Of the usage in the Alexandrian Church between Origen's death and the time to which the earliest remaining MSS of the New Testament (classed as Alexandrian) take us back, Westcott says: " it more and more turned in favor of the disputed books." For the evidence of this the reader might well consult the same writer's " General view of the Canon."
THE WESTERN NEW TESTAMENT OF THE SAME PERIOD.
In the Western Churches there continued to be no recognition of James and Second Peter; neither was the Epistle to the Hebrews regarded as apostolic. So much for the third century.
THE TIME OF EUSEBIUS.
The Christians who had thus far maintained a position distinct from the mass around them-votaries of heathenism-were marked nevertheless by some very developed corruption. They were tried from time to time by persecution; whilst it was blessed to some, the comparative freedom from it that others enjoyed was used by Satan to promote amongst them spiritual pride and other worse evils. Eusebius has depicted the low state of the Lord's people in his time. The saints disregarded divine chastisement, until, as this historian expresses it, " the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in His anger, [and] cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel." (Eccl. Hist. bk. 8.) For the tenth time the fires of persecution were kindled. (Cf. Rev. 2:10.)