Of Peter, one epistle, that called his first, is acknowledged; and this the ancient presbyters also used in their own writings as beyond dispute. But the so-called second epistle we have received as not canonical; yet, since it has appeared useful to many, it has been studied together with the other Scriptures.
But as for the Acts that bear his name, and the gospel named after him, the so-called Preaching attributed to him, and the so-called Revelation, we know that these have by no means been handed down among the catholic writings, since no ecclesiastical writer, ancient or of our own day, has made use of testimonies drawn from them.
As the history proceeds, I shall make it my care to indicate, together with the successions, which of the ecclesiastical writers in each period used any of the disputed books, and what they said concerning the canonical and acknowledged Scriptures, and whatever they said concerning those that are not such.
The fourteen epistles of Paul are manifest and plain. Yet it is not right to be ignorant that some have set aside the Epistle to the Hebrews, saying that it is disputed by the church of Rome as not being Paul's; and I shall in due time set forth what was said about it by those before us. Nor indeed have I received his so-called Acts among the undisputed writings.
Since the same apostle, in the salutations at the end of the Epistle to the Romans, has made mention, among others, of Hermas, whose, they say, is the Book of the Shepherd, it must be known that this also has been disputed by some, on whose account it would not be placed among the acknowledged books; but by others it has been judged most necessary, especially for those who need elementary instruction. Hence we know that it has already been publicly read in churches, and I have found that some of the most ancient writers made use of it.