METHOD Of Settling the CANONICAL AUTHORITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. WHEREIN All the antient Testimonies concerning this Argu- In Two VOLUMES. By the late Reverend Mr. JEREMIAH JONES. An Alphabetical INDEX is added to each VOLUME. LONDON: Printed for J. CLARK and R. HETT at the MDCCXXVI. The nothing is more conducive to the happinefs of mankind, than a firm and steady belief of revealed religion, so nothing hath a greater tendency to establish fuch a belief, than a fair proof of the canonical authority of the feveral books contained in the New Testament. canon of the Old Teftament has long fince been fettled, and approved even by our bleffed Lord himself, as well as by his apoftles; but the New Teftament, in which are contained not only the life and actions, but the precepts alfo of our Saviour, and the whole doctrine of the christian religion, can boaft of no fuch A 2 advantages advantages; but many doubts and controversies have been raised almost against every part thereof, and a great number of apocryphal books have been recommended as of equal authority with fome of them. This confideration moved the late reverend and learned Mr. Jones to engage in this laborious work, and fupported him under the great fatigue of reading over not only the voluminous works of the antient writers, within the four first centuries of Christianity, but also all the modern writers upon this argument, whofe authority can be fuppofed to have any weight with a judicious reader. In the careful perufal of all which he has been enabled to give a more diftinct and accurate account of this fubject, than Ꮕ thers can be fupposed to have done, who either have not taken fo great pains for information therein, or by reafon of time could not enjoy the advantages of feveral learned mens ufeful labours, which our author did. Many indeed have occafionally written upon the authority of fome parts of the New Testament, but none, except Mr. Du Pin, has purposely endea voured to establish the authority of the whole; but that performance is attended with very many and confiderable deficiencies, which are here abundantly fupplied. For our author has not only particularly noted the feveral places of all the antient writers within his time, which may tend to the establishing of the Ca nonical authority of each of thofe facred books, but hath alfo pointed out the feveral omissions and discrepancies between then with great exactnefs; fo that the inquifitive and learned reader may eafily turn o and fatisfy himfell the au thors themselves. He has alfo made a compleat collection of thofe pieces which have by any been judged canonical, and given an English translation of them, that the more unskilful reader may be the bet ter enabled to judge of their authority; and moreover has given so large and judicious anfwers to the feveral arguments brought to recommend them, and parti cularly to thofe brought by fome late celebrated writers in favour of fome of them, |