ance of the cherubim. "The cherubim," he says, "are fourfold, and their faces are images of the activity of the Son of God. The first beast was like a lion, signifying his commanding and kingly dignity; the second like a calf, signifying his priestly office; the third like a man, denoting his incarnation; the fourth like an eagle, denoting the Holy Spirit, flying over the church. Like these are the gospels. John, who begins with the Godhead and descent from the Father, is the lion; Luke, who begins with the priesthood and sacrifice of Zacharias, is the calf; Matthew, who begins with his human genealogy, the man; Mark, the eagle, who commences with the announcement of the prophetic spirit—'The beginning of the gospel as it is written by Isaiah the prophet'" (III, 9–11).
But there can be no doubt that besides the canonical gospels others were also current, which contained an outline of the doctrine of Christianity. This can be inferred from Luke's prologue to his gospel (I, 1–4), and more especially from Origen's comment thereon. Says he: "The phrase 'have taken in hand' implies a tacit accusation of those who rushed hastily to write gospels without the grace of the Holy Spirit. Matthew and Mark and Luke and John did not 'take in hand' to write their gospels, but wrote them being full of the Holy Spirit. … The Church has four gospels, heresies very many, of which one is entitled 'according to the Egyptians,' another 'according to the twelve Apostles.' … Four gospels only
