1811.] 
Apostles, were written by those whose 
names they bear, Nor isthere any cause 
to doubt of the authors of all the rest. 
This may be proved by the testimony of 
those who wrote soon after them, and 
who lave frequently quoted their wri- 
tings, by the testimony of the Christian 
churches in all parts of the earth, which 
at all times unanimously allowed those 
writings.to be genuine and authentic, and 
by an inspection of the books themselves, 
which bear no marks of corruption or de- 
ceit. That the books of the New Testa- 
Ment were in general use among Chris- 
tians, af a very early period, is a uni- 
versal opinion. ‘The book, called the 
New Testament,” observes the bishop of 
Landaff, “consi:ts of twenty-seven dif- 
ferent parts; concerning seven of these, 
viz. the Epistle to the Hebrews, that of 
James, the second of Peter, the second 
of John, the third of John, that of Jude, 
and the Revelation, there were at first 
some doubts; and the question whether 
they should be received into the canon, 
might be decided, as all questions con- 
cerning opinions must be, by vote. With 
Tespect to the other twenty parts, those 
who are most acquainted with ecclesias- 
tical history will tell you, as Du Pin does 
after Eusebius, that they were owned as 
canGnical, at all times, and by all Chris- 
tians. Whether the council of Laodicea 
was held before or after that of Nice, is 
nota settled point; but it is a great mis- 
take to suppose that the greatest part of 
the books of the New Testament were 
not in general use amongst. Chistians, 
long before the council of Laodicea was 
held.” His lordship then quotes the fol- 
lowing passage from Mosheim’s Eccle- 
siastical History: ‘ The opinions, - or 
rather the conjectures of the learned, 
concerning the time when the books of the 
New Testament were collected into one 
volume, as also about the authors of that 
collection, are extremely different. This 
important question is attended with great 
‘and almost insuperable difficulties to us 
in these latter times. It is, however, 
sufficient for us to know, that, hefore the 
middle of the second century, the greatest 
part of the books of the New Testament 
were read ‘in every Christian society 
throughout the world, and received as a 
divine rule of faith and manners, Hence 
it appears, that these sacred writings 
were carefully separated from several 
human compositions on the same sub- 
ject, either by some of the Apostles 
themselves, who lived so long, or by their 
disciples and successors, who were spread 
- Monrury Mag, No, 213, 
Society for Protection against Pettifoggers. 
409 
abroad through all nations, We are well 
assured that the four gospels were col- 
lected during the life of St. John, and 
that the three first received the appro- 
bation of this divine Apostle. And why 
may we not suppose that the other books 
of the New Testament were gathicred to- 
gether at the same time? What renders 
this highly probable: is, that the most 
urgent necessity required its heing done. 
For, not long after Christ’s ascension 
into_ heaven, several. histories of his life 
and doctrines, full of pious frauds and 
fabulous wonders, were composed by per- 
sons, whose intentions, perhaps, were not 
bad, but whose writings discovered the 
greatest superstition and ignorance, 
Nor was this all, productions appeared, 
which were imposed on the world by 
fraudulent men as the writings of the 
holy Apostles. These apocryphal and 
Spurious writings must have produced a 
sad confusion, and rendered both the 
history and the doctrine of Christ uncer= e 
tain, bad not the’ rulers of the church 
used all possible care and diligence ia 
Separating the hooks that were truly 
apostolical and divine, from all that spu- 
rious trash, and conveying them down to 
posterity in one volume,” 
It is therefore evident, that the au- . 
thenticity of the books of the New Tes- 
tamient does not depend on the Codex 
Bezz, the Clermont manuscript, or any 
other single copy whatever. On the 
contrary, it is highly probable that all our 
manuscripts of the New Testament pro- 
ceeded from the collection of those books 
made after the death of all, or the 
greatest part of the Apostles. 
Ravenstonedale, J. Rozrnson. 
April 11, 1811. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
AS eae the numerous public socie« 
ties instituted for the benefit of the 
people, I never heard of one for the 
protection of indigence and misfortune 
against the tricks, chicanery, and opprese 
sion of the law and ofsegal pettifovgers, 
The mischiefs perpetrated by swind- 
Jers, and sharpers, against whom there 
exist two or three active associations in 
London, and onein almost every coune 
ty, are to those inflicted by the vipers 
and sharks of tke legal profession, in 
the proportion of not more ‘than one 
to ten thousand! Those take baables ; 
but the latter are wholesale dealers, and 
carry off house, land, skin, carcase, and 
all! ; 
3G ~*~ Such 
