LECT. IX. " and representing the countenance of each one of "them. Is Achaia near you? You have Corinth. "If you are not far from Macedonia, you have Philippi, you have Thessalonica. If you can go "to Asia, you have Ephesus. But if you are near to Italy, you have Rome, from whence we also may be easily satisfied."*

66

From the investigations, which have been instituted respecting the completion of the New Testament Canon, it is certain, that it cannot be attributed to any legislative enactment, to any decrees of councils, or to any public authority whatever. It was the simple result of evidence elicited by a growing acquaintance with the channels through which the different books might be traced to an inspired source. It was entirely dependent on testimony; so that afterwards, when a decree was issued by the council of Laodicea in the year 363, it was more a declaratory act, attesting the universal prevalence of such testimony, than an authoritative mandate, designed, as such, to be binding on the whole Christian world. The ground of decision was the universal suffrage of the Christian church, which had been constituted a keeper and witness of the sacred oracles, just as the Jewish church had been in former times. To her care the deposit was committed; she was

are meant by authenticæ, though he does not think that Tertullian had the apostolical autographs in view. Einleit. 1 Theil. s. 416.

*De Prescript. cap. 36.

the pillar and ground of the truth; and upon LECT. IX. each of her members, who became possessed of the invaluable treasure, devolved the responsibility of guarding and transmitting it unimpaired to others, according to his ability, and according to the peculiar circumstances in which he was placed.

Mark and

the Acts.

It only remains, that we advert to the inspired Canonicity of authority of the writings of the Evangelists Luke, and of Mark and Luke. That this authority should ever have been called in question is principally to be ascribed to the circumstance, that these authors were not of the number of the apostles to whom specifically the promise of the Holy Spirit was given by our Lord. The authenticity and credibility of the books composed by them, have been most satisfactorily proved; but a book may possess all requisite evidence of this kind, and yet not be inspired. To possess this quality it must either have been the result of inspiring influence on the mind of the writer himself, or it must have received the sanction of one who was the subject of such influence, and who, by giving it his official sanction, authorized its publication as an accredited document, to be perused by the church for the purposes of divine instruction. Now it is at once conceded, that in none of the three books written by Mark and Luke is any claim to inspiration advanced. That its possession, however, by the latter

66

LECT. IX. evangelist, is necessarily excluded by the statement made in his introduction, can only be consistently maintained by those whose idea of the nature of inspiration does not extend beyond that of direct and immediate communication. Even the phrase ἔδοξε καμοί, “ It seemed good to me also," which has been so frequently appealed to, cannot fairly be construed to favour such exclusion; since we find Luke employing similar phraseology, (Acts xv. 25,) in reference to the decree of the assembly at Jerusalem, though, as we learn from ver. 28, it was enacted by direction of the Holy Ghost. As the exercise of judgment and argumentation in the one case did not supersede the guidance of the promised Instructor, so the diligence of the evangelist in tracing, with the utmost accuracy, every thing connected with the history of our Lord, was in no way incompatible with his being the subject of supernatural influence.

With respect to Mark, we may observe, that he was, in all probability, the same who is more commonly called John Mark, who accompanied Paul and Barnabas, and was by the apostle authoritatively commended to the church at Colosse, and to Timothy. He even recognises him in the high character of a fellow-labourer. That he also laboured some time in conjunction with Peter, to whom he was doubtless introduced at his mother's house in Jerusalem, may be inferred from what that apostle says of him in

his First Epistle, v. 13, and from the unanimous LECT. IX. voice of antiquity, which connects them most intimately together. And, indeed, the same unanimity prevails in regard to their testimony, that Mark wrote his gospel not only with the privity, but with the inspired sanction of Peter. The Fathers differ as to the circumstances of its composition, but they perfectly agree respecting the fact itself. Nor is there wanting internal evidence to prove, that Peter was concerned in its publication. He is less frequently mentioned in this gospel, than in the others. What is related of him renders him less conspicuous than the statements do, which are made by the other evangelists, except in the cases of his weaknesses and fall, which are to view, while the things which redound to his honour are either slightly touched or wholly concealed.

more fully exposed

That Luke was the companion of Paul is beyond all dispute; that he resided with him upwards of two years at Jerusalem appears from Acts xxi. 17; xxiv. 27; and he must have been with him for a still longer period at Rome, (Coloss. iv. 14; Philem. 24; 2 Tim. iv. 11.) He clearly includes himself along with the apostle and Timothy in the supernatural intimation which was given to them to preach the gospel in Macedonia, (Acts xvi. 10); from which we may warrantably conclude, that he was under the special direction of the Holy

LECT. IX. Spirit.* In 1 Tim. v. 18, Paul quotes a declaration made by our Lord, verbally as it stands in the Gospel of Luke, but differently from the wording of Matthew, in whose gospel it also occurs; and introduces the quotation in such a way as to show, that he places the book from which it was taken upon a level with the Pentateuch. "For THE SCRIPTURE saith: Thou "shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the "corn; AND [it also saith] the labourer is worthy "of his hire, μolós.”

From the intimate connection which subsisted between both these evangelists and the apostles of our Lord, and from the fact that the first teachers of Christianity, among whom they are unquestionably to be reckoned, were endowed with the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, it may reasonably be concluded that they were qualified to record every point of the history of our Lord, and the early planting of the Christian church, which Infinite Wisdom deemed essential to her edification at the time, and in all future ages.

Both of these gospels and the Acts were received by the first Christians, who had the best opportunities of ascertaining the persons

*Some would deduce a proof of the inspiration of Luke from the statement made by Paul, (2 Cor. viii. 18,) respecting" the brother whose praise in the gospel is throughout all the churches;" but the foundation is too precarious to admit of any solid argument being built upon it.