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Canon Muratorianus

Caius

Section 3

About this work

Author: Caius

3. As to the epistles of Paul, again, to those

‹ Section 2 Section 4 ›

who

will

understand

the

matter

,

they

indicate

of

themselves

what

they

are

,

and

from

what

place

or

with

what

object

they

were

directed

.

He

wrote

first

of

all

,

and

at

considerable

length

,

to

the

Corinthians

,

to

check

the

schism

of

heresy

;

and

then

to

the

Galatians

,

to

forbid

circumcision

;

and

then

to

the

Romans

on

the

rule

of

the

Old

Testament

Scriptures

,

and

also

to

show

them

that

Christ

is

the

first

object

in

these

;

—

which

it

is

needful

for

us

to

discuss

severally

,

as

the

blessed

Apostle

Paul

,

following

the

rule

of

his

predecessor

John

,

writes

to

no

more

than

seven

churches

by

name

,

in

this

order

:

the

first

to

the

Corinthians

,

the

second

to

the

Ephesians

,

the

third

to

the

Philippians

,

the

fourth

to

the

Colossians

,

the

fifth

to

the

Galatians

,

the

sixth

to

the

Thessalonians

,

the

seventh

to

the

Romans

.

Moreover

,

though

he

writes

twice

to

the

Corinthians

and

Thessalonians

for

their

correction

,

it

is

yet

shown

—

i

.

e

.

,

by

this

sevenfold

writing

—

that

there

is

one

Church

spread

abroad

through

the

whole

world

.

And

John

too

,

indeed

,

in

the

Apocalypse

,

although

he

writes

only

to

seven

churches

,

yet

addresses

all

.

He

wrote

,

besides

these

,

one

to

Philemon

,

and

one

to

Titus

,

and

two

to

Timothy

,

in

simple

personal

affection

and

love

indeed

;

but

yet

these

are

hallowed

in

the

esteem

of

the

Catholic

Church

,

and

in

the

regulation

of

ecclesiastical

discipline

.

There

are

also

in

circulation

one

to

the

Laodiceans

,

and

another

to

the

Alexandrians

,

forged

under

the

name

of

Paul

,

and

addressed

against

the

heresy

of

Marcion

;

and

there

are

also

several

others

which

cannot

be

received

into

the

Catholic

Church

,

for

it

is

not

suitable

for

gall

to

be

mingled

with

honey

.

Notes

13
Reading “epistolæ” and “directæ” instead of “epistola” and “directe,” and “volentibus” for “voluntatibus.”
14
Principium.
15
The text is, “de quibus singulis necesse est a nobis disputari cum,” etc. Bunsen reads, “de quibus non necesse est a nobis disputari cur” ="on which we need not discuss the reason why.”