VIII.
From the Iambics of St. Amphilochius
the Bishop to Seleucus, on the Same Subject.
603
We should know that not every book which is called
Scripture is to be received as a safe guide. For some are
tolerably sound and others are more than doubtful. Therefore the
books which the inspiration of God hath given I will enumerate.
[Then follows a list of the proto-canonical books of the Old Testament,
Esther alone being omitted. All the deutero-canonical books are
omitted. He then continues] to these some add Esther. I
must now show what are the books of the New Testament. [Then
follow all the books of the New Testament except the Revelation.
He continues,] But some add to these the Revelation of John, but by far
the majority say that it is spurious. This is the most true canon
of the divinely given Scriptures.
Note.
We have thus four [five if we accept the Laodicean list
as genuine,] different canons of Holy Scripture, all having the
approval of the Council in Trullo and of the Seventh Ecumenical.
From this there seems but one conclusion possible, viz.: that the
approval given was not specific but general.
603
That is the canon of
Holy Scripture. I have substituted my own Epitome, in the room of
Johnson’s, translating the original as it is found in
Beveridge’s
Synodicon
, Tom. II., p. 179. It is also
in Aristenus’s
Epitome
. Balsamon has no scholion on
this passage.