Contemporary with both Irenmus and the Alexandrian Clement, was Tertullian of Carthage, one of the ablest of early Christian writers, and deserving of the praise bestowed upon him by Westcott. He was born about A.D. 160, and died some time before the year 240. Tertullian was a principal vindicator against Marcion of the apostolic writings. As Irenmus and Clement of Alexandria, he maintained that he had succeeded to an in heritance transmitted from the apostles. We can gather from his writings that Tertullian acknowledged besides the four Gospels and the Book of Acts, thirteen Epistles of Paul (Hebrews excluded), Jude and the Apocalypse. He has spoken of the " Evangelic Document ' and the " Apostolic Document," but in one of his works has-employed Hew Testament as a designation of the whole of these scriptures recognized by him. (Cf. Prax. 100.15.) Tertullian kept free, for the most part, from apocryphal books of the present dispensation. His testimony against, the Shepherd of Hernias is most pronounced. It is interesting that he referred to the autographs of the Epistles as if still extant in his day. (De praesc.100. 36.)