SECTION I.

EARLY USE, AND IMPORT OF THE WORD CANON.

The word CANON, literally, 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. IRENEUS, speaking of the Scriptures, calls them THE CANON OF TRUTH. CLEMENT of Alexandria, referring to a quotation of the Gospel according to the Egyptians, says, "But they follow any thing, rather than THE TRUE EVANGEL

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 be read; and such as were Apo

cryphal. 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 Testament."

RU IN, 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 CANONICAL Scriptures, of the Law and the Prophets. To them have been since added, the Gospels, the Epistles of the Apostles, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Revelation of John.”

CHRYSOSTOM says, "They fall into "They fall into great absurdities, who will not follow THE CANON of THE DIVINE SCRIPTURE, but trust to their own reasoning."

ISIDORE of Pelusium observes, "That these things are so, we shall perceive, if we attend to the CANON OF TRUTH; the Divine Scriptures."

And LEONTIUS of Constantinople, having cited the whole catalogue of the books of Sacred Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, concludes, "These are the ancient and the new books, which are received in the church, as CANONICAL."

From the authorities cited above, it will evidently appear, that at an early period, the Sacred Scriptures were carefully distinguished from all other writings, and formed a rule, which all Christians considered to be authoratative: and that this collection of sacred writings, received the name of CANON.

The division of the sacred books which is most ancient and universal, is, into the OLD TESTAMENT, and the NEW TESTAMENT. The Apostle Paul, himself, lays a foundation for this distinction; for, in his second Epistle to the Corinthians, he uses the phrases, OLD TESTAMENT, and NEW TESTAMENT and in one instance, designates the Scriptures of the Law, by the former title; For until this day, says he, remaineth the same veil un

2 Cor. iii. 14.

C

taken away in the reading of the Old Testa

ment.

It is our object, in this work, to inquire into the CANON, both of the Old and New Testament, and to discuss all the principal questions, connectod with this subject.

SECTION II

CONSTITUTION OF THE CANON OF THE OLD TESTAMENT BY EZRA-THE CANON OF THE OLD TESTAMENT AS IT NOW EXISTS, SANCTIONED BY CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES-CATALOGUES OF THE BOOKS BY SOME OF THE EARLY FATHERS-AGREE MENT OF JEWS AND CHRISTIANS ON THIS SUBJECT.

The five books of Moses, were, when finished, carefully deposited by the side of the ark of the Covenant, Deut. xxxi. 24, 25, 26. And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this Law in a book, until they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites which bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, take this book of the Law, and put it in. the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

No doubt, copies of the sacred volume were made out before it was deposited in the most holy place; for as it was there inaccessible to any but the priests, the people generally must have remained ignorant, had there been no copies of the Law. But we know that copies were written, for it was one of the laws respecting the duty of a king, when