■ ■%^ '#, *••- ' .-3 ,i^- ^■. * '«r <■ «*r ,K. Wi4 7 ^ A M r N r K O R, A DEF CE O F CONTAINING I. A general Apology for all Writings of that kind, II. A Catalogue of Books attributed in the Primitive Times to J e s u s C h r i s r^ his Apoltles and other eminent Perfons : With feveral important Remarks and Obfervations relating to the Canon of Scripture. III. A Complete Hiftory of the Book, EntituVd, Icon Bafilikey proving Dr. Gauden, and not King C H A R L E s the Firft^ to be the Author of it : With an Anfwer to all the Facts alledgd by Mr. W AG- s t a f to the contrary ; and to the Exceptions made againft my Lord A n g l e s e y's Memorandum, Dr. W A L K E r's Book, or Mrs. G a u d e n's Nar- rative^ which laft Piece is now the iirft Time pub- lifli'd at large. DI (jitlhus imperiiim eft anlmarum. umbr.a^ue Sllenns^ Et Chaos, ^ Phlegethon^ Loco, Kvclc tacc7itia late. Sit ml hi fas audita Loqui ; Sit ntimine v?ftro^ pander e res alt a terra ©* caligine merfas. Virg. iEn. 6. ^ London^ Printed, and are to be Sold by the Book- - fellers olLmdon aad Wejlminjler, M, DC. XC IX. Errors. Amendments. jgef. line i^- /j^:*/^ tbofe 20. 5. Ci6ri/? hfs Chrtfii h:s ai. ■^m Cere turn Ceretium ;7- l'$;« Cvpbtlc Coptic 4S. 3. ^/* of the 5h 25. Aiattbie$ Matthitis 57. 15- £* wp/^ exampla 65. 1 5. w^^ be be any 66. 17, Iittvms Itti^tus IOf« 23. ^i>;7y (7 hop" J to lO-f. 5. Cofjfciences Conjcience 113. 20. fomttme Som time 151. 16. r/^f his «37- 8. Mediations Meditations ^ In the Margin of Pag. f 7, after Eujchm , ieid lib. ;. and iallcad oifrjt if^^iCi fifth. I THE AUTHOR T O A FRIEND. H E Public is fo felJom in- terefted in the Debates of p'ivat Men^ and I am fo little concern d at the Malice or Mi- flakes of my Adverfaries, that^ with- out fom better Motive^ I would never pefurtie to trouble the World with any thingmerely ferfonaL But if the* Subje^ in qiieftion be of extraordiiiary Weight and Confeque?ice^ and that on the certain Dei ' firm of it fhould de- fend the Tranquillity of a confidera- ble number of Peofle^ then I thinks a Man IS indifpenfably ohligd to ap- fear for the Truth 3 and fo^ while he s endeavoring to ferve others^ no body will fay he ought to M'gleci his own Defe?2ce. Defe?ice. Whether the Treatife I ?ww fend you be of this Nature^ is fubmit- ted to your equal Judgment : And unless I really defignd a Nobler End by it than the Juftijication of one Terfon^ neither you nor any body elfe fhould lofe your time in readings ?io more than I my felf would be at the Tains of writi?2g it, which yet Til count the highejl Pleafure if I un- derfiand it has never jo little con- tributed to the Satisfaction of a Geyi- tleman of fuch undifputed Lear?iing and Merit. March jo. 1699. J. T. AUrN- AMVNTOR: O R, A DEFENCE O F tlton's %Mu WHEN I undertook to write the Life of the moft celebrated Milton^ I was far from ima- gining that I (hould ever (much lefs fo foon ) be obhg'd to make an Apology in juftification of fuch a Work, both harmlcfs in it felf, and greatly defir'd by the World. There was no po- fitive Law or Cuftom againft publifhing the particular Hirtory of this extraordinary Perfon^con- B fide^ 2 AMYNTOR. lidcr'd in any rcfpccfl whatfocvcr: for thcLivcs of Good Princes and Tyrants, of Orthodox and He- retical Divines, of Virtuous and Wicked, of Public and Privat Men, arc indifferently perus'd by every body 5 of which it would be fuperfluous to alledg Ex- amples, the thing being fo com- monly known by all that have learnt to read. Nor without fuch a Liberty could we polTibly form a true Talk, or have any certain Knowledg of Affairs, fince the Excellence or Imper- fection of all Matters beft ap- pears by oppofing 'em to one another. And I was fure (which I find was no Miftake ) that the Learning and Sentiments of John MiltOx^; w ere too con- iiderable not to deierve the high- ell Commendation or Diflike, according to the Judgment or Aficd:ion of the Readers. SINCE AMYJSTTOR. 3 SINCE therefore it was e- qiially lawful for me to write whofe Life I pkasM ( when my Hand was in) the firft Charge againft me, one would think, fhould have \)in , that I had not fairly reprefented my Hero. But, very far from that, the great Crime whereof I am arraigned, confifts in telling more than fom People would have me 5 or difcovering Truths not fit to be known 5 and the Manner of my Relation is to them altogether as oflfenfive and difpleafing as the Matter of it, 'Tis ftrange that Men fhould be found of a Judg- ment weak enough to make a Crime of fuch Proceedings in a Writer, who labors to keep him- felf wholly independent from the Fears or Engagements of any Party 3 and who profcfs'd in the very beginning of his Book, that '' being neither provok'd by Ma- "lice, nor biib'd by Favor, he B 2 would 4 AMYNTOR. would as well dare to fay all that was true, as fcorn to write any Falihood. ^ut the rude Oppofition with which I have met, notwithftanding fuch plain Declarations, convinces me more than ever how much I was in the Right by following the peculiar Method I proposed to my kl£ in compiling M i l t o n's Life , and which I partly declared in thefe Terms : ' In the Chara<5ters *^ of Sedls and Parties, Books or ' Opinions, I fhall produce his * own Words as I find 'em in his ' Works 3 that thofe who approve ' his Reafons, may owe all the ' Obhgation to himfelf 5 and ' that I may efcape the Blame ^ of fuch as may diflike what he * fays. Now, what could be more impartial ihanthis? or more like- ly to fecure me from all Imputa- tions, whatever fliould be the Reception of Milton from the Public ? Yet if by adhering re- AMYNTOR. 5 rcligioufly to this Rule fo loud a Clamor was raifcd againft me, it is apparent how much worfe I might expe(5t to be treated, . had I trod in the common Road. For, if, like moft Hiftorians, I had in my own Words (tho' with never fo much Candor ) related the A- drions or Sentiments of my Au- thor, my Adverfaries would pre- fently have told the World that this was not the true Mil ton, but one of my own Creation, whom I promted to fpeak what I durft not own 5 and by whofe iMouth I had publilliM all ^ofe k Opinions which I would recom- mend to other People. Well knowing therefore the ordinary Temper and Artifices of thcfe Men, I did partly on thatAccount produce his own Words to obviat ) their Sophiftry and Calumnies, their two principal offenfive Weapons 5 and alfo to fpare my fclf the Pains of Qiiotations af- B 3 terwards ^ AMYNTOR. tcrwards, to prove I had nei- ther iiijiir'd him nor abiisxi my Readers. Bejfides this particular Regard to them, I am alfo of opinion that this is the bell: and only good way of writing the Hi- ftory of fuch a Man. And had the Ancients always follow'd it, our Modern Critics would have been lefs exercis'd to difcern their real Sentiments ^ nor wou'd they be fo often obliged to ex- '^ anijn whether they underftood or mjf-reprefented their Authors. BUT inftead of any Objedi- pns like thefe, I am exprefly told that I ought not to meddle with M I L T o x's Books, nor to re- vive his Sentiments , or the Memory of thofe Quarrel's where- in he was engaged 5 which is onlv, in other Words, that I ought not to write his Life at all. For what, I pray, is the princi|/al Part of a Learned Man's Ivilc, but chc cx'dtt Hiilory of ► his AMYNTOR. 7 hisBooks and Opinions,to inform ' the World about the Occafion of his writing, what itcontain'd, how he performed it, and with what Confeqiienccs or Succcfs? I have no Reafon from my own fecond Thoughts, the Opinion of better Judges, or the Fortune of the Book , to be diflatisfi'd With my Condud: on this Occa- fion. And had this Method, as I faid before, been flridly ob- ferv'd, we might have more Knowledg and fewer Critics. A Y but, fay thefe Gentlemen, you have made an Inroad on our Perfuafion, and dire(ftly attacked the facred Majefty of Kings, the venerable Order of Biflhops, the beft conftituted Church in the World, our holy Liturgy, and decent Ceremonies, the Author rity of Councils, the Teftimony of the Fathers, and a hundred other things which we profound- ly refpcct and admire ; nor B 4 arc 8 ^ AMYNTOR. arc we the only Sufferers 5 for almoft all other Scdts and Parties have equal Reafons of Com- plaint againft you. Well, be it fo then ^ bur, good Sirs, betake your felves for Reparation to John Milton- or , if he is not to be brought to eafie Terms, defend your Caftles and Territo- ries againft him with all the Vi- gor you can. For, I affure you I am no further concerned in the Quarrel than to fliew you the Enemy, and to give a true Account of his Forces. And all this, if you were of a peaceable Difpofition, you might learn f cm thcfe plain Words in the Conclufion of the Life : 'Tis probable that you (as well as I, or any other) may difap- prove of M I L T o n's Senti- ments m feveral Cafes 5 but Tm fure, you are far from being difplcas'd to find 'em particulariz'd in the Hiftory ^of AMYNTOR. 9 ' of his Life : For we ihould have • no true Account of Things, if 'Authors related nothing but 'what they Lk'd themfelves : 'One Party would never fuffer ' the Lives of T a r clu i n, or ' P H A L A R I S, or S Y JL L A , or ' C a: s A R to appear, while a- ' nother would be as ready to ' fupprefs thofe of Cicero, ' of C A T o, of T R A J A N, or 'Brutus. But a Hiftorian ' ought to conceal or difguife ^nothing 5 and the Reader is ' to be kft to judg^cf the Viitues ' he (hould imitat, or the Vices 'he ought to dcteTt and avoid. THIS might ferve for a fuffi- cient Anfwer to all that has bin yet objecfled to M i l t o n's Life, if any Reply were thought ne- cefTary : For the trivial and fcur- rilous Libels of mercenary Fel- lows I (hall never regard, they being already fufficiencly negle- (5tcd by the World, and making them- lo AMYNTOR. themfelves as little by this Pra-* iftice, as any of a more vindi- <5tive Temper could defire : Be- fides, that to anfwer 'em in their own Dialect, I mud firft learn to fpeak It 3 which is abfolutely con- trary to my Genius, and below the Dignity of Humap Nature, fince no body openly approves it even at Billingfgate. I Ihall as little confider the cenforious Tongues of certain more Zealous than Reli- gious People, who judge of o- thers by their own narrow Schemes, and defpife all Know- ledge in comparifon of their pri- vat Imaginations, wherein they exceedingly pleafe themfelves 5 a Happinefs no body envies them. Nor fhoald I, if that were all,think my felf concerned in making a- ny Return to the obliging Com- plements of thofe Gentlemen who (as Father Paul formerly faid of himfclf) remember me oftner in their Sermons than in their Pray- er^ AMYNTOR. II crs 5 tho' fom of them are apt to fay, that when they mention Turks, Jevps, Infideh, and He- retics , they do not forget nie. But when I am openly accus'd before the greateft Aflembly in the World, the Reprefentative Body of the People of England^ let the Charge be never fo frivo- lous in it felf, or to be flighted on any other Occafion, ytx, fuch a Refped: is due to the Dignity of thofe to whom it was exhibi- ted, that I hold my felf obliged to convince 'em of my Innocence^ and to remove all Sufpicion far from me, of what in its own Na- ture is acknowledged to be Cri- minal, or by them might be repu- ted Indecent. THE Matter of Fa6l is this : On the Thirtieth oi January^ Mn Ofspring Blackhall, who ftiles himfelf Chapla'm in Ordina- nary to His Majefty, Preacht a Ser* mon before the Honorable Houfe 12 AMYNTOR. Houfe of Commons 3 wherein, after exclaiming againft the Au- thor of Milton's Life, for de- nying Icon Bafilike to be the Pro- ducftion of King C h a k. l e s the Fu'ft, he purfues his Accufation in thefe Terms. ' We may ceafe to wonder, fays he, that he fhoLild have the Boldnefs, with- out Proof, and againft Proof, to deny the Authority of this Book, who IS fuch an Infidel as to doubt, and is fhamelefs and im- pudent enough, even in Print, and in a Chriftian Country, pub- hcly to affront our Holy Reli- gion, by declaring his Doubt, that feveral Pieces under the Name of Chrift and his Apoftles (he muft mean thofe now re- ceived by the whole. Chriftian Church, for I know of no o- thcr) are fuppofintious5 tho' thro' the remotcnefs of thofe Ages, the Death of the Perfons concerned, and the decay of o^ ' thcr AMYNTOR. 13 ' ther Monuments which might ' give us true Information, the ' Spurioufnefs thereof is yet un- ' difcover'd. Here is indeed a Charge of a very high Nature, I will not fay in his own mean Language, an impudent and a fhamelefs one 5 tho' if it be not better prov'd, I cannot hinder others from calhng it what they pleafe, or the thing deferves. But ' before I proceed to make Ob- fervations on it, I fhall infert the intire Paifage of my Book, which he has taken the liberty of a- bridging, and fo joining the Words of two widely different AfTertions, as if they were but one. About this little Artifice however I Ihall make no difference with him 5 for I can eafily deter- min our Controverfie, without ufing all the Advantages I might otherwife take. AFTER ftating the Proofs therefore that Dr. G a u d e n, and not 14 AMYNTOR. not King Charles, was the true Author of Icon Bafilike, I added a very natural Obfervati- on in the following Words* ' When I ferioufly conlider hovv^ all this happen'd among our (dvcs within the Compafs of Forty Years, in a time of great Learning and Politenefs, when bothParties fo narrowly watch'd over one anothers Adlions, and what a great Revolution in Civil and Religious Affairs was partly occafion d by the Cre- dit of that Book, I ceafe to wonder any longer how fo ma- ny fuppofititious Pieces under the Name of Christ, his Apo- ftlcs, and other great Perfons, fhould be publiih'd and ap- proved in thofe Primitive pmes, when it was of fo much Impor- tance to have 'em believ'd 5 when the Cheats were too ma- ny on all fides for them to re- proach one another, which yet 'they AMYNTOK 15 * they often did 3 when Com- ' mcrce was not near fo general ' as now, and the w^hole Earth ' entirely over-fpread with the * Darknefs of Superftition. I ^ doubt rather the fpurioufnefs of ' feveral more fuch Books is yet ' Lindifcover'd, thro the remote- ' nefs of thofe Ages, the death ' of the Perfons concerned, and ' the decay of other Monuments, ' which might give us true In- ^ formation. Here then in the fir ft place it is plain, that, I fay, a great many fpurious Books were early fathered on Christ, his Apoftles, and other great Names, part whereof are ftill acknow- ledged to be gcnuin , and the reft to be forg'd, m neither of which Aftertions I could be juftly fup- pos'd to mean any Books of the N, Teftament, as I (hall prefently e- vince. But Mr. Blackhall affirms.. That I muft intend thofe now re- ceivd by the whole Chrifiian Churchy x6 AMYNTOR. Churchy for he knows of no other. A cogent Argument truly ! and clearly proves his Logic to be juft of a Piece with his Read- ing. I admire what this Gentle- man has bin doing fo long at the Univerfity, that he fhould be fuch a great Stranger to thefe things. But now I find a Man may be a very good Divine Without knowing any thing of the Fathers, tho' a Layman is always referred to 'em when he ftarts any Difficulties, which makes him fooner acquiefce and fwallow what he cannot chew than get Information at fo dear a rate. But had Mr. Blackhall been difpos'd to deal ingenuoufly with me, he might fee, without the help of the Fathers, that I did not mean the Books of the New Teftament, when I mention d Suppofititious Pieces under the Name of Christ , fince there is none afcrib'd to him in the whole * Dick Augufliniis (do Confenfu Evangel. I. f , c. 7.) quod 'pik Dominus nihil icripferit, ucaliis de iilo Icribencibus neceiTe ilr cf'^d^re. C ' have ^'^^ttfc. AMYNTOR. 17 •whole Bible 5 nor do we read there that ever he wrote any thing, except once with his Finger on the Joh. 8.; Ground , when he acquitted the Woman taken in Adultery : And, for ought appears to the contra- ry, Mr. Blackhall may deny that to be any Writing, becaufe he knows not what it was 5 yet foju.^ German Divines , as well read as himfclf, have prefum'd to tell us the Contents of it , and came almoft to excommunicating one another in their folemn Di- fputes about this weighty Affain To this Negative Argument from the Silence of the New Teftament, we may add the Poiitive Teftimony of St. AuGusTiN and St. Je- R o M ^ whereof the former affirms, ' That the Lord himfelf wrote ' ^ nothing, which makes it necef- ' fary we Ihould believe thofe w^ho i8 AMYNTOR. ' have written of him : And the latter fays, ' That t our Saviour ' left no Volum of his own Do- ' 6tnn behin(fTiim, as is extra- ' vagantly feign'd in moft of the ' Apochryphal Pieces. NOW to convince all theWorld that I did not intend by thofe Pie- ces the Books of the New Tefta- ment, as well as to fhew the Rafli- nefs and Uncharitablenefs of Mr. Blackhall's Allcrtion , I fhalJ here infert a large Catalogue of Books anciently afcrib'd to J e s u s Christ, his Apoftle^, their Ac- quaintance, Companions, and Con- temporaries. Of thefe fom remain Itill entirely extant, which I Ihall mark in their Places. We have fcvcral Fragments of others pre- ferv'd by the Fathers ; and all that is left us of the rcll are only their I Snlvator nullum volumen dodrnnx fux pro- propriam dereliquir, quod in plerifq; Apochry- phoium deiiranienta confingunc. Hieronym. in Commentar. ad Ezechielis, cap. 44. bare A M Y N T O R. X9 bare Titles. I conftantly refer to the Books wherein they are quoted, that every body may inform him- felf of the Fad:. And after the Catalogue is ended, I (hall diftin- guifh the Books which the Anci- cients alledg'd as the genuin Works of the Apoftles or A- poftolic Men , from thofe that they rejeded as the Forgeries of Heretics 5 which is a good Argu- ment however, that they were re- ceived by fom Party of Christians to countenance their Opinions. Next I defign to name thofe Pie- ces of whofe Spurioufnefs I doubt- ed, tho' their Authority is ftiU re- ceived 5 and fo conclude this Point with fom material Obfervations. C 2 20 AMY NT OR. j4 Catalogue of BooJ^ mention' ed by the Fathery and other Ancient fVnters^ as truly or falfely ajcrif/d to Jesus Q H K I s T bis Afojiles^ and other eminent Ferjons. L Of Books reported to be mitten by CHRIST hi?n[elf, or that fartixularly coiuern him. i> r '¥ 75 Letter ill anfxver to that Jfjl of Abgarus Kiyig of Eclclla. Eulcb. Hili EcckT. 1. i. c. 13. You inav alfo confult Cedreims^ Nicephorus^ Coyiflayitiruis Porphy- rogemietiis in the Manlpulus of Corjibeffius, p. 79, Sec. extant. 2. The Epiflle ofChriJl to Peter and Paul. Aus^udin. contra Fau- • ftum, I. 28. c. 13. 3 . The Parables a7id Sermons of Chrifl. Eufeb. Hift. Eccl. 1. 3. c. 39. 4.^4 AMYNTOR. It 4. A Hymn which Chriji fecretly taught his Apofiles and Difcip/es, Auguftin. Epilt. 253. ad Ccrc- tum Epifcopum. 5. A Boo{,of the Magic of Chrifi^ Auguftin. de confcnfu evangdi- CO, 1. 1, c 9, 10. If It be not the fame with the Epiftle to Fe- ter and Paid. 6. A Boo^ of the Nativity of our Savior , of the Holy Virgin his Mother^ and her Midwife. Gcla- fius apud Gratianum, Dccret. i, part. Dift. i $• c. 3. But I believe this is the Icime with the Gofpel of Ja7?ies 3 whereof in its due Order. IL MART. » 1. An Epijile to Ignatius: Which IS now extant among his Works. 2. Another Epifile to the Inhabitants of Mcilma : To be read among the fame Ignatius ^^oxks. 3. A 22 AMYNTOR. 5. A Book, of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Ufually publiflid with St. Jeromeh Works. 4. Another Baok^ about the Death of Mary, is faid by Lamhecius to ly unpublifli'd in the Emperor's Li- brary, T. 4.p. 131. 5. We fhall not infift on the Book, of Mary concerning the Miracles of Chriji^ and the Rir^g of King Solomon. III. P ETER. 1 . The Gof-pel of Peter. Origen. T. 1 1. Comment, in Mat. Hieron. in Catalog. Scriptor. Ecclef. c. i. Eufeb. Hift. Ecckf. 1. 3. c.3, 25. Idcm,l. 6. c. 12. 2. The Aas of Peter: Eufeb. Hift. Ecclef. 1.3. C.3. Hieronym. in Catalogo. Origen. Tom- 21. . Comment, in Joan. Ifidorus Pe- lufiota, 1. 2. Epift. 5^9. 3. The Reve^ionofFctcr. Clem. Alex. inEptom. Thcodot. Eu- feb* AMYNTOR. 23 feb. Hift. Ecclef. 1. 3. c. 25. I 6. c 14. Idem, I. 3. c. 3. Hieron. in Catalago, c. i. Zozomen. Hift. Ecclef. J. 7.C. i^. 4. The Epftle of Peter to Clemens, is ftjll fhewn in the JEthiopic Language by the Eaftern Chri- ftians- Tihiiont, Hift. Ecclef. Tom. I. part. 2. pag. 4^7. And he has it from Cotelerius. The Epftle of Clemens to James, is publilh'd in the Clementines. 5. The Do^rhie of Peter. Origen, inpr^fat. ad hbros jrincipiorum Gregor. Nazian. epift. 1 6. Ell- as Levita in notis ad Nazianzeni Orationem ad civcs trcpidantes. 6> The preaching of Peter (if it be not the fame with his Dodlrin) Origen. Tom. 1 4. in Joan. Idem, in prsefat. ad Libros principio- rum. Clem. Alex. Stromat. 1. i. & 1. 6, 6cc. Lacflant. I.4.C. 21. Autor libri de baptifmo H^rcti- corum inter opera Cypriani, Joan. Damafcen.1.2. parallel, c.i 6. C 4 8.Th 24 AMYNTOR. 7. The Liturgy of Pctcr, publifh'd hy Lindanus at Atitrrerp in -the Year 1588, aiid at Paris ^ Anno 8. The Itiyierary^ or Journys of Pe- ter ( mention d by Epiphanius, Harref. 30. n. 15- and by Atha- nafius m his Synopfis of the Scri- ptures 3) I beheve to be the fame with the . Recognitions of St. Clement ftill extant , wherein we have a very particular Account of Peter\ Voyages and Perfor- mances. p. The Judgvieiit of Peter. Hie- ronym. in Catalogo, c. i . iv. ANDREW. *, 1 . The Gofpel of St, Andrew, Ge^ laflus in Decreto, &c. 2. The A^s of St. Andicw. Eufeb, Hift. Ecclef.l. 3. c. 25. Epiphan. Ha^ref. 47. n. i. Item, 61^ 6^, 47. Philaftrius in Ha^ref. 8. Gelafius m decreto 3 & Turri- bius AMYNTOR. 25 bius Afturiccnfis apud Pafchafi- um Qiiefnerum inter epiftolas Lconis magni, p. 45^. V. JAMES. I. The Gohjdof St. James, tr his Protoevangelion. Origen, Tom. 1 1. Comment, in Mat. Epiphan. H^ref. 30. n. 23. 'Euftathius An- tiochen. Comment, in Hexae- mer. Epiphanius monachus in notis Allatii ad Euftathium. Multa ex hoc Evangelio mutu- afTe Gregormm NyfTenum, taci- to Jacobi nomine, monet Alia- tius ibid. This Book is now in Manufcript in the Library of Vienna^ as is faid by Lambecius^ 1. 5. p. 130. Father Simon fays, he has iccn two Manufcript Co- pies of it in the King of France's Library. Nouvelles Observati- ons^ dsc. p. 4. It was printed by Neander and alfo by Grynczus in the firft Volum of his Orthodoxo- graphs, 2, The 26 AMYNTOR. 2. The Liturgy of St. James is printed in the fecond Tome of the Bibliotheca ^atrum^ at Paris^ Anno 1^24. 5. We mentjon'd before The Boo^ of St. ]2imcs concerning the Death of the Virgin Mary 3 but there want not Reafons to believe John, and not James, to be the Author of it. VL JOHN. 1. The A^s of St. John. Eufeb. Hift. Ecclef. 1. 3. c. 25. Epiphan. 'Ha^ref. 47. n. i. Auguftin. 1. i. contra adverfarios legis & pro- phetarum. Turribii Scriptum inter Epiftolas Leonis magni 3 & Phot, in codice 22^. 2. Another Gofpdo( John. Epiph. Hseref. 50. n. 23. 3. The Itinerary^ or Voyages of St. John. Gelafius in decreto. 4. The Liturgy of St. John. It was together with fcveral others printed AMYNTOK 27 printed in Syriac at Rome. See Father Sivion m\{\s Supplement to Leo of Modena. 5. We fpoke twice before of St. John or St.Jamei^ Book^ahout the Death of the Virgin Mary. 6. The Traditions of Sv John. Eufeb. Hift. Ecclef. 1. 5. cult* VII. PHILIP. 1. The Gofpel of St. Philip. Epiphan, H^ref. 26. n. 13. Timotheus Presbyter a Combefifio editus in tomo fccundo Auduarii, 2. The A£is of St. Philip. Gelafius in Deceto. VIII. BARTHOLOMEW. 2. The Gofpel of St. Bartholomew, Hieronym. in prolegom. Com. in Mat. Dionyfius Areopagita de Myftica Theologia, cap. i* IX. THO^ 2$ AMYNTOR. IX THOMAS. 1. The Gofpel of St. Thomas. Origen. in Homil. ad Luc. Eufeb. Hift. Ecclef. L 3. c. 25. Nicephor. m Stichometria. Ambrof. in Com- ment, ad Luc. Augullin. contra Fauftum, 1. 12. c. 7^. Cyril. Hie- rofolym. Catech. 4. 6. Gelafius in decreto. 2. The A5is of St. Thomas. Epiphan. Ha^ref. 47. n. I . Idem, Ha^ref. (^i. n. I . Auguftin. contra Adimant. Idem, 1. I. de fermone Dei. Idem, contra Fauftum, 1. 22. c. 7p. 3. The Revelations of S. Thomas. Gelafius in Decreto. 4. The Itinerary of St. Thomas* Ge- lafius in Decreto. Nicephor. in Stichometria. 5. The Book^of the hifayicy of Chrift by St. Thoma6^ Epiphan. Harfef. 34. n. 18. Nicephor. in Stichometria. Gelaf. ia Decreto. Lambecius fays, A M Y N T O R, 2^ fays, that this Book Hcs in Ma^ nufcript in the Liht^ry ofVienna^ Tom- 7. p. 20. Father Simon writes that there is a Manu- fcript Copy of it in the French King's Library 3 Nouvelles Ob- fervatiofis, (s'c. It was printed two Years fince in Latin^ and Arabic with learned Notes by Mr. Syke at Vtrecht. ^.MATTHEW. I. The Liturgy of St. Matthew- Tom. *27. Bibliotheca^ Patrum Lugdu- nenfis. Natalis Alex, in fa^culo i. part I. c II. art. i. Gerardus, torn. I . Conf CathoJ. There is alfo a Liturgy attributed to St. Markj XL THADVMVS. i . Tl)e Gofpel of St. Thacfc/aus. Ge- lafius ill Decreto. XIL 30 AMYNTOR. XII. MATTHIAS. 1. The Gofpel of St. Matthias. Orp gen. Homil i. in Luc. Eufeb. Hift. Eccles. I. 3. c. 25. Hiero- nym. in prokgom. ad Comment- in Mat. Ambrof^ in Comment* ad Luc. Gelaf. in Decreto. 2. The Traditions of St. Matthias. Clem. Alex. Stromat. L 7. XIIL PAVL I. The AHs of St. FauL Origen. 1. I. c. 2.dePrincipiis-Idem, tom* 2 1 . in Joan. Eufeb. 1. 3 . c. 3 * Hift. Ecclef. c.25.Philaftrius,H2eref.88. 2* The A^s of Paul and The da. Tertullian. de Baptifmo. c. 17. Hieronym. de Script. Ecclef, in Paulo & Luca. Auguftin. 1. 30. contra Fauftum, c: 4. Gelafius in Decreto. Nuper Editus eft hie Liber Oxonii. Epiphan. Hceref. 78. n. I ^.Extant. 3* The AMYNTOR. 31 3. The Epiftle of Faul to the Laodi' ceans, TertuUian adverfus Mar- cion. I. 5. c. 17. Hieronym. in Catalogo, C5. Philaftr. inH;3eref. 885Theocloret. torn. 8. H^ref. 47. n. 9. & alibi. Legatur cii- am Theophyladtus. extant. 4. A third Epftle of Paul to the Thejfalonians. 2 Thef. 2. 2. 5. A third Epftle to the Corinthians^ and a fecond to the Ephefians. 1 Cor, 5. p. Ephef. 3.3. 6. The Epiftles of Paul to Seneca^ with thofe of Seneca to PauL Hieronym. in Catalogo, c. 12. Auguftin. de Civitate Dei, L 6. c. 10. Idem, in Epift, 54. adiMa- cedonium. extant. 7. The Revelation of St, Paul. Epi- phan. Haeref. 38. n. 2. Zozomen, Hift. Ecclef. 1. 7. c. i^. Auguftin. Trad:. ^8. in Joan. Theophyladt. in Schol- ad 2- ad Corinth- Mic Glycas. annal part 2. Gelaf. m Decreto. Zozomen- Hift^ Ecclef 1-7. c-i^ S'The 32 AMYNTOR. 8, The Preachifjg of St^ Paul Clem- Alex- Stromat. I 6- Ladranc I 4' c. 2 1 . Autor ctiam Anonymus de non iterando Baptifmo, a Rigal- do in obfcrvationibus ad Cypn- anum infcrtus- p. Saint PauV s Narrative concerning the charming of Vipers^ reveal' d to him by St. Michael in a Dream. Lambecim fays, that there is now a Manufcript of this Book in the Library o{ Vienna^ Tom. 5. 10. The Anabaticon of Saint Faul^ wherein he relates what he faw when he was fnatchd up into the third Heavens- Epiphan- Hxrei! 58. n- 2. 1 1 . Som would infer from his own Words, that he wrote a Gofpel 5 In the day, fays he, when God /hall judge the Secrets of Men by Chrift Jefus according to my GofpcL Rom- 2- 1 6' XIV. Of AMY NT OR. 33 XIV. Of the Gofpeh of Judas Ifcv riot, of Eve, and Abraham, ^o I. That none of the Apoftlcs might be thought unable to write a Go- fpel we find one allcdg'd by the ■^^aianites, a Sedt of the Gnojiics, under the Name of Judas Jfcari- 0/. Epiphan, Ha^ref. 38. Theodo- rct. 1. I. de jHxret. Fabul c. I ^. 2- Nor ihould we wonder at Ju- dass being an Author, when.- we read of the Prophetical Golpel of > Eve , whom the Gnoftics recko- ned a Patronefs of their Opinions, and to have received. cx^fraordi- narv Kndwledg and- Light in her Conference with the Serpent* Epiphan- H^ref. 2<^. n. 2: J. Th: Serhiavs, another' fott of G?iofiics , fnew'd a7i Apocaliffe tivder the Name of the Patriarch Abraham 3 not to mention his learned Pieces of Aftrolog7, ^^or thc'Books oiAdam bclicv'd by the D Jews. 34 AMYNTOR. Jews. Epiphan- Haeref- 30. n. 16". Ifidor. Pelufiot 1- 2. Epift. -95^. 4- The Prophecy of Enochs which St. Juc/e quotes, is for the moft part ftill extant, and was behev'd to be Genuin by feveral Fathers, who alledg it in defence of the Chrifti- an Rchgion- Origen. contra fcelf. . I. 5. Idem dePrincipiis- TertuHi- an. de habitu Muliebri, c 3,&c- 5. The Tejlament of the twelve Pa- triarchs^ the AjJuvipio7i of Mofes, the Boo/^ of EUad and Med ad, the ^falms of Ki?ig Solo?7i07i, the Reve- I at ion of Zachary^ and the Vifion of Ifaiah 5 but I forget that I am . recitmg the fpurious Books of the Chriftians, and not of the Jews, who, when there's occasi- on, will afford as large a Cata- logue- XV' Of A M Y N T O R, ^§ XV. Of the Gofpels of the Hebrews a/ia fhe Egyptians, with fom general Pieces. 1. The Go/pel of the twelve Apojiles. Origen HoQiil. i- in Luc. Am- brof. in Proc^m. Commcntar. in Luc. Thcophyladt. Comment, m cap. I. V. I- fccundum Lucam^ &CC' But this Piece was, I believe. Originally the fame with 2. The Gofpel of the Hebrews- Ignat; in Epift. ad Smyrna:os-Clem.Alex 1. i.Scromat. Origen. tradt. 8- in Matt. Idem, Homil. 14. m Je- rem. & in Comment, ad Joan. Epiphan. Hoercf- 30. n. 15, 22, &c. Hieronym. in Catalogo Script- Ecclcf. c 4. & alibi Paf- fim. This Gofpel fcveral have maintained to be the Original of St. Matthew- 3- The Gofpel of the Egypia?is, Clem^ Rom- Epift. 2- ad Corinth- c 12. Clem. Alex- I 3-Stromat-Id-ibid. D 2 Ori^ ^6 AMYNTOR. Origen. HomiL in Luc. Epi- phan. Ha:rcf. <^2.n-2- 4- Jl^e Apo/i/es Creeds tho' of late Years it begins to be call'd in qiicftion. 5. Tbe DoHri?ie and Co7?Jlitution of the ApjlkS' Eufcb. Hiii Ecclcf. r I- 3* ^- 2 5- Athanaf. in Synopfi. Epiphan. Harrcf. 80. n. 7. 45. n. 5. 70- n- 10. 75. n. 6. Idem in Compcndiaria fidci cxpofitibnc, n- 22. Incertus dc Aleatonbus inter Scnpta Cypriani- There arc Ai^cc;)^) and Aij^ao-Jtc^A/at, or Do- cflrines, both attributed to every one of the Apoftles fingly, and alfo to their Companions and jmaicdiat Succellors, too long to (v-infert particularly. Thefc Do- clnns ■'vi ere bound with the o- thcr Books of the New Tefta- ment, as appears by che Sticho- inetry of Nt'cphorus and Avajia- fins 5 thcV it was not always pre- tended, that they were Onginal Pieces, but rather CollcCl:ionsGf what A MY NT OR. 57 what the Companions and Sue ceflbrs of the Aportles either heard, or pretended to hear from their own Mouths- 6' We need not produce our Au- thorities for the Caiioyn and Coii- ftitutions of the Apofi/es, fince fo many learned Members of the Church of £;/^/^;/^ have written large Volums to prove 'em ge- nu in. . 7. The Precepts of Peter anc/ Paul. This Book lies in Manufcript in the Great Duke's Library in f/o- rence ^ if we believe Liidoviciis Jacobus a Sancfto Carolo m his Bi* bhotheca Pontificia, 1. i. pag. 177. 8. The prefent Cophtic Chriftians have a Book of Docftrins, which they believe was compose! by the twelve Apoftles, with the Afliftance of St- Paul, &c, p. TheGofpelof ^erfeilmi^ Epiphan, H^rref, 26, n- x. P 3 10. The 38 A MYNTOR. 10. The Acts of all the A-pofiles^miU ten hy the/nfelves, Eoiphan. Hx- r^f. 30. n. 16' Ifidor. Pcluf. 1. 2. cpift. ^9' VaradatLis in epifl:. ad Lconem Imp- Tom- 4- Concil. Labb^i- col 5^78- Jo- Mala/ a. Chronograph. 1- x. 11. The Itinerary of all the Apoji/es^ as well as ot every one of V:m fingly, was formerly cxtanr. XVI. Of the Writings of the Difci- cifles and Companions of the Apofiles- O F the Books afcnb'd to the Difcipks and Companions of the Apoftles, and whxh are ftiU extant, fom are thought genuin and of great Authority at this time : Every one were approved at (orr. time, or by fom Party : And yet I am of Opinion , that it is the ea- jfieft Task m th^ World (next to that of iliewin^ the la-norance and Supcritition of the Writers) to prove AMYNTOR. j5> prove them all Spurious, and frau' dulently imposed on the Credulous- Thofe I mean, are the Epiftles of Clemens Romanus to the Corinthians^ his Recognitions^ Deaetals, and o- ther Pieces bearing his Name : AH the Epiftles of Ignatius 5 the Epiftle of Poly car fits to the ^hilippians^ with his other Writings 5 The Adts / of the Martyrdom of Ignatius and | ^olycarpus 5 The Paftor of Her- mas '^Thc Epiftle of Barnabas 3 The Works of Dionyfiu6 the Areopagite 5 The Epiftle of MarceUus,, Jeter's DifcipIe,to Nereu6 and Achilleus^ and his Treatife of the Conflid: of Te- ter and Si??ion Magiis 3 The Life of S;iint: John, by Trochorus ^ The Pe- tition of Ferto/V^ to Herod on the behalf of C h r i s x 3 The Paflion o( Timothy by foly crates -^ The Paf jfions of ^eter and ^aul m two Books by Linus 3 The two Epiftles o[ Martial of Limoufin, and the Life of the fame by Aurelianus 3 The Gofpel of Nicodemus 5 The Hifto- D 4 r J 40 A M Y N T O R. xy of the Apoftolical Conflidl by Ahclia>, \vho isfaid to be appointed firll Bilhop of Babylo7i by the Apo- illes 5 The Padion of Saint Andrew written by the Presbyters of ^r/;^/^ 3 The Epiftle of Evodim, entituFd the Light 5 the Altercation of Ja- fon and Tafijcus 5 The Acl:s of Ti- tus composed by Zeva, St. Paul's Companion, with a multitude of other Adts and Pallions. The Go- fpel of Barnabas, the Revelation of Stephen, the Pa^ion of Barnabas, and the Epirtles of Jofeph the Ari- mathean to the Brit07is are quite loft 3 and were they extant, would probably appear to be as foolilli and fcibulous as the reft. XVII. Of Pieces alledgd in favar of Chrijiianity , which were forgci underthe Name of Heathens, ' J. The Works o( Trifmegiftus and ^ Af ckp ins. cxt:\nt, t* 2» i it? AMYNTOR. 41 2. The Books of Zoroafier and //y- Jiafpes. 5. The Sibylliri Oracles cited fo fre- quently, and with fiich Autho- rity by the Primitive Fathers, that ^ Celfus takes cccafion from thence to nick-name the Chrifli- ans Sibyllifis. extant, 4. The Letter of Pontius Pilat to Tiherhis^ with the Speech of TV- htriits to the Senat. extant. 5- The Epiftlc of Lentuhs^ giving a Defcription of the Perfon of CHR.1ST. extant. 6. The Epiftles or Orders of A- drian^ Aiitonimis ^ius^ and Mar- ais Aiirelius ^ in favor of the Chriftians. extant in Jufiin Martyr^ &c. &c. &C; * Origen. cpntr. Celf 1, j. HERE'S 42 AMYNTOR. H E R FS a long Lift for Mr. Blackhall, who, \\s probable, will not think the more meanly of him- felf for being unacquainted with thefe Pieces 5 nor, if that were all, fhould I be forward to think the worfe of him on this Account : but I think he is to blame for denying that there were any fuch, becaufe he knew nothing of 'em 5 much lefs ihould he infer from thence, that I deny'd the Scriptures 3 which Scandal however, becaufe manifell- ly proceeding from Ignorance, I heartily forgive him, as every good Chriftian ought to do. T O explain now therefore the feveral Mem.bers of the Pallage in Milton's Life : In the firft place, by the fpurious Pieces I meant, tho' not all, yet a good parcel ol thofc Books in the Catalogue, which I am perfuadcd were partly forg'd by fom more zealous than difcreet Chrillians, to fupply the brevity of the AMY NT OR. 43 the Apoftolic Memoirs 5 partly by dciigning Men to fupport their pri- vat Opinions, which they hop'd to efte(5l by virtue of fuch refpedted Authorities : And fom of 'em, I doubt, were invented by Heathens and Jews to impofe on the Cre- duhty of many wel-dipos'd Per- fons, who greedily fwallow'd any Book for Divine Revelation that contained a great many Miracles , mixt with a few good Morals,while their Adverfaries laught in their Sleeves all the while, to fee their Tricks fucceed, and were rivetted in their ancient Prejudices by the greater Superftition of inch Enthu- fiafts. IN the fecond place, by the Books of whofe Spurioufnefs I faid the World was not yet convinced, tho' in my privat Opinion I could not think 'em genuin, I meant thofe of the other great Perfons,or the fup- pos'd Writings of certain Apoftolic Men (as they call 'em) which are at 44 A M Y N T O R. at this prefent, as well as in an- cient times, read with extraordina- ry Veneration. And they are the Epiftle of 'Barnabas, the Paftor of Hekmas, the Epiftle of Polycarpus to the Thi/ippians, the firft Epiftle of Clemens Romanus to the Corin- thia?is, and the feven Epiftles of Ignatius. Thefe are generally re- ceived in the Church of Rome, and alfo by moft Proteftants 3 but thofe of the Church o( Engla?ic/h:xyc par- ticularly fignaliz'd themfelves in their Defence, and by publifhing the corredieft Impreflions of them. The Ancients paid them the higheft Refped:, and reckoned the firft four of 'em efpecially^as good as any part of the New Teftament. The Epi- ftle of Barnabas is by ^ Clemens ALEXANDRiNus,and Origen, not only reckon'd genuin, but cited as Scrip- ture 5 tho' he fays in exprefs Terms, That the Apofiles, before their Con- verfioity were the greateft Simiers in "^ ;5;ro:Tiic.l.2 .dc f.Contra C;ll.l.i.de Princp. l-s- A M Y N T O R, 45 Nature 5 which, if bdiev'd, would rob us of an Argument wc draw from their Integrity and Simplici- ty againft Infidels, to fay nothing now of the many other ridiculous Palfages in Barnabas. The Paftor, or VifionSjPrecepts, and Similitudes of Hhrmas (who is fuppos'd to be the Perfon mentioned by Paul in his Epiftle to the Romans) is cited as Canonical Scripture by ^ Iren^e- us, Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, and others, and was for fuch re- ceived by feveral Churches, tho' I think it the filly eft Book in the World. The Epiftle of Polycar- pus (the fupposd Difciple of St. John) was read in the Churches of Afia, and is quoted by f Iren^us, EusEBius and others. The Epiftle of Clemens RoMANUs(whom they would have to be the fame that's mention d by Paul in his Epiftle to t he ^/;i - * Adverl! H^ref, 1. 4. c. 3 Stromar. 1.1.2.4.5. pn'ncip. 1. I. c. 5. 1. 2. C.I. Hoir.il. 10. in Hoi. 8c al bi paffim. t L. i. contr. Harref Eufeb. Hift". Ecclei! 1.4. c. J 4. Phot. cod. \26. lippians) 4^ AMYNTOR. lippans) is cited by ^ kEN^ns^ Clemens Alexanrinus, Origen^ Eu- SEBius, and others. The Epiftles of // Ignatius are quoted by t Ik-en^us^ ^^ EusFBius, with feveral more 3 but particularly by ^Origen, who fays, that in one of 'em he found it ve- ry elegantly written, That the Vir- ginity of iMaky was a Secret to the Devil '^ which '\ Virginity ^ with her Delivery^ and the Death of our Lord^ Ignatius fays^ were Three famous Myfieries wrought in the Silence of I God. The(e Words may be now read in the Epjllle of Ignatius to the Ephefians. Now thefe are the Books of whofc Genuinnefs and Authority I took the Liberty to doubt, notwithiianding the better Opinion w^hich is entertain d of 'em by others. My prefent Bufincfs is *CorjC(A Ha:rei. 1. 3. c. ;. Srromat. I. f,4, 5, 6. DePrincip. 1. ^. Hii}. Eccler I. 3. c 16^ ;6. I. 4. c. 12, 23. t Contra IL-crei; 1, 5. c. 18. HiiV. Ec'Je{!l. ;. c. ^6. "^ Homi!. 6. in Luc. 1^0 Tl-AJcTDi CWVi^i OUOICO^ }(^0 ^VAT&T^ KUtli!, 7^1^ l^Vg}^' '-•'/ KfdJjyTii AVVcL iv U^J^:f. &zi i'i3/>ciL')(_^. Ep. ad Ephej. not AMYNTOR. 47 not to infill: on this Subjed:, but to clear my lelf of an Imputation, which I thought no body could infer from my Words. Yet fince many were icfs knowing than I imagined, tho' Mr. Blackhall alone has the Candor of publifhing his Weaknefs to the World,! afllire 'cm all that I alluded to thefe Books 5 and I hope they will be juft enough in allowing me beft to explain my own meaning, and prove fo ten- der of their own Reputation, as to confider well of it, before they cenfurc me another time. BUT tho' I will not, as I faid, enter now into a particular Dif- cuflion of thefe Writings, yet I fhall offer one thing to the Confi- deration of their Defenders. Either they really believe the Epiftles of Barnabas and Clemens (for Exam- ple) to be theirs, or to be fuppo- fititious- If not theirs , there's a fpeedy end of the Difputc , and I have attaind my End without more 48 ' AMYNTOR. more Argumentation. But if they think 'em genuin, w hy do they not receive 'em into the Canon of Scriptures, fmce they were the Com- panions and Fellow laborers of the Apoftlcs, as well as St. Mark or St. Luke ? If this Qtiality was fuffici- cnt to entitle the two laft to Infpi- ration, why fhould it not do as much for the two firll ? And if this be not all the Reafon, pray let us Icnow the true one, having never heard of any other- To fay, that tho' the Books are authentic, yet they ought not to be received now into the Canon, becaufe the An- cients did not think fit to approve 'em, is but a mere Evafion : For 'tis well known, that till after Eu- sFBius's time, neither the fccond E- piftle of PETER,nor thatofJ-^^M^s, or / J u D E, with (bm others , were I approved as Canonical 5 and yet ^ they were afterwards received by the whole Church, Wherefore then may not we as well at this time e- ftabliOi A M Y N T O R, 4^ ftablilli the Epiftlcs of Clemens and Barnabas , jf they be undoubtedly theirs,whichl fliall be perfuadcd their Patrons behcve, when they quote 'em as Scripture, and then I know where to have them, and hpw to deal with 'em. But of this enough. I SAID above, that by the fpii- rious Pieces I meant only a great part of the Books which are recited n\ the Catalogue ^ for others of 'em do not feem to deferve fo mean a P^ank : and I am io far from rejecting alhhofrBooks of the New Tellament which we now re- ceive, that I am rather folicitous left, as in 'the dark Ages of Pope- ry^thofe we commonly call Apochry- phal Books, were added to the Bi- ble, fo at the famx time, and in as ignorant Ages before, feveral o- thers might be taken away , for not fuiting ail the Opinions of the ftrongeft Party. Nor is it unworthy obfervation, that moft of thefe Books are condemn d by the Decree E of 2>:^ 50 AMYNTOR. of Pope Gelasius. How manytme and fpuriousGofpcls or Hiftoncs of CniiiST were extant iiiSt.LuKE's time, God knows 3 but that there were fcveral may be evidently infer'd fiom his own Words, who tells Luc.i.r, Thlophlus, that many had under- taken ihc fame Work before him, and, as if he alluded to fom fpuri- ous Relations, aiTures him, that he'll write nothing but what he re- ceived from fuch as had a perfecft knov/ledg of thofe Matters from the beginning. That there fhould be firft and laft, but juft the num- ber of Four, I never heard of any that went about to dcmonftrat, ex- ^ cept Iken^us the fam'dSuccefTorof * the Aroftles ; and he pofitively '^ af ■^ ii^uma t< vera cit noltrade illis oftcnrio ; Nequeau- tcm plura nu'-ncro qiiam hxc I'unr, ncquc rurfus, pando- ra cnp-r cfTe Evangelia. Qnoniam enim quatuor regiones mundi funn in quo fumiiSj&c quatuor principalcsSpirirus, 8c dilTeminara elt Ecclcfi:^ luper omnem tcrram ; colnm- na autem &c firn amenium Ecclefiae dt Evangdium 8c fpirirus vi'-oe ; confcqucns dl quaruor habere eain colum- nas undique flantes incorraptibiliratem,&:vivificantes ho- mines. — His igiterfic fehabcnribus vani omncs 8c indo- (iti, 8< iniuper audaces, qui frnftraniur Tpccicm Evange- lii : 8c vel piures quam didVae fant, vel rurfus paudorcs inrerunt pcrfonas Evangdii. Adverfiis Haref. 1. 3. 1 1. firms. AMYNTOR. sf firms, that there cannot be more, nor fewer than Four Gofpels : ' For, fays he, ' there be Four Regions of ' this World wherein we Hve, with ^ Four principal Winds, and the ' Church is- fpread over all the J. ' Earth : But the Support and * ^Foundation of the Church is the ' Gofpel, and the Spirit of JLife i ' Therefore it mull: follow^that it has ' Four Pillars,blQWing Incorruptible ' lity on all fides, and giving Life ' to Men. Then he corroborats his Argument from the Four Che- rubims, and the Four Faces in Eze- iciEi^'s Vifion, to wit, of a Lyon, Ezek;6o an Ox , a Man, and an Eagle 5 6» 'o- which is the Reafon, by the way, why the Four Evangelifts are paint- ed with thcfe Emblems in the Mafs- Book and in our Common Pray'r- Book. So he concludes at laft. That ' they are all vain, unlearn'd, and im- ' pudent, who after this would affert, ' that there were m.ore or fewer than ' 4 Gofpels. Where we mayobferve, E 2 that 52 AMYNTOR. that Mr. Blackhall has the War- rant of an ancient Father lor gi- ving hard Names to fuch as con- temn precarious Reafoning : And irdeed it is but too rpaniteft to be d^ny'd , that ro Order ot Men have more violated the Ruks'of Decency and CiVihty m thcir.Wri- tings, than thofe ^h.k Bulinefs it is to teach ethers JModera- tion, Patience, and lorgiveiufs ; nor was there ever any Caufe more defended by the Dint ot Ca umny than that of Rehgion, which lealt needed it of any other. SEVERAL of thefe Books where- of I now treat, are quoted to prove importantPomts ot theChrillianRe- ligion by the mod celebrated Fa- thers, as of equal Authority with thofe we now receive ; and the Tcftu-nony of thefe Fathers was the principal ' Reafon of eitabliiliing thefe in our prcfent Cannon, and is ftili allcdg'd to that purpofe by all that write m ddciicc ot the Scrip- tuies. A MY NT OR. 53 turcs. Of To much weight is this Teftimony, that Eusebius * rejefts the Ads, Gofpel, Preaching, aid Revebtion of PfxER from beng Authentic, for no other Reafon, but becaufc no Ancient or ModcrnWri- ter (fays he) has quoted Proofs out of them. But herein l:ns£Bius was miftaken ; for the contrary ap- pears by the Tefnmonics markt in -y^j the Catalogue, and which any bo- dy may compare with the Origi- nals. In another place he t fiys. That the Gofpels of Pstfr, Tho- mas, Matthies, and fuch hke, with the Acts of As'DKEw, John, and the other Apoftles are fpurious , be- caufe no Eccleiiailic Writer fi'cm H//?. i.ccU\'. /. 3''- 3- ^ > , , < r » 54 AMYNTOR. the time of the Apoftlcs down to his own, has vouchfaf'd to quote thcQi, which IS abfolutely falfe of foni, as we have already fhewn. So that Mi\ Blackhall is not the only Man, I find, who makes his own Reading the Meafure of all Truth, anda Thoufand to Ow^ but now he juftifies this Praclice, fince he can prove it from Antiquity, and he has got the Authority of {o great a Father on hi" fide. Had EusEBius found any of thcfe Pie- ces cited by the precedent Ortho- dox Writers, he would have own'd them as the genuin Productions of the Apoftles, and admitted them (as v/e lay) into the Canon 3 but having met no fuch Citations, he prefentfy concluded there were none, yv hich made him rejed: thofe Books : And, I fay, what I have already demonftrated, that Proofs were quoted out of fom of 'em Ibiig before, fo that they might ftill belong to the Canon for all EUSFBIIIS. TO. AMYNTOR. 55 TO thcfcConfidcrations twoOb- jeclions may perhaps be made. Fiift, It IS unlikely, they 11 fay, that Eu- sEBius Ihoiild not have read the Ancients 5 nay, that the contrary appears by his many Citations out of them 5 and that confcquently thofe Works of the Fathers, which 1 we have now in our Hands, are I not the fame which were react in f his time, or that at leaft they are ^ ftrangely adulterated , and full of . Interpolations. With all my Heart: '[ But then let us not be ure^'d by their Authority m other "Joints no more than in this , fince m one thing they may as well be altered and corrupted as in another 3 and indeed , by a common Rule of Equity (being found chang'd m fom places) they ought to be fo re- puted in all the reil, till the con- trary be evidently prov'd. THE fecond 01)jed:ion is, That altho' thefe Pieces have bin acknowledged to be the WritingT E 4 0/ 5^ AMYNTOR. of thofe Afoftlcs whofe Names they bear, at certain times, and in fom Churches, yet they v/ere ex- prcfly rejetled by others. To this I anfwer, That there is not one i fingle Book in the New Tefta- \ ment which was not refus 'd by I fom cf the Ancients as unjuftly f fathered upon the Apoftles, and really forg'd by their Adverfli- ries 5 which as no body thinks it now a good Reafon to diflip- prove them, fo I fee not how it fhould any more conclude againft my Opinion. But becaufe the various Sects of thofe early Days did, like us, condemn one another for damnable Heretics 5 and the admitting or refufing, the framing or corrupting of certain Books, were fom of the Crimes which were mutually imputed, I fliall now infift only on the Epi- file to the Hebrews, that of James, the fecond of Peteh, the fecond znd ibird of John, the Epiflle T AMYNTOR. 57 of TuDE , and the Revelation. Thcfe fevcn Pieces were a long time plainly doub- ^ . , ... If I >^ A • ' Let the third ted by the "^ AnCl- and twenty fidt ents , particularly Chapters of the Ec- by thofe whom t^^StS^ we cfteem the fulted.withwhatSr. foundeft part ; and .^^'"^ has written , ^ on tne lame Subied:. yet they are re- ceived / (not without convincing Arguments ) by the Moderns. Now, I fay, by more than a Pa- rity of Reafon, that the Preaching and Revelation of Peter (for Ex^ ample) were received by the An- cients, and ought not therefore to be rejedied by the Moderns, if the Approbation of the Fathers be a proper Recommendation of any Books. THE Council of Laoc/icea, which was held about three hun- dred and fixty Years after Cheiist, and is the firft AiTcmbly wherein the Canon of Scripture was efta- blifht, could not among fo great a ¥4- ^8 AMYNTOR. variety of Books as were then a- broad in the World, certainly de- termin which were the true Mo- numents of the Apoftles, but ei- ther by a particular Revelation from Heaven, or by crediting the Tcftimony of their Anceftors , which w^as always better preferv'd and conveyed by Writing than by Oral Tradition, the moft uncer- tain Rule m Nature , witnefs the monftrcus Fables of Papifts, Rabbins, Turks, and the Eaftern Nations both Chriftians and Ido- laters. But of any extraordinary Revelation made to this Coun- cil we hear not a Word 5 and for the Books I defend, I have the fame Teftimony which is ufually alledg'd in the behalf of others. However, I fhall not be too hafly to make a final Decifion of this Matter v/ith my fclf, leaft I incur the dreadful Curfe which the Au- Rev. 21. thor of the Revelation pronoun- ^^^ vp cQo againfl fuch as ihall add or take AMYNT OR. 55 take away from that Book. Let Mr. Blackhall be aflur'd, that if he muft needs have me to be a Here- tic I am not unteachable, tho' I would not have it reputed Obfti- nacy if I Ihould not furrender •without fatisfadory Reafons. In- ftcad therefore of cenfuring and calumniating (which ought not to be reckoned Virtues in any Order of Men, and leaft of all in the Miniflers of the Gofpel) let fuch as are better enlightened endeavor to extncat the Erroneous out of thefe or the like Difficulties, that they may be able to diftinguifh tru- ly, and that in fuch an extraordi- . nary number of Books, all pre- tending equally to a Divine Ori- gin, they may have fom infallible Marks of difcerning the proper Rule,left they unhappily miftake the falfe one for the true. HOW neceffary it is to have the Canon of Scripture fet in its due light, we may learn from the an- 6o A M Y N T O R. Ancient as well as our Modern Un- believers. C E t su s * exclaims a- gainft the too great Liberty which the Chnftians (as if they were drunk, fays he) took of changing the firft writing of the Gofpcl three, or four, or more times, that fo they might deny whatever was iirg'd againft 'em as retraclrcd be- fore. Nay, as low down as St. A u G u s T 1 N 's time, was there not a very confiderable Se6t of the Chnftians themfclves, I mean the Manichdeans, ' who fhcwed other Scriptures, anddcny'd the Geiuiin- nefs'of the whole New Tcftament. One of thefe call'd Faust us, after fliewing that his Adverfaries difipprov'd of feveral things in the Old Teftament, thus purfues his t^iiH isfis T'i i>-hX'^ a,'jS&ai. Oiigen. 1. 2. contra C(;:U tAr- A M Y N T O R. ^i t Argument : ' You think, fays he, that of all Books in the World, thcTeilament of thcSononlycould not be corrupted , that it alone contains nothing which ought to be difallow'd ; efpecially when it appears, that it was neither written by himfclf nor his Apoftles, but a long time after by certain ob- fcure Pcrfons, who, left no Cre- dit fliould be given to the Sto- ries they told of what they ccu!d not know, did prefix to their Writings partly the Names of the Apoftles, and pardy of thofe who fuccceded the Apoftles ; af- firming that what they wrote themfclves was written by thefe : tSiHusfilii putatis teftsmentum non potuiiTe coriumpi ; (o!uni non habere al'quid quod in is dcbeat improh^ri : piKiirtim quo.l nee ab ipfo fcrip'um conftac, n;c ab ejus apoltolis: Jed Ipn- po poil tempore a quibuldam ince'ti nominis viris, qui, ne flbi non haberetur fidts icribenc-bus qua: 'neici. e ir.oartim'^poriol Turn noniina.panim eoiun quiApoltalo> feuci viderentii!,Scripto utn fuorumfroncibusindiUeruiK, alisveranres fecun- WherC' 62 AMYNTOR. ' Wherein they fcem to me (con- ' tinues he) to have bin the more ' hainoufly injurious to the Difci- 'pies of Chrift , by attributing ' to them what they wrote them- * felves fo diflbnant and repugnant5 ' and that they pretended to write ' thofe Gofpels under their Names, * which are fo full of Miftakes, of ' contradictory Relations and Opi- ■' nions, that they are neither cohe- ' rent with themfelves, nor confi- ^ ftent wi^h one another. What \s ^this therefore but to throw a <■ Calumny on good Men, and to fix * the Accufuion of Difcord on the ' Unanimous Society of Christ's ' Difciples ? The fame F a u s t u s dam eos fe fcripfifle qux (cripferint. Qlio magis mihi videntur injuria gravi affecifTs difcipulos Chrifti, quia qua: dilTona iidem & repugnantia fibi fcriberen% ea reterrent ad iplbs, & fecun- dum eos hare fcriberefe promitterentur Evange- lia, qux tantis lint referta erroribus, tar.tis con- trarietacibus narrationum fimul aclententiarum, ut nee fibi prorfbs, nee inter le convenianr. Qtiid ergo aliud eft quam caluniniari bonos, & Chrifti Difcipulorum concordcm coetum ii crimen devo- cire diicordix. At*guft'm. contra Fauft, I. 52. c. 2. a He- AMYNTOR. 6^ a little after accufes his Adverfa- ries, who had Power enough to be counted Orthodox, in thefe ex- prefs Words : ^ 'Many things were foifted hj your Anceftors in- to the Scriptures of our Lord, which, tho' mark'd with his Name, agree not with his Faith. And no wonder, fince, as thofe of our Party have already frequently prov'd, thefe things were neither written by himfelf nor his Apo- ftles : but feveral Matters after their Deceafe were pick'd up froin Stories and flying Re- ports by I know not what Set of WdXi'Jews 3 and thefe not a- greeing among themfelves, who "^ Multa a majoribus veflris eloquiis Domini noftri inferta verba funt, qu^e nornine f^gnata ipllus cum ejus fide non congruunc i prx iertim quia, ut jam fepe probatum a nobis eft, nee ab ipio hsec (unc, nee ab ejus Apoftolis fcri- pta : led multa poft eorum alTumtionem a nefcio quibus, &ip(is inter fenon concordantibcis Sen^i- judseisi per famas opinionefque coaiperca funr. ' ne- ^4 AMYNTOR. ' nevcrthekfs publiihing all thcfe ' Particulars under the Names of ' the Apoftles of the Lord, or of ' thofe that fucceeded them, have ' feign'd their own Lyes and Errors 'to be written according to them. Since therefore the Manichdeans rejededthe whole New Teftament, fince the Ehionites or Nazcire7is^ ( who were the oldeft Chri* ftians) had a diflerent Copy of St. Ma^tthew's Gofpel, and the Marcionites , had a very different one of St. Luke's . fince St. John's was attributed toCFRiNXHus, all the Epiftles of St. Paul were deny'd by fom, a different Co- py of 'em fhewn by others 3 and that the kvcn Pieces we mention d before, were rejeded a long time by all Chriftians, al- Qiii tamen omni.i eadem in Apoftolonim Domi- ni conterentes nomina, vel eorum qui iecufi A' poftolos viderentiir,errores aC mendada fua fs- cundum eos fefcripliffc niencici funt. Auguftin. ibid.l. 55.C. 3. molt A M Y N T O R. ^5 moil with univcrfal Confcnt , it had* niiicB more become Mr. Blackhall's Profcllion to appear better acquainted with thefe things, and comaTiCndably to fpcnd his time m prevcinting theMifchievous Inferences which Heretics may draw from hence, or to remove the Scruples of doubting but fincere Chnltians, than fo pub- hcly to vent his Mahce againft a Man that never injur'd him , and who appears fo little to de- ferve the Imputation of Increduli- ty, that his Fault (if it may be) does rather confift in bdicvihg m.ore Scripture than his Adverfaries. WHAT need had Mr.BLACKHALL to inform that Auguft Affembly how little he knew of the Hifto^ ry of the' Canon ? A Hiftory of the greateft hnportancc , as well as containing the moft curious Enquiries $ and without an exadl Knowledge whereof it is^not con- ceivable that any Man can be fit F ^ to 66 AMYNTOR. to convince Gainfayers, or to dc- monrtrat the Truth of the Chri- fiian Religion, which, I fuppofe he will not think fit to deny is one of the principal Duties of a Minifter. How little focver he knew before, he cannot be ignoraiu any longer that there were a Mul- titude of other Pieces attributed to Christ and his Apoftles, be- fides thofe now^ receiv'd by the whole Chriftian Church. He might at his Leifure have learnt fo much from the Fathers, or at leaft from others that had lludy'd 'em ; fuch as Rivet, Father Simon, Da PiN, IiTTGius, Dr.CAVF, Ernestus Grabius who has lately pub- hfh'd fom of thofe Fragments at Oxford, and feveral others 5 tho' he has occafion'd me to prcfent him now with a much larger Ca- talogue than was publilh'd by a- ny of thcfc. I could add more not there, mentioned , and other' Authorities for thofe which are there : AMYNTOR. ^j there : .but I have already don more than enough to prove a thing, whereof, tiiJ the Jail thirti- eth of January, I thought few Lav- men wholly Ignorant, much Jefs any one of the Clergy. Indeed I never thought the Hillory of our Canon fo impartially handled, or ip fully ckar'd as a Matter of luch great Importance deferves • and I defpair of Mr. Blackhail's giving the World any Satisfadi'on in their Doubts concerning it. But i hope fom abler Perfon of his Or- der may particularly write on this iiibjearj which, iflfcenegleclred alfo by them, I (hall think it no intrufion on their Office to undcr- takeit my kU -. and if I ever write fj.M^romife it (hall be the fairefl tiiitory, and the only one of that n! n 1 .^^''^ appear'd 5 For I ihiili lay all the Matters of Fad together in their natural Order without making the leaft Remark of my own, or giving k a Color in F 2 favor 6% AMYNTOR. favor of any Scd or Opinion , leaving all the Word to judge for th>^mfelves, and to build what they pleafe with thofe Materials I (hall furnifh 'em. ' ■ , I CONCLUDE this Point With one Obfervation, to fliew with what Malice I am treated by fome Peo- ple while others pafs with thtm for the moft Orthodox Men in the World, who have faid infinit- ly more in plain and dired Words, than they could infer with all their Art from a few ExprclTions of mine, and which th« moft ignorant of my Adverfarics could make no more than Infinuation at the worft. I talkt of fpunous Pieces, and have now as well (hewn what thofe Pieces were* as put a Diltin6tion between 'cm, and fuch as I thought ger.uin. ' But' let us hear what a Peifon lays, who, were he as much given to the World as many of his Friends, would make a more coniiderable Figure, coniidermg his great Ser- vices AMYNTOR. 69 vices to the National Church, and the Refpecft he reciprocally re- ceives from it 5 I mean the famous DoDWELL, who alone, tho' a Lay- man, underftands as much of Ec- ckfiaftic Hiftory as the Divines of all Churches put together. His Words are thefe ; * ' The Cano- nical Writings lay conceal'd in the Coffers of privat Churches or P jfons, till the later Times of Trajan ^ or rather perhaps of A- DRiAN 5 fo that they could not com to the Knowledg of the whole Church. :< For if they had bin publiih'd, they wou'd have bin overwhelm'd under fuch a Multitude as were then of Apo- cryphal and l|ppofititious Books, that a new Examination and a * Laticabant uique ad recentiora ilia, feu Tra- )ini, feu etiam tortaf.i Hadriani tempora, in privararum ecclsli.irjm, (eu etiam hominumS.Tl- niis fcripta ilia Canonica, ne ad EcclefixCacho- " lies; notiiiam pervenirent. Auc fi in oublicuoi lortalTi prodiiifent, adhuc tamen tanta Scripro- rum Apocryphorum , Pfiudcpigraphoiun.q.ie 70 AMYNTOR. new Teftimony would be necef- fary to diftinguiih 'cm from thcfe falfc ones. And it is from this New Tcftimony (whereby the ge- nuin Writings of the Apoftles were dirtinguifh'd from the fpuri- ous Pieces which went under their Names^ that depends all the Au- thority which the truly Apoftolic Writings have formerly obtaui'd , or which they have at prefent in the Catholic Church. But this ^ frefh Atteflation of the Canon is ' fubjecl to the fame Inconvenien- ' cies with thofe Traditions of ' the iincient Perfons that I defend, ^and whom laENiEus both heard turba obruebanrur > ut a^Rs internofci non pof- fent, quin novo opas elibc examine, novoque Te- Ainicnio. Ec ab illo novo teftimonio, q iO fa- dual eit ut ab Apocryphis falfoque Apoftolorum nomine infignitis Scripta eorum genuina di- (iinguerentur^ pendet omnis ilia quam deinceps obciaebanr, £: quam hodiequeohcinent in Ec- defu Catholica Scripta vera Apoitolica, Autori- tas. Atqui recentior ilia Canonis atteftatio iif- deni erat incommodis obnoxia, quibus &c ncflra; 5enuai, qucs yidit irena^us audivicque, Tiadj- A M Y N T O R. 7 1 and faw: for it is equally diftant from the Original, and could not be made, except by fuch only as had reacht thofe remote Times. But 'tis very certain, that before the Period I mentioned of Tra- jan's time,the Canon of the Sacred Books was not yet fixt, nor any certain number of Books re- ceived in the Catholic Church, whofe Authority muft ever after ferve to determin Matters of Faith 5 neither were the fpurious Pieces of Heretics yet rejed:ed, nor were the faithful admonifht^ ^^^Xv to beware of them for the future. Likewifethe true Writings of the tiones ; erat enim ilia tanto intervallo ab origi- ne remota, nee plurium effe poterat quam eorum qui etiam remodora ilia tempora atcigefanc. Atqui certe ante illam Epocham, quani dixi Trajani, nondum confticutus eft librorumSacro rum Canon, nee recepcus aliquis in Ecclefia Ca- tholica librorum c-rtus numerus, quos deinda adhibere oporcueric in facris fidei cautis dijudi- candis, nee rejsdi Ha^reticoruin Pfeudepigraphi, nionitive Pideles,ut ab eorum ufu deinde caverenr. Sic ai^cem vera Apoitolorum Scripca cuni F 4 * Apo / 72 AMYNTOR. ' Apoillcsus'd to be fo bound up in one Volum with the Apocryphal, that It was not manifeft by any Mark or pubhc Cenfure of the Church, "which of 'cm Ihould be prcfer'd to the other. We have at this Day certain moft authentic Ecclefiailic Writers of thofe times, as Clemens Roma^nus, Bah^nabas, Hermas, Ignatius, and Polycar- PUS, who wrote in this fame Or- der wherein I have .nam'd 'em, and after all the other Writers of the New Teftament, except JuD£ and the two Johns. But in Hfrma^s you fhall not meet with one Paifage, or any mention of Apochryphis in iifdem Voluminlbus compingi iblebanr, uc nulla prorlus nora auc cenfura Ecdefias piiblica conliarcc qua: quibus eiTent anceterenda. Habemus hodieqae horum rem- poruni Scriptores Ecclellafticos iuculentiflinios. Clementem Romanum, B*rnabam, Hermam , Ignatium, Polycarpum, qui hoc nimirum Icrip- lerinr, quo iiios nominavi ordine, omnes reliquis novi TeftamwHci Sciipcis Cexcepris Juda:, dc joannis utrlaiquej juniof-es. Ac novi Tefta- msnci in Herma m quidem unum locum ia- ' Che AMY NT OR. 73 the New Teftament : Nor in all . the reft is any one of the Evange- / lifts caird by his own Name. \ And if fomtimes they cite any \ Paftages hke thoFe we read in our \ Gofpcls, yet you'll find 'em fo much chang'd, and for the moft part fo interpolated, that it can- not be known whether they pro- duc'd them out of ours, or fom Apocryphal Golpels : nay, they ^ fomtimes cite Paftages, which it | is moft certain are not in the pre- fent Gofpels. From hence there- fore it IS evident, that no dif-^ ference was yet put by the Church between the Apochryphal veneris. Apud reliquos ne unum quidem Evcingeliftam nomine ilio compellarnm. Ec t\ quos locos forte proferanc quibus finiilia ia noftris leguntur Evangeiiis ; ica raniei illos muracos uc plurimum interpolatolque reperies, ur fciri nsquear an e nortris iJlos, an ex alii^ prouuxe; inc Apocryphis Evangeliis. Sed & A- pocrypha adhibenc iidem aliquoties, qr^ c^rcnm eft ia hodiernis non h^ibcri Evangeliis. Uc inde conftct nullum' adhuc inter Apocryphos ' and 74 AMYNTOR. and Canonical Books of the New Teftament 3 efpecially if it be confiderM, that they pafs no Cenfure on the Apochryphal, nor leave any Mark whereby the Rea- der might difcerit that they at- tributed lefs Authority to the fpurious than to the genuin Go- fpels : from whence it may reafonably be fufped:ed , that if they cite fomtimes any PaiTages conformable to ours, it was not don thro' any certain defign, as if dubious things were to be con- firm' d only by the Canonical Books 5 fo as it is very poilible Ononlcofqiie iiovi Teftamenti libros conftitu- tinii elfe abEcclefu clilcnmen, pricfertim fi &ilU quoque accedat oblsrvacio quod cenfuram nullain Apocryphis adjungant ; fed nee aliam aliquam nocam unde poflic ls(5tor colligere mirRis illos Apocryphis tribuirte, quam veris tribuerinc E- vangdiis. Inde prona e!t (ufpicio ilqua tor^e ioca produxerint cum noftris conientieficici,nullo lamen certo id fadum elTe coniilio, quo conHi- tutum fuerac res dubias e Canonicis elTe conftrmindas i fierique ^deo polfv 14c 6c ilU ^ that AMYNTOR. 75 ^ that both thofe and the like Paf- fages may have bin borrowed from other Gofpels befides thefe we now have. But what need I mention Books that were ndt Ca- nonical? when indeed it does not appear from thofe of our Canoni- cal Books which were laft written, that the Church knew any thing of the Gofpels, or that Clergy- men themfelvcs made a common ufe of 'em. The Writers of thofe times do not chequer their Works with Texts of the New Teftament, which yet is the Cu- ftom of the Moderns , and- was alfo theirs in fuch Books as they fimilia ex aliis tamen, quam quas habemus, depromta fuerint Evaogeliis. Seel quid ego li- bros mcmorem minime Canonicos? Ne quidem p Canonicis ipfis recencioribus conftat Ecclefia; innocuiiTe Evangel i a, atqge Ecdefiafticis in ulu fuiffe vulgari. Non folenc illlus a^vi ^criptores novi Teflamenti locis Scripta (ba velut ppere teifellato ornare, qui tamen recentiorum mos eft, gui & fuus erac in illis quas agnofcebant ipfi ^ acr Ad. 20. 35- J 6 A M Y N T O R. acknowkdg'd for Scripture 5 for they moft frequently cite the Books oi the Old Teftamcnt, and w^ould doubtlefs have don fo by thofe of the New, if they had then bin receiv'd as Cano- nical. St. Paul cites a Saying of our Lord in the Ad:s of the A- portlcs 3 which, if he had it out of any Writing, was not cer- tainly out of thefe we now have. The Gofpels continued fo con- ceal'd in thofe Corners of the World where they were written, that the latter Evangehfts knew no- thing of what the Precedent wrote: Otherwife there had not bin fo Scripturis: Vetens entm Teflamenci libros pro- terunt faepiflime, prolicu i procuklabio & novi Teftamenti Scriptajti&illa faincnc in Canonem reoepta. Effatum Do>iiini nortri proferc Sandtus Paulus, At. 20. 55. }Hnd li c Scripro aliquo pro- duxit, non ccne ex aliq'jo, quod habenUiS, Evan- gelio. Sic larueranc in tllis cerrarum angulis, in quibus Scripta fueranc, Efangelu, ucncquidem refciveiint recentiores Evangelilia? quid (ciipfif lenc de iildeui iebu> anciquioies. Alirer foret ' ma- AMYNTOR. 77 many apparent Contradidlions, which, almoft fince the fij ft Con- ftitution of the Canon, have ex- ercised the Wits of learned Men. Surely if St. Luke had fcen that I Genealogy of our Lord which is j in St, xMatthew, he would not himfelf havl: produced one whol- ly different from the other, without giving the leaft Reafon for this Diverfity. And when in the Preface to his Gofpel he tells the occafion of his Writing 5 which is, that he undertook it, being furnilht with the Relati- ons of fuch as were Eye-witnef- fes of what he writes, he plainly ne tot effent hcLVTio