter, addressed to the apostle James, still extant, in the Clementina, or spurious works of Clemens Romanus. Of spurious Revelations, Fabricius enumerates twelve; most of which are either lost or have not been judged worth publishing. The second volume of the Coder opens with the ancient liturgies, bearing the names of the apostles and evangelists. They are six; namely, those which bear the names of the Apostles James, Peter, John, Matthew, and Luke; together with a short prayer ascribed to John. These liturgies, doubtless, are quite ancient. To these are subjoined nine canons or ecclesiastical laws, said to have been adopted in a council of the apostles held at Antioch; and finally, the Apostles' Creed, which, many of the ancients supposed, was formed by the apostles themselves. The appendix to the Coder gleans up some fragments and additional notices of the pieces before mentioned, and then closes with the Shepherd of Hermas, accompanied with notes. -Mur. [Most of these spurious pieces were translated, and published in studied imitation of the books of the New Testament by the late W. Hone, with the view of discrediting the divine authority of the sacred volume; but he lived to regret this intended injury, and suppressed the book. It is, notwithstanding, an interesting work to the student. See Hone's Apocry-recommending celibacy and reprehending the abuses of phal New Testament. London, 1820, 8vo.-R.

1 Subsequent to Tillemont [Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de l'Eglise, tome ii. part i. p. 279], Cotelier [Patres Apostol.], and Grabe [ Spicileg. Patrum, sæc. i. P. 264, &c.], Philip Rondininus has collected all that is known of this great man, in the first of his two books, De S. Clemente, papa et martyre, ejusque Basilica in urbe Roma. Rome, 1706, 4to. [See also Bower's Lives of the Popes, vol. i. pages 14-20, 2d ed. Clemens. was, perhaps, the person mentioned by Paul, Philip. iv. He was one of the most distinguished Roman Christians, became Bishop of Rome towards the close of the century, and is said to have lived till the third year of Trajan's reign, or A.D. 100.-Mur.

3.

3 See Cotelier, Patres Apostolici, tom. i. pages 133, 134, and Bernhard, Adnotatiuncula ad Clementem, in the last edition of the Patres Apostol. by Le Clerc. These annotations Wotton has in vain attempted to confute, in his notes on the epistle of Clement. [Besides the two epistles to the Corinthians, there are extant, in Syriac, two other episties, ascribed to Clement, entitled, De Virginitate, seu ad Virgines. They were first brought to Europe by Sir James Porter, British ambassador at Constantinople; and were published with a Latin translation accompanying the Syriac text, by Wetstein, at the end of the 2d vol. of his very learned Greek N. T. Leyden, 1752. assailed their genuineness, in a Diss. of sixty pages, 8vo. London, 1753, and Venema followed, in three printed letters, 1754. Wetstein replied to the former; but, dying in March, 1754, he left the controversy with the latter to Galand, who prosecuted it in his Bibliotheca vet. Patrum, Dissert. ii. cap. ii.; also, in Sprenger's Thesaurus rei Patrist. tom. i. p. 60, &c. These epistles are not mentioned by any writer till near the end of the fourth century. They were, probably, composed in the oriental church at the close of the second, or in the third, century; and for the double purpose of

Lardner

such a life. See Neander's Allgem. Geschichte, vol. i. part iii. p. 1103, &c.-Mur.

4 For the history and various editions of these works, see Ittig, Diss. de Patribus Apostol. prefixed to his Bibliotheca patrum Apostol. and his Diss. de Pseudepigraphis Apostol. annexed to his Appendix ad librum de Hæresiarchis ævi Apostol; also, Fabricius, Biblioth. Græca, lib. v. cap. i. p. 31, &c.; and lib. vi. cap. i. p. 4. &c. 5 The various opinions of the learned respecting the Apostolic Canons and Constitutions, are collected by Buddeus, Isagoge in Theologiam, par. il. cap. v. p. 746. [Sec Bishop Beveridge, Notes on these Canons, and his Coder Canonum eccles. prim. Lond. 1678, 4to. The Canons themselves make a part of the Corpus Juris Cacollections of the Councils. They are valuable documents respecting the order and discipline of the church, about the third century. The Apostolic Constitutions seem to have undergone changes since their first formation, and probably by Arian hands in the fourth century. They are voluminous and minute regulations respecting ecclesiastical discipline and worship. They are of considerable use in determining various points of practice in the church, during the third, fourth, and fifth centuries.-Mur. [They may be found in the second volume of Whiston's Primitive Christianity in Greek, with an English translation in parallel columns.-R.

2 The editions of Clement's epistles to the Corinth-nonici, and are also inserted in Binius's and other large ians, are mentioned by Fabricius, Biblioth. Græca, lib. iv. cap. v. p. 175, &c. to which must be added, the edition of Wotton, Cantab. 1718, 8vo, which is preferable to the preceding editions in many respects. [The English reader may find them both, together with some account of this author, in Archbishop Wake's Genuine epistles of the apostolical Fathers, translated, An ample account of them is given by Lardner, Credibility of the Gospel History, part ii. vol. i. p. 283, ed. Lond. 1835.-Mur. [A more accurate translation of the first, and indeed only genuine, epistle may be seen in Chevallier's Translation of the Epistles of Clement, Polycarp, and Ignatius, &c. London, 1833.-R.

&c.

some Alexandrine Jewish Christian and philosopher of the third century, to meet the attacks of the Jews, Gnostics, and philosophers upon the Christian religion, in a new manner. A careful perusal of them will assist a person much in gaining a knowledge of the state of the ancient Christian church.'

21. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, suffered martyrdom at an extreme age, in the middle of the second century. The epistle addressed to the Philippians, which is ascribed to him, is by some accounted genuine, and by others spurious; which of these

lioth. Græca, lib. v. cap. i. pages 38-47. [Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. iii. 36, makes very honourable mention of Ignatius and his epistles; and describes his conduct while on his way to Rome, the place of his martyrdom. The account of his martyrdom, which is printed along with his epistles, gives a still fuller account of this eminent father. It is clear that he suffered death in the reign of Trajan; but whether A.D. 107, or 116, is uncertain. Rome was the place of his martyrdom, and wild beasts his executioners. On his way from Antioch, he was enraptured with his prospect of dying a martyr, and wrote probably all his epistles. Eusebius says: "He confirmed the churches in every city through which he passed, by discourses and exhortations, warning them most especially to take heed of the heresies which then first sprung up and increased." From Smyrna (according to Eusebius), he wrote four of his epistles; namely, to the churches of Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles and Rome. The last of these was to entreat the Ro

20. The Apostolic Fathers, as they are called, are those Christian writers who were conversant either with the apostles themselves, or with their immediate disciples. Among these the next after Clement was Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, a disciple and companion of the apostles, He suffered martyrdom under Trajan, being exposed to wild beasts in the theatre at Rome2 There are extant several epistles bearing his name, and concerning which the learned have had long and sharp contests. The seven, written while he was on his way to Rome, as published A.D. 1646, by Is. Vos-man Christians not to interpose and prevent his marsius, from a Florentine MS. are, by most writers, accounted genuine; but the others they reject as forged. To this opinion I cheerfully accede; and yet I must acknowledge that the genuineness of the Epistle to Polycarp, on account of its difference of style, appears to me very dubious; and indeed the whole subject of the Ignatian epistles in general, is involved in much obscurity and perplexity.3

But

tyrdom. From Troas he wrote three other epistles;
namely, to the Churches of Philadelphia and of Smyrna,
and to his friend Polycarp. Of these seven epistles,
there are duplicate copies still extant; that is, copies
of a larger and of a smaller size. The latter are those
published by Vossius, which many suppose to be genu-
ine. Besides these, there are extant five other Greek
epistles, and as many more in Latin, which are now
universally rejected; namely, ad Mariam Cassibolitam,
ad Tarsenses, ad Antiochenos, ad Heronem Antiochenum
diaconem, ad Philippenses; also, one in Latin, from the
Virgin Mary to Ignatius, and his reply; two from Ig-
natius to St. John; and one of Maria Cassibolita to lg-
natius. It is the singular fortune of the seven first
epistles of Ignatius, to have become the subject of sec-
tarian controversy among Protestants. In these epis-
higher than in any other writings of this age. Hence,
the strenuous advocates for the apostolic origin of epis-
copacy, prize and defend these epistles with no ordinary
interest, while the Reformed divines, and especially
those of Holland, Germany, France, and Switzerland,
assail them with equal ardour. The most prominent
champions are Bishop Pearson, in his Vindicia episto-
larum Ignatii. Cambridge, 1672, 4to; and Daille, De
Scriptis quæ sub Dionysii Areop. et Ignatii Antioch.
nominibus circumferuntur. Geneva, 1666, 4to.
cach of these is supported by a host of able polemics.
Moderate men of various sects are disposed to admit
the genuineness of the epistles in their shorter form;
but to regard them as interpolated and altered. An
English translation of them and of the martyrdom of
Ignatius, may be seen in Archbishop Wake's Genuine
Epistles of the Apostolic Fathers.-Mur. [A preferable
translation is given by Chevallier, ubi supra; and a trans
lation of both the larger and shorter copies may be
found in Whiston's Primitive Christianity. Lond. 1711,
vol. i. pages 102-391. Whiston was a strenuous sup-
porter of the genuineness of these larger copies, now
almost universally repudiated. Additional interest has
been very recently imparted to this long-protracted
controversy by the discovery, in a monastery in the
Egyptian desert of Nitria, of a Syriac version, of un-
doubted antiquity, of three of these epistles of Ignatius;
namely, those to Polycarp, the Ephesians, and the Ro-
mans. These have been translated and very carefully
edited by the Rev. W. Cureton of the British Museum,
together with extracts in Syriac from these and others
of the Ignatian epistles, and a Syriac version of his
martyrdom. Lond. 1845, 8vo. The copies thus unex-
pectedly brought to light are much shorter than the
short Greek copies previously extant; and among the
many passages of the Greek omitted in the Syriac, it is
remarkable that those which magnify the office and
authority of the bishop, and those which give additional
force to the doctrine of the Deity of Christ, are the
most numerous. See Mr. Cureton's Preface, p. 16, &c.

1 See Mosheim's Diss. de turbata per recentiores Pla-tles, the dignity and authority of bishops are exalted tonicos ecclesia, in the first vol. of his Dissert. ad his toriam eccl. pertinentes, sec. 34, p. 174, &c. [The Apostolic Canons and Constitutions were ascribed to Clement as the collector and publisher only. The Recognitions, Clementina, &c. are ascribed to him as the author. The writings belonging to this latter class are three different works on the same subject, and written after the same general plan. They all, doubtless, had one and the same author, who re-wrote his own work, for the sake of giving it a better form. The substance of them all is Clement's history of his own dissatisfaction with paganism; his first and slight knowledge of Christianity, which induced him to journey from Rome to Palestine; there he met with Peter, and for some time resided and travelled with him, heard his public discourses, and witnessed his combats, particularly with Simon Magus; and in private conversations with the apostles, everything pertaining not only to Christianity, but to cosmogony, physics, pneumatology, &c. was fully explained to him. The three works often relate precisely the same things, and in the same words; but they not unfrequently differ in the fulness of the details and in many of the minor points both of doctrine and of fact. The first is entitled Sti Clementis Romani Recognitiones. The original is lost, so that we have only the Latin translation of Rufinus. The second is the Clementina (rà Kanuévriva), first published, Greek and Latin, by Cotelier. It commences with an epistle of Peter, and another of Clement, addressed to the apostle James. The body of the work, instead of being divided into books and chapters, like the Recognitions, is thrown into nineteen discourses or homilies (x), as delivered by Peter, but committed to writing by Clement. The third is the Clementine Epitome, or abridged account of the acts, travels, and discourses of Peter, together with the epistle of Clement to James, Greek and Latin. This is, as its title implies, a mere abridgment of the two preceding works.-Mur.

2 See Tillemont, Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de l'Eglise, tome ii. part ii. pages 42-80.

3 In regard to these epistles, consult Fabricius, Bib-R.

For,

are in the right, it is difficult to determine. reproachful, to the Christian cause. The Epistle of Barnabas, as it is called, that a large part of the human race should was, in my judgment, the production of have been converted to Christ by illiterate some Jewish Christian who lived in this and untalented men, shows that the propacentury, who had no bad intentions, but gation of Christianity must be ascribed, not possessed little genius and was infected with to human abilities and eloquence, but to a the fabulous opinions of the Jews. He was Divine power. clearly a different person from Barnabas, the companion of St. Paul.2 The book entitled the Shepherd of Hermas (so called

CHAPTER III.

RELIGION.

because an angel, in the form and habit of HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES AND a shepherd, is the leading character in the drama) was composed in the second cen- 1. THE whole of the Christian religion tury by Hermas, the brother of Pius, the is comprehended in two parts: the one of Roman bishop.3 The writer, if he was in- which teaches what we are to believe in deed sane, deemed it proper to forge dia- regard to religious subjects, and the other logues held with God and angels, in order how we ought to live. The former is, by to insinuate what he regarded as salutary the apostles, denominated the mystery or truths more effectually into the minds of his the truth; and the latter, piety or godlireaders. But his celestial spirits talk more ness. 1 Tim. iii. 9; vi. 3. Tit. i. 1. The insipidly than our scavengers and porters. rule and standard of both are, those books 22. All these writers of this first age of which God dictated to certain individuals, the church possessed little learning, genius, either before or after the birth of Christ. or cloquence; but, in their simple and un- These books it has long been the custom to polished manner, they express elevated denominate the Old and the New Testa. piety. And this is honourable, rather than ments.

Bright. 1827, 8vo.-R.

2. Provision, therefore, was early made, 1 Concerning Polycarp and his epistle, see Tillemont, both by the apostles and their disciples, Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de l'Eglise, tome ii. that these books should be in the hands of part ii. p. 287; and Fabricius, Biblioth. Gr. lib. v. cap. 1. p. 47. [Also, Cave's Life of Polycarp, in his Apos- all Christians, that they should be publicly tolici; or, Lives of the Primitive Fathers. Lond. 1677, read in their assemblies, and be applied folio. Tho epistle of Polycarp (the genuineness of which, if not certain, is highly probable), and the epis- both to enlighten their minds with truth tle of the Church of Smyrna concerning the martyr- and to advance them in piety. Those who dom of Polycarp (which none now call in question), expounded the Scriptures studied simpliare given in English, in Archbishop Wake's Genuine Epistles, &c.-Mur. [and also by Chevallier, ubi supra, city and plainness. Yet it is not to be and by Clementson, Epistles of Ignatius and Polycarp denied that, even in this century, the per2 Concerning Barnabas, see Tillemont, Mémoires, &c. verse Jewish custom of obscuring the plain tome i. part iil. p. 1043; Ittig, Select. hist. eccles, cap. language of Scripture by forced and frigid sec. i. cap. i. sec. 14, p. 20; and Fabricius, Biblioth. Gr. lib. iv. cap. v. sec. 14, p. 173; and lib. v. cap. i. allegories, and of diverting words from sec. iv. and various others. [This ancient monument their natural and proper meaning, in order of the Christian Church, is likewise translated by Arch-to extort from them some recondite sense, bishop Wake, Genuine Epistles, &c.—Mur. 3 This is now manifest from the very ancient Frag- found some admirers and imitators among ment of a Treatise on the Canon of the Holy Scriptures, Christians. Besides others, Barnabas, published a few years ago by Muratori (from an ancient MS. found at Milan), in his Antiq. Italicar. medii avi, tom. fil. diss. xliii. p. 853, &c. [But the genuine-lic Fathers, whether truly or falsely. The value of the ness of this treatise itself is now very much questioned genuine works of these fathers is, to learned theology, by the learned; so that the true author of the Shepherd very small; but, as affording us acquaintance with the of Hermas is still unknown. Mur. true spirit, and sentiments, and reasonings of Christians

4 For the best edition of Hermas, we are indebted to in the very first age after the apostles, they are of inesFabricius, who subjoined it to the third vol. of his Co-timable value.-Mur. [Many critics are disposed to dex Apocryph. N. T. He also treats of this writer, in place among these remains of the apostolic age, the his Bib. Græca, lib. v. cap. ix. sec. 9, p. 7. See also Ittig, anonymous Letter to Diognetus, formerly ascribed to De Patribus Apostolicis, sec. 55, p. 184, &c.; [and in Justin Martyr, and contained among his works. Some his Select. historia eccies. capita, sec. 1. pag. 65, 155, even consider it as having been written before the des179. The Shepherd of Hermas is translated by Arch-truction of Jerusalem, and therefore as among the very bishop Wake, Genuine Epistles, &c. and though wild earliest uninspired productions of the first century. and fanciful, yet, from the pious spirit which it breathes, See a satisfactory dissertation on this point in Semisch's and the insight it gives us into the speculations of the Justin Martyr, vol. i. p. 193, &c. being Ryland's transearly Christians, it is not a useless book.-Mur [Arch-lation, in vol. xli. of the Edin. Bib. Cab. The Greek bishop Wake's translation of the Epistle of Barnabas epistle itself may be found in the works of Justin Marand the Shepherd of Hermas is also given in Hone's tyr; and in Hefele, Patrum Apostolicorum opera. Tub. Apocryphal New Test.-R. 1839, 8vo, a very cheap and convenient collection of The writers abovenamed are denominated the these works, which may be had either with or without Apostolic Fathers: and they are often published to- a Latin translation. An excellent critical edition of gether. The best editions are by Cotelier. Paris, 1672, the Apostolical Fathers, with Notes, Indices, &c. was re-edited by Le Clerc. Antw. 1698; and again, Amsterd. published at Oxford, in Greek and Latin, in 2 vols. 8vo, 1724, 2 vols. fol. with numerous notes by both the edi- by Dr. Jacobson, of which a second edition appeared tors and others. [This last and best edition, Gr. and in 1810. This collection, however, does not include Lat. contains all that has been ascribed to the Aposto- the Letter to Diognetus.-R.

whose epistle is still extant, is proof of formably to the religion he taught, were received immediately among the disciples of Christ; nor did a more full instruction in the principles of Christianity precede their baptism, but followed it. But afterwards, when churches were everywhere established and organized, for very just reasons this custom was changed; and none were admitted to the sacred font unless previously well instructed in the primary truths of religion, and affording indubitable evidence of a sincere and holy

7. There is no doubt, that the children of Christians were carefully trained up from their infancy, and were early put to read this book should be apprised, that the noble author reading the sacred books and learning the often gives us conjectures instead of arguments, and principles of religion. For this purpose, that his conjectures do not always deserve to be impli- schools were erected everywhere, from the citly received. [Although the Apostles' Creed was not composed in a council of apostles, as was supposed in beginning. From these schools for chilthe days of Rufinus (Ruf. De Symbolo, subjoined to dren, we must distinguish those seminaries Cypriani Opera), yet it appears to have been the general creed of the Christian church, from, at least, the close of the second century down to the reformation. appears from comparing the formulæ of faith given by

of the early Christians erected extensively in the larger cities, at which adults, and especially such as aspired to be public

3 See Bingham, Orig. Eccles. book iii. chap. iv. and Pfanner, De Catechuminis veterum. Weimar, 1688. 12mno.- Mur.

4 See Origen, Adv. Celsum, lib. iii. p. 143. The apostles themselves seem to have been the authors of this practice, of which we have vestiges, 1 Cor. iii. 2; Heb. v. 12.-Schl. [See an interesting dissertation, bearing on this subject, in the elder Walch's Misceli. Sacra. Amst. 1774. Exercit. prima, entitled De Apostolorum institutione catechetica. He considers Heb. vi. 1, 2, as embodying the heads of the catechetical instructions given by the apostles and primitive

teachers.-R.