Testament

TESTAMENT, is taken in Scripture for Covenant, and answers to the Hebrew Word Berith,¹ which the Greeks have rendered by Diatheke, which signifies an Act of the last Will of a Person who hath Death in his View, and disposes of his Estate, and gives Orders as to what he would have done after his Decease.

K The Word Testament is no where found in this Sense, as I know of, in the Old Testament, but only in the Sense of Pact, or Covenant. But St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, arguing about the Greek Word Diatheke, which signifies the Testament of one that declares his Last Will, makes use of these Words, And for this Heb. ix. 15, 16, 17, 18.cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a Testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator; for a Testament is of force after Men are dead, otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the Testator liveth; whereupon neither the first Testament was dedicated without blood. Where we may observe, that he speaks of the Old and New Covenants, as of two Testaments, in the Sense of a Person’s making his Last Will.

Galat. iii. 15. 17.In the Epistle to the Galatians, he speaks also of the Covenant that God made with Abraham, under the Notion of an ordinary Testament. Brethren, says he, I speak after the manner of men; though it be but a man’s covenant, (or Testament) yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. Therefore the Law, which was given four hundred and thirty Years after this Promise, this Testament, this Covenant, cannot abrogate or revoke it.

But through all the Old and New Testament, the Word Testamentum generally signifies the Covenant, the Law, the Promises. Exod. xxx. 26.For example, the Ark of the Testament, stands for that Chest or Coffer wherein the Tables of the Law of the Covenant were Ecclus. xlv. 30.deposited. Testamentum Pacis, the Covenant of Peace: Testamentum Regni, Ibid. xlvii. 13.the Promise by which God engages himself to give the Kingdom. Respice in Testamentum Psal. lxxiii. 20.tuum, remember thy Promises, thy Covenant: Non profanabo Testamentum tuum, I shall not fail of performing my Is. xiv. 13.Promises: Sedebo in monte Testamenti, I will sit down upon the Mountain of the Temple, where the Ark of the Covenant is laid up: Angelus Testamenti, the Son of Mal. iii. 1. Matth. xxvi. 28.God, who was to renew the Covenant: Sanguis Novi Testamenti, the Blood that confirms the New Covenant: Dedit illi Testamentum Acts vii. 8.Circumcisionis, God made a Covenant with Abraham, by enjoining Circumcision to himself and his Posterity.

In Scripture we may take notice of several Covenants or Testaments, between God and Man. The first is that which God made with Adam, by promising him Happiness and Immortality, if he would continue faithful and obedient to him, in Gen. ii. 16. 17. Gen. ix. 9, 10, &c.forbearing from eating the forbidden Fruit. The second is that which God made with Noah and his Children, by which he promised them no more to drown the World by an universal Deluge. The third is that which God made with Abraham Gen. xvii. 1, 2, 3, &c.and his Race, the Token of which was Circumcision. The fourth is that which God made with the People of Israel, by Exod. xix. xx.the Mediation of Moses, at the foot of Mount Sinai.

Deut. xxix. 1, 2, &c. Josh. xxiv. 25, 26, 27.This Covenant was several times renew’d: By Moses, some time before his Death; by Joshua, at the Age of one hundred and ten Years; by Josiah, by Nehemiah, and by the Maccabees.

The Books of the Old Testament are these that follow:

Genesis. Exodus. Leviticus. Numbers. Deuteronomy. Joshua. Judges. Ruth. The Two Books of Samuel. The Two Books of Kings. The Two Books of Chronicles. Ezra. Nehemiah. Tobit. Judith. Esther. Job. The Psalms. The Proverbs. The Canticles. Ecclesiastes. The Book of Wisdom. Ecclesiasticus. Isaiah. Jeremiah. Baruch. Ezekiel. Daniel.

The Twelve Lesser Prophets are, Hosea. Joel. Amos. Obadiah. Jonah. Micah. Nahum. Habakkuk. Zephaniah. Haggai. Zechariah. Malachi.

The Two Books of Maccabees.

2 The Books of the New Testament are these fol-lowing:

The Four Evangelists, which are St. Matthew. St. Mark. St. Luke. St. John.

The Acts of the Apostles.

The Epistles of St. Paul, which are To the Romans. First and Second to the Corinthians. To the Galatians. To the Ephesians. To the Philippians. To the Colossians. First and Second to the Thessalonians. First and Second to Timothy. To Titus. To Philemon. To the Hebrews.

The Canonical Epistles are seven:

Of St. James. First and Second of St. Peter. First, Second, and Third, of St. John. Of St. Jude the Apostle. The Revelation of St. John.

All these Books are declared to be Canonical by the Council of Trent, and acknowledged as such by the Catholick Church.

The Reader may have recourse to what we have already said under the Article Bible, and to our critical Observations upon each Book of the Scripture, under their particular Titles, or under the Titles of their Authors. As to the Apocryphal Books both of the Old and New Testament, we have already treated of them under the Word Apocrypha, and under the Names of those to whom they are ascribed; for example, Esdras, Maccabeus, Apocalypse, &c. And those that would see this Affair discussed at full length, may consult our particular Prefaces to all the Books of both the Old and new Testament, and the two Tomes published by M. Fabricius, under the Title Codex Pseudepigraphus veteris Testamenti, &c. and Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti.

The Word TESTAMENT is sometimes used for the Law of God: Inique non egimus in Psal. xliii. 18. Psal. xlix. 16.Testamento tuo, we have not transgressed thy Laws. And elsewhere, Quare tu assumis Testamentum meum per os tuum, why dost thou pronounce the Words of my Law: And Psal. lxxvii. 10.again; Non custodierunt Testamentum Dei, & in lege ejus noluerunt ambulare, they have not kept the Laws of the Lord, to walk in them.

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