6. The Koran, or Canon of the Moslems. 7. The Old Testament, or Canon of the Jews. 8. The New Testament, or Canon of the Christians.
The works included in the above list,—which are more
numerous than might at first appear, owing to the vast collections
comprised under the titles "Vedas," and "Tripitaka,"—are
distinguished, as has been already stated, by certain common
characteristics. It would be an exaggeration to say that
all of these characteristics apply to each one of the writings
accepted by any portion of mankind as canonical. This cannot
be so, any more than the peculiar qualities which may happen
to distinguish any given race of men can ever belong in equal
measure to all its members. Hence there will necessarily be
some exceptions to our rules, but on the whole I believe we
may say with confidence that canonical or sacred books have
the following distinctive marks:—
A. There are certain external marks, the presence of which is essential to constitute them sacred at all.
1. They must be accepted by the sectaries of the religion to which they belong as being either inspired, or, if the nature of the faith precludes this idea, as containing the highest wisdom to which it is possible for man to attain, and indeed a much higher wisdom than can be reached by ordinary men. Nor do those who accept these books ever expect to attain it. They regard the authors, or supposed authors, as enlightened to a degree which is beyond the reach of their disciples, and receive their words as utterances of an unquestionable authority. But wherever a divine being is acknowledged, these books are regarded as emanating from him. Either they have fallen direct from heaven and been merely "seen" by their human editors, as was the case with the Vedic hymns; or their contents have been communicated in colloquies to holy men by the Deity himself, as happened with the Avesta; or an angel has revealed them to the prophet while in a fit or a state of ecstacy, as Mahomet was made acquainted with the Suras of the Koran; or lastly, as is held to have been the case with the Jewish and Christian Scriptures, the mind of the writer has been at least so guided and informed by the Spirit of God, that in the words traced by his pen it was impossible he should err.
