is no mention whatever of apostolic epistles as holy
writings of standard authority.[74] But we learn further from Justin
that the Gospels as well as the Old Testament were read in public
worship (Apol. I. 67) and that our first three Gospels were already in
use. We can, moreover, gather from other sources that other Christian
writings, early and late, were more or less regularly read in Christian
meetings.[75] Such writings naturally possessed a high degree of
authority. As the Holy Spirit and the Church are inseparable, everything
that edifies the Church originates with the Holy Spirit,[76] which in
this, as well as every other respect, is inexhaustibly rich. Here,
however, two interests were predominant from the beginning, that of
immediate spiritual edification and that of attesting and certifying the
Christian _Kerygma_ ([Greek: he asphaleia ton logon]). _The
ecclesiastical canon was the result of the latter interest_, not indeed
in consequence of a process of collection, for individual communities
had already made a far larger compilation,[77] but, in the first
instance, through selection, and afterwards, but not till then, through
addition.

We must not think that the four Gospels now found in the canon had
attained full canonical authority by the middle of the second century,
for the fact--easily demonstrable--that the texts were still very freely
dealt with about this period is in itself a proof of this.[78] Our first
three Gospels contain passages and corrections that could hardly have
been fixed before about the year 150. Moreover, Tatian's attempt to
create a new Gospel from the four shews that the text of these was not
yet fixed.[79] We may remark that he was the first in whom we find the
Gospel of John[80] alongside of the Synoptists, and these four the only
ones recognised. From the assault of the "Alogi" on the Johannine Gospel
we learn that about 160 the whole of our four Gospels had not been
definitely recognised even in Asia Minor. Finally, we must refer to the
Gospel of the Egyptians, the use of which was not confined to circles
outside the Church.[81]

From the middle of the second century the Encratites stood midway
between the larger Christendom and the Marcionite Church as well as the
Gnostic schools. We hear of some of these using the Gospels as canonical
writings side by side with the Old Testament, though they would have
nothing to do with the Epistles of Paul and the Acts of the
Apostles.[