upon which they were considered to be divinely inspired; and that, therefore, Christians did not believe without having a reasonable foundation for their belief, as Celsus had objected to them.1

LACTANTIUS (fl. a. 303.)

"Those who are ignorant of the truth," says Lactantius, "think that the prophets are not to be believed. For they say that their words are not divine, but human.” How, then, does he meet this, and in what way does he endeavour to lead these objectors to a recognition of the divine inspiration of Scripture? His words are these ;"But we daily see their prophecies fulfilled, and in the course of fulfilment; and the agreement in their prophecies shows that they were not mad. . . . . Were they, then, deceitful who uttered such things? What can be so completely alien to them as a design to deceive, when they restrain others from every kind of fraud? . . . Moreover, the desire to fabricate and lie belongs to those who seek wealth, who desire gain; which was far from being the case with those holy men. Therefore,

where the desire of gain was absent, there also the will and the reason for deception was absent." 2

Such are the grounds upon which Lactantius places the proof of the divine inspiration of Scripture.

EUSEBIUS OF CESAREA (fl. a. 315.)

Let us proceed to Eusebius of Cæsarea, in whose works

1 In. Contra Cels. lib. vi. § 10. i. 636, 7.

2 At enim veritatis expertes non putant his [i. e. prophetis] esse credendum. Illas enim non divinas sed humanas voces fuisse aiunt. . . . . Atqui [at quin P. ed.] impleta esse in plerisque [implerique Par. ed.] quotidie illorum vaticinia videmus; et in unam sententiam congruens divinatio docet non fuisse furiosos. . . . . Num ergo fallaces erant, qui talia loquebantur? quid ab his tam longe alienum quam ratio fallendi, cum cæteros ab omni fraude cohiberent? . . . . Præterea voluntas fingendi ac mentiendi eorum est qui opes appetunt qui lucra desiderant ; quæ res procul ab illis sanctis viris abfuit.

.. Ergo a quibus abfuit studium lucri, abfuit etiam voluntas et causa fallendi, &c. LACTANT. Instit. Lib. I. c. 4. (Cant. 1685. p. 9. Par. 1748. vol. i. p. 13.)

entitled, "The Evangelical Preparation," and "The Evangelical Demonstration," the reader will find this matter fully discussed, but to which our present limits will only admit of this general reference.

Moreover, as it respects the authority or grounds upon which we draw the line between the Apostolical books and those falsely pretending to an Apostolical origin, Eusebius refers us not exclusively to the testimony of ecclesiastical writers, but to the internal evidence. After having stated that they are not quoted by ecclesiastical writers, he adds, Moreover, the phraseology differs from that used by the Apostles. And the sentiments, as well as the object of those things which are delivered in them, differing very widely from the true orthodox faith, clearly show that they are the productions of heretics." 1

66

And further on, speaking of some books professing to contain the dialogues of Peter and Appion, he says, "Of which there is no mention made by the antients; for they do not preserve the pure mark of Apostolical orthodoxy." 2

HILARY OF POICTIERS (fl. a. 354.)

Hilary of Poictiers, giving an account of the way in which he himself had been induced to accept Scripture as a divine revelation, thus writes;-"Therefore, while I was turning over in my mind these things, and many others of the same kind, I fell in with those books which the religion of the Hebrews declared to be written by Moses and by the prophets, in which, God himself, the Creator, testifying of himself, these things were thus con

1 Πόρρω δε που και ὁ της φράσεως παρα το ηθος το αποστολικόν εναλλαττει χαρακτηρ' ἡ τε γνωμη και ἡ των εν αυτοις φερομένων προαίρεσις, πλειστον όσον της αλήθους ορθοδοξίας απάδουσα, ότι δη αἱρετικων ανδρων αναπλασματα τυγχα VEL, OUDWS TAPLOTηow. EUSEB. Hist. Eccles. lib. iii. c. 25. (Ed. Read. vol. i. p. 120.)

2 Ων ουδ' όλως μνημη τις παρα τοις παλαιοις φερεται ουδε γαρ καθαρον της αποστολικής ορθοδοξίας αποσώζει τον χαρακτηρα. Ib. c. 38. (Ed. ead. vol. i. p. 135.)

...

tained, I am that I am;' and again, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, He that is, sent me unto you.' I was at once struck with admiration at so perfect a description of God, which declared the incomprehensible knowledge of the divine nature in words most suitable to the human understanding. . . . . My mind, held by the desire of the truth, was delighted with these most pious notions respecting God. . . . . Therefore, my mind, full of these researches after the views and doctrines of piety, rested as it were in a place of retirement, viewing afar off this most beautiful theory. . . . . But my mind was agitated, partly by its own fear, partly by that of the body. Which, when it firmly retained its views in a pious confession respecting God, and had become anxious and careful respecting itself and this its abode, about, as it supposed, to fall with itself, after becoming acquainted with the law and the prophets, it arrives at the knowledge also of that Evangelical and Apostolical doctrine, In the beginning was the Word, &c. . . . . [and quoting other passages of Scripture, he adds]. . . . Here, now, my fearful and anxious mind found more hope than it expected. . . . . Therefore my mind embraced joyfully this doctrine of the divine mystery. . . . . In this ease and consciousness of its security my mind, full of joyful hopes, had found rest," &c.1

...

Hæc igitur, multaque alia ejusmodi cum animo reputans incidi in cos libros quos a Mose atque a prophetis scriptos esse Hebræorum religio tradebat; in quibus ipso creatore Deo testante de se hæc ita continebantur, Ego sum qui sum ;' et rursum, Hæc dices filiis Israel, misit me ad vos Is qui est.' Admiratus sum plane tam absolutam de Deo significationem, quæ naturæ divinæ incomprehensibilem cognitionem aptissimo ad intelligentiam humanam sermone loqueretur. . . . . His religiosissimis de Deo opinionibus veri studio detentus animus delectabatur. . . . . His itaque piæ opinionis atque doctrinæ studiis animus imbutus, in secessu quodam ac specula pulcherrimæ hujus sententiæ requiescebat. . . . Fatigabatur autem animus partim suo partim corporis metu. Qui cum et constantem sententiam suam pia de Deo professione retineret et sollicitam de se atque hoc occasuro secum, ut putabat, habitaculo suo curam recepisset, post cognitionem legis ac prophetarum istiusmodi quoque doctrinæ evangelicæ atque apostolicæ instituta cognoscit; In principio erat Verbum, &c.' . . . . Hic jam mens trepida et anxia plus spei invenit quam exspectabat. Hanc itaque divini sacramenti doctrinam

To nothing, we see, does Hilary refer as having induced him to accept the doctrine of Scripture as divine, but the power of the internal evidence.

AUGUSTINE (fl. a. 396.)

Our next witness is Augustine, who in his "Confessions" thus states the motives that in his own case led to a recognition of the divine inspiration of the Scrip

tures.

"Thou, O Lord," he says, "with thy most mild and merciful hand, by degrees settling and composing my mind, when I considered how many things I believed which I did not see, and was not present when they were done. . . . didst persuade me that not those who believed thy books, which thou hast supported by such a weight of authority in almost all nations, were to be blamed, but those who did not believe them; and that those were not to be listened to who might say to me, Whence do you know that those books were supplied to mankind by the Spirit of the true and most faithful God? ..

Since we [mortals] were weak for the discovery of the truth by evident reason, and on this account there was need of the authority of the holy Scriptures, I had already begun to be convinced, that thou wouldst not at all have given so preeminent an authority to that Scripture through all lands, unless it had been thy will that through it thou shouldst be believed in, and through it thou shouldst be sought. For now, having heard many things in them shown to have the appearance of truth, I referred the [seeming] absurdity which used to offend me in those writings to the sublimity of the mysteries [of which they spoke]; and that authority appeared to me to be more venerable, and worthy of a more devoted faith, on account of its being open to the perusal of all, and pre

mens læta suscepit. . . . In hoc ergo conscio securitatis suæ otio mens spebus suis læta requieverat," &c. HIL. PICT. De Trin. lib. 1. §§ 5-14. col. 768-74.

VOL. II.

PP

serving the dignity of its mystery in a more profound meaning, while, by its plain words and simple style of phraseology, it offers itself to all, and exercises the diligence of those who are not light minded." 1

And a little further on in the same work he says,-" I will hear and understand how in the beginning thou didst make the heaven and the earth. Moses wrote this; he wrote it and departed," and adding, that had he been present he would have asked him of the matter, he says, "But whence should I know whether he spoke the truth? And if I knew this, should I know it from him? Truth within me .. would say, He speaks the truth; and I, immediately assured, would say confidently to thy messenger, Thou speakest the truth." 2

Such were the actings of Augustine's own mind on this point, and I need hardly add that the testimony borne in a work of this kind is much more forcible as an index of the real views of Augustine than any statements in his controversial works.

....

1 Tu, Domine, manu mitissima et misericordissima pertractans et componens cor meum, consideranti quam innumerabilia crederem quæ non viderem, neque cum gererentur ad fuissem. . . . persuasisti mihi non qui crederent libris tuis, quos tanta in omnibus fere gentibus auctoritate fundasti, sed qui non crederent esse culpandos, nec audiendos esse, si qui forte mihi dicerent, Unde scis illos libros unius veri et veracissimi Dei Spiritu esse humano generi ministratos? . . . . Cum essemus infirmi ad inveniendam liquida ratione veritatem, et ob hoc nobis opus esset auctoritate sanctarum litterarum, jam credere cœperam nullo modo te fuisse tributurum tam excellentem illi Scripturæ per omnes jam terras auctoritatem, nisi et per ipsam tibi credi et per ipsam te quæri voluisses. Jam enim absurditatem quæ me in illis litteris solebat offendere, cum multa ex eis probabiliter exposita audissem, ad sacramentorum altitudinem referebam: eoque mihi illa venerabilior et sacrosancta fide dignior apparebat auctoritas, quo et omnibus ad legendum esset in promtu, et secreti sui dignitatem in intellectu profundiore servaret, verbis apertissimis et humillimo genere loquendi se cunctis præbens et exercens intentionem eorum qui non sunt leves corde. AUGUSTINI Confess. lib. vi. c. 5. tom. i. col. 122, 123. ed. Ben.

2 Audiam et intelligam quomodo in principio fecisti cœlum et terram. Scripsit hoc Moyses, scripsit et abiit. . . . . . Sed unde scirem an verum diceret? Quod si et hoc scirem, num ab illo scirem? Intus utique mihi, intus in domicilio cogitationis. Veritas, sine oris et linguæ organis, sine strepitu syllabarum diceret, Verum dicit. Et ego statim certus confidenter illi homini tuo dicerem, Verum dicis. ID. Ib. lib. xi. c. 3. i. 197.

....