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could afterwards declare, or make any books Canonical? If it had been deem'd proper, and fuited to the state of christianity, to have given or declar'd a new canon or digeft of laws, it fhould feem moft proper to have been done by JESUS, or his apoftles, and not left to any after them to do; but especially not left to be fettled long after their times, by weak, fallible, factious, and interested men, who were difputing with one another about the genuinnefs of all books bearing the names of the Apostles, and contending with one another about the autority of very diffe rent books.

I have given these fhort hints concerning the true canon of Scripture of chriftians, not only as they relate to my argument, but as confiderations, which put an end to all the controverfies of chriftians about the canon of Scripture, and which may also ferve to fet Mr. WHISTON right; who (g) adds, to the prefent books of the New Testament, the two epiftles of CLEMENT to the Corinthians; (both which, after having been wholly loft for feveral hundred years, were but lately recover'd, and that but imperfectly, efpecially the fecond); the doctrine of the apoftles (a book loft, which Mr. W. (b) imagin'd

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(g) Whifton's Efay on the Apoftol. Conftit. P. 33, 34, 678

68, 71.

(b) Ib. Advertisement before Primitive Christianity.

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gin'd he had found); the epiftle of BARNA BAS; the paftor of HERMAS; the (i) Se·cond book of apocryphal ESDRAS; the epiftle of POLYCARP; and the larger epiftles of IGNATIUS; and who feeing plainly, that the books of the New Teftament are no fyStem of laws for the governing the church, nor defign'd for that purpofe; and being perfwaded, that chriftians ought to have fuch a Syftem, fets up that manifeftly forg'd modern book of the apoftolick conftitutions, as containing that fyftem, tho' (k) doubtful as to the antiquity of fome of its parts, interpolated in others, and first published in the middle of the fourth century. Which book has, indeed, the form of a law, and pretends it felf to be the work of all the apostles affembled together at Jerufalem; tho' (1) inconfiftent in many inftances with the books of the New Teftament, and that by the confeffion of Mr. WHISTON (m) himself, who fays that fuch inconfiftency is a plain character, peculiar to the original and genuine records of chriftianity, and at leaft equally

(i) See Floyer's Preface to Prophefies of Eldras, p. 3. (k) Whitton's Effay on Apoft. Conft. p. 233236. 122, 673, &c. 150.

(1) Smalbroke's Pretended Authority of the Apoftol. Conftitut, confuted.

(m) Whifton's St. Clement, and St. Irenæus's Vind. of the Apoft. Conft. p. 5. See also Proceedings in Convor. P. 103.

equally true of the four gofpels, and the rest of our prefent canonical books, compar'd with one another; and that the conftitutions are the most authentick and exact of the two, and that the prefent copies of the Gospels are rather to be corrected by them than the contrary.

I will finish this article with obferving, that tho' Mr. WHISTON calls the books of the New Testament fcriptures, and canonical fcriptures, according to the common language of chriftians: yet it is apparent, that he cannot think them divinely inspired books, or of that autority which other chriftians do. For he not only thinks them to have been (1) alter'd and chang'd, and to be contradictory to one another; but that the authors themselves may be (o) mistaken: and he corrects a diforder of LUKE's making; wherein he acts like the famous JuRIEU, who (p) puts in order, as he fays, thofe things which the Holy Ghoft bad plac'd in diforder. Nor does Mr. WHISC 2

TON

(n) Whifton's Proceedings in Conv. p. 87, 99. Id. Pref. to Letter to Earl of Nott. p. 35, 36. Id. Chron. and Harmony, p. 100. Id. St. Clement and St. Irenæus's Vind. &c. p. 5. Id. Proceed. in Conv. p. 103. Id. Effay towards Reftor. &c. p. 119. and Effay on Revelationss P. 129, 135.

(0) Id. Chron. and Harm. p. too.

(p) Jurieu Accompl. des Prophet. Vol. 2. p. 211;

TON herein much differ from many other great divines; who feem to pay little deference to the books of the New Testament, the text whereof they are perpetually mending in their fermons, commentaries, and writings, to ferve purposes; who pretend (pp) we Should have more of the true text by being lefs tenacious of the printed one, and in confequence thereof, prefume to correct by critical (q) emendations, feveral capital places in the facred writers; and who, by requiring men's affent to, and urging the belief of, traditionary explications of fcripture, and of catechifms, creeds, confeffions of faith, and fuch like compofitions, which men, under penalties every where, are oblig'd to believe the fcripture fupports, do virtually fet afide the autority of the fcripture, and place those compofitions in its stead.

IV.

That it is a common and necessary method for new revelations to be built and grounded on precedent revelations.

Tnity to the world by building and

HIS method of introducing chriftia

into

grounding it on the Old Teftament, is agreeable

(pp) Hare's Clergyman's Thanks to Phil. Lipfienfis, &c.

P. 37.

(9) Id. Scripture Vindicated, &c. p. 150.

able to the (r) common method of introducing new revelations (whether real or pretended) or any changes in religion, and alfo to the nature of things. For if we confider the various revelations, and changes in religion, whereof we have any tolerable hiftory, in their beginning, we fhall find them for the most part to be grafted on fome old ftock, or founded on fome preceding revelations, which they were either to fupply, or fulfil, or retrieve from corrupt gloffes, innovations, and traditions, with which by time they were incumber'd; and this, which may feem matter of furprize to thofe, who do not reflect on the changeable ftate of all things, has happen'd; tho' the old revelations, far from intending any change, engraftment, or new difpenfation, did for the most part declare they were to laft for ever, and did forbid all alterations and innovations, they being the last dispensations intended.

This grafting on old stocks, we fee by experience to be the case of all the fects, which alike and according to the natural courfe of things, rife up in the feveral great and domineering religions of the world. Nor is it lefs true of the domineering religions themfelves; fome of which C 3

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(r) Stanhope's Charron of Wisdom, 1. 2. c. 5. p. 103. &c.

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