28. His Account of the Canon

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Origen applied to the Christian books, in their collected form, the title of "New Covenant" (or Testament), as on his De Princ. iv. 1. He has spoken of the doubts that some had as to the Epistles of James, Second Peter, Second and Third John and Jude, besides as to the authorship of Hebrews. Upon most of the apocryphal writings of the Christian dispensation he bestowed unmeasured condemnation. As to the " Shepherd," however, Origen's judgment seems to have fluctuated. His position as to the Canon has been stated thus: " Origen would limit the Bible in the highest sense to the acknowledged books, both in the Old and New Testaments, that is, the Hebrew Canon, and the four Gospels, the Acts, First Peter, First John, thirteen Epistles of Paul, and the Apocalypse, for he seems to have been unacquainted with the doubts which were raised as to the last book. The use of other writings he commits to the discretion of individuals, without suppressing his own opinion as to the very unequal value of different books."1 Origen died in the year 234.
 
1. "Bible in the Church," p. 137.