of composition within the reign of Vespasian, 7.e. before A.D. 79. Ramsay (Church in the Roman Empire, p. 307) has adopted Lightfoot’s theory | with some modification, but not so as to affect | the date. Harnack, however, in his recent work, has made a yery ingenious suggestion for over- coming some of the chief difficulties; and his view seems, on the whole, the most tenable.
NEW TESTAMENT CANON
According to him, the little treatise in its present form was produced in A.D. 130 or 131 (Chronol. i. p. 427).
This writing affords what appears to be the earliest instance of the citation from a book of NT as Scripture. ‘The words πολλοὶ κλητοὶ ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί are introduced (iv. end) with the formula ὡς γέγραπται. These words are not known to occur except in Mt 2214. There are also several other indications in the Ep. of Barn. of acquaintance with that Gospel. ‘The parallelisms with Mt’s account of the Trial and Crucifixion of Our Lord are striking (vii.). Again, words found in Mt 918 (though also in Mk 217, Lk 5%*) are used in ν. A saying of Christ is also quoted as such, which bears a resemblance to that in Mt 2016, though it is differently applied (vi. 13).
The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. — Dates ranging from A.D. 90-165 have been assigned for the composition of this work, the recovery of which in our generation has created so much interest. Unhappily, the indications available for forming an opinion as to the date are almost entirely such as are connected with the state of Church organization and life reflected in it, and on the history of these very diverse views prevail. It must further be observed that it may have emanated from some portion of the Church where movement had been slow, or whose customs had always been peculiar. ‘There are expressions in it which betoken the habits of a rural district. On the whole, it may be most prudent to take it as belonging to the period which we are now con- sidering, while at the same time we forbear to treat it as illustrative of the mind and practice of the Church generally within any narrow limits of time. In respect to the use of the Gospels, it seems to represent a slight advance upon the There is language, more dis-
Apostolic Fathers. tinct than that of the passage of Ignatius above referred to, which suggests the idea that the Gospel existed in a written form (Did. xv. 3, 4—as ἔχετε ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, and comp. viii. 2
and xi. 3). The citations are only of words of Christ, and introduced as what the Lord said; but they are more abundant, and, although not given entirely as in our Gospels, they appear on examina- tion to be still more plainly combinations of phrases from both Mt and Lk. Such compilations there are at Did. i. 2-5 [Mt 2257.89 (or Mk 1230. 81. or Lk 2027); Lk 6%. 82. 88.856 (Mt 54-4); Mt 53°42? and Lk 6”-®; Mt 5%]; and at Did. xvi. [Mt 25'3, Lk 12%-#, Mt 241911 etc. etc.]. The former of these is a collection of precepts on our duty to God and our neighbour, the latter on the duty of watching for the Coming of Christ. There are, besides, other citations or parallels at Did. vii. (Mt 281%), viii. 2 (Mt 65:8), ix. 5 (Mt 7°), xiii, (Mt 101°).
The Shepherd of Hermas.—The Muratorian fragment on the Canon (6. A.D. 200, see below) contains a statement that the Shepherd was written during the episcopate of Pius (bishop of Rome, A.D. 140-155), by a brother of his named Hermas. Recent investigations have added to the import- ance of this statement, which could not in any case have been lightly set aside, for they have shown that it may probably have been taken from a list of bishops drawn up c. A.D. 170 in the time of Soter (Harnack, Chronol.i. p. 192). On the other hand, in the work itself ( Vis. ii. 4. 8) there is a reference to Clement, which, if understood literally, must imply that he was still alive; and he died long before the beginning of the episcopate of Pius (A.D. 140). Zahn (Der Hirt des Hermas, p. 70 ff. and Salmon (art.* Hermas’ in Dict. of Christian
NEW TESTAMENT CANON = 533
c. A.D. 100. While Lightfoot and Westcott treat the allusion to Clement as part of the fictitious setting of the work, and rely on the testimony of the Muratorian fragment, Harnack endeavours to reconcile in a measure the two views. He sup- poses that the work, though all by one author, was not all composed at one time, and that it was finally put forth A.p. 140 (Chronol. i. p. 257 ff.).
As the Shepherd is a collection of revelations and instructions given by an angelic guide, it would not have been in character that it should contain express quotations, and there are not any in it from OT any more than from NT. But parallels showing acquaintance with NT writings are not wanting. Sim. v. 2 appears to be an adaptation of the parable of the Vineyard (Mk 1218... In Sim. ix. 12 we are rather forcibly reminded of Jn 10% and 14°, in ix. 16 of Jn 35, and in ix, 24 of Jn 115,