But Augustine WTOte on VirikstinfUon in the early part
of the fifth eentory. or somewhat more than three hundred
years after the death of Ht. John, the last survivor of all
the Apostles.
Hence the important question arises : WhelJier Avs-usline
himself was a daring innnvaiar ; or wlint/ier he pmjioinided
nothing else, titan what had been the unioersally familiar
doctrine of the Church from the veiT/ Irg-inni/ig.
I, With respect to this tjuestion, simple chronology alone
shews us : that, Antccedcni to the time of Augustine's formal
exposition of his Doctrinal Systr-in, we have at least three
whole centuries to account ftir.
Therefore, unless we can satisfactorily fill up those three
centuries, it is quite clear; thai, ficr'« if the peculiartiies
before us rest not indeed upon the insnlati'tl private judgment
of Calvin, they will still rest solely upon Ihn insulated private
judgment of Augustine.
Consequently, in that sopposcil ease, save only with the



90 THE PRIMITIVE DOCTRINE [bOOK I.
exchange of the sixteenth century for the fifth, an interpre-
tation of Scripture, propounded for the first time , by the
mere private judgment of an insulated individual, will equally
be the exclusive basis of the Doctrinal System which is now
submitted to the test of historical discussion.
Augustine, however, conscious of the vast evidential im-
portance of Primitive Antiquity, vindicates his System on the
score : that He himself set forth no new Scheme of Doctrine ;
but, on the contrary, that He faithfully delivered to posterity
what had been actually received from priority.
Our business, therefore, is, carefully to examine a vindica-
tion thus specially constructed.
