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The statement that the book not only might but ought to be read is a high recognition of the value attributed to it by the writer, and we gather that at least in some places its use in church was then such as to lead some to regard it as on a level with the canonical Scriptures. He concludes that the book ought to be read but not publicly in the church among the prophetic writings, the number of which was complete, nor among the apostolic. The MURATORIAN FRAGMENT on the Canon tells us that it had been written during the episcopate of Pius by his brother Hernias, a period which the writer speaks of as within then living memory. The Western tradition deserves more attention, as internal evidence shews the book to have been composed at Rome. it rapidly passed out of ecclesiastical use in the East. and with The Teaching of the Apostles as not canonical but useful for catechetical instruction. 963) classes it with some of the deutero-canonical books of O.T. 3) while unable to place it among the ὁμολογουμένα because rejected by some he records its public use in churches and by some most eminent writers and that it was judged by some most necessary for elementary instruction in the faith.

25) places the book among the orthodox νόθα with the Acts of Paul Revelation of Peter Epistle of Barnabas etc. 644) as a book current in the church but not acknowledged by all and (de Princ. They are carefully separated from quotations from the canonical books and he generally adds a saving clause giving the reader permission to reject them he speaks of it (in Matt. His other quotations shew that less favourable views of the book were current in his time. He suggests as do others after him but apparently on no earlier authority that it was written by the Hermas mentioned in Rom_16:14. Origen who frequently cites the book (in Rom. The mutilated commencement of the Stromateis of Clement of Alexandria opens in the middle of a quotation from The Shepherd and about ten times elsewhere he cites the book always with a complete acceptance of the reality and divine character of the revelations made to Hermas but without suggesting who Hermas was or when he lived. Probably n the time of Irenaeus the work was publicly read in the Gallican churches. 253) with the words "Well said the Scripture," a fact which Eusebius notes (H. A passage from it is quoted by Irenaeus (iv. This book was treated with respect bordering on that paid to the canonical Scriptures of N.T. there was in circulation a book of visions and allegories purporting to be written by one Hermas and commonly known as The Shepherd.