ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 229 



divine doftrine in writing. The whole 

 of it was collected and digcfted by the 

 four evangelifts. St. Luke wrote the 

 A&s of the Apoftles, and St. John the 

 Apocalypfe. The reft of the New Tcfta- 

 ment confifts of epiftles or letters, which 

 St. Paul, St. James, and St. Jude wrote, 

 after the death of Chrift, to fomechurchts 

 of the faithful, or to Ibme of their re- 

 lations. 



I. The fathers of the church. By this title 

 is properly meant thole ecckfiaftical 

 writers who have prefer ved what is called 

 the tradition of the church. Their 

 writings are held in high veneration, and 

 have an extraordinary authority in the ca- 

 tholic church, and are in much efteem 

 among the other communions. The ca- 

 talogue of thefe is to be found in mod 

 ecclcfiaftic hiftories, but is too nume- 

 rous to be inferred here. 



3. The other catholic authors, who have 

 wrote fince the beginning of the thir- 

 teenth century, down to the prefent day, 

 on matters of importance to religion, and 

 who are called doctors. 



4 . The principal Lutheran authors, from 

 Martin Luther, Phil. Melanchton, &c. to 

 the prefent time. 



5- The 



