UAe. IIL] ?'E.?ommq. 125 evidend 7 true, because mason and truth are to be preferred to custom." Again Augustine declares: "Who knows not that the sacred canonical Scriptures of' the Old and New Testament are contained within cqrtain bounds; and ought 8o far to ?be preferred to the later writings of bishops, that we are not to doubt or call in question any thing therein written, whether it be true and right or no.*'* He also saith in another place: "All writings, since the confirmation of the canon of Scripture, ar? liable to dispute, and even councils themselves to be er, aminmt and amended by councils."When speaking of the unity of the church, Augustine says, "I am unwilling that the church be de- monstrated by human documents, but by the divine oracles."t Refer- ring to the Donatiste he says, "Let them ff they can demonstrate their ,church, not by the talk and rumour of the Africans; not by the councils ?f their own bishops; not by the books of their disputers; not by de- ceitful miracles, against which w4? are cautioned by the word of God, but in the ' of the law, predictions of �l?rescnpt in the the prophets, in the verses of the Psalms, in the voice of the Shepherd himself, in the preaching and works of the evangelists; that is, in all canonical autho- rities of the sacred Scriptures."? "I would not believe the gospel unless the authority of the Catholic Church moved me thereto."[ This sensible and ancient decision, in a false sense, is adduced by the Church of Rome to establish their high claims of church authority. In opposition to their views we adduce the following, and, to us, indubitable evidence. (1.) They substitute the Roman Church in Italy for the entire church catholic: whereas, Augustine meant the universal church. Augustine did not refer to the Church of Rome singly, because, as the head of a number of African bishops, he did not acknowledge the authority of the Romish Church, seeing he opposed appeals to that see. (2.) When Augustine adduces the authority of the Catholic Church for the reception of the canonical gospels, he means that had any one gospel wanted the evidential attes- lation of the universal church from its first appearance, we would ?eject it on the same ground on which we disown tAz gospel of CArist's /nfaney, and the like unattested productions. In short, Augustine says ucihing more than that he would not receive the gospel without sum- cieut evidence of its genuineness; and this evidence we possess from the extant written historical evidence of the early ages; and that too independently of the testimony of the provincial Church of Rome. (3.) That such is the. meaning of Augustine is evident from the con- nection of this passage, as well as from other places, some of which we have already quoted. We will, however, adduce another from his treatise on tAe City of God, which is as follows :--" We should, there- fore, ieject the statements of those Scriptures which are called Apoo'y- pAa, because, their origin being uncertain, it doth not appear in those
- "qub antera nesciat Samtam ?cripturam Canonicam, tam veteris quam Novi Te?.
tamenti certis avis terminia continerl, eamque omm?tm poatorioribu? ?:piscoporum !iterb it? prmpon?, ut de illit omn_ino dubitari et disceptari non po?_it, utrum rerum, vet vtrum rectum sit, qnicquid in e& scripttun cue �onstiterit."--Lib. ii, d? Bapt/?. Coutm Do?t., c. 3. Aug. De Unit. Eccl., c. 8. Aug. De Unit. Ecc!., c. 16. "Ego yet6 E __vuugulio non crederere, nbi mo Cetholicm F, cobeb cmnmoveret ?timit?."-A?., lb. i, c. 5; 1�?. C, om? 1
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