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For it contains only those books, which were acknowledged by all in the time of Eufebe, and from the beginning, and seven other, which were then well known, and were next in esteem to those before mentioned, as univerfally acknowledged; and were more generally received as of authority, than any other controverted writings. Nor is there in them any thing inconfiftent with the facts, or principles, delivered in the univerfally acknowledged books. And moreover, there may be a great deal of reason to think, that they are the genuine writings of thofe, to whom they are afcribed, and that the writers were apoftles. This evidence will be carefully examined, and distinctly confidered, as we proceed.

In this canon likewife the above-mentioned rule is regarded. It is a fhort canon. For out of it are excluded many books, which might feem to make a claim to be ranked among facred and canonical fcriptures.

VI. There are not any books, befide thofe now generally_received by us, that ought to be esteemed canonical, or books of authority.

I fuppofe this to be evident to all, who have carefully attended to the hiftorie in the feveral volumes of this work; and that there is no reason to receive, as a part of facred scripture, the epiftle of Barnabas, the epiftle of Clement, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Recognitions, the Clementin Homihes, the Doctrine of the Apofties, the Apoftolical Conftitutions, the Gospel of Peter, or Matthias, or Thomas, the Preaching of Peter, the Acts of Peter and Paul, of Andrew and John and other Apostles, the Revelation of Peter, and Paul, their Travels or Circuits. That these books were not received, as facred fcripture, or a part of the rule of faith, by Christians in former times, has been fhewn. Nor can they therefore be reasonably received by us as fuch.

The only writing of all these, that feems to make a fair claim to be a part of facred fcripture, is the epiftle of St. Barnabas, if genuine, as I(s) have fuppofed it to be. Nevertheless, I think, it ought not to be received as facred fcripture, or admitted into the canon, for these reasons.

1. It was not reckoned a book of authority, or a part of the rule of faith, by thofe ancient Chriftians, who have quoted it, and taken the greatest notice of it.

Clement of Alexandria has (t) quoted this epiftle feveral times, but not as decifive, and by way of full proof, as we fhewed. Nor is it fo quoted by (u) Origen. Nor is the epiftle of Barnabas in any of (x) Origen's catalogues of the books of Scripture, which we ftill find in his works, or are taken notice of by Eufebe. By that Ecclefiaftical Hiftorian, in one place it is reckoned (y) among spurious writings, that is, fuch as were generally rejected and fuppofed not to be part of the New Testament. At other times it is called by him (z) a contradicted book, that is, not received by all.

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Nor is this epiftle placed among facred fcriptures by following writer who have given catalogues of the books of the New Teftament. It i wanting, particularly, in the Feftal Epiftle (a) of Athanafius, in (b) th catalogue of Cyril of Jerufalem, of (c) the Council of Laodicea, of (a Epiphanius, (e) Gregorie Nazianzen, (f) Amphilochius, and (g) Jerome (b) Rufin, (i) the Council of Carthage, and (k) Auguftin. Nor has i been reckoned a part of canonical scripture by later writers.

2. Barnabas was not an Apostle.

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For he was not one of the twelve Apostles of Chrift. Nor was he chosen in the room of Judas. Nor is there in the Acts any account of his being chofen into the number of Apoftles, or appointed to be an Apoftle by Christ, as Paul was. What St. Luke fays of Barnabas is, that he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghof, and of faith. xi. 24. And in ch. xiii. I. he is mentioned among Prophets and Teachers in the church of Antioch. But St. Luke speaks in the like manner of Stephen, of whom he fays, he was a man full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost. vi. 5. full of faith and power. v. 8. full of the Holy Ghoft. vii. 55And all the feven were full of the Holy Ghoft, and wisdom. vi. 3.

That Barnabas was not an Apostle, I think, may be concluded from Gal. ii. 9. where Paul fays: And when James, and Cephas, and John, who feemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of Fellowship. By grace I fuppofe St. Paul to mean the favour of the apostleship. So Rom. i. 5. By whom we have received grace and apostleship, that is, the favour of the apostleship. Ch. xii. 3. For I fay, through the grace given to me, meaning the efpecial favour of the apoftleship. And fee ch. xv. 15. 1 Cor. xv. 10. Eph. iv. 7. compared with ver. 11.

If Barnabas had been an Apoftle, in the fulleft fenfe of the word, St. Paul would not have faid in the above cited place from the second to the Galatians, when they perceived the grace given to me, but, when they perceived the grace given to me, and Barnabas. And in the preceding part of the context, particularly, in ver. 7. 8. he twice fays me, where he would have faid us, if Barnabas had been an apoftle. For he had been mentioned before, in ver. 1.

Indeed, in the Acts, where Paul and Barnabas are mentioned together, Barnabas is fometimes first named, as Acts xi. 30. xii. 25. xiii. 1.2. and 7. xiv. 14. XV. 12. 25. Which I think not at all strange, among perfons, who were not intent upon precedence: when too Barnabas was the elder in years and difcipleship. But in feveral other places Paul is first named, as in Acts xiii. 43. 46. xv. 2. 22. 35. of which no other reafon can be well affigned, belide that of Paul's apoftlefhip.

Moreover, wherever they travelled together, if there was an opportunity for discourfing, Paul ipake. So at Paphos, in the island of Cyprus.

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And at Antioch in Pifidia. ch. xiii. 15. 16. See

And that Paul was the principal perfon, appears from that early account, after they had been in Cyprus. ch. xiii. 13. Now when Paul and bis companie loofed from Paphos, they came to Perga, in Pamphylia.

However, there are fome texts, which must be confidered by us, as feeming to afford objections.

Acts xiv. 4. But the multitude of the city was divided. Part held with the Jews, and part with the Apoftles: that is, Paul and Barnabas, who were then at Iconium. And afterwards, at Lyftra. ver. 14. Which when the Apoftles, Barnabas and Paul, heard,..... Here Barnabas is stiled an Apofile, as well as Paul.

To which I anfwer, first. Both being now together, and meeting with the like treatment, might be called Apoftles: though only one of them was, properly, fo. Secondly, it is not unlikely, that Barnabas and Paul are here ftiled by St. Luke, Apoftles, in regard to what had been done at Antioch, as related by him. ch. xii. i. . . 4. when by an exprefs order from heaven, they were fent forth from the church at Antioch, upon a fpecial commiffion, in which they were ftill employed. That defignation, however folemn, did not make either of them Apoftles of Chrift, in the highest fenfe. It was not the apoftolical, which is a general commiffion. But it was a particular commiffion, as appears from that whole hiftorie, and from what is faid at the conclufion of the journey, which they had taken. Acts xiv. 26. And thence they failed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God, for the work, which they had fulfilled. Nevertheless, they are not unfitly called Apofiles upon account of it. So 2 Cor. viii. 13. Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner, and fellow-helper concerning you or our brethren be enquired of, they (1) are the messengers of the churches, literally, apoftles of the churches, and the glorie of Chrift. If thofe brethren, which had been appointed by the churches to go to Jerufalem, with the contributions, which had been made for the relief of the poor faints in Judea, might be called Apoftles; there can be no doubt, but Paul and Barnabas might be called Apoftles in regard to the work, to which they had been folemnly appointed by the church at Antioch.

Again 1 Cor. ix. 5. 6. Have we not power to lead about a fifter, a wife, as well as other Apoftles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Or I only, and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

Some may think, that Barnabas is here fuppofed to be an Apoftle. I anfwer, that though Barnabas was not an Apoflle properly, or equally with himfelf, yet Paul, out of an affectionate refpect to his friend, companion, and fellow-laborer, might be difpofed to mention him, upon this occafion, in the manner he has done. This is faid, fuppofing all beforementioned to have been Apoftles of Chrift, in the higheft fenfe. But, fecondly, it is not certain, that all, before-mentioned, were strictly Apoftles. It feems to be more likely, that by the brethren of the Lord fome are intended, who were not Apoftles. If fo, Paul might reafonably, and without offence, gratify his friendly difpofition: and infert here the

(1) ἀπόςολοι ἐκκλησιῶν.

name

name of Barnabas, who had fhared with him many fatigues and difficulties in the service of the gofpel, though he was not an Apostle.

I do not therefore difcern any good reafon from the New Teftament, why Barnabas fhould be reckoned an Apostle. But quite otherwise. The fenfe of the primitive Chriftians is agreeable hereto. none of them have thought Barnabas an Apoftle.

Few or Clement of Alexandria has quoted Barnabas (m) five or fix times. Twice he calls him Apoftle. In another place he calls him the apoftolic Barnabas, who was one of the feventy, and fellow-laborer of Paul. are the highest characters, which he intended to give to Barnabas, and what he means, when he calls him Apoftle, as is fully fhewn in the place just referred to.

Thefe

By Tertullian, as cited by us (n) formerly, Barnabas is plainly reckoned no more, than (0) a companion of Apostles.

Eufebe, in a chapter concerning those who were disciples of Chrift, fays: "The (p) names of our Saviour's Apoftles are well known from "the Gospels. But there is no where extant a catalogue of the seven"ty difciples. However, it is faid, that Barnabas was one of them, who "is exprefsly mentioned in the Acts, and in Paul's epiftle to the Gala"tians." That learned writer therefore did not know, that Barnabas was an Apoftle. In (9) another place of the fame work, his Ecclefiaftical Hiftorie, he quotes a paffage from the feventh book of Clement's Inititutions or Hypotopofes, where Barnabas is ftiled one of the feventy. In his Commentarie upon Ifaiah (r) Eufebe computes fourteen Apoftles, meaning the twelve, and Paul added to them, and equal to them, and James the Lord's brother, Bishop of Jerufalem, whom Eufebe did not think to be one of the twelve. Nor does he here fay, that (s) he was equal to them, or Paul. However, from all these places, we can be fully affured, that our learned Ecclefiaftical Hiftorian did not fo much as fufpect Barnabas to have been an Apostle, in the highest sense of the word.

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Jerome, in the article of Barnabas, in his book of Ecclefiaftical Writers, fays, he (t) was ordained with Paul an Apoftle of the Gentiles. But authors, who write in hafte, as Jerome often did, do not always exprefs themselves exactly and properly. Jerome did not think, that Barnabas was equally an Apoftle with Paul. This may be concluded from what there follows: He wrote an epifle for the edification of the Church, which is read among the apocryphal fcriptures. If Barnabas had been an Apostle, ftrictly speaking, Jerome would not have faid, he wrote an epifle for the edification of the Church. Which any man might do. Nor would his epiftle have been reckoned apocryphal, as Jerome here, and elsewhere calls

(n)

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. p. 606.... 608.

(m) Vol. ii. p. 521....523. (0) Volo tamen ex redundantia alicujus etiam comitis Apoftolorum teftimonium fuperducere, idoneum confirmandi de proximo jure difciplinam MagiftroExftat enim & Barnabæ titulus ad Hebræos. Tertull. de Pudicit. cap. 20.

rum.

p. 741.

(p) . . . Τῶν δὲ ἑβδομήκοντα μαθητῶν κατάλογος μὲν ἐδεὶς ἐδαμή φέρεται. Λέγεται με μὴν εἰς αὐτῶν βαρνάβας. κ. λ. Η. Ε. l. 1. cap. xii.

(9) L. 2. cap. i. p. 38. D.

(s) See Vol. viii. p. 154. 155.

(r) Comm. in Ef. p. 422.

(1) See Vol. x. p. 142. 143.

() calls it. When Jerome fays, that Barnabas was ordained with Paul an Apostle of the Gentiles; it is likely, he refers to the hiftorie in Acts xiii. I..... 4. of which I have already faid all that is needful.

Theodoret, as formerly quoted, fays: "The (x) all-wife Deity com"mitted the culture of a barren world to a few men, and those fisher"men, and publicans, and one tent-maker." And to the like purpose often. Which fhews, that he did not reckon Barnabas an Apoitle in the fulleft meaning of the word. If he had, he must have added, and one Levite. The fame obfervation may be applied to Chryfoftom, who (y) in his many paffages fhewing the wonderful progreffe of the gofpel, often mentions the Apoftles Peter, a fisherman, and Paul a tent-maker, but never Barnabas à Levite.

If then Barnabas was not an Apoftle, an epiftle writ by him cannot be received as canonical, or a part of the rule of faith: forafmuch as no men, befide Apoftles, have the privilege of writing epiftles, or other works, preceptive, and doctrinal, that fhall be received by the churches, in that quality. This has been faid several times in the course of this (z) work. And I ftill think it right.

Mark (a) and Luke, apoftolical men, may write hiftories of our Lord's and his apoftles preaching, and doctrine, and miracles, which fhall be received as facred, and of authority. But no epiftles, or other writings, delivering doctrines and precepts, (except only in the way of hiftorical narration,) can be of authority, but those writ by Apoftles.

Says Jerome of St. John: "He (b) was at once Apostle, Evangelift, "and Prophet: Apostle, in that he wrote letters to the churches as a "mafter: Evangelift, as he wrote a book of the Gofpel, which no other "of the twelve Apoftles did, except Matthew: Prophet, as he faw "the Revelation in the island Patmos, where he was banished by Do

"mitian."

Frederic Spanheim, in his Diflertation concerning the twelve Apofles, readily acknowledgeth this to be one prerogative of Apoftles: "That (c) they may write epiftles, which fhall be received as canonical, " and be of univerfal and perpetual authority in the Church."

3. Barnabas does not take upon himfelf the character of an Apoftle, or a man of authority.

Near the beginning of the epiftle he fays: " I (d) therefore, not as a "teacher,

(u) See again, as before, Vol. x. p. 143.

(x) Vol. xi. p. 96. See also p. 97. 99. 103.

y) See Vol. x. p. 366. .

...

370.

(z) See Apofiles in the alphabetical Table of principal Matters.

(a) See Vol. ii. p. 525•

(b) Vol. x. p. 101.

(e) Decimus nobis character apoftolicæ imigos eft poteftas fcribendi ad ecclefias plures, vel ad omnes, Tois xxdóna wirois, hujufmodi epiftolas, quæ in canonem referri mererentur, id eft, quæ forent canonicæ, univerfalis et perpetuæ in Ecclefia auctoritatis. Diff. prima de Apoflol. Duod. num. xi. Opp. T. 2. p. 310.

(d) Ego autem non tanquam doctor, fed unus ex vobis, demonftrabo pauca, per quæ in plurimis latiores fitis. Barn. ep. cap. i,

VOL. II.

B

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