heretics and schismatics are not capable of any thing heavenly; that is, spiritual or divine. This wrong version seems to be owing to the liberty which Mr. Marshall gave himself, and which I observed formerly. He says in hisd preface, I have here and there also expressed my author's 'sense in the language of holy scripture, where he himself 'did not mean to quote it: but then in such cases, I never 'refer to the passage, as I always do where he particularly 'cites any verse or chapter of the inspired writers.' But yet here Mr. Marshall has not only expressed his author's sense in the language of the epistle to the Hebrews,' where 'he himself did not mean to quote it,' but he has also marked and distinguished this expression by putting it in the body of his translation in Italic letters, and by referring in the margin to the epistle to the Hebrews, and also by putting this reference or quotation at the end of the volume in the table of the texts of scripture cited by St. Cyprian. To what shall we ascribe this? I conceive of this matter thus: In translating this suffrage, Mr. Marshall put in practice the liberty we have noted; he then, at first, wrote out that passage without any distinction of letters, and without any marginal reference to a book of holy scripture; but some good while after, when he came to review and read over his version, and no longer had the original before him, seeing this expression, he thought it worthy of observation; and therefore presently marked it with his pen for Italic, and put a reference in the margin, whence it came also into the table of texts at the end of the volume. This, I think, is a likely way of accounting for this matter; however, it may be partly accounted for another way; for the marking that expression for Italic, the marginal reference, and its place in the table of texts, may be all owing to some person employed under Mr. Marshall. But still the translator is accountable for all that ensued upon his wrong translation; and if Mr. Marshall was not deceived and misled by his own version, some one else very near him was imposed upon; and in like manner must all others be deceived who read this passage in his translation, and have no opportunity of consulting the original.

VII. I shall now observe this writer's testimony to the catholic epistles.

1. We find no quotations or allusions to the epistle of St. James in St. Cyprian's works.

posse suscipere, qui a peccatoribus hominibus, et ab ecclesiâ extraneis audeant accipere. ap. Cypr. p. 236. See before, p. 16, note ".

d P. xviii.

2. The apostle Peter's first epistle is often quoted by St. Cyprian. Likewise Peter, upon whom by the gracious vouchsafement of the Lord the church is built, says in his epistle, (1 Pet. ii. 21, 22, 23,) "Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps; who did not sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when he was reviled, reviled not; when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed [or yielded] himself to them that judged him unrighteously:" meaning Pontius Pilate. So Cyprian must have read this text, it being quoted by him after the same manner likewise in the books of Testimonies. I may not stay to consider which reading is preferable, whether this, or that now more commonly received, to him that judgeth righteously: I would therefore refer my readers, for farther satisfaction, tog Mr. Wolff's notes upon the place.

This epistle is several times quoted in the third book of Testimonies with this title, The epistle of Peter to the people of Pontus: who are the persons first named in the inscription of the epistle.

i

In his other works, Cyprian quotes this as the epistle of the apostle Peter, and of Peter the apostle of Christ.

3. The second epistle of St. Peter is not at all quoted by Cyprian. One may be well apt to think it was not received by him as a sacred book; otherwise it could not have been omitted by a writer whose works so much abound with citations of scripture, and who had such controversies about the treatment of heretics. If this epistle had been a part of Cyprian's canon, it is likely he would have applied divers passages of it to the heretics and schismatics of his own time, as he does the texts of St. John's first Epistle relating to antichrist.

This may well bring to our mind them passage formerly cited out of Firmilian's letter to our author, where we were willing to suppose that Firmilian had a reference to St.

• Item Petrus, super quem ecclesia Domini dignatione fundata est, in epistolâ sua ponit et dicit: Christus passus est pro nobis, relinquens vobis exemplum, ut sequamini vestigia ejus; qui peccatum non fecit, nec dolus inventus est in ore ejus cum malediceretur, non maledicebat; cum pateretur, non comminabatur; tradebat autem se judicanti injuste. De Bono Pat. p. 213, f Tradebat autem se judicanti injuste. Test. 1. iii. 8 Vid. Joh. Chr. Wolff. Cur. Philolog. et Crit. Tom. De hoc ipso in epistolâ Petri ad Ponticos. Test. ¡ Secundum quod Petrus apostolus in

214. cap. 39.

v. p. 122, 123.

1. iii. c. 36. vid. et c. 37. 39. epistolà suâ præmonet et docet, dicens: Sobrii estote, &c. De Zel. et Livore p. 221. * Petrus etiam apostolus ejus docuerit, ideo persecutiones fieri, ut probemur:- -posuit enim in epistolâ suâ dicens: Ep. 58. [al. 56.] p. 121. See below 4. note and num. 10. m Vol. ii. Ch. 39. num. 14.

Peter's second Epistle. Nevertheless, perhaps Cyprian's entire silence about this epistle may induce some to doubt whether Firmilian did really refer to it. Farther, the entire silence of Cyprian, and the very small notice taken of this epistle by Origen, another acquaintance, and a very intimate friend of Firmilian, may occasion a doubt, whether this second epistle was received by Firmilian as an epistle of Peter.

I have no desire to set aside our second Epistle of Peter, as not genuine; but I think it incumbent upon me to mention such observations as these when they offer: and I must still proceed to observe, that we have Firmilian's letter to Cyprian in a Latin translation only, nor do we certainly know by whom it was made. The expressions in the translation are very strong; that Peter and Paul in their epistles have cursed, or pronounced censures upon heretics, and admonished us to avoid them; but perhaps the words of the original were not so express. What we now have rendered their epistles,' possibly might be only some general word denoting writings, or the scriptures: and in what Firmilian says of Peter, he might refer to that apostle's censure of Simon Magus, reputed an arch heretic, and recorded in the Acts of the Apostles; a book of holy scripture, and universally received. It is certain, that it is no uncommon thing for ancient christian authors to quote Peter and Paul, meaning some words of theirs recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, without naming that book, or hinting where the intended passage is to be found. We shall see in the next chapter a remarkable instance of this kind, where the apostle Paul is quoted. I place here in the margin several such quotations of the apostle Peter in divers authors, one of which contains a part of his reproof of the forementioned Simon. 4. The first Epistle of St. John is often expressly quoted by Cyprian: And the apostle John, mindful of the com

6

See ch. 38. num. 12.

P Acts viii. 20-23.

• Ex. gr. ταις γραφαις, τοις γραμμασιν. 4 See below, chap. xlv. num. vii. 7.

Et apostolus Petrus de Salvatore testatus est, dicens: Hujus anima non derelicta est in inferno, nec caro ejus vidit corruptionem. [Vid. Act. ii. 27.] Philastr. de Hær. n. 69. 138, Ed. Fabric. Et Petrus apostolus Mago Simoni dixerat: Age pœnitentiam, si quo modo dimittatur tibi quod fecisti. [Vid. Act. viii. 22.] Philast. Hær. 82. p. 159. Adtende enim, quid Petrus apostolus, Spiritu Sancto docente, commoneat, qui ait: Et nunc ergo vos quid tentatis Deum, imponere jugum collo discentium, &c. [Act. xv. 10, 11.] P. Oros. de lib. arb. p. 620. Ed. Havercamp. 1738. Sicut Petrus ad Judæos exclamavit: Dexterà Dei exaltatus, acceptum a Patre Spiritum effudit, &c. [Act. ii. 33.] Victorin. in Apocal. ap. Bib. Patr. T. iii. R. 415. D.

• Et Joannes apostolus, mandati memor, in epistolâ suâ postmodum ponit: In hoc, inquit, intelligimus, quia cognovimus eum, si præcepta ejus custodiamus.

mand, writes in his epistle: "Hereby," says he, "we perceive that we know him, if we keep his commandments: He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him :" 1 John ii. 3.

6

4. I shall add one passage more in the margin, where this epistle is quoted as written by the blessed apostle John. There are two passages, where Cyprian is supposed by some to quote or refer to the disputed text, concerning the three witnesses in heaven. The first is to this purpose: The " Lord says, "I and the Father are one." And again, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit it is written: “ And these three are one:" 1 John v. 7. The other passage I shall not translate. However, I put it in the margin, for the sake of those who may choose to see it here. I do not enter into the merits of the question, whether this clause be genuine, or whether it was quoted or referred to by St. Cyprian. The reader who is desirous of information concerning this matter, may consult the authors who have treated of it largely; but in a following chapter will be found an argument of no small weight in favour of the supposition, that this clause was wanting in St. Cyprian's copies of St. John's epistle.

5. In a passage cited just now it is said, John writes in his epistle, meaning our first Epistle of St. John: and it must be owned, that St. Cyprian has no where quoted any other epistle of this Apostle. But this may be accounted for by the brevity of the two other epistles. It is certain, that form of quotation is no proof of his knowing or owning no other epistle of St. John, the like form being also often used by him in quoting an epistle of St. Paul. There are some instances of -Ep. 28. [al. 25.] p. 54. Item beatus Joannes apostolus nec ipse ullam hæresin aut schisma discrevit, aut aliquos speciatim separatos posuit; sed universos qui de ecclesiâ exiissent, quique contra ecclesiam facerent, antichristos appellavit, dicens: Audistis quia antichristus venit. Nunc autem antichristi multi facti sunt, &c. [1 Joh. ii. 18. 19.] Ep. 69. [al. 76.] p. 180.

" Dicit Dominus: Ego et Pater unum sumus. Et iterum de Patre et Filio et Spiritu Sancto scriptum est: Et hi tres unum sunt. De Unitate Ec. p. 109. Nam si baptizari quis apud hæreticos potuit, utique et remissam peccatorum consequi potuit. Si peccatorum remissam consecutus est, et sanctificatus est, et templum Dei factus est, quæro cujus Dei? Si creatoris, non potuit qui in eum non credidit. Si Christi, nec hujus fierit potuit templum, qui negat Deum Christum. Si Spiritûs Sancti, cum tres unum sint, quomodo Spiritus Sanctus placatus esse ei potest, qui aut Patris aut Filii inimicus est? ad Jubaianum Ep. 73. p. 203. w There may be seen a large collection of such authors in Mr. Wolff's Curæ Philolog. &c. in loc. Tom. iv. p. 293, &c. I therefore refer only to a very few. Vid. Mill. in loc. Emlyn's Tracts. Ri. Simon. Hist. Crit. du Texte du Nou. Test. ch. xvii. Le Clerc. Bib. Univ. T. xii. p. 450-455, et passim, and Mr. David Casley's Preface to the Catalogue of the manuscripts of the king's library.

See below chap. xlv. numb. vi. 10, 11, 12.

this to be found in the passages already cited. I shall add here one more: Andy again the blessed apostle says in his epistle, (1 Cor. xii. 26.) "Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member rejoice, all the members rejoice with it." It is reasonable to suppose, that the second Epistle of St. John was owned by Cyprian, because it is expressly cited by one of the bishops in the council of Carthage held in 256, of which Cyprian was a principal part. That bishop there delivers his opinion upon the point in debate in this manner: The apostle John ' writes in his epistle, [that is, in one of his epistles,]" If there come any unto you, and bring not the doctrine of Christ, receive him not into your house; neither bid him God 'speed. For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds: 2 John 10, 11. And St. John's third epistle likewise may have been owned by Cyprian.

6

6

6. There is no notice taken of the Epistle of St. Jude in the works of this writer.

VIII. The book of the Revelation is frequently quoted by Cyprian; but he has no where said that it was written by John the Apostle, and but once mentioned the name of the writer. And in the Revelation, the angel, when John would have worshipped him, refused it, and said, "See thou do it not; for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren: worship the Lord Jesus." So it is in Cyprian. We have it," Worship God," Rev. xxii. 9.

The Revelation was esteemed by him a book of authority, as is evident from the manner in which he quotes it. Recommending works of goodness, Hear, says he, in the Revelation, the voice of thy Lord justly reproving such men as these: "Thou sayest," says he," that I am rich and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:" ch. iii. 17, 18. Again: So in the holy scriptures, by which the Lord would have us to be

6

Et iterum posuit [beatus apostolus] in epistolâ suâ, dicens: Si patitur membrum unum, &c. Ep. 17. [al. 12.] p. 39. Joannes apostolus in epistola sua posuit dicens: Si quis ad vos venit, et doctrinam Christi non habet, nolite eum admittere in domum vestram, et Ave illi ne dixeritis. enim dixerit illi Ave communicat factis ejus malis. Tract. p. 242.

Qui

Et in Apocalypsi angelus Joanni volenti adorare se resistit et dicit: Vide ne feceris, quia conservus tuus sum, et fratrum tuorum. Jesum Dominum adora. De Bono Pudicitiæ. p. 220. b Audi in Apocalypsi Domini tui vocem, ejusmodi homines justis objurgationibus increpantem: Dicis, inquit, dives sum, et ditatus sum, et nullius rei egeo. De Op. et Eleem. p. 202.

Sic in scripturis sanctis, quibus nos instrui Dominus voluit et moneri, describitur civitas meretrix, compta pulchrius et ornata. De Habitu Virg. p. 97.