THE
CANON
OF
THE
OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS
ASCERTAINED,
OR
THE
BIBLE COMPLETE
WITHOUT THE
APOCRYPHA AND UNWRITTEN TRADITIONS.
A NEW EDITION,
Revised for the Presbyterian Board of
Publication.
BY ARCHIBALD ALEXANDER,
Professor in the Theological Seminary,
Digitized by Ted Hildebrandt,
PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION,
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Entered,
according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1851,
BY A. W. MITCHELL, M. D.
In
the office of the Clerk of the District Court for the
Eastern District of
Pennsylvania.
Stereotyped by SLOTE & MOONEY,
Printed by Wm. S. MARTIEN.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENTS.
PART. I.
PAGE
INTRODUCTION--The
importance of ascertaining the true
Canon of the Holy Scriptures, 9
SECTION I.
Early
use and import of the word Canon, 17
SECTION
II.
Constitution
of the Canon of the Old Testament by Ezra—
The Canon of the Old Testament as it
now exists, sanc-
tioned by Christ and his
Apostles—Catalogues of the books
by some of the early
Fathers—Agreement of Jews and
Christians on this subject, 21
SECTION III.
Apocryphal
books—Their origin—Importance of distinguish-
ing between canonical and apocryphal
books—Six books of
the latter class pronounced
canonical by the Council of
ancient or modern, 36
SECTION
IV.
Testimonies
of the Christian Fathers, and of other learned
men, down to the time of the Council
of Trent, respecting
the Apocrypha, 46
SECTION V.
Internal
evidence that these books are not canonical—The
writers not prophets, and do not
claim to be inspired, 66
SECTION VI.
No
canonical book of the Old Testament has been lost, 84
SECTION VII.
The
Oral Law of the Jews without foundation, 94
PART
II.
SECTION
I.
Method
of settling the Canon of the New Testament, 113
SECTION II.
Catalogues
of the books of the New Testament—Canonical
books only cited as authority by the
Fathers, and read in
the churches as Scripture, 124
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4 CONTENTS.
SECTION III.
Order
of the books of the New Testament—Time of the gos-
pels being written—Notice of the
Evangelists, 144
SECTION
IV.
Testimonies
to Matthew's gospel—Time of publication—Lan-
guage in which it was originally
composed, 154
SECTION V.
Gospel
of Mark—On what occasion published—Ascribed to
the dictation of Peter by all the
Fathers, 165
SECTION VI.
Gospel
of Luke—Testimonies of the Fathers respecting it, 173
SECTION VII.
The
objections of J. D. Michaelis to the canonical authority
of the gospels of Mark and Luke,
considered and answered, 179
SECTION VIII.
The
gospel of John--Life of this Evangelist—Occasion and
time of his writing—Canonical
authority indisputable, 192
SECTION IX.
The
Acts of the Apostles—Luke the author—Canonical au-
thority undisputed by the Fathers —
Rejected only by
heretics, 200
SECTION X.
Testimonies
to the canonical authority of the fourteen epis-
tles of Paul, 205
SECTION XI.
Canonical
authority of the seven Catholic Epistles, 228
SECTION XII.
Canonical
authority of the book of Revelation, 236
SECTION XIII.
The
titles given to the sacred Scriptures by the Fathers —
These books not concealed, but
partially known and refer-
red to by enemies as well as
friends—Citations—Ancient
manuscripts—Remarks of Rennell, 245
SECTION XIV.
No
canonical book of the New Testament has been lost, 258
SECTION XV.
Rules
for determining what books are Apocryphal—Some
account of the Apocryphal books
which have been lost—All
of them condemned by the foregoing
rules--Reason of the
abounding of such books, 270
SECTION XVI.
Apocryphal
books which are still extant—Letter of Abgarus,
King of
Laodiceans—Letters of Paul to
Seneca—Protevangelion of
James—The gospel of our Saviour's
infancy—The Acts of
Pilate—The Acts of Paul and Thecla, 281
SECTION XVII.
No
part of the Christian Revelation handed down by un-
written tradition, 301
APPENDIX-NOTES,
343
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PREFACE.
IN
this edition, the work has been carefully revised by the
author,
and many additions made to the testimonies adduced
in
the former editions; and also several important docu-
ments
not contained in the former editions have been placed
in
the appendix. Some alterations have also been made in
particular
passages, but not of sufficient importance to require
specification.
In the
Morison,
some complaint was made of the want of re-
ferences
sufficiently distinct, to the authors from which the
testimonies
have been taken. In most cases, the works from
which
they have been derived are mentioned; and in a
popular
treatise of this kind, which has more the character
of
a compilation than of a work of original research, it is
not
deemed important to burden the margin with many
notes
of reference; which indeed are seldom used when
most
abundant.
( v )
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vi PREFACE.
The author has freely availed
himself of all the informa-
tion
within his reach; but the authors to whom he is espe-
cially
indebted are, Cosins's Scholastic History
of the Canon,
of the Old Testament—Jones's New Method of Settling the
Canon of the New
Testament—and
Lardner's Credibility
of the Gospel
History—The Isagoge
of Buddaeus— The The-
saurus Philologicus of Hottinger, and
Prideaux's Connection.
Dr.
Wordsworth's work on the Canon of the Old and New
Testaments,
and Routh's Reliquiae have also been
consulted.
Several
valuable works on the Canon have been published
in
edition
of this work; but, though more valuable for the
scholar,
none of them, in the judgment of the author, are
such
as to supersede this as a popular treatise, which can
be
read with advantage by the unlearned as well as the
learned.
In a Scotch edition of this work, a copy of which
the
author has seen, there is an important error in giving
the
author's Christian name in the title page. Instead of
Archibald, they have put Alexander; making the first and
second
name the same. The only reason for mentioning
this
is, lest some doubt should hereafter arise respecting the
genuine
authorship of the volume.
As the design of this work is to
ascertain where the
revelation
of God is to be found, it is assumed usually
that
the whole of divine revelation has been committed to
writing.
But there are many under the Christian name
who
strenuously maintain, that an important part of the
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PREFACE. vii
revealed
will of God has been handed down through the
Church
by tradition. It therefore seemed necessary, in
order
to render the work complete, to examine the claims
of
tradition; in which the author has departed from the
common
method of treating this subject. And as the Jews,
as
well as the Romanists, pretend to have received an Oral
Law, handed down from Moses
by tradition, a chapter has
been
devoted to this subject, and another to the traditions
of
the Church of Rome.
As the inspiration of the gospels of
Mark and Luke had
been
called in question by John David Michaelis and others,
and
the author could find no satisfactory answer to the
objections
of this learned writer, he felt it to be a duty to
endeavour
to vindicate these books of the New Testament,
and
to prove that they have a right to a place in the Canon;
where
in fact they had always stood. And he has been
gratified
to learn that his arguments on this subject have
received
the approbation of learned and pious men. The
Rev.
Dr. T. H. Horne has inserted the substance of
them
in his "INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT,"
and
the Rev. Richard Watson has extracted a part of
them
and inserted them in his Theological Dictionary.
There
never was a time when the friends of the Bible as
an
inspired volume had a more important duty to perform
in
its defence, than at the present. The assaults upon the
plenary
inspiration of the sacred Scriptures are, perhaps,
more
dangerous, because more plausible and insidious, than
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viii PREFACE.
when
divine inspiration is openly denied. On this subject
the
friends of revelation must be firm, and not yield an
inch
of the ground hitherto occupied by the orthodox. "If
the
foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
If this volume may be in any measure
useful in the
defence
of divine revelation, the author will not regret the
labour
bestowed upon it. With an humble prayer for its
success
he commits it to the Christian public.
A. ALEXANDER.
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INTRODUCTION.
THE
IMPORTANCE OF ASCERTAINING THE TRUE CANON
OF HOLY SCRIPTURE.
THE
Bible includes a large number of separate books,
published
in different ages, during a space of more
than
fifteen hundred years. Each of these books
when
first published formed a volume; or at least,
the
writings of each author were, in the beginning,
distinct;
and if they had continued in that separate
form,
and had been transmitted to us in many vo-
lumes
instead of one, their authority would not, on
this
account, have been less, nor their usefulness di-
minished.
Their collection into one volume is merely
a
matter of convenience; and if any persons choose
now
to publish these books in a separate form, they
cannot
with propriety be charged with casting any
indignity
on the word of God.
Hence it appears that besides
general arguments
to
demonstrate that the Bible contains a divine revela-
tion,
there is need of special proofs to evince that
each
of the books now included in that sacred volume,
has
a right to the place which it occupies; or does in
reality
contain a part of that revelation which God
has
given.
If, therefore, it could be shown
(which however it
never
can) that some particular book, now included in
(9)
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10 INTRODUCTION.
the
Bible, is not authentic, the conclusion thence
derived
would only affect that single production; unless
it
were recognized as divine by the writers of the other
books.
The credit of the whole volume would not be
destroyed,
even if it could be proved that one half
the
books of which it consists are spurious. Infidels
have
much more to effect in overthrowing the Bible
than
they commonly suppose. It is incumbent on
them
to demonstrate, not only that this or that book
is
false, but that every one of these productions is
destitute
of evidence, that it has been derived from
the
inspiration of God.
On the other hand, it is manifest
that the advocate
of
divine revelation is bound to defend the claims of
every
separate portion of this volume; or to reject
from
it that part which has no evidence of a divine
origin.
It is necessary that he should be able to ren-
der
a good reason why he admits any particular book,
to
form a part of the inspired volume.
It is true that the antiquity of
this collection claims
for
it a high degree of respect. The transmission of
this
volume to us, through so many centuries, as HOLY
SCRIPTURE,
should teach us to be cautious how we
question
what is so venerable for its antiquity. But
this
only furnishes one presumptive argument in favour
of
each book. It by no means renders all further
investigation
unnecessary; much less, impious.
It is easy to conceive that books
not written by the
inspiration
of God, might, by some casualty or mis-
take,
find a place in the sacred volume. In fact, we
have
a striking example of this very thing, in the
Greek
and Latin Bibles which are now in use, and held
to
be sacred by a large majority of those who are de-
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTRODUCTION. 11
nominated
Christians. These Bibles, besides the books
which
have evidence of being truly inspired, contain
a
number of other books, the claim of which to inspi-
ration
cannot be sustained by solid and satisfactory
reasons.
This inquiry, therefore, is far from being
one
of mere curiosity: it is in the highest degree prac-
tical, and concerns the
conscience of every man capa-
ble
of making the investigation. We agree, in the
general,
that the Bible is the word of God, and an
authoritative
rule; but the momentous question imme-
diately
presents itself, What belongs to the Bible? Of
what
books does this sacred volume consist? And it
will
not answer, to resolve to take it as it has come
down
to us, without further inquiry; for the Bible has
come
down to us, in several different forms. The Vul-
gate
Latin Bible, which alone was in use for hundreds
of
years before the era of the Reformation, and also
the
Greek version of the Old Testament, contain many
books
not in the copies of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Now,
to determine which of these contains the whole
of
the inspired books given to the Jews before the
advent
of Christ and no more, requires research and
accurate
examination. The inquiry, therefore, is not
optional,
but forces itself upon every conscientious
man;
for as no one is at liberty to reject from the
sacred
volume one sentence, much less a whole book,
of
the revelation of God, so no one has a right to
add
anything to the word of God; and of conse-
quence,
no one may receive as divine what others have,
without
authority, added to the HOLY SCRIPTURES.
Every
man, therefore, according to his opportunity
and
capacity, is under a moral obligation to use his
best
endeavours to ascertain what books do, really, and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 INTRODUCTION.
of
right, belong to the Bible. An error here, on either
side,
is dangerous; for, on the one hand, if we reject
a
part of divine revelation, we dishonour God, and
deprive
ourselves of the benefit which might be de-
rived
from that portion of divine truth; and on the
other
hand, we are guilty of an equal offence, and may
suffer
an equal injury, by adding spurious productions
to
the Holy Scriptures; for thus we adulterate and
poison
the fountain of life, and subject our consciences
to
the authority of mere men.
I think, therefore, that the
importance and neces-
sity
of this inquiry must be evident to every person
of
serious reflection. But to some it may appear that
this
matter has been long ago settled on the firmest
principles;
and that it can answer no good purpose to
agitate
questions, which have a tendency to produce
doubts
and misgivings in the minds of common Chris-
tians,
rather than a confirmation of their faith. In
reply
to the first part of this objection, I would say,
that
it is freely admitted that this subject has been
ably
and fully discussed long ago, and in almost every
age
until the present time; and the author aims at
nothing
more, in this short treatise, than to exhibit to
the
sincere inquirer, who may not enjoy better means
of
information, the subject of those discussions and
proofs,
which ought to be in the possession of every
Christian.
His object is not to bring forth anything
new,
but to collect and condense in a narrow space,
what
has been written by the judicious and the learned,
on
this important subject. But, that discussion tends
to
induce doubting is a sentiment unworthy of Chris-
tians,
who maintain that their religion is founded on
the
best reasons, and who are commanded "to
give to
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INTRODUCTION. 13
every man a reason of
the hope that is in them." That
faith
which is weakened by discussion is mere preju-
dice,
not true faith. They who receive the most im-
portant
articles of their religion upon trust from
human
authority, are continually liable to be thrown
into
doubt; and the only method of obviating this
evil
is to dig deep and lay our foundation upon a rock.
If
this objection had any weight, it would discourage
all
attempts to establish the truth of our holy religion
by
argument; and would also damp the spirit of free
inquiry
on every important subject. It is true, how-
ever,
that the first effect of free discussion may be to
shake
that easy confidence which most men
entertain,
that
all their opinions are correct: but the beneficial
result
will be, that instead of a persuasion, having no
other
foundation than prejudice, it will generate a faith
resting
on the firm basis of evidence.
There is, undoubtedly, among
Christians, too great
a
disposition to acquiesce, without examination, in the
religion
of their forefathers. There is too great an
aversion
to that kind of research, which requires time
and
labour; so that many who are fully competent to
examine
the foundation on which their religion rests,
never
take the pains to enter on the investigation;
and
it is to be regretted, that many who are much
occupied
with speculations on abstruse points of the-
ology,
waste the energies of their minds on subjects
which
can yield them no manner of profit, while they
neglect
entirely, or but superficially attend to, points
of
fundamental importance.
The two great questions most
deserving the atten-
tion
of all men, are: first, whether the Bible and all
that
it contains is from God: secondly, what are
------------------------------------------------------------------
14 INTRODUCTION.
those
truths which the Bible was intended to teach us.
These
two grand inquiries are sufficient to give occu-
pation
and vigorous exercise to intellectual faculties of
the
highest order; and they are not removed entirely
out
of the reach of plain uneducated Christians.
From
the fountain of divine truth every one may
draw
according to his capacity. But these inquiries
are
neglected, not so much for want of time and capa-
city,
as because we take no pleasure in searching for
and
contemplating divine truth. Just in proportion
as
men love the truth and value the Bible, they will
take
an interest in all inquiries which relate to the
authenticity,
canonical authority, and correct inter-
pretation
of the sacred books. The time will come, I
doubt
not, when these studies will occupy the minds of
thousands,
where they now engage the attention of
one.
The Bible will grow into importance in the esti-
mation
of men, just in the same proportion as true
religion
flourishes. It will not only be the fashion
to
associate for printing and circulating the Holy
Scriptures;
but it will become customary for men of
the
highest literary attainments, as well as others, to
study
the sacred pages with unceasing assiduity and
prayer.
And, in proportion as the Bible is understood
in
its simplicity and momentous import, the mere doc-
trines
of men will disappear; and the dogmas of the
schools
and the alliance with philosophy being re-
nounced,
there will be among sincere inquirers after
truth,
an increasing tendency to unity of sentiment,
as
well as unity of spirit. The pride of learning and
of
intellect being sacrificed, and all distinctions counted
but
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of
Christ,
a thousand knotty questions, which now cause
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INTRODUCTION. 15
divisions
and gender strifes, will be forgotten; and
the
wonder of our more enlightened posterity will be,
how
good men could have wasted their time and their
talents
in such unprofitable speculations; and, more
especially,
how they could have permitted themselves
to
engage in fierce and unbrotherly contentions about
matters
of little importance.
Then also men will no more neglect
and undervalue
the
Scriptures, on pretence of possessing a brighter
light
within them, than that which emanates from the
divine
word. That spurious devotion which affects a
superiority
to external means and ordinances, will be
exchanged
for a simple, sincere reliance on the re-
vealed
will of God; and those assemblies from which
the
sacred volume is now excluded, while the effusions
of
every heated imagination are deemed revelations
of
the Spirit, will become, under the influence of di-
vine
truth, churches of the living God.
In those future days of the
prosperity of
service
of the most high God will be considered by
men,
generally, as the noblest employment; and the
best
talents and attainments will be consecrated on the
altar
of God; and the enterprises, and the la-
bours
which they now undertake to gratify an ava-
ricious,
ambitious, or voluptuous disposition, will be
pursued
from love to God and man. The merchant
will
plan, and travel, and traffic, to obtain the means
of
propagating the gospel in foreign parts, and pro-
moting
Christian knowledge at home; yea, the com-
mon
labourer will cheerfully endure toil and privation,
that
he may have a mite to cast into the treasury of
the
Lord.
Now, many consider all that is given
to circulate
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16 INTRODUCTION.
the
Bible, and to send missionaries and tracts for the
instruction
of the ignorant, as so much wasted; but
then,
all expenditures will be considered as profuse
and
wasteful, which terminate in mere selfish gratifi-
cation;
and those funds will alone be reckoned useful,
which
are applied to promote the glory of God and the
welfare
of men.
These, however, may appear to many
as the visions
of
a heated imagination, which will never be realized;
but
if the same change in the views and sentiments of
men
which has been going on for thirty years past,
shall
continue to advance with the same steady pace,
half
a century will not have elapsed from the present
time,
before such a scene will be exhibited to the ad-
miring
eyes of believers, as will fully justify the fore-
going
anticipations.
But I have wandered wide of my
subject—I will
now
recall the attention, of the reader to the consid-
eration
of the exceeding great importance of ascer-
taining,
the true Canon of Holy Scripture. This inves-
tigation
may, indeed, appear and unentertaining,
but
every thing which bears any relation to the great
Charter
of our privileges and our hopes, ought to be
interesting
to us. It has been my object, to bring
this
subject not only more conveniently within the
reach
of the theological student, but also to a level
with
the capacity of the common Christian. That
this
work may in some humble degree subserve the
cause
of the Bible, is the sincere prayer of
THE AUTHOR.
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SECTION I.
EARLY
USE AND IMPORT OF THE WORD CANON.
THE
word Canon properly signifies a rule: and it is
used
in this sense several times in the New Testament,
as
Gal. vi. 16; "As many as walk according to this
rule."
Phil. iii. 16; "Let us walk by the same rule."*
But
in these passages there is no reference to the
Scriptures
as a volume.
The word Canon, however, was early
used by the
Christian
Fathers to designate the inspired Scriptures.
IRENAEUS,
speaking of the Scriptures, calls them "the
Canon
of truth." CLEMENT of
to
a quotation of the gospel according to the Egyp-
tians,
says, "But they follow anything, rather than
the
true canonical gospels."†
EUSEBIUS says of Origen, "But
in the first book of
his
commentaries on the gospel of Matthew, observing
the
ecclesiastical Canon, he declares that he knew of
four
gospels only."
ATHANASIUS, in his Festal Epistle,
speaks of three
sorts
of books; the canonical—such as were allowed to
* The word Kanwn literally signifies a
reed, by which the di-
mensions
of anything were measured; and hence it came figura-
tively
to signify a RULE.
The word was used by the Greek
grammarians to designate
those
authors who were considered as authority in matters of
criticism:
Vid. Wordsworth on the Canon, p. 5.
† Strom. Lib. iii. p. 453.
(17
)
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18 EARLY USE OF THE WORD CANON.
be
read—and such as were Apocryphal. By the first
he
evidently means such as we now call canonical.
The Council of Laodicea ordained,
"that none but
canonical books should be read in
the church; that is,
the
books of the Old and New Testaments."
RUFIN, after enumerating the books
of the Old and
New
Testaments, goes on to mention three classes of
books.
1. Such as were included in the Canon. 2.
Ecclesiastical,
or such as were allowed to be read. 3.
Apocryphal,
such as were not permitted to be publicly
read.*
JEROME often speaks of the Canon of
Scripture,
and
mentions books which might be read, but did not
belong
to the Canon.†
The third Council of Carthage
ordained, "That
nothing
beside the canonical Scriptures be read in the
church,
under the name of the divine Scriptures."
AUGUSTINE often makes mention of the
canonical
Scriptures,
and the whole Canon of Scripture, meaning
to
designate all the sacred books of the Old and New
Testaments.
"We read of some," says he, "that they
searched
the Scriptures daily, whether these things
were
so. What Scriptures, I pray, except the canoni-
cal
Scriptures of the Law and the Prophets? To
them have been since added, the Gospels