Irenus, born in Asia Minor about A.D. 140, received Christian instruction in youth from Polycarp. Later on he made his home in the West, and was bishop of Lyons from A.D. 177 to 202. He was the author of a treatise against heresies, which has come down to us in a Latin translation. We are indebted to Eusebius for extracts from the original Greek, which bear upon the authority of books of scripture. Irenus has quoted most of the books of our New Testament, and these he called " Holy Writings " and " Oracles of God," the exceptions being the Epistles of James, Second Peter, Jude, Third John, and perhaps those to the Hebrews and Philemon. But he seems to have been acquainted with the Epistle to the Hebrews, Irenus is unhappily a witness for the use in his day of the " Shepherd of Hermas," which he cited as scripture he also regarded the first epistle of Clement almost as canonical. But his testimony is of peculiar value for the Gospel of John, which modern rationalism still seeks with the utmost vehemence to undermine. We have his voucher also for the apostolicity of our Apocalypse.