The work was never generally received as Scripture. On the contrary, the author of the Muratorian Fragment, while placing the Four Gospels in the list of canonical books universally received, says of “The Pastor,” that it was written “very recently in our times” by another Hermas, a brother of the Bishop of Rome, and that it was read in “some of the churches,” not as Scripture but for “edification,” the same as the Epistle of Clement. It was rejected by Tertullian, not only as Apocryphal, but as hurtful. Nor is it any answer, to say that the so-called Epistle of Barnabas was early attributed to Barnabas the Levite. In the first place, it is by no means certain that this tradition was unfounded. From the little we know of Barnabas, it would be rash to conclude that he could not have written it. If uninspired, he _may_ have written just such a book. In the second place, no one ascribed it to him till the time of Clement of Alexandria, and it was ranked by Eusebius among the “spurious” writings, which, however much known and read in the church, were never regarded as authoritative. Eusebius also places The Pastor Hermas in the list of writings whose authorship is disputed. The Fourth Gospel rests upon an entirely different basis. There was but _one_ tradition in respect to it, and from our first knowledge of it, it was regarded as authoritative, and its authorship was undisputed; for the slight exception of the few individuals, called the Alogi, is of no account. It was included in the commentaries and harmonies to which reference has been made; and such works would not have been written until the books upon which they were based had been long enough in the churches for a felt need of commentaries upon them. It was quoted as Scripture by Theophilus, and John its author was expressly named as moved by the Holy Ghost. In the Muratori Canon, it was placed as Scripture in the list of Canonical books, universally received. And that it could not have come in after the year one hundred and forty, or have been received unless it was genuine, will be still more obvious from a more particular consideration of some of those who accepted it. Pantænus, who was at the head of the Alexandrian school in the year one hundred and eighty, was (says Eusebius) distinguished for his learning. Before his conversion he was a Stoic philosopher. After that, and before he became the head of the Catechetical school, he traveled extensively as an Evangelist. He went as far as the Indies, where he found that the Apostle Bartholomew, who had preceded him, had left the Gospel of Matthew in Hebrew. Pantænus could not have been ignorant of the “Memoirs,” which were accepted in Justin’s time, and he lived until the year two hundred and twelve. We have no _direct evidence_ from _him_; but Clement, his pupil and successor, and noted for his learning, could not have been ignorant of the opinions of Pantænus; and from Clement there is the strongest testimony. He flourished between A.D.