TRAVERS. SW against the Book of Common Prayer, were, c, Its ap- pointing certain apocryphal writings to be read in public worship, in which were several errors and false doctrines, and omitting many parts ofcanonical scripture : and, the doctrine of the sacraments." Concerning the first, they observed, that to appoint various parts of the apocrypha to be read publicly in the church, and omitting many parts of the Old and N., wTestament, made the apocrypha equal, and even superior, to the canonical scriptures; to which the archbishop made the following reply : Archbishop: The books called apocrypha, are, indeed, parts of the holy scripture. They have been read in the church in ancient times, and ought to be now read among us. Travers. The title of holy scripture is that by which the Holy Ghost distinguisheth the canonical scriptures from the apocrypha, and all other writings. This appears from Romans i. And such are the holy scriptures alone, as were given by the inspiration of God. This appears from 2-Tim. iii., 2 Pet. i. A. The apocrypha was given by the inspiration of God; as were also whatsoever the heathens have written well. T. In the general sense of the word inspiration, what you have said of the apocyrpha is true. For no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. But the question relates to such an inspiration as moved and governed the holy men of. God, in reporting, and setting down those things in which they could not possibly err; and in this sense, the scriptures of the Old and New Testa- ment are holy, and given by the inspiration of God. Herein they widely differ from the apocrypha. A. You cannot spew that there is any error in the apocrypha. And it has been esteemed a part of the holy scriptures by the ancient-fathers. T. If the apocrypha could not be charged with error, yet its authors were not so, far directed by God, that they might not have erred ; and it has not always had that credit in the church which you have represented. Jerome de- clareth that it was the opinion of the church, in his time, as well as his own opinion, that slime things were fictitious. A. Let us hear some of the errors in the apocrypha. Sparke. We mention Ecer:xlvi., where the writer; having commended Samuel for his numerous worthy deeds, addeth in the conclusion, that he also prophesied after he was dead. This is contrary to the sacred story, which declareth it not
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=