De canone SS. scripturarum

Fragment of an Unknown Author on the Canon of Holy Scripture. I. ...to which, however, he was present, and so he set it down. Reading: the book of the Gospel second, Luke. This Luke, a physician, after the ascension of Christ, when Paul had taken him up as a student of law, as it were, according to his own opinion he set forth. Yet he himself did not see the Lord in the flesh; and the same, as far as he could ascertain, so also (Luke ch. 1) he begins to speak from the nativity of John. The fourth of the Gospels, John, from among the disciples. At the urging of his fellow disciples and the bishops, he said to his own: Fast with me today for three days, and whatever has been revealed to each, let us relate to one another. That same night it was revealed to Andrew, one of the apostles, that with all recognizing it, John should describe everything in his own name. And therefore, although various beginnings are taught in each of the books of the Gospels, it makes no difference to the faith of believers, since they are all declared by one principal spirit in all things concerning the nativity, the passion, the resurrection, the conversation with his disciples, and his twofold coming: first in despised humility, which ...; second, glorious in royal power, which is to come. What wonder, then, if John so consistently sets forth each thing even in his own Epistles, saying in himself (1 John 1:1, 4): What we saw with our own eyes, and heard with our ears, and our hands touched, these we have written.

For thus he professes himself not only a spectator, but a hearer, and also a writer of all the Lord’s miracles in order. Now the Acts of all the Apostles are written in one book. Luke best comprehends this for Theophilus (Acts 1:1), because each event took place in his presence; just as also, separately (John 21:18–19), he clearly declares the passion of Peter, but (Romans 15:24, 28) the journey of Paul setting out from the city to Spain. Now the Epistles of Paul—from what place, or for what reason they were sent—declare themselves to those willing to understand (24); first of all to the Corinthians forbidding schism and heresy, then to the Galatians concerning circumcision, but to the Romans concerning the order of the Scriptures, and also intimating that Christ is their beginning, he wrote at greater length. Concerning each of these it is necessary for us to discuss, since the blessed apostle Paul himself, following the order of his predecessor John, writes only by name to seven churches in this order: first to the Corinthians (26), second to the Ephesians, third to the Philippians, fourth to the Colossians, fifth to the Galatians, sixth to the Thessalonians, seventh to the Romans. But although to the Corinthians and Thessalonians it is repeated for correction, yet one Church is known to be diffused throughout the whole world (29). And John also in the Apocalypse, although (Apocalypse, chapters 1 and 2) he writes to seven churches, yet speaks to all.

Truly, one to Philemon, and one to Titus, and two to Timothy, out of affection and love, yet in honor of the Catholic Church, in the prayer of ecclesiastical discipline, have been sanctified. There are also said to be others: to the Laodiceans, another to the Alexandrians, two of Paul. Freindall. Perhaps Laodiceans, others. Routh. Perhaps heresy. Routh. Fictitiously named after the heresy of Marcion, and many other things which cannot be received into the Catholic Church, for gall cannot be mixed with honey. The Epistle of Jude, and the two of the aforementioned John, are held in the Catholic Church. And Wisdom, written by friends of Solomon in his honor, and also the Apocalypse of John and of Peter alone do we receive, which some of ours do not wish to be read in the Church. But the Shepherd was written very recently in our times in the city of Rome by Hermas, while Pius, his brother, was sitting in the episcopal chair of the Church of the city of Rome. And therefore it ought indeed to be read, but it cannot be published to the people in the Church, neither counted among the Prophets in full number, nor among the Apostles, unto the end of time.

But of Arsinoë, or of Valentinus, or of Miltiades, we receive nothing at all, who also wrote a new book of Psalms for Marcion, together with Basilides of Assos, the founder of the Cataphrygians.