The III. Book of Efdras, The rest of the Book of Hefter. The Song of the Three Children. The II. Book of Maccabees. All the Books of the New Testament, as they are com monly receiv'd, we do receive and account them Canonical. This Article contains Six Propofitions. 1. Holy Scripture contains all things neceffary to Salvation. 2. Whatsoever is not read in Holy Scripture, nor may be prov'd thereby, is not to be requir'd of any Man, that it fhould be believ'd as an Article of the Faith, or be thought requifite or neceffary to Salvation. 3. In the Name of the Holy Scripture we do underftand the Canonical Books of the Old and New Teftament, of whofe Authority was never any Doubt in the Church. 4. The Čanonical Books of the Old Teftament are Genefis, Exodus, &c. 5. All the Books of the New Teftament, as they are commonly receiv'd, we do receive and ac-, count them Canonical. 6. The other Books (viz. thofe which are commonly annex'd to the OldTeftament, and which we (we do not account Canonical) as Hierome faith, the Church doth read for Example of Life,) and, Inftruction of Manners; but yer doth not ap ply them to establish any Doctrine. Such are thefe following, the Third Book of Efyras, the Fourth Book of Efda,&C.1910up w dikut are uni2 lodi pun abroW, &Hagi, I begin with the Three la Propofitions But muft firft obferve, 1. That by a Canonical Book of Scripture, is meant a Book, which being writ ten by Divine Infpiration, is to be receiv'd by us as a Part of the Canon or Rule of Chriftian Faith and Practice2. That what the Church here cals the Second Book of Efdras, is what we generally call the Book of Nehemiah. For if you look into our old English Bibles, you'll find, that Nehemiah's Hiftory and Prophecy goes under the Name of the Second Book of Efdras. These things being pre mis'd, and actuerint vint, &.!! ་ The Three laft Propofitions of this Article are prov'd in that Method and Order which I (a) have propos'd to be taken for the Examination of the Authority of the Holy Scriptures, and the Truth of Christianity, with refpect to the Hypothesis of the Deifts. For thereby it appears, 1. That those Books the Old and New Teftament which we receive, are truly Canonical; because they are the Word of God, and contain his revel'd Will. 2. That thofe Books, which tho' commonly annex'd to the Old Teftament, are rejected by us, are not Canonical, becaufe not of Divine Autho rity. E And (a) In the foregoing Directions for Studying a general Syftem or Body of Divinity, P. 10, &c. . And whereas it is declar'd, that (as Hierome faith) the Church does read thofe Uncanonical Books aforefaid, for Example of Life and Inftruction of Manners, but yet doth not apply them to eftablifh any Doctrine 1. St. Jerome does (b) exprefly fay, what is quoted from him, of the Church in his Daies. His Words are thefe. Sicut ergo Judith, & Tobiah, Machabæorum libros legit quidem Ecclefia, fed eos inter canonicas Scripturas non recipit : Sic & bac duo volumina (fpeaking of Ecclefiafticus and the Book of Wisdom, both which are Apocryphal) legat Fad edificationem plebis, non ad auctoritatem Ecclefiafticorum dogmatum confirmandam. 2. With refpect to our Church's own Practice the fame is manifeftly true. 2. As for the Lawfulness of our fo reading those Uncanonical or Apocryphal Books, fee Numb. 2. of the Appendix to the Paraphrafe with Annotations on the Book of Common Prayer. The Canon of the Holy Scriptures being thus fetled, let us now return to The First Propofition. See the First Part of the Confutation of Popery. The Second is the neceffary and immediate Confequence of the First. The Third has fomewhat of Difficulty in it. "Tis well known, that there has been Doubt in the Church of God, both of ancient and later Daies, concerning the Authority of diverse of those Books which we receive and approve as Canonical Scripture. It may be therefore ask'd, How, or in what Senfe, it may be truly affirm'd, that there never (6) Præfat. in Proverb. Ecclef. & Cant. Salem. Tom. p. 692. Parif. 1624. never was any Doubt in the Church of the Autho rity of those Canonical Books of the Old and New Teftament, which we do understand in the Name of the Holy Scripture, that is, which we do receive and approve as Canonical Scripture, or the infpir'd Word of God? I answer, That this Part of the Article is manifeftly penn'd in Oppofition to the Papifts, particu larly with refpect to their then late Determination at the Council of Trent, which in the Fourth Seffion thunders thus ; Sacrofan&ta, Oecumenica, & generalis Tridentina Synodus, in Spiritu Sancto legitime congregata, præfidentibus in ea eifdem tribus Apoftolicæ fedis Legatis, hoc fibi perpetuo ante oculos proponens, ut fublatis erroribus, puritas ipfa Evangelii in Ecclefia confervetur : quod promiffum ante per Prophetas in Scripturis fanctis, Dominus nofter Jefus Chriftus, Dei filius, proprio ore pri mum promulgavit: deinde per fuos Apoftolos tanquam fontem omnis, & falutaris veritatis, & morum difciplina, omni creaturæ prædicari juffit: perfpicienfque hanc veritatem, & difciplinam contineri in libris fcriptis, & fine fcripto traditionibus, quæ ex ipfius Chrifti ore ab Apoftolis acceptæ, aut ab ipfis Apoftolis, Spiritu Sancto dictante, quafi per manus tradita, ad nos ufque pervenerunt, orthodoxorum Patrum exempla fecuta, omnes libros tam Veteris, quam Novi Teftamenti, cum utriufque unus Deus fit auctor, necnon traditiones ipfas, tum ad fidem, tum ad mores pertinentes, tanquam vel ore tenus à Chrifto, vel à Spiritu Sancto dictatas,& continua fucceffione in Ecclefia Catho lica confervatas, pari pietatis affectu, ac reverentia fufcipit,& veneratur. Sacrorum vero librorum Indicem huic decreto adfcribendum cenfuit; ne cui dubitatio fuboriri poffit, quinam fint, qui ab ipfa Synodo fufcipiuntur. Sunt vero infrafcripti, Teftamenti Veteris, quinque Moyfis, id eft, Gene E 2 fis, fis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numeri, Deuteronomium, Jofue, Judicum, Ruth, quatuor Regum, duo Paralipomenon, Eldre primus, & fecundus, qui dicitur Nebemias, Tobias, Judith, Hefter, Job, Pfalterium Davidicum centum quinquaginta Pfalmorum, Parabole, Ecclefiaftes, Canticum canticorum Sapientia, Ecclefiafticus, Ifaias, Hieremias cum Baruch Ezechiel, Daniel, duodecim Propheta minores, id eft, Ofea, Feel, Amos, Abdias, fonas, Micheas, Nahum, Abacuc, Sephonias, Aggaus, Zacharias, Malachias, duo Machabæorum, primus & fecundus: Teftamenti Novi, quatuor Evangelia, fecundum Matthæum, Marcum, Lacam, & Joannem: Actus Apoftolorum à Luca Evangelifta confcripti: quatuordecim Epiftola Pauli Apoftoli, ad Romanos, due ad Corinthios, ad Galatas, ad Ephefios, ad Philippenfes, ad Coloffenfes, duæ ad Theffalonicenfes, duæ ad Timotheum, ad Titum, ad Philemonem, ad Hebræos: Petri Apoftoli due, Joannis Apoftoli tres, Facobi Apoftoli una, Fude Apoftoli una, & Apocalypfis Joannis Apoftoli. Siquis autem libros ipfos integros cum omnibus fuis partibus, prout in Ecclefia Catholica legi confueverunt, & in veteri vulgata Latina editione habentur, pro Sacris & Canonicis non fufceperit; & traditiones prædictas fciens & prudens contempferit; anathema fit. Omnes itaque intelligant, quo ordine, & via ipfa Synodus, poft jactum fidei confeffionis fundamentum, fit progreffura; & quibus potiffimum teftimoniis ac præfidiis in confirmandis dogmatibus, &inftaurandis in Ecclefia moribus, fit ufura. ་ 'Tis plain from the foregoing Decree, that the Council of Trent receives thofe Books into the Canon, which we reject as Apocryphal. Now the Reafon of our rejecting them is, because they were not receiv'd as Canonical by the Ancient Church; whereas the Ancient Church did unanimoufly receive those which we do now receive. I |