have published no other Canon of Scripture, then Christ and his Apostles taught, and received no other then the ancient Fathers declared to be divinely Canonicall (and those onely Canonicall) none other then the learned Doctors and Professors, intirely preserved in the bosome of the Romane Church in all ages; so that if any curse be denounced against us, for renouncing doctrines of faith, deduced from Apocryphall Scriptures, I say it shall appeare by the same Decree, they have layd an Anathema upon Christ and his Apostles, and have cursed the ancient Fathers, and the principall members of their owne Church.

In the First Age, to Ann. 100.

First then wee must observe, according to Saint Paul's testimonie: Unto the Jewes were committed the Oracles of God (Rom iji. 2.): these Oracles, as God's pledges, were preserved by them*, (saith Cardinall Tolet) and according to the number of the Hebrew letters, they were divided into two and twentie Bookes, which is the Canon of Scripture now taught and received by the reformed Churches. The other Bookes, (which wee terme Apocryphall) were never received of the Jewes for Canonicali, as Bellarmine himselfe doth testifiet. This Canon of the Jewes was so true and perfect at Christ's comming, that neither Christ, nor any of his

* Factique sunt (Judæi) depositarii et custodes Eloquiorum Dei. Tolet. coment. in Rom. iii. 2.

† Bell. de verbo Dei. lib. i. cap. 10.

Apostles

Apostles complained of it: nay more, they cited many things out of the Canonicall Bookes of Scripture, for proofe of their doctrine, with this speciall character, As it is written: when as in all the Gospell of Christ, there is not so much as one authoritie cited by Christ or his Apostles, out of the Bookes which we terme Apocryphall. This Canon of the Jewes, as it was intirely preserved by them, and is now received by us, so it is likewise warranted by Christ himselfe : for Saint Luke tells us, that our Saviour after his Resurrection, beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, expounded in alt the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe (Luke xxiv. 27.): and what hee meant by all the Scriptures, hee afterwards expounds in the 44th verse of the same chapter: These are the words which I speake unto you, which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalmes concerning mee (Ibid ver. 44.): and hee gives the reason in Saint Luke: That all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalmes concerning me. (Luke xxiv. 44.) Here then is the true Canon of Scripture delivered, and rightly divided by Christ himselfe, into three severall rankes; into the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalmes, under all or any of which rankes the Books which we terme Apocryphall, neither are, nor ever were contained. And this was the constant Tenet of the Primitive Church, touching the true Canon of Scriptures in the first Age.

In the Second Age, Ann. 100 to 200.

Melito Bishop of Sardis, in an Epistle to Onesimus, numbreth the Bookes of the Old Testament, wherein hee maketh no mention of Judith, Tobit, Ecclesiasticus, nor the Maccabees*: and this is likewise confessed by Bellarmine: Many Ancients, (saith he) as namely Melito, did follow the Hebrew Canon of the Jewest. And Eusebius more plainely tells us, that when hee had made diligent search of all the Bookes of Scripture, hee accounted those bookes (which wee terme Apocryphall) to bee rejected from the Canon.

In the Third Age, Ann. 200 to 300.

Origen, in his Exposition upon the first Psalme, saith We may not be ignorant, there are two and twentie books of the Old Testament after the Ilebrewes, which is the number of the letters among them. This is likewise witnessed by Eusebius, that as Origen received the Canon of the Jewes, so likewise he rejected those sixe bookes which wee terme Apocry phall with the Jewes§.

In the Fourth Age, Arn. 300 to 400.

Hilary Bishop of Poictiers, tells us, The Law of the Olde Testament is contained in two and twentie

Cum diligenter de omnibus exploraverat, omni investigatione comperit hos libros esse à veteris Testamenti Canone rejiciendos. Eus. li. 4. ca. 26.

§ Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 18.

1

bookes,

bookes, according to the number of the Hebrew letters: And there he tells us further, how they are disposed; and put in order according to the tradition of the Ancients, (in this manner) There are five bookes of Moses, Joshua is the sixt, the Judges and Ruth the seventh, the first and second of Kings the eight, the third and fourth of Kings the ninth, the two bookes of Chronicles the tenth, Esdras the eleventh, Psalmes the twelfth, Solomon's Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Canticles, 13, 14, 15, the twelve Prophets the sixteenth, Esay, Jeremy with the Lamentations, Daniel, Ezechiel, Job, and Hester, do make up the number of 22 bookes*.

Cyril of Hierusalem gives the like lesson to the Reader. Peruse the two and twentie bookes, but meddle not with the Apocrypha; meditate diligently upon those Scriptures, which the Church doth confidently reade, and use no other.

Athanasius tells us, The Christians had at that time a definite number of bookes comprehended in a Canon, and of that Canon touching the Olde Testament, they were twentie two bookes, equall to the number of the Hebrew letters and as touching the

* In viginti duos libros lex Testamenti veteris deputetur, ut cum literarum numero convenirent qui ita secundum Traditiones veterum deputantur: ut Mosi sint libri quinque, Jesu Nave sextus, Judicum et Ruth septimus, &c. Hilar. in Prolog. in Psal. explanationem.

↑ Veteris Testamenti libros meditare duos et virginti. Tu itaque cum sis filius Ecclesiæ non transgredieris illius terminos. Cyril. Catech. 4.

Apo

Apocryphall books, as namely, the book of Wisedome, Maccabees, and the rest, libri non sunt Canonici; they are read onely to the Catechumens, but are not Canonicall. This testimony is so true, that Canus confesseth, he was not onely of our opinion, but also drew many Divines after him to this opinion.

Eusebius Bishop of Casarea saith; The Hebrew Historie of the Maccabees, reckons from thence, the raigne of the Grecians; but those bookes are not received among the divine Scriptures. This Authour is likewise acknowledged in this Tenet to be

ours.

Ruffinus, as some say Cyprian, in reciting the Canon of the Scripture, testifies the like in this age; These be the bookes which our Fathers have included within the Canon, out of which they would have the assertions of our faith to appeare: but yet wee must know, that there bee also other bookes, which are not Canonicall, but are called of our Ancestors, Ecclesiasticall; as is the Wisedome of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Tobias, Judith, and the bookes of

*Sunt itaque Canonici veteris Testamenti libri 22. literis Hebraicis numero pares, prætèr istos autem sunt adhuc alii ejusdem veteris instrumenti libri non sunt Canonici, qui Catechumenis tantum leguntur Sapientia Solomonis, &c. Athanas. in Synops.

↑ Nec ab hac sententia alienus fuit Damascenus et Athanasius, quos Theologi multi secuti sunt. Canus loc. Theol. lib. 2. ca. 10,

Eus. Chro. li. 2. ex Hier. versione. Eusebio atque reliquis licuit aliquando dubitare. Can. lib. 2. ca. 10.

Mac