are approved, out of which we must bring forth points of teaching under the person of our Lord and Saviour. There is I know a gospel which is called 'according to Thomas,' and one 'according to Matthias'; and there are many others which we read, lest we should seem to be unacquainted with any point for the sake of those who think they possess some valuable knowledge if they are acquainted with them. But in all these we approve nothing else but that which the Church approves, that is four gospels only as proper to be received."
Now, some of the false gospels were probably only a true gospel altered to suit the views of a particular man or sect or party. We know that Marcion's gospel was an altered Luke, Basilides may perhaps have made Matthew his basis, and Apelles is said to have made similar use of John. Some of the gospels, themselves originally apocryphal, were certainly reissued with changes according to the ideas of successive editors. The numerous extant gospels of the Nativity are only recensions or editions of the Protevangel or "Gospel of James." There are several of those ancient gospels of which we know only the names, and it is supposed that many of them are the same book under different names. We know something of the Gospel of the Nazarenes and of the Gospel of the Ebionites, and we have reason to believe that those, as well as of the Gospels of Bartholomew, of Cerinthus, and of the Twelve Apostles were recensions of the gospel of the Hebrews.
