A nearly contemporaneous, perhaps slight ly earlier, use of "Scripture" is found in the Homily, formerly called the second Epistle of Clement to Corinthians (ii, 4): "And another Scripture says that came not to call just men, but sinners,' "—exactly as in Mark ii, 17, Matt. ix, 13. However, we cannot con clude with confidence that there is any refer ence to these Gospels; for the sentence quoted is epigrammatic in form and was probably a slogan of the Gentile mission (just men Jews, and as such it may have appeared in various writings before our era. Nevertheless, it is in any case cited as Scripture.
Irenteus.— On entering now the last quar ter of the 2d century, we are met near the gate by the monumental work of Irenxus. This chosen champion of Catholic faith seems to have been sent about the year of the persecu tion (177), as presbyter of Lyons, on a mission to Rome, whence returning he succeeded to the bishopric made vacant meanwhile by the martyrdom of Potheinos. It was the crisis of church-fortunes in the battle with the "here tics," especially the followers of Valentinus and Marcion, the former the first great bibli cal theologian, the latter the only man that had understood Paul, though he misunderstood him (Harnack), and by the testimony of ve hement opponents, both of them men of ex ceeding ability, religious devotion and spiritual insight, who had carried their campaign into Rome itself and there established themselves (138-146) in a determined effort to "reform) the Church. Their "heresies°. must have in terested Irenmus intensely and on returning to Lyons he began writing, apparently at the re quest of some °very dear friend,* who may have been the highest official, a series of five Books (Against Heresies.) This (Detection and Refutation of the Gnosis falsdy so called* is ordinarily dated between 181 and 189: because in Book III, c. 23, is quoted the Ephesian Theodotion's translation of Isaiah, which appeared (Eusebius says) in the second year of Commodus (181) ; and in Book III, c. 3, we read that (Eleutherius (d. 189) now holds the bishopric (of Rome) in the twelfth place from the Apostles.° While these state ments may fix the date for so much of this book, it is clear that they fix less for the earlier and later ones. For the composition evidently extended over a considerable period, the separate books being sent from time to time to the °friend very dear.° Especially is the interval noticeable between the second and the third ; indeed, the work seems logically well nigh completed in Book II with the minute description and confutation of heretical schools, while the other three concern them selves, apparently by afterthought, with set ting forth and vindicating the whole body of Church-doctrine. Accordingly, this elaborate
apology has especial interest as accompanying, characterizing and exhibiting in its gradual growth the idea of a New Testament Canon. In the earlier boolcs Nire find scarcely any al lusion to the sources of the Scripture citations, while in the later the references by name to nearly all the New Testament books become too numerous to catalogue. Approaching the close of the century we behold in birth the consciousness of a New Testament Canon.
His Usage.— What, then, is the Bishop's use of the term Scripture? It is not easy to give a thoroughly satisfactory answer. About 100 times the word refers clearly to Hebrew Scriptures; about 17 times it might include the Christian as well; about 16 times it would seem to be aimed more directly at the latter. A diffi culty in determining the reference lies in the fact that Irenmus conceives of ancient Scrip ture as already containing in minutest detail the Gospel story and the history of the primitive Church (as did Justin and other leading lights), so that when he speaks of (Scriptures domini can,° which we should use exclusively of the New Testament, his reference may very we'll be to the Old. Again, he seems rarely if ever to employ the phrase °the Scripture says" of any but Jewish Scriptures. He also distinguishes often between the Old Canon and the New that is just in birth, by such locutions as °neither any Scripture has told nor the Apostle has said nor the Lord has taught" (II, 43), and (all Scriptures cry aloud and the Lord teaches° (II 3, 7), and (all Scriptures cry aloud and Paul moreover (et Paulus autem) bears witness) (II, 47)— all these examples being in the sec ond book, after which he seems to have ac quired new knowledge or felt a change of heart. Yet how largely the new literature bulked in his mind appears in the fact that of 1,467 citations 532 are Old Testament and 935 New Testament. This latter term itself is frequent enough in the later books of Irenmus, being used over a score of times, but never in the modern sense of a body of writings, always in the proper use of covenant, dispensation; it is °the Old order changeth, yielding place to the New): the Old is the lawgiving that was aforetime, but the °New is conversation (man ner of life) according to the Gospel); (the New Testament (covenant) having been known and preached by the prophets.° For him the Christian Scriptures are not yet the New Tes tament.