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198 Crcdibililij of (he Gospel History.
inspired by Christ, lias shown us in tlie book of the Revelation
: " And I looked, and lo, a lamb stood on the mount
Sion.—These are they which are not defiled with women,
for they are virgins : these are they which follow the Lamb
whithersoever he goes:" ' Rev. xiv. 1—4. This passage is
in the Banquet; and in the same work: ' Asy also John
shows, saying, that the incense in the vials of the four and
twenty elders are the prayers of saints :" ' see Rev. v. 8.
Again, ' John^ relating the Revelation says: " And there
appeared a great Monder in heaven," ' and what follows
Avhere Methodius quotes Rev. xii. 1— 6. In the same work
the'' Revelation is quoted as scripture, and a book of authority.
In the extracts out of the treatise of the Resurrection,
made by Photius, he quotes this book' as written'' by the
blessed John. In the same extracts are these words :
'
"^ How
then is Christ celebrated by the prophets and the apostles
as the " first-begotten of the dead ?" This is often said of
Christ in the New Testament, as Acts xxvi. 23; 1 Cor. xv.
20 ; and twice almost in the very expression of Methodius,
Col. i. 18, and Rev. i. 5. If we could be certain that Methodius
referred to this place in the Revelation, then we should
be assured that he supposed the writer of this book to be
the apostle John. Finally, Methodius is mentioned by*^
Andrew of Csesarea with Irenogus and others, who had bore
testimony to the divine inspiration of this book. I think it
is plain from what has been here collected, that Methodius
received the Revelation as a book of authority ; and very
probable that he esteemed it
and evangelist.
a writing- of John the apostle
XI. His forms of quotation, or general terms made use
of in speaking of these books, and marks of respect for them
are such as these ;
•= scriptures, Hioly, or sacred scriptures,
are s divine scriptures. He speaks of' the Old Testament,
which implies an acknowledgment of another that is new;
both which are indeed quoted; some while ago bespeaks of
prophets and apostles, thereby expressing the two general
^ KaStoif Kai Iwavvt](; intjpvae, k. X. ib. p. 97. A.
' ri]v AnoKaXv^iv I) Iioavvric fSj/ysjUffo^ \fy£t. ib. p. 109. D.
* yivirai Kara vhv Trie ypcKf'rjQ, ottoti r/ fitv ATroKoXinpiS apffiva Tt]v
iKKXrimav EwpiCfrni ytvvq.v. \h. p. 1)1. C.
'' 'O fxuKapioQ lwavvr)Q. ap. Phot. Cod. 234. p. 924. ap. Comlsef. p. 326. B.
•^ riwc ^1 tTi 6 Xpi