ss which
the law teaches, the like things are to be found in the prophets and the
Gospels, because that all, being inspired, spoke by one and the same
Spirit of God." (Lardner, Cred. part ii. vol. i. p. 448.) No words can
testify more strongly than these do, the high and peculiar respect in
which these books were holden.

II. A writer against Artemon, (Lardner, Cred. part ii. vol. iii. p. 40.)
who may be supposed to come about one hundred and fifty-eight years
after the publication of the Scripture, in a passage quoted by
Eusebius, uses these expressions: "Possibly what they (our adversaries)
say, might have been credited, if first of all the Divine Scriptures did
not contradict them; and then the writings of certain brethren more
ancient than the times of Victor." The brethren mentioned by name are
Justin, Miltiades, Tatian, Clement, Irenaeus, Melito, with a general
appeal to many more not named. This passage proves, first, that there
was at that time a collection called Divine Scriptures; secondly, that
these Scriptures were esteemed of higher authority than the writings of
the most early and celebrated Christians.

III. In a piece ascribed to Hippolytus, (Lardner, Cred. vol. iii. p.
112.) who lived near the same time, the author professes, in giving his
correspondent instruction in the things about which he inquires, "to
draw out of the sacred-fountain, and to set before him from the Sacred
Scriptures what may afford him satisfaction." He then quotes immediately
Paul's epistles to Timothy, and afterwards many books of the New
Testament. This preface to the quotations carries in it a marked
distinction between the Scriptures and other books.

IV. "Our assertions and discourses," saith Origen, (Lardner, Cred. vol.
iii. pp. 287-289.) "are unworthy of credit; we must receive the
Scriptures as witnesses." After treating of the duty of prayer, he
proceeds with his argument thus: "What we have said, may be proved from
the Divine Scriptures." In his books against Celsus we find this
passage: "That our religion teaches us to seek after wisdom, shall be
shown, both out of the ancient Jewish Scriptures which we also use, and
out of those written since Jesus, which are believed in the churches to
be divine." These expressions afford abundant evidence of the peculiar
and exclusive authority which the Scriptures possessed.

V. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, (Lardner, Cred. vol. vi. p. 840.) whose
age lies close to that of Origen