III. =Apostolic Epistles.= The apocryphal _Epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans_ (Col. iv. 16), and that to the _Corinthians_ suggested by the statement in 1 Cor. v. 9, are spiritless compilations from the canonical Epistles. From the _Correspondence of Paul with Seneca_, quotations are made by Jerome and Augustine. It embraces fourteen short epistles. The idea of friendly relations between these two men suggested by Acts xviii. 12, Gallio being Seneca’s brother, forms the motive for the fiction.
IV. =The apocryphal Apocalypses= that have been preserved are of little value. An _Apocalypsis Petri_ was known to Clement of Alexandria. The _Apoc. Pauli_ is based on 2 Cor. xii. 2.
V. =Apostolical Constitutions=, comp. § 43, 4, 5.[89]
§ 32.8. =The Acts of the Martyrs.=--Of the numerous professedly contemporary accounts of celebrated martyrs of the 2nd and 3rd cents., those adopted by Eusebius in his Church History may be accepted as genuine; especially the _Epistle of the Church of Smyrna to the Church at Philomelium_ about the persecution which it suffered (§ 22, 3); also the _Report of the Church at Lyons and Vienne_ to the Christians in Asia and Phrygia about the persecution under Marcus Aurelius in A.D. 177 (§ 22, 3); and an _Epistle of Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria_ to Fabian of Antioch about the Alexandrian martyrs and confessors during the Decian persecution. The Acts of the Martyrs of Scillita are also genuine (§ 22, 3); so too the Montanistic History of the sufferings of Perpetua, Felicitas, and their companions (§§ 22, 4; 40, 3); as well as the _Acta s. Cypriani_. The main part of the _Martyrdom of Justin Martyr_ by Simeon Metaphr. (§ 68, 4) belongs probably to the 2nd cent. The _Martyrdom of Ignatius_ (§ 30, 5) professedly by his companions in his last journey to Rome, and the _Martyrdom of Sympherosa_ in the Tiber, who was put to death with her seven sons under Hadrian, as well as all other Acts of the Martyrs professedly belonging to the first four centuries, are of more than doubtful authenticity.
§ 33. THE DOCTRINAL CONTROVERSIES OF THE OLD CATHOLIC AGE.[90]
The development of the system of Christian doctrine must become a necessity when Christianity meeting with pagan culture in the form of science is called upon to defend her claim to be the universal religion. In the first three centuries, however, there was as yet no official construction and establishment of ecclesiastical doctrine. There must first be a certain measure of free subjective development and wrestling with antagonistic views. A universally acknowledged organ is wanting, such as that subsequently found in the Œcumenical Councils. The persecutions allowed no time and peace for this; and the church had enough to do in maintaining what is specifically Christian in opposition to the intrusion of such anti-Christian, Jewish and Pagan elements as sought to gain a footing in Ebionism and Gnosticism. On the other hand, friction and controversy within the church had already begun as a preparation for the construction of the ecclesiastical system of doctrine. The _Trinitarian_ controversy was by far the most important, while the _Chiliastic_ discussions were of significance for Eschatology.