Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

and enumerates as Canonical such as are received in the Reformed Church, only omitting the Apocalypse: And now had not that Omission been, and had this Council been a General one, the work had been done. But afterwards in this very Century about the year 398, the third Council of Carthage in its 47th. Canon reckons up as Canonical, Tobit, Judith, two Books of Maccabees, and five Books of Solomon, accounting Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus to be two of them. In this Council St. Austin was present, who yet in his Book de Civitate Dei, Lib. 17. cap. 20, saith, That Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus in the judgment of the more learned were not Solomon's, and were chiefly received in the Western Church; it seems the Eastern received them not. In the end of the next Century about the year 494. Gelasius Bishop of Rome with seventy Bishops enumerates the same Books as Canonical which are reckoned so in the Council of Carthage, save only that he omits ⟨p. 336⟩the Book of Nehemiah, and names but one of the Maccabees. These particular Provincial Councils being of incompetent Authority to define the Canon for the Universal Church, and withal variant, nay repugnant among themselves. Whither must we go but to a General Council? but Oh how late very late doth that come? How long will the Authority of Scripture and Faith of Christians be suspended? and to how little satisfaction will this definition be? About the year 682 was the sixth General Council of Constantinople in Trullo, and as to this Point, what did it? It confirmed the Canons of the Apostles, the Council of Laodicea, and the Council of Carthage; which three in this Point being totally inconsistent each with other, every one by the leave of these Fathers who confirmed them all, may choose what Canonical Books he will have, whether those in the Canons of the Apostles, or those in the Council of Laodicea, or those in that of Carthage; and what pitiful incertainties are here? And now it is to little purpose to fly over many Centuries more till we come to the Councils of Florence and Trent, these are late ones; and as our Learned Whitaker saith, Non legitima Christianorum Concilia, sed Tyrannica Antichristi Conventicula, ad oppugnandam Evangehi veritatem instituta; and thus it appears even Historically that the Authority of Scripture depends not on the Church.

and enumerates as Canonical such as are received in the Reformed Church, only omitting the Apocalypse: And now had not that Omission been, and had this Council been a General one, the work had been done. But afterwards in this very Century about the year 398, the third Council of Carthage in its 47th. Canon reckons up as Canonical, Tobit, Judith, two Books of Macchabees, and five Books of Solomon, accounting Wisdom and Ecclesiastious to be two of them. In this Council St. Austin was present, who yet in his Book de Civitate Dei, Lib. 17. cap. 20, saith, That Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus in the judgment of the more learned were not Solomens, and were chiefly received in the Western Church; it seems the Eastern received them not. In the end of the next Century about the year 494. Gelasius Bishop of Rome with seventy Bishops enumerates the same Books as Canonical which are reckoned so in the Council of Carthage, save only that he omits