beheaded John the Baptist.)

A. D.

3rd. Philip,

Trachonitis and Iturea. Abilene, of which Lysanias had been Tetrarch in Herod's lifetime *, was given to Salome, Herod the Great's sister. These provinces were not styled kingdoms, but Tetrarchies.

Archelaus for his cruelty was banished, and P. S. Quirinius (in the Greek mode Cyrenius) was appointed to reduce his dominions to a province of Rome, which was now governed by an officer, under the title of Procurator, subject to Cyrenius, President of Syria †.

The power of life and death was now taken from the Jews; though in religious affairs they kept their own laws, and the powers of the high-priest and of the Sanhedrim were continued to them, subject to the controul of the Romans. It was at this time that Christ went up to Jerusalem (being twelve years old) and asked the doctors questions.

* Luke iii. l.

7

†Three years before Christ's birth Augustus issued a decree, to make a general survey of the Roman empire, in order to levy a tax. It was at this survey that Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem, to give an account of their property; but the tax was not levied till Judea became a Roman province, under Cyrenius,

Pontius Pilate was Procurator of Judea and

Samaria, at the time that he sent Christ to
Herod Antipas, who still remained Tetrarch of
Galilee.

Philip, Tetrarch of Trachonitis, died in the 20th year of Tiberius.

Herod Antipas was banished by Caligula. Both their Tetrarchies were given to the grandson of Herod the Great by Caligula. The emperor Claudius afterwards added Judea, Samaria, part of Idumæa, and Abilene; and thus Herod Agrippa's dominions were nearly the same as those of his grandfather, Herod the Great. He took the title of king. It was this Agrippa, called also Herod Agrippa, and sometimes Herod, who put James to death, and imprisoned Peter. At his death the kingdom was ruled by successive governors (his son Agrippa being thought too young to govern.) Agrippa was afterwards made king of Trachonitis and Galilee, by Claudius, and Nero added part of Galilee. It was this Agrippa before whom Paul pleaded.

In the reign of Nero, and under the government of Florus, the Jews being severely oppressed, revolted, and then

A. D. 29

37

The Jewish war began

which ended in their complete overthrow and reduction to abject slavery. THE CITY AND TEMPLE WERE DESTROYED, AND THEY EXISTED NO LONGER AS A NATION. In the time of Adrian numbers collected, but they were treated as rebellious slaves, rather than as a people, and a general slaughter and dispersion of them took place; in which state of dispersion into all countries under heaven they continue unto this day!!

A.D.

70

70

CHAPTER IV.

Genuineness, Authenticity, and Inspiration of the New Testament.

THE canon of the New Testament consists of 27 books, all of them written by persons contemporary with our Saviour. These persons were eight in number, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James, Jude.

They were written at different times, and in divers places, remote from each other. When the last was written (St. John's) the Gospel had been preached, and churches founded in Asia, Europe, and Africa. Different churches at first received different books, but gradually enlarged their canons, so that it was not long before Christians of all countries acknowledged the same, or very nearly the same books.

Owing to the persecution that Christians met with, and the want of a national establishment, no general assembly of Christians could be held for several centuries, to give a public sanction to any canon of Scripture; and therefore we are obliged to

have recourse to ancient ecclesiastical writers for information; and it is satisfactory to find that there is an almost perfect agreement among them.

The first regular catalogue is left by Origen, who lived in the beginning of the third century. This catalogue is the same as ours, except that it omits the Epistles of James and Jude; however, in other parts of his writings he refers to them, as the productions of those Apostles.

In the following century we have-1. Eusebius; 2. Athanasius; 3. Cyril; 4. Epiphanius; 5. Gregory Nazianzen; 6. Philaster; 7. Jerome; 8. Ruffin; 9. Augustine; 10. Council of Laodicea; 11. Council of Carthage; all of them publishing catalogues; seven of which exactly agree with our canon; three omit the Revelation only; and Philaster omits the Epistle to the Hebrews and Revelation; but he acknowledges both in other parts of his work. These catalogues include no other books but such as are in our canon, thereby shewing their authenticity and genuineness. Moreover Polycarp, who was contemporary with the Apostles, and Justin Martyr, Tatian, Irenæus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, all living in the second century, inform us, that the primitive Church admitted no other Gospels but those of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; and tell us also that the Scriptures of the New Testament