Continued from Chapter I. Introduction

CHAPTER II. Third Century Evidence.

In arranging the following chain of witnesses I take for granted (that which I believe even the most skeptical allow) viz., that from the year 300 A.D. there is no substantial difference between the New Testament of that date, and the precious volume we possess, therefore, the testimony produced will only be from the third century backward to the times of the Apostles, and that this testimony may be more easily comprehended, I arrange an unbroken succession of witnesses for each century, with their approximate date, and further, that the evidence of these writers may not be unduly biased by previous religious opinions, I select not only Christian, but also the bitterest enemies to the orthodox church, viz., the excommunicated heretics—men who most undoubtedly would (if such had been possible) have exposed a forgery if it had existed, and further, to supplement such testimony by the witness of Pagan writers who incidently record the Christian habits and life.

Commencing, therefore, on the solid ground of the third century viz., 300 A.D. backward to 200 A.D., we will test our chain of historical evidence link by link.

I. VICTORIN,

Our first Witness belonging to this century is Victorin, bishop of Pettaw in Germany about 290 A.D., whose sphere of service was hundreds of miles from that of our succeeding witnesses Origen and Cyprian, such distance in those days manifestly precluding, any collusion as to uniformity of testimony for the integrity and existence of the Gospels.

This pastor writing a commentary upon Rev. iv. 7. “The first was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third like a man, and the fourth like a flying eagle,” endeavours to show that they are symbols of the four Gospels, and cites portions of each Gospel to support his statement, these quotations being substantially identical with ours; he further makes quotations from the Acts of the Apostles, and like our following witnesses, speaks of them with profoundest respect. He also wrote several controversial treatises against the heretics of his day, concerning which, Hartwell Horne remarks “We have in them most valuable and explicit testimony to almost every book of the New Testament.”

Victorin’s testimony is valuable upon the following points—1. The number of the Gospels— four only—2. His quotations prove them identical with ours.

II. CYPRIAN.

Our next Witness during this century is Cyprian Bishop of Carthage in Africa—converted 246 A.D., martyred 258 A.D. This illustrious man was born at Carthage, his father was a man of influence and wealth, a senator in the capital of proconsular Africa, and the holder of important offices.

The affluent position of young Cyprian led him into a life of profligacy and sin. But the old story was true of him, the husks of this world could not satisfy the deep spiritual yearnings of his soul. In the providence of God, Caecillius, once a pagan, but now converted to the Gospel, made him the subject of his deepest Christian solicitude, and used every means in his power to bring him to Christ. His labour was not in vain; Cyprian was won for the Lord, and came out boldly on his side. His first acts were to dissociate himself from his ungodly companions, to sell his possessions and distribute to such as had need.

Two years after his conversion he was unanimously called to be chief pastor of the North African Church. His enemies, however, after a short time drove him from this post of usefulness, and sentenced him to banishment; this sentence was soon superseded by martyrdom. An Imperial Edict was issued, condemning all apostates from the religion of their fathers to be punished with death. Nothing daunted, this holy man persisted in confessing Christ; led to a field belonging to himself in the midst of a crowd of weeping friends, and thousands of onlooking Pagans, passed through the avenue of death to his martyr’s crown.

This faithful man makes COPIOUS quotations from almost every book of the New Testament, and describes the church as being watered like Paradise by four rivers, that is, the Gospels. As the passages from the Gospels and Epistles embedded in his writings are so voluminous, it must suffice to state that they conclusively prove he quoted from the same New Testament we possess and love.

Cyprian’s testimony is valuable, 1. It proves that four Gospels only were received by the North African churches, and 2. Like Victorin of Pettaw, his many quotations prove their sameness with ours.

III. ORIGEN.

Our next Witness is Origen, of Alexandria, in Egypt, 185 A.D. to 254 A.D. This good man is thus described by Dr. Lardner: “He had a capacious mind and a large compass of knowledge, a man of unwearied application in study, a most learned and voluminous writer.” His parents were preeminently Christian. His father, Leonides, took great pains with his religious instruction, inducing him to commit a portion of Scripture to memory every day. It is not strange, therefore, that before the age of seventeen, Origen publicly decided for the Lord. At that early age he was called upon to bitterly realize the suffering and cross-bearing which every follower of Christ was exposed to.

A cruel persecution broke out against the Christians, and his dearly-loved father, Leonides, was called to a martyr’s crown. Origen would fain have laid his head upon the block by his father’s side, and it was with the greatest difficulty he was restrained by his mother from doing so. No wonder that such a son became such a consistent witness for Jesus.

His labours were prodigious. In addition to constantly preaching the Gospel, hundreds of works proceeded from his busy pen. For nearly fifty years he thus bore testimony for his Lord and Master; arrested at last by his enemies, who, by an exquisite refinement of cruelty, would not send him to the stake, lest he should receive a martyr’s crown, but imprisoned him in a deep dungeon, with an iron collar hung round his neck, until, after two years of suffering and pain, he expired in prison at Tyre.

This learned and godly man so frequently quotes in his numerous writings our New Testament Scriptures, that it would be impossible to make a selection, and Dr. Mills has remarked that “if we had all his works remaining we should be able to collect from them almost the whole text of the Bible.”

Origen further notices, but only to censure certain apocryphal Gospels, and marks them with direct reprobation, and as of little or no authority. In addition to his commentaries, he gives a catalogue of the New Testament Books, exactly as we possess to-day, and collectively designates them “The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament,” “Ancient and New Scriptures,” etc. Origen’s testimony proves the following points:—1. That the New Testament Canon is identical with our catalogue of books. 2. That the Church in his day only acknowledged such as authentic. 3. His numerous quotations prove the sameness in substance with our present Scriptures.

The limits of this little work will only allow me to mention the names of other witnesses, belonging to this century, who testify to the sameness, genuineness, and authenticity of our New Testament, e.g., Caius Romanus, presbyter of the Church at Rome; Ammonios, who composed an harmony on the four Gospels; Julius Africanus, a writer of a treatise on the genealogies of our Lord as recorded by Matthew and Luke; Novatus, of Rome, 251 A.D.; Dionysios, of Rome, 259 A.D.; Commodian, 270 A.D.; Anatolius, of Laodicea, 270 A.D.; Theognostos, 282 A.D.; Methodius, of Lycia, 290 A.D.; and Phileos, of Egypt, 296 A.D.

Each of these Christian authors in their various works bear more or less clear and distinct testimony concerning the inspired origin, and authenticity of the New Testament, their united (and in those days uncontradicted) evidence supported by the uprightness of their lives, their sufferings, and in some cases, death, for the truth’s sake, combined with their learning and average intelligence, their remarkable unanimity of testimony, although spread over almost the then known world, contribute such overwhelming evidence as should surely more than convince the most captious critic.

Continued in Chapter III. Second Century Evidence.