every one of the apoftles fingly, and alfo to their companions and immediat fucceffors, too long to infert particularly. These doctrins were bound with the other books of the New Teftament, as appears by the Stichometry of Nicephorus and Anaftafius; tho' it was not always pretended that they were original pieces, but rather collections of what the companions and fucceffors of the apostles either heard, or pretended to hear from their own mouths.

6. We need not produce our authorities for the Canons and Conftitutions of the Apostles, fince fo many learned members of the church of England have written large volums to prove 'em genuin. 7. The Precepts of Peter and Paul. This book lies in manufcript in the great duke's library in Florence, if we believe Ludovicus Jacobus a Sancto Carolo, in his Bibliotheca Pontificia, 1. 1. p. 177. 8. The prefent Coptic Chriftians have a book of doctrins, which they believe was compos'd by the twelve apostles, with the affistance of St. Paul, &c.

9.

The Gospel of Perfection. Epiphan. Hæref. 26.

n. 2.

10. The Acts of all the Apostles, written by themselves. Epiphan. Hæref. 30. n. 16. Ifidor. Peluf. 1.2. Epift. 99. Varadatus in Epift. ad Leonem Imp. Tom. 4. Concil. Labbai, col. 978. 7o. Malala, Chronograph. 1. x.

11. The Itinerary of all the Apostles, as well as of every one of 'em fingly, was formerly extant.

XVI. Of

XVI. Of the Writings of the Difciples and Companions of the Apostles.

Or the books afcrib'd to the difciples and companions of the apoftles, and which are ftill extant, fom are thought genuin and of great authority at this time: Every one were approv'd at fom time, or by fom party: And yet I am of opinion, that it is the easiest task in the world (next to that of fhewing the ignorance and superftitition of the writers) to prove them all fpurious, and fraudulently impos'd on the credulous. Thofe I mean, are the Epiftles of Clemens Romanus to the Corinthians, his Recognitions, Decretals, and other pieces bearing his name: All the Epiftles of Ignatius; The Epiftle of Polycarpus to the Philippians, with his other writings; The Acts of the Martyrdom of Ignatius and Polycarpus; The Paftor of Hermas; The Epiftle of Barnabas; The Works of Dionyfius the Areopagite; The Epiftle of Marcellus, Peter's Difciple, to Nereus and Achilleus, and his Treatife of the Conflict of Peter and Simon Magus; The Life of Saint John, by Prochorus; The Petition of Veronica to Herod on the behalf of CHRIST; The Paffion of Timothy by Polycrates; The Paffions of Peter and Paul in two books by Linus; The two Epiftles of Martial of Limoufin, and the Life of the fame by Aurelianus; The Gospel of Nicodemus; The History of the Apoftolical Conflict by Abdias, who is faid to be appointed first bishop of Babylon by the apostles;

apostles; The Paffion of Saint Andrew written by the prefbyters of Achaia; The Epiftle of Evodius, entitul'd The Light; The Altercation of Jason and Papifcus; The Acts of Titus compos'd by Zena, St. Paul's companion, with a multitude of other acts and paffions. The Gospel of Barnabas, the Revelation of Stephen, the Paffion of Barnabas, and the Epiftles of Jofeph the Arimathean to the Britons, are quite left; and were they extant, would probably appear to be as foolish and fabulous as the reft.

XVII. Of Pieces alledg'd in Favor of Christianity, which were forg'd under the Name of Heathens. 1. The Works of Trismegistus and Afclepius. Ex

tant.'

2. The Books of Zoroafter and Hyftafpes.

3. The Sibyllin Oracles cited fo frequently, and with fuch authority, by the primitive fathers, that* Celfus takes occafion from thence to nickname the Chriftians Sibyllifts. Extant. 4. The Letter of Pontius Pilat to Tiberius, with the Speech of Tiberius to the Senat. Extant. 5. The Epiftle of Lentulus, giving a Description of the Person of CHRIST. Extant.

6. The Epiftles or Orders of Adrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius, in favor of the Christians. Extant in Justin Martyr, &c. &c. &c.

Origen. contr. Celf, 1. 5.

HERE'S

HERE'S a long lift for Mr. BLACKHALL, who, 'tis probable, will not think the more meanly of himself for being unacquainted with thefe pieces; nor, if that were all, fhould I be forward to think the worse of him on this account: but I think he is to blame for denying that there were any fuch, because he knew nothing of 'em ; much less should he infer from thence, that I deny'd the fcriptures; which fcandal however, because manifeftly proceeding from ignorance, I heartily forgive him, as every good Chriftian ought to do.

To explain now therefore the feveral members of the paffage in MILTON'S Life: In the first place, by the fpurious pieces I meant, tho' not all, yet a good parcel of those books in the catalogue, which I am perfuaded were partly forg'd by fom more zealous than difcreet Chriftians, to fupply the brevity of the apoftolic memoirs, partly by defigning men to fupport their privat opinions, which they hop'd to effect by virtue of fuch refpected authorities: And fom of 'em, I doubt, were invented by heathens and Jews to impofe on the credulity of many wel-difpos'd perfons, who greedily fwallow'd any book for divine revelation that contain❜d a great many miracles, mixt with a few good morals, while their adverfaries laught in their fleeves all the while, to fee their tricks fucceed, and were rivetted in their ancient prejudices by the greater fuperftition of fuch enthufiafts.

In the fecond place, by the books of whose fpuriousness I said the world was not yet convinc'd, tho' in my privat opinion I could not think 'em

genuin,

genuin, I meant those of the other great perfons, or the fuppos'd writings of certain apoftolic men (as they call 'em) which are at this prefent, as well as in ancient times, read with extraordinary veneration. And they are the epiftle of BARNABAS, the paftor of HERMAS, the epiftle of POLYCARPUS to the Philippians, the first epistle of CLEMENS ROMANUS to the Corinthians, and the feven epiftles of IGNATIUS. These are generally receiv'd in the church of Rome, and alfo by most proteftants; but those of the church of England have particularly fignaliz'd themselves in their defence, and by publishing the correcteft impreffions of them. The ancients paid them the highest respect, and reckon'd the first four of 'em efpecially, as good as any part of the New Teftament. The Epistle of BARNABAS is by CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS, and ORIGEN, not only reckon'd genuin, but cited as scripture; tho' he fays in exprefs terms, That the Apostles, before their Converfion, were the greatest Sinners in Nature; which, if believ'd, would rob us of an argument we draw from their integrity and fimplicity against infidels, to fay nothing now of the many other ridiculous paffages in BARNABAS. The paftor, or visions, precepts, and fimilitudes of HERMAS (who is fuppos'd to be the person mention'd by PAUL in his Epistle to the Romans) is cited as Canonical Scripture by † IRENEUS, CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS, ORIGEN, and others, and was

* Stromat. 1. 2. & 5. contra Celf. 1. 1. de Princip. 1. 3.

+ Adverf. Hæref. 1. 4. c. 3. Stromat. l. 1. 2. 4. 6. Princip. I. 1. c. 3. 1. 2. c. I. Homil. 1o. in Hof. & alibi paffim.