Treatise of Divinity, Book 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
SOme Hereticks utterly abolisht the Divine Canon, as the Swingfeldians and Libertines who contemned all Scriptures; Totum vetus Testamentum rejiciebant Manichaei, tanquam a Deo malo profectum. Du…s n. i…i Deos … fingebant, quoru… un…s bonus, ma…s alter esset. Whitakerus de Scripturis.the Manichees, and Marcionites refused all the Bookes of the old Testament (as the Jewes doe those of the new) as if they had proceeded from the Divell.
Some diminish this Canon, as the Sadduces who (as Whitaker and others hold) rejected all the other Prophets but Moses; some inlarge it as the Papists, who hold that divers other Bookes called by us Aprcrypha (i. hidden) doe belong to the old Testament, and are of the same authority with the other before named; and they adde also their traditions and unwritten word, equalling it with the Scripture; both these are accursed, Rev. 22. 18.
But against the first we thus argue: whatsoever Scripture, 1. is divinely inspired, 2. Christ commandeth to search, 3. To which Christ and his Apostles appeale and confirme their doctrine by it, that is Canonicall and of equall authority with the new Testament. But the holy Scripture of the old Testament is divinely inspired,Stephen Acts 7. 42. cites a Booke of the 12 lesser Prophets, and so confirmes the authority of them all, being in one volume. Luke 16. 19. Vide Whitakeri controver. 1. quaest. 3. cap. 3. pag. 210. 2 Tim. 3. 16. where he speakes even of the Bookes of the old Testament, as is gathered both from the universall all writing, viz. holy, in the 15 verse; and from the circumstance of time, because in the time of Timothies infancy little or nothing of the new Testament was published. 2. Christ speakes not to the Scribes and Pharisees, but to the people in generall, to search it John 5. 39. this famous elogium being added, that it gives testimony of him, and that we may finde eternall life in it. 3. Christ and his Apostles appeale to it, and confirme their doctrine by it, Luke 24. 27. Rom. 3. 21. Acts 10. 43. & 17. 11. & 20 43▪ & 26. 20. the new Testament gives testimony of the old, and Peter, 2 Pet. 1. 19. of Pauls Epistles.
The Ecclesiasticall Canon (which is also called the second Canon) followeth, to which these Bookes belong, Tobit, Judith, first and second of the Machabees, Wisdome, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, Additions to*The history of Susanna Dan. 13. and Bel, cap. 14. and the song of the three Children Dan. 3. Daniel and Hester; for these neither containe truth perfectly in themselves; nor are sanctified by God in the Church, that they may be a Canon of faith; and although abusively from custome they were called Canonicall, yet properly in the Church they are distinguished from the Canonicall by the name of Apocryphall.
The false Canon is that which after the authority of the Apocrypha increased, was constituted by humane opinion; for the Papists as well as we reject for Apocryphall the third and fourth Booke of Esdras, Of the Apocrypha or obscure writings now extant in Greek.the prayer of Manasses, the third and fourth of Machabees, as Thomas Aquinas, Sixtus Senensis, Bellarmine, and so the Councell of Trent confesse, when they omit these and reckon up the whole Canon.
The state therefore of the controversie betwixt us and the Papists is,The Apocrypha Books are either purer, as Syrach, Wisdome, Baruch, the first booke of Machabees, and the prayer of Manasses: or more impure, as the rest, Toby; Judith, the second of Machabees, the supplement of Hester and Daniel. whether those seven whole bookes with the Appendices, be Sacred, Divine, Canonicall. We doe not deny but many of these, especially Wisdome and Ecclesiasticus are very good and profitable, and to be preferred before all humane Tractates; but that they are properly and by an excellency Canonicall, and of infallible truth, out of which firme arguments may be drawne, that we deny.
Those Bookes which the Jewes of old and the reformed Churches now reckon for truely Canonicall in the old Testament, are received all even by our adversaries for Canonicall without any exception; 2. for the Canonicall Bookes of the new Testament there is no controversie between us, and so far we agree; but in the old Testament whole Bookes are reckoned by them for Canonicall which we hold Apocryphall.
The reason why these Bookes at first were added to holy writ,S…e Mr. Lightfoot on Luke 1. 17. p. 5. & 6. Acts …. 1. & 9. 29. & 11. 20. Solebant pueri praeparari & excoli (ad audiendas sacras Scripturas) libris Sapientiae & Ecclesiastici, quemadmodum qui purpurum volunt… prius lanam inficiunt, ut inquit Cicero. Rainold. de lib. Apoc. tomo 1. praelect. 1…. was this, the Jewes in their later times, before and at the comming of Christ were of two sorts; some properly and for distinction sake named Hebrews, inhabiting Jerusalem and the holy Land; others were Hellenists, that is, the Jewes of the dispersion mingled with the Graecians. These had written sundry bookes in Greeke which they made use of, together with other parts of the old Testament, which they had in Greeke of the translation of the 70 when they now understood not the Hebrew; but the Hebrewes received onelyonly the 22 Bookes before mentioned. Hence it came that the Jewes delivered a double Canon of Scripture to the Christian Church, the one pure, unquestioned and Divine, which is the Hebrew Canon; the other in Greeke adulterate, corrupted by the addition of certaine bookes written in those times when God raised up no more Prophets among his people. Drus. praeterit. l. 5. Annotat. ad Act. Apost. c. 6. Jun. Animad. in Bell. cont. 1. l. 1. c. 4. & l. 2. c. 15. sect. 21. Tertul. in Apol. c. 19.
They are called Apocryphall (i. secret and hidden) not because the names of the writers are unknowne (by that reason Judges and Ruth should be Apocryphall) but because they were not wont to be read*Chamierus de Canone l. 4. c. 2▪ Musculus, Waltherus. openly in the Church of God as the Canonicall bookes, but secretly and in private by private persons, or because their authority was obscure and doubtfull with the Ancient.
These bookes our Church rejecteth, as not written by Divine inspiration for these reasons.
All the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament were written by the Prophets;aBecause they were the Scriptures of the Prophets, Rom. 16. 26. a Propheticall speech. 2 Pet. 1. 19, 20. Luke 1. 70. & 16. 39. & 24. 27, 44, 45. but none of these bookes were written by any of the Prophets, for
1. The last of the Prophets of the Jewes was Malachy, Mal. 4. 4, 5. between whom and John Baptist came no Prophet. Marke begins with the same words almost with which Malachy ended; a good argument to prove that the new Testament is next to the old. But these Bookes*These bookes in question were neve… admitted into the Canon of the Jewes, they are not comprehended under Moses and the Prophets, as Josephus (contra Ap. l. 1.) Hierome in prol…go Gal. Origen▪ (in Psal. 1.) Eplphanius (… pond. & mens) testifie, as Sixtus Senensis & Bellarm. confesse. were written by such who lived most of them after Malachy.
2. All the Prophets wrote in Hebrew, the language which the Jewes understood; but the Fathers affirme and Papists acknowledge that most of these bookes were written in Greeke; ergo, being not written by the Prophets they are not Canonicall. 2. All the bookes of the old Testament were committed to the Jewes and safely kept by them, Rom. 3. 2. our Saviour Christ which reproved the Jewes*Euseb. …ist. l. 3. c. 10. Aug. Epist. 3. & 59. for corrupting the sence of the Scripture, did yet never reprove them for rejecting those bookes which were divinely inspired, which sacriledge he would not have concealed; yea our Saviour sendeth us unto the Scriptures, as they received them, John. 5. 39. E…ras after the captivity is reported to have gathered all the Bookes of holy Scripture,Euseb. Eccles. hist. l. 5. c 8. and safely to lay them up. If the Jewes should have rejected or not received any bookes being Canonicall, Whitak. de Script. controv. 1. q. 1. c. 5, 6.they had grievously erred, which the Papists themselves will not affirme. Yea there should have been some Canonicall Bookes which no Church received; for besides the Church of the Jewes at that time there was none in the world. The Canonicall Bookes of the old Testament were divided into Moses, *Luke 24, 44.the Prophets and Psalmes; with which agreeth the old distribution of the Hebrews, into the Law, Prophets, and Hagiographa.
3, There are two waies to know a booke to be Canonicall; one by the testimony of some Prophet or Apostle: the other by the certaine testimony of them which did live when the booke was published,Aug. contr. Faustum. l. 33. c. 6. who did witnesse that the booke was written by some Prophet or Apostle. But these bookes are known to be Canonicall neither of these waies; they were rejected by the Jewes,Bellarm. de verbe Dei, l. 1. c. 10. Josephus, Jerome, Origen. who lived in the times when they were written; our Saviour Christ nor his Apostles never commend these Bookes unto us as endited by the Spirit. They are cited by Christ and his Apostles for the confirmation of their doctrine. All the Canonicall Bookes in generall, John 5. 39. & 10. 35. Rom. 16. 26. Luke 16. 29, 31. & Ch. 24. v. 25, 27, 44. The most of all in speciall, Genesis Matth. 19. 4, 5, 6. Exodus Matth. 5. 21, 27, 33, 38. Leviticus Gal. 3. 12. Numbers John 3. 14. Deuteronomy Acts 3. 22. Josh…a Heb. 11. 30, 31. Judges Heb. 11. 32. Ruth Matth. 1. 3. First of Samuel Matth. 12. 3. Second of Samuel Heb. 1. 5. First of Kings Matth. 12. 42. Second of Kings Luke 4. 27. First of Chronicles Matth. 1. 3, 7, 10 13. Second of Chronicles Acts 7. 48. Ezra Matth. 1. 12, 13. Job 1 Corinth. 3. 19. Psalmes Acts 4. 25. Proverbs Heb. 12. 5, 6, 7. Esay Matth. 1. 23. Jeremy Heb. 10. 16, 17. Ezechiel Matth. 25. 35. Daniel Matth. 24. 25. All the lesser Prophets Acts 7. 42. & 15. 15, 16. Hosea Matth. 12. 7. Jo…l Acts 2. 12. Amos Acts 15. 16. Jonah Matth. 12. 40, 41. Micha Matth. 10. 35. Na…um Rom. 10. 15. Habacuc Rom. 1. 17. Haggai Heb. 12. 26. Zachary Matth. 21 5. Malachy Luke 1. 16, 17. These bookes were not cited by Christ and his Apostles for confirmation of their doctrine.
Ob. If they be not Canonicall, therefore because they are not cited; then Na…um and Zephany are not Canonicall. Aratus, Menander, and Epimenides, prophane Poets are Canonicall▪ because they are cited Acts 17. 28. 1 Cor. 15. 33. Titus 1. 12.
Sol. They are not therefore not Canonicall onelyonly because they are not cited, but especially because they have not the characters of Divine Scripture. 2 Nahu… and Zephany are implicitely quoted, when the bookes of the Prophets are mentioned Acts 7. 41. & 15. 15, 16. The Poets are not cited as Canonicall, Du… genera causarum sunt ob quas libri Apocryphi sunt à Canone rejecti; unum externum, alterum internum. Externae caus… sunt, autoritas Ecclesie deceruentis, tum ipsorum autorum qualitas; quippe qui ej…smodi non fuerint ut fidem mererentur. Interna sunt, quae ab ipsorum librorum examine diligenti desumuntur, primum slylus, deinde res ipsae, nempe vel fabulosae vel impiae. Chamierus de Canone, l. 7.but the Apostle applied himselfe to his hearers, who did much esteeme their authority. Some have well coucluded from Acts 10. 43. that the Apocrypha are not to be received as Canonicall Scripture because they testifie not of Christ.
4 Those bookes which containe manifest untruths coutrary to the Word of God, and the books of holy Scripture, were not inspired of God; for as God is true, so is his word John 17. 17: sweetly agreeeng with it selfe, and every part with other; these bookes commend false things as true, and approve things evill as right. Judith chap: 9: v: 2: commends killing the Sichemites against Gen. 49. 6, 7. 2 Mac. 14. 42. Razis is commended for killing himselfe, the fact is not onelyonly related but commended also in these words, nobly, manfully; and this commendation doth plainly shew that the Authour thereof was not inspired*He craves pardon of his Reader, which is nor …tting for the holy Ghost. of God, when the Donatists out of this booke urged that it was lawfull for them to kill themselves as Razis did. Augustine aAugust controvers. 2. Epist. Gaudentii. c. 23.then was forced to acknowledge, that the authority of this booke was uncertaine and questionable, and proves it by the judgement of the Jewish Church, Christ, and the Christians. Manifest fables are told in some of them for true histories, as that ofbChap. 6. 9. That the heart and liver of a Fish, broiled upon Coales, doth drive away the Devill from man or woman, that he shal trouble them no more, contrary to Matth. 17. 21. See Eusebius l. 4. hist. c. 26. & l. 6. c. 25. Toby, Judith, Bell, and the Dragon.
If any desire a particular con…utation of the severall Bookes of the Apocrypha, I commend to his reading that learned Treatise of Dr Raynolds de libris Apocryphis, who hath so exactly handled this subject, that to write of it after him were to write Iliads after Homer, or to draw a line after Apelles.
5. The most ancient Fathers, and Councels which lived the best and first 500 yeeres after*Cartw. in his preface to the Confutation of the Remish Testament. Christ, rejected the same bookes which we doe. Jerome on Matth. 23. saith concerning a testimony cited out of the Apocrypha, Hoc quoniam ex Scriptura nihil habet authoritatis, eadem facilitate rejicitur, qua profertur. Because this hath no authority out of Scripture, it may as easily be rejected as it is offered.
All that the Papists object for these Bookes in the generall, is, that the third Councell at Carthage, the Florentine councell and that of Trent doe approve the said Bookes to be Canonicall, as also Augustine and Innocentius.
To which it may be answered,Est 2 ex Canon. fidei, morum … the Jewes rejected the Apocrypha à Canone fidei, the Church admits it into Canonem morum. They are given us to be read, Non eum credendi necessitate, sed cum judicandi libertate. Austin. 1. That the Councell of Carthage was but a Provinciall Councell, and therefore it cannot binde the whole world. Moreover in that Councell there are divers things which the Papists will not endure; as in the 26 Canon, there is a decree that no Bishop shall be called chiefe or universall Bishop, no not the Bishop of Rome; how should the Papists binde us with the authority of that Councell with which they will not binde themselves? 2. The Latine*Jerome and Augustine. Fathers judged these bookes fit to be read for example of life and instruction of manners; but not for confirmation of faith, or establishing any doctrine. 3. These Bookes are not Proto Canonicall, truely and properly Canonicall, inspired by God, containing the immediate and unchangeable truth of God, sanctified by him, and given to the Church to be a perfect rule of sound doctrine and good life; but Deutero-canonicall or rather Ecclesiasticall, as they are stiled. In this sence Augustine and Innocentius are to be taken, when they reckon these Bookes among the Canonicall. 4. No Councell hath authority to define what Bookes are Canonicall, what not, seeing Bookes truely Divine receive authority from God himselfe, and are to be esteemed of undoubted truth, although all the world should barke against them.
These two CouncelsaFlorentinum & Tridentinum concilium, ne mihi objeceris, quibus ego nec teneri …ec urgeri volo: an…quiora, sanior…, sanctiora desidero. Whitak▪ contra Staplet. Florentinum confilium habitum est ante … 150. & Tridentinum aetate nostra, cujus habendi ea…ratio ac confilium suit, ut omnes Ecclesiae Papisticae errores …. Erant haec duo non legitima Christianorum concilia, sed Tyrannica Antichristi conventicula ad oppugnandam Evangelii veritatem instituta. Whitakerm controvers. 1: q. 1. c. 4. de Scripturis. are of too late standing to oppose against the other ancient Councels, which reject these Bookes. The co…ncell of Trent was gathered and kept against all Civill and Ecclesiasticall right; neither was there any forme of justice observed in it. 1. It was not kept in a lawfull place; for whereas it was intended against the Protestants, and the Germans were the parties accused, it ought to have been kept in Germany, according to the request exhibited by the body of the States of Germany assembled at Noremberg; this equity was not observed,Re… extra provinciam produ…ndus …n est; ibi n. causa agenda ubi cri… admissum est. the parties accused being called into Italy. 2. In that Councell matters were concluded, and the sentence passed, the adversary not being heard speake, nor so much as present; for the Protestants might not be admitted to hearing, neither could they obtaine to propound their opinion in the Councell, muchlesse to avouch it by lawfull reasoning. Sleidan fol. 29. and yet were condemned,See the Review of the Councell of Trent. l. 1. c. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. against divine and humane law; for they both forbid the condemning of any before he have lawfull liberty granted him to plead for himselfe. 3. In that Councell the accuser and Judge were the same: for the Pope did accuse the Protestants of heresie, he did convocate the Coucell,Rex Christi…is…tus negabas …e habere hunc consessum (viz. conc. Trident.) pro …ecumenica & legitim… congregata Synodo, sed magis pro conventu privato. Thuanus Tom. 1. Hist. l. 2. pag. …0…. he by his Delegates was President and Moderator in it, and so together was Accuser, Judge and Witnesse; whereas the reformation of the Pope was the thing in question.
Lastly, all Councels ought to be free; but in this, Protestants might not propound their cause, nor defend it*Sleidan l. 23., neither might any thing be proposed, but according to the mind of the Legates,This Councell was not Generall, divers Kings and Nations protested against it, viz. The King of England, and the French King, and would not send their Bishops and Ambassadors to it. B. Carlet…. or otherwise then they approved; no man had any voyce in the Councell but such as were sworne to the Pope. nothing was there determined which was not first concluded of at Rome by the Pope in the Colledge of Cardinals, and sent from Rome to Trent; whereupon this Proverbe arose, Spiritum Sanctum Roma p…r peram mitti Tridentum. The Holy Ghost came to Trent packt up in a Cloke-bag. We hope therefore since the Apocrypha are justly rejected out of the Canon, that hereafter they will neither have the honour to be bound with our Bibles, nor read in our Churches.
The Apocrypha was never received by the Church of the Israelites, before Christ his comming; nor of the Apostolicke aFul…e in preface to his answer to … in defence of the English Translation.and Primitive Church, for more then 300 yeeres after, as both Eusebius out of Origen, and the Councell of Laodicea Can. 59. confirmed afterward by the sixth generall councell of Constantinople sheweth for the Greeke Church,In Prologo Galeato l. 6. c. 18. and St Jerome for the Latine.