en, that Dr. Mill says, "If we
had all his works remaining, we should have before us almost the whole
text of the Bible." (Mill, Proleg. esp. vi. p. 66.)

Origen notices, in order to censure, certain apocryphal Gospels. He also
uses four writings of this sort; that is, throughout his large works he
once or twice, at the most, quotes each of the four; but always with
some mark, either of direct reprobation or of caution to his readers,
manifestly esteeming them of little or no authority.

XIV. Gregory, bishop of Neocaesaea, and Dionysius of Alexandria, were
scholars of Origen. Their testimony, therefore, though full and
particular, may be reckoned a repetition only of his. The series,
however, of evidence is continued by Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, who
flourished within twenty years after Origen. "The church," said this
father, "is watered, like Paradise, by four rivers, that is, by four
Gospels." The Acts of the Apostles is also frequently quoted by Cyprian
under that name, and under the name of the "Divine Scriptures." In his
various writings are such constant and copious citations of Scripture,
as to place this part of the testimony beyond controversy. Nor is there,
in the works of this eminent African bishop, one quotation of a spurious
or apocryphal Christian writing.

XV. Passing over a crowd* of writers following Cyprian at different
distances, but all within forty years of his time; and who all, in the
perfect remains of their works, either cite the historical Scriptures of
the New Testament, or speak of them in terms of profound respect: I
single out Victorin, bishop of Pettaw, in Germany, merely on account of
the remoteness of his situation from that of Origen and Cyprian, who
were Africans; by which circumstance his testimony, taken in conjunction
with theirs, proves that the Scripture histories, and the same
histories, were known and received from one side of the Christian world
to the other. This bishop (Lardner, vol. v. p. 214.) lived about the
year 290: and in a commentary upon this text of the Revelation, "The
first was like a lion, the second was like a calf, the third like a man,
and the fourth like a flying eagle," he makes out that by the four
creatures are intended the four Gospels; and, to show the propriety of
the symbols, he recites the subject with which each evangelist opens his
history. The explication is fanciful, but the testimony positive. He
also expressly cites the Acts of the Apostles.