Early English Books Online 2
 All Digital Collections  spacer  Login  
 
Add to bookbag
Author: Du Pin, Louis Ellies, 1657-1719.
Title: A compleat history of the canon and writers, of the books of the Old and New Testament, by way of dissertation, with useful remarks on that subject ... by L.E. Du Pin ... ; done into English from the French original.
Rights/Permissions: The University of Michigan Library provides access to these keyboarded and encoded editions of the works for educational and research purposes. These transcriptions are believed to be in the public domain in the United States; however, if you decide to use any of these transcriptions, you are responsible for making your own legal assessment and securing any necessary permission. If you have questions about the collection, please contact eebotcp-info@umich.edu. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact LibraryIT-info@umich.edu. This statement does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Print source: A compleat history of the canon and writers, of the books of the Old and New Testament, by way of dissertation, with useful remarks on that subject ... by L.E. Du Pin ... ; done into English from the French original.
Du Pin, Louis Ellies, 1657-1719.
London: Printed for H. Roades ..., T. Bennet ..., A. Bell ..., D. Midwinter, and T. Leigh ..., 1699-1700.
Alternate titles: Dissertation preliminaire ou prélogomènes sur la Bible. English
URL: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A36914.0001.001
How to cite: For suggestions on citing this text, please see Citing the TCP on the Text Creation Partnership website.

Table of Contents
View entire text
title page
THE PREFACE.
THE CONTENTS.
ERRATA.
A Compleat History OF THE CANON and WRITERS OF THE OLD and NEW TESTAMENT, &c.
CHAP. I. Concerning the Collection of the Books which compose the Bible, the Canon of Sacred Writ, and the Canonical and Apocryphal Books in general.
SECT. I. Concerning the several Names by which the Holy Scriptures are call'd.
SECT. II. What is meant by the Canon of the Sacred Writings: Which are call'd Apocryphal: When the Canon of the Sacred Writings of the Old Testament was drawn up; and whether there were any more than One Canon.
SECT. III. What Books were contain'd in the Canon of the Jews.
SECT. IV. Of the Books of the Old Testament acknowledg'd as Canonical by the Primitive Christians.
SECT. V. Of the Deutero-Canonical Books in particular.
SECT. VI. How the Deutero-Canonical Books came to be inserted into the Canon of Sacred Books, and to be own'd as such.
SECT. VII. The Division of the Books of the Old Testament, and the Orders they were rank'd in both by Jews and Christians
SECT. VIII. Of those Books of the Old Testament, that are Lost, Apocryphal and forg'd by the Jews and Hereticks. Of several Passages of the Prophets cited by the Evangelists, which are not to be met with in the Books from whence they are quoted.
CHAP. II. Of the Authority of the Holy Scriptures: And herein, concerning the several Kinds of Revelations; with a particular Account of Prophecy, Divine Inspiration, and the Infallibility of the Sa∣cred Writings.
SECT. I. That the Authority of the Holy Scriptures is founded on this Principle or Maxim, viz. That God cannot Deceive us.
SECT. II. Of the different kinds of Revelations which God made to Men in the Old Testament.
SECT. III. Of Prophecy in particular, and the several sorts of it: The way to distinguish the False Prophets from the True.
SECT. IV. The Succession of the True Prophets among the Jews. The Hypothesis of Father Simon, concerning the Writers of the Registers, and the publick Scribes, who were Divinely Inspir'd, Refuted.
SECT. V. The Belief of the Jews and Christians concerning the Inspiration of the Canonical Books of the Old Testament.
SECT. VI. Questions that may be rais'd about the Inspiration of the Sacred Books. The First, Whether the Words and Expressions of them are Inspir'd.
SECT. VII. The Second Question concerning the Inspiration of the Sacred Books. After what manner God has Inspir'd the Sacred Penmen with the things they have written.
SECT. VIII. The Third Question: Whether all that is contain'd in the Holy Scripture in general, even Matters of Fact, and such as have no relation to Religion, but are only Points of Philosophy, are Divinely Inspir'd.
CHAP. III. Concerning the Authors of the Books of the Old Testament.
SECT. I. Of the Author of the Pentateuch: Arguments to prove Moses the Author of it: The Objections against it Answer'd: The Names of the Five Books of the Pentateuch: At what Time they were Compos'd.
SECT. II. Of the Book of Joshua. Why so call'd. Whether he was the Author of it. Arguments for and against it. The Life of Joshua.
SECT. III. The different Opinions about the Author of the Book of Judges, false or uncer∣tain. When it was compos'd. The Authority of the Judges. The Chrono∣logy of this Book.
SECT. IV. Of the Book of Ruth, and its Author. When this History happen'd.
SECT. V. Of the Books of Kings and Chronicles. Of the Authors of them, and the time when they were Compos'd. The Summary of the History which they contain.
SECT. VI. Of the Two Books of Ezrah. Ezrah the Author of the First, and Nehemiah of the Second. The Lives of Both. The Chronology of their Books.
SECT. VII. The History of Tobit. When it happen'd. By whom written.
SECT. VIII. The History of Judith. When It happen'd. Whether it be Genuine. By whom Wrote.
SECT. IX. The History of Esther. The Conjectures brought to discover who was this King Ahasuerus that Married Esther. This Matter very uncertain. Of the Au∣thor of this Book. Of the Additions which are not in the Original Text.
SECT. X. Of the Book of Job. What is to be thought of this History, and of the man∣ner wherein it is Penn'd. Who was the Author of it, and when Compos'd. That 'tis a Poetical Piece. The Scope and Abstract of it.
SECT. XI. Of the Titles of the Psalms. Of their Authors. Of the Antiquity and Ʋse of Psalms among the Hebrews. Of the Collection of the Psalms. Of the Poetry of the Hebrews. Of the Style and Argument of the Psalms.
SECT. XII. Of the Book of Proverbs. Whether it be entirely Solomon's. When Compos'd. The Argument of this Book. The Ʋsefulness of this Method for the Teaching of Morality.
SECT. XIII. Of the Book of Ecclesiastes. What that Name signifies. That Solomon is the Author of this Book. A Reply to the Objections of those who believe it to be more Modern. When Solomon compos'd it.
SECT. XIV. Of the Song of Songs. That Solomon is the Author of it. The Argument of this Book clear'd up.
SECT. XV. Of the Author of the Book of Wisdom. The Manner wherein 'tis Compos'd. Who That Philo is, whom they make to be the Author of it.
SECT. XVI. Of the Author of the Book of Ecclesiasticus. When it was Compos'd. The Subject-Matter of it.
SECT. XVII. Of the Writings of the Prophets in General: And particularly of the Prophecy of Isaiah.
SECT. XVIII. Of the Prophet Jeremiah, his Prophecy, and Lamentations.
SECT. XIX. Of the Prophet Baruch and his Prophecy.
SECT. XX. Of the Prophet Ezekiel and his Prophecy.
SECT. XXI. Of the Prophet Daniel, and of the Truth of his Prophecy. Of the Chapters which are not in the Hebrew Text.
SECT. XXII. The Lives and Writings of the Twelve Lesser Prophets.
SECT. XXIII. Of the Books of the Maccabees.
CHAP. IV. Of the Hebrew Text of the Books of the Old Testament.
SECT. I. Of the Origin and Division of Languages. What was the first Language in the World. Whence the Name Hebrew is deriv'd.
SECT. II. Of the Origin and Invention of Characters; their Diversity. The Ancient He∣brew Characters; their Variation. The Vowel Points: When they were invented and brought into Use.
SECT. III. That the Hebrew Text of the Sacred Scriptures was not lost during the Captivity: Aud that Esdras did not make it over again intirely, but only restor'd and cor∣rected it.
SECT. IV. That the Hebrew Text of the Sacred Books was not corrupted by the Malice of the Jews.
SECT. V. That there are Corruptions in the Hebrew Text; how they came, and of what Na∣ture they are: That they don't hinder the Hebrew Texts being Authentic; and that it ought ordinarily to be prefer'd to the Versions. General Rules to know when we are to follow the Hebrew Text, and when to follow the Versions.
SECT. VI. Of the Massora, the Keri and Ketib, and the Cabala.
CHAP. V. Of the Samaritan Pentateuch.
SECT. I. The History of the Samaritans.
SECT. II. Of whom the Samaritans receiv'd their Pentateuch.
SECT. III. Whether the Samaritan Pentateuch that we have, be the same with that which the Samaritans had formerly, and was exstant in St. Jerom's time.
SECT. IV. Concerning the Authority of the Samaritan Pentateuch, wherein it differs from the common Hebrew Text: And if it ought to be preferr'd to it, or compar'd with it.
SECT. V. Of the Samaritan Tongue, and of the Versions of the Samaritan Pentateuch, into that Language and into Greek and Arabick.
CHAP. VI. Of the Greek Versions of the Old Testament, and chiefly that of the LXX.
SECT. I. If there was a Greek Version more Ancient than that of the LXX.
SECT. II. The Relation of the Manner, how they pretend the Version of the LXX was made ac∣cording to Aristeus and other Historians.
SECT. III. Reflections upon the History of the Version of the LXX. That Aristeus is a Jew: That his Narrative is a Romance; and that he is not a Contemporary Author: His Mistakes in Chronology. His Fable of the Gells refuted: Of the way how the Version of the LXX was made, and why it was so called.
SECT. IV. What Books of the Old Testament were translated by the LXX.
SECT. V. Of the Greek Versions of the Old Testament, made since the time of Jesus Christ by Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, &c.
SECT. VI. Of the Hexapla and Tetrapla of Origen. Of the several Editions of the Bible contained therein, and their Order. Of the Works of Origen in reference to the Translation of the Septuagint, and of the several, both Ancient and Modern Editions, which have been since that time.
SECT. VII. Of the Authority and Faithfulness of the Greek Version of the Septuagint. Whether the same was done by divine Inspiration. Whether the LXX Interpre∣ters did make any Alterations in their Version. Whether the same has been Corrupted in many Places, and whether it may pass for an Authentick Trans∣lation.
CHAP. VII. Of the Latin Versions of the Bible, and especially of the Vul∣gar Translation.
SECT. I. Of the Ancient Latin Versions before St. Jerom's time, and more especially of the Ancient Vulgar, or the Italian Translation.
SECT. II. Of the several Works of St. Jerom upon the Bible; of his new Translation from the Hebrew Text: Whether he did it by divine Inspiration; whe∣ther his Version is different from our Vulgar Translation, and when the same was received in the Latin Church.
SECT. III. Of the exactness and authority of the Vulgar Version; in what Sense this Version was declared Authentic in the Council of Trent; whether the same ought to be preferred before the Hebrew Original or other Ver∣sions.
SECT. IV. Of the New Latin Translations of the Bible.
CHAP. VIII. Of the Oriental Translations.
SECT. I. Of the Chaldee Paraphrasts.
SECT. II. Of the Syriac Translations of the Bible.
SECT. III. Of the Arabic Versions of the Bible.
SECT. IV. Of some other Oriental Translations of the Bible.
CHAP. IX. Of the Translations of the Bible into the Vulgar Tongue, and of the reading of the Holy Scripture.
SECT. I. The History of the Translations of the Bible into the Vulgar Tongue.
SECT. II. Whether the Holy Scripture was intended to be read by all the Faithful in general, or by the Priest's only, or Persons enlightened in Matters of Religion.
SECT. III. Of the Benefit that Believers may receive by reading the Holy Scriptures. The Judgment of the Fathers upon that Subject.
SECT. IV. Whether it be true, that the Church has prohibited the Translation of the Bible into Vulgar Tongues, and forbidden the common People to read the Holy Scrip∣ture, and what might be the ground of such a Prohibition. Whether it be still in force. Rules for the Translation of the Holy Scripture into Vulgar Lan∣guages, and Directions how to read it with profit.
CHAP. X. Of the Style, Sense, and different ways of interpreting the Holy Scripture.
SECT. I. Of the Eloquence of the Holy Scripture.
SECT. II. Of the Perspicuity and Obscurity of the Holy Scripture; Of the Causes of its Obscurity in some places, and the Means of overcoming it.
SECT. III. Of the Sense of the Holy Scriptures.
SECT. IV. Of the different Ways of interpreting the Holy Scripture, and divers sorts of Commentaries on the Bible.
SECT. V. Of the Rules to be observed for a right interpretation of the Holy Scripture.
CHAP. XI. Of the Division of the Bible into Chapters, Verses, and other Parts.
A TABLE OF THE Principal Matters contain'd in this First Volume.
title page
THE PREFACE.
THE CONTENTS.
ERRATA.
A Compleat History OF THE CANON and WRITERS OF THE OLD and NEW TESTAMENT, &c.
CAP. I. Of the Authority and Canon of the Books of the N. Testament.
SECT. I. Of the Revelation made by Jesus Christ, and of the Manner of its publica∣tion throughout the World.
SECT II. Of the Manner how the Books of the New Testament were Composed.
SECT. III. That the Boohs of the New Testament are certainly the Works of those Authors whose Names they bear.
SECT. IV. That the Books of the New Tectament have not been Corrupted.
SECT. V. That the Authors of the Books of the New Testament, had no design to write Fables.
SECT. VI. That the Authors of the Books of the New Testament were neither de∣ceived nor Deceivers.
SECT. VII. That the Authors of the Books of the New Testament were divinely inspired, and that Their Writings are Divine.
SECT. VIII. That 'tis by the Testimony of the Church and Tradition that we know the di∣vinely inspired Books of the New Testament.
SECT. IX. Of the Canon of the Sacred Books of the New Testament; and in parti∣cular, of those whereof there hath been some Doubt, whether they were Canonical.
CHAP. II. Concerning the Authors of the New Testament, and the Books themselves.
SECT. I. Of the Names of the New Testament and Gospel, and of the Titles of the Gospels.
SECT. II. Of the ancient Gospels: That the Church never receiv'd any more than four as Canonical, and why? Symbols ascrib'd to the four Evangelists. Of the Harmony and Difference found betwixt the four Gospels. The Order in which they were compos'd.
SECT. III. Of St. Matthew and his Gospel. In what Language he wrote it. If it differ from the Gospel of the Nazarens. Of the Authenticalness of the Greek Text. Of some Additions made to the Text.
SECT. IV. The Life of St. Mark: Concerning his Gospel: Of the Truth of the last whole Chapter of it.
SECT. V. The Life of St. Luke: Of his Gospel: How it was corrupted by the Mar∣cionites. Of the Truth of Jesus Christs sweating Drops of Blood. Of the Alterations and Additions in the Cambridge Manuscript.
SECT. VI. The Life of St. John. Concerning his Gospel. The History of the Woman taken in Adultery.
SECT. VII. Of the Books of the Acts of the Apostles.
SECT. VIII. The Life of St. Paul: Of the Time, Occasion and Subject of his Letters. That the Epistle directed to the Hebrews is St. Paul's: In what Lan∣guage it was wrote.
SECT. IX. Of the Catholick Epistles in general, and of that of St. James in particu∣lar. Whose it is. How many St. James's there are. The Life of St. James the Brother of our Lord, the Author of this Epistle. The Argu∣ment of this Epistle.
SECT. X. Of the two Epistles of St. Peter: That the Second is really his.
SECT. XI. Of the three Epistles of St. John. Of the Passage concerning the Trinity, which is in his first Epistle.
SECT. XII. Of St. Jude and his Epistle.
SECT. XIII. Of the Revelation.
CHAP. III. Concerning the Greek Text of the New Testament.
SECT. I. How the Greek Text of the New Testament was preserved in the Church without any Falsification: Of the Variations which might have crept into it: Of the Editions of this Text; and of the Differences that are in the Manuscripts.
SECT. II. Of the Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament, and particularly of the Vatican, Oxford and Cambridge Manuscripts.
SECT. III. The Rise and occasion of the Faults that might have crept into the Greek Text of the New Testament.
SECT. IV. The Original of the Faults that might have crept into the Text of the Vulgar Latin.
SECT. V. Of what Nature those Differences are, which are in the Greek Text, and be∣tween that and the Vulgar Latin.
SECT. VI. Principles and Rules whereby to judge which of the different Lections ought to be follow'd, and When the Greek Text ought to be preferr'd before the Vulgar Latin, or the Vulgar before the Greek.
SECT. VII. Of the Hellenistical Language.
CHAP. IV. Of the Versions of the New Testament.
SECT. I. Of the Latin Versions of the New Testament: Of the Ancient Vulgar, the New Vulgar, and the Modern Versions.
SECT. II. Of the Oriental Versions of the New Testament.
CHAP. V. Of the Division of the New Testament into Titles and Chapters.
CHAP. VI. Of the Apocryphal Books of the New Testament.
SECT. I. Of the Letter of Jesus Christ to King Agbarus, and of that King's Letter to Jesus Christ.
SECT. II. Of several Letters attributed to the Virgin-Mary.
SECT. III. Of the Ancient Gospels which are not Heretical, tho' they be not Canonical: Namely, the Gospels according to the Hebrews, and according to the Egyptians.
SECT. IV. Of the Proto-Evangelium of Saint James, and the Gospel of Nicodemus.
SECT. V. Of the False Gospels forg'd by the Hereticks.
SECT. VI. Of the Spurious Acts of Apostles and Revelations.
SECT. VII. Of the Epistle of Saint Barnabas.
SECT. VIII. Of the Liturgies which are falsly attributed to the Apostles.
SECT. IX. Of the Apostle's Creed.
SECT. X. Of the Canons and Constitutions attributed to the Apostles.
SECT. XI. Of the Books attributed to Prochorus, Saint Linus, Abdias; and of the Acts of the Passion of Saint Andrew.
CHAP. VII. Of the Ancient Prophane Records produc'd in Favour of the Christian Religion.
SECT. I. Of the Sibyls and the Oracles commonly attributed to them.
SECT. II. Of the Books attributed to Hystaspes and Mercurius Trismegistus.
SECT. III. Of the Letters of Lentulus and Pilate concerning Jesus Christ.
SECT. IV. Of the Epistles of Seneca to Saint Paul, and of those of Saint Paul to Seneca.
SECT. V. Of the Passages of Josephus concerning Jesus Christ, Saint John Baptist, and Saint James.
SECT. VI. Of several Authors whose Works relate to the Sacred History, such as Phi∣lo, T. Flavius Josephus, Justus, Aristaeas, Aristobulus, Josephus Bengorion, Berosus, the false Dorothaeus, Zoroaster, &c.
A Chronological TABLE OF THE AUTHORS OF THE Old Testament, And of their WORKS.
MOSES,
JOSHUA or OSHEA,
JOB,
The Author of the Book of JUDGES,
The Author of the Book of RUTH.
SAMUEL the Prophet.
GAD and NATHAN, Two Prophets.
DAVID,
ASAPH,
SOLOMON.
JONAH.
HOSEA,
JOEL,
ISAIAH,
AMOS,
OBADIAH,
MICAH,
NAHUM,
TOBIT,
HABAKKUK,
ZEPHANIAH.
JEREMIAH.
BARUCH,
DANIEL,
EZEKIEL,
The Author of the Book of JUDITH.
The Author of the Book of ESTHER.
HAGGAI,
ZACHARIAH,
MALACHI.
The Author of the Book of KINGS.
The Author of the Books of CHRONICLES.
EZRAH or ESDRAS,
NEHEMIAH,
PHILO,
JESUS, The Son of Sirach;
AUTHOR, Of the first Book of Maccabees,
AUTHOR, Of the second Book of Maccabees,
PHILO;
JOSEPHUS, Sirnam'd T. FLAVIUS,
JUSTUS,
A Chronological TABLE OF THE AUTHORS OF THE New Testament, And of their WORKS.
Saint MATTHEW or LEVI
Saint MARK,
Saint LUKE,
Saint JOHN,
Saint PAUL, call'd before SAUL,
Saint JAMES the JUST,
SIMON Sirnam'd PETER,
Saint JUDE, call'd likewise LEBBEUS or THADDEUS.
Saint BARNABAS, call'd before JOSEPH.
A TABLE OF THE Canonical and Apocryphal BOOKS Which belong to the Old Testament.
A TABLE of the Versions of the Books of the Old Testament.
A TABLE of the Versions of the BIBLE into several of the Vulgar Languages.
A TABLE of Authors whose Works relate to the History of the Old Testament.
A TABLE of the BOOKS which belong to the New Testament.
A TABLE of the Versions of the New Testament.
Other forg'd Records favourable to the Christian Religion.
An Alphabetical TABLE OF The Authors of the OLD and NEW TESTAMENT Mention'd in the two Volumes.
A Table of the Principal Matters contain'd in this second Volume.