Page:Apocryphal Gospels and Other Documents Relating to the History of Christ.djvu/18

xiv Gospels, but this would not prevent us from repeating as true what we have already said, that our four Gospels have always and alone been received as inspired and authentic by the Universal Church of Christ.

It will be said, perhaps, that some of the forged Gospels are quoted by recognised and orthodox writers. This is true, but fitted to mislead: the false Gospels are often quoted and referred to by writers who disbelieved and expressly rejected them; in a few cases, alleged quotations from them are doubtful; and here and there we find them quoted as containing true statements. Only these last quotations concern us, and we say in reference to them, that there are some true statements in the forged Gospels; that whether true or false, they contain statements which some men believed to be true; and that no mere quotation from a book proves it to have been inspired in the opinion of him that quotes it. But, even supposing that one, or two, or three of the early Fathers quoted false Gospels as inspired, we could only infer from the circumstance that they were mistaken, and stood almost alone.

There have always been, as there are now, weak-minded, credulous, and superstitious persons, who