82] But Tatian, the prominent Apologist, who joined them, gave
this sect a more complete canon, an important fact about which was its
inclusion of Epistles of Paul. Even this period, however, still supplies
us with no testimony as to the existence of a New Testament canon in
orthodox Christendom, in fact the rise of the so-called "Montanism" and
its extreme antithesis, the "Alogi," in Asia Minor soon after the middle
of the second century proves that there was still no New Testament canon
there; for, if such an authoritative compilation had existed, these
movements could not have arisen. If we gather together all the
indications and evidence bearing on the subject, we shall indeed be
ready to expect the speedy appearance in the Church of a kind of Gospel
canon comprising the four Gospels;[83] but we are prepared neither for
this being formally placed on an equality with the Old Testament, nor
for its containing apostolic writings, which as yet are only found in
Marcion and the Gnostics. The canon emerges quite suddenly in an
allusion of Melito of Sardis preserved by Eusebius,[84] the meaning of
which is, however, still dubious; in the works of Irenaeus and
Tertullian; and in the so-called Muratorian Fragment. There is no direct
account of its origin and scarcely any indirect; yet it already appears
as something to all intents and purposes finished and complete.[85]
Moreover, it emerges in the same ecclesiastical district where we were
first able to show the existence of the apostolic _regula fidei_. We
hear nothing of any authority belonging to the compilers, because we
learn nothing at all of such persons.[86] And yet the collection is
regarded by Irenaeus and Tertullian as completed. A refusal on the part
of the heretics to recognise this or that book is already made a severe
reproach against them. Their Bibles are tested by the Church compilation
as the older one, and the latter itself is already used exactly like the
Old Testament. The assumption of the inspiration of the books; the
harmonistic interpretation of them; the idea of their absolute
sufficiency with regard to every question which can arise and every
event which they record; the right of unlimited combination of passages;
the assumption that nothing in the Scriptures is without importance;
and, finally, the allegorical interpretation: are the immediately
observable result of the creation of the canon.[87]

The probable conditions which brought about the fo