Early Use and Import of the Word Canon

The word canon, literally, signif-es JP rule; and it is used in this sense, several times in the New Testament, as Gal. vi. Hi. Jis many as walk according lo this rxdc. V. iii. 16. Lei lis walk by the satne. 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 clesio;iiate the inspired Scriptures. Iken(ei’s, speakinp; of the Scriptures, calls them the ca.non ov truth. Clement of Aifxandria, referring; to a quotalion of tin; Gospel accordiiia; to the Ksiyptians, says, “Hni ihcy follow any thing, rather than ‘jhe true evangelical CANON.”

Elsebius says of Origen, “But in the firsL book of his comnientarits on the Gospel of Matthew, observing the ECCLKsiAsriCAL canon, he d’clii ., that he knew uf four Gosjiels «inly.”

Athanasius, in his Festal Epistle, speaks of three sorts of l)o((ks; ‘the canomcai.; such as were allowed to he read; and buch as were Apoci’vphal. By the first he evidently means, such as we now call canomcal.

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 I^, after enumerating; the bonks of the Old and New Teslanients, goes on to mention three classes of books, l. 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 puhlicly read.

Jekome often speak-^ 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 scriptubes be read in the ctiurch, under the name of the Divine Scriptures.”

Augustine often makes mention of the canonical scriptuues, and the whole canon of scuiptuke; meaning to designate all the sacred books of the Old and New Testaments. “We read of sonse,” says he, “that they searched the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so. What Scriptures, I pray, excppt the canonical Scuptures, 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 Revelaiion of John.”

Chkysostom says, ^’Tliey 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 OP truth; the Divine Scriptures.”

And LtONTius 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 CAipfONicAi,.”

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 Christi ms considered to be authoratative: and that this collection of sacred writings, received the name of Cano.v.

The division of the sacred books which is most ancient and universal, is, into the Old Testamknt, and the New Testament. The Apostle P.uil, hiinself, 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, remainetfi the same veil un-

2 Cor. ill. 14. C taken away in tKe reading of the Old Testament,

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, connected with this subject.