It will be in the recollection of most of our readers that, on the trial of Hone for the publication of some scandalous parodies on the Liturgy, one principal point in his defence was that his objects were wholly political, and that the moment he entertained a persuasion that his parodies could be considered as injurious to the cause of religion, (for which he professed the highest respect,) he withdrew them from circulation at a great pecuniary loss. As we should not be justified in expressing a suspicion that the jury had previously resolved to acquit this man, we must presume that he owed his escape to the credit they attached to the sincerity of this declaration. He has now afforded ample means of judging how far such confidence was wisely reposed, by publishing a work of which the sole aim is to destroy the credit of the New Testament, and to show that the most silly and driveling forgeries can be supported by the same evidence which we use to establish the authority of our Scripture.
Nothing but the execution of a public duty would have tempted us to defile one line of our Journal with the notice of a wretch as contemptible as he is wicked. It is indeed a source of real gratification to us, that in proceeding to give our readers some account of the book before us, we may at once dismiss Mr. Hone from our consideration. He is described to us as a poor illiterate creature, far too ignorant to have any share in the composition either of this, or of his seditious pamphlets. He only supplies the evil will and the audacity: the venom is furnished by the dastard behind. Our future observations will, therefore, be confined to the real editor of this nefarious publication.
Ever since the revival of infidelity, its attacks have been directed against no point more frequently than the Canon of the New Testament. This selection has evinced perhaps a somewhat greater degree of policy than has usually fallen to the share of the infidel party--not that we have any fears lest, after due examination, the slightest suspicion should be entertained of the correctness of the Canon:--but it must be avowed that an original inquiry into its constitution in its full extent, calls for a combination of diligence and acuteness of rare occurrence. The works of the Fathers are of course the great sources of information, and enormous as they are in extent, no common industry must be exercised in their perusal. The Fathers too were themselves frequently mistaken; and no doubt can be entertained that some gross interpolations of their works have been effected, and many writings ascribed to
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them which never proceeded from their pens. Now without going to the ridiculous length of Daillé, or inferring that their writings are thus rendered useless as evidence, it must yet be obvious that an additional degree of caution is required to detect the forgeries and separate the interpolations from the genuine matter. The gigantic labours of the men of elder times on almost every important branch of theology, by removing all necessity for exertions like their own, have not only indisposed us for original inquiry where it may be requisite, but have actually taught many readers in divinity to consider even their own collections as appalling objects. The disinclination to extnesive research thus generated has certainly been productive of evil in the present case; for until a comparatively recent period, little attention, it would seem, had been directed to the canon of Scripture. Jones, in the very outset of his excellent work, observes that before his day, that is, the beginning of the last century, 'learned men had scarcely discussed the subject at all.' The Lightfoots, the Medes, the Bulls and the Poles had not directed their unwearied diligence expressly into this channel. No one, before the remarkable period which they adorned, had dreamt of moving serious controversy on a subject which had received the decision of ages. Satisfied with the evidence which their course of reading presented to them, they had not temptation to withdraw themselves from the more important task of elucidating and explaining what they knew to be the word of God. The consequence has been that we have not on this, as on almost every other topic of religious discussion, a variety of full and general treatises, which, by the care and diligence of selectors, might be presented in shapes adapted to the tastes and acquirements of every class of readers. This has naturally presented a temptation to the infidel. It must not, however, be supposed that this important question has passed without notice from more recent writers, or that there are now no sources which supply full answers to his objections.
[More to come . . .]
