Malice of those who, like Plagues, are always troubling Civil Society, and the Peace of the Church. Nevertheless, as the Author of this Treatife pretends to be a Philofoper, to clear up Truth, it will not be amifs to expofe his weak Reasons. If any Perfon will be fo good as to fet this Matter in its right Light, it will be gratefully receiv'd by,

W

E

Your, &c.

are not to fuppofe that the Books of Scripture, which are now confider'd as Canonical, were fettled in the Apoftolick Times. There is no doubt but the Chriftians were first acquainted with the Gospels; afterwards the Epiftles appear'd, fome of them fooner, others later. The particular Churches to which they had been addrefs'd, communicated them reciprocally to one another; the Romans to the Corinthians, the Corinthians to the Romans; and fo of the reft of the Epiftles, in proportion as correfpondence between Chriftians was enlarg'd. We don't find that the Books of the Scripture were fettled as Canonical, either by Councils, by Popes, or any fupreme Authority, but was wholly the effect of time: First one Book was added, then another; and this, fays Mr. Bafnage, was done by private Men, who after perufing fuch a piece as they thought would be of fervice to Religion, us'd to communicate it to their Church: And farther, fays

Bafnage Hift. Lib. VIII. Ch. 8,

the

the fame Author, so much liberty was taken on thefe occafions, that feveral pieces, notoriously fpurious, were look'd upon as Canonical. The Churches were as much divided in Opinion as private Perfons; fome receiving, and others rejecting the fame Book; and before any piece was receiv'd, it was well examin'd and confider'd. The fecond Epiftle of St. Peter was not at first confider'd as Canonical; many, fays Eufebius, judg'd it an useful Book, upon which Men began to read it with care and attention * He affirms the fame thing with regard to the Epiftles of St. James and St. Jude; which very few ancient Writers had mention'd as infpir'd writings: Some Churches made a refolution of reading them; mankind were long in fufpence, but at laft their doubts were remov'd. St. † Ferom alfo fpeaking of the Epistle to St. James, fays, time only gave it authority, and that very flowly. The Epiftle to the Hebrews, the fecond and third of St. John, were receiv'd as Canonical by no other means. Thus the diftinguishing of fuch Books as were Genuine and Canonical, improv'd by infenfible degrees, as will manifeftly appear from the following Hiftory of the Revelations, and the Objections it met with for many Ages.

Of the various Writers who immediately fucceeded the Apoftles, the firft Epiftle of St. Cle ment the Roman, with a Fragment of the fecond, are the only pieces extant; the Epiftles afcrib'd to St. Barnabas, which is of a very ancient Writer; the Book of Hermas; the feven Epiftles

Eufeb. Hift. Ecclefiaft. B. III. Ch. 3. ↑ De virif. illuftr. cap. 2.

F 2

faid

faid to be written by Ignatius, and that of Polycarp; in all these Writings there is not fo much as the leaft mention made of the Revelations. It must be own'd, that no inference can be drawn against this Book in particular from the filence of thofe Authors, fince they take no manner of notice either of the four Evangelifts, or the greatest part of the Books of the New Teftament. The Pfeudo-Prochorus, who gives himself out for one of the Difciples of the Apoftles, knew much more of this matter, and relates as follows in the Life of St. John. This Apostle told the Chriftians of Ephesus, that Jefus Chrift had indulg'd him a Revelation, whereupon they defir'd him to draw it up in writing; accordingly the Apostle dictated his Epiftle to Prochorus, in the midst of Thunder, Lightning and Earthquakes. He afterwards writ the Revelations with his own hand, as tho' he thought it a more confiderable Work than St. John's GoSpel. But the Pfeudo-Prochorus, who is made to act a part here, was one of thofe good Chriftians who impos'd upon the credulity of the vulgar; and who affuming a fpecious appearance of zeal for the Chriftian Religion, did not fo much as conceal their artifices under the mask of heathen probity. His Book is ftuffed with abfurdities and fictions, and the words hypoftafis, confubftantial, &c. plainly point out the age in which it was written.

After the death of the Apoftles, Cerinthus appear'd, a Man prodigioufly bigotted to the Millennium, or the temporal reign of our Saviour upon earth during a thousand years. This notion came originally from the Jews *, and 'twas

*

Eufeb. Hift. Ecclef. Lib. III. Ch. 28. & Lib. VII.

Ch. 25

from

from him the Chriftians firft receiv'd it. It was founded on the Revelations, which he affirm'd to be written by St. John: But what reafons foever he might have for this affertion, feveral orthodox Writers fuppos'd it to be a compofition of his own, from its feeming (at least in their opinion) to favour the Millennium, as we fhall fee hereafter. Nevertheless, other Hereticks, Cerdo and Marcion, as t Tertullian tells us; and even the Alogians, according to St. Epiphanius, levell'd their Pens against the Revelations, afferting that it was not written by St. John; and, among other reafons, gave the following; viz. that in the Apoftles time there was no Chriftian Church at Thyatira, a circumftance which St. Epiphanius does not fcruple to allow them; but then he fuppofes, that when St. John wrote to the Church at Thyatira, he does not speak of it as of one really exifting, but by a prophetical-Spirit. Thus we find Hereticks difputing with Hereticks about the Revelations; whilft the Orthodox did not as yet engage in the Controverfy, at leaft we don't know what conftruction they put upon it.

Juftin Martyr, who wrote about An. 170. of the Chriftian Era, is the firft Father that mentions the Revelations; and a remarkable circumftance is, that he afcribes it to the Apoftle St. John, in his Dialogue with Tryphon the Jew. This Author asking him, Whether he does not believe that Jerufalem will be one day restor'd? Justin replies, That 'tis his opinion it will; and hereupon fays: "There was a certain Perfon

among us, John by name, one of the twelve "Apoftles of Chrift, who has prophefied in his

+Contra Marcionem. Lib. IV.

Hæref. 57.

"Rever

"Revelations, that the faithful will live a thou"fand years in Jerufalem." This is the only place in all the Works of Justin, where any mention is made of the Revelations, and then 'tis done for no other reafon but to prove the Millennium. It does not appear, by the words of this Father, that it was then received in all the Churches; he feems here only to give his private opinion; or at moft, the opinion of thofe Chriftians whofe belief was Orthodox; or, in other words, who believ'd the Millennium. However, it cannot be doubted but he cited a Pfeudo-gospel upon his own authority, when he fays in the fame Dialogue with Tryphon, that when Chrift Jefus went down into the river Fordan, a fire was lighted in it; and that the following Voice from Heaven was heard, Thou art my fon, this day have I begotten thee. He affirms that the Apoftles have written these things, which nevertheless were found only in the Gospel of the Ebionites *. 'Tis not to be

denied but he took the utmoft pains to enquire into the truth of things; he had been a great Traveller, and had vifited foreign Countries, not with an incurious Eye, but had pry'd very diligently into their Antiquities. We are oblig'd to his researches for the Tripod of the old Cumaan Sybil; the three large beautiful Tubs in which the us'd to bathe; the Sepulchre where her Remains are depofited; the Books where the fpoke of Jefus Chrift, a circumstance which afforded fresh matter for raillery to the Heathens, who look'd upon the Chriftians as Sybillifts; to whom Juftin makes the grave exhortation following; to Greeks, believe in the ancient and

Epiphan. Hæref. 30.

† Admonitio ad Græcos. venerable