PART. I.

INTRODUCTION—The importance of ascertaining the true Canon of the Holy Scriptures,

SECTION I.

Early use and import of the word Canon,

SECTION II.

Constitution of the Canon of the Old Testament by Ezra—The Canon of the Old Testament as it now exists, sanctioned by Christ and his Apostles—Catalogues of the books by some of the early Fathers—Agreement of Jews and Christians on this subject,

SECTION III.

Apocryphal books—Their origin-Importance of distinguishing between canonical and apocryphal books—Six books of the latter class pronounced canonical by the Council of Trent—Not in the Hebrew, nor received by the Jews, ancient or modern,

SECTION IV.

Testimonies of the Christian Fathers, and of other learned men, down to the time of the Council of Trent, respecting the Apocrypha,

SECTION V.

Internal evidence that these books are not canonical—The writers not prophets, and do not claim to be inspired,

SECTION VI.

No canonical book of the Old Testament has been lost,

SECTION VII.

The Oral Law of the Jews without foundation,

PART II.

SECTION I.

Method of settling the Canon of the New Testament,

SECTION II.

Catalogues of the books of the New Testament—Canonical books only cited as authority by the Fathers, and read in the churches as Scripture,

SECTION III.

Order of the books of the New Testament—Time of the gospels being written—Notice of the Evangelists,

SECTION IV.

Testimonies to Matthew’s gospel—Time of publication—Language in which it was originally composed,

SECTION V.

Gospel of Mark—On what occasion published—Ascribed to the dictation of Peter by all the Fathers,

SECTION VI.

Gospel of Luke—Testimonies of the Fathers respecting it,

SECTION VII.

The objections of J. D. Michaelis to the canonical authority of the gospels of Mark and Luke, considered and answered,

SECTION VIII.

The gospel of John—Life of this Evangelist—Occasion and time of his writing-Canonical authority indisputable,

SECTION IX.

The Acts of the Apostles—Luke the author—Canonical authority undisputed by the Fathers—Rejected only by heretics,

SECTION X.

Testimonies to the canonical authority of the fourteen epistles of Paul,

SECTION XI.

Canonical authority of the seven Catholic Epistles,

SECTION XII.

Canonical authority of the book of Revelation,

SECTION XIII.

The titles given to the sacred Scriptures by the Fathers—These books not concealed, but partially known and referred to by enemies as well as friends—Citations—Ancient manuscripts—Remarks of Rennell,

SECTION XIV.

No canonical book of the New Testament has been lost,

SECTION XV.

Rules for determining what books are Apocryphal—Some account of the Apocryphal books which have been lost—All of them condemned by the foregoing rules—Reason of the abounding of such books,

SECTION XVI.

Apocryphal books which are still extant-Letter of Abgarus, King of Edessa, to Jesus, and his answer-Epistle to the Laodiceans—Letters of Paul to Seneca—Protevangelion of James—The gospel of our Saviour’s infancy—The Acts of Pilate—The Acts of Paul and Thecla,

SECTION XVII.

No part of the Christian Revelation handed down by unwritten tradition,