Font Gospels.— What, then, are they? He gives no catalogue but proves (III, 11) that there are and must be in the nature of the case neither more nor less than four Gospels, since there are (four climes of the world° and (four catholic winds° and four faces of the Cherubim (lion, calf, man, eagle, Rev. iv, 7), °images of the activity of the Son of God.) He is perhaps not far wrong, in voicing a vague but dominant sense of the eternal fitness of things and of the omnipresence of the Divine. In accord with this reverence for the guaternion °a fount with roots of eternal being,' the Johannine, though originally intended as unique, the sole and sufficient Gospel (Wendland, (Literaturfor men,' p. 236,) was ranged in the ranks of the Four. These he ascribes to Matthew (who edited a writing of Gospel among Hebrews in their own tongue); to (Mark the disciple and interpreter of Peter); to (Luke the follower of Paul,"who set down in a book the Gospel preached by him"; and (John the disciple of the Lord, who also leaned on His breast, himself also edited the Gospel, while tarrying in Ephe sus of Asia) (III, 1).
The Rest.— The other Scriptures, though not yet classified, are dted often by name, Acts, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Phil ippians, Galatians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessa lonians, Peter, John, Apocalypse,— the others are not named. Verses 7, 8 of 2 John are cited as from 1 John iii, 17, 7, also v.11 as from John. Two expressions are used that are also found in Jude ((an example of just judgment of God,) 7, and °faith delivered unto us,) 3), but neither as quoted, nor is there reason to sup pose that either was taken from Jude. Like wise the aphorism in 2 Peter iii, 8 is twice used (v. 23,2; 28, 3) in the form °the day of the Lord is as a thousand years,) but with no indication of derivation from 2 Peter. Three phrases are somewhat like phrases in James, but only one need be mentioned, "the friend of God,) a characterization of a devout man, frequent in the classics and appearing in 2 Chron. xx, 7 ((Abraham, thy friend"). Harvey thinks he finds references to 10 passages in Hebrews, all of which is mere imagination; there seems to be no use made of this Epistle, the correspondences are merely in stock phrases. The whole verse Titus iii, X-10, about avoiding heretics is quoted with the formula, (As Paul also said) (iii, 2, 4; also in i, 9, 3, in what seems to be an interpola tion). Other supposed references are illusory; of about eight phrases, only one, (novelties of words of false knowledge,'" is referred to Paul (ii, 18, 51, 1 Tim. vi, 20) in a sentence much discussed and perhaps inserted. About half a dozen phrasal resemblances to 2 Timothy may be hunted down in Irenzeus, and of 4, 10f, it is expressly said (iii, 1), (Paul has manifested in his Epistles?) There is no allusion to Philemon.
Apocrypha.— It seerns, then, that seven Epistles, the Pastorals, Philemon, Hebrews, James, Jude, find no express recognition by Irenmus, though passages in the Timothies are ascribed to Paul. But the Bishop knows and
uses still other °Scriptures.) He cites (III, xxii, 1, xxxi, 1) from Isaiah: °And the Holy Lord remembered his dead of Israel that had slept in the land of sepulture, and descended to preach them salvation that is from Him, to save them.) Again (IV, xxxvi, 1) be cites it in almost the same words from Jeremiah, as does also Justin (Dial. 72) characteristically accusing the Jews of suppressing it, though it is unknown to the Hebrew, Septuagint, Vulgate, Targums, Hexapla, and all other versions,— clearly a Christian addition useful in argument and the basis of the famous passage °the gospel was.preached even to the dead) (1 Peter iv, 6). Again, (IV, ix) we find the apocryphal Daniel xiv, 3f, 24, quoted and ascribed to the prophet Once more (IV, xxvii, 2) we find Enoch de scribed as °God's legate to the angels,) in apparent reference to the long story in the apocryphal Enoch, xii-xvi. Still further, at IV, xxix, 3, °It says, Sacrifice The passage cited here (also by Clemens Al., paed. III, xii) as Scripture is not in our present Scriptures. Lastly, we find (IV, xxxiv, 2) the first com mandment of the Shepherd of Hermas cited with praise as °the Scripture,) and the First Epistle of Clement described and approved as °Scripture itself) or °very Scripture) (ipsa Scriptura). At II, lvi, 1 athe Lord said): °If, etc.,) v.-hich words are also cited in 2 Clement viii, 5 as °in the Gospel,) and Grabe thinks the reference is to °the Gospel according to Egyp tians,) whereof fragments are still afloat. Finally, the letter of Polycarp is declared (III, 3, 4) °written most sufficient) to teach °both the character of his faith and the preach ing of the truth,'" and at V, xxxv, 1 the long citation from °Jeremiah) is found only in apocryphal Baruch (iv, 36-v, 9).
Canon.— Ten such examples are enough to show that the scriptural horizon of the ancient Bishop was notably wider than the modern, as well as only vaguely defined at many points. Manifestly the Canon is coming to birth, but for him it is not yet born. It remains only to recall that the allusions (real or apparent) to the later New Testament writings are nearly all to be found in the later books (III-V) of Irenxus, written it appears after the demand of his friend had been fulfilled, as an overplus beyond what was expected Oprzter quam opinabaris"). Also, in the barbarous though generally faithful Latin translation of the Greek, it is almost impossible that some emen dations should not be found,— the marginal comments of readers or copyists, which have crept into the text, as at V, xiii, 3, where the words °in second to Corinthians) are not in the Greek. These definite references to the New Testament Scriptures represent in large meas ure a somewhat later consciousness, even as Harvey notes. The rapid growth of this recog nition of an authoritative literature, and of its precise determination, is the all-important fact that shines through the pages of Irenmus.