It is reasonable, having come to this point, to summarize the writings of the New Testament that have been indicated. And first must be placed the holy tetrad of the Gospels, which is followed by the writing of the Acts of the Apostles.
After this must be reckoned the epistles of Paul, and next to them must be confirmed the epistle of John called the first, and likewise the epistle of Peter. In addition to these is to be placed, if it seem right, the Revelation of John, concerning which the opinions held shall be set forth at the proper time.
And these belong among the acknowledged books. Of those that are spoken against, yet nevertheless known to the majority, there are in circulation the epistle called of James, and that of Jude, and the second epistle of Peter, and the so-called second and third of John, whether they be the evangelist's, or even another's of the same name.
Among the spurious books must be ranked the writing of the Acts of Paul, the work called the Shepherd, and the Revelation of Peter; and besides these the epistle in circulation under the name of Barnabas, and the so-called Teachings of the Apostles; and further, as I said, the Revelation of John, if it seem right, which some, as I said, set aside, while others reckon it among the acknowledged books.
Already some have also counted among these the Gospel according to the Hebrews, in which those of the Hebrews who have received Christ take especial delight. All these would belong among the disputed books.
But of necessity we have nevertheless made a list of these also, distinguishing the writings that according to the ecclesiastical tradition are true, genuine, and acknowledged, from the others apart from these, which are not indeed canonical but disputed, yet nevertheless are known to most men of the Church; that we might know both these very books and those put forward by the heretics under the name of the apostles—whether as containing gospels such as those of Peter, and Thomas, and Matthias, or of certain others besides these, or as containing acts such as those of Andrew and John and the other apostles. Of none of these has any man among those belonging to the successions of the Church ever thought fit to make mention in any writing.
Moreover, the very character of their phraseology departs far from apostolic style; and the mind and the bent of the things contained in them, being utterly out of tune with true orthodoxy, plainly show that they are the fabrications of heretical men. Hence they ought not even to be ranked among the spurious books, but rejected as altogether absurd and impious. Let us now proceed to the history that follows.