The  Jewish  teachers  did  not  consider  the  Old  Testament  Canon
fixed  until  after  the  fall  of  the  Temple.  The  New  Testament  Canon
was  not  finally  adjusted  till  the  end  of  the  fourth  century  ;  and  even
then  the  canonicity  of  certain  books  was  disputed  by  one  and  another
leader  of  the  church.  Those  books  that  were  universally  accepted
w^ere  entitled  Homologoumena,  and  those  that  for  a  time  had  their
place  questioned,  Antilegomena.  The  Reformers,  notably  Luther,
were  surprisingly  free  in  their  use  of  this  distinction.  In  the  latter
division  were  placed  James,  2  Peter,  2  and  3  John,  Jude,  and  Revela-
tion. The  claims  of  these  books  to  bear  apostolic  names  are  now  almost
universally  admitted  by  evangelical  scholars  ;  and  with  this  the  ground
for  the  distinction  has  disappeared.  Hence  in  our  Confession  all  the
books  enumerated  are  regarded  as  having  equal  canonical  rank.  In
order  to  determine  the  question  of  canonicity,  we  have  to  trace  the
history  of  the  reception  of  the  several  books  in  the  ancient  church,
and  then  the  list  thus  arranged  according  to  the  authority  of  tradition
must  be  subjected  to  criticism,  to  determine  whether  the  writings
contained  in  it  really  reflect  apostolic  doctrine.  Apostolic  origin,
either  as  to  writing  or  as  to  spirit,  is  indispensable  to  the  securing
for  any  book  a  place  in  the  Canon.  This  was  so  early  recognised  as
a  mark  of  canonicity,  that  heretical  works  seeking  canonical  authority
were  put  forth  under  the  names  of  apostles.
The  Westminster  Confession,  in  common  with  most  of  the  doctrinal

C


34  THE  CONFESSION  OF  FAITH.
