Our Scriptures were publicly read and expounded in the religious
assemblies of the early Christians. Justin MARTYR, who wrote in the year
140, which was seventy or eighty years after some, and less, probably,
after others of the Gospels were published, giving, in his first apology
an account, to the Emperor, of the Christian worship has this remarkable
passage:
"The Memoirs of the Apostles, or the Writings of the Prophets, are read
according as the time allows: and, when the reader has ended, the
president makes a discourse, exhorting to the imitation of so excellent
things." (Lardner, Cred. vol. i. p. 273.)
A few short observations will show the value of this testimony.
1. The "Memoirs of the Apostles," Justin in another place expressly
tells us, are what are called "Gospels:" and that they were the Gospels
which we now use, is made certain by Justin's numerous quotations of
them, and his silence about any others.
2. Justin describes the general usage of the Christian church.
3. Justin does not speak of it as recent or newly instituted, but in the
terms in which men speak of established customs.
II. Tertullian, who followed Justin at the distance of about fifty
years, in his account of the religious assemblies of Christians as they
were conducted in his time, says, "We come together to recollect the
Divine Scriptures; we nourish our faith, raise our hope, confirm our
trust, by the Sacred Word." (Lardner, Cred. vol. ii. p. 628.)
III. Eusebius records of Origen, and cites for his authority the letters
of bishops contemporary with Origen, that when he went into Palestine
about the year 216, which was only sixteen years after the date of
Tertullian's testimony, he was desired by the bishops of that country to
discourse and expound the Scriptures publicly in the church, though he
was not yet ordained a presbyter. (Lardner, Cred. vol. iii. p. 68.) This
anecdote recognises the usage, not only of reading, but of expounding
the Scriptures; and both as subsisting in full force. Origen also
himself bears witness to the same practice: "This," says he, "we do,
when the Scriptures are read in the church, and when the discourse for
explication is delivered to the people." (Lardner, Cred. vol. iii. p.
302.) And what is a still more ample testimony, many homilies of his
upon the Scriptures of the New Testament, delivered by him in the
assemblies of the church, are still extant.
IV. Cyprian, whose age was not twenty years lower than that of Origen,
gives his people an account of having ordained two persons, who were
before confessors, to be readers; and what they were to read appears by
the reason which he gives for his choice; "Nothing," says Cyprian, "can
be more fit than that he who has made a glorious confession of the Lord
should read publicly in the church; that he who has shown himself
willing to die a martyr should read the Gospel of Christ by which
martyrs are made." (Lardner, Cred. vol. iv. p. 842.)
V. Intimations of the same custom may be traced in a great number of
writers in the beginning and throughout the whole of the fourth century.
Of these testimonies I will only use one, as being, of itself, express
and full. Augustine, who appeared near the conclusion of the century,
displays the benefit of the Christian religion on this very account, the
public reading of the Scriptures in the churches, "where," says he, "is
a consequence of all sorts of people of both sexes; and where they hear
how they ought to live well in this world, that they may deserve to live
happily and eternally in another." And this custom he declares to be
universal: "The canonical books of Scripture being read every where, the
miracles therein recorded are well known to all people." (Lardner, Cred.
vol. x. p. 276, et seq.)
It does not appear that any books, other than our present Scriptures
were thus publicly read, except that the epistle of Clement was read in
the church of Corinth, to which it had been addressed, and in some
others; and that the Shepherd of Hennas was read in many churches. Nor
does it subtract much from the value of the argument, that these two
writings partly come within it, because we allow them to be the genuine
writings of apostolical men. There is not the least evidence, that any
other Gospel than the four which we receive was ever admitted to this
distinction.