them, that it is humbly prefumed the va rious forts of readers will meet with abundant fatisfaction in the perufal of this work.

Part of the third volume is already printed, in which are contained differtations on each of the books now received into the canon of the New Teftament; their authority established; the author, time, and design of the writer confidered; with an historical account of the early controverfies of the church, to which those books have any reference: but the author dying foon after he had compleated his defign to the end of the Acts, the remaining part is undertaken by an able perfon, and that volume will be published by it felf with what convenient fpeed may be.

Poultrey April 18,

1726.

A METHOD

(I)

A

DISSERTATION

Concerning the

NECESSITY

Settling the CANON

OF THE

New TESTAMENT.

T

HE Defign of the following Vo the lumes being to eftablifh the Canonical Authority of the Books of the New Teftament, I imagined nothing could be a more fuitable Introduction to the Work, than a Differtation concerning the Neceffity of it. My Defign is not to make any fervile Apology for this Work's Appearance in the World (every Man not only having a Right,

B

but

but being also obliged to do all he can for the Interefts of Chriftianity) but only, if it may be, to evidence the absolute Neceffity of a Chriftian's imploying his utmost Diligence, in order to be upon good Grounds determined in a Question of fo great Importance as that is, What Books are to be received as the Word of God?

What I defign in this Matter, fhall be compriz'd under the following Obfervations; viz.

I. That the right settling the Canonical Authority of the Books of the New Teftament is attended with very many and great Difficulties.

II. That it is a matter of the greatest Consequence and Importance.

III. That a great Number of Chriftians are deftitute of any good Arguments for their Belief of the Canonical Authority of the Books of the New Teftament.

IV. That very little has yet been done on this Subject.

OBSERV. I.

That the right fettling the Canonical Authority

I

of the Books of the New Teftament is attend

ed with very many and great Difficulties.

Am very fenfible fuch a Propofition as this may feem at first surprising to many; and that what is faid under it may perhaps be, on the one hand, mifimprov'd by the Enemies of Revelation, to set them more against it; and, on the other, by the +

weaker

weaker Chriftians, to fhock their Faith in it: But as the enfuing Volumes are principally intended for the Service of these two forts of Perfons, viz. to confute the former, and establish the latter in their Principles; fo I cannot but defire, they would form no Judgment from what is here faid relating to the main Queftion, till they have honeftly perus'd the Book it felf.

This premis'd, I fay, 'tis not fo eafy a matter as is commonly imagined, rightly to fettle the Canon of the New Teftament. For my own part, I declare with many learned Men, that in the wholeCompafs of Learning I know no Question involv'd with more Intricacies and perplexing Difficulties than this. There are indeed confiderable Difficulties relating to the Canon of the Old Teftament, as appears by the large Controverfies between the Proteftants and Papifts on this Head in the laft, and latter End of the preceding Century; but thefe are foly'd with much more Eafe than thofe of the New: For,

1. The Canon of the Jews was fettled by Ezra an infpired Writer; but there is no fuch thing to be faid concerning the Canon of the New. 'Tis uncertain, either by whom, or at what time, the prefent Collection was made.

2. The Jewish Canon was certainly approved by our Saviour and his Apoftles; but it is impoffible, in the Nature of the Thing, the Chriftian Canon fhould receive the fame Evidence and Authority.

3. In fettling the Old Teftament Collection, all that is requifite is to difprove the Claim of a few obfcure Books, which have but the weakest Pre

If otherwise, they had certainly cenfur'd the Jews for their Fault in this as well as other religious Matters. Befides, St. Paul evidently allows that

all

their Scriptures were the Oracles of God, Rom. iii. 2. and that what they called Scripture was every Part of it infpired.

B 2

tences

tences to be look'd upon as Scripture; but in the New, we have not only a few to difprove, but a vaft number to exclude the Canon, which seem to have much more Right to Admiffion than any of the Apocryphal Books of the Old Teftament; and befides to evidence the Genuinefs of all those which we do receive, fince, according to the Sentiments of fome who would be thought learned, there are none of them whofe Authority has not been controverted in the earliest Ages of Chriftianity. In fhort, whatever almoft can be objected against the Authority of the prefent Canon of the Old Teftament, either in behalf of any Books which are not in it, or against any that are, may cafily be answered by this fingle Confideration, viz. That we receive the fame and no other Books than what the Jewish Church received in our Saviour's time, as is evident from the Copies the Chriftians procur'd of them, and the Catalogues they made of them (especially that of Melito Sardenfis ) foon after the Deftruction of Jerufalem. But the Cafe is very different with Refpect to the Books of the New. The Question concerning them divides it felf into these two, viz. I. Whether any other Books are to be received with the fame Authority which they are; and, II. Whether they are all of them of the fame Authority, which the Church allows them by admitting them into her Canon.

If we confider either of these Queftions, we fhall find it perhaps not fo eafily folv'd as we are apt to imagine.

I. As to the first, viz. Whether there are any other Books to be admitted as Canonical, befides those which now are; it will appear difficult, if we confider,

1. The Number of Books that claim Admiffion is very confiderable. Mr. Toland, in his celebrated Ca

• Vid: Eufeb. Hiflor. Ecclef. 1.4. c. 26. There are others very

early, as Origen's in Pfal. primo, &c.

talogued,