place is in the canes or reeds, are termed 2? 90, “The beasts of
the reeds,” Ps. Ixviii. 30. Particularly, it signifies a reed made into an instrument wherewith they measured their buildings, contain- ing six cubits in length, Ezek. xl. 7, xlii 16; and hence indefinitely it is taken for a rule ora measure. Besides, it signifies the “jugum,” or “scapus,” or beam, with the tongue, of a balance, keeping the poise of the scales equal, and discovering the rectitude or declension thereof: Isa. xlvi. 6, per N2P3 422, “ They weigh silver on the cane, —that is, saith the Targum, srND3, “in the balance;” the supporter and director of the scales being put for the whole. The rabbins call it o's Sy map, “The reed of the scales,”—that which tries, and weighs, and gives every thing its just moment, :
38. And this also is the first and proper signification of the Greek word xavéy, “canon.” So the scholiast on that of Avistophanes,
Ka) xavovas tZoicoves, xa) races txwy;)
tells us that xovdy 1s xupiws +d érciva rig rpurcyys bv nel eig tobrnre Tadrny éyov, “ properly that which is over the scales, bringing them” (and the things weighed in them) “to equality ;’ the very same with the Hebrew 3?, from which it is derived. So Varinus tells us that it is properly the “tongue in the balance,” and in use pérpoy adidLevorov, Thus Aristotle says, TH ebdes nal abrd nal xdumvdoy yuvio- Hower, KPITHS yap aupow 6 xavdv-—“ By that which is right we know itself, and that which is crooked, for the canon is judge of both ;””* where he useth the word for any kind of rule or measure, answering unto the other signification of “kaneh” in the Hebrew. “ Rectum” and “canon,” that which is right, and the rule, are one and the same, —the one expression denoting the nature of any thing, the other its use and application. ;
4. From this original, proper importance of the word is its meta- phorical use deduced, which is most common; and therein it signifies
a moral rule, or a measure for direction, trial, and judgment. Hence ~
the philosopher calls the law Kaviva ris rodireiag, “The rule of the 1 Aristoph. in Ran. Ac. iii. Sc. 1, v. 799. 2 Aristot. de Anim. lib. i. cap. ult.
‘
SECT. 2-6.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. oN
administration,”* or government of the commonwealth,—that where- by all the parts of it are disposed into their proper places, whereby they are regulated and all things done in it are tried and judged. And in this sense it is applied by St Paul unto divine revelation, Gal. vi. 16, "Ovo r® xavin robe ororyjoovor,—* As many as proceed orderly,” that is, in a direct way (for so ororye% denotes), “ accord- ing to this rule” or canon. And to the same purpose he useth again the same expression, Phil. iii. 16; for as the words of the Scripture are in themselves N28 233, “words of truth,” so the writing itself is 1’ 232, “a right writing;” or, as the LXX., EY Poel Hévoy evdbrnrog, “that which is written in uprightness,” to be a rule and judge unto all. Evddirnros is genitivus adjuncti, not materia, declaring the property of the writing, not the subject-matter; that is, it is canonical : for rd eddég and xavdy, that which is right, and a rule, we haye showed to be the same. And from hence it is that the Scripture, or written word of God, being in itself every way absolutely right and perfect, and appointed by him to be the rule or canon of the church’s faith and obedience, requiring, trying, regulating, judging wholly and absolutely of them, is come xa’ eEox4v, by way of eminency, to be called “ canonical” or regular; as the book wherein it is contained is called “'The Bible,” though in itself that be the common name of all books.
5. And this appellation is of ancient use in the church. The synod of Laodicea, supposed to have preceded the council of Nice, makes mention of it as a thing generally admitted; for the fathers of it decree, "Ors od deF idiwrinods Parmods Aéyeodor ev rH ExxAnoig, oddE araviina BiCria, GARG move r& navovink rg Kawyg nal Tlarots Asa- I4xns,—“ That no private psalms ought to be said or read in the church, nor any uncanonical books, but only the canonical books of the New and Old Testament,”* whose names they subjoin in their order. And some while before, the bishops who joined with the church of Antioch in the deposition of Paulus Samosatenus charged him as 6 droords rod xavovos,,—one that, in the introduction of his heresy, departed from the canon or rule of the Scripture. Be- fore them, also, it was called by Irenseus, Kavay rijg drnbetas a&xruvqs® And Chrysostom calls it, Tay Sefav viuwv dxépaoy, “'The sentence of the divine laws;” *Axpi6% Coy drdvrav nal yriuove nei xavova, “The exact balance, square, or rule and canon, of all truths and duties;”° wherein he hath evidently respect unto the original use and im- portance of the word, before explained: and thereupon calls on his hearers, that, omitting the consideration of what this or that man says or thinks, they should seek and require ratra crore wap réiv
1 Aristot. Pol. lib. ii, cap. viii. 2 Concil. Laod. can, lix. 3 Huseb. Eccles.