THE ELEVEN AUTHENTIC CATALOGUES OF THE FOURTH CENTURY.

55. Tue fathers and the councils of the fourth century have left us no fewer than eleven catalogues of the sacred books, without counting that of Eusebius.

SECTION FIRST.

UNANIMITY OF ALL THE CATALOGUES AS TO THE FIRST CANON, THE SECOND CANON, AND THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.

56. All these eleven catalogues, without exception, unanimously recognise as canonical, not only the twenty books that form our first canon, but also the Epistle to the Hebrews, and all the five books that Eusebius calls ἀντιλεγόμενα, and that form our second canon.

Accordingly, from the date of the Council of Nice, all difference of opinion, at least in the catalogues of the age, everywhere disappeared regarding both the two canons and the Epistle to the Hebrews.

SECTION SECOND.

CATALOGUES OF THE FATHERS AND CATALOGUES OF THE COUNCILS.

57. Of these eleven authentic catalogues of the fourth century, nine have been left us by the fathers and two by the councils.

It will be necessary to give a detailed account of both these classes of catalogues, and this we shall do in the next two chapters.